How Can I Learn This Power?

Who framed Roger Rabbit

And believe me when I say all I hope for is that you’re okay

Because there are some things we never get over,

some things we can never live without,

some things that are more of who we are that make sense--and you are one of them. 

20th Year of Harry Potter

Nineteen years ago in the US (September 1st, 1998) Harry Potter was released. Hearing of it’s success in the UK, my mother ran out and got it for us to read together. While It would not become more common in my community for another few years, it quickly became very important to me. My mother read it to me at night the first time around, miss-pronouncing Hermione until my dad who grew up for a time in England corrected her, and then I read it many times over to where the book started to fall apart. 

The Harry Potter series is a big deal for many reasons, and has shaped our world and helped us connect with more than just the theme parks, midnight book releases, Emma Watson, movies and expansions such as Quidditch Throughout the Ages. The story of Harry Potter has shown the ridiculousness of racism, the promotion of helping those less fortunate, of doing what is morally right and reminding us that what we see is not always accurate as with depression or social differences. The Harry Potter world created by J.K. Rowling (who I also first assumed was a male) was the first apocalyptic universe where everyone was fighting to survive, but also win the world for good; and make the world better. Hermione Granger might not have been the main protagonist as with following series that all became about the sole female heroine, but she was the first to be brave regardless of her fears, rely on her smarts, and always be there for her friends. In studies the Harry Potter series have been noted as a large influence on combating race and social-class status as the absurdity of separation on these qualities were shown in the books with werewolves, elves and with half-bloods and muggles. While not the sole supporter or eye-opener, it is a reason why younger generations believe it is their responsibility to make sure everyone is treated with equality and respect. 

September 1st is widely known in the Harry Potter Universe as the day that those who were fortunate enough to receive their Hogwarts letters would get on the Hogwarts Express and get to begin their official journey into the wizarding world, and while intended enough, it is when those in the US were able to join as well with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In this story, we were Harry, we were learning everything as he did--something that would continue for the rest of the series (very eloquently referenced with each new book I might add) that entranced us. But more than with the wizarding world, we were like Harry in learning about the problems arising and feeling that we had to stop it, how it was our duty to stop it, part of what has spread outside the pages to common activism and empathy in our day to day lives. Again we were Harry Potter, we were young, new to this world and with our humbled experience prior, we wonder if this world we were growing into was as magical and perfect as we were led to believe. This is what this Harry Potter journey taught us and continues to remind us, that not everything perfect or fair but that we can all, individually make a difference 

Best Company moments

1. Season Seven, Episode Two: Counseling

When they all support and try to help Dwight with the mall fiasco even before they knew what happened. After first storming in and demanding everyone “Boycott the Steamtown Mall” and then again when help him prepare to Pretty Woman the salesclerk (per Kelly’s suggestion).

Kelly “You shirt and tie are disgusto-barfo”

Oscar “Maybe not so monochromatic, not so matching”

Ryan, Kelly, Pam and then Ryan again “The glasses are a little….I liked them…I thought they were kinda cute…yeah I liked them too”

Darryl "Say Stuff like ‘good morning, good afternoon. People appreciate that’” Darryl

Andy “If someone offers you a cocktail, accept, but keeps your wits about you” Andy

Angela “Please and Thank you go a long way”

2. Season Seven, Episode Twenty-Two: Goodbye Michael

When they all sing Rent, and calculated the actual minutes (9,986,000)  that he had been at the company

3. Season Five, Episode Fourteen: Stress Relief Part 1

When, more than those you’d expect, began dancing to them singing ‘staying alive’ to know when to pump for CPR. First Andy joining in singing, then Kelly dancing, Phyllis and Creed bopping their heads, then Michael stops with the CPR and gets up to also dance as does Andy later dancing with the instructor and even Meredith and Dwight bopping their heads as well.

4. Season Eight, Episode Five: Garden Party

When they all come together to cheer Andy up after the Garden party; even to where they ignore him as he tries to leave and apologize with Darryl asking him he wants a “Cheeseburger or Hamburger” and Oscar calling him “Nard-dog” before tossing him a beer.

5. Season Seven, Episode Seven: Christening

When they all shit on the churchgoers at the Christening; they are their own type of family

Ryan “Teach for America girls are way hotter—but their nuts”

Phyliis “Who takes a kid to Mexico”

Stanley” I would run to Mexico if that’s where the sandwiches are”

Dwight “You wanna know my 11th Commandment, I will not be undersold”

Andy “What if the Moon was your car and Jupiter was your hairbrush”

Ending with half-assed claps and Ryan playing with his cup

6. Season Six, Episode Fifteen: Sabre

When they work together to repackage the Sabre box

7. Season Seven, Episode Nine: WUPHF.com

When they figured out the server password first thinking of things topical for when it was set, IT guys, and then that it made Michael laugh when he heard it, but Pam got offended.

8. Season Seven, Episode Six: Costume Contest

“Is there no limit to what Stanley won’t notice?”

Jim’s OJ wasn’t his hot coffee

Kevin dressed up as Phyllis

Andy naked except for his tie

The computer monitor being replaced by a cardboard box with a picture on it

Michael with fake teeth

The conference meeting having everyone but him sitting backwards and the meeting talking about the projections on Jupiter

Pam with a mustache

and Dwight with a pony

 Except—he notices the clock is slow and it’s after 5pm

9. Season Nine, Episode Eight: The Target

When Pete, Kevin, Erin, Meredith, Creed, Nellie and Darryl all work together to build the complaint tower and support Pam getting a complaint

10. Season Nine, Episode Eighteen: Promos

When they realize the camera crew followed them more than they realized, and all looked at the camera simultaneously

The thing with telling “cliche” stories, but with representation, is… these stories aren’t cliche for us.

Picture this. The people at the table next to you have been getting chocolate cake as a dessert for YEARS. After every meal, they get a chocolate cake. Now, it’s been years, and the people at that table can barely stand chocolate anymore. They want maybe a cheesecake. Or lemon mousse.

But your table? Has NEVER had chocolate cake. Mousse is also good, but you are SO hungry for that chocolate cake, cause you never had it before, and it’s brand new for you, and you’ve been watching the other table eat it for YEARS.

That’s what’s like getting a “cliche” story that’s representative. Has it been done a million times before? Yes. Has it ever been done for US? Well… no. Maybe it’s the 500th chocolate cake in existence, but all the other chocolate cakes weren’t meant for us (girls/PoC/queer folk/disabled folk/etc)

So it being cliche is not a bad thing. You may not want chocolate cake anymore. But we want our slice too.

Robert Muller Testimony

Today's Robert Muller testimony highlights a very complicated, a long-haul change in how news and all media are shared, expressed and consumed. 

Both sides don't expect more to be said that has already been divulged in the report. But with the report being 400 pages and written as a legal document, it is confusing for those who do not have experience with law documents, that style of writing and that it is too long for the average American who is working and would need more background to understand the smaller details. Immediately 3% of the US was expected to read the Muller report based on Amazon sales, but buying something off Amazon is not the same as definitely reading the report and definitely not the entire report. Separately, understanding what is written is an entirely different arena. This brings us back to the overall shift in information (both fact and fiction) and the main purpose of today's hearing-- the idea is that those who cannot or aren't interested in all the nuances of the report, be told in a form they are used to so they may understand the majority and most crucial parts of Muller's research and findings. 

Breaking the hearing up and preparing it to be recorded allows us to consume the information how we're most used to it, short clips marked to become viral. But is the official line in the sand, separating the previous time of detailed, historic and verified facts from news and stories that we won't bother with until they can be easily binged; did we cross that line long ago, and if we have crossed it--how soon until we regret it

“I dedicate this to all the Indigenous kids in the world who want to do art and dance and write stories, we are the original storytellers and we can make it here, as well.” 

Congratulations, Taika Waititi, on a historic win at the Oscars. Thanks for another beautiful film.

Scrimgeour and Fudge

There are many different types of leaders in our world, teachers, pop stars, activists, CEOs and of course, actual political or governmental leaders. As within our daily world, the wizarding world showed Harry Potter and the rest of us that there are all types of leaders, even within the same field. Two of the biggest political leaders that would show different ends of the spectrum were Cornelius Fudge and Rufus Scrimgeour

Before we knew how bad things would get, we knew Fudge was an oaf. While some of his calls were good (increased efforts in protecting Harry Potter from Sirius Black), most of them were done out of self-preservation, for glory and prestige. Why he ever got involved in government, probably stems mostly from that wanting to see important as he portrayed no backbone, showed extreme jealousy and little critical skills. His role in the rise of Voldemort is not large, but important. As the spokesperson and leader of their world any small thing he did differently would have had a tremendous impact, but when the opportunity finally rose not only did he freeze at the challenge, he purposefully put everyone at greater risk just so he could keep his glory days. Seriously thou, what did he think was going to happen?

As former Head of the Auror Office, Scrimgeour was more experienced with the current priorities the ministry faced and was expected to be better at handling the situation when compared to Fudge as a leader. However, in terms of leadership, they were unfortunately, very similar. Considering the threat everyone was under and previous year of administrative secrecy, Scrimgeour should have operated with as much transparency as possible for both the safety and trust of the wizarding and muggle world. Instead, he was very much like Fudge: temperamental, would push for ridiculous propaganda with Harry Potter and bogus arrests, and an illogical paranoia and hatred against Dumbledore. While his death and life focused on the greater good, one cannot help but wonder what would have happened, how many more lives would have been saved, if he were more like Potterwatch being honest, hopeful and encourages those to not only fight for themselves but for others. 

Bartemius Crouch Senior

I love Barty Crouch Senior, I just do. Maybe it’s because when we meet him I just see this bright man who got shafted by his family, the public and was alone; I feel for him. Now, he’s not perfect. We know that he could be cruel, as we see with him and Winky and hear from others in regards to the trails of other Death Eaters not connected to his son. But while he was ambitious and made mistakes as department head, they were misguided mistakes and not with the background of the mistakes or self-promotion ones made by Fudge or Scrimgeour. And while we hear about how he was an absentee father working late at the ministry, we know Barty Crouch Jr. had his mother to over-indulge him similar to how I believe James Potter was overindulged, and we know that Barty Crouch Sr. adored his wife so I feel there were limits or levels to his cruelty, especially as at any moment he could have handled his son differently after his wife passed, but he didn’t.  

How Barty Crouch Dr. became who he was, we’ll never know, but once brought to the light I feel that Barty Crouch Sr. wasn’t as shocked as he would otherwise be, he just wasn’t in denial anymore. Maybe Barty Crouch Jr.’s nature turned his father away from him and not the other way around because regardless of the speculation that Barty Crouch Jr. might have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, we know that’s not true. Barty Crouch Jr. was a proud Death Eater. When it comes to Barty Crouch Sr.’s errors, I put them more in line with Dumbledore’s. While not as understanding of his own faults, Barty Crouch Sr. was not malicious, but strict. Why he could not get the sympathy following the death of his wife and child as Dumbledore had with his sister I don’t understand. Barty Crouch Sr.’s main fault seemed to be in his appearance of being cruel (also alluded to in why Ludo Bagman got more praise than him) because the public first hated that he sentenced his son so ‘unfairly’ by treating him like any other Death Eater, then blaming him when he died in Azkaban, then hating him when they found out he had taken him from Azkaban but had him imprisoned in his home….I think they just wanted to hate him.

Bartemius Crouch Senior was not perfect or innocent, but for the most part, he tried to do what he believed was best for the world even if his methods to get there are more than questionable, and, he honoured his wife more than anything, which counts for something. His story reminds us that life isn’t fair but it is complicated.

Sybill Trelawney

Sybill

This picture describes you the best to me. This doe-eyed, whiny, annoying middle school child (probably another reason her and Lavender connected so well). As a Hermione-type to begin with (and only increasing as I age) it’s not surprising that I found Sybil and her class to be ridiculous, but there are two parts to that. First, not being religious or believing in how when I was born controls that much of my life, the class itself was a bit frou-frou and crap and would be no matter who was teaching it. Secondly, she is the queen of frou-frou. For the most part, she had no real talent or skills but pretended she was this great predictor of everything and just a fraud, and that’s what upset me the most. 

The universe is amazing, we can learn so much, but for her, it was all about her and the universe! (and how was she a Ravenclaw? More than Pettigrew I need a recount on that one) it was how she approached the material and how she saw herself that made her most distasteful because she wasn’t even a semi-good seer (that she knew of). She thought she was better than everyone else (much like Gilderoy--another Ravenclaw, definitely a pattern) for things that weren’t even her strengths, she was just of damn full of herself and annoying. But really, I don’t care. All of these things were annoying, she’s annoying but that’s it. She’s nothing more to me, so one lesson to glean, don’t be like her. But of course, the other lesson she also wouldn’t know about it as she didn’t know herself, expect the unexpected. 

In a way it’s sad, thou she didn’t need to know and didn’t need to be a Seer, she actually was one, in the most crucial of times. Damn Universe.  Somehow, through all that fluff and pompous, she made two predictions that greatly altered the world and never knew this. On one hand, you could say this means that you should believe in yourself, but I’m not saying that, what I am saying is that there are miracles, there is the universe and people can do unexpected and extraordinary things: even if they don’t know it. Crazy

you have no idea