French Things, The African Children's Choir, Boston, etc.

Hello, my Muggle friends! How are you on this wonderfully sunny Memorial Day weekend? I am quite good. We only have seven more days of school, which is a delightfully small number. It feels like summer already, and it kills me to think that I have to put together my final French presentation AND study for finals.
I quite like French things, but the French language is not one of them. I like baguettes, wine, French ice cream, crepes, and I like going to France, but I don't actually like the study of the language. I'm dropping it next year so that I can continue with Latin and also take Ancient Greek. (That's what nerds do.) Maybe someday, like in college, I'll take French again. 

Since this week is the Week for Awesome, I am going to tell you about one of my favourite charities, the African Children's Choir. They are truly awesome. Basically, the African Children's Choir improves people's lives through music, "a magic beyond all what we do here (Hogwarts)." They hold auditions in some of the most poverty-stricken regions of Africa, and then a group of kids are chosen to be in the choir. These kids' lives are automatically turned around. Most of them have lost at least one parent to HIV/AIDs, often two, and they don't have much of a chance for an education or a future. After touring with the Choir for a year, the children go home where their entire education - through university, in some cases. The basic goal behind the organization is helping Africa's most vulnerable children today, so that they can help Africa tomorrow. You can visit their lovely website here and buy their songs on iTunes. 
  
GREAT SCOTT! (pun intended) I JUST FINISHED THE NECROMANCER IT'S SO AMAZING YOU ALL HAVE TO READ IT AHHH!!!
I'm not going to give anything away, but let me just say that it was totally unexpected. And amazing. I was wrong about who the Necromancer was, but I was right about who Machiavelli's Elder master is, and you'd NEVER guess where Joan, Scatty, Palamedes, Saint-Germain, and Will are. I can't wait for Book Five.

THE CELTICS ARE GOIN TO THE FINALS!! I'm so pumped. The game last night against Orlando was epic. Kevin Garnett is such a beast in every possible meaning of the word, and Rajon Rondo is apparently going to be my new brother-in-law. Yayy. The Celtics play so well - like, really as a team, not just individual players trying to rack up their own statistics. That's probably do to better-than-Brown coaching. Okay, I know most of the other curly fries don't care  much about professional sports, so I'm going to stop now.

Um... what else was I going to post about? Have I told you that my brain turns to mush when it's hot outside?

Here are some questions for you guys, because I guess that's the new thing. Answer them wisely.
1) What excactly is the proper use of a rubber duck?
2) Are you the imprint of a departed soul?
3) What is your Patronus?
4) What is a Horcrux?
5) What is foreshadowing?
6) Harry/Ginny, Harry/Hermione, or Harry/Luna?
7) How do you feel about summer vacation? (Personally, I just can't wait to get back to Hogwarts.)
8) Regardless of Harry being born or not being born, do you prefer James/Lily or Sev/Lily?

Shorter post today to make up for the long one last week. :)

DFTBA,
PDBAZ,
Peace, love, and otters,

Virgil

Since Everyone Is Making Their Titles Long, I'll Make Mine Long Too

Well, well, well! You've come back to the lovely day of Thursday! I know that you can't resist today (who cares if it's not up to you if there is a Thursday or not, I'm happy with this mandatory day), so let's get started! <--that phrase, it reminds me to one day actually get up really early, so I'll be able to say "Good Morning!" I suppose I'll have ta wait til summer break....which, is in...14 days!!! School's almost over! *clears throat* well, this day count is if you count weekends, and the last day of school. Now, this week's theme is the "Week of Awesome" where we pick our favorite charities, and go berserk about it! My favorite charity is (the one I just Googled...er, is that a word?) Soldier's Angels. I particularly like their motto, "May No Soldier Go Unloved". I've always cried when there's a movie with soldiers that die, and then there's inspirational sad music *cough cough Glory cough cough* (I loved Colonel Shaw and Major Forbes!) So, this is the reason why I chose a charity for soldiers and their families. The URL is http://www.soldiersangels.org/%20so go there if you wish to donate anything, or even if you just one to check it out. Since I would suck at describing it, I won't, and I'll just leave you to see the website on your own time, kapeesh?

~:~*~:~

Today, I wish to go on about something that bugged me the whole entire day. This is something that Virgil knows about. Xibalba AHH XIBALBA ...Look familiar? If not, this is how you say it: sih-ball-bah, or for you crazies that actually understand the phonetic language (you can tell I can't by teh way I say "crazies"), /ʃɨˈbɒlbə/. Now, this is the underworld. This is part of Maya mythology. The world translates roughly into "Place of Fear". Sound fun? It's ruled by a Mr. Hun-Came (One Death) and Mr. Vucub-Came (Seven Death). However, Mr. One Death is much more senior/powerful. There are several other "rulers" who are basically demons that are responsible for one gruesome thing or another. I'll list it below. For the squeamish folks, please ignore the picture and the list below.

1. Xiquiripat (Flying Scab) and Cuchumaquic (Gathered Blood) who sicken people's blood 

2.Ahalpuh (Pus Demon) and Ahalgana (Jaundice Demon) who cause people's bodies to swell up

3. Chamiabac (Bone Staff) and Chamiaholom (Skull Staff) who turn dead bodies into skeletons

4. Ahalmez (Sweepings Demon) and Ahaltocob (Stabbing Demon) who hide in the unswept areas of people houses and stabbed them to death

5. Xic (Wing)* and Patan (Packstrap) who caused people to die coughing up blood while out walking on a road.

Now that I'm done with this, I'll explain why I wanted to blog about this. You see, Virgil, darling that she is, was reading...THE NECROMANCER during math class! OMIGOSHOMIGOSHOMIGOSHOMIGOSH!! THAT IS SO FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!! ...Anyways, she comes upon the word, "xibalba". It sounds familiar, so she asks me if I've heard it before, which I have. I was reading a book on mythology...*pause current subject* I need to pause so that I can go on about my theory that Dee, in The Necromancer, is going to get the necromancer to go to Xibalba and get dead people. That would be so COOL!!!*restart subject*...and so I came upon the word. Of course, I don't remember until 9th period, which means that that one word was annoying the heck out of me. Thank goodness it's almost the end of school; I don't have to pay too much attention. I would have said, "Xibalba" to the question "How does Scout's opinion of her father change in To Kill A Mockingbird?"(Um, Virgil, there is underlining) Ok.

~:~*~:~

Onto the next matter of business. The Question of the Day. (This is just a little tidbit of info. I had the same science teacher as xiy, so I also know about QOTWs) My questions are...

Why doesn't McDonald's sell hotdogs?
At a movie theater which arm rest is yours?  

Why is there a disclaimer on the Allstate Auto Insurance commercials that says "Not available in all states"?
If you dug a hole through the center of the earth and jumped in, would you stay at the center because of gravity?

Do they bury people with their braces on?  

What's the difference between normal ketchup and fancy ketchup? 

If ghosts can walk through walls and glide down stairs, why don't they fall through the floor?  

If a bald person works as a chef at a restaurant, do they have to wear a hairnet? 

I have a whole bunch of strange questions like these, but I don't want to bore y'all. That's it for today! Tomorrow's House's turn to post, and she's probably going to, already did, is doing so right now...edit this post. Happy 2 days until the Six Little Curly Fries' one-month anniversary!!! (Imagine, we make such a fuss over one month, wait til the one year anniversary!!!)

Luv, Lynda

P.S. I've noticed that everyone has their own specific closing abbreviations.. Is suppose mine is just the alliteration of the "Luv, Lynda" *sigh* I feel so diminutive!

*I find it creepy that this dude's name is one letter apart from xiy's. At least we know that xiy's an awesome person, and would never do whatever he does! :) <3

I Like Things With One-Word Titles, but This isn't One of Them.

Hello everyone! Happy May 22nd, 2010. There will only be one May 22nd, 2010 --EVER!! --so make the most of this one. Unfortunately, I must do homework and study for finals today >.<; what a terrible way to spend a perfectly good May 22nd. Five of the 6LCF (Lynda couldn't go... she was there in spirit, though!) went to our local Target today to get pretty socks for a very special Curly Fries project. Together, we picked out socks for Lynda... I do hope she likes them. I paid for them. A whole 2 dollars. Generous, no?

Ooh!! People have been talking about this new posting toolbar all week, but I have yet to see it. It's shmancy! There are bullet points and everything!! (...wait, were there bullet points before? Hm...) (That part got highlighted in white and I can't figure out how to undo it >.>)
Today's post is going to be written in parts. I'm not sure how many parts there will be, but you can expect quite a few. If I spend an extended amount of time writing and not doing my homework, my sister (let's call her Katherine) will yell at me. And if there's one thing that will ruin my May 22nd, it's getting yelled at by Katherine. (Actually, it's already happened two or three times, but I don't want to make it four.) So, to appease Katherine, I shall write one part of the post, do some homework, then write some more, do more homework, and so on. We'll consider this little introduction the first part. I'm off to do my maths.
***
And I'm back! I finished my maths homework - radicals are fun. When I checked the odd-numbered problems in the back of the textbook, half of them were wrong, but it's okay. Textbooks make mistakes. :) Unfortunately, my method of getting "Katherine" not to yell at me hath failed. She yelled at me when I was on my way upstairs (I'm not really sure why...), and then she came upstairs to ask me for help on some homework, which resulted in more yelling at me (because I was trying to explain that she had made a mistake in which number to substitute for "c" in the quadratic formula). Anyhow, enough about her. I probably need a good yelling at every once in awhile, anyways. Just maybe not every hour.

This week, I learned that there's cyanide in apple seeds. (xiy told me, and then this fact was confirmed by my dad, who knows everything.) I also learned why "chicken Parmesan" is called that even though the cheese on top of it isn't Parmesan - they bake Parmesan cheese into the breadcrumbs! That's why it tastes so good. Interesting, n'est-ce pas? (I learned the cheese fact from my French teacher. Madame Hdiamond gets off-topic easily; that's why we love her.) I also learned the pluperfect and future perfect tenses in Latin. That's four things... I learned a lot this week!

Because it's THEME WEEK, I have looked up a number of silly laws from my homeland of Great Britain, where the Great Brits live.

1.) A taxi driver must ask passengers if they are suffering from plague or smallpox.
2.) A bed may not by hung out of a window.
3.) Any boy under the age of 10 may not see a naked mannequin.
4.) Any person found breaking an egg at the sharp end will be sentenced to 24 hours in the village stocks.
5.) Any whale washed up on the shore is property of the Queen, so she can use its bones for her corset.
6.) All double-decker buses must be painted red.
7.) It is forbidden to ask a Scotsman what he wears under his kilt.
8.) It is illegal for any commoner's pet to have sex with a pet belonging to the monarch.
9.) It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.
10.) All land must be left to the eldest son.

Speaking of England, I must now go do my English homework. (<- Unnecessary)
***
...and the English homework is done! Actually, I still have an extra credit essay to write (because I'm an overachiever) that I think is due Friday... eh, I'll do it later. (<- Unnecessary)

So, let's see here. I had stuff that I was going to write about today, and it was all planned out in my head, but... oh yes! Another Harry Potter drabble!! It was written for a Mother's Day Challenge, and it's a wee bit corny, but that's what Mother's Day is for. Warning: involves awkward Harry/Ginny. He should have gotten with Luna.
P.S. This ended up being quite a bit longer than I originally intended. I apologize.

In my mind, when I was younger, I used to romantically compare Harry’s eyes to emeralds sparkling in the lamplight. Today, however, they look more like distant lakes glazed over with a thick layer of algae. I am tempted to dip my foot into the water and see was lies below, but there is no need. Tomorrow is the anniversary of his parents’ deaths, the first anniversary since he defeated Voldemort. He is thinking to himself, something he has been doing a great deal ever since the Battle.


We sit in silence, exchanging emotions in the place of words. I touch his hand; he takes it willingly in his own. I open my mouth to speak, and he does the same simultaneously.

“You first,” he murmurs.

“So…” I begin, not knowing what to say.

Suddenly, the door of my room swings open to reveal Ron, with his hand clamped over his eyes. “Put your clothes back on and come downstairs – we’re about to start Mum’s birthday dinner without you,” he says.

“We’re just sitting together, mate,” Harry says, his face turning pink as he does so.

“Yeah, for now.” Ron exits without another word, leaving Harry and me to have a few more words together before joining the madness that is the Weasley dinner table.


“The party’s waiting,” I say to him softly.

Downstairs, a feast like no other has been prepared by Dad and George. Mum is sitting at the head of the table, and every few seconds somebody has to push her back into her seat as she keeps trying to help set the silverware. Once we enter, the bustling seems to settle down and everybody takes their seats. Harry is grinning almost as wildly as Mum now. His eyes are lit up once again, just as they were in the days of our youth. As Mum looks around the table and beams at every family member in turn, her smile does not change when her gaze reaches the man who has jet black hair rather than ginger.

One at a time, we each offer a birthday toast. When it comes to Harry’s turn, he seems to be trembling, as if he’s not sure if he has the right to speak. I give him a small nudge, and he raises his wine glass.

“You’ve always been there for me when I’ve needed it – there for all of us – and, y’know, people say that I’m an orphan,” he gulps hesitantly, “but, it’s not true. You’ve been a mother to me in times when I’ve needed one most, so Molly… Mum… here’s to you.”

We clink glasses with one another and break into a very loud and out-of-tune chorus of "For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” As we sing, Mum and Harry’s eyes are locked in a loving gaze that can only be shared between a mother and son. A single tear of joy edges its way down her rosy-red cheeks.

Perhaps I can share her with one more person.

I warned you about the corny-ness. It's cornier than Boston Market cornbread.
I'm going to go do my Latin homework now. When I get back, I'm going to talk about the release of "The Necromancer" (siriusly? The swanky new toolbar doesn't have underlining?) and the awesomeness that is "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel." Be excited. (<- Unnecessary)
***
(Unnecessary ->) Latin homework is done. Yayy. Now, I shall write an excessive amount of words relating to the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. I would like to give you the option to skip over this next paragraph, but I'm not going to, because I actually really do want you to read it. I suppose I can't really stop you from just skimming it over, though. I have yet to perfect my mind-control skills. Warning: I might get just a little bit overexcited.

The Necromancer comes out on May 26th. Do you have any idea how soon that is? FOUR DAYS!! Ahhh!! You don't know what The Necromancer is? Well, I'm about to tell you. The Necromancer is Book Four of a six-part series called "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel," which is possibly one of the best fantasy series of all time, coming in a close second after Harry Potter. It's actually a lot like Percy Jackson and the Olympians, only it's more true to the actual mythology, and it's better, especially in terms of plot. The first book, The Alchemyst, introduces a pair of twins (twins are awesome. Have I told you that I'm a twin? I don't think I have.) named Sophie and Josh, who may or may not be the "Twins of Legend." It's epic. The whole entire novel takes place over the timeframe of a matter of hours, and it's based on a variety of mythologies, especially focused on Norse, but also a lot of Greco-Roman and some Egyptian as well. The main character (besides the twins) is Nicholas Flamel, born in 1330. He's immortal, and he's been guardian of this really ancient book called the Codex for centuries - which is what keeps him and his wife alive, because it has the recipe for the Elixir of Life. Anywho, within the first ten pages of Book One, Dr. John Dee (also immortal) steals this book to give to his Dark Elder masters (the bad guys who want to destroy humanity and retake the world) and... the adventure begins. I won't give anything else away. Once again, the first book is called The Alchemyst. #2 is The Magician, #3 is The Sorceress, #4 is The Necromancer (which comes out in four days AHHHH) #5 is The Warlock (coming May 2011) and #6 is The Enchantress (Coming May 2012). You should honestly read these books, especially if you, like me, have an interest in mythology - or if you just like fantasy in general. Honestly, I'm so glad that these books started coming out after Harry Potter ended, or else I would have almost nothing to look forward to in life.

Going on and on about this amazing series, I haven't yet mentioned the author! Tsk, tsk. The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is written by Michael Scott (no, not like from the Office) who is: 1) Irish, and therefore has an amazing accent 2) AWESOME. 3) really involved in the Flamel "fandom" - he answers almost every question that anybody asks (unless it involves spoilers), and he participates in the discussions on the Flamel forums (which you can find here) 4) AWESOME.

Speaking of books, I just finished a book called "The Greatest Knight" by Elizabeth Chadwick, and it was one of the best historical fiction novels I've ever read! It's set in the Middle Ages and it's about a knight named William Marshall (who was actually one of the characters in the Robin Hood movie that I talked about in my last post). The paragraphs are quite long (hehe, kind of like mine are sometimes), but it's very entertaining and fast-paced (most of the time), and a lot of the settings are places that I've been in England and France, which is cool, because I can picture those places in my head.

Okay, well I'm done rambling for the day. Have a nice week.

DFTBA,
PDBAZ,
Peace, Love, & Otters,

Virgil

P.S. I'm too lazy to edit this for grammar. House (and Momo!) can feel free to do so if she so pleases.(Done.)
P.P.S. I apologize for the very long post. I guess I'm making up for last week's very short post.