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Post by Sphi on Feb 5, 2004 23:26:48 GMT -5
How creepy would that be if she did the whole "hem hem" thing, too? ...She doesn't, does she?
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Post by En on Feb 6, 2004 6:20:22 GMT -5
Urg... I know an Umbridge... he was a minister at a church my da used to go to, and he'd do anything to make people agree with him politically. Well, not as bad as Umbridge -- I never saw him physically abuse anyone -- though he lots of creative things, like convincing his elders to turn into a miniMafia of gender enforcement by letting one of them marry a divorced woman (which was completely against church policy) on the condition that he use her to make all the women in the church start wearing skirts and hats, never pants.
He was definitely into using the pulpit as a soapbox, and he had no problems with telling people they were going to hell and weren't welcome in the church if he couldn't manipulate them into agreeing with him.
Yuck. People like that scare me, because I can never predict how far they will go to impose their need for security on other people via their screwy beliefs.
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Post by Sphi on Feb 28, 2004 0:08:48 GMT -5
I don't think I've ever met an Umbridge before, which is a good thing, I guess. Sometimes I think my school has some sort of Umbridge complex, though. I hate my school so very much.
I was reading more history (big surprise.) and found more people in history whose personalities seemed awfully familiar. Maybe it's just the way our text describes them, though. Okay, first: Howard Taft--such a Neville. I seriously began to feel sorry for Taft as I was reading. In a letter to his former-friend Roosevelt, Taft wrote "I have had a hard time--I do not know that I have had harder luck than other Presidents, but I do know that thus far I have succeeded far less than have others." Taft is described as a good-natured man who fled from fights rather than seeking them out (although unlike Neville, Taft is also described as having personal charm and infectious humor. His opponents around the early twentieth century criticized him all the time, and only once did Taft fight back (accused Roosevelt and the progressive Rep. of undermining the conservative tradition of the nation). And nearing the Election of 1912, Taft stated, "I think I might as well give up so far as being a candidate is concerned. There are so many people in the country who don't like me"; Taft stayed home before the election, opting to make no political speeches (668-688). I thought it was sad. Poor Taft.
And second: Woodrow Wilson. The first description of him in our text ("stubborn", "smug", "reached judgments easily" ) made me consider Lucius, but as I continued to read, he really became more of a Tom Riddle ("He gives me the creeps. The time I met him, he said something to me, and I didn't know whether God or him was talking."; "preferred loyalty and flattery to candid criticism"; "practicing law bored him"; & "could be cold and aloof" ). The one thing that didn't seem to match either Lucius or Tom is that the book described=s Wilson as a moralist (688-689).
Third: Teddy Roosevelt. For some strange, strange reason, he struck me as a Lockhart. Get this: when he decided to join the army back in 1898, he not only decided to enlist his own regiment, but he also wired Brooks Brothers to make him a custom-designed, stylish uniform. He also once said, believing in Social Darwinism, "In this world, the nation that has trained itself to a career of unwarlike and isolated ease is bound, in the end, to go down before other nations which have not lost the manly and adventurous qualities." Naturally, Roosevelt thought of himself as one of the fit (611-613).
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Post by En on Feb 28, 2004 0:56:48 GMT -5
Teddy's problem was that he'd been a sickly asthmatic as a child, but got a load of testosterone and put himself on a rigorous physical training regime and eventually became a very healthy (and by his day's standards, good looking) man. He never quite got over that
Now hang on! Who is slandering my dear Woodrow? Obviously some Republican revisionist Yeah, he made snap judgments, but he also believed passionately that idealism was worth something, and he was the one who worked so hard to create the League of Nations (precursor to the present-day UN). He was a visionary with bad PR. Give him a second chance please I think I'd have put him down as Sirius, in all honesty.
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Post by Sphi on Feb 28, 2004 1:06:41 GMT -5
I'm not judging them! ...At least I don't think I am. That's just the vibe I got from reading the text, which really deson't even focus so much on their personalities. They usually just intro into a new figure by talking about his background, while his achievements/legacy are told in a much less biased way.
So what you're saying is that TR had a reason to be so proud and Wilson was more of a moralist than any of that other stuff? I guess if I took out the "he gives me the creeps" part, everything else does fit Sirius. Sirius isn't creepy...is he?
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Post by Me on Feb 28, 2004 1:10:47 GMT -5
Wilson was a visionary who dreamed too much. That didn't come out right. He was stubborn, but because he believed in what he was doing. He dreamed of a world organization that would solve problems to stop war. He wasn't a cold, uncaring Lucius Malfory, he wasn't a villian like Riddle. He was simply a man who had dreams and wanted to see them fufilled. Why else would he have baragined away many of his Fourteen Points for the sake of the League?
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Post by En on Feb 28, 2004 1:12:59 GMT -5
Sphi, I bet he would be if you didn't know he'd been exonerated of the murders of a wizard and several muggles Seriously, the "creeps" bit -- a lot of people I remember reading about thought that Woodrow had a slightly spooky way of cutting through conversations -- partly because he was too damn smart to be patient with a lot of it, partly because he was eerily perceptive, and yeah, convinced he was right, but most visionaries are.
And no, I didn't think you were judging them. I was frustrated with your history book.
...*edit* Yeah, what Sands said
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Post by Sphi on Feb 28, 2004 1:39:20 GMT -5
I hope this book isn't twisting things too much. I rather like it. And if I weren't always so tired, cranky, and panicked while reading it, I would probably enjoy even more than I already do. It seems like they try to make the history interesting. I would hope not at the expense of truth...
Yeah, if I were just a normal wizard, I would be terrified of Sirius. Okay then. I'll agree with Sirius being Wilson. Sirius had dreams, too, like wanting Harry to live with him, and he was sharp and perceptive. Not a great bargainer, but close enough.
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Post by En on Feb 28, 2004 2:17:31 GMT -5
Oh, poo to truth. Just remember that every one of those guys in the book would probably tell it differently, and you're fine. "Truth is like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold. You push it, stretch it, it'll never be enough. Kick at it, beat it, it'll never cover any of us. From the moment we enter crying, to the moment we leave dying, it'll just cover your face as you wail and cry and scream." --Todd Anderson, Dead Poets Society.
One of my favourite history texts is so Western I have to stop and laugh sometimes. I still like it; I just have to keep in the back of my mind that it's biased toward people who went west over the Caucasus a long time ago, so that I don't, say, buy that the novel was invented in Europe (it was invented in Japan) Other than stupid little cultural mistakes like that, it's still a good read. (Yes, folks -- how much of a geek is Nialle? A history teacher once asked me if I had, in fact, read the whole textbook in the first week of class -- and I had -- and he asked why -- and *blushes* I said because I wanted to know how it came out.)
Ah, but Sirius had big visions... a world safe from Voldemort. He was in the Order. And he negotiated (he thought) for Harry's safety... with Peter the traitor.
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Post by Sphi on Mar 28, 2004 1:21:12 GMT -5
Okay, total change of tone. My friend believes she's found "Harry Potter in the real world." Apparently, he's the logo for a chocolate-almond snack stick. I find it disturbing. >_<
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Post by Will on Mar 31, 2004 1:56:30 GMT -5
LOL!!! A-hahahahahahahahaha!!! Oh man... -wipes a tear away- That was great...
-looks at the picture again- Harry... -snickers- Has... -on the verge of tears again- Something on this head!
Anyway... It's scary. There is this guy that goes to my school. He reminds me of my Riddle. I'm not sure why. The first time I saw him... Very scary. He has this eyebrow that looks like it's permanently arched. I find that appealing. And his hair is wavy and dark brown, a lanky stature...
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Post by Sphi on Mar 31, 2004 2:08:22 GMT -5
;D Yeah...that picture both disturbs me and cracks me up. According to that same weird, weird friend, Harry is either a part of his wand or he's turning into his wand. Or his head is just an almond.
Willow! Don't tell me that!! Now I'm going to have to travel to your school and hunt down this Riddle look-alike. Jeez. The closest thing I have is...probably that one guy I saw near the vending machines who looked just like Ron Weasley. It was pretty lame. I was sitting at lunch and then all of a sudden my eyes go wide and I start whispering to my friends, "It's Ron!" Why can't I have a Tom? *pouts unconvincingly*
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Post by Will on Mar 31, 2004 21:37:50 GMT -5
It’s official. I love your friends, Silver. Hell, I’d like to go around school and hunt down HP character look-alikes! None of my buddies seem to take as much interest in Harry Potter as I do and, well, I don’t like putting people to sleep… But, oh man! I don’t think an almond is that long! ;D
-pats- Don’t you have a Draco? And Ron isn’t that bad… Besides, I don’t think my Tom necessarily looks like the one in the movie. He does give of a very strong Riddle “vibe”. It must be his eyebrow. Oi, I always catch myself staring, which is pretty embarrassing. The worse part is… I think he’s a freshman… He is tall then again I’m pretty short…. I’m tempted to take a picture.
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Post by Sphi on Mar 31, 2004 22:14:32 GMT -5
No no, Harry's head is the almond. He's just an almond stuck in a large piece of chocolate. (Doesn't that sound appetizing? )
I have yet to find a real-life Draco, and I'm close to thinking that he doesn't exist. At least not in my world. I'm sure there are Dracos somewhere, but I haven't run into any so far. I did find a picture of some random dancer who has a smug look on his face that reminded me of the kind Draco might sport. His hair might work because it's blond and slicked back, but there's something distinctly non-Draco about it, too.
*playing Devil's advocate* Do it, do it! Take his picture and post it here!! ;D Do you know this Riddle guy? If you do, it would probably be less weird. Then you could just tell him and then ask him.
OH wait!! I almost completely forgot!! I did find a Draco! I told you about him before. He was an actor that my friends and I chased down after the show. He wasn't my age, but he was clearly a Draco. Actually, he's probably about the right age if you go by the book ages (Draco and Harry and everyone would be 25 right now).
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Post by Will on Apr 1, 2004 23:55:28 GMT -5
Ooooooh! That makes sense... I blame my kooky and disturbed friends for my view of certain things... -Ahem-
Yup, the actor is the one I was referring to. He was about 25?
But that's the thing! I don't know the guy! I just happened to spot him one day and I could hardly keep my jaw from dropping. And I can’t help but stare when ever I see him walking down the hall! Is that healthy? Gawking after a Riddle look-alike, I mean. I couldn’t possibly run up to him and take a picture… thought I’m still tempted to.
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