Professor Trelawney Strikes Once More!

I predict...

That the next Wizard of the Month on JKRowling.com will be one of the four founders of Hogwarts. (Hint: This is not really a very impressive prediction, as Helga Hufflepuff is currently residing there.)

But what is important about this prediction is that Helga - the first founder to win the honor of WotM - showed up in May. Which means we have time for THREE of the four founders before Deathly Hallows is out. Now, dear old Helga is holding her cup, which of course, we know is now a horcrux. We also know that Salazar Slytherin's locket is also a horcrux. We know that Gryffindor's "relic" is a sword, but supposedly it is not a horcrux. As for Ravenclaw, we really have no idea.

So, three founders make it on the site before the release of Deathly Hallows - assuming they're all holding their respective relics, which may or may not be horcruxes - which three will we see? Slytherin? That seems easy enough. But then do we see Gryffindor with the Sword? Or Ravenclaw with her unknown relic.

Here's my prediction - as bad as Trelawney: We will see Hufflepuff, Slytherin and RAVENCLAW! And once we see what she's holding, we'll all freak out and start looking through the books for clues to where it is hidden.

Gryffindor's relic? Simple - It's a boy named Harry Potter.

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/30/2007 10:13:00 AM | (0) comments

Trailer Park

New images from the upcoming Harry Potter film, Order of the Phoenix - this is a blurb from ET, but still showing some cool stuff:

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/12/2007 09:29:00 AM | (0) comments

Things That Make You Go...

MMMMMMmmmmmm! Buckwheat waffles cooked in butter and spread with Nutella...

[dies a happy death]

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/09/2007 08:43:00 PM | (0) comments

That Is Really Cool

As noted in this blog post, Warner Brothers released an "enhanced" version of a promotional poster (which you can see at the link). There was an global outcry - how cool is that? And Warner Brothers has removed the poster and told us something like - "Oh, that was not an approved poster, we never would have done that, it some idiot who works for us." You can read more about this here.

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/05/2007 11:06:00 PM | (0) comments

Dumbest Quote Of The Derby

"When we come back, can a female trainer win the Derby?"

The optimal number is FOUR, not three...

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/05/2007 08:37:00 PM | (0) comments

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, baby.

Basil Bugsbane - all ten pounds of him - just chased a HUGE 80 pound dog right out of the yard.

That's what I'm talkin' about.

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/05/2007 07:52:00 PM | (0) comments

Why Don't I Put Money On These Races?!?

***Dang I'm Good!

Street Sense Dominates Kentucky Derby 133

Kentucky Derby Final Results

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/05/2007 07:20:00 PM | (0) comments

Happy Derby Day!

Welcome to the First Saturday in May! Sit back, throw some daisies in your hat and enjoy a mint julip on me, while I gaze into my crystal ball and tell you who the winner will be!

For the record, in the past five years I have picked at least one horse in the top three. Two times I picked two horses in the top three and twice I picked the winner, so if you're betting, then listen very carefully...

I have no clue.

Did you hear that? Please be certain that you did, for this year's Derby is a great big WHO KNOWS? to everyone, even the top handicappers are at a loss. The reason for the confusion, as I have alluded to in a prior post, is that so many of the horses in this year's Derby trained in very non-traditional ways. You see, it's been *fact* that Derby winners must have raced as two year olds and must at the least have had three races this year, one in the last 4 weeks.

So that only leaves about three horses out of twenty who fit the bill.

For the record, though, last year's winner, Barbaro, hadn't raced in 6 weeks, so maybe times are changing...

Ok, so out the window goes all conventional wisdom. I'm only picking based purely on gut feeling - ready?

The Horsewoman's Top Three (in no particular order):
1) Hard Spun - This little colt has the look and feel of one of my all time favorite horses, Afleet Alex. He's small and compact and appears highly intelligent and very spunky. He's super fast, there's no doubts about that, and he's only lost one race so far - in that race, he lost not by a nose or anything like that. No, he just decided he wasn't interested in running that day and loped home almost last. After that, he reeled off two more wins. The negative? He likes to run in the front, and there's almost always someone who wants to try to sprint for the mile and quarter of the Derby - it never works - but if he gets caught up in a sprint race, he'll burn out before the finish.

2) Street Sense - This one blew last year's Breeder's Cup contestants away by ten lengths. He came out of nowhere and no one could figure him out - if he was for real or not. Well, this year he's come back and shown that he is for real, winning two races and finishing second by a nose in his third. Furthermore, the folks who hang out at Churchill Downs are saying his morning training sessions are better than anyone elses. The negative? It's the Kentucky Derby and there are 20 horses stampeding around a dirt track - anything can happen.

3) Scat Daddy - Consistantly a winner or in the money. Tough, fast, all the right breeding. He's the kind of horse who feels like he's getting better and better as well as the kind of horse who looks like he's always needing just a little more track to really explode. What I mean is that he will keep running when others get tired. The negative? He's just been in the shadows all year long, no one really knows what he's capable of, so it's everyone's guessing.

The Horsewoman's Feel-Good Picks
1) Curlin - A beautiful, perfect horse who's never been defeated and won all his races by a combined 26 lengths. I want to believe he's the super horse that he appears to be (he's the Derby favorite), but I'm scared he's going to be swamped by the sheer magnitude of the race - the inexperience might get to him. If it doesn't, well then, here's your winner, cause this horse wears a cape.

2) Storm in May - This horse has run something like 14 races in his baby three years of life. He's won four of them and only finished out of the money once. How can you not like a horse who works this hard? The problem is, he's really not all that talented, he just loves running.

3) No Biz Like Show Biz - This is probably the most beautiful horse in the race. He's huge and imposing and looks like the god of horses. He's also trained by the man who trained Funny Cide, Barclay Tagg. Barclay Tagg is one of those grumpy horsemen who hate the media and never say a word - except he's saying he has the Derby winner. That's quite a statement from a man who never talks. It definately makes you sit up and pay attention. And he's got a good record, finishing either first or second in all his races (except one weird race where horses were running in to each other - he finished third - but that totally doesn't count.)

And now that I've picked them for you, let me say, if I was addicted to gambling, I still would be too scared to put on money on this one. ANY of the 20 horses running could win it.

Good luck!

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/05/2007 10:02:00 AM | (0) comments

I'll Take A Human Every Day Of The Week

Dirk: "It's all these little defenders! They're totally getting on my nerves!"

Terry: "Umm...Dirk?!"

Poor Mavs. Down and out in the first round. Dirk remains one of the most fascinating basketball players I've ever watched. His psychology is so close to the surface - he's got no "face", no mask to wear. Admirable in friendship, dangerous on the court.

The story goes that they tried to get Dirk to see a sports psychologist at the beginning of this season. He, of course, said no.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt, Dirky?

Anyhow, it's fun listening to him interviewed, as he is rather intelligent but also not a native English speaker. You forget that at first, because he speaks so well, and then some eloquent reporter asks if "the third quarter seemed a little bleak" to Dirk. His response?

"Bleak? What's that mean? I've never heard that word before."

Of course, Coach Johnson's got one on him...when he leaned over to his media person last year and whispered, "Can I say asinine?"

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/04/2007 03:55:00 AM | (0) comments

You're Toofattooskinny!

Look. At this.

Not that I typically encourage folks to look at bustlines, but this is so insane!

I saw these photos, before and after. A very smart technologically advanced person put it together for you.

It's not just Hermione's larger cup size, but her waiste is shrinking and her face is filling out. What is this?

This girl is both too skinny and too fat. Too skinny to have enough boob and full face. Too fat to have a slim waist.

Yes. I do know this happens. I know it happens all the time. But HP is different. Hermione is suppose to have bushy hair and buck teeth. That' the whole point. These characters are supposed to be normal!

Grrrr!

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/04/2007 03:33:00 AM | (0) comments

Sigh...

Well, I'm sitting here at 1 in the morning, watching the Mavs/Warriors game. I'm so sad - Dallas is totally getting skunked. Dirk has made 2 of 14 shots.

Sigh...

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/04/2007 12:50:00 AM | (0) comments