Nah, it's just easier than thinking.

Where can I find that? A good runner-up, I've thought, would be the "Run away! Run away! . . . Keep running!" bit from MP's Quest for the Holy Grail. That or the sound of the TARDIS starting up. I might actually look forward to my cell phone ringing (would make those telemarketer calls way more fun).

Sick and brilliant! Loved it. :)

I thoroughly enjoyed the article--especially the part about the "twerp" in _Sound of Music_ from which you got your name.
That said, I'm thirty-six, and there's plenty of new music I've enjoyed. I actually enjoy Nickelback, Matt Nathanson, Snow Patrol, Coldplay, and others, though I try to remain as ignorant as possible of the artists' political views. I like a variety of music, though I can't say I ever took to the Black Eyed Peas or Brittney Spears (or any of the other tween-to-teen pop stars who sing the same sort of music). I'll listen to any of the groups and singers I mentioned, though, before Prince or Rolling Stones any day of the week. My tastes are pretty average, but I've found music to like throughout the eighties, nineties and up to the current year. You have an engaging writing style, though. Thanks for your entertaining two-cents worth. :)

My favorite is still "I hope the Lincoln bedroom has a Lincoln bathroom" sauce. Almost fell out of my chair. Thank you! Some of the commenters contributed some real gems, too. ;)

If you think Hemingway is dull, you should try reading Faulkner. I'm an English major and was subjected to some of his work. Hemingway was a relief after trying to read Faulkner. The stream-of-consciouness writing made me want to pull my hair out. It sounds too much like the way some people talk--before my eyes glaze over and I start to think of excuses to leave.

Good points. I enjoyed reading Tolkien, but I did take breaks more frequently while reading him than I did with JKR. I enjoy his writing, and I love LOTR, but I could hardly put down the Harry Potter books, and, while I've enjoyed reading the first two reviews on HP here at BH (this third one just seemed shallow and dismissive, which is not what I've come to expect from BH), I look forward to seeing the movie as much as ever (though I'll have to wait until it's available on DVD or over the internet).

I don't see him as a Christ-figure or superhero at all. He's more like Frodo in that he's entrusted with power (or something powerful for him to guard and dispose of) and his "destiny"--in connection with that power--sets him apart from the others of his kind. He has certain qualities that make his character endearing and his experiences along the way test and mold his character, further developing him as he gets closer to his destination (or final encounter with the "dark lord" Voldemort, in HP's case).
That'smy take on Harry Potter's character and the gist of the HP canon. It's an engaging story, and I enjoyed reading it. It does resonate with its readers--in large part because of the kind of person and the kind of challenge represented by Harry Potter, whose friends (like Samwise Gamgee, Merry & Pippin and the rest) are indispensable to the story. Harry would not have been set apart in the first place had not his own mother sacrificed her own life to save him. That sacrifice defeated Voldemort and left an indelible mark on Harry. The scar is more a sign of how sacrificial love can conquer evil than how special Harry Potter is.

I've read Tolkien, too, and JKR can't hold a candle to him. Having said that, I read all the HP books and enjoyed them. Basically, they're brain candy--but you keep that candy dish on the table within reach, and I'm gonna keep reaching for it. I've enjoyed the movies, too, though I don't ask much of them. I just like to see how books I've enjoyed reading have been adapted to the big screen, and how well the characters are portrayed by the chosen actors.
Modern-day LOTR, it ain't. But it takes the edge off.

I enjoyed the books and am looking forward to seeing the movie, mostly because I'm always curious as to how books I've enjoyed have been adapted to the big screen. My favorite film adaptation of _Jane Eyre_ is probably the one made in 2007 with Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson. The one I liked best before that one was the one with Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clark. I didn't like the one with William Hurt at all. I don't expect the HP books to have the longevity of _Jane Eyre_, but I still like to see what the filmmakers have done with it. I enjoyed reading your review, as well as Mr. Nolte's. I'll reserve my own judgment until I see it myself--through my own lens (cloudy though it tends to be). Thanks. :)