Looking to God

Hermione Granger

Posted on April 24, 2013October 18, 2013 by Jack Flacco

As the precocious, young witch in the magical world of Harry Potter, it doesn’t seem fitting to include Hermione Granger in my Women Who Wow Wednesday series. However, once we see what she accomplishes when she flees the troll in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, we can safely cast aside all those biases.

J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter series, once said Hermione Granger “is an exaggeration of how I was when I was younger.” Described as a little know-it-all in her younger days, Rowling’s own rags-to-riches story inspires. In a short five-year period, Rowling went from state welfare to becoming a multi-millionaire. Forbes honored Rowling in 2004 as the first author to achieve a billionaire status. With over 400 million books sold, $160 Million in charitable donations, Rowling certainly has come a long way from those days when “she was a broke single mother, in poor accommodations, at a time of high unemployment.”

Although not poor, Hermione was born a Muggle, which translates to someone who has magical abilities but without magical blood. Her parents are dentists. When she arrives at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she demonstrates her arrogance to her peers by criticizing other students’ incantations. Ron Weasley’s levitation charm immediately falls into her crosshairs. The other students, including Harry Potter, do not take kindly to her know-it-all attitude.

It isn’t until a troll traps Hermione in a washroom that her true nature comes alive. Cowering in a corner as the troll delivers one blow after another to stalls and basins, Ron and Harry appear without a clue of what to do. The troll grabs Harry by the leg and swings, missing him several times. Ron needs to do something. His levitation charm comes to mind. Still unsure how to cast it, Hermione directs Ron, “swish and flick.” And that’s what he does with his wand, swish and flick, “Wingardium Leviosa.” The club the troll uses to destroy suddenly levitates to the ceiling. It floats there for a while until it comes crashing on to the troll’s pea-brain head.

When Professors Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall show up horrified at the sight of the troll on the floor and the catastrophic condition of the washroom, they’re ready to place blame. Hermione jumps in to take full responsibility for all damages. That is, she utters a small fib to cover for her friends, Ron and Harry. From that moment forward, Ron, Harry, and Hermione remain inseparable.

While Hermione may not appear as a gun-toting super girl, her numerous swish and flick episodes make her a feared opponent. Even to a whimpering Draco Malfoy, who she once held against a tree with her wand pointed directly at his face. Hermione does not tolerate bullying.

From her strong friendships with Ron and Harry to her casting of protective spells, Hermione proves what a defender of good truly is.

What do you like about Hermione? If you’ve read Harry Potter, do you see a difference in character between the Hermione of the books to the movies?

Monday Mayhem

A Zombie Primer

Posted on April 22, 2013April 22, 2013 by Jack Flacco

I’ve always wanted to write a zombie Q&A for Monday Mayhem. Given some readers visit my site via search engines, I thought I’d provide answers to the most popular questions. Of course these are my opinions and I wouldn’t want to give the impression I know all there is to know about the subject. So think of me answering these questions flying by the seat of my pants.

What is the definition of a zombie?

In its purest form, a zombie is a soulless human either brought back to life by supernatural or biological means, or changed by a foreign agent. It is not sentient, thus it lacks the ability to question one’s own existence.

How does one become a zombie?

There are two schools of thought: (1) a human dies, and comes back from the dead. This can happen by voodoo, witchcraft or science. (2) A virus infects a human rendering them intellectually dead but physically alive.

How does one kill a zombie?

The most popular belief is to destroy the brain. Methods to achieve this result are as follows: shooting, stabbing, drilling, traumatic impact, etc. Decapitation may seem like a workable solution, however, in all likelihood it will lead to a bodiless zombie. When unsure, a sharp object to the brain will do the trick.

Why do zombies crave human flesh?

There is no real answer. Some sources (legend, history, and Hollywood) may attribute zombie health to human flesh eating. If this were the case then it would necessitate zombies to require drink, sleep and other means by which to maintain proper balance of bodily functions normally attributed to humans. The closest answer is zombies eat human flesh because it’s in their nature, much like sharks (see my post The Three Commandments for a more elaborate answer).

Are there different types of zombies?

Yes. There are humans who were once dead, have risen from the dead, and are now alive. These are classic zombies. Then there are those humans who have changed into zombies due to the ingestion of a virulent agent.

Why do zombies hunt in packs?

Not all zombies hunt in packs. There will always be stragglers. The majority do though because of how the zombie apocalypse may have affected a particular area. If huge swaths of people become zombified, the natural tendency is for survivors to encounter them in packs. This will happen in countries where cities are more densely populated.

What is the zombie apocalypse?

The zombie apocalypse is a fictional scenario where zombies rise in an attempt to overthrow humans as the dominate species.

Do zombies take restroom breaks?

Most fictional accounts of zombies indicate an awful stench emanates from their body. It is not know what this smell is. Therefore, it would be difficult to assume that zombies practice proper hygiene in regards to their elimination habits.

Do you have any questions I may have missed? How about opinions?

Freedom Friday

Rain

Posted on April 19, 2013April 18, 2013 by Jack Flacco

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved the rain. The pitter-patter of the water on the ground. The smell of it in the summer just as it starts to thunder. I’m in awe to think after all this time the rain still excites me. That’s why I’d like to dedicate this Freedom Friday post to my favorite weather—the rain.

Overcast day at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia — Overcast day at Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

One of my fondest memories of the rain takes me back to when I was fourteen. As a teenager growing up in the late seventies, early eighties, I enjoyed my place in high school as a student council representative, a wresting athlete, and a music fan. In my world, the biggest band on the face of the earth was Led Zeppelin. They were gods to me. The album Led Zeppelin III featured a song called Gallows Pole. Every time I hear it today, it brings me back to the instant I sat in my room for the first time listening to it. How can I forget that hot summer afternoon? The rain began to pound outside my windowsill. The thunder rumbled the sky. And here I was, listening to this song that starts off quiet but ends in a good ol’ fashioned, down home, country jamboree. I still get shivers whenever I listen to it today.

At that age, I also had my first job working at the city library. They hired me as a page. I never really knew what that meant. It wasn’t until I got older that someone told me a page is a gofer. Go for the books. Go for the librarian. Well, you get the picture. I spent most of the time putting books away. I digress. Late one fall evening, as I sat in my usual spot near the window sorting my books, the rain began. I stopped my sorting and just sat there watching. The traffic lights made a reflection on the street as they changed from green to yellow to red. People scattered to the nearest store looking for shelter. Where I sat, it was a carpeted bay window. I remember how peaceful it was to look at the water coming down in the middle of the street.

Seems I’m remembering a lot from those days. The major movies to hit the theaters were Rocky II, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Saturday Night Fever. Not necessarily in that order. Saturday Night Fever especially gives me pause. When it came out, the guys who I’ve known most of my junior high year, the cool guys, all of a sudden liked disco. I almost choked on my saliva writing that. Yeah, it devastated me. Hard core Zeppelin followers turned from the fold to worship a dance craze where guys pointed their fingers in the air like they just didn’t care. Someone turn me into a zombie so I can go back in time and eat their brains.

You know what, though? The rain is good.

One fateful afternoon, when I worked for the school newspaper, I covered our junior high dance. The disco traitors, I mean kids, came in full force. They sported their polyester shirts and slacks, pointed black shoes, and their array of gold jewelry, enough to weigh down and beach a whale. You know what’s coming. As the kids trickled in, the sky turned angry and the water began to fall. Hard. Those kids arriving, being cool and all, dashed from their parents’ car thinking, it’s only a little rain. A few seconds is all it took. The finely greased hair turned to mush. The polyester shirts and slacks retained every ounce of water drank. And the kids? The kids were dancing to Disco Inferno, tossing water everywhere doing the John Travolta moves.

I love the rain.

What about you? Do you like the rain? Do you enjoy listening to the wonderful sound of water hitting the rooftop on a cold, blustery night?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Charlie’s Angels

Posted on April 17, 2013January 30, 2014 by Jack Flacco

Okay, I’ll have to admit, some people didn’t like Charlie’s Angels (2000). It felt like a bunch of music videos put together to make up a movie. Ah, but how sweet a movie it is for those of us who want flash, action, and popcorn excitement.

For the first time since I started writing my Women Who Wow Wednesday series, I’m not going to look at one kick-ass chick. Not two. But three! That’s right. I couldn’t decide on who to choose, so I decided to do ‘em all. Hold on to your butts. It’s gonna be a wild ride.

Natalie Cook—Played by Cameron Diaz, she’s the platinum blonde of the bunch. Highly skilled in martial arts, able to give a punch and take one without effort. She’s an expert driver and pilot. If it has wheels, she can drive it. If it has wings, well, you know the rest. There’s not a vain bone in her body. As a nerd in high school, she once dressed like Princess Leia (braces, glasses, and the bun). Although some folks might consider her naïve, in reality she graduated MIT with a Ph.D., and worked as a research scientist for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Natalie’s known for her fantastic optimism. Life is better when justice prevails and evil gets it up-and-comings. She has supermodel presence, but she’s unaware of it. She’s the type of girl who will answer the door to the UPS guy in her underwear. Yeah, in her Spider-Man underwear.

Alex Munday—Played by Lucy Liu, she’s exotic, an expert in linguistics, and possesses business acumen beyond genius. Much like Natalie, she’s proficient in kung-fu. Her major love is fencing and horseback riding. She may seem small, but her background is massive. Once a teenage gymnast going for the gold in the Olympics, she also proves herself a large asset for NASA as an on-call government engineer. And let’s not forget her stint dancing with the Stuttgart Ballet. The benefits of a classical education.

Alex is the most versatile of the angels. She can play many roles, and slip in and out of characters without hesitating. She also has a love for cooking, regardless if the kitchen hates her.

Dylan Sanders—Played by Drew Barrymore, she’s the hostile one with the curled hair and short fuse. She managed to squeeze some time away from the police academy after beating the crap out of her training officer. Generally rebellious, always an anti-everything. She never looks before she jumps. Her education? Lackluster.

But Dylan has something going for her: she finds the good in everyone. She’s also the most affectionate of the three. Even though she can clear out a room of bad guys with her hands tied behind her back, her real talent lies in her power to be different. A tongue-bearing rocker at heart. She is a force of reckoning.

These are the angels. Unique in every way. Divided, they pose a threat. Together, they can annihilate.

Long live the angels.

Ever see Charlie’s Angels? What did you think of the awesome trio?

Monday Mayhem

Humans vs. Zombies

Posted on April 15, 2013April 14, 2013 by Jack Flacco

The zombies are here. They have taken over college campuses worldwide. They will not surrender until every remaining human joins their cause. They are armed. And their weapons reflect their war—Nerf guns.

For my Monday Mayhem series last week, I wrote about The Zombie Run event taking place throughout cities in the United States. Proceeds of which go to Active Heroes, a charity that aids veterans, active duty military, and families. I thought I’d compliment that post with this one about the rage sweeping college campuses everywhere.

The game goes by the name of Humans vs. Zombies. Students describe it as the most elaborate game of tag anyone’s ever played. Awesome, as some have said.

This is how it works: two Original Zombies go up against about 150 humans. Armed with marshmallows, balled-up socks, and Nerf guns, the humans try to take out the zombies. Upon first inspection, a great disparity exists in numbers. However, that soon changes when one learns the zombies have a big advantage. After sitting out for fifteen minutes, the zombies can attack again. As this happens, the proportionate ratio of zombies to humans grows. At Montana State University, the zombies won the last event.

Nova Scotia students playing Humans vs. Zombies

Students enjoy the game as it presents opportunities to meet new people. It also promotes stress relief on campus.

The game comes with general rules of engagement (can change based on campus location).

Humans must wear armbands at all times.
Zombies must wear headbands at all times.
Original zombies are not required to wear headbands.
When humans tag zombies, zombies have to sit it out for fifteen minutes.
When zombies tag humans, zombies must collect their ID card. An hour later, the armband converts to a headband and the former human can now hunt humans. They are zombies.
Humans must stay on campus the entire period of the game.
Zombies cannot use shield to deflect darts.

And of course there are safety rules to adhere to.

No realistic looking weaponry. Blasters must be brightly colored and have blaze-orange tips.
Blasters may not be visible inside of academic buildings or jobs on campus.
Players may not use cars or play where there is traffic.
Foam darts must not hurt on impact.

The game seems like something I would have played in college. The Original Zombie idea makes it rather interesting as well, since Original Zombies do not have headbands and can easily take out unsuspecting humans by pretending to be human. The trick is to ask the question, “Are you a zombie?” Original Zombies cannot lie. But they can certainly stretch the truth. Perfect preparation for real world politics.

Have you heard of the game Humans vs. Zombies? Have you played it? If so, what did you like most about it?

Freedom Friday, Photo Opportunities

Royal Ontario Museum

Posted on April 12, 2013May 8, 2017 by Jack Flacco

During this year’s spring break, my family and I skipped the idea of going to the Ontario Science Centre and decided to hit the Royal Ontario Museum instead. It was a cold and dark morning, raining to no end, and we thought it great if we could be in among history. Besides, I wanted to include the trip for my Freedom Friday series.

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is located in the heart of Toronto (100 Queens Park). Since I’ve been there numerous times with my wife, the kids needed a refresher of our good ol’ fashioned Canadiana history. Besides, I wanted to see the dinosaurs.

We live in a small town, an hour’s drive north of Toronto. We opted to take the car halfway then take public transit the remainder. Public transit in Toronto goes by the name of the TTC (a.k.a. Toronto Transit Commission). Some studious young folk affectionately know it as “Take the Car” or “The Red Rocket”, on account the buses and street cars are red. I’ve always loved the TTC and there might be issues, as with any public transit system, I still trust the system to carry my family from point A to point B.

When we arrived at the ROM, the first thing we did was hit the dinosaur exhibit. I mentioned I like dinosaurs, didn’t I? The kids get a kick out of it as well. It was a special exhibit only open for spring break, and we wanted to take advantage of it. It was an extra cost to admission, but the entire exhibit was worth seeing.

Something new the organizers did this time around was introduce colored lighting to its exhibits. I don’t remember seeing that with any of the exhibits of the past. Nevertheless, it made the displays pop. Also included were creative backdrops set in the correct period. I especially had fun viewing the volcanic settings for the dinosaurs; they made the tour all the more enjoyable.

Next up, we ventured from the dinosaur exhibit to the food court in the building. Surprise overtook me when I realized they had gluten-free items available for my wife to eat. It made me a happy man. Happy wife, happy life. I went for a large salad while the kids had burgers and fries.

Once we finished our meals, we headed over to the Gallery of Chinese Architecture. We stayed for a bit, examining the beautiful clay pottery and ornaments. It was great seeing how history has been kind to these wonderful pieces.

Our last stop was upstairs in the Canadian section. This has always been one of my favorite sections of the museum. I guess I’ve never been afraid to admit I’m Canadian, and am proud to know our history is rich with culture. But this time, we skipped the cultural section of the exhibit and browsed through Canadian wildlife instead.

Did you know Canada has about 200 species of mammals, 630 species of birds and that Canada’s beaver is the second largest rodent in the world weighing up to 60 pounds (South America’s capybara’s up to 100 pounds)? Fascinating, really.

With all that information in our heads, we decided to call it a night and head back. It was still raining, dark and gray, but I like those days and it made the evening all the more enjoyable when we got back to our nice, cozy home.

Have you ever been to the museum? What is the most fascinating thing you’ve seen?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Laurie Strode

Posted on April 10, 2013April 12, 2013 by Jack Flacco

For those unfamiliar with the Halloween franchise, one cannot say the name Laurie Strode without saying Michael Myers in the same breath. One, the protagonist. The other, über-antagonist. Women Who Wow Wednesday continues with horror’s scream queen Laurie Strode.

When Jamie Lee Curtis accepted the role of Laurie Strode in the 1978 horror classic Halloween, who would have thought she’d become the success she is today. Daughter of Hollywood parents Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, Curtis’ debut in the film solidified her place in the annals of horror. As a no-nonsense actress with weathered chops to take on any role, she played Laurie Strode straight (just as her mother did playing a victim in the 1960 movie Psycho). The genre had seen too many bad movies with bad actresses who trivialized their roles as victims. Not Curtis. She made sure of that.

Michael Myers was only a young boy when he walked into his parents’ house, grabbed a butcher knife, climbed the stairs to his sister’s room, and slaughtered her in a demonic bloodbath. When he made his way back through the front door that Halloween night, his parents greeted the boy as he still held the knife, his sister’s blood dripping from the blade to the sidewalk.

The authorities committed him to Smith’s Grove Warren County Sanitarium never to see the light of day again.

Fifteen years later, Michael Myers escapes the asylum and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois. This time, he dawns a mask and a pair of coveralls with the intent to carry out another bloody rampage during the dark festival of Halloween.

Enter Laurie Strode, the teenage babysitter who Michael stalks. That entire day she thinks she sees someone, but doesn’t. He’s there, but isn’t. In her literature class, he appears staring at her from across the street. Then he’s gone. Walking home, he shows up again from behind a hedge. He disappears. From behind a clothesline in the neighbor’s backyard. Vanished.

That evening, while Laurie babysits Tommy Doyle, her friend Annie pops over with her own charge, Lindsey Wallace. She wants Laurie to look after Lindsey so she could go out with her boyfriend. Laurie agrees. After some time, Annie still hadn’t shown up to pick up Lindsey. Laurie heads over to the Wallace’s to see what’s keeping her. What she finds shakes her to the core. Annie’s dead lying under Michael’s sister Judith’s tombstone. So are her other friends Lynda and Bob. Michael killed them and placed the bodies in various areas of the house for Laurie to find. Out of the darkness Michael appears, slices Laurie’s arm causing her to fall down the stairs, snapping her ankle.

This is the part where Laurie Strode the fighter emerges. She limps back to the Doyle house with one thing on her mind: protect the children. Michael follows, crashing through a window prompting Laurie to slip a knitting needle through his neck. Doesn’t faze him. He still comes after her. With the children in tow, they run and hide in a closet upstairs. He hunts them. She unravels a coat hanger and sits silently, hoping he doesn’t find them. He does, and attacks them with a knife. She pokes him in the eye with the hanger. He drops the knife. She grabs the knife and stabs him in the stomach. He collapses.

Believing he’s dead, she instructs the children to leave the house. She does well. He rises and tries to strangle her. Dr. Loomis, Michael’s psychiatrist, bursts into the scene saving Laurie by unloading his weapon into Michael.

Although critics may consider Laurie Strode a victim in this movie, she is nothing but. If anything, she was brave for risking her life for the welfare of the children. She wasn’t afraid to stand up to evil. And that’s what a hero is. Selfless, always thinking about those who can’t defend themselves, and a true believer in good.

Ever see Halloween? What do you think of Laurie Strode?

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