A cappella is going down hill

I nearly cried tonight while I was singing with my church's youth group. Because the singing was so beautiful? Nope. Far from it. It's gotten horrible. And there's not a dern thing I can do about it.

I don't know if it's the same everywhere, but the Churches of Christ I've been to recently have a serious problem. The singing is TERRIBLE! When I'm at school I go to the Palmetto CoC, and I listen to 300 people singing the soprano part. That business started when they replaced the songbook with those nice, big screens where they project all the song lyrics. But instead of projecting the actual music (which IS available, you know--it's called the Paperless Hymnal), they put the lyrics up against nice, pretty backgrounds like (moving) waterfalls or (moving) crosses that scream out, "Look what we can do with all this nice technology!" And then, what do you know? People are too lazy to pick up their songbooks, they eventually forget all the harmonies, and you get this mess.

At my home church, the singing has deteriorated rapidly. I mean, it got worse immediately after we moved into the new building two years ago, but we assumed it would get better as we got used to the new acoustics. Well, it didn't, and let me tell you, it was a shock when I got home for the summer and realized just how bad things have gotten. Unfortunately, much of it can be traced to our song leader, who for these purposes I will call...lessee...Chad.

See, a few years ago, the elders got together with the deacons on one of their retreats, and after much discussion about this new, wonderful screen, they ended up "firing" all the song leaders that wouldn't use it--which, most regrettably, included two of the three that actually knew what they were doing. The one other guy that DOES know how to conduct never gets a chance, though, because the elders gave Chad a monopoly. So every Sunday morning he gets up there and either a) pitches the song too high, b) takes it so fast that no one can sing it, c) changes key for no apparent reason, c) leads a song the congregation doesn't know, d) leads a song HE doesn't know, or e) all of the above. It's enough to drive anyone with a single drop of musical blood batty.

I'm saying all of this because I need to vent. Badly. I am a very musical person, and much of my worship is focused on music. When the music sounds terrible my thoughts aren't focused on God! They're preoccupied with things like, "This sounds awful" or "I wish I could kick our song leader into next week."

Every second I spent singing with my campus church group or with Palmetto, I wished that I could hear at least one or two people from my church youth group singing harmony. But then I get back home and find out that the wonderful singing I left behind is gone...and it's not coming back anytime soon. And that is why I almost cried--because no matter what I do, nobody else cares enough to fix the problem.

No News is Good News, right?

Nothing new to report, really. Still working on the post about Deathly Hallows; I may actually split it in half.

Also, I am wishing that Pallas over at Mugglenet Fanfiction will hurry up and update her fic Imperius. I highly recommend it.

Food for Thought: The War on Individualism

"It is thus necessary that the individual should come to realize that his own ego is of no importance in comparison with the existence of his nation; that the position of the individual ego is conditioned solely by the interests of the nation as a whole...that above all the unity of a nation's spirit and will are worth far more than the freedom of the spirit and will of an individual..."

"We must stop thinking of the individual and start thinking about what is best for society."

Now stop for a moment and think...who said these quotes?

The first is a quote from Adolph Hitler in 1933. The second is a quote from Hillary Clinton in 1993.

Does this scare you?

It should.

It is appalling--absolutely APPALLING--that a good portion of Americans are ready and able to put her in the White House! Do you people realize that if you vote for her, you are WILLINGLY giving up your rights to say what you want, do what you want, and believe what you want? If she takes the presidency, she will start stripping away individual freedoms for "the greater good"--which, in her case, means for her own good. (Folks, I used to live in Arkansas. Mike Huckabee has spent two terms in the Governor's Mansion working to undo all the things Hillary started under the pretense of "the greater good.")

Think about this long and hard before you go to the polls next year...

Last Minute Stuff

A few more predictions...

The Horcruxes will be the cup, the locket, Racenclaw's wand/tiara, and Harry or Nagini.

Kreacher will help Harry find the locket.

Bellatrix will be ordered to murder the Malfoys.

Oh, I really don't have time for more...I must get ready for work! By the time I write on here again, I will have read Book 7!

Thanks, Jo, for everything. I am terrified and nervous and am biting my nails in excitement, but most of all I am thrilled that soon I will experience Harry's last adventure.

On the Record: My Harry Potter Predictions

Well, the Mugglenet staff has gone on the record. It will be interesting to see which of their predictions come true! In the spirit of a HP release, I, too, will offer my humble opinions on these questions (taken from the Mugglenet staff predictions):

Who will die?

Please, please, PLEASE not Harry! Or any of the trio, for that matter! (Although, if one of them has to kick the bucket, my money's on Ron.) Out of the good guys, Hagrid will certainly go--he follows the alchemy model I read about in a wonderful editorial on Mugglenet. (I'll have to post a link later, 'cause I still have to find the editorial.) At least one Weasley will die--their numbers are against them there. My money is either on Fred and George or Percy. And, as much as I hate to even think about it, I am afraid that Lupin will die. But if he has to go, I hope Tonks goes with him. After all, he finally found love--they shouldn't be separated!

From the other side,Voldemort will most certainly die. I also think that Bellatrix and Lucius will finally get what they deserve. (I can picture Neville avenging his parents and me chanting NEVILLE! NEVILLE! NEVILLE! in the background!) Wormtail is going to get the axe, too, possibly paying his life debt to Harry. I also think Snape will get the axe...but I haven't made up my mind whether it will be while he's defending Harry or defending Draco (possibly even defending Draco from Bellatrix!). Both are possibilities.

Will Harry return to Hogwarts?

Yes, most definitely. Hogwarts is as much a character as any of the people, and we're not done seeing it yet! However, I still haven't made up my mind as to whether it will reopen or not, or whether Harry will just return in passing or for his education.

How will the various relationships unfold/begin?

Well, Ron and Hermione will (finally!) get together, as will Bill and Fleur on their wedding day (although I think it likely that the wedding will be interrupted by Death Eaters). Harry will eventually figure out that he is stronger with Ginny at his side and will stop being noble. And, provided that Lupin doesn't die (PLEASE, JO, LET REMUS LIVE!), he and Tonks will live hairily ever after.

However, the focus of this book will not be relationships. Harry has Horcruxes to destroy and a Dark Lord to defeat, remember?

To what does "Deathly Hallows" refer?

Either the Horcruxes or the people Voldemort killed to make them. Although, since one translation is "Relics of Death," I'm inclined to lean more towards them being the Horcruxes.

Is Snape good/bad/neither?

I trust Dumbledore. And while Snape is a nasty piece of work and will never be a warm and fluffy character, he is on Harry's side--whether Harry realizes it or not. It's not a question of if he's "good" or "bad," because "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters." It's more a question of which side he will fight for.

General comments on the series coming to a close

I first read about Harry when I was 11 years old. I have grown up with him, and I am immensely sad that this is the last time I'll be able to go to a midnight release of his newest escapade. Even so, though...I'll finally have all my questions answered! There have been moments over the last few weeks when I have actually lost my breath because I felt so excited.

Jo, I cannot thank you enough for sharing this world with us. It has made my life far more interesting and has given my friends and I something besides politics and religion to argue about. I cherish these characters as much as I cherish my friends, and I hope you will give all of them what they deserve! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

But, you know, this is not the end. I still have an editorial in mind for Mugglenet, and there will still be lots of analysis and plot-picking to do for quite some time. You know, I have actually considered doing my senior thesis on Harry Potter? No, this is certainly not the end, at least not for me!

Random Thoughts

Almost here...it's almost here...

Other than that, I have been thinking about a possible polar shift. You know, another one is bound to happen sometime, and if it does I'm gonna be in trouble. I really know nothing about hunting, fishing, wilderness survival, weaponry, boats, or any of the things I will likely need if the poles shift and the world changes in a split second. Of course, if it happens while I'm still in South Carolina, I may not have to worry about it--it's much more likely that I'll drown!

Well, bed awaits me. 'Night!

Four Days 'Til Harry Potter!

It's hard to believe that two years ago yesterday Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was (finally!) released. I was then a captive at the University of Richmond, unable to leave and get my book at midnight with all the other rabid fans. I was so jealous when my sister told me all about her midnight trip to Barnes & Noble. I felt cheated, I suppose...left out of the action. This time, however, that will not be the case! Not only will I witness the action, I'll be running the action. Imagine...I certainly won't be the owner of the first book out of the first box, but I will very likely be the one to hand that first book to some lucky HP fan. I can't describe how excited I am!

And, yes, I am going to make a shameless plug...buy your Harry Potter voucher today at Books-A-Million! You can't get it faster anywhere else!

But now, 'tis late and I must go to sleep. I have to at least attempt to get six or seven hours...I can't be the chipper saleswoman without them!