t random Is it just me, or have all the recent de-lurks been A-names? Was there a vote to delurk alphabetically that I missed? t /random

(I mean, hi Ailleen.)

Hmmm. If too many A-names de-lurk, and some X, Y and Z-names go back into lurking, the whole alphabet could tip over....

eta: hi Ailleen!

I finally got around to watching the Judy Garland bio that was on Disc 2 of the "Easter Parade" DVD set. Excellent! Harris Yulin (Quintin Travers) narrated, and they used excerpts from Judy's own recordings/interviews for her never-written autobiography (recreated by a Garland impersonator who nailed her speaking voice) as well as voiceovers with various coworkers/family members of hers. They used the section about "Meet Me in St. Louis" to talk about her relationships with her parents, which I thought was an interesting choice.

I really can't recommend this 2-disc set enough for any "Easter Parade," Fred Astaire, and/or Judy Garland fans.

ETA: I forgot to say, "Hi, Aillean!" So, um, "Hi, Aillean!"

Jessica, we voted in email. Where we support you.

Watched the HP teaser today. I definitely think it would be ok, nay, necessary, for this movie to be PG-13. After all, the books are written on consecutive reading levels. So if you start with 11, IIRC, then GoF is written for 14 year olds. Bring on the dragons, baybee.

Also, am I misremembering, but wasn't Cedric black? And is he not now?

Cedric? I don't remember.

Wikipedia says that Cedric has dark hair and gray eyes and his father -- brown hair.

Nothing about hair texture or skin color.

[link]

It caught my memory because I remember someone being referred to as "Black", and it jarred me until I remembered that you can't really be "African-American" if you were born in England. I thought it was Cedric, but I could be misremembering. Will have to check my copy when I get home later. (Unless someone beats me to it.)

There is somebody on the Gryffindor Quidditch team who is black. I can't remember his name.

I think he is Harry's year!

It might be Dean Thomas.

This is from wikipedia:

Dean Thomas is a black male who is taller than Ron and was sorted into Gryffindor house; he is good at drawing and forging signatures. He shares his dormitory at Hogwarts with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan.

Dean comes from a Muggle family which is evidenced by him being a fan of the football team West Ham United and using the word "cool" a lot. Dean was raised by his mother and stepfather, because his original father left the family when he was young. Dean was raised with a number of half-brothers and sisters. When Dean got the letter inviting him to Hogwarts, his mother wondered if his father had been a wizard. The truth, which they never discovered, is that Dean's father was killed by Death Eaters when he refused to join them.

(Bold-face mine.)

I don't remember that bit.