potter Quintessensual Harry, that is, Harry Potter, hooray. 991130 ... Q Thoughts on the "Harry Potter" Series This "Harry Potter" series of books has created a mania, no doubt. But a mania cannot be all bad that has over 5 million copies of a book released to kids on its first day out, as happened earlier today, and has books in a series translated as fast as they can be into 40 languages. A mania like that creates a lot of peer pressure for kids to read and discuss what they are reading. It also creates a certain bond among kids all over the world. It is a bond of common humanity that many of the kids will remember their entire lives, and that will strengthen cooperation among the peoples of the world for the benefit of all of them. Besides, the success of the series has transformed a poor woman writer and her family from paupers on welfare to people of vast wealth. That is grand. It is nice to know that occasionally people still can go from rags to riches by working rather than gambling. It is also nice to know that occasionally people who do something for others, as opposed to incompetent, filthy rich executives who do worse than nothing, can earn millions. Copyright 2000 000708 ... MollyGoLightly there's a really funny picture on the front page of today's paper of two kids swordfighting at a harry-potter themed party at a local bookstore. they are two geekily cute little boys with bug-eyes and glasses. also they are wearing capes that appear to be made out of their momma's curtains. one is poking the other in the chest, and he has this completely dorky open-mouthed expression on his face. it's adorable. i think i am going to scan it and make a little web-shrine around it. 000708 ... Butterfly Collector Harry Potter was ok, although something of a mass obesession (which is never a good thing), when it was just the books. But now, my god, the merchandise there is. More than I think I've seen for anything for a long time. And things will get so much worse once the film comes out. This sort of commercialism is terrible, especially considering they age group it targets. Couldn't they have just left it as it was, without trying to squeeze every last penny out of it? 010820 ... sarah Joey Potter - as in Katie_Holmes 010820 ... kelli crane shawn potter 020115 ... Rotten77 I luv the Harry Potter books--they r awsome, the perfect way to recover from endless chapters of geology cramming for some stupid test, plus I think that for some reason everyone can relate to them somehow. I mean, don't we all wish we were harry potter? i do. but i definitely think they r starting to go crazy with it and "squeeze it for every penny." I didn't know that jk rowling was a rags to riches story, but if that's the case, it is even more pathetic that she feels the need to torment her readers by putting off the release of a book that is already written so that she can make some extra money off their suspense. 030423 what's it to you? who go blather from