JK tickles fans on Potter 7!

On her website, jkrowling.com, Harry Potter author gave teasers to fan who were (and still are) 'dying' to know the title of the last series of the Harry Potter books. She also wrote on her website that she had arrived three titles for the book.

Quote:

"I've now got a third title. I've been thinking back and I know I've had more titles than this for a couple of the previous books, so I'm not too worried by this."
"Title three currently is ahead by a short nose, or perhaps that should be a vowel and two consonants."
"I've just had a great writing week.
"There are few feelings more joyous than reading back over the week's work and thinking, 'That's not bad at all'."

Read more about the story at the Official Website here.

University campus organizes Harry Potter-A-Thon for Halloween

Friday before the Halloween, students organizers and faculty prepared an entertainment activity for kids at their community. The Colgate University had setup reading marathon on the first series of JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The activity was inspired by their recent reading activity last semester, the Odyssey-A-Thon.

The event was a joint project of the Colgate University and the Hamilton Public Library where they aimed to encourage children on reading and appreciate literature and fun, aside from their academic involvement at school.

To read the full story and watch the campus video (captured left), click here.

Wizarding Card of the Moment: Hermione Granger

Hermione Jane Granger (born September 19, 1979) is a fictional character in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series. The character is portrayed by Emma Watson in the films.

Hermione is a Gryffindor student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is one of Harry Potter's and Ron Weasley's best friends. She plays an important role in many aspects of Harry's life, serving as a maternal influence on both Harry and Ron. Her birthdate September 19, 1979, makes Hermione the oldest of her classmates, as most were born in ca. late 1979/1980. Hogwarts only accepts first-year students who have turned eleven years old at the start of the school term on September 1. Therefore, Hermione was too young to join the previous class. She shows considerable maturity when compared to her close friends and classmates in both attitude and course work. However, she lacks maturity in other areas: she consistently responds negatively to Ron baiting her, generally cannot stand back and allow him to make a fool of himself, and has a tendency to bicker (generally flouncing off to bed if she is thwarted).

Hermione has brown eyes and, when she first appears, bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth. Many at the school have ridiculed her looks, including, on one occasion, Professor Snape. Hermione is very studious and can be bossy and fussy; she is one of the most intelligent students in her year and one of the best in the school. She is often teased for this, although Harry and Ron depend on her for academic help, and her knowledge and common sense prove valuable in overcoming the trio's challenges.

Hermione is brave and loyal and has a fierce political conscience, but sometimes has problems keeping her head in crises: one might note her problems in facing the Devils Snare in the first book (when told to light a fire, she memorably responds “There’s no wood!”, even though she had conjured magical flames earlier in the year), the unlikely lie she tells Professor Umbridge to save Harry in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (she claims that there is a weapon in the forest, created upon Dumbledore’s orders), and her failure to adequately subdue a Death Eater in the Department of Mysteries (she silences rather than stuns him, leaving him conscious, suggesting that in the heat of the moment, she forgot about non-verbal spell casting, despite evidence in the same book that James Potter knew of that in his Fifth Year at Hogwarts). Indeed, Hermione's intellect is strongest in memory and objective analysis, and less impressive when thinking on her feet. Although compassionate, she can be naïve and even insensitive when dealing with people, despite positioning herself as the "sensitive one" in the trio. For example, her ham-handed attempt to comfort Lavender Brown over the death of her rabbit. Screenwriter Steve Kloves has said that Hermione often shows "a complete lack of understanding of how she affects other people." According to Rowling, Hermione is deeply insecure and feels utterly inadequate underneath. To compensate, she tries to be the best at everything at school, projecting a false confidence that can irritate people.

Rowling admits that Hermione is in many ways based upon herself. Hermione's Patronus is an otter, which is Rowling's favourite animal. Hermione's middle name, Jane, (never mentioned in the books, only on Rowling's official site) is a feminine form of "John", as is "Joanne", Rowling's first name.

- from wikipedia.org

What's in a name: Harry Potter

I was searching the net last night about what my name means and its history, it came into my thoughts about what does the name "Harry" and "James" mean and where did they originated. So, I scan my favorite links (which I saved a couple of months ago) and I've looked to www.thinkbabynames.com

Now, viewing the pages, I've arrived on the Top 100 Baby Names for Boys in England and Wales (2005) and I found out these information:

Harry ranked 9th on the list (that's in Top 100 famous baby names for boys in England and Wales, year 2005) with +2 points higher than 2004 (meaning it gained two points more popular than year 2004).

On the other hand, James, Harry Potter's second name, which he got from his father, James Potter ranked 4th on the list (ranked the same on 2004).

I was concluding, do these names become more famous on the recent years because of the novels JK Rowling wrote? Or are those name just famous in Europe, particularly in England and Wales?

Let us compare the popularity of the names "Harry" and "James" on 7 major places in the world (shown here) by the year 2005.

The actor who played Harry Potter, Daniel Jacob Radcliffe has also common and popular names in England and Wales.

Daniel, ranked 6th with -1 popularity point compared to 2004, and Jacob, ranked 21st with +2 popularity points.

Why wouldn't you try your names? It's fun. You might have the most popular names in the world! :)

Ms. Rowling interviewed about Harry Potter

J.K. Rowling was featured on 60 Minutes at Yahoo! News, talking about the secret behind the boy wizard. To view the clips, click here.

Winners declared at the Vacaville Annual Harry Potter Trivia Competition

On our previous news blog last Sunday, October 22, 2006, the Vacaville Annual Harry Potter Trivia Competition was concluded with the annunciation of winners, Thursday.

The event was held at the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre with more than 100 audience witnessing its seventh annual literacy show in Vacaville, CA.

Below are the names of the winners and their schools:

Elementary school

• Selena Brown, Alamo
• Tatijana Bowman, Notre Dame
• David Mederos, Cambridge
• Sonja Thrasher, Cambridge
• Kylie Timmerman, Markham
• Wyatt Dunham, Alamo
• Jared Rich, Alamo
• Julia Moffitt, Notre Dame
• Tanner Stuart, Browns Valley
• Christine Solomon, Markham

Middle to High school

• Patrick Garrison, Vaca Pena
• Davis Evans, Willis Jepson
• Lizzy Orfin, Vanden High
• Christine Salazar, Notre Dame
• Nate Farrey, Vaca Pena
• Ashley Sousa, Harvest Middle (Napa)
• Cassandra Jeffers, Vaca High
• Yessel Vergara, Vaca Pena
• Katelyn Morris, Willis Jepson
• Carly Courtney, C.A. Jacobs

Imaginative costume contest

• Jillian Loustaunau, Vaca High
• Davis Evans, Willis Jepson, and Colin Evans, Browns Valley
• Patrick Garrison, Vaca Pena
• Ian Kitamura, Cooper
• Selena Brown, Alamo
• Cameron Bailey, Alamo
• Kayla Birch, Cambridge
• Sonja Thrasher, Cambridge
• Nick Palacios, Cambridge
• Cassidy Horn (not yet in school).


On photo: Josh Ingersoll, 10, of Vacaville, dressed in his best Quidditch uniform, participates in Thursday's Harry Potter Competition at the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre. Credits from: Brad Zweerinkof The Reporter.

Harry Potter Yummy Treats for Halloween

To celebrate "Chocolate Day (October 28)" and the upcoming Halloween, we present to you (3) three treats that you can prepare for the party: there's appetiser, desserts, and drinks...

Have Fun!


Moomba Pumpkin Tuna Chowder (recipe from www(dot)globalpinoy(dot)com)


Ingredients:

1/4 cup Magnolia Gold butter
1/2 cup sliced white onions
2 cans 184g Century Tuna solid or chunks
1 can 290 g Campbells cream of mushroom soup
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup cooked and mashed pumpkin (squash)
1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper
1/2 cup cooked bacon
5 bread bowls from French Baker - sliced one inch from the top, scoop out center leaving a 1-inch "wall" at the sides and base of bread

(Cooking Procedure):

1. In a deep soup pan, add butter and onions and cook until soft. Add tuna and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients (except bacon and bread). Stir until boiling.
3. Pour unto bread bowls. Top with bacon. Garnish with parsley or chopped spring onions.

for more recipes, visit globalpinoy.com


Madam Beatricia's Choco Graham Cookies (recipe from our dear friend, Ms. Bea Agrito from General Santos City, the Philippines)


Ingredients:

2 packs Graham Crackers
1 pack unsweetened cocoa powder
½ butter (preferable Magnolia Gold)
1 can condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips, colored candy sprinkles or marshmallow tidbits (for toppings)

Packaging / Presentation materials:
Small paper cups (colored orange and black for Halloween touch)
-or-
Black (any color may do) Parchment paper for wrapping or food wrap and ribbons for trick-or-treat giveaways


Cooking Procedures:

1) Crash your graham crackers (not so fine) and set aside.

2) Melt your butter on a pan by pressing it, then add up the condensed milk and the unsweetened cocoa powder.

3) After the ingredients on #2 are mixed together, turn on your stove and continue to stir for about 8 minutes.

4) After 8 minutes (or until the ingredients start to give sweet aroma), turn of your stove.

5)Pour your crashed graham crackers on the liquid ingredient and mix them together.

6) Before the mixture starts to harden, add your chocolate chips or colored candy sprinkles and continue stirring.

7) Use a spoon or an ice cream scoop to place the mixture on a paper cup.

8) After scooping the ingredients, place on a tray and top each cookie with marshmallow tidbits (or you can put a pinch of powered sugar for a touch up).

9) Refrigerate for about an hour or two or until the party begins and serve.

10) It’s up to you how to decorate the sides for a Halloween-y atmosphere.

11) Enjoy!


Reminders for kids:

- Ask for help from your parents when cooking, and also with using sharp pointed objects like kitchen knives, can and bottle opener and forks. Safety First, Trick-or-Treaters!!! :)



Señor Felipe's version of Butterbeer (recipe from Philip Andrew Mayol, BTBE BlogMaster)



Ingredients:


1 can of your favorite soda or cola (preferably rootbeer for a stingy taste)
1 pint of vanilla ice cream
mint candy sprinkles

Packaging / Presentation Material:
Bendable and Retractable straw (color black for Halloween-y touch)
Your favorite party mug


Preparation Procedures:

1) Pour 3/4 of your soda on a mug (or any measurement as long as liquid won't overflow when you scoop in the ice cream -which is next-)

2) Scoop a vanilla ice cream on top of the soda

3) Sprinkle with mint candy flakes/sprinkles

4) Put straw, and whallah!!!

-or-

Instead of vanilla ice cream, you can subsitute a powdered milk to it.

1) Pour 3/4 of your soda on a mug (or any measurement as long as liquid won't overflow)

2) Put a spoon of your favorite powdered milk (this sure will make an overflow!)

*milk will bubble up when mixed with carbonated liquid. :)

3) Add mint candy sprinkles

4) Put straw and enjoy a second version of Butterbeer!

Round up the ghosts!!! Call the Bloody Baron or the Fat Friar... Invite Peeves over or Moaning Myrtle... And celebrate a Potterish Halloween this year! Enjoy! (,'')

Download Printable version of the recipes.