Captains Log #47

Hey there everyone, I'm so sorry I haven't written in like, forever. I feel like a total lame and horrible blogger. I never meant to be away for so long but the book work has gotten super busy and time consuming and... yeah. So, I am back, and will hopefully do better with my blogging more often.

On to something interesting. Or what I found interesting. I was watching the Daily Show the other day and they showed a news segment about how expensive going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be. First off, really? That's what we do with out spare time these days? Try to figure out costs to a fictional school? Not that I'm hating on Hogwarts or Harry Potter or the most wonderful and amazingly genius author J.K. Rowling. I am a huge Harry Potter fan, but even I haven't tried to figure out the costs to attend Hogwarts, as the cost was never a part of the books.

Another thing that gets me, they say it would cost more then going to Harvard. Harvard. Yes, I am saying that twice. Where do they... how do they...?

Here is what the report says:

Tuition $42,028
Textbooks $516
3 Robes $488
Wand $162
Gloves $123
Cloak $80
Pointy Hat $32

For a second here, let's suspend reality and pretend Hogwarts is real, okay? Now, let's discuss Tuition. There is no freaking tuition ever mentioned in Harry Potter. Do you people even read the novels? Have you even seen the movies? How could tuition be that damn much and yet the Weasley's have sent seven children, yeah, seven, to Hogwarts for all seven years. Minus the twins who skipped out a year early. But still, that's a lot of money each year, for a lot of children. Not to mention that Tom Riddle, commonly known as Voldemort, was a freaking orphan with absolutely no money, and they went to get him. I'm pretty sure Harvard doesn't send people out to orphanages just cause the kids are smart there. Nope. Not happening.

On to Textbooks. Where in the hell do you come up with that number? As for that, where do you come up with any of the numbers first of all. Then the robes, the wand, the gloves, the cloak, and lastly, the pointy hat which is not even a factor. Did you see the one movie and think, well, we should put that in? Honestly, the numbers are ridiculous, and so is my irritation, I know. But I can't help it, they're just making a mockery of something I love, and it drives me batty.

Why even do the study? Why take something fun and magical, and put a stupid price and real world twist on it? That just takes away from the fun and the magic of a school like that, in a world like that. You're dumb. And I honestly don't care if I irritate you by calling you dumb. You cannot take something fun and magical and turn it into a research project with real world monetary values.

Plus, what monetary system are you using? Because to me it looked like American dollar signs and American money, when, Hogwarts is somewhere in Europe, not America. I don't know much, or anything, about European currency, but I do know that Muggle money, whether American or European, is not the same as Wizard money. So whatever amounts you came up with cannot possible be accurate unless you went to J.K. Rowling and asked her to convert it. And if you did, then yay for you, and if not, which I suspect, then again I ask, how the hell did you figure any of this out?

I know I'm rambling, and I may seem a bit... crazy? about this subject, but I just hate it when people take good, fun, fictional things and try to turn them into something for the real world. It's not real world, that's why people like it. So, to those that want to dissect fun, imaginary worlds, from one person to another, please don't. You only ruin the fun that way.

Well, goodnight. I'm sorry for my ramble, and I'm sorry for not being here, and I'm really sorry if people were wanting an update on the book front. The best I can give you is we're furiously editing and I hope to have a few copies out to my beta readers in the next month or so. Thanks to all you of you out there for reading and checking back. I hope to have a quality product out to you all soon. You're all amazing! Goodnight from California.

Captains Log #23

Hello All!

Well, it's been a while since I've written, but things have been crazy around here. It's a super bad earwig season where I live, seems everyone is having the little critters everywhere, and I've been combating them. I am glad to say we have not seen one in quite some time, there is hope we will not see one again.

I've been spending a lot of time with my family, helping out with day care and what not, and have been away from the internet. I miss my readers and feel that I have been neglecting you. I have not, I know, but I want you all to know I care.

We're still on schedule for the book to be released this fall. My editor is working hard and I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end. As long as someone reads the book and enjoys it, I've done what I set out to do.

Also, I have come to the conclusion that my child is allergic to summer. Last year, we found out that she is allergic to cranberries. Hives, itching, all that crap. Looking into that, we found that if you're allergic to cranberries, you can also be allergic to blueberries. She didn't show any signs of that last year, so we haven't been worried. Yesterday she had hives again, today the same. I'm not sure it's the juice she's drinking, which has blueberry juice, but it could be anything. I've come to the conclusion though, it's just summer. She did this last summer, she's doing it this summer. But who really knows?

Any who... How is everyone out there? Hope you're all doing good.

I wanna give a shout out to Sneha Sunny. Thanks for the comment on the book, I really hope you enjoyed it.

Well everyone, it is that time again. I must be going. Goodnight or day or morning to you all!