Harry Potter: Not mediocre, but still average

Why am I always underwhelmed by the “Harry Potter” movies?
In the middle of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part One,” I thought to myself I’d really love watching this movie if I stumbled onto it on HBO at 2:30 a.m. and knew nothing about it.
This is how I happened to watch the original “Planet of the Apes” movie, along with “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and “The Breakfast Club.”
I happened to be watching TV when they came on, I happened to settle on that channel and two hours later I had watched the whole thing.
My feeling about the latest “Harry Potter” installment is, while it was a very well-made movie, I just couldn’t get pulled into it. Like the book on which it was based, it didn’t assertively hold my interest throughout. I think reading the book colored my movie experience as well.
A good gauge for how well a movie holds my interest is how often you have the presence of mind of check your watch.
A really great movie is so engrossing, I never look. I stay focused on the screen.
The worse a movie is, the more I look.
I saw the 6 p.m. show, and checked my watch at 7:05, 7:20, 7:35, 7:50 and then at the end of the movie.
This isn’t a bad record, all told, but it’s not great.
I wish I could say something else really insightful about the movie itself, instead of just my reaction to it.
It was well-directed, the special effects were awesome. The book on which it was based was a huge hit. (I have to admit, I found myself skimming though huge sections of the book and stopping when the story got interesting, but since I am not a truly rabid "Harry Potter" fan, that's only natural with a book that doggone long.)
There were no dumb moments. And, the movie ended on a cliff hanger, not a crappy final twist ending like this summer’s “Inception.” (For what it's worth, I still don’t know why "Inception" was said to be so revolutionary. I thought it was so clever it out-thought itself.)
I should have really liked “Part One.”
Instead, I just liked it.

I take back what I said.

The Browns will be 3-13 if they keep pulling the crap they did today.

Why the Cleveland Browns will finish 8-8 this year

In his column in today's Plain Dealer, Terry Pluto tells us this:

1. The next five games are against Jacksonville, Carolina, Miami, Buffalo and Cincinnati. Only Sunday's opponent (5-4 Jacksonville) has a winning record. Carolina and Buffalo are 1-8, Cincinnati is 2-7. At 5-5, Miami has quarterback problems and is only 1-4 at home. Now is the time for the Browns to capitalize on the confidence from playing four of the NFL's best teams to a 2-2 record, along with the enthusiasm of the fans and the weaknesses in the schedule. The final two games are against the Steelers and Ravens, both in Cleveland.

So, notwithstanding today's game, if the Browns continue to play as hard and as well as they have been, and they play against worse competition, my guess is they will go 4-1 over the next five games. They probably won't beat both Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Even a split would be optimistic, but let's say it happens. This would have them finish at 8-8.
But, here's the interesting point: Even as bad as the Browns' record has been, if they happen to win five games in a row, then bear both the Ravens and the Steelers,they would host Pittsburgh at 8-6. This would mean they could finish at 10-6. The best case for such a finish would be if Pittsburgh and Baltimore are already resting key players for the playoffs. That would, however, mean that the entire AFC East would have to tank, and fall back to ward the Browns in the wild card standings, which doesn't seem likely.
Because there are so many good AFC teams, even at 10-6, the Browns would probably miss the playoffs, like in 2007.
If the Browns had won just a couple of their close losses at stood at, say, 5-4, they would probably have a legitimate shot at the post season.

Where are you all hiding?

I just added a counter to my blog, and somehow, I am getting 2,000 visitors a month. I had no idea! I am sure it because you are all on the edges of your seats to find out what I had for breakfast.
For what it's worth, my goal is to have about 15-16 posts a month, averaging something like every other day. I haven't always hit that, because I tend to post in bursts, but it's still a reasonable goal.

Another fall foliage picture

This was a leaf I found in my front yard.

One of I don't know how many fall foliage pictures ...

... from right around my yard.

Snoopy laughing

This should at least make you smile a little, if not laugh.

So, what do I think about the Browns win?

Belichick sucks.
Payton Hillis for President.
I hope Colt McCoy starts the rest of the games.
My official Super Bowl prediction for 2012: The Cleveland Browns play the Detroit Lions.

(As an unrelated side note: My fingers always want to type "Detriot Loins" for some reason.)

A minute or so of Snoopy fun