Today

I go through phases. Everyone does, for that matter.

Some days I feel wonderful about myself, who I am, where I am in my life. And other days not so much. Today is one of the days where I still feel wonderful about my life and how I live it, but I start to understand why no one seems to show interest in me. Or, rather... why the people I have any interest in show none toward me.

Just one of those days when I get to be down on myself for a while. Just wait until I perk back up in a few hours.

T-Shirt Uses

As you may know by now, I have made the decision to cut back on a lot in my life. This includes the amount of clothing I have (which is entirely too much). The most difficult to part myself with are my Wizard Rock and other awesome HP related t-shirts. But I have so many. And I only wear some of them on any kind of regular basis. So why do I have them, I keep asking myself.

So I went through most of my t-shirts (only missed a few as they were in a different location at the time) and made two piles outside of the closet. In the closet, I'm keeping. Outside the closet are the random shirts/articles of clothing I'll be donating to the local Salvation Army and a separate pile of all my HP and Wrock shirts that I've had trouble getting rid of but don't wear for one reason or another. But I don't want to just donate them. I want them to come to more immediate use.

Here are my ideas: take pictures of the shirts I'm getting rid of and offer them to whoever wants to pay shipping and/or take a select number of them and cut them up, turn them into sort of canvas/reusable bag, get that bag signed by Wrockers at Wrockstock and auction it off for the HPA.

Maybe I can do both? Make the bag and offer out the rest of the shirts that didn't get cut up to go into the bag?

What do you all think? I'd love to hear opinions!

The Life I Live and Love

Let's start this out right. I love my life.

I love the things I do. I love the commitments I make. I love the people I know. I love the places I go, the adventures I embark on.

But I've felt a sort of discontent in recent times. I'm trying to evaluate what is really important and what things in my life no longer hold the meaning that they once did. I've been considering the way I present myself - the clothes I wear, the way I speak, how I take care of my belongings - and what this means about me. I think about all the things that I dedicate my time to and what benefits I gain from them, the things I lose as a result of the time and effort I put into these things. I've been thinking about the way people view me - their initial reactions to making my acquaintance.

Daily Wrocket Preview #2

Below is my next preview from the Daily Wrocket as it stands at this moment. I'm sure there will be some minor editing to this section, but I feel pretty good about where it stands now.

The below preview is the entire page titled "What is Wizard Rock?" It is designed to provide a basis of understanding of the genre for outsiders and (hopefully) a modicum of pride for insiders.

Any and all comments, suggestions, and constructive criticisms are welcome! Either comment here or email me at: dinah@dailywrocket.com

What is Wizard Rock?

Wizard Rock is, at its core, music about Harry Potter. This does not mean every song is solely about the boy wizard (not to deny that a decent amount of them are), but rather that the musicians involved in the movement write songs inspired by the characters, events, and themes found in the book series. Just as a "Muggle" music (as some of us Wrock fans refer to non-Wizard Rock) is inspired by everyday happenings, emotions, and situations, Wizard Rock is inspired by the same things, but with a focus on them as seen within a specific book series.

A Brief History of Wrock

It is widely accepted that the first Wizard Rock song was 'Ode to Harry' in 2000 by the band Switchblade Kittens that was later put onto their album The Weird Sisters. While I agree that this was one of the very first songs about Harry Potter (and certainly the first one to be widely distributed), I peg the beginnings of Wizard Rock taking place approximately a year later with the advent of Harry and the Potters.

"But wasn't it the first big song about good ol' HP?" you may be asking yourself, "I thought you said Wizard Rock was music about him?" Yes, but it's not quite so simple as that, as you'll see discussed in the section below on what seperates Wizard Rock from other music scenes.

Paul and Joe DeGeorge, also known as Harry and the Potters, started making music about Harry Potter by a happy accident of last minute cancellations from bands slated to play in their backyard. I'm sure it was stressful at the time, but I call it a happy accident because those bands cancelling essentially created a new musical genre.

The Potters started touring and telling anyone and everyone to start their own bands about Harry Potter as well. To their surprise and great joy... many of their fans did begin creating bands after listening to their music. Some of the first bands were Draco and the Malfoys, The Whomping Willows, and The Parselmouths.

Over the intervening years, nearly 700 Wizard Rock bands have popped into existence, some of which have stuck around and released extensive discographies (Catchlove and Ministry of Magic stand out in my mind at the moment), and some of which have released no more than a single song and left the band behind entirely after that.

If you'd like to read a more complete history, check out the History of Wrock posted on the Wizrocklopedia. Or better yet, order yourself a copy of the Wizard Rockumentary and watch with an open mind!

What Makes Wizard Rock Stand Out From Other Music Scenes?

While it all started as a single band, Harry and the Potters, one of the key ingredients to Wizard Rock is the community element. There's a reason I refer to it as the Wizard Rock Community in discussion (whether with newcomers to the idea of Wrock or to veterans of the community). Wizard Rock, by and at large, is very Do-It-Yourself. Most bands write their music, record, master, burn to CD, design and create album art, and anything else in the long "To Do" list of making an album all by themselves or with the help of friends. It's not unheard of to have music professionally mastered or to send an album out to be professionally manufactured when demand is particularly high, but that does not negate the creative process that the Wizard Rocker goes through prior to that point in production.

But that's not all, folks! Wizard Rock has this amazing tendency to support various charities and non-profits through touring, charity compilations, and general fund raising. The Whomping Willows' Matt Maggiacomo is one of the forerunners in charity fund raising, having raised money for disaster relief in Haiti and for the Harry Potter Alliance, among other charities. Also on the map for their extensive work are Paul and Joe DeGeorge (Harry and the Potters), Stephanie Anderson (Tonks and the Aurors), and Jarrod Perkins (Gred and Forge), among many others.

One charity that has received upwards of $15,000 over the years from various fund raising (including the Wizard Rock EP of the Month Club run by Paul DeGeorge) has been First Book, an organization promoting literacy by providing books to children in need. In this regard, they share an important feature of the Wizard Rock Community: the promotion and spread of literacy. As is made pretty obvious, the entire Wizard Rock genre is inspired by a book series. All of us Wizard Rockers and Wizard Rock fans are also fans of this spectacular book series that inspired us to make music, love each other, and share our passions with complete strangers with similar interests. We want more than just our music to spread, we want a love of reading to spread to those around us and those listening to this music.

This is what makes Wizard Rock stand out: We aren't in the general mainstream, we don't have competition among bands, our musicians have a very DIY and independent attitude toward their music, and the Community at large has a major focus on spreading literacy and supporting non-profit organizations.

All I can say to this is: Awesome!

Where Can I Learn More About Wizard Rock?

The very best way to learn more about Wizard Rock is to explore it for yourself. My favorite way to do this is to find the myspace page of any Wrock band and to start looking at their friends list. There, you'll see a ton of other Wizard Rock bands. Just keep clicking around and listening to more music! You never know what you'll come across!

If you don't have the time to spend clicking around, feel free to peruse the Wizrocklopedia for a list of as many Wrock bands as have been located so far and news updates on what is going on in Wizard Rock. Alternatively, you can check out Real Wizard Rock for a seriously awesome selection of Wizard Rock lyrics from many of the genre's biggest (and some lesser known) bands.

And if all of this sounds like too much work, just sign up for the EP of the Month Club for a mere $60 (the entire profits of which go to benefit a non-profit organization). You will receive a total of 12 EPs over the course of the year, sent out quarterly. That's only $5 per disc! And you'll get a seriously rad selection of Wizard Rock to listen to!

Random Thoughts

I stole this from a friend over Facebook. But it made me happy, so I thought I'd spread the joy. :D I went through and bolded my favourites.

Random thoughts from 25-35 year olds as seen on facebook, but very funny.

• Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
• I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?
• When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn’t already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.
• I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
• Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...
• As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.
• Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
• It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
• I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
• Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.
• Even under ideal conditions, people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey, but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...
• My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?
• It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.
• I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.
• I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
• I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lights than Kay.
• The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.
• Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you’re going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you’re crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.
• That's enough, Nickelback.
• I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
• Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know” feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?
• Kids today are soft.
• There is a great need for sarcasm font.
• I think everyone has a movie that they love so much it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone’s laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.
• I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
• I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
• A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.
• I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
• Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart”, all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".
• How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?
• Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in’ examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"
• What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
• While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.
• MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
• Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
• I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
• Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
• I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu’ to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."
• I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
• Bad decisions make good stories
• Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!
• Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?
• If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
• Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't bea problem...
• You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
• Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don’t want to have to restart my collection.
• There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
• I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
• "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.
• I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren’t watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'
• I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
• I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

Never Happier to be Clean

This has been an extremely long week. Worked 50 hours in the office, but am still behind on my project to the point where my boss is unhappy, had to change my sleep schedule to start getting to work around 4-4:30 am, had to tech the show, which would keep me awake far longer than I wanted to be up when I had to go to work so early, and to top it off, I couldn't make it to HC84 because it was far away and I had to run the show.

So last night's party was a very welcome thing. However, it wasn't just any old party. It was a Food Fight party. Everyone brought a token messy/sticky/squishy food item for the fight and we stashed them on tables in the backyard. At 11:30, all of us in our food fight clothes, rearing and ready (and drunk) for the food fight gathered in the center of the grass. On the count of three, we all made mad dashes for the various containers of food around us. It was a mad five minutes of throwing glop around, grabbing mashed potatoes and smashing it into peoples' hair, smearing spaghetti and red sauce across someone's shirt, picking up chunks that were on the ground and throwing them back into the chaos.

Holy freaking crap, it was a lot of fun.

To wash off, a bunch of us jumped into the pool and continued having a blast. There were also a couple people hosing everyone else off. Despite all the hosing, dousing, swimming, etc.... when I woke up this morning, I had dried mashed potatoes and other unknown food remains in my hair. Best. Shower. Ever.

Will definitely grab and post pictures from last night as soon as people get them up on Facebook.

I think last night was the most fun I've had in a very long time with the possible exception of a certain roof excursion at Azkatraz. But it's definitely a close call.

I can't wait for Wrockstock to blow this out of the water. Because I'll be damned if it doesn't!

The Daily Wrocket

As the Daily Wrocket official website is still in progress (and thereby closed to the public), I have decided to post at the least a very small preview from what is ready so far: a portion of my answer to the question, "What is the Daily Wrocket?"

So sit back, relax, and read a little about the Daily Wrocket to give you an idea of what it's all about!

What is the Daily Wrocket?
Have you ever considered how music plays into our lives and the effect it has on masses of listeners? I hope to use this project as a way of learning about and sharing the effect that Wizard Rock in particular has on the individuals who listen to it every day by observing the bands instead of the listeners.

I will be taking a different Wizard Rock band each day for 365 days and focusing my thoughts and discussion of Wizard Rock through them. The ultimate goal of the Daily Wrocket is to take an alternative approach to listening to music and sharing it with others. This is not a project where I plan on listing a band each day with their rap sheet of albums and music to date. No - I want to react to the music, to the band, and to the impact each band has had on the Wizard Rock Community, the Harry Potter Fandom, and on my own personal life.

I hope for this to be a very personal approach to music, Wizard Rock, and the challenges that arise in a small, close-knit community and how we rise above them to grow closer and stronger than ever before.

If you're a Wizard Rocker and would like to have a write-up about your band on the Wrocket, please email me at: dinah@dailywrocket.com I will send you interview questions to answer so I can make your write-up as awesome as possible!