Happy Birthday / Monopoly / Broomsticks / Travel / Belt Buckles

[Rita Winston]

1. Happy Birthday to Sylvia Wood Elf, 

whose name resembles that of the La Brea Tar [Pits] in being the same in
two different languages,

but is beaten out by Torpenhow Hill, the same meaning repeated in
Pictish, Welsh, Saxon, English. 

And loud Cheers of Congratulations to everyone whose happy days I
missed,

and loud Cries of Condolences to everyone whose sad days I copped out
on.

2. I was never familiar enough with regular Monopoly to be able to join
in designing a customized version, but I remember clearly that the
traditional marker pieces had been lost from my childhood set, and we
always improvised our markers. I recall a penny and a chess pawn...

3. Christian wrote:
> Then one could have the Cleansweep Broom Company, the Comet Trading
> Company, Ellerby and Spudmore, and Nimbus Racing Broom Company (all
> taken from QTTA - these four are in fact all the discredited 
> companies still in business according to that volume (Firebolts 
> probably being manufactured not by a company but by an artisan)). 

None of those are discredited! Discredited is the Universal Broom
Company, which made  "Ron's old Shooting Star [which] was easily
outstripped by passing butterflies." (CoS) "Universal Brooms went out of
business in 1978." I wonder about Ron's Shooting Star: did his parents
buy it for him (or he bought himself with saved-up allowance) really
really cheap after it had already deteriorated to its present state? Or
had some Weasley bought it new back in 1955 or thereabouts, before its
defects were known? 

Discredited is Flyte and Barker, who make the Twigger which "has gained
the unlucky reputation of being flown by wizards with more Galleons than
sense."

And I ALWAYS wonder why a Black Forest company has such an English name
as Ellerby and Spudmore, whose "Tinderblast is a highly resilient broom,
although it has never achieved the top speeds of the Comets and
Cleansweeps" and whose Swiftstick "[i]s faster than the Tinderblast",
but "has a tendency to lose power in ascent and has never been used by
professional Quidditch teams." IIRC Swiftstick is the name of some
Muggle American electric razor.

4. Michelle Firegirl wrote:

> who is (with any sort of good luck) going back to NZ for the first 
> time in almost 16 years in March! YAH!! (I just hope I recognize 
> some of my family members :) )

You will be shocked by how old some of them unexpectedly look. <> As I
have seen the LOTR movie, I am sure you will look at the *scenery* as
well as the people.

Tabouli wrote:

> I have now officially confirmed that yes, against all of my better
> financial judgment, I *will* be going to the St Louis conference in
> late June! 

Hooray! If you come to Los Angeles & aren't allergic to cats & dirt, you
can crash here (one-half mile (i.e. 5 blocks) from famous Venice Beach).

5. Tabouli wrote:

> I've long craved a natty silver Celtic belt buckle, possibly set 
> with some tasteful stones.

I'm under the impression that those are widely available here, at least
at Renaissance Faires and craft faires. My belt buckle is mass-produced
brass with Celtic knot design but no stones.

There was going to be more but my PC partly hung up and I want to post
while I can, if I can.
-- 
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Questions for JKR:
1) In the Potterverse, what is a 'warlock'? (warrior-wizard? MP-wizard?)
1.5) Are International Federation of Wizards, International
Confederation of Wizards, and Internation Confederation of Warlocks all
the same thing?
2) Why aren't Thunderbirds (aka Quetzalcoatls) in FANTASTIC BEASTS?
3) Are Boggarts (not in FB) Beings or Spirits?
4) Is the Ministry of Magic part of the Muggle government?
5) Does Molly Weasley have red hair like her husband and children?
6) About werewolves in the Potterverse: are they contagious when in
human form, or only in wolf form? Is silver harmful to them? Are they
transformed only at night or also in the daytime? For only one night, or
two or three in a row?
7) Is Professor Sinistra a witch or a wizard?
8) Why do they have to study so much Astronomy? Does the class include
Astrology? Do they have to know the locations of the planets because
they're going to travel there?
9) What is Arithmancy? 
10) Is Hermione 10.4 months older or 1.6 months younger than Harry?
11) Is Fleur a Seeker on a Beauxbatons Quidditch team? For that matter,
is Beauxbatons's Quidditch intramural like Hogwarts's or extramural?
12) Does the Fidelius Charm remove the information from people who used
to know it before the Charm was cast? Does it conceal the information
from all people or only the ones specified when the Charm was cast? 
13) Do the wizarding folk have recorded music? Does anyone listen to
Wizarding Wireless at Hogwarts? 
14) How old is Lucius Malfoy (born 1950?) How old are Arthur and Molloy
Weasley (same age as Hagrid?) At what age do witches hit the change of
life?
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