INTRO PROFILE

[Jim Flanagan]

THE OLD CROWD – INTRO

***Name:
Jim Flanagan

***Nicknames/IDs:
jamesf991

***Age:
53

***Family:
My wife, Beth, works way too much overtime, but she's trying to retire
in less than 2 years. We have a passle of grandkids (Beth's actually) 
in a little town about 45 minutes south. My mom, 78, lives in Dallas 
Texas.  

Our 14 yo poodle, Billy, may be on his way out because of a pinched 
nerve in his spine.  I'm sitting at home with him as I write this.  :(

***Home
Cary, North Carolina (near Raleigh)

***Birthday, Place of Birth:
6/12/50; Austin, TX

***Education/Job/Role in Life etc:
PhD in electroanalytical chemistry; currently working in environmental
quality assurance as an EPA contractor.

***Other things we might want to know about you:
Unitarian-Universalist since age 15.

Went to same high school as Penny Linsenmeyer (Permian HS in Odessa 
TX).  MOJO!

Myers-Briggs - INTP, but sometimes ENTP, except when I'm being an 
INFP or an ENFP. Beth is a strong INTJ, which can lead to interesting 
fireworks when her J and my P have a disagreement...

***First contact with Harry Potter:
My wife read the books first, but I wasn't interested in reading
any "children's books" (especially because I was dealing with
an addiction to Buffy the Vampire Slayer at the time).  Then I had 
to install a ceramic tile floor in our sun room, and she brought POA 
on tapes (Jim Dale) for me to listen to while I was working.

***Favourite Potter things (books, characters, ships, fics, objets 
d'Art, general enthusing):

ART -- Don't care much for objects d'Art sold in stores.  I enjoy
seeing the cover art from different countries and editions.  
Some of the HP fanart posted on the Web is quite good.

BOOK-- Virtual tie between PoA and GoF.  PoA seems more nuanced and 
complex, but GoF has Voldemort in all his glory!

CHARACTERS-- I'm in love with Hermione.  I also think that Draco has
potential, but I don't see any indication that JKR is going to do 
much with his character. One of the reasons that I read fanfic is to 
see other character possibilities that JKR doesn't have time to 
explore.

SHIPS-- Hermione/Harry.  I know that it wouldn't work out because of
Harry's destiny, etc., etc., but I can't help feeling that Hermione is
wasted on Ron, which is where JKR seems to be going...

FICS-- One of my favorites is "His Majesty's Secret Service" by 
Gwendolyn Grace:

www.schnoogle.com
/authorLinks/Gwendolyn_Grace/His_Majestys_Secret_Service/

I was a beta reader for Yael's "Krum do I Love", which has some 
very inventive ideas:

http://www.schnoogle.com/authorLinks/Yael/Krum_Do_I_Love/

The only fanfic that I've ever written and posted was Buffy the 
Vampire Slayer, "The Carnival":

http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=30479

MERCHANDISE-- Yech. See above under "objects d'art."

GENERAL ENTHUSING-- Taking the grandkids to the bookstore for the OOP 
party.  Live Owls!!!

***Extent of Potter obsession:
Let's see -- I've read all the books numerous times in both English 
and French, and have listened to the tapes over and over (English 
only). 

I was a moderator for HPfGU for a while, but couldn't develop much 
enthuasiasm for "elfing" the new people, and fell by the wayside.  
I'm still the owner/moderator of HPfGU-graphics.

***Other interests/activities:
JRR Tolkein - I did a recent two-part presentation on the Cosmology 
of JRR Tolkein for our UU Sunday Morning discussion group.  

I sing in the church choir (bass baritone), and dabble in computer 
music.

***Current/recent reading:
"Our Human Future" by Francis Fukuyama
*everything* by JRR Tolkein

***Current/recent listening: 
Chanticleer

***Current/recent viewing:
Six Feet Under; Dr. Who reruns; Incubus (1965, in Esperanto)