More Ruminations

It was just in the last couple days I learned that Ernest Hemingway, before his suicide was treated for depression with Electro-convulsive Shock Treatments. In my second year in university my Abnormal Psych Professor devoted an inordinate amount of class time to vilifying the practise. Having had first hand experience with an individual who underwent this 'therapy' I can sympathize with her sentiments. ECT is still used to this day, one would hope as a treatment of last resort, because it works; though rendering a writer incapable of reading seems to be a bitter price to pay for relief from black thoughts. But then other former treatments for madness included lobotomies, cold showers, and dark rooms.

With Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix releasing in theatres next weekend the Harry Potter craze is reaching full frenzy. Sales at Amazon Canada are approaching 2,000,000 copies and everyone is holding their breath for the postman's knock so they can start turning pages to see whether or not Harry dies in this one. This postman is neither working that day nor waiting for that knock, in fact I'll probably wait til the book comes out in paperback as I have with the previous 6. With the odds on Harry's death having reached 9 to 2 bookies are no longer writing book on it; though it is interesting to note that not even Harry's on screen namesake knows for sure. It is fascinating to note even in this modern world of ours it is still possible to keep such a thing secret--a technique Canada's Finance Ministers don't seem to have mastered. Amazon having guaranteed that those books will arrive on the 21st of July or they're free I do not want to be on the other end of the phone at Canada Post come Monday Morning. Customers in Great Britain may have problems as there is a Postal Strike ongoing in Her Majesty's Kingdom. Only in Canada, eh; what a bloomin' pity--no longer the case.

Just now I finally finished The Eagle by Jack Whyte being the final saga in his series on Arthurian Legend. After poking away at this book for five months it feels somewhat like I've lost a friend. Outside despite it being mid-morning the sky darkens portending heavy weather.