From Cork to Toronto

Saw "Order of the Phoenix" yesterday - not the best of the five but that's probably due to Imelda Staunton's nails-on-chalkboard portrayal of Dolores Umbridge (i.e. spot on) and the limited amount of time for Maggie Smith's Professor McGonagle. I confess to being disappointed with the scenes in the Ministry, which seemed to be more about effects than plot much of the time, but it could be I need to re-read "Order" again - and a quick scan of "Half Blood Prince" before "Deathly Hallows" arrives early (one hopes) next week. I could have gotten the express shipping but I wouldn't have been able to read it this weekend, and going with the el-cheapo Amazon shipping meant I had an excuse to buy " Children of Hurin " too - for a mere $8.97 hardback!

Last night Nicole and I took in The Departed at the Fox Cinema on Queen Street East. We both agreed that Leonardo diCaprio did an excellent job even though he's not an actor either of us usually like. Jack Nicholson and Martin Sheen were their usual immense selves and Mark Wahlberg was incredibly (and amusingly) rude. I did feel Alec Baldwin's character was too much like an extension of a 30Rock/SNL sketch. Personally I would have liked to watch it in a small theatre a couple of rows behind Matt Damon with Ben Affleck making fun of Damon's character through the movie. This morning I read that the same neighbourhood , which had to have a plebiscite to figure out what to officially call itself , was going to have an Out of the Cold shelter set up in a local church until a group of concerned residents hired a lawyer , who tells us "The program itself is very praiseworthy, although it might be questioned on the level of whether or not this is the best way to use ....