Harry Potter Prognostications Podcast » Podcasts

Only A Few Spaces Left At Infinitus!

Greg — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:56:18 +0000

We just got the following information:

UPDATE: Night of a Thousand Wizards schedule & ticket sales
Universal has released about 200 additional tickets to Night of a Thousand Wizards, so we have about 400 left for sale. We are closing ticket sales on June 23, unless we sell out before then, and no tickets to NoaTW will be sold on-site, so purchase your tickets now at http://tinyurl.com/InfinitusReg
Learn more about Night of a Thousand Wizards at http://www.infinitus2010.org/ticketinfo.html

Speaking of Sell-Outs…
We have only a few Full registrations still available, as well about 100 Merlin’s Circle registrations and under 20 add-on tickets to the Welcome and Leaving Feasts, so if you want to attend the Infinitus Feasts, we highly recommend registering (or upgrading) as soon as possible. No Full or Merlin’s Circle registrations or Feast tickets will be sold on-site.

Hotel Room Update
Our room block at the Royal Pacific is already sold out, but rooms are still available at the Portofino Bay Resort ($210+tax/night) and Hard Rock Hotel ($255+tax/night); suites are available at a 25% discount over the standard rate. The hotels will be running shuttle buses between the Royal Pacific and each of the other hotels all day, and until 2:00 on Sunday morning, after the Night of Frivolity Ball, so you can enjoy yourself without wondering how you’re going to get back to your hotel room afterwards. Also, if you park a car at either the Portofino Bay or Hard Rock, you’ll be able to self-park for free at the Royal Pacific from Wednesday through Sunday when you’re Infinitusing.

And don’t forget, with paid theme park admission, on-site hotel guests get Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one hour before the park opens.
Our room block will only be held until June 16, so make your reservations now, as the rates will go up on June 17. You can reach group reservations by calling

Episode #104: Hear All About Infinitus 2010

Greg — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:36:41 +0000

HEY PEOPLE! We’re back for another great episode of Harry Potter Prognostications! In this weeks episode, we interviewed Aziza and Jenn from HPEF about the upcoming event, Infinitus 2010. Believe us when we say that you will WANT to listen to this interview. And believe us when we say that after you listen to the interview you will WANT to attend Infinitus which is taking place in Orlando Florida during July 2010!

Also, check out HPEF’s latest episode of their podcast HPEF Presents!

We also talk a bit about some of the stuff we’ve been reading lately. What are you reading? Let us know!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #103: A Little More Half Blood Prince

Greg — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 01:54:14 +0000

So as it turns out we weren’t really finished discussing the Half Blood Prince movie. In this week’s episode we discussed how the movie fits in with the overall theme of …..say it……Ambiguity about good and evil within Harry Potter and specifically within HBP itself. We hope you enjoy the episode and we can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it!

Also, registration is officially open for Infinitus 2010!! You can get your early bird registration rate now so make sure to head on over to infinitus2010.org and make sure to write “hpprogs” in the referral box!

Also, make sure to keep an ear out for Travis Prinzi’s latest pubcast where he interviews US! Also, listen for Travis’ new spot on PotterCast as a PotterCast Pundit!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an MP3

Episode 102: Half Blood Prince Review

Greg — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:20:50 +0000

Hey Everyone! Welcome to another edition of HPProgs.

In this week’s episode we reviewed Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince….sure took long enough for this movie to come out! We were joined by our friend and special guest Greg in Toronto who had some great insights into the movie. We talked about our overall impressions, the acting, the theme of the movie, the rating and many other very interesting subjects!

We also gushed about Azkatraz 2009, the Harry Potter conference we attended last week in San Francisco, CA. If you like what you heard and are interested in Infinitus 2010, check out the Infinitus website and get on their mailing list ASAP!

We also briefly discussed the move of the Harry Potter Exhibition to Boston, come October 25, 2009. The exhibition will be held at the Museum of Science in Boston.

Listen to Greg’s guest spot on the live Hogs Head PubCast from Azkatraz. They talked about Harry Potter as Legitimate Lit.

Also, check out the newest article about our Hitler Video that Greg was quoted in.

Make sure to let us know what you thought of the Half Blood Prince!

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode 101: The Lexicon and Steve Vander Ark

Greg — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:18:52 +0000

Hey everyone! Welcome back for episode 101. Steve Vander Ark joined us this week to talk about his book, The Lexicon: An Unauthorized Guide to Harry Potter Fiction and Related Materials. We enjoyed discussing the book and the process behind publishing it as well as some of the many different entries and ideas in the book. Steve even graced us with a reading of two of his favorite entries. You will enjoy hearing Steve talk about Harry Potter in general as well in this episode.

We look forward to hearing your comments and thoughts. Enjoy!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3

Episode #100: A Stroll Down Memory Lane

Greg — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:41:32 +0000

CELEBRATION TIME!!! We made it to 100 episodes (even more if you count all of our mini and .5 episodes)! Needless to say we are so happy to have reached this point and we have to thank all of you for being such a big part of us getting here. We honestly wouldn’t have reached 100 episodes if it weren’t for all the comments, emails, facebook friends, friendly little nudges to keep going…you name it.

So we dedicate this episode to you, our listeners. Thanks for being the best!

In this week’s episode we decided to take a stroll down memory lane and visit the prognostications of the past. You will be surprised at how many predictions we made that were spot on. You will be even more surprised at the few which were way off.

We hope you enjoy this episode, we had a great time making it!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3

Episode #99.5: A Child and Harry Potter

Greg — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:13:42 +0000

Sorry, Episode 100 has not arrived yet. That episode is going to be pretty epic and we didn’t want to release it without giving it the preparation it deserves.

This is a VERY SPECIAL episode of HPProgs though. Join me (Penny) and my son, Ezra, as we bond over Harry Potter. It is definitely different than every other episode of HPProgs to date, yet no less special, in my humble opinion.

We can’t wait to hear your thoughts and Ezra is ready to correspond with you all

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3

Episode #99: Literary Criticism and Harry Potter

Greg — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:22:05 +0000

Hey everyone! In this week’s episode, we had on two LOVELY guests who we met at Portus: Nikki and Darcy. They are a lot smarter than we are and actually have an educational background in Literature, so we picked their brains a little on the different aspects of literary criticism and how they relate to Harry Potter. Better get your thinking caps on because this is an episode for intelligent folks (like yourselves) and we think you’ll enjoy it!

We also briefly (notice how the word is both bold and italicized) spoke about the new Harry Potter Exhibition….well mostly about our failure to take anyone up on the offer of preview tickets. And we asked for some advice and help in planning a special party!

So please enjoy this episode and as usual we look forward to hearing your comments, thoughts, and suggestions!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3

Episode #98 The Final Final Half Blood Prince Trailer

Greg — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:32:52 +0000

What? No way! An actual podcast? Yep! We know you have been missing your HPProgs and we missed you all too! We took a little time to record our thoughts on the LAST Half Blood Prince Trailer.

The episode is short and sweet, but full of content and info.

We can’t wait to hear what you think of the trailer, so please make sure to leave your comments below!

ou can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3

Episode #97: Dumbledore’s Self Esteem Issues

Greg — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:22:04 +0000

Welcome back. We actually recorded an HP Progs podcast!!! In this week’s episode, we talked about Dumbledore’s self loathing behaviors. Specifically those that were evidenced at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as well as in Dumbledore’s commentary at the end of Beedle the Bard. We talked about the anguish that Dumbledore must had to make him feel so horribly about himself and we also talked about how this related to his relationship with Harry. We hope you enjoy this topic and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it.

In other news, please remember to enter “The Next Biggest Podcast Idol Survivor” contest for Azkatraz 2009. It is going to be great!

Also, please check out our listener and friend, Michal’s youtube channel. She did a phenomenal job narrating “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” in a fantastaic British accent. We now know that we should have hired her to play JK Rowling in our re-enactment of the JKR/SVA trial.

As we mentioned, you can now check out the Smart Mouth’s Podcast, which is our new podcast endeavor with some of the Mugglecast Crew. This is a general news/entertainment/politics podcast and we hope you will enjoy it!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

As always, we look forward to hearing your comments, thoughts, and suggestions about this latest episode of HPProgs.

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #96: Harry Potter Books vs. Movies

Greg — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:12:17 +0000

We’ve started to have this conversation many times over the span of HPProgs. Do the Harry Potter books get ruined or spoiled because of the movies? Does it hurt our reading imagination to be able to visualize the books based on the film makers’ choices? Are there any characters who were either ruined for us or made popular BECAUSE of the movies (Snape, anyone?). Can someone be considered a true Potter fan if they have only seen the movies? Join us as we answer and discuss these questions and more in Episode #96 of HPProgs!!

Also, check out the links we mentioned on this week’s episode:

Candy Bar Lab : A blog exclusively about candy bars. They track down candy bars from around the world and write thoughtful, in-depth reviews with pictures.
collativelearning.com: An incredible film review website. Make sure to check it out, it is brilliant!!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope 2009 brings you a lot of happiness and prognostications!!!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3

Episode #95: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Greg — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:56:54 +0000

If you thought there were no more Harry Potter books…THINK AGAIN! We got our hands on The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and made our way through it just about as quickly as possible. The first thing we did, of course, was sit down and put a podcast together. There’s really not much else to say, just download and listen already (but watch out: this podcast is full of spoilers)!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Get a Discount For Azkatraz 2009!

Greg — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:10:40 +0000

HPEF is celebrating Black Friday and CyberMonday for the first time!

You can save ten dollars on your new AZKATRAZ registration (full registration, MPA or Merlin’s Circle only), *or* on an upgrade from any lower-level registration (single-day or full registration) to a higher-level registration. This discount will last from a minute after midnight on Friday, November 28, 2008 (Eastern Standard Time) until 11:59 PM on Monday, December 1, 2008 (Eastern Standard Time).

To qualify for the savings, register or modify your registration this weekend and use the coupon code CYBRWKND when you check out. This offer can only be used for registrations paid by a credit card or PayPal. Payment must be recieved by 11:59 PM on Monday, December 1, 2008 (Eastern Standard Time).

Purchase a new registration for yourself or a friend, add the Masters of Potter Administration (MPA) session, or upgrade to a Merlin’s Circle registration and save.

Also, anyone who registers during the CYBRWKND sale period will receive a shiny AZKATRAZ keychain, which can also be used as an inventive Christmas tree ornament.

Click here to register, and happy shopping!

Make sure to write “hpprogs” in the referral area of the registration!

Help Out the HPEF This Holiday Season

Greg — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:55:07 +0000

The folks over at the HPEF and Azkatraz 2009 have a unique opportunity for us to help support HPEF events:

From December 4th through 10th, 2008, Barnes & Noble will host a Bookfair benefiting HP Education Fanon. Every purchase made during those days and attributed as an HPEF purchase will have a portion of the sale donated back to HPEF. You may purchase anything in the store or anything available through the store to have shipped to your home* using the Bookfair voucher or number. And don’t forget that the Bookfair starts on the release day for The Tales of Beedle the Bard! Every Beedle purchase helps the Children’s High Level Group in addition to supporting our Bookfair.

Do you have books, CDs, or DVDs you want to buy this holiday season, whether for yourself or as a gift? Save your purchase for the December 4th through 10th! When you make a purchase at a participating Barnes & Noble during those days and use the Bookfair voucher or the HPEF Bookfair number 352096, a portion of your sale will go back to HPEF to help us continue our literacy endeavors.

Here’s how you can help…
Go to any Barnes & Noble and shop for any product you wish to buy, including The Tales of Beedle the Bard and other books, CDs, DVDs, gift product, magazines, and café items-or make a purchase for the store’s Holiday Book Drive.* When you go to the cash registers, give the cashier your HPEF voucher or the HPEF Bookfair number 352096, and make your purchase. You must have the voucher or HPEF Bookfair number 352096 to have your purchase count towards the HPEF Bookfair. Feel free to use your Barnes & Noble Membership card or Educator Discount card to save on your purchase. Don’t forget to use the voucher/ Bookfair number at the Barnes & Noble Café, too! Every purchase counts!

More information can be found at the Azkatraz Website.

Episode #93: Female Role Models in Harry Potter

Greg — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:46:38 +0000

In this week’s episode we discussed the idea of female role models in the Harry Potter series. It is somewhat ironic that JK Rowling, a female author, chose to create a wonderful male role model as her main character. Many people have complained that there is a serious lack of quality feminist role models in the Harry Potter Series. Whether you agree or disagree with that, it is an interesting discussion to have. One critic of the feminine characters in Harry Potter is Elizabeth Heilman who wrote the essay titled, “Blue Wizards and Pink Witches: Representations of Gender Identity and Power.” She presented this essay at the HPEF conference, Nimbus 2003. Obviously, the series wasn’t complete when she offered her thoughts, but excerpts from the essay are a great springboard for an interesting discussion on the female characters of Harry Potter.

As always we look forward to hearing from you. You can leave comments here on the blog or send in your voicemails to 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly.

Remember, you can now pre-order Travis Prinzi’s Book: ““Harry Potter and Imagination”. Also, make sure you register for Azkatraz 2009 (remember to write hpprogs in the referral area!)- we can’t wait to see you there!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

The HogsHead is a Happening Place!

Greg — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:14:48 +0000

Our good friend Travis, over at The Hog’s Head announced that his book, “Harry Potter and Imagination” is now available for pre-order!Please help support one of the great Potter intellectual minds by ordering what is bound to be a great book!

Also, Dave from the Hog’s Head asked me to post the following information about a Harry Potter survey:

A classmate of mine at Old Dominion University forwarded me a survey link to gather data about what drives Harry Potter fans to love the books, and to take part in communities like ours here at The Hog’s Head. The project is a pilot study for a course in research methods for PhD students — which might lead to a publication, if she so pursues it.

You can find the survey by clicking on this link!

She’s asking that we help her out by sparing a few minutes to take the survey. As if we only spare a few minutes talking about all things Harry!

Obviously your participation is voluntary, and all information is collected under the strictest rules of confidentiality. I know — we had to gain approval for our research proposals through the same review board!

Episode #92: New Half Blood Prince Trailer

Greg — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:07:08 +0000

It was a shock to everyone when the newest international Teaser Trailer for Half Blood Prince leaked online this morning. Now that we have gotten over the initial shock of the unexpected gift, we have had sometime to look at and analyze the trailer. In this week’s episode Greg and I discussed our initial thoughts and impressions about this newest trailer. We don’t see eye to eye on everything- especially Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. However, there is a lot that we do agree on about this trailer. We look forward to hearing your impressions of both the trailer and our analysis of it.

As we discussed on the show, please check out our friend Amber’s Young Adult Literature Podcast at: http://yalitreview.libsyn.com/ also make sure to check out our favorite web show: Jake and Amir.

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

You can listen to the episode using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

HPProgs Episode #91: Wizard Rock and YouTube Contest Winner

Greg — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:35:08 +0000

Hey everybody! We’re back for another exciting episode of HPProgs!

We don’t have much to talk about this week. It’s October which means we have to announce the winner of our September Beedle the Bard YouTube contest. And we do, in the podcast. So take a listen! Also, we were at the New York City Wizard Rock Festival (which, after typing that out, I now know why everyone referred to as NYCWRF). It was awesome, we got to hear lots of amazing bands, and meet lots of amazing people. If you were there, let us know what you thought of it!

And that’s about it! Stay tuned we’ve got some good stuff coming in the next few weeks. And make sure to check out HPProgs on YouTube, and enter the Beedle the Bard YouTube contest, if you haven’t alraedy (or even if you have, enter again!). You could win a copy of the deluxe edition of the new Beedle the Bard book coming out in December.

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #90: Interview with Steve Vander Ark of the Harry Potter Lexicon

Greg — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 03:47:16 +0000

If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter books and J.K. Rowling, and were alive during the month of April of 2008, you probably heard about a little law suit over a book called “The Harry Potter Lexicon.” The author of that book, Steve Vander Ark, is also the creator and editor of the Harry Potter Lexicon website. We got a chance to talk with Steve about the lawsuit, the fan reactions, his new book and, of course, we talked a bit about Harry Potter (you know, the books about this boy wizard…oh never mind). It’s a fascinating interview, hope you enjoy it. We here at HPProgs believe in hearing all points of view, and hope that you will feel free to voice your opinions in the comments, while remaining respectful and rational in the process.

A big thanks to Steve for taking the time to talk with us.

Check out Steve’s new book entitled In Search of Harry Potter.

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

Don’t forget to get your entries in for the Harry Potter/Beedle the Bard/YouTube Contest! You can win a free copy of the Deluxe edition of the new Beedle the Bard book (that’s the $100 fancy version).

You can listen to the episode with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Do You Want To Win The 10th Anniversary Edition of Sorcerer’s Stone?

Greg — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:06:47 +0000

If you do, make sure to check out Travis’ latest post on The Hogs Head. He put up a new caption contest and the winner will receive a copy of the 10th Anniversary Edition of the Sorcerer’s Stone. Great prize if you ask me!

The fun part is that the photo that Travis is asking to caption is a picture of the two of us at Portus 2008. Now is your chance to make fun of me AND win a great prize all at the same time.

Good luck!

Have We Lost the Harry Potter Lexicon Forever?

Greg — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:32:08 +0000

The Harry Potter Lexicon appears to have been taken down. Over the past few weeks when one visited the site, there was a 443 error. However; today, when I tried to access the page I was taken to a Go Daddy website with the message “This website is parked for free courtesy of GoDaddy.com”. So what does this mean? Time and time again, when we discussed the JKR/SVA trial, Greg expressed his confusion about why the website’s copyright status wasn’t called into question. Is it possible that part of the recent trial verdict required the site to be removed? Or perhaps, the amount of traffic the site was receiving was simply too much for the bandwidth SVA had planned for his site (note: I know NOTHING about bandwidth or anything like that now so stop laughing and I’ll just shut up now)? Interestingly enough, when checking out the ownership of the site, we found out that Melissa Anelli owns the domain. Take from that what you will.

In any event, the Harry Potter Lexicon has disapparated from the internet and I’m sad. If it truly is gone, not only does it nullify years and years of hard work on Steve Vander Ark’s part (not to mention his staff and contributors); but the resource that *was* the HP Lexicon is no longer available to the HP fans. As someone who has analyzed these books and has held hours and hours of discussion related to Harry Potter (89 of those recorded for all of you to hear ) I have used the Lexicon as a resource countless times.

It does seem that Steve is moving on though. Well sort of. He isn’t leaving the Harry Potter world but he is focusing on different ventures.

The Grand Rapids Press reports the following:

“I’ve always been a fan of Harry Potter and of Rowling and my hope all along was that we’d find an amicable way to settle this,” Vander Ark said from England this on Tuesday morning. “I’m disappointed, but this is the way it went and I don’t hold any ill will at all.

“It was a question of law over a difference of opinion and, in a way, I’m glad that it’s finally over.”

While the dispute simmered in court for nearly a year, Vander Ark has been focusing on publishing a different Potter-themed book.

This one, a travel memoir, has Vander Ark visiting sites referenced in the series, exploring and taking pictures of them. The 256-page book is set for release in October through Methuen Publishing, Vander Ark said.

“(The) book evokes the myths and magic of Harry Potter,” according to a release on the Methuen Web site. “It will be enjoyed by all fans of the boy wizard and will prove a useful guide for those bent on making discoveries of their own.”

Having heard Steve lecture on this topic, I don’t doubt that this will be a fantastic and entertaining book and I wish him the best of luck.

UPDATE: Steve read my note on facebook and here is what he wrote: “It’s not down. We’re in the process of transferring the domain and so that URL offline for a short time, but the site up as usual at www.hp-lexicon.info.”
PHEW:)

Episode #89: Rowling Defeats Vander Ark

Greg — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:33:07 +0000

It has been almost 6 months coming, but Judge Robert Patterson finally handed down the verdict in the JK Rowling/WB vs. Steve Vander Ark/RDR lawsuit. And the winner is…..JK Rowling. In this week’s episode, we discussed the decision, the reactions of both sides, what this means for the Harry Potter fandom as well as the future of copyright law.

We also officially announced the rules for our Beedle the Bard YouTube Contest. Please make sure to enter, we want to be able to give out the books to some worthy winners!

Finally, take a look at the Wall Street Journal Article (page 1, baby!) that mentions our Hitler Half Blood Prince Delay video. The article only portrays us as only *slightly* crazy…:)

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

As always, we look forward to hearing your comments, thoughts, and suggestions!!

You can listen to the episode using the player below, or download directly as an mp3.

“Beedle The Bard” You Tube Contest

Greg — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:45:25 +0000

HP Even Inspires Ralph Lauren

Greg — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:05:21 +0000

Rugby Ralph Lauren has just released their Fall 2008 collection and the new clothes seem to have been inspired by the Hogwarts houses.

Jennifer, the Harry Potter Fandom Fashionista, writes the following:

“It seems Hogwarts-Chic, or the donning of Brit-style prep school uniforms (usually signifying the Hogwarts House one belongs to), has finally inspired the mainstream.

Complete with House-style scarves, House-style socks, a mixed variety of ties, Oxford shirts, and pleated skirts, it looks as though the RL designers have stolen a few of WB’s costumers right off the set.

Well, now more than ever the youth of America are affecting the changes in trends & fashion, especially by what we watch and read (like Harry Potter!). Also, doesn’t one of these looks resemble a sweater you’ve already seen on Emma Watson? (And yes, I know FairIsle is popular worldwide!)”

Take a look at some of the styles. What do you think?

Episode #88: Delayed!?! And, The Eyes Have It

Greg — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:37:52 +0000

So, it’s been a week or so since the last episode of HPProgs; while you were waiting for the next show, and even larger wait was sprung upon you: Half Blood Prince, The Movie, was delayed from 2008 to 2000-and-freakin-9. Penny’s been covering developments on the HPProgs blog, and even managed to unearth one of the most ferverent reactions to the delay.

In this episode, we discuss the delay, assorted other goings-on, along with a tangential discussion on the recurring occurrences of eyes in Deathly Hallows (first spotted by John Granger – sorry I can’t find the exact link), and what this might (or mightn’t) mean.

Stay tuned for details on our Beedle the Bard contest, we will be putting out rules in the coming days.

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

The Most Famous Reaction To the Half Blood Prince Delay

Greg — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:22:47 +0000

Digg This!
Many of you have asked us our opinions on the Half Blood Prince delay. We haven’t been able to emotionally pull ourselves together enough to address this issue but we have been scouring the net for some more famous reactions to the news. We were fortunate enough to find this footage in the archives of the German Museum. We think it sums up how many fans feel pretty well:

Please feel free to share and favorite this video.

*The above video was created by us. It should not be misconstrued as mocking the horrific tragedies that befell millions under Hitler’s regime.

Episode #87: Our Worst Episode Ever: Plus: Twilight vs. Harry Potter

Greg — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:42:58 +0000

We always get comments about how when they listen to our podcast, people feel like they’re getting a glimpse into our lives. They usually follow up with a statement about how they love the rapport the two of us have. Well, for those of you who like HPProgs for the intimate way we welcome you into our lives then this is the episode for you. After we discussed the new Twilight Book, “Breaking Dawn,” Greg and I proceeded to have a general potpourri episode with some content and a lot of personality (pseudonym for annoyance at each other). We also discussed an exciting new contest that is in the works!

NOTE: There are “Breaking Dawn” Spoilers on this episode so if you haven’t finished the book yet, you might want to listen to the first few minutes and then skip to minute 20 or so not to hear them.

As always we can’t wait to hear your thoughts: on the Breaking Dawn review, the Beedle the Bard News and contest, our short fandom discussion and everything else we talked about. You can leave comments here on the blog or call our voicemail at 206-337-0357 in the US or 07092899490 in the UK. Please make sure to keep the message as close to one minute as possible and try to speak loudly and clearly.

Make sure to check out our channel on the new Odeo. Subscribe, rate, review, it’s all good, check it out.

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at http://audiblepodcast.com/hp.

You can listen to the episode with the player below, or download directly as an mp3.

Episode #86: Half Blood Prince Trailer Podcast

Greg — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:51:52 +0000

Hopefully by now, you’ve seen the trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. We sat down immediately after watching to record out thoughts. What do you think of the trailer? Does the voice of the woman in the orphanage belong to J.K. Rowling?

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #85: Free Will and Choice in Harry Potter

Greg — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:26 +0000

One of the over-arching meta-themes of the Harry Potter books is, without a doubt, choice. From early on the books the theme of choice is empasised, when the Sorting Hat defers to Harry’s wish to be in Gryffindor, or when Dumbledore makes it clear to Harry that it is his choices, far more than abilities that make him the wizard that he is. It’s clear that J.K. Rowling is a proponent of the idea that we make ourselves who we are and are ultimately responsible for who we become.

Putting aside a scientific discussion of free will and determinism, a greater question, from within the stories themselves, comes to light. With the conclusion of Book 7, and the revelation of Dumbledore’s less than altruistic motives, does J.K. Rowling’s position on free will and choice change? Did Harry, in fact, make all those choices of his own free will, or, perhaps, was he influenced by forces beyond his control? Despite Dumbledore’s protestations to the contrary, could Harry ever have avoided the final showdown with the Dark Lord, had he simply chosen to walk away?

In this week’s episode, we examine the nature of free will and choice as presented in the books after Book 7, and what J.K. Rowling might be saying about what it means to be free.

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at audiblepodcast.com/hp.

Check out some of the books we talked about on this week’s episode.

Make sure to check out Penny’s post Deathly Hallows: One Year Later for a rundown on all that’s happened since Book 7 was released.

You can listen to this episode using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Episode #84: Post Portus Podcast

Greg — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:15:06 +0000

As you may have read, we just got back from Portus 2008, a Harry Potter convention that took place July 10-13 in Dallas, Texas. And, guess what? We had a blast! From Jim Dale giving a live performance, to meeting lots of fun and interesting people, it was a great time. We sat right down as soon as we could after we got home to record some of our thoughts on what the Harry Potter fan-world is like one year after the release of Deathly Hallows, along with details on the all the great sessions we went to, movies watched, conversations had, etc. It really was a great time, and special thanks to the HPEF for going all out and putting together an amazing weekend.

If you were there, leave a comment or send us an email. And make sure to check out www.hp2009.org for Azkatraz, in San Francisco! Hope to see you there!

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com. Download a free audiobook of your choice today at audiblepodcast.com/hp.

Don’t forget to check out Harry Potter Prognostications on the new Odeo. Subscribe, why dontcha?

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download directly as an mp3.