Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

There is so much hype about the release of the 7th and final book in the Harry Potter series. Just 88 days more for the release and there are numerous fan versions available online and offline. I read one of the verions and I must admit that it is really good. However, there is too much emphasis on the romace between Ginny and Harry. Even HBP wasn't entirely for kids, the original audience of JRK. However, a valid argument would be to say that Harry Potter is getting old and so will his audience. JKR can no longer write assuming that Harry is 11!

Coming back to the fan versions, what if JKR does not come up with a book that is as good as this one? Is that possible? Is it possible that she has exhausted her imagination? I feel that Order of the Phoenix was not as good as Goblet of Fire, Half-blood Prince though was better than OotP, was not as good as the previous four.

There is also a growing concern that JRK is writing more for the movie than for the book.
The awe and wonder that was an integral part of her first four books seem to be missing in the last two. Can we hope that the final one will be the best? Can we place that high a burden on her. In the first three books, she never had this huge burden of pleasing the readers. With the growing popularity of the characters, it looks like her responsibility has become multi-fold.

All that we can do now is to wait for the book and see how she ends the story. (Can she really end the story? Harry will always be alive and living in my heart)

My Dreams and Goals

Being brought up in a family that strongly believes in compassion and respect to other living beings, I developed an early love for animals. Like any other child, I was unaware of actions that cause pain to others. I still remember the incident when I hit a small chick and my father came rushing out. He then gave me a long lecture about how animals can also feel pain, love, loneliness, compassion and basically every other emotion a human is capable of feeling. It was then that I realized the gravity of my action on the chick.

I believe in the saying that animals are not ours to kill, eat or torture. What I need from my life is to see a world that is more tolerant and compassionate towards animals. Just because they do not express pain in any of the languages we understand it doesn’t mean we can harm them. We can still see the pain through its actions; after all, whether or not we know Malay or Swahili, we can still understand the expression of pain, can’t we? What bothers me the most is the lack of human sensitivity towards animals.

What I am really inclined to do is to spread awareness about animal welfare. It is not possible to eliminate harm, but we can definitely minimize it. However long it takes, I will definitely involve myself in actively educating and spreading awareness and making people more sensitive towards animal welfare. I am already a member of PeTA and other animal welfare organizations. The fact that I feel strongly towards a cause fuels me to work towards it. I always wondered what I will make of my life when I grew up, but now I have a cause to work for and it is something that I feel passionately about.

Joing PeTA India and fight for animal rights! Visit www.petaindia.com

Reducing Automobile Pollution

The number of automobiles has increased over the decades. Gone are the days when owning a car or a two wheeler was considered a luxury. In fact, they have become a necessity these days. City boundaries are ever expanding and people have to travel far and wide for education, work, recreation and so on. But, the biggest side effect of this is pollution. Air pollution is considered one of the biggest forms of pollution. Cities have the highest rate of air pollution followed by industrial town. The side effects of pollution are a never ending list. Ranging from health hazards to killing our environment, they have done enough damage and will continue to do so.

One of the most effective ways to combat automobile pollution is obviously to reduce the use of automobiles. People must learn to use alternative methods or transportation such as cycles and even resort to walking. In addition to keeping pollution under check, cycling and walking also helps us to keep fit as they are an excellent form of exercise. Furthermore, automobiles must go in for a pollution check regularly to make sure that their vehicle is in terms with government regulations. Alternatively, using public mode of transport wherever and whenever possible is yet another way to contribute in reducing pollution.

Another effective alternative would be to use solar vehicles. They have dual purpose of not only controlling pollution but also using a renewable energy. Therefore, they tackle both the problems of pollution and energy exhaustion. Never ever use leaded petrol. Not only do they cause air pollution, but they also totally mess up with your vehicle. Switching over to LPG can also reduce air pollution if not totally eliminate it. Automobile owners must also ensure that their vehicle is repaired and replaced regularly. Old and worn out vehicles consume more fuel and emit more pollution causing gases. We can thus ensure that we are doing our best to save this one planet that we have.