[- Alex -]

ow! I don't like Buckbeak [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] I imagined him brown, I don't know why, I imagined him just like in the cover of the 3rd book, and in the movie he is white [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] I'm pretty disappointed, but anyway..

[blueangel]

A Director Who Bounces Around


Mike Newell says, "I hate doing the same thing twice," and proves it with films like "Pushing Tin" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral."


By SARAH LYALL

Published: December 29, 2003

LONDON, Dec. 26 — Caught in a narrow window of inactivity between very different projects — "Mona Lisa Smile," released here this month and on Friday in the United States, and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which is to start filming in the next few months — the peripatetic director Mike Newell was trying as hard as he could to come up with a coherent professional philosophy.

"Somebody once said to me, `What's the big idea?' " Mr. Newell said. "I don't know whether there is a big idea. Does everybody have to have a big idea?" He took some sips of his drink, a decaf cappuccino, and kept on talking. He is a nimble talker. "Well, there is, actually. Of course there is. It's the characters."

The director's search for a good story with vivid characters is a useful guide to explaining the almost random variety of his many films, which include "Dance With a Stranger" (1985), about the last woman ever to be sentenced to death in Britain; "Donnie Brasco" (1997), a mob movie starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp; "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1993), which ushered in the era of the Hugh Grant romantic comedy; and "Pushing Tin" (1999), which starred Billy Bob Thornton and John Cusack as two highly stressed air traffic controllers.

"I hate doing the same thing twice," said Mr. Newell, who was trained as a television director during TV's golden period in England, in the 1960's. He spoke over midmorning beverages — coffee, juice, water — at the Groucho Club, an artsy food-and-socializing place in Soho, where he is a member. A tall, rumpled man with rimless bifocals and a sharp, articulate manner, Mr. Newell was having a few days off from his pre-filming Harry Potter duties, which include mapping out scenes using computer technology. The film is expected to open in November 2005.

"It's partly the way we were brought up: we were taught to be maids of all work," he said, explaining how he likes to bounce around. (After "Goblet of Fire," his next project will be a small film about the relationship between Charles Darwin and his wife.) "We had to do everything. You couldn't say, `I don't do comedy' or `I don't do thrillers.' "

Thus it was that Mr. Newell found himself directing "Mona Lisa Smile," a film about the efforts of a progressive teacher, played by Julia Roberts, to instill some feminist fire into some 1953 Wellesley undergraduates hoping above all else to leave school with Mrs. degrees. The film, which also stars Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Julia Stiles, has received respectful reviews.

"What got me in the end is that I said to the producer that this was another version of `Dead Poets' Society,' " Mr. Newell said, referring to the film in which Robin Williams plays a wacky teacher who brings a daring dose of out-of-the-box thinking to a strict boys' boarding school.

"She said: `No, that's really simple-minded of you, and the reason it isn't is that in this film, everybody affects everybody. Everybody's got their fingers in everybody else's emotional messes. It's a two-way street; the girls affect the woman as much as the woman affects the girls.' "

Mr. Newell got his cast to read "The Fifties," David Halberstam's sprawling social history of the era, and enrolled them in a crash course in 1950's etiquette, including ballroom dancing, table-setting and walking and sitting like the young ladies they were meant to be. The film also had relevance to his own life, he said. Mr. Newell, 61, was brought up in St. Alban's, Hertfordshire, the son of a construction surveyor and a housewife frustrated by the era's restrictions.

Mr. Newell's mother was an avid reader of the kind of women's newspapers and magazines that seemed to offer the key to a magic kingdom of domestic bliss.

Mr. Newell still remembers an incident from long ago when he came home unexpectedly and found his mother asleep. "What I saw was that she was slumped over a three-bar electric fire which had browned her shin, she was so close to it. And she was slumped over like that, and her mouth was open, and there was a woman's magazine open on her knee. And it was an image of such hopelessness in the front room of this little house in St. Alban's. She was a very spirited woman, and she'd been driven completely desperate by having nowhere to go."

On the cusp of his Harry Potter adventure, Mr. Newell knows that the new film is wholly different from anything he has tried before. The budget is much bigger ("you're making a film that costs roughly the equivalent of the gross national product of Guatemala," he said, although he cannily did not say how much that is); the special effects are dazzling; and then there is the matter of the eagle on the set, which is a revelation in itself, the size of a small city.

"I was standing in my office a couple of months ago and an eagle flew past the window," Mr. Newell related. "I said to the producer, `I think an eagle has just flown past the window.' He said, `Yes, yes — that's probably from the zoo.' "

"Which means that the enterprise is so vast that it's got its own zoo," Mr. Newell said. "If you want an animal, they'll just pop down and get you an animal. They have permanent owl residents, just in case you need one."

Though he seems to be at a particularly pleasant pinnacle at the moment, Mr. Newell, who is married with a son and daughter, has known fallow times. In the 1980's, he said, the only work he could find was directing pop videos. "Don't avoid being down!" he said of his career. "We've all been down." Nor does he find much use in examining what he has done or what he intends to do.

"I try desperately not to look back," he said. "I want to die in harness."

Should he ever be tempted to feel too pleased with himself, anyway, Mr. Newell just thinks about his late father, whose passionate membership in an amateur theater group helped introduce his son to the joys of drama and a good script.

Interviewed by a local newspaper after the enormous success of "Four Weddings and a Funeral," his father revealed himself to be proud, but not blindly so, Mr. Newell said.

"He said, `Well, it's all right, but he's done a lot better, you know.' "

[Sallyna]

I don´t know where to put this thing and I don´t know if JK knows this tale and got the name from it, but I thought interesting and the fact that they are casting asian/indian like girls for Padma and Parvati could mean something.

Ok, so what did I find? It´s called "The Tale of the Carezza Perfum"

I won´t post it all because it´s a lot to translate, but I´ll sum up the story.

The tale says that Parvatí was one of the wives of a very powerful Maharaja in India. She was very sad because her husband didn´t give her as much atention as he did to his other wives. No mather what she did, how gracefull she was and how good she served him, it was never enough. Her husband didn´t notice her.

One day Parvatí went to a wizard asking him for a filter to catch the Maharaja´s heart just for her. The wizard was afraid that if the Maharaja knew what he did, he would be in serious trouble, so he didn´t help Parvatí.

So, even more sad, Parvatí went back to her secondary duties as wife and started at the art of perfumerie. In India, perfums, colognes, incences were very well apreciated by the nobles.

One day, the best perfum makers of the world came to India to offer their perfums to the Maharaja. The main perfum maker met Parvatí and saw her sadness because of the non-given love of her husband.

Then, he volunteered to help her to make a perfum called Carezza (it means something like "love touch") that was very powerful and would help her get the atention of her husband back to her.

It was very complicated formula, and it took over a year to get ready, but Parvatí made it as the old man had taught her. When it was ready, Parvatí put some drops of the perfum of her and the Maharaja started paing more atention to her.

Day by day, Parvatí got the Maharaja back to her and he fell in love with her again.

When Parvatí died, the Maharaja built the biger and brightest mausoléum of all India, the Taj Mahal, with mirrors in every room so he could see her. Today he rests by her side fullfilling his vows of eternal love.

The End.

[blueangel]

YAHOO!

December 29, 2003 10:00 AM US Eastern Timezone

It's Official: Searches for P2P Music Tool KaZaa Top Harry Potter, Britney Spears as Number One Search Term on Yahoo! in 2003

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 29, 2003--
Rumors of Human Cloning and War in Iraq Top News Searches; American Idol and Survivor Top Reality TV Searches


Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today revealed the most popular search terms of 2003. Based on insight into searches conducted by Yahoo! Search's millions of users worldwide, the top searches of 2003 are a benchmark of consumer interests and trends this year.

Find the full list of top searches in 2003 including Top Rumors, Arnold Schwarzenegger Misspellings and more at http://search.yahoo.com/top2003.

The Yahoo! 2003 Top 10 Searches:

1. KaZaa

2. Harry Potter

3. "American Idol"

4. Britney Spears

5. 50 Cent

6. Eminem

7. WWE

8. Paris Hilton

9. NASCAR

10. Christina Aguilera

Music and multimedia continue to dominate America's online mindshare as KaZaa, the most popular peer-to-peer file-sharing program, took first place followed by a spate of pop singers. The world's favorite wizard, Harry Potter took honors as the second most popular search term for the year, whizzing up from No. 10 in 2002 and beating out heavy-hitters such as Britney Spears and "American Idol".

Erik Gunther, an editor of Yahoo! Search, points out that three of this years' top searches -- Harry Potter, Britney Spears and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), have held spots in Yahoo!'s Top 10 for three years in a row, but notes several new entries.

"The newcomers to the Yahoo! Search Top Searches of 2003 continue to show the strength of breakouts from year to year. This year's newcomers include Paris Hilton -- buoyed by notoriety and a reality TV show -- and Christina Aguilera, who has made the list after several years in the shadow of Ms. Spears."

~*~

Nina: I didn't even know about that! But knowing JKR, I'd say she chose the name for a puprose.

[Kilikena Miki]

Buckbeak is SCARY lookin'! I am terrified of birds and if I encountered that at anytime I would pee my pants...even if I knew it was a machine. [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

[Sallyna]

I know JK always puts the names of the main characters with a special reason for it, so since I´ve never heard of a Parvati before it caught my atention.

Still, I don´t know how common the name Parvati is in India and since this Parvati didn´t came with a twin Padma I don´t know. Padma is much more common, at least we heard it before in Star Wars (Padma Amidala).

Krist, dear, I don´t really find it that scary. It´s actually somewhat like what I imagined it. And of course it´s just a puppetronic, so I don´t think it´s gonna be as fake as a simple robot. At least considering the amount of special effects and digital chracters we have in the HP movies.

[Kilikena Miki]

No, I know! But when I was 3 years old my mom took me to a park for Easter to feed the ducks and geese. I was holding a loaf pf bread and the birds knew what it was since people always feed the birds bread. Anyway they saw me and charged me! I ran but the kept chasing me even when I threw the bread away! It was a tramatic event for a 3 year old! ANyway, ever since I have been very incomfortable around birds!

[magicman]

Originally posted by Sallyna: <STRONG>I know JK always puts the names of the main characters with a special reason for it, so since I´ve never heard of a Parvati before it caught my atention. Still, I don´t know how common the name Parvati is in India and since this Parvati didn´t came with a twin Padma I don´t know. Padma is much more common, at least we heard it before in Star Wars (Padma Amidala). Krist, dear, I don´t really find it that scary. It´s actually somewhat like what I imagined it. And of course it´s just a puppetronic, so I don´t think it´s gonna be as fake as a simple robot. At least considering the amount of special effects and digital chracters we have in the HP movies.</STRONG>

Yes, I read or heard that somewhere. She has personall motives maybe..

I was shocked at some of the names. Especially Hermione [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img] But I've grown so used to it now, that I think it's a great name. Well, sort of [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

I think Buckbeak looks great. I love the eagle type look they've made him of.

[- Alex -]

I think JK was totally conscious about the names of Parvati and Padma, and she has her reasons, though I'd like to listen to her talking about it and the experience where she got the names, you know.

yes, I got very shocked at the name of Hermione the first time I heard it, but in Spain is a different pronunciation

in English you say--> her-MY-nee

and in Spanish we say--> ehr-mee-ON

and I don't like the pronunciation in English, but in Spanish is super beautiful and adorable this name [img]smilies/in_love.gif[/img]

well, the story of HP has a lot of weird names Hermione, Draco, Parvati, Lavender, Blaise, Albus, Rubeus, Sirius, etc etc.. you know

[ 01-02-2004: Message edited - Alex - ]

[Little Tiger]

Originally posted by trash addict: <STRONG>Okay so i'm usually just lurking around here but this is one of the most hilariously stupid things i've ever read: Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft - with Praise From Christian Leaders No offence to Christians...i used to think i was one. But this raises some idiotic points.</STRONG>

Sorry, but you seem to be stereotyping Christians as Harry Potter haters. Well, not all Christians hate Harry Potter. I'm a Christian and I [img]smilies/love.gif[/img] Harry Potter. Also, just because someone disagrees with you doesn't make that person or the points idiotic.

[trash addict]

Originally posted by Little Tiger: <STRONG> Sorry, but you seem to be stereotyping Christians as Harry Potter haters. Well, not all Christians hate Harry Potter. I'm a Christian and I [img]smilies/love.gif[/img] Harry Potter. Also, just because someone disagrees with you doesn't make that person or the points idiotic.</STRONG>

I just didn't want to offend Christians by saying that i thought that particular one was stupid. And, i'm sorry if you disagree with me, but i just thought that article was the biggest load of BS i'd ever read.

Here’s how I see it:
Harry Potter is firmly entrenched in the realm of fantasy. Sometimes kids are too naïve to distinguish between fantasy and reality and get confused. If one of these kids were to believe that the Harry Potter world was based in reality and became interested in witchcraft, it would soon occur to them that modern witchcraft has little to do with the world of Harry Potter. If, through the Christian religion, this kid grew up and accepted Jesus as their saviour and asked for forgiveness, he would get it, no matter what his past dalliances with the Occult were. If they did not, then by the Bible, they would go to Hell anyway, witchcraft or not. There is nothing wrong with simply reading the books.

[ 01-06-2004: Message edited trash addict ]

[Just Tracy]

There's some info regarding POA lego here

Man, I so want a Knight Bus in Lego!



[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] So cool!

[Sallyna]

I´m not much foward to getting into religious arguments, but I thought I could help with a word.

I´ll say for personal experience that cristianism, witchcraft and Harry Potter are not related at all.

I grew up as a cristian but found myself as a true witch much before HP around. As said before, modern witchcraft has little to do with the potterical world.

Being a witch and a HP addicted fan my job is to enlighten those people that come to witchcraft because of Harry Potter. Not only that but also to pople that see Sabrina, Buffy or movies like The Craft, Practical Magic, etc.

I see Sabrina and Buffy (RIP) as much as I see and love series like Everwood, Gilmore Girls, American Dreams and a lot others that have nothing to do with magic.

We, as HP fans (or even witches) don´t discriminate Cristians or any other religion, we simply don´t like to have people wrtting about things they don´t know and bashing.

If you go to Muggenet.com at the Wall of Shame session you´ll see some really funny nonsense people say about Harry Potter, specially comparing to LotR and Religion.

I quote:

Dear J.K. Rowling, I have a very important question! Now you may not want to hear this ..but I really would like if you would send me an email back with the answers to the question I\'m about to ask you. Now , for the questions , What made you want to write about satanic things? What do you have against the Christians ? Why are you making these books to try to turn everyone away from God?!?! Why\'d you make the Christians the bad people? Why do you want your books to be about evil!?! Thank you for your time .. and please email me back I suppose actually reading the books would be out of the question...

And that´s just a sample. Not even comparable to some things I´ve read sometime ago.

So, please, try to understand some fans indignation about absurd things people write about HP.

[Sallyna]

Originally posted by Just Tracy: <STRONG>There's some info regarding POA lego here Man, I so want a Knight Bus in Lego! http://store4.yimg.com/I/dragonballz..._1774_80931050 [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] So cool!</STRONG>

If it really comes with Harry and Prongs I want it too! [img]smilies/pinkie.gif[/img]

[Sallyna]

It´s online at Mugglenet the chat with Matthew Lewis:

Transcript bellow:

The following is a transcript of a Q&A chat with Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) which took place on January 4th, 2004. Questions were asked by MuggleNet visitors.

Jamie:
Hello everyone! And welcome to the online chat with Matthew Lewis, otherwise known as Neville Longbottom. If you're ready to begin, Matt, we'll start.

Matthew:
Yeah, I'm ready.

Jamie:
First question coming...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question from Lainei
How has your life changed since you were cast as Neville in the HP films?

Matthew
It hasn't really changed all that much. I mean, obviously, I don't spend much time at home now because I'm down in London filming but I don't get recognised very often so that's not problem. My schoolwork has probably improved because of the tutors on set. I guess the only difference is that I get to do cool stuff like this.


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Question from hp_rocks
What's your favorite subject in school?

Matthew
My favourite subject is probably IT (Information Technology) or PE (Physical Education).


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Question from Cydni
Was Neville your first choice for a part in Harry Potter?

Matthew
Well, I originally went for everything, and Harry wouldn't have been bad at all but I guess I'm lucky I got anything, so I'm really happy with Neville.


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Question from Jessica
What was your reaction when you got the part?

Matthew
My reaction? Well, I went mental, I ran around the house jumping on the sofa and generally being mad!


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Question from Melissa
Do you believe you have anything in common with your character?

Matthew
Not a lot, but I am very clumsy and I rush things which I then have to re-do.


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Question from Devon
What's the most exciting part about working on the Harry Potter films?

Matthew
Probably being able to say that I have worked with people like Alan Rickman, Kenneth Brannagh and Dame Maggie Smith, etc.


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Question from Katie
Were there any boring stages of being on set?

Matthew
Yeah, loads. The majority of the time we are either waiting around or in tutoring (obviously very boring). When we're on set we wait around a lot too, awaiting resets and camera reloading, etc.


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Question from Leandra
What would you say to someone who wanted to become an actor?

Matthew
Perseverence and determination. Acting is about talent but there are thousands of actors out there that have what it takes but can't get a break. Don't give up, if you keep at it you'll eventually get there!


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Question from Anamaria
What was your most embarrassing moment on the set of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?

Matthew
Probably when I had to step over a small broken wall and I tripped on one of the rocks. I only stumbled but Alfie (Dean Thomas) was giggling right next to me!


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Question from Leah
What kind of music do you like and what are your favourite bands?

Matthew
Rock and Punk. Feeder, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Sex Pistols.


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Question from Brittany
After you've finished with Harry Potter, do you plan to continue acting?

Matthew
I'm not sure. I mean, it's great and a good career but honestly I don't know, if I get lucky and get into other things, I'll probably continue.


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Question from Kaitlyn
If you could play any other character in the Harry Potter movies who would it

Matthew
Hmm... I think probably a bad guy but I can't think of anyone except Malfoy so maybe Ron, but I think Rupert does that job perfectly. I couldn't match him!


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Question from Hannah
Any pranks played on you or by you on the set? Any funny stories to share?

Matthew
Not really played by or on me but there was the one time where somebody put a fart machine in a bag in the great hall and during a line from Michael Gambon, it went off. Very funny!


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Question from PepperPrincess
What's the weirdest gift you've ever received?

Matthew
Obviously it has to be the pepper that you gave me pepperprincess! *see below*


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Question from Carolyn
Do you get recognised a lot on the street?

Matthew
Not really. I mean, some people do but not often.


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Question from April
Have you read all the Harry Potter books?

Matthew
Yes, I have read them all. I finished Order of the Phoenix about 2 months ago, very riveting stuff.


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Question from Richard
What do you think will happen to Neville in future books?

Matthew
I think that it would be really cool if Neville realised he can never become the hero that Harry is but because he's weak he is manipulated by Voldemort and becomes evil! Yes, that would be very cool.


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Question from Ellen
What countries have you seen or visited because of HP promotions?

Matthew
None, I am going to New Zealand and maybe taking a tour of the US for conventions though.


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Question from Sydney
Do you have any role models in the acting world or away from it?

Matthew
Hmm.. Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise!


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Question from Tim
Is it hard to come back and have to pick up the character after the break from each film?

Matthew
Not really. You see, when you're on a break from filming you see the film that many times. You're never really away from it. The read-through before the film helps too as you can think about how you're going to say each line.


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Question from Elizabeth
If you could have any magical power what would it be?

Matthew
The magical ability of charm, so that you could just smile and people would let you do anything.


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Question from Heather
Do you like the LOTR movies? If yes, which character would you like to play?

Matthew
12Yeah, they're awesome, I saw Return of the King not long ago, what a film! I'd probably like to be Legolas because he's an elf and because he uses a bow and arrow!


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Question from Matt
JWhat was it like filming the Boggart scene in POA? Was it funny seeing Alan Rickman dressed in those clothes?

Matthew
You can't imagine how funny it was. Alan Rickman is a really, really nice guy but he's still really, really scary so to see him dressed like that was hilarious.


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Question from GinnyRedHead
How does it feel going on the Internet and finding websites devoted to you?

Matthew
Mental, really crazy! But it's good to know people appreciate your work! Fans are what make you who you are in the film industry.


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Question from Sammy
Who are your best friends on the set?

Matthew
Everyone is really great fun to work with but my best friends are probably Dan, Rupert and Alfie! But like I sai, I get on well with everyone!


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Question from Marvin
Have you ever met JK Rowling?

Matthew
Yeah, I've met her a few times. She came and had lunch with us one time at the studios. She's really friendly and great to talk to.


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Question from Nigel
WDo you have any pets? What are their names?

Matthew
No, I used to have a rabbit called Buttons (ran away) and a Canary called Charlie (died). I really want a dog though! I'd probably call it Angelus after David Boreanaz's character in Buffy and Angel.


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Question from Tyler
What do you like doing in your spare time?

Matthew
Playing football and badminton, going to the cinema and playing computer games.


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Question from Rachel
IWhat do you think Alfonso Cuaron, the new director? Is his work very different from that of Chris Columbus?

Matthew
12Alfonso is great and so was Chris. They both have different visions of the Harry Potter universe but they are both excellent directors.


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Jamie:
And that's all we've got time for tonight! Thanks very much to Matt for agreeing to part in this online Q&A session. We hope you've all had fun. Incidentally, this chat network is open 24/7 so if you'd like to come and chat, please feel free. A transcript of the chat will be available soon.

Note: Regarding the question from "PepperPrincess," this refers to Collectormania 4 where Matthew was handed a whole pepper as a gift!