When the high and mighty trip up (or when the low and obnoxious do)

Last night I couldn't resist staying up much too late to watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets --again.

My favorite scene, perhaps of all the Harry Potter movies so far, is the demonstration duel, where Gilderoy
is so busy posing that he gets legally zapped by Severus Snape.

At least, I'm pretty sure Severus Snape is simply quick onthe spell-casting draw, in neat dramatic contrast to Draco Malfoy, who cheats.

Why do I like that scene?
I find it immensely gratifying when a poser gets their come-uppance! Don't we all?

One of the most enduring themes in literature is hubris: the dramatic downfall of someone who gets too big for their boots.

If one cannot zap someone obnoxious, or watch them being zapped, it's fun to imagine warning them that they are about to get their come-uppance.

"Your High-and-Mightiness, you are in deep shit!" one of my characters tells Prince Tarrant-Arragon with great glee, in my next book, Insufficient Mating Material.

Ah, but does he live? History has shown that it isn't healthy to be the bearer of bad news.

An other program that stands out in my mind is Nigel Marvin's scientific documentary about the swings and roundabouts of a lion's sex life.

Actually that is my very loose, personal interpretation of what I got from what was a high minded and wide ranging program.

The up-side of being a lion with a big, dark mane is that the lionesses like you (and you have fewer parasites).
The down-side is that you have a lower sperm count. Presumably, it's the dirty, itchy, blond boys who get the job done.

I haven't figured out how I can work that quirk of nature into one of my alien djinn romances, but --trust me-- I will.

I wish you all an interesting week.

Rowena