We are all in the gutter...

Why is it so easy to find newspaper articles online in TV drama?

They have this one, simple, clean looking page.  They type in what they're looking for and it's go go go.  The more ambitious dramas will have them trying two or three search terms to show that they're arduously working on the problem by battering a keyboard on this excellent search engine which always give them what they're looking for.  Some even go so far as to produce three or four links conveniently under each other which indicate a 'pattern' or whatever.

Anyway.  My point is - I do not have that search engine.  I have google  - Which I've always loved.  But it's let me down tonight.

Will I have to go to the library and look through microfische screen caps (no idea how to actually spell that, but I'm sure it's the term) of old newspapers?  And it was only a year ago!

June 5th 2007 a 68 year old woman in Scotland developed the bubonic plague which turned to pneumonic.  I want to know where etc but I cannot find a thing about it.  Except on wiki, which is where I found it in the first place.

The conclusion I'm slowly coming to is that wiki is lying to me - as is very possible being a mass-edited enclyclopedia.  This makes me sad.  I don't think it's lied to me before.

I don't think I'll ever be able to trust the internets ever again...

In other news, I watched Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog last night - Bravo Whedon!  Once again you make me giddy, sad, involved, intrigued and left with the need to sing every song loudly and out of tune.  If you haven't seen it, I recommend you do at once.  That's a man who put his downtime during the WGA strike to good use.  It's still free online so there's really no excuse.  Unless you have a suck connection.  Then I recommend download.

Can any of my Potter-inclined f-list tell me roughly when/which month the first Hogsmeade weekend usually takes place? I was thinking November?  Maybe October?  I vaguely recall Hallowe'en in Hogsmeade but there is every chance that was a fic and not, in fact, canon.

Also, did anyone greet this news with a bit of a shudder and stern shake of the head?  Just me then?  A HP prequel... When I read this I thought it would be Marauders era and I punched the air, as that's what comes to mind when prequel is mentioned.  But it's Harry-living-under-the-stairs era.  Glorious. (/sarcasm) It took me several tries to get through the first part of Philosopher's Stone with 'La la la Harry under the stairs with spiders, it's such a sad situation that you must feel for him instantly and bond and blah blah blah.'

Anyway, I don't think it be as twee or kid-aimed as the first bit of P.S but all the images in my head are of abuse!fic.  The Child Called It-Potter style.  I don't know why, but it's all I can think of.  I'm sure it'll be Harry's first bit of magic as a child or whatever because at 800 words how much can you really fit in?

EDIT:  I is dramatically wrong.  Huzzah! carawj pointed me towards this article and it's set three years before Harry's born and concerns James and Sirius.  Muchos thankos.

Spent the morning with the puppy and the hose.  Bad idea.  Now soaking.

Scotland are kicking off a meaningless friendly with half a squad of players in 45 minutes (4.30 on a Friday is such a bizarre time for a friendly).  I feel that we may get gubbed.  I don't particularly want to watch right now because I'm busy writing (hence the Potter related research) but I will.  It is Scotland, after all.

Oh, and does anyone want to read Image of You in Russian?  Soon coming in German.  Shame I can't speak/read a word of either but still quite cool.