Harry Potter Fever!

Are you ready? Can you feel it?

With the Harry Potter Movie coming out next month (July 11, 2007) and the final installment of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling being released on July 21, 2007, the fever is high and the anticipation is thick. So much is in the news about Harry Potter, the boy wizard. Never before has a simultaneous movie and book release caused so much pop culture hub bub. Kudos to J.K. Rowling, one of the most creative authors in the universe and one of the luckiest women in the world. Like Harry Potter, she has her own rags to riches story herself, which is amazing. Her creativity and writing talent has transformed her from a struggling single mom to one of the richest women in England. Not bad for a muggle, eh?

You can get in on all the wizarding action by dressing up in costume. AnniesCostumes.com has Harry Potter costumes and Gryffindor robes so that you can also dress as Hermoine Granger, Ron Weasley or your favorite Hogwarts student!

Chapter 63: Milestones

Some significant milestones are in sight for many future Hall of Fame baseball players. Today, Frank Thomas became the twenty-first player to hit 500 home runs (before being ejected from the game). And it's likely that sometime this weekend Craig Biggio of the Astros will become the twenty-seventh to reach 3,000 hits for his career. [Correction: Biggio knocked five base hits last night to surpass 3,000. Congratulations Craig!] Both are almost certain Hall of Famers. Thomas won two Most Valuable Player Awards in the 1990s, and while Biggio has started to slow down, he's been one of the more consistent hitters in the National League since 1988.

But they're not the only people who have significant milestones ahead of them. Of course, Barry Bonds is the most obvious, with just a handful of home runs to go before he ties Hank Aaron's record of career home runs. I'm no fan of Bonds, whose reputation has been dragged through the mud due to his suspected steroid or human growth hormone use. It's sad, too, because he was a certain Hall of Famer before he seems to have started using the substances. Add on his career-long surliness and attitude problems, and you probably have as many people hoping his hamstring snaps as he's circling the bases on 754, if not sooner, than rooting for him to break Aaron's record.

The guy I'm rooting for to reach his personal milestone is Tom Glavine, who is now three wins away from 300 for his career. After a stellar career with the Atlanta Braves, where he won two Cy Young Awards, he came to the Mets and has been solid. There was a point last year when I thought he might be able to win another Cy Young award; had he not been left with so many no decisions and reached 20 wins, he probably would have. I know a lot of Mets fans are sick of his soft-tossing and picky nibbling at the corners, but I'm a fan of smart pitching, and I enjoy seeing him work and listening to him talk about his craft.

Another craftsman is Roger Clemens, though I think we're finally seeing the final season of his remarkable career. He needs one more win to reach 350, and even though the Yankees suck, he should be able to get it despite his slowing fastball.

With such achievements in the near future, I wouldn't be surprised if Major League Baseball did something during the All-Star Game to recognize the achievements -- particularly for Thomas and Biggio. (To Bud Selig's happiness, Bonds will likely not have reached the Aaron mark by the All-Star Game.) Though Biggio doesn't deserve a spot in the game itself, I think it's a worthwhile gesture for these guys.

Fans of comics, anime and science fiction gather for Supercon in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

According to a Miami Herald article on Florida Supcon, “Villains, heroes and other staples of the animated universe were out in force Sunday, the final day of the third annual Florida Supercon convention at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott North.” Almost 3,000 were expected to attend the three-day event.

Sandra Botero of St. Petersburg, dressed as Wonder Woman, and George West, 640 AM Mantalk morning entertainment reporter, horse around at Florida Supercon on Sunday. A member of the League of Villains, Botero was contemplating a wardrobe change into one of her naughtier comic book personae, Catwoman.

Vendors sold classic comic books, ornate swords, costume contact lenses and more. Britani Farley, 20, and her boyfriend Shayank Lopez, 19, of Palm City, dressed as Zelda and Link from the video game The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. ''I love dressing up,'' said Farley. “It's like being a celebrity for a day.'' Fellow League of Villains member Ryan Kennemore, 29, of Cumming, Ga., was dressed as Robin in a yellow cape and black mask. Kennemore said she was in greater demand on Saturday, however, when she showed up dressed as Harley Quinn, the Joker's girlfriend.

''Anybody can be a hero,'' Kennemore said. "It takes work to be a villain.''
You can dress like either one you choose, with costumes and accessories from Annies Costumes.