What child has never dreamed of being a wizard? I certainly could’ve used a magic wand that contained within it the power to repel bullies who were always trying to steal my LEGO money. Yeah, I skipped eating lunch so I could save up to buy more bricks when our family went shopping at the end of the month. I used to try casting the “Alosermora” spell to no effect – other than generating a fistful of black eye.

I admit to never having read a single page from the Harry Potter book series. I’ve always been more of a visual learner, and I figured it was pointless to suffer through endless paper cuts just to find out how Voldemort ‘He Who Shall Not Be Named’ bites it. Yeah, he had it coming.

I wouldn’t really consider myself a Harry Potter fan – but since there are plenty of Harry Potter LEGO sets to go around, I figured it was about time I assembled one for the low cost of $12 (in muggle currency). Even though I was the one who threw it into the shopping cart, my mom is the one who actually bought the Enchanted Forest for me. Yeah, I’m pushing 40 and my mom still buys me LEGO. You got a problem with that?

The biggest selling point for me? Four minifigs – Tom Riddle (although, he preferred to be referenced as Voldemort), Harry Potter in Hogwarts Uniform, Belatrix Lestrange Narcissa Malfoy, and Hagrid. The biggest surprise? Noticing that the Hagrid minifig has fingers! I only noticed when I was setting up to record the video walkthrough of the “forest” (which was really nothing more than a tree).

I might find myself picking up a few more smaller Harry Potter sets as I find them (though I had earlier attained a collection with Dobby). But, since I’ve already seen the films, I probably won’t take the time to read the books. I realize there were several parts of the entire story that were dropped altogether. Maybe these bricks will help close those gaps? Eh, they’re not THAT magical.

If I had a true complaint about the Enchanted Forest LEGO set it would be that… well, I guess I don’t have anything to complain about. My girlfriend did trick me with the spider minifig, though. She knows I’m an arachnophobe, so she placed the eight-legged piece of plastic atop my iPhone and waited for me to scream like a little girl. I did.

Jeez, could this review make me sound like any more of a…

Harry Potter Enchanted Forest LEGO Set – Brick Magic!

This is Kerri Reed’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

The HP Magic Giveaway is an extraordinary blessing. If I win this awesome contest, it would change the lives of many people in my community. Not only would I have the opportunity to give computers to deserving organizations, but I would also be able to help my family as well. Here are my top five reasons for entering this contest:

1. My sister passed away over the summer, leaving her four children in my care. I am a single parent of one child with learning disabilities, and home schooling him without a computer has been very hard. As it is, my sister’s children are grief-stricken and withdrawn. The transition from North Carolina to California has been difficult for them all. If I were to win this fabulous contest, I would first give one computer to my family. This would enable my son to raise his grades in school, and would help my sister’s children to create a public memorial online for their mom. It would change their lives in an extraordinary way.
2. We live in a low-income area of the Inland Empire. There are not enough funds in the local schools to afford adequate computer hardware. I have personally taught in the local elementary school near my home, and there are children there who have never had the opportunity to learn on a computer. If I win this contest, I will give one of the computers to my local elementary school, so they can bring the magic of computers into the classroom.
3. I am an animal rescuer. I have saved countless animals in my area over the past ten years. I save homeless dogs off the street, and rescue pregnant cats from the bushes near my home. It is a tireless effort, but worth it! My local animal shelter operates with very little funding from the city. Their computer systems are adequate, at best. They do not have the equipment necessary to network with animal rescue organizations across the state, and this leads to healthy animals being euthanized every day. If I win this contest, I will give one computer to my local animal shelter to help them save as many animals as they can. This is a true passion of mine.
4. After receiving my teaching credentials, I began to notice the gaps in the education system. One area that is severely lacking in volunteers is the tutoring program. If I win this contest, I will use the HP computer from this contest to tutor local children after school. It is so important for children to have access to technology, especially in today’s tech-driven society. Having a computer to teach reading will enable them to learn faster, and have a higher retention rate. This would make such a positive impact on their academic success.
5. Lastly, I entered this contest because I would love to share this amazing prize with those that need it the most. We live on very little, and I have to work nights just to keep a roof over our heads. We cannot afford a Christmas tree, or even presents this year, and a new computer would mean the world to us. Please consider my family in this unbelievable giveaway!

Five Reasons to Enter the Contest

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

You know how much I love to give things away. I’ll be doing it again here very soon. Instead of giving away something small, we’re giving away a bundle of hardware and software worth over $6000. We are participating in the HP Magic Giveaway! Our contest is now open!.

This holiday season, HP and Microsoft are asking you to consider giving the magic of HP and Windows. This program is being offered through 50 of the top blogs on the Internet today. Each contest will be designed and implemented by the individual sites. The one thing that remains the same is the amazing prize package being awarded to each of the fifty winners! All winners are encouraged to “pay it forward” by giving the gift of magic themselves. Why keep all of these great items under one roof? I’m sure you all know someone who could really use a notebook, or even the TouchSmart. Why not give them a helping hand if you win?

The prize package includes:

• HP TouchSmart IQ816 PC
• HP HDX 18 series Premium Notebook PC
• HP MediaSmart Connect
• HP Pavilion dv4 series Entertainment Notebook PC (with Windows Live)
• HP Mini 1000 (with XP)
• HP Photosmart C6380 Wireless AIO
• HP 564 Photo Value Pack
• Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 (Student – Teacher
  Edition) 1 copy; 3 licenses

Yes, ONE winner from each site will win this amazing package. I have to thank the people at HP and Microsoft for putting together such an amazing contest. Here are the rules for our contest:

1. Be registered on Geeks.
2. Submit a how-to, what-is, or top-five article on ANY subject.
3. The article must be at least 500 words long, with proper punctuation, grammar, usage, spelling. Remember your PUGS.
4. Articles will not be accepted if they require editing, so have someone you trust proofread for you!
5. Entries will be posted on my blog.
6. Whichever post gets the most comments by December 10th at 10pm CST is the winner.
7. Insipid, short, pointless comments will be deleted.
8. Get people to comment on your article, but spamming will not be tolerated.
9. Your article will be cross-linked with your Geeks account.
10. Email the article to me: chris@pirillo.com

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Do You Believe in Magic?

Jonathan (aka FearedBliss from the chat room) submits:

I came across to great pranks that you can play on friends and colleagues. The first one is PeterAnswers.com, If you have good knowledge on a person you can actually trick them into thinking that the website knows the answer to what they’re asking. It’s pretty simple all you have to do is in the petition area you just press . then type in the answer then press . again, while your typing this , the field will be typing in something else, it’s pretty much masking your answer. Then in the question box you enter the question.

The second one is freakyourmind.com, basically theres 3 steps for this, you first will put your friends name, then put your friends phone number, and then send your friend the video. The video will be of chris angel playing a mind trick on your friend with cards, he says his name and phone number and then actually calls your friend ( it wont be him actually talking but a automatic message ).

Know of any other Internet “magic” sites?

Internet Magic Tricks