Saturday, February 28, 2009

What else would I be?

What Kind of Reader Are You?
Your Result: Dedicated Reader
 

You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.

Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
 
Literate Good Citizen
 
Book Snob
 
Non-Reader
 
Fad Reader
 
What Kind of Reader Are You?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Dates for HP7!!!!!!!!!

With all the Twilight hysteria this year, I've sort of neglected Harry Potter! (Well, they did move the date of the 6th movie, so what did they expect?)

People: Harry Potter Sets His Final Date---
Mark your calendar: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II will be released July 15, 2011, Warner Bros. has announced.

Part I of the film will open Nov. 19, 2010, the studio said last August. Both films are based on the 608-page seventh book in author J.K. Rowling's series.
No wonder they plan to release Twilight Saga movie 3, Eclipse , in summer 2010, so that it won't compete with the 2nd half of HP7. Nothing's going to stop the last HP film.

My Favorite Drink




You Are Tea



You are mellow and reflective. You don't allow yourself to feel in a rush and frenzied.

You're likely to appreciated the ideas or connections that come up over a warm cup of tea.

While you do enjoy the energy of a caffeine boost, you love that it allows you to take a break.

You're not in a rush to do anything. You're content with your life, and in no rush to change it.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Wednesday Hero

Spc. Ross A. McGinnis
Spc. Ross A. McGinnis
19 years old from Knox, Pennsylvania
1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division
December 4, 2006
U.S. Army

His mission was to patrol the streets of Adhamiyah in northeast Baghdad and find a place to put a 250-kilowatt generator that would provide electricity for more than 100 homes. But it's a mission he wasn't able to accomplish.

Shortly after Pfc. McGinnis's convoy left the compound, and less than a mile from FOB Apache, an insurgent standing on a nearby rooftop threw a grenade into the sixth, and last, Humvee. "Grenade!" yelled McGinnis, who was manning the vehicle's M2 .50-caliber machine gun. He tried to deflect the grenade but it fell into the Humvee and lodged between the radios.

"McGinnis turned and looked down and realized no one in the truck knew where the grenade was," said Capt. Michael Baka, his company commander. "He knew everyone had their doors combat-locked and they wouldn't be able to get out."

Instead of jumping out of the truck to save his own life, like he had been trained to do, McGinnis threw his back against the radio mount, smothering the explosive with his body. The grenade exploded just as Pfc. McGinnis covered it. The blast filled the vehicle with black smoke and debris and blew the driver's door and right passenger's door wide open and blew the machine gun off its mount. The explosion hit McGinnis on his sides and his lower back, under his vest. He was killed instantly.

The other four soldiers in the Humvee suffered relatively minor injuries.

On the morning of December 4, 2006, before his convoy had left, Cpt. Baka has signed a waver promoting Pfc. McGinnis to Specialist and he was posthumously promoted to E-4.

For his heroic actions on that day, McGinnis was awarded the Silver Star and was nominated for a Medal of Honor which he received on June 2, 2008.


All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
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Sunday, February 15, 2009

Edward & Bella-Closer

I came across this fan-made music video of (yes, of course) Edward and Bella from Twilight. It features a new favorite song of mine, "Closer", from the Kings of Leon and is so well done! I was amazed by it. Apparently the song is about a "lovesick vampire," so it works quite nicely. :)

The video is told from Edward's perspective. Beautifully done!!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Coming Soon in the Twilight World!

I haven't posted in ages, so I thought I would ease myself back into it by posting some things I am looking forward to this spring! Basically, they have everything to do with my 2008 Obsession, Twilight (books and movie, mind you!).

First of all, I am super excited for Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition). It is supposed to come out at midnight on the 20/21st of March. My sister and I are going to get it and watch it and, honestly, freak out. I cannot wait to have it in my hands. There are lots of awesome versions offered by different stores.

The common special features are:
  • Presented in widescreen format only
  • Audio commentary by Catherine Hardwicke, Kristen Stewart, and Robert Pattinson
  • Muse music video: "Super Massive Black Hole"
  • Paramore music video: "Decode"
  • Linkin Park music video: "Leave Out All the Rest"
  • Five extended scenes with director introductions
  • Five deleted scenes with director introductions
  • Seven-part documentary: "The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen"
  • Comic-Con "fandom" piece
  • Comic-Con NY sizzle reel
  • Three trailers
I can't wait to hear the commentary, featuring stars Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, and director Catherine Hardwicke. I read an interview with Catherine and she said she thought of doing a commentary with some of the technical people but decided to go with a gigglefest fun-time instead. Thank you, Catherine!

Secondly, (coming out before the dvd, but in the same week) Twilight: Director's Notebook: The Story of How We Made the Movie Based on the Novel by Stephenie Meyer by movie director Catherine Hardwicke. It looks awesome! I cannot wait to sit down and page through it. From all the actors and director have said, they seem to have had an amazing and hilarious time filming. From the description, "Designed to replicate the director’s own personal notebook that she kept on set, readers will discover the inside secrets on wardrobe, storyboard sketches, behind-the- scenes photographs, personal notes about Catherine’s favorite scenes, and much more." Fabulous!!

Here are some of my other favorite Twilight products:

The books, obviously!
Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2)
Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3)
Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)


I LOVE the soundtrack: Twilight Soundtrack I hadn't heard most of the groups on it before, but once I started listening I loved them. Rob Pattinson, who plays Edward, has one track on this version, titled "Never Think." It was written by him and a friend, Sam Bradley, a couple of years ago. It is beautiful. He has a second track, written by friends Bobby Long and Marcus Foster, on the iTunes only version. These two songs play during really special parts of the movie and add such a rich layer. Beautiful! They are all talented musicians/songwriters. The soundtrack also features Muse, Collective Soul, Linkin Park, The Black Ghosts, Paramore, and more.

I loved the score in the movie, as well, so here it is: Twilight: The Score Carter Burwell did a lovely job!

And, last but not least tonight, Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion. A really cool book full of photos and info on the movie, the actors, and everything else!

My posts on the Twilight Saga are here.
Author Stephenie Meyer's website is here.
And here are links to a couple of my favorite Twilight world websites:
Twilight Lexicon (Bella's bio here---beware spoilers!)
bellaandedward.com


Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Wednesday Hero

Oops, I've missed a few!

This Weeks Post Was Suggested And Written By Brat

Sgt. Patrick Tanish
Sgt. Patrick Tainsh
33 years old from Oceanside, California
Troop E, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
February 11, 2004
U.S. Army

Five years ago today, Sgt. Patrick Tainsh sacrificed all as the mounted unit he was part of was hit by an IED in Baghdad. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze and Sliver Stars saving the lives of his commanding officer and other soldiers before succumbing to his own wounds. Also killed in the attack was Pfc. William C. Ramirez from Portland, Oregon.

On Veteran’s Day, 2007, Deborah Tainsh, Sgt. Tainsh's mother, attended a school in Columbia, Georgia, and shared a story she had written called "A Boy Named Patrick."

Here is part of the story :

…a little boy named Patrick who loved football, beaches, surfing, and skateboarding, and especially reading. Patrick watched his dad be a Marine for over twenty years. During this time Patrick kept reading not only surfing and skateboarding magazines, but history books, too. One day when Patrick was a man, he told his dad and best friend, “I want to do something that will make a difference in the world, I’m going to be a soldier.” And so he did. And in 1999 he went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for boot camp and then went to Fort Polk, Louisiana where he worked and trained hard to become a United States Army Cavalry Scout. Then in 2003 Patrick had to say good bye to his mom and dad because he had to go fight a war in Iraq to protect his country, friends, and family from terrorists and to help fight for the freedoms of the boys and girls in that country where they and their families were treated very badly by their
country’s leader. Patrick once wrote a letter to his mom and dad telling them that he cried for the children because they were hungry and he didn’t have food to give them. He said he couldn’t understand how a country’s leader could treat the people so badly and make them live in such dirty conditions with trash and wild dogs everywhere. And so Patrick's mom and dad keep a photo in their living room of Patrick surrounded by Iraqi children.

You can read the story in it's entirety here.

Sgt Tainsh came to the military later than some, but rose through the ranks fast. In his last letter to his parents, Sgt Tainsh shared his thoughts about his mission. And in 2006, Sgt. Tainsh's mother wrote a book called Heart Of A Hawk about her son's life and her and her husband's struggles since their son was killed.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
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