J.K. Rowling's Birthday Wish - "Lumos"

Today is July 31st - a very special day in the Harry Potter world.  Today celebrate's both Harry Potter himself, as well as the incredible woman behind his story, J.K. Rowling's, birthdays.  Today would be Harry Potter's 33rd birthday.  If you want to know Jo's, just Google it ;).

In honor of her birthday, Jo asked for one thing from her fans.  She asked, that instead of sending her presents or cards, or anything else that many, many fans send to her every year, she would prefer that all of her wonderful fans donate money to her favorite charity - "Lumos".

By donating, you are helping out of one of the charities closest to Jo's heart, as well as helping provide for all the good deeds "Lumos" does.  And hey, there's a contest involved too!  They include:

Anyone who donates any amount will be entered to win:

• A signed photo of Matt Lewis
• A signed photo of Dame Maggie Smith
• A signed photo of Warwick Davis as Griphook, kindly donated by The Signature Shop
• A signed copy of Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli
• A tweet from Evanna Lynch (remember to leave your Twitter username if you'd like to be entered for this!)

Anyone who donates £5 or more will also be entered to win one of the GRAND PRIZES, which are:

• A signed copy of The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling
• A one-of-a-kind set of photographs of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, taken by Harry Potter scriptwriter Steve Kloves at the Deathly Hallows Part II premiere

So help out Jo, celebrate her's and Harry's birthday, and give a little if you can (click the photo to be taken to the page to donate)!

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Blog Challenge - Day 17

Everyday, no matter what - even though I see her all the time, live with her, spend my weekends with her, spend any kind of time with her, do things with her, go places with her...whenever I'm not with her, I miss her...so much...

I know to some people that may seem ridiculous, and possibly even weird.  Sure, I don't deny that I used to think that way about people like this as well.  But the truth is, unless you've felt this kind of love, or understand this kind of love, you don't know what you're missing.  And when you feel this kind of love, and get to be a part of this kind of love, everything becomes absolutely crystal clear.

What do I miss?  I miss her...

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Emma Watson Mouths Everyone's Lines in the Harry Potter Movies

Just found this on YouTube of an early screen test for "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone" where Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint rehearse a scene from the movie for the first time.  The cutest thing?  You can watch Emma mouthing the lines of both Dan and Rupert, as well as being able to deliver her own lines.  True to Hermione...always ♥

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The Golden Trio: Great Fan Art

I found this online last week of The Golden Trio (Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger) from the Harry Potter series, and just have to share it.  Such a well-done piece of art.  The character's personalities come right out of the artwork itself <3

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Appreciation Station: Acclaimed Lesbian Author Gerri Hill

Gerri began writing lesbian romance as a way to amuse herself while snowed in one winter in the mountains of Colorado, and hasn't looked back. Her first published work came in 2000 with One Summer Night. Many more romances have followed, with the occasional murder mystery in the mix.

Gerri’s love of nature and of being outdoors usually makes its way into her stories as her characters often find themselves in beautiful natural settings. When she isn't writing, Gerri and her longtime partner, Diane, can be found at their home in East Texas, where their vegetable garden, orchard, and five acres of woods keep them busy. They share their lives with an ever-changing cast of furry friends.

Her favorite pastimes include camping, hiking, bird-watching (though she insists she doesn't wear funny hats yet!), photography, and cooking. She collects things nature offers, like an unusual pine-cone  colorful rocks, or an abandoned bird feather. Dawn is her favorite time of day, the moment right before sunrise . . .

“I love the morning . . . the beginning of a brand new day. Because even things that we know are unattainable flutter within our grasp. In the early morning—at that cusp of a new day— everything is possible.”

My 3 Favorite Books by Gerri Hill:

Buy "Behind the Pine Curtain" and others by Gerri Hill on Amazon.  Follow the link below:

Visit her website at www.gerrihill.com

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Blog Challenge - Day 16

Ah...music.  One of the things that keeps my heart beating and my soul alive.  Here are the 10 songs on shuffle that came up on my 4,825 track Spotify account.

1. "Infiltration" from Mass Effect 2: Kasumi's Stolen Memory

2. "Once Upon A Dream" from Disney's Sleeping Beauty

3. "When We Dance" by Sting

4. "Come in With the Rain" by Taylor Swift

5. "Hand in My Pocket (Acoustic)" by Alanis Morissette

6. "Clocks" by Coldplay

7. "Night and Day" by Tony Bennett

8. "Everything's Coming Up Roses" from Gypsy (2003), sung by Bernadette Peters

9. "The Club" from The Sims: Hot Date Soundtrack

10. "Against the Wind" by Bob Seger

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Appreciation Station: Actors Breaking 4th Wall

In the world of television and movies these days, we are lead to believe and forget that these people on the screen are just actors - they are people just like you and me paid to make us believe that they are in a completely different world, a completely different persona, and a completely different life entirely than the one they live everyday outside the studio doors.  In fact, even shows filmed live in front of studio audience don't show their "bloopers" unless they are worthy enough for the DVD/Blu-Ray collection when it is released.

But there is one show that has been on for many, many years that keeps the brilliance of "Breaking 4th Wall" amongst actors live and well, and on live TV!!  Saturday Night Live is still one of the only comedy primetime shows that is shown live and in its full length without taking away the parts that make people remember that, hell, these guys are people too, and they still have a funny bone that gets tickled when their comrades make one hell of a joke.

So here's to Saturday Night Live, and the brilliance of breaking 4th wall:

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New Section!! APPRECIATION STATION: Anna Kendrick

Starting a brand new segment of the blog today - "APPRECIATION STATION".  This new section will bring forth people, places, things, acts of kindness, newsworthy information, humanity's greatest moments, and...well...just the big and little things that we should all learn to appreciate :).

We start off the section with an individual whom I find to be a compelling star of our time, Anna Kendrick. Really rising to fame in 2012 with the release of "Pitch Perfect", "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and "50/50" after her Oscar-Nominated role as Natalie in "Up in the Air" opposite George Clooney, as well as her stint as Jessica in all of the "Twilight" movies, Kendrick put her mark on the world for all to see, and has done nothing but soak up the good fortune and run with her talents.  Not only has she made her mark in the film world, but has also woken people up to her singing talents, performing the widely known "Cups" song from "Pitch Perfect", which took her all the way to making a single of the track and having a complete music video made from the song.

In addition, Anna helped lead her cast and a team of musicians to producing this video made by Mike Tompkins in which the cast of Pitch Perfect sang "Starships" (made famous by Nicki Minaj) completely acapella, along with videos of fans and singers worldwide, compiled into this one video where everyone came together over music.

And last but not least (and definitely not the end of the many reasons to appreciate Anna Kendrick), Anna participated in the "Trevor Live" concert sponsoring The Trevor Project, singing "For Good" with Kristin Chenoweth, in order to help bring to light the growing number of deaths amongst gay youths due to bullying and the hatred coursing through society these days.  Here is the performance:

All in all, keep an eye on Anna Kendrick.  I have a feeling she will be doing wonderful things during her life in the spotlight :).

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Blog Challenge - Day 15

Today's challenge - what would my Death Row Meal be?  Well, thankfully, they give you an unlimited amount to choose from, letting you have 10, 15, 30 plates of food if you ask for it.  But me?  Nah, I'm simple folk - I only chose 4 different plates ;).

1. Buffalo Wings

Buffalo Wings - one of my all-time favorite foods.  Bone-out with Frank's Red Hot Sauce.  Bring on the wings.

2. Steak

Steak - all the way.  One of my absolute favorite foods.  I'd want a 14 oz rib eye with a Chesapeake Bay marinade.  

3. Chicken Piccata

Another one of my all-time favorite foods, I especially love the capers and lemon juice smothered all over the lightly breaded chicken.  Capers alone are one of my favorite foods as well.

4. Sushi

A delicate and so yummy tasting morsel of goodness.  I love all types of sushi - from tuna to mackarel to eel to salmon (my favorite is salmon), I'll eat almost anything.  So bring on the rolls and sashimi, I'm ready for it!

Wow, I never realized how much I liked meat and protein, but it seems that my Death Row Meal would consist entirely of such. 

And, also, now I am hungry...

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Blog Challenge - Day 14

This picture is from August of last year (because we are almost in August now!) from when I went to Orlando, FL and visited the Harry Potter theme park.  I decided to try some of the butterbeer, and this was my first taste.  As you can see by my reaction, it was much sweeter than I was anticipating!

Since then, I haven't changed much really.  I'm still going to school, I'm still in love with the same person, I have changed jobs though, but I still live in the same city and have the same friends.  Not much in my life has altered.  Next year...now that may be WAY different ;)

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San Diego Comic Con's Best Moment

The San Diego Comic Con concluded this past Sunday in San Diego, CA.  Comic Con is probably the biggest nerdgasm on this Earth - celebrating super heroes, comic books, Star Trek and Star Wars, literature, video games, and so much more.  Every year, Comic Con is newsworthy, whether it be announcing a movie that will bring Batman and Superman together in 2015, or an amazing secret appearance by one of the best played villains in the world.  My favorite moment from Comic Con consists of just that - where our good friend Loki from the "Thor" and "Avengers" movies took control of Hall H to help promote "Thor: The Dark World", and it was EPIC...

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Blog Challenge - Day 13

Very often in my life, my goals have changed.  To this day, they are still changing all the time.  But nowadays, they are starting to come together.  I'm sure that some of them will still change from this point forward, but I also have a strong feeling that many will stay the same, or keep to the same variation.  So, for now, my goals are as follows:

1. Writer

I would definitely like to be a published author one day.  That is a dream I have that I think could be very obtainable if I ever get the time to sit down and write the stories in my head ;).  But I hope to one day fulfill that dream.  In the meantime, I am going to school to become a technical writer (a professional writer who designs, writes, creates, maintains, and updates technical documentation).

2. A Loving Family

I want to make sure that I have a loving and open family that is accepted wherever we chose to live.  I'm going to be a part of a "different" family seeing as my partner and I are both women bringing a child into this world and nurturing that child as two moms.  With all that could be different because of the way my family is, I only want to make sure that my child grows up well and as far away from hatred as possible.  I want my family to be loving and caring for themselves as well as those around them.

3. Take Four Vacations A Year

I don't want my work life and daily life to prevent me from having fun a few times a year, or forget the true definition of a "weekend".  I want to spend time with my family outside of our daily grind, and I want to spend time with my wife away from the kids and work schedules that we abide by most of the year.  So yes, I want to make sure I take at least 4 vacations a year to make this happen.  Some people scoff at that, and I'm sure they have their reasons to - but I will make sure it happens in my family :).

4. Live in California

I want to live in California again - most specifically Southern California, where I grew up.  I miss the people and the culture, the weather and the mindset, the climate and the adventures, the lifestyle and the beaches.  I miss it all, and I can't wait to move back.  I hope one day I will be able to.

5. Live Financially Comfortable

I think it is every person's dream to have lots of money in their lives, to be able to spend and buy and take care of things without the hassle of worrying about budgets and finances, etc.  I am one of those people - however, I don't want to be "rich" per se.  I would like to be able to live comfortably.  I would like to be able to pay the bills, buy nice things, take care of my family, and take vacations - without the worry of breaking the bank.  I would like to be able to have money readily available if something were to happen, or something were to go wrong - have the money to jet off to a foreign country at a moment's notice to address something within my family or just take a trip - have money to lend to my family if something happens to them or they are in a time of need.  Those types of things.  I don't want to drive a BMW or own a yacht, but I would love to have a nice house in a beautiful area, and the means in which to live life to the fullest, without having to worry whether my life is going to fit into my budget.

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Sharing is Caring - Video Games: "Mass Effect" Trilogy

My favorite game series of all-time - beating out "Grand Theft Auto", "Fable", "Assassin's Creed", and yes, even "Halo" - Mass Effect, a 3 part trilogy (so far) about space exploration, saving the lives of all of the species of the universe, and how the vast world of space around us is really full of surprises.

When playing Mass Effect, there are a few things you need to decide when starting the game, and then how you play from there on out.

1.

First off:  Are you going to play the main character (Commander Shepard) as a female (voiced by Jennifer Hale) or a male (voiced by Mark Meer) character?  YEP!  It's true!  You get to pick!  And everything can be played similarly as one or the other, or very, very different.  

So - are you FemShep or BroShep?

2.

What kind of warrior will you be?  Will you be evil (renegade) and represent a conniving, brash, angered soul (the red side)?  Or will you be compassionate (paragon) and represent a justified, equal, and sympathetic character (the blue side)?  The choice is up to you, and you can change anywhere in the game depending on the option you choose.  Every option that you have presented to you makes you more renegade, or more paragon.  The consequences and rewards of both depend on your choices, and changes the whole scheme of the game.

So - are you Renegade or Paragon?

3.

Who are you going to fall in love with?  In Mass Effect, there is a romance option, and boy - the options are endless!!  Whether you are FemShep or BroShep, you can choose from many different characters - and you can choose to be gay or straight!  How cool is that?!  All the romance options lead you in a different direction for the entire length of the story.  And you can have different romances in each game (ME 1, 2, and/or 3).  But if you stay with one person throughout the whole series, you get special rewards and bonuses throughout.

So - who will it be?

And last, but not least...4.

!!SPOILER ALERT!! There comes a time in the first part of the series where you must choose a character to have stay with you, and one to go and handle a mission on their own.  Unfortunately, the individual who takes the separate mission...never comes back.  Therefore, you must make the decision as to which character you want to live on in your game.  And it stays that way throughout all 3 games of the series.  Both soldiers  both talented with weapons and combat, both geniuses in their work.  But which one stays with you for the game, and which one goes on to live in infamy?

So - is it Kaidan or Ashley?

The entire series is INCREDIBLE.  Take a look as some screenshots from all three games below:

The 3 Covers

The FemShep character in Mass Effect 1 (top), Mass Effect 2 (middle), and Mass Effect 3 (bottom)

Ashley Williams

Kaidan Alenko

Garrus Valkarian

Jack

Joker

Tali vas Normandy

Miranda Lawson

Liara T'Soni

The Normandy Ship and the Citadel - the "homes" of the game

A wonderful game that every gamer should try once in their life...

*Rated M for Mature*

Buy the entire Mass Effect Trilogy in one set on Amazon.  Follow the link below:

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Blog Challenge: Day 12

These days, it's become the norm that if my head weren't attached to me at the neck, I'd probably forget it whenever I left the house!  Yet somehow, 98% of the time, I manage to always remember the following things when I head out the front door:

1. iPhone 5

What can I say?  I'm a child of my generation.  Yes - I'm addicted to my smartphone, and there is a rare, RARE chance that I ever leave it at home when I go out.  The only times I usually leave the device at home are when I am doing it on purpose, or if it is charging from a long day of use already done.  I like having the ability to look up any piece of information instantaneously if I need to, or text my fiancee that I am on my way home and does she want me to pick up dinner, or make that phone call I've been meaning to make all day but haven't been able to do because I've been at work.  It comes in handy constantly, and I rarely go anywhere without it.

2. My Debit Card

The old American Express slogan was "American Express - Never Leave Home Without It" - and I've done just that with my debit card.  Though it may not be an American Express card, I still always make sure to have it with me when I'm out and about.  Making sure I have access to money and cash when needed is something that is important in life, for those "just in case" times.  This and my ID never leave the same spot right next to each other in my pocket holder for those and few other cards I carry around with me (health insurance card, metro card, etc.).

3. Engagement Ring

This is a new addition to my "Never Leave Home Without It" items.  Since being proposed to in late May of this year, I have worn my engagement ring every single day, and now it feels like it is a part of me.  When I do take it off (to wash my hands, etc.), it feels like there is a big empty space on my finger, and I can actually feel it's absence.  Come October, it will be this ring as well as the wedding band - and I'm so excited! :)

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