When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella’s life—first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse—seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed… forever?

The astonishing, breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn illuminates the secrets and mysteries of this spellbinding romantic epic that has entranced millions.

Download : Breaking Dawn

I didn’t see “Twilight” when it first came out. I was browsing the dvd rack at Blockbuster and came across it. I like vampire movies so I figured it would be worth a shot, although I wasn’t sure if it would be just another teeny bopper movie.

The movie was great. I loved the story of Bella and Edward. I loved watching Edward’s struggle between loving and killing Bella. It was such a bizarre twist to a romance story.

I didn’t really get into the books at first. I was in Walmart and came across the first book in the series and decided that it might be worth the $8 it cost me. The book made me fall in love with the series. I haven’t been able to put them down. Right now I’m on “New Moon” but almost finished. I’ll be reading “Eclipse” shortly after that since I bought it as a Christmas present for myself.

It is hard to compare a book to a movie. The book is always more detailed, and you can use your imagination more. But the actors become the characters to you. I still imagine Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart when I read the books.

I do have a few quams with the story. Bella needs to man up, atleast in the books. She acts and is treated like a paper doll. Her character is tougher in the movies. She also needs some self esteem. Yes he’s the love of her life, but she’s only 17. There will be others, atleast in reality there would be. Men come and go.

I hope that the teenage audience can tell the difference between reality and fantasy and realize that life doesn’t have to revolve around a boy. But we are human and sometimes we do just what these characters do. We metaphorically jump off cliffs for the ones we love. We stare down danger to save them if we must.

Breaking Dawn seems like a daunting task as the book is over 700 pages. But I’m not there yet. For now I’m going to enjoy the fantasy that Stephanie Meyers has created and see where it goes.

It’s  Christmas day! And we have SNOW! Tons of it… I’m actually one heck of a snow hater, but I can deal on Christmas day. It’s kinda awesome. I couldn’t remember the last time we had a white Christmas in good ole MO.. But then a friend of mine, who’s a month younger than I am, posted a Facebook status saying she was excited about seeing her first white Christmas. I didn’t think it had been that long, but we moved here 8 years ago… so the last white Christmas I saw, was most likely in the last city we lived in! SO anywhooo… it’s been awhile! And today we’re getting a LOT. We’re actually under a blizzard warning right now. I’m sure the roads are covered. And we can’t see the grass anymore. I would go out in it to take pictures, if I wasn’t scared! haha.

The other day I was at my friend’s house, watching The Holiday (You know… the one with Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law?). The story was set around Christmastime and Kate Winslet wished someone a “Happy Christmas”. Instantly, my best friend and I said “I HATE it when people say that”. Then she jinxed me… and even though I was supposed to stay silent until someone said my name… I didn’t. For some reason, (that I can only guess is due to the fact that I’ve grown up, hearing and saying “merry Christmas”), I hate it when British people say “Happy Christmas”. Although… If I wasn’t partial to either one in particular, using the term ‘happy’ as opposed to ‘merry’ sounds more American to me. And ‘merry’ just sounds more English-like. (over-clarification.. got it.)  Maybe that’s only me! Either way, when I hear “Happy Christmas” I always think of Harry Potter. Without fail. I saw this incredible time turner necklace, that someone posted a picture of on DailyBooth…. and I WANT it. It’s like this… http://www.noblecollection.com/catalog/product.cfm?id=NN7878&catID=0 Beautiful, huh?

Well… I’m gonna end this here post. I have books to read! I got The Last Song from my bestie and My Sister’s Keeper and Breaking Dawn from my parents! Also… I got some dvds, such as The Proposal and The Family Stone! And a huge coffee mug from my older sister to sip coffee and hot cocoa out of.. So. I have plenty to do today! (:

Don’t forget the reason for the season! (Yes, I find that term somewhat tacky, but I have no better way of putting it! I mean. Really. That pretty much says it.) Not just celebrating Jesus’ birth, but remembering the reason for Him coming.. ultimately being, to die on the cross and save us from our sinful selves/ways. His love for us is SO great. And it amazes me, every time I think of it.

Have a Merry Christmas, and keep warm! (:

Merry Christmas!!
I found this LONG but neat poem of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas but it’s a Twilight version of it. Check it out here, or read below! Please comment! Thank you!

But be careful! This poem spoils Breaking Dawn – the fourth book in the Twilight Saga!

‘Twas the night before Christmas in the house of Cullen,
All were quite busy, no one was sullen.
Emmet downed a pine with just one blow,
Which Alice had decorated so grand, don’t you know!
Only one stocking was hung up tonight,
For a child named Renesmee, who squealed with delight!
For this celebration was made for one cause;
The arrival of none other than Santa Claus.

Back at the cottage, with paper and bows, Bella wrapped presents for Nessie…with Rose.
Delighted, that now, they were sisters, so dear;
It’s amazing what happened in just one short year.
Charlie and Sue, engaged, now, to marry,
Were also quite busy, no time to tarry.
Charlie cursed quietly under his breath.
They still couldn’t leave. Where were Leah and Seth?
When, finally, Sue’s two kids did arrive,
With the car fully loaded, they pulled out of the drive.
It seemed kind of silly to leave break of dawn,
But he wouldn’t argue, no, not Charlie Swan.

Carlisle and Esme were cooking up stuff,
But with werewolves coming, would there be quite enough!
Folks soon would arrive, but one thing to do first;
Go on a hunt to make sure there’s no thirst.
Alice could see that they still had one hour,
Which was plenty of time for some deer to devour.

Edward drove up with wrapped presents galore,
Brought some in the house, then went back for more.
“This time,” he thought, “she’ll accept what I give…
She’s my Bella, my wife, for as long as we live.”
On the back porch, Nessie did what she oughta,
For the reindeer, she put a big bowl of water.
Next to the tree, on a cloth made of silk,
For Santa, some cookies and a tall glass of milk.

Candles were lit and the tables were set
For a Christmas morning none would forget.
The music was playing. There were lights on the trees.
The house would be found with the greatest of ease.
The guests were arriving. All Cullens were there
To greet their new friends and wish holiday cheer.
People were laughing and eating the food.
Even Leah was in a good mood.
If one looked at Jasper, they’d see a broad smile;
He’d keep Leah happy, at least for awhile!

Only one person seemed very sad.
Renesmee said, “Mama, I must have been bad.
Santa should be here, but where is his sled?
Has he gone to see other children instead?”
“Hey, Renesmee,” said Emmet, “what’s all that noise?
Could that be Santa Claus, bringing you toys?”
Nessie ran to the window. All talking did pause.
For there in the yard was dear old Santa Claus.
Instead of reindeer, eight wolves pulled the sled.
By a ninth wolf, in front, the others were led.
“It’s Rudolph, Mama!” and Bella smiled back.
For the wolf, with the red nose, was Jacob Black.
With tears in her eyes, she thought, “Oh, that boy!
He’d do just about anything to bring Nessie joy.”
Suddenly, Santa was gone…that was weird.
He was now in the house with red suit and beard.
His eyes, how they twinkled. He carried a sack.
If you looked very closely, you’d see Billy Black.
Then Paul and Embry and others were there.
Soon, Quil arrived, carrying Clare.

It was a time full of happiness…no one was sad.
A celebration that good triumphed bad.
A time to put old issues to rest,
As each saw the other for their very best.
Then, Carlisle and Billy looked very mysterious.
“We have something to say, and it’s really quite serious.
Loyalty proven…It wasn’t an act.
And the time is right for a brand new pact.
Quileutes and Cullens exist hand in hand,
Free to walk on the other’s land.
If ever we’re threatened, with death, by others,
We’ll all stand together…sisters and brothers.”

With emotion filled comments and tears in some eyes,
People were hugging and saying goodbyes.
Cars, loaded with gifts, food, and holiday cheer,
All promised to be on hand next year.
“Renesmee is snoring, so we’d better go;
But Carlisle and Esme, I want you to know
I love you so much.” Bella said, so sincere.
“Before we go, let me make this quite clear.
The decision to change was mine from the start,
No need for another…your son IS my heart.”

Hands clasped together, Bella and Ed
Carried Nessie home, and put her to bed
“She’s perfect,” he said, “but then, so are you.
Who would have guessed, after all I’ve been through,
That I would have love and a life filled with bliss.”
Then he hugged her and gave her the most tender kiss.
Of course, there was more…’twas a night full of passion.
But, I’ll tell you the rest in Stephenie fashion.
The love that they shared was honest and true.
Having said that, MERRY CHRISTMAS to you!

Somebody please tell me I spelt “negligent” correctly in my title; I’m too lazy to check the dictionary right now.

Having said that, you most likely won’t be surprised to hear me say that I’ve been “neglectful” in other areas lately as well.

1. I haven’t posted anything truly meaningful to this blog lately.  Like most, I set out with the goal of updating my blog fairly often.  It’s nice to dream, isn’t it?
2. I originally got a BlackBerry so that I could keep on top of my electronic communication.  I find that now, I actually fall behind on getting back to people.  That was a costly miscalculation, let me tell ya’. 
3. Did I tell you I got a new BlackBerry about a month ago?  I guess not, otherwise I wouldn’t be telling you how negligent I am.  I snatched up the new Bold 9700.  I love it.  I love the trackpad.  I love the added memory.  I love the media player.  I love the updated OS.  I love it so much that I’m too lazy to take a picture of it right now.  Get back to me on this one.
4. I got a cool tan.
5. I have chronic startitis.  I have so many knitting projects going right now, it’s just dispicable.  Off the top of my head (there’s more, I just can’t remember them all without referrencing my Ravelry logs), I have seven UFO’s.  I’d go through each of the projects in detail, but as I mentioned in bullet number three, let’s not and say we did.
6. Zoe has luxating patellas.  Don’t be lazy – look it up.
7. My foils took almost five hours to complete last Saturday.  Only cool people have yellow hair.

And on that note, I bid you adieu.

Snap, hold on.  There was something else I wanted to say:

• Sony’s Reader store is misbehaving.  Technically everything’s OK.  Pricing-wise, they definitely aren’t cooperating with my plans.  I’ve finished Eclipse.  A couple weeks ago, Breaking Dawn was being sold as a separate eBook.  Last night I find out they have bundled all four books, and I can’t purchase Breaking Dawn separately anymore.  I’m not happy.  I’m not happy that they didn’t take me and my needs into consideration before coming up with this “bundle” thing.  I’m so unhappy that I’m going over to the Reader store right now to purchase the Twilight bundle for triple what I was expecting to pay for one book. 
• I’m  a little embarrassed to admit it, but I’m hooked on the Twilight series.

OK, I’m done. 

Stephenie Meyer – AP Photo

Today, the lovely and talented Stephenie Meyer turns thirty-six years young.

Stephenie Meyer, creator of the world of Twilight, has a story that her fans know like the backs of their hands – from the inspiring dream that made it all happen to her very favorite bands that helped inspire putting the saga down on paper.

Meyer initially wrote Twilight as a way, she said to Oprah, of “spending time in this fantasy world.” Little did she know, the stories floating in her head (and subsequently flowing onto paper) would become one of the most sought after franchises in modern literature.

Ever since, her name has become beyond household and her stories have become little pieces of treasure to her fans. Additionally, Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series has become a groundbreaking film franchise (with Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse already complete).

Through it all, Meyer has maintained her composure and grace, and she serves as a fascinating role model for those interested in the world of writing. To put it plainly, Meyer is a shining display of the once-thought-lost “American Dream.”

So, happy birthday to Stephenie Meyer – creator, queen, princess, and mother of all things Twilight!

Examiner

It’s 6:06 am and I am still awake. I am trying to find some sense in me to go to sleep but I haven’t exactly been doing so well in the “sleeping department”. Where’s the Sandman when you need him? My sleeping arrangements are all fucked up and that’s so not cool. I don’t know why I am like this either. Another symptom of winter break perhaps? Sleeplessness; I am a nocturnally ill insomniac.

I figure that I’d sleep when I’m 6 feet deep in the earth.

Not to be grim or anything but I’m just saying. By the way, today’s Christmas Eve. That’s swell. I am cherishing the moment. I wish this Christmas season would last much longer but we all know that can’t be the case. This jolly season has kept my spirits up, I wish it’d never end. It almost feels like I have been living in a fairy tale and I’d hate to get back to reality. Holidays, especially Christmas, need to come around more often.

Ummm, I guess I am gonna try to get some kind of sleep now. This is ridiculous how I am still awake. I need to fix this bad habit. Goodnight folks.

Be back in about 6-9 hours (:

Edward wishes you a merry Christmas

Yep, I said this post is about nonsense. Cause I guess it might be considered nonsense to spend your time photoshopping Santa hats on basically every Twilight character… Whatevs, I don’t care, cause it was fun! But honestly, have you ever asked yourself how the wolfpack celebrates? Or the Cullens? Yeah, I know it is Christmas in Breaking Dawn, but they wait for the Volturi to arrive so that hardly counts as a typical Cullen Christmas… Well, Zelda and I had a little ICQ conversation yesterday evening about all our favorite / not so favorite Twi-characters. Basically because I wanted to post the pictures so bad but didn’t really know what to write about. But just like everything we do together it ended up being hilarious. And of course, because we’re awesome like that, we’re gonna share everything with you!

The wolfpack wishes you a merry Christmas

The wolfpack: All the wolf-guys (I’m not writing their names here, cause I always forget one and then can’t remember who it is and then get annoyed… sorry) and Billy and Sue Clearwater with our Ladies-man Charlie all celebrate at Emily’s. And because Emily is simply amazing she does it Mama Soul style, starts two days early and in the end manages to somehow get at least two tons of super delicious food onto the dinner table without breaking it. And you know she’ll need it cause Sam, Jacob, Paul and the rest love to eat her food! They’ll make wolf-jokes the whole evening long and that’s where Charlie starts to feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. And because he remembers that one time Jacob got naked in front of him and then phased very clearly, he bought new underwear for all of them. To prevent himself from getting a Harry Clearwater heart-attack if he should ever see a bunch of naked Indian boys running through the woods while he’s on his Chief Swan duty. Yes, Charlie’s awesome like that!

The Cullens wish you a merry Christmas

The Cullens: Alice will become the Christmas nazi (fake prize for the first one who knows where that one’s from) and force everyone to help decorating the house aka putting up lights and candles and huge Christmas trees in every free spot in the whole Cullen mansion. They’ll have a huge mountain lion for dinner at Esme’s favorite table. Rosalie will be the Christmas bitch handing everyone’s present over with the words “Alice picked it out”. And Bella will just be her whiny annoying self muttering nd complaining about the snow and the weather and the celebration… cause honestly, this girl hates parties… and sometimes (okay, most of the time) annoys the shit out of me.

Our Christmas guest Jacob aka Taylor Lautner and his abs wish you a very merry Christmas

That’s probably the reason why Edward will spend Christmas here with me at Mama Souls. And because he’s so damn polite he’ll eat everything she serves without complaining once. And then he’ll taste Zelda’s self-made mousse au chocolate. And because he’s awesome and loves us he’ll bring Jacob over a bit as well. And then it’s a real party ifyouknowwhatimean!

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Wanna see the one where Zelda and I are wearing Santa hats? Cause yes, I made that one as well… and I’ll show you tomorrow, promise! Oh, and before I forget, I know we can’t compete with Taylor’s abs but we wish you a very merry Christmas as well! And that everyone gets a Edward action figure or a lifesized Jacob cut-out plus everything else on your wish list for Christmas!

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Off to celebrate and kwop kilawtley everyone (cause yes, we love all of our readers… or whatever else it is that Jacob says… )

Saveyoursoul

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How do you think the Edward, Jacob and Co. would celebrate Christmas? Anything we forgot? Anything Twi-related on your wish list? Let us know in the comments or via e-mail! Oh, and have you seen our fantabulous Kwop Kilawtley Contest? Go and participate NOW! Thanks!

(images: google; Santa hats: me)

“Was this the face that launched a thousand ships
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.”
- Christopher Marlowe in Doctor Faustus

It was the story that had  historical roots based on an event that occurred between 1194-1184 BC. Legend has it, three goddesses quarreled over who was most beautiful and left this judgment to Paris, prince of Troy. After Hera bribed him with ruling all of Asia and Athena bribed him with fighting skills and the best warriors, Paris ultimately chose Aphrodite. She bribed him with the most beautiful woman on the planet: Helen, queen of Sparta. King Menelaus of Sparta, as possessive as he was, sought for the return of his wife. And thus, the tragic Trojan war began.

Helen returning with Menelaus. Photo Credit: About.com

About three thousand years later, the classic story of two men fighting for the love of one woman–a “trophy” woman–hasn’t changed…that much. Instead, it’s taken more mythical proportions. With the “Twilight” series, a vampire and a werewolf (actually, he was a shape shifter) fought for the love of Bella Swan, the “trophy.” It’s interesting that “Bella” is the Italian word for “beautiful.” But is Bella really that beautiful? I have to be very careful here. I wouldn’t want to get bitten by what I write.

You see, less than a week ago, I took on a perilous journey. I did what not many men have done before: I read the “Twilight” series. My fraternity brothers have asked me to turn in my man card and are prepared to throw me off the cliff of the Hills of Westwood. The women in my life believe that I am incredibly sensitive and courageous for even daring to read the books. And me? I wanted to understand women. I wanted to understand why they love this darn book so much. I didn’t understand why they would cry, why they would scratch, and why they would wait for days when the second movie came out. I’ve never read the books, but like most men, I knew to hate it. It was something that men had to do–had to hate the things of women because if we didn’t, we would be seen as weak. I guess it’s one of those men vs. women thing that we men are taught. Nevertheless, I wanted to understand women, and one way to understand them is by the stories they tell–stories women make for other women.

Yes, I know that Stephanie Meyers targeted this book to young teenage girls. That’s probably why I couldn’t stand the two books. It was so slow, so filled with relationships. So soap opera. So blah! I couldn’t bear reading the first chapter, let alone the entire series. But the last two books had something that men love: blood and guts. Perhaps that’s why I related so much to this half. There was a story of war, of strategy, and of chivalry. There were description about the thrill of the hunt, of working in a pack. These are things that men love, and perhaps this (at least in the perspective of one woman) is what women still desire in men despite feminist attempts. But that’s for a later post on masculinity in “Twilight.”

This post is about Bella Swan, the supposed heroine of the series. I said earlier that I had to be careful when talking about Bella and her beauty. You see, after reading pages after pages of how Edward (the vampire) was beautiful, how he should be a model, how he looked like he was cut from marble, and how he was like a Greek god, and how Jacob (the werewolf/shape shifter) was 6′7″, copper skin, huge, and muscular, I still had no idea what Bella looked like. I didn’t know whether she was a “Helen,” whether she had the “face that launched a thousand ships.” I know, you think I’m shallow, but I’m looking at it through a guy’s perspective. Two guys wouldn’t fight for her if the woman wasn’t beautiful in their eyes. Sorry, it just had to be said, but I compromised by saying “in their eyes.” Beauty is relative, right? Maybe. All I knew of Bella is fair skinned and has brown hair and eyes, that she’s a child of divorced parents, that her birthday is some time in September, and that she’s 5′4″. I later learned there’s a reason for her lack of description. Meyers left the description vague because she wanted it to be easier for girls to insert themselves as Bella.  So if girls are supposed to walk in Bella’s shoes, then perhaps Bella is the heroine of the story, a far cry from damsel in distress, right? Hmm…

The Cullens with Bella. Photo Credit Twilight Review

There have been many articles criticizing Meyers for being anti-feminist by how Meyers writes Bella’s. I’ll admit, Bella seems to enjoy the kitchen, doing all the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry for her town head sheriff father, Charlie. But surely, if she enjoys it, it isn’t a bad thing, right? I can hear the women in my life groan in unison. Come on Gio, we’re heading to 2010, NOT 1910. I think she’s more melodramatic than real-life teenage girls. So should girls really look up to this fictional character or admire what she does?

I’ve gotten a lot of No’s. It seems that many guys and some girls just hate her. Just Google “Reasons to hate Bella” or “I hate Bella” and you’ll see why this post is titled the way it is. And I for one have never wanted to slap a girl until I read about Bella. If she was a real girl, I’d probably slap her a couple times for her own good. If girls like to think they are her, then there’s a lot of girls I need to slap some sense into. I fear for the youth of this world, especially if they start acting out. Here’s my reason:

10. She doesn’t pay any attention to her friends. Being the new kid in school isn’t easy. But here, she’s surrounded by a circle of friends who actually give her the time of day and who actually like her

9. She almost dies several times, but doesn’t. She should just die–as in her character should never have seen the light of day. Okay, I’m not that sadistic. It would be better if she was able to redeem herself. All she does is complain and complain–”woe is me” crap. She puts herself in danger to get some kind of high. Leave that stuff to the daredevils.

8. She’s in love with a killer. Yes, that’s what vampires do…kill. You’re just asking for it. See #6.

7. She’s so selfish. She puts other people’s lives in danger. She doesn’t think about how her relationship affects the people who love her. See #6.

6. She kept a life-threatening secret from her dad. I know, I know, I sound like a parent. Teens keep secrets from their parents all the time. But this is life-threatening. Edward mentioned several times that he could kill her. She’s dating a guy who has the potential to kill her–who wants to kill her because her blood is so appetizing. You shouldn’t keep these kinds of secrets away from your parents. Especially, when the people that are associated with your boyfriend (i.e., all those other blood-thirsty vampires) can kill your parents.

5. She doesn’t have any life goals except just being with Edward. See #3 for more clarification. Your life shouldn’t revolve around another person. Take care of yourself first.

4. She pressures guys to have sex. This was an interesting gender-role reversal to me, and not that I’m applying that it should be guys who pressure girls to have sex. No one should pressure anyone to do anything they don’t want. But let me remind girls the power of saying “No.” If a guy doesn’t want to, quit tempting him. If you expect respect to go both ways, then do so. And, you’re a little too easy–you want it too much. That doesn’t say much about you as a character.

3. She can’t do anything without her Edward. She was depressed over a guy for almost half a year. That’s a good reason to slap some sense into someone. If you are that obsessed over a guy, you have issues. You couldn’t do anything without this guy. This girl is so clingy! You certainly do not find your identity in another guy. You need to know who you are first!

2. She uses guys. Not a big deal, right? Girls use guys all the time. We all know that she used Jacob. Clearly this is a guy who cares a lot about the girl, and all she does is lead him on. Guys hate being led on. Meyers writes it in a way as if it’s okay for girls to do this because Jacob just keeps coming back.

1. She’s so whiny! Come on Bella. You complain about the world so much. As the saying goes, “B*@&$ please!” Your life is not so bad. Even if you complain about being part of a divorced family, you’ve got two parents who love you a lot. That’s more than some people in this world.

Dear Youth of this World,

It’s okay to like the “Twilight” series. Just don’t think the real world should be like that. And certainly do not behave recklessly like Bella Swan. Perhaps that’s the only redeeming value of the character–that she is an example of what NOT to become. Your identity should not rest whole-heartedly on one-person. When that person dies or goes away, then who are you? You are your own person. You need to find your identity first before committing to a relationship.

I am thankful that Kristen Stewart did a tame version of Bella–maybe it’s because Stewart can’t act. I’m not fond of her. However, I’m glad that Stewart’s Bella isn’t as whiny as it is in the book. If she was whiny, I probably would’ve thrown popcorn and soda at the screen.

This public announcement best describes what I feel about Bella and young girls who want to be her.

Anna Kendrick has always excelled at playing the smartest person in the room, and one who you definitely want to watch your back around. We were introduced to Kendrick in her big-screen debut, Todd Graff’s Camp in 2003, when she played young teen actress wannabe Fritzi Wagner in a notable supporting role. Described by one adult character in the film as a “scary little girl,” Wagner begins the story as a mousy sidekick to blonde theater star diva Jill (Alana Allen), but then manages to quite literally push Jill off the stage in a fierce All About Eve-style turnaround. In 2007, Kendrick won critical acclaim for her work as manipulative high school debate champion Ginny Ryerson in Rocket Science. Like Fritzi Wagner, Ginny Ryerson had a freaky air of intelligence well beyond her years, and she also had bite. The character reminded a bit of Reese Witherspoon’s Tracy Flick in Election from a decade earlier, except that Ginny felt considerably more dangerous. In a Godzilla vs. Mothra battle between these two high school over-achievers, Ginny Ryerson would have eaten Tracy Flick whole.

Director Jason Reitman notes Rocket Science as the film where he first learned of Kendrick, and consequently, he started writing the role of Natalie Keener in his new film Up in the Air for her. Says Reitman of Kendrick after watching her in Rocket Science, “I thought she was simply incredible, different from any actress her age. She has a completely unique voice.” The voice of Kendrick is, in fact, very fresh in her generation of actors, and her work in Up in the Air is the showcase her career has been waiting for.

Up in the Air stars George Clooney as a corporate down-sizer named Ryan Bingham who fires people for a living. Kendrick’s Natalie is a young upstart at Ryan’s company who has come up with an efficiency plan whereby these firings can be done via teleconferencing, rather than in person, to save costs. Natalie is consequently sent on the road with Clooney’s Ryan to learn what it is like to fire people face-to-face, and she has an unexpected life turn along the way. The role of Natalie is a breakthrough for the actress, because it showcases her penchant for playing characters with icy intelligence and ambition, but Natalie also has an arc which smashes that ice and delves into the personality forces that drive such a person. Without revealing too much, Natalie is ultimately revealed to be very human, with a real heart, and Kendrick runs with the role, possibly all the way to an Academy Award nomination, as she is currently making the predictions list of just about every Oscar handicapper in town.

Kendrick has also been seen (by just about everyone on earth) in her role as Jessica in the Twilight Saga of films. She will also appear soon in director Edgar Wright’s film adaptation of the graphic novel Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Jason Reitman has said that he wrote the role of Natalie with you in mind, but you did, in fact, have to read for it also. I know that was the case with Vera Farmiga as well.

Anna Kendrick: Yeah, but, I mean, it made a little more sense with me, than it did with Vera, just because I’m not famous. I’m not a name. I’m sure they could’ve gotten anybody they wanted, and I had to kind of prove myself to people who had doubts, I guess. In the end, I guess, I’m glad that I had to go in and prove that I had the goods, because otherwise I would’ve just gone into the movie being unsure that he really wanted me, and thinking, you know, “Couldn’t somebody else have done it better?” [laughs]

This is a character that in a lesser writer-director’s – or actor’s – hands could have been fairly one-note, but Natalie has a full arc.

It’s a really rare thing to find a role this meaty for a girl in her twenties. Yeah, she’s really complicated and really messed up, and that’s sort of what I love about her [laughs]. I think a lot of roles for young women are, like, you know, the girl that the guy falls in love with, and she doesn’t actually do anything other than, I dunno, understand him, or something [laughs]. And it’s really nice to have this character who has so many good qualities, but also so many flaws.

(Anna Kendrick, above, in UP IN THE AIR.)
The scene where Natalie really comes into her own character-wise is when she has the conversation with Vera Farmiga’s Alex about the qualities they look for in a man. Let’s talk about the shooting of that. What type of rehearsals were done?

We didn’t do any rehearsals, actually, although that was my audition scene, and it was Vera’s audition scene also. I knew that….Jason said it was his favorite scene in the script, and so, having auditioned with it, I had basically thought it out, you know, from kind of every angle, almost to a point where I was worried that I oversaturated myself with that scene [laughs].

How did the atmosphere on the set change when Chris Weitz was brought in as the new director for the second film?

People ask if there was more pressure on the second one, but I think there was a sense that we’d done something right, and as long as we didn’t, you know, go nuts, that fans would probably respond in a similar way, and that actually provided a relatively stress-free set. And Chris is just cool as a cucumber, and literally, it feels just like you’re hanging out, and then occasionally, you shoot a scene, and then you go back to hanging out. So that was actually shockingly stress-free.

It seems like it must be a great way to experience the whole Twilight thing the way you have. You don’t have to carry the series, but are still a part of it.

In a bazaar in U.P. a few days ago, I spied a stall selling hard-to-find-tomes in mint condition, sold for at least 50% off their original prices. Books make me crazy. Powerbooks, Fully Booked, National Bookstore, Booksale and those curious stalls at the Marikina Shoe Expo–I go, collect and endure the rashes that erupt in my skin from breathing and touching dust.

This bazaar wasn’t dusty and the books were awesome! I couldn’t resist scooping up Night by Elie Wiesel, a collection of short stories and tales by Anne Frank (as in Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl), Bride of the Far Side by Gary Larson and the Calvin and Hobbes Yukom Ho collection. The book collecting madness didn’t end there and I blame True Blood for this!

I said a couple of blogs ago that Dead Until Dark, the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series from which the HBO hit True Blood is based on, isn’t a good read. I still stand by that declaration but the next books in the series (I’m currently reading Definitely Dead) aren’t bad at all.

Maybe Eric Northman had something to do with it. Or Alexander Skarsgard. But if you’re into vampires, go ahead and read Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian. Charlaine Harris’ Sooke Stackhouse novels are a fun read, and you can skip the Twilight series. I promise.

I’m probably the only adult who’s concerned about how people my age and older are still going gaga over Edward Cullen. Expressing judgement without going through the thing isn’t something I do, so I read all four books. Trust me, I don’t know what all the hype is about. Yes, it’s toe-curling for teenagers because Stephenie Meyer wrote those books for that age market. It’s just a litte off how adults are Team Edward or Team Jacob.

Maybe it’s because I can’t turn off certain brain cells, and that’s why I don’t drool, hyperventilate, whatever over Edward Cullen. Or maybe it’s because my brother is named Edward, or that the vampire is a one-hundred-and-one-year-old virgin. Suddenly, Steve Carrell losing it at forty doesn’t seem so bad.

To be honest, I don’t get the appeal of vampires. They can’t go outdoors except at night, so you can’t go to the beach where he can salivate over your bodacious bod in a teeny-weeny bikini. He’s on a liquid diet, and it just blows that you will always eat more. At the back of your mind, you’ll plagued with thoughts about how he thinks you’re a pig for going through a cheeseburger and fries guilt-free. He won’t ever gain weight while you’re always hovering towards size 12.

And they’re broody. Tormented. Emo, even. Ugh. I have a strong suspicion that vampires are the sort to always talk about feelings. You’ll be talking dirty and he’ll find some way to squeeze in misery there. And he’s cold. And he’ll always see you as food. To help him alleviate that temptation, your accessories are limited to crucifixes or silver. How fun.

I wish more writers will write about other mythical creatures. And I don’t mean werewolves either. So far, only Umberto Eco has penned stuff about angels and demons. But what about changelings? Mermaids? Gods? Now that, I would happily collect.

I was watching E!’s show 10 Vampires We Love shortly after I came home from watching New Moon. The show was a countdown of the vampires that the people of E! like. I’ll include the list at the end of this post. Anyway, I have a bone to pick with who they chose to be on the list. I noticed that the list didn’t include, in my opinion, a variety of vampires, and the fact that all, except one, of the vampires are from movies or tv shows that came out within the last ten years. Anyway, what I mean by the lack of variety is that four of the vampires came from two different sources. I find it biased like how this post is. The reason that I have a problem is that they didn’t include other vampires like Henry Fitzpatrick from Blood Ties, Mick St. John from Moonlight or any of the vampires from the Vampire Chronicles or The Lost Boys. I don’t think it’s right to put a relatively unknown vampire like Santinico Pandemonium or Dracula from Dracula 2000 on a list like 10 Vampires We Love when there are better qualified vampires out there.

10. Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore
9. Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen
8. David Boreanaz as Angel
7. Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton
6. Selma Hayek as Santanico Pandemonium
5. Gerard Butler as Dracula in Dracula 2000
4. Wesley Snipes as Blade
3. Kate Beckinsale as Selene
2. Alexander Skarsgaard as Eric Northman
1. Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen

Originally posted on Great Stories, 18 September 2008

Given that the web is awash with reviews and comments about Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, it seems almost superfluous for me to weigh in to the discussion.

However, I’ve spent more than 2,300 pages and the past three weeks working my way through the four books, so to not discuss them would seem a waste!

Now, I know people either love or hate this series, so I’ll say upfront I generally enjoyed the overall experience (and yes, I hear the ink-stained toe-poker howl in pain).

For me the first book, Twilight, remains the best from a tight storytelling perspective (perhaps not surprisingly, it is also the shortest). New Moon and Eclipse develop the mythology and progress the story arcs that all come together Breaking Dawn, the fourth book.

At the core of the series is the romance between teenage Bella and her impossibly attractive classmate Edward, who also happens to be a vampire. Edward and his “family” have chosen to abstain from biting and killing humans, but Bella’s blood is so appealing to Edward, that even though he loves her, he’s terrified he’ll kill her if he loses control.

Their relationship is one of restraint and longing, filling the pages with sexual tension. As the story progresses, particularly in the third book, the focus becomes on Bella’s growing desire to become a vampire, which Edward opposes.

For those who haven’t read the books (and yes, they still exist), I won’t spoil the twists that arrive in the final 754 page instalment. Some readers have complained the first three books are a little too much the same, but – regardless of any other criticism – there can be no such complaints with the fourth book.

It takes the story in a different direction and has more sex and violence than the other three books combined – but still falls a long way short of being a “horror” story. It also sets the scene for further stories (although Meyer has said she won’t write any more from Bella’s perspective).

I’ve read Meyer talk in interviews about how much she loves her characters and loves spending time with them, and my greatest criticism with these books is that she indulges that love more than she should – or needs to – from a narrative perspective.

Plot points are demonstrated more than once, because the author clearly loves how the characters interact on the page. I grew continually frustrated – particularly in the middle two books – when it was obvious a scene or chapter was simply reiterating something that was already well established (for example, that the werewolf Jacob was in love with Bella … and don’t get me started on that relationship. Never been a fan of romantic triangles, and this one really annoyed me – but it does resolve itself with a nice sense of irony in the end).

At nearly 800 pages, Breaking Dawn is longer than it needs to be, but, in fairness, an enormous amount happens plot-wise.

I wrote a few weeks ago about how Bella and Edward’s relationship was a metaphor for sexual restraint, and while that symbolism continues through the bulk of the story, it takes a back seat to the growing mythology. (Although, maybe her desire to be a vampire is symbolic of the transformation after marriage…)

When Meyer set out to write these stories – inspired by a vivid dream – I doubt she imagined she’d sell the number of books she has, or spark the kind of rabid fans and critics who now populate blogland.

I think she’s a writer who loves her characters and loves writing them. Enough people are devouring the series to send a message she’s not alone in her affection.

I may not be willing to don a “I love Edward Cullen” badge, but I can’t pretend I didn’t enjoy large slabs of this story.

(See original post on Great stories for past comments)

Taylor Lautner

By Jocelyn Vena – MTV News

Taylor Lautner got his start in the world of martial arts long before finding fame as a werewolf in the “Twilight Saga,” and now the 17-year-old will get to display his combat skills in the action flick “Cancun,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The film, produced by “New Moon” studio Summit Entertainment in conjunction with Lautner’s production company, Tailor Made, is being described as “Taken” meets “Die Hard,” Variety reports. Tailor Made was formed by the actor and his dad, Dan Lautner, with Temple Hill partners Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen.

Lautner is a fan of 2008’s “Taken,” starring Liam Neeson, and wanted to make a similar film. And the project provides Lautner the opportunity to display his skills in extreme martial arts. “We wanted to continue working with Taylor and feel he’s got the chops to become a big action star,” Godfrey said, adding that he expects the film to go into production by June 2010.

“Cancun” centers on a teen whose injury prevents him from becoming an elite soldier. Rather than pursuing that line of work, he goes to college, meets a girl and goes on spring break in Cancun. While there, his friends are kidnapped and held for ransom in exchange for the release of a drug cartel leader who’s about to be extradited. Lautner’s character uses his martial arts training to save them.

Next up for Lautner is the release of “Valentine’s Day” in February and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” in June. He will most likely shoot the final film in the “Twilight” saga, “Breaking Dawn,” later in 2010. Lautner is also reportedly considering a superhero role in a film based on the Mattel toy line “Max Steel.”

So I was writing a review for New Moon for my school blog, and it turned into something a lot longer…

Synopsis (of New Moon):

The ever-popular sequel to Twilight, New Moon, has been constantly praised by “Twilighters” while being bashed by, basically, everyone else. This is the new hype, if you will, of glittering vampires and the fragile human who just wants to be like them. New Moon takes place only mere days before Bella’s 18th birthday, which she truly does not want to celebrate. Why, you ask? It will make her, officially, one year older than Edward. But her birthday comes, nonetheless, and with it a birthday party (planned by Alice, of course). But while she is opening a present, Bella gets a paper cut, and Jasper’s bloodthirsty side takes over. Edward soon decides that it is better that he leave Bella alone, because he believes she will be “safer” that way. While Edward is gone, Bella becomes close friends with Jacob Black (whom she soon discovers to be a werewolf), rides motorcycles, and jumps off cliffs. There you have it.

Review:

Ah, Twilight. More of a right of passage, really, than a well-written, memorable saga. There are two ways you can feel about this saga: You can love it.

Or hate it.

Most of the people who still love it, did not read books previously, and are still blinded to the fact that Stephenie Meyer is just appealing to that teenage fan-girl part of our brain. There are also children out there, little fifth graders, who have read the series and essentially become hypnotized by the fact that there might be a real Edward out there for them. I have seen this first hand.

The people who hate it either discovered at the first page that this was a terribly written series, or discovered later after their “Twilight Phase” (like me) that Stephenie Meyer basically just took a bunch of adjectives, threw them in with 1/2 of a good idea, and then dragged it on into four books.

Truly, Twilight is written as more of a girl’s obsession over a boy. There is no character development (Bella is the same boring, hollow person she was in the beginning, just in vampire form), the book is anti-feminist (Bella completely relies on Edward even for walking so she won’t trip), and Bella is a Mary Sue. A Mary Sue is a character that is essentially “perfect” and “flawless”, the kind of character that anyone could fit themselves into. And…I just realized I’ve written a lot, so I’m just going to stop here. (Oops.)

<3 Lindsay

You know, with all the tv shows having talked about the Twilight series, since New Moon was coming out, and how Bella and Edward’s relationship was forbidden, etc., it made me think. Why are people hooked onto the Twilight stuff when there are other movies or other pieces of literature where there is a forbidden romance in it? I mean, there is the classic Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. There is also the movie Titanic. In Romeo & Juliet, the forbidden romance was the fact that the couple were from feuding families. In Titanic, Jack and Rose were from different classes. What is it about Bella and Edward’s relationship that makes it so different from the other two? Is it because he’s a vampire and she’s human and that’s something new? I really just don’t get it.

I got to watch New Moon on the day after the premiere, and I’m telling you, the whole experience was nuts. As soon as I sat down to watch the movie, and the New Moon title screen came up, the rest of the audience started to scream. I thought to myself, jeez, what a bunch of crazy fan girls. Now keep in mind that while I like the books and the movies, I will forever be a Vampire Chronicles fan. Anyway, again, everybody screamed when Edward and Jacob came on, as well as when Jacob took off his shirt for the first time. Now, I can understand why everybody was screaming when Jacob took his shirt off for the first time, but why for Edward? I’m sorry, but I think that Edward is a pasty-ass pansy. Anyway, overall, I think that the movie was ok. There were quite a bit of funny parts but I think the movie is just a bunch of notable scenes from the book that was just pieced together and made into a movie. I gotta admit though, it’s very Chris Weitz. I say that because it reminded me of the movie that he did before, The Golden Compass. Both The Golden Compass and New Moon were edited very similarly. Anyway, don’t let my opinion deter you from watching the movie.

Actually this post was supposed to be about what Zelda and I wanted to get the Twilight cast for Christmas. But then I thought hey, we’re already giving them all our free-time, at least half of our thoughts and we run a whole blog dedicated to them (Okay, and everything else Twi-related but whatever…). So shouldn’t they give us a present for Christmas? Cause I think that would be a really nice way to show us their appreciation of all our endless swooning hard work. Honestly, they didn’t do that much since New Moon came out and sometimes it’s pretty hard to find something to write about everyday. So dear cast members in case you stumble about this post, here’s Zelda’s and my Christmas wish list for you:

a

Is this Kellans Chippendales revival for Zelda and me??

Kellan: Get out your old Chippendales outfit. You know which one I mean. No? Okay, I’ll just post a picture of it again to stir your memory a bit…
Then round up the other members and make a special supersexy Twilight performance including a lot of glitter all over your body. Oh, and send over two VIP-tickets for Zelda and me, please!

a

Kristen: You can choose one of the following two. Or just combine them I guess…
a) Start hanging out with Lindsay Lohan and become the new party girl. You could become fake lesbians just like you and Nikki Reed were once. Okay, you might have to dress up in the evenings and that doesn’t fit in that well with all your black mullet and plaid style. But let’s be honest! Only reason why people wear plaid at all is because of Rob…

Find the 10 differences! Can't? Me neither...

b) In case you can’t leave the beloved plaid behind, start hanging out again with the Rob double that used to be your boyfriend. You know who I mean, Michael Angarano. The one who looked just like Rob. And probably stole his clothes and the Ray Bans to be more convincing. In case you can’t remember properly, here’s a picture!

a

Is this Rob's new BFF?

Rob: Okay, now that we got Kristen out of the way, let’s get to you. Become BFFs with Prince Harry and throw an absolutely fantabulous party at Buckingham Palace. Cause to be honest, even though the Queen might be not amused, Prince Harry knows how to party! You could invite your old Brit-pack friends Tom Stu, Sam Bradley, Marcus Foster and Bobby Long as well. And Zelda and me of course. Just send us over the outfits you’d like us to wear that evening and the two superspecial VIP-tickets with access to your room. We’ll take care of the rest, promise!

a

Jackson: Okay, this one’s not for me but for Zelda alone. Could you please dress up as Jasper and meet her? And then show her all your awesome moves? Like that Twilight trick with your huge bat -that’s what she said-? But please be careful. I fear she might get a heart-attack…

Uhm, yes we would...

a

Taylor: Uhm, could you just send us two first class flight tickets to Georgia? And a week in a nice little villa? Or in a hotel suite? With you, of course? And soon please, if you don’t mind! Cause it won’t be half as much fun after february 11th when you finally turn 18 and we don’t have to be afraid of Chris Hansen anymore. Oh how we’re gonna miss all the awesome legal in Georgia jail jokes…

a

Peter: Make another bet like you did with Rob de Franco, with Chris Weitz this time. Bet to get us How To Dazzle Ladies 5000 readers a day within one week. We know you can do stuff like that. But we don’t want poor Chris Weitz aka everybody’s DILF to have to do a bikini dance. So instead if he loses he has to direct Breaking Dawn. And get Zelda the role of Maria for a hot Maria rewards Jasper scene ifyouknowwhatimsaying. I know Maria has already been casted but hey, they recast Victoria as well although Rachelle did an awesome job… And then cast me as the older version of Renesmee in a Jacob and Renesmee spending their honeymoon on Isle Esme lookout. Chris, we know you can do that. We love you for bringing back our faith after Cathy slaughtered Twilight… Oh, I almost forgot about you, Peter! In the improbable case you should lose, you have to adopt us into the Cullen family. Your Carlisle, the head of the family, so we guess you can decide stuff like that. What? Yeah, we know Carlisle’s only a fictional character. Whatever, we don’t care. Just do it! Thanks!

a

Off to send our wish list to Santa

Saveyoursoul

a

Love our wish list? Think the Twicast members should give us presents? What is on your wish list? Anything Twi-related? If you had the chance, what would you wish from Rob, Taylor and the rest? Besides the obvious like spending the night with them of course Tell us about all your Christmas wishes in the comments or send an e-mail!

(images: google)

‘I would love to have them break it into two parts because it’s such a thick book,’ he tells MTV News.
Although there’s been no official word about the plans to turn the fourth book in the “Twilight” Saga, “Breaking Dawn,” into a flick, sources speculate that if the film should happen, it will be split into two parts and “New Moon” director Chris Weitz may hop onboard to direct again.

But if any of that is happening, someone should tell “Twilight” star Peter Facinelli, because he currently knows nothing about the status of the movie. “No, we don’t know anything yet,” he told MTV News at Z100’s Jingle Ball on Friday. “Usually the fans know before me. I’ve been combing the Web sites to see if we’re doing a fourth movie. We’ll see.”

With “New Moon” being such an overwhelming success, there probably won’t be an issue getting another flick green-lit — but Facinelli insisted the cast is just really excited that “New Moon” was such a hit. “I haven’t heard or seen [a script yet]. I think everybody’s just kind of still on the ‘New Moon’ high,” he added. “And we’re gearing up for ‘Eclipse.’ I’m excited for ‘Eclipse.’ That’s my favorite book.”

CONTINUE…

#13. Kristen Stewart
True Blood
This leading lady never skipped a fashion beat, during her rigorous New Moon world press tour she juxtaposed her tough as nails persona with flowy chiffon dresses and towering heels and at the MTV movie awards she boldly dressed down her Yigal Azrouël cocktail dress with Chuck Taylors.

CONTINUE…

These are my favovrite New Moon Trailers that fans made with Bannedstory and stuff. XD

I love Kristen Stewart. Sometimes my boyfriend gets jealous because I call her my “girl crush”. Ha ha. I hate how people call her a “pot head” and say she’s a “bad actress”. Or that she’s only famous because of her dad and Robert Pattinson. It’s ridiculous. I don’t think she does pot, but if she does, she probably isn’t a huge pot head. She is not a “bad actress”. She’s amazing. Just because you’re jealous that she’s making out with Edward and you’re not, GET OVER IT. Her dad is just a stage manager. He couldn’t have helped her much going into her teen years. She is where she is because of her talent. Before Twilight I had no idea who Robert Pattinson was, but I did know who Kristen was. So how does that make her famous because of him?

Will we still be together happy like that after Zelda reads this post?

Ok Zelda, this is really hard for me right now but I got to tell you anyway! It’s one week before Christmas and that always gets me in a special mood. I feel like I just have to tell you now. So let’s get it over with… I may not be the perfect blog-partner you thought. I may not even be the great friend you thought. So here is the true story behind what you believed to be the best story of friendship and journalistic success ever:

I remember very clearly when I read the Twilight series for the first time back in august. In less than six days. Less than 16 days for the first three times. I don’t quite remember how it happened exactly but within a couple of days I was completely addicted. There was nothing I could do about it and I had no one to share it all with. Well, my sister had read the books as well but she wasn’t pulled in nearly as far as I was… But we both had always liked the same books. I knew you were probably the only person who could understand me. Unfortunately you weren’t there. You were working in Australia for months, thousands of miles away. Only contact we had was through e-mails and skype (Thank God for the internet!). And how could I explain the Twilight phenomenon per mail to someone who basically didn’t know anything at all about the books? I have no idea how I managed it but somehow I got you to the point were you said that the books seem to be quite good and that you would give them a try as soon as you would get home. Was it the part where I called Edward the “supersexy rockstar-type with a supercute family” that got you? Maybe.  The part where I swooned over all his hotness? Probably.

Soul and Zelda finally reunited back in september

Then you finally got home. And I got you the book. With a personal dedication from me in it. Written in extra sparkly ink. And you were so happy about it you almost freaked out. Okay, you nearly knocked me over and I may still recover from several cracked ribs from your embrace… Just kidding. Well, I knew I had you then! Like no good friend ever should I was about to make you an addict just like I was. Like selling you crack or something. But I couldn’t regret it. In contrary, I couldn’t wait for you to finish Breaking Dawn so we could talk it all over together. And watch the movie… like 147 times in a row. We laughed at the same passages, made fun of the same things and swooned over Edward together. I sometimes -ok, almost every day- sent you links to posts from another Twilight-blog I had started reading. I discovered that your whole desktop background was covered in pictures of Rob (although you didn’t even know his name back then). We had so much fun together and I thought well, if I’m going to hell I might as well do it thoroughly! (Yeah, I just quoted, something I usually avoid. I got a bit carried away, sorry!) Suddenly talking to you wasn’t enough anymore. I realized even you noticed how deep I was pulled in. I had to share my thoughts with all the people out there who felt just like me. And I knew you were the only one I could tell this. That I considered starting my own Twilight-blog. Cause the only way left to save my soul (Yep, that’s where my fake name comes from. That and a stupid Rob-Twilight song of course…) was to find another outlet, to make fun of it all… You were so ready to join me I was completely dazzled. While I researched all the technical stuff you came up with the name “how to dazzle”. You even wrote our first post! Yes dear readers, you heard me right. I may have been the one who came up with the whole blog-idea but it was Zelda who actually wrote our first post. Although we didn’t publish it as the first one, still you were the one who started writing. And yeah, I laughed my ass of reading it. You always thought that I had started all this but I knew from the beginning I couldn’t do that alone. The moment I read your text about the “cute shirtless Indian” was actually when I thought “Wow, we’re really doing this”.

I thought you should know that I intentionally made you an addict just like me to have someone to share it all with, abused you and forced you into writing a blog with me because I knew I couldn’t pull it off alone. I apologize. I cannot say I regret it though. Because I don’t. But I apologize. Guilty of all charges, I don’t deny it. In case you ditch me now and end our wonderful blog-partnership I can totally understand you. Still I hope you won’t. Cause honestly, I couldn’t have done all this without you. So thank you so much for being my accomplice!

a

Off to look for a new blog partner just in case…
No, just kidding! You know I would never do that!

Saveyoursoul

a

Have you ever done anything like this? Have you lured your friends into the Twi-world to have someone to share all your addiction fascination with? Do you think Zelda and I have some kind of abusive relationship? Tell us your Twi-story in the comments or send an e-mail!

(images: my dad and me)

Okay, I realize I’m probably going to get slammed for this, but as a Christian and a woman concerned with our youth, I can’t keep my mouth shut anymore!     Everyone talks about how “wonderful” the Twilight saga is, but except for getting kids to read, I have yet to see any positive results. (To be blunt, even as a librarian, I would rather NOT see kids reading, if this garbage is what they are consuming!)     At this point, you are probably like, “Woah- that’s harsh!” But I stand willing to back that up with proof.   

My Top 5 Reasons:

a) Lying to your parents (She lies constantly because of Edward and the world of night she is being sucked into.)

b) Sneaking boys into your bedroom at night

c) Teenage girls trading their soul and everything that really matters for an unhealthy, premature relationship with an older guy.

And that is just the beginning!

 

So, to sum it all up. Am I saying you are a “bad Christian” if you read Twilight? No…BUT…

In closing,

1 Corinthians 10:23 (New Living Translation)

 You say, “I am allowed to do anything” but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial.