3DG's Break video rocks!

I joined the Three Days Grace Street Team on FanCorps a few days ago and found it to be a really cool source for 3DG widgets, photos, and other downloadable promotional 3DG material. If anyone wants to join, click on the Street Team logo above to access the FanCorps sign up page for 3DG.


While I'm speaking about 3DG, have you seen their latest video for the new release "Break"? It is a truly rocking song and the video just makes you want to get up out of your seat and move your body - dance, shout, headbang, strut, anything but stay seated! No pun intended but the video seems somewhat of a "breakthrough" style with its mostly colorless theme. Then as the song progresses, you see pink paint get spilled and spattered all over. I'm not sure why they chose pink for the paint color. Maybe it's some kind of statement for Breast Cancer Awareness? I'll have to do some googling to find out.

In the meantime, the new video is available on YouTube if you want to see it. Embedding has been disabled so I couldn't repost it here but you can check it out at this link: BREAK video by Three Days Grace.

And if you want to sing along, here are the lyrics:

Tonight my head is spinning
I need something to pick me up
I've tried but nothing is working
I won't stop, I won't say I've had enough
Tonight I start the fire
Tonight I break away

Break away from everybody
Break away from everything
If you can't stand the way this place is
Take yourself to higher places.

At night I feel like a vampire
It's not right but I just can't give it up
I'll try to get myself higher
Let's go we're gonna light it up
Tonight we start the fire
Tonight we break away.

lyrics obtained from CD insert

Happy Feet

I checked out a few CDs and DVDs from the public library recently. One of the DVDs I checked out was the Academy Award-winning animation Happy Feet which came out in the movie theaters a few years ago. My family and I had never seen the movie before so when we watched it together, we were all equally thrilled by the excitement in the movie. The music was so danceable, the characters were so easy to relate to, and the storyline was just touching. There were many moments that just draw you into the story - even if it is an animation about penguins! It was one of the most enjoyable family movies we have seen. I think I might just have to purchase a copy of my own to add to my collection!

The famous voices heard on Happy Feet includeHugh Jackman,Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Brittany Murphy, and Lombardo Boyar.

“When I get home, I like to…”

When I get home, I like to have fun...and sometimes having fun means taking a moment to escape from reality! Yeah, why not? With so much to do and so little time - you know, with me being an awesome mom and wife and all...

So when I finally get the chance to relax, I'll sit down at my computer desk and play some mp3s. Then that's when it's time to load up the Photoshop on my PC and dream. Tee-hee! Here are some "mementos" of past " dream getaways."

Yeah, can you just picture me and Nicolas Cage a few years ago? Only Photoshop can make your dreams come to life in a photograph!


Now this would have made the news, too! Me and Sarah Jessica Parker out with the most eligible bachelor of the time...


Or what if I had Selma Hayek's sexy body and got to be with pre-Hulk Ed Norton? Hmmm...


Perhaps the best fantasy of all is being the star of a big blockbuster movie like Tomb Raider. Yeah! Picture me as Lara Croft! Move over Angelina Jolie cause here comes Liggy!!!


Did you have a great time looking at the things I like when I get home? Then leave me a comment and don't forget to click this blinking button below.





Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments.

Liggy Loves Her Dog!

It's Top Sites Tuesday again at BlogDumps...and this time, we're sharing posts about our favorite pet or animal. If you looked at my picture on the left, can you tell I love my dog? MG - as he was already named when I adopted him from the Isle of Wight Animal Shelter - shares my birthday, too! That is so cool!

I did have another dog before MG. His name was Rambo. I adopted him from the Champaign-Urbana Humane Society when I lived in Illinois in 1993. I had him for 12 years (even longer than I was married to my husband!) so yes, we were really close buddies! Rambo went to sleep for the last time in October 2005 and I still miss him. I shared his picture with the CHUS Alumni page (in case you want to see what he looked like). Ah, but I don't want to get all sentimental and weepy here. I will cherish all those happy memories I have of him.

Meanwhile, did you know that my love of dogs inspired me to write this twisted, creepy poem in 2006? The inspiration came to me as I was driving to work. I must've looked funny reciting the words to myself to keep from forgetting them before I could get a chance to write them down! LOL!


...and that unconditional devotion they give their owners is the reason why dogs are my favorite kind of pet. Have you hugged your dog (or other pet) today? Don't forget to do that because if they could only talk, I'm sure they'd say they love you, too! And don't forget to click the button below to let BlogDumps know you read this!


Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments.

Closing the book on The Vampire Diaries

From L to R: Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, and Paul Wesley
I wanted to post this earlier, but I had a busy week-end. I wanted to share my thoughts about the new CW series, The Vampire Diaries, which I viewed last Thursday night. As I expected, it was too much of a rip-off of Twilight (performance-wise). While The Vampire Diaries was published before The Twilight Saga and has its own storyline, the characters in this TV adaptation are too much like Twilight - they are young, they are good-looking, the humans and immortals interact with each other during the day...the similarities are numerous.

As my friend, Lisa, commented on my previous blog entry about the show, their acting wasn't too impressive. Nina Dobrev, who plays the leading female character Elena, lacks an ability to display facial expressions. It hardly seemed she had any emotions - just a pretty face! Paul Wesley, the "good" vampire Stefan, mimicked Twilight Edward's facial expressions a lot. The only one who seemed to perform really well was Ian Somerhalder, who plays "Damon". His face reminded me a lot of a younger Rob Lowe (hot and sexy). While his portrayal of a sinister character deserves more merit compared to his co-stars, I think his good looks were too distracting. I could end up watching the show just to follow Stefan and ogle his uber-tantalizing looks.

Oh I don't know now...maybe the TV show just doesn't do justice to the books, which I haven't read yet. I found a place I could sneak a peek at the books. That's only if I'm on a computer though. Otherwise, I'd much rather try reading the books.




If I had to choose between The Vampire Diaries series and The Twilight Saga, THIS is what I can't wait to see in November - New Moon! The directing, the cast, the sound effects, everything this trailer (and previously released trailers) prove that New Moon is going to be way better, way more heart-stopping than Twilight.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

The Vampire Diaries

First I followed Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and found myself somewhat terrified reading vivid descriptions of the merciless deaths that her undead characters bestowed their unsuspecting victims. Yet I continued to be intrigued with Lestat's personal suffering, the internal conflicts he faced because of his being. It was hard not to admire Anne Rice's literary talents.

Queen of the Damned/Interview with the Vampire
While there were other popular novels about vampires around, I really didn't find enough interest to try reading another one until I heard about Stephenie Meyers and her Twilight Saga. Her vampire series were not as "intense" as Anne Rice's books. In fact, Twilight seemed to "glamorize" vampires more than "spook" us to pieces, as evidenced by the popularity of the series among teenagers and the large number of highly-trafficked blog sites written by fans of the series (book and movie alike).

Twilight: New Moon Soundtrack
Now I hear that The Vampire Diaries (another Young Adult fiction series) by L.J. Smith has been made into a television series. The new series will premiere on the CW network this Thursday, September 10th at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

(Hmm...judging from this promo pic, it already looks like this series is geared for Generation Y-ers)
I've never read J.L. Smith's books but I think I'm going to keep my laptop off and turn the TV on for a change tomorrow night and check out this show. I'm curious to know see how this other set of eternally high school-aged vampires are portrayed (even though it may be a slight departure from the way the books were written - as almost all screen/book adaptations are). If it's interesting enough, I might just go to Amazon and order the book set to read. Yes, I do love reading! I saw that they already have a special collection available for it:

The Vampire Diaries Box Set Volume I, II, III, IV (the Awakeing, Dark Reunion, The Struggle, The Fury) (volume 1-4)

Might just have to add it to this year's Christmas Wish List. Guess we'll wait and see!

My passions for holiday week-ends

On this week's Top Sites Tuesday, BlogDumps asks us: What is Your Favorite Thing About Holiday Weekends? I suppose that most family-oriented folks like myself would typically answer "more time with the family" (instead of at work). But I have to be honest...ever since I can remember, it's the abundance of food that I've always looked forward to on holiday week-ends. And if you're invited to celebrate at other people's homes, then it's free food! Haha! That's even better! Yes, I love food!

That's me waving at the camera. Can you tell I love being around food?
As I was saying... let's take this past week-end. It was Labor Day Week-end in the U.S. and a nice long week-end for many of us. For once, my family and I got to enjoy two days in a row of outdoor grilling and company. On Sunday, my husband's friend had a housewarming/Labor Day celebration at his home. So we all went over to his house, enjoyed some grilled burgers and hot dogs, macaroni salad, chips-n-salsa, and a lot of finger foods to keep us busy (busy eating!) while we hung out with everyone there the whole afternoon.

No, no, that wasn't all I had. Actually that's just a picture my son took while he was playing around with my camera. LOL!
Then came Monday, Labor Day Holiday. No work, no school! It rained where I live but that didn't stop us from having my two sisters and their families, as well as my mom and stepdad from coming over to my house and enjoying an afternoon of (more) grilled foods. There was plenty of other food as well. While the boys hung out in the family room discussing various anime movies, the rest of us ate our food while watching the Dido Live DVD that I received for my birthday earlier this year. (She's a very pleasant performer to watch, by the way. If you ever feel stressed out, her music is quite calming).

Dido Live (DVD/CD Set)
Anyway, I'm going to put in a music CD to listen to while I grab some celery sticks to munch on before I head off to bed. Thinking about food made me hungry again. Why does Wolfbernz always think up topics that make me think of food?

Have a good day, everyone! And don't forget to click the button below to let BlogDumps know you read my post and help me make it to the Top Sites! :) Thanks!!!

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments.

Life Starts Now Teaser Video

Are you anticipating the upcoming Sept. 22nd release date of Three Days Grace's album "Life Starts Now" as much as I am? Maybe you should pre-order the album from the band's Official Website. They have some special packages that allow you to get more than just the album. Some packages give you special concert access, t-shirts, posters, a 3DG guitar pick, and more!



By the way, did you notice in the video that Adam Gontier got some color or fill-in added to his right upper arm tattoo? He's also sporting a new hairstyle. And what about that outdoor recording session? Isn't that unusual?

Bloggers Unite for Literacy

If you are reading my blog right now, you are lucky that you learned to read. And I'm glad you could share my passion for arts and music online through this blog. But did you realize that one in five adults in the world today does not know how to read? They may have learning challenges that were not dealt with. They may not have wanted to learn how to read. Or, they simply live in places where literacy is restricted to only certain genders or privileged few. That's sad.

Those who cannot read are missing out on the many wonderful benefits that reading brings. Reading can provide hours of entertainment that does not require electricity to do (except of course if you're wanting to read at night and don't have a lamp or candle). It is also a great way to obtain information that is valuable for making decisions about practically anything. It boosts a person's confidence. It also helps us learn more about others in the world around us, thereby bridging the communication gaps between cultures. There are countless other benefits.

Literacy Foundation: The Gift of Reading - Cinderella
Uploaded by hourigan - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

On September 8, 2009, Bloggers Unite participants like me, want to raise awareness for Literacy efforts being sponsored by UNESCO. UNESCO proclaimed this day (Sept. 8th) as Literacy Day on November 17, 1965 and started celebrating it the following year. Writers get out and promote the value of literature (not just their own works). Librarians and educators dedicate more time on this day to promote literacy awareness in the schools and public libraries. Even musicians donate music and time to raise awareness of this issue, too. There's still so much more we need to do together to help more people become literate. Help others around us learn. Read to a child. Show them that books can be enjoyed just as much as their favorite video game.


Together we can do it!!!

Three Things...

I saw the topic for this week's Top Sites Tuesday on Blogdumps and thought, "Hmm...this ought to get interesting!" This week the theme is: Three Things in Your Refrigerator You Can’t Live Without. To be honest, I was tempted to take a picture of my actual refrigerator and post it here but I haven't had the chance (okay, I admit, I've been lazy) to clean it out this summer. I must quite shamefully admit that I just realized that the strangely "fruity" tasting salad dressing I had on my salad two weeks ago had expired in February. Oops!


So as I continue to daydream about what that KISS concert is going to be like when my hubby and I go to see them next month, I am thinking about those three things in my refrigerator I can't live without.

The first thing I must say is the light bulb. LOL! Betcha thought I was going to name something edible. Seriously, if that light bulb goes out (or if my kids decide to play with the trigger button at the door while I'm looking for something inside) I start to worry that the power went out and my food is going to go bad.


The second thing I can't live without is the humidity control switches on the drawer compartments. They are sometimes labeled "freshness controls" on some makes. I think it's the only thing that keeps my fruits and vegetables from rotting too fast. Although I try to feed my family a healthy diet of fresh foods I have a compulsive habit of overbuying these things at times. (Hey, I'm a woman! Let's face it, don't most of us women have an instinctive impluse to shop?).


Finally, the third and last on the list of three things in my refrigerator that I can't live without is FOOD! I can't single out any specific food. I frequently try out different kinds of foods, mainly just for variety. I don't like keeping the same kind of foods in my fridge or in my pantry...although I will keep in stock the essential condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc. Everything else kind of depends on what looks good, what's in season, and what's on sale (yeah!).

So what's in your fridge?


Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments.