All I’m going to tell you Virginians is, VOTE THIS NOVEMBER! This Governor’s race is so important if we want to continue in the Warner-Kaine tradition that has done this Commonwealth good. Creigh Deeds is right on target on all the issues – raising public school teachers’ salaries, pre-K for at-risk kids, keeping higher education affordable and awesome – just a few of the things that he talked about today. He’s pro-choice, he’s anti-big-businesses-destroying-the-environment, he loves the queers, and he’s full of sweet yet bumbling southern charm! I’d really like you all to consider voting for the Deeds-Wagner(woman in Virginia politics alert!)-Shannon ticket this fall, but the bottom line is – if you don’t vote at all, I am going to be unspeakably disappointed in you!

Absentee ballots…get on that, kids

Still, after I stole Twilight from my little sister’s bedside table, I couldn’t stop reading the series. I flew through them last summer – stopping at Breaking Dawn. I just could not get into the unstoppable idiocracy Breaking Dawn. But I absolutely loved the first three books! And I saw the movie on opening day – in costume! – with a huge group of my respectable fellow scholars, all of whom greatly enjoyed it.

And the piece de resistance – my surprise, Twilight-themed 19th birthday party. Yes. 19th. Yes. Twilight themed. I am now the proud owner of a very complete guide to the first movie AND AND AND an Edward action figure. Did you know that Edward Cullen and I have the same birthday? June 20. Dig it.

Twilight will NEVER be in the same category as Harry Potter or Agatha Christie or even Georgia Nicolson for me, any of the other series and authors that I have a longstanding love affair with, where the characters and plots are gospel to me, forever in my heart, etc etc. Instead, Twilight is in the same category as High School Musical – I find everything HSM-related to be absolutely delightful, it fills me with glee! I think that Twilight is just plain fun. My sister bruised me after I squealed a little too loudly at the New Moon trailer. But seriously? Jacob turning into a werewolf and saving Bella?? Gahh! Yeah, the movie will be super dumb, but how could you NOT squeal at the sight? I love the mega-drama that every part of the movie and the series is draped in – it reminds me of the incessant dramatics of high school, and oh, how I long for that simpler time.

There are a lot of disturbing things about Twilight, like the way they portray heterosexual relationships and how they show women (Bella is boring + Edward and Jacob are super cool = women are sooo lame and need their superpowered men) which make the feminist/women’s studies major in me scream! But, I say – don’t take the books seriously, and certainly don’t read them until you are at least 13! – and you’ll be fine, you’ll just have a little more love in your life.

Links for awesome reference:
Buffy vs. Edward – Edward finally gets what he really deserves!

Cleolinda’s summary of the Twilight series – Excellent. I only wish that I was as clever as this broad. “Twilight means never having to say you’re kidding”…so true!

- baby love!!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXXm696UbKY

- imnotsorry.net

- facebook…what can I say, I’m still a teenager…

- pure awesome – buffy vs. edward!  http://blip.tv/file/2261825/

and more to come.

lots of love!

claire