New Hogsmeade entrance sign at Wizarding World of Harry Potter

A rather noticeable new addition to the entrance of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been put up: a hanging black metallic sign introducing Hogsmeade village, with a silhouette of the town and a warning that states, “Please respect the spell limits.” Pictures and more here

100 on-line college courses: from `Harry Potter Lit` to `History, Politics, & Taste of Chocolate`

If you’re thinking about pursuing a college degree on-line, it’s important to investigate your prospective on-line college the same way you’d look into a traditional brick and mortar university. Proper accreditation for example, can mean the difference between a degree that’s officially recognized and respected in the real world versus one that’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.

Today, students have a variety of on-line educational options which include going for a degree 100% on-line, or combining a traditional college education while still taking the occasional on-line course.

From Berkeley to Swarthmore to UCLA, the era of an on-line college education is officially upon us, as evidenced by the availability of the following 100 courses one could possibly apply to their degree. More here

Empire Online’s Review of the Decade gives Potter numerous awards

Empire Online has released their Review of the Decade and Harry Potter was mentioned in a number of categories.

– 5 Synopses That Make You Sound Insane In The Telling:
“Abused child is rescued from life in cupboard under the stairs by Robbie Coltrane who says he’s a wizard and takes him off to a magical school.”
– 50 Great Movie Posters: Order of the Phoenix “You Will Lose Everything” with Lord Voldemort.
– 10 People You’d Never Heard of Before 2000: Daniel Radcliffe.
“In 1999 he was: Making a name for himself as the young David Copperfield in the Beeb’s adaptation of the Dickens classic, and preparing to go to the theatre for a night out, where he would be spotted and identified as a potential Potter.”
– 10 Crimes Against Hair: Lucius Malfoy.
– 10 Biggest Box Office Hits of the Decade: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at No. 4, Order of the Phoenix at No. 6, Half-Blood Prince at No. 7 and Goblet of Fire at No. 9.

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JK Rowling named Scotswoman who changed the decade

The Scotsman has released a list of 10 Scotswomen who changed the decade. The list “toasts the lassies who have made such a massive impact since the turn of the century.” Unsurprisingly, Jo sits at the top of the list:

It is hard to think of a more powerful female figure to have emerged from Scotland in the past decade than JK Rowling. In 2000, Rowling was cementing her position as the world’s most popular children’s author with her fourth Harry Potter book, which broke all literary sales records in both the US and the UK. By 2007, Forbes magazine had ranked her the 48th most powerful celebrity in the world – not just for her enormous impact on child literacy but for her philanthropic work.

Her Volant Charitable Trust funds disadvantaged children and MS research. She is a vocal president of One Parent Families, and successfully campaigned for a law change in Romania concerning caged beds for orphans. Whatever she turns her hand to, Rowling has proved she is capable of effecting real change on a global scale.

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Emma Watson wore one of the Best Dresses of 2009

Actress Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) has been included on InStyle.com’s list of the 100 Best Dresses of the Decade. Thanks to InStyle for letting us know Miss Watson’s Burberry Prorsum dress from London’s Fashion Week 2009 made the 100th spot on their ranking. The magazine notes:

Emma Watson in Burberry Prorsum, 2009
WHERE London Fashion Week
WHY WE LOVE IT “You don’t want to overdress or dress beyond your years on the red carpet. I love that this dress is so kicky and young!”

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Half-Blood Prince is No. 5 on Yahoo! Movies Top 10 Most-Viewed Trailers of 2009

As a follow-up to yesterday’s Top 10 Box Office Movies of 2009, Yahoo Movies! has released their Top 10 Most-Viewed Trailers of 2009. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes in at No. 5.

The top spot went to Twilight: New Moon, followed by Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, 2012 and Terminator Salvation, respectively.

These rankings are based on video streaming numbers on their website. The top two films got over 20 million views apiece.

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Ohio State offers the Harry Potter Lit course. I think there is much to learn about writing and imagination through these books, I would take this course! J.K. Rowling definitely deserves her award for Scotswoman of the decade. Her influence on pop culture worldwide is a force to be reckoned with. And Emma Watson is a trendsetter when it comes to younger fashion, she is always wearing the newest & different clothing/accessories that make them very desirable.

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