New Writing Blog!

Hi everyone!

I decided to create a new blog focusing on my writing.  You can see it at this link:

http://blackprincerising.blogspot.com

The "Revenge of the Nazarite" blog will focus on my spiritual thoughts and musings from now on.  The title would be a better fit for that sort of thing.

Questions Raised By "Catching Fire" By Suzanne Collins

After reading "Catching Fire" in Barnes and Noble, I just have three questions:

1) Killer Fluffy Squirrels?
2) Deadly Candy Pink Birds?
3) SEXY HORSE SUGARCUBES????!!!!

If you don't believe me, read the book yourself.  I think I'll wait until the movie comes out on this one...

The Hunger Games FREAKING ROCKED!!!

I went in to see "The Hunger Games" with high expectations.  Although I wasn't particularly impressed by the book (I gave it a B-), the movie looked phenomenal.  However, I never thought that it would be the first film in which an actress would do such a good job that she would make me wish that her character was a real person.  That actress is Jennifer Lawrence, and her character is Katniss Everdeen.

Abstract: Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister's place in a televised tournament to the death.

Pros:
-The acting was beyond good in this film.  Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are the best as the two leads.  However, even the minor characters blew me away.  This cast did not just bring the characters to life; they transformed them and made them much better than they were portrayed in the book.
-The movie made some improvements to the plot which made it flow better and eliminated a ludicrous twist which made me roll my eyes when I read it.  It also provided background information to make the world of Panem more real and vivid.
-The movie had great action sequences, the best of which was the final showdown with Cato, the villain played expertly by Alexander Ludwig.  There was also one involving Clove, a villain play by Isabelle Fuhrman, in which the character gave me chills reminiscent of those given by Heath Ledger's Joker, but on a smaller scale.
-The movie also had beautiful scenery and special effects.  The former were most vivid in the capital and the later in the control center where they planned the games.

Cons:
-The only real con I saw was that the relationship between Katniss and Rue (Amandla Stenberg) wasn't given the attention that it deserved.  However, it was still strong enough to nearly bring me to tears.
-There were too many flashbacks to the time when Katniss and Peeta first met.  They would have been better off with just one.
-Spoiler alert!  Peeta should have discovered that Katniss was faking her love for him to get them sponsors, like in the book.  End of spoiler.

Overall:  5 out of 5 stars doesn't give this film enough credit.  It was FREAKING SICK!  The only film I can see which could possibly challenge it is "Dark Knight Rises." 

"Dark Knight Rises" Second Trailer Out!

I saw the new "Dark Knight Rises" trailer earlier tonight. It was freaking sick!!! I can't wait to see the movie. Bane looks monstruous and Catwoman, though charming, still managed to come across as threatening and vicious. I had no idea that Anne Hathaway could ever successfully play a dangerous villain, but she certainly managed it in the trailer. Check it out!

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/trailer-dark-knight-rises-hits-181716825.html

I Love Icelandic Literature!

BBC UK Articles Read: “David Cameron blocks EU-wide deal to tackle euro crisis” (UK Politics), “Fire at Winchester's Royal Hampshire County Hospital” (England), “Titanic project faces EU grant shortfall” (Northern Ireland), “Scotland storm: Engineers battling to restore power” (Scotland), “Miriam Beard jailed for Plas Madoc Communities First fraud” (Wales), “Third examiner is suspended after secret recording” (Education)

BBC Spanish Articles Read: “La jueza María Lourdes Afiuni, “la presa personal de Chávez” (América Latina)

Today I found an awesome anthology called "The Sagas of Icelanders." I studied Icelandic literature when I studied abroad in England and loved the books we read. I wanted to continue when I came back to America, but I had difficulty finding the books in libraries (I make it a point to read books before I buy them). While hanging out at Barnes and Noble, I found this and decided to read "The Tale of Audun from the West Fjords", which was an awesome short story about Audun, a traveler who risks the wrath of the King of Norway by selling his bear to the King of Denmark instead of him. Then I read "The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue." It's a tragic love story in which Gunnlaug gets into a fight to the death with Hrafn when his betrothed, Helga the Fair, is given to his rival. Although this was a rather short saga, I rank it right up there with "Romeo and Juliet" and Chaucer's "Troilus and Crisyde" as a classic. This anthology is definitely going onto my Christmas list.

Also, I plan to incorporate both stories into my own series. In particular, I will allude to "The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue" with Sandra's older sister, who is codenamed "The Narcissist." She, along with Sandra's other sister, almost succeeded in putting down Max in "Daughter of the Seven Seas" and was her archenemy when she attended Nineveh. Suffice it to say that you will learn just how ruthless she is in "Black Swan Origins: Nineveh."

BBC Research Completed

BBC UK Articles Read: “'No movement' in Cameron's pre-EU summit meeting” (UK Politics), “Kelvin MacKenzie 'should apologise' for Hillsborough comments” (England), “Lenient sentences 'hit PSNI morale' - Drew Harris” (Northern Ireland), “Attack on SNP over independence currency plans” (Scotland), “Welsh exam board WJEC's 'reputation at stake', says Leighton Andrews” (Wales), “Two-thirds 'fail new primary phonics reading check'” (Education)

BBC Spanish Articles Read: "Autoridades mexicanas presentan a tres involucrados en matanza en Jalisco"(América Latina)

A Change-Up In Order?

BBC UK Articles Read: “Boris Johnson adds to Tory EU referendum pressure on PM” (UK Politics), “Michael Barrymore admits cocaine possession”(England), “Northern Ireland pharmacists 'use loans to stay open'” (Northern Ireland), “Scottish government calls for school closures as gales threaten” (Scotland), “Paul Flynn MP apologises for Jewish ambassador remarks” (Wales), “UK students lack global outlook, says British Council”(Education)

BBC Spanish Article Read: “El rumbo del estudiantado chileno sin Camila Vallejo” (América Latina)

Today I realized that I may need to change the hierarchy of the Protector's gang. Originally, the character codenamed "The Court Jester" was her right hand. However, the Amazon is a much stronger and more forceful character, so I might make her the Protector's second-in-command instead. I won't do it in this draft, though. I'll simply note it for the future.