The first framed paper sculpt piece that I ever made. Done with construction paper while I got a feel for the craft!
-MJ
An interview with Adam Harum of Transolar Galactica.
They achieved their Kickstarter goal, and now the world gets more of their award winning sci-fi comedy!
Showing posts with label hunger games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hunger games. Show all posts
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Hunger Games Mockingjay
The first framed paper sculpt piece that I ever made. Done with construction paper while I got a feel for the craft!
-MJ
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Archery - the baddest of asses.
When I was twelve I played Ocarina of Time for the first of many, many times. Some of my fondest memories involve Link, Epona, our trusty bow and arrow, and the shooting range in Gerudo Valley. I felt inexplicably awesome in those moments, and I daydreamed of eventually learning archery myself. Maybe even some horseback riding! But that's a different story.
When I was fifteen I read Fellowship of the Rings, then saw the movie later that year, and fell in enamored fascination with Legolas and his unrivaled archery skills. I remembered how I felt three years prior playing Ocarina of Time, and I shoveled even more resolve into learning the ancient skill myself.
On a smaller scale, The Princess Diaries played a brief interlude in my ongoing interest in archery. You remember that scene where she has to shoot the flaming arrow through the hoop to represent love? Yeah, that was cool.
This past year has presented a huge push, and by huge push I mean my 'learn archery' buttons are being rapidly jammed on like a twelve year old with a new drum set, with the presence of Katniss and now Merida.
So, to make sure we're all keeping count, that makes two strong male representatives, and now two strong female representatives encouraging me to go after a fourteen year long aspiration.
How does everyone feel about the archery push? Does it feel overplayed? Is it under-represented? Is anyone upset that I didn't bring up Hawkeye? Does anyone out there practice archery themselves?
A few weeks ago I saw a video from the professional archery people, I forget what they're called and I can't remember where to find the video. This is some grade A journalism, right? Anyway, the representative mentioned that there had been a huge spike in popularity and it was largely attributed to The Hunger Games. This I find pretty awesome! Katniss is, comparatively speaking, a really great role model for young women. She's strong, she has her own set of issues. She's determined and amazing with a bow and arrow. Katniss is not without fault, of course, but this is about her archery skills, not her personality.
It's made me wonder if the spike will continue... spiking, or if there will be an even larger spike once Brave hits theatres. Merida looks to be another phenomenal bow toting character and I am really excited to see how her story plays out. I find it fantastic that there are more and more powerful female leads to choose from. And to me I think it's even better that they use bows and not guns. Guns don't seem as badass as archery. Perhaps it's because archery is so much older... I'll think on this and get back to you.
It's unfortunate that I've never had lessons myself, but there weren't exactly places to learn where I grew up. But! Apparently there is an amazing archery range in Santa Monica that offers lessons, and there are even days where I can go and practice for free!
I've seen a few places online that are a bit grumbly toward the "hunger games/brave" crowd for mucking up their beloved archery. I can sympathize with half-hearted interests threatening to engulf a true love, but some people will develop legitimate, life-long interests from Hunger Games and Brave. I hope that, when the day comes that I finally learn archery, I will be met with bows not drawn.
-MJ
I feel more inspired already. Source.
When I was fifteen I read Fellowship of the Rings, then saw the movie later that year, and fell in enamored fascination with Legolas and his unrivaled archery skills. I remembered how I felt three years prior playing Ocarina of Time, and I shoveled even more resolve into learning the ancient skill myself.
On a smaller scale, The Princess Diaries played a brief interlude in my ongoing interest in archery. You remember that scene where she has to shoot the flaming arrow through the hoop to represent love? Yeah, that was cool.
This past year has presented a huge push, and by huge push I mean my 'learn archery' buttons are being rapidly jammed on like a twelve year old with a new drum set, with the presence of Katniss and now Merida.
I hope that learning archery will make me look more intense and
deranged in addition to totally awesome. Source.
So, to make sure we're all keeping count, that makes two strong male representatives, and now two strong female representatives encouraging me to go after a fourteen year long aspiration.
How does everyone feel about the archery push? Does it feel overplayed? Is it under-represented? Is anyone upset that I didn't bring up Hawkeye? Does anyone out there practice archery themselves?
A few weeks ago I saw a video from the professional archery people, I forget what they're called and I can't remember where to find the video. This is some grade A journalism, right? Anyway, the representative mentioned that there had been a huge spike in popularity and it was largely attributed to The Hunger Games. This I find pretty awesome! Katniss is, comparatively speaking, a really great role model for young women. She's strong, she has her own set of issues. She's determined and amazing with a bow and arrow. Katniss is not without fault, of course, but this is about her archery skills, not her personality.
She just looks so intense and distorted. I hear that means she has good form! Source.
It's made me wonder if the spike will continue... spiking, or if there will be an even larger spike once Brave hits theatres. Merida looks to be another phenomenal bow toting character and I am really excited to see how her story plays out. I find it fantastic that there are more and more powerful female leads to choose from. And to me I think it's even better that they use bows and not guns. Guns don't seem as badass as archery. Perhaps it's because archery is so much older... I'll think on this and get back to you.
It's unfortunate that I've never had lessons myself, but there weren't exactly places to learn where I grew up. But! Apparently there is an amazing archery range in Santa Monica that offers lessons, and there are even days where I can go and practice for free!
I've seen a few places online that are a bit grumbly toward the "hunger games/brave" crowd for mucking up their beloved archery. I can sympathize with half-hearted interests threatening to engulf a true love, but some people will develop legitimate, life-long interests from Hunger Games and Brave. I hope that, when the day comes that I finally learn archery, I will be met with bows not drawn.
-MJ
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
The Hunger Games - likes, gripes and synopsis.
Two days ago I finished reading Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I've heard from many reliable sources (friends) that they're fantastic books and that I should read them. Once in my grasp I finished them within a week, and I find myself at a loss.
I think I simply wanted more from them, and I had to keep reminding myself (when I felt that the narrative was lacking) that they're young adult novels, which was probably accounting for some of my perceived inadequacies. But the story was definitely interesting and I believe that it was worth a trilogy.
Here follows a synopsis, spoilers, and thoughts on the story, so proceed at your own risk if you haven't read them yet.
The story focuses on a future Earth that is operating under a twisted government (called the Capital) that forces twenty four children, one boy and one girl from each of what are essentially the twelve poor districts of the world, to fight to the death once a year. This is supposedly a constant reminder that the government has complete control over their lives, and that if any sort of rebellion is formed then they have the power to kill every citizen. That is precisely what happened to the thirteenth district when they attempted an uprising.
Our protagonist Katniss ends up as a contestant (natch) and the readers follows her living hell through the battle arena, forced to kill fellow innocent teenagers in order to save her own life. She's in the arena with a boy named Peeta from her hometown, and together they beat the system of the Games and come out with both of them victorious.
The following two books follow Katniss as the Captial plots retaliation for her demonstrating that it's possible to make a fool of the Game makers. She and Peeta are forced into the arena of the Games once again, and ultimately a rebellion forms among the aforementioned districts and the Capital is taken down. Katniss is the unwilling head of the rebellion, forced into a whole new set of Games, her life constantly used as a pawn for the fulfillment of another person's agenda.
Interspersed through the war and murder is a love triangle between Katniss, her childhood friend Gale, and her arena-mate Peeta. Katniss and Peeta pretend to be in love through the first and second games, garnering the attention and sympathies of the richer citizens who enjoy watching the children slay one another in the Hunger Games. Of course Peeta is actually in love with Katniss, so there go your heart strings.
Katniss constantly worries about how Gale will feel seeing her "in love" with Peeta, seeing as the Games are televised through all regions for all citizens, poor and rich, to watch. It feels as though the story is supposed to have readers wondering who will ultimately win Katniss's heart, but it really seemed plain from the start that Peeta would come out on top.
Mockingjay ended abruptly, with a brief epilogue included. The first two books ended abruptly as well, I thought, and I'm guessing they were cliffhanger tactics.
I enjoyed them, they were certainly worth reading and I can imagine myself reading them again in the future. My largest issue simply rests with the writing style, which I feel badly for saying. There were so many points where chunks of the story felt glazed over, with a paragraph quickly describing days worth of information; opportunities to describe things in more detail, add to a character's background, pull the reader further into the world. They just felt wasted. Sad face.
After finishing the series I sat thinking, unmoving for a while. There's always that odd period of reflection when a book is over, those moments where characters and worlds begin to slip away from my imagination. I immediately miss them, and feel emptiness where before the book I never even knew there was space to be filled.
I am jazzed for the movies to come out. Every promo I've seen has been promising and I am looking forward to seeing the characters and locations come to life.
-MJ
I think I simply wanted more from them, and I had to keep reminding myself (when I felt that the narrative was lacking) that they're young adult novels, which was probably accounting for some of my perceived inadequacies. But the story was definitely interesting and I believe that it was worth a trilogy.
Striking book covers, which I enjoy. source
Here follows a synopsis, spoilers, and thoughts on the story, so proceed at your own risk if you haven't read them yet.
The story focuses on a future Earth that is operating under a twisted government (called the Capital) that forces twenty four children, one boy and one girl from each of what are essentially the twelve poor districts of the world, to fight to the death once a year. This is supposedly a constant reminder that the government has complete control over their lives, and that if any sort of rebellion is formed then they have the power to kill every citizen. That is precisely what happened to the thirteenth district when they attempted an uprising.
Our protagonist Katniss ends up as a contestant (natch) and the readers follows her living hell through the battle arena, forced to kill fellow innocent teenagers in order to save her own life. She's in the arena with a boy named Peeta from her hometown, and together they beat the system of the Games and come out with both of them victorious.
A very cool map made by a fan. It's their best guess as to where each
of the districts in the future United States (called Panem) are positioned.
The following two books follow Katniss as the Captial plots retaliation for her demonstrating that it's possible to make a fool of the Game makers. She and Peeta are forced into the arena of the Games once again, and ultimately a rebellion forms among the aforementioned districts and the Capital is taken down. Katniss is the unwilling head of the rebellion, forced into a whole new set of Games, her life constantly used as a pawn for the fulfillment of another person's agenda.
Interspersed through the war and murder is a love triangle between Katniss, her childhood friend Gale, and her arena-mate Peeta. Katniss and Peeta pretend to be in love through the first and second games, garnering the attention and sympathies of the richer citizens who enjoy watching the children slay one another in the Hunger Games. Of course Peeta is actually in love with Katniss, so there go your heart strings.
The actors cast for the upcoming film. Peeta (left) looks about how
I imagined in my head. Gale... not so much. source
Katniss constantly worries about how Gale will feel seeing her "in love" with Peeta, seeing as the Games are televised through all regions for all citizens, poor and rich, to watch. It feels as though the story is supposed to have readers wondering who will ultimately win Katniss's heart, but it really seemed plain from the start that Peeta would come out on top.
Mockingjay ended abruptly, with a brief epilogue included. The first two books ended abruptly as well, I thought, and I'm guessing they were cliffhanger tactics.
I enjoyed them, they were certainly worth reading and I can imagine myself reading them again in the future. My largest issue simply rests with the writing style, which I feel badly for saying. There were so many points where chunks of the story felt glazed over, with a paragraph quickly describing days worth of information; opportunities to describe things in more detail, add to a character's background, pull the reader further into the world. They just felt wasted. Sad face.
After finishing the series I sat thinking, unmoving for a while. There's always that odd period of reflection when a book is over, those moments where characters and worlds begin to slip away from my imagination. I immediately miss them, and feel emptiness where before the book I never even knew there was space to be filled.
I am jazzed for the movies to come out. Every promo I've seen has been promising and I am looking forward to seeing the characters and locations come to life.
Katniss played by Jennifer Lawrence. source
Archery will never, ever stop being so incredibly bad. ass.
