Let freedom ring...

Is the country becoming more fascist? I think about this often. Are people forgetting what the Revolutionary War was fought for in the first place? Do they even know anymore? Sometimes it is crazy at how little the new generation knows about history and its significance. Sad grumbles for the day after a depressing history tutoring session.

Is freedom dying?  Is the world from "V for Vendetta" so far off? Is it already here? Le sigh.

Let the Games Begin...

 The Game of Thrones that is!

 If you ever need to watch something that reflects various eras from history that involve civil war, courtly intrigue, battles, family problems, incest, love stories, and overall epicness, then HBO's Game of Thrones is it. Based on the incredibly awesome and as yet incomplete book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, this fiery and jaw dropping series does great justice to the books. It is rare to be able to say that a show or movie is just as good/close enough to not make fans get the pitch forks and burning torches, but this show can take that honor.

Currently in its third season, Game of Thrones is titled after the first book and follows the many twists and turns of the noble houses of the seven kingdoms known as Westeros. The kingdom has a legendary history that involves the Targaryen bloodline, the ancient and now mostly dead rulers of the land who had the most powerful claim to the throne and right to rule: fire breathing dragons. When the series starts, however, dragons are dead, there remain only two Targaryens in exile, and the land is ruled by House Baratheon in the form of the loud, drunk, and indifferent King Robert. King Robert is married to the cold hearted but beautiful Cersei Lannister, the daughter of the richest man in all the seven kingdoms. Tywin Lannister is a man who was trusted by the Targaryens and who betrayed them fatally in order to make his daughter queen and his grandchildren the heirs to the land. We also have the Starks of Winterfell, the northern house that believes in honor and family above all things. The Starks however have their house motto "Winter is Coming" because in this land, Winter can last over a year, even ten, and Summer is about to end. Children of ten have yet to see a winter and when the cold winds rise, the darkness will cover the land. With darkness, the histories talk about monsters and the dead walking again. But none of this seasonal change matters to the lords and ladies of the land because all everyone cares about is who is closest to the iron throne (the spiky, sword welded throne of the ruler of Westeros) and who wins the game of thrones.

What is the most powerful and memorable thing about this book series and the show is the display of female empowerment, the different character stories and narratives, and the really harsh ends of some of the main characters. There are currently five books out 1) A Game of Thrones 2) A Clash of Kings 3) A Storm of Swords 4) A Feast for Crows 5) A Dance of Dragons. This book series and the show itself are my recommendations for the week. Beware, however, these are stories with adult and mature content which is gratuitously presented at times in classic HBO style.   

Let the dissection begin...

"Grumble all you like, this is how it’s going to be"
-Anne Boleyn

Those are the words of a queen; it was her chosen motto, for a time. And now, those words inspire my title for this blog site. I have never blogged before, but I love to write. I don't think that I write well. I mostly write what I think, and when I think it all comes tumbling down in small clumps of moments, of memories, and hopes. 

Why would I be inspired by the words of a woman as infamous as Anne Boleyn? Why would a home wrecker, a usurper, a temptress, a witch with six fingers, and an adulteress inspire a random person from Los Angeles?* Why not? She was more than that. Everyone is more than meets the eye, everyone is more than the few seconds spent with them and later judged on for hours. 

The real question is, why wouldn't a woman from history inspire? History is the blood of the future and if we ignore that, then we are dooming the future to be catastrophic. I am no Eric Ives nor a self proclaimed Anne Boleyn expert, but she is definitely one of the most interesting historical figures I love. This blog site will not only focus on her, but on other rulers and leaders, in literature and history. This blog site might be personal and completely random at times, especially since there are days when my life takes a turn and it reminds me of something from the past. In these moments, I hope to gain the inspiration to seriously continue this blog. You can say this will be a dual dissection of both history and literature along with the crazy grumblings of a geek-for-life. 

*Note: Those are all the stereotypes, the inconsistencies, and the labels that have been given to Anne Boleyn over time because no one really knows who she was- life is all about hearsay.