A NOODLING PRINCESS

I like the idea of a strong female character who likes to get her hands dirty. When it comes to getting your hands dirty, one of the top tasks would be noodling. Noodling is a type of fishing that involves standing near the shore of a lake or river and pull a catfish out of the water with your bare hands. In order to get a good grip on the fish, fishermen let the catfish bite their hand. Noodling can be dangerous because fishermen are at risk of either drowning or having the fish break their arms. Since one of the kingdoms in Gradaia has an abundance of rivers, I thought of featuring a princess who goes noodling. She would not be a pampered princess in a ballroom. She will be a tough tomboy who likes to risk her life for the thrill of the hunt. What do you think?

CAVIAR

One of the most decadent and expensive foods is caviar. I recently learned that caviar is nutty, creamy, and explodes with flavor when you bite into it. I may have to try it someday for inspiration. In modern times, the caviar of the beluga sturgeon is the rarest and most prestigious caviar in the world. Unfortunately, the reason why it is so rare and expensive is that the beluga sturgeon is on the verge of extinction from overfishing. On the upside, measures are being made to farm sturgeon caviar instead of hunting them. That way the wild sturgeon have a chance of survival and we can still enjoy their caviar.

In my fantasy series, sturgeons and their caviar will be a delicacy in one of the kingdoms of Gradaia. Imagine a reef that is teeming with hundreds or even thousands of sturgeons the size of dolphins. Then imagine a colossal bowl made from the shell of a giant clam and it is filled to the rim of caviar. That would be a dish fit for a king!

CREATURE: ENTELODONT

I am thinking of including some prehistoric wildlife in my fantasy world as I continue to write. Here is an example: the Entelodont, ancestor of the pig. This was the biggest pig who ever lived and was about four feet tall at the shoulder. If you think wild boars are dangerous and aggressive wait until you come face-to-face with this beast! Like modern pigs, Entelodonts were omnivores and ate everything in sight. If you go spear hunting for this creature, you are going to need two to three times as many teammates, weapons, and hounds than you would a normal hog. On the upside, imagine how much pork and bacon you would get from this hogzilla and how much BBQ sauce you would need. It is a fun thought to toy with as I write the next volume of my fantasy series.

STAR WARS: ALL TERRAIN MEGACALIBUR SIX (AT-M6)

In The Last Jedi, we will get to see yet another weapon in the First Order’s arsenal: The All Terrain Megacalibur Six or AT-M6. Apparently, this vehicle is an upgrade of the Old Empire’s AT-AT with a larger size, thicker armor, and augmented weapons. The original AT-AT’s armor was too thick for traditional blasterfire to penetrate except for the neck. In the AT-M6, its armor is not only thicker but broader as well and its neck is much shorter. All of these features give the AT-M6 much better protection than the old AT-AT. As for weapons, the AT-M6 has the same number of turbolasers on its face as the AT-AT, but it also has a more powerful cannon mounted on its back for extra firepower. Another interesting feature that the AT-M6 has compared to the AT-AT is the way its front legs are structured. The AT-M6’s front legs are larger and more sturdy than their back legs and their feet resembles a gorilla walking on its knuckles. This could be how the First Order thought to counter the weakness in the AT-AT’s legs when the Rebels wrapped tangled it with a cable. With legs that sturdy and strong, good luck trying to trip the AT-M6 with a cable. The vehicle’s overall larger size also gives it the added bonus of carrying more troops into battle. Overall, I like the AT-M6 as a military vehicle and I look forward to seeing its destructive combat capabilities when The Last Jedi comes out.

I SAVED THANKSGIVING!!!

Last weekend, I did something that I thought only happens in Hallmark Channel films. I saved a holiday, in this case, Thanksgiving! My parents were under the weather and unable to do most of the cooking so I took over and made most of the Thanksgiving feast. Some people may think cooking is hard labor, but it was a beautiful and blissful experience for me. When I cook, I am not thinking at all and I am just doing. Like my writing, cooking is like a zen moment for me. I get in the zone and get the job done. My parents were very grateful and they enjoyed my cooking and it was a very satisfactory day. This is why people at work call me the Holiday Man.

AUTISM DOCUMENTARY

http://www.pe.com/2017/11/23/ucr-professor-filmmaker-seek-students-with-autism-for-documentary-film/

Guess what? A close friend directed me to a professor and filmmaker who are interviewing autistic college students for a documentary. I am currently waiting to see if I will be accepted for the role. I will keep you updated. Wish me luck!

FREE EBOOK GIVEAWAY: NUMEN THE SLAYER

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I will be giving you all a little Turkey Day gift. Numen the Slayer will have a free giveaway on Kindle for the next five days. If anyone is interested, here is the link. Happy Thanksgiving!

RUNAWAYS TV SHOW!!!

Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls of all ages! The moment I have waited years for is finally here! My favorite teenage superhero team, The Runaways, has their own live action television show! I was head-over-heels in love with the graphic novel and I am in a state of infinite bliss to know that this show is coming! I can’t wait!

POEM: DEATH’S HARVEST

Here is one of my poems that I called “Death’s Harvest”. Enjoy:

“I float above a great hall with my trusty scythe in hand.

Below me are the pitiful mortals wasting their lives.

They party and indulge themselves in order to find

meaning, but they are only making it easier for me to

decide their ultimate fate.

 

Banquet tables welcome gluttons with plenty.

Paramours embrace one another with lustful intent.

Proud men glare at one another with envious anger.

In the corner, a fat drunk sleeps like a soft pig.

Oh, how I will enjoy claiming them!

 

With my beloved scythe, I descend upon the hall

each swing of my dark blade fulfills my harvest.

One by one, the sinners fall as their wretched souls

become absorbed by my scythe like a leech

drinking blood.

 

In moments, my task is done with all the sinners

at my skinless feet. Satisfied with the fruit of my

labor, I take my leave. Inside my scythe, the souls

of the sinners scream!”

NZAPPA ZAP

The Nzappa zap was a type of battle ax used in the Congo both in war and as symbols of prestige. In combat, the Nzappa zap could be used for hacking and slashing like a regular ax or be thrown from a distance and take a man’s leg off in twenty feet. I gave the Nzappa zap an appearance in Numen the Slayer during the Siege of Foxden. It is one of the tribal weapons I decided to give to a group of woodland clans called the Welts.