Anniversary of Queen Nanny's Death

“Mother of all Jamaicans” - Queen Nanny’s title

(Queen Nanny)

Queen Nanny was born in 1686 in Ghana and was apart of the Ashanti tribe. Nanny and several other relatives were captured and sold into slavery. She was sent to Jamaica. Nanny was sold to a plantation in Saint Thomas Parish. She suffered hard conditions under slavery. Nanny and a few other slaves ran away and hid in the Blue Mountains area of northern Saint Thomas Parish.

(A drawing of Queen Nanny)

Nanny and another slave founded communities in Portland Parish. Due to Nanny’s community being strategically placed so that there was one way in and out of it they were able to fight off the British who wanted to take them back as slaves. The name of her community was called Nanny Town. It consisted of 500 acres. The people living in Nanny Town were called Maroons. The Maroons were known for raiding plantations for weapons and food, burning the plantations, and leading slaves back to their communities. Nanny was very adept at organizing plans to free slaves. Over 30 years she freed over 1000 slaves.

(A painting of Queen Nanny)

A lot of her leadership skills were attributed to her religion, Obeah. She also served as a physical and spiritual healer to her community. On March 30th 1733 Queen Nanny was killed in the 1st Maroon war in Nanny Town, Jamaica. She was about 47 years old.

(Nanny on the Jamaican $500 bill)

Today is the 283rd anniversary of her death. Take time to remember this great revolutionary today.   

Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice 1st Reaction

“Tell me, do you bleed?...You will” - Batman

*Spoilers*

I loved this movie. Everything about this movie was great. I originally thought since the movie was over promoted i would be able to predict everything that was going to happen but that was not the case. I really loved how early in the movie it showed both sides of how people viewed both superheroes. It showed how superman could be seen as a bad guy and how batman could be seen as a bad guy. I also loved how it depicted how brutal batman can be by showing him brand bad guys and showing he is not afraid to kill. There was also so many references to other superheroes and villains throughout the movie. I loved how they showed Cyborg, Aquaman and Flash and how Lex Luthor had videos and files on these metahumans. My favorite part, which I had to choose between the Batman vs. Superman scene and the scene of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman fighting Doomsday and I choose the Batman vs. Superman scene. This was my favorite scene because it was what I was waiting for for so long. Every part of it was perfect, from all the traps Batman set, to Batman shooting a kryptonite grenade at Superman twice and how Batman was going to kill Superman and Lois Lane stopped him at the last second. That whole scene was just so perfect. The saddest part of the whole movie was when Superman was killed by Doomsday while Superman stabbed him with the Kryptonite spear. That part i almost got teary eyed. I am so excited for the rest of the DCEU movies especially because of when Lex Luthor told Batman, “He is coming!”, and that he is referring to the villain Darkseid and how Luthor said that he called Darkseid but without referencing Darkseid’s name. The only flaws about this movie would be that without prior knowledge of some of the characters you might be confused. I give this movie a 9.5/10 and i definitely recommend this movie.

Trailer for the film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U652-BpXVQY  “Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice Trailer 3 (2016) Ben Affleck DC Superhero Movie”

Movie Review: Iron Man (2008)

“The truth is… I am Iron Man” - Tony Stark

Title: Iron Man

Release Date (U.S.): May 2, 2008

Movie Studio/s: Paramount Pictures, Marvel Studios

Director: Jon Favreau

Lead Role: Robert Downey Jr.

Genre/s: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi

Rating: PG-13

Budget: $140,000,000

Box Office (Worldwide): $585,200,000

Movie Series: Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

Number Appeared in Series: 1

Plot Synopsis

    Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist and son of legendary inventor and weapons contractor Howard Stark (Gerard Sanders). When Tony Stark is assigned to give a weapons presentation to a U.S. military unit in Iraq led by Lt. Col. James Rhodes (Terrence Howard), Stark is given a ride on to enemy lines. That ride ends badly when Stark's Humvee is attacked by enemy terrorists by the name of the 10 Rings. He survives but suffers from a chest full of shrapnel and to stay alive a car battery is attached to his heart. In order to survive he comes up with a way to miniaturize the battery and figures out that the battery can power something else. This something else is the way he will escape the clutches of the 10 Rings. Thus Iron Man is born. He uses his first Iron Man suit to escape from the cave in Iraq. Once back home, Stark begins work on perfecting the Iron Man suit, But the man who was put in charge of Stark Industries has plans of his own to take over Stark’s technology for other more devious purposes.

Scoring (Out of 9)

• How Well the Movie Did (More the 500% profit 10/10, 400% 9/10, 300% 8/10, 200% 7/10, 100% 6/10, Break Even 5/10, Less than Break Even <5/10): 418%, 9.2/10
• How Well is the Lead Role’s Acting: 9/10
• How Well are the Supporting Role’s Acting: 8.5/10
• How Well is the Plot: 8/10
• How Appealing are the Special Effects: 9.5/10
• How Creative are the Special Effects (Practical EFX mixing with CGI EFX): 8/10
• How Relevant is the Movie 10+ Years After Release: N/A
• How Much did it Revolutionize its Genre of Film: 7/10
• How Well is the Music Score: 8/10
• How Well is the Writing: 8/10

Number of Likes (Each Like Adds 0.01 Points): 80, 0.8

Number of Dislikes (Each Dislike Subtracts 0.01 Points): 40, 0.4

Total Score: 8.36 + 0.4 = 8.76/10

Percentage: 88%

What I Think

    I first saw this movie in theaters when i was 10 years old and i thought it was a good movie. After watching it over and over again i loved it more and more. My favorite scene from the movie was the 1st time we see iron man in the mark I suit and he escapes from the 10 Rings terrorists.This is my 4th favorite MCU movie.  

Trailer for the Film

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hYlB38asDY  “Iron Man - Trailer [HD]”

Comment what you think of this movie and if you agree with me or not and stay tuned for my next movie review which will be The Incredible Hulk (2008). 

Happy Independence Day Namibia

“A diamond's father is coal, yet it regards itself as upper-class” - Namibian Proverb

(Namibia flag (1990-Present))

Namibia is located in southern Africa.

(Map of where Namibia is located)

Its capital is Windhoek. Windhoek is also its largest city. The official language is English. The country is 318,696 square miles. Namibia is 92.5% African, 7% European and 0.5% other races. 90% of the population practice Christianity while 10% practice indigenous religions. The total population is 2,113,077. The climate is subtropical. Namibia is a Unitary semi-presidential republic.

(Windhoek, Namibia’s capital)  

Namibian cuisine consists of fruits, nuts, and meats from various animals indigenous to the region.

(Namibian cuisine)

Namibia has a number of different folk style music.

(Namibian musicians)

The most popular sport in Namibia is soccer. The national team is called the Brave Warriors.

(Namibia’s soccer team)

Namibia was first inhabited by the San, Damara, and Nama people.

(Women from the San tribe)

In the early 14th century the Bantu people migrated into Nambia.

(Children from the Bantu tribe)

In 1485 the Portuguese came across the land which is now Namibia. In the early 1800’s Germany started to colonize Namibia. In 1880 the Nama-Herero war broke out. In 1884 Namibia officially became a German colony and was known as German South West Africa.

(German Southwest Africa flag (1884-1915))

From 1904 to 1907 the African people, the Herero and the Namaqua took up arms against the German colonizers. The Germans then committed the 1st genocide of the 20th century by systematically killing 10,000 Nama and 65,000 Herero.
(Victims of the German genocide of Namibians)

The survivors, when finally released from detention, were subjected to a policy of dispossession, deportation, forced labour, racial segregation and discrimination in a system that in many ways anticipated apartheid. In 1915 the British occupied the territory and it was renamed South West Africa.

(Southwest Africa flag (1915-1990))

In 1966 the People's Liberation Army of Namibia began their armed struggle for independence. In 1978 the UN Security Council passed UN Resolution 435 which planned a transition toward independence for Namibia. In 1988 South African forces under British rule took their troops out of Namibia. On March 21st, 1990 Namibia became independent.

(Namibia flag (1990-Present))

The 1st president of Namibia was Sam Nujoma.

(Sam Nujoma)

In 1999 a secessionist attempt in the northeastern Caprivi Strip was successfully quashed. In 2004 Germany apologized for the Namibian genocide. In 2005 Hifikepunye Pohamba became president of Namibia.

(Hifikepunye Pohamba)

Today marks the 26th anniversary of Namibia’s independence and we would like to say happy independence day Namibia.

Videos of Namibia Independence

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uL30BtTcRo  “Namibia's 24th Independence Celebration NBC”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD5mkDx4zos  “TODAY IN HISTORY - Independence Day of Namibia - 21 Mar 2011”  

Happy Birthday Spike Lee

“It comes down to this: black people were stripped of our identities when we were brought here, and it's been a quest since then to define who we are” - Spike Lee

(Spike Lee)

Spike Lee was born as Shelton Lee on March 20th, 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. As a child his family moved to Brooklyn, NY. He then got the nickname “Spike” as a child.

(Spike Lee)

Lee attended Morehouse college in Atlanta, GA. He graduated with a BA from Morehouse in Mass Communication. In 1985 Lee began on his 1st feature film She’s Gotta Have It. The film released in 1986 and earned $7 million at the US box office.

(Lee in his movie She’s Gotta Have It (1986))

In 1989 Lee’s film Do the Right Thing (1989) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

(Lee in his movie Do the Right Thing (1989))

In 1990 Lee’s film Mo’ Better Blues was accused of antisemitism by the Anti-Defamation League and several film critics. Lee denied the charges, Lee said that he would not release an anti semitic film because Jews run Hollywood. In 1991 Lee taught a course at Harvard about filmmaking. In 1993 Lee began to teach at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. In the mid 90’s Lee produced TV commercials for Levi’s jeans. Also Spike Lee joined with Michael Jordan to promote Air Jordan sneakers.

(Michael Jordan (Left) and Spike Lee (Right))

In 1997 Lee’s film 4 Little Girls was nominated for the Best Feature Documentary Academy Award. In 2007 Spike Lee was honored with the San Francisco Film Society's Directing Award. In 2008 he received the Wexner Prize. In 2012 after the shooting of Trayvon Martin, Spike Lee was one of many people who used Twitter to circulate a message which claimed to give the home address of the shooter George Zimmerman.

(Lee in 2012)

In 2013 Lee won The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. In 2015 Lee received an Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his contributions to film. Lee is the director, writer, and producer of the MyCareer story mode in the video game NBA 2K16.

(Lee at a NY Knicks basketball game)

Today is his 59th birthday and we would all like to say happy birthday Spike Lee.

Spike Lee’s filmography

• Joe’s Bed Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983)
• She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
• School Daze (1988)
• Do the Right Thing (1989)
• Mo’ Better Blues (1990)
• Jungle Fever (1991)
• Malcolm X (1992)
• Crooklyn (1994)
• Clockers (1995)
• Lumiere and Company (1995)
• Girl 6 (1996)
• Get on the Bus (1996)
• 4 Little Girls (1997)
• He Got Game (1998)
• Freak (1998)
• Pavarotti and Friends for the Children of Liberia (1998)
• Summer of Sam (1999)
• Pavarotti and Friends for the Guatemala and Kosovo (1999)
• The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
• Bamboozled (2000)
• A Huey P. Newton Story (2001)
• The Concert for New York City (2001)
• 25th Hour (2002)
• Jim Brown: All American (2002)
• Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002)
• She Hate Me (2004)
• Sucker Free City (2004)
• Inside Man (2006)
• When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006)
• Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
• Passing Strange (2008)
• Kobe Doin’ Work (2009)
• If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise (2010)
• Red Hook Summer (2012)
• Bad 25 (2012)
• Oldboy (2013)
• Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth (2013)
• Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2014)
• Katt Williams: Priceless: Afterlife (2014)
• Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store (2014)
• Chi-Raq (2015)
• Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016)

Videos of Spike Lee

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muc7xqdHudI  “DO THE RIGHT THING - Trailer - HQ”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd9oTGr_1DA  “She'S Gotta Have It - Trailer”