The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest: A review

Stieg Larsson writes with an attention to detail of an investigative journalist seeking to create a narrative that educates and entertains. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest is an excellent work of fiction that has the mimesis and verisimilitude that college professors speak of when addressing works in a literature course.

Hornet's Nest carries the momentum from the end of Fire, into what is a completely different text. The intricate nature of Hornet's Nest requires a notes section, at the end of the book, to verify the allusions to real elements utilized in the creation of the story. Larsson utilized his expertise in journalism, and with aspects of counterculture to impress upon the reader the importance of his story. By the middle of the book the reader feels a sense of trepidation and wants, no needs, for the main character Lisbeth Salander to pull through this murky, distorted novel that captures the shadowy and conspiracy laden nature of countries that dealt with the darkness of the Cold War.

The plot itself is simply the story of a dysfunctional family, and the characters that align to bring justice to one woman. This woman, Lisbeth Salander, is a metaphor for women who have dealt with the uncertainty of a justice system that aligns itself with men and caters to the paternalistic slant of all facets of life. Hornet's Nest takes the mystery novel and details every aspect leaving nothing to question and effectively tying up every loose end successfully without Deus Ex Machina or some simplistic resolution.

The climax of the text feels never ending, but can be given one point of clarity at the end of the book in the courtroom scene which literally makes the reader laugh, shout and pump their fist in approval of the decimation of authority figures that have made the life of Lisbeth Salander a complicated mess of injustice. This is not the resolution however. In a twist the book does not end once Salander is somewhat vindicated, the book continues forward to enhance the reader's understanding of points that were began in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire.

In short, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest is damn good and the Millennium trilogy is worth the investment of three weeks. At 600 pages each, the books read incredibly fast and for a text that is complicated, it is clearly drawn and presented. Read it and then watch the films. Rest In Peace to a masterful writer.

Breaking Down the Myth: Open Your Mouth

(If you’re a “freak” take your mind out of the gutter)

Guest Writer

EnVogue Price

Ever seen your man out with that chick and swore he was flirting with her? Did you even take out the time to see who the chick was? It could’ve been his cousin or rather attractive auntie. Lack of communication is one of the reasons why a woman can’t keep a man. It's always, “you’re cheating”, “sleeping around”, or “you’re just with me to have somewhere to put your raggedy car”. The majority of the time it’s the total opposite on the dude's end. By constantly nagging and calling Shareka every time something goes down, it makes him go out and peruse/pursue (Take your pick) his other options.

In a relationship the whole thing is based on communication. Most men state in the beginning what they are looking for: Whether it’s long term, short term, or “I need you cause my baby momma is trippin” term. Women, though, want the dude to be a natural Houdini and wave his “magic stick” (Take your mind out the gutter…. Wait, no, leave it there...) and automatically know what she wants or expects from the relationship. When, really, the woman should open her mouth and say what she wants.

I’d bet if your man asked “what color hair you wear” so he can buy some new weave women won’t hesitate to open their mouths. Just like the man can lay it out on the line, so can YOU. Why be together or think about being together and ya’ll are on three different pages? It doesn’t make sense. Start on a strong foundation, know what you want, say what you want, and maybe your relationship will last.

EnVogue Price is a sophomore at LeMoyne Owen College, Majoring in English with a minor in Math; hit her up on twitter @iV0GUE.

Breaking Down The Myth is opening the floor up to writer's, bloggers and random 'experts' at chit chat on relationships to get a diverse opinion on friendship and relationships. If you'd like to write an article, and you can crack a joke or two, hit me up at cdburns@cbpublish.com

Why Most Ideas Never Happen

http://emptees.com/tees/314657-live-as-one-selflessness

Ideas are the foundation of the capitalist society. Actually ideas are the foundation of all society. Someone had an idea to take the teachings of various leaders and the world now has religion. One guy sat down and had an idea about placing dough in the oven with cheese and we now have pizza. Some guy looked at a woman and figured out that the thing between his legs could fit inside the thing between her legs, and pow, children. Seriously though, ideas are born and they give rise to great companies and even better philosophies. What is great about ideas is that anyone can get an idea. The poor, rich, middle class, old people, young people, teens and babies, doctors and homeless guys with golden voices all have ideas. Although everyone awakens at night with an epiphany, this does not mean that we are all capable of actually bringing these ideas to fruition. Very often we will think and think about an idea we have, and we will even go as far as talking with other people about these thoughts. We toss ideas around at bars, during the game, at the mall, in schools and at business meetings. These ideas become the root of discussion for some and the basis for argument for others, but very often ideas, like dreams simply fade away. Why is it that ideas are not taken seriously? What happens from the moment a person writes down a few notes to when they take that sheet of paper, ball it up, and toss it in the trash can? Why do most ideas just go away?

American Ministers: Preachers or Pimps?

by Gee Joyner

of http://rainbowsandlilacs.blogspot.com/

pic from realchristianity.wordpress

I have always wondered whether preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or the ‘gospel’ or philosophy of any deity for that matter, was a social calling of humanity or a profession-- which reaps massively grotesque amounts of financial benefits. I am not sure, but I do believe some ministers tend to get into the business as a means to create a self-worth and societal relevance that they could not acquire within the normal realm of social standing and hierarchical positioning.

The older I get, the more I realize that the preacher’s preaching is not necessary for one to live a ‘good’ life or to be smiled upon by God, or whatever name one calls their Creator and Higher Power. I come from a family with a history of males who have made a comfortable existence through the discipline of Christian Theology (i.e. Baptist, Lutheran), but I have yet to comprehend the notion of being ‘called’ by God to preach this Gospel. I believe ministering and preaching is a chosen field of occupation, a profession if you will. Living in the South, where ministers are as prevalent as maggots in a wet garbage can, I can hardly differentiate a preacher from a pimp. From their usage of smooth, if not slick, sounding words of manipulation to their chosen attire of peacock-colored suits to their jewelry to the vehicles they navigate through the city streets, a preacher is synonymous with a pimp in my book. Sure, a pimp manipulates the bodies of women by selling the sex of a particular whore for profit, but doesn’t a preacher do the same by sending members of his congregation or flock out into the workforce for five or more days a week only to bring their tithes back to the preacher’s church or ‘God’s storehouse’ so that the church can maintain their utilities and general maintenance? And in most churches, the head minister/preacher, or pastor, draws a salary that, in some cases, mirrors that of a Chief Executive Officer of a Fortune 500 company.

The Girl Who Played With Fire: A review

A couple of days ago, I did a grand disservice to Stieg Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I sandwiched a review of the book into the middle of a social commentary on whether Blacks read White books. Honestly, who gives a damn? I know what I do give a damn about though, the Larsson Trilogy. While I am a bit late in reading the books, I am finally worked my way to the third book in the series, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. I shouldn't say worked because it is my own fascination with Larsson's narrative that has driven me to read the first two in one week.

While the first book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has the potential to stand on its own, The Girl Who Played With Fire is a traditional cliffhanger, mystery novel. What remains non-traditional is the depth and detail that Larsson crafts his texts with. Fire brings us back into the world of cyberpunk Lisbeth Salander and publisher Mykael Blomvkist. In the first text the complicated relationship between the two is dealt with in a closely drawn plot structure that forces the two together while solving the case in Hedestad. In the second novel, the regular storyline of returning to a person's surroundings and things going back to the way they were is established but not in a way that feels routine. Blomvkist has been catapulted to 'stardom' by his book on the Wennerstrom Affair and the magazine Millineum is benefitting from the shine of its star.

Waiting for Superman

While most people interested in education saw Waiting For Superman during its theatrical release, I often fail to catch any new release. I often wait for Netflix or the DVD release. I have made it a point to watch any film that deals with the shortcomings of, or the success of schools at the high school or collegiate level. Netflix is a great option for those seeking a wealth of information on education. Now that the advertisement is over let's get to this.

A White Dude Asked Me Some Questions



Damn Robert Downey, damn.



Okay a few years back a white dude asked me some pretty good questions. I'm posting a few of the questions and answers to drop here as food for thought. The topics ranged from dating and entertainment, to history and education. This is the kind of thing that has to happen for America to truly to understand relationships. I think often that Blacks are afraid to let White's and other cultures ask them questions. Blacks are acutally afraid to let anyone ask them questions. Typically the outcome of questions is a defensive posture instead of an honest response. Here are a few, respond to them yourself in the comments section.

On Entertainment:

Q: Is there a difference between Hip-Hop and rap?

A: To preface this question I have to state that Rap is one of the facets of Hip-Hop culture. For this question’s purpose I will draw a distinction between the two. Hip-Hop is a culture that includes four facets: Breakin, Graffiti, Turntablism, and lyrical dominance on the mic or rap. I assume you are asking about the difference between music that is considered Hip-Hop and why some is considered rap. Okay here it goes, Hip-Hop endears itself to the appreciation of verbal manipulation identifiable by the ability to say something of importance in a lyrical manner. In other words, Hip-Hop is life music even at its simplest and base moments such as the signifying in Pharcyde’s Ya Mama, it is about the ability to create a narrative with words. Hip-Hop is closer to poetry in its purest form. It comments on society and life in the inner city, or life in your city as it exists.

Obama Is Not 'Your Nigga'

by Gee Joyner
of http://rainbowsandlilacs.blogspot.com/

Will President Obama ever be debated equally?

First of all, the first ‘Black’ President of the United States is not a full-blooded Negroid. Sure, for the most part, no Black American residing in the United States is one hundred percent of African descent, yet he is a first generation mulatto, for lack of a better word. If we are to subscribe to the notion that the race of the child always follows that of the mother, as was the case during the Antebellum days of U.S. slavery per the 1662 Virginia miscegenation law passed by the Virginia colonial assembly (matrilineage)-- also "one drop rules" were applied differently in different states; in Mississippi, black if 1/32nd African American; in Louisiana, black if 1/64th, then Barack Obama is really a ‘white’ man. The aforementioned, in and of itself, puts the public and closeted racists at ease, even if only minimal.

Black Boys and Long Hair

by LV Burns
http://www.natural-ness.com/

My 9 year old son

with his growing afro styled in coils.

Does long hair on a male make him look feminine? Will he be mistaken for a girl/woman? When I see Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers, there is nothing feminine about him. Did we not drool over Maxwell's untamed fro before he cut it? Are coils and twists only reserved for girls? Well, DL Hughley, Gary Dourdan and John Legend look very masculine with their twists & coils. Will allowing your boy to grow his hair out doom him to a life of unemployment and utter thuggishness? Will his I.Q. drop? Will Harvard or MIT not admit him because he wore his hair in twists, braids or a big afro when he was in school, even if his GPA is at the top of his class? I admit that I used to associate braids on a boy with them trying to be gangsta or a thug, but now that I am on this natural journey, my view has expanded a bit. Volunteering in schools as a mentor, assisting my husband while he coached basketball or put on basketball showcases for students looking to get scholarships, I've been around plenty of intelligent, charismatic and later on successful young men who wore their hair long in braids at some point. To associate long hair on a males with being unsuccessful later in life is as wrong as saying that all women with a TWA want to be boys.

I'mma Square

This poem is usually spoken only, but I want to share it. I wrote this while living in Los Angeles attending a drama school where the populous of straight men was dense. Then I thought to myself, "Self, there was no boyfriend before LA, so it must be something else..."

I'mma Square

by Lisa B.

My heart and soul are perpendicular

They often meet up and talk to each other

Right now, they tryna help me find a brotha

I always get dumped and clumped into the friends category

I’ve been invited in sharing too many NBA stories

I am one click a away from E-Harmony

So I decided to write a dating profile summary

It reads...

For 90º days I like to sit in the shade but I like my dudes darkskinneded

But I’ll go for the lightskinneded, hell at this point I’ll hook with a Palestinian who hates Americans

Legit

Romance went on a haitus

Va-whomp whomp in hibernation

My check list keep diminishin

Narrowed down to two

Be a straight

No Egos

I need a man that can take a woman that’s devoted to her business

Yeah I independently pay my bills but on a dude I’ll still depend

But it Depends

I often check out what’s in your pants to make sure leaks of arrogance isn’t trickling down your legs

So excuse me if I’m staring

I’m not checkin for your inches

I’m checkin to see if you are an ego ho

A ego is to me

What a Leo is to a Pisces

I am the real

Legit-I-mate rhymes with mics that give birth to lyrical clauses that gain applauses

But I no care if no one gives me a round

I’mma square

The angle of my hair always right

Ready to square off at any mic

You boast about hood rhymin crew

I’m from GI

We make your inner city circles look like Urkels

Wanna get even Steve?

Then step into my precious

Where I am Lord of the Squares

Trilgogy

This is The Return of the Queen MC’s

And I ain’t talking ‘bout no Nikkie

Oh of this you can be sure

I no-lye like relaxers

I keep it 10²

Truth commercials?

Nicotine?

Smoke me

I’ll make you look real cool

I’mma square

You know, the kind that’s into science

E=MC²

I Energize the Crowds by the Masses

And that is the side of me that the boys can’t handle

Won’t fondle

It’s like I stole they girl

They hate how I one night mic stands

Leave no money on the table

By the way I present

It’s obvious

I use to love H.E.R.

No Homo

But don’t you test me

I will stroke that mic so hard and hand you back your testes

I’m fearless without the balls

How about you grow a pair

Grow a face and some hair

For that ego

Before what’s left of your brain grows a pair of legs and runs away forever

How about you go away?

You fall prey to my bait

Tweets and status updates

Well here’s some honesty box for you

You’re to cool for me

To busy chasing hoes and money

But

S-Q-U-A-R-E spells American Cheese

And I get it, no gimicks

Hickory

You may need to pop a round on to keep up with me

Wanna play four corners?

Take it to the fourth quarter?

Dickory dock shot clock diminishing

Game, I win

Wanna run it back?

Trust me

You don’t want a rematch homie

That’s when I take you to the land of 3d

Where every one would wanna be a square just like me

Lisa B.

http://www.liftedsoul.com/

www.youtube.com/lisabpoetry

http://www.speakintothemic.com/

Get To Know: Official Release Date

Certain artists generate a response that makes you honored to hear what they have to say. As I grow old in Hip-Hop, I'm starting more and more to seek out artists that mesh all of the elements together: dope tracks, lyricism, creativity and inspiration. In mainstream music the heart is missing. You can't listen to the songs and get that spontaneous "Oh ish son, listen to that and rewind it." Well there isn't a rewind anymore, but you want to hear that lyric over and over again. I found a few of these moments in the MLS Cd I reviewed last week especially on Hard and Target Practice, but with this guy every track seems to be a genuine ode to Hip-Hop. Lupe may be one of the best in the game today. No, he is one of the best in the biz today. Instead of talking so much listen to I'm Beaming and understand that real Hip-Hop is alive and well. You don't have to listen to weed narratives and excessive party anthems to get to it, it's right here. Lasers is dropping March 8th. Oh I thought this album was going to be called LUP-END? Anyway...

Do Black People Read "White" Books?

Obviously if I'm writing a quick review of a "White" book then Black people do read White books. An interesting thing does exist in literature however. Typically a White author is only approached by Blacks while they are in college. Introduction to Lit courses are filled with the rich literary history of White authors that Black students have to read to pass the course, and this is the way these books are approached. Novels, short stories, poetry by authors that don't look like Blacks are basically placeholders in the pursuit of attaining a passing grade. The appreciation of literature for the Black person is somewhat skewed and lacks a foundation in understanding the function and scope of writing. Consider that Phyllis Wheatley was the first Black woman to publish and then realize that not until the 1900s was Black literature given any respected status in academic and literary circles and there lies the problem. When a group of people have only been writing and reading as a culture for around 100 years, literature for that group is in its infancy. Now I am only looking at Black America. With that said, do Black people read White literature voluntarily and does it matter?

My Annual 'Valentine's Ruins Perfectly Good Relationships' Post



You want to buy something?
Buy this shirt: http://iamshoebox.spreadshirt.com/



I'm married and very happy. I guess saying that makes it kind of suspect, but just trust me on this, life is beautiful. After working in colleges and high schools for the past few years, I have been able to witness the insanity of Valentine's Day. In five days fifty percent of the couples we encounter will break up simply because some little white kid with wings and a bow and arrow, and his mom, decided to go around hiding in bushes and shooting people with poisoned darts of love. Actually the history of Valentine's Day is very complex and multifaceted, but that's not what this is about. If you want to read up on the history of this day go here.

Over the next few days, guys will spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to decide what to buy. They will hit up Jared's, watch commercials that talk about, every kiss begins with Kay, and they will go to Walgreens and buy old ass chocolates with ready made bows. These dudes will go as far as to use credit cards, which they are late in paying, to take their lovers to eat at the most romantic place on earth, The Olive Garden. Because, as we all know, nothing spells romance like free breadsticks and a waiter named Romeo effing up your fettucine.

Get To Know: We Are MLS

If Janelle Monae decided to record a Hip-Hop cd and joined forces with Art-Official era De La Soul and added in a sprinkle of MF Doom, the outcome would be MLS (Major League Spittaz) and the album The Legendary Sharpshootaz. The group originally seemed to be following in the footsteps of Wu-Tang with it's multi-voiced trio utilizing snippets of film and samples that create an eerie backdrop behind Rza inspired production, it seemed natural to draw comparisons to an east coast group, but after listening there is flavor in their use of extensive hooks which have a musicality that only California natives are capable of producing. In short, while the pictures show a grimey edge with battle ready fatigues and artillery, the group is distinctly Cali, northern Cali, Sacramento. Which makes the group more interesting when you consider that Sacto is not considered as a frontrunner in the Bay Area. The Bay Area is personified by Thizz, Hyphy, E-40 and Keek da Sneak, sounds full of drugs, bravado and unique lingo. MLS however has approached a status that I consider closer to what Fashawn, out of Central Cali-Fresno, has captured. MLS at the core are a group of lyricists. Which brings me back to the Janelle Monae meets De La reference.

And It Goes A Little Something Like This

Here I am, a man frustrated with the state, status, complacency of Hip-Hop, listening to an R& B album, ‘Neo Soul’ CD that is almost replacing my desire for finding Rap music that sounds ‘different’. Hip-Hop doesn’t create in me the same emotions it used to. Maybe once or twice, or a few more times I found myself completely in awe of an emcee’s ability to move beyond simplistic weed smoke, drinking anthems and hood stories on wax. But due to the insistence of the media the vast amount of rap music pushed to the public and the youth (who are unaware of more sonically, lyrically challenging rap that exists) distorts the image of Hip-Hop so the artform is suffering. Along with these media representations not only is the image of Blacks in America crumbling, but the actual fiber is being broken down like metamucil in water.

Breaking Down the Myth: Is It Possible to Love An "Ugly" Person?

You can fall for a guy like this, can't you?

Ben Johnson wrote, "Our beauty is not ours," in a play. There are a ton of cliche's in regard to "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I currently teach at a local community college and in the midst of a lecture on exemplification and the process of writing a well developed paragraph, an interesting statement was made, by a young lady. We were discussing the fact that you can not generalize in a paragraph. In other words you can't say "All men are dogs." That is a generalization and it can not be proven. In other words, this sentence actually hurts the discussion in a paragraph. It's obvious why, but after we discussed this, I said that it would be better to say, "in my experience most men are dogs." I am moving away from the point though. In some way we moved into a discussion on beauty and looks for both men and women. My student stated, that she could never love an ugly man, it didn't matter if he was rich. I said I couldn't trust that statement and we went off track for another five minutes before getting back on track.