Conquered the NaNo!!!!!

I am captain of the world!

Not to be confused with king of the world – that’s from Titanic.

No, I am Captain Alex of the Starship NaNoWriMo!!!

That’s right – after twenty eight days of hunt and peck typing, I managed to complete the NaNo challenge. I ended yesterday with 50,975 words, well over the target – and with more of the story to write. (And probably a lot to re-write as well!)

Several of my NaNo buddies are also big winners – congratulations to Hart, Falen, Jen, Lola, Clarissa, Lynda, Jemi, Emily, Golden, Charity, Pk, Melissa, Brad, and Anna.

And a couple are so close! Go Ellie and Ted!!! You can do it.

Thanks to everyone who’s stuck with me during November while I devoted several hours a day to writing instead of blogging. (And of course a big thanks to my wife whom I intend to lavish with attention after ignoring her for a month.)

Ninja Alex is back! Captain Ninja Alex…

And one last round of my Twitter Stardate NaNo updates. Live long and prosper!!

Stardate #nanowrimo 19.6 Caught Riker & Troi naked. Said she sensed danger. In Riker's pants? Not buying it... 31551

Stardate #nanowrimo 19.9 A bunch of the ship just fell off and nobody likes me... word count 32276

Stardate #nanowrimo 20.8 The Borg tried to assimilate Justin Bieber. Their ship exploded. I call that a win-win! 34232 words

Stardate #nanowrimo 22.7 Kicking Ferengi butt and taking names! Nog went first. He's small - easy to punt! 38085 words

Stardate #nanowrimo 23.9 Why does everyone on the bridge giggle when I give the orders for saucer separation? 40451 words

Stardate #nanowrimo 24.6 The allure of an evening pass off-world is too great! You have the Bridge, Number One. 41320 words

Stardate #nanowrimo 27.3 Must've been a wild party. Discovered Odo & Kira in my closet and Morn under my bed. Creepy. 44466 words

Stardate #nanowrimo 27.8 Warp 9 through a wormhole! Scotty, the engines can't take it no more!! 48,596 words as my hands falls off into space

Stardate #nanowrimo 28.6 Kirk and Picard were but amateurs. I am Captain Alex of the Starship NaNo! 50,975 words - I win!!

Tangled Review and December Movies!

Tangled

One word – Delightful!
Disney’s 50th animated film possesses all the aspects of a classic, complete with storybook tale and singing, modernized with 3D computer animation.
This Rapunzel tale boasts a sweet, innocent spirit, in both the storyline and the title character. The animation is stunning, the laughs genuine, and the songs Oscar worthy.
If you’re looking for the perfect holiday film, Tangled is your winner. You will leave the theater grinning!

December movie preview:

3rd -

The Warrior's Way
The world's greatest swordsman abandons his warrior clan to start a new life in the American Badlands…
Starring: Dong-gun Jang, Kate Bosworth, Danny Huston, Geoffrey Rush
Director: Sngmoo Lee
Good cast and it just sounds kick-butt!


10th -

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea…
Starring: Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Will Poulter
Director: Michael Apted
The best of the seven books, it better be an improvement over the last movie. Or I’m taking Reepicheep hostage!


17th -

Tron Legacy
3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that's unlike anything ever captured on the big screen.
Starring: Garrett Hedlund, Jeff Bridges, Beau Garrett, Bruce Boxleitner
Director: Joseph Kosinski
We’ve waited twenty-eight years for this sequel!



22nd -

True Grit
A tough U.S. Marshal helps a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer.
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Always nervous when they remake a classic, but this one should rock.


31st -

Some cool foreign kung fu and ninja flicks:

14 Blades
A kung fu thriller set during the Ming Dynasty and centered on a secret service agent (Donnie Yen) in the emperor's court…
Starring: Kate Tsui, Chun Wu, Donnie Yen, Yuwu Qi
Director: Daniel Lee

Reign of Assassins (Jianyu)
Set in ancient China, Zeng Jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical Buddhist monk's remains.
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Woo-sung Jung, Barbie Hsu, Shawn Yue
Director: Chao-Bin Su, John Woo

And from the director of Paranormal Activity. Hopefully this one is better:

Area 51
A group of teenagers stumble upon an area in the Nevada desert known for hosting an alien encounter.
Starring: Reid Warner, Darrin Bragg, Ben Rovner, Sandra Staggs
Director: Oren Peli

And don’t forget, I’m nominated for Best Sci-Fi Blog. Cast your vote at The Movie 411!

Thanksgiving Blogfest, Ninja Alex Style!

Today is Jeffrey at World of the Scribe’s Early Bird Thanksgiving Blogfest! Please visit his site for the full list of participants. And because Jeffrey is cool! There are many things I am thankful for: The hotness that is Kate Beckinsale. (Does that surprise you?) The people who make quality movies and TV shows and place them on NetFlix and Hulu. My awesome iPad! The creators of Star Trek, without whom my Stardate NaNo updates on Twitter would not be possible. My cool Ninja blogging abilities. That the oboe is not standard hard rock music equipment. (Wouldn’t that be odd?) The Supermutants of Fallout 3: New Vegas and the sniper rifle that takes them out! And now some things for which I am truly grateful: My awesome blogging buddies. (Who keep coming back for this nonsense!) My wife and family. My relationship with God. My job. (The one that allows me to blog, write, and watch movies all day.) A good sense of humor. The gift of music. And the creative spark that runs through me! What are YOU grateful for? Have an awesome Thanksgiving my USA friends!

Thanks, Awards, Star Wars, and a Response!

Thanks to everyone who’s voted over at The Movie 411! I’m nominated for Best Sci-Fi Blog of 2010 – and really stunned I’m one of the front runners. Plus buddies Dezz, Nebular, and RaShelle are nominated as well. Voting ends December 14th. And Clarissa at Listen to the Voices just posted her review of CassaStar! Thank you so much, Clarissa. Still moving along with my NaNo project. Should hit 50,000 words next weekend. Those of you who asked all the interesting questions – stay tuned next week for answers!

Elizabeth Mueller gave me the Grasshopper award! Thank you, Elizabeth. (She’s one of my Fantastic Friday Writers buddies.) Passing this on to Jeffrey Beesler at World of the Scribe

Ella gave me the You Deserve a Star Today award! I’ve received this award previously, so I’ll just thank Ella for her generosity! Just caught this the other day - the third installment of the Family Guy Star Wars trilogy comes out next month! Here's the trailer for "It's a Trap!"