I'm not someone who particularly likes prequels, but this previous week was the start of much-anticipated shows of two epic fictional realms of Westeros and Middle earth. House of Dragon streams on HBO (but for residents of Lebanon that won't be able to have an HBO account there are many alternatives for free streaming). Now House of Dragon takes us back to a period where the realm of Westeros was in prosperity yet same time of uncertainty. I will not go further in the storyline not to spoil especially for people that never Ice and Fire book or any of Martin books. 
I have to say the long awaited series as far as the first two episodes did not disappoint from visual and acting point of view. For many who watched the full eight seasons of Game of thrones could not wait for latest HBO especially that final season of GOT had disappointing ending. 
As for Rings of Power ( streams on Amazon Prime) which takes us thousands of years further even before the hobbits. Yet with so much potential to have a memorable show the first two episodes did not provide the effect I had with House of Dragon. But still I will continue with both shows to see where they go.  

​It's been far too long since I've written anything, but currently, we are in dangerous conjunction in this country. With few months left till the end of one of the worst presidential eras in the history of Lebanon, we are charting familiar waters that seem worse than ever. Every time we face expected emptiness in power like what happened almost eight years ago before finally Aoun was elected. For a neutral observer one might think that our politicians never learn from their mistakes of the past, the sad reality is that we Lebanese who elect such politicians choose not to learn and take the easy way out. We choose as Lebanese not to confront the regime in a bloody assault as one united front against all of them. When I say all of them am not being poetic but simply against who led us to this status quo. Again the presidential elections are near and it seems clear whoever is the elected president won't matter because as before he's got no authority. This struggle in the region between the United States and Russia is affecting the whole globe including our country, though there's a big opportunity for Lebanon to exclude itself from such struggles including the roles Hizbullah plays in the region in supporting militants against the will of the government. Am far from being an economist or a politician but even a ten-year-old child can figure out that any kind of financial correction won't be achieved without stability.
 In conclusion, the truth is ugly but we will be in a shit swamp for the next twenty to thirty years if no real change to the current regime happens in abolishing all things relating to sectarianism and political parties adopting clear programs in which they are chosen through proper and fair elections. 

  This Thursday the major tournament of football is starting " The World Cup" and like any other international tournament, the elite are present. Sadly two huge fan bases won't be able to support their teams. The Italians & the Dutch failed to qualify and it wasn't really a surprise at least for me, both don't have the quality like before and some players aging. But in a few years time, they'll bounce back especially with the talents coming through.  Like previous tournaments, there's the favorites and the dark horse(s), and there are, of course, the teams that are just proud to be in Russia. I'll go briefly through who's favorites and predictions for group stages and further rounds. 

The new series on Netflix got all the factors to become a hit. Yet there's still something missing in this show. In my opinion, the actors are brilliant and the production is superb, but something doesn't add up. Although it's a well-constructed storytelling script yet the episodes seem disconnected. You just feel that every episode could be watched separably and the main idea of the show still known. You start the premiere episode with a sort of introduction how the future after 350 years or so been altered. In a way where you can put the consciousness in another human. Well although the idea seems original it's been done in the recent season of Black Mirror. As for the whole idea of putting someone's consciousness after being dead in another body well in many religions, it's called incarnation.  

In general, the show is extremely exciting and worthwhile watching if you are science fiction fans.  It's got all the elements of an original show and potential to become a cult favorite. Although I hope it doesn't get canceled after a couple of seasons. Like they did with Penny Dreadful and before Deadwood & Rome, the latter is one of my favorite shows and deserved more airtime. Now back to Altered Carbon and the amazing the cast it's got lead by a new upcoming Swedish actor Joe Kinnaman has most known among comic fans for his role in suicide squad and as RoboCop in the rebooted version. The other actor James Purefoy is most notably known for playing Marc Antony in the short-lived series Rome.  In addition to an ensemble of the amazing actresses with the diversity of ethnicities. If anything this show recognized the diversity of the universe especially when you see the use of more than three languages including the Arabic.