Thanksgiving Part 2: Embracing gratitude-an incomplete list

In Thanksgiving part 1, I acknowledged that the historical origins behind why we celebrate Thanksgiving, does not mean the same thing for many Americans, especially the Native Americans who mourn Thanksgiving as the beginning of the end of their freedoms.

In Thanksgiving part 2, I want to embrace gratitude and the endless amount of things I am beyond thankful for.

This list is by no means complete.

1. I am grateful that I have the liberty to seek the truth even if it means acknowledging the dark history of my country and the possibility my ancestors contributed to it.

2. I am grateful for my crazy and loving family and having a safe place to gather with them for the holidays.

3. I am grateful for my husband Jeremiah, for his incredible heart and compassion. He rarely complains and never ceases to put the needs of others before his own. Always.

4. I am grateful for my incredibly kind and smart son Jonas. It is a privilege that he has access to an education that allows him to work towards his endless potential. So many children in our world don't have the opportunity to safely attend schools or go at all for that matter. I may complain about hating Common Core but a humbling dose of perspective allows me to see that my child is one of the lucky ones.

5. I am grateful for my friends and embrace our similarities as well as the differences between us.

6. I am grateful to continually have enough food to feed my family as well as enough to extend a meal to someone less fortunate.

7. I am grateful for having flexibility in my job to balance my work with my personal family needs.

8. I am grateful for having a warm place to lay my head down, a loving face to wake up to, and a beautiful child to enjoy life with.

9. I am grateful for great books, movies, and games that fill our days with joyful distractions.

10. I am grateful that I have a voice to speak out, a heart that insists I fight for what I think is right, and the mind to understand that I can (and should) think and act on behalf of my convictions.

I am most thankful to live in the safety of possibilities and embrace the greatest responsibility of all...to fight the good fight in all that I do, i.e. parenting, marriage, community, and education. Perhaps it is an idealistic sentiment but we are blessed with free will...some will use that free will for evil and oppression and some will use it to promote equality and love for all...I choose the latter.

Happy turkey day everyone! 

Thanksgiving Part 1-A Day of Mourning

Thanksgiving is one of those American holidays that we have been taught celebrates the coming together of Native Americans and immigrated Colonists as they shared food, bounty, and family in a traditional setting. It is important to note that not all Native Americans share this sentiment of celebration. In fact some Native Americans have taken to Plymouth Rock on the 4th Thursday in November in an ongoing protest they call a National Day of Mourning. While our history books paint a lovely picture of Pilgrims and Natives living and eating together in harmony, we must acknowledge that many people feel Thanksgiving marked the beginning of the end for Native American freedoms. I think Mashpee Wampanoag Chief Qaqeemasq despite his character flaws, said it best when he wrote, "Historically, Thanksgiving represents our first encounter with the eventual erosion of our sovereignty and there is nothing wrong with mourning that loss. In fact, as long as we don’t wallow in regret and resentment, it’s healthy to mourn. It is a necessary part of the healing process."

Like any holiday that has been Americanized beyond recognition of its true origins, I think we can make the most of Thanksgiving without minimizing or forgetting the struggles that resulted in the diminishing of the Native American people when immigrants came to their country. In the wake of our entitlement and privilege when constructing our own opinions on immigration and who we want to let in and who we keep out, we have to remember the transgressions of our ancestors. In my family, we celebrate being thankful on Thanksgiving and we do it with empathy and solidarity to the struggles of our original citizens. 

The Loaded Couch Podcast-Episode 85: Whiskers sounds like Darth Vader

My husband and host with the most, Jeremiah, better known as ScotchHound of the Loaded Couch podcast, was determined to get an episode out last night to keep to the faithful weekly podcast release schedule.

Since the two other members of TLC podcast were unavailable for one reason or another, I got to fill in and basically just talk to him about the cool stuff we love. Sure, I knew he was using me because his blokes weren't around, but I had fun anyway despite the fact I couldn't breathe through my nose. If you listen closely, you will notice it sounds like Darth Vader is in the room with us (which is actually true if you count Jonas' 2 foot toy version that has taken up residence in our living room) but it is actually just me struggling with my respiratory system.

So if you are interested in hearing us chit chat about random things like beer, TV, movies, and video games, give some support to TLC podcast. 

The Loaded Couch-Episode 85: Look out, it's Whiskers

Personally, I think the episode should be re-named to: The Loaded Couch-Episode 85: Look out, it's Darth Vader...er, Whiskers, but that's just me. :)

My alter ego, Whiskers, thanks ScotchHound and The Loaded Couch for letting me share my irrelevant and (un)expert opinions with the world. :) You guys are awesome!

Doctor Strange: A glowing review

*Spoilers*
There are basic elements that make up a superhero, that include but are not limited to: 

• Unrequited or turbulent love interest
• A tragedy/injury that alters the course of a life
• Mutant interference (Captain America, Luke Cage, etc).
•  Disbelief surrounding a newfound ability and the choice to do something good with those abilities 
• A struggle to defeat someone/something that threatens the future of humanity

I have always been a fan of Doctor Strange. He falls into most of  the basic elements of the superhero mold without losing authenticity or uniqueness. His ability to harness magic feels relative, like if we sought out the Ancient One, it would be possible to learn how to master mind over matter...that with the right tools we could learn to bend time and draw the doorways to the rest of the universe.

In summary, Doctor Stephen Strange is a brilliant and renowned neurosurgeon with an arrogant personality to match (think of Hugh Lawrie as Dr. House). After a good lesson on why you shouldn't be a distracted driver, Strange's car goes off a cliff and he wakes up in a hospital room with severe injury to his hands. After alienating his ex-girlfriend and loyal colleague,  Christine (played by Rachel McAdams), Stephen drains his financial resources in search of a cure. Strange then learns of a man who was considered to have an incurable spinal injury and despite the impossibility of it, was walking again. Stephen seeks the man out and learns of an ancient order that emphasizes balancing the energy in the body to truly harness the power of the spirit and master mind over matter. Strange is trained by the Ancient One (played by the amazing Tilda Swinton who's name I forgot when I was a guest on The Loaded Couch podcast yesterday) and finds an ally in his other teacher, Mordo (played by Chiwetal Ejiofor).

It becomes a battle for the world when a former promising student of Kamar-Taj, Kaecilius (played by Mads Mikkelsen) steals a page from a book that will allow him to unleash and harness power from Dormammu of the Dark Dimension. Doctor Strange has to quickly evolve in his abilities and with the power of the Eye of Agamotto (also referred to as the better known infinity stone) and the Cloak of Levitation he is able to save the world by trapping Dormammu in a time loop. Meanwhile, the Ancient One is mortally wounded and Mordo, a faithful student up until this point, discovers from Doctor Strange that she was not who she said she was and had been harnessing power and immortality from the Dark Dimension herself despite preaching against it to her students. Strange later realizes the Ancient One was more complicated than that and tries to explain it to Mordo, who now has a vendetta against other sorcerers, to no avail. Mordo goes off on his own, angered by the perceived hypocrisy of his former master, and is positioned to rise up as the next villain of gray areas. Stay tuned for post-credit scenes which include Thor and another Mordo scene. 

I had expected to love the movie and was glad it lived up to my high expectations.  We saw it in 3D which was definitely worth the splurge in ticket price. I'm usually not a huge fan of 3D because it has a tendency to make me nauseous but despite the mind bending special effects, it was over-the-top without being overwhelming. The casting of Benedict Cumberpatch as Strange was the perfect choice as any fan of the Sherlock series on BBC would agree. His American accent took a little getting used to since I am used to loving his British accent but he was so good at it that I almost forgot he wasn't made in the USA. Not all actors have the ability to pull off a good, non-native accent (Angelina Jolie as Olympias in the film Alexandra comes to mind as cringe-worthy).  Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetal Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, and the rest of the cast were awesome in their roles as well and brought the story to the live action screen without compromising the integrity of the familiar Doctor Strange comic's arc.

My husband Jeremiah and I brought our 7 year old son Jonas to see it and while there are some adult themes, we thought it was okay for kids.  Our parenting philosophy is to assess the emotional climate of your child and decide what is best for him/her. If you are planning to take your child to see Doctor Strange, just know their boundaries, read up on the movie, and make your choice accordingly. With that being said, my 7yo loved it and so did we. :) Definitely a great one to experience on the big screen (and in 3D if you want to splurge).

With the latest addition of Doctor Strange to the franchise, along with the Netflix originals, Luke Cage, Dare Devil, and the upcoming Iron Fist, The Punisher, etc. the Marvel Universe seems to be just warming up. It's definitely an exciting time to love superheroes.

Doctor Who-Short Trips: Forever Fallen by Joshua Wanisko

I may have mentioned I have awesome neighbors.

We have lived next door to Joshua & Jen Wanisko since 2006. It took a little time to crack the ice (I blame this on my own social awkwardness) but once we got together it was clear we were in a very good position to be great friends...1) We had similar values and interests; 2) We share a passion for the coolest stuff ever; and 3) J&J's daughter, Lily and our son, Jonas are three years apart and have their own friendship independent of their parents which is just the best. 

I couldn't be more grateful for this ideal platform for friendship and while there are dozens of great things I can say about everyone in the Wanisko family, my post today is about Joshua and the big news I can finally talk freely about...Joshua, an incredible writer and published author, has reached a new level of deserved recognition...I could probably come up with an appropriate introduction to Josh's latest achievement but since Big Finish did such a stellar job of it already, I figured I would let the announcement speak for itself:

"We're delighted to be able to announce details for December's free Doctor Who Short Trip...
In May we announced the chance to write a Doctor Who Short Trip, in a memorial opportunity to mark the anniversary of the loss of our much-loved Big Finish colleague Paul Spragg.
Being released on the 29th December of this year (Paul's birthday) is Doctor Who - Short Trips: Forever Fallen, a Seventh Doctor story by American writer Joshua Wanisko, read by Big Finish Executive Producer and Doctor Who actor Nicholas Briggs, and produced by Ian Atkins."

I, for one, have been waiting for weeks to finally brag about my friend's accomplishment so I was thrilled when I saw Josh's Facebook post earlier (below) and knew the secret was finally out:

"I can finally announce some big news. 

Short version: I'm the author of a Doctor Who story.

Long Answer: I've been a fan of Doctor Who since I was Lily's age. I think it was Timothy Millheim who really got me hooked. I've always loved the show, but if if you ask someone what Doctor Who is *about*, you'll get a different answer depending on who you ask, because it's the longest running science fiction program of all time, and there are as many answers to this question as there are fans.

To me, the core of the show is about a man who goes up and down and to and fro in the universe, helping people for no other reason than the fact that it's the right thing to do.

Big Finish is the company that produces audio plays with the cast of the original series. I submitted a story to Big Finish as part of the Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trip Opportunity, something they established to commemorate the sudden passing of a friend and colleague at the studio.

They accepted my story, it's been vetted by the BBC and it's been recorded. I'm humbled and honored, because I love their work, and I'm very proud of what I've written."

Read the whole write up on the Big Finish website. Josh is also the creator of the best blog ever and everyone should read it!

I'm ridiculously proud of my friend and am honored to have been a part of the inner circle that got to read his story before everyone else gets to enjoy it. I can't wait to hear his story come to life in the Big Finish production.

To commemorate the occasion, I thought I would proudly display some pics from the (Re)Generation Who Convention we attended earlier this year in Maryland. Our crew came with various Doctor Who backgrounds and tenure and man, did we have a great time! I feel bad for anyone who will never have the opportunity to experience a road-trip with Josh & Jen, Dave & Jen, and Jeremiah & me...it was unforgettable in the best way. Plus, it was coming home from this trip that marked the first time I heard a Big Finish Doctor Who Story...since then I've been brainwashed by Cybermen to never look at percentages the same again!

Josh and me in the Tardis

Jen, aka Mrs. Josh, and me 'coming out of the Tardis'

My Dalek love interest who despite his plunger giving him away as a 'very bad Dalek', still captured my heart!

Congratulations, Joshua! I declare we should have an opening night release party to celebrate your success. Since December 29 is a day before my birthday, I can think of no better way to celebrate.