sophialanzamuse

[sophialanzamuse]

Ad Astra Review

“Space: The Greatest Escape”

Ad Astra propels the audience to the stars on an intense voyage to the farthest reaches of our solar system while penetrating deep into the innermost regions of our souls. The film does not pretend to be heart pounding or exhilarating, but rather maintains a heart seeking and calming approach much to the contrast of mainstream space films today. Ad Astra asks us to slow down, breath in and encounter the awe-inspiring images of our galaxy.

Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) follows in his father’s footsteps (Tommy Lee Jones) dedicating his life to space exploration as an astronaut with the USAF Space Division, aka “Space Com.” In order to pass daily psychological exams Roy compartmentalizes his life leading him to a place void of emotion, yet full of loneliness and eventually rage.

In this near distant future in which commercial flights to the moon are an everyday occurrence Roy boards a Virgin Galactic Spacecraft on the first leg of his journey to uncover the facts concerning his father’s death or disappearance. In this world though secrets are many while truths are scarce. From the moon Roy is guided to an outpost on Mars amid pirate attacks, distressed aircrafts and death. On his quest Roy becomes overwhelmed by his desperation to learn what happened to his father and we gain a glimpse into his grief and the hope found in his own determination.

Through intense monologues the film addresses the feeling of abandonment that has the ability to touch all fatherless children in the audience. Roy ponders, “did it (space) break him or was he already broken?” The challenges of Roy’s mission unravel his controlled façade and he finally shows how truly shattered he is inside. This insight into a child’s long-term reaction to parental rejection, along with his eventual act of letting go allows the audience to experience the freedom attained only with ultimate surrender.

The audience will leave the theatre feeling connected to something greater than themselves, which should be the purpose of any good space film. The final word “submit” drives home the moral of the story while reminding us to seek truth while clinging to faith and embracing emotions related to the human condition. Now “go forth” and enjoy the show!

https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/ad-astra

[sophialanzamuse]

More Boots on the Ground

As if 18 years of perpetual warfare in the Middle East was not enough, 45 declared today that he will be sending more of our men and women in uniform to Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. in response to an attack on oil production. As a nation we were misled into an unending war, which we still have not returned from and now our “fearless” leader who has never served himself wants to put more of our people into harms way for a product that is destroying our planet. Outrageous. Unbelievable. I am at a loss for words and that is saying a lot. 

We have to stop sending more human beings into war. We have to demand justice for our military and say “enough is enough.” We need to stand together as a people and say, “NO! Donald Trump you will not lead this country into another unending war putting the lives of hundreds, thousands, even millions at risk.” What happens when another armed nation drops a nuclear missile on our soldiers oversees? We have military installations all over this world and our people are there. We don’t just have to protect the Americans at home, we have to protect the Americans abroad as well. 

We have to stop draining our Earth of its blood like a brood of vampires. We have to demand justice for our planet. The gluttonous demand for oil production and consumption has to come to a halt immediately. We aren’t running out of time, we have run out of time. The Amazon is burning, the Arctic and Antarctic are melting and the hurricanes, typhoons, and tornadoes are wiping out towns, cities, islands and before we know it countries. And our leaders are laughing about it. They are antagonizing children who are the only one’s brave enough to stand up to the leeches in control of our government. 

All the while the rich continue to get richer off their oil reserves and their investments in oil production. The enemy is clear and the danger is present. The nations pumping oil out of the ground and the people reaping the profits are the same people who plan to board those space rockets Sir Richard Branson and his “Virgin Galactic” are building to head to places unknown when our planet is no longer a place we can live. And the rest of us? The other 97%? Oh yeah, what do you think will happen to us? WE WILL BE DEAD. And the ones who are less fortunate and survive, well, Lord help them.

Every dystopian epic didn’t even come close to portraying how horrible it will really be. Pick your favorite. The Hunger Games, child’s play. The Road, a dream. Brave New World, a fantasy. All these classics imagine a world where we can still breathe the air, drink the water and hunt the animals that are left for food. There is still medicine, even if primitive. Families remain together. None of this will exist in the place we are actually heading. 

A wish a climate strike was enough, but we have to be honest with ourselves. The leaders of the world and the money that backs them are not listening and they do not fear our silly strikes. The laugh at us to our faces. We have one choice. TO REBEL. To collectively bring our fists together and fight back against our oppressors. Time is up world. As you continue to wake up, go to school and work and play the game our Earth is dying and she will not recover. The call to action has come and we have to WAKE UP NOW.

A link to an AP article released this evening on the issue:

https://www.apnews.com/586f4cd3b09c4d04ac70abdf92e772ce

A link to a BBC video on Greta Thunberg’s visit to Congress. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-49748345/greta-thunberg-attends-congressional-hearing

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3rd Democratic Debate

Tonight at Texas Southern University ten candidates for the democratic nomination are standing on stage discussing major issues that face our nation. The second opportunity for the candidates to speak focused on racism in America. Unfortunately, ABC and its moderators chose not to allow all 10 candidates to address the institutional racism that plagues our country. Thankfully, most of the people of color were allowed to comment, except for Andrew Yang. The other two candidates who were not given the ability to speak on this important issue were Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders. Luckily for those previously mentioned Senators they have huge following and people pretty much know where they stand. 

I have included videos of each candidates short speech on their records and what they think and will do to help improve the racial injustices facing people of color everyday.   

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How 9/11 Disrupted Everything

September 11, 2001 changed everything. I was a senior in high school, a straight A student, the Vice President of the Future Educators of America and a member of the SGA. I played a different sport every season and was excited for the road ahead. That all changed when a boy named Jeff came bursting through the gym doors stating, “someone attacked New York!” In disbelief, I scurried around the corner to Mrs. Keeley’s classroom where I knew there was a TV. I stood next to the Principal and watched in horror as a second plane crashed into the other tower. Both Towers were in flames and small black dots (people) jumped out of windows to their deaths on the street below. Minutes later the news flashed to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. as another plane crashed into this national monument. My mind spun as I thought of my step sister who was in school just minutes away in northern Virginia. I started to feel physically sick as tears streamed down my face and I began to choke on my breath. This would be my first panic attack.

Fearful, I ran. My cell phone was in my car and I frantically unlocked my door to get to it to call my mom and then my dad. “What do I do?” I yelled. “Leave school now,” my mom said. “What about my friends?” She said, “Get Tracy and get out. School is not safe.” I did. I found my best friend, we got in my car and we drove to my mom’s townhouse in Ocean City, MD about fifteen minutes away. We turned on the TV and I held my dog to my chest. I cried and cried and cried. I cried so much that eventually there were no more tears left. My mom came home and tried to comfort me. I was unconsolable. I did not know anyone in any of the planes or buildings, but my soul was connected to them and the pain of all these tragic deaths was completely overwhelming. This would be the first time someone said to me, “Sophia, you are an empath.”

I wish I wasn’t. I wish I could just turn off the feelings. ALL the feelings. The sadness, the anger, the fear, the disgust. I wanted to be numb. So, I began to numb myself. I started to drink alcohol. Previously, I casually smoked pot at a party or on the weekend. I couldn’t bare to be alive anymore. I smoked pot everyday and began to skip school. I dropped off the track team. I stopped attending clubs and school events. I just stopped caring about life at all. The Air Force called everyday until finally I yelled at the recruiter, “I’M NEVER GOING TO WAR!!!” I let one dream slip away. I signed a contract with the State of Maryland to pay for college if I agreed to work in the state school system. I headed off to Towson University the next summer and then dropped out after one semester. Left with my first debt, a student loan and another dream deposited in file 13.

I enrolled at a community college in Delaware and tried to forget. I drank in abundance every night and regularly went to class drunk the next day. I was 19 and already a functioning alcoholic. I rented a house, moved in with a band and led a life of misery. Two years later I tried to kill myself. A man stopped me. I would later marry this man. He tried his hardest to help me see the good in the world again, but I was broken and unwilling to get help. He still did not let up. He told me his story- one full of childhood trauma (not unlike my own pre-9/11) and adult alcohol and drug abuse. He told me about a failed marriage and a new outlook on life. I thought, “if this guy can overcome all that and still want to live, then I want to live with him.” We moved in together and a short time later I asked him to marry me. He said no, and then a few days later asked me to marry him. We struggled to work through our trauma together, always falling short of overcoming the hurt that haunted us daily.

It’s been 18 years since 9/11 and it doesn’t hurt any less. Today it hurt more. As I watched a video of the uncaring President fidget back and forth for a simple moment of silence I was reminded of a time when we came together as a nation and tried hard to help each other heal. Then I broke down in tears and fell victim to another panic attack, by now I have had so many that I couldn’t even guesstimate the hundreds. I napped for two hours after work and sobbed at the kitchen table during dinner as my daughter told me kids in her social studies class were laughing at school when the teacher showed them a video about the attacks. It is unbelievable to me that we once loved each other as a nation. We elected a black man to the highest office in the land and we were really moving forward. Now the hate is so strong again that I have no hope. I try not to let fear overwhelm me and I PRAY CONTINUOUSLY for healing for my heart and the hearts of all the people of our country and the world. I just don’t know if it is possible for this love to return. I want to think there is love in the world, but each day things look more bleak than the day before.