The Music of Moonchild: "Little Ghost"

Tracklist

1. Wise Women
2. Too Much to Ask
3. The Other Side
4. Sweet Love
5. Strength
6. Everything I Need
7. Money
8. Nova
9. Get to Know it
10. What You're Doing
11. Come Over
12. Onto Me
13. Whistling
14. Still Wonder

I really gotta hand it to the Youtube algorithm for working extremely well in this specific instance. While scrolling through my Twitter feed, I found out that Anderson .Paak's rendition of "Old Town Road" was generating quite the buzz online. It was quite the wonderful mashup of Lil Nas X's surprise hit with Erykah Badu's "Window Seat" which breathed renewed vigour into a pretty run-of-the-mill song, almost turning it into a classic.

It took me a few days to tear myself away from that song and actually take a look at the adjacent recommendations list which included Moonchild's "What You're Doing". The video's thumbnail only had them silhouetted, so I really didn't know what to make of the group at the time. The song, however, turned out to be very catchy, and they actually turned out to be a Neo-Soul/R&B type group. Another surprise lay in store for me though: during the song, their artful silhouettes occasionally gave way to show the actual singers - 3 of the most soulful CAUCASIANS you could ever run across. This had to be the "Bobby Caldwell" moment for a new generation. In case you might not know it yet, Moonchild consists of 3 multi-instrumentalists: Amber Navran, Andris Mattson and Max Bryk, each being proficient in keyboards, brass (flute, sax, trumpets), and even some strings.

"What You're Doing" is a pretty good taster that highlights the group's R&B credentials, wedged somewhere between late 90s/Early 2000s. Amber's vocals beautifully sail through the song, part whispy, sincere and toned down.(If you ever want to see her echo Erykah Badu, you just might want to check out "Nobody" from Please Rewind).

On this, their 4th studio album, the band's R&B/Neo-Soul roots run through the 14 choice songs laid on track. They made the wonderful choice to have the whole album available on Youtube for everyone to sample. It would be more of an enjoyable experience with the older version of Youtube, but it makes for a jarring experience to be interrupted by ads every so often (how many times can Youtube spam me with the same ads for Safaricom, Grammarly and Colgate toothpaste? Good Lord!)

All the ads notwithstanding,  it feels like there's something for everyone who is R&B inclined. First things first, I've got to get it off my chest that there's some Neo-Soul tracks on here that feel like they're done "For the culture". That's more of a personal gripe for me because I only gravitate towards some Neo-Soul music, but some servings whether they be from Musiq Soulchild, Dwele, Erykah Badu or D'Angelo will just seem a bit overwhelming. For me, those tracks on this album are "Wise Women", "Sweet Love", and "Everything I Need". I'll give the songs a whirl occasionally, but they aren't my go-to tracks.

"Too Much to Ask" is set to a simple sparse beat. Amber's toned vocals make the impassioned plea of the lyrics come alive. This is a lover pining for the better times from her relationship's past, ruing the fact that she's let someone in so close, but still hoping for better times ahead.

"The Other Side" has a sort of bluegrass-y lilt to it, and I'm guessing that's because Andris is playing ukulele on this track. This is another track calling for lovers to rekindle their love, focusing on the foundation already laid down instead of casting glances elsewhere.

"Strength" and "Get to Know it": the lyrics on these two songs currently confuse me. I love listening to Strength, but I can't exactly wrap my mind around what she's talking about. An educated guess would be that she's gathering her strength to pick herself out of the doldrums in a relationship. (Guess I'll be searching for Amber's explanation for the lyrics).

"Money" is a gem of a track that just aims to uplift. Initially, I thought it was Amber's way of showing encouragement to a lover, but on a wider scope it can be applied to everyone from a lover to family to friends. She understands the stresses the person is going through from the weight of expectations and the need to act like they don't need any help; but through it all, she'd bet money on that person and hopes they'd believe in themselves the way she does.

"Nova" is Max Bryk's personal contribution. Clocking in at a paltry 1:05, this can truly be classified as an interlude. However, this is no throw-away cut, but rather a fully realized "New-Jack" head-bobber. I usually give it multiple listens before moving on with the playlist. From the first time I listened to it, I was pretty sure that a nice rap section could be added to it to give it even more juice; and I'm pretty sure that the best person for the job would be none other than "Gift of Gab".

"Come Over" is classic old school R&B. Over a simple catchy beat, Amber plays a seductress/lover-in-waiting who's been afforded the chance to holler at a love interest (who might recently just have become single). She might not be very good at the art of seduction, but at least she's giving it a try, hoping the guy meets her halfway.

"Onto Me" reiterates the same theme from Come Over, but from a different angle; this time it's that of friends who have each other's backs, but want to escalate things to the next level...at least she wants it that way.

I think I'd had a long day at work, such that when I listened to this album the first time I did not get past "Onto Me", which of course turned out to be a big mistake. Just like on their previous Voyager album, Little Ghost's final bookend consists of 2 of the strongest songs on this album. First off, we have "Whistling", which immediately reminded me of Ludwig Göransonn's Grip (from the Creed soundtrack). I believe it's because it's from the same "Trip hop" genre (quite the bit of eclecticism). Clocking in at a mere 2:47, it really is a prime example of short-and-sweet. It focuses on someone who's basically had it; no more time to wait for apologies and is ready to hit the road. Didn't quite think someone could make throwing in the towel sound so nice.

I had that song on repeat for the longest time before I finally moved onto the crowning moment of the whole album: "Still Wonder". There's something magical about the odd time signature of this song that just crept up on me. As soon as I heard it, it felt like an old-school mash up of New Edition*The Gap Band. It has the puppy love nostalgia of Bobby Brown's "Girlfriend", and the subject matter follows a similar vein. Amber croons about all the things she saw in her lover before they even got together, and the love she continues to receive; the chorus then echoes the same sentiment by rhetorically questioning "and you still wonder how I fell for you." To cap off an already great song, they lead us out with a beautiful instrumental section by Max and Andris on the keys; they then  enhance the song with aural perfection by adding a small strings section courtesy of Quartet 405 for the last 2 measures.

The album mostly soars above the rest, and definitely lights up the 2019 R&B scene. Good to see some back-to-basics R&B that is a breath of fresh air. Where the album is exquisite, it soars; and even where it lags, it's still a cut above the rest. I wholeheartedly recommend that you give this album a whirl and sample the beauty of Moonchild's hard work.

Definitely gets an A- from me.

God Bless

Terminator: Dark Fate "Spoiler Free" Review

With this being the sixth installment in the Terminator franchise, I felt that it was important for me to watch it so I could form an objective opinion about this polarizing movie. The trailers have laid out quite the few usual beats for a Terminator movie: a terminator's been sent back into the past to hunt down a target, and similarly, a protector has also been sent after the same target; this sounds like pretty much the synopsis for any Teminator movie, but what makes things slightly different this time around is that Sarah Connor and Arnie's T-800 are also along for the ride.

The talk around town was that this would reboot the continuity thus rewriting Terminator III: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Genisys out of the mythos. This was the same exact move that Terminator Genisys attempted to pull and failed at; this is simply because it would take a singularly innovative and enjoyable movie for that to succeed. Unfortunately, this movie also fails miserably at the same task.

Due to the fact that Terminator Salvation is the only true post-apocalyptic outing in this franchise, I will not really refer to it. Say what you will about Rise of the Machines and Genisys, but they at least added small increments to Terminator lore: Rise of the Machines gave us the T-X, the hybrid metallic core with a polymimetic alloy surface; similarly, Genisys gave us the T-3000 hybrid human and phase matter Terminator, however, it delved further into the T-800s role as a true surrogate father.

This movie actually appears to have taken cues from all aforementioned entries in the franchise, particularly Rise of the Machines and Genisys. They start off the movie by not skipping a beat and immediately changing a basic part of Terminator lore. This is not a "spoiler" review so I will refrain from spoiling the surprise. Suffice it to say, it really doesn't help and it left a sour taste in my mouth from the beginning. From there we get into the regular cat-and-mouse game of finding and protecting the unwitting human, Daniella "Dani" Ramos.

The villainous terminator this time around is the REV-9 portrayed by Gabriel Luna. This is pretty much similar in design to the T-X, with the added advantage that both the metal core and surface alloy can split apart to form 2 independently acting machines. The principal human protector, Grace (portrayed by Mackenzie Davis), is an augmented human whose enhancements come at a bit of a cost.

The only enjoyable thing about watching this was seeing the return of Sarah Connor and Arnie's T-800. Sarah is still the tough-as-nails badass that she established in T2. However, she's grizzled and particularly bitter, far from being the hopeful soul that she was at the end of that movie. She clashes repeatedly with Grace when it comes to protecting Dani. Despite her age, she shows that she's still the capable fighter who'd birth and train humanity's last hope.

It is always a pleasure to see Arnold Schwarzenegger return to this iconic role. The mechanics for this have always existed in the lore, elucidated by Terminator Genisys. Due to the fact that he has living skin draped over his metallic core, the skin (and hair) age and wear away just like normal human skin would; thus he would appear to age just like we would. Also, as an ode to T2, he is capable of learning; in a deleted scene from T2, a function of his memory needed to be switched out of "Read-Only" mode for this to be achieved. They use a different story mechanism this time, but the outcome is the same: he has learnt.

That just leaves us with the rest of the movie. How they managed to serve us the usual Terminator tropes, but to do it in such a miserable fashion is beyond me. Dani Ramos (Natalie Reyes) is the least believable future heroine you will ever encounter (and that's even when you rank her against Emilia Clarke). Mackenzie Davis plays Grace with an angst that makes her seem mostly irreverent and unpleasant. From the story's standpoint it's understandable: she is after all this generation's Kyle Reese. (I remember how unlikable he was when I first watched him onscreen). Just seems a little wasteful for the film makers to take us down this path once again, especially when a lot of that irreverence is aimed towards Sarah Connor.

This is also a very slow story - heavy on set up, but doesn't quite pay off in the end. And for goodness sake, the CGI is a let down. There's some good CGI work here, especially when it comes to de-aging, however, some of the action just doesn't appear weighted in reality. I've been catching occasional clips of T2 on Youtube lately, and even now it's CGI, which was groundbreaking even way back then, still holds up better than a lot of the CGI in this movie. I think wire-work or even a stunt-double could've done a better job when it came to portraying human movement than the CGI doubles.

A lot of people will comment on the fact that this movie will attempt to satisfy the social justice warriors (SJW) concerning the need for a strong female protagonist. I think that director Tim Miller and the producers are misguided in this regard. James Cameron and Linda Hamilton were able to give us one of the strongest female protagonists in Sarah Connor without ever needing to pander to such sentiments. That nostalgia paired with her fortitude still makes an older Sarah Connor as strong a character as ever. For them to try to scuttle that by juxtaposing the story of the Virgin Mary and Sarah's womb in this outing fails miserably. It makes watching the movie that much more jarring, and hopelessly telegraphs Dani's fate. I was not impressed one bit

I came out of this movie angry as hell; angry at myself and I'm not even the one to blame. They have scraped the bottom of the barrel with this movie, and I can definitively say that there is nothing left for them to show us. This outing has effectively killed the soul of this franchise. Never thought I'd find myself saying this, but do yourself a favour and give this one a wide berth. Only worth watching on bootleg DVD. D+ for this one.

God Bless.

P.S: My ranking for movies in this franchise (best to worst) is:

1. T2
2. The Terminator
3. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
4. Terminator Salvation
5. Terminator Genisys
6. Terminator: Dark Fate       

IT: Chapter II "Spoiler-Free Review

I actually watched this movie more than 2 weeks ago, but I really haven't been in the mood to review it. This movie just suffered from a serious case of sequel-itis and is one of the few moments that  find myself wishing I'd watched the superior preceding chapter in theaters. This has happened to me twice already this year with "Us" and "Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald". 

All things considered, IT (2017) was an okay movie; it, however, was not the superior experience that most people emphasized that it was. I still feel that the original IT (1990) was actually a more scary experience. Not to take away from Bill Skarsgard's brilliant performance as Pennywise, but Tim Curry's Pennywise is still the superior one in my opinion.

The second part of both IT iterations tend to follow the same beats: less Pennywise and less interesting/scary than their predecessors. This is more evident in IT: Chapter II. The movie is extremely long and drawn out. It makes sense in the beginning because it needs to re-introduce us to the grown version of the protagonists (The Losers' Club); but it just slows down somewhere in the middle, and it just becomes this sort of unfulfilling slow-burn.

Most of the adult characters are believable versions of their teenage counterparts; the casting department deserves a lot of respect for their casting choices, especially for the Bill Hader/James Ransone rendition of Richie and Eddie combo. I'm guessing that what lets us down is the adaptation of this Stephen King book for the big screen. Despite how far we've come technologically (yeah, the IT: 1990's underwhelming version of a Spider monster was a real letdown), this movie really struggles to get me to believe that the clown evokes as much fear in the adults as he did when they were kids. A big part of this is due to the use of computer generated imagery (CGI) where practical effects would have sufficed; the CGI is so obvious that it just pulls you out of your suspension of disbelief. If I wasn't so disappointed, I would have laughed out in some of the areas that were meant to cause scares.

The CGI actually gets irritating in places because it cause an "Uncanny Valley" effect. I can understand that the child actors grew considerably since the filming of the last movie, but there are a few notable areas in the movie where you can see the wonky effect of CGI on Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor).

The character of Henry Bowers also feels really wasted this time around. Implausibly, he resurfaces after that death-defying fall down the well in the previous installment, and reappears as an adult to wreak havoc. Teach Grant plays adult Henry as someone who's insane, but he just doesn't seem like that much of a menacing character.

All this eventually leads to a final act that seems more stuffed with overkill than John Wick: Chapter 3. Initial scares followed by a plot twist, then solo scares and more teamfare just makes this a painful slog until the end. One of the more touching moments in the movie is that of the team comforting a crying Richie, but that's the only saving grace in a long joyless affair.

If I were you, I'd wait for this when it comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray if you really feel you must watch it.  Definitely give this movie a well deserved B-/C+.

God Bless

Cholera: A Sign of Things to Come

I remember a time during one of my (Messiah) college Bio classes helmed by Dr. Jon Makowski. I believe we had gotten to learning about faecal coliforms - indicator organisms that basically indicate faecal contamination of water sources - and he posed a basic question at the end of one lesson which would be addressed at the start of the next lesson:

"What is the acceptable amount of coliform bacteria (Colony forming units, CFUs) in water meant for drinking?"

I remember having to scour my books looking for the answer. My internet searches were similarly difficult; this was in Pre-Google days, so I was mostly checking for my answers on Ask.com. I remember glimpsing an article that listed the answer summarily as "zero" without much explanation, but I also came across something that gave some leeway for CFUs in recreational water sources.

True to form, Dr. Makowski started the next lesson with the same question. Varied answers were given, but none of them was right. Without much trust in my answer, I told him "Zero."

"Correct," he answered. He then proceeded to give us a very simple analogy:

"If I took a speck of stool and mixed it into a glass of water, would you drink it?" 
"Of course not!" came the general class answer.
"What if I dilute one drop from that glass into another glass of clean water?"
"Still No!" the class answered.

Despite the promise of even more serial dilution, no one would accept the challenge of drinking the water. His point was clearly made. It didn't matter how much water was used to dilute that water containing the coliform bacteria; no one in their right mind would consciously consume such water. And thus go the standards for our drinkable water. None of the intestinal bacteria (indicative of the presence of possibly more dastardly organisms in our water) is meant to be detected in our drinking water.

My mind alluded back to this memory in light of the current cholera shenanigans we are facing in Kenya. A work colleague doesn't mince his words when talking about cholera when he's talking to patients about it:

"you've basically got to let them know that they've come into intimate contact with shit!" (pardon the expression)

I am a bit more diplomatic about it and I'll talk about (faecal) contamination of consumed food or water.


Cholera always used to be thought of as a disease for the poor and disadvantaged, living in their hovel abodes with poor sanitation. However, 2017 appears to be the year that things changed: first, came the cholera outbreak at a posh wedding ceremony in the upmarket Karen area; then there was the outbreak at Weston Hotel which ironically affected a medical practitioners' conference, and saw many a doctor (both domestic and international) hospitalized due to the disease; and last, but not least, there was the outbreak at a trade fair at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), which saw two Cabinet Secretaries and one Permanent Secretary affected by the infection. A lot of people forget that our very own President opened the fair and was potentially meant to have dined on the food at the same area. The food vendor for the occasion is a prominently known hotel, but it is only discussed in hushed tones lest anyone experience any blowback.

I have dealt with my fair share of Gastroenteritis (GE) at the clinic lately; that's the technical term for conditions that affect the stomach and the intestines, which ultimately yield vomiting and diarrhoea. (technically clinicians may sometimes refer to conditions causing diarrhoea as GE). Gastritis (stomach inflammation) and Enteritis (intestinal inflammation) also exist as different entities, and yes, my colleagues and I have had to treat that too. The strange thing is that it is now very common for me to request an accompanying cholera antigen stool test. As is the norm now, a lot of my patients are middle to upper class individuals, and the reality is that their status will not confer upon them any sort of special favours when it comes to cholera.  

People seem to think that it is strange for me to test them for Cholera, especially if they were able to walk themselves into the clinic; the image of a person laid out by the disease and knocking at death's door is what they seem to cling to; however, as with many disease conditions, there are grades to this condition. I have had many a patient walk into the clinic with a mild case of food poisoning, sometimes so mild that they wouldn't even mind returning to their offices afterwards. When the Cholera antigen test comes back POSITIVE, they seem to think that I'm messing with them. That becomes a good teaching point for the fact that a cholera infection is actually dose-dependent: the more of the bacteria that you ingest, the worse your infection is likely to be. Also deserving of special mention is the people who are using antacids; lowering your stomach acidity, while making you feel comfortable will also reduce your stomach's ability to deactivate certain types of harmful bacteria. Thus you can have all levels of cholera sufferers ranging from the mildly inconvenienced to the dastardly ill requiring intensive care.
 
But how could it be that we've fallen this far where a disease like cholera is fair game for every one in the land? It should be child's play dealing with cholera because we know how it's spread and thus how we can keep it at bay. I surmise that a couple of factors are key.

1. Sprawl - I pass through some areas in Nairobi, and I'm taken aback by just how much has sprung up in terms of new developments. Areas that used to consist of well built bungalows were replaced with high-rise buildings as the bungalows of yore were brought down en masse. People might see this as a mark of progress, but to me it merely spells disaster: sewer lines have not been upgraded to keep up with the pace of construction, and other people may opt to set up septic tanks that are ill-equipped to deal with the demands placed by their inhabitants. And in case anyone forgot, WATER is a finite resource that keeps getting more scarce by the day.
2. Clean Water Trucks - with the water shortages suffered on a regular basis (some of them actually orchestrated by unscrupulous individuals for material gain), these trucks have been making quite the profit. However, it is a slippery slope with this vastly unregulated sector: what is the source of their water, and what is the level of cleanliness in those tanks that are used for storing and transporting the water?
3. Poor surveillance and enforcement - seems to me that we have so many government bodies in charge of everything under the sun, but the typical Kenyan citizen gets burned by everything that those aforementioned bodies are meant to be protecting us from. NEMA (The National Environmental Management Authority) is probably one of the more useless ones. Despite the major cholera outbreak in 2017, they spent that time patting themselves on the back for chasing down the infinitely less important "plastics issue". They practically made Kenyans feel like criminals for walking around with plastic bags, but they dragged their feet about dealing with folks openly discharging untreated waste into water sources.

I feel that the last two might be particularly intertwined. Lately, while driving along Ngong Road - at the point after Westwood - I have been seeing  a water truck parked right next to the edge of the Mbagathi River. Granted, there used to be car washing services occurring in that general vicinity, but the vehicles were never parked at the river's edge. I think that those trucks are pumping in water directly from the Mbagathi River.
This shouldn't be such a bad thing until you consider the situation upstream of Mbagathi River. A stream which eventually drains into Mbagathi starts out around the Mathare slum area of Ngong Town; by the time the stream makes its way down to the Zambia Road vicinity, it literally consists of black water. The stench is unbearable, the water is murky and turbid. It is obvious that raw effluent is making its way into the water from houses adjacent to the river (and a clinic, if rumours turn out to be true). This water is what will eventually make its way into the Mbagathi River, and even the Nairobi River downstream.

There is room for dilution of the black water as it joins the Mbagathi River; but in much the same way that my Bio teacher couldn't get us to drink water that contained a serially diluted amount of fecal matter, I don't think anyone should conscientiously consider using that water for anything.

Now, I will note that I have seen a similar looking truck (with a white tanker) being used to spread water on the Lang'ata Road expansion occurring in the Karen area. But it isn't a stretch to consider that the same truck might dabble in being used to transport potable water to people.

NEMA should be at the forefront of sorting this issue out, but I have very little hope in the people of NEMA, from personal experience. My family used to live adjacent to a compound that consisted of many houses, but all their waste drained into one septic tank. Now, the landlord was not in the habit of emptying that septic tank, and, periodically, it would overflow into our compound. My mother brought this to the attention of the relevant NEMA individual in-charge, and he came to assess the situation on the ground. Threats were issued to the offending party, but it soon became pretty clear that bribes laid the issue to rest.

The sad thing is that I'm pretty sure ours was not a one-off experience. Perhaps that man would have acted differently if he'd had to deal with a cholera sufferer. We had a patient come into the clinic some time ago who was cold to touch, had low blood pressure and was incoherent. She was bone dry and her kidneys had started to shut down from severe dehydration. That patient practically brought our well-staffed clinic to a standstill as we struggled to resuscitate her and we eventually ended up sending her straight to the ICU. I think anything less in terms of management would have been a death sentence for her. It ended up being a rough week for her, but she survived.

We cannot sit down and pretend that this issue does not exist. The solutions are simple, but they will require dogged stubbornness and resolve to make sure that they are followed to the letter. We are all at risk, and we need to prepare for the worst. Our personal vigilance needs to be bolstered by proper surveillance and enforcement by all the relevant statutory bodies otherwise our own efforts would be for naught.

Be vigilant.

God Bless

The Music of James Ingram: Always You

Track List:

1. "Someone Like You"
2. "Let Me Love You This Way"
3. "Always You"
4. "Treat Her Right"
5. "A Baby's Born"
6. "This is the Night"
7. "You Never Know What You Got"
8. "Too Much for this Heart"
9. "Sing for the Children"
10. "Any Kind of Love"

I knew I would eventually get the nerve to review this very formative record. I didn't expect that Mr. Ingram would've passed as abruptly as he did, but thankfully the spirit of his music and the influence he cast over us all remains in our lives.

"Always You" is an album I encountered because my Dad would play it in the car's stereo as he drove us - my twin brother and I - to (primary) school. My introduction to Mr. Ingram's music actually came through my two eldest siblings. I remember my brother playing "Call on Me" a few times in the house from his "It's Real" album (1989 release). I can also recall my sister playing Quincy Jones' "Secret Garden", which also coincidentally came out in 1989. I must admit, when I was a youngster the "Sweet Seduction Suite" didn't mean much to me; however, when I grew up a bit and learned to appreciate grown folks' music, then I finally started to appreciate the massive collaboration that made the Secret Garden such a success.

Anyways, back to circa '93. The only single released off this album was track number 1, "Someone Like You". I recall being surprised to hear it blaring in a big chain supermarket down in Kisii during my internship (2014). I remember thinking to myself that something was right with the world if such a song was getting airplay. The song is classic James in its melody and structure; in it we find him crooning about yearning to possess the object of his affection.

It really is a shame that more of the album isn't more well known because it really is a total package. The songs are mostly ballads (7 out of 10), but then he slipped in 3 songs that are anthemic, odes to specific aspects of humanity ("A Baby's Born", "Sing for the Children", and "Any Kind of Love").

Things slow down a bit on Track 2 - "Let Me Love You This Way"; this fittingly feels like a sequel to "Someone Like You". Here he's a man in love who's trying to figure out how to express his love to his significant other. He dabbles with the idea of promising and achieving impossible or improbable things, but in the end he resolves that the simplistic act of being "by her side always" is what counts the most.

(The series of songs from Track 3 - 6 are what I consider the simply unskippable portion of the album)

"Always You" takes us on a different kind of musical journey - that of heartbreak. He calls back to yesterday, a time filled with shared dreams and nascent love; he contrasts that with the stark reality of today where he clings to the memory of his "love" despite things having come to an end. He still holds out hope that things can work out for the better and that he'd have a chance to reunite with his true love. This is a really melancholic song, and the chimes always makes it feel like he's reminiscing about this during the holiday season. Backed most prominently by an organ, he lays out his heart and longing in perhaps his most emotional song on this album. 


"Treat Her Right" finds him admonishing a 'brother' who is unable to appreciate a wonderful lady in his life. He extols all her virtue in detail, and contrasts it with the little that she needs from her man. Feels like he took it to church with this track.  

"A Baby's Born" is an ode to life. In it, he reflects on time, the changing of the seasons, life drifting forward, getting old and having old friends pass away; at the end of it all, this is contrasted with the gift that yet another baby will be born. This song really only consists of one poignant verse presented against operatic instrumentation. The latter part of the song is a real feast as we have James sound off his falsetto vocalization in turn with the chords of a guitarist's solo. Truly a feast.
*I hadn't known that this was a cover song until just recently. It was originally performed by Johnny Mathis in 1973. The  original instrumentation sounds quite "Bacharach-ian" with a hint of motown (perhaps more Bacharach inspired than Ingram's version). This version puts a new spin on things, but both versions are quite enjoyable.

"This is The Night" has always been my favourite song on the album. I literally didn't know that (the great) Burt Bacharach had a hand in crafting this gem until I checked the album's wiki page, and confirmed it in the liner notes. This ballad describes a man's transition from a forlorn soul to an actualized individual once he finds the love of his life. In my mind I always pictured this as the perfect wedding song (right up there with Patti Labelle's "If Only You Knew", Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You" and Julie Fowlis' "Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird a' Chuan"). The tape version I initially heard, unfortunately, lacked the keyboard and strings intro, instead starting straight off with the harmonized humming, but I'm glad I got it on the CD version. The intro consists of two identical runs of booming organ notes that initially seem to hint at nothing in particular, then the strings join in to lay out the rhythm that characterizes the start of each verse; then that magical humming comes in and is accompanied by an aggressive electrical guitar riff. Set against a deep pulsing bass line, he proceeds to lay down 5:05 of perfection.   

"You Never Know What You Got" turns the spotlight on the lady (in the relationship) for a change. It reflects on the ups-and-downs of a relationship, with him emphasizing that she stay in the relationship lest she be left all alone sitting by the phone. Despite his already self-appreciated limitations, he promises to do the best he can by her; the flipside is for her to abandon the relationship, and risk not having something to return to.

"Too Much for this Heart". After the heartbreak comes the chance for yet another attempt at love. This song, however, addresses the doubt that someone feels at putting themselves out there again for a chance to find love. The trepidation is on full display here.

"Sing for the Children". Of the two Bacharach contributions, this is the more classic Bacharach outing - the orchestration at the start of the song is evidence of that (the horn arrangement). This ode to children calls for the preservation of their innocence, for their need to feel love. In the second verse, he focuses on the memory of his deceased father, a balancing influence that still gives his life purpose; this is the kind of influence he wants for all children, which would be a saving grace for both their dreams and humanity in general.

"Any Kind of Love" is is an ode to good old fashioned humanity, which plays out like a blast from the past. James and his crew are literally jamming for the whole first minute in a 6:55 song. It's not until we get to the 1:28 mark that he finally starts to lay down some vocals. The song is a heartfelt call for us to share some love for the sake of our fellow men. The breakdown at the end is more jamming magic clocking in at another minute.

I remember picking up my own CD copy of this album at a discount store in Capitola, CA, and it really is one that I treasure. Good wholesome music that's beautifully crafted and has aged very well. I've always been impressed by his signature hallmark - "Ingram howl" - that he belts out so effortlessly, and as always it'll appear on a couple of these songs. If you do have a chance to listen to this album (I believe all songs are available on Youtube), by all means do it. It is wonderful. 


Rest in Peace Mr. Ingram.

God Bless.

The Things That Medical School Won't Teach You (11): "Communicating properly"

I'm recalling that in the course of this series, I've intimated that one of my justifications for getting into the business was my interaction with medical personnel during periods when I was sickly. Now, some of those interactions were uplifting, encouraging, even edifying; on other occasions, the interactions were simply dastardly. Medicine is indeed one of those fields where the old saying holds true: "They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel". Every little thing you're doing, whether verbal or non-verbal, communicates something important to the patient.

My mind drifts off to the memory of "Communication 104" during Fall Semester 2002 (Messiah College). My biggest take home from that whole class was something that was taught very early on: while communicating, our responses can be broken down into 3 broad categories - Agreeing, Disagreeing, and Disconfirming. The first two are very obvious and I'm pretty sure everyone has a semblance of what they entail; whether we relate to what's being said, there is the underlying impression that we've at least recognized what the other person has put forward. Discomfirming is in a class of its own: not only are you obviously opposed to what's been put forward by your colleague, but you make it clear that you've disregarded it entirely. In other words, it is basically a "coup de grâce", a death blow.

From that little definition, let's dive into another little memory from my time at Messiah College.

I believe it was Thanksgiving 2004. My Zambian friend had been kind enough to invite a few of us from Rafiki House to go over to his host family's place for Thanksgiving Dinner. I remember it was a great meal; I especially remember developing an appreciation for pumpkin spice pie after that day (despite having disliked the taste of pumpkin up until then).

Unfortunately, the whole dinner didn't go down without incident. I remember that they had also invited over a (seemingly) 70 year old lady who had been a missionary in Sudan for a very very long time. Sometime in the middle of the dinner, she had the bright idea to chime in that she felt that the traditional systems had faded away in Africa, and thus she felt that the younger ones were lost with no one to impart the important lessons to them.

I remember being the most vocal of my friends (many of whom were predominantly African) in trying to convince this lady courteously that the picture was not that bleak. I reminded her that though traditionally my people were renowned fishermen, there is no disconnect despite the fact that we do not follow in the path of my ancestors; because between my parents, siblings and wider family, I can still get a good education on what's important in life. HOWEVER, it didn't sway her in the least, and she doubled down on her morose ideas. It's always a difficult task relating to people who are set in their ways. Here was a lady who had lived in a land steeped in civil war for decades projecting her bleak outlook on a whole continent without having ventured elsewhere within the continent. Worse still is the fact that she was old; everyone deserves a modicum of respect, especially the older generation; that being said, no one gets a blank cheque for their thoughts and tangents.

I remember casting glances at my friends during the conversation and getting two distinct vibes from them: "Richard...calm down...just let it go."

Being disconfirmed hurts no matter how old you are. It is the grand old equivalent of being patronized. It doesn't matter whether it comes from a friend, parent, sibling or colleague...it will sting deeply. Don't get me wrong: it can sometimes serve as a useful teaching tool. I am not a parent yet, but every parent definitely has a story where they've had to put a disrespectful child in their place. Those are definitely the times that children need to be humbled. There is nothing to be gained from negotiating. It is at times useful for people to be reminded who pays the bills that keep the house running, and that afford them the luxury that they experience every day. However, disconfirming should not be your primary tool of instruction. It wouldn't make a very good "coup de grâce" if you employed it willy-nilly, would it now?

Now, when I first got to Kenya after finishing med school in China, I was as "green" as they come. I hadn't really had any real employment experience, and I knew that there was probably a lot I'd have to get used to about practising medicine in a different context. It was rather convenient for me that they made me go through a 3-month pre-internship at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). Surgery was my first rotation, which seemed like a great starting point because Surgery has always been my passion. The experience, on the other hand, turned out to be a mixed bag. I think that it was great to be around doctors of varying levels (Professors, Consultants, Registrars, Interns and students) as well as other cadres like nurses, nutritionists, physiotherapists, etc; however, what whittled things down a tad was the interaction with the consultants. I could understand that they were intelligent within their respective fields of specialization, but that didn't mean that they had to be so antagonistic. I especially felt sorry for the registrars; despite being my seniors, it wasn't surprising for me to encounter one of them being chewed out for no reason whatsoever by the consultants; if they were particularly unlucky, they'd be blasted in front of all the cadres of workers present during a ward round.

I remember experiencing something similar during my internship. It was particularly surprising when I would encounter it from the medical officers who oversaw us as interns. It's easier for me to sympathize with consultants who've been far removed from the experiences of their underlings for such a long time; but I could not understand how a medical officer - who was probably just an intern a few months prior - could be so quick to dish out the type of demeaning treatment that they had previously suffered to a whole new generation of interns. It bugged me to my core that someone would choose to incorporate such poor teaching methods, but then "that's the breaks".

I'm not trying to say that ALL Kenyan doctors are deficient in the communication department, but a lot of the ones I've encountered sadly fall into that bracket. I have encountered very many great teachers in this field, but the bad ones leave a particularly bad aftertaste. This is very different from what I'd experienced in China where we were free to mingle with all levels of doctors from Professors down to our own colleagues. Not knowing medical facts was not seen as a time to disgrace a student in front of his peers, but rather as a teachable moment in which to impart knowledge to the student. Sometimes, as an added bonus, the professor might provide you with the "cheats" that make him remember specific pertinent facts in a few seconds. Compassion goes much further in teaching than browbeating someone to a pulp. By the time I'd finished my KNH pre-internship, I felt pretty sure that I was not going to be pursuing post-graduate studies within Kenya. After slogging through a tumultous internship, it is now my conviction! I mean, an internship may seem long and tedious, but they can only stretch one year so long...and eventually it ends. I cannot fathom what 3 - 5 years of a registrar postgraduate experience must feel like given the same circumstances, but it is definitely something I would not look forward to.

Like I've already mentioned earlier, all these forms of communication are important in conveying ideas and truths. In light of how I've focused so negatively on disconfirming, you might think that I am totally against it...and that would be totally far from the truth. I remember at one point having to disconfirm a vast swathe of the members of my class at medical school. And that memory goes a little like this:

A surgeon had walked into our class to teach us about "The Liver". I couldn't tell you how much of the class was acting up, however, they were creating such a sizeable ruckus such that it was impossible to ignore them. It really was an untenable situation because the surgeon was having a hard time teaching, and the students who were actually trying to listen we're having the hardest of times hearing what was being taught.

My mind flashed back to the previous weekend. I had attended an international surgical conference at a symposium hall within the Medical Healthcare Centre at the First Affiliated Hospital (of Wenzhou Medical University) in the city. I remember 2 highlights from that experience - watching a livestreamed session of bariatric surgery which was taking place within one of the First Affiliated Hospital theaters; the second was a lecture on Selective decongestive devascularization shunt of gastrosplenic region (SDDS-GSR ), which is an adjunct measure to relieving liver and spleen issues arising from chronic liver disease. You could tell that people's minds were blown by this novel approach and people were eager for highly decorated Prof. Qiyu Zhang to explain it in detail.

A few days later, standing in front of my class and attempting to deliver a lecture to a bunch of unruly international students is none other than Prof. Qiyu Zhang. I was livid! A few days earlier, medical professionals from a host of countries had patiently waited to listen to this man, but today so-called doctors-in-training couldn't even bother to give him the time of day.

I walked up to the front of the classroom and pleaded with Prof. Zhang for a chance to talk to my colleagues. Taking the mic from his hands, I proceeded to lay into them for all the embarrassment that they had caused us. I contrasted their behaviour with that of the specialist audience a few days prior, and reminded them that within their respective countries they would never tolerate such belligerence from their juniors; the message was clear - sit down, keep quiet and act right!

I am glad to say that the class quieted down, and we had a problem-free lecture (at least for that day!).

I feel sad that my school really didn't bother relaying information about certain things to the international students...things that were very obvious to the Chinese students. I for one think that it would have been important for us to have known that Prof. Zhang was formerly THE PRESIDENT of the First Affiliated Hospital. Years earlier, this man had joined me at my table as I ate a meal alone in the hospital cafeteria, and I never found out that he had been a pillar of the hospital until much later!

If I had been in his position, and I was in a vengeful mood, I would have made things seriously difficult for the international students in my year. Only one year later we were slated to get placements for internships within the Wenzhou Medical University's affiliated hospitals, and he had the power to make that very difficult for us. Just have to thank God that he let things slide.

I know I focus on the medical aspect of things a lot, but the message here serves everyone: it is important to invest yourself in learning to communicate properly. Since medicine is such a hallowed profession, people usually make excuses for specialists who are poor teachers because of their clinical acumen. (they do that for pretty much any specialist in any field). You shouldn't make the same mistake. Acknowledge that people are differently gifted and aid them in their pursuit of personal betterment. Use all tools available at your disposal (including disconfirming), but reach out for compassion faster than anything else. The world will thank you for it.

God Bless
 

The Music of Ed Johnson: Movimento

This takes me back to my days at Messiah College, and the joys of Yahoo! Launchcast which may sadly no longer exist. I think this might particularly have been around those summers when I worked the night shift as a custodial assistant. After work got done, I usually walked over to one of our computer labs and spent a lot of my time listening to Launchcast. My musical list must have been quite eclectic because every so often a non-English track would come up - typically Spanish or Portuguese - and I got to indulge my taste buds in something different. (Must've been some variations on the Jazz preference I had chosen).

Anyway, one day I get this impressive Portuguese track that just resonates with my soul. Pretty guitar playing, wonderful percussion, all set to this fast paced tempo. At first glance of the artist, I'd have thought he was some ordinary Brazilian/Portuguese artist; it was only later that I came to find out that he was American (based out of Palo Alto, California), and that Portuguese is not his native tongue. This shouldn't be so strange, though, considering that bands have a flair for touring through multiple locations and picking influences as they go. I recall that the Pat Metheny Group - Pat himself receives a shout-out in the liner notes for this album - did an extensive tour of Brazil and a lot of that influence is palpable in a lot of his early works, especially Minuano (Six Eight).

Off the strength of the title track, I ended up buying the whole album, and later on 2 more albums from his back catalog. Time and time again, though, I find myself gravitating towards this album in particular. It really has something for every mood: Jazzy samba, ballads, dirges and even purely instrumental tracks. The track "Movimento" typifies something great about a lot of the songs on this album; they all have this "spark" that may occur at some moment in the song, and once you get to it, you just know you love the song.

1. In Movimento, this occurs one minute in, when you hear him belt out "...El Mundo a rodar..." for the first time; it lets you know that Ed Johnson is a professional at what he's doing, and he has the "pipes"to prove it. 
2. In "Exceto Nõs", the intro horn section lets me know I have a winner. 
3. In "Scotch Baião", a track where the soloing is shared between his guitar and a horn player, the horn section at 2:35 is the most beautiful portion of the whole song.
4. "O Bom Alvinho": I had initially tended to avoid this track, but when I gave it a listen, the portion where he engages in "scat-singing" (and especially its finale) keeps me enthralled for the whole tune.
5. "For T": beautiful instrumental track with occasional humming. The harmonized humming that closes out the track is the highlight of the song.
6.  "Silent Heart": haunting melody with a beautiful muted horn used to great effect; the only track sang in English. Here again, the harmonized humming that brings the track to a close caps off a great performance, and bookends a wonderful album. 

Sadly, the only track out of the ten that I've been unable to fall in love with is "Tara". This is by far the most straight ahead Jazz track on the recording. I just can't seem to resonate with the track.

All in all, it's still a solid effort. 4 instrumental tracks (Scotch Baião, Light's Return, For T and Tara), 2 Ballads (Exceto Nõs, Silent Heart), 2 cover songs (O Bom Alvinho, A felicidade), a requiem (Remembrance) and the wonderful title track.

The album is infinitely enjoyable and is something that you'll definitely play a couple of times. (my CD might currently be worse for wear). Grade A performance from a master craftsman. Definitely give it a listen if you have a chance.


God Bless

Let The Dead Bury The Dead!

*I have lacked the ability to write this article for most of the past month. However, I now find myself overtaken by the state of events in the country - just recently we lost Governor Joyce Laboso to cancer; she was preceded by MP Ken Okoth just a few days prior. I wish their families and those affected by their deaths my full condolences and God's comfort in their lives.

To start with, I'd have to clarify my title: this is Matthew 8:22, Jesus at probably one of his more provocative moments. The Lord was certainly blunt and went straight to the point, but the context of the conversation is sometimes difficult to understand; a remnant of some cultural practices that we may not experience in this day and age. A priest once clarified it for me: when the young man slated to be a disciple (Matthew 8:21) asked to be allowed to go and bury his father, it is never implied that his father is actually dead; rather, he wants to return home to live out however long his father has left on this earth, and then after his (father's) eventual death turn towards serving the Lord. Jesus was very categorical that God's kingdom and all things entailed within it would not play second fiddle to the temporal fleeting activities of this world.

This verse has resonated with me lately because our politicians (Members of Parliament to be exact) are at it again! I have really tried to avoid watching the evening news since the latter part of 2017 when everything really all focused on the elections. Even after the disastrous election, and its re-run, election euphoria never really went way; and, sadly, even now politicians have already revamped themselves in campaigning for the distant 2022 election as if nothing else matter in between. The news cycle is just a rehash of campaigning, scandals and intrigues that are mind-numbingly tiring to listen to or tolerate at this point.

Lately, however, as if on cue, our parliamentarians have started clamouring for an increase of their allowances.The stunner was a sh. 250,000 house allowance (backdated to late last year), but there was more: there are plans in place to increase their car grants, sitting allowances, and perhaps a potential "night allowance" for when their seating extends into the night time past the normal hours of business. I personally have never understood why people who are some of the best-salaried in the world are paid "sitting allowances" to show up at their places of work: Sh. 5,000 and at times double if you sit on certain committees. That is a level of ridiculousness that needs a different time and place to answer.

As usual, the MPs have come out in force to address the usual uproar that arises with such blatant greed; and of course the usual arguments will be made, but one specific argument has consistently been touted: the need to cater for funerals for their constituents. On the rare occasion that I recently watched the evening news, I saw 2 MPs talk about how they are invited to so many funerals, and the mourners expect them to donate money towards funding funeral logistics like transport, food, etc. I was boiling inside, but the kicker came when one randomly separately interviewed constituent remarked that the MPs  deserved to have their emoluments increased simply because they provide money at funerals.

Kenya certainly has a strange relationship with death and funerals, which certainly makes us worthy of the descriptor "Peculiar". People may be reviled or neglected during the time that they are alive, but suddenly upon their deaths they become saints whose influence on our life cannot be overstated, and suddenly we realize that they will leave big gaps that cannot be filled.

1. I remember one patient who (during the course of my internship) sat in our female ward neglected for many weeks. Till today I don't understand why she was in a Gynaecology Ward because her symptoms seemed to suggest that she had a Liver/Bile Duct malignancy. In any case, I don't remember seeing any relatives visit, and there was no way to progress with her testing because that needed a lot of external tests, and expensive in-house tests that required cash upfront. Eventually, she succumbed to her illness; strangely, the very next day the family arrived wailing, cleared her hospital bill in one fell swoop, and took her "home".
   
2. I recall some events concerning the planning of my paternal grandfather's funeral. My mother had gone out into the town (Katito) to hire some chairs for the occasion. Some random young gentleman with political ambitions decided that he'd pay for the chairs so that he could have the chance to address the mourners; this didn't sit well with my mother who firmly turned him down and paid for the chairs out-of-pocket (as she had always intended).
   
   I remember that he still had the gall to show up at the funeral, and took to the podium to address the mourners. Since I do not understand my mother-tongue, everything he said basically went over my head; but disrespect is a cultural universal that anyone can understand, and to this day I still get angry thinking about that foolish man.
3.  Early this past July, there was furor raised by a bunch of politicians at the funeral of Pastor Shem Ngoko of the SDA Church; this was merely because they were not allowed to address the mourners during the ceremony. Even despite the express orders of the church, the politicians sought to insinuate themselves into the church proceedings where they would undoubtedly have uttered useless political rubbish.

Our politicians display a plethora of similar experiences to these mentioned above. Their main goal, however, is their need to get a cheap and readily available audience for them to practice their "snake-oil salesman" act. Some of the most ludicrous statements in the recent past have mostly been uttered at funerals. I don't know when we embraced the idea that it is acceptable to turn funerals into political rallies. The day is chiefly meant for family and those close to the deceased person to give them a dignified "send-off". The immediate family of the departed individual is accepted to be the party that requires the condoling and whose needs are prime.

Additionally, neither do I know when we started turning funerals into opulent occasions. Why would anyone feel the need to "keep up with the Joneses." There is not a hint of added dignity in the act of burying someone in a bulletproof gold casket, in the slaughter of a herd of cattle, or in the printing of t-shirts and keepsakes containing the deceased's image. We all acknowledge that we came from dust and to the dust we shall return, therefore we just need to do enough to honour one that has passed on; this should, however, never involve driving their kinfolk to lengths of desperation that will see them spending vast sums of money on something as transient as a funeral.

There are 2 simple lessons on offer here:

1. Politicians need to aim higher and stop lusting after "low-hanging" fruit. Why seek to endear yourselves to crowds of mourners at a funeral yet watch as children under your sphere of influence learn under trees, hospitals remain dilapidated and people continue to suffer from joblessness and hopelessness. If they lack the willpower to say "no", take a few lessons on how to say no nicely. 
2. People need to learn to live within their means, and this is especially relevant the less you have. The begging bowl mentality we espouse at the top in needlessly borrowing money to fund everything under the sun has worked its way down to the bottom. We as a people need to be disciplined and stop selling our civic rights to individuals for a pittance. Perhaps if we held our leaders to a higher standard at the grassroots level, they would be forced to prove themselves at the country and international level.

So to bring things full circle, Let the Dead bury the Dead! We need our politicians committed to the task of improving the general livelihood of all Kenyans, and preparing us to deal with the challenges posed by the 21st Century. Let them desist from this foolishness of lame excuses and utter greed, and let them do the task for which they were chosen. History will deal with them unkindly if they choose anything else.

God Bless

Spider-Man: Far From Home "Spoiler Free" Review

Time for yet another MCU adventure after the massive event that was the Infinity saga came to a close. This sees a return to some light fanfare with the latest Spidey installment. As per the after effects of the events known as "The Snap" and "The Blip" (which is what they now call the moment that the other 50% of people reappeared thanks to the Professor Hulk's use of the Infinity Gauntlet), our team of high school comrades find themselves back in school with a bit of a twist: they haven't aged at all, but the people that remained aged a natural 5 years in their absence. And, as per where we left off in "Homecoming", Michelle is going by MJ now. In true comic book fashion, Peter is now enamored with her, and romantic shenanigans ensue. It seems like the European tour the school has scheduled will provide the perfect opportunity for Peter to step up to the plate and ask her out.

Unfortunately, Nick Fury has other plans for Peter. Substituting for Tony Stark, this is Nick's first "true" introduction to Tony's protégé. The MCU has thus far only paired Nick with the older superheroes, so it is interesting to see him paired up with the inexperienced needy teenager. This thus makes Fury appear more ornery as he serves as the annoyed mentor who feels he should be dealing with a lot better than this. In true MCU fashion, the Avengers are "off-world" or incommunicado, so Spidey is really the only one that he can count on. Well, with the exception of Jake Gyllenhall's "Mysterio", who appears as a response to the Multiverse's Elementals threat who happen to be this outings "creature-feature".

This movie made me nostalgic for 1991's "If Looks Could Kill". In that movie, a high school slacker basically got confused for a secret agent, and he ended up thrust into larger-than-life espionage scenarios. Pretty much the same thing happens here, especially once Nick Fury starts to meddle with Peter's Euro Trip, and once Happy (Hogan) entrusts Peter with the E.D.I.T.H artificial intelligence system that was handed down from Tony Stark.

Unfortunately, the movie falters in terms of its story mechanics at times. To explain this, I need to contrast MCU/Tom Holland Spidey with Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire Spidey. People complained that Tobey Maguire seemed too old and didn't portray the young Spidey too well, but he was ultimately self-sufficient. This is in fact what made the adaptation of the "Spider-man No More!" storyline possible. His biggest debt is the death that he cannot undo: Uncle Ben. However, as overwhelming as things may get and the chips may be stacked, he continues to prevail as a solo hero. This is why "Spider-Man II" prevails as one of the best superhero movies ever made.
Tom Holland's Spidey is cast in the mold of the animated "Ultimate Spider-man". A teenager who is basically a Tony Stark fanboy. In "Civil War", we get a glimmer of his homage to Uncle Ben as his justification for donning the suit; however, by the time of "Homecoming", he's in full Tony Stark hero-worship mode, and comes to rely on his augmented suit as a crutch. Sadly, "Far From Home" propels us farther down this path with the notion that Spidey is in some way supposed to take up the mantle of Iron Man. This overwhelmed teenager storyline thus becomes the reason for some of the dumbest decision-making ever committed to screen time.

This is an MCU movie, so it definitely looks good. The SFX department dedicated to Mysterio really did a top-notch job; seemed like they were channeling their inner Dr. Strange. The action and comedy blends in very well, and this will definitely be an enjoyable time at the movies. However, the high school gimmick abounds in this movie. I'm looking forward to seeing an older Peter Parker put to screen so that eventually we might even be able to have the "Spider-Totem" story made for the big screen. Mayhaps the MCU needs to finally divorce this convoluted Iron Man - Spidey relationship and let him stand on his own two feet as the true hero that he can be. Only time will tell.

I give this move a B+.

God Bless

X-Men: Dark Phoenix "Spoiler-Free" Review

If it isn't news to you, you'd already know that this movie has faced quite a thumping from the critics. One of my favourite Youtube reviewers - Jeremy Jahns - even found it fit to rate the movie as "Dog Sh*t", a rating that's been preserved for the like of "The 50 Shades of Grey" trilogy and other similar cinematic failures. I get it! Sometimes it can be so much fun to rail on a movie. I've seen a comparison to Wolverine: Origins, and I remember how that movie was similarly savaged; however, I remember the genesis of that movie's bad luck was a movie critic's review of an unfinished version of the movie and similar bad happenings for the production studio. Contrary to public opinion, I enjoyed Wolverine: Origins, so I was willing to give this movie a chance to prove itself.

In a unique twist of events, there are showings of both the 2D and 3D versions of this movie right now. I ended up watching the 2D version...no biggie. First off, I was astounded by how beautiful this movie looks. The cinematography is simply astounding with colours so vibrant that especially pop out at you in the space scenes. The scenes remain crisp and clear no matter which era they're representing.

There are similar beats in this movie to the last "Phoenix" iteration from The Last Stand. As usual, it explores Jean Grey's fractured psyche once she begins to be inhabited by the powerful "Phoenix Force". The Last Stand broke with tradition and sought to make the Phoenix a darker identity that always resided in Jean; Dark Phoenix takes the more traditional approach and renders the Phoenix as a visceral cosmic force capable of both creation and destruction in equal measure. Hand-in-hand with Jean's struggle is Professor X's conundrum at trying to match his good intentions with his methods. This time around there's been a quantum leap and the X-men are considered fully fledged superheroes that the public is very much aware of. In a series that has given us the delightfully dystopian "Days of Future Past", it is not lost on the Prof. that the mutants are really one bad day from going back to being characterized as a danger to society. This movie mixes in these 2 stories quite well, and it forces these two characters to handle a very murky progression of events while coming to terms with their shortcomings.

As usual, Magneto is never too far behind. As if on cue, he's found some semblance of peace, but as usual, he's pulled back into the fray again; really any excuse to have Magneto in these movies is worth it. Michael Fassbender (and Ian McKellen before him) has always managed to make him a relatable "Villain" with questionable actions that are not too far-fetched in the scheme of things. He always leaves us wondering whether he can ever really become a force for good after all the bad things that he's faced in his past.

Running parallel to the Jean Grey - Phoenix storyline is the story of the mysterious white haired stranger played out in ever ethereal fashion by Jessica Chastain. In The Last Stand, the Phoenix was pretty much a sideline character that Magneto had sitting on the wings as he took his fight to the humans; this time around, the nature of the Phoenix force propels this movie into the cosmic realm, and with that comes the arrival of other "players" into the mix. The trailers don't really divulge anything about this storyline, and since this is a spoiler-free review, neither will I. Suffice it to say, I had expected her to be a different character from X-men lore, but she adds another nice bit of layering to this tale.

The acting is top-notch, and Sophie Turner is all over the place with Jean's frenetic changes in emotion; she is all at once this scared frail figure, and then the embodiment of power personified. James McAvoy's Prof. X is the heart of this movie, anchoring all elements in place. He is the figure that has to balance peaceful coexistence betweens humans and mutants, worry about protecting both sides and sometimes to the detriment of his own charges by placing their lives in danger; and he is Magneto's foil, thus despite the fact that benevolence is at their heart of their actions, he has to sometimes straddle a thin line that could easily cause him to become just like Magneto.

There was one death that was teased from the trailers, but I don't think it had quite the emotional punch that they were expecting. This character has been "overplayed" throughout the series, was also responsible for the most cringe-worthy line in this whole movie, and it just felt better that the character was done away with. The death and its aftermath get a less than fully realized set of plot points, and this was one of the weaker parts of this movie.

The action set pieces look good, but one city street battle was particularly hard to follow. This may have been a casualty of the darkness involved and the pacing. Unfortunately, like in some bad WWE fights, the extent of some injuries is overplayed and some characters can end up unfairly counted out from subsequent fights. They borrowed some elements from The Last Stand, like the Phoenix's ability to obliterate her enemies, and even some of the interactions. This serves as some very good misdirection because they subvert your expectations and show you that this is a very different movie from its predecessor.

This movie has disappointed quite a number of people because it perhaps didn't turn the Phoenix saga into the full-blown spectacle that it was in the comics and animated series. However, truthfully, we'd need about 2 full length movies (3 hours each) or one season of a television series for that to happen, so I'm glad with what they've given us onscreen this time around. I think this is a great open-ended send-off for this set of characters, and look forward to what the MCU will add to it now that they've gotten back the rights to the X-men.

I give this movie a B+ and guarantee that it's a good time at the movies.

God Bless.


P.S: Now that I've finally watched this movie, I can give my definitive ranking for all the X-Men movies.

1. Logan 
2. X-2 
3. X-Men Days of Future Past 
4. X-Men
5. X-Men: Dark Phoenix
6. The Wolverine 
7. X-Men: First Class 
8. Wolverine: Origins 
9. X-Men: Apocalypse
10. X-Men: The Last Stand

Survivor's Guilt

I was at the clinic the other day, and I was finishing up the evening shift. A female patient showed up for a review with regards to lab test results. It isn't uncommon for us to end up reviewing a patient on behalf of one of our fellow doctors because their shift might have ended before investigations they'd ordered were complete. I honestly don't mind because it is usually a case that can be handled quickly.

In this case, it turns out that the lady was the one who had specifically asked for the tests. We get this from time to time too: some individual may have suffered from a specific malady in the past, thus they come in on a regular basis just to check on that specific parameter - Lipid profiles (cholesterol), Liver Function Tests, Blood pressure or sugars, Clotting profiles, etc. I pored through the lady's results and everything was essentially normal, which is the best kind of news - no management needed whatsoever.

At that point, the lady decided to let me know what had occasioned the testing. She had lost her last pregnancy in her 3rd trimester, and was considering getting pregnant again. I decided to question her further, and asked her if the baby had any identified malformations; she answered no. Next, I asked her if there were any problems with her blood pressure during the pregnancy; Yes, she answered.

So my mind pretty much knew what the diagnosis had been: Preeclampsia. So I continue to peel away the layers, finding out that she had very elevated blood pressures which had worsened towards the end; she had also developed generalized oedema. With blood pressures towering above the 170/100 mmHg mark at some point, she had generally crossed over into the realm of Severe Preeclampsia. She had been admitted for monitoring, but somewhere along the way foetal movements ceased and the baby passed away - an IUFD (IntraUterine Fetal Demise) at 32 weeks of gestation. To make matters worse, the lady ended up needing to undergo a Caesarean Section to deliver the recently deceased baby.

The hits had just kept on coming during that pregnancy, and almost 2 years down the line, this lady was still coming to me with questions. In some regards, as usual, she still felt that the doctors were at fault and didn't do enough to save her pregnancy; she was obviously hoping that the same thing wouldn't happen in this subsequent pregnancy attempt. In the course of the conversation, I also got the impression that she felt that things would have turned out better if it had been her life lost in the pregnancy and not that of the unborn child.

Being blunt
I had tried to be compassionate and offer up as much empathy as I could while we talked, but at some point it became necessary to give her the cold hard facts.

1. She had experienced preeclampsia in her very first pregnancy; it had been a mild case that had developed in her 3rd trimester, but that was evidence enough that she'd be at risk of suffering preeclampsia in subsequent pregnancies. For this (fateful) pregnancy, the preeclampsia had started earlier (in the 2nd trimester) and progressed even faster. She definitely should have been booked into a High Risk Pregnancy Clinic for her 2nd pregnancy; but I let her know that it was imperative that she start any future new pregnancies with prior visits to her Ob-Gyn before conception.
   
2. Preeclampsia/Eclampsia is no joke. It's one of those conditions that gives doctors nightmares because we don't fully understand its cause, but we have dealt with its ramifications many times. Any organ damage that happens during the pregnancy stands the chance of being irreversible! Let me mention a few of my fine examples
   
   
   • Pre-internship (KNH) 
   • A mother shows up after a normal delivery in Kibera. She seems to be acting particularly aggressive and out of sorts, so we assume it is a case of puerperal (post-partum) psychosis. Only thing gleaned from her discharge notes was that she's had a BP of 160/100 mmHg at one point. 2 weeks into her stay we end up performing a Head CT scan which shows a massive bleed into her brain. A few days later, she's gone.
   • A mother is 20 weeks pregnant, but her whole body is swollen like a grapefruit. We have a special term for this kind of oedema: Anasarca. I have never seen a case of preeclampsia progress this fast! Coming this early in the pregnancy, my consultants have no choice but to terminate the pregnancy to save the mother's life.
     
   • Internship 
     
     • My introduction to the Obs/Gyne Department: a mortality debriefing. Mother had suffered kidney failure and basically had blood streaming into her urine bag instead of...well, urine. Patient succumbed soon after.
     • A mother had developed seizures in the course of her delivery, and thus ended up being taken to ICU for further treatment.
     • Typical night in the labour ward. Mother transferred in from Lord-knows-where in need of a Caesarean Section (CS). Mother hasn't really had any sort of antenatal clinic visits, so there isn't much for us to glean in terms of past medical history. Anaesthetist hopes to perform a rapid sequence induction using Ketamine, but, with the patient already on the operating table, finds out that the patient's blood pressure is at the 180/100 mmHg. Ends up having to switch to more traditional agents, which have a pressure lowering side effect, and as the surgeon I have to perform as quick a CS as I possibly can, and hope for no complications.
        
   • Post-Internship - a relative comes down with a case of AntePartum Hemorrhage (APH) just 4 weeks prior to her official due date. Investigations prove that she's developed HELLP syndrome, and ends up needing a CS one week later to avoid any further complications.
     
   • Most preeclampsia pregnancies -  with regular doctor's visits and appropriate medication, we are able to ensure a smooth pregnancy. Delivery of the placenta usually results in normalization of blood pressures for the mother; an unlucky few go on to develop chronic hypertension.
     
3. A doctor will NOT risk the life of the mother for the sake of the child. This is not some form of Roe v. Wade permissiveness - this is a real question of life and death where the pregnancy places the pregnant mother's life in immediate harm, possibly of imminent death. We don't particularly like sacrificing the life of an unborn child, but in terms of priorities, it is basically
   

   Save the Mother first; if possible, save the Mother AND Child.

   I do not hesitate in this matter in light of my experience losing Edna. I have been adequately prepared to answer this question by a Philosophy 101 class from my first semester of (Daystar) University. The justification for this is strangely Utilitarian: the mother is a microcosm - she has built up a wealth of relationships, and has very many people who actively depend on her; the foetus is wholly potential. Thus, as a doctor, in weighing the scales, it is more ideal for you to save the mother's life, preserving the already intricate web of relationships that she is a part of.
   
   But then again, life is not so clear-cut and absolute. I remember hearing about the case of a mother who delayed chemotherapy treatment so that she could have a normal pregnancy, and give her unborn baby a fighting chance at a normal birth and life. This was wholly a mother's choice and sacrifice, and a reminder that mothers (and fathers) will on many an occasion make the ultimate sacrifice for their children.
   
   
4. Hindsight is 20/20. Doctors usually get asked to review situations where things have gone wrong, and asked to chime in our thoughts. This is why we typically have Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) meetings, which give us a chance to backtrack and see how things could have been done better. However, we are not always so quick to assign blame because there is the realization that every health situation evolves along a vast array of lines. In this case in particular, someone may argue that the baby should have been delivered earlier. Theoretically, I can think of 2 reasons why the doctor might have chosen not to.
   
   
   • The mother's blood parameters might have been with normal ranges, and it was hoped that adjusting the set of medications that she was on should have allowed the doctors to prolong the pregnancy.
   • It might also have been possible that the baby was considered "small for gestational age". Preeclampsia is one of a host of conditions that can cause Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR), so prolonging the pregnancy would offer a better post-delivery outcome for the foetus.
     
   It is no mere coincidence that I am emphasizing prolongation of pregnancy. Some people may remember a Christian song by the name "Better is One Day". One lyric in that song is particularly poignant

   Better is one day in your house...than thousands elsewhere

The songwriter was referring to being in God's presence...but he might as well have been talking about a foetus in the womb. Nothing we scientifically possess is capable of mimicking the fine-tuned conditions that exist in the womb; thus, as normal a progression of pregnancy is one of the main aims of any OB-Gyn. We usually find that it is ideal to let nature take its course as much as it possibly can.

Conclusion
I think it's worth noting that the patient described me as being "very blunt" at the end of our talk. I don't regard that as a worthy hallmark, nor is it representative of my typical bedside manner. However, she was thankful that I had taken the time to explain things to her in a manner she hadn't experienced before.

In hindsight, it is possible that we sometimes mentions these things to our patients, but they fly right over their heads if they're not yet ready to hear them. Sometimes, we really don't have that much time: I had the chance to go over the situation with her because it was a slow evening at the clinic; I can't guarantee I would've had the same outcome on a busy day. This is why it's probably a good reason to readily recommend some counseling for such patients. Allowing them to talk about the experience often provides more relief than merely doping them up for their depression.

I am thankful for opportunities to practice medicine, and chances like this to clarify things to my patients. I hope this patient gets the outcome that she desires, and can get the true healing that she needs from the events in her past.

God Bless.