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.

The Huduma Number Fiasco

You can obviously tell that I'm already peeved about this Huduma Number registration exercise. Just the manner in which it has been rolled out amid mystery and mistrust, and the immediate threats that have followed is an immediate cause for concern. However, before you go on to condemn me as some unpatriotic critic whose only intent is to curtail development, let me give you some reference for my misgivings.

Let's take it back to my medical internship, circa mid 2014. The government had suddenly become overwhelmed by its "ghost worker" problem, so they had decided that they would conduct a biometric registration program of its civil servants to fix the issue. So summarily, they decide that within a small window of time (~2 weeks in my recollection), all civil servants would have to be registered, or run the threat of not getting their salaries.

In my mind I'm thinking "what the hell is this?" I had been posted to Kisii Hospital in May that year, reported on June 1st, received my paperwork that I needed to present to the Ministry of Health (at Afya House) on June 2nd; after making all the submission of the required data, I had reported back to my work station on June 8th and started working. So they basically had all my fresh data,  but now we were going to add biometrics. Well, when threats abound, you just make your peace with the situation and try to find time in your schedule for such things.

This registration turned out to be a little tricky. The hospital served as a registration centre for some days (not given out in advance), then there was the functionality of the biometric registration kits (questionable), and the speed of the exercise. I remember that the most convenient time for me to register fell on the morning right after I had been on the night shift during my surgical rotation; hence, I made up my mind to show up for the registration early the next morning before I departed for home. Morning rolls in and I get down to the designated area (close to the cafeteria), and I find a large line has formed. There are some clinical and other hospital staff in the queue, but, surprisingly, the bulk of the people in line are other county workers from Lord knows where.

The registration workers arrive and the exercise starts. It moves slowly: only 2 of the 3 biometric registration kits are working. Then the usual tomfoolery ensues with grown men and women just cutting in line or being mysteriously moved ahead of others unceremoniously. By 12pm, I still wasn't any closer to being registered, and I was basically running on fumes from a busy night shift. I cut my losses and decided to head on home, and try my luck on a different day. The rest of the day turned out to be a similar nightmare: lights went out, meaning I couldn't charge my phone which also dabbled as my alarm; I thus overslept past my reporting time of 8pm, waking up to multiple missed calls from fellow interns once I eventually plugged in and charged my phone. (In retrospect, this might be one of the reasons that I had supplementary weeks added to my surgical rotation).

I eventually had to get myself registered at the county offices some time later (as usual, the date for the exercise had had to be extended), and life went on as it should...but I was pretty sure that the ghost worker issue would rear its ugly head again

All of a sudden, in 2019, we apparently have ghost workers in the Police Force. I'm not exactly sure if Police count as civil servants, and neither am I sure whether they were expected to be registered during that last (eventful) program of 2014, which was of course run under this same Jubilee Administration. This all boils down to the same thing: we have a mediocre set of systems that have been set up to manage us. A proper management system would register employees, make regular updates to cater for changes in their status/upgrades, and lastly account for attrition in the work force, occurring through resignation, dismissal or retirement. The fact that we have ghost workers masquerading in the system merely means that the system is not being regularly updated (to weed out past employees), or someone with a higher level clearance is introducing bogus data into the system. Needless to say, the majority of the good hardworking people will suffer for problems originating from levels that are "way above our pay grades."

So now we have the Huduma Number, our Saviour-du-jour. As with all things of this generation, we are first reminded that it is digital and biometric; in addition, it is meant to bring together all disparate data and numbers that are essentially tied to each Kenyan, and basically make life easier. This isn't really anything new. I remember that some time before the most recent elections, some government spokesperson had shown up on TV and spoken of the need for a new card (and number) to oversee our other numbers. And even then I had still thought it was a ridiculous idea.


I actually managed to get my hands on one of the forms in advance, and I was able to start filling it out, but the only details I was missing were the expiry date of my passport and my driving license number. Looking at the form is simply infuriating because it just makes you realize that you've already filled in these details on multiple prior occasions when registering for your NSSF, NHIF, KRA and even driving license. And here's the kicker: you needed your ID card to register for all those other cards!

Anyway, filling out the form was easy enough, with the exception of these administrative divisions (county, sub-county et al.) which are pretty much a foreign concept to me. After it's all filled out, you have to sit and wait in line for your turn to be registered using the biometric capturing kits. Fortunately, I was being registered at my place of work and did not have to face the prospect of standing in a ridiculously long queue. Understand that the time it's taking for people to be registered is more along the average mark of 15 minutes, and there are some outliers that are even exceeding 30 minutes. That means that for every 4 people ahead of you in line, you should expect to wait about 1 hour if only one registration officer is working, or 30 minutes if you have 2 registration officers on duty. And that's hoping that the machines work the way they are supposed to! Rumours abound of the biometric kits being unable to capture biometric data if their battery charge dips below the 40% mark. Forget about that ease of registration display they show you when they register the President and other high ranking politicians. That is the demo version. You, on the other hand, are guaranteed to have a more tedious and nerve-racking time when you settle down for the process.

However, since this is Kenya, more frustration abounds when people fail to show common courtesy. How on earth do people grow up to be full blown adults and never ever learn to queue properly? People are already on edge because of the length of time the whole process takes, and the usual bunch of hiccups that ensue. Nothing grates the nerves more than seeing someone mosey up to the front of the line like they're entitled royalty. At our registration centre, someone had the foresight to draw up a register to keep track of people's order of arrival. This came in handy because we ended up switching to a larger room, and that kept things from devolving into free-for-all chaos.

The process itself merely consists of having everything transferred from the form to the Biometric kit, having your picture and finger prints taken, and also having pictures taken of some of the documents that you bring along with you. I think it only took 10 minutes to have my stuff over and done with. I can attest that my registration officer was a pretty stand-up guy...but then they did show up at 8.30 am instead of the previously stated 7.00 am.

Anyway, I have a little acknowledgment slip as proof that I've actually gone through the process. It still doesn't change my misgiving about the whole process. I don't really think this will improve anything. Sure there's all that talk of improved service delivery and rooting out ghost workers, but if this was something that was meant to be taken seriously they'd have started out with some civic education. Some people might try to explain it as the Kenyan citizenry being propelled into the future with a new digital number; this will basically save us the hustle of needing a whole bunch of other cards and numbers that are currently part and parcel of our daily lives. In theory, that would seem intelligent...if it weren't for the fact that our ID cards are already a key field item: they are basically the singular item tying us to our passports, KRA pins, NSSF and NHIF cards, and even our driving licenses. Someone may argue that the IDs may not be digital, but then the simpler solution would be for them to issue a New Generation ID card, and make sure that this time it is machine-readable. (the last generation ID card already included capturing of biometric parameters).

The common mwananchi is even more confused about what this new number will be able to do. Thanks to threats from government allied officials, people basically think that they won't be able to get bank cards, or perhaps that they may lose their cell phone numbers, or that they won't be able to register for things like passports (my personal fear). Sometimes in this country, unfounded fears can be something you should really consider seriously. I'm just thinking of the government clerks who will unduly frustrate people using this Huduma number as some sort of sifting criteria. These Hudumu Number cards won't even be ready for the next foreseeable couple of months (at least 3 - 6), and we will still need to use our IDs for most things, but one should never assume government offices are places where sound reason abides.

It's business as usual in this country. We haven't even passed legislation that's guaranteed to protect our data and honour our privacy. The politicians wrongly think that this matter is handled with as much carelessness as they form their political vehicles of the day: come up with the party first, then eventually tack some sort of manifesto and meaning much later on. Too much politics and tenderpreneurship has seen us sacrifice the soul of this nation for the vested interest of a few individuals. Politicians the world over are more likely to implement something new (affording them the chance to attend lavish ceremonies with ribbon-cutting theatrics) rather than retooling or fixing an old FUNCTIONAL system. The wisdom of the old saying still stands:

It is better to measure ten times and cut once than to measure once and cut 10 times

Any sort of critical thinking would convince anyone that this operation is half-baked; why else would they need to resort to the lowest form of manipulation  - intimidation - to get this pushed through? Kenyans are not an abrasive bunch of folk who merely routinely oppose the government for kicks - we can be reasoned with. The courts have tried to protect us from this hasty government decree, but this current government is renowned for ignoring court orders and bulldozing their way forward. The likelihood is that reason and justice will not prevail here.

However, there just might be some light at the end of the tunnel. I believe that the veracity of the data can be maintained beyond this exercise. This Huduma Number can eventually be written out of our collective consciousness, and we can get the ideal ID card we've been longing for. Fundamental to all this would be the fact that we build up a foundation of institutions and systems of integrity that will safeguard the dignity of the people of Kenya, and root out all the "conflict of interest" that is sucking our lifeblood dry. The land and people of Kenya will outlive the prevailing politics and trends of the day, and thus, we owe them something congruent to that. The glow and trappings of new technology will not be our saviour: a culture of integrity and respect for justice is all we really need, and something we will eventually get.

God Bless

 

Avengers: Endgame - "SPOILER" Review

By Eileen Steinbach

SPOILER ALERT!





This movie is a work of art! The Russo Brothers certainly have made some of the best MCU installments to date, but the soul sapping Infinity War was an extremely horrendous gut-punch that left the world (both real and MCU) in a dark place. We just needed to see how things were meant to end. They had to tie up a lot of loose strings.

Gladly, they followed up with Endgame. I am not going to do a blow-for-blow recap of the movie, but I will address some salient points that really stood out to me. I am happy that they put us in the thick of things, pretty much shortly after Thanos' snap: the world was awry, and the Avengers were still scrambling to make some sense of the world, finding some sort of solace in heroics. By the time that arc is resolved (shortly afterwards), they are plunged into true despair, and it is only then, after a well placed time jump (ahem... "Venom") that the mechanics for righting the world finally show up with the appearance of Ant-Man (yep, the Quantum Realm).

The seamless integration of all the various MCU characters started earlier, but cemented in Infinity War, continues to shine through in this movie: the Guardians of the Galaxy (GoTG) roster is basically only Rocket and Nebula, Tony's basically retreated into family life and has abandoned the Avengers (specifically Captain America); Black Widow is basically running point for Avengers operations, Hawkeye has become the anti-hero Ronin, and Bruce Banner has managed to bring forth the Professor Hulk identity thanks to some Gamma experimentation.

Thor has a really sad arc to his story (it's just been a steady decline), but the Russos can't resist the urge to poke more fun at the character, in much the same way that Taika Watiti started off in "Thor: Ragnarok". After the jump, Thor pretty much turns into "The Dude"from "The Big Lebowski" (I managed to catch the "On your left..Lebowski" on rewatching the movie). I haven't even watched that particular movie yet, but I recognized the character immediately he strapped on some shades and a cardigan. They really did Thor dirty!

The movie is not as fast paced as Infinity War in the beginning, but that is certainly not a weak point; Infinity War was pretty much a heist movie that was moving to the beat of Thanos' frenetic plans. This movie is a character study of the survivors, many of whom are dealing with "Survivor's Guilt", the pain of loss, and ultimately DEFEAT. People need to pick up the pieces before they can really become the heroes that we need them to be. Thor is about the worst possible manifestation of how far someone can fall; however, wise words from his mother Frigga end up putting him on the right track.

"Everyone fails at who they're supposed to be. The measure of a person, a hero, is how they succeed at being who they are"

The trippy mechanics of the Quantum Realm gave the directors a wonderful opportunity to reinsert future characters into a lot of past moments with future hindsight as something of a boon. It was also a chance to flesh out some going-ons that were merely glossed over/ segued out of in prior MCU installments. It was great to see that the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) did her part to protect NY during Loki's siege. It was also a joy to see the Shield/Avengers politics that played out regarding Asgard's jurisdiction with regards to Loki's judgment. All in all, it was just wonderful to see the vast roster of characters - villainous and heroic - that have been a part of this MCU-world reprise their roles, even if only for short cameos. Not only was it great fan service, but any excuse to heap more layers on already developed characters is a worthy endeavour in my books.

As with any movie that focuses on time travel, this movie sought to put its own spin on the time travel trope and put a lot of previous time travel movies on blast (usually through Ant-Man/Scott Lang). It did set us down some confusing paths in the process. I can understand that they returned the Infinity Stones back to the past from which they stole them to preserve the timelines as the Ancient one had hoped. (Definitely couldn't have Dr. Strange "bargaining" with Dormammu without the Time Stone!) But what about them taking Mjolnir away from Thor in his Dark World outing. Mjolnir was pretty important in Thor's battle against an overpowered Malekith. Or are we just meant to consider that Odin might have commissioned "Storm Breaker" to be made earlier in the new setting?

(Addendum: Cap just returned Mjolnir when he went back in time. Y'know, for a moment there, I'd thought that Mjolnir had become his new weapon of choice, but in all likelihood, he returned it just like he did the Stones.) 

Also, they never let us know how Valkyrie, Korg, Miek and the other Asgardians were able to escape from Thanos' clutches between the events of Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War. I mean, I knew New Asgard was definitely going to be included in this continuity, but they owe us a resolution to that little missing bit of info (along with the whereabout of Lady Sif). It is plausible that he could've just killed half of them and let the other half go, but if they could show us that for Gamora's world, they could certainly have shown it for Thor and the Asgardian remnant. Another thing that was also glossed over was how Thanos was able to steal the Power Stone from the Nova Corps. Infinity War just had a Power Stone wielding Thanos show up to obliterate Thor's ship, and Thor - while talking shop with the GoTG crew - mentioned that the Power Stone was stolen from the Nova Corps and that Thanos would be headed for Knowhere to get the Aether (Reality Stone). It seemed sad that this important event was relegated to the realm of exposition in such a summary fashion. I had hoped that this movie's time travel plot would at least have given us a glimpse into the raid on the Nova Corps

The Black Order is also a very overlooked element; their role was even smaller this time around (though Ebony Maw is an enticing character no matter how little screen time he receives). It would have been insightful to see how they came to serve the mad Titan, but that would have taken this movie beyond the epic length it already had. We know what their final destiny is, but I hope that there are plans to continue to use them in MCU stories about the past - similar to what was done with Capt. Marvel - and that way a full story can be told about the denizens of the Black Order.

Anyway, these few questions/ruminations aside, this movie remains a work of art. We have received fitting ends to the character of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Tony suffered character assassination under the reins of Shane Black, but his appearances in Russo movies (Civil War, Infinity War) and Spider-man: Homecoming actually made him a more well-rounded and likeable character; and here, he shines like never before. Cap finally got his last dance, and to live a fully realized and enriched life - no longer that fish out of water. He's handed the Capt. America mantle over to Falcon, but it could just as easily shift over to Bucky (something that's already happened in the comics). It seems like it was curtains for Black Widow, but then we know she has a solo movie in the works; I pray that it contains a team-up between her and Hawkeye, and we can finally get to see the "Incident at Budapest" that they've been referring to since the very first Avengers movie.

Hawkeye and Nebula got the biggest character boosts from this movie. On a team of superpowered individuals, having someone who's merely an olympic-level athlete at peak fitness with no other augmentation means that Hawkeye typically has gotten overshadowed. However, as Ronin, he was very much in his element, taking the fight to street level thugs and handing out summary justice on the fly. Just like Age of Ultron, he now has another death on his hands, and it'd be interesting to see how things progress;  he probably will name one of his children after Natasha...but first we need to see him in a Widow movie. Nebula on the other hand usually had limited range as an angry sneering individual. This time around we see the full switch with her bonding with Tony, and then Rocket, and even becoming part of a team. Everything comes full circle when her present self is juxtaposed against her subservient past. I think she will make a great anti-hero.

As for Hulk, the MCU needs to do him justice. The Professor Hulk is interesting, but he is not the strongest Hulk incarnation there is. Louis Letterier's Incredible Hulk was a travesty to the character, and managed to do much less with the character than Ang Lee's seminal Hulk movie. (Besides have Hulk utter the line "Hulk Smash!"). Perhaps they should consider a similarly serious approach to the character as was the case with Ang Lee; they could always throw in Joe Fixit for added measure. There's a lot to unearth here, and I'm sure the MCU could do it right.

In summary, my biggest highlights from this movie:

1. "On your left"
2. "Avengers assemble"
3. Captain America is worthy!
4. "Hail Hydra"

Strange that they all involved Capt. America. From the applause that rocked the cinema during the first three of these, I think that everyone else in attendance also agreed.

Here's to the close of one chapter, and the promise of a new and better lineup of movies with great stories to tell.

God Bless