Category Archives: Uncategorized

How Heroes of Color Could Win in “Avengers: Endgame”

endgame

Promotional poster for “Avengers: Endgame” (2019)

I know that Captain Marvel (2019) is supposed to be THE next Marvel film to watch for a lot of reasons, but there’s no escaping the sequel to last year’s Avengers: Infinity War which I had meant to review, but apparently neglected. Avengers: Endgame is due to be out in late April and is expected to answer a lot of questions, not the least of which is who stays dead and who comes back to life.

However, there’s been a lot of concern about how specifically, King T’Challa, the Black Panther, and a large number of notable heroes of color and female heroes were exterminated, suspiciously leaving only the core, white male Avengers alive.

African-American screenwriter and author Steven Barnes has discussed at length, the history of black film characters dying for the sake of making white characters more heroic, and the impact of this, not only on his own childhood, but on his teenage son Jason.

Author G. Scott Huggins also weighed in on this last January, specifically about how, while we expect T’Challa, the Wakandans, and other African-American heroes to be revived, the fact that they died in the first place diminishes them as heroes. He said:

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Book Review of Yage: A Tom Regan Thriller

yage

Cover art for Aidan Reid’s novel “Yage.”

It’s been quite a while since I reviewed Irish indie author Aidan J. Reid’s mystery novel Sigil. The book introduced Father Tom Regan, a Catholic Priest with a nose for mysteries, and particularly the bizarre.

Yage is the second in the “Tom Regan Thriller” series, and this time, Reid takes it up a notch.

Based on his own drug use experiences under somewhat similar circumstances, Reid takes Father Regan to Peru, ostensibly to meet his young niece Louise, who has been hiking throughout the Peruvian region, but also to process his own crisis of faith, particularly in light of the conclusion of the Sigil ordeal.

What Regan finds is a mystery he didn’t ask for and one that puts the life of his niece at risk. Slowly putting the clues together, he finds that Louise is only one of a number of victims of a mysterious shaman, who is somehow tied to the Yage tourist trade, people from western nations who pay local companies to administer and monitor their use of a hallucinogen for a variety of personal purposes. Tom himself must undergo this challenge in his desperate efforts to find his missing niece. Along the way, he finds unlikely allies in the form of a local priest, other tourists, and another young woman he must use, and put at risk, in order to discover what happened to Louise.

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Quoting: Choose Your Tone of Voice

Be aware of the effects of your tone of voice. Find a range of tones that your friends and family find comfortable.

The listener is always more sensitive and aware of the tone of voice than the speaker is. The more aware you are of your own tone of voice and the effect it has on the listener, the easier it will be for you to recognize when there is a change in your tone.

One way to become more aware of your tone of voice is to ask your spouse for feedback, by saying, “If my tone of voice ever distresses you, please point it out to me. And when you especially like a certain tone of voice, please tell me.”

-from Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s book “Marriage” -p. 145

Quoting: Courage is a Choice

No situation is exactly like any other situation. Every situation is new. Therefore, even if you haven’t acted with courage in the past, you presently have the capacity to make new choices when new situations arise.

We each change all the time, either slightly or considerably. The new situations that arise are always more advanced than at any time in the past when you were faced with a similar situation. Let this thought strengthen you in your ability to have more courage than you ever did before.

-from Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s book, “Courage”

Quoting: You Create the Place

In 1856, Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Friedman of Sadugura, was arrested because of a libel and was kept in prison.

“I am permitted to serve the Almighty undisturbed,” Rabbi Avraham Yaakov told his visitors, “What difference does it make whether I am here, or anywhere else?”

His father in law, Rabbi Aharon Perlow of Karlin, who was allowed to stay with him for a while in his cell, asked him, “How do you feel in this awful place?”

Rabbi Avraham Yaakov replied, “Does the place one is in make a difference? The Almighty’s glory fills the earth. He is everywhere. Even here, in this awful place.”

Sources: “Men of Distinction,” vol.1, p.15; Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s Gateway to Happiness, p.247

Quoting: Gratitude to the Source

The pleasure we feel with what we have does not come only from the thing itself, but also from whom we received it. That is the lessons of the blessings we make. They help us appreciate that the Almighty is the One who has bestowed us with the pleasures of this world. This awareness greatly enhances the value of these pleasures.”

Sources: see Rabbi Noson Tzvi Finkel; Ohr Hatzafun, vol.3, p.86; Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s Gateway to Happiness, p.45

Quoting: Trust in G-d Brings Peace of Mind

What is “trust in G-d?” It is the realization that there are no accidents in the world, and that all aspects of a person’s life are guided by the Almighty. This includes life and death, food, clothing, children, job, house, and health. Trust in G-d requires that a person accept the will of G-d in all these areas since he knows that whatever the Almighty does is for his ultimate good. In this way, the person who trusts in G-d will constantly have peace of mind.

A person without trust in G-d, however, will tend to suffer even when things are going well – because of anxiety about the future. About such a person, King Solomon said in Proverbs: “All the days of those poor (in wisdom) are unhappy ones.”

Sources: see Chovos Halevovos 4:4,5; Chazon Ish – Emunah u’Bitochon 2:1; Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s Gateway to Happiness, p.81-2

Quoting: The Power of Patience

The Talmud (Airuvin 54b) relates that Rabbi Praida had to repeat each lesson to a certain student four hundred times until the student understood it. This is usually cited as an example of the patience needed to be a teacher. We can also see the courage and perseverance of the student. Most people would give up after twenty or thirty repetitions and say they lack the necessary intelligence to comprehend the subject. This student realized he would eventually understand if he just heard each point enough times. When you say you cannot understand something, how many times did you try before you reached your conclusion? We have tremendous ability to understand almost anything if we have the patience to hear the ideas enough times. Pride gets in the way, and so does frustration. But a truth seeker does not worry about what others might think and keeps his mind on the goal.

-from Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s, “Gateway to Happiness,” p.384

Quoting: Tone of Voice

A speaker’s tone of voice is a key factor that will make a major difference whether he will have a positive effect or not. Matters pertaining to cold logic do not need a special tone of voice. However, when your goal is to arouse elevated spiritual feelings in someone, it is important to speak in a tone of voice that will inspire the appropriate elevated state.

Today, when speaking to someone about a personal matter, be conscious of how your tone of voice can enhance your message.

Sources: see Rabbi Yitzchok Blauser; Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian – Lev Eliyahu, vol.1, p.12; Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s “Consulting the Wise”

Quoting: Spread Love and Peace

Aaron, Moses’ brother, was a master at making peace between people. He had intense love for everyone, and with this great love he was able to motivate other people to love each other. Flames of love came from his heart, and this entered the hearts of everyone else.

Today, think of two people you know who need to make peace, and use Aaron as a model.

Sources: see Rabbi Chaim Zaitchyk – Maayanai Hachaim, vol.3, p.190; Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s “Consulting the Wise”