I'm Fighting For You Ziva

I... am lost... without you... Ziva

My love... for you... is an echo

Speak to me... for one last time... I beg of you

Why am I here... you once asked...because... I love you

I close my eyes... and there you are

Right next to me... and Tali... and alive

Dance with me... Ziva... Dance with me

Memories... are all I have... my beloved treasure

An unspoken promise... that you... would always be there

The unspoken words... that we never said... how much we were in love

Crying... I must... because you are not here

To watch me grow... as a person... and as a father

That I... have become... a better person

Because you... became my life... and my family

Remember sweet softly... I'm fighting for you... Ziva

My declaration... my blood oath... to you

With all... that is true.... and honest

Just come home, Ziva... Just come home

Was It Really  Necessary to Kill Ziva David?

A Post Analysis Review

I've been binge watching NCIS these past few days. More specifically, I've been watching the Ziva David years during her reign. I've also been reviewing a variety of YouTube videos dedicated to Tony and Ziva and the fan base phenomenon surrounding these two beloved characters. The NCIS finale was a few weeks ago where we watched Anthony DiNozzo say goodbye to his NCIS familty. We also watched as Tony discovered that he had sired a daughter with Ziva David during the time he was in Israel. And we also watched as it was explained to us that Ziva was killed in a mortar explosion and fire at her family compound by a hired terrorist because some supposedly incriminating files were housed there.

As devastating as that was to hear for Tony and to the fan base, why was it necessary to kill off Ziva? It's not like having a beloved character is so unusual, but for NCIS, it seems like it's a typical standard operating procedure that they've overused to the point where you have to ask, is there any other way of writing out a character? Case in point, here are the roster of NCIS characters that they've killed off:

● Caitlin Todd- One of the original NCIS team members, Kate was an integral part of the NCIS family. It was a major shock when Kate died from a single gunshot wound to head when the team was searching for the terrorist and Mossad double agent, Ari Haswari. Interestingly enough, we are introduced to Ziva David as she is the half-brother to Ari Haswari whom she kills to save Gibbs. When Kate was brutally killed. It was a shock to the system. No broadcast television had shown in graphic detail of a woman taking a bullet to the head. It made you gasp for breath when Kate hit the rooftop hard.

● Jennifer Shepherd – Jenny Shepherd was the NCIS director overseeing the ins and outs of Gibbs's team. She was no nonsense and at some given time, she and Gibbs had a connection. Although not as shocking, her death came at the hands of terrorists as well but this time it was off screen. She died in a hail of gunfire in an abandon diner along a deserted stretch of road. She also happened to be dying after being diagnosed with an incurable disease. The disease was never disclosed but alluded to as some sort of neuromuscular disease.

● Ned Dorneget – NCIS Agent Ned Dorneget was a good character. He was more of a comic relief to the NCIS family and you would never have known his time was limited on the show. Dorneget lost his life in Cairo after a terrorist set off a series of explosive devices at an outside restaurant. His death was a surprise because his portrayal on NCIS was that of an amiable guy whom you thought would never be in the line of fire but unfortunately he was. We later learn that his mother is a big wheel in the CIA intelligence community and uses her expertise to go after the terrorist that caused Ned's death. Ned was the object of pranks initiated by DiNozzo which is why his death was an unexpected event.

● Diane Sterling - Diane was an investigator with the IRS. She also was the ex-wife to Jethro Gibbs and to FBI Special Agent Tobias Fornell. While investigating a case, she infuses her way into a case NCIS and the FBI were covering. She gets drafted into working the case with both of her exes thanks to Director Vance. She dies at the hands of Sergei Mishnev in the same manner as Caitlin Todd, a single gunshot to the head. This too was shocking to see and a total surprise. Here was another character whom you thought nothing bad would happen to them but it did. She and Tobias had reconciled their difference although their daughter has some misgivings. Once again, NCIS had killed off a reoccurring character who brought some levity to the show.

● Eli David- Former Mossad director and father to Ziva David, Eli died in a hale of gunfire by a hired assassin. Eli had been a recurring figure because of Ziva. As the director for the Israeli intelligence, his role was an integral one and also as a back story to the Ziva character development. Although his death wasn't as big of a shocker to the core, his death, none the less, gave Ziva more layers and added another element to her and Tony's relationship.

● Jackson Gibbs – Father to LeRoy Jethro Gibbs. Father Gibbs died from a massive stroke off camera. Father Gibbs was a recurring character and was at times, at odds with is son because of generational issues. In real life actor, Ralph Waite had died from complications of pneumonia at the age of 85.

And while we come to like these characters, Ziva had become something more special because we watched this dynamic between her and Tony grow and develop. We started to see the pilot light come on with these two. We listened to the verbal jousting with these two. We saw how their interpersonal flirtation smolder like molten lava from a spewing volcano. We say how much they avoided the “L” word but knew it was there by the way that they looked at each other. So, why kill her?

The writers will make the argument that it was a necessary vehicle in order for Tony to justify his departure from NCIS. There are many who would disagree with that assessment. Ziva could have easily walked back through those NCIS doors with child in hand and inform Tony that he's a father and she wants him to come back to her or they could have easily settled in some U.S. City as security consultants for big business. Let's say she was caught in the fire, she could have survived but was injured and Tony would need to go back to Israel where he would have discovered that they had a child together and Ziva was in a coma. He would either stay or transferred her back to the states where she would get the proper care and to watch over her and set up house for his new family. Or, you remember the next to the last scene of Tony and Ziva in the orchard where he whispers to her that he's fighting for Ziva and she says, she knows, well, cut to now where she says, “Do you remember when you said you were fighting for me?” and he says, “Yes.” and she says, “ You've won that fight. Let's go home, we are a family now.”

Any one of these scenarios could have been better than allegedly killing her off. We would at least get some sort of resolved story line with these two characters that would have been much better than the dead Ziva one. Don't you think that the fans of this show deserved a happy ever after one with Tony and Ziva after experiencing so much death with this series? There are those who have taken the position that Ziva isn't really dead because it was never stated that a body was found, only that Gibbs had said that she was dead. Tony was taking his daughter back to Israel to find answers and then to Paris because Ziva loves Paris. He never used the past tense with that statement. He also had evaded the truth with Gibbs when he had found Ziva in the two months that he was gone. So, is it possible that this story really isn't done yet? Do we still hold out hope or do we face the pseudo reality that this closes the chapter on the love story of Tony and Ziva?

Somewhere in the synapses of my mind I would say no. This shouldn't be the final chapter. There were plenty of stories left on the table with these two that the writers squandered. A long time ago, I was part of a team of comedy writers for a morning rock and roll station. I was the head writer and when I left, one of the principals of the show made the statement that it was like one of the piston was removed from the engine. Well, I would say the same for NCIS. When Ziva left, one of the pistons was removed and with Tony's departure, another piston is gone. We felt the absence of Ziva in those two years, sorry Bishop, you were a lawn mower engine to a Ferrari. NCIS will sputter along with three and half cylinders. Maybe they will figure out a way to prime the engine as this chapter closes out.

Like Tony and Ziva

Look at me with passion, like Tony and Ziva

Speak softly to me only with your eyes

Say to me one glance that a thousand words cannot

Be with me as I fall gently into your heaven

There is no fear when I'm with you

Strong as we are when united as one

Safe in those eyes that speak those unspoken words

Every time when we are together

With every glance there is this passion

An unspoken bond that's mutual and captive

Quickening and pulsating with every breath of air

Stay with my heart, forever and a day

I have surrendered this body, this mind

This fortress of a soul

My Ziva, My Tony, my one and only

Nothing will part us, not even in death

Forgive me for missing the joy that was you

Just say with your eyes, the words of I love you

And remember to smile as you dream me gone

Look at me with your eyes, Like Tony and Ziva

The Average Guy Film Review:

X-Men: Apocalypse

So, technically, X-Men: Apocalypse is the eight film of this franchise. I say technically because Deadpool, the film that came out earlier, had an original title of X-Men Origins: Deadpool. With X-Men: Apocalypse, you have to ask yourself, why do I want to go see this latest installment? And that is a very good question. The build up this latest venture has been met with a lot of hand wringing over the previews. The trailers have not been met with any overall excitement, enthusiasm, or embellishment. Include me as one of the many who wasn't too particularly thrilled to see this film because the star of this film, Apocalypse, appear not to be too apocalyptic. And unfortunately, this was borne out to be the case.

In the comic book world and the cartoon world, Apocalypse is this larger than life villain who had this booming bad guy voice. In this film version, he is a demonstratively average size guy with an average voice. And in a nutshell, this is what makes up the entire film. He's not close to being menacing enough the bring fear to a populace. He's just the bad guy of the moment. You don't get any surprises with the guy. He inflates his size to show dominance but that's no big whoop. He has powers but so do the other mutants that he rely upon to do his menacing. So, why are we here watching this?

This film primarily is an origin story but why do we need to devote so much time to it? We see Storm's ascension, we see Cyclops's origins as well as Jean Grey's. We are also introduced to Angel, a fan favorite in the comic book world, as a villain. We also get holdovers from X-Men: Days of Future Past. This latest film takes place ten years after.

And this time out, Mystique is running this show. It's all about her needs this time. In the first series of X-Men, Mystique wasn't the A-story but more of a B to B+ story with her character. But this time it's Jennifer Lawrence and since you paid her, you might as well get your money's worth out of it. We get the usual rallying the troops, mutants in this case, speech, the ambiguous connection between her and Beast in the sense that some relationship of the romantic nature existed and you get to see this nurturing element to her and no indicator as to why her character turned to the dark side as they had shown in the earlier films.

We get to see Wolverine in this one as well for about five minutes but does it add to the plot development of this film, no. He's just there to add to a fight scene that find the freshman superheroes backed in a corner. William Stryker's bunker housed the Wolverine as he went through his transformation with the Adamantium. Here is the problem with that scene. We've seen it before of Wolverine's transformation and escape from Stryker in the other films. Nowhere is there any level of consistency from the old to this film. Are we suppose to buy into a different timeline of events? Did things change from the past events to cause a shift to this sequence of events? We will never know because because the director assumes that we have no recall from past films to question the larger plot holes to this film.

The action sequences are good but what you have here is another civil way story. Do you remember Batman v. Superman? What about Captain America: Civil War? Well, now you have Mutant v. Mutant. This is the hat trick of superheroes battling each other in films. The only left to do is to have the DC world invade the Marvel world and have a WWE style throw down, winner takes Wonder Woman.

This film runs at 2 hours and 24 minutes. Was it worth it? Some of it was good and some of it was not so good. Why did they chose to make this about Apocalypse and then just make him into Papa Smurf with an attitude problem is on them. This is the fourth blue skinned person. I have nothing against blue skinned people, what do they like to be referred to, turquoise Americans, aqua Americans, cerulean Caucasians, I don't know. I mean, how can you tell if they are choking or not? It gets tricky.

I have my suspicions but the fan reaction to this film hasn't been the greatest and it's justified. When early releases of the film and with Oscar Issac in the lead role as Apocalypse started filtering out, it was met with a chorus of negative comments. The produces assured the masses that it would be something that they say the fans would like but give it a chance. You want somebody to go spend their hard earned money on a chance? This is a successful franchise however, this film doesn't live up to the standards of franchise's record. The story is tepid, the plot points are hit and a miss and another miss and overall is a mostly forgettable film. The fan base was right on this one Two stars out of four.

Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David

Why This TV Couple Meant So Much to So Many

For the most part, we are suckers for the happy ever after, to a degree. We are believers of a good love story. Songs, poetry, acts of altruism, winning a stuffed toy at an arcade shooting game, pick your poison, has always been part of the cornerstone to dating and romance. So, when we said goodbye to Anthony DiNozzo, the very special agent on the long running series, NCIS, on CBS, we did so with respect and a twinge of sadness. With 17.6 million people tuning in for the finale, we experienced several layers of emotions, surprise, anger, sadness, love, respect, friendship and a few more. What made us tune in was not only to say farewell to a beloved character but to also, perhaps get a chance to see Ziva David. For those who may not have been a viewer of the show, Ziva was a central character that made up what some fans referred to as “Tiva”. Tiva is the combination of Tony and Ziva.

When Ziva was there, she and Tony had this dynamic partnership. It was, at times, volatile, exacerbating, frustrating, funny, compassionate, and more importantly, loving. Tony and Ziva could give each other looks that spoke volumes. And when they did speak, it was with honesty. Like Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who also had chemistry, Tony and Ziva had more chemistry than a Monsanto chemical plant. But unlike Scully and Mulder, who kept their attraction below the surface, Tony and Ziva were the complete opposite.

But why these two? It's not like we've been down this path before. There have been other TV couples that we've watched over the years, Ross and Rachel, the previously mentions Scully and Mulder, Carrie and Mr. Big, Laurie Gilmore and Luke to name a few. What made these two stood apart from these other couples is that we became invested in the slow and steady build up to this relationship. They never did separate from one another like Ross and Rachel for example. And they were mature with their feelings. Each one of them respected the others boundaries. And at the core of all of this that was never spoken out loud, was that they truly loved each other. They never said the words. “I love you” out loud. Ziva was a person of action and was tough as any man. Tony has a father who never demonstrated emotions and as such, kept his emotions in check.

But as time moved on, Ziva slowly brought those feeling s to the surface. And it is because of that journey that we watched and experienced, we grew right along with them and we felt a part of them, And when they announced that Ziva was dead, it was too much of a bitter pill to swallow. We watched Tony finally pour out his anger to Gibbs as he pounded his hands on his desk and we felt that pain, that anger that had built up since she has left. Gibbs understood that and when Tony's father came in, he became the father Tony needed him to be by telling his son to come home.

Tony's past relationship could best be described as close but no cigar. He had felt love before but with Ziva, she was brutally honest and never accepted anything from Tony that was false. And for whatever reason, Tony was always honest with her, not matter the consequences or the fallout. And as we continued watching, this emerging flower began to bloom, layer by layer, petal by petal. Scully and Mulder gave each other looks but by comparison, they were silver medalist while the looks Ziva and Tony gave each other was definitely in the gold rankings. So, when Ziva returned to Israel and Tony followed her and that led up to their last goodbye, she told Tony that he was loved. Tony gave her that most passionate of kisses and said this is the hardest 180 he's made in his life, he climbed that stair and looked at her for the last time.  And while on the plane, he discovers that she had slipped her prized necklace inside his coat jacket pocket, it was a signal to him that she was his heart.

Tony never moved on from that. His subsequent relationships were frivolous and meaningless. He may have thought otherwise but the subconscious said something else. Ziva was in him. When those relationships ended, he moved off them so fast, it was like tossing away those coffee cups he drinks. No matter what, Ziva was hard to replace and infused into his body.

So, it was no surprise for some that they had a child together. As the psychologist stated, “He lost a love but gained a child.” Kind of cold. She should have said, “He lost a love AND gained a child. And as tony found out more while interacting with his daughter, Ziva did let her know that he was her father by the photograph of Tony and Ziva in Paris. She pointed to her mother and she pointed to her father, Tony. She did know who her father was and Ziva did know how Tony would feel.

Now it was clear that Tony must find a new life and a new chapter with his daughter. He could no longer put himself in the line of danger as he was a newly minted single parent. It was time to say farewell to the other people he loved before he went off to this new life. In the elevator with Abby, he still wasn't sure how much did Ziva love him. He stood as a man with regrets for not saying those special words himself to the woman he loved. But Abby assured him that Ziva did love him and he had to know that Ziva loved him and not think that she loved him because she told Abby that she did. That was perhaps the closer for the legions of viewers who had come to cherish what Tony and Ziva came to represent. They were a treasure to watch like a rising tide along the shoreline. It is sad to know that they will no longer be together but that too is a part of life. Tony has a reminder of the love they had. He will love his daughter with a force stronger than seven suns. It's too bad we won;t get to see it, it would have been nice. There is one thing that Tony did do in that last scene, he past on his baton to McGee when he said “I only have five words to say to you, Very Special Agent Tim McGee.”

Goodbye Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.

            The Flash v. Supergirl: 

Why one works and the other not so much

As we march head on into a new era in viewing habits, we've come a long way when television first started out. Back then, the networks were described as the Big Three, NBC, CBS and ABC. It didn't mater what was one, just as long as something was on the television and you had sets of eyeballs watching. At it's zenith, the most watched broadcast show of all times was M.A.S.H. When it CBS aired the finale that garnered 125 million viewers. Roots, from ABC, had 100 million people watching. The farewell appearance of Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show garnered 50 million and the finale to Everybody Loves Raymond at 33 million people watching. Each one of these programs had a respective ranking of #1, #2, #8 and #15. But that is history now. With cable and streaming television the territory has opened up more but at a cost to the ratings, the life blood to any show. And it's that life blood that Supergirl has found itself in. When the program first debut, it held a promise of better things to come on a variety of levels. Alas, the hype didn't live up to the expectations and the reality. Every week, the numbers plunged but then, for a brief crossover moment, the numbers stabilized thanks to The Flash. And once that was over, the erosion continued. So, why does The Flash works and Supergirl does not? Let's take a closer look.

THE FLASH

Character Development:

Barry Allen, mild mannered guy who gets exposed to radiation from a particle accelerator and zapped by lightning and becomes The Flash. His back story is that of seeing his mother gt murdered and his father being accused of that murder and is sent to prison for the crime. Barry is raised in the home of Joe West, a detective, along with Joe's daughter, Iris. Barry is the de facto leader to Team Flash.

Cisco Ramon, eccentric tech head with plenty of nerd cred and he doesn't take himself too seriously even when things get serious. Cisco too has been exposed to the accelerator and discovered that he has powers. Cisco is also the one who names the meta-humans. Cisco is the comic relief to Team Flash.

Iris West is the unrequited love of Barry's. She gives Barry's life a balance and a port to call home. She is essentially the heart to Team Flash.

Caitlin Snow is a scientist. She wants to see the good in all people including the meta-humans because at one point, they were humans first. She is sometimes backed into a corner and have to do what she has to do in order to survive but that doesn't mean she feels a sense of loss to her humanity. She is the brains to Team Flash.

Joe West is a detective and an authority figure. He's respected by his peers, colleagues and with the members of Team Flash. Without even realizing it, Joe is the one they turn to for approval. Even though Barry has a father, Joe is the predominate alpha male figure for Barry and he remains the father figure to Team Flash.

Harrison Wells is a scientist who was bad in the first season of The Flash and now the Earth 2 Wells in a not so bad guy with an agenda. He's lost in his world dealing with the demons to his life. He has a daughter that he' trying to protect but it comes with a cost as well. What he does to protect her is dealt with shades of gray. The price that he pays is the relationships he has with Team Flash. He is the aggravating sand to the pearl with team Flash.

SUPERGIRL

Character Development:

Kara Danvers is Supergirl. She is a mousy woman in a grownup world. She lacks all types of confidence that is demonstrated by the way she dresses. She doesn't dress for success she dresses for convenience. She only becomes Supergirl after finding out her adoptive sister is a a plane that develops mechanical trouble. She is given her name by Cat Grant and that becomes a point of contention when the use of “girl” is applied rather than woman. And why the skirt as part of the costume? Superman doesn't have the briefs anymore so why does Supergirl still sporting the skirt? Why couldn't it been a one piece like Superman? And she also has this puppy dog expression on her face and deals with everything her Kara persona confronts with that droop dog look. Like Tony Stark says, I just want to punch in your perfect teeth just to get that expression off your face.

Alex Danvers is an agent for some subversive alien hunter task force. Her parents adopted Kara when she arrived on earth. She's a kick ass woman on paper bt you really don't get a sense of self with her. After watching this program for a while, you don't really have any depth with her other than she's this agent doing her job. She has no love life to speak of, just rounding up and fighting bad aliens.

James Olsen is a photojournalist. He fills out a room but he's not an imposing character. He is subdued because they wrote him this way. He is a weak character who is kept in his lane. I have yet to see this character develop a backbone when dealing with interpersonal stuff.

Cat Grant is the media mogul. She is a cardboard cutout from the Devil Wears Prada CEO and is a one dimensional caricature of every so called powerful in media.. Here is a woman who doesn't bother knowing the names of her employees. She berates them on their clothing, she intentionally mispronounce the names of her employees and she doesn't bother even associating with her employees. If you were running a corporation, you would have a vested interest to get to know who these people are. I would have preferred that Cat Grant would be trying to run a struggling media empire in an ever changing landscape of newspaper and magazine consolidation and closing. Right now, she's a frosty cold woman with no redeeming value who's only interest is to herself and her coffee lattes.

Winn Schott is another emasculated male on this show but he knew that going in. He offers very little in the way of character development. You have no confidence with him because it's clearly written that he is not suppose to gt the girl in the end, even when they gave him a love interest.

Hank Henshaw us the Martian Manhunter and who would have thought that they could emasculate a Martian but they did. They humanized him to the point where he is subservient to Kara when she believes it was him who killed her aunt. What made that particular transaction deplorable was when it was reveal that it was Alex who killed the aunt and Kara's attitude changed.

Lucy Lane is sister to Lois Lane. She's military and serves no other purpose other than as Jimmy Olsen's one time girlfriend. There is nothing much to her except that she serves as an obstacle between James and Kara and that's it. The character brings nothing to the role not even in a military capacity. If she is written as nothing more than a prop for the other characters then she is not being served well.

THE FLASH

Bad Guys:

Did someone say ManShark? The Flash has a robust line up of first tier bad guys, second tier bad guys and third tier bad guys. ManShark is classified as a third tier bad guy devoted to no more than three quick scenes. The first tier bad guys are the ones with the continued story arc. The first season was the yellow Flash, Leonard Snart and Mick Rory. You are vested in these characters because they are so fully developed as to what motivates them and more. The story arc with the yellow Flash was compelling and intense that led up to an exciting conclusion. The current bad guy with a story arc is Zoom. He is from Earth 2 and he has brought more bad guys with him that are more capable of doing damage than the ones on Earth 2.

SUPERGIRL

Bad Guys:

Supergirl's bad guys are aliens and regular people. The aliens are not that interesting as are the regular bad guys. With the exception of Supergirls's aunt. The bad guys have been tepid. One bad guy was a robot who looked like he came from the box of a 60's era Mattel toy. The audience reaction was very vocal. Another bad guy was one who had a modified suit that gave him abilities that took Supergirl to task by handing her ass to her and she lost that fight when she lost consciousness. When she came to and found out that Superman came to her aid, she was not appreciative. Instead of being thankful and appreciative, we were met with consternation and vitriol from Supergirl as she took offense to the rescue. She brought up being a woman and blah, blah, blah, feminism rant. It had gotten to be so bad that they had Superman apologizing for being Superman. Even he couldn't be the Man of Steel, he was shamed into becoming the Man of Guilt. This isn't the first time this show has brought up the issue with gender. Men, overall, is the silent bad guy in Supergirl. They have made a point to bring up a lot of discussion about being a woman in this society. We get it and we got it from the first time it was brought up but they keep pounding on this horse until it just collapse under the weight of the rhetoric. This is one of the reason why this show is not succeeding. Even women who've watched this show have made the observation on this point. It's gotten to the point where you either tune it out or turn it off.

THE FLASH

Romance/Bromance:

Iris West and Barry Allen have a destiny. It was much very much prophesied with the first Harrison Well and in the Earth 2 story, they were married. As we watch this relationship starting to flower, it's been a nice build up towards it. There is chemistry that is being built on a foundation of trust. They've both had other people in their lives and have grown from the heartache that will eventually define where this relationship will end up. In a recent survey, fans have become comfortable with this version of Iris West and have voiced their opposition to having her substituted if this was to become a feature film.

The bromance is between Cisco and Barry and Joe. These are the kind of guys who would be comfortable drinking beers and have fart contest while setting them on fire. They've been through a lot together and seen each other at the best and at their worst. They should at least have an episode dedicated to just them doing something fun but eventually having to rescue each other because a new big bad has shown up.

SUPERGIRL

Romance/Bromance:

Jimmy Olsen was in a relationship with Lucy Lane. You never really bought it, the two of them were like oil and water, never finding the right mix. They ended it because Lucy suspected that Jimmy had feelings for Kara. The writers of this show is wanting to convince the viewers that Jimmy and Kara should be together but there lies another problem, it's not a good blend. In fact, everybody on that show should never be in a relationship. There is no chemistry with anyone on this show, everybody should be just friends.

Bromance doesn't exist in this universe. Winn and Jimmy never hang out unless Kara is in the mix. They share nothing in common other than work. You don't know anything about these guys outside of work. What are their hobbies, do they like sports, movies, social media, you just don't know and that is sad. This is another factor against the writers for keeping these characters one dimensional.

SUMMATION

There was a recent article of DC and Marvel shows on the air right now ranging from ten being at the lowest rank and one at the top rank. Supergirl came in at number nine and The Flash came in at number one. The episode where The Flash crossed over into Supergirl's earth was a good thing for Supergirl's ratings but you can't have The Flash keep crossing over to boost the shows flagging ratings. That isn't a fix. There is also talk that Supergirl might move to the CW and be a part of the Greg Berlanti empire since he as The Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow and The Flash on that network. I don't know if that will work because Supergirl is froth with problems. You started off rooting for this show but it's turned into something completely different. Might I suggest, keep the cape, lose the skirt and the feminism slant.

Amanda Todd, Remember Me

They came to support me, after I was gone

Tortured, they did, my spirit and soul

Like trees on the moon, the friends were barren

Nowhere to be found, nobody was caring

Tormented with taunts from the bullies with glee

To end this life just for being me

Cuts and cuts and cuts to the arm

No need to worry, it's just me doing the harm

Reached out to the masses as best I could

A cry for help but nobody understood

One school, two school, three school, four

No matter where I ran. The beast was always at my door

Haunting me invisibly and just as bold

Infecting this life that would never get old

All because of a childhood mistake

That came with pain and shame and endless heartache

Nobody will love me, so I thought

Beaten up savagely, a lesson well taught

That nobody can be your friend or even trusted

That I was to blame, me, the disgusted

Shattered dreams to a shattered life

A hundred more slices with the knife

Where are the hands reaching for me

My crisis in need as I beg and plea

The silence is noisy as time has slipped away

Remember me, I was just like you on this winter's day

(Amanda Todd was a 15 yr. old girl who hanged herself after being bullied for several years when a pedophile tricked her into uploading topless photos of herself when she was 12 years old.)

John Lennon

If There were wishes to be made

Ice cream would be for breakfast and memories never fade

And John Lennon was only a dream

Stars in the heaven lights up the night

Magic is a currency born with seven sight

And John Lennon was never here

Beasts of burden carry the moon on their back

Tolerance is suffocating, indifference makes its attack

And John Lennon was never in a band

All the world is shades of gray

A lost ship sails alone in a still water bay

And John Lennon sat alone in the sand

Grant a single wish from a blown out candle

A thousand mile journey ends with worn out sandals

And John Lennon was lost at sea

Rainbows are bridges to a fifth dimension world

Golden mirror on the wall speaks to the colored girls

And John Lennon was never free

Meteors and comets streak across the galaxy

Unicorns and fairies are just a fallacy

And John Lennon was never born

----- Imagine

That Are The

by

Bobbie L. Washington

Close off your mind

Enter into the realm of solitude and peace

----- And scream

Scream at the heavens

-----Cleanse yourself

of the things

    that are the obnoxious

    that are the frustrating

    that are the stupidest

    that are the deranged

    that are the hopelessness

    that are the unforgiving

    that are the spitefulness

    that are the annoying

    that are the piousness

    that are the sacrificing

    that are the dying

    that are the stifling

    that are the ignorance

    that are the pitiful

    that are the meaningless
    that are the craziest
    that are the negativeness

    that are the overbearing

    that are the depressing

    that are the suicidal

Stop

      Breathe In

                 Open Your Eyes

                                   Look Around

      And Live

Captain America: Civil War Film Review

by

Bobbie L. Washington

What are you going to do when you are a superhero and you save lives but are conflicted when there is collateral damage in the form of innocent lives? That is the heart of the matter running through the movie Captain America: Civil War. As with the other superhero franchise, Batman VS. Superman, where this topic was also explored. In Batman VS. Superman, the Batman goes after Superman for causing the deaths of many of his altar ego's employees at the Wayne Building. In Captain America: Civil War, there is an opposing view between Captain America and Iron Man on the topic of the Superheroes Registration Act where these more than capable bad guy fighters will be forced to register under the United Nations following a rise in loss of lives and property of foreign and domestic lands.

Iron Man aka Tony Stark feel that it is necessary after running into a woman whose son had died in a conflict that involved The Avengers and The Ultron. Tony has guilt because he feels responsible even though he wasn't directly responsible. Steve Rogers aka Captain America on the other hand feels that the team can't be reigned in by a bureaucratic institution when danger can happen at any minute and to wait for a committee meeting would jeopardize any future action.

What complicates this premise is that there is a bad guy, of course there is a bad guy or we wouldn't be here. Now this bad guy, Zemo, has an agenda, of course, and that is to make Bucky Barnes the Winter Soldier the fall guy to a crime and it's a whopper. And there is a reason behind the criminal act that we discover later in the telling of the story.

We are also feted with a new Spiderman in a new incarnation with a hot younger Aunt May and we are introduced to a new superhero, The Black Panther. Tom Holland plays an effective Spiderman and Chadwick Boseman for the latter. We also say goodbye to Agent Peggy Carter who had succumb to Alzheimer. She was prominent in the first Captain America and was seen again in the second outing but as an matronly woman up in age. I had wondered in Agent Sharon Carter was related to her and we get that answer in this telling. Goodbye Peggy Carter, you won't be forgotten especially since Steven Rogers put the smack down on Sharon.

So, alliances are made for the sake of argument. There is Team Iron Man along with Black Widow, War Machine, Vision, Spiderman and Black Panther making up his team. Team Captain America consist of Ant Man, the Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, Falcon and the Scarlet Witch. The action scene did have me engaged because at first I felt like I've been here before with The Avengers/Captain America body of films. But as I kept watching, I got wrapped up with the action. This film clocks in at two and one half hours and it didn't feel like it at all. Only if you are really jaded by it all will you reject the outline of Civil War because this has been a long running series of characters. By introducing a new Spiderman, a new Black Panther and elevating Sharon Carter to a more engaging role is Marvel's attempt to reinvigorate the franchise. We may not be necessarily bored with the characters but in each telling of the tale, you have to come up with something new to top the last thing that you just did.

Ultron wasn't as heavy in the bad robot department, mostly bluster, but Loki and his minions was the better Avenger movie that had a bit of humor in it. I didn't find much humor with Civil War. Ant Man and Spiderman gave a little, way little. In this one, it comes to an inconclusive end with many of team Captain America locked up even though what they did proved that the Winter Soldier was framed but he had done something in his past that impacted Tony Stark's life to the point where is was unforgivable. Where this will go next is undetermined. At some point Marvel will have to decide that they will need to introduce other people in these parts to jump start it like they've done with reinventing Spiderman. Overall, Captain America; Civil War is ranked at four out of five stars.