Sam Hawksmoor Movie Views

November 13, 2016Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

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Sam Hawksmoor shares with us his view on some special movies, come join the conversation with us (Sara Troy) and Brent Marchant ON WHAT THE MOVIES ARE REALLY SAYING TO US. GO HERE

Midnight Special

midnight-special Jeff Nichols Midnight Special, is an excellent supernatural character study. A man (Michael Shannon) abducts a boy (Jaeden Lieberher), who possesses paranormal powers. They’re pursued by members of the cult to which they belonged. Only gradually do we realise that this is his son and he is protecting him rather than harming him. The FBI get into the act and track the boy and father with a terrible ruthlessness. When we finally meet the mother, Kirsten Dunst we come to understand the terrible burden this family has been put under. The Cult built around the boy feels robbed, but the boy with his ability to sear you alive is unique. He needs to be with his own kind but where are they? What are they? This is a human mystery that turns over your emotions at every turn with great performances from Shannon, Lieberher, Joel Edgerton (as Shannon’s friend), and Kirsten Dunst. A much undeservedly neglected film

2 : Everybody Wants Some
Linklater follows up his masterpiece with a good-hearted “spiritual sequel” to his high school-set classic Dazed & Confused ). Set in the first week before college classes begin in the fall of 1980, Linklater follows a group of oddball baseball-playing freshman, as they screw up relationships and get kicked out of disco parties. It’s mostly all about just hanging around with these characters as they take their first immature steps towards adulthood. It’s got the period perfect right down to the wallpaper. It’s simple yet profound.

4 Dr Strange

doctor-strange-8e1d44eb-9320-4861-9fce-6711eb61f614 Above average Marvel movie with brilliant special effects and wit and style. One leaves impressed not just by the magic but how skillfully they can take such a selfish prig who by learning humility (well a little) turn him into a fighter for justice. It’s a triumph of style over substance but definitely superior to many other Marvel films of late. Cumberbatch is always fun to watch.

Miss Perigreen and her Peculiar Children is a charming whimsical piece a nice antidote to super-hero movies – with a slightly iffy premise, but life affirming for special needs kids. Slightly jarring between the present sterile Florida that Terence Stamp lives in and the romanticized English past as they live in a permanent state of imminent destruction. Tim Burton is all style here but that’s what we expect.

The Revenant won Oscars but sticks in the mind for trying to be historically accurate and not politically correct with a stand out performance by Leonardo. It was illuminating reminder about life as pioneers and how little respect everyone had for the lives of others and or the environment or animals. Historical movies tends to gloss over the inconveniences of the past but perhaps we are more ready to admit to just how rapacious it all was and had very little to do with glory or justice.

st-vinyl-vol-1-front-cover_3000 + Stranger Things on Netflix was more compelling than fifty other movies in 2016 and a welcome return to our screens for Winona as the hysterical mom. The kids were brilliant and it doesn’t matter they stole every plot from Stephen King because they were all good plots.
The Magicians likewise on TV, racy, spiteful, sexy and a brave attempt to bring the Lev Grossman’s YA books on dark magic to life. Should have had more impact on the world Harry Potter it ain’t

Me Earl and the Dying Girl

me-and-earl-and-the-dying-girl-soundtrack Charming, cute, sad and bittersweet tale of a boy forced to befriend a girl dying of leukemia.

The little movies he makes with his best friend are hilarious and all the performances are beautifully nuanced – particularly the dying girl. Not a weepy – it’s got guts.
Best teen movie of the year.

The Nice Guys – A Shane Black Movie

A wonderful riff between Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as they play cheap detectives and shake down artists.

Colorful but shocking to see Crowe so bloated. Once you get past this it’s a buddy movie and everyone likes a good buddy movie.

La-La Land Directed by Damien Chazelle

Why don’t they make movies like this anymore? Oh wait they did. Charming and life –affirming story of a struggling pianist Ryan Gosling and actress Emma Stone. (Not yet arrived in UK but I am very keen to see it)

SING – brilliant rip off of any number of Reality TV singing idol shows with singing pigs, crocs, hedgehogs, frogs. the Trailer is totally wonderful. Can’t wait to see it.

Look forward to Bladerunner 2049
It has to be very good to top the original bleak view of humanity. Where is my Atari now?
Sam Hawlsmoor is a lecturer in Creative Writing, editor of the long running Hackwriters.com on-line magazine and author of The Repossession Trilogy, The Repercussions of Tomas D, Another Place to Die: Endtime, Marikka and his latest YA novel J & K 4Ever – a story about love in a post-apocalypse.

(All his books are available HERE)
http://www.samhawksmoor.com

WE NEED TO RAISE OUR GOOD VIBRATIONS

November 10, 2016November 13, 2022Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

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I HAVE MIXED EMOTIONS right now about our global vibrations.

I most certainly have mixed emotions right now and an overwhelming feeling of loss. I am trying to believe that humanity can rise above this and lift their vibrations into united harmony.

Am I delusional? If I thought that I could not go on, but I am disappointed in people choices. I am a fighter for human rights, a fighter for equality, dignity, freedom and kindness and love, yet I see hate won this time and it makes me feel sad, and shows me how much more work do we have to do.

untitled-design-5 I understand that so many voices are sick of the same old and we need change, but that change must be in loving harmony that includes all of humanity not just a few.

My spirit needs harmony, my soul divine loving connection, my heart fueled with loving purpose, my spirit belief that all that is possible. Yes, I am feel low right now, feeling sad that humanity is thinking so small. Yes, I am mad right now that people think it is ok to hurt another in any way because they are different. Why are we a human nation that loves to hate, to hurt and kill each other? Why are we a people who embraces the worst of self? Why are we a people who demeans another to make themselves feel better? Why are we so uncaring so unkind?

Have we not learnt yet that hate, loathing, hurting, demeaning, killing one another is only hurting ourselves?

Have we not learnt yet that dividing instead of uniting and not truly listening to each other only hurts us all as the whole?

Have we not learnt yet that no matter our colour, race, sex, gender, faith, age, economics we are all the same seeking a loving meaningful purposeful life?

All our discontent lies within us; all our pain and suffering is because we are not allowing our own inner peaceful purpose and self-love to thrive. It is all within us, the answers, the healing, the tools, the love, but we must be willing to work at it in bringing it out, setting ourselves free, allowing us to be that divine wonderful purposeful spirit that we are.

It takes more energy to hate one another than to love, it takes more energy to hate our lives than it does to change it. While your running around blaming everyone else for your suffering you are avoiding the healing love that lays within?.

There is no quick fix, there is not downloadable app, there is no getting someone else to do it for you, we must do the work on ourselves for ourselves to heal, to serve our global community.

Harmony is the answer sung in unison for peace love and kindness.

WE ARE TOMORROW

So, now in this time of confusion, disappointment and even despair, let us not lose sight that we are the answer we seek, we are the souls that can make things happen, it is up to us to make sure that humanity keeps rising up together in unity of community, and does not get lost in the hate of the few.

keep-the-sun-in-your-heart-always-1 So, I ask you to RISE UP to let your frequency of good vibrations run high and do not get pulled down to the level of discontent. Let your spirit fly and embrace what we can make possible, what we can do with a united front to make sure we are all EVERY COLOUR CREED GENDER FAITH AND RACE be included in the healing of our world.

I ask you to RISE UP IN LOVING PEACE and UNITE in LOVING KINDNESS and show all who is so despondent with life, that together we are the difference we seek, together we are the answers, together we are the healers, together we are a stronger nation in love, in peace, in unity, in collaboration is the respect and dignity of all our wonderful differences.

So join me in raising our vibration and in showing all that choosing love over hate it a more peaceful place to be.

MAY WE FIND THE STRENGTH THE LOVE THE COURAGE TO RISE UP AND BE THE LOVE THE WORLD NEEDS.

By Sara Troy

Self Discovery Media.com

A Source of Inspiration

November 6, 2016November 6, 2016Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

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It’s probably a bit old hat right now. Thinking about who or what might inspire you. I got to thinking about it when I posed the question in class and scored almost zero response. It either wasn’t something the students had perhaps considered or that they were already following so many influencers that it’s a natural part of their lives. People concerned about diet or health follow Deliciously Ella – confused about sexuality? there’s ten thousand people out there with a blog. Any issue at all, there’s a million others with advice. This is an amazing tool which could have come in handy when I was young. Can’t work out how to use your iphone – just Google it and every single aspect of it is on-line for free. Need advice on how to live your life? It’s right here. Who needs a mentor.

Perhaps no one needs inspiration from a ‘real life’ individual anymore because they are completely overwhelmed by media coming at them from every direction. It’s must be hard to discern good from bad – everything is filtered to reflect your preferences to discourage you from straying outside of the Facebook comfort zone. (Unless you actually seek out the bad stuff and then the exact same filtering effect will take place. If you like this act of random violence – you’ll just love this one.)

Jean d’Arc was inspired by visions to lead the French to victory – numerous saints likewise found inspiration in God. In latter years people have found what they need in drugs (but most likely promptly forgot what it was that captured their imagination when they came down). Others, and I am one, have been in the past inspired by my muse. Call it a crush, call it what you will, but to be so enamored by another person it inspires you to create your best work is often the most wonderful thing that can ever happen to you. It might be later you discover the muse has feet of clay, but no matter, the work is done and you are better for it. I for one miss that halo effect. Creation in the arts inspired by deep and passionate love (often unrequited).

John Keats had Fanny Brown, Fitzgerald had Zelda (arguably the better writer) and of course the Greeks had nine muses – Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomeni, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope. Zeus entranced by young Mnemosyne slept with her for nine consecutive nights. The result of their encounter was the Nine Muses. ?nemosyne gave the infants to Nymph Eufime and God Apollo. When they grew up they showed their tendency to the arts, taught by God Apollo himself. They were not interested in humdrum life; they dedicated their lives to the Arts. Apollo raised them in Mount Elikonas. Since that moment, the Muses encouraged creation, enhancing imagination and inspiration of the artists. Well that’s the myth anyway.

Perhaps I should advertise for a new muse, but muses are very hard to come by and the random rarity is what makes it special. Nor can I say exactly who or what might inspire. It can be a little smile, the way a person walks, anything…
I remember a girl from my past whom I adored called Doke M. Stunningly beautiful, elusive, educated me about music. She was mysterious and cared not a fig for my devotion. But perhaps that is as it should be. She inspired me to start writing and broke my heart when she eloped with a man she just met without saying goodbye. Muses only inspire, they aren’t supposed to be tied down and captured. All is lost if they lose their mystery.

I hope my students find some individual to inspire them one day – it might well shatter them – but it will alter their life and they will emerge the better for it.

dyinggirl They could probably start with downloading Me, Earl and the Dying Girl – a witty, tragic, beautifully crafted indie movie starring Olivia Cook, Thomas Mann and RJ Cyler about a boy who finds inspiration and a girl who believes in him – well worth finding and watching…

Of cause you can find your Muse right here on Self Discovery Radio with all of our radio guests. Soon you will know if it is Trump or Clinton. Or if the head of the FBI is arrested for gerrymandering the election. I’ll leave it to our US Correspondent James Campion to decipher. But beware – we are heading for trouble… bigly.
© Sam Hawksmoor November 3rd 2016

For Sam’s book GO HERE
– Love & Devotion in the Wastelands
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Ask Sara about her View of Life.

October 30, 2016April 6, 2023Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

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In the beginning there was a show called “Ask Sara” with Sara Troy, it is now called “Sara’s View of Life”.

Here are a few shows that got lost and now found, enjoy and do tell me what you think on the topics.

Signs in life: Are we paying attention to the signs that guide us? There are all around us all the time.

Ask Sara about the Lonely: Loneliness is a killer, it kills the heart soul and spirit, how do we avoid being lonely?

Ask Sara what maketh a woman: What defines us as a woman? a man another woman or is it defined by what is within us?

For an article on this GO HERE

Ask Sara what maketh a Man”: Who is our man and what defines him as a real man rather than a boy trying to be a man?

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A Hero denied

October 26, 2016Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

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On the night of September 22, 1943, a 29-year-old British Special Operations Executive agent — one of their top agents, renowned as the best shot the service had ever seen — parachuted into occupied France. It sounds like the beginning of a spy movie, but it’s actually the real-life story of Pearl Witherington, one of World War II’s little-known female heroes! Witherington led a network of French Maquis resistance fighters as they fought the Nazis and even presided over the surrender of 18,000 German troops at the end of the war.

Born in 1914 to British parents in France, Witherington was working at the British embassy in Paris when the German army invaded in 1940. She escaped to Britain with her mother and sisters, but was determined to find a way to fight back. She joined the SOE in June 1943; her trainers found her “cool and resourceful and extremely determined” and were astounded at her natural ability with a firearm. After she parachuted back into France, she spent eight months working as a courier for one of the SOE’s networks under the code name Marie, often posing as a traveling cosmetics saleswoman. After the network’s organizer was arrested by the Gestapo, she became the leader of the new Wrestler Network under the code name “Pauline.”

Her command of the resistance network, which grew to include over 3,500 French Resistance fighters at its peak, was so effective that the Nazis put a one million franc bounty on her head. At one point, in an effort to break the network, the Germans ordered thousands of troops with artillery to attack Witherington’s force. She reported that the battle raged for 14 hours and the Germans lost 86 men while the Maquis lost 24 “including civilians who were shot and the injured who were finished off.” After the battle, she quickly regrouped and her network launched large scale guerrilla attacks which wreaked havoc on the German columns marching to the front. Among other successes, her force disrupted a key railroad line between the south of France and Normandy over 800 times, all the while suffering only a few casualties.

After the war, Witherington was recommended for Britain’s Military Cross, but was deemed ineligible because she was a woman. Instead, she was offered the civil division of the award of Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE), which she declined, stating “there was nothing remotely ‘civil’ about what I did. I didn’t sit behind a desk all day.” She later received a military MBE as well as France’s Legion d’honneur. But what she considered her greatest honor came decades later in 2006: her parachute wings. She had done three training jumps, plus one operational jump, “[b]ut the chaps did four training jumps, and the fifth was operational – and you only got your wings after a total of five jumps,” she said. “So I was not entitled – and for 63 years I have been moaning to anybody who would listen because I thought it was an injustice.”

Witherington died in 2008 at the age of 93, still living in France. For Witherington fighting the Nazis to protect her adopted homeland had never been in question: “I just thought, This is impossible. Imagine that someone comes into your home – someone you don’t like — he settles down, gives orders: ‘Here we are, we’re at home now; you must obey.’ To me that was unbearable.”

For an excellent memoir by Witherington about her experiences during WWII, we highly recommend “Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent,” for teen and adult readers, ages 13 and up, at http://www.amightygirl.com/code-name-pauline

Witherington’s story is also told in an engrossing biography for adult readers, “She Landed by Moonlight: The Story of Secret Agent Pearl Witherington: the Real ‘Charlotte Gray'” at Amazon

She is also one of the 26 women heroes of WWII featured in the highly recommend “Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue,” recommended for teens and adults, ages 13 and up, at http://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-of-world-war-ii

For two highly recommended novels about women resistance fighters of WWII, both for ages 13 and up, check out “Code Name Verity” (http://www.amightygirl.com/code-name-verity) and “Rose Under Fire” (http://www.amightygirl.com/rose-under-fire).

For more books for all ages about heroic girls and women living through the WWII period, including numerous stories related to the Holocaust, visit our “WWII & Holocaust” section at http://amgrl.co/1l9UWIe