It does feel a little strange to read about a character’s struggles learning in English… in English. But the book describes Juana’s frustrations in a very empathetic way. It left me very impressed with everyone who learns English as a second language and who is bilingual. The book is full of visual interest from the character diagrams to the bright watercolor illustrations. Even the text varies in size and shape adding to the story in a similar way to the text in the Geronimo Stilton paperback series, though the effect in Juana and Lucas is used more sparingly and less obtrusively. Spanish is sprinkled throughout the book always accompanied by context clues to aid comprehension.

Unless you have an accident, this is the life you (if you are a human being reading these words) were pre-programmed to enjoy:

You were carried in the womb and born naturally through the vaginal canal to a healthy, loving mother who has all the necessary reserves and ingredients to create a healthy, happy child.

The requirements for rapid cell division in the womb such as nutrients, minerals, enzymes, fat-soluble vitamins, clean air, and water were present in ample amounts.  She has plenty of fats, vitamins, and minerals to provide a strong skeletal structure and a full, highly functional brain for you.

After about 9 months of full development the wondrous, awe-inspiring, joyful event of your birth occurs, naturally.  Your father is present at the birth, and his invaluable love and support bring strength to your mother creating a sense of peace during this crucial event.  As your birth begins, the cranial bones of your skull compress, so you may go through the birth canal.

Your journey through the birth canal coats you in your mother’s bacteria.  This first encounter with bacteria essentially creates the seeds of a healthy immune and nervous system.  You come out into the world, and the shock of leaving the loving warmth of your home inside your mother makes you cry.

This painful cry initiates your first breath, and opens your cranial bones and aligns the fascia of your body.  This is a major step towards a pain-free life.  Your father cries with joy, and can’t wait to hold you, but first, your mother cradles you, washes you, creating the all-important maternal bond.
This initial connection to your mother affirms that you are safe, and enveloped in love.  Maybe your first thought is, “Eh, not as good as her womb, but this goddess loves me, so, well enough.”  Your father holds you soon after, and you feel even more strength and security.  Your second thought might be, “This man is rough, feels strange compared to the maternal goddess.  Though he’s about 90% of her love, the other 10% is strength and authority.  He will protect me.  I respect and honor him.”

Up to your first 4 years, but at least 1, your mother breast feeds you.  Innately, you know her milk is perfectly designed.  It’s fully absorbable and takes no energy to digest.  Mother’s milk boosts your immune system with an incredible amount of enzymes and bacteria, providing you with a disease-free childhood; full of life-giving fats, minerals and nutrients everything is provided for perfect cellular division, thus you are growing bigger, and better every day.

Your digestive systems activate.  So you eat the animals and plants all around you that are converting the suns energy into usable nutrient and minerals.  Your childhood is free from major sickness and full of activity, sports, and laughter.  You are encouraged and loved by your parents.  They provide comfort and security.  You learn and are taught by them, and your strong community.

In childhood, you comprehend that you have amazing potential as an adult in life.  You develop beautiful straight teeth and a wide palate to hold them all.  You have no idea what a cavity is, and if you hear the word, you might think it’s a cave nearby to explore.  Your brain develops as you work out problems with imagination and the creative side of you is nurtured.  Your body and its cells perfectly utilize oxygen and the plentiful nutrients and minerals surrounding you, as you grow into healthy and functioning adulthood.

Your good cellular health provides tons of natural energy providing you a life full of motion as you constantly run, jump, swim, etc.  You’re fit, not small or large but perfectly proportionate according to the DNA your parents provided you.  Your posture is naturally straight.  Your skeletal system, brain, skin develop fulfilling your genetic potential.

No medication is ever necessary.

Your life emanates health and joy.  Kindness and love easily flow from you.  The opposite sex is attracted to your grace and energy.  You develop a healthy spirituality realizing the deep connection of your human relationships and imbued with a deep respect for the planets incredibly complex ecosystem.

You engage in a partner, and you become a loving, and fertile couple.  Sex is joyful and amazing.  Since your partner is probably as equally healthy as you, contraception is in congruence with the monthly cycles.  When you decide to reproduce, it is easy and without complication.

Your family life accomplishes the objects of your desire and cultivated will because you are strong, intelligent and fully capable at problem-solving.

You eat real food and never develop a taste for sugar, coffee, or junk food.  You don’t need excess medications, alcohol, or artificial ways of feeling good.

You get high on life.  Because of this, you get the best jobs, or better yet, create your own work and schedule, and make all the money you need and are generous and loving to others.

You rarely get sick, if ever.  You have little to no anxiety or depression though you cycle through normal human emotions.  Mostly, you’re just happy.

As you get older, your brain only grows sharper with wisdom and your body ages gracefully. You burden no one.  Actually, your friends and children argue over who gets to live with you as you are a joy to be around.  At 90-100 years of age, your body is pre-programmed to die quickly without pain.   You lived the life of what I call a golden god.  This is the life that is our birthright.

But it's another weekly comic, and it stars Rocket and Vision.   Yay!  My two favorite Marvel boys are... playing together. 

And I mean, because I'm super adult: 

For a second, Rocket was inside Vision.   Marvel sure is weird about sexual innuendo, and actual sex.  

And yet, still like 1/100th as weird as Savage Dragon, so I needed a break from the weirder porn-y stuff.

Siphon

A.A. Medina

5* review           

Hindered Souls Press

“There is an urge inside you”

“Dr. Gary Phillips, the resident hematopathologist at Claybrook Medical Center, is a lonely man struggling with the duress of an all work and no play lifestyle.
Burdened with an unhealthy infatuation with his co-worker, a burning disdain for his boss, and an abusive relationship with his grandfather, Gary just can't catch a break.

That is, until a workplace accident ushers in a bizarre, but empowering experience that evokes a new sense of self, forcing repressed memories to surface while encouraging him to pursue his fantasies with unconventional methods.”

Well what can I say? WOW... this is a really great intense story. I got lost within this during my lunch breaks at work. They say everyone finds something different within a story, a different meaning. To me this was a story of neglect, a boy who lost his parents when he was small. He was never told the whole truth on the matter, and was forced to live with his cold unsympathetic grandfather. This is also a story of resentment, a man, trapped in the mundane cycle of day to day life. In a job that he didn’t really want; a hard ass boss always on his case; a turbulent home life; and the unrequited love of a woman. It is also a story of obsession. Gary is infatuated, lustful, completely obsessed with his colleague Wendy. He is obsessed with her to a dangerous level; this obsession becomes his eventual undoing.

I was bearing witness to a descent into madness. This was the steady mental decline of Gary as the tolls of his work, his grandfather and his isolation fed on him, akin to vultures preying on the wounded.

His unquiet mind is silenced by the blood; it felt like this was his comfort, and his release. It presented him with something tangible to focus on during his waking hours. His ‘possession’ by another force was his mind's way of dealing with the unnatural acts he was participating in. I feel it was also his mind's way of processing his guilt over the eventual murder of his grandfather. The idea of this split personality, a separate being, a godlike creature, taking over one’s body and doing what he couldn’t do gave him the sense of self he needed. The blood, giving him a new found confidence, as what do they say ‘blood is life’.

I highly regard this story; this is a most definite re reader for me. It will be going on my personal favourites shelf. I felt a real sense of connection with Gary. He is just a guy, struggling to find his true way in the world and he lack of self identity, his fear and his repression is his eventual downfall. It’s heartbreaking in its own way.

I cannot recommend this enough. A.A. Medina is one talented writer and I for one cannot wait to read more from him!

5/5 – Perfect in every way

Lesley-Ann (Housewife of Horror)

Did Marvel really need to put this out once a week?   Nope, but they did anyway!