The Post-Thanksgiving Season

Jaz stands beside some of the tasty desserts awaiting him after his meal. (PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO)

Happy Post-Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Or, should I say, Happy Black Friday?

Nah, that’s merely a self-proclaimed sales opportunity in celebration of consumerism. Okay, maybe that’s a bit too lofty and self-reverent. Let’s put it this way…if you need to save some money via discounts on this day, more power to you and best wishes for safe shopping. If not, and you’re like me, it’s a wonderful day to spend on the couch binge-watching programs stored up on my DVR while sipping hot tea or cocoa. Oh, and let’s not forget all those yummy leftovers from Thanksgiving!

How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was marvelous and spent with friends and loved ones while sharing a host of tasty dishes. Here’s what we had for dinner…

Jaz's Thanksgiving Meal (PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO)

I catered a tasty smoked turkey, courtesy of a local barbeque restaurant named JT’s BBQ. The cream cheese corn complimented thing very well, the creation of my good friend Jimmy.

Jaz's Thanksgiving Meal (PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO

I made the classic green bean casserole topped with those wonderful French’s dried onions. The cranberry dressing (stuffing, some call it) is my favorite dressing of all time, and was prepared by my dear friend Jessica. She also made the most decadent version of baked macaroni and cheese casserole, which melts in your mouth. Jessica’s mother made the perfect sweet potatoes in syrup and topped with a thick layer of marshmallows.

Jaz's Thanksgiving Meal (PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO)

The dinner rolls were of the easy thaw and bake variety but tasted like they were homemade. And the desserts were AMAZING, compliments of Jessica! She baked a cherry pie, pecan pie, three pumpkin pies, and a big batch of chocolate chip pan cookies. Oh, I was in dessert heaven…and will be residing there for a number of days, actually.

Thank the Goddess for leftovers!

What did you have for Thanksgiving dinner? Did you go traditional or something completely different? Leave a comment and let me know.

What’s that? *cupping my palm close to my ear*

I hear a plateful of leftovers and my couch and DVR calling, so I better get to it. My two kitties are ready for snuggling, too. It’s the best…

Oh, and did I mention that – for the FIRST TIME in my life! – my Christmas shopping is already COMPLETE? Yes, that’s right, there’s NO hectic last-minute shopping for me. All that I have to do between now and December 25th is: put up a few decorations, send out my holiday cards, and make a leisurely effort to enjoy the three weeks leading up to the big day. Ahhh, this feels great!

If you’re just kicking off your holiday shopping, be careful in your travels, and proudly display your “good will toward others” for all to see and experience.

Oh, and be sure to check out my official Jaz YouTube channel for the latest video on my newest furry addition to my family, Patches the rescue kitty. Click here.

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Shopping…oh, and reading! Peace.

Je Suis Paris !

Last Friday night, the historic city of Paris was victimized by multiple terrorist acts that took the lives of more than 100 people and injured hundreds of others. It was reported to be the worst attack on the nation of France since World War II. This past weekend, the world struggled to process the depth and scope of those events. My thoughts of condolences and support go out to all of the victims, as well as their families and loved ones.

In the coming weeks and months, much will be said by governments, politicians, security experts, and a host of others with insights and opinions on what took place. At the risk of adding to the din of voices, I have but this to offer: As a U.S. military veteran, I don’t easily offer the idea of placing our military members in harm’s way. Yet, there comes a time when rabid, bloodthirsty, pathological, radical extremists must be confronted; not solely for their unspeakable acts or for any perceived sense of revenge or justice by the aggrieved, nor because of political expediency or public outcry, but merely for the sake of innocent people everywhere.

To the U.S. Military: It’s been a long time since I’ve served in the ranks. But if you decide that you need experienced and skilled volunteers, I’m in. Contact me. You have my number.

Je suis Paris.

Jaz and the Great Kitten Rescue

This past Tuesday, I was out taking an aerobic walk in my neighborhood before it got too dark. It was cool and I was happily jamming to tunes through my earbuds, and life was great. On the walk back home, the sun had completely disappeared below the horizon and it was suddenly very dark. While walking past a home that was still under construction in a relatively deserted portion of my neighborhood, I spotted a small lump on the curb beside me. Upon closer inspection, I found that it was a cute little black & white kitten.

It just sat there, looking at me.

“Hello, little one. It’s late…you should run along home.”

I continued walking but got a strange sensation that caused me to look back over my shoulder. Some six feet behind me, the little kitten was limping and frantically trying to follow me.

I removed my ear buds and heard it “mewing” at me as it struggled along.

Something was obviously wrong, and this little kitten seemed in distress.

“Aw, you poor thing,” I said, picking it up and gently holding it in both my hands. As I cradled it next to me, it mewed more and nestled against my chest.

I gently carried it home to my front porch.

It teetered and appeared to favor its right rear leg.

I’m no veterinarian, but I know when an animal is in distress. I quickly retrieved some water and food, and it took to it as if it hadn’t seen any in quite some time. Then I procured a large, fluffy bath towel and made a small nest for it, which is gratefully climbed into. I even had to help it get its rear leg over the small ledge of towel wall. Poor thing…

I called a couple of friends who were “animal Jedi” and they advised me.

Then I transferred it to my garage so that it would have a safe, comfortable place to sleep. It ate and drank more and then nestled into its towel nest, which I placed over a thick rug for added comfort.

This little kitten was so very affectionate and friendly, and seemed to genuinely appreciate my ministrations. I was happy to help.

The next morning, I called my “animal Jedi” friend, Jessica, who helped refer me to a nearby veterinarian clinic that also specialized in cats. I managed to get an early appointment for it that morning, and took it in for examination. Everyone immediately fell in love with the little kitten.

Turns out that it is a 12 week old female, and it had worms and indication of fleas. I asked them to look at its leg and they took an x-ray. On top of everything, the little kitty also had…a broken pelvis! They said it would require surgery but not until it was closer to 6 months old, at which time they felt confident that it would have successful mobility following surgery.

Fortunately, the vet took things in order and began treating the kitty for its worms and fleas, and I asked them to apply any boosters required. They also began an immediate round-the-clock pain medication for the kitten.

Having no tag or embedded microchip, my neighborhood association finally sent out an email asking the addition residents if they had lost the kitten. Thus far, no takers.

I have since gone back to the vet to visit the kitten, which I named “Patches”, and it is much happier, as well as eating well. Also, it appears in much less discomfort. (See the photo of Patches below in her cage at the vet.)

That poor kitten has had such a hard early life, but I’ve decided that the least I can do is make this kitten’s remainder of its life safe and happy. She will be loved.

Soon, my kitty (Tabby) will have a sister and companion in the house to keep her company.

I’ll keep you posted on how things progress.

(Please also refer to my latest November 7th official YouTube video on the kitten at https://youtu.be/Q08Qr6RMQt8 )

My step-father always told me, “You don’t have control over everything that happens to you in life, but you always have control over how you choose to react to it.”

I choose to help a poor kitten in distress and show it what it’s like to feel loved.

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Humans Are Excellent Mayflies

[LEGAL USE OF THIS PHOTO LICENSED AND SECURED VIA DREAMSTIME - October 2015 -- © Tweezie94 | Dreamstime.com - Mayfly Photo]

As I watched a Doctor Who episode this weekend, I was impacted by the analogy that humans are really mayflies by comparison to immortal beings, such as Timelords. That’s a profound concept, when you think about it, and it made me ponder the concept of immortality.

For those of you who aren’t aware (and why would you be?), mayflies are insects that live really short life spans. Generally, once they’ve hatched from their embryonic stage as adults, they may live for as briefly as twenty-four hours while they’re in their subimago stage. (Never mind about subimago stage…it’s all just wibbly-wobbly-sciencey-whyencey stuff.)

But back to the analogy at hand. Would I really want to be immortal, like a Timelord or one of the vampires in my Sunset Vampire series?

In truth, it sounds absolutely tantalizing. Life already seems so brief, especially as I grow older. [My perception of time passes more quickly, too, but we’re not going there right now. Stay on topic!] However, there are so many layers to the concept of immortality, especially if I were the only one who was immortal. Immediately, I’m struck by the notion of being left alone as those around me lived their normal life spans and then died. You see, I have no desire to outlive the loved ones in my life. I’ve already outlived a number of loved ones, even those younger than myself, so I know how it feels to be left behind. Wait…or am I leaving them behind?

The point is that when it comes to people who I love dying before me, I’m against the idea. Part of that is that, basically, I’m a coward. Again, I’ve done it already, and it sucks. In that way, I already have practical experience with it.

As I’m typing this post, I’m glancing down at my kitty, Tabby, who’s sleeping beneath my desk, and I realize that (in all likelihood…spoilers!) she’s going to precede me in death. I’m feeling really sad about that realization. [However, just in case I precede her, I’ve made arrangements for her good care and for a loved one to adopt her.]

Gawd, this became such a maudlin blog post all of the sudden.

Aw, hell, if you wanted to only read a happy-go-lucky blog, you’re already reading in the wrong place. If so, immediately stop reading and Google the topic: “Happy blogs”.

*pausing*

What? You’re still here? Oh, well, then you know how I can get and you’re obviously happy spending time with me, maudlin or not. I like that about you.

Let’s proceed.

Have you given any thought to what it would be like to be immortal? Would you want to be immortal?

Okay, so there’s this whole digression of topic that goes from immortality to something more, but then, that’s a religious sort of thing and I’m not a big fan.

You ask, “Not a big fan? Of what?”

I reply, “Yes. That’s it exactly.”

Naturally, you press, “Yes, but to what?”

To which I reply, “Precisely. Let’s move on.”

Do you have your Halloween costume ready? Mine is ready to go and it fits perfectly! I can’t wait to post photos of me in my outfit. You only have to wait until Thursday.

In the meantime, please be sure to share your Halloween costume with me by tagging me in any photos on Facebook or Twitter. I can’t wait to see what you look like!

Oh, and be sure to tell me if you’d want to be immortal or not.

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Maximizing Your Happiness Meter

[Happy Faces by Alice Herden -- LEGAL USE OF THIS PHOTO LICENSED AND SECURED VIA DREAMSTIME - August 2014]

Lately, I’m confronting the topic of happiness in my life. I’m a fortunate person; my opportunities are many and I have wonderful people in my life who care about me.

That being said, I want to maximize the “happiness meter” in my life.

How, you ask?

First, let’s consider my diet. I control my calorie intake by using MyFitnessPal, which is a wonderful tool that helps a person monitor their calories to meet their health and weight goals. Currently, I’m happy to announce that I’m in maintenance mode. My current weight is healthy for me, including a healthy body mass index (BMI). However, living in maintenance mode doesn’t mean that I can eat what I want, when I want. As such, when I want to indulge in gratuitous calories, I want to consume the BEST and MOST TASTY foods for the calories consumed. I don’t want to waste them on any old donut; I want to select higher-quality tasty foods that maximize my happiness meter. Last night, that included a large slice of chocolate pie. At first, I thought it was supposed to be chocolate cream, though it turned out to be chocolate meringue. *insert sad expression* I don’t like meringue, so I only ate the crust and the chocolate part. While the chocolate portion tasted okay, my happiness meter wasn’t exactly pegged over my selection.

That’s only one example, of course, but you probably see where I’m going with this.

Many aspects of our life are finite, chiefly among them, our life span. So, when I have some discretionary time available to me, I want to expend the moments via the most satisfying manner possible. That is, I want to maximize my happiness meter.

Recently, I decided that I want to read a novel…someone else’s! I carefully perused my to-be-read (TBR) list and researched my top three selections on both Goodreads and Amazon. Finally, I downloaded The Name of the Wind, the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss. I’m staring it today, in fact. Therefore, my happiness meter is currently in flux. I’ll let you know how that turns out.

Do you have a happiness meter? If so, what satisfying “item” pegged it for you most recently?

And, of course, what are you reading right now?

I want to know, so please leave a comment for me!

Oh, and my latest YouTube video for the week of October 11th is going live by tonight, so please check it out! My YouTube videos are at CLICK HERE.

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Getting Ready for Halloween!

(Halloween Picture -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO)

Can you feel it in the air? The Halloween spirit is alive and well. At my college office, we’re like busy bees collecting Halloween décor items, and we’re decorating as soon as we have new things in hand. Take a look below at what we’re already set up.  It’s awesome! (The photo at the top of this blog post is a picture that's just been hand-made and is hanging in my main office area. Thanks to Crystal for that!)

(Halloween Decorations #1 -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO)

(Halloween Decor #2 -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO)

 I even have some small items on my office desk that bolster my cheerful Halloween spirit. The autumn has FINALLY arrived around here and I couldn’t be happier. Below you can see a sample of the beautiful scenery around my college campus. It was such an amazing day when I took this photo late last week!

(Rose State Campus -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO)

 Recently, I noticed that there is a place on the web where you can create a Peanuts cartoon character in your own image. They’re promoting the upcoming Peanuts movie that’s coming out in November, which I can’t wait to see because I’ve been a Charlie Brown fan since I was a kid. There was always something so identifiable about Peanuts that resonates deeply inside of me. Every holiday has a corresponding Peanuts animated feature to help bring us into the mood. I’m watching the Halloween special very soon, in fact!

Below you can see how I’d look as a Peanuts character. If you’d like to try one out for yourself, CLICK HERE .

(Jaz as a Peanuts Character -- Sort of like a Doctor Jaz Photo!)

 Finally, my latest YouTube video for the week of October 4th is up and ready for your viewing! Watch it by CLICKING HERE . Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think. I talk about the pending Halloween season, my upcoming Halloween costume, some of my past costumes, and my review of two popular TV shows in a segment that I’m calling “Like It or Spike It.”

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

What’s On Your Fall Must-Watch List?

[LEGAL USE OF THIS PHOTO LICENSED AND SECURED VIA DREAMSTIME - July 2014 – Photo by Fedor Patrakov]

Autumn has arrived, and yet, it was just Labor Day only a handful of days ago. Where does the time go?

I know where some of it has gone. During the weekend of September 18 – 20, I attended the annual writers’ conference at Rose State College. My lovely publicist, Vicki Rose, flew down to attend the event with me. Both of us had a marvelous time, and I met a number of wonderful authors, both previously-published and aspiring. On top of that, all four of my session presentations were successful, and I hope that the materials I presented were helpful to the attendees. Between William Martin, Mel Odom, and William Bernhardt, there were more than enough talented authors present for attendees to glean helpful insights into writing and publishing.

Aside from the writers’ conference, I’m engaged in a number of diversions and projects. For one, I’m actively working to respond to the recommendations and edits from my editor, Laura, on my upcoming Bringer Unleashed, which is still scheduled for a November release date. For another, the season premieres for a litany of television shows has begun in earnest. Personal enjoyment aside, it’s important for artists to rejuvenate and fill their creative wells, which TV shows are great at stimulating inside me.

Here’s a number of the MUST-WATCH television shows that I’m dedicating my viewing hours to:

Arrow

The Bastard Executioner

Big Bang Theory

Castle

Deadliest Catch

Doctor Who

Dominion

The Flash

Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares

Grimm

Hell's Kitchen

Heroes Reborn

Last Week with John Oliver

Legends of Tomorrow

Lost Girl

Marvel's Agents of Shield

Masterchef

The Muppets

Star Wars Rebels

Supergirl

The Vampire Diaries

The Walking Dead

Which MUST-WATCH programs are on you watch list?

In addition, daytime career and after-hours endeavors as a history professor have kept me very busy. On the topic of teaching, I have a really good complement of history students this semester. However, the jury’s still out on whether or not they’ll be interested in receiving extra credit for coming to class in costumes on Wednesday, October 28th. That will be an excellent litmus test on how awesome they are. We’ll see…

Another endeavor that I’m putting energy into is my official YouTube Channel at CLICK HERE. There's already 27 subscribers, but I am anxious to see that number grow, so please sign up now.

My Official Jaz Primo Videos playlist is at CLICK HERE. If you haven’t watched my latest YouTube video for the week of September 20th, please watch it now at CLICK HERE.

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Labor Day 2015 and My YouTube…or MyTube?

Wow! It’s so hard to believe that Labor Day has already arrived. This is traditionally the holiday weekend marking the official end of summer; though around here the temperatures will continue in hot, humid summer-mode until at least mid-to-late October. They don’t refer to my state as Okla-hell-ma for its dogmatic politics alone, you know.

I hope that the end of summer finds you in a state of good health and happiness. It’s been really busy for me during the past few weeks.

In addition to preparing for teaching history class during the fall semester at the college where I work, I’ve spent countless hours working on four seminar sessions that I’m presenting at this month’s Short Course Writers Conference held on the campus of Rose State College the weekend of September 18 – 20th. I wrote a little bit about it in my August blog post, so just scroll down to read more. If you’d like to attend the conference, it’s only $149.00 and you can register at the following link:

https://www.rose.edu/content/business-community/community-learning/fall-writers-conference-short-course/

If you’re an aspiring writer and you attend the conference, you’ll get to meet me and other experienced authors in person, as well as learn more about the publishing industry and how to improve your own writing skills. It’s a great opportunity for a minimal amount of money, considering the talent that’s presenting.

I’ve been working on improving the video content posted on my official YouTube channel. I recently purchased video editing software called Filmora by Wondershare, and it’s so easy to use for inserting content into my videos, as well as giving them a more polished and professional appearance. Please check out my YouTube channel videos at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUTv7Z3Wr58F8IveGv1gXG65Lk4PBzk3h

This week, I’m posting a brief YouTube video to talk more about what I’ve been up to recently, so please check it out at: http://youtu.be/P-I1J-67bQ0

Enjoy the waning days of summer!

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

A Book Cover Reveal and More!

Hello and welcome to what’s already the end of summer. Honestly, where does the time go?

Since my last blog post, I’ve released the cover image for Bringer Unleashed, the second book in my Logan Bringer urban fantasy series. Did you receive the newsletter notification that went out last Wednesday, August 12th? If not, you should sign up at the right-hand side of this screen. It will take just a moment or two and then you’ll receive the earliest notice of new developments, including new book releases, cover reveals, and other special promotions reserved for my newsletter subscribers.

Below is the new cover image for Bringer Unleashed. The cover was done by Brandon Acree, the person who’s responsible for the eye-catching font layouts on all of my books. The novel is tentatively scheduled for release this November.

What do you think about the new cover?

Meanwhile, things have been very busy for me the past couple of weeks. Not only am I working on no less than FOUR session presentations for a writing conference (being held on Rose State College campus the weekend of September 18-20), but I’m also finalizing my teaching materials for students enrolled in my U.S. History to 1877 course that starts this Monday, August 17th. I haven’t taught since the spring, and I’m eager to get back into the classroom to talk about history again. I’m a relatively shy person, but I do enjoy talking to people about topics such as history, as well as creative writing and publishing.

Speaking of publishing, the four topics that I’m presenting at the September writing conference are titled as follows:

Stocking the Virtual Shelves and Pricing Your Indie Book

Where’s My Fortune? Publishing Income at Realistic Levels

Indie Issues: Fan Fiction, Subscription Services, Crowd-Sourced Books and Much More

Formatting Your Work for eBook & Print-on-Demand

Wow, when you list them out like that, it looks like there’s a lot of material to cover. I’ve completed the presentations for the first two and am actively working on the third. There are so many “indie issues” to touch on that I’m afraid I’m just going to have to select the primary ones and then take questions from the audience for other topics in the hope that I can provide the highest quality of information in the short, one-hour time slot allotted.

What do you think are the most important indie author issues today? Leave me a comment or email me at jaz@jazprimo.com with your topic ideas. I’m curious to read what you think. Thanks! Oh, and don’t forget to let me know how you like the new Bringer Unleashed cover art, too.

Okay, I had better get back to working on these presentations. Enjoy your upcoming week!

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Ant-Man…Need I Say More?

Have you seen the new superhero Ant-Man movie yet?

(As opposed to the old Ant-Man movie…which, yeah, there wasn’t one.)

If haven’t seen the film yet, you should. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Ant-Man was the perfect example of Marvel at its best.

I was never an avid follower of Ant-Man during my comic book phase as a kid, but I had heard of him. Let’s be honest, though cute-sounding, his name doesn’t inspire visions of daring heroic feats. Rather, you think of a small guy running around, which frankly “ant” the sort of thing that ranks up there with the powers of the other Avengers. So, imagine my complete and utter surprise when I found that this film was among one of the best, most enjoyable, superhero films that I have seen in many years. I became an immediate Ant-Man fan! (By the way, I get tickled over how that sounds when you say it over and over again: Ant-Man fan, Ant-Man fan, Ant-Man fan!)

To avoid spoilers for those of you who haven’t seen the movie yet, I’ll keep my comments and observations very general in nature. Maybe I’ll add a spoiler-inclusive video in my YouTube channel sometime soon for my other opinions and insights. Moving on…

Paul Rudd portrays Ant-Man.

Part of the enjoyment of the film is the impeccable casting of the main characters. Paul Rudd is, by far, the most wonderful selection to represent Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man. (Granted, Rudd is technically portraying the second incarnation of Ant-Man, following the original by Hank Pym, but let’s not split hairs here.) Nevertheless, I’ve been an ardent fan of Paul Rudd and his work for many, many years. He’s like the perfect “everyman” which many of you know is the type of hero reflected with Caleb, the human protagonist from my Sunset Vampire series.

Hell, I’m an everyman sort of person in real life, so what’s not to love about Paul Rudd as Ant-Man? Rudd embodies the intelligent sort of nice guy who’s trying to turn his life around and take an active role in his young daughter’s life. Oh, and the little girl who portrays his daughter Cassie in the movie, young actress Abby Ryder Fortson, is SO CUTE and adorable!

Michael Pena portrays a humorous character named Luis in the Ant-Man film.

The added humor interjected by supporting actor, Michael Pena, adds laughs to numerous moments in the movie and providing a nice foil to Paul Rudd’s more subtle, tongue-in-cheek situational humor and dialogue.

 The movie Ant-Man explores father-daughter relationships.

The film does a good job of presenting the primary characters and their backstories to viewers who have no knowledge of Ant-Man or his lore in comic history. To its credit, the central story doesn’t rely heavily on science fiction themes and superheroes/villains, but rather emphasizes the personal challenges and very human-relatable relationship struggles between the central characters. The movie has a great underlying theme about father-daughter relationships that plays well among multiple characters and helps the audience to empathize with them. Honestly, that sort of blew me away because I wasn’t expecting the movie to resonate with me at such an emotional level. This sort of approach gives me hope that Hollywood is FINALLY starting to present basic human interest subplots and themes in ways that mass audiences can appreciate and easily digest, while also generously heaping on the superhero/villain conflicts that traditional comic fanboys and fangirls are expecting. Now I’m looking to DC Comics and wondering if they can credibly approach what Marvel Studios is already perfecting. While we may see something hopeful next year with Batman v Superman, I don’t expect much in the human relations category from the Suicide Squad film that follows. We’ll see.

Who is Ant-Man?

So, back to the Ant-Man movie. Who is Ant-Man? Well, in briefest form, Ant-Man is a human wearing a special suit that uses a secret chemical formula to shrink him down to much smaller form (essentially, insect sized), yet imbuing him with 20 times (or more) his normal strength, as its all compacted into a smaller area. There’s also technology in the helmet that permits him to interact with ants (of all subspecies and varieties) to assist him with his missions. I know that doesn’t sound impressive, but believe me, it’s quite formidable when you see how it’s married together on the big screen. I’m very impressed, and it makes logical sense…from a purely fantastical, science-fictiony perspective.

Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas in the Ant-Man film.

One of the things I particularly enjoyed about the film was that it posed the question, “Do you think that everyone deserves a second chance?” The film explored the idea of redemption, which I found as a refreshing undercurrent that guided the central characters. It’s a topic that doesn’t regularly get explored in superhero films in a manner that the average person can relate to. There’s a sincere quality to the way it’s handled in Ant-Man that’s both reassuring and realistic.

Overall, I give the film my whole-hearted endorsement. It’s a 10 out of 10, and also a film that I eagerly intend to add to my home movie collection. Moreover, stay until the FINAL credits finish rolling to not only gain insight into where the Ant-Man storyline is continuing, but also get a brief sneak-peek into next year’s Captain America: Civil War movie.

That’s all for now, but leave me a comment telling me if you’re already an Ant-Man fan, and/or what you thought of the movie. Until next time, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.