Reviews for the latest installment of X-Men Dark Phoenix were not kind. I was never a huge X-Men fan and was especially unimpressed with the taciturn, fractious nature of one of their lead female characters, Jean Grey. So when I heard the poor reviews for this latest film featuring the backstory of Grey, it did not inspire me to pay hefty movie fees for a night out.

However, my daughter and nephew wanted to see it. My sister, too. Who was I to say otherwise? Heck, if nothing else, I’d get popcorn and a few hours away from the scornful glares from my fractious and taciturn cat.

Ah, yes. My assessment of the movie. Here it is:

Dark Phoenix was a fun, bright, loud, fiery spectacle. Grey (played by smoldering actress Sophie Turner Jonas) became imbued with a power she couldn’t control and gained knowledge she was never supposed to possess.

Look, when I was a newspaper columnist at the Sun-Sentinel newspaper in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. I did my fair share of movie reviews. It taught me one thing–don’t EVER base your decision to see or not to see a movie on one or two dyspeptic reviewers. What I wrote as a reviewer on any given day was as much about my mood that day as it was on the merits of a film. Any reviewer who claims otherwise is liar-liar pants on fire.

Okay, I’ve talked long enough. Dark Phoenix is the perfect intro to the season of summer popcorn movies. If you’re into superhero sh%& and want to see a woman float through air and crush the souls of several condescending males, lace up your Wonder Woman bustier, slip on your boots and cape and get thee to the theater. Go. I mean it. GO!

In a few short weeks the culmination of 10 years work, and a life’s worth of hoping and praying will come true:

My first novel illustrated by me!

Jada Sly, Artist & Spy releases on May 14. I am so excited and amazed and a bunch of other stuff.

Jada is a 10-year old wannabe spy who returns to her birthplace—New York City—after her mom dies in an accident. Or did she? Convinced her mother is alive, Jada uses the move back to The City to prove her father is wrong and her mother Is alive. Can she succeed? Or will her mission crash and burn?

From Teaching Tolerance: Slavery Simulations: Just Don’t We’re saddened by the news of yet another classroom lesson on slavery involving a troubling simulation—but we’re not surprised. Our research has shown some common pitfalls when teaching and learning about slavery. In this edition of The Moment, we explain why mock auctions—along with simulations of the Middle […]

In the Classroom (and Anywhere for that Matter): We MUST Do Better, Fellow White People — educating alice

Addiction.

It sucks!

I wanted to be all poetic and throw in some amazing metaphors and similes, but, alas, ‘it sucks’ is all I’ve got.

Beautiful, soulful singer, Demi Lavato,, 25, was rushed to the hospital after a reported drug overdose Tuesday. Of course, the Twitter-sphere and other social platform are abuzz, feeding on whatever cadaverous nuggets of flesh the singer’s misfortune may have left behind.

That sucks, too.

My kids grew up on the Miley generation of the Disney Channel, which included That’s So Raven, The Cheetah Girls and the star platform for Demi, Camp Rock. The endearing brunette had an open smile and a voice that would elevate her above the bulk of her Disney peers.

And even then, she had her demons.

I’m not sure what happened this week in Los Angeles, but it was bad. A young woman who has struggled with past demons found herself in a nightmare. I want to pray for her not because she is a pop star or famous, or because she’s wealthy and beautiful and gifted. But because despite all of those things she is human, vulnerable and hurting.

I pray that she can forgive herself and love herself enough to take the blessing that was given to her in the form of not dying during her incident. I’m rooting for you, Demi. As a human, as a mom, as a fellow being on this imperfect earth, I am rooting. For. You.