Page 8 The Skanner April 6, 2016
News
Miles
character in a haunting performance
where he manages to channel the
spirit of Miles oh so convincingly,
from the gravelly voice to the mercu-
rial temperament.
But while the impersonation might
be spot on, the surreal screenplay
leaves a lot to be desired. The script
eschews a conventional, chronologi-
cal approach to storytelling in favor
of a free form structure featuring a
“
Sweet as Sugar: Pets with Type II Diabetes
cont’d from pg 6
Gregor) in search of a scoop about a
rumored comeback. Dave Braden pro-
ceeds to circumvent a very skeptical
Davis’ disdain for journalists by
agreeing to serve as his chauffeur and
to procure cocaine on his behalf. Un-
fortunately, Dave also has a hidden
agenda, namely, gaining possession of
the master tape of Miles’ next album,
if it exists.
Meanwhile, the icon is conveniently
He manages to channel the spirit of Miles oh
so convincingly, from the gravelly voice to
the mercurial temperament
series of vignettes focusing less on
the man’s music than his messy pri-
vate life.
The picture’s point of departure is
1975, when we find Miles in the midst
of a self-imposed, five-year break
from the music business. He spends
his days barricaded in his New York
apartment
consuming
copious
amounts of drugs to mask the pain
caused by a chronic hip condition.
The plot
thickens
with the in-
trusion into
this
for-
tress of soli-
tude of a
pushy Roll-
ing Stone
View movie trailers at
reporter
(Ewan Mc-
TheSkanner.com
given to reminiscing about his past,
which allows for intermittent flash-
backs, most about his tempestuous
relationship with his first wife, Fran-
ces (Emayatzy Corinealdi). Too bad
Miles’ impressive body of work is giv-
en short shrift. except for the handful
of classics on the soundtrack.
An improvisational cinematic por-
trait of a jazz giant whose prodigious
cultural contributions play second
fiddle to a plethora of his personal
failings.
Very Good HHH
Rated R for drug use, nudity, sexuali-
ty, brief violence and pervasive
profanity
Running time: 100 minutes
Studio: Crescendo Productions
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
“S
he’s got sugar” is a phrase I
would hear quite commonly as
a child growing up in the South.
In my imaginative mind, I envi-
sioned a kind woman holding bags of
brown and white sugar heading home
to make sweet potato pies, sweet tea
and pound cake for her Saturday cook-
out.
I later discovered that “having the
sugar” was used to describe an individ-
ual with Type II diabetes. Humans ar-
en’t the only ones that can develop “sug-
ar.” Dogs — and, more commonly, cats
— can also acquire this complex meta-
bolic disorder.
Type II diabetes or Non-Insulin-De-
pendent Diabetes Mellitus occurs
when the pancreas secretes insulin, but
there is resistance to the insulin. Insu-
lin is a hormone created in the pancre-
as that allows the body to use sugar for
energy.
One of the major predisposing fac-
tors of Type II diabetes in pets is obesi-
ty. Pets that are overweight, live a sed-
entary lifestyle or fed high-fat diets are
most at risk of developing Type II dia-
betes mellitus.
Unregulated diabetic pets may have
clinical symptoms that are similar to
unregulated diabetic humans. Diabetic
patients are characterized as having
higher than normal levels of glucose in
the blood.
Increased thirst and appetite, fre-
quent urination, and unexplained
weight loss are common symptoms
owners report when a pet is diagnosed
with diabetes.
Glucose may also be present in the
final
Dr. Jasmine
Shanelle Streeter
Veterinarian
urine which can lead to frequent uri-
nary tract infections. Left unregulated,
diabetic animals may develop a life
threating problem known as ketoacido-
sis (excess buildup of ketones in the
blood from fat breakdown). Pets that
display these or any abnormal symp-
toms or behavior should always be tak-
en to a veterinarian to diagnose the un-
derlying cause of the problem.
Your veterinarian will work with you
to create a plan that controls your pet’s
high blood sugar, sugar in the urine
and avoid insulin induced low blood
sugar. Giving the appropriate amount
and type of insulin is imperative to get-
ting your pets diabetes under control.
If you or a family member are diabet-
ic, do not give your personal insulin to
your diabetic animal in place of veteri-
narian-prescribed insulin. There are
many types of insulin which can affect
each pet differently. With appropriate
treatment and early diagnosis, many
newly diagnosed diabetic pets can
achieve remission. No matter how
sweet, pets living with long-term diabe-
tes can still live happy, healthy, lives.
Do you have a pet-related question for
Dr. Jasmine? Email your question to:
drjasmine@theskanner.com.
!
k
e
we
“Wonderfully balanced”
“The young people in the play can really tell
the story”
“I was moved to tears and inspired by the
themes and performances”
“Enjoyable”
“This show is moving and inspirational and a great example
of community-based theatre that features youth working with professional adults”
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT WWW.PASSINART.NET. GROUP RATES AVAILABLE
The James F. & Marion L.
Miller Foundation