A MAN'S WORLD
02.23.08 (4:09 am) [edit]A knock. A simple knock, it was. But a knock that seemed to open a flood gate of the male world. My friend claimed “to be in the neighbourhood” .Two hours later only came to reveal what you would not hear from someone who seems to have the almost perfect life. He wanted to let off steam. So I gave him my ear. My friend is happily married to a woman who he has known for the past a couple of years. They seem to have quite a happy life on my few visits there. In fact theirs is what I would call a good home. Warm, pristine, happy. What then could have gone wrong? We males, should I say, somehow do not fit within the image of what in women’s eyes seems so to be the right thing. When they demand we stay home, we want to down a pint at the local pub. Women want to shut the television and talk when it is the “Champions League “on tonight. It just does not make any sense. After all your salary pays all the bills, buys all the expensive china (just for show off to her friends), and that’s not enough. Refuse them all that they want and you will spend a night in arguement. What is wrong with women, I ponder? Knowingly or knowingly they drive us to seek other “short-term solutions”. My friend almost has it all. Which is more than an individual like me has accomplished: a good home. A huge-well furnished house. A lovely young bride. A car in the garage. A baby in the works. A good paycheque.Unfortunately, it is what we all around him were led to believe. Little did we know that due to his wife nagging him to be always around like a coat wrapped around an animal, the home did have unseen cracks. A man is pushed to the extreme polar upon accusations of “where were you?Let’s sit and cudle” all the time. Shush, please. I want my life like it used to be .I will search for that “short-term solution” if you don’t give me my piece of mind. Bill Watterson couldn’t have put it any better when he said: “I have a hammer! I can put things together! I can alter my environment at will….Ah, it’s great to be male!” With this in mind it’s isn’t very difficult to figure out ,why ,it is with ease, that a man can find a replacement; who does not require answers to the Who, Where, When, Why and What questions. This generation is no longer in a state where women have no equality in the marriage partnership .Both gender are allowed to have careers, own property, and so forth. But then again women want to have it all .Have a career with a good pay to boot and let the man pay all the bills. Have him sit at home and let him do all the housework. The woman meanwhile having heard Cindy Lauper‘s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun decided to experiment with the message in the song with her friends. I do not fault my friend for his decision to find another “solution” to get rid of his problem. Of course I told him: “try to work it out”, after thinking hard. But then what is wrong if a man just want to have some time separate from his significant other? Hey these are just my points of view-what are yours?
AMERICARN GANGASTER:The Hustler and The Bustler
02.11.08 (7:59 am) [edit]Hey all. The other day I went out to check this movie so much hyped by fans and critics alike: American Gangster.Well,I do admit that I am a fan of Washington and ,a bit of Crowe. This is what I thought:This story is about black and white-well,not the most obviouis racial comparison although that was there for all to see. I mean dark and evil.Frank Lucas as acted by Washington represents the dark face of cime . A man who never forgets to avenge those who wrong him.Aman who uses his dark experiences to gain cognition.Most importantly Lucas is a drug baron who is in a class of his own. You see,apart from acessing the product from the source( you see,in this industry,one uses middlemen),he is a savy businnessman and one from the black race to boot. Richie (Crowe) is a good cop.An incompetent husband and father he nevertheless is a cop with a flawless record in the Narcotics unit.Doesn’t succumb to bribery(he turns in the guy who gives him $1M as bribe.Furthermore he realizes the importance of a legal education as necessary to his profession. In the movie I found ,adultery,ambition, nudity,vengeance and violence as realistic aspects.Production-meaning the script,the direction,sound,costume,l ocations and editing was comme ci ,comme ca.What I mean,I discredited Ridley Scott(the director) on issues of allowing the boom to become visible on a couple of scenes.Towards the end the story came to an abrupt end .Isn’t that end scene of Lucas getting out of prison a bit reminiscent of The Shawshank Redemption? I found that Lucas as a person was an exceptional businessman.He understood the marketing concept.For the customer to come back,he must have the absolute best at half the price. I feel that American Gangster truly does deserve the award for best art direction.