One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

I had read Sex and the City years ago when I got really really interested in the TV series. I had always loved the way that the story was made to make fun of the ladies. At some point they were shallow, stupid, mean, rude like all New Yorkers (supposedly I suppose) are and they are also kind, sweet, nice, loving towards one another. The book on the other hand was far more edgier than the TV series which tried to gloss things over to make it seem a 'little' better.

To get to the point I bought One Fifth Avenue expecting and hoping that it was as edgy as Sex and the City. At first, the story got too long and droned and after awhile, about exactly halfway it started to take one a life of its own. The details were endless and I think a bit meaningless, it was a version of chicklit but in this version the writer is not some hopeful or hoping female feeding the masses and masses of women images of a romance, a career and havin it all (i.e. Shopaholics Anonymous, Little Black Books???) as a girl makes their way into the big city. No, like her I do love the cynicism and the put down, I love the sound of dreams crushing under the heels of shoes either high or low. Well here it is, and I think despite its slowness and those hopeful and hoping for a good romantic ending, there is but it doesn't even matter,the whole point is this. This is a story of women who try to play by the rules of men and living in a man's man's world. It is not a radical feminist story BUT, as these women, the late Mrs Houghton, the gossip columnist Enid Merle, Schiffer Diamond, Mindy Gooch and ofcourse, Annalisa Rice are women made of steel, unencumbered like Lola Fabrikant, experienced, hard as nails and are pretty damn sure that there is no such thing as true love.

The stupid hymen

In most countries in SouthEast Asia if you want a rich husband, please do not hesitate by claiming yourself a virgin, buy some poor girls' hymen and paste it on yourself. The problem with the hymen is this, only 43% of women actually report bleeding occurring when the hymen is opened during first sexual intercourse, found here and an interesting article pointed out in sociological images, here . This is the reason why a lot of cultures in the East actually discourage young women to be working (especially if they could afford it, poor girls, please start working and peel the garlic skins!) Or have any vigorous work done, all in the name of protecting a non-existent flap of skin which amazingly still exists even after you give birth, and for some people has the ability to heal and re-attach itself thus become re-virginized. Oh for the sake of humanity's stupidity, hope you idiots go 'f' yourselves :)

Just to show how easily the wind of the media sways

I added a guy a few months back who was a member of A.N.S.W.E.R (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) on my facebook. Despite all thta has been going on around the world, war-torn Urumqi which I just found out about and a beauty contest --> here

Then about this guy, Michael Prysners' tireless effort in trying so hard to help war victims in Palestine. Ironically, after the siege in Gaza a few weeks later so short it was the human memory span and everyone started talking about Michael Jackson again, the damned swine flu (which I think I already had.... I suppose this was what the Israeli government counted on, for heavens' sake we can always rely on the media can't we? Sure the numerous countless things that everybody said during the siege earlier this year. It was all hype, hip and cool. Now that things are still going on 'over there' people seem to forget the whole thing altogether. And when someone of authority comes along (a.k.a THE Sultan) everyone scampers like dogs when a lot of people behind the scenes have been trying to countlessly remind people over and over again. The memory span of a regular average human being? - fifteen seconds



oh btw, please donate ;) cos shit hell if ever I was in a war sick destitute and dying I hope against hope that someone out there would hand out some money to help my family and friends.

Gone With the Wind

After years and years it has passed me by never bothering to check out what it was I was reading the UK's BBC top 100 reading list. One of them was Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, a 1000 page reading fiesta full of well. So there I went and bought Gone With the Wind and I have to say it was amazing, satisfying, interesting and rendering read. I have never for once looked in and out at something and realized what a fantastic read it was, of course it was a far cry from the movie starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh (which I liked and did not like at the same time, if only I was given the opportunity to remake it!). The book had its characters in a deeper light than did anything else. There it was the image of the South, I have to admit, racist, prejudiced, sexist and everything else permissible during when it was written (1936) and the setting of the book during the late 18th century American Civil War. What I found amazing are the characters of Uncle Peter and Mammy who actually 'owned' their masters and mistresses. Just as Scarlett's other, Ellen remarked that they should treat darkies like children, so did they Mammy and Uncle Peter considered their masters and mistresses their children that they have to take care of. Mammy's constant caring and cringing of Scarlett and Ellen while Uncle Peter's protecting of Aunt PittyPat. They were free blacks taking care of their weak masters and vice versa. One part of the movie which I loved was when Scarlet was driving around with Uncle Peter and meeting the Yankees wives. One of them asking where she could find a nanny, Scarlett saying that they could pick any darkies. The Yankee wife exclaiming hotly that she would never ever put her child with a 'nigger'. Uncle Peter, hurt and pained while Scarlett defending him by saying he was family. Either way slavery or freedom both contained connotations of pain for either side of people. In the book, the Southerners feared one day that a darkie will lead their nation (hahahahaha!!! They should reprint the book again in commemoration of Barrack Obama's presidency earlier this year). Things have greatly changed, since then but change will always come with pain, now I'm remembering the movie Luther when he revolutionized Christianity with his own sect. But either way, I liked Ashley although he was an idiot, and Scarlett who for me was kind of evil but impressive woman (any person who would rather either of their children to die in replacement of one dead child scares me), I admired Rhett for his kindness towards Wade Hamilton which was nonexistent in the movie. And Melanie I really liked for her soft exterior and extremely strong interior. And I loved the ending when Scarlett was pained by the death of Melanie. I think the racists today from the KKK are those hanging on to the past of wealth and cotton fields and romance with wealth deriving from slaves. Whatever the case it showed one side of the story, to balance it out one should read The Color Purple and Beloved.

Who would have thought?

---> http://www.evanstone.com/bio_main.htm

As usual I was surfing hot men, and of course porn stars do not escape my scrutiny. In the porn industry business I have heard extremely negative as well as extremely positive and everything else in between about pornography. In this case, Evan Stone seems to specialize in the genre where he looks like a Greek sexgod and it also seems that he has graced many a romance novel cover as a model. Reading his partial biography made me rethink some aspects concerning the fight against pornography, despite the actions that were displayed by pornography what is apparent is the fact that the whole wide world attaches deeply towards the actions of pornography. In the case of the American porn industry, they are highly specialized actors and actresses who spend a large portion of their money and time to look extremely good, at times comical and of course extremely made up with make-up. The odd thing is that the wide world has attached meanings to the actions displayed by the porn industry. Meanings of women as being seductresses and cheap. Meanings of the sexual stallion. But the biography given attest differently, he didn't sound sexist (amazing!) in fact he kind of sounded respectful about women and honestly he sounded ...human. Pornography in more ways than one, especially female pornstars of course would milk everything they could to display an image of alluring sexuality its their job. The sad thing is the stereotypical idea by regular men is that they think this should be the norm or the ideal and that these women actually enjoy being fucked. Watching some documentaries on pornography could make people think otherwise. Some do enjoy their jobs, others just think of it as a job like any other. If only more and more porn actors and actresses would display their human side. Like the fact that they wake up caked up with eye crusts with bad breath. They fart, smell and everything else in between everyone else does.

Fat Girl Syndrome

When I did a course on sociology of the body I realized something. Females in patriarchal communities look at themselves through the eyes of males. Their judgement of their value and self-worth is through what they can do for men and their sexuality. Ironically, the male yardstick measures itself via other men's eyes and not through what women might think of them. The male gaze since then has been a heated subject of debate that showcases how bent women are and how much social construction has ingrained themselves in HER brain. I wonder whether radical feminism was not right when they fought for the emancipation of women. What is true however, is the fact that women are (and probably to some extent men too) and do have, the fat girl syndrome. Their judgement is over themselves and their shame, the hag, the crone, the bitch, the slut, these are swear words adjusted especially for women. What do men get? prick? motherfucker? son of a bitch? jerk? (honestly what does jerk mean? does it mean beef jerky? like what small dick or something?) and the word prick, what's so bad to be called a prick anyway? A prick, repeat after me, prick as in prick your finger. Bastard, also a swear word connoted with its role with women, motherfucker (duh). Gay men criticize women, wome criticize women men criticize women. I hope this was thought provoking :P

Kate & 8

see ---> http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20286839,00.html

Actually, I've never liked Jon ever since I saw him. I thought he was a jerk to his wife the way he dropped sexist comments to her all the time. But seeing the world is a sexist world, all I see is that they highlight Kate's anger towards her husband and that she 'pushed' her husband to cheating (my GOD, he pushes her around with sexist comments you don't see HER cheating). I thought the way they displayed Kate was extremely unfair. I am a mother too with three small children and I too married young. And honestly, there are days where I feel like hitting my children just because to make them tougher. And people being people seem to like to blame mothers for everything. In the 50s they blamed mothers for making their sons homosexuals if they're too close to them (so what?).

They showed her as a selfish mother, she's not. Look she had eight kids so what? They said the same thing sending death threats to the OctoMom. They say wasting taxpayers' money, for what? For sixteen citizens? Don't you check facts? I'm not American and even I know that only a WHOPPING 5 PERCENT of taxpayers' money goes to welfare, you really want to get angry? Although I wold have to admit a lot of that anger stems from parents who might have lost their love ones through the unfair health system in America. But to blame Kate and OctoMom is a pretty easy way out. What they're angry and this is very obvious towards single mothers everywhere in America, is the fact that they're SINGLE MOTHERS. They're blamed because they didn't manage to hold on to MEN who are WORTHLESS except for their sperm in the FIRST PLACE.


I see the children, sure I 'kesian' (not a direct translation of the word pity haa), but that's that, one day they'll grow up and they'll be fine.

Why women in this world are violently raped and treated

Late last year an article in Malaysia's Berita Harian (which the link disappeared!) talked about a couple with four children whose husband requested his wife undergo vaginoplasty. She commented that she felt hurt but she did go through with it. What wasn't told was that vaginoplasty actually minimizes a woman's sexual pleasure, so there, her husband gets to go heigh-ho on her while she just lies there with no feeling whatsoever. He 'neutered' her and took away any sexual desire that she may have. HE made her into an animal. And you're telling this story off hand as if they don't mean anything.

see this ---> http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/08/g-shots-for-g-s/

and this ---> http://jezebel.com/gossip/top/pimp-my-vadge-a-womans-opinion-264835.php

and you tell me if a woman is not considered human at all? These are days when I feel so bad about how much social pressure a woman has to go through to exist. If only and I hope to God, somebody would listen and realize that they're being taken advantage of, that they are actually RAPED (within which the person thinks it was consensual when actually it was not)that we have created a world in which we subjugate women to the role of animals that it has become normal.

Then and Now - What's the Difference?

In the 1950s there were books on women's etiquette. It was the years of Talcott Parsons, of fundamentalist theories of structuralism. These books often highlight the proper way in which to be a good wife. One of the tips if I could properly remember was about after cleaning up the house, making dinner and doing everything else in between the mother (and wife) should bathe the children and keep them in clean and smart clothes. They were after all 'jewels' and he should come home to see his 'perfect' family. Other things included 'don't nag, he has already had a hard time at work without you needing to prod and nag him, pick other times to speak of difficult subjects'. Think, Mona Lisa Smile (2003) where ladies most of them don't go off finishing their university degrees.

Beastly? Sexist? Outdated and Old-Fashioned? LOL, I found these TODAY on my MSN News

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/staticslideshowcosmo.aspx?cp-documentid=20153796&imageindex=5

I quote one line 'Leaving Stuff Behind at His Place - Do This: "Forget" your necklace.
Leave behind a pretty, delicate piece of jewelry (such as a little gold necklace) and he'll think of you in similar terms every time he sees it.

Leaving Stuff at His Place

Not That: Leave a toothbrush in his bathroom.
An unsolicited toothbrush or other toiletry will give him the impression you're moving too fast — and may freak him out.'

Sounds familiar? I don't see anything from the AskMen.com section, let's see

doc love's answer
Hi Payn,

I’m sorry to hear about your past dating disasters. Let me explain something to you. Two things happen in a relationship: Like my cousin Fast Eddie Love from East L.A. says: “Either you break up, or worse, you get married.” Whoever gets out of the relationship first suffers less. So when you tell me that you went down in flames in your previous relationships, that indicates to me that you didn’t get rid of these girls -- they got rid of you. So what a guy should do is look at all of his relationships over the past two or three years -- all 10, 15 or 20 women he went out with -- and ask himself how many he dropped and how many times he was dropped. If you dumped all those women, or 18 out of the 20, then you don’t need my coaching.

When it comes to women, pushing too hard too early is the biggest problem that 90% of all the men out there have. Rather than relax and just enjoy themselves and let the woman set the pace, they push. They push themselves right out of the picture. To you Psych majors, when you invade a female’s comfort level, she feels pressured and she gets turned off. That’s when you hear those horrible words from her: “I need space!” At that point, of course, it’s already too late.


Either way, I feel like puking. Look at his advice, pull out quickly! dump as many as you like, They're THE ENEMY. Look at the women's messages - coax, be covert, subtlety, be subservient.

Oh btw, Cosmopolitan also says ' What to do in the event his penis fractures during sex'. AMAZING. How does a soft muscle tissue fracture like a bone exactly? I wonder where both these men and women go to school? The fuck and sex great school majoring in idiocy and stupidity? Congratulations MSN Dating and AskMen.com's dating and sex is in the top ten of dumbass :)

Our limited Choices

I was joining my aunt's YoVille,a game on facebook. I realized one thing. Isn't it obvious that the choices in which we have to pick ourselves male or female is limited? Hair for instance or eyes, face. What about body? What if people did not want to be thin? (there was only one choice, duh). Or short, or tall? Ofcourse its just a game. But a GAME that can be read as a text, a discourse. As cultural pointers of human expectations. We exist in a world that has its own taboos idiosyncracies. These taboos be it 'natural' as in being born with a challenge (definitely the idea of it as a challenge or not is subjective) or socially pushed has its effects on all of us. Our reality our perceptions everything, has been pulled down already every author every writer in the academic circles has talked about this. Derrida himself, who deconstructs absolutely everything has made it extremely difficult for our lives. And yet how is it that we have a problem reaching to the masses? Dear Anthropologists and Sociologists, no matter how hard we try to make people see every side of the coin. It seems at times that it is futile and painful. But (sigh) it has to be done, we have to reach the masses after all.