God Loves Man Kills

The recent and supposedly murder of missing victim Nurin Jazlin Jazimin has triggered the outrage from everyone, including the media and various people over how despicable the acts of the murderers who did it. See this Malaysiakini report in the link above.

But somehow, I believe that the conviction above should be placed as the second reason.

You can also take a look at the video courtesy of the 'MaChAi' paper (as some called).

Parent Negligence

I am still convinced that the main cause of the missing was due to parent negligence. This shows that Nurin's parents still lack of parental control over the children. Sometimes, if I were to walk around shopping malls I would notice that parents sometimes are quite careless in handling children. They *should* keep the eye all the time, not turn one eye blind against small kids that are under 10 years.

Where were the family at during the time where Nurin went missing? The mall?

Hence the people should not put the entire blame on to the mental-sick killer but instead of themselves, as the role of parents. Right now the world is not as before - one wrong move and poof - the end of something. Sometimes, being one second late can spell many bad consequences to whoever is involved in a scenario.

In The Killer's Mind

Perhaps the motive behind rape is that the person has suffered rejection of the past such as his offer of love being declined. It is likely that women are too picky over their men and will need some tough persuasion to get the permission of love. What happens, as a men, if you get your proposal of love rejected? Psychologically, you tend to feel demoralized.

That is a possibility of why a rapist would do that. Another reason could be that of in my previous post of The Widowmaker, you get to see what the reason of why Tim Barutto would rape Jenny Cesare day after day non-stop. It's just merely for one reason, to satisfy the hunger that can never be filled up.

To see people suffer is a possibility but a long shot.

And now, what is to be summarized?

This events that just happened after the 50th anniversary of Merdeka celebrations shows that the Abdullah Badawi administration has only accomplished 30% of its objectives as dictated by the manifesto. The remaining things that has failed to be accomplished encompasses of corruption - judicial and law-enforcement, the racial polarization between the majority and the minority. The nation's economy can actually go further and as equal as Singapore but the misuse of the NEP and the mentality of the big group hampers Malaysia's progress in reaching 2020.

It may seem to be against the topic, but a point from that shows that the police are not doing their job properly as mandated by the people. And the administration is failing the people, particularly the those middle and lower class people by the corruption and the ridiculous policies that limits progress.

As for the Nurin case, if the police can no longer provide the security for the people, perhaps the people will be forced to result to vigilantism, taking law into their own hands, perhaps carrying a gun to defend themselves or stop innocents from the bloodshed of criminals.

The world isn't nice anymore and it has gone upside down, black becomes white.

Wanton Punishment Part 5

I told Edmund the other day that I've just bought the new Punisher book called The Widowmaker. I was so excited to find out what happened throughout the story so that I finished the book in one sitting itself. As of writing, I finished the second round of the story.

Widowmaker is basically examines three things that remained unanswered in the Punisher lore:

1. The first and foremost, it examines the other side of the perspective. If you, as Frank execute people because the main reason is that they are the scum of the society, drug runners, criminals above the law, and most important of all, rotten to the core, what about those who are related to the criminals? Wives, siblings, children, etc..? What is their reaction? That is the purpose of examining the other side of the coin, being a widow or a victim of a so-called killer.
2. The second one examines a man's conflict torn of following orders from his superiors or acting at your conscience should the situation a man faces requires immediate action and no more waiting. At what consequence are we likely to face if we are to do something according to your conscience and as well doing something that is right for everyone? How far will you be before you could find yourself behind the 8-ball?
3. The final element examines on a woman who lost her innocence and suffered atrocities at the hands of the five whores and a abusive husband and we get to see how the damage done affected her so badly that she eventually became a very sad creature with no hope or whatsoever.

First Wives Club?

If you have seen a movie called First Wives Club starring Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn, you might find this a little similar. No need for me to repeat the premise, but it's just simple - five women who lost their husbands to the Punisher is out for revenge trying to kill him by setting up a simple plan. Nuff said...Bah!

The ringleader of the group is one Annabella Gorrini, the eldest granddaughter of Massimo Cesare (surprise! Remember In the Beginning?). Forming up the rest of the ring would be Barbara Barrucci, Lorraine Zutta, Bonnie De Angelo and the 'Gangsta Princess' Shauna Toomey. By right Shauna is the most volatile of the lot but very meticulous of the execution plan thanks to her husband's antics:

John James was a careful man. Once he got the news he'd take steps of his own to clean things up.

Note: When you read the story, you might it a little confusing of which of the blondes are Lorraine or Barbara. After the second round, you would notice that Lorraine is the blonde with no curls and Barbara is the otherwise, long with curls.

To them, the reason is simple: Frank kills people and ignores their suffering. But sometimes, being a vigilante is sometimes painful. He had a pity for the kids of the parents whom he executed for being involved in making porn movies under the basement. But somehow, he had a mission in life and he will not stop until he cannot move anymore or if his time is up on Earth.

I thought about their looks on their faces. The little girl couldn't been more than four. She might stand a chance, depending on how much of it stayed with her. The boys looked like the damage was done. I had a sinking feeling that I'd be seeing them again in twenty years.

But the one thing that these wives have totally forgotten in Frank's argument is that the men, being husbands who are criminals, puts the wife and children under the crossfire. That is indeed the truth. Now, if the men are gone, what will happen to the children? Are they going to follow suit and become gangsters and criminals themselves? Just to avenge themselves or is it because of the influence of the father?

Annabella had the kind of fanaticism that being a family of the mob means that the kids are being part of the crime or that the women of the family has to marry the capos as to maintain the relationship and security of the family in blood. And it is said that women had no right in speaking of family matters. This is what we see in family purity in the Harry Potter series, and this fanaticism ultimately destroys the family. While they think to be great and in the process, you tend to feel the vanity of it.

Good cop? Bad Cop?

Widowmaker introduces two new supporting characters with one of them being Detective Paul Budiansky (yes, he is appearing in The Punisher 2 with Colin Salmon playing the role). Paul is a family man that is loyal to the wife, Gina. He gained acclaimed for single handedly stopping a school-hostage crisis. He stopped that by killing the gun-totting kid ignoring the superior's orders, because he is worried that with the stand back order in place, more innocent victims could die by that madness.

But the decision came at a price as his captain Starling refused him to attend press interviews and blocked his promotion, instead sending him for a mental trauma therapy with a psychologist. As you go along, you will notice that some of these characters, mostly Barbara and the psychiatrist are playing racist cards. Budiansky is one of those who can connect the dots easily and has figured out that the five women were involved in a club to beat Frank in a pulp.

The question here is about the conflict of listening to your conscience to do something good or listening to superior orders. What good is an officer if he is ordered to behave like a terrorist or not to do anything except to watch evil roll around? The man loved the neighborhood so much that he does not want to see New York become like Hell's playground. But the thing is no one telling him how far has he gone from observing protocols to an avenging angel.

You can notice how deeper has Paul descended from someone who can't stand it to finally decided to become an avenging angel. For instance, when Shauna's hitman Curtis hits Gina at the hospital, he kills that man, emptying all but one bullet from his magazine. The rage could not be contained until when he meets Frank coming out of the hideout in the finale and had second thoughts of killing him just because he is a murderer.

Frank's line, "You want to be me?" at Paul is a simple but very powerful statement and that statement itself manages to stop him from going to the point of no return. He knows that he is a cop and he risks losing whatever he had earned had he gone too deep as Frank does. Frank has no one left but his mantra and mission to punish the guilty before time is up.

Innocence Lost

The plan hatched by the five women went well at the beginning but the plan suddenly gone wrong with the return of Jenny Cesare - Annabella's youngest sibling who was stalking them from far and was responsible for turning the tables around them. That would explain how the plan of taking Frank down at the Bronx gone wrong later on.

An M4A1 with an M203 grenade launcher was discovered at the site.. as far as I remember, no one in the crime organization carries that. So, five of you were trying to club together and beat the Punisher?

Jenny is a sad creature who has nothing left, stripped of her innocence and virginity. Her marriage to the abusive husband Tim was a setup by Annabella, still having that kind of fanaticism and almost everyday she got abused and raped by Tim. She had to play and suffer everyday until the day Frank executed Tim. The thing resulted in her suffering from breast cancer and having to do mastectomy. Having enough of those things, she tried to turn to WITSEC and the FBI with all information, but the five women Shauna beat her up, messed her face and thrown her off the rail tracks presumably dead.

Some may agree that Jenny is just another Kathryn O'Brien, quite similar. But then after the bloodbath of the widows, she has absolutely nothing left. She has become like another Tim. She can no longer enjoy the pleasure of making sex and love with someone as if there is a gap that simply cannot be filled up by any means. The progression that she has is exactly as Frank, except the end.

I am simply your twin.

And there is still the breast cancer that still couldn't be removed after the mastectomy. Of course Frank's first instinct is to stop her from doing something stupid, but women are different from men and you tend to suffer more from breast cancer, just as my granny did days before she died. Any other options if you are to encounter that scenario? As I've said earlier, Frank still has his mission, but Jenny has nothing left, but a shattered soul. But it gave her some hope and determination from what Frank did previously.

I just had a guessing that Jenny is just a flipside of Erica Bain from the movie The Brave One :)

Now I know why you wear that shirt.

Sadly, all Frank could do in the third act is to sit and watch.

Lan Medina's art is much better than Leandro's or Goran Parlov's and edges Doug Braithwaite's. Realistic faces, well colored and inked by Bill Reinhold and Raul Trevino (the duo who inked Mother Russia). So you can say that it is photo like quality that you see in the pictures. I don't really have much of opinion on art but the story is well thought out in the first two acts. But somehow, the third act is a bit weak as Frank is just confined to the bed.

Just get that book. 'Nuff said.

Interesting Anecdotes:

• Much of the references that the women pointed out are based on The Slavers - the Greek woman thrown off the 50th floor of a building, a man burnt to death and the other one refers to the Tiberius and Vera.
• The psychiatrist that Paul visits is modeled after Miranda Richardson.
• Tim Bradstreet's cover art for #44 has Frank's date which is 16 February 1950 but it was decided to block as the date provides some inconsistency to the canon.
• The five women are modeled after Tim Bradstreet's wife and her friends.
• Jenny's beating of Annabella by a baseball bat is quite similar to Al Capone beating up traitors!

Comics Galore For September

Saw the Marvel solicitations today. Contains very impressive TPBs coming that I will need to get those:

1. Captain America Omnibus HC:
This is one hell of a big book. It collects Winter Soldier, Red Menace, Civil War tie-in and ends with The Death of a Dream. It also includes the 65th anniversary special and the Winter Kills one-shot. Altogether 25-arc type issues and one-shots. But the catch is that the price is at about $75 USD! Sometimes it's worthwhile to buy the big collection here. But the story is well written by Ed Brubaker -who also writes Daredevil as well!

2. Daredevil: Hell To Pay Part 1

I don't know why the story inside is being labeled as part of the big story title. Hell To Pay Part 1 is about To Devil With His Due. This time, Melvin Potter - Gladiator is back in Hell's Kitchen, and he holds Matt's wife Milla hostage. To what end? I owe you something? This arc marks the start of Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark's second year in DD. They never fail and the successfully captured the spirit left off by Bendis and Mack.




3. The Punisher MAX: The Widowmaker

This is the # 1 one book on my want list for September. 5 women seeking revenge for the death of their husbands has one goal in common - to whack Frank -. What they didn't expect is that Jenny Cesare is joining the game and she has the score to settle with big sister Annabelle, Lorraine Barrucci, and the gangster princess Shauna Toomey. Why? Simple: Shauna cut her *breasts* out!
September 19: That's what they say this will be out.



4. Punisher Presents Barracuda

Our lovely black baddie that has a very good sense of humor is now starring in a mini-series following the events of Barracuda. Not even a buckshot from Frank can stop him and surprisingly, he was able to escape from the clutches of a shark. This time, our lovable "Wizard 2006 Best New Character" is playing bodyguard to a hemophiliac Oswald - guarding him against rivals attempting to cash the kid's father out. More humor....yeah! And this is the prelude to Round 2 of Frank vs Barracuda - The Long Cold Dark (50-54)

We'll be sailing....we'll be *muthafucking* sailing home again!!!!

Barracuda Sings This

In issue #34 of The Punisher Max: Barracuda, (also as part 4), our big man Barracuda has bad-mouthed this song by Rod Stewart called Sailing. Reportedly, it is one of Garth Ennis' favorite songs. So this one was taken during his Glastonbury 2002 concert.

Enjoy.

Wanton Punishment: The Living Daylights

This is supposedly yesterday's post. But because my line got blocked yesterday, due to unforseen circumstances, I was forced to delay my posting and doing my assignment. Anyhow, with tomorrow being an off day for me, since tomorrow is the King's installation day, I would be able to proceed on with doing some work of my own.

On Monday, I have mentioned that I have bought The Man of Stone, the 7th arc of Punisher Max written by Irishman Garth Ennis. My friend Edmund was very excited of hearing my commentary about the Man of Stone and here it is, exclusively since being released a week ago is the review of The Man of Stone.

BTW, the TPB cover for the arc is not from issue #39, but instead from issue #41. Here is the final cover: That's my favorite cover for the arc as well!


A word of warning: the storyline literally ties up whatever loose ends that are found in the two storylines: Mother Russia and Up Is Down, Black is White. If you do not understand what these characters say and mean in the current story, please read those two storylines first before reading this.

Art wise, the art is drawn by Leandro Fernandez who also drew Up Is Down, Kitchen Irish and The Slavers. The coloring is done by Dan Brown. Brown is famously noted for his brush stroke coloring. Hence his coloring scheme and lighting tones is very familiar to readers who also read Up Is Down and The Slavers. The mute color scheme illustrates the harsh world of The Punisher. It is augmented with hard and top down lights - a term used by cinematographers to symbolize drama and tension.

Basically, the premise is mainly about settling the score. You need to read the final part of Mother Russia to get the idea. Frank knew from that moment after rescuing the girl that some guy will be looking for him someday as to seek the answer behind the assault at the Suhdek ICBM complex. Rawlins, the man who tried to assassinate Castle for pissing the cabal of generals was selling him out as revenge and attempting to even the score against his ex-wife Kathryn O'Brien. She's back on a vengeance mission - hunting six ex-Taliban men who she was involved in ten years ago.

Here's the quote from Castle in Mother Russia:

"I think one of the Ivans figured out who we were. I was even kind of counting on it towards the end...It doesn't seem to bother you much the virus being destroyed. As a matter of fact, a suspicious man might think you set the whole thing up."

This implies that the Man of Stone himself...Nikolai Zakharov is obsessed for the truth.

If that is not convincing enough, refer this from Mother Russia:

"The generals crawl back into their holes intent on burying Barbarossa in the deepest darkest eyes-only files they've got. Don't know if they'll be pissed enough to come and fuck with me."

This above implies that Rawlins had come to assassinate Frank in Up Is Down. Ultimately, Castle taped his confession as the proof of their intention of screwing him - which is using as blackmail.

"The Russian government keeps the silo business under wraps, which isn't difficult once the screaming starts about the airliner. All the same, someone figured out we were not Al-Qaeda: someone who might come looking for me some day."

Man of Stone literally examines Russia and Zakharov, a relic of the Cold War. It questions a man who was hated during the Cold War and his influence in the current Russian ideology. After the fall of the Communism and under the stewardship of former president, the late Boris Yeltsin, Russia has been turned into a country of democracy and capitalism. However, Yeltsin's leadership had some problems. He attempted to shape the country into following the new direction but it caused more problems than positive results.

In the process, Russia became soft enough. If there is an incident happening inside here that risks more consequences should a matter is spilled out, they are preparing to keep in under wraps and tight. As mentioned in Mother Russia, "Moscow is full of mental pygmies". They have started to show more cowardice than it was before during the Cold War. In World War 2, cowardice is punishable by death with the implementation of Order #227 on July 28 1942, signed by Stalin. That order became known as the "Not One Step Backwards" Order. If there is a truth that leaks out to the people, you can expect a revolt like the Bolshevik Revolution. A government would definitely try to avoid a scandal.

This quote from Zakharov from Act I of the story provides the meaning to the text:

"No one in Moscow wants to know. The idea of U.S involvement in the attack terrifies them. To confront Washington over such a matter would be unthinkable. They are cowards. They dream of mushroom clouds and wet their beds."

It is this story that Ennis posed a question to us: shouldn't the Communism ideology be dissolved in this kind of situation where the world is right now? We are now witnessing the case where the dark side of capitalism - which defeated Communism during the Cold War - through the corporate crimes and the hegemony committed by the pencil-pushers of the U.S Government. Zakharov, through experience knows the tricks that the Americans would pull in order to achieve victories. We have gone through two World Wars. What if there is a World War Three happening in 2012 onwards? World War Three happening because of the hegemony of the USA? Another modern Holy Crusade? Up Is Down, Black Is White - maybe the next day we wake up, it is war and the world goes the other way round, cuckoo...period.

"Maybe there is hope for the Motherland after all!" - Formichenko, Mother Russia.

In this kind of situation, maybe we might need a figurehead like Zakharov to save the day.

Afghanistan is currently a place nearest to Russia where the military from nations like Britain and America would be hunting Islamic insurgents and extremists who are alleged to be part of the terrorist cells, Al-Qaeda and Osama. Zakharov cannot do it in Russia, he would be charged if he does his plan in Russia - where's the best place for fighting where no one can hear you? Of course it is Afghanistan. In this kind of situation, where's the best place to fight your wars when you are in a neutral country?

Whatever the actions that Zakharov did clearly mirror what Russia is currently doing against the rebel state of Chechnya. Like in the story, the situation in Chechnya is deteriorating so badly that Moscow is increasingly faced with a series of options, all of which are unfavorable to its strategic and security interests.

The highlands, the desert, the spots that fight well for a guerrilla fight - that's Afghanistan. In the 80s, in the quest to defeat the Russians, the Americans help the Mujahideen. But now, as of their double practice, the Americans are hunting those people down. That's what hegemony is. In fact, fighting in the place like Afghanistan is a nod to the late 80s movies like Rambo III and even Timothy Dalton's first film as James Bond - The Living Daylights. Of course, there are a lot of casualties in Afghanistan. Even the common people are killed and beheaded. In Act II, a reporter was beheaded for trying to snoop more about the Man of Stone. This is Ennis's nod to Daniel Pearl, a reporter was killed under the similar circumstances.


"Put him on the next plane to Moscow - in a diplomatic bag." - Leonard Pushkin

Both Frank and Nikolai have the same thinking as both are from the military. They know how the other one thinks. Just as Frank watching the news of Nikolai clearly implies a plan of inviting him back to Russia to clean up the mess that is Suhdek. Rawlins, the common denominator in this situation is a physical representation of the hegemony of the U.S.A. You can be sure that those sly tricks that he had in the sleeve represent the dark side of capitalism. But the common weakness of being a soldier is that you are bound to follow orders. That's one of the General soldier ethics. One moment he helps, one moment he double-crosses, as seen in the third act.

Ennis clearly clarifies and emphasizes that Kathryn is a all-rounded woman that never involves in those common cliches such as a damsel in distress. She has a vendetta and a score to settle. Perhaps it is a revenge against the humiliation suffered since she got stranded in Afghanistan since 1996.

Unfortunately, a lot of people complained about the fact that O'Brien is killed at the third act. But I felt that it was slightly rushed here. In writing an issue, you are only limited to 24 pages maximum per issue. So I guess that there was a problem in pacing and probably, Ennis had to rush in that issue. People are starting to like O'Brien as a popular all-rounded supporting character. Personally, I felt that O'Brien had done her role well in the entire arc. What is there for her to do after finishing her vendetta mission? Evidently, there was line that she spoke of in part 5:

"After that, comes the big question. What happens next. With hubby gone, I'll have no one left I want to kill. No battles left to fight. Little bit scary. The only job I know how to do and I never want to do it ever again. It's like what does that leave in my life, you know? What am I going to do with myself now?"

That's the situation that Vietnam vets are facing right now. During the war, they are able to handle million-dollar military equipment in order to defeat the Communists and the Vietnamese military. After the war, when they come back, they are booed by people. They struggled to find jobs, and getting hated by people anywhere. That's the disillusionment that every soldier faces in fighting in a hollow war.

Back to the O'Brien matter, her death was somewhat similar to Alec Guinness posing his question of his character Obi-Wan in the first Star Wars movie. What else can he do after in the Death Star? What else can he do? If he decides to stay around alive, there's nothing much he can do and consequently he was pushed back to the wall. So that's where he insisted that his character to be killed. But the thing of O'Brien killed by a land mine is somewhat could not be understood. It could have been better if she got wounded during the skirmish at the helicopter or being shot at by an unknown assailant - but I think it's rushed.

Somehow, the way of removing her off the board is paving the way of introducing a hard-ass all-round independent character, Jenny, that will be featured in the next storyline, The Widowmaker (issues 43-49) (January - September 2007)

In here, Man of Stone questions the role of people being in the military being asked to fight in war that has no purpose, whereas it is billed as a war against terrorism. They were sent to fight in war that is opposed by many parties and their own people. During the fight, over 5000 people were killed in two fronts, Iraq, and Afghanistan. People are tired. But they were sent here because the U.S wanted oil to supplement and stocking up their resources. The U.S is becoming like a parasite, as Zakharov commented. Rawlins, as the U.S is starting to be a parasite - not a soldier as he said to be. In the final act, Yorkie (seen in Kitchen Irish) felt that the war is not for good but instead keeps claiming more lives than meeting its purpose. Every year, it costs close to $100 billion to fund a year for war and in the end, the U.S Treasury is way below zero. Every taxpayer's money is used up for this worthless war. It was no longer fighting the Cold War, as I have mentioned before.

Clearly, Man of Stone fills up the gaps / blanks left out in Mother Russia and Up Is Down. The characterization is at is very best, with the characters such as O'Brien, Rawlins and Zakharov is defined clearly including the past history of the moment he was called as Man of Stone. What makes a man exact a vengeance? It is like whoever unleashes the killer side of you. So, whatever that is started in In The Beginning is finally coming to a close in this story arc.

"To manipulate a man is a careful project. Too light a hand and he follows to his own whim. Too heavy a hand and he will turn on you."

A Short Ranting

Today got some work to finish up. I'm just inches away from finishing an assignment. But will need a lot of time to polish, test, polish and so on.

Went to Comics Mart after Monday's exercise. Quite surprised to see the new Punisher book out there: Man of Stone. It was the only copy available there and I managed to snap it out. Then I was told that the copy just came in today.

The release dates are kind of a little confusing. The actual comic was out on the 18th, last Wednesday, but Amazon states that the book will be out on the 2nd of May. Quite confusing.

Busy body:

I kind of being a little annoyed by Tengku Adnan's statement in today's article in Bernama:

The notion of every Malaysian departing Malaysia filling up a departure card...the Ministry wants to know what will you do there and then do something at you. Is the reason of research purposes is merely an excuse? Come on, people want to have some privacy. They got their own reasons for going out. If a person wants to go for holiday elsewhere, you still insist of knowing what else next? Aren't they enough of poking and snooping around people besides the embassy of the country they are visiting (visa purposes). Come on, man...

Excuse for that ranting...I just kind of minding more of my privacy.

Chinese New Year Prediction Coming True?

Joey Yap said that Segolene Royal is to be the next French President. I think I agree on that.
France is a staunch nation that opposes the Iraq invasion in 2003. Let's hope they continue to that. But the problem is U.S calls them Old Europe.

My brother just started a blog of his. I think it's too good for him to resist the idea of setting up one. Maybe he's going to rant more on games. Maybe he might rant on teachers, or maybe call his friends to take a look at his blog. I have no idea.

Wanton Punishment Part II

I had a good head start in writing the Search Agent script. The head and mid section is running fine. But not the lower-half and the tail section. The program isn't taking in the dynamic variables that I've assigned to. That is why I am taking the chance of trying to do this at home. However, I hit a snag when I could not install this in SQL Server 2005. Once finished installing, there are other things to do including turning on port 1433, installing SP2 for SQL and testing the database. Spent the whole day trying to fine tune the bottom half but without good progress.

I was wondering whether if one of my marketing dept. colleague, Geraldine was trying to snoop people's private business. I mean, trying to ask whoever could not come for the sports club early morning run tomorrow the reason for unable to participate the event. Eventually, almost everyone reluctantly agreed to turn up, except for me in the department. My Technical Director was asking everyone who initially said nay to coming for the run. Geraldine anticipated that the four common reasons of inability to turn up for the run would be: personal appointment, lazy to get up, no shoes and just blankly no. I was under the first reason, but my mandatory personal appointment at 8 a.m. prevented me from participating for the run. I have no intention of saying no, but having a seminar tomorrow morning until 11 a.m. prevented me from this.

My friend from Lahad Datu wanted to visit K.L and me tomorrow. Originally, his plan was to be here for about two weeks. Part of it is to help her younger sister to register for college. Unfortunately, the plan hit a snag. The National Service camp in which his sister was assigned to rejected her request for early leave, claiming that by leaving early means delaying the course. They recommended her to finish the first module until the 7th of May. This means that possibly he would only be coming for about 10 days on the 9th. A sad thing for him though. He had missed numerous occasions including last week's PC fair, and wanted to visit Ipoh end of next week.

Wanton Punishment

As promised, I would be reviewing the next two story arcs of The Punisher Max. The next arc after Kitchen Irish, Mother Russia details the story of former SHIELD director Nick Fury being assigned to send Frank Castle to Russia to retrieve a deadly retrovirus called Barbarossa. I had a feeling that the premise is a combination of Mission Impossible II or Resident Evil: Apocalypse since it involves virus and a child as the McGuffin thing. Note: A McGuffin is a Hitchcock-coined term for a plot device.


What is interesting that is worth exploring is the bureaucracy and the hideous secret plans hatched by a small group of generals. This literally refers to a cell of groups - think P2, Masonists, Illuminati - hatching a plan as part of the greedy policy of global domination at all costs. The recent news of Paul Wolfowitz, the World Bank head being under scrutiny is largely due to the fact that he neglected the Bank's main objective in helping nations and also combat poverty in Africa. What he did was serving America's hidden purpose. Remember, Wolfowitz is one of the architects beside Rumsfeld behind the Iraq 2003 invasion, prior to his appointment in 2005. The White House continuously support him even though he admitted that he was behind the mess. The mess is already there, other members wanted him out.

Back to the earlier statement, sometimes an assignment contains a hidden purpose as written in Mother Russia. Unknowingly, when Nick agreed to the assignment, the cabal of generals had a hidden plan in hand. With their extra hand, Rawlins, in the Middle-East, they recruited a number of people to hijack a plane and crash it into Moscow. The purpose was to divert the Russians from paying attention to the mission, should things go wrong. However, not all Russians are totally stupid. Some of them actually can see through what Americans do, like our Man of Stone himself, Nikolai Zakharov. Fury became disillusioned over the fact that America became a greedy nation that is out to achieve their objectives by playing dirty. In fact, while they - on behalf of capitalism - defeated communism at the early 90s fearing of communist subversion, they in the end became the main capitalist subversion in the world. They play dirty - whatever tricks in the sleeve, legal and illegal as to ensure that all nations submit to the will.

Nick Fury was raised with believes before World War 2. During the time before World War 2, there was only the Depression era and the American Dream where everyone thinks of America as a paradise and a migration location. However, things turn ugly after WW2, starting with the Truman administration, the US leaders pursued a grand imperial strategy with the aim of staking out the globe. They wanted to achieve dominance at all costs.

"I can no longer sit back and allow communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion and the international communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids. " Jack D. Ripper - Dr. Strangelove or: How I Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb

Mother Russia's main theme is actually the examination of the Russians, being disillusioned following the fall of Communism in 1989. As I have mentioned in the previous post, Francis Fukuyama famously declared that the greatest achievement in history would be the fall of Communism. With that comes the end of the Cold War. Of course, the Russians are the ones that were on the losing side. When that happened, they crawled back to the shadows and sob themselves away in sorrow. Most began to question of their roles in the post-war. The Man of Stone himself knows how the Americans act and think. Going back to the first part of Mother Russia, the old man Formichenko thinks that the Russians had lost the respect after the Cold War. In the past they were heroes, soldiers, having fought against the Nazis in Stalingrad. Now most people perceive Russians as gangsters and cutthroats, not those who make the reputation and being respected by other people.

Alexei Pajitnov, the man behind the Tetris games, remains one of the few from the Eastern Bloc who is respected by people around the world disregarding the creed. The Tetris game remains the longest selling electronic game ever. The game lasts days, hours non stop until you can't go on anymore.

With Communism out of the way, the Capitalist began to spread their influence towards the world. As the saying goes, while you try to fight something you hate, you eventually become the thing that you once hate. But smartly, Zakharov knows how they think:

1. They do not start a nuclear war. That's their policy
2. If there is something happens perpetrated by them, they will not respond to a call. Because they have people listening to Russians response in Moscow!
3. Most of them are Caucasians
4. The Russians today will start to panic and makes things worst if an ominous rumor reaches to Moscow - "Moscow is full of mental pygmies, like the kind they send to run the missile silos"
5. They are clever, imaginative and tenacious.

But an opinion by Zakharov is worth considering. Maybe Communism is the solution to the current problems the world is facing. Maybe it should not have fallen, maybe there is still the Cold War around. Like Iraq, the Americans chose to attack places they wish to eradicate and build places over it and using the resources in the enemy nation as their own. Being a parasite that is.

In the climax, Frank decided to play chicken on him by launching missiles all over Russia. It's like playing a bluff in poker. Maybe that's how he got the reputation as The Man of Stone. He just knows that there is no nuclear going to happen and leave it there. In the end, he thinks him as a "Russian born here by mistake."

Up Is Down, Black Is White is by far the most cohesive and the best story line ever written in the Punisher. It is actually a back to the basics story of a man's seeking out to punish the sacrilege committed by a grim hollow man. Nick Cavella, whom managed to escaped Castle at the end of In The Beginning is back but this time he had a plan of how throw Frank off the edge by committing the sacrilege of digging the grave of his family and desecrate it. The video footage broadcasted on TV provoked him and Castle went on the killing spree of 70 people in one night, unlike anything before.


Note: The title was taken from the tagline of Miller's Crossing starring Gabriel Byrne.

What makes Nick a hollow man? Bad influence from her Aunt? How he handles his assignment that goes over the edge and puts the Mafia and the Chinese gang in war? He is also meaningless, he relies on his subordinates as his cannon fodder. A leader is supposed to show his leadership by setting himself as a role model, not being bailed out by Carmine Gazzera's sister. He thinks he is above all by committing the murders. The truth, as Frank revealed at the end, is that he doesn't do it. The reputation that he has will carry to one point where he cannot go on.

The other thing sub-themes in here is perhaps about the little cabal of generals as in Mother Russia are desperate to cover their secret by hiring Rawlins - their instrument man and O'Brien's ex-husband to kill Castle. As the teaser said, "Cavella's scheme unleashes a wave of violence that rocks New York to the core, other predators start to come out from the darkness. Scores to be settled, blood to be spilled." Being an instrument man means that he is trained to do whatever he is ordered to do so. That means that Frank had an upper hand and can use the hand to blackmail them.

Kathryn had gained the respect of Castle through her admission. After being sent back to jail, it was admitted that he was not supposed to be a trained animal to be set loose on the enemies of the state. Her role is clearly augmented and expanded well here. Her motivation of saving Castle was clearly the spark of conscience seeing that he was once a family man, thrown into the mess. As for her, she was thrown into the mess with five failed marriages and being recruited at Princeton, senior year. This clearly implies that the Bush Sr. administration had subverted her and turned her into what she is now...to be used in the Gulf War - Desert Storm. After that, what can she do?

Nothing can bring back the dead. Not even the power on earth can do that. But the massive murder as the result of the sacrilege this time struck fear on thugs alike. They fear that little crimes means big punishment on them. That's a big domino effect caused by this little act. But the main thing is that there is more characterization here than any other story arcs. Not even Mother Russia can beat this thing.

Wanton Punishment Part I

I still really got nothing to do today. I kept reminding myself that I only one more week left minus Thursday before the JIRA evaluation period expires. And then my P.A. did nothing serious to pay attention to this work. Please, come on. We got to finish this, then I want to do something else. I've seen other colleagues at work with tasks in hand. What about me? Are you leaving me behind?

One thing that annoys me is that my Indian colleague sitting next to me kept crying at certain times. She must have been hit hard since her father passed away last December, sometime before my grandmother does. But it's already four months already and she's still mourning? Maybe it's the Indian folk music that she played and listening through her earphones makes her something like that. But she's still staying back in that circle of mourning. The truth is that you can't stay in there forever. You need to move on. Can't she get this to her senses?

Anyhow, since today marks the official release of The Punisher Vol 7: Man of Stone, I will be writing three parts of wanton punishment in retrospective about one of comics finest and popular vigilante: The Punisher. In case you do not know, here is the TPB cover of Man of Stone.

Most fans agree as I do that Irishman Garth Ennis, who writes The Preacher is the only man who can write The Punisher at its best compared to anyone else. The Punisher is the modern day incarnation of Josey Wales as modeled by Forrest Carter (1925-1979) in its Wales duology titled Gone To Texas and The Outlaw Josey Wales respectively, with the latter being made into a film starring Clint Eastwood. Like Wales, Frank Castle is a man who lost his family to evil and resolved to wage a one-man war against crime. His modus operandi is not on revenge -to him revenge is a dark emotion -, but punishment where there are circumstances where law cannot punish the guilty. His rules are somewhat similar to the Hammurrabi Code concept: "an eye for an eye." The Punisher is the best selling title in Marvel's MAX line - aimed for adult, matured readers only. Full of violence, profanity, uncensored stuff all intact. That's where The Punisher should be.

In each of the story arcs, Ennis has placed a common theme and sometimes Bond references (He's a James Bond fan BTW) in the storyline and setting. If you go through the arcs, you will notice that these themes represent the crimes that are committed by the USA - which is part of its hegemony - the quest for Global Domination. Famed critic Noam Chomsky, in his book Hegemony or Survival outlines the sins of America in its greedy quest to become the undisputed superpower on the planet.

The first story arc In the Beginning marks the return of Frank's associate Microchip, but this time working with a team led by a rogue CIA agent Robert Bethell. In 1989, Francis Fukuyama declared that greatest moment in world history is the fall of Communism and the Cold War. In here, Frank was questioned of his role in the new millennium - just as in GoldenEye, Bond is questioned of his role in the post Cold-War era. For both men, they were the past. Whatever he did was during the post Vietnam War is now under question, and maybe no longer be accepted. To Microchip, Frank is a direct relic of the Vietnam War. He thinks that Frank never has enough of what he did, ever since the moment he became the Punisher back in Vietnam. Some of the scenes were referred to in the prequel to the series, Born. In the world where we live in fear of Al-Qaeda and the post-911, the CIA thinks that they can erased his past criminal records clean and give him a clean slate by making hunting the terrorists including Osama Bin Laden.

Castle always work alone. At times, trust is something that gets a person killed. He had encountered double-crosses. The latest double-crossing by Microchip is something that he'd never forgive. He gave Microchip a chance to run while he is alive but in the end...was punished for squandering the opportunity before Frank changed his mind. James Bond is described as a blunt instrument for the government - an extension of its dirty work. Frank saw through this and immediately said no - knowing that he'd be manipulated - something evident later on in Mother Russia.

Bethell is a corrupt agent who would smuggle drugs for weapons and money. His crossing with New York mobs coupled with Nicky Cavella and his gang made him an easy target. He's a CIA agent - he can do anything - good or bad - and maybe things tilting to your favour. And while Frank is held captive by Bethell, the gangs think they can eliminate two birds in one stroke. Lewis Larossa modeled Cavella after actor David Strathairn but in the later arc, it's different since it was drawn by Leandro Fernandez. A common cliche in stories is the recurrence of a female damsel-in-distress character that most people seem to be tired with. Thankfully, it was avoided. Kathryn O'Brien is the partial flipside of Castle - an instrument of the corrupt bureaucracy, an unlucky woman who had to do the worst to save her image and sanity. Wisely, she was written as a all-round character with her own independence and the ability to take care of her reputation.


The second story line, Kitchen Irish was mainly about Irish gangs in New York fighting for the will left by an old man Nesbitt worth 10 million dollars. The premise is somewhat the famous Gangs of New York, fighting for control in the turbulent period of 1847-1863. The questioning here is of some people are still stuck back in the past. The past actually serves as lessons for us, to remind us while we move on, taking care to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. Many of Irish people are still scarred over the fighting between the Irish Republican Army and the pro-British faction during the 30 year civil war of Northern Ireland, the worst being the Bloody Sunday in 1972. Ennis, being a Irishman himself suffered during those times there. In the later point, Michael Morrison lamented:

"What are we like anyway? All that misery and bloodshed back home and we come to the States and the best we can do is just fucking carry on with it? Did you not even hear what Maginty was saying? We don't have to slaughter each other! We can get what we want without that! We're free now...free of the frigging past!"

In GoldenEye, Bond's ex-partner turned villain, Alec Trevelyan's motives was purely blaming on the past: the British sending his ancestors, the Cossacks of Lienz to their deaths in World War II. In Harry Potter series, Voldemort turned bad because of the past where his Muggle father, Riddle Sr. abandoned her mother, Merope. See the coincidence? It's like letting the past shaping you into a pervert and succumbing to the evils conjured from it. What about the River Rats? They are still kids inside...playing pirates!

The Continuity IRA is also a political example of the syndrome. To that cell, anything short of a total victory is like capitulating to the British. People are sick of fighting already. They want to go on and rebuild their lives rather than destroying because of a group of perverts. In this context, there is no Kingdom of Heaven. A kingdom of heaven is a place where there is no fighting, everyone living together in harmony, each respecting one another, work together. Some don't like it...take the Nazi Germany for example. Purity of race?

Here's one of Tyler Durden's quotes in Fight Club:

"The people that you're after are the people you depend on. We cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances, we guard you while you sleep. DO NOT FUCK WITH US."

There was a saying that once you are a baddie, forever you are a baddie. This would be the case for old Napper French. He had enough of doing the past job and retired to a happy life until the Dublin nigger Maginty dragged him back into the gang fight. The past haunted him and it showed clearly to the little boy. The question is no matter how hard you try to forget the past, why does it come back to haunt us?

A problem with the arc is that there lacks the opposite sex relationship between a man and a woman. Ennis attempted to address one by putting it here, but it is not until when we reach the later story arcs, that we have somewhat a complete working relationship between man and woman later on. However, though it worth to point this out, Frank ended up being the supporting character of the story. Kitchen Irish remains the least cohesive story arc of all. Maybe it is full of black comedy as the MAXI series and it is not serious enough. The arc is pretty independent of the others. In the next few storylines, neither one is associated with Kitchen Irish. But perhaps you should take the inspiration from The Devil's Own or Gangs of New York as the source of reference when reading this. Or maybe read Frank McCourt's memoirs such as Angela's Ashes or The Teacher Man.

An interesting side note about Kitchen Irish is the locations used. For example, Pier 86, The Intrepid Museum is Frank's setup point for The Westies and the gangs fighting here. For those who do not really know which part is it in New York, it is located on 46th Street below the Joe DiMaggio highway. That's Pier 86. Secondly, the fictional O'Malleys bar used in the shootout is actually the McSorley's Old Ale House, located at 15, East 7th Street, near St. Mark's Square.

Next: Mother Russia and Up Is Down, Black Is White

A Warm Sunday

Seeing how warm it is today, I think I wouldn't want to have any ice-cream today.

Very warm indeed. I continued playing God of War 2 - and could stop only at the Deep Chasm. I couldn't go on as disc 2 is needed to play the remaining of the game. I noticed that the main premise of a man's quest to alter his fate - seeking the Sisters of Fate is somewhat akin to Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. But it also couples with our man's obsession to kill Zeus. We had brunch today - nothing for lunch. I didn't feel that hungry today.

Edmund today spoke about narcissism and told me that her younger sister Regina is one example of that kind of syndrome. Mainly it's about having too much of obsession and the willingness to go extreme with constant believes that your reputation on the stake. I mean, look at some people in the rich class - I find that when they are being praised or being recognized in the high-class society, sometimes they feel that they got carried away by the reputation and from that it's like the starting point of gradual obsession. Correct me if I am wrong, according to this and by referring to the dictionary -it leads to vanity. Thackeray made his point about this in Vanity Fair.

One of J.K Rowling's characters, Narcissa Malfoy - Draco's mother - is the exact modeling of narcissism. By reputation, she is actually weak in stature - derives on the wealth and reputation of being married to one of the richest wizard families of Britain - the Malfoys. Now that the family is accused of being the in league with Voldemort - what can she do when she is pulled in? This goes to Regina - Edmund's sister - what will happen if she is stripped of the rights or the source that is the foundation of your reptuation? Will you go suicide or go bonkers or something? The thing is that is a definite factor that causes a man's fall from grace. The kind of excessive pride and greed that drives you to a dark end.

After dinner, I watched The Spy Who Loved Me. By far, this was the best of Roger Moore's Bond movies. I didn't really like the others with exception of For Your Eyes Only. It was a commercial success since it featured the biggest set - the main room of the tanker set - in Pinewood Studios designed by Sir Ken Adam, the cartoonish but sadistic villain Jaws (Richard Kiel) and the Lotus Esprit "Wet Nellie".


Jaws was the part inspiration of Garth Ennis's comical villain Barracuda. Both men are big size , capable of maiming people but one exception: Jaws is more or less like Non the silent but dangerous man in the Superman movies. In fact the role of Jaws was intended for Jack Halloran who played Non. The metal teeth serves as the "Fuck You" teeth for Barracuda. But Barracuda is an example and the collection of the negative stereotypes of people. In the spin-off, how Barracuda escaped alive from the clutches of the shark was a mystery - until the paperback comes out but I think his escape show is somewhat like how Jaws escaped: he killed a shark and eat its flesh! Test audiences cheered for that guy - like our comic fans do for dear Barracuda!

Punishment Part II: Swindling and Greed

Just came back from a marketing preview. And I had to rush to pack things up and do a little house tidying. I will be going to Ipoh throughout this weekend, which is a monthly habit for me. And this week marks the 100th day and the end of mourning for my granny's death end of last year.

My old man just recovered from an eye surgery two weeks ago following a detection of an early stage of cataract, which is common among the elderly. He was fine and resting back at home. My friend from Singapore, Simon is coming up either next weekend or the week after, so I felt that it would be the best time to go.

In the recent few days, I have encountered things where charges imposed on people are much higher, I mean at a very unfair level, where the actual cost is very low? And people don't enjoy the services rendered with a high cost? Yes, I've seen some cases. Yesterday's lunch was a bomb. A bowl of claypot noodles at a shop within my office block cost $8.00 whereas you can get it at $3.50? That's way out of your mind and mine! What do you benefit from the additional $4.50?

Some fat pigs and punks who run this kind of business don't even pause for a moment, give themselves a thought and look at the soulful eyes of their customers. Were you in the customers shoes, would you feel the same? I would. But charging a little high AND giving customers something unexpected and more that attracts their attention is worth the buck that they paid. But if it's high and you give them a lousy service? You lose your customers, and I mean it.

The last two nights I was in the gym, making myself to exercise at least three times a week. The shopping mall where the gym was located will start charging $1 for the first three hours and another $1 for the subsequent hour for weekdays. But on weekends, it's three times the amount. Can you imagine this? Why would they charge this kind of amount? For them it's only two reasons: one, some people park there the whole day paying $3, making other people coming in unfair, two....make more money I think to compensate for the parking lot extension project.

Okay...that's an acceptable excuse but I think 1 Utama's $1 for 6 hours is a bang for the buck. But here's one thing that I felt it's double practice: The gym that I went to did offer members a free personal training session where you will be trained by a personal trainer. After that, they will bring you in front and start TALKING price. I was told by other people that other franchise gyms say Fitness First offer free personal training sessions and a lower rate. They talk about that and said it 's $1080 for 12 sessions.

How I felt was that it was double standards. I appreciated a trainer's intention to help me improve my body shape - he approached me and asked me about my previous self-approach of exercise. I did on my own and lost 9 kilos in 6 months. But the amount that they charge was way out of my reach as I still have about 5 months of membership fees to be paid off. They want to help me but showed their two-sided face by charging this amount?

The hell with it! I told them that I would consider that ONLY if they give $700 for the 14 lessons. I warned them, that if you don't agree to the offer, they lose a potential customer. Look, Fitness First offers a better training approach to help people. But you charge your people memberships consisting of facilities and services that they enjoy a lot and you STILL charge them for personal training?!

I had a slight pay adjustment in January and I felt that it is time to have a credit limit increase for my credit card that I've applied last year. Unfortunately, I was turned down twice, despite showing enough proof that I am entitled to do so? Is it not enough? Are they looking for more than sufficient? They have incurred my displeasure and I have made sure that those credit card guys get a grilling from me, after a credit card situation where they did not bring the card despite being called to come and collect.

Swindlers.

Tales of greedy people attempting to swindle (a bad) other people's money for their own satisfaction beyond what it should be stopped when it is enough is documented in various fiction stories. Michael Moore would be very proud. In Welcome Back Frank, the first maxi-novel of The Punisher by Garth Ennis, a subplot featuring Mr. Payback a copycat vigilante who champions the middle-class people claims that the corporate and rich people swindle other people's fortunes and their blood by organizing mass strikes, purchasing and manufacturing defective equipment and cheating them by refusing to pay the salaries of the workers. He claims that whereas the others suffered, people on the senior management of those companies allegedly to be involved were the swines, the ones who reaped their loot.


If that is not enough, you should read The Punisher: Barracuda. The premise has Frank Castle going to Miami to stop the Wall Street menace known as Dynaco (modeled after Enron) who has a get-rich quick scheme by withholding parts of electricity generation. By doing this, they hope that the company's premium would go up and they reaped the rewards should the next hurricane hits Florida and in the process, leaving many people homeless, poor and dead.


You might want to the fact when the oil prices hit $78 last July, oil barons / companies of the U.S are the ones who would prosper the most while the other nations had to pay more to buy their supplies of crude oil to power their vehicles! See the point?

Now don't tell me I am starting to become a leftist like Oliver Queen! No, this is what I noticed. Being a man in the Third World nation shows that I have the balanced view between two sides. In the end, we are the ones to suffer.

Matt Murdock thinks that those swindlers to be brought to the court for the appropriate justice to be dished out at them, Frank Castle may think otherwise, but Anniyan's measure is more cruel than ever. A punishment known as Kumbhi Bhagam - sinners fried in a pit of boiling fire alive - exists in the Garuda Purana. It is a punishment where people swindle others. In the film, he kills the railway caterer for serving food worth $5 at the price of $25.

I watched Anniyan sometime ago, with subtitles and caught some part of the scene of the second execution. Here's a snippet:

A: Chicken for the 65 for the minister. What is your name?
C: Chockalingam.
A: Chocka 65 for me. Why didn't you serve good food to customers? You served filthy food after taking 25 rupees. You like mint money don't you?
C: Business is for taking profits! Other people do that!
A: Don't you escape under a pretension of a simple mistake.

Were if Anniyan is out there, everyone is virtually finished. He shapes a place similar to hell, and boils sinners alive. Imagine, if there were 5 million sinners, how would he reach his quota? Ha!

Then again, maybe people who do feel this kind of thing might best to work to get rich and get out of the suffering cycle. After all, with plenty of money comes the freedom. Isn't that rich but wise people would feel? Stephen Pierce, Robert Kiyosaki and even Donald Trump would agree. Maybe we should adapt to their approach.