Damaged

It’s been a really long time since I read a powerful book. One which hits you when you least expect it at your softest spot, producing an effect similar to wanting to cry and throw up at the same time. And after that effect has past, you spend the rest of your living if not sleeping hours reeling from shock and anger, disturbed that it was actually someone’s life story.

Cathy Glass, a foster carer in the UK has looked after more than 50 children over 20 years. Jodie was the most abused and disturbed child she had come across. Only 8 when she was seized from her drug addict mother and alcoholic father by Social Services, Jodie was found to be such a difficult child that she changed 5 carers in 4 months.

On the first day she arrived in Cathy’s home, Jodie defecated in her pants and smeared shit all over her face. The overweight girl with an evil grin like Chucky the doll was violent, rude and bad-tempered. She had no concept of time or place, she had the mental state of a 4-year-old, she lacked co-ordination and basic motor skills.

Cathy uncovered the sinister story behind her psychotic behaviour when she saw Jodie masturbating in the living room, and a few days later, licking between the naked legs of her life-size doll. When Cathy wanted to take a photo of Jodie for record purposes, Jodie asked if she should remove her clothes.

Jodie cut herself on the first night and smeared her blood all over herself. On most nights she woke up many times screaming and crying, claiming people were watching her. Sometimes she laid there rock stiff, pupils dilated as if she was possessed. Sometimes she hallucinated, kicked and shouted, vomitted and lost control of her bowels.

She spoke to her imaginary friends and later took on different personalities. Sometimes she spoke in a baby voice, a deep manly voice, or an angry housewife tone. She refused to interact with anyone and hated people for looking at her.

Jodie was the victim of sexual abuse probably when she was still a toddler. She was raped repeatedly by her father, uncle, grandfather and other friends and family members. Her mother and the women inserted objects into her privates. Everyone watched and laughed when this was going on. She was photographed. And then she was given toys. CAT scans revealed that parts of her brain were damaged probably as a result of being hit as an infant. This resulted in her slow mental development.

This was a girl who was on Social Services’ at-risk register since childbirth, yet nobody came to her rescue when she was being abused repeatedly by her own family, whom are part of a paedophile ring.

Toward the end of her time with Cathy, Jodie displayed signs of mental breakdown. She stayed in bed for long periods. She was eventually transferred to a therapeutic unit to receive help.

I cannot get this story out of my head, mainly because of Jodie’s really psychotic behaviour as a result of the horrible extent of abuse she had gone through.

The role of parents is to protect their young, not prey on them. If wild beasts can play by that rule, it really disturbs me to see that we as intellectually developed humans can’t.

Damaged by Cathy Glass is available at major bookstores at S$19.30. Cathy Glass is also the author of Hidden

Miss C

Jumper

Movie Review

JUMPER 

Jumper Trailer 

Alright, time for another movie review by yours truly. Jumper, is about individuals with the ability to teleport to anywhere in the world. That would be fun wouldn’t it? You could have breakfast in Paris, lunch in Taxas, dinner down under, and still be home in time to catch soccer on TV. Defiantly, a cool power to have.

Unfortunately, this movie does not live up to its hype. If you watch the trailer, thats basically the whole story wrapped up in 2 and a half minutes. The only reason that would make you stay in your seat, is that you just wanna see how the hero beats the bad guy and saves the day. And thats about it actually.

This movie could have been better, as I was expecting more due to the hype. But effects were really cool. Samuel L. Jackson is as good as ever. Hayden Christenson, who also played Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars episode 2 and 3, gave a borderline performance in my opinion. Some of his dialog felt monotonous but not as bad as Josh Harnet in “30 Days of Night”

So final verdict, Jumper is a movie with a very simple generic storyline that jumps straight into the action.

3 out of 5 jump scars. (You’ll know what jump scars are when you watch the show)

Reviewed by – Mike aka Adam

Woman Empowerment

Who says women are weaker than man? Yes, some of us may be physically weaker than man but that doesn’t mean that we are weaker emotionally and mentally too. Below are some of the women I will feature who have made a difference in the world.

Benazir Bhutto

 

She is a Pakistani politician and is the first woman to be elected to lead a Muslim State. Bhutto was sworn in for the first time in 1988 at the age of 35, but was removed from office 20 months later under the order of then-president Ghulam Ishaq Khan on grounds of alleged corruption. In 1993 Bhutto was re-elected but was again removed in 1996 on similar charges, this time by President Farooq Leghari. Bhutto went into self-imposed exile in Dubai in 1998.She returned to Pakistan on October 18  2007 in which she prepared herself for the 2008 national elections. She was killed on December 27, 2007 by a gunman. She is married with three children.

Oprah Gail Winfrey

She is a multiple Emmy award winning host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the highest-rated talk show in television history. She is also an influential book critic, an Academy Award nominated actress and a magazine publisher. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century, and the world’s only black billionaire for three straight years. She was born in rural poverty but her determination and past life has made her become a succesful woman. Winfrey was called “arguably the World’s most powerful woman” by some of the medias. She opened up an Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. The academy is for gifted girls with disadvantaged backgrounds but full of leadership qualities.

Angelina jolie Voight

 

She is an American film actor whom is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN refugee agency. Divorced from actors Johnny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, Jolie now lives with actor Brad Pitt and three adopted children from the 3^rd world countries, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, as well as a biological daughter, Shiloh. Jolie has promoted humanitarian causes throughout the world, and is noted for her work with refugees through UNHCR(United Nations .High Commissioner for Refugees.

 And last but not least….

Wonder Woman

 

She is a fictional character created by William Moulton Marston and is continuously published by DC Comics. Wonder Woman is a founding member of the Justice League. Known as princess Diana in her own world, she has many powerful weapons but her signature weapon were her indestructible bracelet and Lasso of Truth. Marston had quote, “Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who should, I believe, rule the world.” Therefore, Wonder Woman has been a great example and representative for us woman to the whole wide world. 

Blogged by Domino