NOT-SO-NEW CLASS OF CRIMINALS - Ivan’s Journal

There are people, who believe that one cannot be a good cop, if he does not know how it feels to be a criminal. It is obvious that in order to understand how other people think, we have to put ourselves in their shoes.

I used to think that criminals are simple. We just have to figure out what they are after. If they are too hungry, they will kill for foods. If they are obsessed about something, they will kill for money. Unfortunately, Batman had the same opinion. But Alfred the butler had different things in mind, “Perhaps he is a man you don’t fully understand either”. Alfred’s wise words make me realize that I do not understand what’s dwelling inside other people’s heads.

What I mean by “Criminals” includes also people who do bad things to others and also their surroundings (not just people in prisons that do serious crimes). Believe it or not, some people are proud to be criminals. Some people even try to set new records in committing crimes. They did things not based on any judgment. Like a dog chasing cars, they do not know what to do with it if they caught one. They just “do” things.

So you don’t need to be a Batman just to understand, that some people are just proud to be criminals – They cannot be bullied… They cannot be reasoned with… Some people just love to watch the world burned.

It is a pity. The fact is – it is not only “the Joker”. But we have LOTS of Jokers running around in this world.

Usually, it does not matter how people think. The real matter is, “What are the impacts caused by their thoughts ?”

Ivan the Freelancer

HE IS HERE... I SMELL HIM - Ivan’s Journal

Many women said that they can tolerate men who are broke, short, fat and even ugly. But there is one thing that women cannot stand about their men – which is, if they smell like dead fishes in the market. Believe it or not, women value aroma higher than they value money. But if you say that “materialistic” women do not care about “the smell” of their lovers, than you probably right. That’s simply because materialistic women never kiss their men – but only their money.

Recently I found an interesting fact about perfumes in a marketing seminar held in Ritz Carlton Hotel. The fact said that women like to try different perfumes far more often than men. Women like to try or experiment different perfume’s brand or aroma, while men usually stick and loyal to one perfume brand they like. The fact also said that men do not need to change their perfume (or their body aroma), as long as their women love it.

I’m not saying that every man should groom themselves to become like women. But one conclusion about this fact is that you should be happy if a woman compliments or even complains about how you smell. It means she has an interest on you – or at least, pays attention to you. If she never compliments or complains about how you look and smell, than maybe she only concerns about your money.

Ivan the Freelancer

BEING DIFFERENT

If only we can choose our own identity, or where and when we are born, than maybe we can be whoever we want to be. People cannot choose their skin and blood color. Whether you are born in the west or the east does not make you any more superior than others.

Is being different really necessary? Why people tend to consider anything different as a threat? The reason we are constantly at war, is maybe because we cannot accept the fact that we are all different.

Like John Lennon said in his “Imagine” song, “You may say I’m a dreamer… But I’m not the only one…”

Ivan the Freelancer

YOU AND YOURSELF

What is real and what is not? It is hard to tell, especially in this cyber era. Life is dangerous… That is true and that is why surrogates are invented. We can be anyone we want to be – men/women, tall/short, long/short hairs, white/black skin – anything you can think of… We can run our daily life “risk-free”, physically and virtually… Perfect… Human perfection – What could go wrong?

The problem occurs when it becomes a lifestyle… and lifestyle causes addiction – anything that you cannot live without. You cannot resist yourself from hiding behind your so-called-perfect surrogates. It is the “you” that is not actually you. So the people will wonder, is that really you? The most important thing in this life is getting trust from other people – which is not gonna happen if you are covering yourself with surrogates.

Lying to other people is one thing, but lying to yourself is another. By hiding your true self, you are denying yourself and living in a lie. Nevertheless, people will find out about your true identity and who you really are anyway. A happy man is the one who truly satisfied with himself or herself.

Come to think of it, we are already living our life as “half-surrogates” by now – by hiding behind our BlackBerry, the Internet, chat rooms and other cyber stuffs. But who gives a shit? It is fun… isn’t it?

As long as we are still remain as humans who depend only on ourselves.

Ivan the Freelancer

REVENGE IS “NOT” SWEET

People do nice things to others…Yes, that is natural. People also do bad things to others… Yes, that is “also” natural. There are people in this world who feel that certain people need to be taught a lesson. They think that certain people need to be taught some manners. Yes, they have their own agenda and some of them even live with hatred and urges for revenge for whole their life.

Blood for blood – soul for soul… Maybe that was “the thoughts” Benjamin Barker had in mind when he returned to London. Clouded by rage and vengeance, he was determined to seek revenge upon Judge Turpin – the evil man who was responsible for Barker’s miserable lives. He became another person – He became Sweeney Todd with totally new character and attitudes. But the question was… was it worth it?

There are only two kinds of people in this world – People with the ability to love and people with the ability to hate. Love and hate can emerge at the same time. They can also be mixed up. Bearing a grudge is painful, although most people have no choice. Bearing a grudge makes us become like the living dead. We cannot think clearly, we loose our feelings – and above all, we loose our conscience.

People are doomed since they loose the ability to love. So if you can never forget and can never forgive – just make sure you still have “love” – or the ability to love.










Ivan the Freelancer

RESPECTED OR FEARED

There is one quality that is desired by all men in this world – Power. Among those powerful men in the world, there are those who are respected or those who are feared. The Untouchables showed clear examples of both. Eliot Ness from the police force was assigned to bring down one of the most powerful man to justice, Al Capone.

With all previous attempts failed to take Capone down, Ness realized that he was cornered because almost all parts of the city were bribed and controlled by Capone. Ness found he could not trust anyone, until he met Jim Malone, an incorruptible police, who was driven away from the corps.

Malone taught Ness a very important lesson. “If you do not want to get rotten apples, don’t get them from the barrels. Get them straight from the trees.” With half of the city police corrupted, Ness and Malone had to recruit their team from the new candidates who are still trained. They are rookies, but still fresh and clean. Since then, Ness had the right people on board to bring down Capone.

Be thankful if you are still fresh and clean, because you still have a chance to be respected. Be careful not to choose apples from the barrels, but choose them straight from the trees. Evil triumphs only because they are feared – for they can never be respected.

Whether being respected or feared, it all depends on what you do and how you do things to others. Ness and Capone built their power and reputation through different paths. A man cannot be respected and feared at the same time.

So, what kind of a man are you? Respected or feared?

Ivan the Freelancer

HUMANITY AND ALIENITY

Whether you are welcomed or not in this world, are not yours to decide. Like I said, this world is not fair – and it will never be. There are many facts proved that we are not alone in this universe. One huge alien ship was stranded and hovering aimlessly above the city of Johannesburg. They did not do anything and we came prepared and bashed our way into their doors.

Then we found groups of Aliens. They don’t look too good. They look unhealthy, confused, scared and disoriented. Well, what would you expect? They are stranded in our “strange” place – far away from home. Unable to go home, they are forced to take refuge in slums area below their ship.

But what do we do to them? We overrun them with terrors. We make them target practices. Even worse, we make experiments out of them. We are curious about their organs, weapons and technologies. Instead of communicating with them in civilized manners, we took them by force. We humans tend to look at something different as threats. We are even terrorizing and exploiting our own kind too.

What have we humans become? We are losing our humanity. Some people said that this is a social issue. But I said simply because we have lost the ability to accept and understand – that we are all different and not perfect. Differences are supposed to be respected and united. Differences are supposed to bring people together to live in harmony. But then again, maybe because we are not perfect, so this world will never be either.

Wikus Van De Merwe is the man who truly understands about being deserted and not welcomed. Being infected by the alien’s DNA, he became the most wanted man on Earth. Everybody wants a piece of him – simply because he is different. No place for him, but in District 9.

Sometimes we will never know… What it feels like… How it feels like… Until we become one of them…

Ivan the Freelancer