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Title: Law Abiding Citizen
Language: English
Starring: Gerald Butler and Jamie Foxx
Clyde (Gerald Butler) is a super intelligent person with a wife and a 10-year-old kid. One day a couple of crooks break into his house and brutally murders his wife and daughter. Nick (Jamie Foxx) is the assistant district attorney who is handling the case. Due to lack of pressing evidence he strikes a deal with one of the captured murderer and gets him to testify against the other murderer. The second murderer is given death sentence while the one who testified walks away with 10 years RI. Clyde is not happy with it. In fact he is not happy with the entire legal system. He vows to bring the legal system to its knees.
After 10 years when the murderer is released, Clyde brutally murders him. He cuts him alive into 25 pieces and tapes the entire execution. Nick and the police department together figure out that Clyde is the murder and arrest him. But they don’t have any hard evidence against him and they need his confession. The real game starts now. Clyde makes a series of demands in exchange of his confession and other odd requirements in Jail. Nick and the DA’s office yield to his demands only to find more bodies to bag. Clyde continues to stage the murder of prominent people in the Philadelphia legal system and he proves to be unstoppable, though he is in jail. Nick looses all his colleagues to Clyde’s carnage and he tries really hard to figure out how Clyde manages to carry out the murders from within the cell walls.
The plot of the movie is wonderfully woven to give a gripping experience. The story questions the legal system of USA, but it’s quite valid for many other countries too. But with such a weak system in place, how to mend it? The answer isn’t there in the movie climax. Instead the climax is very cinematic and totally absurd. But all credit goes to Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx who work perfect against each other. They have moulded themselves into the characters they play. Jamie Foxx as a prejudiced lawyer and Gerald Butler as an intelligent con murderer with lots of vengeance and a point to make, have clearly played their roles to pinnacle.
This movie is worth a watch, but the climax can be skipped. Be warned that the movie has a lot of brutal violence.
gAdvice: Watch it… jump the climax
gRate: 3.5/5
I would like to introduce, Gowri Shenbagaraman. Hostel and College days brought us together and life from then on, stuck us together for ever. Gowri is an MBA professional, graduated from TAPMI with specialization in Human Resource. He is in Zambia working for Konkola Copper Mines, a part of The Vedanta Group of Companies.
The following is a travelogue, as penned by him based on his experience from his recent visit to South Africa.
Myself, my wife Laxmi and parents visited Cape Town & oudtshorn in SA on Nov 09. Our first stop was Cape Town,”The mother city” widely considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world and a must see for any visitor to this part of the world.
The first things that hits you as you move into cape town is whether you have taken a wrong flight and landed somewhere in Europe, yes it is completely a white dominated area. As you travel into the city from airport “We can’t wait, Lets Go 2010” boards dot the skyline showing SAs much advanced preparation for 2010 trying to do a Beijing 08 out here. Infact in FIFA 2010 ,it is pride of Africa that is at stake and all African countries are upbeat about that with record 6 African teams participating and Ghana and Ivory Coast having a chance to cause major upsets.
We stayed at a place called Camps Bay .Most accommodations here are self catering .I realized later why it became like that. The first day morning mother woke us up to see that majestic table mountain right next to our place. Cape Town is actually a peninsula. Table Mountain is the one that adds additional beauty to this city compared to other sea side cities. This mountain bisects the city and wherever you go you could see the mountain staring in front of you. (Remember Newlands Cricket stadium) .Much of the Porsche localities are nestled in between the mountain and the Atlantic. We first went to camps bay beach called as the “Other LA”… the best beach in the city with lot of places to hangout. We took the Hop on Hop off Bus and there we had our first look at this beautiful city. We were bowled over by the beauty. May be had we visited Europe or US before the excitement could have been less. For the next 15 Kms or so, with Atlantic on one side,sea side, joggers, pet dogs, surfers, swimmers along the entire coast and beautiful resorts and cottages dotting the other side. Unlike India though there is commercial exploitation they have done it beautifully hence converted all olden houses into modern accommodations without altering the skyline. Then I got to see what I have been waiting for , The green point Stadium, right next to the sea , the Venue where I will be coming to see the Quarter finals next years. FIFA has gone on record that this would be the most spectacular foot ball stadium in the world for its superb location.
So far I have checked 3 hatchback and I was not completely satisfied with any of them. Either it was the high price or the low spec that kept them at bay. Maruthi Suzuki Swift is one of the most common hatchback you can find in Indian roads. It’s no more a car that can make heads turn. But the design of the car is such that, it can be modified and pimped up to make heads turn. Maruthi cars in India have been a success story from day one. There is a Maruthi authorized service center in almost every part of the country and even a basic car mechanic can fix the car in minutes. No other car manufacturer has studied the pulse of the nation and its roads, like Maruthi Suzuki has mastered. Most of their cars have a good resale value and buying a Maruthi is a very safe bet. My Dad’s first car was Maruthi 800. It was an integral part of our family. The tag line “India comes home in Maruthi”and that advertisement connects with us as much as it connects with any Indian family.
A Maruthi is already parked in our garage. It’s a Maruthi Swift Dzire VDi, the sedan version of Maruthi Swift. This car is totally awesome and its the best value for money one can get in Indian Automotive market. But we already have a Maruthi, and I was reluctant to get another Swift into the house. With much reluctance and with not much options left, I called for a Test drive. The local dealer got the Demo car. It was a Swift VDi version and I expected it to have all the features of the Swift dZire VDi. But it doesn’t come with the integrated Audio system like the one in dZire. Plus there were a few other minor features missing.
I don’t have anything new to talk about the Swift. But this particular Demo car was an aging horse. It was not maintained well and it didn’t give me the driving pleasure unlike my year old Swift dZire. So I sent away the car and called up a friend who owns the Swift, but the petrol version. After driving it around, I felt that I must definitely drive a diesel version, if at all I have to choose a Swift. The driving experience in a petrol version Swift is much different than the diesel version.
Still waiting to test drive a Diesel Swift and the decision is more likely to be in favor of Maruthi.
Choosing the right treadmill from a market infested with Asian and European imports can be quite a tough task. The dealer is not to be relied upon. He would want to push the product off the shelf and to do that he will bluff all he can. So, How do you know which one is right for you?
Budget
First stop, the wallet. If you can afford around 10k for a tread mill, go for a manual tread mill. But manual tread mills are recommended only for slow/brisk paced walking. Never jog or run on a manual tread mill. On the long span, your knees and back joints are susceptible to injury if you do so. Never go for treadmills with rollers in them.
If you can extend your budget to 25k, then a basic motorized model would fit in the bill. Motorized treadmills can be used for walking, jogging or running. If budget is not a concern, the options are limitless. Home user Treadmills are available in the market starting from 25k to 2Lakh.
The difference between the basic models and the advanced models are basically more HP motor, more programs and brand value. But if you are going to spend only about 30 minutes or so on a treadmill and looking for the basic body fitness, the basic model is your match. If you are a professional athlete, actor or a multi-millionaire go for the top end models.
But if you are not willing to spend, you have better options. Hit the Gym nearby or strap the shoes on and go for outdoor workouts. Nothing can match the fresh morning air and the natural way to workout.
Finding the best match
Make sure you walk for a while on the machine before you choose it. Look out for comfortable placement of hand bars, low noise at high speed, smooth and non-jerky operation and a stable base. A fold-able model is good for easy storage. But be sure it has a soft-drop during unfolding. Free drop unfolds can be risky in a house where children are around, plus its aesthetic to have a pneumatic drop. These machines are not manufactured in India, but the parts are imported and assembled in India. Check the sturdiness and finishing of the entire frame. Test walk / jog before you swipe that plastic.
Be it the basic model or the advanced model, what is it that one must look for in a treadmill?
Running Area:
Basic models typically tend to have lesser running area. For safety reason, its advised to have a minimum or 16″ width and 45″ length in the running area. Any treadmill which has less than 42″ length is not advisable for high speed jogging.
Motor:
A D.C. motor is less noisy and a continous power of minimum 1.5HP/2HP is a must. If the pamphlet tells you that the machine can carry upto 90 kg and you weigh around 70kg, don’t assume that this would suffice. While jogging, gravity acts along with your body weight and the load may go beyond 90 kg for a person weighing 70 kg. An average male would need atleast 120kg load supporting motor. Choose a motor that and carry 40% more than your stable weight.
Warranty and Support:
Most dealers don’t provide warranty for the roller mat. So check for the replacement’s price. Roller mats are durable and long standing, but incase the rats decide to get naughty or you cousin wears a spike shoes on it, you could end up paying a fortune (4k-8k) for the replacement. Look for a dealer who provides atleast 2 years warranty on the motor and console. Check for service and again don’t rely on the dealer’s promise. Check out user reviews and ask around the neighborhood. Its advisable to buy from dealer who deals exclusively on Gym and Sports equipments.
Good to have:
Its good to have a heart/pulse reader and a Body fat calculator in the console. Speed must be adjustable in steps. For instance, you must be able to jump down from 8km/hr to 3km/hr instantly. Gradual decreasing of speed would be difficult when you want the machine to slow down during vigorous workouts. Automatic motorized elevation is a good to have feature. But it come along with increase in the price tag.
And last but not the least, haggle a lot. These machines are not made in India. They don’t have an MRP and the price is usually set by the dealer for a higher profit margin. Get quotes and specifications from multiple dealers before you decide on a single dealer. Bargain and the dealers may knock off 20-30% from the initial quoted price.
*PEx – Personal Experience
