Saturday, February 7, 2009

Facing the Hypocricy of Men

The other day, I was talking to a male acquaintance whose one-time girlfriend had been a friend of mine, which I had been aware of ended because he refused to get married after three years of being together. He was complaining to me of how his house had been turned into a “base” by his friends, and how he never had any moments of peace any longer, and how he was wondering what to do about the situation. I remarked that perhaps, he ought to get married.

“who needs a woman?” was his reply. “I don’t know anyway. I don’t have the time to be attached to any woman Emotional attachment divides a man’s heart, and God did not create man with two heart.”
“So what do you intend to do?” I asked.
I don’t know, I just know that I have to do something” he replied.
“do you have househelp?” I asked again.
“yes, but a househelp is no good. He can’t stop them from storming my place. Perhaps, I’ll just get a woman to live with me.”
“As a wife?” I asked him.
“No, just a live – if she’s lucky.”
I didn’t say anything to that. I gave him a murderous look, quickly said good-bye and walked away. I was so furious.
Why are men such Hypocrites? Why do they have to adopt this love em- and –leave-em- attitude? I have since found out the answer. It is because they are afraid; afraid of how much power the women really have over them. The power that women can wield over them if they stay long enough.
You hear a man brag to his friend of how he is keeping a particular woman. Asked him if she is to be his wife and he will shout. “What for?”
Some other time, you hear another bachelor boy say to his friend, “Boy you needs to get married-o; this kin life no fit continue.” Why does he need a wife? Bed partner? Housemaid? Housekeeper? All these he can get without getting married. The simple truth is he can’t take care of himself. He needs someone to do that for him. His friends can’t do that for him, because they are men like himself, same sides of a coin. Only woman can, with her patience, strength of character, her terrific reserves of determination, her power. Whether they admit it or not, men like to be bossed by their mothers, their wives, their mistresses, their girlfriends.
Men! They are such contradictory human beings. They yell one thing and want another. It was a man who said: “Many of us men are Narcissist by nature, we want to have access to other people’s privacy and yet make ours top secret.”
Men are such pathetic pest. They are always calling women weak, dumb, chicken-brained etc. the fact is, that is the way they’d prefer women to be. They can’t handle strong women. When the women refuse to be suppressed, they label them bitches. The fact is men are the dumb ones. They realize that and fight it. The effort turns them into hypocrites. Putting up macho-images, Facades all! Underneath the layers there’s nothing but vanity, fickleness. That’s just what they are. Empty!
What does a man prove by “capturing” a girl, insisting on knowing her every move, then suddenly dropping her after years of being kept prisoner. He goes on to another, saying she’s not what he wants. What pride is there for you men to have up to six different girls call on you in a day? What does a man prove by marrying thirty-eight women in fifteen years? If God had intended to create women as games of soccer for men, he would have moulded us in the shape of footballs.
Everywhere you go, you encounter cases of male chauvinism. Men trying to assert themselves, trying to impose themselves on women. You hear a man say, “A man has got to be a man”. To prove what? Male superiority over the female? Men sternly oppose the idea of giving a woman free hand because thy see it as equivalent to surrendering the so-called Male superiority. Most Nigerian men are conservative. They believe they must be the bosses where women are involved.
Teel me, what you would think of a woman, abandon and in the depths of distress, who did not try to get herself out of such a state of affairs. You would say she was a moron. We know of so many families who couldn’t have survived today if not for the women who had to take drastic action to salvage the situation. There was once a story in one of the news dailies about a woman who had to collect bones and castaway of meat from the butchers to feed her family. There are many cases of women who had to raise up their kids single-handedly because the men had scurried off in times of hardship, chickened out. Women have more resilience, more strength than most men.
We have heard of the maximum-“stand firmly by what you believe is right.” Tell me how many men who have poor suffering relatives in the villages, but spend their money trying to impress unsuspecting young ladies in the cities; who would go to great pains to cater for the needs of a girlfriend rather than pay thy fees of a younger brother. I can hear some guilty men arguing, “But it’s the young ladies that harass the men into giving in,” isn’t it the men who always brag, “There are many fishes in the sea?” shouldn’t their reasoning prevail over by a woman, it proves he’s the dumb one.
Talk about the uncompromising feminist enjoying her liberation from the “chauvinistic Adams.” And the men claiming they can’t. when a woman tries to assert herself, to demand that the relationship for once goes her way, on her own terms, the man cannot handle that. He screams, “Frustrated bitch.”
I have found out one thing. A man may be able to help you find happiness, for a very short while, at the end of which you’ll realize, when you weigh your loss, that the bad and the ugly were much more than the good.
The truth is: a man feels his masculinity is affronted “if the woman has the upper hand, his inadequacies would be expose”.
I once read somewhere, “if what men fear is that women might succumb to their masculine attraction, why did they not institute veils for themselves?

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Prostate Cancer: How Frequent Do You Urinate At Night ? - Health

As bosom cancer is common in women above 45 years of age, so is prostate cancer in men above the age of 60. Prostate cancer is a disease which affects only men and it affects the prostate -- a gland in the male reproductive system. Statistics by the National Cancer Registry estimate that one out of six men in the world will be diagnosed with prostate cancer before their golden jubilee. Though statistics on this cancer is lacking in Nigeria, experts say the incidence is increasing. So, there are odds that one could have a father, grandfather, husband, brother or friend living with this disease at any time. But the cheering news is that, experts say, it is preventable and treatable when detected early before irreversible damage has been done to the prostate. Why should men be worried about this cancer? Apart from the fact that it affects their sexuality, it can also send the victim to an early grave. Early detection is a challenge here, as many men are not likely to see their doctor unless it's an emergency. But this may be dangerous, doctors advise. Indeed, physicians say there is an appreciable increase in the number of men being diagnosed with this disease. A consultant urologist, Dr. Sam Adeleke, says unlike in the past when only old men were diagnosed with the disease, doctors now see younger men with prostate cancer, hence, men of all ages must watch out. Adeleke states that many men would die without even knowing they had the disease, as it usually has no symptoms. A few lucky ones may experience the warning signs, especially those at the advanced stages, physicians say. Experts say the following factors may increase your risk of getting prostate cancer and advise that if four of these eight factors apply to you, then you must see a doctor to erase all doubts. Being Black Black men have the highest rate of prostate cancer diagnosis and death in the world, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, United States of America. "Worse, black men seem to get more severe form, are more likely to have the cancer come back after treatment and are more likely to die of this disease," Dr. Jane Worthington says. She recommends tests every year, starting at age 40. Family History A man is twice as likely to get the disease if he has one first-degree relative -- father, brother, son -- with a history of it, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The risk goes up if more relatives are affected, Worthington says. She states, "It may be as high as 50 per cent if three family members (father and two brothers, for example) have had it, if it occurs in three generations (grandfather, father, son) or if two relatives developed it younger than 55 years old." And don't forget the women in the family. The expert adds that prostate cancer risk can be inherited from the mother's family as well. So, ask about your maternal family history. Being over 50 The older the man, the higher his risk. "In men between 40-49, the risk of developing prostate cancer is one in 50," Worthington says. From 60-79, it's one in seven. But don't wait till you are 60 before you take a PSA test. "Prostate cancer screening should start at age 40," Worthington notes. Heavy Weight Being overweight or obese is a prostate cancer risk, according to many studies. Researchers found that men who put on extra weight in their 20s and 30s face a higher risk. "A study by the American Cancer Society found that men with a BMI greater than 30 were 20-25 per cent were more likely to die of prostate cancer than thinner men," Worthington warns. Experts believe that too much body fat throws off the body's normal production of insulin and testosterone, which may fuel growth of prostate cancer cells. But that's not just the fear of prostate cancer here, as too much belly fat and a high-fat diet can also raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Fatty Foods Eating fatty and fried food is also a problem. "Dietary fat may not only help cause prostate cancer, but it may also affect the way it progresses -- how fast cancer cells proliferate, their ability to spread and the body's ability to fight off this invasion," Worthington explains. Foods high in saturated fats, especially from animal products such as red meat and dairy, appear to be the worst dietary trigger for prostate cancer, Worthington says. Smoking Cigarette smoking gives cancer cells a comfy place to grow, Worthington says. "Research doesn't yet show that smoking causes prostate cancer, but it has proven that a nicotine habit can help it grow faster and more aggressively. Tell him to stop smoking now," Worthington advises. Urinary Troubles "If he gets up frequently in the middle of the night to urinate, he could have problems with his prostate," Adeleke counsels. This is because the urethra, the tube that carries urine and Fluid, runs right through the middle of the prostate like a straw, experts say. Urinary troubles often signal benign prostatic hyperplasia -- a non-cancerous enlargement of the gland that's common in men older than 40. Still, any changes in urination -- including pain, weak flow, difficulty starting or stopping, frequent night time urination, or blood in the urine or Fluid -- should be evaluated by a doctor. Painful Bowel Movement Because the prostate lives on the other side of the rectal wall, prostate enlargement or cancer can often cause pain during a bowel movement. This, along with a bloody stool, may also be a symptom of colorectal cancer.