Questionaire

Age? 19
Sex? Female
What is your degree subject (both if joint)? Religious Studies and Philosophy
Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking? It has been my favourite subject that I have taken throughout the year. I learnt quite alot from it and I would definately do it again.
If so, how? And if not, why not?
Have you found ‘Being Bad’ too demanding, too easy, or at an appropriate level? I have found the module to be at an appropriate level. I believe that the blogging requires commitment by the student and so it is a good way of marking a student. The lectures varied in the level in which they were approriate, some being better than others, however, overall I thought it was fine.
Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate? I liked the variety of topics covered in the module. There were certain topics that surprised me and challenged my views on things, but I have made this obvious in my blog.
Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included? I would think that Reality T.V or Fox Hunting would a good subjects.
Do you think that the format for classes has worked well? I think the variety of lecture topics worked well, but I didn't like the change of lecturer every week. I think I would of learnt better with one lecturer or a couple teaching the entire module.
What did you think of the module team? See above.
Do you think it would have been better to have had more:
Small group discussions? Not in our particular group, as it just allowed people to go off topic, rather than focusing on the lecture topic.
Discussion and debate among the class as a whole? I felt that there was plenty of this, especially as people got more confident towards the end. I enjoyed listening to what others had to say and recording my own thoughts.
Information and talk from lecturers? I didn't get many handouts, especially from the lectures that were towards the end of the module. I like hand outs as they review the progress. I would of liked more of these.
The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module? Yes, as it adds variety.
Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea? I thought this particular module was good, I wouldnt like to comment on others. But from this experience...yes I do.
Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module? Yes, as it allowed me to hear views from outside of my specific philosophy course.
Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter? Yes.
Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2? Most definatly.
Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend? I already have. Many actually.
Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea? I have throughly enjoyed doing my blog, so much so, I am going to continue writing in it when the blog has been archived. I have also created another blog in my blogger account to record my feelings. I thought they were a great way to test the commitment of students, because you could not post more than once a day. Great Idea!
What did you think of the other assessments (e.g. would it be better to have one longer assessment rather than two shorter ones?)? I would of prefered a longer assessment due in at the middle of the course. As our blog date conflicts with the hand in date for the second assessment as well as the rest of my pieces for the Religious Studies modules. I found it difficult to compress all my informationand opinions into a small assignment.
What have you learned from the module? I have learnt to challenge my morals, and reflect on what I believe.
What parts of the module have you found most useful and why? --
What parts do you think were a waste of time and why? Bad Comedians. I couldn't relate to it at all. I didn't know any of the comedians that were being spoken about.

Comment 10

http://sof-ph1000beingbad.blogspot.com/2009/05/graffiti.html

I agree with what Sophia is saying in this blog post; graffiti can be an expression of talent, however in most cases in is the perfect form of vandalism.

Graffiti is especially predominant on the railway lines, and many of the run down factories and buildings have been tagged by various groups/gangs. She is also right in stating the cost, as graffiti does cost the government thousands of pounds every year to get right.

I think a solution to a vandalism problem like like would to have special areas were graffiti is allowed to happen. For example; a skate park near my old house was legally allowed to be sprayed.

Graffiti is an art - not not when it is attached with gang culture.

Comedians

Despite what anybody says; some jokes are offensive.

Of course, the majority of jokes can be funny, however there are a selection of 'jokes' which are out of order or that some people may find hurtful.

I personally feel that the phase 'only joking' can often lead to justification, despite the phase being said purposefully, and it meaning to offend. This is especially prominent when jokes are racist, sexist or a direct attack on an individual.

I cannot say that I am innocent in this crime...I have used the excuse 'only joking' many times before, when I saw the reactions of the others around me.

Perhaps we make jokes about other people to hide our own insecurities? And a popular argument that surrounds the telling of ethic jokes, is that we tell them to dismiss the worlds problems and pass them onto someone else. Humour is produced by the experience of a felt incongruity between our expectations and what really happens in the joke.

Jokes by definition aren't true, so should we censor comedy?

I do not believe that comedy should be restricted in any way, but I do believe that people should be more considerate when making jokes about certain individuals. If a joke consists of a matter of opinion then it cannot be offensive, but instead, a work of journalism.

But... jokes can be considered when they are based on unfair stereotypes and they often reinforce the status-quo.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/246559/good_comedian_bad_comedy.html?cat=40

Comment 9

http://banana-herpes.blogspot.com/2009/05/referees-wr.html

Football Hooligans.

A topic I wouldn't of even considered if I hadn't of moved to Wolverhampton. Every game is the same, whether we win or we lose, some people will always find something to fight about.

And in my opinion...it's pathetic.

Whether it's the men trying to impress the ladies or whatever... it has to stop.

I agree with Dale on some of the points that he has outlined here, and I believe that any form of violence that is associated with football ruins the game for others.

Violence within football has began to give it a reputation... Maybe my opinion comes from that fact that I'm a women and I hate football... but guys... seriously... would you break my nose if I beat you at Monopoly or Scrabble? The answer is...No, of course you wouldn't, because that would be pointless and immature, as well as making you look like some primitive ape.

Violence associated within football is very BAD and it angers me.

So next time you feel like kicking someone in the shins, because your team is shit...

Consider how others will perceive you.

It's a game.

Sexual Deviance

Sometimes I find it a little disturbing, when I walk into Ann Summers and see the kinky whips and chains hung on the back wall. I think to myself...why would anyone want to hit and punish their partner as part of foreplay.

I'd be too embarrassed, personally. But, people must find it sexually stimulating, otherwise they wouldn't sell these types of leather-bound sex toys.

I do find it interesting as to why we feel this way about certain sexual deviance's in society today, because other forms of what can be considered as 'bad' behaviour is considered the 'norm' - such as drugs, smoking and hooligans.

I want to relate this post to something in particular, which was splashed over the papers quite recently. You will find the particular story here:

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/287046/Location-star-Kirstie-Allsopp-rents-out-cottage-near-SampM-dungeon-owned-by-Ms-Demmimdashreal-name-Nicola-Brown-in-Welcombe-Mouth.html

After reading the article I was shocked by the way the newspaper reported it, rather than focusing on the actual 'problems' faced by the community.

Yes, in Ann Summers it is limp and lifeless, and we can sometimes, find it a little disturbing.

But when it is plastered over our tabloids like this, we seem to feel less inclined to use or think about it.

I see nothing wrong with the use of S&M and as long as people perform acts associated with this type of hardcore sex indoors I do not believe that it is bad or wrong in any way. However, I feel that all people that are participating in this type of love making should have given their consent prior to any violent act.

Alcohol

We have all been subjected to its powers and often controlled by them, yet we all fall back into the same trap. Basically, we all love alcohol. We love confidence that we ooze when we have had a couple of units, for example; I found my partner whilst under the influence. We love the way it allows us to relax and forget that bad day at work. We even love the way it acts as an aphrodisiac.And most of the time we choose to ignore the deadly consequences which also lurk beneath the confidence and carefree attitudes. Take drink driving for example, or sclerosis of the liver.On average 3,000 people a year are killed in drink drive collisions. [http://www.drinkdrivingfacts.com/drinkdriving/drink_driving_facts.aspx]

And children as young as 12 or 13 are hanging around in the streets consuming large amounts of alcohol, which will damage their livers and increase their chances of heart failure in the 'long run', yet in todays society this is seen as 'normal' or 'acceptable'.

Surely this is bad.

Gambling...

I am very fond of those memories, in which I was given £1 in 2ps by my grandma and told I could only spend them in the pier. And didn't see that blowing this £1 on the 2p slot machines as a bad thing.

I would never, however play on the 10p ones. I had learnt from my peers that the 10p slot machines stole your money. Of course, I know now that ALL slot machines steal your money, whether they are 2p machines or 10p machines.

If gambling is bad, I guess I must be a bad person. I visit the races quite frequently and I bet. I place two bets on the Grand National every year, and this year I won around £24, off the £2 I put on.

Granted, I don't bet thousands, but that shouldn't matter. I actually place the bet - and according to this post - that is what is "bad".

I am not ashamed that I am a member of the Gala Casino in Wolverhampton.

I will say... Gambling can be bad when it becomes an addiction, and starts to affect your life and your family.

http://articles.mibba.com/Health/2210/Gambling-Good-or-Bad

Comment 8

http://robbeingbad.blogspot.com/2009/04/speeding.html




Speeding is a very interesting subject to discuss. Everyone who drives has sped at some point whether it is intentional or not. I think I might have to write my own blog on this.


I do agree with Rob though, I don't see a problem with speeding slightly over the limit as long as it is safe to do so.


I am only learning to drive at the moment, so it is very important that I stick to the limits around me, unless I want to fail.


I would say that speeding could only be classed as "bad" if it was done on purpose with the intention of hurting someone.


Because without speeding, we wouldn't have racing cars or TopGear or Too Fast, Too Furious :P x

Stalking

You can't make somebody love you, you can only stalk them and hope for the best...

At first thought stalking is bad. But if we look deeper into the characteristics of stalking, we can often relate to a couple of them. I must say that I am guilty of being slightly obsessive about a certain band - McFly. I love them - but - do I stalk them?

I have camped overnight outside a venue that they would be visiting, in order to get a signature [which I did, if you were wondering], I follow them round on every tour they play, and I have a lot of the official McFly merchandise.

This could be classed as a mild form of stalking! And to hear this makes me feel slightly uneasy.

In some cases, there is people who act even more obsessive than I do, whether it be with McFly or some other band/celebrity, but whichever way we look at it and however extreme it is, it is still stalking!

As a country, we are obsessed with celebrity culture and see nothing wrong with it. But surely these people, who are basically the same as you and I, deserve some privacy. It wouldn't kill us if we didn't know the colour of Britney's underwear on Thursday or if we failed to account the exact time, to the perfect second, that Amy Winehouse went into rehab.

Think for a moment, how many celebrities have you begged for a signature, how many times have you camped out for the new Harry Potter book or bought something because a rapper had their name printed onto it? I'm positive it would make you feel a little bit uneasy.

Stalking also has the potential to become evil. People will go to great lengths to victimise someone else in order to get what they want.

So, after analysing the evidence.

Stalking must be bad.

Right, I'm off to see McFly ;) Byee x

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/yorkslincs/series7/stalking_advice.shtml

Reality Television

This amuses me. Greatly.

Why that hell are we entertained by other peoples misfortune/torture? Whether it be Big Brother, I'm a celebrity or Hell's Kitchen - WE LOVE IT!

Perhaps, not all of them. But surely...there has to be one of them which we can't get enough of.

Personally, it's Big Brother. But the question that I'm asking is why?

Surely, reality television is bad. It brings out the worst in people as they express allsorts of bad behaviour so that they have a chance at winning the big prize at the end of it. And vice-a-versa - we are bad for watching this behaviour and encouraging it. Reality televison manages to create new celebrities or replenish out-dated ones, and these people are usually famous for...well...not much at all. Of course, there are exceptions, take Katie Price, for example. However, I think it is fair to say that she has done very since going in the jungle a couple of years ago and her boost of success wouldn't of existed if she hadn't of faced the spiders and snakes.

Television channels are making millions from the voting lines and competitions usually advertised on many of these shows - so surely this is expliotation of the public? Apparently not. It can't be expliotation, because the viewers are making a free choice to call the premeium lines, for a chance to win one of the amazing prizes or in order to see their favourite guy win the show.

The truth is reality television is at its peak at the moment and you either love it or you love it but pretend you hate it.

The link below is quite interesting. It gives a general overview on reality television and then members of the general public have documentated their thoughts underneath. Some of the opinions are worth a read. It makes you thinking. Who is bad?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/1459878.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/1459878.stm

Comment 7

http://moomin1.blogspot.com/2009/04/bad-comedians.html

To be honest I can't stand Russell Brand. I liked him at first, like when he did Big Brothers Big Mouth for example, but now he is just irritating!

I totally agree with what Sophie is saying though. He is either a "love" or "hate" character and I was also surprised to find him missing from the list of bad comedians mentioned in the lecture.

Russell Brand is very well known for being an extrovert in the way he acts, speaks and the way he presents himself to others. I can see how and why people would find him offensive, especially after the scandal with Andrew Sachs.

There were quite a few comedians which I considered to be offensive that were not commented on in the lecture and to be honest I was rather disappointed by it. I didn't know any of the bad comedians that were being presented as bad. Maybe this was because I'm only 19, so they were a bit before my time, but after speaking to a few other people, they didn't seem to know who was being spoken about either.

Drugs

So what actually makes a drug bad?
We don't consider medicines to be drugs? As they help us when we're poorly.
But why are drugs bad? When they make us feel good?

We generally see drugs as bad, because of the effects that they can have on the body and on the mind. We have seen the long term effects of what drugs can do to us and how they can effect us. This leads us to believe that drugs are bad.
However, it is ironic how many people believe that drugs are fine, despite the warnings they continue to use and purchase them. Many drugs are now illegal and the penalties for obtaining or using these drugs are high. This is mainly due to the way they affect your mind and the way you perceive the world around you, and the potential hazard that you become when under the influence.
Although, if this was the case then why isn't alcohol or nicotine classed as illegal substances? When perhaps, alcohol affects you more than other drugs and cigarettes can also kill you.
When we look at the reasons behind why certain drugs are illegal, there are very little differences between the A Class and the readily available ones. For example, it is possible to get naturally sourced legal drugs with the same effects as Cannabis or Cocaine from the Internet or large festivals, such as the Download Fest.
Medicines are also drugs and we rarely consider this when we go to the doctors or the pharmacy. Paracetamol is fine. Aspirin is fine. So why is E wrong? You could say that the difference would be the healing qualities the medicines possess. I agree with this.
Drugs are moral if/and only if they are being taken to provide aid in a situation. Personally I don't smoke, and although alcohol is a poison to the body, I will consume it occasionally, but not frequently.
So yeah... my thoughts on drugs ;)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/mental_health/drugs_use.shtml

Comment 6

http://faithyj.blogspot.com/2009/04/internet-is-bad.html

Sorry Faith, I completely disagree with you. I believe that the Internet has influenced our lives on such a scale. We have gone from having little connection with one-another to having an instant connection with people from all over the world. What more? Its cheap. We are now able to make free telephone and video calls to our friends and family with little effort.
Rather than agreeing that access to the Internet makes us lazy, I would say that the Internet is helpful when it comes to shopping and finding out relevant information. It allows us to shape our lives, to dramatically improve them or make them even more convenient.
Of course, the Internet does have some negative attributes, but I feel that these are out-weighed by the way the Internet improves our lives.
And to be honest. I don't know where I'd be without Facebook.

Gossip

Could our use of language be bad?
Our communication is often used to express negativity, whether it be foul language or spreading gossip about people.
Whichever way we look at it, the spreading of gossip is seen as a bad thing.
Personally I think it is fair to say that we spread gossip about people, because it makes us feel better about ourselves. Gossip is generally seen as a bad thing as it can often stem from lies and in some cases, emotionally hurt the victim.
As you will of noticed, further down my blog I have written a couple of paragraphs on why lying is bad, so consequently I believe that gossip is also bad. However, I am not denying the fact that I contribute in gossip-ridden conversations. I do. And most of the time I cannot help myself and I have to join in certain conversations even though I know that they are bad. I guess it's because I'm a women. Hehe.
It is far more justified for people to gossip in modern society, because we have the media to influence our views and lifestyle. The media which includes the television and glossy magazines develop our skills.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/gossip1.htm

Pornography

Porn. Is it a good thing? Or is it bad?
I recently watched a enlightening documentary on Channel 4 about the effects of pornography in our society, and I must recommend it.
Apparently, 99.9% of us are effected every day, because of porn and we cannot control the effects it is having/or has already had on our society. From the effects it is having on the younger generation to the effects it is having on the mature. It is hard to ignore.
PORN IS EVERYWHERE!
It delusions our ideas on sex and how our bodies should look, as well as complicating matters of hair removal, attraction and disease. Throughout the documentary, pupils from various schools were given true lessons on sex and it was clear to see how porn had warped these views.
It is obvious to anybody reading this blog that the number of teenage pregnancies have been on the increase in this country alone. It is easy to pass the blame on to the lack of education these young people receive, but we don't seem to consider where they obtained the knowledge on the matter.
HOWEVER...
Porn is a multi-million porn industry, and the men and women working in it can produce thousands of pounds in a limited amount of time. It therefore offers plenty of work opportunities and people willing to work within it, and without porn, many people would not have a steady financial income.
Porn is also enjoyed by couples all over the world, for whatever reason; perhaps to spice up a sex life or provide a "turn on".
If looked at in this light, it can be seen as a positive attribute to society, so in many ways porn can be over-looked.
I cannot say I have an opinion on this matter, as the subject of pornography is such a large one. However I can say that strongly disagree with child pornography, and bestiality, and I agree with the laws that are in place for these topics.
If anyone does have any views, however strong, on this subject I would like to hear them, as I believe pornography is a very controversial subject.

[The documentary is called "The Sex Education Show Vs Pornography] and is available through the channel 4 website.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/2642005

Lying with Integrity

Everybody lies. Fact. And if someone tells you that they have never lied before, throughout their life, they are lying.

It doesn't matter how serious the lie is, or what it means, the important factor is that it was in fact...a lie.

So this beggars the question...is the capability to lie a positive thing or a bad thing? We must also consider whether the world would be a better place if we did not know how to lie?

These particular questions bring up others that may also be considered:

*What are the worst types of lies?

*Are men and women different when it comes to lying?

*What do people object to most about lying, or what kinds of lies do people most object too?

The last question is perhaps the most significant when it comes to solving the morality of lying. We automatically assume that lies (of any kind) are bad, or wrong and they should be avoided. But in some cases they make our lives somewhat exciting and in other cases they make us happy, and the people around us happy. When we tell children about the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus, we do it to make the children happy and add a little festive cheer to a particular season. It is important to understand that we do not tell children about these imaginary people, so that we can hurt their feelings. We seem to feel less inclined about the consequences when we lie to children, because they are young and do not understand the full concept of morality. BUT it can be argued that the examples of lying we expose to them at a young age can be a bad example, and it will influence them to lie as they grow up. I know that lying is wrong and I have grown up with that perception, but I am still going to tell my children about the tooth fairy and Santa.

To help understand the wide topic of lying I have categorized the types of lies we might tell:

*White lies/minor matters

*Lying about sinful activity

*Lying to protect people

*Political lies

*Lying in for your best interests e.g. Throwing a sickie

*Lying to protect yourself from others

*Lying for fun

I believe that lying can be acceptable in some cases. These are when the lies that I told can severely affect someone else either physically or mentally. When a lie affects another persons life they are BAD. Another way in which I classify the good lies from the bad is when a lie is used to cover up other immoral acts. Lies which are used against people to protect them or help them in any way are acceptable.

http://www.wikihow.com/Detect-Lies

Harassment

I have just walked in - Returning from a weekend away with my best friend in London. And after being stumped on the topic of my next post I decided to link an experience me and my friend had in London which links with recent activity in the news.

We were walking along Leicester Square around 9pm and along with every step that we took, we ended up having a leaflet shoved in our faces. Even when we politely declined the distributors, who were 99% men, continued to ask us to come into their club, etc... Eventually after 10 or so steps this began to get rather irritating and I found myself going out of my way to avoid the blighters.
Thinking back on that experience, the sort of behaviour that those men portrayed whilst I was trying to take a casual stroll to the Odeon, so that I could watch 17 Again, was completely out of order. They made us feel uncomfortable on the streets, especially the ones that followed us for around 10 minutes.
Understandably these people have to make a living by campaigning for clubbers to come and boogie at their particular venues BUT a polite decline shouldn't result in a man continuously following us and harassing us. That just ISN'T on.
Recently in the news the street fine for continuous harassment by leaflet distributors or campaigners is on the rise. As at the moment it stands at a pathetic £20.
Don't get me wrong - Sometimes I do not mind a leaflet or two, but only at my own discretion.
Street harassment is BAD. It is basically legalized harassment!

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1997/ukpga_19970040_en_1

Comment 5

http://alexsunidiary.blogspot.com/2009/02/week-12-should-be-on-subject-of.html

I agree with all the information written down here. Last year in my ethics and philosophy classes at college we focused on the moral implications of euthanasia and whether the having the right to choose to die was right, as well as whether it is right to have someone euthanize you by switching off your life support machine without your permission.

I feel the rules that hide behind the word euthanasia should be relaxed, to allow a critically ill person who is in immense pain to have the right to die, as long as it is their choice.

I do not believe in the lethal injection. I do believe this is wrong for someone who feels suicidal because they have just split up with their boyfriend, has a healthy and long life ahead of them for example.

There is a lot of stigma attached to euthanasia and many people choose to overlook it.

Bandits and Outlaws

I found this lecture particularly interesting. Not in an factual way, but in a 'Oh! I've never considered that concept" kind of way.

It never seems to cross our minds that idols like Robin Hood and Jesse James were in fact outlaws; people that were wanted by the law. If we place ourselves back into the times these particular men were around, I'm sure we would be on the side of the law.

It doesn't matter which way we look at it - these people stole from the wealthier citizens and perhaps in some case, distributed some of their acquired possessions to the less fortunate ones.

Surely if this was to happen in today's modern society then the persons would be labelled a criminal!

In my opinion these types of bandits and outlaws were bad, despite their contribution to the poor. My conclusion was reached by thinking through the laws and morals of a modern society. I believe that justifying this type of behaviour simply justifies stealing or shoplifting. Similarly, we can relate the same type of behaviour to that of religion. The Bible states that all adulteresses should be stoned to death, so that gives us the right to do it? Of course it doesn't!

Children or the easily influenced may use the acts of Robin Hood to explain why they are also allowed to steal from people. Basically: "Robin Hood stole from people, so why can't I?"

http://forums.highdefdigest.com/water-cooler/69993-robin-hood-good-bad-guy.html

P.s. Sexy photograph of Jonas Armstrong :P

Infidelity

At first though many of us would consider infidelity as morally wrong.
But they're are some people who believe infidelity is a morally justified way of life, I guess it all grinds down to what defines infidelity. Is it a hug? A kiss? Sexual Intercourse?
Cheating on your partner is made official through sexual intercourse. Because of this I shall focus my entry on cheating via intercourse.
I do not believe that kissing can be classed as cheating, but I would not like it if my boyfriend kissed another girl :\ [That is my opinion. Some people get off on that]


There are certain communities all over the world were actively cheating on your partner is a common day occurrence. There are; Swingers, Poly amorous people and adult film producers/actors, to name a few. The most common would be swingers, so I'll focus on this particular denomination.
"Swingers are typically a couple that go to parties or meet with another couples and have sex with them. Sometimes it's all the couples in the bed (usually two couples so all 4 sleeping together) or they swap wives. Swingers often enjoy watching their partner having intercourse with someone other than themselves."
Therefore swinging is an act of consensual infidelity whichever angle it is looked at. Couples justify their swinging by stating how it strengthens their relationship and helps them explore outside their sexual boundaries with no strings attached.

Inside my moral boundaries swinging is bad. I do not see the excitement and positive effects that swinging could bring. Through my experience, having a partner cheat on you, whether it is consensual or not, is heartbreaking. If a couple are together because of love I cannot see were this form of infidelity fits, but if they are together for the sex, it is totally understandable.

http://www.afterinfidelity.com/infidelity_defined.htm

Comment 4

http://talktonic.blogspot.com/2009/04/violent-video-games.html

I definitely agree with Nicola here. Children as young as 8 or 9 (in some cases they are even younger) are playing violent or pornographic video games which are targeted at 18+ year olds. I do understand that these games come with an age certificate, but in most cases this is disregarded by the parents or sometimes the retailer.
Every time I have been into Blockbusters, or a similar shop, to buy a game, I have never been asked for I.D.
There has been psychological research into this particular topic and it has been found to of significantly altered a child's morals, especially those when it comes to behaviour.
I'm not saying that the games should be less violent; what I'm trying to say is that the age restrictions that come with the games, should be taken into consideration more. And this responsibility lies with the retailers and the parents of the children.

Stealth

Tip:
The easiest shop to steal from? Claires Accessories. [Lol]

Stealing is the taking of things or being in possession of things that belong to someone else without their permission. Stealing is a common behavior in young children. Almost all children take things that don't belong to them at one time or another. Stealing, however, is a behavior that can be quite upsetting to parents. Many parents who have caught their children stealing worry that their children are on the road to becoming hardened criminals. These parents should be relieved to know that the vast majority of children who occasionally steal grow up to be law abiding citizens. While stealing is often considered a normal or common behavior in young children, it must still be addressed and corrected.

I think it's fair to say that nearly every single one of us has shop lifted something in our lives. Whether it has been accidental or on purpose.
I remember my first experience of stealing - I was at primary school and in year 2. As a class we were using beads to help us learn about probability for our maths SATS paper, which was approaching. I recall taking a large wooden blue bead from the pot and placing it in my labelled tray, before taking it home that evening. But perhaps the part that I remember the most was the guilt I felt afterwards which resulted in me returning the bead to the bead pot without anyone noticing.
When I look back I know it was a harmless act of stealing. There were plenty of beads and the teacher never knew or would of known that one was missing, yet I still felt the inclination to return the bead that I stole. And since THAT day I have never taken anything without paying for it or asking first. I don't think I could handle the guilt again.

So...is shoplifting stealing?
Of course it is! Products are available in shops for people to buy. So if you do not pay for something then it is of course stealing from the shop.
Shoplifting or stealing is often described as being addictive.
The moment you steal something you feel a rush of excitement- [The thrill of not getting caught]
- and then you seek out more things to steal which results in another rush and so on...
In my opinion any form of stealing for any reason is wrong! Even Aladdin was wrong to steal that loaf of bread for those hungry children, as he was deducting money from someone else who may need it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4477596.stm

Contraception

Don't be silly. Wrap up your willy.
Or not.
According to some.
Despite the ever growing concerns associated with sexually transmitted infections or the increases in teenage/unwanted pregnancy, some contraception is seen as immoral by some.
Catholics do not believe in the use of contraception between a couple. The Pope has clearly stated that any method preventing the natural course of the sperm is wrong! And many other religions such as; Islam and other Christian denominations also believe that the use of contraception within a relationship should not be a consideration. They use "Gods Plan" as their reason.

"Artificial contraception is wrong, it is saying no to God as it stops Him carrying forth his plans."

I believe that this is not setting a very good example for the younger generation, especially to those who are not religious. I can be easily argued that if it is okay for religious people to avoid contraception, then it is okay for them too. As statistics have shown; this is not the attitude that our young people should have.
It is not entirely the fault of the Church and we should not only blame it for the lack of understanding about sex and contraception. Should education be introduced and porn reduced then; I believe that could contribute to lowering the amount of STIs and unwanted pregnancies in this country alone.

https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4541181.ece.

Fox Hunting

Is fox hunting bad? I know of many people who want the sport completely banned and argue that it is an infringement of animal rights.

Although riders cannot hunt with the dogs and savage the foxes, they are still permitted to chase and kill foxes if they are flushed out of their dens with guns whilst on horseback.

However, I fail to see what is wrong with fox hunting... I am proud to say that I have been hunting myself, and so have many of my friends back at home in Derbyshire. It is an enjoyable experience for both a horseback rider and a horse - a fast paced ride around the countryside. It is also an old English sport - part of our tradition / culture and we should not allow our English heritage to die out!

People are allowed to shoot foxes - they are classes as pests. The same goes with pigeons and grey squirrels. They are treated as vermin and often trapped anyway, so what's wrong with hunting them as long as it is humane? A Fox dies takes a lot longer to die after it has been shot, than if it would of been killed using hounds. A bite from a specially trained hound kills the foz instantly by snapping its spinal cord. Fox hunting has been proven as a successful way that people can control the population of foxes.

People hunt all over the world. We were born to hunt. So those people out there who eat meat... the meat that belonged to the animal you are eating probably died in much worst conditions, in a worse way and lived a worse life.

For the record, anyone who believes that the dogs maul the foxes are wrong - one nip at the back of the neck and the fox is dead. It barely feels the bite. More livestock is killed every year by foxes than foxes killed by hunts... so I don't get it?

Hunting is often frowned upon by those who know little about it. In my defence I will say - how can you say something is wrong/immoral is you do no know anything about it? An anti-fox hunting argument is 90% emotion and very little is based on fact.

http://www.foxmanonline.org.uk/index.html#welcome

Pictures of my hunt -

Factory Farming

As we aren't going to get a lecture on factory farming I have decided to do a post solemely on this issue which is generally ignored and overlooked by officials and a majority of the public.

In society today the majority of people eat some kind of meat, fish or eggs. This is putting increasing demand on farmers to produce animals in large quantities, and to enable them to do this they are resulting to mainstream factory farming.

This means that the animals are generally being produced in huge numbers and their welfare and rights are not being taken into consideration like the law states. They are being cramped into individual tiny cages were they have no room to move around or stored in sheds, thousands at a time (meaning the animals, usually turkeys or ducks) therefore they have little room to shift about, sometimes meaning growth defects and more than often left to stand in their own feaces which can cause terrible burns to the animals.

Other acts which happen in the occurance of factory farming are; inhumane ways of killing, force feeding and interbreeding, all of which cause harm to the animals, sometimes fatal.

As you can imagine, some farmers have taken the stigma attached to factory farming into consideration, especially with people buying better quality and top range meats nowadays. And variety of organic and free range meats, eggs and fish are avaliable, and they taste alot better.

This type of farming meaning the following;

*Organic farming severely limits antibiotics and other chemicals; no growth hormones
*Stipulates smaller flock/herd sizes and other means of ensuring animal welfare
*Organic meat and poultry are free-range, roaming outdoors and with spacious indoor areas
*Free-range/outdoor-reared products not organic unless stated - lower standards of welfare and chemical use

Factory farming is Bad. If we could even begin to imagine the lives that these animals are bred into we would reel in discuss. As I'm sure you are aware by now, this subject is very close to my heart, and as our population is increasing... so is our consumption. It's time to tackle it head on.

Just to say that those who will argue that animals do not have feelings/emotion/etc... shall we forcefeed your beloved dog/cat? Mhmm didn't think so.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7961240.stm

Abortion

So is abortion murder? We all have options on this particular question, whether these are conditioned by our religion or our upbringing.

When does an abortion become an act of murder?

*Conception

*Embryo

*When the baby develops it's heart beat

* > 24 weeks

* < 24 weeks

There is no right or wrong answer - however the law clearly states a legal abortion can only take place 24 weeks or less after conception. Many people consider the conjoining of the sperm and the egg cells constitute a new life. Therefore, use of the morning after pill made be considered as abortion, as it denies any fertilized egg cells to option of implanting themselves into the womb, as well as helping prevent the sperm reaching the egg cells.

For others abortion can only be performed when the baby has a heartbeat, as then it is truly surviving on it own and it has a "life", and for few aborting a foetus can only happen when the baby is fully formed (around 20 weeks).

Personally I believe that abortion is can only be considered as murder when the baby has it's own heartbeat and physical form. I believe to consider the destruction of cells as murder is wrong, as we accidentally destroy the cells all over our bodies doing day to day activities. Cells DO NOT have lives of their own, they are merely their to create life and the act of murder can be applied to living secular organisms.

Alongside the view of abortion, I believe that it can only be considered as murder when it is done in an evil sense with selfish and personal gain. Abortion cannot be considered as murder if the mothers life is in jeopardy or the family cannot financially support the child, or perhaps in more serious cases the child is a product of rape.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/

http://www.brook.org.uk/content/M2_5_abortion.asp

Jade Goody - Do we really want to know?

So after what seemed like weeks and weeks of Jade Goody's story, she has passed away...
I feel for her family, especially her two young boys who have now been left without a mother. I feel for her husband who has been left without a wife and I feel for her own mother, as she has had to watch her beloved daughter slip away before her very eyes.
But...
As a nation, did we really want to watch her die a slow and painful death? Have we stooped so low that we find enjoyment from watching an icon be taken by cancer? I understand that she wanted to leave as much money for her family as possible, but it just bought back horrendous memories for me. Personally I did not want to see her die.
Someone very close to me was taken by cancer a couple of years ago - and the constant reminder "cancer here" "cancer there" "death" was not comforting at all.
I feel that Jade's case was singled out from millions of cancer cases, and we were made to believe she was alone in the fight against the disease. Surely, because of this many other cancer patients may of felt disregarded, and upset that they could not leave the same legacy for their families.
However, I do believe that something positive has come from this - as more women are agreeing to have cervical smears on the NHS, as they are scared for their own health.

Reportedly OK! Magazine paid out £700,000 to cover the events.
We should not put a price on DEATH!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7925719.stm

Comment 3

Music does affect us - there are certain songs that have personal meaning to me and they make me feel rather emotional in bad ways and good ways. However, I feel blaming music for acts of suicide, etc... does not necessarily make it "bad". We blame certain genres of music for our own actions - we are "bad".There will be people that have committed suicide that listened to Britney Spears and who's favourite celebrity was Paris Hilton. On the other hand, I do agree that as humans, we like to pass the blame and we will blame music for our actions when we should be taking responsibility.

http://writingfromdesolationrow.blogspot.com

Comment 2

http://jaysbeingreallybad.blogspot.com/2009/02/hip-hop.html#comments

I totally agree with the ideas portrayed here. In today's society we tend to blame rap and black culture for knife and gang formation, but especially for the bad behaviour of our peers. We forgot about violent television programs and video games and focus mainly on how these gangs formulate and by doing this we create discrimination of particular races, mainly black.Perhaps we should begin to look beyond gangs and gangster rap, and see that white people also contribute to this crime as well - and we should step back and look at the facilities available for our children and help avoid the growing trend of gang culture.And STOP passing the blame.

Body Modification

We all modify our bodies in some way or another, whether we just cut our hair or pierce holes in our skin. Invasive or uninvasive? Permanent or temporary? We all do it ... so why do we cringe and "ick out" at certain ways of body modification?

Personally I find forms of piercing, tattooing and other things considered social norm like hair cutting and nail trimming acceptable. But hardcore forms of these practises can be a little disturbing - such as separation of the tongue and piercings which are stretched beyond repair. Many people in today's society use extreme forms of body modification to look good or be fashionable within certain cults or trends, but many forms of the practices carried out today have deeper routes with the past especially within tribes of some sort, and were used as a form of identity.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7034500.stm

I, myself am guilty of this crime - i have my hair dyed, i trim my nails, i use hair removal methods all to help me "fit" in with the modern idea of how a women should treat her body. I fell into the trap like many others, because I wanted to look beautiful and when I modified my body in these particular ways I felt good about myself, so I continue to modify myself.

Eventually I plucked up the courage to get my ears pierced, it looked good so I had them pierced again in a different place, and I want to continue, due to the thrill I get after the pain.

The media plays a huge part in the body modification industry - more and more people are wanting tattoos or piercings in more unusual places due to the demand for a unique identity.

To me, a man is instantly more attractive if he has a "emo" look about him - and to achieve this look - he must have tattoos/piercings. This sort of attraction is due to the fact he can experience pain and is not afraid of it - deep-routed in a primitive sort of brain. However, I would find a man with a parted tongue or filed teeth VERY unattractive, but I know people that would deem it sexy.

I guess whether body modification is bad, or whether it is what helps shape our personal identities is up to the individual. Personally I believe that it is what shapes us and makes us human however we choose to do it. I do not think that it is immoral, unless it physically or mentally harms someone against their will.

p.s. Check out the hot picture of Oli Sykes at the top of the page ;) xxx

Masturbation

Spanking the monkey, Bashing the Bishop, Knocking one out, Tugging the meat whistle, Jacking off.... Whatever you want to call it - Quite simply, it's Masturbation.

And I think it's fair to say - we all do it or we have all at least tried it.
Yet...judging from the titters and giggles situated in all areas of the lecture theatre, we find it absolutely hilarious. So much so, that when we were asked to discuss it as a class, many people refrained from using "sexual" terms if they were even brave enough to speak out about it. One girl in particular paused every time she needed to use the words "penis" or "vagina".
Another interesting point I perceived in the lecture was the significant amount of participants unwilling to contribute answers to the zapper questions. In my opinion this was daft - what am I going to care how many times my neighbour masturbates a week?! It was just a bit of light hearted fun and something to make the lecture a little less tedious.
To be honest I'd be more worried if they didn't touch themselves.
77 of us answered the first question - "What is your gender?" and only 56 of us answered the last question - "What sort of equipment do you use to help you masturbate?"

In my opinion masturbation must be a good thing. It allows us to push our sexual boundaries in a comfortable atmosphere, as well as allowing us to learn what pleases us sexually. Playing with ourselves is a pleasurable free past time which does not pass on disease or seek to hurt people.
Some scientists are even doing research to prove how masturbating may help protect against prostate cancer - http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3942-masturbating-may-protect-against-prostate-cancer.html

Yet, some people still see masturbation as a lustful and therefore sinful act, as portrayed in many religious texts, e.g. The Bible.
True, it is wasteful. But, for example if men don't ejaculate on a regular basis it leads to wet dreams. These are a natural rejection of the sperm from the body, so why isn't this wasteful? I can imagine it is embarrassing. Or, to look at it in another way - One man produces around 40 million to 600 million spermies in one ejaculation - and it only takes one to fertilize an egg. So is the 599 million that are left unfertilized wasteful? And as a man produces 369.6 litres in his lifetime, that would make sex very, very wasteful, never mind masturbation.
Many people still cringe at the thought of it. In some respects; modern views on sex are rather contraversal and hypocritical. We can't talk openly about having sex and masturbating but we're quite happy to hurry home and slip between the sheets.

The Fight to be Thin

When I say this, I think I speak for many: I'd love to be thinner.

But do any of us ever stop and consider why? What gives us that desire to be thinner?



Personally, I believe it is the media. We are forced to feast our eyes on youthful figures strutting up and down a catwalk and are made to believe that these people are perfect. I have watched these typically awesome men and women many times myself, and I have begun to believe that they are a reflection of true beauty.

Therefore I am tricked into looking down on myself, fighting myself, and significantly treating myself badly, with little respect for what I might be doing to myself.

Through the pressure of the media, we are lead to believe our bodies can never be perfect - This is bad.



With this negativity in mind, some people are lead to take dieting to the extreme often resulting to harmful illegal medications that claim to burn fat with little effort. It soon becomes a vicious circle as the users get hooked on the confidence boost that taking the drug gives them (even if the drug has little effect). I did a Google.com search to actual see how many diet pills are out there, and the results shocked me...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=weight+loss+tabs&meta=

Dieting can also be taken to two extremes: Anorexia or Obesity. Both are bad and uncomfatable to live with and cause distress to the sufferer. And both can be influenced by the media.

I personally feel anorexia is especially overlooked - Being too thin is now seen as a good thing. And the trend is set by celebrities and the national phenominon associated with dieting. For example; looking through a popular women's magazine I found more than 6 articles directly linked with dieting and/or being thinner.

http://www.ukdietclub.com/dietprofile2/reveal.cfm?code=28011

But with more than 1, 100,000 people suffering with an eating disorder in the UK alone, it's a serious matter.

http://www.b-eat.co.uk/Home



I want to see the time where people are happy with there weight, without the 'fear' of being fat.

I'd rather be chubby and happy, rather than thin and miserable. And to sacrifice my happiness for the 'ideal' body is an idea which I find difficult to concieve.



Surely this is bad, but it is bad in a collective way, rather than in an individual sense. This means it has the potential to harm more people in more ways than simple gossiping, for example.

Comment 1

http://somethingwickedph1000.blogspot.com/

This is interesting...I only found myself yesterday laughing with my friend across the hall about this particular topic. Yet, as the night fell I found myself partcipating in the acts that me and my friend were laughing about, not only a couple of hours ago.Now I have the chance to sit and ponder, why is there so much stigma attached to sex.We all watch it - be it in a film or on some pornographic internet website.And the majority of use entertain ourselves with it.Still we are mostly refrained from speaking about it.Perhaps this is because our gentials are seen as private and intimate, and the communities around us have conditioned the topics that have become socially acceptable - Sex not being one of them.

Smoking

Smoking.

We either love it, or we hate it. Simple.

Yet it is responsible for 120,000 deaths per year and cigarettes are still widely available in most shops/supermarkets/etc...

However smoking is a free choice and we choose to engage in it, so therefore we are responsible.

http://www.hypnotize.me.uk/hypnotherapy-nlp-manchester/factsandfigures.pdf

In the lecture we discussed the motivation behind smoking and soon began to realise the significance of smoking in comparison to sex.

We discussed how smoking has that particular feel within society and how the media portrays the habit in a positive and attractive light. We spoke about cinematic productions for example. Characters in films are shown smoking as it represents a cool and relaxed atmosphere, this image therefore becomes desirable.
The smoking of cigarettes are also useful in cinema to portray sex and seduction, especially when 'Hollywood' disallowed sex scenes within productions. The use of the cigarettes are metaphorical for the use of sex and the shape of the cigarette can be represented as a penis/phallic symbol. And this was used significantly in old cinema, especially if the women was smoking.

Personally I do not find smoking attractive! Everything about the habit repulses me; the waste, the stench, even the sight.

However I am not denying the fact that I have smoked a couple in my time, just to try it. Yet, I am in no particular hurry to go out and purchase a packet for myself.

Unlike the stereotype attached to smoking I do not see why women would find their partners habit sexual in any way... I once had a boyfriend who did smoke, and I refrained from kissing and being around him, and this lead to our break-up. I failed to see the coded sexuality and the social power behind the unhealthy habit.

So still, I fail to understand why people are willing to slowly destroy and shut down their bodies for the sake of a cigarette...

Week 12??

I thought of a variety of topics that may be suitable for the undetermined lecture in week 12. Below I will outline a couple;


Animal Cruelty

Most of us have pets whom we love very much and often mistake for members of the family. Still there are many animals within this world which are not treated with the respect they deserve. Of course, it is clear that animals cannot think critically like ourselves, and cannot care for themselves without some form of human intervention.
As animal cruelty is such a wide topic, I am going to talk specifically about the treatment of livestock in factory farming and the fur trade.
In the most severe cases animals are commuted in large numbers to these farms and brought to death. Many would see the living conditions as unacceptable, as in a lot of cases the animals never get to see daylight and are stuck in cages which doesn't allow them to behave naturally.
However, without factory farming it would be impossible to be able to purchase the varaities of meats and pates we have today, at cheap prices.
[http://www.factoryfarming.org.uk/whatis.html]


Homosexuality

I won't go into much detail about this partcular topic, but do you see homosexuality as a bad thing. Personally I don't, but I know of a few people who do.
Stop and think - how many times have you used the words 'gay' or 'lesbian' as an insult?
Even in today's society there is a lot of stigma attached to homosexualty and whether it is right or wrong. Peoples views are often determined by there religion or the community they grew up in.



Sometimes it can difficult to establish what is bad and what is plain evil. And I feel that my suggestions fit comfatably into the category of being bad and they all could be considered for our lecture in week 12.