Response to blog - Abortion

I think that this blogger brings up a very important question when she asks 'should women be forced to embrace motherhood'? Contraception is very effective but does have it's flaws. Regardless of contraception people still know they are taking a slight risk when engaging in sexual intercourse. I am in no way suggesting that people should not have sex, however, people should be very aware of who they do have sexual intercourse with.

This person also asks is abortion wrong? The simple answer for me is yes. In terms of my religious belief and personal belief I believe that abortion is wrong, no matter how developed the foetus is. The picture of the 24 week old foetus proves that abortion is manslaughter. As for the last point with regards to David Cameron, I could never agree with him!

Link to blog - http://whenshesbadsheswicked.blogspot.com/

Link to post - http://whenshesbadsheswicked.blogspot.com/2010/04/nah-im-only-3-months-gone-ill-decide-in.html

Response to blog - Blackmail

The one thing that stood out to me about this blog was the poster justifying blackmail? Regardless of the situation I believe that it is immoral. Taking advantage of somebody for your own benefit is wrong. These people are taking the law into their own hands. I believe that the punishment for blackmail should be very severe as the blackmailer could be demanding anything at all, from money to sexual benefits. People who are looking for a 'quick buck' are the ones that you mentioned in your blog. Taking advantage of of a persons fame for a financial gain should punished severely as the man involved with Cameron Diaz was.

Link to blog - http://beingbad123.blogspot.com/

Linkto post - http://beingbad123.blogspot.com/2010/04/blackmail.html

Response to blog - Smoking

Similar to the blogger I am replying to I have never smoked a cigarette in my entire life, and I never will. I agree with the idea that the pros do not outweigh the cons. Everybody is aware of the issues that surround smoking yet they smoke regardless. However, I do disagree with the idea that smoking can be seen as 'cool'. I don't understand why taking away large chunks of your life to look 'cool' is even worth it. Unless I am mistaken I remember seeing an advert that stated one cigarette takes away 14 minutes of a persons life. Think of somebody that smokes ten cigarettes a day. That's over two hours of their life being wasted through cigarettes. People are aware of these risks but they continue to smoke.

I have to agree with the idea thata persons image can be enhanced by smoking cigarettes, but only to a certain extent. Maybe to an older audience, but I don't think that some parents would want their children to idolise smokers. The idea of the man losing his guitar and becoming an unhealthy drunk is something that I don't agree with. Music doesn't change anything about this person. To put it into perspective it is slightly far fetched to think that a guitar can make so much difference in a persons perception of another human being.

Link to blog - http://bosnianoldwoman.blogspot.com/

Link to post - http://bosnianoldwoman.blogspot.com/2010/03/smoking.html

Response to blog - Tattoos

I have to disagree with the idea that tattoos are 'tatty'. Even large pieces can be very tasteful and elegant. However, I do understand that if the artist is not very talented the tattoo probably is 'tatty' to a certain extent but in general I believe that tattoo's are completely fine. People have tattoo's instead of weddings rings, some have to them to commemorate people they have lost in their lives and some people just love having art on their bodies.

I do agree with people getting a kick out of the pain. The adrenaline rush from tattooing can be very extreme. Some people live to push the barriers that bit further than the average person. I have a high pain threshold so I think I would be able to handle the pain. I am considering getting a tattoo myself over the summer. I think the idea of tattoo's being pain free would help a lot of people, including yourself obviously! It seems as though many people are discouraged by the pain.

I also agree with tattoos being down to personal choice. People are not forced to have tattoo's they decide to have them. It is most definitely not a case of 'Being Bad'.

Link to blog - http://laurenh1990.blogspot.com/

Link to post - http://laurenh1990.blogspot.com/2010/04/tatty-tattoos.html

End of term

Although it is the end of term and the end of the module I still need to post some more entries to attain a better grade. This module has actually been very enjoyable. At first I wasn't sure how the module was going to be structured but I was impressed. Hopefully there will be more modules like this in the future. I enjoyed the lectures that allowed me to get actively involved in discussion and listen to other peoples viewpoints. Listening to other people has allowed me to appreciate other cultures and viewpoints. As well as learning about different aspects of 'Being Bad' I have learnt many other things along the way. Some I'd rather keep quiet because they are quite disturbing! Although, they are probably not true it was still a laugh. I genuinely enjoyed this module and I have to say it is the best module I have embarked upon thus far. Lets hope there more of 'Being Bad' in the future, if there isn't I could just take some drugs, become a hooligan and maybe even get an ASBO! Just kidding (I hope!)

Hooliganism

Another topic that I have thought about is hooliganism. Football is a very passionate sport, fans go through an array of emotions during games, leading them to take their anger and frustration out on opposition fans. Chanting during the match is fine, chants like 'Your not singing anymore' are the norm in stadiums but what goes on outside after or even prior to matches sometimes defies belief. I understand that people are passionate about the game, but starting fights and causing injuries is pushing the barrier to far. People have been killed in hooligan attacks let alone hurt. Lives have been lost! It is a tragedy that what can be referred to as the 'beautiful game' can also become the 'terrible game'.

In 2005, according to an article on the BBC's website. 'A record number of football hooligans were prevented from attending games at home and abroad during the last season'. 3,153 bans were put in place. Considering that this is during just a single season it is quite a worrying amount. However, according to the article this figure shows a huge decline in bans and arrests. This shows the public that things are going the right way. It would be difficult to stamp out hooliganism altogether but this is surely a move in the right direction. I attend games all the time, COME ON LIVERPOOL! Sorry about that, well I'm not really that sorry! But I have attended many games and never seen any trouble, so I can confidently say that from personal experience hooliganism is on the decline.

Article used - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4407844.stm

Abortion

Another topic not being discussed in the module. Abortion is a very contentious issue with people having many different viewpoints on the topic according to their religion our their personal belief. Being a Sikh I have been taught that abortion is wrong, It interferes with the creative work of God. Therefore it could be argued that people who decide to have abortions are 'playing God' in a certain way. Even if I was not brought up this way I would have definitely been against abortion because personally, regardless of all the science that argues 'an embryo may not be a fully formed child so is not living' and other rubbish I think that abortion is still the killing of a living human being.

According to National Statistics in 2009 'the total number of abortions was 195,296, compared with 198,499 in 2007, a fall of 1.6%'. It is difficult to think that over 190,000 lives were stopped before they even began. Yes, people may have valid reasons such as 'they would not have been able to care for the child', or 'there too young or not responsible enough' but at the end of the day the end result is the same.

Although abortion rates are so high, according to National Statistics in 2009 the UK birth rate 'pushed the UK population to its greatest increase in almost 50 years'. The article in The Guardian claimed that 'The UK experienced its greatest population increase in almost half a century last year, with a baby boom pushing the number of people living in the country above 61 million for the first time. The growth came despite a fall in immigration from eastern Europe.' It is staggering to think that regardless of all the abortions the birth rate had still increased!

In conclusion I believe that all forms of abortion are wrong. At the end of the day, regardless of science, living beings are being killed. I thought murder was a punishable crime?

Link used - http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_099285

Article used - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/27/population-growth-uk-birth-rate-immigration

Link to video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CaBR3z85c

Drink driving

Another behaviour considered as 'Being Bad' is drink driving. Brits are internationally renowned for their binge drinking style and iconic 'stag nights'. This had led to the country being called Booze Britain. Not necessarily a tag that we should be proud of, but then again some people would be! Drink driving is a criminal offence punishable by a jail sentence or a very heavy fine. This is a subject that is very close to my own heart as a close friend of mine was killed in a drink driving incident, even though he wasn't drinking! He was killed by somebody who was over the limit, this person who caused my friends death got away with a few bruises. It pains me to think that it would have been as simple as getting a taxi for the offender to prevent the accident. According to statistics, 'on average 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year in drink drive collisions', this is a staggering amount and it is pretty obvious that the law needs to be changed drastically for people to get the message.


There are many campaigns that are being launched to help drink drivers. One of the techniques that are being used are advertisements. There are some that use the shock factor and others that state the effects that a conviction from drink driving can have on a persons life. I will post links to both types at the end of this entry. In conclusion I believe that awareness needs to be raised significantly to prevent these horrific deaths. Posters (pictured above) are also being used.

Link to video that uses shock tactics - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsY_Co-p8Bw

Link to video that uses the 'domino' affect os somebodies life spiralling out of control - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQtTREndJKk

Links used - http://www.drinkdrivingfacts.com/drinkdriving/drink_driving_facts.aspx

Anti-social behaviour

On the way back from University today I saw a group of boys messing about and throwing objects such as eggs at an old peoples home. According to the Home Office anti social behaviour is 'any aggressive, intimidating or destructive activity that damages or destroys another person's quality of life.' Surely this can be interpreted as anti-social behaviour? Elderly people are very fragile, any sudden sounds or threats could put them at risk. Anti-social behaviour ranges from aggression and violence to emotional torture. This sort of behaviour occurs everyday and seems to be increasing. Personally, I see this everyday, kids intimidating other members of the public is an example.

There are many ways to prevent this behaviour. Such as after school clubs and youth clubs that will keep kids off the streets and keep them occupied. The Police and local partners in West Cumbria are working together to tackle anti-social behaviour which is outlined in the video below (follow link). According to statistics anti-social behaviour costs £3.5 billion per year! That is ridiculous. No wonder were in a recession! Just kidding. Back on track now, this is an outstanding amount. I was extremely shocked when I heard this statistic. Surely this can be lowered significantly. ASBO's are a result of anti social behaviour. They cause many problems in future life, especially in employment.

In conclusion I believe that anti-social behaviour is definitely preventable as long as the right schemes are put into practice. However, it is a big issue that will definitely take time to tackle.

Link used (video included) - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/anti-social-behaviour/

Domestic abuse

Another post on a topic we are not covering on the module. Domestic abuse is an extremely violent and aggressive type of abuse. Ranging from verbal abuse such as swearing to severe physical abuse that has resulted in deaths.

In 2008 The Daily Telegraph wrote a piece on domestic abuse. According to The Daily Telegraph 'Recent figures show nine women were killed as a result of domestic violence in the first four months of this year compared to 11 in the whole of the previous year.' The problem with statistics is that many women or men would be reluctant to report the crime as they may fear further abuse or feel as though they must be the problem because the relentless abuse has not stopped. According to Women's Aid ' on average, 2 women a week are killed by a current or previous male partner'. This is a shocking number and it shows us the severity of the problem. Having had a family member who was a victim of domestic abuse I have seen the effects it has first hand. The victim goes into a shell and begins to blame themselves as they see no other alternative. It is devastating and it causes a lot of emotional distress. There is no other way of 'arguing the other viewpoint' as the person who commits the crime is simply a coward as they know they will not get a response.

There are many organisations such as Women's Aid that provide support for women. There are also many adverts that are being televised. Including a very controversial one starring Keira Knightley. I will post a link at the end of the blog. It uses shock tactics and it is very effective.

Articles used - http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/stop-the-domestic-violence-toll/story-e6frezz0-1111117352253

Other links - http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic_violence_topic.asp?section=0001000100220036&sectionTitle=Statistics

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTC6_IbEveA (this video is very graphic).

Crime

Crime is another example of Being Bad. Although we are not covering it in the module it is certainly a topic worth discussing. At the beginning of the year 'there was an unexpected 8% drop in crime recorded by the police in the 12 months to September with falls in burglary, robbery and violence despite the recession', However, this does not consider unreported crimes such as rape, when the victim may be traumatised, cases of domestic abuse where the victim is afraid to report it or child abuse, when the victim does not have a voice and also white collar crime. The list could go on forever but the main idea is that the Police statistics for crimes are not very accurate.

Crime itself may be slightly on the decline but there is a long way to go until the crime rate drops considerably. More Officers on the streets and other methods the police are using do not necessarily help. The crime could move to a different area or just simply be committed indoors. One campaign that is successful or at least gets the message across are the Knife crime adverts that are currently on TV. I will post a link to one of them at the end of this blog. This data was only collected from people who have experienced crime, many people are reluctant to discuss their experiences for numerous reasons. An example of this was the issue with the Taxi drivers that received licences when they were previously convicted. In total 209 individuals were given licences and over the past three years '250 crimes have been carried out by licensed taxi drivers in the past three years, including rape and threats to murder.'

This blog could continue for pages and pages, however I believe that this is sufficient (lets hope the person who gives me my grade does too!!).

Articles used - http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/media-centre/crime-in-the-news/january-2010--crime-in-the-news/criminals-granted-taxi-licences

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/21/police-figures-unexpected-drop-crime

Other links - http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/crime-prevention/latest-crime-statistics

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KfBn7RU8wo

Animal abuse

Although we are not covering animal abuse on the module when I was watching a show on National Geographic Wild last night a huge case of animal abuse was reported involving a professional American Football Player known as Michael Vick. From a personal point of view I cannot stand people who abuse animals. Abusing a living creature that cannot fight back is cowardly and just pathetic. Michael Vick 'was highly involved in the operation, alleging that he attended fights and paid off bets when his dogs lost. It said he also was involved in the executions of dogs that did not perform well.' Although Vick was given a hefty fine and a jail sentence it doesn't erase the fact that he made these dogs suffer.

World famous Dog Psychologist Cesar Millan and his right hand Dog, 'Daddy the Pitbull' (pictured) who passed away in February 2010. Daddy was the most calm submissive dog that lived and did a lot for the Pitbull breed, he changed opinions worldwide about the breed,. Cesar is a great believer that owners make dogs aggressive, he has also proved this through his work.

Pitbull dogs were used by Vick, a dog which I believe is wrongly banned in this country and has a bad reputation worldwide because of people like Michael Vick, Dogs are not born aggressive, owners lead to this through a lack of leadership and everything but a calm assertive temperament.

Animal abuse is a common occurrence and although charities and organisations are putting the effort in it seems as though this is an endless job. After seeing the state of the dogs that Michael Vick possessed it is very easy to tell why it angers me so much. Here is a link to a video that shows some of the dogs when they were picked up from Vick's property.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8585352481265402372# (Not recommended for people with a weak stomach).

Article used - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701393.html

Just a quick thought...

When I was on the way home from playing football earlier today (thought I'd pop that in because I played pretty well today) I realised that we are not covering racism/discrimination on the course. Racism is very offensive and it can be very hurtful as people are singled out because of their race. Discrimination is slightly different, although it does involve race, discrimination also involves things like age, sex etc.

Michael Richards, best known for his role as Cosmo Kramer in Seinfeld, was criticised for using the 'n-word' whilst addressing two African American members of the audience at a comedy club that were 'interrupting him'. In modern day society this word is extremely offensive. During times of slavery the 'n-word' was used frequently but not challenged, now it is. “Once the word comes out of your mouth and you don’t happen to be African-American, then you have a whole lot of explaining,” comedian Paul Rodriguez, who was at the Laugh Factory during Richards’ performance, told CNN. “Freedom of speech has its limitations and I think Michael Richards found those limitations.” One important part of this quote is that 'freedom of speech has its limits' but what are these limits? It is difficult to work it out.

Discrimination is very common in the workplace. For example, somebody may not get a job due to their age, whether they are 'too young or too old'. An example of this involved Julie Bower, an investment banker. 'In 2002 she took her company Schroder Securities to court claiming that her male counterparts were given much bigger bonuses. She won her case and received £1.5 million which caused a sensation at the time'. This represents the severity of discrimination in modern day society. So is it on the decline?

Article used - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15816126/

Other links - http://www.aboutequalopportunities.co.uk/high-profile-discrimination-cases.html

Masturbation

In one of the weeks we discussed masturbation. Masturbation seems to be openly discussed among males, it seems as though masturbation is actually quite a normal thing, which it is. Among females I have no idea how it is seen. The idea of masturbation is something that is definitely discussed more among friends than with the family, even when kids get the dreaded 'sex talk' from their parents.

As well as the sexual pleasure people achieve from masturbation there are many health benefits. According to researchers "men who ejaculated five times a week were a third less likely to develop a prostate cancer". A definite positive for any males who masturbate, I'm assuming almost all!! Masturbation seems to go hand in hand with pornography, no pun intended, well maybe. A sure fire boost in sales for porn creators is the pleasure males get from masturbation, also females.

Article used - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3072021.stm

Tattoos and body modification

Earlier in the module Mark said that he can't understand why people get tattoos. He didn't know why people would want to inject ink into their skin. However I understand why people do it, many people get closure from tattoos when something significant has happened in their life.

For example, my friend got a tattoo of his mother when she passed away and it gave him a lot of closure. This is a positive aspect of tattooing. A downside is societies views on them. An example of this is in the workplace. A person with a prominent tattoo i.e on their neck is probably unlikely to get a job ahead of a person without one, regardless of qualifications. Rapper 50 Cent recently announced that he is getting his tattoos removed "in a bid to be taken more seriously in the world of acting". Surely tattoos aren't a sign of acting ability? However, socities attitudes towards them have driven people to either get them removed or not get them at all. I personally have nothing against people who have tattoos and I may get one myself in the future.

Article used - http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=17420

Bad Cinema

In Week 6 we watched a movie called called 'Kids' which was released in 1995. It revolved around two young boys' lives. At times it made for slightly uncomfortable viewing, but not anything major. The reaction within the room was similar as we have already been exposed to ideas of underage sex and other aspects through movies and TV dramas.

However, the most surprising thing to me was not the film but a comment somebody made after. One person said that children from the West would have already seen their parents have sex so this would not shock them. This is a very stereotypical view and it is actually quite offensive. It is difficult to fathom parents exposing their children to sex at such a young age. The 'shock' tactics did not really work on many people in the room including me. It may have worked for parents as they might have seen it as a culture shock. The graphic scenes in the film do portray a slightly unrealistic view of teenagers. The idea that they all smoke, have sex and get drunk is bordering on stupid to be honest. In conclusion I believe that this film was not very informative, it was more to do with the storyline rather than getting the facts across.

Telling lies with integrity

I was totally confused when we covered certain topics because I'm doing the blog so late! So the last few weeks have been mixed up in terms of week numbers and topics. So from now on I'm just going to discuss the topics left and leave out the week numbers. I guess it's my fault for being so lazy! Anyway, there are two different types of lies, there are white lies such as telling somebody they have a nice haircut when they probably look like terrible and then there are big lies, sometimes attributed to politicians. A prime example of this is George Bush.

Every person probably tells at least one lie in there own life. Even if its something small like adding an inch to your height on a dating profile or exaggerating your communication skills on your CV. It seems as though these white lies are what keeps society going. Sometimes honesty maybe the best policy and some people would appreciate it. But sometimes you may just have to tell a little white lie to spare somebodies feelings and surely it isn't that bad. In this lecture we were asked "would the world be a better place if everybody told the truth?". I don't think that it would because being brutally honest all of the time would surely create More friction and arguments. Therefore I believe that telling lies with integrity is something that we all do, regardless of what we are lying about. If we didn't tell them with integrity where would we be?

Week 4 - Drugs

Unfortunately I was unable to attend this weeks lecture as I was not feeling very well. Drugs are forbidden in all major religions. This gives a slight glimpse into the mind set of people who are against drugs. However, in some quarters such as the world of modelling it is almost customary to have some sort of drug addiction if you are an international model. For example, Kate Moss (pictured) has always been in the papers because of her drug addiction. Although she may get criticised for her cocaine addiction, it would be difficult for her to avoid drugs as drugs and modelling seem to go hand in hand. She is exposed to it every day, it is easy for people to sit around and criticise her for it. Although I am not condoning drug use I think that people should think twice before criticising others.

Another aspect of drug use is the strain it has on society. In 2002 it was estimated that "Drug abuse costs society up to £18.8bn a year - or more than £300 per person - in England and Wales, according to new research for the Home Office". This is an astonishing amount of money. Some people do not make this much money in a week! It is mind boggling to think that all this money is wasted on drugs, although people may have crippling addictions and find it very hard to stop the long term effects have to be considered.


Article used - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1816215.stm

Week 3 - Infidelity

In week 3 we discussed Infidelity, an issue that is currently getting international media coverage. Since the revelations about Tiger Woods' personal life, at least 15 women have come forward and said that they have slept with Tiger Woods. Since this event, the likes of John Terry and Ashley Cole have been on the front pages of national newspapers with revelations about their private lives becoming public knowledge. I think that because these people are celebrities they are going to be scrutinised more than the average person. I am not condoning infidelity but because these people are in the public eye they are turned into public enemies. The constant media coverage is slightly unfair but probably deserved as these people are role models to children and should carry themselves in a more professional manner. A recent twitter post by Jim Carrey criticised Tiger Woods' wife claiming that "No wife is blind enough to miss that much infidelity. Elin had 2 b a willing participant on the ride 4 whatever reason. kids/lifestyle." Carrey was criticised for this and quickly backtracked on his statement by saying "Tiger Woods owes nothing 2 anyone but himself.". He also added "I want 2 make it CLEAR that I do not condone infidelity at all, but 2 some degree the responsibility 4 it is shared by both people." This shows that the topic of infidelity is not one that is spoken about openly. Then again the people who have affairs aren't very open about it in the first place.

Article Used - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/7580245/Jim-Carrey-in-Twitter-attack-on-Tiger-Woodss-wife.html

Week 2 - Smoking

In Week 2 we discussed Smoking. Lecture leader Mark Jones said that he smokes but cannot understand why people get tattoos. Everybody has a different opinion on Smoking. For example, personally I dislike the smell of cigarettes. They genuinely give me a headache. However, I am not going to sit here and criticise people for it. Many of my friends smoke and I have nothing against them. However, one fact about smoking is that it does severe damage to a smokers health. It is worrying to think that people continue to smoke regardless of the fact that they are shortening their lives. I don't think that people will stop smoking because of health warnings. The advertisements that come on TV with the kids of smokers are definitely the way to go. It is something a lot closer to their hearts and it could make a significant difference.

One thing that I have noticed is that smoking weed seems to be different to smoking a cigarette. many pop stars openly smoke weed and it is also used for therapeutic reasons. Although cannabis is illegal it is largely glamorised. For example Olympic athlete Michael Phelps (pictured on the right) was caught smoking weed. There are also people that are 'social smokers' that smoke when they are socialising. I'm not sure how this really works because cigarettes are addictive yet people are able to limit themselves but they are not willing to quit. Finally, I'd like to reiterate the fact that I would not criticise people for smoking. However, the health problems that come with it are certainly something to think about.

Week 1 Recap

Slightly later than I thought, actually a lot later than expected. I was 'Being Bad', not really I was being lazy! But as they say, it's better late than never right? First week's lecture was full of people, the most I've ever seen in a lecture room. There were some surprising and disturbing revelations made by my fellow students, however I don't think that somebody 'having sex with their sister' was true. The first lecture left me feeling apprehensive about the course, I'm not sure how these topics will be discussed in the module. However, the topics that are going to be discussed seem very intriguing and it will be interesting to hear other people's views on the topics. It seems as though everybody has something to say, including me. But I just tend to sit there and keep it to myself. Maybe I'll get more involved next time, or maybe I'll continue 'Being Bad', or just lazy!!