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Age: 31 years

Sex: Female

Degree: English

'Being Bad': I thought that the assignments helped me think beyond normal assignment writing, which can only be a good thing.

My only problem was thinking of topics for the webblog, I eventually went outside the box and managed the 20 posts!

All the topics were appropriate, as each had good and bad issues related to them.

I would like to see a lecture on manners as some students needed to be taught the relevance of good manners, this art form seems to have died out.

Yes and No, a lecture over two hours is quite long, so maybe look at an hour lecture and then some sort of seminar taks to do in groups?

All the lecturers were well informed and gave us the relevent information we needed.

There were some good debates within the class, but as a whole the class was very large and could possibly have benefited from being split into two. More discussions and excercises would have been better.

The approach used to deliver each section of the module was done so in a way that meant it was understood and delivered the information we required.

The modle was good, interesting and on occassion fun. Using the topics that you have meant that we learnt about a wide spectrum of topics.

I do not know if I would have learnt more had a different approach been taken, but it certainly made me sit up and view things differently.

I have no preference if there are any more modules within this subject matter

Have not selected modules for next year yet.

I would recommend the module as I really enjoyed it.

The blogs were a fab idea and I would recommend all lecturers use them in their modules.

I liked the two short assignments, as we had to do two different styles of writing. It was hard to fit it into 600 words though!

I have learned historical facts relating to all kinds of things like drugs, tattoos etc which I would never have learned otherwise.

All of the module was helpful, as any type of learning can only be beneficial.

None of the lectures were a waste of time.

We never got our field trip which was disappointing and the constant chatting throughout each lecture was very off putting. I felt that the lecturers need to be harder on people who are rude within their lectures.

Bad Manners

Bad Manners seems to be coming more and more common with each new generation. The art of saying please and thankyou is dwindling. People openly belch and pass wind without an excuse me or pardon. Who opens the door for any one anymore?

So why is the art of good manners becoming as extinct as the Dinosaurs, I mean it does not take a second to thank someone or to say please when requesting something.

I feel that it is being extremely bad and disrespectful to each other not using manners. Apparentley belching after a meal in Germany is good manners, but in this country it is the right thing to do to excuse yourself, so why do people ignore this?

Do we need to start lessons in good manners, personally I think it is the role of the parents to teach manners, as I do myself, my two year old nearly always says please and thankyou.

It costs nothing and makes people happy to hear these simple words.

CBBC do you think manners are good? http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/chat/your_comments/newsid_3154000/3154051.stm

Everyday manners at home http://www.bartleby.com/95/36.html

Philosophy for kids http://philosophyforkids.com/resources/berenstain_bears.shtml

Whatever happened to manners: http://media.www.themichiganjournal.com/media/storage/paper255/news/2006/06/20/Perspectives/Whatever.Happened.To.Having.Manners-2116916.shtml

Fines

We all know basically where we can and cannot park, but is it fair to charge £60 for parking on double yellow lines?

Also is is right that we should be chardged for parking on hospitals, especially if it is an emergency. When I had my son, I stayed in for 5 dys and it wasn't until the 4th day that we were told you could get a week pass for £5, it had been costing £2 a session!!

Speeding fines and other traffic offences is it not enough that we have to have points which affect our insurance premiums, but we have to pay money too.

Speed cameras and parking cctv cameras, which a programme recently showed that they were making errors, are these acceptable, or does the Government want to become 'big brother'?

It seems that there are fines from dropping litter to traffic offences, but for the most part the councils are relying heavily on cctv to do the catching for them. Is this the most reliable way, it seems not as people are being fined incorrectly.

Red routes on roads are also causing problems as you can park between 10-4, but the signs say no stopping at any time??

Life is supposed to be for living and I appreciate that we have to lie by boundaries, but I think that the fine issue needs to be updated and maybe bring in some sort of community help scheme, so that when you are supposed to be fined, you spend a few hours helping the community?!

A website regarding parking fines: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/t_parking_fines.pdf

Advice on not getting into debt over court fines: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/d_court_fines.pdf

Local Council fines for litterbugs caught on cctv: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3732229.ece

Banning

As a country there has to be certain boundaries for everyone to follow. (Theoretically) Having bans such as litter dropping is a good thing as it should keep th ecountry tidy.

When the Government start banning things like eating meat on the bone and smoking, then I feel that they are infringing on peoples freedom to choose.

They said that eating meat on the bone could cause mad cows disease, but I have been eating it since I could eat and I'm fine. (Though I am sure people will disagree!)

Okay they banned smoking to benefit non smokers and in the hope that smokers would give up, but as a whole the government helped endorse smoking in the first place by allowing advertising of tobacco, now because it will make them look good they want it banned.

As a country that should enable us freedom to express ourselves we are limited to what we can and cannot choose to do. We are not allowed to say black board for fear of being classed a racist, but the board is the colour black and we call a white board a white board so what's the difference?

Some sites relating to some bans are:

Using mobile whilst driving: http://www.cellular-news.com/car_bans/

Moscow ban Gay parade: http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2008/04/25/2

Plastic Bag Ban: (good for the environment) http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080404-plastic-bags.html

Lying

We all know that from time to time everybody lies. Whether it is exaggerating a story, to not get in trouble or to help defend someone else.

When it gets to a point where someone is lying all the time then I think this is bad. In a world where it is difficult to trust people lying makes it harder to believe what you are being told.

If the lies are in self defence or to protect someone else then It's not so bad, but to lie about your life and what you do etc is wrong. I think that the tabloids and politicians are professional liars as they only tell us what they want us to know. Also car sales men and door to door sales men have a notorious reputation as they work on comission so will tell you anything to sell their products.

If everybody told lies, society would break down as no-one would believe each other and there would be no trust. The day to day lies that are told are part of society as a mechanism that we have to help ourselves (and others).

This web link tells us how to detect when someone is lying: http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies_eyes.php

Top seven when someone is lying: http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/06/29/the_top_seven_signs_that_someone_is_lying_to_you.htm

Lying quotes etc: http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_lying.html

And a couple about children and lying: http://webhome.idirect.com/~readon/lies.html http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_and_lying

With regards to children do we need to look at another way of teaching them about life. We are so adamant that they should not lie, but when they are older they pick up lying from us! Contradicting lessons are being taught!

Reality TV

What is the big deal with reality tv and does it really boost peoples profile?

Look at Jade Goody her career is in shreds after 'Big Brother', if she had of had that argument anywhere else there certainly would have been none of the backlash!

'I'm a celebrity', split a couple up and the new relationship lasted a matter of months, obviously the enchanment of the jungle was too much to hold back from. Ok, katie and Peter got together and have stayed put, but their relationship seems pretty volatile, would they have got together if it wasn't for 'I'm a Celebrity'?

'The biggest Loser', 'Extreme Makeover', what possesses people to go on those shows, baring all to the world just for the sake of a bit of fame!

Are reality shows good tv, I don't think they are all good. I watch 'I'm a Celebrity' because I find it funny. The BBC watchers believe that there are too many reality shows and soaps as discussed in this link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/dec/18/bbc.realitytv

If you want to have a bash at a reality show you can go here:http://www.beonscreen.com/uk/user/all-reality-tv-shows-documentaries.asp

I can't comment for the majority population, but if they keep showing reality tv, then there is obviously an audience for it, whether or not you believe it is badly tv is purely up tp your taste in viewing.

Hoodies

Does wearing a hoodie make you bad?

Of course not, how can a piece of clothing make you bad, I mean does this lttle dog become bad because he is wearing a hoodie?

This link is about a lad who had a ban on him wearing a hoodie lifted for the same argument http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/aug/30/ukcrime.prisonsandprobation

We are stereotyping teenagers who wear hoodies and frankly that us not fair. Many teenagers and people of all ages wear hoodies, I wear them and so does my 2 year old son and we are not 'bad'. Well he isn't yet!!

So why the big deal, there has never been any issues like this over caps and they can be manipulated to conceal part of the face. It is not as if they are walking around with balaclavas on!!

This link is also about the misbehaviour of teenagers, again hoodies are mentioned and now it the term hoodie is related to the wearer, so am I a hoodie because I wear one? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1505729/The-Year-of-the-Asbo.html

Okay I agree there are alot of kids out there who need asbos and punishment but leave the clothing out of it. There are plenty of troublemakers who don't wear hoodies, just a thought what are they called?

If you want a customised hoodie you can get one from here: http://www.tshirtstudio.com/

Pheasant Shooting

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/pheasant/ALL///

I am pro pheasant shooting when it is done in the correct way and the birds are treated right, for want of a better expression. The above link is only showing one side of pheasant shooting and that is the big wig side. These shoots are all about the big bag, shooting as many pheasants as they can in one day/weekend.

Not all pheasant shooting is about how many birds you can shoot. I am part of a shoot that enjoy a day out in the countryside and if you get a good shot then so be it. Birds who are young, flying low are never shot. The birds used on the shoot are bred outside until a few months old, they are then brought onto the shoot and reared outdoors. They are free to fly from their pens, as the basis of the pens is somewhere safe for them to stay at night. (The pens stop foxes etc getting to them).

Any bird that gets by the gun is wished farewell and safe flight for another day. All the birds that are shot are eaten by the syndicate and land owners so no bird has been shot for the sake of it. I have pheasant in my freezer from our shoot waiting to be eaten.

You may think that these shoots are bad, but when co-ordinated correctly what's the difference between you eating a cow or pig that has had an electric shock and then had it's throat slit to a bird shot humanely and then eaten?!

http://www.iancoleysporting.co.uk/ A link to someone who organises different sorts of shoots

http://www.irishfieldsports.com/gamebirds/pheasant.htm A Little History and Information

Gambling

We all gamble in life whether it is doing the lottery, a game of bingo, having to make a big decision as to what to do. They are all different types of gambling and probably not as addictive as going to a casino.
I have never been to a casino, but I will admit to going to Gala Bingo and the buzz when you win is great, the party bingo gets your adrenalin rushing, (anyone who has played party bingo will know!) There are people who go to bingo everyday and believe me it is not a cheap game.

I suppose being addicited to casino gambling can be likened to playing the gambling machines in pubs etc. I know they can be luring, I have spent a pretty penny playing them. At the end of the day the only winner is the people who rent the machines out as there is only a 70% chance of winning when the machine is full!! At the end of the dat to win £25 will probably cost you about £70 and then you stand there and go 'I've Won'... Sucker!!

When the news broke that they wanted to turn Blackpool in Britains 'Las Vegas' even Australia was shouting NO! Since Australia introduced casinos they have had an increase in both gambling addicts and divorces!!

Not everyone gets addicited so you can't feasibly shut all casinos and bingo halls to help the addicts, but surely there is a brain cell or something for addicition that when the addiction gets too bad it can be removed? Now there's a thought........

Some related links: http://www.gambling.co.uk/ If you want a go

http://ccgi.stanster.plus.com/wordpress/ Gamblers Anonymous

http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Client/index.asp The legal side

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/gambling Controversy over advertising for Paddy Power, click on the first article there is a shoer clip showing the AD.

Gypsies

What are modern Gypsies? It has been said that there are no traditional romany gypsies around any more, who's to say?!

But with respect can todays gypsies really hold their hands up and say that they are travellers because it is in their blood and not because the cost of living is cheaper. There is no council tax, water rates, bills and probably no tax or NI to pay on what money they earn!

Is is fair that if someone leaves their gate open 'gypsies' can park their transit van and caravan on your property and stay in situ until they have got bored, leave a mess and then move on?

Where I live there is an area of verge that is quite grassy and frequently the 'gypsies' park there, burn the ground, leave a pile of rubbish and then leave, not exactly the neighbours you would request!

But is it really a bad lifestyle, depends if you like caravans I suppose! There is also the never putting down roots or feeling like you belong somewhere, maybe that's why they move about because of the freedom to come and go, to not be tied to a 9-5 job or the daily grind of routine. Maybe it is us that have got it wrong and they have got it right!!

Just a thought do we know the exact amount of travellers, do they have to fill in a census?

There is a couple of links I have found the first about 'gypsies' and their rights http://www.yourrights.org.uk/your-rights/chapters/rights-of-gypsies-and-travellers/index.shtml

The second is a government link that tells us what they are trying to do to stop people staying on unauthorised sites etc http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingmanagementcare/gypsiesandtravellers/

Religion

A Religion is a belief system that helps people live their daily lives and gives them sonething to hold onto in times of need.

Whether you believe in a God or not, I still thing that there is something more tho this world than just us.

I do not have a faith as I think that if there was a God then all the children who are suffering would be cured. The wars have to happen because we make them happen, no eternal powerful being would be able to stop war. We are in effect greedy, which has made us war mongerers.

When people with faith carry on their lives without pushing their faith onto others then I do not have a problem, but when people stand in the middle of town and blast you to hell for having no faith or when Jehovah Witness come knocking on your door, that to me is wrong. It should be upto the individual whether they follow a faith.

As a country I believe that Britain is the most multi-cultural place with the most religions, day to day I think those religions co-exist well. It is only when there are problems like the terrorist attacks, that religions start being questioned and attacks on religious buildings take place.

Everyone has a right to believe and worship whichever God they want and they should be allowed to do so in their own way, not have someone else telling them what to believe.

A link that informs us of the main religions is at http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

This link gives some info on couple who struggle religiously together http://www.romanceopedia.com/R-TooReligious.html

Murder

Murder, Manslaughter it all boils down to the same thing, killing someone whether it is premeditated or in self defence. But what about the people who murder others for the sake of their religion, cult, fear, to become a hero.

When did it become a good thing to kill yourself along with hundreds of others for the sake of your country and leaders!

I know this is a topic that is a different type of being bad, but in some people's minds they believe they are doing a 'good' thing by being a suicide bomb.

Are these people brainwashed or hypnotised into thinking its okay to murder innocent people to become the ruling power in the world. Do they seriously believe that being a suicide bomber will raise their status in life and they will die a hero. Do we even know the identities of half the suicide bombers, its not as if there is much of them left to get an id!

I found a good uk website covering all different types of murders: http://www.murderuk.com/

This is a good site to find out some facts about suicide bombing, as it details how it is not a new thing, suicide bombings have been occurring since the 11th Century! http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/suicide/

Not only the above but there are people that assassinate people for a living! Is that bad? I mean to me it is, but do they regard it as just a job, are they mentally affected by what they do, or are they just that way geared up? Suprisingly I could not find a good website, except if you wanted to watch the film or play the game!

Another point is when the police shoot someone, does it make it right because they are police and they did it in the line of duty? Look at the innocent man they shot and killed on the underground during the terrorist scare. I believe the police do their best and agree that if peoples lives are in danger then they need to act. But is it always the best call to shoot and kill?

One Night Stands

Would you ever have a one night stand?

I have only ever had one in my life, it was quite enjoyable at the time, but the next day I felt a bit unsure of how your supposed to act. Do you call them, wait for them to call you and then eventually it becomes obvious it was a one night stand!!!

I suppose to some people one night stands are a way of fulfilling their sexual desires without the agro of day to day life with someone. After being in a long relationship having one night stands looks a little appealing, only joking!!

The following link is to an article about Jessica Alba who openly admits she enjoys one night stands and does not see why women should be ashamed about enjoying them.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/online/article213934.ece

This next article is the consequences of a one night stand when protection has not been used, not forgetting of course there is the probability of catching STD and STI's from unprotected sex.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=496029&in_page_id=1770

I am not saying that all one night stands are unprotected, those in the know carry protection. I think it is a good idea for women to carry protection too, look at what happened in Eastenders with Kat and Alfie, they were bot prepared and he ended up being beaten up and all sorts for the sake of getting a condom!!

If your are happy having random sex safely then it is your life at the end of the day, I no prude but it is not what I would be happy with.

Bad Commedians

There are different variations on what could be perceived as 'bad comedy'. My first impression is commedians who are politically incorrect, who use bad language to try and enhance their act and the people who think humour is typically about slagging different sorts of people off.

A good commedian to me is someone like Peter Kay, I can laugh and laugh at him because I can relate to him. He makes general day to day life funny, because when you think of all the little things we do, it is!

What makes you laugh? I cannot sit through Jethro, I don't understand a word he says, yet my dad finds him hilarious!! Chubby Brown, too much bad language, Jim Davidson, when he is being funny about stuff like 'ghost poo' and Sinderella I find him funny, when he is targeting people I instantly tune out. Lee Evans, it's more about his facial expressions, than his jokes!

Everybody has a different idea of what is funny and what's not, at the end of the day if we all liked the same stuff it would be pretty boring.

Then there is comedy on the silver screen, the greats who were once hilarious are now dismal and yawn making. Is this though to do with the characters they play or just that they have hit a plateau and there is nowhere for them to go now, they have hit the top and the only way now is down! The directors have used them in the hope of getting a good rating maybe, now Ben Stiller, I think he is funny, but people like Steve Martin have had their heyday, let the fresh funny in!!

Couple of articles related to the above

http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2006/02/10/comedy/index.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7102519.stm

http://www.hahaheehee.com/comedians/susan_murray.html

Prostitution

Is it bad?

I have read an article in the Observer from someone in the know and it seems that the majority of people who are into prostitution are doing it for the money!

No tax or NI to pay and £500 a night, not something to sniff at if you are into that sort of thing. But, Morally is it right?

We are normally brought up into the world believing that sex is to be partaken in with someone who you think/know you love. Okay reality bites, and the sex is the fun bit we do and the relationship will probably follow after!!

Now imagine having sex several times a day/night for money, no emotional ties just raw sex. Now I know I could not do that, even for the sake of my son, I could not violate my spiritual self to that.

So why can these other men and women liberate themselves enough to sell themselves? Is it morally bad? Is it wrong for us to be judgmental?

Is pornography a form of prostitution? At the end of the day they are paid to strip and have sex, unemotionally (you can tell from the expression on their faces!) for a pay cheque at the end of it, porn could be worse as they are making a film for the worlds over 18's to watch!!

As a body conscious over 30 there is no way on earth I would strip in front of my mates never mind the world!

So why do they do it? There really is not one answer to that as each person is doing it for different reasons, but the general consensus is that they do not want protitution legalised.

The article from the observer makes for some good reading: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,1306267,00.html

An extremely good article which brings to attention the slave trafficking of foreign women who are sold for prostitution, obviously these women are not participating of their own free will. This is an area that hopefully standards in police forces etc can try and stop one day?! http://www.prostitutionreform.co.uk/

An interesting read from Germany about job seekers have to seriously consider working in a legalised 'bar' or risk losing their unemployment benefit!!http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/30/wgerm30.xml

Then there is the sinister dark side to prostitution, the child side, the ugly black world that no upstanding citizen should even consider: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/oct/30/burma.international

Heather Mills

Seriously I cannot believe that a woman can act as badly as her!
£24.3 million is an amazing amount of money, to which I do not think she should have had half that. At the end of the day they were only married for four years, her daughter could have a trust set up for her, so Heather can't touch her assessts. Heather go get a job, the publicity earned from the divorce should have made you a few bob anyway!!

Sir Paul McCartney earned his fortune before she appeared on the scene, really he should have drawn paperwork up to protect his millions from scrounging little hands.

Most moms who find themselves as single parents have to live on less than £150 per week, that's if they are lucky!! She has the gall to say that he is worth £800 million, in other words I want more!!

As a parent I do not believe that Sir Paul would let Beatrice be deprived of anything so Heather should leave her out of it.

I am sorry to be naive but what job exactly has Heather had to generate any money for the family in her married years? All I ever seem to see her doing is ranting about this and that and goodwill work for false limbs. Good on her for her charity work and her voluntary help for people who have lost a limb(s) but publicity should be used for the good of the people, not to slander the person you supposedly loved and had a child with. What will Beatrice think of her mom's outbursts when she is old enough to understand and what lies will Heather tell her??

Scenarios like this should be kept quiet and personal, not used as a stage to generate publicity to try and rally supporters to your own pathetic cause!!

A couple of websites that I had a mouch on:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=433313&in_page_id=2

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/Heather+Mills-20127.html

Drugs

I really enjoyed Gerry's lecture and was amazed to find that is was the Government that introduced LSD into society!
Legalising drugs would be a good thing from my point of view, as it would take away many black market sales, remove the naughtiness, stop drug dealers selling contaminated drugs and overall ensure a better control on the drug trade.
It would reduce the burglaries and attacks for money to buy drugs for addicts, because there will be a new way of helping people i.e like giving up smoking.
To be efficient in changing the way drugs are viewed I think the Government needs to reassess what they hope Britain will become. Alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, washing, cleaning is all addictive and potentially life threatening as people can become addicted to anything. Don't get me wrong I am not condoning drug taking, but if that is what many of the population want to do, then we need to make it a safer activity to partake in and it seems the only way to do this is to legalise it in some way.
Cannabis has properties in it that assists arthritis suffers, I am a sufferer myself but would not use cannabis as I don't want to get arrested, so I continue to suffer until I can pluck up the courage to go and have artificial fluids injected in my joints, sounds nice!!

When I was younger I remember someone telling me that a friend of theirs had taken an 'E', only to be told later the dealer had been selling dog worming tablets! Another friend of mine actually took an 'E' whilst we were out and he spent the night sweating, rocking back and forth and acting paranoid, not exactly the 'love' drug he was offered!

I have found a few websites that made good reading:

http://www.urban75.com/drugs/
http://www.urban75.com/drugs/drugten
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs
http://www.observer.guardian.co.uk/drugs/story

Looking on you tube there were clips of kids on LSD and animals which were not up my street though.

Infidelity

After reading the book 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' made me look at infidelity in it's different forms.
There is the form of being the cheater, the other partner and the 'victim'.
In my eyes all are wrong and nobody should be put in the position of being cheated on.
What is infidelity though? Is it just flirting? or more serious like a kiss, before the obvious sex?
I don't think that flirting is infidelity, anything from a snog would be what I class as cheating. After all the exchange of bodily fluids should not be something done without thought! If you are in a relationship that is going nowhere, end it and save everyone the pain and suffering.
Ending a relationship also means that you are able to move on with a clear conscious and without a bad reputation. We have all been there, have you heard about so and so, you don't want to go out with him he has three women on the go etc!

The victim who cheats to get back at their partner is just as bad in my eyes, two wrongs do not make a right, if you are that hurt by the infidelity break up with them, don't lower yourself to make things even!

Looking on the web there are websites for each scenario, so everyone has somewhere to look:

Advice on not being caught http://www.videojug.com

Surviving Infidelity http://www.infidelity.com

Name and Shame http://www.infidelity.co.uk

Nice picture?!

Personally I do not like tattoos s 1) They cannot be removed completely 2) They will be wrinkly when your old 3) To me the majority of tattoos I have seen have been pretty tacky!Each to their own, my ex and his son both have one (my ex actually got his done to annoy me, probably would have done if we had stayed together, but now I do not see it!!)

There is a rep that I know and he has tattoos on his arms and he has to cover them because he said he gets a bad reception from people when he goes into companies. Stereotyping seems to be common as tattoos were for jail birds!

Piercing I have my ears and my belly button done (though this was removed because I got pregnant and never put it back in!) I do cringe when I think of some of the areas that people have pierced, my mate had her tongue done and had to live on soup for three days.

Body modification, at the end of the day it is your body and therefore only you can choose what you want to do with it. I am glad that stricter rules have been brought in to prevent cross contamination etc, a few of my friends have had piercing go horrible and one girl had her belly button done and they had pierced it in the wrong place!!

I have found a website for up and coming tattoo wanters http://www.tattoo.co.uk this site pre-warns you, helps you with after care, choosing the right tattoo etc.

To see some strange piercings (not as bad as we saw in lecture), like under the skin you can go to http://www.body-piercing.co.uk To be honest I was not brave enough to go looking for really gruesome ones, not after what we were shown!

Weight lifters and all that muscle? Body modification that I am not into I think those muscley people can't be nice to hug?! Especially the woman when you can't tell if their men or women anymore, to me that's horrible. Can this be classed as addiction, if you take it that far? I suppose the people who cover their bodies with tattoos and piercings may also be addicted.

Personally I will stick to my ears pierced, that's enough for me!

Sammie Kids

After reading Sam's blog about the video kids, I am inclined to agree about the shock value of the film. Maybe that is what the director was aiming for to try and get adults, especially parents, thinking about what the kids are getting upto.

I was amazed the actors parents allowed them to partake in such a controversial film, but if the film at least help save one or two kids the message has got across. I think the way they portrayed the HIV issue was good, this showed kids that it only takes the once, so hopefully condom sales went up!!

In todays society I think we pander more to the kids instead of making a stand and stopping the wayward behaviour, asbos were a great idea, but maybe we need to look at finding things to interest the youth, instead of just waiting for the bad to happen

Sam's link http://sammie1988.blogspot.com

Shoplifting

Commenting to Rachel's post regarding shop lifting, I think that a lot of shoplifting in the celebrity world is to do with the thrill. After all they can afford it so why nick it? Many youngster I believe shop lift due to peer pressure and having to fit into the crowd. To some it is a image thing maybe in the belief that other kids will be in awe of them for being able to steal stuff.

People who shop lift for necessity is a sticky situation, I think that the authorities need to find some way to help underprivilged families, not the ones who steal for drugs and drink, but the people who genuinely cannot not afford to eat. Putting something in place that won't undermine them or take away any dignity is essential, as a lot of poor people won't go to soup kitchens etc due to pride.

Rachel's link http://peshwarisimmonds.blogspot.com

http://stundreded.blogspot.com/ A quick link to Denise's blog, she has raised some interesting points regarding the bandits of today. The fact that these bandits are basically loaded and the consequences of their actions have no profound effect on them, doesn't help the innocent people who are suffering.

What strikes me is that these people are getting richer off our backs not theirs! Look at the oil tycoons, the fuel prices keep rising and those who need transport, ME!, have to buy the fuel, we have no choice and they are making millions in profit. Where's the side of them that should say, okay we won't rise the prices this year give the ordinary folk a break! I wish!

Then the Government both here and in America, what is with them? War, cheating their own men, stealing from their countrymen. HA! they want our vote, it's about time they started coming back down to earth and realising that they are not immune to the gutter!

If everyone gave a little consideration for each other none of this havoc and chaos would be around. My Great Great Nan wrote in her diary that if everyone kept their garden tidy and free of weeds, every one's garden would be tidy and free of weeds, because evil and bad things have to start in one garden and to spread everyone has to be neglectful.

Underage Drinking and Drug taking

http://http//www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/02/12/daily-mirror-campaign-stop-kids-drinking-89520-20316594/

http://http//www.theage.com.au/news/national/children-as-young-as-12-seek-help-over-drinking/2008/02/24/1203788146599.htmll

This picture is cute and funny, but the truth is scary on how young the kids of today are binge drinking and killing themselves off through alcohol and drug abuse.
The first link to the mirror is a story about the current trend of teenage drinking that is happening all over the UK.
The second link has more statictical facts and introduces the craze of drug taking, the seriousness that is now classed as the teenage problems of today, alcohol and drug addiction at the tender ages of 12yrs.
Both links I found interesting to read.


When I was younger it was a weekend thing to go clubbing and then crash back at a mates and continue drinking and maybe some would divulge in smoking weed! This was not an activity that I was partaking in at 12, a few years later at the ripe age of 18 though every one did it.
Today everything seems to be in a rush, the kids are growing up fast and therefore doing the things they shouldn't because nowadays they can! Okay so you can't legally drink on the streets, but you can smoke dope to an extent, I mean who is going to say anything?
Kids hang around the parks and drink to their hearts content, apparently the kids are now getting drunk in their own homes before going on the street terrorizing people! So the question to ask, where are they getting the alcohol from?
The film we watched seemed slightly OTT, but then it was American and that is how they are portrayed. But to an extent what these kids were doing is really no different to what a lot of kids are doing today. They are drinking, having sex, getting diseases and taking drugs.

What can be done? Parents need to stand up and be counted and start helping their kids find better pusuits in life, is it trendy though? Kids are all for keeping face and peer pressure is hell of a thing.

Maybe it is time to follow in Americas footsteps, ban drinking until the age of 21yrs and harsher punishment for the taking of drugs.

Having Children

I am cheeky and full of fun!!

The light of my life and the reason for all this hard work!!!!

Is it wrong in todays society to have children?

I sometimes feel guilty that I have brought my son into a world that is turning into a hate race. We are being threatened by other countries, the climate has gone to pot, rising costs mean life is harder to make ends meet and people just do not seem to maintain relationships like they used to.

Okay he could become the next Prime Minister and help the country get back on it's feet, but the reality is he probably won't and he will have to work hard and wonder what the hell is happening to the world, the same as we all do!

We need to keep having children so that the population will not become extinct, but then do we not have enough people on earth to say halt the proceedings for two generations and then start having more babies?

Overpopulation is occuring everywhere not just abroad, there are housing problems as people can just not afford the rising living costs.

As a nation we need to look at the teenage pregnancies and how we can make life more affordable, to keep the human race going.

This lady had an abortion as she believes not having children will help the planet: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=495495&in_page_id=1879

The cost of having children: http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/womanandmoney/costsofhavingchildren.html

Having kids and still helping the environment: http://www.ecofriendlykids.co.uk/

Masturbation

Have views really changed about this topic?

I feel that as a whole the general public is more open to discussions regarding the genitalia, as long as you are using the correct vocab!! Move the subject deeper and people tighten up stronger than a clam.
According to research masturbation is healthy for the areas down below, and I am pretty sure most, if not all, people have had a touch!
My son is two and apparently even at this age the pleasure factor is triggered, so when they do start to find their bits, the instinctive nature to find out what causes the sensation means that more fiddling follows!
A lot of men still find it hard to leave their area alone even though not just whilst masturbating. Some sit with their hand down their trousers, whilst others have to 'adjust' themselves, with maybe a scratch or some other such like movement!
I think women are more reserved publically than men, but could this just be a stereotype we feel that we need to live up to? I'm sure that when we are with certain female friends and a bottle of the wine, the reservation falls by the wayside and all is revealed for the gossip!

On the lighter side I didn't realise that there were some many songs that can be brought back to the topic of masturbation, I found Deborah's blog interesting http://weirdwonderfulworldwelivein.blogspot.com/

Smoking

Smoking is a really difficult subject to reach a happy medium. I am an ex-smoker, but possibly only due to the fact I got pregnant and had an incentive! On a personal level I hate the smell of smoke now and can't abide it when people stand right by the doors of buildings so you have a cloud of smoke to walk through.
I have no problems with people smoking if that is what they wish to do, but a little discretion would be nice, especially when small children are about!

The smoke free ban for public places I thought was a really stupid idea, why not just create smoking rooms? Now there is a mass population of smokers wandering around outside, instead of using filter systems to purify the air, the air is becoming polluted anyway!!!

Nisha's blog says something along the same line, it is becoming another one of those subjects, but I feel this has more to do with the health implications to passive smokers, who are supposedly diagnosed with cancer due to second hand smoke. My question is do we really know what causes cancer? http://xxxxnishaxxxx.blogspot.com/

Field Trip

We could go the casino to experience first hand what the rush feels like.

It would be interseting to see how many gamblers we have created by the end of the module.

This would link into the 'being bad' aspect as gambling is bad for your pocket if you lose.