Didier Drogba attack

I am not greatly interested in football and my knowlege is extremly limited, but i felt angered when i saw this on the news this morning!!

Although my son is only 4, he is still football mad and his awareness off the sport is growing by the day, alluding to role models like this idiot.

Clearly this over paid idiot thinks that it is acceptable to behave in this manner when millions of children (and adults) are watching. Just because he didn't agree with what the ref had decided, he felt compelled to launch into a tirade of abuse, not only towards the ref, but also directly at the tv cameras.

I am aware that he was not the only player to get angry and agressive, but he was the only player who felt the need to have a complete hissy fit and throws his toys out of the pram like a child.

What angers me most is the fact that children aspire to be like him. he has the skill, the money, life style, yet clearly not the personality. This is one of the worst role models for children and he should have some kind of punishment for behaving like this. All he showed people last night was that he is a sore loser, the complete opposite to what parents instil everyday!

Drogba can not behave in this manner and get away with it, it is not what the fans (who pay his wages) expect, or want!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article2416087.ece

Hit and run of Sam Riddall

This is the deverstating story of the 11 year old boy who was tragically killed when a driver mounted the pavement,running him over then fleeing the scene.

Sam was leaving his local church youth club when the incident took place. The most discusting part of this story is that the driver, Hannah Saaf, left the scene and has not been seen since.

How could a decent human being, with a conscience, do this to an innocent child who was simply walking home?

This story is different from other's as the name and image of the suspected driver has been released in the hope that she will be found seen as she ran off. This action has been taken as the police are "fearing for her safety", maybe she should of thought about this before she mounted the pavement and killed a child.

This reiterates my earlier blog on illegal drivers and how dangerous people can be when incontrol of an automobile. I am not saying that Miss Saaf was driving illegally, but i am saying that for her to flee the scene, and even to be on the pavement on the first place, something is not right and action should be taken!

Whatever the outcome of the search for the driver, the most important thing is that Sam Riddall's family are ok and this innocent little boy rests in peace!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090506/tuk-hunt-for-driver-over-hit-and-run-boy-45dbed5.html

Final summarative entry :)

Age: 20

Sex: Female

Degree subject: BA Hons English

Being Bad : This module doesn't really relate to the work i have been doing as i am mostly studying how literature works and why. Where as Being Bad focuses more on what we are faced with in everyday life and is perceived badly,as opposed to the effects of literature in our lives!

How i have found it: I found it really enjoyable and the assesments are well balanced, they also bring variety to the subject, at a managable level.

Appropriate: Yes, i feel that a wide variety of topics covered all provided useful knowledge, although some of the topics were similar and not as interesting!

Topics to be added: I think the feelings of guilt should be added to the module as we feel this emotion in pretty much everything we do, i feel that this would be an appropriate topic to use!!

Format: The format is well structured, it is easily understood an simple to follow.

Module team: they were good, good humoured and easy going in the lectures, breaking down the boundaries between student/lecturers, apart from a few.

group discussion: not really what i enjoy but i can see the benefit from them.

debates: these are useful for gaining others opinions, yet it is the same few that speak as many are to shy.

Information and talk: It makes alot more sense when we are given handouts, plus it's easily refered to. makes the understanding of the lecture clearer also.

Approach: this is the best way to approach the module, as the group is a combination of all the subjects mentioned so therefore includes everybody.

Good idea: Yes i do as it draws on the different subjects, this is not only fair on everybody but it also allows you to gain other qualities.

Gained anything: deffinatley, i now look at subjects from different angles, expanding on what i have been taught. it has opened my mind from just being focused on English specifically.

More modules: i think this is a good idea as it brings variety to the degree and some light relief whilst still being relevant.

PH2004:it is not on my timetable as an option.

Recommend: Deffinatly, one of the most enjoyable subjects i have taken.

Blogs: at first i wasn't sure, but it has become one of my favourite aspects of the year. they are easy and you are not set on a subject, you get to use your imagination and become creative.

other assessment: i think they are best the way they are, 2 manangable short essay. they were also more enjoyable to write this way, having too many ideas as opposed to too little.

what have i learnt: It has opened my eyes to what is around me and the way a perceive things.

Useful: mainly the blogs as this is where my ideas are expressed but also the variety of lectures given, even if some weren't great.

waste of time: I dont think any of the module was a waste of time, i think some topics could be altered to engage the students better, or changed altogether as they didn't invite us in. the lecture also came across as hostile rather than engaging.

Being Bad: this is an extremly good module that is very enjoyable and that provides you with an immense feeling of satisfaction when completed :)

Reply to my post on guilt:

Guilt
The aspect that i find difficult to comprehend is that do we make ourselves feel guilty or do the media force us to.For example, we work hard all year to afford a holiday somewhere hot and sunny, yet we are constantly told that we are killing the planet and our decendants will all die if we do!! clearly taking the relaxing break we had planned and transforming it into yet another guilt trip!!this is the same as the polution we cause from driving our cars, bigger engine, bigger effect on global warming!!You pointed out how you feel guilty for eating chocoloate, is this because we are constantly TOLD that it is unhealthy and is making you fat etc?taking the enjoyment out of a treat!I feel that we punish ourselves as this is what we are surrounded with in the media everyday, negative feedback due to the way we live our lives, which allows them to play on our consciences. Oh what we'd give for just 1 guilt free day!!

reply to tax mad:

Tax mad!
I totally agree with the points Karen has made, people can't choose their body shape, some are bigger than others by nature. Obviously some people are greedy and transform into larger - than - life people, but surely taxing them isn't going to change the problem just discriminate them more!
As Karen pointed out, rugby players aren't little, they could even be the same size as a normal person who is considered obese, would they incure the same charges?

I read an article recently regarding people who fly and the fact that if your bag is too heavy you get charged extra, yet a larger person who weighs more than your bag doesn't get charged!! it is a fair point that if your bags are heavy you get charged, yet if a person is heavy nothing is done. Rather than discriminating the person, why not suggest that there is a total weight allowance for bags and person? maybe this would stop the debates, or maybe it would just start another one?!

reply to jack tweed:

Poor old Jack Tweed
A very opiniated blog on Jack Tweed and Jade Goody, it's nice to see a different opinion on a subject that so many people talk about!!
Jade had her faults, but then again show me a perfect person who never does anything wrong?!!
Jack however, is a different matter. A huge deal has been made over his prison sentance, even been given leaniance due to his personal circumstances!! Why?did he give damn when he was beating up taxi drivers and even worse, using a golf club to attack a 16 yr old?? doubt it. He is a pure bully who deserved to be punished, he also needs to stop using the misfortune his wife suffered as an excuse!!
It does beg the question though that if he wasn't Jade's husband and just an everyday person, would he still have been given such a cushy sentance?!

Guilt

Everyday, we are faced with the constant presence of guilt in our lives. We walk down the street only to get bombarded with beggers or big issue sales, at home we are faced with sick animals and children advertised on tv, we aquire guilt with what we do, how we bring our children up, are we doing it right, if we work are we selfish?etc, absoloutly everything is surrounded by guilt.

The preasure of guilt is unavoidable, not only because it is in our faces all the time but as it is built into our systems. And why do we feel guilt? maybe because we are aware of what we have and others don't?That's certainly what the companies are playing on when they show images of abused children/pets, conveying the question of "what if this was your child/pet" Day to day we view it almost subconsciencely, yet when we are face with children in need, red nose day etc, the campaign for money and 'support' is hyped up so there is no getting away from it!!

Parents suffer greatly in the battle of guilt, should i work and leave my child or not work and give them a lower standard of living? should i feed them this or is it bad for them? With teenagers, if you give them freedom, you look like you don't care, but if you don't your being selfish!

If you drive a car, your killing the planet, if you smoke your killing the planet and yourself and leaving loved ones stranded on their own as you are selfish, yet again making you feel guilty.

Everything we do there is an element of guilt present. Although we have come to live with it, it is still there, dominating the choices that we make and the lives we lead!!

http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/07/what-is-guilt-for.php

Jade Goody's fanfare

Me and my mom, have felt nothing but heartfelt sympathy for Jade Goody and her family throught her plight with cancer and her premature death. However, today, our sympathy didn't abstain us, it just reduced dramatically.

In the years since the war in Iraq, how many soldiers have died? Over a 100. How many of those people have had their funeral for free donated to their family or just wavered? The £25000 fee that it cost for Jade's funeral has been wavered and given to he children's fund. A nice gift it would seem, yet it is already speculated that she has raised over 4 million pounds for them, now another 25 thousand pounds has been added.

What about the children who are left with no parents after a terminal illness, do they get this treatment? do they get their funeral for free? I do not begrudge those children what they have, but they are very priveleged children (with a father who works on tv so is not poor himself) and i just dont think it's fair that all this fanfare is being made.

Jade made her name through reality tv, she was no saint as nobody is, and it is important to mention that due to her (very) public battle with cancer, action is being taken to save people's lives. However, my gripe comes when normal people and especially soldiers get killed fighting to protect peoples lives and get NOTHING, their families get nothing, their children get nothing and they are forgotten about. They are, in my eyes, more deserving as they have given alot more to society and if Jade Goody gets this recognition for living her life on tv, then they all deserved to be knighted. Even Wendy Richards, who died a few weeks ago, didn't get this spectacular event (or her funeral paid for i doubt) yet she had worked hard providing the nation with entertainment for many years. She also did countless work for charities, even choosing to be buried in an economical coffin, prefering to think about the environment than herself.

There would be alot less animosity towards the whole situation if it hadn't been dragged out, there are even candles with Jade's face on!! I wish Jade and her family all the support and comfort in the world, they didn't deserve this situation no matter what. However, it is important to remember true hero's and families that don't have the luxuries of free funerals and millions in the bank for the future, the ones that are forgotten.

http://www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/celebrity-gossip/2009/04/03/jade-goody-funeral-jack-tweed-pain/husband-to-leave-wake-early-for-probation-curfew.html

reply to lying:

Mother jailed for lying.
Reading the article about Janette Mercer i agree that she is bad with a capital B!!
It is discusting that Janette, her husband and her son all covered up for her other son Sean, who actually killed an innocent child.
When we discusted lying in week 6 and lying to children to protect them, i dont think any of use thought about this. There is a complete difference from telling a child santa claus exists, to lying about your child being a killer. If your child is capable of killing people i doubt he needs protecting from the harsh world of reality anyway!
As a mother myself, i firstly wouldn't bring my child up to behave in this manner, clearly knowing boundaries. Secondly, even though i am a mother and my son means the world to me, how could you condone the merciless killing of an innocent child?
If you do the crime, you should do the time. If a person is big enough to pick up a weapon and kill a person, they should be big enough to stand up for their actions and accept their punishment!

reply to reply on children's tv adverts

Miss Demeanor

I totally agree with a review on advertisements needing to be reviewed. It didn't even occur to me about the recent press coverage about healthy eating, but as soon as i read it, i became more infuriated about the whole subject!!

If it is unacceptable to advertise 'unhealthy' food to children, why is it not unacceptable to advertise toy after toy, manipulating their minds in exactly the same way??

I also agree that it is all about the money, after all money doesn't just equal power, it's the root of all evil!!

After realising what children are exposed to in adverts, it then got me thinking of adverts on a whole, and what they are actually conveying?! Just look at the 118 24 7 advert, currently dominating the tv and radio channels, one of the worst, most irritating, awful advert i have ever seen, yet will not leave my bloody head!! Something definatly needs to be done before more money crazed, power hungry, idiots create more money sucking adverts out of us!!!

Children's tv adverts

While watching the cartoon channels with my son the other night, i was shocked at what was advertised, and how many times. When watching a cartoon for 30mins, you are most likely to endure a break half way through, roughly for about 5 minutes.

It is during these breaks that the evil occurs! I lost count of the different products aimed at the children watching the programme. Every single advert was advertising a childs toy. From pre-school to slightly older children, girls and boys, they are all targets.

They people behind these adverts are not stupid, they know exactly how to market their product, aiming them at children who are in the mind set of "i want one", a phrase many parents are accustomed too.

It angers me because it's not fair on the children, advert after advert of gimicky crap that they don't need but that looks so dam amazing on tv they just have to have it!All because they wanted to watch their favourite programme! Would it really hurt to just watch a programme without all the rubbish and hassle in between?

Mind you the cartoon programmes themselves are aimed at sucking as much money out of you as possible. Take power rangers for example. It is far to simple to only have one type of ranger......they have to have over 5 different current series. Not forgetting the different ways they appear, costing more money.

Why is it impossible for companies to just allow all the merchandise, children would be happy with just one type and style of toy, if only they were given the chance!!

http://www.konsumentverket.se/Documents/in_english/children_tv_ads_bjurstrom.pdf

reply to gas bill

http://www.yasminstevens.blogspot.com/
Gas Prices


Reading Yasmin's comments about her recent gas bill, i expect that it has angered more than one person! However, i believe that hefty price increases apply to absoloutly everything, especially now we are in an economic down turn.

Petrol, electric, gas,cigarettes, clothes and even food have all dramatically increased in the last year, yet there is not a great deal we can do about it.

Shops may be competing in 'who can go the lowest' with food, electric and gas but we are still paying over the top. The price of crude oil has come down, yet we are still paying too much, partly due to tax, but also due to profit making.

The greed of these people is similar to the shops that have stopped passing on the vat reduction and are more concerned with making money.

If something doesn't change soon, people won't be able to afford to pay these prices, eventually these companies will go bust like so many others, only these will deserve it!

early sexualisation

As a mother i am all to aware that at some stage of my son's life he will become sexually active, however much i hate that thought!! At the moment i have a gorgeous little boy (who is four) and i am just enjoying having an innocent little man around me. However, it has come to my attention that little boys do not stay little boys for very long!!

It has been well publicised in the press of the 'need' to educate children at a younger age about the perils of sex and it's consequences. However, in my mind this is a 'catch 22' situation. If you begin to educate a child on sex younger, are you opening up their minds to the 'excitement' out there? Making them aware of what is to come can be conveyed as encouragement, yet if you say nothing they will have no idea of the dangers and risks out their like STDs, pregnancy etc.

From a mother's perspective, i would probably opt to tell my son of the consequences that sex can lead to. I, myself, got pregnant at 15, and i must admit i had a poor introduction to sexual activities. In no way is this an excuse and i don't for one second regret my choice to have my son, but i must admit, i would have waited, espcially now i am at unversity. I am very blessed with the freedom my mom allows me :) but i am not able to move to uni, go away for more than a few hours or be carefree, i feel this is what youngsters don't realise when they are 'experimenting'

It is a fact that much more needs to be done about childrens education, but in what manner will it be conveyed? i believe it is a very thin line between opening their eyes to something exciting and trying to make them understand the perils sex can have.

Personally, i dont want my son learning about sex too young as i feel it will remove his ignorance to society and his childhood. however, more education is needed.

Clothes and mergandise also play a part in the early maturing in children, especially girls. Offering the a selection of padded bras, revealing clothing and mini versions af adult clothing. This will only encourage them to grow up too quickly, it is also conveying the wrong message, maybe even to peadophiles. In the end, the fact remains that education is in need of some tlc, but for now can we please just let children be children?!

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/childrenandsex.htm

sex industry profits

Although sex is not strictly being bad and making a profit out of it (unless it's illegal , ie child porn) is perfectly acceptable, i think it is an interesting subject.

Yesterday, whilst reading my usual womanly magazine i came across an article showing the profits the sex industry has made during the economic down turn. Apparently Viagra is up 400%, sexual lubricants 60% and sex toy sales are up 25%. This just goes to show that being in an economic climate, such as the current, people are still finding time to please themselves and have fun. It is refreshing to hear about couples getting on rather than divorcing in a time of crisis. Although i dont begrudge this aspect of the sex industry making money, i do find it sad that we are no longer able to go to woolies for a paper or pick'n'mix, but we can pop out n pick up the latest vibrator!

Yet for all the couples making the most of their situation, ie redundancy or hours being cut at work, their will always be the people who can't resist the lure of an affair. If a marriage is dull, the extra preasure we are facing at the moment can push people into the wrong arms.

The article i read was greatly recieved as it was light hearted and brought a welcome change to the usual depressing statistics of businesses going bust and more people losing their jobs. As i said at the beginning sex in it's self is not bad, but aspects are like affairs. However, it is refreshing to realise that couples are having free, sensible fun together, like couples should! or in the case of sex toys, on their own!

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=409301&in_page_id=2

Body Modification

The lecture on body modification really opened my eyes to the varied forms, and reasons, to why people endure these procedures. The most important part of the lecture (to me) was the two main questions that it asked. Firstly, at what degree a type of modification is done, and secondly the reasons behind the modification. I was also amazed at the amount of different forms that modification has, from as little as having your hair coloured to having your penis chopped in two!!!

It was also eye opening to see the different tribal forms and methods that members indure and the significance that they have on their lives. Facial tattoos to them don't just display a pretty pattern, they tell their life story and are a form of communication.

Yet some people do just like defacing their bodies in the name of 'art'. I don't disagree with this (I have two tattoos and peircings myself) but i do believe in going to the extremes. A person covered head to toe with tattoos, piercings and having parts chopped in two is not my idea of sexy! However, to some people it is, especially in tribal countries.There are so many varied forms and extremes of modification it is unbelievable!

The main point i will take from the lecture is that although you can see what is on the outside of a person, you do not know the reasons behind it!

However, i believe that the best point of the lecture was that images we saw of laser markings, peircings and tattoos are not different to cosmetic surgery, because cosmetic surgery is more well known and accepted it is deemed to ok, yet this type of modification is deemed discusting.

In the end, it is up to the individual what they do with their body, after all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0728_040728_tvtabooscars_2.html

Sexting

I read today about an 18 year old girl who killed herself due to bullying.

It all started when the girl sent her then boyfriend a naked picture of herself. Although her parents proberbly wouldn't have approved, who can honestly say that they haven't sent their boyfriend a kinky message or a revealing photo?! when you are in a loving, fulfilling relationship and you trust that person completely you share your most intimate secrets together. It is a sacred bond between two people that is only ever shared together.

This is where sexting comes into play. This young couple eventually split up and the trouble started. This young man, took it upon himself to send this naked picture to hundreds of ther students, leaving this young girl the target of relentless bullies. Even appearing on tv didn't stop the abuse.

Eventually this young girl killed herself, all because some idiotic man decided to spread a personal photograph to humiliate her. I feel that this is at the severe end of the being bad spectrum as due to this one persons actions a person has died.

I'm a firm believer in whatever happens in a relationship, stays in a relationship, because when other people become involved in an intimate relationship, the problems begin!!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2324879.ece

Tax

Tax is a bill that is impossible to avoid paying. It eats up most of your wages automatically, plus you then have tax on petrol, cigarettes, food, drink, road tax, tv tax, council tax, the list is endless! It's like your shadow, always following you around, it may go away when your sleeping but it will be back in the morning to haunt you!!

It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so expensive, but it is. there is no avoiding it, everywhere you go, everything you do, you get taxed!! recently, when tax was reduced from 17% to 15% people thought it was great, however, many shops have now stopped giving customers the reduction which is not at all fair. The discounts lasted for what? 2 months at the most? yet when the economy starts to recover and tax is increased once again will we be able to oblige for a couple of months and then decide we would rather keep the money in our own pockets? not a chance, we would be arrested or fined and MADE to pay!

People might be less hostile to the subject if they could actually see where their money was going, fixing roads, less crime, semi decent programmes on tv etc. However, there are still a stupid amount of potholes that i have to dodge on my way out and the level of crime is increasing. At least once a month someone else has been killed due to violence and it's not fair.

Somehow, i have a feeling this debate is going nowhere in a hurry, it will only infuriate people more. Especially now there is talk on taxing chocolate!! Soon there will be tax on having a wee or sleeping at night, it is becoming a joke!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/tax

Counterfeit goods

Counterfeit goods are becoming a big problem across the country. From cds and dvds to fake booze, it seems that the further into the recession we fall, the more dodgy goods are sold.

Generally, you can't blame people for buying imitation goods like clothes and bags. it often impossible for an average family to pay the prices designers are asking, yet if you can get a similar style as the original that you wanted, who wouldn't buy that instead? This is the same with dvds and cds, if there are a few different cds and dvds that you want, would you rather fork out £50 or £15 for the same thing? I am not saying that counterfeiting is right, it clearly isn't thats why it is illegal to sell these goods, what i am saying is that, especially now in the current economic climate, it is understandable.

However, it becomes a serious issue when you start buying dodgy booze. there is a story about dodgy vodka that was actually meths!! i have also heard of 'whisky' that contained animal food and there is also the issue of fake fags. Legitimate cigarettes are bad enough, but fakes are a hell of alot worse, they may be cheaper but so will be your life!!

I believe the main problem is the prices of goods, they increase by the day!! Trading standards moan that companies lose millions due to counterfeiting, well if the prices weren't through the rough people wouldn't have to buy elsewhere would they?? It's simple, lower your prices, you will still make money!!

http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/web/corporate/pages.nsf/Links/724CF404C48D141580256CA600447C78

Personally, i haven't an issue with cds,dvds,clothes etc as they are harmless. if your goods dont work you can't moan as you expect them not to be the best and if you look an idiot in your fake clothes thats your own problem, but i think with alcohol and cigarettes people need to be very careful as they could kill you and that does need to be stopped!

reply to red nose day comment:

http://tinkerbelle88.blogspot.com/2009/03/red-nose-day.html
This is exactly my problem. i have also been up the school with perants who have had the same problem and it is just not fair, one on the children and two on the parents who have to keep making the same purchases. Because of the poor quality it is filling parents with animosity towards a good cause, obviously not the effect the organisers were hoping for. Although red nose day received the most money so far this year, i am sure they would raise alot more if they didn't sell faulty goods. after all we are the people providing them with the money they need.

Red nose day

I am not sure if this is really a 'being bad' topic but i feel that it isn't as great as it makes out to be.

Don't get me wrong, i don't mind donating to charity and giving money to worthy causes but i feel that i am being slightly conned with this.

At the moment everywhere you go, red nose day is being advertised, fair enough, however it does get a little annoying as this goes hand in hand with a 'plea' for money, much the same as what a tramp would do only without the huge advertising budget.

The part that annoys me though (and this is a big annoyance) is the gimick noses, car magnets and whoopie cushions etc. i have purchased two of all of these as the first lot all broke within a matter of minutes (except the car magnet which blew off down the motorway?!) Therefore i have now spent twice as much for the same product i had anyway, because they have been poorly made.Yet if this was not for charity, you would not hesitate in taking it back as they are faulty goods, but as it is for charity you feel you are unable to do so, therefore you just buy replacements. It makes you think if they are deliberatley mad poorly so that we keep donating, as, after all, it is all in the name of charity?!

http://comicrelief.com/

reply back to smoking:

D.C.BLOG

Every individual has an opinion on smoking. All the comments you made about my post are valid. However, i don't think it is fair to claim that smokers 'probably don't care about what people think', as their is an aspect within all people that acknowledges and effects people when they are scrutinised and judged by other people. Especially now, when smokers are paraded onto the streets to smoke, it is common for people to glare and make comments as they pass as you are now on display for al to see. At times i believe smoking to be embarrsasing for fear of this attitude.

I also agree with the comment about everybody having habbits that will annoy other people. In my opinion this is very true. At some point in our lives we will cross paths with either somebody who annoys us, or we annoy them. Yet, as long as the individual person his happy within themselves and how they live their life, does it really matter what other people think?

Driving illegally

Even people who can drive legally, are not always fully aware of how powerful the killing machine is that they are driving. And it is, any form of motor vehicle is one of the most deadly weapons in the world.

People who don't have driving licenses, tend not to have them for a reason. Either they are too young to drive, have tried but failed to pass their test or have had their license taken off them by the courts for some reason. In all of these cases, it is perfectly understandable for these people not to be on the road. However, some people still do, putting everybody elses lives at risk.

It is this selfish attitude that some people have that makes all the decent,honest, legal drivers have extra cost and hassle. All the people that have licenses, insurance and decent cars, don't do it for the fun of it and because they like to spend a considerable amount of money on them, but because they have to, it's the right (and safest) thing to do!

http://www.trafficaccidentadvice.co.uk/finding-out-whether-a-driver-was-driving-illegally.html

reply to smoking:

Laura: Being Bad :Smoking

I agree with aspects of what Laura is saying. I totally agree that the smell of smoke is discusting and that it has health issues, it is a killer. However, i think looking down on people that smoke (and sitting on a high horse) is not the right attitude to take. Do you do the same to people who drink? This is, in some cases, worse as they can become violent and dangerous towards other people!! Obviously, by banning smoking in public places, none smokers will feel the benefits of not having smoke shoved down their lungs, but do they realise the implications that it is having on businesses and also the taxes that we pay? It is a fact that less people are going to the pub due to the smoking ban which in turn is making pubs close down. Also more people are stopping smoking , therefore causing implications for the government, as the majority of their money comes from smokers.
It is all well and good slating smokers but, from where i stand, the smoking ban has done more harm than good so far.

reply to bigamy:

Bigamy : http://sarahs-scribbles09.blogspot.com/

I enjoyed readying Sarah's views on bigamy as it asked alot of questions which had me thinking.
I agree that bigamy is a taboo subject, however i am not totally in agreement that you can class infidelities in the same category.
An infidelity and bigamy are similar in the sense that they are both deception, but i believe that there is something much more sinister in being married to two or more people and living multiple lives (not to mention hard work!). compare this to having a quick fumble, or even a full blown affair and i still dont think it is as bad as actually marrying more than one person!

The Lottery

The lottery is constantly advertised and being portrayed as a good hobby to participate in, after all it only costs a pound, and the proceeds from games like the Dream number go towards the 2012 olympics and other good causes.

However, the lottery is a form of gambling which is successful as it is centred around addiction, constantly drawing in the individuals back for more.

I have chosen The Lottery as a form of being bad as it is not seen as seedy or wrong like betting on the dogs or horses, yet it is as equally bad as 65% of the populatin participate!

http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Client/detail.asp?ContentId=259

Originally, it started as one draw on a saturday night, now we are exposed to the lure of a wednesday night win as well as saturday and six 'money winning' draws, some daily.

The worst thing about this though, is the fact that everyday 'normal' hard working people play this game, and it is a game, (the chances of winning are ridiculously slim!) believing that they aren't like the gamblers you see rolling out of William Hill, when in actual fact they are.

The sad truth of the matter is, there will only ever be one winner when it comes to the lottery, it doesn't matter how many times, or how many games you play, it will (most likely) never be you!!

Is religion the root of all evil????

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/the-root-of-all-evil/2007/05/20/1179601243788.html

This is the million dollar question: Is religion the root of all evil?? This is an enormous debate, one which keeps growing and causing more and more hostility within the world.

The first examples that springs to everybody's minds is 9/11, and closer to home, 7/7. these were caused by muslim extremists that took the teachings of their faith literally. Yet is it fair to tar all muslims with the same brush?No. As i am writting this i am surrounded by people of all different races and religions and we are all sitting in harmony. Due to a minority, doubt is cast into people's minds, along with (for some) hatred and despise. However, it is not fair for people to take the lives of others due to their 'religion'. Nobody has the right to take the life of another human being.

It is understandable for the people effected in these circumstances to feel this way, yet it is not fair to take it out on people who have done nothing.

It is not fair for people to be discriminated for their colour or religion, we are all the same inside. I do not look at my asian friends any different to my white friends as it is the person that matters not their colour.

This is what needs to happen across the country as, if the problem continues, we will be faced with greater disasters than what we have already endured.

Reply to spitting:

http://davefoxbeingbad.blogspot.com/


I agree with Dave that spitting is disgusting and very offensive. It does not help that it is publicised, as Dave says, in football, often watched by children.


There is a more sinister side to spitting though. If the person spitting has HIV or AIDS, then there is a serious health risk to the person on the end of the spit. Police officers often have to take extra care when a violent or aggressive person is spitting at them as it is impossible to know what they have without having their full medical history in front of you. If you are spat on by somebody who has a infectious desease then it is highly likely that, you will then become infected.


I think it is time that this offense is taken seriously and action is taken to prevent people from being violated in this manner!


http://writ.news.findlaw.com/colb/20080611.html

Teenage Parents

Generally, I believe that Teenage parents are entering into a world that will provide them with more struggles than they can imagine. Being a parent is not an easy task (ask my mom!!!) it is a life long commitment that will dictate every choice in your life and restrict you no end.

This is why the recent article of a 13 year old father is so frustrating, does this child realise the implications he is facing his 'daughter' (2 other teenage boys have claimed they could be the childs father) with?? Probably not.

This subject is particularly close to my heart as i, myself am a teenage parent. Granted i was not 13 when i became a pregnant but 15. Looking back now, i was far too young and i must admit, at the time i did not think about the implications on the child, all i saw was that i wanted to keep my child. I knew i would do the best i could for my child (hence being a university) but i was not prepared for the struggle that being a mother entails, and boy is it hard!!!

As it stands now, my child is happy, healthy and well looked after, but this is because i have an amazing support network at home. I am aware that i am one of the very few lucky people who has the opportunity to further themselves, it is not always an option.

The general problem with teenage parents is that they do not continue with education to provide for their children, prefering to live of the state, this is why people become hostile to the stigma attached to being a single or young parent.

It is clearly obvious that action needs to be taken to prevent the number of young families because it is just not fair on the children being brought into the world, who have not choice in the matter.

Looking at my personal situation, if i could have my time again, i don't know what i would do. I have a happy, healthy child who is well looked after. however, i was not prepared for a child....

http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/health/teenagepregnancy/statistics/

reply comments:

http://www.talktonic.blogspot.com/ : The Bad Gene?????? : Nicola, has created a link to a website that claims that in some cases the gene monoamine oxidase A, causes bad/ anti- social behavour. After reading the artical, i believe that the findings are true to some degree as a fact is a fact an will contribute to a persons behaviour , but personally believe that it is the way a person is brought up that will determine their behaviour.

It is claimed that the people who show that they have the genetic make-up that can cause anti-social behaviour have also been maltreated. This therefore, is what i believe to be the true cause in their bad behaviour, the fact that they have had some kind of abusive up bringing.

When a person grows up, they copy and learn from the behaviour that is set in front of them as an example, if they see abuse they will copy this, in turn changing from the abused to the abuser.

shoplifting

Shoplifting can range from merely taking a sweet from a pick 'n' mix to taking thousands of pounds worth of goods.

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

Whichever category you fall into, it is still classed as theft and will result in a criminal record.

personally i believe that shoplifting is very similar to smoking, in the sense that it is an addiction and the addiction is in contol. This especially applies if you are a shoplifter with a drug or drink addiction, this then dictates what, where and when you actually steal. The addiction of shoplifting if it's not to supply drink or drugs, is the thrill of doing wrong and not getting caught.

As with everything we need to ask 'why?'. Why would people shoplift?. In the situation of stealing to provide for a habbit it is fairly obvious. However, there has been an increase in the number of thefts since the economic climate took a down turn. People have now had to start stealing as they are unable to provide for their families even though they have jobs.

The moral question we need to ask now is, is it fair to punish hardworking people who have stolen to provide for their family in the same way that a drug/drink addict will get punished to provide for their habbit?

stalking

There is a thin line from being infatuated with a person and stalking them. However, there is a difference between the two.

Infatuation is usually an exagerated form of passion or attraction. Compare this to stalking, which is actually putting a person in fear and causing distruption to their life, yet still has the same traits as infatuation and the lines between the two become confussed.

Stalking, however, does cross the boundary between Infatuation, which is usually harmless and self-indulgant, and the more sinister behaviour which is stalking.

We need to ask ourselves 'When does an interest in someone become stalking?', it is only when we do this that we can break down the behaviour presented and decide.

http://www.stalkingbehavior.com/definiti.htm

Smoking

Smoking is a age old debate. There will always be people who oppose the pass time that is smoking.

Obviously, there are a number of health risks to yourself and others around you, yet even though we now have a smoking ban in public places. many still continue with their habbit, albeit a minority.

As a smoker myself, i find the commonly asked question of 'What makes smoking so attractive as a pursuit?' a difficult question, as i don't find it attractive. Maybe when smoking was more advertised in the glamourous golden era of the 50s films, it was portrayed as being 'sexy' and attractive, but not now in 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/dec/07/smoking.filmnews

Today we are faced with graphic images of people dying on the back of our fag packets, compared to the 'marlboro man' this is far from attractive. It is also hard to see how smoking in 2009 can be seen as pleasure when the tax on a box of cigarettes is increasing by the day and the restriction on the places that you can actually smoke in is getting tighter, soon we will no longer be able to smoke in our own homes!

Smoking is not a choice after you start, it's an addiction. This is what dictates if we continue to smoke not the 'attraction'. Addiction is the common link between most bad habbits, it could be because of thrill or dependance, but it is still the addiction that has control.