Bad comedians

I liked the lecture about bad comedians not only because the jokes mentioned. It was also interesting to learn about different approaches to jokes. I think comedy is a very subtle thing. Personally I don’t see anything bad in using prejudices in jokes as long as they are kept in a good tone. Jokes are only jokes so no one should be insulted while hearing them, besides, comedy is the easiest way of telling about the weaknesses we all have. The different case is when someone who is supposed to be telling jokes, really means the things he is saying and uses obvious, for example racist, insults. Someone of that type doesn’t deserve to be called comedian, he can only be called bad.

Something I recomend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Ryj1ywoqw

Graffiti

Many people think about gravity as an act of pure vandalism but in my opinion it is not something that terrible. Graffiti can be bad if it is done on some historical buildings or monuments because in that case it is destroying the pieces of art and parts of heritage. Fortunately these are only rare incidents caused by stupid people who, as we all know, happen to be everywhere. On the other hand graffiti can be real art. Some people can do amazing things with spraying cans. They can give a soul to the ugly places in their surroundings and turn them from something dull to something beautiful. Talking about graffiti I ‘paintings’ on the walls not tags. Tags are just sprayings, they doesn’t represent anything fine. I really recommend visiting the links below, they made a huge impression on me.

http://www.maclaim.com

http://www.smog.pl/txt_gfx_audio/1795/geniusz_graffiti

http://gprime.net/video.php/spraypaintart

Happy slapping

This is an occurrence I totally don’t understand. I can see no fun in hitting random people in a face and I don’t see any fun in getting a slap, especially for no reason. I have no idea how such stupid behaviour could turn into hysteria. ( http://www.londonist.com/archives/2005/05/happy-slapping.php ) Happy slapping is bad and if anyone would do such thing to me I would probably replay with ‘happy punching’ and my behaviour would at least have a motive.

happy slapping video

http://www.ifilm.com/video/2675659

Street racing

Street car racing is more and more popular (especially in the USA) but in my opinion it is very dangerous and should not be tolerated. Why? Because it is more than dangerous and puts innocent people at risk. Those who participate in such events are very irresponsible. Racing at streets means involving in it people who don’t want to get involved and putting them at risk. I it fun to watch a movie or play a game in such theme but it is necessary to distinguish it from reality. In real life innocent people get killed. Anyone wanting to race should appease his ‘need for speed’ on special circuits. On the street they are just ‘2 fast 2 stupid’. Here is a prove: http://www.courttv.com/trials/dragrace/closings_ctv.html

Street racing video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEr0la4gMiY

Post response: child obesity

http://cat-beingbad.blogspot.com/

Catherine wrote probably the most interesting post I read. She raised an important issue of parents making their children fat. I totally agree that it is a form of abuse. Young children do not choose what they eat, parents do it for them. If they give them unhealthy food, which causes much weight gain, than they are harming them. It is commonly known that obesity causes a lot of health problems. I agree with Catherine that parents should do everything to keep their children healthy. In addition to very good observations made by Catherine I would like to say that if someone chooses to lead unhealthy life when he is grown up then so be it. Everybody has a right to decide about his own body but making children fat when they are not responsible for themselves is depriving this right from them.

Here are some good articles about the child obesity:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11694799/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17465229/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17366915/

http://pediatric.health.ivillage.com/pediatrichealthbasics/childhoodobesity2.cfm

Gambling

Gambling itself is not a bad thing. As long as the rules of the bet are clear and no cheating is involved. Playing a game for money can make the game more exciting. Betting about the score of a match is also a form of entertainment and certainly gives a shot of adrenaline. Gambling is alright but some things we for aren’t. Pool or poker are very fun and social leisure activities but things like dog fights or cock fights are just cruel and I can see no fun in them. I am against all forms of gambling where animals get hurt. If you can gable about anything than why choose something which causes unnecessary suffering?

Post response: drugs

http://goddard-lisa.blogspot.com/

I have found an interesting post about drugs which made to also reflect on this issue. Firstly I was surprised reading that weed is prescribed by doctors so I looked it up on the Internet. It turned out to be true. I found this website particularly enlightening: http://www.ukcia.org/medical/medicalcannabis.html

I can’t or confirm or deny if smoking cannabis is as relaxing as Lisa describes it because I never tried it. I was in a company of people who seemed to be enjoying its effects but I have also seen a guy who smoked everyday on his way to and back from work and he didn’t look very good. He had blurred eyes, his mouth was constantly open and was salivating badly. From what I saw I am not so sure if it ganja is a harmless drug. Maybe it is just like with alcohol, everything depends on the amounts you smoke. Still I don’t want to try it simply because I don’t need it to enjoy the life. I totally agree with Lisa when it goes to “hard” drugs. I read a couple of books about heroine and watched some movies which didn’t tell a word that drugs are bad yet they all discourage me from taking them. Here are some statistics showing the danger of using the drugs http://www.drugscope.org.uk/druginfo/drugsearch/ds_results.asp?file=%5Cwip%5C11%5C1%5C1%5Cdeaths.html

Those who don’t find it convincing enough should definitely watch one of my favourite movies – Requiem for a Dream. Here is a trailer: http://videodetective.com/default.aspx?PublishedID=712865

Lying

Lying has two sides. One is bad and the other is even more than bad. The bad side is when someone lies because of a good reason. He wants to protect himself from something if what is going to happen is not because of his fault and he can see no other way. The other reason might be a want to protect someone’s feelings. Why it is bad then? Because it is against the truth and it is not fair. Truth is an absolute we all should defend because it allows us to function normally. If everybody would start lying everyone would get paranoid. The “more than bad” side of lying is when someone lies just for his own benefit or to avoid a deserved punishment. It can’t be justified with anything so it is evil.

P.S Talking about lying I consider a straightforward, face to face lie not a story for children or a joke because this are not real but make our life more colourful, sometimes even easier to bare with. The fact will all lie sometimes doesn't make lying any better. We can't get rid of it completely but we should limit it to the minimum.

Post response: shoplifting

http://rich213.blogspot.com/

I also think shoplifting is wrong. I agree on the most of the things Rich said about shoplifting but personally I don’t see much difference between stealing from the individual and from a company. Someone owns this company so it is, in a sense, also stealing from the individual only a bit less directly. It wouldn’t be a big difference to me if someone had stolen something from my shop or from my house. The effect is the same. The reason people shoplift indeed seems to be adrenaline. It is the only logical explanation for stealing something you can easily afford yet to me it is rather stupid. I can understand a poor man stealing something he needs but “stealing for fun” is just weird considering the whole range of other exciting ways to spend time which does not make any harm to someone else.

Body modification

For me it was absolutely the best lecture on the module! I always liked body modification and it was very interesting for me to find out more about its history. Especially about these more drastic forms which tribes believed to balance the pain between man and woman in nature. If we think about it could open a whole new discussion... Body modification is not bad at all. It can be dangerous because of the diseases and pain. It can be beautiful or disgusting according to someone’s taste but it can’t be considered bad. Some may like it some don’t just like the music genres or types of food but I can’t see anything inappropriate in having a tattoo on your arm or wherever it can be.

A well done body modification can be an art. I mean especially tattooing, where designing and crafting skills happens to be really astonishing. Sometimes it takes months to finish a project. Here are some of my favourite websites about tattooing:

http://www.rhernandeztattoos.com

http://www.royaltattoo.com/

http://www.tattoostothemax.at/

http://www.aaroncain.com/

Post response: swearing

http://breny-wwwbreny12b.blogspot.com

On her weblog Brenda say’s: “Swearing is not acceptable in any way” and “the environment is now corrupt with swear words”. I think this view is bit extreme and I don’t agree with it. Our language needs to have strong words to express strong emotions like hate or anger. We cannot erase such feelings so we need the means to express them. Swears and curses are bad words for bad things so they should be used in such context. It is normal to swear if is the situation needs this but if someone uses an “f word” in every sentence than it shows his lack of eloquence and possibly low intelligence. In one case or another we need this bad words to differentiate many good and bad things.

For everyone going abroad this summer I recomend an online cursing dictionary. It is good to know these words just in case.

http://www.vnutz.com/content/cursing_dictionary

Post response: alcohol

http://www.clairesblogblog.blogspot.com

On this weblog I found a post about alcohol which described it as a totally evil thing. I agree it can be dangerous but only in irresponsible hands. People invented alcohol long ago from that time they enjoy its taste and effects. In rational amounts certain types of alcohol are not only harmless, as Claire said, but also good for health. Alcohol has it’s good and bad sides. It depends how a specific person is using it.

P.S I am a beer fan and if I could go anywhere for this module’s field trip I would like to visit Munich. The city has a realy nice event to offer. Formore information visitis the website:

http://www.oktoberfest.de

Being Too Religious

Religion is a personal thing. Everyone has the right to believe in what they want or not to believe at all. I am not a participant of any religion, I agree with some assumptions about everyday life of various religious but I don’t believe in any vision of god they propose. Religion might be good and might be bad. It doesn’t depend on a god someone believes but on an impact religion make on someone’s life. If it helps him in everyday life, explains him something and helps to become a better person than I totally respect that. Religion can on the other side be a bad thing when the participant is too religious. By too religious I don’t mean following the commandments or respecting festivities but doing more than the given religion expects. When people over interpret their religion they tend be very radical in their views and not tolerate any other religions. Sometimes they start to fight in the name of religion which doesn’t require it from them. They fight to make other people believe not for their freedom of believes. When this happens, people get killed. History had shown many examples of a bad influence of being too religious. We can see them even now.

Bandits an Outlaws

Is being a bandit bad? Yes. I think it’s quite obvious. Is being an outlaw bad? Also, yes. So why people not only want to watch, hear or read stories about people like Bonnie and Clyde but also idolise them? Because they are different. They are, in a sense, special. They break with conventions and the routine of everyday life, they are liberated, and they are free. This freedom along with a life on a fast lane is very attractive to ordinary people who feel bored and bound by laws.

Is there a danger of glamorizing criminal behaviour?

I think there is, making heroes of people who rape, kill makes people forget how much they need law to live in a society. They no longer realise the total freedom to which outlaws aspire is utopia and leads to a bad end. More recent example of a glamorized criminal is “2pac” Shakur. Some like his music but some admire his gangster way of life and join gangs.

Stalking

When does a concerned interest in someone’s activities become stalking?
I think it is alright to be interested in someone and wanting to know him if it is about getting information directly or through friends and family but breaking into a mailbox or computer is crossing the line of privacy. Stalking begins when someone observes or interferes in other person’s life without his knowledge and permission. People have the right to feel comfortable in their own houses and safe about their private life.

Are some kinds of observance allowable and appropriate? Which ones aren’t?
The only kinds of observance I find appropriate are police surveillance when there is a suspicion of crime or monitoring in public places where something valuable is kept. Using telescope to watch the neighbors is not ok. No matter how pretty the neighbor is, she has the right to keep her beauty private. I would go mad if someone was sticking nose to my private life and the "big brother" would have to face the consequences.

Infidelity

Infidelity is the worst of all the things discussed during the module. It is not something naughty or slightly wrong but simply bad and evil. Betrayal always was and always will be something to be ashamed of. It is an expression of no respect to the other person; it fails someone’s trust and insults someone while lying. It always involves lying. If there relationship is not going well and there’s nothing left to be done than honest people should just split. You can’t blame anyone for not loving the other person. For hurting someone you can.
I don’t believe in something like a moment of forgetfulness. If someone forgets about the other person and commits adultery than his feeling are not strong enough and he is weak. If he is weak he doesn’t deserve the love of the other person.

Prostitution

1) Is it prostitution to take money from someone who is expecting sex, but then not supply it?

No, in my opinion it is not prostitution. I would call it rather trickery or sophisticated kind of theft but certainly not prostitution. My definition of prostitution is selling your body for sex not promising something.

2) If it isn’t then is it more or less socially respectable?

It is hard to say if it is more or less respectable. For me prostitution is humiliating and shows no self respect but if someone wants to do it, that’s his call. Everybody has the right to decide about his own body. If it means nothing to someone and someone wants to sell it, so be it. Besides, certain types of people (also not very decent) need such services. At least the “transaction” between the two is fair. Stealing someone’s money is not.

Masturbation

I was surprised to find this topic in the weekly lecture programme. I think it is the most controversial in the whole module. Although masturbation is something uncommon it is still a taboo. I know it hard to speak of this because it is something private and intimate just like sex. What I don’t understand is treating masturbation as something evil and supposedly bad for our health. A popular thought I have found on the Internet was that masturbation causes blindness or mental illness but I couldn’t find any scientific evidence for that. For me it’s just a stupid superstition coming out of nowhere. I find masturbation as something completely normal. We all do it in one way or another. It feels good and helps to release tension. No one gets hurt while masturbating (unless you play with a vacuum cleaner) and I can’t see any logic in treating it as something bad. I don’t think about masturbation as primary sexual activity of mankind. We discover it sooner than sex but it is just a preface to something superior. It can’t be even compared to sharing feelings and pleasures with a partner in a love act. Here is something interesting for those who think differently. In the USA there is a National Day of Masturbation. http://www.counterpunch.org/block05072005.html

Smoking

Smoking is a weird thing for me. I will never understand how someone would want to spend for something that stinks so badly. I tried a cigarette a couple of times in my life because people told me it is so great but I never liked it. It didn’t feel great once and I won’t try it again. I guess you have to be born with this “ability” to smoke. Despite my personal disgust to cigarettes I fully respect the ones who smoke. They have the right to do it but this right often collides with the interests of non-smokers. This matter is widely discussed but still no compromise has been found. In my opinion the smokers should concede because they have fewer arguments than non-smokers. It was proved that their habit causes many diseases not only to themselves but also to the people around them. Smoking is harmful so smokers should agree for the special smoking zones (created of the money they put into national budget) where they could still “enjoy” their smokes without causing any trouble.

For the smokers who don’t believe my words about smoking diseases I recommend a presentation done by the professionals >> http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2004/sgranimation/flash/index.html

Some other cute examples of a cigarette work >>
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/presentation/visual/bodydamage.html

Being Bad

When I chose this module I couldn’t wait to see what the classes look like. I was wandering how “bad” it can actually be on the university lecture. It turned out it’s not so “bad” after all. The first lecture showed most of the upcoming topics will be controversial but related to everyday life rather than deviant and evil. It’s a good thing because it’s better to start with something intelligible than go straight onto deep waters. The first lecture was very promising and I really enjoyed it. People shared their achievements in bad behaviour and it was really interesting how different people perceive what is bad and what is not. Because of these differences it is hard to formulate a general rule what’s bad. Nevertheless I think the majority will agree that bad is when someone else gets hurt physically or emotionally. At least I judge it this way...