Final Post

I am 23 years old male and a first year psychology student. Even though this module wasn’t influenced by Psychology specifically, I found PH1000 Being Bad very suitable, inspiring and in a sense of people’s attitudes and behaviours, linked to my core subject. I don’t think that it was too demanding apart of the fact that, we could only add one post per day on the blog. That troubled me a bit but it’s completely understandable due to the assessment and marking reasons. Moreover, I feel that the blogs were a great way to interpret what we learned through the module and apply a critical academic approach while taking into account other students’ approaches as well. In addition I also feel that, the list of topics covered on the module was critically suitable concerning our times, the modern way of life and way of thinking. In contrast, I would like also to see more arguments on topics which are currently considered to be good and embraceable but actually are bad and corrupting. With the appropriate academic approach many issues such as religions, recycling, globalization, economy, charity organisations, governments, banking institutions and other social parties can be argued and put their name “on the test”. On the other hand, I believe the format of classes was very well organised but there were some students that didn’t take the module seriously in any point; when in some cases they ruined the whole module team’s efforts. More discussions and debates among the class as a whole I think could have caused a better concern on the module’s topics instead of the “day’s gossips”. I really enjoyed the small group discussions. Even though I am not the talkative and social kind of guy and I prefer a more quite examining attitude due discussions; I came across with very interesting and sophisticated people and getting the chance to meet and argue with them, it helped me to think outside the box, change some of my views and evaluate or evolve some others. I find interdisciplinary modules very appropriate and inspiring on the academic level and surely I would like to see more modules covering this kind of matters both in the academic and the higher education. I would definitely take the follow-up module at level 2 if I could and I would absolutely recommend Being Bad to friends as well as enemies. Finally, I found all lectures extremely useful in various ways, (academic and personal) and I didn’t identify any as a waste of time. It was surely a good trip to what means to “being bad”.

Religions

On the lecture on religion, we didn’t examine the intellectual approach upon religion but the alternative forms of religion and their characteristics. In addition, we discussed some of the features of the different religious parties and cults; and how they are linked to the dominant culture. I am Greek Cypriot myself and a member of the Christian Orthodox Church of Cyprus since birth; and as I grew up I was tough everything that mostly every Christian is tough through church, school and family. As a teenager I was very interested in, if what we were being informed about God, Christ and everything that comes along, were actually correspond to truth and validity. In a sense, I was the repel kind of boy that seek to questioned and trouble every kind of authority; but as far as faith’s concern, I surely wanted to believe but I needed to believe in something real. In some point, I came across with dead ends, maybe because I didn’t ask the right questions or because I didn’t questioned the right people. Eventually I rejected various elements of the Christian teaching and I focused more on attributes that I consider more suitable, valuable and humanly correct; and embraced them in my everyday thinking and reasoning. I chose not to think about God, Christ and devil particularly but believe in the things that they represent via the religion that was chosen for me. Things like kindness, love, respect, understanding and forgiveness or infidelity, theft, murder and meanness; I labelled them with names which essentially is something that everybody does. Until recently, I felt a little odd towards God and Christianity but few days ago I came across with a documentary that really rocked my world. It is called ZEITGEIST and it refers to three current global concerns: Religion, terrorism and globalization. The first part, which is about religions and mostly Christianity, is the one that I never though or told about even as the most wicked science fiction story. When you will see you would get my point but in simple words it states with facts that, “The Christian religion is a parody on the worship of the sun, in which they put a man called Christ in the place of the sun, and pay him the adoration originally paid to the sun”. I don’t know if everything that stated is true because I wasn’t the one that discovered all that facts on Christianity and the rest; but it was surely what I needed to put me again on the track for finding the truth behind the ‘illusions’.

Comment 5

Blog title: Bad behaviour

Post title: Passive smoking Kills

Posted by: Teleka

I apologise but I have to say that I strongly disagree with you on the issue of passive smoking. You supported the idea that, smokers as well as employers must comfy with the laws against smoking in public or else all non-smokers will have to prosecute them. What do you have to say about freedom or human rights? Aren’t we all equal individuals with equal rights and responsibilities? I as a smoker have always respected people who didn’t smoke and in a restaurant or a pub I used to move to the smoking area away from them. In fact, we all used to tolerated smoking and have places that smoking didn’t annoy anyone. At least we smokers could, as human beings, enjoy our night out with our friends. And who was the one that scientifically proved that passive smoking kills? Sorry to disappoint you Teleka but the point if Passive Smoking does kill is very uncertain at the moment! And that’s what my scientific research has shown me. In the end, it’s all about how much you want to believe in something, good or bad, and finally how critically you approach it. The actual debate is, if health organisations and other social parties wanted to pass discomfort and irritation, or maybe something else, and masqueraded into a health risk just to be more convincing. If you want to know the true story behind passive smoking just check this link.

DRUGS

One of the most argued and controversial issues in the modern world, is Drugs. As a kid I was tough that, as humans and mortals we ought to be continuously aware of certain bad and dangerous elements that lie around us and pressurize our existence. Hazardous plagues same with diseases and wars, so do drugs must be discarded and eliminated from the face of the earth. Today, drugs are most widely interpreted as corrupting, dangerous and dodgy, with massive consequences on one’s mental and physical health; when in some cases they would even caused one’s life. The truth is that, not all drugs are like that and even if we do not realise it, we always have and always will use them in excess. Simple as that, we can not live with out them for two main reasons: A) health welfare (e.g. medical marijuana and morphine) and b) Comfort (e.g. tea, coffee, cigarettes and alcohol). Currently in many states of the U.S., cannabis is considered to be illegal and moreover a class A drug, along with cocaine and heroine. In addition, the few medical clinics of producing medical marijuana are hidden in top secret locations and even though there are thousands of people who need pot as a cure or a relief to their suffering, presently only 7 of them are legally provided with it until they die. The rest must seek the drug dealers and spend a hell lot of money just to get a gram and constantly afraid of arrest and prosecution. On the other hand, the numbers talk for themselves, whereas in a study contacted recently in the U.K alcohol was found much more risky than marijuana. There was a time, where alcohol was illegal as well but eventually we learn that by making something illegal is only a way to make things worst. With every single thing we criminalise (prostitution, drugs, alcohol or tobacco), we then create a black market, we promote suppression and project elusive ideas like; “anything illegal or bad is exciting and cool”. The truth is that, no one ever died from just smoking marijuana and no one will be, because it is just not toxic enough; but as the ancient Greek philosophers used to say, everything must have a limit, because anything we use in excess is eventually bad for as. As far as the harder drugs, if they were legal and controlled in some way, we might have avoided many unfair deaths. One thing that, I found on the lecture very tricky was the idea that in many cases governments and other social parties used several drugs in order to established public brain control. It’s true that, we must not rush into conclusions and firstly critically examine our reasoning and those of others. Anyone that seeks to experiment with drugs must ask his self first, “is it way of escape or a way of control and who is controlling who”.

Comment 4

Blog title: Kimberley

Post title: Masturbation

Posted by: Kimberley

Well good, there is another topic we both agree on, along with our movie favourites...hehe! I would like to also state that, masturbation is a perfectly normal aspect of our sexuality and nature. Every single creature on this planet does it; from animals to humans, from adults to teenagers. Actually it is also well known the fact that, infants have an extreme sexuality and tend to “play” with their sexual organs during the first years after birth. Would you consider them as immoral, corrupted or bad? Personally, I find my story rather funny but also a fine example that masturbation is in our nature no matter age, ethnicity or sex. At the age of 12 I learn that, what I was doing with myself and felt so much shame all the time, was actually called masturbation; and was something that everybody, even my parents and grandparents, seemed to discuss it in the shadows. In contrast, as you and Michelle said masturbation in public and especially in the presence of children sounds like a pervert running loose and it just makes me sick. On the other hand I argue that, masturbation is not always bad in the view of others. There are people who may enjoy watching or be watched. They have unconventional sexual tastes and seek to expand their erotic spectrums in different ways. I believe that, as long as, it is a consent act between free thinking and critical reasoning adults, it must be tolerated and accepted even if we may not agree or identify with their attitudes. From my point of view, there are people that no one can or should try to shape or fix. I would not judge someone who likes to masturbate in front of others as long as the others are there to watch... What people may do in the privacy of their home, alone or with company, is no one’s concern; but in a public place in front of children for God sakes...?

Comment 3

Blog title: Bad behaviour

Post title: Tattoo or Self-harm?

Posted by: Teleka

I totally agree with you saying, “Think before you ink”! It is true that, a tattoo is always a permanent mark when even after a successful removal it would leave someone with a scar. In contrast, I personally love tattoos. I love seeing beautiful designs on others and I dream the day when I will get my own. You see even if I had hundred of chances to mark my body with any tattoo, I preferred to wait and seek for those that will be right, unique and beautiful to me. In that sense, I will be even happier each time I see it until my last day on earth. I strongly believe that, it’s not like choosing a hair style or a piercing which you can change in a few days if you desire to and people must not consider it like that. It’s about having drastic changes on you by your choice, so that choice must have been processed and examined thoroughly before any action to take place. Finally you may like to think about the location you will tattoo your self. As funny as it may sounds, choosing a spot that personally you can not see the tattoo very often it might help you from get used to it very soon.

Profanity

The obscene, vulgar, disrespectful and offensive language along with expressions, gestures or other social behaviours which are most widely interpreted as insulting, rude and improper toward people’s ethics, moral values and ideals. Even though we are towards the end of the 21st century there is still a proportion of the humankind who believes that, we are facing a huge crisis in how some people behave or interact in certain situations. Biased by religious superstitions, governments and other social parties which seek to control every aspect of our lives, they are protesting that taboo words are corrupting our values. They fell that, Profanity has no place among individuals who respect each other and them selves. Additionally they suggest that swearing, shouting and all that dirty, bad-mannered gestures, words and behaviours degrade our societies and therefore should be criminalised and exiled from all public places and our vocabulary. In contrast experts point out that, the idea that specific sound sequences are disrespectful and offensive to some people is rather an ancient perception. Not just because we have labelled some sequences of sounds, which can very much vary from language to language and from culture to culture, with some subjective uncomfortable situations, means that we should limited our freedom of speech. On the other hand, as philosophy has taught us, we should tolerate those things we find offensive or criticising our beliefs and values. With Freedom and Liberty also comes tolerance and the more we try to regulate freedom of speech and expression we invite tyranny and suppression. Moreover, a word’s meaning and importance can change over time; many words that could be misinterpreted back in 1900, like the words thigh or breast, today are perfectly normal to use in public…or aren’t they…? Lenny Bruce was a sarcastic comedian, a brilliant insider and the last man who went to jail in America in 1961, because of the practice of profanity in public during his shows. Finally, in 1963 he was refused permission to enter Britain for the same reasons and eventually his show was banned both in England and Australia.

Tattoos

Now tattooing, along with piercing, is the most well known available form of body modification all over the world. Apart of curse, the use of make-up, high heels, cutting/dying your hair, body building and dieting which today are falsely considered as entirely normal aspects of our natural state as humans. Numerous cultures and religions such as the Japanese, the Indy or tribes from the Polynesian islands, Africa and the Native Americans have embraced tattooing as part of their very existence and way of life centuries ago. The rest humankind has also adopted tattooing from time to time as link to aesthetics, expression and beauty. Extensive body tattoos that cover most of the entire body are associated with circus performers, as well as with the traditional Japanese tattooing. They incorporated tattoos as extensions of their very bodies and souls and each one is exceptionally beautiful. Additionally, the Maori are very famous for their Mokos; a face tattoo that serves cultural and religious purposes as well. Each Moko is always a unique tattoo and could narrate one’s life story by itself. Maori have been very proud and very serious about their mokos and any misuse by foreigners is considered a blasphemy towards them, their religion and culture. In addition, Native American tribes use different tattoos in order to separate and identify different tribes and individuals. Moreover, in the American Indians societies after winning a war the men often receive tattoos indicating their success and victory. From my point of view no one ought to copy a tattoo from another. If I was going to choose something to mark myself with until I die I would like it to be something uniquely beautiful to me. I would seek to find something more than just a pattern, something that would actually be a part of my heritage, beliefs and me. I would consider elements that are parts or extensions of my existence and essence, no one else’s.

Comment 2

Post title: Introduction to Being Bad

Blog title: Kimberley

Posted by: Kimberley

I believe I am the guy sitting next to you at the lecture and I have to say that I was very shocked by you as well. Imagine that ha? As I told you during the lecture and as you saw by your self, the world we live in it is not like you so innocently imagined it to be. The truth is that, if you take for example all living beings in the animal kingdom except for a couple, there isn’t a species that is monogamist. In fact, is because they mess around they have gain immunity to viruses; they involved and can survive and evolved like us through the centuries (this is scientifically proven by the way). Do you imagine what would happen if our few ancestors after the Ice Age will think, “Oh don’t have sex with different people because it’s immoral, cruel and insensitive…”? More likely we wouldn’t be here arguing. In contrast, I feel that sex is a good thing and by going in and out through erotic relationships and other such experiences, we eventually gain that experience, knowledge and awareness we need when the right person comes along; we are ready to identify, distinguish and embraced him/her into our very souls. You see, even I gave the impression that I am a bad person and most likely I am, I am also very romantic and sensitive. I believe that, somewhere out there, there is a better half for all of us but until we find it, unfortunately we will mistreat and be mistreated in some way.

Circumcision

As we discuss during the lecture on body modification some social parties and religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam have been strongly against body modification for ages. On the other hand, many of them also have adopted body modification in some extent as part of their social or religious customs and laws. A perfect example is circumcision, which except of certain cases due to medical reasons, is totally unnecessary and in fact it’s actually a brutal violation on one’s body, sexuality and individuality. For instance in Jewish law, men are always forced to take part in a religion ceremony, called Brit Milah (ritual circumcision) which is held during the eighth day after the child is born. In addition, some cultures and tribes in Africa and Middle East have practiced the entire or part removal of the women's external sexual organs, also known as female circumcision in order to prevent premarital sex and established public control. Despite those situations where, the women’s circumcisions as well as men’s’ took place for medical reasons, unless it was the person’s direct conscious decision, no man or a woman should be circumcised from my point of view. Moreover, a not circumcised man does not seem so tragic when the International journal of STDs and AIDS (1999) published that, “recommending routine circumcision…to prevent HIV…is scientifically unfounded”, logically because there is also safe sex and condoms. Presently, in U.S.A circumcision must have became a fashion when 77% of the men population is circumcised and 3300 infant boys are being circumcised every day. Many experts suggest that it’s a brutally painful procedure where the young infants, with their hyper-sensitive senses, are experiencing extreme pain. They also state that, by the removal of the foreskin which is assembled by millions of nerves, the man’s sexual satisfaction is highly decreased and limited after circumcision. Moreover, studies are showing that medical organisations and agencies in the U.S found a way to financially exploit this new movement. Apparently there is a multimillionaire industry where the foreskins are used without anyone’s permission in plastic surgery, laboratory experiments and to produced insulin and cosmetics. In America the profits today reach almost 400 million dollars a year.

Prostitution part 2

There are some places in the world, on the other hand, that prostitution couldn’t be more brutal, vandal or inhumane. Cambodia and Thailand for instance are two of the most well-known child prostitution centres in the world. Children there, boys and girls by the age of 4-5 years old are sold by their families to brothels, where after horrible-terrifying tortures are being forced to sexual intercourses with clients from all over the world. The legal system there is wick, the police and the government are corrupted and everything is controlled by the Vietnamese and Thailand Mafia. Currently, 35% of prostitutes in Cambodia are under the age of 18 who didn’t choose this way of life when it was either sell their selves or horrible tortures, starvation and death. Moreover, half of the Cambodian prostitutes’ population was found HIV positive and the place is crowded with thousands paedophiles each year. Fortunately there are presently some compassionated humanitarians who seek to end this nightmare and save these innocent poor souls. Somaly Mam is a Cambodian girl who was raped by the age of 12 and was sold to a brothel at 15. When she was eighteen, she managed to escape from the brothel and gain proper education and a civilized, safe life. Somaly returned back to Cambodian as an adult, after years of raising money from all over the world and established a non-profit organisation in Cambodia, where children and former prostitutes like her could find refuge, food and a chance to live different, more decent life.

Body modification

I found the lecture on body modification most thrilling and inspiring to discuss. I am Christian Orthodox and a member of the Greek-Cypriot society of the small island of Cyprus. I have spent the last 22 years of my life there and actually things do seem a little better than what they used to be. In the past (5-10 years ago), church and the other social norms were so narrow-minded that anyone with tattoos, earrings or other extreme body modifications, especially men, didn’t consider as respectful members of the society. In addition, No educated, intelligent, moral and seriously proper man could have long or excessive facial hair or other changes on his appearance such as extreme hair dyes or styles; and things were not exactly better for women either. It was in fact rather simple; according to the society’s standards, any unusual or extreme body modification was a violation of the body, soul and God. I personally struggled as a teenager through high school’s rules that wanted me to get rid of my earrings, rings or other jewellery except of curse of the Christian cross… I wasn’t allowed to have long or extreme hair styles, dye my hair or have any kind of noticeable facial hair and outside the school, most likely I wouldn’t be considered as welcome in most places. Anyone who was tatted was also stigmatised as an outlaw and a hoodlum. Fortunately societies now are shifting and people are adopting and modernised by exploring culture by culture all the beauties of our World and Nature. Nowadays we witness body modification in its greatest. Tattoos, piercing and other types of body modifications (body building, dieting, plastic surgery, scarification, female& male circumcisions and more) are now very well known to all humankind and all are overwhelming our daily lives. There are some who even modify their eye balls with tiny pieces of jewellery (called Jewel Eye) these days and who knows what other surprises the future saves for us. With nanotechnology and Cyborgs’ technology I can’t wait to see what other exciting eras we will manage to experience.

Smoking part 2

What would you think if I told that smoking does not harm anyone far from those who actually are smokers? What would you say if I told that everything we were told on passive smoking were only lies and indented misleads of the truth by health and safety organisations? You would most likely think I am crazy or joking but apparently it may be true. In fact, there are no real evidences to show that passive smoking is really that bad to people and they are some to support that, what was concluded in the past was entirely false. “There’s an international row over a study published in the British Medical Journal where Californian researchers found no increased risk from what’s called 'environmental tobacco smoke'”. Moreover, the results found no relation between passive smoking and heart disease or lung cancer. In contrast, it was noted that it maybe a small risk of chronic obstructive lung disease. Presently in the U.K and in other European countries smoking has been entirely banned from all public places like restaurants, bars- nightclubs and other working areas. Surely non-smokers can be a little disturbed by someone smoking next to them somewhere but do smokers really deserved such a discrimination and hate? I can say no more as I am a smoker and I might not think objectively but one thing I am sure of. Criminalized smoking is an issue that must be re-examined before I let someone tell me what to do with myself and my health, in my private life as well as in my social life.

Prostitution

The most ancient profession of all, yet the most misunderstood and misjudged as well. Like in Cyprus where I come from, in some states of America and in many other places prostitution is currently illegal and there are few people that wish to a worldwide criminalization. In the U.K. now for example prostitution may not be illegal itself but there are almost 36 other offences related to the issue. Governments, religions like Christianity and other social parties are strongly against paid sex and prostitutes; and when they don’t trying to prosecute them or worst, they try to conform them and ‘help’ them in order to become something more ‘useful’ for the society. They strongly believe that prostitution is dangerous in various ways such as the spread of diseases like HIV and AIDS and also suggest that is a violation of women human rights as it is a kind of slavery and exploitation so it must be entirely banned. At the moment prostitution in many parts of the world like Germany, Spain and Holland is legalised as it is considered a consent action between adults. These prostitutes choose this kind of work because it fitted their nature, habits or schedule. In addition, legalised prostitution is also regulated through series of constant medical tests that prostitutes have to undergo to be able to practice their profession. Finally, it is safe for them to choose whenever they want to change profession or practice it. They decide where, how and when they want to work, as they can refer to the law for any violation or crime against them without fearing prosecution.

Kids

Well there is bad cinema and bad cinema… In the first half are those films that don’t serve any purpose what so ever and they are so boring to watch as well. Most of the times, this kind of films are low-budged productions and are so bad that even the people who made them don’t want to watch them. In addition, people like myself, who did see a film like that are trying to forget all about it ever since. On the other hand, are the bad films which are projecting the evil aspects of the modern societies; violence, drugs, alcohol, sex and many other more terrifying and wicked that could anyone imagined. In this kind we will also often encounter extraordinary situations where the bad guys could be the good guys and vice versa. It’s true that no serial killer or drug dealer can be easily someone who we could identify with and it’s more likely for the majority of us to condemn such behaviours. But let us face it, we all enjoy watching them. The extreme, hardcore action scenes, genius plots and fantastic special effects are only of the few aspects that made them so beautiful and irresistible. In contrast, Kids (1995) does not belong in either of these two categories. The director succeeds to pass the feeling that Kids (1995) is not a made-up story or a film but a true-based documentary. We can easily empathize and sympathise with all the characters, even the most wicked ones, in a realistic way that we can learn so much from them as we would actually living it our selves. I was socked watching it for the first time last month and it gave me the chills to tell you the truth. It wasn’t because it was disturbing or anything but because of me coming from Cyprus, where kids could never imagine do or behave like that it was so unconceivable at first. In my opinion, Kids (1995) is one of the best films that I have ever watched and believe me I have seen a lot.

Stalking

When I think the word ‘stalking’ the first thing that pops into my head is that picture… a vicious predator animal is stalking on his pray in order to satisfy the greatest desire of all, the desire to eat... What stalking is and means when it comes to humans is not that much of a difference. Stalking in many cases can be considered as a mental condition where the mentally distressed, the predator is criminally pursues and harassing someone, damaging or harming him/her either mentally or physically, his/her social life, family or friends. It’s the hunger to satisfy desires such as obsession, dependency or jealousy. Nearly 60 percent of women and 30 percent of men are stalked by a current partner (Tjaden and Thoennes, 1998). Haven’t you ever picked up your partner’s mobile phone and just check the last calls and messages? I agree that stalking may be a serious crime in some cases and that it can cost a great damage to the victims and their surroundings indeed. On the other hand, I feel that people got a little bit out of their heads when start and generalizing things got panicked as always. Is it that bad to just stare to a beautiful woman walking down the street? Is it stalking because you just stopped and cherished beauty? How about sending flowers to someone at their home or gifts to their work? According to NSW Police Force and Government it is…

Theft and Shoplifting

Do you think theft is a bad thing? If you ask that question to people, obviously the most possible answer you would get is HELL YEAH! Before I share my view on the issue with you, I would like to consider first another similar question. What is theft and or makes it happen? Well a possible answer to that question could be, because in our world we have the people, the material goods and the cash: People who have the cash can buy the material goods in order to live; and people who don’t have the cash to buy the material goods, they steal them instead in order to live. And that’s how we have a problem such as theft to take place. In our equation though, if we take out the cash we will still have the people and the material goods. Everybody can access them and so no theft is needed. Now, another argument is raised because all good in theory but in practice, things could be very different indeed. Can our solution to the problem be applied practically? Can we really take out the cash but still have all we need to live a decent life? Some will suggest that, a potential solution is globalization. Despite the fact that, others will argue that something like that could never work in our world as an idea sounds very inspiring to me. Finally, I am not sure if that could happen in our days but I think it’s a cool future for our kind to lead into. In the mean while check out Shoplifters to learn all about the art of shoplifting.

Infidelity

Some people would speak for infidelity as something seductive and ecstatic. They could also state that, infidelity gave excitements in their lives and in some cases happiness or even meaning, where it was nowhere to be found inside their marriage or their dull lives. Others find infidelity immoral; a plague that seeks to destroy the ethical principles and moral codes that bond individuals together and conformed our societies. They believe that infidelity is corrupting and destroying lives as well as entire families. The truth is that, nowadays the world is a strange place to live in, where extreme situations require extreme actions. There is no trust among us, while we don’t even trust our very selves! We don’t rely on one another in ways that could have caused us to be vulnerable towards others. We born and die alone and how we choose to spend the rest of it? These days it isn’t that much different. That has produced a great breach on humans’ interpersonal relations. By losing our faith in our selves as well as in others we became the monsters we were trying to run away from. Unfortunately I feel that, people today do not appreciate values such us honesty, respect or love and had lost the point of pursuing to live a decent life. Desperate as we are, we choose to go with the flow and accept that, ‘that’s just the way it is’.

Six Different Reasons that Men and Women Cheat on Each Other (other cool links right at the bottom of the page)

Masturbation

After our lecture on masturbation and a couple of posts I have look at on blogger I also wonder what is the problem after all for people to masturbate, talk about it or even have a proper education on the issue masturbation and sexuality in general. You know back in 1980’s only the word “masturbation” could meant a terrible crime/sin against God, your family, your friends, your whole country for God sakes; even against your self. Just follow the link Masturbation and the Bible and you will get an idea (also check out the picture-top of the screen in the link). In contrast, today masturbation has been mostly accepted by individuals as something that is not a crime or sin to do. Doctors and other scientists have supported that masturbation is perfectly normal and they even suggesting it in certain cases. Now people in an attempt to explore their nature talk about it more but there are some remains of the previous taboos in many of us still. On the other hand, the most interesting thing as well as enjoyable I must say, it was to read an article with the title “Masturbation Marathon London”. Apparently, this is the new trend for raising money for charity, first established in U.S.A about five years ago. The exciting thing is that there is even a World record of someone masturbating for about 8 and half hours there!

PS: I would’t mind to go for that record…who cares to join me..? To bad it was two years ago…J it could have been a nice place for our field trip too, because I just heard today that the Camden Town market in London, was burn down a couple of weeks ago for an odd reason that i am not aware of…. L

Smoking

Firstly, I have to state that, by smoking 30 cigarettes for about 10 years now I considered being a social smoker or maybe a heavy one as well. Now days though, smoker or not everyone have a certain idea as well as some kind of responsibility towards what smoking is and does. I don’t believe there is anyone, who had lived in a civilized world for the last 5 years at least and don’t know what are the basic effects of smoking on someone’s mental/physical health and environment. In addition, I also believe that no one can honestly say that smoking is good or bad. In contrast you can suggest that, many people may smoke for the wrong reasons or in a bad way. Not everybody is in the position to decide for them selves, think about others or their selves and take responsibility upon their actions. Finally I also feel that, smokers always have to consider and respect others’ health and personal rights, especially those of non-smokers; as long as there is the corresponding consideration and respect for smokers as well. Claims such as, smoking must be banned also in the privacy of our own home, just sound absurd to me. Lets not forget that, any individual can be consider to have the freedom of choice, but that freedom is not unlimited, one’s freedom stop where someone else’s begins.

Snuffing Out Smoking

Young People and Smoking

comment

Blog title: Being Bad

Post title: SMOKING
Posted by: Zahra

I agree that no one can say for sure that smoking is bad or good but I will like to take the risk and say that there are not good or bad cigarettes but only good and bad people, and they can be smokers or non smokers. In contrast, I don’t believe that there is any smoker out there that wants to stop smoking and he/she had not either choice or the strength but to continue. It’s just only a matter of how badly does he/she wants it to happen. I heard a dozen stories regard to people who were smokers for decades and managed to stop in a day just by choosing it. For example, my father, aged 59 at the moment, was a smoker for 30 years or so before he stopped, about 10 years ago. For those who lack the strength to stop smoking, these days there are also so many therapies that can help them stop smoking just by applying them once and they are not that expensive. I also have a friend that paid 200 pounds (CY) few years ago, just to have the therapy once and he never smoke a single cigarette since.

Field trip

Graffiti at Camden Town tube station
(Photos/words © urban75, 27th December 2006)

I think we should go to Camden Town in London, a BAD Place with/for BAD people. I was there few months ago for the first time and I spent a couple of days just wondering around. It was really an awesome place to be. A strange bad world is scrambling behind the market curtains and bad things could happen right in front of your eyes and/or under your nose. Even if our trip will last only for a day and we may not see as much, I feel it full-fills the module expectations indeed.