The Final Blog?

My age? I’d prefer not to say - (I'm a 'mature' student)

What sex am I? Female

My degree subject is English and Creative & Professional Writing

‘Being Bad’ relates well to the other modules I’m taking because you always needs ammunition for good writing!

I’ve found ‘Being Bad’ to be at an appropriate level. The list of topics covered on the module were appropriate.

I can’t think of any topics not included in the module that I would like to see included

I thought the module team was great – a varied number of lecturers spoke, therefore a variety of experience was on offer

The format for classes has worked well. I think there were enough small group discussions and also discussions and debate among the class as a whole – though as the lecture room was so large it was sometimes hard to hear others

The approach taken in the module (interdisciplinary) was great – I enjoyed learning about literature of course as I am an English student. I thought it was a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module

Interdisciplinary modules are a good idea- if appropriate. I think I have definitely benefited from this interdisciplinary approach taken in the module

To be honest – I wouldn’t like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter; it was fun, but maybe too much fun – I didn’t feel like I was at university sometimes (maybe that’s a good thing??)

....but I would possibly take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2

I would recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend – (I mean the module of course!!)

I think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea, I’ve never heard of them before so it was a new experience for me. What a great mode of assessment – especially being able to do research via the web.

I thought the other assessments were appropriate too. They forced us to be creative, and to do some ‘real’ work (the essays) and they also encouraged independent study/research

I have learnt so many things from the module – the most memorable one being finding out Robin Hood wasn’t real ha ha ha

I found doing a weblog the most useful part of the module, because it was a way to get our opinions across (especially if you don’t feel confident enough to do this in class) and also it was like a diary – I would like to do it for other modules.

I don’t think that anything in the module was ‘a waste of time’

My final comments on ‘Being Bad’?
I have grimaced, I have winced, I have felt ill, I have laughed (a lot), I have felt embarrassed, I have been shocked, I have reminisced, I have felt uncomfortable, but most importantly I have learnt to tackle subjects from many different angles through literature, through pictures, through research, and even looking at subjects in films and with my peers in class discussion. What a great module!!!

Liar Liar

I wanted to write about the film Liar Liar starring Jim Carey in my essay – but as you’re only permitted to use ‘proper books’ I will mention it here instead.

For those of you who have never seen or heard of Liar Liar (where have u been??)
Fletcher Reed (Carey) is a successful lawyer, unfortunately he spends far too much time working instead of being with his son Max, so Max makes a birthday wish that for just one day, his dad can't tell a lie. The wish comes true and Fletcher then goes on to have several embarrassing instances where he says exactly what he is thinking and on top of that, he must try and defend his client, even though his entire defence for her is a lie.
(Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119528/plotsummary)

A scene in the move:
Bum: Got any spare change?
Fletcher: Why not?
Bum: Well, could ya spare some?
Fletcher: Yes I could!
Bum: So, why don't?
Fletcher: Because I believe you will buy booze with it! I just want to get from my car to the office without being confronted by the decay of western society!... Plus I'm cheap! AHHH!

For me, this film summed up a lot about lying –it’s quite difficult to go the whole day without lying, but mainly they are just little white lies to ease the day along and not hurt anyones feelings

LSD inventor dies

Just when we are learning Drugs “Albert Hofmann, (pictured) the Swiss chemist who discovered LSD has died at the age of 102”.

(source http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080430/tts-switzerland-science-drugs-lsd-c1b2fc3.html)

Just wondering if his use of LSD had any bearing on the fact that he lived over 100 years? It certainly supports things I wrote about in an earlier blog (Doctors vs Dealers), LSD certainly didn’t have a detrimental effect on him, and aided him in a long and happy life..........

Did you watch?

Am I Normal? BBC2, 29th April at 9.00pm




"Clinical psychologist Dr Tanya Byron explores what some consider as the fine line between religious devotion and psychiatric disorder. Contains some strong language. Why do we judge some as true believers and others as religious nuts? " (source http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/)


I found this programme very relevant to our last lecture – Being Too Religious. It explores many themes of religion – speaking in tongues, over enthusiastic worship, faith healing and nuns being ‘called’ by god. “If you speak to god – it’s a prayer – but if he speaks back its schizophrenia!” (what was said about hearing voices). Sinitta (former pop star) also spoke about being “Brainwashed” – but as "brainwashing" being a positive thing – what’s better than giving your brain a good wash?
I think the programme kind of ended with the thought –
“It’s not what you believe – but how you present that belief”

Kind of - No religion please - we're British!

A Response to a prison field trip

A response to http://blogme4life.blogspot.com who posted
“...... I think the most appropriate bad place to visit would be a high security prison, or police station / young offender’s institute, “

My response: Hiya - I know you probably meant this light-heartedly, but I think a visit to a prison would be a waste of time.
Firstly, everyone would probably have to show loads of ID to get in etc. Then, as they know it's a visit from university students we would be unlikely to see the real goings on in the jail - just the cleaned up version that they want the world to know. Also - I think that when you meet a lot of mass murderers and stuff, they can often seem like normal people. And... of course, they say that most people who are in prison claim to be innocent!
I suggest that the only way you're going to see bad behaviour therefore is to actually commit a crime and get locked up - then you will see any bad behaviour first hand - and you might actually end up doing some yourself!

Jehovah’s Witnesses refusal of blood transfusion

You may remember a recent case of the above concerning Emma Gough aged 22 from Telford. She gave birth to twins and then died, after refusing treatment with blood in November 2007. This, I think proves that the movement of Jehovah’s Witnesses is more than just a mere ‘cult’ I think they have to step away from that word now and call it a ‘religion’. Millions of people are following this way of life – and are willing to die for it. (Source http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/7078455.stm)

“Witnesses believe that God has forbidden this in Bible passages such as: Only flesh with its soul-its blood-you must not eat (Genesis 9:3-4) & Abstain from ... fornication and from what is strangled and from blood (Acts 15:19-21) Accepting a blood transfusion willingly and without regret is seen as a sin. The Witness concerned would no longer be regarded as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.”

That’s why I get frustrated with religion sometimes – not only do JW’s interpret passages of the bible differently but they also use their own version/translation of the bible! (the New World Translation) A common debate surrounds the actual name “Jehovah” for example, as it doesn’t actual feature in ‘other’ versions (see Exodus 3:12-15)
(source http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/witnesses/witnessethics/ethics_2.shtml & http://www.fellowshipinhislove.com/NotJehovah.html)

Putting all this aside, I’m not actually against JW’s – we have some JW's in our family and we respect their beliefs and even attend the occasional meetings.

I think if there ever will be a Judgement day JW's will be right there amongst those 144,000........
(source: The Holy Bible, Revelations v 10)

“17th March 2000 is a date that will remain etched into Uganda's history books for all the wrong and sad reasons.........”

This was the day that people discovered that members from the cult named ‘Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God’ (pictured), had perished in a fire – more importantly it was discovered it wasn’t just a cult suicide, but most of the members were strangled or poisoned. The cult leaders had led followers to believe that the world would end in Year 2000 – presumably when this day drew near....and passed the organisers had to take action, (after they had urged members to sell their worldy goods and hand over the profits to them!)
(source) http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/People.asp?ID=586

Not that I watch it but.....some time ago I remember ‘Tasha’ in the show 'Home and Away' was ‘brainwashed’ by a Cult called “The Believers” I am unclear exactly what they actually believed in, but ‘Momma Rose’ (the cult leader) clearly picked on Tasha as she was vulnerable at the time of their meeting. The only thing I can remember is that the cult leader wanted her son to sleep with Tasha and they needed ‘babies.’

These stories, and I’m sure more you may remember, contribute to the negative image conjured up by the word ‘cult’ ( “a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader” http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cult)

It’s cults like these that give the others a bad name.

Doctors vs Dealers

I wrote in one of my earlier blogs about the rising trend of “misery literature”. Well after our lecture on drugs – I remembered yet another one I had read – ‘A Piece of Cake’ by Cupcake Brown.
“There are shelves of memoirs about overcoming the death of a parent, childhood abuse, rape, drug addiction, miscarriage, alcoholism, hustling, gangbanging, near-death injuries, drug dealing, prostitution, or homelessness. Cupcake Brown survived all these things before she’d even turned twenty”
(Source: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400052295)

‘A Piece of Cake’ finally culminates in Cupcake waking up behind a dumpster and finally seeking help – and then amazingly - she trains to be a lawyer! But, what was most distinctive about the book for me was the amount of drugs this woman took and over such a long period of time. Yet another testimony that maybe what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.
When I think of most of the ‘stars’ which have died from drug overdoses – usually the drugs were prescription drugs – so maybe it’s the doctors killing us – not the dealers!

Howl

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,

dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,

angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night,

who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz,

Extract of ‘Howl’ by Allen Ginsberg........read the full poem at http://www.wussu.com/poems/agh.htm

According to one reviewer “drugs contributed much to Ginsberg's poem. Howl would not have come into existence without many of the drugs that started the new mindset of the beat generation such as Peyote, LSD, and DMT” (Source http://www.amazon.com/Howl-Allen-Ginsberg/dp/0060926112) and “It is the poet, Allen Ginsberg, who has gone, in his own body, through the horrifying experiences described from life in these pages” (Source http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/ginsberg/howl.htm)

This was my view also – and even if the author never took drugs – the poem clearly has a lot of first hand references to drugs and drug taking, I wonder if you could write that well about a subject if you have not actually had the experiences yourself? Though it was written as a kind of early dub poetry – i.e. to be spoken aloud or performed as opposed to read from the page, it was really unique in its time and forged a new genre. Perhaps drug taking opens the mind to new experiences – it’s just like writing down your dreams – maybe the mind works best when it’s allowed to wonder.

Strawberry Fields

Let me take you down ‘cause I'm going to strawberry fields

Nothing is real

And nothing to get hung aboutStrawberry fields forever............

For full lyrics check out
http://www.lyricsdownload.com/beatles-strawberry-fields-forever-lyrics.html

Fortunately I’m not old enough to remember this the first time around (by The Beatles) – but I do remember the 1990’s version by Candy Flip. Candy Flip’s name was also a slang term for taking drugs (Ecstacy & LSD). Other artists also on that ‘scene’ I remember are The Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays, the Inspiral Carpets, James, The Charlatans – all of these bands kinda looked a bit stoned on stage!

“Is it cos I is black?”

After our lecture, I thought of racist/offensive comedy. It seems it is only racist/offensive when the person performing the comedy belongs to another ethnic group other than the one they are joking about. i.e. – it’s okay for Lenny Henry to portray a weed smoking Rastafarian just because he is “black” and of Jamaican parentage himself, but if say Frank Skinner tried the same thing, he could be branded “bad comedian”.

Also, consider the character of Ali G, who plays a “wigger”. I think his form of humour is ONLY acceptable as we do not know where he comes from. The actual ethnicity of Sacha Cohen Baron is questionable - guesses range from Jewish, Greek, Anglo-Saxon, British Asian and Mixed-Race to Eastern European.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/ali/article/0,2763,195449,00.html – Features and interesting Ali G article

Little Miss Jocelyn is the first black woman in the history of television in either the USA or the UK to be given her own solo comedy sketch show. An achievement, yes yet she claims that neither gender nor colour were anything to do with the humour?? My thought is that’s the very thing that makes it funny (source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/3nonblondes/)

What I have learnt is that as long as comedians stick to ‘appropriate topics for their colour’ then we can feel comfortable and laugh. ‘Black’ comedians can be said to be ‘reclaiming power’ using the art of ‘laughing at themselves’. Just like the lecturer himself – he was able to tell those jokes about ‘Walsall Men’ – because he is one!

Legalise White Lies!!!!!!!!!

The world if everyone always told the truth........................

Jane: Hello
Peter: Hello
Jane: How are you?
Peter: Oh well, pretty lousy actually, I missed the bus this morning I was late to work, and then my boss.....
Jane: .... hang on..I don’t really care, I was only asking out of politeness!
Peter: Oh, well eff you then!
Jane: Charming!
(they both leave)

"Many small subterfuges may not even be intended to mislead. They are only "white lies" in the most marginal sense. Take for example above, (social exchanges). These and a thousand other polite expressions are so much taken for granted that if someone decided, in the name of total honesty, not to employ them, he might well give the impression of indifference he did not possess." Source: Sissela Bok, Lying, Moral Choice in Public and Private Life, 1978 p 58

Chloe: Mommy, am I dying?
Mom: Yes you are dear, the doctor says you definately won’t make it to Christmas
Chloe: (crying) What happens when you die mommy?
Mom: Nobody knows sweetheart – but I’m going to have your body burnt

"Lying to patients has.....seemed an especially exscusble act." This helps "explain why nurses and physicians and relatives of the sick and dying prefer not to be bound by rules that might limit their abilty to suppress, delay, or distort information" Source: as above quote p225

Would these be welcome scenarios if people were always told and tell the truth?

What is truth anyway? http://fly.hiwaay.net/~paul/bacon/essays/truth.html - find out what Bacon thought............

A Response to Infidelity

http://broomie89.blogspot.com/ posted

...... a friend of mine at the moment has got involved with a guy ...... we found out he already had a girlfriend.........its carried on to the point where they are actually seeing each other and eventually slept with each other. Both of them are in the wrong, ......... The only innocent person in this is the girlfriend who is being cheated

My Response

Of course anyone could see that this is an unhealthy situation. I hope it gets resolved soon. I see this ending several ways

The girlfriend finds out he’s cheating – they split up, he goes out with your friend and eventually cheats on her (do leopards change their spots?)

The girlfriend finds out he’s cheating – they split up, they get back together, but the relationship is ruined as the trust is gone, your friends feels used.

The girlfriend finds out he’s cheating – after they’ve had three kids and a 20 year marriage – which ends up in a bitter divorce and traumatised children

But I would prefer

The girlfriend finds out he’s cheating – they split up, everyone goes their own way and learns from the lessons

PS I think that men largely follow their d**cks – i.e. if they can get some on the side – they take it – so your friend is just as much to blame. Try and get her to see that she can get HER OWN man, she doesn’t have to share someone else’s.

A Response to Infidelity..

Response
http://mambo07.blogspot.com/ who posted on the topic of Infidelity
I'm sitting here just finishing my essay off for being bad and I am just wondering why is it that the majority of the stories into adultery are about men cheating on their wives??

My response..
I think that is an interesting question – I’ve often noticed that there are significantly more female prostitutes than male ones (or male escorts), I think it shows that men often have more needs than their wives can’t fulfil and therefore men cheat more than women.
I don’t think however, that statistics back me up...

A SUN survey published in 28 Dec 2006 claimed "WOMEN are far more unfaithful than men, with Forty per cent of females cheating on their lovers, compared with 34 per cent of males".
“Women are and will always be the smarter superior sex. In being smarter they calculate things better. For example when men cheat it is more spontaneous.” (A quote from Why Men and Women Cheat, By Andey Randead)

Maybe it’s just that more women tell their stories? The business exec that works too many long hours deserves to come home and find his wife in bed with another man – he was neglecting her needs and placing material things above love. But hey ...We don’t want to read that - We want to read about the love rat, who cheated on his wife with her best friend. If you’re reading stories in women’s magazines (like Chat! For example) – they are aimed at a female audience – Women probably are greater readers than men – so they’re just catering to our needs! HEll hath no fury like a woman scorned and all that.....The pen is mightier than the sword....

Seal

As pop star Seal was of Nigerian descent, I assumed that the scars on his face were from some sort of tribal tradition. I thought of him when we were discussing the topic - Body Modification

In fact, Seal has distinctive scars under his eyes, left by a skin ailment called Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (which makes the immune system hyperactive and attacks normal tissue) when he was young. I think this has added to his fame and made him more distinctive.

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40025956/ - has more information on the disease.

Female Brutality

I was first introduced to FGM by the book ‘The Color Purple’ by Alice Walker. As well as telling the story of Ceelie and her life, at the end of the book, we are introduced to the character of Tashi, and her story. It seems like Walker could not let the character of Tashi go, and she went on to write ‘Possessing the Secret of Joy’ specifically about Tashi and what affect fgm had on her.

You might think this is just an African or third world problem but..............
“In June 2005, new figures showed that up to 76,000 women living in the UK may have undergone illegal operations. An estimated 7,000 girls are still thought to be at risk. No one has yet been prosecuted, although health professionals claim that girls living in Britain have been circumcised in operations overseas organised by family members.
In 2004, the UK government closed a loophole to prevent young women from being taken abroad for circumcision. The then home secretary, David Blunkett, condemned genital cutting as "very harmful" and warned that parents would face imprisonment if they broke the law.”
(TAKEN FROM http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/ethics/femalecircumcision/femalecirc_6.shtml)

As you can guess, what affected me most in our lecture on Body Modification, were the practices on women. The tribes that use the ‘neck rings’ were horrifying to me and also the foot binding was shocking – but as pointed out by the lecturer – perfectly normal to them – and even a sign of beauty. I guess when we looked at those pictures the ‘flinch factor’ was imagining that being done to you!

Lets hope that through education these practices will stop – Children learn what they live – If parents don’t do something their children won’t either. I hope that men try to keep women oppressed the old fashioned way - like buying them a vacuum cleaner for her birthday!

A tattoo is not just for Christmas – it’s for life!

Ok, so we have probably all heard of tattoo stories going wrong – one of the most famous being Johnny Depp, who had “Winona Forever” modified to “Wino Forever” after their breakup – (l don’t think Mr Depp will be putting anyone’s else’s name on his arm anytime soon! ) Better stick to putting your kids names on your body (like David Beckham). Or what about people who have been tattooed in Chinese/Japanese and found out it didn’t really say what they thought it did!

More closer to home, a friend of mine had her boyfriend’s name tattooed on her shoulder – and... you guessed it – they’re no longer together! My friend however, is not ashamed of it, and has gone on to have many successful relationships with her ex sitting on her shoulder – but what interesting is that my friend had this tattoo done underage....

Although the legal age of consent for a tattoo is 18 years, she was still able to have this tattoo done at the age of 15! Apparently – as she ‘looked old enough’ she was never asked for ID, though the tattooist did ask her if “she was sure”. I can’t help thinking that if she’d have been a little older (and supposedly wiser) she might have had the maturity to see that this wasn’t a good idea. At 18 you are legally seen as an adult in the eyes of the law.
You can vote in general and local elections.
You can get married (without anyone’s permission)
You can buy cigarettes and tobacco.
You can open a bank account in your name without a parent or carer's signature.
You can buy and drink alcohol in a bar.
You can ask to see your birth certificate if you are adopted.
You can change your name.
You can be called to serve on a jury.
You can sue or be sued.
You can make a will.
You can place a bet.

And of course - you can have a tattoo!

I have found no law on piercings – but at least you can take them out!

I hope this link to the following article will help anyone considering having a tattoo

http://www.rankmytattoos.com/f/cool/bad-tattoos.html

A measure of Good and BAD Manners

Last year I read a book by Lynn Truss entitled - Talk to the Hand - The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door. I laughed last year when I read it and I think I laughed just as much this year.



The book discusses some interesting ideas about manners - (though it is not a book about manners - it's kind of like the programme 'Grumpy Old Men' that give hilarious examples of bad manners and what ticks people off) it also gives some food for thought i.e "It used to be just CIA agents with ear pieces who walked around with preoccupied faraway expressions and consequently regardled all the little people as irrelevant scum. Now... it's nearly everybody" (page 29) (here she is discussing the use of mobile phones/ipods in public areas).



I have extracted a few measures of, whether manners are 'dead,' from the book, that you could try / look out for in your spare time



1) Bump into people on purpose - see how many people say sorry to you? (Be careful with this one!)

2) Hold the door open for people - see how many 'thank-yous' you get


3) See if people thank the driver when they get off the bus


4) When driving, give way to some1 (i.e. let them turn) and see if you get a thank you

One statistic mentioned in the book was that for item 1, the response was 80% (of people said sorry)


And lastly something for us students from pg 23 "The writer who neglets spelling and punctuation is quite arrogantly dumping a lot of avoidable work on the reader, who deserves to be treated with more respect" ha ha - I'd better go back and check for spelling mistakes..........

Barrow and Parker (Bonnie and Clyde)

As suggested in the lecture I followed the following link - http://foia.fbi.gov/bonclyd/bonclyd.pdf to the FBI file on Bonnie and Clyde. (Pictured is the car in which they were killed)

The first thing that struck me, was the names. Why were they not called Barrow & Parker? which got me thinking about other outlaws – Jessie James - not known as Jessie or only James, we only know him as both names, Billy the Kid, also known by his first name too, maybe the Americans get a little more familiar with their criminals? Here in the UK, if someone was to say Hindley or Shipman, or The Kray’s – we know exactly who you’re talking about. Hmm – I digress....

Yes, they seemed to have done quite a lot of crime, but something that also struck me was the company that they kept – Bonnie was married to a convict and all their close friends were criminals as well – must of been kind of hard for them to go straight! Maybe Bonnie was just following around a guy she loved?

Perhaps the two captured the public’s attention as it was quite rare to have a male and female criminal duo. The only other ones I can think of are Moyra Hindley and Ian Brady, or Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr?!!

By the way I have read that Bonnie Parker was a good student and an avid creative writer! And she wrote a poem about her and Clyde beginning.....

You've read the story of Jesse James -

Of how he lived and died.

If you're still in need of something to read,

Here's the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

And ending .......

Some day they'll go down together;

They'll bury them side by side;

To few it'll be grief - To the law a relief -

But it's death for Bonnie and Clyde.

(If you want to read the bits in between check out http://www.mysterynet.com/bonnie-and-clyde/mystery-poem.shtml)

A Response to a comment re:kids

Posted at: http://thehumanstrain.blogspot.com/

who wrote........Take the book Lord of the Flies http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Flies-William-Golding/dp/0399501487 for an example of how children without adult supervision can become violent...............

My response

As part of my creative writing module I reviewed a short story by Julie Orringer, entitled ‘The Pilgrims’ from her book of short stories ‘Learning to Breathe Underwater’.

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/how_breathe_underwater2.asp

This was an example of how children without adult supervision become ‘deadly.’ Prior to reading your blogspot, I looked at the story with an artistic eye (i.e. written in what voice/genre etc) but really the story was also an example of what happens when you leave children unsupervised for ‘short’ periods of times, and the end result is a shocking death. The children in the story are not very ‘old’ either, they are ‘pre-teens’, unlike the movie ‘Kids’ though – their actions are not shocking or hard to take in. It’s just kids being kids at the end of the day. MAybe an example that kids need adult supervision for at least 16 years

How many people will come to your funeral

I had an Idea – are you judged by how many people come to your funeral?

As we learnt in our lecture – thousands attended the funeral of Pretty Boy Floyd (and estimated 30,000 attended) – why? Were they sad he was dead? Presumably he didn’t know that many people – why did they come?

In October 2000 thousands of people turned up in London to bid farewell to Reggie Kray. Spectators stood six deep for Kray's funeral procession – why? Was he really a ‘nice’ person? Will they miss him? I watched the You tube video posted on that funeral and the newsreader had the same question? Why did so many attend – maybe out of fear?

“Together with his late brother Ronnie, the twins' stylish image, reinforced by a series of portraits by the photographer David Bailey, captured the imagination of Cockneys, film stars, even peers of the realm. But the reality was shocking, characterised by protection rackets, extraordinarily grotesque violence and murder.” (Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/937275.stm)

In contrast, Myra Hindley’s funeral was attended by12 friends and Harold Shipman’s funeral was attended by his wife and a ‘handful’ of other mourners.
Admittedly Hindley was a mean hearted serial killer, Shipman was a kind hearted killer? but the others were also mean hearted serial killers/robbers- so what’s the difference.

Killing children and old people is clearly a no-no. Bank robberies are sensational, risky, something maybe we all think of doing to improve our lives or like the Kray’s terrorising the neighbourhood is clearly a thing people aspire to? So it’s kind of acceptable to shoot bank clerks and kill gang members?

More than 5 million people are reported to have attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome on 7 April 2005 – ok, they were probably Catholics and he apparently made a difference in millions of people’s lives

Also, the funeral of Diana Princess of Wales on 6 September 1997, drew an estimated 3 million mourners – ok, that was genuinely sad – always is when it’s a premature death, never mind a popular

These are two good people who, in my opinion, deserved to be remembered. But clearly, just like we see in today’s society, people thrive on bad news. Books about mental and physical abuse sell better than chicklit novels. The news and newspapers mostly contain bad news – but we still read/watch them.

“As page-turners go, they are hardly the most uplifting of reads. The abuse, pain and betrayal are often relentless. But "misery literature" has now become the book world's boom sector.
New figures show that the misery memoir market doubled from £12m in 2005 to £24m last year, with up to 10 new titles vying to be top of the glums each month. The top-selling misery memoir in the UK - Behind Closed Doors by Jenny Tomlin - shifted 278,000 copies in 2006, more than six times the number sold by last year's Booker Prize winner, The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai. Of the 100 bestselling paperbacks last year, more than a tenth were tales of real-life misery, and they make up six of the top 10 in the Sunday Times paperback bestseller list”

(Source: http://constancebriscoe.co.uk/) article By Anthony Barnes, Arts and Media Correspondent

Most importantly, people need something to talk about – nothing more boring than having a decent job, marrying a decent woman and then dying from a perfectly decent heart attack. Life remembers sufferers, risk takers and weirdoes

Shot down in a blaze of glory

One film I remember is “Young Guns” – not just because I was in love with Lou Diamond Phillips at the time, but also I remember the Bon Jovi theme tune quite vividly. (We always remember the chorus don’t we!)

Im going down in a blaze of glory

Take me now but know the truth

Im going down in a blaze of glory

Lord I never drew first

But I drew first blood

Im no ones son

Call me young gun

Click on the following link for the full lyrics

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bon+jovi/blaze+of+glory_20022188.html

‘Young guns’ the film, was actually about Billy The Kid. Quite a good website about him is contained in the following link. http://www.aboutbillythekid.com/ Though, I think the author of the website might be in love with him.... as this website portrays him in quite a positive light.

Supposedly - he killed as many men as he had years of his life – but how much of this could be exaggeration by the media? – or even exaggeration by his victims? – or exaggeration by Billy the Kid himself!?

I would describe him as a bandit – but I don’t know if he had a ‘social conscience’ though. But he is immortalised in American history (according to this website) so although he was a baddie – he’s remembered as a goodie?

The Sheriff that shot him, Patrick Garrett, wrote a book about the kid called The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid. This shot Billy in fame, and apparently probably the reason we have heard of him today. It’s a shame we can’t go back in time and check out facts, we just have to piece together bits of history – bits of stories – blurred photos and news reports and websites by know-it-alls!

The pen IS mightier than the sword!

They say you learn something everyday – Well I am at university, and I’m learning – the problem is what I learnt, most people probably already knew – Robin Hood was NOT REAL! This was almost as shocking as finding out that William Shakespeare never wrote a book (debatable I know).

I have watched Robin Hood (starring Kevin Costner) and though I know Hollywood is not real, I kind of subscribed to the Sherwood forest and the Maid Marion bits. The lecturer spoke of ‘A Gest of Robyn Hode’ or A Lyttell Geste of Robyn Hode. It begins....

LITHE and listen, Gentlemen,


That be of free-born blood:


I shall you tell of a good yeoman,


His name was Robin Hood.

If you want to read more, click on the link - http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/gest.htm


Obviously this was written about a Robin Hood but was probably based on good old oral tales. As many years ago most people were illiterate, telling tales or stories were a good way to keep a tale alive but we all know what happens when we play Chinese whispers.....so imagine when we do that over centuries. If you like the colour green perhaps, you would incorporate that into the story you’re telling, so Robin’s dresses would change and his very actions with every storyteller. You’ve got to please your audience after all. So Robin Hood was probably called Robert Hod and probably originally from somewhere up North!

I think what is important is something the lecturer described later. It was the spirit he evokes. A release from poverty, in those days you couldn’t hope to win the lottery or work your way up the corporate ladder, so why not have a thief shower gold and food on you, that he’s stolen from toffy nosed rich people who spit on you as they walk by? This tale goes through all nations as well. Maybe mankind is trying to say – steal – but have a good reason for doing so – mind you, I think if you steal in some countries (even if you’re hungry)- you still get punished!

A response on the topic of 'being too religious'

Posted by

http://masturbation-mcbash.blogspot.com/

Who wrote..........In the lecture they focused on Jehovah's witnesses and they put a negative light on them by saying they come round door to door which they do but until you have one living next door to you then you can judge them badly. To me they have been very nice people they may have talked about religion to me but never forced me to change my self or religion to become a Jehovah's witnesses. ……………..

My response: We haven’t had this lecture yet ……….. who’s been talking about Jehovah’s Witnesses? Anyway…. there are quite a few of them in my family and you don’t feel guilty about knocking on someone’s door when you’re spreading what you think is the truth. (i.e. as opposed to a vacuum cleaner salesman who might be bending the truth a little, but still has a legitimate reason for knocking your door)

I kind of thought the lecture on religion was going to be about being too religious, i.e. fanatical, shouting at people in the street, JW’s are hardly in this category. I know I’ve had the experience of someone being nice to you on the bus – and then you find out they’re a Christian and they go off in a different direction speaking about the white horses of the apocalypse.... I'm looking forward to this lecture anyway

A response to Internet dating

posted by: http://formybeingbad.blogspot.com/

Who said .........Is the internet a good or a BAD place to meet people and go out on dates??? How many people on line are genuine and how many are dodgy??? Suppose we'll never really know. Its amazing how many people quite happily give out their mobile number and expect phone calls!!!........

My response

I don't personally have any experience in this field (I get approached so often in 'real life') but I have a friend who thinks internet dating is a BAD thing. She has met alot of perverted MEN (sorry men) and also been ripped off. I think speed dating looks fun though - always wanted to try that one. I think it's quite safe to give out a mobile number - you can always change it - and if people want to keep calling you - they're wasting their money - not yours.

Smoking Re-visited

I know we covered smoking some weeks ago - but after doing my assignment on this topic I just wanted to share some facts with you.
Hey, if this stops one person smoking one cigarette, (hence adding one minute to your life) - then this will be worth it.

If you click on the link
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4136733.pdf
this has government statistics, you can find out some some interesting facts. For those of you who don't want to read it - pages 5 & 6 have some verypretty graphs! They are facts about when people start smoking which I found fascinating.
I've also discovered smoking causes quite a big litter problem.
http://www.encams.org/campaigns/sub.asp?sub=25 Wolverhampton also features in this website - so watch out you litter louts!

Next time I'm at uni I will look at the 'smokers corner' and see just how bad it is. There are also a lot of national initives to get people to take their litter with them i.e. - pick up their butts!
http://www.encams.org/campaigns/main.asp?section=2&sub=25&pageid=125 I have actually seen the 'stubbi' item given away for free in Wolverhampton Civic Centre.

Seriously, check out the links - they might save your life - or at least help, 'keep Britain tidy'. x

The Power of Cinema (a response)

Posted in response to http://beingbad19.blogspot.com/

................who posted this about the film Kids

OH MY DAYS...that film was terrible it should not of been able to come out on DVD never mind cinema!..That film is an out rage I felt like walking out at the beginning but I thought I’d give it the benefit of the doubt I should of gone with my feeling! I CAN'T BELIEVE ANYBODY HAS MADE A FILM ABOUT THAT!!....That person has got a perverted mind in my opinion!...What do you think?????

My response:

I went to see the film ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (starring Tom Hanks) I would have left the cinema in the first few minutes had I not been stuck in the middle of an aisle and not want to disturb people. I wanted to leave because I couldn’t take all the mass killing and dying and bullets. I wanted to look away from the film in some parts. Just like ‘Passion of the Christ’ – do we really need to see a film where Jesus is whipped and tortured for hours? Then again - maybe we did – maybe some people were ‘born again’ because of that film.

But just think – this shock tactic might be good for some people. There may have been some people in the audience who have been prompted to get themselves checked out at a clinic, there may be some who remind themselves to practice safer sex, and there were definitely parents who are going to be more vigilant...yes, you could have walked out, but just put it down to experience.... at least you didn’t have to pay to see it – sounds like you would have been asking for your money back if you had!

Kids? They didn't look like baby goats to me!

I have to say I found this movie disgusting. The most disgusting parts were having to watch teenagers exchange so much fluid in a kiss. It’s just as disgusting as watching old people do it! Anyway, I felt that the movie was a warning to all parents. Someone in the audience said she wasn’t in the slightest worried about her daughter, but consider the character of Darcy – she seemed very sweet and innocent and only spent the night away from home on the pretence of being somewhere else that night! What a sweet girl – I’m glad it was only a film.

Anyone seen High School Musical? (cast pictured above) The characters are all sickly sweet, say please, thank you and you're welcome, and are always polite, the cheerleaders are pretty – and smart – the jocks are sensitive and choose girls based on personality – not looks, the ‘fat’ girl doesn’t get called names and whole school can dance and sing – What kind of teenage world is that? Got to be a Disney Film!

What I’m saying in short, is that films need to find some kind of balance to mirror reality. Not all kids are bad, not all kids are good. In High School Musical, all the kids are well behaved and rich with nice white smiles - it looks too unreal (but is strangely very popular!) and most of the kids in ‘Kids' seemed just too bad, one step away from hell (and the morgue!). Maybe people could just make normal films - then again – would anybody want to watch them?

'Kids' won’t be going in my DVD collection anytime soon, why can’t directors see that we want to watch good old fashioned feel good movies like the link that follows - http://www.filmsite.org/momentsindx.html#100greats

We’re going to the cinema to be entertained – not to be shocked.

Having My Say

Pls follow the link to check out my further comments on the lectures

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1348368239401509676&postID=5586298247422594446

My response: It has occured to me that people are still a little 'guarded' during the lesson, people might sometimes say what they think is right and not what they truly believe. For instance, in the first lecture we were told to write down something we did that was 'bad'. Personally, I kind of picked something which was quite tame - not wanting to confess, and not wanting the new friends I had made around me to think I was a bad person! And also - there is the student like me - I've got plenty of opinions, but am too afraid to talk....Re: This invisible 'line' that people approach, yes, thats a good concept, same concept as 'they'. I.e. 'they say it's bad for your health' who are 'they'?

posted 26 February 2008 11:13

Ah hem (Masturbation)

I'm ashamed to say I actually learnt some things in our recent lecture. The two biggest shocks though were

1, Finding out people discovered their 'sexuality' between the ages of 0 - 8. Very shocked by that one as I have children in this age group and they seem pretty innocent to me

2, The majority of students 'polled' claiming that they are doing it once a day or more! Good job we don't live in those societies where we have to shake hands alot!

I also had no idea about the sone 'I'm turning Japanese'. I couldn't think of any songs on the subject but just so you don't have to strain yourself I found a website telling you loads

http://www.cracked.com/article_15114_15-best-songs-that-are-totally-about-masturbation.html

I was also intrigued by the origin of the word masturbation. I am inclined to belive it comes from the latin word manus, (meaning hand) as most English words seems to come from that direction. But then again the Oxford dictionary thinks differently..The word Master also means young boy - maybe that could explain the origin as well? Of course the 'other' words for it were much more entertaining to think about - I had very tame ones which I didnt want to shout out - stroking the beaver (female) and touching yourself! The guy next to me thought the latter was pretty tame, but I think it says all you need to know.

Finally - that Hob Nob thing is the most disgusting thing I've heard this year

(Mind you- it's only March and we haven't finished the course yet!)

Response to smoking

http://c-beingbad.blogspot.com/2008/02/smoking.html (response)

Thanks for posting that video - I often surf you tube - but never for anything informative like that! I quite liked the vivid imagery with the brain and the tar. I'm a non smoker - but what I think is that DESPITE ALL THIS NEGATIVE IMAGERY PEOPLE STILL CONTINUE TO SMOKE. Despite putting big warning labels on the sides of cigarette packs - despite putting big billboards - despite people being more educated on the facts of smoking, despite cigarette adverstising being banned, despite the age you are permited to buy cigarettes being highered, despite banning it in the pubs, despite the NHS quitting campaigns, despite nicorette, despite bad breath, depite yellow fingers, despite lung disease and death - people still smoke - and thats why I want to know!

Brokeback Mountain

Way back in week 2 when we discussed the topic of infidelity, some students mentioned the film 'Brokeback Mountain'. Of course we have all been reminded about the film through the pasing of Heath Ledger (accidental drug overdose?!) Follow this link (if you've been on another planet and you've missed it!)

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91248-1301899,00.html

I really enjoyed the film and therefore fully understand the comments made in the lecture, (of unrequited and forbidden love). It was definately easier for the two main characters in the film to stay within their hetrosexual relationships than to live with the stigma of being a gay man. Anyway, I would recommend watching it - at least you get to watch Heath Ledger grow old - something he will never do in real life!

It did however occur to me that Ennis Del Mar (the character played by Ledger) was kind of 'accidentally gay' i.e. prior to starting his realtionship with a man - he was in a relationship with a woman (whom he then goes on to marry). I don't know..... well here's a link for all of those who are confused.com.

http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/G/gayometer/gayometer.html

x

Not telling you whether I’m the victim or the perpetrator

Judas Iscariot - betraying Jesus with a kiss

I really enjoyed the talk of Infidelity, and I have personal experience in this area. I did want to tackle the essay question on what is betrayal, but I found myself talking less about Infidelity and straying to the ultimate act of betrayal, arguably the most famous one – Judas Iscariot. It’s worse not only because Jesus was an important man – but betraying someone with a kiss – a display of love/friendship – unforgiveable! And the most important aspect - that act of betrayal ended in death. (Though my aunt did argue with me that Jesus knew he was going to be betrayed.) As if u haven’t heard the story a thousand times already, read Matthew Verse 26 (New Testament ) or check out the link below
http://www.judasischariot.com/judas-in-the-bible.html

Getting back to infidelity, I did look into ‘the most important part of a relationship’, and if you check out Yahoo answers, ’trust’ comes up a lot. But also the BBC website was excellent on the infidelity topic – loads of advice on how to get over it – which I will be promptly reading ah hem!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/relationships/couples/heartaches_affairs.shtml

A bit of bad behaviour of my own!

Through the "spy hole"

I live opposite an old man, and he quite often gets drunk at night then he comes out to walk his dog and when I hear his door go, I often run to spy hole and peep at him.

Anyway, one night, I hear the door as usual and I run up to look out my spy hole but this time I couldn’t see anything! I’m thinking – well the light must have gone on the balcony, but then – shock horror! He was the one blocking out the light – he’s been standing with his ear up against my door!

What I was doing to him, I found acceptable, but when he did it back to me I was scared. I now walk around my flat whispering! I know it's not stalking, as far as I know he's not done it again...

Seriously though, for those of you want to take an active and responsible eye on their neighbours, (unlike me who prefers to spy on them) check out the following link....

http://www.neighbourhoodwatch.net/index.php?func=PageResourceStory&Type=Resource&StoryId=8

A Field Trip Idea

I've been wanting to see "Sweeny Todd the Barber" for ages - I know it's not that bad but it looks quite bloody and surely what Sweeny did is a bad thing? I don't know if it might be relevant for classes yet to come - namely Bad Cinema and Bandits? But - I don't know if it's still on at the cinema! - and I guess it's not out on DVD for ages x