Response to Debbie's post on Speeding (Neeeeawm!)

http://debsbeingbadblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/neeeeawm.html

Remind me not to get into your car!! Haha only joking, I speed quite alot as well, and so does most of the drivers out there on the road from all ages. Even when a particular road is a 30mph limit road, if it is safe and long to go faster, people will speed. And if you do not go as fast as everyone else and holding up everyone else behind you for obeying the rules, they will dangerously overtake you and honk their horn. This was what it was like for me when I passed my drivers test and drove independently for the first time. Without the learners plate, people will pressure you to speed by driving really close to you, flashing their headlights and tailgating.

Another reason why people speed on the road is because it is easy to get around the safety cameras, simply just slow down to the legal speed, when you pass the camera, go back into speeding mode. People often gets a 'buzz' from driving very fast because of the surge of adrenaline and that can influence a person to blaze through roads with wheels set on fire.

Now for the statistics of speeding. On average, 9 people are killed and 85 injured each day on the UK's roads. Without the speed cameras, around 100 more people would be killed each year. So yeah, speeding is bad, it is dangerous and very much illegal, though the majority of drivers often get away with speeding without any penalties or punishments what so ever.

Another issue is that some people who are charged for speeding are actually innocent. This can happen if 2 or more cars are flashed by the speed camera because one of them was speeding. Whoever is to be blamed for speeding is up to the authorities so the system far from perfect.

Here is the link to a story about a 21 year old driver who was charged for speeding while innocent, and won the court case by proving his innocence.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/motoring/article-1122042/Motorist-beats-98mph-speeding-charge--buying-car-proving-manage-speed-85mph.html




More information on speeding can be found on the links below:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Publictransport/TrafficManagement/DG_10025598

Response to Emma's post on Wearing Fur

http://emmawilloughby18.blogspot.com/2010/04/wearing-fur.html

I have the same opinion as you that animals should not have their lives taken away from them just for them to be skinned for their fur. I also believe that most animals should be under the Protection Act 2000. I say most because like you said, leather is very much the same as fur, it is made out of a animals skin and leather is something everyone wears. Though most leather usually comes from cows and alike which are also farmed for their meat so they are not exactly killing them for their skin, its more of a bonus.

However I think it would be difficult for people to use the fur of a naturally deceased animal because by the time anyone finds their carcass, it would have been partially or completely decomposed and therefore, the fur is unusable for crafts.

One of the reasons why wearing fur is illegal and immoral is because the process of killing the animal without damaging its fur. This involves the trappers strangling, beating or stomping them to death, while animals in fur farms may be gassed, poisoned, electrocuted or have their necks snapped. The major issues with these gruesome methods is that it is not completely effective and some animals regain consciousness 'while' being skinned. Another problem with fur hunting is that alot of the extinct and endangered species are in that situation because of fur hunting and poaching, such as tigers and elephants.

More information on fur can be found on the links provided below:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_shouldn%27t_humans_use_animal_fur_for_fur_coats

http://www.crueltyisnotgreen.com/

http://www.furisdead.com/

Response to Hannah-Louise's post on Underage Sex

http://hellokittyyyx.blogspot.com/

I support your ideas that children should have sex education at a earlier age, not the actually physical act of it but the morals, significance and consequences behind it. I also agree that underage sex does occur surprisingly frequently, particularly in England. This may be because of peer pressure between friendship groups or the exposure to the subject fro mthe media, desentizing them. But this is only one kind of underage sex, where both parties are underage. Other forms are where there is an adult and an underage person, though the adult is most frequently male and the underage person i most frequently a girl being deceived and tricked into having a relationship with the adult.

Here is a link of a class supervisor being jailed for six counts of sexual activity with a girl under 16:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/8564167.stm

Is underage sex being bad then? Well since it is illegal, yes it is bad, mainly because the underage body cannt sustain pregnancy and can damage the girls body as they are not fully developed. There is also the risk of sexual transmitted diseases as those of younger age do not know about protection and are ignorant about HIV and other diseases. If an adult was to have a sexual relationship with an underage person like the class supervisor mentioned above, the adult would be jailed under the acts of sexual indecency and assault.

More information on underage sex can be found on the links provided below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3773659.stm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/switch/surgery/advice/sex_relationships/sex/age_of_consent/

Response to Raissah's post on Gossip

http://craftyrazor-bad.blogspot.com/2010/04/oohh-did-you-hear-what-she-said.html

I totally agree with you that gossip is bad and it can have some major consequences, but we all still do it to an extent that it is intergrated into our communication system. Everyone gossips, from the youngings to the elderly who tells kids to get off their lawns.

Gossip is talking about people behind their back without them knowing with other people, usually bad stuff and very private. It can also be the spreading of rumours, which may be true, or may be false. So basically, gossip is the social bonding between two or more people at the cost of the person who is the subject of the gossip, usually degrading them and thus, making them the victim.

So why do people gossip? People might be bored, some may of the intent of ruining a relationship so they might have a shot at it, or may be for revenge. There are loads of reasons, but I am going to focus on one particular aspect that a friend of mine was subjected to because I found it pitiful, yet funny in the end.

John and Hayley are a couple and are having a blast from what they told me. And our mate Dave really likes Hayley, so what does he do? Dave spreads false rumours that John is cheating on Hayley and that he is using her. Obviously, this juicy piece of gossip spread like wild fire and Hayley becomes uncomfortable and begins to question John. John, being the one girl man he is feels insulted, and knowing the source of the gossip, drops a hint that he knows what has been said to Dave. And Dave acts clueless and innocent! Next day, Dave continues spreading the same rumour on MSN to another mate Kelly. Kelly knew it was a gossip, gives Dave hell and copies and paste the conversation to John. Ahh the wonders of copy and paste. It did not end well I will tell you that but I found it hilarious nevertheless that Dave could do that to his mate, and when confronted, act all innocent.
Imagine the old lady at the start, who also appears at the end of the image is Dave and the old guy in the white hat and is pointing at Dave at the end is John.

The moral of this crude story is that, gossiping is bad, and it will have reprocussions and it will come full circle and bite you somewhere where it will hurt.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-gossip.htm

Response to J-J's Body Modifications post

J-J's Post: http://j-jmaggot.blogspot.com/2010/04/body-modifications.html


I personally believe that body modifications are fine, such as the simple tattoo or piercings. It is when it goes to the extreme like where people implant studs into beneath their skins for horns, or split their tongue is where I would draw the line. They obviously casted themselves out of society by doing such alterations. I mean, if that guy in the picture you embeded walked around the streets, all the 'normal' people would stare at him, maybe laugh, maybe cower in fear or even start to get abusive towards him. And what he gonna be like when he older? Surely he will regret it but because it is so extreme, he cannot revert his bodily features back to the way it was before without paying even more for surgery. So, to be honest, I really do not know why anyone would want to go to the extreme unless they want to be hardcore rebels.

But in some cases, isn't castration a form of body modification?

http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/7/25/221540/674

Abortion

A sequel to the post on Teenage pregnancy made earlier! Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy so the female don't have a baby and thus, ultimately ending the life of an unborn child. Pretty one-sided use of words right? All of them being violent and negative, like 'termination'. Abortion criterias are pretty strict in the UK as well, as it is only legal to abort if the woman is less than 24 weeks pregnant and if two doctors agree that it is necessary.

Everyone will have different feelings and perspectives of abortion, but there are only major two catergories. Pro-Abortion where people don't mind. Anti-Abortion when people do mind and can become quite fiesty about it, no matter what the situation is.

I for one belong to the 'pro-abortion' catergory. Who are we to judge whether someone else should abort or not abort? It's their lives it'll affect. One may choose to abort because of their personal circumstances, like they are underage and still in compulsary education. How could someone in that situation even think about raising a child while they are still children themselves? One of my friend (Girl One) told me that a friend (Girl Two) of hers was pregnant, being 17 years old at the time and Girl One was absolutely furious!! I wanted to defend Girl Two since I am pro-abortion if it is necessary, but I didnt say anything since Girl One would most likely be even more angry and push me out the window.

So is abortion immoral? To alot of people, it is because they see it as the 'termination' of a unborn child, which is very much the same as murder, but alot of people don't mind. Personally, I can see why it may be immoral, but I don't think it is. A unwanted pregnancy and unwanted baby can seriously affect the lives of the woman and the man involved, and that would therefore affect the life of the child-to-be, although, is it right to deny the unborn child the right to live? How can a mother kill her own child who depends entirely on her?

Now I'm starting to feel abit Anti-Abortion, especially now that I am searching for pictures to add to this post. If you are abit scream-ish or weepy, I strongly suggest you do not look for abortion pictures...its really, really quite sickening. My current reaction to these images remind me of the reactions of that woman and man who had to abort their unborn child, a product of a secretive affair. This movie was Alfie by the way, the old one. Both of them was completely devastated!


More information on abortion can be found on the links provided below:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Abortion/Pages/Introduction.aspx

http://www.brook.org.uk/pregnancy/abortion

Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is defined as a teenaged or underaged girl becoming pregnant, the main ages of teenage pregnancy occurance being within the ages 13-19. Another defination is women becoming pregnant before reaching the legal age of adulthood, which varies across the world. It is reported that the UK's rate of pregnancies in females aged 15-19 is the worst in Europe...our Europe!

A underage girl expecting a baby does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. Most of the time it is, though it is quite dependent on the support they are given. If parents are more open to the option of helping their daughter through a rough patch that is pregnancy, and if their peers does not cast them out of their social group for being pregnant and too 'attention drawing', it wouldnt be so bad. However this case is very unlikely. In most cases, the pregnant girl rises a massive row in her family and make a rift in it and she becomes a social outcast in her school.

I'd like to draw on two examples of teenage pregnancies with two major differences in terms of support. One of them being Glee with Quinn, she is deprived of parental support and is even kicked out of her home as well as being a social outcast and lost her position as a cheerleader. The second example being Juno with, well, Juno. Her parents are highly supportive in whatever her decision is and people in her school doesn't seem to mind that she is a huge tennis ball strolling around the corridoors.

Back in the old days, when life expectancy was much much shorter than it is now, people aged 14 would be classified as fully grown adults and would be off working and starting a family (think Brad Pitt in 'The Interview with the Vampire"). So is teenage pregnancy really all that bad? Again, it depends on that amount of support the teenager is given. It is bad if they are given insufficient support from other people, who can be their parents, their friends and peers. And the actual process of underage sex is bad and illegal itself, though it happens alot more often than most people would think.

More information on teenage pregnancy can be found on the links provided below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7595871.stm

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/healthandwellbeing/teenagepregnancy/tpiag/tpiag/

Vandalism

Vandalism is a criminal act that involves the destruction against property, such as run down buildings, a bus stop, train stations...or even your home!!

The reason for people to vandalise is mainly for the 'buzz', the surge of adrenaline associated with destroying stuff and the risk of being caught. Be honest, both you and I love breaking stuff down, like nicely built up megablocks or legos...or huge sandcastles. We all have that urge to release that inner beast of ours and lash out at these products of someone else's time and sweat. But most of the time we restrain ourself since we are civilised people :D

Another reason could be that the vandals have alot of emotions bottled up, such as anger or envy and their only method of letting these out is through the act of willfully damaging the property of others. Other motives could possibly for peer acceptance.

So who is it that vandalises? The age range is very sparse, from good for nothing children drawing stick people and crudely drawn unicorns on walls with spray paint, to fully grown adults with nothing better to do and look for that surge of adrenaline.

Vandalism is always seen as being bad, and I agree that it should be seen as a crime. The government dish out alot of money for the removal of vandalised buildings as it can severely effect the community of that area. And vandalism towards a particular person will affect then on a personal level and they will feel violated. In other words, vandalism hurts alot of people...if not everyone.

More information on vandalism can be found on the links provided below:

http://www.nrps.com/community/vandalism.asp

http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/vandalism01.htm

Infidelity

Infidelity, also known as cheating is the breach of faith and any violation of the boundries of a relationship, though it does not necessarily depend on the presence of sexual behaviour.

So why do men and women in relationships cheat? The most common explanation that springs to mind for most of us is that people cheat because there are problems with their relationship and do not feel as fulfilled as they want to be. In other words, those who cheat on their partners claim to be unhappy in their relationship so they look for acceptance, appreciation and affection elsewhere.

There could be other motivations behind one's choice to cheat...such as the person isn't happy in their relationship, so they cheat as a way to bring up the option of divorce, or people cheat to intentially hurt their partner, or it could be as shallow as gaining the thrill from cheating. Another explanation of infidelity sprouts from the 'evolutionary' theory...back when people were hairy and simple cave folks who were amazed at the discovery of fire as if we were to discover the technology of flying cars as shown in Star Wars!

Back in the stone age, there would be rules and boundries of relationships, people would be similar to lions. One alpha male and multiple partners to mate with...all for survival. Perhaps the desire to cheat on people is innate and recorded in our genes? Nevertheless, this method of survival would not mix in with our modern society as we believe that relationships are based on trust and the love between two people exclusively.

So the big question is, is infidelity bad? The answer is....(drum roll) YES!! Obviously is it bad, it hurts the partner and the people around them. It also hurts the victim of infidelity. If the couple has children, then it will definately hurt them as well. Wow, theres alot of pain associated to infidelity isnt there? Yet it still goes on, and on and on~

More information on infidelity can be shown on the links provided below:

http://www.truthaboutdeception.com/home/public/cheating-infidelity.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-Infidelity?&id=958961

http://www.truthaboutdeception.com/infidelity_and_cheating/public/why_do_spouses_cheat.html

Tattoos

Tattoos are a type of body modification and involves the insertion of ink into the layers of skin to change the pigment of it, giving it colour. The most common questions associated with tattos are:
"Does it hurt?" and "Why did you get it?"

Well to answer the first question...ofcourse it hurts to get a tattoo!! The ink is injected by the dozen needles on the tattoo pen stabbing the skin repeatedly at very high speeds, though most of the pain is actually caused by the friction from the needle. But the pain does subside after awhile because of the adrenaline that would be running through the client's body, numbing the pain to a state to where they could just fall asleep on the chair...however there are individual differences as some people experiance pain differently to others.

As for the second question, that also varies differently from person to person. Some people would get it as a form of 'rememberance' for someone very special to them, or as a representation of rebellion, or simply because it looks good on them.

So who does get tattoos? Sailors. Prisoners. Bikers. Bad-asses basically... stereotypically. However this image is changing as more and more people are getting tattoos, such as celebrities, who are often a group of people's role-models therefore they would be influenced by their body art. Even lawyers and doctors have them.

So is getting tattoos necessarily 'being bad'? Maybe back in the old days, but now...I say no~

More information of tattoos can be found on the links provided below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7034500.stm

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art27399.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo

Prostitution

"Prostitution:

1 : the act or practice of engaging in promiscuous sexual relations especially for money"

Since most religions state premarital sex as being bad and shameful, they would definately feel more offended by prostitution. Prostitutes can be both men and women, although it is predominatly women who pick up this occupation whether they were willing to do get into it or not. In very few areas is prostitution legal, the most popular one that everyone knows being Amsterdam. But is it really all that bad? It gives those who have a history of unemployment and those in very unfortunate situations a means of earning money.

One particular case of someone being forced into prostitution in order to survive is Elena Reynaga...the general secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Sex Workers Network. She was 15 when she married, and 17 when her husband left her with two children to raise by herself. At this point, she didn't know how to read or write. So what did she do? She entered the work of prostitution and only learned to read and write at the age of 47.

Protitutes often have a hard life, and the activity being illegal makes it even harder for them. This is because they are harrassed by the police, abused and cheated by utheir clients because of their illegitimacy.

Prostitution is looked down on mainly because it is associated as the primary source of sexually transmitted diseases, however, the very same Elena Reynaga is suggested a way to fight against the spread of AIDS.

More information on prostitution can be found on the links provided below:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/sarah-boseley-global-health/2010/mar/25/hiv-infection-international-aid-and-development

http://alesrarus.funkydung.com/archives/2167

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/prostitution

Child Abuse

Everyone knows that abusing a child is totally wrong, but it still goes on in secret and is difficult to detect. There are four main types of abuse: physical; emotional, neglect and sexual. It is estimated that at least one child dies every week in England and Wales as a consequence of physical abuse and that babies are particularly vulnerable and are five times more likely to be killed than other ages. When people hear such cases on the news, everyone will be disgusted and be resentful of those who caused it. Look at the case of Baby P for example, the parents are now in jail, the father had boiling water with sugar tossed on his face and their social workers have been given alot of heat as well for not realising that they had been abusing their child.

This is a very, very serious issue. Why do people allow themselves to hurt children? If there are people out there who believe it is fine to abuse children, then they don't deserve to be a carer of one! However, not all abuse is intentional. Some carers could be under the influence of substances such as drugs or alcohol, or they could be momentarily blinded by anger and lose control of themselves. A example of this could come from the movie 'The Shining', long version where the father admits having previously dislocated his son's shoulder by accident while drunk and enraged.

But this doesn't give them an excuse to hurt their children. If carers are having problems raising their kids, they should get help! This is because child abuse can have some serious repercussions on the child's quality of life as they will be more prone to mental disorders and more liekly to abuse their own children.

More information on child abuse can be found on the links provided below:

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/HelpAndAdvice/WhatChildAbuse/whatischildabuse_wda36500.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/your_kids/safety_abuse.shtml

Self-Harm

Those who self-harm, whether its by cutting themselves and punching themselves, are often in a state of high emotion, distress and unbearable inner turmoil, therefore they hurt themselves as a method of 'leaking' out these negative emotions by associating it with blood.

So who self-harms? Around 1 in 10 youths will self-harm at some point, though it can occur in any age groups, and it is more common for young women to self-harm than men. It is also found that people who self-harm are more likely to have experiances physical, emotional or sexual abuse during childhood. Whatever the context or reason, self-harming seems to function as a coping mechanism, to help people feel calm, 'in control' or a way to deal with guilt.

Self-harming is no way to deal with problems in life. It is self-destructive, no different to binge drinking. and it won't just affect the person who is hurting themselves, but it will affect the people around them, such as their family and friends. How would they feel if people who they cared about were cutting themselves as well? I would think they would feel pretty sad and angry, and would tell them to stop. There are many organisations out there who strive to help people who self-harm and people who do should accept their help.

More information on self-harming can be found on the links provided below:

http://www.thesite.org/healthandwellbeing/mentalhealth/selfharm/whydopeopleselfharm

http://www.essortment.com/articles/self-injury_100006.htm

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/problems/depression/self-harm.aspx

Incest

Incest is a major taboo in society and we all know what it is. Since it is a social taboo is very much all cultures, it is therefore an example of 'being bad'. It involves any sexual activity between close relatives such as sisters and brothers, however, some societies consider incest differently. Some see it to include only those who live in the same household, whilst others consider it to include people related by blood and other societies include those related by adoption or marriage. When incest involves an adult and a child (e.g father and daughter) it is also classified as a form of child sexual abuse and is illegal in every developed country.

Although the actual incestual interaction is very rare, the thought of it may be more common then we may be aware of. This is suggested by the psychologist who we all know...Sigmund Freud! He proposed the psychoanalytical theory, The Oedipus Complex which is when a boy is sexually fixated on his mother and therefore, competes with his father for his mother's love. This can also occur in girls as well, and is called The Electra Complex, which is when the girl is sexually fixated on her father.

"His destiny moves us only because it might have been ours – because the oracle laid the same curse upon us before our birth as upon him. It is the fate of all of us, perhaps, to direct our first sexual impulse towards our mother and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father. Our dreams convince us that this is so." - Freud speaking of the Oedipus myth.

So yes, incest is definately bad! But what about consented incest, where both of the individuals actually want to have a incestual relationship? Should society be punishing people in these situations? There are no real answers to this because people tend not to acknowledge it and let the law run its course.

More information can on incest can be found on the links provided below (I wouldn't usually use Wikipedia to research on a topic, however it is very difficult to find any relative links that provides factual information when the internet is flooded with 'videos', in which I did not click on!):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_regarding_incest

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/psychoanalysis/concepts/oedipus_complex.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_complex



http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article4332635.ece
The link above is actually a article on a woman's postive account of incest with her brother.

Why the #$%! do we swear?

Swears, also known as 'profanities'...we all know what the are. They are those 'bad' words that people should not use and are treated as 'taboos' across all cultures. Swearing is usually associated with feeling angry or frustrated. Yet n America, it is reported that 72% of men and 58% of women swear in public, and the same is true for 74% of 18-34 year olds and 48% of people over the age of 55...does this mean that Americans are constantly angry for no reason what so ever? Thats quite doubtful. This leaves us to suggest that swearing has intergrated it self with human communication and become quite normal to us, even though it is still looked down upon.

So why do we swear, knowing that we'll receive numerous hacky looks from people that might over-hear us? Well, psychologists has found that swearing may serve as an important function in relieving pain, like crying does for a small child. But as adults, we refrain from expressing negative emotions in public at least, so to substitute crying out loud...we swear at loud.

"Swearing is such a common response to pain that there has to be an underlying reason why we do it," - says psychologist Richard Stephens of Keele University in England, who led the study briefly described above.

So is it alright to swear? Well, according to the unwritten law of society, it is 'bad' and 'immoral' to swear and people are often disgusted to hear others use profanities in public spaces where children might happily hop around freely and stop gobsmacked upon taking in the tainted words, knowing that the words shouldn't be used, but don't know why. But then again, we all swear often, mainly to express one's frustration or anger, or to lessen one's pain. Imagine you're walking around your house barefooted, and you suddenly stump you toe at say....the edge of the door. It can happen to anyone, and it will happen! Usually you would shriek out a swear, maybe kick the door in with your good foot, who knows? But profanities definately do have some super power to numb some of the pain a person may experiance.

More information on swearing can be found on the links provided below:

http://people.howstuffworks.com/swearing.htm

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-do-we-swear

Liar Liar Pants On Fire!!

"O what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive" - Sir Walter Scott, Marmion.
A lie is a type of 'deception' in the form of an untruthful statement, based on the intention of deceiving others through oral or written communication. Everybody lies to others, sometimes they even lie to themselves...but why? People often lie in order to maintain a secret, or to protect someone's feelings, or to avoid a punishment and to blame it on someone else. (Haha look at the disgust on that cricket's face, oh Pinocchio is such a terrible liar, yes?)

Looking back at the film, "Liar Liar" (1997) starring Jim Carrey, that contained alot of lying didnt it? Well obviously haha, says in the title. Just to provide a brief summary of the movie, Jim Carrey is a very successful lawyer who's career is based on lying and is divorced. This habit causes him to lie very much all the time, until on his son used a birthday wish to wish that Jim Carrey cannot lie for a whole day. This in turn, jeopardises his career until he finally found a loophole in the case in which he won through honesty, and reunited him with his family.

This film very light-heartedly portrays the consequences of lying constantly and how it it best to not lie. He also explains how there are good lies, such as in the scene in the playground where he recalls his wife asking if she looked fat...while pregnant. Like most of the people out there in this kind of situation, he lied rather then describing her as 'fat as a cow'. This kind of lie spares one's feelings. Therefore, good lies are acceptable to an extent, though there are times when honesty is the best path to take, especially when it comes to one's own improvement, for example, if a student was to write a terrible blog post such as this one, the moderator wouldn't just nod and say, "Oh good job Bloginator, good job!" no no no, the moderator would give Bloginator constructive criticisms and point out the flaws, so the Bloginator may improve on his essential blogging skills. Bad lies on the other hand, are used to hurt people, and these kind of lies are not acceptable as the person who is lied may suffer damage as a result of the lie.

More information of lying can be found on the link provided below:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/lying/lying_1.shtml

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119528/ (Liar Liar page on IMDb)

Obesity

In 2008, around a quarter of adults in England were classified as obese and one-in-seven children were also overweight. But what is obesity? It is when a person is carrying too much body fat for their height and gender, and is considered obese if they have a 'body mass index' (BMI) of 30 or greater. Since our modern lifestyle is much less physically orientated than it was in the past due to the creation of vehicles for transport and the rise in office type careers, it means that it is quite easy to become overweight, and in extreme cases, obese. This can make the person who is overweight life hard as we also live in a very 'fatist' world, in which people often discriminate against those based on their weight.

The real issue with obesity is that it can and will cause a wide range of health problems, such as 'type 2 diabetes' and cardiovascular disease. As well as the vulnerablity to illnesses, obesity can also significantly shorten one's life expectancy by 6-7 years if the person who is obese is over 40 years old. This will also apply to children who also suffers from obesity.

So, now we know how bad obesity is and how easy it is to be sucked in by it thanks to our 21st century lifestyle filled with technology to make our lives easier. But how do we treat obesity? The treatments include the obvious act of decreasing your food intake, which can be hard for those who have become accustomed to eatting large portions. Another method is to exercise regularly, for around 30 minutes per day for atealst 5 days a week and increasing it as one's fitness improves, whether it a brisk walk around a park, or pumping iron via weights or the new hype, Nintendo Wii's 'Wii Fit' which focuses on cardio exercises and yoga (Look at the joy on that girls face to the left!). This change in lifestyle can be difficult at first but does not seem to require alot of effort, escpecially the 30 minute workout a day deal. The main factor of defeating obesity though, is one's will power and determination. These treatments are not miracle workers, they won't improve one's health overnight as it requires constant input over a long period, but the result is worth it.

This isn't to say that people who are obese are also lazy, which is the image of the overweight stereotype as they slump into their coach watching television while snacking on a mega sized bag of doritos. Some have biological disadvantages when it comes to weight loss due to their metabolism, but surely if they had the sufficient determination, nothing can stand in their way to slimming down no matter what method they choose to commit themselves to.

More information on obesity can be found in the links provided below:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Obesity/Pages/Introduction.aspx

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/obesity

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/child_obesity.html

http://www.fatism.org/

Bullying

We all know what bullying is and how it can damage the victim's quality of life, but some people still do it. Some bully others because they may see it as a method of being popular by showing that they are superior to the victim, or simply because it makes them look 'bad', which might attract certain types of people. Some might bully because they have problems at home, and choose to vent their negative emotions on those weaker than themselves. The victims tend to be bullied because of their ethnicity, the way they talk, how they appear physically or because of their name.

Those who are victims of bullying will often feel lonely, unhappy, frightened, unsecure and my believe that there is something wrong with them if there are people who single them out as potential targets. Therefore, they lose confidence and this can ultimately affect their life. The bullies themselves are also affect by bullying others, as they often grow up to have issues with relaitonships, abuse their spouses and children and in turn, making their children aggressive as well.

Not only does bullying occur in children, it also occurs in adulthood, particularly in the workplace. these may range from the spreading of insults, malicious gossip, misuse of power and position and many others. This kind of bullying can affect the victim's attitude in their workplace and can cause them stress, lead to job insecurity and in extreme cases, to resignation and therefore, affecting the very core of their lives.

So therefore, bullying definately is a example of 'being bad'.

More information can be found in the link provided below:

http://www.bullybusters.org.uk/kids/Why_do_people_bully/

http://www.hear4u.org.uk/bullying.php

http://www.nobully.org.nz/advicek.htm

Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is the consumption of a drug in larger quantities than the prescribed dosage, or the use of illegal drugs such as heroin. Even the medicines that can be bought off the shelf can be abused when taken in health-threatening dosages.

There are many reasons as to why people abuse drugs, such as peer pressure, to join a 'special' group. Some people could simply be bored stiff, and decided to abuse drugs because they may believe it to be daring and exciting. Another reason would be because a person has taken so many non-lethal drugs, such as sleeping pills and painkillers, that they have become addicted to it and therefore, dependent on these substances in order to live their lives.

The most common sign and symptom of drug abuse is the neglection of one's responsibilities, such as the responsibility of going to school, work or neglecting the ones in their home, children for example because of their drug usage.

The most common sign and symptom of drug addiction is the tolerance of the substance the person is taking, as they need to use more of it to experiance the same 'high'. This is particularly dangerous because although they may be tolerant, it will still damage their body, especially if they start to take more, which will only make the damage greater.

Why do people allow themselves to attempt drug abuse knowing the consequences of it, nevermind letting themselves get addicted to it? Perhaps they just cannot cope with their lives and resort to these substances to make them feel better, but they should know better. The effects are only temporary so in order to maintain the 'feel good' sensation, they must continue to spend large amounts of money to have them. Wouldn't it be much more efficient for them to go seek help from others, both physically and mentally? Counselling for example, will be so much more beneficial because it deals with the person's ability to manage their life as they work to improve their quality of life, and this would be permanent, and perhaps cheaper then the cost it takes to sustain the drug income.

More information on drug abuse can be found on the link provided below:
http://www.hear4u.org.uk/drugs.php

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effects_treatment.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/mental_health/drugs_use.shtml

Stealing

No, not that poem about a guy who stole a snowman and massacred it, written by Carol Ann Duffy. But literally, stealing. It involves someone taking something away from a person, whether the victim knows it or not. We all know very well that it is 'wrong' and 'immoral', as the fourth commandment commands, "Thou shall not steal"...yet it still goes on. Why is this so?

Well, there are too many reasons as to why someone would steal, but I will name a few. For instance, a person may be poor and with child, and they resort to stealing as the means of survival, but it is a rare occasion in which people has to steal out of necessity.

Another reason for stealing is to satisfy their obsession of gaining the 'rush', or what I would like to label them as, 'adrenaline junkie'. Imagine Bella from New Moon in the scenes that shows her doing something dangerous for a surge of adrenaline (Yea, I live the Twilight Saga! Well, the novel versions at least...the movie are atroscious in comparison).

An additional reason for stealing is for money. People can steal things like bikes, televisions or any other objects that might retain a high value. After stealing these 'hot' items, they will simply keep it so they don't have to buy it themselves, or sell it to other people.

These are only a few of the reasons for someone to steal, and they are all 'wrong'. Some people work hard to obtain the things they have in their lives, and thieves who just stroll along and take these objects away from them are just despicable. Although, I can sympathise for those who steal out of necessity, but then again, those cases are rare, at least in the Western cultures.



Here is someone elses take on the subject of stealing:
http://www.helium.com/items/84047-reasons-why-some-people-steal

Here is another person's tale on stealing:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Catchathief

And finally, the link below is a very religious perspective of stealing:
http://www.thenewstoday.info/2006/12/08/why.do.people.steal.html

Animal Cruelty

Animal cruelty covers a wide range of actions, or lack of action and there are two catergories of abuse...'active' (Acts of Comission) and 'passive' (Acts of Omission).

Passive cruelty is characterised by neglect such as starvation, failure to provide appropriate shelter in extreme weather conditions and lack of attention towards the animals' needs of medical attention.

Active cruelty is typified by malevolent actions where the person is purposely causing harm to an animal. Such acts are often considered to be signs of serious psychlogical problems and is associated with sociopathic behaviour.

I recall during the showing of Kids (1995) in the Lighthouse, there was a scene where Telly kicked a house cat as if it was a ball. Shortly following this scene, the majority of viewers in the showroom was obviously appalled by it as they let out a 'aww' or groan. We are all horror-struck when we hear or see anything relative to animal cruelty, yet it still goes on in. Why?

In the cases within the animal cruelty database, the most common reasons for the mistreatment are: to control an animal; to retaliate against another person without actually hurting them and to displace ones' anger towards an animal. All of these reasons has nothing to do with the actual victim, but it is mainly the offenders' lack of control or their sinister attempt in interpersonal violence by using an animal as the medium.

I really do not see the point of animal abuse. It is immoral and sick. Shouldn't those who chose to have a pet be caring for it lovingly rather than using it as a punching bag? Just because people are superior to animals does not mean that they do not have feelings or do not feel pain. Thankfully, there are groups out there such as the RSPCA that are trying their hardest to locate any animal cruelty related activities and putting a stop to it
.

More information on animal cruelty can be viewed from the link provided below:
http://www.pet-abuse.com/pages/home.php

Smoking

Why is it that people smoke, despite the obvious health concerns that are spoon fed to us? There are so many reasons of smoking, such as to gain peer acceptance if they also smoke, or to relieve any stress the smoker is experiancing, or to simply look 'cool'. For some, it is the transition from youth to adulthood.

All of these are very private and personal reasons to smoke, which is fine. However, smoking does not just affect the smoker, it affects everyone and everything else around them. This is known as passive smoking, for those who inhale the excess smoke from the actual smoker. The effect of passively smoking can cause eye irritation, headache, dizziness and nausea. Even 30 minutes of exposure can be enough to reduce ones' blood flow through the heart. It can also cause a significant decline in lung function for those with asthma.

Now, these are the short term consequences of passive smoking. What about the long term? It is said that non-smokers who are exposed to passive smoking in the home will have a 25% increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer. This is only their home though, what about workplaces and the public places? Researchers from London's St George's Medical School and the Royal Free hospital have found that when you include the exposure in the workplace and public spaces, the risk of coronary heart disrease is increased by 50-60%, and these are people who chose not to smoke to avoid these morbid conditions.

When I think about passive smoking, I do not just think about adults walking around inhaling the toxic gas to ocassionally cough and give evils to the smoker, I also picture children walking alongside those adults, inhaling the very same smoke, or new-borns in a pram being pushed by the adult, with the child to their side. Cigarettes or cigars, smoking affects us all whether we are consiously aware of it or not.

I am not saying that there should be a total ban on smoking, it is just impossible with the vast number of people who already depend on it, but should not smokers already be attentive to the fact that their smoke can harm themselves, and most importantly, others as well? I do not know about anyone else, but those anti-smoking advertisements that depict a child breathing in grey smoke really sparked my undisclosed desires to protect these children, especially since I now have a baby nephew who I see everyday.

Details on passive smoking can be found in the link below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3235820.stm

Shouldn't the smokers population be decreasing with all these anti-smoking campaigns rather then increasing?

Bad Cinema: Kids (1995) "Wake-up call to the modern world"

If I was to compare this film to a food product, I would compare it to marmite...you either love it or hate it. I personally hated it. I could barely watch a few moments of it without cringing or being disgusted by the graphic portrayal of disturbing themes such as drug abuse with characters that are underage, and actually look underage as well, raising some seriously disturbing and illegal themes.

Despite my revulsion, I will admit that the movie did hit me pretty hard. It emphasised on themes that are true to real life that us as citizens tend to overlook for a simpler, naive life. There are going to be children who lacks parental guidance, whether its because the parents simply do not have the ability to rear a child, or whether they are preoccupied with caring for a new-born. This would lead the child to go explore life freely by themselves and without any supervision, they could quite possibly discover substances like drugs. The many non-extreme camera techniques and the shaky camera also contributed to the realism of the film. I quote Janet Maslin of the New York Times, "Wake-up call to the modern world"

The target audience that may benefit from this film would possibly be parents, by explicitly showing the consequences of the absence of parental guidance and what children or teenagers are capable of exploring, as some parents my be blinded by their own illusion of how their children will always be perfect without any effort on their part. Furthermore, another target audience could be teenagers if it wasnt for the age restriction, as the teenagers can learn about the result of drug abuse and unprotected sex through a striking film, as they may not take the school lessons of such subjects seriously.

A strong, negative review of the film by The Washington Post can be found below.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/kidsnrkempley_c029f5.htm

Should a hard hitting film such as Kids to explore realistic themes in everyday life as close to real life as possible be classified as an documentary film instead of a movie, which is usually associated with entertainment? If it was not released in cinemas, but as a DVD for educational purposes, would the reviews and the reception be different?

Alcohol

Alcohol is a wonderful beverage that acts as a form of 'social enhancer', to kick back and relax from a hard day at work with friends. However, alcohol is often consumed in large quantities at a time, beyond one's tolerance for it and become completely incapacitated by it.


I really like this image. It shows the man being frustated with alcohol and its effect, yet, he continues to drink it. Why? Why is it people, mainly teenagers who are below the legal age to drink or just turned legal regularly drink so much alcohol when they are conscious of its many side effects, like liver damage, short term memory loss and the development of alcoholism.

Perhaps it firsts starts off as an experimentation, the first drink ever with friends. Its exciting, its new, and people get a 'buzz' from it, thus making them feel more confident and socialable.

But then the problem arises as they continue to drink more and more, becoming tolerant to the effects of alcohol and therefore have to drink more in quantity which will damage the body even more in order to get 'high'. The craving for alcohol becomes overbearing, people experiance withdrawal symptoms so they drink to get rid of these symptoms, but then they cannot seem to stop drinking once the begin. This is alcoholism.

Alcoholism is so serious, it is actually classified as a disease and is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Ediation, publish by the American Psychiatric Association. Although there are no miracle cure for alcoholism, it can be treated through both counseling and medications, although there is still the chance that people trying to quit will suffer a relapse. More information on alcoholism can be found on the link shown below.

http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_abuse_and_alcoholism/article.htm

Shouldn't alcohol be a luxury in which people of the legal age can enjoy, rather then have their lives be run and be ruined by it?

Suggestion for bad place

I think we should go to Sinderllas Show Bar because it would be fun, and 'bad'! (wink)