Questionnaire...

Age?
21

Sex?
Male

What is your degree subject (both if joint)?
Creative & Professional Writing AND Public Relations

Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking?
I think so yes.

If so, how? And if not, why not?
It gives me valuable insights into different opinions people have on topics. This is always a good skill to have when tailoring a piece of creaive writing or public relations.

Have you found ‘Being Bad’ too demanding, too easy, or at an appropriate level?
Appropriate level.

Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate?
I think some could have been substituted for more 'bad' subjects.

Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included?
Perhaps abortion, gang culture or the murder of a superhero franchise by lazy movie studios! Sorry I'm still a little pissed at the shocking film that is spider-man 3.

Do you think that the format for classes has worked well?
Some weeks worked better than others.

What did you think of the module team?
It was good to have a variety of guest lecturers offer their knowledge.

Do you think it would have been better to have had more:
Small group discussions?
Possibly as it would have given more people the opportunity to voice their opinions. Then again some like to listen and absorb everything being said around them, me included.

Discussion and debate among the class as a whole?
I think this was encouraged often enough it was just the usual people that spok in every lecture.

Information and talk from lecturers?
I think the information was sufficient and enabled the class to draw their own opinions on each subject. To much information would have felt like the lecturers were trying to tell us what to think.

The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module?
Yes as it gave a variety of views on all the topics.

Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea?
As long as they compliment eachother yes. It can make you look at things in completely different ways.

Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module?
Yes it has encouraged me to think for myself.

Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter?
It depends what kind of modules they are. Philosophy based modules definately but sometimes theory just has to be taught, although this approach would perhaps make learning theory more enjoyable.

Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2?
If it is in my course options yes.

Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend?
Definately.

Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea?
Yes I found them really enjoyable. They gave people like myself who are not as vocal in class a chance to express their views and opinions another way.

What did you think of the other assessments (e.g. would it be better to have one longer assessment rather than two shorter ones?)?
I personally liked how the assignments were set.

What have you learned from the module?
That you always have to be open to other peoples opinions because their views will more than likely differ from your own.

What parts of the module have you found most useful and why?
The module as a whole has been useful because it has taught me alot of interesting things and encouraged me to think more in depth and ask questions about my opinions.

What parts do you think were a waste of time and why?
I wouldn't say any of it was a waste of time however some lectures just didn't appeal to me as much as others. This was a matter of personal preference though.

Are there any other comments you wish to make regarding ‘Being Bad’?
Be stricter on the people gossiping throughout lectures.

Response to Mandys blog on prostitution...

I agree with the comments made in this blog http://mkvdhillon.blogspot.com/. As with Mandy's view, I believe a prostitute can only be so if the person has given sex in exchange for money. To except money and then not provide sex makes that person definately dishonest and a theif but not a prostitute in my eyes. I think this point is the same for the clip we watched of breakfast at tiffany's. The exchange of money between Audrey Hepburns character and the gentleman was a misunderstanding and did not make her a prostitute. The man assumed that if he gave the money he would be given sex in return however this was never promised. She was a theif for taking the money but is redeemable as it was the mans perogative to give it to her in the first place. It seems that prostitution is pretty important to our economy though.

Apparently as a nation we spend more on sex than we do going to the cinema! http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/P/prostitution/

Masturbation...

So, I would definately say that this wouldn't be my first choice of topic discussion with friends let alone strangers. I know people are alot more open these days about everything and anything but I'm just a bit of a prude when it comes (ha!) to talking openly about my personal gratification techniques! That being said I'm not gonna! But I will talk about something that annoy's me about masturbation. The way it is percieved completely differently depending on someones gender. Ultimately both sexes are doing the same thing. However if you talk about wanking, people (women) immediately envision some dirty old raincoat wearing man who can't get a woman pleasuring himself in a shed over a dirty magazine. Women masturbating on the other hand is percieved as healthy and normal, beautiful even. What is that about! Now I'm definately not saying a man masturbating is beautiful at all (anything but), but it is just as healthy and normal. I have no clue when or how the connotations became so blurred but I will say this...IT AIN'T FAIR PEOPLE!

Check out http://www.mymasturbation.com/ to read about real peoples masturbation stories. Definately worth a look.

Response to balebales blog on smoking...

In this blog http://balebale88.blogspot.com/ bale bale talks about how smoking is not a particularly bad thing in relation to drinking excessively or taking drugs. Also that smokers are aware of the health risks before they start and it is their choice. The problem I have with this is that non-smokers have also chosen not to smoke because of these health risks (as well as other issues) but are still subjected to it by others that smoke around them. Yes drinking excessively and taking drugs isn't clever however it is only harming the person that is doing it and no-one else. Unless of course the person becomes violent as a result of the drink or drugs, but that's another story! Ultimately smoking is the only habit I can think of that not only harms the person doing it but also anybody else close by. It is a smoker's choice to inhale toxic fumes if they so wish but it is also the choice of a non-smoker to not have it subjected on to them. The majority of people do not want their health jeapordised by the actions of others.

Check out http://www.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/html/fact02.html to see what health problems smokers are putting themselves and others at risk of.

Gambling...

Definately a controversial issue right now, but is gambling really that bad? To be honest I don't believe its so terrible if done responsibly. If a gambler keeps their wits about them and is able to control extreme emotions then gambling can be good fun and hopefully rewarding. The gambling establishments are the real criminals of the practice. They have no shame and will employ countless seedy tactics to suck in would be gamblers. Even people with the least addictive personalities are vulnerable to the allure of casinos and bookies. Once addicted the bookies help to feed habits by offering odds on every sort of bet a gambler can imagine. Instead of offering help to those in over their heads they let them fall deeper into debt and possibly eventual self destruction. Once desperation kicks in the likely end result will be the loss of everything in that persons life. They will be consumed by gambling and getting back all they have squandered. So, if you're going to gamble keep your wits about you, don't get distracted by the glamour and remember that friends and family are the most important things in your life. They are worth way more than anything gambling can offer. Failing that, if you have an addictive personality stay the hell away!

Hopefully the people of Manchester are prepared?!http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6312707.stm

Response to Alfredo Garcia's Comment...

First off thanks for the comment Alfie, I'm glad it provoked some opinions http://saintalfredo.blogspot.com/. Just wanted to clarify with you that I don't find 30 dead Americans more important than those killed in Baghdad or Mogadishu, or anywhere else for that matter. The reason I was so 'compelled' to write this entry was because it was something that felt close to home. The fact that it was at a university makes it much more relatable to me than a tragedy that has happened somewhere else. I was personally shocked and saddened by the event and I shouldn't be made to feel guilty about expressing my feelings by you or anybody else. Thanks for your opinions and I'm sorry you didn't appreciate some of the phrases I used. P.S I find copious amounts of savoury food will sort out those hangovers. Perhaps some of your sauce on pasta!

Lying...

"When is lying justified?" According to the majority of the being bad class pretty much every lie told to a child! The reasons being that children need magic and wonderment in their lives (hence Santa Clause, Easter Bunny and The Tooth Fairy etc.) Also that children simply don't have the capacity to deal with certain situations and need to be protected from the truth. I definately agree with both arguments, after all part of being a child is creating amazing fantasies and magical worlds. It inspires creativity and growth. If a child is forced to see the reality of the world too young then they will inevitably grow up fast and miss out on that all important childhood. In general i think justifiable lying all depends on the morals and values of the individual. One example that came up in lecture was that of altering a CV. Personally I don't see a problem with this. As long as an applicant is not pretending do a they job they are completely unqualified for. Slighty 'improving' little aspects of an application is not a terrible thing. Some people however find this wrong, it goes against their moral views of life. There are some lies I find allowable and others I don't, the same with other people. Lying is a personal dilema that varies for every person on the planet. The sea is up, the sky is down and the incredible hulk rules the planet!

Want to know if you're being lied to? http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies_eyes.php

Virginia Tech...

By now all of us would have heard and witnessed the news on the tragic massacre at Virginia Tech. To be honest I can't decide what I'm more shocked about. The fact that a crazed student was able to gun down so many of his peers so mercilessly, or that the university didn't tell students to stay away after the first two shootings?! I don't believe there is any way the first two shootings could have been prevented. They were tragic but Cho Seung-Hui was clearly psychotic and would have found any means to follow through with his plan. However, the university has blood on its hands for not informing students of the clear and present danger that threatened them. Surely its common sense to put the uni on AUTOMATIC LOCKDOWN when two people have been murdered and the gunman is still ON THE LOOSE. For some unknown reason students were not told to stay away. Classes were not cancelled and many students strolled into Virginia Tech on Monday completely oblivious to the earlier murders. I understand that it would have been pretty impossible to get a message to every student at the university. But to not tell students to stay away in the first email that was sent out following the first 2 murders is inexcusable to me. If this had been done there is no way of telling how many students would have seen this email and stayed safe at home. Perhaps if it had at least one of the fallen could have been saved. We will never know. All that is left are the broken hearts of 32 families and a university in mourning. Perhaps this will at last be the wake up call to a nation that their lacks gun laws finally need to be changed? Will a completely idiotic president step up, finally make a change for the better and leave a positive legacy for his 'beloved' country? I sincerely doubt it...

Ross Abdallah Alameddine

Brian Roy Bluhm

Ryan Christopher Clark

Austin Michelle Cloyd

Matthew Gregory Gwaltney

Caitlin Millar Hammaren

Jeremy Michael Herbstritt

Emily Jane Hilscher

Matthew Joseph La Porte

Jarrett Lee Lane

Henry J. Lee

Liviu Librescu

Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan

Lauren Ashley McCain

Daniel Patrick O'Neil

Juan Ramon Ortiz-Ortiz

Minal Hiralal Panchal

Daniel Alejandro Perez

Michael Steven Pohle, Jr.

Julia Kathleen Pryde

Mary Karen Read

Reema Joseph Samaha

Waleed Mohamed Shaalan

RIP.

Ridiculously easy http://www.gunsamerica.com/

Response to badgirlbeingbad's blog on being too religious...

I agree with what was said in this blog about the problem of religion being forced on to people. http://badgirlbeingbad.blogspot.com/ Personally I'm not religious although I do beleive in some greater force out there, also that there maybe something more after death. Who knows! Anyway, one of my main views on religion is the same as that shared in this blog. I beleive that religion is something that is an entirely personal choice and no one should have it forced on them. This is why I am totally against religion being taught in schools. I'm not sure if poloicies have changed today but looking back at my school days it makes me feel very unsettled. To me, if a childs parents are religious and they want their children to follow the same beliefs it is their perogative to teach them, not a schools. Its was almost a form of brainwashing. There was no talk of "if this is what you choose to believe" or "this is how christians believe the world was created". Everything was taught as fact, to children too young to even question the feasability of it. Cumpulsory teachings that never took into account how the children listening would be affected.

If you want to know more about religion or perhaps want to know which one is right for you, check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

Body Modification...

What an interesting lecture! First of all thanks so much to John for making the session so entertaining and stimulating. It was great to finally know the history and origins of all those tatoos and piercings we see everyday. Especially gratifying was the explanation of the "emo stars" tatoo, not actually stars but a compass once used by sailors to find their way home. I have personally always wanted to get a tattoo but always resisted the urge because of not wanting to misread the meaning of a picture or text. This lecture only reasurred me that this was definately the right decision. There are countless tattoos around today that are merely thought of as fashion statements, all of which usually carry with them deeply personal meaning. If used by anyone other than the original creators they become highly offensive and derogatory. It was also quite amusing to learn that most genital piercings are for the pleasure of the female rather than the male. Also the belief in certain tribes that men must pierce their genitals to counteract womens periods which balances out the cycle of life. This practice seems very noble to me and seems extremely respectful to women, although some tribes practices definately contradict this opinion. In modern western society extreme body modification is now often used to either enhance sexual pleasure or to create a personal perfect body. It just begs the question, in a world where new unique techniques are always being dreamt up, how far will people go to create their body beautiful?

Perhaps you'll get some ideas - http://www.bodymod.org/

Infidelity...

This lecture showed that our little being bad gang are quite lucky after all. We were asked how many of us had been cheated on and a suprisingly low number of people came forward. Perhaps there was some dishonesty flying around, or maybe the majority of the group were the ones who did the dirty on their partners. Personally I'd say more people than those who admitted being cheated on would have been victims to it. It seems understandable to not want to volunteer that information to a group of virtual strangers. Being cheated on I imagine would feel extremely humiliating and would make the most assured person feel very incapable as a human and partner. An event that made you feel that bad would not be something you would want to remember and revisit readily, especially in front of people you barely know.

To me, the unfortunate people that have been cheated on at some point should not feel bad about themselves. This is because in most cases of infidelity the person cheating is doing so because they are infact the inadequate party. They do not have the honesty or integrity to admit to their partners that something is not working in the relationship. Instead of being the bigger person and ending the relationship with a little dignitty, they stray so that the other party has a reason to break up with them. The last and desperate act of terrible person.

Even one of the greatest of our time http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article1171410.ece

Kids...

In bad cinema this week we watched the highly controversial Larry Clark film 'Kids'. I did know of this film before and had watched it a few years ago curious of its surrounding hype. Being as I was younger the first time I watched the film I don't believe I truly appreciated how shocking it was. Having now seen it as a more mature adult I can safely say it is extremely shocking viewing and also very uncomfortable to watch in many places. The film supposedly brings light to the sordid lives teenagers lead under their parents noses. Drugs, sex, alcohol, stealing, rape and disease are the driving forces in the picture that parents are seemingly unaware off. Although the director Larry Clark definately fulfilled his purpose of shocking all who dared to witness, his ultimate goal was well wide of the mark. Ultimately 'Kids' was meant to be a stark wake up call for parents who beleived their children could do no wrong. However I feel Clark's mistake was that everything in the film was so extreme it came across as being majorly over the top. The characters and their actions were so unbelievable most of the time that parents would simply dismiss them as things that terrible juvenille kids took part in. I believe that after seeing this movie no parent would be worried that their child was doing anything as bad as what was depicted. Kids is definately shocking, but overall to extreme to be believed.

Find out about hiv/aids closer to home at http://www.avert.org/aidsuk.htm

Stalking...

Another reply to one of the clips we watched in the lecture that escapes my squidgy thing. The show in question was 'Peep Show'. In the episode you see one of the main characters becoming unhealthily obsessed with his female co-worker. The class was then asked - when does a concerned interest in someones activities become stalking? Also are some kinds of observance allowable and appropriate? Which ones aren't?

I think the line on this argument is extremely blurred as there are many different scenarios and contexts that could come up. Some of which I consider justified and others not. One of the only times I can consider the observance of someone allowed would be for example if there was a genuine fear for a persons safety. Another case would be if someones routine was known and a meeting was 'conviniently' initiated for the purposes of a crush or attraction. However, both of these intances depend on the mental state of the observing person. On one hand they can be completely innocent and harmless if the observer has noble intentions. On the other, if the intentions are unhealthy and sordid, the context is completely altered for the same situation. But then there is also the argument that if we see the intentions of the observer as unhealthy but they see them as acceptable is the stalking okay? I would say that stalking becomes so when a stalkers actions become entirely dictated by the actions of their observed. For example if a 'convinient' meeting was initiated on numerous occasions or if the observed was watched from a far without ever being contacted. These actions tend to make a possible harmless crush change into a strange and unhealthy obsession. I feel the line will always be blurred as the mental state of the 'stalker' determines if the actions are justified or not.

Lets hope the mental state of the worlds governments are healthy as we are increasingly being filmed and watched everyday...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/16/AR2005121600021.html

Stealing...

Apologies but the week of this lecture has escaped the squidgy little thing that resides in my head, I call him brain. Anyway, in this lecture we were asked to watch various clips of films and TV shows and then comment on there content. The first clip was from the genius that is Family Guy. In the episode “Breaking out is hard to do” you witness Lois becoming a comical kleptomaniac which results in serious repercussions for herself and her family. We were asked if we thought shoplifting was different to any other kind of theft and also why people shoplift if they can afford not to?
From watching this clip I got the impression that shoplifting has the same factors of any other crime. All tend to be committed either through desperation, a need to steal to survive, or in Lois’s case to fuel an addiction or habit. Unfortunately the addiction for Lois was shoplifting. At times shoplifting may not be considered a terrible crime as the theft is not personal. The victim is not a sweet old lady doddering back from the post office with her pension, but a company or business that probably won’t even miss the items. It seems to me that people who do not need to steal generally do it for the rush of excitement and to feel alive. They could, of course, just be pathologically tight!

Perhaps the coolest theif of them all? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Biggs

Assignment Two...

What did everyone think about assignment two? At first I was a little wary, but once my fingers got a tappin’ it was really enjoyable. The creative writing piece was especially fun to write as it gave me a chance to use my imagination. AND I was really proud of the end result. Hopefully the rest of you had as much fun as I did!

If you wanna prograstinate check out http://www.jokesandhumor.com/tests/bad/ and see how bad you really are?! I'm a good citizen...boring!

Possible Field Trip...

At the time of posting I have no idea what time of year/budget/terms and conditions are required for a module field trip. This being said I will keep the time constraints between now and May '07.

Personally I'd love to do something different rather than the normal going to cinema, days out to London or some other generic trip we could all do anytime.

Perhaps a day out zorbing? If you have no clue what this is check out www.zorbsouth.co.uk !!

Any takers???