Reply to Fatima, Dangerous driving

http://fatimaafser.blogspot.com/

I am sorry I cannot shed light on it, quite the opposite, I will add more darkness, beacause in my home country there is apparently the same situation: more and more people who are leading and rulling the state do break the speed limits quite often, and what is allarming, they are mostly not caught in the act. And when they are time to time caught the amount of money they have to pay on speeding fees cannot prevent them from doing it again. Maybe a new law could help to deal with it.

Reply to Karen, Graffiti, is it really bad?

http://karen-summersun.blogspot.com/

I both disagree and agree with Karen, graffiti is definitely an art (I was taught it at my previous school, an art school) but in my opinion it should not appear on walls of private houses (without the permition of the owner) and historical buildings, especially if the buildings are on the list of UNESCO. Can you imagine the Prague castle decorated with such thing? I am sorry but I rather don't.

Reply to Karen

http://karen-summersun.blogspot.com/

Surely it is disrimination (!), not only of obese people but also of very tall people who can hardly place themselves within the seats. I am tall so I know what I am speaking about (in if somebody suggests that I might be also fat and that's the reason why I can't fit in, I dare to disagree, because my BMI is 19.6). And I hope that Ryanair will not tax passangers for breathing air on board!

Dogs poo, dogs do

I reply to Karen Owen, April 28, 2009

http://karen-summersun.blogspot.com/

After all what I read, I must agree with you. Obviously, the dogs/cats problem is international (I am from the Czech Republic) because in my country it is just the same case. When you open the door, it is always better to watch where you step. By the way, I think it would be worth the price to place the horribly stinking think in front of the dog-walker´s house (if it was his dog, of course).

Questioner

Questioner:

Age? 21

Sex? F

What is your degree subject (both if joint)? Creative and Professional Writing & English

Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking? It does.

If so, how? And if not, why not? It relates to Creative Writing.

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

Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate? Yes, I do.

Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included? Emotional blackmail or blackmail in general, extravagant fashion and life style…

Do you think that the format for classes has worked well? Yes.

What did you think of the module team? Interesting.

Do you think it would have been better to have had more:

Small group discussions? I do not think so.

Discussion and debate among the class as a whole? This could be agreeable.

Information and talk from lecturers? This was appropriate.

The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module? I do. For writers are all the things mentioned above interesting and useful.

Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea? I strongly agree.

Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module? Yes, I have benefited from it.

Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter? Why not? (i.e. Yes.)

Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2? I would like to, but it depends on my schedule.

Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend? Yes, I would.

Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea? Yes, but I did not like the idea that each post had to be made on a different day.

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 was glad that there were two shorter assignments. (The creative piece was a good idea as an assignment.)

What have you learned from the module? I learnt where to find new topics for my writing.

What parts of the module have you found most useful and why? Streaming of the clips and accompanied by tutor’s comments.

What parts do you think were a waste of time and why? I think that breaks between the first and the second part of lectures were not necessary.

Are there any other comments you wish to make regarding ‘Being Bad’? No more questioners, please.

Crib from a crib

Crib from a crib

One my ex-classmate, a girl, was so afraid of writing the final test of biology, that she made 27 pieces of crib sheets and marked each of them from 1 to 27. Then she hid them on several different places (including her underwear). But she attached the 3rd sheet to a neighbour’s backs who was sitting in front of her and the professor spotted it and asked her about the cheat sheets number 2 and 1. Nevertheless, she couldn’t remember where she precisely placed them and finally had to unveil all of her “written helpers”. Surprisingly, the professor (laughing at her previous “striptease”) didn’t take the test from her, but praised her for the effort she put into her test-preparation, and later used the 27 sheets as teaching utility.

If only all teachers and professors were so tolerant. On the other hand, at higher level of education it is becoming more common, that teachers let their students use hand-made cheat sheets when rote memorization is not necessary.

I do not agree with cheating or academic dishonesty, but on the other hand I think that the idea of using crib sheets made by students themselves, when they do not have to know everything by heart, is good.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheat_sheet
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_dishonesty

Evil jokes

Evil jokes

Has ever happened to you that the wonderful virtual partner you were chatting with via inter-net was actually your best friend making fun of you? If not, there might be something different of that kind which happened to you:

E.g.1) You receive a message that your mother is dead, but when you come home the opposite is true.

E.g. 2) A beggar asks you to give him/her 5 pounds, but then you discover that the beggar is actually your disguised friend.

E.g. 3) A masked man wearing FBI T-shirt wakes you up in the middle of the night with a gun aiming at you and yelling: “Happy birthday, brother!”

Evil jokes or hoaxes, for somebody great fun, for the other person it may be a nightmare.


More info: http://diskuse.dama.cz/d.php?d=304
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google

Extravagant fashion

Extravagant fashion

Lolita fashion – by Vogue scorned, but by Lolitas loved Japanese fashion style. Unfortunately, many people do not know about the existence of this fashion style and this unawareness causes troubles to those who wear it. Daily Lolitas can be seen nearly all over the world, most of them are in Japan and the USA, but even there they have problems with intolerant people who do not like their extravagant but in my opinion lovely dresses. On the other hand, I know it is risky to be different from the “herd”.

Three main styles:
● Sweet Lolita – also goes under the name “amarori”; the sweetest of Lolita styles and may be also most popular
● Gothic Lolita – one of the darker styles of Lolita; also called “gosurori”
● Classic Lolita – one of the most elegant styles of Lolita fashion; also called “curasshiku”

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion
http://www.twinisles.com/japan/culture/c011.php


P.S.: I hope that this article will help to increase tolerance towards different fashion styles as Lolita fashion, alternative fashion, etc.

Sexism

Sexism

E.g. 1) A man complaining about a woman who drives her car too slowly:

"Woman, naturally! Can´t she go faster? She could have calmly managed it before the red light!"

E.g. 2) A woman applying for a job.

"So you are interested in this job, Mrs. Abc, aren´t?"

"Yes, I am."

"Do you have children?"

vs.

E.g. 3) A man being divorced and wishing to be allowed by the court to care of his child:

"The court decided in favour of mother."

E.g. 4) A man applying for a job (wishing to be a secretary):

"We are sorry, but the job is not available."

This is simply called male an female chauvinism. But when it comes to misogyny and misandry and other serious cases of intolerance towards the opposite sex, I would prefer the term discrimination. Discrimination which has actually no good reason and purpose to exist.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexism

http://news.zdnet.com/2422-13568_22-154407.html

Bribing

Bribing

Bribery, a form of pecuniary corruption, is an act implying money or gift given that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in discharge of a public or legal duty. The bribe is the gift bestowed to influence the recipient's conduct. It may be any money, good, right in action, property, preferment, privilege, emolument, object of value, advantage, or merely a promise or undertaking to induce or influence the action, vote, or influence of a person in an official or public capacity. [1]

[1] Citation from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bribery


Bribery or not?

The general meaning of bribery is already explained above; but can be a parent buying an expensive toy to his/her offspring (in order to persuade the child to stay quiet and not to tell the other parent about that s/he forgotten to pick up the child from school and the poor thing was waiting there for him/her in cold weather two hours) accused of bribery? And when parents buy sweets to their children every day to make them write pieces of homework, is it bribery or just spoiling?
“Bribing” children, family members or friends is quite common. But to which point is it bribery? In not small number of cases it is just a way to show the people you like how much you appreciate them. (Anyway, the final judgment is still up to you.)

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bribery
http://www.google.cz/imgres?imgurl=http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/070416/AP_BribingKids.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18140247/&h=344&w=352&sz=18&tbnid=k7d4eA_HPjvbMM::&tbnh=117&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbribing%2Bpictures&hl=cs&usg=__sHkNPCQNadhw3spipEVWtL7X3kU=&ei=1cf8ScyZGMPj-Aaum_mzAg&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=2&ct=image