Should we get rid of the penalty shoot out?

Wembley Stadium. 3pm. Hot day. I was there to see my team, Crewe Alexandra, go on to defeat Cheltenham Town in order to be promoted to League One! Throughout the match, one thought dominated my mind; please no penalties! The penalty debate has been prevalent for a long time. The main question is are they fair? They normally take place after 120 minutes (90 minutes in some competitions, namely the Football League trophy). At this point, players are tired, mentally and physically. A lot of it is down to luck and it is often the case that the better team loses. However, is this reason enough to claim that they are unjust? More so, should they stay in the game?

No fan of the game likes to see their team in a penalty shootout. Especially people like myself who know their club is almost guaranteed failure if it got to this stage. So if it isn't for the fans, what is it for? One argument is that it is great for neutrals. As I was watching the Chelsea v Bayern game, I loved the tension and the atmosphere knowing that whatever the outcome of the game I could go home happy. However, this surely isn't enough to keep them in the game?

Fans have come up with ideas in order to try and replace the PK. One that seems to be popular is the idea of taking them before the game begins. However, for me this completely changes the dynamics of a game. If a team goes into a game having won the PK, they know that a draw will see them lift whatever trophy they are battling for. It will act as a one-goal advantage and both teams will change their tactics respectively. It is difficult to argue for one team having an effective one goal advantage before the game has even started.

Secondly, another argument that seems to be gaining ground is that football shouldn't just be linked to goals. Some argue that stats such as shots on target, corners and possession should take account. However, whilst this may make it fairer, we wouldn't be watching the same game any more. Part of the beauty of its game is its seeming simplicity. Whilst one may not be able to recite the laws of the game and understand every decision, everybody can understand the most important rule; the team with the most goals wins! This would also change the dynamics. Depending on weightings, we could get teams playing keep-ball, going for corners rather than goals or shooting long shots at the keeper rather than risk them going over the bar. Also, how would this be for the fans? The easiest options would be stadiums operating scoreboards so people could keep up with the score. But who wants this? Honestly?

If you thought those were crazy, listen to these.Some suggest that every player who gets a yellow card in the 90 minutes doesn't get to play in ET. However, how much more pressure would this put on refs to get a decision right? Others say that extra time should be 7 a side. All I can ask is why? Just why? To add this, I have seen that people want the ref removed, a player taken off the pitch every five minutes in NORMAL time or removing the keeper in second half of extra time.

In my opinion, we should be adding to football, not removing. Although some aspects of the game may not seem fair, they are what we buy into and every player, manager and fan knows the score (which they might not if crazy rules were brought in!). Simplicity is the key to footballs success. Many things aren't fair about the game. Referees make mistakes, balloons get assists and a team in 7th place get promotion over the teams in 4th, 5th and 6th. Ignoring the fact this last fact is relevant to my Wembley visit, would I have it any other way? Of course I wouldn't. I like football for what it is, and don't criticise it for what it isn't. Perhaps some things could be changed. Only one man in Europe seems to argue against goal-line technology and racism and sexism are issues that need to change. But when it comes to the game itself, let's keep it the way it is. It is called the beautiful game for a reason...

What are you thoughts? Should we replace the PK? If we do what would we replace it with?

Comment below or tweet me @pablakeman

Controversial Marketing - Heineken given to babies

I wonder if this controversial advert will make a comeback any time soon?

How to run Spotify and Google Chrome in Hallward Library (or any library)

This is a blog specific to University of Nottingham students but actually applies to any library in the country.

You can get Spotify up and running on any library computer in 30 seconds by following these steps:-

1) Click this link - http://download.spotify.com/Spotify%20Installer.exe

2) Click run

3) When it comes up with the firewall thing, just click cancel

4) Log in and enjoy the music!

Remember to bring some headphones!

I attribute this next bit to Alex Handsaker who posted in Heard in Hallward. I thought I may as well put it in here but all credit goes to him. To use Google Chrome follow these steps:-

1) Click this link - https://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?standalone=1

2) Click accept and install

3) Click run

4) Bathe in all the Chromey goodness!

Hope this helps UoN library computer/laptop users!

Feel free to comment below or tweet me @pablakeman

Harry Potter-esque Water Trick

Have you ever wished you could suspend water without a glass? Well now is your chance! Watch the video as the glass is the removed and the water stays put in the shape of the glass. Enjoy...

Tweet me @pablakeman

Turns out I am sexist...

So here is my follow up blog to "Am I sexist?". Despite the title, people who gave me, reasoned, educated responses tended to think that I wasn't in fact sexist. Some said misguided and admitted ideological differences, others were fully on my side, whilst a significant proportion at least tried to give me a reason. Here is a quick review of what I have learnt from the feedback:-

Some people don't have a sense of humour I dislike studying feminism = I don't care about (or in some people's eyes, advocate strongly) the oppression of women. I don't actually hate feminism everyone. Though I am starting to dislike many feminists for reasons I shall explain. I will be told that it because I am wrong/feel threatened/am not educated enough etc...

Some feminists are alright A big thank you to people who gave me feedback with good reasons. I don't mind people disagreeing with me. Actually, I like it when people disagree with me if they can show me a side to a problem I have missed, or allow me to see it from a different angle. One person recommended that both parents take on part-time jobs and both take on equal responsibility for the childcare. I liked this idea.

A lot of women care more about their career than their future children Wooh, another sweeping generalisation! I cannot wait for this to be hounded on but although some people don't like it, I like to be honest. From my feedback, the words I heard all the time were CAREER, CAREER, CAREER. I actually tried to explain that my blog was in fact a pro-children blog, trying to explain how you cannot put a value on the joy and gift of bringing up children. However, many, even when faced with this argument, just shouted career in my face and said that with a job they would be able to afford a child minder. Whilst I don't want to disparage child minding and childminders, I believe parents should thrive on the opportunity to bring up a child. Turns out I am one of the only ones...

Some people won't give you a chance, no matter what you say Unfortunately for too many people, just because I implied that being a housewife may not be a bad thing, it gave an opportunity for them to have a rant at me. I felt a lot of the time that their anger wasn't directed at me, but at society. However, it was me who had to put up with it and reply to it. About half of the responses were a pleasure to read and I learnt a lot. The other half were slanderous, disrespectful and didn't deserve my time. One reader will be very unhappy that I haven't followed his advice and jumped in a river.

Not everything I said was right Understandably, people disagreed with a lot of what I said and I can see why. I put too much emphasis on women working rather than men. I also didn't make clear that when I said I would support my wife, I didn't mean in a "she needs me/she is dependent on me" sort of way, but in a mutual support kind of way. I also learnt that it is too easy to say feminism or feminist and assume that they are all the same. Much as you get different denominations in religion and politics, it is the same for feminism. Due to this, the blog did leave to feminists arguing amongst themselves. Also I should never reference the daily mail!

I am a feminist I believe in equal rights for women. I believe that women should have equal pay in the workplace in the general case. I believe the feminist cause is a good one and therefore I am a feminist.

So this is just a quick review of what I have learnt. I will come back to this and edit it at some point, but I just wanted to tell people what I thought. I know this will upset certain people, but it is just my opinion, and we live in a world where I have a right to it and a right to publish it. If you disagree and have a good reason then please comment. If you disagree and just want to have a go at me, all the more reason to comment as it just makes it more enjoyable for my other readers.

Thanks for reading.

Feel free to tweet me your thoughts @pablakeman

Here is the original blog - Am I sexist?

How rich are you?

I am in the top 11.5% richest people in the world! Despite being a student with only a part-time job. This is embarrassing.

See how rich you are by clicking here

Are you a student? Get £37 free. Right now.

If you are reading this you have been enticed by the free money. I can't blame you, I would be the same.

If you are a student who has a tv licence, you can claim some of the money back! As long as you won't be using it for 3 months of the contract, you can claim a quarter back which is equal to £37. Just fill out the form here...

No need to thank me but the drinks are on you. Also please share so your friends can find this out too, the TV licencing company keep it quiet!

Source - The National Student

Are you worried?

This is just a quick blog post for anybody who is worried. Be it about exams, relationships, a job or anything else, people always worry. I myself overworry. It wears me down and stresses me out. However, most of the time you don't need to worry! My main tip for you is when you wake up each morning, get a piece of paper and a pen. On this piece of paper write down everything you are worried about. Be it a list of 1 or 100 things, write it all down. Then, have a think about it, read the list and realise that you don't need to worry. After that, take great pleasure in throwing this piece of paper in the bin and by virtue, throwing your worries in the bin. If you struggle to sleep, do this at night just before you go to bed. I shall write another blog post with more tips, but trust me this one works!

Comment below or tweet me @pablakeman

Humans are really, really stupid

In the last few years we have learnt one thing. Yes, you heard right, humans are stupid! Surely this is the only explanation for why have so many warnings on packaging. 'Health and Safety' is becoming more and more important and more and more annoying. In response to this, I have collated a list of the funniest, weirdest and most patronising warning labels:-

On a hair-dryer-Don't use while sleeping But how will I dry my hair in time for the morning?!

On an electric drill - This product is not intended for use as a dental drill 

In the manual for a microwave oven - Don't use for drying pets I think whoever this advice is directed at doesn't deserve a pet. Or life.

On a child-size Superman costume - Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly No, don't jump out of that window Timmy, I misread the label, noo....

On a washing machine - Do not put any person in this machine But who has the time to shower these days?!

On iPod shuffle packaging - Do not eat iPod shuffle An apple a day keeps the doctor away...oh wait

On a scooter - Warning! When used this product moves Ahh thats what the wheels are for...

On a bottle of dog pills - Take care when operating a car I think the term 'dogging' may have been misunderstood by the manufacturer

On a lottery ticket - Do not iron But how will I get these creases out!

and everyone's favourite...

On a packet of nuts - May contain nuts 

If you know of any more please feel free to comment below or tweet me @pablakeman

Invisible Art New Craze

It is fair to say that not enough people understand the beauty of modern art. Be it a skull encrusted with diamonds, an unmade bed or a room full of fake sunflower seeds, this discipline of creativity has failed to inspire many people, giving rise to acusations of pretentiousness. However, the latest exhibition to take advantage of this area of art is "invisible art". Yep, you guessed it, art that isn't actually art.

The creators of the exhibition claim that the invisibility allows people to explore their imagination and it proves that art isn't about material but mind. In my opinion, this is a fantastic way to steal £8 per person without receiving a visit from the police (unless of course they have a penchant for invisible rat). I bet they even get a tax break...

I think my favourite quote from the Guardian has to be that you can "see an artwork that has been created by the artist staring at it for 1000 hours". This is a very liberal use of the term 'created'. It claims he has been staring at the blank piece of paper for over 5 years. Some people call it art, I call it a lack of mental stability.

I think its fair to say that this exhibition is something that nobody saw coming...

If Carlsberg wrote jokes...

      Guy 1:My Girlfriend left me as I couldn't stop touching pasta
Guy 2:Wow are you okay
Guy 1:Well I am feeling Cannelloni now...

Boom!

Useful Exam Tips

Here is an article I wrote for The National Student. Hope it helps!

No matter what their interests are, pretty much everybody loves university. Be it going out with your friends, joining new societes or just having the opportunity to watch Jeremy Kyle in your onesie every afternoon.

However, nobody can escape the exam period. Nobody looks forward to it, but here is how to get the most out of it.

Look over all your lecture notes Although that 9am lecture on a Monday morning after Carnage may have seemed like a waste of time, it probably wasn't. Most lecturers don't want to give lectures, they want to research, and so when they do lecture, they make sure it is worthwhile. If you missed a lecture, do what you can to make up the notes. Also remember these are just a starting point and you need to research the content further.

Be productive with your time Too often I see people on Facebook going on about how much revision they have to do that day. This normally consists of a picture being uploaded where said person is surrounded by about 30 books, 29 of which won't be touched that session, and then the next 2 hours my news feed is filled with said person commenting on everybodys status saying "OMG I need to revise lol!!!". Don't do this! If you say you are going to revise, do it. Also, for a bit of truth, nobody on facebook really cares how much revision you have or haven't done, so don't waste your time telling them.

Disconnect yourself from the world As great as the internet is for studying, you do not need it all the time. You also don't need to BBM all of your friends asking them how they are. Actually, as a matter of fact, you don't need any technology at all. Of course for some things, you will need to keep Google very close, but if you don't need it, turn off! You will only get distracted by pictures of cats anyway...

Wake up early A lot easier said than done for most students, myself included. However, be strict with yourself and get up no later than 9am. This gives you a bit of time to wake up, make a coffee/tea and have a quick facebook stalk of your close friends and ex before you get on with work. Trust me, this works. 

Make a plan This doesn't have to be colour coded and beautiful and take a half week to do. Even if you just take a minute to write a quick, scruffy to do list. In this way, you have it clear in your mind what you have to do.

Buy revision snacks Bananas are a superfood when it comes to studying. Although most people prefer coffee, this will give you the much needed pick-me-up when you are feeling out of energy. Nuts and other fruit work well too. However, I know most of you might ignore this. If you want buy chocolate and crisps. They aren't good for your body or for your energy levels, but if having them next to you keeps you revising then do it.

Give yourself time off No matter how much work you have to do, time off is vital. If you study too much, it will actually negatively affect your marks. You will be overtired, you will take less in and it won't be as rewarding. We all know that feeling where we have done a good two hours of revision and we feel fulfilled. We also know we have revised when overtired for a few hours and come away from it knowing nothing. 

Ignore my advice This is probably the most important one. The advice I have given you works for me and for other people, but it may not be for you. People study in different ways and for some people this could all be useless. However, don't pretend you need certain things to help you revise. Some people like to think they have Facebook on because the distraction every few minutes keeps them going. Have a think, does it really?! If you work hard and do what you need to do, that 2-1 or first will be yours.

I hope this advice helps a little bit. However, if you just feel like giving up, don't fret now. Even people who don't succeed in the world of education go on to do well. You can be the next Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison or Richard Branson if you don't try (none of them succeeded at school)! Good luck with exams everyone and happy studying.

For the latest news...

For the latest news check out this website! It collates all the latest news from Google and sorts them into a colourful graphic. The bigger the words, the bigger the story! Enjoy...

Newsmap

Coolest way to pour a Martini...

This is how to pour a Martini...

Enjoy the video, try it at home and give it a share.

Your degree will leave you unemployed. Yes it's true.

So we all know that students in Leeds Uni are the hottest The National Student - Leeds Hottest Students and that Glamorgan students have the most sex Student Beans - Glamorgan Most Sex but which is the best university for the so-called reason most of us are at university; getting a job?

Of course there are many factors which play a part including degree subject, grade and other items on your CV. However, according to the University League Table 2013, the graduates with the best future prospects are those from London School of Economics. This may be surprising for those at Oxford and Cambridge, whose universities are 'only' 3rd and 5th respectively. However, students from Robert Gordon can be happy. Despite their university being outside the top 50 in the general ranking, they feature in the top 10 for graduate prospects, being the highest Scottish university in the list. The highest Welsh university in the list is Cardiff, placing a respectable 15th.

On the other end of the scale, I hope that nobody from the University of Bolton is reading this. That is unless, of course, they are a graduate, as the list implies that they will have a lot of free time on their hands. As you have guessed, they came bottom of the list, beating competition from Southampton Solent and London Metropolitan for the not so sought after title!

It is important to remember that the data is from 2009-2010, so was already a couple of years out of date by the time it was released. Where did your university come on the list and did it deserve to be placed there? Do these surveys even really make much sense in the real world?

Please comment below or tweet me at @pablakeman

University League Table - Graduate Prospects

My Best Man's Speech

Hey,

As most of you will know my father got married to his soulmate yesterday, and I was his best man. Here is the speech that I wrote, and I can tell you now they’re wasn’t a dry eye left in the house after my dad’s, my stepmum’s father’s and my speech. Hope you like it.

Hello everyone,

As most of you know by now, I am Neil’s son. This isn’t the conventional way as I believe it usually a non-family friend who usally does this, and because of this there won’t be any embarrassing drunken stories to tell, not because I haven’t got any, but because I don’t think it is my place to say!

Just before I start I would like to say how beautiful the bride and bridesmaids look today, and I mean it when I say it really is an honour to be in the same room as them.

If there is one thing everybody knows about my father, is that no matter what the situation he is, he will always be there for you. The only exception being of course when his phone is on silent. For those of you who don’t know I am in my 1st year of university, and my dad is always on hand to make sure I never run out of beer tokens. I am sure most of you in this room can think of one time or anotehr in which my dad has gone out of his way to help you, and that is just because that is the sort of guy he is, unfortunately a rarity in today’s world.

He never fails to make people smile. I’ll never forget the time when I fell into a small river off my bike, and his way of consoling me was to remind me how good it was that my school mates weren’t there, which is a pretty good point! Also, no matter how many times my sister, Sarah, told him she hated him or never wanted to see him again, it wasn’t long before she was back in his arms.

I’d also like to personally thank Sharron, for allowing my dad to do something that he wasn’t able to do for too long before he met her, and that is smile like he mean’s it. I wish them both the best of luck, and I think I speak on behalf of everyone in this room when I say that they really don’t need it.

Lastly, I would just like to thank my father for everything, past, present and future. I know Sharron and her family realise what an amazing man they are welcoming into their family. So I would like to propose a toast, to a great husband, a great father, and most importantly, my best friend. I love you dad. Cheers.

21 things to do before I die

This list is in no particular order, and luckily I have a long time to do them! Some are objective, some are subjective, but all are my aims.

1.Be fluent in 3 or more languages

2.Make lots of friends, real friends

3.Be a good father

4.Score 5 goals for RealPolitik FC

5.Become an MP

6.Travel around the world

7.Learn lots, and enjoy it

8.Make my family and friends proud

9.Get fit, and stay that way

10.Fall in love, love that lasts

11.Read lots of books

12. Learn how to cook. Really well.

13.Make the most of my time at university/my youth

14.Go and see all my favourite bands in concert

15.Learn how to do basic DIY

16.Be in a happy and loving marriage

17.Get an article published in a national newspaper

18.Improve my awful handwriting

19.Try doing stand-up comedy

20.Earn enough money to be able to give a significant proportion to better causes

21.Change the world

Wish me luck!

What was the real reason for the London riots?

I have to be honest, I hadn’t really understood the full extent of the riots until a few minutes ago. As I am living in France at the moment, it has barely featured on the news, and facebook statuses just led me to believe that it was a bad thing, but nothing that grave. However, when I saw that parliament had been recalled, I knew it must be serious, and after watching a 4 minutes video on the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14460554), I feel physically sick. 

In recent months, our TV screens have been full of violence. However, it has been from countries such as Egypt, Syria, Lybia and more. Also, I believe riots is an understatement. When Kaiser Chiefs predicted a riot, I wonder if they predicted it to the extent that is happening? People are destroying their own communities. The shops that they use, the cars that their neighbours drive and the houses that people they know live in are all being set on fire. Rioting is one thing, but this goes way beyond, and it doesn’t look last night was the last night! But what is the reason?

Some people are claiming that technology is to blame. The fact that people can contact each other so easily using twitter is being cited as why these riots have happened. At best, it is merely a catalyst. It is right to say that these have helped the riots be set up, but it is very wrong to blame technology companies. The problem isn’t the fact that people have contacted each other to organise riots, but why they have done it! Also, we have to thank twitter as well.

The original reason was because of the Mark Duggan shooting which took place last Thursday. 300 people gathered outside Tottenham police station as a “protest”.  This is a fair enough reason, and whether you believe justice was required or not for the shooting, people have a right to protest in a democrating, freedom of speech-allowing society. However, there are two important points to remember following this. 

Firstly, in my opinion, there is rarely an excuse for 300 people to start a riot. There is a significant different between staging a protest, and setting buildings and cars on fire, however unfortunately some can’t see this difference!

Secondly, and much more importantly, the people who are causing the riots are of a low social class. I am not being pretentious, I am saying it as it is. I shall that most of the people are from a low social class, most likely, just for clarification, but it is a serious problem. Also, these people obviously don’t have much better to do.

I shall try to put into perspective, so my opinion doesn’t seem as obnoxious as it came across. Some people have more to lose than others, which is why crime tends to come from the lower classes (by this I mean violent and public crime, as opposed to tax evasion etc…). Crime is very closely linked to social class, and it is normally noted in most countries that when a society (despite what Thatcher says, there is a such thing as society!) is doing well economically, crime figures tend to improve. For example, a middle-class person may be outraged that Mark Duggan was shot, but does he really want to lose his kids, his wife (sorry for painting such a perfect, wife and husband, 2.2 children family, but it is just an example!) and his high-paying job, just to go and start a fire and nick a Wii? However, a low-class person with nothing to lose has a lot less to think about that the first person we talked about, so is more able to risk what they have in order to fight against injustice!

I know I am presenting the facts in a very bland, perhaps even controversial way. The two people I talk about don’t actually exist, they are merely examples that try to aggregate real people. I am also not blaming the rioters for rioting (although I am not condoning/excusing it, I am merely not giving much of an opinion), I am blaming the system. How can we live in a society that lets this happen? How can there be parents out there who let, or at least don’t know that, their kids are setting fire to the buildings in the community? And finally, how can we carry on like this? People feel hard done to, and it is up to the government to sort it out. I am very glad to see parliament has been recalled, and I hope a solution can be found.

The riots may be short-term (I hope), but the broken society which David Cameron wanted to fix has really shown its cracks these last few days. Yes we need more police streets on the street now, but do we need more on the streets all the time? Yes these youths need to be doing something else, but once again the government is there to sort out problems like this. And yes, there is a lot of material damage, but the emotional scars for the people of Britain and the country itself lie much deeper…something needs to be done. If we really are all in this together (not the riots, I hope!), then this needs to be proved as soon as possible.

PS In the meantime, keep calm and drink tea

 https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=261568193854371

#OperationCupOfTea

Is Smoking Rational?

We all know that smoking is bad for you. Nobody can sugar coat the facts, and not many people try to, for good reason. Every year, nearly 5 million people die as a result of smoking. It is the number one preventable cause of death in the world, and 500 million people alive today will die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases. Although the exact numbers may not be at everyone’s disposal, not many people in the western world don’t know the risks of smoking. However if this is the case, why do so many people start, and continue, to smoke?

There are very obvious answers of course. One reason many people start is peer pressure. I know many people who start to smoke purely because their friends do, and it seems the ‘cool’ or ‘right’ thing to do. This is of course a very stupid reason. I am sorry if I cause offence to anyone by saying that, and I myself have had cigarettes with friends, but I can count the number on one hand, because I knew it wasn’t right to carry on. I am not putting myself on a moral high horse, I am just saying it as it is. The obvious reason people continue to smoke is of course science. You can’t get away from the fact that cigarettes are addictive, or at least, substances inside the cigarette are.  I am of course stating the obvious here. There are evident obstacles in the way of not starting or giving up cigarettes, but it is fair to say that these are obstacles that with the right amount of willpower can be overcome, so why don’t people overcome them?

For clarification, it is best to separate the developing and the western world. In the developing world, the inhabitants aren’t as lucky as us on the other side of the pond, and don’t have ready access to information about the dangers of smoking. In these countries, there is a lower percentage of smokers. Although this may sound like good news, the fact that this provides a lucrative market for tobacco companies, coupled with the governments in need of anything that will increase their income, the mix isn’t going to produce good results! In Cambodia, tobacco advertising increased by 400% in just 4 years in the 1990s. Unfortunately, children are also targeted. Nearly one in ten Chilean children surveyed said they had been offered free cigarettes by tobacco company representatives.  Many smokers in the developing world have little or no conception of the risks. In one survey, it was found that 61% of Chinese smokers thought that their habit did them no harm.  From the evidence, it seems that smoking in the developing world isn’t at all rational, but induced by greedy enterprises and governments who turn a blind eye.

However, the story is different in the developed world. Most people know the risks and there are very strict laws regarding packaging. This is one reason I don’t smoke, as I have this silly little rule where if anything I am about to consume has “this will kill you” on the packaging, I change my mind. Pedantic I know, but each to their own.

However, enough of the tobacco-bashing, I am going to take a risk and actually be on the side of the smokers for once! Firstly, although not linked to the question, the number of smokers has been declining in the industrialised west. In 1974,51% of British men smoked, whereas this had declined to 28% in 2001. Secondly, some people just like to smoke. I mentioned earlier that peer pressure is a reason, but it can also be a benefit. Sometimes on a night out we are faced with a choice; wait inside and look after the drinks, or go outside and have a chinwag with friends. I think it is rational, even with the smoke, to choose the latter option. Also, a lot of people say that smoking relaxes them. Personally, I don’t need to take a chemical-filled drug to relax me, and other people don’t either, but if it helps people, then why be against it?

If there was no benefit to smoking then people wouldn’t do it. For governments, the benefit is tax revenue, for companies it is profit, and for people there must be something! There are of course many people out there who are trying to quit, and struggle. The fact of that matter is that it is a challenge to kick the habit (although this phrase actually refers to opium, deriving from the fact that after taking too much, one has a tendency to fit and kick out). However, there are people out there who choose not to. Other things can kill people as well. There are obese people in the world, who on the most have made a “rational” (I shall argue that obesity isn’t actually wholly rational in another blog post) decision to eat more calories than they expend, thus putting on weight. This also shortens life expectancy. People also drive their cars really fast without wearing a seat belt,  jump off bridges with merely a bit of material on string above them, and work 18 hour days which cause a lot of stress. Of course, this is not completely comparable, but the fact of the matter is that it can be a rational habit, such as the other activities mentioned are rational. 

Although I would not actually recommend smoking to anyone, and I do actually frown upon it, it is important to understand that people who smoke aren’t idiots, and know exactly what they are doing. I think it is also important to remember a story. A man who is viewed as very intelligent is a smoker. He is at a dinner party, and keeps getting unkind looks of the woman opposite of him. He plucks up the courage to ask her what problem is. She professes “You are a very intelligent man, but yet you smoke those things knowing they will kill you”, to which he responds, “oh how differently I would behave, if immortality were an option”.

PS Smoking Kills

Am I sexist?

This is my first blog in a while and could be my last in even longer depending on the uptake, but here goes! After one of my friends came out yesterday and admitted he was a “radical feminist” (I won’t name names, he knows who he is) I thought it was time for me to express my views.

From an academic point of view, I dislike feminism. This is purely because so many of my modules seem to include a form of it, and it has created a lot of work for me (EDIT - This is a joke). However, my main problem with feminism is the inability to be able to give an opinion on it without it coming across in the wrong way.

Not many people haven’t heard of the feminists who burnt their bras for their rights (it is a good thing guys never had to do a similar thing to earn theirs, and lets hope they never will!) and they do have a good cause. There is no reason why a woman of equal ability to a male should earn less in the exact same job. This also shouldn’t be linked to age, disability etc…Jobs should be based solely on merit. 

However, what sort of wife do I want? A housewife of course! Now before you jump to your conclusions about me and start calling me a chauvinistic pig hear me out. I am not one of these guys who expects to be waited on hand and foot, I don’t expect dinner on the table every night and all my ironing done and I don’t expect a residential, female servant.

Family is a very important thing to me and I believe that, if my financial situation allows it, I would be lucky to have a wife who stays at home. Children during their growing up need someone there to care for them. As easy as it may be financially to cart them off with a babysitter or child minder, this isn’t what I want. If my wife earns more than me then I would be more than happy to stay at home and in fact I love looking after children! 

In my opinion, I agree there are certain things children, and family, benefit most from. These are based around stability in love, and I believe marriage and parental affection/closeness are important. In the ideal situation, I would have a wife who stayed home. Children seem to benefit better from a maternal influence, and if our household can afford it, why wouldn’t we?!

I am not saying if I have a wife who wants a career when I am older I would stop her. I am also not saying women should stay at home to look after children/do housework etc…All I am saying is that my ideal, perhaps over-traditional, view of the family is what I have stated above. So does this make me sexist and chauvinistic? What are your thoughts?

It is important to remember that in families where both parents work, the women still do more housework - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-206381/Working-women-housework.html

http://www.ippr.org/press-releases/111/8831/eight-out-of-ten-married-women-do-more-housework-than-their-husbands

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1424339.stm

http://www.divinecaroline.com/22360/48356-fair-do-housework-men

Comment below or tweet me your thoughts @pablakeman

*To clarify, my future wife’s preferences are way above this article. I will care more about her than about my ideology, and if she wants a career she will have a career! I will support her, not because she needs supporting, but in my role as a husband I would expect the same support from her

** I don’t disagree with feminism. I support it. If anything this is an article about bringing up a child more than feminism.