New Project

OK, so now I’m well into the planning stages of my next book: ‘$ex’ which is all about the sex industry covering all sorts of ground from the cases for and against the sex industry and the societal effects from discussing STD’s to working conditions to the morality of its existence. So far I’ve got my nose stuck into a book about the unionisation of strip clubs; interesting reading.

“Lawyers warn over lads mag’s sales”: why I think this is a bit daft.

Relating to the news article @

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/lawyers-warn-over-lads-mag-sales-082158770.html?bcmt_s=m#LOZihsS

There are 2 ways of seeing this: in the case of the employee they chose to apply for a job there and if such a thing is objectionable to them then they shouldn’t have: I'm a vegetarian - I therefore have to accept that if I choose to apply for a job in a supermarket I'm going to have to handle stuff from the deli counter whenever I'm asked to work on tills - I couldn't ask them to close the deli counter because I would find it objectionable. In this case I would have 2 choices, put up with it or find a new job: Such is exactly the policy I enforced on myself when I was working in a pub - I didn't refuse to carry steak to the customers because I found it objectionable, I accepted it was a part of the job – because I had been a regular there for a while the manager knew I was a vegetarian and made sure I could accept this before giving me an application form.
On the other hand I supported the smoking ban because I found it made the environment unpleasant, so a part of me wonders if not supporting this move is a touch hypocritical because it people asking for the environment they are in to be made more pleasant to them. It seems perfectly fair therefore to ask that 'lads mags' to be wrapped in the shop shelves with only the title of the cover showing.

The other issue regards to this is that of the sex industry: The sex industry will always exist; the more it is criminalised the more people will turn to the black market. All this action does is put sex workers in more danger than they are already in. Asking for the fronts of the magazines to be covered is one thing, but banning them from 'mainstream' stores just pushes the problem underground. It’s the same principle as drug over-regulation - except that now we have a government which is considering relaxing drug regulation criminal gangs will need a new source of income. My guess is they will start people trafficking if we over-regulate the sex industry. At least if the sex industry is allowed to be out in the open then it can be observed and its members protected. So although I respect the oppinions of the abolishonists who are against the existence of the sex industry because they see it as exploitative, the only effect that their actions will have will be to create a whole new problem for sex workers in that their actions are illegal and that as sex workers will find it harder to claim the protection of the law they will be more open to exploitation.

The Woolwich Murder

OK I’m gunna be blunt: Yesterday in Woolwich a disgusting crime was committed against a British soldier. However it is also disgusting that the EDL responded with the protests and attacks they then carried out. I’ve had Muslim friends in my life and they were very nice, law abiding, people. I can state therefore that as a British citizen I do not in any way consider their peaceful religion in any way to blame for the action which occurred in Woolwich. If any EDL members end up reading this blog I have just 1 thing to say: I consider your actions to be terrorist actions themselves and they are not being done on my behalf.

Writing

Well I’m getting there: I’m half way through the collection of erotic short stories I’m writing, and I’ve done the first chapter of my novel – supernatural horror, naturally. The writers & artists who swore absinthe helped them write and paint were spot on: I have a glass when I'm writing sometimes it does wonders for my creativity. What I don't get is why during the day I don’t get much done but late at night I can’t stop writing, for the last few days I've been up until the early hours pen in hand.