Amsterdam
Had a long weekend in Amsterdam last week. I spend the first day absolutely stunned at the coffee shops and red light district - it seemed so alien. I spent most of my time there wandering around the Centrum district, and was taken with how each area had its own character. The buildings are fantastic - not only the architecture, but also the wonkiness 
After the novelty wore off, I was left with the feeling that if British culture just calmed down a bit, we opened a few coffee shops and legalised prostitution we would spend more time addressing the more fundamental problems in our culture instead of chasing people who are doing very little wrong.
Some may disagree, citing evidence that prostitution and soft drugs are the end of civilisation. On another note, I read a short article on how lap dancing is morally wrong, and wrecks marriages. The author described herself as “intelligent, unique” and some other bullshit. My issue with said article lies with its logic. Something along the lines of - “I spoke to a lapdancer, and apparently some married man asked for her number! Shocker!”. She argued that if lapdancing clubs did not exist, the man would not have asked for her number, so they should be banned. This is fundamentalism at its finest. I bet she is a Christian. Just because she doesn’t like lapdancing clubs, and one stripper told her a story that backed up her insecurity, all lapdancing clubs should be banned. Then that unfaithful man wouldn’t have been able to find a pretty girl to have an affair with. Ludicrous, ill conceived argumentation based on opinion. It pisses me off that newspapers and TV are full of this shit, and people lap it up.
A well founded argument requires solid premises and a logical conclusion. Disliking something is no reason to ban something. Everyone has a right to an opinion, nobody has a right to push that on someone else. Anyone who comes near me with a bullshit argument with no basis gets both barrels, idiots.
March 17th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Agree with you on everything you just said mate
Bit of low grade drugs to chill out, and legalised prostitution would leave the government time to deal with important stuff
The argument of “if the lap dancing club wasnt there the married bloke wouldnt have gone behind his wifes back” is sooo retarded
Its not curing the base problem, just removing the solution
Man frustrated with wife that has either let herself go or doesnt put out since having kids. Still loves wife and family but needs once a month or whatever to have a lap dance to relieve frustration
Lap dance club goes away, so man just starts spending time in singles bars chatting up hot women.
Which “morally” is more acceptable? Watching some girl dance on your lap for an hour isnt far from sitting at home with a porno LOL!
The way that the people in the UK make little things into end of the world scenarios constantly cracks me up.
I read an article the other day about talking on your mobile while driving - that said it was “just as dangerous as drink driving”
Apparently if I hold the wheel with one hand on the motorway - I might aswell down a litre of vodka beforehand as its all the same! LOL
March 20th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Lol, do “hot girls” go to singles bars? My understanding is that they are full of middle aged men and fat girls. So my mate Dave says anyway
Yeah the whole being on the phone while driving argument is a bit fucked as well - it does of course depend on context. A HGV driver trying to weave in and out of traffic while on the phone or some stupid bastard not paying attention is not the same thing as like you say, being on the phone for two minutes while on a motorway. What’s the difference between holding a handset and being on handsfree anyway? Anyone who can’t drive one handed probably shouldn’t have a license anyway!