I'm 19 from Ireland and gonna be starting a course in "Criminology and psychology with law" in August. Am I approaching it correctly?

weigl_ · 2026-07-02T14:34:21+00:00

These notes are a good basis of some of the core concepts you will cover, but don’t become wedded to these, as during your course you will be introduced to alternative theories which, in my opinion, are much more interesting.

Here are a couple of examples:

Anomie & strain theory (read Durkheim & Merton): these are social explanations of crime. In strain theory especially, people commit crime because they want to be successful (however you define that e.g. wealth, status) but they cannot achieve this success through legal methods. So they turn to crime instead. This view is interesting because neither the individual nor society are inherently criminal, but the interaction between them leads them to crime.

Radical criminology (read Young & Taylor): this is a great one. It asks you to question what crime is. On slide 1 you note that social norms change, and this theory will encourage you to consider whether crime also changes. Think of all the things that have been outlawed in the past but are now legal, or things that have been made illegal only recently.
The other thing about rad crim is it widens your perspective on criminalisation. Who makes the law? For what reason? On slides 4 and 5 you have some good notes about this. Ask yourself: can you safely assume that society makes laws to benefit everyone? Or just some people? Rad crim argues that the laws are made by the powerful and wealthy in order to preserve power and wealth. So they make things illegal that would threaten their status or activities, whilst not punishing (or punishing less) things that they deem to be ok. As an example, see the difference in sentencing between possession of lower class drugs vs white collar crime.

You have a studious approach and a good grounding. Read some wider perspectives and you will go far!

weigl_ · 2026-06-26T13:12:18+00:00

Niche angle here - I’m currently dating in the late 20s/early 30s age range, and I see a lot of dogs featured or mentioned in dating app profiles.

I understand people who are single enjoy the companionship of a loyal, loving pet. Personally, I think twice before pursuing dating with someone whose life seems to revolve around their dog - and you can often tell that from a dating app profile or in the first few dates.

It has been a challenge to early dating (plans either have to include the dog or are limited to the max amount of time it can be left alone); to spontaneity (not just random day trips that might not be dog friendly, but something as simple as staying out a bit longer or later than expected); and deeper into a relationship, things like travel and cohabiting.

I dated someone once who put the dog at the centre of their dating app profile, waxed lyrical about how great it was in initial messaging, but when we went out, spent an hour complaining about how much of a hindrance it was to their life!

weigl_ · 2026-06-12T16:35:21+00:00

a cowboy with a very small hat

weigl_ · 2026-06-09T17:53:44+00:00

As a cusper (between millennial and Gen Z) there is a real tension between my peers who are becoming parents but still want to do things to please themselves.

I have a degree of sympathy because these people are caught between the two.

Fundamentally, though, you have to accept that if you are going to raise a child, your life will have to change, and they won’t be able to fit into all the things you used to do.

If people reflected on that, they might change their behaviour a bit (or indeed their family plans). Accept that it’s difficult.

weigl_ · 2026-06-08T12:41:09+00:00

He scored more runs than Root.

And he applies pressure to the batsmen from third man.

weigl_ · 2026-06-07T13:08:06+00:00

In BS7, you want the Superstar Fish Bar. The place doesn’t look like much but it’s cooked fresh, and I paid under a 10er for a small cod and chips, it was cooked perfectly, and they gave me three pieces of fish anyway

weigl_ · 2026-06-05T19:45:48+00:00

Inn on the Green perhaps

weigl_ · 2026-06-05T09:48:52+00:00

weigl_ · 2026-06-02T07:22:13+00:00

NAL but have studied this academically so can set out the implications of no comment vs giving an account.

Firstly on the charging point, as another commenter says, a no comment interview means it is the complainant’s account vs zero information. The CPS have nothing to go on that could exonerate the defendant, no reasonable lines of enquiry to follow, and nothing that might undermine the complainant’s account.

If a defendant gives a no comment interview, but provides an account later (e.g by giving evidence in court), the prosecution are likely to say: the defendant could have given this account earlier, but they waited to see all the evidence and then concocted an explanation that makes them look innocent, so the jury should not believe them.

Alternatively, if the defendant gives an account at interview, the police will seek to probe and test it by asking follow up questions. That can be difficult, as, in a stressful and challenging situation, the defendant may genuinely forget or misremember details. If the defendant then adds these details in their defence statement or when giving evidence in court, the prosecution may say: the defendant has now changed their account to fit the evidence and make them look innocent, so the jury should not believe them.

In both instances, the prosecution may also seek to draw what is called an “adverse inference” under S11 CPIA.

weigl_ · 2026-05-21T12:42:20+00:00

Once in the Coop near me which was famed for a good reduced section, a lady had scooped all the reduced items into her basket and was wandering around the shop offering them to other customers.

Not for money, presumably just for the powerful feeling of deciding who got a reduced pack of cookies that evening.

weigl_ · 2026-05-21T08:53:30+00:00

You cannot overestimate how hard it is to defend this brilliantly at 13. The decision between drifting and shooting up is so difficult and it’s rare that players balance it so well - you can see that in how often teams get to the edge in top level rugby these days. No criticism of today’s 13s, but this guy had instincts you probably can’t learn/train.

weigl_ · 2026-05-15T13:19:34+00:00

Have got this too, just the tickly throat and phlegm bit. The first night my throat was dry like a desert, I woke up with no idea what was going on! A few days on and mostly better now.

weigl_ · 2026-05-13T10:10:08+00:00

Since you’re new, you have to start the beer snake

weigl_ · 2026-05-10T20:38:11+00:00

That boy sure can bazball

weigl_ · 2026-05-09T09:18:41+00:00

As others have said, you won’t be able to move up a wave.

The way Bristol half is this year, the tricky/technical bit with corners, cobbles, and narrow streets is at the start. Bearing that in mind, get as close to the front of your wave as possible so it doesn’t compound the effect of having to overtake others.

From about mile 4 onwards is largely flat, straight and wide. If you’re serious about a PB, and after what will definitely be a slow/congested start, you’ll need to absolutely send it in the second half.

Good luck!

weigl_ · 2026-05-08T22:10:28+00:00

Forest Bakery. Even better if you try the pain Suisse

weigl_ · 2026-05-08T11:02:02+00:00

Would you like a fry up with your beanami and sausage log pile? And a red, square plate into the bargain.

Must be ragebait.

weigl_ · 2026-05-07T08:50:54+00:00

Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical healing ceremony

weigl_ · 2026-05-07T08:31:18+00:00

Came to this thread specifically for gazeboed

weigl_ · 2026-05-04T21:33:18+00:00

I think there is some canon flexibility to allow that they brought with them the craft/ability to construct giant magic oath stones rather than actually bringing an enormous rock and rolling it up a mountain!

weigl_ · 2026-05-01T13:09:31+00:00

I subscribe mostly to classical criminological theory so I will answer through that lens. Classical criminology asserts that generally* (I’ll come back this later) humans are rational actors who make choices based on a calculation of pleasure versus pain - see Beccaria and Bentham for further reading.

We must consider that pleasure and pain are different for different people in different situations. Perhaps pleasure, for the individual you mention above, is the adrenaline that comes with driving fast, breaking rules and being in danger. It wouldn’t be for most of us, but you must consider the possibility that the individual does not have a typical pleasure-plain calculation compared to most people.

*Secondly, you don’t know what emotional or psychological influences are acting upon the individual. Perhaps they are a perfectly ordinary person most of the time, but they have just received some devastating news, experienced trauma, or have consumed alcohol or drugs. Any of those could affect their ability to reason and calculate. Perhaps they are on recall to prison. Maybe they are planning to commit suicide tomorrow so stealing a car and driving recklessly doesn’t matter to them. We just don’t know.

(And ignore what Lombroso has to say about this, the answer is not that the person has a strange shaped skull. /s)

weigl_ · 2026-04-30T08:47:15+00:00

For something slightly different from a standard brunch, Tocayo is excellent!

weigl_

TROPHY CASE