Attitudes towards the USA

Throughout the last couple of years, the attitudes towards the US have changed; it is not as positive as it used to be. There are several reasons for this. For instance, the attitudes towards the US in the Muslim world remain negative. However, some have different opinions and support the democracy.

Additionally, the view on the US pretty much got destroyed after Bush became president.  He started the war in Afghanistan because he wanted to achieve peace, but instead he made everything worse and the countries that were involved almost got entirely destroyed. After this most people changed their opinion about the US and today I believe many people have negative opinions about the US.

The picture symbolizes how the US is today. We see two children, one holding a kinder chocolate egg and the other one is holding a weapon. The picture says: “One child is holding something that’s been banned in America to protect them. Guess which one.”

Today, the kinder chocolate is banned because of the toys inside. They are afraid that the children could become choked by the toys because many children usually put toys in their mouths. The gun on the other hand is not illegal, and causes more than 12,000 deaths a year in the US. Everyone can get a hold of a license as well as a gun. Normal citizens keep military weapons on their property, and children aren’t allowed to eat kinder chocolate? This tells us a lot about the American attitude when it comes to weapons. Even though a weapon is far more dangerous than a toy, the toy gets banned and not the weapon.

Personally my opinions about the US are both positive and negative. I believe that the citizens are accommodating and outgoing unlike people in many other countries. I find Americans nicer and more welcoming than Norwegians actually, and I think that this is something we can learn for the Americans.  On the other hand, the difference between rich and poor are huge, and I do not like for example the medical system they have. This is something I believe should change as soon as possible not only because it will make the US emerge as a better country, but also to improve the citizens’ living conditions. 

Sources: 

Pewglobal.org, "Global opinions of Obama slips, International policies slips" http://www.pewglobal.org/2012/06/13/chapter-2-attitudes-toward-american-culture-and-ideas/ (downloaded: 13.05.13)

Pewglobal.org, "U.S. image up slightly, but still negative"

http://www.pewglobal.org/2005/06/23/us-image-up-slightly-but-still-negative/ (downloaded: 13.05.13)

England

England is the biggest country in the United Kingdom. The capitol city of England is London, which furthermore also is the capitol of the United Kingdom. London is the largest city in England and the population is approximately 53 million (2011).  
(wikepedia.org)

The main language is English, British English. The flag as we se on the picture above is represented by a red cross set on a white background. This cross is called the St. Geroge's Cross, and has represented England since the Middle Ages and the Crusades. 
(england.org)

Climate

England is warmer and sunnier than any of the other countries of the UK. There is most sunshine in the month of July, which is also the driest month. The cloudiest parts of England are in the northern and western areas, as well as the areas that consist of mountains.
(england.org)

Education system and school culture

In England children start primary school at the age of 5, and continue until they are 11. After primary school they continue to secondary school, which they attend to for 5 years. When they are graduated the education is optional since the education is no longer compulsory.

(Ndla.no)






Political system/government

  England is a part of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and North Ireland). The political system is constitutional monarchy with an executive, legislative and judiciary power.

The Executive power consists of the government, also known as “Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom”. The head of the government is the prime minister, David Cameron.

The UK parliament is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom. It consists of the House of Lords as well as the House of Commons. Those who sit in the House of Lords are, they are not chosen, they are appointed or hereditary. Those who sit in the House of Commons are however elected.

The judiciary power is UK’s highest court. UK does not have a common political system due that is consists of independent countries. Today the United Kingdom has three distinct systems of laws: English Law, Northern Ireland Law and Scottish Law. 
(Wikipedia.org)

 Important trade/industry

Some of England’s most common exported commodities are:

•        Manufactured goods
•        Fuel
•        Food
•        Tobacco

The US, France, Germany and Spain are some of England’s major export partners.

The most common imported products are:

•          Foodstuff
•          Machinery
•         Manufactured goods
•          Fuel

England major import partners are Norway, The US, China, France and Germany.

Today the major industries in England are banking and finance. Besides this iron and steel production, tourism etc. are also big industries. 

(economywatch.com)

Fun facts

·  The English gulp down more tea than anyone else on Earth. Even though Americans enjoy their tea also, the English use about 20 times more.

·  Newtown is the most popular name for a British town. Over 150 towns are named Newtown.

·  In England, in pubs or bars, you can have drinks but you are not allowed to get drunk    

(venere.com)

Personal experience

Last spring I was in London for a weekend. I visited famous places and buildings such as Big Ben, London Eye and Oxford Street. London is a city with so many sites to explore, and I really loved the city. The Englishmen were so polite, and the weather was much better than it was at home.

I want to visit other parts of England in the future, especially Oxford and Brighton. I want to visit Oxford because of the universities and Brighton because I want to experience England’s coastline.

Pictures to illustrate the country/region

London by night

London Eye

Big Ben

Oxford University 

Cotswold and the Cotswold Hills

Sources:

http://www.england.org.za/englands-climate.php#.UPZxxR0sDZF (downloaded: 16.01.13) England.org, "England's Climate"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England (downloaded: 16.01.13) Wikipedia.org, "England"

http://www.england.org.za/englands-flag.php#.UPZ9ax0sDZE (downloaded: 16.01.13) England.org, "England's Flag"

http://ndla.no/en/node/6019 (downloaded: 16.01.13) Ndla.no, Hagen, Anne Scott, "UK-Education"

http://www.venere.com/blog/uk-fun-facts/ (downloaded: 16.01.13) Venere.com, Grace A, "19 Fun Facts about the UK"

http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/england/export-import.html (downloaded: 20.01.13) economywatch.com, "England Trade, England Exports, England Imports" 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_Kingdom (downloaded: 20.01.13) Wikepedia.org, "Politics of the United Kingdom"
http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storbritannias_politiske_system (downloaded: 20.01.13) Wikepedia.org, "Storbritannias politiske system" 

Pictures:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/08/london_from_above_at_night.html (downloaded: 16.01.13)

http://www.bugbog.com/gallery/england_pictures/cotswolds-england.html (downloaded: 16.01.13)

http://www.jobsbump.com/2011/06/senior-commissioning-editor-jobs-oxford-university-press-uk/  (downloaded: 16.01.13) 

http://www.cntraveller.com/guides/europe/england/the-cotswolds/where-to-stay (downloaded: 16.01.13)

Film Analysis: 8 Mile

The title of this movie is 8 mile. The movie was produced and directed by Curtis Hanson. It was made in the United States of America.

List of important actors in the movie:  

×          Eminem as Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith

×          Brittany Murphy as Alex Latorno

×          Kim Basinger as Stephanie

×          Evan Jones as “Cheddar Bob”

×          Anthony Mackie as “Papa Doc”

×          Chloe Greenfield as Lily

×          Mekhi Thira Phifer as David “Future” Porter

×          King Gordy as Big “O”

(http://www.wikipedia.org/ )

Genre:

Drama, self-biography and music.

Setting:

The movie is produced in the US and the action takes place in the poor part of Detroit, Michigan. The poor part is recognized by how the people live and act. For instance Rabbit live with his mother in a truck, and they have problems paying the rent. The way people act is characterized in a lot of fighting and conflicts as well as it is normal to carry a gun.  Most of the time the action takes place in the trailer park where Jimmy lives, at his work on a stamp fabric and the “rap club” the Shelter.

(http:// starpulse.com)

Plot

The movie is about a young man named Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith. In the opening scene Rabbit chokes in a rap battle, which is predominantly the basis of the movie. People in the town jokes around about the incident and Rabbits friend Future signs Rabbit up for a new battle.

Later he meets Alex who turns out to be an important person in his life. He realizes that he has to take control of his life and decides to enter the rap battle even though he refused to do so at first.

During the movie Jimmy and his friends meets several conflicts and in the end Rabbit battles at the Shelter. He wins this battle and walks away with new hope of a music carrier.

Structure

The story takes place in the present and is chronologically structured.  As far as I remember there are no flashbacks in the movie. The narrator is third person, but the story is told thru Rabbits eyes, the main character. We do not get to know what he is thinking at any point during the movie unless he talks about it to another person.

In one way I would also say that there is a parallel action. This is because there is a story about a struggling rapper, but also about a young man who tries to take care of his family.

When Jimmy loses the battle and Future signed him up for another one, it all adds up to a new battle later. This is an example of a foreshadow in the movie. The suspense in the movie is about if he will receive a record deal or not, will he enter a second rap battle and if he do, will he choke or will he rap.

Theme

The theme of this movie is mainly the American dream. However there are a couple of other themes as well such as poverty and independence.

The theme could be independence because in the movie, Jimmy does not want to be dependent to other. He shows us that it is possible to achieve success without too much help from other human beings.  Achieving success is also a big part of finding the American Dream. Jimmy symbolizes the American Dream because he managed to go from a life in poverty to a life in wealth.  The last theme I think it might be is poverty. This is because you see poverty thru the whole movie, and it basically symbolizes the movie.

Conflict:

I find it hard to find a conflict in this movie and I do not think that there is a main conflict.  I think that perhaps Rabbit has a lot of smaller conflicts and issues about himself. These conflicts include how he does not want to disappoint anyone, but still wants to do what’s best for him. He has to solve these conflicts internal. In addition to this I also think that Rabbit is affected by the environment that surrounds him.  

Characterization

I do not think that the characters are just static people who do not change during the movie. More the other way around. For instance, in the end everyone understands that Rabbit has to do what’s best for himself and that he have to develop his freestyle rap skill in his own way, and they actually respects it.

This is a very serious movie and I believe that both the characters and the action are believable.

Narrator and point of view:

The story is told thru Rabbits point of view, although we do not get to hear his thoughts and feelings. I think that the narrator perhaps is a third person limited narrator.

Imagery:

One of the instruments in the movie is poverty. The colors are mostly dark and cold, such as grey, brown, dark blue and so on.

Sources:

Starpulse «8 Mile Summary»  http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/8_Mile/Summary/  (04.12.12)

Wikipedia (2012) “8 Mile”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8_Mile_(film)#Cast (04.12.12)

Homework - The American Dream

The American dream is all about living your dream, to experience success and freedom. It means to have incredibly many opportunities. James Truslow’s definition of the American dream says “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth” (http://no.wikipedia.org ) 

I think this is a great concept. It makes people believe in better days and a better life.  The expression is well known, and I think many people tries to find the American Dream. I believe that it is important to have a life-goal,  and to experience the American Dream might be it. 

Sources:

Wikipedia. org http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream (15.11.12)

Picture:

http://mankel.free.fr/AmericanDream/historical_overview.html   (15.11.12)

The United States of America

Facts about the USA
1. The capital is Washtington D.C
2. The national bird is Bald Eagle, and the national flower is Rose.
3. The independence day is 4th of July, 1776
4. Barack Obama is the current president, he is a democrat.
5. The largest city is New York City
6. Consists of 50 states plus the district of Columbia.

Fun facts about the USA
1. There is no poisinous snakes in Maine.
2. Montana has 3 times more cattle than people.
3. Jimmy Carter was the first President born on a hospital.
4. The average U.S citizen drinks the equivalent of 600 sodas every year.
5. There are three towns in the United States that are named Santa Claus
6. In Missisippi Coca-cola was first bottled, 1894 in Vickburg



This is a picture of New York City by night. When someone says the United States I think of this. This picture describes USA as I see it because I've always believed that every city was much like this. I know for a fact that that's not the case, but I still picture the US like this. I associate the US with big cities like New York City and Los Angeles, with many different possibilities within such as shopping, sightseeing, jobs, houses and so on. I guess i think of high bulidings like skyscrapers as well.

Sources:
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/40-weird-facts-about-the-united-states-that-are-almost-too-crazy-to-believe
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0770175.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
http://snl.no/USA

Picture:
http://www.ebookers.com/travel-blog/top-cities/new-york-the-big-apple/