The Government of Australia

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/generationemigration/2011/11/24/destination-in-focus-australia/

Australia is a constitutional monarchy, where Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch. The country has a female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, born on the 29th of September 1961. She is the head of the Australian Labor Party, for which she is the first female leader. She was born in Wales, but since it is a part of the UK, she is still qualified to be Prime Minister of Australia. Gillard is Australia's 27th Prime Minister.

In Australia there is separation of powers, and the government is separated into three branches;

• The legislative branch: Like it is in the US, the legislative branch is divided between the Senate and the House of Representatives, but in Australia, Queen Elizabeth II is represented as well. Their job is to write and propose laws.
• The executive branch: The heads of state are Queen Elizabeth II and the Governor-General of Australia(appointed at the advice of the Prime Minister). Even though they are not heads of state, the Prime Minister and the Ministers of State have a great deal of influence and control. The job of the executive branch is to do tasks assigned to them by the legislative branch, like to carry out laws.



http://www.focusnet.com.au/government

• The judicial branch: The High Court of Australia is the same as the Supreme Court in the US. The judges are appointed by the Governor-General. Their job is to Uphold the constitution of Australia.

The Australian government is more similar to the US government, than the government of the UK. This might seem weird, but the reason why the UK and the Australian governments are so different is because of their dissimilar traditions.

Scources:

• Australian government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, last updated 2008"Australia´s System of Government". www.dfat.gov.au. http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/sys_gov.html.
• Thuesen, Nils Petter "Australia". www.snl.no. http://snl.no/Australia.
• Wikipedia. "Australia". www.wikipedia.com. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia.
• Wikipedia "Government of Australia". www.wikipedia.com. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Australia

What I Think of America

http://www.conservapedia.com/America_(continent)

When I hear the word America, the first thing that I think about is the United States of America.

The continent of America consists of South America and North America. There are 12 sovereign states in South America, for instance Brazil, Argentina and Peru. North America consists of  23 independent states, among them Canada, Mexico, Panama and the United States of America. America is a very diverse continent, with many different cultures and societies. It ranges from big cities like New York and Los Angeles, to ancient villages like Machu Picchu. This makes America a very interesting continent.

Nevertheless, I want to focus on the USA. Many people believe that America and the US are the same thing, which is a common mistake. One of the reasons why so many people do not know the difference between the US and America might be because the US is positioning itself as the leader in America. The US is very involved in most international matters, and is at times acting like a "world police". It is a very important country when it comes to things such as economy, entertainment and and global affairs. It is, in a way, overshadowing the rest of America. Young people all around the world is probably the ones most affected by American cultures. Kids today listen to music, watch movies and TV series, most of which is being made in the US. 

I think that the fact that many people automatically think of the US when America is mentioned, shows that the knowledge of the US is universal. This is very much associated with the perception that the US is the best country in the world, but actually there is no evidence to support such a claim. 

http://www.rgv250.co.uk/index.html/_/articles/importing-an-rgv-to-the-usa-r26

"[T]here is absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we're the greatest country in the world. We're seventh in literacy, twenty-seventh in math, twenty-second in science, forty-ninth in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, third in median household income, number four in labor force, and number four in exports. We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next twenty-six countries combined, twenty-five of whom are allies."(Sorkin: 2012)

In reality, the US is not the greatest country in the world. However, many teenagers and children sees it as the best country in the world because of the image you get of the USA. Many young people believe that in the US everything is perfect, "[D]reams come true and pigeon poop tastes like Tapioca." (Malins: 2008). I believe that the US, even though it is not the best country today, has the potential to restore it's greatness to what it was in it's glory days. 


"We sure used to be [the greatest country in the world]. We stood up for what was right! We fought for moral reasons, we passed and struck down laws for moral reasons. We waged wars on poverty, not poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were, and we never beat our chest. We built great big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases, and cultivated the world's greatest artists and the world's greatest economy. We reached for the stars, and we acted like men. We aspired to intelligence; we didn't belittle it; it didn't make us feel inferior. We didn't identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election, and we didn't scare so easy. And we were able to be all these things and do all these things because we were informed. By great men, men who were revered. The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one—America is not the greatest country in the world anymore."(Sorkin: 2012)

I think that this quote really shows how the US has changed, and why it is no longer the greatest country in the world. 

http://www.upworthy.com/maps-what-your-state-is-good-at-and-what-its-lame-at?c=bl3

In conclusion I believe that America, and particularly the US, is a very interesting place. The US has a great potential to become an ideal society. It is said that in the US everybody can make it if they try. They still have a long way to go, and many problems to solve. However, if they fix the kinks in their system, the US society can thrive and once again become the envy of every civilization.    

Sources:

• Malins, Greg, 2008. "Bite the Big Apple--The Big Apple Bites".  http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/. http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/how-i-met-your-mother/i-heart-nj.php?page=7 (accessed 07.05.13)
• Sorkin, Aaron, 2012. "How to Write an Aaron Sorkin Script, by Aaron Sorkin" www.gq.com http://www.gq.com/entertainment/tv/blogs/the-stream/2012/06/how-to-write-a-monologue-like-aaron-sorkin.html (accessed 29.04.13)
• Wikipedia, last modified 2013. "South America". www.wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_America (accessed 07.05.13)

Scotland

Scotland is a country to the north of England, and is part of the United Kingdom. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, however the largest city in Scotland is Glasgow. There is a total of 5,295,000 inhabitants in Scotland, 495,360 of whom live in Edinburgh. Scottish English is the official language of Scotland, however in addition they have two other recognized languages, Scottish Gaelic and Scots. Scotland has a tempered and oceanic climate that tends to be very changeable. The winters are very mild, but Scotland tends to have cooler, wetter summers.

The Scottish school system has always remained distinct from the rest of Great Britain. They focus on broad, liberal education without adherence to a particular ideology or religious view. In Scotland they offer curricular framework for age 3 to 18, a nursery place for children age 3 and 4, and education from age 5.

The head of state in Scotland is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. Scotland has a partial self-government within the UK as well as representation in the UK parliament. The executive and legislative powers in Scotland have been delegated to the Scottish Government and the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh. There are 129 members of the Scottish parliament, they are elected every 4 years.

The majority of the Scottish economy comes from natural resources like oil from the North Sea. Scotland has a large abundance of natural resources from fertile land, suitable for agriculture, to oil and gas. In terms of mineral resources, Scotland produces coal, zinc, iron, oil shale. Other major industries include banking and financial services, construction, education, entertainment, biotechnology, transport equipment, whiskey, and tourism.


Furthermore, Scotland is supposedly home to the cryptid Loch Ness monster.(A cryptid creature is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is not yet recognized by scientific consensus.) The Loch Ness monster is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. The scientific community regards the Loch Ness Monster as a modern-day myth, and explains sightings as a mix of hoaxes and wishful thinking. The very first recorded appearance of the elusive Loch Ness Monster occurred in 565 AD, when a " water beast " attacked one of St. Columba's followers in the loch.


Personally i have never been to Scotland, but my father has. Along with his colleagues they visited a castle there. When they arrived they were welcomed by people in kilts playing bagpipes. Even though I have not been to Scotland I have been to another place in Great Britain, I have been to London, England.

Scottish fun facts:

1. 7 out of every 10 Scots have blue eyes. 
2. There are 787 Scottish Islands, 130 of which are inhabited.
3. Arthur Conan Doyle, writer and creator of Sherlock Holmes, was Scottish.
4. Golf has been played in St. Andrews, Scotland since the 15th Century. 
5. The shortest scheduled flight in the world is one and a half miles long from Westray to Papa Westray in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. The journey takes 1 minute 14 seconds to complete. 
6. The first official international football match was played at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Partick in 1872. It was between Scotland and England. 
7. Edinburgh was the first city in the world which had its own fire brigade.
8. In the north east of the country, girls are called “quines” and boys “louns”.
9. It is home to the oldest tree in Europe which is 3,000 years.
10. Famous Scottish inventions include the television, developed by John Logie Baird in 1925, the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 and penicillin, by Alexander Fleming in 1928.

Sources:

• http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/Scotland?from=Main.BonnieScotland
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness_Monster
• http://www.loch-ness-monster-nessieland.com/loch-ness-monster-facts.shtml
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hoaxed_photo_of_the_Loch_Ness_monster.jpg
• http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptid
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/scottish-politics/9007300/Scottish-referendum-50-fascinating-facts-you-should-know-about-Scotland.html

Film analysis - Precious

Film facts:

The movie is named after the main character "Precious". It was made in the year of 2009 in the United States of America. The director of the movie is named Lee Daniels, and some of the actors in the movie are Gabourey Sidibe as Precious, Mo'Nique as Precious' mother and Paula Patton as Ms. Rain. The movie is based on the book "Push" by the American author Sapphire.

Genre:

I think that the movie falls under the genre of drama. There are a lot of dramatic scenes in the movie, fighting, rape, dramatic conversations and much more.   
One example is when Precious' mother Mary gets upset when her daughter comes home with another baby, whom she got with her father, and drop him on the floor. She is upset because she is jealous of Precious, and the fact that Precious' father loved Precious more than he loved her. Precious and her mother starts to fight, and as a result of this Precious moves out.

Setting:

The movie is set in Harlem, New York City in 1987. Harlem is a very poor area with a very troubled environment, and there are many kids with drug and various problems. In Harlem there is a majority of black people, and in the movie you notice it when she walks on the streets and attend the public school.

Plot and structure:

It's Harlem 1987. Sixteen year old Claireece Jones, who goes by her middle name Precious, is an illiterate, overweight black girl. She is pregnant with her second child, both children fathered by her biological father, who has continually raped her since she was a child, but who she doesn't see otherwise. Her infant daughter, Mongo - such named since she has Down Syndrome - lives with Precious' grandmother. Precious lives with her mother Mary, who abuses Precious both physically and emotionally. Mary does nothing but smoke, watch television and collect welfare through fraud (as she doesn't ever look for a job) and believes that education does nothing for Precious, who she would rather also collect welfare if only to bring money into the household. To escape her life, Precious often daydreams of herself in glamorous situations. Because of her current pregnancy, Precious' principal transfers her into an alternative school. In dealing with the school's sympathetic teacher Miss Blu Rain, Precious begins to believe that she can have a future by learning how to read and write. Despite some devastating news from her mother following the birth of her child, Precious also begins to believe she can escape the grips of her abusive mother, who, up to this point, was Precious' only real support. 
The movie is in chronological order but there are continuous flashbacks.


Sources:

http://ndla.no/en/node/10649
http://ndla.no/en/node/99995
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0929632/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0929632/plotsummary

The northeast

The northeast of the US consists of several states, New Hampshire, Vermont, Main, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut  New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland (Washington D.C.) and Rhode Island. There are several big cities in the northeast, Boston in Massachusetts  Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and New York City in New York. Because of its northerly position, the climate in this area varies a lot. The summers are warm and humid, while the winters are snowy and bitterly cold.


When the first people came to north america they came to the northeast. Some states in this area was a few of the 13 original colonies, it was the first industrialized area as well. There are two different parts of the northeast, New England and the Mid-Atlantic. There are several dissimilarities between the two areas, and one of them is racial equality. In the New England area the different races are equal, while in, for instance New York, there are often huge differences.

The northeast is known for their brilliance in sports. Teams such as the New England Patriots (football) have won several national championships. The Boston Celtics (basketball), Boston Bruins (ice hockey) and The Boston Red Sox (baseball) are also good teams in their league.

The population in the northeast of the US is very diverse. There are huge immigrant groups of among others Jews, Irish and Italians. The most prominent religion in the northeast is protestants, but there are also a lot of people that are Roman Catholics, largely because of the Irish and Italian immigration. In this region the stereotypical american is defined as diligent, innovative and imaginative. Even though a "Yankee" is a typical american, the term is most often used about Americans from the northeast, hence the New York Yankees (baseball).

The northeast is the most densely populated area in the US and the most affluent. The area is the cultural "Mecca" of the United States with its art galleries, theaters and prominent universities. Harvard, Yale and Princeton are some of the prestigious universities, all with their own sports teams. This has caused many to believe that the northeastern are, particularly the New England area, is purely well educated business people, while, in reality, there are many "ordinary" Americans there.






Sources:
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Northeastern_United_States
http://ndla.no/en/node/4465?fag=42&meny=2041
http://dictionary.cambridge.org
http://englishrepublic.ru/Topics/AmericanRegions.pdf

US political parties

 



   In the United States of America there are two major political parties, the Democratic party and the Republican party. The US political parties are extreamly divided on almost all of the central issues in the US. Both parties have a color and a symbol of an animal to help us recognize them. The Democratic party is recognized by their symbol, the donkey, and their color, blue. The Republican party's symbol is an elephant, and their color is red. 
   In every presidential election a republican and a democrat is nominated at their party's convention, these two will compete for the presidency. There have been 16 democratic and 17 republican presidents.