Obama's speach: illegal immigration

OBAMA'S SPEECH

Listen to this speach by Obama and answear following questions:

a) What is he going to do?
He wants a new immigration system, that is more fair. First he wants to he want to build their progress at the border with additional resources for their law enforcement personnel, so that they can stem the flow of illegal crossings, and speed the return of those who do cross over. Second, he will make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to their economy, as so many business leaders have proposed. Third, he will take steps to deal with the millions of undocumented immigrants who already live in their country.

b) How can he do this whithout Congress's blessing?
There are some actions he has the legal authority to take as President, without Congress's blessing.

c) What is an American according to Obama?
What makes you an American is the shared commitment to an ideal. That all of them is created equal, and all of them have the chance to make of their lives how they want to. Being an American is about more than what you look like, what you last names are, or what you worship.

d) What does Obama urge the House of Representatives to do?
He wants them to pass a bill. He wants to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution. And the day he sign that bill into law, the actions he takes will no longer be necessary.

e) What is your stand to the issue, do you think Congress will pass the bill soon? Give reasons for your opinion. 
I don't know if the Congress will pass the bill. The new system looks, and sounds, good, but I think it will be difficult to complete. There are many things that need to be done, and it will probably be very expensive as well. But I do hope that the Congress will pass the bill.

THE VOICES OF IMMIGRATION IN AMERICA


Summary:

The United States has always been a country of immigration. Most  of the people in the videoes said that immigration was a good thing. They need people to work with science, business and etc., so the U.S. has the best people. There is also nothing wrong with the "Dreamers". They are productive members of the society and has been in America for a long time. These people are more American than anything else, but not on paper. This is one of the things Obama wants to fix.

PRESIDENT QUOTE

I liked this quote by John F. Kenndy because he is telling us that this nation, USA, is a country of immigrants. You can see it everywhere. Even though some people are against immigration, it is important to remember that the country is a result of immigration.

Sources:
http://oystesegymnasenglish.blogspot.no/p/first-term.html (09.12.14)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration/immigration-action (09.12.14)

Task 8 Page 169

c) Find the article "Where Did All the Money Go?" on our website. Write a summary of the main points of the article.

The article was about the world economy, and how production, trade and investment has decreased the last couple of years. This has also lead to increased unemployment, which can be a big problem to the government, because this lead to less taxes. Poverthy has become a bigger problem than before, when the economy was "booming". So what happened?

A lot of people blame previous Prime Minister in the U.K., Margaret Thatcher, and previous in the U.S., Ronald Reagan. They believed in the free market, and removed a lot of expensive government programs and etc. They removed expensive programs and regulations standing in the way for private initiative. This lead to that some people became very rich. Less successful people struggled, because they no longer got the same amount of support from the government.

In the beginning of the 21st century, a whole new set of financial institutions has entered the arena. They do not make money by loaning out money. They make their profit by buying and selling stocks and etc. They use leveraging, which usually involves buying more of an asset by using borrowed funds.

Banks across the United States invested money in financial investment houses and the money market. This showed amazing profits. One reason was a new kind of known as "derivative". It is a kind of investment object that has been "bundled" with others of its kind to reduce the risk of losing money if one of them should fail.

By 2007 the price of houses in the United States began falling. The investors' profits turned to losses. A lot of financial houses were forced to loan money, to cover their losses, but no one woul lend them money. The crisis in the United States swept through the global free market, and governments pumped tax money into the global free market system.

So the real question is: how can a free market consumer economy remain stable and productive if it can't provide enough income for it's consumers to buy all the goods it produces?

Sources:
http://access-socialstudies.cappelendamm.no/binfil/download.php?did=68773 (14.11.14)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leverage_(finance) (07.01.15)
Page 169 in Access

3. Discuss page 159

b) John wants to change the world through the force of example, while Jenny wants to change it through protest. Which of these methods do you think is the most effective, and why?

I think both of them can be effective. Being an example for someone else can have a big affect. If someone looks up to you. I think it is very important to be a good example for children. Especially parents should take this task seriously. Children do what their parents do, and follow their leading. But it might be challenging to effect many people at once. If you are going to do that, I think it will be easier to change through protest. It just seems so more effective. You will get more attention, and people will notice you better. But then again, you might get the wrong type of attention. Negative attention. So it can go both ways, but I do think protest is the most effective method.

Sources: 
Page 159 in Access (14.11.14)

4. Quick research page 157

a) Has the global economic recession ended? What do the expert say?

The global financial crisis has not yet ended, and the global economic is not improving too much. Although, it is very different. Some countries have a better economy now, while other countries deal with big loans and high unemployment rates. 

b)  Answear these questions (by using this source):

1. In which region do most unemployed people live?

They live developed economies and European Union.

2. Where is the youth unemployment highest?

It's highest in North-Africa.

3. Where do most of the working poor live?

They live in South Asia. 

Sources:

Page 157 in Access (14.11.14)

http://access-internationalvg2.cappelendamm.no/binfil/download.php?did=78339 (14.11.14)

Can terrorism ever be justified?

Terrorism is the unlawful use or threat of violence, usually against a state or against public, political groups or organizations. Terrorist actions are usually very violent, and a lot of people get killed. Unfortunately, many times, terrorists attack innocent victims.

It should be difficult to defend killing innocent civilians. No matter how the circumstances are. A lot of terrorists-organizations do not think about whom they kill. They want headlines and attention, and their goal is to kill as many people as they can. It seems like the number of deaths is just a number to them, and nothing more. However, they might have a purpose though. Some might even say that the terrorists are justified in their actions. Imagine terrorists bombing the White House for example. They mean that the US is killing thousands of innocent people. And the only way to justify it is to do the same back. Take a life for a life.

But I really don’t think killing is the right way to do it. Nevertheless, I kind of understand what they mean, but I do not support it. The terrorists are seeking revenge for their losses. But I do think that they have other options than bombing. How about a good, old-fashioned talk? It might be naïve to believe that talking is the solution, because it probably isn’t. But still, I cannot imagine that killing is any better. It should be possible to solve conflicts by using other methods than attacking innocents.

People do funny things when they are desperate. And it can be hard to imagine how they can possibly do such cruel and horrible things as terrorist attacks, when you haven’t experienced desperation yourself. I come from a wealthy, small country, where most of us have everything we need. Our country is a pretty safe place, and there are not too many unfair things happening. Therefore, I find it really hard to sympathize and understand terrorists. There are some sides I get, but then again, I just cannot believe that terrorism is the solution.

This world we live in will always be unfair. Conflicts will remain unsolved. There will come new wars, and new attacks. People will live in desperation, and experience things a person should not experience. However, terrorism is not the answer to anything. It will only make it worse. So no, terrorism will not be justified.  


Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism (14.11.14)

Task page 178

2. Taking action
Look back on the list on page 175 ("Seven Ways to be Heard). Which of these methods does Malin use in her role as Amnesty activist?

Audio: A Case of Injustice

Malin used method number 7: Influence the authorities.
She was one of many Amnesty activists who sent letters to Ethiopian authorities, because they wanted to release an Ethiopean woman. She was a judge, who became unpopular with the government. She was thrown into prison for expressing her opinion.

Amnesty International work locally and globally, and contribute in different ways. They use the social media (method number 2), they make petitions (method number 5) and they also influence the authorities (method number 7).

Sources:
http://access-internationalvg2.cappelendamm.no/c952793/sammendrag/vis.html?tid=952796 (12.11.14)
Page 157 in Access (12.11.14)

What we did last Wednesday...

We started the English subject day with studying local businesses. We were seperated into groups, and we were given a local business each. Our task was to make a presentation about this business.  We found information on the Internet and made a presentation. Every group presented their findings, and we got feedbacks from our teacher.

After the presentation, we saw a film called Wolf of Wall Street. It lasted for 3 hours, so we did not have much time after that. But we ended the day with a little discussion about the film.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolf_of_Wall_Street_(2013_film) (10.11.14)

What we did last lesson...

What we did on Monday the 27th of Ocotber:

We started with reading a poem called "Global Village" by a Nigerian author called Yusufu M. Adamu. We had a discussion about what the poem was all about, and I think that the poem is about the fact that people are different, and people should take care of its culture. When we read the poem, we first read it to ourselves, then we walked around the classroom while reading the poem out loud, and then we were categorized in groups, and read a couple of stanzas each. 

We read another poem called "The Right Word" by Pakistan/British writer named Imtiaz Dharker. The poem was about terrorism, and asking who the terrorists are. That turns out to be a difficult question. Everyone in the class got one stanza each, except the readers, and made a little play. At the end of the class we discussed terrorism. 

Sources:
Page 170 and 184 in Access (29.10.14)

Acronyms

WTO

• deals with the global rules of trade between nations
• it’s main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly predictably and freely as possible
• the goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business

"99%"

• is a political slogan used by the Occupy movement (movement against social and economic inequality)
• «We are the 99%»
• the 99% are paying the price for the mistakes of a tiny minority within the upper class
• started in the US, but is now an international movement

 IMF

• international fund is an international organization that was initiated in 1933 at Bretton Wood Conference 
• was formally created in 1945 by 29 member countries

The World Bank

• a United Nations international institution that provides loand and developing countries for capital programs 
• the World Bank’s official is the reduction of poverty

United Nations

• an international organization to promote international co-operation
• created following the second world war to prevent another such conflict
• 193 member states
• the UN headquarter is situated in Manhattan, New York City
• also has main offices in Geneva, Nairobi and Vienna

Great recession

• a term used to describe the general economic decline observed in world markets around the end of the first decade of the 21st century
• the recession is often associated with the US subprime mortage crisis and financial crisis of 2007-2008

Occupy Wall Street

• started with demonstrations  in New York City the 17th of September, 2011
• the demonstrations had spread to at least 70 cities in the US
• the demonstrations spread to other countries, like Germany England and Italy
• demonstrated against social and economic inequality, greed and corruption
• used the slogan «we are the 99%»

Globalization

• the process of international intergration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and aspects of culture
• the world is getting «closer»
• we affect each other

NGOs

• a non-govermental organization is any nonprofit, voluntary citizen’s group which is organized on a local, national or international level 

 Sources:
http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/thewto_e.htm (8.10.14)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Organization (8.10.14)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_are_the_99%25 (8.10.14)
http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com (8.10.14)
http://www.imf.org/external/about.htm (8.10.14)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Monetary_Fund  (13.10.14)
http://www.worldbank.org/en/about (13.10.14)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations (13.10.14)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Recession (13.10.14)
http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Wall_Street (13.10.14)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization (13.10.14)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organization (13.10.14)

Apple Launch

In my presentation, where the task was to talk about news, I chose to talk about the apple launch that happened the 9th of September (over a month ago). We had to find the news from three different articles, and I picked three different articles from three different TV-channels from three different countries. I chose CBC (Canada), CNN (USA) and BBC (UK). 

So, Apple’s announcement is always a big happening. It usually happens a couple of times a year. They have one every fall, where they normally release a new iPhone. But other than that, Apple is usually good at keeping their cards close to their chest, so you don't really know what to expect. There are always a lot of speculations and rumours, and sometimes they are right. 

This fall they released not only one iPhone, but two new models. The new models are bigger then the previous ones. They are called iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 +. The iPhone 6 + is a couple inches bigger than the iPhone 6, and the iPhone 6 is a couple of inches bigger than the iPhone 5. A lot of people think that having a bigger phone is an advantage, and there has been complaining that the iPhone 5, and the older models, has been too small. But the size is not the only thing that is different. The new iPhones has more round edges, and different design, and it is also thinner. The graphic is supposed to be better, and the camera is supposed to be better as well. Other than that, there are not too many changes. 

The next product they launced, was a brand new one. It is called Apple Watch. There has been speculations about a product like this for years, and now, Apple has finally announced it. Apple Watch is what we call a smartwatch, with touchscreen and Apps, but you can still use it like a normal watch. It has many different like functions, and you can use it as a GPS, you can check the weather, you can check the calender, look at your schedule and etc. The watch is not on the market yet, but it will most likely come out in early 2015. 

Apple ended it all with a new service called Apple Pay. It gives you the oppertunity to pay with your iPhone, instead of using a credit card. Your iPhone has all the credit card-information it needs, and you can simply just hold your phone to a scanner in the store, and you have made your payment. Apple Pay is now only aviable in the US, but Apple are working on making it a global service. 

As mentioned earlier, I read three different articles. There were not too many differences in the articles. They all focused on the products, and had a lot of similiar information. CNN's article stood out though, because their journalist got to try one of the products, so the article included som personal opinions as well. But other than that, the articles were very similar. 

Sources:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/apple-watch-iphone-6-models-apple-pay-unveiled-1.2759617 (17.09.14)
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/10/tech/mobile/apple-watch-hands-on/index.html?iid=article_sidebar(17.09.14)
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29128083 (17.09.14)

Task 2, page 44

2. MAIN IDEAS

How would you summarize this article if a friend asked you what it was about?

The text Media in Motion is about how media and Internet has develeloped the last years. There is no doubt that the biggest development has been the rise of the Internet. In 2010 over 2 billion people were online, that is 30% of the population of the world. However, even though it has been revolutionary there are still some things that have remained the same. English is still the main language, even though majority does not live in English-speaking countries. 

Looking at the Internet users in the world, over 44% are from Asia. Therefore there are many Chinese useres out there, and the number of Chinese is the same as the number who speak English. But English is the lingua franca, and will probably continue being the most used language online. 

Sources:
http://access-internationalvg2.cappelendamm.no/c952793/sammendrag/vis.html?tid=952796 (10.09.14)

Interviews about Internet and social media

On Friday the 5th of September, we had a whole day with English. We started the day with learning more about media and social media. Before lunch we interviewed people around school and town,  and asked them the following questions:

• How often do you use Facebook? 
• Do you have Snapchat and/or Instagram?
• Do you think teenagers uses the Internet too much? 
• Do you know what an app is?
• What kind off apps do you know?
• How do you think the social media will be in 10 years?
• How much time do you use on the Internet?
• Do you have your phone with you all the time?

The people we talked to were in different ages, and it was clear that teenagers used more 
time on the internet, and social media, compared to adults and elderly people. 
The elderly people all agreed that teenagers today spend too much time on the Internet, 
even though they used the Internet themselves. Pretty much everyone had their phone 
with them all the time, but mainly for security. Just in case something happened. 
So, the conclusion has to be that teenagers spend more time on the Internet than the others. 

Tasks

1. DISCUSSION

Timeline on page 38 in Access

a) How much of this did you know from before? Did anything come as a surprise to you?

I did not know that the internet was called ARPANET when it was first created in the 1969. ARPANET stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency. I also did not know that Apple Inc. was established in 1976, and that Apple introduced the low cost Macintosh in 1984.

b)  Are there any other events, inventions, people, etc. that you think should be included in the timeline?

I would probably include social media like Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat etc. It would be interesting to learn more about when they were launched for example.

Sources: 
Page 38 in Access (04.09.14)