KONY 2012

The film Kony 2012 wants to activate all the people to join the organization “Invisible children” that fights against the criminal Kony. For about 20 years, Kony has been kidnapping children in Uganda to make soldiers out of them and he still keeps doing it.

I think this film is so successful because it deals with emotions. The people feel sorry for Jackson especially in contrast to Gavin, the son of Jason Russell, and want to help him. The topic of the film is easy to understand when Jason Russell explains it to his son. A lot of images and comparisons make it vivid. A pyramid, for example, shows the influence of a few people with money on the policy, on the media and on the people. The new age of connection through the internet makes it possible for the people to turn this system upside down. Apart from this, the insights into Russell’s real life and his engagement give everyone the feeling to have the power to change something.

Garbage Warrior

The film “Garbage Warrior” presents the work and life of Michael Reynolds.

The architect, living in New Mexico, builds creative houses out of garbage. He uses recycled tyres, glass or plastic bottles and creates buildings in extraordinary forms based on his dreams, like thumbs or seashells. The special thing about the houses is that they use solar energy and the owners can produce their food on their own without going to the store. The gardens of Michael’s houses should become an amazon jungle so that the people can sit in it with animals.

In Reynold’s opinion, architecture can take us in the right direction concerning the environment. He thinks that we have to act now and change our behaviour otherwise we manage to make the planet uninhabitable. 

Is American culture ‘American’?

p. 187/11

The argument that the effectiveness of English led to the acceptance of American culture could be true because at first for most of the people all over the world it’s easy to learn English. The structure of sentences and the grammar of English aren’t as complex and difficult as of other languages, for example German or Chinese. But this can’t be the main point for the popularity of American culture.

In my opinion, the American culture just unites all the cultures in the world and the people from different cultures can find something familiar in it. American culture isn’t also that extraordinary and special, like the Chinese one, that it could be surprising or strange for anyone, so that almost everyone likes it.

In the 20^th century, America was also a superpower and encouraged countries with financial and military measures. This made America very popular, especially in the western world, and so American culture could spread over the world.

The influence of British culture isn’t that big, comparable to the French or German one. The British culture is part of the American one because most of the Pilgrims came from Britain. I can’t think of something special about British culture because it isn’t international known. Tea drinking could be one aspect but this is common in a lot of cultures.

Judy Garland (original name: Frances Ethel Gumm)

Judy Garland was born in Minnesota in 1922 but grew up in California. Her father Grank Avant owned a cinema. She was already a little star as a child because she played in a movie and had some performances in dance shows.

In 1938, Judy made her first film Broadway Melodie, followed by a lot of other movies like The Wizard of Oz. So she became an international famous actress and singer.

She had a lot of personal problems like financial instability, five divorces, alcohol abuse and drug addiction. Judy Garland died at the age 47 because of a drug overdose, leaving children Liza Minelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft.

Organic movement split over air-freighted food

Nr. 18

For the taste both aspects, the way food is grown and also how it is handled, are important. Vegetables from organic farms have more time for growing and ripening and as a consequence they can develop their intensive taste, while food from the Third world is often harvested too early. Bananas, for example, are put into airplanes when they are green and are ripening there, without sunlight and fresh air, until we can buy them in the supermarkets. It’s obvious that this food can’t taste as well as the one from the organic farmer.

The way food is grown is more important for the price because the transportation costs are so low that they don’t have much influence on the prices. Growing food on organic farms causes much more costs and the prices increase. Cheap products are often from the Third world countries and are transported over thousands of miles.

For the healthiness it is more important how food is grown because local farmers can use pesticides, too. The transportation of food can’t contaminate food in the way pesticides can.

The three eras of globalization

Nr. 10

l. (1-13): First globalization era based on the imperialism of countries from 1492 until 1800

l. (14-33): Second globalization era caused by multinational companies and technological breakthroughs from 1800 to 2000

l. (34-47): Third globalization era of the individual

l. (48.60): Diverse as a feature of globalization 3.0

The first globalization era from 1492 to 1800 is based on the imperialism of countries that want to compete with each other by comparing their forces. It is shrinking the world from a size large to a size medium. (l. 3f)

Globalization 2.0 from 1800 until 2000 is caused by multinational companies and the Industrial Revolution. Because of technological breakthroughs the transportation and communication costs fell and led to growing trade and connections between firms in foreign countries. This process is shrinking the world to a size small.

Since 2000 the individual is involved in the globalization 3.0 and the world has got the size tiny. Everyone has to compete and collaborate with humans all over the world. Apart from this the globalization process is more and more influenced by non-Western individuals and diverse.

Was ich bis zum Abitur hilfreich fände:

-Listen mit nützlichen Vokabeln

-Vorschlägen für Lektüren für Zuhause

-Besprechung weiterer Abituraufgaben

-Vorbereitung auf die mündliche Gruppenprüfung

-Listening-Übungen

A friend of the earth (Nr. 7

Der Ich-Erzähler, Ty Tierwater, war den größten Teil seines Lebens ein Umweltsünder wie der durchschnittliche Mensch der westlichen Welt. Neben dem verschwenderischen Verbrauch von Brennstoffen und der Orientierung am Konsumstreben der heutigen Gesellschaft, häufte der wohlhabende Sohn eines Bauunternehmers unnütze Dinge an. Seine Rücksichtslosigkeit zeigt sich vor allem in bewusster Umweltverschmutzung. Die Wende in seinem Verhalten kam durch die Freundschaft zu  Mitgliedern der Umweltorganisation „Earth Forever“. Durch deren Einfluss verkaufte Ty sein Haus, sein Auto, das Shopping Center seines Vaters und entwickelte sich zu einem Freund der Erde.

Eine unbequeme Wahrheit

Dear Sue,

To give you an impression of the German’s opinion of Gore’s documentary I want to tell you something about a film journal review by Thomas Arbeitshauser.

The author likes the way the director documents Al Gore’s speeches especially that the film is focused on Al Gore himself. Gore seems to fight for his ideas very enthusiastically, even though the use of tragic fates is sometimes inappropriate. The special thing about Gore’s work is the fact that he manages to inform his audience about the climate change in a very entertaining and comprehensible way.

In comparison to America, Germany is more progressive concerning environmental protection and so the topic of Gore’s speeches isn’t as new for Germans as for Americans. Gore’s work just can make the people conscious of the climate change because there is still a lot of work to be done.

I hope I could help you.

See you,

Bianca

Red alert! Climate change takes its toll on Scotland

Nr. 9

·         Rising temperatures and sea temperatures

Because of the release of greenhouse gases the rays of the sunlight can’t leave the atmosphere and so there was a rise in temperature in Scotland of 1 degree Celsius for every season except autumn in the past 40 years.

·         Decline of Biodiversity

Coastal erosion and flooding lead to habit loss and non-native species can replace the native ones, also because of the rising temperatures.

·         Rise in sea levels

The sea off Aberdeen has risen by an average of 0.66 mm a year since 1862.

·         Rising levels of winter rain

Up to 60 per cent more rain in the north and west of the country since 1961

Nr. 10 The author names the research of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency as a serious source. The results of this organization have to be true.                                                                                             Apart from this there are quotations of Dr Campbell Gemmell and Professor Colin Galbraith who are scientist. So this text is based on credible, current information. The quotation at the end especially emphasized the urgency of changing our lifestyle.

Let`s not worry about climate change!

The tone of this text isn’t objective because it just consists of the author’s opinion. In contrast it is insulting, aggressive and vulgar and also ironic for example when he says that man proved his dominance over nature, when he conquered the skies” (l. 3). 

The President of SPURT has no real arguments why there is no climate change. He just claims in a superior tone that there is no change. Because of this the advertisement seems ridiculous.

I think this advertisement isn’t serious because nobody could think that 150000 lives each year can be risked just for the aviation industry. It is also unusually to use such a vulgar language to advertise flying. This wouldn’t create confidence.

The fact that the text appeared in the Observer could lead to the conclusion that it criticizes the real aviation industry for being so disrespectful and irresponsible. There is also a critic about the Government’s policy because it supports the interests of the aviation industry and works against the environmental protection. The text is a call for the people to realize the dangers for the environment and to force the politicians to change their policy.

Träume in Pink, Gold, Orange

At first Christiane Grefe mentions the high security standards of the film studios of Bollywood. On the streets there are a lot of people, that have different kinds of jobs, who would do a lot to visit the Bollywood film factory. The actors seem to be superstars in India and are admired by the Indians for entertaining them and also for the fact that the workers can forget their life in Mumbai for a while. The singers manage to do this by singing, dancing and performing dramatic love stories that can touch hearts.

But the everyday life in the dream factory consists, apart from tailors that make the costumes, of bored guys and girls and of course of waiting. In the film business there are also some famous choreographers like Vaibhavi Merchant whose biography is performed on the stage. She received a lot of prizes and has worked for 16 productions of films in 2004.

Choreography plays an important part in such films because the dances can connect the different parts like love, comedy and gangster elements or tell their own story. The choreographies also combine different dance styles and unit them.  All together about 800 Bollywood films are released every year.

The Gateway of India

3 a) Dwight Huntsinger is a bold and cheeky lawyer from Boston who has to negotiate with manufacturers because his firm wants to find outsourcing deals to move their production to India. He is frustrated because of his divorce and wants to risk something new. When Dwight spends his time in India he doesn’t want to try food from India or visit traditional sights, so he is very intolerant and disrespectful.

b) Dwight uses negative comparisons like grief (l. 39), ordeal (l. 28) and captivity (l. 55) to express his attitude towards India. He feels like he is caught in Mumbai and he just came there for the money, not for culture. He only sees the Indian potential for outsourcing deals but doesn’t want to get to know the Indian culture. There’s a metaphor in line 35 when Dwight compares his trip to India to the hell. This also symbolizes his attitude to see just the bad things and not to give up the comfort he is used to from the western world. The food stands for Dwight’s not existing will to give up old habits and to try something new. 

Shall I compare thee to...

Shall I compare thee to a lovely flower
I wouldn't find words and had no power
to discover a bit you have in common with it.
I even have to admit you're the opposite.
I could characterize you now, but I won't do
just guess on your own what symbol belongs to you.

What song are you listening to?

I like the song "Otherside" by the RHCP very much and I am listening to it often times when I'm sitting in the bus. I don't know why I like it, it is just a great band with a sad song.
The other song I like is Day 'n' Night by Kid Cudi. It is not an intelligent song but I associate a good time with the song.

I find the man in the first video likeable who is listening to "How I Roll" by Britney Spears because he has a friendly and funny charisma. I would ask him if he is a fan of Britney Spears. The other person I find likeable is the reggae man who is listening to Bob Marley. He has also a great charisma and I really like his outfit. If I could meet him, I would ask if it's his own hair.

I find both videos interesting and like them both. I think in the London video it is better that they show different parts of the city, some famous places and sights. So you get a great impression of London and you can see the typical "things" in London for example the red buses. In the New York video I find the people more open and friendly.

I think it is a great idea to do such a video but I have the impression that Germans aren't as friendly and open as the people from London and New York, so maybe many persons won't tell what they are listening to at the moment because they are feeling bothered. I would choose Munich as a location because of it's great parcs and sights. "Der Englische Garten" for example would be a perfect place to do such a movie.

Michael Flanders

- was an English actor, broadcaster, writer and performer of comic songs
- part of the duo "Flanders and Swann"
- born in London 1922
- attended Westminster School (there he met Donald Swann for the first time)
- studied History in Oxford
- left Oxford to join the Royal Navy
- 1943: gets poliomyelitis and has to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of his life
- 1948-1967: professional partnership with Donald Swann as the duo "Flanders and Swann"
- "The Hippopotamus" is a famous song
- 1975: death because of a stroke

2. There is a hyperbole in line 3 when the author describes the awful circumstances in Britain. “We cower in the economic gutter” shows how the whole situation is overestimated by the foreign countries. They expect the British to panic, because they themselves would do so, but that is exactly the opposite of British behaviour in times of trouble and crisis.

The author uses a simile in line 25 when he answers a question about the British working habits. The “rat race” is a comparison to the daily competition between people in their job. Rats are animals with a negative reputation and the British don’t want to be like all the other nations that spent their life by rushing every day to outdo their rivals maybe even in a deceitful way.

3. The British are very self-controlled people who don't show great emotions. They keep patient in hardly every situation, analyse the things that are going on and decide calmly how to handle it or just wait till problems are solved without their action. Their black humour helps the British in crisis because even the hardest problem creates an occasion for irony and sarcasm.

4. Tea

Tea plays an important role in British life. They drink it in the morning, in the afternoon an in the evening with milk and sugar or just with milk. There are various sorts of tea, for example tea of strawberries, apple, pepper mint, chamomile and other kinds of herbs. Very impressing are teas for the inner rest and relaxation. The best thing is that you just have to go in your garden and pick up some green herbs, cook them and enjoy your tea, but of course it is important to collect just things you do know, otherwise even tea can be bad for your health. Tea is not only the national drink in Britain it caused also a significant happening in America, the Boston Tea Party. One could think that the first ones drinking tea were the British but I think this could have also been the Chinese. The fact that both nations are such patient, calm and friendly ones could lead to the conclusion that it is caused by drinking tea frequently.

I found most interesting when Eliza, Higgins and Pickering come home from the successful ball. The servants praise the excellent work of Higgins and Pickering and sing great hymns for them. Eliza is ignored by all the people and stands alone and isolated in a corner. Nobody says that Eliza did a great job and that not only the two men are responsible for the success. After that, all of them go to bed and don't recognize Eliza. Except Higgins who gives her the advice to switch off the light. This is again very frustrating for Eliza because she is treated like a servant even after her perfect performance at the ball.

1. What is Higgins' view of elementary education?
Higgins thinks that elementary education isn't very effective because the children are locked up in school and aren't often willing to learn something. So they just spend their time there because they have to and don't learn anything. He criticizes that he has to pay for this and at the end of school the pupils can't even speak in an appropriate way. The teachers could also be guilty for this result, if they don't teach the kids the right things or in a very boring and uninteresting or too difficult way.

2. Why is Eliza crying?
Eliza is crying because Higgins threatens to drag her round the room by her hair, if she will pronounce the ABC incorrectly again. He also treats her very rude as if she was an animal or a little stupid girl he can shout at. Eliza is frightend and desperated because she doesn't know what she has to change to pronounce the words correctly.

"Mad Dogs and Englishmen"

1. I think the song is about the colonial time, when England claimed different countries and wanted to oppress them. While the Englishmen lived there they showed strange habits and dindn`t want to conform. In this song the author shows the Englishmen in an ironic and nice way.

2. Such nonsense songs are great to amuse people because they aren't taken so serious. One can deal with a sensitive topic without hurting somebody. Some persons don't think about the song and maybe don't understand it but find it funny and laugh about it. Certain themes can be presented ironically and in a way that only insiders can get the real meaning.  So I think some nonsense songs are only nonsense at the first look.