If Astray

You once asked me
"Do you write?"
The answer I gave
was
a Lie
I don´t write

I confess

Now,
Listen to the Sound of Honesty
The rattling of Skeletons
being Cleaned out from a Closet
The simple
yet complex Melody
of trust
and respect

Listen to the sound of Nothingness
A missing heartbeat
The rumbling quiet of a lonely Life
The sobbing of a Man
left
to the rope of Solitude
The aching of a Heart
in regret

The sound of Nothingness
should not be confused
with the sound of Silence
For this is another Silence completely
An empty Echo
of Silence

The sound of Nothingness
is
the worst Sound of all

But once you break the sound of Nothingness
Vanquish the Silence of the Soul
with the Laughter of Love
What will remain?

The Fear
The Fear of the spell
that is the sound of Nothingness
and the gate to Hell

But still
When caught
by the sound of Nothingness
Try,
and remember

The sound of Joy
A pure and true laughter
A sigh of contentment
The caressing voice
of Love

and the sound of Happiness
which will always hold the Music
and the Beauty
of the Soul

For those
are
the best Sounds of All

Tasks & Activities

Native Americans – Current situation

1.       About 50% of the Native Indian population lives on federal reservations. The majority of the reservations are situated west of the Mississippi River, and the Indians continue to live there to maintain their traditions.

2.       Some of the social challenges the Native Americans face are unemployment, poverty, alcoholism and drug abuse. High rates of diabetes and heart disease are also a concern. Some of the possible causes of this is that since they live in reservations they are “cut off” from the rest of the world, one of the reasons for their high alcohol problem is that many of them have had a rough childhood, neither does it help that Native Americans have a very low tolerance for alcohol.

3.       Limitations on tribal powers of self-government include the same limitations applicable to states; for example, neither tribes nor states have the power to make war, engage in foreign relations, or coin money (this includes paper currency).

4.       Native Americans rights point out that the US Federal Government's claim to recognize the "sovereignty" of Native American peoples falls short.

5.       The BIA states that it´s responsibility when it comes to Indian lands, is for the “administration and management of 55,700,000 acres (225,000  km2) of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, Indian tribes , and Alaskan Natives.”

Tasks

Checkpoints p. 317

1.       The Aborigines came from the Asian mainland and the islands north of the Australian continent.

2.       Unknown diseases, like smallpox, were the reason that the Aboriginal population was halved soon after the European arrival.

3.       It is believed that more than 100 000 Aboriginal children were taken away from their homes.

Research and Discover p. 317:

Maoris in New Zealand:

1.       The Maoris are an indigenous people living in New Zealand. The Maoris originated with settlers from eastern Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages at some time between 1250 and 1300 CE. Today, the Maoris makes up for 10% of New Zealand’s population, a number that is slowly increasing.

2.       The Australian Aborigines arrived in Australia many years before the Maoris arrived in New Zealand. Both of the peoples were the first to inhabit their respective lands, and were later pushed away from their territories.

3.       Because of the huge difference in time between the arrivals of the two peoples, there must surely have been differences in their lifestyles and experiences. Also, the Maoris were not treated as bad as the Australian Aboriginals.

Task 1

30 minutes.

Words that are easily confused;

Some words are more difficult to spell than others, as their pronunciation is similar to the pronunciation of another word.

then, than

which, witch

through, threw

there, their, and they`re

to, too, two

lose, loose

MEMORIZE, SEARCH THE WEB AND WRITEJ

Learn these words.  Make a visual device/ dictionary – perhaps using a picture, to remember the definition.

Which (way)?

Witch

Then vs Than

Through vs Threw

They´re - Their - There

To - Too - Two  

Lose vs Loose

Task 2

Patrick Wayne; The Extended Version

Patrick Wayne is the new rising star in the world of English authors. He recently made his debut with “Life´s Important Addresses“, which is a collection of short stories regarding the everyday life of the ordinary human, and a few thoughts as to how one should enjoy it. Mr. Wayne was born on the 5th of September in 1998, in the town of Blackberry´s Hill. So far in his life, he has visited a great many places, making for some good experience and inspiration for future books. There are rumours that his trips has been financed by political parties, but neither the Conservatives nor the Democrats have confirmed this. One thing is for sure, though. Great work can be expected of Patrick Wayne.

His latest book is called "The Birth of Religion" and describes the development of all the major religions. It begins with the Mesopotamian folk stories and goes on, drawing parallels between these stories and the early stages of some of the sacred Hindu scrolls. With his catchy writing and well explained theories, he proves that there is an intricate pattern that connects the beliefs of Christians, Buddhists, Jews and so on, with the ancient beliefs of societies that existed several centuries, and even millennia, ago.

A "Short" Letter to You

It´s been over a week now since my last post about the trip. It has it´s reasons, though, as I have been very busy travelling. I have been so many places this last week, that I´m almost having trouble keeping track of which ones I´ve been to, and which not. Let´s start where I left off last time, with Baltimore. We arrived in the afternoon on Monday, and met with a relative in the outskirts of the city, at his place. It had been quite some time since we last met him, so it felt only natural that we stayed there until sometime in the evening, at which point we decided it was probably a good idea to check in at the hotel in the city. You have no idea how good it felt when I finally got to the hotel room, and found a nice, comfortable bed waiting for the veeery tired me. The others seemed to appreciate it too, as a matter of fact.

Baltimore Harbor

The next day began with "breakfast" (can´t say I´m particularly fond of the American one..) and a walk in the nearby area of the hotel. We ended up going to a place called Fell´s Point (no idea if it´s an important place, or why.. xD) and back, also getting a fine tour of the harbor. We then got together with our relative again, and ate lunch at a nearby diner he knew about. He then drove us out to a somewhat historical site; Fort McHenry. In 1814 the British had decided to launch an attack on Baltimore by land. However, they were in need of having their navy in place too, if the attack was to happen. The only thing standing between the British navy and the city, was Fort McHenry. Long story short: the British tried taking the fort by sea, failed, and then retreated, leaving the city alone. The events that happened here also inspired a guy named Francis Scott Key, to write the first draft lyrics of what would become the national anthem of the United States.

By the way, did I forget to mention that our relative drives like a madman, bears the same name I do, and is soon-to-be 88 years old...? Ooh well, now you know. Funny guy that one, and an interesting breed between Norwegian and American. He´s also quite the lady´s charmer, and I bet that´s how he got to show us a great view of Baltimore from high up in an off-limits apartment!

Well, enough of Baltimore! We´ve also spent a day in Washington D.C., visiting many famous places like the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the White House (not entered, just seen it!) and a couple of museums on top of that. Walked the entire time..

In the evening we did something even more exciting than visiting big buildings. (However absurd that may sound. What´s more fun than big buildings??) Well, we went to a hockey-match and I would say that was reeeeally cool!!

We have also been driving a great deal from here to there, and quite a lot of our time in the states has been spent on the road. An example of that, could be when we were driving for the border to Canada, which took like 5-6 hours or so. After getting into Canada we soon got to the hotel and settled in. It tasted really good with some Chinese food then, after a long time without much food.

Later that evening we went to see the Niagara Falls by night, since they have some fancy lighting of the falls come dark. It was cold, cool and colorful.
We came back the next day to see the Falls in daylight, and they were still awesome to watch! There´s a lot of mist there, so it can be difficult to see it all, but what you see can really be breathtaking. Absolutely recommend it for everybody, though I think it might be even better in the summertime.

So, visiting Canada and Niagara is what I have been doing this weekend. Right now, I´m sitting in the bed at the hotel room we are currently at, drinking Pepsi and writing all this stuff. Although I´ve only been here like half a day, I must say that New York is indeed a noisy city, with lots of people and traffic! I´m a little curious as to what we are gonna experience these next few days, and to find out if this city really is the Big Apple, as they say it is.
Tomorrow is St. Patrick´s Day, so I bet it´s gonna be a lot of fun to see and watch, but that is gonna be AFTER I finally wake up from what I hope will be a loooong nights sleep!

Best of wishes from Me
to You

First Days in US and A

Its been two days since we landed on JFK Airport in New York. We landed in the evening, at about 7 pm, but didn't get to the hotel until 11 pm. That means that the time back in Norway, was past 5 am before we got to sleep. I hadn't slept on the plane, so needless to say, I was kiiinda tired when I hit the bed.

One thing I have noticed in the short time I've been here, is that there are a lot of roads in the USA. They cover the land like a big, confusing spiderweb, and if you don't pay attention you might get really lost. Sleep and concentration are two very necessary factors to find your way.

Yesterday we visited MacDonalds for the our first time in the states. The soda was somewhat different, yet the atmosphere was pretty much the same as in Norway.

At the moment we are currently staying at a hotel in Philadelphia, but we are soon going to be on our way to Baltimore. Therefore, I'm going to stop writing now and instead get back to the trip.

Cya :D

Words of Advise

At times

A raging fire should not be quelled

Let it burn

bright and true

Let it consume you

and be resurrected 

from the Ashes

A Man should not be shameful

unless his Dignity has taken a wound

Self inflicted or given

Allow yourself to be more than a man

Allow yourself to feel

A container is only temporary

and can only take so much

before it cracks

Don´t be a Container

Be a Person

and let It out

Playing with modern Fire

Through the years, human science and technological skill has evolved from the simple use of fire as a means to warm oneself, or make food, to the development of the advanced technical devices of the modern world. “Modern digital technology is a blessing and the only way forward”, some have said. However, is that something we should just believe, without no further argument? Sure, part of this statement may hold some truth, but some part of it is also up for discussion. In this text, I will debate why modern digital technology may not be the only way forward, and hopefully help you with some everyday choices.

To start off with, I´d like to concentrate a bit about the everyday jobs out there. In the last few years, work has become much more influenced by the technological development. To get a job nowadays, there is quite often a requirement that the worker must have digital competence, at least to some degree. If you observe a graph showing different professions, you will most likely find that the ones with the best salary are the ones with jobs that are heavily connected to the use of computers or other digital devices. These people are often ones with a leading role in a company, or another job that is very dependent on quick communication. Their salaries may be high, but it comes at a cost.

Many people find it hard to separate their work from their free time today. This is actually a growing problem. Due to the many technological devices we carry around, we are all constantly connected to the rest of the world, and it´s many temptations…. And while you may have left the office, the other employees or co-workers are fully aware that if they should need you, you are only a cell phone-call away. This can make it very hard to leave your work completely and put it away for the time being, and especially if you yourself, is the one that feels you should check up on work. But that´s exactly what we may need to do: simply put it away, and leave the work at the desk.

Even as I am writing this, I am catching myself in having the sudden urge to check the Internet and see if there is something going on. I am well aware that I´ve grown quite dependent on my computer and my phone, but I don´t see that as a completely bad thing. After all, it makes life sooo much easier having the opportunity to communicate with other people, check the news, to write and so much more. I mean, the people of today have a much greater potential than the ones before us, as they have easy access to the well of knowledge that the Internet can offer. That is, if they are clever enough to utilize it.

So to sum up this text, and come with an answer as to whether or not modern digital technology is a blessing and the only way forward, I´d like to say that it may be both a blessing and a curse. In the end, it all comes down to the people using it, and the way they use it. Although it is an incredibly valuable tool in the hands of men, it should not be taken lightly. And that is why I advise we use it with caution. 

Review – Disconnect

The movie I have just watched is a drama centred on a group of different people searching for human connections in today´s wired world. It shows very clearly how easy it is to mess up someone´s life via different abusive techniques in the cyber world. Cyberbullying and ID-theft are central themes in this film.

In my opinion, the issues presented in the film are very serious. It is very important to show how easy it is for a hacker to exploit unaware people and steal their personal information, which they can use as they like. People must become more attentive as to what they actually click on online, because everything might hide a potential danger to you or your family.

The film also talks about bullying via the net, often referred to as cyberbullying. The fact is that cyberbullying is far easier to commit, and often more extensive, than just normal bullying. It is so much easier to say something to somebody, when you are not actually standing in front of him or her. It´s just a joke, they might be telling themselves, just a little teasing to mess with the poor kid. That’s how they defend it, the “bully´s”. However, deep down, they too do probably know how serious it really is. Words are not so easy to take back once they´ve been typed and you press enter. Those words might really hurt. And I am telling you right now: Do NOT, under any circumstances send pictures lightly. Be careful as to what you show someone you don’t know very well, because if you do, you might be in for a very unpleasant surprise. These days, it is far too easy to spread a photo so everybody can see it.

It is also important to be aware of the many youths that are used on the various illegal streaming sites online. Most of the kids you see there are homeless, under aged kids that have been persuaded by the promise of a roof to live under and some easy money.

I found this film a very good one, as it presents a good view on how reality actually can be for some people out there. The ending was in my opinion maybe not of the greatest, but it was okay and I felt satisfied with the quality of the movie. It was at times deadly serious, yet it also managed to keep some touching aspects as well. It is not easy to choose just one part of the film that made an impression on me, because I have to say, that the entire movie did so.

Technology – for better or worse?

The texts I have just read are centred on the subject of technology and its uses in modern society. As it turns out, there are nearly a limitless supply of options for how we can use the technology in our everyday life. The development of smartphones, and the apps that goes with them, have changed the way we live. How we interact with people, how we do our jobs, and how we spend our free time; all changed because of one small device. It has become quite popular, for example, to date using an app called Tinder, where the only thing required of you is enough IQ to know how to swipe, and perhaps why… Some argue that while this makes it easier meeting new people, it has also lessened the actual sense of getting to know someone. It seems that in using this application, the excitement of the experience is not centred around the sense of getting to know him or her, but rather on the joy of easily being able to encounter the person, and eventually a new one. Competence in the technological world is also becoming a more common requirement in the jobs of today.

Some of the texts also informs us as to how easy it is doing criminal things with the use of the internet. Commercials and other articles on the internet might not always be what they claim to be, but instead contain viruses designed to harm your computer, or snatch personal information. This is a very important aspect of the digital world; the privacy issues concerning personal information.

I find many of the messages in these texts to be somewhat important and correct observations on the subject of technological development and usage. That many of us humans have become more and more dependent on our smartphones, our computers and our tablets, is a well-known fact. However, I suspect that very few of us actually think about what that means, how big a part they actually play in our lives. Is it for better, or worse…?

I must admit to using these technological devices, or at least a few of them. I do have a computer. Two actually, one for school and one for private use. However, I have yet to acquire myself a smartphone. There is a lot of pressure though, so I ”fear” it won’t be long until I get one :D After all, there are many benefits from having one. 

Questions:

1. Do you think the colonies had good reason to declare Independence? Why?

2. Should one country be able to colonize another? When should a colony be granted Independence?

3. The Bill of Rights guarantees Americans "the right to bear arms". Many Americans still feel this is important for personal safety and in case they need to revolt against their own government, They argue that the Minutemen and the local militias only won the fight for Independence because they had firearms. What do you think? Should everyone have the right to bear arms? All kinds of arms?

4. If you were to present your nation's history in the same way as above, which events would you choose? Why? - List the events and write a couple of sentences about them.

Events in American History

1. Yes, I think the colonies had good reason to declare independence. Great Britain is so far away from the US that it would be absurd if they should be the ones making all the ruling decisions. Besides, they said it themselves: “… all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights: Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

2. I don´t think one country should be able to colonize another. Some hundred years ago it may have been common, as they discovered “new” land all the time, but nowadays I don´t think it would be appropriate if a country made another country a part of itself.  Colonizing is an old-fashioned system of conquest. When the society in the colony has changed enough so that it differs from the colonizing state, it will soon demand its Independence.

3. I don´t think everyone should have the right to bear arms. That is an old law, fashioned to fit the demand for something that would enable the people to protect themselves, in a time where danger was imminent, and the US was a more lawless place than today. In these times, the society is a far safer place than before, and the police should be able to keep things in order. However, to make the Americans give up their right to bear guns will probably be a very difficult task, as they now see it as their legal right to carry it. It would be difficult for many to entrust the responsibility of their safety to the government. However, once the guns vanished from the everyday life, and became harder to come by, it would probably reduce the crime rate in America, although to think that this will ever happen may be a bit naïve.

4. List of historical events: The Viking period was from between 800-1100 AD, At the start of the Viking Period, Norway was not one united country, but many small kingdoms. Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) became king of a large portion of Norway in 872.

The union between Denmark and Norway: During the 1300s Denmark gained more and more influence over Norway and, in 1397, Norway was absorbed into a formal union with Denmark and Sweden. This union was ruled by a common king. Sweden gradually seceded from the union, but Denmark and Norway remained united until 1814. The union was governed from Denmark. Copenhagen was the cultural centre of the union and Norwegians read and wrote in Danish.

The plague: The Black Death came to Norway in 1349, in short time it had killed a third of the Norwegian population.

The Norwegian constitution: The Norwegian constitution was formed in 1814, and thus we broke free of the Danish grasp.

 WW2: The Nazi invaded us on the 9th of April 1940, and because of that, Norway was dragged into the war.