Innocent until proven guilty

CSI, NCIS, True Detective, Criminal Minds, the Closer ...these days you can tune in on any channel to watch a crimes series on tv. I admit I'm one of those people who like to solve a murder from the sofa. Over the last weeks I have caught and put away burglars, sex offenders, arsonists and drug dealers. And it feels good every time. As if it were true. 

Unfortunately there is some truth behind all this drama. Crime rates in the US are skyhigh. On www.crimereports.com you can get an overview of the kind of crimes have been reported in your neighbourhood. Spooky! I'm reliefed I live in safe rural Norway and only have to worry about my daily TV crimes. 

It got me wondering about the death penalty, so I browsed through the fact sheets on www.deathpenaltyinfo.org . Did you know that the death penalty is a legal punishment in 31 states!! Really, I thought we had moved on to more humane solutions. In January 2016 a total of 2,943 people were on death row. Only a few of them are women and there are slightly more white men than coloured people awaiting their execution. 

In 3 days from now, on April 6, Pablo Vasquez will be executed in Texas. What horrifying news!What if it turns out that he didn't commit that crime after all?! You say you rely on the jury and judges? Well, since 1973 more than 150 people have been cleared and released from death row in time. Just think of all those for who the evidence came too late. I'm in favour for life imprisonment - it's cheaper too! 

What do you think? Are you for or against capital punishment? Write your opinion in week 14. 

Pick a president

On november 8, the USA could get its first female president ever with Hillary Clinton! I'm crossing my fingers that she will win the elections, because as many others, I have not much faith in her opponent from the Republican party, Donald Trump. Some even take it that far as to say that he will cause the country's economy to collaps! 

George Washington, the very first president, gave the capital its name.

Well, they have had controversial presidents before. Like George W. Bush, who read from a children's book while his country was under attack. Really, he was holding a reading session for a class when he got the news about the Twin towers and he just kept on reading! Bill Clinton, husband of you know who, had a love affair and after months of denying it, he finally admitted to it and apologized to the nation in public. Nixon was involved in the Watergate Scandal and had to resign. Obama was accused of not having the Amerian nationality. And there are probably many more skeletons in the closet!

John F Kennedy mintues before he was shot. First lady Jackie survived.

I think it's exciting to follow the elections, but I'm aware that it's a tough campaign in which the candidates dig up dirt on each other. Who do you think/hope is going to become the 45th president? Write about a president in week 13! Comment the ongoing elections or browse through this list of the 44 previous presidents and see what surprising facts you can ome up with. 

All men are created equal

What if you had to enter Coop through the backdoor just because you have green eyes? What if you were denied bathing at Koksvikstranda because you have small feet? Or imagine that you had to stand all dag long at school instead of sitting at a desk, just because you have more freckles than the other pupils! Not possible, you might think. But only 50 years ago, America's black population experienced this kind of discrimination on a daily basis. And that solely because of the colour of their skin.

There were benches for white people only, seperate toilets in public buildings, no service in diners, no voting rights etc.etc. The list over mistreatment is a long one. Would you have the courage to stand up for your rights, like Martin Luther King or the students at the Greensboro sit in? Would you risk being arrested like Rosa Parks did? I'm not sure I would. I truly admire these people who fought for equal civil rights. Without their devotion, marches, speeches and actions, black people would not have the freedom they have today. 

Your task for week 11 is to do some research on slavery, segregation or discrimination and post what you find out. Good reading and good luck.

Please not Alaska!

In previous years I have introduced several states on my teacher's blog. I've included North California, where the 2012 film Hunger Games was filmed, Montana and its national parks, Tennessee, the birthplace of country music and Hawaii, the newest of them all. This year the honour goes to Iowa which gets its name from the Ioway tribe.

Why Iowa? Not because there is a town called Norway, not because of the 100 000 farms or the fact that it's as flat as Danmark. It's the home of my favourite author, Bill Bryson, and the to you probably more known actor Ashton Kutcher. More importantly though, it's the current residence of my daughter, Wietske!

Wietske hugging her baby sister
 goodbye at the airport last August.

She is spending this school year as an exchange student in the south-eastern part of Iowa, a region called Quad Cities. A great opportunity for her and at the same time a source of information for me! It's real interesting to follow her daily activities in the home of an actual American family. She has swum in the Mississippi, been shopping at Wal-Mart, taken cover from a tornado in the basement and experienced a lockdown due to a school shooting incident. All typical American things ;) 

When she enlisted the program, she didn't get to choose a state and for a while she was truly worried that they'd ship her off to Alaska. Luckily she ended up in a more central location. If you could live a year in the USA, where would you like to settle down? Your task for week 10 is to write about your favourite state and reason for your choice. Try to use American sources like www.infoplease.com or awesomeamerica.com, and steer away from Wikipedia. 

A memorable trip

The summer of 2014 is not one that I will forget easily. In the company of 4 dear friends I visited the state and city of New York. Once called New Amsterdam, the city made a huge impression on me! Here some snapshots from my time in the Big Apple.

On top of the Empire State Building 

A lot of posing going on 

In Central Park you can see the Belvedere Castle from the Smurf film!

the American dream ;) 

One World Trade Center replaces the twin towers.
It is 1776 ft tall (ring a bell?)

Broadway selfie!

The naming of cats

Dear class,

"The naming of cats is a difficult matter. It isn't just one of your holiday games." These are the very first lines of a poem by T.S. Eliot, The naming of cats, which gained world publicity in Webber's renowned musical Cats. It's quite a spectacle! If you haven't had the chance of seeing the show yet, you should make your parents take you to London this very weekend and watch a performance in one of the many West End theatres. Or just tune in to Youtube. Whichever is most likely to happen. 

Whereas the song emphasizes the importance of a cat's name, I want you to put some thought in your blog's name. Finding a sensible and intriguing name is not an easy matter. Browse through poems, song texts, other blogs to get inspired or use a quote, like I did. "Think Big" is actually a quote by nobody less than Donald Trump. You have probably heard of this businessman/TV personality who is currently one of the candidates running for president of the US. He is known to blurt out discriminating and hurtful statements about touchy themes like gun control and skin colour. 

candidate for the Republican party

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan. On the contrary. Of course, I wholeheartedly hope that you think big when writing your blog. Give it your best shot, make the most of it, be creative! At the same time I urge you to think before you post and do the exact opposite of dear candidate Trump. Feel free to state your opinions amusingly or even critically, though always in a considerate and respectful way. You will certainly get the hang of it in no time. I'm truly looking forward to reading your posts!

Your task for week 9 is to create a blog and write a first entry in which you explain your blog name. Also add your expectations towards this project. Good luck!