Introduction to Psychology and Sigmund Freud

I'm very interested in psychology, so I decided to start a masive online course at coursera. Fortunately there is a course with the name “Introduction to Psychology” by Steve Joordens. Today I watched a lecture about the History and the scientific Method of Psychology with the focus on Sigmund Freud. Freud is a very interesting character, do you know, that he consumed and did research about cocaine? His first academic incentive was to make a name and have so the permission to marry his big love.

But back to psychology, freud theory include three big parts

1. Id (needs like food, sex but also aggression)
2. Ego
3. Super -ego

Steve Joordens made a good example to difference between these three parts. Imagine there is a man who lives in a very religious and conservative society. Somehow he knows something about pornography and wants to consume these (Id), but the attitude of the socitey doesn't allow this (super-ego). So what he do? He committed to fight against porn (ego) and so he can with the permission of his environment consume porn. Not so bad?

Sigmund Freud is also the father of the psychoanalysis and he fled from the nazis to london, where he died.

What I think about the amican Dream!

I think the american dream is a good thing. For the believers the american dream can move mountains. It can be the engine for motivated work. With this dream for the eyes, you can work harder and hope every day, that someday the dream come true.

In my opinion the american dream is not only a dream in and from american. I think in a lot of other countries like germany have the people the same dream. It is a dream of success, a dream of a better life.

The Questions is, can we live the american dream? Yes we can (no I stole this phrase not from Obama :)) The American Dream is a view, that every person can learn and use. It is not a magical or spirutual thing. Its hard and concentrated work. Not more and not less.

I understand behind the american dream a lot more than economical success, like a good paid job. For me can be the american dream also happy people, which are happy because they love their friends or are in passion in their hobbies. The american dream is for me satisfaction in life!

A little bit about the ideological beginnings

From Europe came a lot of settlers to America. That was in the 17th century. The reasons for this step were diffrent. A few of them came because of economic, other because of ideological reasons. Christopher Columbus already discovered America in 1492. From this time, european settlers flowed in the new country an continent. At that time the ideology was minted by pilgrims. Their values were hard work and adherence to Biblical law. They exerted their influence.

Further ideological influences came from the declaration of independence in 1776 or the revoulutionary war against the British. At the end, the USA have a manifest destiny.

New and last topic !

Our recent topic in english in school are issues, which confronting the USA. That are for example the ideological beginnings, the civil war, the world war II, the superpower USA and the 21st century. All these issues describes america for us germans a little bit more.

For this reason I will describe a few topics in detail. I hope, you learn a little bit over america.

But why America? Good question, in the school we speak often about the USA. Not only in the english class, in the history or german class too. The USA is a big land and a superpower. They are one of the world leader in everything, so the land is very important. Because of this, you must inform about the USA.

Let's begin ....

Stem Cells – A dreadful business

In my last english lesson, we read a text about trading baby body parts and cells. These business is to be boom in the Ukraine. The method is easy: Boodled doctors says to there patients, that their babies were stillborn. But the dreadful truth is: The babies are butchered for their body parts.

But is there a need? Sadly, apparently yes ...

Clinics injects patients with the stem cells. The reason: The stem cells should help, that these people look younger. But there is no scientific proof for this method!

For a lot of people it doesn't matter. Thereby, trading with stem cells remains a lucrative business.

What is a minority group?

Wikipedia define a minority as a "sociological group that does not constitute a politically dominant voting majority of the total population of a given society." There are a lot of minority groups, for example "economic minorities", "age minorities" or sexual minorities.

Economic minorities
The term: economic minorities describes a social group which has a lot of working poor or unemployed people.

Age minorities
The age minority contain a group of people with the same age. That could be old people or young people like children.

Sexual minorities
To this group counts lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

Introduction

My current big topic in school is: Social classes and minorities. I think in our global world is this a very important subject. In all countries are minorities and social classes. Moreover minorities are often in a other social class, most lower, than the most of the other habitants of a country. This is a big problem and tends to result in unemployment and crime.

This shows us, that immigration is a big and necessary part in our society. I am going to write a few articles about the subject and hope you enjoy them.

The problems of deforestation

Since a unacceptable time, people destroys our forests. This is a big problem, because the forest, particularly the tropical rainforest, absorb carbon dioxide. No forest, no absorption and this means on the other hand global warming. Not only the global warming is a problem, that is caused thru deforestation, but also the destruction of the animal habitats is terrible.

A cause for the deforestation is the demand for fuels, for example the West's demand for biofuel. The farmer cuts down forests and build there crops such as maize/corn and palms, which are principal constituents of biofuel.

Failed

Fail is popular word in my german class. It sounds a lot better than the german word "versagen". I failed in my english subject. Last july I told you about my "2" grade in english, now a half year later I will get only 8 points, that means a "3". This downgrade is very terrible.

But in fairness I must say, that I haven't do anything for a better grade. My last post was in october, now we have january. And I must change that.

In a few day I will write a vocabulary test (in the last test I got only 6 points from 15). So I will learn more and write often here in this blog.

The topic is currently "Save the Planet!"

Shopaholics

In my opinion the most of the shopaholics are women. I understand under a shopaholic a person who love shopping. If shopaholics have a bad mood, they go shopping. They buy and are happy, at least for a short time.

The self esteem of this persons are most very low. With shopping they try to compensate it.

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Interesting Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/big_spender/3393939.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/8173271.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2000/nov/26/tracymcveigh.theobserver

Facts about Compulsive shoppers, Impulsive shoppers, bargain shoppers and window shoppers

There are at least four different types of shoppers. I want to present you these four types. These four types I want to present you. About Shopaholics, I want write a extra article, after this.

Compulsive shoppers or Shopaholics
Compulsive shoppers have to buy something. Buying is for their a thing like to brush their teeth or eat something. It is a need, that they must do every day! If they have not enough money, they get very fast a big problem, because the force to buy is very strong.

Impulsive shoppers
Impulsive shoppers doesn't plan what they want to buy. They can go from product to product for hours, without buying something. Then, short time before they leave the store, they buy one, two, three or more articles.

Bargain shoppers
Bargain Shoppers spend money, but save money too. They love coupons, discounts, end-of-season sales and bargain racks. Bargain Shopper drives hundred of miles only to save the one or other percentage.

Window shoppers
Window shoppers looking for hours without buying something. They rarely buy. The most of the fascination of buying a new think, takes place in the mind of the window shoppers.

6 minutes english - Shopaholics

Today I want point to the 6 minutes english Podcast, which you can find in the right navbar on this site. The topic is this week shopaholics. Thats quite awesome, because this is one topic for my next class test on wednesday - tomorrow. I must write more than three hours (!) about "The changing patterns of work and consumption". The test includes questions, which I must answer, a graph, which I must describe an a translation.

If you missed the 6 minutes english - Shopaholics, you can hear the podcast episode here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2009/10/091015_6min_shopaholics_page.shtml

It is a interesting topic, because there are four different types of shoppers: Compulsive shoppers, impulsive shoppers, bargain shoppers and window shoppers. I will describe all shopper in a new post.

Interesting is the percentage of Shopaholics. After some sources there are 10% of the population are shopaholics

Motor Vehicle Registration China

(Graph from http://www.greeneconometrics.com/)

Today I want describe the line graph about the motor vehicle registration in China. Firstly you see a drastically increase from 1985 to 2005. The registration increased from less than 4 millions motor vehicles to over 16 millions only in twenty years. The graph illustrates the fact, that china became bigger and bigger.

With the increase of the vehicle registrations in china, come a lot of problems. A big problem is the contamination for the nature. But china have also the right of growth like other countries before.

Blogging is Fun!

Ok, thats not the total truth, blogging is work! But I think, that this english blog has improve my skills in this language. They are not perfect, but a lot better. In the school I improve my english mark from a "3" to a "2". So I will continue writing here over topics from the english lessons.

Because of this success I create a further blog, but this blog is about the french language. I hope it will help me too. Here is the new blog of my second blog: http://ecrire-francais.blogspot.com/

School has begun and I'm back!

The new school year is now two weeks old. So it's time for me, to post new articles. From five days I have four days midday school (so we call the school time after 1 p.m. until 3, 4 or 5 p.m). For me is this very stressful, so I hope that I can write here in this blog at least on the weekend.

But I wouldn't like to complain, that is what I choose for the chance to study sometime.

In the last few english lessons we spoke and read about the topic: The changing Patterns of Work and Consumption. This is in this year the first big topic, so the next articles will be about this subject.

Yeah - Holidays!!!

Hey guys,

recently I enoy my big summer holiday. The weather is very good and the sun shine without a end. But why I writing this words? Because I want to tell you, that I get really a 2 as my final grade in english.

I stood in the end of my school year on a 2,6, that means -> 3 as final grade. But my english teacher cognized, that I was in the second halfyear very better than in the first. So he gave me a 2 as finale grade. I was so happy and my learning got requited.

So and now I enoyed my holiday again ;)

And thats my results

In the last time I do a lot of for the school. Now I have my results and they are not bad. The third english test was creativ writing. Here I got a 2,3. Mark 1 is the best, 6 the worst. In the last english test (Mediation) I got a 2,5. My first term was not so good, so that my final grade is a 3 in english. But it was a blame. My crop is a 2,6, with a little more I get a 2. Never mind! Next school year I do my best for getting a 2 in English.

Now I have in two weeks summer holidays. More than 5 weeks nothing to do. That is life!

Why I prefer quality newspapers

This is a little essay about the topic: Why I prefer quality newspapers:

In the press there are two types of newspapers: The quality newspapers and the popular newspapers. Both types have their own characteristics. But why read some people popular and other quality newspapers? Here is my point of view, why I read preferably quality newspapers.

Firstly I think the information content is higher than in a popular newspaper. If you want the most informations then is the quality newspaper the first choice.
In contrast have popular newspapers indeed big pictures, but inform you limited.

Secondly in my opinion are articles in quality newspapers better investigated than in popular newspapers. Unfortunately I must do this experience and read and hear a lot of garbage from a big popular newspaper in germany.

Also is the image of the popular newspaper not the best. The reason are pretty girls with naked breasts. It is not serious to read a combination of porno mag and newspaper.

In conclusion I must say, that I never subscribe to a popular newspaper!

When I use a and when an before a word?

Yes, it is a simple grammar rule, but if you speak and write english only at school, you forget it so fast. I speak from the indefinite article 'a' and 'an'.

Normally stands for a :) Word the indefinite article 'a'. But if the word begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u), then you use 'an'.

Example:

• a car
• a boy
• a girl

• an apple
• an idiot
• an egg

Ok thats clear, but no grammar without an exception. Important is the pronunciation too! For example:

• a unit (Speaking as a 'j' -> a)
  
• an uncle (Speaking as a 'a' -> an)
• a human
• an hour
  

In Principle easy, but there are so many words where I not sure, because of the pronunciation. I think the best way to learn this grammar rule is to read a lot of english texts an write from time to time here in this blog :)

Popluar Newspapers / Tabloids

After my Post about Quality Newspapers, here my new post over Popular Newspapers. This type of newspaper is also called Tabloid.

Tabloids are known for their celebrity news and pictures. Sometimes their called „gutter“ press. Popular Newspapers profit from the stars and the stars profit often from the popular newspapers. Nobody can live without the other.

But there are a lot of more differences between quality and popular newspapers. A first look on a tabloid shows, that the headlines on the cover are very big and sensational. These attention-grabbing headlines often using puns or containing alliteration. With the headline tabloids bond their readers and are so a big and important part.

Furthermore is the content and layout is different. A popular newspaper use a subjective language and try so to catch the reader with his emotions. The texts are short and have less informations than quality newspapers.

Tabloids are for example:

• The Sun
• The Daily Mirror
• The Daily Mail
• The Daily Express
• News of the world

In Germany we have also tabloids. The most famous tabloid is the "Bild Zeitung". Here the website: www.bild.de