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Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Ivy to Lucy [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 15:44:01 09/08/12 Sat In reply to: Lucy 's message, "Re: Introduction" on 04:42:15 09/02/12 Sun Hi Lucy, Don't worry. I've been away for a week that was filled with quizzes and essays. Have you heard that Taylor will stop coming this forum? Guess there are only two girls now. It's cool that you went to Edinburgh. My dad went there for business once. He took pictures and the scenery was stunning. How's the university there? I heard it was really good, but I don't really know how it differs from American colleges. Ah, I forgot about the prime minister. I'm sorry if I sounded ignorant. I'm wondering though if they're held to the same standards as a king? Or are they just a spokesperson for the people? We had ad breaks. But it was a perfect time to grab chips or a snack. Then again, the broadcasting station gave us spoilers about who won IN a commercial, so they should never broadcast it again. On Labor Day, I tried sailing again. I recruited some cousins to come and help me. After we got past the safety lecture from one of the people there, it was kind of fun. We probably made many mistakes, but, now that I'm older, I actually tried again. How long have you been sailing? It must've taken some time to get used to the different environment and skills it need. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 03:51:37 09/09/12 Sun Hi Ivy Yes it's really sad that Taylor's leaving, I'll miss chatting with her. I wish there were more girls on here. Edinburgh is an amazing city. It's where I was born so it's nice to go back. The University is one of the best (and oldest) in Britain, and very hard t get into, I might not manage to go there. I'm afraid I don't really know enough about your colleges to compare them. Don't worry, I'm sure I sound pretty ignorant about american politics. The Prime Minister is more like a President that a King, they are elected to run the country, the Queen provides continuity and stability. (quoting Chris there, he knows about this stuff) I really hate ad breaks, but I suppose you get used to them if they are always there. Great that you tried sailing and enjoyed it. I think more people should give it a go because it is fun once you get going. My family do a lot of sailing, so I've been involved since I was really little. I started sailing dinghys myself when I was about eleven, and now I do it with cadets. Lucy [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Ivy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 17:24:30 09/19/12 Wed Hi Lucy, I have to make this short because I need to start on a paper. Sorry, I haven't been responding lately, I've been busy with school work, clubs, and I had to go to Chicago for a weekend, so I was away from a computer. Edinburgh sounds cool. I hope you get in. I heard that you can take a year off before college in Britain, while in the US, it's more conventional to go to college right after high school. I think the grading system is different - in all levels of school. Ah, that makes sense. I only read about a few of your prime ministers, so I don't know a lot. I have a quick question, though: Why isn't the Queen's husband called the King? You never get used to ad breaks. I mean, you can go up and get a snack, but when you really want to watch something, it's not on. Sailing was fun. I did it twice since I last posted here. I think I'm getting better with the terminology. The more I know about it, the more it gets interesting. I told my friends about sailing once, but they're soccer/baseball/softball/basketball/football fanatics, so they don't really understand my growing interest. I thought this was going to be short, but I type pretty fast. I hope to hear from you soon. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 16:30:53 09/22/12 Sat Hi Ivy Don't worry about responding late, I'm struggling too thanks to school. Hope chicago was good. Edinburgh is amazing, it's a fantistic city if you ever get a chance to visit. People do do gap years between school and university but I would say it's more common to go straight there. The grading system is completely different, like almost everything to do with schools. We've discussed things on the forum but I still don't really get your system :/ I was talking to Chris about PMs and stuff and he said your government is unusual because the President as kind of the prime minister and king at the same time. Most countries will have a king or president as a figurehead and also a prime minister to run the country. Prince Phillip isn't King because he didn't inherit the throne - he wasn't the son of the last king, he just married the queen. So it's not his birthright to be king, but becasue he's a member of the royal family he is a Prince. Hope that makes sense. Different counries have different rules and it changes over time, sometimes it even varies between marriages. Queen Mary of Scotland (so this is in the 1500s) had several husbands, and one of them did become King and got all the powers of the King, just by marrying her, but the others didn't. I think he had to struggle to make it happen, it wasn't automatic. (Sorry, I tend to ramble on about history like this) Sailing is good fun, and it's much more interesting than football etc. as you learn about it. It's also a lot more relaxing a lot of the time. Talk soon Lucy [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Ivy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 19:37:11 09/29/12 Sat Hi Lucy, Sorry I haven't responded in a while. I've also been busy with schoolwork and the times I do get on here, I only have enough time to write short questions/responses. Chicago was great, but from what I've seen and heard about Edinburgh, it won't compare. I hope you manage to get into the University of Edinburgh. When will you have to apply? The American system is very confusing. The states are given power for education, so some of the states use one curriculum, other states use another, and so on. My friend moved from Texas a few years ago and she was taught exactly the opposite of what we were learning. Even today, the grade point average system that my state uses is completely confusing to her. It doesn't help that we're going to learn a whole new grading system in high school. So I can't really tell you much. I've heard in England that there is an A level. What's that? The president is both the prime minister and a king in the way. But, he's still very limited in the way in which he could "run a country." Nothing can be done without Congress's approval. It's funny because people blame the president for overspending, but Congress decides the spending. The president only decides the budget. The same thing with this year's election. Voters are looking for candidates that will change the economy or maybe foreign policy with everything happening in Libya, but the present Congress, out of 111 other Congresses in the past two centuries, have gotten the least amount of things done and the least amount of bills passed. The president proposed many bills to change the economy, but the Tea Party made a pact of sorts to stop every bill the president proposes. Unless the president gives out executive orders, he's not running a country. He's helping to run the country. Thanks for explaining it. I always got confused because I assumed that Prince Phillip was a distant relative or something, not her husband. Don't worry about rambling. I'm guilty of it, too. Sailing's grown on me, but, in the morning, I was trying to show my friends basic sailing skills (because those are the only ones I know). It worked out fine, except for the minor detail that we crashed into a tree. So football it is for them. Hope to hear from you soon. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 05:45:38 09/30/12 Sun Hi Ivy I think Chicago and Edinburgh are completely different, and it's impossible to compare them. I'll apply for University when I'm in sixth form (the last two years of school). I can apply to five, then they will make me offers or not based on what I'm predicted to get in myt A levels, as well as other stuff. A levels are the standard final qualification you get from school, it's a two year course in your last two years, and you usually do three or four of them if you want to go to Uni, because they usually ask for three quite high grades. The American system does sound confusing, I think it's better to have one standad system across the country.We do for A levels but before that it can be very confusing with different schools teaching different things. I understand about the president. It's the same here, the Prime Minister can't give executive orders, Parliament actually makes the decisions, and he leads his party in the House of Commons in Parliament and heads the Cabinet which proposes bills. Everything Parliament decides theoretically has to be approved by the queen, but that's automatic now. Prince Phillip is a distant relative, they are actually third cousins or something. Where it gets confusing that he was a Prince in his own right before they married, but because he had a foreign title he had to give it up before the wedding and become Mr. Phillip Mountbatten and then straight away was made a British Prince when they got married. Details, details, it's not as fun unless you crash into something. Glad you're enjoying it though, even if everyone else is harder to persuade. Talk soon Lucy [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Ivy to Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 16:38:21 10/21/12 Sun Hi Lucy, Sorry I haven't replied in a while. How are you? I've been really busy and this is the first weekend I had the chance to try to post something. I'm sure they're completely different now that I think about it. I don't know about Edinburgh, but I'm pretty sure they don't hold yoga lessons in the middle of the streets. Correct me if I'm wrong. Edinburgh, from pictures I saw, have a much more medieval to a neoclassical feel to it, while Chicago is a much more industrialized and robust city that was used very often as the trading center of the Midwest. Thanks for explaining what A level means. I kept thinking it was a grade and not a final qualification. It does sound better to have one standard system, but I don't really know how people would react to it. It would stretch the duty of the federal government and it would cause parents to yell in outrage that only they have control in what their kids learn. The system sounds similar. Can the Queen propose laws or make huge decisions without the support from the Prime Minister or Parliament? Thanks for explaining Prince Philip. I haven't sailed in a while and my friends sure don't want to try again. It's getting colder here and I'm playing ice hockey now. I hope to hear from you soon. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 10:49:45 10/24/12 Wed Hi Ivy, good to hear from you again. Yes I haven't been on much either, also I haven't heard much from Taylor, do you know if she's still around? They might well do yoga in the street in Edinburgh, it's fairly quirky. It is definitely an old city though, while Chicago I think is very definitely a modern city (I suppose most in the USA are). I suppose it is confusing calling them A levels when that is also a grade, I've never really noticed that before. I can imagine people would be up in arms about the goernment trying to standardise the system. I may be wrong but I've always thought people in america are really touchy about the government 'interfering' in their lives. The Queen can't propose laws at all, she only approves things parliament has voted on. It's the Prime Minitser and his party who propose everything. In theory she could refuse to approve something she disageed with and it couldn't become law, but I don't think that's happened for hundreds of years. Yes, the sailing season is pretty much over here now as well. I'm doing fencing now instead until spring. I've never tried ice hockey, it's not really a big thing here. Talk soon Lucy [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Ivy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 21:10:01 10/26/12 Fri Hi Lucy, I'm trying to post more. I haven't heard from Taylor or her brothers in a while, but I think they'll come back once they saw that more people are posting more often. I hope, though. It kinda depends on what American you're asking and what kind of government it should come from. Some people are wary of a big central gov't and would advocate a federal standardized education system(I don't like when they describe it as strong. A limited gov't could be strong.) Others are wary of state governments because it wouldn't be united enough and soon they'll start acting like separate countries (in the case of the Articles of Confederation.) That's interesting. It's like she hardly has a role in lawmaking and I think most people in the US think that the Queen is authoritative in power. It's cool that you fence. I haven't tried it. Why do fencers need to wear that protection, though? From my perspective, it's a bendy piece of metal or plastic. Hope to hear from you soon. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 13:54:51 10/27/12 Sat It would be nice to hear more from them, hopefully you're right about them posting more again. I'm sure it must depend on different people, but I think in general people in America will be more favourable to decentralised goverment than in the UK, probably just because America is so much larger and has the capacity for it. We do get plenty of talk of decentralisation and devolution here though, but for different reasons. I think a lot of people think or assume that the Queen is much more powerful than she is. Really she just acts as a focus for attention and like a personification of the country, although obviously her ancestors used to be much more powerful. Fencing is fun, maybe you should try that as well :) You do need the protection though, the mask obviously because even with a bendy piece of metal you could lose an eye or something. And even though foils do bend easily, it still hurts if you get hit with one and epees are a lot worse, so the other protection is definitely appreciated. Talk soon Lucy [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Ivy to Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 21:11:43 10/29/12 Mon Really? Why do you talk about decentralization? Actually, I'm not sure if the US really has the capacity for it. They say the larger they are, the harder they fall. But, I think you're right. Speaking generally, most Americans associate gov't with getting out of their business. All I really know about the Queen is that she was great in that video with James Bond. That's a good enough personification for me. :P I might try it. I have a guy friend who fences. I still don't like the protection, though. Even if it makes sense, I guess. I don't know how you see in those masks. Epees? [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 10:53:36 10/30/12 Tue Scotland and Wales are always going on about it, and there is a lot of debate about the pros and cons of them becoming more independent. I don't know if Northern Ireland is the same but it wouldn't surpirse me. That film at the olympics was amazing, it was really surprising for us as well because she's never done anything like that before, and she's seen at terribly serious. I've never thought there was any problem with the protection, what don't you like about it? The masks are fine once you get them on, you can see normally. There are three types of swords in fencing, foils, epees and sabres. Foils are the most common one, they're the really bendy ones and the ones most people start with. The rules for epees are more complicated, and they don't really bend, so it hurts a lot more if you get hit with one. And sabres are just weird :P Lucy [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Ivy to Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 09:23:06 11/04/12 Sun Hi Lucy, Sorry I haven't responded in a while. I got spanked for skipping school with Roman, a friend of mine, for an alternative rock concert. :/ It was completely worth it, though. I gather that Northern Ireland is independent from Ireland? Don't worry about it. I normally think protection is stupid and then I fall and break an arm. :P Happened twice already. Anyways, I think I could stand the protection now that I know that you can see out of it. Aren't sabres like swords or something? What can't you do in fencing? [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 16:32:46 11/07/12 Wed Sorry to hear about you getting into trouble. Have you ever got it with a belt before? Sucks doesn't it? At least it was worth it (from your pov at least) Hope things are back to normal now. Ireland became independent about 90 years ago, but Northern Ireland stayed part of the UK, there was fighting between pro Irish and pro British forces until really recently, and there's still a lot of controversy about who it should belong to. I'ver always thought they go in for more protection in America, like for hockey and american football. It makes sense for fencing though and it's not restrictive or anything. Sabre is the third sword you can use, but you use the edge not the point, so the rules are really confusing. I just stay away from it. Lucy [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Ivy to Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 16:36:33 11/26/12 Mon Hey. Really sorry I haven't responded to you in almost a month. I had a bunch of stuff to do before Thanksgiving. They always like to torture us before breaks. But, I guess over in Britain, you don't have a Thanksgiving break. I never got the belt before that time. My sister did a few years ago. It hurts! You get the belt, too? I never knew that. It's kinda like the territories that the U.S. has, except it's much larger. Puerto Rico just petitioned to be the 51st state, even though, in the past, they had a say in who's president, they just didn't have to pay an income tax. They do, but I just hate protection, as a general rule. :/ I tried fencing, kinda. A friend of mine fences, so he kinda showed me how to do things. Well, he showed me after laughing hysterically when I made a complete fool myself when I tried to use the foils like Star Wars characters. Isn't he nice? [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: Introduction Author: Lucy [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 17:26:20 11/30/12 Fri Hey Ivy, don't worry about being away for a while, I understand that it's hard to post when you're busy. We don't have Thanksgiving break. When exactly is it and how long do you get off? I've only had the belt once too, from my grandpa, not something I ever want to repeat. It sounds like it's a rare event in your family, so it hopefully won't become a regular feature. How old was your sister when she got it? I don't think it's quite the same, I'm not really sure about the details of territories, but I would have thought they were more like British dependencies, like Gibraltar and the Falklands etc. Ireland was actually part of the UK, so it would be like one of the states breaking off. (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) Yeah, I was like that when I started, none of the rules made any sense until I'd been doing it for weeks. Anyway, using it like a lightsabre is officially more fun, so people should just stick to that :P Lucy [ Post a Reply to This Message ]