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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Jack The Ripper-Francis Tumblety



Jack the Ripper was a name given to a murderer who was considered to be the first ever serial killer of the modern era. Jack the Ripper horrified many people who lived in the city of London in Autumn 1888.
Jack the Ripper would always kill, but right before he was in the hands of the police. To this day Jack The Ripper still has no real identity and many people go to extraordinary lengths to try and solve this case and to finally put it to rest.


Dr Francis Tumblety born in 1830, was considered to be one of the main suspects in the JAck the Ripper Case, Francis Tumblety was a irish-American raised in Rochester, New York, where he later self educated himself as a homeopathic physician at the Hahneman Hospital or now better known as the Highland Hospital. Francis was the youngest of eleven siblings. Francis He earnt a small earning by claiming to be an 'Indian Herb' Doctor, he travelled across the US and Canada occasionally even Europe aswell. Francis was often said to be a misogynist, someone who hates woman, he was also connected to the deaths of some of his patients, it is unknown whether these deaths were deliberate or not, but still the authorities charged him anyway. Francis was known to have dark hair, and dressed in the latest fashion.

Francis know doubt would of had to have some local knowldege of the East End of London where all the murders were commited. Francis had travelled to London before meaning he could have had enough knowlege to get around the city alone without getting lost. Leading surgeons during the time of the murders all concluded that a small amount of anatomical knowledge would have been required to remove the organs in very little light. It also happened to be that Francis spent some time studying with a doctor in Rochester. During the times of the murders forensic investigation knowledge was very little, which meant it was almost impossible to prove a link to the killer and the victims. The only way was if the killer was caught whilst in action or owned up his self. The 'Ripper' letters were apparently written by the murderer and then sent to the media, only a person with an education and who had access to the stationary could write the letters, convincingly Francis Tumblety could do both. The murders came to a halt on the 24th of November, it just happpened to be that Francis Tumblety fled England on that very day. When the authorities disscovered he had left the country a Scotland Yard detective was sent to follow him to and around America.

Francis Tumblety was in London during the times of the murders; After travelling to London before he would of gained local knowledge of the area. Francis had no relation to any of the victms, but we cant just suspect that he didn't. Francis also was known to despise prostitiutes, especially after marrying one without knowing. Francis even had a collection of female wombs, which he often showed to guests.

Francis Tumblety was a perfectly healthy man, both physically and mentally, he had a habit of using various aliases, one even betraying him, he had him arrested in America for trying to plot to assasinate President Lincoln.


All Jack the Ripper victims were female prostitutes. Francis Tumblety as written earlier mistakenly married a prostitute, but later found her with a 'client'. He was also known having a hatred for women. Maybe Jack the Ripper was trying to get back at his ex-wife? or maybe he wanted to 'clean' the earth free of 'unworthy' women? or Was it purely from the hatred of women? Francis Tumblety died on the 20th of May1903.



TIMELINE
31st August 1888-3.40am-Body of Mary Nichols discovered-Bucks Row

8th September 1888-5.30 - 6.00am-Annie Chapman murdered


27th September 1888-A letter is received at the Central News Agency, It is signed
JACK THE RIPPER



30th September 1888-A double murder, two women killed within an hour
1 am-Elizabeth Strides body is found
1.45 am-Catherine Eddowes body is found-Mitre Square


6th October 1888-The Central News Agency are sent a second letter from Jack the Ripper

16th October 1888 The president of the Whitechappel vigilance committee receives a letter
and half a human kidney said to be from Catharine Eddowes body.

9th November 1888-Mary Kelly an Irish girl is murdered-Dorset Street, Spitalfields


References
http://www.casebook.org/suspects/tumblety.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Martin Luther King Jr

Martin Luther King, Jr, was born on January 15th 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of Martin Luther King Sr a reverend, and Alberta Williams King. Martin and his father were both originally born as Michael, but later changed their names to Martin in order to honor the German Protestant Martin Luther in 1934. Martin had an older sister Willie Christine born on September 11th 1927, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel born on the 30th of July 1930 who sadly died on July 1st 1969.

Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia; Martin graduated from high school at the age of fifteen. Continuing his studies at Morehouse college, a highly respected Negro college where both his grandfather and father had attended, Martin was fortunate enough to later receive the B. A. degree in 1948. After three years of religeous study at the Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania he was elected president of a mainly white senior class. Martin then enrolled for graduate studies at Boston University, completing to recieve the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955.
While in Boston Martin met Coretta Scott who he later married having two sons and two daughters together. In 1954 Martin was offered the role of being pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, which he accepted.

Martin who was always a strong supporter for civil rights, became a member of the executive committee of the 'National Association for the Advancement of Colored People', the leading organization of its kind in the nation.

Martin as a young man was influenced by various people including a Civil rights leader Howard Thurman who was a classmate of Martins father at Morehouse College. Howard Thurman did a lot of missionary work which introduced Martin to Mohandas Gannhi. When Martin was a student at Boston University, he would often visit Howard, who at the time was principal of Marsh Chapel; Walter Fluker, a man who studied Howard Thurmans writings, said

"I don't believe you'd get a Martin Luther King, Jr. without a Howard Thurman".

Martin visited Mohandas Gandhi another inspiration to his life in 1959. The trip to India made a huge impact on Martins life, leading him to understand non-violent resistance and strengthening his commitment to America’s struggle for civil rights. Martin commented in a radio interview

"“Since being in India, I am more convinced than ever before that the method of nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity. In a real sense, Mahatma Gandhi embodied in his life certain universal principles that are inherent in the moral structure of the universe, and these principles are as inescapable as the law of gravitation.”"

Martin was hugely impacted by Jesus, Martin from a young boy was very aware of Jesus, especially growing up in such a religieous family.

Martin left many legacies for future generations to see, and learn from which include;Martins participation in the civil rights movement while also being criticized by many groups including an opposition from the Nation of Islam member Malcolm X who was a strong believer in violence and force.A sidewalk plaque in downtown Washington, honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
A statue of Martin located in Ingram Park, Alabama.
Coretta Scott King, Martins wife, followed in Martins footsteps and was very aware in the matters of social justice and civil rights until her death in 2006. Coretta established the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, dedicated to keeping his legacy and work on non-violent conflict resolution and tolerance worldwide.
The name 'Martin Luther King Jr' has often been used since his death as people have issues even amonst the King family, e.g. Would Martin support gay rights? Coretta said that she believed her husband would have supported gay rights, yet his daughter Bernice believed he would have been against it.
Martin Luther Kings first major achievement was when he helped take control in the black boycott in the Montgomery bus system in early 1955. This was organised after a black woman named Rosa Parks, refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white man. In the segregated south, black people were only allowed to sit at the back of the bus. The bus boycott which lasted for 382 days forced the bus company to change its regulations.

In 1963, Martin led mass protests against discrimination in Birmingham, Alabama, where the white population were violently hoping for a non-segregated community. The city was later said to be named 'Bombingham' as attacks against civil rights protesters increased, and Martin was arrested and jailed for his part in the protests. After being released, Martin participated in the huge civil rights march in Washington, sometime in August 1963. This is where Martin delivered his famous 'I have a dream' speech
{Link to speech:(http://www.mlkonline.net/dream.html)}, where he saw a day when the promise of freedom and equality for all would become a real in America.
On March 29th 1968, Martin travelled to Memphis Tennessee to support the black sanitary public work employees.
On April 3rd, Martin addressed a 'rally' and delivered a speech at Mason Temple, the World Headquarters for the Church of God in Christ. MartinsKing's flight to Memphis had been delayed by a bomb threat on his plane. In the closing of Martins last speech for his career, in relation to the bomb threat, Martin said
"And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

King was arranged to stay in room 306 at the Lorraine Motel, owned by Walter Bailey, a small town in Memphis. While Martin was standing on the motel's second floor balcony, at 6:01 April 4th 1968 Martin was shot. The bullet peirced through his right cheek smashing his jaw and then traveling down his spinal cord before stopping at his shoulder
After emergency surgery, Martin Luther King Jr was announced dead at St. Joseph's Hospital at 7:05 p.m. The assassination led to a nationwide wave of riots in more than 100 cities.
By Josh

Monday, June 9, 2008

South Africas Economy

South Africa has a rising market with a huge amount of
natural resources, on top of that they have a stock exchange that is the 17th largest in the world.

South Africa have famous depositories in gold and diamonds, these depositories contain large amounts of gold and diamonds. South Africa also has large supplies in chromite, copper, coal,
iron ore, platinum, manganese, silver and uranium. Oil has never been found in South Africa although oil has been produces from coal. South Africa also deposites natural gasses near the countries shore.
Although South Africa seems to have a rich variety of recources they lack some other natural resources; only a third of South Africa recieves enough rain to grow crops easily. South Africa also has poor forest resources.

South Africas economic sectors which employ the most people are:-
-Community, Government and Personal Resources
Number of People: 3 450 000
-Trade, Restaurants and Hotels
Number of People: 2 451 000
-Manufacturing
Number of People: 1 634 000

South Africas largest/most important industry would have to be Gold and Diamond mining, this industry is favouring the labour-instensive category as people are hired to excavate gold and diamonds, generally with very little pay.



http://www.uneca.org/aknf/pub/infoecosummary.htm (link to a clearer picture)


These statistics shown above show the advanced technology used in South Africa, it shows how South Africa compares to other parts of Africa and the world. South Africa seems to be reasonably advanced with it's technology when compared to the world (which includes countries highly advanced with technology including Japan and America).


South Africa is mainly mixed economy although it tends to be more of a Market Economy, this means that the consumers tend to make most of the descisions for the country.

Although economic growth has improved in South Africa, the growth has left many people jobless, yet a quicker growth is still needed. The South African Government estimates that the economy must grow at least an average of 4.5% until 2010 and 6% evary year after to reach its goal of hoping to halve the high levels of unemployment, estimated roughly around 26.5% by 2014.
With South Africas goal to boost economic growth further, and to increase job creation, the government has decided to set seperate goals to develop specific regions, and trying to also work to encourage the people developing small, medium, and micro buisnesses.

Western Australia compared to South Africa shows huge differences in it's economy , for instance the unemployment in South Africa is extremely high, roughly 24.3%, and is seen as one of the worst problems facing the government; when compared to Western Australia there is a 19.9% differance, and unemployment is one of the problems the government is least concerned

http://www.uneca.org/aknf/pub/infoecosummary.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa#Economy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html

Monday, May 12, 2008

Western Australia-Economy

Western Australia's economy is highly based on the exporting of mining and petroleum resources, especially iron , aluminium, natural gasses, nickel and gold.

The Pilbara is the main producer of Petroleum and iron ore, they also produce a high amount of manganese in the state. The Kimberley's produce one third of the worlds yearly production of diamonds; these diamonds are mined at the Argyle and Ellendale diamond mines. The Kimberley's also produce oil, the oil is extracted from the Blina oil field and the gas that the Kimberley's produce is soon expected to be taken from offshore sources. The South-West region produces alumina, mineral sands, agriculture, viticulture, timber and tourism contribute to the economy; the last main producer of goods in Australia are the Goldfields, the goldfields produce gold, nickel, fish, wheat, barley and various fertilizers.

Our economy has various strengths, some of these include having good connections with China, having high prices for our exporting goods, and having a low Inflation. But then again we also have various weaknesses which are our dependence on other economies and exporting a huge amount of our goods.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_australia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberley_%28Western_Australia%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_in_Western_Australia

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Climate Change - Antarctica

The Antarctic is an extremely important part of the Earth's climate system and is very vulnerable to temperature change. Even though Antarctica is separated from the rest of the world, it gives us a lot of important global information. Knowing about the Antarctic's global effects, can tell us about what the continent was like in the past, and can even give us predictions on what the earth will be like in many years.

Some areas in the poles are warming at the rate of two or three times the global average; The most recent news about global warming causing problems in Antarctica started on the 28th of February 2008. Satellite images show that a 414 square meter chunk from western Antarctica broke off. It was a part of the Wilkins ice shelf which has been a part of Antarctica for hundreds of years, roughly estimated around 1500 years.

"The sudden collapse is the result of global warming" says Antarctic Scientist David Vaughan.

During the collapsing of the ice cap, satellite cameras turned toward the Wilkins Ice Shelf, even planes and helicopters flew by to witness the massive break of the Wilkins Ice Shelf.. Breaks like these are un-common but have been happening more often, the rest of the Wilkins ice shelf is being held together by a thin piece of ice, scientists are worried that it may collapse in as soon as 2023.

The area that recently collapsed makes up only about four per cent of the whole shelf, but it is a very important part which may lead into other collapses into the Wilkins Ice Shelf. There are still possibilities that the rest of the ice shelf will survive until next year, as it is coming to the end of the Antarctic summer and colder weather is coming. Scientists say that they are not worried about sea levels rising from the latest ice collapsing, but they say it is a sign of global warming getting worse.

The climate in Antarctica is very unusual and isolated from the rest of the world. Antarctica is not getting warmer although some areas are cooling. Western Antarctica, which includes the Wilkins ice shelf, sticks out into the ocean which is being warmed, this is the area of Antarctica where scientists are most worried about ice melting, leading to the sea-levels rising.

The Antarctic ice core gives us the most understandable link between the levels of green-house gasses and climate change. Geologists can get information from Antarctica today, which gives us information about 100's of years ago. Geologists gather this information by examining Antarctic rocks and sediments, gathered from areas including the sea and lake beds, they can even gather information which can tell us what the earth was like millions of years ago when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Geologists can also gather information about ice-sheets, and find out how much these ice sheets have shrunk over the many years, this is extremely important if we want to be able to predict how these ice-sheets will react and change in the future.

Scientists gather information about climate change on and off land. As the water warms around Antarctica, ecologists are studying how penguins, seals and the other species of animals which live around Antarctica are reacting to the changes of global warming.

Antarctica has only two plant species which contains flowers, these plants can only be found on the Peninsula. But these plant species have spread quite a bit in the last few decades in many areas, in some areas they are becoming the main species.
Adelie Penguins have also been in danger, as the number of the Adelie penguins have been reducing in parts of the Antarctic Peninsula region for the last 20 years.
Adelie penguins have also been abandoning certain nesting sites, leaving the Chinstrap penguins to take their place. Adelie penguins require pack ice for most of the year and feed almost only on Krill; as for the Chinstrap penguins, they eat a wider variety of foods and rather open waters.

Sea ice has reduced a fare bit over the last 20 years, due to the temperatures rising in the peninsula region. Gentoo penguins have also begun to nest in the Peninsula in recent years. This has only happened recently, as evidence from bones and remains found in abandoned colonies tells us that Gentoo penguins have not nested in these areas prior to the 1950's.

The amount of krill found in Antarctica has reduced rapidly in recent years. The reason for this is a rapid fall in sea-ice, this effects krill so much as the krill feed on the algae found under the sea ice near the Antarctic Peninsula. Krill numbers may have been reduced by a possible 80% since the 1970's, meaning that today krill stocks are a tiny fifth of what they were 30 years ago. Reducing krill numbers may lead to a lack of food sources to some species of penguin.


The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the places in the world where it has been affected by temperature change due to global warming so badly. The Antarctic Peninsula has warmed by a possible 2.5 degrees Celsius in the last 50 years which is much more than the average global rate, which also leads to a decrease in winter sea-ice cover. Scientists don't really know how the loss of sea-ice in the Antarctic Peninsula is linked to global warming, but they do believe that it could be behind the rapid reduction of krill.

Although global warming is so bad, especially in the Antarctic regions, we can help reduce it by doing simple jobs like; buying a less polluting car and using it less often, finding a more efficient refrigeration system, as fridges and freezers are one of the most energy consuming house-hold appliance, reducing the amount of un-natural heating in the house or office by using insulation, or even by turning down heating appliances by one degree, reduce water heating requirements by taking showers not baths, taking normal showers and not power-showers, or getting a more energy efficient washing machine or even using energy efficient light bulbs or fluorescent lighting and turning them off when not needed.








The graph above shows the average monthly temperatures, in various places in Antarctica.



The link here is a small clip about the Wilkins Ice Shelf collapsing and a little bit of information about global warming/climate change.



BIBLIOGRAPHY:

http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/global_warming.htm

http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/global_warming2.htm

http://youtube.com/watch?v=r2ceKlzF6Ak
http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/antarctica%20environment/climate_graph/antarctica_climate_graph_comparitive.htm

http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/bas_research/our_research/topics/climate_change.php

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5j6x_fnUxgACBfCrsLwdBBtYHiCNw

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

The Black Rhino


Introduction
The rhino or rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)is one of the largest land mammals on earth. The rhino has a very unusual body, it has two small horns on its head which is connected to a massive body, which is carried by four short, stumpy legs. The Black Rhino is critically endangered, the main reason why the Rhino is endangered is by humans, mainly by poaching their horns.
The Rhino Family
The rhinoceros family is a part of the ungulate family along with many other mammals. Ungulates are animals with hooves, which means they carry their weight on one or two toes.

The rhin
oceros family contains five species, the Indian, Javan and Sumatran, which all live in Asia, but the black and white rhinos live in Africa. All these rhinos look differant with distinctive features, e.g. The Black Rhino has two horns, but the Indian rhinos have only one Horn.

Habitat
Black Rhinos live in various places and habitats, some live in rocky desert habitats with few plants, rainforest's on lower mountain slopes but most Black Rhinos live in bushveld habitats. A bushveld habitat is an area of land with coarse grass, dense areas of tough shrubs and trees such as wild fig and marula. These bushveld habitats are better known as thickets, the thickets provide cover and shade for other bushveld animals such as elephants, kudu, giraffe and occasionally the white rhinos.

Rhino Numbers

In the 1960's, scientists estimated that were approximately 100 000 black rhinos in Africa, but a count in 2003 showed that there were approximately 3100, the population has decreased so rapidly because of the demand for the rhino horns. The black rhino is already extinct in some places, in the others it will be likely that they could be extinct very soon.
How Poachers Kill

Rhinos are no near dangered from wild animals then humans, the humans kill rhinos for their horns. The poachers (the people who kill rhinos for their horns) use various techniques for catching the rhinos, they usually use wire traps or snares, the snares are a slow painful death, but some poachers will just use machine guns for a more quicker and efficient death. These traps are usually placed between water holes, on their tracks or on their home-range. The horns are cut of by either machetes or chainsaws.

Why Poachers Want The Horns
There are two main reasons why poachers cut the horns of the rhinos, both are for cultural traditions. In the middle-east a horn is given during a ceremony, marking the time when a boy becomes a man; the horn is carved into a handle on a dagger called a Jambiya. The largest demand for rhino horns come from South Asia where they use the horn in traditional medicines. The horn gets shaved our powdered then boiled into a potion which is supposedly relieves fevers. The demand for the expensive horn medicine has increased as more people have become richer.

The Black Rhino

Stopping Poachers
People have tried to stop poaching in differant ways. One is to make sure that the laws against poaching are put in place. A second way is to 'dehorn' the rhinos so the poachers won't kill them and thirdly is to encourage the people who use these traditions to update it so the rhino horns aren't required. Black rhinos are protected animals, meaning it is against the law to kill a rhino and sell its horn. If poachers are caught they face punishments which include fines and being put in jail, but many people take the risk to use the money which is bought from the horn (which isn't that much) to support their families or for other differant reasons, but the risk isn't that much as the land that the rhinos live in are huge and there isn't that many wildlife wardens. A poacher who is caught has to pay a fine usually around $10. But these poachers have the right equipment to go and poach a rhino quickly, and if caught can hurt or even kill the guards.
To dehorn a rhino a vet has to simply shoot a rhino with a tranquilizer dart so it falls asleep and than the horn gets cut off. Although the horns are important, rhinos can still survive without them. A problem with dehorning a rhino is that it is expensive to hire vets who will do it. But it is not a one-off thing either, it has to be repeated every few years as the horn can regrow at a rate of around 7cm per year.

The Rhinos Endangered Habitat


The number of people on earth is increasing, meaning more people need the land to live and work on, and food to eat. This means that the natural habitats are being destroyed and many wildlife populations (including the black rhinos) have decreased quickly. When habitats are destroyed people are usually happy as it means new jobs may be made. But when the land is cleared and the habitat is destroyed, it can lead to other problems as well, like if the land is used for mining, it may cause poisonous waste which can pollute rivers and land.

Preserving The Habitat


To preserve the habitat of the rhino and other endangered animals, conservation workers make protected areas. The conservation workers try to make the protected areas as large as possible so it can support other animals as well; but setting up the protected areas is difficult as it may be expensive to buy the land and it will also be very expensive to employ wardens and their equipment-vehicles, uniforms etc..

Conclusion


There is a lot of effort being put in to save rhino's by many people, but still, so many populations of the rhino are endangered. Sadly scientists think that the rhino could be extinct by 2002. This means within the twelve years a lot more effort needs to be put in, poachers need to understand that their are alternatives to killing rhinos for their horn, especially now that land is being cleared it opens many new jobs that need to be done.


By Josh

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Orangutans


Orangutans are the largest tree climbing animal and the only great ape found in Asia. They have a characteristic ape like shape, with distict orange-red fur. With long powerful arms reaching up to six feet in length, they are able to travel from one tree to another.

There are approximately only forty-six thousand five hundred of these animals left in the wild. They are found primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia.

The lowland forest habitats of this endangered species is fast disappearing due to logging, and deliberate burning to make way for agricultural land. Unless these great apes are conserved in protected areas and in wider forest landscapes connected by corridors they may well face extinction in the wild.
By Josh and Jacob