Research Proposition

I am interested in the Northern Ireland Conflicts, or "The Troubles." I took a trip to Northern Ireland this summer and wish to learn more about the specifics of the separation between Catholics and Protestants.

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/landon.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles

Research question:
How, specifically, did the separation of Catholics and Protestants manifest themselves?
i.e: economically, socially, geographically,

Multi Media Project

Journey from Zanskar

Image or thoughts in Your Head Maus II pg 1-75

The image that i found particularly jolting was on page 54.  The last two panels are about one of the only times he directly spoke to a S.S guard.  While the guard did not directly fear Vladek he feared the consequences of showing weakness in front of the prisoners. In the first panel the empty eyes of the guard look almost pitiable but when the panel zooms out he is back to his formidable stone appearance.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1076399.stm

This article reviews what has been happening in the Congo over the past 50 years.  It is not as in depth as the timeline that we saw earlier but focuses on the early economic status and rebels groups that have attempted coups since then.  It talks about the different leaders and what they did while in power.  This article shows how the change in power have caused an unstable government and have caused many deaths all over the country.

http://www.globalissues.org/article/87/the-democratic-republic-of-congo
This article also depicts the past power changes however this focuses on the causes of change and the effects it has had on the people inducing displacement and violations of human rights by the rebel groups.

discussion questions for ch 8

How do the white men keep control over such large populations of Africans specifically in this chapter and could there have been a different, more effective way?

Was this a turning point for Leopold in your mind? Why/Why not?

Why do you think so many young men longed for the battle field in Congo as opposed to other countries?

King Leopolds Ghosts discussion questions, Sept 9th

Was it a good decision for Stanley to explore with men who had no experience as travelers? Why or why not?

It was a bad decision to travel with men who had no experience.  I understand the need to be the most experienced person on an expedition but to have completely inexperienced people as your equals is irresponsible and dangerous.   The logic behind this decision was not sound nor would it be accepted in many societies.  He also wanted to be the person to name all of the land marks that the expedition happened upon.  Being the head of expedition and the most experienced traveler he could have this power.  Also being in this position of power he would acquire the most wealth from the expedition, if he made it.

33-60

""Leopold is subtle and sly," he told one of his ministers.  "He never takes a chance.  The other day...i watched a fox which wanmted to cross a stream unobserved: first of all he dipped a paw carefully to see how deep it was, and then, with a thousand precautions, very slowly made his way across .  That is Leopolds way!"  Leopold would not always be cautious; at times he would overreach himself or reveal too much about what prey he was after" (34)

"Stanley would not allow porters ill with smallpox to stay behind and convalence, or even walk off into the forest and die; he made them carry their loads until they dropped." (56)

"Modren psychiatry would doubtless have a more precise diagnosis but the language of her day seems more appropirate: Carlota went mad." (41)

Was King Leopold destined to become who he was because of his childhood?
Did Stanly's character traits, such the need for fame, exaggeration, and violent tendencies, play a role in Leopold's success?

KLG 1-32

I found the intro and very interesting. Seeing the imperilasim begin in Africxa madce it much more real to me than before.  Before it was a distant history that never quite made sense. Now I see the allure of Africa.

Current Events Reporting- Girls School Attack

1. What's being discussed in this article?

A girls school in Afghanistan was attacked with a potentially deadly gas.  The area the school was in is under the illegitimate control of the Taliban at this time.  Many fainted after a strong stanch of human waste permeated the main block of the school.  Many were rushed to the hospital but there were no deaths.  The attackers were most likely "enemies of womens education."

1. When did the event happen? (Is this breaking news or something that's been analyzed and discussed for a while?)

This happened two days ago.  Some of the details, such as the type of poison and how many true victims there were, are still undetermined.  This is a preliminary finding.

1. What questions do you have that would help make this article make more sense to you? What more do you need to learn about to be able to report on this event?

Do the Taliban in the area normally attack this way?

what actually poisoned the girls? 

Who else have been targets of attacks like this?

What News Worthy Events Do You Remember From Your Lifetime?

Homework: August 25

Me:
9/11: I was in third grade and my teacher ran though and told us the twin towers fell.
Barney was arrested for cocaine
Princess Diana killed: My mom told me that its what happened when people don't pay attention while driving.  I did not understand the magnitude of her death until many years later

Parent/Adult: My mom
When the St. Louis Cardinals football team was moved in the middle of the night to Arizona
The Challenger blowing up while she was at work

Test Post

I hope this works. Enjoy my blog.