Sherlock Holmes Stories

The Speckled Band

This book is named Sherlock Holmes Stories and was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The main idea of the book centres on some mysterious cases that Sherlock Holmes resolves with help from his friend Watson.

The Speckled Band is a chapter which started describing us a woman that searched for Holmes, her name was Helen Stoner; she used to live with Roylott her stepfather because her mother and sister Julia died, he was a very violent man. When they get married they should recieve a part of the money her mother owned. Her sister died in a strange way and before she was unconscious she only said, “It was the speckled band!”. After Helen left the room her stepfather appears and demanded Holmes to stay away from him.

Holmes and Watson went to Helen´s house and Holmes looked very worried because of the things he saw in the bedrooms; there were a ventilator and a useless bell-rope. They told Helen to stay that night in her room because they were going to stay in her sister room. Holmes and Watson were in complete silence and darkness, suddenly they heard the most terrible noice from Roylott’s room, he was sitting in a chair beside a table helding in his hands a lenght of rope and around his head was a strange band with spots and they realized it was a snake. The snake passed through the ventilator it was really dificult to discover the poison in the dead body.

This chapter is really interesitng, it’s completely full of mystery and it’s perfectly complemented with a horrible and malicious villian. Holmes’s initial confrontation with the sinister Dr Roylott became the story very much exciting, Holmes perceives great danger and lays a complicated plan to defeat Helen. The melodrama of events is set always into Holmes's deductions.

The real mystery is not who killed Julia and threatens Helen, it’s how the murder took place. Also I like a lot the imaginative descriptions I could found in the chapter.

This is the first book I have read by Arthur Conan Doyle, and I have to say i doubt it will be my last. I consider that this chapter is the best of the this Sir Arthur Conan book, definitively I will keep this book as one of my favorites.

Sherlock Holmes Stories

Silver Blaze

The title of this book is Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It talks about mysterious and difficult cases that were solved by Sherlock Holmes.

In this chapter Holmes and Watson are interested in the disapperance of the racehorse Silver Blaze and the murder of it’s trainer Straker. The owner of the horse is Colonel Ross and he sent several telegrams asking for Holmes help.
On Monday night Straker’s maid and Ned, one of the stable boys, saw a stranger leaning through the small stable window, later that night Straker walked to the stables but he never returned, he was found dead and Silver Blaze gone. Gregory, the officer in charge arrested the stranger named Simpson, he was a bettor and has bet five thousand pounds against Silver Blaze.

Holmes asked Gregory to see what Straker had in his pockets and there was a box of matches, some papers and a small knife, later they arrived at the place where the body was found and saw a half burnt match.
They began thinking where the horse could possibly go, the walked through a low-lying land and saw the marks of a horse and beside it some footprints, they followed it and arrived to Mapleton stable, which trainer was Silas Brown; Holmes described to him exactly his actions and he thought Holmes actually watched him.

Four days later Holmes and Watson went to the career and Silver Blaze name had remained in the race, the Colonel’s horse won easily; the horse was the same and Holmes told them that the murderer killed to save himself and that Straker wasn’t the honest man he appeared. Holmes explained later that with the knife in Straker’s pocket, he cut the horse’s leg, he needed money because he had a lady friend so he was going to make Silver Blaze lame and bit on another horse. The bright candle scared the horse and it hit Strake. So the horse was loocked by a neightboor.

I felt more confused with this chapter than with the others I have read , it’s well complete with intrigue and we start imagining many different solutions to the case. The author really made me feel a little confused when I imagined Sherlock doubting but at the end we discovered that he knew, almost since the beginning, the truth.

It’s really a good story, it’s very well written but I think that Watson should be more helpfull for Holmes, I would like that he had more participation finding some clues or studying more the evidences also.

Vast cracks appear in Arctic ice

During an expedition by the Canadian military, dramatic evidence of the break-up of the Arctic ice-cap was founded. The team found a network of cracks that stretched for more than 10 miles (16km) on Ward Hunt, the area's largest shelf.

The expedition's scientists were astonished to see these new cracks, they explaine that the ice shelf is disintegrating, the pieces are together like a puzzle but could float away.

We are starting to see very dramatic changes. We had 23% less sea ice last year than we've ever had.

After the record Arctic melting last year, all eyes are now on what happens to the sea ice this summer. It's very worrying that in the last 4 years the sea ice has disappeared more than in the last 20 years.

Every year we will see more and more changes, the planet temperature will increase, the seasons will become unpredictable, etc. We have to start thinking in controling the climate change as a need and an obligation because we all are responsable to take care of the planet.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7417123.stm

Austrian 'hid daughter in cellar'

The existence of an austrian woman, believed missing since 1984, is known thanks to the illnes of one of her doughters. This woman had been hidden for her father and he's on suspicion of having seven children with her. It was assumed she had disappeared voluntarily when her parents received a letter from her asking them not to search for her.

The man, named only as Josef F, was arrested on suspicion of incest and keeping his daughter in captivity. It seems that one of the children died while the woman was giving birth. Three children, including the 19 year old, were with their mother, while the other three used to live with their grandparents.

The mother, named as Elizabeth , has been receiving medical and psychological treatment since she was discovered. She appeared very disturbed and she just wanted to be sure of don't have contact with her father ever again.

The children are being cared individually, the ones between 12 and 16 are those who grew with their grandparents and two boys who went out with their mother saw the daylight for the first time un their lives.

It's unbelievable that a person could be so mean, crazy and insensitive for having his own doughter hidden but it wasn't the worst part. I think that Elizabeth was very brave when she tried to save her children, mostly because I suppose that is unreasonable to think that you are mother and sister of your kids at the same time!

I was really shocked when I listened the story and I hope that Elizabeth and her children can enjoy all the things that were banned for them and have a life without suffering.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7370060.stm

Sherlock Holmes Stories

The Empty House.

The chapter named The Empty House of Sherlock Holmes Stories book start talking about the murder of Ronald Adair. By that time Dr Watson was sure about Sherlock Holmes death and he had been being very interested in crime and those days the most interesting case was the death of Ronald Adair; he was very popular and belonged to several clubs in London. The day he died he played a cards game and return to his home, when his mother tried to say goodnight to him the door was locked and he didn’t answer. He was founded death in his table.

There were a lot of difficulties around the investigation and Watson went to take a look on Ronald’s window. Standing there he suddenly knocked with some old and strange man. When Watson returned to his house and the strange man was there but he realized that the man was Sherlock Holmes! He couldn’t believe it.

Holmes started explained that he wasn’t in that place where supposedly he had died. Someone called Moriarty wanted to kill him, they fought and Moriarty fall down. But he wasn’t the only person who wanted to kill him so Holmes had to hide and waited until something like Ronald’s murder happened to return to London.

They walked in a dark lonely street until they arrived to an empty and completely dark place; Watson looked up to one room and saw the shadow of an exactly model of Holmes, they old enemies had been watching his room. A man entered but they were hiding already, he had a kind of rifle. Holmes and Watson hit him and the police rushed, it was Colonel Sebastian Moran, one of the best shots.

Holmes examined the weapon and said –you have the man who shot Ronald Adair through the window-. He had played cards with Ronald followed him and shot through his window. He couldn’t explain why but Holmes supposed that Ronald discovered Moran cheating; he could not leave the club so he had to kill him.

It was really surprising found that Sherlock Holmes wasn’t dead and I supposed hat most be really shocking see someone you thought was dead. I find this chapter a little bit more difficult because we have to relation all the stories and imagine how Holmes could survive every time someone tried to kill him.

I think that the purpose of the author was really accomplished because you always keep linked with the story.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was very fun and interesting.

Sherlock Holmes Stories

The Man with the Twisted Lip

The title of this book is Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It talks about mysterious and difficult cases that were solved by Sherlock Holmes.

In the chapter named The man with the Twisted Lip, the conflict started when Kate Whitney’s husband, Isa Whitney, hadn’t been home for two days. She asked for help to a close couple of friends, Dr Watson and his wife. Isa had the terrible habit of taking opium and Watson went to an opium house to look for Isa. In that house he found an old friend, Sherlock Holmes who told him to send his friend to his house and wait for him outside.

Holmes was in the middle of a case, he was looking for Neville Sinclair. They traveled together to Mrs. Sinclair’s house and started the story. Mr. Neville was married and had two children. He traveled everyday to London. Last Monday he went to London as usual and his wife was there too, she walked by the street where the opium house was and saw her husband in a window but he disappeared. She looked for a policeman to examine the house but she only found a person called the Indian and a beggar named Hugh Bone. In Hugh’s room they found all of Sinclair’s clothes except his coat. Bone had a dirty face and a twisted lip; he was taken away to the police station.

Mrs. Sinclair had received a letter from his husband, it said that she mustn’t been worried. The next day Watson and Holmes traveled to London and went to the police station. Hugh hadn’t wanted to wash his face so he was dirty and look ban with his twisted lip. When Holmes entered to the prisoner’s room he was sleeping so Holmes washed his face and said –“Gentlemen allow me to present you Mr. Neville Sinclair”-.
Everybody was shocked.

The man said that he didn’t want his wife and children to be ashamed of him. When he was young he was a report paper and his boss asked him to write a story about beggars, so he dressed as a beggar to have enough information, but he realized that he could earn much money as a beggar, so he decided to become one.

I like a lot suspense books and especially this chapter is very mysterious, I was totally interested in continue reading and reading until I could finally know what happened with Mr. Neville.

I think it was a very surprising final, I started thinking this was a murder but I never imagined that he was only trying to keep save his secret. It’s believable for me because very often we hear stories about couples which keep secrets between them.

It’s nice that sometimes we can admire such an intelligent man as Holmes, who was deeply committed with hid job and really enjoyed and loved it.

Bush and Putin to meet next week

US President George W. Bush has accepted an invitation to meet Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Bush said that he would like to discuss American plans to implement a missile defence system in Eastern Europe.

Russia has criticised a lot of US proposals but Bush seemed very optimistic when he recieved the invitation to met Putin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told to a local newspaper that US had agreed to allow Moscow to monitor the missile defence system.

President Bush believes that the system will help US to counter a threat form Iran but Russia is afraid this could be use against them.

I think that President Bush should start thinking that the next president won't take the same actions about war in Irak and it's probably that that there won't be continuity to his plans.

RaSinG ArIzoNa

• Hi is a guy who was in jail several times, he met a girl named Ed, they fall in love and he proposed to her but she could not have babies.
• Hi and Ed stole a baby from a couple who had 5 babies.
• He broke his boss nose because he was disrespectful with Ed, so he fired Hi and he had to stole diapers and food for the baby.
• Ed and Hi decided to return the baby to his home because they thought they weren't capable to be good parents.

When Galaxies Collide

This is a very interesting video about Galaxy collision. Astronomers have been always very interested and have been studing Galaxies; nowdays it's easier with current telescopes.

In this video we have the explanation about how a small near Galaxy named M82 collides with it's neighbor, a bigger Galaxy named M81. They can see little remnants that M82 left, it doesn't have tha same bright concentration of a normal Galaxy, it has very peculiar colors and all this seem to be type of a collision.

In Galaxy collisions the smallest detale can help to discover when hapened the collide. Gases keep crashing with other gases and astronomers think that this is how all Galaxies were formed. A lot of things like this keep hapening in the universe and M82 is only one little example of this.

Milky Way Galaxy maybe crashed and collide with other Galaxies in the distance past and M82 and M81 explanation can help us to understand how were formed the Galaxy we're living today.

http://hubblesite.org/gallery/movie_theater/hm_gallaxy_collisions/

Fidel Castro says Raul in charge

Fidel´s brother, Raul, is now in charge of Cuba. Fidel thinks that the best person to be the new president of Cuba is his brother but i think that he just want keep controling the country and the person that he can manipulate the most is his brother Raul.

Fidel Castro is 81 years old and his brother is 76, so i don't believe he's thinking on the future of the country, he only want's to control people as much as hi can. There were also elected two generals and both are in the 70's too. He is just lengthen his power on Cuba's people by leaving persons who continue his same way of govern.

Fidel is also writing a column every Friday in a local newspaper, this way people won't forget him and everybody will know what Fidel likes and wants.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7272246.stm

Farmers en the UK are very worried because they are almost sure that the bluetonge virus will spread again in the middle of march. Scientists warn that tihis year brings so much risk.



The vaccine of this virus will not be ready until the animals became infected again. They may not stop the virus spread but they can give the vaccines to the areas that have the risk to be infected first.

The vaccine is supposed to arrived in May, at the same time with the virus.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7258796.stm

I think that is really important thay goverments are taking consciousness about global warming. Discuss with the lawmakers of 13 countries is a huge step because this will influence agreements to determinate de policy of this countries.

This meeting will shows a lot of proposals from eight of the richiest countries and five developing countries like Mexico or Brazil, so they can have a view about the most avaliable agreement they can get.

Industries and organizations will need to increase the amount of money to this problem so we can adapt to the changes that climate is bringing us already.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7255316.stm