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Whether you have a new iPad, an older iPad, or an iPad mini, consider using a protective case or carrying bag to minimize the risk of damage. True, the sleek design of this tablet family makes you want to show off your iPad, but they are still vulnerable to scratches and scuffs. While we haven’t tested every case and bag on the market, here’s a rundown of the most common types, along with a few good examples of each.

Shopping tips

There are hundreds of third-party iPad cases and bags on the market, each specifically made for either the full-sized iPad or the iPad mini. Because the third-and fourth-generation iPad models have the same body size, many cases are made to fit both, but there are a few exceptions. Here are a few things to look for when shopping for iPad protection.

When looking at the full-sized iPad line, keep in mind that, apart from the third- and fourth-generation iPads, each iPad model has a slightly different shape from the last. A case or bag made for one model in particular may not fit any other; this is particularly true when it comes to the original iPad. Many cases made for the iPad 2 also fit the third-generation iPad, but not all do. Cases made specifically for the third-generation iPad _should_ also fit the iPad 2 and the newest iPad (the fourth-gen), but there are some exceptions. If you’re not confused enough, here’s another caveat—cases made specifically for the fourth-generation iPad may not be compatible with the third-generation iPad; although they share the same body design, the Lightning port on the fourth-gen model is much smaller than the 30-pin dock-connector port found on the third-gen, so if a case has a cutout on the bottom designed for the Lighting port, it won’t be large enough to fit the older port.

Though this sounds like a lot of information, relax: most cases specify which iPad models they’ll work with on the packaging. If it's not clear whether a particular product fits your iPad, compare the case or bag's specs with Apple’s iPad specifications, ask a store employee, read customer reviews, or e-mail the vendor, to confirm. Because there is only one model of the iPad mini to date, any case designed for the mini will fit _your_ mini, no matter what carrier or version you have.

When shopping for a form-fitting case, make sure it doesn’t block the iPad's bottom-mounted speaker and dock-connector or Lightning port; top-mounted headphone jack and microphone; front and back cameras (for all models apart from the original iPad); and buttons and switches—unless, of course, the case is designed so that you take your iPad out of the case to use it.

If you're shopping for a bag, and you see one that claims to be perfect for both iPads and netbooks, be suspicious. Most of the bags that claim to fit both classes of products end up being a poor fit for the iPad—the iPad is _much_ thinner than the typical netbook and will swim around inside. Same goes for the iPad mini—bags with sleeves designed for the iPad are likely to be too large for the mini and won’t provide a snug enough fit.

Case types and recommendations

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Apple Smart Cover for iPad mini
APPLE SMART COVER: Apple’s in-house protector for the iPad can’t really be called a case—as its name implies, the Smart Cover for the iPad 2 or later (polyurethane, $39; leather, $69) and the iPad mini (polyurethane, $39) is really just a cover, and one that protects only the iPad’s screen at that. But oh, what a clever cover it is, containing a slew of neatly arranged magnets that let the Smart Cover’s hinge attach, perfectly oriented, to the edge of the iPad; adhere to the iPad’s screen; and automatically sleep and wake the iPad when you close and open the cover, respectively. The Smart Cover also rolls up into a triangular shape to act as both a typing stand and a viewing stand. (Note that if you want to use the Smart Cover with another case, make sure the latter leaves room for the Smart Cover to attach to the left-hand side of the iPad.)

Apple makes a more-protective option for the full-sized iPad—the Smart Case ($49), which combines a polyurethane shell with a Smart Cover to provide full-body protection.

For a different look with the same functionality, the Miniot Cover MK2 ($91) is a sleek-looking Smart Cover-esque case made from solid wood.

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X-doria Engage
SHELLS AND SKINS: Shells and silicone skins generally cover the back and sides of your iPad, but not the screen, offering moderate protection while letting you use the iPad in its case. These cases range from thin, polycarbonate coverings to soft-silicone skins to polycarbonate-and-rubber protection to chunky, molded-grip gaming jackets. Shells and skins are likely to be model-specific, so a skin made for the fourth-generation iPad certainly won’t fit the original iPad and may not fit the iPad 2 or third-generation. Recommendations:

-   X-doria Engage Shell (iPad mini, $20; iPad 2 and newer, $30)
-   Otterbox Defender Series (iPad mini, $70; iPad 2 and newer, $90)
-   Cygnett WorkMate (iPad mini, $40)

SLEEVES: Sleeve cases protect your iPad inside another bag, such as a backpack, briefcase, or messenger bag. Some are simple slide-in designs, while others zip closed or sport a flap closure for added security. Most fit all iPad models; make sure it’s designed for the iPad mini if that’s what you need. Recommendations:

-   OnGuard Sleeve (iPad mini, $45; all full-sized iPads, $50)
-   Rickshaw Bagworks Customized Sleeve (iPad mini, $29-$39; iPad 2 and newer, $39-$49)
-   Grove Wool Sleeve (iPad mini, $59; all full-sized iPads, $79)

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OnGuard Sleeve
FOLIO CASES: Folio-style cases offer all-over protection for your iPad, but flip open for easy access to the iPad's screen without requiring you to remove the tablet from the case. If you’re looking for stylish protection, this is it. A folio case made for the original iPad won’t fit the iPad 2 or newer, and vice versa. Folio cases made for the iPad mini will only fit the iPad mini. Recommendations:

-   DODOcase Classic (iPad mini, $60; iPad 2 and newer, $60)
-   Incase Nylon Portfolio (third- and fourth-generation iPad, $70)
-   Speck FitFolio (iPad mini, $35; iPad 2 and newer, $40)

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DODOcase Classic
BAGS: A bag lets you carry your iPad along with your other gear, and you can use it to tote your daily stuff even when you aren’t carrying your iPad with you. Bags generally fit all models of the iPad; consider an extra case for your iPad mini for a snug fit. Recommendations:

-   Brenthaven Prostyle Courier (all full-sized iPads, $70)
-   Booq Cobra Courier XS (all full-sized iPads, $145)
-   Hex Drake iPad Bag (all full-sized iPads, $40)

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Brenthaven Prostyle Courier
CARRYING PACKS: Sometimes you want to carry more than just your iPad, but you don’t want a bulky bag or backpack. A carrying pack protects your iPad but also accommodates cables, a charger, and sometimes even a standalone Bluetooth keyboard. Most carrying packs will accommodate all generations of the full-sized iPad; again, look for a pack optimized for the iPad mini if that’s the device you’re shopping for. Recommendations:

-   STM Jacket D7 (iPad mini, $25)
-   Mujjo iPad Sleeve (iPad mini, $58; any full-sized iPad, $64)
-   WaterField Designs iPad Wallet (iPad 2 and newer, $79) and iPad Travel Express (third- and fourth-generation iPad, starts at $69; iPad mini, $59)

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STM Jacket D7
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Wrapsol Back Films plus screen protector
BODY FILMS:Body films protect the sides and backside of your iPad from scratches and scuffs
without adding bulk—they’re simply a
thin layer of super-protective material that
adheres directly to the iPad. Most types can be removed without leaving behind sticky residue. Some also include a screen film (see the next section). Although the models listed here are for the third- and fourth-generation iPads, each is also available in a version for each of the other iPad models and the iPad mini. Recommendations:

-   BodyGuardz UltraTough Clear Skins ($30)
-   Zagg Invisible Shield ($40)
-   Wrapsol Back Films ($30)

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BodyGuardz ScreenGuardz
SCREEN FILMS:Screen films are designed to protect the
iPad’s screen from scratches without affecting touchscreen performance; a few also aim to reduce screen glare. Unfortunately, many of these films are difficult to apply, and some actually make glare and fingerprints worse. If you’re patient and have a steady hand, these are the best options. Recommendations:

-   BodyGuardz ScreenGuardz ($20 for screen film only, $30 bundled with body film)
-   Moshi iVisor ($30)
-   Zagg Invisible Shield ($30 for screen film only, $40 bundled with body film)

Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.

question: Summarize how a carrying bag or protective case protects an iPad?

answer: Cases can help minimize the risk of damage on an iPad. It can keep them safe from scratches and scuffs. Shells, silicone skin cases, and body films are helpful in protecting the iPad, but they don't protect the screen and leave it vulnerable to scratches. Sleeves protect the iPad while they're inside of another bag, like a backpack. Folio cases offer all over protection for the iPad. Screen films are used to protect the iPad's screens from scratches.

question: Summarize the products under $40 dollars.

answer: One can get a polyurethane Apple smart cover for $39 both for the iPad 2 or later and the iPad mini. The X-doria Engage Shell is $20 for an iPad mini and $30 for an iPad 2 and newer. A Cygnett Workmate is $40 for an iPad mini. Body films from BodyGuardz, Zagg Invisible Shield, and Wrapsol Back films will all cost under $40. These cases protect the back and sides of an iPad. Rickshaw Bagworks Customized Sleeve cases can cost from $29 to $39 for the iPad mini, and $39+ for iPad 2 and newer. The lower end of Folio cases can cost $35 for an iPod mini and $40 for iPad 2 and newer from Speck FitFolio. One can get a bag to carry a full sized iPad for $40 with the Hex Drake iPad bag. A carrying pack for an iPad mini would cost $25 rom STM Jacket D7. All the screen films listed are under $40.

question: Summarize the author's advise in shopping for a bag.

answer: The author advises that when looking at the full-sized iPad line, one should keep in mind that each model has a slightly different shape than the last. For example, an original iPad may have some cases that fit but not all. Another example is that the fourth generation iPad  may not be compatible to the third generation due to the smaller lightning port in the fourth. They also suggest to compare the case or bag's specs with Apple's iPad specifications, ask a store employee, read customer reviews, or e-mail the vendor to confirm if a particular products fits your iPad. A tip  for shopping for a form-fitting case is to make sure it doesn't block the iPad's bottom mounted speaker and dock connector or Lightning port, or other features like the cameras and buttons. They warn to be suspicious when shopping for a bag if it claims to be perfect for both iPads and netbooks.

question: What does the text say about iPad screens

answer: The author warns that iPads are at risk for scratches and scuffs without a case, and this includes screens. Folio style case give the iPad all over protect, and flips open to provide easy access to the screen. The Apple Smart Cover only protects the iPad's screen, but has several clever features. Shells, silicone skins, and body films neglect to protect the screen. Screen films are specifically used to protect the screen, and some aim to reduce screen glare. However, sometimes screen films make glare and fingerprints worse.

question: What does the text say about iPhones?


split: test

text:
have you ever seen the death of stars? they say a star only dies when it has finally given up on all beings living off of its substantial light. but that was only a fairy tale after all, how would we truly know? we make up these silly stories to distract ourselves from the neverending abyss of darkness, so cold, so empty.

but if this were to be true, then there was still something out there that our star had been waiting for, something it hadn't given up hope on. could this really be?  could there really be someone out there that had the power to change everything, could there really be someone else out there.

i tell myself these things to try and keep myself from going crazy but i've been alone for 8 years now, eventually my hopeless feelings were going to catch up to me, everyday i go out into the barren wilderness, ever since the war, the whole planet has been desolate. I find solace in knowing that my star is still there.

the island i live on was once a mountain range that overlooked our great town, i often sit at the edge of the sea and peer into the waves wanting to catch a glimpse of what was. but its been too long, what i see now are just figments of my imagination, maybe some part of me deep down inside wants to see my family again, to hold my baby brother in my arms, to see his joyous smile on christmas day, spending the days with him when i didn't have work. dear god why did this damned planet ever go to war, it destroyed everything in an attempt to seek out peace.

i wander night and day across the vast island hoping to find someone else, travel is slowed in the winter because of the shorter days and snowfall i get, but my tent has been with me this whole time, i put it up with muscle memory, setting up camp before dusk and leaving at dawn. i've circled this island 3 times now in the past eight years but i have never found anyone. what's the point anymore?

the truth is that there isn't one, the hopelessness of humanity has almost drove ourselves to extinction, i look up at the stars at night and i whisper to them "why are you still here..."

title: [RF] Stars

question: Why is this person so nihilistic?

answer: Humanity has been destroyed in a great war.

question: How did the narrator get on this island?

answer: The island is the remains of a mountain range that used to overlook the great town the narrator lived in.

question: Is the narrator the last of humankind?

answer: The narrator does not know if they are the last of humankind, but they have not seen anyone else for eight years now.

question: Where did the narrator get the tent?

answer: Unknown

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is trying to stay sane because they have been alone for eight years after all of human civilization was destroyed in a great war. The narrator lives on an island formed from the remnants of a mountain range near the city where they used to live. They move their tent around from location to location. The narrator tells themself stories about the stars to keep their spirits up.


text:
Barcelona reveal Philippe Coutinho's release clause is 400 million euros but where does this rank on a top 10 list?

-   BARCELONA COMPLETED THE SENSATIONAL SIGNING OF PHILIPPE COUTINHO FOR £145M
-   THE CATALAN GIANTS HAVE SLAPPED A £355M RELEASE CLAUSE ON THE BRAZILIAN
-   CRISTIANO RONALDO AND LIONEL MESSI ARE IN TOP THREE FOR MOST EXPENSIVE CLAUSES
-   NEYMAR FAILS TO MAKE THE TOP 10 AS HE CAN BE BOUGHT FOR £198MILLION

 Published: 15:38 EST, 6 January 2018 | Updated: 20:20 EST, 6 January 2018

On Saturday evening, Barcelona confirmed they completed the signing of Liverpool's midfielder Philippe Coutinho for a staggering £145million.

Following the sensational transfer, the Catalan giants revealed in an official statement on their website that the Brazilian's buy-out clause will be a whopping £355million.

But how does this compare with the likes of other high-profile stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar?

Barcelona have slapped a £355million release clause on Philippe Coutinho's contract

TOP 10 MOST EXPENSIVE BUY-OUT CLAUSES

1. Cristiano Ronaldo: £886million

1. Karim Benzema: £886million

3. Lionel Messi: £626million

4. Isco: £620million

4. Asensio: £620million

6. Gareth Bale: £443million

6. Luka Modric: £443million

6. Toni Kroos: £443million

6. Dani Ceballos: £443million

10. Philippe Coutinho: £355million

During the previous summer transfer window, the footballing world went crazy after rumours that Ronaldo was heading out of the Real Madrid exit.

However, the club's talisman put pen to paper on a new deal to stay with the Spanish giants, while his release clause remained at an eye-watering £886million.

Messi followed suit with a new deal and committed his future to Barcelona at the end of November, as the Catalan giants slapped a £626million price-tag on the Argentine.

A surprise omission from the list is the world's most expensive player, Neymar, who is available for the £198million fee he joined Paris Saint-Germain for.

Florentino Perez, Madrid's president, has a habit for making his stars impossible to buy, as eight of the top 10 most expensive buy-out clause are attached to his players.

Cristiano Ronaldo has an eye-watering £886million transfer release clause on his contract

Following Lionel Messi's contract renewal in November, his buyout clause is now £626million

Benzema is somewhat surprisingly as expensive to buy as his Portuguese team-mate, while Isco and Asensio can be bought out of their contract for a massive £620million.

Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Dani Ceballos all have a £443million buy-out clause attached to their contracts while they play for the reigning Champions League holders.

Barcelona's latest signing, on the other hand, just squeezes into the top 10 with his £355million transfer release clause.

The contract also keeps the 25-year-old at the club for the next five-and-a-half years.

Advertisement

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question: Summarize everything related to players with buy-out clauses over 800 million pounds.

answer: Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema both have 886 million pound buy-out clauses. The football world went crazy when rumors spread that Ronaldo was leaving the Real Madrid. The club managed to sign a new deal with him. Benzema is surprisingly as expensive to buy as Ronaldo.

question: What does the article say about American football?


text:
Mervs is a hole; a working class dive bar in downtown Mountain View, CA, with a 60 year history of serving cheap drinks—in a narrow hole in the wall behind a second rate Chinese restaurant—that Nick Fitzpatrick, a huge tank of a man, is a regular at.  Mountain View, near wholly gentrified by now is still sprawling with cheap, blue collar opportunity and fun, just beyond the purview of google employees and city hipsters, the town has a culture if you can find it. It’s not all suburban wasteland. It’s nothing like Los Altos, the sleepy and equally dreary bedroom community to which Mountain View is so curiously juxtaposed, surely the men who had built the majority of the small and overpriced ranch homes of that town had come to Mervs for a drink at the end of the day too.
 	There are secrets all over town. The hidden harddrive in that police officers closet, the one who they let work with all the kids at the elementary school. Even the neighboring Los Altos Hills, the sprawling hilly community for the upper bourgeois of the area that had become the pot smoking retreat for it’s neighbors youth. The neighbor who lived across the way, whose house a mysterious car always visits during the workday, sitting so brilliantly, arrogantly in it’s bright red blaze, lifted and on big black off road tires, sitting like inky muck on pearlescent rims. Even the jerk who steals the paper in the morning.
     “Who even does that?”
Nick says with disdain, in a booming and commanding voice beyond his control, a voice that brought nearly the entire bars attention on him with the accentuation of every vowel; sharing somebodys secret.
      “Who even steals a paper? I mean it’s not like it’s that expensive, his house costs as much as mine surely.”
     “Yeah!”
The barfly says wistfully and with a bit of anger in his voice
     “Man if I caught someone stealing, I’d take the guy out for a beer, ask him out for a cigarette, and then make him dig his own grave before I killed him too!”
     “You’re a fucking sadist man,”
Nick Fitz says, chuckling a bit at the ridiculousness of what the man had said, at how well adept barflys and drunks are at spinning yarns.
 In Mervs the walls tell the secrets, the aged beer signs and ancient light bulbs that management no longer even bothers covering. The walls with the half century old paint job, chipped and decaying, that seems to seep out the scent of ancient cigarette smoke, of poison and fear. Mervs doesn't even have shelves visible to store it’s liquor, so most everything is bottom shelf, except the good scotch that the owner kept most likely because it was his personal poison, his brand of drinking swill. Other than that Merv’s is well known for attracting the kind of desperate fools who buy the lottery tickets—cash only of course—that keep this hole in the wall from disappearing into a memory. Protecting Mervyn’s from being prettied up and made to look nice for the new residents of the town. The kind of residents with a perverted view of northern California gleaned from Hollywood,not reality. The kind that plants palm trees in the yard of their awkwardly red roofed, ugly, spanish style, pocket mansions.
He sat, sipping his gentlemen's Laphroaig, and while tasting the woody oak and smoky aroma that defines great scotch, pondering the days events.
There was the women who had tried to extort pain medicine from him, she had been a good story teller as well, able to “remember” all the right details for him to type into his machine that she so associated with her own personal drug highs. Drug addicts can spin a yarn. Parents know how to bullshit their way through just about anything too, Children were not near as clumsy as their parents seem to continually claim to him they were. Parents always know what to say to him to type into his little machine, they all know what to say.
    He sat alone in his thoughts in the dark bar, surrounded by others alone in their own dark thoughts. Sipping poison to numb the pain and take that edge of pent up anger and resentment off. Staring absentmindedly at some other cities sports team batting, or throwing, or hitting—for more money than most men at the bar could even conceive of— sipping and cheering rhythmically to their younger heroes trials and tribulations Just trying to be normal in their own heads and in their own way. With every sip of the booze, washing away the days events, cleansing of the worries and pain of the hospital and dissolving of the emotional toll of all and of his own overactive imagination. Lifting off the weight of worried mothers, fathers, brothers, husbands, and wives, that so heavily rested upon the huge Physician Assistants shoulders at the end of nearly every shift.
He pauses, running his fingers through his short Minnesota blonde crew cut and stares into the bottom of his high ball glass as if looking for an answer to some question he didn’t quite know how to ask, wondering how many others had done the same with this same glass.
     “So what do you even do Nick? I see you in here about every week day now around 530.”
 Another barfly, on his right, a little bit older, and maybe just a little bit kinder asks.
     “I’m a physician assistant, I work at Valley Med’s ED. I’m on day shift now so I work 9-5 and I just come here for a drink or two before going home, before I have to deal with my wife and all, you know how it is.”
 Nick answers, trying his best to be complete and thorough as to not invite any more questions, twiddling his thumbs as if the conversation was unwanted attention, detracting from his own processing of the days events. He wriggles with discomfort on the old worn bar stool, worn by the asses of thousands of denim jeans.
The barfly nods at him, with understanding, or more likely frustration with his own significant other.
     He thinks to himself about what she would think if she knew he was here, not at the hospital still doing paper work as he would so often lie. His eyes are tired and red, memories imprinted that were still being processed completely, as new ones continued the assault on sanity. He raises his hand when the heavy set and elderly bartender looks over at him.
     “What’ll you have?” he queries.
     “Laphroaig, Neat.” Nick answers
He goes to the liquor cabinet that sits just out of view of the restless alcoholics, near limping up to the door to serve Nick’s drink.
     “So Nick,”The bartender says, seemingly popping out of nowhere to serve his customer the drink, “I heard you were in the Army, where did you serve?”
He looks at Nick as if examining and judging him, as if he was looking for an answer to some sort of hidden question to be satisfied.
     “I was at Fort Knox for a while, as a Physician Assistant, I was then a PA for an infantry battalion in Eastern Afghanistan, but I was a grunt before that, in 03’ during the invasion,”
 Nick says, letting him know of his experience as a grunt last, to prove a point, a point he didn’t quite understand or necessarily need.
        “Ah, I was in the infantry back in Korea,” He says, with some amount of pride in his eyes, as if it was a high point in his life. Nick knew the feeling and longed for the times of his near youth as well. In his memory the young strapping 18 year old kid headed to war for the very first time, the life of the party, the immature idiot, was a far cry from who he saw himself as now.
         “Thank you for your service sir.”Nick said respectfully, shaking the man's hand as the man returned the words.
        “Thank you for your service,” And he continued on back to serving a few of the working class mexican patrons who were drinking beer and carousing in the corner, having a good old time. Good for them Nick thought to himself. But then he thought back to Afghanistan and how it had all started there.
Every week at the beginning of deployment he would skype his wife, and every week he would say less, and less, as the horrors of what he was seeing separated their realities divisively until he rarely called home at all.
     “It’s not that I don’t love you, it’s just that I’m having trouble feeling anything”
he remembered saying, and the words even stung him. That was over now and when he had returned he had eventually opened up again, and they were good for a few years. He didn’t have to sleep on the couch anymore, they had sex every night, everything was going great!
But he was still haunted by memories, and didn’t want to share for fear of burdening his wife. But as he was dealing with old memories, his profession of medicine never failed to provide new traumas to cope with, and as it piled on he just felt like going and getting a drink before going home. I mean where was the crime in that? His phone rings, illuminating the old picture of his unit he sets as his background. A text message.
     “Hey Babe are you gonna be home soon?”
It reads, from his wife. Maybe she missed him he thought to himself, maybe she wanted to be with him right now, maybe the cloudy weather had her thinking of him.  She was at her most affectionate at times like these, a woman who enjoyed nothing more than the cold and the rain, any excuse to stay indoors with a book; to feel the warmth of her husbands body beside her under the warm comforter of their queen sized bed.
     “I’ll be home in about 45 minutes, just finishing up some paperwork at the hospital.”
 He lies, instinctively.
As the lie sets in, on top of all the other lies, well intentioned lies albeit but lies all the same. His handsome boyish face—a face that hardly represented his real age of 33 going on 88— wrinkling and shifting with worry and stress. He begins to feel dirty, to hate himself. Only two drinks in though, there's still turning back as he throws the monster off his back, getting up immediately and leaving the bar to walk nextdoor to the flower stand to buy some white Azaleas, her favorite flower and his go to in crisis. On the way he passes Los charros, the taqueria untouched by time, with old murals and cheesy Chicano culture, save the new flat screen tv,simplify endeared it to is and it was the place where they had had sporadically met for lunch so often. He remembered her words.
"What are you thinking about?" She had asked? What had been thinking about? Perhaps it was the patterned burns that so tortured that 7 year olds legs he had seen earlier, the one with the story telling parents. The boiling pot fell. Bullshit.
"Nothing honey, just dazing." He said lazily, offering an easier solution to her, shirking their responsibility to one another.
"Really?" She queried, prodding for some more information, pushing him to open up. But the walls were still up, and he wouldn't lend her his vulnerability.
"Yeh honey, I'm ok." He said, locking the door on his feelings. And he really did feel ok. She placed her hands on his hands and looked him in the eyes lovingly, trying to imbue strength and caring. Their eyes met and she appeared shocked, stunned by the emptiness in his, perhaps shocked by the despair and tortured nature of it all. There it was her fear.
“15.50,”
 The flower clerk says, handing him his cut flowers. Flowers, what a god damn racket he thought to himself as he handed her so much of his hourly wages.
	The alley reeks of piss as he walks through it, territorial markings of hundreds of animalistic drunks.  Getting in his car he thinks about what he’s going to say, as he rolls down the window to let in fresh air. The cold fall air is crisp and breathable; cold air that had travelled over the ocean, past the lazy beach towns of the coast and over the Santa Cruz Mountains across highways, and sleepy little rural communities once occupied by the now nearly extinct ohlone tribe, settling as a fog in morning over the water, and making it’s way inland to drape itself like a cold blanket over the peninsular city.
“Honey I love you I’m...fuck what do i say...fuck, Ok. Honey I love you and I’m sorry for lying, I just cant. Fuck I can’t deal with you after work without having a drink first? No, no that sounds horrible you evil bastard. Ok, I’m sorry, I fucked up, I’ve been having a drink after work every day, and lying that I was at work. I know it’s stupid, I’m not opening up to you enough, I’m sorry.”
Maybe that will work he thinks to himself. He’d rather just be honest and get it out at this point then try and plan and maybe manipulate, just tell the whole truth.
The trees whizz by on either side of the road as his old brown chevy blazer—with the busted tail light and brown peeling finish— flies into the quiet and picturesque suburban, sputtering, and coughing up smog. The neighborhood is right near downtown Mountain View, tiny little homes for new couples and single google employees, right near Merv’s. On the way he passes a car accident at an intersection, the red and white lights pierce through the darkness, casting ominous shadows as the rescue workers worked on getting a passenger out of a smashed up car.
     He pulls up to their tiny two Bedroom house, with blue wooden paneling glossed like an after thought over cheap stucco walls, with white four pane windows and ugly maroon blinds that he had picked foolishly for their price one time without asking his wife. A Red
Lifted truck sits in the driveway, in brilliant arrogance.
    He gasps, sighing deep like a man with a bullet in his chest, and puts his hand to his head for a moment, as if in some sort of incredible pain, and then the training kicks in, the separation of emotion from thinking, —the lobotomy of compassion for self—his face overcome with the arrogance of apathy.
He turns around to return to Mervs, for his own safety, the echoes of a thousand puzzled therapists echoed in his head.
     “Just walk away.”
Driving back to the bar, he passes the car accident. The red lights are still their flashing, the police have arrived too. He notices the— unmistakable to him— form of a blanket covered corpse. Sitting alone and unattended in its place behind the rescue truck. At the sight of the corpse, there he is again, pulling the sheet over the face of another dead child, to shield others from the shock of such a sight. The tears come now, streaming down his face;there was no guilt, crying over a dead child. He completes his drive to the bar and sits with the other lonely barflys on those aged and torn up barstools.  The white azaleas sit in the passengers seat of the bronco, alone.

title: [MF] Opening Up

question: Why do Nick and the other barflies drink so regularly?

answer: To numb the pain and take the edge off pent up anger and resentment. They wash away the days events, cleansing their worries and pain from their jobs, dissolving the emotional toll. Lifting off the weight of worried mothers, fathers, brothers, husbands, and wives.

question: What job does Nick have that's so stressful?

answer: He's a physician assistant working at Valley Med's emergency department. He also served in the military as a physician assistant at Fort Knox and for an infantry battalion in Eastern Afghanistan. Before that, he was a grunt in the 2003 invasion.

question: How was Nick affected by his time in the military?

answer: In some ways, he feels like it was a high point in his life. He longs for the times of his youth, being a young strapping 18 year old headed to war for the first time, the life of the party, the immature idiot. During his deployment he would skype his wife, but each week he would say less and less. The horrors of what he was seeing separated their realities divisively until he rarely called home at all. He told her that it wasn't that he didn't love her, it was just that he was having trouble feeling anything. Over time, after the war, he began to open up again. He didn't sleep on the couch anymore, they had sex every night, it took time, but everything was going great. In the end, he was still haunted by his memories and didn't want to share for fear of burdening his wife.

question: Describe the state of Nick's marriage.

answer: Nick has been regularly lying about his whereabouts after work saying he's staying at work late. Rather than go straight home, he stops off at a local dive bar to drink "before [he has] to deal with [his] wife" as he says. The truth is he's haunted by dark memories from his time at war and the things he sees in the emergency room at his current job. He doesn't want to burden his wife so he drinks to cleanse the horrors away. He thinks things are better than they used to be, however, noting that he no longer sleeps on the couch and they have sex every day. When his wife texts him at the bar asking if he's going to be home soon, he feels terrible about lying and decides he's going to come clean about it all to her that very night. He buys her favorite flowers and drives home to talk to her. However, to his shock and surprise, another man's red lifted truck is parked in the driveway. All his conditioning from therapists tells him to "just walk away" so he returns to the bar to keep drinking. She's apparently cheating on him.

question: Why does Nick not bring his wife flowers and talk to her about his lying about drinking after work?

answer: When he arrives home he sees a red lifted truck in the driveway. Based on his reaction, it's immediately presumed that she's cheating on him. All his time with therapists conditions him to "just walk away" so he drives back to the bar to keep drinking his sorrows away.

question: Does Nick eventually confront his wife about the red lifted truck that was parked in the driveway?


text:
Israeli authorities are pressing ahead with plans to demolish an entire Palestinian neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, human rights NGO B'Tselem reported, which will leave 550 homeless.

Wadi Yasul, located between the neighbourhoods of Abu Tur and Silwan, is home to 72 Palestinian families.

According to B'Tselem, the Jerusalem Municipality has "issued demolition orders for all the neighbourhood homes so all the families there are facing the threat of expulsion."

In late April, "the city already demolished two of the orders and displaced two of the families."

The NGO noted that Wadi Yasul built "is adjacent to a forest, also located on privately owned land that was expropriated from its Palestinian owners in 1970."

READ: ISRAEL DEMOLISHES AL-ARAQEEB FOR 145TH TIME

In 1977, Israeli occupation authorities "zoned the forest and the area where Wadi Yasul was later established as a green space, where construction is prohibited," B'Tselem added.

In 2004, the neighbourhood's residents submitted a detailed plan for retroactive authorisation of their homes, but four years later, Israeli authorities rejected the plan.

However, at the same time, the Jerusalem municipality gave its approval to settler organisation El-Ad "to move forward with plans for group campgrounds, including building the longest recreational zipline in Israel".

Summarising the context for the fate awaiting Wadi Yasul, B'Tselem stated that "ever since 1967, planning policy in Jerusalem has been geared toward establishing and maintaining a Jewish demographic majority in the city."

"Under this policy, it is nearly impossible to obtain a building permit in Palestinian neighbourhoods," B'Tselem continued. "The outline plans the city has prepared for these neighbourhoods are largely aimed at restricting and limiting building opportunities in Palestinian neighbourhoods."

question: What is the nature of the topic in the article?

answer: Israel has difficulty setting up construction projects due to zoning issues with Palestine.

question: Why are Israel and Palestine not cooperating?

answer: The article implies that there is a possibly a degree of conflict between the two countries. It could be economic, territorial, political, social, religious, and/or military in nature. Though the article implies a religious territorial conflict.

question: What is one of the contested issues?

answer: Jews want to establish a community in the city of Jerusalem, but are unable to due to the conflict between the two countries.

question: What did Israel do?

answer: Israel demolished certain Palestinian areas in east Jerusalem. This would likely have caused a negative reaction from Palestine.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The city of Jerusalem is contested by Israel and Palestine, with conflict arising from the desire of both sides to establish communities and neighborhoods in the area.


text:
ANGELE GIULIANO (born 30 January 1976) is a Maltese businesswoman and president of the Maltese Foundation for Women Entrepreneurs.[1] Giuliano has been CEO and Managing Director at AcrossLimits since 2001, as well as an expert evaluator for the European Commission. She is also a business angel engaged in mentoring start-ups and entrepreneurs in Malta and internationally.

Biography

Giuliano was born in Hamrun, the youngest of three sisters. After finishing her secondary education, she went on to study business and computing at the University of Malta.[2] She later read for a Masters in Innovation and Creativity at the Edward de Bono for the Design and Development of Thinking. After graduating Giuliano was invited to become a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta, tutoring students on eCommerce, business and technology.

In 2001, Giuliano founded AcrossLimits Ltd, an SME providing services in the fields of consultancy, research and IT development, and project management. As CEO and Managing Director of the company, Giuliano has developed eHealth and eLearning applications, consulted for a number of large public and private organisations on business innovation and internationalisation, and contributed to policy documents and white papers for clients including the European Parliament. Additionally, Giuliano has developed and managed a number of research and innovation projects with an array of European partners, and provides professional online development courses under the TrainingMalta brand.

Giuliano has acted as an expert evaluator for the European Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Education, University and Research (Italy), the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation and the Malta Council for Science and Technology. She has also continued to lecture at the University of Malta. Giuliano has published a number of papers on technology, most recently on entry-points into STEM fields for young people,[3] and contributed to books on technology and education.[4]

Besides her position at AcrossLimits, Giuliano is also a business angel at Go Beyond Investing and Rising Tide 1 Female Investment Group. In this role, she evaluates business pitches relating to start-ups and scale-ups for the European market.[5]

Giuliano is President of the Foundation for Women Entrepreneurs. In this role she has lobbied for better representation of women in the business world, particularly in Malta and in Europe. She has also acted as an expert and panelist for a number of panels on European women in business, and had strong links with the European Institute for Gender Equality.[6]

Giuliano has long been involved in business mentoring and giving advice to prospective entrepreneurs. She acts to encourage women to take up IT and enter into business, something which she has pursued as an Ambassador for the eSkills Malta Foundation,[7] as a rapporteur in European Commission workshops on women in IT[8] and through interviews in the press.[9]

Honours

Giuliano has received a number of honours in the business field. In 1998 she was the winner of the EuroMed Multimedia Award, heading a team of 15 people.[10] In 2009, she launched the SME Week in Brussels with the then-Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, Günter Verheugen. In 2018, she was the winner of the Malta Innovation Summit Award for the social enterprise iSmart.[11]

Personal life

Giuliano lives with her partner Antti Heikkilä and her son in Hamrun, Malta.

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title: Angele Giuliano

question: What can you state about Giuliano's education?

answer: Giuliano's education was extensive and earned many degrees which helped her in her life.

question: Who has Guiliano set an example for?

answer: Guiliano has set an example for all aspiring business woman who feel that the world of business is not for them..

question: How had Guiliano given back to the realm of education?

answer: She has given back to the realm of education via the books she has contributed on technology and education.


text:
TAMRON HALL (born September 16, 1970) is an Emmy-winning, American broadcast journalist, executive producer and television talk show host. In September 2019, Hall debuted her self-titled award-winning syndicated daytime talk show. Hall was formerly a national news correspondent for NBC News, daytime anchor for MSNBC, host of the program'' MSNBC Live with Tamron Hall,'' and a co-host of _Today's Take_, the third hour of _Today_.[1] She currently hosts _Deadline: Crime_ on Investigation Discovery channel. In summer 2016, Investigation Discovery premiered a new special, _Guns on Campus: Tamron Hall Investigates_, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the tower shooting at the University of Texas at Austin.

Education

Hall received her Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Temple University in 1992, after which she moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to begin her broadcasting career.

Career

Hall first worked at KBTX in Bryan, Texas, as a general assignment reporter, then moved to KTVT, where she spent four more years as a general assignment reporter.[2]

From 1997 to 2007, she worked for WFLD-TV in Chicago, Illinois. She held several positions, including general assignment reporter, consumer reporter, and host of a three-hour program, “Fox News in the Morning”. As a former Chicago resident, Hall frequently reported on issues related to Chicago politics, and covered many “breaking news” stories, including one of the most devastating Amtrak accidents in Illinois.[3]

In July 2007, Hall joined the national news network MSNBC and NBC News.[4] She also landed a one-on-one interview with Barack Obama before he announced his run for presidency in 2008.

At MSNBC, Hall served as a general reporter and fill-in anchor, first achieving prominence as a substitute anchor for Keith Olbermann on _Countdown with Keith Olbermann_. Hall then joined David Shuster as co-host of a two-hour program, _The Big Picture_, which premiered June 1, 2009, and concluded January 29, 2010. Hall anchored as a substitute for Natalie Morales, and also anchored on the weekends.

On February 1, 2017, with Hall's contract expiring within the month, NBC News and Hall released a joint statement confirming Hall's decision to depart from both NBC and MSNBC.[5]

On September 9, 2019, Tamron debuted her self-titled award-winning syndicated daytime talk show.

She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.[6]

_NewsNation with Tamron Hall_

In 2010, hosted _NewsNation with Tamron Hall_, which included high-profile interviews and coverage of U.S., global and entertainment news. Airing weekday afternoons, the show covered important American events, including a live television broadcast from Ground Zero in New York City after the death of Osama Bin Laden, the final space shuttle launch in 2011, and Hurricane Isaac in 2012. Hall also encouraged viewers to express their opinions via social media on prominent, controversial news stories.[7]

_Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall_

In July 2013, it was announced that Hall would host _Deadline: Crime With Tamron Hall_ on Investigation Discovery. The weekly newsmagazine series features two crime occurrences per one-hour episode, and debuted on September 1, 2013.[8] In each episode, Hall and her investigative team uncover details on why and how things happened within each case,[9] obtaining information from as many reputable sources as possible.[10] Hall dedicates the series to her older sister, whose death was ruled a homicide in 2004 and remains unsolved.[11]

_The Today Show_

On February 24, 2014, Hall premiered as co-anchor of _Today's Take_ (_The Today Show's_ third hour with Natalie Morales, Al Roker and Willie Geist), becoming the first African American woman to co-anchor _Today_. On the day she signed the deal, she wore the jacket of American singer and civil rights activist Lena Horne, which she bought from Horne's estate sale. Horne remains a primary inspiration to Hall.[12]

In February 2017, after the network gave her _Today_ co-hosting slot to Megyn Kelly, Hall opted out of her contract and decided to leave NBC rather than take a lesser role.[13]

_Tamron Hall_ (talk show)

In July 2017, it was announced that Hall and Harvey Weinstein were producing a daytime talk show that would be hosted and executive produced by Hall.[14] However, Hall's partnership experienced a setback when the Weinstein sexual misconduct scandal broke.[15]

On August 8, 2018, Hall entered a new agreement with Disney–ABC Domestic Television to executive produce and host a syndicated daytime talk show.[16] The show was picked up by ABC Owned Television Stations in late September 2018.[17] In December 2018, Hearst Television picked up the show for stations in 24 markets,[18] and on January 22, 2019, ABC Entertainment named Bill Geddie as executive producer for the show along with Hall.[19]

With more than 85% US coverage that includes 47 of the top 50 markets, on March 4, 2019, it was announced that _Tamron Hall_ would debut on September 9, 2019.[20]

In March 2020, Candi Carter joined _Tamron Hall_ as executive producer and showrunner.

In June 2020, _Tamron Hall_ was honored with three Daytime Emmy nominations by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, with Hall's hosting win marking the first time since the award's inception in 2015 that a freshman host was the recipient of that honor. Hall also received an NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Talk Series for _Tamron Hall_ in it's freshman season and in September 2020, Hall accepted the Gracie Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host and dedicated the honor to Breonna Taylor.

The show broadcasts from New York City and features a mix of live and taped shows.

Other appearances

Hall was featured on a 2014 episode of _Running Wild with Bear Grylls_ where she and Bear Grylls hiked for two days in the Pink Cliffs of southwestern Utah. They rappelled down several cliffs, cooked a squirrel over a fire, and hiked over rugged terrain. She made a guest appearance as herself on _General Hospital_ on September 13, 2019.[21]

Awards and nominations

Hall's media awards and recognition include:

-   An Emmy nomination for her consumer report segment, “The Bottom Line,” which first aired in 1999.[22]
-   2010: Won the Lew Klein Alumni in the Media award from Temple University and is an Alumni Hall of Fame Honoree.[23]
-   October 2010: Served as reporter of the NBC News segment “The Inauguration of Barack Obama,” which was nominated for an Emmy.
-   2011: Emmy nomination for a segment called “Education Nation: Teacher Town Hall”.
-   2016: Won an Edward R. Murrow Award for her report on domestic abuse.
-   2020: NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Talk Series for her self-titled talk show.
-   2020: Won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host for her self-titled talk show.
-   2020: Gracie Awards Honoree for Outstanding Talk Show Host-Entertainment presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation.

Hall has also been featured in several major news publications, including _Ebony_, _Forbes_, _People_, and _The Huffington Post_.[24]

Hall was the 2017 Honorary Muse in the Krewe of Muses parade during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Anti-domestic violence campaign

In 2004, Hall's sister Renate was murdered, following bouts of domestic violence. Initially, officers informed Hall's family of their certainty of her attacker's identity. However, as of this writing, that person has not been brought to justice. During an interview at the Television Critics Association, in January 2014, Hall described the horrific day when she received the call that her sister was found dead face down in her pool. She said there were many signals of domestic abuse that she realized at the time, but she did not do anything to intervene, and also partly blames herself for the death of her sister.[25]

Hall credited her personal experience with domestic violence for the drive to host _Deadline: Crime_. In a blog post published by Hall for _Today_, she wrote about the struggles of talking about her sister and her unsolved murder. Initially, she was afraid to speak out because she thought she “would be seen as exploiting the problem”. She did not decide to take action until years later.[26]

In 2014, _Today_ launched the “Shine A Light” campaign, where the show's anchors each picked a cause to support throughout that year.[27] Hall chose to fight against domestic abuse, with the goal to create a PSA for schools and camps that would spread awareness of emotionally and physically abusive teenage relationships. Hall's fundraising efforts raised over $40,000 and benefited Day One New York, which helps to fight dating abuse.[28]

Personal life

Hall is married to music executive Steven Greener and lives in Harlem.[29] In March 2019, Hall revealed that she was expecting her first child.[30] On April 25, 2019, Hall announced that she had given birth to a son named Moses.[31]

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[31]

title: Tamron Hall

question: Summarize Tamron Hall's career in journalism.

answer: Hall's first job as a reporter was with the KBTX in Bryan, Texas. Then she moved to KTVT where she spent four years as a general assignment reporter. From there she moved to WFLD-TV in Chicago where she spent a decade as a consumer reporter and host of a three-hour program titled "Fox News in the Morning". In July 2007, Hall joined MSNBC where she landed an interview with Barack Obama before he announced his run for the presidency in 2008. Hall left MSNBC and hosted her own self-titled award-winning syndicated daytime talk show in 2019. She also hosted NewsNation with Tamron Hall in 2010 which features important American events including a live television broadcast from Ground Zero after the death of Osama Bin Laden and Hurrican Isaac in 2012. Tamron Hall premiered as a co-anchor of Today's Take with NBC. She later left the network after her slot was given to Megyn Kelly. In 2008, Hall signed an agreement with Disney-AB Television to host a syndicated daytime talk show.

question: Why was Hall chosen to interview Barack Obama?


text:
KEN OVERLIN (August 15, 1910 – July 24, 1969), was an American-born middleweight boxer who fought professionally from 1931 to 1944, compiling a record of 131 wins (23 by knockout), 18 losses, and 9 draws. He took the World middleweight championship as recognized by the New York State Athletic Commission in a win against Ceferino Garcia in New York on May 23, 1940, and held it until May 9, 1941. [1] Overlin was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the 2015 class.[2]

Early life and career

Overlin was born to Irish parents on August 15, 1910 in Decatur, Illinois. He excelled in basketball and football at Decatur's Central Junior High. While at Decatur Senior High, he worked as a bellhop, then joined the Navy in 1927, and soon began boxing, having many of his early bouts in cities where his ship the _U.S.S. Tennessee_ was stationed. He would do most of his boxing from 1927-31 on the West coast, but his Navy and boxing career would later be based out of Norfolk, and nearby Portsmouth, Virginia. He dropped out of the Navy in 1932, and began his boxing career under the management of Chris Dundee as a fringe middleweight contender, continuing to box around Virginia and the East Coast.[3]

In an impressive but close win, he defeated middleweight contender and future champion Fred Apostoli in New York City's Hippodrome in a ten round mixed decision on January 27, 1937. Apostoli began the fight as a 2-1 favorite, but was unable to stop the long thrusting lefts that Overlin sent to his face throughout the bout. The AP score sheet gave Apostoli a slight edge, but two of the judges present at the bout gave Overlin eight of the ten rounds, giving a slight edge to Overlin in three rounds that the referee scored even. In the first five rounds, Overlin took a slight lead showing greater speed and mobility, and displaying greater defensive skills than his older opponent. But he was faulted by many in the crowd for his occasional holds, which he would resort to again when threatened by a highly skilled adversary.[4]

A middleweight contender by the mid-to-late 1930s, he received his first title shot on September 11, 1937 when he was knocked out in the 4th round of a match against reigning World middleweight champion Freddie Steele in Seattle. Overlin would learn from the experience, and Steele would become the only boxer to ever defeat him by knockout.[5]

Overlin lost to former World Middleweight champion Teddy Yarosz on March 27, 1939 in a ten round points decision in Houston, breaking an eleven match winning streak that included a single loss to Eric Seelig.

NYSAC World middleweight champ, 1940

Overlin would win recognition as a World middleweight champion by the New York State Athletic Commission on May 23, 1940, when he won a unanimous decision over Ceferino Garcia before a light crowd of 7,587 at Madison Square Garden. Overlin's fast, sweeping left hook to the body tied up Garcia's dangerous right. The young challenger to the title took significant punishment in the fifth and sixth rounds, and in the seventh, Ceferino landed a near knockout punch to his right ear. The former Navy boxer persevered, recovering with a left to the body and right to the head of Ceferino. With Overlin dictating the fighting style and avoiding his opponent's deadly right, the judges credited Garcia with no more than six rounds and gave Overlin as many as ten in their scoring.[6][7]

Loss of Middle title to Billy Soose

Overlin would successfully defend his title twice against Steve Belloise, before losing it to Billy Soose on May 9, 1941 in a fifteen round Unanimous Decision before 11,676 fans at New York's Madison Square Garden. The _New York Times_ wrote that Overlin appeared to have the upperhand in eleven of the fifteen rounds, but that Overlin probably lost points from holding at critical times in the fight to avoid blows.[8] A supporter of the close decision for Soose, the _Dunkirk Evening Observer_ wrote that in the ninth Soose had Overlin nearly floored with a blow to the heart, but that Overlin wisely clinched to avoid a follow up. The _Observer_ also noted that in the tenth Soose shook Overlin again with a right, but by quickly countering, the reigning champion kept his opponent from a quick follow up that might have ended the match. The crowd booed the decision once they realized Overlin had lost the title to a twenty-three year old relatively unknown, and unrated opponent. In the close decision, one judge and one referee scored 8 rounds for Soose with seven for Overlin, though the remaining judge gave nine rounds, a slightly larger edge, to Soose.[9] The bout was described as somewhat dull, with frequent missed blows, no knockdowns, and both boxers leaving the ring appearing relatively unscathed and unbleeding.[10]

Overlin continued fighting without a loss until 1945, scoring notable wins over Ezzard Charles and Al Hostak, before his retirement.[11] Before a crowd of 8,000, Overlin defeated former NBA Middleweight champion Al Hostak on November 21, 1941 in a ten round unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden. Hostak threw as many as forty rights at Overlin, but nearly all whizzed past his left cheek, as Overlin dominated the last two minutes of nearly every round, taking nearly all but one round of the fight in a unanimous decision.[12] His win over Charles came in a ten round unanimous decision on June 9, 1941, in Cincinnati, only one month after his loss of the World middleweight title. Charles best round was the sixth, where he tagged Overlin several times with a two handed attack. Though there were no knockdowns in the bout, Charles was on his knees briefly in the second round. Charles, who had not been defeated in his last 23 bouts, fought a very close match for the first six rounds, but Overlin dominated in the final four landing solid blows, particularly in rounds eight through ten as Charles became careless hoping to makeup for lost ground.[13][14]

Overlin drew with Fred Apostoli on June 26 1942 in a close ten round draw before 7,000 fans at Norfolk's Naval base. Overlin piled up points with his signature left jab, though Apostoli, with effective punching, had Overlin in a bad condition in the seventh. Apostoli showed more aggression in the bout, tried hard for a knockout in the closing rounds, and left the ring seemingly unmarked.[15]

Life outside boxing

Interrupting his boxing career, Overlin rejoined the Navy in 1942 to serve during WWII, then in 1944, after completing his wartime service, he fought four additional fights. [16] He fought his last recorded bout on September 26, 1944, against RJ Lewis in Denver, Colorado, winning in a ten round decision.[17] He then returned to his hometown of Decatur, Illinois, where he ran a Tavern on East Main Street. After having to sell his Main Street Tavern in 1947 by order of the Mayor due to frequent disturbances, he operated another Tavern in Springfield. He left the Springfield bar in 1955, shortly before losing his license for serving liquor to minors. He then left Illinois, to run a bar in Vallejo, California, outside San Francisco, near the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.[18]

After 1957, he lived in Reno, Nevada, where he worked as a bartender. He had been in ill health for the last seven years of his life as a result of an assault by a hoodlum who had pistol whipped him in May, 1962 after he had struck the man in an argument. He was required to undergo emergency surgery for skull fractures and severe scalp lacerations.[19] Seven years after the assault, on July 24, 1969, Overlin was found dead in his Reno apartment, where he had passed a few days earlier.[20]

Selected fights

|- | align=“center” colspan=8|5 WINS, 7 LOSSES, 1 DRAW |- | align=“center” style=“border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3”|RESULT | align=“center” style=“border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3”|OPPONENT(S) | align=“center” style=“border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3”|DATE | align=“center” style=“border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3”|LOCATION | align=“center” style=“border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3”|DURATION | align=“center” style=“border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3”|NOTES |- | Loss | Teddy Yarosz | Nov 4, 1936 | Pittsburgh | 10 Rounds UD | - |- | Loss | Kid Tunero | Dec 21, 1936 | Paris | 10 Rounds | - |- | Loss | Freddie Steele | Sep 11, 1937 | Seattle | 4th Round KO | For World Middle title |- | Loss | Nate Bolden | Dec 2, 1938 | Chicago | 10 Round UD | Decisive Win |- | Loss | Eric Seelig | Dec 20, 1938 | Bronx, NY | 10 Rounds UD | - |- | Loss | Teddy Yarosz | Mar 27, 1939 | Houston | 10 Rounds | Non-title |- | Win | Ceferino Garcia | May 23, 1940 | Mad. Sq. Gar., NY | 10 Rounds, UD | Won NYSAC WORLD MIDDLE TITLE |- | Win | Steve Belloise | Nov 1, 1940 | Mad. Sq. Gar., NY | 15 Rounds, MD | For NYSAC World Middle title |- | Win | Steve Belloise | Dec 13, 1940 | Mad. Sq. Gar., NY | 15 Rounds, SD | For NYSAC World Middle title |- | Loss | Billy Soose | May 9, 1941 | Mad. Sq. Gar., NY | 15 Rounds, UD | Lost NYSAC WORLD MIDDLE TITLE |- | Win | Ezzard Charles | Jun 9, 1941 | Cincinnati | 10 Rounds, UD | - |- | Win | Al Hostak | Nov 21, 1941 | Mad. Sq. Gar., NY | 10 Rounds, UD | - |- | style=“background: #dae2f1”|*Draw* | Fred Apostoli | Jun 26, 1942 | Naval Base, Norfolk, VA | 10 Rounds, UD | -

[1] Ken Overlin's Professional Boxing Record. BoxRec.com. Retrieved on 2016-06-10.

[2]

[3] “Ken Overlin, ex-Decatur Boxer Dies”, _The Decatur Daily Review_, Decatur, Illinois, pg. 7, 26 July 1969

[4] Goodman, Murray, “Ken Overlin Defeats Apostoli”, _The San Francisco Examiner_, San Francisco, California, pg. 23, 28 January 1937

[5]

[6] “Overlin Wins Title Over Garcia”, _Star-Gazette_, Elmira, New York, pg. 23, 24 May 1940

[7]

[8]

[9] Williams, Mack L., _Dunkirk Evening Observer_, Dunkirk, New York, pg. 20, 10 May 1941

[10] Cuddy, “Soose's Title Victory Over Overlin in Dull Fight”, _The Brooklyn Citizen_, Brooklyn, New York, pg. 6, 10 May 1941

[11] International Boxing Hall of Fame - Ken Overlin IBHOF.com Retrieved on 2016-06-10

[12] “Ken Overlin Hands Hostak Bad Beating”, _The Times_ Streator, Illinois, pg. 7, 22 November 1941

[13] “Ken Overlin Too Good, Capturing Decision”, _The Cincinnati Enquirer_, Cincinnati, Ohio, pg. 19, 10 June 1941

[14]

[15] “Overlin, Apostoli, Fight Draw”, _Daily Press_, Newport News, Virginia, pg. 5, 27 June 1942

[16]

[17]

[18] “Ken Overlin, ex-Boxing Champion, Dies”, _The Decatur Herald_, Decatur, Illinois, pg. 10, 26 July 1969

[19] “Ken Overlin, 59, Former Boxer, Dies in Nevada”, _The Record_, Hackensack, New Jersey, pg. 34, 25 July 1969

[20]

title: Ken Overlin

question: Summarize Ken Overlin's life outside of boxing.

answer:
Ken Overlin was an American middleweight boxer whose career lasted from 1931 to 1994. He joined the Navy in 1927 and dropped out in 1932 to focus on his boxing career. He rejoined the Navy in 1942 to fight in World War II.

After completing his wartime service in 1944, Overlin fought four more fights. He afterward retired and returned to his hometown of Decatur in Illinois where he set up a tavern. He later sold the tavern by the order of the Mayor due to frequent disturbances.

Overlin opened another tavern in Springfield but had to sell that too because he lost his license for selling alcohol to minors. He left Illinois and ran a bar in California. He turned up in Reno, Nevada where he worked as a bartender. Overlin passed away in his Reno apartment in 1969.

question: Summarize Ken Overlin's key bouts during his boxing career.

answer:
Ken Overlin's boxing career lasted from 1931 to 1944. He started his career as a fringe middleweight contender, boxing around Virginia and the East Coast. He defeated the middleweight contender and future champion Fred Apostoli in a ten-round mixed decision.

Overlin received his first title shot in 1937 but was knocked out in the 4th round by the reigning world championship Freddie Steele. He also lost to former World Middleweight champion Teddy Yarosz in 1939 after going on an eleven-match winning streak. He won his first World Middleweight champion after defeating Ceferina Garcia at Madison Square in 1940. Overlin successfully defended his title twice but lost it to Billy Soose in 1941.

question: According to the passage, why did Ken Overlin put a pause on his boxing career to join the Navy in order to fight in World War II?


text:
I remember the first day I met Mellie. Her real name was Melinda Hudson. We were both twelve. She was a shy, awkward girl with bright red hair and light green eyes. She looked like a girl on fire. She always sat alone far from the other kids, her thin shoulders bent over, holding her peanut butter sandwich with both hands as if it might fly away any second. She hadn’t taken a bite yet. She was just staring at it.

I don’t know what attracted me to her. Was it her bright hair that looked like it was on fire? Was it the contrasting quietness that she portrayed despite her hot looks? My power created so much noise around me that her peace had an extraordinary effect on me.

I approached her. I was bold and sat down beside her without permission. She looked up at me with questioning eyes but did not say a word. I opened my lunch bag, took out my sandwich and started eating. She started to eat her own sandwich as well and there we were just sitting there side by side, eating our sandwiches in blessed silence.

For a whole week, we continued to eat together. I found her at the same spot and sat down beside her every single day. I ate my lunch with her and I didn’t even know her name. It was strange that I felt so comfortable with her as if I’ve known her my whole life. We started our friendship with that awkward silence.

I introduced myself the week after. She smiled shyly and told me to call her Mellie. From that day on, we started talking every day. Six years later, we still had plenty to talk about. Until I killed her and there was nothing else to say.

Oh Mellie, you were my best friend and my soul mate. You understood everything about me. And you knew I was keeping something from you. Yet you never pushed me. Just being friends with me was enough.

Like everyone else, I had a mother and a father. I was the only child and my parents traveled often for business. Then on a fated business trip, my parents died in a car crash. Report said they were trying to avoid a deer and crashed headlong to a tree. The deer survived and my parents didn’t. Mellie was there to hug me while I cried. Mellie stayed with me for days and nights bringing me food and holding me to sleep. Without Mellie, I would probably have drowned myself in sorrow. I never thought I would ever lose my parents.

My mother’s older sister, Morgana came to live with me. She came to get her sister’s affairs in order. My parents were rich and there were a lot of legal things I didn’t know how to handle. Since my father had no family, all the money they had would go to me and Morgana. She had a younger brother, his name was Philip. My mother talked about him a long time ago. She said that he was a free spirit who preferred to go where he pleased and that usually meant far from the family. It was impossible to find him and he didn’t care one bit for the family’s money. She spoke of him with more love than she did of Morgana. I’ve never met Philip. I’ve met Morgana only three times in my life and all those times, I thought she needed to get the stick out of her butt. This woman was uptight to a hilt and very proper.

When Morgana arrived, she shook my hand briefly and gave me a withering look. Sorry about your mother, darling but these things happen. She took over the house and I started to plan my escape.

Morgana was very different from my mother. While my mother was warm and loving, Morgana was cold as ice. She didn’t bother to hide her dislike for me and Mellie. She hinted that Mellie should spend more time at her house with her own family. It didn’t take me long to realize that I have lost my home and it was time to move on. I had enough money from my inheritance to go to any state I want for college. I was not bound here and there was no reason to stay.

Mellie supported my idea and wanted to go with me. We started to plan together and after a month of planning, we were set to go.

There was already a nice cozy apartment waiting for us in New York and our applications to NYU were accepted. We were both stellar students so admission was never an issue. Mellie’s parents were ecstatic that their precious daughter would be attending NYU. They trusted me; well they trusted my money since I offered to pay for Mellie’s education.

Everything was ready and in a day, we would be off. I had decided to tell Morgana at the last-minute to avoid any problems. I didn’t know why I would think that especially since Morgana should be happy to get the house all to herself. But somehow I had this feeling that my plan to leave would be a big problem. Morgana was always watching me. Whenever I entered a room, I could feel her sharp cold beady eyes watching my every move. I got this eerie sensation that she needed to know my every move and me moving out would mean that she could no longer watch me. It was weird I know but that was how I felt.

I found Morgana in the drawing-room reading. As I entered, she looked up but didn’t say a word. I sat down in front of her. Mellie was coming in half hour to help me pack.

Morgana continued to stare at me, her lips pursed.

“I’m leaving,” I said. The direct approach was always best. Morgana frowned. Ignoring the frown, I continued. “I’m leaving for New York tomorrow with Mellie.” I forced a smile and rambled on. “You can stay here for as long as you want. We are really excited, we got into a great school and we’ll find some part-time work and-”

“No,” Morgana said cutting me off.

“Sorry, what?” I was taken aback. A part of me expected her to feign disappointment while secretly relishing the fact that I would be gone.

“You can’t leave this house?” Morgana said coldly.

“Why not? I’m turning eighteen next month and I can go to any college I want,” I said. “This house is different for me now.” I hesitated before adding, “Since Mom and Dad died.”

Morgana laughed and I wondered what was so funny.

“My dear, I think college should be the last thing in your mind,” Morgana said getting up and pouring a glass of vodka. As she nursed her drink, her eyes never left me. I waited for her to explain.

“You are an extraordinary girl, Helena but you should know that extraordinary doesn’t always mean that you are special. Sometimes it just means you might die earlier.” A shadow casted over the room at Morgana's words. The flames in the fireplace flickered disturbed by a wind that wasn’t there. I shivered at the sudden chill that had entered the room.

Suddenly I was eight and huddled in the dark basement waiting in fear. My aunt’s face reminded me of the Scary Man who trapped me and wanted to do untoward things to me. They had the same eyes. Eyes that wanted to rip me into shreds and have a party afterwards.

Instinctively I stood up and backed away.

“Where do you think you are going?” Morgana said. Instantly the doors slid shut.

“How did you do that?” I gasped.

“Are you that arrogant to think you are the only one with super powers?” Morgana waved her hand and I was lifted in the air as if I were lighter than a feather. I screamed and flailed as I flew across the room hitting the wall hard. I collapsed on the floor out of breath.

I was stupid to think that I was the only one. A small part of me was happy to know that my aunt was just like me. Perhaps our blood was the explanation for all I was going through. That small part of me disappeared as Morgana grabbed me by the hair and dragged me across the room kicking and screaming. I struggled to escape from her grip but this woman was strong. Pieces of my dark  hair was ripped from my skull as she held me strong in the center of the room like a lamb about to be slaughtered. An image of Morgana drabbed in metal armor her long black hair blowing in the wind and brandishing an unearthly huge sword over my head flashed in my mind. I blinked and she was back to being Morgana but there is a knife now in her hands. Smaller but sharp enough to slice my throat. There was a strange symbol on the blade itself, two parallel waves.

“Let me go, Morgana! I’m your niece!” I played the family card. She laughed again.

“I think you should know by now that I am not your beloved aunt. This may be your Aunt’s body but she is long gone, love.”

The process of understanding was a painful one. I looked at Morgana or whoever it was that killed my Aunt. She made the mistake of looking back at me. Almost instantly the world turned and I was in Morgana and she was in me. Before she could react and gained control of the situation, I stabbed myself in the heart with the knife in my hand. Morgana screamed as my hand continued to hold her tightly by the hair. I held on to my consciousness amid waves of pain to return to my body and then I was back as I stared at Morgana’s lifeless body on the floor.

I wasn’t sure if I should cry. I never knew my Aunt Morgana. I’m sorry she had to die. I didn’t even know why this thing wanted to kill me. I pulled out the knife from Morgana’s chest and wiped the blood on her shirt. I didn’t think she would mind. I stared at the symbol. It looked familiar.

The door opened startling me out of my muddled thoughts. Mellie walked in and stopped dead at her tracks when she saw me standing over my Aunt’s body with a knife in my hand.

I gulped.

“Erm…I swear this is not what it looks like,” I said. “I stabbed myself, I mean I stabbed her. Wait…this is what it looks like…”

Mellie walked towards me frowning without saying a word.

“She attacked me!” I said. “And she’s not my Aunt, not really. I don’t know why she attacked me, this is her knife.”

Mellie took the knife from me and silently studied it. I could not read her face. It would be horrible if my own best friend didn’t believe me.

“It’s ok, Hel,” Mellie finally said and I sighed in relief.

“I know it’s not your fault,” Mellie said and hugged me. I froze. I pushed Mellie away and tried to grab the knife in her hand. But she was faster than lightning. Gentle Mellie kicked me hard in the stomach and punched me in the face. I tasted blood in my mouth. I was having a really bad day.

Mellie giggled.

“How did you know?” she asked fingering the knife.

“Mellie don’t do hugs,” I said. “She likes her personal space.”

“Shucks, I screwed that up, didn’t I?”

“Who are you and what do you want from me?” I yelled.

“I want you to die,” the thing in Mellie hissed.

I threw a cushion at her. Seriously that was the nearest thing to me. In my defense it hit her squarely on the face.

“What did I ever do to you?”

“It’s nothing personal. It’s just part of life. You are what you are and we are what we are. Our sole purpose is to end your life cycle.”

“Get out of my friend,” I said. “I killed you before and I can do it again,” I said nodding at Morgana’s body.

Mellie laughed.

“Are you going to kill your friend too?” she sneered. “It was easy for you to kill your aunt. But can you drive this knife into your friend’s heart?”

She had a point.

“I can do other things to you. You won’t die but you are going to wish you are.”

“Tough words coming from a rich brat. Come and try, little girl,” Mellie said. “The time for talking is done.”

She swung at me with the knife and I fell back to avoid it. I threw the vodka bottle at her. She ducked and it smashed against the wall.

“You are wasting good vodka!” she yelled and lunged towards me. Her body slammed against mine and we both fell on the floor. She was strong. She swirled the knife around her fingers expertly and plunged it towards my face. I grabbed her hands, the knife was inches from my head. With all the strength I have left I threw her off me. Before she could get up, I swung my right leg and kicked her squarely in the face. She dropped the knife and I slid on the floor to grab it. Still at the back of my mind, her question was there. Could I really kill my best friend?

Before I could think it through, Mellie rushed towards me. She drove me against the wall and my hand, the one holding the knife was positioned right at her gut. Mellie smiled as she continued to press me against the wall, her one hand squeezing my neck and one hand holding back the knife.

If it wasn’t for the knife in between us, this was totally a lesbian moment. Mellie grabbed my hand. Thinking that she was going to try and pry the knife from my hand, I held on to it as tightly as I could.

“Say goodbye Mellie,” she said. And before I could fully understand what she meant, she took my hand and drove it into her gut. And at the split second, the thing left Mellie, left her to feel all the pain and the confusion wondering why her best friend was holding the knife that was stuck in her.

Mellie gasped and collapsed. She was having a hard time breathing. I held her in my arms and cried. She couldn’t form any words but her eyes had all the questions I could not answer. As she died in my arms, I kept saying I was sorry.

Again I was back in the dark basement, alone, and scared. But this time it wasn’t the Scary Man who was there scaring me. It was me. I was the one who scared me.

title: Spirit Child - Chapter 2 (Goodbye Mellie)

question: Summarize the Scary Man's plans.

answer: It is implied that the Scary Man's plans are very long term. The earliest confirmed sighting of it was when Helena was eight. It is likely that it is responsible for the car accident that killed the Helena's parents. The fact that it also killed Morgana and Mellie means that aside from wanting to kill Helena, the Scary Man also wants to make her life very sad and miserable. What is not clearly revealed is the motivation of the Scary Man, but it is likely to be related to the supernatural powers that it and Helena have.

question: Summarize Mellie's personality

answer: Mellie has always been a shy person, as evidenced by her behavior the first time Helena met her, she has never grown out of it and even when she is older, she does "not do hugs". It is likely that she is an introvert. At the same time, she is also a very caring friend, shown by how long she stood by Helena's side after Helena's parents died. The fact that she also went along with the plan to go to NYU shows that she can exhibit determination.


text:
There was this unhappy man I once knew. I remember him sitting around the corner every day. It was his usual
spot where he would spend his time looking at the people walk by. There was also this other woman who came
to see him almost every single day. I think they had this kind of love-hate relationship. Something more like
she loved him and he hated her. Or something like that. She would come up to him and give him objects that
she felt were meaningful. She always looked so happy when she gave things to him. But most of the time,
when she would leave, the old man would take whatever she had given to him and throw it across the alley.
He viewed whatever "meaningful object" she gave him as waste to this earth. He never wanted any of it.

One day, the woman came to see the man with a flower in her hand. The man looked at the object and he didn't
even reach out with his hand to grab it. He looked at it and totally unacknowledged it. The woman gently
placed it on his lap and left. When she was gone, the man grabbed the flower and started to laugh. He shook
his head as he threw the flower down the alley without a single second thought.

It had been quite a few days since the lady had given the flower. Yet, ever since, she has never come
back to see the man. It took him quite some time to realize that she just really wasn't coming back. He
started to feel lonely, as though the mere company of her was enough to make him feel loved. He thought that
if she was to come back, he wanted to surprise her by showing her all of what she had given to him since the
first day they had met. He went around the town to find a cardboard box to fit the mass of objects she's
given to him. Once he had the cardboard in hand, he went down the alleyway where he had thrown everything
out, but was left with nothing else but a petal to the flower she once gave him. Everything else must've been
robbed, but atleast there was still the petal. He tried to carefully pick it up, but as his cold hands laid
on it, it crushed into a few pieces and was blown off with the wind.

I've never seen the man sitting on that corner ever since.

title: [MF] Broken Petal

question: Does the woman love the man?

answer:
The story implies it, and the fact that the woman gives something to the man supports this. Another point to consider is the fact that she never returns after the unhappy man rejects her gifts -if this action is motivated by a feeling of rejection, then she certainly has feelings for the man.

Lastly, while the statement "she loved him" may be considered as conjecture on the part of the narrator, the narrator appears to be quite an observant person who is able to somewhat discern the intentions of the people they are observing.

question: Describe the narrator.

answer: The narrator is a person of unknown gender who appears to have even more free time than the unhappy man who sits in the corner as the whole story revolves around the narrator being able to observe the relationship between the unhappy man and the woman until both stop coming to the corner.

question: Why does the man ignore the woman and reject her gifts?

answer:
While this is never disclosed in the narrative, it appears that the man carries a degree of bitterness and resentment that prevents him from being emotionally open to the woman.

It is possible that the cause of the issue may not be related to the woman at all, or if it is somewhat related to the woman, she herself is likely to not be the direct cause of the man's unhappiness -we can say this because the man ultimately shows he preferred having her around and wanted to do something for her.

question: Why did the unhappy man want to collect all the items the woman gave?

answer: He realized that he felt lonely when she did not return and wanted to have something to show as proof that he actually wants her around. By retrieving the items he threw, he would be implying that he no longer rejects them, and with that, he does not reject her.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator observes the interactions between an unhappy man and a woman over an undisclosed amount of time around the corner. Almost every day, the woman visits the man and happily gives him an item that appears to be meaningful. He ignores her, and when she leaves, he throws the item away. When she stops coming back, he realizes he misses her, and tries to recollect everything she gave him -but since he can no longer do that, he also stops coming by the area.


text:
Published: 1/18/2017 2:11:14 PM

AMHERST — An all-electric bus designed to reduce emissions and improve air quality is picking up elementary school students in Amherst this week.

Six months after the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District landed a $400,000 grant, the electric bus featuring rechargeable batteries is one of the first in the region. It replaces a 13-year-old diesel-powered bus.

“The district is committed to proactively searching for ways to leverage green technology, wherever possible, and is thrilled to be a part of this demonstration project,” Acting Superintendent Michael Morris said in a statement.

After getting the grant from the state Department of Energy Resources’ Vehicle-to-Grid Electric School Bus pilot program, the district purchased the bus from eLion, a Canadian company which last summer brought a test bus to town. A charging station was also installed at the Amherst Regional Middle School.

“Once the bus was inspected and insured, we began conducting a series of test drives to ensure that our drivers are fully trained in the new technology and that the vehicle performed as expected,” said Bill Glucksman, a driver and certified school bus instructor.

The program may help districts save money by cutting back on diesel fuel and bus maintenance. That, in turn, could help the schools and the state get more electric buses on the road. “It is my hope that by increasing awareness of green vehicle technology and demonstrating the benefits of switching, we can collectively create real demand and hopefully drive down costs,” Morris said.

Housed alongside nine other town-owned, full-size school buses, the four battery packs give the bus a range around 70 miles.

According to state officials, the pilot project, administered by the Vermont Energy Investment Corp., is intended to demonstrate that electric buses can reduce emissions and gas costs.

The goal is to cut down on petroleum use by about 22,680 gallons in the four districts receiving the grant. The other districts are the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District and public schools in Cambridge and Concord. There will be an estimated $96,000 in fuel savings over a decade of use and a $14,000 reduction in emissions-related repairs. Repairs to diesel engines are more complicated and costly.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.

question: Who is Scott Merzbach?

answer: Presumably the author of the article.

question: Why aren't green vehicles more common?

answer: There may not be enough awareness of the technology and its benefits. Additionally, because of the lack of demand, costs may be prohibitive.

question: Why would switching to all-electric buses help save money on deisel fuel?

answer: Because all-electric buses use batteries rather than deisel fuel.

question: What makes regular buses bad for the environment?

answer: They produce emissions, which lower air quality.


text:
For school we have to write a short story. I started writing but now I don't know what direction to take it in! Any ideas would be great!

The men gathered around the table were yelling at each other. They all dressed in the finest suits and each had an air of self-entitlement. The room was barren except for a large oak wood table the stood elegantly in the center. Chairs circled the table and a few had been knocked over when the men had stood up to yell. The room was well lit with a large window that nearly took up an entire wall. The large window provided the room with natural light so there were no lights in the room. There were three doors in the room, two of them led to a different tower of the hotel. The third was a large decorative door with intricate gold plated designs carved in the door. This conference room was on the last floor of the hotel before the hotel split into two different towers. The hotel itself was a large hotel in Chicago, one of the best. Known for its extreme luxury and quality service, many major corporations and business meetings of the extremely wealthy were held here because of its top-notch service. The room was painted a light yellow with a mirror that hung over a fireplace. There were old paintings from the 1600’s that covered the walls and gave the room an elegant museum-like feel.
	The men were in the middle of yelling when the large door swung open and the room went quite. The men who weren’t already standing quickly stood up a man walked slowly towards the head of the table. The man stood at the head of the table, looking around the room at who was presented before him.
“Take a seat.” The man said and the men in front of him quickly sat down again. “I would like to introduce myself. My name is Anthony Kane.”
	The alarm went off on the clock and the rooms lights dimmed on. Stephen sat up and turned off his alarm clock. He sat upright on his bed for a minute with his hair disheveled before he swung his legs out from under the comforters and put his feet in his slippers. His apartment was in downtown Chicago on the top floor penthouse. His blinds opened automatically every morning to wake him up. His room was very spacious and modernly designed with grey walls and white carpet. On the wall opposite his bed there was a walk in closet that he used to keep his expensive suits. As he stood up and walked out of the room, he picked up the robe that was lying on the armchair by the door. He walked down the corridor into the kitchen. He cooked and left food for his wife and kids to have when they woke up.
Stephen’s phone rang as he took the elevator down. He didn’t recognize the number and when he picked up, he didn’t recognize the voice. The caller told him to go to a very important meeting that was taking place at one of the nicest hotels in the area. The caller assured him that it was just a regular business meeting. The caller then told Stephen a serious of numbers that he scribbled on a post it. He was confused on what the meeting was about and when he asked any of his coworkers at the firm he worked at what the meeting was, none of them knew.
	Stephen showed at the hotel at exactly 2 pm just like that caller had said. He went to the front desk and told the receptionist the series of numbers.
“Follow me,” the receptionist walked around the counter and went to the elevator. They took the elevator up to the 5th floor. “This is as far as I can go. Go down the hall, take a right and go into the room at the end.” The receptionist closed the elevator door and left him alone in the corridor.
	In the room, people were already seated around the large table and were quiet. As he picked the only empty seat in the room, he realized he didn’t recognize a single person in the room. The people in the room were all men with really expensive, luxurious suits. Everyone in the room looked extremely wealthy. They sat quietly and after a few minutes of silence people started to talk and soon people were arguing about baseball. They argued and stood up and yelled at each other. The yelling ceased when the large doors swung open. A man walked in slowly and stood at the head of the table. He looked around the room at all the faces and people. The man wore a black suit with a gold tie. He had numerous large, extravagant rings on his fingers.
“I would like to introduce myself. My name is Anthony Kane.” He spoke softly yet powerfully.

title: Help me with this short story!

question: How many kids does Stephen have?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: Who is the mysterious caller?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: Explain the significance of the very important meeting.

answer: It's not clear what the meeting is for, but it involves a bunch of people who argue about baseball and a man named Anthony Kane.

question: What is the significance of the series of numbers?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Stephen wakes up and receives a mysterious call, inviting him to a very important meeting. The caller recites a series of numbers. Stephen shows up at the meeting room and doesn't recognize anyone. The people argue about baseball before a man walks in and introduces himself as Anthony Kane.