text:
Hi im a 16 year aspiring writer and these is one of my short stories, please try to as critical as you can.

It was a cold afternoon. The old retiree opened the back door of his one-storey dwelling carrying a light brown leather leash with a robust metal chain and the end of it. Therein almost immediately barking ensued. The barking was of his dog, ecstatic in the knowledge of what was to follow. The dog was confined to a small caged perimeter in the corner of the retiree’s backyard. It was a dog that was neither big nor small, but in either case it was one which could have been loyal, accessible and most of all obedient to the man, had it not been neglected. The dog had a name but the old man in his petulance had always called it, Dumb Dog.

Dumb Dog had gone overlooked after the demise of the old man’s wife. Who in her last stand of her doomed battle with cancer, had given it to her spouse, as a parting gift. One that was to bring him companionship in the time he had left on this earth without her. The old man however saw the creature as nothing but smut and frankly only kept it around for the sake of not upsetting his children for when they payed a visit, which increasingly became scarcer by the months.

The old man would soon grow tired of the dog’s barking and would use the leash in his hand to lash the dog into silence. The dog, which was evidently malnourished, yelped woefully and cowered to the ground, as the old man shouted, uncalled for obscenities at it.

It is often said that canines are the only animals that have truly seen their Gods. But if Dumb Dog didn't know it, he was sure to have an idea, that his God was a callous one. A man who lived his life with consuming rage and anger, belittling sentiments and utter despise for anything that was a threat to his pride. The old man was nothing but a ruthless brute that ruled the house once with alcohol pumping through his veins and his fists pounding through his loved ones and yet old age had now mellowed him. But if Dumb Dog had a say in all of this, he would agree that old dogs never learn new tricks and the old man would still yet remain somewhat of a hard knock.

Walking along the pavement, Dumb Dog, in his excitement and foolishness would stretch the old man every so often. Having the old man to either pull back the leash causing Dumb Dog to choke on his own collar or to simply beat some darn sense into him. Nevertheless when they reached the park, the old man would free Dumb Dog from his shackles to roam the green with liberty, it was a sentiment of absolute annoyance on behalf of the old man.

With Dumb Dog sniffing, urinating and exorcising the true nature of his kind, the old man realised that another dog, a much bigger one had entered the fray, unattended and with no God to govern him. The big dog was of a German Shepard kind, if not a cross breed and it had all the characteristics of being a wild and evil dog.

The bad dog trotted along the concrete pavement that ran through the park tending to its own business. The old man unconsciously thought about the safety of himself and even his redundant canine companion. He rose to his feet instinctively and began to hurry towards Dumb Dog, it was the least he could do. Yet at the same exact moment, Dumb Dog himself had spotted the Bad Dog and because of its purity and stupidity, it ran directly towards it. The old man shouted at Dumb Dog to stop, but Dumb Dog wasn't trained for that sort of authority nor was he ready for what was to follow.

By the time the old man had reached the dogs, the German Shepard was declared the champion, except Dumb Dog was never a contender. Dumb Dog’s gullet was being yanked wildly in this moment in time. It was brutal to watch but even more so brutal to be at the receiving end of it. Poor Dumb Dog thought the old man, who tried in vain to remove the Bad Dog off of Dumb Dog, by kicking and stomping on it, which seemed to work for a while, or he had at least hoped it had worked. Only for it to turn out to be an unwise idea, for as the German Shepard turned its fury towards the old man and even bit him on the hand. The old man moved away swiftly in fear and continued to watch in horror as Bad Dog went back to finish the job at hand. The old man, helpless as he watched the life seize in dumb dog did not try again; he simply consoled himself, with the idea that every dog had its day. Foolishness had been the reason behind that day for Dumb Dog.

The old man would later forget what happened exactly after the attack mostly to the shock he had encountered. But it did occur to him that he had made a statement to the police regarding the incident. He had gone to the hospital to have his hand examined, which explained the bandage that wrapped his right hand and then him talking to his youngest daughter over the telephone just before he went to sleep, where she had told him amongst other things “don't worry, we’ll get you another one”. Get me another one? He thought. What for? He imagined? To entertain him? To keep him company? Or to feel less bad about not being visited by his children? Of course it was the latter, but he couldn't be sure.

The next day was nothing out of the ordinary; nothing had changed for the old man, after all the dog was nothing but a burden, which had never excited an emotion in him. Although it must be said that whilst reading the day’s newspaper he did hear the bark of a dog and it had made him think of Dumb Dog almost instantly. He didn't particularly miss him but, it was his dog nonetheless, it belonged to him, it was his possession and it was taken from him just like his wife had been many months ago.

Many days would pass since the attack, when the old man made a phone call to the police officer that had taken his statement. The old man had called to enquire about the case of the Bad Dog. He was truly banking on the fact that it had been found and destroyed by now; after all it was what he had been promised. For it had no purpose left, besides to kill and kill again. Yet the police did not find the dog nor did they even look as far as the old man was concerned. He tried to bite his tongue in, once he heard the outcome, but he couldn't help it when he shouted, that the police force were just a bunch of “inconsiderate, uninterested and imprudent lot of pricks”.

Months had past, when whilst walking through the same park that had been the setting of Dumb Dog’s death, the old man spotted a German Shepard, which had unmistakably resembled Bad Dog. This time with its owner or God. The old man didn't think twice about it and he approached the owner. Not in interest or curiosity as one would expect, but with accusations and allegations. Bewildered, the owner denied every single bit of it. He was adamant that his dog was trained and not in any way a danger to people or other dogs for that matter. The accusations would then turn into abuse and almost into a physical confrontation between the two bickering parties. The police would eventually arrive whom concerned witnesses had called. They tried telling the old man to move on and that he had accused the wrong dog. But the old man’s antics would spill over to them. They weren’t only disinterested; they were also lying through their teeth, he held.

It was clear that the old man was a fellow with too much pride. The empty bottle of Jack in the living room that same night did not signify sorrow and yearn for Dumb Dog, instead it was to numb the battering his pride had taken. It was also that same night that a show was on the television box. A documentary on dogs, dangerous dogs. Among the many mongrels was the American Pit Bull. It was a dog that was not big in size but big in bite. The more the old man listened, the more he thought about revenge against Bad Dog. He would have his day, he supposed as soon as Good Dog got a hold of him.

The next day, the old man had withdrawn his entire pension payment and had combined it with what little savings he had. He was to buy a Pit Bull, a killer to kill a dog, which had killed another dog, it was confusing, but it had to be done and it needed to be done straight away, thus puppies were out of the question. He searched for a full-grown pure breed, but none wanted to sell, until he met Dave a man who was willing to part with his for cash to fix his heroin habit. Dave was a crook no less, but he had the decency to tell the old man, that it was an unwise decision, he was not his dogs God and he couldn't command him like Dave could. But the old man knew that once he had seen Butch he had seen his accomplice, he would tame him and they would be buddies he believed.

Butch or Good Dog as he became to be known, tried to kill the old man for the next month or so. But steady food and shelter made him a sympathizer. Another month would pass and another after that. Up until the point where old man would grow fond of Good Dog; he had made him smile and laugh. For a moment the old man even thought about abandoning his plans for revenge, in the fear that something bad would come of it for Good Dog. That was to be the case until one day, when the victim would come face to face with his old nemesis. Bad Dog was there at the park once again with his owner, but so was Good Dog. He knew what Good Dog was capable of, after all he had witnessed him shred countless tires in the backyard. So he knew the outcome, but what if he got injured? He asked himself.

But pride was fucking the old man; it was bigger and stronger then one hundred Good Dog’s. He wandered over to Bad Dog and the owner, who appeared to be teasing the dog into jumping for a plastic toy. Once real close, he unleashed Good Dog.

Thanks

title: A story about an old man who’s dog is killed by another dog and his attempt to buy another dog to kill the culprit.

question: What does the story say about Poodles?

question: What does the story say about the Old Man?

answer: The Old Man is a retiree with a callous and petulant attitude. He is a prideful man who lived his life with anger and rage that consumed him. The Old Man belittled and despised anything that was a threat to his pride and was a ruthless brute that ruled the house with alcohol and violence. Old age hasn't mellowed him, and he's unable to learn anything new. His wife recently died of cancer and his children visit him less and less each month. He is cruel towards the dog his wife gave him as a parting gift to keep him company, overlooking the dog's care and needs. The dog had a name but he kept calling it Dumb Dog. The old man would often beat the dog into silence and verbally abuse it.

question: Summarize the main tension in the story.

answer: The main tension in the story comes from the Old Man's pride. The Old Man hated Dumb Dog, a parting gift from his wife who died of cancer, and is cruel and abusive towards the poor dog. He couldn't get rid of it because his children would get mad at him. While at the park, Dumb Dog approaches a bigger German Shepard, aka Bad Dog, who proceeds to attack and kill Dumb Dog and even bites the Old Man. The Old Man didn't like Dumb Dog but still viewed it as his property and his pride took a hit. The Old Man's pride brings more tension as he lashes out at the police for not doing anything to find and destroy Bad Dog, and even goes after an innocent man who happens to own a trained German Shepard that wasn't a danger to anyone. The tension culminates when the Old Man decides to buy an American Pit Bull to kill the German Shepard as revenge for his pride getting hurt.

question: What does the story say about pride and revenge?

answer: Too much pride can lead to anger, resentment, and ultimately, revenge. When the Old Man's dog, Dumb Dog (whom he hated), was killed by another dog (Bad Dog), he didn't feel sorrow or pity, but rage because he felt Dumb Dog was his property and it was taken from him. The Old Man's pride had taken a beating. He plotted revenge against Bad Dog and bought an American Pitbull to kill Bad Dog. The Old Man was so blinded by revenge that he used up all his pension and savings to buy an adult purebred Pit Bull (Good Dog), disregarding his safety (being an adult, the dog might turn on him) and future (no savings). True enough Good Dog tried to kill the Old Man at first, but they formed a bond. Although the Old Man grew to love and care for Good Dog, his pride and lust for revenge got the best of him while in the park as he unleashed Good Dog on a dog that looked like Bad Dog.

question: What does the story say about the relationship between the Old Man and Dumb Dog?

answer: Dumb Dog could've been a loyal and obedient companion to the Old Man, as his late wife intended, but he was just a petulant, callous, and angry man. He was cruel and abusive towards Dumb Dog, neglecting to provide structure and care to the animal. Dumb Dog was regularly beaten by the Old Man, who only kept the dog around so his kids won't get upset. The Old Man hated poor Dumb Dog so much that he got annoyed at the dog's enthusiasm when he lets the dog roam around free from the leash. Despite all this, Dumb Dog was still ecstatic every time the Old Man held the leash, which meant they were going for a walk.

question: Summarize the instances wherein the Old Man was being irrational in the story.

answer: The Old Man was being irrational with the police. He expected the police to search for the dog and destroy it, which is clearly not what the police force does. When the police showed no interest in his case, he lashed out at them. Another instance where the Old Man was being irrational was when he unfairly accused a dog owner who happened to own a German Shepard that looked like the one that killed Dumb Dog. The Old Man verbally abused the other man and it almost came to blows if the police didn't interfere. The Old Man withdrew all his pension and savings just to buy a Pit Bull that could kill Bad Dog.


split: test

text:
Synopsis

This post shows the user how to deploy a simple website using no more than a git post-receive hook. It covers just enough background information so that the reader can go further and expand their knowledge as their time permits.

One-Click Deploy

How often do we say preach the mantra of ONE CLICK DEPLOYMENT? Every Project? Every Day? _Every Commit?_ If we’re anything alike, you’ll have readily identified with one or more of these. We've all been in roles or had projects where we've had to jump through a number of hoops to get our application deployed on one or more environments.

We know that ultimately it's a distraction from what we're best at: APPLICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT. We know we should be focused on other areas, such as _architecture_, _testing_, and _design_. Yet we get repeatedly bogged down in the minutiae of copying files, running scripts and so on. We get repeatedly bogged down in tasks which SHOULD ALWAYS BE AUTOMATED.

Perhaps you're familiar with one of the following scenarios:

-   Following a deploy checklist
-   SSH'ing to a remote box and running a set of scripts
-   Manually FTP'ing files to a remote server

I hope you're not doing the last one…

For years I talked the talk but didn't walk the walk. But in recent times, my life, my time, my family and friends became too important to continue that way. They became too important to waste time, spending countless hours, deploying code. Perhaps you're the same. If you are, this article series is for you.

Recently I read Tim Boronczyk’s Git Hooks for Fun and Profit post here on Sitepoint and thought _what if_. I read the manual on using git hooks and took inspiration from Tim's post, thinking that there must be a way to automate deployment of a remote web app with them.

I set myself a simple, clear, goal:

  I will only need to run git push and the deployment will be taken care of, with no further involvement from me.

Friends looked at me a bit dubiously when I talked about it; but I was inspired. Justifiably, at this point, you may be wondering, why not just use a Continuous Integration (CI) server, such as Jenkins or Hudson, or a service like codeship.io? That's a good question, and if you thought it, points for doing so. MANY DON'T.

Why not use one? Well as Beth Tucker-Long said in her talk at PHPUK last year, not all needs are so complex or sophisticated, or can justify the implementation costs.

So in today's post, we’re starting a series looking at how git hooks can help you implement simple and effective deployment processes. Today’s is the simplest of the lot.

How Will It Work?

It consists of 3 parts:

1.  A working repository
2.  A remote, bare, repository
3.  A working directory (your deployed site or test branch)

We'll develop our application as normal, in our local working directory, and push to a remote as we normally would (e.g. _Github_, _BitBucket_ etc). The remote repository though won't be a standard development repository. It needs to be what's called a BARE REPOSITORY, which the git scm book describes as:

  a repository that doesn’t contain a working directory

If this seems a little confusing, that's perfectly normal. I did a lot of reading as I came to understand this setup. During that research I found this quote from bitflop.com which explains it quite succinctly.

  In Git you should only use a "bare" repository to clone and pull from, and push to. It doesn't have a checked out tree, so it just does what the "server" notionally does in a centralized VCS – RECORDS COMMITS, BRANCHES, etc when you push to it, and GIVES YOU THE LATEST VERSIONS when you clone or pull from it.

So in our bare repository we won't be able to edit files and make changes. It's purely there for us to push our latest changes to and for those changes to be deployed from, to our working directory. If it helps, use the image below to conceptualize it.

[]

Setting Up the Remote Repository

For the purposes of this article, I'm going to assume you're using a Linux (Debian) server, and that the remote repository will be stored in /opt/git. We'll call it simpleapp.git. I've added .git at the end because it seems to be the accepted convention.

Using these assumptions, we run the following commands, to setup the remote repository:

    $ mkdir -p /opt/git
    $ cd /opt/git
    $ git clone --bare simpleapp simpleapp.git
    Initialized empty Git repository in /opt/git/simpleapp.git/

When this is finished, if you ls the directory, you'll notice that it contains what would normally be stored in the .git directory. This is perfectly fine as the working directory in this case is, effectively, the deployed directory.

The Post-Receive Hook

With the remote repository setup, we next add a git post-receive hook. I've supplied a sample one in post-receive.sh:

    #!/bin/sh
    #
    ## store the arguments given to the script
    read oldrev newrev refname

    ## Where to store the log information about the updates
    LOGFILE=./post-receive.log

    # The deployed directory (the running site)
    DEPLOYDIR=/var/www/html/simpleapp

    ##  Record the fact that the push has been received
    echo -e "Received Push Request at $( date +%F )" >> $LOGFILE
    echo " - Old SHA: $oldrev New SHA: $newrev Branch Name: $refname" >> $LOGFILE

    ## Update the deployed copy
    echo "Starting Deploy" >> $LOGFILE

    echo " - Starting code update"
    GIT_WORK_TREE="$DEPLOYDIR" git checkout -f
    echo " - Finished code update"

    echo " - Starting composer update"
    cd "$DEPLOYDIR"; composer update; cd -
    echo " - Finished composer update"

    echo "Finished Deploy" >> $LOGFILE

This script, written in bash, will be fired off after the push is received by the remote repository. It manages the entire deployment process for us, consisting of the following steps:

1.  Update the code in the deployed directory, to the latest version
2.  Run composer install, ensuring we have all dependencies in place

Let's look at it piece by piece:

    read oldrev newrev refname

Here we store the three arguments passed to the post-receive script when it's called. These are:

-   The previous commit SHA1 hash
-   The latest commit SHA1 hash
-   The refname (containing branch information)

This helps track what's being deployed and to rollback should you need to do so. This script doesn't handle a rollback however.

    LOGFILE=./post-receive.log
    DEPLOYDIR=/var/www/html/simpleapp

Next we setup a variable to log the output of the deployment and the deployment directory.

    echo -e "Received Push Request at $( date +%F )" >> $LOGFILE
    echo " - Old SHA: $oldrev New SHA: $newrev Branch Name: $refname" >> $LOGFILE
    echo "Starting Deploy" >> $LOGFILE

Here we're logging when a push request was received and the details about it. That way, should we need to debug, we have relevant information to hand and a quick message to say that we're starting the deploy process.

    echo " - Starting code update"
    GIT_WORK_TREE="$DEPLOYDIR" git checkout -f
    echo " - Finished code update"

Here we tell git where the working tree is, and instruct git to checkout the latest copy of the code to that directory, removing any changes which may have manually been made.

    echo " - Starting composer update"
    cd "$DEPLOYDIR"; composer update; cd -
    echo " - Finished composer update"

Now that the code's updated, as I use composer for dependency management, we run composer update as there may have been a change to composer.json changing the application's dependencies.

    echo "Finished Deploy" >> $LOGFILE

The last step is indicating that the deploy's now complete. You'd likely do a lot more than this in a standard project, including:

-   Clearing and pre-warming cache directories
-   Running database migrations
-   Running unit & regression tests
-   Checking permissions on key directories

However, this is a simple example and I don't want to distract you from the main aim. In the hooks directory, create a new file called post-receive and add the contents of post-receive.sh. You should only need to change one variable, DEPLOYDIR.

Change it to suit your needs, and don't forget to make the file executable, otherwise it won't run. If you're not familiar with how to do that, it's as follows:

    chmod +x post-receive

The Git User

Whilst on the remote server, there's one step left to go, the git user. This is the user who will manage the process, and who we'll authenticate as. So if it doesn't already exist, run the following command to create it:

    sudo adduser git

After that, you need to add your public key to the authorized_keys file in the .ssh directory in the git user's home directory.

NOTE: If you don't have one or aren't familiar with them, this excellent, short guide from GitHub steps you through creating one.

The simplest way to copy the public key is likely copying the contents between terminal sessions. So copy the contents of ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub whether via scp or terminal session to your remote server and add them to the remote authorized_keys file.

Then from your local machine, test that you can now ssh to the remote box by running the following command, substituting remoteserver as appropriate.

    ssh git@remoteserver

All being well, you're not prompted for a username and password. Next, ensure that the git user has proper permissions on both the /opt/git/simpleapp directory and the deploy directory.

Adding The Remote Repository

After that, we're pretty much finished. In your working directory, run the following command to add the new remote repository:

    git remote add test git://remoteserver/opt/git/simpleapp.git

Then, verify that it's in place with the following:

    git remote

With that in place, all we need to do is then start developing our application and push as required.

In Conclusion

I understand that it's a lot to take in as it's quite an involved process, at least at first. However, like Linux, once you've got everything up and running, the majority of the work's over.

What do you think? Let me know what else you'd like to see. I hope this article's shown you that it's both possible and straight-forward to auto-deploy.

Have you already done this? Have you approached it a different way? Can you do better? Give me your thoughts in the comments.

question: Why should you create a git user?

answer: A git user is required to manage the process.

question: What would happen if you don't use a bare repository?

answer: This information can't be found.


text:
“Mom..” a boy cried.
“Is it okay if I’m the only one that love you in this world..”
His mother, with a loving smile says” I would be so happy, that I couldn’t stop smiling”

I woke up. In the end, it was just a sweet dream. A dream that perhaps , I wish to stay forever. I got up, did my daily morning routine, kiss my father and go to school. Oh, I also bring my camera with me wherever I go. Not the hipster one! Just the regular simple camera type. You know, to capture the moment. Still an amateur though. Though it was a give I got from a dear friend of mine.
	A few moments stepping out, I notice a man. Perhaps he is waiting someone as he showed no sign of haste. The man turned. A trace of smile slid on his face. Pretentious postmen, I presume to myself. A letter and a box were given for a few signatures and the man left. Puzzled, I took the package not knowing what inside.
	Before my clever assumption flow, I was stunned. The letter senders were under the name Alexa, my childhood friend. I stood there for too long not sure what I’m doing exactly. Somehow I came back to my senses and impatiently went back to open the box. Inside it, were full of memories of Alexa. Her photobook, novels and deep down was her diary. With a large word spell “No Reading”.
	I was dumbfounded, what on earth she was thinking sending me this.  Still , the notion of her secret in my hand excites me . After taking everything outside the box a simple note was left underneath everything. It says “Read the letter first you dumbass!”. “Okay , okay . Seriously , like literally, she could order me around whether she around or not” . Wondering, I read her letter quietly in the depth of the silent living room.
“God, bless you for the beautiful moment we shared . Many times I once wondered , if you still have the thought of my existence at all.  I wish you were, if not then you weren’t. “Got a chase last night” the story I wrote, nobody knew but I couldn’t care less. It caught your attention though , and more and more you surprised me. Till one letter that make me fell for you. HARD.  Everytime I read your letter, that joke always catch me .Liar, told me to catch me even I was a storm. Hahaha, how do you intend to do that? I want to kiss you in the same time kick you.
God, blessed you with patient and I hope you are patient now as you reading this. I have come to realize that I love you .And my love still stabs me through the brain. I couldn’t find myself forget you. Like the way the wind hit you, you couldn’t help but face it. So much that this feeling is unconsciously conscious of you. I know I’m maybe exaggerating a little but I couldn’t help it.
Maybe I should end this letter here, for nobody knows what to expect in the near future but do me favor, let me go away.
						                                                          Alexa”
Huh, this is all to sudden. I reread it gazillion time again making sure what I read perfectly justify what I understood. Not long enough after that I found her picture, sick in the photobook. Each one shows her journey fighting cancer. I couldn’t believe she hid the fact that she was sick from me. More and more picture, more and more droplet of water stream down my cheek. I couldn’t hold it much longer after the last of her picture, smiling so brightly in the midst of dying.
Finally, I realize. Moments in life seems to go by fast and takes a long time one to realize, the best of it went by soundlessly. In the end, I kept her diary untouched.

title: [RO] Shutterbugs

question: What happens in the narrator's dream?

answer: The narrator dreams of his mother, when he was a boy. He asks her if it was okay if he was the only one who loved her in the world. She responds that it would make her so happy she could not stop smiling. Then the narrator wakes up.

question: Summarize what happens when the narrator steps out of his house.

answer: The narrator sees a man. He seems to be smiling. The narrator thinks he is just a postman. But then he hands over a letter and a box and the narrator is not so sure.

question: Summarize what happens when the narrator reads the note.

answer: The narrator discovers the note is from his friend, Alexa. He goes to open the diary and finds a note telling him to read the letter first. He laughs because his friend can still order him around. He opens the letter and reads it. The letter tells him how much Alexa loved him.

question: Summarize what happened to Alexa, and why she sent the narrator the packages.

answer: The narrator realizes after reading the letter that she had cancer. She had never told him. He sees a picture of her with cancer. This causes him to cry, when he sees how she was smiling as she died.


text:
-
-   #1

A COMPARISON OF RUNNING BUTANE EXTRACTED BHO WITH FINE BLENDER BUDS VS LIGHTLY BROKEN UP BUDS.
-Used the exact same crop of Kush buds
-used the same glass extraction tubes
-packed the tubes with the same procedure and pressure.
-used the same number of filters
-used the same amount of butane per ounce of bud
-used frozen butane and frozen bud
-weighed everything with digital gram scale

OBJECTIVE WAS TO FIND OUT:

1. which will yield more oil? Using: fine ground blender bud or lightly broken up small pieces of bud in the same size extraction tube?
2. will the produced oil differ in color, smell, or texture made from fine ground vs lightly broken up small pieces of bud?
3. will running blender fine ground buds allow me to process more bud in a quicker amount of time than using the lightly broken up small pieces of bud?

THE FIRST RUN OF FINE GROUND BLENDER BUDS
RAN 2 EXTRACTION TUBES OF 300 GRAMS: 9 CANS OF BUTANE PER EXTRACTION TUBE
TOTAL OF 600 GRAMS

[]

FROZEN BUTANE AND FROZEN TUBES:

[]

DID THIS TWICE:

[]

AFTER AIR PURGING OVERNIGHT:

[]

SCRAPED ONTO PARCHMENT:

[]

IN THE CHAMBER FOR DE-MUFFINING:

[]

FOLDED UP MUFFIN AND WEIGHED 151.9 GR - 7.7 GR PARCHMENT =144.2 GR POST MUFFIN:

[]

AFTER VAC PURGING FOR HOURS IT SETTLED DOWN AND LOST 12.6 GR WEIGHT:

[]

SEVERAL HOURS LATER IT WAXED UP NICELY AND LOST A BIT MORE WEIGHT 131.6 PLUS 3 GRAMS SCRAPS ON PAPER=134.6 GRAM TOTAL

[]

NICE GOLDEN SAND COLOR:

[]

SUPER DANK HONEYCOMB!

[]

^^^ THIS FIRST RUN YIELDED 22.44% ^^^

THE SECOND RUN: THE LIGHTLY BROKEN UP BUDS
RAN ONE TUBE OF 185 GRAMS WITH 7 TUBES OF BUTANE

[]

LIGHTLY BROKEN UP INTO VERY SMALL PIECES OF BUD-NO BLENDER OR CUTTING

[]

PACKED TUBE WITH SAME PROCEDURE AND PRESSURE AS FIRST RUN:

[]

READY TO BLAST:

[]

USED 7 TUBES OF BUTANE:

[]

AFTER DE-MUFFINING WEIGHED 46.9 GR- 6.1 GR PARCHMENT = 40.8 GRAMS

[]

AFTER VAC PURGING FOR AWHILE:

[]

AFTER SEVERAL HOURS MORE IT WAXED UP NICELY TO A NICE BLONDE SANDY COLOR:

[]

NICE HONEYCOMBING LIKE THE FIRST RUN:

[]

FINAL WEIGHT WAS 35.3 PLUS 1.3 GR SCRAPS ON PAPER = 36.9 GR

[]

^^^ THIS SECOND RUN YIELDED 20% ^^^

MY CONCLUSIONS:

1. FINELY GROUND BUDS IN A BLENDER = HIGHER YIELD THAN LIGHTLY BROKEN UP SMALL PIECES OF BUDS BY HAND WITH NO CUTTING OR GRINDING

2. THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE IN COLOR, SMELL, OR TEXTURE OF THE HONEYCOMB WITH EITHER BATCHES.

3. I CAN LOAD WAY MORE FINELY GROUND BLENDER BUDS IN MY EXTRACTION TUBES THAN LIGHTLY BROKEN UP BUDS WHICH WILL ENABLE ME TO RUN MUCH MORE PRODUCT IN WAY LESS TIME. I CAN FIT 300 GRAMS OF FINE GROUND BUD IN MY TUBES AND ONLY 185 GRAMS OF LIGHTLY HAND BROKEN UP BUDS IN THE SAME TUBES. AND THAT'S USING THE SAME PACKING PROCEDURE AND PRESSURE IN THE TUBES. THAT IS 62% MORE MATERIAL I CAN PROCESS IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME RESULTING IN THE SAME QUALITY OF PRODUCT.

FINAL CONCLUSION: I WILL ALWAYS RUN FINELY GROUND BLENDER BUDS IN FROZEN TUBES WITH FROZEN BUTANE.

-
-   #2

WTF!? Why won't the pictures show up? They were there when I made the post and previewed it before I hit "submit" Now they are not showing up?

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-   #3

How fine did you grind it up exactly? I use to grind everything up but I thought it was making a darker end product.

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-   #4

  How fine did you grind it up exactly? I use to grind everything up but I thought it was making a darker end product.

Hey nme are my pics showing up on the original post? All I see is little blue boxes with question marks..wtf! I post my pics exactly the same way every time??

I grind them up in a blender quite fine. The very first picture shows how fine they are but don't know why the pics aren't coming up?????

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-   #5

Google's service certificate or some BS like that was breaking the link to the pictures...used firefox direct to pics and they uploaded..

So after running the ground material I spread it all out on a sheet and went over it for about 30 mins with a 30x USB microscope to see if any resin heads were still in tact and missed on my extraction.

Picture under microscope of buds before extraction:

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Another picture of buds under microscope before extraction:

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Picture of ground material after extraction:

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3 Pictures of material after extraction under microscope Note there's no fully intact resin heads; all just resin head stocks (thanks Fadedawg for the insight to do the microscope thing!! No need to re run any of this material!

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-   #6

wish i could +rep you, where did you get that tube?

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-   #7

Nice trich pic..yummy

Looks like one of the tubes smokeshops carry

I will say the second run looks a lot nicer to me

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-   #8

Awesome write up. Very informative. Thanks for all the great info, answered quite a few questions I had myself.

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-   #9

I feel a little, glass envy[:roll:], mine is only for 14 grams, [:hump:]

I am looking forward to blowing all the sugar leaf and airy nug on my plant,
I'm at day 50 of Flower and chewing my fingernails waiting for it to start to show any amber Trichs.

Can I run BHO THRU wet fresh / material?

If so do you just grind and freeze or freeze then grind?

I hope to have enough material to do at least two runs, about 1 0z.

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-   #10

I only run fresh frozen
I find a big difference..but that's just me

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-   #11

A few bud pix, day 50!

The long bud on the left side is 7 inches and is about 4" dia.

the 8 inch bud on the right is about 2 1/2" dia.

the low 6 inch bud is about 2 1/2" in dia.

The big bud above the screen is My "Holy hand grenade" it's rock hard about 6 in dia. At the bottom 7+" tall.

the screen has 20 plus Vertical buds!

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-   #12

  wish i could +rep you, where did you get that tube?

Thanks Twitch! A local glass blower Justin Thatcher in Vancouver makes them. Local head shops sell them. Same glass as Pyrex is made out of; Borosilicate. Very strong. I only broke the tip on one of them so far which he makes separate from the tube so I bought extras at $8 a pop.
I have 4 of his large tubes now and one smaller one. Love them!

  Nice trich pic..yummy

  Looks like one of the tubes smokeshops carry

  I will say the second run looks a lot nicer to me

Might be the lighting in the pics from that shop but they are pretty much identical other than the larger slab has more honeycomb air holes in it due to the thickness of it.
I break pieces off to make 1 oz jars and with both runs in the same jars I can't tell the difference which is which.

  Awesome write up. Very informative. Thanks for all the great info, answered quite a few questions I had myself.

You're welcome man my pleasure. Literally lol [bongsmilie]

  I feel a little, glass envy[:roll:], mine is only for 14 grams, [:hump:]

  I am looking forward to blowing all the sugar leaf and airy nug on my plant,
  I'm at day 50 of Flower and chewing my fingernails waiting for it to start to show any amber Trichs.

  Can I run BHO THRU wet fresh / material?

  If so do you just grind and freeze or freeze then grind?

  I hope to have enough material to do at least two runs, about 1 0z.

Right on Dog! I would freeze then grind but with fresh stuff I don't know if I would recommend grinding too finely. I ran fresh frozen stuff but I think my machine processed trim fucked my oil up. I'm gonna do a new batch of hand trim vs machine trim comparison very soon and will post up my results. Should be ready off the racks in a couple of days.

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-   #13

We reduce our material that we extract oral oils from, to 10 mesh for a packing density of about 4.2 grams per cubic inch, but just lightly break up the material that we extract for bragging rights vaporization material.

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-   #14

  I'm gonna do a new batch of hand trim vs machine trim comparison very soon and will post up my results. Should be ready off the racks in a couple of days.

looking forward to this one. awesome notes though. i may need to get myself a dedicated electric grinder.. want to see them trim pics! grind the trim really well on that next batch, compared to regular trim batch.
you da man

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-   #15

That's some blonde hash for being ground up! I'm trying to remember if I was freezing my material when I tried ground up bud. I don't think I was at the time.

How long do you leave the blender on for? I might have to try this later today.

Good job on your product!

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-   #16

Looks good, + rep. (if I could give it again)

I do agree the second batch is more aesthetically pleasing. To me your results say time>quality; instead of having to unpack and repack the tube for a second run you can just grind it and run it once. I do think fade will say that grinding up the plant matter will allow for more lipids and chlorophyll to be absorbed. (Might that have contributed to the weight?)

Fun fun [bongsmilie]

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-   #17

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these look exactly the same.... [:grin:][:grin:][:grin:][:grin:][:grin:] reallly REALLLYY GOOD

you took the pictures with different lighting, areas, etc.. can you get two chunks side by side in picture? and get completely identical chunks, we should have a guessing game before you tell us which one is which though :]

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-   #18

  looking forward to this one. awesome notes though. i may need to get myself a dedicated electric grinder.. want to see them trim pics! grind the trim really well on that next batch, compared to regular trim batch.
  you da man

Hey Guz I am using a blender now. I was using the coffee grinder but it was too small and now I wanna try a food processor because with the blender I am poking the buds around to get them to all get down to the bottom of the blender to get ground out. I think the food processor might be even better for this.

I think my last batch of trim run turned out darker because I ground it right off the racks. Don't think I froze it then ground it up.
I'll make sure everything is good and frozen before I do the trim run. I think it makes a big difference in not letting the plant material leak out any moisture and chlorophyll etc.

  That's some blonde hash for being ground up! I'm trying to remember if I was freezing my material when I tried ground up bud. I don't think I was at the time.

  How long do you leave the blender on for? I might have to try this later today.

  Good job on your product!

Ya man I think it HAS to be frozen pre-grinding. Think it makes a big difference. The blender grinds it really quick. Only a few seconds with some poking of the buds to get them down into the chopping blades. Like I mentioned above though; I think a food processor might do an even better quicker job of it. Gonna try and sneak the wife's processor out to give it a try [:lol:]

  Looks good, + rep. (if I could give it again)

  I do agree the second batch is more aesthetically pleasing. To me your results say time>quality; instead of having to unpack and repack the tube for a second run you can just grind it and run it once. I do think fade will say that grinding up the plant matter will allow for more lipids and chlorophyll to be absorbed. (Might that have contributed to the weight?)

  Fun fun [bongsmilie]

Thanks BluJayz! I think deep freezing the product before grinding really helps not let plant juices etc out.

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  these look exactly the same.... [:grin:][:grin:][:grin:][:grin:][:grin:] reallly REALLLYY GOOD

  you took the pictures with different lighting, areas, etc.. can you get two chunks side by side in picture? and get completely identical chunks, we should have a guessing game before you tell us which one is which though :]

LOL ya that's a good idea but it is all broken up and put into 1 oz jars now. I can see if I can tell the difference of two pieces in a jar and get a pic but not sure if I'll be able to tell other than the bigger slab has thicker pieces so I should be able to tell that way. I'll check tonight when I'm playing around in there again.

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-   #19

Here ya go Guz!

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-   #20

Nice. Right on!

I'm gonna call bs. It's a trick. They are same chunks from same batch.

question: What was the point of this "experiment?"

answer: To determine whether grinding the cannabis nugs into a fine consistency impacted the Butane Honey Oil extraction process - including yield, and color, taste, quality, and processing efficiency.

question: How was the quality of the high impacted by broken up buds vs ground buds?

question: What are the results of the "experiment?"

answer: Finely ground buds gave a higher yield than broken up small buds; there was no difference in color, smell, or texture; and the finely ground buds allowed more material to be processed at once than the broken up buds making for a far more efficient process.


text:
1.  politics
2.  2018 Midterm Elections

“No man should be a judge in his own cause,” said voter rights groups in a lawsuit alleging Scott illegally abused his power as governor.

Last updated on November 13, 2018, at 10:09 a.m. ET

Posted on November 12, 2018, at 3:11 p.m. ET

 Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Florida governor and Republican senatorial candidate Rick Scott.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Republican Gov. Rick Scott has filed at least five lawsuits since Thursday against county election officials and instructed state police to investigate them for “fraud.” But on Monday, a group of Florida voters and organizations filed their own lawsuit that alleges Scott has illegally abused his power as governor to swing the outcome of his own high-profile race for US senator, wielding the threat of a crackdown and controlling state government in order to stop legal votes from being counted.

Scott’s tiny lead has shrunk in the Senate race against incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson as late votes were tallied last week in urban, left-leaning counties around Miami, causing Republicans to panic and accuse Democrats of trying to “steal” the election. Officials up and down Florida started a machine recount of the midterm vote Saturday, as mandated by law when the margins whittle below 0.5%, yet Scott has stood outside the governor’s mansion to decry Democrats and local officials.

“Scott’s continued interventions in the race violate the basic notion of fairness that no man should be a judge in his own cause,” says the suit filed by a voter in Broward County, the League of Women Voters of Florida, and Common Cause Florida. The groups are government transparency organizations that say they have members who backed Scott and Nelson. Another plaintiff is Joanne Lynch Aye, a voter in Broward County.

The group Protect Democracy filed the lawsuit for the plaintiffs.

As an example of a conflict of interest, Scott sits on the state canvassing board that certifies elections and appoints its members, the complaint says. Further, he appoints the Florida secretary of state, who must determine later this week if Scott’s race must also be subjected to a hand recount of the ballots, and he oversees the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

Although he was talking about his Senate campaign, Scott stood outside the Florida Governor’s Mansion for a press conference Thursday to accuse officials in Palm Beach County and Broward County of “rampant fraud,” the complaint explains. He said he would “not sit idly by while unethical liberals try to steal this election.” Scott then joined Fox News’ _Sean Hannity_ _Show_ to say, “So, it’s clear we’ve got some left-wing activists, we’ve got some Democrat DC lawyers, down here for one purpose — to steal this election.”

US District Court Judge Mark Walker denied the plaintiff's request for a temporary restraining order on Monday night, instead scheduling a phone hearing on Wednesday at 10 a.m. to discuss their parallel call for a preliminary injunction, which would also bar Scott from overseeing the recount. Walker noted that Scott's lawyers have yet to tell they court they have received the complaint.

Scott has violated the constitutional due process rights of voters to have their votes counted fairly, while also overstepping their rights by intimidating election officials based on their party affiliation, says the complaint filed in the Northern District of Florida.

It calls on the court to issue a restraining order that blocks Scott from using his position as governor in any way relating to the election recount.

Ballots that were counted last week by machine in the populous, Democratically dominated Broward County show tens of thousands of “undervotes” in Scott’s race — in which voters picked no candidate in the race — and a hand recount, which involves a visual inspection, could show markings on the ballots that reveal voters intended to pick Nelson.

Scott told the FDLE to begin a probe of local officials for fraud Thursday, but the agency promptly said it had no allegations or evidence of fraud.

“Tonight, I am asking the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate this immediately, and I am considering every single legal option available,” Scott said in front of the Florida Governor’s Mansion on Thursday. “No ragtag group of liberal activists or lawyers from DC will be allowed to steal this election from the voters in the state of Florida. I am proud to be the next senator from the State of Florida.”

On Sunday, Attorney General Pam Bondi, one of Scott’s political allies, sent FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen a letter, saying, “Your duty to investigate this matter is clear. I am directing you to take the necessary steps to promote public safety and to ensure our state will guarantee integrity in our election process.”

The complaint filed Monday says this amounts to Scott using his long arms to influence the election process.

“Making matters worse, Bondi is one of the two hand-picked officials whom Defendant Scott appointed to the [Elections Canvassing Commission], which has ultimate authority over the review and certification of the very election that Defendant Scott is hoping to secure,” the court record says. “Together, Defendant Scott and Bondi have a blocking position on the ECC and could certify an election result over any dissent.”

The complaint makes three legal claims. The first says he’s violated due process rights of voters under the 14th Amendment since he is not a neutral decision maker. “As a result of Defendant Scott’s conflict of interest and threats of intimidation, it would be improper, unfair, and contrary to the due process of law for Defendant Scott to have the power to certify the winners of the 2018 election,” court documents say. It goes on to allege that Scott’s action violates First Amendment rights to free association by trying to burden one political party affiliation over another. Finally, it alleges he is denying equal protection rights under the 14th Amendment by trying to make sure some people’s votes aren’t counted “fairly and accurately.”

Scott filed three suits on Sunday seeking “emergency” injunctions to impound ballots and voting equipment in two largely Democratic counties, essentially putting voting records under the watch of law enforcement officials when not being used during a recount. A third lawsuit that day sought to stop local officials from submitting any newly counted ballots to the state. That came after Scott filed two other cases Thursday alleging that local officials were hiding records — judges agreed and ordered county elections supervisors to hand over records to Scott’s campaign and a local canvassing board.

The state recount also includes the race of Republican Ron DeSantis’s 0.41% lead against Democrat Andrew Gillum.

Read the complaint against Scott:

-   [Picture of Dominic Holden]

question: What does the article say about why a group of Florida voters says that Florida governor and Republican senatorial candidate Rick Scott illegally abused his power as governor?

answer: They argue that Scott has illegally abused his power as governor to swing the outcome of his own race for US senator against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Republicans accused Democrats of trying to steal the election. Officials started a machine recount of the midterm vote in Florida. Scott has stood outside the governor’s mansion to decry Democrats and local officials Democrats, which caused the group of voters to claim that his interventions violate the basic notion of fairness that no man should be a judge in his own cause.

question: What does the article say about how President Trump reacted to Scott's complaint?


text:
Captain RALPH ERKSINE PEASLEY “Captain Matt” (May 30, 1866 – December 13, 1948) is a sea captain from the Pacific Northwest who became famous due to a popular series of short stories by Peter Bernard Kyne called _Cappy Ricks or the Subjugation of Matt Peasley_.

Family life

Peasley was born to Henry Clay Peasley a civil war veteran and Elizabeth Rose of Jonesport, Maine in 1866. He left home at age 14 to learn seamanship. At age 22, he captained his first ship. He came to Seattle, Washington about 1888.[1]

In 1903, he married Emily Burrows “Burrie” Dalton, daughter of Captain James Dalton.[2][3]

Peasley died in 1948.[4][5]

Career highlights

-   While captain of the Louis he brought it into the Yangtze River after a typhoon, even though he had never been there. He brought it safely to port and set a passage record.[6]
-   In 1903, Peasley and Captain Smith saved a sailor from drowning.[7]

Ships

    Louis (schooner)[8][9]
    Wawona (schooner)[10][11][12]
    Mary E Foster[13]
    Melancton[14]
    Kennewick (steamer)[15]
    Omega[16][17][18]
    Fred G Wood (schooner)[19][20][21][22]
    Vigilant 1919-1930 (schooner)[23][24][25]
    Linda 1931 (auxiliary sloop)[26]

[1] Follansbee, Joe. _Celebrity Sea Captain_ (http://www.washingtonhistory.org : accessed 25 Feb 2020) COLUMBIA The Magazine of Northwest History, Summer 2006: Vol. 20, No. 2

[2] “Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPMJ-D7BW : 28 November 2018), Ralph E Peasley and Burrie E Dalton, 27 Oct 1903, Grays Harbor, Washington, United States, Washington State Archives, Olympia; FamilySearch digital folder 100042807.

[3] _Captain Peasley and Cappy Ricks_. Saltwater People Historical Society. 6 Nov 2015 (https://saltwaterpeoplehistoricalsociety.blogspot.com : accessed 25 Feb 2020)

[4]

[5] _Capt. Ralph E. Peasley._ New York Times. New York, New York 14 Dec 1948

[6]

[7] _Skippers Save Hapless Sailor_. The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]), 17 April 1903. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

[8]

[9]

[10] “United States Census, 1900,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMPZ-HZB : accessed 25 February 2020), Ralph E Peasley, Aberdeen Precinct Aberdeen town Ward 2, Grays Harbor, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1, sheet 19B, family 447, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,741.

[11] Follansbee, Joe. _Shipbuilders, Sea Captains, and Fishermen: The Story of the Schooner Wawona_ iUniverse, 2006

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15] _Steamer Kennewick_. Aberdeen herald. (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.), 11 July 1912. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

[16] _Captain Ralph Peasley sailed yesterday in command of the schooner Omega for Santa Rosalia, Mexico_. Aberdeen herald. (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.), 28 April 1914. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

[17] _Tales of The Town Tersely Told_. Aberdeen herald. (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.), 31 July 1914. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21] _Timberman The Timberman_ (Miller Freeman Publications Portland, Oregon)

[22] _Tales of The Town Tersely Told_. Aberdeen herald. (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.), 11 July 1915. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26] _Captain Peasley, Scientific Party to Study Wales_ The Seattle Sunday Times 24 May 1931

title: Ralph Erksine Peasley

question: What does the text say about Ralph Peasley's family?

answer: Peasley was born to Henry Clay Peasley and Elizabeth Rose. In 1903, he married Emily Burros Dalton, daughter of Captain James Dalton.

question: What does the text say about Peasley's career?

answer: Ralph Erksine Peasley is a sea captain from the Pacific Northwest. Peasley was the captain of the Louis that he brought into the Yangtze Riverport. Then in 1903, Peasley and Captain Smith saved a sailor from drowning.

question: What does the text say about Peasley's ships?

answer: He has sailed in 9 ships: Louis (schooner), Wawona (schooner), Mary E Foster, Melancton, Kennewick (steamer), Omega, Fred G Wood (schooner), Vigilant 1919-1930 (schooner), and Linda 1931 (auxiliary sloop).


text:
[Jefferson Standifer] JEFFERSON J. STANDIFER was an American gold miner, lawman, prospector, explorer, and member of the Knights of the Golden Circle.[1] He was the first sheriff of Idaho County, and there is a street named after him in Placerville, Idaho where he resided for a short time.

Early life

Jeff Standifer was born to Nancy and James Standifer around 1832. They homesteaded near Young's Settlement, Bastrop County, Texas.[2] James died in 1843, followed by Nancy in 1846. This left a teenage Jefferson Standifer to be raised by his siblings. In 1850, Standifer and his brothers moved to California to take part in the gold rush. [3]

Gold mining

Standifer took part in gold prospecting and mining in California, Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. He also was a partner in a gold mine in Sinaloa, Mexico. He was credited as creating thousands of mining jobs in the west.[4]

Idaho

In 1862, Standifer was named first sheriff of Idaho County by the Washington Territorial Legislature.[5] He mined in Florence, Idaho before leading an expedition to the Boise Basin. Standifer became a prominent citizen there. He built the Magnolia Saloon in Placerville, one of the few remaining early structures in the area. There is a street there named after him. In the Spring of 1863, attacks by Native Americans were threatening the mines. Standifer organized the first militia in Idaho to combat this threat.[6]

Membership in the Knights of the Golden Circle

Standifer's movements throughout his life indicate he was a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle. When Federal Troops came to establish a fort in Boise, Standifer fled the area. He then went to Mexico where he met with a known Confederate spy. Standifer helped men travel from California to Texas through Mexico to join the Confederate Army. Standifer was then ordered to camp in Bastrop, his hometown. Bastrop was also the site of a KGC Castle. Earlier in his life, Standifer was present in the Hawaiian Islands at the same time a precursor organization had filibustering plans there.[7]

Death

Standifer died in 1874 at Fort Steele, Wyoming, after contracting Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever on an expedition led by William F. Cody. A recent marker was placed in his grave by the Twenty First Century Confederate Legion. The marker indicates Standifer was a veteran of the “CSA CAV 1ST Calif. BN” This military unit does not seem to have existed.[8]

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title: Jefferson J. Standifer

question: What was Jeff Standifer known the most for?

answer: He was known the most for being a gold miner and a prospector.

question: What was Standifer doing in the Knights of the Golden Circle?

answer: Standifer was helping men travel from California to Texas through Mexico to join the Confederate Army.

question: What life event occurred in 1862 for Standifer?

answer: In 1862, Standifer was named the first sheriff of Idaho County by the Washington Territorial Legislature.

question: What significant contribution did Standifer make in Idaho?

answer: Standifer organized the first militia in Idaho to combat the threat of Native Americans attacking the mines.


text:
The OFFICE OF THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (MTA) Inspector General (OIG) is the Office of Inspector General specific to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) that is responsible for conducting monitoring and oversight of MTA activities, programs, and employees. Carolyn Pokorny has held the post of Inspector General since 2019.[1]

OIG provides oversight and monitors the activities of the MTA in order to ensure a safe, reliable, clean, and affordable public transportation system in the New York metropolitan area. Through its investigations, audits, legal work, and other studies, the OIG works to help the MTA improve its performance and to enhance the quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of its agencies' operations and substantiate allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse.[2]

Organization

Audits

The OIG Audit Division conducts in-depth audits and reviews of a wide variety of policy initiatives, program operations, and service-related activities of MTA agencies. OIG audits assess whether MTA operations are safe, accessible, and efficient, and make recommendations for improvement as appropriate.[3][4] The OIG Audit Division regularly consults with the MTA Auditor General and other audit and investigative units throughout federal, state, and local New York government.[5]

Legal & Investigations

The OIG Investigations Division receives and investigates complaints from within and outside the MTA concerning alleged fraud and other criminality, waste, and abuse. The division's priorities are the detection and deterrence of fraud, the protection of MTA assets, and assuring the safety of MTA ridership. Where appropriate, matters are referred to relevant law enforcement and other governmental officials on the federal, state, and local levels for further investigation and/or for criminal or civil prosecution, in which OIG routinely participates.[6][7]

Tips & Complaints

Like all Offices of Inspector General,[8] MTA OIG audits and investigations are frequently generated from tips and complaints received from various sources including MTA riders, workers, and third parties.[9][10] In 2019, the OIG received the largest amount of complaints in the office's history.[11][12]

History

In 1983, the New York State Legislature established the Office of the MTA Inspector General through Public Authorities Law 1279.[13] The MTA Inspector General is nominated by the New York State Governor and must be confirmed by the New York State Senate.[14][15]

The agency's creation was requested by then-Governor Mario Cuomo.[16] The first MTA Inspector General was Sidney Schwartz.[17] In 2019, Carolyn Pokorny became the first female MTA Inspector General.[18]

List of MTA Inspectors General

  MTA Inspector General       Tenure         Nominated By
  --------------------------- -------------- ---------------
  Sidney Schwartz             1983 - 1985    Mario Cuomo
  Sanford E. Russell          1985 - 1988    Mario Cuomo
  John S. Pritchard III[19]   1988 - 1992    Mario Cuomo
  Henry B. Flinter[20]        1993 - 1995    George Pataki
  Roland M. Malan[21]         1995 - 2000    George Pataki
  Matthew D. Sansverie[22]    2000 - 2006    George Pataki
  Barry Kluger[23]            2007 - 2019    Eliot Spitzer
  Carolyn Pokorny             2019–Present   Andrew Cuomo

  : MTA Inspectors General

Statutory Authority

Public Authorities Law (PAL) §1279 authorizes and directs the MTA Inspector General to independently review the operations of the MTA and its constituent agencies: New York City Transit Authority, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, MTA Bus, and MTA Capital Construction.[24]

In terms of the scope of its statutory authority to perform this review, the OIG has “full and unrestricted access” to all “records, information, data, reports, plans, projections, contracts, memoranda, correspondence and any others materials” of the MTA (PAL §1279[3]).[25]

The Inspector General also has the following statutory functions, powers, and duties (PAL §1279[4]):

-   Receive and investigate complaints from any source or upon his own initiative concerning alleged abuses, frauds, and service deficiencies, relating to the MTA.
-   Initiate such reviews as he deems appropriate of the operations of the MTA to identify areas in which performance might be improved and available funds used more effectively.
-   Recommend remedial action to be taken by the MTA to overcome or correct operating or maintenance deficiencies or inefficiencies that he determines to exist.
-   Make available to appropriate law enforcement officials information and evidence relating to criminal acts that he obtains in the course of his duties.
-   Subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and affirmations, take testimony and compel production of books, papers, records, and documents as he deems relevant to any inquiry or investigation pursuant to PAL §1279.
-   Monitor implementation by the MTA of recommendations made by the Inspector General or other audit agencies.
-   Do “all things necessary” to carry out the above functions, powers, and duties.

The Inspector General, who is an ex officio member of the New York State Public Transportation Safety Board (PTSB) with authority to vote on matters involving the operations of the MTA (as per Transportation Law §216[1]), is further authorized and directed to cooperate, consult, and coordinate with PTSB regarding any activity concerning the operation of the MTA.3 With respect to any accident on the facilities of the MTA, the primary responsibility for investigation belongs to PTSB, which is required to share its findings with the Inspector General (PAL §1279[5]).[26]

The OIG is required to make annual public reports to the governor and members of the legislature (PAL §1279[6]).

The Inspector General may request from any office or agency of the State of New York or any of its political subdivisions, such cooperation, assistance, services, and data as will enable him to carry out his functions, powers, and duties, and they are authorized and directed to comply (PAL §1279[7]).

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[10]  WHEN AN M.T.A. USER LODGES A COMPLAINT|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/06/opinion/l-when-an-mta-user-lodges-a-complaint-080256.html%7Caccess-date=2020-02-27%7Cissn=0362-4331}}

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[26]

title: Office of the MTA Inspector General

question: What does the article say about MTA OIG divisions?

answer: The article mentions the OIG Audit Division, which assesses whether MTA operations are safe, accessible, and efficient, and makes recommendations for improvement, and the OIG Investigations Division, which receives and investigates complaints from within and outside the MTA concerning alleged fraud and other criminality, waste, and abuse. OIG divisions are frequently generated from tips and complaints received from various sources.

question: What does the article say about the Inspector General's statutory functions, powers, and duties?

answer: The Inspector General receives and investigates complaints, initiates reviews to identify areas in which performance might be improved, recommends remedial action to be taken to correct deficiencies, informs law enforcement officials about criminal acts that he finds out, monitors implementation by the MTA of recommendations made, etc.

question: What does the article say about the Inspector General's salary?


text:
First there was the light.
The light was brighter than the sun. Brighter than the ten-terawatt laser that the ignition facility used. Brighter than the light of a million, billion galaxies that we had yet to discover.
It woke me from my slumber. I ignored it, thinking another police helicopter was searching. Then came the shockwave.
It blasted across the city like the hand of God, wiping clean the dirty slate of civilization. My window shattered in a burst of glittering, sparking glass, and for just a moment, I was able to see the stars.
My eardrums burst. I screamed, blood pouring from my ears, as the drapes covering my window burst into flame. Rolling to the ground, I crawled under the bed and bawled like a toddler.
As the pain began to subside, I managed to get my wits about me. *What happened? A bomb, explosion, something nearby.* I shook my head trying to think clearly. *The army? They must need me. Something bad happened. Really bad. Where is Anita, she was in here!* A thousand thoughts raced through my mind at once.
Half of the room was engulfed in flames as the light outside subsided. I crawled to the door and flung it open, gasping for cleaner air, only to find more acrid smoke filling my lungs. I half crawled, half tumbled down the stairs in a bloody mess to where the open kitchen was all but gone. The front door had been blown in halfway across the living room. I managed to get to my unsteady feet, my balance all but gone. Stumbling out onto the street, a wave of heat hit my face and made it feel as if it was going to boil away. Wiping away some of the dirt and blood from my eyes, I managed to look up, shielding my eyes from the heat and dust.
*Dear god, and all that is good in this world. It happened. Shit, shit shit shit shit shit.*
Ahead of me in the city center, a menacing mushroom cloud rose into the sky and proclaimed it's sentence of fiery destruction to all who were near.

title: [SF]

question: What is the source of the light?

answer: A bomb exploding.

question: What is the main event of the story?

answer: An explosion, possibly nuclear.

question: Who is Anita?

answer: She was in the room with the narrator before the explosion, and is now missing.

question: What is the story's genre?

answer: Science fiction.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: A bright light wakes the narrator, who first assumes it's a typical police helicopter search but screams and hides when the window shatters from a shockwave and eardrum-bursting noise. Anita is missing from the room, which is now half-covered in flames from what the narrator realizes was a bomb exploding. The narrator stumbles outside and sees a mushroom cloud in the sky.


text:
Despite great success as a standup comedian and former host of Comedy Central's _Standup Nation_, Greg Giraldo is tortured by a constant sense of failure. "I feel like I'm ‘the piece of shit at the center of the universe,' he told me. "The reality is I'm not a 'get knocked down and come back harder' kind of guy. I'm a complete fuckup... I feel like quitting all the time."

To accompany the cover story on failure in the current issue of Psychology Today, "Weathering the Storm," I asked celebrities about their perspective on getting through the tough times in their own lives. This is the first interview in the series. —Jay Dixit

[]

(Photo: Dan Dion)

[]

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR GREATEST FAILURES?

It's hard to distinguish when I was actually struggling from when I only felt like I was struggling—which was pretty much always.

YOU WENT TO HARVARD LAW SCHOOL THEN DROPPED OUT. TELL ME ABOUT THE DECISION TO QUIT.

It was scary. I had a lot of student debt and I didn't know where the career was going. I started doing comedy for the hell of it and I thought, "I'll pursue that somehow until I figure out what I'm actually going to do for a living to pay my loans." I didn't think comedy was a viable career option.

But before I quit, I was dying. I mean, I couldn't do it. It wasn't like I was a functioning professional and I just made the choice to throw it all away to pursue this crazy dream. I was incapable of being a lawyer. It wasn't an option. I was going to stop being a lawyer whether I wanted to or not.

HOW DID YOU FEEL?

My family was disappointed. But I always wanted to do something creative. I've always had real trouble knowing what my actual desires and goals are. I've just been dragged along by fate. I can't even tell you why I thought to go to law school.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS ABOUT YOUR PERSONALITY THAT GIVES YOU YOUR SENSE OF PURPOSE?

I'm a total fuckup, honestly. The reality is I'm not this person with this driving "get it done" attitude. I'm a complete fuckup and I've fucked up a lot of things in my life. I'm constantly tortured by a sense of failure. I feel like quitting all the time. I feel like hiding in drugs or alcohol. I feel like I've failed in terms of what my potential is. I don't think I've achieved my potential because I haven't worked that hard and I haven't found the right angles. The reality is, I'm not a "get knocked down and just pull myself back up by my bootstraps and come back harder" kind of guy.

WHAT'S THAT LIKE, THAT FEELING OF BEING TORTURED BY FAILURE?

It's a lot of self-hatred. That I should have gone to L.A. for pilot season. That I should have drank a lot less.

There's all these things I've fucked up. If I had only stayed focused, I would have been further along. It's this constant feeling of not having achieved enough.

WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT IT? IS IT ALWAYS THERE? DOES IT GO AWAY IF YOU WORK HARDER?

If I'm working on something and I feel like I did a good job, it goes away for a little while. If I write a new chunk of material I love, it goes away for a little bit. If I feel like I have a lot of shows with new material, it goes away for a bit. Then there's all the other unrelated-to-comedy shit—the therapy, trying to feel like I'm OK where I am.

WHAT EFFECT DOES IT HAVE ON YOU? DOES IT GIVE YOU SOME FIRE IN A WAY THAT HELPS YOU?

It definitely drives me. That at least is good. The desire to feel like you're not a loser drives me. I don't know if that's the healthiest thing—to be motivated by a fear of hating yourself. But it definitely helps. In a perfect world I would overcome the sense that I suck constantly.

IF YOU DID OVERCOME THAT FEELING COULD YOU STILL DO COMEDY?

I used to think maybe not. But I think I have to. For a while I thought dwelling in that darkness and that self-hatred worked, but eventually it becomes more crippling than good. I could definitely still be funny. Some people do better when they're in a bitter, angry place. I don't. I think I'm funniest when I'm feeling more optimistic, hopeful about everything.

WHAT ABOUT MISTAKES?

Emotionally I dwell on things forever. I'm an obsessive thinker. I obsess on things I've done wrong. Even worse than mistakes, I'll dwell on what I'm not doing at the moment and what my limitations are.

GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE.

What I'm not doing is writing more. Each day that goes by, I think, "I meant to write, but I didn't." And the days go by.

Rather than sitting at the computer and writing, actually finishing things and fleshing out thoughts, I just rely on going on stage and dicking around until the funny parts occur to me. I'm constantly tormented by the fact that if I could get organized enough to just sit down and write, I would be 50 times further than I am today, creatively.

Professionally, there are a million things I could do. I'm always asked if I have any ideas for sitcoms or dramas or anything I'd like to pitch. I have a lot of opportunities to come in and have meetings with people who can make decisions on these things... and I don't.

I've had people over the years approach me and say, "Come in any time with movie ideas!" These are people who could make these things happen. I get excited about it, I think about it, I come up with a few ideas, and then I get all fucking ADD and the opportunity slips away. Maybe I should have eaten some protein before we had this conversation. I could have been more upbeat.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOURSELF FROM THE OUTSIDE—OR TO SOMEONE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION?

On days when I'm feeling positive, I say, "Look. Wait a second. I started doing standup just 17 years ago, just for the hell of it really, and I thought 'I'll do this until I figure out what I can really earn a living doing.' And now all of a sudden I'm really proud of what I can do with standup comedy, I'm a much better standup comic than I ever imagined I would be, and I've made a decent living doing it. And it seems like I'm poised to do better." I'm living the life I've always wanted, in a lot of ways. I try to be as appreciative of what I've been given as possible. When I'm feeling upbeat that helps.

Staying grateful and even sometimes being so fucking corny as making a mental list of what I have to be grateful for. That definitely helps, when I'm feeling positive. I don't know if it's the chicken or egg. When I'm feeling in a darker place, my perception is that everything sucks and even though I've done this, it seems I should have done more. Trying to stay grateful helps.

And a lot of times, I'll think, "I'm not really that talented, and I have maximized what I've gotten." And that I should stop kicking the shit out of myself.

It's a paradoxical way to look at it—positive and negative at the same time. Who the fuck am I to think I was entitled to this great career? That I should have done more? That I deserved more? I've done more than I deserved.

BUT YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL. SO IS IT THAT YOU JUST THINK YOU SHOULD BE MORE SUCCESSFUL? OR THAT SOMEHOW YOU'RE A FRAUD BECAUSE YOU DON'T WORK THAT HARD AND YOU'VE ACHIEVED THIS SUCCESS?

You're coming up with angles that are true that I haven't thought of!

I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR YOU.

A lot of it is fear of the future. Do I want to be a 55-year-old man, working the clubs, traveling around the country, not doing theaters, not being enough of a name? If I didn't have this family to support, if I wasn't living in the city, if we weren't in the greatest fucking economic downturn ever, I would probably feel I was fine.

Yes, I feel, not like a fraud, but frustrated with myself and my limitations. They don't feel like they're creative limitations. I just get too distracted by life and don't focus on what matters to me.

WHAT QUESTION SHOULD I HAVE ASKED YOU THAT I DIDN'T ASK?

How I feel about Jesus? Gay porn, yea or nay?

As I talk to you, some things are crystallizing in my head. It's actually very helpful. I hadn't thought about it this way. Trying to focus on what really it is that matters to me.

When I start to feel like a failure, I realize, it's really that I haven't worked harder on my standup. And I can do that. Focusing on things that are manageable, that can be done, things I have control over. Right now I'm feeling like shit. I have two shows tonight. Now's the time, I'll definitely crank out some new shit before then. And that gives me a sense of optimism and hope I'm not being crushed by this broader system.

WHAT IS IT THAT DISTRACTS YOU?

It's a lot of things. I have three kids, and I love them more than anything. It's easy to obsess, not even in a healthy way, distracted by worries about them and their future and how they're doing. How they feel and how they're coping. Thoughts that are not productive.

When I'm actually with them, doing things with them, I feel great, fueled by that. But it's so easy to wallow in self-hatred, like, "Shit, I fucked up. I let my relationship fall apart. Now they're living with their mom and I don't see them." Instead of letting that fuel me creatively, it becomes a sinkhole.

Other things are just general bullshit. I'm easily distracted—I start watching television. I start searching the Web. For years I'd go on the road and I'd finish the shows and instead of going back to the hotel room and reading, I'd stay out all night and get in all sorts of trouble—trying to escape that sense of fear by ripping it up out there. Getting done with the shows and riding that high, thinking, "I am good, and what better way to keep that going than partying?" That's been an enormous distraction from my work.

YOU MENTIONED LETTING WORRY ABOUT YOUR KIDS FUEL YOU CREATIVELY VERSUS GETTING CAUGHT IN A SINKHOLE. WHAT'S THE TRICK TO LETTING IT FUEL YOU CREATIVELY? HOW DO YOU DIRECT THAT NEGATIVE ENERGY TO SOMETHING POSITIVE?

I've tried to on occasion just write about it and feel being fueled by it creatively is very difficult. Standup in particular is a very specific thing. There's things you want to talk about, to express—but you have to be funny. And you have to funny to a mass audience. It's a constant frustrating thing. I might write something I think resonates with me and would with other people in my situation, but it just doesn't get the laughs you need because you're performing it for 20-year-olds in the Comedy Cellar.

There's enormous frustration there. The way it has fueled me recently is this sense that I want my kids to be proud of me, and if I'm not good at what I do, and if I'm not trying my hardest at what I do, then all this shit I'm putting them through because of my demons has been a waste. The very least I can do for them is to be the best I can. That does help me feel like, "OK, take your shit more seriously. Don't just throw away stage time. Don't let the days go by without having done any work." That's been working. Then sometimes I feel what they need from me is to be relatively content and to be there for them, so I can't torture myself over this stuff. But I do anyway.

DO YOU THINK PART OF IT IS THAT YOU BLAME YOURSELF FOR THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF YOUR CONTROL?

It could be. I tend to blame myself for everything. There's an expression I've heard used for people in my shoes, people who see themselves like I see myself. I feel like I'm "the piece of shit at the center of the universe." It's a paradox. You feel like you're so shitty you ruin everything, but you're so important and powerful that you caused it, that you actually are to blame for everything. I'm doing the best I can, and maybe that's enough. It depends on how much sugar I've had that day.

_For other comedian interviews, see also:_

George Carlin's Last Interview

The Psychology Today Humor Round Table

Orny Adams on Failure

question: As this interview is in the theme of "Weathering the Storm", why is Greg Giraldo a good choice for the topic?

answer: Greg Giraldo is a stand up comedian on Comedy Central, whom, to the average viewer, would appear to be relatively successful. Yet he still expresses that internally, despite achieving a lot as a comedian and host, he feels like a failure. This dissonance is likely to appeal to readers who are also trying to understand how they can weather the internal storms they go through.

question: What other TV shows has Greg Giraldo appeared on?


text:
OSCEOLA COUNTY is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,462.[1] It is named for Seminole war chief Osceola. The county seat is Sibley, named for H. H. Sibley of Minnesota.[2]

History

Osceola County was formed in 1871. It was named after the eponymous chief of the Seminole.[3] It is the smallest and most recent county in Iowa. In the same year the first settler arrived, Captain Eldred Huff, and laid his claim. On January 1, 1872, the county government conferred for the first time. The first courthouse, constructed of wood, was built in November of the following year and simultaneously served as the conference chamber, school and church. In September 1903, the second courthouse was finished and was wired for electricity in October, 1915.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.[4] It is the third-smallest county in Iowa by land area and smallest by total area. The highest natural point in Iowa, Hawkeye Point at 1,670 feet (509 m), is located in Osceola County.[5]

Major highways

-   [] U.S. Highway 59
-   [] Iowa Highway 9
-   [] Iowa Highway 60

Adjacent counties

-   Nobles County, Minnesota (northwest)
-   Jackson County, Minnesota (northeast)
-   Dickinson County (east)
-   O'Brien County (south)
-   Lyon County (west)

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 6,462 in the county, with a population density of . There were 2,990 housing units, of which 2,682 were occupied.[6]

2000 census

[2000 Census Age Pyramid for Osceola County] As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 7,003 people, 2,778 households, and 1,941 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 3,012 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.04% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races. 1.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,778 households, out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.00% were married couples living together, 5.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.10% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 18.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,274, and the median income for a family was $41,977. Males had a median income of $29,624 versus $20,522 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,463. About 6.00% of families and 7.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.90% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

-   Ashton
-   Harris
-   Melvin
-   Ocheyedan
-   Sibley

Townships

-   Allison
-   Baker
-   East Holman
-   Fairview
-   Gilman
-   Goewey
-   Harrison
-   Horton
-   Ocheyedan
-   Viola
-   West Holman
-   Wilson

Unincorporated communities

-   Allendorf
-   Cloverdale
-   May City

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Osceola County.[8]

† _county seat_

  Rank   City/Town/etc.   Municipal type   Population (2010 Census)
  ------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------------------
  1      † SIBLEY         City             2,798
  2      OCHEYEDAN        City             490
  3      ASHTON           City             458
  4      MELVIN           City             214
  5      HARRIS           City             170

Politics

In presidential elections, Osceola County voters have cast their lot chiefly with Republican candidates for office, with the last Democrat to win the county being Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

  Year                               Republican                                  Democratic                                  Third Parties
  ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ---------------
  style=“text-align:center;” |2016   style=“text-align:center;” |78.8% _2,531_   style=“text-align:center;” |17.2% _552_     4.0% _130_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2012   style=“text-align:center;” |69.8% _2,230_   style=“text-align:center;” |28.6% _912_     1.6% _52_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2008   style=“text-align:center;” |64.8% _2,027_   style=“text-align:center;” |33.1% _1,037_   2.1% _65_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2004   style=“text-align:center;” |70.3% _2,295_   style=“text-align:center;” |28.6% _934_     1.1% _37_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2000   style=“text-align:center;” |67.4% _2,064_   style=“text-align:center;” |29.8% _913_     2.8% _86_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1996   style=“text-align:center;” |56.9% _1,736_   style=“text-align:center;” |33.1% _1,010_   10.0% _305_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1992   style=“text-align:center;” |48.8% _1,756_   style=“text-align:center;” |27.5% _990_     23.7% _854_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1988   style=“text-align:center;” |59.8% _1,951_   style=“text-align:center;” |39.1% _1,277_   1.1% _36_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1984   style=“text-align:center;” |66.0% _2,285_   style=“text-align:center;” |33.1% _1,146_   0.9% _32_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1980   style=“text-align:center;” |62.5% _2,177_   style=“text-align:center;” |30.2% _1,051_   7.4% _258_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1976   style=“text-align:center;” |58.5% _1,955_   style=“text-align:center;” |39.2% _1,309_   2.3% _77_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1972   style=“text-align:center;” |62.6% _2,262_   style=“text-align:center;” |36.4% _1,317_   1.0% _37_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1968   style=“text-align:center;” |61.3% _2,516_   style=“text-align:center;” |34.6% _1,420_   4.1% _166_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1964   style=“text-align:center;” |41.8% _1,798_   style=“text-align:center;” |58.1% _2,498_   0.1% _5_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1960   style=“text-align:center;” |62.0% _2,965_   style=“text-align:center;” |37.9% _1,814_   0.1% _3_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1956   style=“text-align:center;” |62.6% _2,986_   style=“text-align:center;” |37.3% _1,779_   0.2% _7_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1952   style=“text-align:center;” |71.7% _3,573_   style=“text-align:center;” |28.0% _1,396_   0.2% _12_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1948   style=“text-align:center;” |45.0% _1,772_   style=“text-align:center;” |53.9% _2,123_   1.1% _44_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1944   style=“text-align:center;” |55.3% _2,100_   style=“text-align:center;” |44.5% _1,689_   0.2% _9_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1940   style=“text-align:center;” |51.1% _2,425_   style=“text-align:center;” |48.3% _2,288_   0.6% _29_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1936   style=“text-align:center;” |34.6% _1,539_   style=“text-align:center;” |63.2% _2,812_   2.3% _102_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1932   style=“text-align:center;” |31.1% _1,190_   style=“text-align:center;” |67.6% _2,590_   1.3% _49_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1928   style=“text-align:center;” |56.7% _2,085_   style=“text-align:center;” |42.6% _1,567_   0.7% _26_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1924   style=“text-align:center;” |50.4% _1,876_   style=“text-align:center;” |10.4% _386_     39.2% _1,459_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1920   style=“text-align:center;” |76.7% _2,717_   style=“text-align:center;” |21.3% _754_     2.0% _70_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1916   style=“text-align:center;” |58.1% _1,258_   style=“text-align:center;” |40.3% _874_     1.6% _35_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1912   style=“text-align:center;” |26.6% _520_     style=“text-align:center;” |40.1% _786_     33.3% _652_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1908   style=“text-align:center;” |55.3% _1,000_   style=“text-align:center;” |43.0% _777_     1.7% _30_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1904   style=“text-align:center;” |67.4% _1,179_   style=“text-align:center;” |31.7% _554_     1.0% _17_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1900   style=“text-align:center;” |56.9% _1,106_   style=“text-align:center;” |41.1% _799_     2.0% _39_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1896   style=“text-align:center;” |57.9% _1,094_   style=“text-align:center;” |40.6% _767_     1.5% _28_

  : PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS RESULTS[9]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8] https://www.census.gov/2010census/

[9]

title: Osceola County, Iowa

question: What does the article say about the structure of the households in Osceola County, Iowa?

answer: The 2010 census recorded a population of 6,462 in the county. There were 2,990 housing units, of which 2,682 were occupied.  31.70% of the households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.00% were married couples living together, 5.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.

question: What does the article say about the living standard and politics in Osceola County, Iowa?

answer: The median income for a household in the county was $34,274, and the median income for a family was $41,977. The per capita income for the county was $16,463. About 7.00% of the population was below the poverty line. In presidential elections, Osceola County voters have cast their lot chiefly with Republican candidates for office, with the last Democrat to win the county being Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

question: What does the article say about the architecture of Osceola County, Iowa?


text:
Space
The distant future
A long way from home
Aboard the Solitude

They gave me enough rations and air to last a full six months. Enough to last the whole recon mission. It’s been long enough now that the sound of my own thoughts is slowly driving me crazy. Outside Observation is just space. Space as far as the eye can see. Dotted with stars smaller than a baby's laugh. A sea of stillness spreading out forever.

Just below me is Judas 5. The star I was sent here to check out. Do a full orbit, they said, scan the planets in the system for atmosphere, water, plant life, etcetera, then shoot the retros and get the hell back here. Easy peasy. Simple simple simple. Simple mission. All I really had to do was sit in this cramped space for half a year, twiddle my thumbs, catch up on my reading, and keep myself in shape. The computers handled everything, mostly. They auto-guidance systems guided. The auto-detector system detected. Then once the six months was up I just pressed the big shiny button on the dashboard and I’d be home before I knew it.

I wondered how Anita was doing. Dating was hard for Nauts. Noughts. We were literally out of this world for months, years at a time. Dating outside the agency was a nightmare. Wait, so you’re telling me I get to see you one week in fifty-two? And you’re looking for something serious? Riiiiight, yeah not gonna work. Long distance? What a joke. Dating within the agency was hell as well. Sure you find a nice girl, cute, smart (or course), fit. She likes you. You like her. You ask her out. You go out. She gets deployed to Ulysses 12 or whatever. Best case scenario, she goes out alone, not knowing when she’ll be back, and you get sent out on your own mission to god knows where, and you two somehow manage to sync your timetables. Somehow. Unlikely though. Worst case scenario she gets sent out with mister Joe Beefpecs and gets hooked up while on mission. It’s only natural. Half a year in a cramped little room with only one other person for company? Sex is a no brainer of a time passer.

Anyway Anita. This girl I’d met a while back. Cute. Smart. Kind of a sarcastic chick. Funny though. She said she was fine with my job, but if I get back and she’s moved on I wouldn’t be surprised. Six months is a long time to be away from home.

Home. A little apartment in the city, round the corner from this nice little café no one knows about. A quiet little space in a city that never shuts up. An empty room in a place bursting at the seams with people. Some nauts didn’t see the point of living off-base. Didn’t see the point of getting attached to earthbounds. Earthbound people, earthbound places, they mean. Kept their rooms on base bare because they never had time to decorate. I guess I see their point. If I’m away ninety percent of the time there really is no point buying a place of my own. But I dunno. I kind like that, the fact that I’ve got a little place tucked away, just for me. Maybe I’m just sentimental like that.

The Solitude. Shuttles as a rule didn’t get names. I know they used to name them all – Discovery, Challenger, whatever – but these days they were just given codes. ATS, PNB, RT7, FUBAR etc. This hunk of twenty-year old junk was named DSSS 92 back in the heyday of the agency, when we could afford to send ninety two of the fuckers out there. Out here. Into space. Deep space surveyor shuttle ninety two. Really captures the imagination. So I thought, yknow what, I’ve been on enough recons with this little guy to deserve to name him. Her. It. Whatever.

Solitude. Original I know. But I guess I might as well. What with the air situation and all.

Oh. That. Yeah.

Captains log number one. Number last.

Day ninety-two.
The DSSS solitude.
A long way from home.
Retros are busted. Got hit by a freak shower a couple months back. Meteor, not rain. Been orbiting this sun for near on two months now. Air running out. No response from Terra.   Looks like I’m on my own. No surprises there.

I

I don’t know what else to say. It’s not like I’m leaving anyone behind after all.

...

Oh yeah. my mission.
...

No habitable zones found surrounding Judas 5.
No signs of life in surveyed area.
Mission status complete. Heading home.

title: [SF(?)] Space (775 words)

question: What kind of mission are the characters on?

answer: The narrator is surveying a star, Judas 5, and scanning the planets in its system.

question: What genre is this story?

answer: This story is science fiction.

question: Is this story told in the first or third person?

answer: This story is told from the first-person perspective.

question: What is Solitude?

answer: Solitude is the name the narrator gives to their spaceship.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The name is not given, but they seem to be an astronaut employed by some agency.

question: What are Nauts?

answer: It can be inferred that 'Nauts' refers to 'astronauts'.

question: What is wrong with the ship?

answer: Their ship was damaged by a meteor shower and he is running out of air.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: While on a deep space reconnaissance mission surveying a star system, the narrator reflects on life as an astronaut. He is very bored after 92 days by himself on a ship. He thinks about how hard it is to have a romantic life and maintain a home when you are away from Terra for long periods. His ship is damaged, and he is running out of air.