text:
"Soon, we will consume that which we came for. Passion is our God and fervor is our calling, let us approach bretherin," and so they did, they engulfed the hall from all sides, busting every entrance and window before anyone knew what was happening.

The cheering stopped, the music stopped, the laughter stopped, the wedding would soon be a funeral. Everyone turned to the exits, fuming with priests neck high in rubies. The double doors open so aggressively that the table set in front of them dropped to the floor, honey and wine spilled and soaked the masses. Have you ever felt the thickness of blood? Feels like red wine and honey, though less gritty.

Karlo's dressings dragged over the drudge, his boots let into glass and peach slices. What's a fucking mess. This is not how the priests of the flame worked, they would need to order this chaos. "You all might be wondering who we are, let me beggin by saying..."

"We know who you are, Red Priest," Oringon had stood, exclaiming in the same tone, "its hard to ignore your trail of blood and offerings. The smell of charcoaled skin is unbearable."

"I hadn't realized we had made any sort of lasting impact," Karlo retorted, "did you enjoy it at least? The sight of it? Dear God it must have been pleasant at some point, my Lord. After all, it is your people that set the stage, we but only set out to follow the rules. Now tell me, have you kept your promises o' faithful one??" His eyes had sparked as he challenged the patriarch. The flames of Irubis began to ember in his belly, the room began to heat, you could hear the rumbling outside getting louder and louder.

"You and your cult of mystics are barbarians, mear rejections of a time gone, please, leave us be before this evening turns as sour as your mental sores." Karlo sneered at the capping comment, the flame in his Iris was now more evident than ever. It flickers with his looks, left, right, left, right, lagging but following.

"Seems like you've forgot your ways wise man, let me refresh your memory," Karlo's hands went up, palms to the sky. Suddenly, the room became difficult to breath in, and the heat radiating around the hall became unbearable. The signal's guard stood, men like mountains shook the halls foundations as they rose, and with a unified "HOOOF" the fountain in the middle of the hall began to churn and slosh, an icy gasp released from the water they began to announce. Hands formed circles which cast out the ambient heat to them, belly full.

"Erro-finose, signa-matara," the room popped with the immense pressure from the heat above, the roof flung right off of the hall, steeple and all, ripped away like a freshly sprouted branch in a desert storm. Korana and Trown held on to each other, looked into their eyes, and agreed in silence. They both stepped down from the regal throwns in the back and ran across the hall to the cubard they had planned on using. This has truly come to fruition, like she had said, this might be their only chance. As the crowd looked up, the magnitude of the problem finally manifested to them: a whirlwinding tornado of flames, as high as the clouds, now lay it's eye above the hall, sucking out all of the oxygen from the mouths of those willing to yell at the unimaginably desastrous sight. It's back bent from miles away, ready to kiss them all away. "Idno-sirafen-mataz...blegjhttu!" Trown had shot a mending bat at the high priest, who had shut his mouth closed with his silk. The rest of the red priests, unbenounced to everyone, had stepped back for fear of death by flame. There shock-and-awe entrance was useless now that the flames were receding, their blades meant nothing outside the halls doors, far far away from flesh.

The flame once in the priests eyes now fickered in and out, immobilized by fear and unable to afford any sort of win in his mind. This might be his end, he thought.

--------------------------

The Red Snake was easily undone, the head had already been bitten off and the rest mangled away in the end. The stallion stomped, a beat best left to the warrior, an ensamble of blood and revenge. The wine had been a metaphor, but for those that had spilled it. The honey was sweet, but gritty. Over whelming the win. How drunk do you have to be at a wedding to desecrate the enemy? And let their eye with a sown mouth watch. Does wine taste better from your enemy's skull? Is it fair to burn those who wish to burn you? Prisoners of war, especially the leaders, make great entertainment.

title: [FN] ---Mage Priests vs. Warrior Tribe---

question: What is the setting of the story?

answer: The story starts with a wedding. The brethren quickly engulfed the hall in fire. The doors burst open and the table dropped all its contents. The wedding would soon be a funeral.


split: test

text:
    Give us your energy Unah

Special thanks to the big cunt who inspired me to write this. There are things i dont like about this story but this will have to do. Anyone want more? i have more chapters planned.

The Unah’s light shined through the motherships screening panels as dawn began. The pristine, dazzling walls inside the mothership were enflamed in the violet and ultra-violet light of the Unah. Heirarch Athuro-en manifested in the dimensional gateway. With pale pinkish skin and eyes gleaming in excitement he walked towards the panels, absorbing the nutritious rays of electromagnetism. Athuro-en’s skin began to turn black from the absorption of the radiation. Cables flowing from his body, they would be dragging on the floor if they weren’t for them seeping out of existence. He fluffed his royal robes only known to a Heirarch and smiled with glee. How could he miss the climax of his most recent experiment? He and his crew have been documenting the Unah star system for a long time. The Heirarch gazing out across a burning star was soon joined by the rest of his crew. He called the members of the crew the “exemplars.” The Heirarch and the exemplars were the only known survivors of their ancient alien race known as the ARA’ghi. The name stood for Annihilation Resurgent Apparitions, and “ghi” meant “kind” in their language. The ARA’ghi were patiently awaiting the end of their journey which they had set out on 190 Kariox ago, which is approximately 1,866,243 earth years ago.

Pursuit of knowledge was part of the ARA’ghi’s life; it was their creed, their whole persona. <This lifestyle was the reason the ARA’ghi were able to achieve the level of intelligence that they possessed>. It was an exciting time for the Heirarch and the others aboard the mothership, called the Pillar of Exemplars. Their calculations predicted that the Unah would explode today and form a neutron star. This would be not be the first time the ARA’ghi would experience the creation of such an object in the universe. They had experienced something similar during their exile after the Great Ascent. Unah was the name the ARA’ghi gave to this particular star. It was an O spectral type, meaning it was a hypergiant and lived for a very short period of time, a 6,866,243 million years to be exact. It was now the end of a 1,866,243 year old expedition to explore how life evolves on planets revolving these energy intense stars.

To other less advanced species than that of the ARA’ghi dedicating 1.8 million years on the investigation of life around high radiation stars would seem like a waste of time. But not to the ARA’ghi; since the Great Ascent; they developed technology which allowed them to live for billions and under a great Heirarch: possibly trillions of years. A mere 1.8 million years was nothing to them. Their homeworld perished long ago, now the ARA’ghi were a species without a home. They only had their creed which they adopted from necessity and with it develop many new technologies. The documentation of life on the gas giant of the Unah star system was finalized, 1.8 million years of life exploration in the Unah solar system was coming to an end. All that was left is for the asseveration of their calculations. It was determined that the high radiation produced from type O stars was the worst possible place for the creation of the building blocks of life. As radiation above the violet part of the spectrum would ionize the bonds and rip any precursors to life apart. But they discovered it was an amazing place for a civilization of high intelligence and tech.

Technologies like the Dimension Manifestors, DM for short, which allowed the ARA’ghi to create new dimensions with slower time passage than the one in the base universe. They achieved this by the bending of spacetime with immense amounts of energy. In one of these dimensions a species could live its regular time span while outside the dimension a thousand years would pass, it is one of the ways the ARA’ghi live for as long as they do. Technology like the Electromagnetic Absorption Nanobots For Sustenance, or EMANFS also allowed them to reach heights they would otherwise have never been capable of. These nanobots are machines which act as pigments and protectors in each and every cell in the ARA’ghis body. They allow the absorption of UV, X-ray, gamma and Z-rays and convert them into energy, analogous to chloroform, it was the reason for the ARA’ghi skin turning black “Its time!” exclaimed Athuro-en. The exemplars were about to see the end of the Unah’s life and witness the end of their 1.8 million year expedition.

“Do we have all the Stellar Capture Drives ready?” asked Athuro-en. “We only await your command Heirarch.” yelled exemplar Liara. The hydrogen fuel all ran out and now the star imploded into itself! The Unah was now a collection of ions, largely helium and carbon nuclei floating in a vast sea of electrons. The electrons stopped the implosion; the Pauli Exclusion Principle was at work here. The ARA’ghi had a name for Pauli Exclusion Principle, “Frakuri.” The term was used for all fermions, the fractioned particles. The degenerate pressure of the electrons was high and it stopped the implosion but only for a bit, the mass of the star was too much, the gravity broke through the pressure. Now the electrons unable to occupy the same quantum state as per Pauli Exclusion Principle it was more energetically favourable for electrons to combine with the protons and become neutrons! “We’re detecting a high burst of neutrinos released!” yelled exemplar Oaurm. “This means the electron capture has been initiated” yelped Liara. The detectors were flashing with warnings of high energy photons and neutrinos; which the ARA’ghi had the technology to detect. “Double the EMANFS layer on the Pillar! Get ready to absorb the nova!” yelled Athuro-en. The mothership began to turn black, darker than most darks. The EMANFS began absorbing the electromagnetic energy that the star was emitting, generating a shield for all the energy for the imminent explosion. “Engage the Manifestors!” yelled Athuro-en as he stood proud ready for the explosion.

In the deep silence of space the star burst with a light brighter than the entire galaxy pouring out with contents among the stars. It was like an orchestra of God playing the most beautiful music of the stars, and the ARA’ghi front row seats to the astonishing concerto. They were witnessing the power and majesty of a stars death. Bursts of all forms of electromagnetism was being projectilled out into the vast abyss of space. Gamma-rays, X-rays, UV-rays, radio waves gushing out. Streams of Gold, Silver, Palladium Gadolium, Uranium, Einsteinium all flying outwards near the speed of light. A result of the lighter elements combining together to form the elements heavier than Iron. It made the Heirarch happy that all these heavier elements were being flung out into space. It would mean that they would be collected and packed into planets and possibly discovered by sentient beings on these new worlds; and perhaps start them off on the discovery of atomic physics.

The nova explosion was virtually instantaneous, really fast too fast for humans to notice for sure. But not the ARA’ghi. They were able to slow down their time perception by flying in all directions near the speed of light around the exploding Unah. For them the seconds long event was a tremendous and mesmerizing hour long masterpiece of the universe. The star shrunk in size to appear smaller than a white dwarf star, now only neutronium was present with little hints of proton and electron gases. Around them, the interstellar gas and radiation were flying outwards to forge new world.

“Quickly! Seal the star, now!” yelled the Heirarch. The three Core Capture Drives that were deployed before the nova explosion were essentially massive versions of the Dimension Manifestors that the Heirarch awoke from. The CCD’s surrounded the neutron star and began to bend the spacetime around it plunging the neutron star into a universe created to house it. “It’s in!” yelled exemplar Liara.. “Good work my fellow exemplars, you hold true to the title you hold!” exclaimed Athuro-en. “We couldn’t have done it without this powerful vessel my lord!” yelled exemplar Oaurm. “Please, how many times must I ask you. We are all as important to this vessel and our survival. We all stand as one. It is the reason we are here today. We all share a common creed! We just want to know more about the universe, and for all of us to achieve a personal betterment of ourselves. We are the exemplars of discovery, astonishment and self-fulfilment!” With the energies of the of the neutron star now contained in a easily accessible dimension the ARA’ghi were able to move onto their new quest for knowledge. The Heirarch slowly vanishing in his Dimensional Manifestor uttered “Begin protocol 250x77s” before completely evanescing from reality. The exemplars gave one last celebration before descending to their Manifestors. The Pillar engaged Warp Drive and they were off on their next adventure.

Thank you to /u/Mjolnir2000 for editing some of the first drafts

title: [SF] Short story i wrote cuz gf dumped me

question: What does the story say about black holes?

question: What does the story say about the ARA’ghi?

answer: The ARA’ghi is an ancient alien race of high intelligence and technology. The name stands for Annihilation Resurgent Apparitions, and “ghi” means “kind” in their language. The pursuit of knowledge is their creed and part of ARA’ghi life - born out of necessity and the main reason for their supreme intelligence. The ARA’ghi were exiled during the Great Ascent and are now without a home. Their homeworld was destroyed when their sun exploded like Unah (*speculative). The only remaining ARA’ghi survivors are onboard a mothership called the Pillar of Exemplars led by Heirarch Athuro-en and manned by his crew of exemplars. Since the Great Ascent, they developed technology that allowed them to live for billions and possibly trillions of years under a great Heirarch. A 1.8 million-year journey of discovery is nothing for them. The ARA’ghi have pale pinkish skin that turns black when it absorbs radiation.

question: Summarize what happens during the death of a star.

answer: When a star explodes or goes nova, it is instantaneous and too fast for humans to notice. The star implodes into itself when its hydrogen fuel runs out. The star becomes a collection of ions, largely helium and carbon nuclei floating in a vast sea of electrons. According to the Pauli Exclusion Principle used for all fermions (fractioned particles), the electrons stopped the implosion. The high degenerate pressure of the electrons stops the implosion, but only for a short time. The mass of the star is too much and gravity breaks through the pressure. Now, the electrons are unable to occupy the same quantum state (Pauli Exclusion Principle), so it is more energetically favorable for electrons to combine with the protons and become neutrons. The star explodes with a light brighter than the entire galaxy. All forms of electromagnetism including Gamma-rays, X-rays, X-rays, UV-rays, and radio waves are propelled out into space. Gold, silver, uranium, palladium, and other elements fly outwards near the speed of light. Lighter elements combine to form elements heavier than iron.

question: What does the story say about how the ARA’ghi can live extremely long lives?

answer:
The ARA’ghi live exceptionally long lives because they have developed technologies like the Dimension Manifestors that allow them to create new dimensions with slower time passage than the one in the base universe. In one of these dimensions, a species could live its regular time span while a thousand years pass in the outside dimension.
The ARA'ghi create dimensions by bending spacetime with immense amounts of energy captured from the nova explosions of stars using their ship's three Core Capture Drives, which are massive versions of Dimension Manifestors. Other notable technologies are Electromagnetic Absorption Nanobots For Sustenance (EMANFS). The nanobots are machines that act as pigments and protectors in each cell of the ARA'ghi's body. EMANFS allow the absorption of UV, X-ray, gamma, and Z-rays and convert them into energy, analogous to chloroform - the reason for the ARA’ghi skin turning black. EMANFS also shields their ship. The ARA'ghi's ship can also travel in all directions near the speed of light to slow time.


text:
HOWARD COUNTY is a county in the state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 6,274.[1] Its county seat is St. Paul.[2] The county was formed in 1871 and named after Civil War General Oliver Otis Howard.[3]

Howard County is part of the Grand Island, NE Metropolitan Statistical Area.

In the Nebraska license plate system, Howard County is represented by the prefix 49 (it had the 49th-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).

Geography

The terrain of Howard consists of low rolling hills. The leveled hilltops are mostly used for agriculture. The Upper Loup River flows southeastward into the county near its NW corner, turning eastward to flow toward its junction with Middle Loup River. The Middle Loup River flows northeastward into the county near its SW corner, turning north to join with the Upper Loup River near the county midpoint to form the Loup River, flowing eastward into Merrick County. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water.[4]

Major highways

-   [] U.S. Highway 281
-   [] Nebraska Highway 11
-   [] Nebraska Highway 22
-   [] Nebraska Highway 58
-   [] Nebraska Highway 92

Adjacent counties

-   Merrick County – east
-   Hall County – south
-   Buffalo County – southwest
-   Sherman County – west
-   Greeley County – north

Protected areas

-   Loup Junction State Wildlife Management Area[5]

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census,[6] there were 6,567 people, 2,546 households, and 1,797 families in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile (4/km²). There were 2,782 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.69% White, 0.30% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.32% from two or more races. 1.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,546 households, out of which 33.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.00% were married couples living together, 6.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09.

The county population contained 28.30% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 17.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,305, and the median income for a family was $40,259. Males had a median income of $27,270 versus $19,587 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,535. About 8.50% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.30% of those under age 18 and 15.00% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

-   St. Paul (county seat)

Villages

-   Boelus
-   Cotesfield
-   Cushing
-   Dannebrog
-   Elba
-   Farwell

Census-designated place

-   St. Libory

Unincorporated communities

-   Dannevirke
-   Nysted

Politics

Howard County voters have usually voted Republican for several decades. In only one national election since 1948 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

  Year                               Republican                                  Democratic                                  Third Parties
  ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ----------------------------
  style=“text-align:center;” |2016   style=“text-align:center;” |76.3% _2,284_   style=“text-align:center;” |18.2% _544_     5.5% _166_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2012   style=“text-align:center;” |65.9% _1,890_   style=“text-align:center;” |31.9% _914_     2.3% _66_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2008   style=“text-align:center;” |61.7% _1,847_   style=“text-align:center;” |36.2% _1,083_   2.2% _66_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2004   style=“text-align:center;” |67.8% _2,020_   style=“text-align:center;” |30.2% _900_     2.0% _59_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2000   style=“text-align:center;” |62.3% _1,760_   style=“text-align:center;” |33.8% _955_     4.0% _112_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1996   style=“text-align:center;” |50.1% _1,294_   style=“text-align:center;” |33.0% _853_     16.9% _436_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1992   style=“text-align:center;” |39.7% _1,138_   style=“text-align:center;” |27.1% _778_     33.2% _954_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1988   style=“text-align:center;” |55.6% _1,526_   style=“text-align:center;” |43.2% _1,186_   1.1% _31_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1984   style=“text-align:center;” |67.7% _1,899_   style=“text-align:center;” |31.6% _887_     0.7% _20_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1980   style=“text-align:center;” |66.4% _1,971_   style=“text-align:center;” |26.6% _789_     7.1% _210_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1976   style=“text-align:center;” |49.8% _1,362_   style=“text-align:center;” |48.1% _1,316_   2.1% _58_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1972   style=“text-align:center;” |64.2% _1,691_   style=“text-align:center;” |35.9% _945_     style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1968   style=“text-align:center;” |51.4% _1,256_   style=“text-align:center;” |41.0% _1,003_   7.6% _186_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1964   style=“text-align:center;” |33.5% _1,019_   style=“text-align:center;” |66.5% _2,025_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1960   style=“text-align:center;” |52.5% _1,676_   style=“text-align:center;” |47.5% _1,518_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1956   style=“text-align:center;” |54.0% _1,701_   style=“text-align:center;” |46.0% _1,449_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1952   style=“text-align:center;” |59.2% _2,115_   style=“text-align:center;” |40.8% _1,456_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1948   style=“text-align:center;” |37.4% _1,133_   style=“text-align:center;” |62.6% _1,893_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1944   style=“text-align:center;” |43.3% _1,556_   style=“text-align:center;” |56.8% _2,042_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1940   style=“text-align:center;” |43.1% _1,696_   style=“text-align:center;” |56.9% _2,238_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1936   style=“text-align:center;” |27.2% _1,223_   style=“text-align:center;” |70.1% _3,148_   2.7% _123_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1932   style=“text-align:center;” |17.1% _734_     style=“text-align:center;” |79.2% _3,409_   3.8% _163_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1928   style=“text-align:center;” |46.6% _1,937_   style=“text-align:center;” |52.9% _2,197_   0.6% _23_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1924   style=“text-align:center;” |31.6% _1,091_   style=“text-align:center;” |41.5% _1,434_   26.9% _930_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1920   style=“text-align:center;” |50.8% _1,508_   style=“text-align:center;” |44.1% _1,311_   5.1% _152_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1916   style=“text-align:center;” |28.1% _698_     style=“text-align:center;” |68.2% _1,695_   3.7% _93_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1912   style=“text-align:center;” |19.6% _431_     style=“text-align:center;” |50.8% _1,118_   29.7% _653_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1908   style=“text-align:center;” |39.4% _977_     style=“text-align:center;” |57.8% _1,435_   2.9% _71_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1904   style=“text-align:center;” |57.0% _1,259_   style=“text-align:center;” |21.5% _476_     21.5% _475_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1900   style=“text-align:center;” |40.5% _908_     style=“text-align:center;” |57.2% _1,283_   2.3% _52_

  : PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS RESULTS[7]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5] [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Loup+Junction+State+Wildlife+Management+Area,+St+Paul,+NE+68873/@41.2731849,-98.4162672,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x879a34d3bc2b6d49:0x2103bb6d6c4ea705!2sHoward+County,+NE!3b1!8m2!3d41.2020435!4d-98.5721016!3m4!1s0x879a35c2b3a84ed9:0x3435be4aa069a88e!8m2!3d41.2727374!4d-98.4088278 _Loup Junction State Wildlife Management Area, St Paul NE_ Google Maps (accessed 23 January 2019)]

[6]

[7] Election Results

title: Howard County, Nebraska

question: What is the landscape of Howard County like?

answer: The terrain consists of low rolling hills, used most for agriculture. The Upper Loup River flows southeastward and turns eastward to flow towards the Middle Loup River, and together they form the Loup River that flows eastward into Merrick County.

question: What is the population of Howard County like?

answer: The population consists of around 6,500 people, and is overwhelmingly white. Out of around 2,500 households, the majority are married with a third with children under 18. The median age is 38 years and the median income per household is $33,305. Nearly 12% live below the poverty line.

question: What are the politics of Howard County?

answer: Howard County has tended to vote Republican for several decades.


text:
A Spanish YouTube star who pranked a homeless man by filling an Oreo cookie with toothpaste was sentenced on Friday to 15 months in prison and now owes $22,300 to his victim, The New York Times reported Sunday.

A Barcelona judge also ordered that Kanguhua Ren's YouTube and other social media accounts be shut down for five years. The 20-year-old Ren, who goes by ReSet on the video-sharing website, was born in China but has lived in Barcelona for most of his life. He is unlikely to serve any jail time because Spanish law typically waives prison sentences for first-time offenders who commit non-violent crimes.

YOUTUBE STAR FACES PRISON TIME AFTER FEEDING HOMELESS MAN OREO WITH TOOTHPASTE AS CRUEL PRANK

[Kanguhua Ren, former YouTube star, was sentenced on Friday to 15-months in prison, owes $22,300 to his victim, and is banned from the channel and all other social media platforms for 5 years after pranking a homeless man with an Oreo cookie filled with toothpaste. (YouTube)]

Kanguhua Ren, former YouTube star, was sentenced on Friday to 15-months in prison, owes $22,300 to his victim, and is banned from the channel and all other social media platforms for 5 years after pranking a homeless man with an Oreo cookie filled with toothpaste. (YouTube) (YouTube)

Ren posted a since-deleted video to his YouTube channel in January 2017 in which he is seen filling Oreo cookies with toothpaste and repackaging them as a prank to impress his 1.2 million followers. The prank took a turn for the worse when he handed the cookie, along with 20 euros, to a homeless man identified as Gheorge L., who proceeded to eat them and vomit afterward.

In the video, Ren can be heard contemplating whether he has gone too far with the prank.

"But look at the positive side; this will help him clean his teeth,” he said. “I think he hasn't cleaned them since he became poor."

YOUTUBE STAR ROMAN ATWOOD SAYS HIS MOTHER DIED AFTER FALL OFF SCOOTER

The Barcelona court didn't see the humor and found Ren guilty of violating the moral integrity of the homeless man.

Gheorge L., a native of Romania who fled his country to escape the Communist dictatorship and was later hospitalized in a mental institution said he had “never been treated so poorly while living on the street,” according to a report by the El Pais newspaper.

After the video received negative feedback from his followers, Ren attempted to make amends by filming a subsequent video where he visits the homeless man again and offers him 20 more euros. Ren made a third visit after that, offering the man's daughter 300 euros to prevent her from filing a lawsuit, according to Spanish police.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

The YouTuber raked in $2,475 from advertisers for the Oreo prank videos alone, a fact that judge Rosa Aragonés said showed "this was not an isolated act," as he has posted other videos displaying "cruel behaviors" towards "easy or vulnerable victims," in the past.

Ren defended his videos to the court saying “I do things to mount a show: People like what is morbid.”

CLICK FOR MORE FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES.

question: What "crime" is being described here?

answer: A Spanish YouTube star pranked a homeless man by filling an Oreo cookie with toothpaste

question: Where did this prank take place?

answer: In Barcelona

question: What is the Youtube star's name?

answer: Kanguhua Ren

question: What was the description of the homeless man?

answer: The homeless man is described as: Gheorge L., a native of Romania who fled his country to escape the Communist dictatorship

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The description of a Spanish Youtube Star prank gone wrong is described and the legal consequences he had to pay for. Different news apps stated the story in different ways.


text:
_Home prices have doubled over the last decade, propelled by low rates and easy mortgage terms. But as the U.S. experience proved, soaring property values can come with an ugly downside. The Globe and Mail examines the foundation of Canada's historic real estate boom in a series._

Canadian homes have rarely been as expensive as they are now.

For just the second time in the past century, the country's housing market is pushing the limits of affordability, according to key statistical measures, shutting many potential buyers out of the market, and making it harder for those who have already taken the plunge to pay off their mortgages.

In the past decade-and-a-half, house prices have accelerated at a rate that has outpaced increases in disposable income – though interest rates at historically low levels and a greater comfort level with debt helped mask the risks. Even the recent cooling in the housing market has so far been marked by a drop in the number of sales, with little downward movement in prices.

"There is no question that in Canada, we are in a real affordability crisis right now," said John Andrew, a professor in Queen's University's school of urban and regional planning.

Since 2000, the price of houses across Canada has risen 127 per cent; nearly 50 per cent since 2006.

It's no surprise that housing is expensive, but there's no relief in sight. If anything, housing is likely to become even less affordable later this decade as interest rates return to more normal levels – unless there is a precipitous decline in real estate prices.

A sharp spike in rates – like those seen in 1981 and 1990 – is unlikely. But even a small increase in rates will cause major pain for current homeowners saddled with record mortgage debt, larding on hundreds of dollars to monthly payments.

"There is going to be a very rude shock to the system once mortgage rates move up," said Prof. Andrew. "Rates have been low for enough years that people have forgotten how unaffordable houses really are."

A PERFECT STORM

The current run-up in house prices began in about 1997 and has continued almost unabated despite very small gains in income over the same period. Only once before in the last 100 years has there been a similar long-term shift, and that was back during the postwar years as returning veterans and a widespread housing shortage pushed prices up sharply in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Before that, prices had been very stable in the 1920s and 1930s. And from the 1950s to the late 1990s there was another long period of relative stability, punctuated only by a couple of brief mini-booms in the 1970s and 1980s that were followed by quick pull-backs in prices.

This time, a perfect storm of low interest rates, coupled with a relatively strong economy and Canadians' ever-growing willingness to pile on debt, prompted a nearly unprecedented run-up in prices. High immigration numbers and limited land for expansion in the country's largest cities have exacerbated the problem.

High-school math teacher Nadine K. Mohammed, 32, always thought she'd own a house by now. "I thought I'd go to university, get a really good job, save some money, and that would be the ticket to being able to afford a home. I was so excited," she said.

Instead, the Toronto resident, who has been teaching for eight years, is renting the main floor of a bungalow in the west-end neighbourhood of Etobicoke with her husband. They save everything they can to put toward a down payment and hope to purchase a home in the next two to three years. "But if prices continue to go up, I don't know if that's going to happen," Ms. Mohammed said. "It's kind of a scary thought."

The couple also worries that when they're ready to buy a home in the city, it will be "really tiny."

"As I've gotten older, I've realized I need to adjust my expectations and be more realistic," Ms. Mohammed added.

While some of her friends managed to purchase their first homes when they were in their twenties, they were able to live rent-free with their parents to save money. "Then voila, they had down payments," she said. "Once you have to pay rent, saving takes a lot longer."

Because she knows mortgage rates will likely be higher by the time she and her husband buy a home, Ms. Mohammed figures they will take longer to pay off their mortgage than their friends who already own homes.

'HOUSE POOR'

Right now, just getting into the housing market is a huge challenge for many Canadians.

The average home in Canada now costs about $350,000, roughly five times the average household income. In the mid-1970s, it was three times average income, says University of British Columbia professor Paul Kershaw, who crunched the numbers for a recent report on generational income gaps.

There are many ways to judge how affordable a house is, but on that most basic measure – how many years of earnings it takes to buy a typical home – houses in Canada are dramatically more expensive than they were four or five decades ago.

Building up enough cash for a down payment can be crippling for many people, Prof. Kershaw says.

"Take an average 25– to 34-year-old in 1976, working full-time and making the average wage. That person had to save for five years to build up a 20-per-cent down payment for an average home," he said. "Today, take the same 25– to 34-year-old. Now, they have to save for 10 years. And in B.C., it is 15 years."

The underlying reason for this, Prof. Kershaw points out, is that housing prices have risen dramatically, while household incomes – adjusted for inflation – have barely moved at all since the mid-1970s.

In 2012, "home ownership is so much more challenging," he said. "And in urban settings, the home you are purchasing, as a younger person, is far less likely to have a yard. And if it does have a yard, it is because you are tolerating a far longer commute."

There are huge social implications in this shift, Prof. Kershaw argues. Young people are becoming resentful of those already in the housing market, and are subject to significant financial stress. Buying a house is getting out of reach, he said, even though it is "a central part of the transition into adulthood."

Two decades ago, one in five Canadians bought homes with less than 25-per-cent down, the amount needed to avoid paying for mortgage insurance. Today, three-quarters of home buyers require insurance from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., though the government has lowered the threshold to 20 per cent.

Royal Bank of Canada's respected Housing Affordability Measure underlines the impact of interest rates on housing costs. The index, which tracks the proportion of pre-tax household income required to pay principal and interest on a mortgage, along with property taxes and utilities, shows a huge spike in the early 1980s and again in the early 1990s, when interest rates jumped dramatically.

Significantly, however, the RBC chart also shows that ownership costs have tracked upward pretty much non-stop for the past decade, even as interest rates declined to the current rock-bottom levels.

In the Vancouver market, houses are far less affordable now than they were even during those earlier interest-rate spikes, the Royal Bank's figures show. The current ownership cost of an average two-storey house eats up close to 80 per cent of average household income. Elsewhere in the country, the average is closer to 50 per cent.

A health-care worker in southwestern Ontario who didn't want his name used, said mortgage and child support payments make up roughly half of his take-home income, and that leaves very little for long-term investments such as RESP plans for his kids' education, or retirement savings. "Any forward planning is really limited," he said. "When you are living this way it feels precarious, and that is _with_ a great mortgage rate."

The big worry, he said, is what will happen if rates rise and his payments increase significantly. That could require a drastic lifestyle change such as renting out his basement or selling the house and renting. "That weighs heavily on me," he said.

Prof. Andrew of Queen's said that for many years the generally accepted idea was that housing costs should eat up about one-third of household income. The RBC figures show that the reality today is far different. A range of 40 to 45 per cent is likely a sustainable number over the longer term, Prof. Andrew said, although even at that level "it means that people are not going to have the disposable income to spend on other things, and that is not good for the economy. You want people to be able to spend on cars and trips and those kind of things, without necessarily borrowing against the value of their homes."

He also noted that people's attitudes have shifted significantly, and Canadians are far more willing to accept the fact that they will be "house poor" over the long term. Indeed, that appears to have been the motivation for federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to tighten up mortgage lending rules this summer, to try to reduce levels of debt associated with home ownership.

THE DANGER IN DEBT

Canadians weren't always so willing to pile on debt.

Brian and Dency Sharkey became homeowners when they were in their twenties in the mid-1960s, but they were very cautious in buying a house that from today's perspective looks unbelievably affordable.

The couple paid $19,500 for their bungalow in the Ottawa suburb of Nepean, and their monthly mortgage payments amounted to $99. In fact, that was even less than the $115 they had been paying to rent a two-bedroom apartment.

Still, even with two teachers' salaries adding up to about $6,000 a year, it was hard to meet the payments, Mr. Sharkey said. It was done through scrimping, not through further borrowing. "My wife keeps reminding me about drinking powdered milk and that kind of stuff," he said.

Things are different in 2012, and with so many people willing to take on large mortgages and burdensome monthly payments, the big risk is a spike in mortgage rates, or even a moderate rise. A significant number of mortgage loan defaults among homeowners could have a devastating effect on the economy.

Essentially, low interest rates are magnifying the already considerable risks that first-time home-buyers are taking on when buying expensive properties, said Ben Rabidoux, an analyst with research firm M. Hanson Advisors.

"Having young Canadians jump into home ownership, with mortgages that are at income multiples we've never seen before, is exposing a broad section of the population to significant risk if we run into any sort of a recession or macro shock or interest-rate rise," he said. "We are just staggeringly comfortable with debt here in Canada right now."

Exacerbating this issue, Mr. Rabidoux said, is that many young Canadians already have significant debts even before they take on a mortgage. They may owe money on credit cards, and many will still have student debts outstanding when they buy a house. "Twenty or 30 years ago that was not the case."

With house prices now softening slightly in some markets, it is possible affordability will improve over the next few months, Mr. Rabidoux said. That would be healthy in the long term, and may eventually bring in new buyers who have been priced out of the market. But in the short term, our economy is so tied to the housing boom, and the construction jobs it generates, that a weakening housing market is "backing policy-makers into a corner," he said. Politicians would like to see house prices decline to make them more affordable, yet they worry that any decline in home-building could dent an already weak economy.

_With files from Claire Neary_

_-----------_

THE PAYMENT PINCH

_A look at how mortgage payments could change if rates go up:_

$350,000 MORTGAGE

$1,656.36: Monthly payments for a 25-year mortgage at a 3-per-cent rate

$480: The increase in monthly payments at 5.5 per cent

$795: The increase in monthly payments at 7 per cent.

$500,000 MORTGAGE

$2,366.23: Monthly payments for a 25-year mortgage at a 3-per-cent rate.

$686: The increase in monthly payments at 5.5 per cent.

$1,136: The increase in monthly payments at 7 per cent.

_Source: CanEquity_

question: What does the article say about the negative consequences of low interest rates on mortgages?

answer: The article warns of an unstable economy, not as a direct consequence of the recently affordable mortgage rates, but as a result of the need for the mortgage debt in the first place to buy a home. People are taking on mortgages when they already have outstanding debts (student loans, credit cards), which was not the case in previous decades, and which makes the risk that much greater. Ultimately, low mortgage rates do not reflect the higher cost of homeownership these days.

question: Summarize the author's own experience house hunting.


text:
(This story is entirely fictional. Thank you for reading.)

Six months had passed since my mother’s suicide. I just turned sixteen and was still unstable emotionally. Every pompous dyke at my high school made sure to tell me if I needed anything to just ask and to feel free to express my feelings to them. The only thing I wanted was my mother back but since that wasn’t an option, instead I wanted everyone to just shut the fuck up. My father drank himself into the emergency room twice now and has refused to join AA. He lost his license, but luckily I have my learner’s permit and can chauffer him around so he can still get a daily fix. I loathe him. He thinks he’s the only one suffering and makes sure to express his frustration as often as possible by using his fists on walls and his throat with alcohol. Tonight marks six months to the day she pulled the trigger and my father made sure to extend his streak of drunken escapades.
It wasn’t until he threw his mug across the kitchen after I told him that mom wouldn’t have let this happen. After the final piece of glass struck the floor, I stopped cringing and opened my eyes, ready to ‘express my feelings’.

“You think you’re the only person whose life changed? You think you’re the only one who wakes up every morning asking ‘Why Me’?”

I was horrified but it was all just coming out of me. My distress, rage, loneliness, disgust, everything; I was terrified this day would come. I never knew when it would happen but I did know it was going to change everything, and with life as fucked up as it is now, how could it get any worse? I was standing in the living room near the family portrait hanging on the wall and he was sitting at the kitchen table.

He stood up. “Who do you think you are? What makes you think you can talk to me like that!?”

“I’m not a child any more, why can’t you accept that!?”

“Because you ARE a child, you don’t know how the real world works.”

“Just because I don’t have a fucking job and own a piece of shit house that you audaciously call a ‘home’ that doesn’t mean I don’t know what the FUCK I’m talking about.”

This was the first time I said ‘fuck’ in front of my father, and I tensed up a little bit before it came off my tongue, but there was no going back. We were standing off, me on the carpet and him on the linoleum. This was it, I was letting it go. I was so livid I wanted everything I loved and hated in the world around me to explode and crumble leaving nothing behind but ash and screams. Every day I did the same thing and made no improvement on myself or others, why was I even trying? I was a walking corpse. I didn’t feel like anything was real; all these people were drones dressed up as a lie and every smile I saw cut me deeper than any knife. “Fucking liars”, I thought.

“What the fuck did you just say to me?”

I felt a bit of pride when he said this; I got him off his balance. Maybe he would realize he wasn’t talking to a sixteen year old girl anymore. This was it, I was a woman; a ferocious one at that. I felt powerful. Could this be it? I’ll show him.

“You heard me.” I said calmly, “I know exactly what this ‘real world’ is so don’t disguise it as this anomaly that I’ll never understand.”

He took a step closer but kept his distance. “You may understand it someday, but that’s not today. So don’t FUCKING act like you know everything and that you’re entitled to say this shit.” He closed his left fist tightly and stuck out his index finger at me. “YOU have no respect for others so you don’t deserve it in return, you callous whore!”

I always thought it was humorous when he called me a whore, he thought it made me angry. Being called a whore by your dad in your house is different than being called one in school by the cheering squad, so I didn’t care. Just because he stormed in at the wrong time and caught me pulling down Jared’s pants when I entered that lonely period last month, it didn’t mean I was a whore. Bastard. Am I really a whore? No, no definitely not. But maybe him thinking I was a whore would piss him off. Here goes nothing.

“You’re right, I’m such a whore. That night when you came home and went straight to bed without making me dinner, I called Jared and Hector over and I jerked off Jared while taking it up the ass from Hector. That’s why your favorite pair of socks went missing from the porch that one time. I made them each finish into them and I told them to take ‘em home.” That wasn’t true at all, I actually made myself mac & cheese and was watching Risky Business on TV. I wanted to try sliding across the floor because I hadn’t since I was probably nine years old. Since I wasn’t wearing socks and didn’t want to go upstairs to get my own because I was afraid I would wake him up, I used his favorite pair of Fruit Of The Loom Heavy Duty Crew Work socks that he puts next to his work boots every night.

On my third slide I hit an edge of linoleum that was sticking up and ripped the first sock wide open and dragged the second one just enough so the thread pulled straight off the center and almost decapitated the light brown section near the toes. I panicked because when I shrunk his first pair in the dryer he almost tore my bedroom door off its hinges. I ran across the street and threw them in my neighbor’s trash can. I figured he would know I did something if I didn’t do something with his boots so I put them outside on the porch. In the morning he asked where his boots were and I said I put them outside because they smelled. We both assumed his socks were taken by a raccoon or something. He had to buy a new pair of boots because upon finding out he chucked that pair off the porch, and I think a raccoon really did take those.

Now gritting his teeth, he spoke under his breath: “Cunt”. Yep, I heard it, he didn’t think I did, but I did. He was surely pissed now, so I knew I had him.

“Yeah, just your little whore daughter, right? I do stuff like that because I wasn’t brought up right. And because I miss her. If she were still her she would have continuing raising me right!”

“I’m doing the best I can so I’m sorry I’m not perfect! I miss her too but she was suffering and fixed her fucking problem so why can’t you do the same and learn to fix yours.”

I truly thought he just told me to kill myself. Sometimes I wonder if he truly did or not, but it sure sounded like it.

“You know what, fuck you. She killed herself to get away from you, you were too unbearable to be around and instead of her killing you, she wanted you to live alone and miserable. You were the one that fucking killed her!”

I stopped. He stopped. Everything paused for a second. Nothingness…
It took me only a split second to realize what I said, and it hurt me inside. That’s when I knew I was still alive, because I felt that regret immediately. And he knew it too. His expression went from pure anger to relinquished horror. He looked right at me. Right after I said it the wrinkles around my eyes went away, my eyebrows slowly lifted and my lips closed shut. My expression was dead. It was like I was a robot and my programmer just flipped the OFF switch and I went back to my neutral state. I held myself steady. I didn’t blink because if I did I knew a tear would follow. In that moment, I knew I hurt him, and he knew I knew I hurt him. I have no recollection of how much time passed in that moment; it was either a few seconds or a few minutes. I never forgot his expression and he never forgot mine. I would have done anything to take it back, anything.

The mixture of emotions displayed in his expression caused my vision to haze. He was hurt, embarrassed, ashamed, and worst of all, livid. He stood very still, arms at his side but not touching his torso. His shoulders appeared broader and his stance was spread. He looked like someone standing on train tracks and having a freight train that was rapidly approaching him, physically preparing to dive at the last second. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the middle finger on his right hand twitch, and I couldn’t breathe. I was frozen, eyes still wide. I never feared him more than in this moment, and it lasted for an eternity.

He blinked, and then took a slight inhale. I thought he knew what he was going to do next but didn’t know how he could live with himself if he did it. I was mentally bracing myself for the end. When you’re staring down a lion, your only option is to be the prey. The ambiance was so silent I could hear the wind blowing against the siding on the house. I would have done anything to get away from this moment, but I couldn’t move. I was terrified I couldn’t get away.

His shoulders released all tension and his arms relaxed. Then it happened. He shivered out one final exhale before he turned and walked out of the room.

My eyes didn’t follow him; they remained fixed to where his eyes were two seconds earlier. It wasn’t until he was out of my peripheral that I felt my knees give and I fell to the ground. I reached out for anything to prevent my inevitable plummet and managed to brace the wall as I choked out the breath that I was holding. I cried. I cried profusely; as hard as I did when he held me six months earlier and told me she was gone. If I had to imagine what having an asthma attack was like, this moment would be my reference.

Minutes passed. I was on the ground in the small corner of wall that connects the kitchen and living room together. My hand was reaching over to the cold floor feeling the spot where my tears had fallen. My snot rag of a shirt was now wrinkled near the collar. I struggled to pull myself together. I somehow figured out how to work my legs again and got to my feet. I put shoes on as quickly as I could and ran outside.

I didn’t stop running. I didn’t look back. If I could do it all over again I would. Even if I could just have stayed, that would be enough. But I didn’t. And I never spoke to my father again.

title: Daddy's Little Girl - An emotional and sinister portrayal (17+ for language)

question: Summarize everything to do with the narrator's mother.

answer: The narrator's mother killed herself six months ago. The narrator and her father both miss her, and her father turned to drinking after her death. The narrator is angry that her mother isn't there to raise her, and her father is mad that she killed herself. The narrator blames her father for her mother's death.

question: Summarize the narrator's relationships to her schoolmates.

answer: Some of the narrator's schoolmates asked her if she needed anything and offered to help, but the narrator refused. Other schoolmates called her names. The narrator turned to Jared when she was lonely, and makes up a story about having sexual relations with both Jared and Hector.

question: Summarize the narrator's conversation with her father.

answer: The narrator gets mad at her father for being selfish in his grief, and her father gets mad at her for talking to him in such a way and calls her a child. They argue about the "real world" and her father calls her a whore. The narrator leans into this and makes up a fake sexual encounter. They both miss the narrator's mother, and the narrator blames him for her death. They stand shocked for a minute then her father leaves.


text:
**The Explorer’s Log – Captains Report – 3122**

National Space Agency Security Memo:

Interview with Franklin Aigstar, sole survivor of Mission 239
Evidence of Intergalactic Invasion via new weapon. Tele-Transporters? Three dead Martians in ship’s cold storage lockers. Crew’s bodies stored in secure, and climate-controlled, capsules in the ship’s hold. Blood traces found in numerous locations.

**Interview Room – NSAS – Earth**
“Can I call you Frank?” the detective asked, after sipping his coffee.

“You can call me whatever you want,” Franklin grumbled.

“Is this the way it’s going to be?” the detective inquired with a sigh.

“Listen. I’ve already talked with three other guys and you know what? They all asked the same questions! I gave them all the same answers. And now, I’m supposed to sit here and be civil for the fourth time around?”

“How do you know I’m going to ask the same questions?”

Pause. “Okay. Ask away.”

“How many Martians did you kill when they attacked?”

“Really? Like I told the others, I killed one of them. Crew members killed the other two. So much for asking something new,” Franklin added with a tone of disgust.

“We’re just trying to find out everything we can. This was the first time the Martians attacked us like this. We can’t leave one stone unturned. High command is in contact with our genius pool, with orders to come up with a defense against this type of attack.”

“I understand how serious this is. I’m lucky to have survived, like I told the others.”

“Let me review my notes for a moment. Okay. You didn’t see how the other two Martians were killed. Right?”

“That’s right. When I heard someone shout my name, I turned a saw a Martian coming at me with that long blade you have on the table here. I was able to turn this blade into my attacker, gutting him in the process.

As for the other two Martians; I found one in the kitchen, surrounded by dead cooks and support staff. It was chopped up pretty good. The other was in the engine room. It’s mangled remains were also surrounded by dead crew members,” Franklin explained.

“I searched the rest of the ship and discovered I was the only survivor. That’s when I sent out the intergalactic SOS,” he testily concluded.

Ignoring Franklin’s impatience, the detective said, “You were a crew of twelve right?”

“Oh come on! You know the answer to that. Why ask me?”

“You know why Frank, the ship’s manifest lists twelve crew members. You make number thirteen. How do you explain that?”

“That’s easy. I wasn’t a crew member. I was a passenger.”

The detective’s eyes opened in surprise.

“What were you doing on a secret government mission?”

“I’m a translator, and only one of three humans on earth, able to understand and speak Martian.”

“I’m impressed Frank.”

“Can I leave now?”

“Not quite yet. I have a couple of more questions. Are you getting hungry? I can order some takeout if you’d like.”

Franklin shifted uneasily in his chair. He seemed to be wrestling for an answer.

“No. I’m fine. Just tired of sitting in here.”

“I can assure you I’ll do everything in my power to hurry this investigation up. Okay? I have a question. I just got a call in my earphone. One of my assistants has finished calculating how far the Explorer flew before turning back to earth.
“Do you know how far it is from the earth to Mars?”

“I have no idea.”

 “Well, here’s the thing; the ship’s readouts show it went to Mars, and then came back here. Did you actually make it to Mars? It’s time to tell the truth Frank!”

**In Martian…**
*“That’s enough you stupid earthling! I’m also here on a secret mission. To conquer the earth!”*

With that, Franklin jumped up, reached across the table and choked the detective to death before his body hit the ground!

**As It Stands,** secret missions make good stories to share

title: (SF) Secret Missions in Space

question: When is this story set?

answer: Possibly in the year 3122 (although that could just be the number of the Explorer's Log)

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The narrator is Franklin Aigstar, who is believed to be the sole survivor of Mission 239 but in actuality is a Martian on a secret mission.

question: Describe the narrator's encounter with the Martians.

answer: According to Frank, his crew was attacked by Martians. He killed one of the Martians, and his crewmates killed the other two. In the end, he was the only one to make it out alive. This is revealed to be a lie.

question: Who is the narrator speaking to?

answer: The narrator is being interviewed by a detective.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Frank, allegedly the sole survivor of Mission 239, is interviewed by a detective about the deaths of his crewmates as the result of an encounter with Martians. Frank explains that the Martians attacked his crewmates, and that he killed one of them. The detective becomes suspicious when he sees that Frank isn't listed on the ship's manifest. He also questions whether the ship actually made it to Mars, at which point Frank reveals he is actually a Martian on a secret mission and kills the detective.


text:
Hungry
John had time to kill, way early for his appointment. He needed to get out of the house; the replace that reminded him what he had done. He was reluctant to go, but he needed to figure it all out, he needed to work through the pain. He went inside the office building with giant-slow steps like he was picking up his feet out of the mud. Inside the grey-quaint office building was a small Art Gallery. Art and John had an interesting relationship. Nola, his rebel-lover who defied her parents by majoring in Art (reason they hate her) was the light of his life. Art was also the pain of the relationship, more the pain for Nola than John, but seeing her in upset caused him to be upset. She always felt like she had something to prove, even with parents completely out of her life. John wondered through the art gallery hoping that it would cheer up his emptiness before his counselor appointment.
***
“I CANNOT TAKE IT ANYMORE. It has been 8 months since one of my fucking art pieces sold” said Nola
“Babe, it’s okay, you will make another one soon” said John
“I just feel bad Hun, you’re working hard, working over-time, and I haven’t sold anything. Last time I did it was only $2000! Friends from school are fucking selling their stuff for $20,000. That’s another zero John! We could take a vacation. Get ahead on the mortgage. Live a better life!”
“Nola, it’s okay, we are fine!
“UH”
“Let’s go walk the dog, I know how that can cheer you up” said John
“Okay” said Nola
***
“What was her reason for leaving you?” asked Dr. Francis
John’s body sunk in the love seat. His eyes looked for something to focus on, something to brighten his mood he stared at his stomach which he was half-hugging, both arms crossed, protecting it like he was ashamed of some flab or as if he was pregnant and like he was trying to lightly push the bulge back in.
“She said she couldn’t do it anymore. This isn’t the life she wanted” said John.
 “How are you feeling since she left?” asked Dr. Francis
John was lost in the room, his eyes finally stop wondering, and he finds the Counselors degrees hanging in the in the corner of the room, did all doctors hang up their degrees? Was this somehow proof of what they were saying was helping?  Proof that degrees give you the right to do anything you wanted even if you were not good at it?
“She said It wasn’t my fault, said she wanted to live a different life” said John
John started to stare out the window. His eyes danced slowly around the room until they met Dr. Francis. John thought hard. Would Dr. Francis fix his guilt? How much should he say?
 “I did what I was supposed to do, support my wife, let her do her art while I supported her, ugh, and us, I kept up with payments, bought her any supplies she needed, and I thought I was doing a good job” said John.
“Sounds like you were supportive” said Dr. Francis
 “I did what I had to do” said John
***
“Babe,” Nola said, in her sweet honey voice. “What do you think of this drawing?”
“Wow. I like it.”
She giggled “I was listening to Free Bird and this is what came to me, silly huh?”
“Creative!”
It was a bird flying off of the page, as if she used special affects with Photoshop, she simply just used her pencil to create this explosive-bird springing from the dark woods with heavy shading.
“Do you think I should change anything about it? asked Nola
***
“Have you been drinking less since her leaving?” asked Dr. Francis
John in fact was not drinking, but used the excuse of being drunk or buzzed to cover up his weirdness. He started carrying a flask around to give off the impression of being a possible drunk when he was at work. But he was just like a college freshmen, too prude, who was scared of drinking but pretended to be drunk at a party to fit in. Fit in with society; something John only did through Nola, spark his life, with her; he always felt whole. John felt empty without her, and he was getting quite hungry.
Dr . Francis noticed John’s face, John was lost again, scrambled like meaningless modern art.
“John, do you want to talk about it?” said Dr. Francis
***
“John, things have been good and things have been bad. We have great memories. You are a good guy, you treat me right, your dependable, your always there” said Nola.
“There is a but. There is always a but.” said John.
Nola smiled lightly.
“Look,” she said, “there is a but. . . but promise you won’t get angry. . . I feel like you will understand.”
***
“It is hard. I knew it would be hard, but I want her to still be with me” said John
“You do not have to let her go completely.” said Dr. Francis
“Well yeah, I can’t doc, that’s the problem.” said John.
John thought of all the corny-lovey-dovey sayings “two parts of a whole” at this moment all those thoughts of corny-love stories, rebounding and making it through went inside of him. He still had hope. He knew he could still be satisfied.
***
Nola started to smile a fat-guilty smile “Remember that time. . . in the tub”
“Oh” John copied the same smile, the memory filled him. It started to overflow through him with the thoughts of what was making the tub overflow and the water splash hectically.
“I was thinking about that the other day. . . and umm. . . ha what if we..  tried that again? Would you like that?”
***
“What else do you do?” asked Dr. Francis
“Umm. Well besides work. . . I don’t know I used to always be with Nola.”
“You didn’t do anything else in your free time for pleasure?” asked Dr. Francis
“Well, I read a little when I have time. Walk the dog.”
Both things he did with Nola. Both things he only would do with Nola. He bought the dog for Nola, he never thought much of it and didn’t know what to do with it. John thought hard. Was there anything he ever did that was not with Nola? Yes. There was one! Dr. Francis would be proud that there was at least one thing he ever did in life without her, however the task was started to please her, because quite frankly, Nola really sucked at it. Cooking. John enjoyed making Nola happy by cooking new things for her. He would start looking up recipes whenever he was taking the bus back from work. The thought of food made him hungry; which made him start thinking about Nola.
“I cook sometimes too, sometimes it can be fun, fills the time.” said John
***
“John come over here.” said Nola
“Wow.” said John
“What do you think?” asked Nola
“Well. . . what is it?” asked John
“Its Goya babe, “Saturn Devouring his sons.” said Nola

“It’s. . . very interesting. Why is Saturn eating his Sons?” asked John
“I do not remember the story quite right. . . something about how he has to protect himself from their potential growth to power or something or that they make him younger? I’m not sure, we will have to look it up later.” said Nola.
***
“Try walking your dog! Exercise is good for the mind and a good way to relax. What type of dog is it?” asked Dr. Francis
“Corgi.”
“I hear there are very smart dogs.”
“Yeah, it knows a few tricks.”
 “Well, glad to hear it” said Dr. Francis “Take care John, I look forward to our next appointment.”
They shook hands and John departed the office building. He got lost in the parking lot looking for his Camry that blended in a lot, he was hungry and not finding his car seemed to make his situation worse. When John got home, he instantly started feeling better, he greeted the dog, which was something he rarely did.
“Hey boy” said John to the Corgi.
Nola’s dog gave him a look, like he knew something was up.
John thought maybe the dog could make him happy, but not as happy as what he was about to do. John walked by the dog, straight to the freezer and reached inside for his wife.

title: [TH] Hungry- Inspired by Breezblocks by Alt-J

question: What does the story say about feeling satiated?

question: Summarize the primary source of tension in the story.

answer: The primary source of tension in the story is art. John had an interesting relationship with art because Nola, his wife and the light of his life, defied her parents by majoring in Art. Nola becoming an artist made her parents hate her and even though they were completely out of her life, Nola felt that she always had something to prove. Since Nola's life revolved around art, it became the pain of the relationship, more for her than him, but seeing her upset caused him to be upset. Nola hadn't sold any art pieces in eight months and feels bad for John, who has to work overtime to support them both. Through it all, it appears John supported Nola with her art, buying her supplies while keeping up with payments.

question: Summarize the plot twist of the story.

answer: John murdered his wife, Nola when she expressed her intention to leave him after everything he did for her. Her reason for leaving him was that she couldn't do it anymore and wanted to live a different life. She added he was a good guy and dependable, but she wanted something different. Nola thought John would understand, but he didn't. Presumably, John snapped upon hearing Nola's excuse (*speculative). He killed her and stuffed her body in a freezer at home. He felt empty without her, and to satisfy this hunger, it seems John started eating his dead wife (*speculative). Evidence of this cannibalistic behavior is mentioned in the story. Every time John thinks about food and feels hungry, he starts thinking about Nola.

question: What does the text say about the relationship between John and Nola?

answer: Based on the story, John and Nola's relationship was pretty one-sided. Nola was the light of John's life, but it seems he was the only one making an effort. He supported her art by buying her supplies and staying positive about her work even if she was not. John worked long hours just to make ends meet, then gets thrown a curveball when Nola decides to leave him despite everything he does for both of them.


text:
"SQUIRE! Fetch me my horse! I’m going out hunting!"

"Yes sire!"

Lousy, ungrateful, stupid bastard. Squire? Fucking squire? Jesus man you know my name, I’m Perry, like I tell you every fucking day. And don’t even get me started on the hunting. Hunting? Why don’t you just describe it accurately and call it seating your fat ass on the back of that poor sop of a horse and forcing it to canter round your shitty little forest, while you giggle with glee at the delightful experience of bouncing up and down. And all the while you’re accompanied by a large band of trumpeters, making absolutely sure every single animal with a brain has enough time to hear this ludicrous ensemble of idiocy, pack up its family, maybe have a small bite to eat and move the fuck away. Quite frankly, anything stupid enough to be caught by this moronic party had it coming. If the hunting party didn’t get them, an angry 6 year old with a small stick would’ve done the next morning.

But I’ve side-tracked. The more important debate here is how the fuck this man managed to become a knight. I’d call him stupid but that would be an insult to uneducated peons everywhere. He is his own class of stupid, so far down the IQ scale he may have broken into previously unexplored realms of negative IQ. Oh, you think I’m being mean? Maybe a bit overdramatic? Oh no no no. Let me explain. This is the man who, when getting out of a double bed, rolled over the wrong way to the other side of the bed and, rather than realise his mistake and either rolling the other way to escape the bed, or continuing his roll to reach the other side, shouted desperately for help, for he had lost the floor and was surely doomed. This is the man who picked up a sword from the wrong end and failed to understand his mistake. This is the man who put a helmet on his foot and complained when he couldn’t walk properly. Please understand, my master is genuinely something else. I’ve yet to theorise how he became a knight. Oh yes, his father was a knight and that grants him an easy ride to the role, but I am amazed that, after discovering that his son had the intelligence of a melon, his dear father hadn’t pushed him to follow an alternative career path, something more appropriate to his level like, ooh I don’t know, an early grave.

Too far? Perhaps. But you don’t have to serve under this infantile baboon. Every waking moment of my day is spent entertaining his every want and need, and oh boy does he have a lot of needs. Sometimes – and I wish I was joking – he struggles with wiping his own ass. Guess who gets that fantastic job? That’s right, Squire Perry, his faithful fucking assistant. Other highlights include: serving him his food; helping him eat his food; cleaning his food when he spills it on the floor, like the clumsy halfwit he is; cleaning his bed; cleaning his clothes; organising his equipment. Oh, and how could I forget, fetching his fucking horse when he wants to go on a fucking hunting expedition.

I should go, he might cry if he doesn’t get his bloody horse soon. Ooh, that is a tempting prospect... but no. It wouldn’t be obeying my fucking duty. I swear to fucking god. Pray for me, would you?

title: Perry [HF]

question: What does the excerpt say about the stupidity of squire Perry's knight?

answer: The knight goes hunting accompanied by trumpeters who make such a racket that they warn away all animals in the vicinity. He is his own class of stupid. When he rolled out of bed in the wrong direction, he didn't simply roll back the other way. Instead, he cried for help for being stuck. This man picked up a sword from the wrong end and failed to understand his mistake. He put a helmet on his foot and complained about not being able to walk properly. Sometimes he struggles with wiping his own ass. He needs help with all manner of things including getting help with his food being served, and eating his food. Needing help cleaning his food when he spills it on the floor. Cleaning his bed; cleaning his clothes; organizing his equipment; and fetching his horse when he wants to go on a hunting expedition.


text:
Her eyes are the most gorgeous thing you can ever imagine. Blue, sparkling and full of life...for now.

I never could tell her what I did for a living. They would end me if I did. As far as she knows, I am a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, and I travel...a lot. She doesn't ask questions and hasn't complained once about me not always being there. She is perfect.

My heart sank when I opened the yellow envelope my employer sent me. Her name was the only one listed.

I have no choice but to do it. It's my job, and if I don't they will. My name would be the next one in an envelope. Early "retirement."

My story:

I am a retired Army Special Forces Medic. I was tops in my class and was deployed in Afghanistan with the 75th Ranger Regiment on 3 different occasions. The last one ended in me with a bullet in my leg and a terror in my brain. When I came home I was "unemployable" because of my severe case of PTSD. I went down on my luck and was on the verge of ending my life with a deadly mixture of alcohol and pain meds (prescribed for life). When I was at my wit's end I met my employers. They saved my life. I owe them everything.

They brought me under their care and provided me with everything I needed to shake my habits and get my mind back on the right track. When I had my habits and flashbacks under control, they offered me a job. It is a job that I shouldn't even be telling you exists. Because officially, it doesn't.

I am a hitman for the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). My job is simple in concept: I am to terminate selected "lucky" winners of big payout jackpots. Namely, the ones who choose to have the annuity payments and have no clear next of kin that, by law, the payments can be transferred to. You see, these annuity payments are easily transferred to a clear next of kin (a son/daughter, wife/husband, brother/sister, or mother/father). They can be transferred to non-family members as well, but it is a very expensive line of red tape and usually ends up being too long and expensive of a process for it to be worth it. The MUSL would then basically not have to pay any more of the winnings. Thus saving (and earning) them millions upon millions of dollars.

That's where I come in. My Army Ranger training and medical knowledge made me the perfect candidate. With the perfect cover story.

Ever noticed how some of these lottery winners just...disappear? They are not on their own private island living the dream. We ended them.

Her Story:

Sarah is a humble girl with an amazing heart. She was orphaned at a very young age when she lost her parents and brother in a horrific drinking and driving accident. Their sedan was t-boned by a large SUV who ran a red light and slammed into their car. Her safety car seat saved her life.

She grew up an orphan. No aunts, uncles or grandparents left alive to care for her. Bounced around in foster homes until she became old enough to emancipate herself. She was truly alone in the world. Until she met me.

We immediately bonded over our past traumas and were understanding of the baggage that came with it. I told myself never to fall for anyone, but it was unavoidable. Next thing I knew, we were in love.

\--------------

The last time I was away "selling drugs" (her words for it) she bought a Powerball ticket on a whim. She won. $246 million. I guess it was time luck finally caught up with her.

I will never forget how she sounded on the phone. She had no one else to share her joy with and immediately called me. She told me how our lives were "going to change forever" and I wouldn't have to travel for work anymore. "We can finally be together without interruption!"

She was only right about one thing: our lives were definitely going to change forever.

title: [RF] Unfortunate Fortune (Part 1)

question: Why doesn't the narrator tell his girl what he does for a living?

answer: Officially the job doesn't exist. It's top secret. He's an assassin.

question: Who does he kill?

answer: Big winners of the lottery who do not have dependents.

question: Why is has the Lottery Association hired him?

answer: He has been hired to kill big lottery winners with no dependents because then the lottery doesn't pay out the amounts won and the company saves tens of millions of dollars.

question: Why won't he go against his employers and save his girl?

answer: His employer saved his life so he feels he owes them loyalty. He also knows that if he doesn't kill her, they will kill her themselves and then come for him.

question: Write a ~16 sentence summary.

answer:
The narrator has never told his girl what he does for a living. She thinks he’s a rep. When he opens the envelope from his employer, the girl’s name is the only one on it. He has no choice. If he doesn’t do it, they will and he will be next.

The narrator is a retired special forces medic. When he returned home, PTSD rendered him unemployable. He was suicidal. His employer brought him back from the brink. Then offered him a job as a hitman. His job is to terminate winners of big jackpots who do not have clear dependents. The lottery saves millions if they die and the money isn’t paid out.

Sarah, his girl, is an orphan. While the narrator was away, she bought a Powerball ticket and won $246 million. She is delighted now the two of them can be together. Their lives will never be the same.


text:
Conditions of Sale

Peter Francis carries on business with bidders, buyers and all those present in the auction room prior to or in connection with a sale on the following General Conditions and on such other terms, conditions and notices as may be referred to herein. Each buyer by making a bid for a lot acknowledges that he has satisfied himself fully before bidding by inspection or otherwise as to all the Sale Conditions the physical condition of and description of the lot including but not restricted to whether the lot is damaged or has been repaired or restored.

1. DEFINITIONS
In these Conditions:
(a) “auctioneer” means the firm of Peter Francis or its authorised auctioneer, as appropriate;
(b) “deliberate forgery” means an imitation made with the intention of deceiving as to authorship, origin, date, age, period, culture or source but which is unequivocally described in the catalogue as being the work of a particular creator and which at the date of the sale had a value materially less than it would have had if it had been in accordance with the description;
(c) “hammer price” means the level of bidding reached (at or above any reserve) when the auctioneer brings down the hammer;
(d) “terms of consignment” means the stipulated terms and rates of commission on which Peter Francis accepts instructions from sellers or their agents;
(e) “total amount due” means the hammer price in respect of the lot sold together with any premium, Value Added Tax chargeable and any additional charges payable by a defaulting buyer under these Conditions;
(f) “sale proceeds” means the net amount due to the seller, being the hammer price of the lot sold less commission at the stated rate, Value Added Tax chargeable and any other amounts due to us by the seller in whatever capacity and however arising;
(g) “You”, “Your”, etc. refer to the buyer as identified in Condition 2.
(h) The singular includes the plural and vice versa as appropriate.

2. BIDDING PROCEDURES AND THE BUYER
(a) Bidders are required to register their particulars before bidding and to satisfy any security arrangements before entering the auction room to view or bid;
(b) the maker of the highest bid accepted by the auctioneer conducting the sale shall be the buyer at the hammer price and any dispute about a bid shall be settled at the auctioneer’s absolute discretion by reoffering the Lot during the course of the auction or otherwise. The auctioneer shall act reasonably in exercising this discretion.
(c) Bidders shall be deemed to act as principals.
(d) Once made, no bid may be withdrawn.
(2) Our right to bid on behalf of the seller is expressly reserved up to the amount of any reserve and the right to refuse any bid is also reserved.

3. INCREMENTS
Bidding increments shall be at the auctioneer’s sole discretion.

4. THE PURCHASE PRICE
The buyer shall pay the hammer price together with a premium thereon of 20% + VAT on the premium at the rate imposed by law.

5. VALUE ADDED TAX
Value Added Tax on the hammer price is imposed by law on all items affixed with an asterisk or double asterisk. Value Added Tax is charged at the appropriate rate prevailing by law at the date of sale and is payable by buyers of relevant Lots. (Please refer to “Information for Buyers” for a brief explanation of the VAT position).

6. PAYMENT
(1) Immediately a Lot is sold you will:
(a) give to us, if requested, proof of identity, and
(b) pay to us the total amount due in cash or in such other way as is agreed by us.
(2) Any payments by you to us may be applied by us towards any sums owing from you to us on any account whatever without regard to any directions of you or your agent, whether express or implied.
(3)Buyers who utilise the services of ATG Live Auctions or any other live internet services are hereby informed that the payment method details that are provided to ATG Live Auctions or any other live internet services as part of the process of registration will, in the absence of compliance with paragraph (1) of this clause, be utilised by us to settle any amounts owing by such buyers to us.

CARD PAYMENTS NOTE: Due to attempted fraudulent use payments by CREDIT and DEBIT CARDS will Not be accepted by telephone on any amount over £500. Personal payments by “Chip & Pin” are not affected.

7. TITLE AND COLLECTION OF PURCHASES
(1) The ownership of any Lots purchased shall not pass to you until you have made payment in full to us of the total amount due.
(2) You shall at your own risk and expense take away any lots that you have purchased and paid for not later than 3 working days following the day of the auction or upon the clearance of any cheque used for payment after which you shall be responsible for any removal, storage and insurance charges.
(3) No purchase can be claimed or removed until it has been paid for.
(4) Peter Francis is unable to arrange packaging or shipping of items. Successful buyers must make these arrangements independently, though the saleroom may be able to suggest specialist shipping companies who can advise buyers, this advice is not a recommendation and the saleroom is not liable for any aspect of the packaging and shipping process. Please note that the cost of packaging and shipping depends on the size/weight of the item(s) purchased, insurance requirements, and the shipping destination, not on the value of the item(s) purchased. Please note that any items not collected within one week of the sale date may be automatically removed to commercial storage and subject to a storage charge.

8. REMEDIES FOR NON-PAYMENT OR FAILURE TO COLLECT PURCHASES
(1) If any Lot is not paid for in full and taken away in accordance with these Conditions or if there is any other breach of these Conditions, we, as agent for the seller and on our own behalf, shall at our absolute discretion and without prejudice to any other rights we may have, be entitled to exercise one or more of the following rights and remedies:
(a) to proceed against you for damages for breach of contract;
(b) to rescind the sale of that Lot and/or any other Lots sold by us to you;
(c) to resell the Lot (by auction or private treaty) in which case you shall be responsible for any resulting deficiency in the total amount due (after crediting any part payment and adding any resale costs). Any surplus so arising shall belong to the seller;
(d) to remove, store and insure the Lot at your expense and, in the case of storage, either at our premises or elsewhere;
(e) to charge interest at a rate not exceeding 1.5% per month on the total amount due to the extent it remains unpaid for more than 3 working days after the sale;
(g) to retain that or any other Lot sold to you until you pay the total amount due;
(h) to reject or ignore bids from you or your agent at future auctions or to impose conditions before any such bids shall be accepted;
(i) to apply any proceeds of sale of other Lots due or in future becoming due to you towards the settlement of the total amount due and to exercise a lien (that is a right to retain possession of) any of your property in our possession for any purpose until the debt due is satisfied.
(2) We shall, as agent for the seller and on our own behalf pursue these rights and remedies only so far as is reasonable to make appropriate recovery in respect of breach of these conditions

9. THIRD PARTY LIABILITY
All members of the public on our premises are there at their own risk and must note the lay-out of the accommodation and security arrangements. Accordingly neither the auctioneer nor our employees or agents shall incur liability for death or personal injury (except as required by law by reason of our negligence) or similarly for the safety of the property of persons visiting prior to or at a sale.

10. COMMISSION BIDS
Whilst prospective buyers are strongly advised to attend the auction and are always responsible for any decision to bid for a particular Lot and shall be assumed to have carefully inspected and satisfied themselves as to its condition we will, if so instructed clearly and in writing, execute bids on their behalf. Neither the auctioneer nor our employees or agents shall be responsible for any failure to do so save where such failure is unreasonable. Where two or more commission bids at the same level are recorded we reserve the right in our absolute discretion to prefer the first bid so made.

11. WARRANTY OF TITLE AND AVAILABILITY
The seller warrants to the auctioneer and you that the seller is the true owner of the property consigned or is properly authorised by the true owner to consign it for sale and is able to transfer good and marketable title to the property free from any third party claims.

12. AGENCY
The auctioneer normally acts as agent only and disclaims any responsibility for default by sellers or buyers.

13. TERMS OF SALE
The seller acknowledges that Lots are sold subject to the stipulations of these Conditions in their entirety and on the Terms of Consignment as notified to the consignor at the time of the entry of the Lot.

14. DESCRIPTIONS AND CONDITION
(1) Whilst we seek to describe lots accurately, it may be impractical for us to carry out exhaustive diligent research on each lot. Prospective buyers are given ample opportunities to view and inspect before any sale and they (and any independent experts on their behalf) must satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of any description applied to a lot. Prospective buyers also bid on the understanding that, inevitably, representations or statements by us as to authorship, genuineness, origin, date, age, provenance, condition or estimated selling price involve matters of opinion. We undertake that any such opinion shall be honestly and reasonably held and accept liability for opinions given negligently or fraudulently. Subject to the foregoing neither we the auctioneer nor our employees or agents nor the seller accept liability for the correctness of such opinions and all conditions and warranties, whether relating to description, condition or quality of lots, express, implied or statutory, are hereby excluded. This Condition is subject to the next following Condition concerning deliberate forgeries and applies save as provided for in paragraph 6 “information to buyers”.
(2) Private treaty sales made under these Conditions are deemed to be sales by auction for purposes of consumer legislation.

15. FORGERIES
Notwithstanding the preceding Condition, any Lot which proves to be a deliberate forgery (as defined) may be returned to us by you within 21 days of the auction provided it is in the same condition as when bought, and is accompanied by particulars identifying it from the relevant catalogue description and a written statement of defects. If we are satisfied from the evidence presented that the Lot is a deliberate forgery we shall refund the money paid by you for the Lot including any buyer’s premium provided that (1) if the catalogue description reflected the accepted view of scholars and experts as at the date of sale or (2) you personally are not able to transfer a good and marketable title to us, you shall have no rights under this condition.

16. We shall have the right at our discretion, to refuse admission to our premises or attendance at our auctions by any person.

17. (1) Any right to compensation for losses liabilities and expenses incurred in respect of and as a result of any breach of these Conditions and any exclusions provided by them shall be available to the seller and/or the auctioneer as appropriate.
(2). Such rights and exclusions shall extend to and be deemed to be for the benefit of employees and agents of the seller and/or the auctioneer who may themselves enforce them.

18. Any notice to any buyer, seller, bidder or viewer may be given by first class mail, email or Swiftmail in which case it shall be deemed to have been received by the addressee 48 hours after posting.

19. Special terms may be used in catalogue descriptions of particular classes of items in which case the descriptions must be interpreted in accordance with any glossary appearing inside the cover.

20. Any indulgence extended to bidders buyers or sellers by us notwithstanding the strict terms of these Conditions or of the Terms of Consignment shall affect the position at the relevant time only and in respect of that particular concession only; in all other respects these Conditions shall be construed as having full force and effect.

21. The law in England and Wales applies to the interpretation of these Conditions.

22. FIREARMS + SHOTGUNS: - The buyer of a firearm is responsible for obtaining a valid firearm certificate, shot gun certificate or certificate of registration as a firearms dealer and for conforming with the regulations in force in Great Britain relating to firearms. The Auctioneers will not deliver lots to buyers without production of evidence of compliance with this condition.

23. Catalogues. Vendors who deliver a single item below £100 in value will not be sent a catalogue but will be given one at the Saleroom on production of the relevant receipt.

24. Online Bidding: Peter Francis offer an online bidding service via the-saleroom.com for bidders who cannot attend the sale. In completing the bidder registration on www.the-saleroom.com and providing your credit card details and unless alternative arrangements are agreed with Peter Francis you:

1. authorise Peter Francis, if they so wish, to charge the credit card given in part or full payment, including all fees, for items successfully purchased in the auction via the-saleroom.com, and
2. confirm that you are authorised to provide these credit card details to Peter Francis through www.the-saleroom.com and agree that Peter Francis are entitled to ship the goods to the card holder name and card holder address provided in fulfilment of the sale.
Please note that any lots purchased via the-saleroom.com live auction service will be subject to an additional 3% commission charge + VAT at the rate imposed on the hammer price.

question: Determine the kind of document this is and/or the purpose that it serves.

answer: These are the terms and conditions for British auctioneering business, Peter Francis firm. This specific set of terms applies to buyers and it is likely a that a different set of terms are used for sellers. The document is likely to be a legally binding contract designed to protect the firm's financial and other interests.

question: What are the terms and conditions for sellers who would like to auction through the Peter Francis Firm?


text:
LYDIA V. PYNE is an American historian and science writer. She is a current visiting fellow at the Institute for Historical Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.[1] Pyne and her work have been featured in _National Geographic_,[2] _Inside Higher Education_,[3] the _Wall Street Journal_,[4] and on ABC,[5] _Science Friday_,[6] WHYY,[7] KERA,[8] Wisconsin Public Radio,[9] and _Talk Nerdy_.[10]

Early life and education

Pyne credits her father, Stephen J. Pyne and her mother, Sonja,[11] with encouraging her to pursue the sciences by being “curious about a lot of things”. When she pursued higher education, Pyne was an English major.[12] She ended up switching to anthropology and history, earning a double major in the subjects, both from Arizona State University.[13][14] She earned her master's from the University of Texas, Austin in anthropology and biology at Arizona State.[15][16] For her PhD, she started as an archaeology student and in the end, earned a degree in history and philosophy of science from Arizona State University.[17][18]

Career

Pyne's first book was _The Last Lost World: Ice Ages, Human Origins, and the Invention of the Pleistocene_ was co-authored with her father, Stephen J. Pyne in 2012.[19] That year, she served as a fellow at Pennoni Honors College at Drexel University.[20]

Pyne's second book is _Bookshelf_, a history of the bookshelf, which was published in 2016 by Bloomsbury as part of their “Object Lessons” series.[21] That same year, Viking Press published Pyne's _Seven Skeletons: The Evolution of the World's Most Famous Human Fossils_. _Seven Skeletons_ presents the history of “celebrity fossils” including Lucy and La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1.[22]

In 2019, Pyne's book _Genuine Fakes: How Phony Things Teach Us About Real Stuff_ was published by Bloomsbury. The book examines the difference between artificial and “real” things, such as real diamonds versus lab grown diamonds.[23]

Currently, Pyne is a visiting researcher at the Institute for Historical Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.[24] Pyne is also a freelance writer. Her science and history writing has been published in _Hyperallergic_,[25] the _Pacific Standard_[26] and _Archaeology_.[27]

Works

-   with Stephen J. Pyne: [28]
-   [29]

-   [30]

-   [31]

Personal life

Pyne lives in Austin, Texas.[32] She's an active member of the American Alpine Club.[33]

[1]

[2]

[3]  Inside Higher Ed |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2019/09/13/lydia-pyne-genuine-fakes-how-phony-things-teach-us-about-real-stuff |accessdate=8 March 2020 |work=Inside Higher Education |language=en}}

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

title: Lydia V. Pyne

question: In what field does Lydia V. Pyne work?

answer: Pyne is currently working as a visiting researcher at the Insitute for Historical Studies at the University of Texas. She is also working as a freelance writer.

question: Summarize Lydia V. Pyne's education.

answer:
 - Pyne was an English major. She switched to anthropology and history and earned a double major from Arizona State University.
 - She earned her Master's degree in anthropology from the University of Texas, Austin, and biology at Arizona State University.
 - Pyne started her Ph.D. as an archaeology student and completed it history and philosophy of science from Arizona State University.

question: Summarize all the information relating to Lydia V. Pyne's publications.

answer: Her first book was The Last Lost World: Ice Ages, Human Origins and the Invention of the Pleistocene. This book was co-authored with her father. The book was released in 2012. Pyne's second book Bookshelf was published in 2016 by Bloomsbury. In the same year Viking Press published Pyne's Seven Skeletons: The Evolution of the World's Most Famous Human Fossils. In 2019 Bloomsbury published Pyne's book Genuine Fakes: How Phony Thing Teach Us About Real Stuff. Her science and historical writing has been published in Hyperallergic, the Pacific Standard and Archaeology.

question: Where has Lydia V. Pyne's work been featured?

answer:
 - National Geographic
 - Inside Higher Education
 - Wall Street Journal
 - ABC
 - Science Friday
 - WHYY
 - KERA
 - Wisconsin Public Radio
 - Talk Nerdy

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Lydia V. Pyne is a popular American historian and science writer.