text:
At CES last week one of my first demos was with Tobii and its eye-tracking technology. I left the demo convinced that once you’ve tried a VR headset with eye-tracking included you’ll never want to wear one without it again.

Google, Facebook and Apple all purchased eye-tracking companies over the last few years because these tech giants know what benefits are possible with the technology. If you know where a person is pointing their eyes at any given moment you can do things with software interaction and optimization that were never possible before. For example, eye-tracking could allow next generation headsets to dramatically upgrade resolution without adding a ton to rendering cost. That’s by way of foveated rendering — where the greatest detail is only drawn directly in front of your eyes. Manufacturers could even use eye-tracking to measure the distance between your pupils, which could help people maximize the 3D effect seen inside a VR headset just by getting it set up right.

But more important to developers, eye-tracking completely changes the way people interact with a virtual world. Tobii sells a modified HTC Vive with its eye-tracking tech installed and, in a series of demos, I was given the freedom to flip eye-tracking on or off at any time. Not once did I prefer eye-tracking off and it so enhanced the experience of interacting with a virtual world I started disliking the HTC Vive without the feature turned on. Below is a look at the demos I tried, each of which was either more immersive or easier to accomplish than if I had been using a headset without eye-tracking.

Bringing Your Eyes To Life

[gfycat data_id=”SkeletalNegativeBorer”]

Making Eye Contact

[gfycat data_id=”MildVagueCrab”]

Better Targeting

[gfycat data_id=”UnselfishFixedDutchshepherddog”]

Adjusting Controls

[gfycat data_id=”DeliriousPalatableAcouchi”]

Selecting Things

[gfycat data_id=”DependentWigglyAmphiuma”]

Playing A Game

[gfycat data_id=”ExhaustedWellmadeInchworm”]

I was so impressed by these demos and how they enhanced the experience it makes a lot of sense for innovative developers to think about getting a VR headset with eye-tracking so they can start planning now how to take advantage of the technology.

What About The Risk?

I found the benefits of eye-tracking to be so profound that it would be hard for me to imagine anyone turning the feature off once headsets come with the technology embedded. That means when Google, Facebook or Microsoft start shipping headsets with the technology, they could be pretty intrusive in how they choose to use it.

The same feedback loop causing people to prune their friend lists and newsfeeds so they only interact with people and ideas with which they agree could have a far more dramatic effect with eye-tracking. Imagine a spreadsheet stored somewhere that saves how long your eyes stay focused on everything from colors to objects and individuals. It would be possible to build a highly individualized and deeply telling list of everything you like and dislike — including lots of things you may not want shared. And because eye-tracking is so beneficial to the overall experience of wearing a VR headset, tech companies interested in using this data might have a lot of freedom in doing so. In other words — it might be incredibly hard to say no.

Tobii actually said it is prepared for this situation and includes a separate agreement with manufacturers covering the use of gaze data. Manufacturers are required to seek the approval of users before storing their gaze data, according to the eye-tracking company.

“Privacy is a very important aspect of any new technology which is why we require both the software and hardware companies that use our technology to get the explicit (and stand-alone) approval of users if they plan to store or analyze gaze data,” Tobii said in a prepared statement. “It’s also important to know that there are a variety of ways that this data can be used to help improve user experiences (better UIs, automatic settings, etc.), for those users who specifically consent for that information to be used.”

But when nobody reads the terms and conditions, is that going to be a strong enough step to protect people when all VR headsets include this feature?

A number of companies have already been making heat maps based on aggregate and anonymized gaze data produced by recording where everyone’s head is pointed during a VR experience. Here’s an example of such a heat map overlaid on top of a 360-degree video:

Such a heat map is incredibly useful to creators in allowing them to dissect what works and what doesn’t in their projects. And for ad-driven businesses like Facebook and Google, the more they know about you the more effective ad targeting they can provide their customers. With the jump to eye-tracking, though, is the information too detailed? The eye data is so personal a comparable analogy might be your PC manufacturer installing a keylogger or mouse movement tracker to record everything you do on your PC. Would you want anyone — even your family — having access to that kind of unfiltered level of information about you?

question: Which companies all purchased eye-tracking companies over the last few years?

answer: Google, Facebook, and Apple

question: What does eye-tracking completely change?

answer: Eye-tracking completely changes the way people interact with a virtual world.

question: What could eye-tracking allow the next generation headsets to do?

answer: Eye-tracking would allow the next generation headsets to dramatically upgrade resolution without adding a ton to rendering cost.

question: What are manufacturers required to get?

answer: The are required to seek the approvals of users before storing their gaze data.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Eye-tracking technology is discussed and how it is a prominent buy by big companies such as Google, Apple, and Facebook. Eye-tracking tech is the future but comes with its own risk. Privacy concerns about recording gaze data is discussed.


split: test

text:
Pavel Datsyuk wants to go home. His career has been here. His wealth has been here. His celebrity has been here.

[Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk (13) during a stoppage in play against the Buffalo Sabres during the second period at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y. on Jan 22, 2016.]
But his heart is somewhere else. It’s in Russia — with his teenage daughter and his roots, both of which he wants replanted into his life.

“I’m thinking I go home after this season,” he said, in a long discussion at the Northville home of his agent and friend, Dan Milstein. “I may not be done with hockey, but — it is hard to say — I think I am done playing in NHL.”

While this may be a shock to fans, it cannot be to the Red Wings. The truth is, Datsyuk has been squirming to go home since 2012, the year he played in Russia during the NHL lockout. Last season he basically told Detroit he was finished, and only the length of his contract, terrific persuasion by general manager Ken Holland and personal involvement from Mike and Marian Ilitch convinced him otherwise.

Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk: Not '100%' about leaving after season

The tug now, he said, is too strong. He wants his family united. And he wants to end his professional career in the country that taught him the game. Datsyuk, who will be 38 this summer, still has a year left on his Detroit deal, and will have one more discussion with Holland before taking formal action — presumably after the Wings are done with the postseason they qualified for on Saturday. So in theory, the door still has a sliver of light peeking through.

But after two hours with the reserved Russian superstar recently, it was clear his heart and head are already back home.
“I have overstayed,” he said.

‘I feel very bad’

Datsyuk, notoriously quiet off the ice, agreed to this interview (conducted in both English and Russian translation) only if the story did not run until after the Wings’ regular season was over, not wishing to distract from the challenging goal of making the playoffs. After the Wings qualified Saturday (thanks to a Boston Bruins’ loss), Datsyuk said via phone: “Because of the rumors out there, I wanted to clear this up now before the playoffs started so I can focus only on giving my best playoff performance. And I wanted the fans to hear it from me, not someone else.”

News began to leak last week that Datsyuk might return to his homeland, perhaps to play in the Kontinental Hockey League. Datsyuk downplayed the reports, as did the Wings, but Wednesday night at Joe Louis Arena, after a pregame presentation for reaching 600 career assists, the home crowd began to cheer, “One more year! One more year!”

That had an effect on Datsyuk, who sometimes employs a goofy poker face to hide a surprisingly emotional core.

“It was a very tearful moment,” he admitted Friday, through his agent’s translation. “If national anthem didn’t start playing when it did, I would have visible tears in my eyes. It was very difficult. I really appreciate fans very much.”

Still, Datsyuk knows that when he departs, their affection might be tinged with resentment, since he’d leave the Wings with a $7.5-million hit against their $72-million salary cap, effectively employing an empty locker for a year. Because of a quirk in the collective bargaining agreement, teams who sign players to multiyear deals after age 35 are liable for their money against the cap even if the player leaves or retires.

Datsyuk’s deal kicked in when he was 36.

“I feel very bad about it,” said Datsyuk, who is walking away from that $7.5 million. “Looking back, I wish I had done a year-by-year contract, not a three-year contract. I stayed (last year) in respect for Ilitch family. I don’t want to leave team in disaster. But if I have to do over again, I would sign a different deal. I didn’t realize it at the time.”

Breaking down Pavel Datsyuk's contract with Detroit Red Wings

Watch: Pavel Datsyuk's greatest goals with Detroit Red Wings

‘Not an easy decision’

Datsyuk and I first spoke about his possible departure nearly a year ago. At that time he was already strong in his desire to rejoin his daughter Elizabeth, who is being raised in Russia by Datsyuk’s first wife, Svetlana. While the former couple enjoy a friendly relationship, Datsyuk said, he felt too absent from the day-to-day affairs of his child, and worried, as she entered adolescence (she is now 13) that he wouldn’t be there for guidance.

“It’s not an easy decision,” he said last May. “It did not happen yesterday. I talk with my daughter all the time. I see how she misses me, how she misses my advice…I want to come back and be closer.”

At the time, Datsyuk faced a formidable hurdle with two years left on his deal. He was still a major force on the Wings, one they didn’t want to give up. And the cap hit would have been disastrous. After numerous discussions with Holland and a lunch meeting with the Ilitches, Datsyuk tentatively agreed to return this season. He went back to Russia for the summer.

Then a strange thing happened. Datsyuk complained of continued soreness in his right ankle — the result of what he and the team thought was a puck-related injury near the end of the season. The Red Wings took quick action, and arranged for surgery in North Carolina with Dr. Robert Anderson on June 26. Datsyuk returned to America.

“It was supposed to be 45 minutes,” he said.

Instead, according to Milstein, who was present along with Wings trainer Piet Van Zant, it took more than four hours. As the time passed and the surgery continued, a worried Milstein notified Holland. Van Zant notified Mike and Marian Ilitch.

Finally, when the doctor emerged, it was learned that “both of Pavel’s tendons were completely gone, destroyed; they had to use cadaver (replacements),” Milstein said. “Dr. Anderson said he didn’t think any active athlete could go through this and recover enough to go back to playing on the ice.”

He shook his head. “But Pavel did this. If it were me, I would have retired on the spot.”

In the days that followed, Datsyuk learned that Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch were waiting by the phone “for all four hours of the surgery,” Datsyuk said.
They were that concerned about his well-being.

“This meant a lot to me,” Datsyuk said.

‘I am happy this year’

It was part of why he agreed to return for this season. His respect for the Red Wings and the Ilitches is often stated and clearly obvious. But so is the Russian part of his soul. He told me a story from his childhood, when he studied French with a teacher he admired. Later, as a teen, he got to travel for some hockey games in France. While he was there, he purchased a souvenir Eiffel Tower for the teacher.
“When I give it to her, she start crying,” he recalled. “She loved France but was never allowed to go. I wanted to give her happiness, but she is crying.”

The incident stayed with him, even two decades later, a reminder of both his privilege and his obligations, including those to Russian fans who want to see him play before he’s finished.

Remember that Datsyuk, the son of a delivery truck driver, grew up in a modest three-room apartment in an industrial city called Sverdlovsk. For most of his childhood, he shared a bedroom with his older sister. Their mother died when he was 16. Hockey was almost an accident, something his father pushed more than Datsyuk did. Given his scrawny frame, few thought the young forward would amount to much, and even the Wings took him in the sixth round of the draft.

So for Datsyuk, being an NHL star was not the lifelong dream it is for other foreign-born players. He didn’t know how long he would stay when he first came to America. He regrets now that he didn’t learn English better over his 15 years here (“If I knew how it was going to go, I would more listen to people around and concentrate on learning it. I hate that I was lazy about it … I miss communication with my teammates.”)
Still, it fits in the larger picture of Datsyuk being Russian at heart, with long-term plans that always included his return.

“I will go back to my hometown,” he said when asked his summer plans, adding that his current wife and their young daughter will go with him. “It is proper time.”

I asked if he wished he had gone last year. He thought about it for a moment.

“I am happy this year,” he finally said, “but was like my heart pulled over both sides.”

‘Surgery nobody knew about’

Datsyuk admits he pushed at times this season to make it a memorable one. It was destined to be difficult. His rebuilt ankle suffered an infection around Labor Day and “I had to have it opened up again,” Datsyuk said, “a surgery nobody knew about.”

He fought through that, missing the first 15 games of the season and finally making his return in mid-November. He didn’t score a goal until his sixth game back and has only looked like his old dazzling self in patches, including a stretch in February where he was named NHL Player of the Week.

All told, statistically, with 16 goals and 33 assists, this would appear to be a declining year for Datsyuk, failing to reach 50 points while playing more than 50 games for the first time since his rookie season with the Wings in 2001-02.

Still, given his age and what he endured physically to get back, it is remarkable. Experts still declare him one of the most unique talents in hockey, a magician with the puck (thus the nickname “the Magic Man”) and an artist in seeing the possibilities each time he comes down the ice. There is a reason Datsyuk won three Selke Awards as the league’s best defensive forward and flirted with 100-point seasons several times in his career. Like other Russians to play in the NHL, Datsyuk has a vision and creativity that can be stifled by more rigid systems.

Not long ago, former Red Wings star Igor Larionov wrote an online piece claiming Russian players like Datsyuk are underappreciated.

"Many young players who are intelligent and can see the game four moves ahead are not valued," Larionov wrote for the Players’ Tribune. "They're told 'simple, simple, simple.' "

Datsyuk doesn’t disagree. “It feels like it’s sometimes you must choose — you win or you be the star. I like to be with team — and be star — but with winning.”

When he returns to Russia, he was asked, will he get to do some of the “old Pavel” stuff?

“Probably, yes.”

But that’s not the main reason he wants to go.

‘Not about money’

Datsyuk and Milstein say there is no contract in place with any Russian teams, but they admit there have been discussions — and plenty of interest. Should he indeed return, Datsyuk plans to play at least one season for some team in the KHL, before eventual retirement that includes plans for a hockey academy for young Russian players.

“This is not about money,” Milstein insisted, and while that is a common phrase, in this case, it appears authentic. Datsyuk has instructed Milstein not to negotiate in any way with anybody, even though Holland, Milstein said, has been willing to consider some kind of extended deal and has discussed “a very, very generous offer.”

Datsyuk does not wish to even give the appearance of a negotiation. He also said that if the Wings wanted to trade his rights to another team as a salary cap dump, he would accept that, understanding that it was strictly business (Milstein said the Wings have told him that would not happen).

Both men also insist that whatever money Datsyuk might get paid in Russia is not a motivating factor in this decision, and whatever that money is, it could easily be surpassed if Datsyuk wanted to stay in America.

“Years ago, a star player in NHL came and told me about other teams in league,” Datsyuk said. “He told me how good Red Wings organization is compared with other teams. After that, I only want to stay here. I don’t want to check the water on the other side.”

In fact, the other side of the water is the one thing the Wings can’t offer. This is about geography, upbringing and pride. Datsyuk said he wants to play a last season in Russia while his skills are still mostly intact, and not “be broken down,” performing a victory lap that isn’t warranted.

‘Good steak here’

For now, the playoffs loom, and Datsyuk will likely throw all he has into this postseason, hoping, as he had hoped in returning this year, to leave the best impression he can on “all the fans who support me in Detroit.” He said some of his teammates know of his plans, but he didn’t want it to be a distraction.

What will he miss from Detroit? He seemed overwhelmed by an attempted answer, stopping and starting and shaking his head. He mentioned the players, naturally, the Ilitches, Holland and “the whole organization that put me in the comfort zone.” He grinned at memories of skating alongside Hank Zetterberg (“we are really friendly”) and Niklas Kronwall and Tomas Holmstrom (“I always knew where he was because I see him sit in his chair in front of net”).

He also says he’ll miss “the steak. Good steak here.”

But he is gone, or all but gone, barring some miracle persuasion by Holland, and fans can take him at his word or choose not to.

I would. Datsyuk has always skated to his own tune. Management and teammates gush over his talent and his attitude, and on the ice, he has done what’s been asked, even though at times it clearly ran against the type of hockey he was schooled in.

He also made an awful lot of other Red Wings look a whole lot better when he was out there. In Saturday’s regular-season finale against the New York Rangers, his second-period shot was deflected off Riley Sheahan’s body into the net. Sheahan got the goal. But it doesn’t happen without Datsyuk.

With more than 900 career points, he would leave the Wings as one of the most prolific and gifted players to ever pull on the red sweater. He’s most certainly a Hall of Famer. For many fans, he is the last connection to the 2002 Stanley Cup championship team that may be remembered as the best assembly of talent in the history of the game.

But that’s just one connection. The heart is another. And when it calls, you have little choice but to answer. When these playoffs are done, there’ll be no more pulling rabbits out of hats by the Magic Man. Just a quiet bow, a final curtain, and the sound of a distant airplane, heading home.

_Contact Mitch Albom: malbom@freepress.com. _

question: Why is Pavel Datsyuk leaving the Red Wings?

answer: Pavel Datsyuk wants to go home. His career has been here. His wealth has been here. His celebrity has been here. But his heart is somewhere else. It’s in Russia — with his teenage daughter and his roots, both of which he wants to be replanted into his life. The player's daughter is 13 and lives with his ex-wife. He feels as though he is missing out on her life and needs to provide guidance.

question: Why has Pavel Datsyuk agreed to the interview?

answer: Though Datsyuk, notoriously quiet off the ice, he agreed to this interview only if the story did not run until after the Wings’ regular season was over, not wishing to distract from the challenging goal of making the playoffs. After his team qualified he told the reporter that the rumors had started. So he wanted the news to come from him not from someone else.

question: What does the article say about Pavel Datsyuk's contract?

answer: The collective bargaining agreement has a strange quirk whereby players over 35 who sign multiyear agreements can leave or retire against a cap. Datsyuk signed up at age 36 and only has to forgo $7.5 million of the $72 million he received for three years when he leaves after two.

question: Why did Datsyuk and his wife get a divorce?


text:
THE BOOGEYMAN (1980)
Directed by: Ulli Lommel
Written by: David Herschel, Suzanna Love, Ulli Lommel
Starring: John Carradine, Ron James, Suzanna Love

[]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9tBxVqQnIo[/youtube]

THE BOOGEYMAN (AKA THE BOGEYMAN) (1980)

FIRST RELEASED: 1980

DIRECTOR: ULLI LOMMEL

CURRENT UK STATUS: AVAILABLE UNCUT AS AN 18 CERTIFICATE

The Bogeyman was first released in UK cinemas uncut in 1980, and then Vipco released it on VHS in November 1981. In October 1983 the film was listed as a Video Nasty and removed from shelves. The Bogeyman never had the chance to build the reputation the true notorious Video Nasty’s gained due to it being dropped from the list in July 1985. Vipco then re-released it in 1992 with 44 seconds of cuts, however the film was later released uncut in 2000 certified 18. Better still, an extended cut was released in 2004 by Hollywood R2 DVD and this too was uncut and passed as 18.

German born director Ulli Lommel originally wanted to be an actor, something which his Father Ludwig Manfred Lommel, did not approve of. At the age of just four, Ulli was put on stage in theatre by his Father, however by the age of sixteen Ulli wanted to pursue acting and so ran away from home after his Father’s disapproval of his chosen career. It was acting where Lommel got his start in the world of movies, acting in 28 plays including the lead role in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, 22 TV movies and 18 feature films. After this Lommel moved on to an inspired theatre collective, known as Rainer Werner Fassbinderand the Anti Theatre, along with a few other German actor’s including Kurt Raab, Hanna Schygulla and Margit Carstensen. Creator Fassbinder moved from theatre to films in the 1970’s and quickly became one of the leading voices in the German New Wave, and Lommel spent ten years working very closely with him. Making 41 films in 13 years, Fassbinder was well known for his prodigious output, and Lommel himself either served as producer, assistant director, production designer and even acted in a number of Fassbinder’s movies. Fassbinder died in 1982, and Lommel still travels the world taking part in retrospectives of his friend and collaborator.

Lommel directed his first film in 1971 titled Haytabo, and his second film, Die Zartlichkeit der Wolfe (1973) was produced by Fassbinder. The cult classic was voted one of the one thousand films to change your life in Time Out magazine. Lommel moved to New York in 1978 and began working with Andy Warhol and then in 1980 he made the move to Hollywood where he directed the Boogeyman. The horror became a huge success grossing $25 million worldwide (a lot in those days!) After the Boogeyman Lommel toyed with a few genres before settling into horror as being his main genre, and has been making a feature film almost every year since, often two of three a year! Most recently he has made films like The Tomb, Absolute Evil and Nightstalker. In 2004 Lommel set up his own repertory group in Venice, working with a number of collaborators, they have released sixteen genre films on the Lionsgate label.

The majority of the Video Nasty’s actually feel like they were made simply to be on ‘The List’, cheap, tacky and holding a minimal story for the sole purpose of simply adding the scenes of violence together. On the odd occasion one of the films on The List fits that bill, but there is something about it which makes it stand out from the rest, it feels like the film was actually made as a genuine film with violence as a necessary part of the story, and not just a cheap shock fest looking for notoriety. Granted The Boogeyman does contain plenty of violence and shock tactics, but there is a quality about this film, and it actually has a very engaging and interesting story which, in places, catches you off guard. In this film the killer is more a supernatural Demon, haunting the mirrors of a broken Brother and Sister and hungry for revenge. The Brother and Sister had a traumatic childhood, with a Mother who would rather get drunk and have sex than look after them. The opening scene of the film see’s the Mother in a sexual clinch with another man, a man who bullies the kids and decides to tie up the Son because he was watching them through a window. The bullying has to stop, and so the Son breaks free and murders them both. It is a creepy opening scene, there is little music and the man has a sinister stocking on his head which adds a whole new level of unease as we watch helplessly the tortured kids.

[]

Some years later the kids have grown up, Willy (Nicholas Love) is mute but gets a job working happily on the farm of the family they now live with. Lacey (Suzanne Love) looks after Willy, but is terrified of mirrors as it was in a mirror she witnessed the murders as a child. While seeing a psychiatrist Lacey freaks out at the thought of mirrors and screams. It is clear there is still some deep rooted trauma for these two kids, and things are about to get a whole lot worse. We learn that Willy is not normal and scared now of women after a young, attractive girl advances on him in a barn. Panicking, Willy decides to strangle her until she runs off, the poor lad not knowing his own strength and unable to communicate. He felt threatened and all he knew to do was be aggressive. See, already we are building up a story, a level of realism in a way, that many Video Nasty’s did not bother with. The Boogeyman draws you in, becomes quite sinister and you do start to build relationships with the poor victims. Further into the film a mirror in the house is smashed and now things turn a little strange, and things begin to get bloody. The Boogeyman, see, is a spirit living in the mirrors and now it is free to cause mayhem, and it does exactly that.

[]

What I really liked about this film is that it is not your average 80’s slasher, this is actually quite inventive due to the fact the ‘killer’ doesn’t exactly kill it’s victims, more causes accidents or forces them to commit suicide. Its a clever idea and it really works and leads to some quite nasty scenes. The first suicide comes in a disturbing bathroom scene. Already the mood has been set by Lommel’s brilliant camera work. The camera follows its victims around, becomes almost intrusive as it spies on a young, sexy girl in the shower. Suddenly you feel like maybe you shouldn;t be watching in such a perverse way, and as the camera suddenly hides behind a wall as the girl looks over, its clear Lommel is up to some kind of clever trickery, we suddenly realise that this is actually a Point of View shot, of the killer? Anyway, the poor girl suddenly grabs a pair of scissors and stabs herself in the neck on a glorious scene of everything the Video Nasty’s stood for, gratuitous violence coupled with naked breasts!! Well, of course her dressing gown had to fall off, why wouldn’t it! In one of the funniest and most bizarre scenes I have EVER seen in a horror, a little boy, clearly wanting to spy on a naked girl appear at the bathroom window, laughs and screams out something like “FLEA BAGS!” and no sooner has he said it, the window comes crashing down on his head in a terrible choreographed scene that is so ridiculously bad it is genius! The film then carries on with one death after another, including some teenagers on holiday where a girls and her boyfriend end up ‘spiked’ together whilst kissing. For thirty or so minutes its one nasty death after another and you feel that just maybe Lommel ran out of ideas, but then he delivers a shock ending that has to be seen to be believed. The mirrors comes into play once again, and an actually very scary scene involving a woman and a demonic voice wraps up the film superbly. Special lighting effects are used to create a strong supernatural atmosphere and, believe it or not, the clear budget restraints actually make the whole thing look better. Sometimes its the simple things we appreciate. The parting shot of the film is a creepy one indeed, and will probably haunt you for a few days after.

[]

So, The Boogeyman, a Video Nasty that is very very nasty, but is actually very very good too. This is a film that should be seen by all horror fans, young and old as it is, in my mind anyway, a genre classic that does everything it can with what it has, and delivers a clever, sinister and creepy little violent horror that can stand proud with the best of what the 80’s horror had to offer!

RATING: [★][★][★][★][★][★][★][★][☆][☆]

SHOULD THE BOOGEYMAN HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE VIDEO NASTY’S LIST? STRANGELY ENOUGH THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW WITH CERTAIN SCENES WHICH WOULD HAVE AT LEAST WARRANTED BEING CUT IN THOSE DANGEROUS TIMES!

question: What does the article say about Lommel?

answer: Ulli Lommel is a director of horror movies who got started as an actor in the movie industry. Lommel had to run away from home as a teenager because his father didn't approve of his desire to be an actor. He acted in 28 plays, 22 TV movies, and 18 feature films before moving to a theater collective, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and the Anti Theatre. Fassbinder was one of the leading voices of the German New Wave, and Lommel worked with him for ten years in roles ranging from acting to assistant director. Lommel first directed a film in 1971, Haytabo, and his second film (Die Zartlichkeit Wolfe, 1973), was voted as one of the thousand films to change your life by Time Out magazine. Lommel moved to Hollywood in 1980, directing the Boogeyman there a few years before settling into horror as his genre. He's been making two or three films per year ever since.

question: What does the text say about what makes the boogeyman different from most other Video Nasty films?

answer: Most films that are notorious for being Video Nasty are violent and brutal for the sake of it. The Boogeyman, however, has a real plot and character progression. The characters are believable and authentic, and the story is engaging. The violence, it seems, is a core part of what makes the plot work instead of just being violent for the sake of it. Among its qualities is the nature of the killer, who doesn't murder directly, choosing to cause accidents or cause people to commit suicide.

question: What does the article say about reviewing horror movies?


text:
DURRETTE is a surname. It may refer to:

-   Mike Durrette (born 1957), American football player (offensive lineman) in the NFL
-   Wyatt Durrette (born 1938), American attorney and politician, who served in the Virginia House of Representatives
-   Wyatt Durrette (songwriter), born Wyatt B. Durrette III, American country music songwriter

title: Durrette

question: When was Mike Durrette born?

answer: Mike Durrette was born in 1957.

question: What does Mike Durrette do for a living?

answer: Mike Durrette is an American football player.

question: How many Wyatt Durrettes are recorded here?

answer: There are two Wyatt Durrettes recorded here.

question: What does Wyatt B. Durrette III do for a living?

answer: Wyatt B. Durrette III is an American country music songwriter.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Durrette is a surname. There are three notable Durrettes listed here, a songwriter, a football player, and a politician.


text:
Lastvoice: Thank you Andrea Jankowski (Germany) for sponsoring this chapter.

Here’s the third sponsored chapter for the week!

CH 35 SCHOOL BEAUTY’S MIND

Long wan’er returned all the way to the trade fair. Deep within her heart, she was extremely angry, and at the same time, ashamed of herself.

She was the leader of the young generation of Dragon Clan, how could she possibly go through such an experience? Unexpectedly tonight, that masked man had toyed with her quite a lot, this was really hateful!

She firmly believed in her inspection that Ye Feng was just an ordinary person, she could never be wrong about this.

Depending on this point, she had a solid reason to believe that the masked man and Ye Feng were absolutely two different people! Because, in this world of martial arts, it was not at all possible to conceal one’s cultivation by using any kind of method.

“Judging by the nature of that old man, I guess he wouldn’t dare to teach his grandson to practice martial arts.”

Long Wan’er thought to herself: “It seems like previous time, we accidentally meet once again…… Humph, that masked man, if I ever get to know about his identity, then he should consider himself as dead.”

She finally returned to the entrance of trade fair courtyard, took one step inside and immediately saw that handsome young man coming quickly to welcome her. But seeing her disheveled appearance, a surprised look appeared on his face.

“Long Wan’er, did u chase after that guy?”

He hurriedly asked.

“Long Xian, when will you start using your brain?”

She snorted lightly and said: “Just look at my appearance, doesn’t it tell you whether I chased after that masked guy or not?”

“Well, that is also right.”

That handsome young man, Long Xian, scratched his head in a somewhat awkward manner and said: “I know that masked man’s name, he is called Mo Jiuge and he was one of the guests invited by Huang Lao.”

“Mo Jiuge?”

She frowned after hearing this strange name, was there really such a skilled swordsman present in the world of martial arts?

“Huang Lao said that Mo Jiuge is his friend from long ago, but he was kind of a loner since he was not in the contact of anyone for a very long time, so reputation is not significant.”

Long Xian quickly explained this to her.

“Huang Lao?”

Long Wan’er asked.

“He just now left the trade fair.”

Long Xian said in a somewhat helpless manner. Considering Huang Lao’s cultivation, at present on the scene, no one should be able to stop him.

“Ok, got it.”

Long Wan’er lightly nodded her head: “Did you guys dispose off the corpse?”

The handsome young man happily smiled and said: “All these things have been buttoned up, I, Long Xian, can handle such type of matters quite well.”

“Humph.”

The Long Wan’er snorted then once confirming that there was no need for her to stay there, she turned around and walked away.

She really had suppressed plenty of anger today, and not just that, she also kicked that Ye Feng, perhaps now his grandfather might come to inquire about it so she must do everything possible to deal with him, which was really bothersome.

She thought of when she heard ‘Ye Feng’ when the masked man was in the trade fair answering the phone call. Now she knew that Mo Jiuge and Ye Feng was not the same person, but there definitely was some connection between them. It might be possible that Ye Feng had given those three golden leaf grasses to Mo Jiuge.

In that phone call, she had faintly heard “People’s Hospital”, although she couldn’t succeed in pursuing the masked man to the hospital, but who would have thought that she would end up kicking Ye Feng, not only she failed to capture Mo Jiuge but she also kicked Ye Feng and hence caused a big trouble for herself.

Right now, she just wanted to find a place to take a good bath and change clothes to the ones she liked.

Just the thought of that masked man would turn her so mad that she wanted to smash things around her.

“Mo Jiuge, the next time we meet, you will be dead!”

She thought and a cold look flashed in her eyes.

…………

At midnight, Ye Feng finally recuperated his meridians completely and restored them to the original state.

He lightly breathed out and opened his eyes.

The compounded drugs took a lot of time in restoring his zhenqi to its original form and repairing meridians completely, although he had used his connection with Heavenly Serpent Gang to obtain these herbs but their cost was not less.

That Scarred face man had been given the time of just two weeks to collect a variety of herbs, it took more than two million for him to collect them, however they had almost been used up by Ye Feng tonight.

Of course, compared with the cost of the herbs, the value of the compounded drugs was apparently much higher. If one could find sales channels, then there would certainly be a guarantee that these drugs would sell in millions!

Whenever there would be a shortage of money, he could look for a path to sell these compounded drugs to the people of the martial arts world, but before that, he must wait level up his cultivation and become capable enough to protect himself.

“It seems just like the World of the Immortals, there are only a handful of experts who walk outside and they rarely stir things up to cause problem. They are never caught in any kind of trouble. So long as one can achieve the cultivation of 10 years, it should be enough to guarantee one’s own security.”

Ye Feng deeply thought to himself, from today’s experience in the trade fair, he could now make a conjecture about the current status of martial arts in this world.

In the World of the Immortals, if anyone wanted to quickly level up his cultivation then all he needed was to just eat some precious medicinal herbs and so on, but that was not realistic. Instead, the most effective way to rapidly grow one’s cultivation in that world was to practice!

In the World of the Immortals, the practicing speed to level up the cultivation could also be increased. There were few big factions, they could even double the practicing speed, and on top of that, the effect would be remarkable. There were many old cultivation freaks in the World if the Immortals, who used to stay in the blessed spot and practice all year round without going out.

And now in this martial arts world as well, it seemed like the situation was most like the same. Huang Lao, from Zhejiang province, Mt. Tianzhu, wasn’t he known as the so-called seventy-second pearl of China?

Ye Feng opened his eyes, moved slightly and then tried to wake up Su Menghan, who was actually sitting beside him on the sofa but had fallen asleep.

“You woke up, are you feeling any better?”

Su Menghan worriedly asked while rubbing her eyes.

“Relax, everything is all right.”

Ye Feng replied to her with a smile on his face as he was feeling a bit sorry seeing her so worried and concerned about him.

“Really?”

Su Menghan raised her head and her sleepiness vanished in an instant, she started rubbing and massaging his body all over in order to check his injuries but she realized that he wasn’t feeling any pain. She finally felt relieved seeing him all better now.

Ye Feng looked at her actions and found it funny: “It seems like you’re taking advantage of me…”

“What are you ……….. saying?”

Su Menghan’s face suddenly turned red, hurriedly she pulled back her hands, but soon, something came in her mind and her complexion changed. She asked directly: “You haven’t explained yet, just who in the world was that beautiful woman?”

“Don’t ask about this, sometimes not knowing is better.”

Ye Feng shook his head and said.

He was well intentioned, involving Su Menghan in the world of martial arts, in spite of knowing that she was leading a modern life in this modern world, was not at all a good idea. However, unfortunately, Su Menghan didn’t thinking so because she thought that Ye Feng and Long Wan’er had a secret.

“Really?”

Su Menghan was somewhat disappointed with his reply, she stood up and said: “Then consider this as finished, I want to sleep now, you rent another room.”

There was no doubt that she was in a hurry.

“It’s just, I thought about so many things, but I never expected that it was all a self deception, alas……”

Originally she thought that if ye Feng came up with a reasonable explanation then she would be willing to accept him. But now, by no means she could accept him when he was together with that beautiful woman.

In order to prevent any kind of accident, she didn’t want to be together with Ye Feng in the night. Hence, she needed a separate room.

“Well, then remember to get up early tomorrow, since we have to go back to Yanjing.”

Ye Feng was somewhat disappointed, he got up and walked away. He had a feeling that now she hated him.

“Ok.”

Su Menghan nodded as she saw him going out of the room. She was feeling very uncomfortable since lots of complicated thoughts were running in her mind.

With a great difficulty, she had made a favorable impression of Ye Feng in her heart with a great difficulty, but now, wasn’t it like the school beauty’s sweet and pure first love ended right after beginning?

Ye Feng was not at all aware about this school beauty’s thoughts, otherwise if he knew that she liked him then he would definitely explain things to her. Sadly, things went wrong between the two, not to mention Ye Feng was also very much fond of this good-hearted girl.

In the World of the Immortals, Ye Feng had never dealt with any girl, so at this time, he naturally couldn’t correctly guess what was going on in Su Menghan’s mind, instead he made an assumption that she disliked him.

He went out of the room and just wanted to go to the front desk to rent a room to rest for the night. But when he looked up, he actually that the door to the opposite room was open and there was bright light shining inside. An old man was sitting on the sofa, sitting in repose with eyes closed.

“Huang Lao? Not good……”

Ye Feng was immediately startled.

question: What does the story say about Mo Jiuge?

answer: Long Wan'er chases after a masked man, who she then learns is Mo Jiuge, a guest invited by Huang Lao. Apparently, Mo Jiuge is an old friend of his, who has been a loner without a significant reputation for a long time. Long Wan'er has figured out that Mo Jiuge and Ye Feng are different people, but is certain there is a connection between them.

question: What does the text say about League of Legends?


text:
A coalition of lawmakers in Congress are considering a range of initiatives that would force the Trump administration to demand Poland resolve Holocaust-era claims before the United States agrees to host a permanent military base in the country that has come to be known as Fort Trump, according to multiple U.S. officials and other sources working on the matter.

The Trump administration and Polish officials have been in talks for some time to establish a new permanent U.S. military base in the country to counter threats posed by Russia and Iranian regime assets known to have plotted terror attacks in the region.

However, many members of Congress and top Jewish communal officials behind the scenes have been lobbying the Trump administration and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to amplify the matter.

Poland remains the only country in the European Union to not have instituted laws mandating restitution to aging Holocaust survivors and their families who had their property and other assets confiscated during World War II. Poland—which is experiencing a resurgence in anti-Semitism—has balked on these demands, arguing that it was just as much a victim of the Nazis as the millions of Polish Jews who were sent to death camps.

With negotiations over Fort Trump ongoing, lawmakers see an opportunity to use U.S. leverage to force Poland to finally confront the restitution issue. Pompeo has raised it several times in talks with Polish officials, winning plaudits from Jewish groups. Sources at the State Department say the conversations are ongoing.

It could fall to Congress, however, to issue legislation that would withhold funding for Fort Trump until the restitution issue is resolved, according to multiple congressional and Jewish community officials who spoke to the _Washington Free Beacon_ about the matter.

"On Holocaust assurance, [the Poles] are using restitution as a game and bringing more anti-Semitism to a country with a heavy history," said one congressional source familiar with efforts to push the restitution issue. "Basically, there is no way they should get the benefit of a fort without resolving these issues."

The issue of Polish restitution comes at a tense time in Europe, as anti-Semitism surges across the continent, particularly in Poland, where scores of nationalist protestors took to the streets last week to advocate against Holocaust restitution. Many of the protesters used anti-Semitic images and rhetoric as they attacked President Donald Trump, pro-Israel members of Congress, and Jewish groups who support restitution.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, in remarks over the weekend, told a crowd of supporters that Poland would never compensate Holocaust survivors for their losses, a political rallying cry that has garnered him support of hardliners.

"We'll never pay WWII property compensation as we were main victims," the prime minister was quoted as saying.

These latest developments have fueled calls by advocates to link Fort Trump to the restitution issue in a bid to exert pressure on Poland to resolve the matter.

A congressional letter circulating on Capitol Hill urges Secretary of State Pompeo and the White House to pressure their Polish counterparts over the restitution issue, according to a copy of that draft letter viewed by the _Free Beacon_.

"Now is the time, while the last Holocaust survivors are still alive, to back up our words with meaningful action," the letter states. "We encourage you to pursue bold initiatives to help Poland to resolve this issue as quickly as possible."

Poland has not yet fulfilled its promises to Holocaust survivors and others from whom property was confiscated and time is running out," the letter warns. "As staunch supporters of the U.S.-Poland relationship, we are writing to urge you to act boldly and with urgency to help Poland resolve this issue comprehensively, and in the context of strengthening the bilateral relationship between our countries."

Poland remains an outlier when it comes to Holocaust restitution, having refused multiple bids by Jewish groups and others to pressure the government into acting.

"After the war, the Communist regime in Poland nationalized property owned by Jews and non-Jews," it continues. "In the decades since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Jewish Holocaust survivors of Polish origin and their families as well as others have found it nearly impossible to reclaim or seek compensation for the property that was nationalized by the Polish Communist regime. In fact, Poland is the only country in the European Union that has not passed a comprehensive law for the restitution of private property, despite pledging to do so in 2009 when it endorsed the Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets along with the United States and 45 other nations."

As the last remaining Holocaust survivors grow older, U.S. lawmakers say it is finally time to acknowledge their claims and provide relief.

"Seventy-four years after the end of the Second World War, the remaining Holocaust survivors are aging and cannot wait any longer for justice," the letter states. "That is why 59 U.S. senators wrote to the Prime Minister of Poland in March 2018 urging the passage of legislation that would meet the Terezin Declaration's standards by creating a claims process conducted ‘in a fair, comprehensive and non discriminatory manor.'"

In May 2018, Congress unanimously passed the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today, known as the JUST Act, to help hold nations such as Poland responsible for their commitments to help these Holocaust survivors.

The State Department under Pompeo has raised the issue multiple times and U.S. officials say the Trump administration will continue to do so.

"As the secretary stated, we appreciate the importance of resolving outstanding issues of the past, and we urge our Polish colleagues to move forward with comprehensive private property restitution legislation for those who lost property during the Holocaust era," a State Department official told the _Free Beacon_.

"The Department will continue to engage officials in Poland, as well as others in the region, to discuss restitution of Holocaust-era property, compensation, Holocaust education, and how best to preserve and protect important Jewish heritage sites," the official said.

Eric Gallagher, Washington representative for the World Jewish Restitution Organization, told the _Free Beacon_ that Pompeo's efforts to raise the issue have helped place it in the public forefront.

"It was highly significant that Pompeo raised the issue and we appreciate the secretary's leadership on this," Gallagher said.

One veteran Jewish communal official who has worked on the matter told the _Free Beacon_ that Congress is frustrated over Poland's intransigence. Top Polish officials, sources said, failed to respond to the 2018 letter sent by nearly 60 senators urging the Polish government to finally resolve the matter.

"Poland should not test their relationship with the Jewish community, or Israel for that matter, by their continuing intransigence in refusing to include restitution," said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss the issue frankly. "But more than that, by not stepping up to do the right thing, Poland is threatening its national interests by putting its most important diplomatic relationship at dire risk—the United States is America. If they're not going to listen to us, as Jews, they'll need to listen to us, as Americans."

A second Jewish communal insider also familiar with the matter said that Poland is unwisely jeopardizing its relationship with the United States.

"I think Congress is getting frustrated because Poland has been insisting that it intended to resolve the issue of private property restitution, and then after Pompeo visited Warsaw it reneged on that promise, and publicly," said the source, who would only speak on background to discuss private meetings.

[]ADAM KREDO is senior writer reporting on national security and foreign policy matters for the Washington Free Beacon. An award-winning political reporter who has broken news from across the globe, Kredo’s work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, Commentary Magazine, the Drudge Report, and the Jerusalem Post, among many others. His Twitter handle is @Kredo0. His email address is kredo@freebeacon.com.

question: How are the funding for Fort Trump and the consequences of World War 2 inextricably linked?

answer: The US won't fund the fort until Poland agrees to pay restitution to the Jews affected by the Holocaust. Poland is the only European country not to have instituted laws mandating restitution.

question: What is Poland's argument against paying restitution?

answer: It claims that the country was just as much a victim of the Nazis as the Jews

question: How were property owners further disadvantaged after the war?

answer: After the war had ended, the Communist government confiscated the property of Jewish and non-Jewish Poles alike.

question: What was the purpose of the JUST Act?

answer: The purpose was to hold nations such as Poland responsible for commitments to helping the survivors of the Holocaust.

question: Why is there a higher level of urgency in the matter of restitution than ever before?

answer: Seventy six years have passed since the end of the Second World War and there are few survivors remaining. Legislators want justice before they die.

question: In what way is Poland putting at risk national interests by refusing to deal with the issue of restitution.

answer: Poland needs the permanent military presence in the country to counter threats from Iran and Russia. By refusing to deal with the issue that put at risk to permanent military presence and their important friendship with the US.


text:
Warm ginger ale and a cold body. Good times.
            The day started out relatively normal. Alarm went off at five am. Punched the snooze button. Broke the fourth alarm clock this week. Slept in until eight. Woke up for real, looked at the bashed clock, looked at my watch, let loose a string of choice words. Tried to shave and put on pants at the same time. Got caught and nicked my ear. Opened my fridge, no food; only a sock. What the hell?
            Normally, I woulda got in my car, broken three speed limits on my way to the local deli, and gotten a sandwich. Instead, I got in my car, looked over to my passenger seat, threw up, and stumbled out of my car, now rancid with the smell of upchucked Pad Thai from last night, and a dead body.
            My first call to 911 ever happened that day as well. I had to call in a fire.
            I went to work like normal that day, except my commute involved a bike and a pissed off crossing guard. I was looking forward to spending an entire day of lying through my teeth to make sure some sorry bastard got twenty-five years instead of forty in the state penitentiary. Of course, it’s a little hard to make witnesses sweat when you keep thinking about the clean up job you’ll have to do on your car.
            I guess I won that day. Of course, society lost fifteen years of not having deal with some sociopath arsonist. I think his name was Noah. Heh.
            I wasn’t looking forward to going to my house that day. Can’t imagine why. Regardless, I stopped by the local grocery store to pick up some melons. She slapped me and stormed off, but at least I killed some time.
            The distinct smell of freshly cut grass hit my nose as I biked down a residential street. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shirtless man on his rider lawnmower. And this is supposed to be a residential area. I suppose his glistening d-cups were the ultimate sign of laziness. Sickening.
            After mentally flipping off Mr. Landscaper-Gone-Wild, I decided to stop by an old friend’s house. Jack and I go way back. Mr. Daniels has always been halfway decent to me, always cheering me up and getting me some great stories to tell his other patrons. I’d have had a great conversation with him too, but his doorman insisted I pay my tab. So much for boozing up.
            As I lit the torch, I sipped on the only drink I managed to get off the guy. I set my ginger ale aside, and watched as the first glimmers of the fire began to pop. I stood back, and savored the yells and smoke. Bellua would be pleased.
            I smirked as my fingers flew to pocket, pulled out my crap phone, and dialed 911. I breathed in, and reported the fire in the most civilian way I could.
            After getting to my house, I downed the rest of the drink. I’m sure the bartender wasn’t worried about the glass.
            I donned my latex gloves and surgical mask, and slowly pulled on the body’s arm. It came off. Dammit Bellua. I thought better of my initial plan, threw the arm back into the car, and shoved the body’s head down. I got into the driver’s seat. Bad idea. I got back out, got reacquainted with my lunch from that afternoon, and covered my nose with a section of fabric.
            The drive to the bog was one of the most refreshing drives I’d ever had. I began conversing with the body. It’s nice to have someone to listen, even if that someone was turning a nasty shade of green. I’m sure it wasn’t because of my story though.
            As I dumped the body, I noticed a perfectly square piece of skin missing from the back of the body’s head. Bellua’s rituals always creep me out. I stopped myself from befouling the interior of my car any further, and drove back to my house.
            After a long day’s work, I was ready to turn in. But I have work to do.
            I popped open the secret compartment of my car’s trunk, I reminisced about the first time I met Bellua. I used to be a mess, but Bellua gave me a purpose. Clean up his dirty work, and in return he would do the same for me. In exchange for getting stacks of green for reducing felons’ sentences, Bellua required that I dispose of his victims. What Bellua didn’t know at the time was that I’m more fucked up than he is.
            Bellua has a warped sense of justice. He thinks that by killing off the corrupt government officials, he can fix the system. I don’t give a shit about the system. I just wanna see it burn. That’s why I’ll play along with Bellua, until I have the resources to pull off my master plan.
            I was running low on accelerant. I took comfort in the fact that Bellua still hadn’t discovered my tools, but it was curious how I blew through a month’s worth is a week. No, I realized, it’s me. My fires are getting bigger.

title: Bellua (Original Short Story By Me) p.1 Fire

question: Why did the dead body appear in the man's car?

answer: The man is a law enforcement officer who is also a secret arsonist. He has some kind of partnership with a serial killer named Bellua. However, Bellua is not aware of the arson the narrator commits, and there is some kind of rivalry between them. Bellua leaves bodies in the narrator's car which they are meant to dispose of.


text:
During the televised press conference in which he announced his tax plan, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump returned to a claim he has made before -- that the official unemployment rate -- currently 5.1 percent -- woefully undercounts the percentage of people who are unemployed.

During the Sept. 28, 2015, media event, Trump described an unemployment rate in the range of 5 percent as "such a phony number."

"The number isn't reflective," he said. "I've seen numbers of 24 percent -- I actually saw a number of 42 percent unemployment. Forty-two percent." He continued, "5.3 percent unemployment -- that is the biggest joke there is in this country. … The unemployment rate is probably 20 percent, but I will tell you, you have some great economists that will tell you it's a 30, 32. And the highest I've heard so far is 42 percent."

We previously rated False a claim by Trump that "our real unemployment is anywhere from 18 to 20 percent." So if 18 to 20 percent is false, how does 42 percent rate? We took a closer look.

We’ll start by offering a refresher about how the official unemployment rate is calculated.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a federal agency, uses surveys and statistical sampling to calculate how many Americans do or don’t work. To calculate the unemployment rate, the agency divides the number of people who are out of work (counting only those who have recently looked for work) by the sum of the job-seeking and job-holding population.

Not factored into this calculation are people who are not currently looking for work.

This is the portion of the population that alternative measures -- such as those cited by Trump -- attempt to factor in. Broadly speaking, supporters of these alternative measures say that not working, regardless of the reason, is tantamount to being unemployed, and should be reflected that way in the official measurements.

THE 42% CALCULATION

We asked the Trump campaign for a source of the 42 percent figure, but they didn’t respond. The Fact Checker, however, traced it back to a column by David Stockman, who served as President Ronald Reagan’s budget director.

Stockman calculated that there are currently 210 million Americans between the ages of 16 and 68 -- what he calls a "plausible measure of the potential workforce." If you assume that each of those people is able to hold down a full-time job, he wrote, they would offer a total of 420 billion potential working hours. However, during 2014, Stockman noted, only 240 billion working hours were actually recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If you run the numbers, "the real unemployment rate was 42.9 percent," Stockman wrote.

Economists say Stockman’s way of looking at the question -- using actual hours worked divided by a theoretical maximum that could have been worked, rather than determining whether individual people are employed or unemployed -- is provocative. But they say this raw measurement has serious flaws.

In the column, Stockman himself acknowledges that this figure is imperfect, even though his tone is flip when he does so.

"Yes, we have to allow for non-working wives, students, the disabled, early retirees and coupon clippers," he wrote. "We also have drifters, grifters, welfare cheats, bums and people between jobs, enrolled in training programs, on sabbaticals and much else."

Snark aside, economists say this caveat is crucial.

Stockman’s calculation "treats people voluntarily working part-time hours as partly unemployed, even if they have excellent reasons for wanting to hold only a part-time job, such as rearing children, attending school or college, being disabled, or transitioning into retirement," said Gary Burtless, an economist at the Brookings Institution. "A lot of the shortfall between full-time and part-time employment is perfectly reasonable, as is a potential worker’s decision not to work or look for paid work at all."

In other words, Trump’s faith in the accuracy of the 42 percent figure is misplaced.

TAKING ANOTHER WHACK AT THE NUMBERS

All of this spotlights a long-running debate among economists about whether there is a better way to calculate the unemployment rate than the one traditionally used. It’s within the economic mainstream to believe that the traditional method that produces 5.1 percent is too limiting, even if the far more permissive calculation that produces 42 percent is vastly overstated.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics itself offers a more expansive alternative measurement of labor "underutilization" called the U-6 rate. The U-6 rate includes both those who are officially "unemployed" and those who are working part time for economic reasons and those who are "marginally attached" to the work force, meaning they want to work but have not looked for work recently enough to count as being actively in the labor force.

Currently the U-6 rate is 10.3 percent, about double the official unemployment rate. For the sake of argument, we decided to see if we could come up with a percentage that approaches Trump’s 42 percent.

We started with the 94 million Americans age 16 and up who are not either (1) employed, (2) unemployed, (3) in the military or (4) institutionalized. We then subtracted the number of people who have good reasons not to be working or looking for work. Here’s a summary.

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Category                          | People                            |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | []                                |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | []                                |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | Instagram posts                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | stated on November 9, 2020 in a   |
|                                   | screenshot                        |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | “Joe Biden is no longer the       |
|                                   | President-elect according to      |
|                                   | RealClearPolitics.”               |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | [true]                            |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | [false]                           |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Neither working nor officially    | 94.0 million                      |
| unemployed, age 16 and up,        |                                   |
| civilians and                     |                                   |
| noninstitutionalized only         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Subtract: Ages 16 to 19           | 9.7 million                       |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Subtract: Ages 65 and over        | 37.8 million                      |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Subtract: Students, age 20 to 24  | 8.7 million                       |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Subtract: Students, age 25 to 29  | 2.9 million                       |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Subtract: Students, age 30 to 34  | 1.4 million                       |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Subtract: Stay-at-home moms       | 10.3 million                      |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Subtract: Stay-at-home dads       | 2.0 million                       |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Subtract: Those receiving         | 9.0 million                       |
| disability checks                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Subtract: Those in job training,  | 745,000 (estimate)                |
| ages 24 to 29                     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| REMAINDER:                        | 11.5 MILLION                      |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

In other words, there are perhaps 11.5 million Americans who do not have obvious reasons for not working (though they could be full-time students between 34 and 65, undergoing job training over age 29, or be affluent enough to be able to forgo work or retire early).

If you turn this into a new type of "unemployment" rate, it comes out to 16.4 percent. That’s higher than the U-6 rate of 10.3 percent, but it’s only a small fraction of the 42 percent Trump claimed.

As Burtless told us previously, most of those suffering from being "out of work" can actually be seen as benefiting from their membership in an affluent, technologically advanced society.

"The fact that these adults are jobless is not a marker of economic failure -- it is an indicator of a very prosperous society that can afford to permit the old and disabled to retire, that can invest in young adults so they can improve their skills, and that can keep some adults in the home where they can care for children or attend to other non-paying pursuits," he said.

This isn't the first time Trump has used the 42 percent number. In August, our friends at the _Washington Post_ Fact Checker gave a similar statement from Trump Four Pinocchios, the column’s harshest rating for truthfulness. Trump then repeated it in his tax-plan press conference.

OUR RULING

Trump keeps repeating that the unemployment rate may be as high as 42 percent. But getting a percentage that high requires believing that being a high school, college or graduate student, a senior citizen, a stay-at-home parent, a job-training participant, or having a disability is no excuse for not holding down a job, or for working less than 40 hours in a week. The highest alternative unemployment-rate measure we could come up with that had any credibility was 16.4 percent, and even that exaggerated figure is only about one-third of the way to Trump’s 42 percent. We rate his claim Pants on Fire.

_CORRECTION, FEB. 11, 2016: We've updated this story to reflect some changes to the statistics for students listed in the table. Our new calculation puts the highest "unemployment" rate we could produce at 16.4 percent. The rating remains Pants on Fire._

https://www.sharethefacts.co/share/1b7360a0-5e27-41f2-a541-c0e476663219

question: What is Trump claiming about the unemployment rate?

answer: Donald Trump claims that the actual unemployment figure is much more than the official unemployment rate of 5.1 percent. The Trump campaign did not respond when asked about the source. Supporters of Trump's claim say that those who are not working, regardless of the reason, is the same as being unemployed.


text:
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Last Updated on 04/24/2020

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[ Slightly spicy, slightly sweet Cosmic Ginger Rose Activated Charcoal Latte! This beautiful detoxifying vegan brew is full of healthful properties, and delicious flavors! #activatedcharcoal #charcoallatte #gingerlatte #roselatte #moonmilk #elixir #magicdrink #cosmic #detoxifying ]

I was recently given the opportunity to try SUNCORE FOODS ACTIVATED CHARCOAL COCONUT POWDER . . .

[preorder the vegetarian family cookbook]

[ Slightly spicy, slightly sweet Cosmic Ginger Rose Activated Charcoal Latte! This beautiful detoxifying vegan brew is full of healthful properties, and delicious flavors! #activatedcharcoal #charcoallatte #gingerlatte #roselatte #moonmilk #elixir #magicdrink #cosmic #detoxifying ]

WHAT IS ACTIVATED CHARCOAL?

If you aren’t familiar with Activated Charcoal, it’s a super fine, food-grade charcoal often derived from coconut shells. This charcoal has been shown to have many benefits including absorbing and pulling toxins from the body, both internally & externally;  aiding in relieving indigestion; lowering cholesterol levels; and even brightening teeth when used as a toothpaste.

[ Slightly spicy, slightly sweet Cosmic Ginger Rose Activated Charcoal Latte! This beautiful detoxifying vegan brew is full of healthful properties, and delicious flavors! #activatedcharcoal #charcoallatte #gingerlatte #roselatte #moonmilk #elixir #magicdrink #cosmic #detoxifying ]

[ Slightly spicy, slightly sweet Cosmic Ginger Rose Activated Charcoal Latte! This beautiful detoxifying vegan brew is full of healthful properties, and delicious flavors! #activatedcharcoal #charcoallatte #gingerlatte #roselatte #moonmilk #elixir #magicdrink #cosmic #detoxifying ]

The only downside of charcoal is that it is so good at absorbing toxins from the body, that it can also absorb recently administered medications! So just be sure to enjoy your charcoal a few hours apart from any recently taken medications or supplements!

[ Slightly spicy, slightly sweet Cosmic Ginger Rose Activated Charcoal Latte! This beautiful detoxifying vegan brew is full of healthful properties, and delicious flavors! #activatedcharcoal #charcoallatte #gingerlatte #roselatte #moonmilk #elixir #magicdrink #cosmic #detoxifying ]

Now, onto this latte! I had so much fun experimenting with THIS AMAZING CHARCOAL POWDER. It is super-fine, so no grittiness or even flavor was detected when I whipped up this creation! It truly is very yummy, and not too shabby on the eyes either!

[ Slightly spicy, slightly sweet Cosmic Ginger Rose Activated Charcoal Latte! This beautiful detoxifying vegan brew is full of healthful properties, and delicious flavors! #activatedcharcoal #charcoallatte #gingerlatte #roselatte #moonmilk #elixir #magicdrink #cosmic #detoxifying ]

THIS COSMIC GINGER ROSE ACTIVATED CHARCOAL LATTE IS:

-   Super detoxifying and rejuvenating.

-   Packed with both sweet and spicy notes.

-   Soothing and comforting.

-   Easy to make.

-   Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free.

-   Beautiful, to boot!

[ Slightly spicy, slightly sweet Cosmic Ginger Rose Activated Charcoal Latte! This beautiful detoxifying vegan brew is full of healthful properties, and delicious flavors! #activatedcharcoal #charcoallatte #gingerlatte #roselatte #moonmilk #elixir #magicdrink #cosmic #detoxifying ]

I’ve now made this healthy, flavorful brew numerous times as I am so smitten with it! I so hope you feel the same way, too, and I look forward to hearing your feedback!

Enjoy. xo.

[ Slightly spicy, slightly sweet Cosmic Ginger Rose Activated Charcoal Latte! This beautiful detoxifying vegan brew is full of healthful properties, and delicious flavors! #activatedcharcoal #charcoallatte #gingerlatte #roselatte #moonmilk #elixir #magicdrink #cosmic #detoxifying ]

MORE VEGAN DRINK RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY

Cherry Lavender Moon Milk Recipe (Vegan)

Seed Cycling Moon Milk For Hormone Health (Vegan)
Almond Rose Chai Tea Latte (Vegan)

Double Blue Peppermint Moon Milk (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Iced Blueberry Cardamom Moon Milk (Vegan)

[ Slightly spicy, slightly sweet Cosmic Ginger Rose Activated Charcoal Latte! This beautiful detoxifying vegan brew is full of healthful properties, and delicious flavors! #activatedcharcoal #charcoallatte #gingerlatte #roselatte #moonmilk #elixir #magicdrink #cosmic #detoxifying ]

IF YOU TRY THIS RECIPE PLEASE LET ME KNOW! LEAVE A COMMENT, RATE IT, SHARE THIS POST, USE PINTEREST’S “TRIED IT” FEATURE, OR TAKE A PHOTO, & TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM AND I’LL SHARE IT! THANK YOU SO MUCH! <3

[a pottery mug filled with charcoal latte drink]

-   2 cups plant-based milk of choice I use almond
-   2 teaspoons maple syrup or raw honey
-   1 teaspoon activated charcoal powder
-   1 teaspoon edible rose petals
-   1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
-   1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
-   1/8 teaspoon himalayan pink salt rose salt, or sea salt

-

    In a saucepan over medium heat combine all above ingredients.

-

    Stir until hot but not boiling.

-

    Turn off heat and let it sit 3 minutes

-

    Optionally strain the rose petals (or leave), and pour into mugs.

-

    Optionally, garnish with a sprinkle of ground ginger and rose petals before serving. Enjoy!

Serving: 1g | Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 807mg | Sugar: 7g

question: What are the benefits of activated charcoal?

answer: The benefits listed in this article are that it can absorb toxins from te body both internally and externally, it can relieve indeíestion, lower cholesterol and that it can aid in the whitening of teeth.

question: What makes the latte special?

answer: It's detoxifying and rejuvenating, completely vegan and free of refined sugars.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A recipe for Slightly Spicy, Slightly sweet Cosmic Ginger Rose Activated Charcoal Latte, and a small explanation of what activated charcoal is.


text:
Perched on a steel beast of war, I pondered my own existence. A sergeant in the army, with a caring family and spouse, medals to my name and a desire to live. But how far did it go? How far can I run before I fall, and there is nobody there to pick me up? I wanted my memories to last forever. Lively, energetic, spirited: The men I commanded were my bread and butter. Valiantly serving under my order for 3 years prior to Operation Neptune, we held our lives in our rifles. I sat with them on our steel beast, waiting to be unloaded with the other men. How long did we have?

Huddled into a vehicle reminiscent to the Kraken himself, I became lost in thought. This strange plan, these peculiar men. Curled up amongst each other, ignorance of bliss, we stood shoulder by shoulder like lambs to the slaughter.

Dainty fingers dawdled on the triggers. Who was he? Who was he to take a life? Only the grateful had the heart to pull, and fire.

Eyes plunged backwards, body lurched forward. Crumpled to their knees. Fell to the trenches, writhing in the dirt, men howled in fits of pain.

Let the deceased roam the realms they no longer wanted to exist.

Waves trickled onto our clothes, soaking us from the inside out. The storm rose above our mortal toil; Mother Nature has no patience. Salty sea air tempted our nostrils of home and valour, but it did little to front the horrors on the beach. Gunfire ablaze, our Kraken approached the beachhead. This is true war. Fear, anger, pride, camaraderie, pain: a will to survive. Lead continued to find its way towards my men, but I convinced myself they could never hit me. Hot, piercing metal seared its way through the earth, which may as well have stood still, striking our position with brute inaccuracy. Inside the sudden silence, my superior barked those damn dreaded words.

I was told there was artillery inbound. No reinforcements. 30 seconds was all we had.

Mortar seemingly erupted from the crust, taking my men with it into the air. 3 of my men were taken in the first blast. They had aimed that one for my squad. These weren’t the first men to die with me, and certainly won’t be the last. More explosives inbound, and no clear way to escape. It didn’t look hopeless, just fatal. Another 2 fell down, injured, which is another pair of notches on my watch. The squad was starting to break down into fragments, and no longer sure who made it out, we tried to hide, run and fight.

Us, a ragtag group of soldiers, versus an entire German platoon. It was at this point we had all agreed to never be captured alive. We held our position over the lagoon, keeping our ground with joyful valence in the darkest hour. I took a step backwards, and promptly fell into the water. My men must have assumed I’d been hit, I didn’t see them again.

It seemed like I was floating gracefully for an eternity, and in my frenzy, I reasoned that I was hated by those I loved, and regrets filled my soul. It wasn’t death that did this; it was

war. I also reasoned that these would be my final emotions, my final tribute, to this earth, and I should cherish them. How would I know when I died? It faded to black long before I fell to my watery grave.

In my absence of consciousness, I was rescued by a British company steamrolling through the coastline, picking up survivors and POW’s alike. It appeared I was alive, and the luckiest one in the squad, according to those Brits. They would never be able to comprehend what I saw, and what I lost.

“It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who
are willing to endure pain with patience.”

- Julius Caesar

(Any and all constructive criticism greatly recommended)

title: [HF] Epitome of War

question: What happens to the narrator in the story?

answer: He is on a war boat with other men. Once the enemy troops opened fire on the narrator's squad, he fell into the water and thought he would die. While being unconscious, he was rescued.

question: What does the story say about the men the narrator was commanding?

answer: They were the sergeant's bread and butter. They are on a boat, approaching a beach when they start getting heavily hit by the enemy's artillery. 3 of them died at the first blast and 2 more fell down, injured. They agreed to not be captured alive and when the sergeant fell they assumed he was dead.

question: What does the story say about the clothes the soldiers were wearing?

question: What does the story say about the narrator's background?

answer: He was a sergeant in the army. Had a caring family and kids. He had numerous medals to his name and he also served in Operation Neptune.


text:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*Rock-a-bye baby, on the treetop,*

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,*

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,*

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;*And down will come baby, cradle and all.*

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Things aren’t always as they seem; one move can shatter all you’ve built, yet all you’ve built isn’t always deliberate. My brain is muddled with the mistakes I have made, will make and am making. I’ve always had so much, I still do—but the more I have the less wholesome it feels. My eyes used to be filled with light, colour, and significance—now I am shadowed by the constant euphoria.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Euphoria:- a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Euphoria used to mean that—good things—but now it consumes me. It grew steadily; started as a slight nagging and grew to a beast, taking bites out of me with every inhalation. I still remember the day that it all started, the day that I broke the last straw, lost the last emotion; the day I made the mistake of walking home after my graveyard shift.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Trust me, lady,” the shady man from the alley said as he grabbed my arm—it wasn’t hard but it was far from gentle—whispering with heavy breaths, “I can see it in your eyes.”

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I need to go,” I shuddered in response; I was so scared, so unfamiliar.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You's sad, I can see it, I know what you need, lady, trust me,” he went on, shoving a bag in my face, “*this* is the stuff you need.” I started to become frustrated, I mean, there was a smelly, shady young man whispering in my ear about some drug; little did I know, he would become my saviour.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“I don’t think *hallucinations*, are going to help me put my life back together,” I spat. Oh, the irony! I thought I had hit rock bottom back then, I didn’t know of the trenches lying ahead of me.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“No, lady, heroin isn’t like that. You won’t hallucinate like MDMA or LSD; it’s a nice friendly drug.” he explained, “this shit doesn’t get you high, or screw you up, everything thing is just mellow, and happy—the world is beautiful.” That was the point where I was starting to become convinced, “you could smoke it at home, smoke it at work; heroin doesn’t create, it *erases.*” Sold, at the drop of a hat. That man—whom I now know as Trey, or in situations I’ve tried to repress, *babe*—knew how to use his words to manipulate me into doing whatever he pleased, a skill that proved useful to him later on. I revisited that alleyway 47 times after the fact, but I met Trey himself 164 times—our relationship evolved from simply the purchase and sale of heroin. At the time, it wasn’t manipulation, it was rescue: I was lonely, depressed, and barely managing to maintain a dead-end waitressing job; Trey showed me the drug that dissolved all my negativity, and his own presence dispersed my loneliness. What I now realize was the exploitation of resources seemed at the time to be real, maybe my rationality was altered by the heroin, but I felt the most sane I’ve ever been. Nine times out of ten, I would go somewhere with Trey and smoke the stash I’d bought *with* him, when I could only afford less but what I needed was more, he would even share some of his. I was so young and so stupid; I thought that’s what love was, *sharing your heroin.* God, I was so stupid.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It didn’t take long for me to fall in what I thought was love, but could you blame me? I was being provided with powdered happiness, the only thing I was really living for. I never realized that I had never spent a night with him sober; I made him priority, my moments with him were the only moments that mattered. To him, I was simply a customer, and then a sex toy—I was never a human being. Yet night after night I texted him over and over, smoked with him, made love to him—the cycle continued for months, and I loved it, but every thing must come to an end. A rude awakening, clichéd and yet the most unexpected thing to ever happen: I was pregnant; I missed my period the last month. At first, I brushed it off as a side effect of the alien substance running through my veins, but in a burst of rationality I got myself tested. I kept smoking—but I started to get careful, only smoking once a week, then once every two, however, I could never bring myself to really stop, why didn’t I stop? About 3 months in, I told Trey—well, I didn’t tell him, he noticed my hesitance and then my stomach, and with my lack of comprehensible response, he caught on.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You’re goddamn pregnant,” he mumbled one day, obviously numbed by the drugs, “you can’t smoke my shit anymore.” I saw it as an act of care, a muted ‘I love you,’ but to him it was just a lost customer, lost money. In a stroke of epiphany my saviour and my enemy all at once developed another business idea. “If you smoke it, the baby gets all the drugs,” he spoke confidently, making me believe he had some medical knowledge—although, I would have believed anything from him at that point, “but if you inject it just stays in *your* blood.” Brilliant, absolutely brilliant; take my pregnancy and turn it into an investment, sell me more expensive drugs, take me even further down the rabbit hole. I never stopped doing heroin throughout my pregnancy. Trey left a few months later, as soon as he found out there wasn’t going to be an abortion, as soon as found out this was as much his responsibility as it was mine. He may have moved across the country or across the street, I didn’t know, but he blocked my calls and I gave up. I found another dealer, and I gave up. That’s how I know it wasn’t love on my part either, at least not love for the man, but for his produce.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I was dedicated to that drug, so dedicated that I never thought more ahead than the next morning, I never thought about what I was doing to myself. I took 20 hits of heroin a day in my last trimester; I needed that much to handle the side effects of pregnancy. I half-expected the baby to die before I had to care for it—but it was stronger than I. April 26th—8 months and 23 days of pregnancy—I went into labour. The pain covered my entire body to such an extent that not even the heroin could make it stop; I felt almost helpless, I had no *human* friends to guide me. I knew only one thing coming into this—and its implications:

1.  I have no money
	* I cannot afford to go to the hospital
	* I cannot afford to raise this baby

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite my long-term patronage to heroin, there remained sparse drops of sanity within me, and through those I determined that my only option was to keep the child. It was through those drops that I also realized the health of the baby would not be substantial, in fact, it is miraculous that the foetus remained to grow throughout the entire gestation period; the baby will be severely messed up if it survives birth. I had gotten myself into a situation that had no upside, but due to the influence I was under, I was so goddamn calm. I hadn’t a clue what I was to do, yet I hadn’t a crap to give—or perhaps a better way to explain was that I hadn’t the ability to feel, everything had a silver lining, even if it didn’t.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I birthed the baby on my living room floor; I chose to do so because the carpeting was a deep maroon, therefore any stains would not be overly detrimental. He came out blue and silent, but he wasn’t dead—he was also not normal. He was ugly, it was so ugly. I knew for a fact such aesthetic could only stem from deformity, there was a muddled order of the features on its face, features that were not mine. This is not a child I felt the want or need to keep in my home, nor did I have the means of doing so. In what I thought was an excellent plan, I took the baby to the cool darkness outside of my home, and settled him gently on the floor. Using the materials around me I fashioned an intricate cradle of sticks and leaves—sturdier than concrete—and gently hung it upon the branch of a tree, low enough that I could just reach it. Gently, I placed the baby in its new cradle; I had the urge to kiss the baby goodbye, to feel any compassion, but the feeling was too easy to dismiss. In that moment, I had justified my own decision; if I didn’t love the baby, nobody would. I would visit it in the morning to feed and comfort it, I would keep the baby alive so not to be deemed a murderer; everything made so much sense.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I woke up the next morning, exceedingly sober. The implications of my actions slowly trickled into the back of my mind, like a drop of blood down my scalp. *I gave birth last night, while high, and I left the baby in a forest.* Glancing at the clock I noticed it had only been a few hours, I hoped to salvage the situation. That was the first morning in a very long time in which my primary thought had not been heroin. Running outside, it hit me that it was much too late; there was no possibility of a happy ending. By the trees I noticed what I though was a cradle and now realized is nothing but a pile of sticks and junk on the floor, stained slightly browner than its surroundings. The overwhelming smell of loss encompassed me as I lifted the ‘cradle’ away, revealing what was underneath. The foetus was covered in blood, skull cracked open, unmistakably dead. In my delusion, I did not witness myself hang a baby to a tree with some sticks, I did not realize how far my life had crashed downwards, how much I had ruined myself, I did not know that down would come baby, *‘cradle’ and all.*

title: [MF] Rock-a-Bye Baby

question: Summarize the narrator's experiences in the story.

answer: In the beginning, the narrator is a depressed woman who gets convinced to try out heroin by a man named Trey. She develops an addiction to the drug, and under the influence of it, becomes involved with Trey. They start a relationship, where the narrator assumes they are in love, but she's only a customer and a sex toy to Trey. She becomes pregnant at some point, and Trey realizes the situation three months into her pregnancy after noticing her hesitancy to smoke heroin. He convinces her to inject instead, claiming that would keep the drug from going to the baby. She believes her, but he abandons the narrator anyway after a few months. She finds a new supplier and eventually gives birth to a baby while high on heroin. In her drug-addled state, she puts the baby in a cradle made of branches, realizing after waking up that she just hung her baby on a few branches in the forest. She finds out that the baby is dead, and all she can feel is the loss.

question: What does the story say about the decriminalization of drugs?