text:
The sound of water splashing filled the air as I moved my paddles in rhythmic motion. It was a beautiful night out. I glanced upwards while paddling, locking eyes with the huge, looming moon. Darting my eyes around, I could see the scattered stars accentuating the pale blackness of the sky. I tried to find a constellation, but the only one that I knew was Corvus.
“What’re you looking at?” asked Tracy, cocking her head to the side a tiny bit. You could see the childlike curiosity in her eyes. It was kind of cute. “Trying to find a constellation?”
“Yeah.” I chuckled, glad my embarrassment was only known to the night air. “I only really know Corvus. Do you know any others? ‘Cause that’s about it for me.”
“Oh, I know Corvus. I don’t really like that one though, it’s just a disappointing constellation. Ooh, but do you know Columba, right up there?” She accented her query with a slender, out-stretched finger pointed towards a cluster of stars.
“Columba… which one is that again? It’s a bird, isn’t it?” I was surprised that she knew a constellation that I’d never even heard mentioned on TV or anything. I guess I forgot that she enjoyed astronomy.
“Mhmm,” she hummed in affirmation. “It’s the dove. Kind of funny when you think about it, right?”
“Yeah. Maybe. Okay, why is it funny when you think of it?”
“Y’know, it’s a dove. The white bird is found in the depths of space, a pitch black place.”
“I guess that’s an interesting way of looking at it.” I just sighed and looked at the constellation for a few seconds. Well, I looked in the area of it. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t make it out. I quickly glanced to Corvus once more just to look at it, and then levelled my eyes back out and looked around, admiring the scenery. The trees all around were silhouetted by the moonlight, just barely blocking the view to infinity. The water shimmered. It was a beautiful sight to behold, but the wakes and waves in the water were washing away the wonder in the stars’ reflection.
	“Now what are you looking at?” She was definitely curious that night. But that’s just one of those things that makes her so easy to love – you definitely know that she cares, even if it’s just because of the sheer amount of questions that she asks. And I don’t know if it’s maybe just me, but the way that she asks is just enticing. “Ooh, I know. Is it the trees? The water?”
	“Kind of. Just the general area, really. I don’t know what it is about this place, but I think I kind of like it and kind of don’t.” She just cocked her head again, donning an inquisitive look on her face. “I mean, there’s… well, it’s a very nice scene. Beautiful, even. But the trees are practically looming over the lake, blocking out the sights of other stars. Then there’s the water. I love seeing the reflections in water, but the movement of the canoe is distorting it so much. And that’s not even mentioning the impossibilities in seeing underneath the surface. Who knows what’s lurking in there?”
	“Oh, wow. You’re really worked up over this now, aren’t you?” She giggled as she delivered the question, entirely unfazed by my comments. “Come on, you just have to either look at this another way, or change what you’re looking at. For example, what’s it matter what’s under the surface of the water? We’re there anyway, so there’s no point in worrying over it. Just embrace it. It’s not like overthinking is going to stop anything from happening. And as for those reflections – they don’t really need to look the way that they did. Sometimes a distortion isn’t just that; sometimes a distortion is a new creation, a welcome idea. Sure, it’s foreign, but just accept it for what it is. But if you don’t like that kind of thing, then don’t look at the trees. Change what you see – look past them. Look at the infinite abyss beyond it. Lock eyes with what stands behind.
	“I guess. I don’t know.” I couldn’t think of it that way. I just couldn’t visualize what she was saying. “I don’t think I can do that. Maybe you can, but I can’t. I just like to look at it the way it is. It’s still beautiful, don’t get me wrong. It’s just a different kind of beautiful.”
	“That’s pretty fair,” she said, reaching out and grabbing my hand. I stopped paddling the canoe. I just wanted to spend this time with her. I wanted to tell her how I felt about her. It had been building up for a long time, but I had still somehow never managed to say anything. Despite how long we’d been friends, I didn’t feel comfortable saying that one thing to her. I didn’t want to ruin the friendship by asking for me. I was scared, so I kept to myself. Then she suddenly started talking again. “So I was gonna tell you…”
	“Yeah? What’s up?” I was glad for the conversation, as it would take away from my thoughts.
	“Well, I don’t know how you’ll take it, thanks to how much time we spend together, and with you being my best friend and everything…” she trailed off and looked down, seemingly nervous to speak. I just waited patiently. “I mean, I don’t want to leave you alone. The thing is, though, I need to go away for a bit. I want to go up to visit my family up north for a bit, and you know the situation there. I might not really be able to talk to you while I’m there. You know I want to, but without a phone or internet I-”
	“I know. You can’t… you can’t talk. Jesus…” It was my turn to trail off. I thought about what she was telling me. I couldn’t very well tell her how much she meant to me, but I didn’t want her to leave, either. I wished that she would pipe up and tell me that she was going to do something different. But after a few seconds, I heard nothing. I only felt my stomach sinking and a boiling anger rising up. “I can’t believe this. I mean, I know that I don’t really facilitate you staying, but Jesus. I’m trying to be fair, but God damnit, Cindy. You’re leaving me no choice. I know I shouldn’t be getting angry, but it pisses me off. I’m sorry, but it just… pisses me off.”
	“It’s alright, I can understand where you’re coming from,” she replied. She smiled softly at me, washing away how I felt. It’s amazing how disarming a girl’s smile can be. It may not have been instant, no, but after a few seconds of just placidly sitting there I was no longer angry. I wasn’t the happiest, no, but I wasn’t angry.
	“Is there no way that you could stay or anything?” I asked – pleaded, almost. “Do you really have to go right now?”
	“I do, unfortunately. Grandma wanted to say goodbye before… before we never see each other again.” Tears were welling up in her eyes, and I suddenly felt terrible for asking her to stay. I had forgotten that was the reason she was headed up there. I knew how much she cared for her family, and especially her grandmother. I should’ve known that this would pretty much break her. As I opened my mouth to apologize, however, she spoke up. “But don’t worry. I’m going to see you again before I go, don’t worry about that.”
	“I’d really, really appreciate that. I’m sorry about asking you to stay, too. I didn’t even think about your grandmother or anything,” I said, trying my best to be empathetic. “I get that you have to say goodbye. It makes sense. Family is important.”
	“Thank you for understanding. It really means a lot to me, and I’m sure it’ll mean a lot to them too. Are you okay, though? I don’t want you to feel bad about any of this. You do understand that it has nothing to do with you, right? Of course I want to stay here and be able to talk with you. I’ve told you over and over, you’re my best friend, and I would never want to do anything to break that connection. You’ll always be my best friend.”
	“I don’t really mind hearing that. Again, I’m sorry that I’m being so terrible about this.” I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, just letting my thoughts collect. “It just sucks, you know? I mean, I really enjoy talking to you. We get along really well, and I love that. I don’t think that there’s another person around that I get along with as much as you. I guess when you’re gone I’m just going to end up a little bit disheartened. A slight bit depressed, even. I don’t need to tell you how often I like these conversations, I’m sure you’ve got that figured out by now.”
	“Yeah, I definitely do know that!” She laughed, forcing a tiny smile upon my face. I re-opened my eyes and looked at her again, looking right in her eyes. I just stared for a bit in an attempt to engrave the picture into my memory. The harder I tried, however, the harder I found it to be. So I gave up on that, and just enjoyed the moment. “So, you’re okay with this then?”
	“I think so. It might take me a few days, but maybe as soon as it all sinks in and everything I’ll learn to accept it. Just give me time, alright?”
	“I’m sure that I can do that. Hey, maybe you’ll even accept it by the time I’m headed up there!”
	“Yeah, that’d be nice. So… you know that I’m going to miss you, right? I made that obvious enough, didn’t I?”
	“I’d say so. I’m really happy to know that. I hate making you feel like this, but I like that there’s somebody that’s going to miss me. And you know that I’m going to miss you too, right? I kind of wish you could come up with me, but that wouldn’t exactly be fair. Plus it would cost a lot, I suppose. It’s already giving my family here a beating as it is, and I wouldn’t wish for anybody else to have to go through that.”
	“Well hey, maybe I’ll make my way up there and be able to see you at some point. I’m sure I’d enjoy hanging out with you up there, too. I’d just end up taking a little bit longer than you to make the trip, all things considered,” I told her.
	“Well, I look forward to seeing you again, then!” She giggled again, replacing my tiny, wistful smile with a larger, livelier one. I really liked being around her. I loved seeing her so happy. That was just the way that I enjoyed seeing her. “Anyway, I guess we should head back. Didn’t you tell Ty that you were only going canoeing for long enough to clear your head?”
	“That is what I said, you’re right. Well, for what it’s worth I’m really happy that we could hang out one-on-one. You’ll always be my best friend too, and I hope that you know that.” As I finished the sentence, I started paddling once more. After I turned us around, I slowly propelled us through the water, not wanting to stop the visit. I wished that I could get more time with her, and hoped that we could see each other a little bit more. I was happy that she said she would see me before she went, but still a little bit disappointed that she was going.
	The trip back was spent in calm, peaceful silence. I did nothing but think about Cindy. I thought about what she said, and looked out at the trees, trying to see past them. I listened to the wind rushing over the water, scattering the surface over itself and making me realize that it was the only part of the water that mattered. I looked up at the diluted stars and tried to find her constellation, but could only remember the one star that she pointed out to me. Columba was a tricky constellation to find, but I wanted to mark it in my memory for as long as I lived. Then I got back, greeted on the beach by Ty.
	“All good now?” he asked. I nodded my head in confirmation. “Alright, cool. Y’know, Cindy would’ve loved going out on that canoe with you. It’s too bad, man.”
	“Yeah, but I’m sure she’s happy.” A bittersweet smile crept across my face. “She always was, after all.”
~~~~~~~~
Oh boy oh boy I'm putting something somewhere.

title: [MF] Stagnant

question: What breaks the narrator's heart?

answer: It breaks the narrator's heart when Cindy lets him know that she is planning to go north to visit her family. She also tells him that she wouldn't be able to talk to him while she's there without a phone or internet. This upsets the narrator and he loses his cool and asks her if she could stay back. Cindy reminds him that she needs to go to see her Grandma before she takes her last breath. The narrator realizes that he made a mistake by getting angry because he knew how much her family meant to her. He apologizes for his behavior.

question: What thoughts run on the narrator's mind on the way back to the beach?

answer: On the way back to the beach, the narrator thinks about Cindy and what she had said. He tries to look at the constellation that she told him about but can only remember the one star she pointed out to him. Columba, the constellation, was a tricky one to find, he wanted to mark it in his memory for as long as he could.

question: Why didn't the narrator tell Ty he was going with Cindy?


split: test

text:
Taking inspiration from shin megami tensei in terms of scope and plot, the dark lord zer0 is meant to be a sort of high fantasy novel that questions the established notion of the classic "chosen hero vs evil overlord" by turning it on its head.
the first part of the book, and much of what i've finished, deals with events in the real world spiraling hopelessly out of control.
this is just a sample that may give you an idea of what you're in for, but it's not even a fraction of the full story.
This is a rough draft, I'm writing it out first, but this is one of the chapters i've completed, and the first one to feature the main villain himself, whose name changes from meeting to meeting, as does his identity.

The stranger

Anders lay in his hospital bed, the white sheets reminding him of the snows that jackson hole often played host to.
How many bodies had he hidden in those snows during the long winter?
He'd killed so many women, tourists mostly, but women that were, for lack of a better term, random.
Had he targeted women in the city itself, he'd likely have drawn more attention, but the odd college girl? Tourists from various parts of the countries and foreign countries flocked to jackson hole for the skiing.
And that meant an abundance of potential victims.
He smiled wistfully as he thought of the many women he'd killed, to his twisted mind those were pleasant memories, the height of purpose and proof that he wasn't a weakling like his father had made him out to be.
Perhaps madness was release from the world of reason after all.
He rolled over, his stumps now covered in a fine white linen cloth.
Days had passed since his arrest, and yet he'd been under constant guard, the police were all saying the same thing “finally caught the bastard” or “it's about damned time we figured out who was doing all them killings!”
but really, they'd never found his victims, hell, they hadn't even confirmed he'd done anything.
Women went missing, that was all that happened. He had filled an entire graveyard near the base of the teton range, the snows preserved their bodies, the wolves came in and ate them.
It was a nice system, the trouble was that the wolves would sometimes bring the remains in to yellowstone, or worse, target people.
The police were posturing, pretending they'd caught some terrible killer, because in a tourist town like jackson hole, there wasn't really much in the way of proper excitement.

He felt a horrid pain as he turned once more to lay on his back, and he closed his eyes, trying and failing to will the agony of the hole the branch had left in him.
They'd patched him up of course, though if they had their way he'd be killed by now.
Wyoming had a low tolerance for serial rapists or serial killers.
And anders was a bit of both.
The police were idiots, of that he was confident, and as he continued waiting for the inevitable jailing, he closed his eyes, thinking back on the only pleasant memories he had.
The memories of women, their faces contorted in outrage and shock, their illusions about a happy, peaceful life, shattered as he destroyed their dignity and their lives.
There was a perverse pleasure to destroying a human's dignity, something about it appealed to anders on a primitive level.
Shaking his head, he came to gaze at the policeman sitting in a chair, thumbing through a magazine.
“so tell me about the man in black anders.” he began, he wasn't interrogating anders, but the story he'd told them, one that had already been told by his sole surviving victim, was quite hard to believe.
Many would have chalked it up to him being crazy...but....
he was missing his hands.

“Just some punk.” anders replied.
“says the punk, but...uh...what was he like? Anything we could use to find him?”
“why would you want to find him?” anders asked. “He didn't commit any crimes.”
“No, but a potentially dangerous man like that, and this talk of...cutting people without the weapon touching them? It sounds farfetched, but it also sounds dangerous. If a guy like that is roaming wyoming, he might be dangerous.
“seemed like a nice enough sort to me.” anders replied, and in truth, he did see the man as a hero.
Heroes, busybodies. To him the term was quite repulsive.
Heroes were just people with power who abused it, they set a bunch of arbitrary rules or morals and then forced others who didn't agree with them to follow along.
Anders hated heroes.
“well, it does my heart good to hear that coming from the villain!” the officer, officer pennyweather, markus pennyweather, replied, stroking his gray mustache absently.
God how anders hated that damned habit of his! He saw that policeman in the coffee shops of wyoming every other day and whenever pennyweather was there, he was stroking that cursed mustache of his!
He wished he could just reach across the bedding and rip it off!
Of course, he'd need hands to do that.

Evening finally came, and a strange fog settled over the city, looking outside, neither anders nor pennyweather could believe that a fog of all things had come to jackson hole, for the conditions were never right for fog, the air this far north was simply too dry, even with the presence of a good number of rivers, the arid chill remained.
“well, the shift is coming mr anders.” pennyweather explained, patting him on the shoulder.
“It saddens me that you're so sick inside, it saddens me that any man could be so pitiful. Know that I won't judge you young man. I don't understand of course, but no man is born a monster....someone must have been really bad to you early in your life.”
pennyweather was much too kind for his own good, anders thought wryly, but to some degree, he wasn't wrong either.
His father had been a terrible person, and anders had always sought a means to prove he was better than him.
This was, of course, years after he'd been forced to kill the man in self defense.
Now, looking back to the stumps that were his hands, he realized no amount of killing would ever again be possible.
Anders had lost the one thing in his life that made sense to him, and it was slowly wearing away at his already broken mind.

Pennyweather turned around, just in time to see a wall of fog pressing eagerly against the glass doors.
“what on earth?” he whispered, for the fog was indeed fog, yet it was so thick that being right next to it did nothing to remove the lapse in visibility.
It was as though the hallway outside the recovery room he was in had been swallowed entirely.
Drawing his gun, he shot anders a concerned look.
“I-I'm sure it's nothing!” the old police officer explained, smiling warmly as he spoke.
Gods, this man's kind nature was revolting! Even going so far as to show humility and kindness to a serial rapist! The lowest of the low!
anders turned away, unconcerned, he had nothing to live for after all.

A shadow appeared in the fog behind the glass, and just as pennyweather moved to open the door, for he'd taken his gun out mainly out of habit, the glass door exploded forth, shards of glass seeming to move in slow motion before the old policeman's gaze as one slowly made its way to cut deep into his brain, his surprised reflection catching on the many glimmering facets as the deathly fog surged into the recovery room, swallowing all light and all visibility.

The footsteps slowly issued forth as the mysterious, fog cloaked figure moved before the bed, the unconcerned anders still glancing out the window.
“You show me no fear.” came a deep, imposing voice, one that could have easily belonged to a mighty emperor, or perhaps the lord of hell.

“Fear is for those who've nothing to live for.” he whispered. “if you're satan, then just put an end to me.” he turned to look at his visitor, and though faint, he saw the outline of pennyweather, blood slowy pooling on the floor, flowing around the glass and beneath the smaller shards.
The figure himself was hardly visible, though he did look eerily familiar, he wore a long coat with a furred collar, or at least that seemed to be the case, but with the fog so thick in the room, seeing anything of his visitor was hardly possible.
But those eyes.
He saw those eyes clearly.
Horrible, dreadful golden eyes that penetrated the gloom with a visible inner light, the rays of that light shining forth like foul pinpricks that issued forth.

Like daggers stemming from his eyes, those golden orbs captivated poor anders, and he swallowed as he readdressed the figure standing over his bed, its arms folded behind its back, its long, silver hair spilling forth about its shoulders and mixing with the fog.
“s-satan?” he asked, genuinely curious.
“No.....satan isn't real.” he replied calmly, and anders was taken aback by how authoritative, yet dignified his visitor's tone was.
It was as though this strange being had lorded over entire realities, had gained the confidence of a thousand or more successful conquests, and despite being so important, so powerful, still deigned to visit this lowly rapist and murderer for no apparent reason.

“You.....are frightened now?” it asked, and anders swallowed. “confused....intimidated....but...” he shook his head. “Not....not entirely frightened.”
those awful golden orbs, like the eyes of a magnificent black dragon, leered forth, moving in closer as the being whispered into his ear “You will be...in due time.”
“w-what do you want of me?!” he asked.

The figure began pacing around his recovery room, boots striking glass as it spoke.
“You are a monster who has lost his claws, his pride, and to some degree...his soul. I know well the many women you've carved up, butchered and left in those snows for the wolves to feed upon....I know all too well the pain your father inflicted upon you, contorting you into the exact replica of himself that he wanted you to be..”
“You're wrong!” anders cried. “I'm nothing like my father!!”
the figure stared at him for a time, its expression invisible behind the wall of fog that barely showed anything of its form.
“No....you're much worse....though you have made the same pursuits....tell me boy, how do you think you were conceived? Do you honestly think it was in loving union? Nay, yours is an existence of purest irony. Your mother was one of your father's victims who he kept in his basement. She gave birth, and he raised you, for no better reason than to have a punching bag.  Your mother died in that basement boy....and you were left in the care of a monster that needed something to hit....”
he trailed off, and anders shook his head, unwilling to hear this madness.
But he knew....he knew it was the truth.
A cold pit formed in his stomach, he he gritted his teeth.
“How can you know this?” he asked.
“I may not be the devil boy, but i'm still a lord of considerable power and wealth....I've come to you to collect you. no...not collect you...”
he moved forward. “I have a gift for you, unrepentant rapist and savage murderer, pitiful beast who feeds the wolves....” he held forth his hand, and a bizarre light wrapped around it, coming to coalesce in his palm, with the fingers of that hand so close anders could clearly see that they were tipped with black talons, and he swallowed as he considered the damage they could do to him.
One of those could lay his throat open to the bone, he knew!
“what....what gift?” he asked.
“I'll be giving you your hands back, but...in exchange, you will discard this pretense of humanity and become a monster.” he commanded. “you will be as the wolves you fed so many victims to. You will be complete. In exchange for my gift, I require.....nothing!” he laughed at that, a deep, hollow laugh that pierced the fog, making it shudder. “It is a gift after all....I would watch you hunt, slay....and destroy.”

anders swallowed hard at that.
“I can be free?” he asked.
“monsters are hardly bound by rules and laws, the mere idea that you would so completely submit to the weak authority of mere HUMANS-” he caught himself before he went into a tirade.
“sickens me.” he finished. “I want to see you freed....the cost is...you will never be human again.”
“a wolf?” he asked, horrified.
“Oh heavens no, wolves are beasts of nature, pure creatures, and far above you! Nay, you'll become....ah what is that word again? A man-wolf? I forget....now accept your fate worm!”
the command was issued forcefully, and the hand raced forth, clamping down on ander's forehead as the white light wormed its way into the rapist's brain.

The world began to turn red, then stopped, and anders felt his bones cracking.
Looking to his stumps, he screamed in horror as a new set of hands, gnarled and fitted with hooked talons half as long as each finger simply sprouted forth in a fountain of blood.
His flesh began ripping, revealing muscle and bone, only to be covered by still more flesh as the transformation continued to break him down and rebuild him.
“ah yes...they're called werewolves!” the stranger remarked, his tone innocent as he “recalled” what he'd already known.
Anders's hulking form now towered over his guest, his upper body thick with brown fur as his red eyes glared forth at its new master.
“from this point on, you are called “Baskerville.” now go play wretched mutt, and do not stop until the humans kill you, or you slay all of them!” snapping his finger, the hulking werewolf responded with a howl.
Its mind now shackled to its new master, it tore through the hospital with abandon, stopping as it caught the scent of fresh blood nearby.
Bursting through the double doors, it grinned as the surgeons working on the critical patient looked up from their work, and slowly began backing away in terror.
Its claws flexing, it savagely tore through them, cutting one man in half with a mere swipe of its talons, hooking another under the jaw and tearing his jaw from his mouth while he screamed, his tongue lolling out from the hole in his throat.
The patient, still under the influence of the sedative, would not know his death, a small mercy, for the werewolf would be taking his time as he dined on the victim, the surgeons now lining the walls, their organs and blood splattered on or stuck to, the ceiling, curtains, and floors.

The newborn werewolf dined eagerly before proceeding through the rest of the hospital, slaughtering women, children, men, it spared none.
All the while the man wrapped in fog watched his new pet, laughing as countless innocents were slaughtered by a reborn anders.

title: Part of my unfinished book, the dark lord zer0 [FN]

question: What does the story say about Anders's crimes?

answer: Anders killed many women, mostly tourists. He is not only a serial killer but also a serial rapist. As a werewolf, he kills and feasts on the surgeons and patients at the hospital.

question: What does the text say about how the story turns the established notion of chosen hero vs evil overlord on its head?

question: What does the story say about victims?

answer: Anders murdered many women, mostly tourists. It is also implied Anders was a victim of his own father, whom he had to kill in self-defence. Anders's mother was also one of his father's victims. After Anders transforms into a werewolf, he kills everyone in the hospital.


text:
DOLPHINS BASKETBALL CLUB, also known as simply PHINS or DOLPHINS, is a basketball team based in Gaborone, Botswana. The team plays in the Botswana Basketball League (BBL) and has won the league championship most recently in 2018.[1] In 2020, the Dolphins played in the qualifying tournaments for the Basketball Africa League (BAL).[2]

Trynos Moyo is the current head coach of the team.

Honours

BOTSWANA BASKETBALL LEAGUE

-   WINNERS: 2015, 2018

In African competitions

BAL QUALIFIERS (1 appearance)

        2020 – First Round

[1]

[2]

title: Dolphins BC

question: What are nicknames for the Dolphins Basketball Club?

answer: Phins; Dolphins.

question: Where are they based?

answer: Gaborone, Botswana.

question: In which league do they play?

answer: Botswana Basketball League.

question: When was the most recent league championship they won?

answer: 2018.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Dolphins Basketball Club, known also as Phins or Dolphins, is a team in the Botswana Basketball League based in Gaborone, Botswana. The most recent championship they won was in 2018.


text:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States grounded Boeing Co’s money-spinning 737 MAX aircraft on Wednesday over safety fears after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, leaving the world’s largest planemaker facing its worst crisis in years.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cited new satellite data and evidence from the scene of Sunday’s crash near Addis Ababa for its decision to join Europe, China and other nations in suspending 737 MAX flights.

The crash was the second disaster involving the 737 MAX, the world’s most-sold modern passenger aircraft, in less than five months.

GRAPHIC - Ethiopia Airlines crash location: tmsnrt.rs/2CdCVUi

The new information from the wreckage in Ethiopia and newly refined data about the plane’s flight path indicated some similarities between the two disasters “that warrant further investigation of the possibility of a shared cause,” the FAA said in a statement.

The acting administrator of the FAA, Daniel Elwell, said he did not know how long the U.S. grounding of the aircraft would last. A software fix for the 737 Max that Boeing has been working on since a fatal crash last October in Indonesia will take months to complete, Elwell told reporters.

The single-aisle 737 is central to Boeing’s future in its battle with European rival Airbus SE. The new variant of the 737, the fastest-selling jetliner in Boeing’s history, is viewed as the likely workhorse for global airlines for decades.

“The agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analyzed today,” the FAA said, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the planes would be grounded.

GRAPHIC - Ethiopian airlines crash speed and altitude data: tmsnrt.rs/2UAj5tW

It was the second time the FAA has halted flights of a Boeing plane in six years. It grounded the 787 Dreamliner in 2013 because of problems with smoking batteries.

Boeing, which maintained that its planes were safe to fly, said in a statement that it supported the latest FAA move.

“Boeing has determined - out of an abundance of caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft’s safety - to recommend to the FAA the temporary suspension of operations of the entire global fleet of 371 737 MAX aircraft.”

The crash involving a Boeing 737 MAX in Indonesia killed 189 people. Passengers have been spooked by the two disasters. U.S. travel website Kayak was making changes to let customers exclude specific aircraft types from searches, and booking sites were looking to reroute passengers.

GRAPHIC - Ethiopian Airlines crash plane and black boxes: tmsnrt.rs/2ChjLNE

RE-BOOKING PASSENGERS

U.S. airlines that operate the 737 MAX, Southwest Airlines Co, American Airlines Group Inc and United Airlines, said they were working to re-book passengers. Southwest had 5 MAX-related cancellations on Wednesday and American nearly 40.

Southwest is the world’s largest operator of the 737 MAX 8 with 34 jets.

France’s air accident investigation agency BEA will analyze black-box cockpit voice and data recorders from the crashed plane, a spokesman said.

The French announcement resolved uncertainty over the fate of the two recorders after Germany’s BFU said it had declined a request to handle them because it could not process the new type of recorder used on the 737 MAX jets, in service since 2017.

Shares of the company ended up 0.5 percent at $377.14, recovering from a more than 3 percent fall in the afternoon when the FAA announcement was made.

The United States had held back on suspending 737 MAX flights on Tuesday even as many of the world’s top economies such as China and European nations grounded the plane.

Trump called Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg on Wednesday to inform him that the United States was preparing to ground the fleet, a White House official said.

“I spoke with a number of airlines. And speaking to the airlines, I think that we all agree that this was right decision to make. It didn’t have to be made, but we thought it was the right decision to make,” Trump told reporters.

The grounding was welcomed by air workers in the United States. John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents aviation workers and flight attendants, said the grounding of the fleet was right “both for air travelers and aviation workers.”

GRAPHIC - Boeing shares hit after Ethiopia jet crash: tmsnrt.rs/2Ca96E7

NEW SATELLITE DATA

Canada also grounded 737 MAX jets on Wednesday, saying satellite data suggested similarities to the previous crash involving the same plane model in October.

U.S.-based aircraft-tracking firm Aireon provided the satellite data to the FAA, Transport Canada and several other authorities, company spokeswoman Jessie Hillenbrand said.

Ethiopian Airlines spokesman Asrat Begashaw said it was still unclear what happened on Sunday, but its pilot had reported control issues as opposed to external factors such as birds.

“The pilot reported flight control problems and requested to turn back. In fact he was allowed to turn back,” he said.

Brazil, Mexico and Panama on Wednesday became the first Latin American nations to suspend the Boeing 737 MAX. Earlier, Panama’s Copa Airlines had suspended operations of its six Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft until the findings are published of an investigation into Sunday’s crash.

The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Democrat Peter DeFazio, called for a probe into why the 737 MAX received certification to fly.

GRAPHIC - Boeing 737 MAX aircraft by country: tmsnrt.rs/2NWeU90

Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Kumerra Gemechu in Gora-Bokka, Ethiopia, David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Additional reporting by Duncan Miriri and Aaron Maasho in Addis Ababa; Doina Chiacu in Washington, Omar Mohammed and Maggie Fick in Nairobi; Tim Hepher in Paris; Jamie Freed in Singapore; Terje Solsvik in Oslo; Aditi Shah in Mumbai; Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Aleksandar Vasovic in Belgrade; Julie Gordon in Ottawa; Angela Moon in New York, Eric Johnson in Seattle and Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Writing by Bill Rigby and Alistair Bell; Editing by Gareth Jones, Nick Zieminski and Grant McCool

for-phone-onlyfor-tablet-portrait-upfor-tablet-landscape-upfor-desktop-upfor-wide-desktop-up

question: Summarize everything related to the president.

answer: The FAA decided to suspend 737 MAX flights shortly after President Donald Trump announced the planes would be grounded. Trump called the Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg to inform him of the plans to ground the fleet. He told reporters that after speaking to a number of airlines, he agreed this was the right decision to make.

question: Summarize everything relating to non-American countries.

answer: Europe, China, and other nations have already suspended 737 MAX flights. New information emerged about the wreckage in Ethiopia. France's air accident investigation agency plans to analyze the black-box and data recorders from the crashed plane. Germany's BFU declined a request to handle to evidence, as it could not process the new type of recorder the jets used. Canada also grounded 737 MAX jets. Brazil, Mexico, and Panama became the first Latin American nations to suspend the planes.

question: What does the article say about how to fly a plane?


text:
[Cardinal de Retz] JEAN FRANÇOIS PAUL DE GONDI, CARDINAL DE RETZ (20 September 1613 – 24 August 1679) was a French churchman, writer of memoirs, and agitator in the Fronde.

The Florentine banking and noble Gondi family had been introduced into France by Catherine de' Medici; Catherine offered Jérome (Girolamo) de Gondi in 1573 the château that he made the nucleus of the Château de Saint-Cloud; his hôtel in the Faubourg Saint-Germain of Paris became the Hôtel de Condé in the following generation. The Gondi acquired great estates in Brittany and became connected with the noblest houses of the kingdom.

Early life

[Jean-François Paul de Gondi as a young cardinal of the church.]

Jean-François de Gondi was born in Montmirail, in the Brie region of northern France.[1] He was the third son in his family, and according to Tallemant des Réaux was made a knight of Malta on the very day of his birth. The death of his second brother, however, destined him for a closer connection with the Church. The Retz side of his family had much church influence, and though young Jean-François was not much attracted to the clergy, his family insisted that he join it. They said he lacked the appearance of a soldier, being short, near-sighted, ugly and awkward.[2]

He was tutored by St. Vincent de Paul and educated at the Sorbonne. When he was eighteen, he wrote _Conjuration de Fiesque_, a little historical essay, influenced by the Italian of Agostino Mascardi, and audaciously insinuating revolutionary principles.[3]

Family background

The district of Retz or Rais is in southern Brittany, and has been under the control of several different families. Retz always spelled the word “Rais.” The barony of Retz first belonged to the House of Retz, then to the Chabot family and the Laval family. Gilles de Rais, a Laval and comrade in arms of Joan of Arc, was executed without an heir, so the barony passed successively to the families of Tournemine, Annebaut and Gondi.

In 1581, it became a duchy, with Albert de Gondi its first duke. His brother Pierre de Gondi became bishop of Paris in 1570 and cardinal in 1587. Pierre was succeeded by his nephews Henri de Gondi (d. 1622) and Jean-François de Gondi (d. 1654), for whom the episcopal see of Paris was erected into an archbishopric in 1622. Finally, Jean François was then succeeded by Pierre's great-nephew Jean François Paul de Gondi.

Archbishop of Paris

Retz received no preferment of importance during Cardinal Richelieu's life. Even after the minister's death, though he was presented to Louis XIII and well received, he found difficulty in attaining the co-adjutorship with reversion of the archbishopric of Paris. But almost immediately after the king's death, Anne of Austria appointed him to the coveted post on All Saints Eve, 1643. Retz, who had, according to some accounts, already plotted against Richelieu, set himself to work to make the utmost political capital out of his position. His uncle had lived in great seclusion; Retz, on the contrary, gradually acquired a very great influence with the populace of the city. This influence he gradually turned against Cardinal Mazarin, which helped lead to the outbreak of the Fronde in October 1648.[4]

Of the two parties who joined the Fronde, Retz could only depend on the bourgeoisie of Paris. He had some speculative tendencies in favour of popular liberties, and even perhaps of republicanism, but represented no real political principle, which inevitably weakened his position. When the breakup of the Fronde came he was left in the lurch, having more than once been in no small danger from his own party. However, because of a misapprehension on the part of Pope Innocent X, he had been made cardinal.[5]

In 1652, he was arrested and imprisoned, first at Vincennes, then at Nantes; he escaped after two years, and traveled through Europe. He went to Rome more than once, and helped elect Pope Alexander VII. In 1662, Louis XIV received him back into favor, and asked him to formally serve as envoy to Rome several times. For this reconciliation to occur, he resigned his claims to the archbishopric of Paris. He was appointed abbot of St-Denis, and restored to his other benefices with the payment of arrears.[6]

Later life

The last seventeen years of Retz's life were passed partly in his diplomatic duties (he was again in Rome at the papal conclaves of 1667 and 1669[7]), partly in Paris, partly at his estate of Cornmercy, but mostly at Saint-Mihiel in Lorraine. His debts were enormous, and in 1675 he made over to his creditors all his income except twenty thousand _livres_. He died at Paris on 24 August 1679. During these last years he corresponded with Madame de Sévigné, a relative by marriage.[8]

Writings

[1731 Edition (by Bernard, Amsterdam)] During the last ten years of his life, Retz wrote his _Memoirs,_ which go up to the year 1655. They are addressed in the form of narrative to a lady who is not known, though guesses have been made at her identity, some even suggesting Madame de Sévigné herself. In the beginning there are some gaps. They are known for their narrative skill and the verbal portraits of their characters. Alexandre Dumas, père drew heavily on the _Memoirs_ for _Vingt ans après_. Besides these memoirs and the youthful essay of the _Conjuration de Fiesque_, Retz has left diplomatic papers, sermons, _Mazarinades_ and correspondence.[9]

Retz and François de La Rochefoucauld, the greatest of the _Frondeurs_ in literary genius, were personal and political enemies, and each left a portrait of the other. De la Rochefoucauld wrote of Retz: “_Il a suscité les plus grands désordres dans l'état sans avoir un dessein formé de s'en prévaloir._” (He stirred up the greatest disorder in the State, without having a clear plan of how to gain from it).[10]

The _Memoirs of the cardinal de Retz_ were first published in a very imperfect condition in 1717. The first satisfactory edition appeared in the twenty-fourth volume of the collection of Joseph François Michaud and Jean Joseph François Poujoulat (Paris, 1836). In 1870 a complete edition of the works of Retz was begun by Alphonse Feillet in the collection of _Grands Ecrivains_.[11]

[1] S. Miranda – The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: Jean François Paul de Gondi

[2]

[3]

[4] _Pope Alexander the Seventh and the College of Cardinals_ by John Bargrave, edited by James Craigie Robertson (reprint; 2009)

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

title: Jean François Paul de Gondi

question: Summarize Gondi's early life.

answer: Gondi was born in Montmirail, in the Brie region of northern France. He was the third son in his family. His family said that he lacked the appearance of a soldier, and they insisted that he join the clergy. Gondi was tutored by St. Vincent de Paul and educated at the Sorbonne. When he was eighteen, we wrote "Conjuration de Fiesque," a historical essay, influenced by the Italian of Agostonio Mascardi, and audaciously insinuating revolutionary principles.

question: Summarize Godi's family background.

answer: The barony of Retz first belonged to the House of Retz. After Gilles de Rais, a Laval and comrade in arms of Joan of Arc, was executed without an heir, the barony passive successively to the families of Tournemine, Annebaur, and Gondi. In 1581, it became a duchy, with Albert de Gondi as its first duke. His brother Pierre de Gondi became bishop of Paris in 1570 and cardinal in 1587. Pierre was succeeded by his nephews Henri de Gondi (d. 1622) and Jean-François de Gondi (d. 1654), for whom the episcopal see of Paris was erected into an archbishopric in 1622. Finally, Jean François was then succeeded by Pierre's great-nephew Jean François Paul de Gondi.


text:
The place was a government run commie get up. I didn’t much like the look of it but it was the only place for miles, it was dark, and I was out of petrol. Riding at night on these roads is deadlier than crab fishing. As I said, it was government run, commie, and I was very much a white capitalist westerner; a devil.

I walked up to the desk.

The lady, having already sneaked a peep as I walked in, braced herself for the little cold war. I had been standing there about ten seconds before she slowly looked up at me with the knives in her eyes and asked what I wanted. “A room.” of course. She went back to the computer. A few seconds later she yelled a harsh command out to one of her underlings. I couldn’t understand it, Vietnamese was all Greek to me, even though I’m Greek. After spending many hours with long time expatriates I was certain that the only way you could learn the native tongue was to breach the womb here, all other attempts were futile. Eventually a young man came and showed me to my room.

We didn’t say anything on the walk. It wouldn’t have been much of a conversation anyhow, but judging from his air, he didn’t seem like he wanted me up against the wall bathed in spotlight like the desk lady did. We went around a few strange gardens, up some stairs, and eventually down a row of what looked like cabins, all heavily padlocked. He opened one and let me in.
It was a small room made of thin wooden walls. Upon entry there was a power switch that required the room key to activate, not at all uncommon. There was a fan, but no air-conditioning, a tv sans english channels, and a small bathroom. I didn’t mind the lack of aircon even though it was muggy enough to make even me sweat (I’m not much of a sweater). I had gotten used to the weather and quite enjoyed it. I put my things down and had a shower. 6 hours on a motorbike riding down dusty pothole ridden roads, diving in and out of mining trucks and through the hoards of insects that appear at dusk, had made me filthy. The diesel fumes alone from the trucks had ringed my eyes. I looked like I was about to take off my shirt and throw on a dress for a cheeky night out.

The shower was good and cold. I barely towelled off. When I came out I noticed there was a fridge. It had beer in it. I cracked a Heineken and lay back on the bed. Vietnam is a funny place, at times more capitalist than all the western world combined, at others a big brother like institution of officials and party lines. My beer was testament. I finished it and decided to check Facebook. I had separated from my riding buddies a day before and we were planning to meet up down the line. For some reason we hadn’t yet gotten Vietnamese phones, so Facebook was our form of communication. I walked outside and found a hub of computers. All but one were being used by the employees. Sitting down I noticed a sign hanging off the old thing. “No Facebook”.

I signed in.

There was a message from my buddies, we were to meet the next day in Dien Bien Phu, a small city on the Laotian border, and cross from there. Seems easy enough. I wrote a reply confirming a time and place, knowing very well that our chances of meeting there and then were extremely low. Shoot for the stars! Someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“No Facebook.”

It was the desk lady. The knives were there. I looked around. A small group of people had gathered around me. Mostly adolescents that weren’t old enough to work for the international mining giants that had shadily set up in the region in an attempt to steal as much coal as possible before people started asking questions. I was pretty sure that by the time the questions came, it would all be gone.

“Sorry?” I pretended not to understand. Play the dumb westerner. When in doubt, play the dumb westerner.

She looked at me like I was a dumb westerner.

She’d already won, she thought. There was a hint of pity in her eyes.

“NO FACEBOOK.” She screwed her eyebrows down to the ridge of her nose and and pointed viciously at the computer. A few from the crowd inched closer in.

With a false look of surprise I said, “Ohhh! Faaaaacebook.”

I had overdone it. I tried to hide it but she could see the glint in my greedy eyes.

“OFF!” She barked, stamping her foot. The pity had left.

“Ok, sorry, just a second!” I sent the reply and logged out.

“NO Facebook!” She pointed to the sign.

“Yeah sorry, I didn’t see it.” Smiling too widely for the occasion.

She turned and marched away. The crowd slowly dispersed, back to their own doings. Maybe they really hadn’t seen Facebook before? No, that’s impossible. They wanted blood. It was us verses them, and I was the first them they had seen in a long time.

I used the computer for about another five minutes, mostly ignored, but every now and then I could feel eyes peering over my shoulder, hoping to catch me out, ready for another show. It never came. I went back to my room and cracked another beer.

It had been about half an hour and I was three beers down, half way through my fourth, when I heard a loud conversation from the room next to me. After a few seconds I realised it wasn’t a loud conversation, as far as conversations go, it was just loud. I went to the wall and pressed my fingers against it feeling the give. It was very thin. I slid my fingers along. The smooth polish gave way to a harsh edge. A hole. About the size of a bullet, but it wasn’t a bullet hole, just the product of a cheap government funded operation. I peaked through.

There was a man and a woman, the woman was wearing a bra and panties and the man was in a tight fitting pair of briefs. The shorts variety. They were lying on the bed, facing in my direction, spooning, the woman was in front. The man started talking in a soft, pleading voice. His arm resting on the woman’s shoulder, slowly moving back and forth. She shook it off. He said something else in the same tone and tried to reposition his hand but she brushed it off again and let out a short sharp word before staring high up at the wall in a bored, annoyed manner. She wasn’t having any of it. I walked back to my bed and picked up my beer feeling dirty and lay down. “A fine place they’ve got here,” I thought. The conversation persisted but I could tell the poor bastard was out of luck. I cracked another beer.

Then some more sounds started, from the other room adjacent to me. “Oh no.” I thought. I glanced at the wall. There were more holes. I knew I shouldn’t but I was curious. I got up and found a small one and peeped through. There were two young girls, they had just taken the room and were unpacking their things. They seemed to be happy, chatting in the sing song manner Vietnamese can sometimes sound like when things are good and night is young. Suddenly I felt exposed. I could be being watched and I’d have no idea. I put my shorts back on and sat down. It was pretty hot and I had taken them off when I came in. They were uncomfortable. I sat there trying to look unsuspicious and had a few more slugs on my beer. I felt dirty about looking through the holes. I drank some more mulling it over. Then it came to me. I took my shorts back off. I was naked. I threw my bag off the end of my bed making a loud bang, and coughed obnoxiously. There, I thought, they know I’m in here now, and soon enough they’d find the holes as I did, their curiosity getting the better of them. They’d brush their fingers back and forth until they found one big enough to see through but small enough not to be seen, and when they’d look through, they’d see me stark naked, lying in bed with my little pot belly and my beer on my chest, a gentle benevolent westerner caught up in the wrong part of town. And then, we’d be even.

I smiled to myself, thinking about it.

An hour or so later, once the little fridge was empty, I turned off the lights and fell asleep. Hopefully that was enough time for my plan to play out.

I woke early the next day, around seven or so. I would usually stay up and rise late, but with the lack of people to talk to and things to do the drinking started earlier, and in the end there was nothing left but sleep. I gathered my things and made my way towards the front desk. There were some menus. I took one and sat down. Normally I would have pho for breakfast, one of the greatest meals ever conceived, fit for any time of day or night, but I could tell from my surroundings I would get a cheap westernised version, so I ordered fried eggs with bread and a vietnamese coffee. A common offering. It was always the same, two fried, flipped eggs and a small baguette. The only thing that changed was the way they spelled it.

About half way through my meal I heard the sound of chairs being drawn. I looked up. It was the two girls from the night before. I stared off over their shoulders, pretending not to notice them, but I was waiting to see. A few seconds passed and out of the corner of my eye I saw one of them sneak a glance at me. Some hushed words were shared, and then the other did the same. I went back to my meal, smiling. Had they looked through the holes? Had they caught me in the raw? Probably not, I thought, that kind of act doesn’t lend itself to company. Unless of course they were closer than most. A rare confidence is required for a thing like that, the like of which I’d never experienced. Maybe they had caught wind of my stand earlier that night by the computer. I mused on it, feeling like a modern day John Dillinger.

I got up and paid for my room and meal. The lady was back at her post. She hammered on a few previously unmentioned taxes, took my money, and walked away without saying another word. I liked that, she was unwavering, devoted to the cause, not an inch given; not since the pity had gone. The pity was my only chance.

I was a stranger in these lands. Not unlike my place of home, except that here they could tell straight away, it didn’t take a few weeks of brief encounters and mindless small talk, the odd longer conversation, to figure it out. Especially in the forgotten, northern towns, where the party rules supreme. I liked that too. Straight to the point.

I mounted my dirty little postie bike. It had served me well so far, but there was a ways to go yet. Hopefully it would make it. I’m not sure who had the odds, me or it. Probably me. It was barely holding together. “Well, either we both make it, or neither of us do,” I thought.

I kicked the engine over and it roared to life; well as best a 100cc engine can. I revved the throttle gently. It spluttered for a short time before calming to a gentle, constant purr. The girls were looking at me now. I looked up and smiled, then winked in a friendly manner as if to say, “You dirty voyeurs, I know what you did.” They blushed and looked back to their meals. The blush could have been a sign that I had got them, but it was probably only due to the fact that I was the first westerner they’d seen in months. I highly doubt they had any idea how crazy I was.

I swung my bag onto my back, dropped the bike into first and took off down the dusty pot hole ridden road towards Dien Bien Phu.

title: [RF] Commie Hotel

question: In what setting does the story take place?

answer: The story takes place in a dingy hotel in Vietnam. The narrator stays in a small room with wooden walls. It has no air conditioner though it has a tv with no English channels. There is a fridge with beers in it. The walls have holes in them so people can watch what is happening in the room next door.

question: What does the narrator need a computer for?

answer: The narrator and his friends don't have Vietnamese phones. They have agreed to leave messages on Facebook. He signs in on the hotel computer to find out the plans for the next day.


text:
was a Japanese textile artist who specialized in making kimono dyed using the yūzen technique. He also created the makinori dying technique.

Biography

Moriguchi was born in Moriyama, Shiga prefecture on December 10, 1909. His given birth name was Heishichiro.[1] He apprenticed with yūzen dyer Nakagawa Kason when he was 15. Moriguchi took the artist name “Kakō” in 1934, when he was 25. He then opened his own studio in 1939. However, he struggled because of the anti-luxury measures that were implemented during World War II, and had to re-establish his studio in 1948.[2]

Moriguchi first exhibited at the Japanese Traditional Craft Exhibition (Nihon Dento Kogei ten) in 1955, where he won third place.[3] He was named a Living National Treasure in 1967. In 1971 he was awarded the Japanese Medal of Honor (purple ribbon). He was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun in 1982.[4]

Moriguchi died on February 20, 2008. His son, Kunihiko Moriguchi, continues his father's work as a yūzen kimono artist.

Style

Yūzen-dyed items are usually very colorful, but Moriguchi's works are not.[5] His designs are classic, and seem like they were painted. His themes are usually inspired by the natural world,[6] especially chrysanthemums.[7]

Moriguchi is best known for using the _makinori_ (sprinkled rice paste) method of dying. This method involves sprinkling flakes of zinc-infused paste to fabric and then resist dying it. When the paste is removed it leaves a delicately spotted, mist-like pattern.[8] This is actually a technique from the Edo period that was forgotten, but Moriguchi replicated the technique after he saw a kosode at the Tokyo National Museum.[9] He originally thought that he could learn from a lacquer artist because they sprinkle gold fragments on some finished pieces, but he was unable to find a teacher. He instead replicated the _makinori_ technique after much trial and error.[10]

Museums that hold Moriguchi's work include the Metropolitan Museum of Art,[11] and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.[12]

[1]

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[5]  NHKアーカイブス|language=ja|access-date=2019-11-14}}

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[12]  LACMA Collections|website=collections.lacma.org|access-date=2019-11-14}}

title: Kakō Moriguchi

question: What is the yuzen technique?

answer: It is a way to dye fabrics. Usually yuzen-dyed items are very colorful, but Moriguchi's works were not.

question: Where was Moriguchi born?

answer: He was born in Moriyami, Shiga in Japan.

question: What happened in 1934?

answer: Moriguchi took the artist name Kako.

question: What is makinori?

answer: It is a method of dying involving sprinkling flakes of zinc-infused paste to fabric ans then resist dying it. When the paste is removed it leaves a spotted, mist-like pattern. Moriguchi replicated the technique, which was forgotten from the Edo period.

question: Describe Moriguchi's son.

answer: His son is Kunihiko Moriguchi. He continued his father's work as a yuzen kimono artist after his father died in 2008.

question: What is the relationship between Moriguchi and the Metropolitan Museum of Art?

answer: The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the museums that holds Moriguchi's art.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article details the life and style of the Japanese textile artist Kako Moriguchi, who lived from 1909 until 2008. He was known for dying kimonos using the yūzen technique. He was also known for replicating the makinori method dying technique, which was forgotten in the Edo period.


text:
[2019-09-012_thumb]

 Exclusive __This article is more than 1 year old

Conservative candidate in Manitoba shared anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim posts and declared he’s ‘proud to be white’

A Winnipeg-area candidate running for Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives has stepped down following the discovery of the candidate’s secret Facebook account which contained “discriminatory social media posts.”

Cameron Ogilvie’s since-deleted bio on the Conservative Party website notes that “Cameron has a love for people of all ethnic backgrounds” and “loves learning about different cultures.”

But Facebook postings newly unearthed by _PressProgress_ show Ogilvie often shared content on anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim themes.

In fact, one posting from the former candidate while he was head of his local Conservative EDA, even shows him sharing a declaration of white pride.

“I’m proud to be white,” declared a graphic Ogilvie shared in May 2018. “I bet no one passes this on because they are scared of be called a racist.”

[]

Facebook

Ogilvie was supplied with descriptions of several postings on his Facebook page and asked if he had any explanation or additional context he wished to add, but did not respond to multiple requests for comment from _PressProgress_.

Ogilvie was also asked why he had two separate Facebook accounts, including one filled with content on anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim themes.

That account was publicly visible as recently as the evening of September 11, 2019, but by the next morning it had disappeared along with his bio on the Conservative website.

The most recent posting on Ogilvie’s second Facebook account is from February 2019 and states: “I will be leaving Facebook shortly gets me too worked up.”

Ogilvie’s other Facebook account appears to have been created in June 2019.

[]

Facebook

However, several posts promoting far-right content were still publicly visible on the older timeline until the account was deleted sometime between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

In total, _PressProgress_ found at least nine postings on Ogilvie’s timeline expressing anti-immigrant or anti-Muslim sentiments.

In one post, dated May 2018, the Ogilvie shared a meme stating:

  “Canada for Canadians. Share if you agree that all flags from the Middle East should be banned from Canada.”

That graphic was first published by the Cultural Action Party, a group that promotes white nationalist views and champions “Canada’s European heritage” while railing against immigrants and multiculturalism.

[]

Facebook

Ogilvie also shared a post, from a page called “United Conservative Movement of Canada,” which reads:

  “One Nation under God, not Allah. Canada is not a Muslim nation. Canada is not an Islamic nation. Canada is a Christian nation.”

[]

Facebook

In an older post, dated November 2015, Ogilvie shared a petition calling for Justin Trudeau to “STOP Islamic immigration to Canada.”

[]

Facebook

Ogilvie also shared a post in June 2018, quoting someone who claims to be named “John Newton” addressing “Jihadi Justin.”

Newton, who may or may not be a real person, vows to withhold his income taxes on the grounds that the Liberal government is “pro-Islamic” and is somehow involved in a plot to push “Islamic indoctrination” through public schools.

The post accuses Trudeau of turning Canada into an “Islamic state,” and calls for the prime minister to be “charged with treason and imprisoned.”

One question, among others, to which the former Conservative candidate provided no response was if he still thinks Trudeau should be imprisoned for treason.

[]

Facebook

In a statement provided to _PressProgress_, the Conservative Party said “Mr. Ogilvie withheld these posts from the party during the candidate vetting process earlier this year by deactivating his social media accounts.”

“He was asked to immediately step down as soon as we became aware of the posts.”

question: Why did Cameron Ogilvie step down from running as a Winnipeg-area candidate?

answer: Cameron Ogilvie stepped down after his secret Facebook account was discovered which he used for discriminatory social media posts. Ogilvie shared at least nine post which contained anti-immigrant and anti-muslim themes. He also declared that he was "proud to be white".


text:
MONTREAL—Metro Inc. will soon test scan-and-go technology and increase the number of self-checkout machines in its grocery stores as it looks to offset higher minimum wages in Ontario and Quebec.

The scan-and-go system — still at the experimental stage — allows customers to scan items as they put them in their shopping cart and pay as they leave the store.

Walmart has scan-and-go technology in some Canadian stores while Amazon is also testing its own system.

Metro says it will run a scan-and-go pilot project at an undisclosed Quebec store, despite some past reliability problems.

The Montreal-based company will also add more self-checkout machines, particularly in Ontario where the minimum wage was increased to $14 an hour and is projected to rise to $15 next January.

“We didn't have 20 per cent fat in our system so clearly there's going to be an impact,” CEO Eric La Fleche told reporters Tuesday after the company's annual meeting.

Metro estimates the higher minimum wage will cost $35 million for its current financial year, rising to between $45 million and $50 million per year when the full Ontario wage increase is implemented. A wage increase of 75 cents per hour to $12 in Quebec will be less of a challenge, it said.

Metro has automated self-scanning checkouts in 30 Metro stores in Ontario and plans to add them in seven more stores by the end of summer and six at its Food Basics discount banner in the next few months. No details about the automated systems in its Quebec stores were immediately available.

The chain is also looking to mitigate increased costs by testing electronic store shelves, increasing automation at its new Ontario distribution centre and cutting hours at some stores.

La Fleche also defended the company's actions in an alleged price-fixing scheme being investigated by the Competition Bureau that saw Loblaw acknowledge in December its participation over about 14 years. Canada's largest supermarket chain brought the information to the Competition Bureau, resulting in immunity from criminal proceedings.

Metro has denied any wrongdoing and criticized Loblaw for misleading the public and making other retailers appear guilty.

“We refute and condemn the allegations of industry-wide collusion,” La Fleche told shareholders.

He said an internal investigation has uncovered nothing to suggest that the company broke the rules.

Montreal-based Metro boosted its quarterly dividend nearly 11 per cent after its profits surged in the first quarter with proceeds from the sale of its stake in Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. to help fund its deal to buy the Jean Coutu Group Inc., which is expected to close this spring.

The company will pay 18 cents per share on March 13, up from 16.25 cents in the prior quarter.

Metro started its financial year by earning nearly $1.3 billion or $5.67 per share, compared with a profit $138.1 million or 58 cents per share in the same quarter a year earlier.

Sales for the 12 weeks ended Dec. 23 totalled $3.11 billion, up from $2.97 billion.

Same-store sales, a key retail measurement of the performance, were up 3.4 per cent or 1.2 per cent excluding the inclusion of the Christmas week. Profits were also helped in the quarter by a 0.5-per-cent increase in food prices and increased volumes sold.

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On an adjusted basis, Metro said it earned $153.4 million or 67 cents per share, up from $138.1 million or 58 cents per share a year ago.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of 59 cents per share and $3.02 billion in revenue, according to Thomson Reuters.

Irene Nattel of RBC Capital Markets described the solid results as a “tasty start” to fiscal 2018.

question: Why are companies worried about maintaining the scan and go system?

answer: Throughout Canada, minimum wages are rising. In Ontario, minimum wage has increased to $14 an hour, and is projected to rise to $15. A wage increase in Quebec to $12 an hour will be less of a challenge however.


text:
You're working at a corner store during the summer to save money for when you have to go back to college in August. It's not a hard job. Ring items up. Put them in a bag. When it's time to go home you turn off the lights and lock up the store. It's not much but it's a job.

You're not quite an adult, not quite a boy. Sure, you're legally an adult, but you don't pay bills. You're really only working at this place so you can afford to have fun when you go back to school. You have about an hour left on your shift, and you're spending it watching soap operas you can't understand and eating candy bars you haven't paid for. That's when he walks in the door.

This is the guy that made your childhood a living hell. He's not quite an adult, not quite an child, but he's more of an adult than you. He's the same age as you. Same grade. You haven't seen him in years, but you've heard some things. You know he got married out of high school, and was divorced soon after. You know he has a kid that he struggles to support. And just looking at him you know you're far better off than him. Finally.

You see this guy in front of you. The reason why you chose to walk three miles to school instead of take the bus. The reason why you faked sick so many days back in middle school, and the reason you ditched so many classes in high school. You see this guy in front of you, and you can't help but be a little happy. You can see the gap of time from when you last saw each other hasn't been kind to him. He's fat now. He looks dirty. His clothes are the same ones that he wore in high school only worn down with time. He still has hair only now it just sits in a tangled heap on top of his head. He has a beard that looks like it's there because he can't afford to shave. And even his voice sounds like it's degraded. If you hadn't known him before now you might have mistaken him for a bum wandering in the store for some alcohol.

Which isn't too far off.

This man that made you kneel in dog shit in elementary school. This guy who used to take your lunch money. This guy who would make fun of you until you cried is walking up in down the aisles of the store. He makes his way to the alcohol section and starts combing over the different selection of beers.

He's taking a while so you let your mind wander for a bit. You think of those women in those soap operas you can't understand. How you wouldn't mind having women like *that* at your school. You think about what it would be like to act on one of those shows. You think about how you used to love acting in school plays when you were younger until this homeless looking guy looking for beer in your store harassed you about it. How he'd call you a faggot or queer. How he caused you to have such bad anxiety when you tried to act that you simply couldn't do it anymore. You think of nervous you felt when he was around that he caused you to stutter. Which of course only led to more insults.

This guy who used to beat the shit out of you anytime he could. This guy who told all your friends that they were losers for hanging out with you finally chooses his beer and brings it to your cash register. And of course it's one of those bad beers. Six beers for six dollars. And of course it's beer.

Cheap beer.

High school beer.

And as your ringing him up you think of how much fun you used to have at parties until he started showing up. Until he held you under his arm and poured beer over your head in front of the whole party. You think of how many parties you must have missed because of that incident.

And this guy who made you the self-conscious, self-loathing wreck you are today asks for a pack of cigarettes too. Of course he wants cigarettes. And as you ring him up you can smell the quality of his life. Cigarette smoke, alcohol,  and body odor. His smell is his life. And as he goes to reach in his wallet you can't help, but notice a couple of his fingers are missing. Partially. The last joint on his index and middle finger. The second joint on his ring. Gone. And of course he can't help but notice you noticing.

Construction accident.

These words he mutters under his breath before he collects his things and turns to leave. And for a moment you feel bad for him. You pity him. He makes you hate him more, because you can't really hate him. And as he turns to leave he asks you a questions that takes away all the pity you just had for him.

*Do you have any jobs available?*

This man who made cry most nights out of fear during elementary school. This guy who is the reason your parents wanted to sign you up for therapy. This guy who made you contemplate ending your life in high school is asking you for a fucking job. Your fucking job.

And you take a moment to take it in. A thousand different responses flood your brain, but it's difficult to select the right one. So you decide to answer his question with a question.

*Do you know who I am?*

You ask wanting a response, but not expecting an answer. And the man pauses for a moment before answering. He looks at your face. Into your eyes. He looks at you with a blank expression on his face before answering no.

title: Bully

question: What does the narrator feel when their former bully walks into the store?

answer: At first, they cannot help to feel superior given the fact that their bully has clearly fallen on hard times. However, when the bully asks if the place the narrator works is hiring, the narrator is shocked and asks if they remember them, which the bully does not.


text:
[Reginald Johnson]

In part one of this series I started the process of adapting html5up.net’s stylish Multiverse theme to React. I did this by altering the “recipe” provided by velocity360 in their two part series on Using Themes with React. The alterations were caused by my use of create-react-app and it’s automatic incorporation of webpack and babel. I felt the additional complexity was well worth the ability to spin up an app using the standard React stack.

[Image for post]

Going from plain HTML to an attractive cat gallery.
In the end, the project resulted in a theme that looks like Multiverse, but did not act like Multiverse. The crucial transitions, blurs, and animations that helped to make the theme so appealing did not work.

I will implement those additional features in this post.

Design

I will step through each additional feature and implement it. My initial thoughts told me that there are two paths I could follow. For one, I could use the same libraries that Multiverse’s creator used. On the other hand, I could also use React specific animation to emulate the effects. I settled on demonstrating a combination of these techniques for the purposes of showing different options available. However, it might be more appropriate for a shipping product to use as few different techniqes as possible.

Using the same libraries requires knowing what each of the originally included libraries are for.

-

    jQuery is a well known utility library, so it could be used for any number of things.
-

    jQuery.poptrox “ Adds lightbox galleries to jQuery.”
-

    Skel “…is a lightweight framework for building responsive sites and web apps.

Image Fade In

First, I decided to enable image fade in using FormidableLabs react-animations library. I want each ImageItem component to fade in when mounted. I also want the fade-in effect to be delayed for items further down the page. This delayed effect means that the duration of the fade in needs to vary on a component basis, and be part of the component’s state so I changed my previously presentational ImageItem component to full React Component Class instance. I also installed aphrodite to help me manipulate component CSS.

The delayed fade-in effect for each image is set by passing an additional prop to the ImageItem. This prop is equal to half the index value of each ImageItem. The higher the index, the longer the fade-in duration.

    class ImageItem extends Component {
      constructor(props) {
        super(props);
        this.state = {
          styles: StyleSheet.create({
            fadeIn: {
              animationName: fadeIn,
              animationDuration: props.duration + 's'
           }
         })
       };
      }render() {
      let imgSrc = this.props.src;
      if (this.props.test) {
        imgSrc = "images/fulls/01.jpg"
      }
      return (
 this.myComponent = component}
             onClick={this.props.onClick}>
             <a className={"image " + css(this.state.styles.fadeIn)}
               style={{
                 backgroundImage: `url(${imgSrc})`,
                 cursor: 'pointer',
             }}>

             {this.props.source_url}

    )
      }
    }

As you can see, the image is immediately given the fadeIn class that includes fadeIn from react-animations. The blur filter is always present as a style; however, blur is set to 0 unless the component’s blur property is set to true. If the component’s blur property is set to true, react-motion interpolates the blur variable that is used in the component’s style.

Next, I animated the contact form that slides up when clicking the “About” button in the footer. An inspection of the original Multiverse example shows that the panel always has a class of panel.However, when the panel slides into focus, an additional class of active is added. I began by adding a variable called showContactPanelto the state of App.js to keep track of whether the panel should be shown. It is initialized as false, and clicking on the About button toggles this variable between true and false. I then passed this variable as a prop to the Footer component that I created in a separate file by cutting and pasting the footer div and its contents from App.js. The footer’s className is set to a state variable called className which is initialized as ‘panel’, the initial class of the footer. When the About button is clicked, and the prop changes from true to false (or vice versa) the Footer component receives a call to its componentWillReceiveProps method. Inside that method the Footer’s className state variable is changed to “panel active” if the Footer should be shown.

    componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
      if ((nextProps.show)) {
        this.setState({ className: 'panel active' });
      }
      else if ((!nextProps.show) ) {
        this.setState({ className: 'panel' })
      }
    }

Additionally, if the Footer is shown, clicking on a picture should close the panel. I added an additional onClick property to my ImageItem component in App.js like so:

    onClick={this.imageClicked.bind(this)}

In order for the click to register, I also had to add an onClick event to the ImageComponent so that the method in the onClick prop that was passed gets called.

    onClick={this.props.onClick}

The imageClicked function in App.js checks to see if the contact panel is visible. If it is, the panel is toggled so that it is no longer shown.

    // clicking on an image should ensure the contact panel is closedimageClicked(){
      if(this.state.showContactPanel){
        this.toggleContactPanel();
      }
    }

Everything had been pretty straightforward so far. The next thing to do was to display one enlarged image in the center of the window when the user clicks on an image. I decided to build a new component (ImageModal) that would include both the frosted background effect and modal image, and to use the react-motion library for my animation requirements. React-motion interpolates values between a start and end point. These interpolated values can then be used as variables in a style object. For example the following code looks to see if the value of this.props.blur is true and interpolates from the 0 to 1 value if so. A false value interpolates from 1 to 0. The stiffness and damping values alter the effect.

    blur: spring(this.props.blur ? 1 : 0, { stiffness: 170, damping: 17 }),

Unfortunately, I was only partially successful. No matter what I did, I was unable to create a frosted effect that would blur the gallery images. I was able to get the effect working in this JSfiddle, but the same code did not alter the images in the gallery.

I decided to be satisfied with blurring the individual gallery images whenever the modal picture was shown. The component returned by my ImageItem component is shown below:

    <Motion
      style={{
        blur: spring(this.props.blur ? 1 : 0, { stiffness: 170, damping: 17 }),
      }}>
      {({ blur }) =>

 this.myComponent = component}
          onClick={this.props.onClick}>
          <a className={"image " + css(this.state.styles.fadeIn)}
            style={{
            backgroundImage: `url(${imgSrc})`,
            cursor: 'pointer',
            filter: `blur(${blur * 5}px)`
          }}>

{this.props.source_url}

      }
    </Motion>

this.props.blur is a boolean variable passed to the ImageItem by the App component, and is set to true whenever the ImageModal component is displayed.

I would appreciate it if anybody could tell me what prevented me from achieve my original goal of just using a single blurred div. Is there something I was missing? Please respond in the comments below.

[Image for post]

Without and with blur
The ImageModal component has several requirements

1.

    Display an image in the center of the screen
2.

    Ensure the image fits inside the page
3.

    The image expands vertically
4.

    Clicking anywhere on the page closes the image
5.

    Has controls to cycle through pictures and close the modal

Requirements 1 and 3 was filled by a div with the id of ‘imageModal’ given a fixed position and z-index of 100, and centering it’s contents. The top, bottom, left, and right CSS attributes were animated from 0% to 50% causing the div to grow from a size of 0% width and height to 100% width and height.

Requirement 2 proved to be somewhat tricky for larger images. Initially, I created a child of imageModal called pictureContainer This component scales from 0 to picture size in the Y direction to a maximum width or height of 75% of the imageModal parent. I first just put an image component inside this container. This technique worked for most images; however, tall images expanded vertically beyond the parent pictureContainer div. In the end, I included the hack from the accepted answer to this StackOverflow question. It involves setting the desired image as the background of the pictureContainer div. Unfortunately, pictureContainer does not know what size to be so an invisible copy of the same image is added as a child element to force pictureContainer to expand to the correct size.

Requirement 4 was satisfied with an onClick event that called a function in the App parent component. This function sets a showImageModal flag to false which animates the imageModal CSS top, bottom, left, and right attributes from 100% to 0% which cause the image to shrink.

I installed and used the react-icons package for requirement 5.

I also wanted the caption to fade in after the picture had scaled to its final width and height. React-motion provides an onRest property in the Motion component to call a specified function after an animation is completed. However, that callback function has to set some state in order to have subsequent animations fire. I created a boolean variable in the ImageModal component’s state specific to showing the caption. One gotcha that I ran into is that the caption would not animate even after I set state to show the caption. I had to implement the fix specified in this GitHub issue post to solve the problem.

Unfortunately, I could not duplicate the size transition that the Multiverse template uses when the user cycles images. The react-motion example of this technique requires knowing the width and height of the images in order to effect the transition. I decided to have the current image scale down to nothing and the next image scale up when the user changed images. This image swapping animation is also controlled by a boolean state variable observed and changed duringonRest. The code for this component can be found here.

Finally, all my changes meant that the page worked correctly without linking any of the scripts in index.html so I was able to remove those lines from my index.html file

Conclusion

This project has shown me that converting a theme to React is a balancing act. A balance must be found between using the theme’s original technologies and using React specific ones. For example, image fade-in animations were done using the react-animations library. On the other hand, the slide-up and slide-down effects for the footer were done by altering the class names attached to the component. Additionally, image blur was done using react-motion. Finally, It is even possible an entirely new component will need to be built in order to create the desired effect.

[Image for post]

However, the end result of a well designed and stylish and responsive website may be worth the effort.

[Image for post]

_Reginald Johnson has maintained his passion for coding throughout his 20+ year career as an Officer in the United States Navy. He enjoys applying his training and experience in programming, Systems Engineering, and Operational Planning towards programming. Follow him Twitter_ _@reginald3__._

question: Summarize how the writer approached his adaptation of the html5up.net Multiverse theme to React?

answer:
He first altered the code but even though the theme looks like Multiverse, it did not act like Multiverse - there were no blurs or animations that helped make the theme look cool.
The writer remedied this by enabling the image to fade in the React animations library. He also installed aphrodite to help him manipulate component CSS. Next, the writer animated the contact form and added a variable to call showContactPanel to the state of App.js to keep track of whether the object should be shown. He also enabled one enlarged image to display in the center of the window whenever the user clicks on an image. He also built an ImageModal that has a frosted background and modal image. The end product was not 100% successful as he was unable to create a frosted effect that would blue the gallery images.

question: Why is the writer trying to adapt the Multiverse theme to React?


text:
They came for him during the group session, two well dressed boys on the cusp of manhood. This wasn’t the first time a young and the restless soul had come asking questions about her, her legend, after all did precede her. Ted drew a deep breath that made his thin hospital gown rise and fall like an undulating wave, he looked at the floor. Those who knew him best recognised the act, this story was the last light of the broken man who sat before them in the New Haven Detoxification Institute. Ted meekly raised his hand, begging for silence. The regulars inched closer ready for the words they’d heard so many times before.

“Assia, Assia, ascended astrologers muse. Assia, Assia, Aphrodite’s repose. Assia, Assia, fire of life, cold when she goes.” The room hushed as if smothered, those watching felt a peculiar prickling of the skin. Ted continued oblivious.

.

It was dusk, turning twilight, when they arrived at the bar. Ted tall and thin, his companion slightly taller with a thicker build. It was darker in the bar, one of those cheap places that tries to make up for a lack of style with poor lighting. She was late. He was in love with her. Ted was oblivious of what was to come.

The friend looked up, startled. Assia stood before them. Rain dripped from her night black hair that shone with the subtlest hint of a crimson glow. Her short black dress showed of her curves, like those of a racing car. Her legs were bare. Presently her eyes met Ted’s who suddenly aware that the world was turning at an astronomical rate around the fixed point of his eyes locked with hers. Every second was eternal.

Ted’s mind raced with this new information. Who was this girl? What the hell is this feeling? Oh god, make eye contact! OH GOD too much eye contact! Confused Ted withdrew from conversation and fixed his eyes on the wall sized aquarium behind Assia’s head. A thousand fish swam to and fro together in a shoal. One fish danced alone, swishing elegantly like Mata Hari. The tank appeared empty, but for this one fish. Ted sat transfixed, stealing occasional glances at the girl, but always returning to that one solitary fish. The fish disappeared. The sea was lonely.

Ted sipped his drink quickly. Assia demurely ashed her cigarette, delicately brushing it against the crystal ashtray, all the while stealing glances at Ted of her own. That moment the dreamer in him fell in love with her, and he soon knew it. Fire, crash the next hours passed lightning fast. Growing bolder the pair revelled in ideas, wallowed, and bathed in mutual knowledge and interests. Their friend faded to grey and they were alone.

Alone on a sofa now, memories slip by as if in a film. Hand brushes leg. Leg brushes hand. Electricity. Magnetism draws them together. His hands her hips. Her hands his hair. His lips her lips. Ecstasy. Her phone rings and she goes.

.

Ted stood up, opened his eyes and spoke to his fellow New Haven Institute patients. The memory had almost seemed real.  “That was the first and last time I laid eyes Assia Do Nascimento. I chased the idea, the dream, the memory of her all my life. Trying to capture a love so pure, so intense.” Ted sat down hands trembling “You never know what will set the memory off.”

question: Why was Ted in the New Haven Detoxification Institute?

answer: Although the story does not explicitly mention it, Ted was probably admitted to the detox clinic to treat his possible substance abuse. A downward spiral into despair may have resulted from his intense attraction and love for Assia, who may have contributed to his mental decline. We know from the account that he had a brief liaison with Assia and that he never saw her again. It's also expected that the mere notion of her pushed him over the edge and into an addiction that landed him in the clinic.

question: What does the text say about the processes involved in detoxificating patients?


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

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

title: Help me with this short story!

question: Who is the figure who silences the meeting?

answer: The meeting is commanded by one mysterious person. His name is Anthony Kane. He appears to be incredibly powerful, and has the ability to silence disputes. He speaks softly but has a commanding persona.

question: What are the people arguing about before Anthony Kane enters?

answer: The men are fighting about baseball. They speak loudly and yell at each other. When Kane enters they fall silent.

question: Who is the protagonist of this story?

answer: Stephen is. We see the meeting twice in the story. Once it comes from the standpoint of a third-person omniscient narrator. Then it comes from the standpoint of a third-person limited narrator, Stephen.