text:
It was the 17th of December when you made your decision. It was your twentieth birthday. I will remember the moment of despair that took you down the path you chose. The single instance of looking at that dead bird, helplessly, but ever so slightly, tumbling in the wind, beneath your feet. By then the fear of death consumed you and were left to be a marionette to your own hopelessness. You had always desired immortality but you had not desired it at this scale. However you shattered underneath the realization that your desire could not come into fruition. Or rather, not by anybody around you. Not by anybody else in the world.

Nevertheless, fret not. I’ve come to you with glad tidings. I shall grant you this one and only wish. I have mapped, for you, a procedure to obtain your gift but be warned: once begun your task you must undertake it alone, lest you die a most agonizing death.

You will begin your passage to immortality by travelling to the western African country of Togo. As soon as you leave the airport, signal a taxi. The taxi that arrives will already have a sleeping passenger in it but never mind it. Enter the taxi and, when asked by the driver as to where you are going, say “Adeema Gariyah.” Pay no mind about its meaning; the driver will know.

At arrival the driver will charge you an American cent. At this point you will have nothing with you. Examining the sleeping passenger next to you, you will find exactly what the driver asks for. Take the coin and give it to the driver. After leaving the vehicle you will find an abandoned village. Once you have entered the village take a left and continue walking until you see a red arrow. Walk in the direction of the arrow and you will soon come across a small hut.

Pass into the hut and walk five steps forward. You will find yourself in the middle of a series of parallel candles in a cross formation. At the center of the cross you will find a woman of indescribable beauty and, unable to control yourself, you will be intimate with her. Only seconds after you have finished she will give birth to a child. A stillborn child. And the woman herself will die giving birth to this dead child.

Do not mourn for the woman and child, and leave the hut. You will notice a red arrow at your feet guiding you to another hut towards the end of the village. Inside this hut you will find a large table holding a variety of food. You will seat yourself at the very ends of the table and immerse yourself into all the food you can see. Once you have finished, exit the hut.

Like before, you will happen upon another arrow as soon as you exit. Following this arrow will lead you to, yet, another hut. As soon as you enter this hut you will notice a small child stare at you. Fear him not as he will not harm you. Your attention will then be given to an extremely valuable orb, perched onto a small pedestal in the center of the room. This orb is needed in your journey to immortality so you will remove it from its pedestal and leave the hut.

Being guided by the next arrow, you will soon find yourself standing in front of the largest hut in the village. No doubt, in it contains your final task in your journey. Entering the hut, you will find a statue of a deity—no doubt it is Papa Legba. Resting on his face, however, is a mask with nine-horns. You will remove this mask from the statues face and place it on yours, closing your eyes while doing so. You must continue closing your eyes. You will fall to your knees and stay in this formation for one hour and fifty-nine minutes. You will then remove the mask and open your eyes.

As soon as your eyes open you will find, towering next to you, a being composed of blackened fire. Do not fear this being, but do not look into its eyes as its eyes will turn you into ash. The being will stretch its arm towards you. In his outstretched hand you will place the orb, after which he will crush it. The pieces of the orb will fall to the floor and the being will point towards the sharpest piece. You will grab that sharp piece and stab yourself in the heart with it. You will slowly, but painfully and surely, feel your life fade away.

You will leave your mortal body and enter an immortal one I have made for you.

You will regain consciousness in an exact, yet immortal, replica of your original body with the being of blackened fire absent from your presence. You must stand up, exit the hut and wonder the Earth with your newly acquired immortal form.

Have you truly ever wondered about the Wonders of Immortality? What will it do for you? Your fear of death has, no doubt, caused you to abandon all reason. You have, indeed, forgotten the mortality of your space and time. And the plague that comes with this mortality. Let me guide you through another journey. The journey of your immortal life.

It will be two years after your abandonment of mortality. You will be married to a beautiful and intelligent woman. You will bear two children with her, in the house of your dreams. The years of hard work in your education has been rewarded with a high-ranking position. And you will be happy.

In the next ten years your wife will become ill and your children will have associated themselves with horrible men, ruining their chances of a good education. Three years later, your daughter will carry the child of a man she had only met once. Your anger at this situation will cause you to accidentally wound the child mortally.

Disgusted by your actions your wife and kids will leave you, never to return. For this act you will be imprisoned for fifteen years during which you will be beaten three-hundred and seventy two times, denied food one hundred and sixty one times, raped ninety-seven times and placed in solitary confinement twenty-one times. But don’t worry; you’re immortal. You won’t die.

After your leave from prison you will return back to your home, only to find that it has been set ablaze by your ex-wife’s father. You will have no place to go – all your friends have abandoned you years ago – and have very little money as it went to your wife as a divorce settlement and a murder fine. Your subsequent homelessness will last five years in which you will find a job at a small retail store, making minimum wage, and develop a disease which will blind you in your left eye.

Shortly after making enough money to rent an apartment unit you will be diagnosed with ocular cancer, stealing your ability to see. Left helpless to the guidance of a stick you will be, within the span of five years, involved in nine vehicular accidents. Varying in terms of intensity, however, you will certainly be the victim. The damage inflicted on both your legs will necessitate amputation, devolving you from using a stick to using a wheelchair. But don’t worry; you’re immortal. You will never die.

It will be seventeen years after the amputation of your legs and you will not be able to count the amount of times you have witnessed the rise of a new president. You will know that the current president is the worst of all his predecessors. His amendments to the law will expel you back into homelessness, and will give you next to nothing, in terms of money. You will witness the plummeting of the economy and the spread of a new disease. You will see people die from this disease – an utterly disgusting death. Everywhere you go, people begin to suffer and wither like a corpse from the days of the pharaohs. You will fair no worse. In fact, you will suffer from much worse. This condition, with the addition of your ocular cancer, will cause you to suffer from deafness, paralysis of the left arm, profuse bleeding from the nose, loss of your teeth, violent seizures, damaged vocals and the dissolution of your left kidney. But don’t worry; you’re immortal. Death will never meet you.

Thirty years later, the economy will regain vigor due to advancements in medical technology. With this technology you will gain the use of robotic prosthetic legs, and will regain the use of your arms and vocal cords. Your kidney will begin to be created anew but your eyes shall be forever disabled. You, as the current holder of the title ‘oldest man alive’, with nothing left in your life, will leave the city to live on the outskirts and become a farmer. By then you would have developed the ability to see without the need for your eyes. Overall, everything is well for you. And do not worry; you’re immortal. Your life will never end.

After twenty years of peaceful labor, you will receive a message from the government, informing you that a third World War is about to begin and will urge you to leave to a safe zone. You will disregard this message and continue your efforts, holding on to the idea of a constant and eternal life. But you do not know as I know. This war is nothing but chaos, the enemy of consistency and peace.

Within the following two years you would have witnessed the complete demolition of several cities by opposing countries and the firing of explosives to other countries. You will have endured the destructive sounds and the horrible stench of war. Earth and fire will have fought to the death of the people while water and air suffocated and died. The very existence of humanity will plunge to the depth of near-oblivion, only to be kept alive by you, the sole-survivor of the human race.

The war has ended and you shall journey back to the city – or what is left of it. With your ‘sight’ you will observe the ruins of the civilization that you had grown up in. It will be but an empty husk of the genius of architects and the labor of common workers. Large pools of blood will fill every road dip and the flesh and bone of children will be, helplessly, but ever so slightly, tumbling in the wind, beneath your feet. It is with this sight that the absence of your fear of death will reveal itself. Times will truly change, won’t they?

It will be another six months after exploring what remains of the city when you discover an underground bunker, designed to store innocent civilians from the fires of the war. It will be to your dismay that you find no one there, other than yourself. You will become extremely tired and weary of your travels and you will collapse, unconscious. But do not worry; you’re immortal. You will never fade.

Once you have awoken you will close the door behind you and sit on the lone chair. And on that chair you will spend seven years thinking about your life so far and the thoughts of your decisions in your life will haunt you for the rest of your days. Sifting through the flood of gruesome imagery and painful sights within your memories you will, at last, come across the cause of your prolonged suffering; your desire for eternal life. At this thought you will shed a tear composed of both water and blood. Another tear will follow and, soon after, your face will be covered in tears. You will beg for your life to change so that you hadn’t stabbed yourself that night. So that you hadn’t stolen the orb from the child or the food from the table. So that you hadn’t impregnated the woman and delivered to her a dead child. So that you hadn’t stolen the penny from the sleeping man. So that you hadn’t desired to live forever. You will slump into an abyss of despair, with every remembrance of your eternal life doubling the level of your hopelessness. You will become a marionette to your own sadness, desperately attempting to end your suffering. But each foolish attempt will result in more pain. And by the time you had come to terms with the futility of your efforts you will be in more pain than a combination of twelve women giving birth. And you will scream and cry, all the while clawing at your own face and biting your thumb as it scratches by. And you will come to know that the Wonders of Immortality are all but one thing: pain. And you will remain in this state for seventeen months when, suddenly, the pain will vanish like it had been nothing and everything will fade to black.

It will be another decade until you wake up and, upon doing so, you will stand up and sit back on the lone chair. There will be no pain and no physical disabilities. Your teeth and hair will have grown back and you will have no knowledge of the pain you had just felt. You will be the last man on Earth, sitting alone in the room when, seconds later, you hear a knock on the door. Cautiously you will make slow steps towards the door, taking a deep breathe with every step. At last, you will make it to the door and open it.

“Nothing” will be your initial thought until you look down. The nine-horned mask you had worn on the night of your lingering mistake will wait for you. Seeing this as an opportunity to undo the mistake you had made over a century ago, you will do as you had done; wear the mask and fall on your knees, closing your eyes while doing so. After one hour and fifty-nine minutes had passed you will take of the mask and find the figure of blackened fire standing above you.

He will ask you what you desire and you will respond by wishing to be free from immortality. At the hearing of this request the being will grab you by the neck and raise you several feet above the ground. He will then explain to you that the suffering you had gone through was a test and that his name is Aswad-ul Hariq. He will tell you that you had passed the test and that it is time for you to leave the Earth. Gently, he will place his hand on your chest and remove your soul from the body, ending your cursed life.

title: [FN] Wonders of Immortality

question: What does the text say about the character of the narrator?

question: What does the text say about marionettes?

answer: The author uses the term to speak of the protagonist having such strong emotions that he becomes like a puppet and the feelings control him. One such feeling mentioned is the protagonist's hopelessness, which is spoken of in the past tense. The second controlling feeling mentioned is sadness, which is referred to in the future tense.

question: Summarize what the story says about women.

answer: One woman in the story is encountered in Togo and she is indescribably beautiful. She has sex with the protagonist and dies giving birth to a stillborn child. Another woman, described as beautiful and intelligent, becomes the protagonist's wife. She bears two children and later becomes ill. She eventually leaves the protagonist due to his behavior.


split: test

text:
They say just before death, you remember every specific detail that occurred that day.
Grey haze filled the dark sky hiding the golden sphere, while the polished barb wired fence bordered around us. The window frame seemed to paint the outside world for what it really was for us ‘Thorns’; depressing. The elderly grey hair, blue eyed history teacher, Mrs Fischer, strolled around the gloomy room and handed out the textbooks like every other day. Adolf Hitler VI appeared on the front of the worn, green textbook, saluting a floating marble Swastika.

I remember envying the so called genetically superior, comparing their rich lifestyle of freedom to mine, wasting away my days with my pregnant mother in a modern day concentration camp. Both her and I looked the same as the Roses of the population, but we were punished for having the genes that pass on the inferior traits. The thought of my mother's unborn child having the physical characteristics of the thorn worried me, as I had seen first hand the consequences that came from this.

In an attempt to distract my wandering mind, I opened the green history textbook.
“This book was written under the law and rule of our savior, Adolf Hitler and his predecessors. Abiding by his way of life will ensure the nation of New Germany will live peaceful and worthwhile lives”
I couldn't help but think of the birth and death of my brother, and seeing Hitler be referred to as a 'Savior' awoke a new fire inside of me. I flipped to the next page, expecting the worst of it to continue, but all that was there was a note.

‘Gerard, you need to run, get out of here and back home to your mother before she gives birth. Once I give you the sign, meet me at the side alleyway of the school. Don’t worry; we are all going to get out safely. Mrs Fischer.’

The time that followed was one adrenaline fueled blur. My heart raced as Mrs Fischer had given me the obvious sign by telling me to see the headmaster, and fast. The classroom that was my protective barrier against all the outside evil seemed to shatter as I tread upon the outside world.
Unclean air fueled my body as I darted in between soldiers and buildings. Reality was starting to set in as my adrenaline dissolved and asthma reappeared. I doubled over into the alleyway, trying to force as much oxygen into my body as possible. Before my asthma could take full effect, Mrs Fischer pulled up in a grey car and tinted windows beside me and passed me my asthma puffer.
The downtime after the adrenaline rush caused consciousness to escape me, which made it difficult to decipher reality from dreams. Bumps along the road had finally  caused me to wake from my disjointed slumber and realise my journey was coming to an end . The sky was a darker shade of grey as it became backdrop to Mrs Fischer's small blue house seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

The oddest part, was not being at Mrs Fischer's home, but what she had furnished it didn't seem to fit the criteria of an elderly teacher. Guns, axes and swords of all sizes where hung all over the walls, which gave me both a feeling of safety and fear. The gun crazed history teacher lead me up the creaky staircase to my mother, each creak heightening my level of self awareness.

I walked into the candle lit room, where my mother was laying there with her long blonde hair draping over her fear stricken blue eyes. It wasn’t long before she was ready to give birth, which Mrs Fischer instructed me to sit beside my mother talking to her to ease the pain. Mum gripped my hand harder which each push, every yelp creating tears which slid down her face.

After an eternity of half an hour, my sister was born. Mrs Fischer, who started to weep, wrapped the baby in a pink towel and handed her to my mother. As soon as my mother had the baby in her hands, she let out a tsunami of tears, realising the baby was born with Downs Syndrome. I grabbed the newborn, taking in her black hair and brown eyes, trying to make her feel welcome in a world where people will kill him for not fitting in.
Suddenly, footsteps where heard downstairs. The stairs started creaking as if someone was sneaking up on us. Fear struck the three of us in the room, knowing full well who was here. Mrs Fischer grabbed me and whispered for me to run as far as possible with the newborn.

I leaped out onto the balcony of the room, which contained a staircase to the back of the house. I finally reached ground level, where I turned to see a man with blonde hair and electric blue eyes facing me. One of the Nazi soldiers. I turned to face the wilderness, if I could make it to the trees, sister and I would live. I took off, faster than I ever have, lengthening my pace with each step. The pain of trying to force air into my lungs was present, as I slowed right down with a hundred metres to go. I collapsed, into a heaving ball of mess, cursing my asthma. I began to turn onto my back, gasping for air. The Nazi soldier was right behind me, holding his black pistol directing it at me. I looked down the barrel of certain death, trying to peacefully accept my life. My whole day flashed through my eyes, all my mistakes and uncertainties seemed to project on the dark sky.

Bang.

(Edit: Formatting)

title: Trimming of Thorns (Dystopian Narrative)

question: What era is the story set in?

answer: The story is set in the era of World War II.

question: Who is the narrator's family?

answer: The narrator lives with his pregnant mother.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The narrator is a school-going boy named Gerard.

question: Where was Mrs. FIscher taking him?

answer: Mrs. Fischer was taking him to her home.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer:
Gerard is sitting in Mrs. Fischer's class. He is lost in thoughts of what the Nazis would do to his unborn sibling.

He opens his textbook and finds a note from Mrs. Fischer, asking him to meet at the side alleyway.

Mrs. Fischer takes him to her home where Gerard's mother gives birth to a girl. Just then, the Nazis arrive. Gerard holds the baby and runs for their lives but can't make it.


text:
The BATTLE OF HERKULESFÜRDŐ was a military engagement during the Romanian Campaign of World War I. It was fought between Romanian forces on one side and Central Powers forces (Austria-Hungary and Germany) on the other side. It resulted in a Romanian victory.

Background

The Kingdom of Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary on 27 August 1916. On the following day, the Battle of Orsova commenced, the Romanians managing to secure the Danube port-town as well as the western bank of the Cserna (Cerna) River and a few other settlements by 4 September. In this sector of the front, the 1st Division (General Ion Dragalina) of the Romanian 1st Army (General Ioan Culcer) fought against the 145th Brigade (Colonel Rudolf von Fiebich-Ripke) of the Austro-Hungarian 1st Army (General Arthur Arz von Straußenburg). On 5 September, the first German unit to arrive in nearby Transylvania – the 187th Regiment of the 187th Division – promptly rushed its III Battalion to Herkulesfürdő (Băile Herculane/Herkulesbad), one of the settlements taken by the Romanian forces on 1 September (another such settlement was Mehádia). The aim of the Central Powers was to secure the Iron Gates.[1]

Battle

The battle took place between 6 and 10 September.[2] However, only on 6 September - the first day of the battle - did the Central Powers gain any ground. Their forces managed to secure Herkulesfürdő as well as Mehádia, but fell short of reaching Orsova.[3] Orsova was the location of the Iron Gates, and securing the Iron Gates was the objective of the Central Powers.[4] As early as 8 September, two days before the end of the battle, Vienna admitted that the Romanians had taken Orsova, five days after the town was seized.[5] Also on 8 September, the XXXIX Corps of German General Hermann von Staabs assumed responsibility for operations in southern Transylvania.[6] The units placed under the command of von Staabs included the covering troops at Mehádia.[7]

Aftermath

A mixed Austro-Hungarian and German force under the Hungarian Colonel Szívó had moved along the Cserna River in mid-November, during a general Central Powers offensive against Romania which started on 11 November, and captured parts of Orsova during fighting on 11–13 November.[8][9]

[1] Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, Oct 23, 2013, _Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania_, pp. 1-2, 4, 20-21 and 98

[2] Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung, Verlag der Militärwissenschaftlichen Mitteilungen, 1930, _Öesterreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918, Volume 1_, p. 89

[3] Edmund Glaise-Horstenau, Österreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg 1914 – 1918. Vol. 5: Das Kriegsjahr 1916 ; 2 ; Beil, Verl. der Militärwiss. Mitteilungen, Wien, 1932

[4] Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, Oct 23, 2013, _Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania_, p. 98

[5] Military Service Institution of the United States, 1916, _Journal, Volume 59_, pp. 517-518

[6] Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, Oct 23, 2013, _Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania_, p. 98

[7] Encyclopædia britannica Company, Limited, 1922, _The Encyclopædia Britannica: The New Volumes, Constituting, in Combination with the Twenty-nine Volumes of the Eleventh Edition, the Twelfth Edition of that Work, and Also Supplying a New, Distinctive, and Independent Library of Reference Dealing with Events and Developments of the Period 1910 to 1921 Inclusive. The First-third of the New Volumes, Volume 30_, p. 915

[8] Michael B. Barrett, Indiana University Press, Oct 23, 2013, _Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania_, p. 241

[9] Austria. Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung, Verlag der Militärwissenschaftlichen Mitteilungen, 1930, _Öesterreich-Ungarns letzter Krieg, 1914-1918, Register-Band_, p. 91

title: Battle of Herkulesfürdő

question: What does the text say about the winner of the battle?

answer: The Kingdom of Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary in August 1916. The Romanians were able to secure the Danube port-town and the western bank of the Cserna River, among other settlements. During the battle in September, the Romanians were able to take Orsova, leaving the Central Powers unable to secure the Iron Gates. This is how the Romanians won the battle.

question: Summarize the goals of the Central Powers.

answer: The Central Powers fought against the Kingdom of Romania alongside Austria-Hungary. The overall aim for the Central Powers was to secure the Iron Gates in Orsova. This would help them defeat Romania. They finally gained some ground on the first day of the battle on September 6, but fell short of reaching Orsova. This means they never met their goals.

question: Summarize the aftermath.

answer: After the Romanians won the battle of Herkulesfürdő in September, a mixed Austro-Hungarian and German force had moved along the Cserna River in mid-November. The force was led by the Hungarian Colonel Szivo. This happened during a general Central Powers offensive against Romania on the 11th of November. They were able to capture parts of Orsova during fighting.

question: What does the text say about Austria-Hungary's victory?


text:
Senator Elizabeth Warren called on U.S. Congress to pass a law protecting head of the special counsel investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 United States election Robert Mueller Wednesday, _The Hill_ reports.

Warren’s comments come after President Trump’s close confidants, Paul Manafort and Michel Cohen, were found guilty and pleaded guilty. In response to these happenings, Warren claims the top priority for U.S. Congress should be protecting Robert Mueller.

  “I think that what Congress needs to do right now, is we need to make sure that special prosecutor Mueller is fully protected from being fired by Donald Trump.”

“Donald Trump has made clear there’s only one thing he cares about, and that’s protecting his own skin,” Warren added.

As _Vox_ reported, Donald Trump’s former campaign chair Paul Manafort was convicted of eight federal crimes, carrying a sentence of up to 240 years in prison. Manafort will be tried on seven additional charges next month. Manafort will, _Vox_ noted, definitely appeal, and he could even be pardoned by the POTUS.

Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal crimes, three of which are making an excessive campaign contribution, making a false statement to a financial institution, and willfully causing an unlawful corporate contribution.

Cohen’s guilty plea may have implicated President Donald Trump in breaking campaign finance laws, _The Hill_ noted, which could be enough to bring impeachment charges. When asked about the impeachment of Donald Trump, Warren dodged the question, focusing on the need to let Robert Mueller finish his investigation.

“The question you’re asking is about the president of the United States, and what I’m saying is we have an ongoing investigation that is much more sweeping, that is much broader than simply what happened in New York court yesterday,” Warren concluded on CNN’s _New Day_.

Some legal experts, however, seem much less cautious than Senator Warren when it comes to the potential impeachment of Donald Trump. As the _Inquisitr_ reported earlier today, former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks argued that Cohen’s guilty plea is “clear evidence that the president committed crimes, and that is grounds for impeachment.”

Donald Trump has repeatedly, and infamously referred to Mueller’s probe as a “witch hunt,” and a “hoax,” calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end it.

  ..This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

  — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018

According to a _New York Times_ analysis published today, Robert Mueller could benefit from Cohen and Manafort’s legal trouble. Cohen may have pleaded guilty to crimes that had nothing to do with Russian election interference, and Manafort’s trial may not be about obstruction of justice, but Cohen and Manafort’s legal peril could have “significant implications” for Mueller’s current investigation.

question: What law did Senator Warren ask Congress to pass?

answer: She asked Congress to pass a law protecting the head of the special counsel investigating the Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

question: Who is the head of the special counsel?

answer: Robert Mueller

question: Who called the investigation a "witch hunt" and a "hoax", asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end it?

answer: Donald Trump

question: What specifically does Warren think Congress needs to do?

answer: She thinks Congress needs to protect Robert Mueller from getting fired by Trump.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The article is about Senator Elizabeth Warren asking Congress to pass a law protecting the head of the special counsel investigating the Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.


text:
Leave the car seat in the car!Newborn and infant safety in devices

Key points:

-   Car seats are for use to secure an infant when riding in a car. They are LESS SAFE THAN A BABY CARRIER when used outside their intended purpose as car safety devices.
-   Infants are SAFER IN THEIR CAREGIVERS' ARMS than left in a device (car seat, stroller, bouncy seat, crib,  swing, etc.).
-   CARRIERS THAT OFFER CORRECT POSITIONING are far safer than ones that promote incorrect positioning (i.e. forcing baby's chin to his chest or awkward reclining holds).
-   It is vital that caregivers be aware of their infant's breathing AT ALL TIMES.
-   IT'S OKAY TO WAKE THE BABY TO TAKE HIM OUT OF THE CAR SEAT. Deep sleep is a dangerous time for infants; SIDS invariably occurs during deep sleep, and other breathing difficulties are also a greater risk during deep sleep.
-   INFANTS SHOULD ALWAYS BE _VISIBLE AND KISSABLE_ IN A CARRIER.
-   Any carrier should HOLD THE BABY THE WAY YOU WOULD HOLD THE BABY IN ARMS.

In the last 20 years, much has been learned about keeping newborns and infants under 4 months safe. The “back to sleep” campaign is responsible for a considerable reduction in SIDS and related deaths, for example. However, there is a great deal of research into infant physiology that still has not filtered into either popular knowledge or product design.

In 1995, a study was done on infants’ oxygenation levels in their car seats. Normal oxygenation levels – that is, the amount of oxygen circulating in the blood stream attached to red blood cells – range between 97-99% in a healthy term infant in optimal positioning. Any oxygenation level below about 90% is considered “hypoxia” – the baby is not receiving enough oxygen, and brain damage can result if that level is sustained. Shockingly, healthy, full-term newborns placed in correctly positioned car seats had oxygen levels that went as low as 83.7%. In the hospital, such levels would bring teams of nurses scrambling to the infant’s rescue. While not all infants’ oxygenation levels reached such depths, there was a consistent finding that the longer the baby spent in the car seat, the lower their oxygen levels would go, until the baby was removed from the seat.

The study was repeated in 2005, with the same results. The conclusion in both studies was that babies should spend the least amount of time possible in a car seat, and they recommended that car trips with new babies be kept to an hour or less, and that infant car seats be used only in the car, and not beyond that.  And yet, these studies and others like them have gone almost completely unnoticed in the United States and Canada, and it’s not uncommon to see infants in car seats for hours on end, being moved from the car to a travel system to home without ever being removed from the seat. How much damage is being done to these infants while they seem to sleep so peacefully?

Hypoxia is known to cause damage to the developing brain. Infants who experience hypoxia will show more signs of ADHD, decreased IQ, delayed motor development, and impaired attention. If these conditions sound familiar, perhaps we are beginning to understand why, as more and more children spend their infancies in some form of baby seat, reclined and in a hypoxic state.

In addition to the hypoxia seen in healthy, full-term newborns, there is also a risk due to positional asphyxia. This unfortunately is not an uncommon cause of death in infant car seats. A newborn baby’s head is very heavy, and its neck is quite fragile in comparison. Newborns, especially but not exclusively those born prematurely or with respiratory issues, are prone to having their heads tip forward onto their chests, drastically narrowing the airway (which is about the width of a drinking straw) and blocking proper flow of air. This can cause hypoxia and even death, and is a risk in any baby containment device that places the infant in a seated position, including (but not limited to) car seats, baby swings, bouncy seats, and yes, even cloth slings, if the parent doesn’t follow positioning guidelines.

So, what do we do about this?

KNOWLEDGE IS KEY.

Every parent and caregiver *must* be aware of their baby’s position and breathing at all times.  Let me repeat that. Every parent and caregiver must be aware of their baby’s position and breathing at all times.  Whether the baby is in a car seat, a sling, or even in the caregiver’s arms, he or she must keep an eye on the baby’s respiration and positioning. (This does mean that if you have a newborn and you must take a long car trip, it is best for one caregiver to sit in the back with the baby whenever possible, and stop frequently to allow the baby to recover from hypoxic episodes, which grow more severe and numerous the longer the infant is in the seat.)

In a carrier, an upright, chest-to-chest position is best with newborns and infants under 4 months. In this position, the baby is aware of the caregiver's breathing patterns and vice-versa. (Human infants are programmed to take breathing cues from their parents, and often an abnormal breathing pattern is noticed subconsciously by the parent, who then rubs the baby's back, bounces, or sways, all of which will help reorganize the baby's breathing.) The caregiver is able to keep the infant's head in an optimal position, usually turned to one side, and this position is one that adults often adopt when holding a newborn without a carrier -- always a good sign that the position is a physiologically healthy one.

When a carrier is used to recline an infant in what we consider a cradle hold, it is vitally important that the baby's head still be in easy view of the parent, and close enough to kiss. The baby's neck should be straight down to his pelvis, and while it is okay for the spine and legs to curve gently (because infants are naturally curled up), it should never be at a more extreme angle than one would see with the baby held in arms. In any carrier, a good test of whether it is correctly positioned is to bring one's arms up around the baby in the carrier as though it weren't there. If there is significant movement, then the carrier needs to be adjusted so that they mimic an in-arms position as much as possible.

It should be clear by now that "bag sling" style carriers (those with a hard bottom, and curved and elasticized tops) are never a good choice for carrying a newborn. The flat bottom tends to allow the infant to roll towards the parent (and this occurs even with an internal harness), creating a risk of suffocation, while the shape of the carrier forces the infant's head onto his chest. In addition, the closed top keeps the baby from being seen, so that if hypoxia does occur, the parent misses the signs, often until it's too late, and because the baby is so deep in the carrier, he is also at an increased risk of rebreathing carbon dioxide. The "bag sling" is really a perfect storm of hypoxia causes, and it should come as no surprise that the majority of "sling" deaths have occurred in this style of carrier.

OTHER SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS IN BABY CARRIERS:

Any item that is made of fabric and that is used regularly is going to wear out some day, whether it's a favorite toy, blankie, cloth diaper, or carrier. This is also true of cloth baby carriers; there is no magic in a fabric when it's made into a carrier that keeps it from wearing out with use. All fabrics take a beating when they are weight-bearing, and when they are washed and dried repeatedly, the fibers will start to break down with time. For thick and sturdy fabrics, this may take years of heavy use, but for fabrics that are appropriate for slings and wraps, it make take less time, because the fiber threads tend to be thinner.

When using a sling, whether it's brand-new or a hand-me-down, please be sure to look over the entire length on a regular basis (such as after it's been washed and dried, or before you thread or put it on) to check for weak spots in the fabric. This would include areas where the fabric is pilly, where the surface appears fuzzy, or where you can see broken threads in the weave. Any carrier that has holes in it should be used with extreme caution, or preferably not at all, since a hole can easily develop into a full-blown tear with stress (such as when the sling is adjusted through the rings, or when a wrap is tightened). A well-loved carrier often has a lot of sentimental value, but it's better to use it for a blanket or child's lovie than to continue using it as a carrier after it shows signs of wear.

CONCLUSIONS:

It is not my intention in sharing this information to terrify parents. We do have enough to worry about as it is. However, the media often seems very quick to jump on baby slings as the hazard of the week, while ignoring the very real hazards of leaving infants in their car seats and other such devices. The studies on infant car seats and hypoxia (below) all come to the same conclusion: LEAVE THE CAR SEAT IN THE CAR. While manufacturers have made it easier than ever to go through a whole day with the baby in the car seat (including travel systems and snap-on stroller bases), they are not doing so based on the available research (and why should they, when it would hurt their bottom line?).

A little fear can be healthy at times. If worrying about a baby's breathing makes the caregiver check him more often when he's in some kind of baby holding device, that's much better than just assuming he's safe and not checking frequently. Infants are on the whole remarkably resiliant (there are nearly seven billion of us on the planet, after all), but physiologically, we were not made to lie in plastic containers all day. Human infants thrive on touch, motion, and closeness with their caregivers, and it would be misleading to say that being held is "beneficial" to babies and their caregivers: it is simply what we are wired to do, and anything else is actually detrimental. A good baby carrier allows caregivers to fulfill their babies' needs and still go about their daily tasks with ease, and that is the real benefit.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

This article would not have been possible without M'Liss Stelzer, RN, who brought these issues to the attention of the babywearing world way back in 2006. Her presentation at the 2010 International Babywearing Conference was excellent, and I hope to see it online soon. Until then, I wanted to make sure the information was out there in some form, and she inspired me to write this and see how widely it can be disseminated.

This piece is also available as a printable PDF.

SOURCES:

  A Comparison of Respiratory Patterns in Healthy Term Infants Placed in Car Safety Seats and Beds

  The Effect of Chronic or Intermittent Hypoxia on Cognition in Childhood: A Review of the Evidence

  Oxygen Desaturation of Selected Term Infants in Car Seats

  Respiratory Instability of Term and Near-Term Healthy Newborn Infants in Car Safety Seats

  Safe Transportation of Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants at Hospital Discharge

  Simple Car Seat Insert to Prevent Upper Airway Narrowing in Preterm Infants: A Pilot Study

  Never let babies sleep in seats out of car - researchers

  Use of Seating Devices in Infants Too Young to Sit

  Infant Deaths in Sitting Devices (Pediatrics, May 2019)

  Do's and Dont's of Infant Car Seat Use (Consumer Reports, April 2019)

question: What does the post say about teenagers?

question: Summarize the post's key points.

answer: Car seats are used to secure an infant riding in a car, not outside of it. They are less safe than a baby carrier and should be left inside the car. Infants will always be safer in the arms of their caregivers than in car seats, strollers, cribs, or bouncy seats. Carriers that offer correct positioning are safer than products that do not. Caregivers should be aware of the infant's breathing at all times and it is okay to wake the baby to take her out of the car seat. Deep sleep is when SIDS and other breathing difficulties occur, putting infants at greater risk. Carriers should hold the baby the way a caregiver naturally would and babies should always be visible in a carrier.

question: What does the text say about the conclusion of the post?

answer: The post's author is sharing this information not to terrify parents, but to emphasize that the real hazard for infants is leaving them in their car seats and other devices. Studies on car seats have shown that they may cause hypoxia, so it's best to leave these devices in the car and either carry the baby or use a real carrier. The author's hope is that caregivers check the infant's breathing more often when the baby is in some kind of baby holding device. Infants thrive on touch, motion, and closeness. The real benefit of a good baby carrier is that it allows caregivers to fulfill their babies' needs and still go about their daily tasks with ease.


text:
 the side of cyberbullies, right?

Except there’s one question that didn’t occur to a single senator. What’s cyberbullying?

This isn’t exactly a new problem following the Court of Appeals holding in People v. Marquan M. that Albany County’s cyberbullying law was unconstitutional. The issue isn’t whether bullying isn’t a problem or doesn’t do harm, but defining what it is and doing so in a way that doesn’t violate the First Amendment. As Eric Turkewitz explains, that’s hard to do.

  There is, of course, lots of conduct that we can all agree is bullying, right?  A kid gets taunted by classmates for his less-than-personal personality, and it’s a no-brainer, right?

  Well, almost right. I mean, friends do this kind of stuff to their good buddies after all.  It isn’t just for enemies.

  But still, let’s say it is an “enemy” of sorts — two kids that actually hate each other. How do they know where the line in the sand is located as to what is legitimate and what isn’t?

  So if Kid A wants to say that Kid B’s support of Trump is “idiotic” or “moronic,” or that Kid B seems to be a clueless asshat for believing what s/he believes, would that conduct, if done online, be cyber-bullying? How about if it didn’t involve politics at all, and was purely personal?

  Don’t we have a right to call each other schmucks?

This, of course, doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the problem, neither from the perspective of what is bullying to what is free speech. It’s one of those words that people believe they know when they see, but when put to the test of defining, come up empty.

So the New York Senate came up with a solution in SB2318A:

  12-A. CYBERBULLYING.

  1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:

  A. MINOR SHALL MEAN ANY NATURAL PERSON OR INDIVIDUAL UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN.

  B. PERSON SHALL MEAN ANY NATURAL PERSON OR INDIVIDUAL.

  2. ANY PERSON WHO KNOWINGLY ENGAGES IN A REPEATED COURSE OF CYBERBULLYING OF A MINOR SHALL BE GUILTY OF AN UNCLASSIFIED MISDEMEANOR PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF NOT MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS, OR BY A PERIOD OF IMPRISONMENT NOT TO EXCEED ONE YEAR, OR BY BOTH SUCH FINE AND IMPRISONMENT.
  3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Notice anything missing there? No definition of cyberbullying. Not a good one. Not a bad one. None at all. It’s a misdemeanor to engage in a “repeated course of cyberbullying,” but what that might be is anyone’s guess.

Is the Senate trying to leave a huge, gaping hole for prosecutors to fill? Or maybe they figure that if the courts are going to be such constitutional sticklers, let judges come up with the definition? Is there any judge so ignorant of law that he wouldn’t toss any prosecution based on this law? Is there any judge willing to create a definition to fill the Senate’s gaping hole? It’s one thing to try to rationalize a statutory definition with constitutional limitations, but this one doesn’t stand a chance.

Turk makes the obvious legal observation:

  There is no point passing version 2.0 of a law that will one day be ruled unconstitutional.

Of course it will, as there is no other conceivable option but to hold this ridiculous attempt to criminalize cyberbullying unconstitutional. But there is, of course, a “point” to passing this shockingly badly written law. It enables senators to tell their constituents how much they hate cyberbullying, how much they love children, how hard they worked to craft a law to criminalize one and protect the other. And when those mean ol’ judges trash the law because of that loophole called the Constitution, it will be on their robed shoulders.

Hard as it may be to accept, law is hard, and writing law is very hard. Sometimes, it’s impossible to draft a law that criminalizes conduct that is harmful and wrong because it’s subject to constant variation based on unique circumstances, and any attempt to define it inherently implicates the right to call someone a schmuck. And like it or not, we have the right to say words about other people with whom we disagree in America.

But this law is just a cynical attempt to game the emotions of the electorate, as it has absolutely no chance of passing constitutional muster. The senators didn’t even give it a try, and as much as they may not be the sharpest knives in the legislature, even they know that you can’t criminalize cyberbullying by defining it as cyberbullying.

The one thing they do know is that the voters won’t think any harder than they worked on drafting a viable law, and will kvell over their concern for the children. And really, isn’t the what law is all about, getting re-elected?

question: Summarize the main news event.

answer: The New York Senate wrote a law making cyberbullying a misdemeanor without clearly defining the concept of cyberbullying. The writer of this article sees no way that this law will not be deemed unconstitutional. His theory is that the senators wrote the law in this way for two reasons: Because the definition of cyberbullying constantly evolves and the senators want to create the impression that they're doing something about cyberbullying to get re-elected.

question: What does the text say about cyberbullying?

answer: Bullying is a problem and causes harm, but defining what it is in a way that does not violate the First Amendment is nearly impossible. The writer defines it as enemies taunting one another and invalidating each other's opinions. The New York Senate did not attempt to define cyberbullying at all but wrote SB2318A in such a way that cyberbullying is defined as cyberbullying. It might have been their intention that a judge develop the definition because it is extremely difficult to write a law that criminalizes conduct that is harmful and wrong and that is also subject to constant variation based on unique circumstances. Any attempt to define cyberbullying will infringe on the First Amendment.

question: Summarize the New York Senate's approach to lawmaking.

question: Summarize the historical context around the news event.

answer: The Court of Appeals in Albany County held in People v. Marquan M. that the County's cyberbullying law is unconstitutional. The New York Senate attempted to write a law to criminalize cyberbullying but failed to define the concept at all. The reason for their attempt is because cyberbullying is becoming a hot button topic for re-election and a big problem socially.


text:
What we as investors witnessed from cryptocurrencies last year is something that may not be duplicated again. A single asset class gained more than 3,300% in market cap (almost $600 billion) over a span of just 12 months. It's essentially a lifetime's worth of gains for some investors that were crammed into only one year.

Of course, 2018 hasn't had nearly the same flair as 2017. After beginning January on a high note, cryptocurrencies fell off a cliff, losing 67% of their market cap, from peak to trough, between Jan. 7 and Feb. 6. Everything from the prospect of increased regulations in South Korea to FACEBOOK banning cryptocurrency advertisements hit the market hard.

[A rising green chart in front of digital price quotes for Litecoin, bitcoin, and Ripple.]

A rising green chart in front of digital price quotes for Litecoin, bitcoin, and Ripple.
Image source: Getty Images.

Then again, some aggressive investors saw the drop as a buying opportunity. In the two weeks following Feb. 6, digital currency valuations again doubled. This whipsaw action has become commonplace for a market that's predominantly driven by emotionally charged retail investors.

TAKE NOTE: THESE VIRTUAL CURRENCIES COULD STILL DOUBLE

Yet even with a plethora of risks and the volatility, a handful of virtual currencies continue to stand out thanks to their proprietary blockchain technology -- the digital, distributed, and decentralized ledger that's responsible for logging all transactions. While guessing the next move in virtual currencies has proved to be more of a crapshoot than Wall Street typically prefers, the following three cryptocurrencies may have a genuine shot at doubling from their current market caps.

1. ETHEREUM

Feel free to call me nuts, but I believe the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap has the potential to double and/or surpass bitcoin in total value. In fact, I've been of the opinion for quite some time that Ethereum deserves to be the most valuable cryptocurrency in the world, by market cap.

Ethereum's selling points are its blockchain and enterprise clients. Its blockchain has three very distinct differences from bitcoin that should allow it to close the market-cap gap with the world's largest cryptocurrency. First, Ethereum can process almost three times as many transactions per second as bitcoin can. Not only are these transactions processed more quickly, but they're considerably cheaper, with the average transaction on the Ethereum network costing less than $1, and the average bitcoin transaction cost pushing north of $28.

[Messy piles of physical silver and gold Ethereum coins.]

Messy piles of physical silver and gold Ethereum coins.
Image source: Getty Images.

Secondly, Ethereum's blockchain transcends currency-only applications. It not only has the potential to transform how financial institutions transmit money, but it can be pivotal in helping monitor supply chains, creating digital identifications, and logging medical records, to name a few ideas. Not surprisingly, 200 organizations from around the globe are currently testing a version of Ethereum's blockchain, via the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, from a multitude of different sectors.

Third, Ethereum's smart contract protocols are a game changer. Smart contracts aid in the verification, facilitation, and enforcement of a contract. In other words, they're the rules that make digital contracts binding, at least relative to murkier paper contracts. Smart contracts can be also be molded to fit the needs of a business, making them perfect for a host of industries and sectors.

While bitcoin struggles with slow processing times, high transaction fees, and is stuck with currency-only applications, Ethereum's network is scratching the tip of the iceberg.

2. NANO

If you want a true cryptocurrency wildcard, it would be Nano (formerly known as RaiBlocks). Nano brings an extremely unique blockchain design into the mix, as well as some groundbreaking processing speeds that could turn heads.

Rather than relying on a single central blockchain, which with an open-source network often means needing to reach a massive amount of people to achieve consensus anytime something big is about to happen with the network (e.g., a software or hardware upgrade), Nano sports a block-lattice blockchain. In other words, each user has their very own blockchain that they can control, meaning there's no large consensus that needs to be reached... _ever_. Because each account has its own blockchain, the network should, in theory, be rapidly scalable without impacting performance.

[A person holding a small glowing lock, surrounded by a lattice structure representing blockchain technology.]

A person holding a small glowing lock, surrounded by a lattice structure representing blockchain technology.
Image source: Getty Images.

How fast is the Nano network, you ask? According to the horse's mouth, Nano is capable of processing an incredible 7,000 transactions per second, albeit hardware upgrades in the near to intermediate future are expected to push this figure even higher. Relatively speaking, VISA can process in the neighborhood of 24,000 transactions per second, meaning Nano is closer than any other cryptocurrency at present to the payment processing kingpin. By comparison, bitcoin maxes out at a mere seven transactions per second.

It is worth pointing out that because of the setup of Nano's blockchain, it requires a peer-to-peer payment to be broken down into two separate transactions: one where the sender removes money from their account, and another where the receiver adds the funds to his or her account. It may sound cumbersome, but it's lightning-fast and, perhaps best of all, free.

The downside? Nano doesn't have any major partners as of yet. However, with these processing speeds, it's just a matter of time.

3. QTUM

A final virtual currency with the potential to double in value from its current levels is Qtum. Qtum's blockchain was developed with the idea of taking the best aspects of bitcoin's infrastructure and Ethereum's Virtual Machine, then tweaking it with proprietary additions. This created a blockchain that incorporates smart contract protocols and, despite future updates, will remain compatible with bitcoin gateways and existing Ethereum smart contracts.

In January, the Qtum Foundation noted that it would be announcing five major partnerships in 2018. Two of those partnerships were announced in January, just a day apart. The first involved 360 Finance, a subsidiary of Qihoo 360, a Chinese cybersecurity company that was taken private in 2016. Qihoo 360 is also the parent behind 360 Browser and the 360 Search engine in China, which currently ranks third in search market share. This partnership with 360 Finance creates a blockchain laboratory where, along with BTN Foundation, all three will put their heads together to develop cutting-edge blockchain solutions.

[Binary code and blockchain nodes surrounding a digital outline of the continents.]

Binary code and blockchain nodes surrounding a digital outline of the continents.
Image source: Getty Images.

The very next day, Qtum announced that it was partnering with Baofeng Bokocloud to achieve the world's first blockchain consensus network service. Baofeng's media player is a video and streaming service in China with more than 200 million users, and it's believed the company will use Qtum's blockchain for payments made to the company, as well as copyright protections.

What's far more exciting is what Baofeng is doing for Qtum's blockchain. Utilizing its Bokocloud service, Baofeng plans to increase Qtum's network to over 50,000 full nodes, pushing it well beyond the scalable potential of bitcoin, and even Ethereum. Under the right conditions, Qtum could flourish.

MORE FROM THE MOTLEY FOOL

-   3 Growth Stocks at Deep-Value Prices

-   5 Expected Social Security Changes in 2018

-   6 Years Later, 6 Charts That Show How Far Apple, Inc. Has Come Since Steve Jobs' Passing

-   10 Best Stocks to Buy Today

-   The $16,122 Social Security Bonus You Cannot Afford to Miss

-   Bitcoin's Biggest Competitor Isn't Ethereum -- It's This

_Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks or cryptocurrencies mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Facebook and Visa, but has no position in any cryptocurrencies mentioned. The Motley Fool has the following options: short March 2018 $200 calls on Facebook and long March 2018 $170 puts on Facebook. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy._

question: What is the focus of this post?

answer: The growth of cryptocurrencies.

question: Does the author believe that cryptocurrencies could continue to grow?

answer: Yes.

question: Which cryptocurrencies does the author suggest may double from their current market caps?

answer: ETHEREUM, NANO, and QTUM

question: Which cryptocurrency does the author think will surpass bitcoin?

answer: ETHEREUM

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The focus of this post is the growth of cryptocurrencies. The author believes that three cryptocurrencies have the potential to double from their current market caps: ETHEREUM, NANO, and QTUM.


text:
President Donald Trump stands firmly by the distortion that U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called the United States and its people "garbage."

Trump used the line at a rally in North Carolina and repeated it ata July 19 event to mark the first time a man walked on the moon. On July 23, at a Washington meeting of conservative high school students, he dropped it again.

"She called our country and our people garbage," Trump said July 23.

White House staffers Hogan Gidley and Stephen Miller stood by the line in interviews on Fox News, as did Fox News hosts Jeanine Pirro and Sean Hannity.

This mangles what Ocasio-Cortez said.

Here is the full context of her March 9, 2019, conversation at the South by Southwest Festival in which she used the word "garbage." She had been asked why it took a while for candidates to push for a $15 minimum wage and goals such as the Green New Deal.

Ocasio-Cortez answered with a story about a conversation with a Trump voter in her district.

"I'll never forget this one older woman who came to me and said, ‘You know, I always voted Democrat because growing up my dad told me that Democrats are the people that fight for the working man.’ "

"And we stopped. And the working man and woman and people is the majority of this country, and so what I think we saw was both parties frankly abdicated their responsibility.

"No one was fighting for working people who were struggling, and so, as a result, it almost created this opportunity. And you can take all of this anger and direct it to a negative and destructive end that allows a small group of people to benefit a great amount.

"Or you have to take a really bold stance to bring it the other way and direct it to the possibility of what we can accomplish together.

"And I think the thing that is really hard for people to sometimes see, is that when we are on this path of a slow erosion and a slow move away from what we've always been, we'll be a hundred miles — you won't even realize that you've drifted a hundred miles. So when someone's talking about our core it's like, ‘Oh, this is radical.’ "

"But this isn't radical. This is what we've always been.

"It's just that now we've strayed so far away from what has really made us powerful and just and good and equitable and productive. And so I think all of these things sound radical compared to where we are, but where we are is not a good thing. And this idea of like 10% better from garbage shouldn't be what we settle for."

Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace went back and forth with Miller over the full context of the quote.

"She's talking about policies," Wallace said.

"She's saying her starting point," Miller interjects.

"She's not talking about the country and the people," Wallace continued. "Is garbage such a horrible word?"

"She's saying that America in her view right now is garbage," Miller said.

Wallace noted Trump himself used a similar turn of phrase to criticize President Barack Obama. In 2014, Trump tweeted, "The United States, under President Obama, has truly become the ‘gang that couldn't shoot straight.’ Everything he touches turns to garbage!"

Our ruling

Trump asserted that Ocasio-Cortez called the country and its people "garbage."

In context, she was talking about standing up for working men and women, specifically Trump voters. At no point did she call them or the United States "garbage." She used the word to describe a situation that left working people behind.

Trump’s line turns her words upside down. We rate this claim False.

question: What does President Trump claim U.S Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said?

answer: He claims she called the U.S. and U.S. people "garbage".

question: What had U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez been asked?

answer: She had been asked why it took a whole for candidates to push for $15 minimum wage and goals such as the Green New Deal.

question: Who did Ocasio-Cortez have a conversation with?

answer: A Trump voter in her district

question: What was Ocasio-Cortez really advocating for?

answer: She was advocating for the working man and woman.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: An article discussing how President Trump claimed that U.S. Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said America and its people were garbage. The article went to further clarify what she had actually said and if the claim Trump was making was true or false.


text:
The Calrad

The Calrad- A lost medieval tome, dated 700 years before the Second Empire, detailing the brief unification of Calradia in the 14th century. Believed to be only a legend, it survived the trials of time buried in the tomb of the famed Calradian historian Ilioneus Rex. It is a tale of politics and of scheming, of brotherhoods and backstabbings, and the reign of Acidus Alcimus, the Golden King.
The Calrad has been revered since its rediscovery; it is the most prized piece of literature belonging to the Second Empire. Even before its unearthing, its stories were known to Calradians through paintings and works of art that survived when copies of the book itself did not.
The book gives a history of the 14th century, along with all the stories, and builds a window into a forgotten epoch. All that is known of the Lost Age comes from the Calrad. The Lost Age, as it is referred to as, was the period of time following the fall of the Calradian Empire until the birthing of the Second Empire, almost 1000 years later.
The book begins in a land torn between 6 kingdoms, each seeking to rule Calradia. It gives the tales of many- kings, lords, knights, and peasants- and details the brief unification of the land, an Empire that could have been, if it only lasted longer. It tells of the temporary shining of a golden lamp in the decrepit filth of the Lost Age...

Dawn of the Blackblood Marauders
	Alexis stood tall over the mountains. He was a thief, and a criminal. A grin rested on his face. The grass was green today, and the river flowing in the distance. Nothing could be better. He rested in the shade of a tall oak, three caravan guards tied and bound beside him. Is there such a feeling as robbery? Certainly nothing was half so exciting.
His pockets were full of denars, gold and shining. His share had been the biggest, of course, but the men had gotten their fair pickings of the loot. Alexis knew how to keep his men happy.
His nose picked up the scent of a pig roasting. There is nothing better than this. The Marauders had visited Aldelen earlier to demand their tribute, and had robbed a caravan they happened upon by chance as they were on the mountain pass that led out of Aldelen. The caravan had been en route to Tihr, but had opted to go over the mountains instead of through the Jelbegi pass. I didn’t know traders were so hasty to be robbed. The mountain passes were notorious for the high risk of robberies, mostly due to the presence of the Marauders. Caravans didn’t usually make the mistake of crossing the mountain pass.
Alexis sat to a feast of blackened pork around the campfire with his fellow bandits. They were mostly army deserters, but some, like Jerome One-Eye, had been manhunters, and more still had been common peasants. Alexis now led a band of over 40 men, though he had started with much fewer. And soon he would have 3 more new recruits- or 3 bodies to throw in a ditch. The caravan guards lay unconscious at the moment, but they would be given the choice when they woke. Alexis found that most people desired to keep their lives more than their honor.
The sun sank deep into the horizon, leaving cloaks of pink and purple laying in the sky. Robbery is the life for me. The Blackblood Marauders had been living up to their reputation as of late, looting and plundering up and down the Nordic coast. The Nords were at war with both of their neighboring kingdoms, leaving the chance ripe to be a criminal without consequence.
Only a few things called out to Alexis- gold, and glory, and both of those were to be found in the life of a bandit. The last few months had been a dream come true for him. The gold poured as fast as the wine, and the glory came with it; tales about the Marauders spread from village to village, town to town. Names have to be made somehow.
Alexis woke up the next morning in the forest, high upon the nor’easter mountains. There was a briskness in the air, but a drowsiness in the light that fell through the treetops. A fine morning for some banditry. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the peace that accompanies a calm morning. The gentle sound of hooves carried to his ears from the distance. They picked up, louder and louder, until Alexis’ senses came to him, and his eyes shot open. Some of his men were up around camp, and were stopping to listen as well. Alexis signaled to Sam Fleetfoot and Rayle Robins. They hurried to him over the leaves and branches of the forest.
“Sam, Rayle, keep the men out of sight, and quiet. Keep order.”
“O’ course,” Rayle promised. His hair was black and greasy, and pimples dotted his face. He was scrawny, and not much good in a fight, but he was loyal, and had been a Marauder from the beginning. Sam was also black of hair, with a wispy beard, but he had a good build- strong and muscular. The men looked up to him; he was a fierce raider.
They could be counted on to control the men for a while. Alexis slipped off into the sun-brushed trees, tracking the sound of the hooves. There were many horses, by the sound of them. Unusual, for the farmers and merchants who traveled the pass. The sound of hooves rose and fell. It sounds like an army was moving through the mountains.
Soon they came into view, and a view it was. The banners of King Harlaus rose to the treetops, the black lions on his banner dancing in the wind. The King of Swadia was leading his army on to besiege a Nordic city, no doubt. The sun glimmered off his armor as he led his array of knights and crossbowmen through the woods.
There is nothing to fear from this old king. We have no bounties on our heads in Swadia. Alexis slipped back off into the woods.
The men were packing up camp when Alexis arrived. Most of the men were dressed in simple tunics, some embroidered with the crests of their former lords. There were men bearing the black raven of King Ragnar, the three swords of Jarl Gundur, the red tower of Jarl Knudarr, and others too. Some other men were dressed in boiled leather, and others still wore nothing but furs. There was not a piece of solid steel armor to be found amongst the lot. They had all gathered to be looters and bandits, to fight the feudal system that had enslaved them.
	Alexis walked through the camp to his tent, a sprawling piece of fabric held in place by two leaning trees. Beneath the folds of the fabric, Sam lay with a captive girl, and Rayle was nowhere to be seen. I can count on these two, my arse.
	Alexis left Sam to his pleasures and began his rounds about the camp. The men were almost packed, as they carried nothing but the clothes on their backs and the loot in their sacks. Jerome One-Eye caught up to Alexis as soon as he saw him.
	“Alex, my good man, let me give you my weekly report.”
	“Very well, One-Eye.”
	“The men are satisfied, but we run low on rations. We must need be making another stop in Aldelen or Rizi for food. We’ve got denars aplenty, and 15 horses, belonging to me, if you’ll remember. With the new additions, our numbers are about 45. Enough to raid any village in Calradia.”
	“To Rizi it is, then. We’ll replenish our rations, collect our tribute, and recruit a few young lads who are tired of taking it in the arse from their liege lord.”
	Jerome laughed at that. He had been a manhunter before he joined the Marauders. The manhunters were men paid a slight salary to ride around on horses and round up petty thieves and small bands of criminals. The pay was low for the work, and most manhunters turned to looting themselves, such as Jerome One-Eye. He was a gruff man, with a graying beard, but the eye he had left often twinkled in mischief.
	The men were ready by mid-morning, and the Blackblood Marauders were halfway down the mountain by lunch. The men ate the remaining food as they walked, bread, sausages, cold pork, and wine. A couple of men were singing a vulgar tune, as bandits tend to do.

“If I see a maiden,
I’ll tell her that she's fair,
I’ll play nice and call her pretty names,
then stick it you-know-where!”

    The Marauders spilled out of the wooded highlands, and found themselves walking through a field of bodies. King Harlaus’ men, and Jarl Turegor’s men as well. A battle had raged earlier in the day, it seemed. And by the look of that head on a spike, the Jarl suffered a grievous death alongside his men.
	“It seems our work has been done for us today,” Alexis mused. “Help yourselves to the best armor and weapons you can loot, boys!” he shouted.
	“We’ve come across a miracle, young Alex!” Jerome was shaking from excitement, as he rode up to Alexis on his horse. “More weapons than we can count! More good steel than we can carry!”
	“Indeed, One-Eye. Tell Sam and Rayle to oversee the looting. Our men must wear all the armor they can bear, and stuff their sacks full of what they can’t carry on their backs. They will drag all this loot if they must.”
	“We should bring all this loot to Tihr, for sale, if I may offer some advice. We’ll be rich and richer still.”
	“Don’t you see, One-Eye? This is our chance for glory, glory brighter than all the shining of golden denars. This is our chance to take the dead Jarl’s castle, claim land for us Marauders. Hrus Castle will be ours. It lies but a short walk from here, I can see it in the distance. It will be empty but for these ghosts.” That is, if King Harlaus hasn’t taken it first.
	The castle did lie only a half-hours walk from the battleground, and was sitting seductively in the afternoon sun. It stood tall above the treeline of the woodlands behind it; the banner of Jarl Turegor still stood in the wind. In his mind, Alexis saw his own banner flying high above the ramparts- a maiden weeping a river of black blood.
	“Aye, we’d be feared then. Our tributes would triple. Bandits, looters, sea raiders, pillagers, and deserters would flock to join our ranks. Inform the men. They will be anxious to hold their own castle, I imagine.” Jerome One-Eye rode off to inform the men of the plans, kicking up dirt in his wake.
	All around Alexis, men tried on gauntlets, greaves, helms, and chain mails, grins splitting their faces. He had almost forgotten to pick out his own new set of arms and armor. Alexis surveyed the field until he found just what he was looking for. The only thing suitable for the leader of the Blackblood Marauders- The armor of Jarl Turegor.
	Alexis found the body a yard from the head on a stake. The Jarl’s armor was magnificent- a thick coat of plates, cloaked in a maroon tabard, which was once white. He found a helm suitable for a warlord, gauntlets and thick iron greaves as well. Close by was a heavy bastard sword, though if it was the Jarl’s, Alexis could not tell. It mattered not, the sword suited him all the same. He stripped to his tunic and breeches, and began to fit himself to the armor.
	One day I will have a squire to put on my armor. Perhaps that day is not so far now… The armor was heavier than Alexis expected. It was made of thick steel plates, tied together with leather straps. I’ll need a horse to ride now. He could hardly walk. This will take some getting used to.
Alexis could feel the stares of his men as he walked through the battlefield. God had let him stand taller and stronger, instilling loyalty into his men. The time is right to take Hrus Castle.
The Castle gates stared Alexis down.
	“Should we knock?” joked Sam.
	A smile crept over Alexis’ face. “No. Hack it down.”
	A handful of men with axes over their shoulders started chopping away at the thick oak doors that led into the castle. Under the eye of Jerome, a couple men were sorting the loot beside the castle walls. The rest of the men were still struggling to carry all the loot from the battlefield to the castle.
The gate was down within the hour. The castle yard was seemingly deserted. The Jarl must have taken his entire host to fight in the field. A fool’s mistake, and he paid for it.
“Let us become acquainted with our new castle.” The men streamed in after Alexis. Jerome was taking inventory of the loot outside, but he had a number of the men transporting it to the Lord’s hall as he counted it off. The Castle felt like home already. The men took up residence in the guard towers and barracks, resuming the beds that had been filled with other men the night before. Alexis examined the Lord’s hall, his hall.
The hall had a homey feel. It wasn’t cold and stony as other castles Alexis had seen; the hall was fitted with worn wood planks and a threadbare rug. Feast tables lined the walls, surrounded by stools. Braziers kept the hall well lit and warm. A bears pelt hung from one wall, and a large fireplace sat at the end of the hall. Alexis was surprised to see a small group of women sitting by it.
“And who might you ladies be?” He sauntered towards them, Sam and Rayle following him as guards. A couple other men stood by the door, taking position there.
“I am the Lady Aesa, sister to Lord Turegor. And who might it be that intrudes his castle?”	She was a brave woman. She showed no fear, even with the armored thieves treading all around her and her halls.
“It is his castle no longer. Jarl Turegor is dead. I killed him myself, defeated his host in battle.”
“I wonder how much we can ransom her for,” whispered Sam.
Lady Aesa began to sob.
“Drag her and her handmaidens off to my quarters. I will deal with them later”.
“As you wish,” said Sam. Rayle went with him, leaving Alexis alone in his hall.
My own castle. A castle for the Marauders. Great thoughts filled his head, and Alexis fell away into daydreams.

title: [FN] The Calrad

question: What is the Calrad?

answer: The Calrad is a lost medieval tome, dating 700 years before the Second Empire. It is believed to only be a legend and is supposedly buried in the tomb of the famed Calradian historian Illioneus Rex. It tells the tale of the reign of Acidus Alcimus, the Golden King. After it was rediscovered, it became the most prized piece of literature belonging to the Second Empire.

question: What is a manhunter?

answer: The manhunters are men that are paid a slight salary to round up petty thieves and small bands of criminals. Because the pay is so low, many manhunters turn to looting themselves.

question: What does the group discover after leaving the woods?

answer: They discovered a field of bodies, containing King Harlaus and Jarl Turegor's men. It seemed as though a battle had occurred there. The group loots the bodies of their weapons and armor.


text:
CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH HENRICI (January 14, 1700 – May 10, 1764), writing under the pen name PICANDER, was a German poet and librettist for many of the cantatas which Johann Sebastian Bach composed in Leipzig.

Henrici was born in Stolpen. He studied law at Wittenberg and Leipzig. He wrote to supplement his income from tutoring and continued even after obtaining regular employment as a civil servant.

Librettist for Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach moved to Leipzig in 1723. There is uncertainty as to who was writing the libretti he set during his first years in the city. The libretti for the Chorale cantata cycle of 1724/25 are anonymous. By 1725, Henrici and Bach were working together. Some of Bach's most important works used Henrici's libretti. Most notably their collaboration was on religious works in a Lutheran tradition such as the _St Matthew Passion_ (BWV 244). However, they also produced secular works such as the _Shepherds' Cantata_ of 1725 and the later _Coffee Cantata_ and _Peasant Cantata_.

_Sammlung Erbaulicher Gedanken_

For a year from the start of Advent 1724 Picander had published spiritual poetry in weekly editions, which he collected in 1725 as _Sammlung Erbaulicher Gedanken_. This caught Bach's eye who started using Picander's poetry for his cantatas from 1725, and used poems from Picander's first collection in his _St Matthew Passion_.[1][2]

_Ernst-Schertzhaffte und Satyrische Gedichte_

All volumes of Picander's __ (Leipzig, 1727–51) contain texts set to music by J. S. Bach, including those for the _St Matthew Passion_ and its associated funeral music for Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen (_Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt_, BWV 244a).[3]

Volumes and editions:

-   Vol. I: 1727, reprinted in 1732 and 1736.[4]
-   Vol. II: 1729, reprinted in 1734.[5]
-   Vol. III: 1732, reprinted in 1737.[6] This volume contained texts published in 1728 as _Cantaten auf die Sonn- und Fest-Tage durch das gantze Jahr_.[7]
-   Vol. IV: 1737.[8]
-   Reworked fourth edition, containing a selection of previous editions, in two volumes: 1748.[9]
-   Vol. V: 1751.[10]

Lost scores and reconstructions

In some cases, Henrici's texts have survived and Bach's settings have not. The lost scores include cases where the music has vanished without trace and others where there are clues as to what music Bach used to set the words, allowing the possibility of reconstruction.

Lost scores

In the preface to the third volume (1732) Picander claimed that J. S. Bach set a whole cycle of his cantata texts in 1729.[11] Only nine of J. S. Bach's settings are known to have survived (they include the cantatas for Christmas _Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe_, BWV 197a, New Year _Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm_, BWV 171, Whit Monday _Ich liebe den Höchsten von ganzem Gemüte_, BWV 174, and the feast of St Michael _Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg_, BWV 149) the statement made in the preface has been debated.[12][13]

Reconstructed scores

Examples of reconstructions include the funeral music for Prince Leopold and the _St Mark Passion_ (BWV 247) where Bach's music can be reconstructed because it is known to have been used in surviving pieces. Bach sometimes returned to compositions commissioned for one-off occasions and recycled the music. Picander was able to help the composer in this process by providing metrically similar new texts, effectively setting words to Bach's music.

[1] Flossman 1899, p. 44–46

[2] Picander (=Christian Friedrich Henrici). _Sammlung erbaulicher Gedancken über und auf die gewöhnlichen Sonn- und Festtage_. Leipzig: 1724/25

[3] Alberto Basso. _Frau Musika: La vita e le opere di J. S. Bach_, Volume 2: _Lipsia e le opere de la maturità (1723–1750)_. Turin: EDT, 1983. , p. 395

[4] Picander (=Christian Friedrich Henrici). _Ernst-Scherzhaffte und Satyrische Gedichte_, Volume I. Leipzig (1727); 2nd printing 1732; 3rd printing 1736.

[5] Picander (=Christian Friedrich Henrici). _Ernst-Scherzhaffte und Satyrische Gedichte_, Volume II. Leipzig (1729); 2nd printing 1734.

[6] Picander (=Christian Friedrich Henrici). _Ernst-Schertzhaffte und Satyrische Gedichte_, Volume III. Leipzig: Joh. Theod. Boetii Tochter (1732); 2nd printing 1737. B/W copy at archive.org (1732 edition)

[7] Picander (=Christian Friedrich Henrici). _Cantaten auf die Sonn- und Fest-Tage durch das gantze Jahr_. Leipzig (1728)

[8] Picander (=Christian Friedrich Henrici). _Ernst-Schertzhaffte und Satyrische Gedichte_, Volume IV. Leipzig: Friedrich Matthias Friesen (1737). B/W copy at archive.org

[9] Picander (=Christian Friedrich Henrici). _Picanders bis anhero herausgegebene Ernst-Scherzhafte und Satyrische Gedichte_: Volume I – Volume II. Leipzig: Johann Gottfried Dyck (1748). Other MDZ scan (Vol. I); B/W copy at archive.org (Vol. II)

[10] Picander (=Christian Friedrich Henrici). _Picanders neu herausgegebene Ernst-Schertzhaffte und Satyrische Gedichte_, Volume V. Leipzig: Johann Gottfried Dyck (1751). Other MDZ scan; B/W copy at archive.org

[11] Biography of Picander at Last.fm

[12]

[13] However, since those compositions which have survived are spread widely over the liturgical year, it is not impossible then that J. S. Bach did indeed set to music all the texts in that volume, as claimed by the preface, and that those compositions are now lost.

title: Picander

question: What does the article say about who was Picander?

answer: Picander was a German poet and librettist for many of the cantatas which Johann Sebastian Bach composed in Leipzig. Some of Bach's most important works used Henrici's libretti. Most notably their collaboration was on the St Matthew Passion, Shepherds' Cantata, the Coffee Cantata, and Peasant Cantata.

question: What does the article say about Franz Liszt?


text:
49.9% of games recommended

Cyberpunk 2077 has standout side quests and strong main characters, though its buggy, superficial world and lack of purpose bring it down.

Read full review

Thanks to a great remaster and a portable release, Sam & Max Save the World can now hit the road in style.

Read full review

Tetris Effect: Connected extends the magic of the original to multiplayer in familiar and innovative ways.

Read full review

Twin Mirror's solid character work and strong environments are shortchanged by pacing problems that undermine much of what it does well.

Read full review

It mostly relies on borrowed ideas, but when its snarky tone isn't getting in the way, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a solid open-world adventure.

Read full review

With Beyond Light, Destiny 2 can still get cyclical and repetitious, but its new abilities and improved storytelling make it feel much more alive.

Read full review

Fuser's core mashup-making mechanics are compelling, but they're best enjoyed as a creative pursuit rather than a challenge-based game.

Read full review

Mortal Kombat 11 hits where it counts, with smart refinements to a deep and exciting fighting system, entertaining story mode, and rewarding persistent content.

Read full review

Cold War's dynamic campaign stands out against bland multiplayer, while Zombies is a good co-op time with a few outstanding issues.

Read full review

question: What is an advantage of Cyberpunk 2077?

answer: It has standout side quests and strong main characters

question: Which game mostly relies on borrowed ideas?

answer: Immortals Fenyx Rising

question: Which game can get cyclical and repetitious?

answer: Beyond Light, Destiny 2

question: Which game has a deep and exciting fighting system, entertaining story mode, and rewarding persistent content?

answer: Mortal Kombat 11

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: A review of several video games and their story lines is presented. The issues with each game are also stated.


text:
DILLINGEN is a _Landkreis_ (district) in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Donau-Ries, Augsburg and Günzburg, and by the state of Baden-Württemberg (district of Heidenheim).

History

In ancient times the Danube river was a border between the Roman empire and the Germanic tribes north of the river. The Roman camp of PHOEBIANA (now Faimingen) was a bridgehead crossing the danube. There was an Apollo temple being one of the largest buildings north of the Alps in that time.

In medieval times the county of Dillingen was established. The counts of Dillingen ruled from the 10th to the 13th century, then (1258) the territory was turned over to the Prince Bishops of Augsburg, who gained several villages for their clerical state, hence subdividing the region into several patches, which were dissolved in the early 19th century. In 1804 Dillingen and its area became part of the state of Bavaria.

The district was established in 1972 by merging the former district of Dillingen (which had existed since 1804) with the western half of the former district of Wertingen. The city of Dillingen lost its status as a district-free city and became the capital of the newly established district.

Geography

The district is crossed by the river Danube, which enters the district in the southwest and leaves to the east. All cities in the district except for Wertingen are located along the Danube.

Coat of arms

  ----------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  |[Coat of arms]   |The white lion was part of the arms of the medieval county of Dillingen. The black lion in the middle is taken from the arms of the dissolved district of Wertingen. The fleur-de-lis is from the arms of the city of Dillingen.
  ----------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Towns and municipalities

[The district (_Landkreis_) of Dillingen – numbers in the map: see also the opposite list]

+----------------------+----------------------+
| Towns                | Municipalities       |
+:=====================+:=====================+
| |                    | |                    |
|                      |                      |
| 1.  Dillingen an der | 1.  Aislingen        |
|     Donau            | 2.  Bachhagel        |
| 2.  Gundelfingen an  | 3.  Bächingen        |
|     der Donau        | 4.  Binswangen       |
| 3.  Höchstädt an der | 5.  Bissingen        |
|     Donau            | 6.  Blindheim        |
| 4.  Lauingen         | 7.  Buttenwiesen     |
| 5.  Wertingen        | 8.  Finningen        |
|                      | 9.  Glött            |
|                      | 10. Haunsheim        |
|                      | 11. Holzheim         |
+----------------------+----------------------+

title: Dillingen (district)

question: What does the article say about the Danube river?

answer: The Danube was a border between the Roman empire and the Germanic tribes north of the river in ancient times. Dillingen district is crossed by the river Danube, which enters the district in the southwest and leaves to the east.

question: What does the article say about the Dillingen district?

answer: Dillingen district, Bavaria, Germany, is bounded by the districts of Donau-Ries, Augsburg and Günzburg, and by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The county of Dillingen was established in medieval times. The counts of Dillingen ruled from the 10th to the 13th century,  the territory was turned over to the Prince Bishops of Augsburg in 1258. In 1804, Dillingen and its area became part of the state of Bavaria.

question: What does the article say about how many tributaries the Danube has?