text:
Leicester is going back into lockdown after a spike in local coronavirus cases.

Non-essential shops in the city will be closed again from today - and schools will close from Thursday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons last night.

People living in LEICESTER are being urged to "stay at home as much as they can" and the NATIONWIDE EASING OF LOCKDOWN planned for 4 July does not apply to them, he said.

:: LISTEN TO THE DAILY PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTS, GOOGLE PODCASTS, SPOTIFY, SPREAKER

This means pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers preparing to reopen will have to delay their plans.

Travel in and out of the city should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

The RELAXATION OF RULES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SHIELDING in the area - planned for 6 July - cannot go ahead either.

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It comes after figures revealed Leicester accounts for 10% of all positive CORONAVIRUS cases reported across the country over the past week.

Leicester currently has 135 cases per 100,000 people - three times the amount of infections in the next highest city.

A walk-in testing centre is being set up in the city for people with symptoms, with extra funding going to all Leicestershire councils to help support businesses and those forced to self-isolate.

Authorities will help workplaces who have seen a cluster of cases and help them become more "COVID-19-secure".

Mr Hancock said the measures will be reviewed in two weeks and will not be in place "any longer than necessary".

They will not only apply to the city of Leicester but also to the surrounding area, he added.

The health secretary said: "Having taken clinical advice on the actions necessary and discussed them with the local team in Leicester and Leicestershire, we have made some difficult but important decisions.

"We recommend to people in Leicester, stay at home as much as you can, and we recommend against all but essential travel to, from and within Leicester.

"We'll monitor closely adhering to social distancing rules and we'll take further steps if that is what's necessary."

Children whose parents are key workers will still be able to go to school, he added.

Reacting to the decision, Leicester Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby described the move as "disappointing".

But he told Sky News: "There are obviously challenges here in Leicester and the sooner we get them sorted out the sooner we can get on with unlocking in the way the rest of the country is.

"Getting on top of the outbreak is a very high priority. We were a bit sceptical, but on reflection I think it's a very sensible thing for them [the government] to do."

Leicestershire County Council leader Nick Rushton added: "Clearly coronavirus does not adhere to lines on a map.

"And although county rates are below the national and regional averages, we can't be complacent and it makes sense to step up restrictions in areas closer to the city.

"This is the first localised lockdown on this scale and undoubtedly there will be issues to iron out.

"I understand this is disappointing news when most of the country is opening back up, but it's crucial that people follow the latest advice."

THIS IS THE CLEAREST INDICATION THE CURRENT CRISIS IS FAR FROM OVER
_Analysis by political correspondent Joe Pike_

We knew this local lockdown was coming, but the four-hour delay to the health secretary's formal announcement made it clear quite how tricky this decision was. Both for the government and for the city of Leicester.

On Tuesday, Boris Johnson is due to deliver a major speech elsewhere in the Midlands. It was supposed to be a carefully crafted intervention to reset his premiership: shifting attention away from the COVID crisis, and towards the "levelling-up" agenda on which the PM was elected.

But this is the clearest indication the current crisis is far from over. The prime minister may want to move forwards, yet parts of the country are now moving backwards in their coronavirus recovery. And all this just a few days before bars, restaurants and cafes are due to reopen in the rest of England.

There has been little clarity as to how this local lockdown will be policed, or the extent to which the people of Leicester will follow the rules. And if Leicester is first, where's next?

question: What protective measures did the health secretary have concerning children who will still go to school?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Why did the Leicester mayor find the move by the health secretary disappointing?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Why didn't Leicester ease its lockdown unlike other cities and countries?

answer: There was a spike in the local coronavirus cases in the city.

question: What happens to those who don't follow the lockdown rules in Leicester?

answer: It's not stated.

question: For how long was the lockdown extended in Leicester?

answer: That information is not known.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer: This article highlights the reason Leicester could not ease its lockdown rules, unlike other cities and countries. The spike in the number of coronavirus cases in Leicester was a significant concern, with 135 cases per a hundred thousand people. Because of this, the authorities made preparations to secure a walk-in center in the city for those with symptoms. On the other hand, the health secretary recommended that people stay at home more often and stick with the social distancing rules. He also added that children whose parents are essential workers will still go to school. However, this decision was not well received by the Leicester mayor. He suggested that all restrictions, no matter how disappointing, should stand until the issues in the city are resolved.


split: test

text:
I miss the wind. Its gentle caress upon your skin, the way it billows through your hair like a silken comb, encompassing and soft like a lover's embrace. It is a calming breeze, one that allows you to put things in perspective, and return to an objective point of view.

Goddamned civilization.

The wind is gone now, the pure wind at least, replaced by the stale pollution of the city's leavings, the only breeze generated by the sheer amount of movement that happens on a regular basis. Humanity is too ignorant to see the forest for the trees, aware only of their own little bubble of reality, many refusing to accept the possibility of the unknown, as it would shatter their perceptions and rattle their "perfect" world.

Alas, I find myself on a tangent yet again. This happens quite a bit. It is a good thing I am not talking to myself.

Yes, that's right. I've known you were here.

About the last ten minutes.

Because had I simply wished to stop your espionage, you would have been quite dead by now.

Even immortals can die, Mr. Randolph.

Put down the gun, it will do you absolutely no good at this range. That calibur is only effective if you put enough distance between us to allow for a clean shot. Fired point blank, it would be fairly ineffective at causing any lethal damage.

I grow tired of this conversation. Allow me to get back on track.

You are here because of your master. He wants to know about Project K16M9.

Oh, you were not included in that conversation, were you? Please, exit those pointless shadows, come sit down.

Sit.

SIT.

Very good. Now, your master and I have-

You prefer employer. How quaint. You like to believe you have a choice in your dealings with him. I shall leave you to your delusions for now.

Calm yourself, it is irrelevant at this point. Listen carefully. Your...employer...and I have been in a partnership for...well, longer than you have been here, I assure you. You see, I remember when his organization was but a fledgling group, being staked out for destruction by those who would not benefit from it. Their stock plummeted each time your employer's team grew.

Yes, I am using vague terms. Subtlety is important when you are on candid camera.

Sit down, you are too paranoid. I own this building, and the camera in my office feeds to a recorder only I know the location of. Besides, there are far worse things to worry about with me than being seen by others. I just like using metaphors.

May I continue my tale, or would you like to inject something into the story?

I thought so.

The business grew, and as it did, so shrank those too weak or too stupid to escape the power of corporate earnings. Have you ever heard of natural selection, Mr. Randolph? It states that only the strong survive, the weak and incompetent are left to die and be eaten by those stronger and smarter than they are. Interesting theory. One that worked for quite some time.

Unfortunately, there came a time when stupidity rose up in large numbers and overthrew the balance.

Soon, the weak and the ignorant had banded together within organizations, led by overzealous leaders who took advantage of their herd mentality in order to manipulate them into doing their bidding. Brilliant in its simplicity. Relate to the flock on their level, make them feel important, make them feel drawn and led by something, and their sheer numbers will blot out the sun.

Then the takeover began.

Your employer's numbers dwindled as these groups took the hatchet - quite literally - to each of his employees, one by one. They then began to burn his profits, usually at the stake. Before long, other companies were targeted who were considered salacious, or evil. Stocks plummeted as the product was recalled. Before long, they almost went out of business.

Here, you look tense by this tale. Have some warm milk, it will ease your nerves.

Ah, I see. You prefer other things. No matter, you shouldn't feel hunger for at least another hour, long enough to relay the information.

This is where I came in. Your employer turned to me, knowing my battle strategy for good business and my track record for accomplishing the impossible through my vast networking skills, requesting my expertise in the matter. His payment was to be tendered in full once I had finished the deal.

I set to work, sending several contacts into the rival companies, the flocks of ignorance, slowly using them as splinter cell agents to topple their hierarchy. At the same time, i've kept several of my own men and women within your employer's company, measuring your market trends, keeping an eye on fiscal results, and responsible for procurement and acquisition of goods. This allowed-

Interrupt me one more time, and I shall have an excuse to put up a beautiful cremation urn that would just look tacky had it not a purpose. If anyone asks, you will have been a very close cousin. May I finish now?

Stop shaking, it doesn't befit an assassin.

This allowed me to filter all data back into my hands, from which I could finally work my magic, if you'll excuse the term. Before long, my contacts held a prominent position of power in the corporation of ignorance and weakness. Product hemorrhaged out of the company, and into your employer's. The irony of that is simply delicious. Nonetheless, before long a trade network was set up, and the two had an unofficial partnership, one that is covered within the non-disclosure agreements, or pacts as we once called them.

Now, the companies are speaking of a merger, one that will allow the sheep to live normal lives and careers, and in return, sales for your employer will never take a downturn. Moreover, my contacts have also risen to power in your employer's company, as well.

The deal has been completed. Payment is now due in full.

No, not money, you fool. Why would you believe a person such as myself has any need for material things? No, the deal was a gain for information. You see, I am a very curious person. I research, gather data, keep informed on anything and everything. I am rather traveled, you understand. As such, I now have a new source of information, and a new network from which to gather said information. One that is much stealthier than a human contact, one which doesn't require sleep, and eats only when necessary. One who lives quite a bit longer.

Go back to your master. Tell him Project K16M9 is complete.

Tell him I shall now take my payment.

Congratulations, Mr. Randolph.

You both work for ME now.

title: Strictly A Business Matter

question: Who does the assassin work for, and how does the narrator foil his plan?

answer: The assassin works for an employer whom the narrator had previously partnered with. Speaking with veiled metaphor, the narrator discusses an organization which may have been a company. This company was infiltrated by bad actors, and the narrator was brought on to infiltrate the bad actors themselves and save the company. Eventually the narrator was so powerful that they had the ability to partner with the bad actors and merge the two companies, essentially taking control. He convinces the assassin that he now owns their employer. [It may be that the narrator is talking about secret societies, or vampires, or something similar, because it is implied the narrator is immortal.]


text:
*“Really, is this the place to complain? Don’t psycho babble me. Don’t tell me what you know about me.”*

“This is the Phantom Tattoo of Dialas.” The human head on the ground said, motioning with its eyes up to its forehead where a tattoo of a bird with a worm in its mouth became shrunk with the effort of looking up towards it.

*“Did I ever tell you that you look decades older than you are? Did you ever listen? You can’t come in here and”*

The sapling tree looked at the tattoo and nodded. The upper portion of its trunk served as a head with a mouth at the point where the last branches occurred with his eyes at the end of those branches. “I see that you are wise.”

*“When they pulled him out of the water, there were fishes in his mouth. Like whole fishes. Big ones. They’d roll their eyes at you and then start gasping.”*

The head rolled towards the sapling as it tried to nod. “Whoooooaaaa.” The head exclaimed, and knocked the sapling over.

*“The eco disasters are here. They are now. You can’t ignore them. This is not the end of mankind, it is the end of life. You don’t just walk away from this. You die with it.”*

The sapling used its roots to stand and declared “I am Iron Giant. I am of the Three Oak Woods. I have left the desolation of my forest to find a new home for my people. I communicate with them through the wind.”

*“There’s a Native American word – it’s like their language, man – and it’s Dialis. It means the last worm. When the last worm is pulled, they say, then the we ain’t got long. Look, a buddy of mine carved it in that tree over there. Let me show you.”*

There was a muffled noise and Iron Giant gave the head a nudge and it righted itself. “I am Al.” The human head said. “I have been decapitated from my body and search for it by questioning those that come upon me – have you seen a human body as of late?”

*“The thing that you encounter most in life is hope. Everyone who wakes up is full of hope, or they’d stay in bed. That’s how all life is. Everything you see around you. Just growing up out of the ground in hope of something more. I hope one day we find out what we’re hoping for.”*

Iron Giant looked around himself and replied “I have not.”

*“She hit him with a bottle. Right over there! Man, just knocked him down. Blood running, people running, cops running – it was bizarre. Just hit him in the head with a bottle for no reason. People are getting nuts, man.”*

Al squinted at Iron Giant and replied “I believe you. Tell me, where do you expect to find a forest? The last forest fell many years ago. In fact, I find it hard to believe you stand in front of me.”

*“When I was four I lost a tooth and it really upset me. I thought that was it. I’d never get that tooth back. I was malformed. Something wrong. I’ve felt that way ever since.”*

Iron Giant explained “My forest is far away, across the ocean.”

*“Do you still talk to your father?”*

“But you are a sapling, you cannot have come far.”

*“We have a trace on the call and we believe it’s coming from inside the house. But not your house.”*

“I am a stunted tree without soil or water to relax in; in fact, I am 45 years of age.”

*“When it comes down to it, people are all the same – shits.”*

The head sighed. “There’s a computer over there. You could ask it.”

*“Thank you for yielding your time. This measure – this aberration to the United States…this idea that you can choke business to save trees…well, I’m amazed.”*

Iron Giant looked over to a dead tree in the barren desert he occupied with Al and asked “And did it find your body?”

*“You get that iPhone with the Mars app? Shits live, man. Live.”*

The head explained “No. It can only answer yes or no questions. It said my body still exists.”

*“The overabundance of the chemical in the soil will lead to a collapse in the ecosystem. That was 80 years ago, and now you’re standing in the remains. Look around you – that sound you hear is your own feet breaking glass. This is more than a desert, it’s a window.”*

Iron Giant approached the computer and asked “Say, computer, is there a forest on this planet that still exists?”

*“I would say that if they don’t pull out of the neutral zone there will be war. And this won’t be the tit for tat firing we’ve seen for the passed 70 years – this will be a nuke throw.”*

The computer responded “Yes.”

*“You haven’t done shit all your life. You lay around and just soak up money. I’d divorce you, but you spent everything that’s left on junk.”*

“Is it to the north?”

*“Bless you.”*

“Yes.”

*“They are in the air. God bless America.”*

“Is it within a year away?”

*“We want you to remember that this is not a reflection on you. Your efforts have proven your worth and it’s with much regret we must inform you…”*

“Yes.”

*“You are the dumbest, laziest, jackass of a kid I have ever laid eyes on. Why don’t you just kill yourself?”*

“Do you tell the truth?”

*“LOLZ. STUPID BETCH.”*

“Yes.”

*“No word from the Dakotas.”*

“Do you lie?”

*“The fundamental right of each and every human being is to praise Jesus. Praise the word. Praise his name. We have found the glory!”*

“Yes.”

*“Odds are one in 678 million. No purchase necessary. For information on redeeming free game cards”*

“Do you only say Yes?”

*“You know, I see these people driving – I don’t know where they’re going – but they mean something to someone and so I stop and I wave. What’s wrong with that?”*

“Yes.”

*“It is a learning moment, as the newborn opens its eyes and receives the grubs from its mother.”*

Iron Giant looked over at the head on the ground, who was now crying. “That’s all that I had left.” The head said.

*“3 billion is a lot over night.”*

“Were you here when this tree died?”

*“If history has taught us nothing else, then science can: we are doomed.”*

Both the computer and the head responded “Yes.”

*“The space program today has detected what could be the last”*

“How did it die?”

*“fell on the S and P in a short fall to the end of the period when lasting meaningful relationships fell upon the Earth in dark blotches that ran into the sea and said Fuck it one last time.”*

The computer responded “Yes” and Al responded “It got into a fight with the computer. The computer showed up long ago and the tree began asking it the same questions you did. The tree got angry and struck the computer and the computer fried it.”

*“Reports are coming in.”*

“Then the computer still has defensive measures? What could it be guarding?”

*“Most of Russia and the European inland.”*

“I don’t know. I tried to open the computer and it decapitated me.”

*“Goodnight.”*

“Then your body should be around here somewhere.”

“I’m afraid it is. It is the tree.”

title: Apple Tree

question: Who is the Iron Giant?

answer: The Iron Giant is the Three Oak Woods, who communicates with their people through the wind.


text:
Well, some thoughts I guess.
It’s Monday. Today was interesting to say the least. I’m kidding, I did absolutely nothing, it was great.
I thought fuck it, after a questionable marathon of “geordie shore” I needed to try regain some brain cells.
A cafe in the local area generally is my morning routine. With a strong coffee and laptop in hand I must come across as the biggest cliće, but…I like it.
Not necessarily the image portrayed by the stigma attached, not that, but rather that I feel weirdly peaceful.
It’s like I feel most comfortable and clear minded when things feel busy, or are moving fast. I feel I can get stuff done with a sense of urgency.
Too much time and I overthink, over evaluate, under deliver and execute. Not because I’m incapable, far from it. I just simply…stutter? I want to take steps forward, I want to achieve all these things and I know exactly what to do,
but just…How?
I’m at my stop, I know I’ve got to get off, I stand up courageously, grasp my belongings take a step forward doors open winds gushing people rushing doors closing and train proceeds to leave… while I’m still standing there glaring like what the fuck just happened.
I feel like this underlying and very unnecessary pressure from doubt destructs my rationality and foresight to decision make. Creating this vicious (not so vicious) never ending circle of uncertainty.
It’s the ‘what if’s that get you. You settle with this vision, this notion of what you think you want to indulge and invest into, you know that this very thing is what infinitely makes you happy and tingly downstairs.
Then your mind starts to wonder, what if this isn’t the answer, what if this isn’t the best step forward, could I devote to something more beneficial? should there be another way of doing this, am I wasting my time?

So anyway here I am sitting there, coffee on my table and slouched in my chair just thinking, pondering the questions I have, passing time observing my surroundings while my mind skips over the finer details. God I feel like a spy sometimes, its amusing to entertain the fantasy, remembering how many steps from the car, how many cars parked around mine, nearest exits, what the headline’s on the newspaper briskly read by the girl over my shoulders are. Of course I remember none of these however, she did have nice personalities. You damn well bet I didn’t say hello either.

Time is funny though, I think everyones spends it just trying to enjoy themselves and craft their own cool experience from it. Sadly the one thing we all are ruled by is time. It’s the beginning and the end, the be all end all.
It scares me to just fixate on it, but the possibilities are endless. With anxious thought comes electrifying energy. My mind bounces, baffled by opportunity knowing that by simply devoting time and strategic thinking I can literally have anything. I guess it is what it is, half the fun is like reading an old school goosebumps bedtime story, you take a step and go with the flow trying to anticipate what’s next then reflecting thinking, well that was weird.
I once read, never lose time thinking about lost time. Heavy.

I feel energised now, or maybe its just the coffee.

title: HM Under le influence

question: Is the narrator a freelancer?

answer: Information not found.

question: Does he find a way to stop overthinking?

answer: No

question: Where is he going?

answer: To a cafe

question: Does he find answers to his questions?

answer: Not really

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator goes to grab a coffee from a cafe nearby and thinks about life decisions and time.


text:
MICHEL MEDA (born 24 December 2000) is a Cameroonian football defender who currently plays for Fortuna Liga club Pohronie.

Club career

FK Pohronie

Meda joined Pohronie early September 2019. He made his professional Fortuna Liga debut for Pohronie against Senica on 28 September 2019, in an away fixture at OMS Arena. Meda had replaced Ján Dzúrik in the 87th minute of the match, shortly after Samson Akinyoola had scored the match's only goal, guaranteeing a narrow win for the home side.[1]

Meda had helped the club retain the top division allegiance for the next season but was released from the club ahead of it.

[1] SENICA VS. POHRONIE 1 - 0 28.09.2019, soccerway.com

title: Michel Meda

question: Where is Michel Meda from?

answer: Michel Meda is from Cameroon.

question: What team does Meda play for currently?

answer: Meda plays for Fortuna Liga club Pohronie.

question: How many professional goals has Meda scored in his career?

answer: Not answered.

question: How many times has Meda been traded?

answer: Not answered.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about Michel Meda, a Cameroonian footballer who currently plays for Fortuna Liga club Pohronie.


text:
Authors Note: I wrote this because I was inspired by a post on r/depression by the user u/terencepen1 . I know that I am still a novice writer and I need to improve on a lot of aspects of my fiction writing. I am posting this story in this sub because it seems like an appropriate place to share this.
------------------

“If you and Matt are busy, we can always grab lunch another time.”
The letters spun underneath the tips of my fingers and entered the chat, but I didn’t feel or register the action. I honestly don’t feel much of anything anymore.

“No, Matt and I are in line to get food.” Grayson messaged.

“Cool! I’m sitting somewhere near the entrance.”

You know, I said that it was cool, but some part of me really didn’t want to eat with them. I twirled the carrots on my plate, pretending to be absorbed in the intricacies of undercooked college dining hall food, just so I could act aloof, so I could let Matt and Grayson know that I didn’t need them. I had my brittle root vegetables.

They made their way over to where I was sitting. We mostly ate in silence, my two friends chittering away with one another, unaware of the malignant pleasures bewitching my brain. I could feel my face contort in such a ghastly manner, the only way it can when you are about to sob.
“Are you okay?” Matt asked, his eyebrows did the thing where they turn up and scrunch together. The "genuine concern eyebrows."

“You know, just casually suicidal.” I laughed, a meek cry for help. He halfheartedly grinned in response, and then jumped back into his previous conversation with Grayson. Their lack of acknowledgement or concern and ability to go along with my fervent lies bothered me to no end, and I got up to leave not soon after. I couldn’t just sit here without letting the waterworks spill over.

--------
Back in my dorm, I turned on the shower, my hands feeling heavy and not entirely my own. I stepped out of the bathroom to let the water warm up a bit. The preemptive sting of tears hit the bridge of my nose once again. Without even thinking I took the few steps to my bed and ripped the comforter off, throwing my clothes around the room, hoping for even the slightest trace of anything other than the sinking weight of living that made its home in my ribcage. Hoping that ruining my always tidy asylum would ignite a feeling of regret or just ground me into reality. Standing in the middle of the room I looked at the mess that I had designed. A sweater touched some my roommates side and I shoved it back to my side with my foot. My eyes glanced instinctively down to my phone. A notification from Matt lit up the screen.

"Hey, sorry that your having a bad day, if you ever want to talk we’re here. We love you.”

It was a sweet notion, but the only thing that crossed my mind was that he spelled “you’re” wrong. And because of that, I just wouldn't reply. He could have said something when I admitted my casual distress fifteen minutes prior, i wish he would have said something. The shower should be hot by now.

Something about having scalding water hit my face made the welled up tears finally fall from my eyes. I am so worthless.

This education is so expensive, and if my human capital is worthless, then I am just a waste of space and money.

I lathered some shampoo into my hair, it smelled like candied roses.

What is the point of living if things won’t get better? I am so fucking sick, so sad and so chemically messed up. I will always be empty and sad.
I should just kill myself.
Who would it hurt? Maybe my dad. I love my dad, but he isn’t the reason why I wouldn't go through with my own euthanasia.

I rinsed out the shampoo and put in conditioner.

The friends that I have made don’t know me well enough to truly be sad if I died. My roommate would be a little sad, but she’d get over it. It’s only been five months that I have known these new friends, five months isn’t enough time to be sad if someone you know meets their own mortality. Some rational part of my brain keeps arguing that I have already spent a lot of money on school, and that if I were to kill myself now, then I would be wasting that money, I should finish what I started.

I put some shower gel onto a loofah and started to scrub my skin. I have superficial reasons to take care of this stupid body even if I want to discard it. I know that showering can make these sick feelings go away. Feverish water rinsed away the suds from my shoulders and arms, running down the drain with the filth of my existence.

I could never go through with it though. Every option would hurt too much. Jumping from the roof would make a huge mess for everyone, and who even knows if it would work? What if I just ended up paralyzed? The same can be said for an overdose. The only pills I have access too might not even kill me. How much ibuprofen do you have to take to do any damage? As for bleeding out… that has the potential to be nice, I often like to romanticize the act of slitting my wrists and dying, how everything would burn yet feel cold and how I would fade into oblivion. But that isn’t realistic, and I don’t really think that I’d be capable of cutting deep enough into my arm to do any real damage, and my fantasia of the act is just that, a fantasy. Plus my roommate would have to deal with the mess and that’s just rude, I refuse to be a rude human being. I know that for some arbitrary reason I have to keep on living, but wouldn’t things just be so much easier I could enter the void? If I could end all of this trivial torment?

 I just don’t want to be alone.

The bombardment of tears has passed, I can feel the burn that lingers every time that I blink. I got out of the shower and lazily dried myself off. Slipping on some gross dirty clothes I decided to take a walk. Maybe I could find a bridge to jump off of.

The bite of frosty winter air hit me as I stepped outside. It’s a Tuesday and people are walking around going places, living. I round the corner of my building and spot the frozen yogurt shop that my friends and I go to on Wednesdays. I don’t know what convinced me to enter the shop, I didn’t really have the money to treat myself to this. I walked in and grabbed the smallest cup, filling it with plain vanilla, no toppings, just vanilla yogurt. The cashier rang me up, saying “that’ll be four dollars,” his voice chimed with a weird genuine vibrato that is hard to find in any food service or retail job. It’s contagious really, I smiled back at him and went to sit down. I still can’t feel my hands, it’s as if a phantom possess my body and I have to take the backseat while they control me. I look down at the plain and boring treat in my lap and a single tear rolls down my cheek. I just have to take each day one at a time. I know that today won’t be the day that I die, maybe I can sleep off this heavy dread.

title: Suicide Ice Cream [RF]

question: What thoughts cross the narrator's mind while taking a shower?

answer: While taking a shower, the narrator thinks that he is worthless. He also reflects on how expensive education is and that if his human capital is worthless then he would turn out to be a waste of space and money. He further dives deeper into these depressive thoughts about how there is nothing to live for and that he is sick of this life that he would like to end.

question: What is the reason behind these thoughts the narrator has?

question: What does Matt do to help the narrator?

answer: Matt drops a text to the narrator stating that he is sorry that he is having a bad day and that they would be around if he ever wants to talk.


text:
I have been working closely recently with a few extraordinary nutritional researchers, and I find that the information they have compiled is quite eye opening. Interestingly, what these highly esteemed doctors are saying is just beginning to be understood and accepted, perhaps because what they are saying does not conveniently fit in with or support the multi-billion dollar food industries that profit from our "not knowing". One thing is for sure: we are getting sicker and more obese than our health care system can handle, and the conventional methods of dealing with disease often have harmful side effects and are ineffective for some patients.

As it is now, one out of every two of us will get cancer or heart disease and die from it - an ugly and painful death as anyone who has witnessed it can attest. And starting in the year 2000, one out of every three children who are born after that year will develop diabetes--a disease that for most sufferers (those with Type 2 diabetes) is largely preventable with lifestyle changes. This is a rapidly emerging crisis, the seriousness of which I'm not sure we have yet recognized. The good news is, the means to prevent and heal disease seems to be right in front of us; it's in our food. Quite frankly, our food choices can either kill us - which mounting studies say that they are, or they can lift us right out of the disease process and into soaring health.

In the next few months, I will share a series of interviews I've conducted with the preeminent doctors and nutritional researchers in the fields of their respective expertise. And here it is straight out: they are all saying the same thing in different ways and through multiple and varying studies: animal protein seems to greatly contribute to diseases of nearly every type; and a plant-based diet is not only good for our health, but it's also curative of the very serious diseases we face .

CANCER

On the subject of cancer, I've asked Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Cornell University and author of the groundbreaking The China Study to explain how cancer happens and what we can do to prevent and reverse it. Dr. Campbell's work is regarded by many as the definitive epidemiological examination of the relationship between diet and disease. He has received more than 70 grant years of peer-reviewed research funding, much of which was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), and he has authored more than 300 research papers. He grew up on a dairy farm believing in the great health value of animal protein in the American diet and set out in his career to investigate how to produce more and better animal protein. Troublesome to his preconceived hypothesis of the goodness of dairy, Dr. Campbell kept running up against results that consistently proved an emerging and comprehensive truth: that animal protein is disastrous to human health.

Through a variety of experimental study designs, epidemiological evidence, along with observation of real life conditions which had rational biological explanation, Dr. Campbell has made a direct and powerful correlation between cancer (and other diseases and illnesses) and animal protein. Following is a conversation I had with him so that I could better understand the association.

KF: What happens in the body when cancer develops? What is the actual process?

TCC: Cancer generally develops over a long period of time, divided into 3 stages, initiation, promotion and progression.

Initiation occurs when chemicals or other agents attack the genes of normal cells to produce genetically modified cells capable of eventually causing cancer. The body generally repairs most such damage but if the cell reproduces itself before it is repaired, its new (daughter) cell retains this genetic damage. This process may occur within minutes and, to some extent, is thought to be occurring most of the time in most of our tissues.

Promotion occurs when the initiated cells continue to replicate themselves and grow into cell masses that eventually will be diagnosed. This is a long growth phase occurring over months or years and is known to be reversible.
Progression occurs when the growing cancer masses invade neighboring tissues and/or break away from the tissue of origin (metastasis) and travel to distant tissues when they are capable of growing independently at which point they are considered to be malignant.

KF: Why do some people get cancer, and other don't? What percentage is genetic, and what percentage has to do with diet?

TCC: Although the initiated cells are not considered to be reversible, the cells growing through the promotion stage are usually considered to be reversible, a very exciting concept. This is the stage that especially responds to nutritional factors. For example, the nutrients from animal based foods, especially the protein, promote the development of the cancer whereas the nutrients from plant-based foods, especially the antioxidants, reverse the promotion stage. This is a very promising observation because cancer proceeds forward or backward as a function of the balance of promoting and anti-promoting factors found in the diet, thus consuming anti-promoting plant-based foods tend to keep the cancer from going forward, perhaps even reversing the promotion. The difference between individuals is almost entirely related to their diet and lifestyle practices.

Although all cancer and other diseases begin with genes, this is not the reason whether or not the disease actually appears. If people do the right thing during the promotion stage, perhaps even during the progression stage, cancer will not appear and if it does, might even be resolved. Most estimates suggest that not more than 2-3 percent of cancers are due entirely to genes; almost all the rest is due to diet and lifestyle factors. Consuming plant based foods offers the best hope of avoiding cancer, perhaps even reversing cancer once it is diagnosed. Believing that cancer is attributed to genes is a fatalistic idea but believing that cancer can be controlled by nutrition is a far more hopeful idea.

KF: You said that initially something attacks the genes, chemicals or other agents; like what?

TCC: Cancer, like every other biological event--good or bad--begins with genes. In the case of cancer, gene(s) that give rise to cancer either may be present when we are born or, during our lifetimes, normal genes may be converted into cancer genes by certain highly reactive chemicals (i.e., carcinogens).

Consider 'cancer genes' as seeds that grow into tumor masses only if they are 'fed'. The 'feeding' comes from wrongful nutrition. It's like growing a lawn. We plant seeds but they don't grow into grass (or weeds) unless they are provided water, sunlight and nutrients. So it is with cancer. In reality, we are planting seeds all of our lifetime although some may be present at birth, not only for cancer but also for other events as well. But this mostly does not matter unless we 'nourish' their growth.

The chemicals that create these cancer genes are called 'carcinogens'. Most carcinogens of years past have been those that attack normal genes to give cancer genes. These are initiating carcinogens, or initiators. But more recently, carcinogens also may be those that promote cancer growth. They are promoting carcinogens, or promoters.

Our work showed that CASEIN IS THE MOST RELEVANT CANCER PROMOTER EVER DISCOVERED.

Aside from chemicals initiating or promoting cancer, other agents such as cosmic rays (energetic particles) from the sun or from the outer reaches of space may impact our genes to cause them to change (i.e., mutate) so that they could give rise to cancer 'seeds'. The most important point to consider is that we cannot do much about preventing initiation but we can do a lot about preventing promotion. The initiating idea is fatalistic and outside of our control but the promotion idea is hopeful because we can change our exposure to promoting agents and reverse the cancer process, thus is within our control.

KF: What exactly is so bad about animal protein?

TCC: I don't choose the word "exactly" because it suggests something very specific. Rather, casein causes a broad spectrum of adverse effects.

Among other fundamental effects, it makes the body more acidic, alters the mix of hormones and modifies important enzyme activities, each of which can cause a broad array of more specific effects. One of these effects is its ability to promote cancer growth (by operating on key enzyme systems, by increasing hormone growth factors and by modifying the tissue acidity). Another is its ability to increase blood cholesterol (by modifying enzyme activities) and to enhance atherogenesis, which is the early stage of cardiovascular disease.

And finally, although these are casein-specific effects, it should be noted that other animal-based proteins are likely to have the same effect as casein.

KF: Ok, so I am clear that it's wise to avoid casein, which is intrinsic in dairy (milk and cheese), but how is other animal protein, such as chicken, steak, or pork, implicated in the cause and growth of cancer?

TCC: I would first say that casein is not just "intrinsic" but IS THE MAIN PROTEIN OF COW MILK, REPRESENTING ABOUT 87% OF THE MILK PROTEIN.

The biochemical systems which underlie the adverse effects of casein are also common to other animal-based proteins. Also, the amino acid composition of casein, which is the characteristic primarily responsible for its property, is similar to most other animal-based proteins. They all have what we call high 'biological value', in comparison, for example, with plant-based proteins, which is why animal protein promotes cancer growth and plant protein doesn't.

KF: Isn't anything in moderation ok, as long as we don't overdo it?

TCC: I rather like the expression told by my friend, Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., MD, the Cleveland Clinic surgeon who reversed heart disease and who says, "Moderation kills!" I prefer to go the whole way, not because we have fool-proof evidence showing that 100% is better than, say, 95% for every single person for every single condition but that it is easier to avoid straying off on an excursion that too often becomes a slippery slope back to our old ways. Moreover, going the whole way allows us to adapt to new unrealized tastes and to rid ourselves of some old addictions. And finally, moderation often means very different things for different people.

KF: Are you saying that if one changes their diet from animal based protein to plant-based protein that the disease process of cancer can be halted and reversed?

TCC: Yes, this is what our experimental research shows. I also have become aware of many anecdotal claims by people who have said that their switch to a plant-based diet stopped even reversed (cured?) their disease. One study on melanoma has been published in the peer-reviewed literature that shows convincing evidence that cancer progression is substantially halted with this diet.

KF: How long does it take to see changes?

TCC: It is not clear because carefully designed research in humans has not been done. However, we demonstrated and published findings showing that experimental progression of disease is at least suspended, even reversed, when tumors are clearly present.

KF: Consider a person who has been eating poorly his whole life; is there still hope that a dietary change can make a big difference? Or is everything already in motion?

TCC: Yes, a variety of evidence shows that cancers and non-cancers alike can be stopped even after consuming a poor diet earlier in life. This effect is equivalent to treatment, a very exciting concept.

KF: This is sounding like it's a cure for cancer; is that the case?

TCC: Yes. The problem in this area of medicine is that traditional doctors are so focused on the use of targeted therapies (chemo, surgery, radiation) that they refuse to even acknowledge the use of therapies like nutrition and are loathe to even want to do proper research in this area. So, in spite of the considerable evidence--theoretical and practical--to support a beneficial nutritional effect, every effort will be made to discredit it. It's a self-serving motive.

KF: What else do you recommend one does to avoid, stop, or reverse cancer?

TCC: A good diet, when coupled with other health promoting activities like exercise, adequate fresh air and sunlight, good water and sleep, will be more beneficial. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

For help on how to lean into a plant based diet, check out my blog post here; and for recipes click here.

For more information about diet and cancer, visit tcolincampbell.org.

question: Summarize how cancer develops in the human body.

answer:
Cancer goes through three stages of development - initiation, promotion, and progression. Initiation is when foreign agents attacked the normals cells to produce abnormal cells capable of eventually causing cancer. Promotion occurs when these abnormal cells replicate themselves and grow into cell masses which triggers a cancer diagnosis. This phase occurs over months or years but can be reversed.
The last stage, which is the progression stage, is when the cancer masses invade neighboring tissues where they can become capable of growing independently at the point which they are classified as malignant.

question: Why haven't any government stopped the multi-million dollar food industries from profiting off unhealthy foods?


text:
DE VLOEK was a squatted, self-managed social centre in The Hague, the Netherlands, between 2002 and 2015. Located on Hellingweg 127 in Scheveningen, beside the North Sea, the squat hosted workplaces, living spaces, a venue and a vegan restaurant. The local council tolerated the occupation until 2014, when a political struggle over the eviction began. Some political parties supported the squatters and the Scheveningen Pier was briefly occupied. The building was evicted in September 2015 with seven arrests.

Activities

Carrying on from De Blauwe Aanslag, which was squatted between 1980 and 2003, De Vloek was occupied on 5 June 2002. The following year, the council decided to tolerate the occupation.[1] De Vloek hosted workplaces, living spaces, practice room for bands, organic vegan restaurant Water en Brood (“Water and Bread”) and a concert venue called the Piratenbar (“Pirate Bar”).[2]

The self-managed social centre was used by hundreds of people every week. All activities were run by volunteers with no external funding[3] During a 2013 street exhibition, the 60 metre long side of the Vloek building was painted by 17 artists, who worked for 14 days on the project.[4]

Eviction

In 2014, the city council entered into an agreement with property developers to demolish the existing buildings and deliver the site.[5] When the plans were announced to evict the Vloek and build a new sailing centre with tenants including Koninklijk Nederlands Watersport Verbond, there was a political conflict. The squatters suggested it was better to build the centre elsewhere and stated another sailing centre had already been opened five years previously and was standing mostly empty.[6][7] The local branch of the VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) had been calling since 2011 for the squat to be evicted.[8] The CDA also supported eviction.[9] On the other side of the debate, councillor Joris Wijsmuller of the Haagse Stadspartij (HSP, Hague City Party) had built the bar at the Vloek himself.[10] Partij voor de Dieren (Party for the Animals) was supportive of the Vloek, calling it “one of the pearls of Scheveningen”.[11] The Socialist Party echoed the concerns that there was already an unused sailing centre elsewhere.[12]

In order to bring attention to the Vloek's campaign against eviction, fifteen people occupied the Scheveningen Pier in August 2014. It had been derelict since October 2013, having gone bankrupt. The squatters dropped a banner saying “De Vloek moet blijven” (“The Vloek must stay”) and lit flares. They were evicted the same day.[13]

By September 2015, 44 participants in the Vloek had moved their activities to a former school building in Moerwijk which had been offered to them by the city council. The contract was signed for 10 years with a break clause after 5. In a deal brokered by Wijsmuller, the council agreed to give the building rent free and the former squatters agreed to pay maintenance and electricity. Martin Wörsdörfer of the VVD called it a “reward for bad behaviour”.[14] Other Vloek participants declared they would resist the eviction and made a call out for solidarity. As a last step, they announced the Vloek was seceding from the Netherlands and therefore no longer subject to its laws.[15][16]

On Wednesday 9 September 2015, the Mobiele Eenheid (Dutch riot police) began to evict the Vloek, whilst being bombarded with paint bombs. They placed a shipping container on the roof using a crane and entered through a hole cut in the roof. Five squatters were arrested inside the building and afterwards two more were brought down from a crow's nest constructed above the building, making the number of arrests seven in total.[17] In June 2017, four of the squatters were charged with violence against the police because by throwing paint bombs they had allegedly damaged five vans, two cars and two water cannons. The state asked for a prison sentence of two weeks and a fine of 500 euros for each person, also requesting a fine for a fifth person.[18] In addition to the state charges, the council demanded a fine totalling 50,000 euros from ten people, which was then reduced to 33,000 euros. An appeal was made to reduce the fine, but the council demanded the full amount before the appeal was heard.[19]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

title: De Vloek

question: What does the text say about the International Criminal Court in the Hague?

question: What does the text say about squatters in De Vloek?

answer: The squatters occupied the De Vloek social center on June 5, 2002, carrying on from De Blauwe Aanslag, which was squatted between 1980 and 2003. The city council tolerated the occupation until 2014 when they entered into an agreement with property developers to demolish the existing buildings where the squatters lived and worked. When plans were announced to evict the Vloek to build a new sailing center, there was a political conflict as some parties supported the squatters, while others wanted them evicted. The squatters suggested it was better to build the center elsewhere, stating that there was another sailing center opened five years ago that was standing mostly empty. Fifteen people occupied the Scheveningen Pier in August 2014 to bring attention to the Vloek eviction campaign but were evicted the same day. Dutch riot police began evicting the Vloek on September 9, 2015, and were bombarded with paint bombs that caused damage to several vehicles and water canons. Seven squatters were arrested, charged, and fined.

question: What does the text say about De Vloek?

answer: De Vloek was a squatted, self-managed social center on Hellingweg 127 in Scheveningen, beside the North Sea in The Hague, the Netherlands. It was occupied by squatters between 2002 - 2015 and hosted workplaces, living spaces, a concert venue called the Piratenbar, practice rooms for bands, and the organic vegan restaurant Water and Bread. The local council tolerated the occupation until 2014 when a political struggle over the eviction began. The self-managed center was used by hundreds of people every week. All activities were run by volunteers with no external funding. During a 2013 street exhibition, the 60-meter long side of the Vloek building was painted by 17 artists.

question: Summarize the views of opposing sides.

answer: Some political parties supported squatters. People who wanted to call attention to the eviction occupied the derelict Scheveningen Pier in August 2014 but were evicted the same day. Councilor Joris Wijsmuller of the Haagse Stadspartij (HSP, Hague City Party) had built the bar at the Vloek himself. Partij voor de Dieren (Party for the Animals) was supportive of the Vloek. The Socialist Party echoed the concerns that there was already an unused sailing center elsewhere. Meanwhile, the local branch of the VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) had been calling since 2011 for the squat to be evicted. The CDA also supported the eviction. When 44 squatters from the Vloek were moved to a former school building in Moerwijk offered by the city council and brokered by Wijsmuller, they signed a 10-year contract that would have them pay maintenance and electricity, but not pay rent. Martin Wörsdörfer of the VVD called it a “reward for bad behavior”.


text:
ZOFIA NEHRINGOWA (sometimes identified by her married surnames DUDA and later KRZESZCZYK; 10 May 1910 – 1 January 1972[1]) was a Polish long track speed skater in the late 1920s and 1930s.[2][3]

Biography

[Nehring skating] Born in Warsaw, Nehringowa started skating when she was 15 years old at the _Warszawskie Towarzystwo Łyżwiarskie_ (Warsaw Ice Skating Society) and was trained by Edward Nehring (born 1892). From 1930 she skated for KS Polonia Warszawa.[4][5][6]

Twelve times she was the Polish champion, including 4 times champion at the Polish Allround Championships in 1931, 1932, 1935, and 1939. She won the 5000m national title in 1931 and 1934.[7]

Her results in the 500m (1:02.00 from 15 February 1931), 1000m (2:16.4 from 26 January 1929) 1500m (3:28.0 from 27 January 1929), 3000m (6:52.8 from 8 February 1931) and 5000 m (11:30.5 from 15 February 1931) were approved by the International Skating Union (ISU) on 3 December 1931 as the first women's speed skating world records.[8][9][10][11][12]

Nehringowa competed during 1932 European Speed Skating Championships for Men in Davos, because there was not a rule yet that women's were not allowed to enter races of the men's championships she could take ride all four the distances. Newspapers wrote about this conspicuity and an Austrian skater even withdrew demonstratively from the championship, refusing to compete at the same time against a woman.[13]. During these race she broke the women's world record in the 1500m (3:10.4 on 10 January 1932).[14] A few days later she took back the world record in the 1000m from Liselotte Landbeck (2:03.4 on 17 January 1932 in Engelberg).[15] These successes brought her the 10th place in the Polish Sports Personality of the Year (__) for the best Polish athlete in 1932. [16]

On 9 February 1935 she improved her own world record in the 3000m to 6:22,40, and the day afterwards also in the 5000m to 10:54,80.[17][18] On 30 December 1935 in Vienna, she also set a world record in the 10,000m (23:48,5), which was never officially beaten, because in 1953 the ISU decided not to record women's records at this distance.[19]

During her career she rode sixteen Polish national records in the individual distances. [20]

Nehringowa represented her nation at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women in 1939 where she finished 5th overall (in the individual distances she was 8th (500 m), 4th (3000 m), 7th (1000 m) and 3rd (10,000 m).[21][22]

On 20 September 1936 she was awarded the Silver Cross of Merit, awarded by Colonel Władysław Kiliński.[23]

Personal life

In 1927, at 16 or 17, she married her trainer Edward Nehring, then about 35, and had two children with him. They divorced, and after World War II she married Nehring a second time.[24][25][26]

Records

World records

Nehringowa was the first person to set world records recognized by the ISU. She set the world records in all individual distances (500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m and 10000 m).

  Distance   Time               Date               Location   Ref
  ---------- ------------------ ------------------ ---------- ----------
  500 m      1:02.0             15 February 1931   Warschau   [27][28]
  1000 m     2:16.4             26 January 1929    Warschau   [29][30]
  2.03,4     17 January 1932    Engelberg
  1500 m     3:28.0             27 January 1929    Warschau   [31][32]
  3:10.4     10 January 1932    Davos
  3000 m     6:52.8             8 February 1931    Warschau   [33][34]
  6.22,4     9 February 1935    Warschau
  5000 m     11:30.5            15 February 1931   Warschau   [35][36]
  10:54.8    10 February 1935   Warschau
  10000 m    23:48.5            30 December 1935   Wien       [37][38]

Personal records

Source: [39]

[1] Tygodnik Powszechny nr 38 z 17 September 1972 (rubryka “Zmarli”)

[2]

[3]

[4] _Łyżwiarski jubileusz_, Warszawa 2001.

[5] W. Zieleśkiewicz, _Encyklopedia sportów zimowych_, Warszawa 2002

[6] Bogdan Chruścicki, Kazimierz Kowalczyk, Jacek Żemantowski _Dziewiąta dekada panczenistów_, Warszawa 2011

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13] Column: Na 54 jaar gerechtigheid Polen

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21] SUOMEN LUISTELULIITTO 1908–2010 p.55

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28] ISU 500m world record progression

[29]

[30] ISU 1000m world record progression

[31]

[32] ISU 1500m world record progression

[33]

[34] ISU 3000m world record progression

[35]

[36] ISU 5000m world record progression

[37]

[38]

[39]

title: Zofia Nehringowa

question: What does the story say about Zofia Nehringowa's sport results?

answer: Zofia Nehringowa was the Polish champion twelve times and won the 5000m national title in 1931 and 1934. She broke the women's world record in the 1500m during the 1932 European Speed Skating Championships for Men in Davos. She set the world records in all six individual distances.

question: What does the story say about what is unique about Nehringowa?

answer: Nehringowa competed during the 1932 European Speed Skating Championships for Men in Davos. There was not a rule yet that forbid women to enter races of the men's championships She was the first person to set world records recognized by the International Skating Union.

question: What does the article say about Nehringowa's children?


text:
Industry observers say COVID-19 could finally sound the death knell for the time-honoured marketing tool of retail flyers.

[]

Consumers flipping through printed pamphlets full of deals from stores are a retail tradition, but experts say the practice may not survive the new hygiene requirements brought about from the coronavirus pandemic. (Tim Boyle/Bloomberg News)

Brent Barr has a wistful affection for the weekend tradition of flyer browsing.

Every Saturday morning, he and his wife gather at the breakfast table to rifle through a stack of newsprint ads from the local grocery stores and retailers, on the hunt for an especially attractive deal.

"It's funny how it's become just part of what we do," said Barr, an instructor at Ryerson's Ted Rogers School of Management.

"We literally go through each one of the flyers."

But lately, that pile of weekly flyers is getting noticeably thinner as the ripples of COVID-19 affect the retail sector. Industry observers say it could be the global pandemic that finally sounds the death knell for the time-honoured marketing tool.

-

    Analysis

    COVID-19 unknowns leave economy dazed and wobbly: Don Pittis

The decline of paper flyers has been ongoing since digital versions gained in popularity, but amid the pandemic some retailers are flirting with a wider phase-out of the format.

Last month, a number of brands owned by Loblaw Companies Ltd. pulled their in-store flyers as a preventative measure partly in response to concerns the newsprint could become a vehicle for the virus to spread.

Once that change took shape, the company went a step farther by announcing plans to permanently stop producing paper flyers for several of its chains, including No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore and Maxi.

Spokesperson Catherine Thomas described the move as "transitioning" into a digital medium, as promotions shift to online spaces and through the PC Optimum app, which includes a weekly digital flyer.

Canadian Tire began testing the fate of its own flyers on Friday when it notified customers that it had "temporarily paused" distribution in Ontario, while shoppers outside the province would be handed single-use paper copies at stores upon request.

-

    MARKETPLACE

    Supermarkets limit product quantities all the time. Why didn't they do so at start of pandemic?

Walmart Canada paused its print flyer for two weeks early in the COVID-19 pandemic but has since resumed production.

Elsewhere, a representative for Montreal-based grocer Metro Inc. last week said the company plans to maintain its flyers. Sobeys and Safeway owner Empire Co. did not respond to requests for comment.

New ways of marketing

The decision by Loblaw to reduce its flyer production could influence others in the industry to reconsider how they allocate their marketing budgets, said Brynn Winegard, a marketing and retail analyst.

She pointed to a growing number of shoppers across all demographics who use their phones to compare competitor's prices while in a particular store, making the traditional flyer less effective from the perspective of retailers.

Add to that the financial uncertainties for businesses operating in a pandemic, and Winegard expects more retailers will adopt a "pivot or perish" instinct as they search for ways to eliminate costs.

"We haven't seen anything like this before — no one has in any industry," she said.

"But if you're not flexible and nimble in the way that you do business, you're not likely to survive."

Digital flyers have existed in the retail space for the better part of a decade, with online tools Flipp and Save.ca amassing a database of weekly editions from major chains, while web forums such as Red Flag Deals debate who has the best deals.

The cultural shift leaves industries that rely on the revenues of print production and flyer distribution, vulnerable ahead of what economists predict will be a devastating recession.

-   Going cashless and closing dining rooms — local businesses adapt to COVID-19

Newsprint producers count on retail advertisers to keep operations humming, while many of the country's newspapers stay afloat partly on the support of nationwide inserts from major chains.

Canada Post, which handles the weekly delivery of flyers through its direct-mail service, said it has seen a "notable decline" in this part of its operations "as companies re-evaluate their business priorities during this unprecedented time."

It's too early to determine exactly how many paper flyers will disappear in the coming months, but Barr suggested that if retailers are looking to exit the business without angering many customers, now could be an opportune time.

He pointed to elderly shoppers who might've been reluctant to adopt computers before COVID-19, but are now forced to communicate by digital devices to maintain contact with their families. He said that's opened up the likelihood they would entertain the thought of a digital flyer.

"I think most people will recognize that it's a requirement for now," he said, "and once they get used to it, they will not be that apprehensive in the future."

question: Which industry will lose business with the demise of printed pamphlets?

answer: Industries that rely on print production will be hard hit. The newspaper industry also depends on revenue from flyer inserts so they will feel the pinch.

question: What are the advantages for retailers in using electronic rather than printed pamphlets?

answer: First and foremost the retailers who stop printing will eliminate some of the costs of marketing by flyers. They can use that money for digital marketing or for other business essentials. Furthermore, a  growing number of shoppers across all demographics use their phones to compare competitors' prices while in a particular store, making the traditional flyer less effective from the perspective of retailers.


text:
SONI SETIAWAN (born 10 April 1993) is an Indonesian professional footballer who plays as a left back for Liga 1 club PSIS Semarang.[1]

Club career

Persekabpur Purworejo

When he was 18 years old, Setiawan played for the club Persekabpur Purworejo in the Indonesian League Second Division Level. Soni succeeded in escorting Persekabpur Purworejo to the Round of 8 of National Division II in 2012, so that in the following season Persekabpur Purworejo appeared in Division I.

PPSM Sakti Magelang

Setiawan played for PPSM Sakti Magelang in the 2012/2013 for the 2013 Liga Indonesia Premier Division (LI). With PPSM Sakti Magelang he has performed 10 matches.

Persijap Jepara

After defending PPSM Sakti Magelang], Setiawan moved to Persijap Jepara in the 2015 season after previously focusing on participating in the Pre PON Central Java throughout 2014. Unfortunately in 2015, the competition stopped, but Soni still defended Persijap Jepara at the Polda Jateng Cup event but failed to bring Persijap Jepara through the group stage.

[1]

title: Soni Setiawan

question: What position does Setiawan play?

answer: Setiawan plays as a left-back.

question: Which club does Soni play for?

answer: He plays for Liga 1 club PSIS Semarang.

question: How many matches has Setiawan played for PPSM Sakti Magelang?

answer: 10 matches.

question: Which club did Setiawan play for after PPSM Sakti Magelang?

answer: Setiawan played for Persijap Jepara.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer:
Soni Setiawan is an Indonesian footballer. He plays as a left-back for Liga 1 club PSIS Semarang.

Setiawan's football career started when he was 18. He played for the club Persekabpur Purworejo in the Indonesian League. Following this in 2012/13, Setiawan PPSM Sakti Magelang.

Soon after, in 2015, Soni moved to Persijap Jepara.


text:
The Ardalent Strings

The bell chimed so everyone grabbed hold of their handled strings and walked out from their apartments. The strings came from brass cavities in the wall and the other ends attached to something unknown to the people. They were meant to pull the strings to taut and they all did this simultaneously at the chiming of the bell. The strings whirred out of each brass fixture activating some guessed at mechanics inside the walls, flywheels and gears and such, clicking and clunking like old clockwork. The strings were too long for the people to simply pull and stand in their rooms, pulled taut the length of these strings would leave the people standing in their hallways. Sometimes, the people would speak to each other.

Oliver was told about the unusual custom by Lester on the day he had moved into the old Abbey Apartment building on Flint Street; bell and line. “Who is it that rings the bell?” Oliver was new and knowing no one but directing his question to a sea of old faces in the hall, holding his handle and string.

“It is not for us to know, just accept that it is so,” replied old Mrs. Cardicole. “We pull our strings each time it rings. That is the nature of living here, though it may seem vain and queer. Our labor is to taut the strings whenever the bell of Abbey rings.”

“Where do the strings go?” Oliver asked, not wanting to give up so easily.

“We pull our strings, the brass handled strings and meet here in the hall. That’s all to say. It’s the way of things. There’s nothing more at all!” and Mrs. Cardicole gave a stern face as if to say, *I disapprove of this line*.

Everyone else looked on and felt for Oliver. The residents knew the custom was odd but it was truly simply the way of things in the old Abbey Apartments on Flint Street.

Then the strings pulled back into their holes by automatic mechanism and everyone returned to whatever they had been doing. Some were watching television, others were reading, others were having dinner. Young Lester and Sable were tending to their newborn son. Life in the apartment building on Flint Street was quiet and most like usual, save for this one quirk of the handled strings and the chiming bell.

Sometimes, people would venture to look for the bell. Most obvious was that it would be on top of the building, but Lester once discovered that it was not. He told a very few people about his searching and occasionally, people would help Lester to look for it. Mrs. Cardicole would watch the people searching from her custom one-way porthole. She would take notes on who was looking and what they might be saying. “Always searching for the bell, these transgressions lead to Hell.” Her hair was red and frizzed and she seemed a kind of recluse. Some might say that Mrs. Cardicole was a shut-in, but she had her reasons, and her husband Frank in his urn would not judge her like her neighbors did.

The bell rang early the following day and all the neighbors grasped their handles and pulled their strings from the brass fixtures in their apartments. They met out in the hall again and Mrs. Cardicole spied Oliver instantly and judged his efforts as lackluster, slack was his string. He was not doing as well and he could, and his string was not as taut as hers. The neighbor Lester saw the judgement on Mrs. Cardicole’s face and it entertained the dark parts of his mind. The ringing bell had twisted his thoughts and every day, sometimes twice in one, he’d be a slave to it. Mrs. Cardicole’s judgement was something new, Oliver was something new, so Lester looked on in madness and a voice screamed in his mind. He thought of scissors and of string, screaming madness and slicing blades. Lester’s string was taut and the mechanisms to it locked in and he dropped his handle in the hall and went inside his apartment. Lester came back a moment later with a pair of scissors and picked up his handle again, in front of everyone, and cradled the string between the scissor blades. He looked again at Mrs. Cardicole’s silent judgement and relished in it, for now it was directed at him and not Oliver. Lester severed the handle from the string and almost immediately after, the strings pulled back into their holes and the people followed after, continuing their quiet lives in their apartments. Lester’s string vanished beyond the wall, somewhere behind his holed brass fixture.

Oliver spent the day considering Lester. How long has the process been driving him mad? Oliver would like to speak to Lester at some point so he decided he would, next time he had the chance. But it was evening when the bell chimed again and everyone pulled their strings out into the hall but there was no Lester. Oliver looked for him to come out at his door, but nobody came. Of course, why would they? There was no string for Lester or Sable to pull. The curious neighbors decided to investigate, at least to see what had become of Lester’s madness. One held another’s handled string while one investigated Lester’s door. It was ajar and pushed open easily but Lester was nowhere to be seen, nor was Sable or the newborn.

“Claimed by sin and no line taut, this is what his cutting brought.” Mrs. Cardicole gave a wry smile. Everyone came back to their spots and held their strings, not daring to let go and dismissing all thoughts of stepping out of line, all thoughts of knives and scissors banished; all minds were bent on the taut strings. Even Oliver did not dare to ask Mrs. Cardicole any more questions.

For the second time in the day, the strings pulled back into their brass openings and the people retreated back into their apartments, neverminding the strange reality they had all accepted with reluctant grace. Mrs. Cardicole watched them all mindlessly slink through their doors through her porthole then waited a moment for good measure. She quietly left her apartment and descended the stairwell then went into the basement. She had a key, the only key that opened the boiler room and there she came to it again, the caged Ardalent, the demon toddler she kept in her charge, giant and harlequin. Mrs. Cardicole stepped over the bodies of Lester and Sable. The Ardalent had his own string that hung down into his cage, one that chimed the unseen bell, and the neighbors did as they always had upon hearing it. Their strings came to an engine of coiled metal that powered a music box set to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. It was his lullaby. Mrs. Cardicole fed the Ardalent what she could from the bodies of Lester and Sable. She blew a kiss to the demon toddler and left the boiler room, locking the door behind her. She ascended the stairs and went back, unseen, into her apartment to find the child of Lester and Sable, now hers to raise; a brother for her dear Ardalent.

title: The Ardalent Strings

question: What was the Ardalent?

answer: A giant, demonic toddler under Mrs Cardicole's care.

question: Describe Mrs Cardicole.

answer: A cruel, evil, manipulative woman.

question: What is the setting of the narrative?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Why was it mandatory for the people to pull the bell strings?

answer: They had no idea why they had to practice such an odd custom, but it would later be revealed that those strings were the power to a music box for Mrs Cardicole's demon toddler.

question: Why did Lester sever the strings attached to his apartment?

answer: He felt enslaved to it and was fed up with keeping up with the odd practice.

question: Were the people in the old Abbey apartments prisoners?

answer: They were regular house residents but felt like prisoners.

question: How did Mrs Cardicole have control over the residents of the old Abbey apartments?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: None of the residents at the old Abbey apartments on Flint street seemed to know why they had to pull their strings from the brass fixtures in their apartments whenever the bell chimed. Some had searched endlessly for the location of the bell but to no avail. They didn't know that old Mrs Cardicole, an evil, cruel woman, had a giant demonic toddler in her basement who rung the bell, and the attached strings powered a music box for its listening pleasure. One day, one of the residents, Lester, who felt enslaved to the bell, became fed up with the practice and severed the strings in his apartment. After this incident, he and his family went missing, which caused people to rethink their decision to rebel. Later that day, Mrs Cardicole fed the remains of Lester and his wife to the giant toddler and adopted their newborn baby.


text:
I look every morning when I open the cabinet to see how far down I am on the coffee filter stack.  Groggy still, a little stumbling in my steps, I open up the cupboard on the near end of the kitchen and grab instinctively for the cellophane wrapper.  Give a little yawn and wipe my face with my left hand then brush back my hair and pause for a second looking at these coffee filters before I let my arm drop limp to the side and decide I have given up on the hope of jumping back into bed.

How many are there left?  I flip through and count , but not really, as I try and finger one loose from the pack.  20 maybe, or 50, it's a stack about half a centimeter at this point.  How big did the damn package come, an inch thick? More?  How many –  200, I catch in red letters on the front of the package.  200 Premium Coffee Filter Sheets.  200 pots of coffee, I think as I catch the edge of one flimsy sheet and pull it through the one side of frayed plastic that I ripped open what must have been about half a year ago.

As I open the lid, the grinds from yesterday still remain.  The stale coffee leftover in the pot gave that clue away long before I had even reached for the filters, but some childish part inside of me wished against hope maybe, I might just pop the lid and see nothing but a clean and empty holder.  I toss the filter on the counter, careful not to get it on the spot were I cut the chicken up the night before.  It lands on top of a bunch of coupon booklets and flyers from the mail that have been piling up for weeks, and I catch a whiff of the oils still hanging in the pan from the fajitas.  I grab the holder full of grinds in one hand, and the pot with the stale coffee in the other and turn towards the sink.

My foot presses down on the trash can pedal and I get a little shot of childhood excitement as the cover jerks up.  After a good shake the grinds land sopping wet on top of the heap of romaine hearts well past their prime and a bunch of plastic wrappers from granola bars and some empty yogurt containers.  It lands with a thud and I catch some of the stale yet rich aroma as it leaks out.  It's chocolatey off the first part of the palate, then I get a little sense of hazelnut on the tip of my nose, but it all is capped by the heavy scent of the rotting lettuce, that sticks to the roof of my mouth before I can close the lid.  And as I let off with mt foot and the cover falls one last rush of stench filters into the kitchen.

I hold my breath as I step back and let the smell clear.  A good five seconds pass before I breathe back to normal and over the sink full of dishes and mugs and dirty silverware and Tupperware the smell is not much better.  I will get to this today... I look for an open channel to the bottom of the sink.  Yesterday I had used the back left corner where a bowl did not sit flush with the curve in the basin.  That gap was willed with a mug now – yesterdays.  With no other porcelain alleyways popping out, I fingered aside a shiny metal mixing bowl and let the stream of brown liquid fall into the sink.  It had separated overnight, so that the heavier, more syrupy mixture remained at the bottom and needed to be rinsed out with new fresh water from the spigot.

I let the faucet run and heat up the hot water before I dipped the coffee pot under the nozzle and let it fill up to the 8 cups mark.  I swirled it around with one hand and let it fall like a gushing waterfall all over the pots and pans.  Water from the faucet landing on the broadside of a bowl splashed back on my shirt, and a big patch of navy blue began to form on my powder blue shirt.  I rinsed three or four more times, swishing the steaming liquid around until it became clear enough for my liking, and each time poured it from a slightly higher angle, getting some rudimentary enjoyment of seeing the water splashing down below.  Then I reached out and pulled the lever down towards the blue cold dot on the stem of the faucet and let the water cool off and run.  I did this for thirty seconds, more time than most, a childhood story about hot water breaking down and carrying away the rust in the pipes had always troubled me, so I let it run to clear the pipes.

After some time had passed, enough for me to settle into my heels on the dingy rug in front of the sink and sway a little back and forth, I stuck the pot underneath the sink, and pressed hard on the lever on the back of the cover with my thumb to pop it up.  It splashed a couple fresh navy dots on my shirt, and I watched the lines on the side of the pot full up.  When it hit 8 cups I pulled the pot away, was about to head towards the maker but dumped it all back in one last time and let it fill up to eight again.

I shuffled back over to the Mr Coffee and dropped the holder back in place on top then spun it around  until it fell neatly into position. The water was next, and I poured that in a tight stream into the back basin, which I could see was flecked with grains and stained brown at the bottom.  I measured out 4 ½ cups roughly.  It used to be six until I had heard on a morning news broadcast that played in the next room one morning, that more than four cups was bad for your health.  Some nice woman in a red outfit said so.  So I measured out four and a half cups, the half to make sure I had enough incase I ended up gulping down the first mug too soon.

Then I opened up the freezer and although I told myself to prepare for the blast of cold air it was still a bit of a shock, and I grabbed the two cans out and set them on the counter just beside the chicken spot.  They were freezing cold to the touch.  I stored them in the freezer because someone said they keep better that way, who, I could not recall.  But it seemed as good a place as any, so I kept the decaf and the hazelnut there in the freezer stacked on top of each other right in front.  Sometimes I was worried they might topple out when I open the freezer, as TV dinners and totino's pizza rolls, and some frozen meat from the summer all jammed in there and the room for the cans wasn't too big, so I had to kind of balance the top one in there and jam it back against a box of healthy choice steak tips, which was crumpled and I wondered how long it would be until the first crease gave through and a hole developed.

But I put the cans down and used two hands to pry the plastic lids off, which had frozen a bit to the edge of the cans and they stung the tips of my fingers as I tried to dig them in and get some leverage to pull the tops off.  Once then were off I set the filter in and tried to straighten it out so that there were no corners pinching in where the water might just percolate and drop right past the grinds.  I pressed along the edges, and as one peak would flatten against the side, another would pop out, I let it be after a couple presses and then moved back to the cans.

I gave the drawer underneath the coffee pot a sturdy pull and could feel the wood runners slide and rub against the swollen wooden cabinetry.  The silverware shook and then my eyes fell on the empty spoon slot in between the knives and forks.  I looked back at drying tray which had some bone dry items from last week,but no spoons, and then to the sink, and then quickly back to the drawer, and stood there looking at it for a bit.

The butter knife picked up what I would guess was about a half table spoon of grinds, and they settled on top of it nicely, like mini sand dunes with one edge that ran down the middle of the blade and tapered off towards the tip and the hilt.  It took about seven dips with the knife into the decaf and then three in the hazelnut to fill up the filter.  I kind of let my mind wander to walking through the desert on those grinds as I filled.  I had a white cape strung about my head like an arab, tied tightly but it blew in the warm gusts, and I walked in my billowing white robe up the face of a particularly steep peak.  I was hot, and sweaty, and desperate for a drink, but I kept on climbing.  My feet sank with each step and it was difficult to tell for sure if I was in fact gaining any ground.  But I pressed on, up the dune, focusing on each foot moving one after another straight up.   The wind picked up.  Little bits of sand an blew in tiny stinging gusts against my face.  I wrapped the end of my head scarf around my mouth and nose and tucked it deep into the neck of my garment, my chest was beating fast and the perspiration seemed to stop altogether.  Then I paused from stepping and looked up.  Red dunes glistened in the distance, obscured by the heat into wavy and blurry mounds of earthen red and white and blue from the sky, melting together.  I stood there gazing and smacked my cracked lips and squinted off against the rays of the sun.  My eyes were red and it hurt to blink.  I looked off and thought of all the sand, of the days it would take to cross these dunes, and of the 200 pots of coffee, and I could feel my feet sink, slowly, into the sand.

title: COFFEE

question: Summarize times when the narrator displays anxiety?

answer:
The narrator mentally guesses the number of coffee filter packets remaining. He agonizes over how many filters is there until he saw the description on the package.
The narrator opens the coffee pot hoping it would be clear and empty. His hopes are dashed as he finds it filled with stale coffee.
The narrator was anxious about washing the dirty Tupperware, mugs, silverware, and other stuff in the sink. The smell was quite bad. He decides not to tackle it and leave the washing till the following day.


text:
Let’s say a guy named Fred is attracted to a woman named Martha. He asks her out to a movie; she accepts; they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asks her out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each other regularly, and after a while neither one of them is seeing anybody else.

And then, one evening when they’re driving home, a thought occurs to Martha, and, without really thinking, she says it aloud: “Do you realize that, as of tonight, we’ve been seeing each other for exactly six months?”

And then, there is silence in the car.

To Martha, it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself: I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he’s been feeling confined by our relationship; maybe he thinks I’m trying to push him into some kind of obligation that he doesn’t want, or isn’t sure of.

And Fred is thinking: Gosh. Six months.

And Martha is thinking: But, hey, I’m not so sure I want this kind of relationship either. Sometimes I wish I had a little more space, so I’d have time to think about whether I really want us to keep going the way we are, moving steadily towards, I mean, where are we going? Are we just going to keep seeing each other at this level of intimacy? Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetime together? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?

And Fred is thinking: …so that means it was…let’s see…February when we started going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer’s, which means…lemme check the odometer…Whoa! I am way overdue for an oil change here.

And Martha is thinking: He’s upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I’m reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship, more intimacy, more commitment; maybe he has sensed – even before I sensed it – that I was feeling some reservations. Yes, I bet that’s it. That’s why he’s so reluctant to say anything about his own feelings. He’s afraid of being rejected.

And Fred is thinking: And I’m gonna have them look at the transmission again. I don’t care what those morons say, it’s still not shifting right. And they better not try to blame it on the cold weather this time. What cold weather? It’s 87 degrees out, and this thing is shifting like a garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent thieves $600.

And Martha is thinking: He’s angry. And I don’t blame him. I’d be angry, too. I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can’t help the way I feel. I’m just not sure.

And Fred is thinking: They’ll probably say it’s only a 90-day warranty…scumballs.

And Martha is thinking: Maybe I’m just too idealistic, waiting for a knight to come riding up on his white horse, when I’m sitting right next to a perfectly good person, a person I enjoy being with, a person I truly do care about, a person who seems to truly care about me. A person who is in pain because of my self-centered, schoolgirl romantic fantasy.

And Fred is thinking: Warranty? They want a warranty? I’ll give them a warranty. I’ll take their warranty and stick it right up their…

“Fred,” Martha says aloud.

“What?” says Fred, startled.
“Please don’t torture yourself like this,” she says, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. “Maybe I should never have…oh dear, I feel so…”(She breaks down, sobbing.)

“What?” says Fred.

“I’m such a fool,” Martha sobs. “I mean, I know there’s no knight. I really know that. It’s silly. There’s no knight, and there’s no horse.”

“There’s no horse?” says Fred.

“You think I’m a fool, don’t you?” Martha says.

“No!” says Fred, glad to finally know the correct answer.

“It’s just that…it’s that I…I need some time,” Martha says.

(There is a 15-second pause while Fred, thinking as fast as he can, tries to come up with a safe response. Finally he comes up with one that he thinks might work.)

“Yes,” he says. (Martha, deeply moved, touches his hand.)

“Oh, Fred, do you really feel that way?” she says.

“What way?” says Fred.

“That way about time,” says Martha.

“Oh,” says Fred. “Yes.” (Martha turns to face him and gazes deeply into his eyes, causing him to become very nervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a horse. At last she speaks.)

“Thank you, Fred,” she says.

“Thank you,” says Fred.

Then he takes her home, and she lies on her bed, a conflicted, tortured soul, and weeps until dawn, whereas when Fred gets back to his place, he opens a bag of Doritos, turns on the TV, and immediately becomes deeply involved in a rerun of a college basketball game between two South Dakota junior colleges that he has never heard of. A tiny voice in the far recesses of his mind tells him that something major was going on back there in the car, but he is pretty sure there is no way he would ever understand what, and so he figures it’s better if he doesn’t think about it.

The next day Martha will call her closest friend, or perhaps two of them, and they will talk about this situation for six straight hours. In painstaking detail, they will analyze everything she said and everything he said, going over it time and time again, exploring every word, expression, and gesture for nuances of meaning, considering every possible ramification.

They will continue to discuss this subject, off and on, for weeks, maybe months, never reaching any definite conclusions, but never getting bored with it either.

Meanwhile, Fred, while playing racquetball one day with a mutual friend of his and Martha’s, will pause just before serving, frown, and say: “Norm, did Martha ever own a horse?”

And that’s the difference between men and women.

title: Difference between men and women

question: List the main characters.

answer: Fred and Martha

question: What prompts Fred and Martha's separate thought-tangents?

answer: Martha observes that they have been dating for six months

question: What does the author imply about men and women?

answer: The author implies that they believe women are prone to overthinking and anxiety, while men are relaxed and clueless

question: What does Fred think about Martha saying "there's no horse?"

answer: He thinks she might have owned a horse

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Fred and Martha are driving home when Martha observes that they have been dating for six months. This causes Fred to realize that his car is due for an oil change and maintenance. While Fred thinks about that, Martha worries about what his silence and facial expressions might mean. After they part, Fred goes home and watches a basketball game, while Martha discusses the incident for hours with her friends. The author claims that this represents the difference between men and women.