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text:
CHRISTIAN ZAIS (born 4 March 1770 in Cannstatt - d. 26 April 1820 in Wiesbaden) was a German architect and city planner. Zai studied at the Karlsschule Stuttgart, and was taught by Karl August Friedrich von Duttenhofer and Johann Jakob Atzel. He designed several buildings in the spa city of Wiesbaden.

Work

Christian Zais' work characterizes the inner city of Wiesbaden with his lasting urban design. Zais designed a number of important buildings in the spa town, including the construction (1808-1811) of the Old Kurhaus Wiesbaden, the Erbprinzenpalais at Wilhelmstrasse (used today as the Chamber of Commerce) in 1813, and the Four Seasons hotel which was destroyed during Allied bombings in 1945.[1][2]

He promoted the use of cheaper materials at the time, including extensive use of rammed earth; some of these constructions remain to this day. 1818 saw Zais develop a city master plan for the “enlargement and beautification of the city”; the plan included surrounding the city's historic district with new streets in a pentagonal arrangement. Zais faced strong opposition from the city's inhabitants while implementing his ideas, which were backed by William, Duke of Nassau, operating from his Biebrich Palace residence. Given this opposition, Zais deliberately placed the Kurhaus outside the city bounds.[3]

Using private funds, 1821 saw the culmination of the Four Seasons hotel and bath house construction, containing 140 rooms. This single building almost bankrupt the Zais family. Facing brisk opposition again from the local community, which sabotaged the spa's water sources, Zais died before the project's completion. Initially buried at Heidenmauer, in 1832 his remains were moved to the cemetery on Platter street. His grave was replaced by a plaque.[4][5]

Gallery

File:Kelkheim Münster katholische Kirche.JPG|St. Dionysius church in Kelkheim-Münster File:Wiesbaden Kurhaus.jpg|Kurhaus, 1820 File:Wiesbaden Kurhaus Zeis-Saal.JPG|Christian Zeis room in Kurhaus Wiesbaden File:Schenksches haus.jpg|Schenksche Haus in Wiesbaden File:St-Bartholomaeus-Zeilsheim-1.jpg%7CSt. Bartholomäus Zeilsheim

[1] Karlheinz Striedter: Earthen Architecture in Weilbgurg an der Lahn.

[2] Wolfgang Fritsche: Building and authoritarian pending action in the Nassau parts of the country from 1465 to 1866. Dissertation. Publisher VDG, Weimar 1997 .

[3] Wolf Heino Struck: Wiesbaden Biedermeier. Franz Steiner publishing house, Wiesbaden 1981.

[4] fidelity representation of the fable of a disappearance of the hot springs to Wiesbaden. Supplement to Nro. 134 the Mainzer newspaper. November 7, 1820.

[5] H. Bremme: Later Triumph. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 27 May 1995, p. 46.

title: Christian Zais

question: Where did Zais study?

answer: He studies at the Karlsschule Stuttgart institute.

question: What was Zais most known for?

answer: He designed several buildings in the spa city of Wiesbaden. His work characterized its inner city with his lasting urban design.

question: What did Zais promote during the early 1800s?

answer: He promoted the use of cheaper materials, including extensive use of rammed earth.

question: What did Zais do with private funds in 1821?

answer: He began constructing the Four Seasons hotel and bath house.

question: How did Zais die?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: Why did Zais place the Kurhaus outside the city bounds?

answer: The inhabitants of Wiesbaden strongly opposed the implementations of Zais' ideas.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This document details the life and work of Christian Zais, a German architect and city planner. He lived from 1770 until 1820. He built several buildings Weisbadan, and his work characterizes its inner city with his lasting urban design.


text:
John had always wondered what happened behind the mirror.
How did a reflection follow your actions so perfectly? Were they really reflections, or were they people stuck behind the mirror? And most of all… What did they do when nobody was looking?
And so it came about that he tried to beat the mirror. Experimenting with the massive slab of glass opposite his bed… Moving quickly, and slowly, and subtly… even blocking his image with furniture, and popping up completely randomly…
But none of it worked. The mirror always knew what he was doing, and when. One day, he just gave up. He closed his eyes and leant back until he was lying flat on the bed. Maybe it was impossible to beat the mirror. Maybe the people were just reflected light. Maybe-
Something jerked him out of his musings. He sat bolt upright and opened his eyes. There was his reflection, in the mirror. There was everything, as it should be. What was wrong? What was-
And then he saw it. He, of course, was sitting upright, every muscle tensed. His reflection was reclining, leaning back. In slow motion, he saw the realisation on the reflection’s face, and then it tried to subtly shift into John’s position.
He moved quickly – he stood up like a flash, and the reflection was slow. He darted out to the side, and it was just half a second behind. He ran out of the room for a reason he didn’t quite understand even at the time, and it didn’t try to copy him, but stood and watched.
When he came back, all was normal. The reflection copied him as vigilantly as ever, and he wasn’t in the mood to try tricking it again. Besides, he thought it might be wise to that a second time.
But that night, as he was sleeping, he suddenly awoke, and he instantly knew that it was the mirror.
‘It’s okay,’ he said. ‘You can come out.’
Little did he know that he had broken a curse. A curse placed oh so long ago to keep the reflections in check. To lock them in mirrors forevermore.
By the time John heard footsteps, the reflection’s eyes were glowing with a light that was black, and its fingers were pointed claws. By the time he knew anything was happening, fingers were wrapped around his neck in an iron grip, and soon he was dead.
One is enough. Because one demon that escapes into the physical world can masquerade as a person. And then, they can convince people to let their reflections out.
And a final thought. If Hell is a world with demons, then what will this world be when there are no humans, and only reflections?

title: Mirror

question: Who is the main character?

answer: John.

question: What is the significance of the mirror?

answer: It doesn't only reflect light; it traps demons behind the glass, which manifest as reflections.

question: Why does John try to trick the mirror?

answer: He has always wondered if there's a secret to mirrors, and he wants to find out.

question: What happens when John tricks the mirror?

answer: It's revealed that his 'reflection' is a being in its own right - a demon, which kills him now that John released it.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: John has always wondered if there's more to mirrors than simple reflected light, so he tries to trick the mirror in his bedroom by moving quickly and popping out from piles of furniture. Nothing comes of his initial attempts, but as soon as he gives up, he jerks upright only to see his reflection still reclining in bed, and now that he's ahead of it, it is noticeably slower to copy his movements. It returns to normal until later that night, when John is woken by the mirror and tells it that it's okay to come out. He has broken a curse, and the demon that was trapped as his reflection emerges and kills him in order to take his place and convince more people to let their reflections out.


text:
Blackness greeted me when I woke. It took me a few more seconds to realize that the darkness was probably attributed to the fact that my eyes were closed. There was no improvement upon opening them, however, and I grew more and more concerned. I seemed to be in a box of some kind. I knew not where I was, or how I had gotten there. After a moment of panic I noticed a gentle soothing sound, almost similar to the sound of water rushing along rocks. I listened to it for a few more seconds, attempting to gain control of my mounting panic.

The control failed and my imagination took over. The sound began to seem more and more like the sound of dirt falling slowly onto a coffin. Was I being buried alive? My body stiffened at the thought. My hands ran over the inside of my box, searching for a way out. I would dig out if I had to. The air seemed to becoming thinner. How long would it be before I suffocated completely? I strained against the walls. I kicked the roof. I scratched the floor. Everything was smooth and metallic in texture except the soft memory-foam like material that I was resting on.

Then, my fingers caught on a depression in the metal, just above my chest. I brought both of my hands up to try and figure out what it was. A click and a soft hissing noise filled my small enclosure as I pushed the button. Light spilled in from the sides, as the lid of what I had thought was my casket began to open automatically. I sat up slowly, blinking away the spots that had showed up in response to the light.

The sight that greeted me was hardly the dark gloomy setting of a cemetery. I seemed to be in a long white hallway. What looked like windows on the walls were made from one-way glass, blocking my view of what was outside of my mysterious hallway. All around me were more of the coffin-shaped boxes, although I could see now that they were very modern in their design. They were made of the same white plastic material that made up the rest of the hallway and each had a gently glowing blue light on the end. Upon closer examination I realized that my light had turned to a harsh red.
I began to try and stand up when a screen suddenly came to life on the wall across from mine and a thin, almost fake-looking woman’s face appeared in the center.

Her voice rang through the halls with a short message: “Hello, and welcome to the future! It is very possible that you are experiencing momentary memory loss. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we assure you that it is only temporary. To help your memory recover, please watch the following film summarizing your own history and that of the others around you. Enjoy!”

The screen flickered and images began to run across the screen of what I assumed were important events in the past. I saw ruined cities, flooded plains, dried-out farms, and homes on fire. A new, gentler voice began to narrate the images.

“In the past, it became clear to us that history was repeating itself over and over again. The same problems were reccurring every few hundred years, sometimes with disastrous consequences. After going through the same types of issues many times, it became obvious that the outcomes of those events were based mainly on the leading people of the nations involved. Environmental problems were best addressed when someone with the correct motivation and personality was able to come out and lead others away from destructive tendencies. Social problems were an enigma to those who did not have an intuitive sense of how to deal with them. Wars were lost without leaders who truly understood the principles or war. That is why we developed a way to keep those types of people in reserve for a rainy day. You are aboard the product of that research right now. You are on the Starship Ares.”

Once the video stopped, all that remained was the strange watery sound that I had heard before. I figured now that it was the sound of some sort of machinery aboard the ship, but it still made me somewhat nervous. I had never been aboard a spaceship that I could remember, no matter what the lady in the television was telling me. Then again, I couldn’t remember much of anything.

I began to try and stand up, but just as I started to move, a door opened at the end of the corridor and an extremely pale man walked through. I tried to rise faster, but found that my legs were almost completely useless. I could barely move them.

“Just a moment, master. I’ll be right there,” said the pale man as he came towards me. “Your leg muscles have atrophied a bit, I imagine. It has been a long time since you were last woken.”

I didn’t respond, but stared warily at the stranger. He seemed to know me, and yet his face was not familiar. He came up to the side of my box and knelt beside it. He was very tall, and even on his knees he towered over me. He wore a flowing robe of white, with four separate pockets sewed in to the sides. Out of one he pulled what looked like a gun. I strained my legs in trying to rise and defend myself, but he pushed me gently back down onto the foam beneath me.

“Relax, master. It will help you to move your legs and the rest of your body. It is a drug that will stimulate growth in your muscles. You have been in one position for a very long time, and though the ship has done its best to care for you, there are some side-effects. This will counter them.”
Realizing that I didn’t have much of a choice, I relaxed my body back down and allowed him to inject me with whatever it was. He applied it to each separate major muscle in my legs, and I could feel a cool soothing feeling travelling up my legs. I found I could move my toes and eventually I was able to shift my legs. He continued with the same process around the rest of my body. I had been very sore initially, and this brought great relief.

“Who are you?” I asked. “What am I doing here?”

He looked at me with an almost bemused look. His face was long and his eyes were an almost luminous blue. He had no hair or eyebrows, and when he opened his mouth, I could see that it was almost black. Even with this somewhat alarming combination of facial features, he had a kind face.

“I am hurt, master. You do not remember me? I have served by your side for many years, and in many battles. I am Frederick, but you usually call me Fred unless you are angry at me,” he said, smiling. “As for what you are doing here, the video explained that. You are here to save the world,” he continued, before saying finally, “again.”

title: A friend of mine wrote this in two parts for a weekly class writing assignment. Help me convince him to continue it.

question: What happened to the Earth in the story?

answer: Though not explicitly said, it appears as though the Earth has gone through the same old problems it has always had, war, and ecological issues have lead to them putting people on ice, and to the protagonist being woken up to save the world. It's fair enough to assume the world still exists since they are there to save it.

question: What does the story seem to be saying about humanity?

answer: It would seem the story is indicating humanity is irresponsible and too quick to forget the past. As the film in the story explains humans have made the same mistakes on repeat and the situation got so dire that they have put people on ice. It seems as though it hasn't stopped humanity making the same mistakes as they are waking up someone to 'save the world'.

question: Why are the characters in the story in space?

question: Describe the process of awakening that happens in the story.

answer: The character wakes up in a coffin like structure with memory loss. They are shown a film which explains their situation. They find themselves in a room with an odd looking man who proceeds to give them a medication to restore muscle strength.


text:
_PRECAMBRIAN_ is the third studio album by the German metal band The Ocean, released on November 5, 2007 through Metal Blade Records. It features several guest musicians, including Caleb Scofield (Cave In, Zozobra, Old Man Gloom), Nate Newton (Converge, Doomriders), Dwid Hellion (Integrity), Tomas Hallbom (Breach), Erik Kalsbeek (Textures) and musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

Development

The main concept of the album is based around the Precambrian, an early period in the formation of Earth. Hadean/Archaean (disc one) is heavy and raw just like their previous album Aeolian while Proterozoic (disc two) is more post-metal-influenced with the inclusion of symphonic and electronic elements like their first album Fluxion.

The production of the album lasted more than six months after their tour in Europe in late 2006. All the drum tracks done by Torge Liessmann and most of the guitar tracks were recorded at Studio57, near Kokkola, Finland, where producer Jonas Olsson had also recorded and produced Callisto´s album Noir. Some of the guitar tracks and all of the vocals, bass guitar, percussion, samples, and various instruments played by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra were recorded in The Ocean's own Oceanland Studio in Berlin, Germany. Additional vocals were recorded in Sweden, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Los Angeles, California and Seattle, Washington in the United States. It was mixed by Andrew Schneider in New York City. The album's mastering was originally done by Nick Zampiello, but dissatisfied Robin Staps, and it was therefore remastered in Finland. The artwork was done by Martin Kvamme, who has done artwork for various Mike Patton projects like Fantômas and Tomahawk. The release in the United States and Europe differed; the U.S. version is in a two-disc crystal case while the European version is in a complex digipak case with additional artwork.

Jonas Renkse from Katatonia and Bloodbath was planned to be on the album, but due to Katatonia's touring schedule during the production, The Ocean was not able to approach him on time. The Ocean wanted to have Dave Verellen of Botch to participate, but he never responded during production.[1]

Track listing

All music written by Robin Staps. Lyrics written by Robin Staps except where noted. All non-instrumental songs include sub-titles that correspond to the lyrics provided, not to the main concept.

Personnel

Hadean/Archaean

The Ocean

-   Torge Ließmann – drums, percussion (all tracks)
-   Robin Staps – guitar, percussion (all tracks)
-   Matt Beels – guitar (all tracks)
-   Mike Pilat – bass (all tracks), vocals (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5)
-   Nico Webers – vocals (tracks 1, 2, 3)
-   Meta – vocals (tracks 1, 5)

Additional musicians

-   Jason Emry – guest vocals (track 3)
-   Eric Kalsbeek – guest vocals (track 4)
-   Nate Newton – guest vocals (track 3)
-   René Noçon – guest vocals (track 3)
-   Walid Farruque – guest guitar (track 2)

Proterozoic

The Ocean

-   Torge Ließmann – drums, percussion (all tracks)
-   Robin Staps – guitar (all tracks), clean vocals (tracks 2, 6, 7)
-   Matt Beels – guitar (all tracks)
-   Mike Pilat – bass (tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 7), vocals (tracks 2, 3, 6, 8)
-   Hannes Huefken – bass (tracks 4 and 8)
-   Nico Webers – vocals (tracks 2, 5, 8)
-   Meta – vocals (tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8)

Additional Musicians

-   René Noçon – guest clean vocals (tracks 3, 7, 8)
-   Tomas Hallbom – guest vocals (track 7)
-   Dwid Hellion – guest vocals (track 6)
-   Nate Newton – guest vocals (track 8)
-   Jan Oberg – guest vocals (track 6)
-   Caleb Scofield – guest vocals (track 3)
-   Jonathan Heine – guest bass (track 6)
-   Stefan Heinemeyer – guest cello (tracks 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
-   Karina Suslov – guest viola (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-   Christoph Von Der Nahmer – guest violin (tracks 2, 3, 4, 8)
-   Katharina Sellheim – guest piano (tracks 2, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-   John Gürtler – guest saxophone (track 1)
-   Daniel Eichholz – guest glockenspiel (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7)
-   Jonas Olsson – guest tambourine (tracks 5, 7, 8)
-   Tomas Svensson – additional samples (track 1)

[1]

title: Precambrian (album)

question: What does the text say about Precambrian?

answer: Precambrian is the third studio album by the German metal band, The Ocean. It was released on November 5, 2007. It features several great musicians and a few more musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

question: What does the text say about the album's development?

answer: The concept of the album is based around the Precambrian, an early period in the formation of Earth. Its production lasted more than six months after their tour in Europe in late 2006.

question: What does the text say about the album's tracks?

question: What does the text about the album's musicians?


text:
_ANACITHARA PUNCTOSTRIATA_ is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Horaiclavidae.[1]

Description

The length of the shell attains 10.5 mm.

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Madagascar

[1] WoRMS (2015). Anacithara punctostriata Bozzetti, 2009. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=432962 on 2016-12-22

title: Anacithara punctostriata

question: What is Anacithara punctostriata?

answer: A species of sea snail in the family Horaiclavidae.

question: What are its characteristics?

answer: It is a marine gastropod mollusk of 10.5mm.

question: Where is it found?

answer: Off Madagascar

question: Who first described it?

answer: Doesn't say

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The Anacithara punctostriata is a species of sea snail in the family Horaiclavidae. It is a marine gastropod mollusk of 10.5mm. It is found off Madagascar.


text:
WHAT IT IS: A dual-action exfoliator that smooths and polishes skin to reveal a natural glow; lactic acid and fruit enzymes clean clogged pores in as little as one use.

SKIN TYPE: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily

SKINCARE CONCERNS: Dullness and Uneven Skintone, Pores, and Fine Lines and Wrinkles

FORMULATION: Scrub

HIGHLIGHTED INGREDIENTS:
- Papaya, Pineapple, and Pumpkin Enzymes: Naturally enhance skin exfoliation without overdrying.
- Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, and Silica: Lactic and salicylic acid provide chemical exfoliation while natural ingredient silica works to physically exfoliate dead skin cells from the surface.
- Aloe Vera, Honey, and Vitamin E: Help smooth and soften skin.

INGREDIENT CALLOUTS: Free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban, and contains less than one percent of synthetic fragrances. This product is cruelty-free.

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW: Perfected in the clinic to reveal glowing skin, Kate’s signature facial delivers four treatments—cleanser, scrub, peel, and mask—in one powerhouse product. Natural AHAs chemically exfoliate, while Silica helps with physical exfoliation to reveal smoother, brighter-looking skin in as little as two minutes.

CLINICAL RESULTS: In an independent clinical study, after just 1 use:
- 94% of women tested showed highly significant improvement in skin texture.
- 97% of women tested showed highly significant improvement in the appearance of pores.
- 100% of women tested showed highly significant improvement in the appearance of crow’s feet, fine lines and wrinkles.

question: What is the topic of this document?

answer: A description of a skin exfoliator

question: Name a few highlighted ingredients?

answer: Papaya, pineapple, Lactic Acid, and Aloe Vera

question: What is the highest percentage of the clinical results?

answer: 100% of women tested showed highly significant improvement in the appearance of crow's feet, fine lines, and wrinkles.

question: What is the product being described?

answer: The brand isn't revealed, but it is a dual-action exfoliator that smooths and polishes skin.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A skin exfoliator is described.


text:
On the other side of our Human World, there was a Monster World.

There was a young monster named Davi.  Davi was a lonely boy.  He had seven brothers, but he always stayed home alone.

Davi cried everyday.  He wanted to make friends.

Davi went to talk to his grandfather, who was the guard of the gate which connects Human World and Monster World.

Davi asked his grandfather, "I want to go to Human World.  I don't have any friends here.  Maybe I can make friends over there."

Grandfather said "No, it's too dangerous.  No one in Human World likes Monsters.  You won't make any friends there."

But Davi went "Nobody in Monster World likes me anyway.  I want to at least try making friends in Human World!"

Grandfather decided to allow Davi three days in Human World, and gave him three gold coins, and told him "These coins may help you when you are in trouble."

Davi thanked his grandfather, and went through the gate.

Davi walked through the dark...

Davi landed on the street.  He was amazed at the sun, the sky, the tall trees, and the houses!

Davi saw a college dormitory in which college girls were petting a cat.

Davi sneaked into the dormitory and talked to the cat. "Mr!" said Davi.  "How can I make friends with humans?"

" Meow! " answered Mr. Cat.  "I am not going to tell you because you are a Monster.  We don't like monsters.  But I see you have three gold coins in your pocket.  If you give me one coin, I'll answer your question."

Davi gave him one gold coin.  Then Mr. Cat went "Ok!  All I do is mew and purr at people's feet."

Davi said "Thank you, Mr. Cat!"

Davi approached the college girls, who were busy chattering with each other, and purred and mewed at their feet.  The college girls turned around, and...

"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!  Monster!!!"  The college girls screamed in horror, and ran out of the building!

Davi was left alone in the dormitory.  He walked out on the street, and he cried and cried and cried all night long.

On the second day, Davi saw two young boys playing with a dog in a house.

Davi sneaked into the house, and talked to the Dog. "Mr!" said Davi.  "How can I make friends with Humans?"

" Arf!" answers Mr. Dog.  "I am not going to tell you because you are a monster.  We don't like monsters.  But I see you have two gold coins in your pocket.  If you give me one coin, I'll be happy to answer your question."

So Davi gave him one coin.  Then Mr. Dog went "Okay!  All I do is bow-wow, and lick people's faces."  "Thank you, Mr. Dog!" said Davi.

Davi approached the two young boys, and suddenly licked their faces and BOW-WOWED!!

"AAARRRGGGHHH!!! MONSTER!!"  cried the two young boys.  They screamed in horror and ran out of the building!

Davi was left alone in the house.  He walked out on the street, and he cried and cried and cried all night long.

On the third day, Davi saw a huge house in which an old blind lady was feeding a small bird in a cage.

Davi sneaked into the house, and talked to the bird. "Mrs!" said Davi.  "How can I make friends with humans?"

"Chirp!" answered Mrs. Bird.  "I am not going to tell you because you are a Monster.  We don't like Monsters.  But I see you have one gold coin in your pocket.  If you give me the coin, I'll be happy to answer your question."

So Davi gave her his last gold coin.  Then Mrs. Bird says "Okay!  All I do is chirp and sing a song!"

Davi started singing a song.  Then...

"Where does this come from?" the old blind lady approached Davi.  Davi was so happy.  "This is the most beautiful song I have ever heard,"said Old Blind Lady.

Then she touched Davi's face.  "Who are you? What is this?  Could this be a... AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Monster!!!!"  The Old Blind Lady screamed in horror, and fainted dead!

Davi was left alone once again.  He walked out on the street, and he cried and cried and cried all night long.

Davi went back to the gate.  He was very sad.  The trees, the sun, the sky didn't amaze Davi anymore.

Davi met his grandfather at the gate.  Grandfather went "Why are you crying?"  Then Davi answered "I tried really hard to make friends with humans, and asked Mr. Cat, Mr. Dog and Mrs. Bird for advise, and I followed their good advice, but nobody liked
 me.  Nobody cared about me anywhere.  I'll be alone for the rest of my life.  Nobody likes me!"

Then grandfather answered "It takes so much courage just to go to Human World.  And you were on your own Davi.  You are the most courageous Monster I have ever seen.  Everytime you cried, you learned to be stronger.  You don't need anyone else."

Davi listened to his grandfather.  "Now go home, Davi," said grandfather.

Davi walked back to his house, and opened the door, then...

Davi's seven brothers rushed to him, cheering "We've heard you were in Human World by yourself?!" "I wish I can be like you!"  "You are so brave!"

Davi finally smiled.  From that day on, Davi played with his brothers everyday, and lived happily ever after.

("Little Monster Davi" I have copyrighted this story in America a few years ago.)

title: A monster who tries to make friends with people (Original)

question: Does Devi end up going to the Human World?

answer: Yes.

question: What kind of trouble will Devi get into?

answer: He didn't get into trouble just got upset.

question: Where there always two worlds? The Human World and the Monster World?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Did Devi make any human friends?

answer: No.

question: Why did Devi only talk with pets when he was in the Human World?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Devi is a monster living in the Monster World but he has no friends and usually just sits alone at home. One day he asks his grandfather to let him cross into the Human World so he can try and make friends. Once he gets there he attempts to befriend girls, boys, and even a blind lady but with no luck. He comes back home disappointed but finds out that his brothers think he was very brave to venture into the Human World and start hanging out with him.


text:
Set against the backdrop of the wide open windows and the checkerboard tile of Tacoma’s Café Brosseau, writer Nicole McCarthy certainly looks the part. She has the sort of jet-black hair and porcelain skin that gives her small frame a kind of fairytale quality. Pair her stately repose with the still-steamy latte at her right and the laptop snapped shut at her left and she is the portrait — to borrow from Joyce — of the artist as a young woman.

Nicole’s schedule is jam-packed with the written word. She spends her days wading through literature and workshopping her writing with classmates during her rigorous first year at UW Bothell’s MFA in creative writing and poetics program. After school, she’s at work helping customers find new reading favorites at King’s Books in Tacoma. Her free time, when she gets it, is full of recreational reading and writing, as well as behind the scenes work as the managing editor at “The James Franco Review.”

[Nicole McCarthy]
Nicole McCarthy, right, reading her original work at Tacoma’s 2015 Lit Crawl. Photo credit: Lee Heath.
We caught up with this Pacific Northwest native over coffee to learn more about her involvement in Tacoma’s literary scene, her work at “The James Franco Review” and her philosophy on writing.

HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER?

I’ve been a reader my entire life, and I always knew I wanted to be a writer. When I was in elementary school, I used to do reading competitions, and I’d stay home on the weekends to read, too. My mom used to always tell me that if you want to be a good writer you need to be a good reader, and so I was constantly reading.

I finished NaNoWriMo in 2009, and the experience of writing every single day and really having a good time with it made me realize that I should be writing. In 2010, I was on a path to UW Tacoma to get a writing degree and there was no changing my mind. And it still hasn’t changed, since day one. A month into my senior year of college, I was driven to keep going, and the idea of graduate school invigorated me completely.

WHAT HAS YOUR EDUCATION IN CREATIVE WRITING BEEN LIKE? HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO GO FROM UW TACOMA TO THE NOT-SO-NEARBY CAMPUS IN BOTHELL?

UW Tacoma has a more intimate campus, smaller class sizes, and I was looking for a more individualized approach to learning. I had also heard good things about the creative writing program that was still growing at UWT. My time there was nothing short of amazing. I spent two years working for the literary arts journal “Tahoma West” planning readings and events.

At the beginning of my senior year, I had been experimenting with poetic performances and mixed media. I started working with things like poetry projections and digital chapbooks and was moving towards an interest in collaborative technological possibilities.

[Nicole McCarthy]
One of Nicole’s creative projects, pictured above, involved gluing stanzas of poems into women’s magazines to encourage others to question unrealistic beauty standards. Photo courtesy: Nicole McCarthy.
Janie Miller, a writing professor at UWT, noticed that I was experimenting with form and genre in an effort to deconstruct the ideas I had about conventional standards of creative writing, and so it was Janie who recommended I look to the UW Bothell MFA program

I think the greatest thing about the UW Bothell MFA program is the opportunity for experimentalism that is so readily supported by the writing faculty that I find not only tantalizing but necessary in a creative writing program. The room for growth and exploration feels boundless.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY YOU’RE EXPERIMENTING WITH NON-TRADITIONAL CREATIVE WRITING?

With my performances, right now I am interested not only in the space on the page (when writing and creating) but also the space that I occupy while reading and how that space relates to my body and the bodies of the audience members.

With the performance I did for the Tacoma Lit Crawl, I was exploring themes of presence and absence as a military spouse to convey to the audience moments in my life in which my husband’s presence feels almost completely erased (while he’s on deployments). I had artists behind me slowly “erasing” themselves with white paint as I read, while simultaneously passing out dozens of images of my husband and I, with his image, whited out. Blurring his image out in a series of our photos examines the idea of memory tampering. I wanted to plant the question of whether or not he was actually in the photo and present in those moments that are captured.

Much of my work is based around textual materiality — how something is laid out on a page; what white space can do; how mixed media changes or enhances meanings. While that’s still important to me, there’s something so boundless about immateriality, about the freedom of text or images to go anywhere in an electronic space.

[Nicole McCarthy is a first-year grad student in UW Bothell’s MFA program as well as the managing editor of the James Franco Review. Photo courtesy: Nicole McCarthy. ]
Nicole McCarthy is a first-year grad student in UW Bothell’s MFA program as well as the managing editor of the James Franco Review. Photo courtesy: Nicole McCarthy.
Another project involves gluing stanzas of poems into women’s magazines to encourage others to question unrealistic beauty standards. The best art has an element of activism to it. Moving forward, I have the sense that my projects will evolve into digital technology and how my body can be intricately involved.

HOW HAS YOUR TIME IN TACOMA INFLUENCED YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS AN EMERGING PACIFIC NORTHWEST WRITER?

My identity as a writer is irrevocably tied to Tacoma. The overall aura of the city has had an impact on me and my writing. It’s been a combination of the people I’ve encountered and the milestones I’ve shared that’s culminated into something. It’s a time of my life that exists in a bubble living inside me. How Fitzgerald felt about New York? That’s how I feel about Tacoma.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT “THE JAMES FRANCO REVIEW”?

  FROM THE WEBSITE: _EDITORS WILL BE READING YOUR WORK BLINDLY. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR NAME OR OTHER IDENTIFYING MARKS AREN’T ANYWHERE ON YOUR MANUSCRIPT AND THIS INCLUDES IN THE FILENAME. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO PUT A NAME OTHER THAN THE TITLE IN THE FILE NAME USE JAMES FRANCO’S (I.E. FRANCO_MYSTORY.DOC) BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU ARE HIM._

When I signed on in May of 2015, the review had been out less than a year (Corinne Manning started the journal in late 2014). It started out as a project questioning privilege and access in the literary industry. James Franco had a collection of poetry published that was a tad underwhelming, but he’s James Franco, so he got published. Our goal is to support underrepresented writers and provide a platform to share their voices.

[Nicole McCarthy]
The best art, says McCarthy, has an element of activism to it. It was with this in mind that she posted tasteful guerilla poetry pieces around the city as a student of UW Tacoma’s creative writing program. Photo courtesy: Nicole McCarthy.
We have rotating editors every issue so the tone and content of our journal is always changing. Some people submit multiple times knowing their work may strike out with two editors, but be picked up by a third.

When Corinne approached me to help, there was no doubt that I wanted to be involved. The mission statement about visibility and access is important to me, as well as the opportunity to work on a literary journal that was growing and changing in the world.

WHERE CAN WE LOOK FOR YOUR WORK, AND WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

I’ve been published in various places like Tacoma’s “Creative Colloquy,” and I was recently published in “Punctuate_,”_ a journal dedicated to non-fiction work out of Chicago. You can also find some of my visual performances online.

My goal this summer, since I’ve been working on a book — not a novel, but a non-fiction poetic hybrid collection — is to polish that. It’s poems and essays and images, etc., exploring my experiences as a military spouse. When I started dating my husband, I looked for literature on how to deal with existing in this new world, because it was so unknown to me, and all I was finding was the “Idiot’s Guide to Being a Military Spouse.” Things like “How to Register Yourself for Health Insurance.” It wasn’t any of the answers I was looking for, so I started writing and collecting pieces during my senior year of college. At the core of my poetics is a dedication to honesty — a sometimes-morose transparency in my experiences to share with others who may not know or feel comfortable asking about.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING OR BECOMING INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL LITERARY SCENE?

[Nicole McCarthy]
McCarthy says it’s exciting to see Tacoma’s literary scene continue to grow and says there are many ways for aspiring writers to get involved.
The great thing about starting my undergrad program at UW is that I could literally see the Tacoma literary scene growing. And it still is — rapidly. It’ll be interesting to see what’s going on in Tacoma’s creative writing scene in five years.

Creative Colloquy is a great place for people who want to get into the Tacoma writing scene. The open mics are a great start to get your feet wet. I know that they’re in their second year and they’re really growing the journal. They’re going to start doing readings in Olympia soon, and they just started the Tacoma Lit Crawl, which I did a performance for last October.

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question: Where does McCarthy live?

answer: McCarthy lives in Tacoma.

question: What does McCarthy's mom claim you need to be to be a good writer?

answer: McCarthy's mom claims you need to be a good reader to be a good writer.

question: Who is Janie Miller?

answer: Janie Miller is a writing professor at UWT.

question: Where has McCarthy been published?

answer: McCarthy has been published in many places, including Tacoma's "Creative Colloquy" and the journal "Punctuate."

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The author interviews Nicole McCarthy, a first year grad student. They discuss McCarthy's writing background and previous projects, as well as projects the writer is currently working on.


text:
[]
Internally displaced persons settlements in Baidoa town, Somalia. Photo by: Sara Jerving / Devex
BAIDOA, Somalia — On the outskirts of the city of Baidoa, in southwestern Somalia, lies a tent city of small dome shelters that have been cobbled together with branches, plastic tarp, pieces of cloth, and old grain bags, held in place with a random assortment of string.

The shelters are home to Somalis, many of them farmers and pastoralists, who have come to Baidoa in search of humanitarian aid in response to the regional drought that has persisted for two agonizing years in the region.

The current crisis has displaced more than 1.4 million people, with displacement flows hitting a peak last March, when more than 290,000 people left their home. But people continue to trickle into the camps and the weather forecast doesn’t look promising. The next rainy season, which starts in April, is expected to bring below-average rainfall. This means that for the majority of people already in the camps, a return home is not likely in the near future. To help keep these populations alive, the humanitarian sector has leaned heavily on cash transfers. This can include direct transfers of cash to cell phones through mobile money, vouchers, or a bank card.

In Somalia, cash transfer programs scaled up last year to a level likely never before seen in the country, Johan Heffinck, head of for the European Commission’s European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Somalia office, told Devex. Around 3 million people, which is about one-quarter of the population, are receiving some type of cash assistance, he said. The World Food Programme, for example, had about 10 percent of their food aid as cash-based transfers in 2015 and that number has now risen to about 60 percent, said Liljana Jovceva, head of programme for WFP’s Somalia office.

Amid massive displacement over the past year, the humanitarian sector began to better coordinate its cash transfer distribution, creating alliances and working groups to ensure that organizations weren’t duplicating efforts.

Ultimately, some in the humanitarian sector have their sights set on seeing the program evolve into a national social safety net that would provide assistance to vulnerable Somalis beyond the current food crisis. This could lay the groundwork for future crises, allowing the sector to scale-up quickly during the next emergency.

A bumpy start

After their 25 goats died of starvation and thirst, Khadiyo Mohamed and her family came to Baidoa in search of support. Having to sell their land, and their donkey, which they used for transport, they walked for seven days. Her husband died soon after, from an unknown disease. She now lives with her five children in a dome shelter that has a width of about 8 feet. The only thing keeping her family afloat is the $87 she receives on her phone each month from Save the Children International. She uses it to buy food, but also to pay off the debt that she incurred from food costs at the onset of the drought after her goats died.

Cash allows people to buy what they need most, rather than prescribing for families what is important. For Mohamed, one of her priorities is paying off her debt. She still owes $10.

Transferring cash is also more efficient than distributing actual food, said Calum Mclean, global thematic coordinator for cash and basic needs for ECHO. In Somalia, around 80 percent of cash transfer funds actually reach the beneficiary. In-kind food aid is closer to 60 percent, he said.

[]
With help from cash transfers, Hassan Affey Ali has started a sewing business in the Buuloduuf displacement camp. Experience his story here.
Cash transfers work well in Somalia, because the private sector is functioning despite the ongoing conflict. This is largely because of the country’s dependence on food imports, which ensures there are relatively consistent markets to buy food and other items. In crises such as those happening in South Sudan and Yemen, where markets currently aren’t functioning, cash transfers don’t work as well, said Mclean.

At the onset of the food crisis, the distribution of cash in Somalia was done in a somewhat haphazard way. There was little coordination on cash delivery among NGOs, leading to overlaps in the distribution of cash.

“We would see an absence of coordination in some settlements. There would be two or three partners working on the same settlement,” said Kassim Mohamed Adam, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Baidoa office.

As a result, the Somalia Cash Working Group, co-chaired by WFP and ADESO, was established in February. This group mapped out the various cash transfer programs in the country and began to improve coordination among the organizations that distribute cash. The group aims to “streamline the design, development, and implementation of cash-based interventions and improve strategic direction.”

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ECHO also created an alliance of organizations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Concern Worldwide, Danish Refugee Council, Cooperazione Internazionale, Save the Children International, and ACTED, aimed at coordinating the cash transfer response to ensure uniform standards among alliance members and prevent overlap.

This month, the alliance evolved into a consortium, which will now operate under one contract, said Heffinck. This is aimed at increasing coordination and simplifying the administrative structure.

Despite enhanced levels of coordination, there are still overlaps and other hurdles, said Heffinck. One of these includes ensuring that organizations agree to distribute the same amount of money. The Somalia Cash Working Group has recommended a monthly rate for distributing cash, based on a minimal expenditure basket and cost of living throughout the country. But not all of the cash-distributing organizations have agreed to these figures, said Heffinck.

The humanitarian sector also has a vision of creating a central database of information on cash transfers. This could include data from the cash distributing organizations, such as the names of cash recipients, number of people that are receiving cash, GPS location, for which period they are receiving cash, among other information. This could help to identify overlaps and coverage gaps, said Heffinck.

A national safety net?

The humanitarian sector, in many ways, had to scale this system up from scratch last year in response to the food security crisis, said Heffinck. Transforming the system into a national social safety net is a way to prevent the humanitarian sector from having to repeat this again during the next crisis. A safety net would aim to keep a group of households that are chronically food insecure or vulnerable on a cash transfer program, said Heffinck.

"This is probably the best preparedness action we can create in view of the next crisis," he said.

In the Lower Juba region of Somalia, ADESO and ACTED have already been taking a “social safety net approach” to their cash transfer program, distributing unconditional cash to 5,000 families, in conjunction with livelihood strengthening and diversification, disaster risk reduction, and preparedness programming.

In order to expand a safety net to a national level, organizations, including ECHO and ADESO, are taking steps forward, such as designing the technical details of a national safety net, finding donors, and creating donor coordination and technical facilitation teams. A social safety net could also save money for donors who invest upfront in a national program and then could end up spending less on future humanitarian responses, said Deqa Saleh, cash and social protection advisor at ADESO.

“Whatever savings remain, because it costs less money for a safety net program, then organizations can now look at transformation in terms of development,” she said. “The funding that goes to Somalia is very humanitarian focused, but that could switch to development.”

Administering the social safety net would ultimately be the responsibility of the Somali government, said Heffinck. But this could take some time, as the government currently doesn’t have the capacity or the funds.

“Having government ownership will be too ambitious in the short term,” said Jovceva. But in the meantime, the government should be fully onboard with the policy framework around the social safety net, she said.

For mothers like Khadiyo Mohamed, who lost her livestock, land, and her husband during the drought, it will be a while before she is back on her feet again. Her husband was the farmer in the family. When the food crisis passes, she will have to save up for another plot of land and then learn how to farm it, or find some other form of earning money. A social safety net could have the potential to serve as a buffer for families like hers in reclaiming their lives.

_Editor’s note: The Norwegian Refugee Council facilitated Devex's travel and logistics for this reporting. However, Devex maintains full editorial control of the content._

PRINTING ARTICLES TO SHARE WITH OTHERS IS A BREACH OF OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND COPYRIGHT POLICY. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro subscribers may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

question: Why do Somalis seek shelter?

answer: The floods that happened over the previous two years displaced many people from their homes.

question: Why are cash transfers on the rise?

answer: While the article doesn't elaborate on every potential reason, it quotes Calum McLean saying cash transfers are more reliable than other forms of food aids.

question: What are the plans of some humanitarians?

answer: They hope to turn the food aid program into a social safety net.

question: Explain the reasons behind NGOs coordinating their aid programs.

answer: There were coverage gaps and overlaps. They also aim to establish uniform standards.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: After two years of flood, 1.4 million Somalis are displaced in search of shelter. Cash transfer programs rose in recent years to facilitate a great deal of humanitarian aid. Various NGOs recently formed a consortium to ensure uniform standards, avoid overlaps and coverage gaps. The consortium hopes to turn the program into a social safety net in the future for better preparedness against similar situations.


text:
Galahad ran through the hall to tell the professor of the scene in the market. He crashed through the doors of the classroom as professor Cosimo was deep into the first study of the season with his new pupils.

“Cosimo, come at once for your son Felix is proclaiming to denounce his worldly possessions and set the live stock of your estate free. He says all the animals on the sycamore cart he has brought to the marketplace are slaves!”

The professor slowly looked from the manuscripts of arithmetic and peered scornfully above his spectacles made of lead wire and uneven glass. He replied, “These matters I cannot tend to, Galahad.”

“Sir, he is giving away the family rabbits, cows and your prized chicken! This will be a hardship for your wife and daughter.” Galahad said as he tried to catch his breath.

“Teacher, shall we perhaps resume our study tomorrow so that you may tend to this matter?” a voice from the group of pupils asked.

“You shall address me as ‘professor’, this is not optional, for I profess unto you all.” Cosimo said through the small opening between his mustache and beard.

The pupils responded in unison with flabbergasted tones.

And with that the professor sent Galahad away with a net made of old flag fabric, wool rope and worn burlap sacks.

Cosimo explained to Galahad that he is to capture Felix and keep him bound until the evening when Cosimo could return home to correct his son.

As Galahad arrived in the market he saw no cart full of rabbits or the professors prized chicken. The two cows that were pulling the cart were nowhere in sight and the cart was being pulled away from the marketplace by a lazy donkey tethered to an old man.

“You, with the sycamore cart. WAIT!” Galahad announced as he hurried up the hill that the old man and his donkey had just conquered.

“Old man, where is the gentleman that you have acquired this cart from?”

The old man licked his dry lips with his dry tongue and cleared his voice in preparation to speak, “The boy said he was going south to the Mediterranean to find kinder women folk to marry. The young one was telling of a dream in which Diotima of Mantinea spoke to him of gentle women in that region.”

The old man then walked off and the donkey followed but was not lead as there was plenty of slack in the tether.

title: Felix away! [Fiction]

question: Why is Felix?

answer: Cosimo's son

question: What does Cosimo study?

answer: arithmetic

question: Where is Felix going?

answer: to the Mediterranean

question: Why is Felix going to the Mediterranean?

answer: to find a woman to marry

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Galahad warns Cosimo, a professor, that his Cosimo's son, Felix, has taken all the family's livestock to the marketplace to give away. The old man to whom Felix gave the cart full of livestock tells Galahad that Felix is headed to the Mediterranean to find a woman to marry.


text:
This was my first short story I had to write for my Creative Writing class back when I was a Junior in high school. I hope you like it!

    "Ooohhhh," Helen groaned. She hurt everywhere. Being in a hospital for six weeks is really something that she wasn't looking forward to. She was about to call for a nurse to change the channel on her tiny tv (golf was not her thing!) when all of a sudden there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she called weakly.

   "Hello, I'm Dr. Bandade, how are you feeling?" He smiled a toothy smile.

   She gave the burly man a sarcastic look. "How do you *think* I'm feeling? I fell out of a five-story window!"

    The doctor pulled up a chair next to her. "Yes about that, how exactly did it happen? On this statement is says that you were pushed?"

    Helen cringed at the very thought of it, not only because it was painful, but she wasn't sure if he would believe her. "Well, it started out as a normal day. I woke up, ate breakfast, completed the daily crossword puzzle in the paper.

    "It was then I noticed that my window was open. A cool breeze swept through, so I decided to close it. I got up and went over to the window.

    "Right as I reached out to grab the handle, Rufus, my cat, rubbed against my leg, causing me to lose my balance. Before I knew it, I was falling out the window!

    "I screamed. I heard people screaming below me. I felt breathless. Panic swept over me.

    "It was only too soon when I came into contact with the ground. I heard bones shattering and I cried out in pain. In the distance, sirens wailed. The ambulance charged down the street.

    "After they put me on the stretcher, they hauled me away to the hospital, where they told me I was lucky to even be alive. They said I broke every bone in my body. I'll be here about six weeks, if not more." Her face fell when she told the doctor this. "And that's all that happened."

    Dr. Bandade looked over at her. "So you fell out accidentally then."

    "No! I was *pushed* out!" she yelled.

    "But you even said that you lost your balance, and no one was with you."

    "Yes there was... Rufus! *He* pushed me out!"

    The doctor rationalized, "But he's a *cat.* He probably didn't realize that rubbing against you to show affection would-"

    But Helen cut him off. "He *deliberately* rubbed too hard and made me lost my balance."

    "What would be the purpose for Rufus to push you?" The doctor raised an eyebrow.

    "He's just evil," she simply said.

    "Oh." He wrote some things down on his clipboard.

    Helen stared at him suspiciously. "What kind of doctor are you anyway, asking me all these questions?"

    "I'm a psychiatrist." He wrote some more things down.

    "What? You think I'm crazy don't you?! I'm telling you, my cat is trying to *kill me!"*

    Before Dr. Bandade could say anything, there was a knock at the door.

    "Excuse me, doctor," the nurse said, "but there's someone here to see her."

    Helen perked up a bit. A visitor to see her!

    The visitor walked into the room.

    "Rufus!" Helen shrieked.

    Standing there was the tabby cat. He was staring at her with glossy green eyes, slanted into slits. His tail twitched as if to say, "I'm *back."*

title: Paranoid?... Or just plain evil?

question: Where does this short story take place?

answer: It takes place in a hospital room.

question: What happened to the Helen that caused her to be in the hospital room?

answer: Helen fell out of a five story window.

question: Who did Helen believe pushed her out of the window?

answer: Helen believed that her cat, Rufus, pushed her deliberately outside the window.

question: How would you describe the well-being of Helen?

answer: Helen seems to be delusional as she is scared of her cat and states her cat pushed her outside the window.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This short story describes a mentally-ill patient, Helen, who believed her cat, Rufus, deliberately, pushed her out her window.


text:
[HuffPost] [HuffPost]

Here's A Black Friday Discount We Can Get Behind: Free Admission To State Parks

If fighting crowds at a Black Friday sale isn't your style, heading to a state park may be an ideal alternative.

Following in the footsteps of outdoor retailer REI, which is closing its stores on Thanksgiving and Black Friday and encouraging employees and customers to instead #OptOutside, some states are waiving state park admission fees for the holiday. Others are offering visitors free guided hikes or prizes.

The details:

-   [Arizonans can <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/2015/11/20/arizona-state-parks-free-admission-black-friday/76107]

-   [The Save the Redwoods League teamed up with California State Parks to offer a limited number of free passes to state parks on]

-   [Colorado is declaring "Fresh Air Friday," offering free admission to all 42 state parks.

"We hope this offer inspires ]

-   [All of Delaware's state parks will be free on Friday.]

-   [Everyone who visits a Kansas state park on Friday and posts a photo of their visit with the hashtag #myksstatepark will be en]

-   [Minnesota is waiving admission at 75 state parks and recre]

-   [Missourians can camp for free in any state park on Friday. Additionally, s]

-   [Oregon is waiving day parkin]

-   [Great Smoky Mountains National Park will offer free, guided <a href="http://friendsofthesmokies.org/news/park-offers-black-fr]

-   [Tennessee is encouraging Black Friday hikers to post photos to social media with the hashtag #TNgobblewobble to be <a hr]

-   [Washington's famed <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/washingtons-national-parks-turn-black-friday-into-green-f]

_ALSO ON HUFFPOST:_

PHOTO GALLERY

Ten Best U.S. National Parks

Calling all HuffPost superfans!

Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter

question: Why are some states are waiving state park fees on Black Friday?

answer: They are trying to encourage outdoor activities instead of crowded shopping.

question: Do all states offer free admission to every state park they have?

answer: No, only some states offer it. They are Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Tennesee, and Washington.

question: How many passes does California offer for state parks?

answer: It's not stated in the text.

question: Is the free admission to state parks idea a federal initiative?

answer: No, it's something each state decides on. However, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also free.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Some states are waiving the admission fees for state parks for Black Friday. The offering states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Tennesee, and Washington. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will also feature free admissions.


text:
BROCKINGTON COLLEGE is a Church of England mixed secondary school in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. It is in the district of Blaby. The school became an academy on 1 August 2012.[1]

History

In 1957 Brockington College was erected using an intergrid prefabricated construction. Four other Leicestershire schools also used this method of construction and due to the high maintenance costs and physical degradation of the buildings each of these schools has now been replaced. Brockington College was part of a £19m project from September 2006 to September 2007. Being a voluntary-aided school, funding was not directly through the Building Schools for the Future scheme but shared between HM Government and the Partnership for Church Schools scheme. As such the Church of England made a significant investment in the college and its local community. The current building boasts modern and state-of-the-art facilities, especially information technology equipment. A full size artificial grass pitch was added in 2009, funded and sponsored by the FA,[2] Next and a number of other local sponsors.

The school converted to academy status in August 2012.[3] Previously a middle school for pupils aged 11 to 14, in September 2015 the school changed to become an 11 to 16 secondary school.

Features of the college

Admissions

Brockington admits children aged 11–16 and in recent years has drawn significant numbers of pupils from beyond its traditional catchment area. The current informal catchment extends in excess of 8 miles, centred on Enderby and Narborough and including Croft, Huncote and Thurlaston - but reaching to Stoney Stanton, Whetstone and Blaby, Braunstone and Leicester Forest East as families have elected to apply to Brockington rather than their local secondary schools. Ofsted noted Brockington's pastoral support as being one of the many outstanding features of the college in 2010.

Spiritual reflection

The school speaks of its “uniquely Christian ethos” and has been assessed as an “Outstanding” school as part of its Section 48 inspection.[4] Children and staff from a number of faith backgrounds are part of the Brockington community and all beliefs are respected and considered. Local clergy host assemblies once a fortnight for each year and there is a strong Spiritual Reflection programme designed to prompt reflection among all, irrespective of their faith. There is also a Christmas and Easter service held at the local church for years 7-10.

House system

There are four Houses within the school (Plantagenet, Stuart, Tudor, and Windsor) and pupils frequently participate in extracurricular and enrichment activities representing their House.[5]

ICT facilities

All classrooms are equipped with LED projectors and have interactive whiteboards. There are currently five ICT rooms located on-site.

School values

The school has eight key values ('Compassion', 'Forgiveness', 'Justice', 'Koinonia’, 'Perseverance’, ‘Wisdom’, ‘Learning’ and ‘Respect’) that inform the school's assembly programme; Collective Worship Programme and are the cornerstones for teaching within the school.[6]

Student voice

Each tutor group has elected representatives who meet once a term, decide priorities and liaise with the senior leadership team. Student Voice pupils also play a significant role in staff recruitment (forming formal interview panels) and the promotion of the school.

Facilities

The College offers bookable rooms and facilities for outside groups.[7] Regular sporting events are hosted using the College's facilities, including the 3G Artificial Grass Football Pitch (AGP), main indoor sports hall, and Multi Use Games Area (MUGA).[8]

Notable former pupils

-   Richard Armitage, actor.
-   Joe Corby, greenkeeper.

[1]  Brockington College|url = http://www.brockington.leics.sch.uk/category/the-school/about-the-college/%7Cwebsite = www.brockington.leics.sch.uk|access-date = 2016-01-25}}

[2]  The FA Cup|url = http://3g.thefa.me.uk/pitch.php?id=1214%7Cwebsite = 3g.thefa.me.uk|access-date = 2016-01-25|first = The Football|last = Association}}

[3]

[4]

[5]  Brockington College|url = http://www.brockington.leics.sch.uk/house-competition/%7Cwebsite = www.brockington.leics.sch.uk|access-date = 2016-01-25}}

[6]

[7]  Facilities|url = http://facilities.brockington.leics.sch.uk/%7Cwebsite = facilities.brockington.leics.sch.uk|access-date = 2016-01-25|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160131235406/http://facilities.brockington.leics.sch.uk/%7Carchive-date = 2016-01-31|url-status = dead}}

[8]  Pitch Hire {{!}} Brockington ~ Leicester {{!}} Brockington College ~ Leicester|url = http://facilities.brockington.leics.sch.uk/index.php/2010/10/artificial-grass-pitch-sports-facilities-flood-lit-hall/%7Cwebsite = facilities.brockington.leics.sch.uk|access-date = 2016-01-25|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160201005455/http://facilities.brockington.leics.sch.uk/index.php/2010/10/artificial-grass-pitch-sports-facilities-flood-lit-hall/%7Carchive-date = 2016-02-01|url-status = dead}}

title: Brockington College

question: What does the text say about the physical features of Brockington College?

answer: In 1957, Brockington College was erected using an intergrid prefabricated construction. There is a full size artificial grass pitch called the 3G Artificial Grass Football Pitch. The school also features modern, state-of-the-art facilities that include a main indoors sports hall and a multi use games area.

question: What does the text say about spiritual reflection?

answer: Brockington College is a Church of England mixed secondary school with a uniquely Christian ethos. Children and staff come from a number of faith backgrounds, and all beliefs are respected and considered. Local clergy host assemblies once a fortnight, and there are Christmas and Easter service held at the local church for years 7-10. Additionally, there is also a strong Spiritual Reflection program which is designed to prompt reflection among anyone who attends.

question: What does the text say about funding?

answer: 2006 through 2007, Brockington College was part of a £19m project. Funding is shared between HM Government and the Partnership of Church schools scheme since the school is a voluntary-aided school. The Church of England has also made a significant investment in the school and its local community. In 2009, a full size artificial grass pitch was added through funding and sponsoring by the FA, next, and other local sponsors.

question: What does the text say about preparation for university?


text:
[] VITALIY SKOTSYK (; born 15 March 1972 in village Symoniv, Hoshcha Raion, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian economist and ex-Candidate for President of Ukraine. He has received a PhD in agricultural sciences and is a Doctor of Science in economics (strategic management),and Doctor of Science in management of National Economy, emeritus member of the Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine.

Education

-   Since 1989 – studied at the National Agrarian University
-   Since 1991 – studied at the Purdue University (USA)
-   1998 – received PhD in agricultural sciences
-   2003 – became Doctor of Science in economics. Vitaliy Skotsyk is the first Dr. Sci. in strategic management in Ukraine
-   2017- became Doctor of Science in management of National economy

Career

-   1994 - 1995 – Lecturer at the National Agrarian University
-   1995 - 1997 – Director of the branch Natures Way Foods (UK)
-   Since 1997 – worked on various positions in American Machinery Company (AMAKO)
-   Since 2008 – Emeritus Professor of the National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”
-   2009-2012 - Head of the faculty at National University of biological science and natural resources
-   Since 2010 р. – Emeritus member of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine
-   2012 - December 2014 – Head of the supervisory board of AMAKO Group companies.[1] During this period the company AMAKO was the winner in nominations “Best Network of agrotechnological centers in Ukraine (2008, 2010-1013)”, “Best Employer of Ukraine among big enterprises (2009-2010”
-   2009-2012 – CEO, Landkom International. During these years, the company Landkom was recognized as “Best Agricultural Holding of Ukraine” (2010-2011), and “Best Employer among big enterprises” (2011)
-   2009 – Member of the Agrarian Party of Ukraine[2]
-   2010 – Deputy Chairman of the Agrarian Party of Ukraine
-   2014 – Chairman of the Agrarian Party of Ukraine
-   2015 - In first national local elections Party got 7% voters support and became number five through local councils having over 3,500 seats at regional governance
-   2016-2019 Agrarian Party increased presence at regional governance with grown voters support to 14%, Party became number 2-3 in Ukrainian political system
-   October 18, 2019 just before start of Ukraine Presidential elections Agrarian Party became a victim of raiders attack and Vitaliy Skotsyk was manipulatively removed from Chairman position
-   January 3, 2019 Skotsyk filed documents with the Central Election Commission for registration as a candidate for the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election [https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2019/01/3/7202928/. The Central Election Commission registered Skotsyk as a candidate on 8 January, he was registered as a self-nominated candidate.[3]
-   March 21, 2019 in first round of Presidential elections Vitaliy Skotsyk and newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky, as candidates who never been on government positions, got the highest voters support but to second round Vitaliy Skotsyk did not qualify standing behind former President Petro Poroshenko and newly elected Volodymyr Zelensky

Awards

-   Order of Merit, III degree (Ukraine)
-   Winner of the Ukraine National contest “Person of the Year” (2009) in the category “Manager of the Year”
-   Numerous certificates and awards for his contribution to the economy of Ukraine and many other countries

Personal life

Skotsyk is married and has three children.

[1]  “Country party”: village advocates or lobbyists of agroholdings? by Ukrayinska Pravda/Civil movement "Chesno" (2017)

[2]

[3]  The CEC has registered 4 more presidential candidates by Ukrayinska Pravda (8 January 2019)

title: Vitaliy Skotsyk

question: When was Vitaliy Skotsyk born?

answer: 15 March 1972.

question: Where was Vitaliy Skitsyk born?

answer: Symonic, Hoscha Raion, Ukraine.

question: What does Vitaliy Skitsyk do?

answer: He is a Ukrainian economist and ex-Candidate for President of Ukraine.

question: What degrees does Vitaliy Skitsyk hold?

answer: A PhD in agricultural sciences and is a Doctor of Science in economices and a Doctor of Science in management of National Economy, emiritus member of the Academy of Agrarian Sciences Ukraine.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about Vitaliy Skitsyk who is a Ukrainian public official and academic.


text:
__ Haints; Tales of Harrow County: Baptism last edited by Darkside_of_the_Sun on 05/18/18 09:46PM __ View full history

_THIS TOWN WILL MAKE YOUR SKIN CRAWL!_

_Emmy always knew that the deep, dark woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts, goblins, and zombies. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures—and to the land itself—in a way she never imagined._

_Don’t miss the first issue of this southern gothic fairy tale from the creator of smash hit The Sixth Gun, beautifully and hauntingly realized by B.P.R.D.’s Tyler Crook!_

List of covers and their creators:

  Cover   Name                    Creator(s)    Sidebar Location
  ------- ----------------------- ------------- ------------------
  Reg     Regular Cover           Tyler Crook   1
  2nd     Second Printing Cover   Tyler Crook   2

User reviews Add new review

question: What is the article about?

answer: It introduces a book by the name of Tales of Harrow County: Baptism.

question: Who is the writer of Tales of Harrow County: Baptism?

answer: It's Tyler Crook.

question: What books besides Tales of Harrow County did Tyler Crook write?

answer: He's also the writer of The Sixth Gun.

question: What is the Tales of Harrow County: Baptism about?

answer: It's about Emmy discovering she's connected to the ghosts, goblins, and zombies surrounding her home.

question: What is the book's genre?

answer: It's a horror book.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Emmy discovers she's connected to the ghosts, goblins, and zombies surrounding her home in a way she never expected. Don't miss Tyler Crook's new book, Tales of Harrow County: Baptism. This book will make your skin crawl!


text:
The HOUSTON FILM CRITICS SOCIETY AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS is an annual award given by the Houston Film Critics Society.

Winners

2000s

  YEAR               WINNER AND NOMINEES                     FILM                         ROLE
  ------------------ --------------------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------
  2007               JULIE CHRISTIE                          _Away from Her_              Fiona Anderson
  Amy Adams          _Enchanted (2007 film)_                 Giselle
  Marion Cotillard   _La Vie en rose_                        Édith Piaf
  Angelina Jolie     _A Mighty Heart_                        Mariane Pearl
  Laura Linney       _The Savages_                           Wendy Savage
  Ellen Page         _Juno_                                  Juno MacGuff
  2008               ANNE HATHAWAY                           _Rachel Getting Married_     Kym Buchman
  Cate Blanchett     _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_   Daisy Fuller
  Angelina Jolie     _Changeling_                            Christine Collins
  Melissa Leo        _Frozen River_                          Ray Eddy
  Meryl Streep       _Doubt_                                 Sister Aloysius Beauvier
  Kate Winslet       _Revolutionary Road_                    April Wheeler
  2009               CAREY MULLIGAN                          _An Education_               Jenny Mellor
  Sandra Bullock     _The Blind Side_                        Leigh Anne Tuohy
  Abbie Cornish      _Bright Star_                           Fanny Brawne
  Saoirse Ronan      _The Lovely Bones_                      Susie Salmon
  Gabourey Sidibe    _Precious_                              Claireece “Precious” Jones
  Meryl Streep       _Julie and Julia_                       Julia Child

2010s

  YEAR                 WINNER AND NOMINEES                           FILM                                   ROLE
  -------------------- --------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- ----------------------------
  2010                 NATALIE PORTMAN                               _Black Swan_                           Nina Sayers
  Annette Bening       _The Kids Are All Right_                      Dr. Nicole “Nic” Allgood
  Nicole Kidman        _Rabbit Hole_                                 Becca Corbett
  Jennifer Lawrence    _Winter's Bone_                               Ree Dolly
  Noomi Rapace         _The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_             Lisbeth Salander
  2011                 TILDA SWINTON                                 _We Need to Talk About Kevin_          Eva Khatchadourian
  Viola Davis          _The Help_                                    Aibileen Clark
  Elizabeth Olsen      _Martha Marcy May Marlene_                    Martha / Marcy May / “Marlene Lewis”
  Meryl Streep         _The Iron Lady_                               Margaret Thatcher
  Michelle Williams    _My Week with Marilyn_                        Marilyn Monroe
  2012                 JENNIFER LAWRENCE                             _Silver Linings Playbook_              Tiffany Maxwell
  Jessica Chastain     _Zero Dark Thirty_                            Maya
  Emmanuelle Riva      _Amour_                                       Anne Laurent
  Quvenzhané Wallis    _Beasts of the Southern Wild_                 Hushpuppy
  Naomi Watts          _The Impossible_                              Maria Bennett
  2013                 SANDRA BULLOCK                                _Gravity_                              Dr. Ryan Stone
  Judi Dench           _Philomena_                                   Philomena Lee
  Brie Larson          _Short Term 12_                               Grace Howard
  Meryl Streep         _August: Osage County_                        Violet Weston
  Emma Thompson        _Saving Mr. Banks_                            Pamela “P. L.” Travers
  2014                 JULIANNE MOORE                                _Still Alice_                          Dr. Alice Daly-Howland
  Marion Cotillard     _Two Days, One Night_                         Sandra Bya
  Essie Davis          _The Babadook_                                Amelia Vanek
  Felicity Jones       _The Theory of Everything_                    Jane Hawking
  Reese Witherspoon    _Wild_                                        Cheryl Strayed
  2015                 BRIE LARSON                                   _Room_                                 Joy “Ma” Newsome
  Cate Blanchett       _Carol_                                       Carol Aird
  Emily Blunt          _Sicario_                                     Kate Macer
  Saoirse Ronan        _Brooklyn_                                    Eilis Lacey
  Charlize Theron      _Mad Max: Fury Road_                          Imperator Furiosa
  2016                 NATALIE PORTMAN                               _Jackie_                               Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
  Amy Adams            _Arrival_                                     Dr. Louise Banks
  Rebecca Hall         _Christine_                                   Christine Chubbuck
  Isabelle Huppert     _Elle_                                        Michèle Leblanc
  Emma Stone           _La La Land_                                  Mia Dolan
  2017                 SALLY HAWKINS                                 _The Shape of Water_                   Elisa Esposito
  Frances McDormand    _Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri_   Mildred Hayes
  Brooklynn Prince     _The Florida Project_                         Moonee
  Margot Robbie        _I, Tonya_                                    Tonya Harding
  Saoirse Ronan        _Lady Bird_                                   Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson
  2018                 TONI COLLETTE                                 _HEREDITARY_                           Annie Graham
  Glenn Close          _The Wife_                                    Joan Castleman
  Olivia Colman        _The Favourite_                               Queen Anne
  Lady Gaga            _A Star Is Born_                              Ally Maine
  Melissa McCarthy     _Can You Ever Forgive Me?_                    Lee Israel
  2019                 '''Renée Zellweger '''                        _JUDY_                                 Judy Garland
  Awkwafina            | _The Farewell_                              | Billi Wang
  Scarlett Johansson   _Marriage Story_                              Nicole Barber
  Lupita Nyong'o       _Us_                                          Adelaide Wilson / Red
  Saoirse Ronan        _Little Women_                                Jo March
  Charlize Theron      _Bombshell_                                   Megyn Kelly

title: Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress

question: For which role was Abbie Cornish nominated as Best Actress?

answer: Fanny Brawne.

question: How many times was Saoirse Ronan nominated as Best Actress?

answer: 4 times.

question: For which films was Meryl Streep nominated as Best Actress in the 2010's?

answer: The Iron Lady and August: Osage County

question: Who was nominated for her role in Zero Dark Thirty?

answer: Jessica Chastain

question: Who was nominated for the role of Mia Dolan and in which year?

answer: Emma Stone in 2016

question: Who won the award for the Best Actress when Charlize Theron was nominated for Mad Max: Fury Road?

answer: Brie Larson for portraying Joy "Ma" Newsome in Room

question: In which year did Anne Hathaway win the award for Best Actress and for which role?

answer: She won the award in 2008 for portraying Kym Buchman.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The winners and nominees of the This was Houston Film Critics' Society Award for Best Actress from 2007 to 2019 is listed here.


text:
LAURIN MCCRACKEN (born 12 November 1942 in Meridian, Mississippi) is an American watercolor painter known for his photorealistic still lifes, florals, landscapes and other subjects.[1]

Biography

[Fruit, Crystal & Chinese Procelain] McCracken earned a B.A. in Art and Architecture from Rice University. He also graduated from Princeton University with a Master's in Architecture and Urban Planning.[2] For forty years, McCracken worked as an architect and the head of marketing for several of the nation's leading architectural and engineering firms.[3] McCracken took his first watercolor classes in 1999 with Gwen Bragg at The Art League in Alexandria, Virginia.[4] [Three Magnolias with Silver] He also studied under Alain Gavin, a professor at The Art Institute of Chicago.[5][6] McCracken retired and began painting full-time. He lives and works in Fort Worth, Texas.[7] [Underwood] [Lady Churchill Cigars]

Style and Influences

McCracken is influenced by the Flemish Baroque school of still life where meticulous attention is paid to detail. These works of art are centered around compositions of flowers, eating utensils in the style and manner of the ontbijtje of “little breakfast”, while these Flemish works were of a style of Vanitas,[8] McCraken's work is not philosophical in the sense that the subject is meant to communicate the transience of life or ephemeral nature of existence. McCracken's work is tied more closely to the more current photorealism school with a subject matter or influence of the Flemish Baroque period. Stylistically, McCraken's work also reflects the Flemish Baroque characteristic of lighting the subject matter from the left against a dark background. [9] Unlike the Flemish school, McCracken accomplishes his work in watercolor with a technique and quality that rivals the original medium of oil.

Memberships

McCracken has earned signature status in more than a dozen watercolor societies, including the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society,[10] Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Southern Watercolor Society, Tennessee Watercolor Society,[11] Watercolor West, and the Watercolor USA Honor Society. He is also an Elected Member of the Allied Artists of America, Inc.[12]

Recognitions and awards

-   Hardie Gramatky Memorial Award - The 137th Annual International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society (2004)[13]
-   Totally Transparent Watercolor Award “Best of Show” - The 29th Annual Juried Exhibition of the Tennessee Watercolor Society (2004)[14]
-   Board of Directors Award - Watercolor Missouri National (2009)[15]
-   First Place - The 29th Annual Juried Exhibition of The Society of Watercolor Artists, Inc. (2010)[16]
-   The Kent Day Coes Memorial Award - The Allied Artists of America, Inc. (2010)[17]
-   Totally Transparent and Region III Award - Tennessee Watercolor Society 33rd Exhibition (2012)[18]
-   Finalist in Still Life Category - Art Renewal Center's International 2012/2013 ARC Salon[19]
-   First Prize - Professional Artist Magazine (2013)[20]

[2 Red 1 Yellow]

Juried Shows

-   Beijing International Art Biennale 2011, 2013, 2015[21]
-   Shenzhen International Watercolor Biennial, 2013, 2015
-   Shanghai Zhoujiajiao International Watercolor Biennial Exhibition 2010 & 2012
-   World Watermedia Exhibition 2014, Thailand
-   Eau en Coleurs 2014, International Watercolour Biennial, Belgium
-   Qingdao International Watercolour Salon, China 2014[22]
-   International Watercolor Convention, Fabriano, Italy, 2014
-   Masters of Watercolour, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2015[23]
-   Malaysian Watercolour International Exhibition, 2014-2015
-   China/NWS Small Image Exchange Exhibition, 2015-2016
-   AWS 149th Annual International Exhibition, New York City, 2016[24]

Museum Collections and Shows

-   National Art Museum of China
-   Asian Museum of Watercolor Art, Haikou City, Hainan Province, China
-   Meridian Museum of Art, Meridian, Mississippi - 2005, 2010
-   Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Contemporary American Realism: 2008 Biennial[25]
-   Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg, South Carolina - Contemporary Still Life Invitational Exhibit - 2012[26]
-   Gadsden Cultural Arts Foundation 2013[27]
-   Delta State University, Reflecting Realism, 2014[28]
-   R. W. Norton Art Foundation, Shreveport, Louisiana - 2014[29]
-   Quingdao Watercolor Salon Exhibition, Contemporary Art Museum, China - 2014

Selected publications

-   _A Celebration of Light_, 2007, Jane Freeman, North Light Books[30]
-   _Masters of Realistic Imagery_, 2012 - Art Domain, Leipzig, Germany

Further reading

-   Chinn, Everett (2011, January 30). When art imitates life. _Delta Democrat Times_.
-   Haas, Cherie. “See the Story in this Landscape Watercolor Painting.” _The Artist's Magazine_, July 19, 2015.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8] https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/v/vanitas

[9] [Osias Beert, _Still life with oysters_, _c_. 1610. Staatsgalerie Stuttgart. Beert's still lifes are typical of the “breakfast” type painted early in the 17th century.
 ]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

title: Laurin McCracken

question: When was Laurin McCracken born?

answer: 12 November 1942.

question: What does Laurin McCracken do?

answer: He paints watercolors.

question: What kinds of watercolors does he paint?

answer: Photorealistic still lifes, florals, landscapes and other subjects.

question: What school of art influenced McCracken?

answer: The Flemish Baroque school of still life.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about an American watercolorist, Laurin McCracken, who was born in 1942. It lists his style, influences, and some of his awards.


text:
It’s like your head is a conference room where all the decisions about your life are made. At the front, there’s this guy in a business suit. He has graphs and charts and PowerPoint presentations, and he’s droning on to
  a group of Japanese businessmen. But they aren’t actually businessmen, and they only resemble the Japanese in
   that they don’t speak his language. They’re more like destructive monkeys, and they aren’t listening to the
business suit. They’re running around and wreaking havoc. They destroy everything. They pull the blinds open and
    shut. They pull strings. And suddenly, you’re doing what the monkeys say. The man in the suit is giving a
presentation and presenting evidence proving that you shouldn’t do it, that you should just leave it, that what
you’re about to do is a bad idea and just leaving it would be good. But the monkeys are in control, and he watches from your pupils with overworked eyes, knowing the grave consequences of your actions.
    Then you’re at the low and you already ignored the suit man once. When you hear a voice that sounds less like
 screeching, you listen. This voice tells you just one flick of silver, just bleed a little. You deserve this,
    remember? You messed up and now you should be punished. He sounds so reasonable, even though it’s suspicious. Your suit man would never tell you this. But you like the way this voice thinks so you listen harder.
         You stupid bitch, you stupid bitch. The suit man swoops in to stop you with the blade frozen on your skin
 and you go to bed, tears in your eyes.
    	The man in the suit watches sadly. He can’t do much to help you. He knows you’re slipping away. The
     monkeys are still running wild and his dark doppelganger still urges you towards blades and pills. He looks so
    weak and tired, so do you. And you’re so very sad, when the doppelganger suggests suicide, you can’t help but
     wonder.
    	The man in the suit springs to action at the front of the room, with a presentation of the joy in your
   mechanized dreams, the future and possibilities. The doppelganger just whispers, “You won’t be sad anymore.
Not     sad, not sad, not sad,” and he’s so compelling. You listen and the suit man keeps talking but he won’t raise
 his    voice. He does still have a little strength, and he cries weakly for help without actually asking. He wants to
 be     saved so you do too.
    	In the car you get the call, and you know exactly who it is before he tells you. You know what your mom’s
     silence means. She’s upset and you don’t want to worry her, but you don’t want to talk. Your brother stays
quiet     then gets mean, but you don’t want to talk to him, so you shut him up. Your mom wants to take your car
but you     won’t let her. If you can’t drive your car, you’re really screwed up. You need to be normal to be ok.

 You’ve thought you were ok a thousand times, but you never are. You don’t know if you ever can be. You’re
    not even sure if you want to be anymore. Ok seems like some far away dream. You don’t remember it and
you don’t know what it looks like. So you wait and see, and maybe someday you’ll understand it again.

title: The Man in the Suit

question: What is the man in the business suit supposed to represent?

answer: The man in the business suit is supposed to represent your rational thought, or your conscience.

question: What are the monkeys supposed to represent?

answer: The monkeys are supposed to represent primal instincts, or your subconscious desires.

question: What is the doppelganger supposed to represent?

answer: The doppelganger is supposed to represent intrusive thoughts, telling you things you know you shouldn't do but you are tempted anyways.


text:
ROBERT STOCKMAN (born October 6, 1953) is a scholar specializing in Baháʼí studies who has been called “the foremost historian of the Baháʼí Faith in America.”[1] He received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University (B.A., 1975) and a doctorate in religious studies from Harvard University (Th.D., 1990).[2]

Background

Robert Stockman was raised in Granby, Connecticut by Harold Herman and Margery (Fothergill) Stockman, who worked as apple farmers. He initially majored in geology at Wesleyan University and later received a master's degree in planetary science from Brown University, with a particular interest in the geology of Mars. He was introduced to the Baháʼí Faith while an undergraduate student and converted at the age of twenty, on October 16, 1973.[3] He has been an active Baháʼí since his conversion, and in 1979 participated in mass teachings in rural central Florida.[4]

During his studies for his master's degree in geology, he developed an interest in the history of the Baháʼí community in Rhode Island which led to his researching the biography of Thornton Chase. This endeavor led to the publication of _Baha'i Faith in America: Origins 1892–1900_[5] followed by _Baha'i Faith in America, The: Early Expansion, 1900–1912 Volume 2_[6] before the ultimate publishing of _Thornton Chase: First American Baha'i._[7] Starting in 1989, he has worked for the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, based in Wilmette, Illinois, in various capacities. He is married to Mana Derakhshani.

Career

Subsequent to earning his doctorate from Harvard Divinity School,[8] Stockman began teaching at the DePaul University in Chicago prior to proceeding to his current position as a lecturer at Indiana University South Bend, where he teaches religious studies. He serves as director of the Wilmette Institute.[9] He has served on the boards of the Baháʼí Encyclopedia project, the Association for Baháʼí Studies, and _World Order_ magazine. He has lectured on Baháʼí topics across the world and is a frequent contributor to Baháʼí panels at the American Academy of Religion.

Articles

-   Review of “In Service to the Common Good: The American Baháʼí Community's Commitment to Social Change,” in World Order, vol. 37, no. 3 (2006), 45-48.
-   “The Baha'i Faith and Globalization, 1900–1912,” in a peer-reviewed volume on globalization and the Baháʼí Faith (Aarhus, Den.: Aarhus University Press, 2005).
-   “The Baháʼí Faith,” in the Worldmark Encyclopedia.
-   Review of Peter D. Ward and Donald Brownlee, “Life and Death of Planet Earth,” in World Order, vol. 34, no. 3 (Spring 2003), 42-47.
-   “The Baháʼí Faith and Interfaith Relations: A Brief History,” in World Order, vol. 33, no. 4 (Summer 2002), 19-33.
-   “Baháʼí Faith,” in Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ed. J. Gordon Melton and Martin Baumann (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio, 2002), 102-114
-   “True, Corinne Knight,” in Women Building Chicago, 1790–1990, ed. Rima Lunin Schultz and Adele Hast (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2001), 891-93.
-   “Baháʼí faith,” in Encyclopedia of American Religious History, ed. Edward L. Queen II, Stephen R. Prothero, and Gardiner H. Shattuck Jr. (New York, NY: Facts on File, 2001), 53-55.
-   “The Unity Principle: Ideas of Social Concord and Discord in the Baháʼí Faith,” in Joseph Gittler, ed., Research in Human Social Conflict, Volume 2 (Westview, CT: JAI Press, 2000), pp. 1–19.
-   Response to Juan R. I Cole, “Race, Immorality, and Money in the American Baháʼí Community: Impeaching the Los Angeles Spiritual Assembly,” Religion (2000) 30, 133-39.
-   “Baháʼí Faith,” in James R. Lewis, The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1998), 64-71.
-   “Revelation, Interpretation, and Elucidation in the Baháʼí Writings”, in Moojan Momen, ed., Scripture and Revelation (Oxford: George Ronald, 1998).
-   The Baháʼí Faith section of The Pluralism Project (CD Rom, Columbia Univ. Press, 1997).
-   “The Baháʼí Faith in England and Germany, 1900–1913”, in World Order magazine, vol. 27, no. 3, (Spring 1996), 31-42.
-   “The Vision of the Baháʼí Faith,” in Martin Forward, Ultimate Visions: Reflections on the Religions We Choose (Oxford: One World, 1995), 266-74.
-   “The Baháʼí Faith in the 1990s,” article in Dr. Timothy Miller, ed., America's Alternative Religions (Albany: State Univ. of New York Press, 1995)
-   “The Baháʼí Faith: A Portrait,” in Joel Beversluis, ed., A Sourcebook for the Earth's Community of Religions, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids. MI: CoNexus Press, 1995).
-   Paul Johnson's “Theosophical Influence in Baháʼí History: Some Comments”, in _Theosophical History_, vol. 5, no. 4 (October 1994): 137-43.
-   “The Baháʼí Faith in America: One Hundred Years,” in World Order, vol. 25, no. 3 (Spring 1994): 9-23.
-   “Women in the American Baháʼí Community, 1900–1912,” in World Order, vol. 25, no. 2 (Winter 1993–94): 17-34.
-   “Jesus Christ in the Baháʼí Writings,” in The Bahá'í Studies Review, vol. 2, no. 1 (1992): 33-41.
-   Review of John S. Hatcher's “The Purpose of Physical Reality,” in Encyclopedie Universelle Philosophique (Presses Universitaires de France, 1991).
-   Review of Marzieh Gail's “Summon Up Remembrance”, in Iranian Studies, 22.4 (1989): 118-20.
-   Review of R. Jackson Armstrong-Ingram's “Music, Devotions, and Mashriqu'l-Adhkár,” in The Journal of Baháʼí Studies, vol. 1, no. 2 (1988–89): 71-78.
-   “Passing of the First American Baháʼí,” in Baháʼí News, no. 679 (Oct. 1987): 4-9.
-   "The Baháʼí Faith: Beginnings in North America,” World Order magazine, vol. 18, no. 4 (Summer 1984): 7-27.

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[1]

[2] Resume. Retrieved December 26, 2016

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[9] Wilmette Institute: Robert Stockman. Retrieved December 26, 2016

title: Robert Stockman

question: What does Stockman have a doctorate in?

answer: Stockman has a doctorate in religious studies.

question: When was he introduced to the Baháʼí faith?

answer: He was introduced to the Baháʼí faith while he was still an undergraduate student.

question: Summarize Stockman's career.

answer:
After earning his doctorate, Stockman started teaching at the DePaul University. Soon after, he proceeded to his current position as a lecturer at Indiana University South Bend. He teaches religious studies.

Stockman has also served on the boards of the Baháʼí Encyclopedia project. He has lectured all around the world on Baháʼí topics.

question: Did he convert to the Baháʼí religion?

answer: Yes, he converted when he was twenty years old.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer:
Robert Stockman is a scholar who has specialized in Baháʼí studies. He has a doctorate in religious studies from Harvard University.

Stockman was introduced to the faith while he was still an undergraduate student. He converted to the Baháʼí faith when he was twenty years old.

After earning his doctorate he started teaching at the DePaul University. And soon proceeded to his current position as a lecturer of religious studies at Indiana University South Bend.

Stockman has published many books on the Baháʼí faith.