text:
Luis and I were both students and research assistants in mathematics at a decent enough university. At least, we hoped it was a decent enough university. We shared the fear that our professors were all scam artists and the problems we were working on were worthless and uninteresting to the rest of the mathematical community. I always chalked these fears up to a  couple cases of the Dunning-Kruger Effect but I got the feeling that Luis just couldn't get past it.
	As chance would have it, we arrived at the office at the same time, early one summer morning. He had a dejected look in his face and the principles of deduction told me something was up. “What's up?” I asked. Luis didn't look away from the closed elevator doors in front of us. A few moments passed as Luis seemed to debate whether or not he would answer me. He spoke matter-of-factly, “Not too much. I've just finally solved an interesting problem, though the answer was not what I was hoping it would be.” I gave him a curious look that must have told him “Do go on.” And, so, he did.
	“I have been working on a problem recently. Attempting to find a way to maximize my own happiness. I have recently come to the conclusion that I am getting less and less happy as the days go by. The solution unfortunately is clear. The sooner I end my life, the happier, on average, my life will have been.”
	Most people, it would seem, accept the axiom that suicide is never the way to go. I accept this axiom. However, as silent seconds ticked by, I realized that I didn't have a very good argument for continuing to live an unhappy life.  I opened my mouth to speak and was cut off.
	“I've been to every therapist in the city. I've tried every over-the-counter and under-the-counter drug thus far invented. It would be bordering on insanity to assume, with all the evidence to the contrary, that something left out there is going to finally do the trick.”
	It just so happened, I did not have my phone on me to call the police or an ambulance or anybody that could provide some much needed back-up. I calculated the probability of being able to tackle him or knock him unconscious to give myself time to get some help. I then decided I was being a bit dramatic. It wasn't like Luis was about to kill himself here in the office, much less directly in front of me. Of course, I also didn't want to let him out of my sight.
	Time ticked by, and I still hadn't thought of anything to say, but I hoped if I pried some more information out of him, he'd give me something to go on. “Why did you come to work today.” For a moment, I was hopeful that the question alone would stir something in his mind. He must still want to live if he resolved to come to work, right?
	“I've only just decided while walking here. This building is high enough to do the job, I figure. Plus, not only would it take much longer to turn back, go home, and fill the bathtub but I'm not even sure I have a toaster.”
	This sent my mind in two directions. On one hand, this all seemed a bit like an elaborate joke. On the other hand, assuming this was no joke, Luis would be jumping off something very high, very soon. Afraid the elevator would arrive at any moment, I pressed him again. “Why did you tell me about all of this?” Luis replied, “Force of habit. Don't all mathematicians feel the need to share their results?”
	“Perhaps you wanted your results peer reviewed?”
	“That could be it, too.”
	I felt a glimmer of hope. A small crack in his plan but a crack nonetheless. “Well, I think there are some holes in your reasoning.”
	“Point them out, and I'll be happy to address them.”
	I had nothing to say. I didn't think the “hold on, it will get better” argument would work. The “hold on, it might get better” argument seemed more accurate but probably not enough to change his mind. I had nothing else so I went with it.
	“Hypothetically, if you did hold on and find that your life improved, wouldn't you some day look back and think it was a good decision not to go through with this?”
	“Yes. You are right. But it won't get better. Unfortunately, time does not permit me to fully explain it here.”
	“OK, Fermat...”
	Luis grinned at the joke but it quickly disappeared. The elevator still had not arrived. Luis turned away from me and headed for the stairwell. I followed behind him, still struggling to come up with some argument. He wasn't thinking right, but I just couldn't prove it. Philosophy was not my strong suit. I take it on faith, which is a socially damning thing to admit as a man of science, that the question of whether or not it is good to kill oneself has been settled. I could not for the life of me, or more accurately for the life of Luis, think of the line of reasoning that must have led to that result.
	As the ground floor sank below us, I started to panic. Luis could jump at any moment. I thought on this and figured he would very likely survive a jump from this height. I considered if pushing him off here would give him a better chance at survival then letting him go higher and jump on his own. I ran through the events that would follow such an action and they didn't look to turn out well for either of us. The line of thinking gave me an idea.
	“I don't think you've reached the optimal solution, yet.”
	“How do you mean.” Luis continued climbing.
	“Consider this. The higher you climb up this building, the longer you are certain to live, though the probability of you succeeding in killing yourself of course climbs higher as you do the same. On the other hand, if you were to, say, jump right now, you might have only a few more seconds of life to endure, though the possibility of surviving the fall would be higher. Do you know what the optimal floor from which to jump would be?”
	“That is a much more clever argument than I was expecting.” It garnered another fleeting grin, but Luis continued to climb.
	“Uh, thanks. So, what are you doing? Shouldn't you be back at work, fixing the hole in your logic?”
	Luis stopped unexpectedly and turned to me. “You're too god-damned literal. I was using math as a metaphor. That's the only way I know how to talk or think. Math is logical. There is nothing logical or illogical about happiness or unhappiness or wanting to kill yourself or not wanting to kill yourself. You either understand it, or you don't. I can't explain to you why I know I should do this, and you can't explain to me why you know I shouldn't.”
	“What about your family? Think about how selfish you're being!”
	“I don't buy that. I think it is much more selfish it is for others to prefer I live another sixty- something years of misery.”
	“Here is something to consider. I just so happen to be the worst person to argue with you in this case. I am not particularly excited about life but I am also not in anyway depressed or interested in killing myself. I do not have a sunshine filled vision of the world to prove to you that great happiness is possible nor can I empathize with you enough to know what it is you need to hear. The words that would change your mind exist somewhere but I am out of my league.”
	I looked at Luis' face. Some part of what I had just said seemed to hit home. He leaned over the side of the railing and looked down. I looked, too. I had tried not to think about how high up we were getting. There wasn't much of a chance of survival from up here.
	Luis looked up at me. “It takes a big man to admit when he is out his league.” There was a tense pause before he continued. “Welcome to the club.”
	And he jumped.

title: First short story in a while. Not sure on what to title it. I currently have it saved as "Luis"(<1500 words)

question: What is the theme of this story?

answer: Suicide.

question: Why does the character think that he and his friend might have the Dunning-Kruger effect?

answer: They feel that their university education is worth less than it probably is.

question: What does the narrator attempt to do?

answer: Keep Luis from killing himself.

question: Why does the narrator fail to keep Luis from killing himself?

answer: The narrator attempts to use math and logic, but according to Luis there is nothing logical about wanting to kill oneself.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The story is about two mathematics graduate students one of whom wants to kill themselves.


split: train

text:
Baron LOUIS GERHARD DE GEER af Finspång (18 July 181824 September 1896) was a Swedish statesman and writer. He was born at Finspång Castle in Risinge parish. He was a lawyer, and in 1855 became president of the Göta hovrätt, or lord justice for the appellate court of Götaland. From 7 April 1858 to 3 June 1870 he was Prime Minister for Justice and again from 11 May 1875 to 20 March 1876. As a member of the nobility, he took part in the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates from 1851 onwards. From 1867 to 1878 he was the member for Stockholm in the first chamber in the New Riksdag, where he introduced and passed many useful reforms.

Architect of the New Riksdag

De Geer's greatest political achievement was the reform of the Swedish representative system. The reforms introduced a bi-cameral elected Riksdag replacing the existing cumbersome and less democratic Riksdag of the Estates, a hangover from the later Medieval Times. This measure was accepted by the Riksdag in December 1865, and received the royal sanction on 22 June 1866. For some time after this De Geer enjoyed considerable popularity. He retired from the ministry in 1870, but took office again, as Prime Minister of Justice in 1875.

First Prime Minister

In 1876 De Geer became the first Prime Minister of Sweden[1] following a reform where the previous offices of Prime Minister for Justice (which he held at the time) and Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs were changed into Minister for Justice and a Minister for Foreign Affairs. He served until April 1880, when the failure of his repeated efforts to settle the armaments issue again induced him to resign. From 1881 to 1888 he was Chancellor for the Universities of Uppsala and Lund. He was an advocate of free trade and economic liberalism. Some argue that it was De Geer who laid the foundations for the strong economic growth in Sweden from 1870 to 1970.

Literary works

Besides several novels and aesthetic essays, De Geer wrote a few political memoirs of supreme merit both as to style and matter, the most notable of which are _Minnesteckning öfver A. J. v. Höpken_ (Stockholm, 1881); _Minnesteckning öfver Hans Järta_ (Stockholm, 1874); _Minnesteckning öfver B. B. von Platen_ (Stockholm, 1886); and his own _Minnen_ (Stockholm, 1892), an autobiography, invaluable as a historical document, in which the political experience and the matured judgments of a lifetime are recorded with singular clearness, sobriety and charm. For example, his explanation of why he, at such a young age, was appointed Prime Minister of Justice, was that in the narrow circles of Swedish nobility at the time, it was difficult to find anyone with at least the mediocre intelligence which was needed for the office.

Membership in academies

De Geer was a member in the Swedish Academy from 1862, on Seat 17. In 1862, he was also elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Personal life

In 1848, De Geer married the countess Carolina Lovisa Wachtmeister. They had three sons, of which the eldest, Gerhard Louis De Geer (1854–1935), was prime minister of Sweden from 1920 to 21 and the second was Gerard De Geer (1858–1943), a geologist.[2]

De Geer died on 24 September 1896 at his residence Hanaskog Castle in Scania.[3]

[De Geer in a contemporary newspaper caricature, depicted as St George fighting the four-headed dragon of the old four-chamber Riksdag of the Estates. From Emil Hildebrand, _Sveriges historia intill tjugonde seklet_ (1910).]

[1]

[2]

[3]

title: Louis Gerhard De Geer

question: How long before Gerhard De Geer took office did Sweden outlaw slavery?

answer: About ten years.


text:
[_Botanicon_ of Theodor Dorsten.]

THEODOR DORSTEN (Latin:_Theodoricus Dorstenius_) (Dorsten, 1492-Kassel, 18 May 1552) was a German botanist and physician.

Category:German botanists Category:Pre-Linnaean botanists Category:16th-century German physicians Category:1492 births Category:1552 deaths Category:16th-century German writers Category:16th-century male writers

title: Theodor Dorsten

question: Who was Theodor Dorsten?

answer: He was a German botanist and physician.

question: When was Dorsten born?

answer: 1492.

question: When did Dorsten die?

answer: 18 May 1552.

question: Where did Dorsten work?

answer: This information is not mentioned.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A Wikipedia page on Theodor Dorsten.


text:
BMAKINE () is a village in the Aley District of Lebanon. It is 700 meters above sea level.[1]

Location and geography

Bmakine lies on a hill in Aley, overlooking the Mediterranean sea from the west, 20 minutes away from Beirut.

[1] Localiban article on Bmakine

title: Bmakine

question: What is Bmakine?

answer: a village in the Aley district of Lebanon.

question: What is the elevation of Bmakine?

answer: 700 meters above sea level

question: What does Bmakine overlook?

answer: It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea from the west.

question: How far is Bmakine from Beirut?

answer: 20 minutes.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Bmakine is a village in Lebanon, 20 minutes from Beirut. It located on hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.


text:
So much happened when Christ died for our sins – not just on earth but in heaven. Could we stretch our minds to encompass some of that higher drama? To do so, return with me to Jerusalem, and imagine the story that two of that great city’s hills – Mount Moriah and Golgotha – could tell.

[temple herod]Mount Moriah was a grand and regal hill, boasting a star-studded history. How many mountains could brag about Abraham’s raised knife and his son’s quiet faith? Now the mount proudly wore the magnificent temple that Herod built. The pearl of the City of David, the center of Israel’s faith, jutted toward the sky in gleaming splendor. Now its priests busily prepared for the Passover celebrations.

Probably just three thousand feet away stood Moriah’s diminutive half-brother, Golgotha. Golgotha didn’t even count as one of Jerusalem’s [golgotha]seven hills. By appearance, it was plain. By history, it was despicable. But by destiny, it was about to become glorious.

For you see, while the priests scurried about the temple on Moriah, preparing to enter the Holy Place, Golgotha was about to host the High Priest of heaven. With sandaled feet, the Rock of Ages was scheduled to walk onto the rock of shame and step into the eternal Holy of Holies, into the temple of the Living God.

In Herod’s temple, the priests had become quite adept at offering a day’s worth of sacrifices without soiling their garments with goat’s blood. In a moment, on the hill of ignominy, the eternal High Priest would come to perform His sole task: to spill His own blood shamelessly onto Himself and wherever else it would happen to fall.

The two hills could not have been more different. By all appearances, Mount Moriah for its temple was clearly glorious and admirable. But no one would want to visit the ugly hill of Golgotha.

Isaiah the prophet knew how unsightly a place Golgotha would be. He foretold how disfigured the High Priest would become on that hill. The ancient prophet knew that the Messiah would be mauled, displaying neither beauty nor majesty. Instead, He’d be despised and rejected by men. Man of sorrows. Familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces. Stricken. Smitten. Pierced. Crushed. Oppressed and afflicted. Let like a lamb to the slaughter.

But Isaiah also knew there was a purpose for all the ugliness. Jesus would take up our infirmities. Carry our sorrows. Be pierced for our transgressions. Crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him. By His woulds we are healed. The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

That’s why Moriah, the regal mount, deferred to Golgotha that day. Call it a passing of the baton. Think of it as a recognition of greatness.

The shadow bowed to the substance. The copy yielded to the original. The earthly acquiesced to the heavenly. The temple applauded the Sanctuary.

The worship on Moriah grew dim in the spiritual realm that day, lessened by the increasing brilliance that shone on the Redeemer. Perhaps, like John the Baptist, who said, “He must increase but I must decrease,” the Temple tipped its hat to the heavenly High Priest on the hill called Skull. And maybe the Sanctuary saluted back to the stone and bronze, acknowledging a job well done, releasing it from its duty and accepting the immense responsibility on Himself.

Though no mortal noticed it, heaven’s eyes could see that the golden lampstand beamed a smile over the wall to the Light of the World. The table of showbread turned over duties to the Bread of Life. The golden altar of incense giggled with delight at the fragrant offering ascending over Golgotha. The Ark of the Covenant sighed deeply with relief that the new covenant of the heart had finally come. And the cherubim who covered the mercy seat joyfully fluttered their golden wings at the deluge of grace raining down and washing away condemnation.

Caiaphas, the high priest on Mount Moriah, didn’t have eyes to see this phenomenal display. He had missed his true calling. What should have been the grand climax of glorious centuries of preparation turned out a dismal failure of perception. So thick were the blindfolds that the high priest didn’t know that his heavenly counterpart, the true High Priest, was even now within the Holy of heavenly Holies, offering once and for all the sacrifice for all of humankind’s sin.

But the High Priest of the new covenant didn’t require the acknowledgment of the old. The new Mediator bridged the gap single-handedly.

Job well done, O bulls and goats of the sacrifice! You pictured Him well. You pointed the way.

O you tender lambs of the ages, you who gave your lifeblood helplessly. Look, see Him there, the fulfillment of your prophecies. The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Excerpted from Safe in His Sanctuary, (Multnomah 1999), Robert Rasmussen

Photo credits: Herod’s temple: telegraph.co.uk.
Golgotha: elishavision.wordpress.com

question: Summarize the main context of this passage.

answer: The main context of this passage is to describe what has happened once Christ died for everyone's sins. The narrator starts by describing the story of two great city's hills: Mount Moriah and Golgotha. On Moriah, priests scurried about the temple to prepare to enter the Holy Place and on Golgotha, the High Priest of heaven was to be hosted. The two hills were also very different- Mount Moriah being glorious and admirable and Golgotha, very ugly. The story continued to describe the importance of a balance between the two hills and how Moriah deferred to Golgotha.

question: Who would benefit the most from knowing about this story?


text:
RUBY – HISTORY, IDENTIFICATION AND CARE []

Rubies are the birthstone for July and they are also the gemstone to celebrate a 15th or a 40th anniversary. Rubies have historically been called “the stone of love,” due to their deep, rich red color that indicates passion. They are worn to protect a person from enemies by the Hindus.  (Reported in the American Gem Society Blog _https://americangemsocietyblog.org/tag/fun-facts-about-rubies/)__._ In the Wizard of OZ, Dorothy’s ruby red slippers were thought to protect her from evil. An additional, interesting fact is that rubies are mentioned four times in the Bible.

A ruby is one of the five types of PRECIOUS GEMSTONES. The other [] four are diamond, emerald, sapphire, and recently, tanzanite. Rubies come in all shades of red and are in the same gemological family (corundum) as sapphires. In the corundum gemstone family, if the gemstone is a shade of red, it is a ruby and if it is any other color (blue, green, etc.), it is a sapphire. The presence of chromium makes the corundum gemstone red, thus, a ruby.

[]The name, ruby, comes from Latin for red, _rubens_. They are a very hard gemstone rating a 9 on the MOHS scale. While they can be found all over the world, most rubies on the market are from the Myanmar and Thailand area. Burmese rubies (now Myanmar) are highly prized for their deep “pigeon blood” red color, but are currently banned in the US.

Almost all rubies have flaws, so they are not usually completely clear. It is standard practice, (accepted by the American Gem-Trade Association and Israel-Diamonds) to treat rubies, which improves the color and strengthens the gemstone. However, if the natural ruby has too many inclusions, the value of the stone drops dramatically.

Rubies can be confused with red garnet and with red spinel. Both of these gemstones are much less expensive and less rare. You can spot a natural ruby from a synthetic ruby by the inclusions in the stone. Synthetic stones are completely clear, whereas, rubies will have numerous inclusions, not flawless, as a synthetic stone is.

Many of the famous “rubies” in the past found in the Crown Jewels  []were later determined to be red spinel. Up and into the late 1800’s red spinal and rubies were not clearly determined. Even today, it can be difficult to identify one from the other.  Spinel and ruby have similar mineral composition and often grow in the same location with rubies. It takes an expert to diagnose between the two gemstones. A rule of thumb is that, if the price is low, and the gemstone is very clear, it is probably a spinel and not a ruby. This does not help if the seller is passing off a spinel as a high-quality ruby. Buyer beware and buy from reputable dealers with a gemological certification for any expensive piece of ruby jewelry.

Identifying a garnet from a ruby is a little easier. Hold the stone up to a bright light source until you see a rainbow coming from the gemstone. If the rainbow has yellow or green bands, then it is unlikely to be a ruby.

Cleaning and caring for a ruby

[] Rubies are very hard so they can accumulate dust and dirt and appear dull. At home, you can CLEAN them using warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush to gently scrub the stone. Rinse them thoroughly in warm, clear water and blot them dry with a lint-free cloth.

If using a solution to clean your jewelry, choose one that is made for rubies AND for the metal that your jewelry is set in. Some Sterling Silver jewelry cleaners can irreversibly damage gold and platinum mountings, so beware, and spend the time and money to find the right product.

You can also take your jewelry to a jeweler to use an Ultrasonic cleaner to clean your jewelry.

The hardness of a ruby means it will withstand a small knock but if it sustains a hard knock, take it to a jeweler to look at it under a microscope to see if the stone has come loose. A jeweler should tighten your loose stones (no DIY). Check your jewelry for loose settings over time. Neglecting to do this could result in your stone falling out and losing it. Replacing a lost gemstone could easily cost you much more than you originally paid for the entire piece of jewelry.

Because  rubies are hard, store them separate or flat from others stones, so they will not scratch or mar a jewelry piece with a less hard stone (diamonds can scratch all other stones, including a ruby).

MEANING OF A RUBY

Rubies are a symbol of deep, passionate love. They are believed to protect a person from harm or evil. Some people use a ruby to recall dreams and to have lucid dreams. In Kundalini, it is used to find and to follow one’s bliss. It is also used to get information from spirit guides. Ruby brings courage and inner strength, self-confidence and honesty. Ruby is associated with the Root Chakra and the Heart Chakra.

question: Summarize the most interesting facts about rubies from this article.

answer: There are five types of precious gemstones, and ruby is one of them. Its name comes from Latin "rubens" meaning red. Rubies come in all shades of red. They are often confused with red garnet and red spinel, which are less expensive and less rare than the ruby.

question: Summarize how one should clean and care for a ruby.

answer: Because rubies are very hard, small particles stick to them easily. Use warm soapy water to gently clean them with a soft toothbrush so not to scratch up the surface. Blot them dry with a lint cloth. A professional jeweler may use an Ultrasonic cleaner on your rubies. If your ruby requires repairs, you can take it to the jeweler, but to prevent this or lessen the incidences, have a jeweler tighten the stones in their settings to prevent them from getting jarred. Only use a cleaning solution intended for rubies as well as the metal in which the ruby is set.

question: Summarize the meaning of a ruby, or its symbolism and significance.

answer: Rubies typically represent love, and are associated with the root chakra and the heart chakra. In some lore, they protect one from harm. Some people use rubies to remember dreams and to direct their dreams via lucid dreaming. In the Kundalini, a ruby can guide one to their bliss.

question: Describe how you can tell if a ruby is authentic or not.

answer: A real ruby will have inclusions in the stone-these are small flaws that occur naturally. Synthetic stones are generally bereft of these imperfections. The spinel and ruby are easily confused, but in general, if the price is surprisingly low, the gem is likelier to be a spinel. However, the contrast between the ruby and the garnet is stark-if you hold the stone to the light and it has yellow or green bands, it is likelier to be a garnet.


text:
Justice (C) 2012-2013 Victor D. Lopez
_______________________________

Time: The all too near future
Place: A courtroom
Setting: Final sentencing for the last remaining capital offense on the books of an apparently kinder, gentler more just world where equality is no longer a mere aspiration.
_____________________________

Justice

The prisoner stared impassively into the camera. The bright lights causing beads of sweat to form above his eyes and forcing him to squint, his perspiration-soaked thinning hair flattened unflatteringly against his forehead. No sound could be heard other than the faint hum of the air conditioning whose airflow was directed from the high ceiling above the high seats of the three judge panel, towards the three judged, keeping their immediate area comfortably cool. The camera trained on them remained a respectful distance away, and no harsh lights illuminated their somber countenances.

All three judges stared at the camera showing no emotion, their hands folded in front of them on the surface of their capacious bench on top of three equal, neat stacks of paper piled before each judge. Everywhere on earth citizens watched the unfolding drama over the neural net that provided a fully immersive experience indistinguishable from reality, effectively placing every citizen of earth in the courtroom as the Chief Judge began to speak in a deep, resonant, clear voice.

“The evidence against you has been examined. This tribunal finds you guilty of the charges against you by a unanimous vote. Have you anything you would like to add before we pass sentence?”

The camera changed back to the prisoner. The lights brightens around him and the heat rises perceptibly, adding fresh fuel to the trickle of sweat flowing down his flushed face, causing a bead of sweat to form at the end of his nose that he cannot swat away because his wrists are restrained by metal bands at the armrests of his chair, outside the viewing range of the camera which has a tight zoom on his face. “I am guilty of no crime,” the prisoner spoke in a low voice full of palpable weariness and resignation.

“You are guilty of the most heinous of crimes,” the Chief Judge contradicted. "That is not open to debate. This is your final chance to make what amends you may to those whom you have harmed through your selfish, deviant act. It will have no effect on the sentencing by this Court.”

“But I have done nothing wrong,” the man emphatically repeated, the perspiration rolling down his neck deepening the growing ring of sweat absorbed by his bright orange jumper, staining a dark collar of moisture around his neck.

“Silence!” the Chief Judge hissed. “The record will show that the prisoner is unrepentant. This Court finds that the prisoner willfully, maliciously and without justification removed his neural connector with the purpose and effect of disconnecting himself from the Net. We further find that the motivating factor for this egregious, willful and repugnant crime was the attempt to abandon the Common Consciousness and establish his individuality separate and apart from the Communal Mind. We further find that the subject is in full possession of his legal faculties and capable of understanding the criminal nature of his acts, and, perhaps most tragically, that he fails to see the enormity of his crime.” The Chief Justice faltered slightly, delivering the final words of the Courts sentence with a slight tremor in his voice. After stopping a moment to compose himself as his learned colleagues looked on impassively, he continued. “It is, therefore, the judgment of this Court that you will forever remain disconnected from the nets from this day forward.”

Upon hearing the Judge’s words the prisoner’s eyes opened wider, attempting to digest their import. Could it be? Could he finally be allowed the freedom to regain his humanity? The unalienable right to be an individual for the first time in his life? The opportunity to live in a world in which he could have original thoughts, genuine emotions, and the opportunity to be different from everyone else? The joy in these words nearly made him faint with relief and unbridled joy, allowing him for the first time in his life the possibility of hope as tears welled in his eyes. He found he could not speak, could not express even the simple words “thank you” to the Court. It was as though he were emerging from a life-long nightmare, as if . . .

“The prisoner’s IP address, 999.999.999.999, shall be erased from the Nets,” the Judge continued as the prisoner’s tears flowed freely. His existence shall be forever stricken from the Collective Consciousness lest it germinate there and once again grow sedition in our midst.” The prisoner wept openly now while smiling broadly. “The death sentence for this most heinous of crimes is hereby commuted so that the prisoner may be allowed the individuality he craved for the rest of his natural life, devoid of the comfort of humanity or the distracting influences of life.”

The Chief Judge then paused and took a deep breath. “It is further ordered by this Court that the prisoner shall have his eyes, eardrums, tongue and olfactory organs surgically removed that he may not see, hear, taste, or speak with any other human being for the rest of his natural life. thereafter, he is to be remanded to a hospital where he shall be restrained to a bed and tended to by robotic life support aids. The sentence of this Court shall be carried out immediately and shall be witnessed by all Citizens of Earth as partial reparation for this most heinous of crimes against humanity.”

The prisoner’s screams lasted only a few moments as an anesthetic was administered and the cameras were re-arranged in preparation for justice to be carried out.

__________________________
Justice - from Book of Dreams 2e: Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction Short Stories (c) 2013 by Victor D. Lopez.

title: Justice

question: What caused the prisoner to sweat profusely?

answer: Tension.

question: How was the prisoner caught of his crime?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Who administered the anesthetic on the prisoner?

answer: Not stated.

question: Why did the prisoner detach himself from the net?

answer: He wanted to regain his humanity.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The prisoner, facing trial in court, is found guilty of detaching his neural connector to disconnect from the Net and abandoning the Common Consciousness to be separate from the Communal Mind to feel the freedom of individuality. The judge, who found his crimes malicious and egregious, orders a death sentence for his action and rules that his eyes, eardrums, tongue, and olfactory organs be surgically removed.


text:
This one time my friend and I were at his lakehouse with some other friends. We had a fun evening playing video games and watching anime and browsing reddit.com. It was a good time. But then we decided to go to bed around 10:25 pm. So we went to our rooms and I was on the bottom floor in the room with my friend Ronnie. Above us on the 2nd story were Cliffton and Henry while the other guy Mickey just slept on the couch in the porch outside. I had known Ronnie since Grade 7 Elementary school so we were pretty close friends. I prepared myself to go to sleep so I grabbed my Kyubey doll and got into bed. I was about to fall asleep when a noise was dragging me from my peaceful slumber. My grip on the Kyubey doll tightened and I began to look around. But it was dark and I couldn't see good. The noise got louder and louder and then I realized where it was coming from. The bed next to mine. Ronnie erupted from underneath his covers, flailing about wildly.

"Wait Ronnie no the demon must be possessing you please halt" I contemplate as earlier in the day we had drawn some symbol things that were supposed to summon powerful demons from Heck and also Cliffton said his house was haunted.

But Ronnie wouldn't listen. Ice cream in hand from the chunky rocky road chocolate ice cream he had gotten from the freezer before he came downstairs and decided to share the bedroom with me (which had two twin beds! Don't want you to think we were sleeping in the same bed together), he plowed me over and over and over again despite my pleas in protest to stop. The demonic Ronnie was not satisfied yet though, as he tore off the head of my Kyubey doll and slurped down it's inner stuffing. This made me mad but I couldn't fight Ronnie in his current State as he was to powerful. Ronnie ran from room to room, plowing as he went, all of us powerless to face the Greater Demon that possessed him. I escaped outside to the woods with my ruined Kyubey doll, my face still fresh from the tears I wept at my Kyubey's death. But I refused to be deteared. I continued to room through the woods looking for any help. But then a growl shattered the piercing peaceful calm of the night in the woods. My pace doubled with greater speed. But the growling was not ceasing. In fact, it was growing more loud and echoed through the woods. I realize to late that the growling source was in fact my Kyubey doll, Ronnie had infected it!

"No! Kyubey! Not you too! You must fight it!" screech the words from my mouth as I drop the Kyubey doll in the lake by the woods in attempt to defeat the demon within. But then there is a reaction from the water and it soaks up all the water and grows triple in size. I now face a 37 foot monstrousity that used to be my very best plushie and prized possession. By this time though my friends Cliffton and Henry had escaped into the woods and found me too. So there we were, the three of us versus the greatest threat we had ever faced. Yet before the battle could begin, Ronnie comes charging in and attacks the monster Kyubey doll. The two do great battle and exchange many vicious blows as the three of us friends stand by in the woods in awe and shaking in out boots. But eventually the battle winds down, and Ronnie's demon proves to be the more ferocious of a beast. However he is very wounded and begins to approach me and Cliffton and Henry as we sit in the woods. Luckily the clock then strokes Midnight, the hour of ending the Demon's time on earth and saving our lives. We sigh with relief and plop down by each other in our spot in the woods beside the lake. It had been a long night so we excited the woods back to my friends lakehouse and went to bed because we were tired.

That night, I had nightmares. I was lucid dreaming because I had mastered it in the years past to help get over my fear of Clowns but it was still scary because demon Ronnie, Kyubey, and Pico were in it and chasing after me as I ran through the woods. I woke up and cried and reached to snuggle with my Kyubey doll but then remembered it's fate and cried some more.

We don't go to his lakehouse anymore. Rumor has it that he sold it and the other people who moved in were never seen from again. They say that on dark nights on the lake you can still hear the growling. And if you go out on the water... Well. I hope your boat can outrun a 37 foot Kyubey, or else you will face a fate worse than that any of mankind has ever experienced in it's history before. And as for the woods around his house and the lake, well, you don't even wanna know what happens there.

(PS: I also wrote 2 more parts so if you guys wanna see em just say so but i'll probably post them here soon anyways so it's whatever :D)

title: Wieners ga Daisuki

question: Summarize the acts of violence committed by Ronnie.

answer: Ronnie plows the narrator over and over. He also tears the head off the narrator's Kyubey doll. Then he goes from room to room, plowing everyone. Later, Ronnie attacks the monster Kyubey doll and beats it in a fight.

question: Summarize the activities that the narrator and his friends do at the lakehouse.

answer: They play video games, watch anime, and browse Reddit. Earlier in the day, they also drew symbols that were supposed to summon powerful demons.

question: Summarize the main source of tension.

answer: The boys accidentally summon a demon, which possesses Ronnieand drives him to violence. Ronnie then infects the narrator's Kyubey doll, which turns into a giant beast.

question: What does the story say about friendship?


text:
EDWARD LAWSON BIRNIE (25 August 1878 in Sunderland – 21 December 1935) was a professional footballer and manager. He played for Sunderland Seaburn, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur [1] In his managerial career, he took on the reins at Southend United, staying in charge of the seaside club until his retirement in 1934.[2]

Playing career

Birnie began his career at local club Sunderland Seaburn before joining Newcastle United. The commanding centre half played in 19 matches between 1898–1903. Birnie went on to play for Crystal Palace where he featured in 29 matches in all competitions (22 league).[3] In August 1906 he joined Chelsea, making his debut on 8 September 1906 in a 0–0 draw away at Blackpool.[4] Birnie participated in 108 games in all competitions and scored on three occasions for the Stamford Bridge club.[5] After Chelsea decided against renewing his contract, Tottenham Hotspur signed him in 1910, playing in four matches and scoring a single goal at White Hart Lane.[6]

Coaching and management career

After his playing career had ended, Birnie joined German club FC Mülheim as a coach. He then had spells as a trainer at Sunderland and Rochdale. In 1922 he became manager of Southend United and spent 12 seasons in charge of the club, becoming the only manager to preside over a Southend team for more than 500 matches (April 2009). Birnie retired in May 1934, but would be beset with ill-health and died in December 1935 aged 57.[7]

Managerial statistics

  Team              Nat   From   To     Record
  ----------------- ----- ------ ------ --------
  G                 W     D      L      Win %
  Southend United         1921   1934
  Total

[8]

[1]

[2] Southend United managers Retrieved 9 April 2009

[3]

[4] http://www.stamford-bridge.com/player.php?id=43&surname=Birnie&firstname=Ted

[5] http://www.bounder.friardale.co.uk/Appearances/Be-Bl.htm

[6] Tottenham Hotspur F.C A-Z of players Retrieved 29 November 2012

[7]

[8] http://www.managerstats.co.uk/managers/ted-birnie/

title: Ted Birnie

question: Who was Edward Lawson Birnie?

answer: a professional footballer and manager

question: What team did Edward Lawson Birnie manage?

answer: Southend United

question: When did Edward Lawson Birnie retire?

answer: May 1934

question: What was the first team Edward Lawson Birnie played for?

answer: Sunderland Seaburn

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Edward Lawson Birne was a professional footballer and manager. He played for Sunderland Seaburn, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.


text:
[The first page of an issue of _Dhaka Prakash_, dated .] _DHAKA PRAKASH_ was the first Bengali language newspaper published in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.[1]

History

The paper was first published on 7 March 1861. It was published weekly every Thursday. The Bengali poet Krishna Chandra Majumder was the first editor of the paper.[2]

[1]

[2]

title: Dhaka Prakash

question: What is Dhaka Prakash?

answer: It is the first Bengali language newspaper.

question: Where is this newspaper published?

answer: It is published in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

question: When was the newspaper first published?

answer: It was first published on March 7, 1861.

question: Who was the first editor of the paper?

answer: The first editor of the paper was the Bengali poet, Krishna Chandra Majumder.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the first Bengali language newspaper called Dhaka Prakash.


text:
HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM has become a developing specialised sector later than in some countries. The most successful projects integrate housing with leisure facilities and social care. Generally, people become eligible for specialised housing at 55.

History

England has provided almshouses for the poor and destitute since at least the tenth century. Many institutions, which were called hospitals up until the nineteenth century, fulfilled mainly a housing function. Almshouse residents normally do not pay rent—but have no security of tenure and depended solely on the goodwill of the administering trustees.

Sheltered housing schemes are generally owned, run, and maintained as social housing by a local authority or housing association. They became widespread in the twentieth century.

Retirement villages and other owner-occupied retirement housing developed more recently.

Demographics

The number of people aged 65 and over in the UK is set to grow from 11.6 million in 2015 to 17.2 million by 2035, an increase of more than 50%, while the number of people aged 85 and over is set to more than double from just over 1.5 million in 2015 to almost 3.2 million in 2035, an increase of over 131%.[1]

One quarter of UK homeowners aged 60 and over—around 3.5 million people—express particular interest in buying a retirement property for reasons that range from moving closer to family, to reducing the risk of accidents by moving into purpose-built accommodation.[2]

Those aged 60 and over also hold approximately £1.3 trillion in housing equity, with £400 billion of this tied up in homes of those who want to downsize, which indicates that alongside a strong inclination to move, providing the options to allow them to access this wealth through downsizing, could help older property owners to address the challenge of funding costs associated with later life, such as care needs.[3]

However, as of April 2014, there were only about 128,000 retirement properties built for owner occupiers in England and Wales.[4]

The Royal Institute of British Architects produced a report in July 2019 calling for urgent action to tackle the “severe lack of age-friendly housing”. They said this was putting a huge strain on the public purse because of the health and social care costs of inappropriate housing. They want all new-build housing to be accessible and adaptable.[5] In September 2019 in a survey of real estate professionals 91% expected demand for retirement living to slightly or significantly increase over the next 5 years.[6]

Providers

Anchor Group is England’s largest not-for-profit housing association, providing housing, care and support.

McCarthy & Stone founded in 1977 are the largest single provider of owner occupied developments. By 2015 it had built about 50,000 homes. It was valued at almost £1bn when it floated in 2015.[7] Audley Retirement specialises in more up market developments, often centred on prestigious historical buildings.

[1]

[2] Demos: Top of the Ladder (2013)

[3]

[4] Age UK: Buying Retirement Housing Factsheet (April 2014)

[5]

[6]

[7]

title: Housing for the elderly in the United Kingdom

question: What are the most successful projects for housing for the elderly in the UK?

answer: The most successful projects integrate housing with leisure facilities and social care.

question: What happened up until the nineteenth century?

answer: Institutions for the poor and destitute were called hospitals.

question: What is supposed to happen by 2035?

answer: The number of people aged 65 and over in the UK is set to grow to 17.2 million from 11.6 million in 2015.

question: Explain the context around "3.5 million people".

answer: Around 3.5 million people are aged 60 and over and make up one quarter of UK homeowners. These 3.5 million people are expressing interest in buying a retirement property.

question: Who are the providers for housing for the elderly?

answer: Anchor Group, McCarthy & Stone, and Audley Retirement

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses the history, demographics, and providers in housing for the elderly in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has been providing housing to the poor and destitute since the tenth century. Currently, most people become eligible for specialized housing at 55.


text:
The Chain of the Generations

My message originates in an experience Susan and I had in September of 1999. President Gordon B. Hinckley came to Ricks College, now BYU–Idaho, to dedicate the recently completed Spencer W. Kimball Building. Susan and I were honored to host President and Sister Hinckley during a remarkably spiritual and memorable day.

While he was on the campus, President Hinckley spoke in a devotional to the students, staff, and faculty. I was seated on the stand just a few feet from the President of the Lord’s restored Church as he delivered his message. Even today, in this very moment as I look into your faces and speak to you, I have a vivid memory of President Hinckley standing at the pulpit in the Hart Auditorium. I remember the principles he taught, his tone of voice and facial expressions, and the things I learned by the power of the Holy Ghost as I listened to him speak.

I invite you to now participate in a portion of that devotional.

“Last Saturday and Sunday we were in Columbus, Ohio, dedicating a new and beautiful temple. The temple and the nearby ward chapel were filled for all of the six sessions. The Spirit of the Lord was present, and it was a great and significant occasion to dedicate the second temple in the history of the Church in the great state of Ohio.

“With me were my wife and my daughter, who was there to assist her mother. To our delight, a granddaughter and two of her children, our great-grandchildren, drove in from St. Louis, where they live. …

“As I sat in the temple in Columbus, Ohio, the other day, looking at my great-grandchildren, a peculiar thing happened to me. I suddenly realized that I stood midway with three generations with which I am familiar behind me and three generations ahead of me. My heart literally turned to my fathers. My heart also turned to my posterity. I envisioned a chain of the generations; that chain goes back a very long way into the distant past of which we know so very little. It now reaches for three generations beyond me. I pictured that chain in my mind’s eye, to date unbroken and shining and strong. …

“Now I thought, as I sat in the temple, that I am a link, joining all of the generations of the past and all of the generations of the future. All that I have of mind and body, of tissue and limb and joint and brain, have come as an inheritance from those who were before me. And all that my posterity have passed through me to them. I cannot afford to break that chain. My posterity cannot afford to break that chain. …

“I wish I had the eloquence of language to convey to you young people here today the feeling I had in the temple, the great overwhelming desire that neither I, nor my posterity, should ever break the chain of the generations of our family.

“To you I say with all of the energy of which I am capable, do not become a weak link in your chain of generations. You come to this world with a marvelous inheritance. You come of great men and women, of men of bravery and courage, of women of accomplishment and of tremendous faith. Never let them down. Never do anything which would weaken the chain of which you are a fundamental part.”¹

The imagery of a chain of the generations was clear in my mind. The warning to not become a weak link in the chain of the generations was powerful in my heart. The admonition to never do anything which would weaken the chain of the generations penetrated my soul. For Susan and me, the simple and powerful lessons we learned on that September afternoon have influenced for good our marriage, our family, and every aspect of our lives.

The Call Family

As a young girl growing up in her hometown of Afton, Wyoming, Susan knew and admired a family in her ward that is a marvelous example of the chain of the generations.

Sister Susan K. Bednar’s remarks

Living in the ward where I grew up was an incredible family who had 14 children. The mother and father, Bessie and Evan Call, had married in the temple and remained true and faithful to their covenants. They taught their children the doctrine of the restored gospel and were blessed to raise a righteous family.

Several years ago, I met a beautiful young woman at a sacrament meeting I was attending. As she introduced herself to me, she mentioned that I knew her mother. Her mother was a daughter of Brother and Sister Call and a treasured friend from my youth. This young woman I met in the sacrament meeting was the Calls’ granddaughter. After inquiring, I discovered she was number 44 of 96 grandchildren, and her new baby was the 230th great-grandchild of Bessie and Evan Call. These numbers stunned me. What a huge posterity!

I have thought many times since then: What if Brother and Sister Call had not married in the temple or kept their covenants? What if they had not remained true to the “tremendous faith” of prior generations? What if they had not taught their children the gospel by example and precept? What if they had been a weak link in the chain of their generations? How many people would this have affected? The answer is clear. The decisions made by this couple already have affected more than 300 family members—and the number continues to grow as more great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren are welcomed into this family.

Contrast this to a different experience I had with a dear nonmember friend whom I had known for a long time. Imagine my shock when she casually mentioned one day that she had a Mormon grandmother. I was taken back because she knew nothing about and had never been interested in knowing the doctrine and principles of the gospel. Though I do not know the answer, I have often wondered, “Where did the break occur in the chain of her generations?” The certain conclusion is that my friend had never enjoyed the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ in her life because of decisions made by those who preceded her.

As a link in the chain of your generations, you should recognize that the decisions you make now and in the future are not just about you. Your decisions affect both those who have gone before and those who come after you. The example and influence of your obedience to gospel principles, the power of your personal righteousness, and the consequences of the decisions you make for good or bad will extend across the generations. Please be a strong link in the chain of your generations.

I have a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I testify that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the eternal destiny of God’s children.

I testify that because of His atoning sacrifice, Jesus Christ redeems us from our sins and poor choices and also gives us strength beyond our own to stay true to the gospel and the covenants we make, especially when we find life’s experiences to be difficult.

I know the Holy Ghost brings spiritual impressions to our mind and heart and will assist us in discovering and implementing ways to be a faithful link in the chain of our generations. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

End of Sister Susan K. Bednar’s remarks

A Welding Link

I hope to now build upon President Hinckley’s teachings about our “chain of the generations.” He clearly and emphatically described what we should not do, which is become a weak link in the chain of the generations. I want to focus upon what we should do, which is become a welding link in the chain of the generations.

In Doctrine and Covenants 128:18, we learn “that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time.”²

I invite you to consider two basic questions that arise out of this scripture.

First question: What is the welding link? President Joseph F. Smith taught, “There has got to be a welding together and a joining together of parents and children and children and parents until the whole chain of God’s family shall be welded together into one chain, and they shall all become the family of God and His Christ.”³

The restoration of priesthood authority and keys in this final dispensation makes it possible for each of us to receive, remember, and honor the ordinances of both individual salvation and family exaltation. Elijah indeed has come as promised to confer the priesthood keys and sealing authority that turn hearts and forge welding links across the generations. Again on the earth in these latter days are authorized servants who can deliver the sacred blessings given by the Savior, “that whatsoever you seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever you bind on earth, in my name and by my word, saith the Lord, it shall be eternally bound in the heavens.”⁴

Thus, “the vicarious ordinances we perform in temples, beginning with baptism, make possible an eternal welding link between generations that fulfills the purpose of the earth’s creation.”⁵

Second question: How does the welding link safeguard the earth from being smitten with a curse? President Joseph Fielding Smith declared, “It is not the question of baptism for the dead alone, but also the sealing of parents and children to parents, so that there should be a ‘whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys and powers and glories,’ from the beginning down to the end of time. If [the] sealing power [restored by Elijah] were not on the earth, then confusion would reign and disorder would take [the] place of order in that day when the Lord shall come, and, of course, this could not be, for all things are governed and controlled by perfect law in the kingdom of God.”⁶

Why would the earth be cursed? “Simply because if there is not a welding link between the fathers and the children—which is the work for the dead—then we [would] all stand rejected; the whole work of God [would] fail and be utterly wasted. … The restoration of this [sealing] authority is the leaven [or righteous influence] that saves the earth from being utterly wasted at the coming of Jesus Christ.”⁷

These foundational gospel truths help us understand why “marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.”⁸

Some of you have experienced great sorrow in abusive or dysfunctional family relationships. And consequently, you may have little or no desire to be linked to the people who inflicted such heartache and suffering.

Please listen: eternal family links are only welded together through priesthood authority and personal righteousness. Whatever bad things may have occurred in your family, I testify and promise that the Lord Jesus Christ is the source of the healing, renewing, and restoring that you need.

Weeping may have endured during the night of your adversity, but joy can come in the morning of your new life made possible by our Redeemer and Savior.⁹

Therefore, What?

During discussions of important matters in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President Boyd K. Packer often would ask, “Therefore, what?” I understood his question to mean, “So, what spiritually important difference will this idea, proposal, or course of action make in the lives of Church members? Will it really bless those whom we serve?” In essence, he was inviting us to consider the value and ongoing implications of the subject about which we were counseling. I have found the question “therefore, what?” to be most helpful in focusing my thinking about an issue and in identifying the things that matter most.

So, you may be asking, “Brother Bednar, what is the ‘therefore, what?’ of your message to us?” I believe the answer to that question can be found in three questions some of you may be asking yourselves right now.

Participating in this devotional are many young women and men who are first-generation members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You have listened to and received the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, been baptized and confirmed by proper priesthood authority, and presently are pressing forward with firm faith in Christ. Whether you are a recent or a long-time convert, you are the lifeblood of the Church and the salvation of your present and future families. You are the first link in the chain of your generations.

But you may be asking yourself, “As the only member of the Church in my family and because I face strong opposition from my parents, siblings, and other family members, how can I become a strong welding link?”

As you read and listen to stories about the early pioneers of this dispensation who suffered persecution, endured physical hardship, and walked across the plains to settle in the Salt Lake Valley, you may wonder if you could have done what they did. But many of you are doing what they did! The precise nature and types of challenges you face today may be different from those pioneers, but the opposition to restored truth is the same today and grows ever more intense.

In April of 1986, the chief of a tribe in central Ghana passed away. Assisting in the preparations for the funeral was the chief’s half-brother, Fred Antwi, who one year earlier had been baptized and confirmed as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Unknown to Fred, plans were being made by the chief’s younger sister, the queen mother, for him to become the new tribal chief.

On the evening before the burial, a family member talked with Fred confidentially and asked him, “Do you know what plans the family has for you?” Fred responded, “No, not until I’m told.” The family member then said, “You are going to be the new chief.” Fred was surprised and said emphatically, “No! My religion will not permit me to do this.”

To serve as a chief is an honor. The chief is the overall boss in his villages, and when he speaks, the people will do as they are directed. A chief receives financial support, and whatever he feels he needs is provided to him. Fred was serving as a branch president at the time he learned about the possibility of becoming the chief. And he simply was unwilling to participate in tribal rituals that were contrary to the principles of the Savior’s gospel.

I now cite Fred’s own response to his sister’s startling announcement. “That same evening, I took my car and drove to visit one of our tribal elders in a nearby village. I wanted to talk with him about the news that had been shared with me. He explained, ‘I am aware of the plans, and I can do nothing to help you avoid becoming the chief.’”

Fred then said, “You know I am a Christian, and my religion will not permit me to be a chief because there are many things that a chief must do that I will not do.” The tribal elder replied, “Well then, go back to your leaders and tell them that you are a Christian and cannot be the chief.” Fred responded, “I went back to inform the leaders, but they ignored my message.”

Fred continued, “My half-brother [the former chief] was to be buried at midnight, so I was driving in my car behind all of the other family members in their own cars. Upon reaching a junction in the road on our way to the burial, instead of turning left with the others, I turned right onto a road leading to Cape Coast and sped off.”

For the next six months, Fred had no contact with the extended family. He later learned that had he gone to the burial, he would have been named as the next chief, putting him in a very difficult situation. He eventually learned that his nephew, a son of the queen mother, was named the new chief.

As Fred made that right turn and headed to Cape Coast, he was strengthening the first link in the chain of his generations. Firm in his testimony of the doctrine and principles of the restored gospel, Fred’s course in life changed in miraculous ways. He and Sister Antwi were the first full-time missionaries from West Africa assigned to serve in the Ghana Temple. Presently, Fred and his wife serve respectively as a counselor in the presidency of the Accra Ghana Temple and as an assistant matron.

As a new convert to the Savior’s restored Church, Fred was blessed and strengthened to overcome powerful opposition from his family, friends, and associates. And Brother and Sister Antwi diligently have taught their children the gospel of Jesus Christ and established patterns of righteousness in their family that are reaching across the generations. Just as it began with Fred and his wife, so too it begins with you!

To you who are first-generation members of the Church: it begins with you! You are the pioneers for both your progenitors and your posterity. Deceased family members who precede you in the chain of your generations are praying for your help, and those who will come after you are counting on your faithfulness. You indeed have the power to become strong welding links. Remember, it begins with you. And with the Lord’s help, you can do it.

Some of you may be asking yourselves, “How can I hope to create an eternal family having never been a member of a strong Latter-day Saint home?” A few observations from my own experience may be of help to you.

My personal “chains of the generations” are quite different on my maternal and paternal ancestral lines. In my mother’s chain, I am a fifth-generation member of the Church. Her progenitors joined the Church in England and Switzerland in the earliest days of the Restoration. Thus, on my mom’s line I am one link in a long chain of faithful generations.

In my father’s chain, I am a first-generation member of the Church. Because my dad did not join the Church until later in his life, my brother and I were the first Bednars to receive the priesthood. I was the first in our family to serve as a full-time missionary. Thus, like so many of you, I am the first gospel link in the chain of the Bednar generations.

My father was a good, devoted, and hard-working man. I love him and learned great lessons working with him that have helped me to become the person I am today. My mother taught me to pray and cherish the scriptures. I love her and appreciate the flame of faith she kindled in me. Interestingly, however, I do not remember ever praying, studying the scriptures, or having home evening together as a family. I prayed and read the Book of Mormon with my mom, but we never did these things together as father, mother, and children.

With the help of the Lord, you can create an eternal family, even if you did not come from the kind of Latter-day Saint home that sometimes is featured on the covers of the Liahona or Ensign magazines. Please always remember: it begins with you!

The very fact that I had not experienced righteous family patterns in my boyhood home created in me a strong desire to work diligently with Susan to make sure such patterns were always a part of the home we created together. As we counseled with one another and pleaded for help in our prayers, we were inspired and blessed to help our children learn the principles of the Savior’s restored gospel. We certainly were not perfect parents, but we received the spiritual gifts we needed and found “help … beyond [our] own.”¹⁰

You and I are not trapped in our past experiences. We are not wholly and totally victims of our present circumstances or captives of our environment. The Holy Ghost will teach us all things that we should do, including patterns of family righteousness in which we have not previously participated. It begins with you! And with the Lord’s help, you can do it.

Some of you have had your hearts broken by family members or respected leaders who have not honored sacred marriage covenants. You may ask yourself, “If my parents or other couples I have known were sealed in the temple and their marriages did not succeed, what hope can I have that my marriage will last forever?”

To you who have experienced the heartache of a divorce in your family or felt the agony of violated trust, please remember it begins again with you! One link in the chain of your generations may have been broken, but the other righteous links and what remains of the chain are nonetheless eternally important. You can add strength to your chain and perhaps even help to restore the broken links. That work will be accomplished one by one.

We are sons and daughters of God. According to the Father’s eternal plan of happiness, we are endowed with the gift of moral agency and are agents with the capacity to act. We are not merely objects to be acted upon. We are agents unto ourselves and should be anxiously engaged in bringing to pass much righteousness.¹¹

A fulfilling and happy marriage is not found; rather, it is created by a covenant-keeping man and woman. I fear some of you may be engaging in an endless search for something that does not exist. There is no perfect potential spouse who can safeguard you from emotional pain and spiritual anguish. But in the strength of the Lord, a faithful man and woman acting as agents can create the fulfilling marriage and the eternal family they hope and yearn to have.

Selflessly serving in a marriage relationship requires patience and persistence in a world that relentlessly encourages self-centeredness and selfishness. But it begins with you as you act and press forward with faith in the Savior, continually seek for heavenly help, and righteously exercise your moral agency. You can do it with the Lord’s help.

Promises, Blessing, and Testimony

My beloved brothers and sisters, I implore you with all the energy of my soul to become a welding link in the chain of your generations.

Becoming a welding link begins with you by doing the simple things Brother and Sister Call did to honor sacred covenants and teach their children to live and love the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Becoming a welding link begins with you by having the courage and faith in the Savior to turn right, just like Brother Antwi.

Becoming a welding link begins with you by trusting the Holy Ghost to teach you all things and illuminate your pathway, even when you do not know precisely beforehand where you should go and what you should do.

Becoming a welding link begins with you by diligently and valiantly chasing darkness from among you¹² and standing strong against the seductive evils of the latter days.

I invoke upon you an apostolic blessing, even that by the power of the Holy Ghost you may understand more fully the importance of your place in the chain of the generations. I know you will be blessed and strengthened as you strive to become a strong welding link. And I promise that with the help of the Lord you can do it!

I joyfully witness that Jesus Christ is the Living Son of the Living God. I know that He lives, that He is risen, and that He knows us and loves us as individuals. I testify priesthood authority and keys that bind on earth and in heaven have been restored to the earth in these latter days. And I know that as we follow the Father’s eternal plan, we are happy in this life, and our families can be together forever. I so testify and witness in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

© 2017 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. English approval: 6/17. Translation approval: 6/17. Translation of “A Welding Link.” Language. PD60004410 xxx

Show References

1.

    1. Gordon B. Hinckley, “Chains” (Ricks College devotional, Sep. 7, 1999), video.byui.edu; see also “Ricks College Devotional, September 7, 1999,” Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley, Volume 1: 1995–1999 [2005], 471–77.

2.

    2. Doctrine and Covenants 128:18; emphasis added.

3.

    3. Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith (2011), 411.

4.

    4. Doctrine and Covenants 132:46.

5.

    5. D. Todd Christofferson, “The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 11.

6.

    6. Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith (2013), 219.

7.

    7. Teachings: Joseph Fielding Smith, 219.

8.

    8. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 129.

9.

    9. See Psalm 30:5.

10.

    10. “Lord, I Would Follow Thee,” Hymns, no. 220.

11.

    11. See Doctrine and Covenants 58:27–28.

12.

    12. See Doctrine and Covenants 50:23–25.

question: Who is giving the speech, and what main point are they trying to make?

answer: Brother and Sister Bednar are the two people who are speaking. They emphasize the importance of family in God's plan and implore their fellow church members to be a faithful link in the chain of generations.

question: What is the lesson conveyed by the telling of Fred Antwi's story?

answer: Fred Antwi, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, learns that he will be announced as the chief of his tribe. His faith forbids many things he'd need to do as chief. He speaks with tribal elders, who tell him they can't stop his announcement as chief. On the day of his brother's burial, Fred turns to a different road than his tribe and avoids contact with his extended family. Eventually, someone else is declared chief. Fred and his wife become the first missionaries in Ghana of their church. This story is conveyed to emphasize that staying faithful despite pressure from family is possible.

question: Which three questions does Brother Bednar mention as important to reveal spiritual lessons from his speech?

answer: The first question is how to be a strong link in the chain when facing opposition from family. The second question is whether or not one can create an eternal family without having experienced an ideal Latter-day Saints home in childhood. The third question is about whether one can hope to have a lasting family after experiencing broken families.

question: What is Brother Bednar's call to action and encouragement about?

answer: He emphasizes agency, stating that the chain begins with each and everyone present. He implores them to keep to their covenants. He tells them they can do it with the help of Jesus.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Brother and Sister Bednar give a speech about the importance of family in God's plan to their fellow members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Brother Bednar talks about the importance of the chain of generations formed by strong links of covenant-keeping families. He implores the members to act with moral agency, stating that a man and a woman can accomplish the goal of a faithful family with the help of Jesus Christ.


text:
_TIRATHABA CYCLOPHORA_ is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae.[1][2] It was described by George Hampson in 1917. It is found in New Guinea.[3][4]

The wingspan is about 34 mm. The forewings are pale purplish red irrorated (sprinkled) with blackish and with a minute annulus incompletely defined by black scales in the middle of the cell and a more complete discoidal annulus. There are traces of a diffused dark postmedial line, oblique to vein 5, then inwardly oblique and somewhat dentate. There are also traces of a curved dark subterminal line and there is a terminal series of black bars. The hindwings are ochreous yellow tinged with brown except on the inner area. There is a slight brown terminal line.[5]

[1]

[2] “_Tirathaba_ Walker, 1864” at Markku Savela's _Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms_. Retrieved June 11, 2017.

[3]

[4]

[5] _Novitates Zoologicae_ 24 : 41

title: Tirathaba cyclophora

question: What is Tirathaba Cyclophora?

answer: Tirathaba Cyclophora is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae found in New Guinea.

question: Who described Tirathaba Cyclophora?

answer: George Hampson described Tirathaba Cyclophora in 1917.

question: Describe Tirathaba Cyclophora's appearance.

answer: The wingspan of Tirathaba Cyclophora is about 34 mm and their forewings are pale purplish red irrorated with blackish. The hindwings are ochreous yellow tinged with brown except on the inner area.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
Tirathaba Cyclophora is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae. It's found in New Guinea and has a wingspan of 34 mm. They were first described by George Hampson in 1917.

Their forewings are pale purplish red irrorated with blackish while the hindwings are ochreous yellow tinged with brown except on the inner area.


text:
Amelia leaned up against the taxi and stared as the sheriff and repossession team emptied her home and memories onto the front lawn. Her father was fighting back tears, as he pleaded and begged the officer for another chance or more time; the alcohol on his breath disgusted the sheriff, but even he didn’t lack the empathy to arrest a man who had already been so thoroughly embarrassed in front of his family. Amelia’s mother stood with her back to the whole ordeal, chain-smoking cigarettes and massaging her temples with the free hand.

The next thing her father slurred was what set Amelia off.

“[…]if you’re gonna’ jusht throw us on the st-street like a bunch of bums, at least… at least look at my fuckin’ daughter in-in the eyes.” He pointed at her from across the lawn, but the sheriff only glanced at her and back to the belligerent man who was sending spit in every direction.

Meanwhile, Amelia’s jaw was dropping at the nerve it took to use her as a prop, regardless of her father’s shaky history. She felt like storming towards the useless man and screaming every infuriated thought that entered her head, but it was no use; he’d already spent on alcohol what he hadn’t on gambling, and she had already spent every emotion she ever felt.

So, she stood there, as hollow her house was. As a repo man carried out the stuffed dog that had sat in the corner of her room since she could walk, she looked back at her mother and felt the urge to ask for a cigarette.

title: Repo (268 words)

question: Who are the main characters in the story?

answer: Amelia, her mother and father. The sheriff and the repossession team are also present.

question: What are the major events of the story?

answer: Amelia's house is being repossessed. Their house is emptied onto the front lawn while her father pleads with the sheriff. There is alcohol on his breath and her mother is chain-smoking cigarettes. Amelia feels angry and hopeless.

question: Explain Amelia's relationship with her father.

answer: They have a troubled relationship. Amelia's father is alcoholic and a gambler. When he uses Amelia as a prop, she gets angry.

question: Why was Amelia and her family put out of their house?

answer: Their house was being repossessed possibly due to failure to pay for it.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: Amelia's house is being repossessed. Their house is emptied onto the front lawn while her father pleads with the sheriff. There is alcohol on his breath and her mother is chain-smoking cigarettes. Her father pleads with the sheriff to look his daughter in the eyes before taking his house. This makes Amelia feels angry given her father's history. She was hollow as her house.


text:
[]

Yesterday I was hit by an overwhelming craving for GREENS! I had to get some. My plan was to grab a _GREEN SMOOTHIE_ over lunch. I made it to the smoothie place near work but totally forgot to ask the girl who made mine to add greens to my mix. _AMAZING._ Before I knew it I was sipping on a fruity mess that I could have done without.
 I spent most of yesterday at a training session for work. I wasn't able to make my own food and spent the whole day under the glare of fluorescent lights staring at a computer screen. On my break I did a little browsing online and came across a picture of a quinoa bowl covered in pesto. I have been eating quinoa a lot this week and have been loving it. It has such a nice savory flavor! The idea of a zesty green sauce on top of it sounded perfect. I decided that I would make it and informed my husband as I arrived home. He loves quinoa and was pleased to join me. I asked him to make the quinoa for me (he has perfected the art of cooking quinoa). Unfortunately he got a bit distracted as I caught him in the middle of watching a documentary.  Let me preface this by saying that it is usually _ME_ who breaks things in our house. _I'M A LITTLE CLUMSY._ I've broken glasses, pots, lots of things. He is more of an accidental heater. He sometimes turns on the wrong stovetop elements or leaves the oven on by mistake when he's done cooking. To make a bizarre story short, he quickly put some quinoa on the stove to boil and left the room. _BEFORE EITHER OF US KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG..._

_...THERE WAS A HUGE EXPLOSION OF GLASS IN OUR KITCHEN!_

_LUCKILY WE WEREN'T IN THERE._ He had accidentally turned on the wrong element. _I DO THAT SORT OF THING A LOT TOO WHEN I'M DISTRACTED._ We generally catch it when we see a glowing red element or feel its heat. Today was different though because we both left the room...both left the room with our glass pot lid (_ONE OF OUR FEW SURVIVING LIDS THANKS TO MY BREAKING HABITS_) set on top of the flaming red element. _IT EXPLODED! GLASS. SHARDS. EVERYWHERE._

_WE PIECED TOGETHER WHAT HAPPENED, SAID A GOOD NUMBER OF EXPLETIVES, CLEANED UP AND MOVED ON._

My  husband made some more quinoa while I opted to make my bowl with a combination of millet grits and quinoa flakes. _I TOOK THE EXPLOSION AS A BAD OMEN._ As a result, I got to try the green sauce on his quinoa and on my millet porridge. _I LIKED MY BOWL MORE THAN HIS! WHICH IS FUNNY SINCE THE BOWL HE ATE WAS EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT I WANTED THAT NIGHT..._While the quinoa and sauce was like a zesty bowl of couscous, my millet-quinoa porridge bowl was like polenta slathered in a fresh green cream sauce.

_THE DISH WAS...DIVINE, AND EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED.THE SAUCE IS NOT PESTO -- IT CONTAINS NO BASIL, HERBS OR NUTS. IT'S FLAVOR REMINDS ME OF TABBOULEH BUT IT HAS A CREAMY TEXTURE. _

I really loved how fresh it was. This bowl makes a great SPRING meal. It is bursting with fresh flavors of lemon, greens, cucumber and garlic. The chia seeds pack the sauce with healthy EFAs and fiber while holding it together smoothly with their gelling ability. The greens and lemon will give you energy, essential vitamins and nutrients and help you _DETOX_ your system. The millet and quinoa flakes provide good fats, fiber and protein and a silky texture. The kelp flakes are powerfully anti-inflammatory and loaded with iodine which helps strip heavy metals from your system.

_DO NOT LEAVE OUT THE CHIA SEEDS IN THE SAUCE OR IN THE BASE MIXTURE! _

The chia seeds make this sauce creamy and adding the seeds to the millet mixture make it silky and moist. Even better, the chia seeds transform the millet mixture into polenta-like grits that set. Halfway through my meal I was eating more of a millet 'cake' topped with green sauce than a millet porridge which made the dish unique and truly awesome. Trust me, this recipe NEEDS chia!

 _I HOPE YOU GIVE THIS MEAL A TRY, IT IS GREAT FEEL-GOOD FOOD FOR ANY DAY OF THE WEEK._

[]

_GREEN MACHINE BOWL _

[][][]

GREEN MACHINE SAUCE
(2 large servings)

-   2 leaves of kale
-   2 leaves red Swiss chard
-   3 raw zuchinis, chopped
-   1/3 cucumber, chopped
-   2 garlic cloves, peeled
-   1/4 red onion
-   1/3 cup filtered water
-   Juice of 1/4 of an organic lemon
-   2 tbsp soy-free veganaise (_see substitution note below_)
-   1 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil (_see substitution note below_)
-   1 tbsp kelp flakes
-   1 tsp chia seeds
-   1/2 tsp Himalayan pink garlic salt

*SUBSTITUTION NOTES:
If you do not want to use _VEGENAISE_ or _OLIVE OIL_ because yo are avoiding oil or fat, you can replace it with ONE of the following ingredients:

-   1/2 cup steamed cauliflower
-   flesh of 1/2 an avocado

-   1/3 cup white beans or chickpeas

-   1 tbsp tahini
-   1/3 cup fava beans
-   1/3 cup cashews or pine nuts
-   1/3 cup plain yogurt (or non-dairy yogurt)

GREEN MACHINE BASE
I served my Green Machine Sauce on a millet-quinoa porridge. My husband enjoyed it on quinoa. For other serving suggestions see the note below.
 (2 servings)

-   1 cup millet grits (I used Bob's Red Mill)
-   Dash sea salt
-   Dash cinnamon
-   Dash kelp flakes
-   2 tsp chia seeds
-   1/3 cup quinoa flakes
-   Filtered water

 Prepare Green Machine Sauce. Add all sauce ingredients to a food processor and pulse to evenly blend. Scrape down the sides and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste! Adjust salt to your taste. Add cracked black pepper if you like that, I don't use a lot of pepper as it tends to make my throat scratchy.
 Prepare Green Machine base. Fill a medium sauce pan with enough water to fill 2/3 of the pot. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Add millet grits and stir. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer, stirring frequently to prevent millet from sticking to the bottom. Add chia seeds and cinnamon and stir quickly to incorporate as they quickly attach to themselves. Continue to simmer for 7 minutes, stirring often. Add quinoa flakes and stir to incorporate. Continue to simmer for 3 more minutes, the mixture should be thick. Turn off heat. Add the kelp flakes and stir to incorporate. Scoop millet-chia mixture into two serving bowls.
 Pulse the sauce again in the food processor to ensure no oil separation. Pour half the sauce over each bowl of millet-chia mixture. Top each serving with a dash of the garlic salt. Serve immediately.

ALTERNATIVE BASES:
The _GREEN MACHINE SAUCE_ would taste great on top of many different foods. Here are a few delicious _GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVES_ to try:

-   polenta or grits
-   baked potato or baked sweet potato
-   black japonica rice
-   buckwheat or creamy buckwheat cereal
-   hulled millet
-   'riced' cauliflower
-   mashed potatoes or cauliflower puree or root vegetable puree
-   gluten free pasta
-   soba noodles
-   spiralized zucchini noodles
-   kelp noodles
-   salad
-   steamed or baked vegetables (beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips, zuchini, broccoli, cauliflower, etc...)

[]

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor Aenean massa.Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor Aenean massa.

question: What is the main topic of this post?

answer: It's a blog post about a recipe: Green Machine Sauce and Green Machine Bowl.

question: Give a brief description of the author of the post.

answer: The author seems to be a woman. She's married, and describes herself as "a little clumsy."

question: What caused the explosion in the kitchen?

answer: The author's husband placed a glass pot lid on the stove and accidentally turned on the wrong burner. The lid was on the burner and exploded.

question: What is Green Machine Sauce?

answer: It's not a pesto. The flavor of the sauce reminds the author of tabbouleh, but with a creamy texture.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: This is a blog post about a recipe: Green Machine Sauce and Green Machine Bowl. It's not a pesto. The flavor of the sauce reminds the author of tabbouleh, but with a creamy texture. The author writes an introduction about an exploding lid in her kitchen before giving the recipe.


text:
[Harald Ofner (2014)] HARALD OFNER (born 25 October 1932, Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian lawyer and politician for the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ).

Ofner attended, from 1942 to 1945, the Nazi-era National Political Institutes of Education in Traiskirchen near Vienna.[1] He then learned the profession of the heavy current monitors. He attended a Matura School and then studied law (Dr. iur., 1958). By 1965, he was a working lawyer.

His political career began in the town council of Mödling. From 1976 to 1986, he was a provincial team leader of the FPÖ Lower Austria branch. From 1979 to 1983, and from 1986 to 2002 he was a deputy to the National Council. From 1983 to 1987, Ofner was Austrian justice minister in the governments of Fred Sinowatz and Franz Vranitzky.

Ofner previously defended Peter Paul Rainer in 2000. Rainer, which by 1997 was the former party chairman and co-founder of the South Tyrol-based FPÖ offshoot Die Freiheitlichen, had shot Christian Waldner, one of the other co-founding members of Die Freiheitlichen. Despite efforts by Ofner, Rainer was, shortly after his arrest in the Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus district of Vienna, extradited to Italy.

Trivia

During the Lucona affair, the then Minister of Justice Ofner actuated in a parliamentary debate the saying: Meaning “The soup is too thin” in English, he meant that the evidence for an accusation was not sufficient. Since then, this saying has been used in judicial and journalist circles for similar cases.[2][3]

[1] Sebastian Pumberger: “Der Einzelne ist nichts, die Gemeinschaft alles.” (http://www.gedenkdienst.at/index.php?id=624)

[2] Bescheid des Bundeskommunikationssenates vom 14.

[3] „Die Suppe ist zu dünn“ - Zwei Monate bedingt für Mensdorff, OÖ Nachrichten auf _www.nachrichten.at_, 17.

title: Harald Ofner

question: Summarize everything relating to Harald Ofner's political career.

answer: Harald Ofner's political career began in the town council of Mödling. Then he was a provincial team leader of the Freedom Party of Austria Lower Austria branch, a deputy to the National Council, and Austrian justice minister.

question: What is Ofner's best-known case?

answer: It is not explicitly stated, but it might be his defense of Peter Paul Rainer, the former party chairman and co-founder of the South Tyrol-based Freedom Party of Austria's offshoot Die Freiheitlichen who shot Christian Waldner, one of the other co-founding members of Die Freiheitlichen.

question: How is the saying 'The soup is too thin' related to Ofner?

answer: When Ofner was the Minister of Justice Ofner he said 'The soup is too thin' in a parliamentary debate He meant that the evidence for an accusation relating to the Lucona affair was not sufficient.

question: Where was Ofner educated?

answer: Ofner attended the National Political Institutes of Education in Traiskirchen near Vienna and a Matura School and then studied law.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Harald Ofner is an Austrian lawyer and politician for the Freedom Party of Austria. Her attended the National Political Institutes of Education in Traiskirchen near Vienna and a Matura School and then studied law. His political career began in the town council of Mödling. Then he was a provincial team leader of the Freedom Party of Austria Lower Austria branch, a deputy to the National Council, and Austrian justice minister.


text:
MONGOLIA–VIETNAM RELATIONS are bilateral relations between Mongolia and Vietnam. Vietnam has an embassy in Ulaanbaatar.

Treaties

The two countries established diplomatic ties in 1954.[1] Although Mongolia did not directly participate in the Vietnam war, it nevertheless expressed ideological support for North Vietnam by similar supported (#Mongolia) in the World War II to Soviet Union and Korean war to North Korea, and provided livestock as material assistance, including more than 100,000 head of horses, cows, and sheep. After the war, Mongolia received and brought up more than 400 war-orphaned children in 1960-1970s,. North Vietnam leader Ho Chi Minh visited Mongolia and expressed his appreciation of Mongolia's support during wartime; Mongolian leader Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal paid a reciprocal visit to Hanoi later that year. At that time, the two countries signed the Agreement on Economic and Cultural Cooperation and in the following year began to conduct bilateral trade. The countries signed a Friendship and Cooperation Treaty in 1961, renewed it in 1979, and signed a new one in 1995.[2] On 13 January 2003, the countries signed an 8-point cooperative document committing to cooperation between the two governments and their legislative bodies, replacing an earlier document signed in 1998.[3]

There have been 13 sessions of the Vietnam-Mongolia inter-governmental committee on cooperation in trade, economics and sci-tech, with the next to be held in Ulaanbaatar in 2010.[4] On 25 May 2004 in Ulaanbaatar, the countries signed agreements on railway transport and scientific and technological cooperation.[5] Other agreements have covered areas such as plant protection and quarantine regulations, customs, health and education.[6]

Diplomatic visits

[The Vietnamese embassy in Ulan Bator, Mongolia] Vietnamese Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Trần Đức Lương visited Mongolia in 1955 and 2004 respectively.[7] Mongolian Presidents Punsalmaagiin Ochirbat, Nambaryn Enkhbayar and Natsagiin Bagabandi visited Vietnam in 1994, 2002 and 2005 respectively.[8]

Trade

Vietnam's exports to Mongolia have risen from US$2.4m in 2005, to US$3.3m in 2006 and US$5.7m in 2007.[9] They are aiming for US$10m of bilateral trade by 2010.[10] During Nguyen Minh Triet's visit to Mongolia in October 2008, Vietnam agreed to sell 20,000 tonnes of rice to Mongolia.[11]

Other ties

The Christina Nobel Children Fund is a charity funding medical care for street children in the two countries.[12]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

title: Mongolia–Vietnam relations

question: Does Vietnam have a embassy in Mongolia?

answer: Yes Vietnam has an embassy in Ulaanbaatar.

question: When did Mongolia and Vietnam establish diplomatic ties?

answer: They established diplomatic ties in 1954.

question: What volume of trade occurs between Mongolia and Vietnam?

answer: In 2007, Vietnam's exports to Mongolia were valued at US $5.7 million. The countries are aiming for US $10 million of bilateral trade by 2010.

question: How many diplomatic visits have occurred between Vietnam and Mongolia?

answer: 5 total visits have occurred between the leaders of Vietnam and Mongolia.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Vietnam and Mongolia have established diplomatic ties since 1954. Mongolia expressed ideological support for North Vietnam during the Vietnam war. Five diplomatic visits have occurred between the two countries. They are aiming for US $10 million in bilateral trade by 2010.


text:
vista_bridge_locks.JPG

Locks hang on the suicide-prevention fences lining Vista Bridge in Southwest Portland. Lynn Miller, who lives just north of the bridge, said she is more annoyed with the locks than with the barriers themselves.

_(Melissa Binder/The Oregonian)_

Neighbors who oppose the fences lining Vista Bridge had one thing to say to city officials Thursday: we told you so.

The city installed 9-foot-high suicide-prevention fences on both sides of the historic Vista Bridge in Southwest Portland in August. Since then two people have gone around or over the fencing and threatened to jump, though both came down unharmed.

On Wednesday, police had to cut a hole in the barrier to either provide a way for a suicidal man to get off the edge – which he did not use – or physically intervene if he attempted to jump.

“It’s kind of like, ‘We told you so, and you didn’t listen,’” said Jerry Powell, a resident of the Goose Hollow neighborhood.

The installation of the chain-link fences, a $236,000 temporary solution intended to last five years, was controversial. Residents expressed their support for suicide-prevention measures to City Commissioner Steve Novick, who runs the city's transportation bureau, at a meeting in July. Two months later, neighbors railed against Novick for hastily pushing the temporary fences through and ruining, they said, the view and look of the bridge. They suggested alternatives like nets or an alarm system.

Had the city moved more slowly and engaged with the neighborhoods, Powell said, the result likely would have looked better and been more effective. The barriers clearly aren’t enough to stop would-be jumpers, he said, and the money could have been put toward a solution that works.

Concerned neighbors have appointed a committee of seven – four of whom are architects – to look at better options, said Bill Failing, a Southwest Hills resident and co-organizer of the committee.

“The purpose is to find an aesthetic solution to replace the temporarily blight that right now is allegedly protecting the bridge from suicides,” Failing said.

Novick has met with the committee and agreed to work with them, Failing said.

Christa Moe doesn’t live in the neighborhoods surrounding Vista Bridge, but she knows them well. Moe cleans a number of homes in the area. The families that live there come from old money, she said, and take almost a sacred ownership of the land and its history.

Nevertheless, she said, it’s self-centered to value protecting a bridge more than efforts to save lives – no matter how ugly. The barriers may not be perfect, she said, but they were an attempt to prevent suicide at the bridge as quickly as possible. Plus, she said, getting around the fence takes time – time that might make all the difference.

Eventually, she said, she’d like to see a permanent solution that fits the character of the neighborhood, such as an ornate wrought iron fence.

Outcry for suicide barriers began with Kenneth and Bonnie Kahn early this year. They work at the bottom of the bridge and had seen – and heard – bodies hit the ground outside.

The Kahn’s had seen seven suicides in seven years. But five people have leapt from the bridge this year alone, and Powell suspects the increase resulted from publicity associated with their outcry and advocacy.

The question facing the city and residents alike is what to do now.

Novick’s chief of staff, Chris Warner, said the commissioner has talked with police since the incident Wednesday but will sit down with them in a week or so for a full debrief and to discuss future plans.

Sgt. Pete Simpson, a police spokesman, said installing a locked gate that would allow public safety personnel to get to individuals on the other side of the fence might prevent another debacle like police faced this week.

"Sometimes through crisis you discover opportunities," Simpson said.

_Andrew Theen contributed to this report._

-- Melissa Binder

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

question: Why do the neighbors oppose the fences lining the Vista Bridge?

answer: They think it is not effective in stopping people from jumping over the bridge.

question: Describe these fences.

answer: They are 9 feet high and are installed on both sides of the bridge.

question: Why are the fences installed?

answer: To prevent people from committing suicide by jumping over the bridge as many have done.

question: What are the residents' suggested alternative to the fences?

answer: They suggest nets or an alarm system.

question: Who are Kenneth and Bonnie Khan?

answer: They work at the bottom of the bridge and had witnessed a lot of people jumping from the bridge.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Suicide-prevention fences were installed on both sides of the Vista Bridge after a number of people jumped from it and died. Residents are not happy with these fences because they think they are not effective. Nets and an alarm system are some of their suggested alternatives.