text:
Sexism in the American workforce doesn’t look like it once did. Mad Men era bosses--in tailored suits and mild inebriation, chasing secretaries around their desks--are no longer prime suspects. No, discrimination has become much more subtle. It’s in the over 97% of male chief executives running the country’s largest companies. It’s in the promotion nods for him over her. It’s in your wallet.

IN PICTURES: THE 10 MOST SEXIST JOBS IN THE U.S.

The gender wage gap persists almost five decades after the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963. There are just a handful of jobs in which women earn slightly more than men (counselors, food preparers), compared to hundreds of occupations in which they make less. On average, women earn about 80% as much as men. In some jobs, they earn just over half as much as male peers, stunting their lifetime earnings by millions.

IN PICTURES: JOBS WHERE WOMEN EARN MORE THAN MEN

“Statistically we control for a variety of factors like experience, education, occupation and industry,” says Francine Blau, a professor of labor economics at Cornell University. “Those factors can explain some of the gap, but there is about 10% that can’t be explained and could be due to discrimination. My personal feeling is that discrimination has declined significantly but still exists.”

ForbesWoman analyzed the median weekly pay of full-time workers by sex and occupation in 2010, collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to pinpoint the jobs with the largest gaps in men and women’s earnings. The result: What we consider the 10 most sexist jobs in America.

Personal finance advisors come in at No. 1. Women in this position earn a median of $962 per week, compared to men’s median of $1,647. Women are one-third of all personal finance advisors but earn just 58 cents on the dollar. Over a 35-year career, this discrepancy will cost women $1.25 _million_ in lost earnings.

Blau says the severe disparity may be explained by a greater concentration of men at larger, more aggressive firms with high-value portfolios. Of course, why fewer women work at the big firms is less clear. There may also be some existing gender bias ingrained in the product: financial advice. “Does the customer stereotype that the woman doesn’t know as much?” she asks. “And does the employer not want to take that chance?”

IN PICTURES: THE 10 MOST SEXIST JOBS IN THE U.S.

In fact, quite a few sales positions surfaced at the top. Female securities, commodities and financial services sales agents (No. 2) earn $531 less than male agents each week, or about 63% as much. That will result in lifetime losses of $966,000. Similarly, women in retail sales (No. 3) earn 65 cents for every dollar earned by male peers, despite being 42% of retail employees. Women are also the majority of insurance sales agents (No. 7) but receive weekly paychecks that are $324 lighter.

Are women less convincing salespeople? “Every piece of data we have suggests that there is not a significant performance gap [between men and women],” says Matt Wallaert, lead scientist at compensation website GetRaised.

However, Wallaert’s research shows that women tend to be more “fairness oriented.” When women sell products with variable prices, like cars or securities, he says they may be more likely to negotiate a mutually beneficial sale with a fairer price. This might cut into their commissions or bonuses, but they end up creating a loyal, return customer.

“Women may be creating a long-term outlook that is better for the business,” says Wallaert, “but we incentivize short-term outlooks. That short-term orientation destroyed our economy. If more women went into financial services positions, we would likely not be in the situation we’re in.”

SEE ALSO: BEST-PAYING JOBS FOR WOMEN

Non-transparent pay structures also contribute to stark gender discrepancies. For positions like marketing and sales managers (No. 6) and financial managers (No. 7)—jobs in which women will make nearly $1 million less over their careers—there’s more of an opportunity for what Wallaert calls “fuzzy” pay adjustments. Base salaries, raises and bonuses likely result from the subjective reasoning of the supervisor rather than a clear pay structure.

“The surest way to fight the gap is with an exacting formula,” Wallaert says. If companies introduced narrow pay ranges for each title and clear metrics for performance-related bonuses, he believes compensation would be fairer. However, Blau notes that this wouldn’t solve the problem of women at smaller firms or in less profitable sectors or the issue of their slower promotion rates.

One thing every woman should do _today_, says Wallaert, is figure out what they should be making—based on position, industry, location and their contribution to the bottom line—create a detailed presentation of why they deserve a raise, and then ask for one. Asking for more may not solve the issue, but it helps.

IN PICTURES: THE 10 MOST SEXIST JOBS IN THE U.S.

[uncaptioned]

question: When was the Equal Pay Act passed?

answer: 1963.

question: What percentage of chief executives are male?

answer: 97%

question: Where is Francine Blau a professor of economics?

answer: Cornell University.

question: How much do women earn in retail sales compared to men?

answer: 65 cents for every dollar earned by male peers.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The article discusses the gender pay gap, and speculates about reasons for its existence. It provides concrete examples of fields in which women make less than their male counterparts and advises women on what to do to get a raise.


split: train

text:
_Abwehr_ Lieutenant Colonel HERMANN JOSEPH GISKES (28 September 1896 – 28 August 1977) was a wartime intelligence operative primarily stationed in the occupied Netherlands, and head of _Abwehr_ Section IIIF. He is best known as one of the leading lights behind the _Englandspiel_ operation. Giskes' activities were responsible for supplying a great deal of disinformation to British intelligence services for much of World War II, and for the arrest of more than 50 Allied agents. Giskes first succeeded in gaining the partial cooperation of captured British agent Hubertus Lauwers, who sent encrypted messages (but missing security checks) back to British SOE at Giskes' direction, under duress. Then dozens of agents parachuted in succession, and were captured by the Germans, along with tons of equipment.[1][2]

When it became apparent that the penetration had been uncovered, Giskes on 1 April 1944 sent the following message in clear (unencrypted text) to London:[3]

  To _[the SOE section chiefs]_ Messrs Blunt,[4] Bingham[5] and Succs Ltd., London. In the last time you are trying to make business in Netherlands without our assistance stop we think this rather unfair in view of our long and successful co-operation as your sole agents stop but never mind whenever you will come to pay a visit to the Continent you may be assured that you will be received with the same care and result as all those who you sent us before stop so long.

At the end of the war, Giskes was interrogated by Robert Maxwell at Camp 20, Iserlohn, before release. He then worked for US intelligence services in Europe.[6]

[1]

[2]

[3] Marks (1998), p.499.

[4] 'Blunt' refers to a pseudonym used by Major Charles Blizard, Head of N (Dutch) Section SOE.

[5] Major Seymour Bingham, his successor as Head of N Section.

[6]

title: Hermann Giskes

question: Who was Hermann Giskes?

answer: A wartime intelligence operative primarily stationed in the occupied Netherlands. He was also head of Abwehr Section IIIF.

question: What war did Hermann Giskes participate in?

answer: World War II

question: What nationality was Hermann Giskes?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: What did Hermann Giskes do after the war?

answer: He worked for US intelligence services in Europe.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Hermann Giskes was a wartime intelligence operative primarily stationed in the occupied Netherlands. He is best known for his involvement in the Englandspiel operation.


text:
The REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA, also known as RCPI (TAGORE), was a political party in India, led by Saumyendranath Tagore.[1] RCPI (Tagore) emerged from a split in the Revolutionary Communist Party of India in 1948. RCPI (Tagore) had a very minor role in Indian politics. Tagore served as the chairman of the party.[2] The party published the Bengali fortnightly _Ganabani_ ('People's Voice').[3][4]

Split in RCPI

Tagore, the founder of RCPI in 1934, had been jailed in November 1947.[5] Tagore was released from prison in 1948.[6] At the time a sector of RCPI, led by Pannalal Dasgupta, insisted on turning the campaign of building panchayats into a general armed insurrection.[7][8] After his release from jail Tagore argued that armed revolution was premature in India.[9]

Dasgupta assembled an All India Party Conference in Birbhum in 1948.[10] Tagore requested to resign from the RCPI Central Committee, a request the Birbhum conference rejected.[11] After the Birbhum conference the followers of Dasgupta began to gather arms and prepare for armed struggle.[12] After the Birbhum conference Tagore, at a public meeting in Calcutta, denounced insurrectional line of Dasgupta.[13] Tagore's speech pushed the Dasgupta group to issue disciplinary action against him, accepting his resignation from the Central Committee.[14] Half a year later Tagore gathered his followers for a separate Party Conference, as its 5th Party Congress, in Burdwan.[15][16] Thus there were two parallel RCPIs, one led by Dasgupta and one led by Tagore.[17] The former grouping represented the majority in the RCPI.[18] The latter of the two parties came to be known as 'RCPI (Tagore)'.

Work amongst refugees

The RCPI (Tagore) joined the Refugee Central Rehabilitation Council, a body that challenged the main CPI-led United Central Refugee Council.[19][20]

1951–1952 elections

Ahead of the 1951–1952 general election RCPI (Tagore) joined the United Socialist Organisation of India of Sarat Chandra Bose, but in June 1951 the party broke with the USOI.[21] Instead, on July 18, 1951 RCPI (Tagore) along with the Socialist and the Leela Roy faction of the Forward Bloc formed the People's United Socialist Front (PUSF).[22][23][24][25] RCPI (Tagore) fielded 11 candidates in the 1952 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.[26] None of the candidates was elected, in total the party obtained 35,645 votes (0.48% of the statewide vote).[27] The election symbol of the party was a flaming torch.[28]

Dissatisfied with what he perceived to be lack of support from the party during the election campaign, Kanai Pal and his Santipur-based group split away from RCPI (Tagore) in 1953.[29]

1957 election

RCPI (Tagore) joined the United Democratic People's Front ahead of the 1957 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, a front that brought together the Hindu nationalist Jana Sangh and Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, as well as dissident Congressmen.[30][31] RCPI (Tagore) contested 2 seats, winning none and obtaining 18,602 votes (0.18% of the statewide vote).[32]

Sixth and Seventh Party Congresses

RCPI (Tagore) held its Sixth Party Congress in February–March 1960.[33] The Party Congress characterized the Soviet Union as a 'labour bureaucracy' and China as moving towards 'totalitarian, bureaucratic rule'.[34] The Party Congress called for the creation of a new International of anti-Stalinist left-wing forces.[35] RCPI (Tagore) held its Seventh Party Congress in November 1961.[36]

Tagore visited Israel as a guest of Mapam in 1964.[37]

1969 elections

RCPI (Tagore) was the sole party that opposed holding mid-term state assembly elections in November 1968.[38] RCPI (Tagore) contested 4 seats in the 1969 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, but failed to win any seat.[39]

RCPI (Tagore) eventually fell into oblivion, being unable to join the CPI(M)-led fronts due to their ideological purism and history of conflict with the CPI(M)-aligned RCPI.[40]

Merger with RCPI (Das) and split

After the 1971 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election the Revolutionary Communist Party of India (Das) merged into RCPI (Tagore).[41] Tagore died in 1974.[42] After the death of Tagore, RCPI (Tagore) was split, with Das leading one of the factions and Bibhuti Bhushan Nandi the other.[43] As of the early 1980s RCPI (Das) opposed the Left Front whilst RCPI (Nandi) supported the Left Front government from outside.[44]

Merger with the main RCPI

In 2001, the party merged into its parent organisation, the Revolutionary Communist Party of India.

[1]

[2]

[3] Registrar for Newspapers of India. _Ganabani_

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18] _Cahiers Leon Trotsky_, February 1998

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28] _Times of India_. _A tale of election symbols_

[29]

[30] M.V.S. Koteswara Rao. _Communist Parties and United Front - Experience in Kerala and West Bengal_. Hyderabad: Prajasakti Book House, 2003. p. 216.

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41] Alexander, Robert J. _Trotskyism in India_

[42]

[43]

[44]

title: Revolutionary Communist Party of India (Tagore)

question: What does RCPI (TAGORE) stand for?

answer: Revolutionary Communist Party of India (Tagore).

question: Who founded RCPI (Tagore)?

answer: Saumyendranath Tagore.

question: When was RCPI founded?

answer: 1934.

question: What was the name of the Bengali fortnightly the party published?

answer: Ganabani, or the "People's Voice."

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about a splinter group of the Communist Party of India founded by Tagore.


text:
Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is being held in solitary confinement after his bail was revoked for witness tampering last week.

"Paul is in solitary confinement for his own safety from the general prison population," former Trump lawyer John Down told Fox News on Tuesday. "The warden is concerned that someone would violently attack Paul just for street cred."

"They make all prisoners return to their cells whenever Paul needs to leave his cell," Dowd continued.

It is unclear where Manafort is being held at this time.

Manafort appeared before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington last week after special counsel Robert Mueller accused him of attempted witness tampering ahead of his trial before a federal court.

Previously, Jackson set Manafort's bail for $10 million, and placed him on house arrest. The special counsel's office requested last week to have Manafort's house arrest conditions "revoked or revised." Manafort has also pleaded not guilty to bank and tax fraud in Virginia.

Manafort's trial in D.C. is scheduled to start on Sept. 7, while his Virginia case will begin July 10.

question: Who is Paul Manafort?

answer: Trump's former campaign manager.

question: Why is Manafort in prison?

answer: Special counsel Robert Mueller accused him of witness tampering. He was also arrested for bank and tax fraud.

question: Why was Manafort placed in solitary confinement?

answer: For his own safety. The warden was concerned that someone would violently attack Manafort for street cred.

question: Who was the judge that handled Manafort's case?

answer: U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Former Trump campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is being held in solitary confinement for his own safety. The warden feels that someone would attack Manafort to gain street credibility. Manafort is in prison after special counsel Robert Mueller accused him of witness tampering. He is also facing bank and tax fraud charges in Virginia.


text: They never tell you how much of a pain puppies are. The shelter always says “This puppy will grow up to be nice and small.” They’re liars. “This puppy will be no trouble later in life.” Blatantly false. “This puppy won’t have to be walked when it’s wet and cold outside.” The biggest lie of them all. “The puppy won’t run away while you’re walking it.” Really? “You won’t have to spend hours trying to find that puppy after it runs away.” They can try better than that. “The puppy won’t end up covered in mud when you actually do find it.” Sigh. The people at the shelter are good at making you believe them. They don’t lie about everything though. Even after hours of searching, when I finally find that puppy, sopping wet and all covered in mud, I can’t help but smile and say, “There you are Bella, I was worried I lost you. Let’s get you home and cleaned up.”

title: A puppy in the rain.

question: What breed is the puppy?

answer: It's not mentioned

question: What is the puppy's name?

answer: Bella

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The puppy's owner

question: How does the puppy get lost?

answer: She runs off while being walked in the rain

question: Does the narrator find the puppy?

answer: Yes

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator loses a puppy named Bella while walking in the rain and reflects on the shelter's lies about puppies being easy to take care of. The narrator finds Bella after hours of searching and takes her home to get cleaned up.


text:
Three ships of the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been named _SIR GALAHAD_, after the knight of Arthurian legend.

-   was a used as a minesweeper in World War II

-   (L3005), a landing ship (logistic), was lost in the Falklands War

-   (L3005), a landing ship (logistic) named for (and given the same pennant number as) the previous _Sir Galahad_, was involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq

Category:Royal Navy ship names

title: HMS Sir Galahad

question: Why is Sir Galahad a noteworthy military figure?

answer: He is renowned for his gallantry and purity as the most perfect of all knights having achieved the holy grail.


text:
The Original Fastest AIO Bot – Cop Offwhites, Yeezys, Jordans, Bapes & More

Step up your copping game!

[Sneaker Bot]

FEATURED ON

[Forbes Logo]

[CNBC sneaker bot Logo]

[Highs Nobiety Logo]

[Motherboard Aio bot Logo]

[Triple j Logo]

[Esquire Logo]

Get ready to cop those sneakers

This is AIO Bot, an add to cart program that helps sneaker lovers get limited releases.

Releases sell out in minutes, but AIO Bot is thousands of times faster than any human, this along with advanced tech means you never have to pay resell. And the extra pairs you cop? Sell for profit!

AIO Bot has helped sneakerheads cop over 300,000+ hyped items at retail, check our twitter for proof of success!

How It Works?

[Sneaker bot Billing]

STEP 1

Add Your Info

Add your billing and shipping info. AIO Bot lets you create unlimited profiles so you skip the “1 per customer limit” on sites and cop multiples.

[Sneaker bot]

STEP 2

Setup Tasks

Select the sneakers and site you want to cop from. With over 200+ sites supported including Adidas, Footsites, YeezySupply and more we’ve got you covered

[Start Copping Sneakers]

STEP 3

Start Copping!

When the sneakers drop, start your tasks! AIO Bot will do all the hard work. If you need any help, our support team will be there every step of the way.

[Sell yeezys]

STEP 4

Enjoy The Profit!

Enjoy your personal pairs, and the extra pairs you copped? Sell them for some sweet profit. Our users copped over 300,000+ pairs. See for yourself

Success Proof

Since 2014 our users copped over 300,000+ limited sneakers. Want proof?
Scroll through our Twitter and see some of the over 10,000+ testimonials we’ve gotten from users who’ve copped using AIO Bot.

[COP MORE THAN Icon]

300,000+ Cops so far

Over 300,000+ cops of limited release Hyped items and rising daily! Yeezy, NMDs, Jordans, Supreme and more!

[Testimonials shoutouts]

10,000 Testimonials

Want proof it works? Check our 10,000+ testimonials on twitter of users who’ve copped on hyped releases with AIO!

[nmd boost nike]

Cop Multiple Hyped pairs!

Some sites allow only 1 per customer, we help you cop multiple hyped pairs for your collection or so you can resell!

[Never Pay Resell]

Never Pay Resale

Why pay resale that’s sometimes over 7x retail price? Get that Yeezy Boost 350 at $200 not $1400! Cop at retail for your collection then feel free to become a reseller yourself!

[Constant Sneaker bot updates]

Constant updates

Our 45+ specialists constantly update the AIO sneaker bot for every release to make sure you have the best chances of copping.

[Support Reply Time Icon]

3hr Avg. Support Reply Time

Need help to make sure you cop? Our support team is always there for you with our 3hr Avg. Support Reply time. The fastest in the industry!

Sneaker Success

On hot releases like the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 or the Nike Shattered Backboards, retailer websites crashed but AIO Bot still copped!

This is why AIO Bot is known everywhere as the best all in one sneaker bot.

So what are you waiting for?

BUY NOW__

[video]

Should I Buy AIO Bot?

Are you a sneakerhead? Do you want to add limited kicks to your sneaker collection? Like the Yeezy Boost 350, Yeezy Boost 750, Yeezy Boost 950, AJs, Offwhites or any other limited edition sneaker?

Want to make extra money while doing something you love? AKA copping limited sneakers!

Do you want to make money as a sneakerhead, reselling Jordans/Yeezys without having to camp online?

Want to be able to add to cart even if there is limited stock and the website crashes?

Do you have a sneaker collection?

Do you stay up for hours just to get one Yeezy pair or a pair of Jordan shoes?

[Learn about aio bot]

If your answer was “YES” to any of these questions, then AIO Bot is definitely for you.

question: What kind of purchasing practice is the AIO Bot promoting?

answer: The AIO Bot enables and encourages users to purchase items at retail price and then to resell multiples. Despite the fact that the bot is designed to allow people to avoid having to buy from resellers, it allows them to also become resellers as well. The article does not directly tell AIO bot users to sell items at a higher price, but it is heavily implied.


text:
"Made you look you idiot. What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Speak up!"
I refused to speak, but kept walking down the road and as far down the road I walked other birds joined in the
fun, calling me insulting names and trying to get my
attention. A few birds shouted, well chirped loudly, at the
other birds telling them to stop and often greeted me
as I walked by, politely telling me what a wonderful day it was. I decided that not all birds were bad, but most were hecklers that whiled away their day being rude to as many other animals as possible. What a life.
The person snoring’s name was Ian and he was an
alien that could read my mind using an implanted
radio that was in his brain. It cost him $8,000 and
he had to buy it and have it installed on the alien
black market. What he continued to tell me was that he
had been watching me and knew who I was, as well as
what I was about and it was obvious that I deserved
a radio too.
I was able to scrounge up
$8,000 then I would be able to get a radio too and be able to read other peoples minds. He told me he was telling me this in confidence, and to prove his ability he told me he was going to draw a character of Mario from the video game in my brain. I promptly saw a Mario in my
 imagination and although it was all very convincing, I could tell by his tone that he was just messing with me. It was obvious
that this alien enjoyed spending his time convincing others that they
could purchase mind-reading technology for a measly $8,000. So I
 spoke back using my imagination and told him I didn’t believe him and that he couldn’t screw with me.
It was clear to me though that with the birds talking
to me and people reading my mind that I was on to
something big. The next day, the birds continued to talk and I decided to try speaking back. The end result
was that I scared the shit out of a bird that didn’t
know I could understand what he was saying
You, you come back here, you can understand me
I can understand you
It sounded as if everyone else in the
library was having secret conversations just by using the clacking sound of their fingers on the
keys to express themselves. I sat and listened to the various conversations before leaving feeling excluded at what was obviously a secret society of people with the ability to read minds.
Look, we’re just fucking with you. It happens to everyone. Its just too bad you don’t have any friends to tell you. I’ll tell you something though, its an age thing, everybody who grows to a certain age is let in on it. Of course, some find out about it earlier but most learn about it from their parents when they’re older its just too bad for you your parents hate you. I was completely confused but I didn’t want
to believe what was being said to me and I was sure
that as soon as I asked him what he was talking about he’d just do the same thing as Ian and pretend to not know anything.
It happened later that night when a voice suddenly told me to
go jump in the lake. I couldn’t see anybody around but
the being continued to talk to me for the next three years. It began by saying that I was about to die and that somebody else would replace my mind. I stayed up all night tossing and turning as this other being introduced himself and said that he would be taking over
my mind from then on because he was promoted to the controller of
my mind. I begged him not to and got extremely worked up when all
of a sudden a huge change came over me and suddenly the walls were coated with words written all over them and I felt completely different.
Disintegration of his thinking. Thank you to his parents for sharing this. Even as an experienced psychiatrist I was quite moved for him and for them. Having watched these two individuals over the
last few weeks provide new vigor and input to
some of our under loved packages, I’d like to put a challenge out,
it's yours not theirs. In that moment, it was impossible to have that kind of perspective. Who takes for granted that what I'm doing
is just as important as what your doing. It's really hard not to look.
The Fresh Air segment ends with a fairly recent
interview with an obviously very frail Sendak saying, “Live your life. Live your life. Live your life.”

title: coated with words

question: What happens to the narrator in this story?

answer: He gains the ability to read minds.

question: What other abilities does the narrator gain?

answer: The ability to understand birds.

question: What does the narrator think when they go to the library?

answer: That there is a secret society of people who can read minds.

question: How much does the alien say the telepathy technology costs?

answer: $8,000

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This story is about someone who suddenly gains the ability to hear thoughts and understand birds, and their musings about this new ability.


text:
The Tavern owner was uneasy over the uncharacteristic quite of the seven me sitting at the poker table. All of them had the look of men who wanted desperately to forget something they saw. Of the men sitting at the poker table David was the only the Tavern owner new by name. David was the second in command of a posse that had set up a few mile up river of the little no named town. Of all the members of the posse David was the most approachable and slow to anger. A tavern is a place for gossip and stories. David was often asked to share stories of his time in service during the 30 year war. David was one of the few who had managed to live through the entire war and had plenty of stories to make any man give up hope of valor. He was not one to scare easily. But the way he stared at his empty glass spoke of a fear that shook him to his core.
As the Tavern owner sent another serving girl to replace empty mugs with ones full of his best brew, foot steps began to sound on the landing that ran along the length of the tavern. As they grew closer he could make out the sound of someone moving quickly but the person seemed to have a bad limp. Then bursting into the tavern Richard, leader of the posse burst through the doors and tried to run to the bar but his wounded leg would not let him. Looking closely at Richards right leg the Tavern owner could see that the meat on it was shredded to pieces, in some places he could see the white of bone.
Reaching behind the counter he grabbed a bottle, ripped the cork out and took a long swallow. Turning to look at those who sat gaping and staring openly at his leg he found his men.
"Dave", he croaked. "You have to hide me". Limping toward his one time friend he pulled up short when David placed his revolver on the table. Everyone sat in stunned silence for a long moment.
The Tavern owner was pulled away from the scene by the sound of heavy foot falls that was already near the tavern door. As the door opened with a slow deliberate creak all eyes turned to the man that entered two steps into the tavern. The man looked from Richard to the seven men sitting at the table then back to Richard.
With a deep calm voice he addressed the entire tavern. "Those who want no part of this may leave." He said walking to the bar. The man was of average height and build. His clothes fit him well but were the faded grey of clothes that were once black. Even through his clothing it was clear that this man was well muscled. He moved with the calm confidence that comes from a lifetime of fighting. But something about him was off.
the right sleeve of his duster was a long enough to cover his hand. But he was drawn to the bony shape underneath, barely visible through the fabric as he walked.
"Water", he said speaking to the Tavern owner. "And oil".
The Tavern owner moved to the back room to do as he was bid as the last of the patrons left the tavern. Richard was slumped on the floor back pressed against the wall with nothing but fear in his eyes. Walking back into the main room the Tavern owner barely managed to place the glass of water and can of oil onto the counter. His eyes wide as he stare at what was left of Richards head. Then he doubled over to vomit.

title: Wander

question: Who was the second in command of a posse that had set up a few miles up river?

answer: David

question: Who is the leader of the posse?

answer: Richard

question: What did Richard ask of Dave?

answer: Richard asked Dave to hide him.

question: What did the well muscled man want when he entered the Tavern?

answer: He wanted water and oil.

question: What did the Tavern owner come back to see once we got water and oil for the man?

answer: The Tavern owner saw what was left of Richards head.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The Tavern owner was privy to a rivalry between two posses. David, second in command of a posse was asked by Richard, leader of that posse to help hide him. Then, another well built man comes in and asks the Tavern owner to get water and oil. When the Tavern owner comes back with the materials, he sees what is left of Richard's head.


text:
Deputies sought a person of interest after two fires started early Wednesday along the northbound 57 freeway in Brea and spread across the county line into Diamond Bar.

It took more than six hours to get them fully contained.

The blazes shut down lanes of the 57 freeway as firefighters worked to extinguish the burning brush, according to the California Highway Patrol.

[Firefighters battle 2 brush fires along the 57 freeway in Brea, Diamond Bar. Video by OnScene.TV, Edited by Paul Bersebach]

The first fire was reported at 2:18 a.m. on the highway near Lambert Road on-ramp. All lanes and the on-ramp were closed, CHP officials said. Northbound lanes also were closed on the Los Angeles County side at Brea Canyon Road.

The two fires burned about 15 acres total, one burned 10 and the other about 5, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It burned north of Tonner Canyon Road and as far north as Brea Canyon Road, according to the Brea Police Department.

There were no immediate reports of injuries. L.A. County fire officials said no structures were threatened.

Shortly before 5 a.m., authorities said all forward progress of the fire had been stopped. More than 100 firefighters worked the blazes.

At about 7:45 a.m., CHP officers opened up the carpool and one other lane.

Just before 8:45 a.m. fire officials said the fire had been 100 contained. Full containment means a control line has been completed all of the way around the blaze, with firefighters confident the fire won’t jump the line as they work to put out all flames and heat sources.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, however Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were looking into a report of a suspicious person seen near the fires’ origin points, authorities said.

“A witness reported seeing a man with a white scarf around his face wearing blue jeans and driving a black sedan,” sheriff’s officials said in a written statement. No further details were available regarding the man or his possible connection to the fires. “Detectives are requesting the public’s help.”

Investigators stopped short of labeling the person as a suspect, but wanted to track him down so see what information he may be able to provide.

“It was a witness statement. “We’re trying to corroborate it,” Detective Ron Greene of the sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Details, which was summoned to take charge of the investigation.

Detectives from the sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Details were summoned to the scene to handle the investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Greene of the sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Detail at 323-881-7500. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

_Staff writer Brian Day and City News Service contributed to this report._

question: In which state did the fires occur?

answer: The fires occurred in California.

question: How long did it take for firefighters to contain the fires?

answer: It took more than 6 hours.

question: What does full containment of a fire mean?

answer: Full containment means a control line has been completed all of the way around the blaze, and firefighters are confident the fire won't jump the line.

question: What was the cause of the fire?

answer: It's still under investigation.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Two fires burned for more than 6 hours in California before firefighters were able to fully contain them. The cause of the fires remains unknown, while investigators follow a lead to a person of interst.


text:
PENTAGON REFUSES TO ARM MILITARY RECRUITERS – TELLS THEM TO “CLOSE THE BLINDS”

ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF GEN. RAY ODIERNO said on Friday he has no plans to arm recruiters or add security patrols to military recruitment centers in the wake of the Islamist terror attacks on unarmed, unguarded military offices in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Thursday. Odierno basically said he doesn’t trust his troops to handle their weapons properly.

ALSO ON FRIDAY, THE MARINE CORPS ORDERED RECRUITERS TO NOT WEAR THEIR UNIFORMS AT WORK FOR ‘FORCE PROTECTION.’

Today the Pentagon added this–
Military recruiters are being told to “close the blinds” for added safety.

Gretchen Carlson reported:

TRENDING: Crowd Erupts in Cheers as Giuliani Tells AZ State Lawmakers: "Your Political Career is Worth Losing if You Can Save the Right to Vote in America" (VIDEO)

  We have just confirmed here at FOX from the Pentagon, that the head of THE US NORTHERN COMMAND HAS NOW ISSUED A DIRECTIVE TO AUTHORIZE RECRUITERS NOT TO BE ABLE TO CARRY WEAPONS AT THE CENTERS but he wants them to implement NEW SECURITY MEASURES LIKE “CLOSING THE BLINDS AT THE OFFICE.”

Via The Real Story:

question: What did the Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno say about arming recruiters in the wake of the Islamist terror attacks in Tennessee?

answer: General Ray Odierno says he will not arm recruiters or security patrols as he doesn't trust them to handle their weapons properly.

question: What order did the Marine Corps give to recruiters?

answer: They were told not to wear their uniforms at work for "force protection".

question: What were the Pentagon's orders to the recruiters?

answer: Recruiters were told to "close their blinds" for safety.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: After the Islamist terrorists' attacks at Chattanooga, Tennesse, the Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno has said he will not arm recruiters as they cannot yet handle their weapons properly. The Pentagon gave the recruiters orders to always "close their blinds" for safety. The Marine Corp also told the recruiters not to wear their uniforms to work for "force protection".


text:
PRINCE TALAL BIN MUHAMMAD (born 26 July 1965) is a member of the Jordanian royal family. He is the eldest son of Prince Muhammad bin Talal, the brother of King Hussein Talal of Jordan, and first cousin of the current King Abdullah; this makes him 15th in the line of succession to the Jordanian throne. He has one brother, Prince Ghazi (b. 1966).[1]

Biography

Prince Talal's early education took place in Jordan, and from 1975 to 1983 he attended Harrow School in the United Kingdom.[2] In September 1983 he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, and upon passing in April 1984 was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Jordan Arab Army.[3] After a few months in the Jordanian Army, he entered the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University, Washington DC in September 1984. He completed the five-year joint degree Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service – Master of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS-MSFS) program, concentrating in International Politics for his BS Degree and US Foreign Policy and Diplomacy for his MS Degree.[4]

After undergoing further military training the US and the UK, Talal returned to the Jordanian Armed Forces, where he served as a Company Commander in a Special Forces battalion from March 1990 until March 1991. On 25 March 1991, he was appointed as Military Secretary to King Hussein. In this capacity he functioned as a personal aide to the King, taking the minutes of his meetings and accompanying him daily on his activities within Jordan and his official trips abroad. These duties expanded to charge of the King's political correspondence and speech writing – Prince Talal co-authored King Hussein's speech before a Joint Session of the US Congress marking the end of a State of War between Jordan and Israel in July 1994. Talal was further entrusted by King Hussein with intelligence liaison activities and confidential political missions.[5]

In addition to this, Prince Talal was appointed by King Hussein as his Personal Representative in the United States in February 1992 – a position he held until the death of King Hussein in February 1999. This involved enhancing relations with the US Administration, Government and Congress following the Gulf War of 1991. Talal also advanced the King's official trips to the US, arranging his program and topics of discussion with US officials. He would then prepare his talking points, and remain behind in the US after each visit to follow up any outstanding issues. He was closely involved in securing the forgiveness of Jordan's $700 million debt to the US and the transfer of a squadron of F-16 fighter aircraft from the US to Jordan following the Washington Declaration of July 1994.

In August 1996, Prince Talal was appointed by King Hussein as Director of the National Security Council, with the task of establishing the National Security Council of Jordan. Amongst other things, he was responsible for the recruitment, training, and organization of the NSC Staff; the compilation of electronic data bases and Intelnet setup; coordination with the relevant government officials and bodies; intelligence liaison; producing and distributing a daily brief and in-depth studies; and compiling the Agenda for NSC meetings. Following the death of King Hussein, Prince Talal continued to hold this post until August 1999, when King Abdullah II appointed him as his National Security Advisor. He held this post until September 2001 when he was appointed Special Advisor to King Abdullah II.[6]

Personal life

In 1991, Prince Talal married Ghida Salaam, daughter of Hany Sala'am and Raja'a Arab. The couple live in Jordan with their three children: Prince Hussein (born 1999) and twins Princess Raja'a and Prince Muhammad (born 2001).

Education

1975–1983 The Harrow School in Harrow, London, England.

1983–1984 The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK. (Standard Military Course No.34)

1984–1989 Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Washington DC, USA. Five-year Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service-Master of Science in Foreign Service Joint Degree program BSFS Concentration: International Politics, Law and Organization. MSFS Concentration: US Foreign Policy and Diplomacy

1975–1978 St Edmund's School, UK

1973–1975 American Community School, Amman

1972–1973 Orthodox College, Amman

Career

-   Sept. 2001 – present

Special Advisor to King Abdullah II

-   Aug.1999-Sept.2001

National Security Advisor to King Abdullah II and Director of the National Security Council

-   Aug.1996-Aug.1999

Director of the National Security Council[7]

-   Feb.1992-Feb.1999

Personal Representative of King Hussein in the United States of America

-   Mar.1991-Aug.1996

Military Secretary of King Hussein

-   Mar.1990-Mar.1991

Officer Commanding, 2nd Company, 91st SpecialForces Battalion, Khaw, Jordan

-   Aug.1984-Mar.1990

Special Forces Brigade Headquarters

-   May–Aug. 1984

Deputy A-Team Leader, 1st Company, 101st Special Forces Battalion, Hashemiyyah, Jordan

Other activities

-   Sept. 2008 – present

Advisory Board Member, The James Martin 21st century School, Oxford University, UK

-   Feb.2001– March 2002

Chairman of the National Landmine Removal and Rehabilitation Commission, Jordan

-   Sept.1997 – present

Member of the Higher Committee of the Retired Servicemen and Veterans Association, Jordan

-   Sept.1998-Sept.2001

Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mu’tah University, Kerak, Jordan

-   Sept.1998-Sept.2001

Member of the Committee of Higher Education, Jordan

Honours

National honours

-   : Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Jordan

-   : Grand Cordon of the Order of Independence

Foreign honours

-   : Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (4.4.2000)

-   : Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (2.12.1994)[8]

Appointments

Military promotions

-   June 2009 Major-General
-   June 2002 Brigadier-General
-   May 1997 Colonel
-   June 1994 Lieutenant-Colonel
-   Nov.1992 Major
-   Nov.1989 Captain
-   Nov.1986 1st Lieutenant
-   Apr. 1984 Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5] 1

[6]

[7]

[8]

title: Prince Talal bin Muhammad

question: What does the text say about the cause of the State of War between Jordan and Israel?

question: What does the text say about Prince Talal bin Muhammad's place in the Jordanian Royal family?

answer: Prince Talal is the eldest son of Prince Muhammad bin Talal, the brother of King Husein Talal of Jordan, and the first cousin of the current King Abdullah II. He has a younger brother, Prince Ghazi. Prince Talal is the 15th in the line of succession to the Jordanian throne.

question: Summarize Prince Talal's military career.

answer: Prince Talal was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Jordan Arab Army. He moved up the chain of command quickly, from 1st Lieutenant in 1986 to Major in 1992 to full Colonel in 1997. He was promoted to Brigadier-General in June 2002, and Major-General in June 2009. He also served as a company commander in a Special Forces battalion from March 1990 - March 1991. Prince Talal was appointed as Military Secretary to King Hussein shortly thereafter.

question: What does the text say about how close Prince Talal was with King Hussein?

answer: It is safe to presume that Prince Talal had close personal ties with King Hussein being the king's nephew. As the king's personal aide, Prince Talal accompanied King Hussein everywhere and was even entrusted with political correspondence, intelligence liaison activities, confidential political missions, and speech writing. Prince Talal was the king's Personal Representative in the United States in 1992, a post he held until King Hussein's death in 1999. King Hussein also appointed Prince Talal as Director of the National Security Council, tasked with establishing the National Security Council of Jordan.


text:
WATCH "HOT WHEELS TV" ON YOUTUBE!
WELCOME TO HOT WHEELS TV WITH MIKE ZARNOCK!
Don't miss out on all the latest Hot Wheels cars, events and news! Subscribe to Hot Wheels TV and know what's coming out before it hits the stores!

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

Mike's Latest Hot Wheels Guide

[]

"HOT WHEELS VARIATIONS 2000-2013"
Jam packed with more than
7,000 listings, 3,000 color images, secondary market pricing,
And at 400 pages, is the largest and most comprehensive identification and price guide on Hot Wheels cars Variations found in Collector Number blister packs.
Here is your chance to get an
Autographed copy for yourself!

Click here to order your autographed copy today!

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

The latest issue of "Die Cast X Magazine"!
Fall 2020

[]

The Die Cast X Magazine Fall 2020 Issue
Now on sale at your local news stand and all Barnes & Noble Stores!

Click to SUBSCRIBE to "Die Cast X Magazine" to get the scoop on all the latest die cast releases And of course
Mike's Hot Wheels Columns
_"The Hot Wheels Highway"_ and _"The Hot Wheels Flash Back"_ too!
BIOGRAPHY
Michael Zarnock (born Michael S. Zarnoch 1958-Present) American Author, Columnist, Publisher, Diecast Hall of Fame Historian, World Record Holder, Actor, Musician, Race Car Driver, Builder & Fabricator.
Best known as Mike Zarnock, Mike is an American author and columnist, who writes collector guides and articles about Hot Wheels Toy Cars and Accessories and currently producer/editor and host of _"Hot Wheels TV"_ on YouTube.

Mike's knowledge and his massive Hot Wheels collection (approximately 30K vehicles) has earned him notoriety around the world. Whether it's because of the 14 books, numerous chapters in other books and hundreds of magazine articles that he's written about Hot Wheels Toy Cars and Accessories or just the sheer magnitude and diversity of his twice held Guinness World Record Hot Wheels Collection, he has earned the most distinguished label:
_"ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING HOT WHEELS AUTHORITIES."_

Mike's massive collection, world notoriety and World Records have also raised him to an elite new level of collecting as only a handful of collectors around the world have been classified as a _"SUPER COLLECTOR!"_

DID YOU KNOW?

-   Mike has held 3 Guinness World Records for Hot Wheels.
-   2020 Guinness World Record for the most gravity fed loop-the-loops on a Hot Wheels track is 7, and was achieved by Mike Zarnock in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on 5 February 2020. The Hot Wheels track measured 34 ft in length and was built as part of the Jaguar Land Rover display at the Chicago Auto Show 2020.
-   Mike's collection has earned him 2 Guinness World Records! First in 2003 and then again in 2007! Both times he is in the record books for owning the Largest Collection of Different Model Cars.
-   He is featured in the 2008 Ripley's Believe It Or Not! book #5 Prepare To Be Shocked!
-   And the 2011 "Ripley's Believe It Or Not!" book "Utterly Crazy!"
-   2009 Hot Wheels reproduced Mike's old Race Car as a Hot Wheels Car and included it as part of their nostalgic "Drag Strip Demons Series" as "Mike Zarnock's Altered Roadster".
-   2009 brought yet another accolade to Mike as he was inducted into the Diecast Hall of Fame as a Hot Wheels Historian!
-   2018 Michael was featured in the History Channel's TV Documentary - "Hot Wheels: 50th Anniversary Special"
    Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the most popular and disruptive toy in the world, Hot Wheels.
-   2017 Michael is featured in the film- Redlines to Treasure Hunts: The Cars, The Collectors, The Community.
    A documentary delving deep into the sub-culture of Hot Wheels Collecting around the world.
-   2015 Michael is featured in - Passion or Obsession: Inside the World of Extreme Collecting.

Mike is currently producer/editor and host of "Hot Wheels TV" on YouTube, an Internet based program where he takes his audience deep within the Subculture of Hot Wheels Collecting via Conventions, Car Shows and other events around the world. The program also features unboxing of the latest Hot Wheels product as soon as it's released!

He is also Senior Contributing Editor at Die Cast X Magazine where he has written two Hot Wheels feature columns since 2011
"The Hot Wheels Highway" which focuses on the latest Hot Wheels releases and "Hot Wheels Flashback" reaching back into the historical archives of Hot Wheels releases of the past.

Mike also provides Hot Wheels Collection Appraisal services for Insurance Riders, Insurance Claims, Ebay Fraud Claims, US Postal Damage Claims and Court Cases including Estate and Divorce Settlements, including services to authenticate or disprove fraudulent Hot Wheels product including issuing Certificates of Authenticity when needed.

For more information about Michael Zarnock and his services,
Contact "The Krellman Group"

Michael was born April 21, 1958 in Utica, New York into a working class family. As with most young men of that era, he grew up with aspirations of getting married and working with his dad in their family Body Shop repairing cars. But, as we all know, things change. His parents divorced in 1974 and his dad moved to Florida. Michael stayed in Utica with his mom and attended local schools while working as an Auto Mechanic at "Nichols Department Store".

Though he was able to graduate high school after the 10th grade, he continued to attend with two classes his 11th year and one in his 12th year allowing him the opportunity to work full time while still attending High School. "My classmates thought it was pretty weird that I would come to school every day wearing a blue work shirt that had "Mike" on it. They didn't understand that I worked 45 hours a week. While they were all playing sports and hanging out, I was turning wrenches and fixing their parent's cars."

He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School, Utica, New York in 1976.

Some of Michael's other accomplishments over the years include racing Moto Cross as a teenager to building and driving many show and drag cars as an adult. Some of those drag cars ended up being street racers for other people. Mike has many stories about those street racing days including the time that he got kidnapped. This story has made it all the way across the country to Hollywood where he was asked to write a screenplay about it for Actor/Producer Christopher Titus. He has also rewritten that script to be published as a novel titled "Once Upon A Street Race".

For full biography go to Mike Zarnock Biography

question: Summarize all the information relating to Hot Wheels.

answer: Hot Wheels manufactures and sells die-cast models of vehicles. In 2018 they celebrated their 50th Anniversary. Hot Wheels is said to be the most popular and disruptive toy in the world.

question: Summarize all the information relating to Mike Zarnock's childhood.

answer: Mike Zarnock was born in 1958 in Utica, New York into a working class family. His parents divorced in 1974 and his father moved away. He took 2 classes in his 11th year and 1 class in his 12th year, allowing him to work 45 hours per week as an auto mechanic. He graduated in 1976.

question: Summarize all the information relating to Mike Zarnock's Hot Wheels collection.

answer: Mike Zarnock holds the Guinness World Record for the Largest Collection of Different Model Cars. He earned this title in 2003 and in 2007. In 2020 he also earned the Guinness World Record for the most gravity-fed loop-the-loops on a Hot Wheels track.

question: What is Mike Zarnock's relationship with Hot Wheels?

answer: Mike Zarnock's Hot Wheels collection has approximately 30 000 vehicles. He has written 14 books about them and is seen as one of the world's leading Hot Wheels authorities. In 2009 Hot Wheels reproduced Mike Zarnock's old race car as a Hot Wheels car and included it in their "Drag strip demons series" as "Mike Zarnock's altered roadster".

question: What legal services does Mike Zarnock provide?

answer: Mike Zarnock provides collection appraisal services for insurance riders, insurance claims, ebay fraud claims, US Postal damage claims and court cases including estate and divorce settlements, as well as services to authenticate or disprove fraudulent Hot Wheels product including issuing certificates of authenticity when needed.

question: Why did Mike Zarnock earn the Guiness World Record for Largest Collection of Different Model Cars twice?

answer: It is not clear from the text. It can be that the title was taken away from him by someone else or that he amassed more cars and moved the goal posts.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Mike Zarnock is regarded as a super-collector of Hot Wheels. He already has approximately 30 000 vehicles in his collection. He holds two Guinness World Records and is regarded as one of the world's leading Hot Wheels authorities.


text:
I looked up from my dirty fingernails, which had occupied a majority of my attention up to this point, and for the first time took note of my surroundings. The artificial lights in the train car reminded me of the halls of some unfamiliar hospital. The walls of the car were covered in a variety of outdated advertisements, public transportation maps, various warnings, and a list of procedures in case of some unforeseen emergency. Upon entering I had felt fortunate just to get a seat, but after a few stops there were just enough people remaining to limit me to an aisle seat, eliminating any chance of getting comfortable enough to sleep.

The assortment of people was as typically unusual as one would expect on the last train of the night. A couple sat across the aisle and one row in front of me. His hair was gray and clearly thinning at a rate that made him feel the need to grow it out some length and comb it back. He had a somewhat crooked grin as he looked at her and his eyes shown with the glint of a man who both knew he was getting away with something he shouldn’t be, but also felt no remorse as he was above the repercussions another might face.   Her hair was blonde beyond the years revealed in her face. Her cheeks drooped, but as she sat her eyes lit up like a child who’s just received their first cellphone. They talked like a high school couple on their third date, a few days before they decide they’ve found their one true love, focusing wholly on the other. In fact their mannerisms appeared almost unnatural, as if they were hiding something that no one was looking for.  Perhaps they both had families and dull lives waiting for them at home and were enjoying this last train ride where the people are new and the conversations exciting.  The longer I am aware of the two the more I feel as though the man is looking at me out of the corner of his eye anytime his attention can be drawn away from the obviously infatuated woman at his side.

On the far side of the car a boy perhaps sixteen years old was washing paint off of his face. An early Halloween costume no doubt. It was likely he had come from the concert as had a number of others on the train. The remaining seats on the train were filled with unremarkable individuals much like myself. A slightly overweight, middle aged black woman dazes in and out of sleep with the jerking of the train, a boy nods his head with the iconic white headphones in, a man in a suit who presumably had a late night at the office stares at his phone to maintain the guise of never ending importance necessary today to maintain a respectable foothold in society. Two women speak the loudest, in an excited Spanish that seemed untouched by the late hour. They were in their late twenties with similar short dark haircuts which made it difficult to discern whether they were friends, lovers, or sisters. A man sits with the bike which will be his only accompaniment on his ride home from the station. Families sit huddled across rows, the kids have all managed to fall asleep, the mother leans against her husband and closes her eyes but cannot manage to drift off, the father stares out the window with a gaze that shows no signs of falling into sleep’s grasp.

As I finished this glance around the train I noticed the woman that stood in front of me. I could not tell her age but determined she was old enough to understand the world but young enough to have her entire life before her. She was relatively tall, perhaps 5’8”, though my exhaustion at this point in my observations renders my estimations fairly useless. She wore loose fitting, high waist, light blue jeans, which were modest for her slim figure. Her coat too was rather vague as if purchased for the sole purpose of blending into a crowd. She had her brown hair up in the back in a small bun and allowed the back of her hair to fall and cover her neck much as her bangs fell across her forehead. Her pale face grew solemnly dark around her eyes which sat sunken back into the depths of her face. Her cheekbones sat high on her face and gave her a dignified look that contrasted with her reserved appearance. She too had headphones in and every few seconds she would inaudibly mouth a line or two from whatever it may have been she was listening too. Her expression revealed nothing. She was empty, cold, unfazed by her surroundings. This isn’t to say she appeared unfriendly or apathetic, simply untouched by the never ending stimuli of her surroundings. Her focus lies beyond the events of the train car, extending beyond the world to which my thoughts felt tied.

The look on her face captured my imagination as it was more inviting to the speculation of her thoughts than that of anyone else in memory. I was left powerless to grasp at the few clues available to me in order to invent the monologue in her head. Perhaps it was as simple as the melody and words to whatever song was passing between her ears and occasionally across her lips. She could be reminding herself of what mundane tasks she was condemned to the next day. Or perhaps it could have been that she wanted nothing more than for the torrential stream of emotional realizations to cease for a moment and allow her the peace of an uncomfortable train ride. Undeniably her face revealed the surface of a past perhaps not of a troubled individual, but of someone that has seen of the cruelties of the world and stares blankly, unforgivingly, into the faces of romantic ideals and the illusion of Gatsby’s dream.

From her right nostril down to the top of her lip there was what appeared from my seat to be a trail of blood, or at least the dried remains of such a trail. It appeared as a stream cut from her otherwise cold face by a single drop of blood much as the ripples of a single pebble thrown into an otherwise calm body of water. The implications of the blood intrigued almost as much as her ability to ignore it. Not even the most subtle of subconscious motions seemed to indicate that she recognized it. She did not lick her lip where the blood met her mouth, did not reach to scratch at the dried blood, did not even noticeably move her mouth save for the occasional unspoken word.

A part of my typically repressed conscience began to question whether or not I had some obligation to ask her if she was alright. Not just in this particular moment as she appeared for the time being to fall within the general standards of being well, but in her life. It is interesting the difference in meaning between asking someone if they are alright in contrast to asking someone how they are doing.  When we ask someone how they are we expect them to say they are doing well and to move on with their day or the conversation regardless of how they actually feel. To reveal more than this would be a burden upon the individual asking the question and their tightly budgeted time allowed to listen to your response.  I did not want to know that she was doing “fine, thanks” any more than I wanted to know that anyone else was “fine, thanks”. I wanted to know the story behind that blood stain and to know the pain behind the eyes.  I want to know the emotion behind the ceaseless blank stare.

I felt helpless in knowing that I knew now as much as I would ever know about this woman. My mind began to drift from her for a moment to explore ideas of people I will never meet, stories I will never know, pain I will never understand, and emotions I have yet to realize. The train began to slow as it periodically did to allow for those lucky enough to be home to get off and she turned towards the doors. A bell rang over the speaker system as the door slid open and allowed her out into the West Oakland station, she walked past my window, and I never saw her again. The bell rang again and the doors slid closed. I look back from my window to where the woman was standing and an elderly man stood in her place. His expression revealed nothing.

title: Public Transportation (First ever)

question: What kind of train is the narrator riding in?

answer: It seems to be a late train that is part of local public transportation.

question: Where is the narrator headed?

answer: The story doesn't say.

question: Where is the story taking place?

answer: The story doesn't say but the train he/she is on goes past a stop in West Oakland so it could be California.

question: Is the blood on the woman's face fresh or old?

answer: The narrator cannot tell from where he/she is seated but thinks it may be dried on her face.

question: Is the narrator attracted to the woman in front of him/her?

answer: It seems that the narrator is intrigued by more than attracted to the woman.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator in this story is on a late train - probably headed home. He/She looks up at some point and observes the other passengers, paying closest attention to a woman whose appearance and expression pique his/her interest. The woman gets off at the West Oakland stop and the narrator stays on the train.


text:
Oh... You're up late. Feel free to toggle nightmode if you need.

G'day, my name is Devin. Devin Mancuso.I'm an Aussie living in San Francisco., California. Occasionally, when my corporate overlords aren't watching, I post things on the internet. You can find me on Twitter and IG. or sign up for my newsletter. (I don't post to a schedule, just whenever I have something I want to say, usually some snarky commentary about the intersection of technology and society).

You can email me at devin@radelaide.net, feel free to say hi.

I am a Designer. I’m passionate about working on projects that challenge existing power structures. and create a more equitable tech landscape for everyday people.

Lately I’ve been researching and working in the following areas:

Immersive computing (XR/MR/VR/AR) and media.

The decentralized web and dApps. For example I also publish this site as a peer-to-peer website on dat://. Dat, built by Code for Science & Society, is a protocol to serve files and works on a distributed network unlike most centralized cloud services. This means Dat transfers files peer-to-peer, skipping centralized servers.

Peer-to-peer websites are just like any other websites, except instead of files being transported by HTTP, they are transported with a peer-to-peer protocol. The website files aren’t hosted on a centralized server, they can be hosted from any computer., even your own.

You can view this site using Beaker Browser, a peer-to-peer web browser developed by Tara Vancil and Paul Frazee, via Dat at dat://dev.in., or dat://26e495b9283e95df506b5cf2c5ba1020e9f2e782bc85c7ac52deecadfcf2bb68 if you’re into that sort of thing.

Rethinking Operating Systems.

For the past 4.75 years I've been working, as a Senior Interaction Designer,Senior Interaction Designer Senior Design Strategist, at Google.

Before that I worked as a PM, a UX Lead, and a Design & Digital Strategy Consultant.

I've been lucky enough to work with some inspiring humans (_you know who you are_) on a whole heap of amazing projects.

Design Strategy, Platforms & Ecosystems

I currently work as a Senior Design Strategist for Google's Platforms & Ecosystems group. My team is focused on ambitious new opportunities that could ship in the next 2-3 years and bring cohesion, innovation, and long-term strategy to products that serve over 2 billion active users across the world. We work with various teams across Google including: Android Auto, Android TV, Android Phones, Android Tablets, Pixel, Wear+Fit, Google Education, Chrome, ChromeOS, Play, and Photos.

YouTube VR/AR

I worked as a Senior Interation Designer and UX Lead for YouTube's VR/AR/MR/XR/?R team.

YouTubeVR is one of the most popular VR apps globally across all major VR platforms. My role as UX Lead involved a mix of both tactical design work on our products, future-focused media strategies and exploratory research projects. Lately I've been focusing on a of areas that fascinate me.

Such as designing feature enhancements for our YouTubeVR app, and ensuring UX consistency as we migrated the app across the various mainstream VR headsets. It's available on Daydream View, Gear VR, Lenovo Mirage, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Oculus Go and Quest.

Or leading projects that seek to improve how immersive media formats (360° & VR180) are integrated into YouTube's iOS and Android mobile platforms.

Most recently I've have been exploring the emergence of virtual-human creators on the YouTube platform, or VTubers as they are often referred to. In 2019 I conducted interviews across Japan, the UK and the US, meeting with some of the top VTubers in the world to better understand what they required from our video platform.

Android Oreo & Pie

I was fortunate enough to be able to contribute to Android for both the Oreo and Pie releases. I led product design projects for the Android Launcher for AOSP (_Android Operating System Platform_) and also contributed to design strategy projects. focused on shaping the future of Android.

 [Pixel Image]

Pixel 2

I worked on Pixel, the Google phone, during 2016-2017. As the Interaction Designer for the Pixel Launcher I led the product design of two core features of the Pixel 2., _At-A-Glance widget_ and _Pixel Launcher search integration_.

 [Pixel Image] [Pixel Image]

AdWords Next

In 2015 I worked on the AdWords platform., a complex tool through which much of Google's multi billion dollar advertising revenue is generated., and easily one of the most challenging products at Google to design for.

Every design decision and concept is painstakingly reviewed. and questioned., often multiple times by senior stakeholders from across the company. Discipline and a willingness to commit to developing a deep level of product knowledge are essential to ensuring design has the opportunity to shine.

During my time in AdWords UX, I focused on data visualization and intelligent reporting., helping advertisers make better sense of their data., and leveraging machine intelligence to assist them in making smarter decisions about how they are using AdWords.

question: What does the text say about the author's current profession?

answer: Devin Mancuso is currently a senior design strategist for Google's Platforms and Ecosystems group, and he is focused on creating a tech landscape to be used by billions of people globally. He and his team work with other Google teams as well, such as Android Auto, Chrome, and Pixel, to name a few.

question: What does the text say about Dat?

answer: One of the areas of research Davin working on is peer-to-peer websites. A decentralized server hosts these websites, and the protocol that does the transferring of files peer-to-peer is Dat. Dat is built by Code for Science & Society.

question: What does the text say about VTubers?

answer: VTubers are virtual YouTubers. These virtual creators use the YouTube platform for their content. Davin recently interviewed top VTubers from Japan, the UK, and the US to know what features they wanted to see on YouTube to enhance user experience.

question: What does the text say about the author's life outside work?


text:
Hi, I'm not really a writer. I wrote the below piece and just wanted to see what other people think of it. First reddit post, and I'm hoping it goes well. :)

"It had been a particularly cold winter. The white frost blanketed the ground, killing everything that lived, as if Death himself laid down his tattered cloak over the land. I soon forgot what warmth was. The feeling itself frozen and shattered from my memory. There was only the cold left to keep us poor folk warm.

It was during that desolate winter that I had the pleasure of meeting Joe, a stoic man who had come from farther up North, seeking a warmth his body didn’t feel and his mind couldn’t remember. When I saw the crystal clear blue of his eyes, I remember thinking that the cold was in him, in those eyes, and he would never escape from it. But I was sillier back then.

I was young. A girl alone in the world, left to my own devices on a neglected and deserted ranch. Or at least what was left of it. I sometimes thought to myself I was Jonah, and the dilapidated house around me the dying carcass of that biblical whale. The “farmhouse” I lived in had been falling down around me for the better part of my stay, and showed no signs of slowing. I had found it like this and it had stayed like this, as broken and empty as I was.

Most people kept their distance, as I was seen as undesirable. Whether I thought myself worthy of such a distinction or not I did not care. I only cared that they thought I was worthy of distance. Peace of mind was something rarely afforded to most in this world, and as long as I was an unnamed presence meant to be quarantined from the normal folk I was afforded that peace of mind.

Until Joe. We met in the cold and it was the cold that sustained us until the frost became too bitter. He had been sleeping in “my” barn, or at least what was left of it. I rarely ventured out of the main house, as it was there I felt the most safe. I sometimes looked out at it from the kitchen window, mostly in passing, to check if it was still there, giving it’s sorry condition.

I watched through a spiderweb of cracked and stained glass as he went to and from the barn. I didn’t know where he went, but around dusk he would always stumble back to the shelter that the barn provided.

I had been alone for so long by then that his presence wasn’t easily articulated into clear feelings one way or the other. I knew he might be dangerous, but I also knew he was like me. A connection flowed from that kitchen window to the door of that barn. We were both a body without a soul. A life wasted, created in misery, and destined to die with a whimper not a bang. So I decided to speak to him, the first person in a long time I felt connected to on any kind of level worth a damn.

How he had been surviving in the barn for this long with it’s missing shingles and barely patched south wall, which had been through absolute hell during tornado season two years past, was a mystery to me. Everyday had found the weather turning colder as if the ranch was turning solid, and the barn wasn’t much protection. I didn’t know how to approach him without scaring him, as I had come to think of him as a solitary fellow, never having seen anyone in his company while he stayed on the ranch.

So I knocked. My knuckles meeting the frayed once-red, now pink, wood that covered the brown oak that made up the barn. The sound of my knocks were small, my shivering not only a result of the winter wind, but nevertheless he heard. Joe had been a man slow to talk when we first met, but he opened up as our talks grew.

It was around then that I began to realize his eyes were more the blue of the ocean water that I had sometimes dreamed about than frozen ice. We talked of many things, and when I told him of how I felt like Jonah, his laugh brought back something in me, and I laughed along with him. It was the shared laughs more than anything that kept me coming back to that barn for so long.
He introduced a warmth that didn’t stretch very far but radiated with an unparalleled intensity between the two of us. We spent a month together on that cold farm, keeping the frost at bay. Eating when we could, sleeping, and most importantly living.

He and his watery eyes eventually moved on. But those days I kept with me for a very long time. I can still remember the bitter cold in my old bones, but I also remember the warmth that Joe and I rediscovered, that had been lost to us in the frigid world, until it to was killed off by the frost."

title: I wrote a very short story called Winter's Frost and am looking for feedback. Thanks!

question: Who is Joe?

answer: A man, implied to be a drifter type.

question: How does the narrator meet Joe?

answer: Joe takes shelter in the old barn of the deserted ranch house the narrator is staying at, so she (the narrator) goes out to introduce herself.

question: Describe the narrator's living situation.

answer: The narrator is alone on a deserted ranch; it's implied she's been neglected here by caregivers. The house is falling apart and the people in the area avoid her.

question: Describe the relationship between the narrator and Joe.

answer: The two share a month of companionship while trying to stay warm in the winter in the neglected house and barn they are both staying in. They grow closer through conversation but inevitably part ways when Joe moves on to another place.

question: What is known about the narrator?

answer: She describes herself as 'a [young] girl alone in the world'.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is young, a girl living alone in a deserted farmhouse that is falling apart around her. The people in the area avoid her, but one day a man named Joe takes shelter in the run-down barn by the house and the two share a month of companionable conversation while trying to stay warm in the harsh winter, before Joe moves on to another place.