text:
Deliver, scan 06:05. Deliver, scan 08:17. Deliver, scan 09:10. Deliver, scan 09:54. Deliver, scan 13:12. Deliver, scan 18:34.

18:52

Six newborns today to six sets of parents; a clean day, no twins would need to be separated. The last child, a boy, was delivered at 18:34 today, just making the final cut of the day before the clock struck 19:00. These six infants will wake up tomorrow out of the hospital and in new homes to their new parents. Some will be reunited with their biological parents; others will end up in completely new homes. That decision will fall on the lottery now. Once the baby is delivered, it is out of our hands, it is out of the parents’ hands; fate guides all.

It has worked this way since the machines were introduced in 2025. The baby is delivered and immediately taken from the parents into an isolation room. The newborn is scanned, receives two options, and is put to be fed, cleaned, and laid down with all the other newborns of that day until the lottery begins.

The newborn will always receive two options. There is ‘option A’ the good news, the option we all hope will become the truth. And of course, there is ‘option B’ the bad news, the ultimate worst. At first they were called ‘positive’ and ‘negative’, but too many parents were leaving their children in the care of the hospital, placing too heavy a connotation on the ‘negative’ aspect. We have found that providing parents ‘options’ allows them the illusion of choice.

In the last thirty-nine years not a single child has procured himself an adulthood that has not proved one of the options true. The machines are foolproof in the sense that one of two will be fulfilled. However, with every machine comes a unique disparity.

Our machine predicts ‘option A’ correctly 82% of the time. Not as good as other area hospitals with 90% success rates, but better than the others that can only guarantee a 64% chance. It is those lucky ones that hit ‘option A’ who run the world as we know it today. If an infant is unfortunate enough to hit their ‘option B’, well… we’re lucky enough to be operating at 82%

“Doctor” the nurse called from the hallway as she walked towards the shut office door, “It is after 19:00, the parents need to be informed and the lottery must begin.”

Getting up out of this chair and walking those fifty feet to where the parents await could feel as if you were walking for days. This walk that feels like days is one that takes place every day in hospitals around the world. We are always walking, always.

19:09

“Parents, thank you for your patience. You are all well aware of how we are going to be managing this system.” The speech is always the same, learned as a code, an oath, by every Doctor whom this task is given to.

“A lottery has already taken place, and you know whether you are number one, number six, or any number in between. You know that we cannot inform you how the lottery system works, or which child is your offspring.” The words fall off my tongue flawlessly as my mind drifts to what is on the dinner menu tonight.

“We can only inform you of what their options entail, and it is up to you make your decision. Remember, this hospital runs at an 82% success rate, so please keep that in mind. You have the choice of selecting a child, or passing, and we will not leave this room until all the parents have taken their choice. If a child is left in the care of the hospital by the end, the parents will have a chance to claim this child along with the one they have already chosen.”

“Let us begin.”

21:20

The lottery always takes longer than it should. Two future professional athletes, a future diplomat, a police chief, and a successful entrepreneur were all given new homes.

 ‘option B’ scenarios tend to blur together as the days go by. Murders, war criminals, even those who will suffer from psychosis. We encourage the families not to hang their heads on these 18%, yet most days we end up with a child who will not have a home, and parents who will have to wait another year to try.

Today was no different. Five adopted children, and one that will remain in the care of the hospital.

‘option A’ Olympian. ‘option B’ child molester, 18%.

This newborn, the one who was delivered at 08:17 is now in the care of the hospital, and his options will not pan out. Those who are left in the care of the hospital are trained to become a Doctor.

There is no glamour in this job as there is no pain. The ultimate neutral, the middle ground between ‘option A’ and ‘option B.’ Going through life knowing you were left there by all potential parents, the unwanted. Growing up knowing your ‘option B’ was so bad it turned everyone away.

Pain.

One bright side to this life of a neutral comes on your 25th birthday when you finish your training, and are introduced to the system, how the lottery works, and why the machines were brought in. The Doctors are the only ones who know, the only ones who will ever know.

In twenty-five years the baby delivered at 08:17 this morning will know. He will know how the system works, and he will learn what his options were to get a feel of what potential parents choose not to select. He will have to live from age twenty-five on knowing what his life could have been, and what it became instead.

We are given no names, only the title of ‘Doctor’ and enough knowledge to keep the system moving.

My title is Doctor. I know how the system works. I was born with two options, as was everyone else who was born on this planet since 2025, in a hospital that guaranteed an 86% ‘option A’ success rate. All eight parents that day passed on me, and I was left in the care of the hospital. My fates were unique in the sense that they were identical.

Had I not been left at the hospital, today I would be the leader of the world.

My title is Doctor.

title: I've Never Really Tried Creative Writing, but an Idea Struck me Today, and I went with It (1,072 words)

question: What does the word deliver mean in the first paragraph?

answer: Delivering babies.

question: What might have scared people about the narrator's option B?

answer: Since their option B was identical to their option A, their option B would have also made them the leader of the world. Presumably, they would have been a dictator of some sort.

question: Why would twins need to be separated?

answer: Because the babies don't always go to their original parents; rather, they are assigned via the lottery.

question: How could a pair of twins end up with the same parents?

answer: If the parents are the biological parents of the twins, are assigned one of the twins, and the other twin is left in the care of the hospital.


split: train

text: I grab my coat from the dusty old closet. Slipping the coat over my arm, I grab my hat and fit it snug on my head. I open the door into the world. It greets me with a gush of wind that pushes me aback. Taking a step onto the wooden porch that creaks with each step, I shut the door. I swing the coat over my shoulder and put my arms into it’s sleeves. Then I run. I run with each step pounding hard against my knees. The trees around me start to blur. I push myself harder. The wind at my back, I spread my arms. I can see the land ahead comes to an end. I keep going. I know I can fly. As I come to the edge I thrust myself forward. Giving no second thought that I can’t achieve my goal, I take a leap of faith. As I soar though the air, I can see the ground below and it makes my heart flicker with light. I can smile one last time.

title: To Smile One Last Time

question: How does this story end for the narrator?

answer: In death. He thought he could fly but in reality, it wasn't to be.

question: summarize the story

answer: The narrator runs from his/ her home. Through the forest they run With the wind at their back, they spread their arms and fly over the edge of the cliff to realize that this is their last smile.


text:
I traveled around the world to browse underground markets to buy and sell rare animals and mystical creatures. I currently held two in my inventory - a miniature giraffe and a gnome. I was also well known among the wealthy as I would help them buy these breathing gems for them to keep as pets.

My current trip had one purpose - to negotiate a deal to purchase a young elephant for the Kardashian family. This elephant was special. At 5 feet tall, it had trunks for each leg, making it look more like an octopus on land. In a pool house in Beverly Hills, I sat across the owner of the elephant, arguing over terms of the sale. The fat Kardashian then barged in in a panic, crying her eyes out because her boyfriend, Russell Brand, had been kidnapped. I didn't care, but was pissed that it got in the way of my deal. Hoping it would help my commission, I volunteered to help find Russell. Then, there I was, driving their Hummer all over L.A.

We stopped at a gas station. I insisted to pump gas while they all went inside. Suddenly, a red truck sped through the station and, from the bed, two men in black ski masks tossed over a 4' by 4' metal plate, engraved in Arabic, and peeled out. As soon as the smoke from their exhaust cleared everyone began to slowly crowd the mysterious plate. The middle eastern cashier shoved through the crowd and fixed his glasses as he read it. He translated it for us.

"We have your infidel. We will not negotiate or return him to you. There's no amount of money that will buy away the pleasure of watching him suffer."

The police came and an investigative team drove the the Kardashian family to their headquarters while I stayed behind, realizing I had no idea where I was at this remote gas station. Dusk was approaching, and across a mesquite field I could see a square building with an empty parking lot which lights were just turned on.

I don't know how or why I was lured into it, but as I approached the building, I just knew it was a museum about Islamic expansion. I entered and was greeted by the curator, an old Arab man. He guided me through his many exhibits, standing before each one as he further explained how Islam was the seed of western civilization. He then led me into a wing where they dealt with those that defiled the name of the Prophet. I cannot rationalize why I kept walking along without fear for my safety, but I followed anyway.

I was in awe. There were flat screens along walls with crowds of 4 or 5 young students in lab coats in front of each one, alternating their heads between tilting them upward to listen and downward to turn the pages in the pad they were writing copiously in. I pardoned myself from the curator and stood behind one crowd to watch what they were learning. The video showed how starved, naked women are skinned. It was a controlled and relaxed demonstration, starting with hanging them upside down, cleanly severing their jugular and draining them of their blood. The demonstrator calmly explained that doing this would avoid bruising and helped preserve their skin color. He would then dislocate her jaw, force his arm half-forearm-deep into her throat, and jerked it out with intestines following behind. After removing the rest of her organs, they'd remove the skin and muscle from the bones. The students looked on with a fixed curious gaze, devoid of any sympathy, jotting their notes.

This wing was full of such demonstrations, displays of devices, history of techniques, and so on. I joined the curator again and kept walking along and noticed that tourists were starting to walk in, curiously looking around as if what they were seeing weren't human beings in utter pain.

As the Arab curator explained the mechanics of one of the devices he invented, his face was interrupted by his own excitement as he just remembered that his latest technique would be demonstrated live that evening. It would be the first time a human spider would be created. Inspired by 'The Human Centipede,' he wanted to push the envelope by creating a beast: to one torso as the centerpiece (arms and head attached), he'd attach two hips on each side, with legs attached, knees bent upward. The head and arms would still function and the nervous systems of all five bodies would be merged. He asked if I wanted to see who had been chosen to be the center piece and, entranced by all of this, I agreed.

He then lead me into a dark room that I later realized was a stable. He turned the light on to shine on a scrawny man clothed only in hay. It was Russell Brand. Russell awakened and rushed to the bars of the door, reaching his arm through them towards me, beginning me to let him out. If only he knew the monster he was doomed to become. The human inside me knew that he needed to be saved, but the money-driven rare animal trader inside drooled at the idea of how much a Human Spider would be worth in the market. I sighed and smiled, patted the old curator on the back and said, "I'd love to stay and observe the demonstration." Russell's eyes teared up as he watched what he thought was a sensible human being turn into an idle observer of his impending transformation.

We walked away, back into the torture wing of the museum and it was now filled with more lay tourists. As the tourists noticed the curator was present, they welcomed him with cheers and applause. He politely excused himself from me and like a celebrity he was welcomed into the crowd with pats and handshakes. They were in love with him. Two white elderly women, with rosaries around their necks, begged him to be part of his experiments. He quickly yanked the rosaries from their necks and stood coldly in front of them, offended. The crowd was silenced. The women turned towards each other and started to giggle which later broke out into laughter. They fell onto their knees and began to undress themselves, still giddy and laughing. The curator reached into one of his displays and took out an antique knife. He held it above his head and rotated in place to be sure the audience could see what he had chosen. The women excitedly stretched out their throats, almost eager for the legend to slash their necks, as if it was an autograph. They still giggled while gurgling on their blood after receiving his autograph. As the gurgling and the sound of naked flesh slapping the cold tiles of their jerking arms subsided, the crowd erupted in cheer and elation.

title: The Human Spider - a dreamer's account

question: What kind of man is the narrator?

answer:
By occupation, the man is an illegal trader (underground market) of exotic and magical animals (gnomes). This implies a degree of immorality in his values as he is willing to break the law and exploit living things.

While his refusal to save Russell can also be interpreted as self-preservation (the situation had not granted him any foreseeable course of action to take if he did want to save Russell), his inner thoughts conveyed that he wanted the experiment, and also that he took pride in his illegal job.

question: What does the title, "The Human Spider - a dreamer's account" have to do with the story?

answer:
No context was given as to what a 'dreamer's account' has to do with the story -other than to imply a pretext that the entire narrative is a sequence in a dream.

As for "The Human Spider", this refers to the eventual fate that Russell Brand would have in the story -though it was mentioned, Russell has yet to actually become a human spider.

question: What kind of person is the Curator?

answer: The curator is an old Arab man who appears to have expertise in human and animal surgery, as well as in undocumented techniques. He is popular among the visitors of the museum/lab and seems to hold a cult-like following among his fans who are more than willing to die for whatever purpose he needs. As a human, he appears to not have any concerns about morals with regards to his experiments or with handling his fans.

question: Why was Russell Brand kidnapped?

answer: Initially, the kidnappers seemed to have a religious motive for taking Russell as their message called him an infidel. Though it would be eventually be revealed that he will be used as a target of the human spider experiment. There are not details given if Brand was specifically chosen for this, though that seems to be implied.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator deals in the acquisition and trade of rare and magical creatures in an underground market. While selling a 5-trunked small elephant to the Kardashians, he becomes involved in tracking down Russell Brand who was kidnapped by what appears to be a group of religious extremists. This leads him to a strange museum where an old Arab man experiments with human subjects. There he finds Russell, who will be turned into a human spider; the narrator chooses not to save Russell, as the narrator would prefer to see the demonstration instead.


text:
Many people have trouble expressing themselves when it comes to love. It's not an easy word or collection of feelings to describe. Humanity has written about love since our species has been writing; that's a fact. Don't look it up, just know that I am right. From poets to playwrights to novelists to screenwriters we have been striving to truly explain this incredible phenomenon, this singularly dynamic human experience.

I am, however, writing to tell you: You can finally stop. It's been broken down into four very concise notes and followed-up by the most romantic of poetry: free verse in a way that is elegant, potent, timeless and everlasting. The fact is there is nothing more to say about it. It can't be said better. It's over.

Get used to these notes, for any time a young lover woos: you will hear these words.
Any time that lover meets the parents, gam-gams and other relations of their beloved at a family dinner table for the first time: you will hear these words.

Any time these lovers sneak upstairs to a bedroom and close their door and begin necking, heavy petting, fellating, or fornicating while you put a cup to the door and your ear on that cup: you will hear these words.

Any time these lovers stop at a parking lot of an abortion clinic and they vow to support the other and their decision, and they choose this moment to reaffirm their feelings for one another while you're hanging out with a hyper-cardiod microphone and a pair of headphones in the back of your van: you will hear these words.

When these lovers elope and exchange their vows to each other in a discreet office at city hall while you try to find a way in through the building's ventilation shafts: you won't hear these words, but they will be spoken.

When these lovers go through with their pregnancy and a new beautiful life enters this world screaming while you stand by pretending to be a doctor with your face hidden by a hygienic mask filming the whole thing on an HD camcorder, they will look at one another and say these words.

When that baby looks at you with big blue eyes and speaks for the first time while its parents are with the police desperately looking for their child three states away: you will hear these words.

When the law inevitably catches up with you after you've raised the child as your own for half a year and they ask you "Why? Why did you do this?", you will speak these words:

1) Love is a precious resource.

Your love is so precious,
like tantalum metal.
It's worth the extinction
of all the great apes.

2) Love can be frightening.

Your love, it did strike,
Like two planes hit two towers,
And I fell for your love,
And so did those towers.

3) Love isn't necessary, but it makes the world a better place.

You made my world warmer,
Like exhaust from a truck.
You polluted my heart
With your flammable love.

4) Life without love is hopeless.

You melt my heart, baby,
Like the polar ice caps.
I need you more
Than a drowning polar bear needs an ice platform.

And that about sums it up. I'd like to thank the anonymous author, as well as all those who made attempts before, however infantile those attempts may seem now. Artists like Shakespeare, Oprah, Jesus, Elvis... You know the rest. And of course, thank you, the reader.

In the immortal words of CCR, "Keep on chooglin'."

title: [RO] Notes On Love

question: What mode is the piece written in?

answer: The writing is satire. We can tell it is satire because the author creates ever more ridiculous scenarios surrounding a hypothetical pair of lovers at the beginning, culminating in a future reality where the reader steals a child. Then we read the writer's poetry, which is deliberately bad. The writer also pokes fun at themself and others who write about love by saying that nothing better than these poems can be written.

question: What imagery do the poems use?

answer: The satirical poems use imagery from contemporary politics. One of the poems refers to 9/11. The others refer to environmental issues, such as the extinction of great apes for tantalum metal, and global warming from greenhouse gas emissions.


text:
SLINGSHOT is a water purification device created by inventor Dean Kamen.[1] Powered by a Stirling engine running on a combustible fuel source, it claims to be able to produce drinking water from almost any source[2] by means of vapor compression distillation[3], requires no filters, and can operate using cow dung as fuel.

The name of the machine is a reference to the slingshot used by David to defeat Goliath.[4]

Technical characteristics

In his TEDMED 2010 presentation, Kamen announced several goals for and characteristics of the machine:[5]

-   five years of operation without overhaul or maintenance
-   use less than a kilowatt of power (lower than the power consumption of a microwave oven)
-   generate 1000 litres of pure water/day, enough for 100 people for hygiene and cooking
-   meets the U.S. pharmacopoeic standard for water for injections
-   requires no pre-treatment, pipelines, engineers, consumables (osmosis membranes, charcoal, etc.), or installation permits

History

Kamen came to develop the device on the basis of statistics that showed lack of access to clean water as a public health crisis. Statistics from the World Health Organization show that there are 900 million people worldwide without a readily available supply of drinking water and that some 3.5 million people die annually because of diseases resulting from the consumption of unsanitary water. Despite the fact that over two-thirds of the Earth's surface is covered with water, only 1% of it is potable.[6]

Kamen sought to develop a technology that would transform the 97% of water that is undrinkable into water that can be used and consumed on the spot, readily and inexpensively. The device takes contaminated water and runs it through a vapor compression distiller that produces clean water, producing 250 gallons daily (~946 litres), enough for 100 people. The test devices have been used with “anything that looks wet”, including polluted river water, saline ocean water and raw sewage.[7] In a demonstration at a technology conference in October 2004, Kamen ran his own urine through the machine and drank the clean water that came out.[8]

Kamen built two machines — a power generator that would output one kilowatt from “anything that burns”, and the water distiller, which uses the electricity. In 2005, the power generator was tested for six months in a village in Bangladesh and generated enough electricity to light 70 energy-efficient light bulbs. The hand-made prototype cost each. [9]

By the end of 2005, a team of 200 at DEKA had produced 30 units, each the size of a compact refrigerator.[10] A pair of Slingshot devices ran successfully for a month in a village in Honduras during the summer of 2006. While the initial devices cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, Kamen hopes that increased economies of scale will allow production machines to be made available for $2,000 each.[11]

In 2008, Kamen demonstrated the device on The Colbert Report.[12]

In his TEDMED 2010 presentation, Kamen lamented throughout that when he asked for “a few million dollars” over a few months, no large global health organizations supported the development. Later in the presentation, he announced a partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.[13]

In 2011, field tests of Slingshot in five towns in Ghana proved their effectiveness and durability.[14]

In October 2012, Kamen and Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent announced at the Clinton Global Initiative that in collaboration with DEKA Research, Africare and Inter-American Development Bank, they will start bringing the Slingshot to rural parts of Latin America and Africa. The first initiative will be testing the Slingshot technology in health centers and schools in remote communities in Latin America in 2013.

Proposed development

Kamen hopes to send thousands of the units with local village entrepreneurs, in much the same way independent cell phone businesses have thrived and gradually changed the face of many impoverished areas around the globe. Future target price for the device is in the $1,000 to $2,000 range.[15]

As of 2020, the product does not seem to be in commercial production or wide use. The systems appear to be distributed in partnership with Coca-Cola as a component of EKOCENTER kiosks, of which over 150 have been deployed worldwide.[16]

[1] Ulanoff, Lance. “Dean Kamen Honored by Popular Mechanics”, _PC Magazine_, October 9, 2009. Accessed October 20, 2009.

[2] Malnson, Donald. “Dean Kamen aims to clean water, generate electricity with Slingshot machine”, Engadget, April 23, 2008. Accessed October 20, 2009.

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6] Bergeron, Ryan. “Segway inventor takes aim at thirst with Slingshot”, _CNN_, September 11, 2009. Accessed October 18, 2009.

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15] Dean Kamen Unveils Slingshot, The Ultimate Water Regenerator, Impact Lab, April 22, 2008.

[16]

title: Slingshot (water vapor distillation system)

question: What does the text say about Slingshot?

answer: The slingshot is a water purification device. It was invented by Dean Kamen. It is powered by a Stirling engine, requires no filters, and can operate using cow dung as fuel. The name is in reference to David defeating Goliath with a slingshot.

question: What does the text say about Kamen?

answer: Dean Kamen is the inventor of Slingshot. It is a water purification device powered by cow dung fuel. Kamen had this idea because of the lack of access to clean water.

question: What does the text say about the history of Slingshot?

answer: Slingshot was developed as a solution to the public health crisis of not having enough access to clean water. Kamen sought to develop technology that would transform 97% of undrinkable water to consumable that is both efficient and inexpensive. By the end of 2005, a total of 30 units had been produced and ran successfully in a village in Honduras by 2006.

question: What does the text say about the structure of Slingshot?

answer: Slingshot is powered by a Stirling engine running on a combustible fuel source. It is as compact as a small refrigerator.


text:
It was the one argument I was glad we had. It wasn't the first time we pissed each off to the point we decided 'to hell with this' and walked away, but it was the most significant, meaningful, and most important thing that ever happened to us.

You told me you went to stay with your mother in Lansing. You said you needed time to think and breath and be free.

I stumbled down the hallway to our apartment. That shit-hole on Kepler down the block from the Safeway. I still had the bloody lip from where your engagement ring hit me, and though I was trying, Lord was I trying to stay vertical at that point... regardless I tipped sideways for a bit and dragged my face along the taupe colored wall leaving a watercolor paint trail behind as I shuffled one foot over cheap hotel-quality carpet after another.

I still had the black eye from where the doorknob tried to mug me when you called back down to “talk.”

It still strikes me as odd that your version of talking mostly ends in me crying with a raging headache, a few days disappearing off my calendar, and the milk in our fridge going bad.

Yeah. It was one of those fights.

You said you found someone else. The wedding was off. Again. You sold my ring to by tickets to someplace 'nice'. Again. Some stupid dirt covered island where they put umbrellas in the drinks with the same frequency frat boys put GHB. You wanted to be 'free', but other than that one time when you asked me to, I don't ever recall tying you down.

You put me in 'that' mood again. The one where I grow stones the size of Mount Rushmore, pick a fight in a dive bar, spend the night in jail, and only get to hear about it in stories from people I am embarrassed to call friends. I could make a necklace out of the fragments of my teeth scraped up in dingy dust pans around the booze halls. Oh how I lament losing you! Again. Oh, the promises I spew:

I will never let you hurt me like this. Again.
I will never hurt you like this. Again.
I will never let you leave me. Again.
I will always curse your name. Again.
I will always wish you a fiery death. Again.
I will always track down your much cuter roommate from that time you lived on Declark. Again.
I will never take you back. Again.
I will always cry myself to sleep. Again.
I will never feel feelings. Again.
I will drool as I scratch myself inappropriately in our flat. Again.
I will never go ring shopping. Again.
I will always remember your ring size. Again.
I will never buy a ring that expensive. Again.
I will always remember the criticisms about the last ring I bought you, the day after I gave it to you. All over again.
I will never love you. Again.
I will always love you. Again.

First, I forgot what day it was.
Second, I forgot what week it was.
Third, I forgot your name.
Forth, I remembered how stupid I was.
Fifth, I pleaded in the darkness of our apartment, in the direction of your side of the twin bed with the uncomfortable hospital sheets.
Seventh, I forgot how to count.
Twelfth, I remembered how. And I remembered that I loved you. Too much for it to be any good to either of us.

It was the fight to end all fights, all over again. I mean it was all over, yet again.

Oh God why was it all over again? Why me? Why now? Why not me? Why not now? Fuck you and your white robes and bullshit halos. If you want a piece of me come down out of your damn cloud castle, say fee fie foe fum, and beat me with your hand that can make mountains high and valleys low. You created the world in six days, and on the seventh you planned out how to fuck my life over and over again every chance you got. But you can fucking touch me now, can you? You are just as scared to come down to her level as I was you feckless sack of worms.

And moments away from my worst, when I could feel the blood in my mouth starting to congeal and leave that dry sponge feeling on my tongue, with that copper after-taste, she showed up at my door. She picked the pieces of glass out of my arm and feet. She mopped up all the blood, took me to the hospital and admitted me (or to me) that she was my wife-to-be all over again and that she had very important news to tell me.

Six days later I got out of the hospital.

This time, she said, was going to be different. This time. Not like last time when she said 'this time', but this time, when she said 'this time', it was going to all be different.

This was the one argument I was glad we had. Forget that one that ended in tears over that stupid fucking waffle. This was the one mistake she made that made her fallible, but oh God what am I saying. This was not a mistake. This was the single most significant part of my life. From the ashes arose a phoenix wreathed in majestic flame, that took, no. Still takes my breath away.

From this moment, born from the intense jealousy, malevolence, contempt, seething rage and passion of everything we did wrong, came something right.

This was the one argument I was glad we had.

This was how I lost my wife-to-be for a few months I don't really remember; but how I gained my daughter that I would never dream of forgetting.

Paternity test? Fuck you.

She is my daughter. She is my salvation. She is my soul. She is, no matter what happens in my life, whatever else I accomplish, what ever else I amount to, the most important thing that has ever, and will ever happen to me.

She is my daughter.

She is my Lillian.

title: Lillian Christina Harinn

question: What does the story say about the narrator's relationship with their wife-to-be?

answer: It is an abusive relationship. The two of them get into frequent arguments. The wife-to-be physically assaults the protagonist, for example hitting him with her engagement ring and slamming the doorknob in his eye. He keeps coming back to her, despite the abuse.

question: Summarize the character's arc over the course of the story.

answer: He begins as a victim of abuse, continually coming back to his wife-to-be despite the fact that she physically assaults him. At the end of the story, he manages to call off his engagement once and for all and gets custody of his newborn daughter.

question: What does the story say about the early days of the narrator's relationship?


text:
Beaten and broken, the man walked through the desert, without meaning, without purpose. He seemed, lost, confused, demented beyond repair. Surrounded by a shroud of emptiness, his whole world had been shattered, everything he knew consumed by the vile darkness that had somehow found its way to his planet.

He didn't know how long ago it had happened, the destruction of his world. It felt like mere moments ago in his mind, but the few pieces of sanity remaining within him reminded him that it could have been years for all he knew. With his sense of purpose gone, so was his sense of time.

The images were fresh in his mind, reliving the devastation time and time again. The thick darkness that over shadowed the world, a darkness so deep that even the 2 suns revolving around the planet could pierce. And from the darkness, the creatures that had descended upon them....fierce, mindless, fearless, countless hordes of vile abominations destroying anything in sight.

One such creature happened upon the mans family. The man, while powerful, was no match for the dark. The last image that his sanity allows him is fending off the creature....then a darkness, the taste of blood in his mouth....the cries of panic and dismembering of his family from the fiendish monster.

And the blood...everywhere blood....the screams....and then nothing.....

He then awoke in the strange place on his world that he wanders to this day and has wandered ever since that day. Where everything that he held dear....his meaning, his purpose was decimated by the nothingness.

Everyday was the same to him. He had not felt the mortal desires in the years or days or minutes it had been since that first day. He had not felt hunger, nor thirst or anything else resembling humanity. Nothing allowed him the peace of death, although something inside him seemed to tell him that on his world, there would be no peace in death.

Nor, oddly enough, he had not felt the pangs of loss that most people would have associated with losing absolutely everything. The man, wandering hopelessly, had no where to go, and had no idea why he was going there. Everyday was the same to him.

Everyday was the same, he felt nothing...everyday...save for today.

This day, unknown minutes, seconds, moments later, pain beset the man. Today, he felt as if he had not eaten in years, his stomach ached for nourishment, his throat felt dry and gasped for relief. His legs, after regaining feeling, could not carry the man through his wanderings any longer, gave way, causing the man to fall to the earth. Worst yet, as if to ail him further, his soul began to weigh him down, and he felt the cries and pain of an entire world besiege his being, as if the pain of the world cried from within him. His body filled with remorse for the untold millions of deaths that he felt, as non existent tears filled his eyes. His body could not produce any. His heart mourned for the souls lost within the dark purgatory that destroyed his home.

"I can make all your pain go away, mortal. Wash your desires and pain away, with but a nod of your head and your request, the anguish will be purged from your body...."

Startled by the forbodeing* voice, the mand tried to life his grief stricken head to confirm its source, but could not. Instead, he tried to ask with a dry mouth " Who...who is....this? What is....happening?" But nothing came to from his efforts.

"Think of me as your savior, the only one that can save you from the endless years of torment, knowing no peace without me, and knowing no light with me...."

The man barely understood what the voice was saying, other than that he wanted, no, needed, the pain to subside, and it seemed this was his only way out. To stop the pain, stop the greiving, stop feeling again....

And so, our champion tiredly lifted his head, looked dejectedly into the darkness surronding him, not at all realizing he no longer seemed to be on his own broken world, but instead what seemed to be nothingness. The man quietly whispered with heavy heart, his body beaten and broken " Take...the pain...away... I beg of y-you...."

He could feel the darkness pulse with a sense of satisfaction at his response while he waited for what would happen next. The man felt a dark hand reach deep within himself that started to pick away at his soul..... stripping away his memories, feeling them being plucked from his mind one at a time. His friends...his family...his children....everything, being purged from his mind, quite painfuly. He felt his very being being taken from his body, making him less and less human every second that went by since his response.

At the same time, during this painful transition, he felt a sense of reliefe, serinity of you will, of the greif being lifted up and out of his body, the cries of the millions being deafend just an iota at a time...his desire for food, sleep, water also being removed from his body. After who knows how long, the man allowed a brief smile to spread across his face....

...only for that smile to curl into a scowl of disatisfaction at the burning sensation began filling his body. His veins seemed to fill with knives flowing through his blood stream, cuting everything vein and nerve along the way. What felt like liquid fire filled his mind as it purged the final pieces of his memories from his being. He felt as if he could rip is own flesh off from his body just to relieve the pressure.

But no such relief came to the man. His mouth felt a thirst ten times than that felt mere seconds ago, his hunger grew in such a manner that he felt as if his stomach would eat its way out of him just to fill itself.

And even if that wasn't enough for the pain stricken man. He felt and grief and sorrow of the millions of deaths of his home decend upon him, as if all the creatures of this world were somehow bound to him and were slowly, just as his memory was, being ripped from his body one by one, each one more painful than the last.

As the pain worsened, silent screams of anguish began to escape his lips, the dark essence coursing throughout him, rapeing him from within of his humanity. A grim realization came over the man as he had realized what he had done.

The tranistion, or, mutation rather, reached a painful climax, tearing into the man like a tempest of a thousand hells, ripping his soul asunder, pulling his flesh from his bones. As the final portion of the transformation began, the man was allowed to see who he had aggreed to save save him, and upon gazing into the darkness at the face of the purgatory he was in, the man was filled with utter horror.

"There is no turning back now my child....you are now apart of my darkness. My. Nothing."

And with that, a final surge of dark essence filled the man with a burning, emptyness greater than all the rest. With his final ounce of humanity, the man bellowed forth a blood letting scream, to the fill the ears of no one....and as the scream echoed through the darkness and faded away, the broken and beaten world was left in silence, devoid of all life, with no one left to wander its wastelands any longer......

title: End of a Life

question: What does the story say about the narrator?

answer: The narrator is the last survivor of an invasion that destroys everyone on his entire planet. He starts roaming the world devoid of feeling. He loses his sense of time. One day the pain he didn't feel for a long time, the thirst, and hunger all come back. A voice of unknown origin offers to take the pain away, and he agrees out of desperation. However, the entity that talks to him lie to him and all the pain and agony subside for only a moment before coming back much stronger. He realizes too late that the voice of nothingness deceived him.

question: What commentary does the story offer about Faustian bargains?


text:
[HuffPost] [HuffPost]

In A Historic First, The Rainbow Flag Will Be Flown Permanently On Federal Land

History will be made at Stonewall once again.

The inn, which is located in New York’s Greenwich Village, was the site ofthe June 28, 1969 riots which are considered the symbolic start of the modern day gay rights movement. In 2016, former President Barack Obama designated the inn, an adjacent park and its environs as the country’s first national monument to LGBTQ rights. With this designation, the 7.7-acre area became federally protected to ensure its preservation for future generations.

So it’s only fitting that the Stonewall National Monument will soon become the home of the first rainbow flag to be permanently placed on federal land and maintained by the National Park Service. The flag will replace the New York state flag on a nautical flagpole outside Stonewall and be raised in a dedication ceremony Oct. 11, which is also designated as National Coming Out Day.

[In 2016, former President Barack Obama designed the Stonewall Inn and its environs as the country’s first national]
Activist Michael Petrelis, who spearheaded the effort, said in a Thursday statement that the news was bittersweet given that many in the LGBTQ community are concerned for their future under President Donald Trump, who ran on an explicitly anti-queer platform.

“It is a victory for our community to have these symbolic colors flying majestically over our Stonewall, designated as a National Monument by President Obama, even as our LGBTQ brothers and sisters are under attack by the current regime in power,” he said.

Oct. 11 also marks the 30th anniversary of the March on Washington for LGBT Rights, as well as the first time the AIDS Memorial Quilt was displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The significance of the date wasn’t lost on Petrelis, who likened Trump’s stance on LGBTQ issues to that of former President Ronald Reagan, who didn’t publicly acknowledge the AIDS crisis until 1987. By that point, more than 20,000 Americans had diedfrom HIV/AIDS-related causes.

[“It is a victory for our community to have these symbolic colors flying majestically over our Stonewall... even as our ]
“As we gather today, we are reminded of another Oct. 11, 30 years ago,” he added, “when the names of fallen comrades were symbolically celebrated on another national monument ― the AIDS Quilt ― during the reign of another president who waged an attack against us.”

Another LGBTQ rights activist, Ken Kidd, told Newsweek that he was surprised plans for the flag display got approved under the Trump administration.

“Our rainbow colors flying in tandem with the stars and stripes is a source of inspiration, a recognition of equality, a recognition of a struggle for equality,” he said, “that is not over by any stretch of imagination.”

_For more ways to combat bigotry,_ _check out the Queer Voices newsletter._

Calling all HuffPost superfans!

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

[HuffPost]

BEFORE YOU GO

PHOTO GALLERY

LGBTQ History

question: Summarize everything related to Michael Petrelis.

answer: Michael Petrelis is a gay rights activist who spearheaded the effort to replace the New York state flag outside Stonewal with the rainbow flag. He called the achievement bittersweet, due to the persecution of the LGBTQ community by President Trump. He compared Trump's stance on LGBT rights to that of Ronald Reagan and recalled a previous October 11 ceremony where fallen members of the community were honored with the AIDS quilt.

question: What is HuffPost's stance on the LGBTQ community?

answer: HuffPost seems to support the LGBTQ community.


text:
[Reasons to Add Riviera Nayarit to Your Travel Bucket List]

If you have been compiling your own travel bucket list, here is another Pacific coast destination to add. Once an under-the-radar location, Riviera Nayarit is becoming more popular and widely known by travelers looking for a relaxing Mexican getaway. There are a variety of activities to keep tourists as busy as they would like to be. And with such a laid-back atmosphere, vacationing in the area can help even high-strung travelers to mellow out and enjoy everything that this Mexican gem has to offer. Take a look at the following 10 reasons to make sure you vacation in Riviera Nayarit in the near future:

1.  PRISTINE BEACHES – With soft sand and azure waters, the alluring beaches around Riviera Nayarit set the perfect scene for rest and relaxation. Lounge around under a palapa in the sand, swing in a hammock or jump into the surf to cool off.
2.  ADVENTURE AWAITS – Jungle-covered mountains encompass the area beaches to create magnificent vistas within nature. If you want to get your adrenaline pumping in the great outdoors, set out on a thrilling ATV tour or zipline through the trees on a canopy tour.
3.  PLENTIFUL WATERSPORTS – The splendid waters of Banderas Bay and surrounding Pacific Ocean that lap up on the coastline of Riviera Nayarit are filled with incredible biodiversity, which makes the area a popular spot for snorkeling and scuba diving. Boating opportunities, from sport fishing to sailing, allow you to get out on the water and have a blast. There are also several renowned surf breaks for those who want to catch some waves.
4.  SCRUMPTIOUS DINING – Whether you are trying out a top-rated gourmet restaurant or a local seafood shack or taco truck, you can look forward to delicious food at every meal because the food in this region is phenomenal!
5.  FASCINATING CULTURE – You will notice vibrant artwork and handicrafts at every turn in Riviera Nayarit, where local indigenous peoples such as the Huichols honor and cherish their rich cultural heritage. From handmade stuffed animals to intricate string art, you will be finding reasons to take it home with you!
6.  SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP! – The area is filled with shopping opportunities ranging from authentic Mexican markets where you can practice your bargaining skills, to upscale boutiques selling fine jewelry, clothing, artwork and decor.
7.  WELCOMING HOSPITALITY – The people of Mexico are known as some of the friendliest folks in the world, and those who reside in Riviera Nayarit are especially so. Whether you want to know more about the local history or just need directions while walking around town, you will find plenty of friendly faces who will be glad to help.
8.  WORLD-CLASS SPAS – If your travels typically involve some indulgent spa treatments, you will be pleased to discover incredible spas with talented therapists awaiting your arrival to make you feel delightfully pampered.
9.  LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS IN RIVIERA NAYARIT- Discerning travelers enjoy staying in Riviera Nayarit because the area offers chic hotels and resorts that provide unforgettable stays in the lap of luxury. The area’s all-inclusive resorts are a great choice for families.
10. GOLF LOVER’S DREAM – Travelers who enjoy a few rounds of golf while on vacation will definitely be in the right place, as there are several breathtaking courses that boast incredible views and fun challenges.

Check out other blog posts:

HOW TO PLAN THE BEST VACATION

4 TRAVEL DISCOUNTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT

[]

Back To Top

question: Describe some of the reasons that would make someone want to vacation in Riviera Nayarit.

answer: Some of the reasons that one should vacation at Riviera Nayarit is because it has pristine beaches that set the perfect scene for rest and relaxation. Additionally, there are plentiful watersports, ranging from boating opportunities to sports fishing to even surfing. The dining there is amazing and there are many food options from gourmet restaurants to food trucks. And last but not least, the culture is fascinating there and something that everyone can enjoy and appreciate.

question: Would baseball players enjoy coming to this vacation spot as much as golf players would?


text:
The Good News Club is a weekly program targeting elementary school children, because Christians love to indoctrinate kids before they start asking critical questions. (If you haven’t read it yet, check out KATHERINE STEWART‘s fantastic book about the organization.)

When a GNC began at Fairbanks Road Elementary School in New York, Monroe County residents DAN COURTNEY, BILL COURTNEY, and KEVIN DAVIS weren’t sure how to respond. It wasn’t illegal for the group to be there, but they wanted an alternative for parents like them who preferred more skeptical fare for their kids.

So they began a group of their own and it’s launching next week.

[mzt8cMo]
Young Skeptics (sponsored by the tongue-in-cheek “Better News Club, Inc.”) will cater to non-religious parents:

  The Better News Club and Young Skeptics operate in stark opposition to the Good News Club’s philosophy, understanding IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO MAKE BELIEF DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES, RATHER THAN ACCEPT CLAIMS PRESENTED TO THEM WITHOUT THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT THOSE CLAIMS. In Young Skeptics sessions, children are encouraged to ask questions, make discoveries, and challenge the ideas presented to them.

  Young Skeptics is not on a mission to challenge the religious views of children attending the group. Instead, OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH AN ALTERNATIVE, AND SCIENTIFICALLY BASED, VIEW OF THE NATURAL WORLD AROUND THEM.

This group is essentially a carbon copy of the GNC, minus the nonsense. It’s open to all elementary-school-aged children, parents can attend meetings, and signed permission slips are necessary.

The biggest question I have is whether Christians will flip out over it or accept it as an alternative option.

For what it’s worth, I had a negative reaction to this group the first time I heard about it, because I didn’t like the idea of atheists doing what Christians had done in this regard. I’m very hesitant about forming atheist groups at elementary schools.

What puts me at ease here, though, is that it functions like Camp Quest: Sure, it aimed at children of atheist parents, but it’s not limited to them. And at no point is the group pushing atheism on these kids. They’re simply inviting questions and teaching critical thinking skills. And if your faith can’t handle that, it’s your problem.

question: Whom does the Good News Club target?

answer: Children.

question: What is their aim?

answer: Indoctrinating kids with Christianity.

question: What is the oppositional club?

answer: The Better News Club and Young Skeptics.

question: What are rules and processes of both groups?

answer: They are open to all elementary-school-aged children, parents can attend meetings, and signed permission slips are necessary.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The Good News Club seeks to indoctrinate susceptible young children with Christianity, whereas the oppositional club, the Better News Club and Young Skeptics, has the goal of providing children with an alternative and science-based perspective on the natural world around them. Both groups do have some things in common- they are open to all elementary-school-aged children, parents can attend meetings, and signed permission slips are necessary. The author believes the latter, which they possibly helped found, doesn't push an atheist agenda on kids and their parents. The author implies that the Christian one does.


text:
KOSOKO (died 1872) was a member of the Ologun Kutere Lagos Royal Family who reigned as Oba of Lagos from 1845 to 1851. His father was Oba Osinlokun and his siblings were Idewu Ojulari (who was Oba from 1829 to 1834/35), Olufunmi, Odunsi, Ladega, Ogunbambi, Akinsanya, Ogunjobi, Akimosa, Ibiyemi, Adebajo, Matimoju, Adeniyi, Isiyemi, Igbalu, Oresanya, and Idewu-Ojulari.[1]

Ascendancy

Kosoko's ascendancy to the Obaship of Lagos in 1845 was predated by a series of dramatic events.

Rift between the Osinlokun and Adele lines

When Oba Ologun Kutere died (between 1800 and 1805), a succession struggle ensued between his older son (Osinlokun) and his younger and preferred son (Adele). Though the kingship was not determined by birth order but by Kingmakers and a consultation of the Ifa Oracle, Osinlokun and his followers mounted opposition to Adele's kingship.[2] Adele's reign was then cut short in 1819 by his older brother, Osinlokun, around 1819, forcing Adele to exile to Badagry where he assumed headship of the town.

Genesis of Kosoko's feud with Eletu Odibo

Kosoko offended the powerful prime minister (Eletu Odibo)and Kingmaker by marrying a woman betrothed to Chief Eletu Odibo.[3] Eletu Odibo, as head of the Akarigbere class of chiefs, was vested with the authority to oversee the selection and installation of obas. Kosoko's arrogant decision would come to haunt his bid for the throne as Chief Eletu Odibo took great offense and the feud between both men altered the Obaship succession many times and set the stage for British intervention in Lagos later in 1851.[4]

Osinlokun's death, Idewu Ojulari's short term, and manifestation of the Eletu and Kosoko feud

When Osinlokun died in 1819, Kosoko's brother, Idewu Ojulari, became Oba and reigned from 1819 to around 1834/5. However, Idewu Ojulari's reign was unpopular and at the behest of the Oba of Benin, to whom the people of Lagos had petitioned, Idewu Ojulari committed suicide. Notably, Lagos had hitherto been under Benin suzerainty up until the reign of Oba Kosoko who was dethroned by British forces in 1851. Thereafter, Oba Akitoye and his successor, Oba Dosunmu, rebuffed payment of annual tributes to Benin.[5][6]

Since Kosoko was now unacceptable to Eletu Odibo, the Kingmakers invited Adele home from Badagry to rule as Oba of Lagos for a second term. Oba Adele's second reign terminated upon his death in 1837 and again, Eletu Odibo blocked Kosoko's accession and installed Oluwole, Adele's son.

Increased strife between Kosoko and Eletu Odibo's allies

The intensity of the Eletu Odibo and Kosoko feud increased with Eletu Odibo extending his vendetta to Opo Olu, Kosoko's sister, accusing her of witchcraft.[7] The diviners found Opo Olu innocent however Oba Oluwole banished Opo Olu from Lagos, leading Kosoko and his followers to pursue a failed armed uprising known as Ogun Ewe Koko (“leaves of the coco-yam war”) which resulted in Kosoko and his followers fleeing to Epe.[8]

Eletu Odibo then ratcheted up the hatred between both camps by digging up Kosoko's mother's remains and throwing her corpse into the Lagos lagoon.[9]

Oba Oluwole's death and Akitoye's ascendancy

Oba Oluwole was killed in 1841 when lightning triggered an explosion at the Oba's place. Oluwole's body was blown to pieces and could only be identified by his royal beads adorning his body. Kingmakers would have invited Kosoko to become Oba but his whereabouts were unknown.[10][11] Consequently, Akitoye, Kosoko's uncle, younger brother to Osinlokun & Adele, and son of Ologun Kutere was installed as Oba of Lagos.

Akitoye's naivety and Kosoko's revenge

In an attempt at reconciliation (met with fierce resistance from chiefs, not least Eletu Odibo) with his nephew, Oba Akitoye naively recalled Kosoko to Lagos. Kosoko returned to Lagos aboard the ship of the famous slave trader Jose Domingo Martinez. Akitoye tried to placate Kosoko with gifts and granted him the title Oloja of Ereko or owner of Ereko. Kosoko quickly consolidated his position and found support among many war chiefs and among the Muslim community. Eletu Odibo was concerned with Kosoko's power consolidation and departed for Badagry. In turn, Akitoye recalled Eletu Odibo from Badagry, leading Kosoko to declare that if Eletu Odibo returned to Lagos, he would “make himself king”.

A war of words ensued between Oba Akitoye and Kosoko sending his crier around Lagos singing “Tell that little child at court yonder to be careful; for if he is not careful he will be punished”. Akitoye deployed his crier singing “I am like a pin firmly driven into the ground, which is always hard to root out but ever remains firm”. Kosoko retorted “I am the digger who always roots out a pin”.[12]

The tensions led to an rising named Ogun Olomiro (Salt Water War) by the Kosoko faction in July 1845. The Kosoko faction laid siege to the Oba's Palace for three weeks. Akitoye eventually accepted defeat, escaped up the lagoon to the north, and was granted safe passage through the Agboyi Creek by Oshodi Tapa, Kosoko's war captain. Oshodi Tapa explained Akitoye's escape to Kosoko by saying that Akitoye put his enemies in a trance. Akitoye thereafter arrived in Abeokuta where he was granted asylum.[13] Recognizing Akitoye's escape as a threat, Kosoko demanded Akitoye's head from the Egbas who refused Kosoko's demands. In March 1845, the Egbas provided the now deposed Akitoye with an escort to Badagry, the traditional town of refuge for Lagosians where he rallied his followers and built a partnership with European missionaries and with the British through their Consul John Beecroft.

Importantly, Eletu Odibo was captured in the battle and Kosoko avenged the scattering of his mother's bones by the Eletu by placing Eletu Odibo in an empty oil barrel, sealing it, setting it alight, and dumping it in the Lagos Lagoon.[14][15][16]

British intervention in Lagos, Kosoko's removal and Akitoye's re-installation as Oba

A confluence of interests in Lagos from the now deposed Akitoye who allied himself with the anti-slavery cause in order to get British support, the Anglican missionaries in Badagry who were in contact with Akitoye, and Egba and European traders who wanted freer movement of goods ratcheted up British intervention in Lagos. Akitoye's anti-slavery position appears born of self-interest considering his connection with the well known slave trader Domingo Martinez who backed Akitoyes's unsuccessful attack on Lagos in 1846.

In November 1851 a British party met with Oba Kosoko to present a proposal of British friendly relations along with giving up the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. The proposal was rejected by Kosoko “on the technical reason that Lagos was under the Oba of Benin and that it was only that Oba who could deal with foreign powers concerning the status of Lagos”[17][18]

On 4 December 1851, upon Kosoko's successful repulsion and defeat of British forces, Consul Beecroft wrote to the Oba of Benin declaring that “Kosoko, by opening fire on a flag of truce, had declared war on England” and therefore had to be replaced by Akitoye. He threatened that Kosoko had till the end of the month to surrender otherwise “Lagos would be totally destroyed by fire”.[19]

On 26 December 1851, in what is now known as the Bombardment of Lagos or Reduction of Lagos, _HMS Bloodhound_, _HMS Teazer_, and a flotilla of boats mounted an attack on the Oba's palace. Kosoko put up a spirited defense but by 28 December 1851 the battle known locally as Ogun Ahoyaya or Ogun Agidingbi (after boiling cannons) was over with Kosoko and his followers fleeing to Ijebu. Akitoye was now installed Oba of Lagos with British support.

On 1 January 1852 Akitoye signed the Treaty between Great Britain and Lagos abolishing the slave trade.

Kosoko in exile at Epe

Kosoko eventually settled in Epe with the permission of the Awujale of Ijebu. Epe was the place where about 15 years earlier a number of his followers such as his chiefs Dada Antonio and Osho Akanbi had taken refuge. By 1852, Kosoko had built up an independent base with about 400 warriors (including Oshodi Tapa) to mount his opposition to Akitoye.

In 1853 Kosoko mounted two attacks on Lagos; one on 5 August 1853 and another on 11 August 1853 which came dangerously close to the Oba's palace but was rebuffed just in time by a burst of fire from the British naval force under Commander Phillips of HMS Polyphemus.

Kosoko eventually signed The Treaty of Epe on 28 September 1854 with Consul Benjamin Campbell, agreeing not to make any claims to Lagos or to endanger commerce in Lagos. The treaty was a tactical success for Kosoko who got the British to recognize his state in Epe. In the big picture, however, the Lagos throne remained out of reach with Akitoye and Dosunmu's descendants firmly rooted.

Kosoko's return to Lagos after Annexation as a Crown Colony in 1861

In 1860, Kosoko persuaded the Oba of Benin to send messages to Dosunmu pressing him to allow Kosoko's return to Lagos. Dosunmu, now under British authority, refused this request and noted that things were “not as in former times when Lagos was under the King of Benin to whom annually a tribute was paid” [20]

After Britain annexed Lagos via the Treaty of 1861, Kosoko was allowed to return to Lagos with the title of Oloja of Ereko, receiving a pension of £400 annually. Oshodi Tapa, settled in Epetedo.[21]

Death and legacy

Kosoko died in 1872 and was buried at Iga Ereko in Lagos.[22] The Kosoko-Akitoye/Dosunmu rivalry spilled over into the economic realm. Oba Dosunmu's supporters didn't fully appreciate the British presence in Lagos, while Kosoko's allies exploited the relationship. Kosoko's camp comprised men such as Oshodi Tapa and Taiwo Olowo, who enthusiastically entered into trade with European firms. At the head of the Dosunmu economic faction was Chief Apena Ajasa, who repeatedly clashed with Taiwo Olowo. When Kosoko died, the colonial government estimated that his economic faction was the more powerful one due to the fact that it was composed of at least 20,000 followers.[23]

Two prominent descendants of his are Omoba Jide Kosoko, a noted Nollywood actor and Adekunle Gold, an Afro-Pop Nigerian artist.

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title: Kosoko

question: How is Kosoko introduced in this article?

answer: He is introduced as a member of the Ologun Kutere Lagos Royal Family who reigned as Oba of Lagos.

question: In between who was there a succession struggle?

answer: There was a succession struggle between Osinlokun, the older son, and Adele, the younger and preferred son.

question: How did Kosoko offend the powerful prime minister, Eletu Odibo?

answer: Kosoko offended the powerful prime minister by marrying a woman betrothed to Chief Eletu Odibo.

question: Where did Kosoko serve his exile?

answer: He served his exile in Epe.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article, describes in detail, the life trials and tribulations of Kosoko and his journey to rein as Oba of Lagos.


text:
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP is an inactive township in Scotland County, in the U.S. state of Missouri.[1]

Jefferson Township was erected in 1844, taking its name from President Thomas Jefferson.[2]

[1]

[2]

title: Jefferson Township, Scotland County, Missouri

question: What is Jefferson Township?

answer: an inactive township in Scotland County, Missouri, US

question: When was Jefferson Township erected?

answer: 1844

question: Who was Jefferson Township named for?

answer: US President Thomas Jefferson

question: What state is Scotland County in?

answer: Missouri

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Jefferson Township is an inactive township in Scotland County, US, Missouri. It is named for President Thomas Jefferson.


text:
-   Home
-   LFC News

LIVERPOOL FC'S ANNUAL ACCOUNTS FOR 2011-12 SHOWS THEIR DEBT INCREASE TO £87.2M IN THE LATEST FIGURES FOR 2012 REVEALED TODAY.

[Ian Ayre, alongside the Chairman Tom Werner and John W Henry]

Ian Ayre, alongside the Chairman Tom Werner and John W Henry

The club announced their accounting figures covering the 10 months from August 1st 2011 to May 31st, as they intend to switch their accounting period from June.

These figures are the first released that solely cover Fenway's ownership of the club.  The previous figures included the changeover from Tom Hicks and George Gillett to FSG.

Overall for the period of August 2011 to May 2012, Liverpool

- MADE A PRE-TAX LOSS OF £40.5M (THIS WAS COMPARABLE TO THE £49.3M LOSS THEY MADE IN THE FULL 12 MONTHS PRIOR)

- SAW DEBT INCREASE BY £21.8M (NOW UP TO £87.2M FROM £65.4M A YEAR BEFORE)

- COSTS OF £9.5M RELATING TO MATTERS SUCH AS 'THE STADIUM PROJECT', PLAYER INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS AND 'GENERAL RESTRUCTURING' (WHICH PROBABLY RELATES TO COACHING STAFF PRIMARILY).

The period in question saw Liverpool win the League Cup and reach the FA Cup Final, although they were not in the Europa League that season.

LFC TRANSFERS BETWEEN THE PERIODS OF AUGUST 1ST 2011 AND MAY 31ST 2012 INCLUDE:

IN: Enrique (£8M), Coates (£4.9M)

OUT: Raul Meireles (£12M), David N'gog (£4M), Inusa (£3.7M), Mavinga (£1M), Konchesky (£1.5M), Ayala and Ince (combined £1M).

NET: approx £10M profit

However, the club purchases most players in installments so parts of the fees for Downing, Henderson and Adam are also covered in this period.

Liverpool also wrote off £40M on the value of the playing squad (down from £160M to £120M).

Media revenue was down slightly by £2.5m to £62.8M. Liverpool were not in the Europa League, however they did reach two cup finals.

TV money is expected to balloon by approximately £30M in the 2013-14 due to new domestic and oversees rights deal.

Match day revenue was only slightly down to £40.9M (from £42.3M). Ticket prices were slightly cheaper in the domestic cups than would have been the case in the Europa League.

Commercial revenue appeared stagnant compared with the year before. (£64M over 10 months, compared to £77.5M in the 12 months prior)

LFC indicated they have spent a further £38M since May 2012 on player purchases and more significantly contract extensions.

Staff wages remained broadly the same - by far Liverpool's largest expenditure - at around £2.5M a week.

Ian Ayre tried to dispel suggestions of problems in the running of the club.

  "We have money to pay out and money coming in, just like any business.

  "The difference in football is some of the swings are significant, so if you look at player trading, we may need to make investments as we do in the summer before our key revenues come in: big sponsorships cheques, big ticket revenues, all the media revenues etc."

  "Although we didn't play in a European competition, we had great success in both domestic competitions, which gave a boost to our revenue.

  "In addition, areas like our commercial partnerships continued to grow, despite a global recession."

  The club pointed out that the results were now quite old, and said matters had improved since last summer.

  "Off the pitch, we forged new partnerships with Warrior, Garuda and Chevrolet - the revenue from these contracts will show in the 2013-14 financial accounts; however, these partnerships continue to demonstrate the strength and reach of the LFC brand."

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

[]

question: What's the gist of Ian Ayre's opinion?

answer: The club's financial performance improved compared to the last summer despite not playing in the Europa League. There are new deals, which will be seen in the next year's financial reports.

question: Summarize the information about staff at LFC.

answer: Staff expenditure is their highest spending at £2.5M per week. The player installations and "general restructuring" payments are bundled with stadium expenses, which totals £9.5M. In the current financial year, LFC has a net profit of around £10M in outgoing and incoming players.

question: Why is the annual financial report cover only 10 months?

answer: Their accounting period is changing, so this one is will be 10 months.

question: How did Liverpool FC manage to stay close to the previous year's financial performance?

answer: Their performance in the domestic cups somewhat shored up the loss of not being in the Europa League.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Liverpool FC's annual accounts from August 1st, 2011 to May 31st, 2012 have been revealed. It shows the club's overall debt increased to £87.2M. Their financial standing was comparable to previous accounting periods, with slightly less income due to the club not being in Europa League. Staff wages at about £2.5M per week is the largest expense of the club.


text:
Historical anime are always a joy for me because they're generally just a little outside the standard of typical anime fare these days. They usually boast a strong setting and a sense of place and atmosphere that really build a strong foundation for a story, as opposed to typical high-school or battle-academy shows which. These type of series can be great, but can also be a dime a dozen and I think many fans of the Historical genre might feel the same way. So, to help you history fans out, here are 10 of the best series in the genre for you to enjoy!

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Final Thoughts

There's definitely a lot of series to choose from in this list and we know that everyone will find something to like. Be sure to share your thoughts and opinions, as well as any series or films you felt were worthy of making the cut in the comment section below. I hope you find a new series to enjoy, and thank you for reading!

[Hakuouki-wallpaper-673x500 Top 10 Historical Anime (Japanese Only) [Best Recommendations]]

Writer

__Author: _CJL_

Long Islander who loves anime. Interested in politics, philosophy and also a huge fan of sports and video games. Just about any series can get me going if it’s done well. From cute girls doing cute things shows, to gritty-action or space-opera or mecha series. Comment on my articles, let’s get a conversation going.

__Previous Articles

__TOP 5 ANIME by CJL

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[Hakuouki-wallpaper-673x500 Top 10 Historical Anime (Japanese Only) [Best Recommendations]]

[Hakuouki-wallpaper-673x500 Top 10 Historical Anime (Japanese Only) [Best Recommendations]]

[Hakuouki-wallpaper-673x500 Top 10 Historical Anime (Japanese Only) [Best Recommendations]]

[Hakuouki-wallpaper-673x500 Top 10 Historical Anime (Japanese Only) [Best Recommendations]]

[Hakuouki-wallpaper-673x500 Top 10 Historical Anime (Japanese Only) [Best Recommendations]]

[Hakuouki-wallpaper-673x500 Top 10 Historical Anime (Japanese Only) [Best Recommendations]]

question: Write a ~0 sentence summary.


text:
            My scalpel sliced neatly through, completing the first incision. As I gently lifted the flap of skin back, I admired the fragility and solidity of the skull. How could something so dull possibly reveal the beautiful secrets of the organ it housed? I stood aside as the secondary surgeon drilled through the skull. “Which hemisphere did you say I was supposed to remove?” I joked. One of the interns laughed too hard. Ass kisser.
            “The hemispherectomy went well enough,” I told the parents. “If all goes well, little Tyler should be able to walk and talk a little in about a week.” The look of joy on the parents’ faces should have warmed my heart. Any other surgeon would have succumbed and allowed themselves a grin. I know how I’m supposed to act, and so I feigned a smile, then turned and returned to my office.
            I reviewed the logs and tape from the surgery, before packing it up and handing it to an intern to give to the dean.
            As I drove home, I wondered if Noah had received the body. I thought back to when I first met Noah. The psycho had been at a bar, where I had only gone to have one drink before going home. He had started ranting about how he was going to burn the entire world down one day. The bartender then made the biggest mistake a bartender can make, and cut the poor bastard off. Noah then had started to bawl his eyes out, and started apologizing to thin air. Something about “why’d I help ‘em?”
            The bartender said he was going to call a taxi, but Noah had mumbled something about not having any cash. Before the bartender said anything else, I volunteered to take him home. That sentence seemed to aggravate Noah even more. “Fuck homes!” he had yelled. I asked him whether he had a place to stay. “Yeah, but that shithole’ll never be a fucking home” he growled. “Does this shithole have an address?” I remember saying.
            Over the course of the following week, Noah and I became closer. “So Doc,” he would say, “I got this fucking twinge in my neck, ya think ya could check it out?” I would gently remind his that I was a neurosurgeon.
            I discovered Noah’s “little secret” two weeks after the night in the bar. Noah had come to the hospital with a broken arm, and it was my day for clinic rounds. I remember sitting awkwardly in the room with Noah for a minute before Noah chuckled and said, “That file probably has it all in there right?” Seeing the confused look on my face, he said, “Why don’t I just tell ya, I’d rather ya hear it from me.”
            He then proceeded to tell me everything. About how he posed as a lawyer to seem normal, but how he was actually a murderer and an arsonist And about how he spent all his money on booze and accelerant. “Well actually, Bellua’s the murderer, I just burn shit,” he clarified. I had no idea who this “Bellua” was, but I didn’t care anymore. This was just too messed up.
            Yes, technically I’m a murderer, but not to this psycho’s extent. I’ve only ever killed for other people’s benefit. There was the time I prescribed a double dosage of Luvox to a patient who I knew had been skimming money from the school district, and that other time when I had tampered with the drill before surgery to kill a corrupt judge on the table; but these had all been for the good of society.
            I didn’t tell Noah any of this, I simply pretended he was joking, although I knew he wasn’t, and proceeded to call a nurse in to set his arm.
            Later, I called Noah and told him how I was a murderer too. I realized Noah had provided a golden opportunity to kill and not risk being caught at work. I proposed that I kill, and Noah dispose of the body’s. Noah agreed, and said that whenever I kill something, I should bring it to his house, and leave it somewhere no one else would see it, he would find it.
            This had been my first kill I was going to share with Noah. I had sliced a corrupt policeman across the throat, and let him bleed out on Noah lawn. Then, I covered the body with a hot tub cover, and left.

title: Bellua (Original Short Story By Me) p.2 Metal

question: what's the narrator's profession?

answer: A surgeon of sorts.

question: Who's she performing surgery on?

answer: A little boy named Tyler.

question: Where did the narrator meet Noah?

answer: A bar.

question: What is she sending to Noah?

answer: A body for him to dispose of.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is a surgeon who loves to cut people over. She legally performs surgeries but she has also killed someone. It seems it has been a fantasy for a while. One night at bar, she met a drunk man called Noah and the two decided if she went through with a murder, he would dispose of the body. Now, the narrator calls Noah to see if he's received the body-that of a corrupt policeman whose throat she had sliced on Noah's lawn.


text:
_TIRATHABA XUTHOPTERA_ is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae.[1] It was described by Alfred Jefferis Turner in 1937.[2][3][4] It is found in Australia.

[1] “_Tirathaba_ Walker, 1864” at Markku Savela's _Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms_. Retrieved June 12, 2017.

[2]

[3]

[4]

title: Tirathaba xuthoptera

question: What is Tirathaba xuthoptera?

answer: Tirathaba xuthoptera is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae.

question: When was Tirathaba xuthoptera first described?

answer: Tirathaba xuthoptera was first described in 1937.

question: How many species does Tirathaba xuthoptera contain?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Where has Tirathaba xuthoptera been found?

answer: Tirathaba xuthoptera has been found in Australia.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Tirathaba xuthoptera is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae. It has been found in Australia.


text:
MARTIN BRADLEY may refer to:

-   Martin Bradley (footballer) (1886–1958), English footballer
-   Martin Bradley (cricketer) (born 1964), New Zealand cricketer
-   Martin Bradley (painter) (born 1931), British painter
-   Martin R. Bradley (1888–1975), American politician from Michigan
-   Martin Bradley (fictional character), fictional character on the Australian soap opera _Home and Away_

title: Martin Bradley

question: Which Martin Bradley(s) is still alive?

answer:
1. Martin Bradley the New Zealand cricketer was born in 1964
2. Martin Bradley the British painter was born in 1931

question: Which Martin Bradley(s) passed away?

answer:
1. Martin Bradley the English footballer
2. Martin R. Bradley the American politician.

question: Summarize all the information relating to Home and Away.

answer: Home and Away is an Australian soap opera with a character called Martin Bradley.

question: When and where was Martin R. Bradley born?

answer: He was born in 1888 probably in Michigan.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Five possible Martin Bradley's are listed.


text:
Foreword: Before you read this, I would like to go ahead and say no, I don't have pictures, and I have no way of proving to you that anything I say here is true... but I assure you it happened, that I was there, and that what I saw that night was a UFO.

I was living in San Antonio going to college back in 2010. I was a freshman at the time. I have always enjoyed nature and love to go camping multiple times a year whenever and wherever I can. Living in San Antonio, all I had to do was drive west less than five minutes to watch the hills begin grow progressively larger the farther west you drive into that which is the Texas hill country. A bit over an hour drive north west was Enchanted Rock,[1] which is a giant granite dome jutting out of the earth, awesome for hiking, great views, and my next camping destination.

The plan was to go in a group of four; me, a girl friend of mine from high school who I was to pick up in Austin, and two friends of hers who I had previously met. Well, her other two friends bailed last minute and it was just me and her. I was going camping whether or not anyone went with me, which she knew, so she decided to tag along despite her friends flaking out. I picked her up in Austin as planned and we drove out west to Enchanted Rock for a great day of hiking and spelunking through the cave at the top. After hours of hiking trails, climbing the rock, and crawling through caves, she was beat and decided to go to sleep at around 8:30. We were camped on a ridge just west of the rock, about 2 1/2 miles from the car, with a great view of the Enchanted Rock itself, as well as the area surrounding us. My friend, Jenn, went to sleep and I stayed up to watch the stars; which are beautiful out there, being 14 miles from the nearest town. Here's where things got weird.

It began with me noticing a bright 'star' just above the horizon in the w/sw, and when I say bright, I mean it was almost blinding, the brightest star in the sky. I noticed it seemed to flicker, or flutter in place. Sort of bouncing around all over the place but staying in the same general area. Now I don't know what came over me, what I was thinking, or what I expected to happen, but I just got the idea to start flashing my flashlight at this star. As I do, the thing starts to move up, in its same fluttering motion, only moving a bit higher into the sky with each bounce. I stopped flashing my light and it began to fall. More flashing, it bounces up a bit more. Stop, it begins to fall. It also seemed to be flashing back at me. I did this for a few minutes as my interest piqued, eventually waking up Jenn to check it out. We sat there for over 30 minutes flashing that flashlight at the star, to the point where it had bounced its way from just above the horizon to almost directly above our heads. Eventually, we stopped flashing all together and it sank consistently until it fell below the horizon, not returning.

A couple hours go by after the star disappeared below the horizon, with nothing peculiar happening until we noticed a light slowly, almost unnoticeably, coming up over the other side of the rock from the east. It was very bright, and at first I thought it could just be the moon rising, but as several minutes go by, a light in the shape of a hexagon slowly rose to the top of the rock. Only the edges were illuminated, the center was dark, either hollow, or a dark material. As it reached the top of the rock, the hexagon broke apart into six separate bars of light, each going its own way moving over the face of the rock (which is just over a mile long) in a matter of seconds; scaling the rock from top to bottom (a sheer 500 foot rock face) in a matter of seconds. Impossible feats for a person. We could see the lights illuminating the rock and trees as they moved around up there. We saw two of them dip below the tree line at the base of the rock, out of our line of sight, and the trees at the bottom had a blue glow as they were lit up as the lights moved passed them, and toward us. At this point we freaked out and retreated to our tent. We began hearing noises in the woods surrounding us; something heavy moving around in the brush, a motor type sound moving through the woods in the near distance (it's after midnight and no motor vehicles are allowed in this state park), and lights started flickering against the outside of our tent, shining directly at our campsite. Both of us were terrified, and honestly didn't fully grasp what was happening outside, and the fear of the unknown took over. It could have been anything out there. People could have just been walking by and accidentally shone their flashlights our way... trust me I've taken all of this into consideration. The story isn't over yet.

The mystery lights disappeared after about thirty minutes or so and the noises soon after. Both myself, and Jenn were exhausted from being so scared, not to mention hiking and climbing miles of country the day before. The clock was nearing 1am, we fell asleep.

I woke up at 3:30am in a daze, the kind of wake up where you lift your head off the pillow, open your eyes, then bury your face back down and pass out again; only when I opened my eyes, I saw a light in the sky through the opaque silk of the tent. I unzipped the zipper of the tent to get a better view, and before me, hovering only about 500 feet above enchanted rock, was a disk. It made little to no sound, maybe a faint hum if anything, it had twelve circular lights around the edge of the craft and it spun counter clockwise at varying speeds, at times so fast, the 12 lights merged into a solid white line, and at other times so slow, I had the time to count the lights. It was about 150-200 ft long, but the most interesting thing about it was the way it moved. It was unlike anything I had ever seen, except for maybe a few hours earlier, and from much farther away. It tilted and whirled and bounced around in the air, but stayed in the same area. It tilted side to side, would move diagonally so, then would level out and move directly up and down, then maybe side to side, and then spin like a top again. The best i can describe it was erratic, but controlled. I watched, slack jawed and in awe for a few minutes until I turned around and woke up Jenn who was sleeping behind me. I told her to stay calm and just to sit up and look. She did, and freaked out at first, wanting to leave right then, only retracting her idea after I pointed out we would have to pack up all our gear and hike over 2 miles back to the car, also having to walk directly under the fucking thing. I wasn't leaving the tent. Her and I sat there and watched the UFO for over 3 hours. It stayed there directly above Enchanted Rock until the light started seeping over the horizon; and as the sun slowly rose, the UFO slowly rose higher into the sky in it's bouncing motions, over the course of 15-20 minutes until it had risen above the morning clouds and out of sight.

I told myself then that I would never let myself believe what I saw that night was anything other than a UFO, man made or out of this world. It was real. I saw it and so did Jenn; and if what we saw that night was captured on film I know it would have changed the world, because seeing it changed mine. It is disappointing to me that I am unable to provide in that aspect, however, I am given hope in the thought that if chance had it that I saw one, surely others will too, and hopefully they will have a camera. It's only a matter of time.

If you have any questions I'll be happy to answer.

title: Enchanted Rock UFO Dec. 2010 (Firsthand Witness;True Story)

question: Describe the disk that hovers over the narrator.

answer: She sees a disk floating above her tent. It spins counterclockwise. It was about 150-200 feet long. It tilted and whirled and bounced in the air but stayed in the same area. Twelve lights surrounded it.

question: What does the narrator conclude the event was?

answer: The narrator concludes the event was a UFO. They claim they have considered all the other alternatives. However they say that the event changed their world. They claim that if someone could have photographed it they are sure it would change the world.

question: Where does the encounter with the UFO occur?

answer: The narrator drives with a friend from San Antonio out to go camping. They camp under a giant rock called "Enchanted Rock." Apparently it was Enchanted, but with UFOs. They see lights flickering at night.


text:
I am getting married next year and I had this nightmare I wrote down.  It made me cry in a way I rarely experience.  I apologize for its inevitable typos and poor quality.  I just had to share.

Jaclyn,
We were together for 8 magical years.  Three blessed years of marriage.  Every moment was amazing.  It had its ups and downs but no one in the world could doubt our love.    Nothing in the world matter besides you, then came that day.  August 12th  the day the world turned upside down.   A rainy day, warm and gentle on my face as I wheeled you in the hospital, the doctor took you from me and told me to wait in the lobby.  Four hours of pacing, four hours of never knowing what was coming next, no notice of progress or status.  Then the nurse came out and said, “Mr. MacRory, please come with me.”  I was brought to a hallway and shown a little girl in a pink cap and socks.  My daughter, Melody, smiling back at me, I had never felt such joy.  Then it all came crashing back.  I was told there were complications with the birth and that my wife, my wife who was my rock, had not survived the violent birth.  I was given a few minutes to say my good byes.  How could I express my loss or say what I wanted to.  How could I possibly say good bye to the woman who made very day brighter.  I cried and said how much I loved you, or how I could never go on living without you.  Two or three minutes I was given with her before I had to be removed from the room.   Two minutes and that was the last time I ever saw that soft delicate face.  I asked the nurse if you had seen your daughter before you left us.  She said you had and that your face beamed with pleasure at seeing your little girl cry, before your heart gave out.  I had to place you in the ground the same week that I had to care for our new and lovely daughter.   It was the ultimate perversion.  The joy in seeing my daughter, every moment with her is special, yet every time I saw her smile or see her eyes light up, I saw you, my wife who was not here to enjoy these moments.  I went to your grave every night for 3 months and stared at that piece of rock that was all I had left of you.  I struggled to keep a grip on my life for a bit, but I pulled through knowing you would have had I left you.  After all, I had a wonderful new daughter, who would need to grow up knowing what a magnificent woman her mother was.  Being a single dad was no picnic but I pulled through knowing there were others that counted on me.    I also knew what I saw your face again that you, always joking, would have something witty to say had I failed.   I wasn’t going to give you the satisfaction of being able to say you would have done better.  I was going to raise Melody to be as amazing and special as you were.  I had a picture of you by my bed and I would look at it every night and softly cry in bed missing you lying next to me.  I know you would always have something comforting to say to me.  I would grade my student’s papers and come across something amusing and I would stand up to go show you and forget that the house was quiet and that I had no one to show this to.  I started to get better day by day, time heals all wounds as they say.  It never takes away the scars.  I took Melody to figure skating classes knowing that you would have loved to see her doing her jumps and winning those trophies.  Not only did she have your smile and eyes, she had your brain thank god.  She succeeded in almost everything she tried.  I raised her with not only my ideals but I would always considered what you would say when an issue aroused.  I would always tell her stories about you and what an amazing person you were.  It is something I can never forget.  I miss you still after all these years, always stopping to look at a cat or a hummingbird knowing how much you would have smiled at those sights.  Melody got into high school with incredible grades, not only finding success at figure skating but also taking up my skills at bowling.  She won 3 gold medals in figure skating and made the varsity bowling team.  I even, against my better judgment, gave her my blessing when she started dating her dancing partner Kurt, knowing you would have.   She went to college and earned her doctorate in Pharmacology, something I know would have filled you with endless joy.  She got a job testing new medication for cancers.  Soon after she married her high school sweetheart like I did.  Our granddaughter was born July 16th, your birthday.  Melody named her after you.  I held baby Jaclyn in my arms and my eyes filled with tears instantly, joy at having a beautiful healthy granddaughter, and immense sadness knowing you weren’t there to share this moment with me.

I lost you 33 years ago.  I never once took off my wedding band.  I lay here in my hospital bed knowing I will finally get to see you soon.  Melody is working around the clock trying to find something to slow the cancer eating at my body, but I know nothing can help.  I feel dread knowing how she will feel losing her father, or knowing I will never get to attend my granddaughter’s graduation.  I told her not to worry, but she has your stubbornness built deep inside her.  I looked at that picture of you every night before I went to bed and talked to you, told you about my day and what was troubling me, knowing you would have known the right thing to say every time.  I wish I had that picture with me now.  Looking at your beautiful face would always ease my fears.   Childish as it seems, I fear the end.  I always feared the unknown.  Tomorrow though I will be back in your arms a place that seems so far off and yet so familiar it seems like I last kissed you a few minutes ago.  I have, since our first moment together, loved you.  After losing you all those years ago, that love never ceased, and I will continue loving you into whatever awaits me.  "After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure"  I will see you soon my love, we have so much to catch up on..

Your loving and dedicated husband,

Eddie

title: A wrote this after a dream, it truly made me cry.

question: Summarize everything relating to death.

answer: The narrator's wife, Jacelyn, passes away during childbirth. By the end of the story, the narrator is dying from cancer. He dreads knowing that she will lose her father but is looking forward to being reunited with his wife.

question: What does the story say about the fate of the author's wife?

question: Summarize positive events.

answer: The narrator was together with his wife for 8 magical years, three of which they spent married. He had never felt such joy as when he saw his daughter, Melody, smiling back at him. Melody succeeds in almost everything she tries. She gets into high school with incredible grades, finding success in figure skating and also bowling. She winds 3 gold medals in figure skating and makes the varsity bowling team. She earns a doctorat in pharmacology, which the narrator thinks would have filled his wife with endless joy. The narrator is filled with joy when his granddaughter, Jaclyn, is born.


text:
In 1872 William Fortune founded the famous Fortune’s smokehouse in Whitby. The smokehouse still in its original Henrietta Street location has been passed down through the family, so that today it is run by the fifth generation of the Fortune family.

William’s son Martin worked in the smokehouse and also ran the donkey rides on Whitby’s beautiful sandy beaches, which he inherited from his mother Jane. Martin married Ellen, who helped her husband with packing the kippers which were sold to customers outside the shop and smokehouse. The kippers were packed into little wooden boxes ready to be sent by train all over the country.

Ellen can be seen outside the Henrietta Street shop with a sign advertising postage from 2/- per box. The sign above the door reads: “Direct from curing house to consumer sent your friend a box at the following cheap rate…” The sign on the table offers 6 pairs of kippers sent by parcel post for 2/-, that’s the equivalent today of 10p for 6 pairs of kippers including postage!

question: What is this article about?

answer: The article is about the famous Fortune's smokehouse in Whitby.

question: What is the "Fortune's smokehouse"?

answer: It's a smokehouse that sells and ships kippers all over the country.

question: What is a kipper?

answer: The article doesn't indicate what a kipper is, other than it is a smoked food item, likely a fish, since the smokehouse is located on the beach.

question: How many generations have run the smokehouse?

answer: Five

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The article is about the famous Fortune's smokehouse in Whitby which has been run by the Fortune family for 5 generations. The smokehouse sells and ships kippers all over the country.


text:
It was the third summer since the war ended and the Cloud had broken, ending the tyranny of a winter that had lasted decades. The warmth on Lauriel’s face lifted her spirits. Her garden was finally returning to an approximation of its former glory; rose bushes breathing color into a space that for so long had been a gray wasteland. Her favorite vine was growing, too, not yet more than a few buds at the base of the lattice she’d put up earlier that week. She would teach it to weave as it grew.

A baby’s cry broke through her serenity, and Lauriel smiled; *I must teach you to grow too, little one. You will have a whole new world to weave through.*

The pristine click of the garden gate filled the air with something Lauriel ascribed to coziness. She couldn’t say the same for the old street lamp out front. The road it had once faintly illuminated was gone, reclaimed by the earth. A testament to the strength of our makers, she thought as she turned and started to climb the porch stairs.

Lauriel didn’t notice the rain as it fell at the base of the lamp post; or the puddle the rain formed as it pooled and ran off an unseen edge. Even as she turned back briefly, on the thought of having heard something peculiar, she did not see it. The rain had by then flickered and vanished; much the same as the light from the bulb above.

title: The Prologue of My First Short Story: Unfathomable

question: In what time period does the story take place?

answer: In the third summer after the war.

question: Who is the main character in the story?

answer: Lauriel

question: What is Lauriel's relation to the baby?

answer: Presumably it is her own.

question: How are Lauriel's spirits lifted?

answer: The summer's warmth after a long winter.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: In the author's first short story, they describe the setting as the third summer since the war ended. After a winter that felt decades long, Lauriel admires her garden returning to its former glory. She would teach the vines to weave as it grows. She would also teach her baby how to grow too.