text:
I wrote this story for a school competition, and I ended up being one of the winners, just wanted to share it with you guys! It's about a German soldier from WWI. Enjoy.

Prologue:

Face down. Face down. Not face up. Face down. Didn't scream or anything. Just dropped. Stone cold. I tried to save him, but he was bleeding too hard. Straight through the jugular. Dead.

Chapter 1:

2 days earlier…

"The front line?"

"Yep."

"But we've only been here for a couple days!"

"Well, you won't miss it then."

I couldn't believe it. The front line. The big one. No more wallowing in the reserves, doing boring training. We were going to the big show.
"So, Alan, how long for?"
"2 weeks, then they rotate us out"
"Only 2 weeks?"
"Yep. Pack your things."
Alan was on his bed, packing his backpack with all he needed. I was still processing this new knowledge. After a few seconds, I put my pack on my bed and began to pack.

Chapter 2:

The front line…
Our ride to the front was uneventful, except for the constant pounding of artillery, but that eventually faded into background noise. When we got there, we were directed to our trenches under an iron sky of guns, grenades and bullets.
Apparently, the enemy were making a push towards us. At one point, they came about 10 metres away from our trench and we could see the whites of their fear-stricken eyes. I killed my first man that day. Got him in the stomach, then finished him off when he sank to his knees. The charge broke a few moments afterwards, with men running as fast as they could back to their trenches.
About a quarter of them actually made it back. The rest lay dead or dying in various amounts of pain, strewn around the battlefield like discarded toys. The one I shot had apparently been one of the enemies braver officers, and people were calling me things like "Hero" and "Saviour".

Someone told me that the person I shot had been leading the charges for months on end and that we lost lots of men whenever he was at the head of a charge.
"Now he's gone", he stated, "We'll have that trench within the week, you mark my words!"

Chapter 3:

The next day…
Alan thought that what I'd done was pretty heroic, too. He patted me on the back like everybody else. I felt like shit. I couldn't see what I had done as a good thing. I'd killed a man. Sure, he had been killing our men too, but he was a hero to the enemy. I'd killed one of their greatest inspirations. If any of those men, in that trench not too far from ours, survived, they would be reduced to emotional wrecks. Not just from losing a great hero, but from the war itself. I'd seen it already, on our side. Veterans walking around, almost trance-like, probably trying to remember a happier time, like before the war. Or their 10th birthday. They had lost touch with reality. That's what any sane soldier fears. Not the cold, dark embrace of death, or the pain, but the sight. The feel. The loss of what you think the world is, stripped away until there is-
"Sam?"
I snapped out of it. I realised I was drooling from lack of concentration. Oh feth, I thought. Is it already happening? Surely not this fast?
"Sam?" Alan repeated. I was aware now.
"Yeah, Alan?"
"We're moving up-trench"
"Really? Why?"
"Logistics apparently thought that losses would be much higher, so the trench is overcrowded. We need to move up in case of bombardment, or it gets too hard to fight."
That made a lot of sense. "How much did Logistics misestimate by?" I asked.
"Well, word from the rabble is that they thought we'd lose the same amount as all the other times, 'cos of that officer you killed. They thought the casualties would be up in the hundreds"
I stared at him, wide-eyed with shock. Had that one man been that inspiring? Could one man really make other men fight with such fervour and fury that his death is the tipping point in a battle?"
These thoughts were at the forefront of my mind as we packed our meagre belongings up and moved up the trench, to the heavier fighting.

Final Chapter:

The next day, I had had an epiphany.
I was that man, now.
I was the hero that all the other men were inspired by.
I could make them fight with the fury and strength of a million men, when we were only a few thousand.
Word had already spread to the other trenches. I was Slayer der Götter, who was already a figure of legend.
 It showed how low morale had been, for me to be elevated to such a high status without being an officer or commander.

These men would follow me to hell and back.

Suddenly, the was a clamour rising from the trench. Men were shouting orders to get ready. We were going to assault the enemy trenches. I looked around. About a dozen men were looking my way, as if I was going to lead them. As soon as the sirens went, I knew I had no choice. I clambered up the trench line with Alan by my side. We were best friends, nothing could stop us.
The few trees in our way provided a little cover from the withering, inaccurate fire coming from the other trench. We had 20 meters to go.
18.
15.
11.
Then, out of nowhere, Alan dropped.
Face down. Face down. Not face up. Face down. Didn't scream or anything. Just dropped. Stone cold. I tried to save him, but he was bleeding too hard. Straight through the jugular. Dead.
My fury was taken to new heights. I grabbed his bayonet from the end of his rifle. I had two in my hands. One to murder and one to avenge. I sprinted the final 10 meters with a war cry on my lips. The men around me did the same.
Then, I was among them. Swinging wildly. It was all a blur of stabbing, ripping, killing, swinging, screaming, blood, death, stamping.
I stopped. The men I had killed were strewn about me, in various states of mutilation. I sprinted around the trench corner.
And I saw him. Death was 20 years old or so, clad in the combat gear of the enemy, bearing a rifle. I stared Death down the barrel of his gun, and didn't flinch when he claimed me.
-Sam-

title: Chains of Command

question: Describe the setting.

answer: The story takes place in the trenches during WWI.

question: Who is the main character?

answer: The main character is Sam, a German soldier.

question: Why is the main character called, "Hero" and "Saviour"?

answer: Sam kills a well-known enemy officer who was inspiring to his men. Under his command, the enemy soldiers were very successful in battles.

question: Who are the soldiers fighting?

answer: The story doesn't indicated who the Germans are fighting.

question: Write a ~8 sentence summary.

answer: The story takes place in the trenches during WWI. Sam and his buddy, Alan, pack their bags; they're being sent to the front line. Sam kills a well-known enemy officer who was inspiring to his men. Under his command, the enemy soldiers were very successful in battles. Sam realizes that he is now that inspiring soldier to those around him. One day the soldiers are commanded to assault the enemy trenches. Alan is shot dead; Sam is full of fury. He charges the enemy, killing many, but he is killed.


split: train

text:
_CECILIA VALDÉS_ is both a novel by the Cuban writer Cirilo Villaverde (1812–1894), and a zarzuela based on the novel. It is a work of importance for its quality, and its revelation of the interaction of classes and races in Havana, Cuba.

Novel

The first version of the novel _Cecilia Valdés o la Loma del Angel_ was published in Havana in 1839. After several revisions, the definitive and extended version was published in New York City in 1882. It has never been out of print in Spanish and has been translated into several English editions (as _Cecilia Valdes" or "Angel Hill_). It is widely regarded as the best Cuban novel of the 19th century.[1]

Synopsis

The story takes place in colonial Cuba around 1830. The young and beautiful light skinned mulatta, Cecilia Valdés, is the illegitimate daughter of powerful land magnate and slave trader, Cándido de Gamboa. Leonardo de Gamboa is his legitimate son. Leonardo falls in love with Cecilia, not realizing that she is his own half-sister, and they become lovers. At the same time, a poor black musician, José Dolores Pimienta, is also hopelessly in love with Cecilia. Cecilia rejects Pimenta's advances and conceives Leonardo's son.

However, love between Leonardo and Cecilia does not last. He abandons her and becomes betrothed to a white upper class woman, Isabel Ilincheta. Cecilia turns to the faithful Pimienta to plan revenge. On the day of his wedding, Leonardo is assassinated on the steps of the cathedral by Pimienta who acts on the instigation of Cecilia. Pimienta is executed, and she is thrown in prison.

_Cecilia Valdés_ reveals the intricate problems of race relations in Cuba. There are the elite social circles of Spanish-born and creole whites; the growing number of mulattos, of which Cecilia is one, and the blacks: some slaves, some freed men. The blacks are also divided between those who were born in Africa and those who were born in Cuba, those who worked on the sugar plantation and those who worked in the households of the wealthy in Havana. Cecilia Valdés is a canvas displaying the sexual, social, and racial interaction of the Cubans of the day.

Zarzuela

The zarzuela is in two acts with music by Gonzalo Roig. The libretto was by Agustin Rodríguez and José Sánchez-Arcilla, based on the novel _Cecilia Valdés, o la Loma del Angel_ by Cirilo Villaverde. The storyline is about a tragedy of manners, love and revenge, in colonial Cuban society of the early 19th century.

Performance history

-   World premiere: Havana, Cuba 1932
-   Metropolitan Opera premiere: July 17, 1965
-   Toronto Operetta Theatre: February 15, 2003.
-   Teatro de la Zarzuela: January 24, 2020.

Critique

In Villaverde's novel (completed in 1882), the melodramatic plot serves as a background for social life in Cuba, with slavery, injustice, crises and personal tragedies, following colorful presentation in detailed characterization and description, even to the point that the plot itself loses its pace at times, long before reaching its climax, as if the author had lost interest in his story and wanted to finish it as fast as possible.

In Roig's zarzuela, however, dramatic element is more exposed, more consistent and in swift action, presented as an interesting unrolling story pointing toward inevitable climax, which shows great talent and theatrical experience on the part of the composer, the piece containing mixture of traditional Cuban music, with all its genres, forms and vivid rhythms and dances, interlaced in good balance with predominantly romantic in style music of the Western tradition, particularly in melody and orchestration.

    “The zarzuela Cecilia Valdes can be more pleasing to listen to than Verdi, and at times more profound than Meyerbeer or Bellini.” [2]

Available recordings

-   Audio CD from Orfeon Records (1997)

Film

A film based on the novel was produced in Cuba in 1982. The film stars Daisy Granados as Cecilia Valdés and Imanol Arias as Leonardo de Gamboa.

Literary references

-   Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas wrote his own version of Villaverde's novel in his book _Graveyard of the Angels_ (La loma del ángel).
-   Cuban writer Daína Chaviano also offered a different and personal version of Villaverde's story in her novel _The Island of Eternal Love_ (Riverhead, 2008), where both protagonists and even the author himself appear as characters.

[1] “The masterpiece of this group of novels was _Cecilia Valdés_ (1882; Cecilia Valdés; or, Angel's Hill: a novel of Cuban customs), by the Cuban exile Cirilo Villaverde, perhaps the best Latin American novel of the 19th century.” _Encyclopædia Britannica_ (Latin American Literature: romanticism).

[2] part of a long critique by Leo Brouwer, quoted in Giro, Radamés 2007. _Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba_. La Habana. vol 4, p67. (contributor's transl.)

title: Cecilia Valdés

question: What does the text say about the novel's publication?

answer: Cecilia Valdes was written by the Cuban writer Cirilo Villaverde. The first version of it was published in Havana in 1839. After several revisions, a definitive and extended version was published in New York City in 1882. It has never been out of print in Spanish, and it has had several English translations. It is widely regarded as the best Cuban novel of the 19th century.

question: What does the text say about the zarzuela?

answer: The zarzuela is in two acts with music by Gonzalo Roig. It was written by Agustin Rodriguez and Jose Sanchez-Arcilla and based on the novel by Cirilo Villaverde. It is about a tragedy of manners, love, and revenge in the colonial Cuban society of the early 19th century. Its world premiere was in Havana in 1932. It was performed at the Metropolitan Opera in 1965, at the Toronto Operetta Theatre in 2003, and at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in 2020. The author describes the zarzuela as having a more exposed dramatic element and more consistent and swift in action than the novel.


text:
IBBAGALA RAJA MAHA VIHARA (Sinhalaː ඉබ්බාගල රජ මහා විහාරය) is an ancient Cave temple in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. The temple is situated in middle of the Kurunegala town[1] and lies in the mid valley area of the Ethagala Rock.[2] The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.[3]

[1]

[2]

[3]

title: Ibbagala Raja Maha Vihara

question: What is Ibbagala Raja Maha Vihara?

answer: It is an ancient cave temple.

question: Where is Ibbagala Raja Maha Vihara located?

answer: It's situated in the middle of the Kurunegala town in Sri Lanka.

question: What has the government formally recognized the temple as?

answer: It's been recognized as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

question: Is the temple a popular destination?

answer: That information can't be found in the document.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about Ibbagala Raja Maha Vihara, an ancient cave temple in the Kurunegala District in Sri Lanka. It's been formally recognized as an archeological site by the Sri Lankan government.


text:
A new report has suggested that lots of people will have actual robot lovers in 2025. The report, released last week, canvassed the views of experts. As we know with experts, they are always right. Especially in their own minds. So this is as sure a picture as we can have of our loving and lovable future.

The report mentioned that these robots would know humans’ every need and minister to it accordingly, CNet reported. Robots will, it seems, threaten current jobs more than ever. These won’t merely be jobs that require automation. These will be jobs of the white-collar variety, those that involve a touch of politics, as well as a heap of patience.For in ”

For in “AI, Robotics And The Future Of Jobs” (PDF), one of the experts surveyed predicts that, in 2025, many of us will have robot lovers. No, not those who are human and merely go through the motions because they have a ring on their finger and a joint bank account.In 2013, 9 percent of people expressed their cheeriness at the idea of robot sex.

Robots would threaten current jobs more than ever. These won’t merely be jobs that require automation but the jobs of the white-collar variety, those that involve a touch of politics, as well as a heap of patience. Almost half the experts believe that the advance of robot deployment will mean the advance of human unemployment.

They fear greater income inequality and even heightened social disorder.Jonathan Grudin, Microsoft’s principal researcher, believes technology has always been a net jobs creator, he said although there have always been unemployed people, still, there would be no shortage of things that would need to be done.

question: Why is the author skeptical of the expert prediction that lots of people will have robot lovers in 2025?

answer: The author doesn't really give a reason but just insinuates that the prediction is ridiculous.

question: What do the experts think about the future of robotics in the report quoted in this article?

answer: The author conveys some experts' view that many people will have robot lovers in 2025. There's an expectation that robots will compete with humans for white-collar jobs.

question: What is the concern around the rise of robotics?

answer: Mass unemployment for humans is the main fear.

question: What does Jonathan Grudin think about the rise of robotics?

answer: He points out that technology has always been a net creator of jobs. He doesn't think there will be a shortage of things to do.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The author cites "AI, Robotics And The Future Of Jobs", saying that there's an expert who believes there will be robot lovers in 2025. The author insinuates that this is ridiculous. Then, he talks about the anxiety around robots competing for white-collar jobs. He also conveys a Microsoft researcher who thinks there won't be a net loss in future jobs.


text:
Each stone in the wall had more age and life than I could comprehend, my fingers play upon the cracks careful not to break the aged lines. My hands find themselves searching every message these rocks have to give, nails run ragged clicking in rhythm to the music preserved to each crack like notes to a score. My wrists hurt from the shackles bound to them, their embrace neither tight nor loose. The mere presence enough to remove any will to break the binds, or even to perpetuate an imagination capable of the thought to escape.

The air so thick from a rippled blanket of decay, my nose burnt by the remains of those I once considered brothers. No family behind these walls, no blood between those too depraved to shed it. To say that a life without these walls isn’t but a distant memory is a mockery of what I’ve suffered here. Every second of my life prior to its cage blazes past my eyes in patterns so intense that I’ve lost the sight for anything else. My memories of the world as I now know it are by no means a life to live, regardless of how long my stay is to be, I was dead long before my last breath.

My mind still in its endless waltz at instances takes certain pauses, eyes of miasmic storms just large enough to allow awareness. During these oppressive voids, I torment myself with the beckoning of questions. As my body turns to dust, I always have the same inquiry, forever wondering why had this not happened sooner? Had my life been ended early, the temptation of a return would be weaker, the husk left behind stronger enough to face its abysmal existence. While I would never call to the death of an innocent child, regardless of what bleak, treacherous future lay ahead, the punishment would fall too great on those still attached to the child. Any preemptive actions would be regarded heinous by even the most apathetic.

The question while never passed by my own lips, was still on the mind of many, was why the set task of imprisonment, when the sin committed called for a permanent solution. Why hands drenched through with more crimson water than all the great seas could wash away, was left to stain the land they still fell upon. As if regret was enough of a solution, to merely whisk me away into solitude, the naive dream that death by time is any more innocent than ending by their hands. They speak of a death as merely a transition, those seen favorable go above, and are left to judge those in waiting. While those of unsavory natures go below to rot in endless turmoil for their transgressions, is that why they leave me above to rot, or is it they themselves know nothing is left beyond death. A makeshift netherrealm to stand in place of what lies they tell themselves, or maybe they feel the same sinister urges under their flesh. They want to inflict pain, but would never wish to bear the burden of guilt. Letting me turn into the catalyst of sin, a whipping boy to all that lay sight upon me.

title: A stone cell (W.I.P.)

question: What is the setting of the narration?

answer: That information is not known.

question: Where is the narrator situated?

answer: In a prison cell.

question: Why is the narrator imprisoned?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Who imprisoned the narrator?

answer: That information cannot be found.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: In this piece, the narrator was shackled to the ancient walls of a prison cell, lost in his/her thoughts about their fate. It is unknown why the narrator was imprisoned, and it seems he/she thought about death for whatever supposed grievous crime he/she committed.


text:
Following the publication of our guide to the 20 most beautiful villages in France, Telegraph Travel readers had plenty of their own suggestions...

This week's winner

A toast to Champagne

There is something sonorous about the names of the villages in the Champagne region. Who wouldn’t warm to places called Bouzy or Dizy? Chigny les Roses sounds romantic. Cuis sounds, well, cooey. However, it is Avize that I carry around with me, like a miniature in a locket.

Rolling over the hillsides on which it sits, Avize takes your breath away with its flower-bedecked streets, champagne-related murals, the sense around every geranium-and-rose- bedecked corner of another cork waiting to be popped and, at harvest time, that intriguing, heady scent that drifts through the streets.

You know something magical is happening in the back streets here. The vineyards hem the village in, with neat rows pressing down on it and marching down the slopes towards it.

Avize, in my view, is a small piece of paradise, a place where you want to push at each of the large oak doors that you walk past.

JONATHAN BATES, FROM DEVON, WINS A £300 KIRKER VOUCHER - AND A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE

More advice from readers

First love in a Chamonix chalet

Chamonix, in Haute-Savoie, brings back fond memories for me. In 1976 I went on holiday there with my first real girlfriend (we eventually married), staying in a beautiful chalet in the pine forest. Woken every morning by the chattering of red squirrels, we made our way down to freshly baked flaky croissants, good coffee and boiled eggs, served with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Little did I realise they would cost more per day than our accommodation. We took a trip by cable car to the Italian frontier (passports were required pre-Schengen, of course) up the spectacular Aiguille du Midi. It was all so simple and unsophisticated, but utterly delightful. I remember it as if it were yesterday.

ANDREW GLASS, CHESHIRE

Chamonix Credit: © 2013 David Franklin/David Franklin

A perfect perch high up in the Charente

Aubeterre in the southern Charente, close to Riberac, is my favourite French village. Built into a cliff face, it has a château at the top which overlooks the River Dronne, a tributary of the Gironde. The ancient village has a subterranean church carved out of the cliff on three levels, believed to have been first used by pre-Christians. It is a fascinating place and the effort to excavate it must have been huge.

A path winds up to the village square with butcher, baker, art shop, bar and a few other distractions, while on the other side of the village are the old convent and the lovely plain church. Down on the flat, the river winds lazily through a park, with a beach, tennis courts and campsite. The desire to paddle or hire a canoe may soon overcome you.

DEBORAH CAMERON MOORE, EAST SUSSEX

Watch the world go by near Perpignan

Just outside Perpignan, there is a village by the sea with its own castle, a secluded sandy beach and superb hotels at reasonable prices. If seafood, fine dining and coastal walks appeal, you won’t find a better place to stay than La Fregate Hotel, or one of the many similar ones in the village of Collioure.

Collioure Credit: PHB.cz - Fotolia/Richard SemÃk

This part of the coast doesn’t immediately spring to mind for a holiday, but the location is sublime. Within easy driving distance are the coastal villages of St Cyprien Plage and Canet-Plage, with its lovely beach. Other fishing villages worth a visit are Port-Vendres, Banyuls sur Mer and Cap Cerbere. Try the mussels and frites with a glass of dry white overlooking the bay and watch the world go by.

MARK COOPER, WOLVERHAMPTON

A family bond is forever blooming in Picardie

In the heart of Picardie, close to the Somme, lies the village of Ginchy. Nearby my great-uncle, Major Cedric Dickens (a grandson of Charles Dickens), was killed in the Great War but his death led to a continuing bond between our family and the village. After the war, the major’s French mother travelled to the battle-scarred countryside, finding the spot where her youngest boy had fallen. There she paid for a new well and bought the land for a memorial garden. My own recent visit, to discuss plans for the centenary, resulted in welcoming hugs and the mayor opening champagne and cutting a cake baked by his wife. As a village, Ginchy is off the beaten track and unremarkable – but out of war has come this precious bond.

IAN DICKENS, BEDFORDSHIRE

The simple charms of sleepy Chenonceau

A wedding invitation led us to Chenonceau, a sleepy commune on the River Cher in the Loire valley. It boasts one of the most magnificent châteaux in France. We stayed at Le Relais, a quaint, warm, friendly hotel offering delicious food and wine. By day we visited the St Jean Baptiste chapel, special in its simplicity; bought pots made by locals; sailed up the Cher and under the bridges of the Château Chenonceau; explored the castle with its fascinating history; and visited the boulangerie for coffee and tarts.

Each evening, walking to Civray-de-Touraine to visit friends, we would skirt a vineyard where grapes hung in profusion, bordered by lush sweet chestnuts ripening for Christmas.

EDYTHE CHAPMAN, CO DURHAM

Boules and bustle in the fabulous Var

Fayence in the Var is my favourite French village. The road approaching it winds steeply and around every corner, ancient stone houses, perched precariously and bathed in sunlight, come into view. The quality of the light is extraordinary, giving everything a sharp clarity. No wonder it attracts so many artists.

Fayence Credit: www.solophotographie.fr

In contrast to the sunlit buildings are shady, narrow alleyways devoid of life, but as the road reaches the village centre there is much activity as people shop, chat or drink at pavement cafés. On market day the main square is full of colourful stalls selling local produce and on summer evenings it hosts live music and dancing.

Restaurants around the square or tucked down alleyways offer every kind of cuisine. The boules ground attracts a lively crowd for competitive matches with local teams. There have been changes, but the village feels timeless and enduring.

ANNE HOPKINS, ESSEX

A village of mystery and missing gold

My favourite village in France is Rennes-le-Château, perched on a hilltop in Languedoc with a crazy Gothic church and a fantastic story involving a runaway Parisian priest, mysterious wealth and missing Cathar gold. The church is filled with carvings including a terrifying devil and the whole place was rebuilt by a priest who turned up with nothing but scandal in his wake. There’s a sweet pottery shop too.

ROD CORNABY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Haven of hospitality on the route of pilgrims

Conques, hidden deep in the south of the Lot valley, is the most exquisite small medieval village in France. Built of golden stone, little houses with their flower-filled gardens tumble down the slopes of a valley and surround the Romanesque cathedral.

Conques Credit: lamio - Fotolia

The carving of the Last Judgment over the west door has some of its original paint intact. In the cathedral treasury is a ninth-century golden statue of Ste Foy, the town’s patron saint. Wherever the cobbled lanes and flights of steps take you, all is beauty.

Because Conques lies on the route to Santiago de Compostela, pilgrims arrive on foot or horseback. On our last visit, singers accompanied by medieval instruments were practising in the little chapel beneath the pilgrims’ hostel.

CAROLINE UNWIN, HAMPSHIRE

Win a holiday voucher

Each week we offer a prize to whoever sends us the best travel tip. Click here to find out more.

question: Who wrote the entry about the village of Avize and won a bottle of champagne and a £300 Kirker voucher?

answer: Jonathan Bates

question: What French village had a subterranean church carved out of a cliff?

answer: Aubeterre in the southern Charente

question: Where did Charles Dickens' grandson, Major Cedric Dickens meet his end during the Great War?

answer: The village of Ginchy

question: What is the name of the commune on the River Cher in the Loire valley?

answer: Chenonceau

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: After the Telegraph's Travel section published a guide to the 20 most beautiful villages in France, they followed it up by sharing the favorite villages and towns submitted by their readers. The winning entry for the week comes from Devon resident Jonathan Bates, who named Avize as his favorite French village. Bates won a £300 Kirker Voucher and a bottle of champagne. Other notable submissions featured the villages of Chamonix, Charente, and Perpignan.


text:
HUGH OF NESLE (d. after October 1305), son of John IV, Count of Soissons, and his wife Marguerite of Rumigny. Count of Soissons. Hugh became count after the death of his brother John in 1304.

Hugh married Jeanne de Dargies (Johanna of Argies), daughter of Renaud II, Seigneur de Dargies and Catheux, and his wife Agnes de Bruyères.

Hugh and Jeanne had one child:

-   Margaret, Countess of Soissons

After his death, Hugh’s widow Jeanne married John of Clermont, Baron of Charolais, son of Robert, Count of Clermont, and grandson of Louis IX of France. Hugh was succeeded in his rule of the county by his daughter Margaret.

Sources

Dormay, C., _Histoire de la ville de Soissons et de ses rois, ducs, comtes et gouverneurs_, Soissons, 1664 (available on Google Books)

title: Hugh, Count of Soissons

question: Who was Hugh of Nesle?

answer: Count of Soissons starting in 1304

question: Who did Hugh of Nesle marry?

answer: Jeanne of Dargies

question: How many children did Hugh of Nesle have?

answer: one, a daughter, Margaret

question: How did Hugh of Nesle become Count of Soissons?

answer: His brother, John, the previous count, died

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Hugh of Nesle was Count of Soissons starting in 1304.


text:
SAN LORENZO DISTRICT () is a district (_distrito_) of Chiriquí Province in Panama. The population according to the 2000 census was 6,498.[1] The district covers a total area of 738 km². The capital lies at the city of Horconcitos.[2]

Administrative divisions

San Lorenzo District is divided administratively into the following _corregimientos_:

-   Horconcitos (capital)
-   Boca Chica
-   Boca del Monte
-   San Juan
-   San Lorenzo

[1]

[2]

title: San Lorenzo District, Panama

question: Where is the San Lorenzo District?

answer: The San Lorenzo district is in Chiriqui Province in Panama.

question: How large is the district?

answer: The district is 738 km².

question: What is the population of the San Lorenzo District?

answer: The population, as of the 2000 census, was 6498.

question: Are there any tourist destinations in the San Lorenzo District?

answer: Not answered.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The San Lorenzo District is a district of Chiriqui Province in Panama. It has a population of 6498, and is 738 km² large.


text:
CARBON TAX, ANYONE?

Now that the controversial carbon tax is enforced (effective 1st July 2012), I guess I must now wake up to the fact that I will be paying more for my electricity bill….all for a good cause…….I hope.

CatchoftheDay recently has a special offer on a Belkin Conserve Insight energy use monitor. I have always wanted to buy something like this that indicates the energy usage of my electrical gadgets/appliances and since it was on sale, I bought it. It was delivered recently.

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The unit has a large LCD display and 3 large buttons – a “$” button that shows the energy cost, a “lightning” button that shows the instantaneous power used and a “earth” icon/button that shows the amount of CO2 generated indirectly by the appliance. The first thing I observed is that the LCD screen on my unit is not as crisp as I would have expected from the product photo. The text display is just not as sharp as other LCD display (eg. my Casio calculator). The only time it looks sharp is when you look at the LCD from an angle. You should be able to see the lack of sharpness in the photos below. Maybe I have a dud unit but not a deal breaker, however. But I wish Belkin would improve on this.

SETTING UP THE ENERGY MONITOR

The first thing I did was to get the latest tariff from my electricity supplier. This can be found here – Synergy electricity tariff.

So the electricity charge per KWH unit is 24.8866 cents. This already includes a carbon charge of 2.2550 cents.

The next thing is to re-program the energy monitor. This is done really easily. Press the $ button for 3 seconds or so, it will start to flash. Then press the left and right button to adjust the unit rate up/down accordingly. So I adjusted mine to 0.248 since the unit rate on the energy monitor is in dollar, not cents.

The next thing is to obtain the latest Co2/kw rate.

http://www.synergy.net.au/carbon_questions_faqs.xhtml indicates that for each kW of electricity produced, 0.98kg of CO2 is generated. Re-programming the energy monitor is easy too. Press the “earth” icon/button for 3 seconds and adjust the value by pressing the right/left button. Too easy.

FIRST TEST

The first thing I did is to test it with my table lamp for a primitive “calibration” test so to speak. The lamp has a single 4w compact fluorescent bulb and the energy meter shows this as 4.5w. Considering that all lamp has losses in the control gear, cables, etc, I would say this is fairly accurate. I don’t think this has the accuracy of a commercial power meter (such as the Schneider PM9C, etc) but for home “education” usage, this is pretty good in my opinion.

I then go around the house plugging things into the energy monitor. It is interesting to know that the actual power drawn by an electrical appliance is very often far less than the manufacturer’s declared value.

I guess the reading you get from the energy monitor is really only meaningful if the appliance is running non-stop 24/7, such as a fridge or a home network server for instance. Knowing the energy values of a microwave is fun for education purposes but because the appliance is running for very short duration of time (like heating up a cup of cocoa/milk), knowing the power/energy/CO2 values for these type of appliances is more an academic exercise than anything else.

I have a couple of appliances that are running non-stop 24/7. The fridge is almost the no. 1 candidate here. The next one on the list is my Buffalo Linkstation NAS, 2 notebooks and a desktop (well, it is not exactly running 24/7 but it runs most of the time), and other bits and pieces (TV, network printer, etc) run in power saving mode when these are not switched on. But I am not obsessive enough to know how much my TV is going to draw in its power saving mode so I won’t document this here.

MY FRIDGE

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My fridge is a 395 litre Samsung SR394NW (model: RT45MBSW2/XSA) and is indicated to have a 30w interior light and is rated to be 4 stars (out of a max 6 stars rating) and having an energy consumption of 472 kWH per year (IF you can trust the manufacturer’s declared value).

When I first plug the fridge into the energy monitor, it registers 900w as the fridge starts up. It then idle to 0.05w. (see leftmost pic). This appears to me that the fridge is almost drawing no power when the compressor did not kick in. If I open the fridge door, the value jump to 30.1w. (see centre pic), which is in line with my expectations since the fridge has a 30w interior “cabin” light. When the compressor kicks in, the power value shows as 110w (see rightmost pic).

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The Co2 figures are 36 kg Co2 per 30 days and 438kg Co2 per year.

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Energy cost is indicated to be $9.18 per month and $111 per year.

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At $111 per year and at $0.248 per kWH, this roughly equates to 447kWH per year or so. This is surprisingly close to the declared 472 kWH figure by Samsung. The difference is about 5% or so. I guess we can now trust a manufacturer’s declared value on the sticker 🙂

MY BUFFALO LINKSTATION QUAD PRO

The Buffalo Linkstation Quad Pro has a rated power consumption of about 43w (average), 90w (maximum), 0.85w (standby) as per Buffalo’s website here.

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My Quad Pro has 4 x 2TB Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB ST2000DL003 hard drives. Upon startup, the linkstation appears to draw around 45w or so. I almost never power down my NAS so I have no idea what is the standby power usage. This is not a scientific experiment so if you are looking to get more accurate figures, I am sure you can google for more info.

Because none of my disks spin down on idle, the power consumption is fairly consistent. The Seagate Barracuda 2TB Green drive has an average operating power of 5.8w as per Seagate’s website. So running 4 of these disks will use about 23.2w. Add another 10w overhead or so for the CPU, power supply, etc, the power drawn would be in the range of 33w or so….I guess this is pretty consistent with the energy monitor which shows an instantaneous power usage of 31w or so. This, however, tends to fluctuate between 28w and 33w. The energy cost appears to be around $5.57 per month and $67.83 per year based on the latest electricity tariff.

The CO2 generated is indicated to be 22kg Co2 per month and 268kg Co2 per year.

The readings should be self-explanatory from the photos below:

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The above readings are taken when the NAS is not under any sort of loads.

I then transferred a 10GB file from one of the PC to the NAS.

I would expect the NAS to draw heavier load but I don’t think this is the case here. The power drawn is around 32.1watt (obviously still fluctuating up and down but generally staying within the 33w level).

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NAS = 50% FRIDGE?

Now here’s the interesting part.

Comparing the power consumption of the NAS to the fridge, the energy cost of the NAS is about 50% of the fridge…… I have never quite expected this kind of figure as the NAS is in my mind, afterall, an extremely lightweight device drawing 32w only. From the reading, it appears that it will cost $67.83 to run the NAS each year and using the latest electricity tariff, this is roughly about 273.5 kWH per year. The fridge, on the other hand, uses about 447 kWH per year. And because the fridge’s compressor does not run all the time, it is therefore my opinion that it is more energy efficient than the NAS. So if energy cost is the highest consideration, perhaps the NAS should really be put on standby/idle mode.

Having said this, there seems to be 2 schools of thought in regards to the pros and cons of putting a hard drive into standby/idle mode. It is a tough question and I don’t have any real good answer for it. My past experience in running home servers is that those hard drives that are set to sleep during idle tend to have a shorter life span compared to those drives which run 24/7. Of course I do not have a scientific proof for these. It is certainly conceivable that the drives that fail are just due to bad sample variations. I have 2 notebooks that used to run 24/7 for 4 years and the hard drives are still perfectly fine, till today. Obviously people will have different experiences.

For my NAS, I find that getting the drives to sleep during idle is not very feasible. I have automated backups from the notebooks and PCs to the NAS via the QtdSync Rsync method and these run automatically unattended. I also have the NAS set as one of the data folder for my bittorrent downloads. Spinning down the drives will not seem very likely for extended periods of time. So it is extremely unlikely that I do this to save a couple of bucks each month. Your mileage will vary of course so please take my comments with a pinch of salt.

question: What did the narrator buy?

answer: An energy monitor.

question: What is the first test he did with the monitor?

answer: He tested his table lamp for a calibration test.

question: What are the other two things he checked?

answer: His fridge and his hard drive.

question: What was his conclusion regarding the energy consumption?

answer: That the hard drive uses more energy than the fridge

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the narrator's experience with buying and setting up an energy monitor and what he's found out about his hard drive and fridge.


text:
"Whats with all this talk of training?" Boone asked Rex.
"You need to learn how to use your powers correctly, we don't want you out in the world causing a ruckus," Rex said back.

Boone looked confused but didn't know what to do. He was handcuffed and tied to a chair. He thought it was best to just stay quiet and observe. He looked straight towards the group of five and didn't quite understand, Rex was all in black, in a robe like style of clothing, while the other five, were all dressed normally.

"So, are you guys just, like, normal people?" Boone asked.

"I guess you could say that," one man laughed.

Boone was really starting to freak out. He thought maybe this was a big joke, set up by Chris or something.
One person came out into the front. It was the girl that talked before. Boone couldn't believe his eyes. She was one of the most beautiful women he's laid eyes on. Red hair, nice eyes, and a style of clothing that you wouldn't expect from a girl like her, a torn up red hoodie and a black skirt.

"Okay, is it Boone? My name is Katie. I cast mental pain. I can send off high frequencies that can make ones head explode, but I can only send it to one persons brain. Look, here is a dummy, with a gelatin brain," Katie explained.

Boone looked straight at her, then to the dummy. In a matter of seconds, the dummy's head blew off. Boone tried to duck into cover but the chair just fell over.

"Fucking shit that hurt," Boone yelled out.

Katie looked at him and laughed, but Boone thought it was the cutest laugh he's ever heard.

"Enough showing off, Katie," a guy said.

A man that appeared to be around 20, came up and pulled her aside. He looked like he was a math teacher almost. He had a beard, a dark one, but wasn't fully grown, kinda like a 5 O'clock shadow. He was wearing a black polo, and beige khakis.

"Hey, Boone. I'm Daniel, and you may think this is crazy, but I can trick my mind into freezing time, and thinking about possible solutions in a sticky situation. Say, for example, there are three guys, who just stole from a gas station. I would approach them, and they took out guns, and they formed a circle around me. I would then tell my brain to shut down almost, and think about how I would do this. I do not know if the real world slows down, and can't test it out, because if it did slow down, then no one would know it did. Anyways, back to the example. I would try to figure out what I would do, and I have time to think, because the world is basically frozen in time. But after I think and I find a solution, I would do it. It usually works ninety percent of the time," Daniel said.

"I remember all the other ten percent of the times," a kid said.

He came up to where every else stood. He looked like a sixteen year old. He was skinny, but dress nicely. He looked a bit awkward, but I guess it was his first time speaking about his powers to a random kid.

"Hi, I'm Alex. I have X-Ray eyes. I guess its self explanatory, so I'm done. Next?" Alex said.

"I guess its my turn, just gimme a minute," a man with a deep voice said.

A big guy walked up to the same spot, but he sat down on another chair. He wasn't big like fat, but big with muscles.

"Lemme guess, you can turn into the Hulk?" Boone said sarcastically.

"I guess its kinda like that. So you've seen The Incredible Hulk, and I'm guessing you've seen Wolverine. Imagine merging both of those together, but there is no shift shaping nonsense going on. As fast as a wolf, as strong as a beast. Oh, my name is Ron," Ron said.

Boone didn't know what to expect of him, but didn't really listen. He was dazing off, staring at Katie.

"Alright, we'll start tomorrow. Get your rest, or don't. I know Boone had alot of rest on the way over here," Rex laughed.

Boone thought he saw another person at the beginning, but shook it off.

title: [FN] The Seven Powers [Part 2]

question: Summarize what kinds of powers the characters have.

answer: One girl can cast a frequency that causes people's brains to hurt, but only one at a time. The pressure can actually result in their head's exploding. Another kid can stop time by convincing himself that time has actually stopped. The next person has x-ray eyes. Finally, the last kid can morph into a huge, dangerous creature.

question: Summarize the peculiarity Boone feels.

answer: Boone is almost certain that he had seen someone else. The reason why this is of interest or possibly of concern is that they are all amidst people who have special powers, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that there is actually another person present, but their invisibility translates into some sort of power. Perhaps they are a time traveler, a shape shifter, or they can simply become invisible, and Boone caught a glimpse of them.

question: Summarize why Katie's power should not have worked that way.

answer: First off, it's possible that the frequency she emits makes it possible for her to have caused the dummy's head to explode. However, because she said it works on brains, that would assume something about the frequency irritates and causes great stress to a specific brain mechanism. She can only do it to one person at a time, which implies that she specifically has to get into someone's mind and sort of work from that location.

question: Explain why Boone is here, strapped to a chair, surrounded by people with special abilities.


text:
The LITERATURE OF CAPE VERDE is among the most important in West Africa, it is the second richest in West Africa after Mali and modern day Mauritania. It is also the richest in the Lusophony portion of Africa. Most works are written in Portuguese, but there are also works in Capeveredean Creole, French and notably English.

Capeverdean literature has long been known worldwide through the writing of poet Eugénio Tavares. Also Manuel Lopes, Baltasar Lopes da Silva, better known as Osvaldo Alcantarâ and Jorge Barbosa, the three would later found a review _Claridade_ in 1936 which is related to Cape Verdean independence. [Eugénio Tavares]

History

Early literature

Its first recorded literature from Cape Verde was in the 16th century with some works written by André Álvares de Almada, he wrote annals of the Portuguese expansion, his most important was a treatise on the Rivers of Guinea of Cape Verde, an area between the Senegal River and Sierra Leone.[1] Cape Verdean literature would be rarely recorded until 1890 with Eugénio Tavares with his morna poems, himself was the dolphin of Cape Verde, his poems were written in Brava creole. The second Creole book was the _Sorrow of Love_ by Xavier da Cunha published in 1893.

The first two libraries in the archipelago first opened in the late 19th century during the colonial era, they were the _National Library and Museum_ (_Biblioteca e Museu Nacional_) in Praia and the _Mindelo Municipal Library_ (_Biblioteca municipal do Mindelo_) first opened in 1880.[2]

Rise of nationalism

The rise of literature coincided with the rise of nationalism and independence in Cape Verde. Literature flourished in the 20th century. _Diário_ was published in 1929 by Portuguese António Pedro, it would plant the seeds for the creation of Claridade along with the Portuguese magazine _Presença_ which was also read in Cape Verde and modern Brazilian literature. Francisco Xavier da Cruz, better known as B. Leza, a writer that was also a musician wrote several works including _Uma partícula da Lira Cabo-Verdiana_ (1933) which features 10 mornas by himself and a text which explains its ideas about Cape Verdean music. A few works about Africa were made by Augusto Casimiro, one of them was _Ilhas Crioulas_ (_Creole Islands_) published in 1935 which was set in the archipelago and may be considered the last ingredient for the creation the review a year later. Manuel Lopes, Baltasar Lopes da Silva, better known as Osvaldo Alcantarâ and Jorge Barbosa founded a review known as _Claridade_ in 1936 which would relate to Cape Verdean independence, originally a newspaper, it would settle for a magazine. The first book published with Claridade was _Arquipélago_,[3] published in 1935, others would later be published including _Chiquinho_ in 1947, _Chuva Braba_ in 1956 and _Os Flagelados do Vento Leste_ in 1960. Claridade shut down its doors. Similarly, the same literary magazine released literary seeds that would germinate in other major Cape Verdean publications, such as, _Certeza_ (1944), _Suplemento Cultural_ (1958), two after independence including _Raízes_ (1977) and _Ponto & Vírgula_ (1983). _Certeza_ was first published in March 1944 and made a milestone in Cape Verdean literature, it was a review that featured a literary work made by a female, the review was banned by the censor in January 1945.[4] Not long after Claridade was founded, António Aurélio Gonçalves published his first work titled _Aspecto da Ironia de Eça de Queiroz_ in 1937. Henrique Teixeira de Sousa later became an icon of Cape Verdean literature. Cape Verdean born Italian Sergio Frusoni published poems and short stories in Cape Verdean creole in that time. Jorge Barbosa also wrote _Caderno de um Ilhéu_ (An Islander's Notebook) in 1955 which won the Camilo Pessanha Award, the first Cape Verdean book to be awarded. Aguinaldo Fonseca was the forgotten poet, though his poems were published in “Linha do Horizonte” collection in 1951.

At the time, writers like Manuel Lopes would be linked to resistance movements. Some writers were exiled to some European countries in the years before independence.

After independence and modern literature

Cape Verde became independent on July 5, 1975. Cape Verdean literature began to flourish further, the work _The Island of Contenda_ was published in 1976. Writers like Henrique Teixeira de Sousa, Gabriel Mariano and others continued to write and publish after independence. Mariano also wrote books that were about some earlier great Cape Verdean writers. Germano Almeida wrote _O dia das calças roladas_ in 1982, _The Last Will and Testament of Senhor da Silva Araújo_ in 1989 which mixes humor with cruel realism, sometimes pathetic, in a modern writing favoring the free indirect style. It was later made into a movie in 1997. He later wrote on the History of Cape Verde titled _Cabo Verde: Viagem pela história das ilhas_ in 2003. His recent works are main set in around Mindelo including _De Monte Cara vê-se o mundo_ in 2014, not long after the bay was the fifth most beautiful in the world.

Also at the time, more libraries opened in the 1980s and the early 1990s as the nation's literacy rate was steadily rising, between these, the libraries of the National Assembly of Cape Verde, the Bank of Cape Verde and other ministries, Biblioteca Municipal Jorge Barbosa in Palmeira on Sal Island, Santo Antão and other institutions[5] Construction of the National Library of Cape Verde in Praia started in the late 1990s and opened in 1999. Later, the Brazilian Cultural Center in Cape Verde opened in Palmarejo in the south of Praia, Santiago Island and has books related to Brazil.

Literature written by female writers also began to flourish including Eileen Barbosa, Yara dos Santos, Vera Duarte and some others. Vera Duarte, she was the first Cape Verdean woman awarded, she was awarded the U Tam'si Prize for African Poetry in 2001.[6]

Modern writers includes Manuel Veiga, Germano Almeida, Arménio Vieira, Mito Elias (who was also a painter) and some others. Arménio Vieira wrote _O Poema, a Viagem, o Sonho_, published in 2009 which later won the Camões Prize, the only literature written in Cape Verde to be awarded by that award.[7]

In June 2007, a CD titled _Poesia de Cabo Verde e Sete Poemas de Sebastião da Gama_ was released by Afonso Dias; it features notable Cape Verdean poems.[8]

Writers

-   André Álvares de Almada
-   Germano Almeida
-   Mário Alberto Fonseca de Almeida
-   Orlanda Amarílis
-   Eileen Barbosa
-   Jorge Barbosa
-   B. Leza (Francisco Xavier da Cruz)
-   António Pedro Cardoso
-   Fausto Duarte
-   Mário José Domingues
-   Daniel Filipe
-   Vera Duarte
-   Silvino Lopes Évora
-   Manuel Ferreira
-   Corsino António Fortes
-   Arnaldo França
-   Sergio Frusoni
-   António Aurélio Gonçalves
-   António Januário Leite
-   Leão Lopes
-   José Lopes
-   Manuel Lopes
-   Baltasar Lopes da Silva
-   Luís Romano de Madeira Melo
-   João Cleófas Martins
-   Ovídio de Sousa Martins
-   Karin Mensah
-   Yolanda Morazzo
-   Ivone Ramos
-   Yara dos Santos
-   Artur Augusto da Silva
-   Tomé Varela da Silva
-   Onésimo Silveira
-   Henrique Teixeira de Sousa
-   João Vário
-   Manuel Veiga
-   Arménio Vieira

Poets

-   Pedro Corsino Azevedo
-   Terêncio Anahory
-   Jorge Barbosa
-   Amílcar Cabral
-   Corsino António Fortes
-   Sérgio Frusoni
-   Baltasar Lopes da Silva (Osvaldo Alcântara)
-   Yolanda Morazzo
-   José Lopes
-   Manuel Lopes
-   Aguinaldo Fonseca
-   Gabriel Mariano
-   João Cleofas Martins
-   Ovídio Martins
-   António de Névada
-   António Nunes
-   Oswaldo Osório
-   Virgílio Pires
-   Onésimo Silveira
-   Eugénio Tavares
-   José Luís Tavares
-   João Vário (Timóteo Tio Tiofe)
-   Vadino Velhinho
-   Arménio Vieira
-   Arthur Vieira
-   Teobaldo Virgínio
-   Leão Vulcão

[1] Treaty Between the Rivers of Guinea of Cape Verde , by André Álvares de Almada, enumerator: José Manuel Garcia, 2006

[2]

[3] Barbosa, Jorge. _Arquipélago_ Mindelo: ICL, 1935.

[4] Eugene Tavares _Littératures lusophones des archipels atlantiques : Açores, Madère, Cap-Vert, São Tomé e Príncipe,_ (_Lusophony Literature in the Atlantic Archipelagoes: Azores, Madeira, Cape Vede and São Tomé and Príncipe_, L'Harmattan, 2009, p. 217

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title: Literature of Cape Verde

question: What is the traditional demonym for objects originating in Cape Verde

answer: Capeverdean

question: What was the first work banned in Cape Verde?

answer: Certeza

question: What languages are the majority of works published in Cape Verde?

answer: Capeverdean Creole, French, Portuguese, and English

question: Which writers participated in resistance movements?

answer: Some were Manuel Lopes, Baltasar Lopes da Silva, and Jorge Barbosa

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses the history of literature in Cape Verde, and how that was affected by the nation's colonial roots and its independence movement. It lists several influential authors, as well.


text:
Sherman Pine wondered why he hated his life. On paper it was perfect. He had more than anyone could ask for, and had built it from nothing. He’d taken the high road, worked hard and perceived through adversity. He had never stooped to the level of those who had stood in his way, it was something he prided himself on, his moral compass. He was a loving father, in a picture perfect marriage. He had the house, the two cars, the loving dog. A stable career, was nearly his own boss, had supportive coworkers. He had his health, his hair, and had never gone to bed hungry a day in his adult life.

He wanted to kill himself.

It was a feeling that had crept upon him year after year. He pushed it aside every morning, focusing on his next step, where he was going; his big plans. He focused on raising his beautiful daughter, being there for every big moment, and most of the little ones. He’d laid out steps to create the best career he could, and had followed them to the T, and it had led to success and security. He’d met his one True Love, and it had been straight from a story book; the fights had been fleeting, they never went to bed angry, and even after nearly 30 years of marriage they still reveled in each other, that passion had never ceased.

He wanted to kill himself.

Nothing was lacking in his life, this was the proverbial American Dream™, surpassing even his own expectations that had formulated in his head at a young age. He’d done it all himself, and had done it the “right” way, no cheats or shortcuts, never stepping on another for his own gain. His moral compass stayed strong. He’d been tempted; one of his first memories was seeing a hundred dollar bill fall out of a stranger’s wallet at the age of ten. He had spoken up, they had picked it up, stuffed it in with all the others. A young boy can do a lot of things with a hundred dollars, but Sherman had never hesitated. It was that memory he went back to time and time again, whenever he was tempted. His moral compass stayed strong.

He wanted to kill himself.

He’d stayed healthy, rarely drank, had never touched any drug. Except those darn coffee beans he would say with a smile, when the subject had come up. His daughter had left for college, and he had told her that this was her time, that he would love her no matter what her choices were, but to please be careful. She’d seen his honesty when he told her with a smile Except those darn coffee beans and she had taken it to heart. He knew she wouldn’t stay as straight and narrow as he had been, he knew it was a different time, he was okay with her trying The Pot, or whatever kids were doing these days. He trusted her, and she loved him for it. She’d been there for two years now, but visited frequently, always bright and cheerful, so beautiful, always smiling.

He wanted to kill himself.

He never said the words aloud. He convinced himself his wife had no idea, but sometimes as they sat in silence watching whatever was on the TV she would look at him with a question in her eyes. “Are you okay?” But she never said the words aloud. If he caught her gaze (he always knew, but would only sometimes turn his head to meet her eyes) she would blink in surprise and then peck him on the cheek. She trusted him, she loved him, if there was pain there he would tell her. And why would he feel any pain? They had everything. Why did he feel like he had nothing?

He wanted to kill himself.

It was becoming his mantra. He tried harder and harder to push it away, but the stronger he pushed, the louder it became.

HE WANTED TO KILL HIMSELF.

He could remember the thought coming when he was younger, but he had replaced it with his work. As he climbed higher it came back, but he replaced it with his first and only Love. As they settled into their life together it came back, but he replaced it with the love for his child. As she grew older it came back, and he could not think of anything to put in its place. He looked to the future and saw nothing but sadness. He looked to the past and could only remember his mistakes. The pain in his heart grew, and he truly believed he had nothing to live for.

He was going to kill himself.

He stood on the bridge at 3am. He looked down at the darkness below. Somewhere down there the river twisted and rolled, as cold as his heart. His mind raced, backwards and forwards. To the things he had left unsaid, to the pain he would cause everyone in his life if he took one step forward. He thought of the world he lived in, that was slowly falling apart. His American Dream™ had kept him alive, but that dream was finished, he had woken in a nightmare. It was a nightmare of isolation and separation, of bigotry and misunderstanding, of looming doom.

He closed his eyes, raised his foot.

The cold breeze caressed his face. It gave him pause, and he opened his eyes. The clouds parted for only a second, but light from the quarter moon cut through them like a knife. The night lit up, both from the sky and the street. His thoughts stopped, his heart raced. In that moment, the world was beautiful. The moon illuminated the waves far below. The street lights reflected in the fog, halos forming around each bulb that hummed softly. The wind danced around him, only made visible by the leaves that slowly circled towards the cold river. The night was beautiful.

His mind was silent.

He felt an almost indescribable feeling in his chest, a tingle that started at the base of his neck and spread quickly throughout his entire body.  He had never felt anything like it; not when he said “I do” – his thoughts on the wedding night to come; not when his baby girl first opened her eyes and smiled at him – his mind concentrating on holding her the right way and the responsibilities to come; not even in the dull glow that comes after he made love to his Love – thinking about their plans for tomorrow as he drifted off to sleep. He had never felt this energy in his being before; he had never had his mind fall silent before.  The night around him was beautiful, but ordinary. It was full of magic, but nothing had changed. He had opened his eyes to a new world that was inseparable from the old. It had always been there; right there, right in front of him, present, but he had always had his eyes elsewhere. Looking to what came next, or what had already happened.  How could he have never realized before? Even if he had nothing – which was far from the truth – he had the most wonderful gift. It was one that everyone had but few acknowledged, a gift that sat in plain sight but was rarely opened. He was here, now. He saw the beauty in the world.

He felt Joy.

title: Sherman Pine (OC, x-post r/fiction, unedited)

question: What does the story say about what may make Sherman a good person?

answer: Sherman has taken the high road, worked hard, and never taken a short cut in his life. He was a loving and attentive family man. He prided himself in his moral compass and how strong it stayed. This is exemplified in a memory from when he was very young. He found a hundred dollar bill and returned it to its owner instead of claiming it for himself.

question: Summarize the relationship between Sherman and his wife.

answer: Sherman and his wife, his true love, had been married for 30 years. Sherman saw their relationship as having been straight from a story book, a picture perfect marriage where the passion never ceased. Despite this, he believed his wife had no idea about his suicidal ideations, and how their relationship had once been a distraction from them. She would often silently ask if he was okay, but believed if there was pain he would tell her. She trusted and loved him.

question: What does the text say about suicidal ideations?

answer: Despite Sherman's seemingly perfect life, thoughts of suicide had been creeping in since he was young. He would push them away and focus on something else, but distractions only kept him from this thought for so long. The thoughts of suicide eventually become so strong that it becomes his mantra. His pain and sadness grow, and he decides to actually go and kill himself.

question: Summarize the story's resolution.

answer: Sherman goes to a bridge at 3AM with the intent to jump off. However, he opens his eyes and sees the beauty of the world in front of him. This causes his thoughts to cease, and gives him an indescribable feeling he'd never felt before. He realizes that this feeling had always been in front of him, but in this moment he is finally able to feel real joy.

question: What does the story say about friendship?


text:
A Second Month of Internet Deprivation Weapon Pack
By Billyro (who is impervious to all possible damage by now)

Description
This mod adds six new weapons to the game: three swords, two daggers and a mace. Two of the swords can be converted from one handed to two handed at any forge.

So yeah, it happened again. I live in Australia, and the NBN (Nation Broadband Network) is being rolled out across the country. It happened in my area, and I wanted to make the switch. My previous ISP was utterly moronic, and stuffed the switch up so much that it left me without internet for 3 weeks - this pissed me off so much that I got a refund and quit the contract! Then I signed up with a new ISP, who also couldn't get it to work, and they sent a technician to the house about a week after.

The technician had a look at it, thought, "hmm, perhaps it's still on ADSL instead of VDSL", and then went outside to check. Sure enough, that was the issue, and he fixed it in 5 minutes. IT ONLY TOOK 5 MINUTES. And I had to wait a MONTH for a 5 minute job.

Did I froth with rage and lumber around the house looking for things to stare disapprovingly at? Yes, yes I did. And I also made some weapons.

As with the previous pack, you can find these scattered around the world, and should stumble across them through normal exploration. Or, you can check inside the spoiler for location details...

The textures range from 2K-4K, depending on the weapon. The poly count of the meshes is pretty low (usually between 500-2500 depending on the mesh complexity - about the same as vanilla weapons) so they shouldn't hurt your performance much.

Statistics are generally around ebony-tier, so they'll make for good mid-to-late-game weapons. Prices vary across the weapons, but they're not too valuable.

Some of the weapons use vanilla scabbards because I couldn't be bothered to make custom ones.

Video in the spoiler tab!

Compatibility
This mod should be compatible with everything. If one of the locations a weapon is in has been altered by another mod, the worst that will happen is you'll probably just find it on the ground or something.

Installation
Copy the contents of archive to your Skyrim\Data folder. Activate the .esp(s) in the Skyrim launcher. That's it! Alternatively, you can download with NMM and activate it through that.

Permissions
Please don't redistribute this mod. If you wish to use these weapons in a custom mod, please let me know beforehand.

The Dark Arthurian Sword was based on Tristan de Dois' sword from the BBC show Merlin. I made it via request.

Changelog
v1: Initial release

Credits
Humus, for his cubemap bases (nissibeach and maskonaive).

3DS Max 2016, NifSkope, Paint.NET and CrazyBump - the tools I used to make this mod.

OMFrostWolf, for making a DSR Patch.

Jokerine, for making me a "quick cell" which also turned out to be ideal for screenshots.

question: What does the mod add?

answer: Six new weapons to the game.

question: What kind of new weapons are added?

answer: Three swords, two daggers and a mace.

question: Where does the author live?

answer: Australia.

question: Where can the swords be converted from one handed to two handed?

answer: At any forge.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The authors describes a new mod they made for Skyrim and also their internet woes.


text:
Charlie's eyes opened to the world he had been living everyday. His skin was now warm on the bed sheets that were under him. Today was another day off from work and he hoped to use the best of it. He considered using the bathroom for starters, but he was too tired at the moment to act on it. Instead his mind began to run and the insides of his ears began to itch.

Charlie had no idea why his ex girlfriend appeared in his thoughts.  Lustful visions indulged him for a while. He could see her breasts being exposed as if she was taunting him, or her in this very bed of his wrapped around him in love. Ha, love. If he was the same young man a year ago, he'd be crying right now. He'd be curled up in a ball, begging for the fake memories to cease. It didnt matter much now. He was forgotten, and long distance was the joke he fell for.

Yet he was desperate.

College came into his mind now. He realized come September he “should" be at school of some sort. Making music was his passion, but he never knew if he really wanted to pursue it. Family pushed him off the edge all the time and told him things he already knew. His music style was much different than the popular flow of things. In the end, Charlie sometimes wished he would disappear. Till then, his music would have to do.

Headphones now on, he listened to a song he was familiar with. Melodies calmed him down a bit. Not some stupid katy perry gaga beiber song, oh no. The stuff that counts. He closed his eyes as trumpets sang and beats rolled on. He sighed as double bass pedals rumbled and beautiful symphonic strings took his soul away.

“Good morning world." Charlie whispered to himself. “Another day to fend for my life."

And his day began.

title: Good Morning Charlie

question: Why did his ears begin to itch?

answer: Unclear may be that he was itching to listen to music

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Charlie wakes up ready to begin another day. His mind wanders to his ex girlfriend though he's not sure why. As he continues to lay there he thinks about how come September he's supposed to be in some sort of school. Despite his passion for music, he isn't sure what he wants to study.


text: It's 5:00 AM when Barney's alarm goes off on his clock.  Instinctively, he slammed his hand on the clock and set the alarm off for another five minutes.  "Hey, honey, you should probably wake up."  A soft and tired sounding voice says.  Barney glances over at his wife Olivia.  "Huh, oh, yeah, thanks honey."  Barney says, looking back over and feeling the nightstand for his glasses.  He brushes his hands across the table, and here's a soft clicking noise on the ground.  "Ugh"  Barney groans.  "Here honey, let me get those for you."  Olivia says, getting out of bed.  She slowly and tiredly walks over to the other side of the bed.  She bends over and picks up Barneys glasses.  "Thanks babe."  Barney says, fixing his glasses over his eyes.  "Now you'd better get going, baby, or else you'll be late to work."  Olivia reminds him.  "Ok, thanks hun."  Barney says leaning in for a kiss from his wife.  They peck each other on the lips, and Barney turns and walks into the closes.  He changes out of his pajamas into his suit.  "Hey honey, which tie should i wear today, the blue one, or the red one?"  Barney asks Olivia.  "You know i always thought that red tie looked sexy on you, baby.  Wear that one."  Olivia replies, not bothering to look up.  Barney fixes the tie around his neck and ties it.  Barney walks out into the hallway outside their bedroom.  Barney looks at the clock.  He immediately perks up as he reads the clock.  "6:00!?  Honey, why'd you let me sleep in so long!?"  He yells to his wife.  "I'm sorry babe, you just looked so cute sleeping there."  She responds.  Barney sighs.  He quickly walks down the stairs.  He slipped his shoes on, tightened his tie one last time, opened the door, and stepped out onto his porch.  He quickly walks over to his car.  He pulls his car keys out of his inside pocket.  Already the sun was beginning to heat up his dark black suit.  He opens the driver door and gets in.  He jams the keys into the ignition and turns it.  The motor roars, then quits down.  Barney adjusts the mirror so he can see himself.  He strokes his stubble of a beard and slightly adjusts his hair, then looks behind him and begins to back out.  His tires bump on the gutter.  He steers so he turns left, and begins to drive.  "Thank god work is just a block or two away."  Barney says to himself.  He takes a left turn, then a right turn, then stops at a small house building.  He gets out of the car, and walks up to the front door.  Glancing behind his shoulder, Barney knocks on the door three times, then rings the doorbell twice, and inserts one of the keys on his key ring into the lock, turns it, and pushes the door open.  Four armed guards await him inside.  "Nice to see you Barney, we'll just scan your ID card, check you for weaponry, and you can go right on ahead.  One of the guards says.  "Alright, nice to see you to."  Barney replies.  He shows them his ID.  One of the guards scans it, then tells him to step through the metal scanner.  Nothing serious happens.  "Alright Barney, you're free to go.  By the way, Amy said they made a serious breakthrough."  the guard standing near the scanner says.  "Ok, thank you, i'll go talk to her."  Barney says.  He walks into an elevator.  "Please scan."  A woman's voice in the elevator says.  Barney places his eye's up against a scanner.  "Welcome Barney."  The voice says.  The elevator door closes, and begins going down.  Some boring elevator music plays in the back round.  Barney taps his feed and whistles.  Suddenly, the elevator lurches to a halt.  "Final destination.  Have a safe day."  The woman's voice says.  Barney steps out of the elevator into a grayish metallic room.  "Ah, Barney, great thing your here!"  A woman with dark black hair says.  "Yeah, Rick told me upstairs that you figured something out."  Barney replies.  "Oh my god, yes!  Look at this!"  The black haired woman says.  She presses a button and a metal wall opens up, revealing Andrew, one of Barneys colleagues, standing in a small pod.  "What is Andrew doing in there!?  I thought the rapid transportation tube was off limits after what happened to Johnn!?"  Barney exclaims, butterflies in his stomach.  "It was, until we figured this out, watch this."  The black haired woman says, pressing a button.  The Rapid Transportation tube, or RTT, begins to spin.  Faster and faster it spins until a loud shocking sound and a bright flash occurs, and when Barney looks back and Andrew is gone.  Barney stares for a while.  "Where did he go?"  He says, worry in his voice.  "Amy, where did he go!?"  Barney says, looking at Amy.  Amy sat there with a grin on here face, her hands locked together.  Suddenly, another loud shock and a flash.  When Barney looked this time, Andrew was back.  "See, it still works.  But better yet, it allows you to travel through TIME!"  Amy says excitedly.  "What, no way!"  Barney says.  "Andrew, is this true?"  He says, turning to Andrew.  "Hell yeah it is.  You wanna give it a spin?"  Andrew says, getting out of the RTT.  "You better believe it!"  Barney says, rushing to the door.  He inputs the code.  "Five...  Nine...  Seven...  Two..."  He says.  The door slowly opens, and Barney steps in.  "It's all yours, man."  Andrew says, stepping out of the room.  Barney steps into the RTT.  "Alright Barney, when and where do you want to go.  It should only last for a while.  Maybe three minutes."  Amy says.  Suddenly, the sound of gunshots through the vent silences the room.  "What the hell was that?"  Andrew says.  "I...  I don't know."  Amy says, rushing over to the intercom.  "Hello, whats going on up there?"  Suddenly, the elevator door opens.  Three men step out.  One is wielding a black painted AK-47, one pumps a SPAS-12, and the one in the center lifts up a Type 88 LMG.  The lab is suddenly loud with gunshots.  Amy and Andrew both crumple to the floor.  "Nooo!  You fuckers!"  Barney yells.  The AK-47 wielding terrorist looks up.  "Oh, look at the little nerd inside his toy."  He walks over and looks at the console.  "Hey, how much you wanna bet i can make this thing blow up?"  He says.  "You bastard!"  Barney yells.  "Eh, 20 bucks."  The SPAS terrorist says.  The man with the AK lights up the console.  Suddenly, the RTT begins spinning rapidly.  Faster than it should.  Barney can't take the spinning anymore.  He begins to feel faint.  Darkness closes in on him.  Faster and faster he spins, until eventually, all is dark.

title: [SF] Nothing went according to plan at all. [PART 1]

question: Summarize Barney's day.

answer: Barney snoozes his alarm and falls asleep again. His wife nudges him awake and gets up to help him with his glasses. She also helps him pick a tie. He realizes he is late when he is on his way downstairs. He goes directly to his car and drives to work. Barney goes through security at work and takes the elevator down to his lab. Amy made a breakthrough with the RTT - it could travel through time. Barney goes to try it out. Terrorists attack the lab killing his coworkers. Barney is helpless. The terrorists shoot the RTT and it starts to spin way too fast.

question: List all the parts of this story that does not go to plan.

answer:
1. He wakes up late for work.
2. He can't get his glasses from his bedside table.
3. He has stubble and his hair is unkempt.
4. Terrorists attack the lab and kill his coworkers.

question: Summarize the scene where the terrorists enter the lab.

answer: Barney steps into the RTT. Gunshots ring out. Suddenly, the elevator door opens. Three gun-wielding men step out. They start shooting around the lab, Barney's coworkers are shot. Barney is helpless to save them. The terrorists shoot at Barry in the RTT. The RTT starts spinning faster and faster. Faster and faster he spins, until eventually, all is dark.

question: Why does the terrorists attack the lab?

answer: It is not clear from the text. The answer will probably be in the next part of the story.

question: What does the RTT do?

answer: Rapid transportation tube. The team at the lab discovered that a person can time travel with it.

question: What is a SPAS-12?

answer: It is probably a rifle that is being used the terrorists.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: Barney is late for his high security work. When he arrives he hears that his coworkers found a way to time travel. He goes to try it out. But the lab is attacked by terrorists before he can do so. The terrorists attack the time machine with Barney inside. It spins faster and faster until everything goes dark.


text:
Published 21st Dec 2015

No one should be alone on Christmas Day - that's the message from one Ayr cafe as they prepare to give back to vulnerable locals.

Fullerton Cafe on Fullerton Street in the town will be serving up soup and sandwiches to the elderly and homeless and will also be handing out presents to those who would otherwise have no one on Christmas day.

Our reporter Natalie Crawford spoke to Manager Gayle Wilson...

-   Local News

question: Who is the Ayr cafe giving back to?

answer: To vulnerable locals, elderly and homeless.

question: When are the cafes giving back to the community?

answer: On Christmas

question: What is the message from the Ayr cafe?

answer: No one should be alone on Christmas Day

question: What will Fullerton Cafe be serving up?

answer: Soup and Sandwiches; along with handing out presents to those who have no one on Christmas Day

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer:
A news report mentions two cafes that will be giving back to the vulnerable on Christmas.
Fullerton Cafe will be serving up soup and sandwiches to the elderly and homeless. They will also be handing out presents to those who have no one on Christmas Day.


text:
Chris Vick says he was approached to be a 'promoter' in the ANC's so called war room project, but declined the offer.

[Picture: Supplied]

 | 1406 days ago

JOHANNESBURG - As more details emerge about what's claimed to be an African National Congress (ANC) plan to create fake twitter conversationsand a TV programme that would claim neutrality, media consultant Chris Vick says he was asked if he would take money for tweets and re-tweets.

On Tuesday it emerged in court papers that PR company owner Sihle Bolani is suing the ANC for over R2 million saying she worked for the party's covert unit.

But the ANC has completely denied the claims saying it did not sanction any such unit and doesn't owe her any money.

Vick says he was approached to be what was called a promoter in the project, but he declined the offer and said it appeared to be very disorganised.

  I was "approached". I declined. https://t.co/Zm4hp6urCl

  — Chris Vick (@chrisvick3) January 24, 2017

  They were complete amateurs. We didn't get into detail - just that they would pay for tweets and retweets. I don't roll that way. https://t.co/2Nj5dfnQRn

  — Chris Vick (@chrisvick3) January 24, 2017

Bolani says she was employed by this unit.

“There were numerous meetings and numerous attempts to get the money, there were different agreements in place.”

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is furious at what looks like an attempt by the group to create a fake EFF poster

“That would mean they do not respect democracy that they always say they secured for South Africa.”

ANC General Manager Ignatius Jacobs has also admitted in court papers that he offered Bolani nearly R1 million to settle the claim.

He once claimed to be bringing a monorail to Gauteng before being removed as the province's transport MEC.

_LISTEN: Sihle Bolani speaks out on ANC ‘War Room’ saga_

KAY SEXWALE

The ANC's Gauteng advisor Kay Sexwale says she has never been involved in a controversial so-called ANC war room ahead of the elections and is shocked to see her name being mentioned as one of the organisers.

Sexwale says she is shocked by what she calls fake claims.

“Whatever it is that may or may not have happened is not something I would have been involved with, because I don’t advise the national ANC.”

(Edited by Neo Koza)

question: What would it mean if the ANC in fact did attempt to organize a fake twitter conversation and TV program?

answer: That they do not respect democracy and are willing to manipulate the populace.


text:
[This is about open communications and the two biggest opportunities we have to disconnect as an organization; when we are overwhelmed by growth and when we are losing traction.]This is about open communications and the two biggest opportunities we have to disconnect as an organization; when we are overwhelmed by growth and when we are losing traction.  The first is easier to rationalize than the second but that doesn’t make it right…‘everyone’s so busy, I don’t want to pull them away from their priorities, we’re having such a great run I can’t imagine anyone has any concerns.’  And the second…‘they can see for themselves what’s happening, I just don’t have any good answers right now, let’s hold off a while longer, maybe we’ll have better news.’

My perspective in sharing these thoughts is derived from manufacturing and distribution environments where personal communications can be constrained by distance.  And, circumstances may not be any different in office and campus settings.  If we’re not front and center questions are bound to arise.

A number of years ago a machine operator came up to my office wanting to talk.  He wandered a bit but eventually focused on the new Chevrolet models that had just been announced.  I really didn’t know much about them and gently pressed him to his point.  He knew things were slow in the plant and was actually testing the waters as to whether layoffs were coming and he should delay buying a new car.  Heard some of these?  ‘Who were the people that toured the plant yesterday, why have we shut down three lines, people are saying we’re for sale, is that true, is our medical insurance really going to be increasing by 42%?’

Not exactly skilled management when we get behind the curve!  Here are some of the things I’ve seen done or done myself to get ahead of it.

Tried and true:

• Never close your door; if you can’t talk now promise to get back to the employee before the end of the day and keep your promise!

• Don’t refer, make the referral yourself. Example – if someone has an HR question don’t send them to HR, ask HR to go to them.

• Always answer a question. It doesn’t have to be in five minutes and the answer can be ‘no.’ No answer at all suggests ‘you’re not important’ or you don’t need to know.

And a non-social media option – closed circuit breaking news.  A nice addition to breakrooms and lunch rooms.  Scroll on the screen who will be touring today, incoming orders, new customers, awards, exceptional performance, upcoming meetings and especially the thoughts for the day, always to include safety.

Perhaps one of the most effective communication techniques I’ve ever been part of…employee roundtables; one per month per shift or department.  Management attendance was limited to the president, the COO and the director of HR joined by the first 7 to 8 interested employees.  There was always food, no rigid time constraint, and no subject off limits unless we were prohibited by active legal proceedings.

The expectation was that questions would surround ‘business’ matters, ‘how are we doing financially, is our bully competitor still trying to steal our customers,’ and on.  Instead, initially the queries were more parochial, ‘are we still looking at cushioned floor mats, will machine #36 ever be repaired, are we trying to find a better tape for packaging, can we add another vending machine?’  What an opportunity – and we seized on it, taking corrective action wherever we could and reporting it out, sometimes through closed circuit news.

The word spread and the process matured nicely.  We first primed the pump with such things as ‘does anyone want to ask about the plans for a new warehouse’ and soon enough our roundtables became all inclusive.  We talked about the GOOD AND THE BAD.  A moment not to be forgotten; a participant whose work colleague had been terminated for failing a drug test floated the idea that our policy should be amended to allow two strikes.  The management participants were all prepared to respond but we were boxed out before we could speak!  The employee’s peers pounced on his suggestion aggressively insisting they were not about to work around motion equipment being operated someone who had tested positive.

Lesson learned: stay connected, the ROI makes it all worthwhile.

Read more: The Value Of Key Stakeholder Feedback For CEOs

question: What does the author intend to teach the reader?

answer: The author is attempting to teach the reader about how to manage employees at General Motors Plants. They give a number of concrete pieces of advice about how to reach employees. They also discuss their experience with employee roundtables, giving examples of how well the process worked for them in the past. The overall message is about reaching employees on a human level.

question: What kind of news is the person in management attempting to break to his employees, and what does it imply about GM's welfare?

answer: The narrator is clearly dealing with complex financial issues relating to whether new plants will open and whether plants will close, and is aware of the concrete effect this will have on employee's lives. However, employees are often more concerned with day-to-day practical activities. When employees come and ask about  whether the plant is for sale, it implies that GM may have been having trouble keeping plants open or is experiencing financial difficulties — perhaps as a consequence of the 2008 market crash.


text:
-   Key left-leaning voices are backing away from Obama.
-   Such moves could signal a broader preference cascade away from the president.
-   New reports about Benghazi could push voters to reconsider trust in Obama.

Last week, I speculated that we may be seeing a "preference cascade," as people who previously supported Obama now feel safe about publicly changing their minds. It seems that we're seeing more of that this week as word of the Benghazi debacle spreads. The Obama campaign no doubt hopes you'll be distracted from this by hurricane news, but that's probably a vain hope on its part.

[President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign stop in Ohio. ]
On the left, the defections are mounting. Last week, I spoke to Camille Paglia about her new book on art history, but she also stopped to explain why she wasn't voting for Obama this time: basically, disappointment. She said he ran as a moderate, but has been "one of the most racially divisive and polarizing figures ever. I think it's going to take years to undo the damage to relationships between the races."

She was also unhappy with the Libya intervention -- which admittedly hasn't turned out well -- and with the ongoing drone attacks, as well as the way ObamaCare turned out. She says she'll vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein, whom I interviewed here a while back, instead.

Others on the "progressive" side are coming out, too. In _Salon.com_, longtime netroots activist Matt Stoller makes "the progressive case against Obama." Stoller's case is largely economic. He writes of the new ordering created by the Obama administration's interventions: "The bailouts and the associated Federal Reserve actions were not primarily shifts of funds to bankers; they were a guarantee that property rights for a certain class of creditors were immune from challenge or market forces." He's right, and there are some Chrysler bondholders, and non-UAW pensionholders who can attest to that firsthand.

In _The Atlantic,_ Conor Friedersdorf writes "Why I Refuse To Vote For Barack Obama." "I'd have thought more people on the left would regard a sustained assault on civil liberties and the ongoing, needless killing of innocent kids as deal-breakers." Well, lefties complained more under Bush, but some are unhappy.

For more moderate voters, the problem is simpler: Obama just hasn't delivered. We spent about a trillion dollars in borrowed money on a "stimulus" that was supposed to keep unemployment under 8%-- and got unemployment above 8% for almost every month of Obama's presidency. Much of that money seems to have gone to ill-conceived "green" energy projects like Solyndra or Abound Solar that were, conveniently,runor owned by majorObama contributors. None seems to have produced much in the way of jobs.
Then there's the other promise: That our Ivy League-educated President would bring us a more competent administration than that dumb cowboy Bush.

But competence hasn't been much on display, and the revelations involving the seizure of our consulate in Benghazi and the death of our ambassador look awful. Repeated calls for increased security were ignored before the attack, and once the attack was underway, no aid was sent. As I write, the Administration denies this and is trying, squid-like, to escape amid a cloud of ink. But with Obama's approval suddenly dropping in the polls, it seems that the story is leaking out, as the father of one of the slain asks who gave the order not to save his son.

Now some 2008 Obama voters are moving away from Obama, while McCain voters aren't moving toward him. And people of all political persuasions seem to be more comfortable criticizing Obama. Jimmy Carter -- who looked on-track to beat Ronald Reagan for most of 1980 -- experienced a similar last-minute collapse borne of combined domestic and foreign-affairs ineptitude.

Is it a preference cascade yet? We'll know next week.

_Glenn Harlan Reynolds is professor of law at the University of Tennessee. He blogs at_InstaPundit.com.

_In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions from outside writers, including our_Board of Contributors.

question: What is adding fuel to the preference cascade?

answer: Word about the Benghazi debacle is adding fuel to the preference cascade.

question: What were Camille Paglia's opinion on Obama?

answer: She said he was one of the most racially divisive and polarizing figures ever.

question: What is the overall disappointment that this article states voters had with Obama?

answer: Moderate votes said the Obama did not deliver during his presidency.

question: Which party voices are leaning away from Obama?

answer: Key left leaning voices are steering away from voting for Obama.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses the disdain that left leaning voices have about Obama and how they will not be voting for him again. The Benghazi debacle and how it was handled further shows how Obama does not deliver.