text:
CHAZ BEASLEY (born October 24, 1985) is an American attorney and politician in Charlotte, North Carolina. Beasley represents District 92 (part of Mecklenburg County) in the North Carolina House of Representatives and was elected to his first term on November 8, 2016.[1]

Early life

Chaz Beasley was born in Statesville, North Carolina, and grew up in a low-income, single parent home.[2]

Education

Beasley graduated as valedictorian of Newton-Conover High School in 2004, with high honors in economics from Harvard University in 2008, and from Georgetown Law School in 2013, during which time he also coached youth basketball at a small grade school.

Career

Currently an associate with the law firm of Moore & Van Allen, Beasley works in finance, focusing on capital markets transactions, representing financial institutions in corporate and structured debt financing.[3][4] Before that, Beasley served on the staff of the United States Senate Majority Leader and as an employee of the law firm Alston & Bird. He also interned for judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Supreme Court of North Carolina. During the financial crisis of 2008, he performed risk management in the residential mortgage industry.

Beasley also volunteers with local organizations and serves on the boards of multiple nonprofit organizations.

Politics

Beasley has been elected twice (in 2016 and 2018) as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, serving the people of District 92.[5][6]

In 2019, he announced his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina in the 2020 election.[7] Beasley came in fourth place on March 3, 2020, with 18.86% of the vote.[8]

Personal life

Beasley lives in the Steele Creek area of Charlotte.

[1] State Board of Elections

[2] Ron Brown Scholar Program

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6] State Board of Elections

[7]

[8]

title: Chaz Beasley

question: Who is Chaz Beasley?

answer: an American attorney and politician in Charlotte, North Carolina

question: Who does Beasley represent?

answer: District 92 in the North Carolina House of Representatives

question: When was Beasley elected into the North Carolina House of Representatives?

answer: In 2016 and 2018.

question: Summarize Beasley's candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina.

answer: In 2020, Beasley came in fourth place for Lieutenant Governor with 18.86% of the vote.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Chaz Beasley is an American attorney and politician in Charlotte, NC. He has been elected in 2016 and 2018 into the North Carolina House of Representatives. In 2020, he came in fourth place for Lieutenant Governor.


split: train

text:
	I sat alone on Loser's Day, a Thursday; Doug was out of commission.  The surly sun sat sheltered behind the woods, and threw my window only a few gobs of light at the hour.  A fuzzy TV droned and captured my tired, besotted eyes, there, in the cervix of teenage overstimulation.  Behind me, an empty bottle sat half-covered by the bedskirt, paying homage to a dead friend.

	The math book was insistent in its intrusion, perched upon my dresser.  I loved it so, and yet, now monetized, now someone else's, I couldn't quite look at it squarely.  No one fell behind at Swindell, and I had to keep working, pounding all the knowledge in, for the next fellow was working harder-

	A quiet ringtone.  I cringed.  Fuck.  The math book had betrayed me; no eyes, please.  I rolled back to the nightstand and took the call.

	“Hey, what are you up to, love?”

	I bit my lip.  Caitlyn?  No, no, no, some asshole...

	“Who is this?”

	“Your worst nightmare.”

	“Ohhh...”

	“No, no, listen, you piece of shit.  I've got two girls in the car.  Be ready in five minutes.  Wear something cute.”

	I hung up.  The Duke, Cassius.  The very King himself was inviting me; I needed to cash in on the rare opportunity.  A white T-shirt, the Bluetones, and some other clothes- my belt- my phone- and uh...what else?  I whirled around, the hum of the ceiling fan grinding my bowels into something not fit for His Holiness.

	Two girls in the car...too nice...the condoms!  That was it!  I dug around and pulled out the crumpled purple box, grabbed four or five and stuffed them into my pockets.  Then I hustled downstairs and waited for the unexpected arrival.

	The sun came higher, the air heating up in anticipation of this high school hero they called the King.  I waited uncomfortably, prepared for his usual lateness.  The car flashed.

	He rolled down the window.

	“Elliott?  Elliott, fuck...”  He laughed.  “Get the fuck in.”

	I obliged.  The girls were nowhere to be seen.

	“Uh, Duke...you said-”

	He howled with delight.  “Dropped off Mary Anne, you know how it is, I got down and dirty.   But then she started bitching, had to be home and Charisse went with her.  Jesus fucking Christ, Elliott, you don't know, I tried so hard to keep one of 'em here for you...”

	We tore off.  He burped loudly, and asked me to put some music on.  I fumbled with the docking station, but found some rap I thought he'd like.  A smile crept across the King's face.  He was Duke to his face, Cassius Steeple, but others styled him the King to his great satisfaction.  Or when he wasn't within earshot, His Holiness, the one you don't turn down.  He was unrelenting in his coolness, an unexaggeratedly religious figure to the high school popular crowd, but still neurotic and compulsive enough to fit in with the downtrodden, to make love to the crooked-faced chemistry student and burn the leaf in a dank apartment, deep in the heart of Southbridge.

	I relaxed around the King, a character always fearless and never to be feared.  He sped dangerously down a wealthy road, unquestionably bound for the built-up urban complexes miles away from where I lived.  The King had a special fondness for every girl this side of the water tower, but on weekends, he was a free jack, free to screw the shop attendant and her visiting niece from the city.  I shivered with the excitement that I, too, might ride the King's wave of sexual excitation, that I might pick up whatever dregs he left me in his endless hedonistic quest.

	“The thing is, we've got to get you ready, Elliott.  We've got to get you ready for those Swindell chicks.  I hear they'll do anything.  You going to be the rooster?”

	I grinned and nodded.

	“I'm glad, Elliott.  The most important thing is-” he coughed- “the most important thing is that you're ready for college chicks.  You need to take the opportunity to find out what the inside of a vagina looks like before the end of this summer.”

	He screeched into a parking lot.  The creamery was open, but was I in the mood?  It didn't matter- Cassius dictated everything here.  The passenger door flung open and I gasped for air in the sudden heat, the earth spinning beneath me in the wake of His Holiness's roadway impropriety.  We walked in like best friends.

	Rita Kunz presided over the counter.  When she caught sight of the King, the change in her was immediate.  Her face flushed as she narrowed her eyes and bit her lip.  She swayed slightly and crossed her legs, bending slightly further towards us.

	“We can't serve you,” she smiled, looking through me at her dream object.  Her eyelids fluttered, and she gave her thin brown hair a quick twirl.

	“That's great- I wasn't expecting you here, either,” he said dismissively.  Rita covered her embarrassment with a deeper smile.

	She fondled her apron and leaned back from the counter.  “I'm going on break.  You can deal with someone else.”  After she turned, Cassius shot me a grin.

	Rita disappeared behind a door, and her assistant came to fill our orders.  Cassius chuckled quietly to himself, and furrowed his brow.  Something devilish came into his eyes as he turned; I was caught in his line of sight.  “Do you have money?” he inquired.  A wave of some dispirited feeling washed over me.

	Blondie Memaine scooped the ice cream this time, the pecans and vanilla beans sliding gracefully into her spoon as she prepared the King's dessert.  To me, she'd been the epitome of grace in high school: a slender and elegant diver, capturing the school record for whatever the hell with the butterfly.  Blondie was off to college, back again this semester, actually: all accounts indicated that she had enjoyed her first year immensely.  But to the King, it wasn't the grace, rather the result that counted.  The dessert in this case.  She'd been a fine one, His Holiness insisted, on multiple occasions.

	We ate, and he jetted off to some sacred locale.  I wasn't invited.  I waited on the curb with my thumb up, and wondered if the problem was my own.

title: The Strawberry Blonde

question: Explain what makes Cassius Steeple so cool?

answer: He hangs with everyone, from the most popular crowd to the downtrodden. He is very lucky with the ladies and seems to want to share his wealth with Elliot.

question: What does Elliott want?

answer: To lose his virginity before the end of the summer.

question: Describe the journey Elliott and The King take together.

answer: Elliott gets in the car with The King and they  drive to a creamery where Elliott pays for them to eat and then The King goes somewhere else, leaving Elliott to hitchhike home.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Elliott gets taken on a trip to a diner with the most popular guy in school who has multiple monikers including Duke, The King and Cassius Steeple. They talk about girls and get dessert. Duke eventually abandons Elliot and he has to hitch-hike home.


text:
The _KĀWĀLĀ_ ( or ; also called _SALAMIYA_, ) is an end-blown cane flute used in Arabic music. It is similar to the _ney_ but has six finger holes, while the _ney_ has seven (including one in the back). The _kawala_ comes in up to nine different sizes, according to the _maqam_.

The kawala is a single reed Egyptian flute that is played by blowing through its end. Though very similar to the ney, a highly popular flute in traditional Middle Eastern music, the kawala does not have a hole in the back as the ney does. The kawala has the fundamental tonal structure customary among the Egyptian folk music community, and the basis for many folk melodies, instrumental or vocal.

The kawala is hollow and has four knots, with six fingerholes in a straight line along it. The instrument has up to nine different sizes, according to the scale required in a musical composition. Most often played today at religious festivals and weddings, it has its origin as a shepherds tool, used to guide their flock. For this reason the seems to assist in any musical composition that contains a “call-and-response” sequence.

Players

Ahmed El Arnab is considered one of the most prestigious kawala players in Egypt and worldwide. Living in a small village of Sharqia governorate in Egypt, he has been traveling worldwide playing with many Egyptian sufi singers, including Sheikh Yassine Al-Tohamy and other western composers. He also regularly participates in national folklore carnivals (Mawlid) all over Egypt. He is one of the oldest surviving players in Egypt whose unique signature is the ability to produce various sound effects on the instrument using the circular breathing technique.

Ibrahim Shahin – who used to play in Mawawil – was another well-known Egyptian kawala player. He was an internationally travelled musician who once played regularly at events in his village and at larger shows in Egypt.

Technique

Sound is produced from a kawala by blowing into its upper (mouth) opening with a technique known to instrumentalists as circular breathing. With this technique, a musician breathes in through the nose while retaining a reservoir of previously inhaled air in his puffed-out cheeks, controlling its output to achieve an even and continuous flow of air while continuing to inhale regularly through the nose. This technique is similar to that used with the bagpipe, and has the effect of producing a long, continuous, even tone from the instrument.

The kawala is unique among other instruments in that both a scale and a glissando can be produced, which allows the musician the flexibility to play any note and thus any key, granting tonal flexibility. The uses of the kawala have been generally confined to religious chant. However, gradually the instrument has come to be used in other areas of folk music, and has gained a foothold in every corner of Egypt.

Production

The maker of the kawala selects his reeds while they are still in the earth, and scoops out the inside, hollowing them out so that they stop growing taller but instead grow thicker and harder. The reeds are left in the earth until they are ripe for harvest, at which point they are culled and left in the sun to dry out completely. Then comes the stage of dividing each stalk into segments of four knots each, starting at the thinner end, so that a musician gets (in order) a leading pipe and a following pipe in a 1:2 ratio (two follower pipes for each leader). The maker is careful to select the leader and its follower from the same stalk so as to ensure uniformity in the color of the tone. The internal divisions that divide the reed into chambers at each knot from the inside are then removed, resulting in a hollow pipe open at both ends. Any excess is then trimmed away, together with the remainder of the internal divisions, for a smooth, even interior texture.

title: Kawala

question: What are the musical properties of the kawala?

answer: It's a single-reed flute played by blowing through its length, starting at the top. It has six fingerholes and four knots and comes in nine different sizes - one for each "maqam". The instrument is played with a technique known as circular breathing, which requires the player to keep some air in their cheeks while simultaneously breathing in and blowing in an even flow to enact a continuous note. The kawala is a unique instrument because it can produce both a scale and a glissando, which gives it a lot of flexibility.

question: What does the article say about how to make haunting music?


text:
The light turned red. I slammed on the brakes, and was in turn slammed into my seatbelt as my BMW M3 slowed. my bumper stopped only inches short of the crosswalk, and a group of half-stoned teenagers cursed at me as they jumped back. I waved impatiently and revved my engine. The straight-six roared, like a savage creature under the hood was waiting to be unleashed. As soon as the light switched, I popped the clutch and the roadster shot forward. Five seconds later, I was roaring down the country road at sixty miles an hour. Loud as the engine was, however, it was drowned out by the screaming in my head. Because, truth be told, I was running away. Away from my home and my wife and everything I knew, with nothing in the trunk but a tire iron and a suitcase with clothes for three days. The last words she had spoken to me as I threw jeans and shirts into my bag rang in my head. “Bastard!” She had called me as I ran out the door, a glass of whiskey nearly missing my skull. “Shithead!” “Asshole!”  She said, over and over again in my head. Much as I tried to dredge up a memory, any memory of her that didn’t involve having profanity and heavy things thrown my way, I just couldn’t. So I ran. I ran to the driveway and my M3, throwing my suitcase in the back, banging my head on the opened trunk. I jumped in and turned on the engine and drove away and... Holy shit!

The deer seemed to take flight, nearly missing the hood of my car as it ran into the woods. I shook my head and tried to concentrate on the road. By now, I realized, I was far into the mountains, farther than I had ever been. I had missed the turnoff which led to the interstate, and was heading deeper into the Arkansas highlands. The road was smoother now, but there was fog creeping onto the sides. I kept my high beams on to watch for deer, and opened my windows. The engine screamed through the straight pipes and, spurred on by the sound, I upshifted into fourth and took off, my tires rumbling and squealing over the asphalt. The road widened to four lanes, and just in time, because just as I came around a blind corner, there appeared an old Ford truck. As I came up behind it, I could hear its old engine straining to get up the hill. I flashed my signal and passed the old wreck and crested the hill. As I did, a set of headlamps flashed in my rearview. I flinched  as the lights disappeared behind me, only to flash again as the car they were attached to crested the hill a few hundred yards behind me. I looked over my shoulder to identify the car, but its lights suddenly turned off. Then I saw the Ford roll over the hill. Or, more accurately, what was left of the Ford. It was skidding on raw rims, its tires shredded and sparks flying in a grotesque fireworks display. The man behind the wheel had been blown away with a 12-gauge, and his blood obscured the windshield. The old truck flipped once as it slid off the road, landing in a thicket and catching fire as its gas tank ruptured. Over the cacophony of the crash, I heard the throaty growl of a big V8 through straight pipes. Even louder, though, was a banshee-like scream. Both were growing louder, and I decided to make my getaway. I planted my foot on the gas, and accelerated away. Even as my M3 put down its 333 horses, I could hear the other car coming on fast. I hit the brakes as I rounded a turn, and the shrieking only grew louder. As I came out of the turn, I got my first look at my pursuer. The car was a jet-black 1967 Camaro SS, its sliver racing stripes shining in the light of the full moon. The headlights abruptly came back on, and I could see skull-shaped cutouts over the lamps, throwing eerie white silhouettes on the road behind me. I cursed and dropped down a gear, my engine screaming as the car jumped forward. The Camaro shrieked as it accelerated. It had a monstrous hood scoop, and a silver glow emanated from inside. The muscle car swerved left, and came alongside me. I gunned my engine again, and pulled ahead. Then, and God help me for doing it, I saw the driver.

His head was smoky grey skeletal, with white fire blazing in his empty eye sockets. He wore a matte black firesuit, a skull-and-crossbones insignia adorning the shoulder. I looked, horrified, into the face of Death, and my vision tunneled. In a split second, I saw my family and friends standing by my graveside, growing older and dying before falling into the open pit. I blinked, but a vision of my wife appeared. She held a flaming stick, and cursed me as she swung it at my head. I screwed my eyes shut once again, and the shrieks of my dead friends were replaced with the banshee-scream of the supercharged car beside me. The death’s-headed driver looked at me and smiled, his moon-bleached teeth as bright as welding torches. He raised a black sawn-off shotgun, and I turned away, shifting into high gear and accelerating away. The Camaro was hot on my heels, but I could hear the wailing of his supercharger recede as I powered down the straightaway. His V8 roar mixed with the hair-raising sound of his supercharger,  but my car was faster through the corners, and I took full advantage. I could see Death, his evil, hollow face twisted into an angry grimace as he slammed on the gas. I hit the next corner hard, drifting around the hairpin as my rear tires spun and cried out in protest. I could hear myself cursing and screaming in abject terror as my tail end almost hit the guardrail, but I managed to recover and my tires miraculously regained traction. My straight-six belted out its gravelly song and, emboldened, I mashed the clutch and upshifted just as Death’s Camaro cleared the turn. He let his V8 do its work, putting down what had to be 500 horsepower, but I had the advantage this time. Looking down the road, I saw another hairpin corner leading into a long, winding descent. I stood on the brake and put the clutch in, sliding smoothly through the turn, and let the clutch out as I opened the throttle. My M3 screamed down the mountainside, leaving Death in the dust. I didn’t slow down for ten minutes, when the lights of my small town appeared around a shallow turn. I looked behind me and saw the black Camaro, stopped about a mile back, smoke coming out of its hood scoop. Death stood regally in the moonlight, his arm up in a terrifying salute. I turned the corner and, when I next looked back, the car and its driver had disappeared.

I arrived back at my small house, and pulled the M3 into the driveway. I climbed out, a grin on my face. After all, I had just faced down Death and won. How bad could a whiskey-throwing woman be?

title: The High Drive

question: What is the narrator running away from?

answer: His wife.

question: What does his wife through at the narrator?

answer: A whiskey bottle.

question: Who does the narrator see when the car is chasing him?

answer: Death.

question: Where does the narrator drive to?

answer: The Arkansas mountains.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
The narrator flees his house when his wife throws a glass of whiskey at him. He drives into the mountains, and there encounters a a killer who had just shot another man. This killer pursues him, and the narrator sees the personification of
 Death beside his car. However, he manages to outdrive his pursuer, who crashes his car and dies, and the narrator returns home to confront his wife.


text:
“Ohhh god.....” Sighed Steven, collapsing down into bed.

Stevens girlfriend cuddles up from behind him and asked the mandatory, “Rough day at the clinic?”

“Ha, that’s one way to put it.”
“Is it the stress getting to you? Or is it someone specific?” Dian’s thoughtful words were comforting as always to Steven, but it seemed to him something else lay behind them. Possibly guilt, he diagnosed. He decided that he’s address it later.

“Well there’s this one guy, he’s really just a pain in the ass, I guess.” Steven’s heart rate quickened ever so slightly thinking about it, and Dian took notice, giving his hand a comforting squeeze.

Steven continued, “This guy is so frustrating to work with. I can deal with mental issues, I mean, I completely understand him, but it’s just such a rare case. It’s defiantly schizophrenia, no doubt about it, but this specific guy just seems like he was designed for some sort of final exam back at... School.”

Dian nodded encouragingly, showing far too many signs of guilt for his liking. What had she been up to? Doesn’t she know she can’t get away with anything while dating a psychologist? Maybe she’s cheating.

“Steven?” She asked, breaking the extended silence.

Steven decided to keep going with his story anyway. “Right, sorry. As I was saying, this specific schizophrenic patient of mine seems like too perfect a case. This guy, along with having countless imaginary “friends,” actually believes that he’s a psychologist.”

“Oh.” Was the only response Dian had. If it was one of his colleges, Steven supposed he would have gotten at least a laugh. But that ‘Oh’ seemed to contain more than just guilt; now it seems to have manifested some fear as well. Steven officially decided that it was time to figure out what was going on.

“Dian, is there something wrong? Something you need to tell me?”

“Well...” She started, “I guess I always knew this day would come.”

Steven was confused. “What do you mean Dian, do you know many schizophrenics? You can’t know more than I do.” Steven smiled at his own little bit of humor.

“Never mind. I meant nothing by it.” Dian reassured.
Sometimes, Dian almost seemed foreign to Steven. Almost. “Um... Alright then, I guess I’ll go on. So this guy took one look around my room, and instantly asked me why I was sitting in his chair. Ha! His chair! Of course I had been told of his condition beforehand, so I willingly moved to the patient’s chair. But this is when it got bad. As I was supposed to be analyzing his mind, he started interviewing me! I could barely get a question in!”

“Uh-huh.” Agreed Dian. Nearly silent now.

“All I figured out was that he thought he had a girlfriend. Not a word about abuse, neglect, and only a few thoughts on his feelings. But back to the girlfriend, this is when it got weird. I swear that in the one glance around my room, he must have memorized everything he saw. He called his “girlfriend” Dian! He must have seen your picture on the desk, because he described you perfectly! His short-term memory must be amazing, because he went on to talk about my college degree and he even called himself doctor Ste-... Dian? Are you alright? Why are you crying?”

The warm dampness of Dian’s tears was spreading on the sleeve of his shirt. Funny, he thought he had taken off his work jacket. That was probably why he was so uncomfortable, and probably why Dian was refusing to be held.

“There’s no reason to cry Dian, it’s just a man who has something wrong with him.”

Dian let out another sob. “I’m not crying because of him, it’s you!”

Steven thought then. Had he done anything to upset Dian? Not that he could remember.

“Dian, why are you crying?”

“I’m not.” Said Dian. And she was right. But where were those tears coming from? My eyes. I’m crying, thought Steven. But why am I crying?

“Because it’s all falling apart.” Said Dian. No, said Steven. NO! Get it right! I just said that!

“And why is my shirt SO tight?” Steven- No- I just yelled out to the world! To whoever was beside me, as it obviously wasn’t Dian!

“I think she’s cheating on me.” The other Steven had told him. “It makes me mad, because she should know that I can tell she’s guilty!” But I just thought that minutes ago!

“NO!” I yelled, straining against-

“-these infernal straps! Dian now gone, I finally opened my eyes to look for her! Where is my bed?!?! I yelled, for now I was in my office. I can see Dian’s photo from where I lay. Still in the patient’s chair.”

title: Steven

question: Who is Dian?

answer: It is clear that Dian exists in Steven's mind and he has a photo of her so she must have existed in life but it is unclear whether she even knows he exists.

question: Does Steven know that he is mentally ill?

answer: He seems to know at least some of the time. The fact that he describes the situation to Dian suggests that he does. His tears at the end are possibly also a sign that he fears for his mental condition.

question: Why does Steven think that Dian may be cheating on him?

answer: Perhaps the Dian in his mind is based on a person that once he loved and who subsequently cheated on him. This would explain his possession of the photograph.

question: Is he only dreaming?

answer: This is a strong possibility. Right through the story I thought that he was mentally ill but only on the third read did I wonder whether it was all just a bad dream

question: Write a ~11 sentence summary.

answer:
Steven’s girlfriend Dian asks him about his day at the clinic? He’s a psychologist. He thinks that there might be something else behind her words – guilt perhaps?

He tells Dian about a particularly perturbing patient who is schizophrenic, lots of imaginary friends and believes he is a psychiatrist. Steven thinks that Dian looks really guilty, maybe having an affair. She seems fearful.
Steven describes how this guy walked into his rooms and then asked him why he was sitting in the doctor’s chair. So, Steven moved to the patient’s chair. The guy then started to question Steven and was able to describe everything about him including Dian.

He tells Dian to stop crying and then he realizes that the tears are his. He’s strapped in his chair in the office and Dian’s photo is still on the patient’s chair.


text:
“Hey, dad.” I said slipping into the barstool next to him. I slapped him on the shoulder and cupped my hand around the beer he had ordered while waiting for me. I took a long sip.

“What's up, dude?”

'dude' it's been my dad's nickname for me for as long as I can remember.

“Not much,” I said and we settled into a chat about work and politics and news. The normal launching off point for us. Syria is screwed; people aren't smart enough to govern themselves; did you hear about this new band; my manager is an ass. It was the normal stuff we talked about. Everything external, everything observational and opinionated. We never really talked much about how we were feeling. Rarely was a word spoken about aspirations or desires. We talked about the absolute instead.

The conversation started to petter off after we covered all of the major news points and new revelations that have happened since the last time we did this. We sat in silence for a little bit, but it was a comfortable silence. One that felt more like being surrounded by complete, utter stillness not some vacuous empty; one that doesn't need or even want words; a clarifying moment of simply being there; not posturing or posing for the other person, but simply settling into a comforting complete sense of being.

My mind started to wander as we sat there. Nowhere far away. My mind simply meandered around the edges of the conversation we just had and studied the connections there between us and my father. Suddenly I was struck with a memory. One from a long time ago when I was probably 10 or so. It was a memory I've had a million times before, one of those floating fragments of life that remind us we were alive before yesterday. I realized it was a memory that I had been having more and in in recent weeks.

“Hey, dad?” I said uncomfortably pushing my glass onto it's edge. Just to the point where the beer threaten to dribble out onto the bar top, but not quite.

“What's up, dude?”

“Do you remember when I was a kid and you bought me a bow and arrow? You know, that one from the indian reservation or where ever it was we always went on school trips?”

He laughed a little, lost in fog. “Of course. You were so excited for that thing. You had me tape a target onto a cardboard box and set it up in the backyard as soon as we got home. You wouldn't take no for an answer. I couldn't stop you even though the sun was about to go down and you weren't going to be able to see shit.”

We both smiled a little; realizing in our own ways just how long we've been friends and reveling in that wonderful realization that between the both of us, by combining our two memories, we were forming a sort of tangible three-dimensional view of that old reverberating thought. It was like that chilly night was happening again. I could smell the honey suckle that grew across the edge of the yard and the chemical smell of chlorine drifting on the breeze from our neighbor Joy's pool.

“Do you remember what happened after you set it up?” I broke eye contact with him and broke our parallax recreation of the far off evening. For some reason I was anxious about what he might say. Or, maybe not anxious, but scared.

He searched through the drawers of his memory for a moment. His eyes flicked upward as he flipped through the card catalogue filled with millions of shards of shared life that we had in the backyard, but, finally conceding, “no,” he said.

“It's weird. I don't know why, but I do. In fact it's been on my mind a lot lately and I can't figure it out.

“You set up the target for me in the back of the house, near that old tan and orange rusty swing-set. You got the box positioned right between the two swings on the ground. You walked up to me, reminded me to be safe and went straight in the house.

“I took a few shots at the target. The arrows whizzed by the box not leaving a mark. I looked around at the darkness that started across the lawn.

The light was turning all purple and orange. That old tree I used to climb, I think it was a japanese maple. You know, the one with the red leaves. They sparkled so bright that time of night. But by this point that wonderous light was starting to fade into a relaxed deep purple. I looked around, but I wasn't watching the sunset, I was looking for you. It had been a few minutes since you went inside. I figured you'd come right back out, but you didn't. You just sat down and had a beer. You sat down with mom, and maybe one of her friends, at the kitchen table and had a beer. I think it was a beer. And even though that is such an inconsequential decision for some reason, me, as a child, was heartbroken by it.

'I walked over to the box and plunged the arrow right into the bullseye. I picked up the box. I walked over to the house. I swung open the kitchen door and I said 'Look! I got a bullseye.'

I thought this would get you out of the house, get you to come outside, convince you to come play with me but it didn't. You congratulated me, patted my head. All the things that can reasonably be expected from a dad. Maybe you made a joke about me being the next Robin hood. Mom and her friend hemmed and hawed. But it wasn't enough.

'I think, after that, I broke down and cried. It all gets fuzzy. All I remember clearly after that is the disappointment, but I think I cried. I don't know if you saw it. I don't even know if it happened. Maybe that's just what I remember now.”

I looked at my dad. He looked deep in thought, like he didn't know what to say. I kept going.

“And what I just realized, right now while I was telling this story, is why i've been thinking about that memory so much lately. That's still what i'm still doing every day. But now it's not a box in the backyard I'm using, it's my whole life. I do it with my career and with my hobbies. I do it with my girlfriends and with my tone of voice. I think it's why I work so hard. I think it's why I've been so successful. And do you know what the bitch of it is? I still don't know if that's a good thing or not.”

title: Bullseye

question: Summarize the reason for the narrator's ambition.

answer: He still carries the disappointment of the lack of interest from his father when he was a kid.

question: What could've been different for the narrator without the disappointment?

answer: The sadness wouldn't be there, but there's no reason to expect the narrator wouldn't be as ambitious or successful still.

question: Explain the narrator's reasoning in sticking the arrow to the bullseye.

answer: He thinks being able to hit a bullseye could make his father interested in him enough to play together. He assumes the lack of interest is due to his lack of success.


title: The Strawberry Blonde

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: A teenage boy named Elliot is the narrator.

question: What is the relationship between the narrator and The Duke, Cassius?

answer: The Duke is the most popular, coolest kid at school. It doesn't seem that they're friends, but more that The Duke is doing Elliot a favor of bringing him along on his adventure.

question: Do The Duke, Cassius and the narrator interact with other characters?

answer: They go to a ice cream shop and The Duke talks to Blonde Memaine, a young, attractive worker. He leaves with her, leaving Elliot behind.

question: Is there any conflict in the story? Is it resolved?

answer: There really isn't any conflict.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: A teenage boy named Elliot picks up his phone to discover The Duke, the most popular, coolest kid at school is calling him. The Duke tells him to meet him in his car in five minutes. Elliot is thrilled to hang out with him. He grabs condoms in the hope he'll get to pick up whatever dregs The Duke leaves him. They go to an ice cream shop where The Duke flirts with Blondie Memaine; they leave together, leaving Elliot behind.


text:
The OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINES (), formerly known as the Bureau of Justice, is an independent and autonomous office attached to the Department of Justice. The OSG is headed by Jose Calida.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

The Office of the Solicitor General is the “law firm” of the Republic of the Philippines. The Solicitor General is the principal law officer and legal defender of the Republic of the Philippines. He shall have the authority and responsibility for the exercise of the Office's mandate and for the discharge of its duties and functions, and shall have supervision and control over the Office and its constituent units.[7] He also determines the legal position that the government will take in the courts and argues in virtually every case in which the government is a party. It is tasked to represent the people of the Philippines, the Philippine government, its agencies, instrumentalities, officials, and agents in any litigation, proceeding, or investigation before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.[8] When authorized by the President, he shall also represent government owned or controlled corporations.

History

Attorney General

Act No. 136 dated June 11, 1901, which became effective on June 6, 1901, created the position now occupied by the Solicitor General. Under Section 40 of this Act, the Attorney General, as head of the Bureau of Justice, was vested with the powers and functions of today's Solicitor General. At the time, the Solicitor General was second only to the Attorney General in the office the former would eventually head. Appropriately, Section 41 of the Act required an “officer learned in the law” to assist the Attorney General. This law specifically provided that “it should be the special duty of the Solicitor General to conduct and argue suits and appeals in the Supreme Court, in which the Philippine Government is interested.”

Meanwhile, a few months after the Bureau of Justice was created, Act No. 222 was passed, establishing the Department of Finance and Justice. The Bureau of Justice was placed under the supervision of a new department. Act No. 2666 would later divide the department into a Department of Justice and a Department of Finance. Under this law, the Attorney General and Solicitor General continued to represent the Government in the Supreme Court and lower courts.

Secretary of Justice

Act No. 4007 which was enacted in 1932 abolished the position of Attorney General. His functions were taken over by the Secretary of Justice. The Act also named the Solicitor General as the head of the Bureau of Justice. The Assistant Solicitor General, a position created by Act No. 683 of 1903, became second in command of the Bureau.

As a result of the rapidly burgeoning number of cases involving the Government, the Solicitor General after independence was constrained to concentrate on advocacy and court appearances. The functions which the Bureau of Justice used to have were gradually transferred to newly created offices and divisions of the Department of Justice.

Solicitor General

Executive Order No. 94 of 1947 renamed the Bureau of Justice as the Office of the Solicitor General. Subsequently, the legislature passed R. A. No. 335 in 1948 to confirm this change and to provide for a First Assistant Solicitor General who would be the second highest official in the Office.

A succession of laws relieved the Office of the Solicitor General of some of its burdens. Section 1660 of the old Administrative Code previously provided that the head of the Bureau of Justice “shall have general supervision and control over provincial and city fiscals (now prosecutors) and attorneys and over other prosecuting officer throughout the Philippines.” The Office of Special Prosecutors, which the Solicitor General formerly headed, was later converted into a Division of Special Attorneys by R.A. No. 311 of 1948. The Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, which was headed by the Solicitor General under Executive Order No. 392 of 1950, became a separate office in the Department of Justice by virtue of R.A. No. 2327.

From a motley staff of one Solicitor General, an Assistant Solicitor General and a handful of assistant attorneys in the 1900s, the Office of the Solicitor General has grown throughout the years. In accordance with E.O No. 292, the Administrative Code of 1987, the Solicitor General was assisted by fifteen Assistant Solicitors General and more than a hundred Solicitors and Associate Solicitors, who are divided into fifteen divisions. In 2006, with the passing of Republic Act 9417 or the OSG Law, the Office has expanded to thirty (30) legal divisions with a corresponding increase in the general and administrative support personnel and provision for ample office space. Each lawyer at the OSG handles an average of 800 cases at any given time. Aside from the paper chase involved in appealed cases and original petitions before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, a Solicitor General or Associate Solicitor has to match wits with the best lawyers of the country in countless trials."[9]

Powers and functions

The Office of the Solicitor General has the following specific powers and functions:

1.  Represent the Government in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals in all criminal proceedings; represent the Government and its officers in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and all other courts or tribunals in all civil actions and special proceedings in which the Government or any officer thereof in his official capacity is a party.
2.  Investigate, initiate court action, or in any manner proceed against any person, corporation or firm for the enforcement of any contract, bond, guarantee, mortgage, pledge or other collateral executed in favor of the Government. Where proceedings are to be conducted outside of the Philippines the Solicitor General may employ counsel to assist in the discharge of the aforementioned responsibilities.
3.  Appear in any court in any action involving the validity of any treaty, law, executive order or proclamation, rule or regulation when in his judgment his intervention is necessary or when requested by the Court.
4.  Appear in all proceedings involving the acquisition or loss of Philippine citizenship.
5.  Represent the Government in all land registration and related proceedings. Institute actions for the reversion to the Government of lands of the public domain and improvements thereon as well as lands held in violation of the Constitution.
6.  Prepare, upon request of the President or other proper officer of the National Government, rules and guidelines for government entities governing the preparation of contracts, making of investments, undertaking of transactions, and drafting of forms or other writings needed for official use, with the end in view of facilitating their enforcement and insuring that they are entered into or prepared conformably with law and for the best interests of the public.
7.  Deputize, whenever in the opinion of the Solicitor General the public interest requires, any provincial or city fiscal to assist him in the performance of any function or discharge of any duty incumbent upon him, within the jurisdiction of the aforesaid provincial or city fiscal. When so deputized, the fiscal shall be under the control and supervision of the Solicitor General with regard to the conduct of the proceedings assigned to the fiscal, and he may be required to render reports or furnish information regarding the assignment.
8.  Deputize legal officers of government departments, bureaus, agencies and offices to assist the Solicitor General and appear or represent the Government in cases involving their respective offices, brought before the courts, and exercise supervision and control over such legal officers with respect to such cases.
9.  Call on any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the Government for such service, assistance and cooperation as may be necessary in fulfilling its functions and responsibilities and for this purpose enlist the services of any government official or employee in the pursuit of his tasks. Departments, bureaus, agencies, offices, instrumentalities and corporations to whom the Office of the Solicitor General renders legal services are authorized to disburse funds from their sundry operating and other funds for the latter Office. For this purpose, the Solicitor General and his staff are specifically authorized to receive allowances as may be provided by the Government offices, instrumentalities and corporations concerned, in addition to their regular compensation.
10. Represent, upon the instructions of the President, the Republic of the Philippines in international litigations, negotiations or conferences where the legal position of the Republic must be defended or presented.
11. Act and represent the Republic and/or the people before any court, tribunal, body or commission in any matter, action or proceeding which, in his opinion, affects the welfare of the people as the ends of justice may require; and
12. Perform such other functions as may be provided by law.[10]

Organizational structure

Under Republic Act No. 9417, there shall be at least thirty (30) legal divisions in the Office of the Solicitor General. Each division, permanently headed by an Assistant Solicitor General, shall consist of ten (10) lawyers and such other personnel as may be necessary for the office to effectively carry out its functions. Lawyers in the OSG hold the following ranks: Senior State Solicitor, State Solicitor II, State Solicitor I, Associate Solicitor III, Associate Solicitor II, and Associate Solicitor I.[11][12] The law likewise dictates that the Solicitor General shall have a cabinet rank and the same qualifications for appointment, rank, prerogatives, salaries, allowances, benefits and privileges as the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals; an Assistant Solicitor General, those of an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals.

The qualifications for appointment, rank, prerogatives, salaries, and privileges of Solicitors shall be the same as judges, specified as follows:

-   Senior State Solicitor – Regional Trial Court Judge
-   State Solicitor II – Metropolitan Trial Court Judge
-   State Solicitor I – Municipal Trial Court in Cities Judge

List of Attorneys General

  Name                   Position           Term of Office
  ---------------------- ------------------ --------------------------------------
  Lebbeus R. Wilfley     Attorney General   June 15, 1901-July 16, 1906
  Gregorio S. Araneta    Attorney General   July 17, 1906-July 1, 1908
  Ignacio B. Villamor    Attorney General   July 1, 1908-June 30, 1914
  Ramon Avanceña         Attorney General   July 1, 1914-March 1, 1917
  Quintin B. Paredes     Attorney General   July 1, 1918-June 30, 1920
  Felecisimo R. Feria    Attorney General   September 29, 1920-December 31, 1920
  Pedro T. Tuazon        Attorney General   January 1, 1921-June 30, 1921
  Antonio O. Villareal   Attorney General   July 1, 1921-November 12, 1925
  Alex A. Reyes          Attorney General   November 12, 1925-June 30, 1927
  Delfin J. Jaranilla    Attorney General   July 1, 1927-June 30, 1932

List of Solicitors General

  Name                         Position                      Term of Office
  ---------------------------- ----------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------
  Gregorio S. Araneta          Solicitor General             June 15, 1901-July 16, 1906
  Ignacio B. Villamor          Solicitor General             July 17, 1906-July 1, 1908
  George R. Harvey             Solicitor General             July 1, 1908-June 30, 1914
  Rafael Corpus                Solicitor General             July 1, 1914-December 31, 1916
  Quintin B. Paredes           Solicitor General             March 1, 1917-June 30, 1918
  César Fernando C. Bengzon    Solicitor General             July 1, 1932-June 30, 1934
  Serafin P. Hilado            Solicitor General             July 1, 1934-June 30, 1936
  Pedro T. Tuazon              Solicitor General             July 1, 1936-August 17, 1938
  Roman Ozaeta                 Solicitor General             August 17, 1938-June 30, 1940
  Sixto dela Costa             Solicitor General             July 1, 1941-June 30, 1945
  Lorenzo M. Tañada            Solicitor General             July 1, 1945-December 30, 1947
  Manuel Lim                   Solicitor General             December 30, 1947-June 30, 1948
  Felix Angelo Bautista        Solicitor General             July 1, 1948-October 20, 1950
  Pompeyo Diaz                 Solicitor General             October 20, 1950-November 10, 1952
  Juan R. Liwag                Solicitor General             November 10, 1952-February 9, 1954
  Querube C. Makalintal        Solicitor General             February 9, 1954-August 31, 1954
  Ambrosio B. Padilla          Solicitor General             September 1, 1954-December 30, 1957
  Guillermo E. Torres          Acting Solicitor General      December 30, 1957-June 30, 1958
  Edilberto Barot              Solicitor General             July 1, 1958-June 30, 1961
  Arturo A. Alafriz            Solicitor General             July 1, 1961-January 24, 1966
  Antonio P. Barredo           Solicitor General             January 24, 1966-June 30, 1968
  Felix V. Makasiar            Solicitor General             July 1, 1968-February 8, 1970
  Felix Q. Antonio             Solicitor General             February 9, 1970 -June 30, 1972
  Estelito P. Mendoza          Solicitor General             July 1, 1972-February 25, 1986
  Sedfrey A. Ordoñez           Solicitor General             February 25, 1986-March 4, 1987
  Frank C. Chavez              Solicitor General             March 5, 1987-February 25, 1992
  Ramon S. Desuasido           Solicitor General             February 6, 1992-July 5, 1992
  Eduardo G. Montenegro        Acting Solicitor General      July 6, 1992-August 10, 1992
  Raul I. Goco                 Solicitor General             August 11, 1992-September 22, 1996
  Silvestre H. Bello III       Solicitor General             September 23, 1996-February 3, 1998
  Romeo C. de la Cruz          Acting Solicitor General      February 4, 1998-June 8, 1998
  Silvestre H. Bello III       Solicitor General             June 9, 1998-June 30, 1998
  Ricardo P. Galvez            Solicitor General             July 1, 1998-February 15, 2001
  Simeon V. Marcelo            Solicitor General             February 16, 2001-October 16, 2002
  Carlos N. Ortega             Acting Solicitor General      May 13, 2002-June 7, 2002; October 21, 2002-November 10, 2002
  Alfredo L. Benipayo          Solicitor General             October 17, 2002-March 31, 2006
  Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura   Solicitor General             April 3, 2006-February 11, 2007
  Agnes VST Devanadera         Solicitor General             March 2, 2007-January 15, 2010
  Alberto C. Agra              Acting Solicitor General      January 16, 2010-June 30, 2010
  Jose Anselmo I. Cadiz        Solicitor General             July 29, 2010-February 3, 2012
  Francis H. Jardeleza         Solicitor General             February 6, 2012-August 19, 2014
  Florin T. Hilbay             Acting Solicitor General      August 20, 2014-June 18, 2015
  Solicitor General            June 19, 2015-June 30, 2016
  Jose Calida[13]              Solicitor General             June 30, 2016-present

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5] 1

[6]

[7] Section 34, Book IV, Title III, Chapter 12, of the 1987 Administrative Code

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11] Section 2 of Republic Act No. 9417

[12] 2

[13]

title: Office of the Solicitor General of the Philippines

question: Who is the current head of the office?

answer: Jose Calida

question: When was the position now occupied by the Solicitor General created?

answer: June 11, 1901

question: What happened as a result of Act No. 4007?

answer: The position of Attorney General was abolished and his functions were taken over by the Secretary of Justice, and the Solicitor General became the head of the Bureau of Justice

question: On average, how many cases does a lawyer at the OSG handle at a time?

answer: 800

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The Office of the Solicitor General of the Philippines is an independent and autonomous office attached to the Department of Justice. The Solicitor General argues in court cases in which the government of the Philippines is a party. The current head of the Office of the Solicitor General is Jose Calida.


text:
Damn Foggy Glass

He wore slim glasses, saggy blue jeans, and a dark grey long sleeve. At first glance you’d guess he's a 22-year-old Mexican guy with a sense of humor, but in reality he's a boring 26-year-old Japanese guy from Fullerton California, a suburban city east of LA. When he wants to talk he lunges toward you into a trap where you have no escape. You’ll stand there listening to his endless stories, which could be fake by its exaggerated nature. You’ll smile and laugh “ha, ha, ha” and you'll nod away till his dullness leaves the room, and only then are you allowed to take a nice deep breath of fresh air.

Though he has a sense of humor from which you can tell he has been around, the dullness of his character and the size of his ego can reality destroy any positive image of him. For the weak minded, he’ll engulf your every thought with the very image of a total badass, but in actuality he's just another douche bag that talks down to you like a schoolteacher does to small child. Sadly, his very nature is found among many people all over California, a man so sure he’ll make it big one day, a man with an endless encyclopedia of catch fraises, and stories that have been recycled over the countless people who listen to them.

For me, I have no choice but to listen to his grey stories because he is my roommate. A man I am forced to bond with because some asshole pared me up with him, and because without him ill be living in the bed of my truck at some parking lot, without free Wi-Fi, and a place to take a shit. The first day I met him he played broken classic rock covers on his guitar while I was trying to watch an episode of Seinfeld, and the only time he stopped was to recite Family Guy lines from an episode he was watching on his laptop.

A few months later I had a girl come over from work to have a few drinks. We fooled around every weekend and one day in particular I was cooking some dinner and I heard my girl say something, so I nodded my head in agreement oblivious to what she had said. I heard the shower running, so I assumed she was taking a shower. When dinner was ready I went to check up on her to find that she was fuckin’ my roommate doggy style, and all I could see was the blurry outline of two bodies fuckin’ through the foggy glass. So without hesitation I got shit faced drunk off some cheap beer, beat the shit out of the living room, and took a piss on the floor. Next thing I know my girl comes running out from my room dry as hell in some lingerie, and my roommate runs out the door of the bathroom with some hot chick wet and naked. As for me, I'm standing there with one hand on my dick, one hand holding a beer, and my pants to my ankles. I slowly raised my pants, got my few belongings, through down some money for rent and damages, and left without saying a word.

By the way my roommates name is Julian and he’s a cunt if there ever was one.

title: Damn You Foggy Glass

question: What relationship does the narrator share with the man?

answer: The man is the narrator's roommate.

question: What image does the narrator have of the man?

answer: The narrator thinks of him as a douchebag. He believes that although the man seems like he has a sense of humor, the dullness of his character and his who destroys his positive image.

question: Why does the narrator leave the house?

answer: While the narrator has a woman home. A confusing situation rises where the narrator thinks that his girl is getting physical with Julian (the roommate) while in reality, it's another girl. Out of anger, the narrator pisses on the floor of the living room. Julian and the two women witness this and the narrator leaves the house.

question: Explain how the roommate usually has a conversation with people.

answer: The narrator thinks that most of Julian's stories are well exaggerated. Julian lunges towards the person in conversation with and then stays in that position until the talk is over. There is no escape.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer:
Julian is the narrator's roommate. Although the narrator does not like him one bit, he still bonds with him because if it wasn't for Julian he would be living in the back of a truck.

Julian portrays a very positive image of himself but the dullness of his character and his ego destroy this image easily.

Months ago, the narrator had a girl over. Due to confusion, he thought that the girl was getting physical with Julian when in reality it was another girl. Out of anger, the narrator pisses in the living room. Julian and the two women witness the aftermath and the narrator packs his belongings and leaves.


text:
UMA CHARAN MOHANTY (born 1948) is an Indian meteorologist and an emeritus professor at the School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar.[1][2] He is the president of Odisha Bigyan Academy[3][4] and is known for his researches on the Indian summer monsoon.[5] Besides being an elected fellow of the Indian Geophysical Union, he is also an elected fellow of all the three major Indian science academies viz. Indian National Science Academy,[6] Indian Academy of Sciences,[7] and the National Academy of Sciences, India.[8] The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences in 1993.[9]

Biography

[IIT Bhubaneswar Main Building] U. C. Mohanty, born on 29 June 1948 in the Indian state of Odisha, graduated in science from Utkal University in 1969 and completed his master's degree in physics from the same university in 1971.[10] Subsequently, he enrolled for his doctoral studies at Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia and obtained a PhD in Tropical meteorology in 1978.[11] Returning to India, he started his career at the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar (IIT BBS) as a senior scientific officer, a post he held till 1992 when he was sent on deputation to the Department of Science and Technology as the joint director and head of the Research Division for a three-year term. On completion of his deputation, he returned to IIT BBS but stayed there only for three more years and joined the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) in 1998 as a professor at the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences. In 1998, he assumed the directorship of the Centre and served as a Higher Academic Grade (HAG) professor till his superannuation in 2013. On retirement, he returned to IIT BBS as a visiting professor and holds the rank of an emeritus professor.[12] Since 2013, he has also been heading the Odisha Bigyan Academy as its president.[13] He is also a former visiting scientist at the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre, Thailand[14] and is a faculty member at the University Network for Climate and Ecosystems Change Adaptation Research (UN-CECAR) of the United Nations.[15]

Legacy

[Monsoon over India] Mohanty is known to have done extensive research on Indian summer monsoon and his studies have assisted in widening the understanding of the phenomena.[16] He developed several numerical models and simulations for weather prediction and his experiments helped predict tropical cyclones, rainfall events, thunderstorms and snow storms in the region.[17] He overseas a team of researchers engaged in the study of coastal inundation with a view to develop Land-Ocean-Atmospheric Modelling System for predicting extreme weather events.[18] His studies have been detailed in several peer-reviewed articles;[19] ResearchGate and Google Scholar, two online repositories of scientific articles, have listed 270[20] and 323 of them respectively.[21] He has also co-edited a book, _Monitoring and Prediction of Tropical Cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Climate Change_, published by Springer Science+Business Media in 2013.[22]

Mohanty is a member of the Core Group on Floods of the National Disaster Management Authority[23] as well as the Scientific Review and Monitoring Committee (SRMC) of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology;[24] he was among the organizers of the National Symposium on Tropical Meteorology (TROPMET-2016) at the Siksha O Anusandhan University during 19–23 December 2016.[25] He was also involved in the organization of the 22nd State Level National Children's Science Congress held at KIIT International School in 2014 where he served as a judge of the congress.[26] He is known to have made over 45 international visits[27] and has delivered plenary or invited addresses at several conferences and seminars including the lecture on _Numerical Simulation of Track and Intensity of Orissa Super Cyclone-1999_ at the 5th International Conference on Information Technology in 2002,[28] the seminar on _Numerical Modeling of Land Surface Processes for Improved-Simulation of Extreme Weather Events over the Indian Region_ of 2014[29] and the _Colloquium on Recent Developments in Prediction of Tropical Cyclone and Associated Coastal Hazards_ of 2016,[30] both held at IIT Bhubaneswar, and the _National Workshop on GPS RO Techniques and Applications_ of 2015 held at SRM Institute of Science and Technology.[31]

Awards and honours

Mohanty received the Prof. M. G. Deshpande Award in 1984,[32] followed by the 12th MAUSAM Award of the _Mausam_ journal of the India Meteorological Department in 1989 and the Silver Jubilee Award of the Aeronautics Research and Development Board in 1996.[33] The Odisha Bigyan Academy presented him the Samanta Chandra Sekhar Award in 1999[34] and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research awarded him the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, one of the highest Indian science awards in 1993.[35] He received the Sir Gilbert Walker Gold Medal of the Walker Institute, UK in 2009[36] and the National Award in Atmospheric Science and Technology of the Ministry of Earth Sciences in 2013.[37]

The Indian Academy of Sciences elected Mohanty as its fellow in 1993[38] and the other two major Indian science academies, the National Academy of Sciences, India[39] and the Indian National Science Academy, followed suit in 1997 and 2015 respectively.[40] In between, he was elected by the Indian Meteorological Society (1999), Indian National Academy of Engineering (2010)[41] and Indian Geophysical Union (2010) as their fellows.[42] He also held the Senior Associate-ship of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics during 2002–09.[43]

Selected bibliography

Books

-

Articles

-   -   -   -   -

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

title: Uma Charan Mohanty

question: Who is Uma Charan Mohanty?

answer: An Indian meteorologist and emeritus professor at the School of Earth, Ocean, and Climate Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology.

question: What is he known for?

answer: For being the president of Odisha Bigyan Academy and for his research on the Indian summer monsoon.

question: Where did he study?

answer: Uktal University and the Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia.

question: What awards has he won?

answer: Prof. M. G. Deshpande Award, the 12th MAUSAM Award, Silver Jubilee Award of the Aeronautics Research and Development Board, the Samanta Chandra Sekhar Award, the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, and more.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Uma Chara Mohanty is an Indian meteorologist and emeritus professor at the School of Earth, Ocean, and Climate Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology. He is known for being the president of Odisha Bigyan Academy and for his research on the Indian summer monsoon. He studied at Uktal University and the Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia. He has won many awards including the Shanti swarup Bhatnagar Prize.


text:
[This article is a stub]

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  [BF1 Puzzle Piece.png]   This article is a STUB. It is short and in need of expansion. Why not help out?
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  [BF1 Wrench Icon.png]   This article is currently UNDER CONSTRUCTION. It may contain little or inaccurate information.
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[]
A surviving Howell Automatic Rifle in reality

The HOWELL AUTOMATIC RIFLE was an automatic conversion for the Lee-Enfield rifle. It consisted of a Lee-Enfield rifle fitted with an external gas tube that operated the original Lee-Enfield bolt with a curved cam. The weapon used 20-round trench magazines. The weapon was reliable but unergonomic for the user as the force of the recoiling bolt interfered with handling.[1]

Contents

-   1 Battlefield 1
    -   1.1 Factory
    -   1.2 Sniper
    -   1.3 Weapon Skins
        -   1.3.1 Gallery
-   2 Trivia
-   3 References

Battlefield 1[edit | edit source]

This item has a Codex entry: Howell Automatic
_"This self loading rifle was a reliable automatic conversion of a SMLE MKIII bolt action rifle."_

— In-game description

The HOWELL AUTOMATIC is a weapon introduced in the _Battlefield 1: Apocalypse_ expansion for the Medic class.

There are two variants of the Howell, the FACTORY and SNIPER.

Factory[edit | edit source]

The HOWELL AUTOMATIC FACTORY is the standard variant of the rifle. It is equipped with a bipod by default.

Sniper[edit | edit source]

The HOWELL AUTOMATIC SNIPER is equipped with a medium power telescopic sight and bipod. The Sniper variant of the Howell also features two extra magazines of ammunition compared to the Factory variant.

Weapon Skins[edit | edit source]

v • d • e

Howell Automatic Skins
Legendary
The Dead Kings · Flora Sandes · The Sacred Twenty

Distinguished
Haverfield · Higbee

Special
Delville Wood · Endurance · Mocheni · Rostov

Gallery[edit | edit source]

[Howell Automatic BF1 Factory Idle]

Factory variant

[Howell Automatic BF1 Sniper Idle]

Sniper variant

[Howell Automatic BF1 Factory ADS]

Iron Sights

[Howell Automatic BF1 Factory Pulling Bolt]

Pulling the bolt after empty reload

Add a photo to this gallery

v • d • e

Weapons of _Battlefield 1_
Assault
SUBMACHINE GUNS - MP 18 · Automatico M1918 · Hellriegel 1915 · Annihilator · M1919 SMG · Ribeyrolles 1918 (TSNP) · SMG 08/18 (TSAR) · M1917 Trench Carbine (TIDE) · Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16 (TIDE) · RSC SMG (APOC)

SHOTGUNS - M97 Trench Gun · Model 10-A · 12g Automatic · Sawed Off Shotgun · Sjögren Inertial (TSNP) · Model 1900 (TSAR)
CARBINES - Frommer Stop Auto

SIDEARMS - Gasser M1870 · 1903 Hammerless · Howdah Pistol

Medic
SELF-LOADING RIFLES - Cei-Rigotti · Selbstlader M1916 · M1907 SL · Mondragón · Autoloading 8 · Selbstlader 1906 · Fedorov-Degtyarev · RSC 1917 (TSNP) · Fedorov Avtomat (TSAR) · General Liu Rifle (TSAR) · Farquhar-Hill (TIDE) · HOWELL AUTOMATIC (APOC)
SIDEARMS - Auto Revolver · Taschenpistole M1914 · C96

Support
LIGHT MACHINE GUNS - Lewis Gun · M1909 Benét-Mercié · Madsen MG · MG15 n.A. · BAR M1918 · Huot Automatic · BAR M1918A2 · Burton LMR · Chauchat (TSNP) · Parabellum MG14/17 (TSAR) · Perino Model 1908 (TSAR) · M1917 MG (TIDE) · lMG 08/18 (APOC)

CARBINES - C96 Carbine · M1911 Extended · P08 Artillerie · Pieper M1893 · Mle 1903 Extended (TSNP) · C93 Carbine (TSAR)

SIDEARMS - Bull Dog Revolver · Modello 1915 · Repetierpistole M1912

Scout
SINGLE-ACTION RIFLES - SMLE MKIII · Gewehr 98 · Russian 1895 · Gewehr M.95 · M1903 · Martini-Henry · Mosin-Nagant M38 Carbine · Lebel Model 1886 (TSNP) · Mosin-Nagant M91 (TSAR) · Vetterli-Vitali M1870/87 (TSAR) · Carcano M91 Carbine (TIDE) · Type 38 Arisaka (TIDE) · Ross MkIII (APOC) · M1917 Enfield (APOC)
SIDEARMS - Bodeo 1889 · Frommer Stop · Mars Automatic

Tanker & Pilot
CARBINES - C96 Carbine · Frommer Stop Auto · M1911 Extended · Pieper M1893 · P08 Artillerie · Mle 1903 Extended (TSNP) · C93 Carbine (TSAR)
SHOTGUNS - Sawed Off Shotgun

All Kits
SIDEARMS - M1911 · P08 Pistol · Mle 1903 · No. 3 Revolver · C93 · Kolibri · M1911A1 · Peacekeeper · Nagant Revolver (TSAR) · Obrez Pistol (TSAR) · Revolver Mk VI (APOC)

Elite Kits
SPECIAL - Wex · MG 08/15 · Villar Perosa · Tankgewehr M1918 · Martini-Henry Grenade Launcher (TIDE)
SIDEARMS - Sawed Off Shotgun · No. 3 Revolver

Click here for gadgets and melee weapon featured in _Battlefield 1_
Click here for weapon attachments featured in _Battlefield 1_

Trivia[edit | edit source]

-   The Howell Automatic is one of only three weapons not used by the Support class that can have AA Sights equipped in lieu of the standard iron sights, the other being the Fedorov-Degtyarev (also for the Medic class) and the Assault's SMG 08/18.
-   The weapon was originally named 'BSA Howell', but its name was changed in a pre-release update to the Community Test Environment.
-   The factory variant is the only iron-sighted self-loading rifle available to the Medic that has a bipod.
-   Originally, Howell Automatic Factory has 63 reserve rounds and 105 reserve rounds for Sniper. This was fixed in Easter 2018 Update[2]

References[edit | edit source]

1.

    ↑ Wikipedia: Howell Automatic Rifle
2.

    ↑ https://www.battlefield.com/news/update-notes/easter-update

question: What kind of roles would the Howell Automatic Rifle allow a Medic to perform in Battlefield 1?

answer: The regular, or "factory", variant is fully automatic. It would allow a Medic to fire for suppression, join teammates for defending or attacking as fire support. The sniper variant can enable a Medic to cover an injured teammate so that they can make it to the Medic for healing.

question: Which version of the Howell Automatic Rifle is better?

answer: The answer would depend heavily on the context of this question. The team composition and goal could make one or the other better. The factory version is likely to be more useful in general if the team isn't specifically assembled due to being more versatile than the sniper version.


text:
I was in the Starbucks all quiet and tucked away in my scarf, checking something on my phone, can't remember what for the life of me. The only thing running through my mind, *I don't need to be set up, I can take care of myself.*

*Look where that's got you, genius.* It was the voice of my friend, his words ringing through my head again. It was as if the conversation was repeating itself like a mental DVR. *Look, I'm not saying this girl's gonna be the love of your life, just give her a chance, coffee would suffice. All I know is me and Lindsay are getting real tired of you third-wheeling like a trike.*

*You know, you could just say she doesn't like me. It's not gonna be that big a blow to my ego.*

*Give this girl one chance. Please, for my sanity. If you turn down another girl she's gonna talk my ear off over it. And not to mention, ever since Lilian left you've been a grumpy little shit.*

He had to go there. *Fine. Whatever pleases the queen, I guess.* That thought carried me through up until the day of the date. It wasn't a blind date, but she's not really the, how do you say, vocal type. Then again, neither was Lilian. Not at first. I smirk as I remember what it took for her to even go out for coffee. I had to find the most remote coffee shop and bring her a complete menu and jump through all these hoops, come to think of it, I barely remember why I thought she was worth the trouble. Her smile, her giggle, her touch as I jumped through all these hoops just sent me over. I shake my head *snap out of it Dave, she's gone now.* I look up at the door and she's trying to find me, I wave her over and she makes her way to the couch/seat-thingy.

"Hey,"

"Hi. Can I get you a coffee?"

"No thanks, not really a coffee person, just a cocoa please." I get her drink and sit back down. She sips it and grins. She keeps sipping until she starts a bead of sweat. "Is it just me or is it hot in here?" She undoes her overcoat and unzips her jacket, and there's a Walk the Moon t-shirt

"You listen to Walk the Moon?"

"Yeah, I saw them in Cleveland a while back."

"No way, I tried to get tickets but they'd sold out. How'd you get tickets?" She looks down, the smile diminishes, but is still there.

"My, erm, ex-boyfriend, he- his brother was the drummer." She chokes over the end of the sentence.

"Um, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Lindsay had to drag me out of the apartment to come here. He was just such a big part of me, you know?"

"Oh god, tell me about it. When my ex left it was soooo messy. Don't even get me started. Drew and Lindsay spent hours trying to talk me into this whole date, I honestly didn't really have any expectations for today to be honest..."

"Oh really? They were telling me you were DYING to meet me for coffee after that party at Roland's"

"That was the first time I'd been out since the break up."

"Oh wow, that recent huh?"

"No, I sulked that long. Drew actually talked me into this with the same pitch,"

In unison, as if we'd rehearsed, "Oh, (he/she)'s just DYING to meet you. You really made an impression at Roland's."

She continues on, "So, uh, how long were you, erm, sulking, since your breakup?"

"A solid 2 months. I'm just glad that I had online classwork to wrap up the term or I'd have flunked. I barely pulled myself out of bed for finals."

"Oh god, she must've done a number on you. We broke up just after finals. Us moving out of the dorm was almost a fitting farewell, but I didn't leave my new dorm all during winter break and then near a month into the first term. Of course I picked up syllabuses. Syllabi?"

"I get what you mean. So, erm, who else do you listen to besides Walk the Moon?"

"I listen to a lot of synth pop. MGMT, Passion Pit, Two Door Cinema Club..."

"Oh, have you heard Passion Pit's iTunes session? I have it on my phone if you wanna listen."

"I wanna hear it so bad. I'm too poor to afford that kinda stuff."

"The Pirate Bay, girl, it's where it's at."

"You're terrible!" She grabbed an ear bud and listened to the songs all the same. We listened, sang along, laughed at each other's terrible voices, and then shared other stories about broken bones, high school idiots, concert tales, even the occasional poke or hold of the hand. We sat there and talked for hours, and could've for hours more, but we'd heard the infamous words,

"Closing time. Wrap it up you two lovebirds." At this point we're the only ones left aside from that mighty bold barista.

"Can I get another hot chocolate for the road?" She asks.

"Ugh, fine," The barista took his time in making the cup. "Want anything on top?"

"Caramel'll do fine." He finishes up, and I get up and reach for my back pocket when he stops me,

"This one's on the house," I walk her out to her car. We continue talking until we reach her little old Civic in the back of the lot.

"Weellll, this is my mighty humble ride."

"Better than me and my ride."

"Why, what's your ri-" I stop her and point at my feet. "Ooh. Want a ride to the dorms?"

"No, I live in the apartments right across the street."

"Ok. Well, until next time," She hugs me and gets in her car.

"I'll be waiting," I continue mumbling, finishing the conversation. "For the first time since the break up."

title: Since the break up

question: Summarize the primary source of tension in the story.

answer: The primary source of tension is the break-ups that the two main characters suffered. The woman broke up with her ex-boyfriend after her finals and spent the winter break and another month in her new dorm after which she picked up syllabi. Dave's break-up had him sulking for two months and if it hadn't been for online classes he would have flunked the term.

question: Summarize how the main character changes over the story.

answer: Dave, the main character, went through a bad break-up after which he sulked for 2 months and almost flunked the term. The first time he went out was to Roland's party, after which his friends encouraged him to have coffee with a woman because they were tired of him being their third wheel. He had no expectations for the coffee date, but they got along well and talked until the coffee shop closed. He left with the expectation to see the woman again, this is the first time since his break-up that he felt that way.

question: What does the story say about the characters' taste in music?

answer: Both characters enjoy Walk the Moon's music, with the woman attending their recent sold out concert in Cleveland. The drummer is the woman's ex-boyfriend's brother and she got her tickets through him. The woman also listens to synth pop, specifically MGMT, Passion Pit and Two Door Cinema Club. Dave asks if she has listened to Passion Pit's iTunes session, he pirated it from the internet, they listened to it together and joked about it afterward.

question: What does the story say about the school the characters attend?


text:
DAMIAN SZYMAŃSKI (born 16 June 1995) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Greek club AEK Athens and the Poland national team.

Club career

Akhmat Grozny

On 12 January 2019, Wisła Płock announced his transfer to the Russian Premier League club FC Akhmat Grozny.[1] Three days later Akhmat confirmed that the club signed a 4.5-year contract with Szymański.[2]

AEK Athens

On 13 January 2020, Szymański travelled to Athens to pass his medicals and complete a move to AEK Athens.[3] The Polish midfielder will join the Greek club on an initial six-month loan, and AEK will maintain the right to buy him for a fee of €1,500,000.[4] One day later, the deal was made official and Szymański was presented by his new club.[5]

On 30 June 2020, Szymański penned a four-year deal with AEK after his transfer from Akhmat Grozny was made permanent.[6] The Greek club paid €1,300,000 for his services, while Akhmat will keep a resale rate of 15%. [7] Fight days later, Szymanski scored his first goal for the club, sealing an emphatic 4–1 away win against Aris.[8]

International career

Szymański made his Poland national team debut on 7 September 2018 in a 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A game against Italy.[9] He made his first start for Poland in the return game against Italy on 14 October.[10]

Career statistics

Club

[11]

  Club                    Season        League                   Cup    Continental   Other   Total
  ----------------------- ------------- ------------------------ ------ ------------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------ -------
  Division                Apps          Goals                    Apps   Goals         Apps    Goals
  GKS Bełchatów           2013–14       I liga                   19     2             1       0
  2014–15                 Ekstraklasa   19                       0      2             0       —
  2015–16                 I liga        10                       0      0             0       —
  Total                   48            2                        3      0             —       —
  Jagiellonia Białystok   2016–17       Ekstraklasa              15     1             1       0
  2017–18                 1             0                        —      2             0       —
  Total                   16            1                        1      0             2       0
  Wisła Płock             2017–18       Ekstraklasa              29     4             0       0
  2018–19                 20            2                        3      2             —       —
  Total                   49            6                        3      2             —       —
  Akhmat Grozny           2018–19       Russian Premier League   9      0             —       —
  2019–20                 4             0                        0      0             —       —
  Total                   13            0                        0      0             —       —
  AEK Athens (loan)       2019–20       Superleague Greece       16     1             5       0
  2020–21                 0             0                        0      0             0       0
  Total                   16            1                        5      0             0       0
  Career total            137           9                        12     2             2       0

International

[12]

  National team   Year   Apps   Goals
  --------------- ------ ------ -------
  Poland
  2018            4      0
  Total           4      0

  : Appearances and goals by national team and year

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

title: Damian Szymański

question: What is Damian Szymański's profession?

answer: He is a professional footballer.

question: Which teams has Szymański played for?

answer: FC Akhmat Grozny, AEK Athens, and the Poland national team.

question: What position does Szymański play?

answer: Midfielder.

question: When was Szymański born?

answer: 16 June 1995.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Damian Szymański is a professional footballer (midfielder) who has played for FC Akhmat Grozny, AEK Athens, and the Poland national team.


text:
Guest blog: how to become an award-winning salon within two years
NATALIE VO, OWNER OF WHITE NAILS IN LONDON, WHICH WON PB’S NAIL SALON OF THE YEAR 2016 AWARD, REVEALS HOW YOU CAN BECOME AN AWARD-WINNING SALON WITHIN TWO YEARS AND FIVE WAYS YOU CAN MAKE YOUR ENTRY FORM FOR ANY COMPETITION STAND OUT.

We were ecstatic to win Professional Beauty’s Nail Salon of the Year 2016 title at a glittering awards ceremony in London in February. Hearing my salon’s name called out was an incredible feeling and a night none of the team, or I, will ever forget.

Who would have guessed that after only two years of opening the business, a small team of five staff could accomplish such an amazing achievement? I knew I didn’t want to create just another nail bar, I wanted my business to be the best and that’s what made my salon stand out.

Here’s five ways I made my nail salon outshine the competition:

1. MAKE SURE YOUR TEAM HAVE YOUR VALUES
My business wouldn’t exist if I didn’t have the right people working for me – my employees all share the same goals. If you don’t have staff who care about the business, then it’s unlikely they will demonstrate real passion when a mystery shopper visits. Take your time looking for the “right” people.

2. CHECK OUT THE COMPETITION
I looked into previous Professional Beauty winners to see if there was anything I could learn from them to help improve my own business. I was looking for inspiration on everything from marketing strategy and salon design to the simple touches, such as offering biscuits with a cup of tea. Looking at the competition is a fantastic way to benchmark yourself. However, you also need try and think outside the box in order to be one step ahead – don’t copy, be inspired.

[]

Image: Natalie Vo (middle) and her team at the Professional Beauty Awards in February

3. READ THE RULES
Your application form for any competition must answer every question clearly and concisely and should demonstrate your passion. It’s wise to have a friend check it over before you submit it and hiring a photographer to take professional snaps of your salon will help you stand out. Competing in any competition costs money so expect to pay out, but just think about what it’ll do for your business. For example, the pictures will be useful for marketing purposes and for making your website look professional.

The judges only have your application form and pictures to look at, which isn’t much when trying to pick you out from all the applications they receive. If you get through as a finalist make sure to have all the boxes ticked before your official visit. For example, Professional Beauty require you to have one year’s worth of annual accounts before you can enter and be prepared to have a financially viable business before applying as the judges do scrutinise this.

And don’t forget your red tape like first aid, fire drills, training records and accident books. You must make sure these are up to date at all times.

4. THINK LIKE A JUDGE
Why should a panel of judges pick your salon? Are you spot on in every respect of your business? Is every call answered professionally and knowledgeably? Is your branding and marketing strong? Do your treatments make clients feel like they are floating on air?

At the end of the day if your clients are leaving you rave reviews then a judge is likely to take notice. Ask satisfied clients to leave online reviews on Trip Advisor and pick their brains at every opportunity available to see what would they like to see new in the business. It’s invaluable advice.

5. DON’T BE AFRAID
It’s daunting to put yourself out there to be judged but going through a competition can do wonders for your business. It gives you a new lease of energy to spring clean and think your business model through, but most importantly, the feedback you get back from the judges can only help your application next year.

_YOU CAN ALSO READ VO'S PIECE ON HOW YOUR NAIL SALON CAN COMPETE WITH BUDGET NAILS BARS HERE. _

question: Who owns White Nails salon in London?

answer: Natalie Vo.

question: Name one of Vo's values that she attributes to her success.

answer: Hiring and working with people who share her values. She says this will ensure that passion stays consistent over time and with every customer.

question: What award did White Nails salon win in 2016?

answer: Professional Beauty’s Nail Salon of the Year.

question: What is the source of this information?

answer: The text doesn't explicitly say but it does seem to be a blog post.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: In this article, London nail salon-owner Natalie Vo shares her recommendations for other business owners on how to successfully navigate entering competitions and how to be the kind of business that can win them. Her 2-year old salon, White Nails, won Professional Beauty’s Nail Salon of the Year competition in 2016.


text:
December 20, 2015 / 2:21 PM / AP

NEW YORK - There were times by the end of his shift that firefighter Joseph Nardone's head would be pounding, his eyes crossing from the noise of the siren on his truck.

"The siren was so loud inside the cab that it actually physically hurt," said the former New York City fire battalion chief. Even though he's been retired for over a decade, he said, the effects of the sirens linger in hearing loss that has left him unable to understand rapid conversation or follow along in church.

Nardone is among about 4,400 current and former firefighters nationwide who are suing Federal Signal Corp., an Oak Brook, Illinois-based company that makes sirens, claiming it didn't do enough to make them safer for those on fire trucks who have to listen to them nearly every day.

They say the company could have designed them in a way that directs the volume away from areas where firefighters sit in the engines, shielding them from sound blasts that lawyers say reach 120 decibels, roughly equivalent to a rock concert. Said the 73-year-old Nardone: "The manufacturer had the means and ability to do something about it and they didn't."

Federal Signal argues that directing the sound defeats one of the main purposes of a siren - to warn motorists and pedestrians that a truck is coming. And it says it has long supported what many departments have advised its firefighters to do: wear ear protection.

The lawsuits, which began surfacing more than a decade ago, have been in places such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, New Jersey and the Chicago area, said attorney Marc Bern, who's leading all the lawsuits. In documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said juries have decided in favor of Federal Signal in most of the half-dozen or so suits that have gone to trial.

The company also has settled in some cases without admitting any wrongdoing. The largest settlement, reached in 2011, required the company to pay $3.6 million to 1,069 firefighters for cases filed in Philadelphia.

Bern said Federal Signal could have made the sirens with a shroud to warn those in its path instead of a more generalized blare.

"Clearly, you don't have to have sound going all the way to the rear of the fire engine," he said. "If you're driving behind a fire engine and you don't see a 50-foot-long, red ... engine with lights going on and off, there's really something wrong."

David Duffy, attorney for Federal Signal, said making the sirens more directed would put firefighters and the public at greater risk.

"Firefighters have testified that they want a loud siren that projects noise to the front and sides of fire trucks," he said. Accidents often involve vehicles that hit fire trucks from behind, necessitating a loud noise in all directions, he said.

Duffy also noted that firefighting organizations have for three decades advocated use of earplugs or ear coverings to reduce the risk of hearing loss from sirens or other noises in the course of their firefighting duties, "of which there are many."

The Fire Department of New York wasn't able to immediately provide information on its policies on noise or whether earplugs or coverings are provided or required.

 How cameras help firefighters stay ahead of w... 02:00
Duffy said studies measuring the level of noise firefighters are exposed to during their work shifts, including sirens, is on average below 85 decibels.

Federal standards take into account the intensity of the sound and the duration. The higher the decibel level, the shorter the time workers can be exposed to it.

Rick Neitzel, who studies noise and other exposures at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said the standards are geared to traditional jobs like manufacturing, not firefighting, where shifts can last for longer and the exposure is intermittent but intense.

"A lot of the questions now are: Is the current recommended level appropriate for exposure that a firefighter would have? And I would say we're not entirely sure," he said.

Dr. Lawrence Lustig, a hearing loss expert at Columbia University Medical Center, said people have different levels of susceptibility. Some research involving animals seems to imply that noise exposure in early years leads to more rapid age-related hearing loss, he said.

Retired Bronx firefighter Frank Bazzicalupo was exposed early. He joined the FDNY in his 20s and stayed for 25 years. The 61-year-old spent the last decade or so of that career driving fire trucks before retiring in 2002, hearing the sirens blaring overhead.

These days, trying to hear in any environment that has background noise is an exercise in frustration.

"On a plane is the worst," he said. "I hear the engines roaring; I can't hear the person next to me."

question: What would happen if firefighters wore earplugs or ear coverings regularly?

answer: Presumably, they would lower their risk for hearing damage.


text:
It was a warm day in late February. There was a writing desk in Mr. Thomelson’s third floor study that, directly in front of a large bay window, afforded a lovely view of the garden and the several acres of dense woods that separated his property from that of Mr. James. The desk was covered in stacks of ancient papers, tax documents mostly, which had like dusty stalagmites grown impressively tall. A small space on the desktop, directly in front of the mahogany and leather chair, was relatively clear save for several items. On this particular day, these included an empty glass that had contained midafternoon bourbon, an open inkwell whose contents were fast hardening, and an ivory comb that was missing 3 of its 42 teeth.

The house was extremely large, boasting a dining hall large enough to host a small ball, and a master bedroom that could have rivaled Louis XIV’s. A well, an outhouse, and a small slave quarters populated the yard to the south of the house. Mr. Thomelson had only one slave, a domestic whose primary duties were cleaning and groundskeeping; her master always preferred to cook his own fare. Her name was Amused, since the midwife had been filled with fits of hysterical laughter throughout the birth, and  Amused herself had laughed before she first cried. The quarters were spacious since Mr. Thomelson was very fond of Amused. He had given her red and green paint to paint the walls, and an old wool mattress to sleep on.

Amused had always felt painfully isolated, but she enjoyed her work nonetheless. The garden below the study had been her idea, and Mr. Thomelson had bought her seeds, a hoe, and a watering can so she could plant it. Normally she was very diligent about tending the garden, but from time to time she would forget to weed among the hydrangeas or to prune the roses, and Mr. Thomelson would have no choice but to punish her. Over her quarters there was a long bough that hung low with the weight of innumerable offshoots and leaves bearing down on its soft bark. A robin made a nest near the very end of the bough so that its bottom grazed the roof of the quarters. When March came, the robin laid three eggs, all of which hatched on the same day. The baby robins chirped incessantly for the remainder of the spring, especially loudly during the early morning.

On the second day of May at around one o’clock in the afternoon, Mr. Thomelson exited through the double doors on the west side of the house that were directly below the largest gable. Maple cane in hand, he began walking the length of the house, southward.

“Amused!” He called, his voice growling with the phlegm of his hay fever. “Where are you, girl?” His right eye, the eye with the smaller cataract, spotted her bare feet sticking out from the bush that abutted the corner of the west and south facades of the house. “Amused! Come here!”

He attempted to take another step forward, but only his cane moved: his feet were rooted to the spot. He couldn’t feel his boots below his ankles. Too perplexed and afraid to shout for help, he struggled  pointlessly. He looked over toward Amused again, at her slender calves that kicked slowly, rhythmically back and forth while she worked. Her earth-covered toes curled and uncurled as she whistled a tune to herself. Mr. Thomelson’s legs, like his feet, suddenly lost feeling. In just moments, every fiber of flesh below his waist was as inanimate as his lucky comb. He saw her legs disappear momentarily behind the bush and heard the whistling stop. She got to her feet and brushed the soil off her dress.

Then, as he realized she was about to round the corner and come fully into his view, he panicked. He meant to close his eyes. But for some odd reason, in his terror, only the right one shut; the left stayed wide. And so the last thing Mr. Norman Thomelson ever saw was the foggy silhouette of his slave girl, and the last thing he ever heard was a voluptuous laugh. On the west side of the house, just a few paces from the garden, remains the man with the eternal wink.

title: [MF] The Lucky Comb

question: Describe Mr Thomelson's relationship with Amused.

answer: Amused is Mr. Thomelson's only slave. It is her duty to keep the house and garden in good order. Mr. Thomelson is fond of Amused and treats her well but he has no option but to punish her from time to time as she sometimes forgets to pull all the weeds or to prune the roses.

question: What happens to Mr. Thomelson in the end?

answer: On the 2nd of May at 1 o'clock Mr. Thomelson goes out into the garden. He calls for Amused who is lying under a bush, pulling weeds. Suddenly his feet won't move. He is rooted to the spot and the paralysis is rapidly moving up his body. Before long he became a statue that stands on the west side of his house to this day.

question: What does Mr. Thomelson do for a living?