text:
Svarog was revered by the Slavs as the great god of blacksmiths, law and fire, similar to that of Hephaestus of the Greek pantheon.

The origin of Svarog’s name can be traced to the language of Indo-European people, that is to say Sanskrit. Although an exact link has yet to established, some theories suggest the name comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Svarga’ meaning the sky or heaven. Another theory suggests Svarog’s name came from the Indo-Aryan word ‘svar’ meaning the sun, although this theory is discounted by some as the Slavs had possessed a different word for the sun at the time.

[Svarog]The details of Svarog are few, although the Hypatian Codex (a chronicle which itself is a compilation of several documents from the Ipatiev monastery, regarded as one of the most important written accounts of Kievan Rus) makes a rare mention of him, specifically in a translated myth. The myth, which originally takes place in Egypt and mentions Greek dieties, had it’s setting and characters changed during translation in order to have more appeal to those reading it. Translated into English, parts of that myth read:

  _“(Then) began his reign Feosta (Hephaestus), whom the Egyptians called Svarog … during his rule, from the heavens fell the smith’s prongs and weapons were forged for the first time; before that, (people) fought with clubs and stones. Feosta also commanded the women that they should have only a single husband… and that is why Egyptians called him Svarog… After him ruled his son, his name was the Sun, and they called him Dažbog… Sun tzar, son of Svarog, this is Dazhbog.”_

Since this is not an actual Slavic myth per se, historians are uncertain as to how much of the myth is indeed applicable to Slavic pagan beliefs, specifically the sons of Svarog. As[Svarog god] mentioned above, Svarog had fathered Dazhbog as well as several other gods, these being Perun, Svarozivic, Stribog, Semargl, and Radogost. It is generally believed that Dazhbog and Svarozivic are the same god, as the book of Kolyada mentions Dazhbog’s birth during the striking of the Alatyr-stone, but Svarozivic, who has been attributed to nearly the same aspects as Dazhbog was not mentioned. This belief is furthered by the idea that ‘Svarozivic’, which was used to describe the sons of Svarog in the Book of Kolyada, may have just been a word meaning ‘of Svarog’.

The birth of Svarog’s sons is described in the Book of Kolyada’s myth of the creation of the mortal world, one of several myths involving Svarog. The myth states that a great rock, the Alatyr-stone, was brought from the depths of the ocean by a great duck. The rock possessed great magical powers and for this the duck had wanted to hide the stone in it’s beak. Upon finding the duck, Svarog uttered a phrase which caused the stone to grow in size and eventually become too large for the bird to carry.

Soon the stone had become a great mountain and later a center of knowledge of the tales of the gods (vedas) and a mediator between god and man. But upon seeing this, Svarog had decided that no man must know of the stone. With this, he struck the stone with his hammer, but he was only successful in creating sparks. With these sparks, the ratichi (celestial warriors, that is to say gods) were born, this included Semargl, the great god of fire. Because of this, the mighty winds rose, thus creating Stribog, the god of the wind.

After this, the duck who had previously carried the stone conceived a great black snake. The snake, sent to end the stone, crept up to it and struck it to the ground. the stone fell from the heavens and eventually came to be in the land of the mortals (The exact spot was said to be Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus mountains).

The impact of the drop had sent black sparks across the world, with this the dark forces of the world were born. Now Semargl had begun to fight with the snake and it’s troops, but he was outmatched and soon the sun had been blotted out by the snake and the world had been overrun by it’s minions. Defeated, Semargl ascended to the heavenly smithy, followed closely by the great snake. Seeing this, Svarog grabbed the snake’s tongue and tamed it so that it may plow the fields of the earth, whilst sending it’s minions to the underworld.

Following this great victory, a half-horse by the name of Kitovras (Known to the Greeks as Chiron) constructed a temple around the stone with the most sacred area in the temple, an altar, being the place where Svarog spoke with man. The myth mentions it was here where Svarog taught man how to make food with milk and cheese curds, which is why the Slavs considered such a meal was a gift from the gods. Since then, this stone has been sometimes attributed to Svarog and in this way he is seen as the creator of the mortal world.

Meanwhile, Svarog had also created the blue Svarga, a land in the heavens where it was said the acnestors of the Slavs would live after death (which is contradictory considering the fact another myth states the souls of the dead would go to the land of Nav, an underworld of sorts). It is a possibility that these two concepts were influenced by separate mythologies, that is to say the Norse and Greek ones, respectively. It is not unlikely, as this conflict of mythologies had been seen before in other parts of Slavic mythology. It was believed the stars of the night sky were the eyes of the grandfathers, who look down from the Blue Svarga upon the Slavic people’s earthly affairs.

[Svarog god ]Svarog, UNLIKE VELES, does not create the material world with words or magic, but rather his hands. He cared about the Slavs, giving them fire for the cold and to cook food as well as the Sun-Ra (sun) which later became the word for joy (Radost). He also came to the earth to plow the fields and gave the Slavs several gifts. The first, an axe of which to defend their native lands from enemies and the second being a bowl to prepare sacred drinks and the third being tongs of which to create forged weaponry. Finally, his last and possibly most important contribution was the creation of the two circles of time, one of the ground and one of space.

The Book of Kolyada makes one final large mention of Svarog, this being the tale of Svarog and Dy. As Svarog ate a feast, several badly-beaten warriors entered the hall and claimed that had been attacked by the Volot-giants of Dy, god of the sky and thunder under the command of his son, Churila. Angered by this, Svarog gathered the heavenly army and marched towards the kingdom of Dy in the Ural mountains. Upon arrival, Svarog’s army defeated the soldiers of Dy and sealed his royal subjects below the mountains. After this, Svarog and his sons decided to hold a victory feast within the palace of Dy.

Begging for forgiveness, Churila had offered expensive gold and jewels to Svarog, convincing him to take Churila into service. Like the rest of Dy’s children, Churila was very handsome, this caught the[Svarog Slavic God ] eye of Lada, who began to remark on his looks. To this Svarog replied “As Dy dims his eyes, so the night dims reason..get thee away from the table, Churila!”. After this, Churila began to serve Tarusa, wife to the god of prayer, Barmas.

Depiction-wise, it is hard to find a true and definite idea of what the Slavs imagined him to be. One source says Svarog was seen as a flying fire-breathing dragon, this idea was later set aside as pagan beliefs developed. Most commonly, Svarog was thought to be part of the trinity of creator gods, Triglav, among Dazhbog and Perun. Although besides this, the way in which Svarog was honored by the Slavs is not known, nor are any other details on his appearance or personality.

As Christianity began to take hold in Eastern Europe, the idea of Svarog was replaced by Saint Damian, Saint Cosmas and Michael the Archangel. Although paganism was being replaced by Christianity, many were reluctant to give up their old traditions which is why so many attributes of the pagan gods were given to Biblical characters or saints.

When assessed, it would seem that the concept of Svarog, and indeed his attribution of being a lawmaker and blacksmith came out of the Slavic people’s entrance into an iron age, which brought about advances in weaponry and agriculture. The various tribes scattered along the land had seen Svarog as the bringer of these advancements, which would explain why he was first mentioned when Slavic tribes developed agriculture around 800-600 BC.

question: Who is Svarog?

answer: Svarog is a god of blacksmiths in Slavic mythology who shares similarities in characteristics and origin with the Greek's Hephaestus. Some of the accounts and theories about Svarog's ties in other myths has historians uncertain, though it is accepted that Svarog was adapted by Christianity and was turned into Saint Damian, Saint Cosmas, and Michael the Archangel.

question: What are the similarities between the Slavic and Greek mythologies?

answer: Aside from Svarog and Hephaestus, there is also Kitovras and Chiron. It is implied in the text that Greek and Norse cultures, with regards to their myths, are intertwined.

question: What makes Svarog an important character?

answer: Svarog is a god of certain elements and the father of other gods. But one of the most outstanding feats attributed to him is the creation of the world - the creation of time, of the earth we stand on, and of the space above.

question: What does Svarog look like?

answer: Due to most of historical lore not being preserved, there is no consistent data on this. There are varying depictions that state Svarog as some kind of dragon-like entity.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Much of the lore and history about the Slavic god Svarog is uncertain, but he is most commonly attributed to be the god of blacksmiths, law, and fire -somewhat similar to Hephaestus. Some of the stories involving Svarog depicts him being responsible for the creation of the raichi, and the creation of the circles of time. Christianity adapted pagan beliefs into theirs, and Svarog would become Saint Damian, Saint Cosmas, and Michael the Archangel.


split: train

text:
I feel it might be a bit cumbersome, anyway- any advice/critiques would be greatly appreciated.

———-He would then make his journey, wearing a shirt that featured a sloppy graphic of Paris, Texas’s own Eiffel Tower front and center.  This Eiffel Tower was crowned with a fucking cowboy hat.

Speaking of-

I should tell you about those two-brothers, they were identical twins- one of which went by the moniker Cowboy, who in a very cowboy-esque manner heroically busted into our protagonist’s house at 3 a.m. and used brazen force to grab a sofa that was engulfed in flames to toss it out into the front-yard with a grunt. Apparently, cushion serves as no buffer to an old MGM limp-wristed ashing out of a cigarette.  Our protagonist thanked him with hare-like murmurs once he awoke from the kitchen-floor that red wine and continually shouting ‘I am no senator’s son’ had lulled him to sleep on.  He would always tell me that Cowboy had certain vigilant inclinations that usurped the mental disorder that made him dependent on the state of Texas and it’s few victuals of financial empathy. “If he didn’t get those checks, well, I would have probably burned alive.” Our protagonist would gleefully say over bites of the singular nougat-heavy candy bars that used to provide his only source of nutrition for the day outside of what he got when he traveled to Hunt county, which was wet and eager to trade it’s poison for quarters and the tawdry idioms thrown into over-the-counter service to feign something fetchingly personal.

I was force-fed too much iconography to be concerned with finding out the other brother’s name.

The two-brothers would watch the same recorded episodes of Wheel of Fortune on VHS so that they could consistently be correct with their answers.  Pat Sajak had become an administration of consistent validation.  The two-brothers would pepper in caveats of convoluted logic to the neighborhood kids “Don’t count your toes in spring-time, just don’t do it” before offering them a tuna sandwich or licorice that lost all malleability to time.  They would go the local donut-shop and offer up arm wrestling contests in which the prize was a Spudnut with coconut shavings; rumor has it that they never lost, so the forfeiture to come of their hypothetical defeat was never addressed.  I always wondered.

Everyone saw a litany of misdirected allegory, bicycle baskets and matching pique polos from the thrift-store on Booker road.  They saw a life without the dregs.  Life without rancor towards the swath of simple southern fate.  Everyone responded to them with subtle indifference.  They were patronizers, but they did it out of envy.  He swore it.  Our protagonist saw the enchanting whiteness and front-faced conscious that the (what social arbiters have deemed as the-) ‘mentally-challenged’ bared.  More times than not, he was certain that they were only people within the ‘low-end’ part of town that weren’t nauseated by the smell of sulfur.  He’d invite them over to play on his impromptu front yard golf-course, which was comprised of holes that he’d stuck old coffee tins in and a croquet set he got for fifty cents.  He’d conceptualized it on a raucous Tuesday night.  I think he genuinely loved the two-brothers.  In retrospect, we all should have.

The protagonist, my father, attended their funeral in the spring of 1999.  He wore the only suit he had.  It was an awful onyx grey.  It had masted a decade of convival and powder.  It had seen its fair share.  The pant hems provided slightly splayed pedals of fabric, relics of either dancing or running in The Big D (Our protagonist would say they are actions that operate in tandem.)  He counted his toes for what seemed like decades. We didn’t watch Wheel of Fortune that night.

title: Two brothers: a snippet from a book I'm working on.

question: Why is "he" called "Texas' Own Eiffel Tower"?

answer: The text doesn't make it clear, but perhaps he is tall and noticeable.

question: What is unique about the narrator's two brothers?

answer: They are twins.

question: What happened to them?

answer: They died.

question: Which tv show was their favorite?

answer: Wheel of Fortune.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator discusses their now-deceased twin brothers, one of whom went by the moniker "Cowboy". They reside in Texas. Their funeral was in the spring of 1999, and their father attended, wearing the only suit he owned.


text:
_'Tette “TED” Meines_' (25 September 1921 – 24 December 2016) was a lieutenant general in the Royal Netherlands Army and an activist for veterans' rights. During World War II, he was a member of the Dutch resistance and helped Jewish families, for which he was awarded the title Righteous Among the Nations by Israel. After the war had ended, Meines saw active service in the Politionele acties. During and after his military career, he became involved in veteran affairs and was instrumental in the setting up of several veterans organizations. He is considered the founder of the Dutch veteran affairs policy.

Early life and World War II

Meines was born on 25 September 1921 in Huizum. He grew up in a Reformed Christian family in Friesland and had four sisters.[1] His father worked for the railways and was a local and provincial politician for the Anti-Revolutionary Party. He wished that his son would obtain a political position and thus helped him get a job at the municipality.[2][3] In 1939 or 1940 Meines was supposed to be called up for military service, but due to the German invasion he was never enlisted.[4][5]

During World War II, at age 22, Meines joined the Dutch resistance. He arranged for ration cards, sought safe hiding places for children and moved them there. Amongst other places he worked in Limburg and Twente.[6] Meines was a member of the .[7] In 1942 Meines was arrested, but was rescued by resistance members before he could be deported to a concentration camp. Afterwards Meines had to take another alias, and took that of deceased minister Sjoeke Nutma. Due to Meines still being wanted he was forced to also act like a minister. In this role Meines delivered sermons to full congregations.[8][9] During the war Meines joined the .[10] Of his original group of twenty resistance members only four survived until the liberation of the Netherlands on 5 May 1945.[11]

Later career

Although exempt from military service, Meines enrolled as a volunteer in August 1945. He was trained as an officer in England between 1945 and 1947, finishing his training as a second lieutenant.[12] Meines met Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld during his time abroad. Inspired by The Royal British Legion the two decided to set up an association for veterans.[13]

In 1948 Meines became a professional soldier.[14] In April 1949 Meines was promoted to first lieutenant. With the Politionele acties happening in the Dutch East Indies Meines wished to serve there. However, his request was denied as he was deemed too valuable for the renewal of the Dutch armed forces. In September 1949 Meines saw his earlier request fulfilled and he was sent to the Western Java, Dutch East Indies. He returned to the Netherlands in October 1950.[15] He subsequently served at the artillery school. From January to July 1952 he received training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, United States. He was promoted to captain in 1954.[16][17]

In 1957 Meines started serving with the 43rd and later 12th Artillery Division. From 1959 to 1965 he held several military staff positions, and he was promoted to major in 1961. In 1965 he became part of the . And two years later was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. In 1969 Meines became head of the restructuring section. In 1971 he was promoted to colonel and became deputy commander of the 42e Pantserinfanteriebrigade. In May 1973 Meines was named to temporary deputy head of logistics. Ten months later he was promoted to brigade general and a subsequent two months later to major-general when he was assigned as deputy quartermaster-general.[18][19] Meines retired in November 1976 as major general, aged 55.[20][21][22]

After his military career ended Meines became director of the , where he worked until 1986.[23][24] At the Hartstichting he restructured the organization and made a money collection plan.[25]

Work for veterans

Meines was active in veteran affairs since 1950. He was the founder of _Het Veteranen Legioen Nederland_. In 1988 he became the first chairperson of the newly founded _Veteranenstichting_. Meines was instrumental in the creation of the _Veteranenplatform_.[26] The platform united dozens of veteran affairs organizations. Meines led the platform until 1998.[27] During this time he managed to persuade Defence Minister Relus ter Beek to form a more active veterans policy. Which culminated in an annual veterans day since 1995 and a Veterans law in 2012. The Veterans Platforms instituted a Ted Meines Prize when Meines left the organization.[28] In 1994 Meines was promoted to titular lieutenant-general.[29] Meines has stated that Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld told him shortly before his death in 2004 to take care of the veterans of the Netherlands.[30]

In 2010 Meines was the parade commander at the yearly parade of veterans in Wageningen.[31] In December 2013 a bust of him was revealed at a military base in Doorn.[32] On his 93th birthday, in 2014, he was effectively promoted to lieutenant-general. He was given the promotion for his services to the Armed forces of the Netherlands and especially his work for veterans.[33] In 2016 Meines spoke before the House of Representatives, where he argued for Soestdijk Palace to be converted in a center for veterans.[34] Later that year Meines had to cancel his appearance at several meetings due to health reasons.[35]

On his death Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert called Meines “the founder of the current veterans policy”.[36]

Awards and decorations

On 6 July 1992 Meines was recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations by Israel for his work in saving Jewish people in World War II.[37] In 2015 he was awarded honorary citizenship of Israel.[38]

Meines was a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion and an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau with swords.[39] He was also awarded the , and Decoration of Merit in gold.[40]

Personal life

Meines met his wife, Doreen de Veer, in the Dutch East Indies. The couple returned to the Netherlands in 1950 and later had a son and daughter.[41] Apart from his friendship and confidency with Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld,[42] Meines also had a friendship with Bernhards grandson, Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.[43]

Meines cited a meeting with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1952 as important in his life, with King Jr. telling him: “Be yourself, be good and tell it”.[44]

Meines died in his home town of Leidschendam on 24 December 2016, aged 95.[45][46][47]

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title: Ted Meines

question: What army did Ted Meines serve in?

answer: The Royal Netherlands Army.

question: What was Ted Meines an activist for?

answer: Veteran's rights.

question: What was he a member of during WWII?

answer: The Dutch Resistance.

question: What country gave him a medal?

answer: Israel.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about Ted Meines, a veteran from the Dutch Army who worked for the Dutch Resistance during WWII to help Jews escape.


text:
Under the proud motto "Democracy Dies in Darkness," the Washington Post's editors have run a Communist authoritarian defending his party's attack on democracy and subjugation of the state to the Communist Party.

On Monday, the Post published Chinese venture capitalist, Eric X. Li's endorsement of Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent eradication of term limits for his office.

And by goodness is it an endorsement.

Xi's lifetime centralization is "institutionally fusing the party and the state. This reform is good for China," says Li, "simply because the party has developed into the most competent national political institution in the world today."

Think about those words.

They matter not just in their avowed moral disinterest in democratic accountability, but in what they tell us about the Chinese communist notion of power. Namely, a notion that is the absolute inverse of what U.S. Founding Fathers advocated.

Where Li sees greatness in the Chinese communist party's ability to know what's best for the people and implement those ends without delay, the Founders saw greatness in the ability of competition within a democracy to check the worse impulses of those in power.

Though George Washington's purported description of the Senate as a saucer to cool legislation is likely apocryphal, Thomas Jefferson was absolutely convinced that "for good legislation two houses are necessary."

Regardless, the entire system of U.S. federal power is situated on political competition and the legally enshrined balance of powers between three branches. This op-ed in the Post posits that Beijing knows best.

It's an important note to make, because Li isn't speaking simply for himself, he's representing the Chinese agenda he devotedly (and lucratively) serves.

That agenda is focused on two key components.

First, a reconstruction of the free trade based international rules of commerce to a feudal-patronage system in which all nations bow to Beijing. Second, China's military dominance of Asia and Australasia in its entirety. On that latter point, Li has previously argued that China has "performed brilliantly" in militarizing vast swathes of international waters in the South China Sea.

I disagree. I believe they represent profoundly immoral challenges to the better lives of billions of people. Fortunately, I'm not alone. As Defense Secretary Jim Mattis recognizes, the U.S. must deny China these objectives.

Nevertheless, Li's monologue for capital-communist destiny is just getting started.

Li continues by explaining that "the party has developed into one of the most elaborate and effective governing institutions in the world and, I would argue, in history. It is responsible for achieving what’s known as the greatest improvement in standard of living for the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time."

Here we see the familiar Chinese propaganda line that it was the hammer and the sickle that brought hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens out of poverty and not progressive market liberalization.

Still, the central theme of Li's argument is its most telling: absolute deference to China's leader-eternal Xi Jinping.

Xi's establishment of his personal theory into constitutional code, says Li, is majestically "extending the wording of party leadership from the preamble to the body of the constitution."

Again, think about that. It's anathema to the U.S. constitutional system's protection against individual authoritarianism.

Li then brings out the big trumpet.

"I dare say," the venture capitalist expounds in British high society terms, "that Xi has done more for China in five years than Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama combined did for the United States in 25 years. On the watches of those three American leaders, with slow and incompetent reforms..."

Perhaps this is true. Perhaps not. But again, the exigent point here is not the attack on American presidential personalities, but rather Li's adoration for Xi's ability to avoid "slow and incompetent reforms." Or put another way, to avoid the slings and arrows of democratic accountability, and instead take up glorious arms against the sea of those who value freedom.

A sea measured in the tens of thousands of political prisoners who languish in Chinese prisons.

We should bear heed to this Chinese narrative. From Xi, Li and all the other Politburo loyalists, the Chinese authoritarians are determined to replace the U.S. democratic global order.

But we should also be aware of just how effective the Chinese government has been in its effort to win respect and station from western elites. Take Li's article, for example, which was published in coordination with an otherwise liberal media outlet, "the World Post", which was itself established by the quite pleasant and moderate German-American internationalist billionaire, Nicolas Berggruen.

Or take the British government's ongoing supplication to China.

If the Post is right that _democracy dies in darknes_s, we must shine a close light on Li's words. For he and his boss mean every word of them.

question: What is Eric X Li's opinion of the current government in China?

answer: He writes that it is the most competent national political institution in the world today.

question: What is the relationship between the Chinese communist notion of power and that of the U.S. Founding Fathers?

answer: The Chinese notion is inverse to that of the Finding Fathers. The Chinese communist party believes it knows what is best for the people and implement those ends without delay. Whereas the Founding Father saw greatness in the ability of competition within a democracy to check the worse impulses of those in power.

question: Explain the Chinese agenda.

answer: First, a reconstruction of the free trade based international rules of commerce to a feudal-patronage system in which all nations bow to Beijing. Second, China's military dominance of Asia and Australasia in its entirety.

question: Why was Li's article published by the World Post and why is it important to be aware of it?

answer: It is stated that it is a testament to the Chinese government's effort to win respect and station from western elites that this article was published in coordination with a liberal media outlet.

question: What prompted Eric X Li to write this article for the World Post?

answer: The article is his endorsement of Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent eradication of term limits for his office.

question: Who will deny China their objectives?

answer: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis recognizes that the U.S. must deny China these objectives.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: This post is a review of Eric X Li's article "Democracy Dies in Darkness" that was published in the otherwise liberal World Post. Li's article is an endorsement of the Chinese government which he thinks is the most competent political institution in the world today. This notion is the inverse of that of the U.S. Founding Fathers.


text:
A lone, unemployed Canadian donned a Maple Leaf-red sweater Tuesday and stood guard under a blistering midday sun by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the National War Memorial.

Authorities haven't decided yet how they'll improve security after the memorial was desecrated on Canada Day, but Don Dawson wasn't going to wait for them to make up their minds.

He draped a vintage Canadian Legion flag - a British ensign with a green maple leaf imposed in the centre - over his shoulder and stood rigidly at attention.

"I got up this morning and asked myself what I could do about this, and I decided to come here out of respect for all the soldiers who died fighting for the freedom of Canada," said Mr. Dawson, who spent the whole day at the site.

Three young men were photographed urinating on the memorial on Canada Day. Police were looking for the three on Tuesday and asked them to come forward.

The ensuing outcry has spurred public officials to consider new security measures for the site even though police say similar incidents around the capital are virtually unheard of.

Pamela Price, spokesperson for Veterans Affairs, says her department as well as Public Works and the National Capital Commission are discussing how to prevent similar events.

Ms. Price could not give details about what is under consideration, nor when new measures may be announced.

Mr. Dawson said he'd like to see a member of the Governor General's Foot Guards, on parade on Parliament Hill in the summer months, assigned to the site during the day and security guards posted at night.

"When they brought him - the unknown soldier - back from France in 2000, this site changed from a war memorial to a grave site, so there should always be an attendant, at least during the day," Mr. Dawson said.

"This wouldn't be to prevent vandalism, but would be more a show of respect. Of course, it would help prevent these sorts of incidents as well."

RCMP spokesperson Martin Blais said the force keeps no statistics on vandalism and desecration of memorial statues, but as far as he could tell, the incident was an isolated one.

Ms. Price said a few years ago, a plaque was erected to keep skateboarders off the site.

But Cliff Chadderton, chairman of the National Council of Veteran Associations, says that although he can't recall other acts of desecration at this or other memorials in Canada, skateboarders continue to be a problem at the national monument. Mr. Chadderton also believes Governor General's Foot Guards are needed.

"Members of our organization patrolled the site five years ago for about six weeks to keep skateboarders away, but we received too much ridicule and abuse," Mr. Chadderton said.

"We thought it wasn't a safe thing to do and that instead it was a task for the government. We are just asking for something simple, done nicely with few people and a small budget. We aren't asking for a whole regiment to be assigned."

The United States has guards posted at the graveside of its Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington's Arlington National Cemetery. Sentries perform an elaborate changing of the guard there throughout the day. Other memorials, such as the Vietnam War Memorial, are constantly watched over by U.S. park rangers.

question: Who is Don Dawson?

answer: He is an unemployed Canadian who stood guard by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the National War Memorial after three young men were photographed urinating on the memorial on Canada Day. Dawson did it out of nationalism and respect for the fallen soldiers because the government hasn't posted anyone to guard the site against further vandalism.

question: Who is Pamela Price?

answer: She's the spokesperson for Veteran Affairs tasked to come up with new security measures for the site.

question: What does Mr. Dawson suggest with regards to securing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?

answer: He says he'd like to see a member of the Governor General's Foot Guards assigned to the site during the day and security guards posted at night.

question: What year was the unknown soldier brought back from France?

answer: 2000

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: Three young men desecrate the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the National War Memorial on Canada Day by urinating on it. This act of vandalism prompts unemployed Canadian, Don Dawson, to take matters into his own hands out of respect for the fallen soldiers. Mr. Dawson wears a red Maple Leaf sweater, drapes a Canadian Legion flag over his soldier, and stands guard at the site for a whole day. He says that since the unknown soldier was brought back from France in 2000, the site changed from a war memorial to a gravesite, necessitating an attendant. Mr. Dawson also suggests posting a member of the Governor General's Foot Guards during the day and security guards at night. Cliff Chadderton, chairman of the National Council of Veteran Associations, said his organization patrolled the site five years ago to keep skateboarders away but were met with ridicule and abuse.


text:
*Note: I don't quite know where to go with this piece. I know it is pretty confusing; I did that quite intentionally. But I need it to be confusing in the most lucid way possible to express and expand on the theme/idea, if you know what I mean. Any thoughts or questions would be greatly appreciated!*

**because it is punishing**

Running is poetry, I told her. It is the gravel licking your ankles, valleys sinking into clover dew, fog atop the summit. It is expressions of all that is within human magnificence; puny yet calling out that we are significant, we are changing, we can feel. Exhaustion precedes strength. Each beaten step is there to feel glorious. You like to run because you want to feel golden.

I like to run because it is punishing, she said.

There are two moments after the bloodbath. One is senseless awe, the simultaneous a soulful emptiness. They are entwined as brother and sister, she and I, conjoined as a hairpin twin. I am skin glowing, lean muscle, sinews gentle and strong. She is all angles. The labor may be endured, simply because we both know: there is no other way.

I’ve been hearing there is, I told her. It’s not like old times anymore, I said.

(The wind caught my words and whistled back softly, a chorus like the breaking of small waves on the most weathered pebbles, dirty charcoal: We are young, but we are more weary than the destinies that weigh on our fathers and the clouding cataract that tempers our mothers. We should stand tall to be fearsome, but no, we are aching.)

She smiled and she lit up, bullseye track marks.

Twins, I whispered. They were mine, all mine.

The delivery, she said, it will be hell.

title: because it is punishing

question: How does the narrator describe running?

answer: running is glorious for the narrator

question: What is the narrator expecting to have?

answer: twins

question: How does the narrator's friend describe labor?

answer: she describes it as hell

question: How does the narrator feel about being young?

answer: As tho they are more than the destines that weigh on their fathers

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A parallel between the feeling of running and giving birth is described.


text:
While it makes a lot of sense for many businesses to start a call center, many others are worried about what it will cost them. In this article, we’ll answer “how much does it cost to set up a call center?” so that you can plan effectively and make the most of your budget.

_NOTE:_ In 2019, we launched our most innovative product yet, the AVOXI GENIUS CLOUD CONTACT CENTER. Any call center cost comparisons in this post have not yet been updated to reflect AVOXI Genius's affordable new pricing.

On-site or virtual call center

The biggest factor that will influence your initial call center costs is whether you decide to start with an on-premise system or virtual call center software. Virtual call centers come with fewer upfront costs because you won’t need to pay for hardware or equipment. (If your employees are working remotely, you won’t have to pay for Internet service or office space, either.)

An on-site call center is a much bigger investment; you’ll have to purchase equipment that will be housed on your premises, which means that you’ll need dedicated space for hardware and your employees. In the future, you’ll also have to foot the costs for maintenance, upgrades, and any new equipment you might need to buy.

Internet service and bandwidth

If you choose to set up a virtual call center, you’ll need to factor reliable Internet service into your call center cost calculations. Whether you have 5 or 50 employees working for you, you will have to make sure that you have enough bandwidth to support high quality calls.

Prices for Internet service vary based on providers and your location; but, a good rule of thumb is to have 100 kpbs of bandwidth for each concurrent call taking place on your system. Using this simple equation, you should be able to get an accurate quote from your potential Internet provider.

Office space and equipment

If you decide to run your call center (on-site or virtual) from a dedicated location, you’ll have to set up an office space. Additionally, your initial call center costs might include basic office equipment, such as chairs, desks, phones, computers, and other office supplies that your employees will need. These are important costs to consider when starting your call center.

VoIP call center software and calling costs

Most modern call centers opt for virtual call center software. With a cloud-based call center solution, you can run your entire call center over the Internet by using a provider’s software. This software is usually available for a monthly cost per agent.

Depending on the functionality that you need and the provider you choose, you could pay anywhere from $50 - $300 per month per agent for access to the software. You’ll also want to remember that the costs of the calling taking place on your system are not included in these ongoing call center costs.

Salaries and other employee costs

With both an on-site and virtual call center, you’ll be responsible for the salaries of your employees. Other employee-related costs might include health care, paid time off, maternity leave, etc.

It’s important to factor these hidden call center costs into your calculations because they’ll impact your budget year round. On the one hand, these costs are easily managed because you directly control the number of employees working in your call center. Conversely, you have to have strong team of motivated employees working in order to keep customer satisfaction rates high.

Weighing Call Center Costs and Benefits

Whether you’re managing an outbound sales team or an in-house customer support department, a strong call center can make or break your business. However, there are a number of factors that go into starting a call center. If you’re just starting out, or looking to upgrade your existing system, it’s important to plan and budget for every aspect of your new call center.

question: Which is cheaper an on-premise of virtual call center?

answer: The virtual call center is significantly less expensive than an on-premise call center. if you opt for an on-site call center you will have to invest in office space and computer hardware for your employees. You will also have to maintain the office and equipment. The internet service is another expense that an on-site call center owner must cover.


text:
THE REAL BREAD CAMPAIGN IS LAUNCHING SOURDOUGH SEPTEMBER, BRITAIN’S FIRST NATIONAL CELEBRATION OF THE BREAD.

New campaign ambassador, Duncan Glendinning of the Thoughtful Bread Company, Bath, said: “For me, the best Real Bread combines great crust, depth of flavour and fantastic crumb. Sourdough is the only bread capable of delivering all of these and the only type that actually improves with age.”

Genuine sourdough bread is leavened only using a live starter culture produced by mixing flour and water to nurture one or more species of yeast and lactic acid bacteria that occur naturally on the surface of cereal grains, and therefore in the flour.

As well as developing a greater depth and complexity of flavour, aroma, and texture than commercial baker’s yeast, some studies have found that long fermentation using a sourdough starter has a range of dietary benefits.

Campaign coordinator Chris Young added: “Happily Britain is rediscovering the delicious delights of Real Bread made with just flour, water, salt, time and care. Plain sourdough has the simplest recipe of any loaf and yet, like alchemists, the most skilled bakers can transform these three basic ingredients into a whole world of gold medal Real Breads.”

The 30 days will include: Aidan Chapman’s Phoenix Bakery in Weymouth shunning baker’s yeast for a whole month, instead using only a sourdough starter for all of his Real Bread; Roger and Sally Birt’s Red Dog Bakery in north Devon running a sourdough baking class on 6 September and a tasting on the 7th; and Tom Herbert covering sourdough as part of his baking masterclass at Hobbs House School in Chipping Sodbury on 11thand 24th. Other highlights are available on the Real Bread Campaign’s online events calendar.

On Twitter, @RealBread is running SourDOH! inviting people to name and shame sourdough shams by posting photos using the #sourdoh hashtag, and joining the #RealBread conversation.

question: What is Real Bread?

answer: It's bread made using only three ingredients: flour, water, and salt.

question: Why is there a campaign for Real Bread?

answer: The taste is a rediscovery for Britain, and its shunning of baker's yeast is linked to dietary benefits as well.

question: How is Real Bread made?

answer: Genuine sourdough bread is leavened only using a live starter culture produced by mixing flour and water to nurture one or more species of yeast and lactic acid bacteria that occur naturally on the surface of cereal grains, and therefore in the flour.

question: What is another name for Real Bread?

answer: It's also called sourdough bread.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The new ambassador for the Real Bread campaign lays praise on it. Also called sourdough bread, it's made using only flour, water, and salt. While such bread is potentially tastier than bread made with baker's yeast, it's also linked to dietary benefits.


text:
Rider

Rider

My mom has always been supportive of my career as a musician. My dad never got around to it. The only bands he’d ever listen to were the Beatles and Rolling Stones. He wanted the Beatles played at his funeral, which he got. My mom never talks about the music that she listens to  except for her uncle Alan who toured the Midwest in the 50’s as a troubadour;  he’s still famous in our town.

I haven’t been home in a while, not that I miss it much. I moved to LA when I was 23. I was bored by the people at home. I was bored by my job at the grocery store and tired of not seeing anything. When I moved I had most of my” LA-experiences” during the first six months, right drugs- wrong people, that sort of thing. I thought the substances would inspire me as it seemed to inspire others but that never happened. I also played some gigs with local small-timers but it didn't amount to much.

My fourth summer in LA came around and thats when I met Terrie outside a used-car shop. I’d been looking to replace dad’s station-wagon that I’d driven to the coast. As  I was standing there looking over some of my options I saw the glint of peroxide-blonde hair and sweaty fishnet stockings out of the corner of my eye. I remember the coral lipstick, which I later learned was her favorite, so shiny on those lips. She walked up to me to bum a cigarette. As I’d recently quit smoking I apologized and told her I didn’t have any on me. Disappointed, she asked me for a lighter to borrow if she could bum a smoke from a man that was standing by a newsstand across the street. I didn’t have a lighter either but I reached into my vest pocket for the book of matches I always kept there. As I handed it to her she thanked me and smiled in the most heartbreaking way. I knew that I had to make her mine. Although I was more of what you might call the singer-songwriter type than a rocker, this girl with her glam rock look was something else. Underneath that make up I could see that she was pretty in an old-fashioned way. Later, when we were married, I used to tell her that she was like a burning wheat field blowing in the summer wind; she never understood what I meant and said I was a sucker. Our courtship was quick because her parents were very religious. Terrie was only 21 when we married but they consented and gave us their blessing because I was “a good God-fearing Midwestern boy.”

	Through Terrie I got more involved in the scene and discovered I had a knack for writing catchy riffs. I joined some of the locals who were in need of a guitarist and not long after that we played as support band for a famous band on their US tour. Months of touring and debauchery followed but after rising tensions in the band and disagreements with our management we decided to call it quits.

         Then Terrie got pregnant. She was excited but seeing as her job at the record store didn’t pay much and my being unemployed, I was worried to say the least. Fortunately I lucked out in joining as a touring and studio session guitarist with a band that had just signed  deal with a big label. Unfortunately this meant being on the road for long stretches at a time. Things quickly went downhill in our relationship and it was while touring in Japan that I got the terrible news that Terrie had suffered a miscarriage. She was inconsolable and quit her job. I tried to be home as much as I could to care for her but my obligations took me out of town again. Things between us never recovered after that and I blame myself. Two months after the loss of our child I got a call from Roy, a sergeant in the Marines who tells me he’s in love with my wife and she is in love with him and they are going to Germany. While this news hurt at first I can’t say I was surprised; I kept my nose to the grind to give me something else to think about. One tour lead to another and after 5 years the band went through a lineup change and I was thrust into the role of frontman. Evidently I did something right as we quickly started selling out the largest arenas and stadiums. We got through 3 good tours before ticket sales started to dwindle. These days we play to fairly large clubs and such, I don’t complain, seeing as it brings in good money. I live a private and enjoyable life.
	I’ve never met Terrie since our marriage ended but last I heard Roy was killed in a combat exercise and she had gotten remarried to a journalist. Even though our relationship went to pieces I still cherish terrie and our times together.
	At the venues we play the band usually has extensive requirements to ensure their comfort. My only requests on the rider are one ham sandwich and two fingers of bourbon. I usually go out into whichever city we’re playing that night and walk around while eating my sandwich. Even though the band is still fairly popular people seldom recognize me off the stage. I also try to find a bookstore to buy something by a local author for those long flights and bus rides. Just before showtime I’ll find a quiet spot in the venue and raise a glass for my Terrie.

title: Fisrt Post: "Rider"

question: Is the narrator a successful musician?

answer: The narrator becomes successful with a band by the end of the story, but he isn't famous in the way that people will recognize him on the street.

question: Why did the narrator move to LA?

answer: He moved to LA because he was bored of his life in his Midwestern hometown.

question: Who is Terrie?

answer: Terrie was a woman the narrator met in LA. She was also involved in the music scene. They married when she was 21, but eventually divorce after she had a miscarriage and fell in love with someone else.

question: What is the main event of the story?

answer: The main event of the story is the narrator's relationship with Terrie as he tries to forge a music career.

question: Who is Roy?

answer: Roy was a sergeant in the Marines who fell in love with Terrie. Terrie then leaves the narrator for him. He later dies in a combat exercise.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator details his life as a musician and his relationship with a woman named Terrie. He met her when he moved to LA as a budding musician and quickly married her. She had a miscarriage, and the marriage ended in divorce after she leaves the narrator for another man. Despite this, the narrator finds success with a fairly popular band. Even though his relationship with Terrie went south, he still cherishes her and their time together.


text:
i met a girl on the subway last night,

don't worry babe, it didn't really happen; there is no subway here

she said she recognized me from somewhere

if this was a pickup line, we were off to a rocky start since i don't like to be recognized

i asked her if she ate out a lot

she asked if i waited tables

i said no, i never finished my art degree.

things proceeded quickly from there so i took a chance,

it didn't work out so well

she ran away when i whipped out my massive debt.

title: One hundred words or less.

question: How did he whip out his debt?

answer: Unclear

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is telling a made up story about meeting a girl on the subway and flirting with her.


text:
Run. Stop. Run. Take a deep breath. Run some more. This is basically my night. I really shouldn't have taken up Gary's offer to hang out. I mean, I love Gary, he's really awesome. However, his friends, they're huge douche bags. They're always wanting to start some shit. Whether it be a fight with some random guy, or getting arrested for shoplifting, they're always in something. They just had to drag me into it. I swear to God, if I make it out of this night, I am beating their white asses into the ground.

I guess I should really start at the beginning, I do that a lot, get ahead of myself I mean. Gary lives two streets away from me, so I sort of grown up with the kid. We're 14 now. He started hanging out with the jackasses: Josh, Barry, and Mitchel, when he was about 13. At first. they seemed alright. Then they started to "live on the edge" as they like to say it. Anyways, Gary asked me to hang out with him tonight, since I was home alone, and I had nothing better to do, so I joined him. While I was expecting to just watch some movies and talk, his friends wanted to go start some shit, again.

I get there and they are already discussing how they wanna "live" today. Barry suggesting to go steal some stuff, while Josh wants to go get pick up some chicks.(All three of these assholes are swagfags by the way.) However, Mitchel actually had a legit idea; graffiti. An interesting idea from such a jackass, comes once in a blue moon. It seemed actually like a fun idea. I've always wanted to do something like that. I just want my opinion to be out in the world, to be honest. After everyone agreed and we got the things together, we set out to have an adventure.

Two hours later and we'll in alleys pasting pictures of war and words. Of course, Josh had to go and start being an idiot. He was throwing colors on to the wall and drawing penises and other dirty drawings. I tried to ignore it, until he dumped paint on top of my head. I was drenched in neon blue paint and holy shit, was I mad. I grabbed a pale of pink and threw it all over his shirt. In a matter of seconds, everyone started throwing paint on each other and started to laugh way to loudly.Porch lights went on and people came out. People started to yell, "We're calling the police!" But it took a few seconds to register what they were saying. Before we knew it, the police cars were being heard and we took off like lightning. "Shit, shit!" Was all I kept on saying as we sprinted in the opposite directions of the cars.

Corner after corner we turned hoping to lost the police. My heart started to beat faster and faster as we heard the sirens get closer closer. Gary soon yelled out, "SHIT." As we saw police cars coming towards you. We cut through lawn after lawn hoping to find a safe haven. All of us started to lose speed and Mitchell soon began to work, as he panted. More and more police cars began to swarm around us. Not knowing what else to do, I simply started to sprint in some random direction. The police had to deal with the other boys, since they had a record and I didn't. Street after street I passed, until I finally reached my home. I flew open the door and shut it with a loud bang. I found a mirror and looking myself over, I was covered in neon blue paint that dried over my head, my jeans have been ripped and I had small cuts from running through bushes. I couldn't help but chuckle at my appearance. This sure was one hell of a night, that I don't want to relive.

title: Here's a second story. Reviews? Be honest, bro.

question: What does the narrator feel about Gary's friends?

answer: The narrator thinks Gary's friends are huge douchebags and does not like them.

question: How does the narrator feel about the events that happened with Gary and his friends?

answer: The narrator feels like the adrenaline of the night was enough for a lifetime and not something that the narrator wanted to relive again.

question: What were the characters in the story doing that got them in trouble and running away from the cops?

answer: They were doing graffiti.

question: What was the biggest motivator for the narrator to join in on doing graffiti with the boys?

answer: The narrator really wanted to get her idea out into the world and this seemed like an adventure for her.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This short story describes a group of friends who go an adventure to graffiti and create a memory of a lifetime.


text:
WITH DIRECTORS KATSUYA EGUCHI AND HISASHI NOGAMI

—WHAT ASPECTS OF ANIMAL CROSSING HAVE THE FANS BEEN TELLING YOU THEY LIKE?

NOGAMI: What people find interesting in Animal Crossing seems to differ from person to person–and that in itself is interesting. (laughs) There really is so much diversity in the way people like to have fun.

EGUCHI: There’s people who just like to collect the furniture, and some people who only want to do fishing. There’s also players who just enjoy designing something to share with others. The fact that we can’t point to just one thing and say “that’s the appeal” testifies to the novelty of Animal Crossing; I don’t think there’s been a game like it before.

—How did Animal Crossing first come to be?

EGUCHI: It begin life as an N64DD project. Then we came up with the concept of “a game where you hang out and do stuff with a bunch of people in a single field.” Then one-by-one, we started coming up with more ideas, and Animal Crossing is really just the collection of all those different strands.

NOGAMI: In short—we just wanted to do make something for the 64DD. (laughs)

[url]

Eguchi (top) and Nogami (bottom).

—What was your overall concept for the series itself?

EGUCHI: Well, this is connected to the idea above about having people gathered together in a single field, but… a key concept for us was people communicating with each other. How to effectuate that in game-form was our main concept throughout the development.

—It’s pretty bold to make a game with no ending and no story! Why make that kind of game?

NOGAMI: From the start, we weren’t interested in genres. (laughs) RPG, action… we made no effort to classify what we were doing like that.

EGUCHI: One of our early propositions was to make “a game unlike any that has come before.” We were consciously trying to create something in a new genre that you couldn’t easily reduce to a single label. But in reality, you have to write the genre for the retail package labeling. But we hadn’t thought about that at all… it was like, “what should we write? I have no idea!” (laughs)

NOGAMI: Yeah, and I remember someone saying, “well, how about we just say ‘communication’?” (laughs)

—And a “communication game” goes back to what you were saying about people connecting with each other.

NOGAMI: Right. Ultimately our gameplay ideas derive from that theme. Let’s swap furniture from our houses! …that was another way of connecting people.

—Yeah, but there’s some people who just like to fish by themselves, and others who just want to collect a bunch of furniture. (laughs)

NOGAMI: This is true. (laughs) That’s why we made fish that can only be found by people who obsessively fish, though. And for those furniture collectors, there’s some pieces that can only be found by dedicated collectors. I like to think of the conversations that two collectors will have when they encounter each other and see unique pieces in their collections. That’s another opportunity for communication.

[url]

Animal Crossing cover. Text reads:
“Two is better than one!
Four is better than two!
And more is better than four!”

—The way the animals talk in Animal Crossing sounds very human.

EGUCHI: Part of what we wanted to do there, I admit, was show something like “practice” for conversing with other actual human beings, like “this is how you have fun communicating!” (laughs)

NOGAMI: We also wanted players to talk to each other about things the animals had said. (laughs)

EGUCHI: Yeah, I hope players talk with each other about what the animals said, what they were thinking that day, what they did… and hey, we can’t help it if these cute animals just say cute things! (laughs)

NOGAMI: But there are also some that say scary things. (laughs)

EGUCHI: Yeah, it’s like, if a small child is playing and an animal says something a little difficult to him that he doesn’t understand, I hope he’ll then go ask his Mom about it.

NOGAMI: That’s also part of the “communication” we were after. All the surprising or interesting dialogue we added was done towards that end, so people would actually talk with each other in real life.

—Games as a medium for connecting people, you could say.

EGUCHI: That’s right. For instance, the seagull Johnny (Gulliver in US) makes all these dark jokes. I’m sure a kid won’t understand them. I imagined he would have to go to his Mom and ask her what the seagull was talking about, and the Mom would then have a hard time answering. (laughs)

NOGAMI: That’s actually why we mixed in difficult sections like that. (laughs) Communication is what we ultimately want people to take away from Animal Crossing—and there’s no better example of it than that.

ANIMAL CROSSING – SOUND AND MUSIC 2001 INTERVIEW

WITH KAZUMI TOTAKA AND TARO BANDO

—What kind of game is Animal Crossing?

TOTAKA: It’s a communication game. The player lives in a village with animals and can enjoy village life. There’s a real-time clock, so depending on the season and time of day, various events occur in the village. I worked on the sound direction, and Bando worked on the sound effects.

—I understand that you really spent a lot of time on the music.

TOTAKA: Yeah. The music staff consisted of four composers, one sound programmer, and one person in charge of sound fx.

BANDO: There’s several musical elements in Animal Crossing. First are the town melodies. This is the melody you hear when you talk to an animal. On the town melody board you can freely compose your own tunes.

Another musical element is the “animal language” that the animals speak. At first, we planned to use voice synthesis techniques to make something more realistic. But this is a game where messages are also displayed in text when you talk to someone, and we couldn’t get the timing right between the synthesized voices and the text subtitles—they would end up speaking too fast.

We thought about it for awhile and realized that since these are animals, there was no need to make them talk like normal humans. Maybe it wasn’t so important to know exactly what they were saying; maybe all the players needed was to know the feel and tone of what they were talking about. That’s how we came up with their language. We actually used a unique technology that we filed a patent for!

[url]

Kazumi Totaka (composer/sound director) and Taro Bando (sound effects)

—Why did you put so much effort into the music?

TOTAKA: In Animal Crossing, each cartridge will give a slightly different terrain for your village. Also, the rooms and the animals are a little different. We wanted music that would reflect those dynamic changes. But this isn’t the first time I’ve used music like this in a game. In Yoshi’s Story, for instance, the music changes to reflect Yoshi’s mood.

—I see. It’s “interactive” music. How many songs did you make in total?

TOTAKA: There’s 199 in total. There were three composers working under me,¹ and I divided the work between them: one person worked on field (outdoor) music, another on the indoors music, and another worked on the event music. Basically these guys were all capable veterans, so I mainly left things up to them. However, if you don’t give at least some clear direction, then it’s actually hard to create anything, so we hammered that out at a meeting. Our first idea was to match the peaceful, relaxed mood of the game with accoustic music. But then we realized that would make things _too_ relaxed. We came up with the concept of using very electronic, synth-y sounds, but composing and arranging the music in an “accoustic” way for the listener. That was our concept for the field music.

—And you did something different for the indoors and event music?

TOTAKA: Yeah, that’s right. The basic idea was that the rooms would be silent until the player decides to turn something on. For that music our image was something that sounded cute, like a cheap portable keyboard.

Animal Crossing OST.

—What direction did you give for the event scenes?

TOTAKA: Well, for the Halloween event, for example, I’d say something like “basically fun, but a little weird.” The songs he composed were right on the money, so I would only give that initial guidance and then safely let him do the rest. Though there were occasionally some revisions, like when the song took up too much memory. (laughs)

—How long did each song take to work on?

TOTAKA: Everyone else took roughly a year to come up with their songs, but my situation was a little different. I re-arranged compositions I had already made. I had to make about 58 songs in the space of two weeks… I was so rushed that I was composing on the train. (laughs)

—How did you go about creating the sound effects, Bando?

BANDO: As you might guess, a lot of the sounds were recorded straight from nature and inserted into the game. Each time the seasons change, new insects appear in Animal Crossing, and for those sounds I actually went to the mountains in Fushimi and recorded the local insects there. It was a real pain getting a recording of the cicadas.

TOTAKA: I remember seeing that sign you made posted on the door to the recording room: “Do Not Disturb: Insect Collecting”. (laughs)

BANDO: In total I think I recorded over 500 different sound effects. There’s over 100 different kinds of footstep sounds alone! I got different samples for walking on marble, walking in water…

—Did you record your own footsteps, then?

BANDO: I did. For the waterfront footsteps effect, for example, I recorded myself in sandals walking along the beach.

—Were there any difficulties on the programming side, for the sound?

BANDO: The sounds alone took up a huge amount of memory, as we had expected! It was kind of like a puzzle, figuring out how to cram all of them in there.

—The debugging and testing must have been a bear too.

BANDO: Yeah, it was a challenge. Animal Crossing has so many different sound effects. There were some problems that came up too, where two sounds would play simultaneously and it would cause memory problems. Checking all that was not fun.

[url]

The dog KK Slider was actually modeled after Totaka himself.
(His name in Japanese is “Totakeke”, a pun on Totaka)

—It seems this might be the first game to feature music so heavily, yet not be a music game per se. Finally, please offer a few words to all the readers about how to best enjoy Animal Crossing.

TOTAKA: For me, I enjoy just walking around in the game. Bando prepared so many different footstep sounds for each terrain. There’s the brisk clip-clap of walking on stone, and the soft sound of rushes as you walk through grass. I like hearing those sounds intermingle with the background of a flowing river, or the rush of a waterfall in the distance… there’s music hiding in all these spaces, and I really enjoy how it all turned out. It really feels like I’ve gone back to my hometown village, and just walking around makes me feel happy.

question: When was the article written?

answer: The second section says 2001, but it's unclear whether that also applies to the first section

question: What kind of game is Animal Crossing?

answer: A communication game

question: Who are the interviewees?

answer: Katsuya Eguchi, Hisashi Nogami, Kazumi Totaka, and Taro Bando

question: What platform was Animal Crossing initially planned for?

answer: The Nintendo 64 DD

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The article is an interview with some of the developers for Animal Crossing about the game.


text:
The goal of the ongoing CyMISS (tropical Cyclone intensity Measurements from the ISS) project is to acquire image sequences of intense tropical cyclones (TCs), such as hurricanes, to support the development of an improved remote sensing method to determine more accurately the strength of these destructive storms using stereoscopy. Funded by CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space) which manages the ISS US National Laboratory for NASA, this project has amassed a large collection of storm images during the last four years. While a number of processed images have been released to the public over the years through various online and print outlets, the CyMISS team at Visidyne (the prime contractor of the project) wanted to share some of the best images we have been creating.

[]

This is one of the original color photographs (ISS055-E-87594) of the moonlit remains of Alberto taken by the crew of the ISS at 06:50:15 GMT on May 30, 2018 in support of CyMISS. (NASA-JSC)

In the latest phase of CyMISS, our team has begun exploring improvements we can make to our observing techniques as well as new potential applications. One of our investigations involves observing storms at night using moonlight as the source of illumination. June’s _Image of the Month_ is a view created as we attempted to observe over the southeastern United States the remains of what once was Subtropical Storm Alberto – the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. A total of 490 photographs, like the example shown above, were acquired by the crew of ISS Expedition 55 during an extended observation session which started at 06:47:08 GMT over the Great Plains and ended at 06:55:17 GMT over the island of Hispaniola. At this time, the Moon was 15½ hours past full and it had been 1½ days since Alberto made landfall over the Florida panhandle. Alberto had been downgraded to a tropical depression with sustained winds of just 35 mph (56 kph) with rain stretching from the Gulf coast northward towards the Ohio valley. The full sequence of images from this session is shown in the video below. The actual remains of Alberto are fully visible at about the 1:00 mark.

https://www.drewexmachina.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Alberto_20180530_video_sm.mp4

June’s _Image of the Month_ is a mosaic created from this extended sequence of images from the ISS. Covering an area of 4,000 by 1,200 km, it was created by remapping the original 490 color photographs taken by the crew of the ISS to approximate a common overhead view before stitching them together. Clearly visible in this moonlit scene are city lights as well as several storm systems including the remains of Alberto visible about a third of the way across the mosaic from the left. Also visible about halfway into the mosaic is the US Atlantic coast with Florida outlined by its city lights through the breaks in the clouds. In stark contrast to comparatively bright landscape of the US with its many cities and extensive highway system, the eastern half of Cuba and the island of Hispaniola are fairly dark in the early morning hours of May 30.

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This mosaic of ISS images from May 30, 2018 covers a swath from the Great Plains of the US, across Tropical Depression Alberto over the southeast to eastern Cuba and Hispaniola. The scene is illuminated by moonlight from above and artificial sources from below. Click on the image to view a high resolution version of this 4,000 by 1,200 km mosaic at a scale of one km/pixel. (A.J. LePage/Visidyne/NASA-JSC)

The CyMISS team at Visidyne would like to thank the crew of the ISS as well as the staff at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Johnson Space Center for their ongoing efforts. The original images are courtesy of the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit at NASA Johnson Space Center. The work presented here is supported in part under CASIS Grant GA-2018-272.

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Related Reading

See earlier articles on the CyMISS program HERE.

question: How can CyMISS improve the lives of humans?

answer: When scientists can measure more accurately storm intensity, there will be better storm preparedness and disasters will be reduced.

question: What is the role of the ISS in the project?

answer: Since the ISS orbits around Earth, it has an unobstructed view of its atmospheric conditions. So it is the best location to capture images of tropical cyclones.

question: What is the best time to observe storms from the ISS?

answer: Perhaps observing storms during the daytime is best as the sun illuminates planet Earth, making every detail clear.

question: Why does CyMISS take images of storms at night as well?

answer: They want to find ways to improve their observing techniques. Also, images of storms at night are beautiful as city lights are also visible.


text:
[Early printed sample of American leaves made by Joseph Breintnall in the 1730s] JOSEPH BREINTNALL (died 1746) was an influential American merchant and amateur naturalist. He was the first Secretary of the Library Company of Philadelphia and the sheriff of Philadelphia from 1735–1738. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his friend and collaborator, Benjamin Franklin. An early member of Franklin's Junto, Breintnall co-authored a series of letters with Franklin, under the name of “The Busy-Body.” The 32 letters were printed serially in Andrew Bradford's newspaper _The American Weekly Mercury_ in 1729.

Life and work

Breintnall was a copyist and a merchant who opened a public house called “The Hen and Chickens”. He was married under the care of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1723. His observations of the aurora borealis and his detailed account of being bitten by a rattlesnake circulated within the Royal Society in London through his correspondence with the Quaker botanist and Fellow of the Royal Society, Peter Collinson.[1][2] Breintnall also experimented in printing techniques, especially that of Nature printing. His name appears several times in the records of Philadelphia Monthly Meeting of Friends.[3] Breintnall was sheriff of Philadelphia from 1735–1738. He died in 1746 and left no will.

In his _Autobiography_ Benjamin Franklin, writes that Breintnall was,

First Secretary of the Library Company of Philadelphia (1731–1746)

Breintnall was the first Secretary of the Library Company of Philadelphia, a position he held from the company's founding in 1731, until his untimely drowning in the Delaware River on March 16, 1746. The Library Company is America’s first successful lending library and one of its oldest cultural institutions. Benjamin Franklin founded the organization as a subscription library supported by its patrons, who were ostensibly shareholders. Breintnall agreed to support the enterprise as its Secretary. Franklin took over as Secretary when Breintnall died.[4] In the Company's meeting minutes from 1738, Breintnall added with satisfaction that, On May 5, 1746, after Breintnall's death, the directors of the Library Company, “took into Consideration, that Joseph Breintnall, late Secretary, had faithfully served the Company Yearly, without any adequate Recompence for the same, in Gratitude for which, they unanimously voted a Present of £15 to his Widow [Esther Parker] for the Use of his Family; and that his Son George shall have the free Use of Books in the Library during his Life."[5]

Sheriff of Philadelphia (1735–1738)

In 1735 Joseph Breintnall was assigned to the position of “High Sheriff for the City and County of Philadelphia,” bound under the authority of George II of Great Britain. [6] He served as Sheriff of Philadelphia for three terms, from 1735–1738.

Nature Printing and Other Contributions to the Study of Natural History

[“Rattle-Snake Herb,” by Joseph Breintnall. Printed in Benjamin Franklin's _Poor Richard's Almanack_] While some sources state that Benjamin Franklin invented Nature printing as a way of deterring counterfeiters from copying the currency he was contracted to print, it is more accurate to say that Franklin applied the results of Joseph Breintnall's early attempts to render, in scientific detail, the diversity of American botanical life. Breintnall worked with the botanist John Bartram in the early 1730s to collect samples of plants in and around the city of Philadelphia. Rather than flattening and drying leaves in order to preserve individual specimens, Breintnall experimented with making prints of fresh leaves by inking the specimens and placing them between sheets of folded paper before running through a press. While the idea of making inked impressions of leaves was a popular “craft” activity of middle-class women at the time, Breintnall is credited with applying the practice in a scientific setting.[7] Breintnall then shipped these highly detailed prints to English naturalists like Peter Collinson. Later, Franklin and Breintnall worked to take plaster casts of various plant leaves in order to produce copper plates of the specimens. Franklin returned to the technique in 1737 in an effort to thwart counterfeiters of paper money bills. These early Nature prints were sent to English naturalists who were increasingly curious about American plant biology. Together they sent nature prints which were printed directly from inked leaves to English naturalists.[8] In the year of Breintnall's death, his wife, Esther Parker, donated two volumes of leaf prints compiled by her husband to the Library Company.

In 1737 Breintnall wrote an article about “Rattlesnake Herb”' for Franklin's _Poor Richard's Almanack_[9] Franklin sold around 10,000 copies of this _Almanack_. Printed near the article is an image of a leaf. The image differs from the earlier prints and was made by a metal casting, rather than an inked specimen. According to the text, the image is of a kind of goldenrod.

Breintnall worked with Franklin to verify the results of an experiment designed to ascertain the relationship between color and energy absorption from the sun.[10]

Writing

Between 1728 and 1729, Breintnall collaborated with Benjamin Franklin on a series of periodical essays written under the pseudonym “The Busy-Body.” The 32 article series, most of which were written by Breintnall, were printed in _The American Weekly Mercury_, an early American newspaper founded and published by Andrew Bradford.[11]

Breintnall was also an amateur poet. His most notable work is his “Tribute To John Bartram” (~1743). In 1825, James Madison, who mistakenly thought that the poem was written by Benjamin Franklin, wrote that the “Tribute To John Bartram,” “merits preservation, as well on account of its author, as of its moral improvement on the original ode.”[12]

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title: Joseph Breintnall

question: Who was Joseph Breintnall?

answer: An influential American merchant and amateur naturalist.

question: What was Joseph Breintnall's profession?

answer: He was the first Secretary of the Library Company of Philadelphia & the sheriff of Philadelphia.

question: When was Joseph Breintnall sheriff of Philadelphia?

answer: From 1735 to 1738

question: Who is Joseph Breintnall usually remembered alongside with?

answer: With his friend and collaborator, Benjamin Franklin

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Joseph Breintnall was an influential merchant and amateur naturalist in the 18th century. He was sheriff of Philadelphia and the first secretary of the Library Company. Breintnall collaborated with Benjamin Franklin and is remembered for co-writing letters.


text:
An Australian man has been jailed for six months for posting nude pictures of his former lover on Facebook.

It is the first social networking-related conviction in Australian history and one of just a handful in the world, according to the Fairfax media.

Court documents revealed Ravshan ''Ronnie'' Usmanov, 20, of Sydney, posted six nude photos of his ex-girlfriend on Facebook shortly after they broke up. The photos showed his ex-girlfriend "nude in certain positions and clearly showing her breasts and genitalia."

Usmanov, a credit controller for a shipping company, reportedly told police:

"I put the photos up because she hurt me and it was the only thing [I had] to hurt her."

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Usmanov emailed his girlfriend after he posted the photos to Facebook, saying: “Some of your photos are now on Facebook.” The woman, who was not identified, pleaded with Usmanov to take down the photos. When he refused, she called the police.

Deputy-Chief Magistrate, Jane Mottley, said: "New-age technology through Facebook gives instant access to the world. Facebook as a social networking site has limited boundaries. Incalculable damage can be done to a person’s reputation by the irresponsible posting of information through that medium. With its popularity and potential for real harm, there is a genuine need to ensure the use of this medium to commit offenses of this type is deterred.”

In 2010, the Dominion Post reportedon New Zealand man Joshua Simon Ashby, 20, who was sentenced to four months in jail for posting a naked photo of his ex-girlfriend on Facebook.

His act was described as one of "irresponsible drunken rage" by presiding judge, who also said: "Technology can't be used in this way. You would do incalculable damage to someone's reputation."

Usmanov's ex-girlfriend, who Fairfax chose not to identify, had ended their relationship and moved out of their shared home less than three months before he posted the photos.

Fairfax cited Australian privacy experts as saying the case has exposed the ''tip of the iceberg'' of online offenses that were rarely punished.

MORE FROM GLOBALPOST: FACEBOOK REMOVAL OF BREASTFEEDING IMAGES ANGERS AUSSIE MUMS

David Vaile, executive director of the cyberspace law and policy center at the University of New South Wales, said online harassment was not taken as seriously as physical offenses.

''There are very few convictions under harassment and indecent publication, he told Fairfax. "It's not treated as the same way as, say, breaking into a bank website. There is more police support for criminal damage. In this case, he didn't slash her tires in an act of revenge. He slashed her reputation.''

The legality or otherwise of posting nude photos of others without their permission in the US is unclear, though a Google search reveals several web forums devoted to the topic, including this one.

In sentencing Usmanov, Mottley reportedly said: "New-age technology through Facebook gives instant access to the world. Facebook as a social networking site has limited boundaries. Incalculable damage can be done to a person's reputation by the irresponsible posting of information through that medium. With its popularity and potential for real harm, there is a genuine need to ensure the use of this medium to commit offenses of this type is deterred.

''The harm to the victim is not difficult to contemplate: embarrassment, humiliation and anxiety at not only the viewing of the images by persons who are known to her but also the prospect of viewing by those who are not. It can only be a matter for speculation as to who else may have seen the images, and whether those images have been stored in such a manner which, at a time the complainant least expects, they will again be available for viewing, circulation or distribution.''

Usmanov's lawyer, Maggie Sten, had argued his was not a ''serious offense,'' to which Mottley fired back: ''What could be more serious than publishing nude photographs of a woman on the internet, what could be more serious?''

She added: ''It's one thing to publish an article in print form with limited circulation. That may affect the objective seriousness of the offense but once it goes on the worldwide web via Facebook it effectively means it's open to anyone who has some link in any way, however remotely.''

MORE FROM GLOBALPOST:MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND TURKEY'S 'MIRACLE'

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question: What motivated Ronnie to post the pictures?

answer: His girlfriend chose to end their relationship and move out of their shared home. Ronnie claims that he was hurt and the photos were the only way he could hurt her back.

question: What punishment did Ronnie receive for his crime?

answer: He was sentences to six months in jail.

question: What is the name of Ronnie's ex-girlfriend?

answer: Her name is not identified in the article.

question: What crime was Ronnie charged with?

answer: The actual classification of the crime is not mentioned, but he was charged for sharing nude photos of his ex-girlfriend.

question: In what country did the crime take place?

answer: Australia

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: An Australian man, Ravshan "Ronnie" Usmanov, was sentenced to six months in jail for posting nude photos of his ex-girlfriend to Facebook. She ended their relationship and moved out of their shared home less than three months prior to the incident. There is concern that online harrassment is not taken as seriously as physical offences. Jane Mottley, Deputy-Chief Magistrate, argues that great harm can be done to a person's reputation by the irresponsible posting of information on social networking sites.


text:
Fans said goodbye to the majestic halls of Downton Abbey in November 2015 and ever since then we’ve been suffering from some serious Crawley family drama withdrawal. But Lady Mary lovers are in luck because the ‘Downton Abbey’ movie has received the green light!

Finally, the upstairs, downstairs drama continues! The beloved Masterpiece Classic series _Downton Abbey_ is coming back, but this time it’s going to be bigger. Much bigger. That’s right, the complicated story of the Crawley family, their servants and their giant estate will continue on the silver screen.

The news of a _Downton Abbey _movie has been officially confirmed, with casting announcements coming soon, and filming to begin this September, according to WWD.

JULIAN FELLOWES, the mind behind each and every episode of _Downton _that was ever made, will be at the helm in the script department. Julian was reportedly so excited by the possibility they may make a film one day that the already penned the script just in case! The original production company, Carnival Films, is also back to run the show.

The original cast has been pretty busy showing off since the sixth and final season ended in November 2015. MICHELLE DOCKERY, who played the commanding Lady Mary, stars in the TNT series _Good Behavior_, and LILY JAMES, who played sweet Lady Rose, played the titular role in Disney’s 2015 live action remake of “Cinderella” and is a Burberry brand ambassador.

However, some characters are unlikely to return due to their grim departures from the period drama. Both DAN STEVENS (Matthew Crawley) and JESSICA BROWN FINDLAY (Lady Sybil) met an untimely end in seasons 3 of the series.

Based on how the series ended and the sheer number of characters that are involved in the story, there are so many different ways the writers could take this film. We can’t wait to find out how they do it. And, of course, what wickedly witty one-liners we will be hearing!

HOLLYWOODLIFERS, which _Downton Abbey _character are you most excited to see in the upcoming film? Give us all your thoughts below!

question: What is the topic of this article?

answer: The television series, Downton Abbey, is being made into a movie.

question: Who is Julian Fellows?

answer: Julian is the "mind behind each episode"; Julian wrote the script for the movie.

question: When was the final episode of Downton Abbey?

answer: November 2015

question: What is the family's name in the television series?

answer: The Crawley family

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The television series, Downton Abbey, final episode aired in November 2015. It is now being made into a movie.


text:
A short white flash, then darkness. When the room started to become visible again the walls were close, too close to be comfortable. But this was not the first time. Seb knew what to do.

"Get up." He said it slowly, commanding himself to expand, just the way he had trained it. But even after so many times it still didn't work.
"Get up! Get up! Get up!"

Finally his body began to expand, legs protruded from his limb round torso, fingertips slowly pushed through the rubbery sides, reshaping the ball in an incomplete star. Finally his eyes began to move upwards and with them the room began to expand. Not just upwards, as it always did, this time it also expanded to the sides, the way Subject 3 had described it.

Seb would have had a smile on his lips, if he had had a face, but it was still beginning to form. His body was still just an egg-shape with spikes at the bottom and sides.

While suppressing the pain that his tearing skin signaled to his brain he thought to himself that this must be what giving birth feels like. Maybe he should stop making jokes about women after all.

After an hour of effort he had shaped all of his hands and the stumps of his arms nearly up to the elbows. The right hand protruded further than the left, and it also felt bigger. But was that really the right? He wasn't sure on which side his eyes would end up.

The team had warned him against trying too much at once, but all went smoothly and so Anton decided to try his luck. Exerting pressure on what felt like his stomach or lungs, he slowly pressed downwards and ignored the feeling of ripping tissue that accompanied the push.

His legs formed quicker than his arms. He already had his knees completely shaped before he refocused on his arms, bit his unformed lip and pushed to painfully protrude the bigger part of his right biceps. Through trial and error - getting the angle right was still not easy - he finally managed to shape his right shoulder. That was a first.

The left shoulder formed quickly and he barely felt the torn skin. There was a disturbing feeling - a sound, or maybe a smell - but that was maybe just a normal event at this level, after all he was one of the first to reach this state.

Shifting his focus again to his legs he pushed harder on his stomach and was surprised that his legs seemed to be surrounded by a slimy and warm texture. Despite, or maybe beause of the gentle lubrication, his legs kept forming with relative ease. Muscles and bones smoothly moved into place, even the pain seemed to fade away.

He felt a slight pressure on his shoulder and there was distinct chattering in the background, but he was too far to stop. His legs were nearly complete, his hips clicking into place for the first time and it was time to push harder to form his head. But a white flash interrupted him.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!"

The sudden scream scared Seb and made him scream even louder. It took him a few moments to be back in the world, to remember that breathing was normal and that the water he could hear rushing through his ears was just the blood his heart was pumping around his body. Then the stench hit him, sour with a note of curry and bile.

The lab assistant, Mark, stood smiling at his side. He didn't seem to mind the vomit.

"You got far this time, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I was nearly complete!" Anton was proud of his accomplishment. "Why did you pull me out?"

Mark hesitated. "Do you have any idea how long you were in there?" Anton responded with a frown. "It was six hours, and you threw up on yourself a while ago. We had to get you out."

After cleaning the largest pieces off with dry tissues Seb stood up on his shaking legs and signed the registration sheet. The young female researcher whose name he just never seemed to be able to remember handed him €120. She smiled at him. "Well done." He looked at her nametag. 'Sarah'.

"Thanks, Sarah." Seb turned and walked out.

"Well done." He repeated to himself on the way out into the cold autumn day.

***
*Critique welcome*

title: Subject 4 [Chapter/short short]

question: What is happening to Seb?

answer: Seb is in a lab as a subject. He is somehow expanding into and creating his human form from an egg-shaped body.

question: Who are the main characters of the story?

answer: Seb, a presumed subject, and lab assistants who seem to be Mark and Anton.

question: Where does the story take place?

answer: The story takes place in a lab.

question: Who is causing what is happening to Seb?

answer: It seems the lab assistants are doing this to Seb.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Seb is a test subject in a lab run by assistants Mark and Anton. He expands from an egg-shaped body into his human form. The lab assistants pull Seb out of the testing area after 6 hours. They remark that Seb got far this time, as he almost completed his body.


text:
I was having a chat over lunch with my longtime Aussie pal Amir Zoghi about surrender. We were discussing the importance of letting go of attachment especially when we really desire something. Amir dropped this truth bomb:

_“THE BEST WAY TO GET WHAT YOU WANT IS TO NOT WANT IT.”_

There is such wisdom in that simple statement. The more we want something, the more attached we are to getting it and attachment is something that usually LEADS TO AN EXPECTATION HANGOVER.

Why does attachment lead to disappointment?

When we are attached to getting a specific result we put far more pressure on ourselves, another person, or a situation. Instead of being in the flow of life, we put our desires in a pressure cooker and project way too far into the future. For example, you have an idea for a business and you begin to set specific goals that you want to hit. As soon as you believe that hitting those goals is going to make you successful, happy, or whatever it is that you want to feel, you are attached. Or let’s say you are longing for a relationship and someone comes along who has potential. The second you want it to turn into anything more than it is _right in that very moment_ creates attachment.

When we become attached to the outcome of HOW WE _WANT _SOMETHING TO TURN OUT, we miss out on a lot of things. We miss out on clearly hearing the voice of our intuition because we are future focused and intuition resides in the present moment. We miss out on the preciousness of the moment. We get so caught up in an end result that we skip the learning that comes with being right here, right now. We also MISS OUT ON GUIDANCE FROM THE UNIVERSE or possible red flags because we are so tunnel vision focused on what we want.

So does this mean that we should not want things? Or does it mean we should not set goals?

Well first of all I would not dare to “should” all over you but I will offer you my point of view on this that comes from a LOT of life experience of setting goals and wanting things . . . and consequently expectation hangovers!

Desire is not bad or wrong. It is an important feeling to have because it is a compass. Yet we often misunderstand desire. We think we desire a form or result but WE TRULY DESIRE IS THE _FEELING_ THAT WE BELIEVE THAT FORM OR RESULT WILL GIVE US. Going back to the examples from above, if you have a career goal it is actually not the goal your mind came up with that is driving you. You are really chasing the feeling you think achieving that goal will give you. Will achieving a goal make you feel successful, proud, and financially secure? If so, generate those feelings without having to hit any specific goal and allow your plans to unfold. Similarly, if you want a relationship, you are really chasing the feeling you think being in a relationship will give you. Will being in a relationship make you feel loved, validated, and passionate? If so, generate those feelings without needing someone else there.

The way to let go of attachment AND still get what you desire is to cultivate the _feelings _you think what you want will give you without actually having to have it. @ChristinHassler (Click to Tweet!)

Are you willing to let go of your attachment to the belief that you need something _external _to make you feel a certain way?

Back to what Amir said, “The best way to get what you want is not to want it.” If you are currently cultivating the feelings you desire in the future, you would long for nothing because your experience would be one of completeness. Nothing would feel like it was missing. And from this whole place, anything else that happens only enhances the experience you are already having.

You would be able to let go of the energy of attachment, which I assure you will create much more flow, joy and presence in your life. It also will not push away people or opportunities that feel the pressure cooker of your attachment energy.

I get that this is not an easy concept to comprehend, much less practice, because we live in a world where we are very conditioned to be believe our feelings are a result of results, but they are not. Our truest feelings and desires come from our inner truth and the more tapped in we are to the truth of who we are, the more we realize that we truly have everything we need and want.

Much love,

Christine

P.S. I have a new podcast where I coach people LIVE on the air. Head over to Over it and On With It and listen in for inspiration and action steps.

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_CHRISTINE HASSLER has broken down the complex and overwhelming experience of recovering from disappointment into a step-by-step treatment plan in her new book Expectation Hangover. This book reveals the formula for how to process disappointment on the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual levels to immediately ease suffering. Instead of wallowing in regret, self-recrimination, or anger, we can see these experiences as catalysts for profound transformation and doorways that open to possibility. You can find more info on her website, and follow her on Twitter and FB._

Image courtesy of Gabriel Benois.

question: Summarize why the text states attachment leads to disappointment.

answer: The text states that attachment leads to disappointment because when we are attached to a specific result, we put much more pressure on ourselves or the situation. Reaching those goals becomes the only way to make one feel happy or successful, instead of enjoying the process. It is more important to go with the flow.

question: Summarize what the text states about the feeling of desire.

answer: The text states that desire is neither bad or wrong. Desire is actually an important feeling, it is just misunderstood. Most people usually desire the feeling that will give the result they once, not just a form or the actual result.

question: Will the message from this text help many people let go of attachment and create much more flow, joy and presence in their lives?