text:
                                                                                Stay alive; that was the goal. Stay alive long enough for History to remember you… What if I can’t make it that long? What if this rifle I carry becomes too much for me? I shoved those questions into the back of my mind, vigorously, as if slamming a drawer shut in hurriedness. My mother told me to get out, get out of the house and don’t look back, that she and my sister would endure the raids on the homes of our village. I don’t know why they couldn’t keep with me, why they couldn’t follow me through the valleys and mountains I’ve traversed in these past few weeks… Maybe they lost hope? Maybe they didn’t want to wage war with life any longer…
But I am alone now, just a boy and his gun on the run for his life. I had one magazine and a bullet in the chamber, enough to get me through to a new home… or another soldier, you never know out here. But they were after me, The Tyrants, my mother would call them; an organization bent on taking over this entire country. We were just another check in the tallies, our small mining town on the side of a mountain, far off from anywhere. They still wanted us anyway, just for land… Just for land.
                 I lay prone in a bush covered in thorns under a downed tree, the needles piercing through my clothing as I watched the enemy militia sit around a small fire, ranting on about how their Commanding Officer doesn’t give enough food in their daily rations. I could hear my stomach growl in anger at them as I longed for their steaming cups of coffee with a buttered biscuit. My mouth watered from the aroma they gave… But maybe that was just my senses going into over drive. My eyes drooped with weariness, and sank lower and lower with every breath of frozen winter air I took. I thought they were weighed down with lead, and I couldn’t hold them open anymore…
The sky seemed to hold a dark blue hue, fading to light as it touched the horizon. I looked upon the floor, vertical lines seeming to span on forever. I saw two figures in close, one seemed familiar to me. In her hand she held a page, smeared in illegible writings that only her eye could read. Her head hung low, a tear dripping from the corner of her eye, a creek of one drop.  Before her was another woman, but of strange stature, a bouquet of flowers a-many color, but with the grey of steel mixed in with the fibers, showing her tense visage. “Why did he have to die mother?” The first woman asked the other, a tremble in her voice, easily comparable to a warble in the voice of an anxious public speaker.
                “Every person has a role to fill in life, he has done his, my child, and God needs him no longer.” I tried to rush to the both of them, as fast as my weary legs would bear, but my soles seemed to fill with lead, and my feet were encased in stone. The stone seemed to multiply particle by particle around me, panic rising in my blood like bubbles in a boiling pot. By the time it covered my face, I was absorbed in a dark unlike no other, it was a compressed abyss that seemed to never end, like a nightmare that you can’t escape. My sight was restored, oddly, but it seemed dark, every color muffled to its lightest degree. I saw the women still standing there, the first woman now with a rush of tears pouring down her pink pastel cheeks. The woman with her flowery head comforted her to the best extent she could, trying to put on a dance for the crying girl. I opened my mouth and tried to scream, but I seemed heavier, bulkier than normal, weighed down by my own body. I couldn’t utter a sound, it was as if my vocal cords had frozen, maybe they turned to stone themselves. A bright light figure appeared before my frame, slender and tall like an un-bruised birch.
         “Shh…” He muttered before waving his slim fingers before my eyes, making my shift to black again…
I shuttered awake, the queer sense that the dream left behind made my bones rattle under my skin. The soldiers now slept around their dying fire, snoring so loud, it could over power a truck horn. I sighed quietly, relief flowing through my body a wave at a time. “I wonder what that could have meant?” I questioned myself as I pulled my tattered body out of the shrub little by little. The snow crunched as I wiggled out from under the downed tree, to make my get away from these pigs-of-soldiers. But before I could manage to pull myself up and make a break, and hand pushed my back into the ice glazed snow, the water from the melted bits coursing in through the tears in my dress. It rolled my over to face a completely bright man, slim and tall, just like the one in the dream.
“Shh…” He whispered, before his blade stuck in my chest, and my heart rate fell to nothing…

title: [Slim] Inspired by Salvador Dali's Femme a tete de Roses

question: What does the story say about why The Tyrants were after the narrator's life?

question: What does the story say about why the narrator had to part with his family and why were The Tyrants bent on taking over their country?

answer: The Tyrants, as referred to by the narrator's mother, were bent on taking over their country and still wanted the small mining town where the narrator and his family belonged because of land ownership. Because of this, there was a war in the villages, which were raided by soldiers, going in and out tormenting and killing people. Ultimately, the narrator's mother requested that he fled the village, leaving her and his sister behind because the tyrants were after his life.


split: train

text:
AVIFILOPLUMA (“bird filoplumes”) is a clade containing all animals with feathers. Unlike most clades, which are defined based on relative relationships, Avifilopluma is defined based on an _apomorphy_, that is, a unique physical characteristic shared by one group and not found outside that group (in this case, feathers). It includes all coelurosaurs, some orionoides, and one or two basal tetanurans.

Definition

The clade Avifilopluma was created along with several other apomorphy-based clades relating to birds by Jacques Gauthier and Kevin de Queiroz in a 2001 paper. Their specific definition for the group was “the clade stemming from the first pan-avian with feathers homologous (synapomorphic) with those of _Aves_ (_Vultur gryphus_ Linnaeus 1758).”[1]

The authors went on to define specifically what qualified as a “feather”: Any filamentous structure arising from a follicle in the skin, with a hollow base, that shares common ancestry with the feathers of modern birds.[2]

Content

Gauthier and de Queiroz originally referred a number of prehistoric species to this group, on the basis of fossilized feather traces. These included what they considered to be non-avian dinosaurs such as _Sinornithosaurus_, _Archaeopteryx_, and the enantiornithines, all of which had true feathers. They tentatively considered the simpler feathers of other dinosaurs like _Sinosauropteryx_ and _Beipiaosaurus_ to be homologues of modern feathers and thus probably included in Avifilopluma. Therefore, they concluded that Avifilopluma would include most of the clade Maniraptora or Coelurosauria.[3]

The authors went further, and speculated that pending more complete knowledge of dinosaur skin structures, even the most primitive theropods could turn out to be avifiloplumans.[4] This idea gained tentative support with the discovery of _Tianyulong_, an ornithischian dinosaur with apparently hollow, filamentous feather-like fibers covering its body. This specimen was described by Zheng and colleagues in 2009, who noted definite similarities between the filaments of _Tianyulong_ and coelurosaurian theropods, supporting the idea that all such structures were homologous with modern feathers, and pushing the origin of feathers back to the origin of dinosaurs or earlier.[5] The discovery of _Kulindadromeus_ supported the idea that feathers were already present in the last common ancestor of ornithischians and theropods, which was either the first dinosaur or the first ornithoscelidan depending on how ornithischians are related to other dinosaurs.[6][7]

Some scientists have gone even further and suggested that the downy filaments present in some species of pterosaur are also feathers, and if this is the case, it would place the origin of feathers at or before the primitive split between dinosaurs and pterosaurs (Ornithodira).[8][9] It has been suggested that _Longisquama_ could be associated with the origin of feathers [10] and that their origin might have even preceded the appearance of the first crown archosaurs.[11] [Distribution of feather types among dinosaurs according to Benton _et al_., 2019. The authors also consider pterosaurs feathered animals.[12]]

[1] Gauthier, J. and de Queiroz, K. (2001). "Feathered dinosaurs,flying dinosaurs, crown dinosaurs,and the name “Aves”". Pp. 7-41 in Gauthier, J. and L.F. Gall (eds.), _New Perspectives on the Origin and Early Evolution of Birds: Proceedings of the International Symposium in Honor of John H. Ostrom_. New Haven: Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University. .

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7] Andrea, C. A. U. (2018). The assembly of the avian body plan: a 160-million-year long process. _Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana_, _57_(1), 2.

[8] Czerkas, S.A., and Ji, Q. (2002). A new rhamphorhynchoid with a headcrest and complex integumentary structures. In: Czerkas, S.J. (Ed.). _Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight_. The Dinosaur Museum:Blanding, Utah, 15-41. .

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

title: Avifilopluma

question: Summarize some interesting facts about Avifilopluma.

answer: Some interest facts about Avifilopluma are that the clade itself was created along with several other apormorphy-based clades relating to birds by Jacques Gauthier and Kevin de Queiroz. Additionally, Avifiliopluma refers to a clade containing all animals with feathers. It includes coelurosaurs and some orionoides.

question: How would learning about Avifilopluma be helpful to bird watchers?


text:
In a huge blow to the immigrant community, the Department of Homeland Security June 15 rescinded a 2014 executive order that provided relief from deportation to the undocumented parents of American citizens.

More than 111,000 undocumented Indian parents of American citizens would have benefited from former President Barack Obama’s Nov. 20, 2014 executive order – known as Deferred Action for Parents of Americans. Along with relief from deportation, the initiative would have allowed undocumented parents to obtain drivers’ licenses and work authorization. The Migration Policy Institute estimates there are 284,000 undocumented Indian nationals currently residing in the U.S. Nationwide, more than 4.3 million undocumented U.S. residents would have benefitted from DAPA.

In the same action, DHS announced that the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program – which provides relief from deportation to 700,000 undocumented youth – would remain intact, for now. But on the same day, the Trump Administration announced that the program was still under consideration for rescission.

“There has been no final determination made about the DACA program, which the president has stressed needs to be handled with compassion and with heart,” Jonathan Hoffman, assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, told The New York Times.

Shortly after Obama issued the DAPA directive in 2014, 26 states immediately sued, saying the order placed an unfair economic burden on them, because of the increased number of drivers’ licenses they would have to issue. The lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court, which issued a split decision June 23, 2016, sending the case back to a lower court, which had previously deemed the directive unconstitutional.

DHS Secretary John Kelly noted in a June 15 memo that the order had never been implemented, because of the litigation against it. “I have considered a number of factors,” said Kelly, citing the preliminary injunction, and the ongoing litigation.

“After consulting with the Attorney General, and in the exercise of my discretion in establishing national immigration enforcement policies and priorities, I hereby rescind the November 20, 2014 memorandum,” wrote Kelly.

The White House did not issue a press statement regarding the new DHS memo. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at a June 19 briefing that the action taken by DHS was due to the pending case.

Immigrant rights organizations decried DHS’s action, calling it “callous.” South Asian Americans Leading Together said in a press statement that it “condemns the Trump administration's decision to rescind DAPA.”

"Day after day, the Trump administration is perfecting the process of terrorizing immigrants," said Suman Raghunathan, Indian American executive director of SAALT, in a press statement. "From 'Muslim Bans' to calls for border walls to yesterday's announcement to rescind DAPA, President Trump has made it clear that he is committed to criminalizing immigrants and placing as many barriers as possible between immigrants and their families."

SAALT noted there are more than half a million undocumented Indians in the U.S., and 40 percent of them could have benefited from the program.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice also denounced the DHS memo. “While the DAPA and expanded DACA memo have long been blocked by a federal court and the decision to rescind the memo does not come as a surprise, we are reminded of what could have been. Those programs would have protected millions of undocumented immigrants who today, along with thousands of other immigrants, are being ripped apart from their families, detained, and deported,” said AAJC in a press statement.

“The administration’s efforts to target and vilify immigrants in myriad ways, from mass deportations to the Muslim ban and the VOICE office, will not be ignored just because it is currently maintaining DACA. We will continue to resist these policies and stand up for justice and the dignity and humanity of all people,” stated the organization.

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum said in a statement that is was glad the administration understands the importance of DACA. “Many immigrants live every day in fear of deportation and DACA will allow children and young adults to continue to grow, learn, thrive and become vital contributors in their communities,” said Kathy Ko Chin, APIAHF president and CEO.

“Similarly, if it had been enacted, the DAPA program would have helped to keep families intact. Now, half a million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face the possibility of being separated from their family members as well as unsurmountable barriers to improving their health and well-being. We will continue working to support and uplift those families,” stated Chin.

question: Why was DAPA revoked?

answer: The reasoning provided is that since the federal government is unable to enforce DAPA due to ongoing lawsuits, it is the simplest measure to rescind the order. Politics are also a factor, as one set of Presidential administration issued the order and another is rescinding it, directly undoing the work of their predecessors.

question: What was the social function of DAPA?

answer: It was meant to provide a way for the undocumented immigrant parents of American citizens to live and work in the U.S.

question: Who is responsible for rescinding DAPA?

answer: John Kelly, Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, indicated in his statement that it was his decision to make. The Attorney General consulted and the Trump administration that assigned Kelly to this position also bear responsibility for the decision.

question: Describe public opinion on this decision.

answer: Several cultural organizations spoke out to condem or criticize the decision, including South Asian Americans Leading Together, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum.

question: Why was DACA maintained, but not DAPA?

answer: DACA is for children, while DAPA is for parents, and it is much more difficult to revoke the rights of immigrant children without public outcry, which was already an issue with DAPA.


text:
Tom woke to the sound of blaring music once again, his tired eyes glanced over to his clock “5:00” it read. “What the hell is going on?” Tom decided to go investigate further, he peeked out of his room to discover his roommate Guy and 3 other people getting drunk in the living room. “I can’t do this much longer.” Tom thought, reflecting on the many times Guy has done similar things. “Well, might as well get ready for work.” he murmured, heading to the bathroom. He glanced in his mirror almost not recognizing what he saw before him, his once neat black hair had become greasy and unkempt and his skin was growing more and more pale, his arms growing skinnier. The more hours Tom had to put in at his work as an I.T. Consultant the worse and worse he looked. “Today’s the day.” he said, forcing a smile on his face “Today’s the day.”

  The day seemed to drag on, seconds felt like hours, minutes like days. Tom had been planning on quitting his job for months now, working up the courage to do so. He was not very confident and rarely acted out on his desires. He was constantly being harassed by his boss George Howard who was a very controlling man and often went the extra mile to make Tom miserable. Tom was on break when he passed George’s office, he knocked on the door. “What!?” George screamed, as if Tom was about to pull his teeth. Tom froze, speechless, he knew what he wanted to say but the words were not coming out.
“Quit standing there like a fucking moron and get back to work.” Tom’s face was becoming red as he remembered all the times George had harassed him at work.
”Screw you fat ass.” Tom said immediately regretting what he said. George’s eyes bulged out of his head. “What the hell did you just say to me” George was now stomping closer and closer to Tom. “Fuck, yo-.“ Before Tom could get his word out George’s fist met his face with stunning force. Tom’s body went limp as his head hit the floor with a loud thump.

“It’s about time you woke up, you were starting to worry us.” Tom heard as he was opening his eyes. “Where am I?” “St. Josephs Hospital.” She replied. The woman was tall and had long brown hair. “You’re way to hot to be a nurse.” Tom was surprised by his own bluntness. “Thank you Tom” she said, she didn’t seem effected by his comment at all. “What is that?” Tom said referring the green liquid she was putting in his I.V. “Just something to sooth the nerves.” As soon as she injected the liquid Tom felt a Freezing tingling sensation all over his body and was unable to move. “Damn it!” he thought, “What the hell is going on!” His vision began to tunnel as his nurse drew closer. She slipped something around his neck and give him a kiss on the mouth. “Good luck Tom, you’ll need it” He immediately passed out.

“Am I stuck in some sort of dream? I can’t be.” He thought as he finally came to. He quickly reached around his neck to reveal what the mystery woman left him. “What the hell?” It was a bight silver key with a ball on the end, Tom examined it further T.K. “Those are my initials, this has got to be a coincidence” Tom didn’t have much time to look at the key before a strange man in a black over coat barged into the hospital. “Where the hell is she!?” he screamed “Where is the key?” Tom’s eyes light up “There is no way he’s talking about this.” He thought. “Where is the woman!?” he kept yelling. Tom overheard a nervous clerk stating they don’t know what he’s talking about. Just then the man pulls out a gun. “Screw this!” Tom said, jumping up head still pounding from the punch. He spotted a door down the hall with an exit sign. As he was stealthily making his way to the door he spotted his clothes on the chair next to him quickly grabbing them as quietly as possible. “What the hell is up with today?” he thought getting closer and closer to the door. The man with the gun was growing more angry, he let out a warning shot sending everyone into panic. Tom had finally reached the door, grabbed the handle and pulled with all his might, the door wouldn’t budge, it was locked. “Can this day get any worse.” he thought. Just then the glimmer from the key caught his eye. “Well it’s worth a try.” He thought as he took it off his neck and cupped it in his hand.

“Tom Keen!!” Tom turned around and froze like a deer in the headlights, the man with the gun was now pointing it at him and walking his way. “Give me the God Damn key Tom before people get hurt!” Tom glanced at the key and smiled moving it closer and closer to the door, all Tom could think about was how he wanted to be home in his own bed. “Tom I will shoot you if you don’t hand it over!” Tom thought for a second looked towards the door and back at the man with the gun “Fuck yo-“ Just then the door opened with a bright light that absorbed Tom.

Tom woke up in a sweat, looking around he was in his room, blaring music coming from the living room he glanced at the clock as it read “5:00”. Tom was beginning to freak out he immediately look down at his hand to reveal that key still grasp firmly in his fist. “What the hell is happening?” He looked at the key again, He began smiling drawing it close to his bedroom door. “I want to go to Paris.” he said half jokingly. As soon as the key touched the door it flew open with the same bright light and in the blink of an eye Tom was standing only a few feet away from the Eiffel Tower. Tom then grew the biggest smile. “Today’s the day.”

title: My first Short Story.

question: What kind of key does Tom have?

answer: A magic key that takes him where he wants to go

question: Why is the day special?

answer: Tom wants to quit the job he hates.

question: Why is the character at the hospital?

answer: He gets punched by his boss

question: How do George and Tom get along?

answer: George berates and yells at Tom. They don't get along.

question: What supernatural phenomenon is occurring?

answer: It's not fully explained, but Tom is given a magic key at the hospital.

question: Why does Tom hate his job?

answer: It is physically affecting him.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Tom wakes up with the desire to quit his job, but gets in a fight with his boss and is sent to a hospital. There he is given a magic key that allows him to travel anywhere - but a man with a gun also wants the key.


text:
_This was magnificent!_
On the anniversary of D-Day it is good to see that there are patriots in London who still have a spine!

PIERS MORGAN GRILLED LONDON MUSLIM MAYOR SADIQ KHAN TUESDAY MORNING ON GOOD MORNING BRITAIN

Sadiq Khan is the first Muslim mayor of London.
Khan famously said terrorism was “part and parcel” of living in a large city after the September bombingin New York City.

Piers asked the far left mayor about the whereabouts of the 200-400 ISIS fighters living in London:

  PIERS MORGAN: “Where are the 400 jihadis still in London?… You’re the mayor! WHERE ARE THEY?”

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

  MAYOR SADIQ KHAN: I can’t cover 400 people…

  Piers Morgan: WHY NOT?… WHY CAN’T YOU INSTRUCT THE POLICE, WHY CAN’T YOU… say everyone of those people who’ve come back from a war zone, I want them followed?

  SADIQ KHAN: The have to prioritize…

  PIERS MORGAN: WHAT COULD BE A BIGGER PRIORITY THAN PEOPLE COMING BACK FROM A SYRIAN BATTLEFIELD WITH THE INTENT TO HARM BRITISH CITIZENS? Why’s it not the number one priority? Why are these people allowed to just come back in in the first place and then the London mayor does not have a clue to where any of them are?

THIS WAS AN AMAZING EXCHANGE!!

  Where are the 400 jihadis still in London, @piersmorgan asks @MayorofLondon @SadiqKhan

  Full interview: https://t.co/lBg4xY9mJz pic.twitter.com/6lW0hBMh2R

  — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 6, 2017

question: Who is Sadiq Khan?

answer: Sadiq Khan is a the first Muslim mayor of London.

question: Why is Piers Morgan questioning him?

answer: Piers Morgan believes that there are 200-400 ISIS fighters from Syria living in London, and wants to know what Khan is doing to find them.

question: Does Sadiq Khan have an answer to where the 400 jihadis are in London?

answer: It seems as though he avoids the question.

question: What does Piers Morgan think the mayor's number one priority should be?

answer: Piers Morgan believes that finding these enemy combatants that intend to harm British citizens should be the mayor's number one priority.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Piers Morgan asks Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, about the alleged 200-400 ISIS combatants living in London, who intend to harm British citizens. Khan seems to dodge the question.


text:
Chapter I:

I sit alone in my smoky, trashed motel room.  Having been the recipient of, earlier, forced emancipation from my parents and, later, a drug deal, I have mixed emotions.  I'm to leave this place in two days, the Friday on its way.  I notice my apathy at this predicament,realizing the same blase attitude with which I approach every situation is alive and well in my calm (cold?), unaffected (apathetic?) spirit.

My friend Miles walked out the door not too long ago, though exactly how long ago it was I cannot grasp.  I fancied myself a cartoonist with him; we stayed up past 3:00 am drawing and writing punchlines.  Democratically, we fed each other our ideas, and Socialistically we shared them.

This may be the way: a balance of all social contracts and political ideals.  Unfortunately, as Americans we are familiar with only a very few systems, and only two stand tall among them: Democracy and Socialism.  A Socialist Democracy may be the next form political theory manifests into government, spreading it across the globe.  Perhaps a 99 percent majority would be implemented as the jury in each case of suggested change.

Beginning with a small nation within a welcoming nation or country could make this dream reality.

Chapter II:

The train rumbles and screeches by on its track, passing withing the motel's resonant proximity, the area in which vibrations from the train's locomotion may be felt.

It's gone now; nothing but the TV's boring, re-run chatter and the voices composing this monologue are with me now.  There is irony in calling it such, of course, but such it is when written with a laboriously unified stream.  Its tributaries run deep into the recesses and folds of my mind and brain, fed by my enumerated senses to unfold this paradoxical document.

The paradox of which I speak is simply the fact of recollection, foresight, and concept of language itself.  What mean these things?  What about those three--again, hindsight, foresight, and concept of language--makes this anything other than a work of nonsense?  Why might the reader not dismiss it as such?

Time will tell.

title: Time Will Tell

question: What mixed emotions does the narrator feel?

answer: He's not sure whether he's calm versus cold, or unaffected versus apathetic.

question: Summarize the narrator's confusion about his writing.

answer: He's not sure what about thought and language makes his work anything other than nonsense.

question: What is the central theme of the story?

answer: There isn't a clear theme.

question: Is the story nonsense like the narrator thinks it might be?

answer: It seems nonsensical.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator, after forced emancipation from his parents and going through a drug deal, has mixed emotions. He will leave in two days. He drew cartoons with his friend Mike last night. He ruminates on the only two systems Americans know of, Democracy and Socialism, thinking maybe one day a 99% majority rule will come to pass. A train passes as the narrator asks himself: What about hindsight, foresight, and concept of language makes this anything other than a work of nonsense? Why might the reader not dismiss it as such?


text:
Chelsea fear it could be up to six weeks before new loan signing Alexandre Pato is fit enough to start after the club had to devise a pre-season training programme for him.

Pato’s fitness problems raise more questions over why Chelsea decided to sign him on loan until the end of the season, when he is not available to make an immediate impact.

• Chelsea vs Man Utd preview

The 26-year-old has not played since the end of November for Corinthians and has been given a special training regime by Chelsea, which includes double sessions, to try to get match fit.

Pato’s unavailability leaves a heavy burden on the shoulders of first-choice striker Diego Costa, particularly with Loic Remy also unavailable for Sunday’s clash with Manchester United because of a calf injury.

Loic Remy is still out injured
Chelsea put Pato in their revised Champions League squad ahead of Radamel Falcao, who is still out with a thigh injury, but the Brazilian may not be fit enough for either leg of their last-16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain.

“Pato is in his pre-season and we have made a training plan, which he is doing now every day at least once, but lots of days twice training,” said interim manager Guus Hiddink.

“He is getting his fitness, but not full fitness yet and he needs to be fine-tuned. We made a good plan. He will not be in for the upcoming few games. We want to have him fit, but not going too early for the risk of injury in this tough league.”

Asked whether or not Pato can make any sort of impact at Chelsea this season, Hiddink added: “I hope so, but that's why it is good to have him on loan and not already in a situation where the club has offered him a longer term (contract). So it’s good for both parties and they can see whether they fit.

• Who are the Chelsea and United players fighting for futures?

“He is skilful that’s what we know. Techinically he is very good. He is ambitious of course, but he needs more physical fitness.

“He played his last game on November 28 then holiday because it is a different season, so it is a pre-season for him. We like to pressure him, but we must be careful not going over the top.”

Diego Costa has been linked with a move back to Atletico Madrid
But the Dutchman admitted Chelsea will need to prove their ambition to keep their star players if they miss out of qualification for the Champions League.

“Everything is to do with the ambition of the club and loyalty is secured by contracts,” said Hiddink. “Don’t think we can go back to the fifties where you can swear you will stay forever at a club. But if a club shows you have a plan and a strong squad, then it can be attractive as well.

Guus Hiddink has discussed the consequences of not making the Champions League
“If you don’t get Champions League one year, but you show you are very keen to get back, that might be important for players.”

Manchester United are having to close the top tier of Old Trafford for their Europa League last-32 game against Midtjylland, having been knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage.

Both United and Chelsea are in danger of missing out on qualifying for next season’s Champions League and Hiddink hinted the Blues would use the Europa League as a breeding ground for their young players if they ended up in Europe’s second-tier competition.

“The Europa League is a different attention, that’s true,” said Hiddink. “I don’t want to have it without prestige, but it gives a chance to bring young players into that competition.”

question: What is the "Chelsea" discussed in the article?

answer: They are a popular football club.

question: Are Chelsea fans optimistic about the newly signed athlete?

answer: They have concerns about his physical fitness.

question: Who is Guud Hiddink?

answer: He's the interim manager for Chelsea

question: What is Alexandre Pato's biggest drawback as an athlete, currently?

answer: He needs more physical training.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses the Chelsea football club and their expected performance in the upcoming season. They've recently acquired a player on loan, and there are some doubts about his ability. It also discusses some other injured players sitting the season out.


text:
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Latest on the day’s attacks in Pakistan (all times local):

6:20 p.m.

A Pakistani government official says twin bombings, minutes apart, have hit a crowded market in the country’s northwestern tribal region, killing at least 15 people and wounding 70.

Local government administrator Zahid Hussain says the bomb attacks took place at the Tori market in Parachinar on Friday afternoon. He says authorities are transporting the dead and wounded to hospitals.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but the region has been battered by bitter sectarian violence, in which Sunni militant groups have targeted Pakistan’s minority Shiite Muslims in the area.

___

9 a.m.

A suicide car bombing near the office of the provincial police chief in southwestern Pakistan has killed 11 people and wounded 20.

Police spokesman Shahzada Farhat said explosion near the police chief’s office in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, was powerful enough that it was heard across the city, shattering windows on nearby buildings.

The bombing came ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr, which follows the holy month of Ramadan, expected to end this weekend.

A breakaway Taliban faction later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was part of the militants’ campaign to enforce Islamic law. Asad Mansoor, spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, vowed more such attacks.

Later, the Islamic State group said in a competing claim that it was behind the attack. The competing claims could not be reconciled.

question: What happened in Pakistan?

answer: Two bombing terrorist attacks.

question: Which groups claimed responsibility for the bombings?

answer: Both the Taliban and the Islamic State militants.

question: What region in Pakistan did the attacks occur?

answer: Baluchistan.

question: Which Muslim holiday did the bombings come before?

answer: Eid-al-Fitr, which follows the holy month of Ramadan.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The article is about two attacks which occurred in Baluchistan province in Pakistan just before the end of Ramadan. Both the Taliban and Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.


text:
As I lie here, alone and fading, I feel there is nothing more to do than reflect and wait. However, the last thing I want is to come across as pitiful, or sad, or lonely, even though I must confess to being all of the above. life is a strange gift, it is something we do not ask for, yet we accept it as a necessity. Now, when I look back, I see all the time wasted. I can see now how I continued to spend all that time living with the intention of living, even though I knew I must die. I use the term 'living' loosely, because of my delusion that I would continue to live, it allowed me to continue in a state of routine, where nothing changed, no rights were wronged and nothing was done to make my life have some form of purpose once again.

It's a sad thing to admit, and most definitely a sad thing to realise, that you have spent very little of your life actually living, that you have spent so much of your time on autopilot without considering or acknowledging it, that when the end inevitably comes, you will regret each of those moments not fully cherished.

My memory has faded somewhat, but I remember the reasons why I find myself alone in this hospital. There are so many. I could list how I pushed away each and every person, but in the end it would only serve to remind me of my mistakes and my regret. Despite this, it ought to be said that I am entirely to blame for my own downfall. I have lived my life in ignorance and reinforced it with arrogance and stubbornness, if I could take it back- if I could take everything back- I would. I would plead with my friends to forgive, I would beg my lovers not to leave me and I would have been there for my family, because they were always there for me.

Alas, we cannot turn back time, all I can do is wallow in regret of moments wasted, hoping that somehow it will make a difference.

One of the great ironies of life- at least in mind- is that humanity strives for happiness, and yet is constantly dissatisfied with their lot. Rich and poor, black and white, men and women, all of them strive for more. All of them are miserable, and all of them end up in the same place once they are dead.

The end is coming soon. I can feel it, and it scares the hell out of me. I wish I could confide in someone, I wish there was someone to assure me that everything is going to be fine, but the truth is, even if there was someone here to tell me as much, I wouldn't believe them. We don't know what happens when we die, some of us claim to know, but nothing can be proven, nothing is certain, heaven and hell are just as likely as reincarnation, and reincarnation is just as likely as nothing at all. Either way, I am terrified, even though I know I have nothing left to live for, the end still scares me.

I suppose I should finish writing and close my eyes for a while, I have been drowsy for a long time now, maybe it is all the sedatives that are being pumped into my system, or maybe it is the illness, either way, it is useless resisting.

Before I go however, I did want to say one thing. I wanted to say I am sorry, to everyone I ever wronged, to everyone and anyone I ever pushed away or hurt, I am sorry, from the bottom of my heart. I lived my life as a spiteful human being, and I cannot ever forgive myself, but I loved you, I loved all of you, even the ones I hated, because you gave my life purpose, and without you, my life would have meant nothing.

So it would seem that is it. I needed to say sorry and thank you. I can't forget my manners. I simply wish my final thoughts to be that of thankfulness. I will be thankful to join those I have lost, mostly my dear mother who I have missed for over thirty years, I will be with her soon, and for that too, I am thankful.

This will be the last memoir I write. The last words I put on paper. I suppose there should be some kind of conclusion or catharsis, something that ties all loose ends and wraps everything up nicely, but I don't have that power. Really, there is only word left to say, and that word is:

Goodbye.

title: The Final Memoir of a Dying Man

question: How old is the narrator?

answer: Doesn't say.

question: What is the greatest irony of life according to the narrator?

answer: That we seek happiness, but in aspiring to it, we miss it not living in the moment.

question: Why does the narrator believe they're dying?

answer: It states they have an illness for which they're being treated in a hospital.

question: What's the narrator's most important message?

answer: That they're sorry to everyone they've wronged.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator laments their shortcomings in life, and acknowledges the folly of living life for more, for better, while ignoring and not appreciating the now. The narrator acknowledges coming death. They apologize to everyone they've ever wronged and express their gratitude.


text:
Last night was one of the wildest nights of news I can ever recall.

With Boston already on edge in the wake of the bombing of the Boston Marathon, the two suspects fingered by the FBI on Thursday set off on a rampage.

First, news came of the murder of an MIT police officer, which looked like a possible signal that the suspects had been on campus. Not long afterward, it emerged that there had been a 7-Eleven robbery nearby shortly before the shooting. And then reports of dozens of speeding cop cars, gunfire, and explosions in Cambridge and Watertown. The two suspected terrorists had carjacked a Mercedes SUV, kidnapped its driver (letting the victim go, unharmed, after thirty minutes), and led cops on a chase through the Boston suburbs, tossing bombs out the windows—as if in a video game—and shooting at police. At least one officer was hit.

Suspect No. 1, who reportedly had an IED strapped to his chest, is dead. Suspect No. 2 is on the loose, and much of Boston is effectively shut down. There’s what is effectively a daytime curfew in six suburbs, including Watertown and Cambridge, with residents told to not leave their homes and for businesses to remain and the entire Boston mass transit system has been shuttered.

It was and still is a fluid, fast-moving, murky, and deadly news situation.

From everything I saw all night from the West Coast, the press performed admirably. _The Boston Globe_ had reporters on the scene and set up a liveblogto collect their tweets and pictures. It scooped that the suspects being pursued were indeed the marathon bombing suspects.

The local TV news that I watched was measured and responsible, but broke news. WHDH was first to report, well before anyone else, that one of the suspects was dead.

NBC’s Pete Williams led the national reporting with solid, authoritative reports, and the AP got a couple of big scoops, including the name of the suspect at large. The journalist Seth Mnookin, who teaches at MIT, provided vivid reportage from the scene on Twitter. Andrew Kitzenberg, a citizen, had terrificeyewitness reports and photos from his window, where he saw the two suspects, brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, exchange gunfire with police and throw an unwieldy bomb at them, with Dzhokhar escaping after driving toward police.

And then there were the keyboard crimefighters at Reddit. At one point a police dispatcher, apparently incorrectly, said that the suspects’ names were Sunil Tripathi, a Brown student who disappeared last month, and Mike Mulugeta. Reddit, still smarting from the backlash to their amateur sleuthing, took a very premature victory lap, as you can see here:

[]

Here’s a sample:

  Reddit will soon replace the FBI…

  Dang, put the old media to shame!…

  This is historic Internet sleuthing. I Facebook linked his page hours before and someone took it off my profile…

  Good job Reddit, we caught him!

Maybe next time, guys.

_Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today._

RYAN CHITTUM IS A FORMER _WALL STREET JOURNAL_ REPORTER, AND DEPUTY EDITOR OF THE AUDIT, CJR'S BUSINESS SECTION. IF YOU SEE NOTABLE BUSINESS JOURNALISM, GIVE HIM A HEADS-UP AT [EMAIL PROTECTED]. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER AT @RYANCHITTUM. Tags: Boston Marathon, future of news, old media, Reddit, terrorism

question: What is the main topic of this article?

answer: The main topic of this article is how the news behaved in reporting the rampage involving the Boston Marathon bombing suspects that occurred after the bombing.

question: How does Reddit become involved?

answer: Reddit users became involved in the investigation, but one improperly and prematurely claimed they identified the suspect.

question: Why does the author think America needs a media watchdog?

answer: It seems the author thinks America needs a media watchdog because of the amateur wannabe investigators who are identifying innocent people.

question: What is WHDH?

answer: It seems it is a local new channel.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The main topic of this article is how the news behaved in reporting the rampage involving the Boston Marathon bombing suspects that occurred after the bombing. The author gives credit to the press' performance, but was irritated with Reddit. Reddit users became involved in the investigation, but one improperly and prematurely claimed they identified the suspect.


text:
An Ark, Gilgamesh and Maybe Even Atlantis

On the top of what used to be a massive glacier, a gigantic lake was forming. For years the water had been melting and accumulating in the basin. Winds swirled around the sides, keeping the edges frozen by their artic touch, while water continued to accumulate.

One day, in the distant past, a thunderous cracking filled the air. It scattered birds, spooked deer and drew the eyes of all. The booming was followed by crumbling, rocks and ice falling from great heights, tumbling down what was left of the once great glacier. Then the waters came.

They rushed out. Their weight had finally caused the retaining wall of ice to collapse. Miles, upon miles, upon miles of water ran from the shell of ice that had once held it. The water scoured the earth, carving new pathways on its way towards the ocean. The old dirt was washed away. In a sense the world was cleansed.

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

They didn’t know the ice caps were melting. They just saw the water flowing down their streets, into their doorways and through their homes.

Some believed they had angered the gods and went to the temples in attempts to appease, others hand gone to those temples simply seeking sanctuary. Most just ran. Mothers ran with children in their arms, men ran with tool packs on their backs, and slaves ran while carrying their owners high above their heads on leisurely carts.

Everyone tried to escape the flood, but few did. The waters overtook both the wretched and the angelic. No one could outrun a decline.

One lucky man, a man called one name in some legends, another name in others, was a boat builder. He wasn’t chosen, he wasn’t warned, he was only lucky enough to have just finished his latest creation and smart enough to climb inside of it for safety. He was a kind man, and he coaxed many of the panicking citizens to follow him onto his vessel for safety.

As the flood waters rose, the man and his boat set out on the sea that was being created. He had no way of knowing where the boat was headed, he wasn’t a sailor. But, in a couple of days it reached the shores of what used to be the great highlands, which was now just a shoreline.

Once on dry land his followers called him a prophet, though he was only a man.

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

Through the passage of time more ice melted.

Stories were told about cities swallowed up by angry seas and heroes who saved people.

More time passed and stories faded into myth, while beloved, the history’s they told were forgotten. Only beneath the sea’s gently lapping waters was the proof of the great cities that had vanished. Only in the depths of the oceans were remnants of glorious civilizations.

Stories and memories are built once again, held together by the retaining walls humanity has created, waiting for the day they are inevitably washed away.

title: An Ark, Gilgamesh and Maybe Even Atlantis (504 words

question: Why was the boat builder declared a prophet?

answer: He had just finished his latest boat when the flood came. He managed to save himself and many others because of that. Others decided to call him a prophet.

question: Why did the flood happen?

answer: A giant glacier melted over time, its water accumulating inside its volume. When its enclosure broke, the water rushed out.

question: Explain the fate of the cities that get submerged underwater.

answer: They stay on the ocean floor, mostly forgotten by the civilizations that come after them.

question: What is the central theme of the story?

answer: Great floods happen from time to time, and lucky saviors become exalted. Old civilizations turn to myth and legend; new ones arise to meet the same fate, eventually.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: A giant glacier melts over time, its water accumulating inside its volume. When its enclosure broke, the water rushes out. A man is lucky enough to have finished his latest boat, and the people he saves through his generosity declare him a prophet. Over time many floods come and wash away great civilization, collecting them on the seabed.


text:
My girlfriend has been pressuring me to get back into short story writing. She read some of my old stuff and says if I tried again, now, as an adult, I'd have the potential to churn out some halfway decent stuff. I don't know though. My writing always comes back to me as muddled and cheesy, reeks of trying too hard. I thought maybe I could post a few samples and get a review. Be brutal, I need to know if I'm wasting my time.
*Untitled Excerpt 1:*
KRAKOW-WOOSH!
	I decided I would make myself jump from my cover and just have to hope for enough timing and luck to put a bullet into one of these crooks kneecaps. Another shot fired, and I couldn't move. Another shot fired and I couldn't have made myself move if there was a rat climbing into my asshole. A century passed by. Swear to Christ, a century. I took deep breath and promised the poor girl at the other end of the room I would jump out of cover at the end of a count to three.
You Shouldn't make promises you can't keep.
"One" came easily enough.
You will die if you leave your cover.
"Two" I readied my six shooter.
Just turn around and go home. Take a long hot shower and drink yourself to sleep.
"Three."
I jumped out and threw my gun in front of my face, desperately looking for something to shoot at, but all I saw was a bright flash.
	POW! Right in front of me. Shirtless thug number 4, whitie, had jumped from cover and fired a shot right at me. Over me? Behind me? I felt hot. Swimming in sweat. My nose felt runny. All my face felt like it had just received the mother of all bee stings, except for my forehead, my forehead felt like it had gotten so hot and light it had floated away to the ceiling. I fled back to my cover behind the dumpster and tried to wipe away the snot onto my sleeve. But something was missing.
	KRAKOW-PUH-TINK
	They had shot off my nose. I rushed my hand against my face again, discovering a searing pain over strange numbness. It felt like I had a heaping vagina where my nose had once been. Blood was pooling onto the floor. Blood was everywhere, I must've looked like something out of an eighties horror movie. Why was the blood so bright? Every time I'd seen blood before it'd been this shitty brownish red while I looked like I had poured a bucket of true bright red paint all over my face and clothes. And the floor. The blood just kept coming, and I wasn't sure if it was years on the police force or just common sense that I was going to pass out. Take a pleasant little blood-loss nap to the lullaby of gunfire. The gunfire. The gunfire had stopped.
	"Zee, joo got him?" The deep voice called out.
	What kind of fucking name is Zee? Officer John Schmidt, murdered by a white wanna be nigger who goes by the name of 'Zee'. Some fucking name for the guy who kills me.
	"Shit yeah, right in the fuggin' face!" Zee replied.
	"She-it, you see 'em?"
	"Naw, he fell back behind the dumpster."
	"Well then getcha ass over there and make sure the nigga's dead."

*Excerpt From Brown Baggers:*  	It was funny that we were the only employees who were brown baggers. Everybody else in the facility spent their lunch hour in the long food court lines, buying the government provided foodstuffs with their meal plans and crumpled wads of cash. They ate French fries on red trays. Greasy pizzas. Sloppy excuses for hamburgers. There was A salad bar, a soda fountain and even a soft serve machine. But none of it was for me and Richard.
	Me and him -sorry- him and I sat in the back right corner, in the shadows. Near our corner table there was an empty table, a table where one lonely, obese security guard ate chicken nuggets with onion rings (everyday, mind you) and finally a table where small gaggle of blonde secretaries howled youthful giggles and gossiped their lunch hour away. They never brown bagged it either. Always had meal shakes and salads. Always complaining. Always. Complaining about their boyfriends, about the food they ate, about the suits they shredded, ran coffee runs for and blew regularly.
	The Suits. Of course none of the suits ate in the cafeteria, they ate elsewhere in the facility, some hidden room. Begged the question if any of them ever brown bagged it.  Probably not.
	Today, on this glorious monday, the 56th monday of the 70 mondays I was to work this year, my lovely wife had packed me a ham sandwich. Wheat bread, mozzarella cheese, a small layer of spinach leaves. I hate spinach. A bag of reduced calorie cheetos. There was a jello packet. A napkin, a plastic spoon, a small sticky note reminding me that she loves me. I really do hate spinach, wish she'd tell me she loved me by conveniently forgetting to put that on my god damn sandwich.
	Richard slumped his pumpkin shaped body into the seat next to me without saying a word. I bit down into my sandwich instead of saying hello. We exchanged a sort of greeting with bobbing heads. He dropped a brown onto the table in front of him and opened it like one would a letter they'd been dreading to receive.
 	An apple. A napkin. A can of coke. A packet of oreos. And a small plastic bag of cold pizza. Missing was a note reminding him he was loved.
	"Cold pizza." Richard mumbled, "Swear to god it makes me wanna smack my kids every time they don't finish the entire pie."
	I laughed. Not because it was funny, but because I had to let him know I was listening.
	Richard coughed as he opened his warm coke, he began to slide the beverage through his persistent scowl and down his raspy lungs. A table over a blonde secretary howled with laughter.
	"How was it this morning?" I asked, "Peterson give you much trouble?"
	I wiped away some spinach on my lip.
	"No." Richard whispered. He took another chug of his coke before he began to tear open his Oreos.
	"There wasn't much fight left in him after everything you did to him." Richard continued, playing with that first little cream cookie.
	"What can I say? The victims parents wanted it rough. So I gave it to him rough." I boasted, trying to retain some modesty.
	"What was that thing you did to the poor guys balls?" Richard asked, unscrewing an Oreo and licking up the cream.
	"Twisted them. The mother's request. 'twist them 'til the sack pops, and then twist them s'more.' I think those were her words exactly."
	Richard ate the rest of his Oreo and began to speak with his mouth full, "You know, when you took this job, did you have any idea you'd be touching more balls than a common whore."
	I laughed. Again, for the same reason. It was true though, what he said. Testicles had become a big part of my work week, day in and day out I was squeezing them, shocking them, cutting them and even, on occasion, burning them. Big hairy skin brains, and it was my responsibility to destroy them for Uncle Sam. Really isn't the ideal career I wanted to grow up to be.
	"How was Peterson by the time he got to your office?" I asked, only somewhat curious, I didn't really have much care for how the poor sap died.
	He returned with a question: "Did you read my part of the request form?"
	"The rules state I'm not aloud to read your section of the request form."
	"Company policy also says I'm supposed to wash my hands for a full minute before and after contact with blood, and when was the last time you followed that?"
	Richard had devoured his second Oreo and had begun struggling to eat the stone triangle of a pizza out of the limp plastic bag.
	"Tell me Richard, what was on your end of the request form."
	"Nothing special. Just a drowning. Slow drowning. He was begging for it after everything you'd done to him."

title: I'm thinking about getting back into writing, I wanna know if that's worth it.

question: What is the overall theme of the first short story written in this excerpt?

answer: The theme of the first short story seems to be a chase from gunshots by cops and getting caught by a cop.

question: How does the author want to portray the main character in the first short story?

answer: The main character is portrayed as a man who wants to keep his promises and do the right thing, but is conflicted with just wanting to take the least difficult route.

question: What primary distinction between brown baggers does the author make in the second story?

answer: The author creatively describes the distinction between the rich and the poor or the sophisticated and the simple.

question: What does the second short story from the excerpt describe?

answer: It describes the concept of bringing lunch in brown paper bags and the different lunches that people bring and what that says about them.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This excerpt describes two short stories. The first short story describes a chase between a perpetrator and a cop, with lots of gunshots involved. The second story describes people bringing lunches in brown paper bags and how it describes their personality.


text:
FF/M, Dragoness/Human, Soft Vore, Semi-willing

“...and ever since, I’ve made sure to put up a sign for human adventurers when I’m going through heat.” The purple dragoness finished her story to see her blue friend desperately trying to hold back laughter.

“Kalless,” she started after getting over her laughing fit, “I’m not sure if I find your tale heartwarming or an excellent warning. Regardless, I believe I’ll have to copy that idea.” She glanced over towards the horizon, noticing that the light had faded since the afternoon. “Anyway, it’s getting a bit late. Would you care to hunt with me? I saw a small group of humans split up with camping materials earlier today, and on their own they should be easy prey.”

Kalless looked towards the same direction as her companion, bronze eyes sweeping over the forest at the foot of the mountain. “I’ll help you hunt a bit, but I’ve always found that humans put up a bit too much of a fight going down, so none for me. I’ll never understand how you can stand the kicks and jabs down your throat, Sarkin.”

The blue dragon smiled at her, as though she had a secret and couldn’t wait to share it. “Oh,” Sarkin said casually, “it’s really quite easy to... convince them to go down peacefully.”

“I don’t believe you; no human I’ve ever caught was persuaded to pass on quietly,” Kalless responded, carefully stretching out her large, purple wings after hours of sitting. “It simply can’t be done.”

“Nonsense, I’ll just have to prove it to you. Actually,” Sarkin glanced sideways at her friend deviously, “to make it more interesting, I propose a bet: I wager a favor that I will be able to feed you one of the humans in such a way that he will desire nothing more than to disappear into your belly.”

Kalless readily accepted, and the two reptiles took off in flight towards the forest, eventually landing in a small clearing. The purple dragon looked around, confirming there were no humans around, and made to playfully taunt Sarkin’s hunting skills. Her words were cut short when Sarkin swiftly grabbed a clawful of a white-flowered plant. “This plant is called a Cupturne Vine. It’s to be held to my prey’s face once it is properly secured.” At that, she crushed the vine slightly in her forepaw and walked out of the clearing, gesturing for Kalless to follow her. The purple dragoness, however, first stopped to pluck a bit of the plant herself, and carefully gave it a sniff; almost immediately, she felt a burst of warmth she associated with being in heat or sharing the company of a desirable drake. After giving the Cupturne a closer look so as to recognize it later, Kalless gave another quick sniff -- for luck, she told herself -- then headed towards her friend, weaving her way around trees. Well, perhaps another whiff wouldn’t hurt...

Sarkin had spotted from the shadows a young male human preparing for bed in a tree: perfect for avoiding ground-based predators, but excellent prey for a dragon who knew what she was doing. When he turned towards the trunk, away from his predator, Sarkin carefully crept towards the tree, doing her best to make as little noise as possible. As she leveled her head with his branch, preparing to strike, the man turned around, quickly noticing the large blue reptile. The human tried to leap away, towards anywhere that wasn’t a dragon, but Sarkin was faster. With an experienced speed and precision, she jerked her head forward, easily snapping up her prey until his feet brushed her throat. Immediately, the man flailed around as best as he could while chest-deep in Sarkin’s mouth, to no avail; Sarkin figured it might have been painful if he had been trained for fighting, but he did not seem to be.

The kicks were uncomfortable, however, so the dragoness pressed him towards the roof of her mouth with her tongue to keep him still as she brought up the forepaw with the Cupturne in it. While she held it there, Sarkin occasionally shifted her tongue underneath her prey to gauge the effects; after only a short time, the man wriggled a bit in response to her licking, attempting to mate with the appendage. Movement at the edge of her vision caught Sarkin’s eye; Kalless had walked into sight to better watch what was happening. Settling back onto her haunches, the blue dragoness beckoned her friend closer while she continued to shift her tongue around the human, answered with more and more energetic spasms. After a while, the thrusts became automatic, even when she didn’t lick him. Not wanting to receive the fruits of her prey’s attempt at mating, Sarkin removed her forepaw and easily tossed him sideways in her teeth, shifting her tongue away from his front, and held him towards Kalless so the purple dragoness could grab him at his chest and eat him.

Still a bit under the effects of the vine, Kalless watched closely as her friend subdued the human, making a mental note to try the technique herself. When Sarkin tossed the human forward and sideways, Kalless took the hint, moving her head towards the blue dragon’s. Once their muzzles were nearly touching, Kalless parted her jaws and carefully snaked her tongue out towards the offered morsel. Suddenly, she pushed her head forwards slightly, bringing the two dragonesses into a kiss as she deftly grabbed the human through the legs. Pulling her head and her food back, the purple dragon curled her tongue back towards her gullet, dragging her meal with it. She felt his hands grasp the tip, and was surprised as, rather than trying to push the slippery muscle away, the man pulled it towards him, attempting to hasten his doom. Kalless gladly helped him along, gulping twice to fit all of him into her throat, then absentmindedly putting a forepaw to the bulge he made in her neck. The human wiggled a bit, but subdued rather than an attempt to escape, as she traced his path downwards and into her stomach, where her meal stopped moving almost immediately -- not long enough to be dead or blacked out, but it was a pleasant change from the frantic kicks she had come to expect from humans.

Breaking her attention away from the tasty meal, Kalless noticed Sarkin with a bemused smile on her snout. Slightly embarrassed, Kalless quickly explained that she had inhaled more of the Cupturne than she probably should have. The blue dragoness looked confused for a moment, before returning to a friendly grin. “Don’t worry about it; I really don’t mind. Besides,” she replied, “there’s something more important you should worry about.”

Kalless mentally recalled when the two of them were likely to go into heat again, and, perplexed, quickly figured that that evening was at least two weeks too early for her suspicions. “Oh, then I must have forgotten something. Pray tell, what might be more pressing than my earlier misstep?”

“Oh,” Sarkin answered with more than a hint of smugness in her voice, “you have lost a bet, and now owe me a favor. Not only that, but you now know what a Cupturne Vine is and does. I may not have thought of anything yet, but...” she lightly tapped Kalless on the snout with a claw, “I’ve got another two weeks or so.” With that, the blue dragoness took off into the sky, angled towards her home for sleep and planning.

Kalless sighed happily. She might have lost a bet, but she learned some new things to make up for it. Besides, she might even enjoy whatever her friend devised more than she expected.

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

I have a feeling I've done something improperly, but I don't know what.

question: Describe the protagonist.

answer: Kalless is a purple dragoness.

question: What is Kalless's relationship with Sarkin?

answer: They are friends.

question: What is the Cupturne?

answer: A white-flowered plant that arouses the desire for mating.

question: What happens to the human male?

answer: He is eaten by Kalless.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Sarkin, a dragoness, helps her friend Kalless, also a dragoness, hunt. By using the Cupturne, a plant that arouses the desire to mate, she is able to get a human male to willingly be eaten by Kalless. Sarkin states that Kalless now owes her a favour.


text:
The Road Adventure to end all Road Adventures!

	This story begins on a Monday. Both Jack and Michael T. Fox have decided to go on a road trip to Arizona from North Carolina. They have both called in sick, Jack the pest control man and Michael T. Fox who is not related to the Back to the Future star, but a different one that works at a car wash for baby strollers, so it is more of a stroller wash than a car wash. They figure it will take two days to drive to Arizona. So they packed up their winter clothes and mountain climbing gear. They also brought fifteen hundred dollars in pure gold to sell to the Native Americans in Arizona. Then at five o’clock in the morning they set off to Arizona. About an hour into the trip Jack already wants to turn back around because he left something in his Radioflyer wagon at home. They circle back around and travel back to Jack’s house where he picks up his loaded pistol stashed under his two year old child’s toys in the wagon in the garage, after he retrieved the gun they were back on the road.
	Fourty-one hours later they are driving through the Arizona desert, when all of a sudden Michael T. Fox starts seeing what he thinks are hallucinations. He sees Lt. Dan the three legged cheetah! The three-legged cheetah is running alongside of their 1985 Honda Accord, and Michael T. Fox who is not driving, rolls down his window, “What do you want?” he says. The cheetah replies, “Your souls or I’ll steal your gold!” Jack shouts, “ NO Way! Take our gold!” Michael T. Fox says, “No way, take our souls, they are useless anyway.” Lt. Dan begins to wag his tail at extreme speeds and after twenty minutes Lt. Dan now owns Jack and Michael T. Fox’s souls! Within seconds Lt. Dan vanishes and an Indian trading mart appears.
	“We are here” Jack says. They both get out and walk up to a giant Native Americans named Chief Inspector Gadget. Everyone greats each other with a simple “How.” Jack begins to barter with the good Chief. “We have fifteen hundred dollars worth of gold in the trunk of our vehicle and we will sell it to you for twenty thousand dollars.” The Chief takes a deep breath and replies “No.” Jack starts to think about another offer but just decides to shoot the Chief in his old kneecaps. “That’s for World War I!” yells Jack. Michael T. Fox is unimpressed. Suddenly Academy Award winning actor Sean Penn walks into the teepee hands Jack a check for twenty thousand dollars, and he walks out, hot wires Jack’s car and drives away into the sunset. “What do we do know?” says Jack. “How about we pray to our new God?” Michael T. Fox states. They both say a few words in French and then Lt. Dan appears like a genie in a glass bottle. “Head East and I will find you guys transportation.”
	Jack and Michael T. Fox begin to head for the door Chief Inspector Gadget gets up from behind the counter of his teepee store and he raises up a bow and arrow, “One shot, two kills.” He says with vengeance on his Native American mind. He fires the biggest arrow in existence and it sails right through Jack and Michael T. Fox. Lt. Dan says, “Wow that was awesome.” And then the cheetah jumps into a 1994 Power Wheels motorized Jeep, a vintage model, and he drove away into his mysterious cheetah lair or cave or boat or where-ever he lives.
	The moral of this tale is never get into a situation where you end up in the cross-hairs of a sharp shooting Chief.

title: The Road Adventure to End All Road Adventures!- Humor Short Story Feedback appreciated!

question: What are some possible interpretations of the symbolism of the three-legged cheetah?

answer: The cheetah could be representative of an opportunity that will take you out if you don't work with it. Think of a potential business partner, turned into a formidable adversary after you turn down an opportunity to work with them. The cheetah could also represent sagacity and guidance, as the cheetah is clearly resilient since it is running despite only having three legs. It is also running next to the car, en route, which is literally their path.

question: What aspects of colonialism does this fictional tale share with actual history in the US?

answer: Jack and Michael immediately assume that their money is better than anything the earth has to offer, and try to milk monetary value from the Native Chief, then get upset when the Chief rejects their "offer"-if it could be called that. Then they move to disarming and harming the man by shooting them, when he is on the land where his people live, and he has every right to be there, while the two other man are invaders. They blame a war that had nothing to do with any indigenous people on the Chief, and leave him to at best writhe in pain and at worst die from his injuries.


text:
Damn. Now I really didn't see this happening. Of all the things to happen at this bland school and this is the shit that happens. Wow. I guess I'm getting a bit carried, let me start from the beginning.
          My school, Jefferson Middle School, is rather boring, nothing really exciting happens here except the occasional girl drama that usally goes like, "Brian likes me! Not you, skany hoe!" And ends in a matter of three days. I'm usually quiet, if you were to call me "popular girl," you would be wrong but calling me a "nerd" wouldn't be right either. I was just sort of there. I had my friends and that's all I needed. That's where this story starts. With my friend, Daniel. Daniel was a pretty intresting boy. All acceralted classes, loved video games and comics, and wasn't bad looking at all. Over the first year of middle school, Daniel and I became pretty close. Hanging out after school and learning about eachother. It was pretty nice. Daniel loved life and he wasn't afraid to show it. If he had something to say, oh would he say it, but he was never disrespectful about it. He was always being a gentlemen. People always said shit about him.
         "Oh! Did you hear about Daniel? I heard he was sucking cock in the bathroom!"
         "Daniel the fag!"
         "Daniel should go burn in fucking hell with all the other fags that enjoy buttsex!" Get the trend here? They kept on saying he was gay, over and over. Through messages on Facebook, notes, or even writing on bathroom walls, which is very cliche. There have been times where I have asked if he was gay and I would get the same answer every time.
          "Do you think I am?" Over and over, he never changed it. Daniel was really proud and he felt as if he shouldn't state if he were gay or not and I really admire that about him. 8th grade started and I assumed that the gay jokes would have gotten old by now, but they didn't. They actual got worse. More people started calling him a "fag, dick-sucker," and spreading rumors that I don't even wanna remember. I noticed a change in Daniel, he wasn't as outgoing, didn't speak his mind, became less quite, less proud. I tried helping him, I really did but it never worked. He seemed to just become more depressed. Those kids never noticed either, they just attacked him more and more, getting more ruthless with each insult. This drama was lasting way more than three days and I wasn't sure what would happen. Shit even got worsed.
          That's when I heard the intercom come on one day during class.
       "Students, I am sad to announce that our student, Daniel Rigsbee, has died yesterday." They didn't tell us how he died, but we all knew. He killed himself. The voice of the principal announcing his death was so fucking emotionless, it made it seem as if Daniel was some character in a movie that died. Everyone was silent. I was filled with anger. Those ruthless bastards did this. They didn't know when to stop. The minute the bell rang, I sprinted to his house asking if it was true was they said today. His father simply nodded and beckoned me in. He said that there was a note left in his room directed to me and "bitches." I walked to his room, feeling as if I was going to puke. I found the note, all directed in rainbows, colors, and smiley faces. It made me sick. I opened the note with nervoness and read.
        "Dear Juno and the son of bitches at school. Let me make this clear. I am not fucking gay. I am as straight as the pole your mom dances on. I should not have to tell people this, it's my life and you shouldn't be butting in. Pun intended. You caused this and I hope you feel great. You did it! You've killed me! I'm not gonna say that this wasn't your guys' fault because fuck that. It totally was. I hope you live with that burden that you killed me for your whole life. Juno, I hope you live a great life and don't cry over me, you didn't cause this. You are amazing and don't let people do what they did to me to you. I would punch their neck. (:
                                            Bye,
                                                  Daniel-Not fucking gay-Rigsbee
        What the fuck? That wasn't sad at all. This was the Daniel that I knew. He killed himself because he was done of the shit. I don't think he felt sorry or anything. I don't even know. As I turned to leave, I found something else. It was another note reading, "I hope this was exciting enough for you, Juno. I am a coward. I wasn't gonna deal with this anymore. They didn't win, remerber that. I won. They get to deal with my death. -Daniel"
         Fucking. Daniel.

title: Uhhmm...Well I'm 13 and I would like to be a writer when I get older so here's one of my short stories. Reviews? Be honest.

question: Who died?

answer: A middle-school student named Daniel.

question: How does Juno find out about the death?

answer: An intercom announcement at school informing the students.

question: Was the death suicide?

answer: It is heavily implied that it is.

question: Who are the 'bitches'/'sons of bitches' referred to?

answer: School bullies who harassed Daniel over rumors that he was gay.

question: Describe Juno's relationship to the letter writer.

answer: They were school friends.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Middle-school student Juno describes her friendship with a boy named Daniel Rigsbee. She finds out he's died from a school announcement and races to his house, where his father gives her the suicide note addressed to her and to his bullies. In the note, he blames the bullies for his death and says that Juno shouldn't cry over him because in the end he won.


text:
_EINSTEIN AND RELIGION: PHYSICS AND THEOLOGY_ (1999) is a book on the religious views of Nobel prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein by Max Jammer, published by Princeton University Press.[1][2]

Contents

The book includes acknowledgments, an introduction, three chapters, an appendix, and an index. Chapter one is “Einstein's Religiosity and the Role of Religion in His Private Life”. Chapter two is named “Einstein's Philosophy of Religion”, and chapter three is “Einstein's Physics and Theology”.

The introduction

Jammer explains that no biographers have written about the important role of “religious sentiments and theological reflections” in Einstein's life, apart from “occasional references to his early religiosity.” [3] Jammer goes on to show that Einstein's scientific work and some of his more personal views have been welcomed by devout, orthodox theologians in all three of the great monotheistic religions: Islam,[4][5] Christianity,[6] and Judaism.[7] Jammer notes that “extensive use” of “quotations from [sources]” will be used to prevent his own personal biases from creeping into the book. Jammer also notes that although chapter three reflects the opinions of “prominent theologians and scientists,” Einstein himself may well have rejected all arguments based upon them. The introduction extends from pages 3 to 11.

Chapter one

Chapter one of the book begins by quoting and comparing three biographical accounts—Einstein's own, that of Maja Winterler-Einstein, and that of Alexander Moszkowski—of Einstein's early religiosity. By all accounts, for three years young Einstein attended a Roman Catholic elementary school. Next, the chapter explores the evidence of whether Einstein's indifference to religious affiliations his refusal to be bar mitzvahed or his first marriage to Mileva Maric, a member of the Greek Orthodox Church) is symptomatic of a defiance to authority—others claim this to be not only so but also a necessary prerequisite to his scientific achievements.[8][9] Whatever “'hidden complexities'” or “'groping constructive attempts'” might have been necessary for Einstein's watershed physical theories, Jammer concludes that such matters could not have been sociological or political as claimed by Feuer, but could have only involved Einstein's philosophy of religion.[10] David Hilbert's statement “'Do you know why Einstein said the most original and profound things about space and time that have been said in our generation? Because he had learned nothing about all the philosophy and mathematics of time and space.” contradicts several of Einstein's own statements regarding the influence of the empiricism of David Hume and Ernst Mach upon his early work in relativity. Jammer suggests this statement is even more improbable given that Einstein is reported to have read Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, which must have been when he was a teenager.[11] By 1920, Jammer states that Baruch Spinoza had become Einstein's most admired philosopher.[12]

Chapter two

It is about his personal beliefs.

Chapter three

Notes

[1]

[2] This is an English translation of the original German text by Max Jammer titled _Einstein und die Religion_, published in 1995 by Universitatsverlag Konstanz. The book was also translated into Hebrew and co-published in 2007 by Bar-Ilan University Press and Yediot Aharonot.

[3] Einstein and Religion, Max Jammer, 1999, p. 4.

[4] (here Max Jammer references) _Unknown Facts about the Universe_, Subhi Raghib, Syria: Homes, 1927

[5] (here Max Jammer references) _Einstein al-Mafhoum_, Mahmoud Abbas al-Aqqad, Al-Muqtataf 75, 1929

[6] (here Max Jammer references) Scottish Academic Press series “Theology and Science at the Frontiers of Knowledge”

[7] (here Max Jammer references) Rabi Kook to Einstein, 4 February 1923 (p. 150 of Kook Institute, Jerusalem, 1984).

[8] (here Max Jammer references) _Albert Einstein—Creator and Rebel_, B. Hoffmann, 1972, Viking Press

[9] (here Max Jammer references) _Einstein and the Generations of Science_, L.S. Feuer, 1974, Basic Books

[10] _Einstein and Religion_, Max Jammer, 1999, p. 38.

[11] Einstein and Religion, Max Jammer, 1999, p. 40-42

[12] _Einstein and Religion_, Max Jammer, 1999, p. 43-63

title: Einstein and Religion

question: What does the text say about Einstein's experience with religion in his youth?

answer: Jammer says that there have been occasional references to Einstein's early religiosity before. It's known that Einstein attended a Roman Catholic elementary school for three years. Some wonder if Einstein's indifference to religious affiliations came from his refusal to be bar mitzvahed or due to his first marriage to Mileva Maric, who was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church. It's thought that these moments in his youth were a necessary prerequisite to his scientific achievements.

question: Summarize everything relating to Chapter three.

answer: Chapter three is the final chapter in Einstein and Religion. It's entitled "Einstein's Physics and Theology". Jammer says that this chapter reflects the opinions of "prominent theologians and scientists", and that Einstein may have rejected all arguments based upon them.

question: What does the text say about sources?

answer: Jammer made sure to use lots of quotations from sources to prevent his own personal biases from coming through. In Chapter One, biographical accounts of Einstein's early religiosity. come from Einstein, Maja Winterler-Einstein, and Alexander Moszkowski. It can be assumed that Einstein's thoughts are one of the main sources in the book.

question: What does the text say about Buddhism?


text:
Republican lawmakers found themselves scrambling for answers a day after President Trump[]Donald John TrumpTrump rages against '60 Minutes' for interview with Krebs Cornyn spox: Neera Tanden has 'no chance' of being confirmed as Biden's OMB pick Pa. lawmaker was informed of positive coronavirus test while meeting with Trump: report MORE’s former lawyer accused the president of criminal conduct and his former campaign chairman was convicted on eight felony counts.

The two legal dramas have been brewing for months, but Tuesday’s developments nonetheless left the GOP at a loss for how to respond.

Sen. Marco Rubio[]Marco Antonio RubioVoters elected a record number of Black women to Congress this year — none were Republican Biden's Cabinet a battleground for future GOP White House hopefuls The Memo: GOP mulls its future after Trump MORE (R-Fla.) was swarmed by reporters after he walked out of a lightly attended hearing on nominations.

“I’m glad I wore makeup,” he quipped as television cameras boxed him in outside the committee room.

Barraged with questions about whether Trump committed a crime and would be subject to impeachment, Rubio said he wanted to leave questions about the president violated the law to the courts.

“That is in the hands of a prosecutor, that is working its way through courts. They will handle that and the prosecutor’s office will handle that,” he said.

But some legal experts argue that Justice Department guidelines don’t allow it to bring an indictment against a sitting president, which would put the matter in Congress’s lap.

Former Trump lawyer and self-proclaimed “fixer” Michael Cohen rocked the political landscape Tuesday when he told a judge in Manhattan that he arranged hush-money payments to two women during the 2016 presidential campaign at the direction of Trump.

Adding to the maelstrom, Paul Manafort[]Paul John ManafortFlynn spurs questions of who Trump might pardon next On The Money: Initial jobless claims rise for 2nd week | Dow dips below 30K | Mnuchin draws fire for COVID-19 relief move | Manhattan DA appeals dismissal of Manafort charges Manhattan DA appeals dismissal of Manafort charges to NY high court MORE, Trump’s former campaign chief, now faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence after a jury convicted him of tax and banking fraud.

Republicans said they don’t want to speculate on what comes next if more evidence emerges that Trump broke the law.

“It’s premature to talk about it at this stage because there’s been no determination made by any court or even any prosecutor,” Rubio said.

Congressional Republicans spent much of the day darting into elevators or meeting rooms and speed walking past reporters to minimize their time spent facing uncomfortable questions.

Democrats, by contrast, where happy to hold fast in front of cameras and bludgeon the president over his legal woes.

Sen. Ed Markey[]Ed MarkeyUS national security policy in the 117th Congress and a new administration OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden eyes new leadership at troubled public lands agency | House progressives tout their growing numbers in the chamber at climate rally | Trump administration pushes for rollback of Arctic offshore drilling regulations House progressives tout their growing numbers in the chamber at climate rally MORE (D-Mass.) warned that Trump would trigger a shutdown of government if he tried to pardon Cohen or Manafort, who the president praised as a “brave man” shortly after the guilty verdict was announced.

“If the president tries to pardon these people, there will be a constitutional crisis in our country,” he said. “That looks like a shutdown of the United States House of Representatives and Senate for all other business.”

Sen. Chris Murphy[]Christopher (Chris) Scott MurphyCongress set for chaotic year-end sprint Republicans ready to become deficit hawks again under a President Biden Democrats brush off calls for Biden to play hardball on Cabinet picks MORE (D-Conn.) declared the Trump administration “the most corrupt administration in the history of the country.”

Even the president’s strongest critics in the Senate GOP conference were unsure of how to respond to the recent news.

Sen. Bob Corker[]Robert (Bob) Phillips CorkerGOP lawmaker patience runs thin with Trump tactics Former GOP senator: Republicans cannot let Trump's 'reckless' post-election claims stand Cornyn: Relationships with Trump like 'women who get married and think they're going to change their spouse' MORE (R-Tenn.), who’s retiring at the end of this term, declined to say whether Trump committed a crime if he indeed directed Cohen to pay hush money to former paramours.

“I’m just an old business guy. I don’t know about legal issues much,” Corker said. “I think the system will work out.”

While Republicans were left befuddled by questions about whether Trump broke the law or what should happen next, one thing was clear: All talk about their legislative agenda and accomplishments — their fall campaign message — was blown out of the water.

GOP lawmakers acknowledged Wednesday the ongoing legal distraction would blunt their message on the economic effect of tax cuts and deregulation.

Sen. Mike Rounds[]Mike RoundsDemocrats brush off calls for Biden to play hardball on Cabinet picks Trump keeps tight grip on GOP amid divisions Hillicon Valley: Trump fires top federal cybersecurity official, GOP senators push back | Apple to pay 3 million to resolve fight over batteries | Los Angeles Police ban use of third-party facial recognition software MORE (R-S.D.) lamented, “It’s always difficult to get the message out that you want to get out when there are other issues that are taking front and center.”

“Let’s face it, this is taking front and center,” he added, referring to the Cohen and Manafort developments. “All the major news organizations are talking about it.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley[]Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyColorado governor, spouse test positive for COVID-19 McConnell halts in-person Republican lunches amid COVID-19 surge Rep. Rick Allen tests positive for COVID-19 MORE (R-Iowa) urged the president via Twitter to read an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal by Gerald Seib explaining how Trump often steps on his own good news.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune[]John Randolph ThuneCongress set for chaotic year-end sprint Republicans ready to become deficit hawks again under a President Biden Democrats brush off calls for Biden to play hardball on Cabinet picks MORE (S.D.), the third-ranking GOP leader, said the escalating legal drama is “definitely a fairly big sideshow.”

“Until it plays out and we know what the conclusions are that the investigation draws, I think we have to let it play out,” he added.

Thune declined to say whether Congress needs to investigate Cohen’s allegation that Trump violated campaign finance law, arguing that lawmakers need to hear more from special counsel Robert Mueller[]Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE before proceeding.

At the same time, things have gotten so unpredictable since Trump took the oath of office that nothing really surprises Republican lawmakers anymore.

“I’ve been here 11-and-a-half years, I’ve never seen anything close to what I’ve seen over the last year and a half — not even close — and it’s not just a surprise to me what’s happening,” Corker said.

Other GOP lawmakers were dogged by reporters asking whether Trump should be impeached if Cohen’s claims are proven true.

Sen. Jeff Flake[]Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeBiden eyeing Cindy McCain for UK ambassador position: report Profiles in cowardice: Trump's Senate enablers McSally concedes Arizona Senate race MORE (R-Ariz.), another regular Trump critic who’s retiring in early January, said he didn’t want to touch that hot potato, at least not yet.

“I’m not going to suggest anything other than this is obviously serious,” he said.

Asked if the allegation constituted a crime by the president, Flake demurred, “I'm not a lawyer.”

Sen. Susan Collins[]Susan Margaret CollinsCongress set for chaotic year-end sprint Biden's Cabinet a battleground for future GOP White House hopefuls Two more parting shots from Trump aimed squarely at disabled workers MORE (R-Maine) on the subject of impeachment said, “It’s far too early to be talking about anything like that.”

She also argued that articles of impeachment begin in the House, and that questions about the process should begin there.

“To me, the conviction yesterday of Michael Cohen and his assertions are all the more reason we need the special counsel to conclude his investigation and be given the time to conclude it,” she said.

Other Republicans said they wanted to learn more of Cohen’s allegations and questioned his credibility.

Asked if he believed Cohen, Sen. Lindsey Graham[]Lindsey Olin GrahamIs Trump headed to another campaign or to a courtroom? Biden's Cabinet a battleground for future GOP White House hopefuls Republicans ready to become deficit hawks again under a President Biden MORE (R-S.C.) said, “I have no idea.”

“Seldom do people plead guilty and lie about [it], but I don’t know,” he added.

Sen. Ron Johnson[]Ronald (Ron) Harold JohnsonMcConnell halts in-person Republican lunches amid COVID-19 surge Loeffler isolating after possible COVID-19 infection Rick Scott tests positive for coronavirus MORE (R-Wis.) deflected questions about Cohen altogether, saying, “I’ll let the Justice Department handle that.”

_Jordain Carney contributed._

question: What is President  Trump being accused of?

answer: Of criminal conduct

question: What was Trump's former campaign chairman convicted on?

answer: eight felony counts

question: What did former Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen, tell a judge?

answer: He had arranged hush-money payments to two women at the direction of Trump.

question: What were Republicans saying?

answer: That they didn't want to speculate and that it was premature to talk about it.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer:
Republican lawmakers scrambled for answers after President Trump was accused of criminal conduct. His former campaign chairman was convicted on eight felony counts.
Questions were raised about whether Trump committed a crime and would be subject to impeachment.
Trump's former lawyer contributed to the political landscape when he told a judge he arranged hush-money payments to two women at the direction of Trump.
While Republicans avoided reporters, Democrats happily were in front of the camera to discuss the President's legal woes.


text:
It's a long way down. I mean a LONG way down.

How long does it take a man to fall 103 stories? 30 seconds? A minute? Longer? Long enough to think it over, that's for sure. If I go through with this, I realize now, I would doubt my decision for the rest of my life. All 30 or however many seconds of it.

A man who knows he is going to die has a unique perspective. He spends his final moments thinking about decisions he's made. There is a lot of wondering how things might have been different, or might have turned out differently. Not regrets, really, just what ifs, how seemingly small decisions at the time had so drastically changed how things turned out down the road. Like the butterfly effect or something.

Now imagine the perspective of a man who has resolved to take his own life. He has the same retrospect of a man who knows he's going to die, but he controls the exact time of his demise (well, exact to within however long that fall takes) and can spend as much time as he wants thinking about this, and only let go when he's good and damn ready.

So just how long does it take to decide that your contemplations on your own mortality are complete?

I've been here for an hour and I am less ready to die than I had been when I got off the elevator. Coming up here was an impulse, and at the time seemed like the right way out, the ONLY way out, but now, as I feel the wind whipping around me and feel my fingers freezing on the railing and hear the disinterested bustle of the city below, I'm not so sure. I want to believe that a crowd has gathered on the sidewalk below, looking up and willing me to jump or not to jump, but I doubt it; this is New York. I'm not going to look to see. Jesus, that's a long way down.

So here I am. Here is where it all ends, or doesn't.

I jump, my life ends 30 or however many seconds later. I get a blurb in the police log, maybe a mention on the TV news, I become dinnertime conversation for whoever gets to scrub my brain off the sidewalk, and then nothing. Just one more suicide from a famous building.

I don't jump, it takes me years and tens of thousands of dollars worth of lawyers and private investigators to clear my name from the mess that put me here, and at the end of it I'm left with no wife and no job and no house and no money and no future.

But is there another way out? I climb back over this railing, scrub myself clean of my identity and my failures, all of my life falls away as I ride the elevator down. I go somewhere else and start fresh, a small flyover city like Des Moines or Sioux Falls or Topeka, a place where people have only ever seen New York on a map. No one has to know how badly I failed in my first life. Hell, no one even has to know I once had a different life.

Yes, that's it. I'll disappear. Get a bus to to the midwest, talk myself into some job or other, bring out my big city experience in a small town and forge a new life. A career, a family, yes, that's it. That's my way out.

But is it? Do people really do that? That happens in movies, but in real life? And let's face it, I'll get arrested for trespassing as soon as I cross the railing, and then ride down the elevator in handcuffs. Do I even have enough cash to get on a bus? Can I land a job in a new place with only the clothes on my back? And seriously, what big city experience do I have? Only the kind that gets you fired and accused of doing things your mother would be ashamed of.

So I'm back to jump, or don't jump.

Jesus, that's a long way down.

title: [MF] Long way down

question: Summarize the climactic event of the story.

answer: The main character has been standing at the top of a high rise building in New York for the best part of an hour contemplating suicide. The building is 103 stories high. He is not sure if there is a crowd gathered at the bottom, looking up and willing him to jump or not to jump.

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

answer: The primary source of tension in the story is the charges against the main character that got him fired and accused of doing things his mother will be ashamed of. It will also get him arrested when he steps off the railing. It will take him years and tens of thousands of dollars worth of lawyers and private investigators to clear his name. He will be left with no wife, no job, no house, no money and no future by the end of it. That is why he is considering suicide, to avoid dealing with the mess.

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

answer: The main character contemplates committing suicide by jumping off a famous building. When he stopped off the elevator, his mind was made up. But now he is not sure any more. He considers fighting to clear his name and starting life over in a small town in the Midwest without any money, family or future. He realizes that he will get arrested when he steps off the railing and reconsiders.

question: What does the text say about the reason the man got fired?


text:
PIPEWELL WOODS is an 85.3 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of Corby in Northamptonshire. It is composed of Pipewell Wood itself, Little Haws Wood, Foxhole Wood, Barrowdykes Wood, Monk's Arbour Wood and Rawhaw Wood.[1][2] It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2.[3]

The woods are an example of wet ash-maple woodland both in its typical form and a nationally rare one. It has diverse flora including the locally rare giant bellflower, herb paris and wood speedwell. Open grassy areas provide additional habitats for birds and insects.[4]

A road and a public footpath from Pipewell go through the site.[5]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

title: Pipewell Woods

question: Where are Pipewell Woods located?

answer: In Northamptonshire.

question: Are they public domain or privately owned?

answer: Information not found.

question: What is the main type of trees in this forest?

answer: Ash and maple

question: What are some other plants that grow in this forest?

answer: Giant Bellflower, herb paris, wood speedwell.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The short article describes Pipell Woods in Northamptonshire.