text: Once again, Mrs. Gale woke up in the early hours of morning in a bad mood. The same routine followed as usual. First she slowly shambled her way to the washroom and did her business, washed her hands, and saw her wrinkled, fatty, unflattering face in the mirror. Mrs. Gale again regretted looking in the mirror and continued downstairs. At the foot end of the stairs she once again slipped into her worn pink slippers and once again told herself she needed to buy a new pair. With slippers on Mrs. Gale headed for shelf in the living room as usual and proceeded with her ritual of daily routine, her modus operandi.  One might wonder why Mrs. Gale only had one very expensive and impressive looking doll in her house when she claimed she was not a collector. One might also wonder why Mrs. Gale took such good care of this doll. Placed on the shelf were real apples and bottles of water. The apples were replaced weekly and were never bitten. The water was also replaced, but a sip was never sipped. A rattle, a squishy ball, and a binky decorated with flowers also occupied the shelf. The doll itself, dressed in a pink dress with white polka dots, was in pristine shape. Her hair was a plain blonde with bangs slightly covering her eyebrows. Her eyes, almost disturbingly real, were a brisk hazel and her nose was petite. Her mouth, though, was in the ugly shape a baby makes right before it erupts into a crying fit. Mrs. Gale smiled wanly at the doll and wiped the mouth with a cloth and continued on with her daily routine. She made herself some coffee, ate some fiber enriched cereal, took a shower, brushed her teeth and only when she was leaving the front door for her factory job did she realize something she had forgotten. Mrs. Gale was to have a guest over tonight, an old friend from high school. Mrs. Gale hadn’t changed the doll’s clothes in months! After getting a new blue dress she traveled again to the doll and saw a white spot on top of the head. Mrs. Gale couldn’t leave the doll like this, so she went and got a moist washcloth. She reached her hand out and tried to wipe the white away but it just stayed there and seemed to get larger as she rubbed. Eventually Mrs. Gale was frantically wiping like a madwoman harder and harder until the whole head was an ivory white. Small pieces of doll plastic still were attached to the ivory white now on the whole front of the face. The doll was 10 years old Mrs. Gale thought, it must be old, that was all! What else could be wrong? But she was horribly mistaken, denying herself the truth which she had part in. The white spot on the head was bone. Bone underneath rotting skin.  Bone. And oh God that smell! With the skull of the doll now partly revealed, which still had hair, Mrs. Gale sat down on the floor and thought maybe her friend might not notice. Maybe her friend might not notice she had kept a still born baby on her shelf for 10 years.

title: Ten Years and Still Regret

question: What is the origin of the doll?

answer: The doll is a stillborn baby.

question: Why does Mrs. Gale wake in the early hours of the morning?

answer: She was in a bad mood.

question: Who are the major characters of the story?

answer: Mrs. Gale.

question: What are the major events of the story?

answer: Mrs. Gale wakes early in the morning and goes through her usual routine. Before heading out the door she realizes that she hasn't changed her doll's dress in a while. Her doll is the most impressive and expensive looking thing in her house.

question: Explain why Mrs. Gale has an expensive and impressive doll on her shelf if she is not a collector.

answer: The doll is presumably her own stillborn baby that she placed on the shelf to care for.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: Mrs. Gale wakes early and follows her usual daily routine. The one expensive and impressive thing in her house is a doll. It was odd because she is not a collector of dolls and because she cares for the doll with apples and water. Before she heads out of the house to work, she realizes that a friend will visit that evening and that she must change the doll's dress before then. She rushes for a new dress and cleans the doll's head to reveal a scalp with real hair underneath. It is revealed that it is her stillborn baby on her shelf.


split: train

text:
HÅKON BERGE (born 22 April 1954, in Stavanger) is a Norwegian contemporary composer, conductor and arranger.

Berge studied composition at the Music Department at the University of Stavanger and the Norwegian Academy of Music. As a composer, Berge has contributed to stage productions at institutions such as Rogaland Teater, Den Nationale Scene and Oslo's National Theatre. He has also contributed to TV productions, including the score for the domestically broadcast opera _Gagarin – a space opera_ in 1991. Berge has penned a number of commissioned works, including a work written for the opening of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the opening work for Oslo's Nobel Peace Center and the 2008 European Brass Band Championship test piece _Brass Blot_.[1]

As a freelancer, Berge has held positions as musical director, composer in residence and conductor at Norway's major theatres and has written music for more than 70 plays. In addition to his work on music for theatre productions, Berge has received commissions from the Norwegian Society of Composers, the Norwegian Authors' Union, Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, NRK and the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet.[2]

Berge has held a number of positions on the Norwegian music scene, including stints as chair of the Norwegian Society of Composers and chairman of the board of TONO. From 2009 to 2013, Berge served as director of Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra.[3]

Selected works

-   _Gagarin – a space opera_ commissioned by NRK (1991)
-   _Shimmer_, for piano and chamber ensemble, commissioned by Grieg150thAnniversary Celebrations for the Bergen International Festival (1993)
-   _Nanawatai_ for percussion ensemble, commissioned by Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival (1994)
-   _Indian Song Book_ concerto forr soprano and orchestra, commissioned by Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival (1996)
-   _Gåten Knut Hamsun_ soundtrack for motion picture and TV-series (1996)
-   _Chrotxo_ for percussion and chamber orchestra, commissioned by Nordnorsk Kammerorkester og Kroumata
-   _Bakkantinnene_. Music drama work commissioned by Den Nationale Scene/Concerts Norway (1997)
-   _Concerto for Violi, Accordeon & Orchestra_ commissioned by Trondheim Symphony Orchestra (2000/2001)
-   _To Shakespeare-sonetter_ commissioned by The Norwegian Soloists' Choir (2000)
-   _Glass – a requiem_ commissioned by Den Nationale Scene (2000)
-   _Biblioteca Alexandrina_ work written for the opening of the Alexandria Library (2002)
-   _Nobel Peace Center_. Work commissioned by and premiered at the opening of the Nobel Peace Centre (2005)
-   _Ibsen 2006 Opening Ceremony_ (2006)
-   _Fine Thing_ for trumpet and organ. Commissioned by Nordland Musikkfestuke for Tine Thing Helset and Bjørn Andor Drage (2007)
-   _Reflection & Prelude_ for chamber orchestra, commissioned by «Kyrkjelyd» – Sounds from the Cathedral) European Capital of Culture (2007)
-   _Brassblòt_ test piece for the 2008 European Brass Band Championship, commissioned by Norsk Musikkorps Forbund (2008)
-   _Du som lar meg stille vokse_ for kor og symfoniorkester''. commissioned by De Internasjonale Kirkefestspill, Kristiansand (2011)
-   ''No stig vår song, vår takk til Gud '', 2013
-   _Et lys til åpenbaring_, commissioned work for Kristiansand Solistensemble/Kilden Teater & Konserthus (2014)
-   _Organum Nidrosiense_, commissioned by Nidaros Cathedral (2014)

Discography

-   _KERYX – Underveis_ (1973)
-   _Gagarin – en romfartsopera av Håkon Berge_ (1996)
-   _Garman & Worse & Co_ (1997), with Espen Hana
-   _Voices and Drums_ (2003)
-   _Byterminalen_ (2008), with Gunnar Roalkvam

Appears on

-   Arnold Børud: _Balladen om Jesus_ (1974)
-   Rune Larsen: _Ikke bare gospel_ (1975)
-   Bjørn Eidsvåg: _Inn for landing_ (1976)
-   Terje Vallestad & Bjørn Kallevig: _Vil du hørra?_ (1980)
-   Hans Petter Hansen: _Lady_ (1981)
-   Various artists: _Amelis sang_ (1984)
-   Oslo Sinfonietta: _Oslo Sinfonietta (album)|Oslo Sinfonietta_ (1993)
-   BIT20 Ensemble: _Norwegian Signatures_ (1995)
-   Sigvart Dagsland: _Laiv_ (1996)
-   Stavanger Brass Band: _The Colour-Gobbler_ (1996)
-   SISU Percussion Ensemble: _Nanawatai_ (1996)
-   Norwegian Radio Orchestra: ''Gåten Knut Hamsun '' (1996)
-   Various artists: _Reisen til julestjernen – Hørespill fra Lørdagsbarnetimen_ (1998)
-   Various artists: _21 Marches for the 21st Century_ (2000)
-   Jan Kåre Hystad: _Café Hysen Noir_ (2000)
-   Sigvart Dagsland: _Sigvarts favoritter_ (2001)
-   Lewis Carroll: _Alice i eventyrland – Hørespill fra Lørdagsbarnetimen_ (2002)
-   Diverse: _Fjord Focus: A Norwegian Sampler_ (2002)
-   Det Norske Solistkor: _Telling What Is Told_ (2006)
-   Vamp: _I full symfoni_ (2006)
-   Sigvart Dagsland: _Forandring_ (2007)
-   Tønes: _Sobihob_ (2009)
-   Kvarts: _Kvarts; Folkemusikk i Symfoni_ (2009)
-   Øivind Farmen: _Norwegian Safari_ (2010)
-   Various Artists: _Lukk opp kirkens dører ; A Selection of Norwegian Christian Jazz, Psych, Funk & Folk 1970–1980_ (2011)
-   Uranienborg Vokalensemble & Elisabeth Holte: _Uranienborg Vokalensemble-album_ (2013)
-   Elin Furubotn: _Å nærme seg det nære_ (2014)
-   Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Anita Skorgan, Rim Banna, Sondre Bratland, Solveig Slettahjell and Rikard Wolff: _Jul på orkesterplass_ (2015)
-   Lars Lien: _Phonetix_ (2016)

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title: Håkon Berge

question: When was Berge born?

answer: April 22, 1954

question: Where did Berge study?

answer: The Music Department at the University of Stavanger and the Norwegian Academy of Music

question: Where was Berge born?

answer: Stavanger, Norway

question: What was Berge the director of between 2009 and 2013?

answer: The Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Hakon Berge is a Norwegian composer, conductor, and arranger. He was born in Stavanger in 1954 and studied compositionat the University of Stavanger and the Norwegian Academy of Music. He has contributed as a composer to both stage and TV productions. He served as the director of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra from 2009 to 2013.


text:
“You should put on some long pants,” I advised my brother.

We headed down through a yellow field of tall grasses.  Its slope converged at the center like a valley, here, high among the San Francisco foothills.  The Western sun shone gently upon our earnest escapades.  I wanted our adventures to embody the spirit of this city, a mystical bastion of all freedoms.

The field's ending was demarcated by a sort of incomplete fence, probably put there decades ago by the Spanish or the young American imperialists.  We stumbled to the gate, which hung open perfectly and allowed the cool ocean breeze to pass through like a gust of its own breath.  Matt was waiting on the other side.  He was a year older and wiser, well acquainted with the ways of the city's center.  He'd told us stories about all of the nooks and strange neighborhoods, the nudists and the secret passageways and the unique chill you could feel when you ate ice cream on the beach near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Matt was just the person I wanted to see.  Though I knew it would disappoint my brother, my goal would be aided by this traveler's expertise with the city's heartbeat.  I bid my time as we made our way through the less fertile crags of the hills, full of rocks, mosses, and bird droppings.

We overcame the precipice, and I could see a large numbers of graves in the direction we were heading in.  As we approached, I heard a slight buzz.  Matt groaned and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

“I have to get home for dinner, guys.  Sorry.  Maybe tomorrow.”

*Damn*, I thought.  I consoled myself with the knowledge that I couldn't have asked him now, anyway.  I could still enjoy this exploration- what appeared to be an antique cemetery, alone with my similarly-minded brother.  We stepped up, upon the artificially elevated ground of the yard, and looked around.  The rows went on for what seemed like forever.  I noticed a huge chamber near the center, which had to be a tomb for someone important.  As I went along, I observed the dates on the graves.  I was surprised at the age: they were almost exclusively from the mid-to-late 1700s, and the few exceptions were only slightly newer.  One must have been a young boy: his date of death was just before his eighth birthday.  Some had flowery patterns carved into the sides, and there were the customary cherubic angels tending to the invisible gardens growing atop the headstones.

I reached the massive tomb.  The faded brown doors exuded an antiquated feeling, and I could see that the stony sides were cracking.  Looking around and discovering no unwanted observers, I drew closer.  I saw notes and small trinkets scattered upon the small floor in front of the entrance.  Upon further inspection, the door was missing one of its bolts.  This rendered it almost imperceptibly ajar, but the opening was there.  I cautiously took another step forward and heard a crunch under my foot.  Curious, I leaned down and picked up the note.

The handwriting was scrawled hurriedly, and I could barely make it out on the piece of paper that was shredded at all corners.  After a little scrutiny, I picked out the strange message:

“NOT ME AGAIN”

I dropped it and ran blindly from the tomb.  My eyes scanned the graveyard and I realized that I didn't know where my brother was.  I tripped and fell, and collected myself against General Juan Pablo de la Trinidad's epitaph.  Slowly, I was able to calm myself, and rationalized it by acknowledging the likelihood of bored vandals.

My brother came trudging up from the left.  “A lot of old graves,” he quipped.

I brushed off my jeans, embarrassed at my former fright.   The sun now hung just a nickel's width above the Pacific, and I reminded my brother that we should head back.  I hadn't talked to Matt or seen the cool parts of the city, but I had tomorrow.  I still had to visit Fortunata, and who knew what she might show me?

title: The Old Cemetery

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The narrator is an unnamed person.

question: Where does this take place?

answer: By a cemetery in the San Francisco foothills.

question: Who does the narrator still have to visit?

answer: They still have to visit Fortunata.

question: In addition to the narrator, who are the characters of the story?

answer: The other characters are the narrator's brother and Matt.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator walks along the San Francisco foothills with their brother and their friend, Matt. Matt leaves and the narrator heads toward a cemetery with their brother. The narrator discovers an eerie note by a tomb and runs to find their brother. They head back as the narrator has to visit Fortunata.


text:
_SCREAM TEAM_ (stylised as _SCREAMTEAM_) is a paranormal reality TV series,[1][2] produced by Making Time,[3][4] which was broadcast on Living TV in 2002.[5][6][7][8]

Premise

A reality TV show in which six young people travelled around the UK in a large Silver campervan, investigating ghosts, folklore and supernatural locations. They were selected from over eight hundred hopefuls at auditions in the summer of 2001 in London. The team consisted of believers and sceptics of the paranormal.[9]

_Scream Team_ was described by its creators as a cross between _The Blair Witch Project_ and _Scooby-Doo_.[10][11]

It's often repeated on British satellite and cable television channels Ftn and Living TV.[12][13][14][15]

An introductory episode titled _Meet the Team_ was broadcast on 13 September 2002.[16]

Cast

-   Phil Whyman (went on to become a paranormal investigator on Living TV's _Most Haunted_)[17][18][19]
-   Becky Kitter
-   Sheyla Shehovich
-   Amy Jones[20]
-   Dan Ainsworth[21]
-   Sam Witcher[22]

Episodes

  Episode[23]      Title                                                  Description                                                                                Broadcast Date
  ---------------- ------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------
  Pilot[24]        Meet the Team[25]                                      Introduction to the team members.                                                                                13 September 2002[26]
  Episode 1[27]    Witchcraft in Clapham Woods[28][29]                    Is this East Sussex Wood really haunted?                                                                                24 September 2002[30]
  Episode 2[31]    Blue Bell Hill[32][33]                                 The team investigate the case of ghostly hitchhiker, causing chaos on a dual carriageway in Kent.                           1 October 2002[34]
  Episode 3[35]    Bristol Poltergeist                                    The team investigate a poltergeist in a Bristol family's home, and visit the Ram Inn, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire.   8 October 2002
  Episode 4[36]    The Crying Boy[37][38]                                 The team investigate a legend of a cursed painting causing fires in Northern England.                                       15 October 2002[39]
  Episode 5[40]    UFOs on Ilkley Moor[41]                                Alien abduction experiences come under scrutiny on Ilkley Moor.                                                             22 October 2002
  Episode 6[42]    Animal Mutilation                                      Cryptozoology provides the theme for this episode, in Loftus, North Yorkshire.                                              29 October 2002
  Episode 7[43]    Edinburgh Vaults                                       Mary King's Close and the Edinburgh Vaults, beneath the Edinburgh streets, are investigated by the team.                    5 November 2002
  Episode 8[44]    Robin Hood's Grave                                     The team investigate Robin Hood's Grave at Kirklees Hall, in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.                                     12 November 2002[45]
  Episode 9[46]    Woodchester Mansion[47]                                The team investigate a Gloucestershire mansion, which is reputed to be haunted.                                             19 November 2002
  Episode 10[48]   Jack the Ripper[49]                                    The Devil's Pyramid in Brighton and Jack the Ripper are examined by the team.                                               26 November 2002
  Episode 11[50]   Carry on Screaming: The Best of Scream Team - Part 1   First part of _The Best of Scream Team_ showing highlights from the series.                                                 3 December 2002
  Episode 12[51]   Carry on Screaming: The Best of Scream Team - Part 2   Second part of _The Best of Scream Team_ showing highlights from the series.                                                8 December 2002

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title: Scream Team

question: Roughly what percentage of people who auditioned were selected to star on the show?

answer: Roughly 0.75 percent.

question: Which of the cast members was the most successful?

answer: Presumably Phil Whyman, as he managed to land a second show afterwards.

question: What is the focus of paragraph four?

answer: Paragraph four discusses the show's syndication.


text:
SPRING, Texas (AP) — A newborn boy was abducted from his dying mother after she was repeatedly shot outside a suburban Houston pediatric center on Tuesday, according to investigators searching for the suspected shooter who sped off with the infant in a blood-stained Lexus.

Kayla Marie Golden, 28, was leaving an afternoon checkup with her 3-day-old son, Keegan, when she had a verbal altercation with a woman in a Lexus parked next to her pickup truck, Montgomery County sheriff's Lt. Dan Norris said.

Witnesses said the woman repeatedly shot Golden, took the infant and sped away, hitting the dying mother as she screamed "my baby" and tried to reach into the Lexus, Norris said. Witnesses also reported hearing as many as seven gunshots and said a man also was in the Lexus, which is blood-stained on the driver's side, Norris said.

Officers searched a nearby apartment complex Tuesday night for the boy but did not find him, Deputy U.S. Marshal Alfredo Perez told The Associated Press in a brief interview. It wasn't immediately clear what led authorities to the complex, where officers were seen wielding guns and riot shields.

The infant was last seen wearing a green-and-white one-piece outfit displaying the word "handsome."

The shooting happened just after 2 p.m. outside the Northwoods Pediatric Center in Spring, which is about 20 miles north of Houston. A statewide emergency alert has been issued for the baby.

Witnesses described the shooting suspect as a thin, gold-haired black woman, apparently in her late 20s or early 30s, Norris said. They also said the Lexus was sky blue or light green.

Joshua Jesson said he was in the clinic with his girlfriend when he heard gunshots. He said he saw the Lexus next to the pickup truck, then later looked back and saw the car was gone and a woman lying in the spot where the Lexus had been parked.

"I thought she just passed out. Then somebody ran in here and said, 'Somebody got shot,'" he said.

Police quickly surrounded the clinic and much of the parking lot with crime-scene tape, and yellow markers were placed next to a purse and pair of brown sandals near a red pickup truck. Spent ammunition also was nearby.

The clinic is in an area thick with strip malls.

question: Where was the mother shot?

answer: Outside a suburban Houston pediatric center.

question: What is her name?

answer: Kayla Marie Golden.

question: What did witnesses report happened?

answer: Golden had a verbal altercation with a woman in a Lexus who repeatedly shot Golden. There was a man in the car as well. Golden was screaming "my baby" as they snatched her infant  and sped away.

question: Has the baby been found?

answer: No.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Kayla Marie Golden, 28, was leaving an afternoon check-up at a suburban Houston pediatric clinic with her three-day-old son when a woman pulled up in a Lexus and shot her multiple times, killing Golden. Witnesses reported that a man was also in the car, and that Golden was screaming "my baby" as they snatched her son and sped off. Police have not located the assailants, but witnesses have described the woman as a black female in her late 20s or early 30s with gold hair. A statewide emergency alert has been issued for the child.


text:
Liquid bubbles fall from the eyes of her precious face. Such a vast expression of desperate sadness that it over fills and pours out, splashing into the ground below and soaking the Earth in sadness. It cuts a path through the swirling rainbows of petrol staining the driveway. Her shaky knees bend and she falls. An electrical storm of emotion brews in her mind and manifests in the tempest above, as rain joins her tears in soaking the ground she tread so lightly on before. Darkness encapsulates her mind, and the world shifts to manifest the raw thought she desperately clings to. Shards of gravel cut into her skin, and a vivid red joins the liquid sadness in a race to fall into the drain on the curb.

A tunnel appears in her mind as an escape, a path to bliss, to happiness. She stands, and the world crumbles beneath her. Soon, nothing but darkness surrounds her, and the absence of stimulation drives her mind toward vivid visuals. Immediately, a burst of color hits her from behind and carries her toward a blue light in the distance. Riding the beam, it begins to morph, and it becomes a large flowing whale, with colors glossing its mirrored skin. Spikes form and fall from its body. As she approaches the blue, it devours the shards of light and grows into a vast ocean. The swirling stream of colors smashes into the ocean, and a liquid cool surrounds her. Sparks fly overhead as the color explodes over the surface. Yet it remains silent. She bathes her mind in the deep waters. The multicolored light remaining takes on the properties of a fluid, and dissipates into the blue. Vivid currents stir the water and it is brought to life.

She becomes the heart of the ocean. It flows around her, protecting her. Streams of color remain, and pierce the dark waters. A fortress forms, and she knows nothing can harm her. The beams of light are weightless, and as she breathes in, they flow into her lungs and penetrate her very essence. She is overcome with the weightlessness, and a pure euphoria trickles in through her spine, and begins to layer her mind. Soon, nothing is left in the dark waters to keep it animated, and it trickles off. None remains. Though it is dark once again, she is glowing, and a pure white overtakes her as she removes herself from her body to become the light. The nothingness turns into the shards of the world she left behind, and soon reassemble into the ever so distant scene she left behind. She merges back into her mind, and the color fades. However, the feeling of bliss remains, and she opens her eyes. She stands. The rain cools her skin, and she looks toward the sky. A serenity overtakes her, and she drifts back toward the door. Nothing will bring her down. She is impervious to the world.

title: Impervious - a short story about dealing with overwhelming emotion.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: An unnamed woman.

question: What emotion is the narrator feeling initially?

answer: Initially, the narrator is filled with a deep sadness.

question: What emotion does the narrator feel at the end of the passage?

answer: By the end, the narrator feels blissful and powerful.

question: Where is the narrator when her emotions shift?

answer: She is in a vast ocean.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator describes a deep sadness that she feels. They find a tunnel in their imagination and escape into a vast ocean. She bathes her mind and becomes the heart of the ocean. She glows and serenity takes her over.


text:
CASPER KRUSE HOUSE, also known as the WILHELMINA STUMPE HOUSE, is a historic home located at Washington, Franklin County, Missouri. It was built about 1868, and is a 1 1/2-story, three bay, side entry brick dwelling on a stone foundation. It has a side-gable roof and low segmental arched door and window openings. Also on the property is a contributing two-story brick smokehouse.[1]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[2]

[1]  (includes 9 photographs from 2000)

[2]

title: Casper Kruse House

question: Where is the Casper Kruse House?

answer: It is located in Washington, Franklin County, Missouri.

question: When was the house built?

answer: The house was built in 1868.

question: What does the property include?

answer: The property includes the house and a two-story brick smokehouse.

question: What is the house otherwise called?

answer: The house is also known as the Wilhelmina Stumpe House.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
The Casper Kruse House, situated in Washington, is a 1 1/2 story, three-bay, brick swelling on stone foundation. The house is also known as the Wilhelmina Stumpe House. The house features a side-gable roof, a low segmental-arched door, and window openings.

The House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.


text:
A small stream feeds a small pool that gradually grows larger. The stream grows until it becomes a river and bystanders come to watch. Two men come forward and try to dam the river, but the flow is out of control. The river’s red waters feed the pool until it spills over a curb and cascades down into a gutter. A lone woman walks towards the river’s source and cradles it in her arms. Her face shows no emotion but her hands are a different story. The way they caress the man’s face is similar to that of a lover’s but not quite. There is a maternal quality to them. Those hands once held this man and seek to do the same now. Awkwardly they struggle to recreate something long gone from this moment and their failure only solidifies the fact that change is the only guarantee and who are we to argue with our only guarantee.

A man with a stretcher comes forward and attempts to take the body from the woman but she resists, slapping at the man’s hands. The man persists. The woman starts screaming, it’s a lonely scream and the bystanders exchange glances, unsure of how to react, they look to the each other for suggestions. Nobody seems to have any so they simply gaze on as if it were a television drama and they were observing from the comfort of their favorite chair.

Two policemen approach and try to pry the woman from her son’s body. With a superhuman burst of energy she rises, cradling her son in her arms, she makes a wild dash from the policemen. She makes it half way down the block then collapses spilling a body, it tumbles, finding the pavement it stops.

They come and take the body. They take it to a room and place it on a large metal tray. They cut at it and poke at it. They take it apart, weighing different pieces and then replacing them. After they are finished others come for the body. They wash the body and dress the body, then paint the body. They put it in a box and then place the box on display. People come to see. Prayers are said, words are exchanged, then they take the box to a hole and bury it. Above the hole they place a stone.

The stone is often alone. Sometimes the woman comes to visit the stone. She sits with the stone and together they bathe in memories. She remembers a man and she remembers a boy. She remembers birthdays, smiles, hugs, a wedding. She remembers happiness and she remembers meaning. She remembers being called mother.

These memories become an addiction and she visits often. As the time passes the smiles and the hugs are slowly replaced by visions of the stone until one day the stone is all she can remember. She tries and tries to recall just a glimpse of his face or a whisper of his voice, but the stone is a persistent memory. She must remember so she begins digging with her hands. She digs and she digs, snapping off nails. She digs until her hands begin to bleed and then continues. She is covered in dirt when she gets to the box. She opens it. Inside bones stare back at her. She can only return their look. She doesn’t remember this.

title: Inconsistent Memories

question: What is the stone?

answer: The stone seems to be a marker for a grave.

question: What is the relationship of the woman to the man and boy she thinks about?

answer: The passage does not fully answer the question, but it seems to be her son.

question: Why are these memories an addiction to the woman?

answer: The passage does not answer the question.

question: Why does the woman visit the stone?

answer: The woman visits the stone because it is the marker for the man and boy's grave site.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: A woman caresses a man's body, while another man with a stretcher attempts to pick up the body. 2 policemen try to remove her from the body and eventually end up doing so. The woman visits the man's gravesite often. One day, she begins to dig up the grave and pries the coffin open.


text:
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A great party calls for fabulous food and drink. Impress your guests with unique interactive stations, creative small plates, and signature cocktails. You’ll be inspired by these 50 fun and innovative menu ideas.

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    Trending: stylish mini appetizer and drink pairings, like these mini Patron margaritas with taco bites.

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    Another fun mini-pairing: hot dogs and beer.

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    This clever fork display features one-bite cheese pairings like camembert and jalapeño, manchego and fig, and blue cheese with cranberry and walnut.

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    A gorgeous cheese wheel wedding cake is embellished with fresh flowers and succulents. Calligraphy tags label each cheese selection.

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    Who doesn’t love melty grilled cheese? Try this mini comfort food accompanied by tomato soup shooters.

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    Novel green tomato gazpacho shooters are topped with toasted almonds and micro cilantro.

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    Ahi tuna tartare gets an elegant presentation in a crisp cone, with sriracha, mango, and lime-avocado cream.

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    Spaghetti and meatballs go upscale for a clever and tasty one-bite appetizer.

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    Everything is better on a stick! Freshly-grilled chicken yakitori, lamb, and falafel skewers are served with a variety of dipping sauces.

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    A unique multi-tiered wedding tart is artfully adorned with seasonal fresh fruit and flowers.

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    [Creative Displays]

    Creative Displays

    A delightful and functional display idea from Simple Bites: present your outdoor buffet in an old canoe, accented with pretty wildflowers.

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    Creative Displays

    Offer healthy avocado halves with an assortment of tasty toppings, like shrimp ceviche, fresh salsa, and flavored salts.

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    Creative Displays

    Impress your guests with an innovative interactive experience: an olive oil tasting station.

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    Creative Displays

    A winter wedding calls for a hot chocolate bar, made special with a selection of peppermint and chocolate toppings and extras like caramel drizzle and sea salt.

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    Creative Displays

    A salad course served in this striking display is lovely for an summer outdoor meal.

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    Creative Displays

    Calling all French fry lovers! Handmade signage provides a rustic display.

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    Creative Displays

    There’s something for everyone when you offer a variety of fresh-baked pies. Decorate individual pie slice boxes with ribbon or rustic twine for a pretty and practical serving idea.

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    [Hometown Favorites]

    Hometown Favorites

    Show some hometown pride with well-loved treats. Guests of these Philadelphia natives experienced authentic Philly cheesesteaks.

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    Hometown Favorites

    An outdoor New England celebration features a traditional Martha’s Vineyard clambake by THE KITCHEN PORCH.

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    Hometown Favorites

    Top off your seaside dinner with these amazing decorated cookies from SWEET AMBS.

    _Photo Credit: Amber Spiegel of SWEET AMBS_

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    Hometown Favorites

    This Tuscan-inspired wedding featured a lavish pizza buffet.

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    Hometown Favorites

    Recall your Italian grandma’s Sunday dinner with this pasta and meatball snack.

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    Hometown Favorites

    Honor your cultural heritage with a special dish like this bibimbap, a signature Korean rice bowl.

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    Hometown Favorites

    All you need is love and churros.

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    Unique and Trendy Elements

    A towering display of colorful French macarons — over 200 in 10 tiers! — is a trendy wedding cake alternative. DANA'S BAKERY offers fun flavors like cookie dough and fruity cereal.

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    Pretty in pink cotton candy martinis are a fun signature cocktail.

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    Favorite sweet s’mores get a tasty upgrade with homemade graham crackers and artisanal marshmallows.

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    Imagine your charming shabby-chic dessert display with these edible sugar doilies.

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    Try something new: a mobile gelato bar, bringing amazing flavors like Tiramisu, Strawberry Fresca, and Salted Caramel. Yum!

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    Get in on the craft beer craze with beer tasting flights.

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    Set up a stylish Italian soda bar with a variety of fruity flavors. Don’t forget the whipped cream!

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    Display your creativity with signature drinks and DIY this customizable and printable cocktail menu.

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    Go for ultra-trendy with a siphon soup station.

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    Give cake pops a glittery makeover for a glamorous addition to a dessert table.

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    Stylish chalkboard décor inspires the dessert table with chalkboard wedding cookies.

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    [Favorite Snacks]

    Favorite Snacks

    No one will miss the cake when you serve up funnel cakes and sweet toppings.

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    Favorite Snacks

    Salty soft pretzels with honey mustard and beer cheese adorn a delightful display by LAYERED VINTAGE.

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    Favorite Snacks

    Watch your guests dig into this lavish nacho bar. Margarita, anyone?

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    Favorite Snacks

    A macaroni and cheese station, complete with toppings, is comfort food at its best.

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    PB & J gets a style upgrade with glazed jalapeno bacon.

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    After a night of dancing and partying, a delish deli sandwich is a perfect late night snack.

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    What groom wouldn’t go wild for this “Man Cave” station, featuring cheese and pepperoni calzones and buffalo wings?

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    Treat all-night partiers to an amazing breakfast sandwich: egg, cheese, and New Jersey’s own Trenton pork roll.

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    [Have Some Fun!]

    Have Some Fun!

    The sweets table gets special treatment in this backyard wedding with a vintage carnival theme.

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    Have Some Fun!

    Everybody’s favorite hot dogs can come right to you in a fun hot dog cart.

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    DIY a rustic popcorn bar with downloadable chalkboard signage from PEN & PAPER FLOWERS.

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    Childhood favorite rice krispie treats are transformed with a charming design by THE COOKIE STAR.

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    Watermelon on a stick is a simple and refreshing idea for an outdoor summer celebration.

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    Assemble mason jars and all the fixings for a fun interactive trail mix buffet.

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    Cool off with a rainbow of frosty snow cones.

50 Fun Menu Innovations for Your Reception

question: How many ideas are on this list?

answer: 50.

question: List 5 of your favourite ideas...

answer:
Mini grilled-cheese with tomato soup shooters
Pasta and Meatball snacks
Cotton candy martinis
A trail mix buffet
A hot chocolate bar with various toppings.

question: DOes this list cover a variety of events?

answer: Yes.

question: Does the list tell you how to make the various examples they give.

answer: Unclear from the text, but not in the article as presented.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: An extensive list of catering ideas for appetizers at parties.


text:
Barbadian–Nigerian relations are foreign relations between Barbados and Nigeria. Barbados and Nigeria formally established diplomatic relations on 24 April 1970. Nigeria is accredited to Barbados from its embassy in Port of Spain, (Trinidad and Tobago). Currently the Barbadian Government does not have foreign accreditation for Nigeria,  however the Nigerian Government has said that it was highly desirous of Barbados establishing an embassy directly to Nigeria.
In 1966 Nigeria was one of fifteen states which took part in U.N. Security Council resolution 230 which admitted Barbados into the United Nations.
In 2006 the Governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel of the Nigerian state of Ogun announced that Barbadians would be given free land if they wished to move to Nigeria. Nigeria has pushed for more investment from Barbadian companies and investors and in 2008 for the establishment of direct flights between both nations.
In 2006 Barbadian solar company  Aqua Sol Components Ltd. formed a 50-50 joint venture partnership with the Nigerian state of Akwa Ibom.  The partnership makes use of Barbados' experience with solar energy given its high usage of solar hot water heaters across the island.  Through the venture, Akwa Ibom hopes to raise the level of solar usage in Nigeria.  The deal was facilitated through Commission for Pan-African Affairs within the Barbados Prime Minister's office.
In 2019 the governments of Barbados and the Federal government of Nigeria signs visa waiver agreements to facilitate ease of travel between their nations. A follow up meeting between the Caribbean Heads of Government in CARICOM and African Union nations was planned for July 2020 however, that summit may be suspended due to the COVID-2019 pandemic.
 Bilateral agreements

title: Barbados–Nigeria relations

question: When were diplomatic relations formed between Barbados and Nigeria?

answer: On April 24, 1970.

question: What occurred in 2019 between the governments of Barbados and Nigeria?

answer: In 2019, the government of Barbados and the Federal government of Nigeria signed visa waiver agreements to facilitate ease of travel between their nations.

question: How many states were involved in the U.N. Security Council resolution 230 which admitted Barbados into the United Nations?

answer: Fifteen states.

question: What did Governor Otunba Gbenda Daniel of the Nigerian state of Ogun announce in 2006?

answer: He announced that Barbadians would be given free land if they wished to move to Nigeria.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the history of the diplomatic relations formed between Barbados and Nigeria.


text:
I never got lucky before. Never won anything. Used to buy the lotto tickets, every paycheck. Just $20 in scratchers. Anna in Accounting won a cool thousand my first week there. I played for 5 years and never once won.

Course, Anna in Accounting is dead now. Same as everyone else.

I spent the last month of the world in a cell. Oh, they didn’t call it a cell, they called it a research wing. The Red Death had already killed half the globe by that point. Asia was pretty much gone, North America was right behind them, and Europe was down to only 1 in 4 alive. 100% mortality rate, they said. No one could survive it, they said.

Then there was me.

I put on the mask as I prepare to leave. Gotta wear the mask. Maybe it’d be better if I left the city, but can’t leave the city, so gotta wear the mask. Sure, I was the Last Hope for Humanity, the One that Lived, or so the papers said, but doesn’t mean I can’t get sick. Just not the Plague. One in ten billion chance, apparently.

I grab my shovel.

The irony is, the Red Death started because some nutjob in Japan thought he had found the key to immorality. A retrovirus that would completely halt the natural aging process. And this nutjob? He decided that this was a gift to humanity, he didn’t want money or accolades, so he made the goddamn cure to age into a contagion, stuck himself with it, and took a flight. Tokyo to LAX. LAX to O’hare. O’hare to JFK. JFK to Heathrow. Heathrow to Charles DuGalle. Charles DuGalle to Moscow. Moscow to Dubai. He died in the terminal in Dubai, after having spent six hours walking around each of those airports, contagious as all hell, and all on the weekend before Christmas.

“Fucker,” I mutter to no one as I shoe away some crows.

They’re big bastards now. I’ve started calling them Crovus Rex. They don’t seem to mind me much, but they watch me. Read an article once, before the plague, about how damned smart crows were. Seems with us gone, they’ve been getting smarter. I hear them cawing at each other all the time. I think it might be language. Sometimes I think I can understand it. That one sound, a Caw with a harsh start and a slight lag at the end? Sort of a Kchraaaaw? I think that’s me. I wonder what they think of me.

I grab my newest find and shove it into the wheelbarrow.

Funny side effect of the Red Death? You don’t decay, bacteria don’t eat you anymore. You just bleed out and then sit there. Mummified. That bastard mummified the whole world. Except me, although he still kinda did. Everyone else died. Unless something kills me, I never will. No one could figure out why. Just a fluke of genetics that kept me ticking.

The wheelbarrow’s heavy now.

Time seems funny these days. Goes by so fast. Maybe it’s just because I’ve had so many days they blur together even while I’m living them. Either way, time to head out. I’m in New York, right now. Obviously. Well, maybe not. Dunno who I’m talking to these days. But I get out of the city, and then I walk a ways more. Been in New York for…for awhile. Couple hundred, maybe? Just about done here, though.

Ahead of me stretch the Stones.

I try to include a name when I can. Find it in wallets. Well, what’s left of them.  It’s getting harder and harder as things decompose or get lost. If not, I put some details. Anything I can make out. “Wearing Red.” “Woman With Four Rings.” Anything, though it gets harder and harder to make it out each time. Still, I think I’ve got maybe a week or so left.

Then I’ve buried the entire state of New York.

Oh, I’m sure I missed some, and I’m sure the animals have eaten some. Some of the graves are no more than a fingerbone. But I keep digging. There isn’t anything else to do. Humanity may be dead, but it’s gotta be buried too.

And I’ll be the Gravedigger.

title: Response to a Flash Fiction Prompt that went way over the limit - "You are the last person on Earth..."

question: Who are the main characters of the story?

answer: The narrator (sole survivor of the apocalypse)

question: Explain the Red Death.

answer: A Japanese scientist creates a retrovirus that supposedly halts the aging process (a key to immortality) but ends up becoming a plague that wipes out the entire planet.

question: Where does the story take place?

answer: New York

question: Who or what is Corvus Rex?

answer: Crows.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: A Japanese nut job thinks he found the key to immortality when he creates a retrovirus that halts aging. Not wanting accolades or money, he injects himself with the virus and travels to major airports to spread his "gift" to humanity. The immortality retrovirus ends up wiping out the entire planet by mummifying everyone, becoming a plague known as the Red Death. Only one person survives the Red Death due to natural immunity, and he's in New York and takes it upon himself to become a Gravedigger and bury the dead.


text:
If a Shelby farts in the woods, am I still hard?

Shelby. Let’s get going with that bitch.
Oh the dry desert queen. How many tears must I lash on you to make you wet. Lemme sing you a song you cunt. Shelby. Are you listening? It doesn’t matter. This is about me. This is about ME. My love for you doesn’t exist inside you. It exists in magnetic fields surrounding the FUcKING MIDWEST OF AMERICA. MAGNETIC FIELDS. You’re a SIMPLETON Shelby, you don’t even know what that means. Hell, with those golden locks, you don’t need to know up from down, you sexy flooze.
Ahh, the good ol’ days. Remember when I used to go down on you for hours? No? That’s because I didn’t. You weren’t worthy.

…Who am I kidding, I wasn’t worthy. Lemme break down to you right now. (Would Tom Cruise say that to you?)

I love your laugh. I don’t even love it, but I love that you do laugh. I love your fucking smile. When you get too drunk I want to smash your head in. I feel the same way around small dogs that don’t bark loud. Listen bitch. You’re a dime a dozen, but that don’t make you drab. NOT A SCAG SHELBY.

Let me touch your butt, I’m a scientist.

Shelby listen, time’s running out. They’re coming for me soon, and when they come, they’ll drag me back into STEVE. STEEEEEEVEEEE. STEEEEEEEEEEEEEVE. What a spineless cocksucker. I’m gonna take you away one day baby, far away. Somewhere where the weather suits your clothes, and my God, wear a tight red dress. I won’t cum in my pants, I’ve never done that unintentionally.

I’ll never hit you unless you hit me. IF you hit me, I’ll hit you hard in the legs. You got milky legs, I wonder what your moms legs looked like, maybe there are some pictures somewhere. Either way, don’t believe any of this 2012 stuff. I don’t. But, you never know.

Kinda like you never know if we’ll meet again!!!! I can only hope so. Right now I can hear them coming. They want Steve back. They’re gonna get him.

One of these days I’ll show them it’s not okay to play God. I’ll show them I’ve been my own God this whole time, moving mountains with ease and taking no pleasure in things untrue. You’re first class cunt, Shelby. The only reason I called you that name one time was because you deserved it, but you didn’t deserve that other thing. Don’t bring that up ever again.

Anyways, They’re getting closer. MAN it’d be good to touch your ass right now Shelby!
One more thing bitch. When you apologize, you’re a sheep. But unlike the other sleazy sheep shape shifters I encounter everyday, your fur is golden. Pure gold. Ain’t that a bitch?

Keep crying for me, my fragile, ohsobreakable playdoll.

title: Unedited RANT about SHELBY

question: Who is Shelby?

answer: It may be assumed that Shelby was the narrator's lover.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Are they in love?

answer: Yes, they were.

question: Do they break up?

answer: It may be assumed that they did break up.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is ranting about Shelby (his ex-lover?). He's mourning her loss and yet hates her for the things she's done. He's also worried about people coming and dragging him back into Steve. While he hates her, he says that she's better than the other shapeshifters he meets daily, and asks her to keep crying for him.


text:
You think you lost your keys again - front door is locked. Check the backdoor and it's open. No one's been in, thank god. Search for your keys but don't find them, "I'll look again in the morning".

Wake up and remember to look - no luck and you're late. Leaving the backdoor unlocked is going to eat at you but there's no choice. Rush home after work to check and find your girlfriend on the couch. She brought some stuff over. Maybe she can help. She looks with you through the house and her stuff for a little but she has the night shift and takes off. Stay up until 4 checking.

Tomorrow at 8:40, no time to look now. You come back during lunch to make sure no one came in and maybe check a bit. There's mail and some more of her stuff. You look but it's not with those things.

You buy a big dog to keep watch when you're not there. His name is Quatro because dogs can have names in Spanish.

Buying lunch pay $6.01 one two three four to check if the amount totals, one two three four to check if twenty four is four six times, one two three four to check if four is four one time. Two halves of the sandwich is the whole sandwich two bites is four sips is four bites is two sips is one slip in the conversation, but you just couldn't remember if you had seen Billy Madison as a kid.

Work is close to home and you can check four times today: 11:40, 1:03, 2:20 and 3:11. Twice in each cupboard, twice under your bed, four times behind the TV. House seems to be getting messier but you're sure you were keeping up. There's a memory of your dad telling you that locksmiths are unreliable.

"Where are they?" The question doesn't really go away, except maybe once when you woke up at 3 to pee. You've retraced your steps two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two times today, sixty-four, one hundred twenty-eight, two hundred fifty-six times today, five hundred twelve times today, one thousand twenty-four, two thousand forty-eight, four thousand ninety-six times today, you think maybe that wasn't enough maybe if you start checking again the keys will turn up check twice, check four times, check four more times, check twice. Exhausted, you try to sleep. Check twice more twice.

At a Basketball game with your girlfriend and brothers. Section 137, row S, seats 2, 3, 4 and 5. Little brother led the way and you sit next. Four quarters: one, fifteen minutes of sixty. Shot clock at twenty-four, twenty, sixteen, twelve, eight, four, 3 pointer and a foul! There's change on the ground and you try making a dollar. Saw some quarters and a penny - there's no point searching tonight.

You've been late to work a lot and you think your boss might have called you in to talk but your keys are so close - staying home sixteen minutes couldn't hurt, especially since you didn't check last night. You can't remember why you didn't and check twice more. You remember checking last night so you check again. Promise yourself you'll find the keys after work.

The new job as a bartender gives you an excuse not to check for your keys much. Walls lined with 80 proof liquor and 12 ounce bottles. Three glasses of sour mash at the bar so you pour yourself one. Stay around after to drink. At 2:07 walk home and go in the front door.

title: Story thing about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

question: What does the author have?

answer: Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

question: What's the author's new job?

answer: Bartender

question: Is the author single?

answer: They have a girlfriend.

question: What does the author never find?

answer: Their keys.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The author details a first-person view of a day in the life of someone who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Over the span of a few days, they keep forgetting to look for their keys, occupying their time with other random and sudden observations that command their attention. They have a girlfriend and they are employed as a bartender.


text:
Considering these two birth control options

Both birth control pills and the birth control shot are highly effective and safe methods of preventing unplanned pregnancies. That said, they’re both very different and require serious consideration before making a choice.

Gather feedback from friends and family members, research all your options as thoroughly as you can, and reach out to your doctor with any questions or concerns. It’s important that you come to a choice that feels healthy and natural for your lifestyle.

If you decide later that the option you picked isn’t right, remember that almost all forms of birth control are interchangeable. In other words, you can swap them without affecting your fertility or your risk of getting pregnant, as long as it’s done with a doctor’s supervision.

Birth control pills are a form of hormonal contraception. Many women use birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. The pill can also be used to reduce heavy periods, treat acne, and ease symptoms of certain reproductive system issues.

Birth control pills come as combination pills and progestin-only minipills. Combination pills contain two types of hormones: progestin and estrogen. Pill packs with combination pills typically contain three weeks of active pills and one week of inactive, or placebo, pills. During the week of inactive pills, you may have a period. Progestin-only pill packs usually contain 28 days of active pills. Even though there aren’t any inactive pills, you may still have a period during the fourth week of your pack.

Birth control pills work in two ways to prevent pregnancy. First, the hormones in the pill prevent the release of eggs from your ovaries (ovulation). If you don’t have any eggs, there’s nothing for sperm to fertilize.

Second, the hormones increase the buildup of mucus around the opening of the cervix. If this sticky substance grows thick enough, the sperm that do enter your body will be stopped before getting near an egg. The hormones can also thin the uterine lining. If an egg is somehow fertilized, this ensures it will be unable to attach to the lining.

According to Planned Parenthood, when taken as directed, birth control pills are 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. However, most women practice what’s called “typical use.” Typical use accounts for a woman missing a pill or two, being a bit late with a new pack, or some other incident that prevents her from taking the pill every day at the same time. With typical use, birth control pills are 91 percent effective.

READ MORE: WHAT TO DO IF YOU LOST A BIRTH CONTROL PILL »

It’s important to remember that birth control pills don’t protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It’s advisable to still use a barrier method, such as latex male or female condoms.

Once you stop taking birth control pills, you may return to your typical cycle almost immediately. You may experience your first regular period in as few as two months.

The birth control shot, Depo-Provera, is a hormonal injection that prevents unplanned pregnancy for three months at a time. The hormone in this shot is progestin.

The birth control shot works similarly to the birth control pill. It prevents ovulation and increases the mucus buildup around the opening of the cervix.

According to Planned Parenthood, when you receive it as directed, the shot is 99 percent effective. To ensure optimal effectiveness, women should get the shot every three months as directed. If you have your shot on time without being late, there’s a 1 in 100 chance you’ll become pregnant during a given year.

For women who don’t take the shot exactly as prescribed — often called typical use — the efficiency rate slips to around 94 percent. Getting the injection every 12 weeks is vital to maintaining your protection against pregnancy.

The birth control shot, like birth control pills, doesn’t protect against STDs. You should still use a barrier method of protection to help prevent STDs.

After your last shot, you might not return to your regular fertility and be able to get pregnant for up to 10 months. If you’re only looking for a temporary birth control method and wish to get pregnant soon, the shot may not be right for you.

Both birth control pills and the Depo-Provera shot are very safe for most women to use. As with any medicine, these forms of birth control have effects on your body. Some of these are intended. However, some of these are unwanted side effects.

For birth control pills, side effects can include:

-   breakthrough bleeding, or bleeding during active pill days
-   breast tenderness
-   breast sensitivity
-   breast swelling
-   nausea
-   vomiting

Most of these side effects will ease within the first 2 to 3 months after you begin taking the pills.

LEARN MORE: BIRTH CONTROL AND WEIGHT GAIN »

The side effects of the birth control shot can include:

-   irregular periods, which are more common in the first 6 to 12 months after your first injection
-   increased spotting and breakthrough bleeding
-   a change in appetite
-   weight gain
-   a change in sexual drive and interest
-   nausea
-   tender, sore breasts
-   a headache
-   mood changes

There isn’t an easy fix for any side effects you may experience because of the shot. Once the medicine is in your body, it will remain there for three months. You may experience side effects during this time or until the shot wears off completely.

Both birth control pills and the birth control shot deliver increased doses of hormones to your body. Any time your hormones are purposefully altered, you can expect to experience some side effects or symptoms related to the shift.

The hormones in birth control pills are delivered gradually on a daily basis. The level of hormones in the pills isn’t very high. Doctors and researchers have worked for decades to find the lowest doses that are effective, as well as comfortable, for women. The Depo-Provera shot, however, delivers a high dose of hormones all at once. For that reason, you may experience greater side effects immediately following the shot.

Although birth control pills and the birth control shot are very safe for most women, doctors may not prescribe them to every woman who’s seeking a birth control plan.

You shouldn’t take birth control pills if you:

-   have an inherited blood clotting disorder or a history of blood clots
-   experience migraine headaches with aura
-   have a history of heart attack or a serious heart problem
-   smoke and are over the age of 35
-   have been diagnosed with lupus
-   have uncontrolled diabetes or have had the condition for more than 20 years

You shouldn’t use a birth control shot if you:

-   have or have had breast cancer
-   take aminoglutethimide, which is a prescription medication used to treat Cushing’s syndrome
-   have thinning of the bones or bone fragility

Pros of the pill

1.  Your side effects are less intense than with the shot.
2.  You can get pregnant soon after you stop taking it.

Cons of the pill

1.  You have to take it every day.
2.  With typical use, it’s slightly less effective than the shot.

[Healthline]

Pros of the shot

-   You only have to take it every three months.
-   With typical use, it’s slightly more effective than the pill.

Cons of the shot

-   Your side effects are more intense than with the pill.
-   It takes a while for you to be able to get pregnant after you stop receiving it.

[Healthline]

When you’re ready to make a decision about birth control, consult your doctor. Together, the two of you can weigh your options and rule out any forms of birth control that don’t suit your needs or your lifestyle. Then, you can focus your discussion on the options most appealing to you.

Here are some questions to consider:

-   Do you plan to have children? If you do, how soon?
-   Can you fit a daily pill into your schedule? Will you forget?
-   Is this method safe given your health profile and family history?
-   Are you looking for other benefits, such as fewer periods?
-   Will you be paying out of pocket, or is this covered by insurance?

You don’t have to make a choice right away. Gather as much information as you feel you need.

When you’re ready, tell your doctor what you think would be best. If they agree, you can get a prescription and begin using birth control right away. If you begin taking a form of birth control and decide it’s not for you, talk with your doctor. Let them know what you do and don’t like. That way, the two of you can look for an alternative that may be better suited to your needs.

WHICH BIRTH CONTROL IS RIGHT FOR YOU? »

question: Name two highly effective birth control options.

answer: Birth control pills and the birth control shot

question: What are birth control pills?

answer:
Birth control pills are a form of hormonal contraception women use to prevent pregnancy that is 99% effective when taken as directed. It prevents ovulation and increases the mucus buildup around the opening of the cervix.

These come as combination pills containing two types of hormones: progestin and estrogen taken on a three-week ON (active pills) and one week OFF (inactive pills) schedule. Progestin-only minipills packs usually contain 28 days of active pills.

question: What is a birth control shot?

answer: The birth control shot, Depo-Provera, is a hormonal injection that prevents unplanned pregnancy for three months at a time using the hormone progestin. It works similarly to the birth control pill and is 99% effective when used as directed.

question: Why are the side effects more intense in birth control shots compared to pills?

answer: The birth control shot has a higher dose of hormones administered all at once versus pills that release the hormones gradually.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: There are two highly effective options for birth control: birth control pills and the birth control shot. Both are 99% effective in preventing unplanned pregnancy when used as directed. Pills need to be taken daily at the same time, while the shot gives protection for three months. Both the pill and shot prevents ovulation and increases the mucus buildup around the opening of the cervix. There are two types of birth control pills: combination pills containing hormones progestin and estrogen, and progestin-only minipills. Both methods have side effects, but the side effects are higher in birth control shots due to having a large concentration of hormones in one shot.


text:
GEOMETRIC THEOREMS

DEFINITIONS

A Crop geometry is an unembellished diagram with rotational symmetry, which contains a theorem that can be proved by Euclidean logic and constructions, and generally leads to a pair or more of diatonic ratios.

A crop mandala is a pattern with rotational symmetry containing crop circle geometries which give diatonic ratios. Usually the mandala is embellished.

[]

For satellite and spaced circles, the diatonic ratio is large diameter divided by small diameter (_above_).

[]

For concentric circles, the diatonic ratio is area of outer circle divided by area of inner circle (_above_).

For ringed circles, the diatonic ratio is given by the circle at the "up" edge of the ring, measured outward from the center of the formation.

Return to Gerald Hawkins' Main Page

question: What is a crop?

answer: It's an unembellished diagram with rotational symmetry, which contains a theorem that can be proved by Euclidean logic and constructions, and generally leads to a pair or more of diatonic ratios.

question: What is a crop mandala?

answer: It's a pattern with rotational symmetry containing crop circle geometries which give diatonic ratios. Usually the mandala is embellished.

question: What is the diatonic ratio for concentric circles?

answer: It is the area of outer circle divided by area of inner circle.

question: What is the diatonic ratio for ringed circles?

answer: It s given by the circle at the "up" edge of the ring, measured outward from the center of the formation.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Gerald Hawkins' main page contains a link to this one, which explains crops, crop mandalas, and types of diatonic ratios.


text:
I never told this story to anyone.  Frankly, nobody would believe me.  I wouldn't believe me either.  I mean I'm in New York so people just automatically assume you're full of shit.  Hell, I'm on the internet so there's probably someone out there thinking the same thing.  But this happened....

I had a dog named Ares.  He wasn't the biggest dog but he was very protective of me.  He would always lie down in front of me when I played games or read a book.  I remember when I walked him, he would bark at approaching strangers.  Seriously, he would bark at any approaching stranger until I told him to calm down.  Granted, I didn't live in the nicest of neighborhoods so in hindsight I suppose some good may have come from it, but I digress.  Ares could be hostile but he was friendly I swear.  If I approved you and he got to know your scent, he would let you pet him and he would lick your hand.  He would even wake me up by licking my face.  Actually it was a bit annoying but I figured that's how he showed affection so I didn't mind much.

Anyway, I was 13 at the time.  I just started High School and I was getting picked on.  Let's just say that I was less than fit although that would be an understatement.  Hell, I was probably close to 200 lbs at 5'2.  That said, my hefty stature made me the target of bullying and frankly, there was nothing I could really do about it.  One of the bullies even lived pretty close to me so he would sometimes bother me until I got home, which was about a 15 minute walk from the train station.  You know the type, though, I'm sure; seems like the perfect gentlemen around adults but an ass otherwise.  I mean I could start working out and stuff but that would have taken quite a while.  That said, I did have some friends.

Well one day, two of my friends came over to my place and we started playing Halo.  Just a couple of guys hanging out, playing Halo, dicking around, trash talking each other and talking about random shit.   One of the things that came up was people bullying me.  One of my friends told me to just ignore it which I've been doing but the other one told me to sick Ares on them.  Well Ares just kind of looked at me, as if wondering why his name was said.  I told him not to worry and just pet him and that was the end of that.

So fast forward a little bit and it's winter.  New York winters suck.  Especially when there's snow.  Everything turns to slush.  This year, there was a fair amount of snow so everything was particularly gross.   Honestly I hate going outside when the out when it's like that but I had to walk Ares so I went out.  Apparently so did my bully.

I decided to pretend not to see him and turned to walk in the other direction.  The thing is, he saw me.  So he called out to me and when I didn't respond, he threw an ice ball at the back of my head.  I flinched.  Ares lost it.  He broke out of his leash and jumped at the guy.  The guy, he jetted across the street just as the lights turned.  Ares, he wasn't so lucky.  When he was halfway across the street, Ares got hit by a car and died shortly thereafter.  My bully?  He left the scene.  I suppose he ran back home but I'm not sure.  I just watched over Ares, crying as he died.

We buried Ares the next day in our back yard along with his favorite toys.  Now that I think about it, I have no idea if that's actually legal but whatever.  I wanted him there.  He would always be family to me.  I stayed home from school for the next few days to mourn.

Well when I went back, my bully he bothered me about it.  About how I was unfit to own a pet.  That Ares died because of my incompetence.  That was when I snapped.  I lunged at him and punched him the face.  Heh... that's what I wish I did.  I couldn't do anything about it.  The guy was bigger than me, stronger.  I... I was a coward.  Ares was dead and I could not do anything for him.  On some level, I guess I thought he was right.

Apparently, Ares thought differently.  My bully never made it home.  In one of the three blocks between home and the train station.  My bully was apparently mauled to death by what they said looked like some wild dog.   I didn't believe that shit.  That wasn't the greatest neighborhood but I don't remember seeing any wild dogs here and I lived there for most of my life.

That night, I sat on my bed and asked out loud if it was Ares.  There was no response.  I figured as much.  The supernatural seems totally faulty of course.  I went to sleep thinking about Ares.  That night, I dreamed a very vivid dream.  I was walking Ares again, my dear friend.  God I miss him.  It's a simple dream, just us walking down the usual routes.  I woke up that day with my face covered in what felt like dog slobber.

I think that was Ares' way of just acknowledging that it was him.  I have no proof.  But the other bullies stopped bullying me.  I have no idea why.  I just assumed that was because one of their group died.  Recently though, I found out from one of my friends, for some reason they started calling me the creepy dog guy.  I don't know.  But I love Ares.

title: My Dog Ares

question: Summarize the characteristics of Ares as stated in the text.

answer: Ares was a very protective dog. He wasn't a large dog and he would always bark at approaching strangers. According to the narrator, Ares could be hostile but he was friendly too. Ares also had a deep attachment to its owner. Because of this attachment, Ares supposedly mauled his owners bully to death after dying himself.

question: What are the effects of the narrator's bully?

answer: The most major effect of the narrator's bully is the death of the narrator's dog, Ares. Ares attacked the bully, only to be hit by a car in the middle of the fight and die. Additionally, because of this attachment, Ares was not done with the bully despite dying and is said to have mauled the bully to death (on a supernatural train of thought). Ares death broke the the narrator and caused him to be sad about his actions and question if he was unfit to take care of Ares.

question: Does it seem to provide the narrator relief to have gotten supernatural cues that Ares was the one who mauled his bully to death?


text:
High End Photography Equipment aka Gear

For the most part I’m the kind of guy that likes to believe in that silly notion that your gear doesn’t matter. Though there are always two sides to a coin and so there are times where gear does matter, but for the most part I still believe that in the end gear doesn’t matter. Sure you do need a camera (preferably with manual controls), a lens, a computer and some Photo Editing software goes a long way as well, but you don’t need to drop thousands of dollars on your gear to create compelling images.

You can create a photo with a lot of impact with a Canon Rebel with a kit lens and the bundled RAW converter, though a powerful editing program like Photoshop or Lightroom really does help. All you really need to do is learn how to fully utilize what you have and anyone can make a captivating photo with entry-Level equipment. Your gear will only help so much but practice helps even more. Also remember this is an opinion piece so take what you want out of this (assuming you’re crazy enough to read all this) as I’m just ranting here more or less.

“Most cameras and most lenses are better than most photographers”

[Compensating Much?]

Now for people that know me I know it seems odd for me to talk about why gear doesn’t really matter considering the amount of money I’ve spent on photography related gear. Though I blame the fact that I’m really just a gear/tech head cause I know I don’t need it I just want it. Guess it runs in the family since my brother is the same as well.

First lets talk about when and why gear does matter. There are times when that cheap kit lens or that little nifty fifty just isn’t going to cut it, even though quite frankly a simple 50mm F1.8 can do almost everything you need, but I
digress. Gear matters when you start to specialize, besides that all it does it make the act of taking a photo slightly easier. Let me give you a few examples.

Odds are you’ll need/want a fast super telephoto lens like a 600mm F4 if you really enjoy wildlife photography and you want to catch that elusive bird in flight that’s about to kill another animal while your camouflaged in your little hide a hundred meters away. Or when you want to really see what your neighbors are up to. Something you can’t do with a kit lens unless you get extremely close, which probably won’t happen unless you’re looking for a restraining order.

Shooting Architecture

[Need to keep those verticals straight!]

Another example is if you shoot architecture, odds are you’ll want/need a tilt shift lens or if you really want to go all out you can even use an old view camera which would work even better. You’ll want one just so you can shift the lens in order to get the verticals straight. That way the building doesn’t look like its about to fall over and crush everyone in the vicinity.

Though you can do this without an expensive tilt shift lens and just fix the verticals in post, but it’s not exactly the same. Though it’s not just for architecture photographers, Tilt Shift lenses are used a lot by commercial photographers as well.

Part of the reason why you never see a photo of a bottle of beer that looks like its leaning back about to fall over and shatter on the ground bringing a drunkards hopes and dreams with it. You can also use it to actually tilt the plane of focus, something you can’t do in post without a lot of work, at most you can do a cheap imitation by just blurring the sides of the Frame with a “Tilt Shift effect”, which is not the same thing as tilting the plane of focus even though people seem to think it’s the same.

Macro Photography

[All depends on how much you're willing to stare death in the face]

Or maybe you’re the kind of photographer who enjoys shooting very small objects; well then you’ll want a macro lens for that. Even more so if you shoot things like bugs/insects, you’ll need something like a 200mm F4 macro lens just so you can get more working Distance that way you won’t have to be an inch away from those little critters in order to get a 1:1 macro shot. So you’ll be far away enough not to disturb that jumping spider and still be able to get a full 1:1 macro shot of it. And more importantly far enough away that it won’t be able jump on you therefore stopping you from having a fear induced panic attack causing you to scream and flail around like a child.

Then again why photograph spiders if you’re scared of them? If you don’t mind getting an inch away from your subjects and the threat of them jumping right on your Face you can always just use extension tubes or even reversing your lens, hell you can even do both if you really wanted to.

[SONY DSC]Though most importantly you just happen to really like bokeh/shallow depth of field. And really there are only three ways of getting shallow depth of field; you can get a faster lens (like 2.8 or faster), a more telephoto lens, or a new camera with a larger sensor. Well most people probably can’t tell the Difference between the Depth of field from F1.4 to F2 or APS-C to full Frame.

Though I’m writing this article under the impression that you the reader owns either a mirrorless camera or a DSLR, which already have relatively large sensors. If you don’t own either and you happen to be reading this well either this is an amazingly interesting article or you’re quite bored. Odds are I’ll write another article later about the effects of depth of field and sensor Size; as that’s a whole different issue few people seem to really understand. Kind of like the issue people (like me…) have with the words your and you’re. Hey never said I was a spectacular writer did I?

Even though for the most part I feel that gear won’t make your photos any more compelling there are accessories that can help with that if you know how to use them. Mainly things likes Filters (circular polarizers and Neutral Density Filters) and off camera lighting. I don’t really touch on that in this article, since again that’s a whole different issue, plus this article is already bloody long as is and I rather not add more to it so we’ll just leave it at that.

Things like more megapixels, better autofocusing and better high ISO Performance, image stabilization, higher Frames per second, weather sealing, Sharpness, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, and the list goes on and on. Those are all things we as photographers like to dwell on when it comes to the tough decision of what to buy next. Almost as tough as deciding which child to sell in order to help finance it. I’m sure we’ve all see tests/reviews showing us two different shots between camera/lens A vs. camera/lens B zoomed in at 100% and sure one of the two will preform slightly better and what not.

Though you really have to ask yourself is that really worth X amount to you? And do you really have that much spare cash to throw around? If you do I’d be very surprised you read up to this, I feel as if I should reward you but hell you obviously have money and I don’t so buy yourself a treat.

[Instagram]You can create compelling photo with very litte. Take a look at Instagram for example, underneath the pile of bathroom mirror self-portraits and the “hey guess what I get to stuff my Face with” photos there are A LOT of striking photos. Best part they were taken on a simple iPhone (most of the times…), or whatever other smartphones support Instagram.

Now you may or may not agree with the current trend in camera phone photography but you have to admit there is some amazing stuff coming from it even if you have to wade in neck high piles of atrocious snapshots no one really cares about (kind of like this terribly long post!) to get to it.

So before you decide to tell that good natured
sales person who’s trying to help save you money
to shut up and take your money, just stop and
think about it for a second.

Do I really need this?

How is your current gear not capable of delivering the results you want? Then comes the hardest question to ask, is it really your gear that’s the problem or is it yourself? Like I said at the beginning, most cameras and most lenses are better then most photographers (just to be clear this easily applies to myself as well and I know it). So here’s a few questions to ask yourself if you want to determine if you actually need a new camera or just want one. Though in the end its up to you, I’m just trying to save you some cash here by being a voice of reason

-   WHAT DO YOU FIND MYSELF SHOOTING MOST OFTEN? Do your subjects tend to be static and barely move (like Landscapes, still life and most studio work) or do they quickly move across the frame and often go in and out of focus (action, sports, wildlife). If your passion requires a camera with better auto focusing only then I’d consider upgrading if not then you’re probably golden with what you have.
-   Is the amount of Noise you get from shooting at high ISO’s really unbearable? Do you actually shoot at those high ISO’s enough to warrant an upgrade? Is it because you just don’t like the fact there is noise or because you lose some detail? …All I can say is get over it cause you’ll always lose some detail no matter what, most cameras these days can shoot at ISO 1600-3200 just fine (my 5 year old a900 shots at that range just fine) especially if you just upload photos to the Web.
-   DO YOU OFTEN FIND YOURSELF SHOOTING IN LOW LIGHT, HANDHELD AND JUST RELY JUST ON AMBIENT? If you don’t do any of that well again no point in upgrading. If you do find yourself in these situations a lot and often have to bump up the ISO higher then you’re comfortable with (note what I mentioned above…) and just hate the Noise on your camera that much and want something cleaner then I can’t stop you.
-   IT HAS MORE MEGAPIXELS! Well… All I can say is do you even do any large prints or hell do you even do any high quality prints at all? If not more megapixels means absolutely nothing, in fact its a bigger expense since you’ll need a better computer to handle the larger file Sizes and more hard drive space to back it all up. Have you ever seen what a 36mp photo looks like on Facebook? Looks the exact same as a 6mp photo on Facebook, like crap!Mind you they got much better at it now but its definitely not showing off your new $3000+ investment in the best Light.
-   IT CAN DO 10 FPS! Again its one of those do you honestly need it questions? If you shoot Action, sports, or wildlife then maybe you do. If you’re on the other side of the heavily armed “professional” machine gun photographers then guess what you can probably live with a modest 3 FPS.
-   The camera has live view, it has a tilty-swivelly Screen, it can record in full 1080p at 30fps, and do a whole bunch of other video related stuff that I’m not to well informed about. Well this is a tough one, cause if you already know you don’t care much for video then you answer is simple! If you’re interested and I mean really interested in video work and your camera doesn’t have video then this might be your reason to upgrade, you just need to know if you actually have any genuine interest in doing any video work or not.Same with photography I’ve seen people who were interested in videography dump several thousands of dollars on a rig and only use it once and they used it for fun (just to play with their new rig) and that’s it. Turns out video work was a lot more work than they thought…
-   And the bunch of other fancy miscellaneous features this new camera offers… Like panorama or HDR mode and all that other nifty stuff. Well odds are if you read up to this point there is a good chance you’re somewhat adept in photography and you don’t really use any of these built in features/modes and if you do you just use them for fun so… Forget about it.

[Cameras]

Now which one of these will make my pictures look better?

Next are the lenses. How often do you look at your photos at 100%, odds are you’re the kind of person that just uploads their photos online on Facebook or whatever, Web sized photos definitely do not show off the superior quality of that $1000+ lens you justified buying. Unless you print large photos for galleries and exhibitions then MAYBE you might think its worth it to you to buy that optically superior lens, then again do your viewers, who are often not gear heads, really care? Most people can’t tell the Difference between $10 000 camera or a $1000 camera, people who can (like me!) need to stop looking at their photos at 100%, stop looking at reviews and start shooting more (and get a life). So here we go again, a couple things to think about before you drop your money on a new lens (though I do recommend almost everyone who starts off to get a cheap $100 50mm F1.8 lens).

So with these lenses I can be a professional photographer right?

-   IMAGE STABILIZATION! Its great for super telephoto lenses and great for video work as well. Though I have met people with some odd misconception of what it does, simply put it just makes your photos less susceptible to blurring due to camera shake that’s it. It does not let you freeze Action any better; it just makes it easier to handhold your camera at slower shutter speeds without introducing camera shake. So that blurry shot of that basketball player speeding down the court isn’t going to be any sharper with IS (though it does help with panning photos). Though odds are that immovable court will probably be nice and sharp and free of camera shake blur. So if you shoot in a studio, often use flashes, or good light or even shoot with a tripod and you don’t suffer from hand tremors odds are you don’t really need IS and you’re better off saving that money for that Lamborghini you’ve been dreaming of.
-   IT CAN OPEN UP TO F1.2! Well this is a two parter… Again a question of whether or not you really need/want it. Do you really shoot in low light that often that you need that extra 1/2 stop of Light compared to a F1.8?
-   AGAIN IT CAN OPEN UP TO F1.2! So not only does a fast lens let you shoot in lower Light but it also lets you get shallower Depth of field. Which in my opinion is much more important. Now if you love shallow depth of field like me that’s probably your main reason for wanting a fast lens, being able to shoot in lower Light is just a bonus. If shallow depth of field isn’t your thing and prefer to have everything sharp or in focus by shooting at something like F4-11 then you’re better off getting a cheaper, slower lens.
-   I need something wider/telephoto. _Do you really?_ Did you read what I wrote at the top? Now for wide-Angle lenses that can be a little different, the wide-angle look (the Perspective Distortion) of having your subject so close to you that you can reach out and just grab a hold of it really does generally require a wide Angle lens. Though if you really just want a wide angle lens to fit more of that Landscape then I have one word for you, panorama. Mind you this only works if you have a program that can put together panoramas and you don’t mind the extra time in post, also it works much better with digital rather than film!
-   The super silent and super fast USM/SWM/HSM and its many other names. Frankly unless you’re shooting something that will literally freak out and run away the moment it hears your lens focusing like a robber hearing a shotgun get cocked in the house they just broke into. Buying a lens just cause it has a USM in it is kind of silly. I’ve heard wedding photographers talk about how the silent focusing really helps during receptions, and I’m sure it does but the sound of that mirror slap is still loud enough to echo throughout that dead silent hall so I wouldn’t worry about having a standard motor driven lens if that’s a concern. Also again unless you shoot fast Action and need unbelievably fast focusing that 1/2sec longer it takes to focus without a USM driven lens won’t kill you.
-   But its so tack sharp across the whole frame, there is very little vignetting and chromatic aberrations you say? Something you’ll only notice if you look at your photos at 100% or if you get some large prints done. Most of that stuff like corner Sharpness is overrated. Hell most people add more vignetting to their photos to Draw the eyes away from those “soft, unsharp” corners since odds are your main subject isn’t at the very corners of the frame.Simple chromatic aberrations? That can be tamed in post if it really bothers you. Its not tack sharp you say? Well do you really care that you can’t see all that detail at 100% that you normally wouldn’t see even if you viewed it at say 25%/Web sized? People seem to forget just how low quality photos posted on the web really.
-   Then there’s the talk about the brand name, build quality, weather sealing and all that other jazz. Brand name may mean something to some people but third party lens companies like Tamron and Sigma do a pretty damn good job at creating good quality affordable lenses. To me comparing build quality is a little silly, a lens made of plastic instead of metal isn’t going to make your photos any better all it’ll do is weigh you down a little more and look and feel a little nicer.I’d rather take a lens made of plastic if it meant it would be lighter. But its weather sealed you say! I know people with weather sealed equipment yet they still rather not expose their gear to even the lightest rain. Any camera can hold up to the rain, snow and dust just fine. As long as you’re not the type of genius who thinks, “Hey this shot would look better with this lens” and switches lenses in a monsoon. Its only if you work in the extremes would I ever advise someone to get a weather sealed lens/camera. My non-weather sealed camera and lens has been in the drink twice now, it goes out in the rain and snow a lot as well and everything still works fine. So stop babying your gear cause odds are it can take it. Plus do you even ever bother to go out let alone shoot in conditions like that?

[So with these lenses I can be a professional photographer, right?]

So with these lenses I can be a professional photographer, right?

You know I can go on and on about why your generally better off going cheap especially if your not a working professional and just an enthusiast but odds are I’m not going to change your mind. Especially if you’re like me. By that I mean your a gear head and you’ll get all the new fancy toys not because you need it but simply because you want it and enjoy having a bunch of stuff to play with but in return no money. If I did somehow change your mind well great my job is done. Also congratulations to anyone that read the whole thing cause you know what, if I saw this wall of Text I probably wouldn’t hahaha.

One last thing, some more nonsensical rambling since I figure most people won’t make it down here. I wrote this article because during my years in photography school I met a lot of people that were not as well informed as I was when it came to things like this. A lot of people would ask for my opinion when it came to what they should buy next, almost every single time I would advise them to save their money and go cheap because I knew their Style and they didn’t need anymore then what I suggested (there was also a number of people that in the end let greed and the idea of having the best get the better of them… Their photos didn’t get any better with that new toy anyway). So more than half the time they never listen to me and in the end spent their money and got what they wanted in the first place. Though there were a few people who’s opinions I swayed, in the end I’d like to think they got everything they needed and best of all they got to save up for that Lamborghini they’ve always been dreaming of even if they did end up settling for a Toyoto Matrix…

The said Toyota Matrix (actually I lied they had it before all that)

[The said Toyota Matrix (actually I lied, they had it before all that)]

The said Toyota Matrix (actually I lied, they had it before all that)

question: What is the writer saying?

answer: That people should not waste their money on photography equipment unless they really need to use it -most people assume more expensive equipment will make them better photographers even if they have not studied what parts they actually need.

question: What equipment should be enough for entry level photographers?

answer: A camera on the same tier as a Canon Rebel, the default lens that it comes with, the RAW converter it has, and a good editing program. Purchasing better equipment becomes a concern for photographers who need the equipment for specialized use.

question: What are the types of specialized use that would require the need for better photography equipment?

answer: High zoom for very distant subjects, shooting architecture, wider or shallower depth of field, shooting in very low light environments, etc.

question: What does the writer advice to the readers regarding how to spend for camera equipment?

answer: The writer states that it is important to ask oneself whether an equipment is really needed before making a purchase. In addition to the specialized kinds of photography, features such as the taking more stills per second or having HD video recording features will only be worth getting if the buyer truly intends to pursue it.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Experienced photography enthusiast passionately says that people are mixing up the importance of skill versus technology in terms of producing great photos. He states that understanding how to use technology is better than just buying everything -and people should only buy the equipment that best suits their needs. There are cameras and lenses and mechanism that are best for shallow depth of fields, shooting architecture, capturing fast moving things (such as wildlife), photographing very distant subjects, and more.