text:
AVA is a feminine given name in the English and in other languages. Its recent popularity may be linked to a number of celebrity babies of the 1990s, who were ultimately named after American actress Ava Gardner (1922—1990).

Origin

The medieval name _Ava_ is an abbreviation of a Germanic name containing the first element _aw-_, of uncertain meaning. Old High German (8th to 9th centuries) dithematic feminine names with this element include _Avagisa, Avuldis, Awanpurc, Auwanildis_.[1]

Saint Ava was a 9th-century princess, daughter of Pepin II of Aquitaine. Ava was also the name of a medieval German woman poet. This name is the origin of the Norman French name of Aveline, which in turn gave rise to the English given name of Evelyn.

As evidence for the name is lacking between the later medieval and the modern period, the _Oxford Dictionary of First Names_ supposes that it was coined anew as a modern innovation, presumably as a variant of Eva,[2] or (like _Eva_) used as an anglicization of the Irish name Aoife.[3]

Āvā is also a feminine given name in the Persian language, meaning “voice, sound”.

In the Russian language, Ava () may be a diminutive form of either the female names Avelina,[4] Avenira,[5] Aventina,[6] Avgusta/Avgustina,[7] Aviafa,[8] Aviya (a form of Abijah),[9] Avreliya,[10] Avreya,[11] and Avrora (a form of Aurora),[12] or the male names Avdey,[13] Avel,[14] Avenir,[15] Aventin,[16] Avgust,[17] Avim,[18] Avram (a form of Abram),[19] Avrelian,[20] and Avrely.[21]

Modern use

[Ava Astor (portrait of Giovanni Boldini 1910s)] [Ava Alice Astor (photograph circa 1920)]

The name was popularized in the United States by socialite Ava Lowle Willing (1868–1958), who married John Jacob Astor IV, and their daughter, socialite and heiress Ava Alice Muriel Astor (1902–1956).

[Ava Gardner in the trailer to “My Forbidden Past” (1951)]

Ava Gardner (1922–1990) signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and gained Hollywood stardom with her performance in _The Killers_ (1946). She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses during the 1950s to 1970s and is the ultimate reason for the given name's continued popularity.[22]

Recent popularity

The name is increasingly popular in the United States, where it was the most popular name given to baby girls in several states in 2006 and the fourth most popular name nationwide in 2007, and in Canada, where it is among the 10 most popular given names for baby girls in several provinces.[23]

The name has been rising in popularity in the United States since the mid-1990s, but had its most dramatic jump in popularity in 1998, when it was the 350th most popular name for baby girls, jumping 268 places up the chart from 618th place in 1997.[24] In the year 2010 it was the fifth most popular baby girl name in the United States.[25] One factor in its increase in popularity in English-speaking countries may have been the naming of the daughters of actress Heather Locklear and musician Richie Sambora,[26] [27] in 1997, and of actors Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe in 1999.[28]

Phillippe said in a recent magazine interview that he and Witherspoon named their child after actress Ava Gardner.[29] It was the ninth most popular name for girls in Australia[30] and eighth in New Zealand[31] in 2013.

Notable people

-   Saint Ava, ninth century Roman Catholic saint
-   Ava (poet) (c.1060—1127), the first named female writer in any genre in the German language
-   Ava Lowle Willing (1868—1958), American socialite
-   Ava Alice Muriel Astor (1902—1956), American socialite, daughter of Ava Lowle Willing and John Jacob Astor IV
-   Ava Gardner (1922—1990), American actress
-   Ava Barber (born 1954) American country singer
-   Ava DuVernay (born 1972), American film director
-   Ava Ohlgren (born 1988), American collegiate swimmer

[1] Förstemann, _Altdeutsches Namenbuch_ (1847), 190 adduces OHG _awa_ “flowing water” and Gothic _awō_ “grandmother”

[2] .

[3] http://www.behindthename.com/php/search.php?nmd=n&terms=Ava

[4] Petrovsky, p. 33

[5] Petrovsky, p. 34

[6]

[7] Petrovsky, p. 32

[8]

[9] Petrovsky, p. 35

[10] Petrovsky, p. 36

[11]

[12]

[13] Superanskaya, p. 21

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23] Behind the Name

[24]

[25] http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/popularnames.cgi

[26] Satran, Pamela Redmond and Rosenkrantz, Linda. (2008) Cool Names for Babies, p. 71. St. Martin's Press.

[27]

[28] Satran, Pamela Redmond and Rosenkrantz, Linda (2007). The Baby Name Bible: The Ultimate Guide by America's Baby Naming Experts, pp. 27. St. Martin's Griffin.

[29] [http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_03-23-2008/In_Step_With...Ryan_Phillippe “In Step with Ryan Philippe”. _Parade Magazine_. 3-23-2008]

[30]

[31] http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Births-Deaths-and-Marriages-Most-Popular-Male-and-Female-First-Names?OpenDocument

title: Ava (given name)

question: Summarize everything relating to the United States.

answer: The name Ava gained popularity in the United States due to the socialite Ava Lowle Willing (1868-1958) and her daughter, Ava Alice Muriel Astor (1902-1956). The name's recent rise in popularity in the US can be traced to Old Hollywood Actress Ava Gardner, as there were a number of celebrity babies with that name in the 1990s. From 1997 to 2010, the name jumped from 618th place in popularity to the 5th most popular girls name in the United States. There were a number of notable American women with the name Ava.

question: Summarize everything relating to Ava Gardner.

answer: Ava Gardner was an American actress who was born in 1922 and died in 1990. Under MGM Studios, she gained Hollywood stardom with her performance in The Killers in 1946. She is the ultimate reason for the name Ava's recent popularity, possibly stemming from the number of celebrity babies with that name in the 1990s. Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe named their daughter after her in 1999.

question: What does the text say about Germany?

answer: The text mentions that Ava was a medieval name that was an abbreviation of a Germanic name with an element of _aw-. There were several Old High German dithematic names with this element. There was also a medieval German poet, Ava, who helps date the name between  (c.1060-1127).

question: What does the text say about the name Ava's popularity in 2020?


split: train

text:
CARLO SIMIONATO (born 1 July 1961 in Ravenna) is a retired Italian sprinter who specialised in the 100 and 200 metres.

He won seven medals at the International athletics competitions, all of these with national relays team.[1]

Biography

At the World Championships in Helsinki in 1983 he finished seventh in the 200 metres final and won a silver medal with the relay team. He also finished fourth in 4 × 100 m relay at the 1982 European Championships, and won a bronze medal in 200 m at the 1983 Mediterranean Games.

On the national level he was the Italian 200 metres champion in 1982 and 1985, as well as 100 metres champion in 1985.[2] He won the Italian indoor 200 metres in 1984.[3] His personal best 200 metres time was 20.53 seconds, achieved in August 1983 in Riccione.[4] His personal best 100 metres time was 10.34 seconds, achieved in July 1985 in Ravenna.[5]

Achievements

  Year                  Competition           Venue      Position          Event             Time    Notes
  --------------------- --------------------- ---------- ----------------- ----------------- ------- -------
  1983                  World Championships   Helsinki   2nd               4 × 100 m relay   38.37   []
  Mediterranean Games   Casablanca            1st        4 × 100 m relay   38.76             [6]
  3rd                   200 metres            20.63w     [7]
  European Cup          London                1st        4 × 100 m relay   38.86
  1985                  European Cup          Moscow     3rd               4 × 100 m relay   38.88
  1991                  Mediterranean Games   Athens     1st               4 × 100 m relay   39.12   [8]
  European Cup          Frankfurt             3rd        4 × 100 m relay   38.89

National titles

He has won 4 times the individual national championship.[9][10]

-   1 WIN in the 100 metres (1985)
-   2 WINS in the 200 metres (1982, 1985)
-   1 WIN in the 200 metres indoor (1984)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

title: Carlo Simionato

question: Summarize Carlo Simionato's entire athletic career.

answer: Carlo Simionato is a retired Italian sprinter. He specialized in the 100 and 200 meter runs. He won seven medals at International competitions with national relay teams. He was won the Italian national championship four different times. His personal best 100 meter time was 10.34 seconds in July 1985, and his personal best 200 meter time was 20.53 seconds in August 1983.

question: Summarize Carlo Simionato's Italian nation championship medals.

answer: Carlo Simionato has won the Italian national championships four different times. In 1982 he won the 200 meter run and in 1984 he won the 200 meter indoor run. In 1985 he won both the 100 meter and 200 meter runs.

question: Summarize Carlo Simionato's International championship medals.

answer: Carlo Simionato has won seven medals at International competitions with Italy's national relays team. In 1983 they got second place at the World Championships, first place at the Mediterranean Games, and first place at the European Cup. Carlo Simionato also got third place in the 200 meter run at the Mediterranean Games that year. The relay teams he was a part of also got third place at the 1985 European Cup, first place in the 1991 Mediterranean Games, and third place at the 1991 European Cup.


text:
1. Snow falls, lightly at first, with the utmost grace. The freezing, white flakes descending upon the ground like a ballet in white with each separate flake performing a dance more beautiful than the last. The ground is beckoning the chilly oppression as the white blanket falls on a dying soul calling for breath.
1. 	A single, solitary light is shining down upon the scene in the darkness. The flickering streetlight appears as the sight of God. It glances down, taking in a sight of unholy torment yet it knows it must watch for if it doesn’t then truly nothing will.
1. 	Under the light sits a being, scarcely human. It makes the sounds of a retching beast, while gnawing the life from the veins of its prey. All is silent, bar the sickening wretches of a beast and the fading gasps of mortality slipping away.
1. 	The pristine blanket of snow surrounding the monster and its victim is slowly being melted away by the spilling of blood. The flowing scarlet erases all sign of purity just as the vampire draws all innocence away from the man in its grasp. Slowly it consumes his essence and slowly its desire is sated by pain and torment.

title: The Vampyre of Time and Memories Pt. 1

question: When does the story take place?

answer: At night.

question: What does the scene depict?

answer: A vampire drinking the blood of its victim.

question: Why does the vampire perform his unholy act under a streetlight?

answer: It's not mentioned in the story.

question: What happens to the vampire's victim?

answer: The story implies that the victim dies.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Under the streetlight, the pristine snow is being melted as the blood spilled by the vampire from its victim flows, and the vampire sates its desires by pain and torment.


text:
LAUREL LUNT PRUSSING (born February 21, 1941) is a Democratic politician who has served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, the Mayor of Urbana, Illinois, and County Treasurer of Champaign County, Illinois.

Early career

After earning degrees from Wellesley College and Boston University Lunt-Prussing worked as a research economist at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign In 1972, she was elected to the Champaign County Board and in 1976 she was elected Champaign County Auditor. While Auditor, Prussing served as president of the Illinois Association of County Auditors and a member of two of the Illinois Comptroller's committees; the local government audit advisory committee and the committee on accounting, auditing and financial reporting. She is married to John Prussing and has three children.[1] She is the author of “Downstate County Government,” and advocated for Champaign County to adopt the position of county executive as per the Illinois County Executive Act of 1970.[2]

Illinois House of Representatives

In the 1990 redistricting, the 103rd district’s longtime incumbent, Helen F. Satterthwaite was drawn into a more conservative district that removed the University of Illinois' campus and replaced it with rural, staunchly Republican territory in Champaign, Ford, and Douglas counties.[3][4] Prussing chose to run in the new 103rd district which now consisted of northeastern Champaign County and southern Ford County.[5] Lunt was narrowly elected, defeating Republican candidate Gregory Cozad, an attorney and financial planner.[6] A Republican target in 1994, she was defeated by Champaign County board member Rick Winkel in an election that saw a record number of Republicans elected.[7]

Interim

In 1996 and 1998, Lunt Prussing ran for Congress in Illinois's 15th congressional district against Tom Ewing. She ran again in 2000, but lost to college professor Mike Kelleher. Kelleher went on to lose to State Representative Tim Johnson. In 2000, she endorsed the presidential campaign of Ralph Nader. In 2002, she lost the Democratic primary for the 103rd district, which now only included Champaign and Urbana, to former Champaign County Recorder of Deeds Naomi Jakobsson.[8][9]

Mayor of Urbana

In 2004, Prussing announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Mayor of Urbana against three term incumbent Tod Satterthwaite, the son of Helen F. Satterthwaite, her predecessor in the state house.[10] She won the municipal primary and ran unopposed in the 2005 municipal election.[11] She served as the first female mayor of Urbana.[12] She was re-elected in 2009 and 2013.[13] As Mayor, Prussing chaired the Tax Increment Financing Joint Review Board and the Mayor's Neighborhood Safety Task Force.[14] She was defeated in the 2017 primary by Alderwoman Diane Wolfe Marlin.[15]

Champaign County Treasurer

Lunt Prussing was elected County Treasurer of Champaign County in the 2018 general election. She resigned from the office effective January 31, 2020.[16]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

title: Laurel Lunt Prussing

question: Who is Laurel Lunt Prussing?

answer: She is a Democratic politician who has served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, the Mayor of Urbana, Illinois and County Treasure of Champaign County, Illinois.

question: What did Prussing advocate for Champaign County to do?

answer: Prussing advocated for Champaign County to adopt the position of county executive as per the Illinois County Executive Act of 1970.

question: What life event is Prussing noted for in Urbana?

answer: Prussing was the first female mayor of Urbana.

question: What career event did Lunt Prussing go through in the 2018 general election?

answer: Lunt Prussing was elected County Treasurer of Champaign County in the 2018 general election.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the life and political events of Lunt Prussing, a Democratic politician who was also the first female mayor of Urbana, Illinois.


text:
[dIVI-PD]

DIVI TRANSLATION refers to a dual stateless IPv4/IPv6 translation technique. dIVI is an extension of 1:1 stateless IPv4/IPv6 translation (IVI Translation) with features of IPv4 address sharing and dual translation. dIVI-PD is a further extension of dIVI to be well used in Wireline (Fiber, DSL, Cable) and Wireless (3G/4G) access environment, where the prefix delegation (/64 or shorter) is preferred. dIVI-PD is now standardized as MAP-T [1] in the IETF.

dIVI Translation is intended to benefit the network operators (ISPs) to effectively share the public IPv4 addresses among a set of customers (since IANA has run out of public IPv4 addresses). In parallel, it leverages IPv6 in the network in a manner that makes IPv4-customer originated traffic looks like native IPv6 traffic in the network, resulting in simplified operations. More importantly, (unlike CGN44, DS-Lite, CGN64 etc.) dIVI/dIVI-PD does not require any Stateful NAT, DNS64 and ALG in the network, thereby benefiting the network operator to not deal with any NAT logging etc. dIVI maintains end-to-end address transparency and bidirectional-initiated communications.

How it works

Stateless NAT464 building blocks

-   Address translation defined in RFC6052[2] is a stateless mapping scheme, which embeds IPv4 address in network specific IPv6 prefix and forms IPv4-converted and IPv4-translatable addresses. The IPv4-converted IPv6 addresses are the IPv6 addresses used to represent IPv4 nodes in an IPv6 network. The IPv4-translatable IPv6 addresses are the IPv6 addresses assigned to IPv6 nodes for use with stateless translation.
-   Suffix extension enables multiple IPv6 nodes sharing a single public IPv4 address, with each node managing a different range of ports. This is achieved by defining suffix of the address format RFC6052.[3][4]
-   Header translation and ICMP translation defined in RFC6145 [5] are algorithms to perform header translation between IPv4 and IPv6, as well as between ICMP and ICMPv6.
-   Dual stateless translation can restore original IPv4 address. The advantage of stateless NAT464 is that the DNS translation DNS64 and application layer gateway ALG are not needed.[6]
-   Prefix extension is only applied to dIVI-PD. It constructs different delegated prefixes for each CPE.[7]

Case study

-   Considerations for Stateless Translation (IVI/dIVI) in Large SP Network[8]

IETF

-   Stateless Translation techniques have been gaining traction at the IETF as well as production networks. IVI is now an IETF informational RFC, where dIVI is being actively discussed. Many operators have recently submitted a motivation document to push the IETF to standardize Stateless 4v6 techniques such as dIVI.

Stateless 4via6 being advantageous

-   Stateless 4Via6 Address Sharing[9] demystifies the upsides with any Statelss 4v6 techniques.
-   It is worth pointing out that dIVI/dIVI-PD, unlike CGN44, DS-Lite, CGN64 etc., does not require any Stateful NAT, DNS64 and ALG in the network, thereby benefiting the network operator to not deal with any NAT logging etc.

Relation to IVI Translation

-   Due to the stateless nature, the dual stateless translation can easily become single stateless translation by removing the second translator, see IVI Translation.

[1] http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-softwire-map-t

[2]  IPv6 Addressing of IPv4/IPv6 Translators

[3]

[4] draft-bcx-address-fmt-extension Extended IPv6 Addressing for Encoding Port Range (https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-bcx-address-fmt-extension/)

[5]  IP/ICMP Translation Algorithm

[6] draft-xli-behave-divi dIVI: Dual-Stateless IPv4/IPv6 Translation (https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-xli-behave-divi/)

[7] draft-xli-behave-divi-pd dIVI-pd: Dual-Stateless IPv4/IPv6 Translation with Prefix Delegation (https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-xli-behave-divi-pd/)

[8] draft-sunq-v6ops-ivi-sp Considerations for Stateless Translation (IVI/dIVI) in Large SP Network (https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-sunq-v6ops-ivi-sp/)

[9] draft-dec-stateless-4v6 Stateless 4Via6 Address Sharing (https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-dec-stateless-4v6/)

title: DIVI Translation

question: What is DIVI Translation?

answer: A dual stateless IPv4/IPv6 translation technique.

question: How does DIVI Translation work?

answer:
How it works

Stateless NAT464 building blocks

-   Address translation defined in RFC6052[2] is a stateless mapping scheme, which embeds IPv4 address in network specific IPv6 prefix and forms IPv4-converted and IPv4-translatable addresses. The IPv4-converted IPv6 addresses are the IPv6 addresses used to represent IPv4 nodes in an IPv6 network. The IPv4-translatable IPv6 addresses are the IPv6 addresses assigned to IPv6 nodes for use with stateless translation.
-   Suffix extension enables multiple IPv6 nodes sharing a single public IPv4 address, with each node managing a different range of ports. This is achieved by defining suffix of the address format RFC6052.[3][4]
-   Header translation and ICMP translation defined in RFC6145 [5] are algorithms to perform header translation between IPv4 and IPv6, as well as between ICMP and ICMPv6.
-   Dual stateless translation can restore original IPv4 address. The advantage of stateless NAT464 is that the DNS translation DNS64 and application layer gateway ALG are not needed.[6]
-   Prefix extension is only applied to dIVI-PD. It constructs different delegated prefixes for each CPE.[7]

question: What added feature do the stateless blocks offer?

answer: Dual stateless translation can easily be turned back into single stateless translation, simply by removing the second translator.

question: What does dIVI not require?

answer: Any Stateful NAT, DNS64 and ALG in the network.


text:
NEW Sony PSP replacement LCD screen rubber dust seal, necessary when replacing the LCD screen.

Stock Status: In Stock

GTIN: 5060244862081

MPN: PSP

Brand: Sony

Weight: 0.06kg

You will earn 1 points which is the equivalent of £0.03

[Replacement Sony PSP LCD Screen Rubber Dust Seal]

Description

NEW SONY PSP LCD SCREEN REPLACEMENT RUBBER DUST SEAL

-   Fits all models of PSP-1000, 2000 and 3000 series consoles
-   Easy installation, self adhesive rubber seal
-   Fast Dispatch - On order payments received daily before 4.00pm, item will be despatched the same day.

Reviews

Write a customer review and share your thoughts with other customers.

Be the first to review this product.

Other products which may be of interest

question: What part is important when replacing the LCD screen of a Sony PSP?

answer: The LCD screen rubber dust seal.

question: What might happen if the LCD screen of a Sony PSP is replaced without installing the rubber dust seal?

answer: Presumably, dust and other particles may enter the device through the sides of the LCD screen.


text:
SAMUEL KAHOLOʻOKALANI PUA[1] (October 27, 1867 – August 1, 1932) was a Native Hawaiian politician, newspaper editor, lawyer and sheriff of Hawaii. He served as a legislator during the last years of the Kingdom of Hawaii and worked as an assistant editor for the anti-annexationist newspaper _Ke Ahailono o Hawaii_ (translated as _The Hawaiian Herald_) ran by members of Hui Kālaiʻāina (Hawaiian Political Association), after the overthrow of the monarchy. After the annexation, he became a sheriff during the Territory of Hawaii.

Early life

Samuel Kaholoʻokalani Pua was born, in Honolulu, on October 27, 1867, the eldest son of David William Pua (1836–1896) and Mary Nahakuelua Pua (1832–1922).[2][3] His father, the namesake for Pua Lane in Honolulu, was a member of the House of Nobles on the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was educated at the Royal School in Honolulu.[4]

Political career

In the election of 1892, Sam Pua ran as candidate for the newly created National Liberal party, for a seat in the House of Representatives of the Legislature for the fifth Ward of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. He defeated Independent candidate S. Paaluhi, National Reformer J. Kahoonei and Native Sons of Hawaii candidate William Charles Achi for this seat in the House of Representatives.[5][6] The Liberal party advocated for a constitutional convention to draft a new constitution to replace the unpopular Bayonet Constitution. However, the party was divided between radicals and more conciliatory groups.[7] His father David William Pua also served on the same legislature in the House of Nobles.[8]

From May 28, 1892 to January 14, 1893, the legislature of the Kingdom convened for an unprecedented 171 days, which later historian Albertine Loomis dubbed the “Longest Legislature”.[9] This session was characterized by a series of resolutions of want of confidence ousting a number of Queen Liliʻuokalani's appointed cabinet ministers and debates over the passage of the controversial lottery and opium bills. The conflict with the queen's cabinet was rooted in another contention over the retention of Marshal Charles Burnett Wilson, a favorite of the queen, referred to as “King Bolabola” by his opponents. The part-Tahitian officer was extremely unpopular with the legislators especially the Liberals since many party members including Robert William Wilcox were arrested by Marshal Wilson for conspiracy before the opening of the assembly in May. Since Marshal Wilson was under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General, one of the four minister forming the cabinet, the Liberal legislators were keen on voting out any cabinets which continued to condone him while the queen insisted on retaining him. On August 30, 1892, Representative Pua submitted a resolution for the removal of Marshal Wilson by the ministry led by Hermann A. Widemann. The preamble of the resolution read:

  Whereas, the present Marshal of the Kingdom, C. B. Wilson, has allowed gambling, opium dealing and other forms of law-breaking to flourish unchecked, and the Police Department under his administration has shown more disposition to affiliate with criminals than to enforce the laws of this Kingdom..and whereas, the said Marshal is commonly reported to exercise a pernicious, illegitimate and occult influence at the Court of Her Majesty the Queen, which tends to bring Her Majesty's Government into contempt and disrepute.

The failure of the Widemann cabinet to fulfill the expectations of the legislature (one of them being the removal of Wilson) led to their removal in September becoming the first of four cabinets to be ousted during the session. Marshal Wilson was not removed by any of the subsequent cabinets.

Following the proroguing of the legislature and the unsuccessful attempts of the queen to promulgate a new constitution, the monarchy was overthrow on January 17, 1893. After a brief transition under the Provisional Government, the oligarchical Republic of Hawaii was established on July 4, 1894. During this period, the de facto government, which was composed largely of residents of American and European ancestry, sought to annex the islands to the United States against the wish of the Native Hawaiians who wanted to remain an independent nation and for the monarchy to continue.[10] Pua and his father actively protest against the new de facto government. His father was a member of Hui Aloha ʻĀina (Hawaiian Patriotic League).[11][12]

During the 1895 Counter-revolution in Hawaii, Pua helped transport weapons to the Royalists and commanded a squad of men during the fighting. The rebellion led by Robert William Wilcox was aimed at overthrowing the Republic and reinstating the queen. Pua was arrested on January 11 along with many other Royalists and during the trial, he was described as “the long-hair rebel” because his hair was kept uncut during his imprisonment.[13] He was sentenced to five years in prison and to pay $5000 in fine, although President Sanford B. Dole would issue full pardons for all the rebels in 1896.[14]

Editor of _Ke Ahailono o Hawaii_

In 1897, Pua became the assistant editor of _Ke Ahailono o Hawaii_ (translated as _The Hawaiian Herald_), a Hawaiian language newspaper founded by Hui Kālaiʻāina. The Hui Kālaiʻāina (Hawaiian Political Association) was a Hawaiian patriotic group founded after 1887 to oppose the Bayonet Constitution and later switched its political agenda toward opposing annexation to the United States and restoring Liliʻuokalani. The main editor was William Pūnohu White who had been the leading National Liberal of the legislature in 1892–1893.[15]

The paper was published at Honolulu's Makaainana Printing House, owned by Francisco Jose Testta, and the first weekly issue was published on June 4, 1897. At its conception, the English newspaper _The Independent_ noted that “The New venture under the control of Messrs. White and Pua, should indeed be a White Flower of journalism, although the genial 'Sam' could change the euphony by adding another terminal vowel to his.”[16][17] In July 1897, he was gored in the thigh by a billy goat at Waikiki and severely injured by the incident. He would resign as assistant editor on October of the same year.[18] The newspapers ended publications on October 29.

Personal and later life

Hawaii was annexed by the United States in 1898 and the Territory of Hawaii was established afterward. From 1898 to 1905, Pua worked in farming and ranching at Parker Ranch on the island of Hawaii. He started studying law and was admitted to district courts of Hawaii. In 1903, he was elected the county clerk for West Hawaii County, created during the second Territorial legislature. He served for only fourteen days until the County Act was declared unconstitutional. From 1903 to 1905, he practiced law in Kona. He was elected county clerk of Hawaii County in 1908 and became the sheriff of Hawaii County stationed at Hilo.[19] He served as sheriff for twenty-one years. After a long illness, he died on August 1, 1932.[20][21] He was buried at the Homelani Memorial Park in Hilo.[22]

He married Adelaide K. Wiltse on December 25, 1889, who died in 1919. They had one child Ruby K. Pua. After his wife's death, he remarried to Elizabeth K. Waiolama, on February 14, 1920.[23]

[1]

[2] ;

[3] ;

[4]

[5] ; ; ;

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10] ;

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14] ;

[15]

[16] ; ; ;

[17]

[18] ;

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

title: Samuel K. Pua

question: When was Samuel K. Pua born?

answer: 27 October 1867.

question: When did Samuel K. Pua die?

answer: August 1, 1932.

question: What was Samuel K. Pua's middle name?

answer: Kaholo'okalani.

question: What newspaper did Samuel K. Pua work at?

answer: Ke Ahailono o Hawaii.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about Samuel K. Pua, a native Hawaiian politician of the 19th century.


text:
[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]

Magic! It’s what films are all about. Just think about how often the word crops up in cinematic conversation. Visual effects are “movie magic”. People still talk about the “magic of Hollywood”. There’s even a well-known VFX company with the word “magic” in its name.

Portraying magic on the screen requires considerable ingenuity. As a filmmaker, how exactly _do_ you visualise this eldritch and elusive force? Do you stir up a witch’s brew of pyrotechnics and black powder? Do you unleash your best fire and fluid sims?

Or do you forget the light show and focus instead on the way wizardry affects the physical world? Perhaps you abandon visual effects altogether and rely wholly on crafty cinematic techniques to imbue a scene with the appropriate sense of otherworldly wonder.

Ask a hundred people to name their favourite magical effect, and you’ll get a hundred different answers. Here are a few of mine.

FANTASIA – MICKEY WAKES THE BROOMS

[Fantasia - Mickey's broom comes to life]In the third segment of the classic Walt Disney animated feature _Fantasia_, Mickey Mouse plays the part of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Early in the sequence, his mystical master conjures fantastical images from a glowing skull. In order to communicate its supernatural properties, Disney animators added a pulsating yellow aura around the sorcerer’s hat. When Mickey borrows the hat, similar lighting effects appear round the household brooms he brings to life.

The “magical glow” is such a familiar conceit that it’s easy to underestimate the significance of this early example. Yet I believe _Fantasia_ is the template on which almost all subsequent movies have based their many and varied visualisations of wizardry. How so? Because _Fantasia_ was one of the first films to make a fundamental connection between _magic_ and _light_.

It’s a connection we now take entirely for granted. It’s also an entirely logical choice. Cinema _is_ light – quite literally. What better way to represent magic on screen than to manipulate the glow of the projector in extraordinary ways?

MARY POPPINS – “A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR”

[Mary Poppins - "A Spoonful of Sugar"]Still with Disney, here’s a sequence that contradicts everything I’ve just said. You all know it: it’s the jaunty musical number during which Mary’s magic helps Jane and Michael Banks tidy up their nursery.

During the song, clothes fold themselves into drawers, beds make themselves and the scattered contents of a doll’s house fly back into their proper place … all without a single flash of light or zap of electricity.

Rejecting the “magical glow”, this sequence relies instead on that other cinematic staple: the manipulation of time. This is very much a filmmaker’s solution, exploiting as it does the mechanical principles behind the movie camera in order to alter real-world physics. In short, it achieves most of its effects through reverse action photography (nimbly assisted by a variety of wires and hidden rigs courtesy of the special effects department).

Most modern audiences will know more or less how the tricks were done (as I suspect did many viewers of the time). Yet the tricks still work. Sure, they’re just funhouse illusions, but I’d argue it’s their very simplicity that keeps them both charming and fresh.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING – “YOU SHALL NOT PASS”

[The Fellowship of the Ring - "You Shall Not Pass"]There’s plenty of magic in Peter Jackson’s _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy. But, just as in Tolkien’s novel, much of it is implied rather than overtly stated. In this respect, the films bear as much resemblance to _Mary Poppins_ as they do to _Fantasia_.

If you think I’m crazy comparing Gandalf to a prim English nanny, consider the scene in _The Fellowship of the Ring_ where he and Saruman come to blows. The two wizards slug it out in a kind of telekinetic fist-fight, with nary an energy beam in sight.

However, the scene that really sells Jackson’s approach to magic is the confrontation between Gandalf and the Balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. To deflect the giant beast’s blow, Gandalf creates a shining spherical force field. Yet the glow is subtle enough to make you wonder if it’s the magic itself that you’re seeing, or just its effect on the surrounding atmosphere. The same goes for the flashes of light that accompany the wizard’s sword strokes. Magical force or just superheated air? You tell me.

I like this knife-edge approach. Magic should be a slippery thing, hard to see, even harder to grasp. Something you glimpse out of the corner of your eye … and then question whether you ever saw it at all.

HARRY POTTER

[Final showdown between Harry Potter and Voldemort]If it’s pyrotechnics you’re after, look no further than the _Harry Potter_ series. In film after film, wizards wield their wands both in battle and in play, generating a bewildering array of energy streams, plasma balls, electrical discharges – you name it. This is magic writ large enough to fill the widest widescreen … and to bring the biggest render farm to a grinding halt.

Subtle it ain’t, but the magic of _Harry Potter_ undoubtedly delivers the sort of visceral thrills only clever conjury can muster. And, like the magic of Mickey Mouse, it’s all done using the primary element from which all movies are made: light.

These are my choices. What are yours? Should magic explode like a fireworks show on the Fourth of July? Or should it creep beneath the surface, working its charms not on your eyes but on your mind?

Is magic light or dark? You decide.

_Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows photograph copyright © 2011 by Warner Bros. Pictures. All rights reserved._

question: Who is the audience for this article?

answer: People who are interested in visual effects in films.

question: What kind of films are mentioned?

answer: They all use different visual effects / techniques to depict magic onscreen.

question: What is the attitude / tone taken by the author?

answer: The author is appreciative of the techniques used to depict magic and enjoys the films they cite as examples.

question: What kind of site is this article for?

answer: Probably a film-centric website, one that is more casual / informal

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Different cinematic techniques and visual effects have been used to depict magic in films. Examples of films that use different techniques include Fantasia, Mary Poppins, The Fellowship of The Ring, and Harry Potter.


text:
I can talk but nobody can hear me. Wait, I feel it important for you to know I have a hard time paying attention. Since I arrived here I've become agitated and angry,  but it's not like nobody cares, a very pretty woman has taken care of me the whole time. She is not always nice though.

She puts me in a cold, cold place and tries to drown me, it is odd though because of the manner in which she tries to do it. It's almost as if she 'isn't' trying to drown me with how gentle she does it. This happens every morning and sometimes it seems she doesn't want to do it, at times I think she even hates it.

The second I wake up she straps me to a chair and forces me to eat things, mostly it's gooey things that slide down my throat. I like the crunchy stuff, I've become quite fond of it, I would eat it every day if she would let me. The things I eat before I go to sleep are my favorite though, not only do they taste good, but I have a friend that visits me around this time.

He takes me to the other place, it's bright and noisy, and if it were not for the amazing things in the other place I'd be perfectly content with staying in my sleeping place forever. There are huge places with fantastic creatures that move around really quickly, but I'd suggest never getting in these things way. One time my friend got in one of these creatures way and it yelled very loud, so loud it hurt my ears and terrified me so much that I started to cry.

The other place is not all scary parts, my friend took me to a place with much smaller creatures and other people there. The creatures there made me jealous that the other people were looking at them, too, I wanted them to myself! I told my friend this, but he got mad and took me back to the place I sleep. I try all the time to tell my friend that the lady there tries to drown me, but I think he is friends with the woman as well.

I guess the worst part of the other place is the man with glasses, I did not mind the man with glasses up until a week ago. He would poke me with things and sometimes I thought it was funny. The past few times I have been there though, he straps me to a table and does horrible things to my back. Even though I can't see behind myself I know that he is stabbing me. I try to fight it but when I do and the straps start to loosen he calls in one of his friends to hold me down.
The day before yesterday, the man and woman took me there and made me sleep, I didn't want to go to sleep but the man with glasses pinched me so hard that I passed out. When I woke up something felt different, I could breathe a lot easier, but I felt my neck and there was a hole in it. I freaked out and started hitting things but his friends pinched me again and I passed out once more.

When I woke up this time, I decided not to make a scene,  the hole in my neck had a tube going through. At this point I feel helpless, no matter how many times I tell people things they do not listen, it don't matter how much pain I am in or if I desperately need something. Everyday I am horrified at what other people put me through but it's like I told you, no one can hear me.  So I'll just ride my creature and make the best of what I have got, hopefully someday someone will hear me.

title: A Creature Of My Own

question: How does the narrator describe how he is feeling when he has arrived at the place of description?

answer: Angry and agitated

question: What can you make of the situation that the narrator is in?

answer: The narrator seems to have ben abducted and is going through torture and abuse.

question: Why does the man not like the man with the glasses?

answer: The man with the glasses straps the narrator to a table and does horrible things to the narrator's back and has his friends pin the narrator down as well.

question: What does the narrator's friend do?

answer: The narrator's friend takes the narrator to another place that is bright and noisy and has fantastic creatures.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator describes being drowned everyday by a woman. The narrator then describes how a friend visits him around eating time and brings him to a bright and noisy place where creatures are around. The narrator continues to describe how a man with glasses does terrible things to his back. The narrator concludes by saying no one listens to how much pain they are in or how badly they need something, and decides to just make the best of the situation and hope one day someone will hear them.


text:
STRESS FACTOR 9 was a Canadian thrash metal band from Vancouver, formed in 2005. SF9's members include frontman Randy Rampage (founder of the hardcore band D.O.A., and singer of thrash metal band Annihilator.) and drummer Ray Hartmann (also of Annihilator.)[1] with guitarist Kick (Vertical After), and their most recent lineup included Frank Frightful (of Singapore punk legends Opposition Party), and Duane Chaos (22nd Century).

The band has one CD (_Brainwarp Mindspin_) and last played in January 2007. They have not performed since the last ill-fated tour to Philadelphia which left Frank Fright, Duane Chaos and Kick stranded in the middle of the winter when Randy Rampage and Ray Hartmann were refused entry into the United States. The band ended up cancelling six shows immediately including several sold out shows with Overkill in Virginia. Since that tour, the band has not played publicly as Kick pursued a career in USA political organizing.

History

Randy Rampage and Ray Hartmann first worked together on Canadian thrash metal band Annihilator's million selling debut _Alice in Hell_ album, which received critical acclaim and that band toured extensively, especially Europe. Randy split acrimoniously from that band, and Ray left two albums later. The two rejoined Annihilator ten years later for 1999's _Criteria for a Black Widow_, but again Randy split, and one album later, Ray did as well.

In 2005, Guitarist and songwriter Kick of the indie band Vertical After formed Stress Factor 9 with Rampage and Hartmann, for a style meshing thrash metal with more of the punk simplicity and attitude that suited Rampage's roots with D.O.A.. The band was formed and recorded demos with bassist Stuart Carruthers of Grip Inc. (Dave Lombardo from Slayer's band), and Ash Blue from the earliest lineup of Strapping Young Lad.[2] To complete the full-length album and live concert tours that would follow, Stuart and Ash would be replaced with former Vertical After bassist Markus McCallum (who had just finished work with Gene Hoglan's band Mechanism), and on guitar Singapore punk music star Frank Frightful.

The CD _Brainwarp Mindspin_ was produced by Shaun Thingvold (Fear Factory, Strapping Young Lad, Lamb of God, Bif Naked) and recorded at Greenhouse Studios, where Nickelback recorded several hit albums. Lyricist Big John Bates and guitarist Anthony Greenham, both involved in the Annihilator's _Alice in Hell_ album, contributed to the SF9 album. The CD was distributed by Century Media in the USA, and their partner CM Distro in Europe.

After some North American tour dates, the band joined Armored Saint for European tour shows.

Discography

2006: _Brainwarp Mindspin_

[1]

[2]

title: Stress Factor 9

question: What is Stress Factor 9?

answer: Stress Factor 9 was a Canadian thrash metal band from Vancouver, formed in 2005.

question: List the names of all Stress Factor 9 band members.

answer:
Randy Rampage
Ray Hartmann
Kick
Frank Frightful
Duane Chaos

question: What is the title of Stress Factor 9's lone album?

answer: Brainwarp Mindspin

question: What band was Randy Rampage belong to before starting Stress Factor 9?

answer: Annihilator

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Stress Factor 9 (SF9) was a Canadian thrash metal band from Vancouver formed in 2005 by former members of the band Annihilator, Randy Rampage and Ray Hartmann. SF9's lone album was Brainwarp Mindspin. Other members of the band are Kick, Duane Chaos, and Frank Frightful. SF9 last played in January 2007.


text:
Now that the comic is complete, at least, unless we get more funds on Patreon or ko-fi lol, realized I had yet to post the actual cover here in its full awesome glory! All the main characters of all 4 chapters! Great work by the artist, Malxuhox, who also drew Chapter 2! ^^

www.wickedsuitproductions.com/

Frontier-0 follows a zany team of bounty hunters along the edge of space as they just try to make a dishonest living. That is, all while surviving the competition, space pirates, an anti-alien government & giant talking bugs! This comic serves as a prequel to our animated series on YouTube, with each chapter exploring a different character and their origins!

- Please help us make more of this comic by donating to our Patreon or ko-fi. All info is listed there at:

www.patreon.com/wickedsuitproductions

ko-fi.com/wickedsuitproductions

- Watch Episode 1 of Frontier-0 on YouTube at:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D38tleSiKpw&t=159s

- Copyright © 2017 Wicked Suits Productions

#scifi #science_fiction #Fantasy #bounty_hunter #space_opera #manga #romance #comedy #frontier_zero #space

question: Why does the author say "unless we get more funds on Patreon"?

answer: They said that the comic is complete unless they get more funds. They are asking for more donations.

question: Describe the comic the author mentions.

answer: It seems that the comic is called Frontier-0, which follows a team of bounty hunters along the edge of space as they try to make a dishonest living. The comic serves as a prequel to the author's animated series on YouTube.

question: Who is surviving the competition, space pirates, an anti-alien government and giant talking bugs?

answer: Bounty hunters that are seemingly characters in the comic Frontier-0

question: Who drew Chapter 2?

answer: An artist who goes by the name of Malxuhox

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The author of this document mentions and describes the completion of their comic Frontier-0. They say that the comic is only complete if they don't get more funding.


text:
It wasn't beautiful. It was impressive, efficient and immense. But not beautiful. I looked out at the array of spaceships, moving in predetermined flight plans, weaving in and out of the buildings. I saw the careful positioning on the buildings to maximize the view and spoil others. Self lit brightly coloured advertisements littered the skies, diving in front of ships to garner any attention. The whole city was astronomical in size and miniscule in precision, an organism which has spread with cancerous intentions.
I have been unable to sleep recently. I stay up most nights watching the city. It is in a constant state of flux, but somehow staying the exact same.
I've stopped watching the news, I just take the averages now. A princess has died somewhere in Scandinavia or one has died, it’s almost the same story with no consequences either way. Religion has become stagnant, absolute tolerance has been the downfall of extremism and almost all protests are taken into account and given equal weight. All bullshit of course, the machines are running the show now. The nun can pray all she likes for the food she receives but it was grown in a lab beneath the city months ago as a result of progress, not Jesus.

There are things you can take to sleep now but I’ve been avoiding them thus far. Its not that I don't trust them, I do, its that it breeds complacency. That’s the future for humans, being complacent. My work is supervision of robots as is everyone’s. My salary is immaterial. All apartments are government owned as with any merchandise. Work now is just vanity, nothing is left to chance and any decisions are based on the past. Everything is tolerated but at the same time nothing is. There are thousands of groups you can join and hundreds of forums (government run) where you can post any opinion you want. But where is the true value of free speech when there is no contention? The joy of sleep comes from the reality of tiredness. Which is where I am. The reality. I want to die, but there is a 89% chance i'll be caught before I can commit it. Then you get put on suicide watch and its almost impossible to die if they are watching you. Its not recognised to have privacy complaints against machines. They are contextually aware but not sentient and as such, privacy and shame are entirely foriegn concepts to them. They have no sense of self and are neither happy nor sad. They don't lust, covet or panic either. Cold, silver and uninteresting.
My despondency has risen my heart rate and face recognition has noted my demeanour, my bracelet alerts me to this by briefly flashing a cool blue. Two flashes in quick succession and I am automatically brought in for evaluation. I have to remain calm. It is entirely up to you if you go in, however you won't be allowed into any contact with others unless you are deemed mentally fit. It’s a security system which has ensured no one has died from a killing or suicide since the system has been in place. Natural deaths still occur of course, but they keep you alive for so long it is often indistinguishable from life when you finally die.
The bracelet flashes again. I don't have much time.
I slowly walk over to the kitchen, and take a knife from the drawer. Automatic prompts are asking me if I want food. I ignore them and plunge the knife into my leg, slicing the femoral artery and creating an injury that will cause swift death. I immediately collapse and blood pumps freely through the gash, covering the pristine surfaces in wet, warm blood. Alarms are squealing overhead, but I am captivated by the disorder. The machines seem at the loss, they try vainly to clean, help or make noise but it’s too late. They are covered in my blood and seem to take on a trait which is distinctly human, panic. For all the pain and loss I am glad this is how I will die.
The gesture is foolish, unplanned and insignificant. But dying on my terms seems beautiful.

title: Very short story(700) (sci-fi ish), would love any feedback!

question: What does the story say about suicide?

answer: The narrator wants to die, however there's a high chance they'll be caught before they commit suicide. If the narrator is caught, they will be placed on suicide watch which will then be impossible to die. There is a security system in place that prevents people from killing and committing suicide. However, the narrator is able to grab a knife, ignore the prompts and slice their femoral artery. The narrator feels foolish but dying on their own terms, brings them satisfaction.


text:
**Red Ribbon**

   Each blink is more difficult and it takes me just a bit more effort to open my eyes than it did the last time. The cold of my bathtub is comforting. I lean back, take a deep breath and slowly exhale. My mind hasn't stopped racing, showing me images from my childhood, from my adolescence, from high school, from college.

   At four years old, I ran away from a camping trip to try to catch up to my parents on a hiking trail. I didn't know which direction they had gone, so I just followed the river. Ten minutes later, I was still alone and it started to sink in. No one is going to take care of me but myself. “#%!^, that's a scary thought. How will I be able to eat? I don't know how to do anything...” I wandered for what felt like forever, never straying from the security of the path I was on. Ah, the path.

   I snapped back to the present. That path. Nearly thirty years later and I realized I was jealous of that path. It had a direction, it knew where it was going. The only surprises on that path came from off the trail. Was this the right way to live my life? Is this how I would find happiness? Should I become a singularly focused individual, striving only for one goal, ignoring anything outside of that? This path is more soulful than I would have imagined a dirt road could be.

   I blink again. My eyelids feel sticky. I'm in my kitchen and I'm nine years old. Our kitchen is being remodeled and the floor is missing. I can see the dirt, spiderwebs, the century of unuse under the house. There is no rot, there is no termite damage, there is no foundation. Our house sits directly on the dirt hillside, raised up just enough to allow air to flow underneath. The house feels sturdy but there is nothing holding it in place, it could slide down the hill at any moment. Who cares? What does this mean?

   The hole in the floor of the kitchen is all I can think about when I open my eyes again. This house has lasted for more than 100 years. All without any sort of foundation, in earthquake country. It has been shaken and beaten more then I ever could be. It refuses to collapse but instead welcomes new people and wraps them in its love. This house is like a grandmother nearing senility; a shaky foundation, but a strong outward presence. A welcoming hug every time you enter through the front door. Is this how I should live? Wandering the earth, rootless, searching for a place to make a stand and show my love for my fellow man? I tried that in college, it didn't work. Free love and no foundation made me completely insecure. At any moment I could be cast aside and would have nothing to fall back on.

   My eyes lose focus as I follow the wall down from the ceiling to the bathtub, finally coming to rest on the floor of the bathtub. The rouge river winds down hands to my knees and finally pools at my heels until there is enough to continue its one-way journey. The thin thread heads straight into the darkness at the end of the tub, where it drips nosily into the drain.

   I blink twice. The second blink takes me away again. It's my Sophomore year of high school and I'm in love for the first time. Her name was Carrie, she was blonde with blue eyes. She was the co-captain of the JV Cheer squad and she always smelled like a freshly picked peony. We went on our first date together when I asked her to the Winter Formal. When I picked her up, I had to sit through “the talk” from her father while I waited for her to put her finishing touches on. After the dance, we went to an after party thrown by one of the Seniors. I didn't drink at all (it was part of “the talk”) but she did and by the time I got her back to her house, the alcohol was in full effect. We made out for half an hour. That 30 minutes was all it took, I knew I was in love. Our relationship lasted for the rest of the year but it didn't make it past the Summer she spent working on her uncle's ranch in Wyoming. I got two reasons out of her, and I've never known which one was more true. She said, “You're just too....nice” and “Cowboys.” My soul crushed, I spent the next two months sad and pitiful. First love, first loss, first time the nice guy finished dead last.

   My eyelids are heavy, but I open them and sigh. I'm back in the bathtub. I'm not an adolescent any more. I sigh again, this time in relief. The bathtub isn't so cold anymore, it has stolen my body heat giving only white porcelain in return. I brush my hand against the side of the tub, leaving irregular streaks as I move my fingers and paint with my essence. I see bits of Van Gogh and Cezanne in the chaotic crimson my fingers trail behind. I shut my eyes and am transported to my friends dorm in college. Jill is seated on her bed with Starry Night peaking at me over her right shoulder. There are two other friends in here, but I can't see their faces or remember their names. We have been discussing which super power we would want to have and why for the last three hours. I have held to my contention that being able to stop time would make one unstoppable while heavily debating flight and superspeed. We finally stop debating at 2am and I go home to sleep. In the morning, I hear from friends in the dorms near Jill. They are all asking me what I was talking about last night, apparently they could hear my laugh from the next dorm over. I tell them. They laugh more. I feel ashamed that my laugh has made me recognizable from hundreds of feet away. I am embarrassed by our conversation. I make a mental note, which I will immediately forget, to tone down my laugh.

   As I open my eyes from this memory, I realize the truth. I have spent most of my life running from my emotions. They crippled me time and again. My brain doesn't see it that way however, it relishes the emotions, the differences, the change, the unique. The problem is that I don't. My brain is pleading with me in the only way it knows how. It is pleading for me to reverse this process. It is imploring me to lift myself up, to stand up again. It has shown me the memories that were most important to me. I finally relent and lift my heavy hands, attached to heavy arms, to the edge of the tub. I set my feet flat against the floor of the tub, toes pushing against the side so I don't slip in the pooled and partially coagulated blood. I see my phone, it is across the room. It is now my only chance for survival. I strain my muscles to stand.

My eyes close.

title: Red Ribbon [1200 words] (first post here, feedback welcome, please comment)

question: Did the narrator find his parents when he ran away to look for them on that hiking trail?

answer: Information not found

question: How old is the house?

answer: over 100 years old

question: Why is the narrator having flashbacks?

answer: He is in the last moments before his deaths

question: What's the name of the narrator's first love?

answer: Carrie

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator kills himself and in the moments before his death, he has flashbacks with some of his most important memories. He wants to save himself but dies trying to get to his phone.


text:
image copyrightGetty Images

image captionMalware in messaging apps has been stealing data from activists, lawyers and military personnel

A SECURITY BUG THAT HAS INFECTED THOUSANDS OF SMARTPHONES HAS BEEN UNCOVERED BY CAMPAIGN GROUP THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION (EFF).

Working with mobile security firm Lookout, researchers discovered that malware in fake messaging designed to look like WhatsApp and Signal had stolen gigabytes of data.

Targets included military personnel, activists, journalists and lawyers.

Researchers say they traced the malware to a Lebanese government building.

The threat, dubbed Dark Caracal by the researchers, looks as if it could come from a nation state and appears to use shared infrastructure linked to other nation-state hackers,the report said.

The malware takes advantage of known exploits and targets mainly Android phones.

Data was traced back to a server in a building belonging to the Lebanese General Security Directorate in Beirut, according to researchers.

"Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the GDGS is associated with or directly supporting the actors behind Dark Caracal," the report said.

Mobile threat

"People in the US, Canada, Germany, Lebanon, and France have been hit by Dark Caracal. Targets include military personnel, activists, journalists, and lawyers, and the types of stolen data range from call records and audio recordings to documents and photos," said EFF director of cybersecurity Eva Galperin.

"This is a very large, global campaign, focused on mobile devices. Mobile is the future of spying, because phones are full of so much data about a person's day-to-day life."

Mike Murray, vice-president of security intelligence at Lookout said: "Dark Caracal is part of a trend we've seen mounting over the past year whereby traditional advanced persistent threat actors are moving toward using mobile as a primary target platform."

Online mercenaries

In a statement published on the Lookout blog, Google said it was confident that the infected apps were not downloaded from its Play Store.

"Google has identified the apps associated with this actor, none of the apps were on the Google Play Store. Google Play Protect has been updated to protect user devices from these apps and is in the process of removing them from all affected devices."

The researchers believe Dark Caracal has been operating since 2012 but it has been hard to track because of the diversity of seemingly unrelated espionage campaigns originating from the same domain names.

Over the years Dark Caracal's work has been repeatedly misattributed to other cybercrime groups, the researchers said.

In November, Afghanistan moved to ban WhatsApp and Telegram as a way to stop insurgent groups from using encrypted messaging. And in December, Iran moved to restrict use of the apps after a series of anti-establishment protests.

Use of an app that can steal data would give nation states much more information than simply banning them, said Prof Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity expert at the University of Surrey.

"It is always hard to prove that a nation state is involved. During the Cold War, countries made use of mercenaries and that's what we are seeing online now."

He said it was unclear where the infected apps had been downloaded from.

"Google is saying that they were not downloaded from there but it is difficult to know where else they came from. It may be that people are getting suckered into something that looks like an official site. People need to be careful what they are downloading."

-   Cyber-security
-   Lebanon
-   Apps

-   -

question: What is Dark Caracal?

answer: Dark Caracal is a campaign that places malware on certain phones. This malware has stolen gigabytes of data.

question: What is Lebanon's involvement?

answer: The investigation uncovered that the data that was stolen can be tracked to the Lebanese General Security Directorate in Beirut. It is likely that Lebanon is associated with or directly supports the actors behind Dark Caracal.

question: Where will the future of espionage by based?

answer: Mobile is the future of espionage, because phones are full of so much data about a person's life.

question: What is the purpose of the Dark Caracal campaign?

answer: The Dark Caracal steals information from the Android devices of military personnel, activists, journalists and lawyers. The information stolen range from call records and audio recordings to documents and photos.

question: Which platform was used to download the infected apps?

answer: This is an uncertainty that is still being investigated. Google claimed that their Google Play Store was not used to download the infected apps.

question: Is it advantageous for nation states to ban apps that can steal data?

answer: No, apps that can steal data would give nation states much more information than simply banning them.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The Dark Caracal steals information from the Android devices of military personnel, activists, journalists and lawyers. The information stolen range from call records and audio recordings to documents and photos. This malware has stolen gigabytes of data. The data that was stolen can be tracked to the Lebanese General Security Directorate in Beirut.


text:
BOHDANIVKA () is a village in the Yahotyn Raion in the east of Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine.
Local government is administered by Bohdanivska village council.[1] It comprises villages Bohdanivka and Koptevychivka.

Geography

The village is located at the junction of three regions of Ukraine – Kyiv Oblast, Poltava Oblast and Cherkasy Oblast on the altitude of above sea level. It is located at a distance of from the highway in European route E40 connecting Kyiv with Kharkiv. Distance from the regional center Kyiv is , from the district center Yahotyn, and from Kharkiv.

History

Bogdanovka village was founded in 1730 [2]

Famous people

-   Kateryna Vasylivna Bilokur – a Ukrainian folk artist, the People's Artist of Ukraine.[3]

[1]

[2] Село Богданівка (Київська обл., Яготинський р-н): карта вулиць

[3]

title: Bohdanivka, Yahotyn Raion

question: Where is Bohdanivka located?

answer: In the Yahotyn Raion in the east of Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine.

question: What is the population of Bohdanivka?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: When was Bohdanivka founded?

answer: 1730

question: Describe the government of Bohdanivka.

answer: Bohdanivka is governed by the Bohdanivska village council.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Bohdanivka is a village in the Yahotyn Raion in the east of Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It was founded in 1730 and is governed by the Bohdanivska village council.


text:
I couldn't tell you which woke me up first. The sunshine through my eyelids, or the uncomfortably cold cement floor I was laying on. My mouth felt as if the spit had been sucked dry a week ago. My ears were ringing something awful. My head is absolutely pounding with every movement. Water. I need water. I've never been more hungover in my entire life...

Hungover? I don't even remember drinking! Did you black out so hard that you forgot everything? Oh my god, you absolute idiot.... You're not wearing any pants. Why does this always happen to me?

Fuck. How am I going to get out of here without any pants on. Wait a minute, where the hell am I? I was sitting near a dark corner of a gigantic room. This appears to be an abandoned warehouse. The sunlight was just making it's way through the broken window panes near the roof, illuminating the discarded debaucheries within. The room smelled of putrid filth. Crushed cans of beer and energy drinks, scents of bodily fluids, deflated balloons, "party favors"... There must have been a gigantic rave here last night. There's no denying that. Yeah, of course there was you moron, you were there. And It was awesome.

Wait a second, how DID I get here? I think there was a truck? The girl! There was this really attractive girl with a bob-cut hairstyle behind the wheel! Yeah!!! I remember now!

She was driving like a maniac when she spotted me. Flying across i84W at speeds well exceeding the limit. The cops already knew who she was. In their eyes she was an untouchable hellion. The funny thing is, the cops couldn't even pull her over. She later told me: As a supposed high ranking member of the French resistance underground, her father had paid off the Waterbury police commissioner back in the 90's through some convoluted extortion scheme. All her troubles with Johnny Q Law were over. The best part about that was, for her anyway - no more speeding tickets.

Against the posted warnings, and my own better judgment, I was hitchhiking around exit 15. After three hours of trying, I had given up all hope of ever getting a ride. I had even made a sign that said "Won't Kill You" on it. I tried to make eye contact with every driver who passed, but it was getting dark, and I couldn't see their faces anymore.

After about 20 minutes walking with my thumb out, I heard a roar that could only be an 8 cylinder gas guzzling behemoth. As the sound drew nearer, I turned to see an enormous, lifted, mud covered truck slam on its brakes. The side view mirror came to a complete stop inches from my face.

The filthy door swung open and hit me in the chest. I had to step up onto the truck to see the driver. Man, was I surprised. Not only was the driver deadly attractive, but she was glaring at me down the sights of a handgun she was pointing directly at my forehead. The way she cradled that pistol, I could tell this wasn't her first time.

"GET. IN. THE. FUCKING. TRUCK." Was all she said. Just like that.

The crazy look in her eye told me she wasn't kidding about pulling that trigger. My hesitations made her nostrils flare. I slowly opened the door, and sat down in the passenger seat.

"Shut the door" said a voice from the back. I turned to look and immediately heard at least four female voices scream in almost perfect unison: "TURN THE FUCK AROUND!!!". So I did.

It's hard to think when a 40 caliber Baretta 92fs is staring you in the face. The driver didn't say another word, just glared. Wide eyed and crazy.

Someone from the backseat cleared their throat.
"I'll take over from here" she said.

Abruptly, the driver mashed down the gas pedal. The open passenger door slammed shut as the tires gained traction with the road. The driver yanked the wheel back onto the highway almost side swiping a car next to us.

The only thing I felt, aside from that icy stare, was the cold barrel of another firearm pressed against my neck from the backseat. A well manicured hand appeared from behind me. I noticed the French tips as I took what was being offered. It was a water bottle filled with god knows what... It was clear and warm like tap water, but I was pretty damn sure it wasn't just tap water.

"Drink this" said a woman from the back.

"What's in it?" I asked timidly.

BOOOOOOOOM!!!!

My heart almost exploded into my lap as the maniac behind the wheel shot a hole through the roof. My ears are still ringing. Even though I'm not a religious person, I looked upwards in hopes of finding god in that moment. The only holy thing I saw was an assortment of bullet holes in the roof. Oh shit. They must do this all the time. They know exactly what they're doing.... I'm a deadman. I already know it.

The bottle is then shoved back into my hands. I can barely hear what is being yelled at me over my newly found tinnitus. Through the gun smoke, I could read her pink lips.
"DRINK IT"

Godless and alone, I had no choice. A tear rolled down my cheek as I closed my eyes and swallowed the bitter liquid.

-BACK TO THE WAREHOUSE-

As bad as that all sounds, the night went in a completely opposite direction. After I drank the "water", the girls exploded into laughter and quelled my fears of death. They explained that they were chemistry experts experimenting with mind altering drugs. They take advantage of vagrants like me to test their concoctions.

The weird thing is, I'm not mad at the girls at all. Even though they forced drugs on me, my night turned out much better than what I was planning on doing - which was nothing. Actually, last night was the best night of my life. Even though my memory gets spotty after the kidnapping, we all ended up having a fantastic time. I wonder what happened to them. Did I get her number??? Shit, it's probably in my pants.

If I remember correctly, over the course of the night, the driver and I started getting close. Turns out she's not a cold hearted sociopath like I originally thought. Although I'm not entirely sure about her questionable morals or the streak of evil she possesses. Deep down, she's a sweet girl. I think I even kissed her.

The girls had a large portion of the illegal narcotics production market cornered. They were "A-Listers" at all kinds of crazy underground parties. You should have seen this warehouse when it was in full swing. It was like the entire room peaked at the same time. The moment was quite beautiful actually.

Just look at this place now. A discarded garbage heap. The nasty remains of that epic occurrence are now strewn across the floor. They'll need a fire hose and a bulldozer to pick up all this trash.

So here I am, standing at the very end of a momentous event I'll never completely remember, and I'm not even wearing pants. Great. Just great.

As I was about to curse the girls for leaving me stranded, a monstrous VROOOOMMMM vibrated through the cavernous room. I look towards the source of the sound to see sunlight breaking through the edges of an exit door. I open the door just enough to stick my head out and look around.

VROOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!

I must be having visions. There is a gigantic mud covered, lifted, V8 beast clearing It's throat in the abandoned parking lot. A smile came across my face. My worries about not wearing pants vanish as I cooly exit the building and step up to the truck. Before I can get there, the passenger door opens, and the same stunning woman is sitting behind the wheel. I can hardly believe my own bloodshot eyes.

"Where you headed?" I ask her.

She gives me a familiar look as if we were old friends who haven't seen each other in years. She pauses for a second, letting me absorb that sweet smile. In a tone I was almost longing to hear she said
 "Get In the fucking truck"

Without question or hesitation this time, I did.

title: "GET. IN. THE. FUCKING. TRUCK."

question: Where does the narrator wake up?

answer: In an abandoned warehouse without any pants.

question: How did the narrator get to the warehouse?

answer: We learn through a series of flashbacks that he was kidnapped by a group of women who perform chemistry experiments and forced to try illegal drugs.

question: What happened in the warehouse?

answer: A giant rave.

question: What happens at the end of the story?

answer: The women return in their truck and pick the main character up.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The story is about a man who wakes up in an abandoned warehouse after a rave, wondering where he was. He remembers being kidnapped by chemist women in a truck and forced to take drugs. Then those same women return and pick him up.


text:
[Title Pending]

The chilled winds of November blew the hardest they had all year. Simple contact of bare skin would leave you with goosebumps. But she didn't care. She was sixteen and she was independent. What better of a place to be for an independent teenage girl than the bus stop at midnight? Lucy was the average teenager, despite her claims of uniqueness. Her hair was multiple shades of multiple colors, and her jeans were ripped because that was “the style”.

Her mother didn't care where she was. Lucy always came back by the morning. Why would tonight be different? And thus her routine remained the same as always. Bed by eleven, phone off, and doors unlocked for Lucy. She would never know until morning.

The TANK was taking too long. And Lucy was getting stressed. Four, she had four cigarettes left. She'd have to get more in the morning.  After two drags she was calming down, but still no bus in sight. Lucy suspected some cripple was slowing it down.

Another drag, but her thoughts were not on her cigarette. It was on the noise coming from the bush beside her. It almost sounded as if something where moving in there. Adrenaline was already flowing throughout her. Another drag to calm herself, but the tobacco caused the opposite effect. Then it stopped. No more noise at all. No more wind, no more sound from anything besides herself.

“What's a young thing like you doing out on a night like this? And don't you know that tobacco kills? Stupid girl.” She hadn't expected him; he stood at least a foot above her. And he had startled her. Lucy was out of words, and her adrenaline wasn't helping. So she took a drag.

“It's like you didn't hear me at all. I said they kill!” He was shouting now. Then he advanced toward her in one smooth stride. She threw the only thing she had at him, her cigarette. He caught it as if he had expected her to throw it. As he clenched his fist Lucy could see the cigarette go out in his skin. But he showed no pain toward the burning ash in his palm. He simply tossed it aside into the bush.

“Now that wasn't too hard was it Lucy?” He had said her name. The bus still hadn't come. Lucy had one plan, run. As she turned she collided with another figure. She never saw his face, and she never let out a scream.

title: [Title Pending]

question: What was the motive behind the possible assault on Lucy?

answer: Lucy was probably assaulted because she was a sixteen-year-old teenage girl, all alone at the bus stop at midnight. She was wearing ripped jeans and smoking a cigarette, sending off a message that she's independent and no one is expecting her home anytime soon. There was no bus or any witnesses, and the perpetrators made her out as an easy target no one would be looking for until morning.

question: Was the assault on Lucy a random act?

answer: Probably not, because one of the perpetrators knew Lucy by name.


text:
The GMC AC 454 is a truck model that the GMC manufactured from 1940 on.

Technical data and history

The GMC AC 454 is a military truck build by the General Motors Company in the USA. It was used in World War II. The truck has a bridge construction. It has an onboard voltage of 12 volts. In the Swiss army the GMC AC 454 received the designation Lastw. Gl 3.5T 4x2 (off-road truck with 3.5t payload). The Swiss army used about 90 of these trucks. In 1971 a few GMC AC 454 were rebuilt by Pius Lang from the “Military-Motorfahrer-Gesellschaft des Kantons Zug” with Wood gas generator. The Wood gas generators were mounted on civilian trucks during the Second World War. Such a rebuilt GMC AC 454 is now located in the Zuger Depot Technikgeschichte (Zug depot of technical history).

Pictures

File:GMC AC 454 seite.jpg|GMC AC 454 – Side File:GMC AC 454 holzvergaser.jpg|GMC AC 454 – wood gas installation File:GMC AC 454 holzvergaser detail.jpg|GMC AC 454 – wood gas installation, Detail

title: GMC AC 454

question: What is the GMC AC 454?

answer: a military truck model that the GMC manufactured from 1940 on

question: What is the onboard voltage of the GMC AC 454?

answer: 12 volts

question: What are notable uses of the GMC AC 454?

answer: The GMC AC 454 was used in World War One.

question: Where was the GMC AC 454 manufactured?

answer: the US

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The GMC AC 454 is a military truck model that the GMC manufactured from 1940 on.


text:
The development of feudal society in the region of Rus' took a different course to that in Western Europe. In particular, under the version of manorialism practised in Rus', knights granted land by a prince were not bound in allegiance to that prince; and instead of serfdom much of the land was worked by a partially free peasant class (_smerd_). In consequence, there was no strong central monarchy able to resist invasions by the Poles, Norsemen, Tatars and Mongols. A strong central power emerged only later, particularly under Ivan III of Russia, which defeated the invaders, unified the territory of Rus', and laid claim to large areas of land.

Origins of Russian/Muscovite manorialism

At the end of the first millennium AD, Europe was experiencing the full effects of the order and advances in social structure begun during the early Middle Ages; however, the structure and development(s) characterising medieval European society were not found beyond the Carpathian Mountains, and the region of Rus' remained as a disordered regionalist “state”. The early development of feudal society in the absence of a strong central government helped the European states overcome the harshness experienced in the Dark Ages by enabling the creation of strong governments.

In Western Europe, a manorial (economic)/feudal (political) system was created, culminating in the full development of feudal society spreading across Europe and to England; a society which divided land, top to bottom, from the monarch to his immediate trustee or vassal, to the peasant or serf, who worked the fiefs in tribute, in return for protection from invaders. This symbiotic system created the first central governments throughout Christendom since the fall of Rome.

The history of Eastern Europe, Rus' in particular, was different. Due to the expansion of trade and its geographical proximity, Kiev became the most important trade center of Kievan Rus' and chief among the communes; therefore the leader of Kiev gained political “control” over the surrounding areas. This princedom emerged from a coalition of nuclear families banded together in an effort to increase the available workforce and expand the productivity of the land. This union developed the first major cities in Rus' and was the first notable form of self-government. As these communes became larger, the emphasis was taken off the family holdings and placed on the territory that surrounded them. This shift in ideology became known as the _verv'_.

The change in political structure led to the inevitable development of the peasant class or _smerds_. _Smerds_ were free peasants who found work by laboring for wages on the manors which began to develop around 1031 as the _verv'_ began to dominate socio-political structure. _Smerds_ were initially given equality in the Kievan law code, being theoretically equal to the prince, so they enjoyed as much freedom as can be expected of manual laborers. However, in the 13th century they began to slowly lose their rights and became less equal in the eyes of the law.

Contrasts between European feudalism and Kievan manorialism

The major difference between the Kievan manorial system and European feudalism consists in the fact that lands granted by a prince to a knight held no obligation; that is to say if the knight wished to leave the service of the prince, who usually expected loyalty, he was able to do so with no obligation whatsoever and was also able to retain possession of the granted land. Therefore, the political structure created by Western European feudalism was not transferred to the Rus' by its manorial system. Rather, the manorial system was more of an economic control.

The manor owners in Rus' usually relied on direct production from their land and chose not to rent it out, which proved a stark contrast to feudal Europe in which by the High Middle Ages most of its land was claimed by monarchs, who in turn parceled it to vassals who rented the land to serfs. Even though it became increasingly common for one knight to have landholdings in several different princedoms, due to the use of direct production, the land of the Rus' was still largely in the hands of the peasants during the 12th century.

By 1100 it started to become more apparent that the _smerds_ were considered lower than their totally independent counterparts in Europe (free traders); however, it is important to note the _smerds_ still had much more freedom than the growing peon/serf class of Europe. Even though this indentured class grew greatly in numbers, the economy of Kievan Russia blossomed until 1125, the year of the death of Prince Vladimir Monomakh.

Through its history, the Kievan coalition inherited a tradition of lateral succession to the princedom; that is to say, that when a prince died, he was replaced by his brother, then he by the next brother, etc. with this repeating until the last brother was reached and then succession transferred back to the elder prince's son. Unfortunately for the Kievians, when Vladimir died, there was no clear line of succession and political infighting ensued; the resulting anarchy and civil war made trade difficult and invasion inevitable.

Politically, the structure of the Kievan Federation left the people without the tools necessary to ward off invaders and prosecute a winnable war. The aristocracy had no real power to deal with foreign states and there was no seat of true power as was found in feudal Europe. The Kievan Federation lacked the land-grant vassal—lord system which made England and France strong. In those two states, the king granted land to his loyal knights in return for cooperation, loyalty and tax revenue. The knight, or vassal, would then parcel the land out to renters or serfs, in order to bring in wealth. The king offered protection to the knight by control of an army to ward off invaders and the knight afforded safety to the serfs by local protection.

The Kievan federation, however, took the path of the German Empire and still contained characteristics of city-state independence; the individual family communes still thought of themselves as independent entities. In Europe as often happened, independent states often banded together and formed a strong central power in efforts to achieve a common goal, such as defense. Unfortunately for the people of Rus' they found themselves with no strong government, no clear successor, and no foreseeable way to ward off the invasions of its enemies. It would not take long for sorties in the north and west by the Norse and Poles to begin the weakening of the Kievan state to a point where the Tatars were able to conquer the country unopposed.

Tatar invasions

[ Tatars invade (Chronicon Pictum)] 1237 marked the beginning of a period of decline for the Rus', as both a culture and as a people. The first through Fourth Crusade, which effectively halted trade with the Byzantine Empire and cut off the Middle Eastern trade routes, began the decline of Kievan importance. The Mongol invasion of 1237 also helped mark the passing of free Kievian society. The Tatars sacked Kiev and all major towns; their practice of total destruction led to the dismemberment of the Kievian princedom and an end to Russian society as their people knew it. With the annihilation of Kiev and every city west of it all the way into Central Europe, Russian trade with the west and south was curtailed. With the destruction of its trade base and its trade routes curtailed, Kiev's role as an important seat of power ended. The people found it necessary to move to the northeast where they found a new home in the princedoms of the upper Volga River and Oka River.

As the invading Mongols ravaged the countryside, entire populations were wiped out. The peasant and serf classes were nearly destroyed en totalium; the continuation of the historical family commune social structure was broken and proved ineffective for large-scale governmental control. Most of the minor princedoms were destroyed. Most cities in the Rus' were razed and the population found it necessary to flee to the northeast in hopes of escaped the wrath of the Golden Horde.

As the Golden Horde expanded across Asia, the Khanate found it necessary to incorporate different governing aspects of the peoples it conquered; from these, much was taken from the Chinese. Their philosophy on autocratic dual government was carried from the Tatar state all the way to Muscovite Rus'. The ruling Khanate injected the Mongol governing ideology into the Rus', formed its princes to this mold and exacted control on the society as dictated by their synthesized theorem of government and established dominance over the Rus' political structure.

The Mongols realized the importance of cultural assimilation and local government. Mongols borrowed the political and cultural ideas from the societies they conquered. The Qipchaq idea of dual government, a principle of dual civil-military administration used to affect control over a large area, was initially developed by the Han Chinese. Han civil code, with the synthesis of Islamic iqtā, a system of decentralized cavalry control (power dispersion), proved to be an effective way of governing the Mongols' empire. After the death of Genghis Khan it was obvious the succeeding khans needed to implement effective government control over their subjects; the importance of local government, run by the natives, became evident.

By the early 14th century, the Prince of Moscow was seen as one of the chief princes of the Rus', and by the late 14th century recognized as the chief prince of Rus', or Grand Prince. Consequently, the Khanate granted him the governing power of the Mongolian basqaqs, or governor. Power was laid to the prince to collect taxes and use military force to maintain order. When the Khan was thoroughly convinced the Grand Prince could perform all the duties of the basqaqs effectively, he was given total control and the Mongol basqaqs were withdrawn from the Rus'. Although the Khan removed his governors due to acquiescence and acceptance of Qipachaq authority, he did maintain an envoy to the Rus' to keep open dialogue with the Grand Prince. In concession to the khan for this near autonomy, a monetary payment based on population, military service and of course compliance to Qipachaq whim was demanded. In effect the Rus' was commanded as a tribute state to the Mongol Empire.

Taking advantage of a peaceful situation with the Mongols, the Grand Prince was able to look again to his princedom and began extending his power further from Moscow. Grand Princes of Moscow ruled the Rus' for much of the rest of the century in near peace. As the Grand Princes extended their power, land ownership was assuming a more dominant role in deciding one's true worth in the social strata. Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries there were no restrictions on land ownership, as men of every class were able to hold a piece of dirt and call the other their equal. Since primary production was still the chief means of working the land, the serf class, as was seen in England, did not develop quickly. Instead the land was worked by the owner and his family, slaves, and those he paid for labor.

Internal consolidation of power accompanied outward expansion of the Rus' state. Even though the occurrences of private land ownership were increasing, the Grand Prince and his subservient princes considered all the lands of their realms their personal property. Traditionally the Grand Prince was forced to recognize private ownership of land, because the prince was not able to wield enough power to push his belief in supreme ownership. Later, when the Grand Prince was able to consolidate power, the idea of princely land ownership would not be forgotten and would have consequences on the future.

End of Mongol domination

It was under Grand Prince Dmitri Donskoy (1359–1389) that the Grand Prince of Moscow became strong enough to fight the Mongols and win. In 1378, self-assured in his power, he stopped paying tribute. Pro-Byzantine and pro-Mongol factions began to develop among the people. Some saw the Byzantine Church and the Byzantine Emperor as the direction the Rus' should take; one not allowing for Tatar administrative and military dominance. The others saw the Mongols as a supreme way to organize and stay away from non-secular governmental influences.

Helping the Rus' cause, in the time of Dmitri and his successor Vasili I (1389–1425), was the fact that the Golden Horde was crippled, first by a civil war, then by a devastating invasion by Tamerlane. Afterwards, Vasili I never paid full tribute, rather, he just sent the Khan “gifts” when he cared to. The next prince, Vasili II (1425–1462), reversed the roles of lord & vassal by putting a Mongol prince in charge of one of his cities.

By the time of Ivan III of Russia's ascension to power, various semi-independent princes still claimed specific territories, but he forced the lesser princes to acknowledge the Grand Prince of Moscow and his descendants as unquestioned rulers with control over military, judicial, and foreign affairs. Ivan also (strongly) implemented the philosophy of all the land being the Grand Prince's personal property.

Ivan III also reorganized the land of Rus' in such a way as to impose his power and authority over Muscovy. Among his most important accomplishments was the unification under Moscow of the entire Rus'. Much like his predecessors, Ivan used every trick imaginable to gain more land: cash purchase, inheritance, forced treaties, and of course war. He started by buying Yaroslavl in 1463, and Rostov in 1474. He also conquered Tver in 1485, and persuaded many Russian nobles in Grand Duchy of Lithuania to transfer their allegiance to Ivan; this move started the rolling back of the Polish-Lithuanian frontier. Before Ivan III assumed the crown of Moscow, most of the land of Russia was in the hands of a small group of men; twenty-seven men controlled one third of the land not owned by the Church (when he died, Ivan passed to his son Vasili III, a great nation covering 55,000 square miles).

In 1480 Ivan was able to cause a withdrawal of the Mongols horde along the banks of the Ugra River, marking an end to Rus' Tatar domination; while not a true battle, this pseudo-battle was probably the most important fight for early Muscovy.

Perhaps Ivan's greatest triumph, other than backing down the Khan, was the conquest of Novgorod, the last stronghold of Kievian Russian culture. “Lord Novgorod the Great” had always been the largest Russian city-state, with colonies in Finland and even the northern Urals. Ivan's covetous eye upon Novgorod's wealth, combined with large numbers of Muscovites moving to Novgorod's lands in the Urals, brought a war in 1478.

Between 1484 and 1505 Ivan III systematically took all the land of Novgorod's aristocracy. As his personal land holdings increased (read the size of Rus'), it became ever obvious to Ivan that the administration system of the land would have to be altered to suit such holdings. He also began to realize the importance of a true national army. To remedy both situations he began settling his devoted warriors in Novgorod, about twenty-three thousand in all. He vested the warriors with ample estates in return for devoted military service. By doing this, Ivan planted the first true roots of feudalism in Rus'.

He also broke the European tradition of only giving fiefs to aristocratic knights. Perhaps 60 percent of his new estate holders were regular servicemen where only five percent were formerly aristocratic. His _pomestie_ system became the new norm for the administration of land in Rus'. Land parcels were rented to serfs and peasants in return for their labor and service to Ivan III's vassal. Peasants soon had restrictions removed on free movement and began to see their rights increase at a steady rate.

In contrast to Europe where feudalism created a strong central power, it took a strong central power to develop feudalism in Rus'. The main conclusion that can be drawn from the history of Rus' expansion and power consolidation from the time of Kiev until the founding of the czar is that a lack of true central power weakened and doomed the Rus' to outside domination. In Rus' the system of landlord/worker, loosely called feudalism, developed _after_ a strong central power was established. Lacking a feudal system of vassal loyalty made it impossible for any prince, early on, to gain enough influence and power to project a strong force against any invaders.

title: Muscovite manorialism

question: What makes the history of Rus' different?

answer: This is due to the expansion of trade and geographical proximity. Kiev gained control over its surrounding areas.

question: What was the tradition of lateral succession in the Kievan coalition?

answer: This tradition means that when a prince died, he would be replaced by his brother and then the next brother, until the last brother. It is then transferred to the eldest son of the first prince.

question: What made the Kievian Federation unable to fight invaders?

answer: The Kievian Federation could not ward off invaders because aristocracy had no real power to do this and there was no seat of true power.

question: Why was Ivan eyeing Novgorod's wealth?

answer: Novgorod had been the largest city-state in Russia with colonies in Finland and the northern Urals.


text:
Picture – Anthony Pantaleo

	“Enrique! Don’t you ever go missing again!” She patted his hair and spun in the town circle, embracing the boy. The old men talking in the corner near the chess boards watched the grandmother spinning the child and turned back to their loud conversations. “You scared me to death! We need to get going back to the house and board up the windows!” She shook the boy in her arms and stared cross-eyed at him, touching his hair with her dirty hands.
	“I will meet you back at the house, I’m going to warn the others, get back quickly and gather the nails.” Smiling in spite of himself, the boy turned to run off, and the grandmother grabbed his shoulder back around, fumbling in her pocket with the other hand.
	“Here, a peppermint for my boy, and another for the road.” Smiling crookedly, she thrust her hand out and dropped the two candies into his waiting hands, his eyes large. Spinning quickly, the grandmother shuffled quickly out of the square, swinging her bum leg as the eyes in the square followed her every move. Sighing and popping a candy into his mouth, the boy walked back over to his grandfather, who was sitting at one of the chessboards.
	“Not getting any better, is she?” Moving the rook two blocks left as he twitched his head towards his grandson.
	“Guess not.” Giving his grandfather the other candy, he sucked on his own peppermint while glancing at the game.
	“You would think after all this time she would straighten out, bad things happen like that during war, Nico.” Noting the sad tone in his voice and sucking hard on the peppermint candy, Nico thought of the mad lady and all the times he had gotten candy from her, always one for the road. She was somewhat of a town legend; she had lost her whole family, including her first and only grandchild, during the war. “Can’t be long now, it’s a wonder she’s lasted this long, we’ll all definitely miss her oil and famous tomatoes.” Sucking on his own candy and clacking it on his teeth, Nico’s grandfather made another move on the chessboard.
	“Enrique! Don’t you ever go missing again!” They heard the yell from another block.

title: grandmas

question: Who are the main characters of the story?

answer: Nico, his grandfather, Enrique's grandma (the mad lady)

question: Who is Enrique and what is his relationship with Nico?

answer: He is the mad lady's grandson who died in the war. She thinks Nico is Enrique.

question: Who is the grandmother or "mad lady"?

answer: She's an old woman who lost her entire family during the war and probably lost some of her sanity, too.

question: Why is the mad lady considered a legend in town?

answer: She's a survivor and lasted as long as possible despite the loss of her entire family during the war.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The story is about a harmless old lady driven to madness by what she had to endure during the war: the loss of her entire family, including her grandson, Enrique. She's become a legend in town because she's lasted as long as she has, selling oils and tomatoes. Her only quirk is that she thinks all young boys are Enrique, coming up to them and warning them to go home and board up the windows and always giving them candy before she goes. Nico is the latest "Enrique" and he talks to his grandfather about it while they play chess.