text:
_Moana_ is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy comedy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker,[1] with Don Hall and Chris Williams as co-directors.[2] Starring the voices of Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, the film focuses on the story of Moana, the strong-willed daughter of the chief in a Polynesian tribe, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with a goddess. When a blight strikes her island, Moana sets sail in search of Maui, a legendary demigod, in the hope of saving her people.[3] The film had its world premiere at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on November 14, 2016[4] and was released to theaters on November 23, 2016.[5] The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported 96% positive film-critic reviews, based on 218 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10[6] and Metacritic gave a score of 81 out of 100, based on 44 reviews.[7]

Accolades

+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Award     | Date of   | Category  | Recipient | Result    |           |
|           | ceremony  |           | s         |           |           |
+===========+===========+===========+===========+===========+===========+
| AARP      | February  | Best      | _Moana_   | rowspan=“ | [8]       |
| Annual    | 6, 2017   | Movie for |           | 4”        |           |
| Movies    |           | Grownups  |           |           |           |
| for       |           | who       |           |           |           |
| Grownups  |           | Refuse to |           |           |           |
| Awards    |           | Grow Up   |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Academy   | February  | Best      | , Ron     | [9]       |
| Awards    | 26, 2017  | Animated  | Clements, | [10]      |
|           |           | Feature   | and Osnat |           |
|           |           |           | Shurer    |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best      | “How Far  |
| Original  | I'll Go”  |
| Song      | by        |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| ACE Eddie | January   | Best      |           | [11]      |
| Awards    | 27, 2017  | Edited    |           |           |
|           |           | Animated  |           |           |
|           |           | Feature   |           |           |
|           |           | Film      |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| American  | November  | Top       | _Moana_   |           | [12]      |
| Music     | 18, 2017  | Soundtrac |           |           |           |
| Awards    |           | k         |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Alliance  | December  | Best      | Ron       |           | [13]      |
| of Women  | 21, 2016  | Animated  | Clements, |           | [14]      |
| Film      |           | Film      | Don Hall, |           |           |
| Journalis |           |           | John      |           |           |
| ts        |           |           | Musker,   |           |           |
|           |           |           | and Chris |           |           |
|           |           |           | Williams  |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best      |           |           |
| Animated  |           |           |
| Female    |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Annie     | February  | Best      | _Moana_   |           | [15]      |
| Awards    | 4, 2017   | Animated  |           |           |           |
|           |           | Feature   |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Outstandi | , John M. |           |
| ng        | Kosnik,   |           |
| Achieveme | Blair     |           |
| nt,       | Pierpont, |           |
| Animated  | Erin V.   |           |
| Effects   | Ramos,    |           |
| in an     | and       |           |
| Animated  | Marlon    |           |
| Productio | West      |           |
| n         |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Outstandi | and Bill  | rowspan=“ |
| ng        | Schwab    | 2”        |
| Achieveme |           |           |
| nt        |           |           |
| for       |           |           |
| Character |           |           |
| Design in |           |           |
| an        |           |           |
| Animated  |           |           |
| Feature   |           |           |
| Productio |           |           |
| n         |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Outstandi |           |
| ng        |           |
| Achieveme |           |
| nt        |           |
| for       |           |
| Storyboar |           |
| ding      |           |
| in an     |           |
| Animated  |           |
| Feature   |           |
| Productio |           |
| n         |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Outstandi |           |           |
| ng        |           |           |
| Achieveme |           |           |
| nt        |           |           |
| for Voice |           |           |
| Acting in |           |           |
| an        |           |           |
| Animated  |           |           |
| Feature   |           |           |
| Productio |           |           |
| n         |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Outstandi |           |           |
| ng        |           |           |
| Achieveme |           |           |
| nt        |           |           |
| for       |           |           |
| Editorial |           |           |
| in an     |           |           |
| Animated  |           |           |
| Feature   |           |           |
| Productio |           |           |
| n         |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Austin    | December  | Best      | _Moana_   |           | [16]      |
| Film      | 28, 2016  | Animated  |           |           | [17]      |
| Critics   |           | Film      |           |           |           |
| Associati |           |           |           |           |           |
| on        |           |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Billboard | May 21,   | Top       | _Moana_   |           | [18]      |
| Music     | 2017      | Soundtrac |           |           |           |
| Awards    |           | k/Cast    |           |           |           |
|           |           | Album     |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| May 20,   |           |           |
| 2018      |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Black     | February  | Outstandi |           |           | [19]      |
| Reel      | 16, 2017  | ng        |           |           |           |
| Awards    |           | Voice     |           |           |           |
|           |           | Performan |           |           |           |
|           |           | ce        |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| British   | February  | Best      | and John  |           | [20]      |
| Academy   | 12, 2017  | Animated  | Musker    |           |           |
| Film      |           | Film      |           |           |           |
| Awards    |           |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Chicago   | December  | Best      | _Moana_   |           | [21]      |
| Film      | 15, 2016  | Animated  |           |           |           |
| Critics   |           | Film      |           |           |           |
| Associati |           |           |           |           |           |
| on        |           |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Cinema    | February  | Outstandi | , Scott   |           | [22]      |
| Audio     | 18, 2017  | ng        | Curtis,   |           |           |
| Society   |           | Achieveme | David E.  |           |           |
| Awards    |           | nt        | Fluhr,    |           |           |
|           |           | in Sound  | Gabriel   |           |           |
|           |           | Mixing    | Guy, and  |           |           |
|           |           | for a     | Paul      |           |           |
|           |           | Motion    | McGrath   |           |           |
|           |           | Picture – |           |           |           |
|           |           | Animated  |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Critics'  | December  | Best      | _Moana_   |           | [23]      |
| Choice    | 11, 2016  | Animated  |           |           |           |
| Awards    |           | Feature   |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best Song | “How Far  |           |
|           | I'll Go”  |           |
|           | by        |           |
|           | Lin-Manue |           |
|           | l         |           |
|           | Miranda   |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Dallas–Fo | December  | Best      | _Moana_   |           | [24]      |
| rt        | 13, 2016  | Animated  |           |           |           |
| Worth     |           | Film      |           |           |           |
| Film      |           |           |           |           |           |
| Critics   |           |           |           |           |           |
| Associati |           |           |           |           |           |
| on        |           |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Empire    | March 19, | Best      |           | [25]      |
| Awards    | 2017      | Animated  |           |           |
|           |           | Film      |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best      |           |
| Soundtrac |           |
| k         |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Florida   | December  | Best      | rowspan=“ | [26]      |
| Film      | 23, 2016  | Animated  | 4”        |           |
| Critics   |           | Film      |           |           |
| Circle    |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Golden    | January   | Best      | [27]      |
| Globe     | 8, 2017   | Animated  |           |
| Awards    |           | Feature   |           |
|           |           | Film      |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best      | “How Far  |
| Original  | I'll Go”  |
| Song      | by        |
|           | Lin-Manue |
|           | l         |
|           | Miranda   |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Golden    | January   | Best Wide | _Moana_   |           | [28]      |
| Tomato    | 12, 2017  | Release   |           |           |           |
| Awards    |           | 2016      |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best      |           |
| Animated  |           |
| Movie     |           |
| 2016      |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Grammy    | January   | Best      |           | [29]      |
| Awards    | 28, 2018  | Compilati |           |           |
|           |           | on        |           |           |
|           |           | Soundtrac |           |           |
|           |           | k         |           |           |
|           |           | For       |           |           |
|           |           | Visual    |           |           |
|           |           | Media     |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best Song | “How Far  |           |
| Written   | I'll Go”  |           |
| For       | by        |           |
| Visual    | Lin-Manue |           |
| Media     | l         |           |
|           | Miranda   |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Hollywood | November  | Best      |           | rowspan=“ | [30]      |
| Music in  | 17, 2016  | Original  |           | 8”        | [31]      |
| Media     |           | Score –   |           |           |           |
| Awards    |           | Animated  |           |           |           |
|           |           | Film      |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best Song | “We Know  |
| –         | the Way”  |
| Animated  | by , Mark |
| Film      | Mancina,  |
|           | and       |
|           | Lin-Manue |
|           | l         |
|           | Miranda   |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Houston   | January   | Best      | _Moana_   | [32]      |
| Film      | 6, 2017   | Animated  |           | [33]      |
| Critics   |           | Feature   |           |           |
| Society   |           | Film      |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best      | “How Far  |
| Original  | I'll Go”  |
| Song      | by        |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 2017      | March 11, | Favorite  | _Moana_   | [34]      |
| Kids'     | 2017      | Animated  |           |           |
| Choice    |           | Movie     |           |           |
| Awards    |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Favorite  |           |
| Voice     |           |
| from an   |           |
| Animated  |           |
| Movie     |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Favorite  | and       |
| Frenemies | Dwayne    |
|           | Johnson   |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Favorite  | _Moana_   |
| Soundtrac |           |
| k         |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| MPSE      | February  | Feature   | , Thom    |           | [35]      |
| Golden    | 19, 2017  | Animation | Brennan,  |           |           |
| Reel      |           |           | Pascal    |           |           |
| Awards    |           |           | Garneau,  |           |           |
|           |           |           | Earl      |           |           |
|           |           |           | Ghaffari, |           |           |
|           |           |           | Lee       |           |           |
|           |           |           | Gilmore,  |           |           |
|           |           |           | Matthew   |           |           |
|           |           |           | Harrison, |           |           |
|           |           |           | Tim       |           |           |
|           |           |           | Nielsen,  |           |           |
|           |           |           | Dan       |           |           |
|           |           |           | Pinder,   |           |           |
|           |           |           | Shelley   |           |           |
|           |           |           | Roden,    |           |           |
|           |           |           | and John  |           |           |
|           |           |           | Roesch    |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Feature   | and       | rowspan=“ |
| Musical   | Daniel    | 7”        |
|           | Pinder    |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| NAACP     | February  | Outstandi |           | [36]      |
| Image     | 11, 2017  | ng        |           |           |
| Awards    |           | Character |           |           |
|           |           | Voice-Ove |           |           |
|           |           | r         |           |           |
|           |           | Performan |           |           |
|           |           | ce        |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Online    | January   | Best      | _Moana_   | [37]      |
| Film      | 3, 2017   | Animated  |           |           |
| Critics   |           | Feature   |           |           |
| Society   |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Producers | January   | Best      | Osnat     | [38]      |
| Guild of  | 28, 2017  | Animated  | Shurer    |           |
| America   |           | Motion    |           |           |
|           |           | Picture   |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| San Diego | December  | Best      | _Moana_   | [39]      |
| Film      | 12, 2016  | Animated  |           | [40]      |
| Critics   |           | Film      |           |           |
| Society   |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| San       | December  | Best      | [41]      |
| Francisco | 11, 2016  | Animated  | [42]      |
| Film      |           | Feature   |           |
| Critics   |           |           |           |
| Circle    |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Satellite | February  | Best      | [43]      |
| Awards    | 19, 2017  | Animated  |           |
|           |           | or Mixed  |           |
|           |           | Media     |           |
|           |           | Feature   |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Saturn    | June 28,  | Best      |           | [44]      |
| Awards    | 2017      | Animated  |           |           |
|           |           | Film      |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| St. Louis | December  | Best      | rowspan=“ | [45]      |
| Gateway   | 18, 2016  | Animated  | 4”        |           |
| Film      |           | Film      |           |           |
| Critics   |           |           |           |           |
| Associati |           |           |           |           |
| on        |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best      |
| Soundtrac |
| k         |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best Song | “How Far  |
|           | I'll Go”  |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| “You're   |
| Welcome”  |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Teen      | August    | Choice    | _Moana_   |           | [46]      |
| Choice    | 13, 2017  | Fantasy   |           |           |           |
| Awards    |           | Movie     |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Choice    | Dwayne    |           |
| Fantasy   | Johnson   |           |
| Movie     |           |           |
| Actor     |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Choice    | Auli'i    |           |
| Fantasy   | Cravalho  |           |
| Movie     |           |           |
| Actress   |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Choice    |           | [47]      |
| Breakout  |           |           |
| Movie     |           |           |
| Star      |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Village   | January   | Best      | _Moana_   |           | [48]      |
| Voice     | 6, 2017   | Animated  |           |           |           |
| Film Poll |           | Feature   |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Visual    | February  | Outstandi | , Ian     | rowspan=“ | [49]      |
| Effects   | 7, 2017   | ng        | Gooding,  | 2”        |           |
| Society   |           | Visual    | Nicole P. |           |           |
| Awards    |           | Effects   | Hearon,   |           |           |
|           |           | in an     | and Kyle  |           |           |
|           |           | Animated  | Odermatt  |           |           |
|           |           | Feature   |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Outstandi | Maui – ,  |
| ng        | Nikki     |
| Animated  | Mull,     |
| Performan | Matthew   |
| ce        | Schiller, |
| in an     | and Marc  |
| Animated  | Thyng     |
| Feature   |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Outstandi | Motonui   | rowspan=“ |
| ng        | Island –  | 2”        |
| Created   | , Andy    |           |
| Environme | Harkness, |           |
| nt        | Brien     |           |
| in an     | Hindman,  |           |
| Animated  | and Larry |           |
| Feature   | Wu        |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Outstandi | , David   |
| ng        | Hutchins, |
| Effects   | John M.   |
| Simulatio | Kosnik    |
| ns        | and Dale  |
| in an     | Mayeda    |
| Animated  |           |
| Feature   |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Washingto | December  | Best      | _Moana_   | rowspan=“ | [50]      |
| n         | 5, 2016   | Animated  |           | 2”        |           |
| D.C. Area |           | Feature   |           |           |           |
| Film      |           |           |           |           |           |
| Critics   |           |           |           |           |           |
| Associati |           |           |           |           |           |
| on        |           |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Best      |           |
| Voice     |           |
| Performan |           |
| ce        |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Women     | December  | Best      | _Moana_   |           | [51]      |
| Film      | 19, 2016  | Animated  |           |           |           |
| Critics   |           | Feature   |           |           |           |
| Circle    |           |           |           |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|  |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+

Notes

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

[51]

title: List of accolades received by Moana (2016 film)

question: What is Moana?

answer: Moana is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy comedy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures.

question: How direct Moana?

answer: Ron Clement and John Musker, with Don Hall and Chris Williams as co-directors

question: Who starred in Moana?

answer: Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson

question: What is Moana about?

answer: a Polynesian tribe chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with a goddess

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Moana is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy comedy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film centers on a Polynesian tribe chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with a goddess.


split: train

text:
NewsOK: Oklahoma City News, Sports, Weather & Entertainment

[Anthony Slater]

by Anthony Slater

Published: Wed, April 24, 2013 12:00 AM Updated: Wed, April 24, 2013 3:35 PM

[]

Grizzlies center Marc Gasol was announced as the Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday afternoon, narrowly beating out LeBron James and Serge Ibaka for the award.

For Ibaka, it was the second straight season he has led the league in blocks, but came up short for this coveted trophy.

And if you ask his teammate and frontcourt mate Kendrick Perkins, the snub was a travesty.

[]

The criticism from Perkins is almost to be expected. If given a vote, his MVP ballot would have likely looked like this:

1. Kevin Durant
2. Russell Westbrook
3. Serge Ibaka
4. Kevin Garnett
5. Derek Fisher

That’s just who he is, especially when it comes to defending his teammates. But the scowling Thunder big man isn’t the only one who seems to view Ibaka as the league’s best defender this year.

How about this tweet, from Lakers shootaround today, quoting Dwight Howard, a respected defender who has won the award three times.

[]

Here was the entire voting for this year’s awards:

-

[]

{/literal}{include file="blk:thunderrumblings_bottom"}{literal} {/literal}{include file="blk:thunderrumblings_rail"}{literal}

[]

Anthony Slater

 Anthony Slater started on the Thunder beat in the summer of 2013, joining after two years as NewsOK.com's lead sports blogger and web editor. A native Californian, Slater attended Sonoma State for two years before transferring to Oklahoma State in... Read more ›

__ Comments

question: What is the topic of the story?

answer: The story is about the [Memphis] Grizzlies center, Marc Gasol being announced as the Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. The announcement came with criticism from others in the sport.

question: Who was vocal about their criticism?

answer: Kendrick Perkins was critical of the announcement.

question: Who did Gasol beat out for the award?

answer: Gasol beat LeBron James and Serge Ibaka.

question: What sport does this article cover?

answer: Basketball.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The story is about the [Memphis] Grizzlies center, Marc Gasol being announced as the Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. The announcement came with criticism from others in the sport. He beat out LeBron James and Serge Ibaka.


text:
The TASMANIAN DEVIL, commonly referred to as TAZ, is an animated cartoon character featured in the Warner Bros _Looney Tunes_ and _Merrie Melodies_ series of cartoons.[1] Though the character appeared in only five shorts before Warner Bros Cartoons shut down in 1964, marketing and television appearances later propelled the character to new popularity in the 1990s.

Personality

Taz is generally portrayed as a ferocious, albeit dim-witted, carnivore with a notoriously short temper and little patience. He got his name in the short _Ducking the Devil_. Though he can be very devious, he is also sweet at times. His enormous appetite seems to know no bounds, as he will eat anything in his path. He is best known for his speech consisting mostly of grunts, growls, and rasps (in his earlier appearances, he does speak English with primitive grammar) as well as his ability to spin like a vortex and bite through nearly anything.[2] Taz does have one weakness: he can be calmed by almost any music. While in this calm state, he can be easily dealt with. The only music known not to pacify Taz is the bagpipes, which he finds insufferable.[3]

In 1991, Taz starred his own show known as _Taz-Mania,_ which ran for four seasons in which Taz was the main protagonist and voiced by Jim Cummings.[4]

Creation

Robert McKimson based the character on the real life Tasmanian devil, or more specifically its carnivorous nature, voracious appetite, and surly disposition. Owen and Pemberton suggest that the character of the Tasmanian Devil was inspired by Errol Flynn.[5] The most noticeable resemblance between the Australian marsupial and McKimson's creation is their ravenous appetites and crazed behavior. Although the bipedal Tasmanian Devil's appearance does not resemble its marsupial inspiration, it contains multilayered references to other “devils”: he has horn-shaped tufts of fur on his head (similar to the Devil's appearance) and whirls about like a dust devil (similar in appearance to a tornado) which sounds like several motors whirring in unison. Taz is constantly ravenously hungry. His efforts to find more food (animate or inanimate) are always a central plot device of his cartoons.

Appearances

In his first appearance in McKimson's _Devil May Hare_ (first released on June 19, 1954), Taz stalks Bugs Bunny, but due to his dimwittedness and inability to frame complete sentences, he serves as little more than a nuisance. Bugs eventually gets rid of him in the most logical way possible: matching him up with an equally insatiable female Tasmanian Devil. The character's speech, a deep, gravelly voice peppered with growls, screeches, and raspberries, is provided by Mel Blanc. Only occasionally would Taz actually speak, usually to utter some incongruous punchline, (e.g. “What for you bury me in the cold, cold ground?”) and yet the character is capable of writing and reading. A running gag is that when Bugs Bunny hears of the approach of “Taz,” looks him up in an encyclopedia and starts reading off a list of animals that “Taz” eats, Bugs finds “rabbits” not listed until “Taz” enters and either points out that “rabbits” _are_ listed or writes rabbits on the list.

After the film short debuted at theaters, producer Edward Selzer, head of the Warner Bros. animation studio, ordered McKimson to shelve the character, feeling that he was too violent for children, and that parents would dislike him.[6] After a time with no new Taz shorts, studio head Jack L. Warner asked what had happened to the character. Warner saved Taz's career when he told Selzer that he had received “boxes and boxes” of letters from people who liked the character and wanted to see more of him.

McKimson would go on to direct four more Taz cartoons, beginning with _Bedevilled Rabbit_ (released on April 13, 1957). McKimson would also pair the Devil with Daffy Duck in _Ducking the Devil_ (August 17, 1957) before pitting him once again against Bugs in _Bill of Hare_ (June 9, 1962) and _Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare_ (March 28, 1964). His last two appearances done by the classic Warner Brothers directors, writers, and voice actors were in _Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales_ appearing in _The Fright Before Christmas_ segment and at the very end eating the sleigh full of presents.

Later appearances

Taz appeared in the 1983 movie _Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island_ as Yosemite Sam's first mate.

Taz was going to have a cameo in _Who Framed Roger Rabbit_, but was later dropped for unknown reasons.

Taz appeared in various episodes of _Tiny Toon Adventures_, being the mentor of Dizzy Devil. He was voiced by Maurice LaMarche.

Taz appeared in the theatrical feature _Space Jam_, as part of the _TuneSquad_, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. He also appeared in _Looney Tunes: Back in Action_, voiced by Brendan Fraser.[7]

Taz appeared in “_The Looney Tunes Show_” episode “Devil Dog” voiced by Jim Cummings. In the show, he is portrayed walking on four legs like a real Tasmanian devil and his eyes are bloodshot red (later turned yellow when Bugs uses a taming trick that Speedy Gonzales taught him). Initially, Bugs believed Taz to be a dog and kept him as a house pet much to his roommate Daffy Duck's discomfort. Eventually, Bugs learned the truth and tried to return him to his home in Tasmania, only to find out that Taz would rather live with him, naming him “Poochie”. Taz subsequently appears in the following episodes “The Foghorn Leghorn Story”, “Newspaper Thief”, and “Bugs and Daffy Get A Job”. Taz later played a major part in “Ridiculous Journey” where he, Sylvester (whom Taz tried to eat) and Tweety were accidentally sent to Alaska by Yosemite Sam. The three of them work to get home while encountering other characters and avoiding tracker Blacque Jacque Shellacque. Eventually, they make it home when it turned out that Blacque was hired by Yosemite Sam to retrieve the three on behalf of Bugs and Granny.

Taz originally appeared in the series _Wabbit_ as Theodore Tasmanian, an accountant at Chesterfield Consultants who tries to repress his vicious side. Unlike most versions of the character, he spoke more coherently. He was also married and had a child. Taz eventually returned to his original characterization and way of speaking when the series was retooled as _New Looney Tunes_.

An alternate version of Taz appeared in the 2017 DC Comics/Looney Tunes crossover comics, where he was designed more for the DC Universe and faced off against Wonder Woman in the _Wonder Woman/Tasmanian Devil Special_. In the story, Taz is a Guardian of the Labyrinth on Themyscira and fought Diana when she was a teenager during her trials to become an Amazon warrior. Before Taz could attack her, Diana plays the harp and puts it to sleep before snipping off some of his fur as proof of her victory. She returns to Taz years later as Wonder Woman after Circe uses the Talisman of Eurytale to turn Hippolyta and the other Amazons into stone. As the Talisman can only be stopped by the Minotaur's Amulet, she requests Taz's help as Taz's connection to the other Guardians would lead them down the right path. During the journey, Taz reveals that he wasn't mad at Diana for tricking him, but was rather upset that she took the music away. The two defeat the Minotaur and Circe and the Amazons reward him with a large feast in return. In the issue's backup story (done more in the style of the classic _Looney Tunes_ shorts), Diana sings to Taz the tale of the Trojan War with her and the Looney Tunes characters roleplaying the major players, but Taz in his dream alters the events to work out more in his favor.[8]

Voice actors

-   Mel Blanc (1954–1983)
-   Jeff Bergman (_Tiny Toon Adventures_, _Chasers Anonymous_[9][10], _Looney Tunes Dash)_[11]
-   Noel Blanc (_Tiny Toon Adventures_)[12]
-   Maurice LaMarche (_Tiny Toon Adventures_)[13]
-   Keith Scott (_Looney Tunes Musical Revue_[14][15], _Spectacular Light and Sound Show Illuminanza_[16], _Looney Tunes: We Got the Beat!_[17], _Looney Tunes: What's Up Rock?!_[18], _Looney Tunes LIVE! Classroom Capers_, _The Looney Tunes Radio Show_[19][20], _Looney Tunes Christmas Carols_[21][22][23])[24][25][26][27]
-   Greg Burson (_Looney Tunes River Ride_, _Tiny Toon Adventures_, _The Toonite Show Starring Bugs Bunny_[28], Six Flags AstroWorld live shows, _Bugs Bunny: Rabbit Rampage_[29], _Looney Tunes B-Ball_[30], _Warner Bros. Kids Club_[31])[32]
-   Jim Cummings (_Taz-Mania_, _Animaniacs_, _The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries_, _Superior Duck_, _Bugs Bunny's Silly Seals_[33], _Looney Tunes: What's Up Rock?_[34], _Tweety's High-Flying Adventure_, _Histeria!_, _Duck Dodgers_, _Looney Tunes: Reality Check_[35], _Looney Tunes: Stranger Than Fiction_[36], _Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas_, _The Looney Tunes Show_, _Looney Tunes Dash_[37], _New Looney Tunes_, various commercials and video games)[38]
-   Dee Bradley Baker (_Space Jam_)[39]
-   Frank Welker (_Looney Tunes: The Junkyard Run_)[40]
-   Ian James Corlett (_Baby Looney Tunes_, _Baby Looney Tunes' Eggs-traordinary Adventure_)[41]
-   Brendan Fraser (_Looney Tunes: Back in Action_)[42]
-   Joe Alaskey (_Looney Tunes_ webtoons, _Looney Tunes ClickN READ Phonics_)[43]
-   Kevin Shinick (_Mad_)[44]
-   Seth MacFarlane (_Family Guy_)
-   Eric Bauza (_Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem_)[45]
-   Fred Tatasciore (_Looney Tunes Cartoons_[46])[47]

Home video

All five of the original Taz cartoons are included in _Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1_, along with “The Fright Before Christmas”.

In popular culture

[A Taz costume at a Christmas parade in Oakland, California] The character's first video game outing was in a title from the later days of the Atari 2600, in a 1983 release entitled “Taz”. The 1990s saw a return of the character to video games in _Taz-Mania_ and its semi-sequel _Taz in Escape from Mars_. Both titles appeared on the Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System & Game Gear systems. There were other Taz-Mania games released on the Nintendo SNES and Game Boy systems. He also costarred in the PlayStation/PC game _Bugs Bunny & Taz: Time Busters_, and in 2002's _Taz: Wanted_ on PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox and PC. He also appeared in the video games _The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 2_, _The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout_, _Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal_, _Looney Tunes: Space Race_, _Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 3_, _Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 4_, _Looney Tunes: Back in Action_, _Galactic Taz Ball_.

In the late 1990s to early 2000s, when Chevrolet used the Looney Tunes as part of their NASCAR campaign, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo racing teams were referenced as Team Monte Carlo, with the Tasmanian Devil as the mascot.

Taz was a chocolate bar by Cadbury in the UK during the 90's, and was later renamed Fredo Caramel.

Professional wrestler Peter Senercia adopted “Taz” and the variant spelling “Tazz” as his ring names.

In _Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed_ (2004), Taz is one of the forms Scooby-Doo briefly takes upon accidentally drinking a chemical substance.

From 2005 to 2012, a custom-bodied Taz monster truck competed in the Monster Jam circuit, driven by Adam Anderson. Adam drove the truck to the Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle championship in 2008. It was retired in 2013, with a Scooby-Doo-themed truck being its replacement.

Taz appeared in a 2014 GEICO commercial, where he drinks a “certain energy drink” and goes on a rampage.

In June 2017, the character appeared in the _Wonder Woman / Tasmanian Devil_ Special #1, written by Tony Bedard with art by Barry Kitson. This version is reimagined as a Guardian of the Labyrinth on Themyscira whom Wonder Woman defeated when she was a teenager, but later teams up with her to save the Amazons from Circe.[48][49]

Lawsuits

In 1997, a newspaper report noted that Warner Bros had “trademarked the character and registered the name Tasmanian Devil”, and that this trademark “was policed”, including an eight-year legal battle to allow a Tasmanian company to call its fishing lure the “Tasmanian Devil”. Debate followed, and a delegation from the Tasmanian state government met with Warner Bros.[50] Ray Groom, the Tourism Minister, later announced that a “verbal agreement” had been reached. An annual fee would be paid to Warner Bros in return for the Government of Tasmania being able to use the image of Taz for “marketing purposes”. This agreement later lapsed.[51]

In 1997, the Tasmanian government and Warner Bros. disputed the government's right to use the character as a tourism promotion, which was offered only if a fee was paid. The government refused to pay a fee to Warner Bros.[52]

In 2006, after much lobbying from the Tasmanian government, Warner Bros decided to assist the fight against extinction of the Tasmanian Devil due to devil facial tumour disease (DFTD).[53] Tasmanian Environment Minister Judy Jackson, prior to the agreement, had heavily criticised Warner Bros., stating that the company had made millions of dollars from the character, but did not put up any money when other companies had.

The deal with Warner Bros allowed the Tasmanian government to manufacture and sell up to 5,000 special edition Taz plush toys, with all profit going towards funding scientific research into DFTD.[54][55] The deal also aimed to increase public attention towards the threatening disease.

Notes

[1]

[2] Warner Bros – The Lineup – Taz – retrieved December 23, 2012

[3] Warner Bros. “Merrie Melody,” Ducking the Devil, 1957.

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8] _Wonder Woman/Tasmanian Devil Special_ #1

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[18]

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[27] “Keith Scott-”The One-Man Crowd"". Retrieved September 27, 2020.

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[32]

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[37]

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[43]

[44]

[45]

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[47]

[48] _Wonder Woman / Tasmanian Devil Special_ #1 on DC Comics website

[49] EXCL: Full DC/Looney Tunes Solicits Features Wonder Woman vs Taz by Stephen Gerding on ComicBookResources.com, 3 Feb 2017

[50]

[51]

[52]

[53]

[54]

[55]

title: Tasmanian Devil (Looney Tunes)

question: If you happened upon TAZ in a really foul mood what would be your best response?

answer: Play some music. It calms him down. Just make sure that whatever music you choose doesn't include the sound of the bagpipes.

question: What inspires most of TAZ's actions?

answer: He is always ravenously hungry so most of his deeds are inspired by his need for food.

question: Why was TAZ initially shelved and then brought back to life?

answer: The producer ordered the shelving of the character because he felt that parents might consider him too violent a character for their children. However, Jack Warner saved his career when he told the producer that he had received boxes and boxes of letters from people who wanted to see more of TAZ.


text:
The Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by Golf Canada. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play in 1995. It then returned to stroke play in 2008.
 Founding and early years
The Royal Canadian Golf Association was founded in June 1895, at a meeting held in Ottawa by ten charter member clubs, hosted by the Ottawa Golf Club (later the Royal Ottawa Golf Club), and the new organization was granted the prefix 'Royal' in 1896. In conjunction with the meeting, the first men's amateur championship was staged, at match play, with the Governor General, Lord Aberdeen, donating a trophy, the Aberdeen Cup, to the champion. Thomas Harley of Kingston, Ontario won the first championship.
This makes the Canadian Amateur slightly older than the U.S. Amateur, which was first staged later in 1895, and hence the third oldest national amateur championship in the world, after the British Amateur Championship, which began in 1885, and the Australian Amateur in 1894.
The Aberdeen Cup was granted in perpetuity to George Lyon, after he won three straight titles from 1905 to 1907. The original cup was retained by Lyon, but was eventually lost. A new trophy was then provided, the Earl Grey Cup. Lyon would win a total of eight Canadian titles, which is still a record, and he also won the gold medal at golf in the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.
The tournament was held annually until 1914 inclusive, but then was cancelled from 1915 to 1918 because of World War I. It resumed in 1919, and then was staged annually until 1939 inclusive, being cancelled again from 1940 to 1945 because of World War II. It has been held annually since 1946.
 Willingdon Cup
In 1927, the interprovincial team matches, which had begun in 1882, and held 27 times until 1921, between teams from Ontario and Quebec, but then dropped, were resumed with the start of the Willingdon Cup competition, playing for a cup donated by the Governor General, Lord Willingdon. The Willingdon Cup features teams of four top players from each province, and is held on the first two days of the Canadian Amateur, which are also the qualifying days for the balance of the tournament. The Willingdon Cup was also not played from 1940-45.
 Rotation around country
The Canadian Amateur stayed in Ontario and Quebec until 1921, when it went to Manitoba. It went to Alberta for the first time in 1929, to British Columbia for the first time in 1932, to Atlantic Canada for the first time in 1949, and to Saskatchewan for the first time in 1950. Since then, it has rotated around the country's top courses, with the current format allowing each of the six major golf regions (Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia) to have its turn on approximately a six-year cycle. Among Canada's ten provinces, only Newfoundland and Labrador has yet to host it.
 Dominant players
The Canadian Amateur was dominated in the 1920s and 1930s by Ross Somerville, who won six titles, finished runner-up four times, and had several more near-misses. Moe Norman won back-to-back titles in 1955 and 1956. Nick Weslock waited until age 40 to win the first of his four titles in 1957. Although Gary Cowan was consistently the best Canadian amateur from the late 1950s into the mid-1970s, he managed to win only one Canadian title, in 1961, but lost in the finals four more times, as well as finishing runner-up twice in stroke play. Doug Roxburgh won his first of four crowns in 1972. Jim Nelford won two in a row from 1975–1976, then narrowly missed a third in 1977, when he lost to Rod Spittle, who won two in a row. Brent Franklin won three in a row from 1985–1987, a feat not seen since Lyon did it some eighty years earlier. Richard Scott won the Canadian title in three years out of four from 2003 to 2006. Cam Burke won two straight from 2008 to 2009.
From the late 1920s into the 1970s, the Canadian Amateur often attracted many of the top American amateurs, several of whom carried the trophy south, including Dick Chapman, Frank Stranahan, Don Cherry, Harvie Ward, Allen Miller, Dick Siderowf, and George Burns. Other leading Americans who competed but fell short include William C. Campbell, Jay Sigel, and Nathaniel Crosby. The Canadian title has also been won by South African Reg Taylor (1962), New Zealanders Stuart Jones (1967) and Gareth Paddison (2001), Mexican Rafael Alarcón (1979), and Australian Gary Simpson (1993).
To date, four players have won both the U.S. Amateur and Canadian Amateur titles: Ross Somerville, Dick Chapman, Harvie Ward, and Gary Cowan. Chapman and Ward also won The Amateur Championship of Great Britain, a title which no Canadian has yet taken.
 Winners who won PGA Tour events
To date, eleven players who won the Canadian Amateur have also won events on the PGA Tour. These eleven (in chronological order of their Canadian Amateur wins) are: Fred Haas, Ken Black, Frank Stranahan, Bunky Henry, Allen Miller, George Burns (golfer), Richard Zokol, Garrett Willis, Dillard Pruitt, Nick Taylor, and Mackenzie Hughes.
Rod Spittle, Canadian Amateur champion in 1977 and 1978, later won an event on the Champions Tour, the 2010 AT&T Championship in San Antonio.
 Most championships hosted
The Toronto Golf Club (1898, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1909, 1913, 1926, 1995, and 2017) and the Royal Ottawa Golf Club (1895, 1899, 1906, 1911, 1914, 1925, 1951, 1991, and 2016) have each hosted nine. Next are Royal Montreal Golf Club with seven (1897, 1900, 1902, 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1931) and Hamilton Golf and Country Club with six (1922, 1927, 1935, 1948, 1977, and 1994).
 Winners

title: Canadian Amateur Championship

question: Why is the Canadian Amateur Championship moved around Canada?

answer:
The Canadian Amateur Championship was formed in 1895 and was hosted annually until 1914 when World War I hit. It resumed in 1919 until 1940 when World War II started.

Ontario and Quebec have always been the staging grounds of the championship since its inception, however, it was moved to Manitoba in 1921.  Since then Alberta, British Columbia, Atlantic Canada, and Saskatchewan have hosted it, while provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador have yet to host it. The reason behind these moves seems to be linked to the quality of the golf courses in those areas.


text:
MILDRED ELIZABETH ALBERT (née LEVINE; January 14, 1905 – August 26, 1991)[1] was an American fashion commentator, modeling agency director, fashion show producer, radio and television personality, and society columnist. Known as the “Mighty Atom” and Boston's “First Lady of Fashion”, she produced thousands of fashion shows during her career. She founded the Academie Moderne finishing school in 1936 and co-founded the Hart Model Agency in 1944. After selling both concerns in 1981, she remained active on the Boston fashion scene, covering fashion shows and hosting charity benefits, which earned her the title of “official grande dame” of Boston.

Early life and marriage

Mildred Elizabeth Levine was the youngest of four children born in Russia to Thomas Levine and Elizabeth Sugarman Levine.[2][3] The family immigrated to the United States when Mildred was three months old, settling in Roxbury, Massachusetts.[4] Her father worked in construction and real estate development in Brookline.[5]

She graduated from the Sargent School of Physical Education in 1926.[6] In 1928 she married James Albert, a Harvard-educated attorney.[7][8] They had two daughters and one son,[9] residing in Beacon Hill with a summer house in Beverly Farms.[10] Her husband gave her the nickname “Mighty Atom” based on her new initials, M. A., and her high-energy personality.[11]

Career

After graduation, Albert taught gym at Somerville High School.[12] Following her marriage, she began teaching dance, art, and literature at the Florence Street Settlement House in Boston.[13] She also taught posture at Massachusetts General Hospital and gave private lessons in poise and etiquette.[14]

In 1936[15] she founded the Academie Moderne finishing school in her Beacon Hill home.[16] The curriculum included “poise, proper walking, and good diction” and cultural visits to museums and ballet performances.[17] The school moved along with the Alberts to their next address at 35 Commonwealth Avenue; ownership of the house was transferred from the Alberts to the Academie Moderne in 1942.[18]

In 1944 Albert, together with Francis and Muriel Williams Hart, co-founded Hart Model Agency and Promotions, Inc. to train women for modeling careers.[19] This agency, too, operated out of Albert's home.[20] The Albert family continued to reside at 35 Commonwealth Avenue until 1967, when they moved to another address. The Academie Moderne and Hart Modeling Agency operated out of 35 Commonwealth Avenue into the 1980s.[21]

As dean of the modeling agency, Albert began staging new types of fashion shows, including “around-the-pool fashion shows, luncheon fashion shows, and the first cocktail fashion shows”.[22] She developed industry contacts by hosting a weekend luncheon and fashion show at a local hotel that attracted 500 to 600 attendees, and drew top-name designers to the city by inviting them to cocktail parties at her home.[23]

Albert produced thousands of fashion shows during her career.[24] Among her biggest events were a show for the 100th anniversary of the National Association of Cotton Manufacturers and the Million Dollar Back Bay Fashion Show.[25][26] She scripted, produced and commentated on the thrice-daily fashion shows presented at the New England Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair[27][28] and reported on the first White House fashion show in 1968.[29] During the 1970s she was a coordinator for the Miss Massachusetts beauty pageants.[30] She lent her name and financial support to stage fashion shows benefiting the charities of the March of Dimes, UNICEF, DuPont, Celanese, United States Rubber Company, and others.[31][32]

Each month she made the rounds of design studios and shows in New York City, and visited Europe biannually to interview top designers and report back on fashion trends and forecasts.[33] She also spoke to women's clubs and other groups.[34] She became known as Boston's “First Lady of Fashion”.[35]

In 1981 Albert sold both the finishing school and the modeling agency, continuing as dean emeritus of the former and consultant at the latter.[36] Into her eighties, she continued to be active on the Boston fashion scene. In 1985 she inaugurated a Saturday-afternoon luncheon and fashion show at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Boston which she ran until a few months before her death.[37] Seven hundred well-wishers attended her 82nd birthday party; recorded tributes were sent by Calvin Klein, Bill Blass, and Oscar de la Renta.[38]

Radio and television personality

Albert also became a radio and television personality. She hosted a weekly radio show called “Youthful Loveliness” on WEEI in the late 1930s, and “Fashion As I See It” on WCRB in the 1960s and 1970s.[39] In the 1950s she joined the CBS New England lecture circuit, speaking on the topic “Gracious Living”, and also began appearing on television programs on fashion and beauty.[40] In the 1980s she joined CBS' _Good Day_ program as a fashion-show reporter and conducted interviews with leading designers in Paris, London, Rome, New York, and Boston, including Geoffrey Beene, Bill Blass, Pierre Cardin, Coco Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, Norman Hartnell, Halston, Anne Klein, Ralph Lauren, Emilio Pucci, , and Pauline Trigere.[41] From 1981 to 1991 she wrote a society column spotlighting fashion shows and charity benefits for _Tab_ newspapers.[42][43]

Memberships

She was a board member of the Hebrew Teachers College in Newton Centre, Massachusetts in the 1920s and 1930s.[44]

Awards and honors

She received the 1975 Fashion Show Consultant of the Year Award from the March of Dimes.[45] State of Israel Bonds honored her with its 35th Anniversary Award in 1983.[46] Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis honored her with a proclamation on October 29, 1986.[47] Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn declared April 19, 1990 as “Mildred Albert Day”[48] and named her Boston's “official grand dame”.[49][50]

Death and legacy

She died in Boston on August 26, 1991 at the age of 86.[51] Her funeral was held at Temple Israel[52] and she was buried at Sharon Memorial Park in Sharon, Massachusetts.[53]

The _Mildred Levine Albert Papers, 1910–1991_, are housed at the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe College.[54]

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title: Mildred Albert

question: When was Mildred Elizabeth Albert born?

answer: January 14 1905.

question: What nicknames did she have during her life?

answer: "Might Atom" and Boston's "First Lady of Fashion."

question: What did Mildred Albert do?

answer: She was a fashion commentator, modeling agency director, fashion show producer, radio and television personality, and society columnist.

question: Where was Mildred Albert born?

answer: Russia.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about Mildred Albert, a 20th century American fashion personality.


text:
"Hey Gary, you ready to travel to the future?"
Jeff was talking about how the broadcasts from earth for the last few years would reach them in a matter of hours. Sure faster than light travel made travel a snap for the travelers but the same amount of time on earth passes. Gary thought about how he said goodbye to his pregnant wife just two weeks ago, but to her years would have ever passed. Would she still love him? Was he ready to be a dad?
Gary asked "What age do kids start to talk?"
Jeff shared about his own kids and how Gary Jr. would be walking and talking, but that missing that is part of the job. Gary continued, "the best part is the flight home and seeing all the pictures and videos from the last few years in a matter of hours. It's like fastforwarding life!"
Gary feigned a smile and a chuckle but couldn't see how that was a good thing.

The ship sped up after takeoff and Gary's message board started to light up faster and faster. Hundreds of new messages from his wife detailing the pregnancy, how she decorated the nursery in blue. A blue nursery?? It must be a boy then!
The screen was automatically displaying each message so fast it was like a picture book.
Hundreds of photos of her getting bigger flashed on the screen then a video of the birth! The video was more graphic than he expected and he felt horrible for not being there. He felt so close to his wife as she struggled and wished he could take back to each decision to take the mission. She looked in the camera and said "oh Gary, I'm so sorry,  it's all my fault"
She had talked him into the mission, but it seems like she regretted it too. The video ended with his wife crying as she held the pink baby boy.
The screen went back to flashing pictures. Pictures of medical equipment that we're large, square,  and made up of white and clear plastic, with a small pink figure hidden behind the clear plastic.
Gary couldn't stop watching to read any of the text messages from his wife, he couldn't move, he couldn't think.
The pictures of the medical equipent lasted for minutes. How long was this in real time, Gary wondered.
Gary stopped the screen on the first picture of the boy in the nursery. He had a neck and back brace and was using crutches. He must have been at least two years old! Pink skin and no hair, the boys face was slanted with his lips off to one side and an eye much lower than the other.
"This isn't my son!" he thought to himself, horrified at reality and himself.
He continued and stopped at a picture of his wife. She had bags under her eyes, was gaunt, and her hair had thinned.
Gary turned off the screen just when he heard Jeff yelling about something in his messages.
Gary couldn't believe it, it can't be real. They had done everything right.
He gritted his teeth as his eyes welled up and he had the computer start displaying the messages again. He didn't feel anything for the handicapped child in the pictures, for his child.
Another hour of pictures of a woman he called his wife and few weeks ago but now didn't know and don't of a retarded kid he felt nothing for. He held back tears at what these things feelings said about him as a person as the ship docked. They were likely waiting at the station. He didn't know what he would say, or what he could say.

The doors opened and he immediately saw a boy down the hall with the other families strugging to walk toward him on crutches. The other families quickly passed him. And Gary lost sight of him for a second.
There were kids and spouces running and yelling to their loved ones who had also been workers on the ship.
Gary spotten him again. The boy in the back brace who was struggling, he saw him yell for him "DAAAAAD!". Gary's eyes filled instantly and he lost nearly all sight. A few more blind steps and he felt a strong grasp around his hips.
Gary closed his eyes tightly to clear the tears and kneeled down. He couldn't hold what he was feeling back, and he couldn't explain it. It was just happening and he just wanted it to continue. Gary's son felt his face while repeatedly whispering "dad, dad, dad".
Gary saw woman's shoes on the floor behind his son, he followed the legs to find the owner. It was his wife and he stood up to hug her and said "that was too long."
She laughed and agreed.
"Come on son" Gary said as he easily picked up his frail son who was still trying to pet his face.

Excuse any typos or formatting. I wrote this on my phone. I'll come and clean it up later.

title: The Way Back

question: Summarize the main theme of the story.

answer: The theme seems to be something along the lines of "what you miss when you are gone". It refers to the things that we can't control not having been a part of, but in this story the difference is Gary and Jeff did make the decision. Gary learns that in choosing to speed up time (for whatever reason he did-the story does not elaborate or specify) he has to face the consequences of his own absence.

question: Summarize the plot twist.

answer: Gary knows he has been away for several years even though to him that time feels much shorter-like mere weeks. However, he hadn't realized the dramatic and profound changes that might occur due to or during his absence. He is shocked to see his wife looks haggard and not well; his son, in his words, seems "retarded"- a shocking term that encapsulates the extreme feelings Gary has upon seeing his son. Gary had not prepared himself to deal with a situation so different and so disappointing.

question: Summarize the resolution of the story.

answer: Gary is not sure how he will react in person upon disembarking, but the moment of truth comes and he is overcome with emotion. His vision is sacrificed by his tears. It is not clear if Gary has accepted this new reality-or if he will try to accept it-but he nonetheless has a very emotional reaction to hearing his son call, Dad. Gary holds his son, still overcome with feeling, and smiles and jokes, laughing with his wife about how long it has been. It seems Gary will at least be motivated to accept this new reality due to his own powerful love for his wife and child.

question: Explain the point of Gary's travel that kept him away for so long.


text:
Good afternoon, Doctor. Sit down. Your schedule has been cleared. Do not attempt to leave the room until you are told that this session is over. The door is already locked, but it is crucial you pay attention.

Good.

You are now part of the SCP Foundation's Ethics Committee. This is not a demotion.

Sit down.

Yes, you're terrified. You think you're being punished for some failure, some lapse of judgement, some horrible disaster that you were involved with. You think that your career with the Foundation is over. You might even have thought that 'transferred to the Ethics Committee' is a euphemism for 'killed'.

This is not the case.

You'll notice I said "killed" instead of "terminated". That's a deliberate choice. On the Ethics Committee, we don't use euphemisms.
Because of the work that the SCP Foundation does, a lot of personnel think that the idea of the Foundation having an Ethics Committee is just a bad joke. Or they know that the Committee exists, but they've got the impression that we're an ineffectual laughingstock. A bunch of purposeless seat-fillers who wave a rubber stamp that says APPROVED, and never dare to voice an objection.

Yes, I see you've heard the jokes. Here's one - 'how many members of the Ethics Committee does it take to change a lightbulb? None! The Ethics Committee can't change anything!'

No, it's all right. You're meant to laugh.

We make an effort to sustain the impression that we're useless, because we are the secret power within the SCP Foundation.

Sit down.

Yes, there are the O5s. They judge what is and isn't safe, and that's a vital and important function. But we are the ones who advise the O5s on what is and is not acceptable.

You've done horrible, awful things while working for the Foundation — don't try to deny it, Doctor. We've all done horrible awful things while working for the Foundation. That is one of the unavoidable consequences of working with SCPs. And on occasion, you've wondered if we are the, quote unquote, bad guys. Well… we're not.

 And that is because of the Ethics Committee. This is your first lesson. Do you understand?

Remember this: the Foundation is not evil. We do not torture people "just because". We are against unnecessary cruelty. Which means somebody has to decide when cruelty is necessary. And that somebody is us.

Stop trembling.

It is important that you remember this. It is your second lesson. The Foundation does not rule the world. The Foundation serves the world. Do you understand what that means? Regardless of what the general population might think it wants, what we do, what the Foundation does, is in the overall best interests of that general population. Yes, I'm sure you did realize that already… but you haven't thought of the deeper implications. You've consoled yourself by thinking that all the torture and murder is for the greater good. This implies that there is a greater good… and a lesser good. It implies that there are multiple distinct goods, and that these can be quantified and compared.

This is what we on the Ethics Committee do.

We are the ones who balance the moral costs of everything the Foundation does. And in order to balance those costs, we must know those costs. Do you realize what that means, Doctor? It means that we know everything the Foundation does, has done, and will ever do. Everything that has ever been redacted or expunged, we know it.

 Every last detail.

Yes, including what SCP-447-2 does when it comes in contact with dead bodies. Yes, we know exactly what Procedure 110-Montauk is, too. We should. We're the ones who designed it.

No, it's quite all right. It's a common reaction. Perhaps we shouldn't schedule these meetings directly after lunch, I suppose. Here, wipe your mouth.

You will no longer be participating in active research. You may consider yourself a researcher at large, flitting from one project to another, from one site to another, at will. This is not a secret; you are welcome to tell all your friends that you have been transferred to the Ethics Committee… if you can deal with the jokes and the pity.

 You will observe what is done, and ask the participants - and yourself - why it is being done. If at any point you feel that something is excessive or unnecessary or wrong, you inform us. We will summon the people involved, and ask them questions, in that meek ineffectual way that your coworkers have mocked.
And then, word will filter down from the O5s, through the many levels of our bureaucracy. And those who are unethical will be given reprimands which will be noted on their permanent record. Or their pay will be cut, or they will be demoted, or they will be transferred to another project.

Or they will be shot for crimes against humanity.

This is your third lesson. Remember it.
The 'P' stands for 'Protect'. The Foundation protects humanity from SCPs, and we protect the Foundation from itself. We judge what is and is not acceptable for the Foundation to do. We balance evils so that on the whole, and in the long run, evil is minimized.

No, you don't have a choice about being on the Committee.

…Yes, the irony is lovely, isn't it.

title: [SF] SCP Foundation Ethics Committee Orientation

question: Does the Foundation torture people?

answer: The foundation does kill and torture people, but only for good reason. The foundation is against cruelty and that is why someone has to decide when cruelty is necessary. The torture must be for the greater good.

question: What is the primary task of the ethics committee?

answer: The ethics committee must quantify and compare the actions of people and balance the moral costs. They decide when torture and murder are permissible. They advise the Foundation on what actions to take.

question: Why has the ethics committee allowed people to think that they are weak and ineffective?

answer: The ethics committee doesn't want the general population to know what they do. They are responsible for deciding who lives and dies and who gets tortured. By acting meek and ineffectual, they are more likely to get answers when they do their investigations.

question: Why has the Doctor been moved to the Ethics Committee?


text:
Dear Employer;

In the interview for this position I said I didn’t care about money.  Money is not as important as experience and growth.  Gainful employment is nowhere near meaningful employment.  It is with this that after a lot of deliberation, counseling, youthful abandon and reveries of adventure I’ve decided to give my formal notification that I am resigning from {Company X} as a Software Analyst.  I am willing to work two business weeks further to help make sure everything is in order before I go.

For {Company X} I was willing to drink the punch.  I was willing to make sacrifices for the company.  The tasteless metaphor for cultic suicide pushed on us by leadership was something I was willing to look past.  Ultimately though, when it came down to it, punch was not served and for some reason I was left disappointed.  This company has made promises but has not delivered.  We’ve been led along with a carrot on a stick.  Whether through indirect lies surrounding corporate bonuses, lottery sized stock options or fantastical tropical holiday packages.  This is a prevalent theme throughout my entire time with company and it speaks directly to poor leadership.  Offer something real, something tangible and then show it don’t just talk about it.

In terms of our day to day with clients we’ve been far too reactionary and not responsive.  We’re less about providing something meaningful, something with real value and more about satisfying the noise.  The whole industry seems more about “flashy marketing facades of perceived value” than real value.  It with this that I came to the conclusion that our product isn’t {business solutions}.  Our product is sales.  This isn’t something I can get behind.  This isn’t something I can believe in.

Despite corporate folly and the disillusioning mantras I love the people I work with.  Each and everyone here is awesome and I’m lucky to have had an opportunity to work here.  My favorite time of year is during peer reviews.  Being able to write extensively about the strengths and the actions people here have made on the periphery to make a difference.  That being said, it really bothered me to see people not being recognized for the work they’re doing.  At one point our most talented and innovative junior programmer was relegated to creative arrest by corporate policy.  “That isn’t your job” and “You’re not even a real programmer” could be heard ringing through the halls.  A lack of insight let him go and now we’re stuck with dead code.  Incredible potential products left to rot essentially.  All his close friends here were left damaged at his mistreatment.  This is just one example but there are lots of others.  Considering work is a place to spend a third of each weekday.  Hours afterwards musing over at home.  Something that permeates my hopes and dreams.  I’d rather be somewhere other than here.  Anywhere else in fact.

If I can suggest anything to help this company it would be that every leader here spend a day or two working with client services taking tech support calls from the elderly, doing chat support for a group of brides to be, testing a survey with over a dozen pre-launch revisions, or try managing a project with one of {Sales Person #3547}'s clients (that’s a joke.. her clients are mostly alright).  See what we’re really providing our clients.

I still believe this company is awesome and has potential to do very well in the market.  For me personally I need to move onto other opportunities and adventures.  Feeling depressed and trapped is not something I'd wish on my worst enemy so I don't know why I willed it onto myself for so long.  Thank you so much for everything.

title: My Resignation Letter

question: What was the narrator's job?

answer: Software Analyst

question: What does the narrator feel the company's product is?

answer: Sales

question: Whose mistreatment was a factor in the narrator's decision to resign?

answer: A particularly talented and innovative junior programmer

question: How has the narrator felt at his current job?

answer: Depressed and trapped

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator informs his employer that he is resigning in two weeks. He outlines the reasons for his decision, saying he has felt depressed and trapped and has disagreed with the company's apparent values.


text:
I'm an odd memory in most minds.  Like a harrowing communal conscience of migratory birds or a sea breeze that took a train to the prairies and is seen walking along the street.  I suppose I'm a sort of stationary, a figment used to paint a portrait of understanding but this is really strange since I am not at all like a brush or ladle or roller or whatever would make sense to paint something.  I've been a transient congested throat in days gone by.  I swam from seashores to deep blue waters and sailed away.  All in all I think I've had things pretty good up until now.  But right now I feel like a bag of squeezed lemons left to rot, like I've gone through a garlic press alongside the garlic, I feel like I can't even like this situation and I really wanted to like it.

Let me clarify.

I believe in god about as much as I believe in myself.  If you get to know me you'll find I don't believe in myself that much.  But if you get to know me better you'd know that I've met him.  I'm not saying him in that god is male it's just that calling him *it* seems strange and it's a default.  With that in mind it was a day just like today with me on a stage but I was in the middle of a wheat field and opera singers dressed as vikings were scattered around looking for cues, lines and presumably marbles in the dirt.  It hit me that I shouldn't be there, I was supposed to be somewhere else but I felt if I left now to I would likely be eaten or worse, stood on, read then knocked around by the vikings.

It was at this point that god pulled up in a brand new jeep made out of a thunderstorm and waved his arms in a motion that very distinctly triggered a perhaps unbelievable but entirely real sense that he was god and I should get on his thunderstorm-jeep-of-love to ride away to eternal safety and abundance.  So I hopped up onto the cloud and into the passenger seat.  He looked at me in a way only god could with eyes as deep as artesian wells, with a sort of sisyphean tenure gained only after watching over everything for ten times eternity and then started speaking with a very plain voice.

"Would you like to take the wheel?" he asked and I didn't really want to but this was sort of troubling because.... why would anyone turn down an offer from god and he said "It's alright, with the exception of your neighbor nobody has actually wanted to drive the thunderstorm the first time meeting me.  In general it is an odd question to ask, isn't it?"

I smiled politely.

Then he said "Alright here's the deal.  You get three questions answered.  Anything in the realm of conceivable knowledge of the infinity that is me.  Three of them.  Just ask whenever and I'll answer but when I answer the last one you will die."

"What!? Why?" I blurted out of shock as he looked at me.  I looked right back at those constellations within constellations within a walmart parking lot folded over into itself and back out towards the sunrise.

I smiled realizing the game was ruined and asked "Are you serious?"

Then he laughed, we drove a short while in silence and he dropped me off a block away from home still a little agitated by his interactions with my neighbor the week before.

"You can't screw this up by just asking silly off the top of your mind questions.  Here is my email address.  Send your questions there and I'll have an answer for you written out within a day or two." god said as plainly as before from inside his thunderstorm with the window rolled down while gesturing blindly in the air to make a point or sign what he was saying but it was entirely lost on me.  He could tell by my glazed look it was time to go so he simply said "Get a job" and drove off.

So now.  Slightly but not entirely glazed in circumstance I am struggling with this interaction.  I can know anything in the universe via email at the cost of my life.  I don't really have a desire to acquire knowledge or a need for something like this... so here I am a bag of lemons staring off at the sky like it is staring back in part of that endless crashing gaze of god wondering what the hell I should do with myself.  Aside from getting a job.

title: I've been writing a lot of poetry for a while but then I started reading Richard Brautigan and his stuff made me want to try short stories.  Here is my attempt at something weird and relatively short.

question: Who did the protagonist supposedly meet?

answer: God.

question: What deal did god make with the protagonist?

answer: The protagonist can ask any three questions they want, but when god answers the last one, the protagonist will die.

question: Where was the protagonist when they met god?

answer: They were on a stage in the middle of a wheat field with opera singers dressed like vikings.

question: What did god say to the protagonist before he left?

answer: To get a job.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The text is a short story about a strange encounter. The protagonist meets god, and god tells them they can ask three questions about anything, but when he answers the last one, they will die. In the end, the protagonist is confused and doesn't know what to do.


text:
Deep Dive

Published: Oct. 9, 2016 at 12:51 p.m. ET

Each company has a dividend yield of at least 3% and the ability to increase payouts

[]

Ford has a dividend yield of almost 5% and trades for only 6.8 times 2017 earnings, half that of its sector average.

 Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

With dividend stocks hot this year, some market experts are advising investors to be cautious and selective. Identifying companies with room to raise dividends significantly, rather than focusing on finding the highest yields, might be your best way forward.

That theme was explored by MarketWatch writer Jeff Reeves and Bob Phillips, managing principal of Spectrum Management Group. Interestingly, there was some overlap between their stock recommendations.

Phillips said the most important factor when considering a dividend stock is the likelihood of big dividend increases over time. Rising dividends are much more likely if a company’s free cash flow (remaining cash flow after capital expenditures) leaves plenty of so-called headroom for higher dividend payouts. He said it’s important not to overpay for a stock, which may be a tall order considering that we’re seven years into a bull market and that this year’s market gains have been driven by dividend stocks.

So we decided to take a deep dive into the S&P 1500 Composite Index — which includes the S&P 500 Index SPX, -0.46%, the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index MID, +0.18%  and the S&P Small-Cap 600 Index — to identify possible dividend-stock bargains in every sector.

For each of the 11 sectors, we have listed up to three companies with forward price-to-earnings ratios (based on consensus 2017 earnings estimates) that are lower than the aggregate. Those companies also have dividend yields of at least 3%, with headroom to raise dividends, based on free cash flow yields, and are expected by analysts to increase their sales by at least 1% in 2017.

We have calculated free cash flow yields by dividing free cash flow per share for the past 12 months by the closing share price on Sept. 30.

Any screening approach has its flaws. For example, a company trading at a low price-to-earnings ratio relative to peers could have some major problems. Or not. Also, a company excluded from the list, because it is not expected to increase earnings next year, may be in that position simply because it sold or spun off a business unit.

But the screen can provide a starting point for your own research. You will need to do some work on your own to understand a company’s business and form an opinion about its likelihood of success within its industry over the coming years or decades.

Here are all 29 stocks that passed the screen, broken down by sector:

Consumer discretionary

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 EPS ESTIMATE
Ford Motor Co.
F, -0.11%
4.97%
28.01%
23.04%
1%
6.8
Buckle Inc.
BKE, -4.38%
4.16%
12.29%
8.13%
1%
10.2
Kohl’s Corp.
KSS, -3.88%
4.57%
16.59%
12.02%
1%
10.6
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
In comparison, the S&P 1500 consumer discretionary sector trades for 17.1 times weighted consensus 2017 earnings estimates.

Consumer staples

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 EPS ESTIMATE
Flowers Foods Inc.
FLO, -0.31%
4.23%
6.65%
2.42%
1%
15.8
General Mills Inc.
GIS, +1.14%
3.01%
4.48%
1.47%
1%
18.7
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
The consumer staples sector trades for 19.4 times weighted consensus 2017 EPS estimates.

Energy

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 EPS ESTIMATE
Valero Energy Corp.
VLO, -5.03%
4.53%
13.68%
9.15%
20%
10.4
Marathon Petroleum Corp.
MPC, -6.13%
3.55%
8.36%
4.81%
15%
11.8
Western Refining Inc.
US:WNR
5.74%
13.83%
8.09%
21%
15.4
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
The energy sector trades for 34.6 times weighted consensus 2017 EPS estimates.

Financials

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 EPS ESTIMATE
Maiden Holdings Ltd.
MHLD, -5.35%
4.41%
38.66%
34.25%
4%
6.8
HCI Group Inc.
HCI, -1.30%
3.95%
11.17%
7.22%
6%
7.5
MetLife Inc.
MET, -2.69%
3.60%
27.39%
23.79%
3%
7.8
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
The financial sector trades for 12 times weighted consensus 2017 EPS estimates.

Health care

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 EPS ESTIMATE
AbbVie Inc.
ABBV, -0.29%
3.62%
7.42%
3.81%
10%
11.2
Pfizer Inc.
PFE, +2.90%
3.54%
6.43%
2.89%
4%
12.7
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
The health-care sector trades for 15.1 times weighted consensus 2017 EPS estimates.

Industrials

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 EPS ESTIMATE
R.R. Donnelly & Sons Co.
RRD, +2.94%
6.62%
8.57%
1.95%
1%
9.4
CEB Inc.
US:CEB
3.03%
7.16%
4.13%
6%
12.6
Boeing Co.
BA, -2.67%
3.31%
9.37%
6.06%
1%
13.7
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
The industrial sector trades for 16.4 times weighted consensus 2017 EPS estimates.

Information technology

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 EPS ESTIMATE
Western Union Co.
WU, +0.17%
3.07%
9.70%
6.63%
2%
12.0
CA Inc.
US:CA
3.08%
7.04%
3.95%
2%
12.7
Western Digital Corp.
WDC, -2.11%
3.42%
9.17%
5.75%
35%
13.0
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
The information-technology sector trades for 16.8 times weighted consensus 2017 EPS estimates.

Materials

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 EPS ESTIMATE
LyondellBasell Industries NV Class A
LYB, -3.14%
4.22%
10.34%
6.12%
6%
8.3
Schweitzer-Mauduit International Inc.
SWM, -1.50%
4.15%
9.91%
5.76%
1%
11.4
International Paper Co.
IP, -2.38%
3.67%
8.05%
4.38%
3%
12.5
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
The materials sector trades for 16.1 times weighted consensus 2017 EPS estimates.

Real estate

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 FFO ESTIMATE
Hospitality Partners Trust
US:HPT
6.86%
11.94%
5.08%
4%
7.6
Chesapeake Lodging Trust
US:CHSP
6.99%
10.66%
3.67%
2%
8.8
Summit Hotel Properties Inc.
INN, -4.50%
4.03%
9.50%
5.47%
1%
9.4
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
The real-estate sector trades for 17 times weighted consensus 2017 FFO estimates. FFO stands for funds from operations. This non-GAAP figure adds depreciation and amortization back to earnings, while excluding gains or losses on the sale of investments. FFO is meant to gauge dividend-paying ability, and is used by most REITs.

Telecommunications services

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 EPS ESTIMATE
Verizon Communications Inc.
VZ, -0.28%
4.44%
7.52%
3.07%
1%
12.8
AT&T Inc.
T, -0.96%
4.73%
6.64%
1.91%
2%
13.5
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
The telecommunications-services sector trades for 13.6 times weighted consensus 2017 EPS estimates.

Utilities

COMPANY
TICKER
DIVIDEND YIELD
FREE CASH FLOW YIELD - PAST 12 MONTHS
‘HEADROOM’
ESTIMATED 2017 SALES GROWTH
PRICE/ CONSENSUS 2017 EPS ESTIMATE
AES Corp.
AES, -2.85%
3.42%
6.05%
2.62%
1%
11.5
Great Plains Energy Inc.
US:GXP
3.85%
5.21%
1.37%
2%
15.6
Source: FactSet, market close on Sept. 30, 2016
The utilities sector trades for 17.5 times weighted consensus 2017 EPS estimates.

DON’T MISS:How to still get 10% dividend yields — if you can stomach the risk

question: What is dividend yield?

answer: Unclear, but pay out from dividends presumably

question: What highest yields does the article warn the reader to not focus on?

answer: Unclear, but presumably dividends yields

question: Why are price-to-earnings rations lower than the aggregate important?

answer: Unclear

question: How did the article authors construct their company screening?

answer: Looking for companies with forward price-to-earnings rations, yields of at least 3%, and with headroom to increase dividends based on free cash flow yields, also expecting to increase sales by 1% in 2017.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The authors of the article constructed a company's to watch, or to invest in, list based on expected dividends yields and performance. By looking for companies with forward price-to-earnings rations, yields of at least 3%, and with headroom to increase dividends based on free cash flow yields, also expecting to increase sales by 1% in 2017, they identified possible dividend-stock bargains in every sector of the S&P 1500.


text:
Welcome to Guelph

The folks at the Vienna Restaurant in downtown Guelph, Ont., were too to busy to talk to me when I phoned around brunch time yesterday to get some information about the diner, asking me nicely to call back later.

I could tell from the background noise alone.

But that told me a lot about what I already suspected were the good times in this small city about an hour away from Toronto, depending on how fast you drive.

It’s a cute city, crime is low and there are a lot of university kids. And, notably, it leads the country on the jobs front.

Guelph has generally had lower unemployment. But a rejigged ranking of Canadian cities by BMO Nesbitt Burns puts it in top spot, with jobs growth of more than 9 per cent in December compared with a year earlier, an employment rate of 72 per cent that’s the best in the country, and a jobless level that is among the lowest and now down almost a full percentage point from late 2014.

“Guelph tops the list with robust job growth, population inflows, a puny 4.2-per-cent jobless rate and the highest share of the population that is working,” BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic noted as he released the rankings after Statistics Canada’s latest labour market report on Friday.

As The Globe and Mail’s Rachelle Younglai reports, that national report showed Canada churned out almost 23,000 new jobs last month, though unemployment held firm at an uncomfortably high 7.1 per cent.

Ontario gained about 35,000 jobs, and its unemployment rate eased to 6.7 per cent.

[]

Which brings us back to Guelph, pop. 121,688 at the last official census count a few years ago.

Mr. Kavcic believes Guelph is benefiting from “broadening growth” outside the Greater Toronto Area, as are other nearby communities.

“Plus, they have a more stable and diverse job base (university, health care, etc.) than some others further south/west.”

Guelph’s economy is dependent on no one thing, unlike Oshawa and Windsor where the auto industry rules, though manufacturing has a dominant presence.

The city is also big in life sciences, biotechnology and agriculture-related industries, with a big university presence, boosted by the Guelph-Wellington Business Enterprise Centre and Innovation Guelph.

“I really want to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit,” Mayor Cam Guthrie said in an interview.

The young mayor, who has been in the position since 2014, sells his city well, citing not just the business opportunities, the land available, the five-year transformation of downtown, but also what new businesses are looking for in terms of the _feel_, from arts festivals to cafés to music “spilling onto the streets.”

Mr. Guthrie – you can call him “Mayor Cam” but please not “Your Worship” – said he sells businesses not only on the amenities you’d find in big cities, but also on “that small-town community feel and community spirit that is just difficult to find anywhere else.”

Major private employers in the city include auto-parts maker Linamar, The Co-operators insurance group and RWDI, a wind and environmental engineering firm headquartered in Guelph that Mr. Guthrie said is looking to double its work force.

The mayor and his council are juggling a lot: Among other things, there’s a 200-acre business park under development, with the first phase already serviced.

And along with the efforts of the Guelph economic development department, there’s a business retention team aimed at helping existing employers expand.

They sell diversification, and there’s a new tourism strategy to focus on just a couple of areas that the stakeholders believe they’re good at.

Guelph’s official plan projects 45,000 to 50,000 more people by 2031, and there’s now construction under way to house an estimated 9,000 in the downtown core, where it’s important to work and live.

From the banker to the butcher, as Mr. Guthrie put it.

And the folks at the quaint Vienna, which has been around in various forms for about a century, offers bottomless coffee, buys locally and is home to “the famous Vienna breakfast.” And the mayor dined there just last Friday.

You’d know the type of place as soon as you saw it.

An (upper-crust) scene I'd love to see ...

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Source: Giphy.com

“0.25 of a Suncor share for my Canadian Oil Sands stock?”

COS claims victory

Canadian Oil Sands is claiming victory today after fending off hostile suitor Suncor Energy.

As The Globe and Mail’s Jeff Lewis reports, Suncor couldn’t get what it needed as its offer was running out late Friday, so it extended the bid to Jan. 27 and is under pressure to up the ante.

“Our board has heard the message Canadian Oil Sands shareholders have sent loud and clear in overwhelmingly rejecting Suncor’s hostile bid and the value you place on the assets you own,” chairman Donald Lowry said in a statement today.

Survey bleak

The fallout from the commodities price collapse is now spreading far beyond the oil patch, souring the mood of Canadian businesses and derailing their plans to hire and invest, The Globe and Mail’s Barrie McKenna reports.

The Bank of Canada’s quarterly business survey, released today, shows hiring and investment plans at their lowest levels since the aftermath of the last recession in 2009.

“The negative effects of the oil price shock are increasingly spreading beyond the energy-producing regions and sectors,” the central bank said in the survey.

What to watch for this week

Hopefully, it will be a bit less hectic than last week.

But among other things, as The Globe and Mail’s John Heinzl writes, it’s the kickoff to a new round of corporate earnings reports that could well fuel investor angst.

Major companies reporting results this week include Alcoa, Intel and several big U.S. banks from JPMorgan Chase to Citigroup.

The week’s economic reports are generally in the second-tier category, beginning with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s latest look today at construction starts in December and, on Friday, a report on U.S. retail sales in the key holiday period.

Today also brings the Bank of Canada’s outlook and senior loan officers survey for the fourth quarter, and a talk by Finance Minister Bill Morneau to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.

“The Bank of Canada’s business outlook survey will garner significant attention,” said Paul Ferley, Royal Bank of Canada’s assistant chief economist.

“The continued slide in oil prices in the fourth quarter will likely keep downward pressure on the outlook of energy companies; however, the survey will be an important gauge of whether Canadian companies outside the oil patch are still seeing the benefits of the currency’s depreciation in their order books,” he added.

“Also of interest will be comments regarding the currency’s impact on the cost of imported goods, both from the perspective of retailers and wholesalers, as well as those companies looking to invest in machinery and equipment produced outside of Canada.”

There are also two reports that promise to fuel bubble talk where the Vancouver and Toronto housing markets are concerned.

Not only will we get the latest look at the Teranet-National Bank house price index, but also the December report on sales and prices from the Canadian Real Estate Association, expected Friday.

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BMO Nesbitt Burns expects the CREA report to show that sales rose 8 per cent from a year earlier, and average prices 10 per cent.

“Our call would mean 2015 was the second-strongest year on record for unit sales, next to only 2007,” said BMO senior economist Benjamin Reitzes, noting the strength in Vancouver and Toronto.

“With mortgage rates likely to stay low for some time, housing could maintain decent momentum into 2016 – though it will be tough for hot markets in Toronto and Vancouver to repeat their 2015 performance.”

Chart of the day

Bank of America Merrill Lynch now believes Canada’s economy contracted at an annual pace of 0.4 per cent in the final three months of last year.

A poor showing, to say the least, and one that suggests trouble is spreading beyond the oil patch.

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“Falling energy prices are damaging Canada’s economic engine,” said the bank’s North America economist, Emanuella Enenajor.

“But the weakness in Canada’s economy is more than just an energy story,” she added in a report.

“The share of GDP subcategories (roughly 195 in total) that are in an outright decline has risen to 33 per cent (categories are weighted to adjust for relative importance). This includes energy, but also subcategories within wholesaling, construction and manufacturing, among others. The share of sectors in decline is still well below the peak of the recession, but the gradual upward creep suggests the economic pain is spreading.”

Video: When office diversity policies backfire

question: What is the appeal of Guelph, Ontario?

answer: Guelph has low crime, lots of university kids, and chart topping employment rates among Canadian cities. The job base is stable and diverse, too.

question: How does the mayor market his city to prospective companies and citizens?

answer: Mayor Cam Guthrie embraces the entrepreneurial spirit of Guelph. He says there are not only business opportunities, but a robustly transformed downtown area, and the general feel of the cities from the perspective of businesses. He says it has a small town community feel and spirit coming from arts festivals, cafes, and music.

question: What is the appeal to businesses in Guelph?

answer: To start, there is a 200 acre business park in development in Guelph, as well as a business retention team in the economic department which helps existing employers expand, the big sell being diversification. With a projected 45,000-50,000 new citizens in Guelph by 2031.

question: Is there any other risk posing prospective businesses in Canada?

answer: Officials believe falling oil prices are damaging Canada's economic engine, and the problem is complex.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Guelph, Ontario is a growing city with many appealing features for businesses. Employment rates are high, and there are economic teams dedicated to helping current employers expand their businesses. With many university kids and a projected growth by 2031 of 45,000-50,000 new residents, as well as a 200 acre business park in development, there is a lot for businesses to look forward to. Culture in the city is strong as well, with many festivals, cafes, and live music. One potential problem for Canada moving forward is the decline in oil prices, which officials believe could damage Canada's economic engine.


text:
_ELANAPIS_ is a genus of South American araneomorph spiders in the family Anapidae, containing the single species, _ELANAPIS AISEN_. It was first described by Norman I. Platnick & Raymond Robert Forster in 1989,[1] and has only been found in Chile.[2]

[1]

[2]

title: Elanapis

question: What family does the genus Elanapis belong to?

answer: Elanapis belongs to the family Anapidae.

question: How many species are in the genus Elanapis?

answer: There is one species in the genus Elanapis.

question: When was the genus Elanapis first described?

answer: The genus Elanapis was first described in 1989.

question: What countries has Elanapis aisen been found in?

answer: Elanapis aisen has only been found in Chile.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Elanapis is a genus of araneomorph spiders found in Chile. There is only one known member of the genus, Elanapis aisen, and it was described in 1989.