text:
[Kai Newkirk on day 13 (October 30) of the Fast for Democracy. (Facebook/99Rise)]
Kai Newkirk on day 13 (October 30) of the Fast for Democracy. (Facebook/99Rise)
Fourteen days ago I had my last meal — if you can call it that. A cup of apple juice on a flight. Since then I’ve been living on water alone and I’m prepared to continue for days to come.

Why would someone willingly take on this kind of discomfort? I’ve chosen to do so to demonstrate through my own bodily sacrifice the seriousness of what I and more and more Americans believe to be a crisis: the utter corruption of our democracy by what Abraham Lincoln called “the money power.” I want to call on people who acknowledge this problem, but may not act on it, to take a simple step: pledge to vote this November and to do so in support of candidates who will fight to end this corruption.

In the days since I began my fast others who feel this urgency have joined me. Some for just a day in solidarity, others — like retired attorney Steve Bass in Los Angeles and civil servant Laura Rubalcalba in Sacramento — for the duration. The pool of people to whom we appeal by our collective sacrifice is an enormous one. Indeed, a growing consensus is emerging among the American people that billionaires and corporations are essentially buying our elections and insisting that the victors they finance — Republican and Democrat alike — govern in their narrow interest rather than that of the nation.

Look at any injustice, any critical and chronic problem in America — from climate disruption to mass incarceration to student debt or outrageous wealth inequality — and a clear assessment will reveal that the wishes and needs of big money interests are being served instead of those of the vast majority of Americans. Koch brother beats grandma or your kids every time. We must face the hard truth: America has become a plutocratic oligarchy. Our economic and political life are dominated by a tiny elite, a fraction of the wealthiest 1 percent.

This is wrong; it’s a betrayal of this country’s tremendous legacy of struggle to realize the democratic promise of its founding principles, and it threatens our future as a people. Yet, far too many of us who feel this truth at some level lack the hope or courage to take on the challenge of doing something about it. We are fasting to help change that. _There is hope_ and courage is contagious.

The hope that I see is not in any one candidate or leader — this isn’t 2008. Instead I see hope in a movement that is growing in this land, our land. Especially in the last almost 5 years since the Supreme Court disgraced itself with the infamous _Citizens United_ decision, people across our country have begun waking up and organizing to confront what Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig calls the “first issue” for progress in the United States: ending political corruption through fundamental reform of election funding and, more broadly, the intersection of private wealth, corporate power and public governance.  In the summer of 2012, I decided after years of community organizing and political work to join this movement and devote myself to this fight.

I left my position as a deputy for a Los Angeles City Councilman to help launch 99Rise — a growing grassroots organization fighting to end corruption and win real democracy in America through nonviolent civil resistance in the tradition of the abolitionists, the suffragettes, the early trade union organizers, the civil rights workers and beyond. In the two years since then, I’ve been to jail four times — once for disrupting the Supreme Court on the eve of another shameful “go corruption!” decision, _McCutcheon v. FEC_ — and marched almost 500 miles from Los Angeles to the California capitol in Sacramento. As thousands of others have stepped up to sacrifice in many different ways, we’ve won victories that are slowly shifting the political weather on this issue.

We see the signs of the Democratic Party and many Republicans shifting tentatively but significantly in our direction — from California and Vermont issuing binding calls for a Constitutional Convention to address it; to hundreds of cities and nearly a third of states calling by resolution or referendum for Congress to do so; to the recent Senate vote on an imperfect but serious Amendment and the proposal of a strong public finance bill in the House.

Right now, many candidates for office who have begun to feel the power of this growing movement are staking their flag on our side of this fight. The big money forces of corruption — the Koch brothers, Chevrons, and Sheldon Adelsons — see this and they are spending unprecedented millions to tighten their grip on our government before we grow much stronger. On the eve of what will be the most expensive midterm election in American history marked by perhaps the lowest voter turnout ever, people who care about democracy, about our country — about ourselves — cannot sit this one out. So, in this moment we have chosen one tool of civil resistance — fasting — to move many more to commit to stand against corruption by taking up another: the vote.

Fasting is a weapon that anyone can wield — it’s requirements are only a living body and a determined will. Indeed, while the epic fasts of historic leaders like Gandhi and Cesar Chavez are best known, ordinary people have put this tool to powerful use in movements for immigrant rights, the human rights of prisoners, and other fights for generations. While many fasts or hunger strikes demand something of an opponent or oppressor, our fast — and some of the most powerful examples in history — makes a demand of our supporters, those who agree with and even love us. By our sacrifice, we implore you to consider that which moves us to such uncommon action and — if you in fact do agree — to take action yourself.

Now 14 days into our Fast for Democracy, over 1,000 people have pledged and our message has reached tens of thousands more. The other night a friend said he didn’t recognize me — and another suggested I won’t have to dress up to be a skeleton for Halloween. I’ve lost some weight, true, and this isn’t easy. But I and those who have joined me will continue our fast until at least 28,000 people — symbolic of the 28th Constitutional Amendment for which we fight — have taken the Democracy Voter Pledge or until the polls close on November 4th. If you, the reader, are among those who agree: stand with us and sign the pledge.

The Democracy Voter Pledge is simple. It states: “I pledge to vote on or before November 4th, 2014, for pro-democracy candidates who will fight for reform to end corruption.” To help people identify pro-democracy candidates to support, we’ve developed Democracy Voter Guides that we share with everyone who pledges.

What makes a “pro-democracy” candidate? For us, the litmus test is whether or not a candidate has voted for, co-sponsored, or made clear public statements in favor of legislation to either advance a 28th Amendment to ban big money from elections or advance public financing of elections. If yes on either, pro-democracy; if no on both, pro-corruption. Some have asked whether this standard is strong enough and even whether participating in an election system we know is rigged makes sense. Let me respond here to them.

No promise or past behavior from a politician is a guarantee of future action. We know this. But electing those who commit to back anti-corruption reform in principle or who have taken steps to do so already helps to build a popular mandate for this change by validating our position. And it gives us leverage as a movement to hold them accountable by further mobilizing a now more emboldened public. As Gandhi, Dr. King, and scholars like Gene Sharp have taught us, ultimately, power lies in a mobilized people. A strategy of nonviolent civil resistance is based on galvanizing both the sympathy of a majority of the public and a critical mass of active participation for a cause. When we achieve that decisive threshold of active public support, the key institutions — or pillars — that uphold the status quo are forced to shift to concede to our demands or face unsustainable political, social and economic costs.

Engaging in this election to elevate our cause and support candidates likely to stand with us is a step in that broader process. In this critical struggle, we must be prepared to use every nonviolent tool. Voting is one such tool, and a powerful one with particular meaning in this fight, which is, in one sense, a struggle to defend our very right to vote.

Indeed, the struggle to end corruption and establish political equality regardless of wealth is a struggle to ensure _that universal suffrage still means something._ That it is still the lever, shared equally by all adult citizens, that sets our representative government on its course. If we are dismayed by corruption, by the rigging of the game, and discard our ballot power we defame that for which we fight. And further, in my view, the blood, sweat and tears that Americans who came before us have shed in order to win that right to vote, to expand the franchise from a tiny minority of property-owning white men to Americans of any class, color or gender, makes voting a sacred right. And a sacred duty. We fast to call on all who stand with us in principle on the question of political equality to stand with us now in action: vote for democracy this November.

Join us. Pledge to vote. Help us build a movement. This is just a step in much larger struggle — but it is an important step. Whatever happens when the election results come in, our path forward is still clear: to build a mass movement of nonviolent civil resistance that galvanizes the American public and leverages our people power in a way that no plutocrat can withstand.

I know this will be miles away from easy. But when I look at the history of our country, I see a humbling, profoundly powerful tradition of nonviolent struggle that has overcome tremendous entrenched resistance to advance progress toward “liberty and justice for all” in America. We surely face no greater obstacles than they did. From the abolitionists to the suffragettes, from the early trade union organizers to the civil rights workers and beyond, everyday Americans have built movements and put their bodies and freedom on the line for justice. And won. Every one of us is heir in some way to that legacy of struggle — if not in this country, then in those from which most Americans ancestors came. The same strength is in us. It’s time to remember who we are, take up the same tools our ancestors did, and renew our democracy.

question: What do the injustices, any critical and chronic problem in America show?

answer: The injustices show how the needs of big money interests are being served instead of those of the vast majority of Americans.

question: What is heavily encouraged by the narrator to do?

answer: The narrator heavily encourages everyone to care and vote for people in power and participate in the election.

question: What is 99Rise?

answer: It is a growing grassroots organization fighting to end corruption and win real democracy in America through nonviolent civil resistance in the tradition of the abolitionists.

question: What position did the narrator leave to help launch 99Rise?

answer: The narrator left their position as a deputy for a Los Angeles City Councilman.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator discussed the wrongs in America and points out the injustices that occur. The narrator emphasizes that the only thing we can do to fix issues in the US and create progress is to vote and engage in elections.


split: train

text:
Avanya beckons from the darkness. "Come quickly, there is much to learn and we haven't much time."

Only a faint glow, a dancing shadow of the distant flames from
their homeland illuminate their path, only vengeance fuels their spirits to push forward, and only the Goddesses know why they they have been given this task.  Ans so they push onwards, leaving their air of their countrymen in search of the knowledge that will set them free. Three souls hang in the balance, driven by a promise they have sworn their lives to keep.

title: "Come, let us seek out the children of the Afterlife...That we may learn legends we have forgotten, and legends we should not remember,"

question: What promise did they make?

answer: The promise is not explicitly mentioned, but three souls hang in the balance.

question: Why are they leaving their homeland?

answer: They have been given a task to find the knowledge that will set them free.

question: Who says that there is much to learn and we haven't much time?

answer: Avanya beckons them from the darkness.

question: What fuels their spirit to push forward?

answer: Vengeance.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The group leave their homeland in search of vengeance. They have sworn on their lives to keep a promise and three souls hang in the balance.


text:
_ANGEL'S KNOCK_ (stylized in all caps) is the debut Korean language studio album (third overall) by South Korean girl group AOA. It was released on January 2, 2017 by FNC Entertainment and distributed by LOEN Entertainment through digital and physical platforms.[1]

Double title tracks, “Excuse Me” and “Bing Bing,” which represent two distinctive concepts, were released and promoted simultaneously on the music programs during their comeback week. Korean versions of AOA's previous Japanese singles, “Give Me The Love” and “Oh Boy,” are also included at track 8 and 9 respectively. “Excuse Me” charted at number 22 on the Gaon Digital Chart, while “Bing Bing” debuted and peaked at number 45. The album marked the group's first comeback after the departure of member Youkyung in October 2016. This also marks the final release with member Choa, after departing from the group on June 30, 2017.[2]

The album was a commercial success peaking at number 3 on the Gaon Album Chart. It has sold 33,655 physical copies as of February 2017.

Background

On November 29, 2016, FNC Entertainment first stated that AOA were in the preparation stages with the goal of releasing their debut Korean studio album, which came four-and-a-half years after the group's debut back in July 2012. The group's leader, Shin Jimin, also shared on the official blog that the album will include a song for Elvis, which is the name of the group's fanclub.[3]

On December 21, FNC Entertainment revealed the promotion plan poster for AOA's comeback and promised the album will “show every aspect of AOA’s musical skills accumulated in the past four years.”[4] The poster first teases “Another Me” for December 26, “AOA vs. AOA #1” for December 27, “AOA vs. AOA #2” for December 28, “Secret Room” for December 29, and “Magic of Umbrella” for December 30, while the full album, titled _Angel's Knock_, and promotional music videos will be both released on January 2, 2017.[5][6] These teasers were revealed on a special web page designed for the group.

On December 23, AOA member, Kim Seol-hyun, posted two teasers on her Instagram account with hashtag #AngelsKnock and #20170102. The caption says “D-10 Another Me Teaser.” The short videos are showing Seolhyun in two different styling. The first one is of her wearing a white blouse with minimalist makeup and wavy hair; she's also staring at the camera innocently. The second teaser is of her wearing black blazer, hair slicked back and she's fiercely challenging the camera.[7]

The “Another Me” promotion is a launching film for _Angel’s Knock_. It again features the group's member Seolhyun. It shows her in two different styles; one seems innocent and pure, while the other is aggressive and fierce. The “AOA vs. AOA #1” and “AOA vs. AOA #2” promotions are teaser images for two album editions of _Angel’s Knock._ The “Secret Room” promotion is a teaser for the music video for the first title track “Excuse Me.” The music video is set to be in an office. As for the music teased, it is a beat-heavy dance track best played in clubs. The “Magic of Umbrella” promotion is a teaser for the music video for the second title track “Bing Bing”. The teaser shows “Bing Bing” will be the box set music video featuring dancing.[8]

On December 30, a highlight medley was released to preview all of 10 tracks featured in _Angel's Knock_.[9]

On December 31, 2016, FNC Entertainment posted motion posters featuring AOA dancing to their double title tracks “Excuse Me” and “Bing Bing” on social networks. “Excuse Me” shows some cute and feminine choreography with the members putting their hands up as they dance. As for “Bing Bing,” the members move their hips for a more sensual feel.[10]

On January 1, 2017, FNC Entertainment posted various motion posters featuring all of the members from the title tracks' music videos on social networks.

Release and promotion

Prior to the official album release, AOA hosted a one-hour comeback countdown show titled _Angel's Match_ on Naver's _V_ – _Live Broadcasting_ platform on January 1, 2017 at 11 p.m. KST.[11]

AOA promoted “Excuse Me” and “Bing Bing” simultaneously on the music programs during their comeback week on _M Countdown_, _Music Bank_, _Show! Music Core_, and _Inkigayo_ from January 5 to January 8 respectively. From January 9 onwards, due to popular demands, they performed “Excuse Me” only instead.

The group also hosted several fansign events in different sites, namely Yongsan, Gimpo, Gangnam, Mokdong Youth Training Center,... from January 6 to January 18.

On January 11, FNC Entertainment announced details for the group's first solo concert in the native country Korea, titled “2017 AOA 1st Concert [Ace of Angels] in Seoul,” which will be held on March 11 at Olympic Hall, Olympic Park.[12]

Singles

Double title tracks for the album, “EXCUSE ME” and “BING BING,” were released in conjunction with the official release of _Angel's Knock_ on January 2, 2017 at 12 a.m. KST. Both music videos for the title tracks were released at the same date.

The concept of “Excuse Me” is lovely and elegant, while the concept of “Bing Bing” is alluring and sexy. “Excuse Me” is a retro-style dance track with an intense drum beat and bass, and a unique synth sound, which is composed and produced by Brave Brothers who previously produced the group's biggest hits including “Miniskirt,” “Like a Cat,” and “Heart Attack.”[13] While “Bing Bing” is a jazz-influenced dance-pop number with an addictive brass sound and drum beat. On February 10, the group's released a music video for the album track “With Elvis” as a special gift for their fans.

Formats

_Angel's Knock_ was released through digital and physical flatforms on January 2, 2017 at 12 a.m. KST. The physical format comes with two editions, _Version A (Excuse Me)_ and _Version B (Bing Bing)_. Each edition has each distinctive concept and design, but shares the same contents:[14]

-   A physical CD set in a 150x150mm package
-   A 64-page booklet
-   A concept selfie photo card (up to 7)
-   A concept photo card (up to 7)
-   Seven concept photo postcards
-   A concept poster (up to 2)
-   A concept event card (up to 2)

Commercial performance

_Angel's Knock_ entered and peaked at number 3 on the Gaon Album Chart on the chart issue dated January 1–7, 2017.[15] In its second week, the album fell to number 10.[16]

The album entered at number 5 on the _Billboard_'s World Album Chart, marked the highest ranking debut album of the week.[17]

The album places at number 6 on the Gaon Album Chart for the month of January 2017 with 32,668 physical copies sold.[18]

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Chart (2017)                      | Peak                              |
|                                   | position                          |
+===================================+===================================+
| South Korean Albums (Gaon)[19]    | 3                                 |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| US World Albums (_Billboard_)[20] | 5                                 |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

Release history

  Region        Date               Format   Label
  ------------- ------------------ -------- -------
  South Korea
  Worldwide     Digital download
  Taiwan                           CD

[1]

[2]

[3]  allkpop.com|last=|first=|date=2016-11-29|work=|newspaper=Allkpop|access-date=2016-11-29|via=}}

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]  allkpop.com|last=|first=|date=2016-12-30|work=|newspaper=allkpop|access-date=2016-12-30|via=}}

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]  allkpop.com|last=|first=|date=2016-12-27|work=|newspaper=allkpop|access-date=2016-12-27|via=}}

[14]  Officially Kmusic|last=|first=|date=2016-12-29|work=|newspaper=latest kpop news and music {{!}} Officially Kmusic|language=en-US|access-date=2016-12-29|via=}}

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

title: Angel's Knock

question: When was the album released?

answer: January 2, 2017

question: Who was the artist?

answer: AOA, a South Korean girl group

question: What singles were on the album?

answer: "Excuse Me" and "Bing Bing"

question: What language was the album in?

answer: Korean

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Angel's Knock is the first Korean language studio album by AOA, a South Korean girl group. It was released in 2017 and features the double title tracks, "Excuse Me" and "Bing Bing."


text:
*Hello, I wrote this quickly at work this morning after I dreamt about it. Please let me know what you think and any comments or critiques you may have are welcomed.*

**Not Quite Paradise**

It was hot in the garage; the dryer had only just stopped running so the heat hadn’t left yet not that it would matter. Actually come to think of it, it was hot everywhere. Even stepping outside and taking a deep breath feels like a drag on a cigarette without the nicotine. Sweat dripped down my face and back. I should have been used to it by now after having been here for almost a year, but it hasn’t gotten any better.

I pull the clothes from the machine with both arms being careful not to touch the scalding metal sides. I go to close the dryer door when my eyes spot a lone black sock at the back of the dryer. I reach for it. A pulling sensation, like that of two magnets held close together begins to tug at my fingers, then my hands, then my arms, and eventually the rest of my body. The world turns bright white. A loud rushing sound fills my ears.

“Oh god…Not now, I’m not dressed for th---“

*Ooopppfff!* The air escapes from my lungs as I tumble face down onto the black and white tiles of a familiar kitchen. The sudden coldness of the floor against my bare skin sends a chill down my back.
An even more familiar voice breaks the silence, “Good, you’re here. I’m trying to get this jar of pickled radish open, but the lid is stuck. I even ran it under hot water for two minutes.”

“You’re twenty-three years old and you still force me to come here to open a jar for you?” I say while still lying on the ground. Looking up, my eyes passed by pink fluffy puppy slippers, long slender legs, a short light blue apron, and finally the face of a beautiful young woman with long brown hair who was clearly not in the mood for games judging by her scowl.

“Yisssshhhh!” she hissed stamping her puppy slippers on the ground. “If you aren’t going to make yourself useful then you can just go back and stay there.”

“Gimme that jar,” I tell her, picking myself up off the ground. Her kitchen is nice and cool; a stark contrast to my hot and humid garage.

Standing up I am almost a head taller than she is, but the gaze from her large brown eyes makes me feel small and insignificant. She hands me the jar, our fingers brush and I can feel a cool pleasant tingling where our skin touch. I make my way over to one of the drawers, fish out a spoon, and begin using it to tap the edges of the lid, loosening its grip on the jar. It finally pops open and I hand her the pickled radish.

“What are you making anyway?” I ask.

“Gimbap (Korean sushi) you want some?”

My stomach rumbles. It has been a long time since I’ve eaten anything substantial. “Sure! I mean…is it alright? It is allowed?”

“Just sit there,” she says pointing to a stool at the counter.

For the next few minutes I watch her while she prepares the food. She hums, wiggles her hips, and bobs her head as she cooks. I cannot help but stare. Gradually my eyes force their way off of her and towards the window. It is so clear there I checked twice to be sure there was anything there to begin with. Outside the sky is blue, the sun is shining, and tall palm trees sway back and forth against a peaceful ocean in the background. It was beautfiul and I get to be a tiny part of it today.

“Done!” she exclaims. Spinning around she reveals a plate of delicious looking Gimbap with a little mayo dressing on the side for dipping. A small pile of kimchi sat on one side of the plate.

“Say ahhh” she says picking up a piece with a pair of chopsticks and maneuvering it towards my face.

“Ahhh” I open my mouth. As the roll touches my tongue I can feel my body jerk violently backwards as I fall off the stool. The magnetic feeling fills my body once again, while darkness fills my vision. A high-pitched siren is all I can hear.

I wake up with my head in the dryer. It is hot. Beads of sweat have already formed on my forehead. I chew the Gimbap that has somehow made its way into my mouth.

“Delicious.” I whisper while swallowing slowly, savoring every morsel. Sighing, I grab the lone sock, put it in the basket, and head out the door back into an equally hot and humid house. Out the window the sky is filled with dark ominous looking clouds. The trees forever smoldering with fiery ash caked on the ground.

This is how my days are spent. Today I was her jar opener, yesterday a deckhand her boat, and tomorrow I might be her maid. I am her personal assistant making her life whatever heaven she chooses, while I serve out my eternity in hell.

title: Not Quite Paradise

question: How was the narrator able to project between worlds?

answer: That information is not known.

question: Why was the weather so hot?

answer: It is not stated.

question: What is the relationship between the woman and the narrator?

answer: It appears the narrator is an assistant to her.

question: Is the narrator a male or female?

answer: That information is not known.

question: Why did the narrator ask the woman if he/she was allowed to eat her food?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: On a sweltering day, the narrator was in the middle of doing laundry when a force dragged him/her into what seemed like a different atmosphere and appeared on the cold kitchen floor of a twenty-three-year-old woman. They seemed to be familiar with each other, and she asked the narrator to loosen the lid of a pickle jar while she made gimbap. After tasting her food, the narrator was drawn back to the former atmosphere to complete the laundry. It seems the narrator served as an assistant to this twenty-three-year-old woman who, from time to time, summons him/her for one favor or another.


text:
Dato' HEE YIT FOONG (; born 4 December 1963) is a Malaysian politician who is infamous for her role in the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis by resigning from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) which she represented in the 2008 Malaysian general election and becoming an independent aligned with the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN). Her dramatic action was seen as an act of betrayal by many in her Jelapang constituency and has earned her unpleasant nicknames from the angry voters and Malaysian public such as 'traitor', 'running dog' and 'leaping frog'.[1][2][3][4]

Background

Hee walks with a limp from a case of polio she contracted at the age of 4.[5] She was state assemblywoman for Jelapang for two terms from 2004 to 2013 and was the first disabled woman to become the speaker of a Malaysian legislative body. She served as Deputy Speaker of the Perak State Legislative Assembly from March 2008 to February 2009. She was a member of the opposition DAP from the late 1980s until her resignation in February 2009 which subsequently caused the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis.[6]

Hee is married to Quay Chin Teik.[7]

Political career

On 4 February 2009, Hee was one of four assembly people who withdrew their support from the incumbent Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government. She announced that she would support the Barisan National coalition instead.[8] This prompted a political crisis in the state.[9]

In an interview with _Sin Chew Daily_, Hee defended her defection on the grounds that she felt sidelined by the leaders of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in her state.[10] The following day, Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming told Sin Chew that DAP not only had groomed her from a largely unknown person into a state assemblywoman, but had also made her the first non-Malay female deputy speaker in the country's history and he would have nothing further to comment if Hee still insisted that her action was right.[11] Some people in her constituency reacted with anger[12] at her defection. Many different objects have been thrown, hung and left at her home and service centre while an effigy of her was also burnt in a mock Chinese funeral rite following her defection and resignation from DAP.[13]

Hee, the first non-Malay woman deputy speaker in Malaysia, was said to have been unhappy with the state party leadership for not being selected for a state exco seat, and because she did not get a new official car when the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government bought Toyota Camrys to replace an ageing fleet of Proton Perdanas.[14][15] On 9 February 2009, _The Malaysian Insider_ reported that Hee, who had been the subject of ridicule and abuse in and around her Ipoh hometown as well as in cyberspace,[16] would be getting the Camry after all.[17]

On 7 March 2009, Hee showed up at her Jelapang service centre for the first time since her defection.[18] Upon learning that she was there, a group of people started hurling abuses at her, such as “traitor who destroyed Pakatan” and “an ungrateful woman”.[19] Hee had to leave the service centre hurriedly after 45 minutes because she feared for her safety.

2013 Malaysian General Elections

Although she claimed that anger against her had dissipated in the years following the Perak constitutional crisis, Hee did not defend her seat in the 2013 Malaysian general election. Hee stated that she hoped the Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership would appoint a local candidate instead, and reaffirmed her support for BN.[20][21]

Honour and award

-   :

    -   [] Knight Commander of the Order of the Perak State Crown (DPMP) - DATO' (2010)

Hee was bestowed Darjah Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Perak (DPMP) that carries the title “Dato'” by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, on the occasion of his 82nd birthday on 19 April 2010.[22][23] Meanwhile her husband Quay Chin Teik is also a recipient of the Federal Territories award Panglima Mahkota Wilayah (PMW) that carries the title “Datuk” on 1 February 2015.[24]

Election results

  |Year   |Constituency                   Opposition          |Votes   |Pct     Government      |Votes          |Pct                  |Ballots cast   |Majority   |Turnout
  ------- ------------------------------- ------------------- -------- -------- --------------- --------------- --------------------- --------------- ----------- ---------- -------- --------
  2004    N31 Jelapang, P66 Batu Gajah.   |                   (DAP)    8,231    48.64%          rowspan=“2” |   Mah Hang Soon (MCA)   7,978           47.15%      16,921
  |       Foo Tiew Kok (KeADILan)         358                 2.12%
  2008    |                               Loh Koi Pin (MCA)   5,512    28.40%   rowspan=“2” |   (DAP)           12,219                62.96%          19,409      6,707
  |       Sarasvathy Muthu (IND)          1,275               6.57%

  : PERAK STATE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY[25][26]

[1]

[2] http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/6/nation/3209647&sec=nation#

[3] http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/8/nation/20090208110837&sec=nation#

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]  Percentage figures based on total turnout.

[26]  Results only available from the 2004 election.

title: Hee Yit Foong

question: What does the text say about Malaysia's Prime Minister?

question: What does the text say about why Dato Hee Yit Foong is infamous in Malaysia?

answer: Dato Hee Yit Foong is infamous in Malaysia for her role in the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis. She resigned from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) which she represented in the 2008 Malaysian general election and became an independent aligned with the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN). The move was seen as an act of betrayal by many in her Jelapang constituency. The angry Malaysian voting public gave Hee unpleasant nicknames such as "traitor", "running dog", and "leaping frog".

question: What does the text say about Hee's background?

answer: Hee is married to Quay Chin Teik. She contracted polio at the age of 4 and now walks with a limp. She became state assemblywoman for Jelapang for two terms from 2004 to 2013 and was the first disabled woman to become speaker of a Malaysian legislative body. Hee served as Deputy Speaker of the Perak State Legislative Assembly from March 2008 to February 2009. She was a member of the opposition DAP from the late 1980s until her resignation in February 2009 that caused the 2009 constitutional crisis.

question: What does the text say about Hee's political career?

answer: Hee was one of four assembly people who withdrew support from the incumbent Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government. She announced her support for the Barisan National coalition, which prompted a political crisis. Hee defended her defection, claiming she felt sidelined by the leaders of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in her state. Hee was the first non-Malay female deputy speaker in the country's history, but she was groomed by the DAP from a largely unknown person into a state assemblywoman. Some people in her constituency reacted with anger at her defection, throwing and hanging objects at her home while an effigy of her was burnt in a mock Chinese funeral rite after she switched sides.


text:
California posted the biggest job gains in the nation during August while unemployment rates in California and Los Angeles County remained stuck at their July level, the Employment Development Department said Friday.

Between July and August the state added 44,200 jobs, the EDD said, and it has added 313,900 jobs over the past 12 months, a growth rate of 2.1 percent. That outpaces the nation’s growth rate of 1.8 percent.

“It’s by far the best in the nation,” said economist Stephen Levy, director of the Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy in Palo Alto. “There is no question that we slid into a deep hole and this is a slow recovery. But Southern California and the state are now both outpacing the nation. This is a good report.”

Last month’s job increase means that the state has now added just more than 1.4 million jobs since February 2010, when the jobless rate peaked at 12.4 percent.

Last month, California’s jobless rate remained at 7.4 percent for the third consecutive month but it is down from 8.9 percent a year ago.

Los Angeles County’s rate remained at 8.1 percent, down from 9.9 percent a year earlier.

The jobless rate in the Inland Empire was 8.7 percent in August versus 9.3 percent in July and 10.5 percent a year ago.

But all three areas had a higher rate than the nation, which was 6.1 percent last month.

“The state, which suffered much larger job losses than the nation, has finally caught up by steadily outpacing the nation in job growth since 2010. The results for both the state and nation are disappointing compared to the growth normally associated with recoveries and the growth needed to bring unemployment securely below 6 percent,” Levy said.

At the state level, nine categories added jobs over the month. The biggest gain came in construction, which added 13,600 jobs.

Two categories — trade, transportation and utilities and information — shed 8,300 jobs between July and August.

Los Angeles County also saw robust gains, adding 17,600 jobs between July and August. The biggest gain was 7,400 in the education and health services sector.

Over the past 12 months the county has added 69,100 jobs, or a growth rate of 1.7 percent.

Both the L.A. County and Inland Empire are making good strides, said Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, an economist at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.

“It was a solid report. We saw some big decreases (in the jobless rates) from a year ago,” she said.

One good sign is that the construction sector, badly battered during the Great Recession, is up 5.6 percent year-over-year at both the state and county level.

“That tells us activity has picked up. We are seeing some more new home construction and (building) permits but it is still below the levels before the recession,” Ritter-Martinez said.

New home building is concentrated in the Antelope Valley and Inland Empire.

The latter is now fully participating in the recovery, she said, with the region adding 9,900 jobs between July and August.

“Over the past couple of months, it has gone from being one of the slowest growing regions to one of the fastest. It’s finally kicking back into gear,” Ritter-Martinez said.

question: What state posted the biggest job gains in the nation during August and how many jobs were added?

answer: California posted the biggest job gains by adding 44,200 jobs between July and August.

question: What is California's growth rate over the past 12 months?

answer: 2.1 percent

question: What sector is up after getting battered by the Great Recession and how many jobs were added?

answer: The construction sector is up 5.6 percent and added 13,600 jobs.

question: How many jobs did California add since 2010?

answer: 1.4 million

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: California posted the biggest job increase in America during August, adding 44,200 jobs between July and August. The state's 2.1 percent growth rate outpaced the nation's 1.8 percent. The biggest gains were seen in the construction sector, which added 13,600 jobs.


text:
STEVEN F. FREUDENTHAL (born June 8, 1949) is a Democratic politician who served as the 28th Attorney General of Wyoming from 1981 until 1983.[1]

Career

After graduating from Vanderbilt University, Freudenthal served as an Assistant Attorney General for Wyoming from 1975 until 1977.[2] In 1981, Governor Ed Herschler tapped Freudenthal, who had once been his law partner, to succeed John Troughton as Attorney General of Wyoming.[3] Freudenthal served as Attorney General until 1983.

In 1986, Freudenthal was elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives to represent Laramie County.[4] He served two terms before retiring in 1991. In 1999, Freudenthal was chosen by Wyoming Democrats to serve as the state chair of the Wyoming Democratic Party.[5] Freudenthal served until 2001.

Freudenthal is currently of counsel at Pence and MacMillan in Cheyenne.[6] He is also a partner with Freudenthal and Bonds P.C. in Cheyenne.

Personal life

Freudenthal is the older brother of former Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal.[7]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

title: Steve Freudenthal

question: Who is Steven Freudenthal?

answer: STEVEN F. FREUDENTHAL is a Democratic politician who served as the 28th Attorney General of Wyoming from 1981 until 1983.

question: Where did he graduate from?

answer: He graduated from Vanderbilt University.

question: When did he retire?

answer: He retired in 1991.

question: What does he do for a living now?

answer: Freudenthal is currently of counsel at Pence and MacMillan in Cheyenne. He is also a partner with Freudenthal and Bonds P.C. in Cheyenne.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: STEVEN F. FREUDENTHAL (born June 8, 1949) is a Democratic politician who served as the 28th Attorney General of Wyoming from 1981 until 1983.


text:
So here I am, sitting at a bench, in a Texas Courthouse. I have been accused of murder. I am a doctor, the name is Gabriel Homes. The friend I am accused of killing is James Walden. My friend. Both of us are divorced and will never marrie again. Two weeks ago James confirmed he had cancer. With out boring you with the small stuff, the doctors he conferred with did not want to treat him the way he wanted. They were taking a much more statistically safe approch. He did not want what this approch would bring. And he knew no doctor would agree with the treatment he wanted.
	When I found out about his plan, I helped him. He was going to do it regardless, and he was there for me in my darkest hour. As his only real friend, I should do the same for him. For more then 40 years we have known each other. If there is anyone hear that should be alowed to make decisions for this man when he can not, it is me.
	"All rise for the honorable Judge Lisa Forman."
	" Be seated." Everyone sits down. "Mr. Homes."
	"Doctor." Homes blurted out. After a small pause. "Your Honor."
	After a sturn look, she went on. "Doctor... Homes, I understand you want to give the closing statement. Have you been adviced by your legal counsel?"
	"Ya, I know the risks your Honor." Homes said with blunt sarcasm.
	"Go ahead." Judge Forman waved her hand to signify the same.
	"Ladies and gentlemen of jury, I have asked for a jury trial for one reson. The jury. Laws are imperfect, they can not juge intent. Laws say certain situations with certain actions should be looked at to see if something was done wrong. The law says I have killed a man. But it is your job to ascertain if it was for good or bad resons. If I intended to do harm, or if I have acted in a way that harmed someone, and prevented them from going about there life as they wish. I did brake the law. That is what has brought us here. What I did I would do again, the law has the power to send me to jail for this. If you say it does, if the 12 of you agree that I had malicious intent. But if you agree that I did as my friend wished me to do, and that he was fully aware of all the risks, then you have the power to keep me from jail."
	Homes takes some steps to his left. "Dr. James Walden, has been fighting cancer in his patients his hole medical career. He knows the treatments, the risks, the problems, the effects and the outcomes that could happen. He has studied it his entire adult life. He knew that this treatment was most likely going to kill him. But he wanted to take treatment his way. He did not want to die from the disease he had been fighting his hole life. But more then that, after a life time of watching people die in a hospital, he did not want to die in the same way. These are the facts, this is what he told me, and this is what I have learnt from knowing this man for more then 40 years, the facts and my friendship with James Walden agree.
	This time Homes walks to his right but farther then were he started from. "Three doctors told him, they would do light radiation, to try and shrink his to shrink his tumor. If that didn't work, they would try chemotherapy, and they would increase the amount as needed. James knew this might take to long. His thought was, why not try the best chance for shrinking the tumor when he had the best chance for surviving the worst treatment. Simple math, you try the easyest to hardest action first untill it works or you try the hardest thing first, when your most equipped to handle it. He wanted to rip the band aid. He knew why doctors try and save this as a last dich effort. He was a doctor for more then 40 years, if anyone knows the risks of treatment it is him. He could ask a patient to do this and with only what he has told them they could agree to it. I guarente they would not understand the same as a doctor, and definitely not one that has been fighting it his hole life."
	He takes a deep breath, and pauses for a nice silence to build. As he looks around watching the jury take in what he is saying, he begins again. "My friend has watched people die in a hospital bed for longer then anyone should ever have to. Mothers hold their childs hand as the last breath comes. Old men with no one there, dying alone. Husbands and wives winning and losing the long and very painfull fight with death. It pained him more to watch this then anything else. He did not want to go through that, even more then he did not want to die by what he has dedicated his life trying to conquer. This man has given up so much to help people. And the law wants to tell me that, I should not of help this man the way he wished. You would give a solder his dying request but not this man. Should someone not have the right to help a man of this caliber. Should the most dear friend in a mans life not be able to help fulfill his wants and needs. If someone would rather have treatment in their own home and not a hospital, then they are allowed. But I can't do this because I'm a doctor. The law was not intended to punish me for this, it was intended to stop me from doing it for my own gain. Not for fulfuilling my friends educated request. How can being a doctor prevents me from helping my own friend my family. If there is another who would be more qualified then me, James and I have not met them.
	"I did not kill this man." The doctor shifts over to his left a bit. "He chose this path. It may be looked down on, but it is not wrong for someone to make a dangerous decision, when all this risks can only harm them. It is dangerous for a mother and father to let their son go off to war. But if the law alows him to, should the parents not support their child? Should a wife not cook a meal for her husband that works in L.A.s police department? Should a friend not skydive with his buddy as he concours his fear of hights? The reson we have people, friends, loved ones in our lifes is to help us in the tough times. Doctor James Walden faced death. As the only person on this planet that he wanted help from, can you really say that I have done something wrong that has harmed anyone but myself. I was helping my friend through the most difficult decision he has ever made. He trusted my judgment, and he knew that I have the best intentions, to help fulfill his wishes. Should someone really be punished for this."
	"If I must martyr myself out, to stand by my closest friend, then give me the cross and I will walk with it." Doctor Gabriel Homes stops hangs his head low as he turns around. The time he spend with James as life passed them by starts to come rushing back to him. Were they met, how they both helped countless people as doctors together. All the bets and games they palyed with one another. The people they have both lost in their lives and how each played their part in helping the other. James was there when he went into rehab, and a psychiatric clinic. Homes was there when he got a divorce, and James in the same way for Homes. He had to honor his friend, or it would dishonor everything they have gone through. He looks up and the hole room is fixated on him. 'How long has he been standing in silence?' The hole room watching his every breath.
	"I have done nothing I regret. I will stand by my friend. So that we would be friends for better or worse, if  we were peasants or kings, if he was dying of cancer or living another 100 years. I have done right by my friend and the ultimate judge must see this. I will not stand down from his side."
	"I am done your Honor." As I walk back to my seat, I fear that people will side with what has been put down on paper befor their own moral compass leads them to the right path. They have been blinded by their rules. They feel safer with them. But as I sit down I feel better knowing I have a true friend. Even though I have lost the most important part of my family, I am better for being there with my friend, as he was for me.

title: Unlawful Right

question: What is the man accused of?

answer: Murder.

question: Why might this not be considered murder?

answer: The patient was in a great deal of pain and terminally ill. He was a good friend of the doctor and wished to die peacefully.

question: Why is it strange for Homes to give the closing statement?

answer: He is the accused.

question: What might be surprising about the accused's compliance and role in ending his friend's life?

answer: His friend, James, had only been diagnosed with cancer two weeks prior to this untimely or rushed death.


text:
-   Crimea is an autonomous province of Ukraine with a large Russian population
-   It%27s a famous Russian vacation spot and home to Russia%27s Black Sea fleet
-   Ukraine%27s parliament sacked its Russia-backed former president after weeks of violent clashes

The appearance of Russian-speaking armed troops who've seized airports and government buildings in Crimea seems to follow a pattern that has allowed Russia to assert dominance over former Soviet republics that tried to shift toward Europe, an analyst says.

"This is a pattern of Russian policy, divide and conquer, use your leverage through separatist and ethnic disputes" to pressure post-Soviet countries to remain in Russia's orbit, says Damon Wilson, former White House director of European Affairs under then-president George W. Bush.

Russia's message is: "If you go to Europe you lose territory where Russia has its military bases," Wilson said.

Ukraine's autonomous province of Crimea is about 50% Russian speaking, and many though not all say they identify more with Russia than Ukraine.

Russian jets this week have increased patrols along the Ukrainian border, and troops have held military exercises near Ukraine. Giving support to pro-Moscow Crimeans, Leonid Slutsky, who leads the Russian parliament's committee for relations with former Soviet states, visited Crimea on Tuesday and pledged Russian protection if tensions rise, according to U.K. paper _The Guardian_.

"If the life and health of our compatriots is under threat, we will not stand to one side," Slutsky said.

In Georgia, Russia took military actions in 2008 after making similar warnings to the Georgian governmentthat it must protect pro-Russian peoples there. Like in Crimea, armed men rose up to take control of a breakaway province. In Georgia that action was followed by the arrival of Russian "peacekeeper" troops that pushed out government troops from South Ossetia and Abkhazia and remain there today.

Moldova, like Ukraine and Georgia, declared independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Soviet troops stationed there shifted allegiance to Russia, and when Russia-speaking separatists in Transnistria demanded to secede, Moscow backed their grievances.The troops have never left despite repeated requests by Moldova's president for their withdrawal from his country's soil.

And when Moldova tried to strengthen ties with Europe, it too encountered obstacles from Russia.

In Ukraine's case, Russian President Vladimir Putin withdrew an economic aid package when protesters demanded Kiev sign a trade pact with the European Union. In Moldova, Russian deputy prime minister Dmitri Rogozin told reporters in September that Moldova may lose part of its country if it went ahead with joining a European trade alliance.

"Moldova's train en route to Europe would lose its wagons in Transnistria," he said. Rogozin also noted Moldova's dependence on Russian natural gas, saying: "The cold season is near. Winter is on its way. We hope that you will not freeze this winter."

Georgia also encountered trouble with Russia when it sought closer ties with Europe and the USA. Russia literally prepared the ground for intervention by repairing railroads years before major fighting broke out in 2008 and Russian troops came in by train.

Wilson, who also served in the State Department under then-president Bill Clinton, said U.S. officials watched as irregular forces who had served in the Russian military joined separatists. Also getting involved were ethnic Cossacks and other volunteers from Russia to reinforce the separatists against the Georgian military.

"We saw it and it was hard for us to imagine the Russians resorting to the use of force, but in the end they did," he said.

Russia also issued Russian passports to Abkhazians and South Ossetians and spoke of protecting ethnic Russian populations in those provinces, and many of the separatist regime leaders were former officials in Russian intelligence and defense ministries, he said.

"There was no pretending about it. The political structures in Abkhazia and South Ossetia were vessels, puppets," Wilson said.

Wilson said he's worried the same strategy is at work in Ukraine, which is an important tourism hub and home to Russia's Black Sea fleet and a shipbuilding industry.

"They're saying if you move toward Europe you're doing so at the expense of losing an important part of your country — the Crimea," he said.

Putin has said Russia has no designs on Ukraine. Some in Moscow say that may be true but it can change.

"Russia has not made any decision on invading Ukraine yet," says Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the _Russia in Global Affairs_ journal and chairman of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy. "But there is a demonstration that in case this revolution spreads further into (Eastern Ukraine) regions, then Russia will act."

A bill introduced recently by Russian lawmakers would simplify the process of incorporating new territories into the country. If passed, the bill would allow territories to join Russia through a referendum, sidestepping international treaties.

As it happens, Crimea's parliament has asked for such a referendum to take place in May.

_Contributing: Anna Arutunyan in Moscow_

_Follow @OrenDorell on Twitter._

question: What may have been the reason behind Russia trying to assert dominance over Crimea?

answer: It may be implied that they asserted dominance in order to not lose their control over the place.

question: What kind of obstacles did Russia put before Moldova?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: What would have happened had the Russians not tried to put pressure on the other countries?

answer: It may be implied that there would be no conflicts between the nations then and countries like Moldova would have the full freedom of deciding whether they wish to join the European Union.

question: What is the main purpose of the new bill?

answer: The purpose of the bill is to ease the process of becoming a part of Russia.


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

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

Speaking of-

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

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

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

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

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

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

question: What was one twin called?

answer: Cowboy.

question: which show did the twin watch on repeat?

answer: Wheel of Fortune.

question: What part of the country did they live in?

answer: The South.

question: Who is the protagonist?

answer: The author's father.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The author describes their twin brothers and their flashy personalities. One is really into cowboy things, and acted in a gallant, loud manner. The other is not mentioned outside of his gender and the fact that he shared the interest of watching the same recorded episodes of Wheel of Fortune on vhs. Their father, whom the author calls the protagonist, attends their funeral in the spring of nineteen-ninety-nine. The family didn't watch Wheel of Fortune that night.


text:
Stepping on cracks had never been something Jim liked doing. Although he didn’t have a mother whose back would break from it, he would still avoid the cracks in the pavement on the way to work every morning. He absolutely hated going to work, but not for the reasons most of us would think. Not because his boss was a troll, literally, or because the receptionist had bucked teeth that went down past her chin (yes, again, literally), but because of many other things. Two of those things being the atrocities he would see and endure on his way to work, as well as the fact that his job was boring and required him to do nothing, literally. In the elevator up Jim awkwardly tried to avoid eye contact with the elephant in the room. He was literally an elephant, one named Marshal. He took up a lot of room everywhere he went and would make any situation astonishingly awkward with his mere presence. Think: a big blue cartoony elephant. Jim was small. At 2 feet tall (2’2” actually), he was rarely noticed by anyone. He was bold except for the center of his head, where there was a 3 inch long little orange-red patch of hair.

As Jim climbed onto his chair and sat down in front of his computer screen, he couldn’t help but think of his old appearance: 6’5 with toned skeletal muscles and a great head of wavy brown hair. Living in a world where your appearance changes very suddenly and drastically as you reach adulthood and monsters with strangely arranged faces roamed the streets, however, Jim wasn’t exactly up to the task of figuring out why his ill fate had befallen him on his 21st birthday. Jim was snapped out of his day dream by his boss, the troll with a green eye and a grotesque face that nobody could love. “Jim! Why are you day dreaming? I’m telling you, the next time I catch you doing something I will give you an official warning!” said the troll. That was Jim’s 563rd time being warned about an official warning that year and although he found it absolutely stupid that his job was to do nothing, that his boss would do nothing but shout at the employees and attempt to make them feel bad (or die from his breath), his co-workers were unbearably meek and quiet and his boss never actually gave him official warnings, he just sat there and took whatever was said to him and sank lower into his chair, weakly. Something that he did bring him some excitement, though, was that every time his boss shouted at him he would lose a few hairs. Also, every time Marshal his elephant coworker made things awkward for everybody he would become slightly more elephant and awkward looking. Also, every time his boss was a/an (insert insulting term here) to anyone he would become slightly harder to look at and smell worse.

On the way home from work, Jim was attacked 6 times by 6 different people who didn’t really look like people. He also saw 5 murders by monstrous looking people on other monstrous looking people. All this was becoming a daily part of his life, despite the profound impact it initially had on him, and everything seemed to only get worse around him; People got uglier, people got meaner, Jim became smaller and lost more hair. Everything was deteriorating.

As Jim turned the key in the lock of his front door he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a large man approaching him rapidly. The 7’ tall zombie-looking creature slowly attempted to take a bite out of Jim’s second favorite drinking arm. On most days, Jim would have conceded and let him eat his entire arm but he was tired of being a victim. He pushed the creature off him, causing it to trip and fall into oncoming traffic where it was gruesomely hit by a car and lost its head. Jim felt a strange itch on the top of his head, followed by a piercing hair that made its way through his scalp. This was immediately followed by intense pain in his legs and the realization that his pants weren’t long enough anymore. Jim defended himself for once in his life, grew a few inches and grew a hair.

To the reader:
If you have read this far, then thank you. This is an experimental story I wrote in this obscure genre. I was trying to use the strange appearances of all the characters to represent their bad character traits. Essentially, in the story, the characters take on the appearance of their bad personality traits which tend to get worse because of the human tendency to give up when things are bad instead of changing.

Edit; Formatting

title: A story i wrote highlighting a problem in human society. Hope you enjoy

question: Who is the main character?

answer: Jim, a meek man who rarely stands up for himself and is unsatisfied with life.

question: How has Jim's appearance changed since reaching adulthood?

answer: He used to be 6'5" with toned muscles and a head of wavy brown hair. He is now 2'2" and mostly bald, except for a small patch of orange hair on his head.

question: When did Jim's appearance first change?

answer: His 21st birthday.

question: What causes Jim's appearance to change a second time?

answer: He defends himself against an attack from another monstrous man, a rare display of courage that shows he is capable of improving himself.

question: How many times is Jim attacked in the day?

answer: He is verbally attacked by his boss and physically attacked seven times on his way home from work.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The author describes a world in which human beings take on physical manifestations of their worst personality traits upon reaching adulthood. The protagonist, Jim, used to be 6'5" with toned muscles and a head of wavy brown hair; he is now 2'2" and mostly bald, except for a small patch of orange hair on his head - a reflection of his extreme avoidance issues. He is verbally abused by his boss and physically attacked seven times on his way home from work, but in the last attack, he defends himself and feels hair grow on his head and his legs lengthen.