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THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE RELIGION ISSUE

-   Aug. 6, 2000
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Four months ago in Texas, Gov. George W. Bush signed a proclamation declaring June 10 to be Jesus Day, and urging all Texans to ''follow Christ's example by performing good works in their communities and neighborhoods.''

The proclamation received little attention, except for some gratitude from a Christian group that had asked many governors to issue proclamations supporting its annual day of charity, prayer and parades in Jesus' name.

Now what seemed purely ceremonial has turned into a controversy for Governor Bush. As word of Texas' Jesus Day has spread, the Republican presidential nominee has come under criticism for insensitivity to people of non-Christian faiths and a disregard for the First Amendment.

''The assumption is that Christianity is the norm for America,'' said Phil Baum, executive director of the American Jewish Congress, ''and that Jews and other minorities are here essentially as guests at the sufferance of our hosts, in a secondary position, which is an uncomfortable situation to be in.''

Mr. Baum called the proclamation ''an egregious and blatant violation of the spirit of the First Amendment.''

Mr. Bush, who has put his Christian faith front and center in the campaign, has tried to project an image of inclusiveness to people of all ethnicities and religions. In the past, he has been put on the defensive for saying that the only way to heaven was through Christ, and for naming Jesus as his favorite political philosopher.

Now the governor's office has been receiving letters and e-mail messages from people outraged by the proclamation, or asking if it is true, said Linda Edwards, a spokeswoman for Mr. Bush.

''George Bush is sensitive to those concerns,'' Ms. Edwards said, ''but is also mindful of the longstanding tradition of governors in both parties to honor individuals and organizations for their good works through greetings and proclamations.'' Governor Bush has also signed proclamations supporting Bahai centenary day, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and a Hanukkah celebration, in Austin, she said.

The proclamation, which Ms. Edwards said was written by the governor's staff, begins: ''Throughout the world, people of all religions recognize Jesus Christ as an example of love, compassion, sacrifice and service. Reaching out to the poor, the suffering and the marginalized, he provided moral leadership that continues to inspire countless men, women and children today.

''To honor his life and teachings, Christians of all races and denominations have joined together to designate June 10 as Jesus Day,'' it reads. ''Jesus Day challenges people to follow Christ's example by performing good works in their communities and neighborhoods.''

The proclamation was sought by the ''March for Jesus,'' an Atlanta group that organizes marches and assistance for the poor in about 500 cities on the same day each year.

Tom Pelton, founder and organizer of the March for Jesus, said in an interview: ''To me it would be a stretch to see that proclamation as being demeaning toward other religions. It's meant to point out that the things that Jesus taught are consistent with what many religions teach.''

Religious groups routinely seek such proclamations, and since the proclamations do not have t

question: What did Gov. George W. Bush declare?

answer: Gov. George W. Bush signed a proclamation declaring June 10 to be Jesus Day, urging all Texans to "follow Christ's example by performing good works in their communities and neighborhoods."

question: Who is Phil Baum?

answer: Phil Baum is the executive director of the American Jewish Congress; he claims that the proclamation violates the First Amendment.

question: Which group sought the proclamation?

answer: "March for Jesus" an Atlanta-based group.

question: In which year did Bush make the proclamation?

answer: The article is from Aug. 6, 2000

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Gov. George W. Bush signed a proclamation declaring June 10 to be Jesus Day, urging all Texans to "follow Christ's example by performing good works in their communities and neighborhoods." The proclamation caused controversy.


split: train

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BRAIN CIRCULATION is the circular movement of skilled labour across nations.

Brain circulation differs from brain drain which describes skilled labour from certain countries emigrating to other countries in search of better opportunities. In India one witnessed large-scale emigration of engineers from its premier engineering institutes ) in the sixties, seventies and eighties.

The late nineties and the early years of the 21st century however saw large numbers of these emigrants returning to India as prospects in India improved markedly, brought on by important economic reforms initiated in the early nineties.

Brain circulation vs. brain drain

There has been debate whether outflow of high skilled labor mobility should be regarded positively or negatively. The core theoretical framework for studying human capital flows dates back to at least John Hicks (1932), who noted that “differences in net economic advantages, chiefly differences in wages, are the main causes of migration”. Classic literature back in 1950s~1980s also follows Hicks’ work, and has come to a consensus on receiving countries having benefits; however, sending countries lose human capital, and thus have potential negative effects of the skilled emigration (Bhagwati and Hamada, 1974).

Since the 1990s, a growing literature discusses the positive effect of high-skilled labor outflow, and argues that under certain circumstances, the brain drain may ultimately prove beneficial to the source country, and to do this while accounting for the various fiscal and technological externalities that were at the heart of the pessimistic models of the 1970s. Outflow of high-skilled labor can form a diaspora abroad, which promotes trade between the sending countries and countries that have the diaspora (Rauch and Trindale, 2002).

Some high skilled workers come back to their home countries, even though they once leave their home countries for various reasons such as political instability and wage gap. They still have connections with home countries through their extended families and friends, which can be an incentive for them to return home. Wahba (2014) points out that most migrants ponder and plan their move back home throughout their migration experience. There are growing evidences that show some immigrants decided to come back and start their new life in home countries. For example, 20 to 50% of immigrants return home or relocate to a different country within five years of their arrival (OECD, 2008). Also, almost one-third of the migrants who came to the U.S. between 1908 and 1957 returned to their home countries (Jasso and Rosenzweig, 1982). Moreover, nearly one-quarter of male migrants who came to Canada in 1996 left within five years (Aydemir and Robinson, 2008).

It is true that some high-skilled workers return to home countries, not just moving out abroad. Then, why do they come back? First, they return home because they cannot adopt themselves to a new environment abroad. If they have trouble finding a job or making social connections, they might consider returning home. Dustmann and Görlach (2016) point out that if migrants struggle to assimilate or learn the language, this can contribute to their desire to return home.

Second, they return home because home countries have economic opportunities. One of the most critical reasons of high skilled outflow is wage gap between home countries and host countries. Many highly educated people go abroad to find a better job with higher salary. If home countries have a better job environment with reasonable salary, they are more likely to return home. Whether countries focus on tertiary industry or not can also be an important sign for high skilled labor abroad to return home. If countries have more budget for R&D and focus on a knowledge-based economy, workers would expect that they are more likely to get a suitable job where they can make use of their experiences abroad and contribute. Shin and Moon (2018) mentioned that some migrants abroad were interested in engaging their home countries but did not want to permanently return. Thus, it is important for governments to supplement return migration support policies.

Third, they return home because home countries offer benefits for returning from the diaspora abroad. Countries need many high skilled workers to stimulate their economic development. Thus, some countries offer benefits to highly educated people such as tax exemption, housing, and legal benefits.

Returning migrants can contribute to their home countries in various fields. First, return migration improves financial capital, entrepreneurship and social networks. They return home with a significant amount of financial capital, and a large portion of these savings is generally invested in housing and new businesses. Also, return migration has social networks around the world, which strengthens social networks within home countries and across the world (Adda et al., 2014). When migrants return home, they enhance social networks in several key ways. They build ties with other returnees and local non-migrants in job findings. They can also connect with diaspora members who remain overseas. These connections expand valuable social networks as well as professional ones.

Second, return migrants improve human capital and wage increases. The use of skills and knowledge acquired abroad can stimulate development and produce higher earnings at home. They also can show the importance of education through their successful career with higher education, which can increase people's expectations toward education.

Third, return migrations improve social norms and democracy. Many migrations from developing countries go to developed countries, where most countries have higher social norms with a democratic political system. Migrants are exposed to a host country's institutions, legal systems and other cultural norms. Batista and Vicente (2011) note that international migration can increase demand for improved governance. Countries can have more transparent political and economic systems through return migration.

Outflow of high-skilled labor has been considered as brain circulation, and they can potentially contribute to the home countries by bringing back their work experiences abroad.

title: Brain circulation

question: Detail the ways in which brain circulation helps societies.

answer: When workers spend time in foreign countries learning or honing skills-then return to their native and/or home country-they bring said skills with them, and utilize these skills in their industry. This stimulates the local economy, but another benefit is the trade-off with other economies, in which this transference of knowledge helps reinvigorate the job market. Maybe this is due to striking fear in local industry, inspiring them to engender and maintain healthy, mobility-friendly workplaces. There is ample research that supports the notion that happier workplaces-those that do not cause workers to stagnate-have better production rates and progress.


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MICHAEL Evgenevich VERNER (Russian - Михаил Евгеньевич Вернер; 1881-1941) was a Soviet film director and painter, notable as one of the founders and leaders of cinematography in Ukraine. He set his films both before and after the Russian Revolution and his oeuvre is dominated by comedy. He directed Late for a Date for Belgoskino.

Films

-   Late for a Date

title: Mikhail Verner

question: How do you write this man's name in Cyrillic?

answer: Михаил Евгеньевич Вернер.

question: When was Michael Evgenevich Verner born?

answer: 1881.

question: And when did he die?

answer: 1941.

question: When did he set his films?

answer: Both before and after the Russian Revolution and his oeuvre is dominated by comedy.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Michael Evgenevich Verner was a Soviet film director and painter, notable as one of the founders and leaders of cinematography in Ukraine. He set his films both before and after the Russian Revolution and his oeuvre is dominated by comedy. He directed Late for a Date for Belgoskino.


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ALCIDE HERVEAUX is a fictional character from the _Southern Vampire Mysteries_/Sookie Stackhouse novels by author Charlaine Harris. He is a Were (a full blooded werewolf) who owns a construction company in Jackson, Mississippi with his father. He is depicted as a tall man with green eyes, olive skin, and thick, tousled black hair.[1]

Book series biography

The author introduces this character in the third novel, _Club Dead_, when Eric sends Alcide to help Sookie find Bill Compton who has been kidnapped by his “maker” Lorena. Alcide and Sookie seem to have a chemistry from the beginning, but he is emotionally tied to his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Debbie Pelt (who shifts into a lynx). Sookie “liked him very much.”[2]

In the fourth book, _Dead to the World_, it is revealed that his ex, Debbie, had participated in vampire Bill Compton’s torture. Alcide then abjures (banishes) her from the Shreveport pack. At the end of this book, Sookie kills Debbie in self-defense. Alcide notes Debbie's scent at Sookie's house and realizes that Sookie killed her, which would always stand between Alcide and Sookie as a potential couple.

In the fifth novel, _Dead as a Doornail_, Alcide involves Sookie in the battle for pack leader between his father and Patrick Furnan. Alcide wants Sookie to use her telepathic abilities because many believe that Patrick Furnan will cheat. Even though Patrick is found guilty of cheating, he still wins, kills Alcide's father and becomes leader of the Long Tooth pack. Alcide thinks that Sookie failed him, and in his rage and anger of the loss of his father, he blames Sookie.[3]

Alcide later begins to date Maria-Star Cooper, but in _From Dead to Worse_ she is brutally killed. Sookie is also attacked twice by unknown weres and there are other murders and disappearances. The Long Tooth pack becomes severely divided, blaming each other for these attacks, and a war seems inevitable. Sookie acts as a mediator between these two groups and it turns out that these murders and disappearance were caused by another pack led by Priscilla Hebert, sister to Patrick Furnan's right-hand man. A battle erupts, ending with the deaths of Patrick Furnan and most of Priscilla's pack. Alcide becomes the leader of the Long Tooth pack.

In the tenth book, _Dead in the Family_, Alcide arranges for the pack to have their monthly hunt on Sookie's property. Several days after the weres find some unusual tracks, a dead werewolf is discovered. Alcide's girlfriend Annabelle confesses to infidelity with the murdered were. Alcide calls upon Sookie to take a shaman potion to find the traitor(s) in the pack.

Television portrayal

Actor Joe Manganiello portrays Alcide in HBO's _True Blood_ series.[4] Alcide is somewhat in love with Sookie but knows the relationship can never be due to Sookie killing Debbie in self-defense although they do kiss in an episode. At the end of season 6, it is shown that Sookie and Alcide are officially together, however, he dies protecting her in season 7.[5]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5] . _The Hollywood Reporter_.

title: Alcide Herveaux

question: Who is Alcide Herveaux?

answer: Herveaux is a fictional character from the Southern Mysteries by author Charlaine Harris.

question: Describe how Herveaux looks?

answer: He is depicted as a tall man with green eyes, olive skin, and a thick, tousled black hat.

question: When did the author introduce Herveaux as a character?

answer: Herveaux was introduced in the third novel, Club Dead.

question: Who portrayed Herveaux in HBO's True Blood series?

answer: Actor Joe Manganiello.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
Alcide Herveaux is a fictional character from the Southern Vampire Mysteries series. He is portrayed as green-eyed, with olive skin and thick black hair.

Herveaux was introduced in the third novel of the series when Eric sends Herveaux to help Sookie find Bill Compton.

Actor Joe Manganiello portrays Herveaux in the adaptation of the series for TV.


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   In the eyes of the man who sat on the seat across from me, I could not see him. He had a wife, he said, and he wished he could pack up and move away and grow their food and sit in the sun, but a simple life was too expensive and everywhere was the same now. He said that he wished he could do film too. He said that he had worked for almost a year here. When he was hired, he knew it would be bad, but he wasn't ready for how bad it truly was. He used the word “hell”. He had worked at four other companies before but only here could they not talk and not smile and could most definitely not be themselves.

   His boss did not take his word at worth. A deadline is a deadline, get it done, he would say. Don't use the word try, or maybe, he would say. Be more confident. The man wished to do film, but he had a wife now, and his test for his professional engineering certification was in two weeks. He said he would decide then whether to say.

   Working until six o'clock on Friday. He takes the bus too, and then another bus, and sometimes there is a third if he catches it on time. His eyes were dark and tired and there was a fear in him, a fear I think that he would be stuck in this life for the rest of his time.

   There is no money in film. Not guaranteed money like engineering. Nothing is steady and risk-free in the career of creation. You can't raise a family with a dream. You can't send your kids to university with high hopes.

   We talked about university. The man had gone to the University of Toronto for social studies, and then to the University of Ryerson for electrical engineering. Don't work in tenants, he said. Quick turnaround.

We both agreed that one couldn't have any school pride after going to two schools. Everyone is there to learn. He said that you'd learn a lot in tenants. Not worth the stress though. And his boss...

   His boss had started off as a great guy. Friendly, welcoming. The man felt pleased with his new position. His boss would accept no excuse. He listened to the Architect. If something was changed by the Architect Thursday, the man's work would have to be done Friday.

   His eyes were tired and dark and he looked at me through the bars of a cage. Inside was his wife and his dreams, but she was also part of the cage and so was the job and so was his mind now that the work had changed him.

   All this I thought as I sat listening to him, and offering supportive phrase and gesture at the correct times, and I hoped that my fear would not come into my face. I could not have said, but I was terrified that I would become this man, which gave me a feeling of aversion towards him on no fault of his own.

   Everyday I see a hundred of the same face. Dreams and goals and outcomes still imagined, but will to see them through, sapped. There is no easy path, and many if not most will die with regret, There is no easy path. And no sure reward, if even the hard path is taken. And sometimes there is no path, and you must make you own. But whatever the path, you will follow it beyond choice.

   No guarantees. The man had been fired three times before. No guarantees. What good is a steady job if you pay more in self worth than you in turn receive in the form of cash or stock options or benefits?

   All this I say young, with no wife or kids, and healthy parents and my own health intact. All this shall change with time. All this I say, which could be naivety, but only after time passes will we know if it had been wise.

   I did not plan an end to this writing, like the man who had not planned an end to his dreams. He was still young, but his life had taken a hold of him and dragged him to a point at which it was not easy to return.

   So I believed he would stay on a path that was not his, and tell his children of his mistakes, and perhaps they would follow their own path. But there was no way to know, and we said goodbye at the station as he walked towards his second bus and I went down the long stairs towards the platform to follow my path home.

title: [MF] The Man on the Bus

question: Give a summary of the regrets the man on the bus had regarding his vocation.

answer: The narrator encountered a man on the bus who appeared to be en route to work. The narrator learned that he disliked his current job and wished he could live a simpler life, but he knew that a simple life was much more expensive. He had worked at four different companies before getting his current job and had a much different experience. When he got the job initially, he had an inkling that the experience would be unpleasant but had no idea it would be worse than he imagined. The job wore him out every day because he'd have to catch up to three buses to get to work. The narrator also learned that he was an electrical engineering graduate from the University of Ryerson and planned to test for a professional engineering certificate in two weeks. He also wished to do films, but there's no money in creation, and he had a wife to cater for. He advised the narrator to steer clear from working in tenants, which is where he appeared to work and added further that even though one would learn a lot on the job, it's not worth all the stress.


text:
If you play by the rules, it will only keep you out of trouble. I am in trouble. Tonight is my last night working for Multiple Services. I have not been fired yet, but when my supervisor reads the email I sent her in the morning, I will be fired for sure – I am sure of it.

I used to do security at the Pearl district but I was recently transferred to American Plaza Towers. My new manager has a different set of standards. My dark brown boots being one of them – security 'officers' are supposed to wear black boots. But that's not the problem.

Tonight I am on shift with Emily, the graveyard guard. I am working the D shift, which intersects with her shift. I am not with her right now. Her shift has a lot more responsibilities than mine. I am in the lounge room, lounging. I don't need to worry about doing any checks because she has the 'snitch stick' – it's a little stick we poke into little tags that prove that we are working.  I am at low risk of being caught in here, the lounge room is closed during this time of night. It doesn't matter what I do. I will be fired in the morning anyway.

Currently Emily is doing some tower checks. She is only required to do one tower check a night, but she does multiple for 'brownie points'. No one ever gets promoted. Well, unless someone gets fired or dies or quits. A lot of people recently got fired because... 'they are not with us anymore' says Gerry, the supervisor at APC. Emily was not at liberty to tell me why, but it has something to do with 'vices'.

I needed to take a shit. I was already in the lounge room so the bathroom was so close I basically just took my pants down. My ass wouldn’t cooperate with me —the last little bit hung in between my butt cheeks like a hand trying to catch a dollar bill falling to the ground. I hate this, being forced into vulgarity; I want to let go of the turd. My butt thinks the turd is valuable, I guess.

 The women's bathroom next to me started making noise. Emily must be relieving herself as well. I finished long after she did. I left the bathroom unclean because the toilet finally clogged.  Maintenance can handle it in the morning, fuck it. When I left, I saw Emily at the exit of the room, holding the door open waiting for me to leave. I walked out, uncomfortably — I didn't wipe enough. She locked the door behind us.

I entered the elevator. She joined me. I pressed the button to the basement with plans to hang out in a storage room and read. She pressed the button to the 26th floor and I got caught into doing a tower check with her. She invited me to smoke some cigarettes on the roof and talk. I don't smoke, but it sounded like a good offer.

“So how do you like it so far?” She asked.

“The elevator ride?”

“The job.”

“oh... uh, well...” I stalled, “APC lives up to it's reputation.”

“Ah, yes. You need not say more.”

There was a long silence that was only broken with a 'ding' each time we passed a floor.

“So,” I finally said, “What do the people in these condominiums do for a living?”

“Most of them are retired. That's why there are so many care givers here. But one of them I know sells stuff on Ebay. The guy never went to college and he quit his job to start up a business."

Some nerve, I thought.

"These people are all rich," she said, "somehow or another. Each time you hear that ding, the price of a room goes up."

There was a small stair case past the breezeway on the top floor that led to a freshly painted door that was bent out of shape. This door led to the roof.  She told me the correct key was the square key. I fumbled with my set for a while and found it. I attempted to open the door and she told me the key to opening the door is to shout the correct sequence of curse words. After a few moments, I understood what she meant. I was not saying the right words. She got her key out and did it in a snap.

“I've been here a while,” she said, “you get used to it.”

I wasn't used to smoking but  I really like the motions it conduces with my hand. I told her that's the only thing I like about smoking. She said that's what got her into it.

I stared out at the skyline of the city, at the skyscrapers that reach so high into society – to heights I admit I will never achieve. The view was almost worth it. I won't be able to pay for college after tonight.

“Gerry is probably going to fire me tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“She wants my DPSST card number, but I don't have it... I... lost it....”

“Well, you can just call in to get the number, right? It's in the system."

“I don't have my card.”

“Huh... I'll just go ahead and say I didn't hear you say that when she brings it up.” We took some drags. “I don't want to be here forever, you know," she said finally.

“You don't say.”

“Yeah, some people stay here for years. This job is perfect for people like you... who want to get through college. But after two or three years, it's like, what are you doing with your life?”

“What do you want to do with your life?”

“I used to go to college, but I stopped taking courses because I didn't feel like they were taking me anywhere. The guy down at Plaid Pantry has a masters degree in engineering. Right now I try to come up with something new every night and research if it's been done before. It usually has.  Basically, the way I look at it, entrepreneurism is the only way to make it in this world now. My dad has this business, it's pretty successful. Basically, he helps other people be successful.”

“Nice. Why don't you get him to help you?”

“We're not on good terms... he just wants me to successful... I'm just a security guard..." We took some drags. "The choice here is you can do a side project and hope it turns into something... or, what else are you going to do?”

“We should probably finish this tower check.”

“Right.”

We started down the tower, checking every floor. I shifted my underwear around, but it was no use. I walked uncomfortably the whole way down. Just gotta pull through.

Half way down the tower, there was a place to tag the snitch stick. Emily brought up some statistic that the vast majority of Americans all believe that some day they will all be rich, that's why they all don't support the dynasty tax. I said that was nice and waited for the chance to lounge in the lounge room again.

It was the end of my shift — the last few minutes of my having a job. As I left, I said, “see ya”. I didn't look back and would probably never see her again, but I heard Emily say “have fun”.

title: What Else Are You Going To Do?

question: Summarize the narrator's movements throughout the building.

answer: The narrator starts out in the lounge room. He then goes to the bathroom. Aftwards,  he travels with Emily to the 26th floor. He and Emily smoke up on the roof. Then the two of them travel down the tower, checking every floor. At the end of his shift, he leaves the building.

question: Summarize the topics the narrator and Emily discuss.

answer: The narrator and Emily talk about the narrator's feelings about the job. They discuss the occupations of the condo's residents. They also talk about how the narrator is likely to get fired tomorrow. Then they talk about what Emily wants to do with her life.

question: What does the story say about the narrator's feelings about Emily?

question: Summarize the narrator's poor behavior during his shift

answer: He spends time lounging in the lounge room rather than working. He leaves the bathroom unclean with the toilet clogged. He attempts to go hang out in a storage room and read.


text:
“There’s a woman on line two Dak. She says it’s urgent and will only speak with you. Her voice sounds familiar.”

Dak hurried to answer the phone thinking it was probably Erin. Instead it was the reporter Law talking in a quick self satisfied tone. “Hello Captain Dak. I’m calling to let you know that I’m doing you a favor, something that will help start your new position off with a punch.”

“And what would that be?” He fumbled for his smokes. He had a feeling whatever it was; he wasn’t going to like it.

[Shadowed Dak]

“We caught our first one or should I say I caught him. It was easier than I thought. I have him all safe and snug here and I saved you the trouble of a blood check. My personal doctor has already checked a sample of his blood and he came up positive for Jumping. I intend to give you full credit in return for an exclusive interview. When can you get over here?”

                                               *        *        *

As he went up the flight of stairs leading to the hotel room Law had indicated, he questioned his choice of heading over alone. He wouldn’t put it past her to make up the whole story as a ruse just to get him alone in a hotel room, but doubted it would be that easy.

Law met him at the door smoking a short cigarette and wearing only a thin silk shift. Pointing the way with her smoke, she lead him into the main room. Her long perfect legs proved impossible to ignore. Looking over her shoulder, she caught him staring and smiled. Her teeth were flawless and bone white. Besides Erin he had never met a woman whose body was so perfect, so close to the feminine ideal.

[Lucy Law]

Lucy Law

Placing her back against the doorway, she wordlessly gestured him into the suite’s bedroom. Passing within inches of where her erect nipples pressed against her loose slip, he entered the room and didn’t like what he saw.

In the center of the luxurious bed, was a bound, and most likely drugged, man. Since he was completely naked, Dak noticed his tattoos before he even took in the shadowed face. The battered man’s eyes slowly rose to meet his own.

[Rooftop]

It was Mace, the Skinjumper agent who had worked along side of him as Fosters before Bly had his turn steering the dead man’s clone. Mace was more importantly one of Maxwell’s chief agents and also a friend of Erin’s. Hell, the man had just personally helped save Erin’s life when the assassin had almost blown her leg off. Since all three of them worked for Maxwell the leader of New Cluster’s Jumpers, this situation could quickly become a major problem, a problem with no apparent solution.

Mace was no fool. He played it up like they had never met. A string of obscenities flew from his mouth mostly aimed at Lacy’s and his mother’s virtues. Part of Dak wondered if Mace might be enjoying a chance to be able to insult him so furiously. Dak had certainly decked him for less.

Mace finished with, “And what has this whore talked you into now Enni?”

“Nothing yet punk and if you don’t keep that mouth of yours closed, I’ll stun you ass just so I can find the space to think.” Mace shut up, but eyed him with the intensity the situation warranted.

“What’s there to think about?” Law said, as her bare feet moved silently across the lush emerald carpeting. “I told you. My physician already checked out his blood. He’s a Jumper. Let’s take him in as soon as my camera crew gets here.”

She turned towards Dak tilting her head to the side. “Too bad you didn’t take me up on my offer for dinner. It left me feeling bored. I’m sure you appreciate that as much as I would like to lay claim for catching this freak myself…ah certain questions would be asked that I don’t care to answer.”

“Like how you slutted yourself out just to bag one of us,” Mace blurted out.

Dak silenced him with a wave of his hand. “Can I ask why you did this then?”

“Just doing my civic duty,” she smiled.

[ll]

He just stared. “Okay, I just wanted to see how hard it would be. Besides I’ve learned more than a bit about Jumping from my new friend.” She ran her finger over Mace’s bound arm as she spoke, and he looked like he wanted to bite it off. “I’m thinking about doing a new special. The Jumper threat.”

Moving closer to Dak, it was his turned to be touched. Her hands felt cold, like the rest of her was as frigid as her heart. “I figure that you owe me an interview now.”

“Because of this loser?”

She turned away looking cross, but he was just happy her fingers were away from him. “Not because of him as much as for keeping my mouth shut about this bust and giving you all the credit.”

“What’s to keep me from just letting him loose and pretending the whole thing never happened.”

Either she really was aghast or she was a better actress than he would have given her credit for. “But he’s a Jumper. It’s your job to take them in.”

He shared a look with Mace who was making a foolish face behind her back. “Alright lady, why don’t you start getting yourself ready for your camera man. I’ll wait to call in the boys until you say your crew is in place.”

Approaching him once more, she ran his fingers down his neck. They were just as cold as before. “There is a bed in the front room. There’s no real hurry if you would like to…” Her scarlet lips were only inches from his.

“Ms. Law I know you think that rounding up this dreg is a major accomplishment, but I have a real agenda… so if you wouldn’t mind.”

Her eyes shot icy daggers at him, but with a flourish she retreated into the suite’s main bathroom.

Dak wasted no time, making his way to Mace’s side. They spoke in subdued tones. “Hurry up and untie me. Get me the hell out of here.”

“Not so fast. I can’t just let you go.” He paused. “Is there anyone you can call? Who would you call for help, if I wasn’t here?”

“There are some people I know, but I’m not sure we have enough time.”

Looking towards the bathroom door for a moment, Dak turned back to his bound associate. “If there is one thing I learned about pretty women, they take forever to get ready.”

Mace exhaled deeply. “Just call Erin. Tell her to dial in a code 10 and give her this address.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SKINJUMPERS OF NEW CLUSTER HERE!

[Detective Dak]

Detective Dak

question: What is a jumper/skin jumper?

answer: Unclear

question: Why are jumpers/skin jumpers a threat?

answer: Unclear

question: Why is the protagonist aligned with the tied up jumper?

answer: Unclear, not sure what the protagonist's role is

question: Who is the lady Lucy Law?

answer: A reporter

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The protagonist received a call from Lucy Law, a reporter bent on exposing "jumpers." She's caught a jumper, as verified by a blood test. She invites the protagonist to her hotel room where the jumper is tied up on a bed. The protagonist recognizes the jumper as an ally he knows. Rather than untie him when he gets a chance, he asks if there's some help he can call.


text:
"Wake up, Timothy.....Timothy, dear, wake up!"

“Ugh...what?”

“Wake up! We're leaving soon!”

	Timothy rose from his bead, still groggy. Beside him was his wife, already dressed. He glanced at his clock; 3:20 AM, it read.

“Margaret, what are you doing awake and dressed at three in the morning? Why are you waking me up?”, said Timothy, yawning.

“We're leaving soon!”

“Leaving where?”

“Oh...well, its a surprise, you'll just have to wait until Jeffery comes. Then we will leave!”, said Margaret. She seemed quite excited for this place they were going to.

“Who's Jeffery? Why do we have to wait for him?”

“Because he's the one taking us!”

“Margaret, I don't want to go anywhere. I want to sleep. I have work in the morning, how am I supposed to be on time if I don't get any sleep?”

“You don't need to worry about work, dear. Now get dressed! I'm going to go fix us some breakfast.”

	Margaret left the bedroom, and headed towards the kitchen. Timothy could hear her humming to herself happily as she prepared their food. As reluctant as he was, he got out of bed and dressed himself. He didn't want to go anywhere; but Margaret had been quite distant lately; not herself. This was the first time in weeks he had seen her happy. He decided he'd go along with it, for her sake. As he walked into the kitchen, Margaret stood at the stove smiling, frying some eggs.

“How would you like your eggs, dear?”

“Runny.”

	Timothy walked to the coffee maker, and began to make some coffee. He soon realized that Margaret had stopped humming; so he turned around. She was standing completely still, staring at him blankly.

“What are you looking at me like that for?”, he asked.

	No response.

“Margaret, what's wrong?”

“Oh, what?”, she said, as she snapped back into reality.

“You were staring at me.”

“Oh, sorry. Silly me, I guess I'm still a bit tired!” She resumed cooking the eggs and humming.

	Timothy finished brewing his coffee just as Margaret finished cooking the eggs. She prepared them plates, and they sat down to eat.

“So, where are we going?”, Timothy asked.

“I can't tell you, dear. Its a surprise.”

“What kind of surprise?”

“A special surprise, just for you.”

“A surprise? For me? It better be damn good if its at 3 AM in the morning. When are we leaving?”

“Oh, I don't know. As soon as Jeffery gets here.”

	About a half hour had passed, and they had both finished eating. Timothy was in the living room, fiddling with the T.V.. Margaret sat next to him, reading a book.

“Margaret, did you mess with the T.V.? Its just fuzzy white noise.”

“No dear, I didn't touch it.”

“Whatever. There's probably nothing good on, anyway. Can we leave yet?”

“No, not yet. We need to wait 'till Jeffery comes.”

“I think this Jeffery guy is a bit late.”, said Timothy, mildly annoyed.

	Another half hour passed, and at this point Timothy was laying on the floor, half asleep. His eyes became heavy, and soon the image of Margaret underneath the lamp had dimmed to blackness.

“Wake up, Timothy! Wake up! Timothy!”

	Timothy opened his eyes. He was back in his bed, with Margaret sitting on the bed next to him, with a worried look on her face.

“Timothy, you were talking in your sleep, and you're sweating.”

“What? How did I get in my bed? Is Jeffery here yet? He glanced at the clock; 5:48 AM.

“Who's Jeffery, Timothy?”

“Jeffery, Margaret. You know, he was going to take us to the surprise, remember? You woke me up at 3 AM!”

“What? I don't know a Jeffery, and I didn't wake you up. You must have been dreaming, that's probably why you were talking in your sleep.”

“Maybe...Margaret, I had a very strange dream. You woke me up, and we were going to go to my surprise, but you said we had to wait for Jeffery, and-”

“Oh, honey! You're cold!”

“I'm what?”, said Timothy, confused.

“You're cold! But you're sweating! I'm calling the doctor.”

Margaret left the bedroom, and he could soon hear her talking on the phone with the doctor. He touched his forehead; it was cold. Stone cold. So was his arm, and his leg, and the rest of his body. Ice cold. He shivered. The doorbell rang.

“Wow, that was fast!”, exclaimed Margaret.

Timothy could hear her answer the door.

“Who are you? You're not the doctor.”

“No, I'm not,” said a man with a raspy voice. “I'm here for Timothy.”

“He's in the bedroom...but who are you? What do you want?”

“I'm Jeffery,” he said, “The undertaker.”

title: Wait 'till Jeffery Comes

question: Summarize the twist ending.

answer: Timothy dreamed that someone named Jeffery was coming to pick him up. When he wakes up, he is cold and his wife calls the doctor. Instead, Jeffery arrives at the door and reveals he is the undertaker. The twist is that Timothy has died and Jeffery is here to collect the body.

question: Summarize Timothy's dream.

answer: In Timothy's dream, his wife wakes him up at 3:20. She tells him they are leaving soon and waiting for someone named Jeffery. Timothy gets out of bed and gets dressed, then joins Margaret in the kitchen. He turns around to find her staring at him blankly. They eat breakfast and half an hour passes. Timothy tries to watch TV. but only gets fuzzy white noise. Timothy lies on the floor and his eyelids grow heavy and he loses consciousness.

question: What does the story say about Timothy's cause of death?


text:
The slavemaster sat in his carriage, whipping his slave. The slave had ropes tied around his neck and arms, and he pulled the chariot with him.  His master would sit in the carriage and smoke and drink and gobble up food and would whip the slave with his whip if he ever slowed down. The slave would constantly be carrying the slavemaster around, sweating and heaving for hours every day before the master finally decided to sleep. He would fall asleep on the floor outside the carriage, and the next morning his master would whip him awake and tell him to keep pulling him around.

The slave would have to eat rocks and pebbles and drink his own sweat to survive, while the slavemaster gobbled down turkeys and drank liquor and whipped the slave, telling it to go faster.

One day, while the master was sleeping, the slave got sick of it, and tightened the ropes around his neck and crushed his head onto a rock, killing himself so he wouldn't have to live such an agonizing life anymore.

The master awoke the next day to find his slave dead, and he cried. He sat in his carriage and cried, because his slave was gone. The slave had killed himself because he couldn't deal with his own problems, so he had to cause the master such pain. Now the master would have to walk wherever he wanted, which he wasn't used to at all. It really hurt him.

How could the slave be so selfish? Why couldn't the slave just suck it up or keep living because maybe some day it might have stopped, whatever it was? But instead he chose to selfishly kill himself and leave behind a mess, causing the master trouble. Suicide. Such a selfish thing.

title: Inspired by a recent askreddit thread

question: What does the slavemaster think about the slave's suicide?

answer: The slavemaster believes the suicide to be selfish for causing the master trouble.

question: Who was eating rocks and pebbles o survive?

answer: The slavemaster's slave

question: Why did the slave commit suicide?

answer: The slave got sick of the slavemaster and ended his agonizing life.

question: Why did the slavemaster find the suicide to be selfish?

answer: The slave caused the master trouble since he would now have to walk everywhere.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer:
A slavemaster forces his slave pull him around in his chariot until the slave could not take it anymore and killing himself by crushing his own head on a rock.
When the master awakes, he sits and cries since he will now have to walk wherever he wanted. He finds the suicide to be selfish for causing the master trouble.


text:
-   June 21, 2008
-

It was a lefty-righty matchup for the ages.

Make that a righty-lefty matchup for the ages.

Pat Venditte, an ambidextrous pitcher for the Staten Island Yankees, eventually got the matchup he wanted: right-hander vs. right-hander, which resulted in a game-ending strikeout after a long and bizarre pitcher-batter sequence — make that batter-pitcher sequence.

On Thursday night at KeySpan Park in Coney Island, the Yankees led the Brooklyn Cyclones, 7-2, when the 22-year-old Venditte, making his professional debut, strolled to the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning and took part in his own version of the double switch.

Venditte, a switch-pitcher from Creighton who can reach 90 miles an hour from the right side and the high 70s from the left, retired the first two batters he faced while pitching right-handed.

Still pitching right-handed, Venditte allowed a single by Nicholas Giarraputo. Up next was designated hitter Ralph Henriquez, and he and Venditte engaged in a routine more vaudeville than Mudville.

As Henriquez walked to the plate, Venditte, assuming Henriquez would bat left-handed, stood behind the pitching rubber with his glove on his right hand and the ball in his left. Henriquez, looking out at Venditte, then stepped across the batter’s box, determined to hit right-handed and gain a righty-lefty advantage. Seeing this, Venditte quickly switched his custom-made glove to his left hand and put the ball in his right, hoping to gain a righty-on-righty advantage.

Henriquez stepped out and began asking the home-plate umpire, Shaylor Smith, to lay out his options, then summoned his third-base coach. With the matter unresolved, Henriquez again stepped across the batter’s box in an attempt to bat left-handed. Again, Venditte switched glove and ball. The cat-and-mouse game reached full comedic gear when Henriquez again strolled across the batter’s box to hit right-handed, and Venditte responded with the old switcheroo, setting up as a righty.

“My interpretation of the rule is that we each get to switch once,” Venditte said before Friday night’s Yankees game against Hudson Valley at Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island. “After that, I thought I had the final decision.”

Image

Credit...SNY
[]

Pat McMahon, the Staten Island manager, and Edgar Alfonzo, the Brooklyn manager, trotted onto the field for a discussion with Smith, setting off a series of separate discussions by confused members of the teams, which are Class A affiliates of the Yankees and the Mets.

In the midst of those discussions, Venditte tossed warm-up pitches — with both arms.

“I don’t think the umpires really knew how to handle it,” Venditte said. “It’s not something you see every day.”

After a seven-minute delay, Smith ordered Henriquez to step into the box as a right-handed batter, and Venditte, now pitching right-handed, proceeded to strike him out, swinging.

When asked before Friday’s game if he had ever seen anything like it before, McMahon paused before uttering softly, “Uh, no.”

But Venditte, drafted this month by the Yankees in the 20th round, said he was involved in a similar situation during his sophomore year against Nebraska. In that game, umpires ruled that Venditte had to declare which arm he would use before throwing his first pitch and could not switch until the at-bat ended. Venditte decided to pitch left-handed, and a right-handed batter “hit a laser,” he recalled, “but fortunately, it was caught.”

McMahon, who said Friday that he was waiting for an official ruling from higher baseball authorities on the subject of switch-pitching to switch-hitters, said that the way he understood it, “the rule dictates that the hitter establish the box and the pitcher establish the throw, and then each team can make one move, and then it’s play ball.”

“That’s the rule that we got from the rule book of minor league baseball,” he said.

McMahon, who said he shared that interpretation with Smith before Friday night’s game and would go over it with umpires as part of ground-rules discussions before every game, tipped his cap to Venditte.

“I thought Pat handled it very well,” he said. “Here you had a switch-hitter facing a young man who throws with both arms. It’s a unique experience and one that players and umpires will probably take a little time to get used to.”

question: Summarize everything about Pat Venditte.

answer: Pat Venditte is an ambidextrous pitcher for the Staten Island Yankees. His pitches can read 90 miles an hour from his right arm and the high 70s from his left.

question: Explain what happened at the game between the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones.

answer: Venditte prepared to pitch left-handed; he assumed Ralph Henriquez would hit left handed. Determined to gain righty-lefty advantage, Henriquez decided to hit right handed. Seeing this, Venditte switched to pitch with his right hand to gain advantage. Henriquez engaged the umpire about his options. Henriquez switched back to hit left handed. Venditte also switched. The players each switched one more time.

question: What is the controversy written about in the article?

answer: The game was delayed as the managers and umpire decided on the rules with regard to switching pitching and hitting.

question: How was the question resolved?

answer: The umpire declared that Henriquez was to hit right-handed to Venditte who was pitching right-handed.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer: During a baseball game between the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones, pitcher Venditte prepared to pitch left-handed; he assumed Ralph Henriquez would hit left handed. Determined to gain righty-lefty advantage, Henriquez decided to hit right handed. Seeing this, Venditte switched to pitch with his right hand to gain advantage. Henriquez engaged the umpire about his options. Henriquez switched back to hit left handed. Venditte also switched. The players each switched one more time.


text:
Dwarf planet 750X rolled slowly around its sister. Its artificially pumped atmosphere visibly pulled towards its twin, slowly being teased out into the dead space around it. Sitting cradled between the two was a carrier ship, nearly a quarter of the size of one of the dwarves. The ship was an almost perfect cylinder, slightly tapered on both ends. All along its riveted sides, many legged landing craft waited to be deployed. One of them flashed to life. In the thinly stretched atmosphere the normal noise of sirens and grinding steel the signaled the release of one of the landers was damped to a near whisper.

The lander dislodged its legs from the side of the craft and reversed them downward toward the planet below. Once it was completely free and the magnetic teeth firmly gripped the craft unlatched. leaving it tethered only by a looping black cord. for a moment it lay motionless until a gust of pressurized air sent it adrift in the pitch black space around it. It drifted further and further from its home until being snapped up by the gravity of the planet below. It started to tumble faster and faster but the cord snapped taught catching the tiny craft.

The lander was lowered slowly, carefully, like some giant, many legged spider dissenting on the dust bellow. Cranks clicked as the craft was lowered, swaying in the light breeze from the unmoving carrier ship so many kilometers above. When the craft was 20 feet above the cracked dry earth it, save for the light hushing of hydraulic joints, silently dissented on its prey. One of by one each of its eight legs gently grasped the surface, stirring up the dust around the each of the padded landing feet like sand stirred up in a river bed, cloaking the intruder from the barren plain. The ground pressed down two or three inches, struggling to hold the foreign weight.

The metal beast sat unmoving for a movement. With an audible a hiss and a click the magnetic bond between the lander and the barely visible carrier craft. After a moment the tether between the two ships shuttered. The rope whizzed up moving at a blur, perfectly straight, the noise even cutting through the insulted chambers within the metal craft. Lights flicked on in unison all along the landing gear and illuminating the dust around it that had just begun to settle, lighting up the dark around it in a perfect circle of swirling eerie fog.

A red light stained the fog, pulsing harshly. A platform lowered smoothly from the hovering underbelly of the craft. As it began to lower worried feet peeked out, shifting slightly as they were hit by the chilling breeze now filling the tightly packed innards of their lander. As the platform continued its descent the wind began to pick up, blowing away the last remainder of the stirred up sand. The light reached father in the now clear air. Catching on small rocks and cracks, radiating shadows around the steady light. Dust curled around the metal rectangle as it finally pressed against the powder ground.

For a moment the men shuffled uneasily, moving only an inch as they exhaled. Pressed shoulder to shoulder the three men adjusted their boot straps and checked the atmospheric pressure and oxygen levels on their wrists, all stable. After the moment of hesitation they stepped off, one by one, leaving shallow boot prints in the sand. One of the men, the tallest, walked out away from the crouching ship and Reaching out into the fading umbra, he was careful to keep both feet planted in the brightest part of the light he could. He paused before reaching behind his neck to turn a small dial fixed to his collar. With a warm hum a small light on his wrist grew to life. The father he turned it the stronger a soft light shining from his sleeve became. He shined the light in front of him scattering the darkness and forming a tunnel of white clean light 15 feet in front of him, collapsing slowly after that.

A grey pole, half the man’s height cast a shadow that cut the tunnel clean in two. He looked back at his to companions who had barely moved off the platform. The one farther back smiled sheepishly. He flipped on his wrist light on and clapped the still unmoving third man on the shoulder, jolting him. He spat on the grey dust which hugely grew dark with the moisture and flicked on his light.

The two men flanked him, their red striped suits crinkling as they walked. The first held back a minute to pick up a small sliver case from the edge of the platform and then went to join his companions that still stood unmoving. The two others joined their lights to widening the tunnel and forcing the clean black shadow to spilt into three fading rays. With a glace to his companions the man with the case shuffled forward down the tunnel keeping his back hunched and his light trained on the grey stones in front of him. As he got father down the tunnel sweat began to drip down his forehead and dripped down marking his way like bread crumbs.

As Reached out his hand to grasp he pole the two wrist-lights behind him flicked in unison leaving him, for a half a second an island in suffocating darkness. He turned back to him companions his face stained white from their relight lights. They blinked back, the one in the red striped suit fiddled with the gauges on his sleeve causing his light to bob. He exhaled and turned back around to his destination he reached out again to the pole and again the light behind him flicked, he didn’t bother to turn around again and the reached out and grabbed it. The lights flicked again, this time not only lights on the teams wrists but the florescent tubes lining the landers legs all in unison, plunging him, just for a fraction second, into complete darkness.

The man tried to turn and run back to his companions but he found he could not move his hand form the pole. He shuffled around the pole to face the lander, his back toward the unending darkness of 750X. He stared longingly into the eyes of companions as he nearly dislocated his shoulder in a vain attempt to rip the fused fabric off the pole. They only stared back at him eyes wide. He could see one screaming wildly in his suit but in his panic had not turned on any means of communication. His companion shook him, trying to get his attention but the man wouldn’t take his eyes off what had a vice grip on his brain after what felt like hours he stopped and pointed slowly behind the man at the pole, still franticly trying to remove his hand from its grasp.

For a moment the two men’s eyes met and turned to look at whatever the deranged man was looking at. He shuffled over turning his back once more to the lander and saw, nothing. Just the same empty darkness and fuzzy outlines of some of the closer rocks greeted him. He was about to flip on his communicator when all the lights, save for the one on his wrists went dead. He spun the light around, it was only able reach as far as the closest lander feet but that was all he saw. The two other men had vanished in an instant without a sound. He called out on every channel on my communicator. The booster to contact the carrier ship was an impossible twenty feet away on the lander platform.

A light scraping brought his attention to his left. He called out the names of his two companions but no one answered. He heard the sound again to right and whirled around as far as his trapped hand would allow. He shone his light out but again only rocks and dust. He heard the sound again, closer, more clearly, like two sheets of sandpaper being rubbed together.

His hand released form pole and he broke out into a run, shining his light wildly. Launched himself towards the lander. The noise was all around him as he struggled to get up. He shook his head. Not like sand paper like wings, thousands and thousands of scarping wings. He could feel them pressing in him clinging to his suit, weighing him down. He could feel the suit pressing against his skin as they struggled to pull him farther into the swirling darkness. They pushed into the light of his wrist light. Tentatively at first but then they pushed against each other until it too flickered and died. Dwarf planet 750X once again devoid of light.

title: Darkness [a shortish short story] [Sci-Fi]

question: Describe Dwarf planet 750X.

answer: It is a planet devoid of life and an artificially pumped atmosphere.

question: Who are the characters in this story?

answer: The characters are a group of men apparently on some sort of mission on the swarf planet 750X. "The man" is the prime character.

question: What is referred to as "the metal beast"?

answer: It is referring to the lander that holds the crew of men.

question: What happened when the craft was 20 feet above the earth?

answer: It began to silently dissent onto the planet.

question: Why was the man not able to move his hand from the pole?

answer: That information can't be found in the text.

question: What is the main event of this story?

answer: One of the men from the craft became stuck to a pole that's on the dwarf planet. While stuck to this pole, his gadgets turn off and he couldn't see his crew. He also began to hear noise. When he was somehow released from the pole, he is attacked by what seemed to be winged creatures.

question: What type of mission are the men on?

answer: That isn't clear, but it seems the men were exploring the terrain.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: A crew of men land on the dark Dwarf planet 750X, seemingly to explore the terrain. When one man got his hand stuck on a pole on the planet, the crew's devices went dark. The man began to hear noises until his hand was released from the pole. As he made his way back to his craft, he was attacked by what seems to be winged creatures.


text:
Only a few people (9 percent) insist that 1991 was the year of "victory of a democratic revolution which put an end to Communist Party rule."

[]

Tens of thousands of Yeltsin's (center) supporters gathered around the president’s residence at the White House in Moscow. Source: ITAR-TASS

A relative majority of Russians (41 percent) see the August 19, 1991, putsch in the former Soviet Union as a tragedy which had harmful implications for the country and its people.

The number has grown 14 percent in the past 20 years, from 27 percent in 1994, the Levada Center pollster told Interfax, referring to a nationwide poll held in late July.

The events are seen as a tragedy mostly by businessmen (52 percent), pensioners (48 percent), Russians older than 55 (49 percent), people with secondary education (46 percent), respondents with a low and high consumer status (46 percent in each category) and people in cities with a population less than 100,000 (51 percent).

Some 36 percent described the August 1991 events as an episode in the struggle for power and their number has considerably reduced since 1994 (53 percent). This opinion is mostly shared by salaried workers (44 percent), the unemployed (43 percent), Russians younger than 25 (44 percent), people with less than secondary education (42 percent), people with a low consumer status who can afford only food and clothes (42 percent) and villagers (44 percent), the sociologists said.

Only a few people (9 percent) insist that 1991 was the year of "victory of a democratic revolution which put an end to Communist Party rule." The opinion is mostly asserted by present-day executives and managers (22 percent), businessmen and specialists (17 percent in each category), Russians aged 25 to 40 (12 percent), people with higher education (14 percent), people with a high consumer status who can easily afford a car (21 percent) and Muscovites (33 percent).

In the opinion of 74 percent of the respondents, the country took a wrong turn after the putsch. This was mostly said by businessmen (64 percent), salaried workers (55 percent), pensioners (54 percent), Russians older than 55 (55 percent), people with a low consumer status (50 percent) and people in cities with a population from 100,000 to 500,000 (58 percent).

Twenty-seven percent of the respondents argued the opposite, and 26 percent were undecided.

The political crisis of August 1991 was triggered by the attempt of some senior Soviet officials to disrupt the signing of a new union treaty. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was isolated in his Crimean residence for that purpose.

Boris Yeltsin, then president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and other leaders of the Russian Federation headed the resistance to the attempted coup, which ended on August 22 with the arrest of the conspirators, one of whom, Interior Minister Boris Pugo, committed suicide.

Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev declared his resignation from the position of the Soviet Communist Party Central Committee Secretary General and asked Central Committee members for voluntary dissolution of the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991.

Related topic: Fall of the USSR>>>

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question: Write a ~0 sentence summary.


text:
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is expected to vote on the following two draft resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh on January 26, 2016, as a joined item on the agenda:

1.  Draft resolution on “Escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan”, rapporteur Robert Walter (UK)
2.  Draft resolution on “Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water”, rapporteur Milica Marković (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT IS A COMPLEX CONFLICT THE PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF WHICH HAS NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE. UNFORTUNATELY THESE TWO DRAFT RESOLUTIONS FEED INTO THE HATE-FILLED WAR RHETORIC OF THE CURRENT AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT AND PROMOTE FAVORITISM. BOTH DRAFT RESOLUTIONS EVIDENTLY LACK THOROUGH, IMPARTIAL RESEARCH, SELECTIVELY LEAVE OUT CRUCIAL FACTS AND CAUSE HARM TO THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS.

I HEREWITH RAISE MY VOICE AGAINST THESE TWO DRAFT RESOLUTIONS WITH AN INFLAMMATORY CONTENT WHICH HAVE LITTLE TO DO WITH GENUINE CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEACE BUILDING AND PROMOTE VESTED PERSONAL AND FINANCIAL INTERESTS OF A HANDFUL OF MEMBERS OF PACE.

Further details on the draft resolutions:

1.  _Draft resolution on “Escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan”, rapporteur Robert Walter (UK)_

As a rapporteur Mr. Walter violated several rules of the Code of conduct of PACE Members such as 1. the principle of neutrality, impartiality and objectivity (rules 1.1; 1.1.1.; 1.1.4), 2. the principle on avoiding conflict of interest (rule 8),  3. the principle on not using one’s position as a PACE member to further one’s own, another person’s or entity’s interest (rule 12), 4. as well as the principle of respecting the values of the Council of Europe (rule 7).

Mr. Robert Walter and his wife Feride Alp-Walter, marketing manager of the Middle East Association, have maintained close relationship with the authorities and the ruling elites of Azerbaijan for a long time, including taking a high-level British trade mission to Baku in close cooperation with the Embassy of Azerbaijan and the European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) – a lobbying organization which has strong ties with the Azerbaijani government and Ilham Aliyev’s inner circle.

Mr. Walter’s support for the government of Ilham Aliyev, while closing an eye on undemocratic processes in the country, has been frequently criticized by human rights activists in Azerbaijan[1], respected European watchdogs, such as Corporate Europe Observatory[2] as well as various well-known international media.

Sadly, just a first glance at the draft resolution is enough to realize that it is a word-for-word reflection of the official Azerbaijani and Turkish stance on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Official Turkey has always openly supported Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Mr. Walter and his wife, both Turkish citizens, have had cozy ties with the Turkish Government. Mr. Walter received his Turkish ID card personally from the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. In 2011 Mr. Çavuşoğlu was among the guests of Mr. Walter’s and Mrs. Feride Alp’s wedding.

Despite its title the draft resolution by Mr. Robert Walter is far from reflecting the reality on the escalation of tension on the contact line between Armenia and Azerbaijan and around Nagorno-Karabakh in the past months which has led to tragic deaths of civilians.

The draft resolution by Mr. Walter selectively leaves out crucial information. For instance it fails to mention important facts such as the one that unlike Armenia, on 27.09.2015 official Azerbaijan dismissed the proposal made by the OSCE Minsk Group to accept an OSCE mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations. The mechanism would enable to identify the initiator of the cease-fire violations and make it difficult for the sides to blame each other for initiating deadly attacks. The logical answer to the question why official Azerbaijan which continuously blames the Armenian side for violating the cease-fire is not interested in such a mechanism, is evident.

This draft report is also a rather dangerous and irresponsible attempt to create a parallel mechanism, without having the necessary legitimacy and the mandate from the parties involved in the conflict. The prompt critical reaction of the co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group - the sole official body with the mandate to mediate - to the draft resolution by rapporteur Mr. Walter emphasizes the harm it causes to the negotiation process and thus to the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

 2.      _Draft resolution on “Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water”, rapporteur Milica Marković (Bosnia and Herzegovina)_

 -          Unfortunately the draft resolution written by Mrs. Milica Marković lacks impartial, thorough research. Despite the prompt invitations of both the Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh authorities to visit Sarsang reservoir (at “any time convenient for the rapporteur”) as initially requested by rapporteur Milica Marković, neither Ms. Marković nor technical expert Dr. Lydia S. Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia were on the ground. Thus both the draft resolution and the technical report (which is supposed to be the basis of the draft resolution) are based on the rather approximate simulations of the corresponding Azerbaijani ministry based on the data of 1993 and hearsay, although there was clearly an opportunity to visit the reservoir and get acquainted with the actual state of things.

-          Rapporteur Marković evidently uses this humanitarian issue as a pretext in order to make highly biased statements on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in general. A brief comparison of the technical report and the draft resolution, which is supposed to be based on the technical report, makes is clear that Ms. Marković deliberately exaggerated the consequences of potential danger or left important facts stated in the technical report out of the draft resolution, since this information does not fit in with her biased intentions.

The technical report drafted by expert Dr. Lydia S. Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia clearly specifies: “Although Sarsang is an earth-fill dam, which is far less dangerous and much more safe, when it comes to sudden collapse in principle (e.g. as compared to arched dams), it should be pointed out that without a visual inspection of the dam there is no way to assess its condition and any potential security risks from the technical point of view”. _Despite this, the rapporteur and the technical expert opted to ignore the invitation of the Authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh to visit Sarsang reservoir and examine the state of inspection and maintenance of the reservoir. Instead, Mrs. Marković produced a report which refers to the rather approximate simulations of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency situations, based on more than 22 year-old information_.

_According to the technical report: “Sarsang alone cannot cause a major flood in the problematic lower Kura region, but the lack of communication between Armenia and Azerbaijan raises fears that unexpected water releases from Sarsang may add to flooding consequences at periods of excessive rainfall in the area”. Nonetheless, instead of urging the sides, to engage in a dialogue in order to ensure a safe management of the reservoir, Ms. Marković demands an “immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the region concerned”._

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOgCrsCKXt4, reached on 07.12.2015
[2] „Spin doctors to the autocrats: how European PR firm whitewash repressive regimes”, pp 22-25;  http://corporateeurope.org/sites/default/files/201500303_spindoctors_lr.pdf , reached on 07.12.2015

question: What is the article about?

answer: It's an examination of two draft proposals for a then-upcoming vote by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe(PACE) regarding the hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The gist of the article is that both of the proposed drafts violate norms of impartiality and objectivity while appearing to abide by them.

question: What are the criticisms of the draft resolution by Robert Walter?

answer: The author points out that Mr. Walter violates the principles of neutrality, avoiding conflict of interest, not using their position as PACE members to further their or someone else's agenda and the principle of respecting the values of the Council of Europe. Furthermore, the author points out that the draft resolution is a mirror image of the views of the official Azerbaijani and Turkish positions on the matter. The author also states that Mr. Walter and his wife are both Turkish citizens with close ties to the Turkish Government.

question: What are the criticisms of the draft resolution by Milica Marković?

answer: The author claims that Ms. Marković's report lacks impartial and thorough research. The author points out that the draft leaves out critical information present in the technical report on which the draft is supposed to be based. The author also states that Ms. Marković had the opportunity to visit the dam in question, to assess its state but turned it down. Instead, the draft is based on simulations using 22-year-old data. Finally, the last criticism is about the proposed action: instead of encouraging peace and negotiation to alleviate future harm to civilians, the report asks for the withdrawal of the Armenian forces.

question: What is the main problem identified in the article?

answer: The author states that the draft resolutions repeat the hate-filled rhetoric of the Azerbaijani government instead of aiding the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The article raises concern about two draft resolutions that will be voted on by the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe. The author's concern is that both of the proposed drafts regurgitate the Azerbaijani rhetoric instead of aiding the peaceful resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.


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TV ReviewsAll of our TV reviews in one convenient place.

Welcome back to the Underworld, where we will be freeing a few famous souls at a time. This week, we get adorable teenage Hercules and his love Meg, with, as with most efforts on _OUAT_, mixed results.

Let’s focus on the good: Sometimes, this show really nails it with the casting. Bailee Madison, who has been playing young Snow for years, does a commendable job this episode as the now-teenaged insecure young princess who fortunately meets a hunky Hercules to train her in the ways of being a badass. (She even perfects some of Ginnifer Goodwin’s mannerisms.) Despite a few necessary fumbles, and with a few assists from “Herc,” young Snow stares down the bandits that are raiding her village. She and Jonathan Whitesell are super-cute together, which makes it too bad that this is (likely) only a one-episode appearance.

The Snow White-Regina flashbacks appear to be about as played out as they can get, so it was nice to get some new Snow perspective, and a taste of how she transformed the awesome Bandit Snow to someone who sits on a bed sulking in the middle of the Underworld. At least she acknowledges her own lame “speeches about hope,” and Regina offers an inspired missive about how unstoppably plucky Snow has been. Seriously, coming all the way around from hunting Snow down to palling around with her is quite a transformation, and it’s nice how Regina points that out here. And if letting go of her Mary Margaret self is really going to up things up for you, than godspeed, Snow. We need you to be less lame and more awesome, like, yesterday. Taking down Cerebrus is a decent start.

Speaking of badaassery, you have to toss Hook a bit of respect for trash-talking Hades while he’s lying there, bloody on the floor. Although Hades is right: He’s a god, and there’s always going to be an Underworld, so really, what can Hook and his friends do to him? Eh, I’m sure they’ll come up with something. But after his death, and appearing in brief flickers on gravesites, it’s nice to even get a few scenes of bloody Hook, who’s still a brave hero even in the literal pit of despair.

Out of the three villainesses’ arc last year, Cruella turned out, surprisingly, to be the most interesting one, going from an animated villain with a coat obsession to am actually evolved character due to her relationship with the author. Who among us did not groan when Henry broke the author’s pen in the first place? So now it’s a living entity, in the Underworld, of course. And Henry, even at his age should know better about keeping secrets from that particular crowd he runs with. How do you suppose it will all end, Henry? That gin line was pretty funny: Cruella’s the second person after Pan to point out how bland the Underworld is compared to the world above.

So many logical Underworld questions: Does the fact that Emma’s parents’ apartment is already set up for them mean that they will automatically have “unfinished business”? How can they have unfinished business if they haven’t even died yet? Why was Meg in the prison with Hook? How can Cerebrus run around chasing everyone: Isn’t he supposed to be guarding the prison? Wasn’t part of the point of saving Hercules was so that he could help them find Hook, but then he just moves onto his afterlife anyway…

I suspect we’re recycling episode themes at this point, but the importance of facing your fears can’t be overstated. Hercules’ unfinished business with Cerebrus (and Meg) keeps him stuck in Underworld. Snow’s continues attempts to stand up to the bandits finally earn her the respect of her villagers. In the end, these five are scarcely closer to finding Hook than when they arrived (so Rumple just went ahead and took that other boat back to Storybrooke, I’m guessing), although they’ve let two souls slip out of Hades’ fingers. But the lesson about facing your fears will probably come in handy more in the Underworld than anywhere.

Stray observations

-   I liked the costuming tie between Snow White’s light blue omnipresent coat and the color of the cape her younger self wears.
-   So did Neal get the message from Emma to Hook?
-   Emma Caulfield is great but unrecognizable as the Blind Witch.
-   _OUAT_’s makeup team is way too fond of eyebrow pencil and eye shadow.
-   This episode was written by Andrew Chambliss, who wrote a lot of the bear stuff I wasn’t really a fan of in the first half of the season. He fares better here.
-   Nice sight gag with Hercules carrying around whole anchors on the dock.
-   “I think I know where you’ll wind up”: Good one, Henry!
-   Also, “Since when are you practical?” Preach it, Regina.
-   Hades is much more terrifying without the flaming blue hair. Greg Germann’s smarmy menace can stand on its own.

-   I know I usually rag on the Snow White character here, but it’s mostly because of the way she is written, and not because of Ginnifer Goodwin. I have even more respect for her now after seeing _Zootopia_ today, where she voices the lead role. You should definitely check it out, kids or no kids. (It looks like she even snagged her husband Josh Dallas a part as “Frantic Pig.”)

question: How does the author feel about Zootopia?

answer: They seem to be a fan of the film and of Ginnifer Goodwin's performance in it.

question: How did the author feel about the episode overall?

answer: They seem to have mixed feelings toward the episode overall.


text:
In trigonometry, the GRADIAN, also known as the GON (from ), GRAD,[1] or GRADE,[2] is a unit of measurement of an angle, defined as one hundredth of the right angle (in other words, there are 100 gradians in 90 degrees).[3][4][5] It is equivalent to of a turn,[6] of a degree, or of a radian. Measuring angles in gradians is said to employ the _centesimal_ system of angular measurement.[7][8][9]:22

In continental Europe, the French term _centigrade_ was in use for one hundredth of a grad. This was one reason for the adoption of the term Celsius—to replace centigrade as the name of the temperature scale.[10][11]

Gradians are principally used in surveying (especially in Europe),[12][13][14] and to a lesser extent in mining[15] and geology.[16][17]

the gon is officially a legal unit of measurement in the European Union[18] and in Switzerland.[19]

The gradian is not part of the International System of Units (SI).[20][21]

History and name

The unit originated in connection with the French Revolution in France as the _grade_, along with the metric system, hence it is occasionally referred to as a _metric degree_. Due to confusion with the existing term _grad(e)_ in some northern European countries (meaning a standard degree, of a turn), the name _gon_ was later adopted, first in those regions, and later as the international standard. In German, the unit was formerly also called _Neugrad_ (new degree), likewise _nygrad_ in Swedish, Danish and Norwegian (also _gradian_), and _nýgráða_ in Icelandic.

Although attempts at a general introduction were made, the unit was only adopted in some countries, and for specialised areas such as surveying,[22][23][24] mining[25] and geology.[26][27] The French artillery has used the grad for decades. Today, the degree, of a turn, or the mathematically more convenient radian, of a turn (used in the SI system of units) are generally used instead.

In the 1970s - 1990s, most scientific calculators offered the grad, as well as radians and degrees, for their trigonometric functions.[28] In the 2010s, some scientific calculators lack support for gradians.[29]

Symbol

The international standard symbol for this unit today is “gon” (see ISO 31-1). Other symbols used in the past include “gr”, “grd”, and “g”, the last sometimes written as a superscript,[30] similarly to a degree sign: 50g = 45°.

Advantages and disadvantages

Each quadrant is assigned a range of 100 gon, which eases recognition of the four quadrants, as well as arithmetic involving perpendicular or opposite angles.

:{| |- |align=“right”| 0° ||align=“center”| = ||align=“right”| 0 gradians |- |align=“right”| 90° ||align=“center”| = ||align=“right”| 100 gradians |- |align=“right”| 180° ||align=“center”| = ||align=“right”| 200 gradians |- |align=“right”| 270° ||align=“center”| = ||align=“right”| 300 gradians |- |align=“right”| 360° ||align=“center”| = ||align=“right”| 400 gradians |}

One advantage of this unit is that right angles to a given angle are easily determined. If one is sighting down a compass course of 117 grad, the direction to one's left is 17 grad, to one's right 217 grad, and behind one 317 grad. A disadvantage is that the common angles of 30° and 60° in geometry must be expressed in fractions (as grad and grad, respectively).

Similarly, in one hour ( day), Earth rotates by 15° or gon (see also decimal time). These observations are a consequence of the fact that the number 360 has more divisors than the number 400 does; notably, 360 is divisible by 3, while 400 is not. There are eleven factors of 360 less than or equal to its square root: . However, there are only seven for 400: .

In the 18th century, the metre was defined as the forty-millionth part of a meridian. Thus, one grad of arc along the Earth's surface corresponded to 100 kilometres of distance at the equator; 1 centigrad of arc equaled 1 kilometre; 0.1 cc (centi-centigrads) of arc equaled 1 metre.[31]

Conversion

Not part of the SI system of units

The gradian is not part of the International System of Units (SI). The EU directive on the units of measurement[32] notes that the gradian _does not appear in the lists drawn up by the CGPM, CIPM or BIPM._ The most recent, 9th edition of the SI Brochure does not mention the gradian at all.[33] The previous edition mentioned it only in a footnote, which said the following:[34]

[1]

[2]

[3] Harris, J. W. and Stocker, H. Handbook of Mathematics and Computational Science. New York: Springer-Verlag, p. 63, 1998.

[4] https://www.nist.gov/pml/nist-guide-si-appendix-b9-factors-units-listed-kind-quantity-or-field-science#ANGLE

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10] . On p. 42 Frasier argues for using grads instead of radians as a standard unit of angle, but for renaming grads to “radials” instead of renaming the temperature scale.

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31] Cartographie – lecture de carte – Partie H Quelques exemples à retenir.

[32]

[33]

[34]

title: Gradian

question: Why did Celsius replace Centigrade as a temperature measure?

answer: The term centigrade was already in use in France as a measure of an angle so the term for temperature was changed to avoid confusionA

question: What is the GON or gradian sometimes also called?

answer: A metric degree.

question: Is the  GON in common use?

answer: It is used in ming, surveying and geology. The French artillery also uses it but attempts to use it more widely have met with little success. Most people prefer to use the more practical radial of turn.

question: What is the advantage of using a 360 degree measure rather than a 400 degree measure for angles?

answer: 360 has more divisors than 400 does because it is divisible by 3 and 400 is not.