text:
In a small building on the outskirts of the blue sector, Paul and Harold Wright were sitting in a booth watching the evening’s news broadcast over a steak and a plate of large fries. A screen in one corner featured a Human in a freshly pressed suit and a stack of papers talking at the camera. The place was a replica of an Earthian building, circa 1950. Harold had learned about them in education for Earth Studies, though he often wondered how strange it was that there wasn’t anybody still alive who had visited one of these places first hand, and how it was even stranger that despite this, he was still required to learn about them.

The audio from the on-screen broadcast was muted, but he knew what the report was about. Harold had seen it played at least ten times this week. A steady stream of words scrolled along the bottom of the screen;

**VIOLENCE ERUPTS ON EARTH ONCE MORE AS ELECTION NEARS**

“Look at that place,” Paul broke the silence after taking a long drink of his beer. “It’s not changed a bit.”

Harold shifted his eye from the screen to meet Paul’s, who was now transfixed on the news report.

“I know you’re scared Paul, I am too, but it’s not going to change overnight.”

“Overnight?” Paul cracked a wry smile. “How about fourteen years?”

“Sixteen, uncle.”

“So you are studying.”

A short, blonde-haired waitress sauntered over to the booth and Harold shifted on the red leather to face her.

“Is anything else required of me, gentlemen? We shall unfortunately need to begin closure of this restaurant soon, it’s nearly launch season, and if we don’t…”

She may well have continued, but if she did, Harold hadn’t noticed. He was merely waiting for an opening in conversation to ask her about her recent trip to New Paris. Misa Vexor had only been working a temporary position at the diner for a couple of months now, but he'd managed to see her every time he walked in without fail. They had been friends for as long as he could remember, since he moved to Central anyway. When he thought long enough about it, Harold realised that was actually all he could remember, other than the stories Paul told him, anyway. He tried not to think about it very long.

“No, we’re good Misa.” Paul stood up quickly, shaking the table in the process, and a few pieces of cutlery clinked together. “We should be makin’ a move anyway. You don’t want to be out after dark on warmup week.”

She lost her happy demeanor ever so slightly as Harold edged his way out of the booth, after flashing a half-smile at her, and followed his uncle out of the busy diner’s doors and onto the streets of the blue sector. Other than the purple, the blue sector was the least affluent area of lower Central, and crime rates had risen in recent years as less and less graduates left for earth. *“If these kids gave a damn about their species,”* Paul would say, *“They’d visit their own home freakin’ planet for God sake.”*

After walking a few minutes in silence, a short series of loud beeps, coming seemingly from both nowhere and everywhere, echoed into the night.

“Ten o’clock. Seems later, doesn’t it?”

Paul was met with silence. Even the streets, which this close to launch season should be bustling with activity, seemed quiet.

“Harry listen,” He continued anyway, “I’m sorry for rushing out of there. That Vexor girl, she’s alright. For an Other, anyway.”

Harold didn’t respond, instead choosing to look up. A large, clear dome covered the whole topside of Central, which rotated so it received approximately seven hours of sunlight for each twenty four. It was designed to simulate one Earth day, which Harold found facinating. Something glinted in his field of vision and his eyes darted quickly right.

“Paul, look, over there.”

In the direction Harold was pointing, up through the ceiling, out of Central, and a million miles away, was a tiny shining dot no more than a centimetre in diameter. He could just make out tiny fragments of green and blue. Earth.

Paul looked up, and with a large grin, turned to Harold.

“It seems so small, doesn’t it Harry?”

For a while, they stopped and stood underneath the stars, looking up at the night sky. Harold stared intently at Earth, as the universe around him seemed to fly by, and had only one thought.

*Home.*

*Soon, I’m coming home.*

title: [SF] Down There

question: What is the relationship between Paul and Harold?

answer: Paul is Harold's uncle

question: Where does the story take place?

answer: In a low-income sector of a planet/moon from which Earth is visible

question: What is an "Other?"

answer: That information can't be found

question: What is the cause of the violence on Earth?

answer: It is somehow related to the upcoming election

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Harold Wright and his uncle Paul are in a diner watching a news report about violence on Earth. The server tells them that they will be closing soon, so they leave. They are in one of the least affluent parts of Central, and when they look up they can see Earth as a small dot. Harold vows that he will go home soon.


split: train

text:
SHABNAM ASTHANA is an Indian public relations expert, speaker, and entrepreneur.[1] In 2012, she received the National Public Relations Hall of Fame award by PRCI from H. K. Dua for her contributions in the public relations field.[2]

Early life and education

Asthana was born in Bokaro Steel City. She earned a bachelor's degree in arts from Lady Shri Ram College in 1983 and later, she earned a master's degree in arts and also studied at Symbiosis to complete a post graduate diploma in Public Relations and Advertising. She also completed a postgraduate program in marketing management from Symbiosis, Pune.[3]

Career

Asthana taught English for more than 2 years at the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. After leaving NDA, she worked at a few private companies and also as a freelance journalist and writer for leading newspapers and magazines.[4] She also served as a panelist and guest faculty for Institutes and Business Schools including Symbiosis, Indira, IIBM, Sinhagad, Matrix, NIILM, D.Y Patil and others.

2005- Present

In 2005, Asthana founded Empowered Solutions.[5] In addition to coordinating and synchronizing the functions of businesses, the company also handles public relations and draws out marketing and sales strategies for them.[6] Her clientage includes IND TV USA, Garware Wall Ropes, Reiter, Phoenix Mecano, Premium, The Little Gym, Soukos Robots S.A, SIMC,[7] Clover Builders, University of Pune, Funskool, NTT data and others.[8][9]

In May 2017, her book, Romancing Your Career was launched by Lila Poonawalla. The book is about work experiences in the corporate world and was covered by Business Standard, DNA News, Hindustan Times, Education Times and other major media.[10][11][12]

Asthana is often seen at conferences for entrepreneurship, public relations and women upliftment[13] including National Summit on Startups and Women Entrepreneurship, Eurasian Economic Congress, Indian Russian Dialogue and Ahmadiya Muslim Community Conference.[14]

Accolades

Received Hall of Fame award in 2012 at Mumbai from The PRCI for her contributions in the public relations industry.[15] Asthana was the first Indian to be invited at 2012 PRSSA 2012 National Conference in San Francisco.[16][17] She received the Times Power Women 2017 award for Global PR from The Times Group in January 2018.[18][19]

In September 2018, she received Times Power Woman 2018 award from The Times of India Group.[20][21][22] Next month, Asthana received the Mahatma Gandhi Samman at the British Parliament House of Commons, London[23][24] and 2018 Pune Best Brand Awards.[25][26] In April 2019, She was conferred an honorary doctorate by National American University.[27][28]

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title: Shabnam Asthana

question: Who is Shabnam Asthana?

answer: An Indian public relations expert, speaker, and entrepreneur.

question: What awards has she earned?

answer: National Public Relations Hall of Fame Award, the Times Power Women award for Global PR

question: What has Asthana worked in?

answer: She taught English, worked for private companies, and as a freelance journalist

question: What does Empowered Solutions do?

answer: Coordinates and synchronizes the functions of business, also handling public relations and draws out marketing and sales strategies.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Shabnam Asthana is an Indian public relations expert, speaker, and entrepreneur. She has earned the National Public Relations Hall of Fame Award, and the Times Power Women award for Global PR. She has taught English, worked for private companies, and worked as a freelance journalist. Her company, Empowered Solutions, coordinates and synchronizes the functions of business, also handling public relations and draws out marketing and sales strategies.


text:
When she wasn’t penning beloved novels, Jane Austen brewed her own beer. And she wasn’t the only Regency-era woman to try her hand at craft brewing, either. In fact, brewing beer was part of women’s lives for centuries, long before beer was branded as a beverage for dudes.

According to Jane Austen expert Laura Boyle, the Austen family was filled with “enthusiastic home brewers” who made their own mead, wine, and beer. Though technically part of the gentry, Austen grew up on a farm where her family produced everything except luxury goods. As an adult, she was intimately involved with housekeeping and food prep, a world that was seen as entirely feminine.

That world involved plenty of beer. Elizabeth Ham, a contemporary of Austen’s, wrote that “No one in these days ever dreamt of drinking water.” At the time, water supplies were fraught with health dangers, and brewing beer was seen as a way to create a safe drink that wouldn’t spread disease. Long before the epidemiology of diseases like cholera was understood, people realized that something about the boiling and fermenting process of beer made those who drank it less sick than those who sampled the often-tainted drinking water. Light or "small" beer with a low alcohol content thus became a staple for children and adults, who drank it with all meals and who often made it at home.

One of Austen's specialties was spruce beer, a kind of cousin of root beer that contained hops and molasses. In letters to her sister Cassandra, she told of making spruce beer: “It is you … who have the little Children,” she wrote, “and I that have the great cask, for we are brewing spruce beer again.” Sadly, Austen’s beer recipes are lost to time, though her family mead recipe still exists.

The Jane Austen Centre in Bath, England, where Austen lived part of her life, has created a special Austen-themed brew along with the Bath Brew House in honor of the famed writer's 200th birthday. It’s called Jane Austen 200, and it’s being called “light, hoppy, and refreshing with added Earl Grey flavouring.”

The Center also offers a spruce beer recipe for those wishing to try their own Austen-inspired homebrewing projects:

SPRUCE BEER

5 gallons of water
1/8 pound of hops
1/2 cup of dried, bruised ginger root
1 pound of the outer twigs of spruce fir
3 quarts of molasses
1/2 yeast cake dissolved in 1/2 cup of warm water

1. In a large kettle combine the water, hops, ginger root, and spruce fir twigs.
2. Boil together until all the hops sink to the bottom of the kettle.
3. Strain into a large crock and stir in the molasses.
4. After this has cooled add the yeast.
5. Cover and leave to set for 48 hours.
6. Then bottle, cap and leave in a warm place (70-75 °F) for five days. It will now be ready to drink.
7. Store upright in a cool place.

Austen didn’t just make beer—she wrote about it. You may think of her novels as portraits of a more proper age, but they’re full of drinking, as when hunky Mr. Knightley offers spruce beer brewing tips in the novel _Emma_ or when Elinor drinks wine to heal her broken heart in _Sense and Sensibility_.

Unfortunately, women were eventually shut out of brewing as the practice moved from the home and into factories. Today, the beer industry—and even homebrewing—is often thought of as being male-dominated. Which would probably make Jane shake her head and grab for a bottle of booze.

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question: What is the main topic of this article?

answer: This article focuses on a Jane Austen-inspired home beer-brewing recipe.

question: Who is Jane Austen?

answer: She was a novelist and beer brewer.

question: Why did people drink beer instead of water?

answer: According to the article, during the time of Austen [end of the 18th century], water supplies were unsafe for drinking. Brewed beer was seen as a way to create a safe drink that wouldn't spread disease.

question: What was Austen's specialty beer?

answer: Spruce beer was her specialty; it contains hops and molasses.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article focuses on a Jane Austen-inspired home beer-brewing recipe. The article offers a recipe for an Austen specialty beer: Spruce beer.


text:
A CRISTA (; plural CRISTAE) is a fold in the inner membrane of a mitochondrion. The name is from the Latin for _crest_ or _plume_, and it gives the inner membrane its characteristic wrinkled shape, providing a large amount of surface area for chemical reactions to occur on. This aids aerobic cellular respiration, because the mitochondrion requires oxygen. Cristae are studded with proteins, including ATP synthase and a variety of cytochromes.

Background

With the discovery of the dual-membrane nature of mitochondria, the pioneers of mitochondrial ultrastructural research proposed different models for the organization of the mitochondrial inner membrane.[1] Three models proposed were:

-   BAFFLE MODEL – According to Palade (1953), the mitochondrial inner membrane is convoluted in a baffle-like manner with broad openings towards the intra-cristal space. This model entered most textbooks and was widely believed for a long time.
-   SEPTA MODEL – Sjöstrand (1953) suggested that sheets of inner membrane are spanned like septa (plural of septum) through the matrix, separating it into several distinct compartments.[2]
-   CRISTA JUNCTION MODEL – Daems and Wisse (1966) proposed that cristae are connected to the inner boundary membrane via tubular structures characterized by rather small diameters, termed crista junctions (CJs). These structures were rediscovered recently (2008) by EM tomography, leading to the establishment of this currently widely accepted model.[3]

More recent research (2019) finds rows of ATP synthase dimers (formerly known as “elementary particles” or “oxysomes”) forming at the cristae. These membrane-curving dimers have a bent shape, and may be the first step to cristae formation.[4] They are situated at the base of the crista. A mitochondrial contact site cristae organizing system (MICOS) protein complex occupies the crista junction. Proteins like OPA1 are involved in cristae remodeling.[5]

Crista are traditionally sorted by shapes into lamellar, tubular, and vesicular cristae.[6] They appear in different cell types. It is debated whether these shapes arise by different pathways.[7]

Electron transport chain of the cristae

[A mitochondrion, with labeled cristae.]

NADH is oxidized into NAD+, H+ ions, and electrons by an enzyme. FADH₂ is also oxidized into H+ ions, electrons, and FAD. As those electrons travel farther through the electron transport chain in the inner membrane, energy is gradually released and used to pump the hydrogen ions from the splitting of NADH and FADH₂ into the space between the inner membrane and the outer membrane (called the intermembrane space), creating an electrochemical gradient.

This electrochemical gradient creates potential energy (see __) across the inner mitochondrial membrane known as the proton-motive force. As a result, chemiosmosis occurs, and the enzyme ATP synthase produces ATP from ADP and a phosphate group. This harnesses the potential energy from the concentration gradient formed by the amount of H+ ions. H+ ions passively pass into the mitochondrial matrix by the ATP synthase, and later help to re-form H₂O (water).

The electron transport chain requires a varying supply of electrons in order to properly function and generate ATP. However, the electrons that have entered the electron transport chain would eventually pile up like cars traveling down a blocked one-way street. Those electrons are finally accepted by oxygen (O₂). As a result, they form two molecules of water (H₂O). By accepting the electrons, oxygen allows the electron transport chain to continue functioning. The chain is organized in the cristae lumen membrane, i.e. the membrane inside the junction.[8]

The electrons from each NADH molecule can form a total of 3 ATP's from ADPs and phosphate groups through the electron transport chain, while each FADH₂ molecule can produce a total of 2 ATPs.

As a result, 10 NADH molecules (from glycolysis and the Krebs cycle), along with 2 FADH₂ molecules, can form a total of 34 ATPs during aerobic respiration (from a single electron transport chain). This means that combined with the Krebs Cycle and glycolysis, the efficiency for the electron transport chain is about 65%, as compared to only 3.5% efficiency for glycolysis alone.

Function

The cristae greatly increase the surface area of the inner membrane on which the above-mentioned reactions may take place. A widely accepted hypothesis for the function of the cristae is that the high surface area allows an increased capacity for ATP generation. However, the current model is that active ATP synthase complexes localize preferentially in dimers to the narrow edges of the cristae. Thus, the surface area of mitochondrial membranes allocated to ATP synthases is actually quite modest.

Mathematical modelling suggested that the optical properties of the cristae in filamentous mitochondria may affect the generation and propagation of light within the tissue.[9]

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[9] Thar, R.and M. Kühl (2004). “Propagation of electromagnetic radiation in mitochondria?”. _J.Theoretical Biology_, 230(2), 261-270. 1

title: Crista

question: What does the latest research say about a Crista?

answer: They have have found that rows of ATP synthase dimers were forming at the cristae. They say this could be the first step to cristae formation.

question: Describe the Septa model.

answer: Sheets of inner membrane are spanned like septa through the matrix, separating it into several distinct compartments.

question: How does a crista help a mitochondrion function?

answer: They greatly increase the surface area of the inner membrane, which possibly allows for increased capacity of ATP generation.

question: Explain "the electrons that have entered the electron transport chain would eventually pile up like cards traveling down a blocked one-way street".

answer: The electron transport chain needs a varying supply of electrons in order to properly function and create ATP. Without being accepted by oxygen and  together forming two molecules of water, the electrons would pile up.

question: Why is the surface area of mitochondrial membranes allocated to ATP synthases modest?

answer: Active ATP synthase complexes are localized preferentially in dimers to the narrow edges of the cristae. This seems to mean that not as much space is allocated for them in the mitochondrial membranes because there is space for them elsewhere.


text:
The HOUSTON FILM CRITICS SOCIETY AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR is an annual award given by the Houston Film Critics Society.

Winners

2000s

  YEAR                WINNER AND NOMINEES                     FILM                                 ROLE
  ------------------- --------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ ------------------
  2007                DANIEL DAY-LEWIS                        _There Will Be Blood_                Daniel Plainview
  Casey Affleck       _Gone Baby Gone_                        Patrick Kenzie
  George Clooney      _Michael Clayton_                       Michael Clayton
  Emile Hirsch        _Into the Wild_                         Chris McCandless
  Viggo Mortensen     _Eastern Promises_                      Nikolai Luzhin
  2008                SEAN PENN                               _Milk_                               Harvey Milk
  Leonardo DiCaprio   _Revolutionary Road_                    Frank Wheeler
  Richard Jenkins     _The Visitor_                           Walter Vale
  Frank Langella      _Frost/Nixon_                           Richard Nixon
  Brad Pitt           _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_   Benjamin Button
  Mickey Rourke       _The Wrestler_                          Randy “The Ram” Robinson
  2009                GEORGE CLOONEY                          _Up in the Air_                      Ryan Bingham
  Jeff Bridges        _Crazy Heart_                           Bad Blake
  Morgan Freeman      _Invictus_                              Nelson Mandela
  Viggo Mortensen     _The Road_                              Man
  Jeremy Renner       _The Hurt Locker_                       Sergeant First Class William James

2010s

  YEAR                   WINNER AND NOMINEES                 FILM                                            ROLE
  ---------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- -------------------
  2010                   JESSE EISENBERG                     _The Social Network_                            Mark Zuckerberg
  Jeff Bridges           _True Grit_                         Rooster Cogburn
  Robert Duvall          _Get Low_                           Felix Bush
  Colin Firth            _The King's Speech_                 King George VI
  James Franco           _127 Hours_                         Aron Ralston
  2011                   MICHAEL FASSBENDER                  _Shame_                                         Brandon Sullivan
  George Clooney         _The Descendants_                   Matt King
  Jean Dujardin          _The Artist_                        George Valentin
  Brad Pitt              _Moneyball_                         Billy Beane
  Michael Shannon        _Take Shelter_                      Curtis LaForche
  2012                   DANIEL DAY-LEWIS                    _Lincoln_                                       Abraham Lincoln
  John Hawkes            _The Sessions_                      Mark O'Brien
  Hugh Jackman           _Les Misérables_                    Jean Valjean
  Joaquin Phoenix        _The Master_                        Freddie Quell
  Denzel Washington      _Flight_                            Whip Whitaker
  2013                   CHIWETEL EJIOFOR                    _12 Years a Slave_                              Solomon Northup
  Bruce Dern             _Nebraska_                          Woody Grant
  Christian Bale         _American Hustle_                   Irving Rosenfeld
  Matthew McConaughey    _Dallas Buyers Club_                Ron Woodroof
  Mads Mikkelsen         _The Hunt_                          Lucas
  Robert Redford         _All Is Lost_                       Our Man
  2014                   JAKE GYLLENHAAL                     _Nightcrawler_                                  Louis “Lou” Bloom
  Benedict Cumberbatch   _The Imitation Game_                Alan Turing
  Tom Hardy              _Locke_                             Ivan Locke
  Michael Keaton         _Birdman_                           Riggan Thomson / Birdman
  Eddie Redmayne         _The Theory of Everything_          Stephen Hawking
  2015                   MICHAEL FASSBENDER                  _Steve Jobs_                                    Steve Jobs
  Bryan Cranston         _Trumbo_                            Dalton Trumbo
  Matt Damon             _The Martian_                       Mark Watney
  Leonardo DiCaprio      _The Revenant_                      Hugh Glass
  Tom Hardy              _Legend_                            Ronald “Ronnie” Kray & Reginald “Reggie” Kray
  2016                   CASEY AFFLECK                       _Manchester by the Sea_                         Lee Chandler
  Andrew Garfield        _Hacksaw Ridge_                     Desmond T. Doss
  Ryan Gosling           _La La Land_                        Sebastian Wilder
  Jake Gyllenhaal        _Nocturnal Animals_                 Tony Hastings/Edward Sheffield
  Viggo Mortensen        _Captain Fantastic_                 Ben Cash
  Denzel Washington      _Fences_                            Troy Maxson
  2017                   JAMES FRANCO                        _The Disaster Artist_                           Tommy Wiseau
  Timothée Chalamet      _Call Me by Your Name_              Elio Perlman
  Daniel Kaluuya         _Get Out_                           Chris Washington
  Robert Pattinson       _Good Time_                         Constantine “Connie” Nikas
  Andy Serkis            _War for the Planet of the Apes_    Caesar
  2018                   _' Christian Bale_'                 _Vice_                                          Dick Cheney
  Bradley Cooper         _A Star Is Born_                    Jackson Maine
  Ethan Hawke            _First Reformed_                    Ernst Toller
  Rami Malek             _Bohemian Rhapsody_                 Freddie Mercury
  Viggo Mortensen        _Green Book_                        Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga
  2019                   ADAM DRIVER                         _MARRIAGE STORY_                                CHARLIE BARBER
  Leonardo DiCaprio      | _Once Upon a Time in Hollywood_   | Rick Dalton
  Eddie Murphy           _Dolemite Is My Name_               Rudy Ray Moore
  Joaquin Phoenix        _Joker_                             Arthur Fleck / Joker
  Adam Sandler           _Uncut Gems_                        Howard Ratner

title: Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor

question: What is the HOUSTON FILM CRITICS SOCIETY AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR?

answer: It's an annual award given by the Houston Film Critics Society.

question: Who won the award in 2009?

answer: George Clooney for Up in the Air.

question: Who won the award for 2010?

answer: Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network.

question: Who won the award for 2011?

answer: Michael Fassbender for Shame.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This is a Wikipedia page showing the winners of the HOUSTON FILM CRITICS SOCIETY AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR.


text:
[]

March 22, 2017 / 3:06 PM / CBS News

Democratic Federal Election Commissioner Ellen Weintraub is asking President Trump to disclose evidence of his charges of voter fraud in New Hampshire in the 2016 presidential election.

In a letter Wednesday, Weintraub wrote for a second time to Mr. Trump about his allegation that “thousands of voters were bused from Massachusetts to New Hampshire to vote illegally.”

In January, Mr. Trump tweeted, “I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and....even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!” He cited no evidence at that time or afterward. In February, he tapped Vice President Pence to investigate his claims.

She told him in her letter that “your allegations are not properly a matter for a future investigation to take up, as you cannot have responsibly alleged this scheme without already having sufficient facts in hand to do so.” Weintraub said she had seen no bus expenses on any campaign finance filing and said it’s “important” for Mr. Trump to provide evidence, so that “the truth of what happened in New Hampshire” can be determined.

Weintraub concluded by reminding him that democracy depends on the people’s faith in elections.

“Your voter-fraud allegations run the risk of undermining that faith,” she wrote. “Facts matter, Mr. President. The American people deserve to see your evidence.”

An outside group, Cause of Action, has called for an FEC inspector general investigation into Weintraub’s actions. Asserting that voter fraud is outside of the FEC’s jurisdiction, the group argues that an earlier letter she wrote to the president on the same issue that she posted on the FEC’s website misuses government property and time.

question: Explain Ellen Weintraub's primary complaint against Trump in this article.

answer: That he has accused New Hampshire of voter fraud without producing evidence, which undermines the people's faith in democratically held elections.

question: Explain all of Trump's opinions in this article.

answer: Trump thinks that voters were bused from MA to NH to commit voter fraud and that there may have been broader voter fraud occurring across the U.S.

question: When was this article published?

answer: March 22, 2017.

question: What outside group is mentioned in this article?

answer: Cause of Action.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: CBS News reports on Ellen Weintraub's response to President Trump's accusations regarding voter fraud occurring during the presidential election of 2016. Weintraub is quoted asking Trump for evidence of said fraud and remarking on the fact that such accusations reduce the people's faith in democratically held elections.


text:
The WESTERN STRIOLATED PUFFBIRD (_Nystalus obamai_) was considered conspecific with the eastern striolated puffbird.[1][2] It lives in Bolivia, western Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.[3] Its natural habitat is subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests. It was named after U.S. president Barack Obama.[4]

[1] http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm A Classification of the Bird Species of South America, hereafter SACC List. Accessed 7 November 2016.

[2] Gill, F. and D. Donsker (Eds). 2016. IOC World Bird List (v 6.3). http://www.worldbirdnames.org/

[3] Pacheco, José Fernando, and Carlos Eduardo Quevedo Agne. 2016. Species lists of birds for South American countries and territories: Brazil. Version of 2 November 2016. http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm

[4]

title: Western striolated puffbird

question: What animal is being discussed in this article?

answer: The Western Striolated Puffbird is being discussed in this article.

question: Where does the Western Striolated Puffbird live?

answer: It lives in Bolivia, western Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

question: What is the scientific name of the Western Striolated Puffbird?

answer: The scientific name of the Wester Striolated Puffbird is Nystalus obamai.

question: What is the natural habitat of the Western Striolated Puffbird?

answer: The natural habitat of the Western Striolated Puffbird is subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests.

question: Who was this bird named after?

answer: It was named after President Barack Obama.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A brief description of the Western Striolated Puffbird is given by this article.


text:
The US Government has been expanding in size and reach for decades. The federal budget, deficit, and government employee base is near an all-time high.

It wasn't always like that. Many of America's founders were Libertarian-minded and skeptical of the state, wanting only those parts of the government that were absolutely necessary.

However, there's reason to believe that in the near future, government might dramatically shrink—not because of demands by fiscally astute Americans, but because of radical technology.

Indubitably, millions of government jobs will soon be replaced by robots. Even the US President could one day be replaced, which—strangely enough—might bring sanity to our election process.

But it's not just robots, it's software programs and weird new tech that will do the replacing. Consider the over 1 million firefighters, a staple part of American government that also represents the ideal of service and career to one's country. Companies around the world are now building fireproof everything, including couches, furniture, and building materials that simply don't burn well. And intelligent robots—which I think will be in 50 percent of American households within five years time—will all have fire and carbon monoxide detectors.

In fact, I'm certain many in-home robots will not only be loaded with numerous security alert systems (like intruder alarms, flood warnings, and the ability to detect snakes, scorpions, and spiders) but will also be able to fix problems that occur. It's likely in just a few years time, in-home robots costing less than a $1,000 dollars will know how to put out a fire with an extinguisher, turn off a flooding bathtub, or squish a black widow.

Each time a robot or software can save an emergency call to a firefighter or police officer, money, time, and resources are saved. Twenty-five years into the future, we may have little reason to call any government service employee whatsoever—and institutions like the fire department may be significantly smaller.

The same idea goes for employees of the Internal Revenue Service, whose jobs crunching numbers can be done by even basic AI. Meanwhile, drones will replace building inspectors by flying around construction projects to determine safety and building requirements are being met. Even the tens of thousands of goverment highway workers will be replaced by driverless vehicles that automatically lay new roads down. Driverless construction equipment—just like a fully automated trucking industry—is the future. For that matter, even the White House may eventually turn to automated equipment such as driverless lawn mowers to cut its massive property lawns.

  Twenty-five years into the future, we may have little reason to call any government service employee whatsoever.

It's the military, though, where some of the robot revolution has already been witnessed on TV by many Americans. Instead of a company of troops on the ground, a single US soldier now sits in a military base on native soil controlling an armed drone thousands of miles away. America has approximately 2 million soldiers who can be quickly called up to service, but I think that number will quickly fall over the next decade as the US streamlines its military in the age of transhumanism—the age where machines do most of the work. Because national defense is such a large part of the Federal budget, this could save many billions of dollars for Americans.

Another area where technology can significantly help reduce government is the absurdly huge US prison system. Right now it costs almost four times the amount of money to run America's nearly 5,000 prisons and jails than it does to run the US education system. But in the near future, we might use drones and robots to monitor criminals, both in and out of jail.

Many of our prisons are filled with nonviolent drug offenders, anyway, and I think we should let them all go free. If people and politicians are too afraid of that, we could just have drones or tracking devices monitor them. This way many nonviolent criminals could find jobs and start paying taxes—instead of being a drain on government resources. Another benefit would be that many prison guards wouldn't need to be employed either, as there would be less criminals to monitor. Perhaps best of all, emptied prisons and jails owned by the government could be used for other things, like new colleges or job training centers.

I welcome this future smaller government as a result of evolving technology, and I hope that Americans will pay less in taxes as a result of it. In fact, I think it's possible to offer more social services—including a Universal Basic Income—from the govern

question: Why does the author believe that the size of the US government is likely to shrink in the foreseeable future?

answer: The writer believes that millions of government employees will soon be replaced by radical technology. Robots and software programs will soon do the jobs previously done by people. He believes that even the President may be replaced.

question: Why will firefighters lose their jobs

answer: Many companies now make fireproof furniture and building materials. When items do catch alight they don't burn very well. Within the next five years, 50% of American homes will have robots with fire and carbon monoxide detectors. They will detect the fire and extinguish it so there will be less need for firemen.

question: What other government jobs are at risk?

answer: AI will do the jobs of people in the Revenue Services. Drones will do building and property inspections. Highway workers and construction equipment driverswill be replaced by driverless vehicles. There will be less need for soldiers and prison wardens will also be out of a job.


text:
PEDDAGATTU (పెద్దగట్టు జాతర) or GOLLAGATTU JATHARA (గొల్లగట్టు జాతర) is the festival done in the name of Lord Lingamanthulu Swamy and Goddess Choudamma every 2 years.

The presiding deities, Sri Lingamanthula Swamy, believed an Incarnation of Lord Shiva, and his sister – Choudamma, are offered various pujas during the five-day fete.

Peddagattu (Gollagattu) is the second biggest religious congregation or Jathara in the state of Telangana after Sammakka Saralamma Jatara in Jayashankar Bhupalapally.

Though primarily the Yadava community takes part in huge numbers, people from all castes and religions from across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Odisha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu come to the place located just 5-km. from Suryapet. The festival is protected by police and assisted by volunteers during 3-day period.[1][2]

According to history, this religious congregation has been celebrated since 16th century. Even it is still been celebrated with the government funds.[3]

The festival is protected by police and assisted by volunteers during 3-day period. It is located in Durajpally village [Suburb in Suryapet Municipality], Suryapet District, Telangana state.

[1]

[2]

[3] http://cm.telangana.gov.in/jsp/mediaGallery/press_386_20-12-2014-11-41-05.pdf

title: Peddagattu jathara

question: In what country does the Peddagattu festival take place?

answer: It appears it's in India.

question: Which festival has the largest religious congregation or Jathara in Telangana?

answer: Sammakka Saralamma in the Jayashankar Bhupalapally district.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the second largest religious congregation, Peddagattu or Gollagattu, which takes place every two years in India since its inception in the 16th century and is still being funded by the government.


text:
The WORTHINGTON MOUNTAINS is a small long north-south trending mountain range in northwestern Lincoln County, Nevada.[1][2] The range is bounded by the Sand Spring Valley to the west and Garden Valley to the east. The Quinn Canyon Range lies to the northwest, the Golden Gate Range lies to the east and the Timpahute Range lies to the south and southeast.[3]

The range has two prominent peaks: Worthington Peak at near the north end and Meeker Peak at near the south end. The surrounding basins have elevations of .[4] There is no surface water and few springs within the range.[5]

The Worthington Mountains are within the Basin and Range National Monument, created by President Barack Obama in 2015.

Geology and mining

[The Worthington Range from the east. Meeker Peak is on the left.] The Freiberg district on the northeast end of the range, located northeast of Worthington Peak, has had a long history of mining. The bedrock in the area is Pogonip Group limestone and dolomites of Ordovician age which strike north south and dip 20° to the west. The sedimentary rocks have been faulted and intruded by numerous felsic intrusives. The old Freiberg mine was worked for gold and silver starting in 1865. Later the New Freiberg mine was worked with underground and open pit methods for silver, lead, zinc and copper from 1919 through 1948.[6]

The Upper Devonian Guilmette Formation outcrops in the southern portion of the range. The Guilmette contains exposures of the Alamo Breccia related to the Alamo Impact which is approximately centered in the Timpahute Range some to the south.[7]

Flora and fauna

The lower elevations of the mountains are characterized by a sagebrush community and other shrubs. The middle elevations are primarily forested by singleleaf pinyon pine (_Pinus monophylla_), Utah Juniper (_Juniperus osteosperma_), and mountain mahogany (_Cercpcarpus ledifolius_). At the higher elevations are bristlecone pine (_Pinus longaeva_) and, in two small areas south of Worthington Peak, ponderosa pine (_Pinus ponderosa_).

Large mammals found within the range are mule deer (_Odocoileus hemionus_), pronghorn (_Antilocapra americana_), desert bighorn sheep (_Ovis canadensis nelsoni_), bobcat (_Lynx rufus baileyi_), and mountain lion (_Felis concolor_).[8]

Wilderness area

[Worthington Mountains Wilderness, Nevada]

Worthington Mountains Wilderness Area was created by the U.S. Congress in 2004 and consists of most of the Worthington Mountains. The wilderness area encompasses of the range and the extensive alluvial fans on the western slopes of the mountains. Worthington Peak is on the northern border of the wilderness. The northernmost part of the range, north of Worthington Peak, includes an old mining area and is outside of the wilderness. The wilderness ranges from to in elevation.[9]

The Bureau of Land Management says that “no other Nevada area expresses the wilderness characteristics of stark beauty, chaotic topography, and remoteness quite as well as the Worthington Wilderness.”[10] The terrain consists of jagged peaks and ridges, narrow canyons, and steep escarpments sloping down to the washes and the desert floor.[11]

The most notable attraction of the wilderness is probably Leviathan Cave just northeast of Meeker Peak. The cave is reached by a difficult informal two-plus miles long trail which climbs the east side of the range. The cave is located at in elevation and entrance requires ropes to descend a 30-foot vertical drop. The cave contains stalactites and stalagmites and is about long. In the 2000-2010 period only about 40 people annually visited the cave.[12][13]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5] Worthington Mountain Wilderness, _Bureau of Land Management_, accessed 28 February 2017

[6] Tingley, Joseph P., _The Mineral Resources of the Timpahute Range 30x60 Minute Quadrangle,_ Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Report 46, 1991, pp 6-10

[7] Leroux, Hugues; John E. Warme and Jean-Claude Doukhan; _Shocked quartz in the Alamo breccia, southern Nevada: Evidence for a Devonian impact event,_ Geology, 1995, v. 23, pp. 1003-1006

[8] Weepah Spring Wilderness & Worthington Mountains Wilderness: Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental Assessment", p. 4-5,32; accessed 1 March 2017

[9]

[10]

[11] Weepah Spring Wilderness & Worthington Mountains Wilderness: Wilderness Management Plan and Environmental Assessment", p. 3; accessed 1 March 2017

[12]

[13]

title: Worthington Mountains

question: What does the article say about the northern part of the Worthington Mountains?

answer: The range is on a north-south line, with the Quinn Canyon Range toward the northwest. One of the two prominent peaks, Worthington Peak, is near the north end of the range. Also around the Worthington Peak, toward its northwest, is the Freiberg district. It has a long history of mining. The wilderness area around the Worthington Mountains encompasses most of the range, with its northernmost border being the Worthington Peak.

question: What does the article say about public transport to the Worthington Mountains?


text:
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1.  Local News

Oct 20, 2017  •   •  5 minute read

[VANCOUVER, Emma Ng, Cardero Grocery store at 1078 Cardero St, is closing in two weeks because the building has been sold. It is one of the last family run old school corner groceries left in the area.,October 19 2017. , Vancouver, October 19 2017. Reporter: , ( Francis Georgian / PNG staff photo) ( Prov / Sun News ) 00051074A [PNG Merlin Archive] Francis Georgian, PNG]
VANCOUVER, B.C.: Oct. 19, 2017 — Emma Ng, owner of Cardero Grocery store at 1078 Cardero St., is moving on and closing her shop at month's end after the building was recently sold. Photo by Francis Georgian /PNG

A few years ago, a couple in their 80s stopped by Cardero Grocery in Vancouver’s West End and struck up a conversation with the shop’s owner.

The couple told Emma Ng that they had moved away from the neighbourhood about 40 years ago but that they had both attended Lord Roberts Elementary as children. The school opened in 1901 and is across the street from the shop.

“So funny,” said Ng of the visitors who had returned to find out how the area had or hadn’t changed. “Every year, people come and see.”

It’s these kinds of visits that Ng, 52, will miss most about the neighbourhood when she shutters her corner store at the end of October. The shop has been in the same location in Vancouver’s West End — on Cardero, between Pendrell and Comox looking over Lord Roberts field — for more than 40 years. Ng has been the shop’s owner for about 14 years, and she believes it was one of the first corner shops in Vancouver’s West End.

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“The previous owner been here over 30 years and then when he decided to retire, he sold the business,” Ng said. “I took over from him.”

The building is one of two detached homes on a lot that was recently listed for sale for $3.8 million and heralded as “an investment property or for future redevelopment potential,” according to a listing online. Property records list the buyer as an investment company with a post office box in Whistler and with two directors with California addresses.

The homes, built in 1920, are classified by the city as having “significant” heritage value but are not legally protected. Any plans to demolish the buildings or develop the property would need to go through the city’s permitting process, and the buildings could require further heritage assessment.

[1978: The Cardero Grocery store at 1078 Cardero Street. The Grocery Store is closing in two weeks because the building has been sold. It is one of the last family run old school corner groceries left in the area. Photo credit: CVA 786-5.14 / City of Vancouver Archives [PNG Merlin Archive] City of Vancouver Archives, PNG]
The Cardero Grocery store at 1078 Cardero St. is pictured in this photo from 1978. The shop is closing in two weeks because the building has been sold. It is one of the last family run old school corner groceries left in the area. Photo by City of Vancouver Archives /PNG
But with the property sold and a new landlord on the way, Ng has decided it’s time for her to move on. On the front door of her shop, a short note advises customers that her lease will be expiring, coinciding with the recent sale.

“Dear customers, due to lease ending, the store will be permanently closed from Nov. 1, 2017,” the note reads.”Thank you for all the support in the past 14 years.”

The shop sells all the usual thing one would find in a corner shop: soft drinks, ice cream, milk and lottery tickets — but the big draw at Cardero Grocery seems to be the candy. Before school, during breaks, and after class, students from across the street stream in and out of Ng’s shop to drop their change on the counter and buy bags of dime-store candy.

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“I miss the school kids, seeing them grow up,” Ng said of her most regular customers. “Every day I see them, right? They move out and come back and see when they cross by this neighbourhood. And we can see the babies.”

Ng immigrated to Vancouver from Hong Kong 27 years ago. After working in a bakery on Davie Street for some time, Ng and her husband decided to buy the corner shop. She had no experience running a corner store.

“No experience, first time,” she said, noting she works at the shop from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and her husband helps to close in the evenings. “Just me, seven days a week.”

[VANCOUVER, Emma Ng, Cardero Grocery store at 1078 Cardero St, is closing in two weeks because the building has been sold. It is one of the last family run old school corner groceries left in the area.,October 19 2017. , Vancouver, October 19 2017. Reporter: , ( Francis Georgian / PNG staff photo) ( Prov / Sun News ) 00051074A [PNG Merlin Archive] Francis Georgian, PNG]
Emma Ng, owner of Cardero Grocery store at 1078 Cardero St., is moving on and closing her shop at month’s end after the building was recently sold. Photo by Francis Georgian /PNG
But business isn’t what it used to be and Ng is ready for a change. While she’s focused on selling off what’s left, including the shop’s shelving and equipment, she hopes to take a break to visit family in Hong Kong before searching for a new job.

“Do you know from last November until now, I just took the three days off?” said Ng. “I have to work, I don’t want to stay at home. It’s not my type. But right now, have to settle down everything.”

Corner shops are a beacon of nostalgia for those who grew up in mixed-use neighbourhoods. There’s usually a logo of either Pepsi, Coke or 7Up on the awning, a quirky name, and security bars on the windows which themselves are frequently covered with posters advertising movies that have long left theatres.

[2010: The Vernon Drive corner store at 704 Vernon Drive. ]
2010: The Vernon Drive corner store at 704 Vernon Drive. Photo by Photo credit /Gregory Geipel
Writer Michael Kluckner is among those who have written about Vancouver’s disappearing heritage, in books such as Vanishing Vancouver and Vancouver The Way It Was.

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He notes that the closure of Cardero Grocery also represents the possible loss of a certain type of housing – commercial at ground level, residential on the second floor – should the building be torn down and redeveloped into a tower.

“It’s approaching uniqueness because so many similar places have disappeared. It is one of a generation of buildings that modified house forms and created what were the original live-work spaces,” he said.

“They were individually operated as opposed to corporate and most importantly were a way for Asian families to become established during a period of racial restrictions.”

In 2010, local photographer Gregory Geipel started taking photos of the many corner shops throughout the Lower Mainland as a tribute to Sherelli’s, a shop close to Geipel’s own childhood home in South Burnaby that closed before he was able to photograph it.

“It was the closest store to us. Your mom needed milk, so she gave you some milk money and then you used that extra change to buy five-cent candies and whatnot — that’s the same story with a lot of people, I find,” said Geipel, 32. “And then everyone has a story about the shop owners as well. Sherelli was an odd man that everybody knew. It wasn’t the store, it was more the people who ran it.”

[2010: The Metro Market Corner Store at Beresford and Silver Ave in Burnaby. The Metro has now been torn down. ]
2010: The Metro Market corner store at Beresford and Silver Ave in Burnaby. The Metro has since been torn down. Photo by Photo credit: /Gregory Geipel
While he’s been trying to photograph as many shops as he can, more than half of the ones he has already photographed have since closed.

“Cherish the ones that you have when you can and hope that they stay around forever,” he said.

Sadly, Cardero Grocery won’t be around forever, but it’s something Ng appears to have accepted. When asked how she had seen the area change over the years and whether it was for better or for worse, she said change couldn’t be stopped.

“Either way, because the world has to move, right? Sometimes too fast.”

sip@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/stephanie_ip

_With photo research by librarian Carolyn Soltau_

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question: Where is Cardero Grocery store located?

answer: 1078 Cardero St. in Vancouver.

question: What is happening at Cardero Grocery?

answer: It is closing because the building has been sold.

question: When is Cardero Grocery closing?

answer: In two weeks.

question: Who owns Cardero Grocery?

answer: Emma Ng.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The article relates the history of Cardero Grocery and the story of Emma Ng, who has been forced to close the store because the building has been sold. It closed on Nov 1 2017.


text:
A baroque chair crashed and splintered on the jutting rocks visible from the jetty on which I stood. Where the fuck did that come from? The cushions rested in sea foam and eventually sank; the legs, as far as I know, never sank.

I turned to my friend Reagan, "where the fuck did that come from?"

He was just as confused and eager to answer. It had probably fallen of a luxury liner or, more likely, a freighter. I was satisfied with that answer, but I like to believe the sea assembled the chair herself.

I kept the ridiculous notion to myself. I didn't say anything to Reagan for several minutes; even as he started walking toward the shore. He looked upset, so I didn't follow or try to stop him. I don't care that much. The jetty's where I stayed for an hour or two. Watching the ornately carved legs travel -- never sinking.

I walked back to my apartment thinking about the creation of that chair -- animated coral plating intertwined reeds of seaweed and adopting a cherry hue for my perception of of an expensive chair being exploded by stone. Sponges being enveloped by the flesh of deceased octopi heir to patterns so intricate, a fabric should be their only desirable fate. My nose was bleeding, and I probably seemed excitable. I let the blood drip down my cheap, white crew-neck. I lit a cigarette to distract myself from enjoying anything.

title: No Place for It

question: Where did the chair come from?

answer: The narrator assumed it had fallen from a luxury liner or a freighter.

question: Does the chair remain afloat?

answer: As long as the narrator was sitting at the jetty watching the chair, it remained afloat.

question: Did the two men go to sea?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Why was Reagan upset?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
As the narrator and his friend, Reagan are standing on the jetty, a baroque chair falls on the rocks. They wonder where it came from. The narrator sits there watching the legs of the chair float for as far as he can see.

The narrator goes back to his apartment thinking about the chair.


text:
A short story I wrote for my English class, hope you like it.

Adnan awoke to a chilling gust of wind flooding the room - snagged by the wind tower. In the corner was his father Rashid, slumped on the chair, his leather eyelids closed. Adnan opened the storage pot to find a meagre amount of dates left, and his stomach growled in protest. Rashid had woken up now, and was uttering gibberish. Adnan decided on leaving the dates for his father - he'd be getting a meal later in the day anyway.

Handing him the bowl, Adnan looked into the old man's milky eyes, which had been blinded by the corrosive, saline water of the Gulf. He wondered what it must be like for your senses to disintegrate, for the world to go black.

As he boarded the sturdy dhow, the sun had risen and the winds had settled, and he could almost feel the seering planks of palm wood through his sandles.

"Adnan, collect the stones from the beach!" barked Khalid, the captain. The stones were hefty rocks that were tied to a diver to allow him to sink faster, and collecting them was an arduous task for a slender person like Adnan.

After hoisting them aboard, the rest of the crew had finished preparations, and the boat was set to sail. The sons of the village rushed to the beach and shoved the boat (which of course was futile, but provided them with a sense of achievement), and with a simultaneous heave of the cumbersome oars, they lurched forward and departed, with Khalid staring sternly into the distance, positioned at the keel.

As the boat hesitantly shifted along the glimmering waters, the divers chanted in unison, helping distract them from the worsening fatigue of the relentless rowing. Adnan did not know the lyrics - they predated even his father - but he murmured away regardless. It was four to every oar, and Adnan was nestled between two stocky men who reeked of rancid body odour. He thought he might faint.

"Are you diving today?" he asked one of them, hoping conversation would take his mind off the noxious smells. The man scoffed, and replied

"Haven't gone under in many-a-year, my son."

Khalid ceased the rowing, and deployed the anchor. At this point, the village was barely in sight. Adnan was given his noseclip to clamp onto his nostrils whilst one of the collossi tied a stone to his ankle. Perched on the edge of the boat, he peered downward into the ominous ocean, and it was just as murky and menacing as he remembered: like a mouth opened wide, ready to swallow him whole. He was startled as a large hand clasped his shoulder.
"Don't you dare surface until you've collected twenty," whispered Khalid, and with that he shoved the boy violently overboard.

The stone yanked Adnan into the abyss, as he flailed about helplessly in its grip. Thud. He opened his eyes ever so slightly, and could just discern the boat far above him, the seabed, the fish, and a cluster of coral ahead. Untying the stone, he waded towards the school which circled the coral, and as they dispersed they revealed a cluster of oysters. He scrambled to scoop them into his basket as his lungs began to ache with a longing for air. Springing off the coral, he kicked viciously - journeying back to the dhow above him.

His lungs pressed against his ribs, as his heart pounded - begging to breathe. The gleaming sunlight coaxed him upwards, teasing his weary body which grew weaker by the second. Surfacing, he swallowed a huge intake of the salty air, and panted greedily, inhaling all that he could. Two muscular palms grasped his wrists and plucked him from the water. The man he had talked to previously snatched his basket, and as Khalid examined the harvest, his brow stiffened.

"This is eighteen."

"Some - some must have fallen out! I was running out of breath!" pleaded Adnan, frightened about the possibility of punishment.

"You can get to work opening what you brought up. When you finish that, you can dive again, alone this time. Oh - and you can forget about lunch."

Adnan was distraught. How would he feed himself? He was penniless, his house a relic of his family's past affluence. He had an old man to attend to, a stomach to appease. He trudged over to his basket on the floor, and equipped himself with a blade, and set to work opening the oysters. He prised open the first one, and discarded the empty oyster into the food pile - they'd be eaten later. The second one was similarly worthless, and the prospects seemed bleak.

On the ninth pearl, Adnan slotted the knife into the small gap of the oyster, and exerted as much force as he could to open it. In an instant, the blade slipped, and sliced his hand. Adnan winced, which attracted the attention of Khalid, who glanced at him suspiciously, before returning to his rope tying. Adnan scattered to collect the pearl that he had dropped onto the floor, and inside, resting in the slithery meat, like some holy offering from a  pilgrim, like a sacred gift from the heavens, lay a swollen, milky sphere, as large as a marble. It was gorgeous, the most perfect thing he had ever laid eyes upon.

He looked up. There were two others near him, all too preoccupied opening oysters to have noticed. Khalid was still working on the ropes it seemed. This could change his life. He could pocket the pearl and flog it for enough money to provide for him and his father for a year, maybe more. He extracted the pearl from its sanctuary and slipped it in his pocket. He knew of the consequences. He would lose his hand. He would be ostracised. Maybe even killed. Before he could rethink his decision, Khalid was looming over him.

"Found any pearls?" he enquired accusingly.

"N-not so far," replied Adnan. Suddenly, Khalid's hand grabbed his ear lobe, and tore him over to the side of the dhow.

"Then you can go down again and find me twenty more," he commanded. The stocky man who he had befriended was tying his stone on, and caught Adnan's eye with a sorrowful look.

Adnan plunged himself into the dark water, and he gently drifted to the bottom, like a piece of cloth. His stone landed, and it threw up a cloud of sand which slithered up his legs, before perishing and falling to the floor. He reached down to untie the string, but the knot wasn't like before, it was complicated and had stubby ends that he couldn't pinch. Panicking, he blew bubbles frantically, and as he despairingly traced their erratic trail with his eyes, the delicate beams of the Arabian sun which pierced the water were eclipsed by the silhouette of a migratory boat.

title: [MF] The Pearl

question: What does the story say about Adnan?

answer: Adnan wakes up to a chilling gust of wind in his room. He prepares dates for his father, Rashid. He wonders what it is like for his father to slowly go blind. Adnan then goes to the beach. Khalid orders him to collect stones. He hoists them aboard, the rest of the crew had finished preparations, and the boat was set to sail. They stop somewhere and Adnan is forced to dive and catch 20 fish. He comes back with 18 and disappoints Khalid who then tells him to take a break and go back diving again. He is sent down to dive again but the stones tied to him were tied in a complicated manner. Adnan drowns and the boat leaves him to die.

question: What does the story say about Adnan and Rashid?

answer: Rashid is Adnan's father who has gone blind. Adnan prepares breakfast for Rashid before he leaves to go diving.

question: What does the story say about Khalid?

answer: Khalid is the man who exploits Adnan. He tells him to dive and catch 20 fish and complains when he only comes back with 18. He sends him down again and leaves him there to die.

question: What is the story's setting?


text:
DR. H.A. MAY HOUSE is a historic home located at Washington, Franklin County, Missouri. It was built about 1904, and is a 2 1/2-story, Queen Anne style frame dwelling. It has four one story rear ells and one two story side ell. It features a wraparound porch and a projecting front gable with clipped corners. Also on the property is a contributing large one story frame garage.[1]

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

[1]  (includes 10 photographs from 1999)

[2]

title: Dr. H. A. May House

question: Where was the house in the article listed in 2000?

answer: It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

question: Where is Dr. H.A. May House located?

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

question: When was this house built?

answer: It was built in 1904.

question: Describe Dr. H.A. May House.

answer: This house is 2 1/2 stories with a Queen Anne style frame dwelling. It has a wraparound porch and a projecting front gable with clipped corners and has a large one story frame garage.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes a historic house, Dr. H.A. May House.


text:
   On the eleventh day of June in the year 2013, a young girl by the name of Annabelle sat in her bed thinking.

   Her best friend, Macy, was texting her the usual amusing conversations that arose between them.

   Her younger sister laid in her bed, probably asleep, but Annabelle had no way of knowing for sure.

   Her parents were in their bedroom, watching TV. Annabelle was alone.

   The air conditioning was on; it had been a hot day. Annabelle pulled the comforter up around her and shot her friend a quick text; she hadn't responded in a while. Annabelle was alone emotionally.

   Music drifted through Annabelle's head, a symphany of symphanies. She could almost feel the pull of her alto saxophone strap on her neck and the smooth metal keys under her fingers.

   Annabelle yawned, it had been a dull day. A dull day stacked upon dull days. Summer stretched on forever, with no end in sight.

   Annabelle glanced around her room. Hanging on her white walls were pictures and drawings and letters and posters. Some of it had been given to her by her friends and family, and some she had made herself. Someday she was going to run out of space, but for now the cluttered wall made Annabelle feel at home in her small room.

   Closing her eyes for a second, Annabelle imagined how her life could be different. It could be worse- seperated parents, no house, no food, no money. But it could also be better: more friends. No matter how many or how good, Annabelle never felt like it was enough. She didn't necessarily want to be *popular*, but she wanted people from all different groups to like her for who she was.

   A lot of times Annabelle felt like her intelligence created a barrier between her and other people. People would hear about her grades or her "good girl" aura before they actually talked to her. She didn't really have any proof, but it was Annabelle's best guess.

   Annabelle was shy, but only sometimes. As much as Annabelle tried not to fit into a stereotype, she sometimes held herself to it. She would dance in math class with Macy to music inside her head, but when there was an oportunity to dance on camera in band, she was one of only 5 people who refused.

   Annabelle wasn't sure if she was pretty or not. Sometimes, she looked in the mirror and really felt good about herself. But othertimes, sometimes later in the day or in a different light, Annabelle thought she was plain. She was pretty convinced this was the truth, and the way everyone saw her. Annabelle didn't think that anyone was beautiful, because to her that was someone with no flaws. Annabelle knew her definition of beautiful was wrong, but she knew she couldn't change it.

   Annabelle didn't know what it meant to be beautiful on the inside. A beautiful soul must be pink and rosy, but everyone had flaws, little black edges. Annabelle wasn't sure if black could be beautiful, or even if black wanted to be beautiful. Maybe black loved to be the other side of the coin.

   Love wasn't something Annabelle felt sure about, but I guess if we are being truthful, she wasn't sure about anything. She didn't know if love was possible at 13 or 14, or even 20. She didn't know what love was. Anyone can find a list of "symptoms" of love on the internet, but Annabelle didn't really believe any of it. Was true love even possible?

   Annabelle stared up at the ceiling fan and watched it spin. It had such a wonderfly boring life. It spun and spun, and when it was cold outside it was stopped. No independent thought or worries or obligations of any kind. It was a ceiling fan and no one expected it to be or do anything extrordinary. What a life.

**TL;DR** A young girl thinks about her life and eventually it all boils down to a ceiling fan.

title: The Metaphorical Life of a Ceiling Fan

question: What is the significance of the story's title?

answer: The story is about a young girl, around 13 or 14, who is thinking about how boring her life is. She reflects on several common things girls her age worry about, such as her popularity. The ceiling fan she is gazing at serves as a metaphor for her dull life, which is made explicit by the title and the last line . The ceiling fan spins in circles, and lives a perfectly boring life. She sees herself in it.

question: What is the teenage girl seeking from others?

answer: Annabelle wants to be more popular, and for other people to see her the way she really is. She feels isolated and would like other groups of people to acknowledge her. She has trouble connecting with people, a fact she attributes to her intelligence. She wonders whether she is beautiful.


text:
The 1914–15 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS BASKETBALL TEAM represented Penn State University during the 1914–15 college men's basketball season. The team finished with a final record of 10–3.

Schedule

|-

[1]

[1]

title: 1914–15 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team

question: Which team represented Penn State University?

answer: The 1914-15 Penn State Nittany Lions Basketball Team.

question: Which championship did they represent the university for?

answer: They represented the university during the 1914-15 college men's basketball season.

question: What was the final score?

answer: The final score was 10-3.

question: Where was the match played?

answer: This information is not mentioned.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A Wikipedia page on the 1914-15 Penn State Nittany Lions Basketball team.


text:
My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family.
There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed.
How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, “EEEE, your mom only has one eye!”
I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day and said, “If you’re only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don’t you just die?”
My mom did not respond… I didn’t even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings.
I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.
Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadn’t seen me in years and she didn’t even meet her grandchildren.
When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited. I screamed at her, “How dare you come to my house and scare my children! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!”
And to this, my mother quietly answered, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address.” – and she disappeared out of sight.
One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.
My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.
“My dearest son,
I think of you all the time. I’m sorry that I came to your house and scared your children.
I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you. I’m sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up.
You see……..when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine.
I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.
With all my love to you,
Your mother.”

title: My "ONE EYED MOM"

question: Why does the narrator's mom only have 1 eye?

answer: The narrator had an accident as a child, so his mother gave him her eye.

question: Why does the narrator scream at his mother?

answer: The narrator feels embarrassed and ashamed that his mother only has one eye.

question: Why did the narrator only have one eye?

answer: Not explicitly stated, other than the fact that he had an accident.

question: How did the narrator's mother die?

answer: Not stated.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator spends his whole life ashamed of his mother for only having one eye, and he hates her. One day, when he is an adult, he gets a letter regarding a school reunion. At the event, he finds out that his mother died, and his classmates give him a letter from his mother. He finds out that his mother gave him her eye as a child because she didn't want him to grow up with only one eye.


text:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The man walked into my hostel. I could see it in him that he was tired, but so were all the travelers that walked El Camino de Santiago.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hay... habi...habitaciones... para alquilar?" He asks, pulling a wallet from his back pocket.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"There are rooms here," I say "but they are not for rent, they are for the pilgrims." I pick up his pack and start to walk down the hall.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm sorry, I'm not a pilgrim." he says following me down the hall.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yes you are." I tell him. "You walk El Camino de Santiago."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You don't understand. I'm just hiking- excursionismo." He says.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No, no, I understand, I have seen many pilgrims, very few like you, but I have seen you before." I tell him as we enter his room. All of the rooms are small and they have two bunked beds. I will let him choose his own when he decides to stay so I set his bag down. "Cafe?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Uh, yes please, thank you." He says. I gesture down the hall towards the kitchen and we walk. He does not say anything so I put the kettle on to boil.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Please sit, it is getting late and other pilgrims will be coming soon, excuse me. I walk to the front hall and open the door and turn on the light. They will know to come inside to sleep and to eat and prepare for tomorrow.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The water is boiling." He calls to me from the kitchen.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Then take it off." I say to him as I walk back into the kitchen. "Do not burn your hand. the handle get quite hot." but it is too late, he drops the kettle spilling the hot water on the ground.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ow, I'm so sorry." he says.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It is no trouble, now I will have clean floors." I smile at him. "Please, run your hand under the tap." I say getting a dishrag from the drawer I bend down to wipe away the water.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No please," he says, "let me." taking the rag from my hands and a knee.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That is why you are here, and that is why you are a pilgrim." I say.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Excuse me?" he says looking up at me.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I am now a very old man, and I have seen many pilgrims. You are hurt but you will not tend to yourself."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's not that bad." he says, continuing to wipe the floor. the rag and his hands and the water are steaming.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh nieto, I understand. This is why you walk alone on this path. There are those who would walk with you but you think you must be alone." I say, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Now go put your hand under cool water." He stands.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's late, I don't think I should have any coffee." he says wringing out the rag. He hangs it over the edge of the sink.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yes, better to turn in, the way is still long for you, for all of us." I say. "I will see you in the morning and then we will have cafe." He turns to leave, "goodnight pilgrim."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Goodnight, abuelo." he says. I walk into the hall and sit in my chair and wait for the rest to come to my hostel, hot and weary they will stay here for the night on El Camino de Santiago.

title: [Flashfiction] El Camino de Santiago

question: Is the man really a pilgrim?

answer: He is, although he's not aware that he's one.

question: Where are the other pilgrims?

answer: They have not arrived yet.

question: How does the hostel owner describe the type of pilgrim the man is.

answer: He says the man he's the type who walks alone as he thinks he must be alone.

question: Describe the hotel owner.

answer: He's an old man who's been accommodating pilgrims for a long time in his hostel.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: A traveler comes into a hostel to stay for the night. The owner considers the man a pilgrim because he walks El Camino de Santiago, even though the man says he's just hiking. So he's given a free stay.


text:
THE KILLEEN GANG was an Irish-American Boston-based crime organization started by Donnie Killeen.[1] At one time, the gang was led by Whitey Bulger.[2]

Along with Bulger, Billy O'Sullivan was a notable associate. The Killeen Gang eventually combined with the Mullen Gang to become the Winter Hill Gang.

[1]

[2]

title: Killeen Gang

question: Who started the organisation?

answer: Donnie Killeen.

question: Who else was a part of the gang?

answer: Whitey Bulger and Billy O'Sullivan

question: What did the gang do?

answer: The article does not specify what crimes the gang were involved in.

question: Does the gang still exist?

answer: The article does not specify. though it indicates the illeen Gang joined with the Mullen Gang to become known as the Winter Hill Gang.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A page about the Killeen Gang, a Boston based Iris-American crime organisation.


text:
TODAY’S AGENDA:
_EVENTS THIS WEEKEND: National Student Pride, Brighton, UK; Belgian Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Brussels, Belgium; Cape Town Pride, Cape Town, South Africa; Telluride Gay Ski Week, Mountain Village, CO; Sydney Mardis Gras, Sydney, NSW._

TODAY IN HISTORY:
_TRIAL FOR “LEWD & SODOMITICAL PRACICES: 1642._ The Plymouth Colony Court heard a case brought against Edward Michell and Edward Preston for “lewd & sodomitical practices tending to sodomy.” The precise wording was important: sodomy itself was punishable by death, but practices which fell short of sodomy itself (which required proof of penetration and emission), were deemed merely “sodomitical” or sodomy-like. According to surviving records:

  Edward Michell, for his lewd & sodomitical practices tending to sodomy with Edward Preston, and other lewd carriages with Lydia Hatch, is censured to be presently whipped at Plymouth, at the public place, and once more at Bamestable, in convenient time, in the presence of Mr. Freeman and the committees of the said town.

  Edward Preston, for his lewd practices tending to sodomy with Edward Michell, and pressing John Keene thereunto (if he would have yielded), is also censured [sentenced] to be forthwith whipped at Plymouth, and once more at Bamestable (when Edward Michell is whipped), in the presence of Mr. Freeman & the committees of the same town.

  John Keene, because he resisted the temptation, & used means to discover it, is appointed to stand by whilst Michell and Preston are whipped, though in some thing he was faulty.

_NEW HAVEN COLONY PASSES SODOMY LAW: 1656._ When the New Haven Colony, in what is now Connecticut, its legislation was unique in the English-speaking world for mandating the death penalty for women as well as men for acts “against nature,” as well as for masturbation and anal sex among heterosexual couples. The act read as follows:

  If any man lyeth with mankinde, as a man lyeth with a woman, both of them have Committed abomination, they both shall surely be put to death. _Levit._ 20. 13. And if any woman change the naturall use, into that which is against nature, as _Rom._ 1. 26. she shall be liable to the same Sentence, and punishment, or If any person, or persons, shall Commit any other kinde of unnaturall and shamefull filthines, called in Scripture the going after strange flesh, or other flesh then God alloweth, by canall knowledge of another vessel then God in nature hath appointed to becomp one flesh, whether it be by abusing the contrary part of a grown woman, or Child of either sex, or unripe vessel of a Girle, wherein the naturall use of the woman is left, which God hath ordained for the propagation of posterity, and Sodomiticall filthinesse (tending to the destruction of the race of mankind) is committed by a kind of Rape, nature being forced, though the will were inticed, every such person shall be put to death. Or if any man shall act upon himself, and in the sight of others spill his owne seed, by example, or counsel, or both, corrupting or tempting others to doe the like, which tends to the sin of Sodomy, if it be not one kind of it; or shall defile, or corrupt himself and others, by any kind of sinfull filthinesse, he shall be punished according to the nature of the offence; or if the case considered with the aggravating circumstances, shall according to the mind of God revealed in his word require it, he shall be put to death, as the Court of Magistrates shall determine.

New Haven Colony also applied the death penalty for adultery. This law remained in effect for the next ten years, until 1665 when New Haven Colony joined Connecticut and came under Connecticut law, which specified the death penalty for “man lying with man” only. That and adultery.

_MINNESOTANS RESPOND TO A FATHER’S LETTER: 1955._ Two days earlier, popular Minneapolis broadcaster and columnist Cedric Adams published what must have been a shocking letter in _The Minneapolis Star_ from a father who learned that his son was gay (see Feb 27). According to the father, his son had undergone therapy and “has been salvaged” — according to the father. Also, according to the father, Minneapolis was rife with homosexuals and the police were doing nothing to close down their bars. Adams published the letter in order to, at the very least, “point a finger at the condition.”

Indeed it did, and the letter became the subject of three more columns over the following week. On March 1, Adams returned to the subject, publishing a number of letters that he received from outraged citizens in the Twin Cities area. His column for the day went like this:

  A father’s letter printed here Sunday having to do with a homosexual problem of his 20-year-old son has produced a wave of reaction, some from the public, some from the University of Minnesota and some from our own Minneapolis police department. While the situation is still fresh, This Corner wants to extend to Thomas R. Jones, superintendent of the Minneapolis police department, an opportunity to discuss some of the charges made by the father of the son involved. I ran that letter on Sunday for two reasons: I think the situation needs some airing and I was convinced that this father, and perhaps many others, need a little straightening out on the whole problem. Superintendent Jones did exactly what I hoped he would do. He took the bull by the horns and in a very straightforward manner did his best to pinpoint the mistakes of the parent involved. I spent two hours with Chief Jones In his office yesterday and came out with this statement trom him:

  •

  “THE OBVIOUS INDICTMENT of the police department in your Sunday column is unjustified and without basis of fact. You omitted the names of the bars because of the possibliity of damage suits against your newspaper. The writer of the letter you published had no evidence which would be admissible in a court of law to prove the accusation and inferences made in his letter. Police officers are also bound by that same restriction and cannot name individualls or establishments or make arrests of either unless they are in possessIon of provable facts which would be admissible in court to prove that a crime has been commltted…

  “THE ACT OF HOMOSEXUALITY Is defined as sodomy In our state statutes and is a felony. Both parties involved are equally guilty in the eyes of the law and can be sentenced to a term in the state penitentiary. However, one may not accuse another of such activity unless he is in possession of such facts that would prove the commission of the crime. This applies to any law violation and you’d be doing a public service by bringing this, to the attention of your readers. Police officers cannot name individuals or establishments or make arrests until they can prove a crime has been committed. A group of suspected homosexuals frequenting a bar does not constitute a violation of the law. There’s no evidence that a crime has been committed. Now, take the father’s statement that the police have done nothing to curb the situation. That’s a complete misstatement of fact. Only last week a night club was told to discontinue an act because the police department strongly suspicioned that objectionable individuals made up a majority of the show. We do not want that kind of attraction. An identical case was similarly disposed of two years ago…

  •

  “THE FATHER WHO WROTE the letter didn’t even suggest that he ever made an attempt to bring his suspicions or complaints to the proper authorities — his police department. He states that his privately hired ‘private eye’ saw police officers in two of the spots he visited while making his investigation. The duty incumbent on every citizen to bring cases of law violations to the attention of the proper authorities is even more binding on partIes holding special police commisions, such as private detectives. They take an oath to enforce the law and to asstst law enforcement bodies in every instance of law ciolatlon that comes to their attention. It’s the duty of our police officers to patrol bars, to look for law violations, but the mere presence of a group of homosexuals in any bar is not evidence of violation of the law…

  •

  “I CAN’T HELP WONDER whether the father of the son in question had ever taken the time or trouble to caution or advise his son about some of the sins or pitfalls of the world in which we live. It’s my suspicion that he, like so many others, is trying to excuse his dereliction of family duty by trying to place the responsibility for his son’s yielding to temptation on the police department. This neglect of family duty, in my opinion, is the greatest single cause of juvenile delinquency. Why haven’t this father and you and your column and the newspaper you refer to as a ‘famlly gazette’ taken a more active stand in endeavoring to give our city enough police officers to carry out the many duties and responsibilities expected of them instead of waiting for lightning to strike home before doing something about it. We have a vice squad of five men to patrol a city of more than half a million. Our whole department has fewer officers per thousand population than the average for all clties in the United States over 10,000 population. Minneapolis has the lowest incident of homosexuality of any city of its size in the country. Don’t let your readers get the wrong impression from letters which do not present the facts.”

The next day, Adams published another letter from a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota:

  “GENERALLY SPEAKING, FATHERS and mothers are always’ well-advised to take to a school counselor students who experience behavior and emotional problems. The teacher, the counselor, and the parent have much in common and can be of help to each other. If the boy, referred to In the letter of Feb. 27, is a student in any Minnesota college or unIversity, I am certain that even now the appropriate college counselor would be very pleased to discuss the matter with the father and mother and that much good would result if the parents of this or any boy would take advantage of this available assistance. — E. G. Williamson, dean of student affaIrs and professor of psychology, UnIversIty of Minnesota.

These two columns represents a historically interesting turn. Considering the times — 1955, just five years after the initiation of the Lavender Scare — the father’s letter didn’t generate a state of general panic demanding that the authorities _do something immediately_. Instead, and quite unlike the kind of generalized panic that had siezed Miami the year before (see Aug 3, Aug 11, Aug 12, Aug 13 (twice that day), Aug 14, Aug 26, Aug 31, Sep 1, Sep 2, Sep 7, Sep 15, Sep 19, Oct 6, Oct 20, Nov 12 and Dec 16), Adams posted a series of letters calling the father to task. The letter writers didn’t betray any evidence of enlightenment toward gay people — their motivation appears to have been to rush to defend the reputation of Minneapolis and its people (“Minneapolis has the lowest incident of homosexuality of any city of its size in the country”). But in the context of the times, they do show a remarkable restraint in their reactions upon learning that there are homosexuals in the city.

But the real surprising turn would come in another three days when Adams would feature another round of letters, this time from gay people themselves.

[Source: “In This Corner, with Cedric Adams.” _Minneapolis Star_ (March 1, 1955). As reprinted in _The Mattachine Review_, 1, no. 3 (May-June 1955): 24-30.]

[]

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY:
_BRYAN BATT: 1963._ He played Sal Romano, gay art director at the Sterling Cooper ad agency for AMC’s Mad Men, and he played gay roles n _Kiss Me, Guido_, _Jeffrey_, and the stage version of _La Cage aux Folles_. _Jeffrey_ came out while he was playing a male (straight) lead on the Broadway version of Sunset Blvd. He was worried that coming out would ruin his career, “but now I couldn’t give a rat’s ass. It’s normal to be gay.” When he’s not acting, Batt is in New Orleans with his partner of 24 years where they own a home decorating store.

[]

_DON LEMON: 1966._ The host of the weekend prime-time CNN Newsroom, Don Lemon joined CNN in 2006, reporting from Chicago as then-Sen. Barack Obama was beginning his long trek to the White House. Since then, his on-the-scene reporting has included the 2007 Minneapolis bridge collapse, the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, and the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newtown, Massachusetts. He won the Edward R. Murrow award for his coverage of the capture of the Washington, D.C. snipers, and an Emmy for a special report on Chicago-area real estate. In 2009, Ebony named him as one of the Ebony Power 150, and in 2011 he was the keynote speaker fort he National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association national convention. That was after he came out as gay in his 2011 memoir, _Transparent[]_.

IF YOU KNOW OF SOMETHING THAT BELONGS ON THE AGENDA, please send it here. Don’t forget to include the basics: who, what, when, where, and URL (if available).

And feel free to consider this your open thread for the day. What’s happening in your world?

question: What is the main topic of this article?

answer: It seems to be a newsletter or some other Gay Pride publication. This text focuses on "Today in History".

question: What are the historical topics covered?

answer: Trial for "Lewd and Sodomitical Practices: 1642", "New Haven Colony Passes Sodomy Law: 1656", "Minnesotans Respond to a Father's Letter: 1955"

question: What other topics are covered in this publication?

answer: "Today's Birthdays" and "Events This Weekend"

question: Is this a local or international publication?

answer: It seems to be international since under "Events This Weekend", many events around the world are covered.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This text seems to be a newsletter or some other Gay Pride publication. This text focuses on "Today in History", but also covers birthdays and events happening.


text:
[]

School students reading from a book (Shutterstock)

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A federal judge said last week that children have no fundamental right to learn to read and write in the United States.

In a 40-page opinion on Friday, U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy III ruled against Detroit students who wanted to hold state officials accountable for what their attorneys said were systemic failures in teaching literacy.

The judge acknowledged in his opinion that illiteracy is damaging to people and society.

“Plainly, literacy — and the opportunity to obtain it — is of incalculable importance,” Murphy wrote. “As plaintiffs point out, voting, participating meaningfully in civic life, and accessing justice require some measure of literacy.”

However, Murphy argued that impact of illiteracy does “not necessarily make access to literacy a fundamental right.”

“I’m shocked,” Detroit Federation of Teachers President Ivy Bailey told _The Detroit Free Press_. “The message that it sends is that education is not important. And it sends the message that we don’t care if you’re literate or not.”

Report typos and corrections to: [email protected].

[]

question: Who is the federal judge saying the right to learn literacy isn't fundamental?

answer: The U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy III.

question: What is the argument of the judge?

answer: He says that the impact of illiteracy doesn't necessarily make literacy a fundamental right.

question: Why does the judge need to make a decision?

answer: Detroit students wanted to hold state officials accountable for systemic failures in teaching literacy.

question: What are the benefits of literacy according to the judge?

answer: The judge agrees with the plaintiffs that voting, meaningful participation in civic life, and accessing justice require literacy.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy III rules against the Detroit students who wanted to hold state officials accountable for systemic failures in teaching literacy. The judge agrees that voting, meaningful participation in civic life, and accessing justice require literacy. However, he says the impact of illiteracy doesn't necessarily make literacy a fundamental right.


text:
Jack jerked awake. It was dark, the window was open, a warm breeze blowing through the curtains. Outside the din of city life had quieted to its nocturnal stupor. He could hear a cat scrounging down in the alleyway.

Jack reached his arm to the empty space in his bed next to him, forgetting for a moment that Martha was gone. Had it really been 18 months already? Jack reached to his other side under the mattress to feel for his cold steel revolver. That, at least, was in it's place.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood up. Groggily wandering around the apartment in his underwear, trying to forget the scent of Martha. She had been his everything, and he had given her everything, including a child. But God was not kind and that night, 18 months ago God took her, and the child, in one fell swoop. One bloody swoop that was no accident.

The instrument of this crime was a 6 inch blade, left at the scene. No fingerprints, no suspects, no motive. Jack had been drinking and came home late, only to discover his pregnant wife bloodied and lifeless.

The horror had not sunken in immediately. Jack was not particularly cold, but he was calculating. He would unravel the mystery and take his vengeance. His first thoughts were violent ones, but then despair sunk in, and sadness and he wept until the police arrived.

The investigation lasted for months. But there were no leads, Martha had no enemies, nor did Jack. He was just a schoolteacher, 11th grade english. Who could have been so brutal and why?

That was the question that haunted Jack's mind tonight. He opened the fridge. Condiments. And a half cup of milk. He drank the milk from the carton and tossed it at the trashcan. Jack's mind went to the days before the city, when he and martha would take long walks in the woods and make picnics by the ocean. But Jack didn't have the income to support a child and had to move to this very damn apartment.

Since then Jack couldn't stand to look at children. He became obsessed with solving the crime even after the police had given up. Picture's of the scene were etched into his mind. He had to clear his head.

Jack dressed and put on a coat and left the apartment. He went trudging down the sidewalk next to brick buildings with only the light of a few sparse lampposts.

As Jack walked he came upon a bum, sleeping covered under a blanket. He kicked the bum as he walked, the anger inside of him swelling from frustration. The man did not wake but rolled over like a rag doll. Jack leaned down and shook the man trying to wake him. The blanket fell away from his face and the figure of an old rotting corpse stared back at Jack. Jack dropped the man immediately and took a step back startled.

Then a dead hand reached up from under the blanked and grabbed Jack's hand. Jack could feel the icy touch of death as the creature turned to look at him once more. "IT WAS YOU!" the creature moaned, pointing into Jack's heart with his dead fingers. "IT WAS YOUUU!"

Jack woke up suddenly and reached to his side. The warm skin of Martha rest on the bed beside him, her swelling belly rising and falling with every breath. Jack reached to his other side under the mattress where he found a 6 inch blade, cold and steel, right in its place.

title: First attempt at a short story since high school (Noir)

question: Describe Jack.

answer: Jack is a high school English teacher.

question: What was his relationship with Martha? Why did it end?

answer: Jack loves Martha; she's his everything. Their relationship ended 18 months previously because she and their unborn baby are brutally murdered with a knife.

question: Who kills Martha?

answer: The police aren't able to discover the murderer.

question: Describe Jack's emotions.

answer: He feels despair and anger.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer: Jack wakes one night and reaches for Martha. It takes a few moments for him to realize that she's been dead for 18 months. She and their unborn baby were brutally murdered with a knife; the police weren't able to find the murderer. He goes for a walk and encounters a man sleeping under a blanket. He takes his anger out on the man; the man is actually a rotting corpse who screams, "it was you!" Jack wakes from the dream to find Martha, pregnant, sleeping next to him. He reaches to check under the mattress to make sure his knife is still in place.