text:
-   May 23, 2013
-

A generation ago, Japan was widely admired — and feared — as an economic paragon. Business best sellers put samurai warriors on their covers, promising to teach you the secrets of Japanese management; thrillers by the likes of Michael Crichton portrayed Japanese corporations as unstoppable juggernauts rapidly consolidating their domination of world markets.

Then Japan fell into a seemingly endless slump, and most of the world lost interest. The main exceptions were a relative handful of economists, a group that happened to include Ben Bernanke, now the chairman of the Federal Reserve, and yours truly. These Japan-obsessed economists viewed the island nation’s economic troubles, not as a demonstration of Japanese incompetence, but as an omen for all of us. If one big, wealthy, politically stable country could stumble so badly, they wondered, couldn’t much the same thing happen to other such countries?

Sure enough, it both could and did. These days we are, in economic terms, all Japanese — which is why the ongoing economic experiment in the country that started it all is so important, not just for Japan, but for the world.

In a sense, the really remarkable thing about “Abenomics” — the sharp turn toward monetary and fiscal stimulus adopted by the government of Prime Minster Shinzo Abe — is that nobody else in the advanced world is trying anything similar. In fact, the Western world seems overtaken by economic defeatism.

In America, for example, there are still more than four times as many long-term unemployed workers as there were before the economic crisis, but Republicans only seem to want to talk about fake scandals. And, to be fair, it has also been a long time since President Obama said anything forceful publicly about job creation.

Still, at least we’re growing. Europe’s economy is back in recession, and it has actually grown a bit less over the past six years than it did between 1929 and 1935; meanwhile, it keeps hitting new highs for unemployment. Yet there is no hint of a major change in policy. At best, we may be looking at a slight relaxation of the savage austerity programs Brussels and Berlin are imposing on debtor nations.

It would be easy for Japanese officials to make the same excuses for inaction that we hear all around the North Atlantic: they are hamstrung by a rapidly aging population; the economy is weighed down by structural problems (and Japan’s structural problems, especially its discrimination against women, are legendary); debt is too high (far higher, as a share of the economy, than that of Greece). And in the past, Japanese officials have, indeed, been very fond of making such excuses.

Image[Paul Krugman]

Credit...Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

The truth, however — a truth that the Abe government apparently gets — is that all of these problems are made worse by economic stagnation. A short-term boost to growth won’t cure all of Japan’s ills, but, if it can be achieved, it can be the first step toward a much brighter future.

So, how is Abenomics working? The safe answer is that it’s too soon to tell. But the early signs are good — and, no, Thursday’s sudden drop in Japanese stocks doesn’t change that story.

The good news starts with surprisingly rapid Japanese economic growth in the first quarter of this year — actually, substantially faster growth than that in the United States, while Europe’s economy continued to shrink. You never want to make too much of one quarter’s numbers, but that’s the kind of thing we want to see.

Meanwhile, Japanese stocks have soared, while the yen has fallen. And, in case you’re wondering, a weak yen is very good news for Japan because it makes the country’s export industries more competitive.

Some observers have raised the alarm over rising Japanese long-term interest rates, even though these rates are still less than 1 percent. But the combination of rising interest rates and rising stock prices suggests that both reflect an increase in optimism, not worries about Japanese solvency.

To be sure, Thursday’s sell-off in Japanese stocks put a small dent in that optimistic assessment. But stocks are still way up from last year, and I’m old enough to remember Black Monday in 1987, when U.S. stocks suddenly fell more than 20 percent for no obvious reason, and the ongoing economic recovery suffered not at all.

So the overall verdict on Japan’s effort to turn its economy around is so far, so good. And let’s hope that this verdict both stands and strengthens over time. For if Abenomics works, it will serve a dual purpose, giving Japan itself a much-needed boost and the rest of us an even more-needed antidote to policy lethargy.

As I said at the beginning, at this point the Western world has seemingly succumbed to a severe case of economic defeatism; we’re not even trying to solve our problems. That needs to change — and maybe, just maybe, Japan can be the instrument of that change.

question: Why was Japan put on a pedestal a decade ago?

answer: They were viewed as an economic paragon.

question: What is Abenomics?

answer: A system designed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that concentrated on monetary and fiscal stimulus.

question: Does the author believe we will continue to grow out of the recession?

answer: The author thinks we have entered an era of 'economic defeatism' and that this is something we must work on. They believe we can further utilize the Japanese model, and by doing so, see the same improvements he Japanese economy have seen over the years.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: An article articulating the economic impact of the Japanese on the rest of the world, detailing how it continues to impact on the world economy as we recover from recession (at the time of the article)


split: train

text:
I stopped pacing back and forth and stared at my wrist. The band of my watch was tattered and the color was fading. I had worn it for a couple of years now and it was starting to show its age. I held it up to my nose and took a whiff. It was starting to smell. It was an odd combination of old sweat and grime.
 “I really hope nobody catches a whiff of my watch,” I muttered to myself. I don’t know why anyone would be smelling my watch, but in the event that they do - they would almost certainly be disgusted.
After returning to my pacing, I realized I hadn’t actually processed what time it was despite staring at my watch for quite a while. I checked again. 12:35. I had arrived downtown early for my haircut. My appointment was at 1:00, and 25 minutes wasn’t long enough to justify going back home, but was too long to spend sitting in the barbershop.
Gazing around, I saw a coffee shop on the corner of the block. It was a quaint place that I had visited once or twice, but not too often. Everyone in there was so young and attractive and hip, and I always felt out of place - like I was purchasing coffee from a party that I wasn’t invited to join.
“Whatever, I need to kill some time,” I thought to myself. I pulled on the handle of the shop and stepped inside.
There was only one person in front of me in line. He was young, a bit swarthy, and seemed up to date on this strange punk rock coffee subculture.
“Nice shirt,” the girl working the counter said to him. It was a black tee shirt with some white squiggly lines on it, like some sort of radio waves. I didn’t understand it, but she did, I guess.   “Thanks,” he casually replied. The young man finished up his order and went through the doorway towards the cafe’s seating area.
“What can I get ya?” The barista asked. I realized I hadn’t considered an order, and now felt like I needed to make a decision in a pinch. I blurted out the only order that came to mind.
“One small coffee to go, please.”
“Any room for cream?” The girl asked.
“No, I take it black.” I responded, trying to sound suave. I didn't.

I paid for the coffee and she handed it to me. I looked around the cafe. “Why did I ask for my coffee to go?” I thought to myself. I didn't have anywhere to go for half an hour. Should I apologize before I sit down? She probably doesn't consider me a liar, but maybe I should just give some sort of explanation. I tried to think of something to say.

“Hey, I just wanted you to know that I rushed my order a bit and ordered it to go, but I think I have enough time to just drink it here so I want to do that. I hope you’re not mad at me.”

That sounds stupid. I’m not going to say that. I make my way through the doorway towards the back of the cafe. Many of the seats are occupied, save for one in the back corner besides a young lady.
“Aw man,” I thought to myself. “If I sit beside this girl, she’ll think I’m a creep, just trying to mozie up beside her.”
Maybe she won’t think I’m a creep. I mean, it is the only place to sit. I could always stand, but that might actually be weirder. Maybe I should just brief her on the situation.

“Hey, I just want you to know that I’m only sitting beside you because there is nowhere else to sit. I would never sit beside you otherwise. I’m not some sort of creep.”

Wait, someone’s leaving. I’ll just sit there instead.

I take my seat on the wooden bench and place my coffee on the table. Beside me is swarthy guy, reading a book. His hand is covering up part of the front cover, so I can’t make out the title. I tilt my head and squint my eyes to get a closer look. He glances over at me, and I look away. I could always just ask what he’s reading, but why do I even care? What this guy is reading has no impact on my life in any way.

“I like your shirt,” the girl across from swarthy reading man says to him. He calmly looks up from his book, thanks her, and returns to his reading, taking a sip of his drink in the process.
I let my mind wander for a bit. I fixate on artwork on the walls, trying to determine if they have some sort of underlying meaning. A topless woman dancing in a ritualistic manner is depicted on the canvas in front of me. What could it mean? I don’t know. I don’t understand art. In the corner of the room is a bulletin board with flyers for concerts, workshops, and other events piled on top of one another. I look at one flyer in particular. “Make Your Own Gluten Free Dog Food!” The flyer suggests. I try to read the text underneath but I'm left with more questions than answers.
 I take a sip of my coffee and immediately my lips pucker. It’s much more bitter than I remember. Maybe I should go ask for some cream. The barista knows I asked for it black, though. I specifically said “I drink my coffee black.” Whatever, she already thinks I’m a liar who has no intentions of drinking his coffee in any way that it is ordered. I’ll just get the damn cream.

I look at my watch again. It’s 1:05.
I drop my coffee in the trash can and walk home.

title: [RF][HM] Anxiety - A Piece Of Flash Fiction

question: What does the story say about the brand of the watch the narrator was wearing?

question: What does the story say about the narrator?

answer: The narrator is male and seems to have extreme anxiety issues. He is worried about his old watch because it's starting to stink and hopes nobody catches a whiff of it. The narrator is pacing back and forth because he arrived downtown too early for his 1:00 barbershop appointment. He decides to kill time at the hipster coffee shop nearby, despite fears of not fitting in with the young and hip crowd. Anxiety hits him again as he rushes his order and makes the mistake of getting black coffee to go (the coffee was bitter and he needed to kill time). The narrator ended up throwing his coffee in the trash and went home because he was late for his appointment.

question: What does the story say about the narrator's time in the coffee shop?

answer: After the narrator got his coffee to go, he realized his mistake and looked for a place to sit. He debated with himself whether to sit next to a young lady because he didn't want to be labeled a creep. The narrator saw someone leave and sat on the newly vacated seat next to the swarthy guy with a nice shirt. He tried (in vain) to sneak a peek at the book the swarthy guy was reading and looked away when he got noticed. The narrator tried to check out the paintings and the bulletin board from where he was seated but was left even more confused. He sipped his coffee and realized it was too bitter, which started another internal argument with himself on whether he should ask for cream or not (he already told the barista he takes it black). Because of these little internal debates, he was five minutes late for his haircut appointment and decided to go home instead.


text:
   They were sitting on the floor playing video games, laughing about how terrible she is at the game. She watched his face light up with a laugh and it was as though time slowed down. She saw his smile spread through his lips, up to his eyes. It seemed genuine. In this moment, like each time they talk, Charlotte had a crippling fear that bubbled within her throat; it was as though her mind will have the words planned out, but her heart will say something entirely different. Do something different, something bad. Something that could be so detrimental to her social life, ripping it from its very roots and throwing it into a deep valley of Netflix and takeout on a Saturday night. Each time they come face to face, this very threat is there. One mistake, one wrong look could change things forever. She knew this was long coming, this love that was built upon drunken nights, early mornings, awful professors, and ever-lasting sexual tension—a love that came to be in college.

   Freshman year is where it all started for Charlotte. It was an innocent encounter, a merging of two groups of friends the first night of college. She ended up in his room, in Henry’s room, that night with several other people they had met. From there, it was inevitable. She had been used to busy day in high school, full of class, extracurricular activities, and of course studying. He was used to school and studying, and a strict social life, or lack thereof. So when the two finally emerged from their tight schedules of high school, they landed into this world of empty hours and open bars. The only thing that stopped this pair from sprinting into a whirlwind relationship was the fact that Henry had a girlfriend, a girl whom Charlotte actually knew from elementary school. Henry and her had been together for at least a year prior to entering this extraordinary life that is college.

   Having a girlfriend never stopped this friendship. He always texted Charlotte, asking if she was free for dinner, or wanted to study together. This trend continued for so long, so many of those empty hours were spent together doing nothing; playing video games, talking about nonsense. Soon they grew so comfortable together, their conversations changed. They drifted from discussions based around schoolwork and friends, to the girlfriend and sex. Oh, the conversations about sex were in plenty, he knew what she liked and what she wanted. She knew what he had trouble with in regards to his girlfriend, and she ever so dutifully gave him advice to help the couple in bed.  The advice about the girlfriend was not limited to sexual advice however. Henry asked Charlotte about real, emotional relationship issues. She actually had the opportunity to tell him to break up with the girlfriend several times, but she stayed true to being his friend and helped work them out.
While sex, or at least the intriguing topic of sex, was a prominent focus in their friendship, the conversations about themselves and family are what stood out the most. She talked about her depressed father, and how that put such a strain on her family. He held her when she cried about losing a friend. She smiled and laughed and he talked about his old pets, and his cute sister. It took him longer though, longer to open up to her. He told her that she was the only one to know some things about him. About how he had been depressed for so long, how he hates being alone, how very few things make him happy. She wanted to make him happy, she wanted to be the reason he smiled. She saw him smile and laugh so often, but she could only wonder if it was all an act, or if she did in fact make him laugh. He did not know though, he was unaware of the things she wished for, oblivious to how he made her feel.

   This unawareness that Henry held in regards to Charlotte was obvious by his manners, if only he knew how she felt. Sometimes the two would walk into an empty room and he would declare that they should fuck. It was all a joke of course, a joke to him. To her, it was as though someone was slowly breaking her heart—anyone could see it behind her plastered on smile, not Henry though. He became her worst enemy and her ultimate fantasy all rolled into one. She wanted him to be so much, to be there for her in a way that means more than friendship, to make her smile and cry with joy. She knew in her heart that he would never be those things.

   Charlotte was aware that he was sexually attracted to her, he was never vague about that. One night, she confessed to him that while she joked about sex all the time, all she really wanted was love. He said he understood and they chatted about it for a while. Later that same night though, he told her about how he and his roommate had come to the decision that Charlotte would be a solid lay. Such conversations were not unusual. Once, when they were gathered with a group of friends, they jokingly speculated on whether or not Henry and Charlotte would make a good couple. Henry stated that they would, at least for a month because it would all be physical. Each one of these was a blow to her. A reminder that he did not see her as anything more than a friend and would never be anything more than that.

   All of these memories came crashing back to Charlotte as she watched him laugh while playing video games. It  has been over a year and it is time for her to move on, she knows that because they’re friendship will never be more than what it is. From their first meeting, it was inevitable, not friendship nor love, but heartbreak.

title: Videogames

question: Describe Charlotte.

answer: Charlotte is a college student in love with her best friend, Henry. She was an overachiever in high school and in college finds herself with lots of time on her hands.

question: How do Charlotte and Henry meet?

answer: On the first night of college, their respective friend groups merge, and they hang out in Henry's room with other people they'd met.

question: Who is Henry's girlfriend?

answer: She isn't named, but she and Henry started dating and high school and she knows Charlotte from elementary school.

question: Why is Charlotte heartbroken?

answer: Because she's in love with Henry and although he is clearly attracted to her, he doesn't seem to see her as anything but a friend.

question: Describe Henry.

answer: Henry is a college student whose best friend Charlotte is a childhood friend of his girlfriend. He has been with his girlfriend since before they both started college. He likes video games.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Charlotte and Henry meet on the first night of college and quickly become best friends, bonding over video games and their personal lives. Henry has a girlfriend, whom Charlotte knows from elementary school, while Charlotte has unrequited feelings for Henry, which leads to suffering and heartbreak for her.


text:
I hate to believe rumours, but when they are discussed quite openly and by very knowledgeable people, I don't mind joining in with informed guess work and some analysis. Currently, the hottest potato is the information that the government is going to make the long awaited announcement on the appointment of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS). This should excite a lot of people. If it happens, the NDA government would have delivered on its manifesto and created quite a ripple before the upcoming assembly elections. The issues, which the public must get to know about the decision, if finally taken are quite a few. Just like people, who still approach me to explain what one rank one pension (OROP) is all about, there are many who will want to know the ifs and buts of CDS.

Firstly, it is a good 17 years after the Kargil Review Committee headed by K Subramaniam made the recommendation that India would finally have a CDS, something most modern armed forces adopted many years ago. However, is it really necessary to have one? Absolutely yes, in the opinion of almost every military professional.

The military subset of national security, as one of its main components, has become so complex today that no single service can claim primacy. The ground or continental, maritime and air/space dimensions now also have the cyber domain thrown in. With transformation and the revolution in military affairs ongoing for many years, the necessity to convert all military operations to the 'joint' format is a compulsion. Joint here essentially means that single service can no longer fight their individual wars and only assist other services as a secondary effort. All planning must take place jointly, placing all resources in the basket and exploiting them optimally for the common national goal. Doctrinal guidance for this must be joint too, as much as the training needed to back it. Single service glory hunting will then not be possible. It may sound mundane to our civilian brethren, but it is a truism that in spite of being aware of the necessity to optimally plan and deploy all resources each service first looks at its own domain.

This is not peculiar to India, it happens everywhere in the world. The US Armed Forces, the world's most advanced, had major problems in this regard. Narrow service loyalties kept coming in the way of joint operations. Fed up of the inability of the men in uniform resolving this issue, the US legislature in 1987 passed the famous Goldwater-Nichols Act, which was initiated under former president Ronald Reagan. This Act legislated the creation of joint structures and organisations, the classic theatre command system. The position of the then already strengthened Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff received a further impetus. The US system is an extremely advanced one, where the service chiefs are responsible only for training, procurement and partially non-operational logistics, besides being in touch with the government. The theatres comprise a mix of all components of the four services (the US has the Marine Corps as the fourth Arm) with the necessary resources, under the command of the theatre commander also known as the combatant commander, who reports directly to the Secretary Defence – not to be confused with the Defence Secretary as in India who is a bureaucrat. The Secretary Defence is the Defence Minister of the US. The theatre commanders through him report to the US President, who is the working Supreme Commander.

The CDS system known under different avatars around the world also has a national stamp based upon each country's own military experience. It is interesting to see the Pakistan model, which I learn came into being in General Zia ul Haq's time. Pakistan's armed forces have been comfortable with the creation of the post of General Number One primarily because it is a toothless appointment, the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC). Jointness between the three services may exist notionally or even marginally, but Pakistan has placed its nuclear weaponry and its safety under his control and he reports directly to the prime minister. His powers otherwise are restricted. This appointment does not become a single window for reference with the government on matters military. Anyway Pakistan's model is just too unique because it's army and its chief, who is officially virtually General Number Two, has an out of proportion power in guiding and deciding security policies for Pakistan. It's just worth keeping in mind as one end of the spectrum of models which we in India could refer.

In 2001, as an interim acceptance of the Kargil Review Committee recommendations, the Government of India created the HQ Integrated Defence Staff or HQ IDS. Planning, procurement, doctrine, intelligence, training and even joint operations came under its purview but service specific issues in the same realms continued to dominate the organisational narrative. The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) raised in 2001 virtually functions under the NSA. The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), also established in 2001, which is the controlling establishment for nuclear weapon assets of India, remains virtually outside the ambit of the joint staff and has also passed into the hands of the NSA. An experiment with theatrisation was commenced with the raising of the Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC). Recently, at the behest of the former naval chief, the command of ANC, which was always rotational between the three services, has now been given permanently to the Indian Navy. The nature of threats to the ANC area of responsibility probably dictated the decision. Many appear to disagree with the command of a theatre being exercised by a single service. However, there is precedent in the form of the Pacific Command of the US which is commanded by a four-star naval officer. Personally, I do believe the navy has the better expertise to exercise command control under perhaps a later time when the joint intellect is a certainty.

The problem is that from 2001 to 2016 is a long period to experiment and not act in the true and honest interest of jointness. There is much speculation that the inordinately long time may yet have prolonged to allow the bureaucratic control over the resources which must actually come legitimately under the new CDS, when appointed. The Indian jointness model will also be unique. Unlike the individual service chiefs having little or no operational responsibility in the US, the Indian service chiefs will continue to exercise operational control right into the foreseeable future. I do not also foresee any further regional theatrisation taking place in the Indian context for quite some time. Not for any other reason, but simply because it needs a degree of intellectual engagement preceding any executive directions. There has to be conceptual clarity before a transformative formulation of a holistically new application of a concept or simply execution of operational responsibility is carried out.

In effect the CDS in my opinion, besides being the head of the HQ IDS must be responsible for all aspects except single service operations. However, in the interim stage training and logistics will remain Service specific. Eventually, common policies on personnel management must emerge. We cannot have such management differences as residual ages for Commanders in Chief being different for Army, Navy and the Air Force and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

There is much speculation about the personalities who are likely to don the mantel of the first appointment of CDS. In 2001 the then Army Chief magnanimously offered it to the IAF as a goodwill gesture. However, as the largest service with the most complex responsibility the Army appears to be the right place to start with, not necessarily because it is my service. The name being spoken of is that of Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, currently GOC-in-C Eastern Command. Purely my personal opinion, the officer has the right gravitas to carry off the appointment as the first CDS near perfectly. He has the intellectual bent and the necessary experience to wear this cap and take responsibility which will need deft handling.

All that is left to do now is the shouting and the celebration for the final decision on the creation of the CDS. Much, however, will depend on the political-military-bureaucratic triangular control to establish the right balance for the functioning of this appointment. On that an essay at a later date.

question: When was it recommended that India would finally have a Chief of the Defence Staff?

answer: It was recommended a good 17 years after the Kargil Review Committee

question: What did the Goldwater-Nichols Act do?

answer: This act legislated the creation of joint structures and organizations.

question: What is the important event being discussed in this article?

answer: The appointment of the Chief of the Defence Staff in India is the important event being discussed in this article.

question: The world's most advanced force is where?

answer: In the US, known as the US Armed Forces

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article discussed when India finally was able to appoint A Chief of the Defence Staff after years of need for it. The article continued the conversation about the difference military subset in different countries like the US and Pakistan. The CDS system is under different avatars in different places around the world but with the same goal.


text: I wake up and wonder where my phone is and get up and carefully walk through the wreckage of my room to the bathroom and take a very satisfying morning piss.  My head is throbbing as I make my way to the refrigerator to see if there is any more alcohol.  I'm wearing boxer shorts and a presumably very dirty plain white t shirt and can only assume that my phone is in my pants where ever they are.  There are two beers and a mostly empty bottle of  whisky and I drink the remainder of the latter and light a cigarette.  I feel like I'm walking through water as I make my way into the other room and look at the dead girl on the floor I knew was there all along.  She is very pretty and I feel sad that she is dead but I can't help feeling that she is nothing but a nuisance at this point.

title: A Story About a Girl part 1

question: What's wrong with the author?

answer: Their head is throbbing.

question: Why is their head throbbing?

answer: They have a hang over.

question: What did they drink?

answer: Two beers and a bottle of whiskey.

question: What is on the floor?

answer: A dead girl.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator wakes up, hung over, to get some water. They notice a dead girl on the floor and feel sad, but she is a nuisance.


text:
LOREN HAL BOUCHARD (born October 10, 1969) is an American animator, writer, producer, television director, and composer. He is the creator of several animated TV shows such as _Bob's Burgers_ and _Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil_. He is also the co-creator of _Home Movies_ with Brendon Small.

Early life

Bouchard was born in New York City to a Jewish mother and Catholic father.[1] He grew up in Medford, Massachusetts.

Career

A high school dropout, Bouchard was working as a bartender in 1993 when he bumped into a former grade school teacher of his, Tom Snyder, who asked if Bouchard was still drawing, and offered Bouchard a chance to work on a few animated short films Snyder was making.[2] The shorts developed into Bouchard's first series, _Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist_, which he produced. He credits Jonathan Katz, H. Jon Benjamin, and Snyder as major influences.[3] _Dr. Katz_ ran for six seasons, from 1995 to 2000. He also produced one season of _Science Court_, another animated show made by Soup2Nuts.[4]

Towards the end of _Dr. Katz_, Bouchard and Brendon Small teamed up to create _Home Movies_.[5] The show was picked up initially by UPN, which dropped it after five episodes; the remaining eight episodes from season one, and the subsequent three seasons, were shown on Adult Swim. The show was not renewed after the conclusion of the fourth season in 2004.

After _Home Movies_ concluded and another Bouchard pilot, _Saddle Rash_, was not picked up, Bouchard created _Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil_. The show's pilot was created on October 30, 2005, but it was not until September 2007 that the show debuted as a weekly feature on Adult Swim.[6] He was a consulting producer on HBO's _The Ricky Gervais Show_.[7] [Bouchard at the San Diego Comic-Con International in 2010] In 2009, Bouchard got together with _King of the Hill_ writer and producer Jim Dauterive and developed _Bob's Burgers_, an animated series about a family working at a hamburger restaurant.[8] Bouchard grew up in a working-class family full of “blue collar creatives” and created _Bob's Burgers_ because he didn't see that kind of life represented on TV.[9] In 2010, Fox placed the series on the primetime slate for the 2010–11 television season.[10] A special preview aired on Thanksgiving on November 25, 2010.[11] When the series premiered, it received mixed reviews with a Metacritic score of 54 out of 100.[12] However, as the first season progressed and concluded and the second began, critics began giving the series praise. The show has generally been viewed as a spiritual successor to _King of the Hill_, which carried less emphasis on shock comedy and focused more on character-driven humor.[13] A film adaptation based on the animated TV series is scheduled for a April 9, 2021 release[14][15] and will serve as Bouchard's feature directorial debut.

Personal life

Bouchard lives in Los Angeles[16] with his wife, Holly Kretschmar. The couple married on September 3, 2006.[17]

Filmography

  Year           Series                               Creator         Involvement (episodes)                                             Role
  -------------- ------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------
  1995–1999      _Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist_                   Writer, producer, editor (47 episodes)                             —
  1997           _Science Court_                                      Producer and director (12 episodes)                                —
  1999–2004      _Home Movies_                        (52 episodes)   Writer, executive producer, director, co-theme music composer      Josie Small (voice)
  2002           _Mr. Bean_                                           Voice actor (episode: “Cat-Sitting/The Bottle”)                    Rondo (voice)
  2005–2007      _Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil_    (11 episodes)   Writer, executive producer, director, composer                     Classmate (voice)
  2007           _My Gym Partner's a Monkey_                          Voice actor (episode: “Flesh Fur Fantasy/Substitute Sweetheart”)   Teddy (voice)
  2010           _The Ricky Gervais Show_                             Consulting producer (season 1)                                     —
  2011–present   _Bob's Burgers_                                      Writer, executive producer, main theme composer                    —
  2020           _Central Park_                                       Writer, executive producer, main theme composer                    —
  2021           _Bob's Burgers: The Movie_                           Director, writer and producer                                      —
  2021           _The Great North_                                    Executive producer, main theme composer                            –

Awards and honors

  Year                                                                    Award                                                                         Category                                                               Work                                                Result   References
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- -------- ------------
  1995                                                                    CableACE Award                                                                Animated Programming Special or Series                                 _Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist_                           [18]
  Writing a Comedy Series
  1998                                                                    TCA Award                                                                     Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming                      _Science Court_                                              [19]
  2011                                                                    Teen Choice Award                                                             Choice Animated Series                                                 _Bob's Burgers_                                              [20]
  2012                                                                    Critics' Choice Television Award                                              Best Animated Series                                                                                [21]
  Teen Choice Award                                                       Choice Animated Series                                                                                [22]
  Primetime Emmy Award                                                    Outstanding Animated Program                                                  _Bob's Burgers_ for “Burgerboss”                                                                                [23]
  2013                                                                    Annie Award                                                                   Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production                 _Bob's Burgers_ for “Ear-sy Rider”                           [24]
  Teen Choice Award                                                       Choice Animated Series                                                        _Bob's Burgers_                                                                                [25]
  Primetime Emmy Award                                                    Outstanding Animated Program                                                  _Bob's Burgers_ for “O.T.: The Outside Toilet”                                                                             [26]
  2014                                                                    Annie Award                                                                   Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production                 _Bob's Burgers_                                              [27]
  Critics' Choice Television Award                                        Best Animated Series                                                                                [28]
  Primetime Emmy Award                                                    Outstanding Animated Program                                                  _Bob's Burgers_ for “Mazel-Tina”                                                                                [29]
  2015                                                                    People's Choice Award                                                         Favorite Animated TV Show                                              _Bob's Burgers_                                              [30]
  Annie Award                                                             Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production                                                                                [31]
  Critics' Choice Television Award                                        Best Animated Series                                                                                [32]
  Primetime Emmy Award                                                    Outstanding Animated Program                                                  _Bob's Burgers_ for “Can't Buy Me Math”                                                                                [33]
  Environmental Media Award                                               Television Episodic Comedy                                                    _Bob's Burgers_ for “Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise”                                                       [34]
  2016                                                                    People's Choice Award                                                         Favorite Animated TV Show                                              _Bob's Burgers_                                              [35]
  Critics' Choice Television Award                                        Best Animated Series                                                                                [36]
                                                                          [37]
  Annie Award                                                             Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production                                                                                [38]
  Primetime Emmy Award                                                    Outstanding Animated Program                                                  _Bob's Burgers_ for “The Horse Rider-er”                                                                                [39]
  2017                                                                    People's Choice Award                                                         Favorite Animated TV Show                                              _Bob's Burgers_                                              [40]
  Annie Award                                                             Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production                        _Bob's Burgers_ for “Glued, Where's My Bob?”                                                                               [41]
  Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production   _Bob's Burgers_ for “Glued, Where's My Bob?” (shared with John Dylan Keith)
  Teen Choice Award                                                       Choice Animated TV Show                                                       _Bob's Burgers_                                                                                [42]
  Primetime Emmy Award                                                    Outstanding Animated Program                                                  _Bob's Burgers_ for “Bob Actually”                                                                                [43]
  2018                                                                    Critics' Choice Television Award                                              Best Animated Series                                                   _Bob's Burgers_                                              [44]
  Teen Choice Award                                                       Choice Animated TV Show                                                                                [45]
  Primetime Emmy Award                                                    Outstanding Animated Program                                                  _Bob's Burgers_ for “V for Valentine-detta”                                                                                [46]
  2019                                                                    Annie Award                                                                   Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production                 _Bob's Burgers_ for “The Bleakening: Parts 1 & 2”            [47]
  Critics' Choice Television Award                                        Best Animated Series                                                          _Bob's Burgers_                                                                                [48]
  Primetime Emmy Award                                                    Outstanding Animated Program                                                  _Bob's Burgers_ for “Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now”                                                                   [49]
  2020                                                                    Primetime Emmy Award                                                          Outstanding Animated Program                                           _Bob's Burgers_ for “Pig Trouble in Little Tina”             [50]

[1]

[2] “Interview with Bouchard” on The Apiary website

[3] “Ten Questions: Lauren Bouchard”, IGN, November 16, 2004

[4] “Comic-Con 2005 Video Blog: Loren Bouchard” IGN

[5]

[6] Article on _Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil_ on the _Variety_ website

[7] “Television Review - 'The Ricky Gervais Show'” _New York Times_

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16] “Interview with Bouchard” in _Impose Magazine_

[17] “Holly Kretschmar, Loren Bouchard”. _The New York Times_. September 3, 2006

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23] http://www.emmys.com/sites/emmys.com/files/EmmyNoms64-Press-Release.pdf

[24]

[25]

[26] http://www.emmys.com/sites/emmys.com/files/EmmyNoms65-Press-Release.pdf

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]  70th Annual Primetime Emmy Award Nominations |work= emmys.com |accessdate= July 17, 2018}}

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

title: Loren Bouchard

question: What would have happened if Bouchard didn't bump into Tom Snyder?

answer: He might never have started working on animation and might have continued working as a bartender.

question: When did Bob's Burgers hits its stride?

answer: According to critics, somewhere around the end of the first season and start of the second.


text:
ANDREAS “KEMPFI” KEMPF (born 4 June 1967) is a German curler from Munich. He currently plays lead for the German national team, skipped by Andy Kapp.

Kempf originally played lead for the Roland Jentsch rink, but moved to the Kapp rink in 2005. He shared the lead duties with Holger Höhne, on this five-player team. He won a bronze medal at the 2005 Ford World Men's Curling Championship and a silver at the 2007 Ford World Men's Curling Championship. For the 2008-09 season, the team reverted to a four-player team. Kempf would be the odd man out for the 2008 European Curling Championships, which he went to as an alternate, but did not play any games. Third Uli Kapp did not go to the 2009 Ford World Men's Curling Championship, so Kempf was promoted to the team's lead.

title: Andreas Kempf

question: When was Andreas Kempf born?

answer: Kempf was born on June 4, 1967.

question: What awards has Kempf won?

answer: Kempf won a bronze medal at the 2005 Ford World Men's Curling Championship and a silver at the 2007 Ford World Men's Curling Championship.

question: What position does Kempf play?

answer: He plays lead.

question: What is Kempf's salary?

answer: Not answered.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Andreas Kempf is a German curler from Munich who currently plays lead for the German national team.


text:
MELBOURNE has appointed former Port Adelaide and Richmond defender Troy Chaplin as offensive coordinator.

Chaplin, who retired at the end of this season, played 215 AFL matches from 2004-16.

General manager of football operations Josh Mahoney said Chaplin’s freshness out of the game was a pivotal part to his appointment.

“Troy has been preparing for coaching for the past five years, working with the Sturt Football Club and more recently with the Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup, so he’s invested in coaching, while finishing his playing career,” he said.

“He presented really well and he’s fresh out of the game and comes in with some new ideas.

“We think it’s important for our coaching group to add some young recently retired players to our group, as the rest of our group is quite experienced with Ben Mathews, Jade Rawlings, Brendan McCartney and Matthew Egan.

“To add Troy to our mix will add a new perspective.”

Chaplin said he was excited by the opportunity to join the club.

“When you finish your career as a player, it’s a little bit of an unknown and you sit in the background and now I know I’m going to be starting with the Melbourne footy club and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity,” he told _Melbourne TV_.

Chaplin acknowledged there was speculation that he would join the Richmond coaching box, but when Mahoney gave him a phone call recently, his path to Melbourne started.

“A couple of days later [after chatting to him on the phone], he asked me if I’d like to join in a coaching capacity and I thought about it for a couple of days and it didn’t take too long to make the decision,” he said.

“It was a great opportunity to come to a club that’s on the rise and has got some great people in the coaching staff that I’m really looking forward to learning off and growing in my development as well.”

[]
_TROY CHAPLIN HAS JOINED MELBOURNE’S COACHING PANEL (PHOTO: MATTHEW GOODROPE)_

Chaplin represented Port Adelaide in 140 games from 2004-12 and made 75 appearances for Richmond from 2013-16.

He made his AFL debut in round four, 2004 against the red and blue at the MCG – the same day Mahoney played his first game for the Power.

Although Chaplin made just one appearance in his first season – the same year Port Adelaide won its inaugural AFL premiership – by 2006, he was a mainstay in the Power line-up and had received a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination.

In 2010, he finished second in Port Adelaide’s best and fairest award, after coming third in 2009.

In his first season with the Tigers, Chaplin finished third in the best and fairest.

Originally from Maryborough Rovers/North Ballarat, Chaplin was selected by the Power at No.15 in the 2003 NAB AFL Draft. He then crossed to Richmond as a restricted free agent in 2012.

In recent times, Chaplin helped out Richmond’s midfield in the last “six or seven weeks” of its 2016 season with now former Tigers assistant and newly appointed Port Adelaide coaching staff member Brendon Lade.

“The last six weeks at Richmond solidified the reason why I want to do it – I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity here,” Chaplin said.

question: Who is Troy Chaplin?

answer: He is a former Port Adelaide and Richmond defender recently appointed as offensive coordinator for the Melbourne footy club.

question: Why did General Manager Josh Mahoney choose to appoint Chaplin?

answer: Chaplin's freshness out of the game and his investment in coaching preparation (Sturt Football Club, Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup) while finishing his career was pivotal to his appointment.

question: How does Chaplin feel about joining Melbourne?

answer: He looks forward to the opportunity and feels it is a great opportunity to come to a club that's on the rise while learning from other people on the coaching staff.

question: When did Chaplin make his AFL debut?

answer: Round four, 2004 against the red and blue at the MCG. It was the same day Mahoney played his first game for the Power.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Melbourne FC General Manager Josh Mahoney appoints former Port Adelaide and Richmond defender Troy Chaplin as the team's new offensive coordinator. Chaplin only recently retired, and his freshness adds a new perspective to the team. Mahoney also cites Chaplin's investment and commitment to coaching as one of the reasons he was hired. Chaplin looks forward to the opportunity to join a rising club and work with other coaches.


text:
Always for You
Matt Dempsey

3 A.M. on a Saturday Morning
She finishes babysitting an adorable six month old baby. She knew she was in for a long night, but this is a little later than she expected. She's not worried though. She's not worried about a thing at this moment. She's feeling relaxed, carefree, and most importantly, ignorant of every aspect of life around her. She plans on staying the night at her friend's apartment that isn't too far away. It's at least closer than her folks' house, where she moved back last summer. She needs to make one stop before settling in at her friend's.

3:30 A.M.
Jesus Christ! Did she forget what she was doing? She's behind the wheel of her parents' SUV, cruising at 40 MPH down the city streets. How has she not been paying attention to where she's going? Next thing she knows, her tires are scraping the curb and POP! There goes the front tire. POP! There goes the back one as well. She slams on the brakes before running into the street lamp post mere feet in front of her car. Holy shit, she thinks. She is beginning to freak out. What the fuck did I just do? Make a call. I don't know what to do now.

3:45 A.M.
Her friend doesn't answer her frantic phone calls. She must have fallen asleep waiting for her to come. Shit, what the hell do I do now? She thinks. Relax; don't make a big deal out of this. It'll be okay, I'll figure this out. Oh no, what is that now? Is that a police car pulling up? Fuck.

4:00 A.M.
She's in the backseat of a city patrol cruiser. The officer who came to check her situation has not been fooled. He knows there is something more going on here than a sleepy girl who just got done with some late night babysitting. For one, this girl is slurring her words. Not too much, she doesn't sound drunk. And the breathalyzer came back as zero. For another, she doesn't seem all too upset by this. He'd have expected her to be in tears, begging to be let go by now. But she's surprisingly calm in the cruiser, with her hands cuffed behind her back. He'll take her to the closest station a mile or so away and go from there.

5:00 A.M.
Her mother's phone rings. This certainly is not a sales call. No one is going to try selling her insurance at this time of hour. She has that motherly instinct snap into her head, the kind that develops after raising two children, one to the age of having her own husband and son. Something isn't right. Hello? She sounds worried. Mom, I'm in trouble, she hears in the phone earpiece. What's going on? She asks. Oh my god, are you okay? She hears an officer in the background say she's not supposed to be on the phone right now. Put him on the phone! Let me talk to him. What's going on, officer? DUI? What? Oh my god. Where is she? When will I hear from her again?

7:00 A.M.
He wakes up to his cell phone ringing next to him in his bed. His phone plays that one song he really liked a few years ago, but is tired of now that he hears it every time someone calls. He's only gone to bed a few hours ago and has his own thought that something must be wrong. For some reason he turned his phone's ringer volume on high before going to bed. Just had a feeling he should. Hello? The first thing said to him is Has she been doing drugs? Her sister's voice is scared, worried, angry, sad. All these things mixed together, shaken, not stirred. What happened? He asks. She wrecked the car and got arrested for a DUI. Holy shit. Gimme a minute here, I'm just waking up.

1:00 P.M.
He sits across from her mother in a cafe nearby. Neither has ordered food and really doesn't intend to. Their hungers are nonexistent, harder to find than a hot new gadget at Christmas time. Feels like they will never eat again. Her mother asks him question after question. He feels he can't lie to this woman. He has come to love and respect her, and sees how much she is hurting. If he can't help her, maybe her mother can. But she must know at least as much as he does at this point, which isn't a whole lot. But much more than she or any other family member knows. She was on her way to buy more, her mother explains, so the police did not find anything in the car. A possession charge would make this far worse, he responds. They stay at the cafe for two hours. He has ordered her a coffee and gotten a Mountain Dew for himself. The caffeine will be helpful to them both. It has been a long day so far, and neither has gotten decent rest in the last twelve hours or so. Finally, they get into his car and he drives her home. It won't be another hour until her daughter arrives home with her husband, who has bailed her out of jail and paid a hefty fine to recover their busted up SUV.

8:00 P.M
She has been sleeping most of the day. Her morning in the clink combined with the reason she was there has worn her out. Sleep is the only thing she needs right now, so everyone lets her rest. He sits at her sister's house. He has driven an hour to get here but it's better than sitting at home alone, with his thoughts racing around his head like racers in the INDY 500. Over and over, around and around. He couldn't stand it so he made the drive. They have been talking for a couple hours now. He tells her more than maybe he should, but he has carried this burden of knowing such things for so long. And he needs help with holding the weight.

8:30 P.M.
She finally wakes up and starts talking to her mother. She says she was just sleepy, doesn't know why she would be charged with a DUI. That's just silly, the breathalyzer read zero. Her mother knows why, and she knows a great deal more at this point. But she's slowly working her way into explaining how she's come by such information. She calls her sister. She asks if there is a visitor at her sister's house. Yes, there is. She says. He did what he thought was the right thing to do. He cares about you. He was trying to help. No, of course not. Yes, I think it was the right thing to do. We needed to know so we can try to help you. Okay, I'll tell him. Her sister hangs up the phone. She tells him she would like for him to go home now. She has promised her sister she would ask him to leave and right now, it doesn't seem like a good idea to fuck with her. Okay, well thank you for coming over and for everything you've done. Gimme a hug. Goodnight.

6:00 P.M. Sunday Evening
He sends a text message to her sister. How is she doing today? He doesn't receive an answer for two hours. It's she who answers, not her sister. You know I'm alive and fine. Please don't contact my sister anymore. She is absolutely livid at him for what he's told her family. She feels he has snitched on her. That he had some kind of ulterior motives, bad intentions. Just wanted to make her look bad and turn her family against her friends. She doesn't want to speak to him ever again. If he cares about her, please, never speak to her again. Just last week they were not speaking, they were going their separate ways. But he was brought back into her life by that phone call early yesterday morning. Just like that. If he couldn't do anything to help her, he thought her family should know so they could. He was the only one who knew any of the things he told them. She would have gone on lying to them if he hadn't done what he thought was right. Next time she will wind up dead, or in jail, possibly for hurting or killing someone else. These are things that she has not yet thought about; she has much bigger things to worry about at the moment. Defending herself in court, for instance. He does not push the subject and the conversation ends.

title: Always for You

question: Why did the protagonist decide to drive so late at night despite being worn out from nursing the baby?

answer: The protagonist figured that since her friend's place was nearby, she could easily find her way there irrespective of the time. However, she was ignorant that getting behind the wheel at that time of the night in her worn-out condition was a selfish and reckless choice.

question: Why did she decide to visit her friend at 3 am?

answer: Because her friend's place was closer to her location than her parent's.

question: Why wasn't the protagonist on her way to her husband's? Why were they living apart?

answer: The protagonist and her husband were going through some marital issues, most likely on the brink of a divorce, and they had gone their separate ways before the accident occurred.

question: In a few words, explain how ignorant and selfish the protagonist was about her actions.

answer: First of all, she decided to drive as late as three in the morning to her friend's in a tired condition. Secondly, as soon as the accident occurred, she was arrested by a patrol cruiser, and she didn't seem to care for her freedom, most likely because she figured that her family would come to her rescue. Lastly, she was ungrateful to her husband for bailing her out of jail and scolded him for trying to make her look bad in the eyes of her family. She didn't think about how her actions might have hurt someone else besides her family members.

question: What did the narrator mean by this? "He was the only one who knew any of the things he told them. She would have gone on lying to them if he hadn't done what he thought was right," and how did the protagonist think her husband's statement was a motive to turn her family against her friends?

answer: It's likely the narrator deliberately left out pieces of information tied to that statement for the reader's imagination. It could be a reference to their possible impending divorce and its rationale since they were not living together anymore, and maybe her family had no idea they were planning on getting divorced. It also couldn't have been about the accident because they were all aware, and there is no indication that she deliberately caused the accident.


text: …”Don’t let go! Keep fighting!” he shouted, but to no avail. Her arm fell limp and she let go. William had started to weep, while his lover, Mary had slipped into a “sleep” of sorts, she had become paralyzed, and she could see the man in black walking towards her, “But it is not yet my time!” She cried, even though nobody could hear her. The man kept walking towards her, “Hello,” he said. “Who are you?” inquired the young lady. “My name is of no importance,” he said in a deep growling voice. “But yours, yours is important” he said menacingly. “My name is Mary White,” she said sadly, “But I do have one last, burning question before we go”. “I shall answer this one question truthfully, but then we leave.” He said solemnly but hesitantly. “Why must you have come so early in my life? I am but the ripe age of 24, why not later?” She asked in a voice full of lament and confusion. “Well, you see, everything happens for a reason. Have you not heard of the ‘red string theory’?” “Why of course, everyone is connected by a red string, so there shall be tugs here and pulls there and every once in a while, a string should happen to get cut.” She said, realizing where his point was heading. “You see your “lover” ,William, was plotting your murder, he was to obtain all your wealth and monies after you two were to be married on the morrow,” he explained. “With all his obtained wealth he was going to raise an army and invade a small ally country to the west,” she looked at William with much sadness in her eyes. William had stopped crying and had started looking around the room. “You see, he did not love you. He wanted you for your money. So to answer your question in short, you are going to leave with me early so that thousands of lives will have been spared” the man in black had spoken. “So shall we be going now?” he asked. “Yes, but what is to become of William?” she queried. “ahh, that is a story for a later time darling, but we really should be off now” he said in a chuckle. Mary got up and felt stronger than ever but when she looked back her body was still on the bed. She started to follow the man in black.

title: The man in Black

question: Who is the man in black?

answer: the personification of death

question: Why is Mary dying?

answer: so that her fiance, William, will not be able to use her wealth to mount an invasion

question: How did Mary die?

answer: the story does not answer this question

question: Why did William stop crying?

answer: He was only ever crying as a display for Mary -- once he was sure she died, he was unaffected.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Mary dies in bed, beside her fiance, William. Death appears to her and explains that her death will prevent the deaths of thousands.


text:
ARTHUR CROMPTON MOORE[1] (3 October 1877 - 5 October 1954)[2] was Archdeacon of Norfolk from 1934 until his death.

Moore was educated at Liverpool College, Clare College, Cambridge and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.[3] He served curacies in Knutsford, Seville, Huddersfield and Stockport. He held incumbencies at Potter Heigham, Halesworth and Hereford.[4]

He died on 5 October 1954.[5]

Notes

Category:1954 deaths Category:20th-century English Anglican priests Category:Archdeacons of Norfolk Category:People educated at Liverpool College Category:Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge Category:Alumni of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Category:1877 births

[1] National Archives

[2] Flickr

[3] _Crockford's Clerical Directory 1929-30_ p901 London: Oxford University Press, 1929

[4] ‘MOORE, Ven. Arthur Crompton’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U240942, accessed 23 Dec 2016]

[5] _Ven. A. C. Moore._ The Times (London, England), Wednesday, Oct 06, 1954; pg. 8; Issue 53055

title: Arthur Moore (priest)

question: Who is Arthur Moore?

answer: He was Archdeacon of Norfolk from 1934 until his death in 1954.

question: What is an Archdeacon?

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

question: How long did Arthur Moore live?

answer: 77 years

question: Where did Moore serve curacies?

answer: Knutsford, Seville, Huddersfield, and Stockport

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses Arthor Moore, an English priest and Archdeacon of Norfolk from 1934 until his death in 1954.


text:
The FEBRUARY 1998 AFGHANISTAN EARTHQUAKE occurred at near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border. The strike-slip shock had a moment magnitude of 5.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (_Very strong_). With several thousand dead and hundreds injured, the event's effects were considered extreme. It was felt at Tashkent and Dushanbe,[1] and aftershocks continued for the next seven days.

Cause

Afghanistan is situated on a major plate boundary.[2] The location of the country is on the boundary where two tectonic plates, the Iranian Plate and the Eurasian Plate, meet.[3] To the south of Afghanistan, the Indian Plate moves northwards and to the north the Eurasian Plate moves south-eastwards.[4] The collision resulting from the movement of the plates has been under way for 50 million years.[5] Due to this, Afghanistan is vulnerable to earthquakes.[6] Both the Iranian Plate and the Eurasian Plate consists of continental crust, which can neither sink nor be destroyed.[7] As a result, the rocks between the two plates are forced upwards to form mountains.[8] The constant movement of the Iranian Plate results in an increase in pressure.[9] The earthquake on February 4, 1998 was caused by this increase in pressure.[10]

Casualties and damage

A spokesman for the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan, which controlled certain area, told the Afghan Islamic Press that they removed more than 3,500 bodies.[11] According to the estimates by the Taliban government in Kabul, which ruled the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan at that time, 3,230 people died in the earthquake.[12] Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) later put the death toll at 4,000.[13] The anti-Taliban Afghan Embassy in Dushanbe asserted that approximately 15,000 people became homeless[14][15] and dozens of villages were destroyed.[16] Nearly 15,000 houses were destroyed primarily due to the landslides.[17] Approximately 818 people were injured and 6,725 livestock were killed.[18]

Relief efforts

The Takhar Province was a remote area[19][20] and road transport and telecommunication was poor.[21] So it took three days for the news to reach Kabul.[22] On February 7, reports began to reach the capital city.[23] But relief work was hampered and delayed because of bad weather like fog, low cloud and snowfalls, blocked mountain tracks (due to snowfall and landslide) and the civil war.[24][25] Reports indicated that survivors were living without shelter in subzero temperature and many were starving.[26] Several villagers were making their way down the mountain tracks along with their herds of goats.[27]

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement sent a team from Dushanbe to the affected region for relief efforts.[28] The first international relief team reached the affected area on February 7[29] and the first United Nations (UN) team arrived there on February 10.[30] A convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reached the site on February 14 with 4,800 blankets, 800 quilts, 10 rolls of plastic sheeting and approximately 200 tents.[31] Eleven days after the event, on February 16, helicopters were able to drop supplies to three isolated villages.[32] The European Union (EU) offered £1.3m of relief aid including blankets, medical equipment, water and tents.[33] The Taliban ruled Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan offered 100 tonnes each of rice and wheat, and approximately £40,000 to the affected region.[34]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11] 1998: 4,000 feared dead in Afghan earthquake _BBC News_

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30] Afghanistan – Earthquake OCHA Situation Report No. 7 ReliefWeb

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

title: February 1998 Afghanistan earthquake

question: What does the text say was the cause for the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan?

answer: Afghanistan is located on a major plate boundary where the Iranian Plate meets the Eurasian Plate. The constant collision of plates makes Afghanistan vulnerable to such earthquakes. With these movements, there is an increase of pressure which caused the 1998 earthquake.


text:
[Mercedes S Class]

MERCEDES S CLASS

2 passengers 2 luggage

Mercedes S Class chauffeur car hire in London – UK wide for private airport transfers, business meetings, evening hire, or leisure daily hire.

[Mercedes V Class]

MERCEDES V CLASS

6 passengers 6 luggage

Mercedes V Class chauffeur car hire in Mayfair, London, UK wide for private charter transfers, financial roadshows, sports and corporate events.

[]

MERCEDES MAYBACH

2 passengers 2 luggage

Mercedes Maybach chauffeur car hire with professional driver in Mayfair, London, and UK wide from £95ph + VAT (min 4hours)

[Range Rover Vogue]

RANGE ROVER VOGUE

2 passengers 3 luggage

Range Rover Vogue car hire with executive driver in Mayfair, London – UK wide from £75ph + VAT (min 4hours)

[Bentley Mulsanne Chauffeur London]

BENTLEY MULSANNE

2 passengers 2 luggage

Bentley Mulsanne chauffeur car hire in Mayfair, London and UK Wide from £100ph + VAT (min 4hours)

[Rolls Royce Phantom Chauffeur Driven]

ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM

2 passengers 2 luggage

Rolls Royce Phantom Series 2 chauffeur car hire in Mayfair, London and surrounding areas from £140ph + VAT (min 4hours)

CHAUFFEUR DRIVEN CARS IN LONDON

London’s exclusive chauffeur company takes you to your destination in style

Home of executive, luxury and prestige chauffeur driven cars in London and UK Wide. EG Chauffeurs has a wide range collection of chauffeur driven cars to satisfy every need. We offer luxury chauffeur driven Mercedes-Benz S Class, Viano & V-Class 7 passengers, Range Rover Vogue Autobiography and Rolls Royce Phantom alongside with the most vetted professional executive chauffeurs London has to offer.

Our luxury fleet of chauffeur driven cars are available for airport transfers, corporate hospitality and events, financial roadshows, business meetings, London and UK tours, weddings, shopping trips and much more…

HOW TO BOOK ONLINE

CHECK PRICES

Get an instant price using our state of art online booking system. Save time. Save money. Travel better.

CHOOSE CAR TYPE

Select the car that suits your budget and your travel needs. All online prices are fixed with no hidden cost and include 20% VAT.

TRIP INFORMATION

Enter full details of your trip including date & time, flight number, request a child seat or any other special request you may have.

PAY SECURELY

3D secure payment powered by Worldpay or Stripe. All major debit and credit cards accepted, including Amex at no extra cost.

BOOKING CONFIRMATION

Instant booking confirmation directly to your inbox. Chauffeur details are emailed to you the evening before travel or 2 hours prior pick up.

ABOUT US

London’s best chauffeur company for leisure, business, and corporate travel.

EG Chauffeurs are London based premier chauffeur company providing professional executive chauffeur services and affordable luxury chauffeur driven CAR HIRE in London and UK Wide. Providing outstanding customer service for many years EG Chauffeurs offers secure and discreet chauffeur services for leisure and business travel.

We provide a high level of personalized customer service for high-net-worth individuals, executives in large corporations and VIP’s setting an example of London’s finest chauffeurs to our leisure and business clients. We take pride in having an exceptionally qualified and reliable elite chauffeur team who are capable of satisfying the most demanding schedule.

EG Chauffeurs works very closely with a number of private charter operators companies delivering an unparalleled chauffeur service in London and UK Wide. Our professional, polite executive drivers are very well aware of the private airports’ protocol. We are also very proud to serve VVIP clients including private jet owners, Quintessentially members, Royal families from the middle east, members of UN and the EU Parliament, enabling us to understand the discretion and level of service required from us.

Business travel, sports or corporate events, evening chauffeur hire, or private AIRPORT chauffeur transfers, we are confident we can meet and even exceed your expectations. Our large fleet of top-of-the-range executive and luxury chauffeur driven cars are nothing short of impressive, and everybody receives the VIP treatment. In fact, EG Chauffeurs are rated London’s No.1 chauffeur company on Trustpilot.

CHAUFFEUR SERVICES IN LONDON & UK WIDE

Executive chauffeur services and luxury car hire in London, UK and Europe Wide. One way transfers, financial roadshow, corporate and sports events, or private airport transfers, EG Chauffeurs lets you truly experience the very best chauffeur travel.

[A to B]

Single journey chauffeur service London – UK wide.  One-way chauffeur transfers are based completely on mileage. You may also add as many stops on the way and request a return trip. We take a time to understand your internal booking and tailor your trips in the most efficient way possible to suit your travel needs…

[Business Travel]

Whether you have an important meeting in the city, a full day of appointments, or a special day-out with your clients, our professional chauffeurs can help to make your day stress-free travel. Our business chauffeurs can be relied upon to ensure that your journey is relaxing and enjoyable…

[Event Chauffeur Hire]

EG Chauffeurs provides luxury chauffeur service for you or your clients your friends and family travelling to and from any event in the south of England, covering Weddings, Horse Racing at Royal Ascot or Windsor, Tennis at Wimbledon or Eastbourne, Football at Wembley, Rugby at Twickenham…

[Airport]

AIRPORT CHAUFFEUR TRANSFERS

Luxury airport chauffeur transfers and Meet & Greet airport chauffeur service from Heathrow, Farnborough, Gatwick and all London and UK private airports. On arrival at the airport, you will be met by our professional airport chauffeurs who will escort you to your chosen luxury chauffeured car…

TRUSTED BY

World-Class chauffeur service trusted by World-Class brands. EG Chauffeurs has been serving HNWI, Executives, Corporate Elite, CEOs of World-Class brands from around the globe. Join us today, we would be delighted to serve you.

question: Summarize the cars available at EG Chauffeurs.

answer: EG Chauffeurs six different car options from four different companies. Most of the cars only offer seating for two passengers, except for the Mercedes V Class which has seating for six. Three of the cars available are Mercedes, and there are also Range Rovers, Bentleys, and Rolls Royces for hire.

question: Summarize the steps for booking online at EG Chauffeurs.

answer: To book online at EG Chauffeurs, you first check prices and choose a car type. There are no hidden costs and all costs include a 20% VAT. You then input your trip information and pay securely using Worldpay or Stripe. They accept all major debit and credit cards. After paying, a booking confirmation will be sent to your email.

question: Summarize what EG Chauffeurs does.

answer: EG Chauffeurs offers a wide collection of chauffeur driven luxury cars for every need. They are based in London, and provide a high level of personalized customer service. EG Chauffeurs works with a number of private charter services to deliver an unparalleled chauffeur experience. EG Chauffeurs is rated London's No. 1 chauffeur company on Trustpilot.

question: Summarize the services EG Chauffeurs offers.

answer: EG Chauffeurs offers single journey trips based on mileage, as well as a day of business travel. They also offer Meet & Greet airport chauffeur service from Heathrow, Farnborough, Gatwick, and all London private airports. EG Chauffeurs also offers luxury charter services for events in the south of England.


text:
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED OUR APRIL FOOL'S POST! SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT YEAR!

[] [DATAMINED] NEW CLASS: NECRUID AND SECOND EXPANSION HINTS!

[] WILDSTAR BETA KEY GIVEAWAY, DECK SPOTLIGHT: CARBON'S IMPURE PRIEST, FIGHT NIGHT S5E6 DECKLISTS

[] SKIN SPOTLIGHT: FROSTWYRM ARTHAS, ALPHA INVITES COMING TO AUSTRAILIA

UPDATE - It looks like a lot of exciting stuff is happening today, Blizzard just announced a new game! BLIZZARD OUTCASTS is a Mortal Kombat style game featuring all your favorite Blizzard heroes and a brand new controller with a dedicated credit card slot!

[] []

WARLORDS OF DRAENOR PREVIEW - FACTION CHANGE/BETRAYAL QUEST
It looks like we're still getting information from the European press tour of Warlords of Draenor from February and the NDA has been lifted on one of the major features of Warlords of Draenor.

JUDGEHYPE, MAMYTWINK, and MILLENIUM all posted about one of the biggest features we were able to test was the faction betrayal questline, which ALLOWS YOU TO CHANGE FACTIONS WITHOUT CHANGING YOUR RACE.

IMPORTANT POINTS:

-   The Alliance and Horde have been arresting the neutral Goblins and seizing their assets to fund the upcoming Draenor war effort, killing them when they resist. Each faction feels that this is justified, as the Goblins have been profiting off of the war between the Horde and Alliance for a long time.
-   You begin the quest by looting a Spy Report and taking it to Gazlowe, who is in need of assistance. He will consider your offer to help him until Warlords of Draenor has been released and the next phase of the questline is activated.
-   Upon accepting your help, Gazlowe and the Steamwheedle Cartel will require your protection at various points around the world, with their trade caravans, and eventually in Booty Bay.
    -   Some of these events have a weekly participation cap, which will limit how fast you can complete this part of the quest line.
-   Baron Revilgaz will send you on a mission to protect Booty Bay. Something goes wrong and it ends with your capture and imprisonment in Tol Barad.
    -   Upon reaching this phase of the quest, you are flagged as a traitor to your faction and you become a PvP target for both the Horde and the Alliance.
-   You escape from Tol Barad and meet up with the Steamwheedle Cartel again in a solo scenario.
-   You are then given the task of assassinating your faction's leader in another solo scenario, which was unavailable during testing. The faction leaders are traveling in a caravan to the Dark Portal. You are joined by members of the other faction, who see your heroic deeds and invite you to join them.
-   Upon joining the other faction you are still not trusted, and must unlock cities other than Stormwind / Orgrimmar by earning reputation with the various Alliance / Horde factions. Reputation is earned through defeating players of the other faction in PvP and doing quests that involve PvE.

REWARDS

-   Your character changes factions, your race remains the same.
-   You are awarded a new character title:
-   You also get a new pet:

A COUPLE SIDENOTES

-   You can keep and continue to use your faction specific mounts.
-   You can keep anything in your inventory or void storage, but your old faction will seize any assets left behind in your bank.
-   This is a one way change, you won't be able to change back after you do the quest.

WARNING: STORYLINE / SPOILERS AHEAD

[]

THE REASON FOR BETRAYAL
In the wake of Garrosh's escape to Draenor, heroes of each faction have discovered that their own faction has started hunting down and arresting or killing Goblins and using their gold to fund the Draenor war effort. Most Goblins have remained neutral throughout history, profiting off of the conflict between the Alliance and Horde, which is how each faction justifies such actions. These actions aren't okay with everyone though, and you will be given a choice to accept what is going on or help the Goblins and betray your faction.

[]

Betraying your faction is not a choice to be made lightly, as it is IRREVERSIBLE outside of using the paid faction change character service. Once Patch 6.0.1 is live, you can begin the quest line by looting a SPY REPORT from rare spawn NPCs that run through the Barrens, Dustwallow Marsh, Tanaris, Stranglethorn Vale, Winterspring, and Netherstorm. These zones were selected to get players out in the world again, just like the Patch 5.3 events in the Barrens.

After getting a report and learning what is happening to the Goblins, you take it to GAZLOWE, who is still enjoying his windfall profits from the friction between the Alliance and the Horde. He will be wary of accepting your help, taking his time to consider your offer. This means that while you can loot the report as part of the patch leading up to Warlords of Draenor release, you will be unable to continue the quest line until the expansion has been released.

HELPING A GOBLIN IN NEED
Once the expansion has been released, you continue by going through a series of quests that require you to kill NPCs of your own faction that are attacking Goblins around the world. This will work similarly to the Patch 5.3 Barrens event, where a zone wide alert goes out when a group of attackers spawns, allowing you time to get to the location and save the Goblins.

[]

EARNING THE GOBLIN'S TRUST
After demonstrating your loyalty to Gazlowe and the STEAMWHEEDLE CARTEL, you will be tasked with protecting the Goblins on their trade routes by BARON REVILGAZ. These quests are a mix of an escort quest and the Patch 5.3 Barrens caravans, as you will follow a group of Goblins and kill NPCs that spawn to attack them. These quests are gated by the limited number of trade runs you can complete each week, similar to the Mists of Pandaria legendary quest line requiring collection of items from raids.

[]

BETRAYAL DISCOVERED
After you have built up your reputation with Baron Revilgaz, he will give you a quest to assault the Horde or Alliance base of operations on the nearby JAGUERO ISLE before they can attack Booty Bay. Upon arriving on the isle and killing the leader of the camp, the recently freed PRINCESS POOBAH sees what you have done and panics. The Alliance / Horde (phasing will show you the right camp for your faction) on the isle then attack, driving you away from the isle. If you are able to escape without dying, you will earn a Feat of Strength achievement. They also send word of your actions to Orgrimmar / Stormwind, which results in a bounty being placed on your head.

[]

EVERYONE'S ENEMY
From this point on the quest line, you will be VULNERABLE TO ATTACK FROM BOTH FACTIONS and NPCs of your own faction. This means you will no longer be able to access your bank or safely idle in town. Unfortunately this also means you have to be caught to continue the quest. Approaching any major city and allowing the guards to attack you until your health drops low enough will trigger the capture. Once captured, you are taken to TOL BARAD. A guard that remembers your assistance with clearing out the prison during Cataclysm takes pity on you, which begins a solo scenario, Escape from Tol Barad.

[]

Upon escaping, you are met by members of the Steamwheedle Cartel, who have one final task for you. The Goblins have learned that your faction's leader will be part of a convoy traveling through the Blasted Lands to the Dark Portal. Your job will be to assassinate him while the convoy is traveling. This part of the quest line also uses a solo scenario that wasn't implemented yet. You will be joined by heroes from the other faction, who see your actions and offer you the chance to join their faction.

[]

BETRAYAL AFTERMATH
However, the quest isn't over just yet! Once you have changed factions, you are still disliked by your new faction, with NPCs acting hostile towards you whenever they encounter you, similar to Death Knights at one point in their quest chain. Upon switching factions, you are limited to Stormwind and Orgrimmar only, with the guards of other cities removing you from the city if you try and enter. To prove yourself worthy to your new faction, you must earn reputation with each of the Alliance / Horde factions in order to unlock access to their NPCs and cities. Reputation is earned from defeating players of the other faction in PvP and doing quests that involve PvE.

[] []

Switching factions will also grant you a new title

, as well as a tabard of your old faction, and a treasure goblin pet, similar to the Reaper of Souls preorder bonus. You will be allowed to keep and use the mounts from your old faction, which is a nice perk over the paid faction change service. Unfortunately anything in your bank will be lost after you betray your old faction, so anything you want to keep must be in your inventory or void storage.WILDSTAR BETA WEEKEND KEY GIVEAWAY
Curse is GIVING AWAY 300,000 Wildstar Beta Keys for North America and Europe! The giveaway is open to Curse premium members starting today, and will transition to all users with Curse accounts starting on Thursday. These keys are for the beta weekend April 4th to April 6th.
[]

question: Why are the Goblins bad?

answer: Because they have been profiting off of the war between the Horde and Alliance.

question: Which side do the Goblins support, Horde or Alliance?

answer: None. They are neutral.

question: Why will the player be captured and imprisoned in Tol Barad?

answer: Because something will go wrong after the player helps Booty Bay.

question: Why does the player have to earn a reputation with the various Alliance / Horde factions?

answer: To unlock cities other than Stormwind / Orgrimmar.


text:
The first thing you do is butter the bun. Then you drop it down the toaster. The toaster takes approximately eighteen seconds to toast. You then put the top and bottom together, place them on a red tray and then cover the twelve buns that fit on the tray, 4x3,  with another tray and place them to the side. Once you are ready to make the sandwich you place two pickles on the bottom, no more than a quarter inch over lapping. Then you place the chicken filet with the smooth, round side facing up and then place the crown of the bun on top. Finally open up the sandwich bag allowing enough room for the sandwich to easily slide in, then fold the bag over twice and place it in the warming drawer for five minutes. Any sandwich that sits there for longer than five minutes gets trashed. If you would like a deluxe sandwich then place either a slice of American, provolone, or pepper jack cheese on top of the filet, then put two, whole, tomato slices on top of the cheese and two pieces of lettuce, shiny side up, that frame the bun on top of the tomatoes. Then repeat until your soul has been crushed, pissed on, and every dream and fire that has ever existed in you has been stomped out by the ceaseless, monotonous work you subject yourself to in order to not even get by.

They, being the people who don’t work with you, will remind you that you chose to be there, just be thankful to have a job, or that it is just temporary. You know that isn’t true though. You can’t find a better job because you are working 50 hours a week and you are too tired to do anything else. You can barely even find the energy or will power to get out of bed in the morning. Every once in a while you feel like you have enough energy and fortitude to say enough is enough and move on but then you realize your life revolves around this job. All of your friends are there. They are the people that deal with all of the shitty customers who think they are the Queen of god damn England, the ones who think they own you because you stand behind a register. Your coworkers are the ones that after all the shit you put up with tell to forget the customer, he is an asshole, you didn’t do anything wrong, people like that just happen. You have a bond with your coworkers, like brother in arms who are united by their common misery. So the cycle repeats, week after week after week after week after week after week as if your days are manufactured on an assembly line.

Then you find yourself waking up in the tiny room you call an apartment. You shower and head to work and start your day off like you have the past, seemingly, five thousand days. You clock in, take your slip that shows the time you clocked in and put it your wallet. Then you say high to everyone. Then you either go to the kitchen or the front counter depending on what you are assigned that day. Then you spend the next ten hours slaving away like the robot you are. You listen to the exact same orders, make the exact same food and you have the exact same routine to live by. Then you watch your boss drive up in his new, gas guzzling behemoth of a truck and say “Hi!” to everyone as if he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. It is as if he has no idea what the people he employs put up with on a daily basis. It is as if he hopes his friendly disposition will be contagious but what does he do besides sit in that office of his in the back while you are the one who gets burned at the fryers and the one who has to choose if it is worth turning the heat on at night. You are the one that has to decide whether or not to fix your car or just walk the five miles or so. The one who should just deal with the tooth ache or dish out the three thousand dollars for a root canal because god forbid giving his employees health insurance would just decimate his profits. No one likes the boss.

Between the shitty boss, shitty job, and shitty house and lifestyle what can you find to be joyous about? You are simply a tiny little speck. In fact you aren’t even speck in the scheme of things. You are less than a pixel, you are less than even the red, blue, and green lights that make up a pixel. You are nonexistent and utterly replaceable and no one will notice if you go. Just like no one has noticed the billions of stars that have existed and perished and no one ever will. Just like no one ever notices the trillions of bacteria that are beneath our feet. That is what you amount to. At some point we have all been there. The thing is though that not all of us end there. That is the saving grace. There is a glimmer of a hope that one day you can escape the cycle of the daily grind. Get a degree if you are young enough, have a support system while you find a better job, or maybe you are stronger than most and do it all alone.

Not everyone is lucky though. Sometimes the grind wears you down and grinds you to you are so thin that you become a part of the walls there. You are an everlasting stone that will be a part of where you are stuck, just like the walls. Bills add up and sooner than you know it you are living out on the streets and left with nothing but free time. Maybe you cope with a steady dose of drugs. Maybe you cope with a healthier method. Either way it leads to the same thing. If you aren’t apart of the club, the haves, then you better get used to meaningless, mindless tasks that ask nothing of you but obedience.  The boss, the haves, will tell you that working at these crummy soul devouring jobs is fine. What would they know about what you do though? It is not a matter of them being any less hard working but it is a matter of having something to show for it. If you work at a restaurant and you can’t even afford to eat there they pay you so little then what is the point?

It gets to the point where thinking physically hurts. It breaks you just as bad as your job does. You think of all the things that you gave up, that you let slip by and you think never again will I let that happen, but it is too late. You have already buttered the buns. You have dropped them in the toaster. You have placed them on the tray. Put the two pickles on the bun, then the filet, and then the top part of the bun. You have wrapped the sandwich and placed it in the warming drawer until you throw it up for the next customer to devour or for it to get thrown away because it has been the warmer to long and has grown hard and unpleasant and unwanted.

title: A Man's Thoughts on Never Getting His Slice of the Pie in a Southern Town with Nothing Left to Live For.

question: Does the author find their job interesting?

answer: It seems that the author is bored.

question: Why is the author unhappy with their job?

answer: It is exhausting, boring, and not well-paid.

question: Does the author's employer pay for health insurance?

answer: It seems not.

question: Is the author's job creative?

answer: It seems that the author thinks it is not.


text:
	There she sat, across the table, with those shadowy pools of mud looking me over. She was a stranger, yet in that dark room, I felt we were one in the same.

	“Let’s play a game shall we?” she said with a sandpapered voice, broken down by countless cigarettes and what sounded like battery acid.  Her familiarity with me was unsettling, like a cold hand on my shoulder.

	“What’s this game called?” I said, inflating my voice beyond capacity.

	“It doesn’t have one.”

	“Well how do you win?”

	“You don’t.”

	“Then why play?”

	“To figure some things out.”

I was more confused than when I entered the room, yet was more comfortable with her.  Her tattered clothes and boots suited her as a dress and heels on a night out in the city.  Her voice even became more pleasing, more like a hum of a record player than channel surfing a sea of static.  She roles two dice over to me.  They cut the heavy silence like a pair of rabid dogs, landing in my lap.

	“What are these symbols?”

	“You tell me, they’re your dice.”

I drop the stones on the table, they come up with a stopwatch and a knife.

	“So who do you want to kill?”

	“I don’t want to kill anyone!” Oh, now this girl knows what they mean? I move to get up, there’s nothing for me here.

	“What are you waiting for?”

	“What do you mean?  I’m waiting for some answers you are not providing.” I move towards the door, maybe I’ll find my answers out there.

	“You are waiting for something that’s going to hurt, aren’t you?”  I felt the weight of my feet plunge into the ground. Shackles around my ankles chained me to the floor, numbing growing up my legs.  “Or are you waiting for something to heal?”  I sit down.

               “Who are you?”

She nods at the dice, willing me to continue this cycle.  A flag and a star.

“You don’t strike me as a patriotic man”

“I’m not.”

“Then what are you so proud of you need to claim so ferverously?”

I took a minute to respond, looking at her, looking at myself.  Not finding anything in my studies.  I’m not really proud of anything, but don’t want to show her that she’s getting anywhere.

“Why aren’t you playing this game?” I said with a snap.

“I am.”

“Why aren’t you answering then?”

“I am. You just aren’t listening.”

“Fine. I’ll listen, now you roll them.” I slam the dice down in front of her, not really understanding my anger fully.  I guess I haven’t felt this vulnerable in a while.  She looks at them, and then up at me with such a piercing glare, the cold numbing has turned to radiant heat.  She picked up the dice and rolled.  The dice seemed to clatter around for an eternity before coming to a peaceful rest.  A telescope and a mirror.

“Oh, so are you supposed to tell me who I am?  Are you supposed to be my tired old subconscious, willing me to find myself?”  The heat of my sarcasm is palpable, as I find myself growing more comfortably into her role, the enforcer.  Her sharp glare softens, as the pools of mud saturate.  She seemed for the first time, at a loss for words, paralyzed.

“I am nothing like you. I am not your cliché subconscious.  I am so distant and disillusioned I can’t care for anything, can’t claim anything to be proud of.  I sit and wait for everyday to end so I don’t feel this numbing anymore.  You haven’t learned anything because you haven’t been listening.  I’m trying to help you.  This game isn’t for winning, but you don’t have to lose either.”

She got up and headed towards the door.  I wanted to say something. I wanted to alleviate her sorrows, tell her things weren’t all that bad.  I didn’t though, wrought with a paralyzing guilt, and stricken with immense sadness.

As she walked out of the threshold, I heard the door close on my cell, cutting me off from the outside world.  As I sit in silence, I hear the faint click of the lock behind me. I smile a slight crack and look down at the dice.  They stare back at me intently, with a glowing presence.  I reach down and grab them for a minute, before laying them down again. I have some questions first, some listening to do.

title: I was bored and decided to write this. Still needs editing, but I'd like your opinion first.

question: What is the setting of this story?

answer: This takes place in the narrator's cell.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: He is an unnamed man.

question: How does the narrator feel as he's being interrogated?

answer: He becomes agitated as he is being interrogated.

question: How does the narrator feel as the woman leaves?

answer: As she leaves, he feels guilty and sad.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: A woman walks into the room where the narrator is and suggests they play a game. She rolls the dice and interrogates the man about the symbols that are rolled. The narrator gives vague answers and tries rolling the dice himself. He becomes agitated and tries interrogating her but she tells him that she is trying to help him. The woman leaves the narrator in his cell.