text:
JERI M. MASSI (born 1960 in Levittown, Pennsylvania[1]) is a contract technical writer and an Evangelical Christian author whose novel _Valkyries: Some Through the Fire_ (2003) was nominated for a Christy Award.

Since 2001, Massi has attacked the response of Fundamentalist churches in cases of child molestation committed by members of the clergy in which the leadership (and sometimes the entire congregation) enforced silence on the victims.[2]

In 2005, Massi produced a five-part audio documentary, _The Lambs of Culpeper_,[3] and released it onto the Internet for free download. The documentary addresses alleged abuses against children at Calvary Baptist Church of Culpeper, Virginia, a church then pastored by Charles Shifflett. In 2007, Massi founded the Conference of the Lambs, a two-day conference designed to assist adults who had been molested as children in Fundamentalist churches.[4] In 2008 Massi self-published _Schizophrenic Christianity_, which denounced corruption within Protestant Fundamentalism that had resulted in harm, especially to children.[5] In 2009, Massi conducted interviews of former residents of Hephzibah House in Warsaw, Indiana, a Protestant Fundamentalist Children's home for girls. She then produced _The Lambs of Hephzibah House_,[6] an audio documentary that alleges severe abuse of residents at Hephzibah House. In 2011, Gary Tuchman, a CNN journalist reporting for _Anderson Cooper 360_, interviewed many of the same former residents and produced an episode about Hephzibah House on CNN's “Ungodly Discipline” series.[7]

Works

-   _Derwood Inc._ (June 1986; Peabody Adventure Series, Book 1)
-   _A Dangerous Game_ (June 1986; Peabody Adventure Series, Book 2)
-   _Treasure in the Yukon_ (October 1986; Peabody Adventure Series, Book 3)
-   _The Bridge_ (1986; Bracken Trilogy, Book 1)
-   _Courage by Darkness_ (December 1987; Peabody Adventure Series, Book 4)
-   _Crown and Jewel_ (1987; Bracken Trilogy, Book 2)
-   _The Two Collars_ (April 1988; Bracken Trilogy, Book 3)
-   _Llamas on the Loose_ (June 1988; Peabody Adventure Series, Book 5)
-   _Abandoned_ (1 May 1989; Peabody Adventure Series, Book 6)
-   _Valkyries: Some Through the Fire_ (2003)
-   _Valkyries: All Through the Blood_ (2003)
-   _Schizophrenic Christianity_ (2008)
-   _Hall of Heroes: A Novel Set in Peabody, Wisconsin_ (14 October 2013)

Notes

[1]

[2] Opposition to abusive fundamentalist churches took form with the publication of Vic Nischik, _Wizard of God: My Life with Jack Hyles_ (Buchanan, Mi.: Sychar Publishing, 1990) and gained impetus with the publication of Voyle Glover, _Fundamental Seduction: The Jack Hyles case_ (Schrerville, Indiana: Brevia Publishing, 1990) who marshaled evidence against Jack Hyles and First Baptist Church of Hammond regarding abuses of church office and church doctrine. Massi was further influenced by a 1993 news documentary Preying from the Pulpit, produced by WJBK of Detroit. Audio of this documentary is available at Massi's website . In 2012, Flashrock Films' executive producer Adam Rockoff engaged Massi as associate producer of the independent film, _The Blue Room,_ a documentary examining the abuses at Hephzibah House (unreleased).

[3] http://www.jeriwho.net/tloc.html

[4] The first conference was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, the second in Jacksonville, Florida.

[5] Jeri Massi, _Schizophrenic Christianity: How Christian Fundamentalism Attracts and Protects Sociopaths, Abusive Pastors, and Child Molesters_ (Raleigh, NC.: Jupiter Rising Books, 2008). Massi has also critiqued fundamentalism through the serialised stories _Secret Radio_ and _A Standard Christian_, which chronicle the life of a student at fictional Greater Independent Baptist College.

[6] http://www.jeriwho.net/tlohh.html

[7]

title: Jeri Massi

question: Summarize Jeri Massi's works.

answer: Jeri Massi is an Evangelical Christian author who has been active since 1986. Her 2003 novel Valkyries: Some Through the Fire was nominated for a Christy Award. She wrote a six book series called the Peabody Adventure Series, and three books in the Bracken Trilogy. She has written several other novels and produced several audio documentaries dealing with corruption in Protestant Fundamentalism.

question: Summarize Jeri Massi's attempts to expose corruption in Protestant Fundamentalist churches.

answer: Starting in 2001, Jeri Massi has attempted to expose corruption and poorly dealt with child molestation in Fundamentalist churches. In 2005 Jeri Massi produced a five part audio documentary addressing child abuse at Calvary Baptist Church of Culpeper, Virginia. In 2007 Massi founded the Conference of the Lambs to try and help adult survivors of child abuse. In 2008 she published a book denouncing corruption in Protestant Fundamentalism. In 2009 Jeri Massi produced an audio documentary telling the stories of former residents of Hephzibah House in Warsaw, Indiana. In 2011 a CNN journalist will produce a show episode based off of those same survivor's accounts.

question: Summarize Jeri Massi's relationship to Christianity.

answer: Jeri Massi seems to have a complicated relationship to Christianity. She is described as an Evangelical Christian author. She denounces wrongdoings of Protestant Fundamentalists, but has included distinctly Evangelical viewpoints in many of her works. Her 2003 novel Valkyries: Some Through the Fire was nominated for a Christy Award, a distinctly Christian establishment.


split: train

text:
She was a beautiful woman, though most might have thought she was plain. They simply didn't see her with the same eyes that he did. Raven black hair accentuated kind eyes that were as blue as the waters of the lake by where he was born. The lightest of creases, the sign of someone who frequently wore a smile, highlighted wonderful, kissable lips. Even the way she carried herself, her light step, the sway of her hips when she walked. She stood tall and straight, her shoulders not proud, but confident. Comfortable. He couldn't help but feel a sense of fulfillment when he saw her.

She gasped quietly, noticing him. Her eyes were angry, still somehow beautiful even then, but he didn't blame her. Noone like to be caught off their guard, but it was something he did playfully, feeling like a little boy again. He rushed to her, to take her in loving embrace. She had managed no more than half of her question, which would go unanswered. "What are you d-" She tried to ask, but he had already scooped her up, and regrettably, with a little more force than he intended: her question tapered off with a squeak as he carried her to her bed.

He lay her down delicately, holding her with a firm but gentle grasp. She even played at struggling, the way he so loved. His face close to her own, he took in her breath, so sweet, and comming in rushed, clipped little gasps. Her eyes were wild, urgent, waiting. Her mouth opened to speak, but lovingly he placed a hand over it. This was a moment where words were unneccesary, even unwanted. And besides, he was a little shy, and preferred this forbidden act be quiet. This was a moment between the two of them, and meant for them alone.

With the words aside, if you are quiet and listen, the body can speak volumes. The physical manifestation of feelings that simply cannot be expressed with words. Her shallowing, rushed breaths, the way her heartbeat sped up at his touch, the urgency, the longing, the need. He would drink it all in greedily, this was his ambrosia.

A happily occupied hand made its way down, caressing as it went. Feeling every dip and curve. She was a beautiful creature, the dress that concealed her body suddenly seemed a hateful thing. He put that aside though, his hand still moving to a happier, lower place. It didn't matter anyway, her garb wouldn't keep him from what he wanted.

She inhaled sharply, and with a jolt. The sudden movement succedded only in drawing her closer to him as he entered her. Warmth rushed over his fingers. She moaned, the sound muffled by his hand. She still played at struggling, but it was lessening now. her hand reaches out, grabbing forcefully at his vest. The other hand, with no clear goal, simply grabbed the bedsheets with a white-knuckled grip. Her eyes close in a wince, and beneath his hand, he can feel her jaws clench together. The motions are repeated on both sides, again and again. He enters, and she shudders against him. She seemed to slow, however, the time between her struggled breaths longer and longer. She was comming close, and he had no intentions of stopping now.

One final motion, every muscle in her body contracting, one last forced breath, drawn out longer than all the others, a deep, slow exhale. She lay back, now very still. Quiet, and her eyes still shut from her previous exertion. He lay his forhead against her own, and slowly withdrew his hand from her mouth, listening to the quiet. The only sound was his own labored breathing. The silence that came after had its own sort of beauty, and he took the time to appreciate it.

After a long moment, he withdrew. The delicate, curved dagger he held slid silently from her ruined belly. He stepped back, surveying this now grisly scene with a distant, emotionless gaze. She had grown pale, her skin now nearly as colorless as the blood soaked sheets on her bed. Her leg hung awkwardly off the side of her mattress, but she gave no indication of discomfort. Her face had settled into a terribly familiar expression, that wonderful, horrible peace one only felt in their final moment in the world. Her eyes bothered him, though, dispelling the peaceful expression with a half lidded squint.

He almost reached out, wanting to close those eyes... almost. But that wouldn't be right.

His senses, still heightened, picked up the delicate rattle of keys from just outside. He made his way quickly across the house, to the window he had entered, and was outside, quiet as a ghost. He strode casually into the alley, without even a glance back. Noone paid him any heed as he went, something else had everyones attention. A mans anguished cry filled the air, and something in the sound seemed to reverberate among the people: a collective shudder filled everyone walking by, as though someone had run a nail down a chalk-board. Cutting the corner into the alley did nothing to lessen the sound for him, nor did it shield him from the sound that accompanied it, the sound of crying children.

He stepped out of the alley, and into a waiting carriage. "Lets go. I have an appointment to keep." He scarecly heard the drivers reply, he wasn't listening. It was the sound of horses hooves and the darkness of the carriage that dominated his attention, the sensations coaxing him into the familiar, dark places in the back of his mind. He dreamed his dreams, and sat silently in the darkness, waiting for his chance.

He waited... and waited...
And waited.

title: This Forbidden Act

question: Who is the woman?

answer: It's not clear, but she is someone the author has admired for her beauty.

question: What is the main event of the story?

answer: The narrator kills the woman with a dagger, and leaves her there for her family to find.

question: What does the woman look like?

answer: The woman is described as beautiful with blue eyes and black hair. The narrator says some would see her as plain.

question: What age are the two characters?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: What is the most negative event of the story?

answer: The narrator murders the woman.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator enters the bedroom of a woman he finds beautiful, catching her off guard. He proceeds to stab her with a dagger while describing the act like they are having sex. He leaves when he confirms she's dead. The narrator listens to the screams of a man and children as he cuts into an alley.


text:
“Dribble”
His eyes caught the glint of the skylight above.  The multicolored     bathroom light refracted against stale mildew.  Wet again to dry again come another season’s change.  Above it the same perpetual malaise of overcast stamped out all but a fraction of night.  He thought what it must feel like trapped inside a snow globe.  It disgusted him how much the feeling of stagnance lingered with him.  He distracted himself with another rambling bit about how the snowball effect would soon pick him up.  Yet locked still was the dull ringing of acceptance.  Things would not get better.
“Drip, dribble, drip”

“Ahhh” He sighed.

“I hope I didn’t wake anyone” His thoughts worried as he stood up from the plastic and porcelain bowl.

“Zip”

“Should I wash…too noisy…don’t want to wake and irritate purpose” He agreed.

How long had it been since he’d remembered who was with him?  This stranger with a bowed head and an unsure step.  He didn’t like the thought of the bumbling buffoonery this broken court jester jived to.  Yet as he looked down he noticed the feet were his.

 “Yes the constant rediscovery of self separation for self preservation” He rused.

Such self confusion in the name of stagnancy.  Gone are dreams to dreams, replaced by dreams to be locked down.  Replaced again by reasons to not dream worn on skin so tired it shirks away from itself, hollowing out eyes dead staring.

“I don’t care what should be done, I care about what could.”

“But you can’t and don’t”

“But I will”

“When?”

“I will figure this out”

“When? How long has it been? You remember most of all you’ve had yet do nothing with it til it’s gone”

“Stop.”

“Who are you even arguing with?”

“Stop”

“You know the proper only deal in sense.  That this is nothing more than del-“

“STOP”

“Thump”

The sliding door thuds against its rest and bounces back an inch.

“Why did I do that…idiot”

He misses the reconnection, rushed away by the reminder of senses all around.  The jester is rehatted and stumbles back to silence.

title: Confounding Oblivion! Why Do You Torment Me So!

question: What is the story about?

answer: The narrator struggling with their feelings of self doubt.

question: What action is the narrator performing?

answer: Sitting on a toilet.

question: What are all the sounds in the story?

answer: The narrator's poop hitting the bowl.

question: Who is the narrator talking to?

answer: Themselves.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator sits on a toilet and questions their life choices while taking a dump.


text:
		The Time I Found Love In A Senior Citizen –By Aaron Brooks

	Her Tinged Ciggerate’s heat radiated off into the back of my neck. I could feel her Presence. I couldn’t help but stare. Both me and my mother’s eyes were fixed on the slow burning Marlboro in her hand and the smoke that spit up her wrist.
“I’m A Libertarian, I don’t like to be told what to do.”
She observed my mom, down to the heartbeat. As did I. We both hated everything my mom did. We both hated being told what to do by my mothers all seeing eyes.
	She wasn’t the type of Libertarian who complains about Guantanamo Bay. She’s The Kind Of Libertarian who fucking drops Acid and goes to musical festivals. The epitimy of cool. Everything boring old me needed. Not only did she not have an opinion on Free trade economics SHE DIDN’T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT FREE TRADE ECONOMICS. She smoked weed on the hood of homeland security vehicals.
	The 14 in me wanted to end my conversation with her. Drugs, fun and freedom had taken there sweet toll on her body. Her hair was frizzed her clothes slightly tattered.  For being at the Jewish religious ceremony centered around death her shoeless feet dancing was quite the practice of someone celebrating life.  She was what a 65 year old women should be physically yet somehow she had redefined sexy for me in thirty seconds. We didn’t say much after that except small talk about “The fucking Bastard” known as Mayor Bloomberg. Everything she Said held so much weight. After our conversation came to a sad conclusion I mulled over her words like a priest reading the book of Mathew. I spent the rest of the night eating salled debating wether to go talk to her or not. I knew I would once have these debates with myself I didn’t know they’d would be about talking to someone who probably spent her morning opening social security checks. At a Shiva for all places! As if my pedophilic fantasies couldn’t get any worse, they had to be during a week that’s supposed to be filled with depression and tears.
	I looked all around the party for her, I curled around all the corners of the house. Elevating myself above tables scanning across the circles of people looking for her. Sometimes I saw her, but than she would be gone and disappear into another women. Some moments I would see her twice, at other times it seemed she never existed.
	Well fuck. She’s gone. I had my chance; I could have gone back to her house and talked into the morning. We could have drank, laughed and loved.
			KIDS THESE DAYS- Muriel Frumberg
	I had to get out of that shiva. My brother died for fucks sake, I can’t have one night of griping and smoking. This boy and his mother whom I had never met before came up to me wish me good luck or some shit. And they both stay fixated on the cigerates I was lighting back to back. People say they don’t care how you look, that’s bullshit. His mom looked so scared that I was talking to her son. Turns out this kid is some kind of Libertarian as well, he tried talking drones with me. Pathetic. I was minding my business my brother had just died. It was not the appropriate time for foreign policy discussion for fucks sake.
	You should have seen this kid. He was fucking weird. His eyes constantly were shifting around. He didn’t let people walk behind him. If you left the fucking boy alone for a second he would start mumbling to himself.
	I couldn’t help but feel bad for him. This kid’s definitely got something fucking wrong with him, probably have to do with something with his shitty bitch of a mother.
	THE NEXT IS A TEXT CONVERSATION AARON’S MOM AND DAD
DAVID: How was Shiva.
SARAH: It was good. Jean says “hi”.
Aaron was acting a little weird.
I think he was talking to voices again.
DAVID: What exactly was he doing
Or saying?
SARAH: He was talking about an old woman
He was talking to “her” about drones and
Mayor Bloomberg. He introduced me to her.
It was all very eerie.
DAVID: What else is there to do?
More therapy? More meds? What?
SARAH: Part of me says yes. However,
This is the first time I’ve seen Aaron
Happy in a long time.
DAVID: Are you suggesting we just
Let him live in his own little universe?
SARAH: Maybe just until the school
Year starts up again?
DAVID: Are you fucking insane? I think
We should send him back to the psych ward.
He’s obviously depressed.

title: I'm a 14 year old with the beginning signs of schizophrenia. Also i'd be happy to translate any Hebrew words (used minimally).

question: What does the story say about the type of person the old woman is?

answer: She states that she is a Libertarian and doesn't like to be told what to do. She drops Acid and goes to music festivals. She doesn't care about free trade economics.

question: What does the story say about mental illness?

answer: The author of the story is a 14 year old with the beginning signs of schizophrenia. Aaron has an interaction with an old woman that doesn't actually exist and even introduces her to his mother, Sarah. His father, David, wonders what options they have, including more therapy and more meds. He believes that Aaron is depressed and should be sent back to the psych ward.

question: Summarize everything relating to politics.

answer: The old woman is a Libertarian. She isn't the type of Libertarian who complains about Guantanamo Bay or cares about free trade economics, but rather the type who drops Acid and goes to music festivals. She and the narrator make small talk about how much they hate Mayor Bloomberg. The kid the narrator encounters is also a kind of Libertarian. They discuss foreign policy.

question: What does the story say about the old woman's mental illness?


text:
   Hello fellow Redditors, as the title implies I need your intelligence and cunning to help me. I am having a problem writing a story that connects, and for the most part its pretty hard to gauge how *good* a story is, at least without the biased of what you want in the story.

- **Here's where you come in!**
   I would like you guys to submit to me an idea, whether its smut, a love story, a murder, a mystery, anything, and I'll write your story, tailored for you. I'll post it accordingly so everyone has a chance to see, but seeing how I put in the effort to write it for you I would like you to comment on what could be better on a critical standpoint. I thought it would be fun, Thanks for your time!

 tl;dr - Post a story idea from smut to Dr. Seuss I'll write it and post it back to you as practice for different genres.

title: Need ideas, need victims!

question: Write a ~0 sentence summary.


text:
"It's just a white cookie" the ad read. No big deal were led to believe in the onslaught of ads that followed over the next few years. "Do it for your family", "Do it for your friends", "Do it for the kids","Do it for mother earth", "Search inside your heart. Find the reasons to: Just do it". "It's as easy as a white cookie".

I don't recall when it became normalized, when the ads seeped into the mental landscape to become the dominant mindset of popular culture. Thinking back I can see clearly now that the kids and young adults were selected as the prime targets in this sociological re engineering project.

It must have started about the same time that the plight of the Fukushima children leaked out despite the MSM's relentless efforts to suppress the horror. Around the same time that logging off the internet became impossible with penalty for trying. When the state (my country) enacted monetary control over all private funds and the rest of the world followed suit. Around the time global governance, the end of physical money. and mandatory RFID implants started to become reality.

Yes that's about right, when this white cookie shit surfaced - just ahead of all that other stuff that has transformed our life into their nightmare.

"But it's just a white cookie. Just submit and all your dreams can come true. Submit and all the troubles, and penalties, and restrictions, and socially sanctioned shame and guilt, and hunger melt away", says the voice on the overhead radio to the bus passengers. They're making jokes and laughing about the so called "small minority" of the resistors or hold-outs, as were now being referred to as, for not submitting to the Plan To Save The Planet.

That's the latest message mutation being sold to us 24/7 via all media outlets. "It's the plan to save the planet and all the things in it that matter" or as I over heard someone saying yesterday, "Planned Planet Hood." "Do your part - it's as simple as a white cookie." The ads and pressures are everywhere. Fewer and fewer are resisting. Fewer still speak in defiance - people are beginning to "disappear". People are beginning to understand without the ads that the white cookie solution isn't really a choice. Choice is gone.

I'm on my way too. Supposedly this bus ride today, this mandatory "Request For Information" is "Strictly Routine" according to the registered letter. Just to check that the RFID implant hasn't shifted or gotten infected or more importantly, to them, been tampered with.

I can hear the words, "it's just a white cookie" echoing from some distant speaker as the GovTran pulls up to the regional CPU. We all file off like cattle at a meat market. Nobodies talking, but everybody knows this is it. Eye contact is limited and our yellow coloured shoulder patch informs all as to which area to push us towards. "Be free. Be part of the Plan" a reassuring voice sounds from multiple speakers above, as were shuffled out of the open air, into a yellow hallway that leads to a yellow building with "attendants" in yellow jump suits.

Fuck! I'm stressed. Starting to sweat. Want to run. It's too late now, to get out. It was too late six months ago when my chip went in and travel became chip dependent. My turn. I'm led to a small room with a man at a desk. I sit on the only spare chair. Fucking yellow chair.

"You're 718341676-FR?" he says without looking up. Before I can answer he points his portable scanner at my chip and looks at the data. "Look" he says, "This is really just an exercise in compliance. I see you don't have any recourse. You've got next to nil GovCred and zero GovConX. You," he leans forward on his desk and quickly glances at the black surveillance camera on the wall, "You really have a limited opportunity to freely accept the cookie. So what I need to know is if you're going to sign the release, take the cookie, and be part of the plan to save to planet? Or not? And I need to know now, I've got hundreds more to come after you. So what's it going to be?" "Would you do it?" I ask. "I have done it" he answers sharply. He leans back on his chair, and says, while looking away from the live-feed, "If you volunteer to do this, things will go back to normal for you. It's just a white cookie and then it's over, then you move on with the rest of your life. Full credits and privileges. If you don't, no credits, no privileges, and it happens anyway but with lots of pain, blood loss, and scar tissue."

"So we're about done here" he says as he stands up. "Okay, OK. I'll do it. I'll do it." He hands me the pen, I sigh and I sign the electronic pad. In a moment the door opens and a small white cookie on a small white plate is handed to me. I pick it up and stare across the desk at the guy in yellow. "It's just a cookie" he says smoothly in a tone devoid of emotion like he's been here, at this point, a thousand times. "I wish you'd quit saying that" I say as I start to chew it. "I have to say it. No options for any of us" he adds. I want to jump up and smash his face in. He notices the way I'm looking at him.

As I finish the sickeningly sweet cookie, he stands and hands me a pill bottle with one pill inside. Then he says, "You may notice a tingling sensation - that's normal. There will be bruising, then gradual shrinkage. If there's pain - take the pill." And with that I was shown out the back exit. I now know why the term White Cookie was used. Blue Balls was taken.

title: White Cookie,Blue Testicles, Green Planet.

question: How is the term "white cookie" used in this story?

answer: The term "white cookie" is used in various ways in this story, some examples being "doing something as easy as a white cookie" or " it's just a white cookie" referring to an easy action.

question: How can you describe how the narrator is feeling?

answer: The narrator is feeling stressed and wants to run away.

question: What message is the author trying to evoke with this story?

answer: The message that the author is trying to evoke with this story is that something will come along that will make life easier, and the white cookie is a metaphor for taking things easy and not questioning what lands in your lap.


text:
RACHEL MARY OWEN (30 November 1968 – 18 December 2016) was a Welsh photographer, printmaker and lecturer on medieval Italian literature. She was married to Radiohead singer Thom Yorke.

Life and career

Owen was born in Cardiff, Wales.[1] She received a B.A. (Hons) in Italian and Fine Art (Painting) specialising in Printmaking, from the University of Exeter.[2] In the 1990s she lived in Florence with two students and studied painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti of Florence, where she fell in love with Dante's work.[3] In 2001, Owen received a PhD from the University of London, where her research was on the illustrations in Dante Alighieri's _Divine Comedy_.[4]

Owen was a lecturer in Italian with a focus on medieval Italian literature, where she examined illustration and its reception in Dante's _Divine Comedy._[5] She taught art history and Dante studies for visiting students at University of Oxford.[6] She was also a fine-art printmaker,[7] and a member of the Oxford Printmakers Co-operative.[8][9] She mixed photography with printmaking[10] and her work explored ideas of transformation using photographic screenprints.[11] Her artwork was used on the cover of the 1993 Radiohead single “Pop Is Dead,” included in the rerelease of their debut album _Pablo Honey._[12]

Personal life

For 23 years Owen was in a relationship with Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, whom she met while they were students at the University of Exeter.[13][14][15] She and Yorke had a son, Noah, born in 2001, and a daughter, Agnes, born in 2004.[16] According to _The Times_, Owen and Yorke married in May 2003 in Oxfordshire in a secret ceremony which was not reported to the media.[17] In August 2015, the couple announced they had separated amicably “after 23 highly creative and happy years”.[18] Several critics believed the separation influenced the lyrics of Radiohead's 2016 album _A Moon Shaped Pool_.[19][20][21] Owen also influenced the lyrics of Radiohead songs such as “I Might Be Wrong”[22] and “Optimistic”.[23]

Death

Owen died of cancer on 18 December 2016 at the age of 48.[24] She continued to teach Italian into her final months.[25] Radiohead dedicated the 2017 _OKNOTOK_ reissue of their 1997 album _OK Computer_ to her memory.[26]

Works

Exhibition

-   2015: Ballon Rouge Art, Thame, Oxfordshire, England, 7–15 November 2015[27]

Papers

-   -   -

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

title: Rachel Owen

question: Who was Rachel Mary Owen?

answer: Rachel Mary Owen was a Welsh photographer, printmaker, and lecturer on medieval Italian literature.

question: Describe the career of Rachel Mary Owen.

answer: Rachel was a lecturer in Italian and taught art history and Dante studies at the University of Oxford. She was also a member of the Oxford Printmakers Co-operative.

question: Describe Rachel Mary Owen's personal life.

answer: Rachel Mary Owen was in a relationship with the Radiohead singer Thom Yorke for 23 years. They had a son, Noah, and a daughter, Agnes. They separated amicably after 23 years in 2015.

question: Who was OK Computer album dedicated to?

answer: The album OK Computer by Radiohead was dedicated to Rachel Mary Owen.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
Rachel Mary Owen was a Welsh photographer, printmaker, and lecturer on medieval Italian literature. She taught art history at the University of Oxford and was in a relationship with Thom York — a Radiohead singer. They separated after 23 years of relationship and marriage in 2015.
Rachel Mary Owen died of cancer in 2016 and Radiohead released an album OK Computer in her memory.


text:
[Mar 5, 2015; Sarasota, FL, USA; Cal Ripken speaks with Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy (2) after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the spring training baseball game between the against the Toronto Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports]
Mar 5, 2015; Sarasota, FL, USA; Cal Ripken speaks with Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy (2) after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the spring training baseball game between the against the Toronto Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have signed Ryan Ripken, son of Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., to a minor league deal with Single-A Aberdeen.

The Baltimore Orioles have signed Ryan Ripken to a minor league deal with their Single-A affiliate in Aberdeen. Ripken is the son of former Oriole and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

Ripken was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2012 MLB Draft when he attended Gilman, however he decided not to sign with the club and instead attended South Carolina before ultimately transferring to Indian Creek State College, where former-Oriole Steve Pearce went to school.

Ripken was drafted in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals and ultimately signed with them. He spent two seasons in the Gulf Coast League and split some time between Single-A Hagerstown and Single-A Auburn.

Through 145 minor league games in the Nationals organization, Ripken hit .205/.248/.277 with three home runs and 48 RBIs.

Ripken has and likely will always live in the shadow of his Hall of Fame father, but he’s said that that’s not going to stop him from creating his own way, as he told Lindsay Kramer of Syracuse.com:

“As you get older, life’s a little bit busier. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you what he’s doing half the time. He’s running around and doing his thing, just like I’m doing mine. Growing up, I never viewed my dad as being a superstar, this iconic figure that people look at him as. I always just looked at him as my dad, and that growing up that was his job. I thought, ‘Oh, he’s going out and that’s what he’s doing for a living.’ So, as I grew up and got older, obviously there’s been added pressure. There’s expectations. But my goal is to create my own path, whether that’s playing baseball or not.”

Ripken, a 6’6″ infielder, is only 23 years old, so there’s still time for him to develop. Perhaps in the future, we’ll get to see yet another Ripken play in Camden Yards.

question: What type of news does this article present?

answer: Sports

question: What year was Ryan Ripken drafted?

answer: 2014

question: What was Ryan Ripken's dad's profession?

answer: Baseball player

question: Why plays shortstop for the Orioles?

answer: J.J. Hardy

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses the career of Ryan Ripken, a baseball player. He has recently been drafted by the Orioles. He is the son of another famous baseball player. The article also shares some of baseball statistics.


text:
KILWINNING is an unincorporated community in Scotland County, in the U.S. state of Missouri.[1]

History

Kilwinning was originally called Uniontown, and under the latter name was platted in 1857.[2] A post office called Kilwinning was established in 1880, and remained in operation until 1907.[3] The community's name is a transfer from Kilwinning, in Scotland.[4]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

title: Kilwinning, Missouri

question: What is Kilwinning?

answer: Kilwinning is an unincorporated community.

question: How was Kilwinning originally called?

answer: Kilwinning was originally called Uniontown.

question: Where is Kilwinning located?

answer: Kilwinning is located in Scotland County, in the U.S. state of Missouri.

question: How long did Kilwinning operate?

answer: Kilwinning operated for 60 years.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Kilwinning is an unincorporated community located in Scotland County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. It operated from 1857-1880 under the name Uniontown, then under the name Kilwinning till 1907.


text:
NEW EDITION! Fly around the interactive 3D globe and discover the rich wonders of our planet. Barefoot World Atlas show-stopping interactive app allows children to explore an enticing, spinning world packed with animated icons, an ever-changing soundscape and interactive quizzes.

PRAISE FOR THE 2012 RELEASE
“An immersive app that immediately invites exploration” – The New York Times
An Apple Editor’s Choice Pick, App of the Week, and in the App Hall of Fame.
Featured on NBC’s Today Show as a top education app

Originally released in 2012, the newly updated World Atlas app dives deeper into world art, major cities and North America, and a new “surprise” option allows children to discover exciting new features and places on the globe just by shaking their device. With the new “favorites” mode children can personalize their world, providing a fun and interactive way to share their adventures with friends and family.

FEATURES:
A multi-language, universal app optimised for the retina display
Spin, zoom and fly around the globe!
Follow an ever-changing musical soundscape
Learn fascinating facts about regions, oceans, countries and great cities
Read along and listen to geographer and BBC TV presenter Nick Crane, and narrators Seema Anand and Thérèse Plummer
Enjoy beautiful animated illustrations by artist David Dean
View hundreds of mini-videos and breathtaking photographs
Discover some of the world’s artistic masterpieces
Test your knowledge with fun, interactive quizzes and puzzles!

Languages: English, French, Spanish, Catalan, Japanese, German

Don’t forget to SHARE A REVIEW! We’d love to hear from you!

Oct 30, 2020

Version 4.0.5

This app is fun but very glitchy

  My Grandpa seent this app 2 me bc I was kinda into georgraphy at the time and so we luckily didn't need 2 pay. I played it for almost 2 years and really enjoyed all the features and icons. Then I kinda got sick of it and didn't get back into it for a while. Then when I started playing it again, I found it wasn't the same as before. It was exactly the same, but every 30 seconds it crashed. I don't know what caused this issue, just because I hadn't played it for a long time, but I'm sure that wasn't the problem. They probably updated it and it made it glitchy, unless I was just out of space or somepthing. Great job overall... but pls fix the bug.

  Sorry you had problems with the app previously. Please do try it again as we have recently updated it and fixed a number of bugs. Best wishes from the Barefoot Team!

Great app spoiled by factual errors and odd choices

  The app has a great design and is fun to use to get the kids interested in geography and world culture. But after finding several errors within minutes, I’m not sure how reliable the rest of information is. For example, Latvia’s currency is not Lat, it’s EUR since 2014, and Lithuania borders KalinINgrad Oblast, not Kalingrad. The old currency is listed as well.

  I’ve checked only a few European countries so far and am not sure the choice of highlights make sense. E.g. for Spain it shows Tower of La Giralda as a landmark. Why not Alhambra? It’s a world wonder even in Civilization. Not sure what was the train of thought behind some choices.

  The quizzes are also disappointing: it’s a choice between matching the flag and matching the shape. I have trouble having the kid to remember the capital cities (much more important information) and there seems to be no quiz for that.

  A lot of unrealized potential in this app.

  Hello and thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us about the app. We will hopefully be able to make those amends on our next update. As for choice of landmarks, obviously there are so many that could have been included and we appreciate that some people feel we could have chosen different ones. We will also note that a capital cities quiz could be added in future. Best wishes from the Barefoot Team!

Amazing Fun App!

  I love this app! It's filled with beautiful with a hand drawn charm to all the animated art in it. It has a lot of fun facts and quirkiness to it that kids would love. I don't understand why people are complaining here but I had no issues loading this on my iPhone 6S or iPad Air. People ranting about space, really? Get a life. The high resolution animated art and other aspects of the design require it. I think people complain too much and don't appreciate things. I've used this app for a couple years and it never gets old just for fun and can't wait to introduce my daughter to it :)

Information

Seller
    Barefoot Books Inc.

Size
    1.1 GB

Category
    Reference

Compatibility

    Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Languages

    English, Catalan, French, German, Japanese, Spanish

Age Rating
    4+

Copyright
    © Barefoot Books Inc

Price
    $4.99

-   Developer Website
-   App Support
-   Privacy Policy

-   Developer Website
-   App Support
-   Privacy Policy

Supports

-   []
    Family Sharing

    With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

question: What does the app do?

answer: Enables users to explore the world learning things about regions, oceans, countries, and great cities.

question: What type of app is this?

answer: Educational

question: What are some of the apps interactive features?

answer: Quizzes and puzzles.

question: What languages is the information presented in?

answer: English, French, Spanish, Catalan, Japanese, and German.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: This new edition of the Barefoot Team's interactive globe app offers some updated features. Spin, zoom, and fly around the globe learning about different regions, oceans, countries, and cities. With famous art and animated illustrations by artist David Dean. Test your new found knowledge with quizzes and puzzles.


text:
The STRIPED WHIPSNAKE (_Masticophis taeniatus_) is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. It is closely related to the California whipsnake (_Masticophis lateralis_). The striped whipsnake is native to the western United States and adjacent northern Mexico.

Identification

The striped whipsnake is approximately 30-72 inches (76–183 cm) in total length (including tail). This snake exhibits black, dark brown, or gray coloration on its back, often with an olive or bluish tint. Along the center of each of the first four rows of pale dorsal scales, is a dark longitudinal stripe. There is a white to cream-colored stripe down its side that is bisected by either a solid or dashed black line. The coloring on the snake's belly tends to be cream to yellowish, fading to white toward the head, and coral pink toward the tail. This snake also features a lower preocular between the upper labial scales of the mouth. The anal scale is divided.

Geographic range

The striped whipsnake is found throughout the western United States and northern Mexico. The northernmost part of its geographic range is in south central Washington, and continues southward into the Great Basin between the Cascade-Sierran crest and the continental divide. Its range then continues southeast across the continental divide into New Mexico and western and central Texas. The southernmost part of its range lies in Michoacán, Mexico. In the Western United States its range also extends outside of the Great Basin into the Rogue River Valley in southwestern Oregon and northern California. There is a population in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.

Habitat

The striped whipsnake is commonly found in a wide variety of habitats including shrub lands, grasslands, sagebrush flats, canyons, piñon-juniper woodlands, and open pine-oak forests. It is attracted to both permanent and seasonal rocky streams, and it frequents both flatlands and mountains.

Behavior

The species _M. taeniatus_ is diurnal, active during the day, and is very alert and fast moving. It seeks shelter in rock outcrops, small mammal burrows, as well as in trees and shrubs depending on the habitat they occupy. This snake is nonvenomous, but it preys on a wide variety of species including lizards, other snakes (including venomous rattlesnakes), small mammals, young birds, frogs, and insects.

Reproduction

Little is known about the reproductive activities of _M. taeniatus_. After fertilization the female striped whipsnake will lay a clutch of 3-12 eggs, between the months of June and July, usually in an abandoned rodent burrow. One study has shown a natural incubation period of 44 to 58 days.

Subspecies

There are two subspecies of _Masticophis taeniatus_ which are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[1]

-   _Masticophis taeniatus girardi_ [2]
-   _Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus_

_Nota bene_: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than _Masticophis_.

Etymology

The subspecific name, _girardi_, is in honor of French-American herpetologist Charles Frédéric Girard.[3]

[1]

[2]

[3] Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). _The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles_. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (_Masticophis taeniatus girardi_, p. 101).

title: Striped whipsnake

question: Is the striped whipsnake dangerous to human beings?

answer: Since the striped whipsnake is not venomous, it is not as dangerous to people as venomous snakes. However, it can still reach a length of 183cm, which means it can still cause harm to infants and small children. Overall, it cannot be considered to be dangerous to humans.


text:
The 2017 MISSOURI TIGERS FOOTBALL TEAM represented the University of Missouri in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by second-year head coach Barry Odom. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in SEC play to finish in a tie for third place in the Eastern Division. They were invited to the Texas Bowl where they lost to Texas.

On November 24, quarterback Drew Lock broke the SEC passing record for touchdowns in a season with 43, in a 48–45 win over Arkansas.

Recruiting

Position key

  ------------------ ---- ------------------- -------- ------------------- ---- --------------- ---- -- ---------------- ----
  Back               B                        Center   C                        Cornerback      CB      Defensive back   DB
  Defensive end      DE   Defensive lineman   DL       Defensive tackle    DT   End             E
  Fullback           FB   Guard               G        Halfback            HB   Kicker          K
  Kickoff returner   KR   Offensive tackle    OT       Offensive lineman   OL   Linebacker      LB
  Long snapper       LS   Punter              P        Punt returner       PR   Quarterback     QB
  Running back       RB   Safety              S        Tight end           TE   Wide receiver   WR
  ------------------ ---- ------------------- -------- ------------------- ---- --------------- ---- -- ---------------- ----

Recruits

The Tigers signed a total of 25 recruits.

Schedule

Missouri announced its 2017 football schedule on September 13, 2016. The 2017 schedule consists of 7 home games and 5 away games in the regular season. The Tigers will host SEC foes Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and will travel to Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt.[1]

The Tigers will host three of its four non–conference games which are against Idaho from the Sun Belt Conference, Missouri State from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, Purdue from the Big Ten Conference and travel to UConn from the American Athletic Conference.

    SCHEDULE SOURCE:[2]

Roster

[1]

[2]

title: 2017 Missouri Tigers football team

question: Who was the 2017 Missouri Tigers Football team?

answer: The football team that represented the University of Missouri in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

question: Where did they play their home games?

answer: Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri.

question: What division did they play in?

answer: Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference.

question: What was their record at the end of the season?

answer: They finished the season 7-6, 4-4 in SEC

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The 2017 Missouri Tigers Football team represented the University of Missouri in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri playing in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season with a record of 7-6, 4-4 in SEC.


text:
[The company logo of Volkswagen's Audi AG premium unit is pictured on the hub caps of a car during the annual news conference in Ingolstadt March 11, 2008. REUTERS/Michael Dalder]

The company logo of Volkswagen's Audi AG premium unit is pictured on the hub caps of a car during the annual news conference in Ingolstadt March 11, 2008. REUTERS/Michael Dalder

By Bernie Woodall CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said on Wednesday he has been "assured" that if workers at the Volkswagen AG plant in his hometown of Chattanooga reject United Auto Worker representation, the company will reward the plant with a new product to build. Corker's bombshell, which runs counter to public statements by Volkswagen, was dropped on the first of a three-day secret ballot election of blue-collar workers at the Chattanooga plant whether to allow the UAW to represent them. Corker has long been an opponent of the union which he says hurts economic and job growth in Tennessee, a charge that UAW officials say is untrue. "I've had conversations today and based on those am assured that should the workers vote against the UAW, Volkswagen will announce in the coming weeks that it will manufacture its new mid-size SUV here in Chattanooga," said Corker, without saying with whom he had the conversations. In the past few weeks, Volkswagen officials have made several statements that the vote will have no bearing on whether the SUV will be made at the Chattanooga plant or at a plant in Puebla, Mexico. National Labor Relations Board expert Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt, who is professor of labor at the University of Indiana-Bloomington, said Corker was trying to intimidate workers into voting against the union. "I'm really kind of shocked at Corker's statement," said Dau-Schmidt. "It's so inconsistent with what VW has been saying and VW's labor relations policy in general." The Indiana professor also said Corker's comments "would be grounds to set the election aside and have to run it all over again at a later date" because it could be ruled to be interfering to the point that it is against federal labor law. A spokeswoman for Corker did not respond when asked whether the senator also meant that a vote for the UAW would mean that the plant would not get the new product, which could create an estimated 1,500 new jobs. Volkswagen officials did not return calls and emails for comment on Corker's statement. Mike Burton of Southern Momentum, an anti-UAW group of plant workers, said Corker's statement makes sense. "We are in a battle with Mexico on where this new product goes," said Burton, "and it stands to reason that the union will add costs. We need to keep costs down to fight for that new product." Another labor expert, Harley Shaiken of the University of California-Berkeley, said, "The senator's comments amount to economic intimidation that undermines the whole nature of union representation elections." Shaiken often advises UAW officials. "If the senator's statement doesn't violate the letter of the law, it certainly violates the spirit of the law," Shaiken said. UAW REACTION Gary Casteel, UAW regional director for a 12-state area that includes Tennessee, said on Wednesday night, "Corker's statement is in direct contradiction to Volkswagen's statements. "They have specifically said that this vote will have no bearing on the decision of where to place the new product." In the past, Casteel has said that Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant, opened in 2011, needs a second product to survive. It has built the compact Passat sedan since it opened. The plant has about 1,550 Volkswagen workers eligible to vote in the election, which is supervised by the National Labor Relations Board. Pro- and anti-UAW workers said they were not sure if snowy weather will affect turnout for the vote, which ends on Friday when the plant does not produce cars. On Wednesday - day one of the vote - the night shift was canceled after only one car was produced because snow prevented workers reaching the plant, said two VW employees who wished to remain anonymous. A source familiar with the plans of the Volkswagen supervisory board which makes decisions on product placement said that the board has not yet made a decision on the issue, and that it will take it up in a meeting on February 22. Corker on Tuesday returned from Washington to hold a Tuesday press conference at his downtown Chattanooga senate office in order to speak against the UAW in time for the worker vote at the plant. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Christopher Cushing)

question: How does Senator Corker interfere in the Volkswagen worker's secret ballot election on United Auto Worker representation?

answer: Senator Corker tries to prevent the workers from voting for United Auto Worker representation.

question: What are the senator's arguments against United Auto Worker representation?

answer: Corker argues that the union hurts economic and job growth in Tennessee and that he is told that if workers at the Volkswagen AG plant in Chattanooga reject that United Auto Worker represents them, Volkswagen will reward the plant with a new mid-size SUV to build.

question: What is United Auto Worker's reaction to Corker's statements?

answer: United Auto Worker says that Volkswagen states that this vote will have no bearing on the decision of where to place the new product.

question: What does the anti-UAW group of plant workers think about the voting?

answer: The anti-UAW group says that the union will add costs that might prevent them from getting the new product.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: U.S. Senator Corker of Tennessee says that he is told that if workers at the Volkswagen AG plant in Chattanooga reject that United Auto Worker (UAW) represents them, Volkswagen will reward the plant with a new mid-size SUV to build. However, Volkswagen says that the workers’ decision will not determine whether the SUV will be made at the Chattanooga or in Mexico. Corker argues that the union hurts economic and job growth in Tennessee, but UAW denies that. Mike Burton, an anti-UAW group of plant workers, agrees with the senator and says that the union will add costs that might prevent them from getting the new product.


text:
CHIN KAH MUN (born 25 March 1995) is a Malaysian female badminton player.[1] In 2015, she won the women's doubles event at the Hungarian International Badminton Championships partnered with Cheah Yee See.[2]

Achievements

BWF International Challenge/Series

_Women's Doubles_

+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| |Year     | |Tourname | |Partner  | |Opponent | |Score    | |Result   |
|           | nt        |           |           |           |           |
+===========+===========+===========+===========+===========+===========+
|  |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 2015      | Hungarian | Cheah Yee | Alexandra | 21–14,    | WINNER    |
|           | Internati | See       | Boje      | 22–20     |           |
|           | onal      |           |           |           |           |
|           |           |           | Gabriella |           |           |
|           |           |           | Boje      |           |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|  |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+

    BWF International Challenge tournament

    BWF International Series tournament

    BWF Future Series tournament

[1]

[2]

title: Chin Kah Mun

question: What is badminton?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Who is Chin Kah Mun?

answer: Chin Kah Mun is a Malaysian female badminton player.

question: Who was Chin Kah Mun's partner in the women's doubles event at the Hungarian International Badminton Championships 2015?

answer: Cheah Yee See was Chin Kah Mun's partner in the women's doubles event at the Hungarian International Badminton Championships 2015.

question: Who were Cheah Yee See and Chin Kah Mun's opponents in the women's doubles event at the Hungarian International Badminton Championships 2015?

answer: Cheah Yee See and Chin Kah Mun's opponents in the women's doubles event at the Hungarian International Badminton Championships 2015 were Alexandra Boje and Gabriella Boje.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Chin Kah Mun is a Malaysian female badminton player who won the women's doubles event at the Hungarian International Badminton Championships 2015 with her partner Cheah Yee See. They won  Alexandra Boje and Gabriella Boje.


text:
STEVEN P. SCHOOK (born 1953) is a retired United States Army brigadier general and former United Nations diplomat.

Military career

Schook was born and raised in Mount Clemens, Michigan. He graduated from the United States Military Academy as a Regular Army Infantry officer. After several assignments as an operations and executive officer, he assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Upon graduation from the United States Naval War College, he assumed command of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized).[1]

From 1997 to 2002, Schook served on the Joint Staff and in the United States Army Forces Command. His general officer assignments include Chief of Staff, III Corps, and Assistant Division Commander, 1st Cavalry Division. He also served as director at the Human Resources Policy Directorate, Headquarters, Department of the Army.[2]

From 2003 to 2004, Schook served as Chief of Staff, Kosovo Force (Main), Camp Bondsteel. In 2004, he assumed command of SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2004 and 2005, he was appointed to Commander and Senior Military Representative of NATO headquarters in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. After leaving the army as brigadier general in 2005 after 30 years of service, Schook worked as a senior vice president of New Technology Management Inc.[3]

Diplomatic assignments

On April 19, 2006, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan appointed Schook the Principal Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (PDSRSG) in Kosovo.[4] Schook succeeded Lawrence Rossin in that position and worked under SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen and Joachim Rücker.[5]

In 2007, Schook came under investigation by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), in response to rumours and allegations including on aggressive behavior, and unprofessional and close relationships with Kosovan Energy Minister Ethem Çeku.[6] According to German news magazine _Der Spiegel_, OIOS also investigated reports that Schook had disclosed the location of a man in a UN witness protection program, who had testified against Ramush Haradinaj.[7] Schook's contract was not extended in December 2007.[8] In January 2008, his predecessor Lawrence Rossin succeeded him as PDSRSG in Kosovo.[9] In May 2008, Schook was cleared of all wrongdoing as OIOS concluded that there was no evidence of misconduct on his part. Schook now works in Kosovo as an advisor for Ramush Haradinaj.

[1] {{ cite web | url=http://www.nato.int/sfor/coms-sfor/comsfor/t041013a.htm | title=Brigadier General STEVEN P. SCHOOK | accessdate=2008-04-27 | publisher=SFOR }}

[2]

[3] {{ cite web | url=http://www.unmikonline.org/dpi/pressrelease.nsf/0/C8705ACBE1E44848C1257155003079E5/$FILE/pr1536.pdf | title=UN Secretary General appoints Steven P. Schook as PDSRSG in Kosovo | date=2006-04-19 | publisher=UNMIK | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607232654/http://www.unmikonline.org/dpi/pressrelease.nsf/0/C8705ACBE1E44848C1257155003079E5/$FILE/pr1536.pdf | archivedate=2011-06-07 }}

[4] {{ cite web | url=http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2006/sga994.html | title=Secretary-General Appoints Steven Schook of United States Principal Deputy Special Representative in Kosovo (SG/A/994) | accessdate=2008-04-27 | date=2006-04-19 | publisher=UNIS }}

[5]

[6]

[7] {{ cite web | url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,549441,00.html | title=The Slow Birth of a Nation | accessdate=2008-04-27 | author=Walter Mayr | publisher=Der Spiegel }}

[8] {{ cite web | url=http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/7046/ | title=UNMIK Deputy Chief Leaves Kosovo | accessdate=2008-04-27 | date=2007-12-18 | publisher=Balkan Insight |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071224013726/http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/7046/ |archivedate = 2007-12-24}}

[9] {{ cite web | url=http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/7261/ | title=New Deputy Head of UNMIK Named | accessdate=2008-04-27 | date=2008-01-09 | publisher=Balkan Insight }}

title: Steven P. Schook

question: What does the text say about Schook's personal life?

question: What does the text say about Steven P. Schook?

answer: Steven Schook was born in 1953 in Mount Clemens, Michigan. He is a retired United States Army brigadier general and former Commander and Senior Military Representative of NATO headquarters in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Schook worked as a senior vice president of New Technology Management Inc. after retiring from military service. He is also a former United Nations diplomat appointed by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as Principal Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (PDSRSG) in Kosovo.

question: What does the text say about the investigation made against Schook by the United Nations Office of Internal Services (OIOS)?

answer: While he was the Principal Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (PDSRSG) in Kosovo, Schook came under investigation by the United Nations Office of Internal Services (OIOS) in 2007. There were allegations and rumors of Schook's aggressive behavior and unprofessional close relationship with Kosovan Energy Minister Ethem Çeku. OIOS also investigated reports that Schook disclosed the location of a man under the UN witness protection program who had testified against Ramush Haradinaj. Due to the investigation, Schook's contract was not extended in December 2007. Schook was cleared by OIOS of any wrongdoing due to lack of evidence in May 2008, and he now works in Kosovo as an advisor for Haradinaj.

question: What does the text say about Schook's military career?

answer: Schook graduated from the United States Military Academy as a Regular Army Infantry officer. He assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division after several assignments and operations as an XO. Schook attended the United States Naval War College and assumed command of the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) after graduating. He served on the Joint Staff and in the United States Army Forces Command from 1997 to 2002 as Chief of Staff, III Corps, and Assistant Division Commander, 1st Cavalry Division. He was Chief of Staff of the Kosovo Force Camp Bondsteel from 2003 to 2004 and assumed command of SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2005, Schook was appointed to Commander and Senior Military Representative of NATO headquarters in Sarajevo.


text:
is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan.[1] He is a former Ryūō title holder, and a former non-executive director of the Japan Shogi Association.

Fujii is known for developing the Fujii System, a class of strategies for Fourth File Rook positions against Static Rook opponents especially Static Rook Anaguma.

Shogi professional

Fujii's first tournament championship as a professional came in 1996 when he defeated Tadahisa Maruyama 2 games to 1 to win the 27th tournament.[2][3][4] The following year, Fujii defended his championship by defeating Mamoru Hatakeyama 2 games to none to win the 28th Shinjin-Ō tournament.[5][6] Fujii won the tournament for a third time in 1999 when he defeated Kazushiza Horiguchi 2 games to none to win the 30th Shinjin-Ō tournament.[7][8] Fujii is the only person to win the Shinjin-Ō tournament three times.[9]

Fujii's first appearance in a major title match came in 1998 when he challenged Kōji Tanigawa for the 11th Ryūō title. Fujii earned the right to challenge Tanigawa by winning Class 4 in the tournament's preliminary rounds and then advancing to the finals of the challenger's tournament where he defeated Yoshiharu Habu 2 games to 1.[10][11] In the title match against Tanigawa, Fujii won the first four games to sweep the match 4 game to none and win his first major title.[12][13][14] Fujii successfully defended his title the next two years when he defeated Daisuke Suzuki 4 games to 1 (12th Ryūō title match)[15][16] in 1999 and Habu 4 games to 3 (13th Ryūō title match) in 2000,[17][18][19] Fujii's victory of Habu made him the first person to win the Ryuo title three years in a row.[20] Fujii, however, was unable to defend his title a third consecutive time when he lost to Habu 4 games to 1 in the 14th Ryūō title match in 2001.[21][22]

Fujii also challenged Habu for the 48th and 58th Ōza titles in 2000 and 2010 respectively as well as for the 53rd Ōi title in 2012, but lost each time: 48th Ōza (2002) 3 games to 2; 58th Ōza (2010) 3 games to none; and 53rd Ōi (2012) 4 games to 1.[23][24][25][26]

Fujii became the 49th professional to win his 600th official game when he defeated Tetsurō Itodani on January 27, 2016.[27]

JSA director

Fujii was selected to Japan Shogi Association's board of directors as a non-executive director at association's 63rd General Meeting in June 2012.[28] He served in that capacity until June 2014.[29]

Promotion history

Fujii's promotion history is as follows:[30]

-   1986, April: 6-kyū
-   1988, October: 1-dan
-   1991, April 1: 4-dan
-   1994, April 1: 5-dan
-   1995, April 1: 6-dan
-   1998, October 1: 7-dan
-   1999, October 1: 8-dan
-   2000, October 1: 9-dan

Titles and other championships

Fujii has appeared in major title matches seven times and has won three titles. He won the 11th (1998), 12th (1999) and 13th (2000) Ryūō titles.[31] In addition to major titles, Fujii has won eight non-major-title championships during his career.[32]

Major titles

  Title   Years      Number of times overall
  ------- ---------- -------------------------
  Ryūō    19982000   3

Other championships

  Tournament   Years            Number of times
  ------------ ---------------- -----------------
               19961997, 1999   3
               2002, 2005       2
               2016             1
  *            1997             1
  *            1999             1

Note: Tournaments marked with an asterisk (*) are no longer held.

Awards and honors

Fujii has received a number of awards and honors throughout his career for his accomplishments both on an off the shogi board. These include the Annual Shogi Awards given out by the JSA for performance in official games as well as other JSA awards for career accomplishments, and awards received from governmental organizations, etc. for contributions made to Japanese society.[33][34]

Annual Shogi Awards

-   24th Annual Awards (April 1996March 1997): Masuda Award
-   26th Annual Awards (April 1998March 1999): Most Games Won, Most Games Played, Technique Award
-   27th Annual Awards (April 1999March 2000): Distinguished Service Award
-   28th Annual Awards (April 2000March 2001): Technique Award
-   38th Annual Awards (April 2010March 2011): Game of the Year Special Prize
-   40th Annual Awards (April 2012March 2013): Masuda Award

Other awards

-   1999, January: Numata City Meritorius Citizen Award
-   2016, January: Shogi Honor Award (Awarded by the JSA in recognition of winning 600 official games as a professional)
-   2016: 25 Years Service Award (Awarded by the JSA in recognition of being an active professional for twenty-five years)

Year-end shogi prize money and game fee ranking

Fujii has finished in the “Top 10” of the JSA's nine times since 1993, and in the “Top 3” twice.

  Year   Amount        Rank
  ------ ------------- ----------
  1998   ¥27,050,000   6th[35]
  1999   ¥61,460,000   4th[36]
  2000   ¥65,030,000   3rdh[37]
  2001   ¥58,230,000   2nd[38]
  2002   ¥34,170,000   6th[39]
  2005   ¥19,810,000   9th[40]
  2006   ¥25,060,000   7th[41]
  2010   ¥24,100,000   8th[42]
  2012   ¥17,050,000   9th[43]

-   Note: All amounts are given in Japanese yen and include prize money and fees earned from official tournaments and games held from January 1 to December 31.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

title: Takeshi Fujii

question: Who is Takeshi Fujii?

answer: Takeshi is a professional shogi player.

question: When did Fujii play his first tournament?

answer: In 1996.

question: Who did he win his first tournament against?

answer: He won his first tournament against Tadahisa Maruyama.

question: Till when was Fujii JSA's board of directors?

answer: Till 2014.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer:
Takeshi Fujii is a professional shogi player. He has previously held the title of Ryūō and is a former non-executive director of the Japanese Shogi Association.

He played his first championship as a professional in 1996 and defeated Tadahisa Maruyama. Fujii's first appearance in a major title match was in 1998 when he challenged Kōji Tanigawa.

He served on the board of directors of the Japan Shogi Association as a non-executive director for two years.


text:
_LI LIVRES DE JOSTICE ET DE PLET(Z)_ (“The Book of Justice and of Pleas”) is an Old French legal treatise compiled by the postglossators of the school of Orléans in the mid-thirteenth century (c. 1260). It was influenced by canon law (especially the decretals of Gregory IX), Roman law (especially the _Digest_), the customary law of the Orléanais, and the legislation of the Capetian Kings of France. It does not have the sense of a finished work, possesses _lacunae_, and is somewhat disorganised, being possibly the work of a student of the University of Orléans.[1]

The first book of the _Livres_ is a free translation of the first three paragraphs of the _Digest_. It is not a _coutoumier_ (compilation of customary law) and most of the customary law it cites is limited to Orléans. Among the royal acts it reproduces is one of Saint Louis from 1254, in which the king depicted as judge declares himself the guardian of the peace and rest of his subjects: _nos deserrens de la dete de la real poesté la pez et le respous de nos sojeiz_. The _Livres_ may have influenced the later legislation of Philip the Fair.

Examples

Feudalism

With regards to the law of fiefs, the _Livres_ states that dukes, counts, viscounts, and barons could all hold their land from one another.[2] The _Livres_ also states that _la bone devise de droit des persones, des gens, est tele que tot homes ou il sont franc ou serf_: “the good division of the law of persons is that all men are either free or servile.”[3] This law is based on the _Digest_ but the meaning of the word _servi_ that the medieval author translates “serf” meant “slave”.

Laws of war

The _Livres_, by defining treason (_traïson_) as _férir, et l'en ne voie pas le cop venir_ (to wound [someone], and when the blow could not be seen coming), declared all crossbowmen to be traitors, since nobody could see their blows coming.

Sexual crimes

The _Livres_ has provided scholars with unique insight into medieval legal attitudes to sexual crimes. It does not lay out punishment for prostitutes, preferring to reintegrate them into society in accordance with canon law. It does, however, prescribe the banishment and confiscation of property of the _maquerel des femmes_ (procurer) and the owner of a brothel (_bordelerie_).[4] It also describes penalties for male homosexuality and is the first known work to describe penalties for lesbianism as well. On the first offence the male sodomite was to be castrated, on the second dismembered, and on the third burned alive. The lesbian offender was to be dismembered on the first two offences (although exactly what two “members” were to be cut off is uncertain) and burned alive on the third. All their goods accrued to the crown.[5]

Bibliography

Editions

-   Pierre-Nicolas Rapetti and Polycarpe Chabaille, ed. _Li Livres de Jostice et de Plet_. Paris: Firmin Didot, 1850. Based on the work of Henri Klimrath (1807-1837).

References

-   Boswell, John (1981). _Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century_. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
-   Donahue, Charles Jr. (1979). “What Causes Fundamental Legal Ideas? Marital Property in England and France in the Thirteenth Century.” _Michigan Law Review_, 78:1 (November), pp. 59–88.
-   Kim, Keechang (2000). _Aliens in Medieval Law: The Origins of Modern Citizenship_. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. .
-   Krynen, Jacques (2000). “Entre science juridique et dirigisme: le glas médiéval de la coutume.” _Cahiers de recherches médiévales_, 7.
-   Otis, Leah Lydia (1985). _Prostitution in Medieval Society: The History of an Urban Institution in Languedoc_. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
-   Peralba, Sophie (2000). “Des coutumiers aux styles: l'isolement de la matière procéduraleaux XIIIe et XIVe siècles.” _Cahiers de recherches médiévales_, 7.
-   Reynolds, Susan (2001). _Fiefs and Vassals: The Medieval Evidence Reinterpreted_. Oxford: Clarendon Press. .
-   White, Stephen D. (2007). “Alternative Constructions of Treason in the Angevin Political World: _Traïson_ in the _History of William Marshal_.” _e-Spania_, 4 (December).

Notes

Category:French law Category:13th-century books Category:Legal treatises Category:13th century in law Category:13th century in France

[1] Donahue, p. 62 n16.

[2] Reynolds, p .288.

[3] Kim, p. 2.

[4] Otis, p. 162 n32.

[5] Boswell, pp. 289–90.

title: Li livres de jostice et de plet

question: What does the text say about Philip the Fair's family?

question: What does the text say about Li Livres de Jostice et de Plet ("The Book of Justice and Pleas")?

answer: The Book of Justice and Pleas is an old French legal treatise compiled by the post glossators of the School of Orléans in the mid-thirteenth century (c. 1260). It was influenced by canon law (the decretals of Gregory IX), Roman (the Digest), the customary law of Orléanais, and the legislation of the Capetian Kings of France. It does not have the sense of finished work, possesses "lacunae" and is disorganized. It is possibly the work of a student of the University of Orléans.

question: What is the significance of Li Livres de Jostice et de Plet in the legislation of Philip the Fair?

answer: The Livres may have influenced the later legislation of Philip the Fair. The first book of the Livres is a free translation of the first three paragraphs of the Digest. It is not a compilation of customary law (coutoumier) and most of the customary law it cites is limited to Orléans. The Livres reproduces the royal acts of Saint Louis from 1254, in which the king depicted as judge declares himself the guardian of the peace and the rest of his subjects.

question: What are some of the laws in the Livres?

answer: The Livres states that the good division of the law of persons is that all men are either free or servile (slave). The Livres defines treason as wounding someone when the blow could not be seen coming, therefore declaring all crossbowmen to be traitors because nobody could see their blows coming. The Livres did not punish prostitutes but prescribed the banishment and confiscation of property of the owner of a brothel. The Livres describes the penalties for male homosexuality and lesbianism: the first offense for male sodomite was castration, then dismemberment and the third offense was burning the person alive. Lesbian offenders were dismembered on the first two offenses and burned alive on the third. All their goods accrued to the crown.


text:
The cartographer sighed. A vast emptiness lay spread out before him. An infinite amount of space to be found and recorded. The cartographer glanced lazily at the ship’s console. The console was a complicated looking collection of screens, dials, buttons, joysticks and lights. To an ordinary person merely looking at the console would be enough to give him a week long headache. To the cartographer the console was simply a part of his life, as was the boundless swirling space through which he traveled. The brilliance of the stars and the awe-inspiring shooting stars did not faze the cartographer. To think that he had once wanted this job! This demanding job which required endless hours to be spent sitting in the cockpit, steering the ship and recording the cultures of each planet day after day, year after year. After the establishment of the Federation, world peace was achieved on Earth. The Federation decided to create a map of the vast and infinite space, to record what was there in the seemingly empty void. At the same time, it was realized that for all the humans on other planets a different culture may have evolved. A culture different from Earth’s, with food which can’t be tasted on earth, languages and traditions completely alien to those seen on earth. To record all this information, cartographers of space were born. Each cartographer would travel around space in a ship which would automatically map the space around itself. The cartographers were equipped which special devices which functioned as cameras, which could also record textures, smells and tastes. They also had a microphone which allowed them to speak and understand what was being said, even in alien languages. This functioned by scanning and comparing speech patterns across all of earth’s languages, which was enabled by connecting to a database using ethereal waves, a very high speed beam of information containing highly energized particles. The cartographer’s ships worked in the same way and allowed the cartographers to sync their maps and information to form one giant map of the universe. Many young people signed up to travel around the universe and enjoy the sights.
However, this cartographer was tired of it all. He no longer wanted to try new food, or to see new things. He was free to go anywhere in the whole universe, and yet there was nowhere he wanted to go. He couldn’t even resign and go home. After all, how could he return to an ordinary life after has witnessed the extraordinary? To the cartographer space was not a mysterious and inviting world. It wasn’t an exotic ocean with something new to be seen at each and every turn. It was simply a vast collection of repetitive patterns, and infinitely iterated fractal, an art exhibition containing the same painting over and over again, with only a different use of color to differentiate between each painting. Suddenly the sharp voice of the ship’s navigation system cut through the lamenting thoughts of the cartographer.
“Sir, we are approaching a high energy field. The space around it appears warped. What are your instructions?”
The cartographer thought deeply. What would he have to lose? What would he stand to gain? Would the warp field be a harmless fluctuation in space? Or was it something grander? Perhaps it was sign of the end of the world, or maybe even the edge of space and time itself. The cartographer decided that any excitement would be worth it, even if it meant risking his life. After so many days of boredom, the cartographer was looking for any chance to escape his routine life.
“Proceed straight ahead”
Commanded the cartographer.
The ship headed directly for the center of the fluctuation. The cartographer moved forward in his seat, he had a feeling that things were about to become interesting.
A bright light exploded out from the center of the warped field. Time and space began to unravel around the cartographer as he watched the dazzling fireworks. The cartographer felt a strange feeling as if he was able to view the universe in its entirety spread out before him. He watched the brilliant stars float beyond him, and a myriad variety of planets whizz past. The cartographer looked down and realized that his ship was no longer around him, his clothes no longer on him and that he was floating through the depths of space unaided. The cartographer suddenly felt a jolt, as if he had been hit by a tremendous force. He was then unconscious.
When he came to, the cartographer lay in an empty white room that contained a humungous sign with a silver lining. In the center of the sign there were brilliant letters shone which read, “WELCOME TO THE OUTSIDE”. As he read and examined the sign, a man wearing a brightly colored robe entered the room. The cartographer looked at the man, aware of his own expression of confusion. He thought he had seen everything in the galaxy, but this was new to him. The man smiled at the cartographer.
“Welcome to the outside of the universe.”
“The outside?” Asked the cartographer.
“Yes. However you’ll find that there isn’t much difference from the outside and the inside. With one exception.”
The cartographer felt a sudden sting of dismay. He was hoping for something which would defy the confines of the knowledge he owned. He was seeking something beyond the ordinary, something which was unprecedented, something unseen. He hoped that at least the exception mentioned would be of some interest to him.
“An exception?”
“Yes, here on the outside, we have the ability to simulate universes, to create an infinitely vast space and then define the physical rules of the said space. In order to solve problems of overpopulation we have sent the excess of our people to these simulations. This is the outside, all of the simulations are the various insides. Currently we have 1,485,295 simulated worlds active. However, we sent those people to the simulated worlds long ago, and they seemed to have blended in with the indigenous species in each universe. Now, the people of the outside wish to have greater understanding of our own simulations. They wish to obtain knowledge about the various cultures present. It has come to my attention that you were hired to create a map of your world. I request you to aid in creation of map of all the worlds.”
“Are you trying to say, you want me to explore a large number of universes each with an infinite amount and catalogue every of each of these universes in order to create this map? That would take all of eternity.”
“No, no. There are already people who have begun cataloguing some of the other worlds. Besides, you don’t need to travel through the entire universe, after how much variation can any species produce? Anyways, all the data collected by each one of the data collectors is transferred back to us via high energy particle transmissions.”
“Ethereal waves?”
“Yes, I do believe it was called so in your simulation.”
The cartographer was reminded of the day he first became a cartographer brimming with excitement of the prospect of travelling the universe. Now he would get to see an infinite amount of infinite variation. The cartographer let out a satisfied sigh.  There was much to explore, and much to be seen.

title: The Cartographer [feedback]

question: Why does the cartographer choose to go through the warp field?

answer: Because he is bored of the repetitive nature of space and wants to experience something new.

question: Does the narrator get what he wants at the end of the story?

answer: Yes, he is excited that he gets to explore an infinite amount of variations.


text:
[Example movie which produces distortion illusion after one watches it and looks away.]

The MOTION AFTEREFFECT (MAE) is a visual illusion experienced after viewing a moving visual stimulus for a time (tens of milliseconds to minutes) with stationary eyes, and then fixating a stationary stimulus. The stationary stimulus appears to move in the opposite direction to the original (physically moving) stimulus. The motion aftereffect is believed to be the result of motion adaptation.

For example, if one looks at a waterfall for about a minute and then looks at the stationary rocks at the side of the waterfall, these rocks appear to be moving upwards slightly. The illusory upwards movement is the motion aftereffect. This particular motion aftereffect is also known as the _waterfall illusion_.

Another example can be seen when one looks at the center of a rotating spiral for several seconds. The spiral can exhibit outward or inward motion. When one then looks at any stationary pattern, it appears to be moving in the opposite direction. This form of the motion aftereffect is known as the _spiral aftereffect_.

Explanation

Neurons coding a particular movement reduce their responses with time of exposure to a constantly moving stimulus; this is neural adaptation. Neural adaptation also reduces the spontaneous, baseline activity of these same neurons when responding to a stationary stimulus (see, for example, Barlow & Hill, 1963; Srinivasan & Dvorak, 1979; Glasser, Tsui, Pack, & Tadin, 2011). One theory is that perception of stationary objects, for example rocks beside a waterfall, is coded as the balance among the baseline responses of neurons coding all possible directions of motion. Neural adaptation of neurons stimulated by downward movement reduces their baseline activity, tilting the balance in favor of upward movement.

History

Aristotle (approx. 350 B.C.) reported illusory movement after viewing constant movement, but did not specify its direction. The first clear specification of the motion aftereffect was by Jan Evangelista Purkyně (1820) who observed it after looking at a cavalry parade. Robert Addams (1834) reported the waterfall illusion after observing it at the Falls of Foyers in Scotland. According to Verstraten (1996) the term waterfall illusion was coined by Thompson (1880). According to Wade, Thompson, and Morgan, (2014), the most comprehensive single article on the phenomenon is by Gustav Adolf Wohlgemuth (1911) https://archive.org/details/onaftereffectofs01wohl .

title: Motion aftereffect

question: What would be the sensory results of motion aftereffect during the observation of constant motion?

answer: Since the aftereffect is the apparent motion of stationary objects in the direction opposite to the observed constant motion, the observed motion could feel like it's becoming stationary in some sense.


text:
[Roman expeditions to Sub-Saharan Africa west of the Nile river] Between the first century BC and the fourth century AD, several expeditions and explorations to Lake Chad and western Africa were conducted by groups of military and commercial units of Romans who moved across the Sahara and into the interior of Africa and its coast. The primary motivation for the expeditions was to secure sources of gold and spices.[1]

Characteristics

The Romans organized expeditions to cross the Sahara along five different routes:

-   through the Western Sahara, toward the Niger River, near modern Timbuktu
-   through the Tibesti mountains, toward Lake Chad and modern Nigeria
-   up the Nile valley through Egypt, toward the Great Rift Valley
-   along the western coast of Africa, toward the Sénégal River
-   along the coast of the Red Sea, toward the Horn of Africa, and perhaps modern Zanzibar.[2]

All these expeditions were supported by legionaries and had mainly a commercial purpose. Only the one conducted by emperor Nero seemed to be a preparative for the conquest of Ethiopia or Nubia; in 62 AD, two legionaries explored the sources of the Nile.[3]

One of the main objectives of the explorations was to locate and obtain gold, using camels to transport it overland back to Roman provinces on the Mediterranean coast.[4]

The explorations near the coasts were supported by Roman ships and deeply related to overseas commerce.

Main explorations

The Romans conducted five main explorations: two in the western Sahara, two in the central Sahara, and one in the area of Lake Chad.

Western Sahara expeditions

In western Sahara there were two Roman expeditions, just south of the Atlas mountains:

-   _Cornelius Balbus expedition_:[5] The first expedition done by Romans in the Sahara—according to Pliny—was the one of Cornelius Balbus, who in 19 BC probably reached the river Niger near Timbouctou. He moved from Libyan Sabratha and conquered with ten thousand legionaries the Garamantes capital in Fezzan and sent a small group of his legionaries further south across the Ahaggar mountains in order to explore the “land of the lions”: they found a huge river (the Niger) that in their opinion was going toward the Nile river. Indeed in 1955, many Roman coins and some Latin ceramics were found in the area of Mali.
-   _Suetonius Paulinus expedition_: The second was done in the year 41 AD by Suetonius Paulinus, a Roman Consul, who was the first of the Romans who led an army across the Atlas range. At the end of ten days' march he reached the mountains summit covered by snow and later he arrived at a river called Gerj. He then penetrated into the semi deserted country south of Morocco and some of his legionaries probably went near the river Daras (modern Senegal river).

From the first century AD there is evidence (coins, fibulas) of Roman commerce and contacts in Akjoujt and Tamkartkart near Tichit in Mauritania.

Central Sahara expeditions

The two main explorations/expeditions in the central Sahara were:

-   _Flaccus expedition_: During Augustus times Lake Chad was a huge lake and two Roman expeditions were carried out in order to reach it: Septimius Flaccus and Julius Maternus reached the “lake of hippopotamus” (as Lake Chad was called by Ptolemy). They moved from coastal Tripolitania and passed near the Tibesti mountains. Both did their expeditions through the Garamantes' territories, and were able to leave a small garrison on the “lake of hippopotamus and rhinoceros” after 3 months of travel in desert lands.

Ptolemy wrote that in 50 AD Septimius Flaccus carried out his expedition in order to retaliate against nomad raiders who attacked Leptis Magna, and reached Sebha and the territory of Aozou[6]. He then reached the rivers Bahr Erguig, Chari and Logone in the lake Chad area, described as the “land of Ethiopes” (or black men) and called _Agisymba_.

-   _Matiernus expedition_: Ptolemy wrote that around 90 AD Julius Maternus (or Matiernus) carried out a mainly commercial expedition. From the Sirte gulf he reached the Oasis of Cufra and the Oasis of Archei, then arrived -after 4 months travelling with the king of the Garamantes- to the river Bahr Salamat and Bahr Aouk, near modern-day Central African Republic in a region then called Agisymba. He went back to Rome with a rhinoceros with two horns, that was shown in the Colosseum.[7]

According to Raffael Joorde, Maternus was a diplomat who explored with the king of Garamantes the territory south of the Tibesti mountains, while this king executed a military campaign against rebellious subjects or as a “razzia”.[8]

Niger river area

However some historians (like Susan Raven[9]) believe that there was even another Roman expedition to sub-saharan central Africa: the one of Valerius Festus, that could have reached the equatorial Africa thanks to the Niger river.

-   _Festus expedition_: Pliny wrote[10] that in 70 AD a legatus of the Legio III Augusta named Festus repeated the Balbus expedition toward the Niger river. He went to the eastern Hoggar Mountains and the entered the Air Mountains as far as the Gadoufaoua plain. Gadoufaoua (Touareg for “the place where camels fear to go”) is a site in the Tenere desert of Niger known for its extensive fossil graveyard, where remains of Sarcosuchus imperator, popularly known as SuperCroc, have been found). Festus finally arrived in the area in which Timbuktu is now located. Some academics, such as Fage[11], think that he only reached the Ghat region in southern Libya, near the border with southern Algeria and Niger. However, it is possible that a few of his legionaries reached as far as the Niger river and went down to the equatorial forests navigating the river to the estuary in what is now Nigeria. Something similar may have occurred in the exploration of the Nile done under Emperor Nero in Uganda.

Maritime explorations

The Roman vassal king Juba II organized successful trade from the area of Volubilis. Pliny the Elder, who was not only an author but also a military officer, drawing upon the accounts of Juba II, king of Mauretania in the first century AD. Pliny stated that a Roman expedition from Mauritania visited the islands of the archipelago of the Canaries and Madeira around 10 AD and found great ruins but no population, only dogs (the basis of the name the Canaries).

According to Pliny the Elder, an expedition of Mauretanians sent by Juba II to the archipelago visited the islands: when King Juba II dispatched a contingent to re-open the dye production facility at Mogador (historical name of Essaouira, Morocco) in the early 1st century AD, Juba's naval force was subsequently sent to explore the Canary Islands, Madeira and probably the Cape Verde islands, using Mogador as their base.

According to Pliny, the Greek Xenophon of Lampsacus stated that the “Gorgades” (Cape Verde islands) were situated two days from “Hesperu Ceras” (modern day Cap-Vert), the westernmost part of the African continent, showing a knowledge of the area by the Romans.

Furthermore, according to Pliny the Elder and his citation by Gaius Julius Solinus, the sea voyaging time crossing from the Gorgades (Cape Verde) to the islands of the Ladies of the West (“Hesperides”[12], now known as São Tomé and Príncipe and Fernando Po) was around 40 days: this fact has prompted academic discussions about the possibility of further Roman travels toward Guinea and even the Gulf of Guinea. A Roman coin of the emperor Trajan has been found in Congo.[13]

Other Roman coins have been found in Nigeria and Niger, and also in Guinea, Togo and Ghana. However, it is much more likely that all these coins were introduced at a much later date than that there was direct Roman intercourse so far down the western coast. No single article unmistakably originating in Africa south of the Equator has been discovered in the Graeco-Roman world or in contemporary Arabia, nor is there any mention of such an article in written records: while the coins are the only ancient European or Arabian articles that have been found in the central parts of Africa.[14]

Emperor Augustus decided that the circumnavigation of Africa should also be attempted (in 1 BC). The Romans had two naval outposts in the Atlantic coast of Africa: Sala Colonia near present Rabat and Mogador in southern Morocco (north of Agadir). The island of Mogador prospered from the local purple dye-making industry (highly esteemed in imperial Rome) from the reigns of Augustus until Septimius Severus. Augustus, based on the discovery of a sunken merchant ship from southern Hispania in the Djibouti area (done by his adoptive son Gaius Caesar when he sailed toward Aden), wanted to organize an expedition from Egypt to Mogador and Sala around Africa, but it seems that it never took place.

[1] Roman objects are, indeed, found in the Sahara, and, significantly, along the western caravan route. Numerous Roman artifacts have been found at the Garamantes’ capital of Germa in the Fezzan. There is evidence of Roman style irrigation being introduced and for at least some Garamantes adopting a sedentary and a town, if not urban, lifestyle. Most striking is the large Roman-syle mausoleum found there, evidence either of Roman presence or of Romanization of the elite. Between Germa and Ghat in the Hoggar have been found Roman ceramics, glass, jewelry and coins dating from the 1st to the 4th centuries. Farther down the route, at the oasis of Abelessa, is the site known locally as the Palace of Tin Hinan. There is a charming local legend about it, but it seems to have been a fortress, in one room of which was found the skeletal remains of a woman, along with a number of Late Roman objects, including a lamp, a golden bracelet and a 4th century coin. Finally, there was a cache of Roman coins found at Timissao only 600 kilometers from the Niger. Heinemann-University of California-UNESCO (p.514 Map)

[2] Romans in Azania/Raphta

[3]

[4] Roth, Jonathan 2002. _The Roman Army in Tripolitana and Gold Trade with Sub-Saharan Africa_. APA Annual Convention. New Orleans.

[5] Balbus expedition and successive expeditions, with map

[6] John Coleman De Graft-Johnson." African Glory: The Story of Vanished Negro Civilizations"; p.26

[7] Agisymba and Maternus

[8] Raffael Joorde." Römische Vorstöße ins Innere Afrikas südlich der Sahara: die geheimnisvolle Landschaft Agisymba", Dortmund, 2015 (1)

[9] Raven, Susan. Rome in Africa. 3rd ed. London, 1993 (2)

[10] Plinius the Elder. “Naturalis Historia”, V, 5.36

[11] Cambridge History of Africa; p.286

[12] Some historians argue that the “Hesperides” of Solinus could have been the eastern Antilles

[13] Kelly Christopher. Republic of Congo (“Italy invades” section)

[14]

title: Romans in Sub-Saharan Africa

question: What were the primary motivations for Roman exhibitions in Sub-Saharan Africa?

answer: To secure sources of gold and spices.

question: List all the routes the Romans took to cross the Sahara.

answer:
- through Western Sahara, toward the Niger River, near modern Timbuktu
- through the Tibesti mountains, toward Lake Chad and modern Nigeria
- up the Nile valley through Egypt, toward the Great Rift Valley
- along the western coast of Africa, toward the Sénégal River
- along the coast of the Red Sea, toward the Horn of Africa, and perhaps modern Zanzibar.

question: What was the first Roman expedition in the Sahara according to Pliny?

answer: The Cornelius Balbus expedition in 19 BC.

question: Where in the Sahara did archaeologists find evidence of Roman-style irrigation being introduced and a mausoleum?

answer: At the Garamantes’ capital of Germa in the Fezzan.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Romans were organizing expeditions to Sub-Saharan Africa west of the Nile River as early as 19 BC, according to records from historians such as Pliny and ancient Roman artifacts found on site along the western caravan route. The primary motivation for the expeditions was to secure sources of gold and spices. Between the first century BC and the fourth century AD, several expeditions and explorations to Lake Chad and western Africa were conducted by groups of military and commercial units of Romans who moved across the Sahara and into the interior of Africa and its coast.