text:
I remember once I found out I had a mouse. Not like I owned it or anything. I just had one that came into my house at least once because I saw it.

It was in the middle of the night, and I guess I should admit that it wasn't a house at all, it was an apartment. I want to be honest with you all about the whole situation.

Anyway, so I woke up to this noise and looked over into my kitchen, that's how much of not a house this apartment was - I could look into my kitchen from my bedroom. Maybe this story is really more about how I didn't have a house. But really, I think it's about the mouse. And that wasn't in anyway intentional rhyming.

Moving on, I looked over and I heard bags moving around. I keep all the bags from the grocery store to use as garbage bags. I'm frugal in that way. That and the part where I bought an apartment where you can see the kitchen from the bedroom.

Once again, I lied, I did not buy the apartment, I rented it. Anyway, back to the mouse.

So, I look over and see nothing, because the bags were in the cabinet under the sink, but I could hear the mouse. I got up and grabbed my clock radio as that was the nearest weapon. Then I started thinking about how I'd have to throw the clock radio out if I got mouse all over it and decided against that move. So, it was decided that I should use hairspray against the mouse. These decisions were made in the dead of night when a man has no time to think about weaponry or physics or common sense.

I approached the cabinet. At this point your biggest worry is that it's not a mouse but a rat. Or not a rat but a cat. Because that would be really bad if you totally forgot you had a cat and then maced it with hairspray because you thought it was a mouse. I'm thinking that and nuclear war are up there on my list of fears.

I opened the cabinet and it was just a little guy. He looked at me and then I looked at him and then I sprayed him with hair spray. The mouse paused and kindov gave me a look like "really? hairspray?" and then darted off.

It's amazing how fast a mouse can run. I mean, it's like fast. Like if you saw a guy running down the street and then a guy running passed him, it would be like that fast.

The next day I went out and bought some poison. I didn't want to kill the mouse, but I wanted him to think that I served bad food. That way, he wouldn't come back. So, I just kinda put out only a little poison. The mouse ate all of it. This went on for three days. Finally, I told the apartment manager and they got a guy to come in and put out poison for me. This was good because I didn't want to be the guy that killed the mouse. I'm a coward in that sense. Also, I'm frugal. You'd be surprised how many cowards are frugal. There's like three of us. Not many. I know when you say "You'd be surprised how many..." you think it's going to be a butt ton of things, but no, in this instance it's three guys.

So, the guy came and I came home from work and called him.

"Did you see it?"

"Yes. We put down glue traps and we caught it."

"Glue traps? You didn't poison it?"

"No, we use glue traps."

"Did you catch any glue?" At this point I was being funny. I thought he would find it funny that I didn't understand glue traps. But I did. I was just being funny.

"I don't understand." He didn't understand.

"So, it's dead?"

"Yes."

"God." I put the phone against my chest and kinda got weepy. I then picked up the phone and "How was its hair?"

"I don't understand?"

I ignored him. "So, are the mice gone?"

"I don't know, sir. There are more traps left. Please check them daily. Also, it would be wise to clean your apartment a bit."

The two ideas hit me like a frugal coward: I had to look for dead mouse bodies every morning and I was a filthy animal. Oh, plus I was condoning the torture of mice.

"Can't you do that?"

"We will be back in a week. You have crumbs in your kitchen. You need to sweep your kitchen. If there's no food for the mice they will not come into your home."

"It's an apartment."

"Bye now."

He hung up and I realized I had to become a man.

The next morning there were mouse bodies. But they weren't dead. They were running from me as I brandished a bottle of Pam at them. I saw two.

I then checked the traps and found no dead bodies. I was relieved and disappointed at the same time. I decided to leave the apartment. I made plans to go skiing and leave the mice to their own demise.

While on the ski trip I began wondering what the mice were doing? What were they thinking? Were they dead? Were they wondering where I was? Did they have a name for me? Slowly, I began to love the mice and when this dawned on me I fled home to find them.

But on returning they were all gone. Not dead. No, they had left. With no food and torture devices laying around the house...apartment, they had quickly surmised that I was not their friend. Sure, there was that night with the hairspray and the running after them with cooking spray - those were some good times, but in the end I had ruined it with my selfishness.

I simply could not learn to share with the mice and so they left.

I wasn't the same after that. I was still a frugal coward living in an apartment, but something inside me was broken. Something vital.

It was my arm. I had broken it skiing and forgot to mention it in that part in the story when I was on the skiing vacation and all of a sudden left.

Later, I would buy a dog and dress it up like a mouse and really wreck the dog's self esteem and the dog would become a dog serial killer, but that is another story. A story where a dog dresses up as a mouse and kills other dogs for sport. I call it Benji.

But that story is for another time.

title: [hm] Mouse

question: How do the narrator's thoughts about the mice change through the story?

answer: Initially, the narrator isn't sure whether the sounds of movement around the bags in the kitchen come from a mouse. He suspects so and takes his hairspray to use as a weapon. The mouse escapes. On the next day, he buys poison but doesn't really want to kill it. He puts out only a little poison for a few days. Eventually, he calls the apartment manager, who calls in someone to handle it. After the mouse is dead, he's a bit sad. A few more mice appear, and the narrator eventually begins to like them. He misses them after the mice leave permanently due to the lack of food and the traps.

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


split: train

text:
Temple of Fame

The Temple of Fame was a popular theatrical performance that debuted in Aurora in 1900. It was performed again in 1918 as a fundraiser to support the war effort. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1918 performance, the Temple of Fame was re-staged in 2018 and performed by a talented group of local actors and musicians.

This film was created by Mountain Goat Film Company and uses footage from the theatrical production of the performance that took place in Aurora on May 11 - 13, 2018.

Documenting a Pandemic

On Wednesday, March 18 the Town of Aurora declared a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we navigate these challenging times, the Aurora Museum & Archives will be engaging in Rapid Response Collecting to document this moment in Aurora’s history. Rapid Response Collecting involves collecting contemporary objects in response to a major moment in recent history.

Here are a few ways you can help document Aurora's COVID-19 experience:

1) Are you making window decorations or homemade signs to show support for the front line workers? If so, when the time is right, consider donating them to the Museum.

2) Participate in our #auroraathome campaign by capturing an image of you and your household members posing on your front porch. These images will be archived by our collections team.

3) Are you keeping a journal? Consider lending it to the Museum so a copy can be made for our collection. For younger Aurorans, print this fillable diary that was created by Stephen McCarthy. No printer? No problem! The diary is also available as a screen version that can be filled out on PowerPoint or Google Slides. Once the journal is complete, the Museum would love a copy for our archive! Please email mjohnson@aurora.ca to arrange a donation.

The Aurora Museum & Archives is interested in collecting items in any format, this includes born-digital items such as images or documents that are created and published in digital formats. Or course, physical objects – both hand crafted and mass produced – are always a welcome addition to the Aurora Collection.

Aurora At Home

Did you know that during the early 1900s, families would regularly gather on their front porch for a photo? Now it’s your turn!

Help us document the self-isolation aspect of Aurora’s COVID-19 experience by creating your own front yard photo. Share your image to social media and use the hashtag #Auroraathome – together we will overcome this.

If you are not able to go outside, feel free to take a photo from inside your home – all images of Aurorans at home are welcome. No social media? No problem! Submit your at home portrait below.

[alt text]
The Graham Children

c. 1900s

[alt text]
The Reynolds Family

c. 1890s

[alt text]
The Woodrow Family

c. 1900s

[alt text]
The Scott Family

c. 1900s

Swift & Bold:

The Queen’s York Rangers

From the York Militia to the Queen’s York Rangers – 1st American Regiment, discover how deep Aurora’s military roots run by viewing this short documentary that was produced in 2019, by Mountain Goat Film Company. This film takes the audience on a journey from the Regiment’s 18th Century foundation through to modern times.

We are the proud recipients of a 2020 Bronze Telly Award for our documentary, Swift & Bold: The Queen's York Rangers!

Town Park: A Community Storybook

Now online

[]

[alt text]
12th York Battalion

c. 1900

[alt text]
Track and Field

c. 1930s

[alt text]
Dominion Day Lacrosse Game

1907

[alt text]
Girl Cadets

c. 1940s

Town Park: A Community Storybook has received funding from the

Virtual Museum of Canada' s Community Stories Investment Program.

As a casual meeting place, site of celebration, active sports field, and military establishment, Town Park has been a focal point in the Town of Aurora for over 150 years. Over the years and across generations, this tiny plot of land has played host to thousands of visitors seeking a sense of community.  Woven into the very fabric of Aurora, Town Park: A Community Storybook recalls the compelling history of a place that is much more than a neighbourhood park

question: When was the article written?

answer: Sometime in or after 2020, given the references to Covid-19

question: Where is Aurora?

answer: Canada

question: When did The Temple of Fame debut?

answer: 1900

question: What kinds of contemporary things does the Museum request Aurora residents donate?

answer: Window decorations, family photos, and journals

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The article advertises a film copy of The Temple of Fame from a performance in 2018. The Aurora Museum & Archives then requests donations of various contemporary items to document life in the Covid-19 pandemic.


text:
-   Bang Showbiz
-   28 May 2012

[Karen Gillan]
Karen Gillan

Karen Gillan has no where to live following the completion of filming on 'Doctor Who'

Karen Gillan is homeless after finishing 'Doctor Who'.

The actress recently finished filming her final scenes for the series after three years, and has since put her belongings into storage, as she doesn't know where she will end up next.

She said: "After everything being so structured, it's the best feeling in the world. I have put my belongings in storage, so I don't have a house anymore I love travelling so I'll see where I end up."

Karen has recently filmed her first movie role in 'Not Another Happy Ending', but is unsure about whether her next step will be a move to Hollywood.

She added: "'Doctor Who' has been amazing for opening up doors, but I don't think about the transition from TV to film. It's best not to keep thinking about that big leap people keep talking about. From an acting point of view it's no different."

The 24-year-old star was promoting the movie at the Cannes film festival recently, which she said was an eye opening experience.

She told Hello! magazine: "Part of me finds this whole thing hilarious because it's so decadent and ridiculous, with everyone going crazy for a few days."

RSS feed of these comments

question: What happened to Karen Gillan after she finished filming Doctor Who?

answer: She was homeless.

question: Does Karen Gillan intend to go into film?

answer: She is not sure and says from an acting perspective it is the same thing.

question: How many years did Karen Gillan spend on her television show?

answer: Three years.

question: What television show did Karen Gillan star in?

answer: Doctor Who.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The article discusses how Karen Gillan is homeless after wrapping up filming for Doctor Who. It also discusses her first movie role and her plans for the future.


text:
[640*427px|thumbnail|right|Bassist Flea playing bass with slapping technique] [Demonstration of the slap technique on a 6-string bass]

SLAPPING and POPPING are ways to produce percussive sounds on a stringed instrument. It is primarily used on the double bass or bass guitar. Slapping on bass guitar involves using the edge of one's knuckle, where it is particularly bony, to quickly strike the string against the fretboard. On bass guitars, this is commonly done with the thumb, while on double bass, the edge of the hand or index finger may be used. Popping refers to pulling the string away from the fretboard and quickly releasing it so it snaps back against the fretboard. On bass guitar, the two techniques are commonly used together in alternation, though either may be used separately.

Overview

On the double bass, the technique was developed in Western swing bands in the 1920s, and spread to other genres, including jazz, rockabilly, and other offshoots of those styles. On the bass guitar, the technique is widely credited to Larry Graham, an electric bassist playing with Sly and the Family Stone in the late 1960s. The technique quickly spread to the funk and disco genres.

Slapping is a technique also adopted by acoustic and electric fingerstyle guitarists.[1]

Double bass

On double bass it refers to the technique that is a more vigorous version of pizzicato, where the string is plucked so hard that when released it bounces off the finger board, making a distinctive sound. A percussive sound can also made by smacking the strings with some or all of the fingers on the right hand in between the notes of a bassline, usually in time with the snare drum.

The earliest players of this technique in American music include Bill Johnson (1872–1972), Theodore “Steve” Brown (1890–1965),[2] Wellman Braud (1891–1966), Pops Foster (1892–1969),[3] and Chester Zardis (1900–1990).

Slap bass was used by Western Swing and Hillbilly Boogie musicians. It became an important component of an early form of rock and roll that combined blues and what was then called hillbilly music—a musical style now referred to as rockabilly. Bill Black, who played with Elvis Presley and Scotty Moore was a well-known slap bass player The technique inspired the George and Ira Gershwin song “Slap That Bass”. [Jimbo Wallace from the Reverend Horton Heat is a slap bass performer]

Slap bass continues to be used in the 21st century, as it is widely used by modern rockabilly and psychobilly band bassists, including Kim Nekroman (Nekromantix), Geoff Kresge (Tiger Army), Scott Owen (The Living End) and Jimbo Wallace (The Reverend Horton Heat). Kresge's rapid slapping ability is all the more remarkable given that for much of his career he was an electric bassist. The top rockabilly and psychobilly bassists have developed the ability to perform rapid triplet slaps at the same time as they play a walking bassline.

Bass guitar

On bass guitar, slapping usually refers to a percussive playing technique most commonly used in funk, disco, soul, R&B, jazz, country music, rock, and many other genres. The style sounds much more percussive than regular plucking of notes with the soft part of the plucking hands fingers, and is also usually louder (although on an electric instrument, the volume can be adjusted with the volume knob or through compression), brighter, and more distinct than the sound of a bass guitar played with the usual plucking or pick techniques.

The slap sound comes from the combination of two elements: slapping, which involves striking the string with the side of the bony joint in the middle of the thumb, a harder surface than the pads of the fingers (used in plucked fingering); and intentionally allowing the vibrating string to come into contact with the metal frets, producing a “toney” or buzzing sound that is normally avoided in plucked/fingered bass.

[The typical position of the slapping hand]

In the slap technique, the bassist replaces the usual plucking motion of the index and middle fingers with “slaps” and “pops”. In the slap, the bassist uses the thumb to strike the strings (usually the lower E and A strings) near the base of the bass's neck. In the pop, the bassist will use the index or middle finger of the plucking hand to snap the strings (usually the higher D and G strings) away from the body of the bass, causing them to bounce off the fretboard; this produces a prominent buzzing tone with a sharp attack and more high-frequency vibrations than present in plucked bass.

The bassist can play many notes quickly by rotating the forearm, alternately slapping and popping: during the pop, the hand moves away from the fretboard, “winding up” or getting in position for the next slap. The slap and pop techniques are commonly used with pull-offs and hammer-ons with the fretting (usually left) hand, to further increase the rate at which notes may be played. Ghost notes, or notes played with the string damped, are also commonly played in slap bass to increase the percussive feel of the technique.

The invention of slap on electric bass is generally credited to funk bassist Larry Graham.[4] Graham has stated in several interviews that he was trying to emulate the sound of a drum set before his band had found its drummer. Graham himself refers to the technique as “thumpin′ and pluckin′”.[5]

Selected slap bass players

[Mark King of Level 42 using the slapping technique in a concert in 2017]

Some prominent electric bass players known for their use of slapping in their playing include:

-   Mark Adams (funk band, Slave[6],“Slide”,1977
-   James Alexander (The Bar-Kays), “Shut The Funk Up”, 1977
-   Bootsy Collins (solo artist; Bootsy's Rubber Band, Funkadelic, Parliament, Praxis)
-   Marvin Craig (Lakeside),“Fantastic Voyage”,[7] 1981
-   Nathan East (Fourplay, Daft Punk)
-   Bernard Edwards (Chic)
-   Jerry Barnes (Chic)
-   Jake Erwin The Hot Club of Cowtown (Jake Erwin)
-   Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
-   Johnny Flippin (Fatback Band)
-   Mike Gordon (Phish)
-   Billy Gould (Faith No More)
-   Les Claypool (Primus)
-   Larry Graham[8] (Sly and the Family Stone, Graham Central Station), credited with inventing the technique for electric bass. Sly and the Family Stone “Thank You”(1970)
-   Louis Johnson[9] (The Brothers Johnson, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson)
-   Mark King (Level 42)
-   Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Stick Men)
-   Kevin McCord (Funk band, One Way), “One of Us”, 1982
-   Marcus Miller (solo artist, Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Luther Vandross)
-   Lee Rocker (Stray Cats)
-   Robert Trujillo (Metallica, Suicidal Tendencies)
-   Doug Wimbish (Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Living Colour, Mick Jagger)
-   Victor Wooten (Béla Fleck and the Flecktones)
-   Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne)
-   Doug Rauch (Giants, “Attitude” 1970. Also; Santana, Betty Davis, Lenny White, Billy Cobham) pioneer of “double” thumb technique
-   Jamie Stewart (The Cult)
-   Davie504,[10] a YouTube bassist and comedian
-   Rob Scallon,[11] a YouTube guitarist

Variants

There are numerous variants of the slapping technique. Some bassists use other fingers of the strumming hand to achieve this sound, such as bassist Abraham Laboriel, Sr., who uses his thumb to pop the strings, and his other four fingers to slap the strings. Bassist Victor Wooten uses a double thump technique which is like a slap, but uses both sides of the thumb for all the strings, fast enough to produce the equivalent of a drumroll on the bass guitar.

Funk fingers invented by progressive rock bass player Tony Levin create a similar sound by using a hard surface to strike the strings and intentionally cause string contact with the fretboard. Spank bass developed from the slap and pop style and treats the electric bass as a percussion instrument, striking the strings above the pickups with an open palmed hand.

The slap technique bears some resemblance to tambour, a percussive technique used in flamenco and classical guitar, although the tonal quality produced in this technique is quite different from that of a slapped electric bass. Japanese musician Miyavi is well known for creating a unique slapping style of playing electric guitars.[12] Tosin Abasi, guitarist for progressive metal band Animals as Leaders, is also known for a slapping and popping technique on electric guitar, which he uses for both melodic and percussive effect.

Use in popular culture

-   The theme song for the television sitcom _Seinfeld_ uses slap bass keyboard samples. A sample was also played in between scenes in each episode, often punctuating a scene or highlighting a punchline.
-   The slap bass technique is used for the instrumental for theme song of the Nickelodeon show Kenan and Kel.
-   The 2008 film _Forgetting Sarah Marshall_ parodies Seinfeld's usage when the main character Peter (played by Jason Segel), who produces music for a TV series, inserts a goofy slap bass sample into a dramatic scene where “dark and ominous” music was needed.
-   The original 1987-94 run of the British children's series _Fireman Sam_ uses slap bass in the theme song.
-   Kylie Minogue's billboard #3 hit “The Locomotion” features slap bass.
-   In television sitcom _Everybody Hates Chris_, a slap bass sample of Marcus Miller is used in between scenes in each episode, often punctuating a scene or highlighting a punchline.
-   The theme song for the television sitcom _ALF_ features a slap bass.
-   In the popular British series _The Mighty Boosh_, the recurring character “The Hitcher” uses his large thumb for playing slap bass.
-   The 1990s sitcom _Martin_ features slap bass riffs as well as many sitcoms of that period with soul, funk-oriented theme songs.
-   A joke in the 2009 film _I Love You, Man_ is the main character's enthusiasm for “slappin da bass”.

[1]

[2]

[3] Cary Ginell, _Milton Brown and the Founding of Western Swing_, University of Illinois Press, 1994, p. 252. see also: _The Jazz Book_. Lawrence Hill, 1975, pp. 278–84; _The Complete Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz House_. 1974. pp. 923–24.

[4] “Larry Graham: Trunk of the Funk Tree”, _Bass Player_ magazine, April 2007.

[5]

[6] Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/slave-mn0000025778 |title=Slave | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links |website=AllMusic | accessdate=11 August, 2020

[7] http://www.delafont.com/music_acts/lakeside.htm

[8] http://larrygraham.com/home

[9] http://andresmusictalk.wordpress.com/tag/george-johnson/

[10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09hWCkA2mNg

[11] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC9QTHv2eQ4

[12]

title: Slapping (music)

question: How difficult is learning the slap bass technique, and how long does it take to learn it?

answer: A person needs to understand the art of playing the bass guitar first before learning how to slap. It appears the slap technique is pretty tricky; however, not impossible to learn. Also, a person can pick up the technique with sufficient muscle memory, consistency, and patience. As for how long the technique takes, it could take weeks, months, or years to learn as long as the person is consistent.


text:
_THE ICARUS AGENDA_ is a 1988 thriller novel by bestselling author Robert Ludlum. It is the sequel to _The Chancellor Manuscript_.

Plot introduction

Evan Kendrick is a U.S. Congressman from a remote Western Colorado district. As a former building contractor in the Middle East, he is close friends with the Sultan of Oman. He returns to Oman under deep cover when the U.S. Embassy in Masqat is taken by terrorists. During his time undercover he unmasks a far-reaching terror network aimed at controlling the economies and governments of the Middle East.

Plot summary

A few years before, a tragic “accident” left him with 78 fewer friends. The only loved-one left was Emmanuel “Manny” Weingrass, a world-renowned architect and a somewhat impossible person. In his first year in Congress, there is an uprising in Masqat - a hostage taking. The events remind him of a man known as The Mahdi whom Weingrass said was the reason for the deaths of his 78 friends. He goes to Oman for revenge and comes back victorious. The Mahdi dead and a tragedy averted. A year later, the inheritors of Inver Brass - the resurrected group of influential people, destroyed in the events of the Chancellor Manuscript, who had been tracking him ever since he went on the Oman operation through a specially gifted computer specialist, exposes the truth of Kendrick being involved in Masqat and they reveal this to the world to have Kendrick as Vice-President of the USA, because they consider him to be morally incorruptible. After the revealing, lives are lost and friendships broken, Kendrick is desperately looking for the people who are responsible for turning his life upside-down. But unknown to the Inver Brass there is a traitor in their midst. Codename Icarus is the last hope to a nation and to a world. The organisation was first mentioned in his 1977 novel _The Chancellor Manuscript_ and is also mentioned in his later novel _The Bancroft Strategy_.

Characters in “The Icarus Agenda”

-   Evan Kendrick – US congressman and protagonist
-   Emmanuel “Manny” Weingrass – architect
-   The Mahdi
-   The Sultan of Oman
-   Khalehla

Cultural references

-   Harry Burns is reading this book in the film When Harry Met Sally... when Sally calls him on the phone about her ex-boyfriend getting married.

Publication history

-   1988, US, Random House , Pub date February 22, 1988, Hardback
-   1988, US, Bantam Books , Pub date March 1, 1988, Paperback
-   1988, UK, Grafton Pub date March 24, 1988, Hardback
-   1989, UK, Grafton Paperback
-   1998, UK, HarperCollins , Pub date June 15, 1998, Paperback

Category:1988 American novels Category:Novels by Robert Ludlum Category:Novels set in Oman

title: The Icarus Agenda

question: Why is Kendricks called morally incorruptible?

answer: The plot summary doesn't explicitly contain a reason. However, the event that leads to Kendrick being called incorruptible is the revealing of his actions in Masqat, where Kendrick defeated and killed The Mahdi. Since his actions eventually uncover a terrorist organization, he's probably appreciated as a hero.


text:
Twenty-four hours after it looked like a work stoppage was inevitable—and 48 hours before the beginning of the season—Major League Soccer and the Major League Soccer Players Union announced that they had reached a tentative deal on a new collective bargaining agreement. Here are the highlights of that agreement.

LIMITED FREE AGENCY

Players whose contracts expire will become free agents, allowed to negotiate with any team in the league, provided they are 28 or older and have played in the MLS for at least eight seasons. These are friendlier terms than the previous ones the players rejected, which called for free agency only for players over 32 that had 10 years MLS experience with the same team. It is not the open and unfettered free agency the players desired, but it isn't magnitudes worse than what MLB players have, for instance, who have to play for six seasons (with no age minimum) before they can become free agents.

At the same time, the new CBA places caps on how much the salary of free agents can increase. Via the _Orlando Sentinel_:

  Players who are making less than $100,000 have a capped increase of up to 125-percent of their previous salary, players making between $100,000-$200,000 have a cap of up to 120-percent, and players making more than $200,000 have a cap of up to 115-percent.

G/O Media may get a commission

This is apparently how the new CBA will reconcile free agency with the fact that MLS is structured as a single-entity, where the league owns all player contracts. Free agents will be able to solicit offers from every team in the league, but the caps ensure that salaries can only rise so fast. Previously, players whose contracts expired were redrafted by teams at their current salary level. The only real leverage veteran players had was to threaten to play abroad; now they can at least marginally play competing MLS teams against each other.

INCREASED MINIMUM SALARY

One of the biggest things holding back the quality of play in MLS is the absurdly low minimum salary, which stood at $36,500 last season. The league can spend millions of dollars on players like Frank Lampard, Clint Dempsey, and David Villa, but if the dudes they're passing to can't train during the offseason because they have to work a roofing gig to make ends meet, it doesn't really matter. 61 of the league's 572 players (11%) made the minimum last season according to data from the MLS Players Union, and 219 (38%) made $60,000 or less.

That $60,000 number is the new minimum salary, meaning that almost two out of every five players will be receiving a raise of some sort. A quick back of the envelope calculation shows that this will only cost MLS about $3 million—or one year of Jermaine Jones—but should pay immense dividends. It is also possible that American players who otherwise would've chased contracts in some second or third tier European league will instead stick around and fight to make an MLS roster, knowing that the minimum contract now provides a viable living.

MODEST RAISE TO THE SALARY CAP

The salary cap was set at $3.1 million in 2014, and the _Columbus Dispatch_ __ reports a 15% increase, to around $3.5 million, in 2015. A big chunk of this extra cap room, somewhere around a third of it, will be taken up by paying players a larger minimum salary, leaving an extra couple hundred thousand dollars to throw at other players. There hasn't been any reliable reporting that I've seen outlining salary cap increases in future seasons.

CBA LENGTH OF FIVE YEARS

The previous collective bargaining agreement was a five year deal, signed in 2010. The owners were reportedly interested in an eight year deal this time, but the players held firm at five:

SO WHO WON? WHO IS HAPPY?

We don't really know yet, but probably (maybe?) the owners? Free agency was such an important goal that MLS players repeatedly threatened to strike over it, with player representatives even voting 18-1 in favor of striking just one day ago. Limited free agency (albeit with a cap on salary increases) along with raised minimum salaries would suggest that the players—while not getting everything they wanted—would be happy with the deal. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

_Sports Illustrated_ quotes an unnamed player who was involved in the bargaining with some pretty harsh words for the deal:

  "Players are disappointed and upset with the union reps and Bob Foose," the player said, referring to the MLS Players Union executive director. "Not only did this deal destroy the future of the American player, it barely helps the current group of players."

Longtime American soccer reporter Ives Galarcep concurred with this:

The players' beef seems to be twofold. First, the conditions of their employment didn't markedly change. The league will still operate with a single-entity cartel structure, limiting player leverage, and the new free agency rules will only ever apply to a small minority of players. In all likelihood, the league will continue to alter things like dispersal draft and designated player rules opaquely and on the fly.

Even if you accept that the players didn't have the necessary power to force a major change to MLS's business model, the monetary gains they won are pretty miniscule. Less than a year ago the league signed a new television deal which increased annual television revenue from $18 million to $90 million, an increase of 500%. Yet even with this torrent of new money flowing into the league, the salary cap only increased by 15%.

Two years ago, MLS commissioner Don Garber said that he wanted MLS to be one of the world's best leagues by 2022. But average salaries in the MLS are only 22nd highest among soccer leagues around the world, and that is not going to noticeably change under this CBA, which will expire in 2020. Given the history of American soccer leagues and a claimed loss of $100 million, MLS isn't necessarily wrong to proceed cautiously. But the simple fact remains that it doesn't have a chance at becoming an elite world league anytime soon under the current model.

_Photo via Scott Halleran/Getty_

question: What is the main issue plaguing Major League Soccer?

answer: Most of the players are underpaid and unhappy with their current contracts.

question: What might have happened if the league and the MLS player's union failed to reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement?

answer: The season might have been canceled.


text:
[] article

AUSTIN, TEXAS (FOX 7 AUSTIN) - Austin is tied with Houston for the most natural disaster-prone major metro area in the state of Texas, according to anew study by real estate brokerage Redfin.

Redfin analyzed the frequency of five major types of natural disasters--earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes--in the country's 50 most populous metro areas using Disaster Declaration Summaries data from FEMA going back to 1953. These were converted to a scale from one to 100 and the overall "Natural Disaster Hazard Score" was the average of the five scores.

Both Austin and Houston had a Natural Disaster Hazard Score of 41, with the only natural disaster receiving a score of zero in both cities being earthquakes. Austin beat Houston in terms of fires, but Houston outpaced Austin with hurricanes and floods. Both cities received the same score for tornadoes.

Austin and Houston's Natural Disaster Hazard Scores are also tied with New York City.

San Antonio and Dallas also appear on the list with overall scores of 34 and 37 respectively. Out of the four cities, San Antonio has the highest score for hurricanes but a zero score for tornadoes.

Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, Calif. were listed as the country's most disaster-prone cities, both with a score of 52. Providence, R.I., according to Redfin, is the least disaster-prone area with a score of 9. The only natural disaster in Providence to receive a score higher than zero was hurricanes.

Redfin analyzed the data in an effort to quantify some of the risks of living in or moving to a major US metro area.

“When you buy a home you are paying for more than just the house,” said Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather. “There could be hidden costs associated with natural disasters. If a natural disaster strikes, you may have to pay for damage to your home or for the cost of evacuating your family. And even during times of calm, you may still need to pay for insurance against floods, fire, or earthquakes. Some homes in more hazardous areas might seem more affordable if you are just looking at the sticker price, but they may end up costing more when risks related to natural disasters are factored in.”

To see the full list of cities and read more about Redfin's methodology, click here.

question: What is the main topic of the post?

answer: The post covers an analysis of cities and the frequencies of 5 major types of natural disasters: earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes.

question: Why did Redfin real estate analyze the data?

answer: They analyzed the data in an effort to quantify some of the risks of living or moving to a major metro area.

question: Which major Texas cities are the most disaster-prone?

answer: Austin and Houston are tied for the most natural disasters.

question: Which other cities in the US ranked high in the analysis?

answer: New York tied with Austin and Houston. Los Angeles, Ca and Washington D.C. were listed as the country's most disaster-prone cities.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The post covers an analysis of cities and the frequencies of 5 major types of natural disasters: earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes.


text:
“Be careful what you wish for.”In the Arizona desert,in a small town,on a motel bed,this thought goes through Travis Tanners mind. He looked at his hand,The gun had fused with his skin 3 days ago. It contained 1 bullet then,now it carry's 3. Travis remembered what the gun said to him the day he found it. “kill them, leave me.” a cryptic message that was decoded to late. All he had to do was kill a man and the gun would let go. He refused,causing unforeseen consequences. The next day a bullet was added. In some sick way he knew what it meant,now two people must die. He knew what he had to do. Guided by the words of the gun,he came to Red Sand Flats. A kind of town that has a diner,a motel,a convenient store,and a police station. That's it. 8 people live in this town,cut off from the rest of the world. On the day he rode in to this place,Travis was drunk. He passed out in his motel room,and woke up with another bullet. He sobbed.

Travis was going to be a writer. He had tried for years to get a book published. Sadly his own perfectionism got in the way. He ripped up many rough drafts,threw them away. He needed to get the emotions perfect. Three months of working on a horror story. In anyone's eyes it would be considered a masterpiece. Travis deleted it because he couldn't get the emotion of killing someone 100% accurate. Countless hours watching interviews with soldiers, and reading serial killer autobiographies was to no avail. He gave up, decided to change genres,but it was to late. The package had been sent,there was no going back. Halfway through his new book he got a package at his apartment. A present complete with warping paper,and a bow. Inside it was the most beautiful revolver he had ever seen. Custom bone grip, and a barrel so polished he could see himself in it. It called to him,beckoned him to pick it up. He made the greatest mistake of his life that day.

She was gaining more power. Everyday that went by,every bullet added to the gun. Was more control over Travis. If he failed to sacrifice,she would have complete control over him. She had to wait only three more days,three more bullets,until she won this sick game. Until she finally broke free of her prison. This was not her first time going through this. She had created many psychopaths in her time. From school shootings to bank robbery's,someone always shook her off. Not this time, Travis wasn't going to kill anyone,she was sure of it.

The writer,with eyes bloodshot,and breath that could get you drunk,left his room. The sun nearly blinded him, though he didn't care. The gun controlled parts of him already, if he waited any longer it would never let him kill. Never get him his freedom back. On the way to the dinner he stopped to look at his reflection in a window. Black jeans,White tank top with beer stains,and messy hair. He looked like a man with nothing to loose. He didn't,with only a dog at home,no one would mind him going to jail. Or something similar.

He thought about the events leading up to this as he crossed the street. All the serial killers he studied, all the interviews with family members of the victims. Here he was about to create another 20/20 special. “ If I wait any longer it will be worse. Just go in there and do it.” he gives himself a pep talk.”You don't have to kill anyone.” the gun spoke directly to his brain. She was part of him now. She could read his mind,control some actions. That goes both ways though. He knows what she needs,knows what she will do if she get's it. Travis has to do this or worse things will happen. It was a sacrifice he had to make,just like the others before him.

	It took all the strength he had to open the diner door. She used as much control over him as she had. Not fully powered, all she could do was slow him down. 5 people in the diner,some tourists stopped by earlier, but he couldn't tell them apart from the locals. he gets a table and orders a pink lemonade. He sips it as he thinks of what will happen. People will die,families will grieve,the town will be filled with a sadness for months,and he would go to jail. It was a sub-par situation to put it blankly. Having no way to choose who to kill,he did a simple thing. He played spin the bottle. He laughed to himself of how childish it was. She started talking to him.”Sleep,rest,relax” Each word was a command,and each was disobeyed. He tried hard to probe his brain for any memory of Hers that had passed to him. Visions of previous hosts moved like a sick slide show in his mind. Some loved it,embraced it,became psychopaths. Some killed the first day,some the 5th . No one had let her win,and he wasn't about to brake the streak. He took a deep breath,prayed,and opened fire.

Each bullet that left the gun was like taking an allergy pill. His vision got better as he killed the waitress. Killing a biker gave him back control of himself. Shooting a hiker made the gun fall to the floor. It detached with a pop, it was the most glorious feeling he had ever felt. The sensation of air where the gun was made him smile. It hit the tiled floor with a clank. His hand was red and itchy but he couldn't scratch it,there were people that wanted him to put his hands in the air. Being as happy as he was, he came peacefully.

	Mark and Lucy sat at the dinner table. They did the usual small talk,but mostly they just ate. “Did you hear about that psycho down in Red Sand Flats?” mark asks through a mouthful of food. “You mean that writer that went crazy? Yeah Jamie told me about it at work. Poor town it was a nice place, sad there have to be people like him in the world” she took a sip of her wine. Mark talks while she drinks. “Yeah what a freak,they say he says he thought a gun was attached to his hand. The only way he could get it off was to kill people. Can you believe that? What a text-book freak.” they both agree and change the subject.

That Is Travis Tanners reward for saving humanity. Being talked about at dinner tables across America,hated by everyone. He gets to rot in a padded room, deemed crazy for telling the truth. So is the fate of those chosen to make the sacrifice.

title: The Sacrifice

question: What was happening to Travis' gun everyday that passed?

answer: A bullet would be mysteriously added to its chamber

question: Why couldn't Travis get a book published?

answer: His own perfectionism got in the way and would rip up his drafts.

question: What was Travis contemplating as he entered the town diner?

answer: Travis was contemplating emptying out the chamber of the gun and murdering those in the diner.

question: What did Travis see as a sacrifice?

answer: The only way to save people was to detach the gun from his hand by killing people now.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Travis is an aspiring writer and psychopath who had a dialogue with a gun that he thought was attached to his hand. The only way to detach the gun was make a sacrifice and empty out the chamber by killing people.


text:
Defence secretary Michael Fallon has admitted that British-made cluster bombs were used by the Saudi armed forces in Yemen. He claimed though that the bombs had been used against “legitimate military targets”. Even if technically correct, this assertion will not assuage mounting concerns, not least in parliament, about British complicity in Saudi military action.

The Saudis are at the forefront of an Arab Gulf coalition which launched an intervention in Yemen in 2015 to reverse the advance of Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. They had ousted the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. While it was initially backed by the UN, the ensuing civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure has been condemned as a violation of the laws of war.

At the very least there will be questions for the British government to answer about when it became aware that the Saudis were using British cluster bombs supplied as long ago as the 1980s. Having signed the convention on cluster munitions that bans their use and which came into effect in 2010, Britain asserts that it opposes the production and deployment of such weapons.

Since Saudi Arabia is not, however, a signatory to the convention, it seems it cannot be held to account – and nor can the British for originally supplying the bombs decades ago. According to Fallon, meanwhile, we can be reassured: “The Saudis believe that in this particular instance they did respect international humanitarian law.” Plus, the Saudis claim, a decision to use old stocks (previously declared defunct) was made by a battlefield commander without clearance from above.

Fallon was unable to say what would happen to the remaining stocks, how many cluster bombs had been used or how many were left. But apparently the Saudis have assured the British that they will make no further use of the weapons, which can kill and maim long after the initial delivery. The individual bomblets released on impact can remain undetonated for years until stumbled upon by unwitting civilians.

This reliance on Saudi disclaimers will not assuage the concerns of those MPs, including members of the committee on arms export controls and the foreign affairs committee, which had already called for an independent inquiry or court ruling on the use of any British-supplied arms by the Saudis in Yemen. At issue is whether such use amounts to the legitimisation by Britain of a Saudi strategy that has caused the deaths of so many civilians, including children.

Last week the US administration signalled its revulsion at the civilian casualty rate and what it called “flaws in the coalition’s targeting practices and overall prosecution of the air campaign”, by announcing a curtailment of US arms supplies, in particular precision-guided weapons, to Saudi Arabia. However, prime minister Theresa May said the British would not follow suit, relying instead on Saudi assertions of innocence. Previously, Britain has said that its personnel who train the Saudis routinely warn them against transgressing international humanitarian law.

This kind of obfuscation and acceptance of the Saudi line demonstrates the intricacies of the Saudi-British relationship. The Americans are the leading suppliers of arms to Saudi Arabia, but since at least the 1980s the UK has occupied a subsidiary role which has assured British manufacturers a niche market that is essential to its defence industry.

Without lucrative contracts to supply the Saudi armed forces over the years, it would not have been possible to keep the production lines rolling as the transition was made from Tornado to Typhoon fighter jets at BAE Systems. So not only are British jobs at stake but also Britain’s independent arms production capability. And to maintain its niche in the market in the face of fierce competition, Britain has undertaken to provide training and maintenance packages that place its technicians at the heart of the Saudi defence establishment.

Alongside this, for years the British have developed a high level of cooperation with the Saudi intelligence services which successive prime ministers have claimed helps to keep British citizens safe from terrorists. When awkward questions are asked – whether by MPs or human rights campaigners – about the Saudis’ humanitarian record, their rulers have only to remind the British government of the defence contracts and security cooperation.

This is the uncomfortable reality, not just for the government but for British citizens. If presented with a detailed tally of the actual costs of a break with Saudi Arabia to the British defence industry, jobs, the economy, intelligence and security, it may well emerge that British enthusiasm to take the moral high ground will waver.

question: What piece of British Technology were the Saudis using?

answer: They were using British-made cluster bombs.

question: Why is this problematic?

answer: It raises concerns in parliament about British complicity in Saudi military action. Some cluster bombs had been supplied as long ago as 1980.

question: What have the Saudis had to say about the British military involvement?

answer: Though Michael Fallon, defense secretary, is unable to say what would happen to the remaining stock of cluster bombs, the Saudis have assured the British that they would make no further use of the bombs.

question: What is the risk of the Saudis stopping use of the British cluster bombs?

answer: The consistent use of the bombs by the Saudis implies the existence of lucrative contracts between them and the British. Without such contracts going forward, there are British jobs as well as independent  arms production capability.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Since the 1980s, Saudis have been using British cluster bombs for military operations. Though it is said that the bombs were only used for legitimate military operations, it implied British complicity in Saudi military operations. Though Saudis said they would stop use of the British cluster bombs, that would end the lucrative contracts being afforded the British in exchange for the bombs, which would cost British jobs as well as their independent arms production capabilities.


text:
	I’m sitting in a bar that’s way too far from home.  Smoking a cigarette  at the counter and looking down at the space between my hands, elbows resting on the table and I’m hunched over.  The bartender just walked by again.  Should I even ask for another drink?  It’s getting late anyways and this brandy can’t be that good for me.
	“Hit me again, Mickie.”

	The band’s playing some jazz with a tenor sax.  I can hear them.  Can I see them?  I look over my left shoulder.  There’s so much smoke in the room you can barely tell if they are black or white.  I know it’s a tenor though.  I know that sweet sound.

	So many bottles on a snazzy display in front of me.
	“Hey Mick, what do you think makes people come to a place like this on a Thursday?”
	“Well, I can’t say I haven’t thought about it.  I should know really, since half of the people sitting up here at the counter are looking for some conversational relief.  Venting, whatever the kids call it these days.  Hey, want another?”
	“I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t, Mick.” He filled up my glass.  How many drinks have I had?  What’s the bill at?  Don’t know, don’t really care I guess.  I don’t even know what I’m doing or how this helps.  It doesn’t, to tell you the truth.

	It’s raining outside I think.  Though you wouldn’t know from inside this bar.  Brown walls, only a few windows, and through the smoke I can’t see if there is anything out there.  Real dim lighting in here, too.
	A fella just tripped and spilt a little of whatever he was drinking onto my lower pant leg and black wingtip shoes.  I don’t know why I bother to even dress for going out anymore.  Who am I even trying to impress?  There’s no pretty women here.  Not alone anyways.  I look over my left shoulder again.  There actually is a fine lady in a red dress sitting alone in a booth by the band, tapping ashes into a tray.  Never mind, her company was just taking a leak in the bathroom.  He’s got the same jacket and pants I have on.

	I look up at my hat on the counter.  I can’t go home yet.  Not now, anyways.  I light another cigarette and look back down at the counter.  Someone taps me on the right shoulder and takes  a seat to the left of me.  “Hey there” they say.

title: A Bar Too Far From Home

question: What is the ending of the story?

answer: A stranger shows up.

question: What foreshadows that the person who shows up at the end might be a woman?

answer: The narrator says "there are no pretty women here."

question: How does the narrator feel about their life?

answer: The narrator is sad.

question: What is the narrator doing at the beginning of the story?

answer: Smoking a cigarette.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The story is about a man sitting at a bar, smoking a cigarette and feeling glum. He has a few more drinks. Then a stranger comes and taps him on the shoulder.


text:
This week on Habsent Minded, Jared Book is joined by Scott Matla and Namiko Hitotsubashi.

The big story this week was that Shea Weber underwent knee surgery for a torn meniscus and will be out until mid-December. What does it mean for the Canadiens defence heading into the start of the season?

We take a question from a listener who asks whether the Canadiens can be competitive within 2-3 years and take advantage of Carey Price and Weber’s contributions.

We also look at the free agency period and the decisions that were made by Marc Bergevin as well as a bit on the new assistant coach of the Laval Rocket, Alexandre Burrows.

The podcast is on iTunes and Google Play Music (it could take some time for the new episode to get added). Here is the Soundcloud link. You can also download the file to listen to it at your convenience.

_(NOTE: due to an issue with the audio in the initial file, the file was updated at 10:33 AM on Sunday. If you downloaded it before from SoundCloud, please re-download it.)_

You can also follow the podcast on Twitter at @Habsent_Minded and send in your questions that we can use in a future episode.

question: What kind of people listen to the Habsent Minded podcast?

answer: It is likely that sportsfans listen to the podcast since the topics it covers appears to be about sports. It is a little difficult to determine what kind of sport it specifically is, though it is probably a form of team sports such as hockey.


text:
Cancer Screening Saves Lives!

HAVE YOU BEEN SCREENED FOR CANCER? SHOULD YOU?

Cancer screening means getting "checked" for cancer. Cancer Screening:

-   is for people who have no signs or symptoms of cancer.
-   can prevent some cancers by finding and treating changes before they develop into cancer.
-   can find cancer early when treatment may work better.

About Us

CancerCare Manitoba has 3 organized cancer screening programs: BreastCheck, CervixCheck and ColonCheck.

OUR GOAL IS TO DECREASE DEATHS FROM BREAST, CERVIX AND COLON CANCER.

Our programs:

-   provide screening tests to Manitobans and partner with healthcare providers to increase access to cancer screening services across the province,
-   use letters to invite and remind Manitobans to get screened and notify them of results,
-   work with healthcare providers to ensure that individuals with abnormal screening results get the follow-up care they need, and
-   provide information and resources to the public and healthcare providers.

To learn more about screening for other cancers talk to your healthcare provider or click here.

Privacy

Manitoba Health Seniors and Active Living provides the screening programs with information to know who to invite for screening, including:

-   name, address, and date of birth
-   personal health identification number (PHIN) and Manitoba medical number (MHSC)

You can be confident that your information is kept secure, private and confidential at all times. BreastCheck, CervixCheck and ColonCheck follow the Manitoba Personal Health Information Act (PHIA). This means that:

-   your personal health information is private and confidential.
-   all program staff have signed a pledge of confidentiality.

 [ ]

Program Participation Options

While there are many benefits to being included in BreastCheck, CervixCheck and ColonCheck, we realize some Manitobans might not want to receive communication from us or participate at this time.

If you do not want to receive letters from the Screening Programs please call 1-855-95-CHECK. For information about your options regarding the Pap Test Registry, click here.

Screening for Other Cancers

To learn more about screening for cancers other than breast, cervical, or colorectal, click here.

Cancer Screening in Your Community

BreastCheck, CervixCheck and ColonCheck partner to support access to cancer screening. Take initiative in your community! Click hereto learn more about how you can promote cancer screening and access to cancer screening in your community.

News

BreastCheck Update: August 26, 2020

-   Effective September 1, 2020, all BreastCheck clients must wear non-medical masks for the duration of
    their breast screening appointments.
-   BreastCheck is offering appointments at all sites.
-   As always, if you are experiencing any breast symptoms please talk to your primary care provider.

ColonCheck Update: July 27, 2020

-   ColonCheck is now mailing home screening test kits.
-   Requests for test kits are now being accepted.
-   If you are experiencing persistent symptoms, talk to your primary care provider.

Call 1-855-95-CHECK if you have questions or concerns.

Cancer Prevention in Canada: What Can We Do? webinar

-   Join us Thursday, February 4, 2021 from 12:00 - 1:00pm (CST) for an interactive webinar about current cancer trends and how we can make an impact on the future burden of cancer in Manitoba. Click here to register.

Contact

question: What does the text say about screening for throat cancer?

question: What does the text say about cancer screening?

answer: Cancer screening means getting "checked" for cancer and can saves lives. It is for people who have no signs or symptoms of cancer. Cancer screening can prevent some cancers by finding and treating changes before they develop into cancer. It can also find cancer early when treatment may work better.

question: What does the text say about CancerCare Manitoba?

answer: CancerCare Manitoba offers screening programs for breast, colon, and cervical cancer. The company's goal is to decrease deaths from these three cancers by providing screening tests to Manitobans and partner with healthcare providers to increase access to cancer screening services across the province. CancerCare Manitoba ensures that individuals with abnormal screening results get the follow-up care they need.

question: What does the text say about CancerCare Manitoba's privacy policy?

answer: CancerCare Manitoba promises that all information is kept secure, private, and confidential at all times. The company follows the Manitoba Health Information Act (PHIA). PHIA mandates that all personal health information is private and confidential, and all program staff have singed a pledge of confidentiality.


text:
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve is raising its benchmark interest rate to reflect a solid U.S. economy and signaling that it’s sticking with a gradual approach to rate hikes for 2018 under its new chairman, Jerome Powell.

The Fed said it expects to increase rates twice more this year. At the same time, it increased its estimate for rate hikes in 2019 from two to three, reflecting an expectation of faster growth and lower unemployment.

The central bank boosted its key short-term rate Wednesday by a modest quarter-point to a still-low range of 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent and said it will keep shrinking its bond portfolio. Both steps show confidence that the economy remains sturdy nearly nine years after the Great Recession ended. The actions mean consumers and businesses will face higher loan rates over time.

The Fed’s rate hike marks its sixth since it began tightening credit in December 2015. The action was approved 8-0, avoiding any dissents at the first meeting that Powell has presided over as chairman since succeeding Janet Yellen last month.

Bond yields rose and stocks held on to much of their gains after the Fed’s announcement, which was widely expected. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, a benchmark for mortgages and other loans, rose from 2.87 percent to 2.93 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 140 points, or 0.6 percent; it had been up 210 just before the announcement.

Some investors had speculated that Powell might move to impose his mark on the central bank by indicating a faster pace of rate hikes for 2018. But the new economic forecast, which includes a median projection for the path of future rate hikes, made no change to the December projection for three hikes this year.

READ MORE: WHAT THE LATEST JOBS NUMBERS MEAN FOR AMERICAN WORKERS (AND TRUMP’S NEW TARIFFS)

If the Fed does stick with its new forecast for three rate increases this year and three in 2019, its key policy rate would stand at 3.4 percent after five years of credit tightening. Wednesday’s forecast put the Fed long-term rate — the point at which its policies are neither boosting the economy nor holding it back — at 2.9 percent.

Wednesday’s statement showed only minor changes from the text the Fed had issued in January after Yellen’s final meeting. The statement described economic activity as rising at a “moderate rate,” a slight downgrade from January, when the Fed described the economy as rising at a “solid rate.”

Since the start of the year, economists have been downgrading their estimates for growth in the January-March quarter growth to reflect a slowdown in consumer spending, which most analysts think will prove temporary.

The Fed’s statement did not mention the extra government stimulus that has been added since their last economic forecast in the form of a $1.5 trillion tax cut and a budget agreement that will add $300 billion in government spending over the next two years.

But the Fed’s new forecast does envision marked increases in economic growth: It raises the estimate to 2.7 percent growth this year, up from 2.5 percent in the December projection, and 2.4 percent in 2019, up from 2.1 percent. Those increased expectations presumably reflect the expected impact of the extra government spending.

Unemployment, now at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent, is expected to keep falling to 3.8 percent at the end of this year and 3.6 percent at the end of 2019, which would be the lowest rate in a half-century. The Fed expects inflation, which has run below its 2 percent target for six years, to stay at 1.9 percent this year and then rise to 2 percent in 2019.

A healthy job market and a steady if unspectacular economy have given the Fed the confidence to think the economy can withstand further increases within a still historically low range of borrowing rates.

The financial markets have been edgy for weeks, and Powell’s back-and-forth comments have been only one factor. A sharp rise in wage growth reported in the government’s January jobs report triggered fears that higher labor costs would lead to higher inflation and, ultimately, to higher interest rates. Stocks sank on the news. But subsequent reports on wages and inflation have been milder, and the markets appear to have stabilized.

The February jobs report pointed to an unusually robust labor market: Employers added 313,000 jobs, the largest monthly gain in 1½ years. The unemployment rate remained at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent.

Other measures of the economy, though, have been more sluggish. Consumer spending, the economy’s primary fuel, has slowed this year.

question: What does the text say about the reasons for raising interest rates?

answer: The Fed has raised interest rates for the sixth time which reflects a solid US economy. They have said it expects to increase rates twice more in the current year due to faster growth and lower unemployment projections. Overall, the economy has remained sturdy nearly nine years after the Great Recession ended.

question: Summarize what is happening with unemployment.

answer: In 2018, unemployment is at a 17-year low and down to 4.1%. It is expected to keep falling down to 3.8% by the end of the year. Projections for 2019 indicate that unemployment will reach 3.6%, the lowest rate in half a century.

question: What does the text say about bond yields and stocks?

answer: After the Fed's announcement to raise rates, bond yields and stocks held on to the gains made before the announcement. The 10-year Treasury yield and the Dow Jone industrial average, both rose by .06%. Both of these gains were widely expected with the announcement.

question: What does the text say about President Trump?


text:
The PROFESSIONAL DOCTORATE IN ENGINEERING (PDENG) is a Dutch degree awarded to graduates of a Technological Designer (engineering) program that develop their students' capabilities to work within a professional context. These programs focus on applied techniques and design, in their respective engineering fields. The technological PDEng designer programs were initiated at the request of the Dutch high-tech industry. High-tech companies need professionals who can design and develop complex new products and processes and offer innovative solutions. All programs work closely together with high-tech industry, offering trainees the opportunity to participate in large-scale, interdisciplinary design projects. With this cooperation, PDEng programs provide trainees a valuable network of contacts in industry. Each program covers a different technological field, for example managing complex architectural construction projects, designing mechanisms for user interfaces for consumer products or developing high-tech software systems for software-intensive systems. Participation in a program that awards the abbreviation PDEng requires at least a Master's degree in a related field.[1]

PDEng degrees can be obtained at three technical Universities in the Netherlands, Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, and University of Twente. Between these universities interscholastic cooperation programs exist like the 4TU Federation and its Stan Ackermans Institute.[2]

Accreditation

The three or two-year, full-time post-master programs all lead to a Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) degree. At the end a PDEng candidate also confers a Doctorate degree. The programs are certified by the Dutch Certification Committee for Technological Design Programs (CCTO or Dutch: _Nederlandse Certificatiecommissie voor Opleidingen tot Technologisch Ontwerper_), which represents the interests of the organization of Netherlands Industry Entrepreneurs and Employers (VNO-NCW/MKB Netherlands) and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers (Dutch: _Koninklijk Instituut Van Ingenieurs - KIVI_).[3] The CCTO's main goal is to ensure that such degrees hold to the high standards established by both academia and industry. The committee reviews these degree programs every five years to ensure continued standards compliance.[4]

Although the PDEng and PhD are both recognised as postgraduate degrees, they are not the same. A PDEng is practically oriented and does not require a body of original academic research to graduate. [5]

History

The Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) name owes its existence to the adoption of the Bachelor/Master (Ba/Ma) degree system after the Bologna Process. While most Dutch universities adopted the Ba/Ma system in 2001, the PDEng was known as the official Master of Technical Design (MTD) degree until 2004. From that date the Executive Boards of TU/e, TUD and UT decided jointly to use PDEng.

Admission

Application is open to university graduates from the Netherlands and other countries. A trainee must hold at least a Master of Science degree or equivalent, preferably in the exact sciences. Besides, applicant must have an interest in designing solutions for complex technological problems. There can be an assessment and selection procedure before entering a program. The PDEng programs use strict selection criteria to ensure the required high quality. Excellent marks, motivation and a design-oriented attitude are vitally important. A trainee should also have an excellent command of the English language. The exact admission and selection procedures are different at the three locations. All applications are judged by the Selection Committee.[6]

PDEng programs at each location

PDEng programs at the Delft University of Technology

-   Civil and Environmental Engineering (BPE)
-   Bioprocess Engineering (BPE)
-   Chemical Product Design (CPD)
-   Process and Equipment Design (PED)

PDEng programs at the Eindhoven University of Technology

-   Automotive Systems Design (ASD)
-   Clinical Informatics (CI)
-   Data Science (DS)
-   Design of Electrical Engineering Systems - Track Healthcare Systems Design (DEES - HSD)
-   Design of Electrical Engineering Systems - Track Information and Communication Technology (DEES - ICT)
-   Industrial Engineering (IE)
-   Mechatronic Systems Design (MSD)
-   Process and Product Design (PPD)
-   Qualified Medical Engineer (QME)
-   Smart Energy Buildings and Cities (SEB&C)
-   Software Technology (ST)
-   User System Interaction (USI)

PDEng programs at the University of Twente

-   Business & IT (BIT)
-   Civil Engineering (CE)
-   Energy & Process Technology (EPT)
-   Maintenance (MT)
-   Robotics (R)

[1] Requirements and eligibility

[2] Stan Ackermans Institute home page

[3] KIVI, _Ned. Certificatiecom. voor Opleidingen tot Technologisch Ontwerper_ |

[4] PDEng degree program

[5] Data science projects

[6]

title: Professional Doctorate in Engineering

question: Summarize what the article says about the larger field of engineering.

answer: Though the article specifically speaks to the Dutch doctorate of engineering, several generalizations apply to engineering studies across the board globally. Engineers are most in-demand with high tech companies so the industry skill set should include computers, with a heavy focus on learning how to think up innovative solutions to emerging issues. A network of contacts is highly valued. Programs in the Dutch system cover different fields, and one would imagine that it is useful to have a baseline idea of how to approach problem-solving at its root in each field, but to specialize in one over the others as one pursues their higher-level degree.


text:
Sorry in advance, my new year's resolution was to try my hand at writing at least once a week, so this is my sloppy first attempt at a pointless short story. Bear with me, it really is pretty short.

	I looked down and saw the little pock marks on the long bruises I called arms, and rolled down my sleeves. There was a whistling sound in my head driving me bad shit mad.

...

	So he looked at me with his sad face, with his petty remorse and his puppy dog eyes. “I have to do this, and I’m offering you a place in my committee because I want you to be here with me, making more money than you already do and hopefully living a better life.”

	I was fuming but something was gnawing at me in the back of my head. What if he was saying this kindly, not sarcastically? It took me a second to register that he wasn’t faking any emotions.

	I realized that the entire life I had known him he was a real, authentic individual. I guess the past several years had taken its toll on me, and I may have become slightly cynical. I looked up and into his eyes and saw no dark spots of mal-intent. He was a businessman, yes, and a wealthy and calculated one at that. But he had a core, sensible and clean, that he had always held within him since before he was picking my sorry ass off the floor after fights in junior high. He legitimately cared for me, but as I usually did, I dug deeper. I thought about his goals. He had a family, and however poorly he treated his kids, the real kindness you can find in a man isn’t reflected by how often he treats his children, but simply how he treats them. Molding them to have traits for success isn’t a poor thing of him to do at all, and when he was kind and loving to them it was golden with no itemistic parts. He never treated them to ice cream or toys as rewards, they had birthdays and christmas, but even then maybe a surprise toy wasn’t the worst thing in the world for them. It was more the principle that a reward system was right for his kids, he would rather them be content with what they had. It was important to him, contentedness, the rich, bussiness-expanding, effluent douchebag.

	He just gave them his holy words and that was more than enough to have them happy for that day and give them a lingering dad-high for the rest of the week.

But in the end, he valued his family over me. He knew that in the end, he would have to do something about me, and bringing me in was the best he could do. No, he just wanted to do it, the difference being that I could tell he wanted this all along, for me to with him.

I selfishly said no.

I told him I had more important things to do than to be in his heartless rich-boy 401k club and told him my family relied on me and it was all lies, every word. I wanted to tear up and give him the hug I had held in since junior high, but my head was somewhere else. It was as if somebody else had taken over my body and was headstrong, pessimistic, and a complete and utter liar. I told him to fuck off, and I told him to kill himself. I wanted to be dead. My family hated me and I was going down the rabbit hole. I was going to be homeless in a week and a day if by tomorrow he decided to go through with his plan.

	I walked up, sarcastically thanked him, feinted him a handshake and then punched him in his jaw. As hard as I possibly could. Who did he think he was? Toying with my emotions as he did.
	 He took another blow to the face. Somebody other than me was doing it, I swear. I was next to the man doing it, looking at HIM over his shoulder, but he was getting bloodier and bloodier. I got up and saw blood on my knuckles. That’s weird, I thought. There was no blood from my first hit on him. His lip split on the third blow. I shrugged, confused, and left the room. I could hear him crying. Maybe it was me. My world was bending, swirling into a hole, and I wasn’t even fighting the current dragging me into it. I laughed and fell into the rabbit hole, cursing love and intentions, where they could never hurt me again. I looked up, saw the sky and broken glass, which was falling, increasing in velocity, but never passing me. It was a curious sight, I wonder why it wa-

title: Out of place and into the dark (Cheesy as fuck title)

question: What was the businessman offering the narrator?

answer: A place in his committee, making more money to have a better life.

question: Why did the narrator reject the businessman's offer?

answer: He hated him and believed him to be toying with his emotions.

question: Explain why the narrator's family hated him.

answer: He was going to be homeless in a week and was going down the rabbit hole.

question: Why did the narrator punch the businessman in the face instead of thanking him for the offer?

answer: The narrator's world was bending and as if someone else had taken over his body.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator had known the businessman his entire life but when he offers him a job, the narrator responds by punching him in the face instead of thanking him. The narrator's world was bending and was going down the rabbit hole. He felt as if somebody else had taken over his body.


text:
The average Brit spends the equivalent of almost nine months of their life bargain-hunting - saving more than £6,200 year, a study has found.

Adults typically spend two hours-a-week searching for a good deal or cut price items - the equivalent of around four days and eight hours in total over the average year.

Bargain hunters estimate they save £6,247.93 annually through a combination of auctions, discount vouchers, price comparison sites, regular visits to the supermarket reduced aisle and more.

Eager for a great deal, one fifth have adopted an 'early bird catches the worm' mentality and queued in the early hours so they can nab the best bargains before anyone else.

One in four even admitted to losing their temper in pursuit of a good deal, while more than one in ten have fought with other shoppers.

The survey of 2,000 UK adults was commissioned by Pro Auction, which is set to open bidding on around 1,500 home furnishings, including many big brands.

A spokesman for Pro Auction said: “The results underline just how much we love a bargain and show some of strategies we adopt in order to pick up something at a reduced price.

“For some of us, getting a good deal is real talking point and something of a badge of honour - if anything we look upon the items bought for a good price more fondly than those bought at the RRP.

“Given the time of year, we do have to be careful with the purse strings, but as the results show there are lots of ways to save money when shopping.”

Those polled revealed some of the methods they've adopted to ensure they get items at a good price.

Almost seven in ten have haggled in pursuit of a bargain, while one third have cunningly hidden sale items so they can come back and purchase them later on.

Nearly half use cashback websites in order to get value from their purchases and one third regularly use discount vouchers to save money on their shopping and going out.

Forty-five per cent often visit the reduced section of supermarkets and other stores, and 15 per cent frequently visit supermarkets in the evening specifically to purchase cut price groceries.

And three quarters look for bargains on auction sites or in traditional auction houses.

The research, carried out by OnePoll.com, also found the typical UK adult spends almost 16 hours a year in total looking for discount vouchers in order to save on shopping and going out.

They spend a total of 15 hours annually looking for bargains in supermarkets, 16 hours raiding high street stores for a great deal and 27 hours pursuing discounted items online.

They'll also put aside 26 hours in total checking out the offerings on auction sites and in auction houses.

Sixty-six per cent of UK adults go out of their way to save money when shopping and 84 cent of the population are self-confessed bargain hunters.

A spokesman for Pro Auction added: “Three quarters of us admit they are frustrated by the high prices of furniture, so we very much hope our auction will go some way to alleviating those feelings, especially given the quality on offer and the massive savings that can be achieved.

“In our next luxury furniture sale we'll have beds, sofas, lighting, chairs, cushions and curtains, with a retail value of around £2 million up for grabs.

“Demand is expected to be high but there will be plenty of bargains on offer, with savings of up to 90% on retail prices”

 UK news in pictures

Show all 50

Pro Auction's big brand auction will take place at their salerooms in London Bridge in the form of a traditional auction and webcast live online.

The auction takes place every day at 11am, from 29 November until 1 December.

Goods will be immediately available from Druid Street at London Bridge.

question: What does "Brit" refer to?

answer: A British person.

question: Who is the author or source of this information?

answer: The text does not specify but the research it contains was done by OnePoll.com and the research was commissioned by Pro Auction.

question: Explain one money-saving tactic described in this article.

answer: Hiding a sale item in a store in order to come back and purchase it later.

question: Where do shoppers spend the most time looking for a deal?

answer: Out of supermarkets, physical stores, and online shopping, shoppers spend the most hours looking for discounts online.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article reports on research done on shoppers in the UK on how likely they are to shop for a bargain and how they go about finding one. The research shows that the majority of people polled will go out of their way and spend a great deal of time to find a deal and save money.


text:
2 MiamiCentral and 3 MiamiCentral financed by $103 million construction loan from the bank; 2 MiamiCentral to be completed this month

MIAMI – Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced its involvement as a lender for MiamiCentral, a first-of-its-kind, transit-oriented development that serves as the southern terminus to the recently-opened Brightline inter-city express passenger train. Wells Fargo provided a $103 million construction loan for the development of two buildings in the MiamiCentral development, which will reshape downtown Miami by connecting the new Brightline inter-city passenger rail service with office, retail and multifamily residential space, as well as other forms of transit.

Wells Fargo provided construction financing to Florida East Coast Industries for 2 MiamiCentral and 3 MiamiCentral. 2 MiamiCentral, a 10-story, 190-thousand-square-foot Class A office tower connected directly to the Brightline terminal, is under construction and expected to be completed by late June 2018. 3 MiamiCentral is a 130-thousand-square-foot mixed-use building containing Class A office, parking and retail space, including a supermarket. 3 MiamiCentral, which is one block west of the train terminal, was completed December 2017 and is now 95 percent leased.

“As South Florida’s population continues to boom and traffic congestion worsens, Brightline will redefine how South Floridians think about where they work and live,” said Bill Vernon, head of Real Estate Banking in Wells Fargo’s Commercial Real Estate group. “2 MiamiCentral and 3 MiamiCentral are bringing highly connected office and retail space to downtown Miami, and Wells Fargo is excited to partner with Florida East Coast Industries on a cutting-edge project that will help propel development in the area.”

Brightline’s Phase 1 service launched to MiamiCentral on May 19 and is the first privately owned, operated and maintained inter-city express passenger rail service in the U.S. The Brightline train now connects the downtowns of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, significantly reducing commuting times between those cities. Ultimately, the system is expected to connect to the Orlando International Airport.

“MiamiCentral is a generational project, building on the original site of Henry Flagler’s once Downtown Miami railroad station, to connect South Floridians via Brightline,” said M. Bruce Snyder, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Florida East Coast Industries. “We are extremely pleased to have partnered with Wells Fargo on this transformational project and specifically on the development of 2 and 3 MiamiCentral, two of the most prolific mixed-use buildings featuring Class A offices, retail and parking to deliver in downtown Miami in recent memory.”

ABOUT WELLS FARGO

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through 8,200 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 42 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 25 on Fortune’s 2017 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

ABOUT MIAMICENTRAL

MiamiCentral is THE NEW HUB FOR ALL THINGS TRANSPORTATION, LEISURE AND BUSINESS. The transformational, transit-oriented development spans six Downtown Miami city blocks and features Brightline’s Miami Station, in addition to connectivity to Metromover, Metrorail and future Tri-Rail service. At MiamiCentral, retail and dining venues, including a food hall experience, make-up an expansive promenade surrounding two residential towers with over 800 apartments collectively known as Park-Line MiamiCentral. The monumental development, by Florida East Coast Industries, most recently introduced its first office tower, 3 MiamiCentral, reimagining Miami’s Central Business District. Underway and opening in phases, MiamiCentral offers a first-of-its-kind lifestyle destination for transit, dining, entertainment, living and business.

ABOUT FLORIDA EAST COAST INDUSTRIES

Florida East Coast Industries, LLC (FECI) is one of Florida’s oldest and largest commercial real estate, transportation, and infrastructure companies. Headquartered in Coral Gables, Fla., FECI has a rich history dating back over a century. Mr. Henry Flagler first established a predecessor company in 1892, which became a pioneer in the development of Florida's eastern coast. FECI is owned by private equity funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group, LLC. For more information, visit www.feci.com.

Wells Fargo Beth Richek, 704-374-2545 Beth.Richek@wellsfargo.com http://www.twitter.com/BethRichekWF MiamiCentral Jami Baker, 561-245-1026 Jami@carmaconnected.com

question: What does the text say about Wells Fargo & Company?

answer: According to the text, Wells Fargo & Company is a financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. It was founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco. Wells Fargo & Company has approximately 265,000 team members across 8,200 locations. It was ranked No. 25 on Fortune's 2017 rankings of America's largest corporations. Recently, Wells Fargo & Company provided a $103 million construction loan for MiamiCentral.

question: What does the text say about Florida East Coast Industries?

answer: According to the text, Florida East Coast Industries is one of Florida's oldest and largest real estate and infrastructure companies. Henry Flagler first established a predecessor company in 1892. Florida East Coast Industries has recently started construction of 2 MiamiCentral and 3 MiamiCentral.

question: Summarize Wells Fargo & Company's relationship with Florida East Coast Industries.

answer: Wells Fargo & Company has provided a $103 million construction loan to Florida East Coast Industries for the construction of 2 MiamiCentral and 3 MiamiCentral. The MiamiCentral development connects to the Brightline inter-city passenger rail service. 2 MiamiCentral is expected to be completed in June 2018. 3 MiamiCentral was completed in December 2017. According to the text, "Wells Fargo is excited to partner with Florida East Coast Industries on a cutting-edge project."

question: Summarize what MiamiCentral hopes to achieve.

answer: MiamiCentral hopes to be "the new hub for all things transportation, leisure and business." The development spans six Downtown Miami city blocks and contains Brightline's Miami Station. The development also contains two residential towers with over 800 apartments. 2 MiamiCentral is a 10 story Class A office tower directly connected to the Brightline terminal. 3 MiamiCentral is a 130-thousand square foot mixed use building containing Class A offices, retail, and parking space.


text:
[]

[]

An official of Algeria Football Federation has opened up on the link the body has with Super Eagles technical adviser, Gernot Rohr, and stressed that they do not have anything concrete with the Franco-German gaffer yet.

Though reports are replete with interest in Rohr by the Algerian FA, the official stressed that an agreement is yet to be reached with the former Bayern Munich defender, who took Nigeria to the ongoing World Cup in Russia.

Mauritanian journalist, Lassana Camara had announced the imminent arrival of Rohr as replacement for the dismissed Rabah Madjer, but this has been denied by the Algerian official.

In the same vein, a reliable Algerian sports newspaper confirmed that Rohr is in Algeria’s short-list for the job, but added that the Eagles’ handler is not favourite to get the nod.

This, though, has been attributed to information that the Algerian soccer federation know that getting Rohr will not come cheap, as he earns approximately 40,000 euros a month.

Consequently, Algeria are yet to make any formal move for the former manager of Niger Republic, Burkina Faso and Gabon national teams, who was appointed Nigeria coach in 2016.

”There is nothing official about Gernot Rohr. There is a list with a lot of coaches but for the moment you have to know that nothing has been done. There is nothing official. For me, these are just rumours,” the Algeria Football Federation insider affirmed.

[]

question: Who is Gernot Rohr?

answer: He's the Super Eagles technical adviser and former Bayern Munich defender who took Nigeria to the ongoing World Cup in Russia.

question: Who is reportedly interested in the services of Rohr?

answer: The Algerian FA

question: Who was recently dismissed by the Algerian FA?

answer: Rabah Madjer

question: How much is Rohr's salary?

answer: Approximately 40,000 euros a month.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Super Eagles technical adviser, Gernot Rohr is a former Bayern Munich defender who is reportedly being eyed by the Algerian FA as a possible replacement for Rabah Madjer. However, Algerian officials have denied these reports, saying they are mere rumors. If Algeria does make a move on Rohr, the club knows it will be an expensive acquisition. Rohr earns approximately 40,000 euros a month.


text:
The MEN'S LONG JUMP event at the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games was held at the Palais Omnisports Paris-Bercy on 19 January.

Results

[1]

  Rank   Name                   Nationality   Result   Notes
  ------ ---------------------- ------------- -------- -------
         Jan Leitner                          7.96
         Gyula Pálóczi                        7.94
         Giovanni Evangelisti                 7.88
         László Szalma                        7.85
         Emiel Mellaard                       7.78
         Serge Hélan                          7.71
         Liu Yuhuang                          7.64
         Junichi Usui                         7.52
         Ján Čado                             7.40
  10     Mario Lega                           7.33
  11     Kim Jong-Il                          7.31
  12     Marcus Barros                        7.24
  13     John Hunt                            7.14
  14     Wanis Barsomian                      6.83     NR

[1] Results (archived)

title: 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games – Men's long jump

question: Where was the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump held?

answer: The 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump was held at the Palais Omnisports Paris-Bercy.

question: When was the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump held?

answer: The 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump was held on January 19th, 1985.

question: Who had the highest score in the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump?

answer: Jan Leitner had the highest score in the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump.

question: Who scored a 7.64 in the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump?

answer: Liu Yuhuang scored a 7.64 in the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump.

question: What score did John Hunt get in the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump?

answer: John Hunt scored a 7.14 in the 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The 1985 IAAF World Indoor Games Men's Long Jump was held on January 19th, 1985, at the Palais Omnisports Paris-Bercy. Jan Leitner won the event with a score of 7.96.


text:
We left the club hours ago and I can still feel the wave of the beat. The perfectly synchronized rush to explosive electronica heaven is building in the sound system of my mind - again. And again.

The chemicals are slightly wearing off so as I tip out of the cab, I fumble in my back pocket for the crushed pack of cigarettes, find the next hapless victim, cradle her in my lips and light up. I have no idea how I'm even standing but I skillfully negotiate against the refrigerated wind and as the relieving foul tasting heat crackles from the suction into my lungs, my head begins to spin - or spin faster really - and I take off again helplessly laughing at the non-existent idiosyncrasies of everyone around me.

Is there anyone around me?

The burning rum purchased at the airport lounge is nauseatingly dancing its way through my digestive system.

Sunglasses on and sleepless, I sidle past the smiling strangers in row 31 and slump into seat A.

The moment my forehead touches the cold glass, my fever subsides. Soon the chill becomes unbearable but I can't move. I'm too high to sleep. All I want to do is tap my feet to the quiet roar of the engine, wedge my face against the window. And stare.

It's a 3 hour flight from New York to Chicago and beaming through the thin haze - how many feet below us? 20,000? 30,000? - lies god's ice tray.

Neatly separated by the fences of past disputes and lawsuits yet to be settled, last night's snowfall purposefully shimmers in random and infinite directions.

Naturally vying for the attention of the other passengers - a standard fair of middle aged business travellers, pretend writers and holiday makers - the world outside cannot compete with the opportunity of a guilt free break from the kids. Or with the - soon to be discarded forever - typing. Or even with the Adam Sandler movie being shown for the 50th first time. Most of the shades are down.

As we chase the sun, stalling its escape behind the horizon, I see another plane frozen in the sky slightly ahead of us, beating us, indifferently flaunting the majesty of the parallel streams in its trail.

Like a yawning peacock, fanning its tail at cooing tourists, it casually gives permission to stare at how effortless it is to be graceful and humble and beautiful.

"Why don't you be beautiful too? Can't you see how easy I make it look?

Now eat my dust."

This is not a race.

There are no television cameras or radio commentators or photographers secretly hoping for a career making collision. No one is cheering along for victory.

Well....

Not on my flight anyway.

But I reckon that's because we're losing.

title: I found this old short incomplete story I wrote a few year back. Interested in any feedback. It's called "Flying high".

question: Why is the narrator questioning if anyone is around them?

answer: They don't see anyone with peculiar traits, which means every one is acting the same. This may make them feel alone and feel like no one is actually around them.

question: What is meant by "non-existent idiosyncrasies"?

answer: The narrator seems to be taking note of the people nearby, and doesn't see anyone with peculiar traits. It's possible they think everyone is the same, and feel alone due to this.

question: Why is the narrator going to Chicago?

answer: That information can't be found. It's possible they are returning home or going on vacation.

question: What is the narrator takeaway about the plane they spot on their flight?

answer: The narrator sees their plane and the other as in a race, where the other is beating their plane. They see no one is really paying attention or cheering for their plane, but supposes this is because they're losing.

question: What kind of night did the narrator have before the flight?

answer: He went partying it seems, and had a fun night.


text:
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., Feb. 8 (UPI) -- A Florida who man saw an iguana get itself stuck in a chain-link fence recorded his two-minute attempt to rescue the distressed lizard.

The man, named Tobias, dons a pair of gloves in the video before handling the iguana and working to free it from the fence in Miami-Dade County.

Tobias, whose rescue video was posted on YouTube, explains the iguana tried to run through the fence when he "spooked" the creature and it ended up stuck about halfway through one of the fence's holes.

The man's efforts to gently pull the iguana out of the fence prove fruitless, but another person soon arrives with a tool Tobias uses to cut through the metal.

Tobias is then able to free the iguana from the larger hole and the lizard scurries away.

question: What is the article about?

answer: A Florida man named Tobias freeing an iguana stuck in a chain-link fence.

question: How did the iguana get stuck?

answer: It was trying to run through the fence when Tobias "spooked" it and it got stuck.

question: How did Tobias free the iguana?

answer: He tried to pull it gently and failed, so another man arrived with tools which Tobias used to cut through the metal.

question: What happens to the lizard?

answer: Once Tobias frees it from the fence it scurries away.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Tobias is a Florida man who accidentally spooked a lizard into getting stuck in a fence. He tried to pull the lizard out gently with gloves, but he needed tools to cut through the metal of the fence in the end. Once he frees the lizard of its trap, it scurries away.