text:
I was lying on my bed, far too tired to actually get into a comfortable position so I just lay there and began to drift off.
When suddenly, there was a darkness. I immediately knew that I was no longer awake. Still, I stayed in this state of mind.
I was laying there, arms hanging off my bed, head slouching in this dream world that took place in my room.
The darkness began to engulf my room. Beginning with the far corner opposite of the door.
My bed, where I was laying, was in the middle of room. As I quickly noticed that the darkness would soon snatch me, I lazily, though rather quickly, got up and ran for my parents room.
Once there, I noticed my mother was sleeping on the bed. I went to lie next to her. I felt a warmth, as only a mother could provide in such a time.
Suddenly, her touch turned from warm to spine-chilling. It was the darkness!
At this point, the darkness began to scare the living hell out of me, so at that moment, I gathered all the power I could and forced myself awake!
And as I woke up, I knew that I was once again safe from the darkness.

title: I'm very new to writing. This is actually something I wrote in about 5 minutes. The Darkness.

question: Why did the narrator force themself awake?

answer: The darkness that began to engulf his room began to scare the narrator.

question: Why couldn't the narrator get into a comfortable position in bed?

answer: The narrator was far too tired.

question: When did the narrator begin to feel safe again from the darkness?

answer: As the narrator woke up.

question: Why did the narrator run to their parent's room?

answer: Narrator noticed that the darkness would soon snatch them.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator lays in bed trying to get comfortable but as they drift off, the darkness begins to engulf the room. The narrator gets scared and forces himself awake to feel safe.


split: train

text:
The sunset cast a pink glow over the horizon. The last few rays stretched across the ocean, casting small shadows on the grains of sand like tendrils creeping from the water. The tendrils kept stretching and stretching as the light slowly faded from view. A man sat on the beach, these tendrils slowly sneaking towards him. His foot shifted, breaking the illusion as he leaned back. The sand softly clinked against the bottle of wine to his right and scraped against the pistol to his left.

The mans name was unimportant. He was easily forgettable. He could blend into a crowd, disappear into the night. He was the guy in the apartment building, in 8B, who you pass every day. Who stares longingly at you as you walk buy but as far as you'd be concerned he's just a part of the tacky wallpaper. But he's always there whether you realize it or not.

This feature of his was excellent in this case. Sitting on a beach in Florida, he was unnoticed by the countless runners and late tourists watching a sunset on a clear summer evening. As the last few stragglers went back to their homes and hotels, the man sat up straight. He grasped the bottle of wine, letting a few mouthfuls of the drink slide down his throat before wiping the bottle down and tossing it into the bushes.

He stood up, the sand filling the void between his toes, as he slowly walked to the pier. Sitting out of view behind a support beam he waited. There was now no light in the sky. The faint glow of the city behind him made the waves visible but if anything was out there it was lost in the inky blackness. But a faint dot could be made on the horizon, a tiny light that could be easily mistaken as a star low on the horizon but the man knew better. He had dealt with this light before.

As the light slid across water, he followed. Walking down the beach and wading through water, all the while making sure the pistol was kept dry. He followed it for what felt like hours, his heartbeat pounding in his ears and his mind filled with anticipation. Eventually it came towards land, near a marina. Hiding behind a pillar once again, the man made sure the gun was loaded and the safety off. The boat grew near, the lights now completely on instead of hiding in the background.

Another man, a Cuban, jumped off the boat, mooring her to the pier and made sure the locks were all locked tight. As he turned to leave he was faced by a man with a cocked pistol pointed squarely at his head. The Cuban could almost see the hollowpoint 9mm round lurking in the barrel. He closed his eyes. A loud pop was heard, birds scattered, and you could hear a thud as his body slumped to the wooden deck. The man quietly slipped away into the night, the black enveloping him.

The police arrived a few hours later, shooing the critters away trying to feast on the Cuban. They checked his pockets, retrieving the keys to his boat and climbed aboard. They found a hollow compartment and using the keys, popped the lock. Inside it was filled with water, they were about to close it when a hand slowly rose to the surface.

After digging through the Cubans information they realized he went by a name that was respected out of fear in the Cuban community. The Coyote. A man who profited off the love of others by smuggling people out of Cuba and into the United States. They identified the remains, 12 in all, in the compartment and looked up their relatives. A stack of files with photos attached sat on a detectives desk as he worked through them. Considering their motive and wondering if they were the man that killed the Coyote.

However in that stack of files was a man. A man who had lost his family to the Coyote. A man who had killed the Coyote. A man who blended into the background, slipping out of reality and disappearing once again into the dark. And as the file was eventually placed into the cold cases, waiting for a solution that would never come, the Man sat smiling on a chair in his small apartment. A man who raised his gun to his temple and pulled the trigger.

title: A Man

question: What would be different if the man had never lost his family to the coyote?

answer: He would not have been seeking revenge, and wouldn't have killed the coyote


text:
ZVB FBW 91U EU4A bus
The FBW 91U EU4A is a bus of the Swiss manufacturer Franz Brozincevic Wetzikon (FBW), from  Wetzikon.

 History and Development
The FBW 91U EU4A is a left-steered bus type used by various regional bus / transport companies in Switzerland. The body is from Hess. The FBW 91U EU4A has a luggage compartment, which is located directly behind the rear exit door and has a partition with a sliding door with glass panes. There are also seats in the luggage compartment.
In the Zugerland transport companies ZVB  (German: Zugerland Verkehrsbetrieben), these buses were mainly used on the mountain lines Zug-Ägeri (line 1) and Zug-Menzingen (line 2).
The ZVB buses were also equipped with split dispenser in front of the rear wheels in order to achieve better grip on snow and ice. These are as pure buses, as buses with the passenger trailer APE 4.80 or with the passenger trailer APE 4.80 and the luggage trailer AGP 3. These trailer were used already from the predecessor model the Saurer 5 DUK. With the purchase in 1975, together with the orange buses, which were held in VST unit paintwork, new ordered APE 4.80 trailers got also the orange paintwork. An FBW 91U EU4A of the ZVB is located in the Zug depot technology history (German: Zuger Depot Technikgeschichte).
 Data
 Pictures
File: APE 4 80 Personenanhänger ZVB Seite.jpg |ZVB passenger trailer APE 4.80
File: Gepäckanhänger ZVB.jpg| ZVB luggage trailer AGP 3

title: FBW 91U EU4A

question: What is the FBW 91U EU4A?

answer: A bus.

question: Who manufactures the FBW 91U EU4A?

answer: Franz Brozincevic Wetzikon (FBW).

question: Where is FBW based?

answer: Wetzikon.

question: What nationality is FBW?

answer: Swiss.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about the FBW 91U EU4A, a bus from Switzerland manufactured by FBW Franz Brozincevic Wetzikon in Wetzikon.


text:
I read an article about Millennials the other day. No, not the one about the billionaire startup founder or the other one about the entitled brat willing to trade getting fired to publicly make her point.

The headline said Millennials "feel more working class" than any other generation. While it caught my eye, I almost skipped it. I have Millennial-bashing fatigue.

If I'm feeling that worn out, I can only imagine how actual Millennials feel--stereotyped, put down, and possibly a little embarrassed about the more visible and vocal members of their generation who can't seem to get out of their own way. The two extremes most often reported about this generation fail to deliver any real career perspective, but this piece was different. It had data!

_The Guardian_ and Ipsos MORI (a U.K.-based market research firm) analyzed social survey data and found 56.5 percent adults in the U.S. aged 18 to 35 (approximately 80 million) describe themselves as working class. Further, this percentage has "fallen in almost every survey conducted every other year, dropping from 45.6 percent in 2002 to a record low of 34.8 percent in 2014."

Is this real or proof of Millennials' lack of understanding about what working class is?

It turns out that the decline in earnings is real in absolute terms (when the numbers are adjusted for factors such as inflation), and the trend goes beyond just the U.S. A related study by _The Guardian_ found, "in seven major economies in North America and Europe, the growth in income of the average young couple and families in their 20s has lagged dramatically behind national averages over the past 30 years." The combined factors of college loan debt, limited jobs, rising home prices, and changing demographics result in financial inequality between generations.

This study is surprising because there have been such significant advancements in technology and health that it would seem logical for income to tag along. It's also surprising because of the persistent media dialogue about Millennials and success. Articles tend to focus on one of two common themes: Millennials are brilliant and worthy of our admiration as they sit atop exceptionally popular startup companies, _or_ Millennials are frustrated and fretting about their hardships and the painful amount of time they perceive that it takes to rise to the top.

What is missed in these frequent stories is that Millennials face some real concerns and challenges that their predecessors didn't, and, as a result, the rest of us don't fully appreciate.

It got me thinking about how we each place ourselves on the broad spectrum of financial well-being and career opportunities, regardless of generation. Part of this personal assessment comes from reading the economic studies and part comes from asking ourselves the question, "Am I better off than my parents were at my age?"

Whether you consciously ask this of yourself or not, the answer to this question in our minds has to be a resounding YES to feel like you're on a generally upward trend. Increasingly, Millennials answer NO. They feel stuck in place or in a downward spiral.

As a Generation X-er toiling away at my computer on the sidelines of these generational debates, I'm left with two main takeaways. First, there is truth to some of the concerns raised by Millennials about the economic challenges they face. While their claims come across as whiny at times, I'd miss the bigger point--and the opportunity to engage with them differently--if I stopped listening. Also, it feels like the breakout success of some Millennials has put real success out of reach for others.

I'd encourage Millennials out there to consider three things:

1.  First, DON'T GIVE UP. Quitting a low-paying job that you otherwise love feels, to me, like quitting on possibility. Who knows what the future will bring, maybe a promotion or a significant job transfer? And if you quit, what are you going to do? You'll be in an even worse position to affect change.
2.  This leads to the second consideration: THE NUMBERS DON'T HAVE TO DEFINE YOU or your peers. There are decades remaining in your professional lives to reimagine what your economic future looks like. It's a massive task, but one that your truly creative, status quo-challenging generation is well equipped to tackle.
3.  Don't wait for someone to call or to reach out with something important. Instead, empower yourself toLEAD FROM WHERE YOU ARE. No boss's sign-offs needed. You approve you. Know that it's you, and know the time is now. Granting yourself permission to move forward with your ideas is freeing and powerful.

I believe the vast majority of Millennials will have careers--great careers, in fact--that they'll be able to pull off in spite of the economic challenges they face today. This generation's persistence and resourcefulness could result in nothing less.

question: What classifies a person as Generation Millennial?

answer: Born between 1981 and 1996.


text:
Hey Everyone,

First post of hopefully many. I've never written for fun until May 2014, 22 and I've never really read for fun either. Somewhere I would definitely like to improve :) So I've set a goal to write a short story book ~1000 words each... Hopefully less. They are kind of out there and I never wish to offend anyone. All the same, I would like to share my favorites for your enjoyment.

Without further adieu...

                          The Situation Room

"General bring me the launch codes." President Henry Marshall said to General Ford with a reluctant look on his face.
**There has to be another way. It can't end like this; all the innocent people, the waste land it will create. The damn thing hasn't even been tested yet!** -  The President thought to himself as the General went to the secure vault that was located underneath the Situation Room.
**One year in and already bombing the American people. You'll surly go down in history as the most insane President there ever was. The people can't even know why we did what we did to stop it. Whatever it was, it had to be stopped... Motherfucker over there, look at him. He doesn't even care that we're bombing humanity, let alone our people. You can see it in his stupid smirk. The one so faint that if I wasn't trained so heavily in hostage integration... I might have missed it**.

						-

**I can't believe he is issuing the order. I've only dreamed that our administration would fire a Nuke.** - General Ford was a 57 year old retired Infiltrate. Terrorize. Neutralize team or I.T.N for short. They were the ones to start the war in Canada. He was young, but under the command of Colonel Right they managed to take over Parliament while the Prime Minister and their version of General of Defense, were in the same place. They executed them, while the entire thing was being televised across the whole nation to show their people the impending doom that awaited them.

This team was so secret that nothing was ever recorded. Only three people knew about the operation; Colonel Right, Major Ford and then President Meed. With the nation down, President Meed could release an arsenal of top secret nuclear bombs on Canada that left the land virtually eradicated but not radioactive. Perfect for if you want to take over a nation and use its resources. But the Canadian people are strong people and the use of nuclear weapons alone was not able to defeat them. Even with the might of the American Forces they could not advance the troops. The war was inevitably lost.

Major Ford was forced to keep what happened a secret not only because he was sworn to secrecy from the beginning but also because the new government. The one that took over the war 6 years after it started and ended it the 4 years after. The same government he blames for losing the war, was imprisoning and sentencing the ones who were in the know at the beginning of the war to death. Which just wouldn't do for him. He was only 43 at the time and had so much more he wanted to experience. He had to keep it a secret. It would have been harder if Right and Meed didn't already perish during the war. He just had to deal with his conscience and understand that absolutely no one can know what happened.

This bit of stress has caused him to become the well trained, hidden psychopath he is now at present time July 29, 2038.

General Ford was the presidents right hand man for military tactics. He has been working his way up to this job since the day the war started; the war he started. President Marshall would have executed him himself if he would have known who General Ford really was. With this job came great and grave responsibilities not only did he over see the construction of the new GUF-6778 or "Holy fuc...... then your vaporized bomb". He also is the one that can access the half the codes. These are the ones that he is bringing the President now. The other half are being brought to him by the Secretary of State in a few minutes. General Ford is the only one to know the 19 digit code for the safe that housed the 28 digit code that is half of the full launch sequence to fire only one nuclear weapon. It only had to be the one bomb though. The GUF-6778  was what was created after tweaking the  MH3.141 which was used to cripple Canada. The MH3.141 was a 75 megaton fusion bomb that left no radiation, only a burnt up nation lying in ruins. Which was hoped to be ripe for the picking.

						-

As he brought the codes to the President, there was a look in his eye. A one of reluctant disgust, it was very subtle, but to General Ford it came in loud and clear.

"Here you are President, are you sure this is the best option. I'm sure that this will work but I'm not convinced that you are." General Ford said to President Marshall if only to cover his tracks so the blame couldn't be fully his.

"I'm not entirely thrilled that we are bombing the Nation I hold so dear in my heart. There's no other option that I can think of or that has been brought to my attention. If we don't do something now the entire world will be at stake and I'm willing to take all the heat that is going to come my way. We can't let anyone know our intentions after this happens. They can't know that our systems were able to be cracked without our knowledge. A country or worst some genius with a laptop could break in and start World War 4 on our watches and we just can't have that happen. It must stop here and now."  The President was now addressing the entire Situation Room  at this point with fury in his voice.
As the President watch the General input his numbers and letters in across the ways at the same time that he was inputting his, which had to be inputted within 10 seconds of one another, he could remember thinking to himself as he has always been a devout atheist.

**God help us all**.

The End

title: [RF]/[MS] The Situation Room

question: What does the text say about what has happened to Canada?

answer: The U.S. apparently started a war with Canada sometime prior to the start of the story. An Infiltrate, Terrorize, Neutralize team took over the Canadian parliament and executed the Prime Minister and their equivalent of the General of Defense, and the entire event was televised. Special nuclear bombs were dropped on Canada which eradicated the land but did not leave it radioactive. However, the nuclear weapons were not sufficient, and in the end the Canadians were able to repel the American invasion.


text:
[Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Burlington Central's Rebecca Gerke (50) knocks down one of her early points over Kaneland center Bailey Crimmins (55) Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.]
Brian Hill

Caption

Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Burlington Central's Rebecca Gerke (50) knocks down one of her early points over Kaneland center Bailey Crimmins (55) Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.
[Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Burlington Central's Shelby Holt (12) slides between Kaneland center Bailey Crimmins (55) and guard Jamie Martens (3) Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.]
Brian Hill

Caption

Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Burlington Central's Shelby Holt (12) slides between Kaneland center Bailey Crimmins (55) and guard Jamie Martens (3) Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.
[Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Kaneland guard Camri Conley (5) slips up court past Burlington Central's Kayla Ross (4) Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.]
Brian Hill

Caption

Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Kaneland guard Camri Conley (5) slips up court past Burlington Central's Kayla Ross (4) Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.
[Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Kaneland head coach Ernie Colombe and his team watch as the season comes to an end Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.]
Brian Hill

Caption

Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Kaneland head coach Ernie Colombe and his team watch as the season comes to an end Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.
[Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Kaneland head coach Ernie Colombe consoles Kaneland center Bailey Crimmins (55) at the end of the game Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.]
Brian Hill

Caption

Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Kaneland head coach Ernie Colombe consoles Kaneland center Bailey Crimmins (55) at the end of the game Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.
[Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Kaneland center Bailey Crimmins (55) dives over Burlington Central's Rebecca Gerke (50) while they battle for a loose ball Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.]
Brian Hill

Caption

Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Kaneland center Bailey Crimmins (55) dives over Burlington Central's Rebecca Gerke (50) while they battle for a loose ball Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.
[Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Burlington Central's Rebecca Gerke (50) knocks down a shot by Kaneland guard Camri Conley (5) Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.]
Brian Hill

Caption

Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com Burlington Central's Rebecca Gerke (50) knocks down a shot by Kaneland guard Camri Conley (5) Friday at Burlington Central during the girls basketball game for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.

BURLINGTON – Kaneland knew what it had to do.

A fast start on both ends of the ball, but do what it could to try and take the Burlington Central crowd out of Friday's IHSA Class 3A Burlington Central Regional championship.   The Rockets stole every part of that idea.

Burlington Central jumped all over Kaneland with pressure defense from the opening tip off, to defeat the Knights, 49-30, to end Kaneland's season.

"I tip my hat to (Burlington Central)," Colombe said. "They locked us up really well defensively. Believe it or not, I was very pleased with the way we defended them for the most part. They just really took it to us defensively, and I told the girls that it wasn't a lack of effort or anything like that, but sometimes you just run into a really good team and have to tip your hat."

Kaneland (23-5) trailed by nine after one quarter and that Burlington Central (25-4) defensive pressure carried over into quarter No. 2.

The Rockets limited Kaneland (23-5) to just one, yes one, point the entire quarter. A free throw by Vanessa Gould at the 3:53 mark was the only ball the Knights saw go through the basket, which translated into a 29-9 halftime deficit.

Kaneland had a difficult time offensively for most of the night, but the frustration culminated in that second quarter when the lead grew to an eventual insurmountable amount.

Burlington Central point guard Kayla Ross ignited the stellar defensive effort that forced 19 Kaneland turnovers, 13 of which came in the first half. Ross's job? Do what she could to contain Knights' senior point guard Camri Conley.

Conley scored all five of her points in the fourth quarter, once the game was well out of reach.

"They just played such good pressure defense," Conley said. "Anything that they are normally really good at, whether it was help side, double-teaming, pressuring the ball or rebounding, everything was just such good, straight-up defense. It made it very difficult for us tonight."

Colombe said his team's primary focus coming into the ballgame was to limit the 3-point shooting of the Rockets. Burlington Central made 11 3-pointers in its semifinal win over Rochelle, and the Knights held them to just three, on seven attempts Friday night.

"It's pick your poison with them," Colombe said. "We did a great job of limiting them there, but they found other ways to beat us and it really all started with their defense."

Kylie Modaff (two 3-pointers) and Bailey Crimmins led Kaneland with six points apiece in the loss.

question: What is the IHSA?

answer: It is the governing body that oversees this girls' basketball game.

question: What does Class 3A refer to?

answer: It is the grouping of teams that play against each other.

question: Summarize all the information relating to Kaneland.

answer: Kaneland Knights had to win the girls' basketball game against the Burlington Central Rockets in the IHSA Class 3A regional title match. Kaneland lost the match 49-30. Ernie Colombe, their coach, felt that his team defended well, but that Burlington Central was a really good team. Kaneland had a difficult time defensively and in the second quarter the lead grew insurmountable. Colombe said his team's primary focus coming into the game was to limit the 3-point shooting of the Rockets. He noted that they found other ways to beat them.

question: Summarize all the information relating to Burlington Central.

answer: Burlington Central played against Kaneland in the IHSA Class 3A regional title match. They jumped all over Kaneland with pressure defense from the opening tip off. They defeated Kaneland 49-30. Burlington Central point guard Kayla Ross ignited the stellar defensive effort by containing Knights' senior point guard Camri Conley.

question: What is the relationship between Kaneland and Burlington Central?

answer: They are rival for the IHSA Class 3A regional title.

question: Who is Colombe?

answer: Kaneland head coach Ernie Colombe.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Kaneland Knights lost to the Burlington Central Rockets in their IHSA Class 3A regional title match, thereby ending the Knights' season. The Rockets applied pressure defense that restricted the senior point guard of the Knights.


text:
CHARLOTTE AGELL; a Swedish-born American; was born in 1959. Agell is an author for young adults and children who currently lives in Maine. Her second novel; _Shift;_ was featured on the front cover of the Brunswick _Times Record_ in October 2008. In addition to working on novels and children's books, Charlotte Agell also teaches in Maine.[1]

Agell also wrote and illustrated picture books for young children.[2]

Biography

Early life

Agell was born in Norsjö, Sweden, on September 7, 1959.[3][4] She is the daughter of businessman Christer L. Agell and artist; Margareta “Meta” McDonald.[5] Her great-grandfather, Hugo K. Segerborg, was the director of Royal Swedish Academy of Arts.[6] When asked about her childhood, Agell said, “somebody always handed me art supplies.”[7] Her family moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada; when she was two years old; where her Brother, Karl Agell and sister, Anna Agell were born. She attended Carlyle Elementary school[8] where she learned English Language and listened to tales of Maine from Anglo-Canadian and Franco-Canadian friends.[9] She became enamored with Maine hence wrote a story set in Halibut, Maine; a fictional town in which she imagined herself as her protagonist, a ruddy-cheeked boy catching fish for dinner.[10]

At the age of eleven, Agell's family moved from Canada back to Sweden (where they stayed briefly) and then to Hong Kong . She graduated from a Lutheran mission school; Hong Kong International School;[11] which she said was affiliated with an open-minded ecumenical church.[12]

As a compromise with her mother, Agell applied to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, for early acceptance. Instead of leaving school for a hitch-hiking stint with her boyfriend, she left Hong Kong and arrived in Maine in 1977. She felt an immediate sense of home and has lived in the state ever since. Recalling her childhood story, she wonders if she'd “written herself into the state.”[13]

Agell graduated from Bowdoin College in 1981, where she studied art[14] and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education.[15] She later earned a teaching certificate from the University of Southern Maine, and a master's degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1986.[16]

Agell became a naturalized citizen of the United States in the 1990s.[17]

Agell taught multilingual and multicultural education at Portland High School, Portland, ME[18] and lived in several Maine towns before settling in Brunswick with her husband Peter J. Simmons, an arts administrator and master gardener. She and Peter have two children, Anna and Jon.[19]

Along with her work as a writer and illustrator, Agell is a teacher in the gifted and talented language arts program at Harrison Middle School in Yarmouth .[20] She says she's found her “tribe” with middle-schoolers.[21] She has also conducted workshops for youths and adults at various literary events throughout the state,[22] including the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts[23] in Deer Isle. She was also a member of Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance.[24]

Literary works

_DANCING FEET_ (1994) is a rhyming story about the function of feet, hands, noses, legs and mouths.[25][26] The text is matched with watercolor illustrations that depict similarities and differences of people from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and reflecting Agell's interest in multicultural education.[27][28][29] One reviewer found the drawings range from the “suggestively simple to excessively cartoonish.”[30] However, other reviewers found the book enjoyable to read and a good choice for story hour.[31] Recommended for ages 3–7.[32]

_TO THE ISLAND_ (1999) and _UP THE MOUNTAIN_ (2000) both features four friends: Dragon, Cat, Chicken and Rabbit who spend time together exploring their surroundings.[33][34] In _To the Island_, recommended for ages 3–5, the four friends venture to a nearby island for a picnic. The story is described by Donna Gold of the Portland Press Herald as “neither silly nor solemn,”[35] with a text suitable for beginning readers and illustrations that, through use of vibrant colors, depict a happy time spent with friends.[36][37][38]

In Agell's _Up the Mountain_, the four set off on a rainy day to climb a mountain.[39][40] The adventure is, reportedly, “too mild for children at the upper end of the target audience”[41] (the four just basically walk to the top of the mountain and back), but reviewers agree the simple rhymes and the illustrations, conveyed in ink, watercolor and pastels, are suitable for young listeners.[42][43] Recommended ages 2–5.[44]

_WELCOME HOME OR SOMEPLACE LIKE IT_ (2003), Agell's debut novel,[45] is a semi-autobiographical story[46] told through the experiences of 13-year-old Aggie Wing. Aggie and her brother, Thorne, are faced with learning to cope with life in Ludwig, Maine after being dropped off there by their mother, a romance writer, who leaves to do research in Niagara Falls. The two children have moved a lot and must now learn to live with their 91-year-old grandfather.[47][48] Themes in the book include abandonment,[49] bravery,[50] community,[51] family[52] and discoveries of home.[53] Elsa Geskus, in _Childhood Education_, describes the book as a coming of age story [54] and Barbara Auerbach reports in the _School Library Journal_, the book has “strong and winning characters; excellent pacing; and a lazy, nostalgic setting.”[55] _Welcome Home or Someplace Like It_ has been compared with Polly Horvath's _The Canning Season_.[56] Recommended for ages 12 and up.[57]

Agell's dystopian[58][59] book, _SHIFT_ (2008), takes on an admittedly darker tone than her previous books,[60][61][62] written in the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that occurred in the United States on September 11, 2001.[63][64] Agell felt a sense of outrage that the U.S. government's response to those events. “Was this really my country bombing its way to peace? Wiretapping its citizens to protect their freedoms?” she wrote in an interview for Macmillan Publishers, “As someone who chose American citizenship on purpose, as an adult, I felt such a sense of betrayal. My country had been hijacked by a fear-mongering regime: ours. The whole thing had a surreal quality about it.”[65]

Agell channeled her anger into the novel, exploring themes such as personal freedom,[66] government control,[67][68][69] separation of church and state,[70][71] religion,[72][73] science[74] and evolution,[75] and identity,[76] as experienced by the 15-year-old protagonist, Adrian Havoc[77] who, with his sister Shriek, must somehow make sense out of a world that is “out of whack.”[78] The world they travel through in _Shift_ is the partially post-nuclear United Christian States[79] controlled by agents,[80][81] with similarities to _1984_ (George Orwell), _The Stand_ (Stephen King) and _The Road_ (Cormac McCarthy).[82]

Agell views _Shift_ as a cautionary tale.[83] Reviewers find the book thought-provoking and readable[84] for its intended young adult audience,[85] though some find the plot confusing[86][87][88] and take issue with the seemingly anti-Christian themes.[89][90] Agell disagrees with this sentiment, saying through her character Lenore, “God wants us to think.”[91][92] Agell finds it strange that, in the book and in real life, this idea stirs up controversy.[93] Agell wants her readers to learn to ask “what if” and develop the skills to think for themselves, regardless of their religious affiliations.[94][95]

In March 2011, _Shift_ was adapted for stage by Al Miller and performed as part of the Theater Project (a Young Company Production), in Brunswick, ME.[96][97]

Agell's _THE ACCIDENTAL ADVENTURES OF INDIA MCALLISTER_ (2010) focuses on the daily life of a fourth grade girl, India McAllister, growing up in a small town in Maine.[98] Themes of the book include adoption,[99][100] friendships,[101] breast cancer,[102][103] homosexuality[104][105][106] and divorce[107][108] which are interwoven throughout the book as ordinary occurrences in the young girl's life.[109] The text is accompanied by India's (Agell's) line drawings.[110] One reviewer criticized the book as too complicated, leaving unresolved most of the issues India encounters in the book.[111] Recommended for children ages 8–11, _The Accidental Adventure of India McAllister_ was named among the top ten GLBTQ books for young readers by the American Library Association's 2011 Rainbow Project.[112]

List of books published

Young adult novels

-   _Shift_
-   _Welcome Home or Someplace like It_

Picture books

-   _Mud, Sand, Snow_
-   _Maybe Tomorrow_
-   _The Sailor's Book_
-   _Mud Makes Me Dance in the Spring_
-   _I Wear Long, Green Hair in the Summer_
-   _Wind Spins Me Around in the Fall_
-   _I Slide into the White of Winter_ (this book and the 3 above are a quartet)
-   _Dancing Feet_
-   _I Swam With a Seal_
-   _To The Island_
-   _Up the Mountain_

Chapter Books

-   _The Accidental Adventures of India McAllister_

Selected talks and demonstrations

-   _Tell Me a Story: About Maine_, Atrium Art Gallery, University of Southern Maine Lewiston-Auburn Campus, Lewiston, ME (2013)[113][114]
-   _The Great Bangor Draw-Off_, Bangor Book Festival, Bangor Public Library Lecture Hall, Bangor, ME (2011)[115]
-   Maine Festival of the Book, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME[116]
-   Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance Holiday Book Sale, Rines Auditorium, Portland Public Library, Portland, ME (2010)[117]
-   _Children's Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr_, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, ME (2009)[118] (2010)[119] (2012)[120][121]
-   _Fall Writing Retreat (Instructor)_, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME (2005)[122] (2006)[123]
-   _Books & Blooms_, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, ME (2005)[124]
-   _Raising Readers Book Festival_, a celebration of winter and reading, Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, ME (2005)[125]
-   _Blueberries and Moose: A Festival of Maine Children's Literature_, Portland Public Market, Portland, ME (2004)[126]
-   _Writer-Illustrator Talk_, hosted by Yarmouth Arts, Yarmouth, ME (2004)[127]
-   _Family Arts Festival_, Brunswick, ME (2001)[128]
-   _Barbara Cooney Festival of Children's Book Illustration_, Round Top Center for the Arts, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta, ME (1999)[129]
-   _Full Circle Summer Fair_, Union, ME (1997)[130]
-   _South Freeport Congregational Church Summer Festival_, Freeport, ME (1996)[131]

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title: Charlotte Agell

question: Who is Charlotte Agell?

answer: A Swedish-born American author for young adults and children.

question: Explain what Agell does besides work on novels and books.

answer: She teaches a language arts program in Maine, where she also lives.

question: When did Agell become a naturalized citizen of the United States?

answer: In the 1990s

question: Who is Agell a daughter of?

answer: Of businessman Christer L Agell and artist Margareta McDonald.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Charlotte Agell is a Swedish-born American author for young adults and children. Besides working on novels, she teaches a language arts program.


text:
-   Buying and selling residential property

    As a general rule, if you're purchasing property with the intention of selling it, you will probably have tax to pay on any profit you make.

-   Renting out residential property

    Work out what income tax and GST there is to pay, and how to work with excess deductions, when you rent out residential property.

-   Commercial property - renting it out, buying and selling

    With commercial property, such as hotels, restaurants and cafés, you’ll need to manage GST, income tax and your residential rental expense deductions.

question: What is the general rule as far as buying of property to sell is concerned?

answer: The rule is that you will have to pay taxes on any profit you make.

question: What is the rule concerning taxes when renting out residential properties?

answer: The homeowner must find a way to work out what income tax and GST there is to pay.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: When renting out properties, regardless of whether it is for residential or commercial purposes, the owner must work out the amount of tax to pay to the government.


text:
Last year they wore rainbow laces and this year Sydney FC will step up their Mardi Gras support by walking onto the pitch behind a sea of rainbow flags. The Sky Blues will be the first club in A-League history to promote LGBTIQ inclusion at a professional game when they take on Melbourne Victory in Friday’s Big Blue, a day before the Sydney gay and lesbian Mardi Gras parade.

They’ll be led onto the field by players from Sydney Rangers FC, Australia’s first football club for gay men, and The Flying Bats Women’s FC, the world’s largest lesbian football club, carrying a large rainbow flag and waving eight smaller flags.

Captain Alex Brosque said raising awareness is an important step in tackling discrimination in football. “We have a multi-cultural and diverse community and supporter base at Sydney FC and we are committed to welcoming everyone into the Sky Blue family and to our games,” he said.

Sydney FC players will wear rainbow laces in their boots and 2,000 laces will be handed out to the crowd before the match. CEO Tony Pignata said he hopes other teams will follow their initiative. “The Sydney FC family is inclusive of everyone and we do not discriminate on account of gender or sexuality,” he said.

Friday’s game comes two weeks after Western Sydney Wanderers supporters were condemned for a homophobic banner depicting Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold performing oral sex. Fourteen members of the Red and Black Bloc had their Wanderers memberships suspended and the FFA fined the club $20,000.

Joseph Roppolo, Sydney Rangers president, said he hoped the sanctions would send a strong message, but unfortunately the club has still received homophobic and hateful comments on social media this week. “It’s clear we have a lot of work to do to change homophobic attitudes which are surprisingly still common and accepted as normal in sporting culture,” he said. “We deeply appreciate this latest support Sydney FC is showing to our community.”

question: What will Sydney FC do for this year's Mardi Gras?

answer: The club will walk onto the pitch behind a sea of rainbow flags.

question: What will the club accomplish by doing this?

answer: Syndey FC or "The Sky Blues" will be the first club in A-League history to promote LGBTIQ inclusion at a professional game.

question: Who are the Sydney Rangers FC?

answer: Australia's first football club for gay men.

question: What are the clubs from Sydney trying to accomplish?

answer: Syndey FC and Sydney Rangers FC are trying to raise awareness to tackle discrimination in football.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Australian football club Sydney FC will walk onto the pitch behind a sea of rainbow flags for this year's Mardi Gras to raise awareness on the issue of gender or sexuality discrimination in football. Sydney FC will be the first club in A-League history to promote LGBTIQ inclusion at a professional game.


text:
ANTON FLETTNER (November 1, 1885 – December 29, 1961) was a German aviation engineer and inventor.[1] Born in Eddersheim (today a district of Hattersheim am Main), Flettner made important contributions to airplane, helicopter, vessel, and automobile designs.[2][3][4]

After serving Germany in both World Wars, Anton Flettner emigrated to the United States post World War II as a consultant to the office of Naval Research at the United States Navy.[5]

Anton Flettner attended the Fulda State Teachers College in Fulda, Germany.[6] He was the village teacher in Pfaffenwiesbach from 1906 to 1909.[7] Flettner subsequently taught high school mathematics and physics in Frankurt, where he developed ideas that would assist Germany in World War I.[8]

Flettner revolutionized the art of harnessing the wind, used essentially in an unaltered form for thousands of years—the canvas sail—by a modern machine—the Flettner Rotor ship—that could permit ocean liners to reduce their crews by two-thirds and save 90 percent in fuel.[9][10]

World War I

From 1914 to 1918 Anton Flettner worked at the German Ministry for War in the development of remote controls for air, water, and land vehicles.[11] While employed under the aegis of Graf Zeppelin, Flettner also developed pilotless aircraft projects.[12][13]

At the age of 29, Flettner presented his first invention, a steerable torpedo, to the Kriegsmarine (German Imperial Navy) of World War I.[14] This, and his next invention, a remote-controlled combat car, which was presented to the Heer (German Army), were rejected because they were not considered to be technically feasible.[15] However, Flettner's efforts culminated in the prototype Siemens Schuckert Werke 1000 kg wire guided air to surface missile of 1918.[16]

During World War I, Flettner developed the servo tab / anti-servo tab.[17] The servo tab evolved into the “trim tab” which is still in use on all airplanes and many large vessels.[18][19] Trim tabs are extremely useful in moving large rudders on vessels with vastly reduced power.[20][21]

[The Flettner rotor ship _Buckau_|300px]

Post World War I

Following World War I, Flettner was named Managing Director of the Institute for Aero and Hydro Dynamics in Amsterdam.[22] He held that post until 1931.[23] In the 1920s, Flettner also invented the famous Flettner rotary ventilator, which was widely used on buses, vans, boats, railroad cars, campervans, and trucks to assist cooling without the use of energy.[24] Modern derivatives of his ventilator are still manufactured in Britain by Flettner Ventilator Limited.[25]

With assistance from Albert Betz (German physicist), Jakob Ackeret (Swiss aeronautical engineer), Ludwig Prandtl (German engineer), and Albert Einstein (German theoretical physicist), Anton Flettner constructed an experimental rotor vessel (Buckau later renamed the Baden-Baden) in October 1924 at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft.[26] The Buckau was a schooner refitted with two rotating 50-foot cylinders and was the first vessel built with a propulsion system based on the Magnus effect.[27] Flettner came upon the idea while at the beach with his wife.[28] Flettner used sand, flowing over his rotating hand, to describe the Magnus effect and realized its potential for sail propulsion.[29] The _Baden-Baden_ crossed the Atlantic in 1926.[30] It could outsail normal schooners under moderate to heavy winds, but it was destroyed by a storm in 1931.[31] A commercial ship, the _Barbara_ Rotor ship, was also built and sailed to the United States.[32]

In 1926, Anton Flettner shifted his focus to aviation in founding his own company, the Anton Flettner Aircraft Corporation in Berlin, aiming at the application of the Flettner-rotor as a wing replacement on large wind turbines.[33][34] In 1935, Flettner built a German night reconnaissance and anti-submarine autogyro called the Fl 184.[35][36] Flettner followed this accomplishment by building the Flettner Fl 185 in 1936, an experimental German gyrodyne, which could fly as both a helicopter and as a gyroplane.[37]

In 1938 Flettner, together with Kurt Hohenemser, built the Flettner Fl 265.[38] The Flettner Fl 265 addressed the problem of torque compensation as the first helicopter with counter-rotating rotors (Flettner double rotor).[39] [Flettner Fl 265 model|300px]

World War II

During World War II, Anton Flettner headed Flettner Flugzeubau GmbH, which specialized in reconnaissance helicopters for the German Luftwaffe (Air Force).[40]

Flettner's helicopter inventions were financed from wealth acquired from his ventilator business, a company that was enhanced by the skill of his wife, Lydia Freudenberg Flettner.[41] Anton Flettner built his helicopters for the German military, primarily for navy spotter use. Although his wife was Jewish,[42] he held a personal relationship with the head of gestapo, Heinrich Himmler. Himmler had Flettner's wife and family escorted safely to Sweden for the duration of the war.[43] Anton Flettner's partner and confidant was Dr. Kurt Hohenemser, a brilliant and thorough engineer who developed the details necessary for the success of Flettner's helicopters.[44] Dr. Hohenemser's father was also Jewish, yet both remained unharmed during their tenure together throughout the war as they worked to develop the helicopter for military use.[45][46]

[Flettner Fl 282 “Kolibri” was an early variant of helicopter using two intermeshing rotors|300px]

While the final product, the Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri (“Hummingbird”), could be factory-assembled, Flettner and Hohenemser insisted that they were the only ones who were capable of assembling the complex intermeshing rotor gearbox assembly.[47] Plans for mass production of 1,000 Flettner Fl 282 helicopters by BMW were disrupted when allied forces bombed the designated factory.[48]

At least two other Flettner helicopters were under development when World War II ended.[49] They were the Flettner Fl 285, another reconnaissance helicopter with a two-hour flight limit and capacity to carry two small bombs, and the Flettner Fl 339, a large transport helicopter project designed for approximately 20 passengers.[50]

Photo gallery

Image:Flettner FL 282.jpg|Flettner Fl 282 _Kolibri_ helicopter Image:Hohenemser_letter.jpg|Letter from Dr. Hohenemser regarding his association with Anton Flettner (page 1 of 2) Image:Hohenemser_letter 001.jpg|Letter from Dr. Hohenemser regarding his association with Anton Flettner (page 2 of 2) Image:Vaixell de rotor Barbara.jpg|The rotor ship “Barbara” Image:Steering gear for vehicles flettner patent.png|Flettner's patent to a steering mechanism Image:Flettner pictures retouched.jpg|Flettner's boyhood home in Eddersheim, Germany. Anton Flettner is on the far right. Image:Flettner kolibri.gif|Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri Image:Eddersheim, Friedhof, Grab Flettner.JPG|Tomb of Anton Flettner Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-11248, Berlin, Eröffnung der Automobilausstellung.jpg|1931 photo of the Flettner-Krupp-Grosskraftwagen, the largest German truck, which is 15 tons. The payload and is 14 m long and it is powered by a 150 P.S. engine. Image:Flettner 282 airborne.jpg|Flettner Fl 282 during flight trials after World War II, with US markings

Post World War II

[Flettner meets Wernher von Braun] Upon the war's conclusion, Anton Flettner was held in the “Dustbin” interrogation camp at Kransberg Castle.[51] After 1945, Flettner, along with many other aviation pioneers, was brought to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip.[52] Flettner and his partner, Dr. Kurt Hohenemser, were among the first German emigrants into the United States after World War II.[53]

Flettner started Flettner Aircraft Corporation, which developed helicopters for the U.S. military.[54] In 1949, Flettner employed Kurt Hohenemser as a consultant to the Flettner Aircraft Corporation.[55] Flettner and Kurt Hohenemser, who together developed numerous patents in Germany, kept in close contact after both men emigrated to the United States.[56]

Flettner's company in the U.S. was not commercially successful, but his work was shared with the US Army Air Forces.[57] Throughout his 14 years in the United States, Flettner was active in carrying out research projects for the US Army, US Air Force, and the US Navy.[58]

Flettner became the chief designer of Kaman Aircraft and many of the Flettner design concepts are found in Kaman helicopters of later years.[59]

Today the Flettner rotor is in operation as a supplemental propulsion system for transport and research vessels.[60] There are two ships utilizing the concept of the Flettner rotor in a modified form, the turbosail Acyone developed by Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1985 and the E-Ship 1, a cargo ship that made its first voyage in 2010.[61][62][63] Albert Einstein praised the Flettner Rotor ship as having great practical importance.[64]

Anton Flettner's colleague and former partner, Kurt Hohenemser, worked his remaining years in the United States to prove Flettner's idea that properly designed flexible helicopter-type rotors are more suitable for producing electricity from the wind than rigid airplane-type rotors.[65] An offshore wind energy project announced in February 2017, involving Seawind Ocean Technology B.V., aims to demonstrate the wind energy applications put forth by Anton Flettner, Kurt Hohenemser, and Glidden Doman (American aeronautical engineer) in harsh wind and sea conditions.[66][67][68][69]

Anton Flettner died at age 76 in New York City on December 29, 1961.[70] Among his many distinctions, Anton Flettner was an honorary member of the American Helicopter Society and the Convertible Aircraft Pioneers.[71] Flettner's birthplace home and tomb are national historic protected monuments in Germany.[72]

[Flettner Rotor Aircraft (The Plymouth A-A-2004)|300px]

Aircraft built by Flettner Flugzeugbau GmbH

-   Flettner Fl 184[73]
-   Flettner Fl 185[74]
-   Flettner Fl 265[75]
-   Flettner Fl 282[76]
-   Flettner Fl 285[77]
-   Flettner Fl 339[78]

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[70] Anton Flettner; Hubschraubermuseum Bückeburg

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title: Anton Flettner

question: How many decades of experience did Flettner have as an aviation engineer?

answer: At least three decades. From 1914 when Flettner began his career inventing remote controls for land, water, and air vehicles, till the forties when he established his aircraft company in the U.S, where he designed helicopters for the U.S military.

question: What might have happened with Flettner if he remained a mathematics and physics teacher in Frankfurt?

answer: His outstanding inventions may have never been a crucial and significant contributor to the aviation industry, and he may not have become a world-renowned aircraft inventor and engineer.


text:
The night crept on the carousel as if light itself was on ‘paid stress leave.’ The fog lights exhausted their last sigh and sputtered to an abrupt stop. All the maintenance workers had gone home, and the gates locked up tighter than a mental institution on Mardi Gras. The winds gusted up swirls of dust and litter into mini-twisters and pummeled the walls of the Sea-House, eroding the seashells that were glued there last summer’s eve by the Sedgwick twins. Even though the stars and the moon upheld their false lie and pretended to illuminate the landscape, darkness and confusion rose from the horizon and swallowed all hope from the neighborhoods surrounding the park. The gulls, even, had been dismayed from their usual posts and sought refuge from the impending gloom. The waves and pulses of the ocean invaded the shore in a sort of perpetual attack on the land, and brought with them tidings from the sea. Although the clocks chimed six, the sun knew where its place was; hidden behind a veil of earth, cloud, trees, and the endless horizon of the land. The artificial horses and ponies of the carousel, with their glassy eyes and rounded, glazed knees, dimmed in their gloss, and fell to the night before them. The light wained away and succumbed to the starry sky. The queer dark draped over the park, and seeped into every imaginable nook and cranny. It climbed the lighthouse as if driven from its home by some unseen force, perhaps the light and dark trading spaces. Not even in the parks long history had it been so resentful, or so repressed by the dark judgment. The greasy, blackened wheels and hocks of the turn-wheel on the merry-go-round were all rusted and grimed out, yet still managed to produce an odd, familiar quality that would ring out in day or night. The paint on the twisting candy poles of the handles flaked and peeled, but still yielded a faint yet bright representation of the past. The Fun-House had some mirrors cracked and smashed, but still the music played on as if ignoring the fact that its prime had come and go a long time past.

The night had come before, no doubt about it, but this was different. This dark was penetrating, and intrusive. It dove deep into your thoughts and kept you from waking. It trickled through the cracks of everyones happiness and glee, yet caught the tangled web of the common fear of the unknown. This, truly, was not only the absence of light, but the knowledge that the light would never surface in the consciousness of this world again. The locks on the gate may keep people out, but more so, may keep change from also entering and destroying the pristine, never-changing persona of the Park on the Pier. They would click and lock, ringing a certain and yet distinct chime into the halls of time. Rusted and still strong, after years of abuse and torture brought on by years of wear and tear. Only one key, only one, could open these gates, and this key has seemed to slip away from those wanting in. Perhaps by mistake or perhaps by intent, the key just isn't there to satisfy those who want it the most. Beyond the gates, the ticket booth rots away, with its characteristic stained white and baby-blue paneling. It once stood firm and tall, loved for its colors and charm. Now it lays there, a shell of what it once was. A hollow record of the care-free times, with a physical reminder to the past, offering little in the way of mental rememberings.

The apartment complex that overlooked the acreage crumbled from the beating of time against its tough exterior, and although it stood tall and firm, it also took a familiar trait that of an empty reminder of the times that once were. The grimy, metallic walls dulled under the artificial lights, and the carpet accumulated a certain black muddy buildup, with a well-beaten flatness all around the edges and center. The stench of sweat and old cooking filled the halls, finding every wisp of fabric and corrupting it beyond repair. The elevators, every now and again, would grumble to life and serve its ever-knowing masters, only to return to the dark underworld of the basement. Their purpose: to willfully accept and blindly serve those whoever wished of their services, only to be cast off to a dark and unseen chamber, where others of its kind were held, waiting eagerly to serve the cruel masters. The hallways especially were a transform from a wonderful earlier go. The plaster on the ceilings and walls lifted at the simplest of touches, and the doors at the end of the hall, although never touched, still gathered the mold and filth abundant in this post-Victory Mansion era dwelling. The doorknobs, with their own locks, were the only shining pieces in this terrace, but even then, dust and sweat deteriorated the state of the knobs to near replacement. The lights flickered an orange halo reminiscent to that of a deranged traffic light. The peepholes on the doors themselves were grimy and had built up the blackened carbon around the splotty edges. Through the peephole, down at the end of the third hallway, room 324 sleeps. It sleeps because there is no one to wake it. Room 324 has no furniture and no tenants. It is simply waiting for its tenants to return, their arms full of tidings and gifts. Room 324, with its open windows and bedroom doors widely ajar, opens its eyes to the morning sun. Room 324, and the whole apartment complex for that matter, is on an expansive hill, overlooks the coastal town of Mayfair, CA. But in its immediate backyard lies a quiet and subtle inkling of a meadow. The meadow faces the sun when it rises, as to catch the sun before anyone else in Mayfair.

In this meadow, a single car, windows broken and smashed long ago, lay undeterred and untouched for what might seem an eternity. The hood, crumpled from a collision, had been the subject of abuse and battery from the local teenagers for as long as the car had remained there. Blackened by fire, the car may seem like all hope is lost, but the glass from the windows and windshield lay undisturbed on the grassy meadow surrounding the car. The glass reflects and magnifies the incoming morning sunlight, pushing forth a notion of one last stand against the forces of darkness and despair. The sun rises from above its alcove of retainment, and pushes with it one last beacon of hope in the darkness.

**But with that statement, I have come to realize one thing, and that is the hope is always there; just because your eyes haven't adjusted to the darkness, doesn't mean the light is never coming back.**

title: [Mayfair]

question: Explain what is meant by this sentence: "The glass reflects and magnifies the incoming morning sunlight, pushing forth a notion of one last stand against the forces of darkness and despair".

answer: This might refer to an advantage the dark has; perhaps this sentence is there to emphasize the night as a sort of contrasting agent that is making the visibility if the light possible. Also, this is significant because the car, a symbol of the destruction of metals as well as (possibly) of human life, and yet it is simultaneously a symbol of hope. What is unclear in the passage is whether or not the light is coming from dusk or from dawn, but one is more inclined to believe it is dawn, as it feels emergent.

question: What is meant by the simile "...as if light itself was on paid stress leave"?

answer: "Paid stress leave" implies that the night is relieving the day of its duties. There is something liturgical about the nature of the night, as if it operates not out of empathy but out of obligation. There is also the feeling that night's presence is urgently needed, that maybe it is never fully prepared to take on the duties of the day, but that it is competent at concealing the things that the day left undone.


text:
This new tutorial takes users through the amazing process of using a 3DS MAX SCRIPT called SUBSPLINE, by SPLINEDYNAMICS.

SUBSPLINE script works mainly with splines, and allows users to CREATE AN ARRAY OF DIFFERENT SELECTIONS, MATERIAL IDS and ID PATTERNS WITH GREAT EASE.

Users have UNIQUE SPLINE FUNCTIONALITIES such as to, SET ID PATTERNS, COPY/PASTE ID NUMBERS, SELECT ID RANGE, RANDOMIZE IDS, REVERSE IDS, RANDOMIZE IDS AND MUCH MORE.

I really hope you find the tutorial useful, like, comment and share it.

P.S: TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE

ALSO, please Join my PATREON page or my GUMROAD page to download other Courses; Project files; Watch more Videos and receive TECHNICAL SUPPORT. Finally, check my New channels below:

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IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGIES & DESCRIPTIONS:

 3D RENDERING: Is the process of converting the three dimensional (3D) data seen in a 3d scene into 2D image/s (rasterized).
The rasterization process include, the rendering parameters, the rendering engine, lights, 3d models, textures, shaders, and other effects.
3D renders can be a sequence of animated objects/effects/cameras, or a single frame with a still camera and object/s.
Some of the articles, Videos and Tutorials depicted here will take you through the process of rendering.
PHOTOREALISTIC RENDERING: Is the Process or Art of making a typical Computer Generated Image/render (CGI) look indistinguishable from a real photo.
To achieve this, users often need to possess the skills and the"eye" to appreciate good photography, cameras, composition, lighting, shaders, materials, 3d modelling, rendering and have some post-production skills.
Some of the articles, Videos and Tutorials depicted here will help you achieve truly photorealistic renderings.

POST-PRODUCTION: Is the process of creating effects or/and results after/post the main process.
This terminology can be used to describe the results (post-production) of main processes such as 3d renderings  and/or filming a scene.
The post-production often takes place in applications such as Photoshop, After Effects, Nuke, etc.
Some of the articles, Videos and Tutorials depicted here will take you through the process.

ARCHITECTURAL RENDERING, or architectural illustration/VISUALIZATION, is the art/process of creating two-dimensional images or animations depicting the attributes of an architectural design, while using state of the art applications such as, Autocad, 3ds max, VRay, Cinema 4d, Blender, Maya, Corona, Photoshop, etc
Some of the articles, Videos and Tutorials depicted here will take you through this amazing process.

TEXTURES: Is a term often used to describe photographed  2d images to be later used in a toggle of a shader or procedural map.
Textures can be used in the Diffuse toggle, Reflect, Glossy effects, Bump, Displacement, etc.

Some of the articles, Videos and Tutorials depicted here will take you through the process of applying textures.

MATERIALS: Is a term often used to describe maps, textures,procedural maps or shaders, depending on the context the term is being used.
Some of the articles, Videos and Tutorials depicted here will take you through the process of applying materials.

PROCEDURAL MATERIALS: Is a term often used to describe maps with editable/proprietary parameters/functions.
Some of the articles, Videos and Tutorials depicted here will take you through the process of applying procedural materials.

SHADERS: Is a term often used to describe complex materials with functions and procedural maps created for a specific purpose.
Some of the articles, Videos and Tutorials depicted here will take you through the process of applying shaders.

ARCHITECTURAL RENDERING, or architectural illustration/VISUALIZATION, is the art/process of creating two-dimensional images or animations depicting the attributes of an architectural design, while using state of the art applications such as, Autocad, 3ds max, VRay, Cinema 4d, Blender, Maya, Corona, Photoshop, etc
Some of the articles, Videos and Tutorials depicted here will take you through this amazing process.

STUDIO LIGHTS are fundamental in the process of creating appealing images/renders.
The overall lighting determines not only the brightness and the darkness; but also the tone, mood and the atmosphere of a scene.
Hence the importance to control and manipulate the lights accordingly, in order to fully capture the textures and the vibrancy of your objects.
By distributing the shadows and the highlights accurately, you can achieve truly appealing images/renders.
Some of the articles, Videos and Tutorials depicted here will take you through the process of creating and applying Studio Lights.

V-RAY: Is a rendering engine that uses global illumination algorithms, including path tracing, photon mapping, irradiance maps and directly computed global illumination.

Furthermore, it is used as a commercial plug-in for third-party 3D computer graphics software applications such as 3ds max, Maya, Houdini, Blender, Nuke, etc,  for visualizations and computer graphics in industries such as media, entertainment, film and video game production, industrial design, product design and architecture.

3DS MAX: Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio and 3D Studio Max, is a professional 3D computer graphics program designed to create 3D animations, models, games and images.

In addition, it has modelling, animation and movie effects capabilities, frequently used by video game developers, TV commercial studios and architectural visualization studios.

3ds Max also features shaders, dynamic simulations, particle systems, plug-ins, and much more, with its own scripting language.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP: Photoshop is a powerful raster based graphics program produced by the Adobe Corporation.

It is widely used for a variety of photo/image editing purposes worldwide. The program has a huge number of filters, functions, plug-ins, scripts, etc.
In addition, there is a huge online support for this software, and countless online sites with tips and tutorials.
Finally, there are readily available books, online/college courses, and its full documentation at Adobe.com

A 3D VISUALISER works within the realm of 3d visualization, a sector of the Computer Graphics Industry (or CGI) that is primarily concerned with the visual presentation of design concepts and ideas. And a company within the 3d visualisation sector offers to its customers (among many things) 3d Visualization Services.

INTERIOR DESIGN is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building or/and a space to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable environment for those using the space.

An INTERIOR DESIGNER is someone who plans, researches, coordinates, and manages such projects. Interior design is a multifaceted profession that includes conceptual development, space planning, site inspections, programming, research, communicating with the stakeholders of a project, construction management, and execution of the design.

RETAIL REAL STATE are properties developed/catered for Entertainment and Shopping Purposes.

These include Shopping Centers (or Malls), Clothing Stores, Cinemas, etc.

question: What is Post-Production?

answer: It is a process of creating effects, and perhaps results, after the main process is complete. It is a term that can be used to describe the results of main processes such as 3d renderings and filming a scene. Common apps used for post-production include Photoshop, After Effects, Nuke, and more.

question: What are Textures?

answer: Textures describe photographed 2d images to be used later in a toggle of a shader or a procedural map. Textures can be used in the Diffuse toggle, Reflect, Glossy effects, Bump, Displacement, etc.

question: What is the purpose of this glossary?

answer: The article mentions that the purpose of this glossary is to familiarize readers with useful terminology for using a 3DS Max Script called Subspline. It is meant not just as a glossary, but also as a tutorial. This is supported by the mention of articles, Videos and Tutorials at the mention of every glossary entry. The terms are defined as technically as possible.

question: What is Adobe Photoshop for?

answer: Photoshop is a powerful raster based graphics program. The article mentions it is made by the Adobe Corporation. In the glossary entry for Photoshop, it also discusses how it is used for image editing. It mentions the online support for the software, the large number of filters and plugins, and where to go to find documentation (Adobe.com). Photoshop is used by Subspline for processes such as Architectural Rendering, and Post-Production.


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What happens when a reporter calls your charity? Does everyone at your organization dive under their desks, hoping that they won’t be asked to speak on television, or give an interview?

I know I used to run from calls from reporters. But that was before I really understood what made a good story. Media relations isn’t just reacting to current events or crises. It’s about thoughtfully crafting compelling stories that reporters will be interested in covering. And with charities averaging 2 media hits per week, there is ample opportunity to tell your charity’s story.

Small organizations are uniquely positioned to address issues at the local level, but can be intimidated, and sometimes outshone by larger organizations. Sometimes it feels like smaller charities just can’t compete with those large healthcare and arts budgets. But it’s really a myth that you need to invest a lot of money to see your name in the headlines.

The truth is you can easily run a good media relations program on a shoestring. You don’t need a big budget, but what you do need is a good story and a solid strategy.

1. Publish research, reports or whitepapers

If your charity leads research, or publishes reports and whitepapers, you can turn these into news stories that reporters might just pick up on. Do you have new statistics? Controversial public opinion polling numbers? White papers about your position on a particular topic? These are excellent starting points to build a newsworthy story from.

Keep in mind, your research or whitepaper is not the story itself. The story is in how it connects to real life people, the work that you do, and the position you are taking. So don’t just put out a press release saying “we published this.”

2. Take a stance

Advocacy can be a tricky realm for charities. With limits around charities’ participation in advocacy, taking a firm stance on an issue can seem risky, but it’s a great way to grab a reporter’s attention.

Is there an issue your charity is strongly in favour of, or are completely opposed to? This is an especially effective tactic if the particular issue is already top of mind. When your cause is in the news, reach out to reporters covering the issue, and write op-eds and blogs on your website to get the word out about your position.

3. Build relationships with and steward your media list

Remember, reporters and journalists are people with interests and passions. Start building relationships with the reporters on your media list.

You can apply a lot of the same tactics here that you’d use for traditional donor stewardship. Send thank you notes after a reporter covers your issue. Mail hand-written holiday cards, or share articles you’ve come across that might be of interest to that reporter. A little can go a long way, and will help you stay top of mind when reporters are looking for commentary on a particular issue.

4. Develop and tailor your pitch

If you’re looking for good quality media hits, paying for a wire service to publish your press release may not be the best investment. Instead, use a media pitching plan to make the most of your release.

Take a look at your media list, and craft personal emails to the journalists who you want to cover your issue. Media pitches are short and punchy, and get straight to the point. Give your journalists as much lead time as you can, and make sure your news is relevant to what they normally cover.

5. Tell a story

One of the most important tools in your media toolkit is the stories you have to tell. Media outlets are interested in real stories about real people. When you’re thinking of reaching out to the media, be sure to connect it to the story about one of your beneficiaries.

In my experience, journalists will always respond to a press release or pitch by asking if there is someone whose personal story they can tell. So preempt that by being prepared. Know which beneficiaries you can connect them with, and take the time to brief those beneficiaries on the release.

6. Think outside the traditional media box

When most people think about “the news,” I’ll bet there are a few formats that pop to mind: print/digital, TV, and radio. But with the advent of self-publishing platforms, there’s a huge opportunity to publish your own news stories.

Look into platforms like Huffington Post that accept guest writers and columnists, and start submitting your stories there. You can use these crowdsourced news platforms to supplement an existing media campaign, or as an alternative to traditional news outlets. The great thing about these platforms is you control the message completely by submitting entire articles, and you can even link back to your website or campaign.

question: Summarize the author's tactics for dealing with reporters.

answer: The author centers their discussion on generating positive press. If you have a small organization or cause that is your concern, you can drop nuggets of positive happenings for journalists to pick up and pursue. They also recommending building relationships with these reporters that will motivate them to pay the right kind of attention to your cause, and will help assure that you are involved in the pitch for the byline. Telling your own story is not entirely out of your hands when you're on board for more steps of the way than not.

question: Describe a type of event that could have controversial coverage and how the author would recommend putting a positive spin on the reporting.

question: Summarize the common thread throughout the advice in this article.

answer: The command thread is having control over your own press. By building relationships and controlling the information drops, you have better control over the flow of the coverage. Every news story has a narrative and you want this to be yours, as much as possible.

question: What does the author have to say about traditional news coverage?

answer: While traditional news coverage does still exist-the nightly news, or the paper-it has taken a backseat to more contemporary and viral methods of conveying and speculating on information. The formats have changed to platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and alternative media outlets. Because of these new pushes for accessible ways to both write and to consume media, there are more opportunities for guest writers and columnists.


text:
TIMOOTEE “TIM” PITSIULAK (10 March 1967 – 23 December 2016) was an Inuk artist and hunter based in Nunavut, Canada, best known for his large coloured-pencil drawings of Arctic scenery, wildlife, and Inuit culture.

Early life

Timootee Pitsiulak was born in Lake Harbour (now Kimmirut), Northwest Territories, now the Canadian territory of Nunavut. His parents were Napachie and Timila Pitsiulak. He was the nephew of the artist Kenojuak Ashevak.

Pitsiulak grew up speaking Inuktitut and learned English in school. He became interested in drawing when he was about nine. He trained as a carver and then a jeweler at Nunavut Arctic College, before focusing on drawing as a career.

Art career

Pitsiulak was based in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, where he worked as a hunter while making jewelry, sculptures, lithographs, and photographs, and large coloured-pencil drawings, the last of which is best known for. His subjects were Arctic wildlife and scenery, and traditional and modern Inuit culture. His work has the collections of galleries such as Feheley Fine Arts and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, and the Inuit Gallery in Vancouver. In 2013 the Royal Canadian Mint featured a Pitsiulak drawing of two beluga whales and a bowhead whale on the Canada's 25-cent coin. His work combined traditional motifs with contemporary techniques.

Death and legacy

Pitsiulak died at age 49 on 23 December 2016 while in the hospital, where he was receiving treatment for pneumonia. He left behind his wife Mary and seven children.

title: Tim Pitsiulak

question: Who is Timotee "Tim" Pitsiulak?

answer: He was an Inuk artist and hunter based in Nunavut, Canada.

question: When was he born?

answer: He was born on March 10, 1967.

question: Where was he based?

answer: He was based in Cape Dorset, Nunavut.

question: Write a short summary of his career background.

answer: Timotee "Tim" Pitsiulakwas based in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, where he worked as a hunter while making art pieces. His subjects mostly consisted of wildlife and scenery. In 2013, his piece was featured in the Royal Canadian Mint.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
Timotee "Tim" Pitsiulak was an Inuk artist based in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, where he worked as a hunter while making art pieces. Because of this, his subjects mostly consisted of wildlife and scenery. His piece was then featured in the 2013 Royal Canadian Mint.

Pitsiulak later died at the age of 49 on December 23, 2016, from pneumonia, leaving behind his wife Mary and seven children.


text:
It was infuriating, hearing him say it with such finality. I hated him for it, but I kept coming back, time and again. At the end of the day, it was all I knew, and I couldn’t do without. It would always work out for a time, but the end result was inevitability the same, always detached yet firm. I couldn’t even begin to understand why it always happened like that, why it could never last.

I slammed my fists against the keyboard, and reached over to restart the modem. *I swear to God AOL, disconnect me one more time…*

title: Goodbye

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: It is unclear who the narrator is

question: What was said to the narrator?

answer: It is unclear what was said to them.

question: When does this story take place?

answer: It is likely that it takes place in the past sometime

question: How does the narrator feel?

answer: They are infuriated.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is in a heated conversation with a man. They seem to be in the middle of a breakup. The AOL connection disconnects, further infuriating the narrator.


text:
WELL DESIGNED, QUALITY JEWELLERY

North London jeweller Margaret Griffith creates quality silver jewellery with a modern contemporary twist. Our jewellery is beautifully handcrafted using the finest sterling silver, semi-precious and precious stones. Each item is created using traditional silversmithing techniques and hallmarked by the London Assay office. Visit Margaret Griffith Jewellery for amazing modern classic jewellery that you can wear time after time.

Discover unique custom made jewellery personally designed for you, like our modern sterling silver contemporary curved bracelet with hammered texture or our one of a kind multi stone pendant with amethyst, emerald, amber, moonstone, kyanite, stones. All our Jewellery comes beautifully gift wrapped.

question: What kind of products does Margaret Griffith sell?

answer: A range of custom jewellery such as bespoke bracelets and multi-stone pendants.

question: What qualifies them to make jewellery?

answer: They use the finest Sterling Silver hallmarked by the London Assay office. There is nothing stating who makes the jewellery or who designs it directly, though we can assume Margaret Griffith

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A description of Margaret Griffith jewellery, based in North London.


text:
Our story takes place amidst a dreary time, where flies almost conquered the world with their exponential growth and insatiable thirst for blood. But the ingenuity of the plant kingdom ultimately brought the earth a new beginning in a bleak time.

An island at war the inhabitants grew hostile towards the tribes over centuries of aggressively opposing religious debates, it ended in an island slaughtered, thousands of island people lay shore to shore of putrefying flesh.

For the next several months, the already magnitude of flies became the most vile infestation ever, the island was like a giant pulsating maggot teeming with puss.

There was eventually too many flies and the island was not enough to fit them all one atop another, piles of dead flies along the shore and diminished food supply due to increasing demand.

With starvation rampant and their demise eminent, the elder flies devised a plan based upon myths of far off utopias abundant in resources, over the water. The swarm would synchronize as a unit and make the grand excursion.

The magnitude of flies has grown tremendously at this point, reaching a near thousand fold of the forgotten island itself, now enveloped in decay. The swarm departed from the once oasis and left a rancid sore in the middle of the ocean.

For a week the slightly diminished horde of flies battled the waters harsh, salty gusts, feasting upon whatever lofty cadavers they encountered, they saw land and with a sudden burst of vigour they hastily made way.

Victims of the oncoming attack had full suspicion something was awry, for the magnificent, sunny day beset by a sudden absence of flooding warm rays, replaced with a distant buzz, ominously looming.

The ravenous swarm longed for the taste of flesh and was eager to obtain this. A vicious and most painful practice consisted of engulfing a person in a swarm and sucking draining one’s life force from the soul.

Within a fortnight the flies had eradicated all other living creatures, aside from themselves. The heavens obscured with an insurmountable mass of flies that now drape the sky. Flies claimed superiors of the animal kingdom, dominating the others; too vain to admit destroyed any future for themselves and earth. They were now split off in groups scavenging for sustenance.

Throughout this entire ordeal, the silent witness were the plants, which were now dying from lack of sunlight. They communicated and decide it was time for action, time to band together and bring the cursed flies reign to an end.

After much deliberation they decided to make a trap, something to attract all the flies in order to rid them once and for all. All plant life spliced and fused back together, creating a colossal container rimmed with large barbs. They brought a combination of scents of assorted flora, until it produced a putrid aroma, which aroused flies from all around the world to one region.

They drove drown into the trap like a cyclone, as soon as they reached the chamber they all burned in the digestive acids of the newly formed plant. The chemical reaction was so intense the plant erupted, shooting bubbling mess of black viscous liquid, everywhere.

From this repugnant scum that veiled the earth arose a new order of creatures, including our unsung hero, the venus fly trap. The world grew back and regained the glory it once was constant battles between natural forces, trying to keep a steady equilibrium.

title: I called it Evil Flys, heh heh...

question: How did the oasis island become unhabitable for the flies?

answer: All the island tribes killed each other in a war. Their corpses helped the fly population grow to a point where they did not fit onto the island anymore, and there was no more food left for them.

question: Will the flies disappear?

answer: Yes

question: Will they have to move again?

answer: No

question: Do they have a leader?

answer: Information not found.

question: Will the flies become cannibals?

answer: No

question: Will the flies conquer the world?

answer: No

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: An island becomes infected by flies after a war between the inhabitants. The flies move to another piece of land, they kill and eat all living creatures while plants watch all of it. Plants make a plan of their own to annihilate the flies. They splice and fuse back together in the shape of a trap. Ultimately they catch and kill all flies.


text:
The FIRST SUMATRAN EXPEDITION, which featured the BATTLE OF QUALLAH BATTOO (Aceh: Kuala Batèë, Indonesian: Kuala Batu) in 1832, was a punitive expedition by the United States Navy against the village of Kuala Batee, presently a subdistrict in Southwest Aceh Regency. The reprisal was in response to the massacre of the crew of the merchantman _Friendship_ a year earlier. The frigate and its crew defeated the local uleëbalang (ruler)'s forces and bombed the settlement. The expedition was successful in stopping Sumatran attacks on U.S. shipping for six years until another vessel was plundered under different circumstances, resulting in a second Sumatran expedition in 1838.

Background

The island of Sumatra is renowned as an excellent source of pepper, and throughout history ships have come to the island to trade for it. In 1831, the American merchantman _Friendship_ under Captain Charles Endicott had arrived off the chiefdom of Kuala Batu in order to secure a cargo of pepper. Various small trading boats darted back and forth along the coast trading pepper with the merchant ships waiting offshore. On 7 February 1831, Endicott and a few of his men went ashore to purchase some pepper from the natives when three proas attacked his ship, murdered _Friendship_{{'}}s first officer and two others of her crew, and plundered its cargo.[1]

Endicott and the other surviving members of his crew managed to escape to another port with the assistance of a friendly native chief named Po Adam. There they enlisted the help of three other merchant captains who agreed to help him recover his vessel. With their help, Endicott managed to retake his ship and eventually sailed back to Salem, Massachusetts. Upon reaching Salem there was a general public outcry against the massacre and in response President Andrew Jackson dispatched the frigate under Commodore John Downes to punish the natives for their treachery.[2]

The Dutch expedition on the west coast of Sumatra of 1831 by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army was in response to the incident and served as an excuse to annex parts of the Aceh Sultanate.

Battle

_Potomac_ reached Kuala Batu on 5 February 1832. Here Downes met Po Adam who advised him that the local uleëbalang would in no way be partial toward paying compensation for the attack on _Friendship_. Commodore Downes then decided to disguise his ship as a Danish merchantman in order to keep the element of surprise in his favor. The disguise worked so well that when a party of Malays boarded _Potomac_ attempting to sell a cargo of pepper they were, much to their surprise, detained so as not to alert Kuala Batu of the real identity of _Potomac_. Downes then sent a reconnaissance party to scout out the defenses of the port, but this was repulsed by the Malays.[3][4] In addition to the three proas in the harbor, at least five forts were found to be guarding the town with the majority of them near the coastline.[5]

Downes ordered a detachment of 282 marines and bluejackets into the ship's boats, some of which had been equipped with a few of _Potomac_{{'}}s lighter cannon. It was from these boats that the sailors and marines of _Potomac_ burnt the Malay vessels in Kuala Batu's harbor and assaulted the town's forts while support from the guns of _Potomac_ herself were used to suppress the fire coming from the Malay forts. The later-day muskets the Americans used were far superior to the outdated matchlock weapons of the Malays, but the natives fought fiercely and the fighting devolved into hand-to-hand combat in which one of the uleëbalang commanding the forts was killed along with about 150 other warriors.[6] Only two Americans died during the attack and another eleven sailors and marines suffered injuries.[7]

After the coastal forts fell, the remaining Malays fled toward the rear of the town where another fort lay, but instead of engaging the last remaining fort the Americans attacked the town itself. Large scale looting and pillaging occurred with a range of plunder being looted from the town as well as many civilians slain. Downes later ordered his men to return to the ship and bombarded the fifth fort as well as the town until its surviving leaders agreed to surrender, killing another 300 natives in the process.[8]

Aftermath

The remaining uleëbalang begged for mercy and Downes informed them that if any American ships were attacked again the same treatment would be given to the perpetrators. Other uleëbalang from nearby states also sent delegations to the ship pleading that Downes spare them from the same fate as Kuala Batu. Downes left the area to continue his journey eventually circumnavigating the globe, stopping at Hawaii and entertaining that nation's king and queen aboard his vessel.

Although some criticism arose from the fact that Downes did not attempt to negotiate a settlement by peaceable means, the general public was satisfied with his response and no action was taken against him.[9] The troubles with Kuala Batu were not over though; in 1838 another ship was attacked and its crew massacred. True to Downes' word the Second Sumatran expedition under George C. Read bombarded Kuala Batu and attacked the village of Muckie.[10]

[1] Meacham, p. 213.

[2] Warriner, p. 104.

[3] Corn, p. 294. “The frigate arrived off Quallah Battoo the following February, disguised as a merchantman ... anchoring in the outer roads about five miles from shore ... attracted curious Acehnese in prahus ... but when they pulled alongside the ship they were quickly taken into custody, lest they betray the _Potomac_{{'}}s real purpose ... The initial plan was to send a reconnaissance party ... But as the longboat approached the beach, some two hundred Acehnese, obviously suspicious as to the real motives of the Americans, rushed to the beach in force brandishing _krises_ and blunderbusses. The longboat hovered in the waters beyond the breakers, its officers judging it imprudent to land, then returned to the frigate.”

[4]

[5] Corn, p. 295. "The settlement ... contained five mud forts.

[6] Warriner, p. 94.

[7]

[8]

[9] Johnson, p. 44.

[10]

title: First Sumatran expedition

question: Summarize all of the casualties resulting from the expedition.

answer: When Endicott and his men went ashores, three proas attacked his ship, murdering the first officer and two other crew members. In relatiation, Downes ordered an attack on the Malays, during which one of the uleëbalang commanders was killed along with 150 other warriors. Two Americans died in the battled as well. Many civilians were slain in the subsequent looting of the town, and another 300 natives were killed before the leaders surrendered. In 1838, another ship was attacked and its crew was massacred.

question: What does the article say about colonialism?

question: Summarize all the events of theft mentioned in the article.

answer: When Endicott's ship was attacked, its cargo was plundered. When the Americans attacked the Malay town, large-scale looting and pillaging occurred.

question: Summarize everything relating to ships.

answer: Many ships visited the island of Sumatra throughout history to trade for pepper. In 1831, the American merchantman Friendship arrived and was attacked. Three merchant captains helped Endicott, the Friendship's captain, to recover the vessel. Commodore Downes disguised his ship as a Danish merchantman. He ordered marines and bluejackets onto the ship's boats, and from them they burnt Malay vessels in Kuala Batu's harbor. Downes warned that if any American ships were attacked in the future, similar retribution would be paid. He then continued traveling the globe aboard his vessel. Another ship was attacked in 1838.