text:
The second season of the reality television series _Basketball Wives_ aired on VH1 from December 12, 2010 until March 14, 2011.[1] The show was primarily filmed in Miami, Florida. It was executively produced by Nick Emmerson, Alex Demyanenko, Shaunie O'Neal, Jill Holmes, Tom Huffman, and Sean Rankine.

The show chronicles the lives of a group of women who are the wives and girlfriends, or have been romantically linked to, professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association, though the title of the series does not make this differentiation, solely referring to the women as “wives”.

Production

_Basketball Wives_ debuted on April 11, 2010, with thirty-minute episodes. The second season premiered on December 12, 2010, with expanded sixty-minute episodes and featured new cast member Tami Roman.[2] Season 3 made its debut on May 30, 2011, with new cast member Meeka Claxton.[3] The fourth season premiered on February 20, 2012, with two new cast members, Kenya Bell and Kesha Nichols and the departure of Claxton.[4] The fifth season premiered on August 19, 2013, with Tasha Marbury joining the cast.[5] According to a tweet from Tami Roman, the show has been quietly though officially cancelled.[6]

Cast

Main cast

-   Royce Reed: Ex-Dancer for Miami/Orlando
-   Suzie Ketcham: Ex-Girlfriend of Michael Olowokandi
-   Tami Roman: Ex-Wife of Kenny Anderson
-   Jennifer Williams: Wife of Eric Williams
-   Evelyn Lozada: Ex-Fiancée of Antoine Walker
-   Shaunie O'Neal: Ex-Wife of Shaquille O’Neal

Recurring cast

-   Gloria Govan: Fiancée of Matt Barnes
-   Kim Russell: Wife of Bryon Russell
-   Ashley Walker: Mother of Rafer Alston’s child
-   Juliannah ”Juli” Richmond: Wife of Mitch Richmond

Episodes

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

title: Basketball Wives (season 2)

question: When was Basketball Wives season 2 released?

answer: It debuted on April 11, 2010.

question: Who is the main cast of Basketball Wives?

answer: Royce Reed, Suzy Ketcham, Tami Roman, Jennifer Williams, Evelyn Lozada, an Shauna O'Neal

question: Describe the show.

answer: The show chronicles the lives of a group of women who are the wives, girlfriends, or past romantic partners to professional basketball players in the NBA.

question: How many episodes were in the season?

answer: According to the article, it seems that there were six episodes.

question: Name one recurring cast member.

answer: Kim Russel, who is the wife of Bryon Russell

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article details the second season of Basketball wives, a show that chronicles the lives of a group of women who are the wives, girlfriends, or past romantic partners to professional basketball players in the NBA. Details about production and cast members are also mentioned.


split: train

text:
Screen printing is long lasting, often still going strong after years of wear.
Whether creating a product to sell, or to get your team looking sharp, Screen printing is the #1 garment decoration technique.

This is a technique whereby a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh apertures with ink, and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate momentarily along a line of contact. This causes the ink to wet the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh apertures as the screen springs back after the blade has passed. Basically, it is the process of using a mesh-based stencil to apply ink onto a substrate. One color is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multicoloured image or design. We offer up to 6 colors !

We can print from your supplied digital artwork (vector) , redraw/create from other forms of digital files, or you can take advantage of our experienced graphic designer!

SCREEN PRINT PRICING DEPENDS ON A COMBINATION OF FACTORS:

* How many garments in your order (it gets cheaper the more you do)

* How many prints are on your garments (each print position will add to the price)

* How many colours are in each print (each colour will add to the price)

* Any special techniques / inks required

* Styles of garments selected

Each order is unique so we prefer to quote based on the requirements. Phone, E-mail or use our Contact page and we’ll reply with a quote ASAP!

question: What is the purpose of this post?

answer: This post is an advertisement for screen printing garments.

question: What is the company/business?

answer: The post doesn't say. The posting includes, "Phone, E-mail, or use our Contact page and we'll reply with a quote ASAP!" but no additional information is given.

question: What is screen printing?

answer: It's a decoration technique of using a mesh-based stencil to apply ink onto a substrate.

question: How many colors do they offer?

answer: They offer up to 6 colors.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This post is an advertisement for screen printing garments. Screen printing is a decoration technique of using a mesh-based stencil to apply ink onto a substrate.


text:
_BRAINFREEZE_ is a 1999 live mix album by DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. The two tracks of the album are uninterrupted recordings from a live performance where they sampled hit funk, soul, rock and jazz singles from 45 rpm vinyl records. This type of recording was pioneered by the duo Double Dee and Steinski through their “Lessons” (the difference being that the “Lessons” cuts were meticulously edited together from snippets of audio tape, rather than performed live using turntables).[1]

History

_Brainfreeze_ was recorded by DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist as a practice session for a show in February 1999 at the Future Primitive Soundsession in San Francisco, mixing funk and soul 45's. Initially 1000 copies were made and sold at the shows, and a further 1000 copies were made and distributed to local records stores in California and sold out very quickly. A cease-and-desist letter from 7-Eleven convenience stores—the whole artwork and styling was based on their logos and uniforms—meant that they stopped and moved on. The album was then bootlegged and it can now be found in popular record shops.[2]

DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist toured their Brainfreeze performance initially as part of Shadow's International Goodwill Tour in 1999, on the 18th of January 2000 they reunited to perform a farewell to the Brainfreeze shows at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.[3][4] This final show was later released on VHS as _Freeze_, and includes footage of rehearsals as well.[5]

This set was reenacted at the Mayan night club in Los Angeles on May 25, 2006, as part of a benefit concert for DJ Shadow's art director, Keith Tamashiro, in order to offset costs related to a brain aneurysm he suffered early in 2006.

_Brainfreeze_ was followed up by _Product Placement_, an album of similar content and style.

Comments

While there was no tracklisting given except for some record shots in the inner sleeves, Michael “DOP” Lane put together listing of the tracks[6] and this has been adapted in reviews[7] and website listings.[8] While this has been repeatedly bootlegged, the main difference between the original pressing and the bootlegs are the quality of the sleeves and the CD (colors look washed out and not as sharp on the bootleg).[9] The original CD on the inner ring has _©1999 Sixty7 Recordings_ written in red on a clear background. The bootleg does not have a clear bit.[10] On the back of the CD is _Disc Producers inc 2886/Brainfreeze ADC/CA_. Some bootlegs have “Slurp CD 001” and a bar code written on them.[11]

The 45s used in the _Brainfreeze_ mix are highly sought after by vinyl collectors, and the term “Brainfreeze” in online auctions often results in increased auction prices for these records. The songs have been collected on compilations called _Slurped_,[12] and _Brainfreeze Breaks_,[13] which feature the songs in unmixed form.

Reception

Stanton Swihart of AllMusic stated that “_Brainfreeze_ transforms the mix tape into a genuine piece of musical art, a sampladelic, turntablist collage that may be the apotheosis of – or at least a turning point for – the genre.” Describing the record as “an amazing display of spontaneous music-making”, he concluded that “it is a dizzyingly brilliant, virtuoso work of two exceedingly fecund imaginations.”[14] In _Spin_ Will Hermes called _Brainfreeze_ “inspired garage mechanics” and that the pair “get extra-busy just to showcase their micromanagement skills”.[15] Reviewing the duo's 2001 follow-up album _Product Placement_, Rob Mitchum of _Pitchfork_ described _Brainfreeze_ as “much admired” and said that DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist had “sculpted a mixtape symphony that withstood repeated listens”.[16]

Songs used

Mix one

-   Lamont Johson Quartet - “Thunder Kick” (trailer to unreleased film)
-   The Jules Blattner Group - “2001 - A Soul Odyssey”
-   Fried Chicken - “Funky DJ”
-   The Mohawks - “The Champ”
-   Reuben Bell - “Superjock”
-   Albert King - “Cold Feet”
-   Ultimate Force - “I'm Not Playing”
-   Eddie Bo and Inez Cheatham - “Lover and a Friend”
-   Mack Rice - “Three People In Love”
-   The Nu People - “I'd Be Nowhere Today”
-   Nu-Sound Express Ltd - “Ain't It Good Enough”
-   Mystic Moods - “Cosmic Sea”
-   American Gypsy - “Inside Out”
-   Odetta - “Hit or Miss”
-   The Mar-Keys - “Grab This Thing (Part 2)”
-   Rusty Bryant - “FireEater”
-   Simtec and Wylie - “Bootleggin' (Part 2)”
-   Wilbur Bascomb and the Zodiac - “Just a Groove In 'G'”
-   Eddie Bo and The Soul Finders - “We're Doin' It (Thang) (Part 2)”
-   Rufus Thomas - “Sophisticated Sissy”
-   The Showmen Inc. - “The Tramp (from Funky Broadway) (Part 1)”
-   The Original Soul Senders - “Soul Brother Testify (Part 2)”
-   Rufus Thomas - “Itch and Scratch (Part I and II)”
-   Alvin Cash - “Keep On Dancing (Instrumental)”
-   Lou Courtney - “Hey Joyce”
-   Bummer radio spot

Mix two

-   The Singing Principal - “Women's Lib”
-   Salt - “Hung Up”
-   The Soul Lifters - “Hot, Funky, and Sweaty”
-   Frankie Seay and The Soul Riders - “Soul Food”
-   The Interpretations - “Jason Pew Mosso (Part 1)”
-   Thunder and Lightning - “Bumpin' Bus Stop”
-   Billy Garner - “I Got Some”
-   Pleasure Web - “Music Man (Part I and II)”
-   Gary Byrd - “Soul Travelin' (The G.B.E.)” (Part I)
-   Clifton Chenier and Grandma Gee Gee - “Just Keep On Scratching”
-   “W” radio spot
-   Marlena Shaw - “California Soul”
-   The Vibrettes- “Humpty Dump (Part 1)”
-   Eddie Bo - “From This Day On”
-   7-Eleven - “Dance the Slurp”
-   Kraftwerk - “Numbers”
-   Flash and The Five - “Flash It to the Beat”
-   Pearly Queen - “Quit Jivin'”
-   Tony Alvon and The Belairs - “Sexy Coffee Pot”
-   Chuck Mangione - “Hill Where the Lord Hides”
-   Funka Fize - “No Words”
-   Schooly D - “Gucci Time”
-   Jurassic 5 - “Unified Rebelution” (a cappella)
-   Third Guitar - “Baby Don't Cry”
-   Don Pierce - “This Funky Thing”
-   Funka Fize - “Because You're Funky”
-   The Troubleneck Brothers - “Back to the Hip Hop”
-   Stu Gardner - “Devil in a Man”
-   Samson and Delilah - “There's a DJ in Your Town”
-   Giorgio Moroder - “Tears”
-   Tim and Bill - “Someone”

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

title: Brainfreeze (album)

question: What might have happened if other artwork and styling was used on the Brainfreeze album?

answer: If other artwork and styling were used, the production of the album would not have been stopped and would have been distributed more widely. This would have led to increased profits for the artists involved. It might also have decreased the value of the limited amount of original records currently available.

question: What might Double Dee and Steinski have thought of the Brainfreeze album?

answer: Double Dee and Steinski made their Lessons cuts by meticulously editing together snippets of audio tape. Brainfreeze is a live mix album performed using turntables. Double Dee and Steinski might have felt that this was a good and natural progression of the pioneer work that they did and might even be excited about the new possibilities and larger audiences being reached through this method.

question: What is the main idea of the 'Reception' paragraph?

answer: Consensus between critics is that the Brainfreeze album is the ultimate mixed tape that can be listened to multiple times. It is seen as a turning point for the genre. The artists are much admired and the Brainfreeze album showcases their micromanagement skills. The album was reviewed by 'AllMusic', 'Spin' and 'Pitchfork'.

question: Explain what mix tape means.

answer: From the context of this text it is a compilation of sought after music originally performed by different artists and recorded onto one device.

question: Explain the need for bootlegged copies of the album.

answer: 2000 copies of the Brainfreeze album was sold, initially sold at shows and later sold at record stores in California. These sold out quickly. Then they received a cease-and-desist letter from the 7-Eleven convenience store because the album made us of their styling and uniforms. They complied with the letter and moved on. The Brainfreeze album was popular and the limited copies meant that a limited amount of people had access to the music. The led to the album being bootlegged and distributed to popular record shops. The original copies can be distinguished from the bootlegged copies by certain markings.

question: Why are the records used in Brainfreeze highly sought after?

answer: From the text it seems like the Brainfreeze album gives higher value to the 45 records used in it. If Brainfreeze is mentioned, it gives the 45 a higher price.


text:
He sat silently in his bedroom with the shades pulled down and the lights switched off. It was afternoon, so this failed to create the effect of complete darkness. Rather, it caused a bluish dimness to permeate the room. How dramatic, he mused, but it soon passed from his mind, replaced by a shade of some other train of thought.

It was only a shade because he had never truly had a fully formed thought about it. ‘It’ was an emotionally destructive event that had happened only a day prior. The thoughts he had had about it weren’t full in that they lacked any amount of emotion; they were totally logical, totally reasonable.

He was no stranger to such a thing; this had happened to him a number of times before in similar situations, but an emotional shock had always come a few hours later. Not this time. The fact that it had been a full day and nothing of the sort had transpired was enough for him to know the shock would never come.

The event was that his girlfriend had broken up with him. Naturally, the few people he had informed had given him plenty of advice on the matter. “There are other fish in the sea”; “Don’t give up! You can get her back!”; “Don’t be too sad”.

‘There are other fish in the sea’ was entirely obvious. The boy knew he would eventually find someone else, forget about his old girlfriend, and be happy. He knew that there was no such thing as “the one”.

‘Don’t give up! You can get her back!’ was foolish: no he couldn’t. The only way she would want to be with him again would be if she made the decision of her own accord. People were stubborn. Unwavering. Illogical. Their minds could not be changed on these matters.

‘Don’t be too sad’ was the most curious. Its stupidity and uselessness aside, the boy seemed to be following it of his own accord with his aforementioned lack of emotional thoughts. He had felt no rush of sadness, of helplessness or of desperation. His sadness had been private, internal. Its effects on his behavior were nothing more than some tiredness, and perhaps a tendency not to laugh as hard at jokes. Anyone who was unaware what had happened would assume he was just low on sleep; not that an event of immense consequence had just occurred in his life. Quiet sadness.

The boy knew from experience (both personal and of others) that ‘getting over a breakup’ typically involves a feeling of superiority, of maturing, of scorning your former partner. This was foolish, he felt. It was natural, and he had nearly given into it, but he had stopped himself. Perhaps he was above her, but not by all that much. He tried his best not to think any lower of her than she objectively deserved.
The silhouette of a tree outside his window shone through the shades. He stared as it danced in the wind for half a minute, then blinked.
Seemingly out of nowhere, the words ‘stupid bitch’ entered his mind, but he shook them off. There it is again, he thought; that unrelenting desire to show himself that it didn’t matter. That she was inconsequential, and that the prior event had been a fortunate one. But it hadn’t been. And he knew that he could never truly ‘get over her’ unless he accepted that it had indeed been a bad occurrence.
And she truly was not a stupid bitch. She was a wonderful, intelligent girl, who had been nearly perfect for him. And yet, she possessed a select few qualities that made the two of them incompatible. It was a terrible shame.

At that moment, his mother opened his bedroom door, bringing in light from the hallway, “There you are, sweetie. I’ve been looking for you. What are you doing in here all by yourself?”

“Nothing, Mom. I was just going to go mow the lawn.”

She smiled, nodded and left the room. The boy followed a few moments later, and went to get the mower.

title: Quiet Sadness

question: Why has the boy pulled the shades and switched off the lights?

answer: It would seem that he wants to spend time with his thoughts as he is contemplating the end of his relationship with a girl who was nearly perfect for him.

question: If the girl was nearly perfect why did they end up passing ways?

answer: There were some parts of her personality that were incompatible with his.

question: This breakup differs from others the protagonist has had. In what ways does it differ?

answer: Although he describes this as an emotionally destructive event, this time he lacks the emotion. He says that his thoughts are logical and reasonable. He describes his sadness as being internal

question: Are there any clues that he may be kidding himself? Perhaps he's angrier than he lets on.

answer: The words "stupid bitch" suggest that he is angrier than he admits to. Though he quickly retracts the insult suggesting that he is trying to suppress his anger.


text:
YOUNG ZULU KID (born GIUSEPPE DI MELFI, April 22, 1897 – April 20, 1971) was a professional boxer.[1]

He lost to Jimmy Wilde for the first ever world flyweight boxing championship.[2]

Di Melfi also lost to Frankie Burns.[3]

He also defeated Jackie Sharkey.[4]

Di Melfi has a child named Joe Di Melfi who has recently been on The Michael Kay Show.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

title: Young Zulu Kid

question: Who was Young Zulu Kid?

answer: Young Zulu Kid was a professional boxer.

question: What was Young Zulu Kid's birth name?

answer: Young Zulu Kid's birth name was Guiseppe di Melfi.

question: Did Young Zulu Kid win the first-ever world flyweight boxing championship?

answer: No, Young Zulu Kid to Jimmy Wilde.

question: Where was Young Zulu Kid from?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Young Zulu Kid, born Guiseppe di Melfi (1897 – 1971) was a professional boxer. He lost to Jimmy Wilde and Frankie Burns and defeated Jackie Sharkey.


text:
[]

AP

If that SEC thing doesn’t work out for Alabama, the Tide perhaps can roll to the Ivy League.

Clarence E. Hill, Jr. of the _Fort Worth Star-Telegram_ reports that quarterback Greg McElroy racked up a 48 on the Wonderlic test.  The highest possible score is 50.

Usually, the results of the test are closely guarded by the league.  But the leaks usually relate to low scores.  When a guy aces the test, the player and/or his agent will be far more likely to get the word out on their own.

That said, scoring too high can be as much of a problem as scoring too low.  Football coaches want to command the locker room.  Being smarter than the individual players makes that easier.  Having a guy in the locker room who may be smarter than every member of the coaching staff can be viewed as a problem — or at a minimum as a threat to the egos of the men who hope to be able when necessary to outsmart the players, especially when trying in some way to manipulate them.

So while McElroy, who was unable to work out due to injury, may be really smart, he perhaps would have been wise to tank a few of the answers.

_UPDATE_:  And a debate already has emerged regarding the accuracy of the reported number.  Along with a debate regarding whether it’s a bad thing to get a high score.  The only guy who got a perfect score thinks it hurt him.

question: What happens when a player aces the Wonderlic test?

answer: It could hurt a football player's career if they ace the Wonderlic test.

question: Who is McElroy?

answer: A quarterback who scored 48 out of 50.

question: What happened to McElroy?

answer: He took the test after his injury. The writer believes that the smarter decision for McElroy would have been to tank the test.

question: What was McElroy's score?

answer: He scored a 48 out of 50.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: It can be a real problem if a player scores too high on the Wonderlic test. Coaches feel intimidated by players that are smarter than the coaching staff. The writer believes that McElroy should have tanked his Wonderlic test to avoid being kicked off the team.


text:
((Note: This story is written by me and I have to say it's not grammar and sp checked. It is merely a rough draft that I thought you guys might like. I'm not very good at reddit spacing so i'm sorry for the block of text feel this has. If anyone has the solution please inform me! This is mainly to see if the plot and twists are interesting. Thanks for reading!))

Within the light of day I saw the greatest site. Small butterfly floating to my right. My eyes followed the dreamy creature through it fantasy glide through the cool summer breeze. Not a care in it’s mind aside from that of pollen. The trees around us encased secrets of these woods. No man outside had know of the well of eternity just below my feet.

Immortality hides away here. Having found sanctuary within the realm of magic. Hidden away for eons from the sight and mind of man except to only flourish in tales of myth and false legend. From the well a tree drew it’s source of life. Growing proud and tall around the many dead oaks of the forest. The leafs shone as if silver and gold while the branches seemed to a mere man to be as strong as steel. The tresure lay not in the strength, nor the twirling green, but in the golden fruit i bear only once a few hundred years or so. Some remained held high above while some lay at the bottom of the hill where I stand.

I look to my feet to see a slightly bruised fruit stuck in time. I reach down and scoop up the magic juicy ball and slice in half eating one and offering the other to my new found friend the butterfly. We sit there enjoying the sweet dreamy cream inside while a rustling in the trees begins. To my right I look to see a new path to have formed in the wood. Being adventurous I take up the challenge presented and trot off to the south.

Once I arrive to the opening in the dense thicket I notice a gate made of dark metals slightly ajar as if inviting me to take a stroll beyond into what it guards. I become wary for the trees around have died long ago it seems, the light of the eternity tree seemed dim from where I stood. Temptation grew louder than my guts.

I pushed the gate open to hear a soul wrenching creak that put me even more on edge.

Once I was through the passageway it seemed the sun its self fear this place. Darkness of pitch swallowed me whole as I pushed onward through the thicket of hate. Soon I felt my feet dig into what I believed could only be sand. Toes pushing through and wiggling I wondered if somehow a beach lay in the darkness ahead. With increased caution I carried on.

In the far distance I saw a light. Purple in color it seemed. I could tell it was very far away due to it being merely a spec on the invisible horizon ahead of me. I remained on the path though something inside of me most likely my soul urged me to run the other way. I surprised myself by doing the opposite. My pace quickened and my vision tunneled down to that only of the light. Nothing else seemed to matter. Only to reach that dark goal. To meet whatever fate lay ahead, head on.

As I ran I could feel something was different around me. My vision may be a slave to the light ahead my other senses noticed a change in the night. A rustling and tearing of branches followed on either side of the sandy path. Someone or something was keeping pace with me. Maybe there were other paths? More people like me racing towards the distant beacon like a swarm of moths to a flame? I didn’t know, but at this point my addiction and need to feel the false light had grown pitiful. I drooled, panted, and growled like a dog. My mind began to lose grip of reality. It seemed like all that mattered and will matter is the flame. The purple shining gem now closer, but somehow the same distance all the same.

The noises around me grew louder. Deafening and rabid to what I realized was just like my own. All of a sudden I reached the light. Much unexpected to me considering it was not a lamppost or a fire as I expected but merely a small light-bug floating softly in the air in front of me. I could have sworn as long as I had looked it the little beast smiled an evil grin. To what end I could not come to as to why it seemed so deadly yet my salvation all in one.

Soon I realized the bug grew in altitude. Floating higher yet somehow remaining still. The demon looked down at me and I could have sworn I heard a laughing voice speaking to my corrupted soul, “Should have stayed near the ocean of eternity for now you sink in the shores of false divinity.” With those words of burning truth finished I felt my lungs fill with sand as I slowly lowered beneath the broken path.

title: Sinking From Eternity (x/post from /r/Stories)

question: Where are the woods the narrator mentions?

answer: No explicit answer is given but the world described seems to be a fictional one.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: It isn't clear but at one point the narrator seems to be a tree.

question: Who is pursuing the narrator?

answer: The narrator wasn't actually being pursued but had others running next to him/her.

question: Where did the demon come from?

answer: The story doesn't say but the demon is a light-bug, or has the appearance of one. "Demon" might be a reference to the creature's character, not its essence.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This is an excerpt of a fictional story still in process. It was posted by the author in order to gauge interest from potential readers about the plot. It contains a grove of trees that drink from a well of immortality and bear magical fruit.


text:
WILLIAM MALORY BIRD (February 2, 1889 – October 5, 1967) was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick as member of the Progressive Conservative party from 1952 to 1960.[1]

[1]

title: William M. Bird

question: What is William Bird's middle name?

answer: Mallory.

question: When was he born?

answer: February 2, 1889.

question: What was his career?

answer: Politician.

question: Where did he serve on the legislative assembly?

answer: New Brunswick, Canada.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: William M. Bird (February 2, 1889 – October 5, 1967) was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick as member of the Progressive Conservative party from 1952 to 1960.


text:
SHARNA GAIL FERNANDEZ is a South African politician and former banker who serves as the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Social Development. A member of the governing Democratic Alliance, she also serves as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. She served as the 6th Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament from 2014 to 2019.

Early life and career

Fernandez grew up in Retreat on the Cape Flats and matriculated from the South Peninsula High School. She obtained a degree from the University of Witwatersrand.

Fernandez has served a thirty-year career working in three of the four large South African banks and has held the positions of Regional Manager, Sales and Service and acting General Manager of the ABSA mortgage division.

In August 2009, Fernandez was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus and was forced to take early retirement in order to restore her health. Her recovery period lasted three years and once it ended, Fernandez started doing community work and became actively involved in civic matters. She served as Chairperson of the local neighbourhood watch and joined and participated in many local community structures. She joined the Democratic Alliance in 2011 and has held various positions, such as chairperson of Ward 72 (Princess Vlei) and deputy chairperson of South Peninsula 2 constituency. She is currently constituency head of the Athlone 1 region in the City of Cape Town municipality.

In 2014, Fernandez was elected a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. It was announced after the elections that she would be the Democratic Alliance's candidate for the position of Speaker of the Provincial Parliament.[1] On 21 May 2014, the legislature reconvened for its first sitting of the Fifth Parliament. Judge President of the Western Cape High Court, John Hlope, presided over the election of Speaker. The largest opposition party, African National Congress, nominated Maurencia Gillion as their candidate. The vote was held by means of a secret ballot. Fernandez won the election. Fernandez was also designated to be the chairperson of the Rules Committee.

In September 2018, Fernandez declared herself to be a candidate to replace Patricia de Lille as Mayor of Cape Town as De Lille announced in August 2018, that she would step down in October 2018 after months of legal battles with the Democratic Alliance. She was one of many candidates, alongside former Mayor Dan Plato and Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson.[2]

Her candidacy focused on regaining the trust of the people of Cape Town by serving the people's needs and addressing crime in the city.[3]

She subsequently lost to Dan Plato, when the Democratic Alliance announced in September 2018 that Plato is their preferred candidate to be mayor.[4]

Following the May 2019 elections, Fernandez was succeeded by Masizole Mnqasela as Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. She was appointed Provincial Minister of Social Development.[5]

Personal life

She is a Cape Filipina, with ancestry from Simon's Town and Kalk Bay.

Fernandez has lived in many South African provinces, such as the North West, Gauteng and Free State before returning to the Western Cape in 2009.

[1] Former banker may be new WC speaker

[2] Plato, Fernandez could be mayor

[3] Regaining Capetonians' trust top of mind for mayoral hopeful, Sharna Fernandez

[4] Dan Plato is Cape Town's next mayor

[5] Winde names new Western Cape cabinet. Retrieved on 23 May 2019.

title: Sharna Fernandez

question: When was Fernandez born?

answer: This article lacks sufficient information to answer the question.

question: What illness ended Fernandez' career in banking?

answer: H1N1

question: Who defeated Fernandez in the 2018 election?

answer: Dan Plato

question: List the provinces she has lived in:

answer: North West, Gauteng, Free State

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about the life and career of South African politician Sharna Fernandez. It describes her retirement from banking and her transition to politics.


text:
THOMAS EUGENE LUSK (June 4, 1920 – February 14, 1969) was an American politician from the state of New Mexico.

Early life and education

Lusk was born in 1920 on a ranch near Lovington, New Mexico to Dolph and Georgia Lee Lusk, who served one term as U.S. Representative. He graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute in 1937 and the University of Michigan in 1948.

Career

Lusk began practicing law in 1949. Lusk also served in the United States Army from 1942 and 1946.

In 1952, Lusk was elected to the New Mexico Senate, serving as majority leader from 1957 until 1959.[1] In 1960, he ran for the United States House of Representatives, but lost in the Democratic primary to Joseph Montoya. He ran for Governor of New Mexico in 1966, defeating John Burroughs in the primary, but narrowly losing in the general election to David Cargo.[2][3][4] He served as a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention.[5]

Personal life

Lusk married Phyllis Raymond in 1943. They had three children: Ann, Allison, and Bill.[6]

Lusk died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on February 14, 1969 while visiting his wife in the hospital.[7]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7] CARLSBAD CURRENT-ARGUS, Carlsbad, Eddy County, New Mexico, dated for Sunday, February 16, 1969, front page, reads as follows: LUSK FUNERAL SET MONDAY.

title: Gene Lusk

question: Who is Thomas Eugene Lusk?

answer: He was an American politician from the state of New Mexico.

question: Describe Thomas Eugene Lusk's educational background.

answer: He graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute in 1937 and the University of Michigan in 1948.

question: Summarize everything relating to Lusk's career.

answer: Lusk served in the US Army from 1942 to 1946. He started practicing law in 1949. In 1952, Lusk was elected to the New Mexico Senate, serving as majority leader from 1957 to 1959. In 1960, he ran for the US House of Representatives but lost in the Democratic primaries. Lusk ran for Governor of New Mexico in 1966 but lost to David Cargo. Lusk served as a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

question: How did Lusk die?

answer: He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while visiting his wife in the hospital.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer: Thomas Eugene Lusk was an American politician from the state of New Mexico. He served in the US Army from 1942 to 1946, marrying Phyllis Raymond in 1943 and siring three children. Lusk started practicing law in 1949 and began his political career in 1952 when he was elected to the New Mexico Senate. He was the majority leader of the senate from 1957 to 1959. Lusk ran for Congress in 1960 and for Governor of New Mexico in 1966, losing both times. He served as a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Lusk died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while visiting his wife in the hospital.


text:
The ''' Petit Pabos River ''' (Little Babos River in English) is a river in the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, Canada, which has its source at streams of the Chic-Choc Mountains in the Mont-Alexandre, Quebec sector. The river is about long. Its name comes from the Mi'kmaq word _pabog_ meaning “tranquility waters”.[1]

Salmon fishing

The Petit Pabos River is known for its Atlantic Salmon (_salmo salar_) fishing in crystal clear blue water and his deep forest environment. The river has long been a renowned salmon river from 1880 to 1950. Overfished, the salmons where almost completely annihilate in 1984 and the river was closed to fisherman. It has been reopened since 2003.[2] The Petit Pabos River is smaller the other 2 Pabos rivers: the Grand Pabos River and the Grand Pabos West River and have a smaller salmon presence. But it is often consider to be more beautiful and less fished.

[The crystal Clear water of the river anables you to see the salmons.]

Access and administration

The river is accessible via Quebec Route 132 and is managed by an organisation that administrates salmon fishing on the 3 Pabos Rivers. It is easy to fish the Grand Pabos West River and the Grand Pabos River on the same fishing trip.

[1] www.saumonquebec.com/.../riviere-du-grand-pabos-nord

[2] www.troisrivierespabos.com

title: Petit Pabos River

question: What is the Petit Pabos River?

answer: a river in the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, Canada

question: Where is the source of the Petit Pabos River?

answer: streams of the Chic-Choc Mountains in the Mont-Alexandre, Quebec sector

question: When was the Petit Pabos River closed to fishermen?

answer: 1984

question: When was the Petit Pabos River reopened to fishermen?

answer: 2003

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Petit Pabos River is a river in the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, Canada known for Atlantic Salmon fishing. It is accessible via Quebec Route 132.


text:
KUMĀRAJĪVA (, , 344–413 CE) was a Buddhist monk, scholar, missionary and translator from the Kingdom of Kucha. He first studied teachings of the Sarvastivadin schools, later studied under Buddhasvāmin, and finally became an adherent of Mahayana Buddhism, studying the Mādhyamaka doctrine of Nāgārjuna.

Kumārajīva settled in Chang'an during the Sixteen Kingdoms era. He is mostly remembered for the prolific translation of Buddhist texts written in Sanskrit to Chinese he carried out during his later life.

Kumārajīva is the founder of the Sanlun school of Mahayana Buddhism, which is also known as the “Three Treatise school” and whose Japanese equivalent is the Sanron school. See East Asian Mādhyamaka.

Life

Family and background

Kumārajīva's father Kumārāyana was from ancient India, probably from present-day Kashmir, and his mother was a Kuchan princess who significantly influenced his early studies. His grandfather Ta-to is supposed to have had a great reputation. His father became a monk, left Kashmir, crossed the Pamir Mountains and arrived in Kucha, where he became the royal priest. The sister of the king, Jīva, also known as Jīvaka, married him and they produced Kumārajīva. Jīvaka joined the Tsio-li nunnery, north of Kucha, when Kumārajīva was just seven.

Childhood and education

When his mother Jīvaka joined the Tsio-li nunnery, Kumārajīva was just seven but is said to have already committed many texts and sutras to memory. He proceeded to learn Abhidharma, and after two years, at the age of nine, he was taken to Kashmir by his mother to be better educated under Bandhudatta. There he studied Dīrgha Āgama, Madhyama Āgama and the Kṣudraka, before returning with his mother three years later. On his return via Tokharestan and Kashgar, an arhat predicted that he had a bright future and would introduce many people to Buddhism. Kumārajīva stayed in Kashgar for a year, ordaining the two princely sons of Tsan-kiun (himself the son of the king of Yarkand) and studying the Abhidharma Piṭaka of the Sarvastivada under the Kashmirian Buddhayaśa, as well as the four Vedas, five sciences, Brahmanical sacred texts, astronomy. He studied mainly Āgama and Sarvastivada doctrines at this time.

Kumārajīva left Kashgar with his mother Jīvaka at age 12, and traveled to Turpan, the north-eastern limit of the kingdom of Kucha, which was home to more than 10,000 monks. Somewhere around this time, he encountered the master Suryasoma, who instructed him in early Mahayana texts. Kumārajīva soon converted, and began studying Madhyamaka texts such as the works of Nagarjuna.

Early fame in Kucha

In Turpan his fame spread after beating a Tirthika teacher in debate, and King Po-Shui of Kucha came to Turpan to ask Kumārajīva personally to return with him to Kucha city. Kumārajīva obliged and returned to instruct the king's daughter A-kie-ye-mo-ti, who had become a nun, in the _Mahāsannipāta_ and _Avatamsaka Sutra_s.

At age 20, Kumārajīva was fully ordained at the king's palace, and lived in a new monastery built by king Po-Shun. Notably, he received Vimalākṣa who was his preceptor, a Sarvāstivādin monk from Kashmir, and was instructed by him in the Sarvāstivādin Vinaya Piṭaka. Kumārajīva proceeded to study the _Pañcaviṁśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra_, one of the longer Prajñāpāramitā texts. He is known to have engaged in debates, and to have encouraged dialogue with foreign monks. Jīvaka is thought to have moved to Kashmir.

Capture, Imprisonment and Release

[White Horse Pagoda, Dunhuang, commemorating Kumarajiva's white horse which carried the scriptures to China, c. 384 CE.]

In 379 CE, Kumārajīva's fame reached China when a Chinese Buddhist monk named Seng Jun visited Kucha and described Kumārajīva's abilities. Efforts were then made by Emperor Fu Jian (苻堅) of the Former Qin Dynasty to bring Kumārajīva to Qin capital of Chang'an. To do this, his general Lü Guang was dispatched with an army in order to conquer Kucha and return with Kumārajīva. Fu Jian is recorded as telling his general, “Send me Kumārajīva as soon as you conquer Kucha.”[1] However, when Fu Jian's main army at the capital was defeated, his general Lü Guang declared his own state and became a warlord in 386 CE, and had Kumārajīva captured when he was around 40 years old. Being a non-Buddhist, Lü Guang had Kumārajīva imprisoned for many years, essentially as booty. During this time, it is thought that Kumārajīva became familiar with the Chinese language. Kumarajiva was also coerced by Lü into marrying the Kucha King's daughter, which resulted in his chastity vow being negated.

After the Yao family of Former Qin overthrew the previous ruler Fu Jian, the emperor Yao Xing made repeated pleas to the warlords of the Lü family to free Kumārajīva and send him east to Chang'an. When the Lü family would not free Kumārajīva from their hostage, an exasperated Yao Xing had armies dispatched to Liangzhou in order to defeat the warlords of the Lü family and to have Kumārajīva brought back to them. Finally the armies of Emperor Yao succeeded in defeating the Lü family, and Kumārajīva was brought east to the capital of Chang'an in 401 CE.

At Chang'an

At Chang'an, Kumārajīva was immediately introduced to the emperor Yao Xing, the court, and the Buddhist leaders. He was hailed as a great master from the Western regions, and immediately took up a very high position in Chinese Buddhist circles of the time, being given the title of National Teacher. Yao Xing looked upon him as his own teacher, and many young and old Chinese Buddhists flocked to him, learning both from his direct teachings and through his translation bureau activities.

Kumārajīva appeared to have a major influence on Emperor Yao Xing's actions later on, as he avoided actions that may lead to many deaths, while trying to act gently toward his enemies. At his request, Kumārajīva translated many sutras into Chinese. Yao Xing also built many towers and temples. Because of the influence of Kumārajīva and Yao Xing, it was described that 90% of the population became Buddhists.

Translation style

[Section of the _Diamond Sutra_, a handwritten copy by Zhang Jizhi, based on Kumarajiva's translation from Sanskrit to Chinese.] Kumarajiva revolutionized Chinese Buddhism, in clarity and overcoming the previous “geyi” (concept-matching) system of translation through use of Daoist and Confucian terms. His translation style was distinctive, possessing a flowing smoothness that reflects his prioritization on conveying the meaning as opposed to precise literal rendering. Because of this, his renderings of seminal Mahayana texts have often remained more popular than later, more literal translations, e.g. those of Xuanzang. Sengrui had some influence on this final polished style, as the final editor of his translation works.

Kumarajiva has sometimes been regarded by both the Chinese and by western scholars as abbreviating his translations, with later translators such as Xuanzang being regarded as being more “precise.” According to Jan Nattier, this is actually an erroneous and mistaken view, and the main difference was due to the earlier versions of Kumarajiva's source texts:

Legacy

Among the most important texts translated by Kumārajīva are the _Diamond Sutra_, _Amitabha Sutra_, _Lotus Sutra_, the _Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra_, _Mūlamadhyamakakārikā_, _Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra_, _Mahāprajñāpāramitāupadeśa_ which was a commentary (attributed to Nagarjuna) on the _Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra_.

Kumarajiva had four main disciples: Daosheng (竺道生), Sengzhao (僧肇), Daorong (道融), and Sengrui (僧睿).

[1] Duan, Wenjie. _Dunhuang Art: Through the Eyes of Duan Wenjie._ 1995. p. 94

title: Kumārajīva

question: What motivated Kumarajiva to become a Buddhist monk?

answer: It may be implied that Kumarajiva's mother, Jivaka, who joined the Tsio-li nunnery may have motivated Kumarajiva to become a Buddhist monk. It is also possible that his travel to Turpan, a place that was home to more than 10,000 monks may have also played a major role.

question: How was Kumarajiva capable of translating text from Sanskrit to Chinese?

answer: Kumarajiva's father was from ancient India hence he may have known Sanskrit. He also grew to fame in China so it may be implied that he learned Chinese too.

question: How did Kumarajiva's father marry the king's sister?

answer: His father was a royal priest in Kucha and hence he could marry the king's sister.

question: What may have led to the Yao family overthrowing the Fu Jian?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Who was more precise in the translations, Kumarajiva or Xuanzang?

answer: It is believed that Xuanzang was more precise in his translations than Kumarajiva.


text:
As you all know by now, MIUI V6 has been announced but is not scheduled for launch until October! Thankfully we don’t need to wait that long to get our hands on with the new ROM as the beta version has already been leaked!

Keeping a secret in the digital age is very very tricky, so it comes as no surprise that MIUI V6 has leaked to the public less than 2 days after being announced and a few months ahead of it’s official release date. The version which has leaked, and we are testing here, is not a final build of the ROM, so we have found a few bugs, it’s a little slow in places and there needs to be polishing here and there. Overall though the new UI is more refreshing and up to date, but the lack of new features is a worry.

What’s new in MIUI V6?

Going from MIUI V5 to MIUI V6 isn’t a huge leap, and in fact I had first thought that the update hadn’t worked when I first set eyes on the new home screen. The flatter looking icons are only a little different from their past incarnations, only venturing in to the settings menus and the camera app do we see that things look new.

It’s clear that Xiaomi continue to take inspiration from Apple, and MIUI V6 looks a whole lot like iOS on the iPhone or iPad. The settings menu and especially the new camera application appear to have been taken straight out of an iPhone and slotted in to MIUI!

As far as innovation and new feature are concerned, I have yet to see anything. There are new icons, the animations are different and there are new backgrounds, but other than that I have found nothing to really impress me. MIUI V5 users are going to feel right at home straight away, but apart from the fresher look of the system, there is nothing to get to excited about.

Still this is a beta ROM and a final build will hopefully bring new features to the phone. Over the weeks I’ll also test out the cloud features mentioned during the launch and see how useful they are. For a better look at MIUI V6 watch the hands on video below:

MIUI V6 hands on video

MIUI V6 Screen shots

[miui v6 hands on gizchina]

MIUI V6 hands on Impressions

It’s great to finally see Xiaomi breath some new life in to the UI of the MIUI ROM, but its a shame that the designers have taken such a huge influence from Apple and iOS once again! Xiaomi are no longer a hungry start-up looking to make their way in the world, they are a global giant, with the resources to bring us something new!

Xiaomi phone users are going to like the fresh new look, but there really is nothing (in this beta) to get excited about.

question: What is MIUI V6?

answer: It is the new ROM for Xiaomi smartphones (still in beta)

question: Where does Xiaomi continue to take inspiration from when it comes to designing MIUI V6?

answer: Apple's iOS on the iPhone or iPad.

question: What happened a few days after Xiaomi announced the launch of MIUI V6?

answer: The beta version of the ROM was leaked to the public online.

question: How does the author feel about the new MIUI V6?

answer: The author feels that the new ROM looks like the old one and doesn't have any new features. He says there's really nothing to get excited about, but remains hopeful new things will be added after the ROM moves out of beta.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Global tech giant, Xiaomi, has announced the launch date for MIUI V6, the newest ROM designed for the company's smartphones. The author reports that MIUI V6 is still in beta, but a copy was leaked just two days after Xiaomi's announcement. After giving the new ROM a try, the author says there's really nothing new in MIUI V6 when it comes to features and looks. It feels like V5 and there's nothing to get excited about. He hopes that Xiaomi adds more features when the MIUI V6 ROM officially launches in October.


text:
The IVASHEVKA MASSACRE () involved the murder of six members of a family and the critical wounding of a seventh on the night of 24 April 2016[1] in the village of Ivashevka, Syzransky District, Samara Oblast.

The victims included Colonel Andrey Gosht (), the deputy head of police HQ in Samara Oblast and former head of the Syzran town police from 2013–2015, his wife, his mother and father, his sister-in-law and her daughter. Another niece, 7 years old, survived despite extensive injuries and a long coma.[2]

Preliminary evaluation

Andrey Gosht's brother Evgeniy came home around 7:30 on the morning after the attack (after working a night shift), found the bodies, and called the ambulance. The victims were severely beaten with sticks and the body of Andrey Gosht had some signs of torture as if he had been interrogated by killers. Police soon found that the video-recording server for CCTV cameras around the house was stolen by the killers but three cameras under the roof had separate (internal) recording devices. A number of strange facts made the case a lot more suspicious: Andrey Gosht had hired a security to guard the house and his family while he was working in Samara city but released the guard whenever he was at home himself (as he had been that Sunday); furthermore, the family had a guard dog which had been poisoned just a week before.

Investigation

The police announced a reward of 3 million rubles for assistance leading to the identification of the perpetrator.[3]

The local police for the Samara region stated that the purpose of the crime was robbery.[4]

The SK / IC spokesman informed the media that they had three main versions of the crime but could not reveal them because of the investigation's secrecy.[5]

The first three suspects, Azerbaijani citizens, were arrested during the night of 1 May,[6][7] and on 2 May they were transferred to Syzran.[8] They made confessions[9][10] and were charged with murder and robbery on 4 May[11]

The suspects lived in the little villages of Shigony (Шигоны) and Kushnikovo (34 km from the crime scene) and in the town of Syzran.

1.  ROMAN FATALIEV (23 years old) — from Azerbaijan, lived in the village Shigony, officially unemployed, but worked unofficially on the construction sites (He had the criminal record during his school time - two years on probation for racketeering, assault and battery[12]).
2.  ISLAM BABAEV (21 years old) — from Azerbaijan, lived in Syzran, worked with his brother as a builder on construction sites.
3.  ORHAN ZOHRABOV — from Azerbaijan, lived in Shigony, studied in polytechnical college. (He had the criminal record - three years in prison for stealing sheep.)[13]).[14]
4.  MAKHMADALI AKHMADOV (24 years old), Tajik (married a local woman whom he converted to Islam, they have a common child), lived in Kushnikovo.

The last suspect Akhamadov managed to escape to his homeland Tajikistan through Kazakhstan one day before the other three suspects were arrested.[15] According to the Investigative Committee, he was arrested at Domodedovo International Airport when he took a flight from his home city Dushanbe.[16]). Samara region police chief Sergey Solodovnikov, however, claimed that Akhmadov was arrested on 3 May on the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan,[17] and flown to Moscow while detained,[18] and then to Syzran.[19] Investigators concluded that he was the mastermind of the crime.[20][21] Akhamadov told reporters in Syzran that he was not guilty.[22] Tajikistan border officials, however, confirmed that he had not passed any checkpoint in Tajikistan, and supported the theory that he had been detained in Moscow.[23] Akhmadov said that he was not guilty, had nothing to do with the crime, and was going to return to the Russian Federation to prove his innocence.[24][25]

Crime reconstruction

Investigators concluded that the gang had prepared for the theft or robbery in the village of Ivashevka, with Akhmadov as leader and organizer gathering sticks to use as weapons. They gathered on 23 April around 22:00 near the cafeteria in Syzran and drove to Ivashevka, changing two cars in the process. The criminals chose from two rich houses, selecting the one where the lights went off during the night. They left the car near the village club, went to the house through the field, entered the yard from the behind, and then the house through the open back door.[26] The perpetrators killed all the people on the first floor, then those on the second floor. They left taking the video surveillance system with them. They took two mobile phones, a tablet and 900 rubles in Gosht's wallet.[27] Then they drove to Ulyanovsk but stopped beside the river Tisherek, where they buried the video surveillance system and the bloody sticks. They stopped near the “Magnit” supermarket in Ulyanovsk where Fataliev tried to get money from a “Sberbank” ATM using Gosht's bank card, but failed because he did not know the PIN. The video from the ATM is one of the main pieces of evidence in the case.[28]

Alternative versions

Some experts have expressed doubts about the official version: how a robbery turned to the massacre. They point to the small value of the stolen items, the extreme cruelty of the crime and the elaborate preparations taken: the dog was poisoned months before,[29] and the dogs in the neighboring houses were poisoned a few weeks before.[30]

Investigator Telman Gdlyan has proposed that more experienced criminals, wanting to take revenge on a police officer, might have identified the house to the suspects, telling them that it contained more valuables, encouraging them to commit the crime.[31]

Another former investigator (by the Procurator General of the Soviet Union in USSR times), now the lawyer Vladimir Kalinichenko thinks there is a parallel with the GTA gang's terror crimes and said: “at least the lack of property robbed tells me that the motives of the crime could be absolutely different. I have my own version. I know that during the last 10-15 years, especially in the Moscow region, in the flats and in the rural houses one can see the arrival of people of Caucasian ethnicity or from Middle Asia, they try to assimilate here, to live with weapons, try to propagate some literature. The news in the media just before these killings informed that one house of worship was discovered and captured by authorities nearby,” [32] “60 persons were detained”.[33][34] “They had explosives, weapons, extremist literature and so on in this house.”[35] “That's why I still have another version: crimes with quite different motivations today have just started to occur or are beginning to take place, there are no robberies involved here. We are talking about the destabilization of the situation on the territory of Russia through committing crimes like these. It has all been going on in the West too, for several years, and now it's flourishing”.[36]

Political reactions

Political reactions followed from the moment the names, ethnicity, and citizenships of the suspects were revealed.

A senator from the Federation Council (Russia) Franc Klincevich made a very unusual and surprising political statement for the ruling party “United Russia” about the need for a strict visa regime toward former Soviet countries of “Middle Asia”[37] (except Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan)[38] and about the need to sharpen the requirements for receiving the citizenship of Russia.[39] “Sadistic killing of Syzran ex-police chief with his family by migrants from Middle Asia - it's just already above the limit ... we all remember the terrible death of a Moscow child at the hands of a crazy babysitter from Uzbekistan”. Klincevich said directly that we need to decide, what is more important: “Good relations with the former Soviet republics or the safety of the citizens of Russia?”[40] Even the human rights advocates supported this idea.[41]

Later, other politicians also gave support to the visa regime, taking into account the public reaction from the mass attack (with shooting) of migrants from Middle Asia against the North Caucasus ethnical gangs on the Khovanskoye Cemetery (south of Moscow) on 13 May 2016 (500 persons involved, 3 killed, 50 arrested). Another senator from Federation Council (Russia) and first Deputy of Defence and Security Committee, Evgeniy Serebrennikov, proposed enforcing the visa regime for countries including Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in order to prevent such incidents.[42][43][44]

Court proceedings

The court proceedings started on 24 October 2016 in closed session, as requested by the son of the main victim.[45] The suspects continued to maintain their innocence.[46] Two of the suspects demanded a trial by jury.[47]

The verdict was handed down on 22 February 2017: Makhmad Ali Akhmadov and Roman Fataliev were sentenced to life in prison; Islam Babaev to 25 years; and Ohran Zohrabov to 26 years. The next of kin were awarded damages of 12 million rubles from the killers. The son of Helmut Gosht insisted on being informed about the time then the convicts were sent to prison and when they were freed.[48][49][50]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

title: Ivashevka massacre

question: Summarize the opinions about the main reasons for the massacre.

answer: The official reason is robbery. Investigator Telman Gdlyan thinks a higher-ranking criminal directed the group toward the former chief of police for revenge. Former investigator, now lawyer, Vladimir Kalinichenko thinks the reason for the crime is to spread terror.

question: What was the ultimate fate of the perpetrators?

answer: Two of them were sentenced to prison for life, while the other two were sentenced to 25 and 26 years.

question: Why are there suspicions about the official reasons for the murder?

answer: The value of the stolen items is very low. The massacre is brutal, much more so than a robbery would warrant. Also, there are signs of planning spanning weeks, perhaps months. One of the most noteworthy hints is the deaths of the neighbors' dogs a week prior to the event.

question: Summarize the official reconstruction.

answer: The gang of four prepared in the village of Ivashevka and gathered sticks to use as weapons. They drove to the village, changing two cars in the process. They entered the house from the backyard and proceeded through the open back door. They killed the victims on the first floor before proceeding to kill those on the second. They took the surveillance system with them on their way out. One of them tried to withdraw cash from an ATM but failed due to not knowing the pin.

question: What were the political implications of the massacre?

answer: The perpetrators are mostly from Azerbaijan, which fueled the sentiment about restricting access to Russia from the former Soviet Republics.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The Ivashevka Massacre involved the murder of six members of a family and the critical wounding of a seventh on the night of 24 April 2016 in the village of Ivashevka, Syzransky District, Samara Oblast. The victims were Colonel Andrey Gosght, the deputy head of police HQ in Samara Oblast and former head of the Syzran town police from 2013–2015, and his relatives. The police apprehended four suspects, stating the reason as robbery. However, the low monetary value of the stolen items raised doubts. The incident was an important event in the discussions about restricting access to Russia from the former Soviet republics.


text:
[A standing Buddha, inscribed: “Gift of Abhayamira in 154” of the Gupta Era (474 CE) in the reign of Kumaragupta II. Gupta art. Sarnath Museum.[1]] The GUPTA ERA is a historical calendar era that begins from c. 318–319 CE. It was used by the Gupta emperors, as well as their vassals and their successors in present-day northern India and Nepal. It is identical to the VALLABHI ERA (or Valabhi era), which was used in the Saurashtra region of western India, although regional differences lead to a slightly different calculation for the conversion of Vallabhi era years to Common Era (CE).

History

The Gupta era is now believed to have been started by the Gupta kings, although there have been several debates over its origin in the past. The 11th century Persian writer Al-Biruni, who described the Guptas as “wicked”, incorrectly stated that the Gupta era marked the end of the Gupta dynasty. He dated the beginning of the Gupta era to the year 241 of the Shaka era, that is, 318–319 CE. Al-Biruni's claim later led to debates about the era's origin among the 19th century historians.

John Faithfull Fleet analysed the Gupta inscriptions, and realised that they were dated to years of a particular calendar era. He believed that the era was founded by king Jayadeva of the Lichchhavi dynasty (relatives of the Guptas), and was later adopted by the Guptas.

Later discoveries and analysis indicate that the era was actually founded by the Guptas, and was known after them. For example:

-   The Mathura stone pillar inscription, issued by Chandragupta II, is dated to the year 61 “following the era of the Guptas” (_Gupta-kālā nuvartamāna_).
-   The Sarnath inscriptions of Kumaragupta and Budhagupta also refer to the Gupta era.
-   The Junagadh rock inscription of Skandagupta mentions the phrase _Gupta-prakāle_ or _Guptasya-kāle_.
-   The Ganjam copper-plate inscription from the reign of Shashanka is dated to year 300 of the Gupta-era (_Gauptabda varsha-shatatraye_).

Founder of the era

[The pillar in the name of Chandragupta II in the “year 61 following the era of the Guptas”.[2] Mathura Museum.] The most prevalant theory about the era's origin credits Chandragupta I with its establishment. He was the first Gupta king to assume the imperial title _Maharajadhiraja_, so several modern scholars theorize that he founded the era around 319 CE, and that the epoch of this era marks his coronation. Scholars such as V. A. Smith and P. L. Gupta date Chandragupta's ascension (and thus, the epoch of the era) to 319-320 CE, while others such as Georg Bühler date it to 318–319 CE.

Some historians, such as D. C. Sircar and R. C. Majumdar, have theorized that the Gupta era marks the coronation of Samudragupta, the son of Chandragupta I. In his support, Majumdar cites two copper-plate grant inscriptions attributed to the years 5 (found at Nalanda) and 9 (found at Gaya). Assuming these inscriptions are dated in the Gupta era (like other Gupta inscriptions), this would imply that Samudragupta ascended the throne in or before year 5 of the Gupta era. If we assume that Chandragupta I founded the era to mark his coronation, we will have to assume that he ruled for 5 years or less. Majumdar argues that this is highly unlikely, given that Chandragupta I was an accomplished king as suggested by his imperial title. Some other scholars regard these inscriptions as later forgeries, but Majumdar believes that at least the first inscription is a genuine one, and even if these inscriptions were forged at a later date, they were probably copied from older inscriptions. S. R. Goyal theorizes that the era was started by the later king Chandragupta II, but its beginning was dated to Samudragupta's ascension.

Some other theories trace the origin of the era to 3rd century CE or earlier, but this view is now discredited: the 7th century inscription of Shashanka is dated to the 300th year of the Gupta era, and proves that the Gupta era started in the 4th century.

Usage

The Gupta era was used in northern India, western India and parts of eastern India until the end of the Gupta dynasty in the 6th century CE.

Apart from the Gupta rulers, the Gupta era was also used by their vassals and successors, such as:

-   the Maitraka dynasty of Vallabhi: this resulted in the era being called the “Vallabhi” era in the Maitraka-ruled territory.
-   Shashanka
-   Parivrajaka dynasty of central India
-   Uchchhakalpa dynasty of central India

Recent research suggests that the Gupta Era (epochal year of 320 CE) may also have been in use in the Pyu states in Myanmar.[3] Mainstream scholarship, however, holds that the recalibrated calendar was launched at Sri Ksetra, and later adopted by the upstart principality of Pagan.[4][5]

Conversion to CE

According to the calculations of John Faithfull Fleet, the Gupta era began on the first day of the shukla paksha (bright fortnight) of the Chaitra month. Depending on regional conventions, the process of converting the Gupta era years to Common Era (CE) years is different:

-   The early inscriptions dated in the Gupta era followed the scheme prevalent in northern India: the first month of the year is Chaitra (_chaitradi_), and the month starts from the full moon day (_purnimanta_).
    -   The year mentioned in these inscriptions is generally the current year at the time of issuance. Thus, the date of these inscriptions can be converted to CE by adding 320 or 321.
    -   If the year mentioned in the date is the expired year (that is the preceding year at the time of issuance), the date can be converted to CE by adding 319 or 320.

-   The later inscriptions from the Maitraka territory (“Vallabhi era”) follow the scheme prevalent in southern and western India: the first month of the year is kartika (_karttikadi_), and the month starts from the new moon day (_amanta_). Because of this, the dates are set back by 5 months.
    -   For the inscriptions that mention the current year, the date can be converted to CE by adding 319 or 320.
    -   For the inscriptions that mention the expired year, the date can be converted to CE by adding 318 or 319.

Notes

[1]

[2]

[3] (Aung-Thwin 2005: 334–335): More research needs to be done. A Pyu stone inscription discovered in 1993 indicates that the Pyu states may have also used the Gupta Era.

[4] Hall 1960: 8

[5] Aung-Thwin 2005: 35

title: Gupta era

question: What is the Gupta era?

answer: a historical calendar era that begins from circa 318-319 CE used by the Gupta emperors, their vassals, and their successors

question: Who founded the Gupta era?

answer: Chandragupta I most likely founded the Gupta era

question: When did the Gupta dynasty end?

answer: 6th century CE

question: Who succeeded Chandragupta I?

answer: Chandragupta II

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Gupta era is a historical calendar era that begins from circa 318-319 CE used by the Gupta emperors, their vassals, and their successors. Historians debate its exact range.


text:
“Hey, dad.” I said slipping into the barstool next to him. I slapped him on the shoulder and cupped my hand around the beer he had ordered while waiting for me. I took a long sip.

“What's up, dude?”

'dude' it's been my dad's nickname for me for as long as I can remember.

“Not much,” I said and we settled into a chat about work and politics and news. The normal launching off point for us. Syria is screwed; people aren't smart enough to govern themselves; did you hear about this new band; my manager is an ass. It was the normal stuff we talked about. Everything external, everything observational and opinionated. We never really talked much about how we were feeling. Rarely was a word spoken about aspirations or desires. We talked about the absolute instead.

The conversation started to petter off after we covered all of the major news points and new revelations that have happened since the last time we did this. We sat in silence for a little bit, but it was a comfortable silence. One that felt more like being surrounded by complete, utter stillness not some vacuous empty; one that doesn't need or even want words; a clarifying moment of simply being there; not posturing or posing for the other person, but simply settling into a comforting complete sense of being.

My mind started to wander as we sat there. Nowhere far away. My mind simply meandered around the edges of the conversation we just had and studied the connections there between us and my father. Suddenly I was struck with a memory. One from a long time ago when I was probably 10 or so. It was a memory I've had a million times before, one of those floating fragments of life that remind us we were alive before yesterday. I realized it was a memory that I had been having more and in in recent weeks.

“Hey, dad?” I said uncomfortably pushing my glass onto it's edge. Just to the point where the beer threaten to dribble out onto the bar top, but not quite.

“What's up, dude?”

“Do you remember when I was a kid and you bought me a bow and arrow? You know, that one from the indian reservation or where ever it was we always went on school trips?”

He laughed a little, lost in fog. “Of course. You were so excited for that thing. You had me tape a target onto a cardboard box and set it up in the backyard as soon as we got home. You wouldn't take no for an answer. I couldn't stop you even though the sun was about to go down and you weren't going to be able to see shit.”

We both smiled a little; realizing in our own ways just how long we've been friends and reveling in that wonderful realization that between the both of us, by combining our two memories, we were forming a sort of tangible three-dimensional view of that old reverberating thought. It was like that chilly night was happening again. I could smell the honey suckle that grew across the edge of the yard and the chemical smell of chlorine drifting on the breeze from our neighbor Joy's pool.

“Do you remember what happened after you set it up?” I broke eye contact with him and broke our parallax recreation of the far off evening. For some reason I was anxious about what he might say. Or, maybe not anxious, but scared.

He searched through the drawers of his memory for a moment. His eyes flicked upward as he flipped through the card catalogue filled with millions of shards of shared life that we had in the backyard, but, finally conceding, “no,” he said.

“It's weird. I don't know why, but I do. In fact it's been on my mind a lot lately and I can't figure it out.

“You set up the target for me in the back of the house, near that old tan and orange rusty swing-set. You got the box positioned right between the two swings on the ground. You walked up to me, reminded me to be safe and went straight in the house.

“I took a few shots at the target. The arrows whizzed by the box not leaving a mark. I looked around at the darkness that started across the lawn.

The light was turning all purple and orange. That old tree I used to climb, I think it was a japanese maple. You know, the one with the red leaves. They sparkled so bright that time of night. But by this point that wonderous light was starting to fade into a relaxed deep purple. I looked around, but I wasn't watching the sunset, I was looking for you. It had been a few minutes since you went inside. I figured you'd come right back out, but you didn't. You just sat down and had a beer. You sat down with mom, and maybe one of her friends, at the kitchen table and had a beer. I think it was a beer. And even though that is such an inconsequential decision for some reason, me, as a child, was heartbroken by it.

'I walked over to the box and plunged the arrow right into the bullseye. I picked up the box. I walked over to the house. I swung open the kitchen door and I said 'Look! I got a bullseye.'

I thought this would get you out of the house, get you to come outside, convince you to come play with me but it didn't. You congratulated me, patted my head. All the things that can reasonably be expected from a dad. Maybe you made a joke about me being the next Robin hood. Mom and her friend hemmed and hawed. But it wasn't enough.

'I think, after that, I broke down and cried. It all gets fuzzy. All I remember clearly after that is the disappointment, but I think I cried. I don't know if you saw it. I don't even know if it happened. Maybe that's just what I remember now.”

I looked at my dad. He looked deep in thought, like he didn't know what to say. I kept going.

“And what I just realized, right now while I was telling this story, is why i've been thinking about that memory so much lately. That's still what i'm still doing every day. But now it's not a box in the backyard I'm using, it's my whole life. I do it with my career and with my hobbies. I do it with my girlfriends and with my tone of voice. I think it's why I work so hard. I think it's why I've been so successful. And do you know what the bitch of it is? I still don't know if that's a good thing or not.”

title: Bullseye

question: Summarize what has led the narrator to want to meet with his father tonight.

answer: The narrator-probably a man because he is called "dude"-reveres his father greatly. When they meet they talk about the normal things, but this chat proves to be superficial as the narrator places more weight on his next move. You can tell this is the real reason he wanted to meet with his dad, because the words feel rehearsed and the narrator seems nervous. The narrator, in sum, proceeds to explain to his father through revisiting a memory that he has always sought to make his father proud. Without his father's approval, he has lived a life setting himself up to meet unrealistic expectations, and it has complicated his relationships with his girlfriend, friends, and career. The narrator has been led to set up this meeting because he wants to be able to stop seeking his father's approval in everything that he does.

question: Summarize the relationship between the father and son.

answer: They get along on a superficial level, as evidenced by their expected exchanges about political situations. However, there is an awkwardness between them, and it's as if the father chooses to selectively remember things about his son and his son's upbringing. He doesn't at first recall the whole bull's eye-and-error situation, and this might be because it was a source of disappointment for them both-it revealed the son's shortcomings and the father's inability to adjust his expectations enough to make his son feel encouraged and supported. The father is also not very talkative as the son delves into the story, which may be a sign of the father's discomfort with having this situation now framed as an instance of his shortcomings as a father.

question: Explain what the son is hoping this conversation will do for his relationship with his father.

question: Summarize the principle and the secondary sources of tension in this article.

answer: The principle source of tension is that the father never granted his son his approval and showed his pride in his boy's ability to hit the bull's eye. This is illustrated explicitly through the story to which the grown man still clings today and cares to regurgitate from his mind because it has been taking up space. The secondary source of tension is that his father chooses to forget the entire outcome, which may be symptomatic of a tendency to block out that which doesn't serve him or make him feel good about his parenting.


text:
    Red Ribbon

    	Each blink is more difficult and it takes me just a bit more effort to open my eyes than it did the last time. The     cold of my bathtub is comforting. I lean back, take a deep breath and slowly exhale. My mind hasn't stopped     racing, showing me images from my childhood, from my adolescence, from high school, from college.
	At four years old, I ran away from a camping trip to try to catch up to my parents on a hiking trail. I didn't know which direction they had gone, so I just followed the river. Ten minutes later, I was still alone and it started to sink in. No one is going to take care of me but myself. “#%!^, that's a scary thought. How will I be able to eat? I don't know how to do anything...” I wandered for what felt like forever, never straying from the security of the path I was on. Ah, the path.
	I snapped back to the present. That path. Nearly thirty years later and I realized I was jealous of that path. It had a direction, it knew where it was going. The only surprises on that path came from off the trail. Was this the right way to live my life? Is this how I would find happiness? Should I become a singularly focused individual, striving only for one goal, ignoring anything outside of that? This path is more soulful than I would have imagined a dirt road could be.
	I blink again. My eyelids feel sticky. I'm in my kitchen and I'm nine years old. Our kitchen is being remodeled and the floor is missing. I can see the dirt, spiderwebs, the century of unuse under the house. There is no rot, there is no termite damage, there is no foundation. Our house sits directly on the dirt hillside, raised up just enough to allow air to flow underneath. The house feels sturdy but there is nothing holding it in place, it could slide down the hill at any moment. Who cares? What does this mean?
	The hole in the floor of the kitchen is all I can think about when I open my eyes again. This house has lasted for more than 100 years. All without any sort of foundation, in earthquake country. It has been shaken and beaten more then I ever could be. It refuses to collapse but instead welcomes new people and wraps them in its love. This house is like a grandmother nearing senility; a shaky foundation, but a strong outward presence. A welcoming hug every time you enter through the front door. Is this how I should live? Wandering the earth, rootless, searching for a place to make a stand and show my love for my fellow man? I tried that in college, it didn't work. Free love and no foundation made me completely insecure. At any moment I could be cast aside and would have nothing to fall back on.
	My eyes lose focus as I follow the wall down from the ceiling to the bathtub, finally coming to rest on the floor of the bathtub. The rouge river winds down hands to my knees and finally pools at my heels until there is enough to continue its one-way journey. The thin thread heads straight into the darkness at the end of the tub, where it drips nosily into the drain.
	I blink twice. The second blink takes me away again. It's my Sophomore year of high school and I'm in love for the first time. Her name was Carrie, she was blonde with blue eyes. She was the co-captain of the JV Cheer squad and she always smelled like a freshly picked peony. We went on our first date together when I asked her to the Winter Formal. When I picked her up, I had to sit through “the talk” from her father while I waited for her to put her finishing touches on. After the dance, we went to an after party thrown by one of the Seniors. I didn't drink at all (it was part of “the talk”) but she did and by the time I got her back to her house, the alcohol was in full effect. We made out for half an hour. That 30 minutes was all it took, I knew I was in love. Our relationship lasted for the rest of the year but it didn't make it past the Summer she spent working on her uncle's ranch in Wyoming. I got two reasons out of her, and I've never known which one was more true. She said, “You're just too....nice” and “Cowboys.” My soul crushed, I spent the next two months sad and pitiful. First love, first loss, first time the nice guy finished dead last.
	My eyelids are heavy, but I open them and sigh. I'm back in the bathtub. I'm not an adolescent any more. I sigh again, this time in relief. The bathtub isn't so cold anymore, it has stolen my body heat giving only white porcelain in return. I brush my hand against the side of the tub, leaving irregular streaks as I move my fingers and paint with my essence. I see bits of Van Gogh and Cezanne in the chaotic crimson my fingers trail behind. I shut my eyes and am transported to my friends dorm in college. Jill is seated on her bed with Starry Night peaking at me over her right shoulder. There are two other friends in here, but I can't see their faces or remember their names. We have been discussing which super power we would want to have and why for the last three hours. I have held to my contention that being able to stop time would make one unstoppable while heavily debating flight and superspeed. We finally stop debating at 2am and I go home to sleep. In the morning, I hear from friends in the dorms near Jill. They are all asking me what I was talking about last night, apparently they could hear my laugh from the next dorm over. I tell them. They laugh more. I feel ashamed that my laugh has made me recognizable from hundreds of feet away. I am embarrassed by our conversation. I make a mental note, which I will immediately forget, to tone down my laugh.
	As I open my eyes from this memory, I realize the truth. I have spent most of my life running from my emotions. They crippled me time and again. My brain doesn't see it that way however, it relishes the emotions, the differences, the change, the unique. The problem is that I don't. My brain is pleading with me in the only way it knows how. It is pleading for me to reverse this process. It is imploring me to lift myself up, to stand up again. I finally relent and lift my heavy hands, attached to heavy arms, to the edge of the tub. I set my feet flat against the floor of the tub, toes pushing against the side so I don't slip in the pooled and partially coagulated blood. I see my phone, it is across the room. It is now my only chance for survival. I strain my muscles to stand.

My eyes close.

title: Red Ribbon [1200 words] (first post here, feedback welcome, please comment)

question: What has the narrator been discussing with his friends?

answer: They have been discussing which super power they would have and why.

question: Describe the narrator's setting.

answer: The narrator is currently sitting in his bathtub, reminiscing.

question: What prompted the narrator to reminisce about his first love?

answer: His mind has been racing with old memories as he sits in the bathtub.

question: What point is the narrator at in his life?

answer: The narrator is now in his thirties.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is taking a bath and reminiscing about different parts of his childhood, adolescence, and college years. He questions the meanings of each of the memories. He comes to the conclusion that he has spent most of his life running from his emotions. He is dying in the bathtub and attempts to reach his phone, his only chance of survival, but cannot reach it. His eyes close.