text:
Following months of what I consider the perfect weather, sunshine in the mornings, rain in the afternoons, the return of sunshine in the evenings, we are now experiencing our regular summer, hot day after hot day -  not that I am complaining as this is the weather we need to ripen my favourite summer fruits, grapes, figs and peaches :) So here is what we've been up to in the gardens this week.

[]

But first just to let you know we've revamped our Online Store where you can find Forest Garden/ Permaculture Plants, Seeds, Cuttings, Bulbs, Rhizomes and Polyculture Multi-packs along with digital goods and services such as Online Courses, Webinars, eBooks, and Online Consultancy and finally we've added a Bulk Fruit and Nut Tree order form for Farms, Orchards, Nurseries, and Large Regenerative Landscape Projects. If there is anything in the store you would like to see but is not there, please let us know. We hope you enjoy the store and find something you like :) It's your purchases that keep our Project going. Thank you. Enter Our Store Here

The Polyculture Vegetable Garden

The polyculture vegetable beds in the market garden are providing all the evidence we need to assure us that our regenerative landscape design strategies are working  i.e select climate compatible plants, locate the plants in the right position of your landscape, provide plenty of habitat for beneficial organisms, grow plenty of chop and drop biomass, and feed the soil with plenty of organic matter.

[]

Some of the produce from the vegetable beds

[]

We're trying these currant tomatoes this year, they certainly provide a tasty little morsel

[]

One our staple Tomato cultivars is Tigerella.

[]

They reliably produce high yields year on year regardless of the weather and do not suffer from cracking that can be a problem with our tomatoes given the flood irrigation system we use. If you would like to know more about cracking in tomatoes including why it happens and what can be done to prevent it check our blog post here.

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  []
  Cultivar 'Black Krim' shows high susceptibility to cracking both in green and ripe fruits
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We always inlcude Calendula and Marigold in our vegetable polycultures. The Calendula - Calendula officinalis self seed , the Marigolds - Tagetes patula and T.erecta  we sow with the Basil under cover in early April and plant out in mid May.

[]

Plants to Attract Beneficial Insects

We have lots of wild areas that serve as beneficial habitat in the market garden. This a great way of preserving the wide diversity of local flora and keeping intact the food webs that have been working away long before we arrived. We generally leave wild areas that surround the vegetable beds and this works well as the cultivation bed area is quite small, but when the cultivation area is larger or there is no opportunity to have wild zones around the perimeter due to lack of space, what looks like a good alternative to me is  having wild patches within the cultivated areas . Here you can see a 3m section of our 24m long raised beds that was left fallow this year. An excellent variety of wild plants have established here and the area is teaming with insects.

[]

Ladybird Beetle - Coccinellidae are all over Heracleum sphondylium, commonly known as hogweed, a common weed in Europe and a much undervalued one by us humans. The plants are the Costa del Sol of the insect kingdom, attracting hordes of insects every summer.

[]

Wasps, Bees, and Hoeverflies are just a few of the insects that frequent the Foeniculum vulgare - Fennel  plants this time of year

[]

Sunflowers make a wonderful attractant for beneficial organisms. Being a member of the Asteracea family they are favoured by a number of bee species and if you don't mind sharing the seeds - many birds including sparrows, finches, robins and blackbirds.  Sunflowers seeds are packed with fat and protein and are rich in vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamin B, iron and potassium, essential for keeping birds and humans healthy. The birds will most likely dine on a few grubs whilst they are in the garden and are a vital part of pest control in our gardens.

[]

Dionysus is a new productive polyculture I have designed for our perennial polyculture trial garden. The herb layer for this polyculture consists of plants that attract a wide range of beneficial insects namely Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower - Levisticum officinale - Lovage - Sedem telephium - Orpine and Foeniculum vulgare - Fennel  the The plants can also be used for culinary purposes and have some excellent medicinal properties. All of the plants in this polyculture are available from our plant nursery this season.

[]

We also have seed packs available from our online store for growing plants to attract beneficial insects.

Forest Garden

[]

It's a sea of asparagus fronds in the perennial bed. We'll cut the fronds down to ground level in the winter.

[]

Elaeagnus angustifolia - Russian Olive grown from seed 7 years ago have fruited for the first time this year. Looking forward to fruit ripening sometime in September to October. Like all the plants in this genus, Oleaster has Nitrogen Fixing capabilities and when planted with fruit trees is said to increase the overall yield of the orchard by 10% whilst themselves producing a yield of berries. For more nitrogen fixing plants see here

[]

Rhus typhina -   Stag's horn sumach fruit. I've not tried the furry berries yet but have read many reports that they can be used to make a lemonade. They can stay on the tree right through the winter but are best to harvest late summer or early autumn.

[]

[]

Sambucus ebulus - Dwarf Elderberry grows wild in various patches around Shipka. The Dwarf Elderberry is a herbaceous species of elder, growing only to a height of 1.2 m, making it an ideal candidate for the woodland garden, or as ground cover.  Its clusters of pretty white flowers attract a wide variety of wildlife and its leaves are widely used in herbal medicine. When ripe all of the berries are dark purple.

[]

Ataraxia - Perennial Polyculture Trail Garden

I finished writing up our trial, testing 5 methods to prepare beds for tree and shrub planting. You can find anoverview of the trial and results here. We are trying some different APP methods for the next years plantings including spot mulching the area where the trees will be planted with bales', and using trimmings from the pathway to smother the vegetation between the bales and build up organic matter.

[]

This method was suggested by Daniel and entails laying clear plastic on the bed area during the hot summer months to burn the vegetation. We'll pull back the plastic in early September, scarify the surface and sow various cover crops on the bare earth.

[]

Found this beautiful Anthemis tinctoria - Yellow Camomile  in the perennial trial beds. Thank you Zuzana Spakova for identification.  According to the conspectus of Bulgarian Vascular Flora we have 24 species of Anthemis here.

[]

Upcoming Forest Garden Courses

If you would like to create a forest garden and gain some practical hands-on experience come and join us for our Design and Build a Forest Garden Course. We'll be covering site surveying, landscape design software, installing access, beds, irrigation channels, planting tree, shrub, herb and ground layers, and wildlife ponds. All in 3 days! And plenty of follow up material to take away with you to digest slowly.

[]

Registration for our course is now open with a 15% discount on accommodation and food fees when you register as a group (2 or more). You can also take advantage of early booking discounts if you book 3 months before the course starts.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please Consider Supporting Our Efforts

Our project grows with our desire to provide better quality information. Our overheads and demands on our time also grow along with our development and this presents a challenge for us to maintain the project and activities. We do not receive any government, institutional or NGO funding for our project and rely on revenue from sales of our courses, plants, consultancy, and design work along with the support of our amazing volunteers to develop and manage the gardens and are very grateful for this. So please consider joining us for a course or event, purchasing products and services from our online store or plants from our bio nursery, participating in our online educational platforms and support the project while we support you. Feeling super generous today? You can also support us directly with a one-time donation or become a sponsor of our project providing monthly support. With your support, we will continue to improve on producing quality information and data for the community, building a world-class demonstration landscape and progress on our mission to develop and promote practices that can produce food and other resources for humans while enhancing biodiversity.

We also accept donations via bank transfer in USD - EURO - GBP - AUD - NZD  - (please email for account details) and via peer to peer distributed ledger - BTC - ETH

[]

If you are not in a financial position to purchase our products and services or donate please comment, like and share our work. This helps us to spread our work further afield and is much appreciated.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would you like to be involved in the project next season?  1-6 month placements on our polyculture study are now open.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We offer a diversity of plants and seeds for permaculture, forest gardens and regenerative landscapes including a range of fruit and nut cultivars. We Deliver all over Europe from Nov - March. - Give a happy plant a happy home :)

Design and Create Webinars - Forest Gardens, Urban Gardens, Permaculture, Regenerative Farming

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[]

If you appreciate the work we are doing you can show your support in several ways.

-   Make a purchase of plants or seeds from our Bionursery or Online Store

-   Consider joining us on for one our Courses or Online Training

-   Donate directly to our Polyculture Project Crowdfunding Campaign.

-   Comment, like and share our content on social media.

question: Describe the regenerative landscape design strategies being employed.

answer:
1. Select climate compatible plants;
2. Locate the plants in the right position of your landscape;
3. Provide plenty of habitat for beneficial organisms;
4. Grow plenty of chop and drop biomass;
5. Feed the soil with plenty of organic matter.

question: Are the regenerative landscape design strategies working?

answer: Yes, the are working.

question: Why is Tigerella one of their staple tomato cultivars?

answer: They produce reliably high yields year on year regardless of the weather and they do not suffer from cracking that can be a problem with tomatoes given their flood irrigation system.

question: How do they attract beneficial insects to their market garden?

answer: They include wild areas in their garden design. They also leave some spaces fallow to allow wild zones to develop.

question: What is their mission?

answer: Their mission is to develop and promote practices that can produce food and other resources for humans while enhancing biodiversity.

question: What properties does Oleaster have and what is the effect of this in the rest of the orchard?

answer: Oleaster has Nitrogen fixing capabilities. When planted with fruit trees is increases the overall yield of the orchard by 10% whilst themselves producing a yield of berries.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article details how this project is progressing on its mission to develop and promote practices that can produce food and other resources while enhancing biodiversity. They accomplish this through polyculture vegetable bed, wild areas that attract beneficial insects and forest garden. They get funds through their online store.


split: train

text:
Creature on the mount

In my home upon the mountain of Araj, there are many trails and paths that people travel. My house stands as a way point for the wary; a place that they can lay their heads and drink when their travels become too much to bear. Every time they come I ask them about their travels- things they have seen. Most of them are there visiting from other continents-North America, Europe. They tell me of their love for Araj. The trees so green and fair, the air clearer than anything they ever experienced. Yes the mountain is beautiful and I’ve dwelled here for many years, but sadly due to my old age, have never been to the top. I wonder sometimes if I’ll ever make it. If I’ll ever witness the same beauty that my visitors have done so many times before me.

Strangely one day a man came to my home. He was alone with no pack on his back or shoes on his feet. Trapped in a daze, he stumbled past my home nearly falling from the cliffs. I grabbed him and led him to a bed to rest. He twitched and writhed, mumbling about strange things, whispers of knowledge and wisdom being spoken through the mist at the top of the mountain, clothed figures sleuthing about between the trees. IN an out of consciousness he went until finally he drifted off to sleep. The following morning he awoke and knew of nothing that he had spoke about. I asked him many times but he apologized and said he could not remember. I bid him farewell and he departed. Some weeks later I found more travelers descending from the mountain trails, lost in their thoughts, unable to speak in their native tongues. Each of them spoke of things lurking at the top of this mount. A beast with many layers of hair preaching inconceivable messages about the universe and the realm of which we inhabit, acolytes at its side with masked faces and strange bodies. Of course I questioned them the following morning but they too were oblivious to their own words.

More months passed by and the instances of this phenomenon became too frequent for me to ignore. With my rooms filling up nightly of people with minds plagued with delusion, I finally decided to see for myself what was at the top of mount Araj. Late in the night, when the moon was at its fullest, I left my home, packed for a days journey. I made my way up through the rocky and steep trails, sometimes having to veer off the path to climb higher, upon uneven sets of rock and timber.  The further up I reached the more I noticed that the animals of the night were no longer hooting, crying, or scampering through the bush. Crickets were absent as well, creating a stale and unsettling silence in the moonlit air. Finally I reached a pathway that seemed to differ from the one that I was on. More paved and cared for, I followed it. It led me to a cave nestled conveniently in the side of the mount. I entered it, going against my better judgment. I felt my way through the dark, placing one foot carefully in front of the other, hoping to not fall down dark hole. And as I made my way through, I began to hear the echoes of strange chants rising throughout the cave. Up ahead, the dim light of a fire burned brightly, giving way to strange shadows jumping against the cavern walls, going in and out. Afraid as I was, my heart raced with a peculiar anticipation. I needed to find out what was happening-what crazed abominations lurked within.

I hid around a corner, just out of sight, listening intently. I could understand nothing that was being said. It was as if the figure speaking was not using its tongue but some other method. The sounds it made started to blend together and I felt as if my mind was being swished about. Unable to take any more of it, I lunged around and confronted the mysterious beings face to face.

At this point in time I must inform you that I can vaguely recall the events that transpired and to tell the truth, I’m not sure if I ever will fully remember them. Strange isn’t it.

Once I turned the corner I saw a tall beast; long legged, man-like, lengthy strands of dirty brown hair, matted on like a rug of poor quality. A strange garment of green and black was laid upon his back and he looked at me as if we were familiar at some point in life. His hands were raised up high, preaching to a small group of people that I had seen go up the mountain earlier that day. Figures dressed in black grabbed me by the arm and sat me down with them. The audience of travelers did not flinch, or even give acknowledgment to my presence. The beast continued his message, preaching over the strange fire that sparked with blue and violet. I looked at him with innocent eyes and mind, frightened and bewildered. Then, his mouthing changed and I could understand every word- every syllable he was pronouncing unto us. I cannot remember what it was he was saying exactly but I do recall the feeling. It was like I was entering a dream of unparalleled knowledge. I felt that the world was opened up and had swallowed my former self into it. The stars, the galaxies, the universe-it all made sense. Nature, life, death, there was nothing I was ignorant of any longer. As his message went on I remember a white light blinding me then waking up in my home unable to remember a thing. It wasn't until after a few weeks that I was able to recall even the slightest detail. And still, I struggle with the reality of what happened there.

Often, I look up the trail of mount Araj and convince myself that I will return to the cavern one day but I know I probably will not. To be honest, I am afraid of that creature and its strange words. Man is not meant to know such things and it is clear that our brains will not let us retain it. I have now blocked my home from any more travelers. I wish to see them no more. These last days of my old life I will spend seeking a form of peace for my soul. Maybe leave the mountain once and for all. I am not sure..I am not sure.

title: The creature on the mount (tell me what you think. wrote in 45 minutes.)

question: What does the text say about the strange ritual going on at the peak of Mount Araj?

answer: The narrator encounters many travelers who go to the top. All of them are seemingly in a daze, muttering weird things. The narrator helps them spend the night and asks about the things they were muttering, but none of them remember what they heard or saw. Eventually, the narrator decides to climb and see for himself what's going on. There, he's taken to partake in a strange ceremony or ritual. A creature talks in weird tongues which eventually make sense to him, giving him a sensation of knowing everything that matters. However, he enters a daze then and can't remember for weeks what he's seen or heard. Even after weeks, he only remembers a general sensation and no details.

question: What does the text say about the ritualistic value of speaking in tongues?

question: What does the text say about the travelers?

answer: They pass nearby the narrator's house on their way up and down. They come from many countries and continents. They are awestruck by the beautiful view at the top of Mount Araj. At some point, a lot of them begin to descend from the top in a delirious state of mind. The narrator helps them to recover through the night, but none of them can tell him what they saw or heard at the top. After the narrator visits the mountain top himself, he stops taking in travelers because he wants nothing to do with the mountain's summit.


text:
The director’s face was the first I saw upon returning. I had hoped it would be my mothers. His bifocals were constantly sliding down that pointy nose, and I could tell he was nervous from the constant smoothing of the stringy hair around his ears. Several emotions flickered across his face at once: fear, joy, excitement, jealousy. The last made me uncomfortable, and I shifted under the large man’s eager stare.

“Well… what did you see?” he asked, rubbing his forehead with a handkerchief. His voice was higher than normal; normal being already slightly feminine. The others in the room stared expectantly, pen and paper ready in each pair of hands. Reporters, news camera crews, journalists, and anyone else who wanted exclusive information was jammed into the already cramped room. If I had more of an ego, I may have enjoyed the attention. Perhaps even more so if I had anything to tell them.

They thought I was the perfect candidate, considering my experience. Every trip to the past had included me, either on my own or accompanying a person or group. They thought that I was good luck. I knew better, knew that I was the opposite. The first time, I had caught cholera, and had nearly died in Nottingham. The second, a stray Mongol arrow had all but pierced my heart. The rest are a jumble of disease, famine, natural disasters, and war casualties. Each time, as I was about to die, I was brought back to the present and the ailment cured. They told me it was worth it, for science and history. None of them ever volunteered to join me.

If it hadn't been news of the meteor, I may have continued my disastrous missions into history. It had been kept quiet at first, but news leaked out, as it always does. People began to panic, rioters hit the streets, and religious extremists gained billions of followers. Of course, nobody knew if the meteor would actually hit; it all depended on the timing. Either a direct collision, pulled by our gravity, or else it will pass extremely close and shoot towards the sun. Impossible to tell.
Then the director had his brilliant plan; if we could see the past, why not the future?  In the state of panic, everybody jumped on board. The director became a sort of celebrity, and funding was raised quickly. And who better, he asked, to lead this mission, but the one who had been a part of all previous missions. I tried to oppose, of course, but they wouldn't hear it. I was going.

I knew all along there was nothing to be seen. Even as they were inputting the coordinates, I was trying to decide what to say. You cannot predict the future; you cannot know it, because it does not yet exist. There are many possibilities, many different ways it could run. Astrologists and prophets appear successful, because they predict the most likely outcome, and brag intelligence or giftedness when it comes about. But there was no likely outcome, no easily discernible pattern to follow. It was one or the other, left or right, death or life. Heads or tails.

I glanced down, as the face of George Washington stared mockingly up at me. With a practiced smile and show of relief, I proclaimed that we would survive; the meteor will pass close enough that offshoots will create much damage, but Earth will remain intact.

Celebratory whoops and hollers filled the room, and the director did something of a dance. I smiled, shaking hands and giving hugs as everyone came to congratulate me. There was no happiness, no excitement, as I wait until the day the meteor would arrive. If I were to be honest with myself, I hope it hits us.

Nobody will judge you when you are dead.

title: Our Future, or Lack-Thereof

question: Why did the protagonist face near-death in all of his trips to the past?

answer: He thinks he's unlucky, but the story doesn't give a canonical answer.

question: Why did the protagonist go to the future?

answer: He was a part of all missions into the past, and the authorities thought he's the perfect fit.

question: Why does the protagonist want the meteor to hit the planet?

answer: The story doesn't give a reason, but the protagonist seems somewhat depressed.

question: Why isn't there anything to see in the future?

answer: The events haven't unfolded yet. There are many possibilities that can happen, but since there's no definitive one, there's nothing concrete to see.

question: Write a ~8 sentence summary.

answer: The protagonist is asked about what he saw. He has been a part of all missions into the past, and he always returned with a deathly wound from the past. Modern medicine manages to save him every time, but he thinks he's just bad luck. Everybody else thinks the opposite, and they considered him to be the perfect fit to go to the future. There is a meteor coming, and the scientists aren't sure whether it'll hit the planet or not. The protagonist knows better, that there's nothing to see because the future doesn't exist yet. But he tells the audience that the meteor will damage the planet but pass by. He secretly hopes that the meteor hits the planet.


text:
South Park: The Stick of Truth, the upcoming role-playing game based on the hit Comedy Central cartoon, has been delayed once again. South Park Studios and publisher Ubisoft announced that the game will now arrive on March 4, 2014 after previously being scheduled for release this December.

"We had to turn this thing upside down if we hoped to deliver the experience everyone wanted," Ubisoft North America president Laurent Detoc said in a statement.

"Getting the game up to the crappy standards of the show has been a real challenge," joked _South Park_ creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Developed by Obsidian, the team behind the original Fallout, the game was originally announced as a THQ project in Dec. 2011 and shown off at E3 2012. However, after missing its first spring 2013 release date due to THQ's bankruptcy earlier this year, South Park Studios helped the game find a new home at Ubisoft. But while other former THQ properties have managed to stay roughly within their original release windows, like Saints Row IV, South Park's transition has not been as smooth.

This delay also comes shortly after the cartoon missed its air date for the first time ever because of a studio power outage. To stay topical, the show's famously tight schedule quickly cranks out episodes the week before they air making any sort of lost work time catastrophic.

South Park: The Stick of Truth will now go up against big March games like Titanfall and other early next-generation software. March is also the typical release window for games pushed out of the holiday season including, perhaps, Ubisoft's own recently delayed open-world game Watch Dogs and racing game The Crew.

Further Reading

-   Is Capcom Working on a New Retro Arcade Console?
-   Xbox Series X Controller Support for Apple Devices in the Works
-   Google Stadia Will Expand to iOS Devices Via Upcoming Beta Trial
-   Nvidia Brings GeForce Now Cloud Gaming to iPhones, Teases Fortnite's Return to iOS
-   More in Gaming Hardware

Gaming Hardware Reviews

-   DJI Mini 2
-   Aloe Care Health
-   Apple Watch Series 6
-   FitTrack Dara BMI Smart Scale
-   Fitbit Versa 3

Gaming Hardware Best Picks

-   The Ultimate Gift Guide for PC Gamers
-   The Best Drones for 2020
-   The Best Smart Bathroom Scales for 2020
-   The Best Waterproof Fitness Trackers
-   The Best Fitness Trackers for Running

question: Who delivers the news of the delayed South Park video game release date?

answer: Ubisoft North America president, Laurent Detoc

question: What is the reason for the delayed release?

answer: To deliver the experience everyone wants.

question: Who is developing and publishing the role-playing game?

answer: Obsidian and Ubisoft, respectively.

question: Why did the cartoon miss its air date for the first time ever?

answer: Because of a studio power outage

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The South Park video game release is delayed once again in order to deliver the experience everyone wants. The news is delivered in a statement from Ubisoft North America president, Laurent Detoc.


text:
I have a tendency to relate to song lyrics in the same way an apple can relate to international politics. I'm also what people call scatterbrained. Those people are assholes. If they were here right now, I'd untie their shoes.

Dark clothing and an apprehension towards smiling does not equate to me being interested in your shitty band. If you felt real pain you'd write a novel. Instead you're thinking of words that rhyme with *depression*.

I could be a lyricist if I knew how to rhyme and was better at bullshit.

The awkward pause. You've handed me your band's demo. You tell me to pay close attention to the fourth track.

Who the hell do you think you are?
What do you expect me to do with a cassette tape?
*When will you listen to me?*
*Where can I escape this loneliness?*
Why does the ballad on every shit album show up in the same place?
How many girls have fallen for this?

"You don't remember me at all, do you?" I remember he's a mediocre singer. I remember that he is part of a warm-up band that I am not here to see. I remember rolling my eyes throughout much of their performance. My mother used to tell me that if I kept rolling my eyes they would eventually get stuck in the back of my head. If only that could have happened twenty minutes ago.

I bite my tongue and it's the first thing I've felt all night.

*Discretion*.

He walks away and the dreadful exchange has concluded. This is part of his game. I've been given a riddle and the answer can be found in the fourth track.

It's months later and I've forgotten about this night.

*Repression*.

My jacket reeks of cigarette smoke and sweat. The noisome smell brings me back to the night this jacket was last worn, and my hand instinctively rediscovers the cassette tape buried deep within the side pocket. A sudden fear grips me, and I'm not sure why.

As luck would have it, I'm driving my father's old pick-up truck while my car is in the shop. The two knobs of the old cassette tape deck resemble eyes that tell me my next move.

I start the tape. The first three tracks are almost unbearable. The fourth track begins. A ballad.

One cliche after another. Dark. Creepy. It's about a girl. She has no idea she's being watched. My finger is reaching for eject. That is when he sings my name.

*Obsession*.

title: The Fourth Track

question: Why does the main character dislike some kinds of music?

answer: She considers that the music made by certain artists to be of a standard that is predictable, shallow, and even superficial. She strongly cites the formulaic nature of the lyrics to be something that she finds distasteful.


text:
VALERIY YAREMCHENKO (born August 15, 1947) is a Ukrainian coach and a former footballer.

Career

He was born in the city of Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. As a player, he participated in 247 games as a member of Shakhtar scoring 24 goals. He coached Syria (1985–87), Shakhtar (1989–94, 2001–03), Kremin (1994), Kolos (1995), Rotor (2004), Metalurh Z (2004–05). Honorary coach of Ukraine in 1993.

Statistics for Shakhtar

  Club       Season   League   Cup     Europe   Total
  ---------- -------- -------- ------- -------- ------- ------ ------- ----
  Apps       Goals    Apps     Goals   Apps     Goals
  SHAKHTAR
  1966       2        0        -       -        -
  1967       -
  1968       28       2        3       1        -
  1969       20       4        -       -        -
  1970       28       5        -       -        -
  1971       27       9        3       1        -
  1972       31       2        -       -        -
  1973       27       0        3       0        -
  1974       27       1        7       0        -
  1975       25       1        1       0        -
  1976 (a)   15       1        4       0        -
  1976 (s)   12       1        -       -        6
  1977       28       0        3       0        -
  1978       27       0        8       1        2
  Total      297      26       32      3        8

Honours

Player

-   Soviet Top League
    -   Runner-Up: 1975
    -   Bronze: 1978
-   Soviet Cup
    -   Runner-Up: 1978

Manager

-   Ukrainian Premier League
    -   Runner-up: 1993-94, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2002-03
-   Ukrainian Cup
    -   Winner: 1996-97
-   National teams (Syria)
    -   lost qualification to 1986 FIFA World Cup

title: Valeriy Yaremchenko

question: Summarize the career of Valeriy Yaremchenko.

answer: Valeriy Yaremchenko is a Ukranian coach and a former football player. As a player, he participated in 247 games as a member of Shakhtar and scored 24 goals. He then went to coach Syria, Shakhtar, Kremin, Kolos, Rotor, and Metalurh A. He was also designated a honorary coach of Ukraine in 1993.

question: Would Valeriy Yaremchenko enjoy coaching his kids, if he had any?


text:
[Unlearning savior complex]

You need to save the world (not really). As a Christian, I was taught to save my friends from hell by converting them. As a man, I was taught that I need to take care of women because they can’t take care of themselves. As a citizen of the United States of America, I was taught that our military must protect the world from violence. Who were you taught to save?

The desire to “save” works its way into all social change movements. Save poor people from hunger, saves developing nations from lack of water, save souls from hell.

When making a movement, you will feel the itch to build your movement upon saving the world. Resist this temptation. You can’t change the world.

Why unlearn the savior complex?

The notion that we, that I, that you, need to save anyone from anything rests on two unproven assumptions:

1.  Those people cannot save themselves
2.  What we do is actually helpful

There is a saying, “I speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.” Have you said that? I have. Nonsense. Everyone can communicate. Maybe we are not listening. Maybe there is too much noise for others to be heard. Maybe you have grabbed the microphone away and won’t let go.

Poor people can, and do, create solutions to eliminate poverty. Slaves can, and do, free themselves from slavery. Queer people can, and do, love themselves, create faith communities, and form families. Women can, and do, vote and educate themselves. Instead of saving, stop oppressing.

The best solutions come from the people directly affected by the issue at hand. If you really do have a heart for the poor, terrific! Work with poor people rather than trying to save them. If you really do want to love gay people, great! Support gay people and their organizations rather than trying to speak for them.

What happens when we don’t unlearn the savior complex? Most of the time we end up doing more harm than good. We re-victimize victims. We reinforce power imbalances. We manage symptoms rather than develop solutions. We foster a lack of conflict rather than lean into a productive tension. Friends Of Toms, the charitable arm of TOMS Shoes, is one example of misplaced generosity: a desire to save (and to create good PR) trumping real, lasting change. Search “Day Without Dignity” for more information.

I unlearned the savior complex so that I could be part of real, meaningful, sustainable change. It means taking a support role in causes which don’t directly affect me, taking the lead on issues which do, and always working to change myself.

How to unlearn the savior complex

LISTEN TO OTHERS.

Really listen. Listen with an open heart and mind. Listen without being defensive, without needing to be right. Trust their experiences. Listen without speaking.

EDUCATE YOURSELF.

Don’t rely on others to do the heavy lifting for you. Research; read books (non-fiction and fiction); watch movies; attend meetings and rallies; attend musical and cultural events; surf blogs and YouTube. There is a wealth of information out there by the people living and organizing around all sorts of issues. Don’t read about “Africans”; instead, seek out materials by activists in Egypt, by gay people in Uganda, by mothers in Somalia.

Don’t make it about you.

Remember that “issues” you are “learning about” or “thinking through” are lived realities for other people. It’s OK to be quiet and just listen. It’s OK to be uncomfortable. Contemporary American Christianity talks a lot about “serving” people, you are the one serving. Let go of that model. Instead, work in solidarity. Keep the other centered and central. Hand the microphone. Pass along the interview request, speaking gig, or book deal.

Start.

I use social media to supplement my “in real life” unlearning practices. On Google+ and Twitter, I can listen to others and educate myself. I think Google+ is a revolutionary tool for activists. Harness its power to educate yourself. Free invite from me here if you aren’t already on.

Replacing the savior complex with solidarity

As I unlearn the savior complex, I learn to work in solidarity. Before, when I “served,” I came with a pre-existing notion of what I would do, regardless of whether the people I was “serving” wanted or needed what I have to offer. Working in solidarity means listening, educating myself, and taking a supporting role. It means doing things which make me uncomfortable. It means risking being wrong and messing up. It also comes with immense reward. When I work in solidarity, I push myself to grow. I evolve. I see the power and impact of solidarity work. The solutions created are meaningful and lasting. The process is an end to itself.

At first, solidarity is difficult: it requires unlearning an approach we’ve been taught. Then, solidarity becomes easy. I ask myself some basic questions.

1.  Who is most effected?
2.  Who is most invested?
3.  What solutions are those people proposing?
4.  What do they require of me?

And then I simply act upon the answers.

Why unlearning the savior complex will improve your movement

When you replace the savior complex with solidarity work, your movement will become stronger. The savior complex is a false foundation. We are told it is strong and solid, but it is useless and ineffective. Solidarity work is tough and durable, it is proven, and it bears fruit immediately (and more in the future).

This is the third article in a series on unlearning to build better movements. Subscribe below to receive each update by email.

WANT TO GET THOSE EACH WEEK (PLUS SOME OCCASIONAL, MORE PRIVATE THOUGHTS ON SEX & RELATIONSHIPS)? I’d love to keep in touch. Drop your email address below and I’ll keep you in the loop!

_P.S. hit reply to any email from me to start a conversation!_

question: What is the 'savior complex' according to the author?

answer: A desire to 'save' the world and those who cannot save (or help) themselves.

question: Why does the author want to unlearn the savior complex?

answer: He states that the world can't be saved and the need to save anyone from anything rests on two unproven assumptions: people can't save themselves, and trying to save them is actually helping.

question: How can one unlearn the savior complex according to the author?

answer: Listen to others, educating oneself, don't make it about 'You,' and start

question: According to the author, what can the savior complex be replaced with and why?

answer: The savior complex can be replaced with solidarity because it means listening, educating oneself, and taking a supporting role instead of taking the lead. Working in solidarity can be uncomfortable and carries risks, but the rewards are growth and evolution.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The author of the blog post says that people need to unlearn the 'savior complex' because the world cannot be saved and the need to save anyone from anything rests on unproven assumptions that people can't save themselves and the help they are getting is actually doing any good. The author says that unlearning the savior complex requires listening to others, educating oneself, never making it about 'you,' and starting the process. The author further states that the savior complex should be replaced with working in solidarity because it means listening, educating oneself, and taking a supporting role. The rewards of solidarity are personal growth and evolution.


text:
I wake up in the morning. I get up, get ready for work. Boots, pants, belt, shirt, mask. I step outside. Immediately, I can’t breathe. I adjust my mask. I can breathe now.
       The bus ride always seems longer than it is. I always get stares. Not hidden stares like most other people get. Bold, challenging stares. The people don’t know who I am. They have never met me. But they hate me, somehow. I ignore them and try to relax.
       I step off the bus, walk quickly to my building. I can’t wait to start. Working always calms me, in a strange way. As I walk through the crowds, I again attract the gaze of several people. I’m thankful of my mask. They can’t see my eyes. They will never know how much I hate them back.
       Finally, I’m here. There’s no offices, no cubicles, no desks, not even other people. Just a cavernous room, entirely white. When I step in, I am alone. Breathe in, breathe out. And repeat. Left foot, right foot. And repeat. I must concentrate. I can’t work if I don’t recognize patterns. My heart beats 173 times in one minute. I blink 17 times. I feel an itch behind my left eye. White becomes black. My heart stops beating. My eyes a permanently open. I no longer need to breathe. Time to start.

       I love my job. I was born to do it. Literally bred through many generations, to create the perfect worker. I was isolated from birth to my 18th birthday, when I started working. I was trained by automated systems for eighteen years, just to make me as perfect as possible. Just to make me detached as possible. Just to make me ready. I think I have lived up to expectations. Probably exceeded them. I
love my job. And I am amazing at it.
       First assignment. It’s nearby. A simple one, stationary and weak. I get there somehow. Not physically, my body remains in a white chamber.
I don’t know what I am right now. I just can’t be seen, except by my clients. I arrive. She sees me. She screams. She gets up, runs. It’s not much of a chase. I immediately catch her. She is still screaming. My mask dissolves. She can’t scream anymore. I am done here.

       It is an easy work day. Mostly old, sickly, or newborn. I love my job, but it’s more fun when they can fight. When they can run. When I can play with them. I like a challenge. Though it rarely is challenging.
       I return home. Bathe. Eat. Read. Sleep. The next day will be more of the same, I think. I want the same. I live off of patterns.

       Wake up. Boots, pants, belt, shirt, mask, bus, white, black. First assignment. Second. Third. All within seconds of each other. I must
work fast to finish all my duties. Noon. Night. Home, bathe, eat, read, sleep. And repeat.

       I have been working for years. I have stopped aging. I don’t know how old I am. I remain in perfect condition for years, until I need to be
Replaced. I await that day. I love my job. But I long freedom.

       Today, I feel… odd. I take the usual steps to work. It’s my fortieth client for today. I am distracted. She is a fighter. Young. Almost as perfect as me. She distracts me. She does not run, as most do. She stands her ground. Looks me in the eyes. Or where my eyes would be, if she could see them. She speaks to me. She speaks words I have heard of, but I do not understand her. I am filled with my usual rage, but something else is creeping in to me. She continues talking. Two words. She starts to repeat two words. “Thank you.” I do not understand. I have been cursed at, told to die, pleaded with, even. Never thanked. I hesitate. That small feeling grows. No. I must complete this task. She grabs my hand. Wraps herself around me. “Thank you.” I can’t. I hate my job.

       I forget all my other assignments. She must be mine. No. I must behers. No. We must be. Yes. We must be.

       I lift her. She starts crying. I feel tears against my chest. I lift her, hold her close. I am back in the white. She is with me. We must be. We must escape. They will be after me. I don’t care about me. She must be safe. I know where to hide.
       Finally, we are here. We are safe. For now. She has stopped crying. I set her down. She is tired. She lays down, closes her eyes. Smiles, and falls asleep. I look around. I have not been here since I started working. My childhood home. My development center. My training grounds. It is the perfect hiding place. Undetectable, and impenetrable by those I do not want in. They won’t be able to get in. I hope.
       Two days have passed. I have not slept. She has done nothing but. I spend my time staring at her. Exploring her past. She has had a hard life. She is my opposite. She knows of nothing but life. I continue to stare.
       She awakes. Immediately, she leaps up and clutches me tightly. That growing feeling has almost overwhelmed me. I feel she is hungry. I am lucky. All the machinery still works. A meal is made. Another for me. I don’t know where it comes from. I now it is an infinite supply. We will survive.
       Weeks have passed. We are still alive. I still fear our capture. I still wear my mask. I cannot take it off. We do not talk. We do not have to. That feeling has grown to take over everything else. I feel different. I love her.
       I awake. It is dark. She is asleep. I sense something. No. We have been found. No. Not by them. They have sent someone. I have been stupid. I forgot he could get in the same way we did. My Replacement is here. I will miss her.
       I get up. Walk to another room. This one is a mirror of my workspace. White and huge. I lock the door. I sit in the center. I take off my mask. I wait. I will miss her.
       Hours pass. Or minutes. Or years. I cannot tell. I sense him drawing nearer. He is cautious. He thinks I will fight. I will not. I will miss her.
       Finally, he is here. I open my eyes. I see me. No. I see someone who looks like me. I stare at the figure, clothed in all black, with his mask still on. I nod. He nods back. I will miss her.
       He steps up. Puts a hand on my shoulder. His mask dissolves.
       Freedom.
       I will miss her.

title: I Love My Job (1st, open to criticism)

question: How does the narrator's attitude towards his beloved job change through the story?

answer: The narrator was trained to be detached from any emotions while handling people, which was an easy task he loved doing every day. However, one day, he encountered his fortieth client for the day, a woman. This particular woman showed him a different gesture of emotion that he wasn't used to, and he soon developed feelings for her. As a result, the narrator rescued the woman from his workplace by taking her to his childhood home. He provided the woman some comfort and safety, which appeared to contradict everything he was trained to be and because of it led to his instant replacement, an opportunity he had yearned for.

question: What does the story say about the qualities that make the perfect worker?

answer: Based on the attributes of the narrator, the perfect worker is one born through a generation of similarly trained workers. Such a person has to be taught from birth until their eighteenth birthday when they're old enough to begin work. Finally, the person will be trained through an automated system to make them as detached from emotions as much as possible to enable them to carry out their duties flawlessly and effortlessly until they're replaced.

question: What does the story say about the nature of the narrator's job?


text:
[Dutch News brings daily news from The Netherlands in English]

[Dutch News brings daily news from The Netherlands in English]

The passports of eight people planning to travel to Syria to fight against president Assad have been confiscated, counter-terrorism chief Dick Schoof told Radio 1 on Tuesday.

It is the first time passport confiscation has been used to prevent Dutch nationals travelling to fight in the war-torn country, Schoof said.

The information that the eight were planning to join the fighting came from the public prosecutor, the police or the security service, Schoof told Radio 1.

The counter-terrorism chief said the eight can take their case to the appeal court.

He also said the move is ‘effective’, but said he must now wait to hear the judgement of a court on whether it is legally possible.

MPs asked justice minister Ivo Opstelten in March 2013 to investigate whether the passports of young Dutch nationals who plan to fight with rebel forces in Syria can be confiscated.

Over 100 Dutch nationals have travelled to Syria to join the fighting since the war broke out nearly three years ago. Several have been killed.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl

The DutchNews.nl team would like to thank all the generous readers who have made a donation in recent weeks. Your financial support has helped us to expand our coverage of the coronavirus crisis into the evenings and weekends and make sure you are kept up to date with the latest developments.

DUTCHNEWS.NL has been free for 14 years, but without the financial backing of our readers, we would not be able to provide you with fair and accurate news and features about all things Dutch. Your contributions make this possible.

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET MADE A DONATION, BUT WOULD LIKE TO,
YOU CAN DO SO VIA IDEAL, CREDIT CARD OR PAYPAL.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

question: Why were the passports of Dutch nationals planning to travel to Syria confiscated?

answer: Someone informed the counter-terrorism chief Dick Schoof that they were traveling to Syria to join the rebels in the war against President Assad.

question: Summarize everything regarding the legality of confiscating the passports of people traveling to join a war.

answer: Schoof says this was the first time such a confiscation happened. He says the eight people whose passports got confiscated can take the matter to the appeals court. Schoof says he needs to wait for the judgment of a court about the move's legality.

question: Why doesn't Dick Schoof plan to confiscate more passports soon?

answer: We don't know whether or not Schoof plans to confiscate more war participants' passports.

question: Why did Dutch nationals join the rebels in Syria?

answer: Their motives aren't mentioned in the article. They could be of Syrian descent.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The passports of eight people wanting to travel to Syria to fight against President Assad have been confiscated, counter-terrorism chief Dick Schoof told Radio 1. He said this was the first time Dutch nationals' passports were confiscated for disallowing them to join the rebels. Schoof thinks the move is effective, but he now needs to wait for the judgment of a court on whether it's legally possible. More than 100 Dutch joined the war over the last three years. Several died.


text:
[Actress Torrey DeVitto portrayed the lead role of Sierra Young] _HEBER HOLIDAY_ (2007), also known as _SHOOTING STAR_, is a comedy film starring Torrey DeVitto as Los Angeles actress Sierra Young. Other cast included K.C. Clyde, Erin Chambers, Jimmy Chunga, Michael Birkeland and Thurl Bailey. The film was directed by McKay Daines. The film won six awards in total.[1] The DVD was released on May 5, 2009 under the name _Shooting Star_.[2]

Plot

Sierra Young is a rising ingénue, making $10 million per picture. She's also a spoiled celebrity, who is partying all night, complaining on movie sets and unable to perform well. After a tantrum, in which she gets two black eyes, the director has her sent to a rehab clinic in a remote Utah town. Within a day, she's run away and is taken in by Nettie, who runs a bed and breakfast. Sierra also meets Nettie's grandson, Tyler, head of the local community theater. Sierra invents a name, tells Nettie a wild story, and reads for a part in Tyler's production of “Taming of the Shrew.” Meanwhile, her entourage hires a private eye to find her.

Cast

-   Torrey DeVitto as Sierra Young
-   Erin Chambers as Jodi
-   Thurl Bailey as Mutumbo
-   Scott S. Anderson as Felix
-   K.C. Clyde as Tyler
-   Jimmy Chunga as Hound
-   Matthew Bellows as Jeff
-   Michael Flynn as Mac
-   Hailey Evans as Felicia
-   Sid Clawson as Tye
-   Michael Birkeland as Scott
-   Aaron De Jesus as Chauffeur
-   Reb Fleming as Doctor

Awards

  Award                                         Category              Nominee        Result
  --------------------------------------------- --------------------- -------------- --------
  Foursite Film Festival                        Best Narrative Film   McKay Daines
  Park City Film Music Festival[3]              Best Feature
  Best Feature Film
  Temecula Valley International Film Festival   Best Feature
  Best Feature Film

[1] Heber Holiday awards April 25, 2008.

[2] Heber Holiday aka Shooting Star DVD release Retrieved June 5, 2009.

[3]

title: Heber Holiday

question: Summarize the plot of Heber Holiday.

answer: Sierra Young is a spoiled, rising ingenue who is sent to rehab by her director after having a tantrum on her movie set. She runs away and is taken in by Nettie. She creates a new identity while her entourage hires a private eye to find her.

question: Summarize everything involving Nettie.

answer: Nettie is a character in Heber Holiday who runs a bed and breakfast. She takes in Sierra, who tells her a wild story about who she really is. Nettie also has a grandson, Tyler.

question: What does the text say about the film's inspiration?


text:
The CLEVELAND STATE VIKINGS WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL team represents Cleveland State University in the Horizon League. They are currently led by head coach Chuck Voss and play their home games at Woodling Gym.

Record by year

  School   Season     Record      (Conf. Record)   Postseason
  -------- ---------- ----------- ---------------- -------------------
  TOTAL    45 YEARS   793–715–5   (176–211)        4 POSTSEASON BIDS

-   Totals updated through the end of the 2016–2017 school year.[1][2][3]

NCAA Tournament history

+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| Season          | Eliminated      | Teams Defeated  | Lost to         |
|                 | Round           |                 |                 |
+=================+=================+=================+=================+
| 2007            | First Round     | –               | Albany          |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| 2012            | First Round     | –               | Kansas          |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| 2015            | First Round     | –               | USC             |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+
| 2016            | First Round     | –               | Arizona         |
+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+

Head coaching history

  1.     Name               Years       Record
  ------ ------------------ ----------- -----------
  1      Marsha Foth Nagy   1972–1977   116–40
  2      Mary Motley        1978–1993   293–359–5
  3      Debbie Borsz       1994–1999   69–121
  4      Chuck Voss         2000—       315–194

[1]

[2]

[3]

question: Which college does the Cleveland State Vikings women's volleyball team represent?

answer: Cleveland State University.

question: Who is their head coach?

answer: Chuck Voss.

question: Where do they play their home games?

answer: Woodling Gym.

question: What league are they in?

answer: The Horizons League.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Cleveland State Vikings women's volleyball represents Cleveland State University in the Horizons League. Their head coach is Chuck Voss.


text:
JENNIFER “JEN” WOOD (born c. 1976) is an American indie rock musician based in Seattle, Washington. A solo artist since 1996, she was previously a member of alternative rock band Tattle Tale.

Biography

In 1992, at the age of fifteen, Wood formed Tattle Tale with school friend Madigan Shive.[1] The band released two albums, _Tattle Tale_ in 1993 and _Sew True_ in 1995. Their song “Glass Vase Cello Case” featured in the 1999 film _But I'm a Cheerleader_ by Jamie Babbit.

In 1996, after the breakup of Tattle Tale, Wood went to Santa Cruz, California and recorded a number of songs which she released as _No More Wading_.[2]

After recording _Getting Past the Static_, she moved back to Seattle.

In 2002, she appeared as a guest vocalist on the collaborative effort The Postal Service, providing the female vocals for the duet “Nothing Better”. On July 18, 2013, she performed this song live for the first time at the KeyArena with The Postal Service.[3] She has also collaborated vocally with The Black Heart Procession and Joan of Arc, to name a few.

Her second full-length album, _Finds You in Love_ (New Granada Records) was released on September 14, 2010 to critical acclaim.

On October 14, 2014, Wood released her third full-length album, _Wilderness_.

Discography

-   1993: _Tattle Tale_ (with Tattle Tale)
-   1995: _Sew True_ (with Tattle Tale)
-   1996: _No More Wading_
-   1997: _Getting Past the Static_ (1997)
-   2000: _This Uncontainable Light_ (EP)
-   2002: _Traveling through Roots_
-   2003: _Jen Wood_ (EP)
-   2010: _Finds You in Love_
-   2014: _Wilderness_

Compilation Tracks

-   _Tree Southern Polyvinyl Sampler_: _“Imperfect”_
-   _Post-Marked Stamps Compilation_: _“Sheltering Arms for the Birds”_
-   _Try For Summer, Plan For Fall_: _“Circus”_
-   _New Atmosphere for the Future: U.S. Pop Life, Volume 3_: _“Underestimation”_
-   _Zum Audio Volume 2_: _“Believe Her”_

[1]

[2]

[3]

title: Jen Wood

question: Where is Jen Wood based?

answer: She is based in Seattle.

question: How old was she when she formed her first band?

answer: She was 15.

question: When did Wood release her third album?

answer: She released it in October of 2014.

question: Which Postal Service song did she do vocals on?

answer: "Nothing Better".


text:
The 1958–59 AUBURN TIGERS MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM represented Auburn University in the 1958–59 college basketball season. The team's head coach was Joel Eaves, who was in his tenth season at Auburn. The team played their home games at Auburn Sports Arena in Auburn, Alabama. They finished the season 20–2, 12–2 in SEC play.[1]

[1]

title: 1958–59 Auburn Tigers men's basketball team

question: Who was the team's head coach?

answer: Joel Eaves

question: What was the score?

answer: 20-2 and 12-2 in the SEC play.

question: Which University did the team represent?

answer: Auburn University.

question: Which season was this for Joel Eaves?

answer: Tenth season.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The 1958-59 Auburn Tigers Men's Basketball Team represented the Auburn University. It was the tenth season for the head coach Joel Eaves. The team played their home games at Auburn Sports Arena in Auburn.


text:
[Training vs. Practice]

I am often asked, “What’s the difference between training and practice, isn’t it the same thing?” While the answer is an unequivocal “No,” it remains a very misunderstood difference, especially given the bombardment of “training” options offered these days. Many of these options are nothing more than babysitting or – worse – just a sales pitch in disguise. The reality has never changed, training and practice are different things. And for you, hunter, shooter, red blooded EDC American, it matters.

Decades ago as a new martial artist I continually referred to my attendance as “going to Karate practice”. Overheard, my instructor made it abundantly clear, _“You better not be here to practice, you are here to learn. Practicing is your responsibility and must be done on your time.”._ He explained the dojo is primarily a training hall where you learn from your instructors.

Firearms or tactical training is EXACTLY the same. Spending training time practicing is wasting both you and your instructor’s precious time, not to mention your money. You must practice on your own to progress; you attend training to learn what you need to practice. For me, it looked like this: I arrived early and left late cleaning the dojo and locking up so I could practice without cutting into precious training time. Put simply, _“Training_ is what you attend to _learn_ what you _need to practice.”_ It was true then and remains true today whether it is a fighting art, sport, hunting or weapons and tactical training.

TRAINING IS CRITICAL

 Cute and pithy quips abound when it comes to training, any training, but especially martial training. “Beware the man with one gun…” “…One sword…” “A thousand cuts a day prevails over 100 cuts from ten swords,” Pick a version, it goes on and on. People have been making this stuff up for thousands of years. Some have truth to them, most are nothing more than fortune cookie philosophy made up by some dude sitting on his couch. It is a “meme” world and these are great memes.

Focus is critical, so the guy with one gun is great – until his one gun is useless under certain circumstances. Knowledge is critical, especially in the self-defense world. What you don’t know can and will get you killed, so learning just may save your life. This is what makes training invaluable, even if it tells you what not to do. Holing up in a room practicing “one” thing, or standing on the range performing incessant “drills’ only makes you an expert at drills and fighting a wall.

If you only fight in a dojo or square range you are good, otherwise you just may be screwed. Practice is essential, but you must train to determine what best to practice. That will change depending on your purpose, and the only way you know is to seek out training. And NO the Internet is not training, knowledge yes, but not training. You can see what to do, but nothing replaces guidance by a trained professional on when best to do it and how it’s best done. Experience comes two ways, trial and error on your part, or passed on from the experienced. Both are necessary, but learning from others saves all kinds of pain and may just save your life. It can also insure you win the next match or make that clean and humane shot on your next hunt.

[practice vs training]

PRACTICE IS ESSENTIAL

Every instructor with even moderate experience has seen the person return to the next class having forgotten everything learned in the previous one. It’s a prime example of how useless training can be when void of practice. Returning to training for the purpose of “polishing up” is mostly a waste of your money and everyone’s time IF the purpose is to become proficient. I stress this because in many cases people are there for other reasons. For some it’s just fun, so have at it. Maybe they enjoy the interaction or company, that’s great. Some just like to plaster the walls with certificates, its America, that’s fine too. Just don’t expect to improve because you will always be behind the curve. If you spend the first three days of a week-long training remembering what you forgot from the last one you are really there for a two day class (If that). If you intend to progress, or implement what you learned in real life you MUST practice.

SO EXACTLY WHAT IS PRACTICE?

Practice consists mostly of repetitive implementation of the basic skills learned in training, most of which can be practiced at home, safely, with no need for any special facility. Every student trained in the last 40+ years who exceled did so because they practiced at home. Speak to anyone who excels at a martial skill and they will tell you most of their practice is not at the training hall. It’s true of most any sport or martial art, including shooting. For pistols, drawing from the holster, stance, grip, trigger manipulation, loads, reloads, even holstering can all be done dry, at home. Most every aspect of weapons manipulation can be accomplished without live ammunition.   Sort out clothing and other equipment issues. Set up obstacles and barricades for rifle placement. Practice movement if there is room. It can all be done with dummy ammunition when needed, or a blue gun when not.   There are even ways to practice scope use at short range that simulates longer range shooting. Short of recoil control and trigger manipulation under fire most all the basics can be practiced without the need for a range or even live ammunition meaning there is simply no excuse not to practice.

Hunting is no exception, especially if you actively hunt, meaning track and stalk game. There is no reason not to practice those skills in the off-season, without a rifle. Grab a camera, or these days take your phone, or just go for a hike with purpose. Short of hanging out in the hunting condo waiting for “game” to walk by, hunting requires great skill far beyond the trigger press. All of it can be practiced without a rifle. Get outside and work out avenues of approach, the best places game migrate, all the things that make hunting a skill, not just an event, none of which require a rifle.

Yes, safety is critical, so follow all the rules if you are practicing with a firearm. No live ammunition on or near you, or even in the same room, if possible the same floor or building.  Constantly check your chamber for ammunition prior to starting the drill. If interrupted re-check for no ammunition. Start the entire safety process over prior to beginning if interrupted. Almost without fail accidents occur during dry fire due to being lax on safety or following an interruption.   If at all possible point in on a wall that will stop bullets and practice where you cannot be interrupted, and continue to follow the basic safety rules. Best part of all, its free, you can do it for a few minutes every day, or longer once a week, it’s entirely up to you, just do it.

During live fire practice don’t just make brass by pressing the trigger repeatedly. Make it valuable by practicing sight picture, sight alignment and sight (or scope reticle) tracking. If you are allowed to, practice drawing from concealment, or your duty or competition rig, whatever you will use. Shoot from real world positions if you can, and if lucky enough, movement. If all you can do is shoot from the confines of a bench work on accuracy or shoot with your off hand, or off hand side.  Hunters can practice hold overs and accuracy from less convention positions when possible. Shooting is not practice, practice involves purpose so use whatever propose you can given the confines of the range or its rules with safety being paramount. All the skills in the world mean nothing if you become lax on safety turning yourself into a headline or statistic.

Lastly, Gunfu is for the movies, and only a moron with a death wish does somersaults and cartwheels with their firearm. You want to practice Parkour or the latest fitness craze? Leave the gun at home.

[training vs practice]

TRAINING IS KNOWLEDGE GAINED, SO SHUT UP AND LEARN!

If you attend training for the purpose of gaining knowledge then do just that. You are paying a professional (one would hope) to teach you, so shut up and let them teach. If you are there to teach you have it backwards, start your own school or class. Listen, learn, try, go back to your home base and evaluate. If you like it and it works use it, if not discard it. While you are there enjoy yourself, interact with fellow students and the instructors. Ask honest questions on the breaks. If you attend with a closed mind you are just paying someone to give you commands on the range you could give yourself at home.

Much of training these days is brand and personality. It is not supposed to be a personality cult, but a learning environment. Having minions is great for evangelists, but it’s not a religion, so train outside the flock on occasion. It may surprise you just how much you learn, even if it’s just that your guru is truly the master of all. Knowledge is the key, gain all you can.

Does that mean you change what you done for the last five years? Not necessarily, but you may just learn something valuable. No one I ever interviewed after a shooting told me they wished they had been less skilled. Several said “I thought I would never use that, glad I knew it.”

BOTTOM LINE

Proficiency in most anything requires both training and practice. Removing either does nothing more than decrease the likelihood of success. Attend all the training you can, then take what you learned and practice on your own. Practice however you can, safely, in preparation for the next training where what you learn becomes that much more valuable. Shooting is a perishable skill, and luck is a fickle friend. It does not always favor the unskilled, it mocks them in death. At the risk of uttering some fortune cookie philosophy, “Fortune favors the prepared,” and preparation means both training AND practice.

question: What is the difference between training and practice?

answer: The author identifies training as the phase of learning where an expert teaches the application of knowledge while practice is the student mastering the techniques on their own.

question: Do the conceptual differences mentioned in the article apply to other fields, like art and science? Explain the logic.

answer: They should, as the distinction between training and practice is defined abstractly. For example, a student learning how to paint or solve math problems would learn the techniques from their teacher but practice on their own to solidify their knowledge.

question: What is the main topic of the article, disregarding the abstract differences between training and practice?

answer: The author is mainly talking about what a student of hunting should do to improve their skills.


text:
I went to the strip club and got drunk. Then got sick and puked behind the strip club. The dancers saw me throwing up but they'd seen it all before, but they couldn't hep me, they needed to continue shaking their asses in front of the men smokin' cigarettes.

Fascinating...

I start waking home and then get sick again. I barf behind a huge tree. Hurling my holy guts away. Swaying in front of the steam rising from my vomit, I realize there is some optimism but it is confused optimism. Singing that sweet song of love and redemption!

Oh take me home now! Oh the pain, and the horror of failure! Oh love me when I wake again, sweet life.
Suddenly, interrupting my revival, I see it.

A cop car sitting there, as a speed trap for law breakers at 2 am. Parked across the street, watching me, easy.

"HUH" I thought emphatically, but remained calm. I thought the cop was gonna do me in good this time, and just for barfin' all over the place.

I kept walking and kept walking. Hope the cop would remain stationary. The night was closing in on me, and I knew the frost was about to coagulate all the moisture any moment. I rushed the rest of the way home. I enacted scenes of the officer telling me to go to jail with him for throwing up in public. Impossible scenarios that happen sometimes.

I make it to my house and then pick up my pipe (her name is Emma) in my hands. I take the green and tear it apart. Then I place it in Emma's bowl. The lighter is flicked and then it happens. I breathe in, and close my eyes once or twice. The flame is pulled over the herb and it roasts then ignites. Pure magic.

And now, I sit here typing, not knowing what else to type.

title: Emma and me.

question: Why can't the dancers help the sick narrator?

answer: They are working.

question: How many different times does he puke?

answer: Twice.

question: Why didn't the office approach or apprehend him?

answer: He was likely not causing any trouble- just vomiting.

question: What does the narrator do once he's home safe?

answer: He smokes weed.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator goes to a strip club, gets very drunk, vomits behind it, and notices a cop car.The cop leaves them alone


text:
I sat alone on Loser's Day, a Thursday; Doug was out of commission.  The surly sun sat sheltered behind the woods, and threw my window only a few gobs of light at the hour.  A fuzzy TV droned and captured my tired, besotted eyes, there, in the cervix of teenage overstimulation.  Behind me, an empty bottle sat half-covered by the bedskirt, paying homage to a dead friend.

The math book was insistent in its intrusion, perched upon my dresser.  I loved it so, and yet, now monetized, now someone else's, I couldn't quite look at it squarely.  No one fell behind at Swindell, and I had to keep working, pounding all the knowledge in, for the next fellow was working harder-

A quiet ringtone.  I cringed.  Fuck.  The math book had betrayed me; no eyes, please.  I rolled back to the nightstand and took the call.

“Hey, what are you up to, love?”

I bit my lip.  Caitlyn?  No, no, no, some asshole...

“Who is this?”

“Your worst nightmare.”

“Ohhh...”

“No, no, listen, you piece of shit.  I've got two girls in the car.  Be ready in five minutes.  Wear something cute.”

I hung up.  The Duke, Cassius.  The very King himself was inviting me; I needed to cash in on the rare opportunity.  A white T-shirt, the Bluetones, and some other clothes- my belt- my phone- and uh...what else?  I whirled around, the hum of the ceiling fan grinding my bowels into something not fit for His Holiness.

Two girls in the car...too nice...the condoms!  That was it!  I dug around and pulled out the crumpled purple box, grabbed four or five and stuffed them into my pockets.  Then I hustled downstairs and waited for the unexpected arrival.

The sun came higher, the air heating up in anticipation of this high school hero they called the King.  I waited uncomfortably, prepared for his usual lateness.  The car flashed.

He rolled down the window.

“Elliott?  Elliott, fuck...”  He laughed.  “Get the fuck in.”

I obliged.  The girls were nowhere to be seen.

“Uh, Duke...you said-”

He howled with delight.  “Dropped off Mary Anne, you know how it is, I got down and dirty.   But then she started bitching, had to be home and Charisse went with her.  Jesus fucking Christ, Elliott, you don't know, I tried so hard to keep one of 'em here for you...”

We tore off.  He burped loudly, and asked me to put some music on.  I fumbled with the docking station, but found some rap I thought he'd like.  A smile crept across the King's face.  He was Duke to his face, Cassius Steeple, but others styled him the King to his great satisfaction.  Or when he wasn't within earshot, His Holiness, the one you don't turn down.  He was unrelenting in his coolness, an unexaggeratedly religious figure to the high school popular crowd, but still neurotic and compulsive enough to fit in with the downtrodden, to make love to the crooked-faced chemistry student and burn the leaf in a dank apartment, deep in the heart of Southbridge.

I relaxed around the King, a character always fearless and never to be feared.  He sped dangerously down a wealthy road, unquestionably bound for the built-up urban complexes miles away from where I lived.  The King had a special fondness for every girl this side of the water tower, but on weekends, he was a free jack, free to screw the shop attendant and her visiting niece from the city.  I shivered with the excitement that I, too, might ride the King's wave of sexual excitation, that I might pick up whatever dregs he left me in his endless hedonistic quest.

“The thing is, we've got to get you ready, Elliott.  We've got to get you ready for those Swindell chicks.  I hear they'll do anything.  You going to be the rooster?”

I grinned and nodded.

“I'm glad, Elliott.  The most important thing is-” he coughed- “the most important thing is that you're ready for college chicks.  You need to take the opportunity to find out what the inside of a vagina looks like before the end of this summer.”

He screeched into a parking lot.  The creamery was open, but was I in the mood?  It didn't matter- Cassius dictated everything here.  The passenger door flung open and I gasped for air in the sudden heat, the earth spinning beneath me in the wake of His Holiness's roadway impropriety.  We walked in like best friends.

Rita Kunz presided over the counter.  When she caught sight of the King, the change in her was immediate.  Her face flushed as she narrowed her eyes and bit her lip.  She swayed slightly and crossed her legs, bending slightly further towards us.

“We can't serve you,” she smiled, looking through me at her dream object.  Her eyelids fluttered, and she gave her thin brown hair a quick twirl.

“That's great- I wasn't expecting you here, either,” he said dismissively.  Rita covered her embarrassment with a deeper smile.

She fondled her apron and leaned back from the counter.  “I'm going on break.  You can deal with someone else.”  After she turned, Cassius shot me a grin.

Rita disappeared behind a door, and her assistant came to fill our orders.  Cassius chuckled quietly to himself, and furrowed his brow.  Something devilish came into his eyes as he turned; I was caught in his line of sight.  “Do you have money?” Cassius inquired.  A wave of some dispirited feeling washed over me.

Blondie Memaine scooped the ice cream this time, the pecans and vanilla beans sliding gracefully into her spoon as she prepared the King's dessert.  To me, she'd been the epitome of grace in high school: a slender and elegant diver, capturing the school record for whatever the hell with the butterfly.  Blondie was off to college, back again this semester, actually: all accounts indicated that she had enjoyed her first year immensely.  But to the King, it wasn't the grace, rather the result that counted.  The dessert in this case.  She'd been a fine one, His Holiness insisted, on multiple occasions.

We ate, and he jetted off to some sacred locale.  I wasn't invited.  I waited on the curb with my thumb up, and wondered if the problem was my own.

title: The Strawberry Blonde

question: Who is Doug?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Is Caitlyn the narrator's ex-lover?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Where was Cassius taking the narrator?

answer: Cassius was taking the narrator along with him to have some fun.

question: Is the narrator a college-goer?

answer: The narrator is in high school.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer:
Elliott's phone rings, it's the high-school king, Cassius. He instructs Elliott to get dressed immediately as they're going out with two women. Cassius picks Elliott up but there are no women.

They make their way to an ice-cream parlor. Memaine serves them their scoop and they take off.

They reach a sacred locale where the narrator waits at the curb.


text:
CONNOR COURT PUBLISHING is an Australian publishing company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company, founded in September 2005 by Anthony Cappello, publishes all sorts of commercial books – including many biographies, books on politics and in particular – climate change denial, culture and education.[1]

Founding and history

The name “Connor Court” comes from a concatenation of the American writer Flannery O'Connor and 17th century Dutch economist Pieter de la Court. Connor Court was founded in Ballan, Victoria, before moving to Ballarat and then, in 2016, to Queensland. Before starting Connor Court Cappello worked at Freedom Publishing imprint of the late Santamaria's National Civic Council (NCC).[2]

Connor Court publishes a diverse range of books but has a focus on conservative and religious subjects.[3] Connor Court has published many authors, contributing authors and editors from the Institute of Public Affairs such as Andrew McIntyre, Chris Berg, John Roskam, Cory Bernadi, Tim Wilson, Gary Johns, Mikayla Novak, James Grant, Alan Moran, Bob Day, Simon Breheny and Tom Switzer. John Roskam, executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs, sits on the editorial board of Connor Court. Connor Court has also published books in conjunction with the Institute of Public Affairs, such as _Australian Essays_ by Roger Scruton.[4]

Authors published include Cardinal George Pell, John Killick, Peter Coleman and James Franklin. Its books have been launched by prominent public figures such as Peter Costello, Tony Abbott, Dean Brown, Jack Snelling, Steve Bracks, John Howard and Warren Mundine.

Recent authors include Ken Phillips, Barry Cohen, Ian Plimer, Peta Seaton, Jeff Bennett, Barry Dickins, Kerry Cue as well as Rabbi Shimon Cowen. Titles for 2009 included books on Bioethics, Global Warming, Ecology and Utilitarianism. While in 2011 it began publishing titles on Australian Rules Football.

One of its titles, _The Light River_, by Hal G.P. Colebatch won the Poetry Category in the 2007 Premier's Award of Western Australia.

In 2009 it published _Heaven and Earth_ by Ian Plimer. According to the publisher, the book sold over 40,000 copies and reached number one on the Nielsen BookScan Australia, 2 May 2009.[5]

In 2012 Connor Court authors ranged from Gary Johns to Barry Dickins.

_No Contraception, No Dole_ by Gary Johns was released in September 2015.[6]

In 2015 Connor Court published a biography of the former Queensland Premier Campbell Newman[7] and launched the book at Tattersall's Club, Brisbane. The book caused controversy with a number of publishers turning it down and a number of bookstores not stocking it as a protest to Newman's withdrawal of funding for the Premier's Literary Awards while in government.[8]

Publications

Publications include:

-   Mark Lawson, (2010), _A Guide to Climate Change Lunacy_,
-   Ian Plimer. (2009), _Heaven and Earth: Global Warming the missing Science_,
-   Garth Paltridge, (2009), _The Climate Caper_,
-   Robert L. Bradley, (2004), _Climate Alarmism Reconsidered_,
-   Anthony Paganoni, (2007), _The Pastoral Care of Italians in Australia_
-   George Pell, (2007), _God and Caesar_
-   James Franklin, ed, (2007), _Life to the Full: Rights and Social Justice in Australia_,
-   Brian Coman, (2007) _A Loose Canon: Essays on History, Modernity and Tradition_,
-   Peter Coleman, (2006), _The Heart of James McAuley_ (2nd ed),
-   James Franklin, (2006), _Catholic Values and Australian Realities_,
-   Joseph N. Santamaria, _The Education of Dr Joe_,
-   John Flader, (2008) _Question Time: 150 Questions and Answers on the Catholic Faith_,
-   Tess Livingstone, (2008) _Enid Blyton at Old Thatch_,
-   Hal Colebatch, (2007) _The Light River_,
-   Mark Lopez, (2008), _The Little Black School Book: Volume 1. The Secret to Getting Straight 'As' at School and University_,
-   George Pell, (2010), _Test Everything_,
-   Desmond O'Grady, (2010), _A Word in Edgeways_,
-   Chris Berg and John Roskam, (2010), _100 Great Books on Liberty_,
-   John Molony, 2010, _By Wendouree, Memories 1951-1963_,
-   Guy Barnett, 2010, _Make a Difference: A Practical Guide to Lobbying_,

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6] http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/...of.../story-fn8v83qk-1227359425153

[7]

[8]

title: Connor Court Publishing

question: What does the text say about the founding of the company?

answer: Connor Court Publishing was founded by Anthony Cappello in 2005. It was founded in Ballan, Victoria. It's name came from a concatenation of the American writer Flannery O'Connor and 17th century Dutch economist Pieter de la Court.

question: Summarize everything that happened in 2009.

answer: Titles for 2009 included books on bioethics, global warming, ecology, and utilitarianism. Ian Plimer published "Heaven and Earth:Global Warming the Missing Science". The book sold over 40,000 copies and was number one on the Nielsen BookScan Australia in May of 2009. In the same year, Garth Paltridge released "The Climate Caper".

question: What does the text say about the type of books that Connor Court Publishing publishes?

answer: Connor Court publishes a diverse range of commercial books that include biographies, books on politics, climate change denial, culture, poetry and education. They particularly focus on conservative and religious subjects. In 2009, titles included books on bioethics, global warming, ecology, and utilitarianism. In 2011, they published titles on Australian Rules Football.

question: What does the text say about bankruptcy?


text:
The PRESIDENT'S PAY AGENT consists of the Secretary of Labor and the Directors of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The Pay Agent's responsibility, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5304(d), as amended, approves locality and pay adjustments for federal employees as recommended by the Federal Salary Council.[1][2]

[1] https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-systems/general-schedule/pay-agent-reports/2013report.pdf

[2] https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-systems/general-schedule/pay-agent-reports/2015report.pdf

title: President's Pay Agent

question: What does OMB stand for?

answer: Office of Management and Budget

question: What does OPM stand for?

answer: Office of Personnel Management

question: What is the Federal Salary Council?

answer: the article does not answer this question

question: What is the Secretary of Labor?

answer: the article does not answer this question

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The President's Pay Agent consists of the Secretary of Labor and Directors of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management. The Pay Agent approves locality and pay adjustments for federal employees as recommended by the Federal Salary Council.


text:
Major General ENRIQUE MÉNDEZ JR. (born 15 July 1931), was a United States Army officer who was also the first Puerto Rican to hold the positions of Army Deputy Surgeon General, Commander of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.[1] He was also the Dean and President of the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. Also served as Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico.

Early years

Méndez was born and raised in Santurce, Puerto Rico. His father was a civil engineer and his mother a housewife, he was one of two children born to the couple. He received his primary and secondary education in his native Puerto Rico. During his high school years, Méndez befriended a few physicians who would occasionally invite him to go visit hospitals. He became interested in medicine after witnessing a couple of surgical procedures.[2]

He enrolled and went to the Mayagüez campus (located on the western coast of the Island) of the University of Puerto Rico, which had a science faculty. He earned his BS in biology in 1951. He enrolled in the medical school of Loyola University in Chicago and earned his MD degree in 1954.[3]

Military career

Méndez joined the Army after completing his internship at Mercy Hospital in Chicago. He entered the Army as a GMO which stands for “general-duty medical officer” and received his basic training at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. His first assignment was to Camp Gordon, near Augusta, Georgia. His first duty at Camp Gordon was in a dispensary which was an ambulatory care facility. After that assignment and attending the Company Officers' Course and he was reassigned to Brooke General Hospital where he underwent his specialty training (residency) in internal medicine.[4]

In 1960, he was sent to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. During his service there he had the opportunity to teach interns and residents and set up a dialysis program.[5]

In 1963, Méndez was assigned to Medical Research and Development at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland, where he served for less than a year and was once more sent to Fort Sam Houston. He was assigned to the Medical Field Service School as an instructor. He helped to establish a biological and chemical sciences branch. In 1967, Méndez, who was then a Lieutenant Colonel, attended the Command General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. Upon completion of the CGSC, he was sent to Frankfurt, Germany where he became the surgeon of the 3rd Armored Division. He served as such until 1968 when he was sent to an Army base in Vicenza, Italy where he commanded his first U.S. Army Hospital.[6]

Army Deputy Surgeon General

In 1970, Méndez was promoted to Colonel and assigned to Washington, D.C. as chief of the Medical Corps Career Activities. In 1972, he was selected to go to the Industrial College of the Armed Forces for a year and then he was reassigned to Ft. Sam Houston, Texas to the Academy of Health Sciences. In 1975, he was assigned as the deputy chief of staff for operations of the Health Services Command and subsequently promoted to Brigadier General. Méndez was named Deputy Surgeon General and remained in that position until 1981 when he was named Commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Méndez retired from the Army in June 1983 with the rank of Major General.[7]

Ponce School of Medicine

In 1983, Méndez was offered the position of Dean of the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico He accepted and moved to the island with his wife. A year later he was named president of the institution. He served in said position for four years after which he accepted the position of Director of Damas Hospital in Ponce.[8] He was appointed Secretary of Health of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 1989.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

[Méndez in 1990] In 1990, Méndez received a phone call from the White House personnel office and was asked whether he would consider the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Department of Defense. On December 5, 1989, President George H. Bush officially announced the nomination of Méndez for the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Among his responsibilities was to give health advice to the Secretary of Defense which at the time was Richard Bruce “Dick” Cheney. He was responsible for a system of health care that included hospitals, medical clinics, and dental clinics scattered worldwide. Méndez served in said position from March 1990 until January 1993.[9]

Méndez joined the firm of Martin, Blanck & Associates, a federal health services consulting firm based in Falls Church, Virginia as a Partner. Dr. Méndez and his wife, the former Olga M. Munoz, have four children and six grandchildren.[10]

Recognitions

Among his numerous awards and honors are the following:[11]

-   The Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service
-   The Alumni Award for Loyola University
-   The Laureate Award from the American College of Physicians
-   The Distinguished Service Award from the Federal Health Care Executives Institute Alumni Association
-   The Knight rank from the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
-   The Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Puerto Rican Coalition

HONORARY DEGREES

-   Doctor of Science from the Universidad Central del Caribe in Puerto Rico
-   Doctor, Honoris Causa, from the Military Medical Academy of Poland
-   Doctor of Public Service, Honoris Causa, from the University of North Texas-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
-   Doctor of Education, Honoris Causa, from Caribbean University in Puerto Rico

Military awards and recognitions

Among MG Méndez's military awards are the following:

-   []  Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)
-   []  Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster
-   []  Army Commendation Medal
-   []  National Defense Service Medal
-   []  Order of Military Medical Merit

BADGES

-   []  Expert Field Medical Badge

Further reading

-   “PUERTORRIQUENOS WHO SERVED WITH GUTS, GLORY, AND HONOR. FIGHTING TO DEFEND A NATION NOT COMPLETELY THEIR OWN”; by : Greg Boudonck; ;

[1] http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=17909

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9] Nomination of Enrique Méndez, Jr., To Be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

[10]

[11]

title: Enrique Méndez Jr.

question: What does the text say about major general Enrique Mendez Jr.?

answer: Enrique Mendez Jr. was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He enrolled and went to the Mayaguez campus of the University of Puerto Rico. He earned his BS in biology in 1951.

question: What does the text say about Enrique Mendez Jr.'s family?

answer: Enrique Mendez Jr.'s father was a civil engineer while his mother was a housewife. He also has one more sibling who remains unnamed.

question: What does the text say about Enrique Mendez Jr. and Bruce Cheney?

answer: Mendez received a phone call from the White House personnel office and was asked whether he would consider the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Department of Defense. Among his responsibilities was to give health advice to the Secretary of Defense, Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney.

question: What does the text say about Mendez and his ex-wife?

answer: Dr. Mendez and his ex-wife, Olga M. Munoz, have four children together. They also had six grandchildren together.


text:
BURNT SHIRT BRANCH is a stream in the U.S. state of Missouri.[1]

Some say the area was named “Burnt Shirt” because an old shirt was used to fuel a light, while others believe a railroad man's shirt was burned in an accident.[2]

[1]

[2]

title: Burnt Shirt Branch

question: What is the Burnt Shirt Branch?

answer: It is a stream in the U.S. state of Missouri.

question: Why is the area named "Burnt Shirt"?

answer: It is believed by some people in the area that the name comes because an old shirt was used to fuel a light, while others believe a railroad man's shirt was burned in an accident.

question: How long is the stream?

answer: This information is not mentioned.

question: When was the area named "Burnt Shirt"?

answer: This information is not mentioned.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A Wikipedia page on a stream in the U.S. state of Missouri named Burnt Shirt Branch.