text:
In less than six months, the greatest free-agent class in baseball history will hit the open market and obliterate spending records. More than $2 billion in guaranteed money will be lavished on players, crossing that particular ceiling for the first time because of a group with unprecedented depth and top-heaviness.

There is a chance that the 18 players listed below will crack $2 billion by themselves. It's a safe bet that together they'll exceed $1.5 billion. And considering the record spending for a free-agent class came two years ago around $1.9 billion – and that the names below do not include Wei-Yin Chen, Yovani Gallardo, Hisashi Iwakuma, Austin Jackson, Ian Kennedy, John Lackey, Mat Latos, Tim Lincecum, Justin Morneau, Daniel Murphy, Mike Napoli, or a single relief pitcher in a market where relief pitchers make bank – the amount by which the record is smashed could be substantial.

And that's not even including potential Cuban defectors or Japanese and Korean players who enter the posting system intent on playing in the major leagues. Even if we have to wait on the Gourriel brothers or another half-decade for Shohei Otani to arrive as Darvish 2.0 and Tomoya Mori as a pocket-sized, lefty-swinging, power-hitting catcher, the Class of 2015 will be the best, starting with …

1. DAVID PRICE and JOHNNY CUETO making a stronger-by-the-start case that each is worthy of a $200 million-plus deal. Let's go to the numbers

+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Playe | IP    | ERA   | ERA+  | FIP   | K/9   | BB/9  | HR/9  | Age   |
| r     |       |       |       |       |       |       |       | next  |
|       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       | year  |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Pitch | 1,239 | 3.58  | 117   | 3.36  | 9.6   | 2.8   | 1.0   | 30    |
| er    | .1    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
| A     |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Pitch | 1,659 | 3.66  | 120   | 3.63  | 7.6   | 2.8   | 0.8   | 28    |
| er    | .1    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
| B     |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Pitch | 1,596 | 3.58  | 121   | 3.50  | 8.2   | 3.1   | 0.8   | 31    |
| er    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
| C     |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Pitch | 1,267 | 3.21  | 122   | 3.29  | 8.4   | 2.4   | 0.8   | 30    |
| er    | .2    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
| D     |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Pitch | 1,266 | 3.25  | 123   | 3.86  | 7.5   | 2.7   | 0.9   | 30    |
| er    | .2    |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
| E     |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

Pitcher A is the highest-paid free agent pitcher: Max Scherzer. Washington gave him a significantly backloaded seven-year, $210 million deal worth more like $191 million in present money.

Pitcher B ranks second on the list: CC Sabathia, who signed with the New York Yankees seven years ago for $161 million.

Pitcher C is the third: Jon Lester. The Chicago Cubs signed him last offseason for $155 million over six seasons.

Pitcher D is David Price, and his case for $200 million is exceedingly strong. He will have fewer innings on his odometer than Sabathia and Lester. He has been a bastion of health. He is left-handed. His numbers are the best, too: Best ERA, best FIP, best peripheral mix. If Price ends up under $200 million, it will be because he took a deal for less to go to a preferred destination.

Pitcher E Johnny Cueto, and while $200 million may be a stretch for him, recency bias does work in his favor. Over the past five seasons, the ERA list for top starters looks like this: Clayton Kershaw (2.21), Cueto (2.52), Felix Hernandez (2.87), Cliff Lee (2.89), Chris Sale (2.91). One could make a compelling argument that Cueto is a better pitcher now than Price and would make an even better alternative.

FIP – Fielding Independent Pitching, which uses strikeouts, walks and home runs to give a better sense of a pitcher without defense factoring in – doesn't like Cueto, though he consistently has outperformed it because the Reds historically have been rather good at turning balls in play into outs.

In a pitching-rich class, these are the alpha dogs, while …

2. JUSTIN UPTON and JASON HEYWARD carry that mantel for the hitters. The former Braves teammates each were dealt in blockbuster trades this offseason, and their seasons have taken divergent paths.

[Justin Upton is hitting .293 with 10 home runs this season. (Getty Images)]

Justin Upton is hitting .293 with 10 home runs this season. (Getty Images)
Upton, who turns 28 in August, is having about as Justin Upton a season as possible. He'll always sit somewhere between .270 and .300, his speed-off-bat numbers keeping it from dipping much lower and his strikeout issues keeping him from a batting title. He'll draw somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 walks and post an on-base percentage of .350 or so. And he'll hit plenty of home runs.

The power will get Upton paid and paid plenty. He doesn't have any great recent comps. He wasn't as good a hitter as Prince Fielder or Matt Holliday. His skillset doesn't match Carl Crawford's. Perhaps closest to Upton is Alfonso Soriano, and even that's a stretch: Soriano came off a 40-40 season when he fetched his $136 million over seven years. Considering that was nine years ago, and MLB revenue has grown by 50 percent since, a $200 million deal certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility – especially because of Upton's age – and league sources see $150 million as the floor.

Heyward is even younger than Upton, just 26 in August, except six years into his career he continues to tantalize with potential and stagnate on the offensive end. The power in Heyward’s 6-foot-5, 250-pound body never has manifested itself, and he sports a sub-.350 slugging percentage with St. Louis this season, a number that grows uglier by the day as the main player the Cardinals gave up, Shelby Miller, has the look of a legitimate No. 1 starter in Atlanta. The glove that had the sabermetric set touting Heyward as an MVP candidate last year has yet to show up in 2015. Someone is going to take a nine-figure gamble on Heyward, because there is a truth about money in baseball that must be understood before proceeding any further.

Every single financial mechanism in baseball today funnels money toward free agency. Teams have finite budgets on domestic and international amateurs, and it will only get worse with the implementation of the international draft in 2017 or so. The only place teams can spend freely without concern of penalty – except the luxury tax, which few teams approach anyway – is in free agency. And however smart management is these days, it takes just one team to like a guy enough to overspend ridiculously – which itself is a dated concept, because when the choices are to spend money on players or allow the owner to pocket it, of course teams should spend on players. Whether it's on their own players or others is a question …

3. JORDAN ZIMMERMANN and DOUG FISTER will force the Washington Nationals to answer. And right now, the reviews are mixed.

Zimmermann has spent the season looking fine but not necessarily $150 million fine, as his ceiling coming into the season suggested. He's a 200-inning pitcher who walks next to nobody and last year, at least, struck out a lot of bodies. This season, the BABIP and strand gods have dealt him a fairly dirty hand, but Zimmermann also is striking out far fewer hitters, not the sort of sign a team considering spending nine figures on a guy wants to see, particularly when he's undergone Tommy John surgery. Worth following: His velocity is down nearly two ticks from last May, when he regularly sat 95.

Fister's year has gone even worse. His velocity was down as well, and now he's on the disabled list with a strained muscle in his flexor mass, which is better news than ulnar collateral ligament damage but not good for a pending free agent, especially one whose career started later than most and will hit the market going into his age-32 season. The Nationals hope he'll be back by the All-Star break, by which time …

4. MATT WIETERS and CHRIS DAVIS will be batting in the heart of the Baltimore Orioles' lineup. Wieters underwent Tommy John surgery last June, and the Orioles shut him down when his elbow started to bark during spring training. Wieters is nearing a rehab assignment, and manager Buck Showalter hasn't ruled out his return by the expiration of his 60-day disabled-list stint June 4. He'll have four months to re-establish himself as the franchise-type catcher he resembled before his injury last season. A bright, switch-hitting, elite-defense, 29-year-old, Scott Boras-client catcher has nine figures written all over it in most circumstances.

Boras represents Davis as well, and like Upton, his market will be a referendum on power. While Davis' 53-homer season of two years back feels anomalous, 30 seems like a fait accompli and 40 not out of the question. The issue for the 30-year-old-to-be will be the same as it is with so many today: strikeouts. Davis may personify the issue better than anyone. He is striking out 39.1 percent of the time. That's 54 times in 138 plate appearances. If he keeps up that pace over the same number of plate appearances as he had in 2013, Davis would strike out 260 times. Strikeouts have been rather a bugaboo for …

5. IAN DESMOND and JEFF SAMARDZIJA this season as well. In addition to sharing that bit of ignominy – Desmond has whiffed in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances while Samardzija's K rate is lower than at any juncture during the successful portion of his major league career – they both happen to be playing themselves out of $100 million deals.

[Ian Desmond (left) leads the majors with 11 errors this season. (Getty Images)]

Ian Desmond (left) leads the majors with 11 errors this season. (Getty Images)
Desmond's struggles are particularly egregious, because they're happening at the plate and in the field. He hasn't gotten on base even 28 percent of the time. His slugging percentage is down nearly 100 points from last year and 175 from three years ago. Three straight seasons with 20-plus homers – a mark shared by only two other NL shortstops this century, Troy Tulowitzki and Hanley Ramirez – have devolved into a perfect complement for his major league-leading 11 errors lead this season. Desmond turned down a five-year, $89.5 million extension in the 2013 offseason, figuring he would cash in to perhaps twice that with the proper performance.

Same goes for Samardzija: If he pitched like an ace this season – and plenty of time remains to do so – he might elevate himself to a notch below Price and Cueto and with them in the nine-figure club. Instead, everything has gone backward. It’s not just that Samardzija's ERA is 4.58. His strikeouts per nine have dipped to 6.79 and his groundball percentage, which hit a career high 50.2 percent last season, is now at 37.1 percent.

Even more disturbing is his near-dismissal of the split-fingered fastball, once considered Samardzija's finest weapon. He throws it half as much as he used to, only 8.6 percent of the time, while his cutter usage has increased three-fold from his breakout season. With his 1.87 walks per nine, Samardzija the control artist is a nice evolution, particularly from whence he came. And yet the trade for Samardzija has been something of a disaster while the deals for …

6. DEXTER FOWLER and YOENIS CESPEDES are working out nicely for their respective teams. Fowler seems to have settled into his place in baseball. With the Rockies in 2013, the Astros in 2014 and the Cubs in 2015, he sports the exact same weighted On-Base Average: .347. That measures overall offensive value, and having a hitter like Fowler at the top of a lineup is mighty attractive, particularly since he switch hits, can play a competent center field and won't be 30 until the cusp of the 2016 season.

Cespedes, like Fowler, has followed a certain archetype: never walk, hit ball far. He's striking out almost seven times as often as he takes a base on balls. And he is slugging almost .500 at a point in time when only 38 regulars can say the same. Cespedes, also like Fowler, will be a 30-year-old outfielder looking to cash in big. The good news for him: His contract stipulates the Tigers cannot give him a qualifying offer, allowing Cespedes to roam the free-agent landscape without any false mechanisms hindering it. That means more money than anticipated, a feeling …

7. SCOTT KAZMIR and MIKE LEAKE share with him at the moment. And not just because both of them have a chance to benefit from a no-strings-attached free agency should Oakland and Cincinnati, respectively, trade them at the trade deadline. Neither, at the moment, is in sell mode. The A's, despite their unsightly record, have been miserable in one-run games, leading to the worst record in the AL despite a near-even run differential. And Cincinnati has hovered around .500, though competing in a division with the Cardinals, Cubs and Pirates seems unlikely.

Kazmir, still just 31 despite spending a decade in the big leagues and essentially missing all of 2011 and 2012 because of ineffectiveness, is one of baseball's great comeback stories. Like Samardzija, he has turned cutter-happy this season, and it has complemented his fastball and changeup well. And now, after only a partial cash-in with his last free agency – Kazmir gave the A's a target to hit, and they did, even though Houston was ready to beat their offer – Kazmir is primed for a three- or four-year deal.

Leake's luck – around 20 percent of balls in play falling for hits – led to the sort of start every free-agent-to-be wants: near the top of the league leaderboard in ERA and with fewer than a batter per inning reaching base. The luck ran dry over the weekend, and Leake's ERA spiked a run and reminded everyone that getting by in the big leagues as a right-hander with a 90-mph fastball is not easy. And yet much is working in his favor: He gets lots of groundballs, doesn't walk hitters and, at 28 in November, is the youngest potential impact free agent in the class. And as…

[Howie Kendrick is hitting .307 this season with four home runs. (Getty Images)]

Howie Kendrick is hitting .307 this season with four home runs. (Getty Images)
8. BEN ZOBRIST and HOWIE KENDRICK may learn, it pays to be young. This doesn't apply quite as much to Kendrick, who at 32 will be no spring chicken, as it does the wizened-at-34 Zobrist. Because he didn't arrive in the major leagues until he was 25, Zobrist's prospects at reaping a big-money contract depended on his patience. He chose to sign a Tampa Bay special – $18 million guaranteed with two club options – and in his prime earning years made $32.5 million.

Because of his versatility, Zobrist should have no problem landing a three-year deal, and if a team wants a separator, he could get four. If Chase Headley, Omar Infante, Chone Figgins, Luis Castillo and Julio Lugo each got four, Zobrist – a superior player to all, with the sort of versatility so many smart teams today covet – should be able to do the same.

Kendrick will ask for five years and should get it. Second base has turned into something of a glory position, with Jose Altuve and Jason Kipnis and Kolten Wong mashing, and Kendrick is right there as a peer. He's crushing line drives this season at a 30 percent rate and sending three-quarters of his batted balls to center and right fields. This isn't the sign of a late bat; it's one in complete control of what he's doing. It's a liberating feeling, something to which…

9. ALEX GORDON and ZACK GREINKE can attest. Gordon holds a player option on his contract for the 2016 season. Greinke can opt out of the remaining three years and $71 million on his contract after this year. Both are in commanding positions to leverage exactly what they want or protect themselves in case of injury.

Casey Close represents both, and one of his hallmarks is giving a player flexibility. Gordon, 32 at the beginning of next season, represents a quandary for Kansas City. The Royals cannot afford to pay players on the downside of their careers, which Gordon surely will be as he looks to get six years and more than $100 million, a rightful sort of payment with his free agent pedigree. To wit:

+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Pla | BA  | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR  | RBI | SB/ | K   | BB  | Age |
| yer |     |     |     | +   |     |     | CS  |     |     |     |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Pla | .27 | .36 | .48 | 121 | 120 | 406 | 77/ | 727 | 361 | 32  |
| yer | 2   | 7   | 1   |     |     |     | 11  |     |     |     |
| A   |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Pla | .26 | .34 | .43 | 112 | 125 | 494 | 79/ | 937 | 433 | 32  |
| yer | 9   | 7   | 6   |     |     |     | 32  |     |     |     |
| B   |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+

Player A is Jayson Werth. Player B is Gordon. And whatever gap there is in the offensive numbers, Gordon's transcendent glove more than makes up for it. Werth will have gotten seven years and $126 million at the same age half a decade ago. Gordon is easily a $100 million player, and with inflation what it is, the argument can be made that $150 million wouldn't be out of the question, even though paying $25 million a year for anyone about to hit his mid-30s is the mitochondria of a disastrous team.

Greinke is picking an awfully nice time to do a good imitation of his Cy Young self. He's 5-1 with a 1.52 ERA, the third-best mark in MLB. The peripherals aren't quite as kind – the same BABIP and strand gods smiting Jordan Zimmermann are extolling Greinke – but the fact remains: Turning 32 in October, Greinke is in line for at least a five-year deal worth $25 million a year, and if Hyun-Jin Ryu's shoulder continues to act the fool, the Dodgers will be in a position where they'll value not just Greinke's arm but the amusing, quirky, familiar presence they've come to admire in the clubhouse.

The power of the Dodgers underscores what's going to make this offseason so bananas. Already they are blowing past their international signing bonus pool, with an all-but-done deal for Cuban flamethrower Yadier Alvarez in the $15 million-plus range – double that with the tax on international dollars – and other big-money prospects to fortify a system about to graduate Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Julio Urias to regular duties within a 13-month period. Now they get to spend their TV money in free agency, and…

10. DAVID PRICE and JOHNNY CUETO are the likeliest bogeys on their radar. The Dodgers already have baseball's richest pitcher in Clayton Kershaw. A co-ace to replace Greinke – or to complement him and give the Dodgers a starting-pitching Cerberus – is precisely what they need, particularly with upward of $75 million to spend.

Of course, this isn't a one-team league. The Cubs will be in play on the big names. The Red Sox desperately need starting pitching. Ditto the Angels. The Yankees always thrust themselves into that market. The Giants will dabble as they did with Lester. The Tigers have room to play. The Nationals could replace Zimmermann or Fister.

That's more than a quarter of the teams in baseball, all in on the big names, which will translate to bigger dollars. The most irrational place in an irrational market is at the top, and this offseason will provide a perfect storm of great supply and great demand. Hopefully, great fear does not accompany it, because seemingly every time salaries jump to another level, ownership does its typical two-step of concern and says salaries are rocketing out of control.

Collective bargaining will kick into high gear around the start of free agency, which should provide an interesting dynamic. Baseball is approaching $10 billion a year in revenue, an obscene number that calls for a commensurate kickback to the players. Winter is coming. And unlike in Westeros, it's going to bring plenty of happiness for the players in this game.

MORE MLB COVERAGE:

question: List the members of the free-agent class being written about.

answer: David Price, Johnny Cueto, Justin Upton, Jason Heyward, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Matt Wieters, Chris Davis, Ian Desmond, Jeff Samardzija, Dexter Fowler, Yoenis Cespedes, Scott Kazmir, Mike Leake, Ben Zobrist, Howie Kendrick, Alex Gordon, Zack Greinke

question: What is a free-agent class?

answer: From context, this appears to be a group of free-agent baseball players set to hit the open market in a given year.

question: When was this article written?

answer: Not explicitly stated but sometime around 2015

question: Which player is speculated to get the highest deal?

answer: Not conclusive, as estimates are not provided for every player, but probably either David Price or Johnny Cueto, each estimated to be worthy of a $200 million-plus deal.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article highlights the 2015 free-agent class, a group of promising baseball players about to hit the market at the time of the article's writing. An overview of each of the 18 players is provided, with an expectation that more than $2 billion will be spent on the players in total.


split: train

text:
When I was eleven years old, my mom took me to England and France on a journey that gave way to a longstanding passion for adventures abroad.

Fifteen years later, at the age of twenty-six, I can’t imagine a life not enriched by travel and the perspective it has given me. Since my first big trip, I’ve lived in three uniquely different countries, studying, working, and immersing myself in cultures completely unlike my own. These experiences became an indelible part of my being, coloring my personality and outlook in ways I never envisioned. I learned what I stand for, who my true friends are, and most importantly, where my home is.

Upon returning, I met a rather unexpected challenge. The poor economy and job market notwithstanding, it has been difficult to find an employer that sees value in my work abroad. The number of stints I’ve taken on in various countries and the jobs between these stints have left my résumé cluttered in the eyes of employers. To me it looks great, but to them, not so much. Perhaps I am naive for expecting employers to understand or share my values on travel. I did, after all, make a conscious decision to defer a traditional career path.

“How do we know you’re not going to leave after a year?” “Given your experience, why do you want to work here out of all places?” These are questions I’ve been prodded with frequently during job interviews. I’ve been called underqualified and overqualified, even for a single position.

Herein lies the conundrum: intellectual growth is not the same as career growth. Its value is not nearly as concrete or demonstrable as a set amount of time spent in one specific field. It’s this lack of concreteness that makes employers perhaps needlessly wary. They often look at only one piece of a very complex equation, much like how universities base their admission decisions mostly on grade point averages and SAT scores. Let’s try to be a little bit more personal.

Many friends of mine settled into more traditional careers after college and tell me they wish they could spend some time abroad. And sometimes I wish I had gone their route, but then I remind myself of all that I’ve gained on my own path. To be cliché, the grass really is greener on the other side.

Eventually, I found work that really draws from my experiences. Soon, I will begin yet another adventure in my life, this time a few miles closer to home.

title: Perspective: The value of travel

question: What is the "rather unexpected challenge" the narrator faces?

answer: The unexpected challenge is finding an employer who places value on the narrator's work abroad.

question: What is "the value of travel"?

answer: The narrator sees the value of travel in the perspective it has given them, coloring their personality and outlook.

question: Are there any other significant characters other than the narrator?

answer: No other characters are mentioned.

question: What are the narrator's emotions?

answer: The narrator is clearly frustrated that others don't give credit for the value of their travels.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator started traveling to other countries at a young age and continued after college. The narrator sees the value of travel in the perspective it has given them, coloring their personality and outlook. They are clearly frustrated that others don't give credit for the value of their travels, especially potential employers who question their experience, and their commitment to stay in one place for any length of time.


text:
What really happened:
A while ago I met a girl through some friends. This girl and I hit it off pretty well, and had sex. I was young and with little to no experience, needless to say our sexual encounters were short and awkward. The very first time we try to get intimate I had a bit of an unforeseen pre-explosion. In order to avoid any further awkwardness, I quickly got up and said I had seen wolves off in the distance. (We were in some park that is known for wild animals going about.) She got up scared and we left the place. This has been the root of a lot of inside jokes among my friends, so I finally decided to set the record straight with this next story.

**My first sexual encounter, as I remember it.**

There we were, young, naive, horny boys just making their way into adulthood, getting our last few shenanigans out of the way. In this particular and enchanting night we had invited our new friend Natalie and her dyke cousin to tag along. The mission for the night was to get drunk, as always, but this night had different plans for me. I could tell from the moment we picked up the girls there was a sexual aura that filled the car. Everyone glistened from their light perspiration, I knew the source of the sexual tension originated in my pants and was looking for a way to the back seat where Natalia's nether regions were moist. Don't ask me how but I could tell, and if we drenched those undergarments at the time they would have spelled out my name in cursive. We kept the chat light, but the stares through my rear view were consistently hard. We arrived at our destination, everyone sweating at this point, we can choose to blame the car heater but I like to blame the sexual angst.

"How are we suppose to get in there, there's a gate?!" an annoying dykish voice resonated from the back seat. The boys looked at her but no one knew how to approach this strange creature. I took initiative and said, "Listen, 'Natalie's dyke cousin' is it?" she tried responding, "Umm.." but before she started saying dykish none sense I stopped her, "We have two twelve packs and four thirsty boys. Now I know you're dissapointed none of us have long hair and a vagina so now why don't you make the best of it and drink so you can pass out." She said nothing, I had earned her lesbian respect. We unloaded the car, drank our way over the gate into a closed private golf course. If that didn't scream badasses maybe the lesbian's wet boxer briefs might, too bad I didn't check 'em.

Once at our destination we began our nightly ritual. The booze made its way into all of us, our spirits were lifted. It was a glorious gathering. As the consumption of drinks increased our inhibitions decreased. The boys and the dyke had conveniently ran off into the woods leaving Natalie and I behind. I slowly made my way over to my prey, "Should we go with the guys?" She broke the silence. I softly placed my pinky on her lips and replied, "Shh, you want this" I squeezed my crotch gently. She was baffled. As any good woman would have it she initially refused and pushed me away. "What are you doing?!" I stopped unbuckling my pants and instead reached for her hands. "Don't fight it, we both want the same thing. I'm just trying to take a shortcut." She blushed. "Now bring it home Ricky." I thought to myself. I leaned over for a kiss, but right before our lips touched she turned. "You are just... Ohh why can't I resist you?" She struggled to convey her feelings. I gave her my signature smirk, smile and wink. I was a little buzzed so it was more of a blink, but it worked anyway. She jumped on me, "Fuck it!" she dragged me to a dark area behind some small shed.

This is where things got a little interesting. We engaged in some heavy petting, really heavy petting. She tore off my shirt, I tore off my pants. This sexual connection had been building up the whole night. The right amount of beer made us both horny as the devil. We got the ball rolling and I began the dirty deed, she experienced the full wrath that is my prowess in the art of fucking. She literally squirmed in joy, I could hear her mumble out 'God' to which I would respond to with an "I know, right. hmph, hmph"  This all went on for what seemed like forever, but when I checked my watch it had only been less than a minute. Crazy I know. Well, it could have been this moment of beautiful coitus, the combination of her yells, my manly grunts, and the alignment of the planets but this mixture hit the right notes to summon a pack of wolves. A fucking wolf pack was summoned through fucking. I don't know about any of you guys, but I was taught my fair share of chivalry at home, so I did what any faithful knight of the round table would and warned my fair maiden of these wolves that were making their way towards us. I quickly stopped, she insisted to continue. I could tell she thought about it for a second. "Great sex with a great man, which would end up in vicious death by wolves. Seems worth it." But I pushed her off and said, "Wolves bitch! Didn't you hear?!" We gathered up our clothing and made our way to the car, where I phoned the boys to meet me. Those two minutes of heaven for her made her crave me even more, which lead to more sleazy encounters in the future.

question: Describe the girl the narrator has sex with.

answer: He has sex with Natalie, who he and his friends have recently befriended.

question: Where do the narrator and the girl have sex?

answer: In a dark area behind a small shed

question: Why do they stop having sex?

answer: In the narrator's story, it's because he has noticed that a pack of wolves has approached.

question: Who is Natalie?

answer: A girl that the narrator and his friends have recently befriended.

question: Describe the difference between the real story and the narrator's fabrication.

answer: In the story, the narrator and Natalie stop having sex because a pack of wolves approaches them. In reality, the narrator lied about the wolves to cover up the fact that he had a premature ejaculation.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: In the narrative version of events, the narrator and his friends drive out to a private golf course with their new friend Natalie and her lesbian cousin. There is sexual tension between the narrator and Natalie. After many drinks, Natalie's cousin heads off with the boys and the narrator and Natalie go to have sex behind a shed. The narrator notices a pack of wolves and ends things prematurely. In reality, the narrator lied about the wolves to hide the fact that he had a premature ejaculation.


text:
There was once a little boy who lived with his grandpa because his mom and dad had gone away for a very long time. They did a very bad thing to the boy. The little boy loved his grandpa very much but he didn't know it. Grandpa knew the little boy loved him very much and he loved him back, even more than he loved himself. The little boy's favorite food was macaroni and cheese. His grandpa was very good at making macaroni and cheese and he made it every night and the boy was happy. He went to school and learned about big animals that live very far away and he loved to read. He read mystery books and funny books and comic books. He loved Superman.

It was his birthday and grandpa was making him macaroni and cheese with tuna and peas, that was his favorite dinner. He put a pan of water onto the stove and the peas in the microwave. Grandpa bought the boy a new issue of Superman that the boy wanted very badly. The boy would always take the bus home because his grandpa didn't have a car. So the grandpa put the boys favorite movie into the DVD player and waited for the boy.

The water started to bubble and boil over so grandpa turned the oven down and poured the macaroni in. The microwave beeped so grandpa turned it off and let the peas cool down. He drained the macaroni and stirred the cheese and mixed in the tuna and peas. The bowl was very hot so grandpa put a paper towel underneath it. He didn't want the boy to burn himself. The TV asked grandpa if he wanted to play the movie but he didn't want to because the boy was not home.

Grandpa waited and waited for the little boy and the macaroni and cheese with tuna and peas wasn't hot anymore. He started to watch the movie and became very sad. Grandpa was very worried about the boy and so he got his cane and coat and walked out into the cold. He walked until he got to the boy's bus stop and it was very dark now. He did not see the boy at the bus stop and there were no cars on the road. He sat down on the bench and started to shiver and breathe faster than he should have. More snow started to fall and now grandpa almost couldn't see anything at all. The boy was not around. Grandpa couldn't cry because it was too cold. But he wanted to and he sobbed for a very long time.

The boy's head hurt and he was very cold but he finally got home after a long walk. He had to take a different way because the other mean boys told him he couldn't take the bus anymore. The boy picked up the front door key and opened the door. The house was very dark like it was outside and so he turned on the light. He saw his favorite food on the table, macaroni and cheese with tuna and peas. There was a comic book on the table and his favorite was on the TV and the funny animals were there talking to each other and the boy sat and watched and called for grandpa. But grandpa was not there and the boy could not find him. He looked in the bathroom and the kitchen and his room and grandpas room but he was not there.

He was hungry so he ate the macaroni and cheese with tuna and peas. He looked at the comic book and it was the new issue of Superman that the boy wanted so badly and so he read it. Grandpa wrote on the inside of how much he loved the boy and he hoped he enjoyed the comic book. The macaroni and cheese with tuna and peas was cold but it was still very good. Grandpa loved cooking for the little boy and the little loved grandpa's cooking because it made him feel comfortable and warm and he loved grandpa very much but he didn't know it.

Grandpa had dropped his cane and he was feeling very cold and tired so he fell asleep. He thought about the boy and how he loved the boy very much, even more than he loved himself. And he fell asleep. A man came by and asked grandpa if he was okay but grandpa didn't answer.

The boy waited and waited for grandpa and he fell asleep on the table and he heard the funny animals talking to each other and it made him feel good. Grandpa tucked him into bed and covered him up in warm blankets and he told the boy he loved him very much and he would make him macaroni and cheese tomorrow.

title: I'd be grateful if anyone took a look at my short story The Little Boy and His Grandpa

question: Describe the relationship between the grandpa and the little boy.

answer: They love each other very much. The little boy lives with his grandpa because his parents went away for a long time.

question: Why doesn't the little boy arrive home on his birthday?

answer: The mean boys told him he couldn't take the bus anymore, so he had to walk home.

question: Are there any other main characters?

answer: Just the boy and his grandpa.

question: What is the plot? Is there any conflict?

answer: The grandpa waits for the little boy to arrive home, when he doesn't arrive home the grandpa begins to worry. He walks to the bus stop, but nobody is there. He sits and waits; he's very sad. Meanwhile, the little boy walks home and can't find his grandpa.

question: Write a ~8 sentence summary.

answer: A little boy lives with grandpa and they love each other very much. On the little boy's birthday, while he was at school, the grandpa prepares the boy's favorite dinner, sets out his birthday present, and prepares the boy's favorite DVD for viewing. The little boy doesn't arrive, and the grandpa becomes very worried. He goes to the bus station to find the boy, but nobody is there. Meanwhile, the little boy walks home. He sees his birthday surprises, but can't find his grandpa. He eats his dinner and falls asleep at the table. Grandpa comes home and tucks him into bed.


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_TSAGANDELTA_ (meaning “white crest”) is a genus of deltatheroidean therian mammal that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous. Distantly related to modern marsupials, it is part of Deltatheroida, a lineage of carnivorous metatherians common in the Cretaceous of Asia and among the most successful non-theropod carnivores of the region. It represents the first known mammal from the Bayan Shireh Formation.

Discovery and naming

The holotype was first discovered and collected in 2002 during the field expedition conducted by the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the American Museum of Natural History, the specimen only preserved a partial left dentary. It was discovered on the outcrops at the Tsagan Tsonj locality in the Bayan Shireh Formation[1], the age is estimated to be around 102 million to 86 million years ago, between the Cenomanian and Santonian stages of the Late Cretaceous epoch.[2] The generic name, _Tsagandelta_, is derived from the Mongolian ЦАГААН (tsagaan, meaning white) and the Greek ΔΈΛΤᾸ (delta, meaning crest or point-shaped) in reference to the withish sediments at the Tsagan Tsonj locality and the prominent dentition of the Deltatheroida. The specific name, _dashzevegi_, is in honor to the Mongolian paleontologist Demberlyin Dashzeveg who did notable research on early mammals.[3]

Description

_Tsagandelta_ is currently known from one specimen, the holotype PSS-MAE 629. This specimen is composed of a left dentary fragment containing an almost intact second molar, the base of the third molar and the roots of the first premolar; various other tooth sockets are empty, and the dental formula is probably similar to that of _Deltatheridium_.[4] Based on comparisons with the related _Lotheridium_, the preserved dentary indicates that _Tsagandelta_ was slightly smaller than the former; _Lotheridium_ is about the size of a modern marten.[5]

Classification

_Tsagandelta_ was classified within the Deltatheridiidae, being more derived than _Sulestes_ and _Oklatheridium_ but less so than the rest of the family. This phylogenetic position has been argued to suggest an Asian origin for Deltatheroida.[6]

Paleobiology

Like most deltatheroideans, _Tsagandelta_ was a carnivore, its molar anatomy similar to the carnassials of other carnivorous therians. _Tsagandelta_ and its relatives (as well as the unrelated eutriconodonts) are among the Mesozoic mammals most clearly specialised to meat-eating.[7][8]

Paleoecology

_Tsagandelta_ hails from the Bayan Shireh Formation, dating from the Cenomanian to the Santonian.[9][10] It is adjacent to the Iren Dabasu Formation, these formations bear a very similar fauna.[11] A great diversity of reptiles are known from the Bayan Shireh Formation, mainly compromising dinosaur and non-dinosaur taxa that likely preyed on _Tsagandelta_, mammals however, are pooly known from this formation.[12][13][14][15]

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title: Tsagandelta

question: How can you describe what Tsagandelta is?

answer: It is a genus of deltatheroidean therian mammal.

question: What specimen is Tsagandelta known for?

answer: It is know for the specimen, the holotype PSS-MAE 629.

question: What important factor does Tsagandelta represent?

answer: It represents the first known mammal from the Bayan Shireh Formation.

question: What formed the Bayan Shireh Formation?

answer: The Bayan Shireh Formation consisted of a great diversity of reptiles, which mainly comprimised of dinosaur and non-dinosaur taxa that likely preyed on Tsagandelta mammals.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes a genus of deltatheroidean therian mammal, Tsagandelta. The history of its name, description, classification, paleobiology, and paleocology are all included in the article.


text:
[5 Ways to Help Your Dog Through Fireworks]

If you were to ask Willow what her favorite holiday was, I believe she would say Thanksgiving… Yes, definitely Thanksgiving.
As far as her least favorite holiday, well… it’s a tie between New Year’s Eve and 4th of July. Why?

THE ALL-MIGHTY FIREWORKS, THAT’S WHY.

IT IS HARD TO GRASP HOW SCARY THESE JOYFUL CELEBRATIONS CAN BE FOR A DOG (OR CAT). BUT IF WE CAN, FOR A MOMENT, FORGET THAT WE KNOW WHAT FIREWORKS ARE AND TRY TO EXPERIENCE THEM FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW, PERHAPS WE COULD SEE THEM AS WHAT THEY ARE IN THEIR SIMPLEST FORM: _SUDDEN, RUMBLING, UNEXPECTED, LOUD EXPLOSIONS WITH BRIGHT FLASHES OF LIGHT._ MOST ANIMALS (AND QUITE A FEW HUMANS) DON’T FIND MUCH FUN IN THAT.

While some dogs and cats could care less about fireworks (bless them), many of them spend the night(s) in constant stress and panic. You know the statistics already, more pets go missing on July 4th than any other night of the year.

BELOW IS A LIST OF THE TOP FIVE WAYS I HAVE FOUND TO GIVE WILLOW AND HER FELINE SISTER LEELOO A MORE PEACEFUL NIGHT. I DEARLY HOPE SOMETHING IN THIS LIST WILL BE HELPFUL TO YOU AND YOURS.

[]

Willow’s Top 5 Serenity Tips

1. GET THEM DOG-TIRED
Exercise and mental stimulation in the form of any activity your dog (or cat) enjoys will be fundamental in helping them start the day off right so they don’t have an abundance of energy in the evening to focus on fear and stress. Make sure it is something they enjoy and does not send them over threshold. A long play session at the beach, a good hike with friends, scenting games, chasing after their favorite toy, learning a new trick or anything else you got, bring it.

2. TAKE THE EDGE OFF
There are many great holistic ways to help your beasts feel a little more relaxed. I have listed my favorites for you here:

-   _CANNA COMPANION-_ a unique blend of Cannabis sativa strains, frequently referred to as hemp, designed to enhance the supportive benefits of the Cannabis plant while minimizing the ‘high-inducing’ concentrations of THC. I give Willow one capsule with each meal (twice a day) and make sure to feed her dinner an hour before the fireworks start. For Leeloo, I open a small capsule formulated for cats and sprinkle some on her food twice a day.
-   _TREATIBLES-_ a different way to provide your pet with the calming benefits of hemp and CBD oil can come in the form of yummy chews, drops or gel capsules. I am especially keen on _TREATIBLES_ when I have run out of my _CANNA COMPANION_ and can quickly pick some up some chews at my local shop. My wallet is especially grateful for the chews, since the capsules and oils can get a little pricey.
-   _JACKSON GALAXY/SPIRIT ESSENCES SOLUTIONS-_ A flower essence solution you can add to your pet’s water or food or spray in the room or bedding. We use Stress Stopper for any stressful situation, from trips to the vet and especially on 4th of July. I add it to their water and make sure and spray some around the house. They have many other super helpful solutions for different behaviors and situations.
-   _THUNDERSHIRT-_ Willow’s Thundershirt has been a staple in helping her feel comfortable and safe during stressful situations, especially when she was a baby and well into her adolescence. We still pull it out for any situation we know will be stressful for her or if we know we will not be able to get away from the fireworks. I am in the process of familiarizing Leeloo to her own Thundershirt now. Cats are a little trickier, but they deserve just as much support and protection.
-   _ZUKE’S ENHANCE CALMING FUNCTIONAL CHEWS-_ I simply love this new line of functional supplement treats Zuke’s created. The Calming chews have passionflower, valerian and chamomile among other natural remedies wrapped up in a yummy chicken or peanut butter bite-sized treat that I can offer to Willow throughout the day to help ease any stress and nervousness.

3. GIVE THEM A SAFE SPACE
Prepare your home to be a safe haven for your dogs and cats. Close all the windows, close the blinds or draw the curtains. Get some soothing tunes going, I like to play either some gentle nature sounds with music, light classical or my favorite, _THROUGH A DOG’S EAR_ CDs. They now have a portable player called iCalm for dogs or cats! I also get some portable fans for the bedroom and main livingspace Willow and Leeloo will hang out in and set them on medium to high. Not only will the fans keep the air moving, they will also help drown out any outside noise from the festivities. I open the closets in case they want to go cuddle up somewhere dark, quiet and cozy. Just in case, make sure your pets are wearing their identification on a collar, updated microchip etc. On occasions when we can’t get away for the 4th, I have Willow wear her bright orange harness on top of her Thundershirt. The harness has another set of identification tags. You never know, life happens, and collars slip. You want to give your dog or cat as much of a chance to get back home safely should they find themselves lost.

4. FIND YOUR OWN ZEN
If you are opting out of the festivities and hunkering down for the night with your pets to keep them company (thank you, you are amazing), make sure you do whatever it is you need to take care of you first. Go to a yoga class, or go for a nice run. make a list of movies or shows to catch up on. Cook up a comforting meal or order take out. Light some candles, pop open some wine, meditate, dance in your underwear… do whatever you need to feel your best, because your beasts will need your calm and reassuring touch. Be patient, gentle and kind with them; remember that they don’t know what is going on or the why of things. This is the part where you have their back.

5. HIT THE ROAD JACK!
Though #5 is really our #1 way to avoid stressful nights of fireworks, I know it is not always possible. Whether you load up the pack into your car and taka a nice long drive or you plan ahead and trade celebrations and the _Star Spangled Banner_ for a tent under the stars, hitting the road to a place far away from danger zones is (in our opinion) the best way to help your animals cope. We like to get away, especially since fireworks are allowed in Petaluma, and kids start their partying two days before the actual 4th. For the past three years, we search for a quiet, peaceful campsite on _HIPCAMP_, order ourselves some _FIRESIDE PROVISIONS_ and pack a kit with everything I listed on #2 (just in case). This is my kind of celebration of independence anyway, who needs the fireworks and fairgrounds, give me the true meaning of 4th of July: a celebration of this beautiful place and the freedom to spend a night with our loved ones however we choose.

Whatever you choose to do, we wish you a safe and comfortable night filled with peace for your dogs and cats and a very happy holiday to you!

_HERE’S TO STARRY SKIES AND FIREFLIES,_
_Nat + Willow_

question: What are the methods used for "taking the edge off" of a dog's fear or fireworks?

answer: Canna companion is one, which is a cannabis based holistic treatment. The author also mentions treatibles, which are another CBD remedy made with gummy chews. Flower essence solutions can help the pet feel calmer, as well as a Thundershirt, a special shirt which encloses the dog. There are also flower essence gummy chews, called "Zuke's Enhance Calming Functional Chews." All of these remedies are natural, based on cannabis, flowers, or constriction, in the case of the Thundershirt.

question: Why are New Year's Eve and 4th of July Willow's least favorite holidays?

answer: In a word: fireworks. While it may be hard for a human to understand, the author encourages us to imagine fireworks through the mind of a dog. "Sudden, rumbling, unexpected loud explosions with bright flashes of light" they call them, saying that most animals and even some humans do not enjoy them. They also remind us more pets go missing on July 4th than any other night of the year.


text:
Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."
The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment f or future generations."
She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were truely recycled.
But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.
But too bad we didn't do the green thing back then.
We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

*I didn't write this story, and I don't know who did. I like it and want to share.

title: Being Green

question: What is the message of this piece of writing?

answer: The narrator explains that even though they didn't have the green thing in her day, there were many things they did that were green. There is an inference that the next generation is to blame for the current global predicament.

question: Explain how the older generation presented in the story, took care of the planet.

answer: The narrator explains that they recycles the glass bottles by returning them to the store for reuse. Grocery stores used paper bags that were repurposed once the customer took them home. People walked places. The narrator believes they did a lot to protect the planet without being prompted to.

question: Does the story have a bias towards an older generation?

answer: Yes, though it makes some valid points, the story praises the older generation through a lens of irony.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A woman explains through a mask of irony the fact that her generation did not have 'the green thing back then'.


text:
We were together again. It was so nice to smell you, always a hint of incense or something exotic, and to hear your voice, always calm, I don't know how you do it. It felt so real. It felt so nice.
You inhaled slowly, first through the joint, and then through your nose before letting it all out, smiling, and passing it to me. I gave you a cheeky smile because I know you like it.
You are my best friend, my secret lover, and some of the biggest moments in my life have been with you, but most recently travelling India together, where I felt I learnt the most about myself, about you and about us.

I'm not 100% certain to where we were, my mind was telling me Amsterdam, maybe because I had been there so recently it was affecting my thoughts, but the dirty concrete steps and the smog surrounding the yellow street lights in the night told me otherwise. But I'll stick with Amsterdam.
We weren't talking much, but it wasn't an awkward scenario, we were just content with being quiet. We do that a lot, and I like it. I like that we just enjoy the moment together in silence.

Trying to recall what happened is a bit of a blur, but for the most important parts, I remember quite clearly.
A man came out, and shooed us off his steps, at least I think they were his. He was dark skinned, and seemed to be talking Hindi? Though, I still believe I am in Amsterdam. We ran off, and found a truck, I don't know why we got in but we did. It was one of those Ford F2 somethings. A big white one.. we've never driven together in one of those, so I don't know why we did now. I felt like we were running from something, my heart was beating.

We ended up in a back alley somewhere, though I didn't feel I was in Europe now, more like Australia because it was night but I wasn't cold, and the ground, concreted for a parking lot was clean.
We sat under some trees- I remember looking at the bottle-brush flowers. Definitely Australian. What are they doing here? And how were we still smoking this joint?

All we've been talking about to each other for the past month, is how much we miss each other. Constantly reminiscing, but so much happened in India, it's hard not to!
I said something about India. I can't even remember what. Something along the lines of "God I miss..." or "Haha, How funny was..." It's not important. It was your reply that startled me.
"What? I haven't been to India." And you laughed. Am I going crazy? We spent nearly 3 months there! How can you forget that? That's why we have gone from friends to... this, we changed together! Although I wasn't nearly as alarmed as I felt.

"You know, *India*?" I said, coolly.

You did that calm laugh thing you do, "Ha. Ha, nope! But that sounds like a lot of fun! When are we going?" You winked at me.

You were excited TO visit India, this makes no sense. I tried to explain, but still I was so relaxed, I don't even understand my own actions, why wasn't I shaking you or crying for perhaps losing a chunk of.. life?

"Yeah, we went to India for nearly 3 months, best time of my life. Best time of your life, and something we will never forget."

"Huh." You said. "Well, I'm looking forward to it."

And then, I felt like as if I was watching myself.
"You know I live in Scotland, right?"

"You do?" You asked impressed. How didn't you know? We talk nearly every day.

"I've been there for nearly 10 months now, I'm actually in England right now." Holy shit, I *am* in England. "It's probably about 10.30am"

I felt like I was completely separated from myself now, just watching. I continued talking to you about our lives right now, about India and about the amazing things we experienced, you'd laugh and say things like "That sounds like something I'd do" or "I can't wait".

And then I woke. It was indeed 10.30am.
I rolled over, grabbed my phone and checked my facebook. One notification. I'm not a popular person, but it was from you, a message, from you!

"I dreamt I saw you last night" What a coincidence!

I replied, explaining in much less detail that I had too!

"I think, our brains are connected somehow." You wrote. I'm not surprised you have that opinion, we often think the same things spontaneously. "Perhaps, in an alternate universe, we don't go to India together, but somewhere else."

What a beautiful thought, that somewhere, somehow, we will always have some sort of significant impact in our lives together.

The movie *Cloud Atlas* came to mind.

It is now less than a week before I return home. You don't know yet.

**************************************************************************

*This is my first story. All happened this morning, had the day off so gave it a crack! :)*

title: When we were together again

question: What does the text say about the narrator's experience in India?

answer: The narrator spent almost 3 months in India with someone. The narrator says that the person they went with is their best friend and secret lover. While there, the narrator says they learned the most about themself and their lover.

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


text:
There was a bench that sat nestled beside the path of a park. It ran like a line created at the stroke of a pen by the hand of a heart with artistic spirits. A love not easily made. The bench sat immovable under the branches of a thick oak tree. That no matter what time of day, time of month, or time of year, the shade provided was never penetrated by any glow of sunlight. And on that park bench, under that mysterious oak; sat a girl.

I wearily admired that girl from a distance.

Like the way the moon admires the sun.

She dug her eyes into her sketch pad paper and buried herself in the thick and thin growing lines of her imagination that shone through her blank canvas. Making pictures of exquisite designs, dream catchers, and things kindled that only her heart will ever recognize. Every now and then she would donate a few moments to look up and notice the world around her and in those few seconds I was able to distinguish the minute characteristics about her that ran a thread through my melting heart.

     The way her gentle brown eyes reflected light like a still pool of water in a river bank, surrounded by misty mountains and brown barked trees that lined the shoreline. Maybe in that forest I could find the heart I’ve been striving for. With her elbow propped on her knee, she held her chin and studied the lives before her. Her hair danced with the wind and every curl told a story of love and adventure still yet to be translated. It parted like curtains upon a stage to reveal a production with the most gorgeous performer I’ve ever seen.

     I never knew this girl.

     I never thought I would.

     After days past her beauty only grew and the drum in my chest would only beat faster, pushing my love-struck blood into every crevice my veins met. One day, like no other, a rope snapped on my ankle and I broke free from that spot on my park bench. She wore a long red skirt that hung all the way down her soft thin legs and met her feet, with designs like red explosions that mimicked the passion that poked holes into my heart and throat. Her glorious hair braided and her tiny fingers at work in her art. I approached, shaking from the weight of fear and the obstacle of beauty, but I walked to meet her. Her eyes gently rose to mine. A smile grabbed my hope and sat me down.

     On that park bench sat a girl.

     On that park bench sat a boy.

     And on that day like no other.

     The moon met the sun.

     And the sun touched that bench and that shade was broken.

title: One Park Bench. (The first short story I've ever written.)

question: Who are the main characters of the story?

answer: The girl on the bench, the boy watching her

question: What is the girl doing every time she sits on the bench under the oak tree?

answer: She sketches her imagination on a sketch pad.

question: Describe the girl on the day the boy went up to her.

answer: She was wearing a long, red skirt that reached her all the way to her ankles. She had brown eyes, braided hair, and thin legs.

question: What made the boy sit down with the girl?

answer: She smiled at him, which gave him hope.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: A boy watches a girl from afar. She always sits on the same spot in the park - a bench under the shade of an oak tree where the sun's rays can't penetrate. The boy falls in love with the girl and musters the courage to meet her. He approaches the bench and the girl smiles. For the first time, the sun touched the bench, breaking the shade.


text:
[]

Jay-Z doesn’t want to do the Super Bowl (Picture: Getty Images)
HIP HOP LEGENDJAY Z ISN’T INTERESTED IN PERFORMING AT THE SUPER BOWL HALF-TIME SHOW IN 2018.

Even though the Moonlight rapper star has previously seen his wife Beyonce dazzle the world’s biggest annual TV audience at two Super Bowls, Jigga – who has been rumoured for the job – reportedly has no ambitions of following in the footsteps of the mother of his three children.

An insider told The Sun newspaper: ‘Lots of people have been saying Jay will perform with Justin Timberlake, but it is simply not the case.

[]

Beyonce has done the Super Bowl twice already but Jay  has no plans to following her footsteps (Picture: Getty Images)
‘He has enough songs to create an incredible performance but he really has no plans to do the half-time show.’

The likes of Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Katy Perry have all performed at the world-famous half-time show over recent years – but we guess that doesn’t mean we will get a live performance from the 4:44 album anytime soon.

But organisers of the sporting event are still searching for someone to succeed Lady Gaga, whose performance earlier this year was watched by as many as 117.5 million TV viewers.

Meanwhile, Jay recently revealed he’s no longer interested in feuding with his rap rivals.

In the past, the chart-topping star has had beef with the likes of Kanye West, Nas, Fat Joe and Prodigy of Mobb Deep – who passed away in June –  but Jay swears that he is over all of that now.

He explained: ‘It wasn’t even like a big thing between Fat Joe and I, we just really talked about that in two minutes.

‘I don’t want to have rap beef, I’m checked out of that part of the game.’

Jay also paid tribute to Prodigy, who suffered from sickle cell anaemia for much of his life.

He said: ‘I had super respect for Prodigy. In order for me to really have a problem, in order for me to really spar with you, I gotta respect you somewhere.

‘It’s just sad you know, blessings to his family.’

Jay on the Super Bowl stage could’ve been historic.

Metro.co.uk contacted reps for Jay-Z for a comment.

 MORE : Jay-Z and Kanye West are ‘close to ending their infamous feud’

[Music]

question: What is the topic of the post?

answer: It is rumoured that Jay-Z has no ambition to perform at the super bowl halftime show in 2018.

question: What year did Lady Gaga perform at the super bowl halftime show?

answer: 2017

question: What other artists who have performed at the super bowl are mentioned in the post?

answer: Coldplay, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Lady Gaga.

question: What other performers has Jay-Z feuded with?

answer: He has been feuding with Kanye West, Nas, Fat Joe, and Prodigy.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: It is rumoured that Jay-Z has no ambition to perform at the super bowl halftime show in 2018.


text:
He awoke, and he was terrified.  As far as the eye could see were small canisters containing humans, just like the one he had risen from. The room was cold and dark, save for their blue glow, while the ceiling was barely above his head as he stood.

There was no end in sight, no discernible wall or doorway or exit. He could clearly make out the humans near his canister, though. Beside him a woman, with luscious blonde hair; the other side two children, a boy and a girl of similar age.

He was suddenly aware of a deep rumble in the distance, a sound that filled him with dread for reasons he couldn't understand. He began to panic, more so than he thought he might ever have done before.

Looking down he began to shake the woman, to rouse her from her slumber. When she wouldn't respond, he began to remove the various tubes and contraptions that were protruding from her body.

Suddenly, she awoke with an almighty gasp. She stared at him straight in the eye before going into shock, writhing in the man's grip. As soon as she had awoken, she went limp.

The man was now acutely aware of the terrifying rumble again. It was louder, making his way towards him.

Where was he?

And then, all went dark.

*

From his position on the beach, the man stared out to sea. As far as the eye could see was crystal clear water, while the Sun radiated down upon him, basking his body in unrivalled splendour.

He arose from his seat filled with ecstasy and joy. Here he dwelled in paradise, with his every desire and need catered for. He couldn't remember a time when he had been happier, or perhaps there had never been other such time.

But as he walked along the beach, the idyllic setting began to fade. The sand smudged into darkness, the sea turned a cold grey, the sky disappeared before him.

As his world dissolved around him into blackness, he was scared for what felt like the first time.

*

This was the moment he would betray them. Perhaps they would adjust to their new lives? But most likely not.

His family walked with him, his wife with the incredible blonde hair that had first attracted him to her all those years ago before it had begun, his children with their youthful ignorance that helped them bring light to the situation. He would've felt regret if he did not know what was coming.

They each climbed into their canisters, alight with a blue glow. Into the distance he could see thousands of people, what remained of the human race, doing the same.

They had been trained for this moment. They knew the procedure. Nevertheless, he made sure to check on his children. Despite his actions, he did not wish a greater ill upon them.

“See you on the other side,” he lied to them both. “I love you.”

His wife, meanwhile, had been quiet. He couldn't blame her; no one had thought it would come to this.  But it had, and for some it was a more distressing experience than others. For some, like himself, it had even brought out traits that he did not know existed.

He took a loving look at his wife, his last he thought, and she returned his gaze with a look that seemed to hide a tinge of sorrow. It didn't matter. None of this mattered.

They smiled at each other, nodded, and both lowered themselves into their canisters. The man attached the last of his tubes and prepared for his deep, unpenetrable slumber.

He was moments from drifting off, from escaping, before his wife appeared above him. He tried to speak, but his body was powerless.

“I know what you did,” she whispered as she pulled a tube out of his body.

*

“Will they know?”

“Yes.”

“How can you be sure?

“The machines are good, but they cannot account for such anomalies in each fantasy. By leaving them, they will forever mourn your absence.”

The man pondered this for a moment.

“Will I know?”

“No. Prior memories are erased, and if you are woken you will be killed.”

“Good.”

*

They had made the decision to spend an eternity together, but it was an eternity he did not want. Here was an opportunity to start afresh, to begin a new life, with no repercussions.

They made the necessary arrangements for the new life the four of them would lead together. It was a life she had chosen. He wanted more.

But there was another way. And soon, once his mind had wrestled away the horror of his upcoming actions, he would betray them in favour of an eternity in paradise.

title: Remember

question: What color hair does the woman he sees have?

answer: Blonde.

question: Why are there blue cannisters?

answer: Not sure, but they contain humans.

question: How does the man know they contain humans?

answer: The text doesn't say.

question: Who is the woman with the blonde hair?

answer: His wife.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: A man wakes, feeling disoriented, seeing a woman with blonde hair and some kids, along with blue canisters he knows contain humans. He seems to oscillate between a waking and dreaming state, experiencing memories as well as current and ongoing happenings.


text:
AD-DAWHAH (, __ or _ad-Dōḥa_, ) is the one of the eight municipalities of Qatar. It is the most populous municipality with a population of 956,457,[1] all of whom live in Qatar's capital city, Doha.

Etymology

According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the name “Doha” originated from the Arabic term “dohat”, which means “roundness”. This name is derived from the rounded bays surrounding the area's coastline.[2]

Administration

[Amiri Diwan]

According to the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning,[3] the Municipality of Qatar became the first municipality to be established in 1963. Later that year, the name was changed to Municipality of Ad Dawhah. The country has been divided into seven municipalities since 2006.[4] Doha is the most populated municipality among them with a population of 956,457 as of 2015.[5]

The exclave of Doha Industrial Area and the island of Halul, 80 km away from Doha, fall within municipal boundaries.[6]

Municipal headquarters were shifted from the Al Sadd area to Ras Abu Aboud in 2017.[7]

Neighborhoods

District centers

As part of the Qatar National Master Plan, twenty-eight centers have been designated throughout Qatar to promote sustained urban development and to better implement public transport. Centers serve as hubs for surrounding districts. The centers range from Capital City Center to District Center, with the former being the highest-level designation and vice versa.[8]

Geography

Doha municipality is in the central east region of Qatar; it is bordered by Al Wakrah municipality to the south, Al Rayyan municipality to the west, Al Daayen municipality to the north and Umm Salal municipality to the northwest.[9]

Comprising the majority of Qatar's residential, financial and administrative centers, the Doha Metropolitan area hosts over 80% of the country's inhabitants. The core of Doha, which is the easternmost area of the municipality, is the administrative and financial hub of the country and the municipality, with districts such as Al Dafna and West Bay being located here. Moreover, this area also accommodates critical infrastructure such as Hamad Medical City and Hamad International Airport.[10]

[Map of the municipalities of Qatar] Other areas of importance include the Industrial Area, an exclave in Al Rayyan municipality, as well as the Wholesale Market Area, which encompasses the western portion of the municipality and which unofficially includes areas of Al Rayyan.[11]

In the northern region of Doha, developments such as the Katara Cultural Village and The Pearl-Qatar, which is projected to house as many as 45,000 residents, can be found. The northern part of the West Bay financial district is also located here. Towards the center of the municipality is the Amiri Diwan, Souq Waqif, the Doha Corniche and the historic quarters.

Most of the low-to-medium density housing projects are found in the western sector, near the Wholesale Market Area.[12] Residential areas in western Doha include Al Sadd, Abu Hamour and Al Gharafa, of which the latter two are geographically located in Al Rayyan but which constitute a part of Metropolitan Doha.[13]

According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the municipality accommodates five rawdas, one wadi, three plains, seven hills, two sabkhas, four capes, and two bays. Four islands are found off its shores, not including The Pearl.[14]

Infrastructure

[Skyscrapers in Doha's Al Dafna district]

Education

As the most populous municipality, Doha contains the highest density of schools in the country. Most of the municipality's schools are near the core of Doha, i.e. the central eastern portion. There is a reported shortage of schools in the Al Sadd district, as well as the northernmost and southernmost sectors.[15]

Healthcare

A major healthcare project known as Hamad Medical City was launched in 2003 near the Rumeilah district. Three hospitals and a research center were planned to be hosted within this 227,000 square meter complex at a cost of over QR 2.1 billion.[16] In December 2017, Hamad Medical City was officially opened in a ceremony attended by the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.[17]

Transport

The Doha Metro connects the core of Doha with its metropolitan hubs. At the center of the Doha Metro system is Msheireb Station, where there are three alignments, with an additional line being constructed, and a bus rapid transit system to which to connect.[18]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

title: Ad-Dawhah (municipality)

question: How many municipalities are there in Qatar?

answer: Eight.

question: What is the population of Ad-Dawhah?

answer: 956,457.

question: Where do all of its inhabitants also live?

answer: Doha.

question: Which island falls within the municipal boundaries of Ad-Dawhah?

answer: Halul.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Ad-Dawhah is one of the eight municipalities of Qatar. It has a population of 956,457, all of whom live in the urban city of Doha. Ad-Dawhah contains the densest concentration of schools in the country, three hospitals, and a research center.


text:
The MOSCOW VILLAGE HISTORIC DISTRICT encompasses a former 19th-century industrial village in southern Stowe, Vermont. Centered on the Little River at its Moscow Road crossing, the village prospered into the early 20th century as a woodworking center. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.[1]

Description and history

The town of Stowe was settled beginning in the 1790s, and by the early 19th century, three small villages had arisen on the banks of the Little River. The southernmost of these, originally called Smith's Falls, was by 1839 commonly referred to as “Moscow”. The river was dammed at this point in 1822 by Alexander Seaver, and soon a carding mill and sawmill were in operation. Both the dam (rebuilt in concrete in 1918) and the sawmill (now housing a woodworking shop) survive today, as does Seaver's 1825 house. The village prospered on a combination of services to the surrounding farms, and the development of woodworking as an industry to capitalize on the area's rich forests.[2]

The historic district is centered on the river, with Moscow Road spanning it on a 1949 bridge, and two dams across it just downstream. South of the river, it extends along Barnes Hill and Adams Mill Road, roughly paralleling the river west of the bridge. On the north side, it extends westward along Moscow Road (again paralleling the river), and eastward along River Road to its junction with Shaw Hill Road. The district contains a mix of residential, industrial, and commercial properties, generally of wood frame construction and one or two stories in height. The 25 properties in the district also include a general store and a school, the latter now converted to an artist's studio.[3]

[1]

[2]  with

[3]

title: Moscow Village Historic District

question: Where is the Moscow Village Historic District located?

answer: In southern Stowe, Vermont

question: Describe the notable geographic features of the Moscow Village Historic District.

answer: The district is centered on the Little River, specifically its Moscow Road crossing.

question: What is the state of the Moscow Village Historic District today?

answer: It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The former school has been converted to an artist's studio.

question: Who was Alexander Seaver?

answer: Alexander Seaver was the one who dammed the Little River at the "Moscow" bank in 1822.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The Moscow Village Historic District encompasses a former 19th-century industrial village in southern Stowe, Vermont. The village is centered on the Moscow crossing of the Little River, which was dammed in 1822 by Alexander Seaver. As of 2008, is it listed in the National Register of Historic Places.


text:
Today is dessert day, as promised. Which dessert you ask? Well, pie I say! Because I don’t like cleaning my tart pans, and also, because I have never made a galette before for you, I decided that best use for my Keto Pie Crust is to make Keto Strawberry & Almond Butter Galettes.

It was a good decision, if I say so myself.

[Keto Strawberry & Almond Butter Galettes - Easy, Straightforward Low-Carb & Gluten-Free Dessert. ]

Keto Strawberry & Almond Butter Galettes

I’ll be very honest with you, not only that this is first time I have ever made a galette for this blog, but also the first time I made a galette period, or used the flavour combo of Strawberries and Almond Butter.

Somehow it made sense to me.

Since this is a Keto pie, almond butter was the perfect choice for a thickener.

WHY DO I NEED A THICKENER IN MY FILLING? CAN’T I JUST PUT MY BERRIES IN THERE? Berries are full of water, and when they cook, that water tends to come out of them. Which is why, in most pie recipes, you will find cornstarch to be an ingredient used in the pie filling. Cornstarch absorbs all the moisture that comes out of the fruits and makes your pie filling rich and creamy instead of watery.

That’s exactly what almond butter does in this recipe. Plus, it tastes great.

CAN I USE PEANUT BUTTER OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF NUT BUTTER? I would not recommend using peanut butter as it has a strong taste and will over power the subtle flavours of your galette. If you have to substitute it, I would recommend using cashew butter.

[Keto Strawberry & Almond Butter Galettes - Easy, Straightforward Low-Carb & Gluten-Free Dessert. ]

FOLDING TECHNIQUE FOR THE PIE CRUST.

The pie crust recipe used in this recipe is a very delicate crust, just like a pate brisee can be. Now to make sure that you get the best result possible follow these tips and you will make a great keto galette.

1.  You must let your pie crust chill in the fridge for at least an hour. The pie crust needs to be cold, so that the butter in it acts as an effective binding agent.
2.  Touch with your hands as little as you can. Your hands are warm, and will bring the temperature of the pie crust up.
3.  My favourite tip: Place your pie crust between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten. To avoid having a lot of cracks on it, push it down using a heavy pan or a chopping board. Then take your rolling pin out and gently roll to 1/4″ thickness.
4.  When you are going to be folding your pie crust to form your galette, some of it is going to break, I _guarantee_ you that. Don’t panic, you can easily patch it up like silly putty. Once the pie crust bakes, it will be a lot more firm.
5.  Finally, and this really comes down to preference, if you want to make sure that your pie crust is more firm, chill your galette before serving to allow the butter to do it’s job. I personally like them at room temp, as you can see on the photo below, it’s firm enough to handle. For me a perfect pie crust, has to be both firm and crumbly, this way I don’t have to fight it with my fork.

[Keto Strawberry & Almond Butter Galettes - Easy, Straightforward Low-Carb & Gluten-Free Dessert. ]

THE TOPPING I USED FOR THE PIE IS PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD: 1/2 CUP OF WHIPPED CREAM, ZEST OF ONE LEMON AND 1 TSP OF ERYTHRITOL.

Keto Galette Recipe.

Keto Strawberry & Almond Butter Galettes

Easy, Straightforward Low-Carb & Gluten-Free Dessert.

 Course Dessert

 Cuisine Keto / Low Carb

 Prep Time 1 hour

 Cook Time 20 minutes

 Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

 Servings 8 Servings

 Calories 255kcal

-   1 Keto Pie Crust See link below
-   2 Cups Frozen Halved Strawberries
-   1.5 Tbsp Almond Butter
-   2 Tbsp Erythritol
-   1 Tbsp Lemon juice
-   1 Egg Lightly beaten

-

    Preheat your oven at 375F.

-

    In a bowl, mix your your strawberries, almond butter, lemon juice and erythritol. Set aside

-

    Take your chilled pie crust out of the fridge and cut into 8 pieces. Roll your pieces into balls. Take one ball and place it between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Gently flatten using the palm of your hand then place a flat object on top (like a pan, or cutting board) and press it down until you get to 1/4" thickness. This might sound silly, but it's the perfect way to make sure that you get a round pie crust.

-

    Remove the top plastic wrap sheet. Take one Tbsp of filling an scatter it on top of your pie crust leaving enough room on the edge to fold the pie crust.

-

    To make sure you're able to fold your pie crust, use the plastic wrap that it is sitting on. Bring the 4 corners of wrap gently together and carefully fold the sides of your galette. If your crust breaks a little, don't panic, just patch it gently with your hands until your galette is fully formed.

-

    Now using a spatula, transfer your galette to a parchemin paper covered baking sheet.

-

    Repeat until you have no leftover dough. Gently brush the sides of your pastry with your egg wash and Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

-

    Take out of the oven and let them cool down for 15 minutes or more before serving. The cooler they are, the better.

-

    Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy.

If you want to make it a little easier on yourself, you can make 4 bigger galettes to share. If you want to make things even easier, then instead of making galettes, you can use tart shells and press the dough down into your shells to make strawberry tarts. Your call.

My Keto Pie Crust Recipe.

BECAUSE THE PASTRY DOUGH IS VERY DELICATE, YOU WILL RUN INTO A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFICULTY WORKING WITH IT. MY ADVICE IS JUST STAY CALM, USE THE PLASTIC WRAP TO BRING IT TOGETHER AND IF IT CRACKS A LITTLE, JUST PATCH IT GENTLY WITH YOUR HANDS. IT'S A DELICATE DOUGH, BUT IT'S ALSO A VERY FORGIVING ONE.

Calories: 255kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 8gFat: 19gFiber: 8gSugar: 2g

 Mention @broke_foodies to be featured on our page!

[Keto Strawberry & Almond Butter Galettes - Easy, Straightforward Low-Carb & Gluten-Free Dessert.]

Reader Interactions

question: What are the ingredients to the Keto Strawberry and Almond Butter Galettes?

answer: 1 Keto pie crust, 2 cups frozen halved strawberries, 1.5 tablespoons of almond butter, 2 tablespoons Erythritol, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, whipped cream and 1 egg lightly beaten

question: what is the author's favorite tip to folding pie crust?

answer: Place the pie crust between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten.

question: What is a Galette?

answer: Based off the document, it seems to be a pie.

question: What is the first step to making the Galette?

answer: In a bowl, mix the strawberries, almond butter, lemon juice and erythritol.

question: What topping does the author use?

answer: 1/2 cup of whipped cream, zest of one lemon, and 1 teaspoon of erythritol.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The author of this document provides information on how to make Keto Strawberry and Almond Butter Galettes.


text:
[Court view inside the arena.] The SANFORD COYOTE SPORTS CENTER is an indoor arena located on the campus of the University of South Dakota (USD) in Vermillion, South Dakota. The facility opened in 2016 and hosts the university's men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball teams. It has a seating capacity of 6,000.[1] The center is named after a major supporter of the athletic program, Sanford Health, which donated $20 million to help with construction of the facility.[2]

The facility is connected to the DakotaDome, which had previously been home to all of the new arena's main tenants and remains home to Coyote football, track & field, and swimming & diving. In addition to the main arena, it houses athletic department offices, training and meeting facilities, two practice courts, a video production room that controls display boards at all USD sports venues, and an area set aside for future expansion of the USD occupational and physical therapy programs. Additionally, it includes luxury boxes that allow their fans to watch events at both the Sanford Coyote Sports Center and DakotaDome.[3]

The first event in the new arena was a Coyote volleyball match against North Dakota on August 30, 2016, with the Coyotes winning 3–1 by sets.[4][5]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

title: Sanford Coyote Sports Center

question: When did the center open?

answer: 2016

question: What is the center named after?

answer: Sanford Health, a major supporter of the University of South Dakota's athletic program

question: What was the first event held in the arena?

answer: A Coyote volleyball match against North Dakota, which the Coyotes won

question: What is the center's seating capacity?

answer: 6000

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Sanford Coyote Sports Center is an indoor arena at the campus of the University of South Dakota. It has a seating capacity of 6000 and was named after Sanford Health, which donated $20 million to the athletic program.


text:
BIGAMBO ROCHAT (born 29 May 1991) is a Swiss footballer who currently plays for Yverdon-Sport FC.

Career

Rochat began his career with FC Renens after which he moved to FC Crissier in March 2002. His stay in Crissier lasted just twenty three months before was scouted from Lausanne-Sport, making the move in February 2004. At Lausanne he played two games with the first team in the Challenge League and was also a member of Team Vaud, the academy team. Then on 23 September 2008 he moved to top French club Lille.[1]

On 9 April 2009 the 18-year-old defender left Lille to sign a five-year deal with Sion until 2014.[2] However, his stay would last less than two years as he returned to his former club Lausanne-Sport, joining them 25 September 2010, though he was released at the end of the season.

In July 2011, Bigambo Rochat signed a contract for Swiss team Neuchâtel Xamax. At the end of the season, he moved on to Yverdon-Sport FC in July 2012 following Xamax's financial troubles and relegation to the fifth tier.

International

Rochat has represented Switzerland at various youth levels including. He featured for the Swiss under-17 team at the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in Turkey.[3]

[1]

[2] Wallis: FC Sitten verpflichtet Bigambo Rochat

[3] UEFA European U17 Championship group stage complete, Turkey reach

title: Bigambo Rochat

question: Who is Bigambo Rochat?

answer: He is a Swiss footballer who currently plays for Yverdon-Sport FC.

question: Rochat's career began with which team?

answer: The FC Renens

question: When did Rochat move to the top French club Lille?

answer: September 23, 2008.

question: Which Rochat team had financial troubles?

answer: Swiss team Neuchâtel Xamax

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Bigambo Rochat is a Swiss footballer who currently plays for Yverdon-Sport FC. He played for several teams, including Lausanne-Sport, Lille, and Sion. Rochat has represented Switzerland at various youth levels, including the Swiss under-17 team at the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship in Turkey.


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 cassette tape make the narrator scared?

answer: Not explicitly stated, but it seems to remind the narrator of the night they received the cassette tape.

question: When happened the last time the narrator wore the jacket they are wearing currently?

answer: The narrator seems to have received the tape on the night they were last wearing the jacket.

question: Who does the cassette tape belong to?

answer: The cassette tape seems to have been handed to the narrator by someone in a band.

question: What is on the cassette tape?

answer: There are mediocre songs on the tape. The fourth song is about a girl and it contains the narrator's name.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator remembers a night in which a bandmember handed them a cassette tape. While driving one night, they find the tape in their jacket pocket and plays the tape. On the fourth song, the narrator notices that their name is sung on the track.