text:
[How to Choose a 3PL Logistics Provider (Top 5 Factors)]
Selecting the right LOGISTICS SERVICE PROVIDER can be a tough experience for companies. Don’t shortcut the process though, because the reputation and success of your company may soon depend on your logistics provider’s reliability.

Avoid a potential logistics nightmare by using these 5 elements in selecting your perfect logistics provider (such as a third-party logistics company, or “3PL”).

1. CAPABILITIES

A prospective logistics provider must be competent in the specific service areas that meet your company’s needs. Just because a provider is a rock star in one area, it’s not a forgone conclusion that they can service your firm properly.

Also, they should have a set of abilities that can satisfy your both your short-term and future requirements. For instance, EDI-capability may not be a requirement for you today, but what if it does become required for you in 12-24 months? Do you really want to unwind all the onboarding and integration work invested in a new relationship? Dig a little deeper and ask:

-   Are truckload lanes repetitive, originating from a limited number of shipping points and terminating to a relatively limited number of consignees?
-   Are shipments time-sensitive and/or do they require drop trailers? A mid-sized, asset-based carrier would meet these needs without getting sidetracked by their exceedingly large list of clients.
-   Are truckload lanes sporadic? Is there live loading/unloading or do shipments come from a high number of origins that terminate to a high number of receivers? If so, a 3PL provider or broker might be a better fit.
-   Do you require access to dedicated trucking assets and 3PL? A logistics provider that possesses both assets and a 3PL division may be able to offer optimal solutions.

If a provider claims to possess all the capabilities “under the sun” but your organization requires only a few core services… be wary of a company that is a “jack of all trades” and master of none.

2. CUSTOMER SERVICE

Does the logistics provider prioritize customer service, responsiveness, fluid lines of communication and effective problem solving? These elements can be difficult to ascertain early on but do your homework.

Virtually all companies claim to have excellent customer service, but how do you know? You ask their customers. Ask for references, preferably from companies in similar industries and needs. Good customer service is no accident. If the customer service is consistently excellent, it’s likely a result of a well-documented and repeated process that will continue over the years.

[Find a Logistic Provider with a Great Safety Rating]Another yield of good process execution is safety. It is uncommon for a logistics provider to achieve excellent results in customer service and poor results in safety or vice versa. It can be deduced that a safe logistics provider, probably provides good customer service.

3. SAFETY RECORD

Due to the ever-changing landscape of safety regulations, it is imperative that you select a carrier with a strong safety record. A review of safety ratings and statistics is available to the public here. Also, see how we value safety.

4. COMPANY STABILITY

Whether your supply chain is simple or complex, select a logistics provider with overall company stability. Top suppliers are consistent suppliers. Quality can be jeopardized as companies experience rapid change. How long has the company been around? (Since 1958, we’ve been saving time and money for our customers with logistics services.)

Furthermore, if one high-liability event occurs and your provider cannot withstand the fallout, the liability often shifts, in effect, to you the shipper. This concern can be eased if the provider’s “word”, name and reputation has remained intact through decades of market turbulence and economic uncertainty.

5. COMPANY REPUTATION

In a new business arrangement, you can rest assured that at some point the relationship will be tested. Often it as at this juncture, that the character of the service provider’s leadership will be revealed.

Before it is too late, investigate whether the provider is likely to respond with integrity and honor. Time will reveal whether the firm has a good, bad or ugly reputation with customers, suppliers, and employees.

-   How do they treat their suppliers and employees?
-   Are they an active and positive force within their community?
-   What type of reviews do they have online?
-   What are the consistent themes that appear again and again in their marketing material?
-   How long have they been in business?

The answers will go a long way to determining how the provider will be as a supplier and partner.

BONUS: Double-check all elements if a supplier’s price is significantly lower than the market.

-   What good is a cheap price if a provider doesn’t deliver consistently or provide an adequate response in the event of mishap?
-   What good is a cheap price if service failures cause you to lose revenue?
-   What good is a cheap price if your team spends countless hours resolving claims and problems?

Think about _THE TOTAL COST_ associated with selecting a long-term solution provider. The provider that offers you the overall lowest cost of working together is the partner you want around for years to come.

As we’ve discussed, finding the right logistics provider can be a daunting task. Use these 5 elements to narrow the field of applicants. We’ve been providing logistics services in the USA since 1958 and would be happy to figure out how we can help you improve your business. CONTACT US TO GET STARTED!

ABOUT BR WILLIAMS:

With humble beginnings back in 1958, BR Williams has grown into an award-winning supply chain management company servicing all 48 contiguous states and Canada. With facilities in Mobile AL; Piedmont, AL; Tallahassee, FL; Anniston, AL (two facilities); Eastaboga, AL; and Oxford, AL, B.R. Williams’ distribution network supports over 50 customers and another 2,550 in the Trucking and Logistics divisions. Industries served include the following: automotive, defense, home improvement, education, food raw materials, textiles, chemical, industrial packaging, metals (finished goods), highway safety and more.

TO DISCUSS YOUR DISTRIBUTION, LOGISTICS, OR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES OPTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT US ONLINE OR CALL (800) 523-7963

question: What does the text say about how to choose a logistics provider?

answer: The text gives 5 elements in selecting Choose a logistics provider. Check if a logistics provider is competent in the specific service areas that meet a company’s needs. Ask a provider's customers if the company has good customer service. You need to select a carrier with a strong safety record and select a logistics provider with overall company stability.

question: What does the text say about BR Williams?

answer: BR Williams is an award-winning supply chain management company. It is servicing all 48 contiguous states and Canada. Its network supports over 50 customers and another 2,550 in the Trucking and Logistics divisions.

question: What does the text say about the BR Williams' prices?


split: train

text:
[]With the inclusion of the Sinclair stations, the national service providing local news via app has grown to approximately 150 stations in 100 markets covering 80% of the U.S.

NewsON, the broadcaster-operated service that provides local news nationwide, today announced that Sinclair Broadcast Group has joined NewsON, adding approximately 30 Sinclair stations, expanding NewsON’s reach.

Today, NewsON features video content from 120 stations in 92 markets covering 76% of the U.S. population. With the Sinclair additions, it will grow to approximately 150 stations in 100 markets covering 80% of the U.S. population after full implementation later this year.

In addition, Sinclair will increase the range of choices within the NewsON app in many major U.S. markets.

NewsON, which launched Nov. 4, 2015, provides consumers with access to live and on-demand local newscasts and local news clips on mobile and connected TV devices. The free, ad-supported app features flexible navigation that encourages discovery, offering instant access to broadcast-quality video.

It also allows users to search by market via an interactive map and for curated content linking coverage of breaking news events from multiple stations.

“We are delighted to welcome Sinclair as an investor and content participant, and believe that this milestone further demonstrates the value of the NewsON app in expanding the reach and relevance of local broadcast news,” said Louis Gump, CEO of NewsON. “This strong start to 2016 builds on our growing momentum from last year and will increase our ability to serve customers across the country.”

“NewsON is a great way for Sinclair Broadcast Group to deliver on our mission of innovating local news on a large scale,” said Rob Weisbord, COO of Sinclair Digital Group. “We have a long track record of investing in news content and delivery for the communities we serve, and NewsON is an extension for us to reach important audience segments while extending and reinforcing our local news brands.”

The NewsON app is available for Apple iPhone and iPad, Android phone and tablet, and on the Roku platform on Roku players and Roku TVs.

question: Who has joined the NewsON network?

answer: Sinclair stations

question: What does NewsON feature?

answer: NewsON will feature 150 stations and 100 markets with the Sinclair additions.

question: Who is the head of NewsON?

answer: Louis Gump

question: Is NewsON also a channel?

answer: No, it is an app.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
With the addition of Sinclair in the NewsON network, the local news app will now feature video content from 150 stations and 100 markets. Further, Sinclair will increase the range of choices within the NewsON app in many major U.S. markets. The app also allows users to search by market using an interactive map.

The NewsON app is available for Apple iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, and on the Roku platform on Roku players and Roku TVs.


text:
ROBINSON APONZÁ (born 11 April 1989) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as attacking midfielder.

Honours

Club

Deportes Tolima

-   Copa Colombia (1): 2014

Individual

-   Peruvian Primera División top scorer: 2016 Torneo Descentralizado

title: Robinson Aponzá

question: What is Robinson Aponza's profession?

answer: He is a professional footballer

question: Where is Aponza from?

answer: He is Colombian

question: When was Aponza born?

answer: April 11, 1989

question: What is Aponza's position?

answer: Attacking midfielder

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Robinson Aponza is a Colombian footballer who plays attacking midfielder.


text:
Some franchises in North American professional sports are simply associated with certain things.

The Toronto Maple Leafs lose more painfully than anyone else. The Los Angeles Lakers perpetually employ generational big men. The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to always field an excellent defense. The Boston Red Sox for time immemorial have fielded a team populated by players with glorious beards.

As for the Vancouver Canucks, they have goaltending controversies.

The Canucks do goaltending controversies better, harder, and more frequently than anyone else.

A tradition lives on

It was thought that perhaps the pernicious Canucks' tradition may have departed Vancouver along with Roberto Luongo's lifetime contract last spring. It didn't.

Vancouver signed Ryan Miller to a three-year, $18-million contract this summer. Though Miller has racked up wins, his performance has been iffy. He's been one of the worst by even-strength save percentage among starters, and his .904 save percentage would be considered below average for a backup.

Miller allowed four goals on 14 shots in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. His play wasn't good enough to give his team a chance.

[]
It was bad timing for Miller to play poorly, for a variety of reasons. First of all, Vancouver plays the second of back-to-back games Sunday against the Ottawa Senators, and now neither Canucks goalie qualifies as rested.

Secondly, earlier this week Miller convinced head coach Willie Desjardins to depart from his planned goalie rotation. On Miller's advice, Desjardins took a scheduled start away from backup Eddie Lack and let Miller lead the team onto the ice Tuesday against the Washington Capitals.

Lack played Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins instead, and pitched a shutout. Lack joked afterwards about Miller's advice having paid off, suggesting that his platoon-mate has the chops to be an NHL coach in the future.

Then Miller struggled enormously Saturday. After the game, Miller wasn't sure if he'd start Vancouver's game Sunday against Ottawa.

"I don't know - ask the coach please," Miller responded when asked if he knew who would start on Sunday.

Desjardins wouldn't shed any more light on the topic, though he did offer a defense of his starter.

"He's probably going to break sometime and used up his luck in the other games," Desjardinstold Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province. "It wasn't his way tonight. He had tough shots. It wasn't his fault. We gave up too many good shots in the slot."

A full-throated defense, but this still reads as a bit of a loaded comment:

  Desjardins on his goalie call Sunday: "We'll have to see. We'll talk tonight. Sometimes, you makes decisions when you're a little heated."

  — Ben Kuzma (@benkuzma) December 7, 2014

Goalieville

For now, Vancouver isn't quite in controversy territory yet, in part because it's clear that Miller is still the number one.

Miller has started 78 percent of Vancouver's games, and that's the sort of workload one would expect of a traditional workhorse starter. He also has that 16-5-0 record, which is a solid trump card.

In another market, that record would be good enough to protect Miller from this type of scrutiny, but not in Goalieville.

In Goalieville, Lack's almost 110 consecutive shutout minutes over three games have been noted, indexed, and filed away neatly as evidence that perhaps Lack should get an extended look and a greater proportion of Canucks starts going forward.

With Lack getting hot and Miller continuing to struggle, the seeds of what could blossom into an all-out goalie controversy are sprouting. Knowing Vancouver's particular history between the pipes, that possibility seems more like an inevitability.

question: What sport is this article focused on?

answer: Hockey [this is clear from the references to The Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL, as well as the phrase "on the ice]

question: Explain the Vancouver Canucks' goaltending controversies.

answer: The article does not elaborate on what these controversies are, but they appear to be related to poorly performing goalkeepers.

question: Who is Ryan Miller?

answer: The goalie for the Vancouver Canucks.

question: What city is the writer of the article from?

answer: That information is not stated.

question: Explain what Goalieville is.

answer: This seems to be just a humorous way of referencing the act of being a goalie.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Ryan Miller, the new goalie for the Vancouver Canucks, may be shaping up to be controversial due to his poor performance during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team has a history of controversies when it comes to their goalies. Miller convinced the team's coach to let him play instead of backup goalie Eddie Lack on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. On the whole, Lack is performing better than Miller.


text:
Chapter 1: Night Terrors

“Ughh” I feel terrible. It’s been a couple of days since I’ve been to bed, and I know what I’m hiding from. Night Terrors. I can’t stand it much longer, So i try convincing myself i need sleep, bribing, anything. Anything to stall the inevitable, soon i know my fate and i accept it with open arms.

That morning I wake up to the towns sirens, which was odd to say the least because i didn’t know Manhattan had those iconic sirens you hear in movies at the beginning of a Major conflict. “Weird” i thought, this isnt my normal Night Terror, but I’m not panic mode yet so thats a small victory on its own. Then something over Orange horizon catches my eye a flock of birds possibly? Then they all start lighting up from the sides. Then i realized. We’re under attack.

So the moment i realize that it’s real is when i get hit by a shrapnel of glass from my windows exploding. The pain was too real, now that i knew this wasnt fake i lazily trudged to my kitchen. These “Oh no! We gon die!” (Something my mom would scream, by the way.) moments never really bothered me, and i really don’t care for them too much myself but what you gonna do. Having a large piece of glass in my shoulder was the least of my worries, I have better things to do (Not really.) : Like making myself a cup of joe from my off brand coffee machine.

After my cup of dirt flavored coffee, My “Flesh wound” was starting to hurt. So to the doctors i went, I didn’t go the speed of light in my old Crown Victoria so i had to deal with the pain in the unbearable traffic. I guess everyone was trying to get an answer about what was happening, but any normal person would stay calm and let the Mayor tell them everything was okay and that nobody died or got hurt. I’ve underestimated my Big-Little town.

When i got to the hospital the Helicopters had been tearing up Buildings tearing through people and the Hospital made no exception, with almost every piece of glass in this building teared through like a knife through butter. I didn’t even waste my time with a knock, i just went on a walk in this mess of a town. Probably a mistake because people were rioting in the streets for one, and also not even a minute after i got to the Hospital someone in all black pulled me into in an alleyway, “Are you crazy? Manhattan is total Anarchy! You could be shot!”, “Just out for a walk” I said as i shrugged. He scolded me as he pulled me behind a dumpster, “So you just pull people into alleyways for a living? Rob people from time to time, maybe the occasional Jump?” I asked, “I’m not a thief. It’s not safe in the streets or even in your own home, the military has taken over our government. Giving us Quote on Quote Freedom”. Hm, this guy is as informational as a book, but as dumb as a doornail.

title: Night Terrors

question: When did the narrator realize that what he was living was not his normal night terror?

answer: When his windows exploded and realized they were under attack.

question: Where was the narrator driving to in the middle of an attack?

answer: He was going to the doctor to address his flesh wound.

question: What happened after the narrator arrived at the hospital

answer: People were rioting in the streets and helicopters were tearing through buildings.

question: Explain why someone pulled the narrator into an alley and scolded him.

answer: According to the man, Manhattan was total anarchy and the military had taken over the government .

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator suffers from night terrors, however that particular morning was not a night terror. Manhattan was under attack and the military had taken over the government.


text: Now we’re standing here. I always feared she could disappear. But that everything around us disappears, I never thought of that. As long as she’s with me, I’m fine with that. It’s a strange feeling to know that everything around us disappears. But as long as she’s with me, I’m fine with that. But what happens afterwards? What’s left when she’s gone? Will I be alone? “There is no afterwards” she whispered gently. I glanced in her eyes and hold her tightly. And with that, we too, disappeared into the void.

title: The void. A short story (around 90 words) based on feelings

question: What void is the narrator talking about?

answer: Possibly death.

question: Why does the narrator insist about disappearing that "as long as she's with me, I'm fine with that?"

answer: Sounds like the narrator is afraid of being alone without her.

question: Who are the major characters of the story?

answer: The narrator and their companion.

question: What does the companion mean by "there is no afterwards?"

answer: Perhaps that they'd be dead, so time is irrelevant.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is afraid of disappearing like everything does. However, they're adamant that they're ok with their mortality or inevitable fate as long as they're with their partner. They disappear into the void.


text:
EMMA SOPHIA GALTON (1811–1904) was the author of an 1863 book entitled a _Guide to the Unprotected in Every-Day Matters Relating to Property and Income_, which was published anonymously by Macmillan and credited to “A Banker's Daughter”.

Biography

Galton (1811–1904) was the fourth child of Samuel Tertius Galton and an elder sister of the eminent Victorian scientist Francis Galton.[1]

In writing her financial guide, Galton noted that: “Many young people, and especially widows and single ladies, when they first possess money of their own, are in want of advice when they have commonplace business matters to transact. […] My aim throughout is to avoid all technicalities; to give plain and practical directions, not only as to what ought to be done, but how to do it.”[2] She went on to advise:

  “When an inexperienced person comes into possession of her fortune, and especially if it be a small one, her first inquiry is, 'How can I invest my money so as to get the highest possible interest?' Let her rather seek to place it where her Capital will be safest. The Duke of Wellington used to say, 'High interest is another name for bad security.' In this country 4½ per cent is generally the highest safe Interest you can receive: 4 per cent, more usually so. When 6, 7, 8, or more per cent, is offered by Banks, Mortgages, Loans, or Mines, beware of accepting it, as the probability is that you will lose both your Principal and Interest, as so many have done. Such an Interest can seldom be given consistently with safety.”[3]

Galton's doubts concerning her brother Francis' theory of eugenics, a term he created, prompted him to write to her in defence of it telling her, “It is one of the few services that a man situated like myself can do, to take up an unpopular side when he knows it to be the true one”.[4] A copy of the correspondence between her and her brother is retained by the Wellcome Library.[5]

Legacy

The Victorian Women Writer's Project, hosted by Indiana University, has made a full transcription of the second edition of Galton's book (1864) available.[6]

Galton's advice was reappraised in December 2016 by BBC Radio 4's personal finance radio programme _ Money Box_, which reported that, “The book was probably the first general guide to finance, and certainly the first aimed at women who, like Emma herself, had found themselves with money of their own”.[7]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

title: Emma Sophia Galton

question: Who was Emma Sophia Galton?

answer: the author of an 1863 book entitled a Guide to the Unprotected in Every-Day Matters Relating to Property and Income

question: When was Emma Sophia Galton born?

answer: 1811

question: What is the purpose of a Guide to the Unprotected in Every-Day Matters of Property and Income?

answer: to offer practical advice to young people, especially widows and single ladies, who have recently come to possess money of their own

question: What is the significance of a Guide to the Unprotected in Every-Day Matters of Property and Income?

answer: It was the first general guide to finance aimed at women.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Emma Sophia Galton was the author of an 1863 book entitled a Guide to the Unprotected in Every-Day Matters Relating to Property and Income.


text: Wedding photography is so much more than just technique. It is a mixture of experience and imagination as well as high aesthetics. Following these paths, Thanasis Rapsomanikis created Studio 74, A WEDDING – AND NOT ONLY- PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO IN CORFU. Thanasis primary goal in every photo shoot is to capture the emotions of the moment and also imprint the magic of the atmosphere of your most special day through images.

question: Summarize all the information relating to wedding photography.

answer: The author writes that wedding photography is much more than technique, that it involves experience and imagination as well as high aesthetics.

question: Summarize all the information relating to Thanasis Rapsomanikis.

answer: Thanasis Rapsomanikis has a wedding photography studio in Corfu. His primary goal with every shoot is to capture the emotions of the moment and also imprint the magic of the atmosphere of your most special day through images.

question: What sets this wedding photographer apart from others?

answer: He goes beyond wedding photography to a mixture of experience and imagination by capturing emotions of the moment and the magic of the atmosphere.

question: Where is this wedding photographer located?

answer: He is located in Corfu.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Thanasis Rapsomanikis is a wedding photographer in Corfu that combines a mixture of experience and imagination by capturing emotions and the magic of the atmosphere.


text:
[Photos of Brian's injuries in the hospital before his death (Source: family)]

Photos of Brian's injuries in the hospital before his death (Source: family)

Jerry didn't think he had to worry about his son, Brian, in the Hardeman County Jail.

He said the sheriff even gave him assurances that he would personally make sure Brian was OK, but that didn't happen.

Jerry and his attorney laid out a disturbing trail of puzzling occurrences leading up to Brian's death.

"This has been a nightmare, as you can imagine, from the moment I got the call saying that Brian hung himself," Jerry said.

What makes it even worse, Jerry Lawler does not believe his son Brian actually hung himself in the Hardeman County Jail on July 29.

"Brian being my son, I knew him, everybody around him who knew him and they all have expressed doubts," Jerry said.

Jerry's lawyer Ted Hansom said that includes inmates with his son at the Hardeman County Jail.

"We've received literally countless calls, text messages from people, actual eyewitnesses, that were in the jail and saw things that happened on the actual day that Brian died that now has opened up a new can of worms," Jerry said. "It just doesn't seem like it was suicide."

Brian was in the Hardeman County Jail after an early July arrest for a DUI. Sheriff John Doolen said Brian, a well-known former WWE star known at one point as Grand Master Sexay, was placed in a cell by himself because of his notoriety.

But Jerry said his son was with other inmates at the jail. He and family members kept in close contact with Brian, speaking to him every day.

It appears Brian was moved to a segregated cell after a fight.

"I talked to Brian Saturday morning 11 o'clock the day he died," Jerry said. "He talked perfectly normal, perfectly rational."

A couple of hours later Jerry Lawler's fiancée Lauryn got a call from the jail.

"Lauryn got a call about 2 in the afternoon that said Brian had been in a fight in the jail," Jerry said.

Jerry said the fight was described as no big deal.

"An inmate was actually playing cards with Brian when the altercation happened when Brian got hit," Jerry said.

Jerry said witnesses described Brian as bleeding from the head asking for medical help that he apparently didn't get at the jail.

Then four or five hours later, the call came in that Brian had hung himself.

"It just doesn't pass the smell test," Jerry said.

Another reason Jerry believes that is because of photos of Brian taken in the hospital before he died.

Jerry said the sheriff told his fiancée that Brian used his shoestrings to hang himself. The photos show marks on either side of Brian's neck, but not in the front of his neck.

"Just look at his neck and look at his hand," Jerry said. "You can see the lines on his neck all the way around here to here and what would be the length of your hand as if he was trying to keep the pressure off."

"I think the pictures indicate something other than someone hanging himself with a shoelace," Hansom said.

The TBI investigation into Brian's death is not complete, so Jerry does not have access to the case file at this point.

Jerry said 20 of the cameras inside the jail were reportedly not working.

Brian Lawler's death certificate indicates he died from suicide by hanging.

"Jerry and his family want to know the truth about what happened to Brian," Hansom said.

Jerry says he won't quit.

"Not until we find out exactly what happened," Jerry said.

WMC Action News 5 contacted the TBI and was told the case of Brian Lawler's death is active and ongoing.

We also reached out to Hardeman County Sheriff, John Doolen, who did not return our call.

_Copyright 2018 WMC Action News 5. All rights reserved._

question: Why was Brain in jail?

answer: He was arrested for a DUI.

question: Why does Brian's family not believe that he hung himself?

answer: They don't think he committed suicide because they know him and know he wasn't someone contemplating suicide. Others, including inmates who were with Brian in jail, have come forward with information about things that happened the day Brian died that have caused doubt in the report that he hung himself. The pictures taken of Brian before he died don't appear to be consistent with a hanging suicide. Twenty of the cameras in the jail weren't working that day.

question: What is the relationship between Brian and Lauryn?

answer: Lauryn is Brian's dad's fiancee.

question: What is the "smell test"?

answer: It seems the "smell test" is a test of legitimacy.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This news story reports that Brian Lawler's death was caused by suicide while in jail; the death certificate indicates he hung himself with his shoe laces. His father Jerry doesn't believe he killed himself, and TBI is investigating the death. The circumstances surrounding Brian's death seem suspicious: the day of his death, 20 cameras in the jail weren't working; eye witnesses who saw what happened that day have come forward; and photographs of Brian's neck injuries that were taken at the hospital before he died don't seem to support death by hanging.


text:
[]

Posted June 12, 2016 2:44 pm

 [Click to play video 'A future without fossil fuels possible if Canada starts now: Stanford professor'] 4:01 A future without fossil fuels possible if Canada starts now: Stanford professor

WATCH ABOVE: A future without fossil fuels possible if Canada starts now: Stanford professor – Jun 12, 2016

Canada can transition its entire energy infrastructure to renewables like wind and solar power by 2050, says an expert at Stanford University but it’s going to take immediate action from both governments and Canadian citizens.

Mark Jacobson, a co-founder of Stanford’s Solutions Project and an engineering professor, spoke to the _West Block_‘s Tom Clark this weekend about how his team evaluated the wind, water and solar potential for all 50 U.S. states and 139 countries around the world, including Canada.

He maintains we can get rid of all fossil fuels within the next 35 years, and have them 80 per cent phased out by 2030.

  “Canada has a huge wind resource. You can power the country on its own with wind many times over,” he told Clark. “The cost of wind right now, in the United States, it’s the cheapest form of electric power by far.”

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WATCH: ALBERTA NDP UPDATES PLANS TO TRANSITION TO RENEWABLE ENERGY

At the moment, just 5 per cent of Canadian electricitycomes from wind which means we have a long way to go.

Jacobson acknowledged that there’s also another challenge; namely, a lack of political will in a country that has relied heavily for decades on the oil and gas sector.

He noted that wind and solar generators are cheaper than fossil-fuel generators, but you need more storage and transmission because the wind doesn’t always blow, and the sun doesn’t always shine. In the end, Jacobson has calculated, the cost evens out.

  “It’s about the same cost as a fossil fuel world directly to consumers, however you a have this huge savings in health and climate costs that are born.”

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The Stanford team, which has the backing of Hollywood A-listers like Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio, also predicts a net increase of 125,000 Canadian jobs after the transition, but it needs to start now.

READ MORE: NOVA SCOTIA CONFIDENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET WITH OR WITHOUT MUSKRAT FALLS

  “All new cars that are bought should be electric cars, all new homes should have electricity for everything… and for industry we need all new technologies to be electric,” Jacobson said.

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“Then we need, on top of that, effective policies put in place immediately to require transitions to a large-scale clean renewable energy … if we don’t start now, it’ll just drag on.”

Government will invest in clean energy: Carr

Ottawa is aware of the need for immediate action, according to Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr.

“We know that we’re in transition, so it’s a process of moving at a pace the economy can handle to renewable sources of energy,” Carr said in response to Jacobson’s findings.

  “We all know that the transition is not going to happen overnight, but it is happening now … and Canada will invest and work with the private sector.”

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Asked why the Liberals have not set a firm target for the move to renewables, Carr said “we have a direction, and the direction is clear.”

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WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH JACOBSON ABOVE, AND SEE CARR’S INTERVIEW HERE:

 [Click to play video 'Long way to go to be fossil free but moving in right direction: Carr'] 4:26 Long way to go to be fossil free but moving in right direction: Carr

Long way to go to be fossil free but moving in right direction: Carr – Jun 12, 2016

Here’s the Solutions Project’s proposed breakdown of Canadian green energy by 2050:

-   58 per cent wind power
-   22 per cent solar power
-   16 per cent hydro
-   2 per cent wave
-   2 per cent geothermal

Related News

-   Prime Minister Trudeau announces raft of new spending on climate change, green energy initiatives

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question: What does the article say about what makes a good wind farm location?

question: What does the article say about the possibility of a future without fossil fuels in Canada?

answer: According to Mark Jacobson, co-founder of Standford's Solutions Project, a future without fossil fuels is possible if Canada starts now. Canada can transition its entire energy infrastructure to renewables like solar and wind power by 2050. Canada has a huge wind resource that can be tapped. Jacobson says that fossil fuels can be replaced within the next 35 years, 80 percent of which can be phased out by 2030. However, immediate action is needed from both the Canadian government and Canadian citizens because only 5 percent of Canadian electricity comes from wind.

question: What does the article say about the current challenges of transitioning to renewable energy?

answer: The current challenges facing the transition process to renewable energy are adoption by states, perceived cost, and political will. According to Jacobson, the cost between wind and solar generators versus fossil-fuel generators evens out, because although fossil-fuel generators are more expensive, more storage and transmission are needed because the wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine. There have to be effective policies in place for the large-scale transition to renewable energy or else it will drag on, but it has to move at a pace that the economy can handle. Another challenge is phasing out anything that runs on fossil fuels, including automobiles and home electricity.

question: What does the article say about Jim Carr?

answer: Jim Carr is the Canadian Natural Resources Minister. He says that Ottawa is aware of the need for immediate action and the Canadian government will invest in clean energy. Carr says that the transition process to renewable energy needs to move at a pace the economy can handle and it won't happen overnight. He maintains that their (the Liberals) have a clear direction on how to move to renewables and they will invest and work with the private sector to make it happen.


text:
When Steve met Her at their usual rendez-vous coffee shop, he had no idea why she had asked him there, but he missed Her and was glad to hear from Her and therefore had agreed to meet Her. Steve didn’t honestly understand the intended purpose of the meeting until thirty minutes had passed since she had departed and he had been sitting in his car with the key in the ignition, but in the ‘off’ position. It was then that Steve realized that Cold had a very distinct smell.

Steve just wasn’t Her type of person.

Or would it be “Her’s type of person”? Steve wasn’t really quite sure about the grammatical ramifications of having a name like Her. They had been together for so long, he and Her, that he no longer thought of Her by her proper name, but instead by the name that his friends had picked up using. “Are you bringing Her?” “Is this yours or is this Her’s?” “Don’t you think about anything besides Her?” That last one was a tricky question, Steve had found, as he did think about things that weren’t Her, but mostly because of Her (Her’s?) influence. He thought about the bands she enjoyed, the movies they’d watched together, and the fact that he hated sleeping/eating/being alone, but those were all related to Her, weren’t they? If he thought of Her as “Her,” did he also have to capitalize “She”? Who thought about this kind of stuff anyways?

But that’s just the type of person Steve is.

When Steve was in 3rd grade, his class had taken a trip to the capitol. The school organizers had decided that the most cost efficient and practical way to transport the 30-some-odd kids 600 miles was to take the Ferry, which would end up being a 3 days/2 nights (one way) journey. Steve’s mom had packed him a sack that contained enough food and clothing to last the 9 days that Steve was to be gone.
The first day on the ferry, the weather was dreadful and the ferry was taking on 6 foot swells. The rocking had excited most of the children, who went out onto the deck to feel the ocean spray, but the motion simply made Steve miss his mother and he decided to curl up with his sack of loving food and clothes at 7:30pm, more than an hour and half before the other children would retire. That night, Steve vomited all over his sack, rendering the food inedible. The next day, Steve, dressed in the clothes of one of his school mates, lived off a diet of complementary saltine crackers provided by the ferry company. On the third day, Steve was feeling quite better and, with a new found sense of confidence, decided to spend all of his mother’s allotted $15 dollars at the ferry restaurant, which gained him a meal of Fruity Pebbles, chocolate milk, cherry yogurt, and 2 packages of Certs, which he promptly threw up within 10 minutes of finishing.

Because that’s the type of person that Steve is.

	Steve had never had particular difficulty getting into relationships with women, as he was genuinely interested in and interesting to other people. The biggest problem for Steve (until Her, of course) was maintaining his interest for more than a few months. The girlfriend before Her was a cute little girl, about three quarters of a foot shorter than Steve, with long, well maintained, nice smelling brown hair. They hung out for five months. They had sex twice. Steve then realized how completely incompatible they were. How could he ever spend any portion of his life with someone who was mildly religious? Or didn’t appreciate the meaningful subtleties of a composition by The Smiths? Besides, Steve had Her on his mind the whole time.

Because that’s the kind of person that Steve was.

	When Steve was still a teenager, Steve would sometimes let go of the wheel of his car and watch as he drifted towards the oncoming traffic. Steve often sat on the roof of his house, smoking cigarettes and daring himself to jump. Steve bit his nails and listened to sad lo-fi bands and cried when he drove long distances and had panic attacks at school and cursed a little bit too much and considered begging his Doctor Mother for a prescription for some sort of anti-depressant or anti-anxiety or anti-something pill or something because anything was better than what Steve felt that he was dealing with.

Because that was just the type of person that Steve was.

	Once, Steve drove 30 miles to visit his biological father. He knocked on his father’s door and, when finding no response, was surprised to learn that the door wasn’t locked at all. Immediately, Steve was returned to that ferry ride, the stench of vomit with a needy feeling and a rocking sensation. Steve found his father face down on his couch, surrounded by cans and bottles of beer. Handles of liquor. Anti-depressants and sleeping aids. There was a unhealthy looking dog tied up in the kitchen that Steve had never seen before who wouldn’t stop barking. Steve sat on the edge of the couch, checked his father’s pulse with two fingers, and then wrote a note that said:

“I love you, dad.”

Steve placed the note in his father’s hand, kissed his dad on the forehead, and left. Steve didn’t go home, though. He drove in the opposite direction until he ran out of gas.

Steve was just that type of person sometimes.

	Steve was still sitting in his car, in the middle of the winter, without the engine on. Steve wondered whether or not the salt content of tears made them freeze at a lower temperature than normal water. Do people who eat a lot of salty foods have saltier tears? What gives someone high blood pressure? Steve asked the ghost that lived in his car what type of person would consider him their type of person. As usual, the phantom didn’t respond. Steve turned on his car. He wondered whether or not he was an optimist. Would an optimist want there to be a heaven? Or would he rather rot in the ground, free for eternity? Steve supposed it really depended on what type of person they had been in their life. Steve asked the ghost whether or not his father had been an optimist. The ghost didn’t respond. Probably, thought Steve.

title: Steve has a lot on his mind.

question: What kind of a person is Steve?

answer: He seems to be the kind of person who ruminates a lot on past events.

question: Is Steve depressed?

answer: It seems like it.


text:
is a professor in the _Research Center for Urban Safety and Security_ in the _Graduate School of Science_ at Kobe University, Japan and a seismologist who has written extensively in the areas of seismicity and seismotectonics in and around the Japanese Islands.[1] He recently coined the term _genpatsu-shinsai_ (原発震災), from the Japanese words for “nuclear power” and “quake disaster”.[2][3]

Katsuhiko Ishibashi has said that Japan's history of nuclear accidents stems from an overconfidence in plant engineering. He was a member of a 2006 Japanese government subcommittee charged with revising the national guidelines on the earthquake-resistance of nuclear power plants, published in 2007.[4] His proposal that the committee should review the standards for surveying active faults was rejected and, at the committee's final meeting he resigned claiming that the review process was “unscientific”[5] and the outcome rigged[6][7] to suit the interests of the Japan Electric Association, which had 11 of its committee members on the 19-member government subcommittee[8] and that among other problems the guide was “seriously flawed” as a consequence because it underestimated the design basis earthquake ground motion.[9]

In May 2011, he said: “If Japan had faced up to the dangers earlier, we could have prevented Fukushima”.[10]

Publications

-   Ishibashi, K., “Why worry? Japan's nuclear plants at grave risk from quake damage”, _International Herald Tribune_ and _The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus_ (August 11, 2007)
-   Ishibashi, K., “Status of historical seismology in Japan”, ''Annals of Geophysics', Vol.47, 339-368 (2004)
-   Ishibashi, K., “Seismotectonic modeling of the repeating M 7-class disastrous Odawara earthquake in the Izu collision zone, central Japan”, _Earth Planets Space_, Vol.56, 843-858 (2004)
-   Miyoshi, T. and K. Ishibashi, “Geometry of the seismic Philippine Sea slab beneath the region from Ise Bay to western Shikoku, southwest Japan, Zisin” _J. Seismol. Soc. Japan_, Ser. 2, Vol.57, 139-152 (English abstract) (2004)
-   Itani, Y. and Ishibashi, K., “Horizontal crustal strain in the Izu Peninsula - Mt. Fuji region derived from GEONET data and its tectonic implication, Zisin”, _J. Seismol. Soc. Japan_, Ser. 2, Vol.56, 231-243 (English abstract) (2003)
-   Harada, T. and Ishibashi, K., “The 1958 great Etorofu earthquake was a slab event: Suggestion from the mainshock-aftershock relocation”, _EOS_, Vol. 81, No. 22 Suppl. WP157 (2000)
-   Ishibashi, K., _An Era of Underground Convulsions: A Seismologist Warns_, Iwanami Paperbacks, Iwanami Shoten (1994)

[1] Katsuhiko ISHIBASHI Kobe University staff list. March 24, 2011

[2]

[3] Michael Reilly, “Insight: Where not to build nuclear power stations” (preview only) _New Scientist_ (July 28, 2007). Retrieved March 24, 2011

[4] “Quake shuts world's largest nuclear plant” _Nature_, vol 448, 392-393, , (July 25, 2007) Retrieved March 18, 2011

[5]

[6]

[7] Japan Nuclear Energy Drive Compromised by Conflicts of Interest Bloomberg, published 2007-12-12, accessed 2011-04-11

[8]

[9] Katsuhiko Ishibashi, “Why worry? Japan's nuclear plants at grave risk from quake damage” _The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus_ (August 11, 2007) Also published by the _International Herald Tribune_ (August 11, 2007). Retrieved March 24, 2011

[10]

title: Katsuhiko Ishibashi

question: Summarize Ishibashi's complaints about the Japanese nuclear energy operations.

answer: He thinks the national committee that is responsible for revising the guidelines on earthquake-resistant nuclear plants worked to arrange matters so that the Japan Electric Association got its way. He called the process "unscientific" and the final guidelines "seriously flawed" due to it underestimating earthquake ground motion. He thinks Fukushima was preventable if Japan acknowledged the dangers earlier.

question: What does the article say about nuclear fallout?


text:
Walking down Main Street, James sees something.
He sees something florescent. It's glowing. It's calling is name. He must get to it. He needs it. He must find what is giving off such an enticing shade of green.

He pushes past every person in his way--young, old, large, small, male, female-- he doesn't care. He needs to see it. He needs to touch it. Running as fast as he can, it only seems to get farther away.
Oh, why can't he run faster?

He's getting closer; he can feel it.

*"But it still looks so far away."* He thought.

He pushes a small girl aside and she hits the ground. And then she was gone. The girl had disappeared. James stopped running.

*"where did she go?"*

James looked around.

*"Where did everyone go?"*

The street that was a blur with people, cars, lights, and sounds moments ago was now inexplicably empty and so very quiet. He turned his body back to it's original position and saw there, lying in the street, the glowing thing that vexed him so.

He started slowly towards it with sure steps, shaking with anticipation.

*"Finally."*

He stopped a foot-and-a-half away from the object and lowered himself to the ground. he reached his hand out to touch it and just as fast as everyone disappeared, so did the sun. Darkness stretched far and wide. James could barely see the street.

*"I don't remember the sun setting. It all happened so fast."*

He looked back to the ground to find that the object--like the little girl-- had gone.
Speechless, he grabbed and scraped at the ground where the object was seconds ago.

Anger and loss made it's way from the bottom of his stomach to the top of his lungs, and he cried out in anguish. He slammed his fists onto the cement, and suddenly, the street was gone.

Falling through the blackness, James screamed and flailed his arms trying to find something--anything-- to hold onto, but found nothing. There was nothing above and nothing below him.
How long had he been falling? Weeks? Months? It felt more like years.

As time passed, he stopped screaming. He stopped grasping. He sometimes forgot he was still falling. He had become so accustomed to the nothingness; he almost felt like one with it. He felt peaceful. But he still asked the question time and time again:

*"Will I be falling forever?"*

Instantaneously, his body collided with stone. His bones cracked, his bladder released, and his mouth gave way to vomit and then blood. His lungs contracted and expelled all air from it's passages.

Writhing there, half-dead, James could feel is organs begin to shut down. After what felt like hours, his lungs finally relaxed, allowing oxygen to enter. Coughing and gasping, James saw out of the corner of his eye, a faint green glow.

He turned his head and saw the object lying there. The way it sat there, just out of reach, felt like it was mocking him; watching him; laughing at his pathetic situation.

*"I have to destroy it."*

He searched himself for any shred of strength. He stretched his arms out in from of him and started to drag himself toward the object that he now hated. He drug himself until he saw that, again, he was getting no closer to it.

Dejected, he lay his head on the ground.

**plink**

He looked at the stone floor and saw a little white lump. He picked it up and looked closer.
There in his hands, was a tooth.

**plink**

He looked down and found another. Confused, he ran his tongue along the teeth in his mouth and found two empty spaces; one where a molar once was, and one where a canine should be.

**plink**

Another tooth. And another. And another.
James tried to put them back in his mouth, but his hands felt like they were underwater. He tried to scream, but his mouth was full of gravel.

The high-pitched squeal of heavy machinery met his ears and bright flash blinded him.

Clutching his chest and gasping, he sat up. The blankets had fallen to the floor and the pillows were at the foot of the bed. The sheets were damp with sweat. Trying to calm himself, James said,

"Only a dream."

Laying down, He said,

"It was just a dream."

title: First short story that I've actually put effort into. Feedback is appreciated, but please be nice.

question: What does the text say about the narrator's feelings toward the object?

answer: When the narrator first sees it, he feels it is calling to him and that he must get to it. He pushes past everyone trying to reach it, but when he gets to it, it disappears and he feels anger and loss. Then he falls a great distance and it severely injured and he comes to resent the object. He hates it and feels he must destroy it, but he can't reach it.

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


text:
Steve Hilton, David Cameron’s former guru, once suggested compelling all food producers to livestream on the internet the entire farm-to-plate process. This strikes me as a near flawless way of shaking up the great conspiracy of ignorance in which we pick and choose what to care about and in what order. The process of killing and butchering an animal is so far removed from the experience of 99.9% of us that to be introduced to it would probably close down the meat industry overnight.

That may have been Hilton’s ambition (he uses the story more as an example of his willingness to think innovatively than as evidence of his attitude to meat-eating). Anyway, Downing Street let the proposal lapse. Yet if we acknowledged our status as top predator, we might also recognise the implicit obligation to respect and nurture what we have the power to harm. We might be more sensitive to the hierarchy of the rest of the natural world too. Yes, badgers, I mean you.

Farming on the whole (I know there are fine exceptions) does not dwell on the natural order, because it is a business that is shaped largely by supermarkets which tend to prefer cheapness to quality. It is a very big business indeed, worth more than £100bn. More than one in 10 of all employees in the UK works in some aspect of the food trade. And while most people around the world want cheap food, in Britain we really like cheap food, cheaper than almost anywhere else in Europe.

Of all the types of farming shaped by the supermarkets, dairy is the most vulnerable. Small farms are swallowed up into big ones in a bucolic version of the collapse of the mining industry. Those lovely green fields are, in fact, a barren monoculture. And anything that interferes with the smooth, swift processing of grass into meat and milk is ruthlessly dealt with.

And so we get to badgers. We all love badgers. They are an easily identifiable link to a past where we were more in touch with the natural world. But they harbour bovine TB, giving it to and catching it from cows. TB can be transmitted in cow’s milk. If a farm has cows with TB it cannot move any of its cattle at all. The cow or cows with the disease are culled. This is quick and efficient because cows are domesticated animals used to human contact. It is also expensive, costing the government £36m in 2013. In some places, badgers are also being culled, which is logical although not very efficient and, because they are wild and nocturnal creatures, not very easy either. And of course it is wildly controversial.

The number of badger setts has doubled in the past 30 years. In the absence of, say, wolves, nothing much troubles them apart from cars, and now in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset, men with guns. All the same, they have many stalwart defenders, some of whom have now so intimidated the baristas at Caffè Nero, a chain of coffee shops, that it has promised to stop buying milk from areas where the cull is taking place.

But here’s a thing. In England, and of course after humans, badgers are top predators. They eat anything. They breakfast on baby birds and they dine on baby hedgehogs. In the areas where badgers are being culled, according to a careful, peer-reviewed study published in PLOS One last year, the number of hedgehogs has doubled.

[Newborn lambs - watch out for the crows and jays on overhanging branches.]

Newborn lambs - watch out for the crows and jays on overhanging branches. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
It’s not just the badgers. Our skewed understanding of the natural world is distorting the whole fragile balance between predators and their lunch. Crows and jays, magpies and rooks flourish and multiply, prospering on roadkill and the half-eaten takeaways tossed out of car windows. Then they sit in ever greater numbers on overhanging branches or a handy fencepost and pick off the dabchicks and the ducklings, and raid the nests of songbirds. They even peck out the eyes of newborn lambs.

We let this happen because instead of seeing and understanding hierarchies in the natural world we see one great cuddly Disneyland of cuteness. The natural world isn’t like that. Watch your cat teasing an injured bird, and remember that man is merely the most damaging of the exploiters of natural power.

question: Why would the hypothetical livestream close down the meat industry overnight?

answer: Presumbly because people would find the process of killing and butchering an animal to be horrific and they wouldn't wish to support it.

question: What is the overall message of this article?

answer: That, while humans are damaging, other animals can be cruel predators as well.

question: How do crows and jays benefit from human intervention?

answer: Humans are responsible for the roadkill and litter that they feed on.

question: Why might the culling of badgers be controversial?

answer: Because some people may believe that it is cruel for us to intervene with nature like that and kill animals.


text:
[Axel Eggebrecht (right) with Fritz Eberhard (center) and Peter Glotz (left).] AXEL CONSTANTIN AUGUST EGGEBRECHT (January 10, 1899 – July 14, 1991) was a German journalist, writer and screenwriter.

Life

Eggebrecht grew up in bourgeois surroundings in Leipzig until 1917 when he volunteered to serve in the First World War where he received a serious wound, the effects of which he would continue to feel for his entire life. Indecisive politically, he alternated between right and left. After the war he was a member of nationalist organizations. From 1920-1925 he was a member of the KPD (Communist Party of Germany), travelling twice to the Soviet Union in 1923 and 1924, but he returned to Berlin disappointed in Bolshevism.

In 1925 he began his work with Siegfried Jacobsohn's _Die Weltbühne_, besides which he also wrote for the _Literarische Welt_. In Berlin, he was one of the inhabitants of the so-called _Künstlerkolonie Berlin_, a housing complex in southeastern Berlin constructed for the purpose of providing financially insecure writers and artists with affordable housing. In 1933 he was imprisoned for several months at the Hainewalde concentration camp. After his release he used pseudonyms to eke out a living in the film industry as a screenwriter, assistant, and critic.

After the end of the Second World War, in June 1945, he was brought by British occupation officers to the former site of the governmental broadcast station. There, in September 1945 he was one of the founders of the Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (Northwest German Broadcasting). As a journalist, Eggebrecht was one of the pioneers of the radio documentary. From 1963-1965 he reported on the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials.

In 1965 he became a member of the International PEN association, in 1972 becoming Vice President of the German branch. In 1983 he was awarded the Gerrit-Engelke-Preis, the literature prize of the city of Hanover. In 1989, he received the Bürgermeister-Stolten-Medaille, the highest honor awarded by the city of Hamburg, where he later died.

Axel Eggebrecht Prize

In Eggebrecht's memory, the Media Foundation of the City of Leipzig endowed the Axel Eggebrecht Prize to be awarded for radio documentaries. Since 2008, it is awarded every two years, alternating with the Günter Eich Prize for radio dramas. Both prizes award 10,000 Euros.

Selected filmography

-   _Two Under the Stars_ (1927)
-   _The Republic of Flappers_ (1928)
-   _Fight of the Tertia_ (1929)
-   _Pappi_ (1934)
-   _Miss Madame_ (1934)
-   _Maria the Maid_ (1936)
-   _Operetta_ (1940)
-   _Vienna Blood_ (1942)
-   _A Man Like Maximilian_ (1945)
-   _The Lost One_ (1951)
-   _The Land of Smiles_ (1952)
-   _Captain Wronski_ (1954)
-   _The Ambassador's Wife_ (1955)
-   _Stresemann_ (1957)
-   _Wer überlebt, ist schuldig_ (1960, TV film)
-   _Der Röhm-Putsch_ (1967, TV film)
-   _In Sachen Erzberger gegen Helfferich_ (1967, TV film)

title: Axel Eggebrecht

question: Summarize Eggerbrecht's activities after World War 2.

answer: Eggerbretcht was brought to the former site of the governmental broadcast station, where, a year later, he founded the Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk, or Northwest German Broadcasting. In 1965, he became a member of the International PEN association.


text:
On this particular chilly Eugene evening, I am on a bus headed for campus. Park lights illuminate the Willamette with their reflection off the dark surface of the water. The metal beams of the bridge flash in a green blur as the bus pushes its way toward the university campus. The time is 9:04 pm as I get off the bus which means I have some time to walk around before my shift begins at 9:30. I work at a cafeteria on the university’s campus washing dishes as a way to make some extra money.
I walk through campus, passing buildings I see every day, in the silent, cold night. The lampposts littering campus and the music coming through my earphones are the nearest thing to company I have. Looking down the long stretch of vacant asphalt, I feel lonely in this empty environment of concrete and bricks. In search of something comforting, I decide to venture to some nearby neighborhoods. Less than a year ago, my friends and I would walk around the neighborhoods south of campus to talk about classes and smoke. These ritualized walks became a staple in my daily routine and the foreign area of Eugene became familiar to me. Coming from Las Vegas, and being a freshman in college, the entire university experience was new to me. Being a newcomer to Eugene, and the overall atmosphere of the northwest, I held a certain amount of anxiety to living in a new place and meeting new people. After a short while, I met a few guys, who lived in the same hall I did, and we spent a lot of our free time together conversing, venting, smoking, and learning, but I digress. I venture off the cracked sidewalk and cross the street. Just past the sidewalk is a large, wooden tunnel that towers over me as I pass through. On the other side of the tall, wooden tunnel is a grey and black ball of fur and fangs standing in the middle of a patch of grass.
A raccoon the size of an overweight bulldog stares at me while its mouth hangs open, flashing sharp rows of teeth and fangs where he stands just five feet away from me. Our eyes meet. I could see the reflection of the lamps by the museum shining off his black eyes. I freeze, fearful that any move I make may scare the raccoon and cause him to attack me. I feel mad for a split second because I am too afraid to pass the raccoon, to test his patience; he claims this area. He kept eye contact with me, marking his territory, standing his ground. I see the open sidewalk in front of me, but I cannot move. Instead I am confronted by a living, wild road block in the form of a raccoon. He could attack me at any moment, jump at my shaking legs and claw at my body till he was finished. I can feel the thumping of my pulse in my chest and around my jugular. My pounding pulse surely must be visible to the raccoon. I am powerless against his brute force and wild instincts. I imagine the raccoon scratching at my neck, fangs out biting at my body for any piece of flesh he could get a hold of. The raccoon’s mouth opened even wider as he took a step closer to me. It was time for him to get rid of the intruder. My heart elevated to my throat. Fight or flight.
I begin to back up without realizing it. About face and then I fast-walk back to campus as discretely as I can. I don’t want to show fear, for the raccoon could smell it and would take any advantage he could. A city in the middle of the desert doesn’t have wild animals lurking the streets, there are only diseased pigeons who avoid people. Encountering a feral raccoon is an experience I have never had, and knew right away I would not want to come across one of these creatures again. My fear arises from ignorance. Once I crossed the street, I turned my head and the raccoon was nowhere in sight.
I can breathe again. A moment of anticipation and joy interrupted and ruined with a glance. The memory of the raccoon’s dark eyes lives with me, always watching. My memories of the wooded, charming neighborhoods are tainted by the vacant gaze of a raccoon flashing his feral fangs as a warning. The international sign for no trespassing. There is still an inkling of space in the back of my mind that wonders if the raccoon meant no harm and would have idly watched me pass by his temporary residence in the grass. Perhaps I should have tried; perhaps I am smart not to have tried.

title: An Encounter with a Raccoon (criticism/comments appreciated!)

question: How does the narrator feel about crossing paths with the large raccoon?

answer: The narrator freezes and becomes too afraid to pass the raccoon. He thinks the raccoon will attack if he makes a move. His pulse races as he imagines the raccoon tearing at his flesh. He feels powerless against the raccoon and without realizing it the raccoon was no longer in sight.


text:
As my eyes open, blinded by the light coming from the window, I drag myself from the cozy warmth of my bed and stagger to the bathroom. When I get to the bathroom I splash some water on my face and look at myself in the mirror. I look like I have been dragged through hell and back. As I’m looking in the mirror, I notice a shadow from behind the shower curtain.
“Jason? Is that you?”

No reply.

I approach the curtain and throw it aside. Standing in the shower is my roommate, his eyes bloodshot and swollen and teeth blackened from years of smoking and poor hygiene. Then I smelt and saw something terrible. His body had begun to rot away from his bones. My eyes widened as I realized what had happened. He had been infected.

It was at that moment that I knew I was in trouble.

I flee from the bathroom in a terrified frenzy, slamming the door behind me, and run to my room where I frantically get dressed and grab the survival kit I keep in the wardrobe. Hearing the noises coming from the bathroom, I leave the house and walk out onto the empty street. With nothing but my backpack filled with food and ammunition, my trusty sawn-off shotgun and my ever faithful baseball bat, I start walking away from my house, hearing it burn behind me.

After hours of walking, I finally get to the Pine Hills shopping Centre, as I enter the centre, I can feel the eyes of hundreds of people staring at me. My heart begins to pound and I can feel my adrenalin rising as I see that everyone is rotting away before my eyes. I panic and pull out my shotgun and begin to let loose. With each shot fired, I see mangled bodies drop to the floor, but each dead body that falls is replaced by multiple living ones. As the infected start surrounding me, I decide that it is time that I got out of here, so without thinking I run down the corridor, only to find that the infected are coming at me from both directions.  I draw my baseball bat from my back pack and make a mad dash for the exit, bodies crumpling in my wake. I finally make it outside, but I don’t stop running, I can’t stop, I have to get away from here.

After what feels like hours, I have to stop running and rest. Taking the last sip from my water bottle, I notice that it’s starting to get dark and that I need to sleep. After walking for about an hour, I find a house that looks deserted and decide to seek refuge in its walls. Warily I enter the house and walk to the nearest room, to my surprise there is a king sized bed with clean covers and a small fridge next to it. Looking in the fridge I find an unlabeled bottle of liquid, I open it and am instantly hit with a wave of sensory delights.  I smile to myself and take a swig of the bottles contents, its warmth travelling through my body and making my fingertips tingle. After emptying the bottle down my throat, I fall asleep.

Woken by the blinding light, I think I am home in my own bed, only to find that three large men in white uniforms are shining torches in my eyes. Ignoring my efforts to escape, they drag me almost effortlessly to their van and throw me into the back, my head hitting the steel seat inside and knocking me unconscious.

Once again by bright lights, I find myself strapped to a cold steel table in a white room. I can just hear the men in white talking from outside the door.
“According to his driver’s license, this guy’s name is Mitchell Cameron, He’s a Iraq veteran from Pine Hills, that little town a few miles away..” said the first man in white.
“I thought he looked familiar!” exclaimed the second man, “he was in the news a few months ago, apparently he had some sort of mental breakdown and set fire to his girlfriend’s dog.”
Hearing this sends me into a panic. I can feel the straps loosening as I struggle against them. After hours of struggling, I am free. I leave the white room, only to find myself in a white corridor, feeling extremely disoriented, I stumble down the corridor just to find myself at a dead end. I turn and see the three men in white at the other end of the corridor, one holding a large syringe and the others holding stun guns. I run at them. They yell “Sir you are having a mental breakdown! Please stop so we can help you!” but I know better, I can tell they are lying. As I get closer I see their rotting bodies and prepare myself for a fight. Unarmed, I am defenseless and outnumbered. The men pin me to the ground with ease and inject me with the purple liquid in the syringe. The room starts to spin and go black.
After what feels like years of sleep, I finally wake up, Strapped to the table once again. I can hear voices from the corridor. “Mitchell Cameron was found in a young couple’s house last night and has been charged with the murders of 83 men, women and children in yesterday’s Pine Mall Massacre.  He is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress and will remain here in the Northwood mental asylum until further notice.”
Not believing the lies of the infected scum, I free myself from my restraints, but instead of attempting to run down the corridor again, I have no other option but to find a different means of escape. I tip the table on its side and tie one of the restraints onto its leg. I then slip the loop around my neck and take my final breath.

title: Perspectives (998 words)

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The narrator is Mitchell Cameron, an Iraq veteran.

question: What has happened to the narrator's roommate?

answer: It may be implied that the roommate's body got infected because of Mitchell.

question: Why did the narrator shoot the people at the shopping centre?

answer: The narrator could see that people near him were getting infected and hence let loose of his gun.

question: Is the narrator mentally ill?

answer: Yes, it is assumed that he is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer:
Mitchell wakes up and reaches the bathroom to see his roommate's body get infected. Afraid, he flees the house with his survival kit and reaches Pine Hills shopping centre. He notices everyone around him rotting away and starts firing bullets at them and runs away.

He reaches a house and stays there for the night. He wakes up strapped to a table and tries to flee from there. But he is stopped by three men who inject him. They are later heard saying that Mitchell has murdered 83 men and suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress hence, would remain in Northwood asylum.


text:
Tenhou is a free-to-play browser-based online Reach Mahjong program. While it does have some pay-only features (slightly prettier standalone interface, higher-ranked lobbies), it is a great place to work on your game.

THE WEBSITE: http://tenhou.net
Scroll down until you see ‘Play’ and click it.
[]

This will pop up the Tenhou window. Wait for it to load the server, and when it turns into just a link, click to begin.
[]

This is the Tenhou main menu. Here you type in the name you want (or play anonymously) and log in. The dropdowns are male-or-female-voice and premium-or-economy-visuals (if you save your ID, you are only allowed to use Premium for free up to a certain level). The rightmost button logs you in. If your name is reserved, it won’t let you log in.
[]

If you want to make a reserved ID, you can press the button to the right, and then enter your ID in the window that appears. If it is available, it will then give you a long ID-string of numbers and letters: this is your combination login and password. Type it – and not your name – to enter.

Once you are in, this is the main screen. The central buttons enter you in games – each button has its own game specifications. The tabs at the top are for information and access to higher ranking rooms. The dropdowns below are for getting plaintext backups of match histories, minigames, paying for an account, logging out (you can just close the browser), and the second dropdown is for test playing various game modes against AI.
[]

[]
In game, you automatically draw tiles when it is your turn to draw. To play, click on the tile you want to discard. If a call is available, either a box with the call will appear, of the tiles will be marked for your selection.

The buttons at the bottom allow you toggle on/off ‘automatically call any win’, ‘automatically discard what I draw’, ‘never give me the option to call tiles’, ‘turn off sound effects’, and ‘turn off music’ (all deactivated to start). The standalone version also has a button for “automatically organizing your hand”, as you may reorganize freely in the paid version.
Rank is based on placement (mouseover a game button to see the points breakdown), R is based on how well you do overall (positive R for 1st and 2nd place, negative for opposite).

There’s at least one other button that may pop up that isn’t covered here (九種九牌, used when you have 9+ different terminals on open and want to draw the hand), but this should be enough to get everything up and running!

question: What is Tenhou?

answer: Tenhou is a free-to-play browser=based Reach Mahjong program.

question: How do you play mahjong?

answer: not answered

question: Is Tenhou free to play?

answer: While there are pay-only features, the game can be played for free.

question: Can you play against a computer?

answer: Yes, you can play against a computer.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article explains some of the features of Tenhou, a free-to-play browser based Mahjong program.


text:
[The panorama of Jieyang Tower] JIEYANG TOWER, is a Han style building located in Jieyang city, Guangdong Province, China. It is constructed according to the theme of the lotus on the water and the waterside city of south of the Five Ridges.[1] It is planned to show the history and the urban plan of Jieyang, so it has become a landmark of Jieyang. Now, it is a famous tourist attraction.

This page is going to introduce Jieyang Tower from the aspects of basic information, history, reasons of its construction, constituent parts and culture implication.

Basic Information

  --------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- -----------------------------
  Chinese Name          揭(Jie 1)阳(Yang 2)楼(Lou 2)                                                                                English Name   Jieyang Tower
  Geographic position   in the junction of Rongcheng District () and Jiedong District (), Jieyang City, Guangdong Province. Near to Rong Jiang River () and No. 206 national road   Climate        Subtropical monsoon climate
  Area                  300 thousands square meters                                                                                Height         38 meters
  --------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- -----------------------------

The table above is the basic information of Jieyang Tower.[2]

History

The ancient Jieyang Tower was built in the Tang dynasty, located in Chaozhou city, Guangdong province. At that time, many poets like Han Yu and Mei Yaocheng had written some poetry about it.[3] However, as time went by, the ancient Jieyang Tower became ruins. In 2010, the government decided to rebuild it in Jieyang city. After hearing this news, an entrepreneur called Huang Changran () donated 15 million RMB to its reestablishment.[4]

Reasons for its reestablishment

-   To meet citizens' requirement. With the development of Jieyang city, its institution becomes more and more complete, and its appearance has greatly changed, and its characteristics are more and more obvious, so strengthen the public buildings and culture have become citizens' requirement.
-   To increase cohesion. Jieyang's area is 5240 square kilometers, and its population is about 6 million, such a big area and a large population require a common thing to make the citizens hold together, so the government officials decided to mobilize citizens to build a public building together.
-   To enrich Jieyang's urban landscape. As is mentioned above, the city's appearance is much different and is forming its characteristics gradually. A light spot will be added to the city by constructing a building with a long history and profound culture, and the feature of this city will be more obvious.
-   To create a more active cultural atmosphere. There should be a public place for citizens to hold cultural activities in a modern city. Jieyang is becoming a modern city and much special folk art exists. A public place like a square to show the special folk art is needed, so Jieyang Tower is planned to build to create a more active cultural atmosphere.[5]

Constituent parts

[Jieyang Tower Square]

Jieyang Tower Square

Jieyang Tower Square, also named Treasure Tripod Square or Prosperity Square, stands for the whole attraction. There is a huge liparite in the front of the square. It weighs 136 tons and comes from Mount Tai. It shows Jieyang is open and compatible. The square is surrounded by 12 polycarpa trees, 9 cultural columns and 8 separate cultural walls. These trees provide shady places for visitors and make a contribution to the environment. All of these columns are 9.8 meters high, with a diameter of 1.6 meters. They are covered with embossment of sun, moon, water, fire and people. The arc-shaped arrangement of these columns implicates the theory that man is an integral part of nature. The cultural walls around the square are covered with embossment of the top 8 famous attractions in Jieyang.[6] The embossment on the columns and walls shows some famous places,famous legends, or the creation of Jieyang. Also, it reflects the sculpture technique of Jieyang. There is a big painting of a lotus on the floor of the square, which embodies the theme of the lotus on the water.[7] [Bronze Tripod in Jieyang Tower Square]

A bronze tripod

A bronze tripod is in the back of the square but in front of the Gate Tower. It is high and weights 58 tons. It is said that this bronze tripod is the biggest and heaviest one in the world. The figure 9.99 sounds like permanent existence in Chinese. This tripod embodies Jieyang's permanent existence and lasting political stability.[8] [Jieyang Gate Tower] [Jieyang Gate Tower in nightscape]

Han Style Gate Tower

The Han style gate tower is in the east of the square. It is surrounded by a river called Hu Cheng He (护城河. The river separates the Gate Tower from the outside world, which is said to protect the Gate Tower. Also, this arrangement reflects the theme of the waterside city of south of the Five Ridges. The southwest of the Gate Tower is a stone tablet called Taihe () on which is an article telling the basic information of Jieyang Tower, Jieyang city as well as the spirit of people in Jieyang. This Gate Tower was built in a Han style. It is 38 meters high and contains 5 storeys. Inside the Gate Tower are a series of museums showing the history of all the periods, architectural styles and folkways of Jieyang.[9]

Culture implication

-   Symbolizes the renaissance of Jieyang culture. Jieyang has been written in the poems since the Tang dynasty and Jieyang Tower was built in Tang dynasty in Chaozhou, but Jieyang culture has gradually been ruined. Now Jieyang city has been established for many years and its economy is developing. However, the history and culture of Jieyang have not been paid attention to. As a result, the reconstruction of Jieyang Tower which is full of Jieyang history and culture symbolizes the renaissance of Jieyang culture. It means people in Jieyang begin to treasure and protect Jieyang culture.[10]
-   Implicates the spirit of generosity and gratitude of the Jieyang people. To some extent, the successful reestablishment of Jieyang Tower is owed to the donation of Jieyang's entrepreneur. Simultaneously, it educates people to cultivate the spirit of generosity and gratitude.[11]
-   Attract more literati to make a contribution to Jieyang culture. After the reconstruction was finished, Jieyang Tower appealed to some famous Chinese people like Chen Shaoci (陈少慈) who wrote down a couplet hung on the columns of a hall. It may be possible that Jieyang Tower will be as famous as other ancient towers in China in the future.[12]

[1] (2010)义捐1.5亿元重建“揭阳楼” Accessed 05.12.2016

[2]

[3] (2010)揭阳楼 Accessed 05.12.2016

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10] (2010)[http://www.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?QueryID=0&CurRec=1&recid=&filename=LYZL201012038&dbname=CJFDN0911&dbcode=CJFQ&pr=CJFU2010;&urlid=&yx=&uid=WEEvREcwSlJHSldRa1FhcTdWYVFpK1Nla2ZBMElmY3pmK29ycTJwUmljbz0=$9A4hF_YAuvQ5obgVAqNKPCYcEjKensW4ggI8Fm4gTkoUKaID8j8gFw!!&v=MTc5MTMzcVRyV00xRnJDVVJMeWVaK1ptRkNqbFc3M0xLVFRSWXJHNEg5SE5yWTlHYklSOGVYMUx1eFlTN0RoMVQ= 从揭阳楼看中艺文化复兴] Accessed 05.12.2016

[11] (2010)[http://www.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?QueryID=0&CurRec=2&recid=&filename=BWXY201007058&dbname=CJFD2010&dbcode=CJFQ&pr=&urlid=&yx=&uid=WEEvREcwSlJHSldRa1FhcTdWYVFpK1Nla2ZBMElmY3pmK29ycTJwUmljbz0=$9A4hF_YAuvQ5obgVAqNKPCYcEjKensW4ggI8Fm4gTkoUKaID8j8gFw!!&v=MDU1NTZyV00xRnJDVVJMeWVaK1ptRkNqbFVMekJKenJUZDdHNEg5SE1xSTlBYklSOGVYMUx1eFlTN0RoMVQzcVQ= 中华文化积淀与传承——浅谈揭阳楼的当代文化意义] Accessed 05.12.2016

[12] (2010)秦砖汉瓦揭阳楼 玉璧楹联俱风骚 Accessed 05.12.2016

title: Jieyang Tower

question: In what year was the Jeiyang Tower rebuilt?

answer: 2010.

question: Briefly summarize the reasons the government rebuilt the Jeiyang Tower.

answer: To meet citizens' requirements, enrich the urban landscape of Jeiyang city, and create a more active cultural atmosphere and increase unity.

question: How many poets wrote poetry about the Jeiyang tower?

answer: It is not specified exactly how many.

question: What led to the ruins of the original Jeiyang Tower?

answer: It is not stated.

question: What architectural structures surround the Jeiyang Tower Square?

answer: The Bronze Tripod and the Han Style Gate Tower.

question: What are the cultural implications of the Jeiyang Tower?

answer: It symbolizes the renaissance of Jeiyang culture, implicates the spirit of generosity and gratitude of the people of Jeiyang, and attracts more educated folk to contribute to the Jeiyang culture.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the history of the Jeiyang Tower, which was designed in a Han Style building located in Jeiyang city, China. The tower, reconstructed in 2010 by the government, was reestablished to meet citizens' requirements, enrich the urban landscape of Jeiyang city, create a more vibrant cultural atmosphere, and increase unity. Also, the cultural implications of the tower symbolize the renaissance of Jeiyang culture, implicate the spirit of generosity and gratitude of the people of Jeiyang and attract more literati to contribute to the Jeiyang culture.


text: Eva Lovia is a porn star from United States. She is listed on FreeOnes since 2011-04-24 and is currently ranked #1028. She currently has 37 gallery links and 50 videos in her own FreeOnes section. In her career, she has worked with sites such as Bang Bros, Digital Desire, Passion HD. Our records show that Eva Lovia is currently active which means she is still making movies, doing live shows and/or doing photo shoots.

question: What is FreeOnes?

answer: A porn video streaming site.

question: How many sites have Eva Lovia worked with?

answer: It appears she has worked with 3.

question: When was Eva listed on FreeOnes?

answer: According to the article, she was listed in 2011.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This short article talks about a porn star called Eva Lovia, who is still active in the industry with a ranking of 1028 and still possibly making movies, live shows, and or photoshoots.


text:
I wrote this pretty quickly, more for the experience itself than for the end product. It's based on real events. The story is pretty dialogue heavy and I didn't think too hard about the narrative. Nonetheless I hope some of you enjoy it.

Mollified

“This is gonna be so awk.”

“Why?”

“I dunno. I haven’t talked to Julia in a while. Plus I don’t think I’m gonna be sad enough. And I’m worried it’ll be obvious.”

“Claire it’s fine. None of that matters. We’re just there to signal to her that we care enough about her grief that we’re willing to sacrifice a few hours of our time.”

“Yeah I suppose. I’m just really bad at this stuff.”

I pressed my forehead against the window and watched a cute girl walking her dog. She noticed me staring because traffic was moving so slowly. I mouthed “cute dog” and she smiled. I had no idea if she knew what I was saying.

“Is it bad that I’m bored already?” Claire asked, glancing over to observe my reaction.

“Nah, it’s normal. Just be on your best behavior.”

“Yes daddy,” she replied with the bubbliest of mirth.

“You’re incorrigible.”

After 22 years, I had yet to encounter death on a personal level. It was more of a curiosity to me than anything real. And yet I felt bad that we were making light of the situation. The closest I’d ever gotten to death was back in high school when the doctor suspected my mom had a tumor and wanted to run a scan. The night before her appointment I imagined the worst and listened to some crappy punk bands, shedding silent tears. But that was quickly forgotten when the doctor found nothing wrong. I never experienced real human mortality.

“Andrew, would you be sad if I died?”

“You know I would be.”

“Well I wouldn’t want you to be. Cause at the rate I’m going I’ve probably already peaked. You know me. Live fast, die young.”

She’s only 20.

“I know, Claire. I’d still be sad. Maybe less so for you as you are and more so for who you could’ve become.”

“Too real.”

“I meant it in the least judgmental way possible.”

“I know.”

We finally arrived at the colonial looking home, finding the parking lot filled with tens of cars. I wondered how many cars would attend my wake. Probably a couple handfuls at best. As we pulled in I made sure to turn down the car radio that had been blasting Kanye West with maxed bass. My hand found Claire’s as we walked in. I remembered that she had recently begun dating some guy but neither of us seemed to care.

As I walked in I was reminded of a cocktail party. Groups of people, seemingly separated by age group, stood in circles and chatted. We walked around and eventually came across the body. She was seated upright. White dress, eyes shut. Claire and I shared a glance. I felt her squeeze my hand sharply. We both turned simultaneously to leave the room. Julia came to greet us and give us hugs, but we didn’t know what to say beyond the basic pleasantries. She related to us that everything still felt like a dream. Apparently her mom passed away out of the blue for no discernible reason. Claire stroked Julia’s hair and gave her a peck on the forehead. Julia thanked us profusely for coming and told us she was going to head upstairs for a bit and would be back soon. I could see that her composure was beginning to crack as she hastened away.

Claire and I continued to explore the house. We came across a table of small cards, each decorated with a photo of Julia’s mom on the front and a portrait of the Virgin Mary on the back. Mass-produced mementos for the guests. I stood and stared at Mary. Her heart was drawn on the exterior of her body.

“Hey Claire, check out her heart. It looks just like a strawberry.”

Claire exploded with laughter and I struggled to contain my own at her reaction. An older gentleman who stood across the room glanced in our direction. We must have looked mortified and he must not have heard my comment because he walked over, placing his hands on our shoulders.

“No need to be ashamed. We all respond to grief in our own ways, whether through tears, confusion, or laughter.”

I offered him a solemn nod and thanked him for understanding.

“Can we step outside?” asked Claire.

I agreed, thinking it for the best. We walked to Claire’s car and sat inside, reclining our seats. The sun was at an angle such that the shadow cast by my hand was enormous. I made spirit fingers, watching the massive, flailing shadow and Claire laughed. In the company of anyone else I would’ve felt dumb.

“We should probably go back in at some point and say bye to Julia before we leave,” Claire bemoaned.

“Yeah.”

“I feel somewhat bad suggesting this, but do you wanna roll? And by roll I mean molly, not roll as in bounce.”

I chuckled to myself. She would.

“Sure. I guess I will out of solidarity. And I guess I’d be pretty miz if you rolled and I didn’t.”

Feeling like a social deviant, I shared the small pouch of licorice smelling powder with Claire, tasting the bitterness as it crept from the front of my gums to the back of my tongue. I noted that the bitter taste reflected our moods. Claire plugged in her ipod and rested her head on my shoulder. Her hair smelled natural, like petrichor. I closed my eyes and listened to her breathe to the rhythm of the music. I might have fallen asleep for a short time but the next thing I realized was the molly kicking in. The surfaces where our skins met tingled lightly and the music was much richer than I remembered. Claire’s phone buzzed. She had gotten a text from Julia thanking us for stopping by and apologizing for disappearing for so long. That took care of that.

“You know, I still can’t figure out if we’re immature or too mature for our years.”

I ruminated over her words for a moment.

“I’m not entirely sure I understand the word mature, or that I like it. I think we’re just intellectual anomalies.”

“Or maybe we’re just like everyone else except honest about our real feelings. Or maybe we’re really comfortable with repressing normal feelings.”

“That’s certainly possible.”

“You know, I’d still rather be dating you.”

“I like you a lot too. But we both know it won’t work.”

“Cause we’re too much of the same half. We need to find our other halves a la Plato’s Symposium blah blah blah. Or we’ll get bored quickly. I know. But my statement still stands.”

I impulsively leaned over to kiss her.

“Only because we’re rolling,” she pulled back to clarify.

“Only because we’re rolling,” I confirmed.

We lost ourselves for god knows how long until Claire broke it off. A single tear rolled down her cheek. I didn’t know why.

“I don’t know why either. Life in confusing. Or maybe it’s just the molly,” she explained in response to my questioning gaze.

“Or both.”

“Or both. I’m not sad. At least I don’t think so.”

My eyes started watering as well. Inexplicably. Or perhaps out of empathy.

“I’m not sad either. Maybe we’ve forgotten how to be sad but our tear ducts haven’t.”

“Yeah. Tear ducts sounds so biological though. Let’s go with hearts. Our hearts haven’t forgotten.”

“Our strawberry hearts?”

She laughed.

“Strawberry hearts forever," she crooned to the tune of the Beetles.

And we were happy again, fully and deeply.

title: I'd like to share my first short story with you guys.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: Unsure, seems to be Andrew.

question: Who is Andrew?

answer: Andrew seems to be the narrator.

question: What event are the characters attending?

answer: Not explicitly stated but it seems to be some sort of funeral reception.

question: Why are the characters doing drugs?

answer: Not answered.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Claire and Andrew attend a funeral procession, possibly for a family member of Julia's, who is a friend of the both of them. After lingering for a while, they decide to take drugs.


text:
Well, here it is:

First I take a deli-sliced piece of turkey breast and run around my house  naked while slapping it against my bare ass. When I feel the turkey is ready for consumption, I make a sandwich (whole wheat bread only) and frisbee it off my back porch.  I then cover myself in vegetable oil, and roll around my front yard while reciting Bible verses.  I proceed to rip out chunks of grass and dirt from the Earth and preach to my bewildered neighbors about our collective minds.

I go inside, and drink to forget all of this.

I wake up from a nice nap on the floor, and check on my chimpanzees. The chimps are my end-all consultants on what I should post on facebook  (I even trust them with my life.) I keep them in a cage made out of reinforced glass, with little slits I can drop stories through, and mozzarella cheese.  If the chimps fling their shit at me and flail wildly, then I know the story is really good. If they just throw their feces, the story is merely satisfactory. If the chimps are dead from malnourishment, I masturbate through the slits and my semen breathes life into them.

Then I go and drink to forget all of this.

I wake up from a nice nap on the floor, and go see my probation officer. I tell her continuously that I “CAN’T STOP THE FUCKING VOICES”. She thinks I’m doing well in my self-rehabilitation, and sends me off to detox.  At detox, I have a mild epileptic fit and call everyone “sloppy twats” when they try to help me. Six months later, I get out of rehab.

Then I go and drink to forget all of this.

I wake up from a nice nap on the floor and wonder where exactly the fuck I am. I try to get home, but I accidentally consult a hooker for directions and she misleads me (seriously, never trust hookers in New Orleans). I wrestle an alligator until it succumbs and wills itself to me. I have the alligator trod off with me on its back, and we head straight to Fairfax.

When we arrive, I let the alligator roam free near my neighbor’s adopted children. I go inside and make a glass of chocolate milk. I throw the chocolate milk off the back porch and scream about the inevitability of death, the lack of a truly fulfilling point to life, and Jim Carrey.

Then I go and drink to forget all of this.

I wake up from a nice nap on the floor and start ferociously pissing blood and kidney stones. Someone calls to tell me I am a manic-depressive and an alcoholic (I drink to forget this too.) I proceed to middleman some crack, and assassinate the ambassador from Sweden. Then I go inside and write whatever bullshit comes out of my head.

And that is how the magic is made.

title: Flowery Prose

question: Why does the narrator drink?

answer: They do things they want to forget.

question: What significance does the flailing of the chimpanzees have?

answer: It tells the author whether the material they wrote is good.

question: How does the narrator get to Fairfax?

answer: They ride in the mouth of an alligator.

question: What is the story about?

answer: It might be inferred that this story is about how the author relies on drugs to come up with different ideas for their stories.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator in this story imagines themselves in a variety of strange, violent, or sexual scenarios. Each scenario seems to represent an idea the author considers while writing.


text:
November 27th, 1933 a sweet little girl with red hair and curls was born in County Cavan, Ireland. With the face of a cherub, this little girl had brothers and sisters and strong willed parents with a beautiful and interesting history following behind her. Born not only into a prominent family history, but money as well, this sweet little red headed girl with curls like ringlets went off to boarding school where the Nuns would teach her right from wrong, how to be a lady and where she would ask questions they would deem inappropriate. Running around with friends causing mayhem, this little girl would grow up with hands often touched by a ruler’s edge, and permanently scared knees due to kneeling on raw rice. As this tiny little girl began to grow into a woman, she began to experience changes-both emotionally, and physically-this was all under the wide umbrella of topics deemed inappropriate to discuss with anyone according to the Nun’s, so the little girl turning into a young lady remained silent. She remained silent for many moons, until one night on a train back from a field trip she went to use the train lavatory and ran out screaming and crying. She was bleeding to death. She was going to die. She wouldn’t make it home to see her family again. By now, a dear, lovely Nun found it impertinent to intervene and clear the matter up as efficiently as possible without going into too much detail about the inappropriate topic of womanhood.

“My dear little child, what are you screaming about?,” said the Nun.

“Oh Sister! I need you to give me my last rights! I’m bleeding to death!” said the young lady.

“You are? Where?”

“I’m bleeding…I’m bleeding from…” the young lady began to blush and could not finish her sentence without stumbling over her words.

“Yes child? I need you to tell me. Where are you bleeding from?

“I…I’m bleeding from…my genitals sister. I’m bleeding to death!” At this, the young girl began to sob with her face in her hands, and shoulders shaking profusely.

“Oh my child. You are not dying. But I do believe it is time we have a long talk. Come with me”

And that was the day this little girl, became a young lady.

Years later and this same young woman was carving a path for herself all through Europe, leaving a trail of blazing fire wherever she went. Full of life and love and adventures ready to be had she made her way to London at the very ripe age of 18. There may have been bad times happening, but my god she was not going to let that bring her down. With a wealthy family along side her, she was trailing through London leaving a string of broken hearted young men behind her. Until the day this fresh faced 18 year old beautiful woman met an American man here in the American Air force. It was a quick romance before, with the support of her family, this young and handsome couple decided to be joined in holy matrimony.  A few very short months later, the newly wedded couple was expecting their first child, but alas, the young husband had to fly home to America for his military and family duties. The young, pregnant wife was to follow shortly. At 8 months pregnant, she did. She missed her family and home in Europe already, but she was ready to join her husband and begin their American life together with their new baby. It was a future full of promises.

title: Joan Lovendoski, Part 1

question: Write a ~0 sentence summary.