text:
Auto parts makers in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico have urged their governments not to give in to demands from Japan for less NAFTA-made content in vehicles at new talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

[]

Canadian and Mexican autoparts makers have sent at letter to Ed Fast and his Mexican counterpart urging them not to sacrifice the sector in talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Auto parts makers in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico have urged their governments not to give in to demands from Japan for less NAFTA-made content in vehicles at new talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Canadian and Mexican negotiators are in Washington today trying to work out terms for automotive issues in the trade deal which would open up freer trade among 12 Pacific nations.

-   WHAT IS THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP?
-   TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP TALKS: KEY ISSUES PREVENTING A DEAL

The key issue in talks with Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler and Japanese officials is "automotive rule of origin," a term that describes how much content in autos and auto parts must be made within NAFTA.

The TPP talksbroke down in July when Mexico and Canada balked at content rules that could have meant Japanese vehicles could be imported with fewer parts made in North America.

Canadian, Mexican parts makers join forces

Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association of Canada, said he has been told by Trade Minister Ed Fast that Ottawa "would continue to block any outcome in TPP negotiations that would hurt the automotive parts sector."

The APMA joined with its Mexican and U.S. counterparts to draft a letter to Fast yesterday to again urge Canadian officials to reject any deal that would eat into the North American share of parts manufacturing.

"An inadequate content rule for parts will dramatically impact our domestic parts manufacturing industry and the jobs that come with it," the letter said.

Although TPP negotiations are held in secret, publication Inside U.S. Trade reported the Japanese want a rule that vehicles can be imported tariff-free to North America with just 30 per cent content from the U.S., Canada or Mexico.

The Japanese are reported to be negotiating a side deal with the U.S. on the issue. That could open the door for Japanese vehicles with much cheaper parts made in China, Thailand or other Asian countries to be imported tariff-free.

Under NAFTA, the rule is that 62.5 per cent of the value of cars and 60 per cent on auto parts, must be made within the region.

Going for 50% content

The parts makers say they could live with 50 per cent of the value of parts or content in finished cars and trucks made in North America, a proposal made by the vehicle manufacturers.

"We would like to take this opportunity to urge your continued vigilance in finalizing a Trans-pacific Partnership that allows for domestic, regional and global growth for motor vehicle component manufacturers," APMA and its Mexican and U.S. counterparts say in the letter to Fast.

They point to the three million automotive-related jobs in North America.

Jim Stanford, economist for autoworkers' union Unifor, says Canadian officials have no mandate to negotiate away Canadian jobs, particularly as an election is under way.

Canada already incurs an annual $5 billion deficit in bilateral automotive trade with Japan, he said.

"We are working with our local union activists in auto communities (many of which are close ridings) to raise awareness of the TPP threat, make it an issue in the election, and pressure the candidates to commit to protecting auto interests," he said in an email to CBC.

question: What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership?

answer: It's a trade agreement between 12 nations bordering the Pacific ocean. It's in the negotiation phase at the time of the article.

question: What are the car part manufacturers in North America worried about regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership?

answer: They worry about a large reduction in the required percentage of automobile parts manufactured in North American nations in Japanese vehicles to be imported tariff-free to the North American nations. Such a thing would both affect their earning and the jobs of the people they employ.

question: Whom do the car part manufacturers appeal to regarding their concerns?

answer: They talk with Ed Fast, the Canadian Trade Minister.

question: Which institutions approach Ed Fast about the new trade deal?

answer: Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association of Canada and equivalent institutions in the U.S.A and Mexico.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association of Canada and equivalent institutions in the U.S.A and Mexico draft a letter to Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast to urge him to reject any large reduction in the required percentage of automobile parts manufactured in North American nations for Japanese vehicles to be imported tariff-free to the North American nations. They fear such a thing would hurt the industry.


split: train

text:
[Adam Rudolph]

ADAM RUDOLPH (born September 12, 1955) is a composer, improviser, and percussionist actively involved in modern music. For the past four decades Rudolph has performed extensively in concert throughout North & South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Rudolph has been hailed as “a pioneer in world music” by the New York Times and “a master percussionist” by Musician Magazine. He has released over 25 recordings under his own name, featuring his compositions and percussion work. Rudolph composes for his ensembles Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures, the Hu Vibrational percussion group, and Go: Organic Orchestra, an 18 to 54 piece ensemble for which he has developed an original music notation and conducting system. He has taught and conducted hundreds of musicians worldwide utilizing the Go: Organic Orchestra concept. In 1995 Rudolph premiered his opera _The Dreamer_, based on the text of Friedrich Nietzsche's “The Birth of Tragedy.”

Rudolph has performed with Don Cherry, Jon Hassell, Sam Rivers, Pharaoh Sanders,[1] Bill Laswell, Herbie Hancock,[2] Foday Musa Suso,[3] Massimo Laguardia, L. Shankar, A.A.C.M. co-founders Fred Anderson and Muhal Richard Abrams, Wadada Leo Smith, and Omar Sosa. He has toured extensively and recorded 15 albums with Yusef Lateef including duets and their large ensemble compositional collaborations.

Rudolph grew up in the Hyde Park area of the Southside of Chicago. From an early age he was exposed to the live music performances of the great blues and improvising artists who lived nearby. As a teenager, Rudolph started playing hand drums in local streets and parks and soon apprenticed with elders of African American improvised music. He performed regularly in Chicago with Fred Anderson and in Detroit with the Contemporary Jazz Quintet. In 1973 Rudolph played on his first record date with Maulawi Nururdin and with the CJQ at the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz festival.

In 1977 he lived and studied in Ghana, where he experienced trance ceremonies. In his travels throughout West Africa he saw how music can come from a cosmological grounding beyond music itself and can also be about something beyond music itself. In 1978 he lived in Don Cherry's house in the Swedish countryside. Cherry inspired him to start composing and showed him about Ornette Coleman's concept and the connection of music to nature.

Rudolph is known as one of the early innovators of what is now called “World Music.” in 1978 he and Gambian Kora player Jali Foday Musa Suso, along with fellow percussionist Hamid Drake, co-founded The Mandingo Griot Society,[4] one of the first groups to combine African and American music. In 1988, he recorded the first fusion of American and Gnawa music with sintir player and singer Hassan Hakmoun. Rudolph intensely studied North Indian Tabla for over 15 years with Pandit Taranath Rao. He learned hundreds of drum compositions and about how music is a form of Yoga – the unity of mind, body and spirit. In 1988 Rudolph began his association with Yusef Lateef, with whom he has recorded over 15 albums including several of their large ensemble collaborations. Lateef introduced Rudolph to the inspirational practice of Autophysiopsychic Music – “that which comes from one's spiritual, physical and emotional self.” Rudolph has performed worldwide with Dr. Lateef. Their performances have ranged from their acclaimed duet concerts to appearances as guest soloists with the Köln, Atlanta and Detroit Symphony Orchestras.

Rudolph continues to also create visual art – painting, drawing, photography ‑ and to write. In 2006, his rhythm repository and methodology book, Pure Rhythm was published by Advance Music, Germany. In 2010 Rudolph's article Music and Mysticism: Rhythm and Form was published in Arcana V, edited by John Zorn. Other essays have been published by Parabola Magazine and Morton Books. Rudolph has been on the faculty of Creative Music Studio (New York and Istanbul), Esalen Institute, California Institute of the Arts and the Danish Jazz Federation Summer Institute. Rudolph has received grants and compositional commissions from the Rockefeller Foundation, Chamber Music America, Meet the Composer, Mary Flagler Cary Trust, the NEA, Arts International, Durfee Foundation, Phaedrus Foundation and American Composers Forum.

Discography

As leader

-   -   -   -   -   [5]

-   [6]

-   [7]

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-   -   -   -   [8]

-   -   -   _Compassion_ 2006
-   -   -   [9]

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

As contributor

-   -   -   -   [10]

-   [11]

-   [12]

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-   [14]

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-   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   [16]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

title: Adam Rudolph

question: What does the text say about Adam Rudolph's upbringing?

answer: Rudolph grew up in the Southside of Chicago where he was always exposed to live music. From his teenage years, he would play drums and improvise with African American music in local streets and parks. Rudolph went on to perform regularly in Chicago and Detroit. By 1973 he was playing on his first record and at the Arbor Blues and Jazz festival.


text:
 By Joe Uchill - 04/20/17 01:23 PM EDT

[Trump may miss deadline on Russia report]

© Greg Nash

President Trump faces a Thursday deadline to release a report on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election — one he appears unlikely to meet.

Trump made the promise in January while swatting down reports about a dossier that allegedly suggested connections between his campaign and Russia.

"My people will have a full report on hacking within 90 days!" he announced in a January tweet

But it appears that little work has taken place within the administration to produce the report.

Emails from The Hill to the National Security Council and the Department of Justice were not immediately returned on Thursday.

Separately, a spokesperson for the National Security Council denied to Politico any involvement in a new report, as did Rudy Giuliani — who is advising Trump on private sector cybersecurity issues. Politico reported that the White House would not answer questions about the report directly.

Democrats are starting to criticize Trump over the report.

Rep. Adam Schiff[]Adam Bennett SchiffOVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Trump pardons Flynn | Lawmakers lash out at decision | Pentagon nixes Thanksgiving dining hall meals due to COVID-19 Democratic impeachment leaders blast Trump's pardon of Flynn Trump pardons Michael Flynn MORE (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a written statement it was "deeply distressing" that the president would "not only miss this deadline, but that the work has not even begun."

"After castigating his predecessor for not sufficiently prioritizing the cyber threat, the President's failure to demonstrate any sense of urgency on the matter is all the more inexplicable,” wrote Schiff.

If a report is not released on Thursday, it will be the second cybersecurity item on the Trump agenda that has failed to come to fruition.

A cybersecurity executive order has been repeatedly delayed, despite the White House scheduling a signing ceremony within the first two weeks of his presidency.

[TheHill.com]

The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax

The contents of this site are ©2020 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

question: Summarize everything about Trump's cybersecurity views and actions.

answer: Trump criticized his predecessor for failing to prioritize cybersecurity. Hi signed a cybersecurity executive order two weeks after being elected, which is constantly delayed. He also promised a report on Russian meddling in the elections in 90 days, which didn't bear fruit.

question: What is the official response to the Russian hacking report?

answer: Noone seems to be working on it. No other official response is given.

question: Why does Schiff seem bewildered about President Trump's actions?

answer: Trump chastised the former President for not emphasizing cybersecurity enough. He made two public promises related to cybersecurity, and yet there's no progress on either of them.

question: What is the current state of the report on Russian hacking in the 2016 elections?

answer: There's no official response about it. It's implied that there was no work done on it.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: President Trump faces a Thursday deadline to release a report on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. However, there seems to be no work done on it. No one in the White House answered questions about the report directly. Democrats are criticizing President Trump for his second failure about cybersecurity despite castigating his predecessor for not prioritizing it.


text:
The IMPERIAL BRAZILIAN ARMY (Portuguese: Exército Imperial Brasileiro) was the name given to the land force of the Empire of Brazil. The Brazilian Army was formed after the independence of the country from Portugal in 1822 and reformed in 1889, after the republican coup d'ètat that created the First Brazilian Republic, a dictatorship headed by the army.

Formation

The Imperial Army was created in the independence of Brazil in September 1822. Its origin dates back to the Portuguese-Brazilian troops who remained in Brazil under the command of Prince Pedro, Regent of the Kingdom of Brazil. When the Prince proclaimed independence and became the first Emperor of Brazil, troops loyal to his leadership formed the Imperial Army of the newly independent Empire. The Army was initially composed of Brazilians, Portuguese and foreign mercenaries. Most of its commanders were mercenaries and Portuguese officers loyal to Dom Pedro. Supporters of Brazilian Independence enlarged the Brazilian Army by forced enlistment of citizens, foreign immigrants, mercenaries, and Brazilian slaves.

Command

[High command of the Imperial Army in 1885, including Prince Gaston, Count of Eu and Deodoro da Fonseca, 1st President of Brazil.] Under Articles 102 and 148 of the Constitution, the Brazilian Armed Forces were subordinate to the Emperor as Commander-in-Chief.[1] He was aided by the Ministers of War and Navy in matters concerning the Army and the Navy—although the Prime Minister usually exercised oversight of both branches in practice. The ministers of War and Navy were, with few exceptions, civilians.[2][3] The model chosen was the British parliamentary or Anglo-American system, in which “the country's Armed Forces observed unrestricted obedience to the civilian government while maintaining distance from political decisions and decisions referring to borders' security”.[4]

During the 67 years of the monarchy's existence there were 76 ministers of the army.

Structure

The National Army, or Imperial Army during the monarchy, was divided into two branches: the 1st Line, which was the Army itself; and the 2nd Line, which was formed by the Militias and Orderlies inherited from the colonial times. The military was organized along similar lines to the British and American armed forces of the time, in which a small standing army could quickly augment its strength during emergencies from a reserve militia force (in Brazil, the National Guard). By 1824 the Army of the 1st Line included 24,000 men,[5] who were disciplined, trained and equipped just as well as European equivalents.[6] At the end of the war of Independence, the Brazilian Armed Forces were already well organized and equipped.[7] This occurred mainly because the Emperor heavily supported the Army.[8]

Military education

  Year   Army (1st Line)   Army (2nd Line)
  ------ ----------------- -----------------
  1824   24,000            Unknown
  1827   27,242            95,000
  1832   6,000             Unknown
  1838   18,000            Unknown
  1851   37,000            Unknown
  1864   18,000            440,000
  1869   82,271            Unknown
  1875   17,000[9]         Unknown
  1883   13,000            Unknown
  1889   14,300[10]        Unknown

Army officers' training was completed in the Imperial Military Academy,[11] although it was not obligatory for personnel to study there to advance in the profession.[12] Personnel from the infantry and cavalry branches only needed to study the disciplines of the 1st year (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and technical drawing) and 5th year (tactical, strategy, camping, fortification in campaign, terrain reconnaissance and chemistry). Engineers and artillerymen were obliged to study the complete course, which resulted in their branches being considered the most prestigious. [Military College (known before as Military Academy) in Rio de Janeiro, 1888.] However, if they preferred, infantrymen and cavalrymen were allowed to study the disciplines of the 2nd year (algebra, geometry, analytical geometry, differential and integral calculus, descriptive geometry and technical drawing); 3rd year (mechanics, ballistics and technical drawing); 4th year (spherical trigonometry, physics, astronomy, geodesy, geography and technical drawing); 6th year (regular and irregular fortification, attacking and defending strongholds, civil architecture, roads, ports, canals, mineralogy and technical drawing); and 7th year (artillery, mines and natural history).[13]

In 1845 the Military College (originally known as the Military Academy) was divided into two-halves: one half retained the name “Military College” and the other half became the Central College.[14] A new reform (Decree nº 585) on 6 September 1850, considerably improved the quality of the officers of the Imperial Army.[15][16] From then on, progression in a soldier's military career would occur through antiquity, merit and academic resume, beyond a clear preference for the personnel who completed the Military College over the ones who did not.[17] On 20 September 1851, the conservative cabinet created a branch of the Military College in Porto Alegre. The Porto Alegre college location provided courses in infantry and cavalry, including disciplines taken from the 1st and 5th years of study.[18] The National Guard was reorganized in the same month and became subordinate directly to the Minister of Justice, instead of to the locally elected Judges of Peace.[19]

In 1874 the Polytechnical College of Rio de Janeiro was created from the Military School. The new college focused on the provision of civil engineering courses.[20] For the 1873–74 fiscal year, the Government allocated about 27 percent of the budget for the Army and the Navy.[21]

Wars and rebellions

Cisplatine War

The Empire declared war against the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata (now Argentina) in 1825 because that nation was aiding the secessionist revolt of the Brazilian province of Cisplatine. The Argentine and the Cisplatine secessionist troops made use of guerrilla tactics that prevented the much stronger Brazilian Army (1st Line with 27,242 men and 2nd Line with 95,000)[22] from delivering an overwhelming blow against its enemies. By the end of the conflict more than 8,000 Brazilians had died[23] and the esteem associated with a career in the military declined.[24] The resulting withdraw led to the independence of Cisplatina, which became Uruguay, and was the only war not won by Brazil in its independent history. In the aftermath, the military blamed the Emperor for not being able to convince the Parliament to allow more financial aid to purchase equipment, munitions and provisions, while the liberals, on the other hand, considered the monarch responsible for the high costs of the conflict.[25]

Regencial period

Pedro I's abdication resulted in the reduction of the size of the Army contingent.[26] The liberals were against the Army for ideological and economic reasons.[27] Their objective was to prevent any possibility of return to Brazil by Pedro I, so they weakened one of the institutions most connected to the former Emperor.[28] Some battalions were dissolved while others were transferred to distant provinces. Most of the soldiers were discharged; enlistment was suspended and the promotion of any officer was forbidden.[29] [Officers of the Imperial Army next to a cannon, 1886.] On 30 August 1831, the liberal regency reduced the Army to fewer than 10,000 men.[30] Later reductions left only 6,000 soldiers.[31] The battalions formed by mercenaries were also disbanded.[32]

With the intention of assisting the smaller Army, the Government created the National Guard on 18 August 1831.[33] The new institution would substitute for the old Militias and Orderlies that were extinguished at the same time.[34][35] The Guard did not have permanent troops nor barracks for lodging troops. In war times the National Guard was incorporated into the Army of 1st Line and it was, for all effects, a reserve force of the Imperial Army.[36]

The results of the Liberal's policy towards the Army were soon felt. The Government was incapable of fighting the rebellions that occurred in the country during the second half of the 1830s. The election of the conservative Pedro de Araújo Lima for the office of regent in 1837 completely changed the situation. The Conservative Party restored the Army,[37] reorganized and reequipped its ranks, and increased its size to 18,000 men.[38] The Imperial Army achieved several victories over the provincial revolts, including: Cabanagem, Sabinada, Ragamuffin War, among others. At the beginning of the 1840s a new reorganization of the Army gave it more cohesion and made it more capable.[39]

Platine Wars

[Colonel Joca Tavares (third sitting, from left to right) and his immediate assistants, including José Francisco Lacerda, better known as “Chico Diabo” (third standing, from left to right), responsible to kill Francisco Solano López in the Paraguayan War.] In 1851 the Imperial Army was composed of more than 37,000[40] men which 20,000 participated in the Platine War against the Argentine Confederation which opposed to Brazilian Empire's interests. The war ended in 1852 with the Brazilian victory at the Battle of Caseros, for some time establishing Brazilian hegemony over South America. The war ushered a period of economic and political stability in the Empire.[41]

The Uruguayan War (which was followed by the Paraguayan War) revealed the complete neglect subjected on the Imperial Army after 1852. The Army did not have enough equipment, ammunition, uniforms or transportation.[42] With only 18,000 men in 1864[43] it was necessary to search for reserve forces to collaborate with the war effort. In 1864 the National Guard enrollment was 440,000 men.[44] In spite of the impressive numbers, the Guard's military potential was considerably reduced by their lack of training and equipment and the resistance by most Guard members to deployment to the theater of operations. From then on the National Guard would be gradually put aside in favor of the Army.[45] The Fatherland Volunteer Corps was created on 7 January 1865. The Corps received volunteer and conscripted Brazilians.[46] The nomination of the Marquis of Caxias as the commander of the Imperial Army in the middle of 1866 put an end to the anarchy. In 1865 18,000 men were deployed in enemy territory. This number grew to 67,365 in 1866; 71,039 in 1867; and finally 82,271 in 1869.[47]

The Marquis of Caxias reorganized the troops who received uniforms, equipment and weapons equal in quality to those of the Prussian Army.[48] The health service of the Armed Forces was inferior to American Civil War health care, but was superior to Crimean War health programs.[49] The armed conflict lasted for more than five years and cost the lives of 50,000 Brazilians. However, the Empire attained victory and maintained its supremacy over the rest of South America. The Imperial Army mobilized 154,996 men for the war, divided into the following categories: 10,025 Army personnel who were in Uruguay in 1864; 2,047 in the province of Mato Grosso; 55,985 Fatherland Volunteers; 60,009 National Guardsmen; 8,570 ex-slaves; and an additional 18,000 National Guardsmen who remained in Brazil to defend their homeland.

Industrial base

[Prince Gaston, Count of Eu and Isabel, Princess Imperial along with officials visiting the plant dedicated to the manufacture of military weapons, 1886] Brazil had the largest industrial base in the whole Latin America and the second largest in the Americas after the United States. The army, unlike the Imperial Navy, suffered with much less investment, especially during the regency, rendering it inadequate, ill-trained, and ill-armed. From the 1850s began a slow modernization of the army, led by the Marquis of Caxias, beginning with doctrine and the acquisition of new armaments, including machine guns and new and modern artillery guns. During the Paraguayan War even an observation balloon previously used in the American Civil War was acquired by the Imperial Army. The Brazilian military industry emerged from the iron industry started by Viscount of Maua and was developing slowly.

Republican Coup d'Ètat

[The Proclamation of the Republic led by the Army, 15 November 1889.] A new generation of turbulent and undisciplined military personnel began to appear at the beginning of the 1880s, because the old monarchist officers, such as Duke of Caxias, Polidoro da Fonseca Quintanilha Jordão (Viscount of Santa Teresa), Antonio de Sampaio, Manuel Marques de Sousa, Count of Porto Alegre and Manuel Luís Osório, Marquis of Erval were dead.[50] In an Army with only 13,000 men, 7,526 were sent to jail in 1884 for bad behavior.[51] The cadets in the Military College learned about Positivism and discussed politics while completely ignoring military matters.[52] These men advocated the establishment of a military dictatorship.[53] In 1882, Army military officers murdered a journalist in broad day light when he criticized the behavior of the Army. The murder went unpunished.[54][55] The republicans stimulated the undisciplined behavior of these personnel during 1887 and 1888 by alleging a lack of attention and consideration on the part of the Government towards the Army.[56]

On 15 November 1889, the monarchy was overthrown by Army troops led by Field Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca who became the leader of the First Brazilian Republic, known as Sword Dictatorship.[57] Marshal Câmara (Viscount of Pelotas), affirmed that about 20 percent of the Imperial Army supported the coup.[58] In the following days several battalions of the Army, which were spread across the country, fought against republican forces with the intention of stopping the coup.[59] In Desterro, the 25th Infantry Battalion attacked the Republican Club on 17 November 1889. A month later on 18 December, in Rio de Janeiro, the 2nd Artillery Regiment tried to restore the monarchy.[60] In 1893, Monarchist soldiers participated in the Federalist Revolution with the intention of restoring the Empire.[61] The Monarchists who did not die in battle were imprisoned, deported or murdered.[62]

[1] See Articles 102 and 148 of the Brazilian Constitution of 1824

[2] Carvalho (2007), p.193

[3] Lyra, p.84

[4] Pedrosa, p.289

[5] Pedrosa, p.229

[6] Nabuco, p.463

[7] Vainfas, p.548

[8] Nabuco, p.58

[9] Costa, p.290

[10]

[11] Holanda, p.238

[12] Souza, p.110

[13] Souza, p.113

[14]

[15] Holanda, p.245

[16] Pedrosa, p.207

[17] Vainfas, p.549

[18]

[19] Vainfas, p.320

[20]

[21] Holanda, p.255

[22]

[23] Lustosa, p.277

[24] Nabuco, p.466

[25] Holanda, p.243

[26] Vainfas, p.318

[27]

[28] Souza, p.209

[29] Souza, p.205

[30]

[31] Holanda, p.244

[32]

[33] Pedrosa, p.225

[34]

[35] Souza, p.208

[36] Pedrosa, p.227

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41] Doratioto (2002), p.28

[42] Pedrosa, p.234

[43] Pedrosa, p.235

[44] Nabuco, p.503

[45] Pedrosa, p.242

[46] Pedrosa, p.237

[47] Schwarcz, p.303

[48] Versen, p.99

[49] Salles (1990), p.129

[50] Holanda, p.239

[51] Lima, p.114

[52] Lima, pp.112–113

[53] Lima, p.109

[54] Holanda, p.253

[55] Lima, p.112

[56] Holanda, p.256

[57] Lima, p.117

[58] Lyra, p.194

[59] Janotti, p.17

[60] Janotti, p.21

[61] Salles (1996), p.195

[62] Bueno, pp.254–255

title: Imperial Brazilian Army

question: What is the Imperial Brazilian Army?

answer: This is the name given to the land forces of the Empire of Brazil which was formed after the country became independent of Portugal in September 1822.

question: How was the Imperial Army formed?

answer: The Imperial Army was made from the Portuguese-Brazilian troops who remained in Brazil and were loyal to Prince Pedro after he declared independence and became the first Emperor of Brazil. The army was expanded through forced enlistment.

question: Who commands the Imperial Army?

answer: By the constitution, the Imperial Army and the Brazilian Armed Forces are subordinate to the Emperor (who has the military position of a commander-in-chief). While the Emperor has absolute authority, he is supported by ministers of war and navy -though in practice, it is the Prime Minister who exercises oversight of the army and navy.

question: List 4 details about the Imperial Army.

answer:
The leadership is modeled after the British parliamentary system.

It is divided into two. The 1st Line consists of the army. The 2nd Line is formed from militias and orderlies.

A certain degree of education was expected of troops and officers.

The Cisplatine War resulted in the only loss for the army.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Imperial Brazilian Army was formed when the First Emperor of Brazil declared independence from Portugal. It would continue to serve the country through various conflicts quite successfully, losing only once during the Cisplatine War.


text:
In shogi, the FUJII SYSTEM (藤井システム _fujii shisutemu_) is a set of Fourth File Rook strategies used against various Static Rook strategies. It was created as a way to attack Static Rook Anaguma castle positions.

It is named after Takeshi Fujii who invented the strategies, which awarded him the prestigious Kōzō Masuda Award in 1998. The system can also be applied for Third File Rook strategies.

Overview

The Fujii system is a set of strategies for Fourth and Third File Rook openings developed by Takeshi Fujii. In particular, the Fujii System attracted a good deal of attention as a countermeasure against Static Rook Anaguma with Fujii himself playing a prominent role.

As described below, the Fujii System includes countermeasures against Left Mino castles as well as Anaguma castles. In the latter case, characteristically, if the opponent is aiming for an Anaguma, the strategy consists of initiating a fight before the king can be completely castled into the Anaguma with the quick attack leading to the abandoning of the opponent's Anaguma and then dominating by way of the solidness of the Fujii System player's Mino castle. Since it typically involves the arrangement of pieces both in defense and offense across the player's whole camp rather than the move of a particular piece, it is called a _system_ instead of a single opening.

Traditionally, when the Static Rook side went for a slow game strategy, they would use Center Vanguard Pawn or King's Head Vanguard Pawn to go from a Boat castle to a Fortress and so on, hence choosing advanced castles, particularly due to the fragility to mate races from the side. However, due to the development of Left Mino and Static Rook Anaguma strategies for Static Rook, which allowed as much or more solidness than the Ranging Rook opponent, the winning percentage of Ranging Rook decreased dramatically. This trend became obvious when comparing the winning percentages of top players – Yoshiharu Habu, Toshiyuki Moriuchi, Yasumitsu Satō and Akira Watanabe – when playing Static Rook Anaguma. For instance, Satō was achieving a winning percentage of above 70% (except for a 58.8% when playing White), and Habu a total (as Black and White) win rate exceeding 90%. (In comparison, the overall winning percentage when playing Black is slightly above 50%.)

For that reason, while taking measures against Left Mino and Static Rook Anaguma, it became necessary to have a comprehensive, well-equipped way of attacking from the static rock traditional right silver quick attack and so on. In the Fujii system:

-   Against Left Mino, don't allow the ideal formation to occur, aim for a battle for the King's head.
-   Against Static Rook Anaguma, first of all don't let Anaguma to be formed or aim for a battle to occur before it gets formed. This includes attacking the rival's king as they're building Anaguma as if it were a sitting king, going back from ranging rook to static rook, or gathering power along the edge as if Spearing the Sparrow.

It underlies Kenji Kobayashi Super Fourth File Rook strategy as well as Masataka Sugimoto's research.

History

The decline in Ranging Rook Strategies

Before the Fujii system became widely known, as players using static rook felt uncomfortable in quick attacks against ranging rook strategies, openings which castled the king solidly like Left Mino or Static Rook Anaguma were found effective. As these castles were as solid or more than ranging rook's Mino castles, this turned further into slow game situations where only the static rook side had the liberty of initiating the attack. Furthermore, as ranging rook players had no effective countermeasure, the number of players choosing ranging rook openings declined.

As a ranging rook (Fourth File Rook) player himself, Fujii had been struggling to find ways to cope with Static Rook Anaguma and Left Mino, displaying when playing ranging rook a Silver Crown castle against left Mino, in the process of which (in the situation S-2g, K-3i, G-4g, G4i) the rook returned to the right flank with the goal of storming on the Left Mino king's head (e.g., in his 1995 All Japan Professional Shogi tournament game against Hisashi Namekata). Although this occurred previous to the development of the Fujii system, the attack on the left Mino king's head is a common goal.

The Fujii System against Left Mino

Originally, the Fujii system developed as an investigation on how to counter Left Mino. Due to the peculiar formation of left Mino, and particularly of Castle Tower Mino, it was very difficult for Ranging Rook openings to invade it.

After breaking through along the rook file, it would turn into an attack from the side, but while the king from the ranging rook's side would be on the rank 1 or rank 2, the Static Rook side's king will be on rank 3, so that when it came to an attacking race Ranging Rook would often lose in terms of number of moves. So, in order to attack the Castle Tower Mino, instead of attacking from the side, an attack from the vertical, aimed at its weak point on the king's head, started to intermingle. In the case of Black (Sente), following the placing of the king on 39, with P-45 the rival won't be allowed to build up his ideal four-pieces Mino, and you will aim at attacking the king's head with P-26. However, if the decision to push P-26 occurs too soon, White can aim to attack with the bishop from 53, so it's necessary to be very careful.

Akira Shima in the NHK Cup playing White against Fujii system won after being forced to build a High Mino following black's B-57, by then attacking the knight's head. From there on the usual formation became pushing black's pawn to 56, and after switching to a Third File Rook pushing the bishop to 68 hence making a direct attack on the king's head, and attacking together with the right knight. To put it simply, the measures of ▲P-25, △Px25, ▲Nx25 are harsh, too, and unless the bishop is at 31 the silver cannot be drawn back to 22 (▲P*24 is possible) when keeping the bishop's diagonal open, this turns into a development in which the static rook player has to be paying close attention always.

This is an unusually completed opening, and Left Mino is now barely ever seen among professionals when playing against Fourth File Rook.

The Fujii System against Anaguma

What has turned currently into the prevailing variation in the Fujii system is a so-called new version that came to be as a result of the investigation against Static Rook Anaguma strategies. It's become a strategy that combines both a quick vertical attack before the Static Rook Anaguma castle can be completed, relying on the bishop's diagonal as its key point, and counter-measures against static rook quick attacks.

In Black's (sente) case, a quick attack is started on the king by pushing on the pawn on the 1st file, as if it were a sitting king. If White's lance moves to 12 and the king manages to enter the hole in Anaguma, Black will then attack with N-25, and then P-45 and by opening the bishop's diagonal. If White (gote) goes instead for an early fight, Black will switch to K-48, and then K-39 and then to a Mino castle. Although it's often thought that the distinctive initial movements are easy to imitate, it's unusually difficult even for professionals to play them thoroughly, hence the popular saying “No one but Fujii can play the Fujii system.”

The Fujii System and the Millenium Castle

Because the Fujii system made it difficult for the static rook player to build Anaguma, many counter-measures were developed. One of them, appearing around the year 2000, is the Millenium castle. It's characterized by the fact that even though weaker in solidness compared to Anaguma, (white's) king being castled in 21 means not receiving direct attacks on the bishop's diagonal.

Up until then, the ranging rook would break down Anaguma by relying on the bishop's diagonal, as well as its subsequent development in 3rd File Rook's “Isao Nakata XP” tactic, posing a threat on the Static Rook Anaguma's king by way of the bishop's diagonal. For that reason, the Millenium castle that avoided the bishop's diagonal aimed at by the Fujii system's gained considerable influence.

Although the Millenium castle showed new developments against the Fujii system, in terms of the number of moves it took it lacked the solidity of Anaguma and the ranging rook players took advantage of that time by showing counter-measures against the building of Anaguma, so a perfect counter-measure was actually never reached. As a consequence of these particulars, this opening is almost never played against Fourth File Rook's Fujii system. In turn, against Third File Rook's Fujii system, since it has no effects on the quick attacks it has still considerable popularity.

Development

1. P-76 P-34, 2. P-66 P-84, 3. R-68 S-62, 4. P-16 K-42, 5. S-38 K-32, 6. S-78 P-54, 7. S-67 G61-52, 8. P-15 S-53, 9. G69-58 P-85, 10. B-77 B-33, 11. P-46 K-22, 12. P-36 P-44, 13. N-37 G-43, 14. P-65 G-32, 15. S-47

Black is employing a Fourth File Rook Fujii System position. Black's king remains in its start position. The left silver that formed a Mino castle earlier has been moved to the 47 square to protect the head of the knight that has been developed to 37 for attacking. The left edge pawn has been pushed all the way to the middle rank 5. Black's right silver is advanced to the 67 square and the bishop diagonal has been opened by pushing the sixth file pawn to 65 allowing the bishop to attack the diagonal that White's king is positioned on (22 square) and will continue to be on if White chooses an Anaguma castle (21 square).

title: Fujii System

question: What is the Fujii System?

answer: It is a strategy used in shogi to attack Status Rook Anaguma castle positions.

question: What strategy were players using before the Fujii System was invented?

answer: Before the Fujii system became widely known, as players using static rook felt uncomfortable in quick attacks against ranging rook strategies, openings that castled the king solidly like Left Mino or Static Rook Anaguma were found effective.

question: What was the most well-known countermeasure used against the Fujii System?

answer: The first recorded countermeasure was the Millenium castle which appeared in 2000.

question: Who invented the Fujii System?

answer: Takeshi Fujii.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The Fujii System is a strategy used in shogi to attack Status Rook Anaguma castle positions. It was named after Takeshi Fujii. Around 2000, a countermeasure used against the system was invented called the Millenium castle.


text:
SHOBHAKAR DHAKAL (born in Nepal)[1] is the Head of Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.[2] His main areas of expertise are energy and climate change policies. Dhakal actively contributes to international and scientific arena. He was the Coordinating Lead Author of the Nobel Prize winning 5th Mitigation Assessment Report written by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change(released in April 2014) for the Chapter on Human Settlements, Infrastructure and Spatial Planning.

Education

Dhakal received his Bachelors of Engineering (BEng) degree in electrical engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Surat in India, his Masters in Energy Economics and Policy from the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok and his PhD from The University of Tokyo. He was also a visiting student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) during his graduate studies.

Academic work

Currently he co-leads the ongoing Report on Climate Change and Cities.[3] He served as a lead author of the Global Energy Assessment[4]‘s for Urban Energy Systems and is the principle scientific reviewer of UNEP’s Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5). He is also a member of the Consensus Panel on Low Carbon Cities of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa (2008-2010) and member of the Cities Energy Modeling Group of the International Energy Agency for World Energy Outlook 2008. He is considered an international expert in such fields and was appointed to the Taskforce on Urban Development and Energy Efficiency of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

Together with Skee Houghton, Dhakal was founder and senior editor of the Carbon Management Journal published by Future Sciences in 2009 which has now been taken over by Taylor and Francis group. He was the co-editor of Carbon Management Journal until December 2016. He is also an associate editor of Elsevier’s Sustainable Cities and Society journal.

He is involved in city-based carbon mitigation research and was an executive director of the Global Carbon Project from 2006-2012 and played an instrumental role in bridging science and government policy. He was a guest scholar to the Transition to New Technologies Group of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, a visiting associate professor to Nagoya University, and is still a visiting researcher to National Institute for Environmental Studies,Japan. He was also a senior policy researcher and project manager of urban program at Institute for Global Environment Strategies Japan until 2006.

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title: Shobhakar Dhakal

question: Summarize the editing responsibilities of Dhakal past and present.

answer: He was the co-founder and senior editor of the Carbon Management Journal until December 2016. He's also an associate editor of Elsevier's Sustainable Cities and Society journal.

question: What are the research interests of Dhakal?

answer: City-based carbon mitigation; energy and climate change policies.

question: Summarize the educational background of Dhakal.

answer: He obtained his BEng in electrical engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Surat in India. His Masters in Energy Economics and Policy is from the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. His Ph.D. is from the University of Tokyo.

question: List Dhakal's internationally recognized work.

answer: He was the coordinating lead author of the Nobel Prize-winning 5th Mitigation Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for the chapter on "Human Settlements, Infrastructure, and Spatial Planning." He also contributes to various scientific journals about energy and climate policy, which are all internationally recognized.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Shobhakar Dhakal is the Head of the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. He specializes in energy and climate change policies. He was the coordinating lead author of the Nobel Prize-winning 5th Mitigation Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for the chapter on Human Settlements, Infrastructure, and Spatial Planning.


text:
There are times when I think about how Paul Tibbets did it.  The man who flew the *Enola Gay* toward Hiroshima must have thought on what he was about to do.  Did pulling the lever to open the bomb doors take him more than once?  Did his hands shake?  After all, he would end the war.  More lives would be saved if many died sooner rather than later.  I have not read interviews, no more than a short biographical paragraph containing an anecdote on how his wife thought the physicists in the Manhattan Project were plumbers.  I am afraid I will be disturbed by what I find.  Times were different then, maybe dehumanizing propaganda made it easier for him.  Maybe he rested soundly knowing he had defeated evil.  That is a luxury one does not have in civil war.

I marched into the lobby with the case in hand.  It was a bulky thing, not like a normal briefcase that one swings about while strutting to work.  I held it out from my body.  When starting this assignment my shoulder would ache from carrying it but after these few months I was used to it.  The ache of my arm blurred into the routine.  Pick up the case, ride the transport, ignore the randomly chosen route, go through security and deliver the case, then wait to return it.  That’s just how this will go, like every other day of the past few months.  Eyes open and scanning the lobby, back straight, chin up.  The leather of my shined shoes squeaking as I stepped up to the security checkpoint.

“Lieutenant Palmer for Office 51.” I said, holding my badge forward.

The man behind the desk acknowledged my clearance.  I handed the case to him and he placed it to the side of the scanner.  The case was never scanned, never opened by anyone but the men in Office 51 and the general I took it back to.  I stepped into the scanner and the man behind the desk could see everything; the medals on my uniform, the writing on the to-do list in my pocket, the scar tissue going from the small of my back deep toward my spine from shrapnel, and the dead man switch surgically integrated into my left.  If I was killed or activated the switch the case would be destroyed along with its contents and anyone who may have hijacked it.  The war between Earth and the Seceded Colonies was in full swing.  There were many colony sympathizers and agents that had come to Earth before the civilian traffic was cut off.  Riots, sabotage and assassinations sprouted in the cities like weeds through the cracks of asphalt.  Security was tight.

“You’re clear Lieutenant.”

I stepped through the other side of the scanner and grasped the case firmly, lifting it up from the table and balancing the awkward load.  Eyes forward and chin up, I marched down my usual path away from the main elevators to the back of the building where two men guarded a secluded door with a 51 written on it in humble white paint.  One man nodded to me and opened the door.  I stepped through to the elevator behind it.  After entering a combination of codes into the keypad on the far wall of the elevator began its long lurching ride down into the bunker below the building, Office 51.  My fingertips itched when the keypad had taken my DNA sample.

There were no cameras in the elevator.  They didn’t want records of what came in and out of here.  Not much time.  I quickly dropped the case on the floor, threw off my cap and tore off the tight and starched uniform coat.

*Stop shaking, you knew there was no turning back.*

I had opened the case earlier on the drive over to place the items inside, in the secluded passenger section of the transport.  After a breath and a very quick prayer I pressed my thumb to the reader on top of the case.  They had complete confidence in me.  I had reason to hate the colonies; my parents were killed in the riots leading up to the war.  Decorated, wounded in combat, comrades lost.  My loyalty was without question.  But I couldn’t continue to ignore what was happening in Office 51.

It took me too long to catch on to what they were doing.  I am no physicist, but overtime I began to piece together snippets of conversation I shouldn’t have overheard and documents that I shouldn’t have seen out of the corner of my eye.  They printed things that were so sensitive no computer’s security could be trusted.  Inside Office 51 they were making a doomsday weapon, a planet-buster.  The war was going so poorly that the Earth regime would hold the lives of tens of billions hostage, after making an example of the Colonies’ capital first.  I could not allow it, not more mass murder.  I pulled out the pistol I had stashed earlier in the case and chambered a round.  My fingers felt numb.

The elevator chimed and the door slid open, slowly.  Every day for the last few months it had seemed to open more quickly.  Too many heartbeats filled the gap of time.  A guard was posted by the elevator, the same spot every day.  Cameron was standing there today.  The slide of my pistol rotated back and then forward, soundlessly expelling a smoking shell and replacing it.  I marched out of the elevator.  A door around the corner was cracked open, men were laughing inside.  I kicked the case into the small room where the physicists were working and raced back to the elevator.  Crouching in the corner I tapped out the sequence on my thumb to activate the switch.  Pointer, middle, pointer, ring finger.

title: En Masse (scifi) Feedback greatly appreciated

question: Briefly summarize why the narrator was loyal to Office 51 and the event(s) that led him to question his loyalty to them.

answer: The narrator was a lieutenant working for what appeared to be a secret agency called Office 51, which he was devoted and loyal to. There was an ongoing war between the Earth and the Seceded Colonies. The lieutenant was in support of the war against the colonies because during the riots that led to the war, his parents were killed, and other comrades died. However, he began to question his undaunted loyalty to Office 51 when he discovered that they were creating a doomsday weapon that could result in another mass murder. Lieutenant Palmer refused to be a part of it, so he embraced his fears and took out the agency.


text:
Rider

My mom has always been supportive of my career as a musician. My dad never got around to it. The only bands he’d ever listen to were the Beatles and Rolling Stones. He wanted the Beatles played at his funeral, which he got. My mom never talks about the music that she listens to  except for her uncle Alan who toured the Midwest in the 50’s as a troubadour;  he’s still famous in our town.

I haven’t been home in a while, not that I miss it much. I moved to LA when I was 23. I was bored by the people at home. I was bored by my job at the grocery store and tired of not seeing anything. When I moved I had most of my” LA-experiences” during the first six months, right drugs- wrong people, that sort of thing. I thought the substances would inspire me as it seemed to inspire others but that never happened. I also played some gigs with local small-timers but it didn't amount to much.

My fourth summer in LA came around and thats when I met Terrie outside a used-car shop. I’d been looking to replace dad’s station-wagon that I’d driven to the coast. As  I was standing there looking over some of my options I saw the glint of peroxide-blonde hair and sweaty fishnet stockings out of the corner of my eye. I remember the coral lipstick, which I later learned was her favorite, so shiny on those lips. She walked up to me to bum a cigarette. As I’d recently quit smoking I apologized and told her I didn’t have any on me. Disappointed, she asked me for a lighter to borrow if she could bum a smoke from a man that was standing by a newsstand across the street. I didn’t have a lighter either but I reached into my vest pocket for the book of matches I always kept there. As I handed it to her she thanked me and smiled in the most heartbreaking way. I knew that I had to make her mine. Although I was more of what you might call the singer-songwriter type than a rocker, this girl with her glam rock look was something else. Underneath that make up I could see that she was pretty in an old-fashioned way. Later, when we were married, I used to tell her that she was like a burning wheat field blowing in the summer wind; she never understood what I meant and said I was a sucker. Our courtship was quick because her parents were very religious. Terrie was only 21 when we married but they consented and gave us their blessing because I was “a good God-fearing Midwestern boy.”

	Through Terrie I got more involved in the scene and discovered I had a knack for writing catchy riffs. I joined some of the locals who were in need of a guitarist and not long after that we played as support band for a famous band on their US tour. Months of touring and debauchery followed but after rising tensions in the band and disagreements with our management we decided to call it quits.

         Then Terrie got pregnant. She was excited but seeing as her job at the record store didn’t pay much and my being unemployed, I was worried to say the least. Fortunately I lucked out in joining as a touring and studio session guitarist with a band that had just signed  deal with a big label. Unfortunately this meant being on the road for long stretches at a time. Things quickly went downhill in our relationship and it was while touring in Japan that I got the terrible news that Terrie had suffered a miscarriage. She was inconsolable and quit her job. I tried to be home as much as I could to care for her but my obligations took me out of town again. Things between us never recovered after that and I blame myself. Two months after the loss of our child I got a call from Roy, a sergeant in the Marines who tells me he’s in love with my wife and she is in love with him and they are going to Germany. While this news hurt at first I can’t say I was surprised; I kept my nose to the grind to give me something else to think about. One tour lead to another and after 5 years the band went through a lineup change and I was thrust into the role of frontman. Evidently I did something right as we quickly started selling out the largest arenas and stadiums. We got through 3 good tours before ticket sales started to dwindle. These days we play to fairly large clubs and such, I don’t complain, seeing as it brings in good money. I live a private and enjoyable life.
	I’ve never met Terrie since our marriage ended but last I heard Roy was killed in a combat exercise and she had gotten remarried to a journalist. Even though our relationship went to pieces I still cherish terrie and our times together.
	At the venues we play the band usually has extensive requirements to ensure their comfort. My only requests on the rider are one ham sandwich and two fingers of bourbon. I usually go out into whichever city we’re playing that night and walk around while eating my sandwich. Even though the band is still fairly popular people seldom recognize me off the stage. I also try to find a bookstore to buy something by a local author for those long flights and bus rides. Just before showtime I’ll find a quiet spot in the venue and raise a glass for my Terrie.

title: "Rider"

question: What made the relationship between the narrator and Terrie break down?

answer: They spent too much time far away from each other.


text:
SPICY HORSE () was a Shanghai-based independent video game developer started by American McGee, Anthony Jacobson, and Adam Lang in 2007. It was announced on July 23, 2016 that the company is closing its doors to focus on smaller indie development.[1] The studio is best known for _Alice: Madness Returns_, the sequel to _American McGee's Alice_.

History

After shutting his then-company The Mauretania Import Export Company, American McGee flew to Asia to seek business opportunities.[2] From there, he met a pool of talented people in China who have been working and outsourcing games for western developers for many years but did not have any creative control over the IPs. American saw this as a favourable circumstance and decided to form a company in Shanghai to not only provide job opportunities to local talents but to also offer a healthy work environment.[3]

The studio was established in 2007. It was called a studio “leading the way” in episodic games.[4][5] It was the largest independent Western developer in China.[6]

Spicy Horse employed more than 70 people at their studio in Zhabei District, Shanghai.[7] The company's development process utilizeed a “core team” methodology and 100% outsourced art asset production to conserve energy directed at the core competencies of game development.[8]

Following rumors regarding the studio's closure, on March 29, 2016 McGee acknowledged that there had been some layoffs but they will continue to operate and will look to move away from F2P mobile games in the future.[9]

In 2016, McGee announced the closure of Spicy Horse after 10 years of development. He plans to focus on indie development using Patreon and work on a different work environment like his sailboat.[10]

Products

Their first title, _American McGee's Grimm_, was released on GameTap in July 2008 in an episodic form and ran through March 2009. It was built using Epic's Unreal Engine 3.[11]

Spicy Horse developed the sequel to _American McGee's Alice_ for Electronic Arts, titled _Alice: Madness Returns_.[12] It is the first console game entirely designed and developed in China for export.[13]

Spicy Horse spawned a childcompany, Spicy Pony, for creating digital mobile media games for the iPhone.[14] Their first title, _DexIQ_ was released in early December 2009. Their second was a Little Red Riding Hood adaption for the iPad called _Akaneiro_. Their next project was to be an adaptation of _The Wizard of Oz_, _OZombie_, financed by a Kickstarter campaign. The campaign was cancelled on July 14, 2013 in order to focus on a series of _Alice_ short films[15] and due to lack of support for the OZombie project.[16]

  Title                                Year   Platforms                          Developer     Publisher         Notes
  ------------------------------------ ------ ---------------------------------- ------------- ----------------- --------------------------------------------------
  _American McGee's Grimm_             2008   Windows                            Spicy Horse   GameTap           Episodic McGee takes on various Grimm tales.
  _DexIQ_                              2009   iPad, iPhone, iPod                 Spicy Pony                      Puzzle game
  _American McGee Presents Akaneiro_   2010   iPad                               Spicy Pony                      Little Red Riding Hood in Japan
  _American McGee's Crooked House_     2010   iPad, iPhone, iPod                 Spicy Pony                      Puzzle game
  _Alice: Madness Returns_             2011   PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows   Spicy Horse   Electronic Arts   Sequel to _American McGee's Alice_
  _BigHead Bash_                       2012   TBA                                Spicy Horse   TBA               Side scrolling/battle multiplayer. (Unreleased)
  _Crazy Fairies_                      2012   Mobile, Facebook                   Spicy Horse   TBA               Currently in the Closed Beta Stage. (Unreleased)
  _Akaneiro: Demon Hunters_            2013   Browsers, Tegra-powered tablets    Spicy Horse   Spicy Horse       A Japanese/McGee take on Little Red Riding Hood.

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title: Spicy Horse

question: Summarise the history of Spicy Horse.

answer: The video game studio was established in 2007 when American McGee saw potential in Chinese game developers. It operated in Shanghai and focused on the core elements of game development. It was closed in July 2016.

question: Summarize the type of video games produced by Spicy Horse.

answer: Most of its games are adaptations / explorations of fairy tales, including Grimm tales and Little Red Riding Hood. Some of them bear co-founder American McGee's name. In terms of genre, some appear to be puzzle games.

question: Summarize what the passage tells us about Spicy Horse's business model.

answer: Its game development focused on using a relatively small 'core team' of 70 staff to engineering the core elements of game development, outsourcing art asset production. It use a child company, Spicy Pony, to target the iPhone game market. The article doesn't cover Spicy Horse's fundraising / financial management practices in full, but it does mention one project being financed via Kickstarter.

question: Summarize the working conditions at Spicy Horse.


text:
I wrote this story for a school competition, and I ended up being one of the winners, just wanted to share it with you guys! It's about a German soldier from WWI. Enjoy.

Prologue:

Face down. Face down. Not face up. Face down. Didn't scream or anything. Just dropped. Stone cold. I tried to save him, but he was bleeding too hard. Straight through the jugular. Dead.

Chapter 1:

2 days earlier…

"The front line?"

"Yep."

"But we've only been here for a couple days!"

"Well, you won't miss it then."

I couldn't believe it. The front line. The big one. No more wallowing in the reserves, doing boring training. We were going to the big show.
"So, Alan, how long for?"
"2 weeks, then they rotate us out"
"Only 2 weeks?"
"Yep. Pack your things."
Alan was on his bed, packing his backpack with all he needed. I was still processing this new knowledge. After a few seconds, I put my pack on my bed and began to pack.

Chapter 2:

The front line…
Our ride to the front was uneventful, except for the constant pounding of artillery, but that eventually faded into background noise. When we got there, we were directed to our trenches under an iron sky of guns, grenades and bullets.
Apparently, the enemy were making a push towards us. At one point, they came about 10 metres away from our trench and we could see the whites of their fear-stricken eyes. I killed my first man that day. Got him in the stomach, then finished him off when he sank to his knees. The charge broke a few moments afterwards, with men running as fast as they could back to their trenches.
About a quarter of them actually made it back. The rest lay dead or dying in various amounts of pain, strewn around the battlefield like discarded toys. The one I shot had apparently been one of the enemies braver officers, and people were calling me things like "Hero" and "Saviour".

Someone told me that the person I shot had been leading the charges for months on end and that we lost lots of men whenever he was at the head of a charge.
"Now he's gone", he stated, "We'll have that trench within the week, you mark my words!"

Chapter 3:

The next day…
Alan thought that what I'd done was pretty heroic, too. He patted me on the back like everybody else. I felt like shit. I couldn't see what I had done as a good thing. I'd killed a man. Sure, he had been killing our men too, but he was a hero to the enemy. I'd killed one of their greatest inspirations. If any of those men, in that trench not too far from ours, survived, they would be reduced to emotional wrecks. Not just from losing a great hero, but from the war itself. I'd seen it already, on our side. Veterans walking around, almost trance-like, probably trying to remember a happier time, like before the war. Or their 10th birthday. They had lost touch with reality. That's what any sane soldier fears. Not the cold, dark embrace of death, or the pain, but the sight. The feel. The loss of what you think the world is, stripped away until there is-
"Sam?"
I snapped out of it. I realised I was drooling from lack of concentration. Oh feth, I thought. Is it already happening? Surely not this fast?
"Sam?" Alan repeated. I was aware now.
"Yeah, Alan?"
"We're moving up-trench"
"Really? Why?"
"Logistics apparently thought that losses would be much higher, so the trench is overcrowded. We need to move up in case of bombardment, or it gets too hard to fight."
That made a lot of sense. "How much did Logistics misestimate by?" I asked.
"Well, word from the rabble is that they thought we'd lose the same amount as all the other times, 'cos of that officer you killed. They thought the casualties would be up in the hundreds"
I stared at him, wide-eyed with shock. Had that one man been that inspiring? Could one man really make other men fight with such fervour and fury that his death is the tipping point in a battle?"
These thoughts were at the forefront of my mind as we packed our meagre belongings up and moved up the trench, to the heavier fighting.

Final Chapter:

The next day, I had had an epiphany.
I was that man, now.
I was the hero that all the other men were inspired by.
I could make them fight with the fury and strength of a million men, when we were only a few thousand.
Word had already spread to the other trenches. I was Slayer der Götter, who was already a figure of legend.
 It showed how low morale had been, for me to be elevated to such a high status without being an officer or commander.

These men would follow me to hell and back.

Suddenly, the was a clamour rising from the trench. Men were shouting orders to get ready. We were going to assault the enemy trenches. I looked around. About a dozen men were looking my way, as if I was going to lead them. As soon as the sirens went, I knew I had no choice. I clambered up the trench line with Alan by my side. We were best friends, nothing could stop us.
The few trees in our way provided a little cover from the withering, inaccurate fire coming from the other trench. We had 20 meters to go.
18.
15.
11.
Then, out of nowhere, Alan dropped.
Face down. Face down. Not face up. Face down. Didn't scream or anything. Just dropped. Stone cold. I tried to save him, but he was bleeding too hard. Straight through the jugular. Dead.
My fury was taken to new heights. I grabbed his bayonet from the end of his rifle. I had two in my hands. One to murder and one to avenge. I sprinted the final 10 meters with a war cry on my lips. The men around me did the same.
Then, I was among them. Swinging wildly. It was all a blur of stabbing, ripping, killing, swinging, screaming, blood, death, stamping.
I stopped. The men I had killed were strewn about me, in various states of mutilation. I sprinted around the trench corner.
And I saw him. Death was 20 years old or so, clad in the combat gear of the enemy, bearing a rifle. I stared Death down the barrel of his gun, and didn't flinch when he claimed me.
-Sam-

title: Chains of Command

question: What does the story say about war?

question: What does the story say about the narrator and Alan?

answer: The narrator and Alan are assigned to the frontline. The narrator killed his first man that day. The person he killed was important and even Alan was impressed by him. Unfortunately, the narrator feels nothing but guilt for killing him. Out of nowhere, Alan is shot dead. The narrator fights back but is eventually shot dead.

question: What does the story say about the narrator's feelings?

answer: The narrator and Alan are assigned to the frontline. The narrator killed his first man that day. The person he killed was important and even Alan was impressed by him. Unfortunately, the narrator feels nothing but guilt for killing him. Out of nowhere, Alan is shot dead. The narrator feels fury at the sight of his death and goes on a killing spree until he is eventually shot dead.

question: What does the story say about death?


text:
GALVESTON - A Galveston County judge on Wednesday threw out a criminal trespass case against a Galveston police officer accused of illegally entering a vehicle owned by an activist who had taken video of the front of the county Justice Center.

District Judge Kerry Neves dismissed the case against Sgt. Archie Chapman Jr. after agreeing with defense attorney Gregory Cagle that the prosecution had failed to prove its case.

_'Get back to work'_

After explaining to jurors that their services were no longer needed, Neves looked at the 12-year police veteran and said, "Mr. Chapman, get back to work."

Chapman's wife, Rachel, hugged one of her husband's supporters, saying, "I got my husband back."

The officer waded into a throng of back-slapping supporters, many of them in police uniforms, hugging and shaking hands. "It's been a tough 15 months" since the Nov. 4, 2015, incident, he said.

Chapman said he was surprised that the trial ended on its first day without going to the jury but that he had been prepared for a jury verdict in his favor.

"My heart was in the right place," he said about entering the car without the owner's permission, a warrant or reason to believe that a crime had been committed.

The activist, 27-year-old Phillip Turner of Austin, was not immediately available for comment.

He had been charged with failure to identify himself to police, but the city dismissed the charge in November 2015 and later reached a $10,000 settlement with him.

_Legs outside car_

Turner testified that he had not given Chapman permission to enter his car.

Wednesday's dismissal turned on a legal requirement that one's entire body be in the vehicle for there to be criminal trespass.

A prosecution witness had testified that Chapman's legs were partly out of the car, and an investigator testified that she had no evidence that Chapman's body was entirely inside the vehicle.

Neves paid little heed to prosecutor John Haugh, who pointed out that Chapman had said three times in an interview with an investigator that he had entered the car and admitted that it was wrong to do so.

The charge against Chapman sprang from his arrest of Turner, a civil rights activist who takes videos of police stations throughout Texas to assert the right of the public to photograph police officers and public buildings.

He testified that he has been arrested several times and has sued several cities that prevented him from taking videos or arrested him.

Turner operates a YouTube page, The Battousai, where he has posted some 300 videos of his interactions with police and of public buildings.

He also is a correspondent for an internet publication, "Photography is Not a Crime," which monitors police censorship.

_No ID provided_

Turner, who is employed full time in the Information Technology department of an Austin company, met with another activist, David Worden, after taking video of police stations in League City and Texas City without incident, he testified.

They drove in Turner's Toyota Corolla to Galveston, where they began videoing the Galveston Law Enforcement Facility, which houses offices of the city police and Galveston County sheriff.

Chapman asked Turner for his identification, according to testimony. Turner always refuses to provide his identity to officers, citing Texas law stating that it is required only if a crime has been committed. He had locked his wallet in his car to prevent officers from learning his identity by taking his driver's license.

Jailers told Chapman that they could not book Turner without identification.

In a video of an interview with Investigator Carolyn Adkins of the DA's office shown to the jury, Chapman said two sheriff's deputies approached him with a key fob taken from Turner's personal effects and said they were going to use it to find Turner's car.

Chapman went with the deputies, and they found the car parked in front of a business about a block from the courthouse by holding the fob out the window and clicking it until the car lights flashed.

Worden testified that he saw Chapman sit in the driver's seat, his legs partly out of the car, and lean toward the console to get Turner's wallet.

question: What does the article cover?

answer: A trial and its details. Judge Neves dismissed the case against Officer Chapman after agreeing with the defense attorney that the prosecution failed to prove its case. The dismissal was based on the legal requirement that one's entire body be in the vehicle for there to be criminal trespass. The officer's legs remained outside of the vehicle.

question: Where did the event take place?

answer: Galveston County, Texas

question: Is the article factual or opinion?

answer: Factual

question: Who was involved in the event?

answer: District Judge Kerry Neves, Sgt. Archie Chapman Jr., and Philip Turner

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The story covers a trial and its details. Judge Neves dismissed the case against Officer Chapman after agreeing with the defense attorney that the prosecution failed to prove its case. The dismissal was based on the legal requirement that one's entire body be in the vehicle for there to be criminal trespass. The officer's legs remained outside of the vehicle.


text:
I’m sitting in the second-to-last row of the school bus, looking for someone to notice how quiet I’m being.
I’ve had a lot of days like these recently. The headache starts around noon, and by the time I get on the bus, my head is pounding and I feel like I’m going to be sick. I never do, but I kind of wish I would.
So every time, I’m stuck. Sitting here. I can’t do anything because it hurts. Doing nothing hurts too. The stringy brown leather of the seats is hot and I hate it.

I’m supposed to want everyone to be quiet. Anyway, my head stings when they’re loud. So when they start yelling too much I glare at them. They feel bad and look away. It doesn’t help.
The first few times they feel bad for you. They try to talk to you and ask you what’s wrong and how it feels and what they should do. But too many times and it’s not interesting.

I turn around behind me where the only other 5th grader is talking loudly, proud that he’s gotten the back seat. Just for today, I think. Every day we race for the back seat. I know it doesn’t seem important but it is. On days like this, though, I walk. I walked slowly here instead of the usual sprinting and shoving, and he still thinks he’s won something. Well today doesn’t count.

Finally I find myself wandering off the bus and exaggeratedly stumbling across the street. The bus rolls away with an aching hiss and I’m just standing there. I don’t want to walk home, but I can’t think of anything better. I walk a few steps and sit down. Everything is spinning and I’m really wishing I could cry. Suddenly there’s a familiar yapping. It should be annoying, but I’m so glad for the distraction that I sit and soak it in for a while before looking. I knew what it was but I looked anyway. I shouldn’t have. It’s bright out. Oh yeah, so the yapping belongs to a neighbor’s dog. There he is.

We talk about this neighbor a lot. Today he’s wearing a floral pink dress and red high heels that he’s clearly just mowed the lawn in. Oh wait, I said he. Maybe I should have said she? I don’t care. My head hurts.
He’s still just sitting there on his porch, just like every day. Well except some days. Some days he’s not there. I think I should be creeped about. I pretend to play with the grass because I still can’t get up. He’s might be looking at me. I wonder what he’s thinking. I wonder if he gets headaches too.

My migraine drops intensity for a few seconds and I need to take advantage of it. I jump up and pretend I’m fine. I walk forward, faster and faster. I make it past two houses until it all comes back, even worse to make up for the time I had.  I plop down on the curb.

Now he’s behind me, the only person outside on the whole street. I force myself to shift on the curb just enough so I can look at him, but pretend not to. Suddenly I realize how stupid I must look, and feel like I need an excuse. Dang it, if only I could cry. Instead I guess I’ll have to smile. I actually manage a sincere grin, sort of like I’m laughing at myself. I pretend he smiles back and maybe even gives me a nod, but I’m too far away and the street is blurry.

It’s time to go. I take a few deep breaths until I get one right, and then I stand up. I’m dizzy but I walk until I reach my front door. No one’s home. I walk in, collapse on the couch, and cry.

title: I'm new here, I've never written a short story in my life, and I'm really nervous. I'm sure this is awful, but could you give me some honest feedback?

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: An unnamed 5th-grade student who suffers from migraines.

question: What is causing the narrator's pain?

answer: A migraine.

question: Where is the narrator going?

answer: Home, on the school bus.

question: With whom does the narrator interact?

answer: The narrator glares at kids who are too loud on the bus and smiles at a neighbor on the walk home.

question: Is the neighbor trans?

answer: It's not clear/explicit.

question: Is the narrator misgendering the neighbor?

answer: It's not clear/explicit.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is a 5th-grade student who suffers from migraines, taking the school bus home and having to stop to rest on the walk from the bus stop past the neighbors' houses.


text:
As the title says this is an unfinished work. I use to do a a lot of writing a few years back, found this in an old google docs account from back then. this was dated 12/18/08.

"	Pausing for a moment in front of the semi-mirrored glass that he always thought seemed ill fit for the large stone industrial age building, he runs his hand over his hair. giving his reflection a quick glace head to toe, tugging slightly on his blue dress shirt to make sure it looked just right. Mark always made sure he dressed up on Friday. despite the general attitude of his co-workers to dress casual, he had to be perfect. It wasn't always this way he too had enjoyed and would other wise still enjoy the casual dress code of Fridays at his office had it not been for that Friday back in march. when in his usual scatter brained manner he misplaced his bank card. It being Friday and Mark being in his mid to late 20's he wasn't about to be left stranded home for the week end. So at five when he would have other wise walked out his office, taken a left to the elevator, where he would suffer through the daily unpleasant conversation with bill from HR. bill would go on and on about his plans of various sexual encounters down to the the grittiest of details. though mark would humor bill and cheer him on with the typical machismo fashion of a frat boy, bill was none the wiser that his eye betrayed his every fantasy. he would go home, grab a frozen dinner and proceed to watch what seemed an endless stream of  edited for television movies and infomercials till Monday morning when he'd return to work. spend most of the day searching dating sites in his office with brief interludes of actual work. bill would eat lunch alone as no one could tolerate his attempts at fitting in socially, often descried as pathetic and over bearing when mentioned around the water cooler. the later half of the day was spent day dreaming of fantastic social adventures at night clubs with two, three even four of the sexiest woman any man could desire, draping  over him like a royal robe. then at 5 he would wait to leave his office till he saw mark whom he saw as  his closet friend based solely on their 5 minuets of interaction at the elevator and on the ride to the lobby of the office build. When at the door bill would look at his watch make an exuberant claim about some meeting with a  "smoking hot bitch". at which point Mark would then make his way through the barrage of traffic and into the subway as quickly as possible. Except on that Friday in march. Instead of his usual hurried escape from his office and and even more hurried escape from bill into the sub way he decided he'd make his way over to the bank located just a hundred yards away. it was one of those banks build during the hay day of the industrial revolution. large and comprised of blocks of granite, with the entrance to the lobby ornately defined with marble pillars. All together a very imposing building except for the small detail which mark would often find him self obsessively pondering. the large semi-mirrored windows framed with brushed stainless steel. the type of thing done in the 60's in an attempt to modernize the design, or so he figured.Pushing open the large glass doors, adorn with polished brass mark was, as he usually is taken back slightly by the lobby. It has polished white marble floors that run up the walls to meet the ceiling that was just as impressive. made entirely of some kind of dark wood that was painstakingly crafted by hand.  a patch work of latticed beams  that intersected an oval dome housing a mural and the banks slogan all lit by a grand crystal chandelier. as he took in the rare beauty of such craftsmanship he made his way to the row of wooden counters in the center of the floor. As he stood there looking over the rainbow of forms. Red loan applications, yellow deposit slips, blue withdrawal forms, fliers and pamphlets his eye was slowly drawn to her.

 she was just standing there, paused in the entrance of the lobby. he watched her trying not to seem as of he was. Reaching out and grabbing a pamphlet, fumbling it around in his hand. his head tilted down as if to look like he was reading but his eyes fixed on her."My god, she's beautiful." mark thought to him self as he watched her walk over to the row of tellers to the left of the lobby. she had a swing in her step, her brown curly hair bouncing as she moved. her walk had a swing in it, he hips swayed. Mark found him self fantasizing that she had seen him watching her and was putting on a show  just for him. she had caprices on that hugged her form, emphasizing her womanly curves and a form fitting blue t-shirt. he couldn't help but notice her breasts. she stood about five feet 2 inches but she wore a slight heel, five foot even with out. proportionately her breasts seemed large.

   An over weight elderly man in an old three piece suite that barley fit had made his way to the counter and placed him self directly in front of mark on the opposite side blocking his view. He had lost all focus with what he was doing, perhaps this mans unfortunate placement was for the best. looking down at the pamphlet in his hand he realized he's been flipping through a"

title: stolen love:unfinished:

question: Who works in HR?

answer: Bill

question: What did Mark lose on that Friday in march?

answer: His bank card.

question: Who did Mark see at the bank?

answer: A beautiful woman.

question: What did Mark think of the bank?

answer: He was very impressed with the design.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is telling a story of how Mark doesn't dress casually on Fridays anymore because of a day that he lost his bank card. Mark went to the bank to get it replaced, where he saw a beautiful woman waiting in line. Mark dislikes his coworkers, like Bill from HR, who, despite crippling loneliness, spends all his time at work talking about beautiful women he's been with.


text:
[Evo Logo]

Evo 2016 (Evo)
_By Daniel “Tafokints” Lee_

We’re just a week out from Evo 2016, but trying to pick the Super Smash Bros. Melee favorite heading into the event is difficult at best.

The events at WTFox 2, which wrapped up on July 3, makes it even more confusing. In an odd sequence of events, Joseph “Mango” Marquez won the tournament without dropping a single set, Adam “Armada” Lindgren noticeably struggled in bracket, and Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma finished in fifth, his worst placing this year.

Looking back further into 2016 doesn’t clarify much. Armada ended 2015 with a well-deserved first place on the annual SSBMRank, but the gap between him and everyone else has shrunk considerably. Hungrybox has been dominant with seven majors wins this year, Mango has been incredibly consistent, and Leffen has shown flashes of greatness despite the general lack of practice. Going into Evo 2016, how do the four best players in the world stack up?

[Juan ]

Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma at CEO 2016 (Rose Silvestre)
Hungrybox

If you told me a year ago that Hungrybox would win seven majors by Evo, I would have laughed in your face. Yet, here we are in July, and Hungrybox has been mostly unstoppable. Most players retain good records because of their low sample size and their hesitancy to travel when they feel less than 100%, but Hungrybox has traveled to far more events than anyone else and logs multiple wins over players that once gave him trouble. In fact, prior to WTFox2 , he was undefeated against everyone below the Top 4 on the 2015 SSBMRank.

+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| RANK                  | PLAYER                | SCORE                 |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 1                     | Hungrybox             | 2363                  |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 2                     | Armada                | 2351                  |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 3                     | Mang0                 | 2318                  |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 4                     | Leffen                | 2288                  |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 5                     | Mew2King              | 2178                  |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+

_Table 1: Glicko Ratings (Aug 2015 – Present / Data courtesy @moby_osman)_

Quantitative measures also favor Hungrybox as the best of the bunch. Glicko ratings examine a player’s match history and assigns a predictive rating with some degree of variance. His consistency against the field and overall record against elite talent has given him the slight edge over Armada. His stellar record, large sample size, and major wins are all sound arguments for putting him in first even with a poor performance at WTFox 2.

[Adam ]

Adam “Armada” Lindgren (Adam Lindgren)
Armada

Armada has travelled to fewer events, largely due to the fact that he lives in Europe, but he’s outperformed Hungrybox in three out of five of them and has a better head-to-head record. Sometimes, Armada’s excellence is taken for granted because of how long he’s been a stellar player. While Hungrybox has been amazing in 2016, Armada has performed at that level for years.

Considering how reluctant Smash fans were to remove Mango from the throne last year, it’s also important to consider how much work Armada has done before handing the crown to Hungrybox. From the second half of 2015 to 2016, Armada won Evo 2015, The Big House 5, Genesis 3, and both Smash Summits. While Armada has underperformed (by his standards) in recent tournaments, he has always shown up at the events that matter the most.

[Joseph ]

Joseph “Mango” Marquez (Cloud9)
Mango

Mango has been lurking in the shadows with seven second place finishes in 2016. It’s unusual to describe him as “consistent,” however, especially when looking at his overall career. His 2015 included a 17th place finish at HTC Throwdown, among several other lackluster performances, but his 2016 has been remarkable. It’s interesting to see how quickly people forget that Mango was the heavy favorite at most events just two years ago.

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| H2H RECORDS | ARMADA      | HBOX        | LEFFEN      | MANGO       |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| vs. 1-4     | 6-8         | 9-9         | 4-1         | 10-11       |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| vs. 5-7     | 5-1         | 6-1         | 1-0         | 9-2         |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| vs. 8-10    | 3-0         | 9-0         | 1-2         | 6-3         |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| vs. 11-25   | 10-0        | 25-1        | 5-1         | 19-1        |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Total       | 24-9        | 49-11       | 11-4        | 44-17       |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

_Table 2: The Big 4’s record against the field (Sorted by SSBMRank 2015)_

His overall win-loss record is closely aligned with Armada’s and not too far behind Hungrybox’s. His year has slowly been heating up, too (Mango typically enjoys dominant summers). He started the year with a 2-6 set deficit to Hungrybox, but has brought it to a much more respectable 5-8 and he now holds the upper hand against Armada with an impressive 5-2 set record, a drastic turnaround from his abysmal 2-7 set record against Armada in 2015.

The top players often talk about how momentum is important in succeeding at large events and Mango looks scarier than ever, especially after winning WTFox 2, where he didn’t drop a single set. Granted, he did have an easier bracket by not having to play Hungrybox, but he decimated Armada in two quick sets.

People tend to criticize Mango, understandably, for some of his bad habits, but he’s quietly become one of the world’s most well-rounded players. No one can take space and win skirmishes quite as well as Mango, but he’s also learned when to rein in the aggression. Along with noticeable improvements in his gameplans, he added a Marth for situational counterpicks, which effectively destroys Armada’s Final Destination counterpick. With a big win at WTFox 2, Mango carries all of the momentum going into Evo 2016.

[William ]

William “Leffen” Hjelte (Red Bull Content Pool)
Leffen

Leffen is the biggest mystery because of his small sample size.

He holds an impressive 4-1 record in head-to-head matchups with the top 4 players (Table 2), but that was mainly from one good performance at Get On My Level. However, he still split sets with Armada and Weston “Westballz” Dennis earlier this year at BEAST 6 even though he was out of practice due to his visa issues.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see Leffen play Armada again at DreamHack, but the fact still remains: Leffen is undefeated in sets since EGLX. He may have some match issues with Samus, but he can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the top five. If he can remain in winners bracket on day 3, he has a great chance to take Evo 2016.

Tafo’s Pick

The race to Evo remains tight. Armada has the most impressive history, winning the most events. Objective rankings put Hungrybox at number one for his impeccable 2016. Mango carries the momentum after WTfox, and Leffen has a terrifying X-factor after GOML. At this point, all four players have a perfectly conceivable chance of winning Evo.

Still, I have to go with Mango. His ability to perform on the biggest stage gives him a distinct advantage over the competition. He already has two Evos under his belt and could have made a run last year had it not been for his critical self-destructs against Hungrybox. Mango has come full circle, and it’s time that he earns his third Evo trophy.

_Daniel Lee is on Twitter @tafokints._

question: Who are the professional gamers being discussed in the article?

answer: Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma, Adam “Armada” Lindgren, Joseph “Mango” Marquez, William “Leffen” Hjelte

question: Who won the tournament without dropping a single set?

answer: Joseph “Mango” Marquez

question: Who went undefeated in sets since EGLX?

answer: William “Leffen” Hjelte

question: Who is Tafo's pick to win Evo 2016?

answer: Joseph “Mango” Marquez

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: A week before the Evo 2016 tournament, Daniel “Tafokints” Lee is trying to pick the Super Smash Bros. Melee favorite, but the going is difficult because the gamers Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma, Adam “Armada” Lindgren, Joseph “Mango” Marquez, William “Leffen” Hjelte are all evenly matched. He looks back to previous events like WTFox 2 last July 3 and rankings for 2015 to 2016, finding inconsistencies in most of the player's records. Lackluster performances notwithstanding, Daniel's pick to win this year's Evo 2016 event is Joseph “Mango” Marquez due to his ability to perform on the biggest stage and he has two Evo's under his belt.