text:
The US and the UK have rejected a Russian and Syrian offer of a temporary “pause” on airstrikes in Aleppo as the basis for reopening talks, saying there has to be a credible and durable ceasefire that should initially last as long as 48 hours.

Moscow had announced a temporary halt in the military push ahead of a planned eight-hour humanitarian pause on Thursday, designed to give rebel militants and the injured a chance to leave the city.

The US State Department said the Russian offer was too little, too late, and the UN humanitarian spokesman said that relief workers needed longer than eight hours to help extricate the injured.

Moscow announced on Tuesday that Russian and Syrian warplanes had halted their bombardment of the rebel-held districts of the city. Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said “The early halting of airstrikes is necessary to declare a ‘humanitarian pause’. It will … guarantee a safe exit of civilians through six corridors and prepare for the evacuation of the ill and the wounded from the eastern part of Aleppo.”

Russian president Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the halt in the airstrikes was a goodwill gesture to pave the way for Thursday’s pause. “The Russian military is offering yet another chance, and we hope that our partners will allow us all to take advantage of that,” Peskov said.

The United Nations said Russia has communicated plans for two eight-hour cease-fires in rebel-held parts of Aleppo over “consecutive days” this week, implying there may be a further pause on Friday.

Jens Laerke of UN humanitarian coordinator OCHA said in Geneva the agency needs assurances from all sides that fighting will stop before it can provide humanitarian assistance to the city.

The Syrian crisis is likely to be discussed by Putin, German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president François Hollande when they meet in Berlin on Wednesday, primarily to discuss the Ukrainian stand-off.

Merkel said sanctions against Russia over its actions in Syria should remain an option and cautioned against miracles over the Ukraine crisis.

The Russians appear to be trying to work round both Britain and France by attempting to win the support of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar for a ceasefire that will put pressure on al-Nusra front fighters to leave Aleppo. Estimates of the number of al-Nusra fighters in the city vary between 400 and 900.

In Moscow, Shoigu explained Russia is “asking the countries wielding influence with the [Syrian] rebels … to persuade their leaders to end fighting and leave the city”.

Russia has improved its relations with Turkey, and neither Turkey or Saudi Arabia say they want al-Nusra to remain in Aleppo. America has also condemned the al-Nusra prescence, saying despite a name change the group remains ideologically affiliated to al-Qaida.

Repeated efforts to separate moderate fighters from al-Nusra have so far come to nothing, partly due to resistance in Aleppo, and the lack of assurances about the length of the ceasefire.

Within the Aleppo there was no sign of support for the Russian proposal. “The factions completely reject any exit – this is surrender,” Zakaria Malahifji, political officer of the Aleppo-based Fastaqim group told Reuters.

Al-Farouk Abu Bakr, an Aleppo commander in the powerful Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham, said the rebels would fight on.

“When we took up arms at the start of the revolution to defend our abandoned people we promised God that we would not lay them down until the downfall of this criminal regime,” he said, referring to President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

“There are no terrorists in Aleppo,” he said, speaking from Aleppo. Rebels in eastern Aleppo have consistently said that insurgent groups linked to al-Qaida or inspired by it have no real presence in the opposition-held part of the city.

The British foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, maintained his tough tone and rejected a Labour call to take up the Russian plan, saying: “The reality is that no such proposal can conceivably be made to work in the absence of a cessation of hostilities by the Russians and the Assad regime. That is the precondition. A durable and convincing ceasefire must be delivered by the Assad regime before any such proposal can conceivably be made to work.”

Johnson also claimed the mood of the British public was certainly changing to supporting a more military response to the “barbaric” Russian actions. But he added: “I do not yet detect a sufficient appetite in the capitals of the west, and certainly not yet in the White House, for the kind of action that I think could be useful, but, as secretary Kerry said, nothing is ‘off the table’.”

But Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, said “The chances of this plan succeeding are quite reasonable if the so-called ‘moderates’ greatly outnumber al-Nusra fighters.” He added that the ratio can be as high as 10 to 1 or even 12 to 1, if the UK Foreign Office has provided accurate estimates, claiming that there are somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 ‘moderate’ rebels in Aleppo.

The European Union said on Monday that “deliberate targeting of hospitals, medical personnel, schools and essential infrastructure” by Syria and Russia could amount to war crimes.

question: What countries have rejected a Russian offer of a pause on airstrikes?

answer: The US and the UK.

question: Which country proposed to pause airstrikes?

answer: Russia.

question: Which countries are against al-Nusra?

answer: Both the Anglo-American countries and the Russian countries say they are against al-Nusra.

question: What do the Russians want?

answer: The rebels to stand down.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The article discusses the terms of a ceasefire between American, Britain and Russia over President Bashar al-Assad and the rebels fighting in Syria. Russia proposes but America and Britain reject the proposal.


split: train

text:
[Healthy roast turkey crown served on a plate with roasted veg]

Healthy roast turkey crown

 3 ratings 4.7 out of 5 star rating

Roast a turkey crown if you're catering to fewer people this Christmas. It's also a lighter option if you don't want to overindulge on the big day

[Roast potatoes with paprika in a serving dish]

Roast potatoes with paprika

 7 ratings 4.7 out of 5 star rating

Make roast potatoes that are tasty and healthy. Smoked paprika adds flavour and we have a top tip for a crispy finish. Ideal for Sunday lunch, or Christmas Day

[Healthy gravy served in a gravy jug]

Healthy gravy

 4 ratings 3.8 out of 5 star rating

Serve this healthy, low-fat gravy with Sunday lunch, bangers and mash, or even with turkey on Christmas Day. It can be frozen, too, if you want to make it ahead

[A collection of stuffing balls]

Healthy stuffing balls

 1 rating 5.0 out of 5 star rating

Looking for a veggie stuffing to serve with a special roast dinner? Made with dried apricots and nuts, this healthy option is low-fat yet full of flavour

[Tangy chicory salad served on a plate]

Tangy chicory salad

 0 ratings 0.0 out of 5 star rating

Dress this chicory salad with sherry vinegar, honey and orange for a taste of sunshine in winter. It's ideal for a Christmas buffet served with ham

[Celeriac, hazelnut & truffle soup in a bowl]

Celeriac, hazelnut & truffle soup

 17 ratings 4.4 out of 5 star rating

Rustle up this healthy vegan celeriac and hazelnut soup as a starter on Christmas Day. Truffle oil adds a bit of luxury, or leave it out for a simple supper on a winter's night

[3 plates serving parsnip gnocchi, garnished with walnut crumbs]

Parsnip gnocchi

 13 ratings 3.2 out of 5 star rating

Take parsnips to another level by turning them into gnocchi with a crunchy walnut crumb. This moreish dish is vegan, healthy and delicious

[Chilli-charred Brussels sprouts in a festive silver serving dish]

Chilli-charred Brussels sprouts

 13 ratings 4.8 out of 5 star rating

Spruce up Brussels sprouts for Christmas Day with the addition of garlic, lemon and chilli. The result is a flavourful vegan side dish that's healthy too

[A serving dish with hazelnut & mustard carrots]

Hazelnut & mustard carrots

 0 ratings 0.0 out of 5 star rating

Spruce up your carrots for the Christmas dinner table with a mustard and sherry dressing for extra flavour. Scatter over toasted hazelnuts to serve

[Parsnip & celeriac bake]

Parsnip & celeriac bake

 37 ratings 4.9 out of 5 star rating

If you're sick of the same old Christmas sides, perk up your parsnips with some celeriac

[A pan with stir-fried festive cabbage]

Stir-fried festive cabbage

 2 ratings 4.0 out of 5 star rating

Try this festive red cabbage with cranberry sauce, red wine and orange as a side dish for Christmas dinner. The flavours are as vivid as the colours

[Roasted Brussels sprouts with chestnuts & bacon]

Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon & chestnuts

 7 ratings 4.9 out of 5 star rating

Try a new approach to cooking these traditional winter greens. Bake your sprouts with nuts and bacon lardons – great for a roast with all the trimmings.

[Aubergine & chickpea bites on a serving platter]

Aubergine & chickpea bites

 7 ratings 3.7 out of 5 star rating

Combine chickpeas and aubergine with garlic and cumin for these tasty, healthy vegan canapés. Everyone will love them served with our harissa yogurt

[Honey-roasted swede with chilli & cumin]

Honey-roasted swede with chilli & cumin

 8 ratings 5.0 out of 5 star rating

This versatile root vegetable can be roasted like a potato - with a drizzle of honey and sprinkling of spice you get a very special side dish

[Garlic & rosemary roast potatoes]

Garlic roast potatoes

 3 ratings 5.0 out of 5 star rating

Crispy roasties are essential to any Sunday dinner. Everyone's favourite side can only be improved by roasting in goose fat, with garlic and herbs

[Turkey minestrone]

Turkey minestrone

 2 ratings 4.5 out of 5 star rating

A warm and comforting turkey soup recipe to put your Christmas leftovers to good use. Easy to prepare and low fat, this soup is a perfect post-Christmas pick me up

[Corn cups with prawns, mango & chillies]

Corn cups with prawns, mango & chillies

 5 ratings 5.0 out of 5 star rating

Buy ready-shaped corn tortillas to save time with these easy, healthy seafood canapés - perfect for a party or buffet spread

[Roast chicken & roots]

Roast chicken & roots

 8 ratings 4.7 out of 5 star rating

This one-tray, vibrant and veg-heavy roast chicken dish provides four of your five-a-day

[Caramelised carrots & onions]

Caramelised carrots & onions

 40 ratings 4.7 out of 5 star rating

The perfect caramelised carrots to accompany any roast - try them alongside your Christmas turkey

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This is a recipe for a healthy roast turkey crown with roasted vegetables.


text:
Alone in the Dark

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Henry?”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Henry your… friend… is here, he wants to talk to you...”

“Let him in.” I sighed.

I knew why he was here. He was going to come inside, exchange pleasantries with me, make awkward small talk, and then beg me to stay. I wouldn’t listen to him though. My mind was made up and nothing would change it.

“Hey champ!”

Right on schedule.

“How’s it goin’?” my brother asked feigning excitement.

“I’m fine.” I said bluntly.

“You have all your stuff packed?” he chuckled. I forced a smirk and waited for him to say what he came here to say.

“You know you don’t have to go...”

“Greg, we’ve talked about this.”

“I just... I don’t think you know what you’re doing,” He had tears in his eyes.“What if you wake up and it’s not what you thought it would be?”

I took a step forward and placed my hand on his shoulder, “Anything would be better, I’m done with this world.”

He hugged me as tightly as he could. “Be safe.”

“I will.” All I could think of was how to get him out of my room the fastest, “I have to get ready, launch is in a few hours.”

When he left, I sat down on my bed and stared at the door for a few minutes. I didn’t expect anymore company. My mother had been gone for a few years, and my dad already knew my decision was final. My brother was the only one who thought my mind could still be changed. I didn’t have very many friends because I didn’t see the point. All the people in the world were fake. They all had fake smiles, fake laughs, and fake lives. Where I was going, I hoped to find something real.

I got dressed and sat down in a chair facing the door. For what seemed like an eternity, I waited. Finally, there was a knock and a man in a jet black suit walked in.

“They’re ready for you, Mr. Shelling.” he said almost apologetically.

“Good, let’s get going then.” I replied determined to leave.

As we were walking through the corridor, he turned to me and spoke.

“I’ve been instructed to debrief you one more time on the mission.”

I smiled sarcastically “Knock yourself out.” I already knew the plan; I had it in my head since day one.

“You’ll be put into the chamber and loaded onto the ship once we get to the launch pad. Inside are two buttons, button two initiates the cryogenic freeze, button one engages emergency stop in case you need to—“

“I won’t.” I interrupted.

“Just in case. You’ll have twenty four hours to press either button once you are loaded into the chamber. After the time limit, if you have not chosen either button, the mission will be aborted and you will be brought back to earth immediately. We will be in contact with you via a two way intercom. All you have to do is speak and we’ll hear you.”

“Noted.” I absent-mindedly replied.

“If you press button two…” he breathed deep, “You’ll be cryogenically frozen for five million years, and the ship will automatically return to earth when you wake up.”

“Can’t wait.” I said hoping he was done.

“You know...” he started “You can still—“

“Don’t.” I said, cutting him off.

At that moment, we reached the light at the end of the tunnel and the ship came into view. It was a fairly small vehicle, not much bigger than a school bus. Right in front of it was the chamber, lying on a conveyor belt, ready to be loaded. There were men in white coats scattered throughout the area, doing last minute checks and calculations.

“Your chariot awaits, Mr. Shelling.” The man said grimly while opening the chamber door.

“Thanks.” I said while getting in and closing the door.

The man cupped his mouth with his hands and screamed through the thick glass “Remember, you have twenty four hours—“

“Won’t need ‘em” I yelled. I pushed button two immediately, and my eyes went black.

A second later I woke up. My head hurt, my ears wrung, and my muscles ached. I couldn’t move anything below my neck, and the only thing I could see was a blinding light. When my eyes finally adjusted, I finally realized what had happened. My muscles had deteriorated during my sleep. Five million years had taken its toll on me. I couldn’t stay in this bed; I had to see what was waiting for me. I began to rock myself back and forth to roll myself out of the pod. When I finally managed to get myself onto the floor of the ship, I was sweating profusely and breathing  heavily. My lungs hurt badly, I hadn’t been breathing for five million years; they were not ready for this type of exertion. I could feel there was something wrong. Everything was too still. The ship was not moving. There was a window about two feet from where I was lying. If I could get to it, I would be able to see what I had waited so long for: The future. Slowly, I inched myself toward the window, my limbs getting stronger as my lungs got weaker.

At five inches away from the window, I could only see black.

I moved closer. Still only black.

Closer.

 Black.

I shut my eyes and crawled until I was directly over the window. Terror was filling my mind as I slowly imagined the hell that could be waiting for me. When I finally opened my eyes, I was again met with only black. My worst nightmare had come true. There was nothing left; everything was dead, even the stars. Everyone I’ve ever known: dead. I felt a sharp pain in my chest. How could I have been so stupid, to give up everyone I had ever loved. My sight became blurry and I became light headed. Five million years. Five million years I had been alone, and now, my final moments, alone in the dark. I breathed out for the last time, and my mind went blank.

title: [SF] [TH] [HR] Wrote a story for my English class. Entitled "Alone in the Dark."

question: What happens when Henry is put into the pod?

answer: Henry is cryogenically frozen for 5 million years when he is put into the pod. It is then shot into space in such a way that it will return to Earth after that time. However, when it returns, all Henry sees outside the porthole is darkness.


text:
Run. Stop. Run. Take a deep breath. Run some more. This is basically my night. I really shouldn't have taken up Gary's offer to hang out. I mean, I love Gary, he's really awesome. However, his friends, they're huge douche bags. They're always wanting to start some shit. Whether it be a fight with some random guy, or getting arrested for shoplifting, they're always in something. They just had to drag me into it. I swear to God, if I make it out of this night, I am beating their white asses into the ground.

I guess I should really start at the beginning, I do that a lot, get ahead of myself I mean. Gary lives two streets away from me, so I sort of grown up with the kid. We're 14 now. He started hanging out with the jackasses: Josh, Barry, and Mitchel, when he was about 13. At first. they seemed alright. Then they started to "live on the edge" as they like to say it. Anyways, Gary asked me to hang out with him tonight, since I was home alone, and I had nothing better to do, so I joined him. While I was expecting to just watch some movies and talk, his friends wanted to go start some shit, again.

I get there and they are already discussing how they wanna "live" today. Barry suggesting to go steal some stuff, while Josh wants to go get pick up some chicks.(All three of these assholes are swagfags by the way.) However, Mitchel actually had a legit idea; graffiti. An interesting idea from such a jackass, comes once in a blue moon. It seemed actually like a fun idea. I've always wanted to do something like that. I just want my opinion to be out in the world, to be honest. After everyone agreed and we got the things together, we set out to have an adventure.

Two hours later and we'll in alleys pasting pictures of war and words. Of course, Josh had to go and start being an idiot. He was throwing colors on to the wall and drawing penises and other dirty drawings. I tried to ignore it, until he dumped paint on top of my head. I was drenched in neon blue paint and holy shit, was I mad. I grabbed a pale of pink and threw it all over his shirt. In a matter of seconds, everyone started throwing paint on each other and started to laugh way to loudly.Porch lights went on and people came out. People started to yell, "We're calling the police!" But it took a few seconds to register what they were saying. Before we knew it, the police cars were being heard and we took off like lightning. "Shit, shit!" Was all I kept on saying as we sprinted in the opposite directions of the cars.

Corner after corner we turned hoping to lost the police. My heart started to beat faster and faster as we heard the sirens get closer closer. Gary soon yelled out, "SHIT." As we saw police cars coming towards you. We cut through lawn after lawn hoping to find a safe haven. All of us started to lose speed and Mitchell soon began to work, as he panted. More and more police cars began to swarm around us. Not knowing what else to do, I simply started to sprint in some random direction. The police had to deal with the other boys, since they had a record and I didn't. Street after street I passed, until I finally reached my home. I flew open the door and shut it with a loud bang. I found a mirror and looking myself over, I was covered in neon blue paint that dried over my head, my jeans have been ripped and I had small cuts from running through bushes. I couldn't help but chuckle at my appearance. This sure was one hell of a night, that I don't want to relive.

title: Here's a second story. Reviews? Be honest, bro.

question: Did the police catch the three others?

answer: Unclear.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator goes with his friend Gary and Gary's friends Josh Barry and Mitchel to graffiti some walls. Once there they get loud and people in nearby apartments call the police. The boys start running when they hear sirens. The narrator keeps running when the police catch the other boys and eventually makes it to his house without getting caught.


text:
LUTHERAN SOUTH ACADEMY is a private pre-kindergarten through 12th grade Christian school affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod located in Houston, Texas, United States. It is a member of the Houston Area Independent Schools, a group of roughly 50 private, parochial and independent institutions in the Greater Houston area.

History

In 1949, the Lutheran Education Association of Houston (LEAH) opened its first campus, Lutheran High School, at 6901 Woodridge in Houston, Texas. In 1982, as the Houston area continued to grow, Lutheran High School was closed and split into two campuses administered by LEAH. One of the schools, Lutheran High School North, was opened on 1 October 1980 at 1130 W. 34th Street on the north side of the city. The other campus, Lutheran High School South, was opened at 7703 South Loop East, near the intersection of the 610 Loop and I-45. As the need for land grew in order to continue expansion, the decision was made for the school to relocate. In 1998, the Lutheran High School South campus was moved to 12555 Ryewater Drive on the south side of Houston. As expansion of the new campus continued, the school's name was changed to Lutheran South Academy with the addition of Lower and Middle school facilities.[1]

On March 5, 2012, Lutheran South Academy was awarded “Exemplary School” status by Christian Williams and National Lutheran Schools Accreditation Commission, one of seven Lutheran schools to receive the award in the United States, and the first in Texas.[2]

Campus

The Lutheran South Academy campus consists of five main buildings.

-   Building “A” houses the high school (grades 9-12).
-   Building “B” includes the cafeteria, gymnasium, athletic office and administrative offices.
-   Building “C” houses the lower school (grades PreK-5).
-   Building “D”, the newest building on campus, houses the middle school (grades 6-8). Construction began on the building in 2007 and it was opened for the 2009-2010 school year.

Athletics

High school

-   Baseball (boys)
-   Basketball (boys and girls)
-   Cheer (girls)
-   Cross country (boys and girls)
-   Football (boys)
-   Soccer (boys and girls)
-   Softball (girls)
-   Swimming (boys and girls)
-   Tennis (boys and girls)
-   Track and field (boys and girls)
-   Volleyball (girls)

Middle school

-   Baseball (boys)
-   Basketball (boys and girls)
-   Cheer (girls)
-   Cross country (boys and girls)
-   Football (boys)
-   Soccer
-   Softball (girls)
-   Track and field (boys and girls)
-   Volleyball (girls)
-   Tennis (boys and girls)
-   Swimming (boys and girls)
-   Golf (boys and girls)

School uniforms

Students are required to wear school uniforms.[3]

[1] “History/Structure.” _Lutheran South Academy_. Retrieved on November 16, 2008.

[2] “1”.Retrieved October 24, 2012.

[3] “Uniforms.” _Lutheran South Academy_. Retrieved on November 16, 2008.

title: Lutheran South Academy

question: Summarize the history and function of the Lutheran South Academy.

answer: Its name was given in 1998, but the school is older than that. The Lutheran Education Association of Houston (LEAH) opened the Lutheran High School. The growing area required a larger school, and it split into northern and southern campuses. The school was renamed the Lutheran High School South. With the addition of Lower and Middle school facilities in 1998, the name was changed to the current one. The Lutheran South Academy also has a cafeteria, gymnasium, athletic office, and administrative offices.

question: What does the article say about biology education at the Lutheran South Academy?


text:
JEFFERSON HALL may refer to:

-   Jefferson Hall, a building at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia

or it may refer to:

Other places

-   Jefferson Hall (Union Point, Georgia), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in Greene County
-   Jefferson Hall (Detroit, Michigan), a demolished apartment building in Detroit that is NRHP-listed

Person

-   Jefferson Hall (actor), a British actor in _Wizards vs Aliens_

title: Jefferson Hall (disambiguation)

question: What kind of article is this?

answer: This is a disambiguation

question: Which states have a building named Jefferson Hall?

answer: Virginia, Georgia, and Michigan

question: Which university includes a building named Jefferson Hall?

answer: University of Virginia

question: What nationality is the actor Jefferson Hall?

answer: British

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This Wikipedia page is a disambiguation of Jefferson Hall. This includes a building part of the University of Virginia, as well as two other buildings in Union Point, Georgia and Detroit, Michigan. There is also a British actor with the same name.


text:
Wow, this is fun. Running around in the woods with my best friends in the world, laughing, giggling, and pretending to be wizards from Harry Potter. I weave and dodge through the trees when I spot Gia coming towards me. I yell an expelliarmus and duck behind a bush. Crawling backwards, I find a pile of leaves and partially cover myself, trying to blend in. Unfortunately, she sees me. She screeches out a Petrificus Totalus and scampers off. I can’t chase her, because she froze me. Man, I’m having fun. Unfortunately, Mason isn’t.

	“Hey Gardner, let’s get out of here,” he rambles as he pulls me out of the leaves. I try to object but he keeps talking. “I can’t believe I agreed to this, it’s so lame and nerdy. Why don’t we go to my house? I’ve got this huge TV and a DVR full of George Lopez.”

	“Mason, what are you doing?” I hear John yell, moments before he hops out from behind a tree about twenty yards away from where we are now. “This is fun!”

	“No, it’s really not,” objects Mason. I groan.

	“It’s fun for us. If you don’t like it, why did you come?”

	“Because I wanted to be with my friends, but I’m sorry. This sucks.”

	“Hey, what are you doing? I froze him!” Gia exclaims as she sprints towards us. “Do you even know the spell to unbind him?”

	“Look, I’m out of here,” Mason says, firmly.

	“How about this. You can leave here if you beat me in a duel,” John suggests.

	“...A duel? A Harry Potter duel?” Mason sounds incredulous. “Fine. Whatever.”

	Gia and I watch as the two idiots get ready. John makes a big show of twirling his “wand” around and drops it. Mason just stands and waits. John is telling Mason the rules when Gia sees that she dropped her wallet behind where Mason is standing. As she is picking up, John yells for the duel to start. He lifts his wand and screams “Avada Kedavra,” an unforgivable curse that kills anyone who it is cast on. A green light shoots out of the twig in his hand, and Mason jumps out of the way in terror. Unfortunately, Gia doesn’t see it coming.

	“What the…?” Is all I can say as I stumble over to where Gia is laying.

	“What happened?” Mason asks, looking concerned.

	“John just like...frickin...shot Gia. I think she’s dead.”

	“John, why would you do that?”

	“What do you mean ‘Why would you do that?’” John asks, incredulous. “I thought that we were just messing around. I swear I didn’t do it on purpose!”

	“Then why did you do it?” Mason asks, accusingly.

	“Look, I didn’t expect you to know any spells, so I figured this would be an easy way to shut you up. I didn’t expect real freaking magic to happen!”

	“Guys,” I say. “Calm down, let’s think about this. We need to figure out what to do with the body. We can’t just leave it.”

	“Yeah we can!” Says John. “I am not going to let anyone find out that I killed somebody!”

	“No one is actually going to believe it was you. I mean, come on. Magic? No one would buy that!”

	“I think we should leave her,” says Mason. “I mean, she was kinda annoying.”

	“What?” I ask, flabbergasted.

	“Yeah. I don’t want to be seen with that corpse. She has on like eighteen bracelets. Totally ratchet.”

	“...Ratchet?”

	“Ratchet. I didn’t even like her that much when she was alive. I always asked her to buy me chicken fingers, and she never, ever would.”

	“You’re going to leave her out here over chicken fingers?” Interjects John. “At least I have a good reason.”

	“No,” I say. “Neither have you have a good reason.” I look down at my deceased friend, and I’m rendered speechless. Her mouth is actually moving. “Oh, my god! Guys, check this out! She’s actually alive!”

	“What?” Cries John as he lifts his wand again. “Avada Kedavra!”

	“What was that for?” I scream, furious. “She wasn’t dead! What was your line of thinking there?”

	“Dead people should stay dead.”

	“He’s right,” adds Mason.

	“Shut up, shut up both of you!” I say, taking control of the situation. “What are we going to do now that we know she’s definitely dead.”

	“I have a cousin in Chicago. This happens all the time there, I’ll ask him for advice.”

	“Exactly,” says Mason. “We’re not that far from the hood. I’m sure we could get some good advice there.”

	“Mason,” I say. “It was a ten minute drive here from the suburbs.”

	“I’m just saying,” Mason says, indignant.

	“Look, this was John’s fault. Because of John I’m going to miss NCIS tonight.”

	“Yeah, John. This is messed up. I have to go to VBS next week and because of you I can’t start my George Lopez re-watch until August.”

	We’re just standing here, totally at a loss for what to do. Then, out of nowhere, it hits me. “Check her pockets!”

	“Why?” Mason asks, obviously not following my train of thought.

	“Her keys! Look, I found them!”

	“All right, George Lopez!”

	“Wait!” John yells out. We look at him, curious that he may have had a change of heart. “How about we all go to my house and have a Call of Duty tournament?”

	“Yeah!” Mason and I call out in unison. Keys in hand, we walk to her car, load up and head out. I feel like this is going to be a good week.

title: "Whoops." Harry Potter LARPing goes wrong.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The narrator is an unnamed person

question: What series does this story draw from?

answer: It draws from the Harry Potter series.

question: What do the characters decide to do in the end?

answer: They decide to go to John's house and have a Call of Duty tournament.

question: In addition to the narrator, who are the other characters?

answer: Mason, John, and Gia.

question: Who accidentally kills Gia?

answer: John accidentally kills Gia.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is playing a game with John, Mason, and Gia, using spells from Harry Potter. John and Mason are about to duel when John uses an unforgivable curse on Gia that kills her. John claims he didn't do it on purpose. They contemplate what to do and she begins to stir, when John uses the curse on her again. They decide to go to John's house for a Call of Duty tournament.


text:
ANN-KRISTIN ACHLEITNER ( KOBERG) is a German economist, currently a professor at Technical University of Munich.

Career

Before taking on her current position, Achleitner held an Endowed Chair for Banking and Finance at EBS University of Business and Law from 1995 to 2001 and Honorary Professor at EBS from 2002 to 2013. She is a member of acatech.[1][2][3]

In addition, Achleiter serves on the Government Commission on the German Corporate Governance Codex and on the Economic Council of the Embassy of France in Berlin. In her hometown Munich, she shares an office with her husband Paul Achleitner, Michael Diekmann, Joachim Faber and Peter Löscher.[4][5]

Other activities

Corporate boards

-   Investcorp, Member of the International Advisory Board (since 2018)[6]
-   Munich Re, Member of the Supervisory Board (since 2013)[7]
-   Engie, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2012), Chair of the Committee for Ethics, the Environment and Sustainable Development (since 2016)[8]
-   Linde, Member of the Supervisory Board (since 2011)[9]
-   Deutsche Börse, Member of the Supervisory Board (2016-2019), Member of the Nomination and Strategy Committees[10][11]
-   Metro AG, Member of the Supervisory Board (2011-2017)[12]
-   Vontobel, Member of the Board of Directors (2009-2013)
-   Depfa Bank, Member of the Supervisory Board (1996-2001)

Non-profit organizations

-   German Startups Association, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2019)[13]
-   Trilateral Commission, Member of the European Group[14]
-   World Economic Forum (WEF), Member of the Europe Policy Group (since 2017)[15]
-   Fraunhofer Society, Member of the Senate (2008-2013)
-   Rationalisierungs- und Innovationszentrum der Deutschen Wirtschaft, Member of the Board of Trustees (2004-2007)

Personal life

Achleitner is married to Paul Achleitner. They live in Munich

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4] Henning Peitsmeier and Klaus Max Smolka (May 22, 2017), Die geheime Machtzentrale in München _Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung_.

[5] Michael Brächer (March 15, 2016), Deutschlands mächtigste Aufseherin geht zur Börse _Handelsblatt_.

[6] Investcorp adds Dr Ann-Kristin Achleitner to International Advisory Board Investcorp, press release of July 5, 2018.

[7] Supervisory Board Munich Re.

[8] Board of Directors Engie.

[9] Supervisory Board Linde.

[10] Supervisory Board Deutsche Börse.

[11] Georg Meck (March 9, 2019), Achleitner legt Mandat in der Deutschen Börse nieder _Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung_.

[12] [METRO AG shareholders vote on demerger] Metro AG, press release of February 6, 2017.

[13] Peter Brors and Thomas Tuma (December 8, 2019), Start-up-Investor Miele: „Wir müssen uns einfach besser organisieren als Branche“ _Handelsblatt_.

[14] Membership Trilateral Commission.

[15] Europe Policy Group World Economic Forum.

title: Ann-Kristin Achleitner

question: Who is Ann-Kristin Acheleitner?

answer: German economist and professor at Technical University of Munich.

question: What are Ann-Kristin Acheleitner's other roles?

answer: She serves on the Government Commission on the German Corporate Governance Codex and on the Economic Council of the Embassy of France in Berlin.

question: Who is Ann-Kristin Acheleitner married to?

answer: Paul Acheleitner

question: Where does Ann-Kristin Acheleitner live?

answer: in Munich.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Ann-Kristin Acheleitner is a German economist and professor at Technical University of Munich. The article highlights her career and professional involvements in the business world.


text:
SPEAK UP NOW! FIGHTING FASCISM IS NOT RADICAL, IT IS NECESSARY!

_9TH NOVEMBER 2019 MARKS THE 81TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ‘KRISTALLNACHT’ POGROM IN 1938_ in Germany and Austria, turning the discrimination against Jews that started in 1933 to a systematic persecution, which culminated in the Holocaust merely three years later.

[]

Fascism, however, did not cease to exist after 8th May 1945. Today, racist, fascist and Neo-Nazi movements are on the rise all over Europe. Neo-Nazis hunt and assault migrants, Muslims, Jews,  Roma, LGBTQ-activists, people living with disabilities and other minorities, using rallies as a cover-up for their hate-crimes. Neo-Nazis and fascists are not only taking action on the streets: in most countries of Europe, far-right movements also have a parliamentary arm, sometimes even as part of the government. While disguising themselves as democratic parties, they use public money and governmental power to create an authoritarian rollback controlling media and imposing autocratic changes in their countries’ constitutions.

It is fearful that the inhumane actions of the fascist regime(s) in the first half of the 20th century could be repeated. We MUST fight now for this to never happen again. That’s why UNITED for Intercultural Action is calling upon civil society to raise their voice and get active through our campaign under the slogan ‘SPEAK UP NOW! FIGHTING FASCISM IS NOT RADICAL, IT IS NECESSARY!’

Starting on the International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism on 9 November, UNITED will mobilize civil society to take a firm stand against Neo-Nazis and fascists as history is otherwise doomed to repeat itself. We want people to take action in their city, municipality, region or nation against fascism, racism, sexism and hate based on a religious belief.

UNITED’s campaign INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST FASCISM AND ANTISEMITISM will be a year-long campaign from now on.

Under the slogan #ELIMINHATE, this year’s campaign will focus on the question: What is hate today?

Since every community in Europe has its own historical experience and understanding of fascism, please help us create our common Anti-Fascist Calendar, an overview of dates of anti-fascist celebration and commemoration throughout Europe. Fill in this form based on what you know about the traditions in your country and/or the activities in your organization.

UNITED is a network that we all create together, and the input and expertise of your organization is highly valued. We look forward to your contributions!

IF YOU ORGANISE AN EVENT, if you publish an article, a video, pictures or posters relating to this day, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO US TO 9NOVEMBER@UNITEDAGAINSTRACISM.ORG AND WE WILL SHARE IT ON OUR CAMPAIGN FACEBOOK AND WEBSITE.

START PLANNING YOUR ACTIVITIES

If you need some inspiration for your activity, you can always check the list of Best Practices on the Day Against Fascism website as well as UNITED information leaflets on organising activities such as the Human Library, and how to use Holocaust education in antiracism work. We also have a lot of resources on how to organise activities for this campaign, including how to organise activities on a budget, and how to organise last minute activities – check here.

And, once again, don’t forget to fill out this form on the anti-fascism traditions in your country and/or the activities in your organization!

DON’T FORGET TO USE THE CAMPAIGN HASHTAGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

_#SPEAKUPNOW #FIGHTFASCISM_ _#9NOVEMBER #DAYAGAINSTFASCISM #DAYAGAINSTANTISEMITISM_

DON’T FORGET: EVEN SMALL ACTS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

question: What does the text say about why the human rights group UNITED campaigned against fascist's movements?

answer: A human rights group called UNITED planned to organize a campaign against fascism and antisemitism in Europe in 2019. According to the article, neo-nazis and fascists took over the streets. They used government power and public funds to control the media and impose autocratic changes in their countries' constitutions. Because of this, UNITED feared the repeat of the fascist movement of the early 20th century and aimed to fight them by using their campaign to prevent the fascist's inhuman actions from ever repeating itself in the society and called on civilians to lend their voice to get the camping moving.


text: Passing all of the road signs I've failed to notice. Hitting all of the bumps where new pavement was laid. All of the trees I've glanced at, but never saved. Every store, restaurant, boulder in the median, everything I’ve looked at but never actually seen. All present to me now, even more to miss. Funny, how we tune out the little components in life until we find a reason to look back. I look out the window at all of the scenery that I’ve glanced passed in the past. I take out the coin, one side a bronze steer-skull, with a backdrop of Texas painted in glossy red. On the back side, a sheriff star. The coin was given to me by my uncle. An agent in the Secret Service; he gave it to me right before he moved from his location in Arlington, to D.C. How the irony is strong. He gave me this coin and said to bring it wherever I might feel frightened. I’ve never felt so frightened in my entire life than in this rusty, faded white Honda Civic coupe. Two Berretta PX4 Storms lay in the trunk, in a useless gun case that I will never get to use again. I have never been one to cry, one to cower, one to fight. The driver, dressed completely in black, sped down the highway, almost there. I flipped the coin once more. Heads. Nobody can beat the coin toss, than why is it so hard to beat now? My motives are clear. I have grown tired of all of the unnecessary competition, the bragging, and the dominance. The coin toss is fair game. Nobody is better at flipping the coin than the next clown in line. I flip again, for good fortune, maybe this time things will change. Heads. I really didn't want it to come to this. I've never been violent in my past, always looking for the best in people. I flip. Heads. Looking at the steer, I tremble. Thirty heads, zero tails. The irony is that my uncle gave me this coin, under the impression that it would give me the motivation to do something great, to make a change, to do something great. Here I am, in some car, with someone I found on craigslist. Things are about to change. Heads.

title: A short story I'm writing for a class. The topic is a high school revenge. It's unfinished, any thoughts?

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Why did his uncle give him the coin?

answer: His uncle had given him the coin to use to make decisions whenever he felt frightened.

question: Why was the narrator frightened?

answer: It may be assumed that the narrator might have thought of using his gun on the person he was going to meet and hence, frightened about pulling the trigger for the first time.

question: What is the narrator planning to do?

answer: It may be assumed that the narrator was planning on pulling the trigger on the person he was going to meet.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator takes out a coin his uncle gave him. In the back of his car lay two Berretta PX4 Storms. The driver dressed in black speeds down the highway. The narrator flips the coin, it says Heads. He flips it again but, the outcome remains the same. His uncle had given him the coin to do something great. Here, the narrator was about to pull the trigger on someone he found on craigslist.


text:
_ANACITHARA LITA_ is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Horaiclavidae.[1]

Description

(Original description) The length of the shell attains 4 mm, its diameter 1.5 mm. This is a small plain shell of simple character. The whorls are six; the lower ones ventricose, the two apical swollen, smooth and shining. Obtuse and thick ribs, longitudinally, ornament the shell, and these are spirally crossed by many conspicuous lirae. The aperture is widely ovate. The outer lip is slightly thickened. The shell is whitish. The aperture is brown within. The columellar margin is plain. Likewise the sinus on the outer lip is inconspicuous, small and rounded.[2]

Distribution

This marine species occurs off the Loyalty Islands and Vanuatu.

[1] WoRMS (2015). Anacithara lita (Melvill & Standen, 1896). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=432952 on 2016-12-21

[2] Melvill & Standen (1897), Catalogue of the Hadfield collection of shells from the Lifu and Uvea, Loyalty Islands Parts ii & III

title: Anacithara lita

question: What is an Anacithara lita?

answer: It is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Horaiclavidae.

question: Where can Anacithara lita be found?

answer: This marine species can be found off the Loyalty Islands and Vanuatu.

question: Describe the sinus on the outer lip.

answer: It is inconspicuous, small, and rounded.

question: What color is the shell?

answer: The shell is whitish with a brown aperture within.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Anacithara lita is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Horaiclavidae found off the Loyalty Islands and Vanuatu. Anacithara lita has a whitish shell with a brown aperture and measures 4 mm long, with a diameter of 1.5 mm.


text:
*You give your hand to me,*

*And then you say hello*

*And I can hardly speak,*

*My heart is beating so*

“What playlist is this?” she asked, her eyes a deep brown, contrasted by the soft light of the laptop.

“I don’t know, a ‘love’ playlist, I guess.”

She laughed. “Oh, like for having sex to?”

“Well, no,” he said earnestly. “I always figured it was something you could just…. I don’t know. Dance with someone to.”

“Just dance in your apartment?”

“Yeah”

“Who’d you make it for?” she asked playfully as she took his hand.

This he contemplated. He made it years ago. Less in the hopes of dancing with someone to, but more for making his fresh wounds deeper.

*Nothing can be sadder*

*Than a glass of wine alone*

*Loneliness, loneliness,*

*Is such a waste of time*

“I guess I made it for ‘Her’”

“’Her’ who?”

“She didn’t exist then. I made it for someone I hoped to meet, I suppose.”

He reached for her, brushed her hair behind her ear. Kissed her shoulder, breathing her in.

“I think…I think I made it for you,” he said.

“I don’t understand.”

He paused. Thought to himself how he wanted to be honest, wanted to tell her. Tell her what she didn’t want to hear.

“We can’t use the ‘L’ word, can we?”

“No,” she shook her head.

He looked down at the blanket that covered them. Saw how it sagged between them, in the crevasse that lie between their legs.

“Then I don’t know what to tell you.”

title: Playlist

question: Who are the characters of the story?

answer: An unnamed man and woman.

question: Who did the man make the playlist for?

answer: A woman that he hoped to meet.

question: How long have the man and woman been together?

answer: It is unclear how long they've been together.

question: What did the man want to say to the woman that he doesn't?

answer: That he loves her.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: A man plays a love playlist for a woman. He explains to her that he had made it for someone that he hoped to meet. He wants to be honest and tell her that he loves her, but she isn't ready to hear that. He decides not to say anything.


text:
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — After a public outcry, police on Friday closed a summer youth camp on a mountain in western Serbia organized by Russian and Serbian far-right groups.

The camp on Mount Zlatibor included children as young as 12 dressed in military uniforms who were being trained by Russian and Serbian instructors on how to use guns and knives. A similar exercise was undertaken last year in Russia.

Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said the camp was dismantled “because of possible abuse of children” and the participants were sent home.

Rights groups and many others were outraged after a video was published showing young people going through military-style drills in the camp decorated with Russian and Serbian flags.

The organizers of the “Patriotic Youth” camp claim its intention is to teach children self-defense skills, first aid and develop traditional Serb-Russian friendship.

“When we see children in military uniforms, when we see that military drill that they pass through, it is clear this is not the Boy Scouts, but an ideological indoctrination,” Isidora Stakic of the Belgrade Center for Security Policy was quoted as saying by N1 television.

Serbia, which formally wants to join the European Union, has been under strong Russian propaganda pressure to shelve its pro-Western course.

Serbia, which remains the only Russian ally in the Balkans, has refused to join Western sanctions against the Kremlin over its role in fighting in eastern Ukraine. Serbia has also been developing close military ties with Moscow.

question: What is the subject of this document?

answer: At the time of the document, police closed a summer youth camp on a mountain in western Serbia organized by Russian and Serbian far-right groups.

question: Why were rights groups outraged?

answer: They saw a video showing young people, as young as 12, going through military-style drills in a youth camp organized by Russian and Serbian far-right groups.

question: What countries are mentioned in this document?

answer: Serbia, Russia, and Ukraine are mentioned.

question: What people are cited in this document?

answer: Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic and Isidora Stakic of the Belgrade Center for Security Policy are cited.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: At the time of this document, police closed a summer youth camp on a mountain in western Serbia organized by Russian and Serbian far-right groups. This caused outrage from rights groups when they saw a video of children engaging in military-style drill practices. Some likened it to ideological indoctrination.


text:
Richard Hale lifted a fresh cigarette to his mouth.  His feet on his desk, his papers scattered about, he inhaled the fresh nicotine and exhaled heavily.  There was a knock.  With a sigh, Richard unseated himself and sauntered over to the frosted glass door.

“It’s Mickey,” came the voice from the other side.

Richard closed his eyes and took a deep breath, sucking in as much as he could before opening the door.

“We’ve got a new case,” Mickey explained.

“That so?”

Mickey nodded.  “Morphine.”

Richard stared out the window to the streets of L.A., a trail of smoke rolling off his lips. “Again?” he asked, slightly frustrated.

“Again,” Mickey confirmed.  “Say, Richard, I thought we agreed you wouldn’t smoke in the office.  And I’d rather you didn’t at all, it’s really not a good habit.”

Richard turned to look at his partner of seven years.  His movements slow and methodical, he lifted the cigarette to his mouth once more, eyeing Mickey and blowing a stream of smoke up into the air.  After one last puff, he smothered the flame and disposed of the cigarette.

“Thank you,” said Mickey.  Richard seated himself once more, leaning back and resting his size nine leather shoes on the cluttered desk.  Mickey cleared his throat.  “I have a few leads,” he stated.  Richard gave an inquisitive look.  “About the case,” he continued, “I believe I know who the supplier is.”

Richard stood.  “Lead the way.”

Mickey stepped outside and into his Chevrolet Styleline, Richard following at a steady pace.  The car slowly accelerated, as Mickey was careful about his things, particularly his car.  They sat in silence, other than a single attempt by Mickey to initiate conversation.  Eventually, they arrived at a bar downtown.  Mickey led the way inside.

The bar was filled with cigar smoke, and Richard took this as an invitation to light up one of his own.  Mickey dared not say a word, and ignored his partner’s actions as he sauntered over to a table occupied by three men.  He sat down, leaving Richard to stand, as there were only four seats.

Richard swore he had seen the man in the middle before.  The pale, round face and striking blue eyes screamed of familiarity, but Richard failed to determine from where.  Mickey initiated conversation.

“How’ve you been, Ballard?”

The man across from Mickey gestured towards Richard.  “Who’s this,” he asked in strong a Bostonian accent.

“This,” replied Mickey, “is my partner Richard.” Richard’s brow furrowed.

“I don’t like him.”

Mickey turned to Richard, a pleading look in his eyes.  “Could you wait out in the car?  I’ll be ten minutes or less.”  Richard looked at the two man and left the room without acknowledging either man.  Minutes later, Mickey emerged.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized.  “Tom is… uncomfortable around strangers.”

“What I’m more concerned about is why you don’t fall under that category.”

They drove in silence until arriving back at the office.  “Don’t wait for me,” Richard instructed. “I’m in no mood to go home to my wife.”

“That’s not a good attitude to have.”

“Don’t lecture me, Michael.”

Once inside, Richard sat down at his desk and closed his eyes.  He enjoyed being in the office, it being the calmest place he knew, but was only able to grasp a moment of respite before being interrupted by the ringing of the telephone.  With a sigh, he answered it.  A woman’s voice on the other end went into details about a case.

“Hold on,” said Richard, “I need a pen.”

Richard set the phone down and opened a drawer.  He fiddled with papers, but found nothing, so he reached over to Mickey’s filing cabinet.

It was the first time Richard had ever looked into Mickey’s filing cabinet, which was always kept locked.  Fortunately for Richard, the key had been left sitting directly on top of it.  Opening the top drawer, Richard peered inside.

“Son of a bitch,” Richard muttered to himself under his breath, as inside, bound together with a rubber band, labeled “T.B.,” was nothing but a three inch high pile of cash.  He leafed through it… all twenties.  Richard closed the drawer and went back to the phone.

“I’m going to have to call you back.”

Before the woman could protest, Richard hung up the phone and dialed his partner’s number.

----------

The night was quiet as the clock struck ten.  Far from downtown Los Angeles, Richard Hale stood, waiting.  A car passed, then another.  Neither was the one he was waiting to see.  Thunder rumbled in the distance, yet not a drop of rain had fallen.  He slid his hands into his coat pockets, feeling the items within.  The smooth paper in the left, the cold metal in the right.

Richard heard another car and looked up. A maroon Styleline rolled to a stop in front of him.  Out stepped a man.

“What’s so urgent?”

Richard drew his left hand from his pocket, revealing the stack of bills.

“Where the hell did you get that?”

“I should be asking you the same thing.”

Richard watched as the man’s face twisted.  He motioned for Richard to approach him.  Richard obliged, and watched as the trunk of the car opened.  He glanced inside, then back at the man before him.

“You know,” the man said.  “I can get you in on this.”

Richard glared.  “I thought… I thought you were better than this.”

The man’s face twisted into a wicked grin, a grin far different from the one Richard had known for so long.  “Every man has his price,” he said, grinning at the ground as rain began to fall.  He looked up.  “What’s yours?”

Richard pulled his right hand out of his coat, the object within in his grasp.  The man’s smile disappeared, his eyes widened.

“No… Richard, please, no.”

Richard shook his head in disgust.  “You were a good partner.”

The streetlights cast a shadow on the streets of LA.  As the rain poured, a figure in a trench coat walked off into the distance, alone.

Richard Hale lifted a fresh cigarette to his mouth.

title: An attempt at something dark [1,018 words] - Feedback greatly appreciated

question: What is Richard's job?

answer: While it is not explicitly stated, it is heavily implied that he is a cop.

question: What is the significance of the money in Mickey's drawer?

answer: It suggests he is participating in illegal activities.

question: Who is the man at the end of the story?

answer: Mickey

question: What happens to Mickey at the end of the story?

answer: Richard shoots him.


text: He opens the door, walking inside, away from the flashing red and yellow neon, the loud noises, the chaos. Inside it is dark, warm and quiet. It is a peaceful dark, fuzzy, like static. He slides his hand down the right side of the wall, feeling for the switch he knows is there. He finds it and switches on the dim, yellow lights, the naked bulbs flickered in the darkness, illuminating the room. A wine red couch. He hates it, it is lumpy, and smells musty. A small kitchen, with one cup, one fork, and one knife, he doesn't need anything else. No decorations, just off-white wall, the ceiling is satined yellow from cigarette smoke. He always smokes. He goes into the kitchen and grabs what’s left in the fridge. A cheap beer, bread, and cream cheese. The beer is warm and the cream cheese is turning green. He steers his knife around the cream cheese and spreads it on the bread. It tastes bad, the stale bread and moldy cream cheese. He realizes with a sudden calm that this is his last meal. Ironic, that his last meal is like his life, doesn't look to good, but you have hope. Then you take a bite and it’s gone. Both the hope and your appetite. He chuckles at his joke. A solitary tear forms in his right eye and slides down his cheek. He doesn't wipe it away. He walks over to his desk, one of the two pieces of furniture in his house, the other is his closet. He opens the desk and pulls out his gun. He bought it yesterday. It glistens in the sulphur yellow light. He takes the single bullet he bought and slips it quietly into the chamber. He cocks it, and puts it in his mouth. He tastes metal, the oil, and his own blood. The metal scrapes against his teeth. He thinks about the mess he is going to make for the person who has to clean it up. Not how pathetic his life is, or how he much he hates himself, or that he has nobody in his life. But he does think that he doesn't have to shock his landlord to walk inside and see him. She is a frail old lady. It would kill him to do that to her. He flicks the safety on, and puts it in his pocket. He walks outside. It’s raining outside, he shivers, but he doesn't need to be warm now. He walks for an hour, until he gets to the bridge. It’s a huge bridge, the water rushes underneath, black as night. No cars drive by, he looks at his watch: 2:56. As he steps onto the ledge, he is happy, whatever happens now, has to be better then this.  He flicks his cigarette away, the glowing orange butt fades as it falls away into the churning water. He leans out across the water, feeling the wind whip around him. He releases from the railing, he thinks, as he is falling towards the water. ‘It’s my birthday.’

title: A wonderful Life

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: That information can't be found

question: Why does the narrator wish to kill himself?

answer: He feels that his life is without hope

question: Why doesn't the narrator shoot himself?

answer: He doesn't want his landlady to find his body, because he fears the sight would kill her

question: Where is the narrator coming from at the start of the story?

answer: That information can't be found

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator arrives home and makes a sandwich from stale bread and moldy cream cheese. He plans to kill himself, and he almost shoots himself but decides not to because he doesn't want his landlady to see his body. Instead, he walks to a bridge and jumps off, remarking that it's his birthday as he falls.


text:
[John Q Marcelo]

Social Media Manager for Complex. Twitter/Instagram: @johnmarcelo

Sep 08, 2014

adidas Originals Stan Smith x Dover Street Market x Barneys New York x Colette
Summer's not officially over and there's still plenty of time to go hard in a pair of all-white sneakers.

After seeing an early look at each of the adidas Originals Stan Smith collabs from Dover Street Market, Barneys New York, and Colette, the high-end update to the vintage tennis sneaker releases this week. The already minimal Stan Smith is stripped down even more for the all-white theme. DSM has opted for no logos, while Barneys and Colette subtly engrave their branding in gold on the sneaker's tongue.

All three Stan Smiths retail for $150 each and will be available on Wednesday, September 10.

[]

[]

[]

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Never miss a sneaker release with Sole Collector's
Release Roundup Newsletter

Each send includes the details you need on the biggest drops from Nike, Jordan, Yeezy, adidas and more happening each week.

Sign up for Complex notifications for breaking news and stories.

question: What Adidas collab is not officially over?

answer: The Adidas Originals Stan Smith x Dover Street Market x Barneys New York x Colette Summer collab is not officially over.

question: How are the shoes from this collection described?

answer: The shoes from this collection are described as high-end vintage tennis shoes?

question: How much do the three Stan Smiths retail for?

answer: They retail for $150 each.

question: When will the three Stan Smiths be available?

answer: They will be available on Wednesday, September 10th.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This advertisement discusses a new Adidas's sneaker release, the Stan Smiths. it describes the show along with its price and release date.


text:
A curious thing happened after Edward Snowden leaked NSA surveillance documents, then got branded a "traitor": both government and tech companies began talking about transparency and user privacy. At first, there was a lot of finger-pointing between the two worlds. But now it looks like tech companies are really getting down to the business of privacy.

Today, the Electronic Frontier Foundation published its fourth annual "Who Has Your Back" report, which features "comprehensive information on 26 companies' commitments to fighting unfair demands for customer data." Detailed in the report is everything from privacy policies to the courtroom track records of internet service providers, social media sites, mobile services, and more.

"This year's 'Who Has Your Back' report shows a massive increase in the number of transparency reports and commitments to provide notice to users, reflecting the heightened public awareness of government surveillance," Kurt Opsahl, one of EFF's attorneys who worked on this year's report, told me. "With users so deeply concerned about surveillance, the companies have responded with strong improvements, and it shows in the stars. We've been calling for more transparency reports for a long time, and are gratified that it has become an industry norm."

Not too surprisingly, Snapchat pulled up the rear in EFF's report. Widely scorned by privacy advocates for being lax on user privacy, Snapchat pretty much did nothing aside from publish law enforcement guidelines.

"Snapchat joins AT&T and Comcast in failing to require a warrant for government access to the content of communications," said EFF staff attorney Nate Cardozo. "That means the government can obtain extraordinarily sensitive information about your activities and communications without convincing a judge that there is probable cause to collect it."

Amazon and AT&T also received low marks. Amazon requires a warrant for content and fights for users' privacy rights in courts, but the tech giant doesn't tell users about government data requests, publish law enforcement guidelines, or—and perhaps most critically given its power—fight for users' rights in Congress. AT&T, as many already know from the _Hepting v. AT&T_ case, doesn't require a warrant or inform users about data requests. However, they do publish transparency reports and law enforcement guidelines. With AT&T, it really seems to be a matter of baby steps.

Last year, only one company received a full six star rating—Sonic, a California-based ISP. This year, Sonic again topped the list, alongside Dropbox, Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, and CREDO Mobile, a mobile service provider noted for its progressive activism. Wickr, the self-destructing messaging app, as well as WordPress, LinkedIn, Tumblr (owned by Yahoo), and SpiderOak, an encrypted data backup tool, all received five stars.

On another note, it would be interesting to know how newer apps like the Uber and Lyft perform on privacy and transparency. Both private transportation network startups accumulate a lot of data about their users—name, email, phone number, residence, movements around cities, favorite spots, and credit and debit card information. Also curiously absent from EFF's report is Instagram, given its huge user base, as are WhatsApp and its competitor Blink, which Yahoo just acquired this week.

Despite these and other absences in the report, Silicon Valley's commitment to privacy and transparency almost a year after Edward Snowden's NSA leaks is encouraging. But, the real problem here is that, for many of these companies, user data is a central source of revenue. As long as that continues, users can't expect complete privacy online.

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question: What was the result of Edward Snowden leaking NSA surveillance documents?

answer: Government and tech companies began talking about transparency and user privacy

question: What does this year's "Who Has Your Back" report show?

answer: A massive increase in the number of transparency reports and commitments to provide notice to users which reflects the heightened public awareness of government surveillance

question: What does Amazon not tell users about?

answer: Amazon does not tell users about government data requests, publish law enforcement guidelines, or fight for users' rights in Congress

question: Which company received a full six star rating last year?

answer: Sonic, a California-based ISP

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The transparency of data and privacy rights from big Tech such as Amazon, AT&T, Sonic, Comcast and others are discussed. A larger discussion about the government and tech companies talking about transparency and user privacy is the overarching theme.


text:
Moving elements from STL containers and std::initializer_list

Lot has been said about effectively using move-semantics, such as return-by-value and pass _sink_ arguments by-value to constructors (and move later). Dust seems to be settling on those issues because I see some evidence building up to support that. Not much has been said (I think) about using move-semantics for a collection of objects, however. I mean moving objects from one type of STL container to another and also moving elements from std::initializer_list.

MOVING STL CONTAINERS OF THE SAME TYPE

This one is simple. STL containers provide the necessary move operations: move-constructor and move-assign operator. So moving an entire vector<T> to another is pretty straight forward. But that is only one of several ways to construct a vector<T>. How about move constructing a std::vector from a vector with custom allocators? Or for that matter, from a std::list or a std::set?

MOVING OBJECTS FROM ONE TYPE OF STL CONTAINER TO ANOTHER

The classic way of copying objects from one type of STL container to another has been the iterator-pair idiom. All STL containers provide an iterator-pair constructor where you can pass the begin/end iterators of the source container. That will copy the objects from the source to the destination.

How about moving them?

As it turns out, our dear C++ standardization committee has already thought of this use-case and has put a solution in place: std::move_iterator. A move_iterator takes any iterator and adapts it such that the lvalue it is refereing to turns into a rvalue reference upon dereferencing. It basically applies std::move on each element in the entire range with a small difference I'll talk about later. Using std::move_iterator is very easy. There is also a helper function std::make_move_iterator.

    int main(void)
    {
      std::list<std::string> l(10, "C++ Truths");
      std::cout << l.size(); // prints 10
      std::vector<std::string> v(std::make_move_iterator(begin(l)),
                                 std::make_move_iterator(end(l)));
      std::cout << l.size(); // prints 10
      std::cout << v.size(); // prints 10

      // prints 10 empty strings separated by #. (i.e,  ##########)
      std::copy(begin(l),
                end(l),
                std::ostream_iterator<std::string>(std::cout, "#");

      // prints "C++ Truths" 10 times.
      std::copy(begin(v),
                end(v),
                std::ostream_iterator<std::string>(std::cout, " ");
    }

Not surprisingly, the size of the list remains unchanged after moving all the elements into the vector. After moving each string, the moved-from string objects are empty (strictly speaking, undefined but valid state). Therefore, when the list is printed again, we get 10 #s. The vector on the hand has the real strings and we see "C++ Truths" 10 times. So far so good. With std::move_iterator we can move elements in vectors, lists to other STL containers. How about std::set? Can we use std::move_iterator on std::set? As it turns out the answer is not that straight forward.

MOVING OBJECTS FROM STD::SET TO OTHER STL CONTAINER

The problem with std::set is that std::set has only const_iterators. I.e., set<T>::iterator and set<T>::const_iterator may not be different types at all. If they are different, you cannot modify the objects pointed to by set<T>::iterator. Why? If it were allowed, breaking std::set invariants will be way too easy. Note that std::set is an associative container and the elements are stored in sorted order. If modifications through set<T>::iterator were allowed, one could change the element in ways that breaks the sorted order. Idiomatic way to replace an element with the same key is to erase it and insert another immediately after that.

    char alpha='A';
    std::vector<std::string> alpha_vector(26);

    // fill the vector with A,B,C,....X,Y,Z.
    std::generate(begin(alpha_vector),
                  end(alpha_vector),
                  [alpha]() mutable { return alpha++; });

    // move all the strings from the vector to the string
    // no invariants broken here.
    std::set<std::string> alpha_set(std::make_move_iterator(begin(alpha_vector)),
                                    std::make_move_iterator(end(alpha_vector)));

    alpha_vector.clear();

    // move each string back to the vector
    for(const std::string & s : alpha_set) {
      alpha_vector.push_back(std::move(const_cast<std::string &>(s)));
    }

    // prints 26 #s. That means the set has 26 empty strings, which
    // by definitions breaks the invariant of uniqueness.
    std::copy(begin(alpha_set),
              end(alpha_set),
              std::ostream_iterator<std::string>(std::cout, "#"));

Moving means modification (in most cases). So what happens when you use std::move_iterator with std::set::iterators? ... The program does not compile. I think this restriction is reasonable in general but too limiting in some scenarios. For instance, some class types have "key" members and other "data" members, which are not part of the key. If the "data" members are large and efficiently movable, it makes sense to copy the key members but move the data members. I can think of a couple of ways to achieve that. So here is some code that conditionally compiles to one or the other.

    class Foo
    {
      std::string key;
      std::vector<int> data;
    public:
      Foo(std::string k, std::vector<int> d)
        : key(std::move(k)),
          data(std::move(d))
      {}
      Foo(const Foo &) = default;
      Foo & operator = (const Foo &) = default;
    #ifdef OPTION1
      Foo(Foo && f)
        : key(f.key),             // copies key
          data(std::move(f.data)) // moves data
       {}
      Foo & operator = (Foo && f) {
        using std::swap;
        this->key = f.key;
        swap(this->data, f.data);
      }
    #endif
    #ifdef OPTION2
      Foo(Foo &&) = default;
      Foo & operator = (Foo &&) = default;
      Foo move() { // copy key and move data.
        return { key, std::move(data) };
      }
    #endif
    };

Option #1 above has a custom implementation of the move constructor. It copies the key and moves data. The move-assignment operator is also does the same. Both of them leave the "key" part of the rvalue untouched. This allows the Foo objects to be moved out of a std::set without breaking set invariants. If you think the Foo move constructor should rather be a "strict" move (i.e., it must scoop up everything it can) Option #2 might work for you.

In Option #2, the move-constructor and move-assignment operator are default but there is an additional member function called move. I could have also called it move_from_set. The member move function moves *this object into an rvalue leaving behind the key. The data part of *this is moved out. Note that simply returning a Foo rvalue reference won't be right. That is because in option#2 the move-ctor and move-assign are default and they will scoop up everything they can. We don't want that. Lets see how to use these two options when moving members out from a std::set.

    std::set<Foo> foo_set;
    foo_set.insert(...);
    std::vector<Foo> foo_vector;
    foo_vector.reserve(foo_set.size());

    for(auto iter = begin(foo_set); iter != end(foo_set);)
    {
    #ifdef OPTION1
      foo_vector.push_back(std::move(const_cast<Foo &>(*iter)));
    #else
      foo_vector.push_back(const_cast<Foo &>(*iter).move());
    #endif

      foo_set.erase(iter++);
    }

The above code is still quite wordy. Mostly because we are not able to use the move_iterators. move_itrators don't work with const iterators. That is because moving from const lvalues is conceptually wrong. I was quite tempted to create const_move_iterator, which simply disregard the const qualifier and make a T&& from a const T &. But I prefer somewhat wordy const_cast because it is explicit and it is easier to search that way.

Note that I'm erasing the set elements as soon as I move them into the vector. I've to make sure that set iterators are no invalidated as a result of calling erase. Therefore, I call iter++, which moves the iterator to the next position before the element is erased from the set. This is one of the times when I prefer calling post-fix increment instead of prefix.

MOVING ELEMENTS FROM STD::INITIALIZER_LIST

Moving from std::initializer_list gets even more interesting because std::initiliazer_list provides only const iterators. As it turns out The in<T> idiom can be used to determine lvalue/rvalue at run-time and make a decision whether to move or not based on that. Here is an example of how to use it.

    std::vector<std::string>
    attempt_move(std::initializer_list<in<std::string>> list)
    {
      std::vector<std::string> result;
      result.reserve(list.size());
      for(const in<std::string> & s : list)
      {
         if(s.rvalue()) {
            // rvalue string. Just move.
            // in<T>.rget() returns T&&
            result.push_back(s.rget());
         }
         else {
            // lvalue string. Make a copy
            // in<T>.get() returns const T &.
            result.emplace_back(s.get());
         }
      }
      return result;
    }

    int main(int argc, char *argv[])
    {
      if(argc >= 4)
      {
         std::string s0(argv[0]);
         std::string s1(argv[1]);
         attempt_move({ s0, std::move(s1), argv[2], argv[3] });
      }
    }

question: How do you move objects from one type of STL container to another?

answer: You do this through the iterator-pair idiom.

question: What is meant by "our dear C++ standardization committee has already thought of this use-case"?

answer: It seems that it means someone has already thought about moving objects through move-iterators.

question: Why is moving STL containers of the same type simple?

answer: STL containers provide the necessary move operations of move-constructor and move-assign operator. This means that moving an entire vector<T> to another is relatively straight forward.

question: What happens when std::move_iterator are used with std::set::iterators?

answer: They do not compile.


text:
YVES II LE VIEUX OF NESLE (IVES, IVO) (d. 1178), son of Raoul I, Seigneur of Nesle, and his wife Rainurde (Ermentrude) of Eu-Soissons. Seigneur of Nesle, Count of Soissons. Upon the death of Renaud III, Count of Soissons, Yves was chosen as the next count by the Bishop of Soissons, Joscelin de Vierzi.

Following the preaching of Bernard of Clairvaux at Vézelay in 1146, Yves joined Louis VII and a host of French nobles in the Second Crusade. He was part of the Crusade Concilium in Acre in June 1148 and was one of many suitors for Constance of Antioch following her husband's death in 1149.

Yves married Yolande, a daughter of Baldwin IV, Count of Hainaut, and his wife Alice of Namur. They had no children.

Upon the death of Yves, his nephew Conon became Count of Soissons.

Sources

-   -   -   -   -

title: Yves II, Count of Soissons

question: When was YVES II LE VIEUX OF NESLE born?

answer: This information is not found in the article.

question: Who was YVES II LE VIEUX OF NESLE?

answer: Son of Raoul I, chosen to be the next count of Soissons.

question: Who did Yves marry?

answer: Yoalnde, a daughter of Baldwin IV, count of Hainaut.

question: Explain what happened after the death of Yves.

answer: His nephew Conon became Count of Soissons, since he had no children.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: YVES II LE VIEUX OF NESLE, son of Raoul I, was chosen by the Bishop to be the next count of Soissons. He joined in the Second Crusade and married Yolande, daughter of the Count of Hainaut. They had no children and after Yves' death, his nephew Conon became Count of Soissons.