text:
“Be careful what you wish for.”In the Arizona desert,in a small town,on a motel bed,this thought goes through Travis Tanners mind. He looked at his hand,The gun had fused with his skin 3 days ago. It contained 1 bullet then,now it carry's 3. Travis remembered what the gun said to him the day he found it. “kill them, leave me.” a cryptic message that was decoded to late. All he had to do was kill a man and the gun would let go. He refused,causing unforeseen consequences. The next day a bullet was added. In some sick way he knew what it meant,now two people must die. He knew what he had to do. Guided by the words of the gun,he came to Red Sand Flats. A kind of town that has a diner,a motel,a convenient store,and a police station. That's it. 8 people live in this town,cut off from the rest of the world. On the day he rode in to this place,Travis was drunk. He passed out in his motel room,and woke up with another bullet. He sobbed.

Travis was going to be a writer. He had tried for years to get a book published. Sadly his own perfectionism got in the way. He ripped up many rough drafts,threw them away. He needed to get the emotions perfect. Three months of working on a horror story. In anyone's eyes it would be considered a masterpiece. Travis deleted it because he couldn't get the emotion of killing someone 100% accurate. Countless hours watching interviews with soldiers, and reading serial killer autobiographies was to no avail. He gave up, decided to change genres,but it was to late. The package had been sent,there was no going back. Halfway through his new book he got a package at his apartment. A present complete with warping paper,and a bow. Inside it was the most beautiful revolver he had ever seen. Custom bone grip, and a barrel so polished he could see himself in it. It called to him,beckoned him to pick it up. He made the greatest mistake of his life that day.

She was gaining more power. Everyday that went by,every bullet added to the gun. Was more control over Travis. If he failed to sacrifice,she would have complete control over him. She had to wait only three more days,three more bullets,until she won this sick game. Until she finally broke free of her prison. This was not her first time going through this. She had created many psychopaths in her time. From school shootings to bank robbery's,someone always shook her off. Not this time, Travis wasn't going to kill anyone,she was sure of it.

The writer,with eyes bloodshot,and breath that could get you drunk,left his room. The sun nearly blinded him, though he didn't care. The gun controlled parts of him already, if he waited any longer it would never let him kill. Never get him his freedom back. On the way to the dinner he stopped to look at his reflection in a window. Black jeans,White tank top with beer stains,and messy hair. He looked like a man with nothing to loose. He didn't,with only a dog at home,no one would mind him going to jail. Or something similar.

He thought about the events leading up to this as he crossed the street. All the serial killers he studied, all the interviews with family members of the victims. Here he was about to create another 20/20 special. “ If I wait any longer it will be worse. Just go in there and do it.” he gives himself a pep talk.”You don't have to kill anyone.” the gun spoke directly to his brain. She was part of him now. She could read his mind,control some actions. That goes both ways though. He knows what she needs,knows what she will do if she get's it. Travis has to do this or worse things will happen. It was a sacrifice he had to make,just like the others before him.

	It took all the strength he had to open the diner door. She used as much control over him as she had. Not fully powered, all she could do was slow him down. 5 people in the diner,some tourists stopped by earlier, but he couldn't tell them apart from the locals. he gets a table and orders a pink lemonade. He sips it as he thinks of what will happen. People will die,families will grieve,the town will be filled with a sadness for months,and he would go to jail. It was a sub-par situation to put it blankly. Having no way to choose who to kill,he did a simple thing. He played spin the bottle. He laughed to himself of how childish it was. She started talking to him.”Sleep,rest,relax” Each word was a command,and each was disobeyed. He tried hard to probe his brain for any memory of Hers that had passed to him. Visions of previous hosts moved like a sick slide show in his mind. Some loved it,embraced it,became psychopaths. Some killed the first day,some the 5th . No one had let her win,and he wasn't about to brake the streak. He took a deep breath,prayed,and opened fire.

Each bullet that left the gun was like taking an allergy pill. His vision got better as he killed the waitress. Killing a biker gave him back control of himself. Shooting a hiker made the gun fall to the floor. It detached with a pop, it was the most glorious feeling he had ever felt. The sensation of air where the gun was made him smile. It hit the tiled floor with a clank. His hand was red and itchy but he couldn't scratch it,there were people that wanted him to put his hands in the air. Being as happy as he was, he came peacefully.

	Mark and Lucy sat at the dinner table. They did the usual small talk,but mostly they just ate. “Did you hear about that psycho down in Red Sand Flats?” mark asks through a mouthful of food. “You mean that writer that went crazy? Yeah Jamie told me about it at work. Poor town it was a nice place, sad there have to be people like him in the world” she took a sip of her wine. Mark talks while she drinks. “Yeah what a freak,they say he says he thought a gun was attached to his hand. The only way he could get it off was to kill people. Can you believe that? What a text-book freak.” they both agree and change the subject.

That Is Travis Tanners reward for saving humanity. Being talked about at dinner tables across America,hated by everyone. He gets to rot in a padded room, deemed crazy for telling the truth. So is the fate of those chosen to make the sacrifice.

title: The Sacrifice

question: What does the title ("The Sacrifice") refer to?

answer: The sacrifice is the murder that must be committed in order to save humanity from the greater evil of whatever power is trapped inside the gun.

question: Where is the story set?

answer: Red Sand Flats, a town in Arizona of only 8 people.

question: Who is the protagonist?

answer: Travis Tanner[s].

question: Summarize everything relating to the gun.

answer: The gun is a beautiful revolver with a polished barrel and custom bone grip, personified with female pronouns that seem to refer to an entity trapped in/possessing the gun. The entity can only be released from the gun if the person it's sent to fails to kill the right number of people with it before a week passes. Each day the gun is not fired, another bullet is added to the chamber, which indicates that another person must be killed. The pull of the gun has brought out the true psychopath in plenty of men, and everyone eventually succumbs, either because they are happy for the excuse to kill or because they understand the threat the entity poses to the world. Travis is among the latter, despite the entity being sure that he won't kill anyone.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Travis Tanner[s] is a writer who has given up on his latest novel because he thinks he can't get the emotions of a killer right, having no personal experience with killing. A package arrives at his door containing a revolver, which draws him in and remains bound to his hand once he's picked it up, communicating with him that he needs to kill a person to be free of it (and an additional person for every day that he waits). To fail to make the sacrifice would mean releasing an evil entity into the world, so Travis resigns himself to the act, and shoots five people in a small-town diner.


split: train

text:
Senator Bernie Sanders issued a stinging rebuke to the Democratic Party’s leadership for criticizing his supporters’ protests at the Nevada convention last weekend, saying it had used its power “to prevent a fair and transparent process from taking place.”

_“Within the last few days, there have been a number of criticisms made against my campaign organization. Party leaders in Nevada, for example, claim that the Sanders campaign has a ‘penchant for violence.’ That is nonsense. Our campaign has held giant rallies all across this country, including in high-crime areas, and there have been zero reports of violence,”_ wrote Sanders in a statement released on Tuesday.

Sanders condemned all forms of violence, but reminded party leaders that shots were fired at his office during the campaign in Nevada, and the apartment housing where his staff was living was _“broken into and ransacked.”_

The Associated Press reportedthat Saturday’s Nevada Democratic Party convention _“turned into an unruly and unpredictable event”_ when Sanders supporters protested convention rules that ultimately led to Hillary Clinton winning more pledged delegates. Supporters threw chairs, shouted down speakers, and later allegedly harassed state party chair Roberta Lange with death-threat phone calls.

  Thrown chairs. Death threats. This is how some Sanders supporters tried to pressure Nevada's Democratic Party https://t.co/oJ3qLNAV0N

  — The New York Times (@nytimes) May 17, 2016

Clinton won the state’s caucuses in February, 53-47, but Sanders backers had hoped to pick up extra delegates by packing county and state party gatherings.

Democratic leaders have pressed Sanders to denounce the disruption, with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (Nevada) telling The Hill that he had spoken to Sanders for 10 minutes on Tuesday. Reid later criticized Sanders’ statement for being _“silly.”_

_“Bernie should say something – not have some silly statement,”_ Reid told CNN. _“Bernie is better than that. …I’m surprised by his statement. I thought he was going to do something different.”_

Sanders said in his statement that for the Democratic Party to be successful in the November general election, state parties need to treat his campaign supporters _“with fairness and respect.”_ He also made this case during state the conventions in Maine, Alaska, Colorado and Hawaii.

_“Unfortunately, that was not the case at the Nevada convention. At that convention the Democratic leadership used its power to prevent a fair and transparent process from taking place,”_ Sanders stated.

Sanders also slammed Nevada’s Democratic Party Chairman, Roberta Lange, for announcing that the convention rules passed on a voice vote of yes, when they had clearly been rejected.

Sanders argued that the chair should have at least conducted a head count.

_“The chair allowed its Credentials Committee to en mass rule that 64 delegates were ineligible without offering an opportunity for 58 of them to be heard,”_ wrote Sanders. _“That decision enabled the Clinton campaign to end up with a 30-vote majority.”_

He also said the chair had refused to acknowledge or allow votes on any motions made from the floor or accept any petitions proposing amendments to the rules.

_“These are on top of failures at the precinct and county conventions, including trying to depose and then threaten with arrest the Clark County convention credentials chair because she was operating too fairly,”_ said Sanders in ending his statement.

question: What does Bernie Sanders think the Democratic Party is doing to sabotage his campaign?

answer: He says the leadership is criticizing his supporters' protests in Nevada, saying his supporters have violent tendencies, which Sanders strongly rebukes.

question: What did the Associated Press report?

answer: That the Democratic Party convention in Nevada turned unruly when Sanders supporters threw chairs and allegedly harassed state party chair Roberta Lange with death threats. They were protesting convention rules which would ultimately lead to Hillary Clinton winning more pledged delegates.

question: What was the response to the Sanders party protests?

answer: Democratic leaders want Sanders to denounce the disruption, with Harry Reid of Nevada saying Sanders' current statement is "silly".

question: What was Sanders' response?

answer: Sanders said for the Democratic Party to be successful come November, state parties needed to treat his campaign supporters with more respect and fairness. This was not just limited to Nevada, he also made the statement during conventions in Maine, Alaska, Colorado, and Hawaii.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Bernie Sanders is criticizing Democratic Party leadership for treating his campaign supporters unfairly. Despite Sanders condemning violence entirely, state leaders in Nevada criticized Sanders' supporters saying they have a proclivity to violence. The Associated press has reported that the Nevada convention got unruly when Sanders supporters protesting convention rules ultimately threw chairs and allegedly harassed state chair Roberta Lange with death threats. Harry Reid, the Nevada Democratic leader, said Sanders' response to the protest was "silly", but Sanders insists that state departments need to treat his supporters with more respect and fairness in the future for the Democrats to be successful in November.


text:
(This is part of my new found personal project of writing one half-assed short story a week, every week, forever and ever. Jon gave me the concept for this week's short story which was ' God gives you the option blind or deaf, you have to choose one. Go.' This is the roughest draft seen by man or beast but I just finished it in order to meet my deadline and its not even spell-checked. ENJOY)

In a far more reasonable world than this one, you get to choose your ailments and misfortunes. God, as one may choose to call it, only partially controls your fates. You are at least given a choice in the matter. Two options are placed in front of you and which one chosen is entirely up to you. It is in this Utopia of infinite forked roads that Jim, a 26 year old grad student from a fairly reputable university, treads down a cobblestone road made out of playground foam padding.

When you are given an 'option' as it is referred to by the populace of this universe, time stops and your options are politely placed in front of you. Though you have no clue the long-term results of your 'option' it is your choice to make, and everyone must suffer through choosing their misfortunes every now and again. There is no rush, no timer, no pressure. You have forever to decide and since deciding is inevitable given the fact that inaction is impossible over the course of all time, no one even knows that you are in an 'option'. Though everyone is keenly aware that they occur.

Some people spend the rest of their lives regretting decisions they made, wondering what would have occurred if they had truly given the option the weight it was due and not chosen randomly to get it over with. School girls gossip over possible options given them and how they would respond, preparing even at young ages for the inevitability of choice.

Jim was suddenly stuck full force with an 'option' as he passed a hot dog cart on 7th in the midst of noticing a woman in a yellow dress that may per chance be blown up by the wind at any moment.

It took a moment for Jim to recognize the scenario he was quite suddenly placed in. His surroundings had slightly faded and before him on the left in bold typeface was 'Blind' on the right in similar fashion was 'Deaf'.

"Fuck..." He muttered to himself. This was much heavier than other choices he had dealt with on previous occasions, for instance 'Hang-nail' or 'Stub-toe' or even 'appendicitis' or 'tonsillitis'. He sat down in that timeless space and began to consider his options.

Given what he was just moments from witnessing before this unfortunate event had interrupted him, losing his sight would 'really royally suck'. Then again not being able to hear the voice of any of his friends or join in conversation like he normally would would also be truly 'bite the big one'. He started the godly task of deciding his fate.

Colors, though muted, were still visible in the background of what was his leisurely stroll down the street. He could see frosted over blobs of green which were just a few moments ago vivid trees. He would lose this, his favorite color would become a void. He would fail to differentiate the space or shape of objects he was not actively touching. He would never again see the face of his friends, his colleagues. The internet would be almost be entirely useless to him sans some sort of text to speech technology and then all he would have would be an endless drone of speak-and-spell mechanical noises telling him the news of the day or creepily relaying to him jokes that would come out hollow and uninteresting. With the concept of that terrifying jolty computer voice constantly barking at him, he began to consider his other option.

Silence. Deep and unending. He was in an odd bout of this currently and so he stood for a moment and wondered what it would be like to have this for eternity. No more music. His favorite bands would be useless to list out with pride at parties. He would lose the ability to communicate effectively with the public. And in place of all those things would be this curse of silence. Not even white noise. He would still see everything, but interacting with other people would become a hassle. Everyone close to him would be burdened with a half-assed attempt to learn sign-language. He would have to carry a pen and paper with him at all times. He would lose the memory of his own speech.

He was suddenly struck with the overwhelming feeling of how fucked up his situation really was. It was basically choosing your own death sentence on a lesser scale. It was emotional torture. It was needlessly draconian. It was sick. And there was nothing he could do about it. At the end of this mental back and forth he was going to have one less of his senses. The path he chose now dictated the direction of the rest of his life, until some new and horrifying 'choice' manifested itself. He felt helpless. Alone. Abandoned.

After crying uselessly for an hour to no one at all, exhausted and defeated, he came to the conclusion that it didn't really matter which choice he made. They were both equally egregious attacks on his sense of self and his pride.  He might as well close his eyes, spin around and point. He would know the choice he'd made by whether or not his eyes ever opened again.

What was the point in giving one a choice in the first place? What did it mean when the odds were stacked against you in what was always an even trade? Everyone always lost. No matter what was chosen most people regretted whatever decision they had made assuming that the other option would have turned out better for them.

He wanted to opt out of the process. He wanted to choose NOT to choose. So he sat down. He sat down and  he waited, wondering if by some miracle waiting would make the hot-dog cart come back and the lady with the yellow dress slowly refocus. The noises of a busy street would once again fill his ears with what he now believed were the harps of angels; once car horns and yelling pedestrians.

But they didn't. Time passed and nothing happened. He took a nap and woke up to the same strange setting. BLIND and DEAF plastered in front of his face asking the same unformed question, 'which ailment do you want for the rest of your days'?

"I want neither..." he said under his breath. " I want neither!" he screamed to nothing. " I choose not to choose you fucking bastards! what kind of sick twisted shit is this!?". Nothing but grave silence greeted him back.

"Blind."

The world went dark.

title: Blind of Deaf

question: Did Jim say blind?

answer: Unclear.

question: Write a ~8 sentence summary.

answer: In an alternate world everyone is given the option to choose their fate. For example one might be given the choice between appendicitis or tonsillitis. These options are given throughout a persons life. As they choose their option, time stops so they can take as long as they want to decide. Jim is walking past a hot dog cart when the option of "blind" or "deaf" appears before him. Jim is stunned thinking about how drastically his life would change either way. He weighs the pros and cons but ultimately refuses to answer. Someone then says "blind" and his world goes dark.


text:
AYANO (written: , , , or ) is both a feminine Japanese given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:

-   , Japanese singer-songwriter

-   , Japanese synchronized swimmer

-   , Japanese _tarento_ and impressionist

-   , Japanese long-distance runner

-   , Japanese trampolinist

-   , Japanese model and actress

-   , Japanese actress

-   , Japanese volleyball player

-   , Japanese voice actress

-   Ayano Ninomiya (born 1979), Japanese-American violinist
-   , Japanese singer and dancer

-   , Japanese idol

-   , Japanese volleyball player

-   , Japanese tennis player

-   , Japanese singer-songwriter

-   , Japanese actress, voice actress and idol

-   , Japanese beauty pageant winner

-   , Japanese manga artist

Surname

-   , Japanese actor

-   , Japanese actress

-   , Japanese singer

Fictional characters

-   Ayano Aishi, protagonist of the video game _Yandere Simulator_
-   , protagonist of the manga series _Hanebado!_

-   Ayano Kannagi, the female protagonist of _Kaze no Stigma_
-   Ayano Kosaka, a character in _Code Geass: Akito the Exiled_
-   Ayano Minegishi, a character from manga and anime, _Lucky Star_
-   Ayano Sugiura, in _Yuru Yuri_
-   Ayano Tateyama, a character from the Vocaloid song series Kagerou Project
-   Keiko Ayano (Silica), a character in _Sword Art Online_

Category:Japanese feminine given names Category:Japanese-language surnames

title: Ayano

question: The name "Ayano" is from which country?

answer: Japan.

question: Which gender usually has it when it is a first name?

answer: Female.

question: Ayano Aishi is the protagonist of which video game?

answer: Yandere Simulator.

question: What year was Ayano Ninomiya born?

answer: 1979.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: "Ayano" refers to a Japanese first name and surname. As a first name, it is typically female.


text:
"Tommy," I yelled as I ran through some woods. Then, a rush of air threw me forward. I could makeout the sound of a blast throught the wind. I smashed into a tree and it all went black.
I slowly began to regain consciousness. My arms and legs where riddled with scars. The forest was a graveyard of uprooted trees, the floor was littered with the mangled bodies of dead animals, not a living thing to seen.
I could not remember anything about who I am or what happened, except for one name. Tommy. Maybe he had the answers to my question. I had to find him where ever he was.

title: Part 1: The beginning of the end

question: Who is Tommy?

answer: We don't find out.

question: Is the narrator actually in the woods?

answer: They could be deceased.

question: What are the narrator's questions?

answer: We're not told.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator comes to, and is running through the woods, searching for someone named Tommy. He might or might not be able to answer the narrator's question.


text:
No ones talking.
Out of the car, towards the doors, it has the air of familiarity but at once completely new.
Ushered to a small room, the furniture is old but comfortable, I look at my mother her eyes glisten with tears newly forming her face a map of those already shed. I'm confused, no one is talking, just glancing worriedly at each other. But mostly at her, why? What answers could my mother have to this unasked but shared question. I feel her hands on my head and some of the clouds in my mind clear, I look towards her and feel warmth flow through me as her eyes meet mine.
Its okay to cry.
Words I know she spoke but the situation has dulled my senses, has wadded my ears with a foreign feeling like that of being underwater but still being able to breath. Like hearing but not listening, like the chaos of a waterfall contained in the stillness of a crystalline lake. The door opens and another presence that is at once familiar and alien pulls my mother into the hall. The room is changing the waterfall is coming closer to the surface of the lake, the change is palpable, its pulling at my skin and rushing by my ears.
She reenters the room.
She speaks a few words and the universe cracks, all of the chaos that was restrained is let go. Wails of anguish crescendo from those also present in the room, a swirl of bodies moves like a blur around me. But my eyes and attention are locked onto my mother, whose words moved through me like the finest steel. A wound that was deep but also unfeeling, her warm gaze takes me and she pulls me into her embrace and I feel the chaos still. Tears stream down my face and she tightens her hold on me and I feel loved and sheltered.
Come with me.
She takes me by the hand and leads me down a hallway. I feel a closeness in my chest I know this hallway leads somewhere terrifying, somewhere that I will not be able to come back from. I look to my mother and feel a mix of fear and trust, a confusing ordeal of whether or not to continue paces through my mind. Her loving eyes take me forward, cautiously I take in my surroundings blurs of whites and the feeling of a cold sterility that grips my core. A set of doors looms ahead of me a fear grows deep within my belly as this cold passage way looms above me, a set of double doors with windows I am unable to see through. She bends down and kisses me, takes me into her embrace and tells me to be brave.
The doors open
I enter the room, a cold sense of awe sets upon me as the strange machines and tubes assault my youthful curiosity. Until my gaze is drawn to the center of the room to a blue man laying on a table with a tube jutting out of his mouth. His features drawn and coloured, his hair tousled and wet, my eyes begin to haze as realization begins to set in. The widows peak, the sandy blonde hair, the trimmed moustache. This strange blue man was not so strange, gone where the piercing blue eyes, gone was the hearty laughter, gone was the dutiful police man, gone was the wayward son, gone was the reckless husband… but most of all gone was my Dad.

-Grammers not great sorry

title: Personal Short Story Yays, Nays?

question: Why is the narrator anxious when his mother leads him through a hallway?

answer: He is unsure of what will unfold.

question: What time frame is the story told?

answer: This information is not known.

question: Why was the narrator's father blue?

answer: It seems he was blue because he was dead.

question: What was the nature of the narrator's dad's death?

answer: Not known.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The character gets home and is told by his mother that his father just passed. Shaken and upset about the news, his mother embraces him to give him some comfort. She leads him to the room, a journey which seems long and fearful, where his father lay. The sight of his dead father, strange and blue, dawns on him that he is really gone.


text:
	Once when I was younger I came into the house bleeding from
the nose, staining my shirt a deep red.  Some got onto the hardwood
floor and also the carpet, which left a stain like someone had spilled
tomato soup or ketchup.  I was punished though I never knew why
and spent the rest of the day and that evening trying to remove it
but I couldn't.  Every time I saw that stain, and still do when I go
home, I remembered that day and how the neighbor kid punched me
in the face whereafter I tackled him and stuck his face in the snow.  I
remember the blood in his hair and against the white.  He got up and
ran home and I was angry so I tossed some ice which skidded against
his head.  We were both eight years old.  The next day we went
sledding.  There was a big hill at the high school where we always
went with hot cocoa, heavy boots and the cold wind which burnt my nose.

title: Nose

question: What happened when the narrator came home from the house?

answer: The narrator's nose was bleeding.

question: Who gave the narrator a nosebleed?

answer: The neighbor kid.

question: How did the narrator get the nosebleed?

answer: The neighbor kid punched him in the face.

question: What happened the next day?

answer: The narrator and the neighbor kid went sledding.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: When the narrator was eight years old he came home with a nosebleed because the neighbor kid punched them in the face. However, the next day they went sledding.


text:
[Badrai near village Panj Pir. The Panj Pir Hill is seen in the background.]

BADRAI is a Nullah which runs in Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It originates in the mountains of Buner district approximately at 34°25'54" N, 72°40'9" E near Makhranai village [1] to the west of River Indus and runs towards the south to pass along Charorai Kalay. It runs further south in District Swabi crossing near villages Panjtar & Ghurghushto where it is joined by small tributaries. Further south it passes to the west of villages Tutalai, Salim Khan, Manerai, Swabi, Kala, Dara, Panj Pir and Kaddi. An irrigation canal has been siphoned underneath Badrai at village Kaddi in Swabi district which is a prominent feature of the village.

Changing its course to the west it passes to the south of villages Zaida, Khunda and Ambar running parallel to the River Indus which it eventually meets.

[1]

title: Badrai

question: What is a Nullah?

answer: That information can't be found, though from context it appears to be some kind of river.

question: Where does Badrai begin and end?

answer: It originates in the mountains of Buner district and eventually meets the River Indus.

question: What villages does Badrai pass by?

answer: Makhranai village, Panjtar & Ghurghushto, Tutalai, Salim Khan, Manerai, Swabi, Kala, Dara, Panj Pir, Kaddi, Zaida, Khunda, and Ambar.

question: Where is Badrai located?

answer: In the Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Badrai is a Nulla that originates from the mountains of Buner district and eventually meets with the River Indus.


text:
JOVAN OVČAREVIĆ (; 1557) was a Habsburg Serb nobleman. He was a member of the Ovčarević family, a notable Serb family in Habsburg service in the 16th century, and was a kinsman or descendant of the earlier Petar Ovčarević (fl. 1521–41), a Šajkaši commander and spy, and relative of contemporaries Mihailo Ovčarević (fl. 1550–79), a Šajkaši commander, and Dimitrije Ovčarević (fl. 1552–66), the captain of Gyula.[1] Jovan Ovčarević was mentioned as accompanying a mission to the sultan in 1557, being in the entourage of Vrančić and Franja Zaj while they were legates in Constantinople. Nothing more is known of him.[2]

[1] ,

[2] ,

title: Jovan Ovčarević

question: Who was Jovan Ovčarević?

answer: He was a Habsburg Serb nobleman.

question: Explain what is known of Jovan Ovčarević.

answer: He was in the entourage of Vrancic and Franja Zaj while they were legates in Constantinople.

question: When was Jovan Ovčarević a member of the Ovčarević family?

answer: In the 16th century.

question: Who was Jovan Ovčarević a descendant of?

answer: Of Petar Ovčarević, a Šajkaši commander and spy.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Jovan Ovčarević was a Habsburg Serb Nobleman in the 16th century and descendant of Petar Ovčarević, a Šajkaši commander and spy. Little else is known of him.


text:
Deniers really are nuts, you know. Apparently over at the Auditor's blog there is some fruitcake obsessing over the cover of an annual report. Not a peer reviewed publication. Not a scientific record. Nope. An illustration. A graphic. A drawing. A conceptual illustration. A piece of artwork.

Thing is, all they are showing is that scientists aren't just careful with their research, they are super-careful even when just producing an illustrated cover for an annual report. Scientists carefully documented where the data came from, what it related to and exactly what data was where. And the annual report itself described all this as well as references to the scientific papers on which the illustration was based. Read it and wonder (my bold underline italics):

  WMO-No. 913
  © 2000, World Meteorological Organization
  ISBN 92-63-10913-3
  Front cover: Northern Hemisphere temperatures were reconstructed for the past 1000 years (up to 1999) using _PALAEOCLIMATIC RECORDS_ (tree rings, corals, ice cores, lake sediments, etc.), along with _HISTORICAL AND LONG INSTRUMENTAL RECORDS_. The data are shown as 50-year smoothed differences from the 1961–1990 normal.
  Uncertainties are greater in the early part of the millennium (see page 4 for further information). For more details, readers are referred to the PAGES newsletter (Vol. 7, No. 1: March 1999, also available at http://www.pages.unibe.ch) and the National Geophysical Data Center (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov).
  (_SOURCES OF DATA_: P.D. Jones, K.R. Briffa and T.J. Osborn, University of East Anglia, UK; M.E. Mann, University of Virginia, USA; R.S. Bradley, University of Massachusetts, USA; M.K. Hughes, University of Arizona, USA; and the Hadley Centre, The Met. Office).

Yep, you guessed it. I'm talking about something that happened fifteen years ago. That's right. _FIFTEEN YEARS AGO._ Sheesh deniers really are a bunch of wackos.  There's no other way to describe them. (Well, maybe you can think of other ways. Make sure your description is family friendly if you decide to post it :D) They are all obsessed because different colours weren't used to show where the paleo records stopped and the instrumental records started. Never mind that this was just a diagram. A cover illustration. Never mind that the cover description made it very clear that this was a composite illustration using both paleo records and instrumental records. Never mind that the scientists didn't just draw a few wiggles, that they carefully constructed the illustration to match known science of the day.

You can read the repost at WUWT archived here, along with all their misinterpretions and paranoia.

You can read more about the stolen emails at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Have these idiots got nothing better to do with their time than obsess over a piece of artwork on the front cover of an annual report, which was produced fifteen years ago?  Which has been confirmed over and over again by different scientists? Which was described in the annual report itself? Which was as meticulously accurate as any piece of artwork could be reasonably expected to be? Which _WASN'T_ prepared by Michael Mann though deniers want to bash him for it. Which was approved by the World Meteorological Organisation itself?

What next? Obsessing over whether Joseph Fourier really wrote his paper? Wondering whether Tyndall got his measurements right? Asking if the Heartland Institute was wrong to promote tobacco smoking?  Investigating Wegman for plagiarism? Correcting all the gross mistakes in McIntyre and McKitrick? (Scratch the last three. Science deniers don't like to be reminded of their deceptions.)

Do you want to read more about paleo reconstructions and the deceptions of deniers? Greg Laden has more patience with these ning-nongs than I do.

Back to the modern day and the real world - public opinion matters to Google and Facebook!  Liar deniers are falling out of fashion.

question: What does the illustration show?

answer: The illustration shows that scientists are careful about anything they produce, not just their research.

question: What is the annual report about?

answer: Northern Hemisphere temperatures were reconstructed for the past 1000 years (up to 1999) using Palaeoclimatic records along with historical and long instrumental records.

question: Why are the deniers called "a bunch of wackos"?

answer: Because different colors were not used to show where the paleo records stopped and the instrumental records started.

question: Who is the book published by?

answer: World Meteorological Organization.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer:
Deniers have been obsessing over the cover of an annual report. The annual report by the World Meteorological Organization is regarding - Northern Hemisphere temperatures were reconstructed for the past 1000 years (up to 1999) using Palaeoclimatic records along with historical and long instrumental records.

They are obsessed because different colors were not used to show where the paleo records stopped and the instrumental records started.


text:
TRIBES, PREDATORS & ME is a British nature documentary series hosted by Gordon Buchanan, which documents indigenous people living alongside some of the most dangerous animals on earth. It first aired in 2016. It was revived in 2017 for a second season.

List of episodes

1. ANACONDA PEOPLE OF THE AMAZON

Gordon travels to Ecuador's Amazon jungle and meets the Waorani, an Amerindian tribe who live alongside the anaconda, the largest snake in the world.

2. LION PEOPLE OF THE KALAHARI

Gordon meets Botswana's San tribe, who live alongside lions.

3. CROCODILE PEOPLE OF NEW GUINEA

Gordon travels to the rainforest of New Guinea and meets the indigenous people who live alongside and hunt crocodiles.

4. SHARK PEOPLE OF THE PACIFIC

Gordon meets the indigenous tribes of the Solomon Islands who live alongside sharks.

5. EAGLE PEOPLE OF MONGOLIA

Gordon travels to Mongolia and meets the Kazakhs, who have trained golden eagles for millennia.

6. HYENA PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA

Gordon travels to Ethiopia where the indigenous tribes live alongside spotted hyenas.

title: Tribes, Predators & Me

question: Describe Botswana's San tribe.

answer: The San tribe of Botswana in the Kalahari live alongside lions. Gordon met them for the documentary.

question: Who is the host of the documentary?

answer: Gordon Buchanan.

question: What is the premise of the documentary?

answer: Documenting certain groups of indigenous people around the world as they live alongside dangerous animals.

question: Who lives alongside crocodiles?

answer: Natives of New Guinea live alongside and hunt crocodiles.

question: Summarize everything relating to hyenas.

answer: In Ethiopia, indigenous tribes live alongside spotted hyenas; they are described as 'Hyena People'.

question: How many episodes were made?

answer: Six episodes are listed.

question: List 3 animals mentioned.

answer: Sharks, eagles, hyenas.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Tribes, Predators & Me (2016-2017), hosted by Gordon Buchanan, documents certain groups of indigenous people around the world as they live alongside dangerous animals, including crocodiles, lions, hyenas, anacondas, sharks, and eagles.


text:
INTRODUCTION & DOWNLOAD

PrusaSlicer (formerly known as Slic3r Prusa Edition or Slic3r PE) is our own in-house developed slicer software based on the open-source project Slic3r. It's open-source and you can get it in our Drivers & Apps Package. PrusaSlicer is a FEATURE-RICH, FREQUENTLY UPDATED TOOL THAT CONTAINS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO EXPORT THE PERFECT PRINT FILES for your Original Prusa 3D printer.

PrusaSlicer is available for WINDOWS, MAC AND LINUX

[Windows][MacOS][Linux]

[aq_block_5]

Video guides

110+

FILAMENT AND RESIN PROFILES

3

MODES (BEGINNER, ADVANCED, EXPERT)

FREE AND OPEN-SOURCE

[]

PrusaSlicer is based on Slic3r by Alessandro Ranellucci. It's completely free and open-source. Thanks to the strong community and core team of developers in Prusa Research we can continually add new functionality. You can follow the development process on Github.

CLEAR & SIMPLE UI

[]

Slic3r was always known to be powerful and versatile, but some features were difficult to use, if not outright hidden behind obscure menus and dialogs. Our goal with the reworked UI was to expose all the power features while making the UI clear and simple to use at the same time.

CUSTOM SUPPORTS

[]

PrusaSlicer lets you create support blockers and enforcers. Support blockers are useful when you’re generally happy with the automatic supports, but you want to exclude some areas. With support enforcers, you can turn automatic supports off and select specific parts which need supports.

MSLA & MULTI MATERIAL SUPPORT

[]

With the release of our Original Prusa SL1 resin 3D printer, we’ve added masked SLA (MSLA) mode into PrusaSlicer. As far as we know, PrusaSlicer is the first high-quality open-source MSLA slicer available. PrusaSlicer also supports multi material FFF printing with the Original Prusa MMU2S.

AUTO-UPDATING PROFILES

[]

Testers and developers at Prusa Research are constantly working on presets for 60+ filaments and resins. We are adding profiles on regular basis, following materials by the most popular manufacturers. You will get new profiles automatically through auto-update function.

SMOOTH VARIABLE LAYER HEIGHT

[]

3D printing is always about the quality versus the print time. In PrusaSlicer, you can select the layer height for each part of the object separately. Our software takes care of smoothing so the final print looks best as it can and the printing time remains acceptable. Check out the video.

FIRMWARE FLASHER

[]

PrusaSlicer includes built-in firmware flasher for Original Prusa i3 printers. You can just connect your printer to computer via USB cable and easily flash the firmware via PrusaSlicer. Don't forget to upgrade your printer regularly! 😉

COLOR CHANGE

[]

You can prepare prints with color change directly in PrusaSlicer. Just insert the “pause for filament change” code at layers which you marked in the print preview screen. A preview is displayed instantly so you’ll see exactly how your model will look with color-change.

OCTOPRINT INTEGRATION

[]

With Octoprint application, you can control your printer via web browser. PrusaSlicer is now supporting advanced features of Octoprint like upload queue or Cancelobject plugin, which allows you to cancel printing of one particular object on the print bed.

More features

-   Move, rotate and scale gizmos + object manipulation sidebar
-   Object list, copy & paste, scene hierarchy, and instances
-   File/Save Project saves a 3MF file containing all objects, settings, modifiers and their parameters.
-   HiDPI support – Correct scaling on high-resolution displays
-   Manipulation of multiple objects - group selection
-   Background processing – redesigned to work reliably, only those slicing steps that were invalidated by the user action will be re-sliced
-   Repairing models via Netfabb (only on Windows)
-   Wipe into infill, wipe into object in MMU mode
-   Soluble interface supports
-   Multi-language support: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Czech, Polish, Ukrainian, Korean, Chinese (Simplified)

question: What is PrusaSlicer?

answer: It is a slicer software based on the open-source project Slic3r.

question: What are the major features of PrusaSlicer?

answer: It is the first high-quality open-source MSLA slicer available. It has an improved user interface. It can create support blockers and enforcers.

question: Explain how PrusaSlicer integrates with Octoprint.

answer: PrusaSlicer now supports Octoprint's upload queue or Cancelobject plugin.

question: Explain the auto-update function.

answer: Profiles are added regularly, and with the auto-update function, users can get them automatically as soon as they're available.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Prusa Research introduces the PrusaSlicer. It is an open-source slicer software based on the project Slic3r. It has new features that improve 3D printing quality.


text:
Chap 1.

People would kid Scalabo about how if he walked any slower, then he’d just be standing still. And how Jumpback was the only horse they’d ever seen that could take a nap and still keep walking. He once told Mr. Stubbins, who owned the mercantile, “Oh...I’m in no real hurry I guess. I’ll get there. And besides, my feet don’t hurt as quick when I take it slow.” That seemed to make sense to Mr. Stubbins but Stubbins had to ask, “Why don’t you just ride your horse?”

“What, me get up on Jumpback? The way I see it...if my two feet start to hurt, them I’m sure Jumpback’s four feet gotta hurt too, so he don’t need me sittin’ on his back, while I’m resting my feet”, and that seemed to make sense to Mr. Stubbins too.

 Stubbins disappeared through his store front door and came right back and walked out to Scalabo. “Mind if I give him these?”,  holding out three or four carrots and an apple. “I’ve got more than I can sell and they’ll just go bad, as hot as it’s been."

“Oh no sir I don’t. And I’m sure he’ll like those very much...if you can wake him up”, Scalabo thanked him with a wink. “He likes that wild rye that grows there up about five miles. Good time of year for it. Hasn’t started to seed yet. Yeah...he likes that”.

“And for you sir”, as Mr. Stubbins held out his hand to Scalabo displaying a chunk of chocolate, a plug of tobacco and a small, odd shaped piece of smooth, clear glass. “They sent extra this time and it’s only good fresh.” Stubbins knew Scalabo was not a man after handouts, or a man to be thought of as down on his luck.

“Well thank you Mr. Stubbins. Anything I can do to repay you for all this? And what’s this?” holding up that little piece of glass.

“Oh no sir. Not at all. I wouldn’t think of it. It’s my pleasure.  All I can say is, they say that glass brings good luck.”

“Well sir that would be just fine with me. And it seems to be already working with all the generosity you’ve shown me today. I’ll be going now and we’ll see you our next time through. Not to expect something or anything like that. Just for a visit. Nothing more. And I’ll let you know how my luck’s been going”.

 It’s a pretty easy walk up to where those two were headed. Good solid road and no ruts. It’s just the kind of dirt that’s around here. Even after a three day rain the road's not very muddy. There’s a slight uphill rise about three miles out. It takes off to the northwest and then drops down a bit into a large meadow. Just past the crest of the rise there’s a trail that heads off to the left and goes over to a stream about a half a mile or so over. The trail takes off north again and follows the row of cottonwoods that line the bank of the stream. There’s also some tall grasses, lots of wild flowers and a pretty good stretch of berry bushes. It eventually ends up at a small pond and then curves around towards that rye patch they were headed for, and then meets back up with the main road . This is the route Scalabo always took. Plenty of good water for them both and he’d tell Jumpback that “most the time it’s better to eat dessert first."

Scalabo thought, when he first saw this place years ago, the stream used to be a river and that pond is what’s left of most likely a lake that covered this whole meadow floor. The only trees besides the cottonwoods were way off at the start of some hills where twenty miles after that, started to become mountains. He liked the idea he might be walking on the bottom of an old lake. He liked the idea there was plenty of good stuff for Jumpback to eat. He spent the night there along that stream many times through the years. Sometimes he’d go stay by the pond. He liked the idea it was up to him to keep going or just to sit.

Mr. Stubbins went out a while later to see how far Scalabo and Jumpback had made it on their way to the rye patch. He didn’t know what their plans where after that. Where they’d be off to he could only imagine. He wondered if Scalabo even knew where he was off to. Maybe Scalabo wondered that same thing too.

title: Scalabo and Jumpback

question: What kind of a man is Scalabo?

answer: Scalabo is a man who walks slowly. He is never in a hurry. He also owns a horse named Jumpback, but almost never rides it. His excuse is that if his feet are hurting, then the horse's feet must be too, hence it would be unfair to ride it. Scalabo is a superstitious man. Stubbins, a neighbor (presumably) once gave him some gifts including a glass which supposedly brings good luck. Scalabo seems overjoyed to have it; he thinks the glass is already working since Stubbins gave him such generous gifts.


text:
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is shaking up the broadcasting landscape and media & entertainment industry. Players, both big and small, are racing to leverage AI to differentiate their services from the rest. The research around the technology has been extensive and the investments are in billions. AI is one primary factor that helps marketers identify their customers and realize their needs. By knowing individual needs, marketers foray into the territory of personalization and there, the concept of content branding originates. Personalization of products/services is becoming table stakes to stay relevant in this competitive industry.
Artificial intelligence (AI), as we know, is a branch of computer science that aims at creating intelligent technology capable of replicating human learning and problem-solving skills. OTT industry is largely betting on Artificial Intelligence and new technologies to garner that 30-crucial-seconds of attention of their target customers. With the booming success of OTT giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc., media companies have realized the changing consumer interest, viewing habits, viewing pattern, preferences of genre etc. to be key factors for success. And in order to have a hold on these, they are not shying away to invest moolah in Artificial Intelligence and data which according to them makes them future-ready.
A GLANCE AT COGNITIVE COMPUTING

Cognitive computing allows learning and building knowledge from various structured and unstructured data. According to a survey, 86% of Media and Entertainment executives who are familiar with cognitive computing believe it will play a disruptive role in the industry. However, the broadcasting industry must smartly handle the data. Advances in cognitive computing narrow the gap between data quantity and data insights. It certainly helps to enhance the cognitive processes of professionals and betters the decision-making process.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS HERE TO STAY!

To start with, it’s not a news anymore that the trailer of the 20th Century Fox horror flick, Morgan was developed using machine learning which is often interchangeably used for AI though there is a thin line of difference between the two. A total of six minutes of footage were pulled from the 90-minute movie, resulting in a 24-hour process, from start to finish whereas normally a film’s trailer development process takes weeks to complete. It is just a small example how powerful can AI be if data insights are acutely studied and implemented.
In the 2017 US Open, IBM’s cognitive computing platform Watson assembled a clip reel within five minutes of the end of every match, churning out highlights and key moments available to fans 2 to 10 hours faster than previous years. The event which marked the official launch of IBM Watson Media is a new venture that leverages Watson’s AI capabilities to meet the future needs of broadcasters and their audiences. Watson analyzed 320 hours of video from the event to find the most exciting moments. It also consumed statistical information from courtside devices used to measure ball position, serve speed and other technical dimensions.
Coming back to OTT arena, streaming giant Netflix uses AI extensively. From suggesting better content depending on viewing preferences to optimizing video compression and delivery, Netflix’s familiarity with AI for improved viewing experience is nothing new. Content management can greatly benefit from AI technology as image, emotion, and voice recognition have empowered media technology purchasers to increasingly rely on AI tools to organize and search content archives. Similarly, AI can also help in tagging content (which is an expensive affair). With detailed metadata, search on content management systems has become more precise thereby encouraging monetization opportunities. AI, also termed as “cognitive intelligence” in broadcasting industry promises to track individual customer consumption habits.

Take a look at the Broadcasting Landscape in 2018
HOW NETFLIX SAVED $1 BILLION A YEAR BY LEVERAGING AI?

Netflix claimed in the past that its AI-powered recommendations save up to $1 billion a year by decreasing churn. The usage of Dynamic Optimizer by Netflix helps to compress codecs and optimize network data transfers. In addition to this Artificial Intelligence optimizes the over-the-top (OTT) delivery by preventing congested links and unstable connectivity with the adoption of internet protocol (IP).
Microsoft, Amazon, Google etc. have cloud-based video delivery channels. Here, AI plays an important role in scalability. The cloud services of the aforementioned companies have a substantial amount elasticity which in simple terms means the ability to increase or decrease available resources as needed. Artificial Intelligence is used to predict the increase in resource requirements with an aim to reduce the delaying.

ONLINE STREAMING INDUSTRY STAYS ABUZZ OVER ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

In the last two NAB Shows – 2018 & 2019 events held in Las Vegas, the industry experts talked about the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Immersive Media in the upcoming years. The world’s largest electronic media showed how streaming and online video connoisseurs gather and exchange thoughts about the cutting-edge technology that is redefining the curation, channelization, and delivery of content on any platform. And as per recent reports, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will be a trending topic in future years as the crowd from broadcasting, media, entertainment, and technology will assemble to throw light on the changing dimension of streaming media, its effect on the peripheral industry and above all consumer behavior.

This year, Muvi is exhibiting at the Broadcast Asia Singapore 2019. Come and be a part of the convention. Book a Meeting now.

question: Why is AI considered essential in helping companies survive a competitive market in the entertainment business?

answer: Artificial Intelligence has helped both small and large companies in the competitive market structure of the entertainment industry by helping them, through their intelligence system, identify customer behavior and needs. Once these companies, especially the over-the-top media companies such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon Prime, etc., can understand customers' needs, they can apply the necessary changes to maintain their position in the ever-fluctuating economy and competitive markets. This is why big companies and smaller companies leverage the advantage AI has in improving and advancing their services.


text:
	Finally escaping the harsh, cheek-biting cold, after hours of trekking through the frosty snow, I slid into my warm, enticing home lit by a crackling fireplace that radiated heat throughout the house. While I was encountering snow for the first time, my grandma, who was accustomed to the shivers the season brings, was calmly entering the house after me. At the time, I was unaware of the dangers that so often accompany the snow. However, a near fatal experience with a raging blizzard coupled with my clumsiness as a six year-old since dulled my eagerness to explore the icy realms of winter.
	My first encounter with snow was almost magical to the six year-old me. Whenever I could, I pleaded endlessly for my grandma to take me outside in the winter. At the time, I sported an oversized bright yellow snow jacket matched with neon green shoes, and I would stand impatiently at the front door waiting for my grandma to take me out to play. In my earlier years, she was more energetic and willing to watch me roll around in the snow, but as time went on, she grew older and wearier, and was willing to go out with me less and less, and warned me about the freezing weather more and more. As I was entering my sixth year and becoming bolder in testing my freedom, I finally decided to sneak out by myself to play in the park near my house.
	In the neighborhood I lived in at that time, the houses were spread out but all the neighbors were friendly with one another. Down a few blocks, there was a secluded park, enclosed by a shelter of trees for tired adults to send their restless kids to play in. As I stealthily snuck out of my house, I made my way toward the neighborhood park. I spent what seemed to be only a few minutes on the swings but before I knew it, the sun was setting and the sky grew gradually darker until finally, the moon began to cast its eerie glow on the park. The trees must have blocked the snow from tumbling into the park; once I tried to leave the park, the sharp snowfall whipped across my cheeks and forced me to retreat. I began to grow worried, more for my grandmother than for myself, since I knew she had a tendency to worry and would probably drag her old frail self to come search for me. With that thought in mind, I decided to make my way home so she would not have to endure the weather. As soon as I stepped out of the sheltering park, I was attacked by a gust of blowing snow, causing me to fall over. I screamed out violently as stinging pain instantly ran up my legs. I attempted to regain my balance but my injured ankle did not will it. The cold slowly crept through the fluorescent yellow jacket I routinely wore; my teeth chattered and my head hurt. Soon after, I slowly began to lose consciousness, with my thoughts drifting to my toasty fireplace and eventually, my grandma.
	What happened after was relayed to me by various sources. Apparently, I had only been out of my house for about thirty minutes and just ten minutes after I left, my grandma had alarmed the police by reporting me missing. The police had seen me as I exited the park before I even made my great slip. Rushing over to me, they saw that I had a cut on my forehead, which from the wound was forming a puddle of blood on the snow near my head. It turned out that the cut was made by a protruding rock from the ground that I scraped my head against as I crashed to the ground. The entirety of my injuries consisted of a deep head wound, which required five stitches and a fractured ankle, which bound me to a leg brace for a month. I regained consciousness in the hospital, where my grandma was waiting for me to wake up. With her arms wrapped around me, I vowed to stay out of the snow forever.
	Fortunately for me, I now live in Southern California, where snow is only a prop in Hollywood movies. Although I no longer fear the snow, I am more aware of my surroundings. Even today, whenever I look at the scar on my forehead, I am taken back to my life threatening encounter with the snow.

title: [RF] First Winter Battle

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

answer: The narrator's grandma is more accustomed to winter and snow than the narrator. When the narrator is very young, their grandmother is more energetic and willing to let them play in the snow, but as she gets older, she becomes more cautious and weary. When the narrator sneaks out, the grandmother discovers it just ten minutes later and immediately reports them missing. The grandma waits with the narrator at the hospital with her arms wrapped around them.

question: What does the text say about the narrator in the present?

answer: The narrator now lives in Southern California, where they never have to worry about snow or cold winters. The narrator is no longer afraid of the snow, and tries to be more aware and cautious of their surroundings. They still have the scar on their forehead, and it still reminds them of their first life threatening encounter with the snow.


text:
     Richard was pulled from a strange dream (he was a used car salesman in Wisconsin) by a wet nose rubbing against his hand. He half opened his eyes, catching a wall of golden fur and long snout before shutting them tight again and smiling to himself. He rolled over to the other side of the bed and began to fake loud snoring sounds. This always drove Annabelle crazy. His world shook as she lept onto the bed with a playful growl and began furiously licking his face. "I'm up!" he shrieked with mock terror, "I'm up, girl! I'm up!" He pushed her away halfheartedly.

     One more lick and she jumped off the bed, sauntering across the room with a decidedly self-satisfied gait. Another playful growl as she looked back at him just before leaving the room. "I'm up," he told her again as he sat up and watched her leave. He chuckled softly, crawling from his bed and making his way to the closet. She would lay just outside his bedroom door, he knew, making sure he stayed awake and was getting ready. If he took too long, there would be consequences.

     Moments later, Richard emerged from the bedroom wearing blue running shorts and a time-worn Nematodes are People Too T-shirt. "Alright, Ms. Annabelle, lets do this." he said with enthusiasm, leading the way into the next room. He turned on the music, opened the blinds, and turned on both the treadmills that lay in the center of the room. He fiddled with the dials on one, the belt almost coming to a stop. "This fast enough for you?" he asked, smiling widely. She cocked her head slightly, looked directly at him with what could only be described as lost patience, then stepped onto the slowly moving belt. "Sorry, sorry, my mistake." He cranked the speed and incline up, then hopped onto the other other treadmill.

     He began running at a slow, but comfortable pace, playing with dials, nobs, and settings, and doing his best to ignore the judging glances thrown his way. A loud bark from Annabelle broke his false concentration. "Oh, come on." Another bark. "Fine." He turned the speed on his treadmill to match hers, and instantly began feeling the strain in his legs. "Bitch."

title: Richard and Anna

question: What is Richard's relation to Annabelle?

answer: Annabelle is Richard's dog

question: Where were Richard and Annabelle going?

answer: To the next room to run on the treadmill.

question: Explain why Annabelle was losing her patience with Richard.

answer: She was waiting for him to turn up the speed on the treadmill.

question: What was Richard dreaming about before Annabelle woke him up?

answer: He was a used car salesman in Wisconsin.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Richard's dog, Annabelle, wake him up from a dream and waits for him to get up and go into the next room tp start the treadmills. Annabelle signals Richard to turn up the speed on the treadmills.


text:
This is my first post of my writing. Feedback, good or bad, is appreciated. Enjoy.

Dr Howard Corbin

Dr Corbin was eating dinner with his new wife and her ingrate son. Chicken, 3 months of marriage and they had chicken 32 times. His child bride, Sheila, was 23 years his junior. He used to love chicken. His mother would wring its neck and bleed it out Sunday after church. He would watch it die, discretely. He was fascinated by that instant when the certainty of one's death is accepted. As a young man, in the triage tent on the "front line" of Vietnam conflict, he used to work with an erection. Not a raging one. It would just waggle in his boxers and rub against his thigh. He was a demigod, choosing who would receive grace through his over skilled hands and who was not worth the effort. He had met Sheila 8 years after his first wife left him. He hasn't done anything wrong. You aren't the man I married his ex would scream, every fucking fight. Of course I'm not, we got married 22 years ago. "I" grew up. She would slam the door of the house she had wanted, he had paid for, get into the sl500, slam the door on the car he bought her. Then drive to the bar and would buy her drinks on his amex. Maybe after a bad fight she would take a bar fly to a motel near the airport paid again with his credit card. Sheila had been introduced at a dull dinner a friend had thrown. She had walked in just as soup was put on the table. It was a magical moment. He had just put a large forkful of salad in his mouth. A rivulet of dressing slid down from the corner of his mouth unheeded. To say she was striking would be ungenerous.

Mrs Sheila Corbin

Sheila was born in Cambodia in 1974. She always thinks of it as being sold into slavery. In reality she was adopted shortly after her birth because most of her family had been killed, Her mother dying during Sheila's birth. She was fortunate to be "purchased" by a kind english family. She was fed and schooled with the other children by the rest of the house staff. She was released from service to attend college and never looked back to Asia, there was nothing there for her. She came to university of Maryland on a partial scholarship. The boys went crazy for her, Asian with a clipped British accent. She took lovers. They gave her things. Beautiful things. She donated them to churches, she was not a whore paid in jewelry. In her junior year she was dating a poly sci major. He was going places, he had interned in a senator's office. On Saturday night after an epic party they went back to his swanky apartment. They made beautiful love and Ryan. She didn't hate the baby, just resented him. He represented a door that had closed for her. She barely finished school while raising an infant. The poly sci major slowly pulled away after she told him that it was immoral to have an abortion. He sent her a $3,000 check after the birth. What the hell was $3,000 for and how did he decide on that number? She cashed it, only because she needed the money. She was 29 when she met Dr. Corbin, Ryan was 9. She loved him almost instantly. She had tried, on her own and through therapy to find out why. He was old and white so he seemed so much older. White men after 50, yuck. They are falling apart from the roof to the basement. He is kind and a doctor, if there had been a doctor at her birth at least her mother would be alive and she could have stayed with her family in Asia. That was the best answer she could come up with. So much kinder and serene than those self proclaimed spiritual men. 9 out of 9 times what you saw is what you got from Howard. One therapist said it was transference, never knowing her own father, I desire to have an intimate relationship with him. At the end of the session she invited her to coffee, on the pretext of talking about the therapy. She politely told her no and that she would be cancelling the rest of her appointments.

The Corbins

The doctor, as she always thought of him, had swept her off her tiny feet. They sat drinking brandy in the library, after the dinner party, until their friend, almost physically, kicked them out. They went across Martinsburg to the waffle house that was barely open. It was 3am and the Beaver Dam strip club hadn't swept its citizen debris to this side of the street yet. They talked, they laughed, his honesty drove her to truth. Her pat story of her childhood unraveled until the thread of history lay bare between them. Of course the "truth" is not a complete factual reenactment, but the omission of the all the lies. They had finished their pecan pie and drinking the dirty water, represented as coffee on the menu. Three sirens walked in. Their clothes unsuited for the November night. A down vest over a white tank top over nothing. Yoga pants and ugg boots. Was it the uniform of strippers going home? They ordered quickly, the young man behind the counter was shy but his desire radiated off him like a neon sign. The girls flirted, probably without realizing it. After they made their orders, and the man's night, they sat in the back giggling and waiting for the numbers to be called. A pair of street toughs walked in loudly. Without making eye contact with the boy behind the counter they turned to the booths. They had already cased the joint. Walking by the doctor and Sheila, the black one looked in the dr's eyes, puts a hand with bloodied knuckles on his shoulder and says nice pull grampa. They sit with the girls, boxing them in. Used to being in control of their interactions with the "clients", one of them start berating them. The Dr can't see what is happening past the high backed booths but he does see the kid behind the counter move down the bar and reach for an invisible shotgun. Howard, the dr, excused himself from Sheila. He walked over to the table that the 5 of them sat. What do you want old timer asked the scrawny white one. Just making sure these ladies were enjoying your company Howard replied. He casually drew back the right side of his sport coat revealing the pearl handle of the Colt .45 he had carried with him since he moved to WV. The gun was his sidearm from Vietnam. The handles a gift from his father for returning safely from fixing the boys when they got shot up in the war. One of the girls felt the temperature drop and almost knock the black teen on his ass pushing her way out of the booth. Your order is ready said the counter boy, the girls went to collect the greasy bags. The toughs retreated giving Howard a hard look. Helena gave him a kiss on the cheek on her way past.

title: [RF] The Corbins

question: Summarize Sheila's personal life.

answer: Sheila was an attractive Asian who was adopted by a British couple after her mother died while giving birth to her. When she studied at the University of Maryland on a partial scholarship, the boys in school were very attracted to her because it seemed they hadn't met an Asian with a British accent. Sheila dated different men who gave her exciting gifts, which she donated to the church. Sheila met a poly sci major who later became the father of her son, Ryan, and ended up not becoming a part of his son's life because she refused to abort him. Nine years later, Sheila met Dr. Howard Corbin, a divorcee at a dinner party and was instantly attracted to him because she loved that he was a doctor with a kind personality. Sheila underwent therapy to figure out why she was instantly attracted to him. One of her therapists revealed her attraction might be because of her daddy issues; she didn't know her father and longed for a meaningful relationship with him.

question: What were the circumstances that led to Howard's wife leaving him before he eventually remarried?

answer: Before Howard met Sheila, he was married to his first wife for 22 years before leaving him. It appears she left him because she became frustrated with her marriage to him. Howard's first wife believed she couldn't recognize him anymore and declared he wasn't the man she married when they were younger, even though Howard was not a bad husband to her.


text:
 Go to FitKidz __

FitKidz

Fostering a love of physical activity for life!

"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live in." - Jim Rohn

World class health care in a friendly, locally owned and operated atmosphere

The Definition of stride (strīd): 1) a single coordinated movement: Here at STRIDE, we work closely with other healthcare professionals to make sure you are getting the best, most relevant care available. 2) significant progress: At Stride, we expect, as should you, to make gains with your treatment. The timeline in which these changes should take place will be discussed with you in detail. Although most problems don’t change overnight, you should be able to see improvements with specific markers and overall quality of life in a reasonable timeframe. 3) a step walking or running: Stride practitioners strongly encourage you to participate in your recovery. While you don’t need to be a top-level athlete, we do expect most people to participate in some degree of home-based exercise. This is often just a few short stretching or strengthening exercises that will make a big difference in your recovery. They will all be designed specifically for you, so no matter your age, fitness level, or degree of pain, you can start taking charge of your body. 4) to attain a maximum level of competence: Just like in anything, health and wellness providers have a wide range of skills and training. At STRIDE, our practitioners continually upgrade their training to ensure we are providing industry-leading and research-based services. This is something that sets us apart. Let us help you hit your STRIDE!

-   Our clients come first.

    We are dedicated to ensuring the health needs of our clients are surpassed. When passing through our doors, every client is treated with the absolute best our professions and the varied skill sets our practitioners have to offer.

-   We go green.

    We strive to remain mindful of and reduce our environmental footprint any way we can, such as reducing paper in our daily operations and recycling as much as possible to minimize the burden shouldered by future generations.

-   Professional development is integral.

    Maintaining excellence as our standard of care is guaranteed and keeping up with skills supported by best evidence in the research literature is integral to our practice. Stride encourages and proudly invests in our therapists as they engage regularly in professional development endeavours.

-   We give back.

    We are of service daily to our community through our practice, but in addition to this, we understand the importance of and have a very strong desire to give back to the good people of this city through job creation, sponsorship of individuals and organizations, and various volunteer opportunities.

[]
Jodi Williams, PT

BSc PT, BSc (Physiology), CAFCI, CF-L1

Founding Partner & Owner, Physical Therapist, Credentialed Manual Therapist, Pelvic Health Practitioner, Acupuncture Provider, Certified Concussion Manager, Ergonomic Consultant, Falls Prevention Educator, CrossFit Level One Trainer, Sports First Responder

[]
Laurel Schafer, PT

BSc PT, CAFCI, CF-L1

Founding Partner & Owner, Physical Therapist, Credentialed Manual Therapist, Pelvic Health Practitioner, Acupuncture Provider, Certified Concussion Manager, Ergonomic Consultant, CrossFit Level One Trainer, Sports First Responder

[]
Halee Bridgeman, PT

BSc (Psych/Bio), MPT, CF-L1

Physical Therapist, Sports First Responder, Certified Concussion Manager, Parkinson’s Big Movement Instructor, CrossFit Level Trainer.

[]
Trent Lasiuk, ET

BSc (Kinesiology), CSEP-CEP

Exercise Therapist, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Personal Trainer, Functional Movement Systems Trained

[]
Joanne Booth

BSc (Kinesiology), CanFitPro (PTS)

Strength & Conditioning Coach

[]
Daylan Gatzke

BSc (Kinesiology)

Strength & Conditioning Coach

[]
Brenda Wall

Office Manager

Administration and Expert Therapist Wrangler

[]
Connie Magnusson

Office Administrator

Administration and expert therapist wrangler

"It's not sweat. It's liquid awesome." - overheard at STRIDE Performance

[]

Quarantine Fitness

Why is it so hard to get back into an exercise program after quarantine? The answer is simple: you were too sedentary for too long. Is this really a problem? Actually, not really. We’re going through something that the world hasn’t seen in over a 100 years, so it’s ok that worrying about life, your job, and your future Read more about Quarantine Fitness[…]

[]

Physical Therapy via Video is here!

Even though it’s not how we may typically do things around here, video physical therapy sessions are a useful tool for the days to come and the research supports it! https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27141087/ These sessions are secure, confidential, and in keeping with our licensing body’s guidelines. Most insurance companies are covering the fees for physical therapy delivered in Read more about Physical Therapy via Video is here![…]

[]

STRIDE COVID-19 Response

Please click on the Red “COVID-19 Response” button at the top of our website for all up-to-date information on what we as a clinic are doing during this unprecedented time.

[]

** IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ **

On advice of our professional association, public health guidelines, and our own moral compasses, STRIDE Physio & Performance and CrossFit Swift Curre

question: In what ways does STRIDE try to distinguish itself from its competitors?

answer: STRIDE is a firm that provides fitness and wellness services to its clients. Like any other health and wellness company, it provides tips and tricks to maintain fitness and wellbeing. STRIDE, however, prides itself on providing a little bit extra. For example, STRIDE makes sure it maintains a green status as far as recycling and reduction of its environmental footprint are concerned. Also, this is a company that believes in charity, hence it tries giving back to the community via job creation and sponsorship of individuals within the community.


text:
littenkitten99: Where do I right a character bio Dec 26, 2018 3:29:22 GMT

kavprabath: how do i join the server? Jan 17, 2019 16:24:37 GMT

kavprabath: i filled out a form and submitted it Jan 17, 2019 16:32:16 GMT

pj: Hi everyone, this is a vanilla server, right? No mods? Feb 14, 2019 23:25:16 GMT

ROSEofTheGarden: Miss everyone, hope you're all doing well Feb 19, 2019 23:04:38 GMT

B-Man: Sorry I haven't been on much guys. Just thought I would pop in and see how everything was going. And letting you know that I haven't abandoned you. Hope you all are doing pretty good. Apr 21, 2019 6:56:00 GMT

ragequitr2: Just checking in- I'm still alright. Hope you guys are too. Jun 7, 2019 23:33:04 GMT

charham25: so will you email me if i make it Jun 17, 2019 2:04:24 GMT

H04X: Hey everyone. If you're still interested in LiLS, please head over to our Discord server instead of waiting for the whole application process. It's much easier this way. Thanks! Jun 23, 2019 20:21:13 GMT

Herb AKA The Founder: Miss everybody insanely. If you remember me and the fun times we used to have get in touch on Instagram @oddgos Apr 1, 2020 22:29:36 GMT

steela91: Who do I send my member application to? Apr 29, 2020 4:22:17 GMT

phoenixflame89: is this still a thing? ;-; May 3, 2020 16:48:18 GMT

siddo23: How to send application? Jun 21, 2020 6:08:57 GMT

mark: YEP COCK Aug 5, 2020 22:29:48 GMT

question: What is written in the text?

answer: It appears to be a log of a chat room from different users from December 2018 to August 2020.

question: What is the chatroom's main topic?

answer: the information was not given, but it appears to be about a game where players are able to make their own character (possibly role playing). There is also a mention of the words "vanilla server" and "mods" so this might be a video game with online multiplayer and mod support.

question: How active is the chatroom?

answer:
The chatroom has only seen a 13 users post 14 messages during a span of 3 years. None of the messages is a reply to the previous post (there months before anyone posts again) which shows very little interactivity between the users.

Lastly, a user called Herb AKA The Founder advises the users to go to a Discord server, which would explain why the log's details are few.

question: What game are the users playing?

answer: The user named H04X mentions LiLS - which either refers to the title of the game or a campaign they are running on a game. The game seems to be role playing since players can create character bios.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: From 2018 to 2020, there has been a small amount of activity in a chatroom for LiLS. The users have been advised to head to a Discord server.


text:
VINCENT RAYMOND DUNNE (17 April 1889 – 17 February 1970), also known as VINCENT R. DUNNE or RAY DUNNE, was an American Trotskyist, teamster, lumberjack, and union organizer with the Industrial Workers of the World and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He is notable for his leading role in the 1934 Minneapolis general strike,[1] his conviction and imprisonment under the anti-communist Smith Act, and his membership in the Socialist Workers Party and opposition to Stalinism.

Early life

Dunne was born in Kansas City in 1889, the second of nine children.[2] His mother was the daughter of a Wisconsin shoemaker and his father, a migrant worker from County Clare, Ireland, worked as a repairman for the local street railway. Tragedy struck early in his life when his father broke his kneecap on the job and his mother was forced to move him and his older brother to a farm by where her parents had settled near Little Falls, Minnesota, where they were eventually joined by his father after he had recovered. Adding to their hardships, their cabin burned down one winter when Dunne was six or seven, but they were able to rebuild with the help of neighbors. His father began to work again, this time as a lumberjack and building railway lines. By then, Dunne himself was working for pay on neighboring farms driving teams of horses and working the threshing rigs.[3]

By fourteen, Dunne would leave home to work at lumber camps throughout Minnesota, in conditions he found deplorable. Moving further west the next year, he harvested grain in North Dakota. In 1905, he would go even further west to Montana, where he encountered the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in lumber camps.[4] Dunne was immediately struck by the difference in conditions between the union lumber camps and the non-union camps back in Minnesota,[5] finding the bunkhouses spacious, comfortable, and hygienic. The union also proved a source for cheap literature, which Dunne, who had been forced to leave school to work after only five years, enthusiastically embraced, reading titles like Charles Darwin's _On the Origin of Species_.[6]

During the Panic of 1907, large numbers of workers were laid off and Dunne, along with fellow workers of the IWW, travelled west to Seattle looking for jobs, eventually finding themselves living in large camps of unemployed workers, where they began soapboxing to campaign for jobs and aid to be provided to the unemployed. Eventually, a state road-building project was commissioned to provide jobs for some of the unemployed, but Dunne himself would travel south to California, where in Los Angeles he was sentenced to a road construction chain gang that helped to build Sunset Boulevard. He moved on to Louisiana, where he helped to organize a strike among sawmill workers. The strike failed, but would lay the groundwork for the creation of the multiracial Brotherhood of Timber Workers. After a brief stint in Texas, Dunne would finally move to Minneapolis, which was a major IWW stronghold at the time.[7]

Once established in Minneapolis, Dunne began organizing teamsters with the IWW after becoming frustrated with the conservatism of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). In 1914, he married his wife, Jennie. By the late 1910s, Dunne had drifted away from the IWW's organizing and more toward campaigning for Eugene V. Debs and his Socialist Party of America. The break was solidified after the Russian Revolution, when Dunne officially joined the Communist Party of America. This situation would last for almost 10 years before, in 1928, Dunne became a victim of the “Factional War”, when members of the party who opposed Joseph Stalin and supported the theses of Leon Trotsky were purged. Unfazed, Dunne and his comrades formed the Communist League of America (later renamed the Socialist Workers Party) in alignment with Trotsky's Left Opposition to Stalinism.[8] Dunne was a vocal critic of the Communist Party after the expulsion of the Left Opposition, especially regarding Communist Party “raids” on Communist League-controlled front organizations and co-operative businesses.[9]

International Brotherhood of Teamsters

By 1934, Dunne had been organizing teamsters in Minneapolis for twenty-five years and was called “the most effective labor leader in America” by Trotsky.[10] With his brothers Miles and Grant, he took effective leadership of Teamsters Local 574 and knew “four or five hundred workers in Minneapolis [...] personally.”[11] During the strike, Dunne and his brothers dealt with espionage from police and private detectives, as well as personal attacks from local newspapers. Nevertheless, the strike would eventually succeed and teamster membership in Minneapolis grew explosively.[12]

Dunne's fate would change by the 1940s, however. Red baiting in the newspapers in 1934 could be deflected, but with American society in the grips of the Second Red Scare, the Socialist Workers Party would find their offices raided and leading officials, including Dunne, accused of sedition under the anti-communist Smith Act. This was seen by Trotskyists as an anti-communist conspiracy between the FBI and Teamsters national leadership, represented by Daniel J. Tobin, who sought to eliminate the leadership of the radical Minneapolis local.[13] Dunne and the other SWP leadership were found guilty, and in 1943 he was imprisoned for sixteen months in the Sandstone federal prison along with other leading American Trotskyists such as James P. Cannon.[14]

Later life

After his release from prison, Dunne would unsuccessfully run for mayor of Minneapolis in 1943 and 1947, and would go on three national speaking tours, as well as serving as a long-time chairman of the Socialist Workers Party in Minnesota. His later life was marked by his fierce opposition to the Vietnam War. He died in 1970.

[1]

[2]

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[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

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[14]

title: Vincent R. Dunne

question: What was Vincent R. Dunne's life span?

answer: 17 April 1889 – 17 February 1970.

question: How many sisters did Vincent R. Dunne have?

answer: The text doesn't say.

question: Where was Vincent R. Dunne imprisoned?

answer: Sandstone federal prison.

question: Explain Vincent R. Dunne's initial involvement in the Panic of 1907.

answer: During this period, Vincent R. Dunne traveled west to Seattle with friends to look for a job, eventually living in large camps of unemployed workers where they began campaigning for jobs and aid.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This text is a brief biography of Vincent R. Dunne, an American Trotskyist, teamster, lumberjack, and union organizer with the Industrial Workers of the World and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He is probably best known for his leading role in the 1934 Minneapolis general strike, his conviction and imprisonment under the anti-communist Smith Act, and his membership in the Socialist Workers Party and opposition to Stalinism.


text:
New to writing short stories, and reddit. Have been reading a lot of Lydia Davis lately. Very, very explicit. Bear with me. (Happy to sort out my formatting, am a bit confused :| )

-

	It was different this time. He noticed first in her movements. He put his mouth where he usually did, flicked his tongue in the same places that she had liked for the past five years, but it was different now. It tasted like something he'd never known, fish-like, and her hips moved differently. Normally they bucked up and down, but now they were moving strangely, around and around, in a sort of circular motion that he'd never even realised that she could do.

	Her groan was more guttural, more primitive. Aching, in a way. She moved his hands onto her breasts, which he had never known before, not even when they first made love. The newness of her hardened pink nipples intrigued him, but only for a short while, and soon they unnerved him.

        She had never let him touch her there before.

	He looked up towards her, cautious, aware.

	She moaned, cried out, pressed herself towards him. 'Oh, god, Harvey!'

	His name was Francis. It had always been.

title: Something different

question: What are the discordant details about the girl Francis notices?

answer: Her demeanor during sex is different and her nipples are harder than he remembers. She also takes his hands to her breasts, which is new.

question: Who does the girl think she's with?

answer: She thinks she's having sex with Harvey.

question: How did the narrator miss who he's having sex with?

answer: The story doesn't detail how the scene came to be.

question: What does the narrator do after she screams the wrong name?

answer: The story doesn't continue after mentioning the narrator's name isn't Harvey.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is having sex with his girlfriend of five years, or so he thinks. He notices her demeanor is different. When she eventually cries out Harvey's name, he's extremely puzzled. His name is Francis.


text:
Recent research suggests that the mere presence of plants can boost your attention span

You are probably aware that eating plants is good for you. However, what you may not know is that plants can provide benefits even if your taste buds run for cover at the first mention of spinach. New research is beginning to show that just having plants in your workspace may improve how you think.

In a study to be published in the _Journal of Environmental Psychology,_ researchers show that the mere presence of plants in an office setting boosts one’s ability to maintain attention.

As humans spend more of their lives in front of screens, scientists have devoted more attention to the effects these artificial environments have on the mind. Sometimes, this new study suggests, it may be possible to reap benefits with simple changes in decorating strategy.

These findings build on a body of research based on Attention Restoration Theory. According to this theory, the reason why you can stare at spreadsheets for only so long before wanting to toss your computer monitor through the window is that everyone has a limited capacity for this kind of work. This limited capacity system makes use of “directed attention” which is effortful, controlled voluntarily, and diminishes with use.

You can contrast this with the kind of attention that is engaged when you are out walking in a park. Your attention is drawn first to that leaf, then to another. The shadow of a bird streaking across the green grass pulls your eyes along… until a flash of color from flowers by the path grabs your focus. This second kind of attention, called undirected attention, is effortless, automatically oriented to interesting features of our surroundings, and, according to the theory, allows the directed attention system to rest and rejuvenate itself.

Scientists have shown that exposure to naturalistic environments, such as those with much foliage, has regenerative effects for directed attention. However, much of the research in this area has been done with natural scenes on a larger scale – for example, by having participants walk through a park or look at pictures of dense plant life.

Research on whether one can still attain the regenerative advantages by simply having a few plants in your workplace has led to mixed results. For example, in one study, participants in a college computer lab with plants showed increased productivity. However, another study failed to find any benefits associated with plants. Still others have found plant-associated benefits only for men, or only for women.

The authors of the present study suggest that these inconsistencies can result from the use of different tools between labs. Just as your doctor measures your health in a number of ways – from taking your blood pressure, to determining your body-fat percentage – so too do psychologists have a number of ways to measure attention. Each measurement tool, depending on how exactly it works and which aspect of attention it measures, may lead to a different result.

For this experiment, the authors decided to use a Reading Span Task, which involves reading a series of sentences aloud and remembering the last word in each sentence. Similar to the way you might need to remember some information from a spreadsheet before entering it into a word processing document, this task requires that you fluidly switch between attention demanding tasks: from reading and memorizing at one moment, to writing and recalling at the next. The authors chose this particular measure because the ability to remember and recall information while switching between tasks taps into the “central executive processes” which are thought to be a critical component for directed attention.

To test their hypothesis that plants in an office setting would lead to benefits, the authors placed some participants in an office with four plants placed around a desk, and others in the same room without plants. All the participants first took a Reading Span Task to establish a baseline measure of attention capacity, then a proof-reading task, followed by another Reading Span Task to establish any change in their attention capacity.

Results of the experiment showed that the participants working in the room with plants improved their performance from the first to the second Reading Span Task, while those in the room without plants did not.

It does seem apparent that plants lead to real cognitive benefits, but researchers must still clear up some questions. For example, what is the nature of the relationship between the plants, and the breaks which lead to rejuvenation of directed attention? Do the plants cause people to rest their directed attention system more frequently? Or perhaps the plants qualitatively change the resting period, making the breaks more effective? Regardless, it seems clear that the presence of plants in the workspace led to direct benefits for mental functioning. So, even if you have never been one to make your mom happy by eating your veggies, it seems that you can still take advantage of the beneficial effects of leafy greens. Just put some around your desk, and tackle those spreadsheets with a refreshed mind.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Travis Riddle is a doctoral student in psychology at Columbia University. He studies visual awareness and how people perceive minds.

question: When was the article written?

answer: That information can't be found

question: Where is the study to be published?

answer: The Journal of Environmental Psychology

question: What organization ran the study?

answer: That information can't be found (possibly Columbia University)

question: Who is the author of this article?

answer: Travis Riddle, a doctoral student in psychology at Columbia University

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A forthcoming study indicates that working near plants may have a positive effect on people's attention spans.


text:
So there I was last night, driving on the 101 interstate. Two pints of cheap lager and a shot of whisky in. The cherry on my cigarette glowed as I puffed the last of the tobacco from the stick. I turned my face to the side to spit out my lit cigarette into the wind. I've never looked cooler speeding. My favorite song came on the radio, I blast it on my speakers and proceeded to sing along with the highest pitch my vocal chords allow me. 'Love you like a love song baby... repeat peat peat peat peat' I mumbled the lyrics, I need to learn this song. I'm a sucker for these pop songs, they just feel right.

I cautiously yet furiously made my way towards the fast lane only to be stopped by the last thing I wanted to see at such an awesome moment. The fuzz. Blue and red lights filled my rear view, my heart skipped a beat, I put the music down to think for a second. I realized I'm buzzed enough to not give a fuck, I put the music back up and sped up. It's a strategy I heard somewhere, or probably made up on the spot, whatever the case, it felt right at the time. It confuses the police, makes them think I'm a wild man, puts the ball in their court. I make the ballsiest move by picking the spot to pull over, they have to follow with something to intimidate me. I get it, I know, I've been around the block.

I didn't slow down this whole time, even when I decided to exit the freeway in downtown. No turning lights, no hand gestures, just balls. I pulled into a dark empty street, killed the engine, lit up another cigarette and waited.
Lights surrounded my car, a trembling silhouette approached.

'H-have you been drinking?' The cop's voice cracked as he reached my window.

'Drinking what?' I blew my smoke his way to let him know that respect wasn't there.

'I drink a lot of things. Water, tea...' I teased him, but before my list got any longer he snapped. 'Quit play games!'

I took a long drag from my cigarette and looked at him. I could see him shaking.

'Now step out of the vehicle, please..' He continued. He knew I was one of those he had been told not to fuck with. We both knew this could get ugly quick, but I complied for his sake.

'Did you have any alcoholic beverages tonight?' He persuades me. With a firm drunken stare and a loud whisky belch I answered, 'No.'

We stood there looking at each other for what could have been twenty minutes. People tend to get lost in my eyes, I waited for him to faze out of the trance. I finally decided it was getting too late for my convenience and asked if we were done. It took him a while to respond but he finally let me get back in the car and escorted me home. At least he tried to, I drove way too fast for his bitch ass.

Edit: What really happened.
I was speeding home one night and got pulled over. I had a couple of drinks prior to this so I was extremely scared. I'm sure the cop could tell I was trembling and he let me off with a warning and followed me home to make sure I got there safely. When my friends asked me the next day what had happened, I wrote them how I remembered it which is the small narrative above. Just to clear things up, yes it's meant to be unrealistic and douchey.

title: How I got pulled over last night, as I remember it.

question: Why did the narrator speed up instead of slow down when the police told him to?

answer: The narrator heard somewhere that the strategy confuses the police and makes them think the person they are chasing is crazy and puts the ball in their court.

question: Why did the narrator choose a dark and empty street to pull over in?

answer: He thought it was a ballsy move choosing a spot and letting the fuzz follow him.

question: Why did the narrator lie to his friends about what really happened when the police pulled him over?

answer: Because he really was extremely scared and the cop could tell he was trembling.