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Good video. I like the pioneer changes, swarm, growth changes, instant battles are great, looks like you accounted for the what if I have ranged question, talents trees are great. The battle report screen showing injury reports instead of multiple windows is a nice improvement. Here are some things I would like to see, not necessarily for release:

- A continue move button that like in Endless Space, so all units that already have a waypoint set will move towards their waypoint when you click this button or hotkey. This would be a huge quality of life improvement and it should take minimal coding time. This basically would run the continue movement portion of end turn.

- give a city upgrade option on the city UI or prevent cancelling out of the screen unless you select an upgrade.

- Would it be possible to add the Gal Civ 2 Rally system for units or give us the ability to choose which square units leave the city at.

- if you attack a unit and no defending stack remains the attacker should claim the empty square

- I liked the armies all requiring city pop mechanic which appears to have been given back to pioneers. Any possibility this will return for other units.

Anyways, I'm sure you have no shortage of "suggestions" [] I'm excited for the beta.

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Great vid! Thanks for the preview.

- Swarm seems a little overpowered atm.

- Love the recruit champion and champion upgrade system.

- Would be nice if a popup still appeared showing champion damages instead of just in the combat results...

- How about that Assassin Demon, eh? []

- Maybe it's just the vid quality coming through, but it seemed to me that the graphics for the goodie huts, resources, etc has gone down a notch. Either that or you've changes a bunch of the structures and I like the FE ones better...

- Are 32-bit users going to be given the option to turn on pedestrians?

- Love the new way city growth operates.

- Really love the way Fame is applied to the game.

- Really like the pathfinding notes before moving your units. Very nice touch.

- Terrain seemed a little bland. I think I'm going to miss the ground cover terrain graphics.

Again, great work! Looking forward to when it's released aside from Steam. Will get a copy then.

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Because it can't be said enough, I love the new champion leveling and acquisition. Also like that city spam is being addressed, although I'll hold off of saying I love it till I play it and decide that I do (or, you know, don't if I don't [])

Also, I just checked and shadowbolt can only be used every other turn in my FE, is steam distributing an old version or are you just too used to the stardock internal build? []

btw, loving how much you talk on these forums frogboy, it's refreshing [].

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- Maybe it's just the vid quality coming through, but it seemed to me that the graphics for the goodie huts, resources, etc has gone down a notch. Either that or you've changes a bunch of the structures and I like the FE ones better...

- Terrain seemed a little bland. I think I'm going to miss the cover terrain graphics.

Pretty sure that's what Brad meant when he said the shadows were missing. But agree I want the color pallete and everything to remain the same it looks so Avatar'ish

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Looks good.      What's the latest on timing for the start of the beta?

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[Frogboy]

Join Date 09/2004

+3 []

Looking nice! I really like the new hero leveling screen and the news that you're going to look at the city leveling screen, too. Any chance you can make the city leveling screen similar to the hero one (so we can see what we selected previous times we leveled, etc)? It might be interesting to consider an overhauled city leveling system entirely, with it more like the hero system than it is now (with 'skill' trees, etc).

Anyways, looking good so far.

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Since you mentioned that you were considering replacing Governor with something else, would you consider adding a second magic-specialized class? Warriors, Defenders, and Assassins are all essentially mundane combat classes, the Governor is a mundane non-combat class, and in Fallen Enchantress Warrior and Defender cover the role of an army leader fairly well, while Mages are the only class specifically for magic users. Mages are 'efficient' spellcasters - their spells cost less to cast, but aren't any more powerful than spells cast by anyone else until you start gaining the Evoker traits. Could we have 'powerful' spellcasters, whose spells are more powerful (such as haste providing one more initiative, or Flame Dart dealing three fire damage per level rather than two) at the cost of increased mana use? A summoner whose summons are always at his/her level plus the summon ability bonuses (level with summoner rather than normal experience gain)? A curses and blessings specialist whose blessings and curses last longer or are more powerful or more likely to stick to resistant targets?

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1) Please go that Civ 5 route and force you to do something.  (around 16.5 min mark)

2) Do monuments no longer expand ZoC of cities?   Was getting mad you didn't use that. (31 min)

3) I really want to see a race that is vuln fire resist cold.  ( a retooled urxen)

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Great vid thanks, looking forward to the beta.

[]

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Thanks for the video! I am really excited about the leveling system for heroes. I hope this gets a lot of love. The more fun options, the better.

I know many players think that the sovereign should be stronger (and better at magic) compared to normal heroes. In regards to this, I would like to suggest that the sovereign be the only unit that can choose schools of magic and get access to lots of spells. I think other heroes should be able to choose individual spells based on base class, and unit lore. This lets the sovereigns really stand out. Tying certain special abilities to the sovereign's job could also be interesting.

In regards to Governor, I believe the Defender already acts as a general (maybe you should rename and refocus them?); they get a lot of army boosting effects. Governor definitely needs to change, as it is currently the weakest choice due to the difficulty of leveling them. A second magic class, as mentioned by Joeball, would be nice. We are supposed to be great mages; it would be nice to have more option that specialize to that end.

I had no idea that encumbrance effected a units speed. I thought it was merely a limit for the equipment that could use. Could you include speed/initiative changes in the item description when equiping? I think that would really clear that issue up, and make equipment choices easier.

Lastly, I am really hoping you guys find a satisfactory solution to settler spam. That is still the most frustrating aspect of the game. Using population helps, but it doesn't change that fact that in order to claim land you need a lot of outposts. You might want to fool around with increased city/settlement radius, and having city-settling land better controlled and placed on the map.

For example, I think that when you settle cities, all of the settle-able tiles near that group should be used up. It really bothers me when I settle a city, and there is still a settle-able tile nearby. I feel obligated to expand there so the AI does not settle right next to me.

Edit: The problem you had with settling between three different spots at 32:00 in the video is exactly what I mean. You laughed it off, but you still sounded frustrated. I feel the same way. It is very, very frustrating to know that the enemy could walk right up to your city and take a resource that is so close to your territory. Some people could argue "Making that choice is part of the strategy!" Right, I suppose it could be, but it doesn't change the fact that it is a frustrating and un-fun part of the game. I LIKE having my little corner of the map. Increasing city radius would be very helpful. I should not have to surround each city with outposts, just so they are connected. At the very least, a sovereign trait that makes starting cities have a radius two or three tiles wider would be nice.

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Why not create an outpost creating unit that is fairly cheap, and make pioneers only for settling new cities?

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Because spamming outposts is the problem, and making it easier to create more of them would not help. Fewer, but more effective and costly outposts would be better. It would also create more clear-cut targets for war.

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I had no idea that encumbrance effected a units speed. I thought it was merely a limit for the equipment that could use. Could you include speed/initiative changes in the item description when equipping  I think that would really clear that issue up, and make equipment choices easier.

In the current build of the released game, if you hover over your encumbrance bar it will give you this information. Also, when you are equipping items and you add equipment that puts you over one of the thresholds your initiative score will change as well. Basically 40%, 80% are the points that divide between low medium and heavy encumbered. Generally most units start with 30 before you add skills like strength.

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Are you going to tweak casting times now that combats are faster? Spells with casting times are pretty difficult to use already, unless you go for huge initiative.

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- A continue move button that like in Endless Space, so all units that already have a waypoint set will move towards their waypoint when you click this button or hotkey. This would be a huge quality of life improvement and it should take minimal coding time. This basically would run the continue movement portion of end turn.

- if you attack a unit and no defending stack remains the attacker should claim the empty square

This. Addresses very frequent and annoying mundane tasks required to play the current build.

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Yep, if you go with this idea please make a button. I loaded up Master of Magic and forgot that at the start of the turn it moves all your units. I just lost a city because of it. Damn you Horus! Oh Phantom Warriors are still a PITA.

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Swarm does seem a little overpowered now.

All the things you mentioned such as the lack of information (tool tip) when it comes to the trait screen as well as world objects should be addressed.

*It also looks like Kraxis doesn't have anything new yet.

*Is the flame tongue ability a racial or unique to the hero? If it's a racial it's not very good.

*Overall the graphics look much better than vanilla FE.

Edit: while on the topic of racials i believe something needs to be done for racials such as fortify and berserk. Early on fortify could help in Vanilla FE but now it's useless since melee units are right on top of eachother. my suggestion is to make fortify not count as your action for turn meaning as soon as you cast it your character can perform an additional action or maybe make it so fortify automatically puts the fortified unit in defense position.

Berserk is simply awful beyond useless my suggestion is to remove it and add "+3 Attack power" to the racial trait.

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Swarm doesn't literally let multiple units attack at their full value.  The actual effect is that swarm reduces the defense of the target unit (due to being occupied by the other units).

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The game looks beautiful!  I am really happy with the hero recruitment and the tactical battles seem better (though clearly the game need a better UI clue for when a unit has ranged attack -- how frustrating it was watching you end-turn on your fire-mage).

Is it too late to make a common-sense UI suggestion?  Watching your play-through, there's an issue with flavor text dialogs breaking the flow of the game.  Flavor texts are important to establishing the lore and encouraging immersion, but they should be able to do so unobtrusively.  If they interrupt the game for meaningless decisions they're not providing immersion.

The first (and most egregious) is the book at the start of the game.  It's just a total waste of time.  And confusing to boot.  I think we can read the flavor text on the sov's details page, so why force a modal dialog on the user at the start of the game?  Take it out!  Get us _playing_, not reading.

Another bad flavor text moment is the goodie huts.  You get a OK dialog with something meaningless like "There's nothing here, but this one thing."  OK, it's a goodie hut, _I know that_ _already_.  Clicking OK brings up _another_ dialog with the thing you get and more flavor text (which doesn't actually describe what the thing does) and the awkward Use/Trade/OK options.

I recognize that it's important to inform the user of what's going on, but these interactions are needlessly awkward.  Dialog-itis!  The frustrating part (for me) is that you don't need them.  You have a really terrific notifications system already in the game.

So my recommendation is that you try to get rid of all the modal dialogs that don't present an actual choice and replace them with notifications.  (In this case "Strike the Earth!"  [] or "Item found").

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The game looks beautiful!  I am really happy with the hero recruitment and the tactical battles seem better (though clearly the game need a better UI clue for when a unit has ranged attack -- how frustrating it was watching you end-turn on your fire-mage).

Is it too late to make a common-sense UI suggestion?  Watching your play-through, there's an issue with flavor text dialogs breaking the flow of the game.  Flavor texts are important to establishing the lore and encouraging immersion, but they should be able to do so unobtrusively.  If they interrupt the game for meaningless decisions they're not providing immersion.

The first (and most egregious) is the book at the start of the game.  It's just a total waste of time.  And confusing to boot.  I think we can read the flavor text on the sov's details page, so why force a modal dialog on the user at the start of the game?  Take it out!  Get us playing, not reading.

Another bad flavor text moment is the goodie huts.  You get a OK dialog with something meaningless like "There's nothing here, but this one thing."  OK, it's a goodie hut, I know that already.  Clicking OK brings up another dialog with the thing you get and more flavor text (which doesn't actually describe what the thing does) and the awkward Use/Trade/OK options.

I recognize that it's important to inform the user of what's going on, but these interactions are needlessly awkward.  Dialog-itis!  The frustrating part (for me) is that you don't need them.  You have a really terrific notifications system already in the game.

So my recommendation is that you try to get rid of all the modal dialogs that don't present an actual choice and replace them with notifications.  (In this case "Strike the Earth!"  or "Item found").

Umm, no. I enjoy reading these []

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Umm, no. I enjoy reading these

And you would still be able to read them.  Whenever you want.  Because they would be notifications, not modal dialogs that force you to read RIGHT NOW.

But if you watch Frogboy play you can actually see (and hear in his speaking) the awkward effect of these dialogs.  They totally break his concentration and knock him out of the game.  He's not reading them (because he already knows what they say) and just clicks through as quickly as possible.  The point is frogboy has a plan for the next couple moves and the game interrupts that plan with inconsequential modal dialogs.

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The game looks beautiful!  I am really happy with the hero recruitment and the tactical battles seem better (though clearly the game need a better UI clue for when a unit has ranged attack -- how frustrating it was watching you end-turn on your fire-mage).

Is it too late to make a common-sense UI suggestion?  Watching your play-through, there's an issue with flavor text dialogs breaking the flow of the game.  Flavor texts are important to establishing the lore and encouraging immersion, but they should be able to do so unobtrusively.  If they interrupt the game for meaningless decisions they're not providing immersion.

The first (and most egregious) is the book at the start of the game.  It's just a total waste of time.  And confusing to boot.  I think we can read the flavor text on the sov's details page, so why force a modal dialog on the user at the start of the game?  Take it out!  Get us playing, not reading.

Another bad flavor text moment is the goodie huts.  You get a OK dialog with something meaningless like "There's nothing here, but this one thing."  OK, it's a goodie hut, I know that already.  Clicking OK brings up another dialog with the thing you get and more flavor text (which doesn't actually describe what the thing does) and the awkward Use/Trade/OK options.

I recognize that it's important to inform the user of what's going on, but these interactions are needlessly awkward.  Dialog-itis!  The frustrating part (for me) is that you don't need them.  You have a really terrific notifications system already in the game.

So my recommendation is that you try to get rid of all the modal dialogs that don't present an actual choice and replace them with notifications.  (In this case "Strike the Earth!"  or "Item found").

I too enjoy reading these in their current pop-up form.

I noticed in the vid that the injury the one champion obtained (the ear), the was no longer a pop-up for that announcement. I think that detracts from the RPG element. The pop-up should stil be there.

imo, there should be even more rpg pop-ups and cutscenes along the way.

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*Is the flame tongue ability a racial or unique to the hero? If it's a racial it's not very good end game it can do good damage but it seems thrown in.

I noticed in the tool tip that it is 2 dmg per level.  That would be, what, 20 damage at level 10?  I agree, not great at all.  However, what if it was made true damage or something, where resist doesn't affect it, or like a spear, where it penetrates 66% of the resist?

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Since Lairs seems to be more relevant and important now, what about making them have their own ZoC? (Mini Wildlands) That means you can't build stuff next to them, and if it overlaps with any outposts etc. they still keep it 1 square around them. (by default, dragons etc. could have bigger ones)

I think that would solve lots of stupid stuff the AI does, and give a more predictable game. It would also make it possible to design maps where you need to clear lairs to get resources etc.

Other than that, fun video.. though I *slightly* disagree with your choices []

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I second sweatyboatman's dialogue suggestions, especially that "far beneath the withered... blah" at the beginning of the game.  I have NEVER been able to get my custom sov/faction text to show up in that window ever.  Ditch it.

Other thoughts:

 Instead of the equip/trade/ok screen can we just have the sov/hero inventory screen with scrolling arrows for multiple heroes in a stack and the ability to assign the item right away?  I noticed you forgot to equip the poison vial to your sov when you first found it.

The Fame icon should be in the popup with the lair cleared message: +1 Fame (symbol).  I hope there are fame multipliers for epic city battles or sov/sov battles.  Or victory against great odds.

Also, could we at least get a figure outline/paper doll for our heroes/sovs for item equippage?  ala HOMM3?  A little more intuitive and fun.

You never built on the shards within your ZOC throughout the demo, could the yellow turn button be expanded to prompt you about undeveloped resources in your ZOC?  Please make this available ESPECIALLY when you unlock the NECESSARY tech for an initial build or an upgrade.

I lol'd at the ctrl-n at the beginning with the essence-less start.  A special capitol building that gives +1 essence per level would go a long way to making the capitol special and fun.  Or use the governor traits mod from Emmagine and the unit traits from Dsraider to spice up the cities and the unit abilities.

Can we snake a tile or too as the city grows like Parrotmath's mod?

The tactical battles look awesome!  Love the new mechanics.  Agree with Nichtganz as to the "casting" of special abilities at the start of combat.

Would love to see a special morale ability that occasionally gives a unit two moves in a row.  Or make it monster only  []

Please give me the choice of ALL basic weapons at game start and let me improve them with research.  Crude/Basic/Advanced/Masterwork or something like that.  The Armor techs over time make more sense, but the weapons restrictions are silly.

Give trained units a bonus trait every 5 levels or so to make them more interesting/deadly/usable as the game progresses.  Fix the Upgrade system to be more consistent  (i.e robes vs. leather breastplate, one needs crystal, the other doesn't).  Or make it available as a default option.

Definitely develop a summoner path and give summoners access to special units no other sov can get based on different magic types.  Joeball123 has good ideas above.

One other fun idea ala Magnar's slaver trait.  If I defeat a settler unit, my nearest settlement should get a +30 pop bonus.

Keep it up, you guys and gals are making me drool! []

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question: What type of post is this?

answer: Comments on a video about a video game

question: Are there one or many authors represented here?

answer: Many

question: What parameter affects a unit's speed?

answer: Encumbrance

question: What are players forced to see before playing?

answer: A Book interface

question: How can injury reports now be seen?

answer: On the Battle Report screen

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This page collects multiple comments on a video posted by a game designer about their game. The commenters offer constructive criticism, discussing things they like and don't like about the current version of the game. Some commenters also offer suggested improvements and new features to make the game more enjoyable.


split: train

text:
Mario Balotelli reveals how he scored his Milan-Bologna wonder-strike and had a special dedication.

The hitman secured a 1-0 victory this evening with an astonishing goal, a dipping shot from almost 39 metres (43 yards) that flew into the far top corner at 91 km/h (56 mph).

“I looked at the goalkeeper and saw he was a little off his line, so I hit it with full force and fortunately it went in,” SuperMario told Sky Sport Italia.

“It’s a good goal. The Coach gives me confidence, as I am the one who has to pull the team forward and therefore it’s my duty to score these goals.

“It wasn’t a great game tonight, anything but,” he confessed.

Balotelli was asked about his tears following a substitution against Napoli last week, reportedly because he was unable to dedicate a goal to his daughter Pia, who lives in Naples.

“People look too much into my private life and I’d recommend they avoid that. I am the striker of the Nazionale, so you should let me live my life.

“Do I have a special dedication tonight? I say Happy Valentine’s Day to my girlfriend Fanny, as I love her very much.”

question: What makes Balotelli's goal so special?

answer: It was because of the distance to goal as well as the speed of ball travel.


text:
[]

Until a couple months ago, I had no clue that

the guy who invented the Heimlich maneuver

was still alive. Dr. Henry Heimlich – known as Hank to friends and family – is 87 and lives outside Cincinnati, Ohio. I also didn’t know that his son Peter Heimlich has been waging

a years-long campaign

to discredit his old man.

And it was news to me that Henry Heimlich spent decades fighting with the medical establishment – he promoted some pretty wacky medical theories, such as injecting AIDS victims with malaria, and performing his famed anti-choking maneuver as a first response for asthma attacks, heart attacks and drowning.

This week’s cover story is about a University of Houston professor of mathematics who trains lifeguards to perform the Heimlich maneuver on drowning victims despite claims from medical experts that it 1) makes no sense scientifically and 2) may prove deadly. John Hunsucker and Henry Heimlich – who met about ten years ago – have taken a lot of flak for their positions. Both have been accused of medical-ethics violations for allegedly conducting human-studies experiments.

Who knew? I sure didn’t.

I Support

-   Local
-   Community
-   Journalism
-   [logo]

Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free.

Here are some other things I learned while researching the story:

--A nugget for movie fans: Ellen Barkin, Halle Berry, Cher, Goldie Hawn, Jack Lemon, Walter Matthau and Elizabeth Taylor all were saved from choking by the Heimlich maneuver.

--A nugget for rock fans: Peter Heimlich, estranged son of the iconic doctor, played bass as a teenager in a Cincy-based punk-rock band called Choke. He later spent years gigging in San Francisco, and even sold a song he wrote to metal queen Lita Ford recorded on her debut album. The tune was called “Rock ‘N Roll Made Me What I Am Today.”

--And a nugget for TV sitcom fans: the world-famous Dr. Henry Heimlich is the second cousin of actor Anson Williams, who played “Potsie” Weber on _Happy Days_. – Todd Spivak

KEEP THE HOUSTON PRESS FREE... Since we started the _Houston Press_, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Houston with no paywalls.

The _Houston Press_ is a nationally award-winning, 31-year-old publication ruled by endless curiosity, a certain amount of irreverence, the desire to get to the truth and to point out the absurd as well as the glorious.

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question: Who is Dr. Henry Heimlich?

answer: Dr. Henry Heimlich is the man who invented the Heimlich maneuver.

question: What dangerous things does Henry Heimlich support?

answer: He supported injecting AIDS victims with malaria, as well as performing his anti-choking maneuver as a first response for asthma attacks.

question: Where does Henry Heimlich live?

answer: Heimlich lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

question: Who is John Hunsucker?

answer: Not answered.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article is an introduction to a longer article about the Dr. Henry Heimlich, the inventor of the famed Heimlich maneuver, and the campaign waged by his son Peter to discredit him. Heimlich has been accused of medical-ethics violations for conducting experiments on humans.


text:
AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist) is an electronic composer recognized by the SACEM.

Description

Created in February 2016, AIVA specializes in Classical and Symphonic music composition.[1][2] It became the world’s first virtual composer to be recognized by a music society (SACEM).[3][4] By reading a large collection of existing works of classical music (written by human composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Mozart) AIVA is capable of detecting regularities in music and on this base composing on its own.[5][6] The algorithm AIVA is based on deep learning and reinforcement learning architectures.[7] Since January 2019, the company offers a commercial product, Music Engine, capable of generating short (up to 3 minutes) compositions in various styles (rock, pop, jazz, fantasy, shanty, tango, 20th century cinematic, modern cinematic, and Chinese).

AIVA was presented at TED[8] by Pierre Barreau.[9]

Discography

AIVA is a published composer;[10] its first studio album “Genesis” was released in November 2016.[11][12] Second album “Among the Stars” in 2018. [AIVA album “Genesis”]

-   2016 CD album « Genesis » Hv-Com – LEPM 048427. Track listing “Genesis”:

-   2018 CD album « Among the Stars » Hv-Com – LEPM 048708

Avignon Symphonic Orchestra [ORAP] also performed Aiva's compositions 2 in April 2017.[13][14]

Example of scores composed by AIVA

This is the preview of the score Op. n°3 for piano solo “A little chamber music”, composed by AIVA.

[This is the score for AIVA's Opus 3 for Piano Solo, composed by the Artificial Intelligence|border|800px]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8] 1 Pierre Barreau: How AI could compose a personalized soundtrack to your life, TED 2018: the Age of Amazement

[9]

[10] SACEM Database, https://repertoire.sacem.fr/resultats?filters=parties&query=aiva&nbWorks=20

[11] CD Aiva album “Genesis” released November 2016.

[12]

[13]

[14]

title: AIVA

question: What does AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist) actually do?

answer: It composes music from a large selection of existing works of classical music.

question: What is the name of AIVA's first studio album?

answer: The name is Genesis. it was released in November 2016.

question: When and where was AIVA presented to the public?

answer: It was presented at a TED conference by Pierre Barreau.

question: What is one of the things that make AIVA unique?

answer: It is the first virtual composer to be recognized by a music society (SACEM).

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist) is the first virtual composer to be recognized by a music society (SACEM). AIVA is an AI that composes music from existing databases of classical music. It produced its first studio album titled Genesis in 2016. Since then, it has released another album called Among the Stars (2018).


text:
Uneasiness was setting in. No no, that's incorrect. This uneasiness, it was present at the very beginning. It's not nervousness. It's not anxiousness, nor fear. It's unsettling coldness. Yes, it was uneasiness, and it was there the moment a reached the foot of the basement stairs.

Stairs? I have no recollection of these stairs. I couldn't paint the faintest picture of these stairs. How did they feel? Were they carpeted? Were they wooden? Were the stairs to short that I couldn't walk down them without turning my feet and walking down with my body slightly cocked to the side? No, I'd remember that. Wait, are there even stai-. Yes. Yes there is. That much I am certain of. There are stairs, and I'm at the bottom of them.

I know I'm in the basement too. Or is this a cellar? I'd certainly describe the room my left a cellar. Its floor is cold, broken concrete. Its concrete walls lined with shelves. No recollection of what's on the shelves. However, I'm not standing in a cellar. Cellars don't have carpet, and I'm standing on carpet. Ugly carpet too. Its main color a burnt orange. Patterns are painted in with brown. It's old carpet, and I'm now repulsed by it, desperately desiring to move off it.

I step out. How long had I been standing still? I begin moving quickly now. I'm now in a hallway. The hallway is too narrow. Two people could not walk abreast without being uncomfortably close. I was alone. Why did this narrow hallway anger me the way it did? The hallway walls didn't help my mood either. They were covered with that shiny, pathetic excuse of fake wood.

Finally, the room I was being drawn to. More bad carpet. This time a green shag carpet covers the floor. A bedroom. The bed was made, but with old, unused linen. A dresser and mirror are to my right. I walk in. I notice another room past the dresser. A light is on in the room. Uneasiness is with me again. I need to see what's in that room. No. Then I realize whatever is in that room is not supposed to be seen by me. I can't handle the uneasiness any longer. I would rather feel the coldness of death. Death, that's exactly what awaits me in that room. I step closer. Breathing becomes difficult. I'm closer now. Very close. One more step, that's all I need to take. I close my eyes, take the step, and turn.

I open my eyes. Only darkness, I'm now awake. A feeling of uneasiness, it's the only thing I bring back with me from my recurring dream.

title: A Recuring Dream

question: Why was the narrator feeling uneasy?

answer: It may be implied that the narrator was afraid of what might lie in the basement.

question: Where was the narrator?

answer: The narrator is in a basement. He is confused as to what this basement actually is. He first thinks it's a cellar but that turns out wrong.

question: Is the whole situation a reality or not?

answer: No, the narrator was dreaming about being in a basement.

question: Does the narrator enter the last room?

answer: No, he wakes up from the dream before he can enter the room.

question: Does he make it out alive?

answer: The narrator was dreaming.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer:
The narrator feels uneasy as he walks into the basement. The basement seems old and broken. At first, he thinks it's a cellar but dismisses the thought when he sees the carpeted floor.

He then moves through a narrow passage into a bedroom. Beside the dresser is another room. The narrator is drawn to see what lies in the room but knows it's going to harm him. He takes a step close and turns, his eyes wide open, he is now awoken from his recurring dream.


text:
Matthew woke from what he believed to be a long and sufficient sleep. He tallied off the events of the day, but could not recall any. As his eyes opened he attempted to adjust to darkness, but found himself unable to, it was an absolute dark. He saw the sort of blackness where it was easy to see the shifting of colors that his own eye projected. This was not normal at all, Matthew lived, somewhere, he seemed to have forgotten.
As his arms to awaken, and his body began to feel again, Matthew lifted his head, but a body did not greet his vision. It was still an opaque dark. He knew what to do. Motioning his arms to feel his stomach, his arm passed farther than anticipated. A feeling somewhere in his body felt an extreme anxiety, the feeling one produces when contemplating death for extended amounts of time. His mind was flooded with the horror that he was disembodied, he suddenly felt colder, but it was only his mind was telling him that warmth still existed. He opened his mouth to scream, but no noise came out.
It had been an insurmountable amount of time since Matthew had sensed anything. A moment was an eternity and an eternity a moment.
He had grown used to a world without stimuli, what traces of memories left were gone. Matthew forgot about his past physical body, he became massless and volume-less in a sea of nothingness.
“Hello?”
Matthew’s mind was flooded with information at what seemed to be a sound. His mind raced to interpret what he had ‘heard.’
“Hello?”
“Y-Yes?”
For an eon Matthew heard nothing. Again, he grew used to nothingness. For what seemed an interval of years, he swore that his eyes could see pure black instead of nothing. He dismissed this notion, having no eyes at all.
“Are you there?”
Matthew had hoped this moment would come again, he had practiced a response.
“Y-Y-Yeah, who are you?”
“You.”
“No, not me, who are you?”
“Yes, I am you.”
Matthew felt more fear than when he first entered this place. If it was true that the voice he had just talked to was his own, any chance of ever getting out was hopeless.
It had been ages since anything had ever happened. Matthew could not speak, and he could not think anymore, his impulses and senses were gone. Matthew forgot about himself.

title: In A Sea Of Nothingness

question: What is this story's main conflict?

answer: The main conflict is that Matthew has no senses, no memory, and is trapped in a dark world without stimuli.

question: Does Matthew have a love interest?

answer: That information can't be found in the story.

question: Who says "Yes, I am you"?

answer: Matthew apparently says this to himself.

question: Why can't Matthew speak?

answer: That information isn't clear from the story.

question: Does this story have an antagonist?

answer: There is no specific antagonist.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Matthew is stuck in a dark world without stimuli. He seems to have lost his senses and his memory. He feels hope when he hears a voice speaking to him, but after what seems like an eon he realizes the voice is his own. After this realization, ages pass and nothing happens. Matthew soon forgets himself.


text:
Accustomed to working together with booksellers on distribution, Dutch publishers, says one veteran observer, may be particularly suited to collaborative efforts in ‘renewing the book.’

[Members of the winning startup team (Bookerang.com) and other participants in The Netherlands' first Renew the Book program. Image: RenewTheBook.com]

Members of the winning startup team (Bookerang.com) and other participants in The Netherlands’ first Renew the Book program. Image: RenewTheBook.com

_In our series with specialists (analysts, visionaries, and players) who will speak to issues in the seven pivotal publishing markets of Frankfurt Book Fair’s conference, we hear now from Wiet de Bruijn of The Netherlands. Publishing Perspectives last spoke with him in July on the topic of industry innovation. He’ll be speaking in the role of visionary at The Markets: Global Publishing Summit on October 18. We’re pleased to have this interview, which originally appeared in Buchreport.de. — Porter Anderson_

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

Resilience and Growth

[300 Publishing_Perspectives_300x250px_EN_RZ lined]Known as a versatile serial entrepreneur, Wiet de Bruijn is CEO of VBK Publishers Group, the largest trade book publisher in The Netherlands. He’s also Chairman of the Dutch Publishers Association (GAU), and holds a masters’ degree in public administration from Harvard.

Three Points of Interest

1. In 2015, the Dutch book market was the fastest-growing in Europe. “The Dutch market,” says de Bruijn, “saw a 3.5-percent jump in sales. And only Sweden’s people were rated as reading more per capita than The Netherlands’ readers.

“Surveys show that 86 percent of the Dutch read at least one book last year, while 90 percent of Swedes reported reading at least one book in the same timeframe. On average, 68 percent of Europeans overall are cited reading at least one book annually.”

[Wiet de Bruijn]

Wiet de Bruijn

2. Dutch publishers and bookshops work together on distribution. “The modern organization of our distribution of books—both print and ebooks—by The Central Bookhouse, or ‘CB,’ is managed,” de Bruijn says, “through a logistical center created and owned by the publishers and booksellers. Ninety-five percent of our ebooks are distributed by the CB.”

3. The flexibility of the Dutch industry. “There’s great resilience in the Dutch industry,” de Bruijn says, “in overcoming challenges including the financial crisis, changes in customer behavior, and the progressive impact of the Internet.

“Our trade volume decreased by some 30 percent from 2008 to 2014, but the industry has proven agile enough to overcome these challenges, pursuing the highest standards through well-written literature. This can only happen thanks to the unmatched quality and talent of our authors and the people in the industry.”

Innovation and Piracy

WHAT COULD OTHER MARKETS LEARN FROM YOUR MARKET?

[RENEW THE BOOK LOGO LINED]WIET DE BRUIJN: The Dutch market has been focusing on innovation over the last years.

Because of the decline of the Dutch market, publishers had to be creative and innovative. A variety of initiatives were started. The Dutch Publishing Association, for instance, launched Renew the Book, a competition in which startups in the book industry from all over the world could participate. Five teams were selected last year for an accelerator program in Amsterdam.

Other examples of innovation here include a publishing house and university working on computer assists for authors and a couple of online book clubs and subscription services, along with an online data center for publishers and booksellers.

WHERE, IN YOUR OPINION, ARE THE WEAK POINTS OF YOUR MARKET?

WDB: A weak point of the Dutch publishing market is piracy. The Netherlands has one of the highest levels of piracy in the world. One way of combatting it might include Bitcoin technology, as well as making it easier, not harder, for readers to access ebooks legitimately.

HOW, IN YOUR OPINION, WILL THE DIGITAL MARKET IN YOUR COUNTRY DEVELOP?

[300 VBK LOGO LINED]WDB: Digital will certainly continue to impact the traditional market, and is becoming a more serious element in our industry. For generations growing up as digital natives, this is increasingly significant, and not only in terms of distribution channels for ebooks and audiobooks, but also in the way books are written and stories are told.

We’re now starting research into the reading trends of millennials. What can we learn from them? What is the effect of their approach on reading?

HOW COULD RELATIONS BETWEEN PUBLISHING COMPANIES BE IMPROVED?

WDB: In these days of rapid changes and challenges, publishing companies need to pool their knowledge and strengths. Publishing houses in The Netherlands often don’t have the means to invest substantially in innovation or in new technology or business models.

So the key to survival is this growing collaborative economy. Publishing houses should try to be more trusting of each other. After all, we’re all facing the same challenges. The Dutch Royal Association of the Book Industry (KVB) is coordinating this the data center we’ve launched and will create best-practice guidance on innovation.

At the European level,  publishers can work together, too. Let’s organize a European conference in which we share our innovations and lessons learned: what worked well and what didn’t?

WHICH FOREIGN BOOK MARKET INTERESTS YOU, PERSONALLY?

[300 DUTCH PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION LOGO LINED]WDB: The German market interests me a lot, not only professionally but also  because my mother was German. We’re working together more closely with German publishers because Flanders and the Netherlands are Guest of Honor at Frankfurt, which is a good start. There are many German authors of interest to Dutch readers and vice-versa.

WHICH AUTHOR FROM YOUR COUNTRY WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAVE MORE INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS?

WDB: There are many Dutch authors ready to go international. The Internet makes that a lot easier.  Besides well-known authors, we have great young authors who write for an international audience, including Nina Weijers, Ellen Deckwitz, and Hannah Bervoets.

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

_This interview originally appeared in Buchreport.de_

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

_In addition to our Markets white paper, you can read our series of interviews and information relation to The Markets: Global Publishing Summit (18 October 2016) from Publishing Perspectives and the Frankfurt Book Fair._
_[The Markets logo]_

_This year’s program will showcase the following seven markets:_

1.  _Brazil_
2.  _Flanders & The Netherlands (2016 Frankfurt Book Fair Guest of Honour)_
3.  _Philippines_
4.  _Poland_
5.  _Spain_
6.  _United Arab Emirates_
7.  _United Kingdom_

_The Markets’ programming highlights each of these seven publishing territories from three perspectives: analysis, vision, and industry players. The day is devised to provide attendees not only with information and insights into the most important features of each industry market, but also with extensive networking opportunities during the event._

Guest Contributor

Guest contributors to _Publishing Perspectives_ have diverse backgrounds in publishing, media and technology. They live across the globe and bring unique, first-hand experience to their writing.

question: Of the given concerns, problems, and solutions, which is the most difficult problem to solve?

answer: The piracy issue is likely the hardest to solve, while it presents better accessibility and the adaptation of cryptocurrency as possible solutions, these do not necessarily address all the root causes of piracy. The silver lining is that despite the continued presence of piracy, the book industry is not likely to be badly affected by it.


text:
SYBIL MEDAN KATHIGASU GM (née DALY; 3 September 1899 - 12 June 1948) was a Malayan Eurasian nurse who supported the resistance during the Japanese occupation of Malaya. She was the only Malayan woman to be ever awarded with the George Medal for bravery.

Early life

Kathigasu was born to Joseph Daly, an Irish-Eurasian planter, and Beatrice Matilda Daly (née Martin), a French-Eurasian midwife, on 3 September 1899 in Medan, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies (thus reflected in her middle name). Her paternal grandparents were an Irishman and a Eurasian woman while her maternal grandparents were a Frenchman named Pierre Louie Martin and a Eurasian woman named Evelyn Adeline Martin _née_ Morrett. She was the fifth child and the only girl. She was trained as a nurse and midwife and spoke Cantonese fluently.

Marriage and family

While she was practising nursing and midwifery at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, Sybil first met Dr. Arumugam Kanapathi Pillay, a second generation Malaysian Indian, born on 17 June 1892 in Taiping to Kanapathi Pillay and Thangam, immigrants of Sri Lankan Tamil origin. Initially there had been objection from her parents due to their religious differences: him being a Hindu while Sybil was a Catholic. However, with agreement from his father, he became a Catholic and was renamed as Abdon Clement Kathigasu. Their wedding took place in St. John's Church (present location of St. John's Cathedral) in Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur on 7 January 1919.

Sybil's first child was a son born on 26 August 1919, but due to major problems at birth, died after only 19 hours. He was named Michael after Sybil's elder brother, who was born in Taiping on 12 November 1892 and was killed in Gallipoli on 10 July 1915 as a member of the British Army.

The devastating blow of baby Michael's death led to Sybil's mother suggesting that a young boy, William Pillay, born 25 October 1918, who she had delivered and had remained staying with them at their Pudu house, should be adopted by Sybil and her husband. Then a daughter, Olga, was born to Sybil in Pekeliling, Kuala Lumpur, on 26 February 1921. The earlier sudden death of baby Michael made Olga a very special baby to Sybil, when she was born without problems. So when Sybil returned to Ipoh on 7 April 1921, it was not only with Olga, but also with William and her mother who had agreed to stay in Ipoh with the family. A second daughter, Dawn, was born in Ipoh on 21 September 1936.

Their children are:

1.  William Pillay (25 October 1918), adopted
2.  Michael Kathigasu (26 August 1919), died after only 19 hours of being born
3.  Olga Kathigasu (26 February 1921), died on 6 September 2014
4.  Dawn Kathigasu (21 September 1936), married William Bruce Spalding in London on 1 September 1956 and later have children with him. _No further information available, alleged suicide_[1]

She and her husband, Dr. Kathigasu, operated a clinic at No. 141, Brewster Road (now Jalan Sultan Idris Shah) in Ipoh from 1926 until the Japanese invasion of Malaya. The family escaped to the nearby town of Papan days before Japanese forces occupied Ipoh. The local Chinese community fondly remembered her husband, who was given the Hakka nickname “You Loy-De”.

Freedom fighter

Residing at No. 74, Main Street in Papan, the Kathigasus secretly kept shortwave radio sets and listened to BBC broadcasts. They quietly supplied medicines, medical services and information to the resistance forces until they were arrested in 1943.

Despite being interrogated and tortured by the Japanese military police, Sybil persisted in her efforts and was thrown in Batu Gajah jail. After Malaya was liberated from the Japanese in August 1945, Sybil was flown to Britain for medical treatment. There, she began writing her memoirs.

Sybil received the George Medal for Gallantry several months before her death on 12 June 1948.

Death and memorial

Sybil died on 12 June 1948 aged 48 in Britain and her body was buried in Lanark, Scotland. Her body was later returned in 1949 to Ipoh and reburied at the Roman Catholic cemetery beside St. Michael's Church opposite the Main Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (now SMK Convent) on Brewster Road (now Jalan Sultan Idris Shah) in Ipoh.

A road _Jalan Sybil Kathigasu_ in Fair Park, Ipoh was named after Sybil, after independence to commemorate her bravery. Today, the shop house at No. 74, Main Road, Papan, serves as a memorial to Sybil and her efforts.

Published works

-   _No Dram of Mercy_ (Neville Spearman, 1954; reprinted Oxford University Press, 1983 and Prometheus Enterprises, 2006)
-   _Faces of Courage: A Revealing Historical Appreciation of Colonial Malaya's Legendary Kathigasu Family_ by Norma Miraflor & Ian Ward (2006, )

Legacy and in popular culture

-   Sybil is played by Jacintha Abisheganaden in the TV drama series _The Price of Peace_.
-   In 2010, a 10-part miniseries drama based on her life was produced by Malaysian satellite television company Astro and Red Communications titled _Apa Dosaku?_ (Malay: _What Is My Sin?_). Sybil's role was played by model and actress Elaine Daly, who also happens to be Sybil's grandniece.
-   In 2016, Google Malaysia commemorated her 117th birthday with a special Doodle; depicting her in her former Papan residence.[2]

[1] http://db.ipohworld.org/view/id/784

[2]

title: Sybil Kathigasu

question: What does the text say about the forces that liberated Malaya from the Japanese?

question: What does the text say about Sybil Kathigasu as a freedom fighter?

answer: Sybil Medan Kathigasu GM née Daly was a Malayan Eurasian nurse and the only Malayan woman to be awarded the George Medal for Bravery. Along with her husband (a doctor), they supplied the resistance forces with medicines, medical services, and information until they were arrested in 1943. She was interrogated and tortured by the Japanese military police, but she persisted in her efforts to help the resistance and was thrown in Batu Gajah jail. After Malaya was liberated from the Japanese in August 1945, Sybil was flown to Britain for medical treatment. She wrote her memoirs there and received the George Medal for Gallantry several months before her death on June 12, 1948.

question: What does the text say about Sybil's husband?

answer: Sybil met her husband Dr. Arumugam Kanapathi Pillay while she was practicing nursing and midwifery at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital. He was a second-generation Malaysian Indian and a Hindu, which made Sybil's parents object to their relationship because she was a Catholic. With his father's blessing, Arumugam became a Catholic and was renamed Abdon Clement Kathigasu. Dr. Kathigasu opened a clinic with Sybil at 141 Brewster Road (now Jalan Sultan Idris Shah) in Ipoh from 1926 until the Japanese invaded Malaya, which they escaped by moving to Papan, where the Chinese community fondly remembered Dr. Kathigasu and gave him the Hakka nickname "You Loy-De". In Papan, Dr. Kathigasu and Sybil helped resistance forces by providing medicines and medical aid until they were arrested in 1943.

question: What does the text say about Sybil's Legacy?

answer: A road "Jalan Sybil Kathigasu" in Fair Park, Ipoh, was named after Sybil after independence to commemorate her bravery. Today, the shop house at No. 74, Main Road, Papan, serves as a memorial to Sybil and her efforts. In 2016, Google Malaysia commemorated her 117th birthday with a special Doodle depicting her in her former Papan residence. There have also been TV dramas about Sybil, such as "The Price of Peace" where she was played by Jacintha Abisheganaden, and "What is My Sin?" where Sybil was played by her grandniece, actress Elaine Daly.


text:
VIOLA ANN (“VIANNE”) TIMMONS OC (born 1958) is the current president and vice chancellor of the Memorial University of Newfoundland[1]. She was formerly president and vice-chancellor of the University of Regina,[2] a public university in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, from 2008 to 2019. In March 2019, she was appointed as a Board Member of VIA Rail Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau[3].

Timmons is a noted researcher, author, and lecturer in the area of educational inclusion.[4] Prior to her appointment at the University of Regina, Timmons served as a professor and vice-president at the University of Prince Edward Island.[5] She was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC) in the Government House List of 29 December 2017.

[1]

[2]  Office of the President, University of Regina|website=www.uregina.ca|access-date=2016-12-21}}

[3]

[4]  Women Executives {{!}} Executive|work=Financial Post|access-date=2016-12-21}}

[5]

title: Vianne Timmons

question: Who is Vola Ann "Vianne" Timmons?

answer: She is the current president and vice-chancellor of the Memorial University of Newfoundland.

question: How long was Timmons at the University of Regina?

answer: 11 years

question: What happened to Timmons on March 19th?

answer: She was appointed as a Board Member of VIA Rail Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

question: What did Timmons do before joining the Unversity of Regina?

answer: She was a professor and vice-president at the University of Prince Edward Island.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Vola Ann "Vianne" Timmons is an accomplished Canadian public servant, having been appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC) in the Government House List of 29 December 2017 and as a Board Member of VIA Rail Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She currently works at the Memorial University of Newfoundland as its president and vice-chancellor. She served as president and vice-chancellor for the University of Regina for 11 years.


text:
[#TryPod - March Is Podcast Month]
I'm really not sure if March is officially Podcast Awareness Month but all the podcasts I listen to have been asking listeners to use the hashtag #TryPod and to try to get at least one person they know to listen to a podcast and perhaps get indoctrinated into the craze. I figured my way of doing this was to write a blog post about it.

First off, there are podcasts about EVERYTHING so even if you are the type of person who thinks that podcasts are just the new version of talk radio, think again. There are podcasts that showcase new music of all genres, ones that are exciting stories like your favorite book, and ones that discuss every topic under the sun from politics to video games to the latest trends in computer coding. There really is something for everyone.

But to make your podcast listening experience the best it can be, you need to have a good podcast app to manage and listen to them on.

I am an Android guy myself so I do not know as much about iOS but I know there are a ton of apps that can help you out. The ones I here the most about are Pocket Cast, the integrated podcast functionality in iTunes, and Stitcher. Most articles recommend Overcast as well.

One the Android side, I have always used Podcast Addict and have never had any problems with it. I have also heard good things about Pocket Casts. Apparently you can also listen to podcasts on Spotify and Google Play. There are tons of articles that can get you started in the right direction.

Regardless of your OS preferences, it is imperative that you get a good app. There is a reason that they are called podcast managers; you need something to sort through on these podcasts and ensure that you always have the ones you want ready to go on your phone.

I have my phone set up to download new episodes each morning at 5 AM. This was they are downloaded right when I wake up and ready to go before I get in the car and head to work. I also have mine set up to automatically delete episodes after I have finished listening to them so that the storage on my phone does not get eaten up by a bunch of old podcasts. Podcast Addict also allows you to set a priority on your podcasts so that they can get added to your playlist in an order that you choose. For example, I have one daily podcast that I always want to listen to first thing, so it gets the highest priority and is always played first.

The app also makes it _super_ easy to download older episodes too. When I know I am going to be on the road for a long time or am travelling, I always grab a few of the backdated episodes to take with me. This is especially useful as your start listening to podcasts and do not have as many different ones that you want to listen to.

[Podcast Addict]

If you are really crunched for time, some of the apps also support acceleration so that you can listen to your podcast faster.

Using Bluetooth in the car (and Android Auto, which is AWESOME!) allows me to listen to almost all of my podcasts on my drive to and from work each day.

Not in any particular order...ok well they are alphabetical. Sorry there are a bunch of them.

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

I have no idea why Dan does this podcast free of charge but it is amazing that he does. Dan does these epic historical series on specific historical periods. He has covered the Kings of the biblical era, the Nuclear Age, and Genghis Khan and the Khan conquests of Mongolia. My absolute favorite series though was his "Blueprint for Armageddon", which was a 6 episode marathon about the first World War. His level of detail and explanation of even simple concepts was amazing and gives the listening a rare glimpse into what living in that period must have been like. The episodes are usually pretty long (as in many hours) but you will not learn more about history anywhere else! The episodes are not too frequent so you have time to listen to them in between releases. If you like what he has to offer, maybe donate a few bucks to the cause because he does not do any advertising during the shows.
[Blueprint for Armageddon]

Freakonomics Radio

This one has a special place in my heart as it was my first podcast 😢. Steven Dubner, one of the authors of the Freakonomics books hosts this podcast. After reading and loving the books and hearing about the podcast, I knew this would be one that I would like. Their tag line "Exploring the hidden side of everything" is 100% true. They take simple topics and break them down and look at them from every conceivable angle. These episodes are usually between 30 minutes and an hour are are released weekly. The ones that have been most interesting to me lately have been an episode about why CGI artists for movies have to move all over the place just to get underpaid and work for firms that are continually on the brink of bankruptcy and a 3 part series about the problems/intricacies with our healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. The series about medicine was extremely interesting as it jived with everything I hear from my wife who is a nurse and lives that stuff every day.

NPR Politics Podcast

This one is my current favorite, especially considering the political climate of the past year or so. The crew at NPR always do a great job of breaking the facts down and giving the context necessary to understand why our politicians do what they do. Anyone who is not a liberal would probably say they NPR has a bias towards to left but I have to say that they do an amazing job of keeping the podcast fairly unbiased. They seem to always give both sides a fair amount of coverage. In any case, they always provide both facts and commentary so that you can decide for yourself what the news means. I have not felt as politically involved at any point in my life as I have since I started listening to this podcast. The team always releases a Weekly Roundup that is the mainstay of the podcast and covers the week's news. They also routinely release highlight episodes as major news breaks. I have to say I understand much more of what goes on in our government than I ever thought I would know. Thanks to my brother Cody for the recommendation.
[NPR Politics]

NPR Planet Money

Planet Moneyis another good one from NPR. You would think by the title that this is a personal finance show but it is more in the thread of Freakonomics. They follow the money around any given story and come up with some pretty interesting insights. They cover tax law and other financial legislation and how different events have shaped our use of money and the policies that govern it. I have learned about taxes that are hold-overs from WWII, details around the Wells Fargo scandal from last year, and the booming honey bee industry that specializes in nationwide bee delivery. By far my favorite story though as been their series where they actually bought their own crude oil and followed it's journey all the way to a gas pump. Definitely worth a listen.
[Planet Money]

RadioLab

RadioLab is a new podcast I just started listening to within the last few months. They are produced by the same studio that produces Freakonomics, WNYC Studios. The jury is still out on these guys. They do more of a reporting/journalistic style of podcast. They do not have a real theme as far as I can tell other than to tell interesting stories and to relay the finer details of those stories. Their latest episode about CRISPR gene editing (a re-broadcast with updates) was extremely interesting. I also enjoyed their explanation of the Bernie Madoff ponzi scandal. The interview experts, provide analysis, and make the story fun to listen to. I am going to need a few more episodes to determine if I really like this one but my guess is that I will. They release episodes every other week.

Risky.biz

If you are not an IT or InfoSec person then you might as well stop here on this one unless you just happen to love Kiwi accents. This show, hosted by Patrick Gray and is probably the best way for me to get the latest in InfoSec news. Every weekly show starts with a roundup of the week's cyber news with colorful commentary, has a feature interview with some industry expert, and finishes with a sponsor interview. The sponsor interview is usually some sort of product pitch but is tastefully done and still provides useful information and education about the industry. The latest addition to the show is a final section which fantastical funny stories from the industry, perhaps slightly embellished at times. This podcast has allowed me to sound _really_ smart in a few meetings because of stuff I heard here.
[Risky.biz]

The daily StormCast from Johannes Ulrich and the Internet Storm Center is my daily staple and always my first listen of the day. These daily, 5-10 minute podcasts relay daily InfoSec news such as new exploits seen in the wild, new vulnerabilities that could be exploited, and major system outages. Johannes also covers new tools and relays information about diaries posted to the ISC homepage that usually demonstrate how to use some tool or how to perform a certain type of analysis. Everything from defensive security to forensics to offensive security are fair game here. Similar to Risky.biz, some of the stuff I have heard here have made me sound like an expert on more than one occasion.
[Stormcast]

Serial

Although technically a podcast, Serial does not seem to have a consistent release schedule and when they do release things, they do so as series. I specifically listened to their 11-episode series that investigated the Bowe Bergdahl saga. Their ability to truly cover the facts and objectively look at both sides was amazing. Their reporting is also top notch utilizing a wide swath of primary sources as well as expert analysis. The story kept my attention the whole time and made me want more. Download this series for a long car trip or airplane ride. Right now, there is no indication when season 3 will be produced.

Stuff You Should Know

Josh and Chuck can somehow turn the most mundane topics into a comedy skit and the most controversial topics into something anyone can enjoy. They pick random topics and break them down in layman's terms. I have learned a tremendous amount from this podcast and they release episodes like crazy, sometimes twice a week. They do tend to get way off topic so if you are looking for just the facts this may not be the place to go. They readily admit that side-tracking is one of their specialties. That being said, their back and forth banter is part of why I like the show so much. They cover historical topics, pop culture, financial topics, medical and bodily stuff, and anything else that seems worth learning. They once did an episode dedicated solely to poop (way more interesting than you would think and I am not afraid to admit that I listened to it). They also have a HUGE history of episodes. They are on track to hit 1000 episodes this May so if you have time to listen, you can have them with you for a while.
[Josh and Chuck]

TED Talks

Most folks have heard of TED talks so I won't take too much time to explain what they are. The podcast is literally just a recording of the talks. What is nice though is that the talks are not released all at once so having them as a podcast gives me a steady stream of talks to listen too. I have to admit, some of the talks rub me the wrong way when the presenter is either wrong, does not represent all the facts, or simply ignores opposing arguments. That being said, the majority of talks are great, educational, and often inspiring. I especially enjoy the broad range of topics from space and science to medicine to philanthropic topics. If you have strong political or religious viewpoints these talks are a great way to understand how people outside of your sphere think and see the world. If you are easily offended by opposing viewpoints perhaps don't listen, but you won't be doing yourself any favors.

Mike Rowe's The Way I Heard It

Another fairly new addition to my lineup, I just started listening to Mike a few weeks ago. A long time fan of Mike and his work I figured I would give this one a try after Briana mentioned it to me and I saw it on Mike's Facebook a few times. The basic premise is the Mike tells a story while generally leaving our one or two ~~minor~~ major details. The stories are usually amazing, heroic, or interesting. Then at the end, Mike reveals the hidden details and we find out the story was about some famous celebrity, politician, scientist, etc. It is really awesome to listen to the story without any preconceived notions about the person in question. At the end you see that person in a whole new light and have a much greater appreciation of the person, who they are, and what they have gone through. These are a weekly short listen (usually about 10-15 minutes) and are fun. If you are looking for a short podcast to get start, this one is really good.
[The Way I Heard It]

Well those are my picks, let me know what ones you like and I will give them a try!

#TryPod

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question: Is March a Podcast Awareness Month?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: What are podcasts about?

answer: There are podcasts for almost every topic. There is something there for everyone.

question: What are some podcast apps?

answer: Some of the podcast apps are Pocket Cast, Podcast Addict, Stitcher, and many more.

question: Why should you use podcast manager apps?

answer: A podcast manager app helps you sort through the podcasts and ensures that always have the ones you want ready to go on your phone.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: Podcasts are a great way to learn about things. There are podcasts for almost everything out there. Podcast Addict, Pocket Cast, Spotify, Stitcher are some of the good podcast apps. Podcast manager apps help you sort your podcasts and ensure that you have your favorites on your phone. The writer shares his experience of using Podcast Addict and then suggests a few podcasts. Some of the suggestions are - Dan Carlin's Hardcore History, Freakonomics Radio, NPR Politics, and RadioLab.


text:
Is the tea party a movement or just a mood?

That was the question posed by Weekly Standard columnist and Fox News contributor Steven Hayes as he kicked offa panel at the Heritage Foundation celebrating the 5th anniversary of the tea party.

Hayes and his co-panelists, Heritage Action for America CEO Michael Needham and University of Virginia professor of politics James Ceaser, all agreed that the tea party is in fact a movement. Moods, as Hayes noted, don’t last for five years.

Recent polls regarding national tea party support show the panel’s assessment is correct. AnNBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in November found one-fifth of American adults consider themselves supporters of the tea party. As panel moderator David Azerrad of the Heritage Foundation noted, that’s quite an improvement from the original tea party, which numbered between 30 and 130 members.

But the panelists didn’t just rely on poll numbers to support their conclusion. They also highlighted some of the tea party’s major accomplishments since its inception in 2009.

Particularly noteworthy, according to the panelists, is the influence of 2010 tea party candidates such as Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky. The media prefers to focus on failed tea party candidates such as Sharron Angle in Nevada and Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, but it has been Lee, Cruz, Rubio and Paul who have injected new life into the GOP and are producing its most innovative policy solutions.

Needham pointed specifically to Lee’s Higher Education Reform and Opportunity, or HERO, Act, Senator Cruz’s proposed energy legislation and Senator Paul’s focus on overcriminalization as prime examples of tea party ideas in action.

Another sign of tea party success has been its ability to set the terms of political debates. In particular, Ceaser credited the tea party with “bringing the national debt onto the front burner,” and reminding Americans that “if you spend today, someone will have to pay [for] it tomorrow.”

Tea partiers such as Cruz frequently have caused a ruckus on Capitol Hill fighting spending bills and opposing debt-ceiling increases. The result has often been legislative gridlock. Many on the left and in the mainstream media regard this as a failure of the tea party, but Hayes observed that “that was, in some ways, the entire point of the tea party.”

The tea party-fueled debt debate has had an even greater impact at the state level. In what Ceaser called the tea party’s “greatest actual achievement,” state governments have taken bold steps to rein in public-sector unions and control pensions. And it’s happening in both Republican and Democratic states, Ceaser noted, as both parties are realizing the problems of excessive debt.

That the tea party has made popular a topic as unexciting as government debt indicates how truly influential it is.

The panel also credited the tea party with bringing the Constitution back into public discourse. Ceaser praised the tea party for restoring the idea of the Constitution as “a guide for the thinking of a political party and program,” which he noted was the role it played in the 19th century. In that era, legislators often engaged in debates about what the Constitution allowed and what it meant.

Unfortunately, our current Democratic and Republican parties largely have ignored the Constitution and, prior to the tea party, rarely debated its meaning. The result was a mistaken perception of the Constitution as nothing more than “a matter of individual rights protected by courts” that political parties and movements simply should not bother with.

The tea party’s return to the Constitution has revitalized public interest in its meaning and forced politicians to engage once more in constitutional debates.

Despite frequent mischaracterizations in the mainstream media, targeting by the IRS, and verbal attacks from President Obama, the tea party remains highly influential in American politics. The left and the media don’t want to admit it, but the tea party is not a passing mood; it’s a movement. And, as Steve Hayes concluded, “It’s not going anywhere anytime soon.”

question: What does the article say about the failures of the tea party?

answer: The text points out the political gridlock caused by the Republican opposition to the increase of the national debt ceiling is called a failure in popular media. However, given the aims of the tea party, it's a success despite the media's common interpretations. The real success of the gridlock is implied to be the action taken by State governments to reduce spending. No actual failure is attributed to the tea party in the article.

question: What does the article say about the successes of the tea party?

answer: The tea party is successful by dint of new thinking put forward by Lee, Cruz, Rubio, and Paul. The debate about the national debt is brought to the fore by the movement. Another piece of discussion brought to the fore by the tea party is the Constitution as a guide to political thought. Their greatest achievement is the States, Republican and Democrat, trying to reduce spending.

question: What does the article say about the youth involved in the tea party?


text:
She opened her eyes, and all she saw was a searing white light. She felt a biting cold metallic surface beneath her. She was laying down, in a metal room with only one door; a heavy, solid metal door. The florescent lights: the searing light, buzzing incessantly above her. They were driving her mad. She suddenly felt a pool of warmth beneath her head; blood. It was bleeding. To her relief it was only a slight trickle. To her horror there was a large dried pool of blood below her. A few drops trailed off to the opposite end of the room. And she saw him.

Lying there on the floor, opposite to her was a man. She saw no blood around him, but saw blood on his hands. Lying between them were a syringe and a keycard. The syringe was empty; what was in it? She wondered. Did he attack me? What is this place? Why am I here? Why can't I remember? She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember anything at all; who she was, where she was, and why she was here. She couldn't remember; and she was afraid. Did he lock me in this room for something I did? Was this man a guard at this facility? Or were this man's intentions more...malignant? She didn't want to know. She wanted to get out; she had to get out. She had to find some answers.

She stood up and made her way towards the door, still slightly ajar. As she approached the threshold, she noticed a camera. What is this place she thought and what is it for? She left into the hallway, and stared down its sterile walls, glistening in the white light. There were more cells, but there was silence. She was unsure of whether that was a good sign or not. She made for the door at the end of the hallway; it looked different from the rest, perhaps it wasn't a cell, perhaps it was a way out. She hoped it was. When she reached the door, her heart sank; it was locked.

The key card in the room! It was the only thing she had to go on, the only ray of light in her frightening nightmare. Feeling hopeful, she raced to the end of the hall for the key card. When she reached the cell she had awoken in, she entered and made her way for the card, not noticing that the man had woken up, and was watching her. As she goes to leave the room, she hears an unsettling, animalistic growl. She turns back to see the man, crouching, staring at her with a predator's gaze. Looking closer at his eyes, she notices that his eyes are a yellowish color; like a cat's eyes. His nails had sharpened, and were more like claws. What was in that syringe? Was he planning on doing that to me?

Suddenly, the feral beast leaped. Thinking quickly, she pulled the door closed just in time. She started to run down the hall and then she heard that noise. The feral creature let out a sickening roar. The nightmarish noise paralyzed her with fear. For an eternity, she could not move, could not think, could not breath. What made her move wasn't fear of the beast behind her. It was the new sounds she heard. The other cells were alive with movement; something was lurking behind their walls. With an ever deepening sense of terror, she ran towards the door, inserted the key card, and turned the handle; the door opened. The minuscule amount of relief she felt was extinguished when she heard the footfalls of the beast. Without even looking, she went through the door and into the new room. She turned and closed the door, seeing the beast lunge forward, more feral in appearance than before, just in time for it to crash into the closed door. She was safe, for now.

Turning to examine the room, she saw monitors. Monitors that showed the horrors in the other cells. Creatures that lurked and prowled with vicious intent. Creatures that writhed and squirmed in agonizing pain. This facility...was for experimentation on human beings. Just who the hell are these people? What are they doing? What are these vile bastards doing to these poor people? Sitting down, she started to go through some notes lying on the table. They were of someone named Dr. Moreau. This despicable person wrote about these people, his "patients" with no empathy, no remorse. He was now one of his own experiments.

"Doctor, are you there? The Colonel is waiting for the latest results of your testing." It was a man's voice on the other side of the door opposite from the one with the cells. She sat frozen with fear. What would happen to her when he found out what happened to the doctor, that he had become one of his pets? "Doctor? I'm coming in..." The door slowly opened, and a man wearing heavily padded, black colored clothing came in. He was holding a gun. When he stepped into the room, he raised it and fired. At that moment, a life was silenced.
But it was not hers...

Lowering his weapon, he turned to her and said, "Your bleeding, come with me to the infirmary." When she didn't respond, didn't even breath, he said it. Those words which shattered her utterly and will haunt her for the rest of her days. It was just a simple question, yet it implied so much.

"Doctor Moreau, are you alright?"

title: This was a short story I wrote for a high school English class. I was told by my teacher that it was well written, but I would like some criticism from you guys and gals. (This story is about 5-6 years old) [Battle Not With Monsters]

question: Summarize the twist of the story.

answer: The narrator wakes up and has no memory of who she is, where she is, or how she got there. She is afraid and assumes that the man she initially sees unconscious brought her here for some reason. When she makes it to the monitor room, she is disgusted to learn that someone named Dr. Moreau is performing human experimentation in the facility. Then, at the very end, it is revealed that she is Dr. Moreau.

question: What does the text say about the monitor room?

answer: The monitor room contains several monitors which show each of the cells in the facility. The cells contain horrifying creatures, writhing in pain. The room also contains a table, chair, and Dr. Moreau's notes.

question: Summarize how the narrator lost her memory.


text:
[Barista & Hospitality Course by Mojo]

$595.00

GET HIRED IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY WITH THE SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED.

From some of the industry’s leading trainers, you will learn over 3 days;

-   The history of coffee
-   The production processes involved at the origin
-   The roasting process. See it in action and all of the behind the scenes work that goes into each and every coffee at our roastery on Wellington’s waterfront
-   How to be a great barista; from coffee making to customer service and genuine hospitality
-   How to steam velvety microfoam and pour beautiful latte art
-   Key tips on how to write a CV that stands out
-   Interviewing skills for a hospitality job.

On completion of this course, you will receive a certificate for Mojo Coffee Barista and Hospitality. Unit standards 17284, 17288 can be attached on request at an additional cost.

This course is only available at our Wellington training facility.

question: In which industry is this course being advertised for?

answer: Hospitality Industry

question: Where will one receive a certificate from after completing the course?

answer: Mojo Coffee Barista and Hospitality

question: Where is the course available?

answer: At the Wellington training facility

question: How many days is the course?

answer: Three days

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A hospitality course from Mojo Coffee Barista and Hospitality is being advertised, with the inclusion of what the course costs and what it offers.


text:
HAMID AFAQ QURESHI also known as HAMID AFAQ QURESHI AL–TAIMI–AL–QURESHI, is a historian Shaikh Siddiqi of Arabic, Persian and Urdu descent. He was born in 1945 in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Qureshi studied science at the university level. He joined a scientific organisation in 1965 and retired as a Gazetted Officer in 2005. During his service, he graduated from Delhi University with an art degree. He received a postgraduate degree in history and political science from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. He earned his PhD in History from Lucknow University.

Career

Many of Qureshi's works have been published by New Royal Book Company, Lucknow.[1] They include _Iqbal 1873–1938,_[2] _The Flickers of an Independent Nawabi: Wazir Ali Khan of Avadh_ (2 Vols.), _The Mughals_, _The English and the Rulers of Awadh: A Kaleidoscopic Study_.,[3] _1857: Classics: Volume I: Khandang-i-Ghadar and Naunaga (translations)_[4] and many other works.[5]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

title: Hamid Afaq Qureshi

question: Summarize everything relating to Hamid Afaq Qureshi's education.

answer: Hamid Afaq Qureshi studied science at the university level, graduated from Delhi University with an art degree, received a postgraduate degree in history and political science from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, and earned his PhD in History from Lucknow University.

question: What kind of books did Hamid Afaq Qureshi write?

answer: Hamid Afaq Qureshi wrote historical books.

question: What is Gazetted Officer?

answer: It is not explained in the article.

question: Who did publish Hamid Afaq Qureshi's work?

answer: Many of Qureshi's works have been published by the New Royal Book Company, Lucknow.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Hamid Afaq Qureshi, a historian Shaikh Siddiqi of Arabic born in India, studied science, art, history, and political science. Many of Qureshi's historical books have been published by the New Royal Book Company, Lucknow.


text:
She came over.

I cooked up some brown rice, steamed veggies, with marinated pork tenderloin.  Then we left and went to the haunted mill and just happened to get there when they opened because the line went to zero instantly as people were allowed to fill the interior waiting area.  I have to admit, the haunted mill was a great idea because it gives her the excuse to grab hold of you and you have the excuse to hold her hand to ‘protect’ her.  That physical barrier: gone.

When we come out, we notice the line is huge, with about 100 people waiting to go through and we felt lucky that we only waited about 20 min to get in.  I walked over and sat next to the bon fire, it was definitely cold by now.  We sat and talked about the mill, then about family and friends.  We sat and people watched, the various aged couples that were on dates: the older, confident in each other ones, and the young awkward 15 year olds (boys) that were unsure where to put their hands (hands in pockets? Fold arms? Put hand up on wall and look cool?) but the girls seemed a bit more nonchalant about it and tried to act more normal and nonplussed about the awkward energy coming from the boy.  I recognized, in that moment, I was happy that I was no longer that age.  I had a girl on my arm, next to the fire, and I was calm and confident.

There was hot chocolate being sold next to us. I offered.  She declined.  I enjoyed the little bit of quiet and calm that comes with sitting next to a warm fire on a cold night.  Just watching the flames and listening to the crackling.  I talked about hiking the John Muir trail in Yosemite and how serene and quiet it was.  I sat and thought about that experience for a bit. Then, noticing that she didn’t seem as comfortable with sitting in silence as I was, I asked if she wanted some ice cream.  Yes.

We leave, and find ourselves at Wendy’s with 1 chocolate frosty, 1 vanilla frosty, and a medium fry split between us.  Movie? Yeah, I can look up what’s showing.  We talk a few over, and I choose *Gravity*.  She doesn’t like the 3d ones, but the non-3D version isn’t until 11:00 and we wouldn’t be done in time (uni curfew).  3D it is.

Hold hands. Enjoying the company.  Smelling like camp fire.

I take her home, and drop her off and tell her I had a good time. She says we should do something again sometime.

I agree.

title: She came over.

question: Where's their date taking place?

answer: It seems to be maybe an amusement park of sorts-the haunted mill could be a ride?

question: How long have the narrator and the woman known each other?

answer: This answer is not available, but it seems like a relatively new development.

question: Where do they go after mill?

answer: Wendy's.

question: Will there be a second date?

answer: They both agree they would like one.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator cooks his date a meal of rice, veggies, and pork tenderloin. They then go to the haunted mill, where there's a huge line, but they wait a mere 20 minutes to enter the attraction. Their date declines hot chocolate, but agrees to go to Wendy's for dessert,which is a chocolate frosty. Next, they head to a movie-"Gravity"-but opt for the shorter-length 3D version in order to get home by curfew. Afterwards, the narrator drops her off, and the two agree to go out again some time.


text:
[Bonifazio Graziani] BONIFAZIO GRAZIANI (1604/05 in Marino near Rome – 15 June 1664, Rome) was an Italian organist, composer and clergyman in the Baroque period.

Works

PUBLISHED IN PRINT:

-   _Motetti a due, tre, quattro, cinque, e sei voci_ (Op. 1), Rom Vitale Mascardi, 1650
-   _Il secondo libro de motetti a due, tre, quattro, cinque e sei voci_(Op. 2), Rom Vitale Mascardi, 1652
-   _Il primo libro de motetti a voce sola_ (Op. 3), Roma, Vitale Mascardi 1652; weitere Auflagen bei Maurizio Balmonti 1655, Ignazio de Lazzari 1661
-   _Psalmi vespertini quinque vocibus cum organo, et sine organo decantandi... lib. I, opus quartum_ (Op. 4), Rom Nicolo Germani/Vitale Mascardi 1652
-   _Psalmi vespertini quinque vocibus concinendi, opus quintum_ (Op. 5), Rom Vitale Mascardi, 1653
-   _Il secondo libro de motetti a voce sola. opera sesta_ (Op. 6), Rom Maurizio Balmonti, 1655
-   _Motetti a due, tre, e cinque voci... libro terzo, opera settima_ (Op. 7), Rom Maurizio Balmonti, 1656
-   _Il terzo libro de motetti a voce sola... opera ottava_ (Op. 8), Rom Giacomo Fei, 1658
-   _Responsoria hebdomadae sanctae, quatuor vocibus concinenda, una cum organo si placet_ (Op. 9), Rom Ignazio de Lazari, 1663
-   _Del quarto libro de motetti a voce sola... opera decima_ (Op. 10), Rom Giacomo Fei, 1665
-   _Litanie della Madonna a quattro, cinque, sette e otto voci... opera undecima_ (Op. 11), Rom Giacomo Fei, 1665
-   _Motetti a due, tre, quattro, e cinque voci per ogni tempo ... opera XII_ (Op. 12), Rom, Mascardi Heirs, 1673
-   _Antifone della Beatissima Vergine Maria, solite ricitarsi tutto l'anno doppo l'offizio divino... a quattro, cinque e sei voci... opera decima terza_ (Op. 13), Rom Giacomo Fei, 1665
-   _Antifone per diverse festività di tutto l'anno, a due, tre, e quattro voci... parte prima, opera decima quarta_ (Op. 14), Rom Ignazio de Lazari 1666
-   _Sacri concerti... a due, tre, quattro e cinque voci... opera decimaquinta_ (Op. 15), Rom Amadeo Belmonte 1668
-   _Partitura del quinto libro de'motetti a voce sola... opera XVI_ (Op. 16), Rom Amadeo Belmonte 1669
-   _Psalmi vespertini binis choris, una cum organo certatim, suaviterque decantandi... opus XVII_ (Op. 17), Rom Amadeo Belmonte, 1670
-   _Il primo libro delle messe a quattro, e cinque... opera decima ottava_ (Op. 18), Rom Angelo Mutii 1671
-   _Sacrae cantiones una tantum voce cum organo decantandae... liber sextus, opus XIX_ (Op. 19), Rom Mascardi Heirs 1672
-   _Motetti a due, tre, quattro, e cinque voci... lib. VI, opera XX_ (Op. 20), Rom, Mascardi Heirs 1672
-   _Hinni vespertini per tutte le principali festività dell'anno, composti in musica a tre, quattro, e cinque voci, alcuni con li ripieni... opera XXI_ (Op. 21), Rom Mascardi Heirs 1673
-   _Il secondo libro delle messe a quattro, cinque, e otto voci... opera XXII_ (Op. 22), Rom Mascardi Heirs 1674
-   _Motetti a due, tre e quattro voci... opera XXIII_ (Op. 23), Rom Mascardi Heirs 1674
-   _Motetti a due, tre, quattro e cinque voci... opera XXIV_ (Op. 24), Rom Mascardi 1676
-   _Musiche sagre, e morali composte ad'una, due, tre, e quattro voci... opera XXV_ (Op. 25), Rom Mascardi Heirs 1678
-   _Motetti a due, e tre voci_ (ohne Opuszahl), Rom Giacomo Fei 1667

Literature

-   Susanne Shigihara: _Bonifazio Graziani (1604/05–1664). Biographie, Werkverzeichnis und Untersuchungen zu den Solomotetten_. Bonn 1984 (Dissertation)

title: Bonifazio Graziani

question: Who was Bonifazio Graziani?

answer: An Italian organist, composer and clergyman of the Baroque period.

question: How many of his works are published in print?

answer: According to the article 26.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A brief description of Bonifazio Graziani and a list of his published works (in Italian).


text:
SCOTT COUNTY COURTHOUSE is a historic courthouse located at Benton, Scott County, Missouri. It was designed by architect Henry H. Hohenschild and built in 1912. It is a reinforced concrete Beaux Arts style building sheathed in brick. It has a “T”-plan consisting of a three-story, five bay, central block with two-story wings. Three bays of the central block are recessed behind colossal Ionic order columns that support a dentiled entablature. It features terra cotta and cast stone ornamentation.[1][2]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.[3]

[1]  (includes 11 photographs from 2003)

[2]

[3]

title: Scott County Courthouse (Missouri)

question: Where is the Scott County Courthouse located?

answer: It is located in Benton, Scott County, Missouri.

question: Who designed the Scott County Courthouse?

answer: The courthouse was designed by architect, Henry H. Hohenschild.

question: What significant milestone did the Scott County Courthouse achieve in 2004?

answer: In 2004, the courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

question: How would you describe the infrastructure of the courthouse?

answer: The infrastructure of the courthouse can be described as a three-story, five bay, central block with two-story wings.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article includes a brief description of the Scott County Courthouse.


text:
(So this is a story I wrote very quickly after I played through an indie game called TimeFrame, I highly recommend you check it out! This is my first story I've shown to the outside world, so please be gentle!)

And suddenly I found myself in a great, black void, and though I could see nothing, I felt that I was utterly alone, floating freely through the endless darkness. I was prepared to resign myself to this strange fate when there appeared a great white orb some ways off, and I found myself irresistibly drawn towards it, no matter the dangers that may lie within. Upon reaching it, I slowly, carefully reached my hand out to touch it, as if to understand its purpose here, and even as my fingers brushed the surface, I was abruptly thrown deep into the orb, blinded by a great light, and was struck down upon slamming into a hard surface.

When I opened my eyes, I was astounded to find myself surrounded by desert, and what appeared to be the remains of an ancient civilisation, tall pillars reaching high into the sky, and a huge wall stretching into the distance. I began to carefully make my way to the ruins, and was quite surprised to find that this  strange world appeared to be nearly frozen in time. The sand kicked up by my feet hung in the air as though each granule were suspended by a string, and the withered patches of grass swayed slowly, almost like nature’s metronome. This alien world indeed seemed timeless, and the dying sun above me indicated that I may very well be its last resident. Presently I approached a stonehenge-esque formation of rocks, and within them were small pillars, each engraved with a glowing symbol, and a large vat of molten liquid amidst it all. Was this some ritual site I had just disturbed? I could only hope that no consequences would come of it. The symbols were fully foreign to me, and there were no clues to be found as to the nature of the site, so carefully making a mental note of the area, I moved off towards the large pillars in the distance.

As I approached the largest of the constructs, I was once again stumped as to their true purpose. They all looked exactly alike: large, corkscrew-like pillars, looking almost as though some great cosmic drill had driven them into the ground where they stand. But as I stood there pondering, a great rumble began in the distance, and turning around, my mouth fell open. A large rock, at least a mile across, was slowly tumbling towards the barren landscape around me. For several minutes I panicked, dashing madly about, searching for some protection in this wasteland. But it was to no avail, and with time running out, I stretched my arms out, and watched as the meteorite continued the last stages of its journey, sealing my fate once and for all. As it finally crashed to the ground, I watched as the shockwave stretched its arms out towards me, to take me to my creator at long last, but abruptly I was pulled away, feeling myself fall away from the fate I had resigned myself to, and seconds later I was facing the orb again, my hands once again about to touch its surface, and surely about to relive the end of that alien world. I jerked my hands away, nearly crying out from the terror of what I had just experienced, and then realized that what I had just witnessed had left a burning desire in my heart, a desire to know more. Would I ever be able to understand the secrets hidden deep within the abandoned constructs of that world? As I stretched my hands towards the orb again, it became apparent that maybe this world actually held my fate, and I would relive its final moments, again and again, to the end of time.

title: [MF] Story I Wrote in Response to an Indie Game I Played (TimeFrame)

question: What does the story say about what type of indie game TimeFrame is (shooter, RPG, puzzle, etc.)?

question: What does the story say about the narrator?

answer: The narrator finds himself alone in a great, black void, floating freely through the endless darkness. He was irresistibly drawn to the great white orb that appeared and was transported deep within the orb when he touched it. He was astonished to find himself surrounded by desert and what appeared to be the remains of an ancient civilization in an alien world that was frozen in time. Before he could figure things out, a meteor suddenly appeared and crashed near him. The narrator woke up in front of the white orb and amidst his terror of what happened, had this burning desire to go back and explore the abandoned constructs of that world.

question: What does the story say about the world inside the white orb?

answer: Inside the white orb were the remains of an ancient civilization (possibly abandoned) surrounded by desert. It had tall pillars reaching high into the sky, and a huge wall stretching into the distance. There was a site that looked like Stonehenge, with small pillars within it that had glowing, foreign-looking symbols engraved on each one. It had a large vat of molten liquid in the center that made it look like a ritual site. The constructs all looked exactly alike, corkscrew-like pillars that look like some great cosmic drill had driven them into the ground where they stand.

question: Why did the narrator want to touch the white orb and do it all over again despite his terror of dying via meteor strike?

answer: The ancient alien ruins had a lot of constructs that seemed to have no purpose to the narrator. He wanted to study them and know their true purpose. To do that, he would need clues, and to get clues, he needed to explore this world. What he just witnessed had left a burning desire in his heart to know more about the place. He wanted to understand the secrets hidden deep within the abandoned constructs of that world, despite the fact that his fate would be to relive its final moments again and again, till the end of time.