text:
Internet #202639272

Model #U 9511

Store SKU #1001088584

-   Made from robust steel for durability and longevity
-   Works exclusively with inswing doors
-   Enhances security by preventing forced entry through the door
-   See More Details

Frequently Bought Together

THIS ITEM: Latch Guard In-Swinging, 6 in., Gray Steel

$9.93

This latch guard is constructed from steel and comes finished in gray. It is designed to protect your door from forced entry. This style latch guard is used on in swinging doors.

-   Designed for inswinging doors
-   Protects against and unwanted entry
-   6 in. height
-   Stamped steel in a gray finish
-   2 piece shield that interlock
-   All the necessary mounting hardware is included for a quick and easy installation
-   Easy to install in less than 30 minutes with a few simple tools
-   For further dimensional information, please see the line drawing

Info & Guides

-   Warranty

You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader to view PDF documents. Download

a free copy from the Adobe Web site.

Product Overview

[More]

-   Made from robust steel for durability and longevity
-   Works exclusively with inswing doors
-   Enhances security by preventing forced entry through the door

Internet #202639272

Model #U 9511

Store SKU #1001088584

Compare Similar Door Security Bars

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | current     | [12 in.     | [3 in. x 7  | [Lock and   |
|             | product     | Gray        | in.,        | Door        |
|             |             | Painted     | Stainless   | Reinforcer, |
|             | [Latch      | Steel       | Steel,      | 5-1/2 in.,  |
|             | Guard       | Constructed | Latch       | 2-3/8 in. x |
|             | In-Swinging | Latch       | Shield]     | 1-3/4 in.,  |
|             | ,           | Shield, For |             | Stainless   |
|             | 6 in., Gray | Swing-In    |             | Steel]      |
|             | Steel]      | Doors       |             |             |
|             |             | (1-set)]    |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Brand       | HANDS ON    | Prime-Line  | Prime-Line  | Prime-Line  |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Name        | Latch Guard | 12 in. Gray | 3 in. x 7   | Lock and    |
|             | In-Swinging | Painted     | in.,        | Door        |
|             | ,           | Steel       | Stainless   | Reinforcer, |
|             | 6 in., Gray | Constructed | Steel,      | 5-1/2 in.,  |
|             | Steel       | Latch       | Latch       | 2-3/8 in. x |
|             |             | Shield, For | Shield      | 1-3/4 in.,  |
|             |             | Swing-In    |             | Stainless   |
|             |             | Doors       |             | Steel       |
|             |             | (1-set)     |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Price       | $993        | $1169       | $1210       | $2161       |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Ratings     | (19)        | (4)         | (13)        | (54)        |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Commercial  | Commercial  | Commercial  | Commercial  | Commercial  |
| /           | /           | /           | /           | /           |
| Residential | Residential | Residential | Residential | Residential |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | View        | View        | View        | View        |
|             | Product     | Product     | Product     | Product     |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Compare Similar Door Security Bars

[More]

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | current     | [12 in.     | [3 in. x 7  | [Lock and   |
|             | product     | Gray        | in.,        | Door        |
|             |             | Painted     | Stainless   | Reinforcer, |
|             | [Latch      | Steel       | Steel,      | 5-1/2 in.,  |
|             | Guard       | Constructed | Latch       | 2-3/8 in. x |
|             | In-Swinging | Latch       | Shield]     | 1-3/4 in.,  |
|             | ,           | Shield, For |             | Stainless   |
|             | 6 in., Gray | Swing-In    |             | Steel]      |
|             | Steel]      | Doors       |             |             |
|             |             | (1-set)]    |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Brand       | HANDS ON    | Prime-Line  | Prime-Line  | Prime-Line  |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Name        | Latch Guard | 12 in. Gray | 3 in. x 7   | Lock and    |
|             | In-Swinging | Painted     | in.,        | Door        |
|             | ,           | Steel       | Stainless   | Reinforcer, |
|             | 6 in., Gray | Constructed | Steel,      | 5-1/2 in.,  |
|             | Steel       | Latch       | Latch       | 2-3/8 in. x |
|             |             | Shield, For | Shield      | 1-3/4 in.,  |
|             |             | Swing-In    |             | Stainless   |
|             |             | Doors       |             | Steel       |
|             |             | (1-set)     |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Price       | $993        | $1169       | $1210       | $2161       |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Ratings     | (19)        | (4)         | (13)        | (54)        |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Commercial  |             |             |             |             |
| /           |             |             |             |             |
| Residential |             |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | View        | View        | View        | View        |
|             | Product     | Product     | Product     | Product     |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

[]

Dimensions

Product Height (in.)

10.438

Required door thickness (in.)

1 3/8 to 1 3/4

Details

Backset size (in.)

Adjustable

Commercial / Residential

Commercial / Residential

Commercial/Residential

Commercial,Residential

Product Weight (lb.)

0.375

Safety & Security Product Type

Lock & Door Reinforcer

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

Goods are warranted against defects in manufacturing for 1 year. In no case is Prime-Line responsible for user related damage or damage incurred during installation. Warranty is void if products are subjected to abnormal conditions, misapplication or abuse.

4Questions5Answers

Can this gray latch guard be spray painted black??

Asked by Samantha

July 10, 2018

Thank you for your inquiry regarding this item from Prime-Line Products. This item is a gray primed surface and can be painted. For faster service, be sure to take advantage of the LIVE CHAT option located in the middle right-hand side of your screen, where you can quickly connect to a representative for assistance. Otherwise, you can contact the manufacturer directly with your questions regarding this item, or any other product manufactured by Prime-Line Products by calling their toll free number at (877) 649-9740, or by contacting them by email at info@primeline.net.

What are the exact measurements for all components? Only the length is specified. How wide is t...

Asked by Norwela

January 22, 2018

Thank you for your inquiry regarding this item from Prime-Line Products. The length is 6". The width of the plate with the offset is 1 1/8". The screw hole are 2 1/2" apart. The offset is 1/4" The other plate is 6"L x 3/8"H x 1/2"W and screw holes are 5" apart. When both plates are in the closed position and meet, the total width is 1 1/4" For faster service, be sure to take advantage of the CHAT option located in the lower right-hand corner of your screen, where you can quickly connect to a representative for assistance. Otherwise, you can contact the manufacturer directly with your questions regarding this item, or any other product manufactured by Prime-Line Products by calling their toll free number at (877) 649-9740, or by contacting them by email at info@primeline.net.

screw size

Asked by Support

October 22, 2016

Thank you for your inquiry regarding this item from Prime-Line Products. This latch guard includes three #10x1-1/4 in. one way round fasteners, two #8x1in Phillips head flat, and two #10x3/4in. Phillips pan head fasteners. For faster service, be sure to take advantage of the CHAT option located in the lower right-hand corner of your screen, where you can quickly connect to a representative for assistance. Otherwise, you can contact the manufacturer directly with your questions regarding this item, or any other product manufactured by Prime-Line Products by calling their toll free number at (877) 649-9740, or by contacting them by email at prodtech@primeline.net

Where exactly is this installed? Does it bolt through the door? Wood doors also?

Asked by 99lives

December 1, 2014

yes, into the door itself.

-   19 Customer Reviews

-   -   4.4

    out of 5 stars overall

100% of customers recommended.

This was installed by my handyman so I cannot speak to the ease of installation. I wanted an adde...

-   Recommended Product

This was installed by my handyman so I cannot speak to the ease of installation. I wanted an added layer of protection for my in-swinging doors. Visually it is one more reason that I won't seem an easy target for burglars.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser...

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Works well but should come with bit for security screws...

Works well but should come with bit for security screws just like the bit for the security doors

Works well my second item. Only for doors that...

Works well my second item. Only for doors that open inward. This and a plate for knob works well

Easy to assemble and good for what it is, I...

Easy to assemble and good for what it is, I think next time I’m gonna get one it’s about 9 inches long.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser...

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Just what l wanted at a fair price....

Just what l wanted at a fair price.

It’s awesome it make it harder to break in apt...

It’s awesome it make it harder to break in apt or building

I returned the product, as my need was for an...

I returned the product, as my need was for an out-swinging door. Home Depot helper gave me the wrong product.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Share your thoughts with other customers

question: Why would someone wants to protect against unwanted entry?

answer: To protect against nefarious actors breaking into a property.


split: train

text:
_HARRY JAMES AND HIS ORCHESTRA 1948–49_ is a double album by American trumpeter Harry James with The Harry James Orchestra. The album consists of live radio transcripts recorded during 1948 and 1949 and was released in 1969 by Big Band Landmarks (Volumes X–XI).[1]

Background

As bop surpassed swing by the late 1940s, James was surprisingly open to its influence. For the tracks on this album, James had dropped his string section and vocalists and employed a variety of modern arrangements by Neal Hefti, Frank Devenport, Johnny Richards and Jimmy Mundy, which often inspired his musicians.[2]

Because of the musicians' strike that lasted for the duration of 1948, James recorded no new material for commercial release by his record label Columbia during this period, and outside of this period when he did record for Columbia, the label tended to focus more on James's pop releases.[3] The combination of these two factors makes these tracks some of the few available that represent James's jazz style during this period. This is unfortunate because as music critic Marc Myers has stated, “[James's] band of the mid-1940s was more modern than most of the majors, and in 1949 he led one of the finest bands of the year.”[4]

The following is the promotional note from the Fresh Sound Records' CD reissue _There They Go_:

Track listing

NOTES

-   The tracks on disc 1 were released in Germany as a single album entitled _Harry James and His Orchestra 1948–1949, Vol. 1_ by the Solid Sender label (SOL 501).[5]
-   All but the last two songs were re-issued on a CD entitled _Harry James and his Orchestra 1948–1949, There They Go (Arrangements by Neal Hefti)_ by Spain's Fresh Sound label (FSRCD 399).[6]
-   Eighteen of the songs were re-issued in 1994 on a CD entitled _Things Ain't What They Used To Be_ by the Four Star label (FS-40053).[7]

Recording dates / locations

Selections on the album are from six sessions recorded from 1948 to 1950. The “Navy Show” numbers in parenthesis below refer to the numbers of the original 16" transcriptions circulated only to radio stations for recruiting advertising.[8]

CBS “CALL FOR MUSIC SHOW” – RECORDED FEBRUARY 20, 1948 IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA: A4: Snooty Fruity

CBS “CALL FOR MUSIC SHOW” – RECORDED MAY 18, 1948 IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA: A6: Lover

CBS “CALL FOR MUSIC SHOW” – RECORDED JUNE 15, 1948 IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA: A3: You Turned The Tables On Me

“U.S. NAVY PRESENTS” – RECORDED JUNE 1949 IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA: A1: There They Go (USN 106) / B4: Raffles (USN 105) / B5: Six, Two And Even (USN 105) / B6: Bells (USN 105) / C1: Shine (USN 107) / C2: Block Party (USN 108) / C3: Forgotten (USN 108) / C4: Cottontail (USN 113) / D1: Proclamation (USN 110) / D2: Slap Happy (USN 111)

“U.S. NAVY PRESENTS” – RECORDED JULY 1949 IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA: A2: 'Cept February, Which Has 28 (USN 101) / A5: Things Ain't What They Used To Be (USN 114) / B1: Or Words To That Effect (USN 101) / B2: Big Boy (USN 102) / B3: The Arrival (USN 102) / D3: Kerina (USN 114)

“U.S. NAVY PRESENTS THE LAND'S BEST BANDS” – RECORDED NOVEMBER, 1950 IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA: C5: I May Be Wrong (USN 4A) / D4: Bluebeard's Blues (USN 4A) / D5: Rank Frank (USN 12A)

Personnel

-   Harry James – leader, trumpet
-   Everett McDonald – trumpet (tracks: A2, A5, B1-B3, C5, D3-D5)
-   Gene Komer – trumpet (tracks: A3, A4, A6)
-   Neal Hefti – trumpet (tracks: A1, B4-B6, C1-C4, D1, D2)
-   Nick Buono – trumpet
-   Phil Cook - trumpet (tracks: C5, D4, D5)
-   Pinky Savitt – trumpet (tracks: all except C5, D4, D5)
-   Ralph Osborne – trumpet
-   Willie Smith – alto saxophone
-   Musky Ruffo – alto saxophone (tracks: C5, D4, D5)
-   Al Pellegrini – alto saxophone, clarinet (tracks: A1, B4-B6, C1-C4, D1, D2)
-   Eddie Rosa – alto saxophone, clarinet (tracks: A2-A6, B1-B3, D3)
-   Corky Corcoran – tenor saxophone
-   Jimmy Cook – tenor saxophone (tracks: A2, A5, B1-B3, D3)
-   Sam Sachelle - tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone (tracks: A1, A3, A4, A6, B4-B6, C1-C4, D1, D2)
-   Bob Poland – baritone saxophone
-   Carl “Ziggy” Elmer – trombone
-   Chuck Preble – trombone (tracks: A1, A3, A4, A6, B4-B6, C1-C4, D1, D2)
-   Dave Robbins – trombone (tracks: A1, A2, A5, B1-B6, C1-C4, D1-D3)
-   Jimmy Palmer - trombone (tracks: C5, D4, D5)
-   Juan Tizol – trombone
-   Lee O'Conner - trombone (tracks: A2, A5, B1-B3, C5, D3-D5)
-   Victor Hamann – trombone (tracks: A3, A4, A6)
-   Bruce MacDonald – piano
-   Jack Marshall - guitar (tracks: C5, D4, D5)
-   Tiny Timbrell – guitar (tracks: A1, A3, A4, A6, B4-B6, C1-C4, D1, D2)
-   Tony Rizzi - guitar (tracks: A2, A5, B1-B3, D3)
-   Abe Luboff - bass (tracks: C5, D4, D5)
-   Artie Bernstein - bass (tracks: A2, A5, B1-B3, D3)
-   Ed Mihelich - bass (tracks: A3, A4, A6)
-   Joe Mondragon – bass (tracks: A1, A2, A5, B1-B6, C1-C4, D1-D3)
-   Bob Neel - drums (tracks: C5, D4, D5)
-   Buddy Combine - drums (tracks: A3, A4, A6)
-   Don Lamond – drums (tracks: A2, A5, B1-B3, D3)
-   Frank Bode – drums (tracks: A1, B4-B6, C1-C4, D1, D2)
-   Louis Bellson – drums (tracks D4 and D5)

Notes

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

title: Harry James and His Orchestra 1948–49

question: Who was Harry James?

answer: An American trumpeter

question: Why did James not record any new material in 1948?

answer: There was a musicians' strike that lasted the entire year

question: What surpassed swing in the late 40s?

answer: Bop

question: When was the album released?

answer: 1969

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Harry James and His Orchestra 1948-49 is a double album featuring Harry James, an American trumpeter, which was released in 1969. It is significant because a musicians' strike during those years prevented James from recording new material, so the album consists of live radio transcripts from the time instead.


text:
The need for diversity is enormous today. Everyday more companies are creating policies which enhance their diversification with regard to people they hire and also which allow them to retain talent – regardless of age, sex, and ethnicity. A lot many organizations are indulging in different hiring tactics – the ‘blind hiring’ is the newest addition.

We believe or don't, but bias exists in the most professionally managed corporate as well. There are enough research been done globally which unequivocally confirms that discriminating on the basis of gender, education from elite schools, ethnicity matter while filling up a position. A number of times, many hiring managers are themselves not aware of their ‘biased’ behaviour. And it’s not their fault either – it’s the conditioning that we all have been growing up with.

To tackle this kind of biasness, a lot of global tech companies which also have presence in India are hiring ‘blindly’. Well, not in the literal sense of the term, but just masking or removing certain aspect of the candidates in the resume so that the chance of being biased against or towards a certain candidate is a lot less.

According to a study by TimesJobs.com, blind hiring is gaining great popularity among global tech giants who strive to increase workforce diversity.  Of the 1,126 employers interviewed, about 44% foresee greater usage and implementation of blind hiring process in India in the times ahead, the study said. "Blind hiring techniques are the future of competency-based recruitment. Advantages such as personal bias removal, gender parity, workplace diversity, and the development of a skill-based meritocratic organisation are too significant to ignore," TimesJobs.com COO Vivek Madhukar said.

The concept of blind hiring came into forefront during the 70s. The orchestras in the US were predominately dominated by white men on the pretext that they were the only ones qualified and talented to be hired. A new concept emerged to wipe out this discrimination, and musicians began to be auditioned behind a curtain so that judges couldn’t see who they were. Later, the candidates were even asked to remove their shoes, since women often wore heels. After prolonged research on this, it came to light that this step (even if it is in the initial round of auditions), the step makes it 50% more likely that a woman will advance to the final round.

The TimesJobs.com study said that almost 60% of the surveyed agreed that workplace diversity will be their major focus in the year 2016. “In a scenario where recruiters on an average spend less than five minutes on a resume, it is natural that inherent biases may kick in,” the study said. It also pointed out that, "To remove such biases, employers agree that it is imperative to judge candidates solely on their competency and mask non-job specific candidate information.”

Among those who have been surveyed, about 58% feel the blind hiring process will help improve gender diversity, while nearly 30% said it helps improve ethnic diversity.

3 things to keep in mind about blind hiring:

Make sure candidates are clued in about blind hiring

You don’t want potential employees or even freshers coming to you with a blindfold. Since it’s a new concept, a lot many organizations and their HR should be able to make them understand what ‘blind hiring’ is all about. Begin every recruitment conversation with clear instructions on what exactly you want to do – why you are doing this, and till what round this ‘blind hiring’ will be applicable (whether it’s just for preliminary, or more).

Change the CVs to suit blind hiring

Check, re-check to see there are no inklings about the candidates’ name, gender, ethnicity and location. Overlooking one aspect can actually cost you your job. It is not easy but tricky as well.

Blind hiring is not the only solution for diversity

At work, body language is also a serious case to consider. You might have the skills but your attitude might be loathsome. The first time you contact a candidate, you should have a tremendous sense of hiring acumen to not consider someone who is skilled yet have attitude problems. For blind hiring, this is a problem area. So for now, it should be just restricted during the ‘consideration’ time when you are shortlisting candidates for certain positions. And there are other diversity programs which should focus on hiring varied candidates.

The blind hiring is conceptually liberating – it gives more power to diversity. But it’s just the beginning. And different works have equally different challenges. How HR can manage these is something that we need to see. But it is a step forward and a much better one at that.

Read full story

question: What does the article say about the advantages and disadvantages of blind hiring?

answer: Blind hiring promotes diversity. The process can remove personal biases from hiring. This can help companies hire based on competence rather than whim. Blind hiring requires that the candidates know what not to include in their resumes. Sometimes even small details can derail the intent, so great care must be taken.

question: What does the text say about administrative bloat?


text:
^This ^is ^a ^prologue ^to ^an ^existing ^story ^of ^mine, ^but ^stands ^well ^on ^its ^own.

The air raid sirens startled me awake. "This is it!" my father shouted, bursting into my room, my baby sister in his arms. "Come on Robert! We go to the cellar, just like we practiced." With his one free arm he grabbed my wrist and yanked me from my bed.

I was scared, and before he pulled me away completely I grabbed my blue pillow. As I tripped and stumbled down the stairs towards the cellar, sirens wailing in the night, I held my pillow tight. The pillow was my only friend in this mess. It didn't care I was dragging my feet, or that I was crying, it was just there for me.

To be honest I thought it was unfair that my sister got carried. I was only two years older than her. She could have walked too. It always seemed like she was Dad's favorite. Thats when I noticed she was still asleep.

Despite all this madness she remained soundly asleep. I envied her.

When we got down the stairs to the cellar, where my father had stocked ample canned food just for this kind of situation, he explained what was going on.

"The bad guys, you know the ones from World War Two that your grandpa talks about? They are finally hitting back"

"I thought grampa made all that up. World War Two was just a cool war movie right?"

"No they're here and they're very real. We are going to need to stay down here for awhile"

"Where's Mom?" asked my sister, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.

"Mom's out there honey, where the bad guys are. I don't know if we'll see her again."

"Oh." said my sister, clearly not able to understand what that really meant.

I understood though, and I began to cry. I missed my mom. I cried so hard that I fell asleep.

When I woke up, Dad was gone. He had left us a note that simply read "Went to find Mom. Love, Dad"

He had left us alone. We stayed down there three days it seemed. My dad had taught me how to use a can opener and so I opened the food for my sister and I. It was hard work taking care of us those three days. Holding my sister in that dark, dank cellar. Fighting off my own tears.

On the third day, the can opener slipped. It cut my hand pretty deep and a fair flow of blood was pouring out. My sister shrieked. And then kept shrieking, barely pausing to breathe. This went on for a few minutes until the door began to move.

I grabbed my sister with my good hand and wrapped my arm around her. Firmly covering her mouth with my hand.

The door eased open a bit more, it was a door intended for dad's old gun cage so it was pretty heavy. There was now just enough of a crack that whatever or whoever it was could see in, then we heard the voice.

"Robert? Sam? Are you down here?" It was my mother's voice.

My sister immediately elbows me in the ribs and as I let go dashed to the door, yelling "Mommy mommy!" the whole way.

I was still a little too out of breath from being elbowed so I stayed sitting there as this happened.

There were sounds of great exertion from behind the door as it opened further. The crack was now wide enough that a lean person could probably make it through.

It was about now I began to worry that it was a trick. That it wasn't actually our mother behind the cellar door. I realized that my sister might be in serious danger, but I couldn't move. I couldn't stop her if I wanted too.

Then Mom slipped through the door, much to my relief. Sam nearly leapt into her arms, "Daddy said the bad guys got you!"

My mom looked puzzled "I was so worried about you! I thought you two had been kidnapped... What bad guys?"

"The bad guys from World War Two."

I finally began to catch my breath "He said they were coming for revenge. That you weren't home when it happened."

"Oh Rob what happened to your hand!" She rushed to me and put my sister down and pulled some bandaids and tissue paper from her green shirt.

"Where is your dad?" she asked sounding frustrated as she covered my cut in tissue and bandaids.

I pointed to the note on the chair he had left. "He left a note saying he went to find you..."

She grabbed the note and took us upstairs, fed us, then was going to give us a bath when she found Dad's CD player in the tub. She unplugged it and set it on the toilet. She opened the disc tray and read the name of the disc "Sounds of War. *Motherfucker*. Robert were there any noises like bombs or anything?"

"No bombs, just a loud oooooooweeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooOOOOOOOOO sound like the air raids in the old movies grampa likes"

"Number Six, Air raid siren" she muttered.

After she called the police and told them we weren't missing, she explained what she thought had happened.

That night she was called in to the hospital because of a major accident on the highway, and just before all this happened her mother had passed, leaving her an inheritance meant for our college education. She told us that Dad and her had been arguing a lot recently. That Dad had left us in the basement to get back at her while he took the money and ran. Ever since then, I've hated those damn sirens.

FIN

^Thank ^you ^for ^reading, ^constructive ^criticism ^is ^welcome ^and ^encouraged.

title: The War that Never Was (OC)

question: What does the story say about why Robert's father locked him and his sister in the basement for three days?

answer: Robert was startled when he heard the sound of air-raid sirens, and his dad came crashing into his bedroom with his sister, telling him that the war had begun. Robert's father told him that the stories about World War 2 their grandfather had always talked about had now become their reality and claimed the bad guys were coming for them. As a way to safeguard Robert and his younger sister, his father locked them in the basement and left a note saying that he was going out to look for their mother, whom he claimed was now with the bad guys.

question: What does the story say about how Robert's mother realized that their dad had tricked them?

answer: After spending about three days in the basement with his sister, his mother finally found them and came to their rescue. When she inquired after their father, Robert showed her the note he left behind. Robert's mother discovered their father's CD player playing in the tub on getting to the toilet. She then realized that their father had tricked them into thinking there was a war by playing a CD titled Sounds of War which played the sounds of air raid sirens. It also turns out that their father locked them in the basement so that he could run away with their mother's inheritance from their late grandmother, which was meant for their college education, as a way to get back at her. Ever since, Robert grew to hate the sound of those sirens.


text:
His feverish yelling reverberated around me, bouncing mercilessly from dark surface to dark surface - A primal voice crying out again into the black accompanying his physical efforts.

My mind ached as my bloodied ears received the sound. This intolerable pain was increasing immeasurably by the floods of adrenaline that followed the icy jolt of anxiety ripping up through my spine. I cursed my claustrophobia; the room could not have been more than two meters wide, and just over that again in length. In addition to my tight bindings, the shuddering echoes of exhaustion and ragged laughter jumping out from all around me were like cold, violating hands pinching roughly at my clammy slack skin.

Most of my tension had left me now. Fatigue and a growing complacency with my situation had led me to be absurdly relaxed under the coming blows - or perhaps I had just started to feel numb with shock - perhaps my brain had just become too occupied with pain.

A sudden rush of air came from my right, gushing past my cheek. My head flew back and a muted yet moist 'thach' ricocheted off the walls. Strangely my head began to hurt before my face did. I started feeling a strong urge to vomit, as I used what always seemed to feel like the last few bare threads of my energy to pull my head forwards again. As I did, my eyes feel closed in sync, like a child's toy doll.

"I hope you feel that"

My eyes snapped open and my brain, which had been teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, was now utterly alert.

"I hope you fuckin' feel that"

It was the first time he'd spoken - I was so amazed and fearful that the moment might would be lost that I gurgled on my own blood in my excitement to try to engage him. Quickly I tried to clear my throat, but my swollen face and knotted muscles wouldn't comply, so I ended up gnashing and fizzing the blood against my teeth in my derangement.

Coagulated blood was forced through the small gaps in my teeth and spat from the slit I had left for a mouth; I heard loud heavy droplets hit the smooth floor in front of me as the blood mingled slobber crept down my chin.

Naturally when I first woke here and we started this, I cried and screamed and begged for a reason - or even a response - to the blow after blow. The questions burning in my mind as each skin on skin assault left a smoldering ember of hope in me that, maybe, I could feel even just a small crumb of humanity from my assailant. Some leverage.

I started choking - the thick blood in my throat started gushing into my lungs. In my haste I must have opened some internal wound. Every painful quake of my chest, as I desperately clambered for air, seemed to satisfy him.

"Fucking good."

I was seized with terror as I knew he was closing away again - I tried one last staggered attempt to speak with everything I had left. It tore from my larynx like it was wrapped in sandpaper;

"Why"

At this point I didn't even know if it was a question.

In the gloom I just made out his silhouette. He was standing at 90 degree angle facing away from me, I couldn't tell in what direction. My eyes were almost swollen shut so I could hardly ever decipher his proximity from me; his thickness was the most I could manage. In mid-breath, I felt an overwhelmingly powerful slam to my sternum - so powerful the chair was hurled backwards and I felt the metal legs beneath bend as my propelled weight hurled into them at such an angle. I thought they'd broken off as I tipped pathetically to the ground. Due to the confinement, my skull cracked loudly against the wall first, followed by the quiet slap of my body against the damp concrete of the floor.

The pressure in my head was then too much and was released as I convulsed to vomit, violently enough, as fortune had it, to force my solid jaw apart. Just as I started to pass out, I heard a satisfied grunt from the abyss.

---

**EDIT** : Anyone who's taken the time to read this, I'd really appreciate some feedback.

title: Begging Stockholm

question: Summarize the story in 2 sentences.

answer: The narrator is being beaten up ruthlessly by an unknown assailant who appears to be enjoying the pain they are inflicting. The only question the narrator wants to know is why.

question: Why is the assailant attacking the narrator?

answer: Seemingly for enjoyment.


text:
JULIAN DASHPER (29 February 1960 in Auckland, New Zealand – 30 July 2009), was regarded as one of New Zealand's most well known contemporary artists.

In 2001 he was awarded a senior Fulbright fellowship to be based as an artist in residence at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas. Dashper's work from the last 25 years has recently been the subject of a major touring retrospective in America (the first ever such exhibition for a resident New Zealand artist),[1] curated by Christopher Cook and David Raskin.[2]

Dashper's work focuses on the histories, theories and more general or popular ideas of abstraction (in particular abstract painting), conceptualism and minimalism as a working methodology. The geographical positioning of New Zealand globally and how this country receives and disseminates visual information is also a core subject in Dashper's work.[3] His practice manifests itself in various forms, including paintings, unique photographs of paintings, found objects which he infuses with abstract images, various multiples plus limited edition CD and 12" polycarbonate recordings of impromptu performances he has been involved with or heavily orchestrated. He has also produced a number of video works, some of which document or describe his installations, painting and audio recordings.[4] In 2016, arts organisation Circuit commissioned George Clark to curate a programme of moving image works, titled _This is not film-making_, which invited artists Gavin Hipkins, Juliet Carpenter and Gregory Kan, Daniel Malone, Louise Menzies and Nathan Gray to make works that respond to Dashper's own writings.[5]

Respectful, even affectionate references to local culture and art history are always present in Dashper's work, whilst his own adaptations of abstraction, conceptualism and minimalism fully acknowledge their lineage within international art. As curator (and director of the Adam Art Gallery in Wellington) Christina Barton expresses it, Dashper has _“the unique perspective of attending to an internationalist art history from a distance, enabling him to devise strategies to work around his geographical isolation whilst simultaneously articulating its effects.”_[6] Dashper is represented in all the major public collections in New Zealand: MCA, Sydney; Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen, Germany; Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln, Nebraska; The University of Auckland Art Collection; Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita, Kansas and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

Visiting scholar at the University of Sydney in 2008, Dashper lived in Auckland and travelled regularly. His first New Zealand retrospective, _Julian Dashper: Professional Practice_, was held at the Gus Fisher Gallery in 2010.

[]

_UNTITLED (THE WARRIORS)_ 1998. Vinyl on drumheads with junior drumkit. Dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist, Sue Crockford Gallery, Auckland and Kaliman Gallery, Sydney. Photo by Ashley Barber.

Copyright Julian Dashper

This is a two-dimensional representation of a copyrighted sculpture, statue or any other three-dimensional work of art. As such it is a derivative work of art, and per US Copyright Act of 1976, § 106(2) who owns copyright of the original has the exclusive right to authorise derivative works. Per § 107 it is believed that reproduction for criticism, comment, teaching and scholarship constitutes fair use and does not infringe copyright. It is believed that the use of a picture to illustrate the three-dimensional work of art in question, to discuss the artistic genre or technique of the work of art or to discuss the artist or the school to which the artist belongs on the English-language Wikipedia, hosted on servers in the United States by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, qualifies as fair use under United States copyright law. Any other uses of this image, on Wikipedia or elsewhere, might be copyright infringement. To the uploader: please add a detailed fair use rationale for each use as well as copyright information on the original artwork.

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title: Julian Dashper

question: How are digital images treated in the United States in terms of copyright and ownership?

answer: Based on the copyright text that follows the description text for an image of The Warriors (1998), it appears that in the United States, copyrights are observed in the pages of the English-language Wikipedia page. In this specific case, since the image comes from an uploader, it is the uploader's responsibility to ensure that copyright laws are followed.


text: As if triggering the event, as I withdraw my hand from the cold, smooth stone, the sound of thunder echoes through the hollow air of an Autumn afternoon. I take one last look at the bouquet of roses, propped on the grave, noticing how a drop of rain falls on and caresses its petals and slithers down its stem. I turn around and start walking home along the seemingly endless gravel path; the depressions in the pebbles soon fill with dark brown mud puddles that vaguely reflect my silhouette back at me. I feel something on my face. I amp up my pace and run, screaming to myself it's just the rain- but I know it's from my eyes, not the clouds. The rivers flowing from my eyes merge with the sky's tears and conceal my despondency. Taking another step, I feel my body shift forward and my legs fall behind me. I throw my hands forth and regret doing so when my palms collide with the sharp stones of the path. I pitifully push myself into a sitting position, and stand up. I continue to amble down the path. Time seems to stop as a lackluster me walks and dejectedly gazes into the horizon. I imagine my face in a mirror; my face-grey, my hair-wet and chaotic, and my eyes-empty, soulless, and lacking any significance. As I return back to reality from my thoughts, I reazlize the rain has slowed down substantially. The clouds slowly collect themselves and return to their homes. The sun is nearing its final minutes, but before it leaves a trail of color appears throughout the dusk atmosphere. My eyes widen with child-like excitement, only to be greeted by a monochrome rainbow. I feel my heart race and my stomach sink. Bringing up my shaking palms to my face, I try to make sense of this new world to me. There's something missing. It's almost as if I've died myself.

title: Prismatic

question: Why does the narrator feel almost as if they have died?

answer: because the loss of the person whose gravestone they are visiting is so painful

question: What is the weather like?

answer: stormy

question: Where is the narrator?

answer: a graveyard

question: How does the narrator feel about their appearance?

answer: the narrator feels they look sad and disheveled

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator ruminates while visiting a grave stone.


text:
IMPRESS (INDEPENDENT MONITOR FOR THE PRESS) is an independent press regulator in the UK. It was the first to be recognised by the Press Recognition Panel.[1] Unlike the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), IMPRESS is fully compliant with the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry. IMPRESS's membership consists of a variety of independent local, investigative and special interest news publications across the UK. No national newspaper has signed up to the new regulator; most continue to be members of the unrecognised Independent Press Standards Organisation.[2] Its chief executive is Jonathan Heawood.[3]

Background

In Spring 2011, News International began publicly admitting liability and paying compensation to people whose phone voicemail the News of the World had listened to. This resulted in the withdrawal of advertising from the _News of the World_ and its ceasing publication.

Lord Leveson, a senior judge, was appointed in 2011 to conduct an inquiry into the “culture, practices and ethics of the press.”

In 2012 Lord Leveson issued a report that recommended replacing the old Press Complaints Commission (PCC). The Leveson Report recommended that if a new, voluntary regulatory body were to comply with a list of requirements set out in the report then litigants should be encouraged to seek redress through procedures provided by such a body: Leveson's mechanism (which was later incorporated in Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013) was that when a recognised, compliant body had been established, with a dispute resolution mechanism, then if a complainant instead brought an action in the courts, not through the new body, neither side could be awarded any costs in the court action, even if they were to win. To determine whether any proposed complaints body complies with the Leveson criteria, The Press Recognition Panel (PRP) was established.[4]

“The Press Recognition Panel (PRP) is an independent body set up to ensure that any organisation which regulates the press is independent, properly funded and able to protect the public, while recognising the important role carried out by the press.”[5]

On 8 September 2014, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) was established by the major newspapers. It declined to seek recognition from the Press Recognition Panel, arguing complying with all the criteria would compromise its independence. Other newspapers, such as _The Guardian_, _The Independent_ and the _Financial Times_, chose their own system of regulation.[6][7] In 2016, an external review by former civil servant, Sir Joseph Pilling, found IPSO “largely compliant” with the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry.[8]

In 2013,[9] a new group was formed by free speech advocate Jonathan Heawood[10] called IMPRESS, intended to be a body fully compliant with the recommendations of Leveson. IMPRESS was initially supported by individuals and groups including J.K. Rowling, the campaign group Hacked Off and Max Mosley. In 2015, a charity, the Independent Press Regulation Trust (IPRT), agreed to provide £3.8 million in funding to IMPRESS over the next four years, with the IPRT's funding guaranteed by Max Mosley's Alexander Mosley Charitable Trust.[11] By October 2016, it regulated around 40 specialist and local publishers.[12]

History

On 25 October 2016, IMPRESS became the UK's first officially recognised press regulator after its application for Royal Charter recognition was granted.[13][14] The recognition was backed by campaign groups such as Hacked Off,[15] and by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ),[16] but opposed by all of the major national and regional print newspapers.[17][18][19]

The government declined to implement Section 40, with the Culture Secretary Karen Bradley describing it as a threat to a “vibrant free local press”.[20]

IMPRESS has been rejected by all the big national titles plus most of the regional papers.[21] IPSO, with the help of the News Media Association – which represents many of the largest IPSO members - requested a 'judicial review' on the grounds that “That is not what Leveson or those drafting the Charter intended.”[22] On 12 October 2017, the High Court rejected the arguments.[23] In April 2018, the News Media Association (NMA) appealed against the Press Regulation Panel's decision to award IMPRESS the status of recognised regulator.[24] In January 2019, the NMA abandoned its appeal against a Judicial Review ruling made by the High Court in October 2017. In a judgement published on 12 October 2017, the Court had rejected the NMA's arguments.

IMPRESS is at present the only regulatory body recognised by the Press Recognition Panel. However, the Government has declined to bring Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act into effect, so the advantage of membership in terms of cost shifting are negated. The Conservative and Unionist Manifesto for the General Election in 2017 pledged to repeal Section 40,[25] but this has not been done, so there remains a possibility that Section 40 may be activated.

Impress arbitrators are appointed by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.[26]

In July 2017, in its first libel arbitration case, it ordered Byline Media to pay freelance journalist Dennis Rice £2,500 over tweets about him.[27][28] In May 2018, it ordered the blog Evolve Politics to pay £900 in damages over an article wrongly claiming a Sky News broadcaster attended a Presidents Club dinner.[29]

In September 2017, an IMPRESS internal review concluded that some of its senior board members - Heaward, Emma Jones (former editor of _Smash Hits_ magazine and deputy editor of the Sun's showbiz column Bizarre[30]) and Máire Messenger Davies (emerita professor of media studies at Ulster University[31]) - breached its own standards by appearing to be biased against a number of newspapers; it recommended they step down from the Board.[32] Impress subsequently created a sub-committee excluding the three, to deal with any complaints relating to larger media companies.[33] In November 2017, Jones and Messenger Davies were recused from the investigation of complaints about the IMPRESS-regulated blog The Canary and its reporting on BBC politics editor Laura Kuenssberg after they shared tweets attacking her.[34] In December 2017, it ruled that The Canary had breached its standards code by making false claims about Kuenssberg.[35][36] In November 2017, founder member the _Caerphilly Observer_ quit IMPRESS due to concerns over transparency.[37]

In February 2018, Max Mosley initiated legal action using data protection laws against _The Sun_ for its reporting on his funding ties to IMPRESS.[38][39][40] Further controversy over Mosley in March 2018 led to members considering their ties to the regular.[41][42]

In July 2018, IMPRESS extended the scope of its arbitration scheme to include civil claims for breaches of the Data Protection Act. By this time it was regulating 109 titles.[43] By this time, it had received five applications for arbitration and published two arbitration awards, relating to Evolve Politics and Byline Media.[44]

In November 2018, IMPRESS ruled against the blog Skwawkbox for breaching standards in its reporting on Wes Streeting MP. The complaint upheld was that the publishers did not take all reasonable steps to ensure accuracy, because Streeting had only been given four hours to respond to the blog's enquiry.[45] The panel did not make a judgment on the factual accuracy of the Skwawkbox article, stating that “The Committee was not in a position to test the veracity of the evidence provided by the Publisher”.[46]

On 26 March 2019, IMPRESS was reconfirmed as the UK's approved, independent press regulator by the Press Recognition Panel (PRP). The PRP clarified that “This means that, amongst other things, IMPRESS is independent of the print and online publishers it regulates, is appropriately funded, and has systems in place to protect the public.”[47]

Member publications

The following publications have joined IMPRESS:[48]

-   _Bath Echo_
-   _Bedford Independent_
-   _Boundless_
-   _BellingCat_
-   _Brixton Blog_[49]
-   _Brixton Bugle_
-   _Byline_
-   _The Canary_[50]
-   _The Conversation UK_
-   _CommonSpace_
-   _DeSmog_
-   _Evolve Politics_[51]
-   _Formby Reporter_
-   _Gedling Eye_
-   _Left Foot Forward_[52]
-   _Lincolnshire Business_ magazine
-   _Liverpool Reporter_
-   _Mersey Reporter_
-   _My Turriff_
-   _New Internationalist_
-   _Novara Media_
-   _Plant Based News_
-   _Shetland News_
-   _Shropshire Live_
-   _Skwawkbox_
-   _South Molton News_
-   _Southport Reporter_
-   _Star and Crescent_
-   _The Ferret_
-   _The Lincolnite_
-   _The Week In_
-   _VIEWdigital_
-   _View Magazine_
-   _Vocalise_
-   _Waltham Forest Echo_
-   _Your Harlow_
-   _Your Thurrock_

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[23]  The Transparency Project|last=M|first=Paul|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-19}}

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[25] The Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto 2017 page 80: 'A free media'

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[46]  IMPRESS|website=impress.press|access-date=2019-02-15}}

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[48]  IMPRESS|website=www.impress.press|access-date=2020-01-16}}

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title: IMPRESS

question: What is an independent press regulator?

answer: A regulatory body concerned with news publications.

question: Who is the chief executive of Impress?

answer: Jonathan Heawood.

question: Where is Impress located?

answer: The United Kingdom

question: When was Impress first established?

answer: IMPRESS was granted recognition on October 25, 2016.

question: Summarize the situation concerning Skwawkbox.

answer: IMPRESS ruled that Skwawkbox, a blog, breached its standards when reporting on West Streeting MP by not taking all reasonable steps to ensure accuracy. The panel did not make a judgment on the veracity of the article.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: IMPRESS (short for the Independent Monitor for the Press) is an independent press regulator in the United Kingdom. They were the first to be officially recognized by the Press Recognition Panel.


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: Who is the narrator?

answer: Not much is revealed about them other than that they have a recurring dream about their own death.

question: Describe the recurring dream the narrator has.

answer: The narrator reaches the foot of the basement stairs and winds up atop a burnt-orange carpet. They step off and are suddenlt in a narrow hallway. They enter a room with a green shag carpet and realize that their death awaits them there.

question: How long has the narrator been having this dream?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: Where do the stairs lead?

answer: The stairs lead to the basement.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator describes a recurring dream they have in which they descend stairs into a basement and then wind up in a narrow hallway. They follow this hallway to a room where they realize that their own death awaits them. The narrator then opens their eyes, finally awake. Their uneasiness has brought them out of the dream.


text:
[Author Steve Flowers]

STEVE FLOWERS is a political columnist, commentator, and historian. Flowers writes a weekly syndicated column, _Inside the Statehouse_, which is published in 66 newspapers across the State of Alabama and has a circulation of over 450,000. Flowers is also the author of _Of Goats and Governors - Six Decades of Colorful Alabama Political Stories_, which was published by New South Books in 2015.[1]

Early life and education

Flowers is a native of Troy, Alabama. Beginning at age 12, Flowers served as a Page in the Alabama House of Representatives. After graduation from high school, Flowers matriculated to the University of Alabama. As a student at the University, Flowers served in various leadership roles, including the Student Government Association, where he served in the Senate. Flowers received his bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama in 1974 in Political Science and History.[2]

Alabama House of Representatives (1982–1998)

At age 30, Flowers was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives[3] by the people of Pike County. In his 1982 campaign, Flowers received more votes than any other candidate for public office in the history of Pike County. Flowers quickly made a name for himself in the Legislature, and was named by “Alabama Magazine” as the Most Outstanding Freshman in the Alabama House of Representatives. Flowers overwhelmingly won reelection four times, and left the Legislature on his own volition in 1998. In the sixteen years he served in the State Legislature, Flowers maintained a record of perfect attendance, was named the Most Ethical Member of the House of Representatives, and was voted by his colleagues as the Most Outstanding Member of the Alabama House of Representatives in 1992.[4]

“Inside the Statehouse”

Three years after leaving the Legislature, Flowers began writing a weekly column on Alabama politics - “Inside the Statehouse.” Flowers' column quickly became the most widely-read political column in the State of Alabama. Today, “Inside the Statehouse” is syndicated in 66 newspapers, and is read by approximately 450,000 Alabamians, making Flowers the most widely-read and authoritative figure on Alabama politics.[5]

Political commentary

Flowers' commentary on Alabama politics is not limited to his weekly column. As Alabama's preeminent political authority, Flowers often appears on various television stations across the State of Alabama, analyzing recent events in Alabama politics. In addition, Flowers has also provided analysis on Alabama politics for national news outlets, including CBS, ABC, PBS, MSNBC, and the British Broadcasting Network.[6] Flowers also appears on Alabama Public Radio, and hosts a thirty-minute television show, “Alabama Politics,” which airs in the Montgomery viewing area.[7] Those who have appeared on “Alabama Politics” include Senator Richard Shelby, Governor Robert Bentley, Attorney General Luther Strange, and State Treasurer Young Boozer. Flowers appears on several local news outlets, including:

-   The University of Alabama News Network - WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa)
-   Alabama News Network - WAKA and WNCF (Montgomery)
-   WIAT 42 News (Birmingham)
-   Fox 10 News (Mobile)
-   WTVY Channel 4 News (Dothan)

_Of Goats and Governors_

In addition to his column, Flowers published his first book in 2015, entitled _Of Goats and Governors - Six Decades of Colorful Alabama Political Stories_. The book chronicles Alabama's rich political history through stories of its most colorful political players.[8]

[1] Flowers, Steve, and Edwin C. Bridges. _Of Goats & Governors: Six Decades of Colorful Alabama Political Stories_. Montgomery, Ala: NewSouth Books, 2015.

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title: Steve Flowers

question: Who is Steve Flowers?

answer: Steve Flowers is a political columnist, commentator, and historian. Flowers writes a weekly syndicated column titled Inside the Statehouse, which has a circulation of over 450,000 within the State of Alabama.

question: Where was Steve Flowers born?

answer: Troy, Alabama

question: What is Of Goats and Governors?

answer: A book published in 2015 by Steve Flowers which chronicles Alabama's rich political history through stories of its most colorful political players.

question: When did Steve Flowers serve in the Alabama House of Representatives?

answer: 1982 - 1998

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Steve Flowers is a political columnist, commentator, and historian. Flowers writes a weekly syndicated column titled Inside the Statehouse, which has a circulation of over 450,000 within the State of Alabama.


text:
The CHURCH OF NOSSA SENHORA DO PILAR () is a 17th-century church located in the civil parish of Cedros in the municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores, in the Portuguese island of Flores, in the archipelago of the Azores.

History

From the writings of Father António Cordeiros in 1715, thirty residents solicited the Bishop of Angra, then friar D. Clemente Vieira, to have Cedros de-annexed from the parish of Santa Cruz, and have a separate member of the curia assist their congregation.[1] In order to justify this request the residents contributed, with their own funds, the cost to construct a church, to the invocation of _Our Lady of the Pillar_.[2] The Captain-Donatary, D. Martinho Mascarenhas, 6th Count of Santa Cruz, offered to assist this group, with contributions to complete the retable of the new church and donation of an image of _Senhora do Pilar_.[3]

It was only in 1690, that the deacon of the Sé Cathedral in Angra, owing to the death in office of the bishop, who emitted the necessary charter to authorize the de-annexation.[4] On 9 July 1693, the locality of Cedros was raised to the status of parish, with its first priest being Father, Domingos Furtado de Mendonça, paid a stipend of 24$000 annually (two parts in wheat and the other in cash), paid for by the Commandery of the Islands of Flores and Corvo, then pertaining to the Count of Santa Cruz.[5]

The church was concluded in 1693.[6]

Its popularity meant that in 1719, the church was expanded; two tomb markers were discovered in the debris of the demolished church attesting to work done successively.[7] One was a stone tablet with the coat-of-arms of the D. Martinho Mascarenhas and the other, a stone cross with the dates 1693 and 1719.[8]

In 1822, the church was rebuilt.[9]

In a report from the Civil Governor of the District of Horta, António José Vieira Santa Rita (dated 1868), the politician indicated that the church was in an advance state of ruin (with deteriorated parapets and ornaments) and that the cemetery was not being used.[10] In fact, burials were being carried out in the church courtyard.[11]

In September 1945, the old church was demolished, due to weaknesses in its structure. Religious services had already been transferred to the nearby _Casa do Espírito Santo_.[12] The first cornerstone for the new church was laid on 22 January 1950, through the initiative of the vicar, Father Padre José Maria Alvares, and later inaugurated on 18 July 1953, its consecration presided by João de Fraga Vieira, vicar of Lomba.[13] Following the mass, there was a solemn transference of the sacred sacramento from the _Casa do Divino Espírito Santo_ to the new temple.[14]

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title: Church of Nossa Senhora do Pilar (Cedros)

question: Where is the Church of Nossa Senhora do Pilar?

answer: Cedros in Santa Cruz das Flores, in the Portuguese island of Flores, in the Azores.

question: What does the name of the church refer to in English?

answer: 'Nossa Senhora do Pilar' is in English 'Our Lady of the Pillar' [Mary], who is invoked by the church.

question: When was the church constructed?

answer: The church has undergone several reconstructions. Its initial construction was finished in 1693, then expanded in 1719, then rebuilt in 1822, and then demolished in 1945 and rebuilt from 1950-1953.

question: Is the church dedicated to a specific figure?

answer: Yes, Nossa Senhora do Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar).

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Church of Nossa Senhora do Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar) is located in the in the Portuguese island of Flores. It was first built in 1693 and most recently reopened from 1953.


text:
This isn't my first short story, and I hope to post more at some point, I just wanted to share this.

You’re sitting, a cup of warm pomegranate tea is lightly steaming on the small table next to the chair you’ve chosen as your morning sitting area. Your bare feet rest upon the warm wood of the patio. You run your fingers through your hair, admiring the job that your barber did yesterday. You take a sip of the tea, a bit of steam caressing your nose as the warm liquid intensifies on your taste buds. Seems like you made the tea rather strong today. Oh, no bother. You place the glass down, swallowing the last bit of tea. A light “clink” as the glass of the tea cup strikes the glass top of the table. A light breeze flits through the patio, as if it were the wind under a robin’s wings. You look around at your surroundings. The cool green grass has just hit its peak, and it’s reflecting the sun’s light beautifully; it waves in the breeze, creating a soft green sea. Looking down at the watch you received for your birthday, you see it’s just about half passed 11 in the morning. The sun is lightly perched in the middle of the sky, clouds drift past, creating some quiet shadows to compliment the sunlight. The sun is refracting off the white bricks your small, humble, but cozy home are made from. The sun warms your skin as it shines down from the heavens above you. It’s a nice warm, very soft and defined. You grab the collar of your favorite shirt, and take a little whiff of it. It smells like her. You know that scent immediately, and it brings a light smile to your face. You look down at the bracelet she made you, the colors all meaning something more than anyone else needs to know. You hear the creak of the patio door opening, and she steps out, still in her pajamas. “Good morning, baby” she says with a quiet smile, a twinkle in her eye, and a graceful step through the doorway. “You’re up early,” she says, sitting down next to you. “It’s a nice morning. Here, I made you some tea” you say to her, smiling, “I know it’s your favorite. Care to enjoy the quiet for a little while?” you say. A smooth white flash brings you out of your daze. It’s only 3 AM, and you’re alone in the cold darkness of night. You already miss her.

*Sometimes my dreams are too vivid even for me.*

Downvote it to hell, I don't care. I just had to get this out. Thanks for reading, if you did.

title: Lost Dreams: Un Giorno di Felicità Tranquilla

question: Who is the narrator addressing?

answer: The narrator is addressing an anonymous male who misses a past partner.

question: Who says "It's a nice morning"?

answer: The main subject

question: What is the mood of this story?

answer: Romantic and wistful

question: What is the main event in this story?

answer: The subject comes out of the daze, realizing the time on the patio was only a dream. They think instead of how they miss the woman in their dream.

question: How much of this story is reality to the person being addressed?

answer: Only the last four sentences are the reality. The morning on the patio seems to only be a dream for the subject.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: A man dreams of a nice morning on his patio with a woman who seems to be his romantic partner. After he hands her some tea, he wakes up out of the daze. He realizes he is alone at 3 AM, and he misses the woman in the dream already.


text:
DAVID CHRISTOPHER BALDUS (June 23, 1935 – June 13, 2011)[1] was a Joseph B. Tye professor of law at the University of Iowa. He held the position from 1969 until his death in 2011. His research focused on law and social science and he conducted extensive research on the death penalty in the United States.[2]

Biography

Baldus received his Bachelor of Arts (Government Major) from Dartmouth College in 1957, his Master of Arts (Political Science) from the University of Pittsburgh in 1962. He went on to attend Yale Law School, earning a LL.B. in 1964 and a LL.M. in 1969. He practiced law in Pittsburgh from 1964–68.

He served as a Lieutenant for the Army Security Agency from 1958–59.

Research

Equal Justice and the Death Penalty

In 1983 David C. Baldus, along with Charles A. Pulaski and George Woodworth, published a study examining the presence of racial discrimination in death penalty sentencing.[3] The study analyzed over 2000 murder cases occurring in the state of Georgia in the 1970s. The cases examined by Baldus all occurred between two United States Supreme Court cases involving Georgia: _Furman v. Georgia_ (1972) and _McCleskey v. Kemp_ (1987).[4] The study looked primarily at the race of the victim in each murder case in order to evaluate the presence of racial discrimination in the sentencing process. The study also examined, to a lesser extent, the race of the defendant, in order to evaluate the presence of racial discrimination in the sentencing process.[5] After evaluating the initial findings in the study, Baldus and his colleagues subjected their data to extensive analysis involving 230 variables that could have explained the findings on non-racial grounds. In one such analysis that subjected the data to 39 nonracial variables, Baldus found that defendants accused of killing white victims were 4.3 times more likely to receive the death penalty than defendants accused of killing black victims. This analysis also showed that black defendants were 1.1 times more likely than white defendants to receive the death penalty. Based on these findings, Baldus and his colleagues concluded that a black defendant accused of killing a white victim was more likely than any other type of defendant to receive the death penalty. These results were used by the defense in _McCleskey v. Kemp_ to try to show that racial discrimination had played a role in the sentencing of Warren McCleskey.[6] Two types of statistical studies were used in order to examine these murder trials, the Procedural Reform study and the Charging and Sentencing study.[7]

Procedural Reform Study

The purpose of the Procedural Reform study was to compare the procedure with which Georgia sentenced convicted murder defendants before and after _Furman v. Georgia_. The study then looked for reforms in the sentencing procedure after _Furman v. Georgia_ and assessed how reforms affected discrimination found in sentencing decisions.[8] Baldus and his colleagues looked specifically at two aspects of the trial for the Procedural Reform study: whether or not the prosecutor chose to seek the death sentence after a capital murder conviction was obtained, and whether or not the jury imposed a death sentence after the trial. The Procedural Reform study was conducted for purely academic reasons and the researchers had no intentions of using the results in actual murder trials.[9]

Results of Procedural Reform Study

The Procedural Reform study looked at murder trials which occurred both before and after _Furman v. Georgia_. Baldus's study found that in murder trials before _Furman v. Georgia_, the death penalty was given to black defendants 19% of the time and to white defendants 8% of the time. The death penalty was given to defendants with black victims 10% of the time and to defendants with white victims 18% of the time. From this data, the researchers concluded that the race of the victim was more influential than the race of the defendant in death penalty sentencing. It was also concluded that black defendants and defendants with white victims were given harsher punishments that other defendants convicted of the same crimes.[10]

In murder trials occurring after _Furman v. Georgia_, Baldus and his fellow researchers found that the death penalty was given to 22% of white defendants and to 16% of black defendants. In trials where the victim was white the death penalty was given out 27% of the time and in trials where the victim was black the death penalty was given out 7% of the time.[11]

Charging and Sentencing Study

The Charging and Sentencing study placed its emphasis on the amount of influence that racial and other illegitimate case characteristics had on the progress of cases from the point of indictment up to the death penalty sentencing decision.[12] The Charging and Sentencing study was conducted by request from the NAACP which funded the study and which hoped to use the results from the study to challenge the death-penalty system in Georgia.[13]

Results of Charging and Sentencing Study

The results of the Charging and Sentencing study were the basis of Warren McCleskey's appeal (_McCleskey v. Kemp_) that the death penalty sentencing in his trial was influenced by racial discrimination.[14] Baldus and his colleagues found in the Charging and Sentencing Study that of the 2,484 cases studied, 128 defendants were given a sentence of the death penalty, meaning that 5% of all studied defendants were sentenced to death. The researchers also found that in cases where the victim was white, the death sentences was handed out at a rate 8.3 times higher than in cases where the victim was black. Finally, the study concluded that in cases with white victims and black defendant the death penalty was given out 21% of the time while in cases where both the victim and defendant were white the death penalty was given 8%of the time.[15]

[1]

[2] Law Faculty. 2005. The University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa. 9 April 2009 .

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7] Baldus _et al._ (1990, p. 2.

[8]

[9] Baldus _et al._ (1990), p. 42.

[10] Baldus _et al._ (1990), p. 141.

[11] Baldus _et al._ (1990), p. 150.

[12] Baldus _et al._ (1990), p. 45.

[13] Baldus _et al._ (1990), p. 44.

[14] Baldus _et al._ (1990), p. 45.

[15] Baldus _et al._ (1990), p. 314.

title: David C. Baldus

question: When was Baldus born?

answer: June 23, 1935

question: What position did Baldus hold until his death?

answer: Joseph B. Tye professor of law at the University of Iowa

question: Where did Baldus get his LL.M. degree?

answer: Yale Law School

question: What Supreme Court case referenced Baldus's research?

answer: McCleskey v. Kemp (1987)

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: David Christopher Baldus was a Joseph B. Tye professor of law at the University of Iowa from 1969 until his death in 2011. He was born in 1935, and during his life he conducted extensive research on the death penalty in the US. His research was referenced in the Supreme Court case, McCleskey v. Kemp (1987).


text:
Every morning it was the same old story. I woke at five-thirty and bathed myself. By seven I was on the bus going to school for my daily learnings. I felt as if my life was being dictated by societal and other such forces. It was as if I had no real control over my own life. I felt controlled. I never really expected what was to happen. I felt, I bled, and I learned. I learned with speed and grace unlike any other. There were days when I wondered why that was.

Regardless, I continued on in my daily endeavors, yet I always wanted something more, somewhere I could fit in, a niche so to speak. I continued writing, and learning, and most of all I continued looking. I was looking for a reason to exist, a reason why. I needed more then I had. I needed a reason to live. I needed to know that I was more than just a human encyclopedia or calculator. I wanted to love; I wanted to be able to live. I wanted to see there were more than just learning and acidic words thrown by ignorant masses. The hated were the intellectual and the loved were the unique. Somehow, I managed to be both. I continued fighting the omnipresent pressure to be something I wasn't.

I would not let myself be herded like a sheep. What I didn't yet know was that I was being controlled by even stronger forces. I felt like I was a coded program, not a human. I didn't feel that I could choose my path. I didn't feel that I could choose what to learn. I just did exactly what I was designed to. It was summer when I learned the shocking truth. I was 16 and a half at the time. I was taking a shower, just like usual, and I fell down and my head smashed against the wall. My hand immediately flew to my head to inspect the damage. But I didn't feel blood on this wound.

I raised my hand slowly, a painful shiver running down my spine. I felt not bone, brain matter, or any other organic fluids. I felt smooth metal, and wires. I checked the mirror and I saw chrome and microchips. On one of these chips I found a designation:

>Sentient 162-73a

It was in that moment that I realized I had no purpose. I was a sheep to the programmed herder in my circuits. I was everything I brought myself to despise. I was only a machine, a sentient, who would never know love or feeling. I was only a program living through its code. I was simply an existent being. I wish I could love. I wish I could live. But the cold reality is that I am machine. I am Sentient 162-73a.

title: Sentient

question: Why does the narrator not feel human emotions?

answer: He is a machine. He has been built and programmed by humans to do as directed.

question: It is strange that the narrator feels he has no purpose. After all, he has been built using precious resources. Why should he feel like this?

answer: The narrator feels that he has no purpose over which he has any control. Everything that he does and thinks is controlled by his code.

question: What is the narrator searching for in everyday life?

answer: He seeks a reason for being. He wants to be something he isn't. He wants a life of meaning.

question: How did the narrator discover his real make-up?

answer: He banged his head and broke the skin on his head. Instead of blood and bone, he found under the skin, metal, and wires.


text:
THE 2016 ELECTIONS FOR THE ILLINOIS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES were conducted on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. State Representatives are elected for two-year terms, with the entire House of Representatives elected every two years. The Democratic party lost a net of four seats and thus its three-fifths supermajority in the chamber. Republicans picked up five seats in the 63rd (McHenry County), 71st (Sterling), 76th (LaSalle), 79th (Kankakee), and 117th (Marion) districts, whilst the Democrats won the previously Republican held 112th district (Edwardsville/Collinsville)

Overview

+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| Illino | Party  | Votes  | Percen | %      | Seats  | Seats  | +/–    |
| is     |        |        | tage   | Change | before | after  |        |
| State  |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| House  |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| Electi |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| ons,   |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| 2016   |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| |-     |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| bgcolo |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| r=“#EE |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| EEEE”  |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| align= |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| “cente |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| r”     |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
+========+========+========+========+========+========+========+========+
|        | Democr | 2,604, | 53.87% | 3.38%  | 71     | 67     | 4      |
|        | atic   | 236    |        |        |        |        |        |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|        | Republ | 2,222, | 45.97% | 3.36%  | 47     | 51     | 4      |
|        | ican   | 482    |        |        |        |        |        |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|  |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| TOTALS | 4,834, | 100.00 | —      | 118    | 118    | —      |
|        | 247    | %      |        |        |        |        |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+

Results

SOURCE: Illinois State Board of Elections,[1] Ballotpedia[2][3]

[1]

[2]

[3]

title: 2016 Illinois House of Representatives election

question: Which day of the week were the 2016 elections for the Illinois House of Representatives conducted?

answer: A Tuesday.

question: How many seats did the Democratic party lose in this election?

answer: Net four.

question: How many seats did the Republicans pick up?

answer: Five.

question: Which previously Republican-held district did the Democrats win?

answer: The 112th district.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The 2016 elections for the Illinois House of Representatives were held on Tuesday, the 8th of November. The Democratic party lost a net of four seats-and thus its three-fifths majority-while Republicans gained five seats.


text:
Dom’s wife says he’s a fat piece of shit. Who cares.

Thick smoke in the Lincoln. Windows up. Three dead Reds in the ashtray. Fourth burning.

It’s late. Rain hits the car off-beat.

88.9 FM. Tango music idles low. Dom doesn’t notice.

Deep woods. Deep woods for a $30 cab to downtown, anyway.

Cush pads: lawyers, doctors, VPs, artsy cocksuckers - bigshots. Fat pads spread out, less than twenty.

1107 SENTINEL DR

Dom’s parked in the neighbor’s driveway.

They’re visiting the daughter at school. She loves them. Precious.

Glovebox: 2 packs Marlboro Red, empty. 1 1999 Lincoln Town Car 4DR Executive Owner’s Manual. 1 lighter, out of butane.1 SIG P226 9mm handgun. Receipts, business cards, parking tickets, trash. 1 9mm Suppressor, brand new.

88.9 FM: ..with you late, bringin to you all the crucia-

Deer bolts in front of the Lincoln. Dom’s sphincter tightens.

1..2..

Stupid baby deer follows mommy.

Exhale.

Silence. Rains harder.

Small headlights approaching.

Radio: OFF. Cigarette: OUT.

Tense, reeeaaal fuckin tense. Cotton-mouth.

It’s been a while. How long? Two years?

Can't even remember the last one's name.

Five grand, upfront. Wife bought a treadmill. Christ.

Sweat beads run down creases on his XL face. Gettin’ old, shouldn’t it be easier now?

Headlights bigger.

Concentrate. Deeeeeeep breath:

I’ll do it, then I’ll go get some food. A fat Reuben. Maybe some eggs and bacon. Maybe-

Headlights bigger.

100 yards.

Lightning.

Headlights stop – 1106 SENTINEL DR

Delayed: BOOOOM

Lexus headlights?

Headlights turn right. Dom catches profile.

Lexus headlights.

Lexus stops in front of garage door. Garage door stays closed.

Headlights: on. Exhaust: smoking. Music: loud. Windows: tinted.

Dom's gaze: fixed.

Waiting.

A woman's laugh - Uh oh.

Who you with, Mr. Gaslow?

title: Intro to a story I might write. Be a critic, TODAY!

question: Where does Dom live?

answer: The story doesn't say.

question: In what time period does this story take place?

answer: It's not explicitly stated but sometime in 1999 or later.

question: Who is in the approaching car?

answer: Mr. Gaslow and a woman.

question: What is the narrator's relationship to Mr. Gaslow?

answer: The text implies that the Dom, the narrator, may be a hitman for hire and Mr. Gaslow is his target.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: It appears that Dom, a heavy-smoker who's in an unhappy marriage, has been hired to commit a crime against one Mr. Gaslow, who lives in an affluent neighborhood. Whatever the crime, Dom hasn't done it in a while so he is nervous. The fact that a woman arrives with Mr. Gaslow seems to be a surprise.


text:
Campo Grande Brazil to Santa Cruz Bolivia

John and I started our journey across the Pantanal at 5am, Jan 8. We had bought the bus ticket from CG to Corumba (the Brazilian border town) the day before, so we just grabbed our bags and jumped in a taxi to the bus station. We had done the Brazilian bus thing twice before, so no worries. Great, wide fields passed by our windows on the comfortable but not luxurious Marcopolo model bus. Cows and horses meandered through pastures, while the bus driver picked up hitchhikers along the way. Most were farmers or ranch hands, and it seemed like they were paying for their ride, to the driver or the bus company, we'll never know. The 6 hour bus ride to Corumba ended uneventfully, as the driver pulled into the sunny and dusty bus station. We had a traditional, rural Brazilian lunch: a deep fried ham and cheese hot-pocket-looking thing, as well as a "chicken dick", deep fried chicken wrapped on a skewer in a very phallic shape. We had seen the items before in Rio and São Paulo, but abstained previously. After lunch, we used the dilapidated bathroom for R$1, no toilet seat and trashbins in each stall filled with used toilet paper. The plumbing isn't too developed in Brazil, so you can't flush your TP (but that hasn't stopped us).

After refueling at the bus station, we got in another taxi and directed the driver to the "frontera". He drove along paved and unpaved roads, blasting Cobra Starship's "You Make Me Feel Good", although his driving style made us feel anything but that. He dropped us off at the Brazilian border guard building at around 2pm. In Brazil, you receive a stamp on an entry slip, and you keep that paper until you leave. None of the cars stopped at the border, which seemed odd, but I guess if you have a local license plate you are good to go (all the license plates have the town and province the car is registered to on them). The Brazilian border guard office line took about 1 hour (50 people deep), and John and I were worried we would miss the 4 o'clock afternoon train from Puerto Quijarro to Santa Cruz. We practiced our Spanish a bit on a family behind us, asking when the train leaves Quijarro. 4am they said. If traveling has taught me anything, take what people say with a grain of salt, unless there is tangible evidence around you to back it up. Either people are grossly misinformed, they are trying to scam you, or there has been a miscommunication between the two of you and they are talking about something else. After getting our exit stamp, we rushed out of the sweltering office, took a quick pic on the Bolivian border, and hoofed it to the Bolivian border office, intent on catching the train.

A man solicited us for a taxi ride to the train station, we obliged but said we needed visas first. He directed us to the "correct" side of the 400 sq ft shack. The shack was filled with 4 desks, behind which were as many Bolivian border employees. 3 desks were against one wall, the remaining against the opposite wall. None of the desks had a title above them to indicated their function, and each had a small mountain of paperwork monopolizing most of the top. We waited on the longest line behind the middle desk. We handed over our paperwork, and muchacho número uno tells us we need a copy of our passport, yellow fever vacs, and Mastercards. He points to the non-existent Xerox machine behind him. Confused and feeling rushed to catch the train, we stumble out of the shack and see Bolivia's version of FedexKinkos 500 feet across the border. As we walk over, a "cambio" or forex man asks us if we need some Bolivianos. His rate is reasonably close to the market spot rate, and we trade 10 reals for 30 bolivianos. John and I make our way through the street to FedExKinkos, dodging rubble piles in the streets (these are very popular in Bolivia, as I will detail later). We make copies, and head back to the border shack. It's 3:45pm, and we have only 15 minutes to catch the train. We run into our taxi man, who now seems frustrated, and he hurries us along. We wait online again, only to forget that we didn't make copies of our Mastercards. After another dash across the bombed-out-looking street, and more confusion in the shack, we pay $270 for our 2 visas. It is well past 4pm, and we are hoping that Bolivia is like Brazil, and trains don't run on time. We finally leave the shack and enter the town of Puerto Quijarro, Bolivia.

The sun beats down on the dusty border town, with depressed women working the various shops. Broken fridges are filled with gatorade and Coke. Cars with cracked windshields zoom along the avenues, and moto-taxis wait under awnings for their next fare. Farm stands sell fruits and vegetables that Lonely Planet has told us not to eat. Shady characters walk around, with not much to do. There might have been more trash than pavement on the streets. Quijarro probably has Tijuana and Nuevo Laredo beat for places you don't want to be.

Taxi man takes us to another "cambio", and we lighten our load of reals and dollars for some Bolivianos. This cambio was an old woman, sitting with her friends on the sidewalk. You could tell she was a shark: reading glasses on a chain, calculator in one hand, fanny pack in the other, and very quick to speak. Her rate was not as good as the last. After loading up on the local currency, we go to the train station, hoping the train hasn't left. It hadn't. However, a nice European traveler informs us in English that tickets are sold out for the day. Not wanting to spend the night in this town, we start talking to some Brazilians we saw at the border. They tell us that one of the train station workers is scalping tickets for the train at a healthy 25% profit. Fuck it, we are trying to get out of here. I ask him "Tiene boletas?", but he doesn't seem interested in dealing with gringos. The train departs, us and the Brazilians ticketless. They have the idea of taking a bus, which is cheaper and 6 hours quicker than the train. We follow them to the station. It's 5pm.

This is probably the weirdest, most destitute hub of transport I've seen in my life. Think the equivalent of Grand Central's aborted 2 week old fetus. Shifty characters sit on plastic chairs on the concrete slab floor, protected from the sun by a metal roof. Bus companies have the incompetent slinging tickets from behind counters that are more fit to be lemonade stands. The stands are hand painted, and the tickets hand written. Stray dogs come in and out of the station, searching thru the garbage can in the center for some discarded food. 7 year old girls walk around with trays of cigarettes and candies. A young, hustleresque boy sells refills for prepaid phones. Another cambio declares his purpose every few minutes to the crowd. Drink vendors sling water and sodas out of one-time use styrofoam coolers that were clearly being used their 50th time. There are no prices for drinks, you ask for what you want and you get a quote. I got the quote of 20 bolivianos for two 2 liter bottles of water. Fuck it, I'm thirsty. I don't think I saw a content face in that crowd.

The Brazilians helped us buy tickets for the 730 to Santa Cruz. An 8 hour ride we were told. We killed two hours in the station as the sun went down, and painfully handed over our bags to the bus company to be stored under the bus. Seems like my Canon camera found its way into a local's hands. The bus ride was harrowing; the driver straddled the center line, used the inside lane for curves, and overcorrected just about every turn of the wheel he made. We finally made it to Santa Cruz at 4am, checked into our hotel and passed out.

title: Campo Grande to Santa Cruz

question: Who is the narrator traveling with?

answer: John.

question: Where were John and the narrator traveling to?

answer: They were trying to make it back to Santa Cruz but had to pass through Bolivia first.

question: Where were John and the narrator traveling from?

answer: Brazil.

question: How does the narrator feel about their trip?

answer: The narrator seems exhausted from the struggles of the trip and does not seem like they enjoyed the experience.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator talks about their struggles while traveling from Brazil to Bolivia to Santa Cruz.


text:
That isn’t quite how the New York Times puts it, of course. In fact, the words “socialist” and “socialism” never appear in its otherwise unsparing account. But Venezuela under Chavez and Maduro illustrates the inevitable arc of socialism, from parasitism to gangster rule.

  The uniformed men who shot Mr. Moreno were not government security forces, witnesses say. Rather, they were members of armed bands who have become key enforcers for President Nicolás Maduro as he attempts to crush a growing protest movement against his rule.

  The groups, called collectives or colectivos in Spanish, originated as pro-government community organizations….

Led by community organizers, presumably.

  … that have long been a part of the landscape of leftist Venezuelan politics. Civilians with police training, colectivo members are armed by the government, say experts who have studied them.

With Venezuelans starving and dying for lack of basic medicines, only armed gangs can keep the socialist government in power. Of course, the colectivos don’t subscribe to the supposedly high ideals of socialism:

  Colectivos control vast territory across Venezuela, financed in some cases by extortion, black-market food and parts of the drug trade as the government turns a blind eye in exchange for loyalty.

Of course, Chavez and Maduro were nothing but thieves, either.

  Now they appear to be playing a key role in repressing dissent.
  ***
  As rising foreign debt and falling world oil prices have depleted the Venezuelan government’s coffers, it has increasingly turned to colectivos as enforcers. From labor disputes with unions to student demonstrations on university campuses, colectivos are appearing almost anywhere the government sees citizens getting out of line, Venezuelans say.

  Eladio Mata, a hospital union leader, says he was shot last year by colectivo members when negotiations deadlocked with the University Hospital of Caracas.
  ***
  “In this country, it’s prohibited to dissent,” Mr. Mata said.

Of course it is! That is what happens when you elect socialists. Just ask the students at Middlebury, Berkeley, Claremont, etc. They can’t wait until they take power and steal enough money to hire colectivos of their own. That is what socialism–all power to government, none to the individual–comes down to.

  Mr. Rojas, who works with opposition politicians, said he had become used to the attacks, which have long been a fixture of his activism.

  “They attack your neighbors when they are in food lines and are identified as opposition members, they attack store owners by making them pay extortions, they attack bakers by taking away part of their production which they later sell on the black market,” he said. “They are not true collectives, or political actors — they are criminals.”

Just like Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro, and socialists the world over.

question: How does the author view socialism?

answer: They have a negative view of socialism.

question: What did colectivos originate as?

answer: Pro-government community organizations.

question: What country can colectivos be found in?

answer: Venezuela.

question: Which schools does the author believe will hire colectivos?

answer: Middlebury, Berkeley, and Claremont.

question: How does the author feel about Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro?

answer: They think that they are criminals.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The author describes what they call "gangster rule" in the socialist nation of Venezuela. Groups known as colectivos, which originated as pro-government community organizations, have been inciting violence according to the author. These groups are funded by the government and play a role in repressing dissent. The author emphasizes that socialism is corrupt.