text:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| SNAPSHOT                                                              |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   A 70-year-old woman presents to the emergency room for shortness  |
|     of breath. She has a past medical history of hypertension, type 2 |
|     diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and alcohol use       |
|     disorder. On physical exam, she has jugular venous distention,    |
|     pulmonary rales, cardiac S3 sound, and pitting edema. Her         |
|     electrocardiogram shows sinus tachycardia and chest radiograph    |
|     shows pleural effusions and cardiomegaly. She is immediately      |
|     given a loop diuretic and oxygen.                                 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| INTRODUCTION                                                          |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   Clinical definition                                               |
|     -   inability of the heart to pump blood throughout the body,     |
|         leading to congestion and decreased perfusion                 |
|         -   systolic dysfunction                                      |
|             -   loss of contractile strength and results in low       |
|                 ejection fraction (< 45%)                             |
|                                                                       |
|                                                                  |
|         -   diastolic dysfunction []                                  |
|             -   impairment in filling of the heart and often has a    |
|                 normal ejection fraction                              |
|         -   high-output heart failure                                 |
|             -   occurs in a minority of patients                      |
|             -   cardiac output exceeds metabolic demand               |
|         -   decompensated heart failure                               |
|             -   occurs when symptoms are worsened or exacerbated      |
|             -   precipitating factors include                         |
|                 -   infections                                        |
|                 -   arrhythmias                                       |
|                 -   excessive salt in the diet (post-holiday heart)   |
|                 -   uncontrolled hypertension                         |
|                 -   thyrotoxicosis                                    |
|                 -   myocardial infarction                             |
| -   Epidemiology                                                      |
|     -   risk factors                                                  |
|         -   coronary artery disease                                   |
|         -   viral infection                                           |
|         -   alcohol abuse                                             |
|         -   hypertension                                              |
|         -   arrhythmias                                               |
|         -   metabolic syndrome                                        |
|         -   drugs (_e.g._, doxorubicin)                               |
|         -   smoking                                                   |
| -   Etiology                                                          |
|     -   systolic dysfunction                                          |
|         -   ischemic heart disease (most common)                      |
|         -   chronic hypertension                                      |
|         -   dilated cardiomyopathy                                    |
|         -   valvular disease                                          |
|         -   congenital heart disease                                  |
|     -   diastolic dysfunction                                         |
|         -   hypertension with left ventricular hypertrophy            |
|         -   hypertrophic cardiomyopathy                               |
|         -   amyloidosis                                               |
|         -   sarcoidosis                                               |
|         -   hemochromatosis []                                        |
|         -   scleroderma                                               |
|         -   post-operative/radiation fibrosis                         |
|     -   high output heart failure                                     |
|         -   obesity                                                   |
|         -   myeloproliferative disorder                               |
|         -   arterial-venous fistula []                                |
|         -   thyrotoxicosis                                            |
| -   Pathogenesis                                                      |
|     -   systolic dysfunction []                                       |
|         -   ↓ contractility leading to ↓ ejection fraction and ↑ end  |
|             diastolic volume                                          |
|         -   ↑ systemic vascular resistance                            |
|         -   most commonly due to dilated cardiomyopathy and ischemic  |
|             heart disease                                             |
|         -   induces a state of hypoperfusion leading to compensatory  |
|             activation of the sympathetic nervous system and renin    |
|             release from the juxtaglomerular apparatus []             |
|             -   increased levels of renin, angiotensin, and           |
|                 aldosterone                                           |
|             -   vasoconstrictive effect of angiotensin II causes      |
|                 increased peripheral resistance                       |
|             -   mineralocorticoid effects of aldosterone causes fluid |
|                 retention and metabolic alkalosis                     |
|     -   diastolic dysfunction                                         |
|         -   ↓ compliance leading to problems with relaxation and      |
|             filling of the heart                                      |
|         -   normal ejection fraction and normal end diastolic volume  |
|         -   most commonly due to myocardial hypertrophy               |
|     -   right heart failure most commonly results from left heart     |
|         failure                                                       |
|     -   high output heart failure                                     |
|         -   high cardiac output and ↓ systemic vascular resistance    |
|         -   often occurs in the setting of existing systolic or       |
|             diastolic dysfunction                                     |
| -   Associated conditions                                             |
|     -   obstructive sleep apnea                                       |
|     -   major depression disorder                                     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| PRESENTATION                                                          |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   Symptoms []                                                       |
|     -   dyspnea on exertion                                           |
|     -   orthopnea                                                     |
|     -   paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea                                  |
|     -   fatigue                                                       |
|     -   pulmonary edema                                               |
|     -   dysphagia                                                     |
|         -   due to enlargement of the left atrium []                  |
| -   Physical exam                                                     |
|     -   cardiovascular exam                                           |
|         -   pitting lower extremity edema                             |
|         -   jugular venous distention                                 |
|         -   S3 sound []                                               |
|     -   pulmonary exam                                                |
|         -   Cheyne-Stokes respiration []                              |
|         -   shortness of breath                                       |
|         -   rales []                                                  |
|             -   liquid accumulates in alveoli due to left heart       |
|                 pressure overload                                     |
|             -   alveoli pop open during inhalation, causing rales on  |
|                 exam                                                  |
|     -   abdominal exam                                                |
|         -   ascites                                                   |
|         -   hepatojugular reflex                                      |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| IMAGING                                                               |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   Chest radiograph                                                  |
|     -   findings []                                                   |
|         -   pulmonary vascular congestion                             |
|         -   pleural effusion                                          |
|         -   cardiomegaly                                              |
|         -   Kerley-B lines                                            |
|         -   interstitial edema                                        |
| -   Echocardiogram                                                    |
|     -   indications                                                   |
|         -   confirms the diagnosis of heart failure                   |
|         -   classifies whether heart failure is due to systolic or    |
|             diastolic dysfunction                                     |
|     -   findings                                                      |
|         -   assess for low ejection fraction                          |
|         -   systolic of diastolic dysfunction                         |
|         -   systolic heart failure is characterized by                |
|             -   decreased cardiac index                               |
|             -   increased systemic vascular resistance                |
|             -   increased left ventricular end diastolic pressure     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| STUDIES                                                               |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   Atrial and B-type (brain) natriuretic peptide (ANP and BNP) [] [] |
|     -   released by the ventricles and the atria in response to       |
|         increased stretch                                             |
|                                                                       |
|                                                                  |
|     -   elevated levels are often seen in decompensated CHF           |
|     -   normal BNP excludes a diagnosis of CHF                        |
|                                                                       |
| -   Electrocardiogram (ECG)                                           |
|     -   findings                                                      |
|         -   sinus tachycardia                                         |
|         -   may also have arrhythmias                                 |
|         -   may show ventricular hypertrophy                          |
| -   Making the diagnosis                                              |
|     -   based on clinical presentation and echocardiogram             |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| DIFFERENTIAL                                                          |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   Acute respiratory distress syndrome                               |
|     -   distinguishing factors                                        |
|         -   diffuse crackles in the lungs, no S3 heart sound, and     |
|             increased work of breathing on exam                       |
|         -   chest radiograph with bilateral alveolar infiltrates      |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TREATMENT                                                             |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   Management approach                                               |
|     -   mortality is decreased with angiotensin-converting enzyme     |
|         inhibitors (ACE-inhibitors) or angiotensin II receptor        |
|         blockers (ARBs), β-blockers, and spironolactone or            |
|         eplerenone []                                                 |
| -   Conservative                                                      |
|     -   AVOID EXCESSIVE SALT IN THE DIET                              |
|         -   indication                                                |
|             -   all patients                                          |
| -   Medical                                                           |
|     -   ACE-INHIBITORS OR ARBS                                        |
|         -   indications                                               |
|             -   lowers mortality                                      |
|             -   systolic or diastolic dysfunction                     |
|     -   HYDRALAZINE AND NITRATES                                      |
|         -   indications                                               |
|             -   systolic dysfunction                                  |
|             -   when ACE-inhibitors or ARBs are contraindicated, such |
|                 as in those with renal failure                        |
|     -   Β-BLOCKERS []                                                 |
|         -   indications                                               |
|             -   lowers mortality                                      |
|             -   systolic or diastolic dysfunction                     |
|         -   drugs                                                     |
|             -   metoprolol                                            |
|             -   carvedilol                                            |
|             -   bisoprolol                                            |
|     -   SPIRONOLACTONE OR EPLERENONE []                               |
|         -   indication                                                |
|             -   lowers mortality                                      |
|             -   systolic or diastolic dysfunction                     |
|         -   side effects                                              |
|             -   spironolactone has anti-androgen effects such as      |
|                 erectile dysfunction and gynecomastia in men          |
|             -   hyperkalemia                                          |
|     -   DIURETICS []                                                  |
|         -   indications                                               |
|             -   pulmonary edema                                       |
|             -   CHF exacerbations                                     |
|             -   lower extremity edema                                 |
|             -   systolic or diastolic dysfunction                     |
|         -   drugs                                                     |
|             -   loop diuretics                                        |
|             -   thiazide diuretics                                    |
|     -   DIGOXIN                                                       |
|         -   indications                                               |
|             -   severe systolic dysfunction                           |
|             -   as an inotrope, it does not improve mortality, but it |
|                 does reduce hospitalizations                          |
|     -   MILRINONE []                                                  |
|         -   indications                                               |
|             -   acute cardiogenic shock                               |
|             -   decompensated heart failure                           |
|         -   side effects                                              |
|             -   hypokalemia                                           |
|             -   bronchospams                                          |
|             -   tremors                                               |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| COMPLICATIONS                                                         |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| -   CHF exacerbation                                                  |
| -   Cardiac arrhythmias                                               |
| -   Respiratory failure                                               |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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 (M1.CV.17.4754) A 71-year-old male presents to his primary care physician complaining of shortness of breath with exertion. He was previously able to walk one mile without stopping but has recently started to feel short of breath after walking a few blocks. He also complains of a choking sensation when supine that is relieved by sitting up. His medical history is notable for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and alcohol abuse. Physical examination reveals a diffuse, left-displaced point of maximal impact (PMI). Auscultation demonstrates an early diastolic gallop best heard over the apex with the patient in the left lateral decubitus position. A chest radiograph of the patient is shown (Figure A). Which of the following sets of cardiac parameters would be expected in this patient? __ Tested Concept

QID: 108701

_1_

Increased ejection fraction and decreased left ventricular end-diastolic volume

_2_

Preserved ejection fraction and normal compliance

_3_

Preserved ejection fraction and decreased compliance

_4_

Decreased ejection fraction and increased left ventricular end-diastolic volume

_5_

Decreased ejection fraction and decreased left ventricular end-diastolic volume

 M 1 B

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 (M1.CV.14.144) A 36-year-old man with a history of a stab wound to the right upper thigh 3 months ago presents to the emergency department with complaints of difficulty breathing while lying flat. Physical examination reveals an S3 gallop, warm skin, and a continuous bruit over the right upper thigh. Which of the following is most likely responsible for his symptoms? __ Tested Concept

QID: 100660

_1_

Decreased sympathetic output

_2_

Increased peripheral resistance

_5_

Increased pulmonary resistance

 M 1 B

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 (M1.CV.14.135) A 65-year-old male with multiple comorbidities presents to your office complaining of difficulty falling asleep. Specifically, he says he has been having trouble breathing while lying flat very shortly after going to bed. He notes it only gets better when he adds several pillows, but that sitting up straight is an uncomfortable position for him in which to fall asleep. What is the most likely etiology of this man's sleeping troubles? __ Tested Concept

QID: 100651

_2_

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

_4_

Right-sided heart failure

 M 2 B

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 (M1.CV.13.40) Under what physiologic state is the endogenous human analog of nesiritide produced? __ Tested Concept

QID: 100556

_1_

Increased external stress

_2_

Increased ventricular stretch

_3_

Increased intracranial pressure

_4_

Increased circulatory volume presenting to the kidneys

_5_

Decreased circulatory volume presenting to the kidneys

 M 1 C

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 (M1.CV.13.32) A 45-year-old African American woman presents to her family physician for a routine examination. Past medical history is positive for amyloidosis and non-rhythm-based cardiac abnormalities secondary to the amyloidosis. Which of the following cardiac parameters would be expected in this patient? __ Tested Concept

QID: 100548

_1_

Preserved ejection fraction and increased compliance

_2_

Preserved ejection fraction and decreased compliance

_3_

Decreased ejection fraction and increased compliance

_4_

Decreased ejection fraction and decreased compliance

_5_

Increased ejection fraction and decreased compliance

 M 1 E

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 (M1.CV.12.23) A 50-year-old man with congestive heart failure (CHF) was started on an experimental analog of atrial natriuretic peptide. Which of the following would he expect to experience? __ Tested Concept

QID: 100539

_1_

Increased water reabsorption by the renal collecting ducts

_2_

Vasoconstriction, increased blood pressure, aldosterone release

_3_

Increased glomerular filtration rate, restricted aldosterone release, vascular smooth muscle dilation

_4_

Increased renal absorption of sodium and water

_5_

Increased plasma calcium and decreased renal reabsorption of phosphate

 M 3 E

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[]

question: What is the common symptom connecting all the patients listed in the article?

answer: They all have some sort of respiratory problems.


split: train

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Blind."

The world went dark.

title: Blind of Deaf

question: Summarize the narrator's thoughts about the "options" people get.

answer: People in the story are presented with two options, both bad, and they get to think as long as they wish before choosing. Time stops and nobody else realizes a choice was made. The narrator is looking at a beautiful girl just before the choice of going blind or deaf is presented to him. His first thought about going blind is that he won't get to appreciate the girl. Then, he considers the everyday difficulties of going blind - like being unable to use a computer properly, eventually forgetting his favorite colors, etc. He does the same for deafness, eventually concluding that both options are terrible. Both options are so terrible that he begins to rebel against the very idea of choosing. The options seem cruel when both are so terrible that anyone would regret choosing at all.

question: What does the story say about easy choices?


text:
The prompt was "Being sincere is important"
	“So you thought you could run?” A crumpled man on his knees bowed, broken and shaking in front of another. It was dark. A single flickering light in the back of the bar provided glimpses of the second man’s thick figure, relaxed in an armchair. He was fingering a 10mm automatic pistol, perennially releasing and reclosing the metallic magazine catch. He was completely relaxed and held the weapon loosely in his hand so that it could have been snatched by the first man had he been inclined. In a very business-like manner, the second man arose from his seat, kicked the shuddering mass in front of him and walked out of the room.
	Virgil shuddered as left the room. He leaned against the door, head in his arms and closed his eyes. He had performed this act countless times. He had been told that he would come to enjoy the immense power that he possessed so - like any good actor - he adopted a guise and put on a performance. He controlled New Jersey: the crime, drugs, and sex trade.  He had done his time on the streets as a dealer and now he had moved on to bigger and better things. He was a killer. “Only because they deserve it”, he often rationalized to himself. He looked down at the gun in his hand and flipped the trigger back and forth. In a few short years, what had started off as a way to earn some extra cash had quickly escalated into a career of perfunctory crime.
	As he stood there with his head in his arms, he thought of what he had to do. The solid oak door in front of him was all that stood between the bleeding man on the other side and his grave. There was no way out of this business. He knew that better than anyone.  He looked at his watch. He did not want to kill the man.
	Virgil opened the door and turned to the man who had managed to pull himself onto his side. He loaded the gun, took a deep breath then - like a gunshot - turned and ran.
	“This isn’t for me”, he thought, pounding the sidewalk in front of him. “Why did I ever start this?” he said aloud, turning down the adjacent, busier street. “Why did you make me do this?” he now yelled at no one in particular as he hurried into his driveway. He wanted to scream wildly, to release some anger.  He wanted to blame someone.
The dashboard of his car reflected his own angry face back at him.
	Virgil sped down the highway pondering the origins of the façade he had erected for so many years.  He had never wanted to kill anyone but it took him until now to convince himself of that internalized truth.

title: Advice on how to improve my short story?

question: Who was running?

answer: An unnamed man.

question: Who was the second man?

answer: Virgil.

question: Who is Virgil?

answer: A drug dealer who justifies murder.

question: Why did it take so long for Virgil to figure out that he never wanted to kill anyone?

answer: Information can't be found.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Virgil, a big-time drug dealer, realizes he regrets going down the path he chose as he lets one of his victims go.


text:
She knew it was coming. She saw it coming. For three months, she held onto that bright purple monkey that he had gotten her for her birthday and waited. Why had he gotten her a purple monkey anyway? She hated the color purple.

The really sad thing was, she felt almost relieved. And she was disgusted with herself for that.

They had met in a book club meeting, of all places. Freshman year of high school, she walked into the library, still painfully shy, and he was the first one who said hi to her. There were only ten people in the club, and she slowly relaxed around them. They argued over their favorite novels, had contests to see who could read the next assigned book the fastest and made up a secret handshake that, when they tried to perform it in the hallways between classes, always ended in loud laughter.

He had been in three of her classes, which she had never noticed before, and they started hanging out more. When he asked her out, she was so excited, and terrified. She had never had a boyfriend before. Was she supposed to act different around him now? Was she supposed to stop hanging out with him as much? How many texts a day were too many? She didn't worry for too long. He was just as nervous as she was. They spent almost every moment together, those first two years.

Then junior year rolled around and he became distant. He tried to make an effort to stay cheerful around her, but she had known him long enough to see that he was unhappy. She tried talking to him, but he would shake his head and turn away and she didn't push.

She had wondered if he was going to break up with her, and cried. One night, while they were watching a movie together, she turned and looked at him, her eyes filling with angry tears and demanded that he just do it already. She couldn't handle this anymore.

He hugged her, squeezed her as tight as he could, and said that he wasn't going to break up with her. He loved her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But the rest of his life was three months, maybe four.

They had cried together, and talked, and cried some more. They spent two days apart, because she didn't know how to handle it. But she decided that she would keep him happy for the next three months. He would never have to worry about her leaving him.

Those three months were the worst. He got weaker. He got more emotional. He would lash out for no apparent reason and once, when she told him to relax, he hit her in the face. She was more angry than hurt. "Just because you're dying doesn't mean you get to hit your fucking girlfriend!" She had left, and he called her that night, sobbing and apologizing. She went back to his house and spent the night lying next to him in bed, unable to sleep, listening to his mom cry in the living room.

The phone rang. She answered it on the third ring.

"He wants to see you."

She was silent for a few moments. "I can't. I can't do that."

"Stop being selfish. I don't care if it scars you for life, get your ass to the hospital. For some reason, my boy wants to see you before he dies and you'd better fucking do what he wants."

She hung up and got out of bed. She brushed her hair and put it up, remembering that he always said she looked cute with a ponytail. She put on the shirt he liked the most and a pair of jeans that he had doodled on one day in book club. She drove to the hospital slowly and carefully, parked in the farthest spot from the door. It was windy out, and smelled like it was about to rain. The woman at the front desk directed her to the right room and she went, trying to get lost along the way. It didn't work. The building was too small.

She opened the door marked 318 and everyone in the room turned to stare at her. His mother and father were there. His mother glared at her, but his father smiled. His older brother was there, sitting in the only chair, looking exhausted. And there he was, sitting up in bed, grinning at her.

His father ushered everyone else out of the room to give them privacy. As the door closed, she perched on the side of the hospital bed and took his hand.

"Hey."

He kissed her hand and she smiled. "Hi. I'm glad you came."

"Of course I came." She felt like crying, but refused to. He didn't need that. "This is a much better reason to put off studying for finals."

He laughed, but it sounded off. "You know, I was always amazed that you stuck around. After everything, you're still here. That means the world to me. I love you."

"I love you too." The lie tasted bitter, but she ignored it. They said nothing else to each other. His family returned and she stayed where she was, holding his hand, until he finally closed his eyes and went.

She felt suddenly as if someone had reached into her chest and pricked her heart, letting the blood drain out until it shriveled and died. She left the hospital. She attended the funeral. She finished high school and moved to another state. She went to college, tried to make new friends and have new relationships. She left college, found an okay job, and started dating her next door neighbor. He was an alcoholic, which she didn't mind. He hit her sometimes. She just covered it up with make-up and he never remembered the next morning. He proposed to her and she agreed. They had three children and she quit her job.

She wasn't happy. She hated the children. She hated her husband. She blamed it all on him, the first boy she had ever loved, who had promised her so much and then left her. She was heartless and unlovable because of him. She was depressed because of him. She wished she hadn't lied to him. He should have died knowing that she didn't love him anymore.

She sent the kids off to school, kissed her husband before he left for work, wrote a note and stuck it on her pillow, and decided to go for a walk. She kept walking, until she was so sore that she had to stop. She sat down on the side of a road she didn't recognize and smiled to herself, thinking that she had finally managed to get lost.

title: Lost

question: Why was the narrator not able to tell her dying boyfriend that she does not love him anymore?

answer: Because he is dying and she does not want to compound his suffering.


text:
With the legalization of recreational cannabis less than six months away, Ottawa wants to get a clear picture of the industry in Canada. To that end, the national statistics agency, Statistics Canada, conducted a wide-ranging study that looked at the cannabis sector from 1961 to 2017, examining data such as consumption, domestic production, the size of the US market, the Canadian share of the American market, and seizure data at the border in both directions.

  In 2017, Canadians spent an estimated $5.7 billion on cannabis.

The government agency also reached out to Canadians via anonymous web-based surveys, which sought input on cannabis’ regional purchase price, quantity, quality, and division between medical and recreational use. The results were released January 25. Here are the big takeaways:

Canadians Like Cannabis…

In 2017, some 4.9 million Canadians, about 14% of the country’s total population, spent an estimated $5.7 billion on cannabis, 90% of which was for recreational purposes. This works out to around $1,200 per cannabis consumer.

…But They Still Spend More on Alcohol and Tobacco

Canadians spent just over $22 billion on alcohol and $16 billion on tobacco products in 2016.

Canada’s Cannabis Industry Is Bigger Than Its Tobacco and Alcohol Industries

  Much of the tobacco and alcohol consumed in Canada is imported. Not so with cannabis.

In 2014, the domestic cannabis-producing industry was valued at $3.4 billion, whereas the tobacco industry was valued at $1 billion and the brewery industry at $2.9 billion. Much of the tobacco and alcohol consumed in Canada is imported. Not so with cannabis.

Availability Is Bringing Cannabis Prices Down

The price of a gram of cannabis declined between 1989 and 2016, from $12 to $7.50, even though Canadians have been spending increasingly more on cannabis overall. Government statisticians attribute the drop in price to an increase in supply compared with demand.

Teens Spend Less on Cannabis Than Other Age Groups

Between 2000 and 2017, 40% of Canadian cannabis purchases were made by citizens aged 25 to 44. 33% were made by those aged 18 to 24.  18% were made by those aged 15 to 17, and 9% were made by those aged 45 to 64.

Boomers and Cannabis Are Old Friends

Cannabis consumption among middle-aged Canadians, those between 45 and 64 years old, has been increasing in recent years. In 1975, they accounted for 4% of cannabis purchases. By 2017, the percentage was 23%. Are Baby Boomers renewing their love affair with the magic plant or did they never let it cool in the first place?

When Opportunity Knocks…

Last year, 20% of Canada’s cannabis production, about $1.2 billion worth of it, was illegally sold outside the country. That is a 900% increase from 1961.

_ Splash around in the Cannabis Stats Hub to your heart’s content here._

[Randi Druzin's Bio Image]

Randi Druzin

Randi Druzin is an author and journalist in Toronto. She has worked at several major media outlets, including the National Post and the CBC, and has written for dozens of publications, such as The New York Times, Time magazine, ESPN The Magazine, and The Globe and Mail.

View Randi Druzin's articles

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question: How many years did the national statistics agency, Statistics Canada, looked at in their study of the cannabis sector?

answer: Around 56 years.

question: How much did Canadians spend on cannabis in 2017?

answer: $5.7 billion

question: What other recreational drugs do Canadians spend their money on?

answer: Tobacco.

question: What is the main difference between the alcohol and tobacco industry, versus the cannabis industry?

answer: Much of the cannabis consumed in Canada is homegrown, while most alcohol and tobacco products are imported.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer:
The cannabis business is booming in Canada, especially as its legalization looms. The national statistics agency, Statistics Canada, has been tracking cannabis usage, supply, and the size of the market from 1961 to 2017.

Statistics Canada finds that most cannabis consumed in the country are locally produced, unlike alcohol and tobacco which are mostly imported. They also discover that Canadian teenagers spend less money on cannabis than any other age groups. Finally, they observe that cannabis prices have fallen over time due to availability and supply.


text:
JOHN TALBOT DILLON (1734–1806) was an Anglo-Irish naval officer, traveller and historian.[1]

Life

He was the son of Francis Dillon and Mary Wingfield, and was educated at Westminster School.[2]

Dillon was an advocate of religious liberty, a believer in the moderation of the French Revolution, and an opponent of the emancipation of slaves. He is described as “baron of the Sacred Roman Empire” on the title-page of his _Travels in Spain_ (1780), as well as in notes to John Bowle's edition of _Don Quixote_ (1781).

Legacy and death

Bowle, in the preface and notes to his edition of _Don Quixote_, acknowledges his obligations to Dillon for critical suggestions received during the progress of his work; and Joseph Baretti speaks of him with respect while attacking Bowle in _Tolondron_ (1786).

Works

Dillon's published works were:

-   _Travels through Spain … in a series of Letters, including the most interesting subjects contained in the Memoirs of Don G. Bowles and other Spanish writers_, London, 1780. It was based on his own observations but relied also William Bowles's _Introduction to the Natural History and Physical Geography of Spain_ (1775). It had four or five editions, was translated into German in 1782, and became an authority on the condition of Spain in the reign of King Charles III. It was followed the next year by his _Letters from an English Traveller in Spain in 1778, on the Origin and Progress of Poetry in that Kingdom_; the preface acknowledged the use of Velazquez's _Origenes de la Poesía Castellana_, Sarmiento and Sedano. It was translated, with additions, into French in 1810, under the title _Essai sur la Littérature Espagnole_.
-   _Letters from an English Traveller in Spain in 1778 … with illustrations of the romance of Don Quixote_, London, 1781.
-   _A Political Survey of the Sacred Roman Empire_, London, 1782. On the constitution and structure of the Holy Roman Empire.
-   _Sketches on the Art of Painting_ London, 1782. A translation from the Spanish of Mengs's letter to Antonio Ponz.
-   _History of the Reign of Pedro the Cruel_, London, 1788, 2 vols. Translated into French in 1790.
-   ''Historical and Critical Memoirs of the General Revolution in France in the year 1789 … produced from authentic papers communicated by M. Hugon de Bassville,’ London, 1790. A collection of original documents, and the views of a contemporary observer.
-   _Foreign Agriculture_, London, 1796. Translated from the French of the Chevalier de Monroy.
-   _Alphonso and Eleonora, or the Triumphs of Valour and Virtue_, London, 1800, 2 vols. A history of Alfonso VIII of Castile.

Notes

Attribution

Category:1734 births Category:1806 deaths Category:Royal Navy officers Category:British writers

[1]

[2]

title: John Talbot Dillon (author)

question: When was John Talbot Dillon born?

answer: 1734.

question: What were the names of John Talbot Dillon's parents?

answer: Francis Dillon and Mary Wingfield.

question: What did Dillon advocate for?

answer: Religious liberty, moderation in the French Revolution and an opponent of the emancipation of slaves.

question: What did John Talbot Dillon do?

answer: He was an Anglo-Irish naval officer, traveller and historian.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The article is a biography of the Anglo-Irish naval officer John Talbot Dillon.


text:
I'm standing in front of a burning house, leaning against a large oak tree.  I'm wondering to myself whose house this is, and why I'm here. I hear the sound of approaching sirens behind the roar of the flames.

Spires of flame shoot in and out of the house, the way a lizard's tongue does. Not just out of the windows, out of everywhere. I can tell the house is really starting to come apart.  The fire rages on, drowning out all noise, save for the distant and tiny sound of sirens.

The sirens are getting steadily louder, as I watch rafters fall and beams disintegrate. The firefighters arrive, the sirens and lights rending the night. The armor clad men explode out if the truck, securing tools and attaching hoses.  I hear them decide amongst themselves that the house is beyond saving, dropping the hoses and heading straight for the front door. They don't seem to pay me any mind, so I move further from the house as they rush in, noting that I can hear more sirens on the way.

I begin to feel rather guilty. I mean, I've just been standing here watching this house burning down, without any concern. Like I've been watching a damn bonfire, waiting for someone to arrive with marshmallows.

This guilty feeling is not simply that, though. There is a sense of dread about it as well.  I don't recognize this house, but I feel strangely connected to it.  I'm feeling like there's something I ought to know about this fire, this house, this situation, but I'm not sure what that is.

As I'm pondering this, I notice, tacked onto the back of the tree I've just been leaning against, a note:

This was no accident. I've locked us all inside. It's the only way to make it stop. The only way for this to end. - James Kern

I see the two paramedics quickly exiting  the front of the ambulance, run to back, open the rear doors. The dreadful feeling surges, as I realize that the arrival of paramedics means injuries.
As they ready their equipment, I approach. The nearest one is unloading a gurney, and I ask him:
"How many people are in there?!"
He doesn't respond at all. Deciding he can't hear me over the flames, I yell:
"Sir, how many people are there in that house?!"

Again, he shows no sign of having heard me, or even of having seen me.  The way he is behaving has me questioning whether the firefighters had simply been too focused on the matter at hand, or if they had genuinely not seen me standing there.

I decide they're just intensely focused and begin to jump up and down, flailing my arms, and screaming.  This doesn't even garner a glance from the men.  Out of frustration, I shove the gurney. The paramedic looks bewildered and perhaps a bit frightened, but he still doesn't acknowledge me.

As I start to scream at him to pay attention to me, the front door of the house vomits the firefighters, carrying a limp figure, roughly the size of a man, but it seems oddly diminished. With a mighty groan and a crash, the house collapses in on itself. Charred clothing hangs off the man, ragged and smoking.

The paramedics frantically strap the man to the gurney, and load him into the ambulance, yelling about almost losing him, and the firefighters are saying that the wife and children were already lost by the time they got to the house, and that all signs pointed to arson.

As the ambulance peels away, the firefighters begin to shed their suits. I try and try to talk to them, but I get nothing in return. It's as if I'm not there. I begin to feel faint, as I'm screaming at the men to notice me, and then I see nothing, as if my eyes blinked shut, but never opened. For eons, I stare into that nothingness, that total and complete lack of anything.

I can't move, my arms and legs feel almost as if they're strapped down. My eyes are open. Bright lights flood my eyes, which flutter and blink,  and as the paramedics swim into view, I hear:

"Can you hear me, Mr. Kern?"

title: Can Your Hear Me, Mr. Kern?

question: What was James Kern trying to end?

answer:
At first glance, it seems like Kern simply wants his life to end and has decided that in his suicide, he is taking his family with him when he burns down the house -hence, he wants it all to end.

But considering the entirety of the narrative -that James Kern was existing outside of his physical body in some imperceptible form able to observe the fire from outside the house, implies that he is able to project his consciousness out of his body.

It is possible that his supernatural abilities are linked to something more horrifying, and that it is inherent in his family, and as such, he has chosen to end it all by killing himself, his wife, and his kids.


text:
On April 18th, a broadcast appeared on the television before me, and my breath hitched. Everything around me stopped: the people crossing the road while maybe I should be as well, or maybe my legs were moving without me realizing it? I’d become petrified.

My best friend, Aidan, had been found dead in his bedroom from an overdose of sleeping pills. Seeing his face so blissful on the screen made everything around me rampantly snap back to reality, and I felt overwhelmed. All I could do was walk in whatever general direction I thought home was.

	It’s funny, really: whenever someone chooses to bring their own life to an end, they always seem so happy in the images the news channel decides to add in. It’s fake; if they were pushed to that point, the person was never truly that happy around then.

                   ~Three Years Ago~

“Ness, are you okay?” a boy with choppy black hair sat down beside me while I’d bawled my eyes out on the bench. “N-no, my puppy died… He got hit trying to chase me to the bus stop,” the thought had made me cry even more. He sat in silence for a bit, before jumping up and dragging me toward town. “W-what?!” I was so dishevelled; I didn’t want anyone to see me. “C’mon! If you’re sad, I’ll distract you!” Aidan smiled like he believed in everything he said. That everything would always work out.

The death of my puppy had felt so implacable at that time, like nothing else could ever hurt more. I’ve never been so wrong – Aidan was so stoical whenever I’d seen him; it was like the only emotion he ever felt was contentedness. Even when his grandfather had passed away he had only frowned and then remained optimistic for his grandfather’s afterlife.

A few times, I had tried to get under Aidan’s skin to see if he was hiding any negativity underneath. I always quickly gave up, however, because he would always find ways to prove to me that everything was okay. Looking back, I really should have pushed a little harder to satisfy my qualms. Evidently, something was disturbing him. I wondered how well Aidan slept at night. Then again, he was there whenever I’d texted because I was really down and out, no matter how early in the morning it was.

I felt so betrayed… I’d even tried to emulate Aidan on a few occasions, because he had an aptitude for cheering people up and brightening the mood. Memories kept coming back to me even when I tried my best to push them out. No matter where I turned or how much the falling rain blocked my sight, I kept seeing Aidan standing there in the places we’d once frequented. I just don’t understand. What was he lacking? I doubt it was sustenance; his home life was great: Aidan’s parents are wonderful people. They even treated me as if I were their second daughter. Aidan was well-liked in school, too, by students and professors alike. His future was so propitious.

I had a nightmare tonight about finding Aidan’s body full of blood, and even then he was still smiling, telling me he would be okay. I screamed because the sight was just too unbelievable, and then all of a sudden my surroundings changed. I was surrounded by mirrors, and Aidan was reflected, smiling just like always. Then I lost it. I frantically smashed every mirror I could find until I realized they were endless, which led to me waking up in bed. Too nerved up to fall back to sleep, I wandered downstairs and found a note in front of the living room mirror. I picked it up.

“Vanessa, I am so, so sorry… if you don’t know what I’m apologizing for, you will soon. Even if you resent me for this, I just want you to know that I’m okay. I’ll be okay, wherever I go. I won’t forget you; it wasn’t anyone’s fault so please don’t let anyone feel responsible. Know that it wasn’t because you didn’t try hard enough to question me because I wouldn’t have told you anyway. It’s just something that couldn’t be helped… I’ll be happier now.
I love you. ~ Aidan. April 17th, 10:42 p.m.

I couldn’t find the words to express how I was feeling. I just stared into the mirror before me, until my reflection cracked and tears streamed down both sides of my cheeks, dropping onto the floor and shattering like glass.

    “At least you’re happy, Aidan… good–bye.”
Maybe I’ll see you again, someday.

title: Flash-Back Short [Emotional] ( My Girlfriend has wrote this and wants thoughts on it )

question: What does it mean to be nerved up?

answer: In this context it may mean too nervous or wired to go back to sleep.

question: Who are the main characters in this story?

answer: Aidan, who committed suicide, and Vanessa, a friend he left behind.

question: What is the relationship between Aidan and Vanessa?

answer: They were best friends with Aiden looking after Vanessa through all the hard times in her life but never letting down his own guard.

question: Explain why Aidan committed suicide?

answer: In his letter to Vanessa he says that it is something that couldn't be helped and that he will be happier afterward.

question: Summarize all the information relating to the friendship between Aidan and Vanessa.

answer: Aidan comforted Vanessa after her puppy passed away. Aidan never confided in Vanessa that he felt hopeless and that he was considering suicide. Aidan was Vanessa's best friend. He ended his life by taking too many sleeping pills. He left a note to Vanessa to explain what he did and that it wasn't her fault.

question: What happened first chronologically: Everything around Vanessa stopped or Vanessa's puppy died?

answer: Her puppy dies three years ago. Everything around Vanessa stopped in the present day after she learnt that Aidan committed suicide.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Vanessa hears the news of Aidan's suicide and tries to figure out what she missed or what she should have done differently. Aidan left her a note explaining his actions and that there was nothing she could have done.


text:
MARTÍN DE VALENCIA was born in Valencia de Don Juan, in the bishopric of Oviedo, Spain, ca. 1474.[1] He died Tlalmanalco, Mexico, 21 March 1534.[2] He was a Spanish Franciscan missionary, leader of the Twelve Apostles of Mexico, the first group of mendicants in New Spain.

Life

He entered the Franciscan Order at Mayorga in the Province of Santiago. Fellow Franciscan Fray Toribio de Benavente Motolinia wrote an account of Fray Martin's life, following his death.[3] After Fray Martin was ordained, he sent to the town of Valencia, from whence he took his name. He built the monastery of Santa Maria del Berrogal, and was the chief founder of the Custody of San Gabriel, for which he visited Rome.

In 1523 when he was 50, he was chosen to head a band of twelve Franciscans who were to work for the conversion of the Mexican natives, in what is sometimes called the “spiritual conquest.”[4] They reached their destination in May 1524, and were received by Hernán Cortés shortly after their arrival. Fray Martin, as apostolic delegate, presided at the first ecclesiastical synod in the New World, 2 July 1524. At the same time he established the Custody of the Holy Gospel, of which he was elected the first _custos_. After an interval of three years he was re-elected in 1530.[5] Many Franciscans learned indigenous languages in Mexico, preaching, teaching, and compiling dictionaries, books or sermons, and confessional manuals, in particular Nahuatl, but Fray Martin did not, although according to Motolinia, “he took great pleasure in hearing others preach.”[6]

He led a penitential life and was much praised by his fellow Franciscans.[7] After eight years in Mexico, in 1532, he sought to evangelize even farther afield in the Far East. According to Motolinia, Hernán Cortés promised Fray Martín was promised ships to accomplish this. Fray Martín and eight Franciscans went to Tecoantepec, on the coast in the Zapotec region; however, the ships were not built and Fray Martín returned to central Mexico.[8] At the end of his life he lived in the Nahua town of Tlalmanalco. Nearby was the town of Amaquemecan (Amecameca), where he withdrew in a holy cave for prayer and meditation.[9] His presence and impact in Amaquemecan was recorded by seventeenth-century Nahua historian and annalist, Chimalpahin, who wrote about the Franciscans in Amaquemecan and Fray Martín in particular. According to Chimalpahin, Fray Martín's residence brought prestige to Amaquemecan's ruler, Quetzalmaçatzin, who was baptized Don Tomás de San Martín Quetzalaçatzin Chichimeca teuchtli. However, the friar's presence also complicated the ruler's life, since Fray Martín pressured him to give up his multiple wives, a practice incompatible with Christianity.[10] When Fray Martín felt death was near, Don Tomás was worried that he not die in Amaquemecan. Fray Martín was returned to Tlalmanalco, where the ruler there was also concerned that the friar not die there, and attempted to send him by boat or canoe to Mexico City. He died on March 21, 1534 at the water's edge, and was initially buried there. His body was later moved to the Franciscan church of San Luis Obispo, built in 1532, in Tlalmanalco.[11][12][13]

Fray Martin and his eleven fellow Franciscans, the Twelve Apostles of Mexico baptized large numbers of Indians.[14]

[1] Toribio de Benavente Motolinia _Motolinia's History of the Indians of New Spain_, translated by Elizabeth Andros Foster. Greenwood Press 1973, p. 175, 185. Motolinia says that Fray Martin was 50 when he came to New Spain, placing his birth approximately 1474.

[2] Toribio de Benavente Motolinia _Motolinia's History of the Indians of New Spain_, translated by Elizabeth Andros Foster. Greenwood Press 1973,p. 186.

[3] Toribio de Benavente Motolinia _Motolinia's History of the Indians of New Spain_, translated by Elizabeth Andros Foster. Greenwood Press 1973, pp.174-178.

[4] Robert Ricard, _The Spiritual Conquest of Mexico: An Essay on the Apostolate and the Evangelizing Methods of the Mendicant Orders in New Spain, 1523-1572_, translated by Lesley Byrd Simpson. Berkeley: University of California Press 1966.

[5] Ricard, _Spiritual Conquest_, p. 53

[6] Toribio de Benavente Motolinia _Motolinia's History of the Indians of New Spain_, translated by Elizabeth Andros Foster. Greenwood Press 1973, p. 183.

[7] Toribio de Benavente Motolinia _Motolinia's History of the Indians of New Spain_, translated by Elizabeth Andros Foster. Greenwood Press 1973, p. 174-188. The chapter title is “Of the friars who have died in the conversion of the Indians of New Spain. Account of the life of Fray Martín de Valencia, which is very worthy of being noted and remembered.”

[8] Toribio de Benavente Motolinia _Motolinia's History of the Indians of New Spain_, translated by Elizabeth Andros Foster. Greenwood Press 1973,pp. 196-198.

[9] The caves still exist and now have a shrine commemorating Fray Martin. Susan Schroeder, _Chimalpahin and the Kingdoms of Chalco,_ Tucson: University of Arizona Press, p. 230, note 19.

[10] Susan Schroeder, “Chimalpahin's View of Spanish Ecclesiastics in Colonial Mexico,” in _Indian Religious Relations in Colonial Spanish America,_ edited by Susan E. Ramirez. Foreign and Comparative Studies/Latin American Series 9. Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Syracuse University, 1989, pp. 24-25.

[11] Schroeder 1989, ibid.

[12] Susan Schroeder, _Chimalpahin and the Kingdoms of Chalco,_ Tucson: University of Arizona Press, p. 77.

[13] Toribio de Benavente Motolinia _Motolinia's History of the Indians of New Spain_, translated by Elizabeth Andros Foster. Greenwood Press 1973, p. 185-186.

[14] Joaquín García Icazbalceta, _Nueva colección de documentos para la historia de México_, vol. 2, Mexico 1886-1892, pp. 177-186.

title: Martín de Valencia

question: Summarize Martin's time in Tlalmanalco.

answer: Martin moved to Tlalmanalco near the end of his life. In the nearby town of Amaquemecan, he withdrew in a holy cave for prayer and meditation. In that same town, he also brought prestige to its ruler after he baptized him. When his death was nearing, the ruler of Amaquemecan sent him to Tlalmanalco to die, but the ruler there also didn't want him to die there. In an attempt to die in Mexico City, Martin died on the water's edge of Tlalmanalco and was buried there in 1534.

question: Summarize everything that happened in the 1520s.

answer: In 1523, Martin was chosen to head a band of twelve Franciscans in their work for the conversion of the Mexican natives. In 1524, they reached their destination and were received by Hernan Cortes. In the same year, Martin presided at the first ecclesiastical synod in the New World, and established the Custody of the Holy Gospel as the first custos. He remained the custos until his reelection in 1530.

question: What does the text say about Amaquemecan's ruler?

answer: Amaquemecan's ruler was Quetzalmaçatzin. He was baptized Don Tomas de San Martin Quetzalaçatzin Chichimeca teuchtli by Fray Martin. This brought prestige to the ruler, but Martin's presence complicated his life. Martin pressured him to give up his multiple wives due to its incompatibility with Christianity. Don Tomas did not want Martin to die in Amaquemecan when Martin's death was near.

question: Summarize Martin's childhood.


text:
The idea of giving lucrative long-term contracts to closers already was under siege, and then the first week of this season happened.

The White Sox (from Nate Jones to Matt Lindstrom) and the Brewers (from Jim Henderson to Francisco Rodriguez) thought so little of the job and the men doing it that they made replacements somewhere between last pitch of the spring and first pitch of the season. Is there another position on the field in which a team would do that?

Toronto’s Casey Janssen broke down before the starting gate, and Bobby Parnell did so after one appearance.

The A’s were hailed in the offseason for all but stealing Jim Johnson from the Orioles. Then they went 1-2 rather than 3-0 in their opening series against the Indians because in his first two outings the righty was 0-2 with one blown save and five runs yielded in one inning.

But most damning to the future financial hopes of the closing tribe is Jonathan Papelbon. His four-year, $50 million contract now stands as cautionary tale to all teams about making a significant investment in a pitcher who makes his living one inning at a time and is not named Mariano Rivera.

Already virtually untradeable, Papelbon is veering toward unusable for the Phillies. His fastball, once a 95-mph championship piece for the Red Sox, is now a 91-mph invitation to offensive success. His peripheral numbers for hits, walks and strikeouts per nine innings remained positive last year, but all menace and trustworthiness was eviscerated. That bled seamlessly into his work this season.

And the sport has spoken. The Phillies were willing to eat at least half of the two years at $26 million left on Papelbon’s deal, take little but a token back, and hardly could get a nibble — which also, it must be said, reflects that Papelbon is not viewed well within the game as a clubhouse presence.

Mainly, though, teams do not want to invest significant multi-year dollars in this role. Sure, an overpowering force will come along like Craig Kimbrel, who will be young enough and superb enough to defy the trend. The Braves guaranteed him $42 million over four years (you could imagine, say, the Dodgers doing this with Kenley Jansen or Kansas City with Greg Holland).

But, for the most part, at a time when the prices keep rising for every position on the field, the most narrow specialty roles — DH and closer — have seen a near disappearance of the meaningful three- or four-year deal. For closers, teams have become wise to the volatile/fragile/fungible nature of the job.

There are few Riveras and Kimbrels — brilliant, durable, trustworthy annually. There are a lot of up-and-down yo-yos like John Axford, Chris Perez, etc., who do not engender long-term faith. Parnell is the latest casualty of throwing hard, often, under late-game duress. The life expectancy in the role is just not good. Consider that Papelbon (eight straight years) is the only reliever with even 25 saves in each of the last four seasons.

The faith and trust in the reliability of one guy is all but obsolete. Consider, the Braves (with Kimbrel) are the only team closing with the same guy today as in 2011. Consider, last year’s World Series featured teams in Boston (Koji Uehara) and St. Louis (Trevor Rosenthal) that survived despite going through a series of closers before settling on the best option with their seasons well in progress. There is a sense now that there are more viable candidates to pitch the ninth inning well than to do any other on-field job.

You either have a suitable third baseman if your starter goes down or not. If your closer fails, you might be able to get away with the starter throwing hard at Double-A or the reclamation project you signed to a minor league contract. Rosenthal was a hard-throwing starter, Uehara a journeyman set-up man who with Boston was playing with his third team in three years.

It puts the Yankees in an interesting position with David Robertson. There was no real attempt to be proactive to get him signed long term, since his reps would want him to be paid like a closer (though he is just rising to the job now) and the Yanks would want to treat him like a set-up man. But this is his walk year, so the Yanks have to make a long-term decision on him in the near future.

They have Andrew Bailey signed with an option for 2015. He has closing experience, so if he heals well after shoulder surgery and performs capably late this season, he could be a closing candidate for next year. Someone such as Dellin Betances, Adam Warren or Jose Ramirez could grow into the job. General manager Brian Cashman said “I have no set rules” about whether to give long-term deals to relievers, but he did acknowledge the physical and performance volatility among closers and how that is a major factor in decision-making.

“It doesn’t mean you avoid it altogether,” he said. “But you are very aware of it.”

It means that after having one savant do the job for 17 years, the Yanks suddenly could be like the entire sport when it comes to closing — having found many reasons why not to go long with guys who pitch short.

question: What is the purpose of this article?

answer: The purpose of this article is to show the different dynamics of baseball players and their worth as the years go on.

question: Are baseball teams willing to invest in multi-year dollars in certain roles?

answer: Baseball teams are not willing to invest in multi-year dollars in certain roles.

question: How much value do star baseball players hold for their teams?

answer: Star baseball players hold a lot of value for their teams and are very hard to replace. If these players were to be replaced, a lot of discussion and contract negotiation occurs.


text:
ABD AL-MALIK MUHAMMAD YUSUF UTHMAN ABD AL SALAM (also known as Umar al-Qatari and Umar Al-Tayyer; ) is a jihadist of Palestinian Jordanian origin, who also holds a Qatari national ID. He is a U.S. and UN designated terrorist due to his financial, material, and technological support of Al-Qaeda and the Al Nusra Front.[1][2][3][4][5]

Background

Abd Al Salam was born on July 13, 1989. He is the son of Abu Abdul 'Aziz al-Qatari.

Abu Abdul 'Aziz al-Qatari is a senior-ranking al Qaeda militant and founder of the Syrian Islamist militant group Jund al Aqsa. He has appeared on numerous sanctions lists all over the world for his role in terrorism and terrorism financing.[6][7][8][9]

Abd has been tied to Muhsin al Fadhli, a key leader of the al Qa'eda linked Khorsan group in Syria. He has also been responsible for facilitating donor funding with Iran-based al Qaeda leaders by delivering receipts that confirmed that al Qaeda received foreign donor funding. In 2011, he delivered thousands of dollars to al Fadhli in Iran.

In 2011, he participated in an attack against U.S. forces in Afghanistan. In 2012, he traveled throughout the Gulf, the Levant, Iran, and Southeast Asia as he recruited members and provided logistical support for al Qaeda. He also attended an al Qaeda training camp in 2012, located in Wazirstan that directly linked him to providing operational support for al Qaeda.[10][11]

He has also aided the group in recruiting and organizing the travel of jihadists, especially Syrians based in Turkey, to fight alongside Al Nusra Front, al Qaeda’s Syrian offshoot. Additionally, he was involved in terror financing by raising funds for al Qaeda over the internet and transferring tens of thousands of euros to senior al Qaeda leaders with the help of Khalifa Muhammed Turki al Subai. He has worked with notable extremists in Lebanon, including Ibrahim al Bakr, by acquiring and transporting weaponry to Syria.[12][13][14]

In May 2012, he was arrested in Beirut while attempting to go to Qatar conveying thousands of dollars to send to al Qaeda.[15] He reportedly wired $4 million to his father from a Jordanian bank account before his arrest, claiming to work in his father’s Porsche business in Qatar.[16][17] Despite his arrest, he maintained communication and connected detainees in Lebanon to extremist fighters in Syria and Lebanon. Al Nusra attempted to organize his release from prison in 2013 by brokering an exchange with al Qaeda’s Lebanese hostages.[18][19] He was later freed from Lebanese prison, and deported to Jordan in February 2016, where he was held for months by Jordanian intelligence. He was eventually released and his passport taken.[20]

[1]

[2]  FDD's Long War Journal|website=FDD's Long War Journal|access-date=2016-12-20}}

[3]  FDD's Long War Journal|website=FDD's Long War Journal|access-date=2016-12-20}}

[4]  United Nations Security Council Subsidiary Organs|website=www.un.org|access-date=2016-12-20}}

[5]  Meetings Coverage and Press Releases|website=www.un.org|access-date=2016-12-20|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105193907/http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc11750.doc.htm%7Carchivedate=2016-11-05}}

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]  Counter Extremism Project|website=www.counterextremism.com|access-date=2016-12-20}}

[10]  FDD's Long War Journal|newspaper=FDD's Long War Journal|access-date=2016-12-20|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221161144/http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/09/treasury_designation_2.php%7Carchivedate=2016-12-21}}

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]  Alkarama Foundation|website=www.alkarama.org|access-date=2016-12-20}}

title: Abd al-Malik Muhammad Yusuf Uthman Abd al Salam

question: What organizations is Abd Al-Malik Muhammad Yusuf Uthman Abd Al Salam affiliated with?

answer: Al-Qaeda

question: What is the name of al Qaeda's Syrian offshoot?

answer: Al Nusra Front

question: Where was Abd Al-Malik Muhammad Yusuf Uthman Abd Al Salam held in prison?

answer: Lebanon

question: When was Abd Al-Malik Muhammad Yusuf Uthman Abd Al Salam  arrested?

answer: May 2012

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Abd Al-Malik Muhammad Yusuf Uthman Abd Al Salam is a jihadist of Palestinian Jordanian origin who holds a Qatari national ID. He is a US and UN designated terrorist due to his financial, material, and technological support of Al-Qaeda and the Al Nusra Front.


text:
KERSTI is mainly an Estonian feminine given name.

People named Kersti include:

-   Kersti Bergroth (1886–1975), Finnish author and playwright
-   Kersti Börjars (born 1960), Swedish linguistics scholar
-   Kersti Heinloo (born 1976), Estonian actress
-   Kersti Juva (born 1948), Finnish translator
-   Kersti Kreismann (born 1947), Estonian actress
-   Kersti Kaljulaid (born 1969), Estonian politician, fifth President of Estonia
-   Kersti Merilaas (1913–1986), Estonian poet and translator

Fictional characters named Kersti include:

-   Kersti, in the 2012 video game _Paper Mario: Sticker Star_

title: Kersti

question: What is Kersti?

answer: Kersti is an Estonian feminine given name.

question: Name a few people named Kersti.

answer: Kersti Bergroth, Kersti Juva, Kersti Heinloo, and Kersti Merilaas.

question: Who was Kersti Juva?

answer: A Finnish translator.

question: In which game was the name 'Kersti' used?

answer: In Paper Mario: Sticker Star.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer:
Kersti is an Estonian feminine given name. A few of the famous people with the name are - Kersti Heinloo, an Estonian actress, Kersti Kaljulaid, the fifth President of Estonia, and Kersti Kreismann, an Estonian actress.

The name is also used in the video game Paper Mario: Sticker Star in 2012.


text:
CHATWATCH is a software suite that Jagex has implemented to automatically detect rule-breaking phrases in chat, and to issue automatic mutes to players who type them. It was originally implemented as a check against real-world trading; it would watch for advertising bots and mute them. ChatWatch is constantly being updated with new phrases that can temporarily or permanently mute depending on the flagged phrase. Unlike BotWatch, ChatWatch does not ban players.

ChatWatch was released prior to ClusterFlutterer, the first bot nuke, in September or October 2011. Not long before the anti-gambling update on 18 March 2013, ChatWatch was expanded to automatically mute players who used certain phrases commonly used by hosts to advertise their games.

Sometime before 6 June 2013, ChatWatch had begun to be employed against players who use seriously offensive language. On the High Level forums, Mod Lyon had stated that ChatWatch is intended to rid RuneScape of the sort of language that Jagex believes has no place in the game, regardless of whether it takes place in public, clan, friends or private chat. The aim of ChatWatch is to "make RuneScape a nicer and more enjoyable place to be."

The use of ChatWatch against offensive language is controversial for a number of reasons. Automatic mutes for offensive language is believed by some to be an overreach of the ChatWatch system. Players have expressed confusion and frustration about the mutes themselves, which are often categorized under "Website Advertising - Minor" or "Item Scamming." According to Mod Lyon, this is because of the way that ChatWatch is being adjusted to target offensive language as well as website advertising.

Players have complained that they cannot view the evidence for the mutes, and that appeals remain pending and unresolved for long periods of time. Players have also questioned the use of automatic mutes against offensive language considering the existence of the profanity filter. Furthermore, players have complained that ChatWatch does not differentiate between private conversations between friends and public conversations with strangers; Mod Lyon has replied that offensive language has no place in RuneScape regardless of the medium in which it takes place. Despite the controversy, Jagex has said that they are happy with the system as it is and have no plans to change it.

A new system was introduced on 14 April 2014 that detects inappropriate behaviour. It's a separate system that can warn, temporarily mute, permanently mute, and ban players. This system does not appear for using intermittent seriously offensive language as it's meant to remove violence and solicitation from the game. Selecting "Read" on the message will bring players to the Player Behaviour article on the Game Guide. One example of ChatWatch is that if you say "rswalmart" in-game, then log out and in, you will be muted for 48 hours.

[ChatWatch Seriously Offensive Language]

Mod Lyon describing seriously offensive language mutes

[ChatWatch Seriously Offensive Language 2]

Mod Lyon expanding on seriously offensive language mutes

[Inappropriate Behaviour message]

Message given in-game for inappropriate behaviour

v • d • e

Jagex Monitoring Software

Anti-macro
-   Botwatch
-   ClusterFlutterer
-   Optimus

Chat monitoring
CHATWATCH
Inappropriate Behaviour Warning

question: What is the main subject of the article?

answer: ChatWatch, a software suite that automatically detects rule-breaking phrases in a chat

question: Approximately when was the article written?

answer: Sometime after April 2014

question: What game is ChatWatch aimed at helping?

answer: RuneScape

question: Who wrote this article? Do they have any connection to Jagex?

answer: That information can't be found

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The author discusses ChatWatch, a program that monitors chats in RuneScape and automatically mutes players who break the rules. The author discusses some controversy over the use of the software to prohibit offensive language in addition to its original purpose, which was to ban advertising.


text:
RED DEVOTION is the first EP released by the Christian Rock band, Ashes Remain. It was released on January 1, 2009.[1] This is also the band's third independent release.

Critical reception

Rating the EP with 3.5 stars, _Stanley Wells_ states that “while the first two songs on this EP are not as impressive as they could've been, the rest are rather impressive and give a preview to what Ashes Remain would sound like in 2011”.[2]

Track listing

Personnel

-   Josh Smith – lead vocals, backing vocals
-   Rob Tahan – lead guitar, backing vocals
-   Ryan Nalepa – rhythm guitar
-   Jon Hively – bass guitar, backing vocals
-   Ben Kirk – drums, percussion

[1]

[2]

title: Red Devotion (Ashes Remain EP)

question: What Christian rock band is being discussed in this article?

answer: The Christian rock band that is being discussed in this article is called Ashes Remain.

question: What is Red Devotion?

answer: Red Devotion is the first EP release from the band Ashes Remain.

question: What rating did Stanley Wells give the EP?

answer: He rated the EP with 3.5 stars.

question: Who is on the drums in the band?

answer: Ben Kirk is on the drums in the band.

question: How many band members are perceived to be in the band?

answer: According to the article, there are 5 band members.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes an EP release called Red Devotion, by a Christian Rock Band called Ashes Remain.


text:
The 57TH TROOP COMMAND is a brigade level administrative formation of the New Jersey Army National Guard.[1]

It supervises independent battalions or battalions affiliated with out-of-state higher headquarters.

Structure

-   21st Civil Support Team at Fort Dix[2]
-   1st Battalion (Assault Helicopter), 150th Aviation Regiment at Lakehurst[3]
-   Company C, 1st Battalion (Security and Support), 224th Aviation Regiment at West Trenton Armory[4]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

title: 57th Troop Command

question: What army does the 57th Troop Command belong to?

answer: The New Jersey Army National Guard

question: Summarize the structure of the 57th Troop Command.

answer:
The 57th Troop Command consists of:
- The 21st Civil Support Team at Fort Dix
- The 1st Battalion, 150th Aviation Regiment at Lakehurst
- Company C, 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment at West Trenton Armory

question: What is the purpose of the 57th Troop Command?

answer: It supervises independent battalions or battalions affiliated with out-of-state higher headquarters.

question: Where is the 57th Troop Command based?

answer: New Jersey

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The 57th Troop Command is a brigade level administrative formation of the New Jersey Army National Guard. Its purpose is to supervise independent battalions or battalions affiliated with out-of-state higher headquarters.


text:
 [Noney during the rainy season]

NONEY, also known as Longmai, is a town located in western part of Manipur, India. It is west of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur. Its population is almost entirely made up of Rongmei Naga. Previously known as a village, recently has been declared as one of the new district headquarters of Manipur and is separated from the existing Tamenglong District and now comprises Haochong, Khoupum, Nungba and the Longmai subdivision.

Though the area is often known by the name “Noney” leaders of the land preferred the name “Longmai”. The word “Longmai” is a collective name for all parts of the land (Agriculture's, unused, commercial area, and every inch of the land that belong to Longmaimei). In spite of the vast land they have, their great, great grandfathers started their life in place called Mathen Laubuk (located inside Longmai) usually known by the name “Number 1” or old Longmai village. A place situation on top of mountain, approximately 2.3 km away from Noney bazaar. People don't live their anymore, but it is remembered and preserved till today in respect of their elders who had lived there. Elders would tell stories of being there and how people slowly, bit by bit move downward, toward the river Aga Duithuak (Aga river), until finally they completely vacant the old place. They all moved out of the old place, but all of them didn't settle in one area. Some moved further downward, some closer to the old place. Due to this settlement the village got divided into 6 parts. The parts are usually known by numbers. The number assigned to the parts and its names are as follows:

Longmai 1: PLZ/Gangbangbut Longmai 2: Longmai 2

Longmai 3: Marongsuan, Longmai 4: Peaceland.

Longmai 5: Bazaar, Happy Colony, Spring valley.

Longmai 6: Longmai Namthan.

The old Longmai village is known as Number 1 but when the last group of people living in the old village moved downward below the Number 2, the new place is also known by the name “Number 1”. In the list above the Number 1 is the new place below number 2. The lowest, or the settlement nearest to the river Aga is the present bazaar area. People from all over Longmai and from nearby villages such as Khumji, Nungtek, Makhuam would come down to this place to sell their agriculture goods. For the last few years many people from nearby villages comes here, not only for commercial purposes but also for education and medical purposes.

Demographics

Population

Noney town is inhabited mostly by Rongmei tribe with a total of 635 families. According to the 2011 Census of India, the village has a population of 3,854 people of which 2,141 are males and 1,714 are females. The average sex ratio is 801 females to 1000 males, which is lower than the Manipur state average. In the village, children 6 years of age or younger account for 11.83% of the total population. Child sex ratio for Noney, as per the 2011 census, is 861 females to 1000 males, which is lower than the state average.

Literacy

Noney has a higher literacy rate than Manipur as a whole. In 2011, the literacy rate of Noney was 86.90% compared to 76.94% for Manipur. Male literacy was 93.40%, while female literacy rate was 78.71%.

Caste

In Noney, most of the population belongs to Scheduled Tribe populations. These constitute 60.69%, while Scheduled Castes account for 0.13% of the total population.

Work

Out of the total population of 3,854 people, 1,873 are engaged in work activities. 62.15% of workers describe their work as “main work” (employment or earnings for more than six months) while 37.85% are involved in marginal activities (providing a livelihood for less than 6 months). Out of the 1,873 workers engaged in “main work”, 425 are cultivators (as owners or co-owners), while 5 are agricultural workers.

Administration

As per the Constitution of India and the Panchyati Raj Act, Noney is administrated by the _Sarpanch_ (“Village head”) who is the elected representative of the village. Even though Noney is often described as a village, it has recently grown into a town due to the immigration of people from different parts of Tamenglong. It is also considered the fastest developing town in the Tamenglong district on account of its strategic commercial location for other villages around the Nungba district. Its temperatures are slightly higher compared to other places in Manipur because of the clearing of hills for the development of a railway track and sub-station.

Politics

The Nationalist Congress Party, the Indian National Congress, the Naga People's Front, the Manipur State Congress Party, and the Bharatiya Janata Party are the major political parties in this area.[1]

Connectivity

The construction of the world's tallest railway bridge, measured by height of its pillars, began on 28 July 2014 near Noney. The tallest pillar will be , with others ranging between 50-90m. This will surpass the existing tallest bridge, being the Mala Rijeka Viaduct on the Belgrade–Bar railway line in Europe, where the height of the pillars is . The bridge will lie on the Jiribam – Tupul – Imphal line.[2][3]

[1]

[2]

[3]

title: Noney

question: What is Noney?

answer: Noney, also called Longmai, is a town located in Manipur, India. It's located to the west of Imphal, Manipur's capital.

question: What is the meaning of Longmai?

answer: Longmai is a collective name for all parts of the land (Agriculture's, unused, commercial area, and every inch of the land that belong to Longmaimei).

question: Where did the Noney leaders' ancestors start their life?

answer: They started their life at a place called Mathen Laubuk, which is located 2.3km away from Noney Bazaar.

question: Describe the population of Noney

answer: Noney is inhabited by the Rongmei tribe with a population of 3854 people. The average sex ratio of the town is 801 females to 1000 males.

question: What is the literacy rate of Noney?

answer: Noney has a literacy rate of 86.90%. Male literacy is 93.40% while female literacy is 78.71%.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
Noney, also known as Longmai, is a town in Manipur. The name Longmai is preferred by its leaders and it means all types of lands. It has a population of about 3500 people and has a high literacy rate of 86.90% compared to the state.

The main residents belong to the Rongmei tribe whose ancestors moved here from a place called Mathen Laubuk.


text:
Before you start reading, this si my first short story. I wrote and edited it in 10 minutes, so expect errors. Feedback appreciated!

This is a story about the final battle of a man. This man was one of the greatest warriors who has ever lived, he trained constantly for weeks on end. He vanquished foes without so much as batting an eye. We shall call this man Caiden. He was clothed in a find red cloth, worn by years of use. He wore the best armor that the kingdom had to offer, sturdy metal, with gold plating to intimidate foes. He carried a battle axe given to him by his kingdom, known as the Veteran’s Battle axe. Its encrusted diamond blade sharper then a serpent’s tooth. However, he had been out of action for a year and a half, and was rusty on his tactics.

Wandering around the new battlegrounds, battlegrounds that he did not know well, he saw signs of an enemy warrior. He quickly follows the trail, until he came over a hill and saw this warrior, bow in hand. He was an archer. He seemed to be distracted by something, but one thing stood out above all. He was clothed in a fine blue cloth, with light chainmail armor. An enemy.

Realizing the severity of the situation, Caiden quickly dove behind cover, and peeked out, hoping he had not been spotted. He had not. Quickly scanning the battlefield, he saw that the archer in blue was on top of small cliff, probably only three or four meters high. Below was a river, moving lazily along. The river itself was not very wide, but it was deep for such a small river. Quickly, Caiden formulated a plan, he would charge from behind the blue archer, knocking him into the river, and then jump down into the river himself, dealing a lethal blow.

As Caiden put the first part of his plan into action, the archer heard his footsteps. Eyes wide, he glanced over his shoulder. In panic, he dove into the water and started swimming toward the opposite shore. Quickly, Caiden jumped in after him. The archer, hearing the splash, turned around and drew his bow. At first, the archer fired quick shots to keep Caiden out of range. Then he quickly swam to the other side of the river, and climbed up onto the top of a bank. From there, he fired strong, well placed arrows, never missing a shot.

Realizing his mistake of following such an agile foe, Caiden quickly drew his bow, a weapon he was not familiar with, and fired a few shots whilst swimming toward the opposite shore, missing all of them. One last well-placed shot knocked him down onto the riverbed. The archer, seeing the warrior’s incapacitated state, quickly swam over to the other side to listen to the great warrior’s final wishes. With his final few breaths, Caiden told the archer his story. It was bittersweet, filled with love, and loss. Hope, and despair. How he came to be a warrior, and finally, what he was thinking as he went into his final battle. He died on the beach, the only one to witness his death was the archer.

Maybe if we weren’t enemies, we could have been good friends. But such is the terror of war.

title: His Final Battle, 534 Words

question: How old was Caidan?

answer: He was a very old man.

question: What kind of combat did Caidan prefer?

answer: Hand-to-hand combat.

question: Why did Caidan's plan to fight the archer not work?

answer: The archer heard his footsteps.

question: What was the bittersweet part of Caidan's story?

answer: The part to do when he lost his lover.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Caidan is the greatest warrior who ever lived, but he meets his match when a flawless archer defeats him. However, the archer listens to his life story as his last words.


text:
SLEEP FOR SLEEP’S SAKE

Getting a proper night’s rest can be a challenge, especially when your mind is racing with anticipation about your wedding day. Between the invites, decor, favours, choosing the right music, writing your own vows…everything begins to build up. Relaxing seems impossible when decisions need to be made and the pressures of having the perfect day rely heavily on y-o-u. Sleep is vital for your health so do not rob yourself of it…

If you are one of many individuals who struggle to get at least 6 hours of sleep a night, whether its due to stress, insomnia, or just an over active mind… rest assured you can assist your body in little ways without having to reach for a sleeping pill. By being open-minded, you can make minimal changes that have a big impact on the quality of your sleep.

Guest Writer OLIVIA GUDANIEC

TEMPERATURE

For starters, the temperature around you can make a huge difference. Did you know that the body’s core temperature is slightly lower during your sleeping hours? It is for this reason that adjusting your thermostat can improve your sleep quality. There is no magic number but it is best to choose a temperature between 15 – 20 degrees Celcius. If cold feet are a constant culprit keeping you awake, grab some socks and get cozy.

NATURAL REMEDIES

When it is time for bed and your body starts receiving the right cues from your environment, you will gradually begin to release melatonin. This chemical controls your sleeping and waking cycles. Yet, light can affect how much melatonin you produce so try dimming the lights a few hours before bedtime to start the process. If that still does not do the trick, many people I interviewed said that they thrived using non medical sleeping aids. So to get in the _mood_ to sleep, why not try incorporating a humidifier with a relaxing essential oil like lavender. Keep in mind that sleep aids can only assist healthy sleeping habits and are not meant to be used indefinitely. Either way it is worth experimenting if you are having a disruptive or a difficult time sleeping.

COMFORT

You can also look into updating your pillows and mattress. Most people are not even aware that pillows need to be replaced every few years (for hygienic reasons). Mould spores, dust mites and even those unattractive dead skin cells are inevitable. If you fold your pillow in half and it does not spring back to it’s original shape, or you cannot remember when you last purchased it, then it is definitely time to start searching for something new. On the other hand, with mattresses the typical time frame to replace this large item is ten years. We spend approximately 1/3 of our lives in bed passing through different stages of sleep a night. Don’t you think it is wise to invest in quality items that offer support and comfort? Not to mention, if muscle/joint pain is an issue for you or if you are sweating throughout the night, you may want to consider that it’s time to change your mattress. Just keep in mind what type of sleeper you are and ask plenty of questions when shopping around.

PRE-BEDTIME

If you have followed all of these tips and are still tossing and turning, consider making some adjustments with what you are consuming before going to bed. After all, digestion also slows down while you are sleeping. Therefore, avoid consuming high fat foods, any alcohol, coffee, dark chocolate, soda/pop, spicy foods and of course, energy drinks. Remember that while you are sleeping, your body is still working so it is best to skip any large meals before shutting down. To promote better sleep reach for foods that contain the amino acid _tryptophan,_ which is rumoured to help greatly as it produces serotonin. This assists your body by boosting melatonin which as mentioned earlier, impacts your sleep cycles. So instead of excessive snacking opt for some cherries, milk, fortified cereals (whole grains not the sugary stuff), bananas, avocados, low fat/plain yogurt, and chamomile/ valerian tea. Be mindful, keep yourself relaxed and maintain a well balanced diet, your wedding day depends on it.

OLIVIA GUDANIEC Artist/Writer
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram Olivia Gudaniec
www.oliviagudaniec.com

question: Summarize the author's reasons for replacing your pillows/mattress.

answer: They say that mold spores, dust mites, and dead skin cells accumulate in pillows. They also argue that because we spend about a third of our lives in bed, it's worth investing in a quality mattress, and replacing one's mattress may also help with muscle/joint pain.

question: What does the text say one should do before going to bed to promote sleep?

answer: One should avoid consuming foods high in fat, any alcohol, coffee, dark chocolate, soda, spicy foods, or energy drinks. But one should consume foods high in tryptophan, an amino acid the author claims will produce serotonin, which in turn will boost melatonin production. In particular, they suggest eating cherries, milk, fortified cereals, bananas, avocados, low fat/plain yogurt, and chamomile/valerian tea.