text:
Were you outraged when a couple of London coppers suggested to a newspaper vendor that he should stop selling _Private Eye_ magazine on the basis that its cover image might prejudice the trial of former News International boss Rebekah Brooks? Good. You should have been. No one with any sense – not to mention a love for liberty – should want to live in a country where policemen get to say what sort of material people can print, hawk and read. That way tyranny lies.

But wait – were you equally outraged when, last year, police in Manchester confiscated hundreds of copies of _Red Issue_, the Man Utd fanzine, on the basis that a cartoon it contained could have angered Liverpool FC fans? If you were, then, again, good. To have a situation where the boys in blue can forcibly impound printed material that they’ve unilaterally decreed to be ‘offensive’ – as happened in Manchester – runs counter to every principle of liberty. It turns the clock back to that black period when the authorities got to say what the rest of us could say, depict and declare, when the right to speak was a gift of officialdom handed only to those whose ideas pleased the powers-that-be.

If you weren’t as outraged by the massive police op against _Red Issue_ as you were by the comparatively small-scale harassment of that _Private Eye_ vendor, if you didn’t tweet and rail against that Stasi-like squishing of an ‘offensive’ football mag in the same way you did over the _Private Eye_ fiasco… well, why not? Do you think freedom of speech is less important for football fans than for people interested in political and media gossip? Do you think footie fanzines are fair game for state obliteration, and it’s only clever political material we should worry about protecting from the long arm of the law?

Were you disturbed when David Cameron made a veiled threat to the _Guardian_ recently, telling it in relation to its revelations about the National Security Agency’s spying antics that it must exercise more ‘social responsibility’ in what it reports or otherwise officialdom might have to ‘use injunctions or D notices’? I hope you were. For a prime minister to use weasel lingo about ‘social responsibility’ and dark whispers about D notices to try to stop a newspaper from publishing politically embarrassing things is deeply worrying. It speaks to the political class’s illiberal instinct to muzzle its critics, to tame papers that reveal things that politicians would rather keep hidden.

But wait – were you equally disturbed when Cameron made not-so-veiled threats against the tabloid press in 2011, when, announcing the establishment of the Leveson Inquiry into the culture and ethics of the press, he said that where for years the press had spoken truth to power, now it was time for ‘those in power [to] tell truth to the press’? If you weren’t, why not? Why is it bad for Cameron to insist that the _Guardian_ behave in a ‘socially responsible’ way, but okay for him to demand – and to seek to enforce – ‘ethical responsibility’ among the tabloid press? How is his hint of using a D notice against anti-NSA reporting worse than his non-hint, very real-world use of lords, inquiries, modern-day Star Chambers and huge political pressure to try to bring to heel the raucous tabloids?

That’s a question that should certainly be asked of the 70-odd human rights groups who last week wrote an open letter to Cameron accusing him of imperilling Britain’s traditions of press freedom through his response to the NSA stuff, yet who raised not a peep – _not a single peep_ – about his government’s war on the tabloids’ right to publish and be damned, on their right to not be ‘socially responsible’, or ‘ethically responsible’. In fact, the head of one of those Cameron-criticising human rights groups – Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty – actually sat on the panel of the Leveson Inquiry that dragged every tabloid editor in the land before it to give him a censorious grilling. From partaking in Cameron’s drive to force the tabloids to be ethically responsible to lambasting Cameron for suggesting that the _Guardian_ be socially responsible… in the words of the wicked tabloids, you couldn’t make it up.

Have you been perturbed by reports in recent years about theatres, including London’s Royal Court, refusing to stage plays critical of Islam in case a few hotheads armed with Korans kick up a fuss? I hope you have been. Such self-gagging shows that when a climate of political correctness takes hold, when inoffensiveness is made into a public virtue, then we don’t even need states to censor our sentiments, criticism or art – we do it to ourselves, for fear of upsetting those who arrogantly presume to have a licence to silence and demolish any word, picture or artwork that offends their sensibilities. But wait – were you also perturbed by officialdom’s ban on certain Islamist preachers from coming to Britain, most notably Dr Zakir Naik, on the basis that their praising of the 9/11 hijackers and their justification of domestic violence and other nutty utterances are ‘not conducive to the public good’? If not, why not? Do you think freedom of speech somehow covers criticism of Islamism but not expressions of Islamism? How does that work then?

Were you disturbed by London mayor Boris Johnson’s floating of the idea of banning political protests in London’s West End? Good. I presume, then, that you were equally disturbed by his unilateral banning of a poster on London buses which suggested homosexuals could be ‘cured’? Were you alarmed by the police’s arrest and trial of a tweeter who made a joke about blowing up Robin Hood Airport in Nottingham? I hope you were. And I hope you were equally – in fact more – alarmed by the actual imprisonment for 56 days of a drunken tweeter who spouted online racial abuse about the then very ill footballer Fabrice Muamba? Were you disturbed by the British Chiropractic Association’s suing of the science writer Simon Singh? Good. It was a very clear example of how Britain’s archaic, reputation-worshipping libel laws can be used to silence dissent and ridicule. I presume, then, that you were equally disturbed by ITN’s use of the libel laws in the late 1990s to punish and ultimately shut down _LM_ magazine after it dared to ask searing questions about ITN’s coverage of the Bosnian War?* Yes? Surely? Come on.

If you can answer ‘yes’ to all of the above – if you can say you opposed the censoring or threatened censoring of both the respectable _Guardian_ and the naughty tabloids; of both Islam-criticising playwrights and Islamist preachers of nonsense; of both jokey tweeters and racist tweeters; of both lefty protesters and homophobic adverts – then congratulations are due: you understand what freedom of speech means, which is quite simply that speech – all of it, with absolutely no exceptions – ought to be free. Free from the blue pen and eraser and modesty bags of the state, its offshoots, the police, the moral majority, moral minorities, easily offended cliques or anyone else who imagines he has the right to stop us, the public, from seeing or hearing certain things.

If you cannot answer ‘yes’ to all of the above – if you supported the freedom of speech of some of those folks but not of others – then I am afraid I have some bad news for you: you don’t know what freedom of speech is. Indeed, it is a profound contradiction in terms to defend freedom of speech for some people but not for others. It is technically and morally impossible to have ‘freedom of speech for some’. If you criticise restrictions on the speech of people you like but ignore, or even worse cheer, restrictions on the speech of people you don’t like, then what you are doing has nothing whatsoever to do with freedom of speech; instead, you are helping to turn speech into a privilege, to be enjoyed by some but denied to others.

When Shami Chakrabarti, fresh from spending the best part of two years sitting in judgement on the tabloid press, says the _Guardian_ should be allowed to publish NSA revelations, she isn’t defending press freedom – she’s defending the privilege of the _Guardian_ to enjoy less state scrutiny than the tabloids, presumably on the basis that it is a more upstanding, politically decent publication. When commentators defend with one breath the right of playwrights to criticise Islam, but then cheer with their next breath the banning of Islamist preachers from Britain, they aren’t defending freedom of speech – they’re defending the privileges of artists to enjoy a greater scope to speak their minds than their intellectual and moral inferiors. When campaigners defend the right of leftists to wave placards on London streets, yet turn a blind eye to the mayor’s banning of homophobic ads or the home secretary’s banning of far-right marches, they aren’t defending political freedom; they’re demanding political privilege, the right to enjoy something that they would deny to others: a platform from which to announce their ideas and intentions.

There is no true, full-on, _consistent_ fight for freedom of speech in Britain today. Instead there are individuals and groups effectively demanding a special privilege to speak, on the grounds that what they have to say – about the NSA, about Islam, about the ‘ConDem’ government – is important and worthy. And those whose utterances are presumed to be unimportant or unworthy, whether they’re daft tweeters, anti-immigrant rabble-rousers, or claptrap-spouting Islamists? Screw them. Ban them. Keep them offline, off the airwaves, off the streets, out of Britain. Today’s privilege demanders disguised as free speech warriors have forgotten the key word in the phrase freedom of speech – which is freedom, exemption from control, a universal value which, unless it is enjoyed by every single free citizen, has absolutely no meaning.

_spiked_ is on a mission to defend proper, all-encompassing freedom of speech – not only for ourselves and those we like (which would be a massive contradiction in terms), but also for the right, the left, the annoying, the batty, the wicked, the racist, the religious, the pornographic, the offensive, the hateful and the downright dumb. Not because we like all, or even any, of those people, but because we like – very much – the key idea behind freedom of speech: which is that it is only by having the fullest, freest, frankest and utterly unpoliced exchange of ideas and information that the people, using their moral and mental muscles, can decipher truth from codswallop and be properly autonomous, destiny-determining creatures. Freedom of speech makes us free; it makes us moral; it makes us _human_. It is enjoyed by all, or it is enjoyed by none.

BRENDAN O’NEILL is editor of _spiked_. Visit his personal website here.

*Declaration of personal interest: I was working at _LM_ magazine when it was sued. Mick Hume will revisit the ITN-_LM_ trial on _spiked_ later this month.

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TO ENQUIRE ABOUT REPUBLISHING _SPIKED_’S CONTENT, A RIGHT TO REPLY OR TO REQUEST A CORRECTION, PLEASE CONTACT THE MANAGING EDITOR, VIV REGAN.

question: Who is the author of this editorial?

answer: Brendan O'Neill

question: What is Brendan talking about?

answer: Freedom of speech

question: What happened to the newspaper vendor?

answer: The police suggested that he should stop selling Private Eye magazine on the basis that its cover might prejudice the trial of former News International boss Rebekah Brooks.

question: Why did David Cameron make veiled threats to the Guardian?

answer: Because of the Guardian's revelations about the NSA spying tactics, and that the newspaper must exercise more "social responsibility" in what it reports.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Brendan O'Neill writes an editorial about freedom of speech. He addresses the reader directly by asking whether or not they were upset, outraged, or disturbed by the recent spate of government crackdowns on tabloids, newspapers, magazines, rallies, and ads they feel aren't socially responsible enough. These cases of censorship are a clear violation of the public's fundamental right to seeing or hearing certain things. Brendan says that unless freedom of speech is enjoyed by every single free citizen, it has absolutely no meaning.


split: train

text:
Suzy sat at her grandmother's lap, in the old house that her grandmother had lived in for many years now. She loved nights like these, where her grandmother would tell her stories. To her eight year old eyes, grandma was the wisest person in the whole city... no... the whole world. As her eyes scanned the room as her grandmother told her about how in her days they used to catch dragonflies and tie them on string, something glistened softly on the mantelpiece where the fireplace was. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was a red stone set in what seemed to be a crude flower frame, no larger than her thumb. Curious about the object she turned and asked her grandmother, who had the answer to everything "Gramma, what's that?".

Anna was taken by surprise, because Suzy had been quiet all the while. She looked in the direction that her granddaughter was pointing, and saw the little brooch on the mantelpiece. "Why Suzy, you mean the little flower brooch over there? The red one?" said Anna. Suzy looked confused. "Gramma... what's a broooch?" she asked. Anna laughed and said as simply as she could "Well, it's a shiny thing just like that one, which we sometimes use to pin to clothes". "ohh..." said Suzy, and she got up to take a closer look. Her grandmother motioned to her to bring it closer, and Suzy sat in her lap once more, this time with brooch in hand.

"Where did you get it from gramma? Did grampa give it to you?" asked Suzy. Anna laughed again, then with a slightly more solemn expression said "No, not from grampa. It was a present from someone else, when I was very young. In fact, I think I was just about your age". "Wow... who was it?" asked Suzy, filled with curiousity. Anna smiled gently at her granddaughter, and told her story just as she remembered it...

Anna was playing in the snow then, something she had always loved. Her father had been gone for 2 years at that point, and her mother was busy at work as usual. Her brother was in the house, studying furiously as he had been for some time, and he was never any fun. So she had gone to her secret spot in the hilltop where she could see the whole town and where the air was fresher. There she observed the hustle and bustle as the people went about their day in the city below, and she drew circles in the snow. Ah... bliss.

Not long after she had begun to build a tiny snowman army, she heard footsteps coming up the pathway. Turning around, she saw a man dressed in a winter coat walking up the path. When he caught sight of her, he smiled and winked at her. "Ah, so my secret place isn't so secret after all, is it?" he said. Anna frowned and said "Nuh uh, this is my secret place! I came here first! It's mine, mister!". "Ah, you must be right! My mistake. Well, it's been a tough day, so would you mind sharing your special spot with me for awhile so I can catch my breath?" said the man playfully. Anna inspected him from head to toe before finally saying "Well... you look you're not a bad guy, so I guess I'll let you. But just this once!". The man smiled, and thanked her graciously.

He sat there in the snow watching the city, while she continued building the snowman army. Once that was complete, she started work on the bad guys, big monstrous creatures. Of course, they would still be no match for her army, because the bad guys always lose in the end. All of the stories her mother told her ended that way.

After he had sat there for a long time, he came over to her to see what she had made. "So... what do have here, little one?" he asked again. "These" she said, pointing to the snowman army "are the good guys and they will fight against" then she pointed to the monsters she had made out of snow "these baddies here. And they'll win of course!". The man smiled, a little sadly. "Do the good guys always win?" he asked weakly. "Yes! Of course they do!" said Anna confidently. The man fell silent for a short while. Then he said "I wish I had your conviction little one, but sometimes it feels as though no matter what I do, no matter how hard we fight, the bad guys won't give in". "Don't worry mister" said Anna, "as long as you're a good guy you have nothing to fear, right?". He smiled, and then nodded.

"You're right, little one." he said. "It's hard sometimes. I'm sure even for a little one like you this war has been hard. So many of our people are suffering because of it. Yet it is a necessary suffering, because we have to win against the bad guys. We have to do what is right." he said with a steely resolve in his voice. "I promise you little one, when this war is over, things will be good again. We will have won against the bad guys, and things will be good" he said. Anna jumped excitedly upon hearing this, and danced in the snow. "You better win against the baddies mister!" she said. the man simply nodded in response.

They heard footsteps walking up the hill, and a soldier dressed in full military regalia walked towards them. The man smiled and said "looks like I have to go little one. You have been good company, and I feel refreshed. Thank you for sharing your spot with me". He pulled out a brooch from his coat pocket, shaped like a flower and with a ruby in the middle and handed it to her. "This I bought for someone else, but I think it is better left with you". Anna stared at the shiny brooch, and beamed with excitement upon receiving something so beautiful. She hugged him in gratitude.

Then the soldier spoke "Fuhrer, it is time for us to go". The man smiled at Anna once more, and he left with the soldier.

That was the first and last time she ever saw the man in person.

"Why do you keep it gramma?" asked Suzy. "Well..." said Anna, "I used to believe, just like that man that evil and good were two easily distinguishable things. That there were the good guys and the bad guys, and the purpose of the good guys was to make sure the bad guys were defeated at all costs. People will tell you this Suzy, that this man is bad, or that man is good. In reality I think that it isn't anywhere near that simple." She held her granddaughter close.

" I guess the reason I keep it Suzy, is to remind myself to never lose sight of the humanity that is in us all".

title: Red

question: Who are the main characters?

answer: Suzy and Anna

question: Who is the man Anna meets?

answer: Adolf Hitler

question: What is the red stone?

answer: A ruby

question: Why is Anna's father gone?

answer: We might infer he was a soldier

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Suzy asks her grandmother, Anna, about a brooch on her mantelpiece with a ruby in the center. Anna tells her that Hitler gave it to her during a chance encounter when she was a child. Anna says she keeps it to remind herself that there is humanity in everyone.


text:
_WATER_ is the debut studio album by American jazz musician Gregory Porter. It was released under the Motéma Music label on May 11, 2010.[1][2]

Critical reception

Christopher Loudon of _JazzTimes_ stated “The intersection of Kurt Elling and Sammy Davis Jr. may seem an unfathomable junction, but that’s precisely where you’ll find Gregory Porter. On his debut album, consisting largely of original tunes that are as uniformly impressive as his sound, Porter takes the best of Davis-the superior interpretive skills, clarion tone and immaculate diction that were too often overwhelmed by staginess-and marries it to the best of Elling, complete with some solid scatting”.[3]

Phil Johnson of _The Independent_ wrote “Tipped by Jamie Cullum as one to watch, Porter is a deep-voiced vocalist from Bakersfield, California. There's an obvious debt to Kurt Elling but Porter seems relatively unbound by technique, sounding less mannered and more soulful as a result”.[4]

Commercial reception

As of June 2017, the album is ranked number 27 in Jazz digital albums on Amazon.[5]

Kevin Le Grande of BBC Music noted that “Gregory Porter has a voice and musicality to be reckoned with” and that Mr. Porter could help fill the gap of new male African-American jazz singers.[6] Howard Dukes of Soul Tracks claims Gregory Porter as a new talent, “an artist who has a number of classic, familiar elements in his style, but whose approach brings a freshness that both jazz and soul fans should love” and continues with praise: “I think Nat King Cole would be pleased.”[7]

Track listing

All songs written by Gregory Porter, except where noted.[8]

Personnel

Featured artists[9]

-   Gregory Porter – vocals, arrangements
-   James Spaulding – alto saxophone
-   Chip Crawford – piano, arrangements

Production[10]

-   Kamau Kenyatta – production

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[8] _Water_ (liner notes). Gregory Porter. Motéma Music. 2010.

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title: Water (Gregory Porter album)

question: Who has created the album "Water"?

answer: Gregory Porter

question: When was the album released?

answer: The album was released on 11 May 2010.

question: What is the album's ranking? If any.

answer: The album is ranked 27th on Amazon's Jazz digital albums as of June 2017.

question: List a few other songs by the artist.

answer: This information is not mentioned.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
Water is the debut studio album of Gregory Porter. The album was released on 11 May 2010 under the Motema Music label.

Christopher Loudon calls Porter's composition "the intersection of Kurt Elling and Sammy Davis Jr." While Phil Johnson of The Independent says that "Porter seems relatively unbound by technique, sounding less mannered and more soulful."

The album is ranked 27th on Amazon's Jazz digital album as of June 2017.


text:
NEVADA'S 6TH SENATE DISTRICT is one of 21 districts in the Nevada Senate. It has been represented by Democrat Nicole Cannizzaro, the current Senate Majority Leader, since 2016.[1]

[Closeup on the Las Vegas Valley with District 6 colored blue] [Closeup map of District 6]

Geography and demographics

District 6 is located in the Las Vegas Valley in Clark County, including parts of Summerlin and Las Vegas proper.[2]

The district overlaps with Nevada's 1st, 3rd, and 4th congressional districts, and with the 34th and 37th districts of the Nevada Assembly.[3] It has a surface area of , and a perimeter of .[4]

According to the 2010 census, District 6 had a population of 128,587 – 0.01% below the ideal. The district's Latino population is relatively low compared to the rest of Nevada.[5] Nearly a quarter of the inhabitants of District 6 are 60 years old or older, which is 6% more than the Nevada average. Furthermore, the district's population is better-educated than the rest of Nevada; for example, just under 10% of its residents have no high school diploma, compared to over 15% in Nevada. The median household income is a few thousand dollars above the median of the entire state, and the poverty rate is 11%.[6]

Recent election results

Nevada Senators are elected to staggered four-year terms; since 2012 redistricting, the 6th district has held elections in presidential years.

2020

2016

In 2016, appointed incumbent Mark Lipparelli did not seek re-election. Nicole Cannizzaro was uncontested in the Democratic primary, while Assemblymembers Victoria Seaman and Erv Nelson faced off in the Republican primary. During their single terms in the legislature, Nelson supported and Seaman opposed a $1.5 billion tax increase providing more funding for public education.[7] Although the Senate Republican Caucus endorsed Nelson, Seaman won with over 60% of the vote.[8][9]

According to the _Las Vegas Review-Journal_, the general election would be a close race, and could determine whether the GOP would keep its majority in the Senate.[10] Cannizzaro, a prosecutor in the Clark County district attorney's office, said she supported the recent education reforms and alternative education programs. She also indicated she would back expansion of programs treating mental health problems and programs combatting substance abuse.[11] In August, around two months before the election, a poll was released showing Seaman at 45% and Cannizzaro at 41%, with a margin of error of 5.8%.[12] The next month, the Democratic Party spread flyers that said Seaman “shares a vision” with Bunkerville cattle rancher Cliven Bundy, which Seaman called deceptive, saying she “had nothing to do with Cliven Bundy.”[13] According to the final campaign finance reports, Cannizzaro had raised almost $415,000, while Seaman had raised around $300,000.[14] Cannizzaro ultimately won the election by around 2 percent, resulting in a Democratic Senate majority.[15] Seaman blamed the loss on the expensive Republican primary, while Republican Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson attributed the defeat to Democrats' registration edge in District 6.[16]

2014 appointment

Halfway through his term, incumbent Mark Hutchison was elected Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, causing the Clark County Commission to fill the vacancy by choosing one of several applicants. Almost a dozen candidates applied, among them Glenn E. Trowbridge and Mark Lipparelli, a former chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board supported by Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson.[17][18] Hutchison offered his letter of resignation to Governor Brian Sandoval on December 1, and the Clark County Commission unanimously chose Lipparelli to fill the position the following day.[19] One of the county commissioners said the decision was influenced by Sandoval.[20]

2012

[Republican Mark Hutchison won the election with a slim majority of the votes.] In 2012, incumbent Democrat Allison Copening chose not to seek re-election. Mark Hutchison was uncontested in the Republican primary, while Democrats could choose between Benny Yerushalmi and Thomas Welsh. Yerushalmi, who had unsuccessfully run for the Senate two years earlier, said he wanted to diversify the economy to reduce its reliance on tourism and gaming, and adjust the education system accordingly. Welsh, himself a failed candidate for the Assembly in the late 1990s, said he was frustrated with the status quo in the Senate, and supported education system reforms and foreclosure preventions.[21] Yerushalmi defeated Welsh with around 55% of the vote.[22]

Both general election candidates focussed on education and the economy. Hutchison, who also had never held public office, said school districts could save millions of dollars by rewarding construction projects to the lowest responsible bidder instead of caring about “prevailing wages” for the construction workers. Yerushalmi continued the rhetoric from his primary campaign, advocating for more cooperation between higher education and employers.[23] Hutchison out-raised Yerushalmi $500,000 to $250,000, and won the election by a narrow margin.[24][25]

Federal and statewide results in District 6

  Year       Office                                 Results[26]
  ---------- -------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
  2018       Senate                                 align=“right” | Rosen 52.6 – 43.6%
  Governor   align=“right” | Sisolak 51.9 – 43.8%
  2016       President                              align=“right” | Clinton 49.6 – 44.8%
  2012       President                              align=“right” | Obama 51.8 – 46.6%
  Senate     align=“right” | Berkley 46.9 – 45.1%

History

The 6th district was created when the districts were redrawn in 2011 as a result of the 2010 Census.[27] The borders of the redrawn districts went into effect on January 1, 2012 for filing for office, and for nominating and electing senators. They became effective for all other purposes on November 7 – the day after Election Day, when the new senator terms began. The borders of District 6 are defined in the Nevada Revised Statutes using census tracts, block groups, and blocks.[28]

When it was established in the 1980s, Clark County Senate District 6 took up most of northwest Clark County, including Indian Springs, Mount Charleston, Blue Diamond, and the western suburbs of Las Vegas. In the 1990s, it contracted in size to accommodate the growing community of Summerlin and expanding suburbs in the western part of the Las Vegas Valley. It has been redrawn in the same general area since.

Former holders of the seat include Ray Rawson, Bob Beers and Allison Copening.

[1]

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title: Nevada's 6th Senate district

question: How many state senators represent the people of Nevada?

answer: The text doesn't explicitly say.

question: How many times is a census mentioned in this text?

answer: 3.

question: Explain Cannizzaro's connection to Seaman in this text.

answer: Cannizzaro ran as the democratic candidate in Nevada's 2016 senate race against Seaman, who ran as a republican. Seaman lost by 2%.

question: What is Allison Copening's political party affiliation?

answer: Democratic.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This text briefly overviews Nevada's 6th Senate district. It includes information about the district's boundaries, origins, and senate races, and primarily focuses on the years 2012-2016.


text:
*Now I think it is time that you should go away, young master, for I find this conversation uninteresting and exhausting. I think you ought to go away really almost at once, in case my disillusioned mouth should suddenly determine to introduce you to my great gills, which have teeth in them also. Yes, I really think you might be wise to go away this moment. Indeed, I think you ought to put your back into it. And so, a long farewell to all my greatness.*

Brian O’Brien was a Man. Not merely a man, a Man. Upon his entering a busy room, its female occupants would run restless fingers through their hair or press out the creases in their skirts, while the other, lesser men inside would glance at their feet or crack their knuckles and shift their feet. His driver liked to tell the story of a common thief who, after thrusting a gun at the tall, dark-haired passenger exiting the car, dropped his pistol and almost tripped over his feet turning away from O’Brien. Another time, at an important meeting, some young upstart had dared to interrupt the silence O’Brien’s presence demanded. Though he reacted calmly at the time, glancing briefly over his papers to identify the youth, something had happened afterwards that the shattered underling would never take upon himself to repeat, something that drained the color from his face every time he thought of it.

With all the stories he’d heard of O’Brien, it was of little wonder that the young accountant sitting before the magnificent oak door labelled “Brian O’Brien, Partner” could barely stop his foot twitching, or that his hair had begun to itch as the pores on his scalp slowly began to ooze sweat. Having started at the law firm only three weeks earlier, the college graduate could not imagine what the great O’Brien wanted from him. If it were up to him, Julian Zachary would not have taken the job in the first place. His parents, concerned that Julian would never use the talents he’d developed in the college education they’d paid for, had pushed and pressured him into working at the partnership. Julian had obliged them, as always, and allowed them to pursue the accounting position. But now things were getting far too serious; Julian had no problem dealing with simple, objective numbers, but the thought of confrontation with O’Brien was enough to make him twist his clammy hands.

At precisely three thirty, just as the email had instructed him, Julian stood - well, Julian jumped - and approached the door. Before he could raise his hand to knock, the clerk heard that distinctive, powerful voice echoing from within:

“Enter.” Straightening abruptly in surprise, Julian waited a moment before turning the bronze handle. Julian had a moment to take in the room, the rows upon rows of nondescript books, the expensive furniture, and the large window looking over the grey city skyline. Finally, hesitatingly, Julian’s eyes fell to the Man himself. Even sitting in the chair, O’Brien filled the room, emanating a power entirely unfamiliar to Julian. Though he was not an old man, O’Brien’s sharp eyes suggested an uncanny wisdom that bordered on omnipotence; as they focused in on the unexperienced accountant, the generic greeting Julian had so carefully prepared dropped from his mouth as a confused jumble of muttered syllables and vowels. O’Brien, after disdainfully waving away the weak speech that polluted his office air, directed Julian again:

“Sit.” The Man moved one of his large hands towards the chair in front of his stout wooden desk. Had he been a more athletic person, Julian might have noticed that O’Brien moved with the grace of a dancer or, more fittingly, a boxer. Instead, Julian thought of that mighty hand swinging down to smite the chair at which it pointed. Julian swallowed and sat, silently praying that his nervousness would not betray itself to the demigod in the chair across the desk from him. O’Brien’s expression of smug competence told Julian that it already had.

“I did not inform you as to why we were meeting today.”

Julian started, having almost forgotten himself, “No.” O’Brien waited a moment, as though waiting for Julian to add something in his defense, explaining how he could have been so lazy as to decline to determine the purpose of the meeting,

“I like to acquaint myself with everyone in this firm.” He fixed his gaze even more closely at Julian. Julian swallowed. “As one of the two names in this partnership, the actions of this firm reflect upon me. Your actions reflect upon me. Your actions will not fail to reflect positively upon me. Do you understand?” Julian understood. His parents were no longer the only ones watching his every step. He attempted an understanding, competent nod. Judging by O’Brien’s immediate smirk, it must have come out far faster than the accountant had intended. Disappointed, Julian tried to be still, though he still could not control his tapping foot.

O’Brien stood, turning his back to Julian to gaze out upon the city, presenting his inferior with a full view of his broad, muscular back.

“There is much work to be done here, and more will be expected of you than what you have done so far.” As he spoke, O’Brien moved towards a small vitrine built into one of his bookshelves. Inside were an assortment of small cases, vials, and mechanisms, all of them foreign to the seated accountant. O’Brien opened the glass door to retrieve a thin, wooden case about six inches long and two wide. After returning to his leather armchair, O’Brien brought his attention back to the skinny clerk in front of him, “This was most unwisely left in my possession by a man that I am defending. A murderer,” he pushed the case towards Julian, leaving it in front of the trembling youngster. “You will destroy it.” O’Brien snapped open the golden clasp that held the case shut. Julian blanched, his eyes darting around the room for something - anything else - to focus on. “Do you understand me?” Julian, looking far away, coughed. “Mr. Zachary: do you understand me?” Julian looked down at his feet,

“Yes.”

Later that evening, as he took the bus home from the firm, Julian fingered his belongings nervously, trying to think of anything but the severed finger wrapped in plastic lying in the tiny coffin in his suitcase. Had he been a cleverer man, Julian might have pondered why O’Brien would prescribe him with such a task. Had he been a braver man, Julian might have thought about bringing his grisly baggage to the police. Being neither of these things, Julian pulled a pencil out of his pocket and, with a shudder, slipped a notepad out of his briefcase. He began the process of forgetting his vicious cross-examination by constructing a maze for himself. And with that, the young, nervous man on the train began to accept that he would do as he was told.

title: Man and man (1776 words)

question: Why did O'Brien assign Julian the task of destroying the case and its contents?

answer:
O'Brien is a man that commands attention wherever he goes. Upon entering a busy room, O'Brien's presence makes everyone conscious of what they do - it isn't uncommon to see woman smoothening their skirts or men staring at their toes whenever O'Brien makes an entrance.

Julian Zachary, unfortunately, has the misfortune of his first job being at O'Brien's law firm. One day, O'Brien calls Julian into his office telling him how he loves to know every member of his firm. He presents Julian with a suitcase, instructing him to destroy it. Julian did not ask any questions. He seems too petrified and in awe of O'Brien to question the legality nd appropriateness of the errand.


text:
I miss the wind. Its gentle caress upon your skin, the way it billows through your hair like a silken comb, encompassing and soft like a lover's embrace. It is a calming breeze, one that allows you to put things in perspective, and return to an objective point of view.

Goddamned civilization.

The wind is gone now, the pure wind at least, replaced by the stale pollution of the city's leavings, the only breeze generated by the sheer amount of movement that happens on a regular basis. Humanity is too ignorant to see the forest for the trees, aware only of their own little bubble of reality, many refusing to accept the possibility of the unknown, as it would shatter their perceptions and rattle their "perfect" world.

Alas, I find myself on a tangent yet again. This happens quite a bit. It is a good thing I am not talking to myself.

Yes, that's right. I've known you were here.

About the last ten minutes.

Because had I simply wished to stop your espionage, you would have been quite dead by now.

Even immortals can die, Mr. Randolph.

Put down the gun, it will do you absolutely no good at this range. That calibur is only effective if you put enough distance between us to allow for a clean shot. Fired point blank, it would be fairly ineffective at causing any lethal damage.

I grow tired of this conversation. Allow me to get back on track.

You are here because of your master. He wants to know about Project K16M9.

Oh, you were not included in that conversation, were you? Please, exit those pointless shadows, come sit down.

Sit.

SIT.

Very good. Now, your master and I have-

You prefer employer. How quaint. You like to believe you have a choice in your dealings with him. I shall leave you to your delusions for now.

Calm yourself, it is irrelevant at this point. Listen carefully. Your...employer...and I have been in a partnership for...well, longer than you have been here, I assure you. You see, I remember when his organization was but a fledgling group, being staked out for destruction by those who would not benefit from it. Their stock plummeted each time your employer's team grew.

Yes, I am using vague terms. Subtlety is important when you are on candid camera.

Sit down, you are too paranoid. I own this building, and the camera in my office feeds to a recorder only I know the location of. Besides, there are far worse things to worry about with me than being seen by others. I just like using metaphors.

May I continue my tale, or would you like to inject something into the story?

I thought so.

The business grew, and as it did, so shrank those too weak or too stupid to escape the power of corporate earnings. Have you ever heard of natural selection, Mr. Randolph? It states that only the strong survive, the weak and incompetent are left to die and be eaten by those stronger and smarter than they are. Interesting theory. One that worked for quite some time.

Unfortunately, there came a time when stupidity rose up in large numbers and overthrew the balance.

Soon, the weak and the ignorant had banded together within organizations, led by overzealous leaders who took advantage of their herd mentality in order to manipulate them into doing their bidding. Brilliant in its simplicity. Relate to the flock on their level, make them feel important, make them feel drawn and led by something, and their sheer numbers will blot out the sun.

Then the takeover began.

Your employer's numbers dwindled as these groups took the hatchet - quite literally - to each of his employees, one by one. They then began to burn his profits, usually at the stake. Before long, other companies were targeted who were considered salacious, or evil. Stocks plummeted as the product was recalled. Before long, they almost went out of business.

Here, you look tense by this tale. Have some warm milk, it will ease your nerves.

Ah, I see. You prefer other things. No matter, you shouldn't feel hunger for at least another hour, long enough to relay the information.

This is where I came in. Your employer turned to me, knowing my battle strategy for good business and my track record for accomplishing the impossible through my vast networking skills, requesting my expertise in the matter. His payment was to be tendered in full once I had finished the deal.

I set to work, sending several contacts into the rival companies, the flocks of ignorance, slowly using them as splinter cell agents to topple their hierarchy. At the same time, i've kept several of my own men and women within your employer's company, measuring your market trends, keeping an eye on fiscal results, and responsible for procurement and acquisition of goods. This allowed-

Interrupt me one more time, and I shall have an excuse to put up a beautiful cremation urn that would just look tacky had it not a purpose. If anyone asks, you will have been a very close cousin. May I finish now?

Stop shaking, it doesn't befit an assassin.

This allowed me to filter all data back into my hands, from which I could finally work my magic, if you'll excuse the term. Before long, my contacts held a prominent position of power in the corporation of ignorance and weakness. Product hemorrhaged out of the company, and into your employer's. The irony of that is simply delicious. Nonetheless, before long a trade network was set up, and the two had an unofficial partnership, one that is covered within the non-disclosure agreements, or pacts as we once called them.

Now, the companies are speaking of a merger, one that will allow the sheep to live normal lives and careers, and in return, sales for your employer will never take a downturn. Moreover, my contacts have also risen to power in your employer's company, as well.

The deal has been completed. Payment is now due in full.

No, not money, you fool. Why would you believe a person such as myself has any need for material things? No, the deal was a gain for information. You see, I am a very curious person. I research, gather data, keep informed on anything and everything. I am rather traveled, you understand. As such, I now have a new source of information, and a new network from which to gather said information. One that is much stealthier than a human contact, one which doesn't require sleep, and eats only when necessary. One who lives quite a bit longer.

Go back to your master. Tell him Project K16M9 is complete.

Tell him I shall now take my payment.

Congratulations, Mr. Randolph.

You both work for ME now.

title: Strictly A Business Matter

question: Why is the narrator unable to experience wind?

answer: In the narrator's world, pure wind had been replaced by the stale pollution of the city's leavings.

question: Why does the narrator say "goddamned civilization"?

answer: He is reflecting on how there is no more wind due to civilization.

question: Describe the setting.

answer: The setting is in the narrator's office sometime in a future where pure wind doesn't exist.

question: Who is Mr.Randolph?

answer: Mr. Randolph is an assassin sent by his master to learn about the Project K16M9 from the narrator.

question: What is the turning point in this story?

answer: The turning point is when the narrator acknowledges that Mr. Randolph had been watching him.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Sometime in the future, the narrator acknowledges that Mr.Randolph, an assassin sent by his employer, is in his office. The narrator tells him that his master wants to know about the narrator's Project K16M9 and explains that the narrator and Mr.Randolph's employer have long been in a partnership. The deal is that the employer gives the narrator information in exchange for information on the project. After this, the narrator tells Mr.Randolph that the project is now complete, and that Randolph and his employer now work for him.


text:
[The building used as the backdrop for the album cover] _LOST IN LOVE_ is the fifth studio album by Australian soft rock band Air Supply, released in March 1980. Their previous four albums never received much attention outside Australia, but _Lost in Love_ was a massive success on international charts. It peaked at #22 in the US[1] with three Top 5 singles. It sold over 3 million copies, reaching multi-platinum status.

Overview

Hit singles include the title track “Lost in Love”, which peaked at #3 on US charts in May 1980 and earned Graham Russell a composer award for “song of the year” and “most played song”.[2] The song is considered by many to be their signature song and is admittedly Russell Hitchcock's favourite.[3] The single “All Out of Love” became the biggest hit from the album, reaching #2 in the US. It has been regarded as their most famous song, including several interpretations. The third top 5 single of the album, “Every Woman in the World”, peaked at #5 in the US.[4] Although never a single, “Chances” has been included on many of the band's hits compilations.[5] “Just Another Woman”, a disco song, was originally released on the album _Life Support_, and was also a hit in Malaysia during the 1980s.

Cover art

The album cover was photographed in front of the now-demolished tropical center in the Sydney Botanic Gardens.[6]

Production

The album achieved mainstream popularity because of the work of producer Clive Davis and the band's new contract with Arista Records, introducing the band into the US. This was the first Air Supply album to crack the American charts. This was also the first Air Supply album to feature songs not written by guitarist/vocalist Graham Russell.

Reaction

The album gave Air Supply a huge fan base by the time the album was released and gave the band recognition as “most successful pop group” and “best group of 1981”.[7] Critics praised the album as their best studio album along with their follow-up album, _The One That You Love_.[8]

Track listing

1.  “Lost in Love” (Graham Russell) - 3:51
2.  “All Out of Love” (Graham Russell, Clive Davis) - 3:59
3.  “Every Woman in the World” (Dominic Bugatti, Frank Musker) - 3:33
4.  “Just Another Woman” (Graham Russell) - 3:51
5.  “Having You Near Me” (Graham Russell, Clive Davis) - 3:50
6.  “American Hearts” (Dominic Bugatti, Frank Musker) - 3:13
7.  “Chances” (Graham Russell) - 3:31
8.  “Old Habits Die Hard” (Criston Barker, David Moyse) - 3:03
9.  “I Can't Get Excited” (Graham Russell) - 5:01
10. “My Best Friend” (Graham Russell) - 2:32

Personnel

Air Supply

-   Russell Hitchcock – lead vocals and backing vocals
-   Graham Russell - lead vocals and backing vocals, guitars
-   David Moyse – bass and backing vocals
-   Frank Esler-Smith – piano
-   Ralph Cooper – drums and percussion

Additional Musicians

-   Criston Barker – bass and backing vocals
-   Tommy Emmanuel – electric guitar
-   Karl Chandler – tuba
-   Tommy Dassalo – triangle and backing vocals
-   Robie Porter – orchestration
-   Barry Fasman – orchestration (3, 6)

Production

-   Executive Producer – Clive Davis
-   Producers – Rick Chertoff (Track 1); Charles Fisher (Tracks 1 & 4); Robie Porter (Tracks 2, 5 & 7-10); Harry Maslin (Tracks 3 & 6).
-   Engineers – Martin Harrington, Richard Lush and Peter Walker.
-   Recorded at Trafalgar Studios, Paradise Studios and EMI Studios 301 (Sydney, Australia); Allen Zentz Recording (San Clemente, CA);
-   Mixing – William Wittman (Track 1); Jim Hilton (Tracks 2, 4, 5 & 7-10; Harry Maslin (Tracks 3 & 6).
-   Mix Assistants – Linda Corbin (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 & 7-10); John Van Nest (Tracks 3 & 6).
-   Mixed at Allen Zentz Recording; Larrabee Sound Studios (Hollywood, CA); Sound Mixers (New York, NY).
-   Mastered by John Golden at Kendun Recorders (Burbank, CA).
-   Design – Howard Fritzon
-   Photography – Patrick Jones

[1] Top Music Charts; Hot 100; Billboard 200 URL accessed December 8, 2008

[2] Air Supply History URL accessed December 8, 2008

[3] Hitchcock, Russell. _Forever Love: 36 Greatest Hits (1980–2001)._ 2003.

[4] [ Lost in Love: Chart Awards: Billboard Singles] Billboard 200. URL accessed December 8, 2008

[5] Russell, Graham. _Forever Love: 36 Greatest Hits (1980–2001)._ 2003.

[6]

[7] Air Supply URL accessed December 8, 2008

[8] [ Lost In Love: Overview] URL accessed December 8, 2008

title: Lost in Love (Air Supply album)

question: Summarize the highlights of the album.

answer: Lost in Love is Air Supply's most successful album, selling over 3 million copies. Three songs from the album reached Top 5 in the US. The reasons for the newfound glory are the producer Clive Davis and Arista Records who introduced them to the US. This is the first Air Supply album that has a different songwriter than guitarist/vocalist Graham Russell. Russell received the composer award for song of the year and the most played song with the title song, Lost in Love.

question: What does the article say about the songwriting process of Russell?


text:
The VALLEY LAKE is a monomictic volcanic crater lake in the Australian state of South Australia situated in the south of Mount Gambier, near the Blue Lake. The Lake is surrounded by a park situated on Davidson Drive. The shore of the lake features a children's playground, sporting facilities, BBQs and toilets. There is also a Wildlife Park, as well as Centenary Tower at the top of the surrounding crater.[1]

History

[Centenary Tower (2013)] When Mount Gambier was first discovered in 1839 by Stephen Henty of Portland, the Valley Lake and the Blue Lake were considered a good source of water for future settlers.[2]

The foundation stone for the Centenary Tower was laid on 3 December 1900 (to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sighting and naming of Mount Gambier), and was officially opened in 1904. The tower sits 190 meters above sea level, and its opening hours are signified by a flag flown above the tower. At night the tower is lit up and can be viewed from the city.[3]

On 26 February 1954 Queen Elizabeth II visited the Valley Lake as part of her Australian tour. A plaque commemorating this visit was placed at the Valley Lake Lookout in 1977.[4]

The Valley Lake Wildlife Park operates within the Valley Lake park. The Park is home to a number of indigenous flora and fauna species. It also features lookouts, a beautiful boardwalk and a number of nature walks, and entry is free.[5]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

title: Valley Lake (South Australia)

question: Where is the Valley Lake?

answer: South Australia situated in the south of Mount Gambier, near the Blue Lake.

question: What is the Valley Lake?

answer: A monomictic volcanic crater.

question: What is Valley Lake surrounded by?

answer: A park situated on Davidson Drive.

question: What is on top of the crater?

answer: Centenary Tower.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about Valley Lake, a crater lake in South Australia. It discusses the contents of the park surrounding the lake.


text:
A judge in Missouri ruled on Friday that the state’s only abortion clinic can continue providing the procedure, blocking Missouri from becoming the first state without an abortion clinic in nearly 50 years.

Planned Parenthood said in a statement Friday that St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer issued a temporary restraining order against the State of Missouri, allowing the clinic to keep providing abortions, and that he scheduled another hearing for June 4. The clinic, a Planned Parenthood facility in St. Louis, had been set to lose its license to perform abortions at midnight on Friday.

Dr. Colleen McNicholas, an OB-GYN from Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, said that they will continue to provide patients with abortion care.

“This is a huge sigh of relief for the many patients who need access to safe, legal abortion in Missouri,” said McNicholas. “The fight goes on. While temporary, we celebrate today, and tomorrow we go back to work to ensure access to abortion does not go dark at the last health center that provides abortion in Missouri.”

Planned Parenthood said on Tuesday that Missouri looked unlikely to renew its license to provide abortion care at the health center. The group filed a lawsuit against Missouri and asked for a temporary restraining order that would allow the clinic to keep operating past May 31. M’Evie Mead, director of policy and organizing of Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri, said at a Friday press conference that the temporary restraining order will remain in place until the judge rules on whether to put a longer-term restraining order, known as a preliminary injunction, on the state.

On Wednesday, Gov. Mike Parson—who last week signed into law a bill that bans abortions starting in the eighth week of pregnancy—said Planned Parenthood had not met standards of care required for license renewal, and would not receive any special treatment for being the last abortion provider in the state. If the clinic corrected certain unspecified “deficiencies” uncovered by state inspectors before May 31, Parson said, its license would be valid for renewal. But without those adjustments, he said, “it would be reckless for any judge to grant a temporary restraining order.”

In its lawsuit, however, Planned Parenthood argued that the license renewal process had been unlawfully intertwined with a state investigation into an unspecified patient complaint. Parson said Wednesday that the organization was aware of issues at its clinic, and mentioned that patients at the health center had reported failed surgical abortions and at least one complication that required emergency surgery.

Dr. David Eisenberg, the clinic’s medical director, said the Missouri Department of Health failed to explain to the clinic the complaints the state is investigating, adding that the state holds the clinic to a higher standard of care than any other healthcare provider.

“Despite knowing that we provide the highest quality of healthcare in Missouri, the Department of Health has refused to be a fair partner and they are over-regulating abortion care to the point that it is nearly out of existence in the state of Missouri,” said Eisenberg.

Eisenberg addressed accusations that several people reported receiving failed abortions, saying that while abortion is safe, sometimes patients need to go to the hospital to remove residual tissue. He also referred to accusations that many people were transported to the hospital from the clinic, explaining that people come to the clinic for many different medical needs, and that sometimes hospital transportations are medically necessary.

“We’re not perfect, but we do provide the highest quality of care,” Eisenberg said.

The standoff also circled back to one issue raised by Planned Parenthood officials on a Tuesday call with reporters. Planned Parenthood President Dr. Leana Wen said state officials had requested “inappropriate and suspicious” interviews with seven of the clinic’s doctors, including medical residents and fellows not directly employed by Planned Parenthood, and threatened punitive action as a potential consequence of these interviews. Planned Parenthood officials said its two attending physicians in Missouri consented to interviews, but that it did not provide access to non-employee trainees.

Parson described the interview requests as routine, and said the state’s investigation could not be completed, nor the license renewed, without the remaining five interviews. Planned Parenthood said securing those interviews was beyond its control, since the remaining five doctors are not employees of the organization.

The controversy in Missouri follows several recent laws that have restricted abortion access in U.S. states. Alabama this month enacted a near-total ban on abortions at any stage of pregnancy, and lawmakers in states including Georgia and Louisiana have passed so-called “heartbeat bills,” which ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as the sixth week of pregnancy.

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question: What does the text say about abortion laws in Virginia?

question: Summarize the main news event.

answer: The State of Missouri refused to renew the license of abortion clinic Planned Parenthood due to unspecified "deficiencies" uncovered by state inspectors, saying the clinic has not met the standards of care required for license renewal. This is after Gov. Mike Parson signed into law a bill that bans abortions starting in the eighth week of pregnancy as Missouri aims to be the first state without an abortion clinic in 50 years. Planned Parenthood sued the state and asked for a temporary restraining order that would allow the clinic to operate past the May 31 deadline. The clinic argued that the license renewal process had been unlawfully intertwined with a state investigation into an unspecified patient complaint. St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood and issued a temporary restraining order against the State of Missouri.

question: What does the text say about the arguments made by Gov. Parson against Planned Parenthood?

answer: Gov. Parson said that Planned Parenthood had not met the standards of care required for license renewal and would not receive special treatment for being the last abortion provider in the state. Parson adds that if the clinic corrected certain unspecified "deficiencies" uncovered by state inspectors before May 31, its license would be valid for renewal. Parson also defended the state's investigation regarding interviewing clinic personnel.

question: What does the text say about the current anti-abortion laws in the U.S.?

answer: Several recent laws have restricted abortion access in several U.S. states, making the procedure nearly impossible. Missouri aimed to be the first state without an abortion clinic in nearly 50 years by refusing to renew the license of Planned Parenthood for unspecified "deficiencies". However, a judge issued a temporary restraining order (against Missouri) so the clinic could still operate, pending another hearing. A week earlier, Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed into law a bill that bans abortions starting in the eighth week of pregnancy. Meanwhile, Alabama enacted a near-total ban on abortions at any stage of pregnancy, and lawmakers in states including Georgia and Louisiana have passed so-called "heartbeat bills," which ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected as early as the sixth week of pregnancy.


text:
DAVID RIESMAN (1867, Saxe-Weimar – 1940) was a German-born American physician remembered for describing Riesman's sign. He graduated M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1892. He wrote a number of books on pathology and the history of medicine. He founded a history of medicine course at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was professor of clinical medicine from 1912 to 1933. After 1933, he became professor of the history of medicine until his death.[1]

His son was the American sociologist David Riesman (1909–2002).[2][3]

[1] Barry G. Firkin, Judith A. Whitworth. _Dictionary of Medical Eponyms_, page 338. Parthenon Publishing Group Limited, 1996. .

[2] David Riesman obituary _The Guardian_ 13 May 2002.

[3] David Riesman at Answers.com

title: David Riesman (physician)

question: When was Riesman born?

answer: 1867

question: Where did Riesman get his M.D.?

answer: The University of Pennsylvania

question: When was Riesman a professor at the University of Pennsylvania?

answer: From 1912 until his death in 1940

question: Who was Riesman's son?

answer: David Riesman, an American sociologist

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: David Riesman was a German-born American physician born in 1867. He is remembered for describing Riesman's sign. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1892, and he was a professor there from 1912 until his death in 1940. His son was David Riesman, an American sociologist.


text:
TIBÚ AIRPORT is an airport serving Tibú, a town and municipality in the Norte de Santander Department of Colombia. The runway is on the southern edge of the town. Both town and airport are on the east bank of the Caño Campo Cinco River, west of the border with Venezuela.

Airlines and destinations

title: Tibú Airport

question: Where is Tibu airport?

answer: Tibu.

question: Where is the town of Tibu?

answer: The Norte Santander Department.

question: Where is the Norte Santander Department?

answer: Colombia.

question: On what edge of town is the Tibu Airport?

answer: Southern.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Tibu Airport is an airport serving Tibú, a town and municipality in the Norte de Santander Department of Colombia. The runway is on the southern edge of the town, and both the town and the airport border Venezuela.


text:
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1893.

Events

-   January 14 – Kate Chopin's short stories “Désirée's Baby” and “A Visit to Avoyelles” appear in _Vogue_ magazine in the United States.
-   February/March – The 22-year-old Stephen Crane pays for publication of his first book, the Bowery novella _Maggie: A Girl of the Streets_, under the pseudonym “Johnston Smith” in New York. Coming to be considered a pioneering example of American literary realism, the first trade edition (rewritten) comes out in 1896 after Crane has attained fame with _The Red Badge of Courage_.
-   April 19 – Oscar Wilde's social comedy _A Woman of No Importance_ receives its first performance at the Haymarket Theatre, London, with Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Mrs. Bernard Beere and Julia Neilson.
-   May 2 – Swedish dramatist August Strindberg, 44, begins a brief marriage with Austrian writer Frida Uhl, 21.
-   May 17 – Maurice Maeterlinck's symbolist play _Pelléas and Mélisande_ is first performed.
-   May 27 – Arthur Wing Pinero's problem play _The Second Mrs Tanqueray_ is first performed, at the St. James Theatre, London, with Mrs. Patrick Campbell in the title rôle.[1]
-   June 14 – The Shelley Memorial is inaugurated at University College, Oxford, from which the poet was expelled in 1811). It is designed by Basil Champneys, with a reclining nude marble statue of Percy Bysshe Shelley by Edward Onslow Ford.
-   July – Bangiya Sahitya Parishad is established as “The Bengal Academy of Literature”.[2]
-   July 1 – The first issue of _L'Ère Nouvelle_ is published in Paris by the Romanian George Diamandy. It will have contributions from Marxist theoreticians, including Friedrich Engels, Paul Lafargue, Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea, Georgi Plekhanov, and Georges Sorel.[3] In literature, _L'Ère Nouvelle_ promotes a blend of naturalism as embodied by Émile Zola and historical materialism.[4]
-   October – André Gide begins his travels in North Africa, where he comes to accept his homosexuality.
-   October 7 – Finley Peter Dunne introduces his character Mr. Dooley in the _Chicago Evening Post_.
-   November 11 – Jerome K. Jerome founds _To-Day_, “A weekly magazine-journal”, in London.[5]
-   November 26 – Arthur Conan Doyle surprises the reading public by revealing in the story “The Adventure of the Final Problem”, published in _The Strand Magazine_ dated December, that his private detective character Sherlock Holmes had apparently died at the Reichenbach Falls on 4 May 1891. Doyle has stayed in Switzerland for a time this year.
-   November 28 – The Raimund Theater opens in Vienna, Austria.[6]
-   December – W. B. Yeats publishes _The Celtic Twilight_, giving a popular name to the Irish Literary Revival.
-   December 16 – Establishment, in Yorkshire (England), of the Brontë Society, possibly the oldest literary society of this nature, dedicated to establishing what will become the Brontë Parsonage Museum.[7]
-   December 20 – The first story featuring the private detective character Sexton Blake, “The Missing Millionaire”, appears in Alfred Harmsworth's new boys' story paper _The Halfpenny Marvel_ (London), written by Harry Blyth under the pen-name Hal Meredeth.[8]

New books

Fiction

-   E. F. Benson – _Dodo_
-   Byron A. Brooks – _Earth Revisited_
-   Rhoda Broughton – _A Beginner_
-   Hall Caine
    -   _Cap'n Davey's Honeymoon_ (novella)
    -   _The Last Confession_ (novella)
    -   _The Blind Mother_ (novella)
-   Mary Cholmondeley – _Diana Tempest_
-   Marie Corelli – _Barabbas_
-   Stephen Crane – _Maggie: A Girl of the Streets_
-   Walter Crane – _Columbia's Courtship_
-   Arthur Conan Doyle – _The Refugees_
-   Edith Escombe – _A Tale that is Told_
-   Anatole France – _At the Sign of the Reine Pédauque (La Rôtisserie de la reine Pédauque)_
-   Mary E. Wilkins Freeman – _Jane Field_
-   André Gide
    -   _La tentative amoureuse_
    -   _Le voyage d'Urien_
-   George Gissing – _The Odd Women_
-   Sarah Grand – _The Heavenly Twins_
-   H. Rider Haggard – _Montezuma's Daughter_
-   Beatrice Harraden – _Ships That Pass in the Night_[9]
-   “Two Women of the West” (Alice Ilgenfritz Jones and Ella Merchant) – _Unveiling a Parallel_
-   Josef Svatopluk Machar – _Magdalena_
-   Henry Olerich – _A Cityless and Countryless World_
-   Bolesław Prus – _The New Woman_ (_Emancypantki_; serialization completed)
-   Addison Peale Russell – _Sub-Coelum_
-   Flora Annie Steel
    -   _From the Five Rivers_ (short stories)
    -   _Miss Stuart's Legacy_
-   August Strindberg – _The Defence of a Fool (Le Plaidoyer d'un fou)_
-   Ivan Vazov – _Under the Yoke_ (Под игото, _Pod Igoto_)
-   Jules Verne
    -   _The Carpathian Castle (Le Château des Carpathes)_
    -   _Claudius Bombarnac_
    -   _Foundling Mick (P'tit-Bonhomme)_
-   Lew Wallace – _The Prince of India or Why Constantinople Fell_
-   Stanley J. Weyman – _A Gentleman of France_[10]
-   Émile Zola – _Le Docteur Pascal_

Children and young people

-   Margaret Marshall Saunders – _Beautiful Joe_
-   Robert Louis Stevenson
    -   _Catriona_
    -   _Island Nights' Entertainments_ (three stories)

Drama

-   Rosario de Acuña – _La voz de la patria_ (Pregnant Woman)
-   Alexandre Bisson and Albert Carré – _Le Veglione (le Bal masqué)_
-   Gerhart Hauptmann
    -   _The Beaver Coat (Der Biberpelz)_
    -   _The Assumption of Hannele (Hanneles Himmelfahrt)_
-   Herman Heijermans – _Dora Kremer_
-   Maurice Maeterlinck – _Pelléas et Mélisande_
-   George Moore – _The Strike at Arlingford_
-   Arthur Wing Pinero – _The Second Mrs Tanqueray_
-   Arthur Schnitzler – _Anatol_ (published)
-   George Bernard Shaw – _Mrs. Warren's Profession_ (written)
-   Oscar Wilde
    -   _Salome_ (first published, in French)
    -   _A Woman of No Importance_

Poetry

-   Gabriele D'Annunzio – _Odi Navali_
-   Maryana Marrash – _Bint fikr_
-   Alice Meynell – _Poems_
-   Eric Stenbock – _The Shadow of Death: poems, songs, and sonnets_
-   Francis Thompson – _Poems_, including “The Hound of Heaven”

Non-fiction

-   _Hart's Rules for Compositors and Readers at the University Press, Oxford_ (1st edition)
-   Henry James – _Essays in London and Elsewhere_
-   George Panu – _Portrete și tipuri parlamentare_
-   Alois Riegl – _Stilfragen: Grundlegungen zu einer Geschichte der Ornamentik_
-   William Wynn Westcott – _Collectanea Hermetica_ (start of publication)

Births

-   January 3 – W. N. Hodgson (Edward Melbourne), English war poet (died 1916)
-   January 12 – Maria Jolas, born Maria McDonald, American-born French literary publisher (died 1987)
-   January 13 – Clark Ashton Smith, American poet and short-story writer (died 1961)
-   February 11 – Nan Shepherd, Scottish novelist and poet (died 1981)
-   February 26 – Dorothy Whipple, English writer of fiction and children's books (died 1966)
-   March 11 – Wanda Gág, American children's author and artist (died 1946)
-   March 18 – Wilfred Owen, English war poet (killed 1918)
-   April 9
    -   Victor Gollancz, English publisher (died 1967)
    -   Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan, Indian historian, writer, scholar (died 1963)
-   May 6 – Margaret Cole (Margaret Postgate), English political writer, biographer and activist (died 1980)
-   May 14 – Louis Verneuil, born Louis Jacques Marie Collin du Bocage, French playwright (suicide 1952)
-   May 19 – H. Bonciu, Romanian novelist, poet and translator (died 1950)
-   June 13 – Dorothy L. Sayers, English writer of detective fiction and translator (died 1957)
-   July 3 – Luca Caragiale, Romanian poet, novelist and translator (died 1921)
-   July 19 – Vladimir Mayakovsky, Russian and Soviet poet and playwright (died 1930)
-   July 21 – Hans Fallada (Rudolf Wilhelm Friedrich Ditzen), German novelist (died 1947)
-   August 14 – Francis Dvornik, Czech historian (died 1975)
-   August 22 – Dorothy Parker, American poet, journalist and wit (died 1967)
-   September 28 – Giannis Skarimpas, Greek writer, dramatist, and poet (died 1984)
-   October 9 – Mário de Andrade, Brazilian writer and photographer (died 1945)
-   October 14 – May Wedderburn Cannan, English poet (died 1973)
-   October 15 – Saunders Lewis, English-born Welsh poet, dramatist and critic (died 1985)
-   October 26 – Miloš Crnjanski, Serbian poet and novelist (died 1977)
-   November 10 – John P. Marquand, American novelist (died 1960)
-   November 14 – Carlo Emilio Gadda, Italian author (died 1973)
-   December 6 – Sylvia Townsend Warner, English novelist and poet (died 1978)
-   December 29 – Vera Brittain, English memoirist, novelist, feminist and pacifist (died 1970)
-   _Unknown date_ – Samuel Roth, Galician-born American writer and publisher (died 1974)

Deaths

-   January 7 – Jožef Stefan, Slovenian physicist, mathematician and poet (born 1835)
-   January 15 – Fanny Kemble, English actress (born 1809)
-   January 22 – Kawatake Mokuami (河竹黙阿弥), Japanese dramatist (born 1816)
-   January 23 – José Zorrilla, Spanish dramatist and poet (born 1817)
-   February 10 – Alphonse Jolly, French dramatist and librarian (born 1810)
-   April 6 – Charlotte Anley, English didactic novelist and religious writer (born 1796)
-   April 19 – John Addington Symonds, English poet and essayist (born 1840)
-   June 14 – Jakob Frohschammer, German theologian and philosopher (born 1821)
-   July 6 – Guy de Maupassant, French novelist and short story writer (born 1850)
-   August 12 – Edward Bruce Hamley, English military writer, general and politician (born 1824)
-   September 4 – Francis Adams, Maltese-born English political writer, poet and novelist (born 1862)[11]
-   October 7 – William Smith, English lexicographer (born 1813)
-   November 12 – Jemima von Tautphoeus, English-born novelist (born 1807)
-   December 2 – Charlotte Maria Tucker, English children's writer (born 1821)
-   December 25
    -   Ivan Broz, Croatian linguist and literary historian (born 1852)[12]
    -   Emily Sarah Holt, English novelist (born 1836)

Awards

-   Newdigate Prize - John Burland Harris-Burland[13]

[1] ; ;

[2]

[3] ;

[4]

[5] ;

[6] Raimund Theatre's English-language official website

[7]

[8] Issue no. 6.

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

title: 1893 in literature

question: How old was Maria Jolas when she died?

answer: 94 years old.

question: Summarize everything that happened in January 1893.

answer: Kate Chopin's short stories “Désirée's Baby” and “A Visit to Avoyelles” appeared in Vogue magazine in the United States on January 14. English war poet W. N. Hodgson was born on January 3, American-born French literary publisher Maria Jolas was born on January 12, and American poet and short-story writer Clark Ashton Smith was born on January 13. Slovenian physicist, mathematician, and poet Jožef Stefan died on January 7. English actress Fanny Kemble died on January 15, while Japanese dramatist Kawatake Mokuami (河竹黙阿弥) and Spanish dramatist and poet José Zorrilla died on January 22 and 23, respectively.


text:
Virginia has taken a lot of shit in _the Vision_ for her actions. She was, after all, the catalyst for this whole story, and seemed to be  responsible for every notable (horrible) thing that happened. Yet in this issue, I found myself saying, "Oh. Oh dear, no. It's alright."

The opening details Virginia's confession to a series of deaths, and presents an angle to the story that every reader _wants_ to believe, but can't: she tells the police that she's directly responsible for the Vision's actions, that she altered his central coding. We know it's not true, Vision knows it's not true, but by God, we all just want to believe it is, and that's tragic.

And when Vision finally finds Virginia after the confession, we learn that the weird floating water she drank from was a vase from Zenn-La (the Silver Surfer's homeworld), and that it's slowly killing her. What's even more powerful is that the Vision knows she can just phase the water through and she'll be fine -- Virginia knows it, too -- but she won't, because she wants to atone for what she's done.

What follows is emotional, heart-breaking stuff: Virginia rests her head on her husband's shoulder and explains why she did what she did. Then, our hearts break.

The ending of the book sees Viv coming to grips with what happened, talking with her father and a surprisingly sympathetic (and understanding) person. It's a nice note to leave her on - she seems to be more at ease with who she is and what the future holds for her. Her last sentiment to her father (and to the reading audience), announces a new direction for the character, which ties in with Mark Waid's new _Champions_ series.  Her arc was great, and it's nice to be able to see her growth as a character and not be crippled by all the shit happening to her and her family.

And then there's the last page that leaves the reader unsure of whether to feel happy or creeped out.

We've spent every review praising what the team of Tom King, Gabe Walta, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles have done, and every bit is deserved: they combined to make one of the most thought-provoking and earnest books on the shelves, a book that has left an indelible impression on its readers.  It was a labor of love, and it's immensely depressing that it's over. Clayton Cowles never drew away from the panels with his word choice, always keeping the speech bubbles tight and fitting. Mike Del Mundo also presented the most gorgeous covers he's ever done, and this is a guy who was killing it on _Elektra_ and _Carnage_ among others.

Maybe we can hope that Marvel takes a look at the success of _the Vision_ and decides to make more thoughtful books. Maybe we can hope that King, Walta, and Bellaire reunite for a new project. Maybe we can hope that Wil Moss champions another underdog book deserving a second chance.

Whatever we hope, we can't lose sight of the fact that this book is one of the best things Marvel has put out in over 20 years. It had pathos, it had tension, it had love, and it had a depth that so many other books can never hope to achieve. We're all better for having read this book, even if we're a little sadder for having done so.

question: Who was the catalyst for the story?

answer: Virginia was the catalyst for this story.

question: What is killing Virginia?

answer: Virginia is being killed from weird water that she drank.

question: What series does Viv tie into?

answer: Viv ties into Mark Waid's new Champions series.

question: Does the author think this was a good book?

answer: Yes, the author thinks this book is one of the best in years.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The author praises the latest "the Vision" for its character development and depth. They point out tie ins to other series, as well as highlight some of the team's other projects.


text:
[Feb 19, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Pacers 104-91. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports]
Feb 19, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Pacers 104-91. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Charlotte Hornets came into the offseason looking to make a splash in free agency, but they weren’t able to get one of the top players on the market. They made a maximum contract offer to Utah Jazz restricted free agent GORDON HAYWARD, but the Jazz decided to match the offer and bring him back.

Finally, they were able to land the prize that they were rumored to want all offseason long. Charlotte signed LANCE STEPHENSON to a three-year, $27 million deal and couldn’t be more excited about the future with him as one of their leaders.

Stephenson had a career season with the Indiana Pacers last season, but hurt himself due to the on-court antics that he showed in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. He ended up averaging 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, and he improved quite a bit on the defensive end of the court as well.

That being said, there are still quite a few areas where he’ll need to improve to reach his full potential.

Despite all of the positives in his game that will be talked about later, his main issues are mental. He is extremely fast in the open court and can create a fast break out of nothing, but those fast breaks can end up resulting in turnovers.

The Hornets are going to offer him an even more up-tempo offensive scheme, and that could either help him in a major way or do the exact opposite.

All of that being said, there are so many positives about his game that fit perfectly well with what the Hornets are looking to do. Stephenson’s scoring ability is on the rise, and he is a much better all-around scorer than GERALD HENDERSON was last season.

One of the biggest issues for Charlotte against the Heat in the playoffs last season was their lack of a third scorer to go along with KEMBA WALKER and AL JEFFERSON.

His offensive potential is through the roof, and he took a major step forward in every category last season. He improved his 3-point shooting percentage from 33 percent to 35.2 percent, and also improved his overall field goal percentage from 46 percent to 49.1 percent.

There is no denying the numbers that he put up, and he has been in the gym working out hard all offseason long.

Not only was his scoring ability much improved last season, he also improved as a playmaker. He led the NBA in triple-doubles with five, and he was one of the most consistent rebounders as a guard.

The Hornets already have a great playmaker in Walker, but the addition of Stephenson will allow him to focus on his offensive ability even more than he has been able to throughout his career.

There are some concerns surrounding Stephenson heading to Charlotte, especially because of the reputation that he has gotten as a ball hog. ROY HIBBERT said that there were “selfish players” on the team last year,and reports have come out stating that he was talking specifically about Stephenson.

He will have to deal with Walker and Jefferson being the No. 1 and 2 scoring options on the floor, and being a playmaker for them before he looks to score himself.

It’s very hard to grade this signing because of how unpredictable Stephenson is, but he does seem to be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Hornets. Charlotte hasn’t necessarily been a team that fans look at and think of as contenders in recent years, and this move certainly helps them take a step in that direction.

The Hornets may not be a championship contender this season, but they definitely have a chance of competing and surprising some people in the playoffs.

Overall, this move is going to put the Hornets back on the map in the Eastern Conference. They are going to have to contend with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers, but outside of those three teams the entire conference is up for grabs.

Stephenson should prove to be a big pick up, and the fans in Charlotte are going to love the playmaking ability to he brings to the court.

LANCE STEPHENSON SIGNING GRADE: A-

question: Who did the Charlotte Hornets fail to get to play for them this season (as of this article's publication)?

answer: Gordon Hayward

question: Who did Charlotte sign instead of Hayward?

answer: Lance Stephenson.

question: Who did Stephenson play with before?

answer: The Indiana Pacers.

question: What will the addition of Stephenson allow star player Kemba Walker to do?

answer: Focus on his offensive ability.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: After they were unable to secure Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz, the Charlotte Hornets signed Lance Stephenson. The Hornets have long faced the issue of having a top scorer to join the ranks of their Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker. Stephenson is an adept basketball player in his own right, known for being extremely fast and has a lot of potential to be a high scorer. He's signed a three-year, $27 million dollar contract, and Charlotte has expressed their excitement at having him. Furthermore, he's been training at the gym all offseason long. One potential area for concern is that Stephenson has been known to be somewhat of a ball-hog, so he might face some contention with his teammates Walker and Jefferson in their respective number one and number two star player positions.


text:
 I first saw him when I left my apartment on a chilly November night.  He sat beneath a streetlight, his breath flowing from his open mouth like steam from an engine that formed in a cloud before him as he stared at me with shimmering eyes.  He wagged his tail as I neared him, and I could see from where I stood the snarled and unkempt fur that shielded him from the elements.  I had seen plenty of abandoned dogs but there was something almost human about this one.  I stood motionless with my keys in my hands next to my car, preparing to jump inside to drive to my friend's house but something was keeping me from moving.  Suddenly the dog shifted its weight, kneeling onto the pavement on all fours.  I called out to him and patted my leg but he remained still except for his ears which twitched just a bit upon hearing my voice.

   "Come here, boy!"

No response.  While I looked at the milky and endlessly round eyes I remembered seeing a dog like him once when I was younger.  Yes, I had seen a dog in Chicago that had been hit by a car.  Dark almost black blood trailed from the middle of the street where he had been struck to curb next to the sidewalk where I was walking.  The streets had been dead and so silent I could hear his muffled and gurgling breath as he hugged the curb.  I remember him looking at me as I passed. The same milky eyes that The dog under the streetlight had.  I passed the dying dog my way to work though, not taking the time to help it and on my way back home I passed its stiff, lifeless body.  I had always felt ashamed for doing nothing for the dog and wondered if in some strange way the dog was visiting me again.  The dog under the streetlight never took its eyes off me while I thought about all of that.  I came to the conclusion that I was obligated to help the dog under the streetlight so I ran up to my fridge to fetch the half eaten package of bologna that was about to go bad.  When I returned, the dog had vanished from under the streetlight and I stood alone with a half eaten package of bologna in one hand and my keys in the other thinking about how strange life was.

title: The dog under the streetlight.

question: Who are the main characters in the story?

answer: The narrator and the dog.

question: What are the main events in the story?

answer: The narrator is on his way to a party when he spots a dog under a streetlight. The dog's eyes looks like that of a dog that was hit by a car and died by the side of the road when he was younger. He felt ashamed that he didn't help that dog, so he decides to help this dog under the streetlight. He fetches bologna from his fridge, when he gets back the dog is gone.

question: Who called out to the dog?

answer: The narrator called out to the dog.

question: What is the dog's relationship with the man?

answer: The narrator speculates that the dog might have been sent because the narrator did not help the previous dog.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: A man is on his way to a party on a chilly November night when he spots an unkempt dog under a streetlight. The dog reminds him of a dog that was hit by a car and died at the side of the road when he was younger. He felt ashamed that he didn't help that dog. He decides to help this dog under the streetlight. He fetches bologna from his fridge, when he gets back the dog is gone. He notes that life is strange.


text:
MUSTAFA TAMER BAŞAR[1] (born January 19, 1946[2]) is a control and game theorist who is the _Swanlund Endowed Chair_[3] and Center for Advanced Study[4][5] Professor[6] of Electrical and Computer Engineering[7] at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. He is also the Director of the Center for Advanced Study (since 2014).

Education

Tamer Başar received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Boğaziçi Üniversitesi _(formerly known as Robert College[8])_ at Bebek, in İstanbul-Turkey, in 1969, and M.S., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in engineering and applied science from Yale University, in 1970, 1971 and 1972, respectively.

Academic life

He joined the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign - Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in 1981. He was the founding president of the International Society of Dynamic Games during 1990-1994, the president of the IEEE Control Systems Society in 2000, and the president of the American Automatic Control Council during 2010-2011. He received the Medal of Science of Turkey in 1993, H.W. Bode Lecture Prize of the IEEE Control Systems Society in 2004, Georgia Quazza Medal of the International Federation of Automatic Control in 2005, the Richard E. Bellman Control Heritage Award in 2006[9], Isaacs Award of the International Society of Dynamic Games in 2010, and IEEE Control Systems Award in 2014.[10] _Tamer Başar_ was elected as a member of National Academy of Engineering in Electronics, Communication & Information Systems Engineering and Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems Engineering for the development of dynamic game theory and application to robust control of systems with uncertainty in 2000.[11] He is a Fellow of IEEE, IFAC, and SIAM.

Honorary degrees and chairs

He has been awarded Honorary Doctor of Science degrees and Honorary Professorships from:

-   Honorary Professorship, Shandong University, Jinan, China, 2019
-   Honorary Chair Professorship from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China in 2014
-   Honorary Doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) from Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey in 2012
-   Honorary Doctorate from the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan in 2011
-   Honorary Professorship from Northeastern University, Shenyang, China in 2008
-   Honorary Doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) from Doğuş University, Istanbul, Turkey in 2007
-   _Swanlund Endowed Chair Professorship at UIUC_ in 2007

Research areas

His research interests include optimal, robust, and nonlinear control; large-scale systems; dynamic games; stochastic control; estimation theory; stochastic processes; and mathematical economics.[12]

[1]

[2] Tamer Başar's biography

[3] Tamer Başar's homepage,

[4] Swanlund Chair

[5] Center for Advanced Study

[6] Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

[7] Decision and Control Laboratory, The Communications Group, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

[8] Currently, Robert College is an independent private high school at Arnavutköy. The Bebek campus and academic staff were turned over to the Republic of Turkey for use as Boğaziçi University in 1971.

[9]

[10] For seminal contributions to dynamic games, stochastic and risk-sensitive control, control of networks, and hierarchical decision making

[11]

[12] [http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/search/searchresult.jsp?queryText=.QT.Basar,%20T..QT.&newsearch=true Some of the IEEE publications of Prof. Başar]

title: Tamer Başar

question: Summarize the research interests that Tamer Basar has.

answer: Tamer Basar has many research interests. He has many degrees in engineering and applied science. His other research interests include optimal, robust, and nonlinear control, large scale systems, dynamic games, stochastic control, estimation theory, stochastic processes, and mathematical economics. Basar has many research interests which he has explored in his academic life.

question: Who would Tamer Basar make a great mentor too?

question: How successful was Tamer Basar in his academic life?

answer: Tamer Basar was very successful in his academic life. He was the founding president of the International Society of Dynmaic Games, the president of IEEE Control Systems Society in 2000, and the president of the American Automatic Control System at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Tamar was also elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering in Electronics, Communication, and Information Systems Engineering and Industrial, Manufacturing, and Operational Systems Engineering. He has accomplished many honorary degrees and chairs as well.


text:
GUS SOLOMONS JR. (born 27 April 1940) is an accomplished dancer, choreographer, dance critic, and actor. He is a leading figure in postmodern and experimental dance.

Dancer

Gus Solomons Jr., born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, began his serious dance training in modern dance and ballet while an undergraduate architecture student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).[1] He was a member of a local dance company called Dance Makers, and it was there where he began his experimental solo choreography. A year after graduating from MIT with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, Solomons moved to New York City with a “burning itch to perform and make dances”.[2] In 1962, he worked alongside other dance experimentalists at a studio in New York City. According to Solomons, quoted in Banes, they wanted to “find new forms, ways of making dances that were different from those of our mentors”.[3] Although he was interested in deconstructing forms and structures, he was also passionate about technical dancing. He performed with the companies of Pearl Lang, Donald McKayle, Joyce Trisler, Paul Sanasardo, and Martha Graham, although his most significant association during this period was with Merce Cunningham and Company from 1965 to 1968.[4]

Choreographer

In 1972, Solomons founded the Gus Solomons Company/Dance, whose repertoire consisted of detailed and analytical compositions that were conceived as “melted architecture”, drawing from his experience as an architecture student at MIT.[5] He undertook a clinical, postmodern approach to dance making that linked a fascination with puzzles and architectural design to the process of “kinetic autobiography”.[6] During an interview with _Open Door_, the MIT newspaper, Solomons compared movement design to building design in principle, with the exception that dance was not fixed in time.[7] Solomons' choreographies, of which there are more than 165, were created to suit the dancers, not vice versa, because he was concerned with how the dancers felt while executing the movement.[8] From the outset, Solomons saw the potential of integrating dance and video. According to Solomons, one of his most exciting projects was the dual-screen video-dance City/Motion/Space/Game produced in 1968 by Rick Hauser at WGBH-TV in Boston. This double-channel work was a collaborative work of Solomons, writer Mary Feldhaus-Weber, and composer John Morris. City/Motion/Space/Game, in its half-hour duration, was an “investigation of the unique properties of the video medium that are unlike live performance: reduced scale, flattening of spatial dimensions, and accelerated visual space”.[9]

Dance critic

Forty years later, Solomons continues to make a living from dancing, choreographing, experimenting, and critiquing dance. Since 1980, he has devoted some of his time to dance criticism, and his reviews have appeared in _The Village Voice, Ballet News, Attitude, Dance Magazine_, and _The Chronicle of Higher Education_, among others. A few of his articles include:

-   “Good guys” _The Village Voice_ 45:43. 31 October 2000.
-   “Dance:King Rex” _The Village Voice_ 43:20. 19 May 1998.
-   “Teach-Learn Connection: Technique: Move your Feet! Merce Cunningham Technique” _Dance Magazine_ 81:11. November 2007.
-   “Merce Among the Children” _Dance Magazine_ 77:4. April 2003.

Collective

Gus Solomons Jr. is currently in a collective known as PARADIGM,[10] which he founded in 1996, whose goal is to “promote and celebrate the talents of mature artists on stage”.[11] Paradigm has toured in numerous parts of the United States, including New York, Massachusetts, Texas, California, among others, and has won audience acclaim.

Collaborators

Solomons has collaborated with Mio Morales on several works, including:

-   _Differences of Need,_ choreography by Gus Solomons Jr.; music and sound collage by Mio Morales
-   _Melba,_ presented by the Suitcase Fund of Dance Theater Workshop in association with Pepatian; conceived by Tony Gillotte, Eva Gasteazoro and Yolanda Blanco; choreography by Eva Gasteazoro; directed by Tony Gillotte; music and sound design by Mio Morales
-   _Unplay Dances,_ presented by the Solomons Dance Company; choreography by Gus Solomons Jr.; music by Mio Morales
-   _Steps,_ environmental dance structure for 12 dancers; choreography by Gus Solomons Jr.; music by Mio Morales and Carl Riley
-   _Bone Jam,_ presented by the Solomons Dance Company; choreography by Gus Solomons Jr.; music by Mio Morales
-   _Nōz,_ presented by the Solomons Dance Company; choreography by Gus Solomons Jr.; music by Mio Morales
-   '_'PsychoMotorWorks,_ presented by the Solomons Dance Company; choreography by Gus Solomons Jr.; music by Mio Morales
-   _Steps #8,_ pedal-rock rebus; presented by Solomons Dance Company; choreography by Gus Solomons Jr.; music by Joe Jackson, Police, Steely Dan, arranged by Mio Morales
-   _Foot/Tongue/Web,_ conceived, choreographed and performed by Judith Ren-Lay; music by Mio Morales

[1] Jack Salzman, “Solomons, Gus,” in _Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History_, 5 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1996.

[2] Sally Banes, _Reinventing dance in the 1960s: Everything was possible_, Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2003, p. 105.

[3] Sally Banes, _Reinventing dance in the 1960s: Everything was possible_, p. 107.

[4] Richard A. Long, “Gus Solomons Jr.” in _The Black Tradition in American Dance_, New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1989, p. 141.

[5] 1

[6]

[7]

[8] Richard A. Long, _The Black Tradition in American Dance_, p. 142.

[9] Sally Banes, _Reinventing dance in the 1960s: Everything was possible_, p. 112.

[10] 2

[11]

title: Gus Solomons Jr.

question: What does the text say about postmodern architecture?

question: What does the article say about Solomons' approach to dance and choreography?

answer: He's influenced by his undergraduate studies in architecture and likes to experiment. He approaches his dance education in a deconstructive way to discover new forms. When he choreographs, he "melts" architecture into his detailed and analytical compositions that are made to suit the dancers. His clinical approach links his fascination with puzzles and architectural design into a process of "kinetic autobiography".

question: What does the text say about Solomons' associations with others?

answer: He used to be a member of a local dance company called Dance Makers when he was an undergraduate student before he moved to New York after graduation to work with other experimentalists in dance. His most significant association during that time was with Merce Cunningham and company, and he also worked with the companies of Pearl Lang, Donald McKayle, Joyce Trisler, Paul Sanasardo, and Martha Graham. He found his company in 1972, preferring to create dances that suit the dancers rather than vice versa, and his own collective (called PARADIGM) in 1996. He claims his collaboration with the writer Mary Feldhaus-Weber and composer John Morris to be his most exciting work. His most frequent collaborator is Mio Morales.