text:
It was the second week of February 2013 when I first ventured a public opinion that Bitcoin is the real deal. The dollar exchange rate was at $25, on its way toward another run-up and crash that had been the pattern for two years.

How can you create money out of computer code? That struck me as absurd.I had just returned from a conference where some Bitcoiners surrounded me and force-fed me the information I needed to know. It would take another two months before I wrapped my brain around it enough to be able to write an article. But in these early days, it was enough publicly to dispense with incredulity to cause the ceiling to fall in.

To this day, I’ve never faced such a barrage of criticism. Derision, ridicule, outrage, disgust – I saw it on my feed, all of it very personal and hugely inflammatory. It was my first experience with what it is like to feel like that whole world is against you (an illusion social media specializes in creating).

[]Water investments? Michael Burry was one of the first institutional investors to bet against the US subprime mortgage market in the mid-2000s, and today he’s concentrating all of his investment efforts on one commodity: water. Burry’s focus on water has attracted plenty of attention to the commodity in the investment community but trying to profit Read More

And yet I completely understood why. I had been reviewing submissions on Bitcoin since 2009, and I had not been a believer either.

MONEY FOR NOTHING?

How can you create money out of computer code? That struck me as absurd, a techno version of alchemy. Money had to grow out of commodities used in barter – this is what Carl Menger had proven. If Bitcoin had a value, it had to be an error, a result of clever marketing, like any Ponzi scheme. Like many observers at the time (and there weren’t that many), I had no idea about the underlying payment system (the Blockchain) or the complex history of fits and starts that led to its creation in 2008. I had read the original “white paper” but could hardly understand the language.

So, yes, I dismissed it.

BITCOIN DIDN’T CARE ABOUT MY THEORY

Groucho Marx once said: “Who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?”

The market had outwitted my expertise. After having acquired Bitcoin and used it, I had to deal with something that became profoundly important in my own intellectual life. I had to recognize the reality of something my mind could not explain. I had been writing about money, its history and theory, since college. I thought I knew it all. Now this thing came along that blew up all my understanding. Who was I going to believe, myself or my own eyes?

I finally decided in favor of my eyes. The market had outwitted my expertise. This was a very humbling experience for me, and it taught me a lesson I hope never to forget. Never become so wrapped up in the certainty of your own opinions that you fail to look out the window and walk the streets to discover something that challenges what you think you know. It’s a Hayekian point but one that intellectuals are prone to ignore.

FIRST PUBLIC WRITING

As Bitcoin reaches the age of 7 and is again floating around an exchange rate of 1BTC to $1,000, I decided to look back at myfirst public writing on the topic (April 1, 2013), just to re-experience the lesson. And by the way, all credit to Max Borders (then the editor of FEE) and Lawrence Read (president of FEE) for daring to publish this piece, which defied all conventional wisdom. They were willing to take the risk on this piece, which was probably the first major article in the established free-market opinion world to say: this is real and it matters.

As I look back, I put the most important point up front:

  Understanding Bitcoin requires that we understand the limits of our ability to imagine the future that the market can create for us.

  Thirty years ago, for example, if someone had said that electronic text—digits flying through the air and landing in personalized inboxes owned by us all that we check at will at any time of the day or night—would eventually displace first-class mail, you might have said it was impossible.

  After all, not even the Jetsons had email. Elroy brought notes home from his teacher on pieces of paper. Still, email has largely displaced first-class mail, just as texting, social networking, private messaging, and even digital vmail via voice-over-Internet are replacing the traditional telephone.

  It turns out that the future is really hard to imagine, especially when entrepreneurs specialize in surprising us with innovations. The markets are always outsmarting even the most wild-eyed dreamers, and they are certainly smarter than the intellectual who keeps saying: such and such cannot happen.

  It’s the same today. What if I suggested that digital money could eventually come to replace government paper money?

I then marched through the reasons for my conversion to the cause. The main one was the realization that Bitcoin reproduced a key feature of money that no previous attempt at digital money had achieved: scarcity. The algorithm assigned property rights to the units in question. At that point, this was enough for me to see that it could become money. It would take another year before I discerned its intellectual origins, and another half-year before I could intelligently explain why Bitcoin gained value in the first place.

My first article concluded:

  It’s possible that Bitcoin will flop. Maybe it is just the first generation. Maybe thousands of people will lose their shirts in this first go-round. But is the digitization of money coming? Absolutely. Will there always be skeptics out there? Absolutely. But in this case, they are not in charge. Markets will do what they do, building the future whether we approve or understand it fully or not. The future will not be stopped.

AND YET, THE PRICE DOESN’T MATTER

Money for the digital age, and without the state: the concept has been proven. Like many observers, I became caught up in the exchange rate madness, thinking that a higher rate confirmed my embrace while a lower rate raised doubts. In my mind, I became a cheerleader for the Bitcoin boom and correctly predicted the first price break above $1,000 (December 2013) but failed to predict the bust that followed.

In retrospect, I should have stayed focussed on my main theme that started me off on this journey. The remarkable thing about Bitcoin is not its upward trajectory in valuation, the rate of its adoption, the pace which which it made its march to the mainstream. All that comes in time, and no one is in charge of the process or pace or direction of change. The main insight I had at the time is still the right one. What’s wonderful about Bitcoin is that it exists at all.

Money for the digital age, and without the state: the concept has been proven. That’s what matters. The technology is known. It works. It represents a path for reforming the world’s monetary and legal systems. It points to a bright future.

It is all the more wonderful to consider the glorious way in which Bitcoin has outsmarted the experts, including me. And this is precisely why I adore market forces so much. No one is in charge of them. No one can consistently outthink them. Markets keep us humble. They constantly remind us that even the most astute and prescient observer can be surprised, even shocked.

I like living in such a world, one where the future is not only unknown but unknowable. That will always be true, and this is also why no one will finally gain control of it.

That is the lesson that the astonishing experience with Bitcoin teaches us.

[Jeffrey Tucker]

Jeffrey Tucker

Jeffrey Tucker is Director of Content for the Foundation for Economic Education. He is also Chief Liberty Officer and founder of Liberty.me, Distinguished Honorary Member of Mises Brazil, research fellow at the Acton Institute, policy adviser of the Heartland Institute, founder of the CryptoCurrency Conference, member of the editorial board of the Molinari Review, an advisor to the blockchain application builder Factom, and author of five books. He has written 150 introductions to books and many thousands of articles appearing in the scholarly and popular press.

This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article.

[]

question: When was Bitcoin's first price peak above $1,000?

answer: Bitcoin first broke $1,000 in December of 2013.

question: What key feature does Bitcoin have that the author claims mirrors physical money?

answer: The author claims Bitcoin has scarcity, which mirrors actual money.

question: Does the author believe in digital currencies?

answer: Yes, the author believes that digital currencies are the future.

question: What exchange rate was Bitcoin at when the author first endorsed it?

answer: Bitcoin was at $25 when the author first endorsed it.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The author claims that Bitcoin and digital currencies are the future. They back this up by pointing to new digital forms of communication, and the unreliable nature of the Bitcoin market.


split: train

text:
BERNARD NEWMAN (18 November 1903 – 30 November 1966) was the head designer for Bergdorf Goodman and head costume designer for RKO Pictures. He designed costumes for some 35 movies, including costumes for Ginger Rogers, Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball and Helen Broderick. He was posthumously included in the Costume Designers Guild Hall of Fame in 2004.[1]

Biography

Bernard Newman was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1903.[2] He studied in Paris and at the Art Student's League. He started working at Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury goods department store in Manhattan, as a window dresser.[3] He later became the head designer for Bergdorf Goodman,[4] and his clothes were worn by film stars like Kay Francis.[5]

Bernard Newman started working as costume designer in the film industry from 1933 on, working mainly for RKO Pictures for the next three years. Newman is best remembered for the costumes he designed for Ginger Rogers in movies like _Top Hat_ and _Swing Time_.[6][7] He made a blue dress with ostrich feathers, to Rogers's specification, which she wore in the _Cheek to Cheek_ sequence and which gave her the nickname of _Feathers_.[8][9] 15 of his costumes for the 1935 movie _Roberta_ were reproduced and merchandised by the Modern Merchandising Bureau.[10] Other films he worked on include _Sylvia Scarlett_ with Katharine Hepburn and _You Can't Take It with You_.[11]

Filmography

-   1933: _Rafter Romance_
-   1935: _Roberta_
-   1935: _Star of Midnight_
-   1935: _Break of Hearts_
-   1935: _The Nitwits_
-   1935: _Top Hat_
-   1935: _I Dream Too Much_
-   1935: _In Person_
-   1935: _Sylvia Scarlet_
-   1935: _The Lady Consents_
-   1935: _Two in the Dark_
-   1935: _Follow the Fleet_
-   1936: _The Witness Chair_
-   1936: _The Bride Walks Out_
-   1936: _Swing Time_
-   1936: _Walking on Air_
-   1936: _Adventure in Manhattan_
-   1936: _Smartest Girl in Town_
-   1936: _Theodora Goes Wild_
-   1936: _More Than a Secretary_
-   1936: _History Is Made at Night_
-   1937: _When You're In Love_
-   1937: _Vivacious Lady_
-   1938: _You Can't Take It with You_
-   1939: _Green Hell_
-   1942: _Tales of Manhattan_
-   1946: _Deception_
-   1946: _Humoresque_
-   1947: _Possessed_
-   1947: _Deep Valley_
-   1947: _Dark Passage_
-   1947: _Escape Me Never_
-   1947: _Hazard_
-   1947: _The Woman in White_

Notes

[1] Costume Designers Guild 2004 Hall of Fame

[2]

[3]

[4] [https://books.google.com/books?id=Vpzp0rtDYCsC&pg=PA67&dq=%22bernard+newman%22&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=ukQHSNePCafSigG5zN2ADA&sig=afn52nrmoQl1zhLcyPikT7rtvYk#PPA67,M1 Sarah Berry in _Screen style: Fashion and femininity in 1930s Hollywood_] page 15 (2000)

[5] [https://books.google.com/books?id=QWRWZu2EsKAC&pg=PA155&dq=%22bernard+newman%22&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=FXYISNCUA5W2ygSt8_iNAQ&sig=xqo_xF4FKv8m45CEh22reF7LhAM Lynn Kear and John Rossman in _Kay Francis: A Passionate Life and Career_] page 155 (2006)

[6] Gregory Votolato in _American Design in the Twentieth Century: Personality and Performance_ page 45 (1995)

[7]  notes that John Harkrider designed the _Swing Time_ Silver Sandal Set (“Never Gonna Dance”) and the costumes used both on that set and on the “Bogangles of Harlem” set

[8] Turner Classic Movies on _Top Hat_

[9]  Rogers: “I designed the dress and I was going to wear it!”

[10] [https://books.google.com/books?id=Vpzp0rtDYCsC&pg=PA67&dq=%22bernard+newman%22&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=ukQHSNePCafSigG5zN2ADA&sig=afn52nrmoQl1zhLcyPikT7rtvYk#PPA67,M1 Sarah Berry in _Screen style: Fashion and femininity in 1930s Hollywood_] page 67-68 (2000)

[11]

title: Bernard Newman (designer)

question: What does the text say about the qualities of a good costume designer?

question: What does the text say about Bernard Newman's life before Hollywood?

answer: Bernard Newman was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1903. He studied in Paris and at the Art Student's League. Newman started working in Manhattan at the luxury goods department store, Bergdorf Goodman, as a window dresser. He later became the head designer for Bergdorf Goodman and his clothes were worn by film stars like Kay Francis.


text:
The SEPARATION OF INVESTMENT AND RETAIL BANKING aims to protect the “utility” aspects of day-to-day banking from being endangered by losses sustained by higher-risk investment activities (“casino banking”). This can take the form of a two-tier structure in which a company is banned from doing both activities, or enforcing a legal ring-fence between two divisions of a company. Banks have resisted this separation saying that it increases costs for consumers.

Historically retail banks have used cash deposited by savers for investment activities. Following the Wall Street Crash of 1929 the United States sought to reduce the risk of savings being used to pay losses incurred on bad investments with the Glass–Steagall legislation of 1933 which restricted affiliations between banks and securities firms. This legislation was weakened in the 1990s, culminating in its abolition in 1999 by the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act. This triggered a spate of international mergers, creating companies so vital to the running of the global financial system that they were “too big to fail”. Investment losses in the financial crisis of 2007–2008 threatened to bankrupt these systemically important banks and national governments felt obliged to bail them out at great cost.

Since then governments have tried to reduce the likelihood of future bailouts by separating investment banking and retail banking. The United States response came in the form of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, although full implementation of the Volcker Rule that restricts proprietary trading by retail banks has been postponed until at least 2017. In the United Kingdom the 2011 Vickers report of the Independent Commission on Banking has recommended the ring fencing of retail from investment banking by 2019. In the Eurozone the Liikanen report of 2012 recommended a similar ring-fence between the two activities.

Mechanisms

Glass–Steagall insisted that investment and retail banking were performed by completely separate organisations. More recent legislation in Europe has concentrated on setting up legal barriers between different divisions of the same bank, to protect retail deposits from investment losses; Liikanen required the biggest investment divisions to hold their own capital for trading purposes.

Disadvantages

The banks have resisted efforts to split investment and retail banking on the grounds that it would cost billions to establish and reduce their profits.

Eurozone

The Liikanen report or “Report of the European Commission’s High-level Expert Group on Bank Structural Reform” was published in October 2012 by a group of experts led by Erkki Liikanen, governor of the Bank of Finland and ECB council member.[1]

Japan

A series of bank failures in the mid 1920s led to the Bank Law of 1927, which defined the regular business of banks as deposit-taking, money-lending, discounting of bills and notes, and exchange transactions whilst prohibiting them from engaging in other business. But it allowed banks to hold the shares of other companies (later restricted by the Antimonopoly Law of 1947), and did not restrict the use of shares as securities for loans. Article 65 of the Securities and Exchange Law of 1948 was modelled after the Glass-Steagall legislation in the US, but allows banks to hold securities for investment purposes so does little to protect depositors. The Bank Law of 1981 allowed banks to deal in government bonds.[2]

United Kingdom

The Independent Commission on Banking, chaired by John Vickers, was established in June 2010 and produced its final report in September 2011. Its headline recommendation was that British banks should 'ring-fence' their retail banking divisions from their investment banking arms to safeguard against riskier banking activities,[3] but it also made a number of other recommendations on bank capital requirements and competition in retail banking.[4] The government announced the same day that it would introduce legislation into Parliament aimed at implementing the recommendations.

United States

The Glass–Steagall Act describes four provisions of the Banking Act of 1933 that limited securities, activities, and affiliations within commercial banks and securities firms. Starting in the early 1960s, federal banking regulators interpreted provisions of the Glass–Steagall Act to permit commercial banks and especially commercial bank affiliates to engage in an expanding list and volume of securities activities.[5] Congressional efforts to “repeal the Glass–Steagall Act”, referring to those four provisions (and then usually to only the two provisions that restricted affiliations between commercial banks and securities firms), culminated in the 1999 Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLBA), which repealed the two provisions restricting affiliations between banks and securities firms.

By that time, many commentators argued Glass–Steagall was already “dead”. Most notably, Citibank's 1998 affiliation with Salomon Smith Barney, one of the largest US securities firms, was permitted under the Federal Reserve Board's then existing interpretation of the Glass–Steagall Act. President Bill Clinton publicly declared “the Glass–Steagall law is no longer appropriate”.[6]

Many commentators have stated that the GLBA's repeal of the affiliation restrictions of the Glass–Steagall Act was an important cause of the financial crisis of 2007–08.[7][8] Economists at the Federal Reserve, such as Ben Bernanke, have argued that the activities linked to the financial crisis were not prohibited (or, in most cases, even regulated) by the Glass–Steagall Act.[9][10][11]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]  (“It is true that the Glass-Steagall law is no longer appropriate to the economy in which we lived. It worked pretty well for the industrial economy, which was highly organized, much more centralized and much more nationalized than the one in which we operate today. But the world is very different.”)

[7] .

[8]

[9] . .

[10]

[11] Mester, Loretta J. “Optimal industrial structure in banking.” (2005).

title: Separation of investment and retail banking

question: What is the purpose of separating investment and retail banking?

answer: It aims to protect the “utility” aspects of day-to-day banking from being endangered by losses sustained by higher-risk investment activities (“casino banking”).

question: What is the  Volcker Rule?

answer: It restricts proprietary trading by retail banks.

question: What are the disadvantages of this system?

answer: Information can't be found.

question: What is the Glass-Steagall Law?

answer: The Glass–Steagall Act describes four provisions of the Banking Act of 1933 that limited securities, activities, and affiliations within commercial banks and securities firms.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The SEPARATION OF INVESTMENT AND RETAIL BANKING aims to protect the “utility” aspects of day-to-day banking from being endangered by losses sustained by higher-risk investment activities (“casino banking”) but banks have resisted this separation claiming that it increases costs for consumers.


text:
[]

_Updated 7/18/20_

If you have published a science fiction or fantasy novel, you'll need to promote it on social media. I know the thought of engaging in yet more social media makes you cringe, but you may, in fact, be pleasantly surprised at how effective it can be.

Here are some social media platforms that can help you promote your book for free. Some are strictly promotional, but many of these platforms also host discussion groups, book clubs, and writing critique groups.

In addition to the ever-present necessity of promoting your work, I would encourage you to take advantage of these non-promotional functions for two reasons: 1) As a writer, it's essential to participate in discussions about your craft and genre, and 2) You may make some valuable contacts with other authors in the course of those discussions.
 FACEBOOK GROUPS
 Facebook is a huge social media platform, which means it can produce dramatic results. First, set up a page for your book. (This is a must.) Then join writers' groups. The largest and most active writers' groups are listed here: 43 Facebook Groups for Authors. There are also several active Facebook groups geared specifically to science fiction and fantasy writers. These are:

Fantasy & Science Fiction Writers in America. (Closed group) This is for writers who focus their work mainly on science fiction and fantasy. The site is for writers to post small pieces of their work to get others' opinions on them, to offer or request advice about the art, craft, and business of writing, and to exchange interests concerning science fiction and fantasy writing with like-minded individuals.

Cyberpunk Science Fiction & Culture (Closed group) Group dedicated to all things related to cyberpunk: culture, literature, music, film, technology, games, fashion, lifestyle, etc.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors. This group is open for anyone who loves the genres of science fiction and fantasy. They welcome readers, writers, viewers and all lovers of the genres.

Science Fiction. (Closed group) For all those interested in science fiction and fantasy adventure reading.

Space Opera. Space opera is a sub-genre of science fiction dealing with stories of epic adventure and conflict on a grand scale. If you are a fan of authors like Poul Anderson, Peter F. Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds, E.E. Smith, David Drake, Neal Asher, John C. Wright, Iain M. Banks, Walter Jon Williams, Dan Simmons, Jack Vance, David Weber, Vernor Vinge, Stephen Baxter, Larry Niven, or Louis McMaster Bujold, this group is for you. Authors can promote their books through special promotion threads.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Books Fans. This is a virtual book club of fans of science fiction and fantasy.

SciFi/Horror/Doomsday/Fantasy. This group is for authors, novelists, screenwriters, and bloggers to share their pages and/or published work.

GOODREADS

Goodreads, now owned by Amazon, is the largest reading community in the world. That means they _want_ to read your book. Aside from signing up as an author and posting your book on Goodreads — which you MUST do — you can join groups that will help spread the word. (For tips on how to use Goodreads see: 8 Ways to Use Goodreads to Promote Your Book.)

We PROMOTE Fantasy/Sci-Fi Writers/Authors - "If you need help promoting your work, my Sci-Fi/Fantasy Team can advertise your book in our active Facebook fantasy & sci-fi page with 117,000+ Likes, Twitter page with 20,000 Followers, and feature it in Fantascize.com. We can also help you reach thousands of readers through book reviews, author interviews, book trailers, and any other type of advertisment/promotion you may need. For more details, Email my team at fantasynscifi@gmail.com or me personally at berserkxxo@yahoo.com if you're interested."

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club (15669 members) - This is mainly a discussion group, but there is also a folder for authors to promote their books. Make sure to read the rules before posting.

SciFi and Fantasy eBook Club (3538 members) - Self-promotion is allowed in the Authors' forum for active members.
 Dystopia Land (2047 members) provides a folder where authors can post releases, giveaways, free books, and short stories.

TWITTER HASHTAGS

#SciFi
#SciFiChat
#scifibookclub
#speculativefiction
#fantasy
#sciencefiction
#DarkFantasy
#Fantasy
#Dystopian
#Paranormal
#PNR (Paranormal Romance)
#SteamPunk
#UrbanFantasy

#ScifiRTG or #SFRTG (Sci-fi Retweet Group)
#IFNRTG (Indie Fantasy Re-tweet Group)

_General marketing_:

#amreading
#indieauthors
#mustread
#kindle
#kindledeals
#BookMarketing
#IARTG (Indie Author Re-tweet Group)

#YA (Young Adult)

#indiebooksbeseen

#Amazon

#BYNR (Be your next read)

#BookGiveaway

#Free

#Freebie

#FreeBook

#FreeDownload

#FreebieFriday

#FreeReads

#KindleBargain

REDDIT
 Reddit is underutilized for promotional purposes, probably because the site actively discourages self-promotion and ads. Nevertheless, several authors have been "discovered" on Reddit, and have developed sizable fan bases, usually through r/books and its subreddits. (The trick to Reddit is knowing which sub-reddit is appropriate for your topic.)

r/books. This is a very active community dedicated to the world of books. There are no direct promotions allowed on this page, but they do have a “new releases” section where you can promote your book. You are allowed to promote your own writing in "new releases" as long as you follow these two rules:

1.  The books being discussed must have been published within the last three months OR are being published this month.
2.  No direct sales links.

All the sci-fi related subreddits have been collated into a Big list of SF-Related Subreddits. There are too many subreddits to list here, but if you take a quick look at the Big List you will find many in the "writing" section that will be useful. (Also make sure to check the genres list.) There are two sub-reddits that are particularly active, and which allow some self-promotion. (Please read the rules before promoting your work!)

r/scifi (1.2M readers) Saturdays are “self-promo Saturdays,” so log in on Saturday to promote your book. If you look at the side bar you'll find numerous subreddits, and within those even more sub-subreddits.

r/sciencefiction (107K readers) This reddit is for fans and creators of science fiction and related media in any form. (Not updated recently)

PINTEREST

Pinterest is a great tool for sharing information. You can set up a board for your own publications and include photos of your book covers, signing events, and anything else related to your writing. You can also set up a group board devoted to related science fiction or fantasy topics, such as self-published science fiction or your favorite classic science fiction books, and allow others to share their titles. You can join established boards as well. (This is a great way to get followers.) Here are some group science fiction and fantasy boards that welcome new pinners:

SciFi Books – Community Board

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books

Bookaholics Anonymous

Indie Authors and Self Published

question: Who is the target audience for this article?

answer: Writers of science fiction or fantasy novels promoting their book.

question: What is the main topic of the article?

answer: The main topic of the article is which social media platforms science fiction and fantasy novels authors should use to promote their book.

question: Which social media platforms does the author suggest using?

answer: Facebook groups, Goodreads, Twitter, Reddit, Pinterest

question: What is an ever present necessity of being an author?

answer: Promoting your book.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The main topic of the article is which social media platforms science fiction and fantasy novels authors should use to promote their book. The audience targeted for this article is writers of science fiction or fantasy novels promoting their book. The author's suggestion is to utilize social media platforms such as Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Reddit, and Pinterest.


text:
HENRY C. THIAS HOUSE, also known as the FORREST SWARZ RESIDENCE, is a historic home located at Washington, Franklin County, Missouri. It was built in 1888, and is a two-story, Queen Anne brick dwelling. It features multiple porches with decorative spindlework.[1]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[2]

[1]  (includes 13 photographs from 1984)

[2]

title: Henry C. Thias House

question: By what other name does the Henry C. Thias House go?

answer: The Forrest Swartz Residence.

question: Where is it located?

answer: Missouri.

question: Where is Missouri?

answer: The United States.

question: When was it built?

answer: 1888.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The Henry C. Thias House, also known as the Forrest Swartz Residence, is a historic home in Missouri that was built in 1888 and was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.


text:
LÁZARO CÁRDENAS () is a port city in Michoacán bordered to the west by Guerrero. Lázaro Cárdenas is located in the southern part of the Mexican state of Michoacán. It was formerly known as LOS LLANITOS, but changed its name as a tribute to Lázaro Cárdenas del Río, a Michoacán-born politician who was president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940.

The cities coordinates is , where the Río Balsas drains into the Pacific Ocean. In the 2005 census, the city's population was 74,884. It is served by Lázaro Cárdenas Airport. The municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas, which has an area of , had a total population of 162,997 in 2005, and includes the metropolitan area of city, which includes the communities of Las Guacamayas, La Orilla, and La Mira.

History

When known as Los Llanitos, it formed part of the municipality of Arteaga. In 1932 it was given town status and named Melchor Ocampo, after politician Melchor Ocampo. On April 12, 1937, during the governorship of José María Mendoza Prado, the state congress decreed the creation of the municipality of Melchor Ocampo del Balsas. The name of the municipality changed again on November 17, 1970, to Lázaro Cárdenas, in honor of the popular former president who had died the previous month.

In 2006, steelworkers working in a steel plant went on strike, causing numerous injuries and deaths.

In July 2007, a ship was caught by Mexican officials at the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, which originated from Hong Kong, after traveling through the Port of Long Beach with 19 tons of pseudoephedrine, a raw material needed for the manufacturing process of the drug methamphetamine. The Chinese owner Zhenli Ye Gon was found to have $206 million at his Mexico City mansion. It went undetected at Long Beach.

Air travel

The city is served by the Lázaro Cárdenas Airport.

Port

Lázaro Cárdenas is home to a deepwater seaport that handles container, dry bulk, and liquid cargo. The port also exports automobiles from various Mexican assembly plants to markets in southeast Asia and South America.[1] The port handled 1.24 million TEU in 2012 and is expanding to a capacity of 2.2 million TEU annually. Cargo moves to and from the port by road and rail equally, with rail service provided exclusively by Kansas City Southern de México. The port is expected to become a major container facility due to congestion at the U.S. ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and its relative proximity to major cities such as Chicago, Kansas City, and Houston. In preparation for the port's increased capacity, railway and highway infrastructure running north–south through the center of Mexico has been upgraded to handle the anticipated increase in volume of goods bound for the United States using this transportation corridor. If a proposed government-backed Pacific port is built at Punta Colonet, Baja California, goods flowing to U.S. states like Arizona and Nevada could bypass the congested Los Angeles region with closer access to those markets, providing increased competition with Lázaro Cárdenas.

[1] Trains Magazine, November 2003 (Vol 73-Issue 11) ISSN 0041-0934, “Kansas City Southern Bets Big on Mexico” by Roy Blanchard, Page 70

title: Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán

question: Describe Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán.

answer: Lázaro Cárdenas is a port city in Michoacán located in the southern part of the state. It was formerly known as Los Llanitos, but changed its name as a tribute to Lázaro Cárdenas del Río. In 2005, it had a population of 74,884. It is home to a deepwater seaport that handles containers, dry bulk, and liquid cargo, also exporting automobiles. The port is expected to become a major container facility due to congestion at US ports and its relative proximity to major cities via train.


text:
-   1 The Fallacies of Item Efficiency
    -   1.1 A Quick Review
    -   1.2 What's Wrong Today?
    -   1.3 How to Fix the Problem
    -   1.4 Final Thoughts
    -   1.5 What I Hope people at least get out from this

It's come to my attention in recent months that the theories of "item efficiency" and "gold efficiency" are making a resurgence in popularity among League of Legends fans as well as theorycrafters. With this tick in interest, I've also seen many new problems rise in the system, which is what I want to talk about today. A lot of people are using the system (as I see it) incorrectly, and thats leading to many misleading assumptions in itemization theorycraft. No graphs, no charts, just a discussion of what I think are the merits and flaws of this system.

First, let's hit a quick review of the history of theorycrafting and gold efficiency. Strategizing the best way to play a game, also known as theorycrafting, has been in existence as long as games have existed, whether it be finding the fastest way to beat Super Mario Bros. or how to stay alive playing Pac-Man. But that was just the beginning -- the game that became best known for in-depth theorycrafting was World of Warcraft -- from its reputation, calculations in League of Legends don't even come close to the math needed to calculate DPS output in WoW. Despite it being complex, we should give credit to Warcraft for making it possible for having sites with dedicated theorycraft -- such as Reign of Gaming -- be popular in the present day. Theorycrafting, since that time, has grown from a niche interest to a word commonly used in gaming lexicon.

A Quick Review

When theorycrafting first emerged in League of Legends during Open Beta and Preseason One, most players at the time had no idea what was going on, and the only way that people could agree with each other on the 'overpowered' status of items was using gold efficiency and item efficiency, which is where my Item Efficiency Spreadsheet came in. For the first time, people had a way to discuss items, and some key items such as Zhonya's (Rabadon's) and Rod of Ages quickly got nerfed or reworked. Through that time to the present day, many people, including much of the Riot balance team, has used gold efficiency as a metric in balancing items, both new and old.

But history isn't really what I wanted to talk about today. Since the beginning of item efficiency to the present day, the meaning and the usage of efficiency has changed from a metric of power to the holy grail of design balance in the eyes of the community. And that's not what it is. It's an effective balancing system, but it is heavily flawed in its approach to looking at items -- its one-dimensional, and really, you can only get an idea of whether an item is overpowered, underpowered, or balanced. Item efficiency is best used as an indicator of intermediate items, as it is extremely hard to value the power of a unique passive such as Infinity Edge's unique passive. Such things are better calculated through damage-per-second analysis because the gold worth of such a passive would be variable depending on the stage of the game and number of items you have.

What's Wrong Today?

In order to get a sense of whether is strong or not, you have to look at the big picture. In its original form, item efficiency only took into account primary variables. Secondary variables (regen, penetration, cdr, etc.) weren't included. Now, many people take total efficiency (primary and secondary) variables, look at the results, and get erroneous conclusions. A recently popular speculation that has been going around discussion forums is that Spirit of the Spectral Wraith is an overpowered item because it has a ridiculously strong gold efficiency, when in reality much of its gold efficiency stats are secondary (spell vamp and mana regeneration). Even Athene's Unholy Grail, a common rush items on many casters, is extremely overpowered from an efficiency standpoint but this doesn't necessarily transition to in-game superiority. These items are balanced; just because they seem strong in one system doesn't mean they are overpowered in the waking world.

I'm tired of people putting item efficiency on a pedestal. Item efficiency is an inherently flawed system in design, yet we still use it as a metric because it's the best and easiest way you can approximate variables and the strength of items outside of the game, without actually playing it. At one point in time, it was the only thing theorycrafters used as a basis of analysis; now, the game has evolved so that we take many things into account and not just efficiency. Sadly, much of the community has not kept up in the changes and with the recent surge in 'item efficiency' theorycrafters, I see a lot of these problems coming back into the spotlight.

While charts such as this one valuing masteries are applaudable in the effort undertaken to try to define masteries, gold efficiency isn't bulletproof enough of a system to do this correctly. For example, the offensive mastery Frenzy is valued at less than 50 gold, but in the end-game it is one of the most powerful offensive options available to AD Carries. Similarly, it's pretty hard to value how long reduced death timers are or the power of extra ward vision. People are taking a niche system and overestimating its capabilities, when in reality we should be just using item efficiency for a "Fun Fact: X is pretty strong" type of analysis.

How to Fix the Problem

League of Legends Wiki

    The Brutalizer's 10 flat armor penetration must be valued at 15g for this item to be gold efficient.

With the rise of new theorycrafters, we've also seen a warping of the current system. Some people have the concept of "item efficiency" in their head, but it's often the wrong idea. If you look at different items on the LoL Wiki, you'll find that generally the item efficiency explanations don't make a whole lot of sense, and in many cases they're even wrong.

Item efficiency is an imperfect system, and it's become even more imperfect as time has gone on. It's best used for estimating what items might be overpowered and what isn't; it's not really a great indicator of what item to rush first or whatever, because oftentimes "gold efficient" items aren't giving you the right items. It's not to be used to calculate how great every single element of the game is. You can't solve the mysteries of the League of Legends universe with one set of calculations, let alone one that is based off the base cost of a Negatron Cloak. In order to theorycraft, you have to look at every factor, not just the gold cost and stats.

Final Thoughts

What can we do to improve the problems encountered by item efficiency? The solution is not to abandon it, but to integrate it into your research. If League were balanced on a one-dimensional metric such as this, the game would be extremely imbalanced. As such, when we look at items we should consider: Is this item actually strong ingame? If not, is that why the item is so efficient? Questions such as these should guide your research in itemization instead of relying wholly upon one system. Efficiency has its merits in approximating value, but it cannot be used to pinpoint precision in actual usability. Use common sense, make good judgments, and you will be able to see why the game is balanced as it is.

question: What is "item efficiency"?

answer: Item efficiency is a system used to make sure items are balanced in League of Legends.

question: What is League of Legends?

answer: not answered. Seems to be a video game.

question: What are the primary variables of item efficiency?

answer: not answered

question: How does one improve the problems encountered by item efficiency?

answer: The solution is not to abandon it,  but to integrate it into your research about items in the game.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article details the shortcomings of the item efficiency theory in League of Legends, and what to do to overcome those shortcomings.


text:
[]_THE LAST JEW IN VINNITSA_ is a photograph taken during the Holocaust in Ukraine showing a Jewish man near the town of Vinnitsa (Vinnytsia) about to be shot dead by a member of _Einsatzgruppe D_, a mobile death squad of the Nazi SS. The victim is kneeling beside a mass grave already containing bodies; behind, a group of SS and Reich Labour Service men watch.[1]

History

The photograph dates from some time between mid-1941, when the Germans occupied the oblast (region) of Vinnytsia, and 1943.[2] During this period there were numerous massacres of Jews in the oblast,[3] including in the town itself on 16 and 22 September 1941 and April 1942, after which those spared were sent to labour camps and the Yerusalimka quarter was largely razed.[4][5][6]

The photograph was circulated in 1961 by United Press (UPI) during the trial of Adolf Eichmann.[7] UPI had received it from Al Moss (b. 1910) a Polish Jew who acquired it in May 1945 shortly after he was liberated from Allach concentration camp by the American 3rd Army.[8][9] Moss, living in Chicago in 1961, wanted people “to know what went on in Eichmann's time”.[10] The UPI copy was published over a full page of _The Forward_.[11]

Some later sources say that the original physical image was in an _Einsatzgruppe_ member's photograph album,[12] or removed from the pocket of a dead soldier;[13] and that written on its reverse side was “Last Jew in Vinnitsa”,[14][15] now sometimes used as the image's name.[16][17][18][19]

Significance

The photograph has become iconic. Some features are unusual among well-known Holocaust pictures: it was taken during the Holocaust rather than after its end, and presumably by someone complicit in the killing; it depicts _Einsatzgruppen_ rather than concentration or extermination camps; the focus is on a solitary victim rather than a multitude.[20][21][22][23][24][25]

The photograph has been reproduced, with different degrees of cropping,[26] in many books and museum exhibits about the Holocaust.[27][28][29][30] Books include ones by Guido Knopp[31] and Michael Berenbaum.[32] Exhibits include in Berlin at “Questions on German History” in the Reichstag building from 1971 to 1994,[33] and then at Topography of Terror[34] and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe;[35] the Institute of National Remembrance in Poland;[36] the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum;[37] and Yad Vashem.[38]

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title: The Last Jew in Vinnitsa

question: Who is Al Moss?

answer: He is a Polish Jew who found the photograph in May 1945 shortly after he was liberated from the Allach concentration camp.

question: When was the photograph taken?

answer: The photograph was taken some time between mid-1941 and 1943.

question: How has the photograph become iconic?

answer: It has a few of unusual features. One feature is that it was taken during the Holocaust rather than at its end.

question: Who took the photograph?

answer: The photograph is presumed to be taken by someone who is complicit in the man featured in the photograph.

question: List the exhibits where the photograph is shown.

answer: “Questions on German History” in Berlin, Topography of Terror in Berlin, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin,  the Institute of National Remembrance in Poland, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Yad Vashem

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses the history and significance of the photograph "The Last Jew in Vinnitsa". It shows a Jewish man near the town of Vinnitsa during the Holocaust in Ukraine about to be shot dead by a member of Einsatzgruppe D, a mobile death squad of the Nazi SS. It was taken somewhere between mid-1943 and 1945.


text:
I wake up in the morning. I get up, get ready for work. Boots, pants, belt, shirt, mask. I step outside. Immediately, I can’t breathe. I adjust my mask. I can breathe now.
       The bus ride always seems longer than it is. I always get stares. Not hidden stares like most other people get. Bold, challenging stares. The people don’t know who I am. They have never met me. But they hate me, somehow. I ignore them and try to relax.
       I step off the bus, walk quickly to my building. I can’t wait to start. Working always calms me, in a strange way. As I walk through the crowds, I again attract the gaze of several people. I’m thankful of my mask. They can’t see my eyes. They will never know how much I hate them back.
       Finally, I’m here. There’s no offices, no cubicles, no desks, not even other people. Just a cavernous room, entirely white. When I step in, I am alone. Breathe in, breathe out. And repeat. Left foot, right foot. And repeat. I must concentrate. I can’t work if I don’t recognize patterns. My heart beats 173 times in one minute. I blink 17 times. I feel an itch behind my left eye. White becomes black. My heart stops beating. My eyes a permanently open. I no longer need to breathe. Time to start.

       I love my job. I was born to do it. Literally bred through many generations, to create the perfect worker. I was isolated from birth to my 18th birthday, when I started working. I was trained by automated systems for eighteen years, just to make me as perfect as possible. Just to make me detached as possible. Just to make me ready. I think I have lived up to expectations. Probably exceeded them. I
love my job. And I am amazing at it.
       First assignment. It’s nearby. A simple one, stationary and weak. I get there somehow. Not physically, my body remains in a white chamber.
I don’t know what I am right now. I just can’t be seen, except by my clients. I arrive. She sees me. She screams. She gets up, runs. It’s not much of a chase. I immediately catch her. She is still screaming. My mask dissolves. She can’t scream anymore. I am done here.

       It is an easy work day. Mostly old, sickly, or newborn. I love my job, but it’s more fun when they can fight. When they can run. When I can play with them. I like a challenge. Though it rarely is challenging.
       I return home. Bathe. Eat. Read. Sleep. The next day will be more of the same, I think. I want the same. I live off of patterns.

       Wake up. Boots, pants, belt, shirt, mask, bus, white, black. First assignment. Second. Third. All within seconds of each other. I must
work fast to finish all my duties. Noon. Night. Home, bathe, eat, read, sleep. And repeat.

       I have been working for years. I have stopped aging. I don’t know how old I am. I remain in perfect condition for years, until I need to be
Replaced. I await that day. I love my job. But I long freedom.

       Today, I feel… odd. I take the usual steps to work. It’s my fortieth client for today. I am distracted. She is a fighter. Young. Almost as perfect as me. She distracts me. She does not run, as most do. She stands her ground. Looks me in the eyes. Or where my eyes would be, if she could see them. She speaks to me. She speaks words I have heard of, but I do not understand her. I am filled with my usual rage, but something else is creeping in to me. She continues talking. Two words. She starts to repeat two words. “Thank you.” I do not understand. I have been cursed at, told to die, pleaded with, even. Never thanked. I hesitate. That small feeling grows. No. I must complete this task. She grabs my hand. Wraps herself around me. “Thank you.” I can’t. I hate my job.

       I forget all my other assignments. She must be mine. No. I must behers. No. We must be. Yes. We must be.

       I lift her. She starts crying. I feel tears against my chest. I lift her, hold her close. I am back in the white. She is with me. We must be. We must escape. They will be after me. I don’t care about me. She must be safe. I know where to hide.
       Finally, we are here. We are safe. For now. She has stopped crying. I set her down. She is tired. She lays down, closes her eyes. Smiles, and falls asleep. I look around. I have not been here since I started working. My childhood home. My development center. My training grounds. It is the perfect hiding place. Undetectable, and impenetrable by those I do not want in. They won’t be able to get in. I hope.
       Two days have passed. I have not slept. She has done nothing but. I spend my time staring at her. Exploring her past. She has had a hard life. She is my opposite. She knows of nothing but life. I continue to stare.
       She awakes. Immediately, she leaps up and clutches me tightly. That growing feeling has almost overwhelmed me. I feel she is hungry. I am lucky. All the machinery still works. A meal is made. Another for me. I don’t know where it comes from. I now it is an infinite supply. We will survive.
       Weeks have passed. We are still alive. I still fear our capture. I still wear my mask. I cannot take it off. We do not talk. We do not have to. That feeling has grown to take over everything else. I feel different. I love her.
       I awake. It is dark. She is asleep. I sense something. No. We have been found. No. Not by them. They have sent someone. I have been stupid. I forgot he could get in the same way we did. My Replacement is here. I will miss her.
       I get up. Walk to another room. This one is a mirror of my workspace. White and huge. I lock the door. I sit in the center. I take off my mask. I wait. I will miss her.
       Hours pass. Or minutes. Or years. I cannot tell. I sense him drawing nearer. He is cautious. He thinks I will fight. I will not. I will miss her.
       Finally, he is here. I open my eyes. I see me. No. I see someone who looks like me. I stare at the figure, clothed in all black, with his mask still on. I nod. He nods back. I will miss her.
       He steps up. Puts a hand on my shoulder. His mask dissolves.
       Freedom.
       I will miss her.

title: I Love My Job (1st, open to criticism)

question: What is the narrator's job?

answer: The narrator is a stylized personification of death, conceptually equivalent to the grim reaper.

question: What happens at the end of the story?

answer: the narrator dies

question: Why does the narrator wear a mask?

answer: the story does not answer this question

question: Why does the narrator fall in love with this particular person?

answer: She is the personification of life itself.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator, a personification of death, falls in love with a person slated to die. The pair flee, and the narrator is killed by a figure who looks identical to himself.


text:
“OCTOPUS HEAD” is the 2nd episode of season 4 of the supernatural drama television series _Grimm_ and the 68th episode overall, which premiered on October 31, 2014, on the cable network NBC. The episode was written by series creators David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf and was directed by Terrence O'Hara.

Plot

OPENING QUOTE: “A man's real possession is his memory. In nothing else is he rich, In nothing else he is poor.”

Renard (Sasha Roiz) is pronounced dead when a woman (Louise Lombard) enters the room and uses her powers to freeze time. She takes out a red & black snake with two heads, one at each end, and makes each snake bite their respective hearts, which makes Renard's skin get back to normal while the woman's skin turns pale. After finishing their part, the snakes disintegrate to ash while the woman collapses, as time goes back to normal. When the doctor checks on her, Renard suddenly, once again alive, wakes up.

In Vienna, Prince Viktor (Alexis Denisof) is told by Rispoli (Philip Anthony-Rodriguez) that Steward's accounts have been hidden to avoid their involvement with him and he is also informed that Adalind (Claire Coffee) has arrived. She is demanding to get inside the castle to get her daughter back (thinking Viktor has her). He brings her inside and tells her about Renard's shooting before throwing her in a cell. He reveals he doesn't have her daughter, that the resistance she betrayed him for and helped her escape, took her; also that she can “huff & puff” all she likes but the cell was designed to contain Hexenbiests, she won't be escaping it. He is planning on leaving her there until she reveals the people who helped her escape. Back in Portland, Trubel(Jacqueline Toboni) is following Anderson (Brian Letscher) to the hotel as he is checking in. Inside, he disguises himself to resemble the man whose memories he previously stole, by dyeing his hair. She contacts Nick (David Giuntoli) and Hank (Russell Hornsby) to tell them what she knows before returning to watch him.

In the spice shop, Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) and Rosalee (Bree Turner) are investigating a possible Verfluchte Zwillingsschwester, a spell used by Hexenbiests to remove the powers of a Grimm. They deduce that Renard may know how it works since he had the antidote. A man named Ken Vickers (Andrew Stearns) calls Slocombe to meet up with him, not knowing he's dead. Lawrence calls Kent back to meet with him to discuss Slocombe's research and makes a change of his physical appearance before leaving the hotel. Truble, outside the door, listens to the conversation then follows him to his next victim. Renard is visited by the mysterious woman, who is revealed to be his mother, Elizabeth Lascelles. He informs her about Adalind's baby and that Steward is responsible for his injury. She's rather delighted to be a grandmother.

Nick and Hank contact Lawrence's supervisor and discover that he suffered an accident a few weeks back and is suffering dementia, the same symptom the victims are experiencing. Nick is then questioned by Chavez (Elizabeth Rodriguez) about his recent activities and suspecting he's a Grimm, provokes him by wogeing, which Nick is unable to see. After he leaves, she makes a call to tell that he is not the Grimm but she is now certain who is. Trubel follows Lawrence to Vickers' house, whom he knocks out unconscious. He then notices Trubel outside the house and knocks her out too. In her cell, Adalind is awoken by a bunch of large rats, then hears a sinister giggle then voice coming from a hole in the wall, who says when she asks who it is : “My name is for me to know and you to find out”, before closing the hole back up.

Nick and Hank burst into Lawrence's hotel room to find the next address and find Vickers' address. Lawrence wakes Trubel up and after inspecting Vickers, uses his tentacles to retrieve information from her. However, he sees that she is a Grimm and suffers a breakdown as he absorbed her memories of abuse, fights and killings. Nick and Hank arrive just in the 'nick' of time and arrest Lawrence. Despite their contact with him, Trubel and Vickers are thankfully still safe and sound. In the station, they find that his real name is Timothy Perkal, a Canadian spy who is wanted in various countries. In his cell, the spy is still suffering agonising nightmares.

Nick and Hank then visit Renard in the hospital and also meet his mother Elizabeth. The next morning, Trubel (who is in an excited mood) leaves the house on Juliette's (Bitsie Tulloch) bike just as Wu (Reggie Lee) visits Nick. He is still confused that Trubel is a criminology student and is also suspect of homicide and wants Nick to explain all the discrepancies to him. Suddenly, Nick experiences a severe headache while Adalind receives the same headache in her cell. They are seeing each other's sight and after a moment, they go back to normal. Both can't explain what is going on. Trubel is seen riding on the bike when a following van pulls over and takes her inside. Agent Chavez is revealed to be in the passenger seat and tells the driver to go.

Reception

Viewers

The episode was viewed by 4.54 million people, earning a 1.1/4 in the 18–49 rating demographics on the Nielson ratings scale, ranking third on its timeslot and eight for the night in the 18–49 demographics, behind _The Amazing Race_, _Hawaii Five-0_, _Blue Bloods_, _Last Man Standing_, _Dateline NBC_, _20/20_, and _Shark Tank_.[1] This was a 15% decrease in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 5.28 million viewers with a 1.4/5.[2] This means that 1.1 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode, while 4 percent of all households watching television at that time watched it. With DVR factoring in, the episode was watched by 7.21 million viewers with a 2.1 ratings share in the 18–49 demographics.[3]

Critical reviews

“Octopus Head” received positive reviews. Kathleen Wiedel from _TV Fanatic_, gave a 3.8 star rating out of 5, stating: “And what is Chavez up to, anyway? I suspect this is one of those slow-burn, long-term plot threads that will only really be fully revealed over the long haul, but I doubt she has friendly intentions overall. Nice people don't go around kidnapping folks off the street, after all. On the other hand, most Wesen are scared of Grimms, and Trubel had just decapitated a Hundjager.”[4]

MaryAnn Sleasman from _TV.com_, wrote, “'Octopus Head' brought back Renard and locked Adalind up in a spooky dungeon while also continuing Season 4's apparent domesticity theme with the Nick-Juliette-Trubel stuff. It's an interesting role reversal to pit our Wesen characters against the big bad while our Grimm mostly struggles with more mundane problems like relationships and stray children and the challenge of maintaining a true work/life balance. This episode was a strong follow-up to last week's season opener. I'm so pumped for this season. Are you?”[5]

Christine Horton of _Den of Geek_ wrote, “There was a continuation of last week's Wesen storyline about the Octo-man, but it really felt secondary to the developing plot lines among the main characters – although it strengthened Trubel's new position as the only crime fighting Grimm in town. I look forward to the next episode, particularly after this installment ended on a cliff-hanger that I think will prompt some a number of truths to be revealed next week.”[6]

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[3] 'Modern Family' Has Biggest Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'Elementary', 'Parnethood' & 'The Originals' Top Percentage Gains & 'The Blacklist' Leads Viewer Gains in Live +7 Ratings for Week 6 Ending November 2

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title: Octopus Head

question: Summarize all the information relating to Renard.

answer: The character Renard is played by Sasha Roiz in the television series Grimm. Renard is pronounced dead at the beginning of the 2nd episode of the 4th season of this series. A woman enters and saves his life. Renard wakes up. Monroe and Rosalee deduce that Renard may know how the Verfluchte Zwillingschwester work because he has an antidote for it. The woman that saved his life visits him. She is revealed to be his mother, Elizabeth Lascelles. He informs her about Adalind's baby and that Steward is responsible for his injury. Nick and Hank visit Renard in the hospital and meets his mother. It is said by a critic that this episode bought back Renard, but locked up Adalind.

question: Summarize all the information relating to Trubel.

answer: The character Trubel is portrayed by Jacqueline Toboni in the television series Grimm. In Portland, Trubel is following Anderson to the hotel he is checking into. He disguises himself while in the hotel room. She contacts Nick and Hank to tell them what she knows before returning to watch him. Trubel listens to the conversation between Lawrence and Kent from outside the hotel room door. She follows Lawrence to Vickers' house. She is knocked unconscious. Lawrence wakes Trubel up and, after inspecting Vickers, uses his tentacles to retrieve information from her. She is a Grimm. He suffers a breakdown while absorbing her memories of abuse, fights and killings. Nick and Hank arrive and arrest Lawrence. Trubel is safe and sound. The following morning Trubel leaves on Juliette's bike. A van pulls over and takes her inside. Agent Chavez is revealed to be in the passenger seat and tells the driver to go.

question: Were the reviews of this episode of Grimm positive?

answer: Yes, the reviews were positive.

question: How many people watched this episode of Grimm?

answer: With DVR factoring in, the episode was watched by 7.21 million viewers.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Octopus Head is the second episode in the fourth season of the television series Grimm. Renard is brought back to life, Adalind is held captive, Trubel is abducted.


text:
Oba ADELE or ADELE AJOSUN (died 1837) reigned twice as Oba of Lagos; first, from c1811 to 1821, and a second time from 1835 to 1837. His father was Oba Ologun Kutere and his siblings were Obas Osinlokun and Akitoye, thus the Ologun Kutere line has remained the dominant line in the Obaship of Lagos.[1]

Ascendancy

Adele ascended the Obaship of Lagos after the approximate 5 year interregnum following the death of his father Ologun Kutere. Some written and oral sources note that Ologun Kutere desired that Adele become Oba because of Adele's faithful service to Ologun Kutere. Historian John. B. Losi wrote about Adele's care of Ologun Kutere's property while the Lander brothers (Richard and John Lander) note Adele's mechanical aptitude.[2]

During Adele's reign the Islamic faith spread in Lagos and his popularity is reported to have decreased among Lagosians because his children introduced the Egun masquerade, which at the time was seen as unbecoming.[3]

Osinlokun's coup and Adele's exile to Badagry

Around 1820 or 1821, and as was the tradition before 1852 when Lagos exercised more independence from the Benin Empire, Adele attempted to accompany Ologun Kutere's remains to Benin for burial, however, Osinlokun and his supporters forcibly prevented Adele from doing so and in the process usurped the Obaship from Adele. Adele was now exiled to Badagry where he assumed headship of the town. In 1825, while in Badagry, Adele attempted to violently retake the Lagos throne with the help of the British Navy but his efforts were futile.[4] He reportedly sank into depression when a gunpowder explosion destroyed his home, property, and followers.[5]

Second term following Idewu Ojulari's ritual suicide

Osinlokun died in 1829 and was succeeded by his son Idewu Ojulari.

After Oba Idewu Ojulari was compelled by Lagosians (around 1834/5) through the Oba of Benin to commit ritual suicide, Idewu's brother prince Kosoko should have been made king but because of Kosoko's impetuous nature resulting in taking a woman betrothed to Eletu Odibo, an ensuing feud prevented Eletu Odibo from installing Kosoko king. As a result, Adele (uncle to Kosoko and Idewu) was invited from Badagry to become Oba.[6][7]

Marriage to Madam Tinubu

While visiting Abeokuta as an exiled Oba in 1833, Adele was charmed by Madam Tinubu and married her. They moved to Badagry which was traditionally the place of refuge for Lagos monarchs and was where Tinubu exploited Adele's connections to build a formidable business trading in tobacco, salt, and slaves.[8]

Death

Adele died in 1837 and was succeeded as Oba by his son, Oluwole.[9]

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title: Adele Ajosun

question: Who was Adele Ajosun?

answer: He was Oba of Lagos twice, first from 1811 to 1821, and a second time from 1835 to 1837. His father was Oba Ologun Kutere, and his siblings Osinlokun and Akitoye were also Obas, making the Ologun Kutere line the dominant line in the Obaship of Lagos.

question: How did Adele become Oba of Lagos the first time?

answer: Adele became Oba following the death of his father, Ologun Kutere, who chose Adele to succeed him.

question: Why was Adele exiled to Badagry?

answer: With Adele's popularity already decreasing due to the spread of the Islamic Faith during his reign as Oba, he made a tactical error in accompanying Ologun Kutere's remains to Benin for burial, not knowing Osinlokun and his supporters were planning to stop him and usurp the Obaship. Adele was then exiled to Badagry.

question: How did Adele become Oba of Lagos for the second time?

answer: Osinlokun died in 1829 and was succeeded as Oba by his son, Idewu Ojulari. However, Lagosians compelled Idewu to commit ritual suicide in 1834. His brother, Kosoko, was supposed to take the Obaship, but he took a woman betrothed to Eletu Odibo, which prevented Kosoko from ascending to Oba. Adele, Kosoko and Idewu's uncle, was invited from Badargy to become Oba.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Adele Ajosun was Oba of Lagos twice, first from 1811 to 1821, and a second time from 1835 to 1837. His father and two brothers were also Obas.


text:
The OSHKOSH M911 (factory designation F2365) is a heavy-load truck produced from the Oshkosh Corporation in the 1970s, used by the US Army.

History

In the second half of the 1970s, the US Army procured 1,000 of the heavy-haul truck – together with the four-axle M747 semitrailer – for road transportation of Main battle tanks and other heavy loads. A tank often carried by the Oshkosh M911 was the M47 Patton. The Oshkosh M911 was also used with the US Army units stationed in Europe. The Oshkosh M911 has a crew of 3, weighs 18.2 tons, and has a payload capacity of 68.95 tons. The Oshkosh M911 has a Detroit 8V92TA turbocharged 12-liter Diesel V-8 engine that produces 435 horsepower.

An Oshkosh M911 was exhibited at the Swiss Military Museum Full.[1]

[1] Compare the entry at fricktal.info Schweizerisches Militärmuseum Full

title: Oshkosh M911

question: What is the Oshkosh M911?

answer: A heavy-load truck produced by Oshkosh Corp in the 1970's.

question: Who used the truck?

answer: It was used by the US Army

question: How many trucks were procured by the US Army?

answer: 1,000 heavy-haul trucks were procured by the US Army in the second half of the 1970's.

question: What was the capacity of the Oshkosh M911?

answer: Payload capacity of 68.95 tons. Its engine is a turbocharged 12-liter Diesel V8 that produces 435 horsepower.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Oshkosh M911 was a heavy-load truck produced in the 1970's for the US Army. The truck's payload capacity was 68.95 tons and transported Main battle tanks.


text:
P.O.V. of Tyler (Mostly)

Sandra stared across at Tyler through the small fire. Her eyes seemed to glow with a strange menacing essence. The fire roared and flickered in her small green eyes. The tension between the two was clear. However, Tyler couldn’t read Sandra. She was as clear as solid wood. Tyler felt tense. They were surrounded by miles of forest, in the cold night. No one could hear anything except for him and Sandra, and there’s not much to hear when you’re dead. Suddenly; Sandra opened her mouth slowly, as if to say something. She closed it and glanced over at the tent, grinning. Somehow, outside of the fire’s glare, her eyes seemed to grow with a more malevolent light. She turned back to Tyler, this time right in the eyes.  “I have a surprise for you, Ty.” She said, with a cheerful nickname as if they were old friends. Really, they were both escapees, only together for matters of survival. She turned before Tyler could read her expression. She stood and walked to the tent. Tyler heard some clinks and other miscellaneous sounds. Then, when it appeared she had found what she was looking for, she came back, holding something behind her back. She handed him a small box. It wasn’t anything special, just a dirty old Thai food rice container. “Happy birthday,” she whispered, leaning to the fire. “Blow out the candles..” then, she blew with all her might on the fire, sending flames rolling Tyler’s way as they dissipated, the fire extinguishing. He reached out to feel a box-like shape sitting in the ash pit. He picked it up and folded it open, fumbling his hand inside. The only thing on the inside besides a few grains of old sticky rice was what felt like a folded piece of paper, but no light to read. He realized he was alone in the light, with Sandra. Of whom he knew nothing about. Crazy, mysterious Sandra. He gripped the paper, his heart beating wildly out of his chest. He felt something tap his shoulder and he shut his eyes. “I’m so sorry Ty.. But one of us has to eat.”  He heard a soft, recognizable voice whisper. Then, he felt a sharp pain in his back and made no attempt to wail, knowing it was hopeless- who would hear, and why would they care? Blood gargled out of his mouth as everything he knew started to vanish. People say your life flashes before your eyes before you die, but it doesn’t. It disappears, everything you know, to the point of insanity. You forget what’s happening and all that’s going through your head is; ‘I am about to die.’ Managing to struggle to words, he choked out through all the blood, “I’ll never forgive you for this.” Sandra smiles in the dark, and then something wet drips on Tyler’s head. Then he realized; she was crying. “You won’t have time to fret on the past in hell, Ty..” She whispered, as he closed his eyes, just to never open them again.

Candy and Pepper strolled through the woods when a morbid smell wafted through Candy’s nose. “Gosh, what’s that awful smell?” Then, suddenly she realized as they approached it; a body, pieces of skin torn off, blood splattered everywhere, as if someone appeared to attempt to consume it.  The person was obviously a man. Folded in his hand was a small piece of paper. Pepper leaned down and picked it up, unfolding it, softly reading it to himself. 'See you soon, I figure I can’t live off you forever. I’ll never forgive myself, either. In our short time together I grew attached, but my life came before you in my eyes, Ty.

Love, S.'

title: My 12 year old sister wrote this.

question: Why did Sandra kill Tyler?

answer: Tyler and Sandra don't seem particularly close. However, they are stuck with each other in a forest, surrounded by miles of trees. They are both escapees and depend on each other for survival, at least for now. Sandra tells Tyler of a surprise she has for him. She brings out a Thai food container and handed it to Tyler. As the young man opens it, Sandra guts him from behind, telling him she needs to eat. She watches as he dies


text:
The WAC MEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT is the conference championship tournament in soccer for the Western Athletic Conference. The tournament has been held every year since 2013. Previously it was held every year between 1996 and 1999 before the sport was discontinued by the conference for 14 years. It is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season records. The winner, declared conference champion, receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship.

Champions

Key

  ------ ------------------------------------------------------
  (2)    Title number
  -      Match went to extra time
  †      Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time
  BOLD   Winning team won REGULAR SEASON
  ------ ------------------------------------------------------

Finals

+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| Year      | Champion  | Score     | Runner-up | Venue     | Tournamen |
|           |           |           |           |           | t         |
|           |           |           |           |           | MVP       |
+===========+===========+===========+===========+===========+===========+
| 1996      | FRESNO    | 2–0       | Air Force | Pete      | Craig     |
|           | STATE     |           |           | Beiden    | Tomlinson |
|           |           |           |           | Field •   | (FSU)     |
|           |           |           |           | Fresno,   |           |
|           |           |           |           | CA        |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 1997      | SMU       | 4–0       | Tulsa     | Peter     | Daniel    |
|           |           |           |           | Johann    | Hernández |
|           |           |           |           | Soccer    | (SMU)     |
|           |           |           |           | Field •   |           |
|           |           |           |           | Las       |           |
|           |           |           |           | Vegas, NV |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 1998      | Fresno    | 0–0†      | Tulsa     | Pete      | Robbie    |
|           | State     |           |           | Beiden    | Aristodem |
|           |           |           |           | Field •   | o         |
|           |           |           |           | Fresno,   | (TUL)     |
|           |           |           |           | CA        |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 1999      | _no       |
|           | tournamen |
|           | t_        |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 2000–2012 | _WAC did  |
|           | not       |
|           | sponsor   |
|           | men's     |
|           | soccer_   |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 2013      | SEATTLE U | 2–1       | San Jose  | USAFA     | Jake      |
|           |           |           | State     | Soccer    | Feener    |
|           |           |           |           | Stadium • |           |
|           |           |           |           | Colorado  |           |
|           |           |           |           | Springs,  |           |
|           |           |           |           | CO        |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 2014      | UNLV      | 1–1†      | CSU       | Champions | Danny     |
|           |           |           | Bakersfie | hip       | Musovski  |
|           |           |           | ld        | Field •   |           |
|           |           |           |           | Seattle,  |           |
|           |           |           |           | WA        |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 2015      | SEATTLE U | 1–1†      | Utah      | Durwood   | David     |
|           |           |           | Valley    | Soccer    | Olsen     |
|           |           |           |           | Stadium • |           |
|           |           |           |           | Kansas    |           |
|           |           |           |           | City, MO  |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 2016      | UNLV      | 2–1       | Air Force | Clyde     | Danny     |
|           |           |           |           | Field •   | Musovski  |
|           |           |           |           | Orem, UT  |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 2017      | Seattle U | 2–1       | San Jose  | Peter     | Josh      |
|           |           |           | State     | Johann    | Adachi    |
|           |           |           |           | Field •   |           |
|           |           |           |           | Las       |           |
|           |           |           |           | Vegas, NV |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 2018      | Grand     | 1–0       | San Jose  | Champions | George    |
|           | Canyon    |           | State     | hip       | Tasouris  |
|           |           |           |           | Field •   |           |
|           |           |           |           | Seattle,  |           |
|           |           |           |           | WA        |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| 2019      | SEATTLE U | 1–1†      | Utah      | Cadet     | Akili     |
|           |           |           | Valley    | Soccer    | Kasim     |
|           |           |           |           | Stadium • |           |
|           |           |           |           | Colorado  |           |
|           |           |           |           | Springs,  |           |
|           |           |           |           | CO        |           |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+

Performance by school

  School            Championships   Winning years
  ----------------- --------------- ------------------------
  Seattle           4               2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
  UNLV              2               2014, 2016
  _Fresno State_†   2               1996, 1998
  _SMU_             1               1997
  Grand Canyon      1               2018
  TOTAL             9

_Italics_ indicate a school that is no longer a conference member

† No longer sponsor men's soccer

title: WAC Men's Soccer Tournament

question: What is the WAC Men's Soccer Tournament?

answer: The WAC Men's Soccer Tournament is a conference championship tournament in soccer for the Western Athletic Conference.

question: What kind of tournament the WAC Men's Soccer Tournament?

answer: The WAC Men's Soccer Tournament is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular-season records.

question: Which team was the champion in 1996 and 1998?

answer: Fresno State was the champion in 1996 and 1998.

question: Which teams were in the finals in 1996?

answer: Fresno State and Air Force were in the finals in 1996.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The WAC Men's Soccer Tournament is a conference championship tournament in soccer for the Western Athletic Conference. It is a single-elimination tournament, and seeding is based on regular-season records. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship.


text:
CPC GANGBANGS were a Montreal, Quebec-based garage punk band,[1] composed of former members of bands Les Sexareenos (1999–2002), The Spaceshits (1995–99), Lyle Sheraton and the Daylight Lovers (1997–99), Grime, and Milky Ways.

History

CPC Gangbangs was established in 2001 as The Gangbangs. It was originally intended as a punk band influenced by the likes of Black Flag. Its first single was released in 2002 by High School Refuse Records, titled “When All Turns To Shit.”

In early 2003, the band was renamed CPC Gangbangs, and guitarist and vocalist Paul Spence, (previously a member of the punk rock band Lyle Sheraton and the Daylight Lovers, and co-star of the mockumentary cult classic _FUBAR: The Movie_), joined the band.[2] Soon Daylight Lovers' bassist Roy Vucino, using the stage name Choyce, joined as well, creating more changes to the band's sound. Spence and Choyce shared songwriting duties and stage presence evenly. After entering and completing a drug detoxification program, Choyce returned to the band with renewed health and incorporated experiences of crime and hard drug-related experiences in the lyrics of songs for the band. He also included imagery and lyrical content influenced by Aleister Crowley, Austin Osman Spare.[3] While playing mainly garage punk, CPC Gangbangs incorporated elements of space rock and thrash metal into their music. With this lineup, the CPC Gangbangs performed live shows regularly in Montreal and later in Toronto.[4]

The group's debut LP “Mutilation Nation” was released in 2007 on Swami Records.[5] The band then went out on tour in support of the album.[6] That year the band released a single, “The Broken Glass”.[7]

Following the departure of key members and the arrest of another in the USA, Choyce released a statement declaring the band's dissolution in 2008. Some of the members formed a new outfit under the name Red Mass, and continued to use the imagery and Crowley influences of the previous band.

Discography

Albums

  Year   Title                 Label   Other information
  ------ --------------------- ------- -----------------------
  2007   _Mutilation Nation_   Swami   First full-length LP.

EPs & singles

  Year   Title                    Label                       Other information
  ------ ------------------------ --------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2007   _World War III 7"_       Profet Records              Limited run of 500 copies; Catalog No. PR10
  2007   _The Broken Glass 7"_    Seeing Eye Records          Picture disc; Catalog No. SE005; B-side: “Rich Rich Rich”
  2007   _Teenage Crimewave 7"_   Die Slaughterhaus Records   Limited run of 500 copies; Catalog No. DSH015b; B-side: “Blood on the Wall”

[1]

[2] “Le dark side CPC Gangbangs’ Montreal includes blood”. _Now Toronto_, by Tim Perlich August 16, 2007

[3] “Magick and mayhem”. _Montreal Mirror_, by JOHNSON CUMMINS, June 14. Archived at the Wayback Machine.

[4] “Jay Reatard Punches Audience Member, Walks Out On Show”. _Chart Attack_, Apr 18, 2008

[5] “CPC Gangbangs Mutilation Nation”. _Exclaim!_, By Josiah Hughes. Oct 29, 2007

[6] “CPC Gangbangs” . _Mongrelzine_, June 2, 2008 BOB SCOTT

[7] “CPC GANGBANGS The Broken Glass”. Kalle Stille, _Ox-Fanzine_ Issue #76 (February/March 2008).

title: CPC Gangbangs

question: What kind of public reception would CPC Gangbangs have likely received from the public?

answer: Based on the name of the band, their garage punk music, the names of their albums, and the kind of lifestyle that their band members had (drug usage, criminal activities, being arrested, etc), the band is likely to have been welcomed openly by audiences who appreciate the edgy and rebellious style they present. More conservative people are likely to dislike the band due to the band being very non-conformist. It is also possible that people long past their rebellious phase in life would find the band as something that they have "outgrown".