text:
The Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) is in the process of planning the Hell Hole Dam core raise project at the 725-kW Hell Hole hydroelectric scheme near the town of Foresthill in Placer County, Calif.

PCWA estimates the project will cost US$1.8 million and has said to safely control seepage that could occur during probable maximum flood (PMF) loading, it must increase the dam’s core height.

[]

The contract to complete the project has not yet been awarded, but June 13 marks the end of a 30-day public review period of the project’s Mitigated Negative Declaration.

The Hell Hole facility is one of five that PCWA operates as part of its 224-MW Middle Fork American River hydropower project (MFP). The four additional MFP hydro facilities include: 15.3-MW French Meadows; 122.4-MW Middle Fork; 79.2-MW Ralston; and 6.128-MW Oxbow.

[]

Hell Hole Dam was completed in 1966. It is a zoned rockfill and earthfill embankment dam that has a maximum height of about 410 ft and a cambered crest, 1,550-ft-long by 35-ft-wide. Camber is the extra height added to the crest of embankment dams to ensure the difference in elevation between the maximum water surface in the reservoir and the dam crest will not be diminished by foundation settlement or embankment consolidation.

The dam impounds the Rubicon River and Five Lakes Creek to form Hell Hole Reservoir, which has a storage capacity of 207,590 acre-feet.

[]

The crest of the dam is reported to have settled about 2.6 ft since its construction, resulting in a reduction of the 10-ft camber included in the original design. The current crest elevation varies from 4,650 to 4,657.4 ft.

PCWA, in its contract addendum to the project bid released May 26, indicated the Hell Hole Dam core must be increased about 2.5 ft, in part, to withstand PMF conditions “based on the proposed addition of spillway gates.”

In preparation of relicensing from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), according to a PCWA executive summary that included “_Project Betterments and Improvements_,” part of the organization’s consideration to modernize the dam includes the installation of eight, 10-ft-high crest gates on the existing Hell Hole Dam spillway.

According to PCWA, addition of spillway gates could provide an additional 9,750 to 12,000 acre-feet of increased seasonal storage in Hell Hole Reservoir.

In 2013, Black & Veatch Co. engineers revised the PMF water surface elevation for Hell Hole Dam to 4648.58 ft, based on the proposed addition of spillway gates. The PMF elevation is higher than portions of the dam core.

As a condition for the California Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) to approve the project and meet guidelines for FERC licensing, DSOD said PCWA must raise the dam core elevation to 4,651 ft, which is about 2.5 ft above the PMF flood level.

The 2013 investigation determined that without raising the core, overtopping would occur for a distance of about 700 ft adjacent to the left abutment and 700 ft adjacent to the right abutment.

In published news reports, PCWA spokesman Ross Branch said FERC licensing procedure is targeted for completion in 2019.

question: Where is the Hell Hole Dam going to be placed?

answer: At Foresthill in Placer County.

question: How much did the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA)estimate the project to cost?

answer: Around US$1.8 million

question: When will the PCWA assign the contract to complete the project?

answer: The contract will be assigned after a 30-day public review period.

question: When was the Hell Hole Dam initially completed?

answer: In 1966.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The Hell Hole Dam in the town of Foresthill, Placer County was constructed in 1966. Since then, it has sunk a little and needs a reconstruction it is no longer meeting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)standards. It has been determined that the Hell Hole Dam core must be increased by about 2.5ft. Also, a 10ft high-crest gate has to be installed on the dam's spillway.


split: train

text:
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS were held in Bulgaria on 18 December 1994.[1] The Democratic Left, the core of which was the Bulgarian Socialist Party, won 125 of the 240 seats, enough to govern without the support of parties from outside the coalition. Voter turnout was 75.3%.[2] Following the election, Socialist Party leader Zhan Videnov became Prime Minister.[3]

Results

  Party                                                                                Votes       %       Seats   +/–
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- ------- ------- -----
  Democratic Left                                                                           2,262,943   43.50   125     +19
  Union of Democratic Forces                                                                1,260,374   24.23   69      −41
  People's Union¹                                                                           338,478     6.51    18      +18
  Movement for Rights and Freedoms                                                          283,094     5.44    15      −9
  Bulgarian Business Bloc                                                                   245,849     4.73    13      +13
  Democratic Alternative for the Republic                                                   197,057     3.79    0       New
  Bulgarian Communist Party                                                                 78,606      1.51    0       0
  New Choice Union                                                                          77,641      1.49    0       New
  Patriotic Union                                                                           74,350      1.43    0       0
  Kingdom of Bulgaria Federation                                                            73,205      1.41    0       0
  Kingdom of Bulgaria National Movement for Crowned Democracy                               40,642      0.78    0       New
  Kingdom of Bulgaria' Union of Monarchist Forces                                           31,884      0.61    0       New
  Bulgarian National Radical Party                                                          27,853      0.54    0       0
  Democratic Party of Justice                                                               24,023      0.46    0       New
  Movement for the Protection of Pensioners, the Unemployed, and Underprivileged Citizens   18,934      0.36    0       New
  Party of Democratic Change                                                                14,145      0.27    0       New
  Bulgarian Agrarian National Union Confederation – 'Turnovo Constitution' National Block   13,176      0.25    0       New
  Organisation of Invalids and Underprivileged Citizens of Bulgaria                         12,978      0.25    0       0
  Forward Bulgaria Movement                                                                 10,105      0.19    0       New
  Era-3                                                                                8,923       0.17    0       –
  Christian Democratic Union                                                                8,246       0.16    0       New
  Free Democratic Party                                                                     7,463       0.14    0       0
  Transfiguration Forum                                                                     7,447       0.14    0       New
  Democratic Party of Bulgaria                                                              6,439       0.12    0       New
  Alliance for Socialism                                                                    6,439       0.12    0       New
  Bulgarian League for the Protection of the Rights of People and Citizens                  5,957       0.11    0       New
  Union of Justice                                                                          5,029       0.1     0       New
  Bulgarian Revolutionary Party of Youth                                                    4,703       0.09    0       0
  Free Co-operative Party                                                                   4,300       0.08    0       0
  Union of Free Democrats                                                                   3,999       0.08    0       New
  Bulgarian Workers' Social Democratic Party                                                3,827       0.07    0       0
  BRSP – Bulgarian Worker-Rural Party                                                       3,661       0.07    0       0
  Bulgarian Fatherland Party – 'National Union'                                             3,652       0.07    0       0
  Bulgarian National Union                                                                  3,565       0.07    0       New
  Party of Proprietors of Bulgaria                                                          3,558       0.07    0       0
  Front of Progressive Forces of Bulgaria                                                   3,457       0.07    0       New
  National Liberal Party–Stefan Stambolov                                                   2,876       0.06    0       0
  Democratic Party of Labour                                                                2,450       0.05    0       New
  Republican Party of Bulgaria                                                              1,973       0.04    0       New
  Bulgarian Democratic Party for European and World States                                  1,924       0.04    0       0
  Bulgarian Eagle Party                                                                     1,605       0.03    0       0
  Union of Non-partisan Guarantors                                                          1,357       0.03    0       0
  Union of Bulgarian Communities                                                            1,165       0.02    0       New
  Civic Initiative DGI–SDS Movement                                                         372         0.01    0       New
  Unity Party                                                                               143         0.00    0       New
  Alliance of the Nation – Movement of the Downtrodden                                      57          0.00    0       New
  Independents                                                                              12,561      0.24    0       0
  Invalid/blank votes                                                                       62,383      –       –       –
  TOTAL                                                                                5,264,448   100     240     0
  Registered voters/turnout                                                                 6,997,954   75.23   –       –
  Source: Nohlen & Stöver

¹ The People's Union was an alliance between the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union and the Democratic Party.[4]

[1] Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) _Elections in Europe: A data handbook_, p369

[2] Nohlen & Stöver, p382

[3] Bulgaria: Elections held in 1994 Inter-Parliamentary Union

[4] Nohlen & Stöver, p372

title: 1994 Bulgarian parliamentary election

question: Who won the 1994 Bulgarian parliamentary election?

answer: The Democratic Left, the core of which was the Bulgarian Socialist Party, won 125 of 240 seats

question: What percentage of people voted in the 1994 Bulgarian parliamentary election?

answer: 75.3%

question: How many seats are there in Bulgarian parliament?

answer: 240

question: Who became Prime Minister of Bulgaria in 1994?

answer: Socialist Party Leader Zhan Videnov

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Democratic Left, the core of which was the Bulgarian Socialist Party, won 125 of 240 seats of the Bulgarian Parliament in the 1994 election. Socialist Party leader Zhan Videnov became prime minister.


text:
The MISS BELGIUM 2015 was held on January 10, 2015, at the Plopsaland Theater in De Panne, Belgium. There were 30 contestants representing provinces and municipalities of Belgium.

The winner, Annelies Törös, Miss Antwerp, entered Miss Universe 2015. The first runner up, Leylah Alliët, entered Miss World 2015.[1]

Winner and runners-up

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
  Final Results            Contestant

                           -
  ------------------------ --------------------------------------------
  _' Miss Belgium 2015_'   -   Antwerp – Annelies Törös

  1ST RUNNER-UP            -   West Flanders – Leylah Alliët

  2ND RUNNER-UP            -   West Flanders – Charlotte Vanbiervliet

  3RD RUNNER-UP            -   West Flanders – Michèle Roelens

  4TH RUNNER-UP            -   Walloon Brabant – Malissia Sirica

  5TH RUNNER-UP            -   East Flanders – Nina De Baecke

  SEMI-FINALISTS           -   Brussels – Stephanie Bola
                           -   Antwerp – Titsia Brabants
                           -   Hainaut – Valentine Cesarone
                           -   Antwerp – Aurélie Hendrickx
                           -   East Flanders – Kawtar Riahi Idrissi
                           -   Brussels – Ginger Van Eetvelde
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Special Awards

-   Miss Congeniality (voted by contestants) – Kawtar Riahi Idrissi (East Flanders)
-   Miss Beach Babe – Charlotte Vanbiervlieti (West Flanders)
-   Miss Talent – Valentine Cesarone (Hainaut)
-   Miss Model – Stephanie Bola (Brussels)
-   Miss Elegance – Titsia Brabants (Antwerp)
-   Miss Charity – Michèle Roelens (West Flanders)
-   Miss Social Media – Titsia Brabants (Antwerp)
-   Public Award – Caroline Van Hoye (Brussels)

Candidates

  Regional Title                          Contestant               Age   Hometown
  --------------------------------------- ------------------------ ----- --------------------
  Crown Card of Miss Antwerp              Valentina Paesano        19    Wilrijk
  Miss Luxembourg                         Pauline Detroz           22    Hotton
  Miss Flemish Brabant                    Mandy De Saeger          21    Asse
  Miss Hainaut                            Valentine Cesarone       21    Mons
  1st Runner-up of Miss Antwerp           Aurélie Hendrickx        18    Aartselaar
  Contestant of Miss Brussels             Caroline Van Hoye        24    Wezembeek-Oppem
  Crown Card of Miss West Flanders        Cheyenne De Coninck      21    Otegem
  2nd Runner-up of Miss Brussels          Ginger Van Eetvelde      25    Laeken
  Crown Card of Miss Antwerp              Titsia Brabants          21    Mortsel
  Crown Card of Miss Brussels             Hélène Gavilan           23    Jette
  1st Runner-up of Miss West Flanders     Nina De Baecke           19    Buggenhout
  Miss Namur                              Marine Gérard            20    Hamois
  Miss East Flanders                      Michèle Roelens          22    Roulers
  Miss Liège                              Amélie Dethier           23    Verviers
  Contestant of Miss West Flanders        Stéphanie Carton         20    Bruges
  1st Runner-up of Miss Brussels          Stéphanie Bola           25    Bruxelles
  1st Runner-up of Miss West Flanders     Leylah Alliët            23    Roulers
  1st Runner-up of Miss Hainaut           Élise Schneidesch        25    Gerpinnes
  Crown Card of Miss West Flanders        Emily Rabaut             23    Middelkerke
  Miss Hainaut                            Élodie Daubresse         23    Nalinnes
  Miss Limbourg                           Maxime Daniels           19    Herk-de-Stad
  Miss Walloon Brabant                    Malissia Sirica          18    Tubize
  2nd Runner-Up of Miss Antwerp           Xhulia Mucaj             19    Anvers
  1st Runner-up of Miss Liège             Victoria Humblet         21    Tilff
  2nd Runner-up of Miss East Flanders     Anastasiya Liënko        25    Ghent
  Miss Brussels                           Jennifer Rosenberg       19    Jette
  2nd Runner-up of Miss West Flanders     Charlotte Vanbiervliet   19    Espierres-Helchin
  1st Runner-up of Miss Walloon Brabant   Lauranne Demesmaeker     25    Mont-Saint-Guibert
  Miss Antwerp                            Annelies Törös           19    Berchem
  Miss East Flanders                      Kawtar Riahi Idrissi     19    Ninove

Judges

The Miss Belgium 2015 final judges were:[2]

-   Darline Devos – President of Committee Miss Belgium
-   Annelien Coorevits – Miss Belgium 2007
-   Virginie Claes – Miss Belgium 2006
-   Daniel Dedave – Official photographer
-   Barbara Gandolfi – Ex-Playboy model, comedian, businesswoman and fourth finalist of Miss Belgian Beauty 1999
-   Axel Hirsoux – Singer, contestant on the second season of The Voice Belgique

The American actor, Gary Dourdan, has been officially nommed as president of jury but he withdrew at the last minute.[3]

Contestant notes

-   Stéphanie Bola, first runner-up of Miss Brussels, has Congolese origins on her father's side.
-   Titsia Brabants, Crown Card de Miss Antwerp, has Mexican origins on her mother's side. She is the niece of Mexican surfeur Coco Nogales.[4]
-   Aurélie Hendrickx, first runner-up of Miss Antwerp, has been singer and member of Belgian pop group, Dalton Sisters, only, composed of her sisters, Laurine, Marie-Laure et Marie-Hélène. With her group, she is participated in a final of Eurovision junior with their song _Verander de wereld_ en 2007.
-   Victoria Humblet, first runner-up of Miss Liège, has Philippian origins on her mother's side.[5]
-   Kawtar Riahi Idrissi, Miss East Flanders, has Moroccan origins on her parents' side.
-   Anastasiya Liënko, second runner-up of Miss East Flanders, is of Ukrainian descent.
-   Xhulia Mucaj, second runner-up of Miss Antwerp, is born in Albania.
-   Emily Rabaut, Crown Card of Miss West Flanders, is the sister of Lisa Rabaut, Crown Card of Miss West Flanders 2013.
-   Valentina Paesano, Crown Card de Miss Antwerp, has Italian origins on her parents' side.
-   Jennifer Rosenberg, has Gambian origins on her mother's side.
-   Annelies Törös, Miss Antwerp, has dual citizenships Hungarian and Belgian.
-   Caroline Van Hoye, contestant of Miss Brussels, has Mauritian origins on her mother's side.

Crossovers

Contestants who previously competed at other national beauty pageants:

Miss Brussels

-   2008 : : Stéphanie Bola

Miss Coast Belgium

-   2010: : Emily Rabaut _(2nd Runner-up)_
-   2011: : Leylah Alliët _(2nd Runner-up)_

Miss Élégance Belgique francophone 2013

-   2013: : Valentine Cesarone _(Winner)_

Miss Mons

-   2012: : Valentine Cesarone _(Winner)_

Miss International Belgium

-   2015: : Caroline Van Hoye _(Winner)_

Contestants who previously competed or will be competing at international beauty pageants:

Miss Universe

-   2015: : Annelies Törös _(Top 15)_

Miss World

-   2015: : Leylah Alliët

Miss International

-   2016: : Caroline Van Hoye

Miss Philippines Europe

-   2013: : Victoria Humblet _(Winner)_

Mutya ng Pilipinas

-   2013: : Victoria Humblet _(Top 20)_
    -   _'s representative_

Miss Europe World

-   2015: : Caroline Van Hoye _(Best Face)_

Miss World Peace

-   2015: : Caroline Van Hoye

Miss Europe Continental

-   2016: : Valentine Cesarone _(Top 10)_
    -   _'s representative_

Miss Tourism Queen International

-   2015: : Caroline Van Hoye

Best Model of the World

-   2012: : Malissia Sirica _(Best Hope)_

Miss Grand International

-   2016: : Kawtar Riahi Idrissi

Miss Supranational

-   2015: : Kawtar Riahi Idrissi
    -   _'s representative_

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

title: Miss Belgium 2015

question: Who won Miss Belgium 2015?

answer: Annelies Törös

question: At what venue was Miss Belgium 2015 held?

answer: The Plopsaland Theater in De Panne, Belgium

question: How many contestants participated in Miss Belgium 2015?

answer: 30 contestants

question: Who were the judges for Miss Belgium 2015?

answer:
Darline Devos (the President of Committee Miss Belgium)
Annelien Coorevits (Miss Belgium 2007)
Virginie Claes (Miss Belgium 2006)
Daniel Dedave (Official photographer)
Barbara Gandolfi (Ex-Playboy model, comedian, businesswoman and fourth finalist of Miss Belgian Beauty 1999)
Axel Hirsoux (Singer, contestant on the second season of The Voice Belgique)

question: Summarize everything relating to Aurélie Hendrickx.

answer: Aurélie Hendrickx made it to the semi-finals of Miss Belgium 2015. She was the first runner-up for Miss Antwerp. She was also part of the Belgian pop group Dalton Sisters with her sisters. As part of the group, she participated in the final of Eurovision junior.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Miss Belgium 2015 was a competition held on January 10, 2015 at the Plopsaland Theater in De Panne, Belgium. Annelies Törös was the winner.


text:
 Under the Rug
New neighbor moved in a few weeks ago downstairs. I don’t like him. I never even met him. The only thing I know is that he’s a chemist, calls himself an inventor. All he knows to invent are new ways to make me mad. He’s the kind of person that likes to take his work home with him. He works with Helium, a precious gas that will hopefully be wiped off the Earth. Though I never spoke to him, I know what he does. I feel it through the floor. He made a solid thing that floats. I heard thumping on my floor. The thump grew louder. There was a loud crash. The mad man broke my floor. I did not know that at the time, the object was contained in my rug. I panicked, so I grabbed my chair and threw it at the “bump” the object left. Ripping my rug, my chair landed on the floor below. He got the message, without a doubt. I lay awake during the next few nights waiting for his next attack. There was nothing other than the usual thumping that would drive me mad. One week passed, nothing; the thumping even stopped. That was the most soothing, peaceful week of my life. On the second week, he sent the helium object up again, breaking my newly fixed floor. Out of panic, I threw my chair again, breaking my rug again. To his surprise, my reaction was just and civil. I invited him to talk about how he will repay me. He made a promise to pay for any repairs necessary. Using my advanced persuasive skills, I made him tell me just when he would leave his apartment. I had a plan to sneak into his apartment and take some of that stuff that he calls “work.” I was going to let him taste his success, quite literally. The very next day I picked his lock, rummaged through his apartment only to find a gallon container filled with the stuff. It gave off a retched odor. I took a handful, put it in my pocket, locked his door and walked upstairs, knowing he would be back exactly three minutes past two. That was only twenty minutes away. As I entered my apartment, my mind raced with ideas. The only one that stood out, that was simple, yet clever, was to boil it and put it in tea. Yes, that would be perfect. I do my laundry and wash my hands; I set up several candles and spray air fresheners to steer away from the smell. Inviting him over was simple. Getting him to drink was the difficult task. He gladly sat down at the table while I brought over drinks. He rejected it. I then began using my persuasive skills to get him to drink. He then gave me a look as if he was sick of me. That’s how I know it worked. He took a sip and I smiled. I told him to drink up, and he did. He said he felt weak. I told him to lie down as he fell unconscious. By now, the tea got to his blood stream and in his heart. It must have started to clog his heart. He got weaker and weaker until I heard his last words “What is happening to me?” As he lay there, dead at 3.a.m. in my apartment, I grabbed a garbage bag and slipped him the hole through that he created. Knowing the evidence was not hidden, my plan started to turn into Swiss cheese. The body bag hit the floor with a thump. My heart started racing. I thought that the noise would be alarming and a neighbor would barge in while I stand peering over a dead body in a trash bag. I dashed downstairs. Opening the bag, I started to smell his dead body. I lift this man, who was surprisingly heavy, and lifted him on the couch. I moved his gallon of solid helium next to him. Later, I rummaged through his kitchen and made some tea. I spilled some in the sink and set it on the coffee table next to him. Going back upstairs, I entered my apartment. I took my helium covered jacket and burned it.

title: First short story I ever wrote for school, not quite finished, this is my first draft, feedback would be appreciated.

question: Why doesn't the narrator like the new neighbor?

answer: The neighbor is a chemist and inventor. He works with Helium; he made a solid thing that floats. The thing bumped into his floor and broke the narrator's floor.

question: What does the new neighbor make in his apartment?

answer: He invents a floating solid object that breaks a hole in the narrator's floor.

question: What is "under the rug"?

answer: The object the neighbor built.

question: What is the main plot of the story?

answer: The narrator gets so made at the neighbor that he makes him a "tea" made from some toxic substance that he stole from the neighbor's apartment. The "tea" kills his neighbor.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator of the story hates his new neighbor who lives in the apartment below his. He hates him because he is a chemist and he works with Helium. He made a solid thing that floats, and the thing bumped into his floor and broke the narrator's floor. The narrator devises a plan to sneak into the neighbor's apartment, steal some of his "work", make a tea with it, and get the neighbor to drink it. His plan is successful and the neighbor dies after drinking the tea. He sends the neighbor through the hole in the floor and then hides the evidence of the murder.


text:
 Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York City

A Queens man was charged with stealing a beloved tortoise from the Alley Pond Environmental Center in July after he turned himself in on Tuesday, police said.

Shawn Waters, 36, walked into the 111th Precinct in Queens around 3:45 p.m. and told police that although he didn’t steal the 90-pound African spurred tortoise named Millennium, he did trade a snapping turtle for him and then sold the tortoise to someone in Connecticut, a law enforcement source said.

But police aren’t buying Waters’ story and believe Waters was the one who yanked Millennium from his fenced-in enclosure attached to the center on or around July 16, the source said. He was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, according to police.

Millennium, who is around 17 years old, was missing for about a week before he turned up in Connecticut on July 24, according to cops. He was returned to Alley Pond Environmental Center after the person who got Millennium in Connecticut realized the tortoise was reported stolen and alerted police, cops said.

Waters allegedly deals in buying and selling turtles, according to the source. He also has 26 prior arrests, including charges of assaulting a police officer in August 2001, the source said.

Venus Hall, a staff educator at the Alley Pond Environmental Center, said it didn’t appear that Millennium was injured or mistreated. The center now plans to build a more secure enclosure for the tortoise, she said.

The African spurred tortoise is the third-largest tortoise in the world and the largest mainland tortoise, according to the center.

_With Lisa L. Colangelo_

question: Who was arrested for the theft of Millennium?

answer: Shawn Waters was arrested for the theft of Millennium.

question: How many prior arrests does Waters have?

answer: Waters has 26 prior arrests, including assault of a police officer.

question: How heavy is Millennium?

answer: Millennium weighs 90 pounds.

question: When did Millennium turn up in Connecticut?

answer: Millennium turned up in Connecticut on July 24th.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Shawn Waters turned himself in for the theft of Millennium, a 90 pound tortoise. The tortoise was stolen from its enclosure in New York and was found almost two weeks later in Connecticut. Waters had been involved in numerous criminal activities before this, and is being charged for grand larceny and possession of stolen property.


text:
A short story based upon characters in “The Duchess of Malfi” by John Webster

“How tedious is a guilty conscience!” – Cardinal

Ferdinand paced his chamber, fuming with rage. Antonio, he thought, a slave, that only smelled of ink and counters, and ne’er in’s life looked like a gentleman... “He is husband to that lusty widow? They all shall pay!” His last cry rang throughout the room in time with echoes of his heavy footsteps.

And so he had his princely sister imprisoned. In the dead of night, when he was satisfied that no light pierced the duchess’s chamber, he crept in to visit her. “Do you visit me thus?” she whispered into the darkness, “You violate a sacrament o’th’ church shall make you howl in Hell for it.” And howl he would, though sooner on earth than he would in Hell.  “Here’s a hand to which you vowed much love; the ring on it you gave.” Ferdinand smirked as his sister kissed the dead man’s hand. Turning to leave, he tossed her the ring to keep as a love-token, promising that the heart it belonged to would follow. For a moment, his thirst for vengeance had been quenched.

“Let this lie still,” said Bosola. Ferdinand entered, looking grim.

“Is she dead?”

Without hesitation, Bosola announced, “She is what you’d have her. But here begin your pity.” With a regretful look, he sighed, drew back a curtain and asked, “Alas, how have these offended?” His eyes boring into Bosola’s, Ferdinand answered, “ The death of young wolves is never to be pitied.” “Fix your eye here.” For once, the duke shifted his gazes to the corpses strewn about the room, finally resting on the peaceful face of his sister. “Constantly,” he whispered. “Do you not weep? Other sins speak;” Bosola paused, looking for a reaction. Meanwhile, Ferdinand’s thoughts were in turmoil. “Murder shrieks out. The element of water moistens the earth, but blood flies upwards, and bedews the heavens.”

If Bosola said anything after that, it fell on deaf ears. Still fixed on the Duchess’s delicate features, his eyes seemed to mist. “Cover her face.” My God, what have I done? She was my only sister! My beautiful, sweet sister! NO! She was not of my blood. She went against my orders and brought shame to our family. Yes, that whore deserved exactly what she got. But she was so young! Heaven knows she’d seen enough tragedy with the death of her first husband. I’ve surrounded her with wolves in sheep’s skin. Bosola did this, not you! He had the executioners kill her, and rightly too! “She and I were twins,” he breathed, barely making a sound. “Should I die this instant, I had lived her time to a minute.” He spoke to himself and to the duchess more so than to anyone else. Though her face had been covered, his eyes had not moved, and her visage still flickered before them. Ferdinand was deaf to all but the clangs and shouts rising from the war his thoughts and conscience held. “Let me see her face again.”

Bosola drew back the shroud over the lady’s face.

The cacophony in Ferdinand’s mind quieted, replaced by a low, harsh sound, much like the sound the surface of a frozen pond makes just before it gives way to a heavier power. He snapped to face Bosola, turning completely ‘round on the heel of his boot. “Why didst thou not pity her? What an excellent honest man might’st thou have been if thou hadst borne her to some sanctuary!”

Bosola looked shocked and his face drained of all color. The duke took no notice.

“Or, bold in a good cause, opposed thyself with thy advanced sword above thy head, between her innocence and my revenge!” He started to pace, throwing his arms wildly about. “ I bade thee, when I was distracted of my own wits, go kill my dearest friend, and thou hast done’t.” He stopped and knelt at the duchess’s head. He looked up at Bosola and continued, “ For let me but examine well the cause: what was the meanness of her match to me? Only I must confess, I had a hope, had she continued widow, to have gained an infinite mass of treasure by her death; and that was the main cause. Her marriage, that drew a stream of gall quite though my heart.” He rose, towering over Bosola. His voice dropped to a whisper. “For thee (as we observe in tragedies that a good actor many times is cursed for playing a villain’s part), I hate thee for’t: and for my sake say thou hast done much ill well.” Bosola’s cheeks flushed, and his chest puffed with indignity. “Let me quicken your memory; for I perceive you are falling into ingratitude. I challenge the reward due to my service.”

Ferdinand’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll tell thee what I’ll give thee. I’ll give thee a pardon for this murder.”

“The office of justice is perverted quite when one thief hangs another. Who shall dare reveal this?”

Snarling, Ferdinand replied, “O, I’ll tell thee: the wolf shall find her grave, and scrape it up; not to devour the corpse, but to discover the horrid murder.”

The night after the duchess’s body had been buried in a shallow grave, there came a rustling from the trees. A naked, shuffling figure hunched over nearly on all fours limped its way into the clearing. It stepped into a beam of moonlight, threw back its face and howled into the night. If anyone were spying in the trees that night, they would have seen the duke Ferdinand, but human, he was not. His form was still that of a man’s, but his eyes were wide and wild as any ferocious beast’s. They darted to and fro. His nostrils flared, sniffing the air. Tufts of hair were missing altogether from his head and scratches and cuts, some seemingly self-inflicted, ran in every direction across his body. He scuttled unnervingly along the borders of the clearing, and once he was satisfied that no eyes winked in the shadows, he stopped, resting on his fists and feet. His eyes still sweeping the area, he crept slowly to a shadowy corner where the earth was tilled up and uneven. He began to scoop at it with his hands, slowly. The beast stopped and prowled around the clearing once more, snarling at an owl that had alighted on a nearby branch. He leapt upwards toward the bird, and frightened it away. At that moment, something told him, a voice, or pure instinct perhaps, that he must go back to that patch of uneven dirt. He resumed digging, faster and faster. He struck a nail on a rock, splitting it. He merely grunted and continued his furious excavation. He would lick away the blood and grime later. After nearly an hour, he struck something softer than the loamy earth. He pushed aside the dirt, unearthing a hand with a ring on one of the fingers.

This was what he had been searching for. He sniffed the hand and knew it to be true. Within two hours, he had uncovered the whole body, and howled as if in pain when he looked upon the face. Weary from his work, and sickened by the sight of this woman, buried like a criminal in the woods, he lost his stomach and fainted in the shadow of the trees, covered in dirt, blood, and bile.

Upon waking, he remembered his actions and howled ever more fearfully than the night before. His eyes were no longer those of a ravenous monster, but those of a man, tortured with the horrific knowledge of his own nefarious deeds. When men found him, he wept that he was a wolf, claiming the only difference was a wolf’s skin was hairy on the outside, his on the inside.

title: "The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back"

question: Why does Ferdinand feel guilty?

answer: He must've ordered his sister to be killed for marrying a commoner. However, the story doesn't explicitly state that he had done so.

question: What does Ferdinand threaten Bosola with?

answer: He threatens to accuse him of murdering his sister.

question: What is the significance of the ring?

answer: Ferdinand gave it to his sister before she was murdered. When he recovers it, it's proof that his sister is dead because of his actions.

question: Who does the ring belong to?

answer: The story doesn't say. However, it's likely to be the wedding ring of Ferdinand's sister and her commoner husband Antonio.


text:
The _burgstall_ of the ALTES SCHLOSS (“Old Castle”, ) is the site of a, now levelled, mediaeval castle on the hillside of the _Zaunsbacher Berg_ above the valley of the Trubach. It lies around 1,000 metres south-shouteast of the village of Oberzaunsbach in the Upper Franconian municipality of Pretzfeld in the south German state of Bavaria.

No historical or archaeological information exists about this castle. It has been roughly dated to the mediaeval period.[1] All that has survived of the castle is a neck ditch which is probably largely natural. The site is listed as heritage site number D-4-6233-0072: _Mittelalterlicher Burgstall_.[2]

Description

The simple site of the spur castle lies at around on a rocky crag on the hill of _Zaunsbacher Berg_ that juts northwards into the Trubach valley. (Image 3). It thus lies about 130 metres above the valley floor and is densely wooded today (Image 2).[3]

The castle rock is separated from the uphill slopes of the hillside on the southwestern side of the site by a gently arched gully in the terrain, about 6.5 metres deep and up to 20 metres wide (Image 6). It runs for about 45 metres in a northwest to southeast direction. This gully, which is probably largely natural, was used as a neck ditch, and was probably deepened in the Middle as a spoil heap at both ends of the ditch, where it ends at steep slopes, indicates (Images 4 and 5). In the northern part of ditch is an eight-metre-long and roughly 1.8-metre-wide ditch-like depression. Whether this is natural or manmade is uncertain (Images 4 and 7).

The ovale, relatively level castle site measures 30 by 18 metres and is about five metres above the floor of the ditch (Image 8). Its southern part is slightly higher (Image 9). Apart from the side bounded by the neck ditch, the edge of the site drops for several metres down vertical rock faces (title image and Image 2). No traces of the foundations walls of any castle buildings have been discovered to date. From the castle rock there are good views over the Trubach valley and it is on the line of sight to the neighbouring Wichsenstein Castle[4]

Gallery

  File:Burgstall Altes Schloss (Oberzaunsbach) 01.JPG|Image 3: View of the Zaunsbacher Berg from the NE above the valley of the Trubach (Dec 2014)
  File:Burgstall Altes Schloss (Oberzaunsbach) 07.JPG|Image 4: NW end of the ditch (Dec 2014)
  File:Burgstall Altes Schloss (Oberzaunsbach) 08.JPG|Image 5: SE end of the ditch (Dec 2014)
  File:Burgstall Altes Schloss (Oberzaunsbach) 05.JPG|Image 6: Profile of the ditch. L: the castle site (Dec 2014)
  File:Burgstall Altes Schloss (Oberzaunsbach) 06.JPG|Image 7: Ditch-like depression in the neck ditch (Dec 2014)
  File:Burgstall Altes Schloss (Oberzaunsbach) 10.JPG|Image 8: View over the slightly higher SE site of the site (Dec 2014)
  File:Burgstall Altes Schloss (Oberzaunsbach) 09.JPG|Image 9: N side of the site (Dec 2014)

Literature

-   Walter Heinz: _Ehemalige Adelssitze im Trubachtal_. Verlag Palm und Enke, Erlangen and Jena, 1996, , pp. 191–194.
-   Hellmut Kunstmann: _Die Burgen der südwestlichen Fränkischen Schweiz_. 2. Auflage. Kommissionsverlag Degener & Co, Neustadt an der Aisch, 1990, pp. 260–261.
-   Klaus Schwarz: _Die vor- und frühgeschichtlichen Geländedenkmäler Oberfrankens_. (Materialhefte zur bayerischen Vorgeschichte, Series B, Volume 5). Verlag Michael Lassleben, Kallmünz, 1955, p. 98.

[1] Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege

[2]  (pdf; 142 kB)

[3] Location of the burgstall at Bayern Atlas

[4] Walter Heinz: _Ehemalige Adelssitze im Trubachtal_, pp. 192 ff. und Hellmut Kunstmann: _Die Burgen der südwestlichen Fränkischen Schweiz_, pp. 260 ff.

title: Altes Schloss (Oberzaunsbach)

question: What is the history of the Altes Schloss?

answer: There is no historical or archeological information about the castle other than it has been roughly dated to the medieval period.

question: What makes the site of the spur castle simple?

answer: It isn't said specifically what makes it simple, but one could assume it is because the medieval castle is now levelled.

question: Where is the Altes Schloss located?

answer: It is located southeast of the village of Oberzaunsbach in the Upper Franconian municipality of Pretzfeld in the south German state of Bavaria.

question: Describe the gully.

answer: The gully is predicted to be largely natural. It was used as a neck ditch, and was probably deepened in the Middle as a spoil heap at both ends of the ditch, where it ends at steep slopes.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the Altes Schloss, a now levelled and possibly Medieval castle, in the village of Oberzaunsbach in Bavaria. There is no known historical or archaeological information about the castle.


text:
_THE TALKING EGGS: A FOLKTALE FROM THE AMERICAN SOUTH_ is a 1989 children's picture book by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. It is an adaption of a Creole folktale about a girl who is mistreated by her family, meets an old woman in the woods, and receives some eggs that contains treasures.

Plot

In the old days, a widow has two daughters. Rose was the oldest and mean while Blanche is kind. The family ran a farm where chickens were raised and beans and cotton were grown. The mother favored Rose more. Blanche did all the work like iron the clothes, cut the cotton, and string the beans while her mother and Rose sat on the porch in their rocking chairs while fanning themselves and having plans to one day move to the city and attend the balls there.

One hot day, the mother sent Blanche to obtain some water from the well. When she arrives there, Blanche meets an old woman who asks for some water to quench her thirst. Blanche gives her the water and she compliments her as she walks off.

When Blanche returned with the water, she was hollered at her mother and Rose for taking too long. To make matters worse, Rose finds that the water is warm and dumps it on the ground. Rose and her mother hit Blanche for her failure and she sadly runs off into the woods.

Blanche runs into the old woman again who learns about what happened. The old woman takes Blanche to her house to live with her for a while. The old woman led Blanche deep into the woods to her house as the tree branches opened up a path to it as she advises her not to laugh at anything. When they entered the old woman's property, Blanche finds that the old woman owns a two-headed cow with corkscrew-like horns that brayed like a mule. There was also multi-colored chickens that whistle like mockingbirds with some of them hopping around on one leg, some having three legs, and some having four legs. Blanche does not laugh at the two-headed cow or the multi-colored chickens.

When they got inside the cabin, Blanche lit the fire for the old woman in order to cook them some dinner. As she went to get firewood, the old woman removed her head in order to brush her two long braids. After putting her head back on, she gave Blanche a beef bone to put in the pot which soon filled with stew. When Blanche was given a single grain of rice to grain, the mortar overflowed with rice.

Later that night, Blanche and the old woman sat on the steps as they watched as male and female rabbits in different clothes came out and danced for them. The male rabbits wore frock-tailed coats and the female rabbits wore trail-train dresses. Blanche started to fall asleep as the old woman carried her in to the cabin.

The next morning, Blanche went to milk the two-headed cow which gave her the sweetest milk. Before sending Blanche home, the old woman took her to the chicken house. She tells her to take the eggs that quote “take me” and to evade the eggs that say “don't take me.” Once she is close to home, Blanche is instructed to throw them over her shoulder and she will get a surprise when the eggs break. Blanche knew the difference between the eggs as the plain ones quote “take me” and the fancy-looking ones quote “don't take me.” Once that was done, Blanche said goodbye to the old woman and left.

When Blanche gets close to home, she throws the eggs over her shoulders. Wonderful things come out of them like rubies, diamonds, gold, silver coins, pretty silk dresses, satin shoes, a handsome carriage, and a fine brown and white pony to pull the carriage. Blanche loaded the stuff into the carriage and rode the rest of the way home.

When Blanche finally got home, her mother and sister were surprised at what she has. Her mother wondered where she got the stuff as she has Rose help to carry the stuff inside. That evening, the mother cooked dinner for the first time since Blanche was old enough to hold a skillet. While starting to act positive towards Blanche, the mother asked where the old woman who gave her the stuff lives. When Blanche is asleep, the mother instructs Rose to go into the woods the next morning and find the old woman in order to get the talking eggs. The mother plans to chase Blanche off afterwards and keep everything for herself while planning to move to the city. When Rose asks why they can't run Blanche off tonight, the mother states that there is not enough for the two of them and to do as she says.

The next morning, Rose wandered the woods until she ran into the old woman. After mentioning that she is Blanche's sister, Rose asks the old woman to take her to her cabin. The old woman states that she can in exchange that she doesn't laugh at anything. When they arrive, Rose starts to do the opposite that Blanche did where she laughed at the two-headed cow and the multi-colored chickens. The old woman starts to shake her head in disappointment. Then she started to doubt the meat bone and rice trick as Rose went to bed hungry. The next morning, Rose was told to milk the two-headed cow. She still made fun of it and got sour milk as a result. They had to have coffee without cream. When the old woman took off her head to brush her hair, Rose grabbed the head and demanded that she give her the presents that Blanche got. While calling her a wicked girl, she gives Rose the instructions on which eggs to take from the chicken house. After putting the old woman's head on the porch leaving her body groping around the cabin, Rose went to the chicken house and disobeyed the advice not to take the eggs which quote “Don't take me” and ran off into the woods with them.

As soon as she was far from the old woman's cabin, she tossed the eggs over her shoulders and out emerged whip snakes, toads, frogs, yellowjackets, and a big old gray wolf. They began to chase Rose who ran all the way home. When the mother found Rose being chased by the creatures, she grabbed a broom in an attempt to fight them off. It didn't work as the creatures chased Rose and her mother into the woods.

By the time they returned home angry, sore, stung, and covered with mud, Rose and her mother found that Blanche had left for the city to live like a grand lady. Blanche remained kind and generous as always. For the rest of their lives, Rose and her mother have not been able to find the old woman's cabin and the talking eggs. They were unable to find that place again.

Reception

Common Sense Media in its review of _The Talking Eggs_, wrote "Robert D. San Souci captures the reader's attention with simple language that brings the country setting to life: “They lived on a farm so poor, it looked like the tail end of bad luck.” And Jerry Pinkney's watercolors convey the sharp contrast between Blanche's difficult home life and the hilarious celebration at the old woman's home."[1]

_Kirkus Reviews_, wrote “A lively retelling of a rather hard-hearted Creole version of a widely collected folktale.”[2] and the _School Library Journal_ called it “a unique contribution to the American folktale repertoire”[3]

_The Talking Eggs_ has also been reviewed by _Publishers Weekly_,[4] and _Booklist_.[5]

Awards

-   1989 Coretta Scott King Book Illustration Award - honor[6]
-   1989 Irma Simonton Black Book Award - winner[7]
-   1990 Caldecott Medal - honor[8]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

question: What is "The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South"?

answer: A 1989 children's picture book by Robert D. San Souci

question: Who is Jerry Pinkney?

answer: Illustrator of "The Talking Eggs"

question: Who reviewed The Talking Eggs?

answer: Publishers Weekly and Booklist.

question: Which awards did the book receive?

answer:
The 1989 Coretta Scott King Book Illustration Award,
The 1989 Irma Simonton Black Book Award,
The 1990 Caldecott Medal

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: "The Talking Eggs" is a 1989 children's picture book. It is an adaptation of a Creole folktale and has received several awards.


text:
[]

Review of the ARW show at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL

Concert Review: ARW (Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman)

Venue: Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla. – 10-12-16

Photos by: Larry Marano Photography

It had been near 20 years since I last saw Yes with Jon Anderson. Since then I have seen the current and revised lineups of Yes numerous times and while the shows are always good, when the news came that Jon Anderson was going to go tour performing Yes music, with Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman no less, there was no way I was going to miss this show. Of course, the plan was to see the second show of the out on Oct 6th. Hurricane Matthew had other things in mind and forced a rescheduling of the show to Oct 12th. The wait was worth it, as it was an incredible show with amazing musicianship and brilliant songs, many of which had not been performed in years.

[Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman perform at Hard Rock Live held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.]

There has been a lot of talk on forums as to whether Jon, Trevor, and Rick could still play these songs and do them justice. The answer is a resounding “YES!” The performances were as if the members were transported from 30 years ago. Jon led the charge with his charm and majestic vocals, smiling through each song, and conducting as he waved his arms in synch with every drum hit and riff change. Trevor Rabin showed no signs of forgetting how to be an on-stage performer, since he left 20 years ago and, Rick Wakeman, wearing his cape, commanded the stage with his musical brilliance. Lou Molino on drums and Lee Pomeroy on bass were a more than solid rhythm section. Pomeroy performed The Fish in honor of Chris Squire and absolutely did it justice. There is no wonder he is such high-demand, having just finished touring with ELO and before that Steve Hackett.

[Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman perform at Hard Rock Live held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.]

There has also been interest in the setlist and how it might include more Rabin-era material. In an interview with The Prog Report, in fact, Rabin had said they would play “Shoot High Aim Low” and songs off of ‘Talk’. This has turned out to not be the case. Of course, some more songs like the curiously omitted “Changes” and songs from the ‘Talk’ album, would be welcome, but in sitting through the mix of the 70s classics along with a few later-era songs, it ended up being a perfect blend of material and the audience seemed to agree as the classics still are the songs that get people on their feet.

[Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman perform at Hard Rock Live held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.]

After opening with the instrumental “Cinema” the band rolled into “Perpetual Change” and the sonically powerful “Hold On.” Hearing this song live after it being left dormant for decades, really sparked excitement in the crowd. What followed was alternating between a few 70s classics and Rabin-era material, highlighted by “Lift Me Up” which Trevor sang with ease as he hit all the high notes. The middle of the set is where the band really hit their stride with “Rhythm of Love” followed by “Heart of the Sunrise”, which came off as perfect as ever, the band hitting every sharp turn and Jon nailing every glorious word. “Awaken” was the long epic of the set, and found Jon forgetting to words to a verse, to which he just smiled and powered through. He sang the forgotten lyrics after the song was over. They then played the opening of the B-side “Make it Easy” as they led into “Owner of a Lonely Heart”. The extended jam found Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman walking through the audience and greeting fans face to face. They came back for the encore of “Roundabout” as the entire audience stood and sang along.

[Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman perform at Hard Rock Live held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.]

By the time the show was over, no one could express anything but joy and gratefulness to this trio for coming together and celebrating some of the best music ever created. Icons like Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, and Rick Wakeman, are not celebrated enough and it is great to see them out there again. If there was a Yes show to see, this is the one.

Setlist: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/arw/2016/hard-rock-live-hollywood-fl-63fd2e63.html

[Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman perform at Hard Rock Live held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.]

question: Who is Jon Anderson?

answer: One of the band performers.

question: What is "Yes"?

answer: A rock band.

question: Are they all in a band?

answer: Yes.

question: What is the Rabin-era genre?

answer: Information can't be found.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The writer talks about the comeback of Yes and performance at Hard Rock Live.


text:
The Manhattan place

Learn More

[]

Manhattan...

Manhattan, or "the City", is described by many as the cultural, financial, media, and entertainment capital of the world. There is so much things to see and do, so many people to meet and know, and so much fun and intellect. Read more about the City at wikipedia and come to visit!

[]

Enjoy by day

The City on any day is awesome! We like to just walkabout, find new people, find new places and take in as much of the City that we can. There are always new things to discover. For ideas see 27 Things to Do in NYC on a Sunny Day

[]

Rock at Night

Manhattan at night continues to be amazing. Pick your favorite night time activity like a night at the museum , a breathtaking sky-room, a word renown restaurant, a Broadway show, or a jazz clubs. Get inspired at freetoursbyfoot

question: Where is Manhattan?

answer: Not answered.

question: What are things you can do in Manhattan during the day?

answer: One can walk around and find new places and people.

question: What are some things you can in Manhattan at night?

answer: One can spend a night at the museum, go to a world-renowned restaurant, go to a Broadway show or jazz club.

question: Where should you stay in Manhattan?

answer: Not interested.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article about Manhattan, described by many as the cultural, financial, media, and entertainment capitol of the world


text:
The angry man rolls into town with a bag and a grimace and a frown.  He takes the bus to 808 and throws money on the table.  Give me two for what for please, he whispers sarcastically and with the subtlety of a goose.

Whatnow? Asked the operator nice, her tears staining her underwear with optimism.

TWO FOR WHATFOR AND ONE EXTRA FOR ME MA.

The man turned huffing towards the mirror and inspected his dream.  How many do you need?  Asked he of himself. Take me back home, to the grounds of the point.   Intense discussion, would be pleasant, but doesn't need more of it.  I wondered to use the bathroom, no time, no place.   If there's anything, talk to David-o.  There isn't.

The bus is here now, time to stop.

Abruptly sitting up, he looked out of the window, the hotel window, the hotel.   He pictured Gideon's bible sitting in the drawer next to him and the phone, used by so many.   He threw back the covers and switched on the TV.  Morning news droned as shower water sprinkled him fresh.  Opened suitcase, underpants, shirt and tie, trousers last as the towel hit the floor, a present for the cleaning lady.

Cologne and elevator, brief glances and hollow smiles at breakfast.  Croissant and jam, coffee with no sugar, taxi, street, smiles again and again elevator.  Morning business, the start of a new continuation. The meeting was boring, but he liked the look of the girl taking notes, she was young, hopeful.   He put downsizing on the table.  The men and women nodded, too much waste, not enough profit.   Too many people for the company, time to change, time for a fresh start.  It was his fault.   Meeting over, de-elevation.

A brisk walk through Manhattan, 5 minutes max.  Lunch was sandwich, more salad than bread, orange juice to help.   Staring out of the window, always windows, always outside.  The people were okay.    Check phone, free wifi, great invention.   Good times.  He thrashed at a whiteboard in his mind.  Downsize, economize, automate.   The world was an engine being ever refined, like the sugar in the packet he didn't use.

Next meeting was convincing, at least he was. His speech: Good change, positive change, even pocket change helps.  50th floor, great view, but no one was distracted.  Time to sell ideas, this workspace is the fucking bomb, wondering what the fuck he is talking about.
Sally was 18 when she dumped him, he was 21.  He couldn't figure it out.  They were both attending the same college and the last 3 months had been fantastic.   He wondered if it was his hair, his height, his face.  Sometimes he jokingly asked her to marry him, and she would jokingly reply 'of course'.   They lay in the sports fields, smoked weed, talked about the changes in the world, and what they really wanted.  They went on the demonstration against the Iraq war, because their friends did, and they really enjoyed the music and the energy of the crowd.

It was easy to speculate, to be gods in the making.  They would make things right.  They would start the world over.  No more sadness.    If only everyone  got high and danced and stayed up late talking about love.

His speech was over.  Small round of applause, unusual but important to him.  He enjoyed the view.

Taxi, hotel, hotel bar.   He tried networking but it was the wrong crowd.  2 or 3 beers, elevator, hotel room, hotel window.  CNN.

Pillow.

The angry man rolls into town and dispenses his advice to a tramp.  Take it out, or you'll lose it.  It was late, dogs barking.  Trees everywhere, how beautiful.  Sally strokes and the blood stained him falls over.  Downsizing love, big time.   Three cards, three clues, first clue, left.

Mother is crying, she burnt her hand on the soup.  He can't eat it anymore.  He goes upstairs to the funeral and falls into the coffin.  Stupid me, always falling.  They look over at him, the baby in the box, tears sprinkling him clean, cologne, taxi, meeting,  Sally says he's the best businessman in the world, and they toast the man so violently he is pushed back, out through the window, the view comes closer, the trees grow pretty.

He lands.

Alarm clock, CNN talks.  Nothing happened.

Last day in NY. Wishing to be home, hop in a taxi.  Little input required today.  Traffic is snarled.  Who gives a fuck?  It's hot, open the window.  The trees in Central Park.  Joggers.  A guy plays guitar and he nods his head in approval.  No stress today.

Taxi arrives, elevator, shake hands, shake smiles.  Yesterday's approval lingers as it fades,  Others talk, good ideas, we are all good.  Tomorrow he's home, tomorrow family, tomorrow dog. He is helping.

Takes notes, it's boring to hear others speak.   Meeting drags, mind wanders.

Sally was a musician, of sorts.  She loved Pink Floyd and The Who, and insisted on his silence as she performed her stilted covers.   They fucked often, although not as much as he would have liked, although she gave excellent head.  Better than the wife.

He was sceptical when she offered him the mushrooms, but he couldn't turn down her hope.  His stomach churned, as did his mind, and he hated it.  She was dancing in his apartment, singing louder than anyone would have liked, as he lay on the floor holding his face tightly.  After hours had passed, she was stroking his hair, humming a tune, and he cried.

Meeting over, handshakes, smiles, bar full of suits.   They looked  good, he looked good, we were all good.  Etiquette is structure, you know.  Stay in the zone, business is him. Fuck it, cocktail bar.   He's making them laugh.  Everyone is laughing.   Huge tip, why not?  Taxi, then hotel.

Elevator, fumbling with hotel key. Ha! Door opens.  CNN.  Lay down.  Room is spinning.

It's world war one.  The first one.  He's dressed in combat gear, tin helmet, old rifle with a rusty bayonet.  It's nighttime and the sky is constantly lit by mortars landing relatively close by.   Wounded men and women lay slumped in the mud as he steps over them, his dog is also wounded.  His wife.  He does not talk to her.  Ever more mud sticks to his feet as he meanders through the narrow canal.    He shakes hands and smiles politely to his boss, his colleagues, especially the boring ones.

He is bleeding.   Sally looks down from above, holding her guitar and a raw expression.   The sun is shining and people are dancing in a field.

Ringing.  7:00am.  Pick up.

"Good morning Sir, you requested a wake up call for this time."

"Thanks"

It didn't work.

title: "Two for whatfor" - An asleep and awake story

question: Write a ~0 sentence summary.


text:
[The line drawn on an 1862 map] The PORTLAND, RUTLAND, OSWEGO AND CHICAGO RAILROAD was a plan for a railroad between Portland, Maine and Chicago, Illinois, proposed as the first step of a transcontinental railroad. The plans were made by John A. Poor of Portland in the 1860s, but he died in 1871 before they could be finalized.

History

[The Portland and Rutland Railroad] The PORTLAND AND RUTLAND RAILROAD was chartered in Maine on March 6, 1868 and in New Hampshire on July 3, 1868. The companies were authorized to build a railroad from Portland west to Danbury, New Hampshire on the Northern Railroad. From Danbury to White River Junction, Vermont, the line would use the Northern Railroad, and it would use the full length of the Woodstock Railroad west to Woodstock, Vermont. The RUTLAND AND WOODSTOCK RAILROAD was chartered to continue the line to Rutland.

The NEW ENGLAND AND OSWEGO RAILROAD was chartered in 1870 in New York, as a connection from Fort Ann on the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad's Saratoga and Whitehall Railroad west to the port of Oswego on Lake Ontario. Between Rutland and Fort Ann traffic would use the R&S's Troy, Salem and Rutland Railroad, Rutland and Whitehall Railroad and Saratoga and Whitehall Railroad.

[1872 map, using the Chicago and Canada Southern Railway instead of the Michigan Air-Line Railroad] In 1871 the Portland and Rutland, Rutland and Woodstock and New England and Oswego merged to form the PORTLAND, RUTLAND, OSWEGO AND CHICAGO RAILROAD, planned to continue west from Oswego along the Lake Ontario Shore Railroad, Canada Southern Railway and Michigan Air-Line Railroad to Chicago. In July of that year, five of the six independent companies along the line agreed to merge, and a meeting was scheduled for September 29 to try again. However, John A. Poor died on September 5 and the project died. The three companies west of Oswego went on to become part of the New York Central Railroad system.

title: Portland, Rutland, Oswego and Chicago Railroad

question: Why would John A. Poor's death cause the demise of the Portland, Rutland, Oswego, and Chicago Railroad?

answer: It seems that he was the person mobilizing and motivating the involved parties to act together. With his death, the coordinating efforts would cease, and the plan fails.


text: My mother used to bathe me as a child. And twenty six years later I stand in my old room, making my bed. She walks in as though to find a nail clipper only to look up and see her naked son standing there embarrassed. She instantly turns around and walks out apologizing for the intrusion. As she's leaving, she says "I'm sorry your father had such a small penis"

title: Making the bed

question: Where is the narrator?

answer: In his room.

question: Why does the mother walk into the room?

answer: She is looking for a nail clipper.

question: Why does she leave immediately?

answer: Because she sees that her son is naked.

question: Why does she apologize?

answer: She apologizes because it seems that the narrator inherited his father's small penis.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The text is a short story about a young man who is making his bed when his mother walks in. The young man is naked, so his mother leaves immediately, but she also tells him she's sorry that his father had a small penis, implying that he does, too.


text:
Here's another piece I wrote after watching a woman remember what it was like to be a girl again while dancing at a local bar.

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She rhythmically popped her hips with the precision of a saute pan in the hands of a master chef. Like a lizard slithering slowly across the pavement, her shoulders and hips swung side-to-side. No sign of tension or stress constrained her, to watch her was to feel young again. She was a tempest of movement and a swell of passion. Barefoot and exposed, her blue jean shorts and tiny green shirt with a small faded emblem of white caressed her body gently as they waved, revealing every curve and accentuating every muscle. She threw her arms up, palms out as a swan, showing off her elegant shape in this new, thin, and stretched out form. A goddess ready to be worshiped.

She no longer knew the meaning of the words restraint, punishment, or pain. She is revealed for an instant as a gleam of sunlight reflecting off clean, ripe fruit. Only the sense of touch can awaken her from this trance. The teasing touch of pleasure as the tips of fingers glide up and down her hips, around her back, and across her abdomen. A memory comes back to her, a memory buried deep within her barbaric soul. As she fights frivolously against this feeling, she lays her trust in those gentle hands. She is no longer hers.

Their hips lock in a steady rhythmic motion and she is freed from the thought of movement and allowed to drift deep within her mind, into the recesses between the folds of who she, into who she was. Their eyes scan over each other bodies, not like lovers trading pain for comfort, but like two predators inspecting their prey. He moves his hands up and down her thighs and around her waist. One hand sails across from her mid thigh and lingers. Painfully they kiss in mutual surrender. Not even holy intervention can stop them now along the path of sorrow and regret as become both victim and villain, and love is sacrificed.

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Any feedback is much appreciated, thank you so much for reading!

title: Instincts and Intuition

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: It is unclear who the narrator is

question: Where does this take place?

answer: It is unclear where this takes place.

question: What memory does the girl have?

answer: A memory of her dancing with a man.

question: Explain the woman and man's relationship.

answer: They are two people with a lot of physical chemistry

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: A girl is dancing gracefully. She recalls a memory of when she was dancing with a man. She and the man have a lot of chemistry. They are kissing while they dance together.