text:
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Eye and Face Protection eTool

Home | Selecting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the Workplace | OSHA Requirements
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Selecting PPE for the Workplace __ Optical Radiation

Laser work and similar operations create intense concentrations of heat, ultraviolet, infrared, and reflected light radiation. A laser beam, of sufficient power, can produce intensities greater than those experienced when looking directly at the sun. Unprotected laser exposure may result in eye injuries including retinal burns, cataracts, and permanent blindness. When lasers produce invisible ultraviolet, or other radiation, both employees and visitors should use appropriate eye protection at all times.

Determine the maximum power density, or intensity, lasers produce when workers are exposed to laser beams. Based on this knowledge, select lenses that protect against the maximum intensity. The selection of laser protection should depend upon the lasers in use and the operating conditions. Workers with exposure to laser beams must be furnished suitable laser protection. [29 CFR 1926.102(b)(2)]

Personal protective equipment devices for optical radiation hazards:

-   Lens Requirements
-   Welding Protection
-   Lasers
-   Glare Protection

When selecting filter lenses, begin with a shade too dark to see the welding zone. Then try lighter shades until one allows a sufficient view of the welding zone without going below the minimum protective shade.

-   29 CFR 1910.133(a)(5), General Industry
-   29 CFR 1915.153(a)(4), Maritime
-   29 CFR 1926.102(b)(1), Construction

[Welder]

The intensity of visible light and radiant energy produced by welding operations varies depending on the task, the electrode size, and the arc current. Workers involved in welding, cutting, and brazing operations must use appropriate welding protection depending on specific welding operations. [29 CFR 1926.102(a)(5)]

Only filter lenses with the appropriate shade number will provide protection against optical radiation. Filter lenses must coincide to specific radiant energy exposure. Welding protectors are constructed of heat resistant material such as vulcanized fiber or fiberglass and fitted with a filtered lens to protect workers eyes from burns caused by infrared or other intense radiant energy. These devices protect the eyes and face from flying sparks, metal spatter, and slag chips produced during welding, brazing, soldering, and cutting.

Welding helmets are secondary protectors intended to shield the eyes and face from optical radiation, heat, and impact. Use welding helmets _in addition_ to primary protection such as safety spectacles or goggles to provide adequate protection.

Windows and Shields

[Figure 1. Stationary Window]

Figure 1. Stationary Window

STATIONARY WINDOWS:

-   May include easily removable filter and cover plates.
-   Are available in many filter lens shades in order to provide appropriate protection.

[Figure 2. Lift-front Windows]

Figure 2. Lift-front Windows

LIFT-FRONT WINDOWS:

-   Include an adjustable feature, which allows the user to lift the window.
-   May include easily removable filter and cover plates.
-   Are available in many filter lens shades in order to provide appropriate protection.

[Figure 3. Hand Held Shield]

Figure 3. Hand Held Shield

HAND HELD SHIELDS:

-   May be desired for certain welding operations that allow workers to hold their welding protection.
-   May include easily removable filter and cover plates.
-   Are available in many filter lens shades in order to provide appropriate protection.

[Figure 4. Welding Goggles]

Figure 4. Welding Goggles

WELDING GOGGLES:

-   Use filter lenses to protect the eyes from optical radiation.
-   Include an adjustable strap.
-   Do not provide face protection.
-   Available in eyecup or cover types.

Headgear

[Figure 5. Headgear]

Figure 5. Headgear

HEADGEAR:

-   Supports the window and secures the the device to the worker's head.
-   Welding helmets are heat and electricity insulated and flame resistant.

[Laser Safety]

Laser work and similar operations create intense concentrations of heat, ultraviolet, infrared, and reflected light radiation. A laser beam, of sufficient power, can produce intensities greater than those experienced when looking directly at the sun. Unprotected laser exposure may result in eye injuries including retinal burns, cataracts, and permanent blindness. When lasers produce invisible ultraviolet, or other radiation, both employees and visitors should use appropriate eye protection at all times.

Determine the maximum power density, or intensity, lasers produce when workers are exposed to laser beams. Based on this knowledge, select lenses that protect against the maximum intensity. The selection of laser protection should depend upon the lasers in use and the operating conditions. Workers with exposure to laser beams must be furnished suitable laser protection. [29 CFR 1926.102(b)(2)]

Lens Requirements

[Figure 6. Laser Safety Lenses]

Figure 6. Laser Safety Lenses

Every pair of laser safety spectacles or goggles must bear a label with the following information:

-   Windows are available in both removable or lift-front designs:
    -   Removable windows allow the replacement of damaged windows.
    -   Lift-front windows may be raised, as needed, or left in the lowered position.

Selecting Laser Safety Glass

The following table shows the maximum power or energy density for which adequate protection is afforded by safety goggles of optical densities from 5 through 8. [29 CFR 1926.102(b)(2)(i)]

Intensity, CW maximum power density [watts/cm(2)]

Attenuation

Optical Density (O.D.)

Attenuation Factor

10(-2)

5

10(5)

10(-1)

6

10(6)

1.0

7

10(7)

10.0

8

10(8)

When lasers emit radiation between two measures of power density (or light blocking capability) lenses must be provided that offer protection against the higher of the two intensities.

Control Glare with:

-   Special-Purpose Spectacles that include filter or special-purpose lenses to provide protection against eye strain.
-   Changes in your work area or lighting.
-   Tinted eyeglass lenses or visor-type shade.

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question: What can unprotected laser exposure cause?

answer: Unprotected laser exposure can result in eye injuries including retinal burns, cataracts, and permanent blindness.

question: How does one select the proper filter lens?

answer: When selecting a filter lens, begin with one that is a shade too dark to see the welding zone. Then try lighter shades until one allows for a sufficient view of the welding zone without going below the minimum protective shade required.

question: What is the purpose of a welding helmet?

answer: Welding helmets are secondary protectors that shield the eyes and face from optical radiation, heat, and impact.

question: What does a hand-held shield do?

answer: A hand-held shield may be desired for certain welding operations that allow workers to hold their welding protection.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about proper eye and face safety measures and tools that must be used when welding and working with lasers.


split: train

text:
Marco Rubio can now add another line to his resume – two term United States Senator.

The West Miami native was re-elected Tuesday, defeating U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy. Rubio led the race following August primary elections, with Murphy gaining points toward the end of the race but not being able to overtake the incumbent.

"Florida is America and it's such an honor to be able to represent this extraordinary state," Rubio said at a victory rally Tuesday night.

Local

[]

[]

The two Senate candidates differed starkly on a number of issues — including guns, health care, foreign policy, economic issues and abortion. Each sought to leverage voter discontent with both the GOP and Democratic nominees.

"We were expecting and hoping for a different result this evening," Murphy told a crowd of supporters Tuesday night.

Murphy said he spoke to Rubio and wished him luck.

"Sen. Rubio and I obviously have our differences, you all saw the debates, but at this point it's important that we come together and do what's best for Florida," Murphy said.

-   NBC 6 DECISION 2016 COMPLETE COVERAGE

Rubio initially said he would not seek re-election, but decided to run after dropping out of the race for President following his loss in the Florida primary.

-   COMPLETE DECISION 2016 RESULTS

Copyright AP - Associated Press

question: What year was the election for Rubio's second term run?

answer: 2016


text:
If you’ve been considering selling your home, now may be a pretty good time to do so. According to new data from Trulia and reported by MarketWatch, list-to-sales times have fallen to their lowest level since the recession first hit. Moreover the average number of days that homes sit on the market is now half of what it was back in 2010.

The latest study found the median list-to-sale time — which measures the number of days between when a property hits the market and when it’s placed under contract — was just 64 days as of April. By comparison the median was nearly two weeks longer one year ago, sitting at 77 days. At the same time, more affordable homes are selling even faster, with starter homes moving at a median pace of 59 days and so-called “trade-up” homes (A.K.A. mid-tier houses) being snatched up in 57 days. On the other hand, premium homes tend to last a bit longer, with a median list-to-sale time of 72 days.

While the vast majority of markets have experienced falling sale times, there are a few exceptions. Trulia found that only Syracuse, New York; New Orleans, Lousiana; and Honolulu, Hawaii had longer median list-to-sale periods than they did last year. As for cities that are outpacing the average, west coast hotbeds Seattle, Washington; San Francisco, California; and San Jose, California came out on top. In each of those cities, the median time on the market was just 36 days. Also notable is the city of New Haven, Connecticut, which saw its median list-to-sale window shrink by a whopping 47 days in the past year. Other warming markets include Hartford, Connecticut (down 40 days); Knoxville, Tennesee (down 28 days); and Indianapolis, Indiana (down 23 days).

Speaking on what these findings mean for the overall housing market, Trulia Housing Economics Researcher Felipe Chacón points out that the answer really depends on whether you’re the buyer or the seller. As he explains, “Sellers generally appreciate getting their home sold as quickly as possible, while buyers can benefit from having some breathing room to make decisions and negotiate.” He went on to say, “Nationally, this makes the trend of home moving faster off the market over the past 8 years tougher and tougher for those looking to buy a home.”

These figures once again demonstrate how hot the current housing market is — a fact we discussed back in February when a report from Redfin found home prices soaring in many parts of the country. While this may be great news for sellers and the overall economy, it could also mean that would-be buyers in certain markets are quickly being outpriced — which would explain why starter homes are moving at a snappier pace. As a result it will be interesting to see how long this trend continues for and how long it will be until the market will start to cool once again.

Author

Jonathan Dyer

I'm a small town guy living in Los Angeles looking to make solid financial decisions. I write for a number of finance websites, including HuffingtonPost and Business2Community. I founded DyerNews.com in 2015 to focus on personal finance and the emerging FinTech markets.

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question: What does the article say about housing market statistics?

answer: The vast majority of markets have experienced falling sale times. List-to-sales times have fallen to their lowest level since the recession first hit. The average number of days that homes sit on the market is now half of what it was back in 2010. The median list-to-sale time is just 64 days.

question: What does the article say about the median list-to-sale time in 2020?


text:
[_Federal Rideau_] FEDNAV is a group of Canadian companies, divisions, and subsidiaries in the maritime transport industry.[1] Primarily involved in transporting over 30 million tonnes of bulk cargo and break bulk cargo worldwide, the company is also involved in vessel servicing and cargo handling.[2]

Fednav Limited is Canada's largest ocean-going, dry-bulk shipowning and chartering company.[3] It primarily is engaged in transporting bulk cargo and breakbulk cargo worldwide.[4] Its fleet comprises close to 115 owned, long-term chartered, and spot chartered vessels and includes most of St. Lawrence Seaway-max-sized bulk carriers, Supramax, and Panamax vessels.

Business units and subsidiaries

The core companies include Fednav Limited, Fednav International Ltd., Federal Marine Terminals, Inc. (FMT), Fednav Atlantic Lakes Line (FALLine), Fednav Direct and Arctic Operations, Projects, and Ice Services. The company is headquartered in Montreal with offices in Tokyo, Antwerp, Hamburg, Rio de Janeiro, Singapore, Barbados and Charlotte.

The company has a number of revenue streams. It is primarily known as an owner and charterer of ships.[5] According to the company, its main business is marine transportation of dry bulk and breakbulk cargoes worldwide.[6] The company has expertise in ship transport in the Canadian Arctic and ice navigation services.[7]

It also provides off ship services. It provides stevedoring services at terminals owned and operated by its subsidiary, FMT.[8] In 2020, FMT operates a total of 12 terminals throughout the United-States and Canada, including at the Port of Hamilton, with a commercial office in Charlotte. It also provides logistics services such as warehousing and ground transportation through its other subsidiary Fednav Direct.[9]

Fleet

As of 2020, Fednav owns a fleet of 64 ships built between 1978 and 2019. All of the ships lie in the range of to . Two of the ships are registered in Canada, three in Barbados, and 60 in the Marshall Islands.[10]

The rest of Fednav's fleet consists of 40 to 60 short- and long-term charters depending on the time of year. The current 20 long-term chartered ships were built between 2005 and 2018. Fourteen of these are between 53,000 DWT to 64,000 DWT, and the rest fall in the range of to . One of these ships is registered in Hong Kong, eleven in Panama, five in Singapore and, three in the Marshall Islands.[11] The company currently has 11 new ships on order, of which, 5 will be owned, scheduled for delivery between 2019 and 2021. The total DWT of the owned and long-term chartered fleet is 3,306,724 DWT with an average age of 9 years.

Many of the ships in the Fednav fleet are strengthened for navigation in ice.[12][13] It operates in locations such as the Beaufort Sea and Bent Horn at latitude 76°77′ north. Most of its vessels have been classified with the Ice Class 1C* notation by Det Norske Veritas. This allows them to work in the Canadian Arctic with the assistance of icebreakers.[14] Three vessels in the Fednav fleet, 1978-built , 2006-built , and 2014-built are fitted with icebreaker bows and have enough ice-strengthening and installed power to operate independently in Arctic ice conditions. In 2018, Fednav ordered a fourth icebreaking cargo vessel to eventually replace the MV _Arctic_. The Polar Class 4 ship is scheduled for delivery in 2020. The company is equipped to operate unescorted in Arctic waters year round, servicing Northern mines of nickel, zinc, lead, copper, and iron ore, among other things.

Fednav vessels operating in the arctic are required to have specially trained ice advisors on board.[15] Ice advisors advise the ship's master in issues such as minimizing ice accretion.

  image   name     year                 yard   notes
  ------- -------- -------------------- ------ ------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
  []      {{ship   Federal Bering}}     2015
  []      {{ship   Federal Bristol}}    2015
  []      {{ship   Federal Danube}}     2004
  []      {{ship   Federal Hunter}}     2001
  []      {{ship   Federal Katsura}}    2005
  []      {{ship   Federal Kumano}}     2003
  []      {{ship   Federal Margaree}}   2005
  []      {{ship   Federal Rideau}}     2000
  []      {{ship   Federal Sakura}}     2005
  []      {{ship   Federal Schelde}}    1997
          {{ship   Federal Tiber}}      2011
  []      {{ship   Federal Welland}}    2000
  []      {{ship   Federal Weser}}      2002
  []      {{ship   Federal Yoshino}}    2001
  []      {{ship   Federal Yukon}}      2000

  : Some vessels owned or operated by Fednav

Notes

[1] Fednav, 2007. _Fednav Divisions_.

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6] Fednav, 2007. _Fednav Limited_.

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10] Fednav, 2007. _Fleet Owned_.

[11] Fednav, 2007. _Fleet Chartered_.

[12]

[13]

[14] Røe 2008.

[15]

title: Fednav

question: What does the text say about Fednav's fleet?

answer: Their fleet is composed of around 115 owned, long-term chartered, and short-term chartered ships. As of 2020, the company owns 64 vessels, which were built between 1978 and 2019. Two of those ships are registered in Canada, three in Barbados, and 60 in the Marshall Islands. The rest of the fleet consists of 40 to 60 short and long term charters, depending on the time of year. They currently hold 20 long-term charted ships, which were built between 2005 and 2018. They have 11 additional ships on order, 5 of which will be owned; the ships are scheduled for delivery between 2019 and 2021. Many of the ships in the fleet are strengthened for navigation in ice, and three vessels are fitted with icebreaker bows and are capable of operating independently in Arctic ice conditions.

question: What does the text say about the group's leadership?


text:
I'm an odd memory in most minds.  Like a harrowing communal conscience of migratory birds or a sea breeze that took a train to the prairies and is seen walking along the street.  I suppose I'm a sort of stationary, a figment used to paint a portrait of understanding but this is really strange since I am not at all like a brush or ladle or roller or whatever would make sense to paint something.  I've been a transient congested throat in days gone by.  I swam from seashores to deep blue waters and sailed away.  All in all I think I've had things pretty good up until now.  But right now I feel like a bag of squeezed lemons left to rot, like I've gone through a garlic press alongside the garlic, I feel like I can't even like this situation and I really wanted to like it.

Let me clarify.

I believe in god about as much as I believe in myself.  If you get to know me you'll find I don't believe in myself that much.  But if you get to know me better you'd know that I've met him.  I'm not saying him in that god is male it's just that calling him *it* seems strange and it's a default.  With that in mind it was a day just like today with me on a stage but I was in the middle of a wheat field and opera singers dressed as vikings were scattered around looking for cues, lines and presumably marbles in the dirt.  It hit me that I shouldn't be there, I was supposed to be somewhere else but I felt if I left now to I would likely be eaten or worse, stood on, read then knocked around by the vikings.

It was at this point that god pulled up in a brand new jeep made out of a thunderstorm and waved his arms in a motion that very distinctly triggered a perhaps unbelievable but entirely real sense that he was god and I should get on his thunderstorm-jeep-of-love to ride away to eternal safety and abundance.  So I hopped up onto the cloud and into the passenger seat.  He looked at me in a way only god could with eyes as deep as artesian wells, with a sort of sisyphean tenure gained only after watching over everything for ten times eternity and then started speaking with a very plain voice.

"Would you like to take the wheel?" he asked and I didn't really want to but this was sort of troubling because.... why would anyone turn down an offer from god and he said "It's alright, with the exception of your neighbor nobody has actually wanted to drive the thunderstorm the first time meeting me.  In general it is an odd question to ask, isn't it?"

I smiled politely.

Then he said "Alright here's the deal.  You get three questions answered.  Anything in the realm of conceivable knowledge of the infinity that is me.  Three of them.  Just ask whenever and I'll answer but when I answer the last one you will die."

"What!? Why?" I blurted out of shock as he looked at me.  I looked right back at those constellations within constellations within a walmart parking lot folded over into itself and back out towards the sunrise.

I smiled realizing the game was ruined and asked "Are you serious?"

Then he laughed, we drove a short while in silence and he dropped me off a block away from home still a little agitated by his interactions with my neighbor the week before.

"You can't screw this up by just asking silly off the top of your mind questions.  Here is my email address.  Send your questions there and I'll have an answer for you written out within a day or two." god said as plainly as before from inside his thunderstorm with the window rolled down while gesturing blindly in the air to make a point or sign what he was saying but it was entirely lost on me.  He could tell by my glazed look it was time to go so he simply said "Get a job" and drove off.

So now.  Slightly but not entirely glazed in circumstance I am struggling with this interaction.  I can know anything in the universe via email at the cost of my life.  I don't really have a desire to acquire knowledge or a need for something like this... so here I am a bag of lemons staring off at the sky like it is staring back in part of that endless crashing gaze of god wondering what the hell I should do with myself.  Aside from getting a job.

title: I've been writing a lot of poetry for a while but then I started reading Richard Brautigan and his stuff made me want to try short stories.  Here is my attempt at something weird and relatively short.

question: What is the story about?

answer: The story is about a person who has interacted with God. When God tells them they can ask him anything at the cost of their life.

question: How does the person react to the offer God makes?

answer: They are, at first, incredulous. Once God has left them, they decide not to ask him any questions since they have no need for them.

question: What is the one answer God left them with?

answer: Get a job.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator recounts the time they met God whilst out walking. God drives them home in a thunderstorm-jeep and tells them they can ask three questions, upon asking the third question they will die. The person decides not to ask the questions as they have no use for knowledge.


text:
 Published: 02:36 EST, 28 November 2014 | Updated: 02:37 EST, 28 November 2014

ATTERWASCH, Germany (AP) — Five days a week, a giant machine eats its way through soil at the Jaenschwalde open-cast mine in eastern Germany, exposing the brown coal buried beneath.

Lignite, as this form of compressed peat is known, is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany's effort to phase out nuclear energy. It's also the reason why Atterwasch, a village that survived the Thirty Years' War, a Soviet onslaught at the end of World War II and four hard decades of communist rule is slated to be razed.

The village, with its volunteer fire station and old brownstone church, is to make way for a strip mine in the next decade. Dozens of other villages have fallen victim to the same fate, as coal once again becomes king.

Vattenfall spokesperson Thoralf Schirmer walks in front of a bucket-wheel excavator after an AP interview at the Vattenfall lignite open-cast mine in Jaenschwalde, eastern Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014. Lignite, as this form of compressed peat is known, is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany¿s effort to phase out nuclear energy. It¿s also the reason why Atterwasch, a village that survived the Thirty Years¿ War, a Soviet onslaught during the final months of World War II and four hard decades of communist rule will soon be razed. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

The plan has many of Atterwasch's 250 inhabitants up in arms.

"This is an ancient village," said long-time resident Monika Schulz-Hoepfner. Historical records first mention Atterwasch in 1294, and the house that she and her husband raised their three children in was built in 1740.

Environmentalists, meanwhile, point out that Germany's hunger for lignite flies in the face of its green credentials.

"Germany has a coal problem," said Regina Guenther, Director Climate and Energy at WWF Germany. "Despite the expansion of renewable energy the carbon emissions are rising because the dirtiest coal power plants are running at full steam."

The low cost of coal-based energy means that the cleaner, but more expensive, gas power plants are not running at full capacity, she said.

Vattenfall, one of Europe's biggest energy companies, says the five open cast lignite mines and three lignite power stations it operates in the Lusatia region a couple of hours drive southeast of Berlin provide over 33 000 jobs. Anti-mine campaigners put the figure much lower, but still conceded that the jobs run into the thousands, in an area with high unemployment.

At least as important as the jobs is the energy that comes from the 60 million tons of lignite mined there each year. That's because Germany's ambitious plan to shut down all its nuclear reactors by 2022 and dramatically ramp up the use of renewable sources — known as the "energy switchover" — requires coal as a stopgap.

"Lignite is part of the energy switchover because it offers a bridge to the time when, as is the goal in Germany, 80 or more percent of energy is generated by renewable means," said Thoralf Schirmer, a spokesperson for Vattenfall.

Even after 2050, when all nuclear plants have been closed for 28 years and renewable sources should be highly developed, there will be a role for lignite, he said.

"If you have little wind or sun available," he said, "then you have to rely on one of the remaining conventional energy sources."

Last year, about a quarter of the German gross electricity production came from lignite, according to the German Federal Statistics Office. More than a third of the lignite — up to 10 percent of Germany's total energy supply — comes from the region around Atterwasch.

Vattenfall has recently outlined plans to sell the German lignite mines and power plants as a part of the Swedish company's own drive toward renewable energy.

But it is unlikely that the buyer of the plants would want to stop the mine expansion given the vast lignite deposits — estimated at hundreds of millions of tons — and potential profits to be made.

The current plan, approved years ago, is to remove Atterwasch and two other nearby villages by 2025 to make way for an expansion of the Jaenschwalde mine.

"We're making a sacrifice that isn't really necessary anymore," said Schulz-Hoepfner. "I think it's simply not legitimate to let old villages, which are part of our cultural heritage, fall into a coal hole anymore."

She and others campaigning against the mine haven't given up hope that the village will be saved, and are appealing to the Brandenburg state government for help.

To them, Atterwasch is "Heimat," she said, a German word that loosely translates as "home" but which signifies a deep emotional connection to a particular place. Its location near the present German-Polish border and the bilingual road signs in German and Sorbian — the language of Germany's Slavic ethnic minority — testify to the region's complex history.

"It's like a tree that's dug its roots deep into the ground," said Schulz-Hoepfner. "And then someone comes along and wants to pull this healthy tree out."

___

Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.

Exterior view of the Vattenfall lignite open-cast mine in Jaenschwalde, eastern Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014. Lignite, as this form of compressed peat is known, is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany¿s effort to phase out nuclear energy. It¿s also the reason why Atterwasch, a village that survived the Thirty Years¿ War, a Soviet onslaught during the final months of World War II and four hard decades of communist rule will soon be razed. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

A 'keep off' sign sits outside the Vattenfall lignite open-cast mine in Jaenschwalde, eastern Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014. Lignite, as this form of compressed peat is known, is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany¿s effort to phase out nuclear energy. It¿s also the reason why Atterwasch, a village that survived the Thirty Years¿ War, a Soviet onslaught during the final months of World War II and four hard decades of communist rule will soon be razed. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Monika Schulz-Hoepfner stands beside a protest poster against Vattenfall open-cast mining in the small village of Atterwasch, eastern Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 close to the Jaenschwalde lignite open-cast mine. Red slogan reads 'Atterwasch stays!'. Lignite, as this form of compressed peat is known, is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany¿s effort to phase out nuclear energy. It¿s also the reason why Atterwasch, a village that survived the Thirty Years¿ War, a Soviet onslaught during the final months of World War II and four hard decades of communist rule will soon be razed. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

A bucket-wheel excavator stands on lignite at the Vattenfall lignite open-cast mine in Jaenschwalde, eastern Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014. Lignite, as this form of compressed peat is known, is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany¿s effort to phase out nuclear energy. It¿s also the reason why Atterwasch, a village that survived the Thirty Years¿ War, a Soviet onslaught during the final months of World War II and four hard decades of communist rule will soon be razed. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Minig vehicles drive on lignite at the Vattenfall lignite open-cast mine in Jaenschwalde, eastern Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014. Lignite, as this form of compressed peat is known, is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany¿s effort to phase out nuclear energy. It¿s also the reason why Atterwasch, a village that survived the Thirty Years¿ War, a Soviet onslaught during the final months of World War II and four hard decades of communist rule will soon be razed. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

A bucket-wheel excavator stands on lignite at the Vattenfall lignite open-cast mine in Jaenschwalde, eastern Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014. Lignite, as this form of compressed peat is known, is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany¿s effort to phase out nuclear energy. It¿s also the reason why Atterwasch, a village that survived the Thirty Years¿ War, a Soviet onslaught during the final months of World War II and four hard decades of communist rule will soon be razed. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Lignite is pictured at the Vattenfall lignite open-cast mine in Jaenschwalde, eastern Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014. Lignite, as this form of compressed peat is known, is becoming an increasingly important part of Germany¿s effort to phase out nuclear energy. It¿s also the reason why Atterwasch, a village that survived the Thirty Years¿ War, a Soviet onslaught during the final months of World War II and four hard decades of communist rule will soon be razed. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

question: What is lignite?

answer: Often referred to as brown coal, it is a form of compressed peat.

question: What is the role of coal-fired power stations in Germany's renewable energy strategy?

answer: Germany wants to shut down all its nuclear reactors by 2022 and dramatically ramp up the use of renewable energy sources. This requires coal as a stopgap. This plan is referred to as the energy switchover.

question: Why is coal-fired power stations preferred above other power generating alternatives?

answer: The low cost of coal-based energy means that the cleaner, but more expensive, gas power plants are not running at full capacity.

question: What will happen to the village of Atterwasch?

answer: The village of Atterwasch is slated to be razed to make space for an open-cast lignite mining operation.

question: On what grounds are the citizens of Atterwasch resisting these plans?

answer: They claim the historical value of the village outstrips the economic advantages.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Atterwasch is a village on the German-Polish border with a rich history going back to 1294. This village is slated to fall into a coal hole due to the large deposit of lignite on which it is built. Lignite is necessary to support Germany's energy strategy by providing a stopgap between stopping nuclear power plants and ramping up energy from renewable energy sources.


text:
**Emeralds**

He slams the door behind him. He just needs to think but there is too much to think about. He can see the sun going down ahead of him as he walks towards his gate. The streets before him are usually full of life, but now sit barren and cold besides the occasional car passing through. He heads north. He doesn't know where, no one knows where his path will end. Passing buildings of brick and cement, he drags his fingers across the rough surface of the wall a little too long. It bothers him; the pleasure from touch and the sharp pang of rawness that he is left with after he pulls his hand away. He feels it isn’t fair, this contradiction of both the pleasure of touch and the pain it inflicts.  He learns from his mistake and decides against doing it another time. He sighs as he glances at the pink flesh of his fingers and quickly stuffs his hands into his jacket pocket. “How long have I been gone?” he wonders as he raises his watch to his eyes; not even an hour has passed. A little further up the street, a woman exits what appears to be a coffee shop. As he moves closer he can smell the bitterness of freshly ground coffee and the sweetness of perfume. The woman sees him and smiles. He doesn't know her or at least he can’t remember her face or name if he does. She walks towards him and says, “Hi”. He wants to say something, anything to break the still silence between them. He so badly wants to acknowledge her existence.  He wants to say something, anything, but he can’t bring himself to speak. He passes the woman without a word and walks past the windows of the coffee shop. He sees the empty red booths made of leather and the pattern of the alternating black and white tiles and the bright green wall paper. It’s almost overwhelming to his eyes. He notices the man behind the counter watching news on the television, but he continues down the street and crosses it at the next intersection. “The woman was only trying to be friendly”, he thought.  Detailed thoughts began to emerge in his mind, as he strains to recall every aspect of his brief encounter with the woman: her smooth, soft spoken hello, her bright blonde hair that rested on her shoulders and back, and her eyes. Her eyes were a deep green, the color of beautiful emeralds. “I wonder if she even gave me a second thought?” he thinks to himself.  There were fewer buildings now; most of them are houses much like his own. He thought about his house and how he forgot to close his gate as he left the yard. His thoughts drifted back to the green eyed woman. He thought about chasing down the woman to say hello but he started thinking. He thought possibilities in his head of what could happen if he did. He dismissed the thoughts and scenarios by making excuses to himself; “She wouldn't be worth it and it wouldn't last even if she was” was what he thought. Just outside of town he sits on the fallen trunk of a dead tree and he wonders what would happen if he just sat there through the seasons.  “How long would I sit in this spot before anyone noticed I was gone?” he thought, “Will I ever see her emerald green eyes again?”

Everything was a blur since that night. Months had passed since he had seen the woman with the emerald eyes; he had looked around town, but to no avail. He couldn't think but there was nothing to think about anyways; nothing but the woman. He walks outside to breath in the humid summer air. He pushes the door closed and hears the soft click of the locking mechanism as he turns away and heads toward the sidewalk. Before stepping on to the street he pauses to admire the sun setting over the horizon. He starts walking towards the fallen tree outside of town and he passes the buildings made of bricks and cement. Pausing for only a second, he holds his fingertips to the wall, lightly dragging them over the rough surface. He pulls his hand away and is no longer accompanied by the stinging sensation that has stayed with him for so long. He can smell the bitter aroma of the freshly ground coffee beans as he approaches the coffee shop. He stops at the window and sees the same man watching television. The sight of the bright green wallpaper and the alternating of the black and with tiles bring back visions of the woman with emerald eyes. He opens the door and is greeted by the jingle of a bell suspended over the door by a piece of red ribbon. He grabs hold of a red leather booth and quickly lets go as he glances over the room and sees all the empty red booths. But there, in the corner, facing away from the door is a woman with beautiful blonde hair and the smell of perfume is almost intoxicating to him as he walks closer. Thoughts are racing throughout his mind. “Does she remember me?” “What should I say?” “Should I say anything at all?” Disregarding all thought and mustering up all the courage he has left, he walks over and sits down in the booth with the woman. She looks at him. He sits there, staring into her deep, beautiful emeralds for quite some time before uttering one simple word. “Hello.”

title: "Emeralds" written by Me, for an AP English class! Looking for tips!

question: Who are the main characters of the story?

answer: The man and the woman with emerald green eyes.

question: Where does the story take place?

answer: That information can’t be found.

question: Where did the man and emerald green-eyed woman first meet?

answer: Outside a coffee shop.

question: What happened when they first met?

answer: The woman walks towards him and says 'hi,' but the man froze and just keeps walking. He kicks himself afterward and can't get her out of his mind.

question: Write a ~8 sentence summary.

answer: A man deep in thought sees a woman with emerald green eyes walk out of a coffee shop and instantly becomes mesmerized. The woman walks towards the man and says 'hi' but he froze and couldn't utter a word, let alone acknowledge her presence. Instead, he walks past her and kicks himself afterward for chickening out. He can't get the image of the woman with emerald green eyes out of his mind for months and everything becomes a blur. He searches for her around town but doesn't see her again. One day, he walks by the coffee shop and scans the empty red booths. He sees the woman with emerald green eyes in the corner. He enters and sits down in the booth with her, saying one simple word "hello."


text:
[City hall] CAMPOS NOVOS is a city in Santa Catarina, in the Southern Region of Brazil. Campos Novos is a pioneer in production of pollen and the biggest grain and oat producer of Santa Catarina. The municipality invests also into fatstock and poultry farming.

Main ethnic origins are Italian, German, Portuguese, Polonese and Drovers.

History

The Kaingang, an Indigenous people of southern Brazil, were the first inhabitants of the region.

The construction of the railway São Paulo - Rio Grande do Sul and the passages of the cattle drovers in the region mobilized many immigrants. Those migrations caused the creation of many villages at the Rio de Peixe river, like Bom Retiro, Capinzal and Videira. The arrival of the Italian and German settlers induced commercial and industrial activities in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Therefore, the city has a rich cultural diversity. It has even a community of descendants of African slaves.

19th century

[Casa da Cultura, Campos Novos cultural foundation] As many of the municipalities in the region, Campos Novos populated from the first attempts of colonialisation in southern Brazil, which began between 1825 and 1830, as the farmer João Gonçalves de Araújo coming from Curitibanos settled down in the region. Shortly afterwards came the gaúchos evading the Ragamuffin War. Many farmers originating from Lages settled down as well, attracted by the huge quantity of terra and grassland. Then, the locality welcomed inhabitants coming from the states São Paulo and Paraná on the search of territory for cattle breeding.

In 1854, Campos Novos became a district of the municipality of _Nossa Senhora dos prazeres de Lages_, today Lages, with a total area of more than 5 000 km², according to provincial law nº 377, of June 16, 1854. Despite the many partitionings, Campos Novos is still one of the biggest municipality of Santa Catarina regarding the surface area.

From 1869 until 1881, Campos Novos was under control of Curitibanos. Then it became an independent municipality, according to provincial law nº 923, of March 30, 1881. Between 1850 and 1895, the province of Santa Catarina had only 11 municipalities.

20th century

In the beginning of the 20th century, Campos Novos was embossed by the construction of the railway São Paulo - Rio Grande do Sul and by the Contestado War. From 1908 until 1910 many immigrants of various nationions arrived in Campos Novos: Poland, Russia, Lebanon as well as other settlers from other Brazilian states, especially descendants from Germany and Italy after the Contestado War (1912–1916).

Geography

[Central bus station] [Lauro Müller square] Campos Novos is 370 km west of Florianópolis, the capital of Santa Catarina.

It is at the crosspoint of the federal highways BR-470 and BR-282 and the state highways SC-455 and SC-458.

Campos Novos has a central bus station with connections to Curitiba, Joinville, Chapecó and many other cities.

The next airports are in Chapecó (XAP) 155 km, Lages (LAJ) 145 km, Concórdia (SSCK) 95 km, Videira (SSVI) 55 km, Joaçaba (SSJA) 40 km.[1]

The municipality is divided into following 7 districts since 2007:

-   Campos Novos
-   Bela Vista
-   Dal`Pai
-   Espinilho
-   Ibicuí
-   Leão
-   Tupitinga

Economy/industry

[Campos Novos Dam] Campos Novos is the biggest grain producer of Santa Catarina. Many farmers are joined in cooperatives. There are also livestock and poultry farming.

The Occident's highest dam of that type with a height of 202 m (663 ft) is 30 km (20 mi) from the city center. It was built from August 2001 to July 2006 by Enercan.[2] The 3 installed Francis Turbines have a power of 880 megawatts. The Campos Novos Dam produces 3,310,404 MWh per year.

Tourism

[São João Batista church] [stained glass] The museum FUNDAÇÃO CULTURAL CAMPONOVENSE (Campos Novos cultural foundation) better known as CASA DA CULTURA (house of the culture) exposes the historic archive of Dr. Waldemar Rupp and the Testament from 1877, related to the history of the community in the 19th century.

The church SÃO JOÃO BATISTA on the Lauro Müller square is decorated by wooden sculptures and beautiful stained glass.

22 km from the city center is the Ibicui district, better known as Corredeira, where descendants of African slaves live. There is also the cemetery INVERNADA DOS NEGROS.

[1]

[2] Enercan

title: Campos Novos

question: Which key events contributed to the growth of Campos Novos?

answer: The Ragamuffin War, the construction of the railway Sao Paolo, and the Contestado War all contributed to the growth of the area. This is because these events saw a large influx of immigrants into Campos -the sudden increase in population provided economic growth and expansion into new forms of commerce.


text:
“All things come to pass…”

The words danced in Daniel’s mind in the voice of his ever-absent businesswoman of a mother. “Well mom, maybe some things don’t,” he persuaded his conscience as he opened the squeaky bathroom door. His hands felt warm as he brushed them across his clammy forehead. He looked in the dim bathroom mirror and clumsily dropped his hands to the sink’s icy porcelain ledge and stared at a disturbingly pale visage. The eyes that met his seemed to have abyssal centers that grew larger as he gazed into them. Suddenly he found that the warmth in his hands had been replaced by a lack of any feeling at all, and the same went for his feet. By the time he realized this, his eyesight began to fail, and the room began to diminish at its edges. Daniel closed his eyes, and found that they were much harder to open again. The ceiling welled at the center in his peripheral vision as his legs buckled and gave up their purpose for the very last time. He wasn’t aware that he’d fallen until blood from the sink dripped down into his open, and now front-toothless mouth. Daniel watched the lights on the ceiling morph into the gravity well of pooling fractals as he half-swallowed a mouthful of warm blood and tooth fragments. He felt his mother’s touch; the love in her fingertips warmed his skin as she brushed his hair softly away from his forehead. She was not there.

He heard darkness pulling away at the inside of his mind, erasing the seams of reality and easing him downward into some indescribably comfortable realm of lost moments and memories seemingly eons since passed. A melody of his own faint breathing washed over his ears and barely registered in his failing brain. The world grew dim around Daniel, and his faculties began diminish one by one. His liver, of course, was the first to succumb to the chemical punishment of nearly five-hundred Tylenol, along with his now bleeding stomach with its lining eaten away entirely by the drugs. Despite his biological deterioration, he felt quite good; calm, content, and as though he laid not on the cold, hard tile floor of his bathroom, but in the warm, loving embrace of the arms of an endless ocean. It cradled him as he sunk into its bottomless depths; the light from above growing ever so dim to his near lifeless eyes. Daniel managed to blink away the illusion of spiraling multicolored lights in a distant sky, and see the Earth as it truly was for the last time; a manila-walled bathroom with yellow-stained plastic bulb covers emitting a mild, placid light across an uncleanly world of bacteria and over-priced cleaning product residue. Daniel sighed.

title: Alive and Well

question: Why is the narrator committing suicide?

answer: Unclear

question: Is he successful?

answer: Unclear

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Daniel is in the bathroom having just taken a lethal amount of medication. As he succumbs to death he sees the Earth as it truly was for the last time.


text: I hate everything about you. You’re an ignorant, arrogant piece of shit with no moral compass and a completely false personality. You’re dull, because while everyone else was out making new friends and experiencing childhood, you were sitting in your bedroom, making decks for your favorite children’s card games, and pretending to understand arguments about religion and politics to make yourself sound smart, trying to convince yourself that, because you've memorized some obscure facts from a Wikipedia page, that you’re superior to everyone else. And you became the greatest liar in history--someone who actually believes their own lie. You made yourself think that you’re the greatest person on the entire fucking planet, so you decided to steal your older brother’s friends to make yourself look like you are good with people, and again, you believed it. You kept the high-horse sense of superiority for your entire life, and you manipulated yourself, just so you could learn how to manipulate everyone else. You used knowledge of your own insecurities to blackmail people into doing what you wanted, or just for fucking fun. And the best part is that you claim to feel guilty, but your sense of superiority allows you to brush it off every time, convincing yourself that it was “just a mistake” so you could move along to the next unsuspecting person and do it again. You started with me, and then you realized that you could just use me for a fucking guinea pig--just keep fucking with him, because he’ll NEVER snap! He’s not even human, and he doesn't have feelings, and he doesn't react like everyone else does. You strung me along, insisting that I not die, and you left out the reason on why I should die purposely--just to see if I could believe it, so you would know for the next time when you actually needed something from someone. Well, you’re fucking wrong. I've snapped, and I’m snapped hard. Everyone you ever loved, pretended to love, or used is going to die, and you’re going to fucking watch. I want to see the reaction on your face as I gun down every single person that you spend your time with. I hate you with the fury that you will never understand. I said awhile ago that I only exist so that other people can have a happy life, and for a while, I was right. You pride yourself on your charisma and social skills, but the fact is that you only have them because of me. You are the scum of the Earth. You’re a piece of shit, and you DON’T deserve to die. You deserve worse.

title: Undeserving of Death

question: Who does the narrator hate?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Is the narrator writing to himself?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Does the narrator try to change his behavior?

answer: No.

question: Why is the narrator filled with so much hatred for this person?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is boiling with hatred. He hates how the person thought of himself to be superior. And how he is manipulative. He talks about how everyone this person has ever loved was going to die and he would have to watch them. He ends by saying that the person deserves worse than death.


text:
_THELIDERMA_ is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae. They are native to North America.

This genus is sometimes classified in an expanded _Quadrula_.

Species within the genus _Theliderma_

Note: Taxa with a “†” symbol are extinct due to human activity

-   _Theliderma cylindrica_ - Rabbitsfoot
-   _Theliderma intermedia_ - Cumberland monkeyface
-   _Theliderma metanevra_ - Monkeyface
-   _Theliderma sparsa_ - Appalachian monkeyface
-   †_Theliderma stapes_ - Stirrup shell
-   †_Theliderma tuberosa_ - Rough rockshell

 Category:Bivalve genera

title: Theliderma

question: Where are the genus' species endemic to?

answer: North America.

question: List the common names of the species belonging to the genus.

answer: Rabbitsfoot, Cumberland Monkeyface, Monkeyface, Appalachian monkeyface, Stirrup shell (extinct), and Rough rockshell (extinct).

question: Which species in the genus are extinct, and why?

answer: The Stirrup shell (T. stapes) and the Rough rockshell are extinct due to human activity.

question: What biome does the genus' species prefer?

answer: They live in freshwaters.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Theliderma is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae. They are endemic to North America. Of the six species known to be part of the genus, two of them are extinct due to human activity, namely the Stirrup Shell (T. stapes) and the Rough rockshell (T. tuberosa).


text:
The _UN RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS_ are contained in the UN Model Regulations prepared by the Subcommittee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). They cover the transport of dangerous goods by all modes of transport except by bulk tanker. They are not obligatory or legally binding on individual countries, but have gained a wide degree of international acceptance: they form the basis of several international agreements and many national laws.

“Dangerous goods” (also known as “hazardous materials” or “HAZMAT” in the United States) may be pure chemical substance (for example, trinitrotoluene (TNT), nitroglycerin), mixtures (for example, dynamite, gunpowder) or manufactured articles (for example, ammunition, fireworks). The transport hazards that they pose are grouped into nine classes, which may be subdivided into divisions and/or packing groups. The most common dangerous goods are assigned a UN number, a four digit code which identifies it internationally: less common substances are transported under generic codes such as “UN1993: flammable liquid, not otherwise specified”.

The _UN Recommendations_ do not cover the manufacture, use or disposal of dangerous goods.

History and principles

[Doublewall corrugated fiberboard box with dividers for shipping four bottles of corrosive liquid, UN 4G, certified performance for Packing Group III ] The first version of the _Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods_ was produced by the ECOSOC in 1956.[1] From 1996, the _Recommendations_ were effectively split into two parts: the _Model Regulations_, which form a suggested drafting for laws and regulations on the transport of dangerous goods; and the _Manual of Tests and Criteria_, which contains technical information about methods of testing products to ascertain their hazards. The 21st edition of the _Recommendations_ was published in 2019.

The container requirements include some material and construction requirements but also performance testing[2] is required. The package testing is based on the packing group (hazard level) of the contents, the quantity of material, and the type of container.

The UN recommendations are implemented by regulatory bodies in each country: Transport Canada, United States Department of Transportation,[3] etc. Some carriers have additional requirements.

[1] ST/ECA/43-E/CN.2/170

[2]

[3]

question: Where are the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods contained?

answer: The UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods are contained in the UN Model Regulations.

question: What mode of transport is not covered in the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods?

answer: Transport by bulk tanker is not covered in the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.

question: How many classes of transport hazards are included in the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods?

answer: Nine classes of transport hazards are included in the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.

question: How many digits are in the UN codes for the most common dangerous goods?

answer: Four digits are in the UN codes for the most common dangerous goods.

question: When was the first version of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods written?

answer: The first version of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods was written in 1956.

question: When was the 21st edition of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods published?

answer: The 21st edition of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods was published in 2019.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods were first written in 1956. The most recent update was published in 2019. Included in the regulations are classifications for dangerous materials and recommendations for transport of these goods across all forms of transportation except bulk tanker.


text:
You could always find him there under the pavilion. He branded it with only his presence and it seemed no one dared to encroach into his domain. He was not violent or cruel, and no part of him seemed physically menacing. That was not the aspect of his persona that allowed him his solidarity. He was a singular entity, a loner, but it was hard to tell if he was alone, or rather if he felt that he was alone. He seemed content, and he sang mostly when no one was listening. His only possessions in the world consisted of the clothes he wore on his back, an old guitar strung with classical nylon strings, a bongo of which had been fixed with duct tape, and three or four blankets that he kept for the coldest of Florida nights.  Every day, he laid his possessions out on the concrete bench for the world to see and the world looked upon them; shamefully or shamelessly, it is hard to tell which. His province, his watch tower so to speak, was strategically placed at the foot of the boardwalk and he resided upon his post, taking surveillance of those walking by.  His motive was not vindictive and his surveillance was not judgmental or nosey. Most of all it was empty. He saw as a parrot speaks, he watched, he memorized and he sang. He sang out the events that he saw and he strummed his guitar to the rhythm of the memory.
      That was his day life. At night he could be found at a similar post further down the beach, next to Hummingston Park. He had found for himself there a place to sing and play upon the grand entrance of stone and marble that separated the street from green lawns of meticulously maintained suburban excess. This spectacle of squandered city funds was fit to be a stage for the most talented of street performers. However, even during the waking hours of the town the audience was sparse and his variety of entertainment seemed the incoherent mutterings of riff raff upon their unwelcoming ears. Vagabonds excluded, this audience could clap and cheer for the marble of the wall fortressing suburbia against ill maintenance and neglected shrubbery. Maybe it was the sparkle in the eye of the audience at the grand entrance that kept him away during the day, further down the beach in the safety of his pavilion. It had to have been that jealousy that he must have felt, that repelled him, when his audience looked upon the sights of his stage and praised it for its beauty, its stateliness, its stark serenity, arrogant enough to shun him when the world looked on.
 I always fashioned him to have come to entertain, to bring joy and inspire some greater meaning, some truth that he had found and wanted, needed to share with someone, everyone. But he was cut off and booed of stage because the very people he had such enthusiasm in reaching were so deaf to his wisdom that they would rather sit silently and admire the lights and shadows of the theatre apart from the theatrics. To him that victory of suburbia, that wall, must have appeared made of gold bricks, winking the Florida sun into his eyes with an unrelenting, apathetic glare.
     But it is doubtful that he had such sentiments. The truth of his inner struggle was easy enough to decipher if you listened to him. He sang songs of the things he saw, the things he surveyed, like Jim Morrison but without even the slight shimmer of ambiguous meaning that the latter achieved.  I’ve listened to him, I’ve sat with him upon his post under the shade of his pavilion, and I’ve spoken words to him that were reverberated back in the songs he sang and I can tell you I’ve listened to nothing, I’ve sat alone next to the surveyor, and I’ve spoken words that fell upon a parrot’s ears. If you were to have looked into his eyes you have could seen in an instant how empty he was.
     However, he led a life that was interesting to me. I was not so enthralled or lost in any intrigue of idealism as to throw my life down and follow in discipleship, but there was an aspect of his persona, some shimmer of simplicity, that struck me. I saw him first at night, rotely performing, singing to the stars perhaps. I was running, because at that time I was a runner and it seemed my obligation to fill out my station to society as such. I wondered at that time who he was singing to, and in reflection he most likely wondered who I was running from. As a general answer, he was singing to no one and there wasn’t anyone that I was running from, and so in that instant of time we might have been shaded with the same strokes of insanity had it not been for the fact that I had a destination and a goal in the mechanics of activity that I was performing. I was running towards a finish line, at some later date, at the beginning of some hazy morning. I would eventually finish and attain something, but he would always continue to sing, until some later date, until some lazy morning, and maybe he might break the song with a breathe, final but empty, silent and forgotten.
    It is only consequential to mention that I saw him for the first time while I was on a run, because it was because of this detail, that I first saw him at such a time in my life, that he peaked my interest. Running represents a primordial kind of motion for mankind. We are built for it, for the nomad life, the hunting of game, the constant movement as we stalk our prey hiding in the brush, in wait, watching. Flight is our best option; if we were meant to fight we would have claws, and sharp teeth to gnash. That is the sense of it that you get as a runner, at least if you keep at it avidly and in fear of competition as was the nature of my personal experience of the motion. And when you do not run for the hunt, and there is no danger, no fight or flight reaction, such primordial incentives are channeled, as it is against our biology to waste any resource of energy or faculty of mind, into other facets of biology, foremost in this case being intensified observation and calculation, characterized by a slight inkling of empathy. Running makes you think. His aura became apparent to me as I was gliding along the city street. It was dull, his presence, but it was captivating enough. He was captivating enough for me to wonder at his life story. Any other night I may have wrote him off as an obscurity, obviously insane to sing alone there on that stage off his with no audience, in this town. But instead, in that profane sense of mind that I was in, I became interested.
    And so I kept post with him when I found the time. Sometimes I would drum alongside him to keep the beat for the resonations of his soul, always to the tempo of the crash of the waves on the shore. Mostly I would sit in the warmth of summer and wonder if the shell of a man who made such a mellow, lifeless companion might have at one point have had goals, or had ever sang songs of meaning. I would wonder at his past; he seemed maybe to have been a soldier at one point who had seen too much of the darkness in the world to bear to continue watching. Maybe he had character back then, maybe he had sentiments and strong emotions, and maybe he had stood for something. I imagined he was worn down by the abrasiveness of his own empathy against his humanity and others sharp-edged apathy, so much so to be blank. Stark white to the relentless sun, beaten down as a mental patient lobotomized, turned into a vegetable.  I might ask him where he was going, and he might tell me home, wherever it was that he made it.
    As I continued to sit with him, I became cognizant after a time that a story was forming. The authorship I believe was a joint effort. He sang and I imagined, and the sun beat down and the waves crashed into the shore, and his memories melded into his strumming, the guitar matching closely to a joint heartbeat. It came upon us slowly, the story, but there was no rush about it. I don’t believe he was aware of it, how could he be? It might have been totally his though, and my part in it was limited. I was only there to recognize it, grope for the pieces of meaning and string them together, and when there were holes, links to be strengthened, I do believe I filled them in. But it was his story through and through, so much so that I imagined it among his sparse possessions, its pages worn-out and yellowed, forgotten in disuse as he carried it tucked into his blankets, away down the beach, his heart beating with the surf, towards home.

title: marK: Foreword to the Story of a Broken Man

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The narrator is an unnamed man.

question: When does the narrator first notice the man?

answer: He first notices the man while he is running.

question: Where does this story take place?

answer: This takes place somewhere in Florida.

question: Where does the man live?

answer: The man is homeless.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: There is a homeless man who sings and plays the guitar by the beach in Florida. The narrator is on a usual run and takes notice of this man. He appreciates the simplicity of the man and decides to join him on occasion. He plays the drum with the man occasionally, wondering of the man's past.


text:
There are many important, even vital things that Bengal claims to have contributed to India. Number-1-all-time-best Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, Indian nationalism and the bottom line of the WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corporation (makers of Gelusil antacid) all owe their existence to Bengal. But more than anything else, however, Bengal has touched India via a soft, pearly white globe of cheese, dipped in thick sugar syrup.

The rasgulla, ladies and gents, is as Bengali as Communism. However, just like some reactionaries claim foreign origin for Marx babu, an extra-Bengali source is being claimed for the rasgulla. Odisha (earlier Orissa and even earlier Kalinga) has staked a Geographical Indication claim on the confectionery.

ODIYA CLAIM

This bold assertion rests on the fact that the Jagannath Temple in Puri uses rasgullas as prasad during the Rath Yatra. Laxmidhar Pujapanda, public relations officer of the temple, is quoted by the _Times of India_ arguing: "Rasgulla has been part of Rath Yatra rituals ever since the Jagannath temple came into existence in the 12th century."

Unfortunately, this claim doesn’t have much by way of backing. The Chhapan Bhog (ritual offering to Lord Krishna) of the temple does not mention the rasgulla and there is nothing to say that the tradition of offering the sweetmeat didn’t originate sometime in the recent past.

There is also the fact that, as noted food historian KT Achaya points out, cheese was taboo in Hinduism since the act of splitting milk was seen as profane. A logical extension from the sacred status that milk held in the religion. Offering up a sweet made of cheese (in this case cottage cheese or chhana) as a Brahmanical offering in the 12th century seems highly unlikely.

THE REAL CHEESE

In fact, before the 17th century, there are no references to cheese in India at all. As food writer and historian Chitra Banerji says, “It is notable that in all the myths about the young Krishna [a later incarnation of Vishnu], who was bought up by foster parents among the dairy farmers of Brindaban [in the state of Uttar Pradesh] there are thousands of references to milk, butter, ghee and yoghurt, but none to chhana.”

Not only in mythology, chhana (cottage cheese, the base used in the rasgulla), is conspicuously absent even in medieval Indian history. Banerji has studied the medieval Hindu reformer Chaitanya’s food habits and while he seemed to have a great fondness for sweets, including dairy-based ones, there is no mention of sweets with chhana as a base. In medieval Bengal, in fact, the sandesh was made out of khoa, or condensed milk solids. Only later did it come to use cheese.

How then did Bengalis come by cheese?

In medieval India, if you lived by the coast, very often the most impactful power wasn’t the Mughal emperor far out in Delhi or even your local king. Instead, the very distant Portugal might have been more important to you.

PORTUGUESE INDIA

Sealed off from the land route to Asia by the powerful Arabs, the Portuguese turned this adversity into profit and poured all their energies into the sea with the aim of becoming a major naval power.

In 1498, Vasco Da Gama “discovered” India via a route the Arabs had been using for at least two millennia before him. The Portuguese, though, meant business and their superior naval firepower soon displaced the Arabs from India’s west coast. Not long after, the Iberians had the entire Indian coast at their disposal, from Chittagong in Bengal to Bombay (as they named it) in the Konkan.

These Portuguese newcomers had a massive influence on India’s coastal cultures. Though mostly forgotten now, this age is quiescently preserved in the languages that came into contact with Portuguese. Since this was the first European power India experienced on a large scale, a large number of Western concepts use Portuguese loans. Both Bengali and Marathi, for example, use the Portuguese word _pao_ for western-style bread. Marathi borrowed the Portuguese name for a new, brown tuber imported from South America: _batata_. _Almari_ (almirah), _chaabi_ (key), _girja_ (church), _istri_ (iron) and _Ingrej_ (English) are all words that the Bengalis took from the Portuguese. Even “harmad” a Bengali slang word meaning “ruffian”, comes from the word “armada”, referring to the poor reputation of the Portuguese sailors who mostly came up the riverine Bengal delta as pirates and raiders.

Another significant addition was made in cuisine. The Portuguese loved their fresh cottage cheese, which they made by adding citric acid to boiled milk. KT Acharya writes: “This routine technique may have lifted the Aryan taboo on deliberate milk curdling and given the traditional Bengali _moira_ [confectioner] a new material to work with.”

THE THREE CHEESES OF BENGAL

This link to the Portuguese has another strong source: Francois Bernier. Bernier, a Frenchman, was the personal physician to the Mughal price Dara Shikoh and he left behind a highly influential record of his travels in India. He mentions that “Bengal likewise is celebrated for its sweetmeats, especially in places inhabited by the Portuguese, who are skillful in the art of preparing them and with whom they are an article of considerable trade”.

The Portuguese, in all, ended up introducing three types of acid-curdled cheeses to Bengal. One is obviously the basic chhana, milk split with citric acid, consumed fresh. The second is the incredibly tasty smoked Bandel Cheese, an Anglo-Indian favourite which is still available in a few shops in the British-era New Market of Kolkata. The third is today called the Dhakai Paneer. Food writer Kalyan Karmakar explains that Dhakai Paneer has “nothing to do with ‘paneer’” and is “more like a tight feta”. It is now only found in Dhaka.

[]

BANDEL CHEESE DISCS
Courtesy: Shoaib Daniyal

Chhana, of course, also spread to North India, where it was compressed into blocks and given the Persian name for cheese – “paneer” (a name that Turkish also borrowed).

Now how this chhana was fashioned into the rasgulla is the bone of contention. While we can be pretty sure the Jagannath temple story is not true (given that there was no cheese in India before the Portuguese), who first thought of forging this stuff into those small heavenly little globes is not known.

THE STEVE JOBS OF RASGULLA

Maybe it was invented in Bengal and taken to Odisha. Maybe Odiya cooks, very common in rich Bengali households, bought it to Bengal. Given the lack of records, it is impossible to tell.

However, one thing is more certain: the modern method of rasgulla preparation owes its genesis to a Bengali gentlemen from Kolkata called Nobin Chandra Das. He basically boiled the chhana balls in the syrup, making it spongier and, more importantly, from the point of view of commerce, gave it a longer shelf life.

It is this Nobin Chandra Das rasgulla that spread throughout India. While Das is often credited as the inventor of the rasgulla, a title that many Odiyas take great umbrage to, at the very least he is to the confectionary what Steve Jobs was to the smartphone. Even if Das didn’t invent the original rasgulla, it was he who tweaked it and took it to market, making it the popular sweet that we all love.

Given this history, and also the fact that it is now almost a pan-India food, any Geographical Indication claims that Odisha might make on the rasgulla would be just a little unfair.

_Support our journalism by subscribing to Scroll+. We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in._

question: What have been the other names of Odisha?

answer: Orissa, and before then, Kalinga.

question: What are some contributions Bengal claims to have made to India?

answer: Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, Indian nationalism and the bottom line of the WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corporation.

question: why had cheese been considered taboo in Hinduism?

answer: The act of splitting milk was seen as profane.

question: What century did Indian literature start mentioning cheese?

answer: The 17th century.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Cheese, in India, has never been popular. It was considered taboo in Hinduism since the act of splitting milk was considered to be profane. The Bengalis consider themselves to have contributed cheese to India among any other things: Nobel Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, Indian nationalism and the bottom line of the WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corporation. The Portuguese influence on the coast is also said to have had influence in introducing cheese-the sailors and merchants introduced the food to Bengal. They love their boiled cheese.


text:
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[]

Michael Leo RESK

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| []                                | HOMICIDE                          |
| : see all cases :                 | DOB: 14/08/1918                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | The Government of the Province of |
|                                   | Nova Scotia is offering rewards   |
|                                   | of up to one hundred and fifty    |
|                                   | thousand dollars ($150,000) for   |
|                                   | information leading to the arrest |
|                                   | and conviction of the person(s)   |
|                                   | responsible for the murder of     |
|                                   | Michael Leo RESK.                 |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | On December 9, 1955, at           |
|                                   | approximately 2 a.m., police      |
|                                   | responded to a report from a taxi |
|                                   | driver, who reported spotting a   |
|                                   | delivery van parked on Acadia     |
|                                   | Street, near Roome Street, in an  |
|                                   | unusual manner. Upon police       |
|                                   | arrival, the victim, Michael Leo  |
|                                   | Resk, was found murdered in the   |
|                                   | back of the delivery van, being   |
|                                   | the victim of gun shot wounds.    |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | The investigation revealed the    |
|                                   | victim and his brother owned and  |
|                                   | operated a store on Gottingen     |
|                                   | Street, Halifax. The victim       |
|                                   | usually left his house on Poplar  |
|                                   | Street late in the evening to go  |
|                                   | to his store to assist his        |
|                                   | brother in locking up for the     |
|                                   | night. On this particular         |
|                                   | evening, Mr. Resk never made it   |
|                                   | to the store. Police believe      |
|                                   | there are persons who have        |
|                                   | information that could result in  |
|                                   | an arrest and possible charges.   |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | Any person with information       |
|                                   | regarding the person(s)           |
|                                   | responsible for the murder of     |
|                                   | Michael Leo RESK should call the  |
|                                   | Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes |
|                                   | Program at 1-888-710-9090.        |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | The reward is payable in Canadian |
|                                   | funds and will be apportioned as  |
|                                   | deemed just by the Minister of    |
|                                   | Justice for the Province of Nova  |
|                                   | Scotia. Employees of law          |
|                                   | enforcement and correctional      |
|                                   | agencies are not eligible to      |
|                                   | collect this reward.              |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

question: Write a ~0 sentence summary.


text:
It’s like your head is a conference room where all the decisions about your life are made. At the front, there’s this guy in a business suit. He has graphs and charts and PowerPoint presentations, and he’s droning on to
  a group of Japanese businessmen. But they aren’t actually businessmen, and they only resemble the Japanese in
   that they don’t speak his language. They’re more like destructive monkeys, and they aren’t listening to the
business suit. They’re running around and wreaking havoc. They destroy everything. They pull the blinds open and
    shut. They pull strings. And suddenly, you’re doing what the monkeys say. The man in the suit is giving a
presentation and presenting evidence proving that you shouldn’t do it, that you should just leave it, that what
you’re about to do is a bad idea and just leaving it would be good. But the monkeys are in control, and he watches from your pupils with overworked eyes, knowing the grave consequences of your actions.
    Then you’re at the low and you already ignored the suit man once. When you hear a voice that sounds less like
 screeching, you listen. This voice tells you just one flick of silver, just bleed a little. You deserve this,
    remember? You messed up and now you should be punished. He sounds so reasonable, even though it’s suspicious. Your suit man would never tell you this. But you like the way this voice thinks so you listen harder.
         You stupid bitch, you stupid bitch. The suit man swoops in to stop you with the blade frozen on your skin
 and you go to bed, tears in your eyes.
    	The man in the suit watches sadly. He can’t do much to help you. He knows you’re slipping away. The
     monkeys are still running wild and his dark doppelganger still urges you towards blades and pills. He looks so
    weak and tired, so do you. And you’re so very sad, when the doppelganger suggests suicide, you can’t help but
     wonder.
    	The man in the suit springs to action at the front of the room, with a presentation of the joy in your
   mechanized dreams, the future and possibilities. The doppelganger just whispers, “You won’t be sad anymore.
Not     sad, not sad, not sad,” and he’s so compelling. You listen and the suit man keeps talking but he won’t raise
 his    voice. He does still have a little strength, and he cries weakly for help without actually asking. He wants to
 be     saved so you do too.
    	In the car you get the call, and you know exactly who it is before he tells you. You know what your mom’s
     silence means. She’s upset and you don’t want to worry her, but you don’t want to talk. Your brother stays
quiet     then gets mean, but you don’t want to talk to him, so you shut him up. Your mom wants to take your car
but you     won’t let her. If you can’t drive your car, you’re really screwed up. You need to be normal to be ok.

 You’ve thought you were ok a thousand times, but you never are. You don’t know if you ever can be. You’re
    not even sure if you want to be anymore. Ok seems like some far away dream. You don’t remember it and
you don’t know what it looks like. So you wait and see, and maybe someday you’ll understand it again.

title: The Man in the Suit

question: Did the main character try to kill herself?

answer: It is implied that she did.

question: Are the suited man and his dark doppelganger the main character's demons?

answer: Not necessarily demons but depictions of the voices in her head.

question: Why is her family upset with her?

answer: Information not found.

question: Why is the main character not ok?

answer: Information not found.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The main character tried to kill herself in her car but was stopped by a voice in her head. Her upset mom and brother call her and ask for the car back.


text:
A TEAM OF STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN TESTING WHAT THEY HOPE WILL BE THE FASTEST MAN POWERED BIKE ON THE PLANET - USING 30 VOLUNTEERS TO FIND THE PERFECT PILOT.

The team of engineers hope to beat the current speed record for a human-powered vehicle which currently stands at 83.13mph. The team hope to beat this by as much as 7 per cent.

Patrick Harper, lead ergonomics engineer and commercial manager of the University of Liverpool’s Velocipede Team (ULV), told the Liverpool Echo: “We’re looking for our engine, someone who can power our machine.

“Ideally it would be someone with a small body and powerful legs, but finding someone like that is very difficult.

“We’ll be taking measurements of them all, making sure of their height and the width of their hips and their shoulders because we will be tailoring the bike around them.”

The testing regime for the volunteers includes a Peak Power test, followed by a Wingate test and then a Ramp test, in which the exercise bike’s resistance is increased across a 15-20 minute period.

One or two riders will be chosen from a shortlist to accompany the bike to the World Human Power Speed Challenge (WHPSC) in Battle Mountain, Nevada in September 2015.

Patrick added: “It’s brilliant, we all love it. A couple of us worked flat out through the summer just to keep the project going because we are so passionate about it.

“We knew we would have to do that work to make sure we get there in September.”

If the eight engineering students succeed, they’ll bring the record to the UK for the first time. The current record was set in September last year by a team of students from the Delft University of Technology and VU University of Amsterdam.

“This is the first time that the University of Liverpool have attempted this exciting project and the team and I have been overwhelmed by the positive response we have received at this early stage of our journey,” said team leader Ben Hogan.

“We are extremely excited about attending the 2015 event and having the opportunity to showcase the UK’s innovation for sustainable transport on an international stage.”

ULVTeam say that the rider will be lying in a recumbent position just five inches from the ground inside a carbon-fibre shell, and will need to generate over 700 watts of power. They have partnered with Far-UK Composites, a Nottingham-based company that specialises in lightweight structural composite components, for the project.

The unusual shape that completely encloses the vehicle’s framework is, of course, designed with aerodynamics in mind. The team aren’t yet saying whether the rider will be using a windscreen or relying on a camera to see out of the shell.

Last month we reported how Scottish cycling legend Graeme Obree is working on a new version of Beastie, the bike he used for his human powered vehicle speed record attempt last September – but it will be his son, Jamie, who aims to ride it in Nevada next year and beat the prone world record of 56.62mph his father set.

Jamie went to Battle Mountain for the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA) World Human Powered Speed Challenge last year, and was hoping to have a crack himself on Beastie – but his father said the bike, in which he faced forward, lying on his chest, was not stable enough, reports The Herald.

Now Obree is working on a new version of the self-built bike and hopes that his 20-year-old son, who is studying to be either a nurse or paramedic, can take his record from him.

question: What does the text say about human-powered vehicles?

answer: According to the text, the team of engineers hopes to beat the current speed record for a human-powered vehicle which currently stands at 83.13mp. The team hopes to beat this by 7%.

question: What does the text say about the testing process?

answer: According to the text, the testing regime includes a Peak Power test followed by a Wingate test and then a Ramp test.

question: What does the text say about general testing procedures?

question: What does the text say about Graeme Obree?

answer: The article reported how Graeme Obree is working on a new version of a bike he used for his human-powered vehicle speed record attempt last September. His son, Jamie, aims to ride it in Nevada next year.


text:
Chat Transcript 09/17/2012
---

G: Hey there!

R: Hi, What's up?

G: Marry me?

R: nope

G: :-(

R: Are you gonna do that every time we talk?

G: of course!

R: ha

R: you're funny

G: ...and cute

G: ...and a good cook

R: yes

G: and quite romantic

G: and a good dad

G: and sexy... did I forget sexy?

G: and I have a nice voice

R: Don't forget how modest you are

G: Oh!  I forgot that one!  I'm the most modest man on earth!

R: that's right!

G: I'm so humble that they tried to crown me king of humility

G: ...only...

G: I was too humble to accept

R: haha!

G: See! I make you laugh!

R: Quite a lot right now, actually :-)

G: Think about it... a life with me would be full of laughter and romance and good food!

R: Are you trying to romance me with this?

G: Hmm, I don't know... is it working?

R: ...

R: I'm starting to think you have a quota to fill.. that you must propose to me at least once every single day

R: you seem to be doing that

G: Well, if you ever say yes, imagine how romantic it would be to tell our children:

G: "He proposed to me every day for 2 years, until I finally said yes, on Sept 17th, 2012!"

R: lol, you wish!

G: *obviously!*

G: The kids will say, "why did you keep asking, Daddy?"

G: And I'll say, "Because, once you meet an angel, you'd be a fool to not do everything on your power to win her heart'

G: Then they'll say, "why did you say yes, mommy?"

R: and just what will I say, in this hypothetical future?

G: You'll say, "I said yes because he told us about this day, with my perfect children and my handsome, romantic husband.  And I knew that was the future I wanted, and now it's come true, more perfect than I could ever imagine."

G: And then I'll kiss you deeply

G: And our children will say "ewww"

G: And it will still be romantic as always

G: Then we'll tuck them in together, and go out to our porch with a glass of wine and watch the stars, wrapped in eachother's arms

R: aww

R: ok, that was seriously cute

G: :-)

R: We also have to put Nanny back in the dog house

R: and make sure the windows are closed.

R: Then it'll be a good night

G: Lol... of course

G: ...

G: Tell the truth, you liked that one even better than my sunset-horseback-picnic-proposal scenario from last week.

R: Oh come on, if I told you you'd never come out of the clouds

G: you have to tell!  For Science!

R: nope

R: A girl's gotta keep some secrets

G: Well, it seemed like a perfect future to me :-)

R: You'll just never know :-)

G: I don't know about that, maybe one day you'll say yes

G: and I'll get to live it :-)

R: Perhaps

R: Ask me again tomorrow ;-)

G: of course!

title: A Modest Proposal

question: Who is the dialogue between?

answer: "G" and "R"

question: What do the characters chat about?

answer: They sarcastically chat about scenarios where they would be married to each other in the future.

question: What is the relation between the characters?

answer: This information is not found.

question: Who is proposing to get married?

answer: "G" frequently proposes marriage to "R".

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The text is a chat transcript dialogue between "G" and "R", dated 9/17/2012. "G" jokingly proposes matrimony to "R" and says he would propose everyday if he needs to. The pair flirt with each other via chat and "G" sarcastically claims to be modest and humble. However, "G" is portrays himself as conceited and full of himself. They continue chatting about scenarios where they are married to each other in the future.


text:
_This article appears in the current issue of Solidarity and is a response to this article by Camilla Bassi._

CAMILLA BASSI’S “BASIC SOCIALIST DEMANDS” REGARDING MALE CIRCUMCISION HAVE NO FOUNDATION IN MARXIST TRADITION, GIVE LEGITIMACY TO RACIST AND ANTI-SEMITIC ARGUMENTS, AND ARE WRONG.

Bassi admits to learning only recently about the calls for a ban on male circumcision from an article by Frank Furedi. Furedi refers to a debate in the Nordic countries and Solidarity chose to headline the article with a reference to the “Scandinavian debate”.

This softens the blow, because Scandinavians, after all, are modern, progressive people. Though there’s been a rise in the far Right in some Nordic countries, it’s not like the “ban circumcision” stuff started in Germany. I mean, that would have more than a whiff of anti-Semitism.

But the debate did start in Germany. Not in Scandinavia.

In June 2012 a German court banned male circumcision, and though the court decision was eventually overturned, it made headlines at the time.

Not only did Jewish and Muslim leaders across Europe condemn that ban, but they were joined (according to a piece in the Guardian) by women’s leaders. They opposed the linking of male circumcision to female genital mutilation, which is already banned in some European countries.

The campaigns across Europe for a ban on circumcision are closely linked to calls for a ban on Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter, which are seen by some as being cruel to animals.

These campaigns, like the calls for a ban on the building of minarets, are rightly seen by Jews and Muslims as racist attacks on their communities.

The one positive thing about these attacks is that in some places, including the UK, they have led to rare displays of unity between Jews and Muslims. (Just Google the phrase “Jews and Muslims unite”.)

Bassi writes that the correct socialist position would place the Left in opposition to those communities.

She calls for “the right of children to bodily integrity; the right of children to the sexual autonomy of their adult life; non-therapeutic, ritual circumcision only be carried out when the person to be circumcised is mature, informed, and able to consent to the procedure.”

Almost as an afterthought, she adds opposition to racism, support for socialism, whatever.

Using the same reasoning, why not also support the ban on kosher and halal slaughter? After all, socialists like all right-thinking people oppose cruelty to animals, right?

And while we’re busy banning these things, why not close down all faith schools, because after all, they’re not teaching children what we’d like them to be taught, and they’re forcing children to accept their parents’ religion? Shouldn’t that decision be reserved for adults who are “mature, informed and able to consent”?

These views – banning male circumcision, banning ritual slaughter of animals, closing down faith schools and so on – have nothing to do with socialist views.

Socialists have always defined religion as a private matter. Socialists defend the freedom of religion, and of course the right of people to have no religion.

But that’s all on the level of theory.

IN PRACTICE, THE EUROPEAN FAR RIGHT IS ON THE UPSWING, AND JEWISH AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES FEEL THREATENED WITH A NEW WAVE OF ANTI-SEMITISM AND RACISM. IS THIS REALLY A GOOD TIME TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE JEWISH AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES OF EUROPE?

THE TASK OF SOCIALISTS IN A DEBATE LIKE THIS ONE IS CLEAR: DEFEND RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC MINORITIES FROM RACIST ATTACK, AND FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM AND ISLAMOPHOBIA ACROSS EUROPE.

question: What is the point of the article?

answer: The writer is calling out something written by Camilla Bassi regarding male circumcision -but the article eventually moves on to make an argument about the role of socialists in defending minorities.

question: What is the writer of the article aiming for?

answer: Apparently, for those who are socialist (or seem themselves as such), to be aware of the full context of issues (such as male circumcision) in order to be able to make decisions that are well informed and would allow them to fulfill their role in defending minorities from attack (or preventing attacks in the first place)

question: What is wrong with what Bassi wrote?

answer: She calls for a ban on male circumcision. The writer states that this is a form of religious suppression.

question: How does the writer think a socialist viewpoint should be?

answer: The writer states that socialists should consider religion as a private matter for individuals. The only thing socialists should do about it is to protect the choice of people to have a religion or not.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The prevention of various religious practices can be perceived as an attack on a person's faith/religious beliefs. As such, when the far right's actions should be examined carefully. This is how socialists can help protect religious minorities across Europe.