text:
ANDREAS LEONHARDT (19 April 1800, Asch, Bohemia (now Aš, Czech Republic) – 3 October 1866, Vienna, Austro-Hungarian Empire) was an Austrian musician, composer and conductor. He was instrumental in the reorganization of the military music system in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Life

Leonhardt was the son of a cloth merchant. After his musical education in Eger, he entered the chapel of the infantry regiment “Kaiser Alexander” in Vienna in 1818. In his spare time, he studied music. With the regiment he was transferred to Naples in 1820. There he also took lessons with Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli, director of the Conservatory and conductor at the Naples Cathedral.

When the regiment was transferred to Prague, he remained a member of regimental music and studied composition with Václav Tomášek. He successfully applied for the approved position of the Regiment Kapellmeister at the time of the 27th Infantry Regiment, which was transferred to Bologna in 1829. With the 27th Infantry Regiment, he returned to Graz in 1835, where he left the army and took over as the director of the music association for Styria. When he was offered the task of the Austro-Hungarian army chaplain in 1850, he went to Vienna and earned his services in the reorganization of the Military Music System and the founding of the Military Kapellmeister-Pensionsverein. He also composed works for symphony orchestras and military music.

His son was (1838–1891), Secretary General of Austria's central bank Oesterreichische Nationalbank.

Marches

-   Alexander-Marsch, 1853, bearb. von Deisenroth u. a., Bote & Bock 1970.
-   Kronprinz Rudolf–Marsch
-   Prinz-Eugen-Marsch, bearb. S. Somma, Helbling 1975

Literature

-   _Historische Märsche und sonstige Compositionen für das kaiserliche und königliche Heer_. Wien 1895.
-   -   Werner, Probst: _Armeekapellmeister Andreas Leonhard. Sein Wirken und Umfeld_. In: _Mit klingendem Spiel_ 18, März 1995, Nr. 1, S. 12–20

title: Andreas Leonhardt

question: What kind of career did Andreas Leonhardt have?

answer: Andreas had a career in classical music. He was a musician, composer, and a conductor as well. His contributions in the reorganization of the military music system is said to be instrumental.

question: How did Andreas get started with music?

answer: Born a son of a cloth merchant, Andreas got his education in music at Eger. After that, he continued leaning about music during his spare time during his enlistment with the military. When his regment was transferred to Naples, he took lessons with the director of the Conservatory of the Naples Cathedral.

question: How did he contribute to the Military Music System?

answer: In 1850, after becoming the army's chaplain, he went to Vienna and helped reoganize the system as well as helped with the founding of the Military Kapellmeister-Pensionsverein.

question: How old was Andreas when he died?

answer: Andreas was approximately 66 years old when he died.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Andreas Leonhardt was a musician, composer, and a conductor who reorganized of the military music system and helped with the founding of the Military Kapellmeister-Pensionsverein.


split: train

text:
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Getty Images

Heading into the playoffs, almost everyone thought the Packers were the best team in the NFL. But the Giants beat the Packers in the divisional round, and Packers receiver Greg Jennings thinks that one game wipes out the 15 the Packers won during the regular season.

Jennings said on NFL Network that when he looks back on the loss to the Giants, he thinks that the Packers didn’t play the way they’re capable of playing. But he ultimately has to accept that the Giants were the better team.

“It hurts. It was a disappointing end to the season,” Jennings said. “But obviously, we lost to a better team at that point. We didn’t play up to our standard, but I can’t knock what the Giants did. They came in our house, beat us on our turf, got it done.”

Asked if he’s over the loss, Jennings said, “Over it. Got to be. Have to be. It’s done.”

Jennings is right that the Packers have to get over it. But that was a tough loss to get over, because while the Giants were the better team on the field that day, the Packers had every reason to think heading into that game that they were the best team in the NFL.

question: Who did everyone think was the best team?

answer: The Packers.

question: Who beat them?

answer: The Giants.

question: Who is the Packers receiver interviewed in this article?

answer: Greg Jennings.

question: What did he have to say?

answer: They lost to the better team, and he's over it.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Despite the consensus that the Packers would make it all the way, they were beaten by the Giants. Packers receiver Greg Jennings concedes that the better team won, and says that he's gotten over the loss.


text: The boy walked slowly,alone, one mile then two. After awhile he noticed someone was behind him, however they did not speak and continued together. Soon more and more began to follow the boy. They walked in unison a common path towards an unknown end. The boy led them through the treacherous path and through the easy. Some left him but most stayed on the common path to an unknown end. His path was wide that led through many routes with only one exit. Many passed on searching for the unknown end to the common path. However, the boy continued on. As time passed the followers began to forget why they followed and began to search for an exit from the common path to an unknown end. The followers were lost, now many exits existed that led back to the common path to an unknown end. The true exit was hidden masked by the boy. He loved his followers and he loved the path he had created. There is no exit from the common path to your unknown end. So lets take a trip just follow me.

title: Common path little story nbd

question: Where is the boy walking to?

answer: Walking towards an unknown end.

question: How old is the boy?

answer: His age is unknown

question: Who is following the boy?

answer: Unknown followers followed the boy

question: Why was the boy being followed?

answer: The followers began to forget why they followed.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The boy walks down a path for a couple miles towards an unknown end and is followed by unknown followers.


text:
Media Contact: Beth McGroarty
[email protected] • +1.213.300.0107

_CALL TO ACTION TO ERADICATE CHRONIC, PREVENTABLE DISEASE UNITES HEALTH AND WELLNESS INDUSTRIES; WELLNESS MOONSHOT GAINED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS LEADERS, INCLUDING DR. RICHARD H. CARMONA, 17TH SURGEON GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES_

PALM BEACH, FL – OCTOBER 9, 2017 – Lifestyle related diseases and the continuously skyrocketing cost of healthcare are creating a global crisis that is affecting us both physically and mentally. The stark reality is that roughly 70% of all deaths each year are a result of preventable diseases (CDC), while the global cost of largely preventable chronic disease could reach $47 trillion by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum.

On the opening day of the 2017 Global Wellness Summit, health and wellness leaders united behind the first global commitment to achieve a world free of preventable disease, a moonshot that is arguably as urgent as it is massive in scope.

“The time has come to pool our resources—knowledge, access, funding—and use our collective megaphone on the world stage to work towards achieving a world free of preventable disease,” said Susie Ellis, Chairman and CEO of the non-profit Global Wellness Institute (GWI). “Unlike President Kennedy’s famous moonshot to send a man to the moon, where it was clear when the ‘mission was accomplished’ – this moonshot will require not one, but many incremental steps forward for humankind.”

Ellis was joined by Dr. Richard H. Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States and current Chief of Health Innovation, Canyon Ranch, in announcing the Wellness Moonshot, which received an enthusiastic response from the 600+ delegates, representing health and wellness across a sea of sectors including fitness, mental wellness and mind-body, nutrition, workplace wellness, technology, complementary medicine, integrative medicine, architecture and real estate, and spa and tourism.

“The world is increasingly plagued by largely preventable chronic diseases, and the crippling economic burden that comes with them. This call to action is absolutely critical, refocusing on humankind’s most pressing need,” said Dr. Carmona. “The Global Wellness Institute is the right organization to launch this moonshot, as it can only be achieved with high-level collaboration in the many health and wellness sectors.”

Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, Professor of Surgery, Columbia University, and host of _The Dr. Oz Show,_ reminded delegates, “We have to be brave enough to take on this moonshot – we need to really accelerate (the focus on prevention).” And Dr. Dean Ornish, Founder and President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute, said, “I salute this moonshot and project. It is a much needed, organized way to create transformation…it’s the right idea at the right time.”

As an umbrella organization that brings together often siloed forces and sectors all working to build a healthier world, the GWI will bring the issue of preventable disease to the forefront in its research and education efforts and commitment to forge even more collaborations to create new paths for action. The organization’s initial focus will be on information campaigns to bring global attention to the Wellness Moonshot: from which prevention initiatives are most needed, and where – to educating the world about high-impact global projects that are tackling preventable disease, to drive new interest and resources to them. In addition, Ellis noted that GWI would catalyze stakeholders from both the private and public sectors to coordinate, collaborate and commit to the Wellness Moonshot.

For more information, contact Beth McGroarty: [email protected] or (+1) 213-300-0107.

ABOUT THE GLOBAL WELLNESS INSTITUTE: The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a non-profit 501(c)(3), is considered the leading global research and educational resource for the global wellness industry, and is known for introducing major industry initiatives and regional events that bring together leaders to chart the future. GWI positively impacts global health and wellness by advocating for both public institutions and businesses that are working to help prevent disease, reduce stress, and enhance overall quality of life. Its mission is to empower wellness worldwide. www.globalwellnessinstitute.org

question: What does the text say about how one becomes a Surgeon General in the United States?

question: What does the text say about chronic and preventable diseases?

answer: According to the CDC, 70% of all deaths each year are a result of preventable diseases. The World Economic Forum adds that the global cost of preventable chronic disease could reach $47 trillion by 2030. There is a global crisis affecting people mentally and physically due to lifestyle-related diseases and skyrocketing costs of healthcare. Health and wellness leaders united behind the first global commitment to achieve a world free of preventable disease during the opening day of the 2017 Global Wellness Summit. The wellness pledge is a moonshot as it is massive in scope and equally as urgent.

question: What does the text say about the Global Wellness Institute?

answer: The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) is a non-profit umbrella organization that brings together forces and sectors all working to build a healthier world. The GWI brings the issue of preventable diseases to the forefront in its research and education efforts and commitment to forge even more collaborations to create new paths for action. The organization's initial focus will be on information campaigns to bring global attention to the Wellness Moonshot.

question: What does the text say about the Wellness Moonshot?

answer: The Wellness Moonshot is the first global initiative by health and wellness leaders to rid the world of preventable diseases. The commitment pools all resources (funding, knowledge, access) and collectively broadcasts this message on the world stage to work towards achieving a world free of diseases that can otherwise be easily prevented. The Wellness Moonshot is a call to action that aims to refocus attention to chronic preventable diseases.


text:
As the winter months are drawing in and the nights are getting longer, making the home feel cosy is almost a necessity as many people go into a form of hibernation mode until spring – with the except of the January sales perhaps. Leaving work in blustering winds, your mind will almost certainly be focused on getting back to your warm home.

Before the festive season starts in earnest and the weather closes in, give your little haven a bit more attention it deserves. Perhaps add a bit of seasonal colouring to your soft furnishings, or consider going for some more interesting lighting – even something as small as changing a lampshade can dramatically improve the atmosphere of a room.

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 LIGHTEN UP YOUR HOME

 During darker evenings, avoid any gloominess and lighten up your home with some attractive lighting – especially in rooms where you spend most of your time, like the bedroom or living room. This are where you spend most of your time in an evening, and it is important that the atmosphere you create is both relaxing and soothing.

The key to making a bedroom feel warm and cosy for the winter is to use moody low lighting and not too bright. Achieve a good level of visibility in the room, not too much for it to dazzle but perhaps use spot lights or bedside table lamps for those who enjoy a bit of bedtime reading. Find the ideal fixture at Homebase which provides sufficient light with minimal glare.

TABLE LAMPS

 The type of lampshade you choose affect the distribution of light throughout the room, but to create a gentler atmosphere you can also choose a unit which takes a low wattage bulb.

These don’t have to take on the traditional shape and style of conventional lamps but can be purchased in more striking options. A particular favourite are the Habitat Fitz range of table lamps which are available in bold colours such as cerise pink and interesting cylindrical or spherical shapes.
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These lighting units can also be moved easily, allowing you to adjust their position as necessary.

DECORATIVE LIGHTS

 Designers do go wild with lighting, and when it comes to decorative then you can be use you can have some fun – as it doesn’t serve a strictly practical purpose. There are plenty of interesting options for bedroom lighting at Homebase – all of which make interesting focal points for your bedroom.

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FAIRY LIGHTS: these are an easy way to bring cosiness and light into the room without being overpowering. Drape them delicately over the headboard of the bed or attached them as a focal point on plain wall to achieve maximum impact.

VARIABLE LIGHTING: varying the intensity of lights in your bedroom is a great way to change the ambiance. Dimmer switches are the easiest way to achieve this and can be fitted with relative ease.

 UNIQUE LAMPS: as stated above, table lamps don’t have to follow conventional designs. If you want a light which doubles as a focal point then opt for quirky and unique options – such as this bird cage table lamp.

When positioned correctly, these introduce subtle lighting to the room, changing the overall appearance and feel.

question: What is one way to make your bedroom feel warm and cozy?

answer: Use moody low lighting and not too bright.

question: What does your lampshade affect?

answer: The distribution of light throughout the room, but to create a general atmosphere you can also use a low wattage bulb.

question: What do fairy lights give you?

answer: An easy way to bring coziness to a room.

question: What is a good way to achieve variable lighting?

answer: Dimmer switches.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The article discusses how to make you habitat more cozy in winter months, and discusses these methods of lighting: table lamps, decorative lights, fairy lights, variable lighting, and unique lamps.


text:
Once upon a time, a train travelled through the snow-covered tracks of North Dakota.  Inside the train was a little too warm. Thankfully, there was a steady draft coming from some flaw in the train’s structure, and the draft was keeping Mr. McLeery’s legs cool.

Mr. McLeery had taken this train before, but never this far north. In the past, he had detrained at Lawsmith County, where he worked as a pinprick clerk for Industrial Recursions, LLD. But this morning, Mr. McLeery felt no compulsion to get off at Lawsmith. Instead, he remained on board to see just where this train goes. “It can’t go into Canada, can it?” he thought. But where is the last stop? And will any other passengers still be aboard at that point?

The train chugged along. It didn’t seem to be in a hurry. The scenery was pretty drab – white, grey and then white again. Until the brown dot. The brown dot ahead took a long time to grow into the shape of a building. Mr. McLeery attributed this to the otherwise vacant landscape, allowing him to see for miles across the snowy plains.

But there it was, a building. And soon enough, the train’s breaks slowly screeched, and a slightly mechanized voice announced the “last stop, Downey’s Creek.” Mr. McLeery looked about the train car. There were no other passengers, and no train personnel. And so, he gathered up his briefcase and his down jacket, and Mr. McLeery detrained.

The first, obvious sign of incongruity was the lack of a creek at Downey’s Creek. The second sign was the complete absence of life, other than his own, as the train pulled out of the station. The doors of the old, wooden, brown train station were unlocked, but no one was inside. There were no roads that Mr. McLeery could see that approached the station.

The train took a few minutes to maneuver around the tracks and to retreat southward. Then, Mr. McLeery was alone.

“Perhaps this was a mistake,” thought Mr. McLeery. But he was keenly aware of the fact that he didn’t much feel concerned about his precarious situation. How long until another train arrived? Where would he get food? Would he have to spend the night? And where? Plus, he was fairly certain that his cell phone would not work out here. After all, it barely worked back in Lawsmith. But none of this worried Mr. McLeery, as he stepped off the platform and began trudging in a random direction, through the snow.

The snow was about a foot deep, and made loud, crunchy noises as he stepped. They were the only noises, other than his own breathing, that Mr. McLeery could hear. After 20 minutes of walking, Mr. McLeery looked back. The brown station was small. After another 20 minutes, he looked back again. Now the station was just a brown dot. In another 20 minutes, his right ankle becoming a little sore, Mr. McLeery looked back again, and this time saw nothing but snow. He stopped to enjoy the sensation of being in the center of a sea of snow – no trees, no houses, no people, no animals. Not even any birds. Just Mr. McLeery, holding his briefcase, surrounded by an empty, white plain.

Uncertain which direction to continue, Mr. McLeery remained still, waiting for something to happen. As the afternoon turned to evening, the temperature dropped, and Mr. McLeery closed his eyes to the burning cold. He began to freeze. Sitting down was no longer an option, as his legs would refuse to bend. As Mr. McLeery died, his focus turned deeply inward.  He was completely unaware of the snow and the cold and even of his dying body. Mr. McLeery’s attention was consumed by an image. An image of great meaning. And he was becoming part of that meaning, and had always been a part.

Mr. McLeery’s body was a frozen shell – a man, standing in a snowy, white pain, holding a briefcase. To an observer, he would have appeared like a wildly out of place statue commemorating normalcy; the normal as abnormal. But there was no observer, and there was no Mr. McLeery.

[For more stories & wordplay, visit me at www.daisybrain.com]

title: Mr. McLeery

question: Who are the main characters?

answer: Mr. McLeery

question: Describe Mr. McLeery.

answer: Mr. McLeery is a professional man who works as a clerk for Industrial Recursions, LLD. He has a daily routine, and this story is about a rare instance of spontaneity.

question: Why does McLeery detrain at Lawsmith County?

answer: He usually gets off the train at Lawsmith County because that's where his workplace is located, but today he decides to stay on the train to see where it goes.

question: Where is the story set?

answer: North Dakota, USA.

question: How long does McLeery spend walking?

answer: He walks 40 minutes from the station.

question: How does McLeery die?

answer: He dies of hypothermia, freezing in the snow.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Mr. McLeery is a professional man who breaks his routine one day by not getting off the train at his usual station, instead staying aboard. At the end of the line, he finds himself alone in an unpopulated area, freezing to death in the snow like a strange statue.


text:
I don’t know what it is about the rain. It is so hard to pin point what emotion exactly that I tie to it. They say that when it rains, it is actually God’s tears falling down from heaven: a remembrance of the destruction that fell down in the time of Noah and his great arc. His tears fall on the planet to wash away the sin, the pain, and the grievances of the past. Wash them away and bring about new life, a fresh start…

But what have ‘they’ ever really known.

I just like the rain is all: its sound; its energy; its beauty. And it’s smell…

Again, I say with a slight chuckle, they say that it is a person’s sense of smell that has a way of triggering ones memory.

‘They’ say a lot of things. But I guess if you say enough, you’re bound to be right one of those times.

Thirty-six years of marriage… There was a lot of rain drops in those thirty-six years. Some of the happiest times in my life with him… and some of the darkest…

Thirty-six years of roses.
Thirty-six years of sunsets and sunrises.
Thirty-six years of puddles and rainbows.
Thirty-six years of lies, secrets, and affairs…

It was raining so hard the first day we met. We were just kids then, it was so long ago. It was impossible to think that back then he’d change my life for as long as he did.

I’ll never forget…

Out of the blue one day he asked me in class to go to the park with him. He said with that stupid grin on his face, the one were his eyes smile just as wide as he does. We walked out, following the path. Awkwardly poking around at conversation, neither of us knowing quite what to say to the other. Neither of us was ever any good at small talk. He grabbed my hand, and nearly pulled my arm off as he shifted direction off the path. We stumbled through the brush and into a small clearing, a meadow. We just stood there staring at each other. Every time I tried to ask what he was doing or planning he just smiled and pressed his hand gently to my lips to get me to stop talking. Finally he let out a big sigh, leaned back and breathed deep through his nose. Seconds later the skies opened up and it just started pouring buckets. I shrieked and he just laughed that careless stupid chuckle of his…

Years later, some stupid fight or another that we had, and I was storming out of his house. Stomping my feet hard in the mud of his dirt driveway. So furious and so angry that I didn’t even notice it was raining. So irate that those drops of water had to be turning into steam as they hit. I made it half way down the driveway before I turned around to see if that stupid jerk even cared. He stood there, just off his porch with his arms tilted back, face to the sky… Just letting the rain hit him in the face. Couldn’t tell anymore if there were tears in his eyes or just rain drops. Just stood there, face contorted as if someone had stabbed him, letting the rain try to just wash it all away. Damn fool was going to catch cold and get sick. But there was no way I was going to let him win. No way I was walking back to him, not this time… I was so sure of myself then and there… But I am a sucker for his smile…

Our wedding day. I was so nervous, so worried. ‘They’ say that true love lasts forever, but, like I said, I never trusted ‘them’. What if it wasn’t true love? What if it was just him and me being stupid, and young… I was so worried, so full of doubts I never even made it to the church. He found me about 10 minutes after the wedding was spose to have started. I was just standing there, in my dress, in our meadow. He knew exactly where to look. Rain had already blown in from the south-east. ‘They’ say that’s bad luck on your wedding day… but what have ‘they’ ever known…

Three years later, we were walking. He was going on and on about work. I was so sad but so happy at the same time. We’d turned into ‘that’ couple. Just existing in each other’s lives without really existing for each other anymore. But that was going to change… things were going to be so wonderful again… I reached over and grabbed his hand. I had to tell him. I stopped walking and nearly pulled his arm off to get him to take notice… It just started to rain and I finally spit it out. “I am pregnant.” Panic, fear, anger, confusion, and tears. His face changed so many different emotions and colors before he just smiled that big dopey smile of his. He tilted his head back and just screamed for joy and let the rain wash away his tears and his scared emotions. We were going to be a family…

I slammed the door shut on the taxi. Told the driver to take me home, away from the hotel. He wouldn’t have to know. He wouldn’t ever find out about Patrick. Why would he need to know? I mean, he wouldn’t understand how it kills me each night to go home and sit by him in silence. He didn’t look at me anymore. We didn’t speak. Just awkwardly poked around at conversation. We were never good at small talk… I had to reassure the taxi driver that it was ok to let me out at the top of the road. Even he was worried about me being out this late in the middle of a storm… I just walked down our road to our driveway. Walked in the rain letting it wash the anger and heart ache from me. But I didn’t expect to see our porch light on. I didn’t expect to see him standing there holding our little Katie… My God what have we become…

This was it, I said to myself. Screaming angry, violent… I threw the whole damn dresser drawer out the window. The bastard. That stupid bastard. Him and that stupid whore of his. Veronica! I spat as I said her name. The stupid bastard… He stood there shouting back up at the bedroom. Stood there in the rain… That damn bastard! His shirts and ties fell to the ground like confetti. It was so over… but, I am always a sucker for his smile…

The wind picked up and sent the rain crashing into the hospital window. The doctor said it was cancer. Said it was terminal. This time, he said, it was time to say good bye. My God, I don’t wanna leave him… I held his hand. Told him it would be ok. I couldn’t stop crying. He laughed his stupid dopey laugh and said that wasn’t very reassuring. Tears streaming down his face and he smiled that stupid little smile of his. The one were even his eyes smile. “I love you.” He said. “I am so sorry…” I said. I just held his hand as he left…

Thirty-six years of roses.
Thirty-six years of sunsets and sunrises.
Thirty-six years of puddles and rainbows.
Thirty-six years of lies, secrets, and affairs…
Thirty-six years of being together.
Thirty-six years of love, hate, and everything in-between.
Thirty-six years of family.

Thirty-six years of rain drops…

‘They’ said it wouldn’t last. ‘They’ said we wouldn’t make it work. And despite everything we did to each other to make it fail… here we were… thirty-six years later…

title: Her Story

question: Who is Veronica?

answer: the narrator's husband's mistress

question: Who is Patrick?

answer: a man with whom the narrator is having an extramarital affair

question: Who gets cancer?

answer: the narrator's husband

question: Who is Katie?

answer: the narrator's daughter

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator's husband, to whom she has been married for thirty-six years, is diagnosed with terminal cancer. The narrator reflects on their lives together.


text:
He walked like a man who had conquered every challenge he had ever faced. His large shiny forehead, a bulwark against those foolish enough to oppose him, glistened in the sun. His sat down at the table across from me. This guy certainly didn’t dress like I imagined most men of his trade would dress. His red leather jacket was hardly inconspicuous and his flashy black sunglasses looked expensive. This is a man that is so good at what he does he doesn’t have to blend in.

“Hello Mr. Smith. How are you?” I posited.
“I don’t have time for that shit.” he puffed back.
“I’m sorry I don’t do this kind of a thing very often, you are the first guy we have had to hire”
“The target is Martin Pierce Lepnick, is that correct?”
 “Yes.”
I have seen this exact scene play out in movies a million times and in the movies it looks cool, but I can’t help but feel like a complete dipshit. This whole thing is dumb.
…

Six days ago my boss the fucking president of the United States of America called me into his oval shaped office.
He said, “William I need you take have someone taken care of for me”.
I tell him “I’m sorry Mr. President I don’t understand. Like you want me to make sure they are taken care of? Do I need to have Sandra check the Lincoln Bedroom’s availability this month because I think you already have it booked till next Spring”.
“Fuck Lincoln and his shill of a bedroom! I need someone whacked!”
“This sounds like something you might want to talk to Director Schiller about. I can get him on the line…”
“Fuck that fat fuck Schiller! I want you to handle this.”
“Sir, that’s really not my specialty. I don’t think it’s even appropriate for me to hear about matters of national security”
The President gets up from his sofa and walks right up to me. I can smell the whiskey emanating from the large flapping orifice that resides above his presidential chin.
“This has nothing to do with national security” He pulls out one of his flasks from his suit pocket and dumps the contents into his mouth.
“William do I need to have something happen to you to? That would be a shame.”
“Sorry Mr. President”
“I’m sure you’d like to bang that blonde girlfriend of yours a few more times, wouldn’t you William? I know I would”
“What would you like me to do Mr. President?”
“I need you to set up a meeting with my guy. Sean Smith”
…
Sean let out an annoyed sigh.  He repeated “Martin Piece Lepnick?” “I just want to confirm that I am being set up by the president of the United States before I stage my coup and hang our beloved commander and chief in the streets”
“Wait WHAT?”
“Shut your fucking cock mouth up for a moment and listen” “Lepnick is the guy who books whores for Republican Congressman.” “When a newly elected guy arrives in D.C. they send their finest whore to fuck him. Sure she will pretend to be some unwitting intern or a slutty secretary but they paid to ensure they fuck the new guy” “Then they have blackmail to call in when they need it.” “It’s an effective system to control your lackies and the President has a lot of lackies to control, that’s where Martin comes in” “Mr. Lepnick finds the right girl for each job. He also makes sure to dispose of the girl once they are done to keep things quiet. He is the only other guy that knows about this whole shitshow.”
“Well that sounds awful, but I don’t understand. How exactly is he setting you up?”
“Because last week they found one of Lepnicks botched disposal jobs floating in the Patomic. They have called him in for questioning and the jig is up. He probably wants to cut a deal.”
“That makes a kind of perverted sense though. How is he betraying you?”

title: Eagle Vs Potus

question: Who is the main character?

answer: William, assistant to the President of the United States.

question: What does the President order William to do?

answer: He orders him to get rid of the man responsible for booking whores, Martin Lepnick.

question: Who is Sean Smith?

answer: Sean Smith is the guy William consults to do the job of making Martin Lepnick disappear.

question: What is Sean Smith's reaction to the request?

answer: He is annoyed and cannot believe the request.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer:
William is threatened by the President of the United States, his boss,  to "take care" of Martin Lepnick; or to make him disappear.
Mr. Lepnick is the one in charge of booking whores to sleep with newly elected Republican Congressmen. However they recently found one of his jobs floating in the Potomac River.
William consults Sean Smith to do the job but he cannot believe the request he has just received.


text:
This one was for an assignment. Kinda long, but I think it's worth it. Have fun :)

Mr. Joseph’s Suit

Thomas Joseph lived in a small farming town. He knew all of his neighbors and half of them were his relatives. He lived in a house that was surrounded by trees and had an old wood barn in the back. He didn’t have the biggest house in the town and hardly anyone paid attention to him and the property he inherited from his long passed relatives.

Thomas went into town and bought paint to paint his house. He thought that if there was a change to the way it looked, attention would be drawn to him and how great it looked. He might event get questions like “Wow, I love the new color of your house!” or “I can’t imagine the hard work you’ve put into it”. If people recognized him then everyone would like him. Thomas not only bought paint for his house, but also for his shed in the back. He painted them both yellow because he couldn’t think of a color that would attract more attention than something as bright and glamorous.

Thomas spent many days painting his house. He didn’t ask for any help from his friends and neighbors because he thought that if he got it done all by himself then it would make it look like he worked harder on it, and did a better job.

In truth, the paint he gave his house attracted no attention whatsoever. Thomas went through the town, talking to all the people he saw. He made small talk, expecting someone to comment on his house without him telling them. When he finally got annoyed with the lack of responses, he said “I got a new color on my house. Did you see it yet?” However, no one really cared about his house. They didn’t even know he painted it or that anything new had even happened to it.

When Mr. Joseph got home, he tapped his foot with annoyance. He sat in his chair with the smell of paint fumes still floating around in the air, reminding him of his unsuccessful campaign for attention. He would have to try harder to get the results he was looking for.
That same evening, Mr. Joseph went down to the local tailor to get a suit fitted for him. Changing something about his appearance would make the townspeople think highly of him. He bought the fanciest suit he could afford, and it was all white; more noticeable for the eyes. He picked out new cuff links from the jewelry store that were made out of mother of pearl. When the tailor measured his arms and legs for fitting and told him it would be ready to pick up the next Wednesday.

When he returned to his house, he had buzzing thoughts floating around in his head about how popular the suit would make him. Would the tailor tell people about it? Perhaps they too would have a growing anticipation to see Mr. Joseph in his new white suit. He forgot to tell the tailor how many buttons to put on it, and what kind. If she put black buttons on his white suit, the effect would be diminished. If the tailor didn’t measure him correctly, the suit could be ruined and it would make him look trashy if it didn’t fit.
Throughout the week, as Mr. Joseph feared, no one questioned him about his visit to the Tailor. There wasn’t a word said about his new suit, except for the Tailor sending him a letter asking about how the pockets should be. Mr. Joseph was still upset but he was willing to wait.

When Wednesday came, Mr. Joseph dressed into his brand new suit and strutted around town. He wore his mother of pearl cuff links. All his buttons were shiny and white. The suit itself fit perfectly, but no one saw him. It was getting to be dark so not very many people were out at that time of day. Sadly, Mr. Joseph returned home.

But he wasn’t done yet. He had one thing in mind that would get him the attention of all of his friends and neighbors.

Mr. Joseph went into the barn, still wearing his suit, and set fire to all the things that would burn. The old hay ignited in almost an instant and flames were licking up the walls. A giant plume of smoke went into the air, and sure enough, neighbors started coming. His ego burned with anticipation.
Cars lined up all the way down the street of people who were curious about what was happening and willing to help. They saw Mr. Joseph in his new suit and the new paint on his house, but they also saw the blazing fire that was spreading to the trees that surrounded his house.

There was not much they could do to save his house. After the trees around his house caught fire, the flames engulfed his home. The townspeople could do no help, because buckets of water could not put out a fire as big as Mr. Joseph’s. The only thing Mr. Joseph had left was himself and his fancy suit, and that did not make the townspeople think highly of him.

TL;DR: Guy wants to impress everyone with his new suit. Ends up catching his house on fire.

title: I adapted this from a story my grandma told me. What do you think?

question: Describe Thomas Joesph.

answer: Mr. Joseph is the main character of the story. He lives in a small farming town, in an average house surrounded by trees. He wants people to notice him. He's prepared to do whatever it takes to get people to pay attention to him and anything he owns.

question: Why did he paint his house yellow?

answer: He wanted people's attention, but it didn't work and nobody cared.

question: What was the second act of desperate attention-seeking foolishness did Mr. Joseph do?

answer: He went to the tailor and had a custom-made, all-white suit with white buttons made, hoping people would ask the tailor about it and vice-versa. He also bought pearl cufflinks to go with the suit.

question: What was the third act of desperate attention-seeking foolishness did Mr. Joseph do?

answer: He set fire to his property, including the barn, the trees, and his house.

question: Write a ~9 sentence summary.

answer: Thomas Joesph lives in a small farming town where he knew all his neighbors and half of them were his relatives. No one really pays him any attention, and he desperately wants people to notice him. He decides to paint his house and barn yellow, so his neighbors would notice his house, but it doesn't work. Next, he tries to impress the townsfolk by having an all-white suit tailor-made. He struts into town, but it's dark and no one sees him. Annoyed, Mr. Joseph sets fire to his property, thinking that the fire would finally get him the attention he desperately seeks. It does, as his neighbors rush to his house to offer help. But they couldn't do anything as the fire was out of control. The only thing Mr. Joseph had left was his fancy suit, which annoyed the townspeople.


text:
Dear Employer;

In the interview for this position I said I didn’t care about money.  Money is not as important as experience and growth.  Gainful employment is nowhere near meaningful employment.  It is with this that after a lot of deliberation, counseling, youthful abandon and reveries of adventure I’ve decided to give my formal notification that I am resigning from {Company X} as a Software Analyst.  I am willing to work two business weeks further to help make sure everything is in order before I go.

For {Company X} I was willing to drink the punch.  I was willing to make sacrifices for the company.  The tasteless metaphor for cultic suicide pushed on us by leadership was something I was willing to look past.  Ultimately though, when it came down to it, punch was not served and for some reason I was left disappointed.  This company has made promises but has not delivered.  We’ve been led along with a carrot on a stick.  Whether through indirect lies surrounding corporate bonuses, lottery sized stock options or fantastical tropical holiday packages.  This is a prevalent theme throughout my entire time with company and it speaks directly to poor leadership.  Offer something real, something tangible and then show it don’t just talk about it.

In terms of our day to day with clients we’ve been far too reactionary and not responsive.  We’re less about providing something meaningful, something with real value and more about satisfying the noise.  The whole industry seems more about “flashy marketing facades of perceived value” than real value.  It with this that I came to the conclusion that our product isn’t {business solutions}.  Our product is sales.  This isn’t something I can get behind.  This isn’t something I can believe in.

Despite corporate folly and the disillusioning mantras I love the people I work with.  Each and everyone here is awesome and I’m lucky to have had an opportunity to work here.  My favorite time of year is during peer reviews.  Being able to write extensively about the strengths and the actions people here have made on the periphery to make a difference.  That being said, it really bothered me to see people not being recognized for the work they’re doing.  At one point our most talented and innovative junior programmer was relegated to creative arrest by corporate policy.  “That isn’t your job” and “You’re not even a real programmer” could be heard ringing through the halls.  A lack of insight let him go and now we’re stuck with dead code.  Incredible potential products left to rot essentially.  All his close friends here were left damaged at his mistreatment.  This is just one example but there are lots of others.  Considering work is a place to spend a third of each weekday.  Hours afterwards musing over at home.  Something that permeates my hopes and dreams.  I’d rather be somewhere other than here.  Anywhere else in fact.

If I can suggest anything to help this company it would be that every leader here spend a day or two working with client services taking tech support calls from the elderly, doing chat support for a group of brides to be, testing a survey with over a dozen pre-launch revisions, or try managing a project with one of {Sales Person #3547}'s clients (that’s a joke.. her clients are mostly alright).  See what we’re really providing our clients.

I still believe this company is awesome and has potential to do very well in the market.  For me personally I need to move onto other opportunities and adventures.  Feeling depressed and trapped is not something I'd wish on my worst enemy so I don't know why I willed it onto myself for so long.  Thank you so much for everything.

title: My Resignation Letter

question: What did the employee say about his interview with Company X?

answer: He reminded Company X of what he said when he was interviewing for his position.

question: What was the employee's main issue with Company X?

answer: The employee believes Company X lacks good leaders.

question: What did the employee say about Company X's treatment of customers?

answer: The employee believes the company is not offering the customers solutions or anything meaningful.

question: Name one positive thing the employee said about Company X?

answer: The employee said the employees are awesome and good at what they do.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer:
In his resignation letter, the employee opens up about his bad experiences while working for Company X.

The employee pointed out that the company's leadership is lacking. He or she accused the leadership of making promises and not delivering on them. The employee says the company does not care about the customer and has no problems selling them products without values.

The employee mentions that his time with other fellow workers has been great. He or she suggests that the leaders must spend time with staff and what they do on a daily basis.


text:
ADAMZAI is a village in Nowshera District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, located between Akora Khattak and Shaidu. Khan's living here belong to the khushal khan khattak lineage of the khattak tribe. The tomb of Great Afghan Warrior and pashto poet Khushal Khan Khattak is situated in the skirts of adamzai.

The British Company Pakistan Tobacco Company is situated in Adamzai along sheet glass factory (not running). UNISA Pharmaceutical industry Asif Motor Show Room & Best Marble Factory are still operational industries of Adamzai.

Adamzai is the home town of Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak, chairman area board WAPDA. There is only one government High school now upgraded to higher secondary school in 2019 by MPA Idress Khattak for Boys and just a middle school for girls which is also upgraded to High School. One Primary School is also present which is over populated which address need of an additional primary school for children. These schools are operational from the last five decades. Now there is need of more government schools for boys and girls.

There is a government hospital operating from 1995.

Category:Populated places in Nowshera District

title: Adamzai

question: What is Adamzai?

answer: It is a village in Nowshera District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, located between Akora Khattak and Shaidu.

question: What tombs can be found on the outskirts of Adamzai?

answer: The tomb of Great Afghan Warrior and Pashto poet Khushal Khan Khattak.

question: What businesses are still operating in Adamzai?

answer: The Pakistan Tobacco Company, UNISA Pharmaceutical Industry, Asif Motor Show Room, and Best Marble Factory

question: What is Adamzai's relationship with Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak?

answer: Adamzai is the hometown of Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Adamzai is a village in Nowshera District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, located between Akora Khattak and Shaidu. The tomb of Great Afghan Warrior and Pashto poet Khushal Khan Khattak can be found along the outskirts of the village. Adamzai is the hometown of Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak and is also home to several businesses, including The Pakistan Tobacco Company and UNISA Pharmaceutical Industry.


text:
  He saw the Storm coming from across the sea. The rain began to pelt his face and the harsh salt spray from the frothing sea coated his young beard. He was racing against nature now, as he paddled towards the jetty's stone shores. If the Storm caught him against the rocks, It would shred his dingy and any they had chance of surviving.

  He looked down into the hull, under the seat at her shivering body. She had his raincoat draped over her trying to keep off the cold rain. Her lips were bluing and she looked at him, shuddered, and closed her eyes with the intensity to transport her away from her fears. He took this as his cue, and summoned a strength he thought he had lost, and rowed on. Quickly the waves grew and broke harder over it’s the shallow and brittle prisoner. He could hear his oars groaning, but his dingy screaming. The soft-wood not made for open seas was turning against itself, it’s seams seeping.

  The dark clouds once following them were now swallowing them. The bitter taste of sweat and perseverance however turned the waves sour, and a more morbid shade of black. With the Storm’s clouds now among them and the Jetty away, He lifted his burning eyes above. Praying to anyone above this Storm, then He bowed his head, pulling his oars again, crying as he listened to her shortening breaths.

The Storm

detrimental, falling from the sky

for children to catch. blind to

the oblivion looming over their

heads. the air has a faint metallic

taste, marinated with swollen, dead,

memories. the winds begin to pick

up the earth, turning our heads

aloft as the sky replies with a

bitter cry, searching for the earth.

the darkness lights up,

 welcoming what looms. like looms

of the past it weaves and tightens

until its entirety envelopes our

sight. a chorus bursts into song

answering the calls of the earth

to it's sky. the abyss and amiss

 unite shattering the peace

idealized between them.

title: Lost at Sea

question: How did the couple float out to sea in a rowing boat?

answer: An unexpected storm pulled or pushed their boat into unmanageable waters

question: How are the man and the woman related?

answer: They love each other so they are either blood relatives or lovers

question: Why are her breaths shortening?

answer: She may have been injured in the storm or perhaps she has hyperthermia as her lips are blue

question: Write a ~9 sentence summary.

answer:
He saw the Storm coming from across the sea. He was racing against nature now, as he paddled towards the jetty's stone shores. If the Storm caught him against the rocks, it would shred his dingy and any chance they had of surviving. He looked down into the hull, under the seat at her shivering body.

He kept rowing. The softwood was not made for the open seas. The dark clouds once following them were now swallowing them. He lifted his burning eyes above. Praying to anyone above this Storm, then He bowed his head, pulling his oars again, crying as he listened to her shortening breaths.


text:
Samantha Fitzhugh leads a quiet wall-flower life in the genius class of her high school. She never knew her father, and her mother is off in Antarctica absorbed in a career as an anthropologist.
A series of freakish events in the school have her on the verge of being expelled. Out of the blue, the hottest boy in the class invites her into his family to stay until her mom returns.
There she finds warm and loving parents even if they are a bit strange -- professor father with profound arcane knowledge and a psychic mother who reads minds and casts spells. They believe that the vestiges of some inherited power is starting to emerge from her. They caution her that high school is a hormonal time. If she wishes to go down this road, she must retain her chastity.
Meanwhile, a mad artist is spontaneously producing paintings of Samantha that have become a focus of worship for a gang of crazed meth-dealing bikers. They believe she is the descendant of Inanna, an ancient Sumerian goddess from the lost planet Nibiru.
The gang leader is a former professor with a murderous thirst for vengeance against those who drove him out of the profession. He believes in Samantha’s magical descent and her link to a planet with a 3,600 year orbit that will bring it smashing through the earth’s solar system.
He wants her and intends to possess her, no matter who he has to kill.

__________________________________

Townsend “Boo” Radley IV sat in his small stock broker’s office with one of his bigger whales as they were called in the trade. A fish on the line. A sucker. A patsy.
Marvin Sfortz. Seventy-two years old. Sold a plastics extrusion factory in Belleville, New Jersey for twenty-six million and retired to a southern university town with a major teaching hospital and ACC basketball. Didn’t know what to do with himself now that he wasn’t bossing a pack of Puerto Ricans every day. Liked to imagine he could pick stocks. Had a nose for hidden value. Explosive growth.
“Well, down here with the grits and ya-hoos,” said Boo, “nobody much likes the action.”
“Bunch’a yokels,” Marvin echoed. “How did they fight the Civil War?”
Boo made a forced laugh. “It’s good to see a man who can take the torque of a roller-coaster ride on the market.”
“No guts, no glory,” croaked Marvin.
Sleazy old yuck with his dentures and foul cigar breath. It was just too funny to churn his account, make commissions on pointless trades. The man was in pre-Alzheimers and had no short-term memory retention. Couldn’t figure out he was losing money until tax time. And by then he had forgotten how all the transactions had worked.
The Yankees got drawn south by the low taxes. They all said it was the weather, but in fact their big government obsessions had ruined New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey. You hang on there, you’re just paying lavish retirements for a pack of parasite unionized civil servants.
So they flock south to a university town with “culture” not that you noticed it much. A teaching hospital to keep your sorry carcass upright. Buy up all the nice real estate and drive the penurious faculty out of the town.  Retired, nothing to do but carp with each other about how dumb the hicks are, how things were done so much better back where they came from.
Boo didn’t feel bad about what he was doing. He was young and needed to make his way in the world. Marvin had no use for the money. Just leave it to adult children that he constantly bitched about. Ingrates. Free-loaders. Moochers.
Marvin struggled to his feet, his brain already devoid of the trades the two had just agreed upon. Slapped a broad straw hat on his head like an Impressionist would use painting in the open air. Cataract glasses. He had one of those Medicare metal canes that you can adjust the height on. Couldn’t even carry a stylish cane carved from exotic wood. What good did 26-mil do him? Better it belong to Boo.
Boo had been the bottom of his prep school class and couldn’t get into the Ivies. One admissions director had actually laughed at him. Asked what “diversity” he would bring to the student body. “Old money wastrel? The vanishing New England WASP?” What a shit-head.
So he had come to the university along with the rest of the bottom of his class. Administrative fools actually fawned on them, believed they brought style to the place. Branded the school a “Southern Ivy.” Branding was big at colleges. What a joke.
Boo had been a lacrosse star. Had a mop of blond hair he could flip out of his eyes, wow the coed honeys. They all thought since he was from Greenwich he was rich.
Problem was, there was no Townsend family money. Or very little of it. During his college years, he liked to swank around in his fraternity and pretend he was a trust-fund boy. But his father could barely pay the bills. And after he blew his brains out in the embezzlement scandal in his investment bank, there were no Wall Street connections either.
So Boo got his broker’s license and stayed on in town. His high-performing pals from his prep school class had all been Dartmouth and Yale; now they were at Goldman Sachs. Always talking big deals. Who the heavy hitters were.  The big swinging dicks.
He’d tell them he liked the low-key atmosphere of the South. Honey-voiced belles. Mint juleps. Said he was thinking of buying a race horse stud. They were working eighty-hour weeks and sounded envious. They had no idea what a ratty state it was. Dead textile mills. Feed-lot hog farms. Hillbillies in the mountains.
Boo played racquetball and squash now, liked to work out over at the medical school health center. Med classes were half women. Keep his eye peeled for hot young honeys in white coats with stethoscopes. He knew the income levels of the various specialties by heart. Interventional radiology was right up there at the top. Cardiology.
He could picture himself married to one of them. Scale back his business and just manage her personal fortune. Take up fly fishing. They’d travel to New Zealand, Iceland, Chile. Make a regular thing of Christmas each year in Gstaad for the skiing.
A row of three dollar signs began blinking in the upper right of his computer screen.  Got him out of his reverie.
Good Christ, it had come in again. A cool million fucking dollars from a bank in Switzerland transferred once a year to Maeve McAlpin Fitzhugh jointly with her daughter Samantha. The sum was up to ten million now, and they never enquired about it, never withdrew any. They never fucking touched it.
And it just sat there in an account that paid maybe two-percent. He always got a home office congratulations letter on his mismanagement of that one. The New York office got to play with the money and pay the Fitzhughs peanuts for the use of it.
He had only met them one time when the total was six million. Maeve Fitzhugh had seemed bored by the whole thing. Totally disinterested. Kept checking phone messages.
He pulled up the photos of mother and daughter. The firm always kept pictures in case of identify issues. The mother was what his mother in Greenwich would call a “handsome woman.” Mid-forties. Clean face lines. Hair pulled back. Very outdoorsy. Wind-burned complexion. Did some kind of exploration thing.
The girl was just a junior in high school. But there was something compelling about her. Her eyes just pulled you in.
He’d sit and stare at her for long periods of time.
______________________________________________

If you read, please send feedback!!! I'm working on this in pieces, intending to produce something more substantial, so advice/suggestions/criticism/praise is appreciated!

title: Nibiru's Child: Who Killed Cressie Moon Child? (Part 2)

question: What does Townsend Radley want?

answer: To marry a rich girl like Samantha Fitzhugh.

question: Why is Samantha Fitzhugh in danger?

answer: A former professor thinks she is an ancient Goddess from the lost planet Nibiru.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Samantha Fitzhugh is in trouble because a gang led by a former professor thinks she is a descendant of Inanna, an ancient Goddess from the lost planet of Nibiru. Meanwhile Townsend Radley thinks about how nice it would be to marry a girl like Samantha for her money.


text: I had gone downstairs to eat. As I walked upstairs I felt a chill breeze even though I was sure none of the windows were open. I walked into my room and saw my little sister, 2 years old, sitting on the floor playing with a piece of clay. The thing about my sister is that she can talk well, for a 2 year old but chooses to act instead of speak. The moment i stepped into my room she looks up and holds up both hands to bar my passage. She then said, "Don't Move, The Dark Is Coming."

title: Sister

question: What kind of breeze does the narrator feel upon getting downstairs?

answer: A chill breeze.

question: How old is the narrator's sister?

answer: Two years old.

question: What is the narrator's two-year-old sister doing downstairs?

answer: She is sitting on the floor and playing with clay.

question: What does the narrator's sister say to the narrator as soon as he comes downstairs?

answer: She says, "Don't Move, The Dark Is Coming."

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator walks downstairs, feeling chilly though there are no windows open. He sees his two-year-old sister downstairs sitting on the floor. The sister bars his ways telling him not to move because the Dark is coming.


text:
Despite campaigning to reduce child labour internationally, the US is home to at least 230,000 child labourers toiling in the fields to pick blueberries, tomatoes or cotton

From the cocoa plantations of the Ivory Coast to the textile factories of India, the prevalence of child labour in the world today is staggering. The UN estimates that roughly 250 million children are subjected to a life of work instead of schooling, with nearly half that number working full-time.

But now a new film - _The Harvest_ - documents the occurrence of this trend where few would expect to find it: the United States agricultural industry.

U Roberto Romano is an award-winning American filmmaker who spent over a year documenting the lives of three migrant worker families and their children across the US. He said that while he was aware of child labour from his work in other countries, what he found in the US was shocking.

‘I, like many people, thought this was a problem that affected brown skin children in the rest of the world’, Romano told the _Ecologist_. ‘I didn’t expect to find it here in [the US] with children that were American citizens’.

As the film reveals, not only is child labour happening in the US food system, it’s perfectly legal. This is due to an antiquated exemption built into the Fair Labour Standards Act of 1938, the landmark piece of US legislation that established standard practises like the 40-hour work week and a minimum wage. Roberto explains that agriculture was excluded because of the different food system at the time.

'When the fair labour standards act was written, a huge portion of our food was produced on family farms, so this was designed to help families who needed children to work on their farms’, Roberto said.

Like those profiled in the film, the 230,000 thousand children working in US agriculture today are no longer helping on family farms, which now produce a negligible portion of US agricultural output. Instead, they and their families are included in the 40 per cent of industrial agriculture workers who must move with the harvests if they want to have jobs. Whether it’s blueberries in North Carolina, tomatoes in Florida, or cotton in Arkansas, these families leave their homes for portions of the year and, because of a lack of childcare options, bring their children with them.

‘The larger corporations externalise their responsibility and turn a blind eye’, Roberto said. ‘And a lot of the smaller farmers I dealt with don’t feel like they can refuse the families that extra income if parents bring their children to work. It’s a system that is designed to perpetuate a cycle of poverty and failure’.

In 2009, the United States Department of Labour published a report documenting the goods that are produced as a result of child labour worldwide in an attempt to ‘inform the public of the significant incidence of child labor and forced labor’. The report lists myriad goods - as diverse soap, sugarcane, and tin - coming from more than 45 nations, however it does not include United States.

‘There are dozens of goods [on that list] that I have seen worked on or produced with child labour in this country’, Roberto said. ‘I have long maintained that when it comes to agriculture in America is a third world country. Our standards are those of a developing or less than developing country’.

Roberto hopes that his film will continue the growing debate on what he sees as the troubling ‘culture of agriculture’ in a country that spends the lowest percentage of individual income on food in the world. While he endorses consumer-based responsibility and buying food that’s organic and from local producers, he says that’s not quite enough.

‘I have asked that people remember that they are both citizens and consumers’, Roberto said. ‘They should write to their congressman and they should support legislation that puts an end to this inequality’.

[Add to StumbleUpon]

  ---- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       READ MORE...

  []   NEWS ANALYSIS
       NEWS INVESTIGATION SCANDAL OF THE 'TOMATO SLAVES' HARVESTING CROP EXPORTED TO UK
       Across Italy an invisible army of migrant workers is suffering exploitation and abuse to harvest tomatoes destined for our dinner plates. Paid poverty wages and living in squalor, medical charities have described conditions as 'hell'. Andrew Wasley reports from Basilicata, southern Italy

  []   NEWS ANALYSIS
       CHEMICAL WARFARE: THE HORRIFIC BIRTH DEFECTS LINKED TO TOMATO PESTICIDES
       The 'Immokalee babies' were born with severe deformities after their mothers were each exposed to pesticides whilst harvesting tomatoes. But they are not the only victims of the industrial tomato sector's love of chemicals. By Barry Estabrook

  []   COMMENT
       CONSUMERS AND FARM WORKERS AT RISK FROM TOXIC PESTICIDES SPRAYED ON SALAD
       More than a 100 pesticides are licenced for spraying on the humble lettuce. As well as posing a threat to consumers, workers harvesting the crop can face contamination and poisoning. By Nick Mole

  []   COMMENT
       WHY ETHICAL FOOD TRADE IS ONLY POSSIBLE WITH SUPERMARKET ACTION
       International supply chains leave the horticultural workers harvesting our food in poor countries highly vulnerable to exploitation. Retailers, unions, NGOs and governments must work together to tackle this, says Julia Hawkins

  []   NEWS ANALYSIS
       SPECIAL REPORT PG TIPS AND LIPTON TEA HIT BY 'SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND POOR CONDITIONS' CLAIMS
       Unilever denies some female employees at its Rainforest Alliance-certified tea plantation in Kenya are subjected to sexual harassment. But Dutch research outfit SOMO paints a very different picture. Verity Largo and Andrew Wasley report
  ---- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

question: Which country has the highest rate of child labor?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Who has made the film "The Harvest?"

answer: The film is made by U Roberto Romano, an American filmmaker.

question: Is child labor an issue only in under-developed countries?

answer: No, child labor is an issue also in developed nations like the United States.

question: Which sector has the maximum rate of child labor?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer:
The U.S. is home to at least 230,000 child laborers. American filmmaker U Roberto Romano produced an award-winning film titled "The Harvest" to document the occurrence of this in the American agricultural economy. The producer has spent over a year documenting the lives of three migrant workers and their children.

As the film reveals, child labor is legal in the US food system due to the exemption built into the Fair Labor Standard Act. According to this Act, a huge portion of food was produced on family farms which isn't the case anymore.

The producer believes that when it comes to agriculture in America, their standards are the same as those of developing or lesser developed countries.


text:
[Flying Squirrel (4 of 12)]

It was an unusually cool evening last night for August. I had my office sliding glass door open and was enjoying the cool air and sounds of nearby crickets and the distant hooting of a pair of Barred Owls across the lake. The sliding glass door opens to a second floor deck that is within arms reach of several tall trees behind the house. As I was reviewing and processing images, I heard an unfamiliar rustling in the trees. I grabbed my halogen spotlight and shined it into the trees. To my surprise, there were at least three Southern Flying Squirrels that were attracted to my bird feeders. I had only seen flying squirrels in our neighborhood once before and that was just a couple of weeks ago.

[Flying Squirrel (5 of 12)]

Also surprising was that the flying squirrels did not climb into the trees or take off as I shined the light on them. They were not afraid. They were too focused on my bird feeders to be bothered by me, or so it seemed. Therefore, I quickly set up my Nikon D800 with a 70-200mm lens and Nikon SB900 Speedlight, and began to photograph the squirrels.

[Flying Squirrel (10 of 12)]

I was able to get within three feet of them, which was actually too close for the lens I was using and, therefore, I backed off several feet to focus on them. They stayed for a couple hours, at times leaping or flying to the feeders that hung off my deck. Eventually, after I felt that they had eaten enough of my bird food and I had enough photographs, I removed the feeders from the deck, and the squirrels disappeared into the trees and night.

[Flying Squirrel (2 of 12)]

My bird feeders are “squirrel proof” to keep the many gray squirrels and a white tailed squirrel that live in the trees from emptying them. The feeders close from the weight of the squirrels when they climb on them. Apparently, the flying squirrels weigh much less, which is obvious by their much smaller size, so this evening I removed the feeders before they showed up again.

[Flying Squirrel (8 of 12)] [Flying Squirrel (11 of 12)]

Southern Flying Squirrels are one of two species of flying squirrels in North America. They actually do not fly, but rather glide using a membrane, called a patagium, which is a fold of fur covered skin that starts at their wrists and extends along their sides, and finishes at their ankles of their hind legs. They can glide as much as 100 feet and propel themselves from trees with a running start or just leap off branches.

[Flying Squirrel (9 of 12)]

Flying squirrels are very social animals and live and feed in groups. They feed on a wide variety of food, besides the bird food in my feeders, to include acorns, insects, buds, mushrooms, fungi, bird eggs and nestlings, and flowers. They often have two litters of 2 – 7 young each year. They are nocturnal, which explains their very large eyes, and why I saw them last night.

[Flying Squirrel (7 of 12)]

Seeing and photographing the flying squirrels was exciting, but they only topped off an equally exciting event earlier in the evening when my wife and I were walking along our lake. While walking, we saw a Red Fox on the edge of a wooded area. It stayed there long enough for me take several photos. It was challenging to get a decent image, because it was dusk, the wooded area was shaded, and the fox was moving about. As I usually do, I had one of my cameras with me (Nikon D800) and a lens that extended to 400mm, enabling me to get in close and fill the frame with the fox. The D800’s high ISO, capabilities enabled me to get a fast enough shutter speed to capture the below image. The image is not gallery quality, but it very well documented our fox sighting.

[Red-Fox]

There is an abundance of wildlife within the community where I live, and I will miss it when, or if, I move from Virginia.

_Comments on my blog and this article are appreciated and can be entered below by clicking on “_Comments_” found below the_ LIKE THIS: _section_.  _You can also read other’s comments there._

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: That information can’t be found.

question: What animals were attracted to his bird feeders?

answer: Southern Flying Squirrels

question: What camera equipment did the narrator set up to take photos of the flying squirrels?

answer: Nikon D800 with a 70-200mm lens and Nikon SB900 Speedlight

question: What is a patagium?

answer: In the case of flying squirrels, the patagium is a membrane or fur-covered skin that starts at their wrists and extends along their sides, finishing at the ankles of their hind legs. They use this membrane to glide as much as 100 feet in the air.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is a photographer who sees three Southern Flying Squirrels attracted to his bird feeders on a cool evening in August in Virginia. He uses a Nikon D800 with a 70-200mm lens and Nikon SB900 Speedlight to photograph the flying squirrels. Southern flying squirrels are one of two species of flying squirrels in North America. Flying squirrels use a membrane called a "patagium" or a fur-covered skin that starts at their wrists and extends along their sides, finishing at the ankles of their hind legs to glide as much as 100 feet in the air.


text:
FRANK EDGAR EVANS (19 November 1876 – 25 November 1941) served as an infantryman in the Spanish–American War, and was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps on 15 February 1900.

Biography

He was born in Franklin, Pennsylvania on 19 November 1876. He served in the Philippines and in the United States prior to World War I, during which he won the Navy Cross and other awards for the distinction of his service in the Marine Brigade of the American Expeditionary Force in France. His postwar service included duty in Haiti, where from 1927 to 1930 he commanded the Constabulary Detachment and was Chief of the _Gendarmerle d'Haiti_. Brigadier General Evans also was District Marine Officer of several Naval Districts. Retired 1 December 1940, he made his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he died 25 November 1941.

Legacy

The destroyer USS _Frank E. Evans_ (DD-754) was named in his honor.[1]

[1]

title: Frank Evans (general)

question: Why did Frank E. Evans retire during the second world war?

answer: He passed away less than a year after retiring. It stands to reason that he was not well and would have made poor decisions if he was deployed for the second world war.

question: What does it mean to be commissioned in the United State Marine Corps?

answer: Frank E. Evans was an infantryman before being commissioned by the United State Marine Corps. He was 24 years old when he was commissioned which implies that he would have had some education between being an infantryman and being commissioned. It stands to reason that a commissioned officer received formal education before being given a rank in the Marine Corps.

question: How did Frank E. Evans' role in the U.S. Marine Corps change over time?

answer: He won the Navy Cross and other awards for the distinction of his service in the Marine Expeditionary Brigade in the first world war. After the war he served in Haiti as Chief of the 'Gendarmerle d'Haiti' where he commanded the constabulary. He was promoted to Brigadier General and placed in command of several naval districts. He retired at 64 years old.

question: What was Frank E. Evans known for?

answer: Currently, his name is popular because of the destroyer named for him.

question: What was the motivation for naming a destroyer in Frank E. Evans' honor?

answer: The ship was named for Brigadier General Frank E. Evans who was a decorated officer of the U.S. Marine Corps.


text:
The Edge has been slapped with 3-MONTHS SUSPENSION, effective this week. The Home Ministry, headed by Zahid Hamidi, has given 3 reasons to justify the punishment. FIRST, the reports on 1MDB scandal have created negative perceptions. SECOND, the published news was based on unverified information. THIRD, it was inappropriate to report on 1MDB since the scandal is being probed.

LET’S FLIP THE COIN. Supposing The Edge has had reported about 1PDB scandal (1-Penang Development Berhad), which was headed by Lim Guan Eng, instead of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 1MDB. Dramatically, Mr Lim’s private account was at the receiving end with RM2.62 billion. Would The Edge still be slapped with 3-months suspension? We don’t think so.

[The Edge Final Edition On 1MDB Scandal Before Suspension]

The suspension on The Edge was like SUSPENDING AMERICAN’S CNN because the media had reported about President Clinton caught getting blowjobs from Monica Lewinsky. One has to remember that Clinton had initially denied the sex scandal in 1997, the same way Najib is denying his today. Get the silly juice?

If the above was not enough to amaze you about half-past-six Malaysian ministers, consider another mission by Home Minister Zahid Hamidi. The “Goblok” minister wants to EXTRADITE BRITISH CITIZEN CLARE REWCASTLE BROWN (sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown) to Malaysia for exposing the humiliating RM42 billion scandals via her Sarawak Report.

[Clare Rewcastle Brown - Sarawak Report]

That was simply hilarious, considering his minister couldn’t even get sex blogger Alvin Tan, fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, or even former policeman turned killer Sirul Azhar to be extradited from U.S., UK and Australia respectively. Zahid is surely A GENIUS if he could get a British citizen to be charged on Malaysian soil, when he couldn’t get his own Malaysian citizens back to the country in the first place.

With the exception of Zahid himself, everybody knows how “goblok” the Home Minister is. But that’s precisely what is needed to climb up the ladder of power in Malaysia. You cannot simply make it to the top by demonstrating your cleverness. You’ve to show your AWESOME STUPIDITY in order to be successful in UMNO, a party currently in power.

[Zahid Hamidi Wearing Crown]

If the rumours are accurate, ZAHID HAMIDI is about to harvest the reward for being not only goblok, but also racist and thuggish. He’s about to become the NEW DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, replacing 68-year-old Muhyiddin Yassin. While there’s nothing to celebrate because both Zahid and Muhyiddin were equally corrupted, racist and goblok, there’s something interesting.

What will happen to cousin “KERISMAN” HISHAMMUDDIN HUSSEIN? Obviously, cousin Najib Razak doesn’t trust him as much as he trusted Zahid. By promoting Zahid, the prime minister is practically telling all and sundry that Hishammuddin could have had a job interview with enemy Mahathir.

[Missing MH370 - Hishammuddin Hussein Keris]

That’s the problem with pussies dragging their feet, hoping to get the best of two worlds. Seriously, MUHYIDDIN DESERVES TO BE SACKED. It’s too late, too little for him playing hero at the eleventh hour, exposing how he had allegedly advised Emperor Najib to do the right things. Yeah right, as if we didn’t know he’s acting in a Bollywood film after found out he is set to be chopped.

If Hishammuddin were to act earlier, probably in another low-budget Bollywood film, by PRETENDING to use his “keris” (dagger) on Mahathir if the old man continues to attack beloved cousin Najib, most likely the new deputy Prime Minister position would belong to Hishamuddin, not Zahid.

[Muhyiddin and Hishammuddin]

But even with the elimination of Muhyiddin, the suspension of The Edge, the blocking of Sarawak Report website, the barring of 1MDB critics from leaving the country; the 1MDB scandal will not fade away. It will essentially make the CASE MORE LEGITIMATE in the eyes of the international community.

The damaging part is this. By consolidating his power, Najib the son of Razak is OFFICIALLY PUSHING Muhyiddin and those to be dropped from the Cabinet to the Mahathir’s camp. Unless he’s brave enough to sack Mahathir from his UMNO membership, bar him from travelling, subject him to 24-hours interrogation, the 1MDB scandal will continue.

[Malaysian Ringgit Toast - Najib Razak 1MDB Scandal]

Perhaps Najib’s support isn’t that strong after all. The fact that Berjaya tycoon Vincent Tan had thrown a lavish birthday party for Mahathir goes to show that majority of CHINESE TYCOONS AND BUSINESSMEN ARE ACTUALLY BEHIND MAHATHIR. It would be fun and interesting to see if all these Chinese businessmen gang up and refuse to pay “protection money” to UMNO led by Najib.

OTHER ARTICLES THAT MAY INTEREST YOU …

-   HERE’S WHY NAJIB IS “TOAST”, EVEN IF THE RM2.62 BILLION WAS A DONATION
-   A COMIC WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE 1MDB FEUD BETWEEN GODFATHER & EMPEROR
-   RM2 BILLION FOR HIM, RM2 MILLION FOR HER – IS THIS THE WORLD’S DUMBEST PA?
-   NOWHERE TO RUN – PM NAJIB RAZAK TO RESIGN AFTER AIDILFITRI CELEBRATION?
-   BEWARE WSJ – HERE’RE NAJIB’S TOP 20 BRAINS TO COUNTER YOU
-   CONGRATS NAJIB, YOU’RE NOW IN THE FORBES MALAYSIA’S 50 RICHEST
-   1MDB SCANDAL – AN ALI-BABA “SCAM” PARTNERSHIP GOES BUST

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question: Summarize the main news event.

answer: The Edge newspaper in Malaysia has been given a 3 week suspension for reporting on the 1MDB scandal. In addition to gagging media reporting, the Home Minister of Malaysia is requesting the extradition of a British citizen for exposing the humiliating RM42 billion scandals in her Sarawak Report. There are rumors that the same Home Minister will replace the current deputy Prime Minister, showing a lack of trust in the Prime Minister's own cousin. This could also strengthen the opposition to the Prime Minister. All the measures taken will also legitimize the 1MDB scandal in the eyes of the international community.

question: Summarize the historical content around the news event.

question: Summarize the views of opposing sides.

answer: The Edge newspaper in Malaysia has been given a 3 week suspension for reporting on the 1MDB scandal. Reasons given for the suspension include creating negative perceptions, basing stories on unverified information and the investigation was still in progress. The Edge holds that the reason for the suspension is involvement of the Prime Minister and other high placed politicians. If the scandal would have happened in another company, The Edge would not have received a suspension.

question: Summarize the role of Najib in the news.

answer: Najib Razak is the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He was part of the 1MDB company before the scandal hit and took steps to make the scandal go away. He replaced his deputy Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers that were corrupt and involved in the scandal. Najib suspended The Edge newspaper for reporting on the scandal and blocked the Sarawak website that contained the report. He is also barring 1MDB critics from leaving the country. By doing this, he is strengthening his opposition, who already has the backing of Chinese tycoons and businessmen.


text:
AMC's _The Walking Dead_ isn't the only Robert Kirkman live-action property being shown at San Diego Comic-Con this year. The upcoming _Outcast_ series produced by Cinemax/Fox International Studios is set to premiere the first footage at the entertainment expo this weekend at the _Outcast_ panel Saturday.

Cinemax has released two images showcasing both Patrick Fugit as Kyle Barnes and Philip Glenister as Reverend Anderson in this first look before the panel.

0comments
(Photo: Niko Tavernise (c)2015. FOX International Studios. All Rights Reserved.)
(Photo: Niko Tavernise (c)2015. FOX International Studios. All Rights Reserved.)
Fans of the _Outcast_, are you excited for the show's premiere? Looking forward to the panel at the show?

UP NEXT

[]

question: Where is Comic Con in this article?

answer: San Diego.

question: Which famous show did Robert Kirkman create?

answer: The Walking Dead.

question: Which other live-action property does he have to his name?

answer: Outcast.

question: Who will be playing Kyle Barnes?

answer: Patrick Fugit.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: At Comic Con in San Diego this year, The Walking Dead won't be the only Robert Kirkman live-action property showcased. Outcast, featuring Patrick Fugit as Kyle Barnes and Philip Glenister as Reverend Anderson.


text:
[MUOS, Mobile User Objective System, gay news, Washington Blade]

The Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) in Wahiawa, Hawaii — similar to the one under construction in Sicily. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John W. Ciccarelli Jr.)

Less than two months after taking office, Sicily’s openly gay governor has temporarily stopped construction of a U.S. satellite antenna in Sicily, saying he wants assurances that the large dish antenna won’t have an adverse impact on public health and the environment.

The decision by Rosario Crocetta, 61, to invoke his authority as regional governor to halt construction of the antenna outside the town of Niscemi in south-central Sicily puts him at odds with the national Italian government, which agreed to allow the U.S. to build the facility.

The antenna facility is part of a worldwide U.S. military satellite communications system known as Mobile User Objective System (MUOS). Military officials say it is designed to employ state-of-the-art technology to allow troops on the ground to better communicate with support operations in the U.S. and throughout the world.

When completed, the system will consist of five satellites in earth orbit and four ground antenna stations, including stations in Norfolk, Va.; Washiawa, Hawaii; Geraldtown, Australia; and the one in Niscemi, Sicily.

“As a member of NATO and an important partner in international security and peace, Italy, as well as all other NATO allies, will benefit from having MUOS for support of NATO operations,” the U.S. Embassy in Rome said in a statement.

“We are not against the Americans and are not against the MOUS,” Crocetta said in a statement to the media. “But we want all the guarantees for the protection of public health.”

[Rosario Crocetta, Sicily, gay news, Washington Blade]

ROSARIO CROCETTA (Photo by DEEEP Project via Wikimedia)

Crocetta announced his decision to stop construction on the antenna station shortly after protesters opposing the facility clashed with Italian police at the site of the facility. The Italian news agency ANSA reported that protestors blocked trucks and cranes from reaching the construction site.

Among other things, opponents object to the decision by Italian and U.S. military officials to place the facility close to if not within a nature preserve, where they say it could damage the fragile ecosystem.

Opponents also have expressed concern that electromagnetic waves associated with outgoing or incoming signals from the antenna could lead to a greater risk of cancer or leukemia.

Steven A. Davis, a spokesperson for the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego, Calif., told the Blade that the Navy has worked closely with Italian experts in the fields of signal “spectrum and radiofrequency” on two separate surveys to determine the possible effects of the ground antenna station in Sicily on the public.

“The findings from both surveys were consistent,” he said. “The MUOS ground site meets all U.S. and Italian health and safety regulations.” He said tests also showed that the MUOS antenna won’t interfere with local cell phone signals or nearby commercial or government radio, TV or other communication transmissions, including signals from a nearby commercial airport.

Italian media outlets have reported that Crocetta, a former mayor of the Sicilian city of Gela, has spoken with officials in the U.S. Embassy in Rome about the antenna controversy. It couldn’t immediately be determined whether Crocetta and U.S. Ambassador to Italy David Thorne discussed gay-related issues in addition to the dispute over the MUOS antenna.

In December 2010, Thorne, who speaks fluent Italian, took the unusual step of delivering a message in support of LGBT rights and an Italian LGBT helpline in a video broadcast over Italy’s version of MTV and YouTube.

“If you are a victim of discrimination or acts of bullying, talk to someone who is ready to listen,” he said in the video. “Call the helpline number listed on the screen. Your life is important. You are not alone. Things get better.”

question: Who is Rosario Crocetta?

answer: He is the governor of Sicily, Italy who temporarily stopped the construction of a U.S. antenna facility in his region.

question: Why is Crocetta stopping the construction of the satellite?

answer: Crocetta says he wants assurances that the large dish antenna isn't harmful to public health and the environment.

question: What is the antenna facility part of?

answer: The state-of-the-art antenna facility is part of a worldwide U.S. military satellite communications system known as the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) that will allow troops on the ground to better communicate with support operations in the U.S. and throughout the world.

question: How many MUOS satellites will be deployed and how many antenna facilities are needed?

answer: When completed, the system will consist of five satellites in earth orbit and four ground antenna stations, including stations in Norfolk, Va.; Washiawa, Hawaii; Geraldtown, Australia; and the one in Niscemi, Sicily.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: Sicily's governor, Rosario Crocetta, exercises his regional authority to temporarily stop the construction of a U.S. antenna facility in Niscemi, citing public health and environmental concerns. The facility is part of a worldwide U.S. military satellite communications system known as the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) that will allow troops on the ground to better communicate with support operations in the U.S. and throughout the world. When completed, the system will consist of five satellites in earth orbit and four ground antenna stations, including stations in Norfolk, Va.; Washiawa, Hawaii; Geraldtown, Australia; and the one in Niscemi, Sicily. Crocetta says he is not against the Americans or MUOS, but merely wants guarantees for the protection of public health. Protesters also cited the location of the facility near a nature preserve may harm the fragile ecosystem. The US Navy says the MUOS ground site meets all U.S. and Italian health and safety regulations.


text:
She was asleep at a table when I entered the cafeteria, the remains of her meal pushed out on the plates in front of her.
I grab my lunch (sandwich, yogurt, a milk) and sit down at my table. Time to do homework.
With a gargantuan yawn, arms outstretched, piggy little eyes surveying the remainder of first-lunch, she awakes. The scraps are consumed. It lumbers off in hunt of delicious, stationary sustenance.

I meet eyes with Skinnygirl; she has a malicious smile on her face. With cheeks puffed out she rocks side-to-side in her chair, a caricature of the creatures waddle.
Returning with a tray of plates loaded with enough food to feed Skinnygirl and I for a week the ritual begins.
With every meal I imagine her swelling like a balloon, breath by breath, bite by bite, the folds of her shirt are actually rolls of fat. I am not imagining. She is growing before my eyes.
Skinnygirl’s jaw has dropped in shock, I can see her food, cranberry chicken salad.

It continues to eat.
French fries, mixed vegetables, a whole burger in one bite, a fatted calf, Skinnygirl.
SHE has created her own gravitational field, my glasses are sucked in, she eats them too.
Her energy radiates as light and heat; it’s beautiful. Floating towards me she extends her hand, “Join us.”
My flesh melting  I take her hand. Together we leave this behind and travel beyond the land, beyond the earth, into the stars.
We are the Sun.

title: The cafeteria

question: Who or what is the "it" the protagonist refers to?

answer: The girl who was asleep at a table when the protagonist entered the cafeteria.

question: What does the protagonist suggest happens to the girl as she continues to eat?

answer: She becomes so massive she, and the two victims, become the sun.

question: Does her becoming the sun really happen or is it hyperbole?

answer: Unclear

question: Why is "Skinnygirl" a fatted calf?

answer: She gets eaten, too.

question: Write a ~8 sentence summary.

answer: The protagonist enters the cafeteria and finds a girl asleep at a table, the remains of her meal in front of her. The girl wakes and proceeds to eat the scraps of her meal, she lumbers off in search of more food. A skinny girl mocks her to the protagonist. The girl returns with enough food to feed the protagonist and the skinny girl for a week. She begins to gorge and swell like a balloon. She keeps eating and keeps growing. She eats everything including the skinny girl and the protagonist. She grows so large she becomes the sun.


text:
O.P.M. LEASING SERVICES, INC. was a computer leasing company that was involved in one of the biggest corporate scandals at the time it filed bankruptcy in 1981, with fraud of over $200 million.

O.P.M. Leasing Services (OPM stood for Other People's Money) was started in 1970 in Brooklyn by Mordecai Weissman and Myron Goodman. It later moved its headquarters to Manhattan. It grew to be one of the five largest computer leasing companies in the country.[1]

O.P.M. Leasing Services borrowed money to purchase computers that it would then lease to corporate customers. The computers and the assignment of the lease, in turn, would be used as collateral for the loan. Lease payments would be used to service the loan. Lenders included banks, thrifts, insurance companies, and pension funds. Customers who leased the computers included Merrill Lynch, Xerox, American Express, and General Motors, with Rockwell International being the largest. The company expanded rapidly because it offered more generous lease terms to its customers than did its competitors.

The fraud started in 1972 when the company began forging and altering leases, using the same lease as collateral for multiple loans, creating fictitious leases for computers that did not exist, and inflating the value of the lease payments.

The downfall came in February 1981, when it was discovered that a signature on one of the Rockwell International leases was forged. The company filed for bankruptcy the following month. Goodman was sentenced to 12 years in prison and Weissman to 10 years; five other employees were also sent to prison. (Goodman and Weissman had also purchased control of the First National Bank of Jefferson Parish in Louisiana in 1978, which they used to kite checks for O.P.M. In March 1980, O.P.M. Services pleaded guilty in the check-kiting scheme and was fined $110,000.)[2][3]

The bankruptcy trustee wrote a report on the fraud, criticizing its auditor (Fox & Company), its investment banker (Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb), its law firm (Singer Hutman Levine & Seeman) and Rockwell International. It indicated gross negligence among many of the outside parties and that some of them were aware of the fraud but did not report it, or sometimes abetted it.[4]

[1] Kohn, George _The New Encyclopedia of American Scandal_ 1

[2] O.P.M. Bankruptcy: Questions Abound _New York Times_ March 26, 19812

[3] The Bubble Bursts Following O.P.M.'s Overnight Success _Washington Post_ April 5, 19813

[4] A Close-Up Look At The Fraud That Ruined O.P.M. _New York Times_ May 1, 19834

title: O.P.M. Leasing Services

question: What is O.P.M Leasing Services Inc.?

answer: It was a computer leasing company founded in 1970 in Brooklyn by Mordecai Weissman and Myron Goodman. The company became involved in one of the biggest corporate scandals at the time it filed for bankruptcy in 1981, committing fraud of over $200 million.

question: What did "OPM" stand for?

answer: "OPM" stood for Other People's Money

question: Describe how O.P.M Leasing Services operated.

answer: The company operated by borrowing money to purchase computers it would then lease to corporate customers, using the computers and the assignment of the lease as collateral for the loan. Lease payments would be used to service the loan. Lenders included banks, thrifts, insurance companies, and pension funds.

question: How did O.P.M Leasing Services commit fraud?

answer: In 1972, the company started forging and altering leases, using the same lease as collateral for multiple loans, inflating the value of lease payments, and invented leases for non-existent computers.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: O.P.M Leasing Services Inc. was a computer leasing company founded in 1970 in Brooklyn by Mordecai Weissman and Myron Goodman that became involved in one of the biggest corporate scandals at the time, committing fraud of over $200 million. The company operated by borrowing money to buy computers it would lease to corporate customers, using the computers and the lease assignment as collateral for the loan. Lease payments would then be used to service the loan, hence the name OPM (Other People's Money) because they are using other people's money to make money. The company committed fraud in 1972 by forging and altering leases, using the same lease as collateral for other loans, and other methods. OPM also bought the National Bank of Jefferson Parish in Lousiana in 1978 and used it for kiting checks. Goodman was sentenced to 12 years, while Weissman got 10 years.