text:
If there is one thing in life people underestimate, it is the impact of their daily habits.

Whether you want to admit it or not, the truth is that just about everything in life can be directed back to your habits. Long-term success is the result of good habits. Positive relationships are the result of good habits. Improvement and growth are the result of good habits. Even personal health and wellness can be traced back to the foundation set by your daily habits.

That said, if you are guilty of any of these habits, you need to eliminate them immediately. Because even if they don't seem like a glaring issue right now, they will be.

1. Constantly Checking Your Phone

Let's skip the cliché here.

The real reason you need to stop constantly checking your phone is because it instills probably the worst habit you could possibly acquire: distraction. People don't realize that 99 percent of the time they check their phone because they want to avoid thinking. They get confronted with some sort of task or obstacle, and out of impulse they check their phone instead. It's a distraction.

Instead, try to catch yourself when your impulse is to reach into your pocket to refresh your email again. There's nothing new there--and even if there is, it can wait.

2. Not Really Listening

There are two kinds of listeners.

The first is the person who sits opposite you, quiet, and is intently following every word you say. They are connected to the conversation, and diligently following your thoughts along with you.

The second is the person who sits opposite you, quiet, and isn't really listening at all. What they're doing is rambling on and on in their head with their own inner dialogue. They are thinking about something else. They are wondering what they're going to say next. They are absent from the moment.

Don't be that second person. Listening is an art--and in order to do it, you need to keep your head clear and be focused on the conversation at hand. Why? Because nothing kills productivity faster than having to say, "I'm sorry, I zoned out for a second--what did you say?"

3. Multitasking

I don't care how amazing you think you are at multitasking. It's not a thing.

If you don't believe me, try taking a sip of water out of a glass with one hand while typing with the other. You'll catch yourself taking a tiny sip and then typing. Or typing and then taking a sip. Multitasking is not "doing two things at once." It's "trying to do two things really close to each other." And it is never as effective as concentrating on a single task. Ever.

People who multitask lack any clear focus on the task at hand. Their attention is divided. So even if they get two things "done," neither one of them will be of much quality.

Instead, do one thing at a time--or even better, "clump" similar tasks together. Look for things that share common elements, find your flow, and crank them out. For example: Look at all the emails you have to respond to and devote an hour to answering them. Don't respond to an email, then try to work on a proposal, and then call your friend back, and then go back to emails, etc. It will exhaust you.

4. Working With the Television On

I realize certain things work for certain people, but I have never found a secondary input to be very productive.

Having noise (or even a visual distraction) on in the background does your productivity no good. Really good work happens when you find your flow--and in order to get in that zone, you have to be quiet (shhh...). It's almost like a meditation. This is where you lose track of time, pick your head up, and realize four hours has gone by. And if you notice, when you get in that zone, you forget the television was even on at all. So why have it on in the first place?

Turn off all distractions. Find your flow.

5. Working in Unproductive Environments

One of the places where I work frequently here in Chicago is Soho House--and when I travel, I tend to prefer working out one of Soho House's other spaces.

However, I'll be the first to admit that there are certain rooms (and times of day) in which productivity is absolutely not happening. Like Sunday brunch. Sounds great in theory, right? Open up your laptop. Grab a table nearby. But when you've got a house packed full of people, that energy can mean death to your productivity.

Too many times, people think they can be productive in environments that are not built for getting things done. But they try! They want to feel like they're "being productive" while at the same time "being social." Rarely do the two go hand-in-hand.

Find a quiet space of your own and get to work. When you're done, you can go hang out.

6. Working With Unproductive People

Another huge mistake people make is thinking that getting together with a bunch of friends for a "work session" is going to be remotely productive.

Let me note: There are times when this works. However, the only times I have found this to work effectively are when everyone is working together on something. For example: Maybe you're all working on a short film together. Or all brainstorming on design ideas for a website. Great! Everybody is engaged, and that's productive.

But at a certain point, the project will require "grind time." The fun stuff (brainstorming) is a very small piece of the larger puzzle. Everyone is going to have tasks or things they need to get done, and the truth is, everyone just needs to crank. In silence.

When you have a lot to work through, you need your own space. You can be in the same room with other people, but everyone has to understand it's work time. It's not "hey, let's all hang out and sort of do stuff" time. There is a difference.

So round up your friends. Tell everyone to bring headphones. Sit around a table and grind together. And after two hours, take a little break.

7. Lack of Preparation

I love when people say, "This Sunday, I am going to be so productive," when they haven't put any time or effort into the thing they need to get done for days, or weeks, or even months.

Realize that if you do not sit down prepared, you won't be productive. If you haven't touched your project in weeks, it's going to take you a bit to remember where you are and what you need to get done. Or maybe you've forgotten how to use a certain program. Or your skills have gotten dull--and it takes you some time to sharpen them again.

Productivity isn't just about the moment. It's about all the moments that lead up to that moment. Your productivity increases over time through consistency. So, even if it's just 10 or 15 minutes a day, make that time so your skills don't get dull and whatever you're working on stays top of mind.

8. Notifications...OFF!

And of course, the famed but so casually ignored culprit known as "notifications."

It's astounding to me how many people say (as if announcing to the world), "Time to grind!" and then, before the sentence has even left their mouth, their eyes are darting to the top right corner of their laptop because two texts, a tweet, a calendar invite, and an alert from Facebook all popped up at the same time.

If you want to get anything of value done, turn off your notifications.

Turn. Off. Your. Notifications.

Why do you think people enjoy vacationing in the middle of nowhere?

Why do you think everyone travels across the world to seek peace and quiet?

Because they think the only time they can afford to turn off the notifications in their life is when they retreat to a foreign beach, or a forest, or a prized vacation spot.

Guess what...?

You can find that peace and quiet anytime, anywhere.

All you have to do is turn off your notifications--and nobody can disturb you!

question: List the behaviors that the author says are gauche and tell us why.

answer: The author states behaviors such as constantly checking your phone, not listening, multitasking, working with the television on, working in unproductive environments working with unproductive people, not being prepared, and having notifications on are all behaviors which should be eliminated. What these all have in common is an aversion to tasks which divide one's attention. The author claims that multitasking is a myth. It appears they wish to take their personal tastes and generalize them to social norms.

question: What does the author say about multitasking?

answer: The author claims multitasking is "not a thing." They say that you should only focus on a single task at a time. In fact, many of the author's points in the article could be seen as a subset of this one point. Constantly checking one's phone and having notifications on, for example, are an instance of multitasking.

question: Why did the author write this article?

answer: The author seems to think that these habits are egregious and they must be eliminated. They have created a list based on their opinion, and recommend that other people follow it. The style of the article is bombastic and declarative. The author states opinions as though they are facts.


split: train

text:
MJ GALLERY AT PONTE 16 (MJ GALLERY, ) is an art gallery located on the second floor of the Ponte 16, Ponte 12A - 20, Rua das Lorchas e Rua do Visconde Paço de Arcos, Macau. It is the first Michael Jackson-themed gallery in Asia, and the second permanent exhibition venue in the world to exhibit artifacts from the life and work of Michael Jackson.

History

Hoffman Ma Ho Man, the executive director and deputy chairman of Success Universe Group Limited, began a collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia when he spent $350,000 USD at Julien's Auctions on November 22, 2009, in Times Square, New York City.[1][2][3] on a crystal glove that Jackson wore in 1983 during a televised performance as part of the 25th anniversary of Motown.

In addition, he purchased ten other items: including a platinum music recording sales certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, which is signed by Jackson.[4][5][6] There were more than 40 Jackson-related items in the auction.[7][8]

The MJ Gallery facilities

The MJ Gallery covers more than 4,000 square meters and accommodates approximately 200 people per hour.[9][10]

It is divided into four sections: _Time Tunnel_, _Main Exhibition Hall_, _Billie Jean Setting,_ and the _Ponte 16 Gift Gallery._

-   TIME TUNNEL (): features “MJ, The King of Pop” at the entrance, with Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 as the first stop in Michael Jackson's biography.[11][12]
-   MAIN EXHIBITION HALL (): features Neverland Ranch, “We Are the World”, and _Thriller_ artworks and album materials.[13]
-   BILLIE JEAN SETTING (): features scenes from the music video "Thriller, including CD covers of Michael Jackson albums, and his suit from _Men in Black II_ .[14][15][16]
-   PONTE 16 GIFT GALLERY (): Offers Michael Jackson-themed gifts and souvenirs.[17][18]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

title: MJ Gallery at Ponte 16

question: Where is the MJ Gallery?

answer: The second floor of the Ponte 16 [building] in Macau.

question: What does the MJ Gallery showcase?

answer: Artifacts and memorabilia relating to Michael Jackson.

question: Whose collection is on display?

answer: On display are items purchased by (belonging to) Hoffman Ma Ho Man.

question: List the sections of the MJ Gallery.

answer: Time Tunnel, Main Exhibition Hall, Billie Jean Setting, and Ponte 16 Gift Gallery.

question: How many Michael Jackson-themed galleries are in Asia?

answer: This is the first; it is not mentioned it any others have been established since.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The MJ Gallery at Ponte 16 in Macau is a permanent exhibition of artifacts and memorabilia relating to Michael Jackson. The items on display were purchased by Hoffman Ma Ho Man.


text:
I’m in the mood for Chinese; I park the car and quickly notice it’s a busy night. I walk in, there’s a lot of movement circling the restaurant. It’s my turn up; I make my order and quickly take a seat.

I was calm on the walk from my car here but now I’m even more calm. My phone’s been disconnected for months now, so… there are no interruptions. I become intensely observant, but of nothing in particular. I’m still, floating in outer space. Everything seems to be happening at the same time, all in conjunction. There’s a loud silence, I’m speechless but not in awe. I’ve been here before but never at this moment.

*I wrote it. Someone please tell me what type of literature it is as well as feedback. Thanx

title: 117 words happened last night.

question: What is the narrator in the mood for?

answer: For Chinese food

question: What does the narrator notice upon parking the car?

answer: That it was a busy night at the restaurant.

question: Why are there no interruptions for the narrator?

answer: Their phone has been disconnected for months

question: What does the narrator become intensely observant on?

answer: Nothing in particular.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator summarizes their night and highlights having a craving for Chinese food. It is a busy night at the restaurant and the narrator observes the rush.


text:
The 2017 BANGKOK CHALLENGER was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the ninth edition of the tournament and was part of the 2017 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Bangkok, Thailand between 2 and 8 January 2017.

Singles main draw entrants

Seeds

  Country   Player                Rank¹   Seed
  --------- --------------------- ------- ------
            Yūichi Sugita         112     1
            Denis Istomin         121     2
            Marius Copil          132     3
            Henri Laaksonen       136     4
            Janko Tipsarević      144     5
            Wu Di                 159     6
            Maximilian Marterer   176     7
            Yannik Reuter         206     8

-   ¹ Rankings are as of December 26, 2016.

Other Entrants

The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:

-   Congsup Congcar

-   Chayanon Kaewsuto

-   Patcharapol Kawin

-   Warit Sornbutnark

The following player received entry into the singles main draw with a protected ranking:

-   Cedrik-Marcel Stebe

The following players received entry from the qualifying draw:

-   Lloyd Glasspool

-   Soon-woo Kwon

-   Nils Langer

-   Jürgen Zopp

Champions

Singles

-   JANKO TIPSAREVIĆ def. Blaž Kavčič 6–3, 7–6(7–1).

Doubles

-   GRÉGOIRE BARRÈRE / JONATHAN EYSSERIC def. Yūichi Sugita / Wu Di 6–3, 6–2.

title: 2017 Bangkok Challenger

question: What was the Bangkok Challenger?

answer: A professional tennis tournament.

question: On what kind of court was it played?

answer: A hard court.

question: Which player ranked the highest?

answer: Yuichi Sugita.

question: What dates was the tournament held?

answer: January 2-8, 2017.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The 2017 Bangkok Challenger was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. The ninth edition of the ATP tournaments, tt took place in Bangkok, Thailand between the second and eighth of January 2017.


text:
GORGON EURYALE SEED CAKE is a kind of Chinese dessert[1] made from the gorgon fruit (Euryale ferox) seeds. It originated from the Xitang town of Jiashan County, Zhejiang. It tastes sweety and chewy.

Preparation

The ingredients of the dessert include fresh gorgon fruit, sweet rice flour, and sugar. The gorgon fruit is boiled, dried in the sun and levigated. The resulting product is mixed with sweet rice flour, sugar and water. This dough is kneaded, compressed into rectangular shapes, and steamed.

The gorgon cake is said to tonify spleen and kidney.

[1] Gorgon fruit cake

title: Gorgon cake

question: What is gorgon euryale seed cake?

answer: a kind of Chinese dessert made from gorgon fruit seeds

question: Where did gorgon euryale seed cake originate?

answer: Gorgon euryale seed cake originated in Xitang town of Jiashan County, Zhejiang.

question: What is used to make gorgon euryale seed cake?

answer: fresh gorgon fruit, sweet rice flour, and sugar

question: What does tonify mean?

answer: the article does not answer this question

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Gorgon euryale seed cake is a kind of Chinese dessert made from gorgon fruit seeds.


text:
[Image3]
It turns out David Barton’s _The Jefferson Lies_ (2012) is back, courtesy of World Net Daily. Historian John Fea of Messiah College in Grantham, PA, got the word from Warren Throckmorton, who led the charge against the original book, and with Michael Coulter, demolished it with a book of his own. Both books were reviewed here, Barton hereand Throckmorton and Coulter here.

Watch what Fea calls“over-the-top promotional video for the book with very dramatic music”:

Advertising that the book is by “historian” David Barton is bad enough. David Barton is not a historian by any stretch of the imagination. He is an apologist and propagandist, a fraud who has a BA in religious education from ORU. So, lacking even an undergraduate degree in American history, let alone a Masters or a PhD, he makes a living selling lies to repurpose America’s history for the conservative agenda.

Fea writesthat,

  The websitefor the book at WND describes The Jefferson Lies as “The New York Times bestseller pulled from the shelves because of political correctness.” (Why do conservatives and members of the Christian Right suddenly love The New York Times whenever it is used to modify “bestseller.”).

  I have not read the new edition. I hear that Barton made some changes in response to the criticisms. But I think it is safe to say that the original version of the book was not pulled from print because of “political correctness.” It was pulled from print because it was bad history.

In fact, it was not “political correctness” (Throckmorton demolishes that claim here) but the fact that so many egregious errors of fact were pointed out to the publisher that they were forced to recall the book as “deficient.” (The same should be done to all Bill O’Reilly’s historical fiction).

You can be sure Barton has not changed much. For one thing, Barton is too full of himself and too dishonest to admit he made any mistakes, intentional or otherwise, in the original book. He thinks he is “very scary for people who have a secular worldview” (ironically, that would include Thomas Jefferson).

Barton’s reaction to criticism of his book (by Throckmorton and others) was not the scholar’s careful, point-by-point refutation of such criticism, which you will regularly find in peer-reviewed journals, but rather childish and scathing attacks. And his supporters claimed that even the fact of such criticism of his book was proof that the book was accurate!

There is very little you can say about such thinking.

Barton himself is so dishonest he has claimed that a defamation lawsuit which did not take place proves he did not lie. Warren Throckmorton, again, demolishedthat lie. As Kyle Mantyla noted at Right Wing Watch, “But in typical Barton fashion, he was unable to even tell the truth about the results of his own defamation lawsuit.”

So David Barton is a liar who lies about even his own lies. He literally cannot open his mouth without lying, which offers very poor prospects indeed for any “revision” of his book.

As final damning evidence of the worthlessness of Barton’s book, Fea offers us a list of those who _endorse_ this waste of ink:

  Glen Beck

  Matt Brock, a professor of paralegal studies at Liberty University

  Bill Armstrong, the President of Colorado Christian University, a school that I understand is moving harder and harder to the Christian Right under the former U.S. senator’s leadership.

  Dr. White McKenzie Wellborn from the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society, an organization known for opposing much of the current scholarship on Jefferson, especially related to his relationship with Sally Hemings.

  Kermit Bridges, the President of Southwest Assembly of God University in Waxahachie, Texas.

  Barbara Morris, a professor of English at St. John’s University in New York.

  Everett Piper, President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University. (See our posts on Piper hereand here). OWU is one of the few schools in the United States that Barton claims is “right biblically.”

  Dr. John Swails, a professor of Middle East Studies and History at Oral Roberts University

  Monty Lobb, a professor of business and government at Ohio Christian University, another one of Barton’s approved schools.

  Douglas Wingate, the president of Life Christian University. This appears to be an online Bible college. Its most famous graduates are televangelists Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, and Joyce Meyers. They all have a “Ph.D in Theology” from this university.

But, and this is a huge “but,” Fea points out, “What is most striking about this list of endorsers is that Barton could not find one American historian to endorse the book.”

Well, yeah…an actual American historian couldn’t actually endorse a book of lies about American history. Not and ever expect to work in the field again.

Fea asks,

  Why did Barton turn to the department of paralegal studies at Liberty University for an endorsement instead of the history department? What about American historians teaching at Colorado Christian University, Southwest Assembly of God University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, and Life Christian University? The fact is, as I have noted before, there are no reputable American historians willing to endorse the book.

So stay tuned for the story of a Thomas Jefferson who never lived. Yes, Jefferson revered Jesus. He said his teachings were sublime. But Jefferson discounted the miracles (hardly a strong enough word for how he felt) that are so essential to core Christian teachings about Jesus. There is a reason Jefferson cut all the miracles out of the Bible in piecing together his own copy of the Bible.

Barton’s book ought to be called “Lies About Jefferson” rather than “The Jefferson Lies.” It would be the only honest thing about it.

[]

Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen’s Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.

question: Why was The Jefferson Lies pulled from print?

answer: It was historically inaccurate.

question: Does the author of The Jefferson Lies have a degree in history?

answer: No, he has a degree in religious studies.

question: What does the author of the paper say about the truthfulness of David Barton?

answer: That he cannot speak without lying.

question: What is the name of the author of The Jefferson Lies?

answer: David Barton.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The article is a review of a book by David Barton called The Jefferson Lies, and is very critical of the book's content, Barton's academic reputation, and his professional conduct. The author claims Barton is a liar, discusses historical inaccuracies in the book, and the reason publishers pulled the book from shelves.


text:
Nathan stood in the corner with hunched shoulders.  He could see nothing but white floral wallpaper.  The walls smelled dusty.  It was so unfair.
    His mom sentenced him to time out for twenty minutes.  For twenty minutes he was supposed to stand in that corner and do nothing.  His Pokemon, Nosepicker, was just a few points away from leveling up and there he was, enduring a staring contest with dust mites.  The worst part was that he didn't even do anything to deserve it.  His mom just hated him, she favored his brother.  All she ever did was nag at him and make him go to bed early and embarrass him in front of his friends.  One time, she planted a note in his lunch that said 'I love you, Sweety Pumpkins!  Ask Sarah if she'd like to come over and play!' and there was a winky face.  Nathan sat with Sarah at lunch that day and Sarah read that note; he was the laughing stock of the whole school.  Life would have been so much better if his mom just disappeared.
	Life went on for Nathan like that for awhile.  He chafed under his mom's curfew.  He had to bring any new girlfriend home for a very formal, very uncomfortable dinner with his mom (and no, Sarah never came for dinner).  No food upstairs, no TV before homework, no closed doors in the house.  High school came and left Nathan with an open tri-fold letter on his desk:  'Congratulations, you have been accepted to the school of your dreams.'  Those dreams finally took him far away for a long time.
	The white floral wallpaper on the walls in the corner is even dustier now.  There are small tears in the paper and dents in the wall, though I don't know how they got there.  My fingers graze the walls.  Time has a way of marking even the most untouchable of places.  I hear my brother's voice behind me.
	“Nathan.  It's your turn.”
I turn from my corner and walk across the living room into the bedroom hall.  Night is falling, and the gloomy twilight from outside is creeping between closed shutters.  I don't bother knocking before I enter my mom's room.  The nurse looks up from an IV unit and twitches something into place before she leaves.  My mom is on the bed looking old.  The bitter twilight from outside turns the hills and dips of her face into valleys and canyons.  Her hair is a vacant facade, and her pinpoint pupils are seeing somewhere else.  I sit in an old white wicker chair next to the bed.
	“Mom,” I whisper, “I'm here.  It's me, Nathan.”  A spark flashes in her eyes and my voice drops, I don't want to extinguish it.  “How are ya doin'?”
	“Nathan?”  Her voice is the skim off the top of her vocal chords.  “Yes, Nathan.  That's my son.  He's a good boy.”
	“I know, Mom, I—”
	“Stubborn too, like me.  Stubborn like his mom, but such a good boy.”
Nathan wasn't a good boy.  Nathan was resentful.  He was unappreciative and wished his mom would disappear.  He would have been glad to see the woman on the bed in front of me disintegrating into the sheets.  I hate Nathan.
	The twilight is freezing into darkness now.  There's a lamp on the nightstand next to me, but I don't want to turn it on.  My eyes close.  I just want to hear my mom's decomposing voice.
	“I give him everything, everything... I'd lay my life down for him.  He's my angel.”
Now my hands search wildly on the bed for my mom's wrist.  What angel was Nathan, the brat who waited in the corner until his mom wasted away?  My fingers find the wrist; it's a twig waiting to snap.
	Why, Nathan, did you do this to me?  You bitched and you moaned and now I am facing your punishment, this wasted woman, your dying mother.  You turned your back in some spiteful waiting game and guess what, you won, you bastard.
	“I love you, Mom,” I say.  It's an echo of someone else's words, a desperate one-liner to flirt with the idea of never seeing her again.
	My mom turns to me and then I know I've extinguished the spark because she croaks, “That's nice, all very nice.”

title: [Critique] an exercise in manipulating POV: Nathan

question: How would you describe Nathan's relationship with his mother?

answer: Nathan has a strained relationship with his mother and seems to wish for her to be gone.

question: What lead Nathan to his freedom?

answer: A tri-fold letter that stated he had been accepted to the school of his dreams.

question: What can you make of Nathan's moms health?

answer: Nathan's mom is sick and old and clearly seems to be losing her memory.

question: Why is Nathan full of self-loathing for himself?

answer: Nathan is full of self-loathing for himself because he feels as though he resents his mother and is unappreciative of her.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Nathan moves through his childhood with his strict mother. His only reprieve is when he gets a letter saying he has been accepted to his dream school. Nathan combats resentment of himself when he talks to his mother, who is extremely sick and old.


text:
JOHN ELIJAH ELVIN (b Sheffield 8 August 1900 d Romford 25 October 1964)[1] was Archdeacon of West Ham in the Diocese of Chelmsford[2] from 1958 until his death.[3]

Elvin was educated at the University of Sheffield. He was ordained Deacon in 1927; and Priest in 1928.[4] After curacies in Forest Gate and Squirrels Heath he was Priest in charge of St Michael, Gidea Park from 1931 to 1938; and Vicar there from 1938 until his appointment as Archdeacon.

Notes

Category:1900 births Category:Clergy from Sheffield Category:Alumni of the University of Sheffield Category:Archdeacons of West Ham Category:1964 deaths

[1] _Obituary._ The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Oct 27, 1964; pg. 12; Issue 56153

[2] St John's E15

[3] ‘ELVIN, Ven. John Elijah’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U49802, accessed 24 Dec 2016]

[4] Crockford's Clerical Directory 1929/30 p 402 Oxford, OUP, 1959

title: John Elvin

question: Who was John Elijah Elvin?

answer: John Elijah Elvin was the Archdeacon of West Ham in the Diocese of Chelmsford.

question: Where was Elvin educated?

answer: Elvin was educated at the University of Sheffield.

question: Where was Elvin the Priest in charge?

answer: Elvin was the priest in charge at St. Michael, Gidea Park.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: John Elijah Elvin was the Archdeacon of West Ham in the Diocese of Chelmsford. He studied at the University of Sheffield and was then ordained Deacon in 1927. Elvin also served as the priest in charge at St. Michael, Gidea Park.


text:
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Homehicam2020-07-07T18:12:25+10:00
HiCam has 20 years’ experience in aerial photography and video using Remotely Piloted Aircraft, delivering superb imagery to clients across Australia since 1996.

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HiCam operates in accordance with its Operator’s Certificate and Operations manual, and complies with CASA’s safety, legal and competency requirements. HiCam’s Operator’s Certificate number is 1-10XDE5.

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The last 20 years have given us a vast range of operating experience in different job scenarios. We use remotely-piloted fixed wing and multirotor aircraft, tethered blimps, and full scale aircraft, depending on the job.

Our ongoing work ranges from aerial photography and high-definition stabilised video, to fully edited video production, to 3D aerial surveying and fly-through animations.

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text:
ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ MALAVÉ (May 20, 1957 in San Juan, Puerto Rico-April 26, 1986 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico) was a Puerto Rican undercover agent who gained infamy with the _Cerro Maravilla_ case scandal. In 1973, still a High School student, Malavé was recruited as an undercover agent.

González, an outspoken university political leader, graduated as a police officer in 1979, the same year he went to work undercover. He infiltrated an organization of radical pro independence students and was the driver when Carlos Soto Arriví and Arnaldo Darío Rosado were murdered during a police set up at Cerro Maravilla.[1]

When the _Cerro Maravilla_ inquest was televised all over Puerto Rico González, one of the accused, gained wide fame all across the island. His face became a common sight on Puerto Rican newspaper covers, and he received constant air time on television, because he had to take the stand many times during the trial. Although the scandal played a role in squashing the reelection plans of Governor Carlos Romero Barceló, the alleged conspiracy was never proven. González was tried but acquitted on all charges.[2]

On the evening of April 26, 1986, just two months after his acquittal, González was assassinated in front of his mother's house in Bayamón. He received three gunshot wounds while his mother was slightly injured. A few hours later, a group calling itself the “Volunteer Organization for the Revolution” called local news agencies claiming responsibility. In their statements they swore to kill, “one by one”, all the police officers involved in the deaths in Cerro Maravilla.[3]

[1]

[2]

[3]

title: Alejandro González Malavé

question: What is the main point of paragraph 1?

answer: The main point of paragraph one is to give a brief introduction to Alejandro Gonzales Malave by highlighting a few central facts about his life.

question: What was Malave's relationship to Carlos Soto Arriví and Arnaldo Darío Rosado?

answer: He knew them through his undercover involvement with their radical pro-independence student organization which eventually led to him setting them up in the circumstances which led to their murders.

question: Why did Malave's face become well known in connection to the Cerro Maravilla case?

answer: Malave had gone undercover as a cop with the organization Arrivi and Rosado were associated with and was the driver in the police setup that led to their deaths. The inquest into the case was televised and since Malave was so integrally involved, his face became associated with the case.

question: Name all the people who died in this text.

answer: Alejandro Gonzalez Malave, Soto Arriví, and Arnaldo Darío Rosado.


text:
The ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS OFFICE, full name USCIS ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS OFFICE, and also known as the AAO and USCIS AAO, is an office within United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that can be used by petitioners to appeal adverse USCIS decisions made on their petitions.[1] It is located in Washington, D.C., and all its in-person functions (including listening to oral arguments) happen only in Washington, D.C.[2]

Appeals process

Three uses of Form I-290B

Most appeals must be filed on Form I-290B (with a fee) within 30 days of the initial denial. The USCIS office that denied the benefit will review the appeal and determine whether to take favorable action and grant the benefit request. If that office does not take favorable action, it will forward the appeal to the AAO for appellate review.

Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, can be used for three purposes:[3]

1.  To file an appeal with the AAO
2.  To file a motion to reconsider a decision
3.  To file a motion to reopen a decision

The key difference between appeals and motions is that appeals go to the AAO, i.e., a higher authority than the one that made the decision being appealed. Also, they do not need to include additional evidence, since the underlying claim of the appeal is that the office whose decision is being appealed did not correctly process the existing evidence.

In contrast, motions to reconsider or reopen apply to the same office that made the decision being appealed. In particular, a motion to reconsider or reopen a denial by a service center will be made to that service center. Motions to reconsider/reopen must be accompanied by new evidence showing that the initially filed petition should have been approved.

To complicate matters, it is possible to file a motion to reconsider or reopen AAO's decision in response to a past appeal.

Adjudication (or readjudication) that must be completed before an appeal can be made

An appeal can be made about a petition only after the USCIS officer adjudicating or re-adjudicating the petition has finished adjudicating, and only if the petition was denied (for initial adjudication) or revoked (for re-adjudication).

There are two steps that the USCIS might take in order to help petitioners voice their concerns during adjudication, to reduce the need for appeals:

-   Request For Evidence (RFE): Here, the USCIS requests the petitioner for additional evidence while the form is still being adjudicated. It is intended for use in cases where the adjudicator (the person evaluating the petition) believes that there is not enough evidence to approve the petition, but also believes that the petition may be redeemable, and that there is no clear factual or statutory basis for denial.[4]
-   Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID): Here, the USCIS sends the petitioner a notice explaining that a denial is likely, along with reasons for denial. The petitioner has some time to send additional evidence that could help change the decision. The NOID is used for situations where the adjudicator (the person evaluating the petition) believes that the petition should be denied, but that the petitioner may have additional evidence that might lead the petition to be approved.[5]

In some cases, petitions that were initially approved are readjudicated after a consular officer processing a visa based on the approved petition finds a reason that the petition should not have been approved or is no longer approvable. The USCIS may decide, based on the readjudication, to revoke the petition. During this readjudication process, the USCIS may issue a Notice of Intent to Revoke (NOIR) that plays a similar role as the NOID does for initial adjudication.

if a denial or revocation is sent, it includes information on whether an appeal is allowed. If no appeal is allowed, then the only option available for challenge is filing a motion to reconsider or reopen.[6]

Submission of appeal

The following restrictions apply on using Form I-290B to file appeals:

-   The appeal _must_ be filed by the petitioner. The beneficiary cannot appeal a USCIS decision. This is relevant to forms such as Form I-129, Form I-130, and Form I-140, where, in most cases, the beneficiary differs from the petitioner. For instance, with Form I-130, a US citizen wife might file a petition for her non-US-citizen husband. In this case, only the wife can appeal a denial, not the husband.[7]
-   The appeal must be filed within a specific time limit after the adverse decision. The limits are:[8]
    -   30 calendar days for denials served in person
    -   33 calendar days for denials served by mail
    -   15 calendar days for revocations served in person
    -   18 calendar days for revocations served by mail

An appeal that is filed late is automatically treated as a motion to reconsider or reopen, if it otherwise meets the criteria for those. Although the motion to reconsider or reopen also has the same time limits, there is a little more flexibility allowed for late filing of motions.

Appeals may be accompanied by briefs in support of the appeal. The briefs can be submitted at the time of initial filing of the appeal or within 30 days.

The appellant can also request an oral argument before the AAO in Washington, D.C. Oral arguments are not always granted. Interpreters are not provided for oral arguments.[9]

Appellants may also request expedited processing of the AAO, but only by providing evidence of one or more of these:

-   Severe financial loss to a company or individual;
-   Extreme emergent situation;
-   Humanitarian situation;
-   Nonprofit status of requesting organization in furthering the cultural and social interests of the United States;
-   Department of Defense or National Interest Situation (Note: The request must come from an official United States Government entity and must state that a delay will be detrimental to the Government);
-   Handling error by USCIS that has created an unreasonable delay that may be corrected by placing the case back in its original order; and
-   Compelling interest of USCIS.

Initial field review (IFR)

If the petitioner files Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, the appeal is first sent to the office that adjudicated the original petition. This gives the office the opportunity to review the appeal and readjudicate the petition if necessary. This stage is called initial field review or IFR.[10]

If the office finds no problem with the denial or revocation, then the appeal is forwarded to the AAO, entering the stage called appellate review.

The initial field review should be completed within 45 days.[11]

The defining guidelines for IFR were issued in a November 2015 policy memorandum.[12]

Appellate review

After initial field review, the appeal is processed by AAO, using the original petition, the decision of the USCIS field office, and any briefs or oral arguments presented as part of the appeal. The AAO will then come to one of three decisions:[13][14]

-   Sustain (approve) the appeal, thus overturning the original denial or revocation.
-   Dismiss (deny) the appeal, thus maintaining the original denial or revocation.
-   Remand (return) the appeal, thus making the original office review the petition yet again.

The appellate review should be completed within six months (180 days) of receiving the appeal (note that this includes the time spent on initial field review).[15][16] Like the rest of USCIS, the AAO releases processing time goals for appeals based on form type.[17] Current AAO processing times are not included in USCIS' monthly report of processing times across its field offices and service centers,[18] but rather, the fraction of appeals for each category for which processing time goals were met in the most recent quarter is included on the AAO processing times page.

Records

It is possible to get a copy of the notice of record for an appeal made to AAO by submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to USCIS. However, this is not part of the appeal timeline, so an appellant cannot use delay in processing of the FOIA to explain delay in submitting any necessary documents.[19] The FOIA can be made by anybody (not necessarily the petitioner or beneficiary); however, key identifying information, including the petitioner's and beneficiary's name, are often redacted.[20]

Steps if the appeal is denied

If an appeal to AAO is denied, the appellant can file a motion to reconsider or reopen if there is new evidence that would show that the appeal should have been sustained.

Otherwise, the AAO's decision can be appealed within the United States federal judicial system.

Decision framework and impact on USCIS and judicial review

The significance of precedent and non-precedent decisions, as well as the concept of adopted decisions, as detailed below, have been evolving slowly since 2003. The most recent defining memorandum explaining the distinction was issued by the USCIS on November 2013.[21] This is part of a general thrust in the AAO to move toward clearer and more consistent rulemaking to improve decision quality and consistency.[22]

Non-precedent decisions

Most AAO decisions are non-precedent decisions: they apply existing law and policy to the facts of the case. Non-precedent decisions are binding on the parties involved, but have no effect on agency guidance or practice.[23] AAO has all its non-precedent decisions since 2005 available in an online repository. Decisions before 2005 can be obtained using Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.[24] The name of the petitioner and beneficiary are usually redacted in the non-precedent decisions available online.

Adopted decisions

Non-precedent decisions by AAO are sometimes adopted by USCIS as binding policy guidance for USCIS personnel. An adopted decision may later get superseded by other USCIS policy changes.[25]

Precedent decisions

Some AAO decisions acquire the status of precedent decisions. This means they become legally binding on all DHS components that deal with the law. Precedent decisions therefore carry more force than adopted decisions, which in turn carry more force than other non-precedent decisions.[26][27]

Precedent decisions may be modified or overruled by:

-   The Attorney General
-   Federal Courts
-   Later precedent decisions
-   Changes in the law

Although not legally bound by them, federal courts generally give more deference to precedent decisions, and decisions using similar reasoning as precedent decisions, than to non-precedent decisions,

Data sets

The AAO releases data on the number of appeals of each decision type (dismiss, sustain, remand) for each combination of USCIS form category and fiscal year.[28]

History

The Immigration and Naturalization Services (the historical agency that carried out functions currently carried out by USCIS, as well as some of the functions of ICE and CBP) created the Administrative Appeals Unit (AAU) in 1983.[29][30]

Later, to deal with appeals for the legalization introduced as part of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, it created the Legalization Appeals Unit (LAU).[31][32]

In 1994, the two units were combined into the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO). In 2003, the INS was dismantled and AAO was absorbed into the newly created United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).[33][34]

On November 18, 2013, USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum with guidance on the proper use of precedent and non-precedent decisions.[35]

In January 2015, the first edition of the AAO Practice Manual was published and made available online.[36]

On November 4, 2015, the USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum with updated guidance on how Form I-290B appeals would be processed by the USCIS, with a focus on explaining the timeline and process for initial field review.[37]

In April 2016, AAO made its non-precedent decisions since 2005 publicly searchable.[38]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

title: Administrative Appeals Office

question: What is the office's full name?

answer: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Administrative Appeals Office

question: Where is the office located?

answer: Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

question: What can Form I-290B be used for?

answer: Filing an appeal with the Administrative Appeals Office, filing a motion to reconsider a decision, and filing a motion to reopen a decision.

question: What can modify or overrule precedent decisions?

answer: The Attorney General, Federal Courts, later precedent decisions, and changes in the law.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Administrative Appeals Office (USCIS AAO) is a government office in Washington, D.C. that fields appeals from people who have received an adverse decision from USCIS.


text:
BERNABE BUSCAYNO, also called _Kumander Dante_, is the founder of the New People's Army, the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Early life

Bernabé Buscayno was one of eight children born to impoverished tenant farmers in Capas, Tarlac. In the late 1960s, after Buscayno's mother died of tuberculosis and his seven-year-old sister died of meningitis, his father, unable to support his remaining children, put them up for adoption. Buscayno, then a teenager, became a canecutter, earning 18 pesos for a six-day week. At his age, he led a small uprising to force the landowner to increase their wages. Another farmer, a former member of the Huks, recruited him into the Communist Party of the Philippines at age 17,[1] where he was given the code name “Dante”.[2]

Revolutionary career

At age 21, _Kumander Dante_ was already a full-time revolutionary. At age 23, he became district commander in the outfit of Faustino del Mundo, and was also called “_Kumander Sumulong_” after the Sumulong outfit. Eventually dissatisfied with the latter,[3] _Kumander Dante_ recruited some fighters and joined forces with Jose Maria Sison, who founded the Communist Party of the Philippines on December 26, 1968. Buscayno's group officially became the New People's Army (NPA) on March 29, 1969.[4]

From a group composed of about 35 members with only 10 rifles between them, the NPA grew up to about 26,000 members in its peak in the 1980s and spread throughout the Philippines (at present, the NPA has about 6,000-10,000 members and associates as estimated by the CIA), challenging the Marcos regime during the Martial Law years.[5] Buscayno was finally captured in September 1976 at age 32 during what was called “Operation Scorpio”. He had been a revolutionary for about 16 years.[6]

On November 25, 1977, Military Commission No. 2 found him along with his two co-accused, Ninoy Aquino and Lt. Victor Corpuz, guilty of subversion, murder, and illegal possession of firearms, and sentenced them to death by firing squad. Marcos, however, spared them from execution.[7]

Post-revolutionary years

After the EDSA Revolution, almost ten years after Buscayno's arrest, President Corazon Aquino ordered the release of hundreds of political detainees. Buscayno was one of those released. A year later, Buscayno, together with a few other Left leaders, formed the _Partido ng Bayan_ (PnB). Buscayno ran for senator but did not win. In that same year, 1987, he survived an attempt on his life. He escaped getting hit by bullets when two men shot at his car, but got hit by shrapnel from a grenade. Two of his companions died while the other two were wounded; Buscayno himself still has three pieces of shrapnel in his back up to the present. Buscayno left Manila and went home to Capas, Tarlac, where he turned to farming, setting up the People's Livelihood Foundation-Tarlac Integrated Livelihood Cooperative (PILF-TILCO) in 1988. The cooperative was intended to help end the poverty of the peasants. However, Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, severely ruining vast tracts of land in Luzon including Tarlac, and contributing to the demise of the cooperative in 1994.[8]

In 1999, the Department of Agrarian Reform awarded Buscayno and his family certificates of ownership for their own land. In 2000, Buscayno set up another cooperative, the Tarlac Integrated Agricultural Modernization Cooperative (TIAMC) which seeks to promote the mechanization of farmwork, from sowing the seeds to harvest.[9]

Movies

_Kumander Dante_ is a 1980s film in the Philippines starring Phillip Salvador as Buscayno.

[1]

[2] Inside the Philippine Revolution: The New People's Army and its Struggle for Power. by William Chapman (accessed November 13, 2007).

[3]

[4] World Politics Review website. _Analysts: No End in Sight for Philippines' Communist Revolt_ by Fabio Scarpello, 26 March 2007 (accessed November 13, 2007).

[5]

[6] Operation Scorpio. TIME Magazine article dated September 13, 1976 (accessed November 13, 2007).

[7]

[8]

[9]

title: Bernabe Buscayno

question: Where was Buscayno born?

answer: He was born in Capas, Tarlac in the Phillipines.

question: Did Buscayno experience tragedy in his youth?

answer: Yes, he experienced several tragedies. His mother died of tuberculosis, his seven year old sister died of meningitis, and his father put Buscayno and the remaining children up for adoption because he could no longer support them.

question: What happened when Buscayno was 23?

answer: He became district commander in the outfit of Faustino del Mundo.

question: How did Buscayno found the New People's Army?

answer: He recruited some fighters and joined forces with Jose Maria Sison. The group was only 35 members with 10 rifles between them but grew up to 26,000 members at its peak in the 1980s.

question: What did the Agrarian Reform award Buscayno?

answer: They awarded Buscayno and his family certificates of ownership of their land.

question: Why was Buscayno sentenced to death by firing squad?

answer: He was sentenced to death for subversion, murder, and illegal possession of firearms.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article details the life, revolutionary career, and post-revolutionary years of Bernabe Buscayno (Kumander Dante). He founded the New People's Army, the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, in 1969.


text:
I had been sitting in that waiting room for what felt like forever. The last thing I remembered was that I was on the plane on my way home to see my family and friends. All of a sudden I got a stinging headache and couldn't see because of a bright light that filled my eyes. And then I was here. In this waiting room.

I looked around and realized I recognized some of these faces. These people had been with me on the plane. I wondered why I was here and what they were doing here as well. As I observed the room, I noticed that things seemed off. Some of the people didn't have the lower part of their bodies, some were holding a limb belonging to them. It didn't seem to bother them, they looked more confused about this whole situation.

The speakers hanging to the ceiling would occasionally announce a name and a person would walk through a big white door. Finally I heard my name announced. I stood up, looked around me and walked through the door at the far end of the room. I was greeted by a smiling woman in blood red scrubs.

"This way", she said and walked to the corridor on the left. I followed her until we arrived at what seemed to be an office.
"In here", she said. I walked into the unlit room, found a chair opposite to a desk and sat down. The woman shut the door and I could hear her walk away. I wondered why she hadn't turned on the light, I couldn't see anything. I sat there for a moment, still confused to what was happening.  All of a sudden, a light seemed to be turned on. I looked around until I saw a lamp in the corner of the room.

"So, you are here now. We have to find a place for you, I guess", said a voice behind me. I turned around to face the desk and I saw a giant of a man sitting there. He had ruffled hair and a long beard black as coal and wearing a plaid shirt underneath his white robe. Even though he was sitting, I had to look up to see his face. He did not seem old, but it was visible in his face that he was experienced with life.
"Uh... Where exactly am I?", I asked.
„We don‘t have time for games. You should've looked it up when you first came in here", he answered as he flipped through some files.
"I just remember being on a plane and getting a terrible headache and the next thing I know is that I‘m in this waiting room. I don‘t understand what‘s going on", I said.
"I am trying to sort out this situation for you. Would you please?", he replied. I was so surprised that I couldn't say a word. Neither one of us said anything for a while, the silence only broken by the sound of the paper as he scrolled through his files.
"Ah, yes. Here it is", he said. "I'm going to have to make some calls. If you would please go back to the waiting room. You‘ll be called again".

The door behind me opened. I stood up, turned around and walked out. The door closed behind me and I walked back to the big white door and to the waiting room. There were still many people there. I looked around to try and see if there were any signs or brochures with any information, but I could not find any. I took a seat. Shortly afterwards a woman who looked to be in her late thirties sat down close to me. She seemed scared.
"Do you have any idea where we are?", I asked her calmly. She looked at me and watched me for a while before muttering her reply.
"N-no... I don‘t...", she replied. I could see the fear in her eyes.
"What are you so afraid of?", I asked her.
"Nothing!", she replied. "Well, I have he-eard stories ab-bout this. But I don't believe tha-ats happening he-ere."
"What stories?", I asked her. The talking seemed to calm her down.
"Did you get the headache and see the white light too?", she asked.
"Yes. What does that have to do with anything?".
"They say it‘s death".
"Death?". I was shocked. I didn't know what to think.
"Yes", she replied. "A bright white light. The light at the end of the tunnel. Haven‘t you heard?".
I admitted I hadn't given it any thought. I was about to say something when I heard my name on the speaker system and forgot it. I stood up, walked to the white door and was greeted by another woman.

"Sorry to keep you waiting", she said. "Would you follow me please?".
I followed her as she walked straight ahead. We walked for long and turn after turn we finally stopped in front of a grey door. She looked at me and smiled as she opened the door to another unlit room. I looked in and the room was empty except for a sofa chair that seemed to be made with leather and a made up bed.
"This is your stop", the woman said.
This did not make me any less confused, but I walked into the room and she shut the door. I expected a light to be turned on, but after standing there for a moment nothing happened. Somehow I managed to find my way to the chair and sat down, thinking someone would come soon and explain what was happening, but nothing changed. No light was turned on, no one came. I stood up and tried to find the door, but no door handle was to be found. I tried banging on the walls and call, but the sounds died out as soon as I made them. Realizing that this would not help, I made my way back to the chair and sat down and waited.

title: The Waiting Room

question: Did the plane crash?

answer: Seems to imply it did

question: Write a ~14 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator wakes up in a waiting room but does not know how he got there. The last thing he remembers is being on a plane then having a headache then waking up in the waiting room. As he looks around the room he realizes the other people waiting were on the plane with him but something is wrong. Many of them are missing limbs. Suddenly his name is called to the back. Once there he tries to ask about what happened and where he is but the man in the back who is helping him just tells him he should've looked it up before coming. Finally the man tells him he has to make some calls and sends him back to the waiting room. Still confused, the man sits down in the waiting room by a scared woman. As they talk he realizes that the woman believes this is death. Then the man is called to the back again and a woman takes him to an unlit room with a chair in it and tells him this is his stop. The man is still confused but goes in and sits down thinking someone will be along to explain things. But no one comes. He tries to find the handle and open the door but can't find the handle. He sits back down and waits.


text:
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James Vardy of Leicester City celebrates the team's Premier League win with his children.
 Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Sportswear giant Puma — the official kit supplier of shock Premier League winners Leicester City — is tripling its shirt production for the team after this season's line sold out, according to Bloomberg.

Puma made 25,000 shirts for the 2015/16 season, but they have been sold out "for months."

A spokesperson for Puma didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Anticipating continued high demand from a wave of new fans, it intends to make 90,000 shirts for the next season.

Leicester City's website recently unveiled the new kit designs, set to debut next season.

Bloomberg added that Puma had no bonus contract with Leicester because when their agreement was signed four years ago nobody expected the team to win the Premiership.

Manchester United currently has the biggest kit agreement in the Premiership — a 10-year deal with Adidas reportedly worth £750 million ($1.1 billion).

Another Premier League team, Chelsea, recently agreed to end its Adidas kit deal six years early. It was supposed to last until 2023, but will instead finish after next season.

Puma is struggling to value Leicester following its 5000/1 Premier League win, Bloomberg added, particularly with the new global audience it will enjoy in the next Champions League. It cites sports analyst Repucon, which estimates Leicester's TV viewership has risen 23% in the UK and 70% in the US.

__
Read the original article on Business Insider UK. Copyright 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.

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question: What sportswear company acts as the official kit supplier of shock Premier League winners Leicester City?

answer: Puma

question: By selling out 25,000 shirts made for the 2015/16 season, how many shirts does Puma intend to make for next season?

answer: 90,000

question: Which team has the biggest kit agreement in the Premiership?

answer: Manchester United currently has a 10 year deal with Addidas reportedly worth £750 million ($1.1 billion).

question: Why is Puma struggling to value Leicester following its 5000/1 Premier League win?

answer: The club will enjoy a new global audience in the next Champions League, citing the rise in Leicester's TV viewership of 23% in the UK and 70% in the US.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: After Leicester City's historic 2015/2016 run that saw them shock the world and win the Premier League title, their official kit supplier Puma has tripled its shirt production to deal with soaring demand. Unlike Manchester United's mammoth 10-year, £750 million ($1.1 billion) deal with Addidas, Puma had no bonus contract with Leicester because nobody expected them to win four years ago. Now, Puma is struggling to value Leicester following its improbable 5000/1 Premier League win, particularly with the new global audience it will enjoy in the next Champions League.


text:
[Entrance to the Butoh-kan] The KYOTO BUTOH-KAN is a small theatre space in Kyoto, Japan that is devoted to Butoh-dance.[1]

It is supposed to be the first theatre in the world devoted to regular Butoh performances by Butoh dancers.[2][3] It is housed in a converted _kura_, or Japanese-style storehouse in the Nakagyo-ku district of Kyoto.[4][5]

Performances

The Butoh-kan opened on July 7, 2016 with a solo show called _Hisoku_ (秘色) by Butoh artist Tenko Ima, formerly of Byakkosha.[6][7][8] Two _shamisen_ players accompany her dance.[9][10][11] In February 2017 a work by Kyoto Butoh artist Masami Yurabe called “Underworld Flower” （黄泉の花）also opened.[12] September 2017 sees the opening of a third work “Antigraviton, Lovely Face” (反重力子　花のばんかせ) by dancer Fukurozaka Yasuo.[13]

The long-term plans for the Butoh-kan include adding additional solos, as well as creating “an environment to nourish new talent and as a space to pass the art form to a new generation,” according to producer Keito Kohara.[14][15]

Building

The Butoh-kan is a converted traditional Japanese _kura_, or storehouse,[16] and has walls made of earth and plaster. The kura was built in 1862, or the second year of the Bunkyū Era.[17] There was a large fire in the area during the Hamaguri Rebellion, but this _kura_ was one of the few to escape whole.[18][19] [Lotus Sutra Mandala style munefuda at the Butoh-kan.]

_Munefuda_

There is a _munefuda_ (棟札) or plaque affixed to the ridgepole of the _kura_. _Munefuda_ were attached to the ridgepoles of traditional buildings in Japan to record important events and circumstances of the building. The _munefuda_ of the Butoh-kan was written by Nyojitsu Nisso, who inscribed in the Lotus Sutra Mandala style a munefuda to avert fires in the _kura_ and prevent disaster.[20]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]  The Japan Times|newspaper=Japan Times|access-date=25 December 2016}}

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12] http://japanvisitor.blogspot.jp/2017/04/kyoto-butoh-underworld-flower.html

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

title: Kyoto Butoh-kan

question: What is the Kyoto Butoh-kan?

answer: A small theatre space.

question: Where is the Kyoto Butoh-kan?

answer: In Kyoto, Japan.

question: When did the Kyoto Butoh-kan open?

answer: July 7, 2016.

question: What is a affixed to the ridgepole of the kura?

answer: A munefuda.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about the Kyoto Butoh-kan, a small theatre space located in Japan.


text:
   Thrust into a world he knew nothing about, his face emotionless and blank, betrayed the multitude of nerved questions running through his mind. What world is this? What was he? *Who* was he? And most importantly, who was the figure that had held him so closely just a moment ago?  A glance at his surroundings revealed a dimly lit room, plain and empty apart from the desk scattered with paper, cloth, and art materials. The only curious item that caught his eyes was an hourglass of sand that hung on the wall. As he watched it intently, it turned upon itself and sand began to speckle the bottom of the glass clock.
	His appearance was similar to that of a doll, crudely made, with button eyes and hastily stitched threads that held his cotton body intact.  He was without extravagance but of course he knew nothing of extravagance or that he had naught but a few differing colors of cloth to assuage his rather ugly appearance.  In a struggle to move, he shakily attempted to stand and drag his feet a few slow strides toward the desk. A book opened before him, without prompt, and showed a diagram of a puppet, one that looked very much like him. Lines and scratchings flanked the portrait and he ran his stubby fingers over the unreadable, complex writing.  He suddenly became aware of an urge to obtain this diagram, but in reality, however limited his definition of reality was. He wanted to hold it, just as the lost figure had done in his moment of inception. He did not know what seized his mind for such a longing but was guided by an ambiguous passion. He flipped through the pages of the book, each riddled with pictures of materials and further writing and arrows.
   He has discovered a purpose for his otherwise questionable existence and held this feeling close, afraid he may not have any other feeling, no hope or ambition or want to do anything else. Without word or thought, He began to work, pouring over the texts and collecting materials in the room. He began with the body, sewing, with shaky, unskilled fingers the cloth and eventually formed the stringy outline for her: his creation. In a flurry of threads, a blur of needles, and the push of subconscious loneliness, he worked, tirelessly.
   The result of his affection and effort was a dirty lump of threads and cloth stuffed with cotton that vaguely resembled Him. He had decided that the puppet was his accomplishment and he clutched her unmoving body in his hands, waiting for animation to occur. He sat in the desk’s chair for an indeterminable amount of time and stared at the hourglass on the wall, sand still draining from the top, but now nearly near empty. When she neither moved nor held him in his growing loneliness, he shuddered and began to shake violently with remorse and disgust for his existence.  He slumped to the frigid floor looking down on his hideous creation. With the cold of the room biting on his prior eagerness and the silent soliloquy of questions again running through his mind, he gave up. In grief and anguish a single tear welled up on his button eye fell on her lifeless body.  A motion caught his attention as the puppet on the ground began to stir. A burst of warmth shot back into his body and he lifted her in his small ugly arms and held her close.  He looked up in time to see the last grain of sand flow from the hourglass. With a subtle smile of stitched yarn, he disintegrated into oblivion, leaving her alone. The hourglass rotated on itself and the sand began to trickle again.

title: Puppet Coninuity

question: Summarize the cycle of life that takes place in the story.

answer: A puppet is brought into creation as its creator disappears, the puppet, questioning its own existence sees a book with details on how to create another puppet. The puppet creates another version of itself and when the time runs out it disintegrates and the new puppet comes to life, no doubt to run through the same events again.

question: What is the purpose of the hourglass?

answer: It sets the amount of time the puppet has to exist and create another version of itself.

question: What happens if the hourglass runs out and the puppet has not created a new puppet?

answer: There is little to indicate what might happen, though presumably without a new puppet to continue the cycle, it would simply end.

question: Does the puppet have choice in this situation.

answer: Apparently not, as when he reads the book laid out before him, it appears to tell him his purpose is to create a new puppet.


text:
WILLIAM EDWARD HAYTER PRESTON (1891–1964) was a British literary editor, journalist, poet[1] and author of several books.

W. E. Hayter Preston was from adolescence interested in freethought, socialism and the occult. In 1906 he became a friend of Victor Benjamin Neuburg, who introduced him to Aleister Crowley. In 1912 Preston joined Crowley's group Mysteria Mystica Maxima but left the group in 1914 following an argument with Crowley. Starting in 1925, Preston wrote a column for _The Sunday Referee_ under the pseudonym “Vanoc II” — the columnist “Vanoc I” was Arnold White (who died in February 1925). Preston became the literary editor for _The Sunday Referee_. In April 1940 he was one of the founders of the Surrealist Group in London.[2]

Books

-   -   -   (with illustrations by Frank Brangwyn; 12 editions from 1923 to 1975)

-   with Henry Savage:
-   with Henry Savage:
-   with Henry Savage:
-

[1]

[2]

title: William Edward Hayter Preston

question: Who was William Edward Hayter Preston?

answer: A British literary editor, journalist, poet, and author

question: Name one of William Edward Hayter Preston's publications?

answer: The titles of his books are not given.

question: What type of books did William Edward Hayter Preston write?

answer: Presumably he wrote about freethought, socialism, and the occult, but this is not stated in the article.

question: Name a publication William Edward Hayter Preston edited for.

answer: The Sunday Referee

question: What was William Edward Hayter Preston's relationship with Aleister Crowley?

answer: He was introduced to Crowley by a friend and joined Crowley's Mysteria Mystica Maxima group in 1912. He left the group in 1914 after having an arhument with Crowley.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: William Edward Hayter Preston was a British literary editor, journalist, poet, and author. He was interested in freethought, socialism, and the occult. He was a member of Aleister Crowley's Mysteria Mystica Maxima group but left after an argument with Crowley in 1914. Afterwards, he wrote and edited for the Sunday Referee.


text:
The Israeli embassy has apologised to UK deputy foreign secretary Sir Alan Duncan for comments made by one of its staff members on plans “to take [him] down” due to his criticism of Israel’s settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.

The comments, made by a senior political officer at the Israeli embassy Shai Masot, were secretly captured on film during a six-month undercover operation by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit, which reveals plots by the Israeli diplomat and a British civil servant to destroy the careers of senior politicians.

In a conversation with Maria Strizzolo, who was then chief of staff to MP Robert Halfon, the deputy chairman of the ruling Conservative Party, Masot asked her if he could give her some names of MPs he would suggest she “take down”.

 Masot named Duncan, who in 2014 said that while he fully supports Israel’s right to exist, he believes settlements on occupied Palestinian land represent an “ever-deepening stain on the face of the globe”. He also likened the situation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank to apartheid.

[]Al Jazeera reveals discussions of Israel diplomat and British civil servant to ‘take down’ anti-settlement politicians. Shai Masot, senior political officer at the Israeli embassy [Al Jazeera]

Strizzolo later hinted that “a little scandal” might see Duncan dismissed.

At the same dinner table conversation, Masot described British foreign secretary Boris Johnson, Duncan’s boss, as an “idiot … without any kind of responsibilities”, while Strizzolo said he was “solid on Israel”.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

RELATED: Israel’s parliamentary plot against UK politicians

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since the announcement by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit of its findings – and the international media coverage that followed – the Israeli embassy tweeted a response saying that Masot would be “ending his term shortly”, adding that Mark Regev, ambassador of Israel to the UK, had apologised to Duncan “and made clear that the embassy considered the remarks to be completely unacceptable”.

But this latest disclosure is just one among the Investigative Unit’s many findings, which will be revealed in a four-part series “The Lobby” that will be broadcast daily on Al Jazeera from January 11 at 22:30 GMT.

The undercover investigation reveals how the Israeli government is in the midst of a brazen, covert influence campaign in Britain.

For half a year, Robin (alias), an undercover reporter working with Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit, met with members of Britain’s lobby network that enjoys strong support from the Israeli government by way of the Israeli embassy in London.

Robin posed as a graduate activist with strong sympathies towards Israel who was eager to help combat the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement prominent in Britain.

Shaping foreign policy agenda

Strizzolo, while advising Robin, revealed that she had a strategy of manipulation to ensure Israel remains at the top of the UK’s foreign policy agenda.

“If at least you can get a small group of MPs that you know you can always rely on, when there is something coming to parliament and you know you brief them, you say: ‘You don’t have to do anything, we are going to give you the speech, we are going to give you all the information, we are going to do everything for you’,” she said.

She also advised trying to infiltrate Prime Minster’s Questions, a weekly session in which the leader of the country answers questions from MPs. The debate is televised live.

“If they already have the question to table for PMQs [Prime Minister’s Questions], it’s harder to say: ‘No, no, no, I won’t do it’,” she said.

Strizzolo then boasted how her own efforts once made an immediate effect on the national debate.

While in Israel with the Conservative Friends of Israel parliamentary group in 2014, she persuaded MP Halfon to question the prime minster in public over three missing teenagers believed to have been kidnapped and murdered “to get a response from the government”, Strizzolo said.

Halfon took the request and called on former prime minister David Cameron to support the Israeli government, which he said should do “everything possible to take out Hamas terrorist networks”.

In response, Cameron promised that Britain would “stand by Israel”.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

_AL JAZEERA INVESTIGATIVE UNIT’S SERIES “THE LOBBY” CAN BE VIEWED ON AL JAZEERA AT THE FOLLOWING TIMES:_

Episode One – Wednesday, January 11, 22:30 GMT

Episode Two – Thursday, January 12, 22:30 GMT

Episode Three – Friday, January 13, 22:30 GMT

Episode Four – Saturday, January 14, 22:30 GMT

_THE SERIES WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE ONLINE._

question: What scheme is covered in this news report?

answer: The direct report covers plans to take down a member of the British Parliament by a senior political officer at the Israeli embassy. Shai Masot colludes with a senior British politician Maria Strizzolo to take down Sir Alan Duncan for his comments about the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

question: How did the plot got uncovered?

answer: An investigative reporter from the Al Jazeera Investigative Unit infiltrated the Israeli embassy by posing as a graduate activist with sympathies toward Israel.

question: What action is taken by the affected and involved parties in the wake of this discovery?

answer: The Israeli embassy quickly tweeted that Shai Masot will "end his term shortly", while the Israeli ambassador to the UK apologized to Sir Alan Duncan. Meanwhile, the Al Jazeera news agency notes that there will be more disclosures in addition.

question: What other plots were uncovered?

answer: In addition to taking down Sir Alan Duncan, another plan about infiltrating the Q & A session between the Prime Minister and the MPs to make sure Israel's interests remain at the top of the UK's foreign policies. The news report also talks about more disclosures which will be revealed in a four-part series called "The Lobby".

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: An investigative reporter from the Al Jazeera Investigation Unit uncovers plots to influence UK foreign policy by infiltrating the Israeli embassy to the UK. While the Israeli government and the ambassador apologize for the behavior of the scheming parties, the news report mentions more disclosures to come in a series called "The Lobby".


text: It was the summer of my Sophomore year of high school. This was such a great time in my life.  Girls thought I was hot, I really hadn’t quite hit puberty yet, I had great friends to fuck around with, and best of all, I discovered weed.  When everyone starts smoking weed they think they’re the shit, and my friends and I were no exception.  It was like being in this cool exclusive club that came with its own music and carefree lifestyle.  Needless to say, I was stoked to be in this nonconformist crazy pot culture; after my first few puffs of the ganja I immersed myself into the lifestyle.  The “Mac miller” look, that’s what I went for. Snap back, cargo shorts, a plain white tee and a backpack with a dime bag of weed in it.  My friends and I really became this scumbag look for a better part of a year.  But, weirdly enough girls seemed to dig the loser stoner look so I wasn’t complaining.  My best friend at the time was Cole.  We first started smoking together and became inseparable that whole summer.  I convinced him to take his first hit and after that we would always smoke together.  We were the type of people that wouldn’t even say anything but would just look at each other and die laughing.  He was my best friend.  After a while Cole never wanted to be sober.  Whatever would get him acting like a fool he would take, and that’s where things started to change.  That’s where my innocent pot-smoking friend morphed into a different person. I’m convinced he lost his personality.  Looking back at it, there was never really a falling out between us, just a loss of connection.  After a while all Cole would talk about was the “crazy” rave he went to and how much molly and acid he was doing next weekend.  He just wanted to get higher, and I couldn’t relate to him. His personality grew to become this pothead tripped-out person I thought we were just merely emulating.  That’s why I like to think back to sophomore year and the first hit of pot we took together.  The drug infused laughter we would get into as kids, and the girls we would hook up with.  I realize now that I was just playing a character and being a goofball, the difference is that Cole let the character take over his life.

title: Pot Smokin Daze

question: What is ganja?

answer: cannabis

question: What is weed?

answer: cannabis

question: What is molly?

answer: MDMA

question: Who is Mac Miller?

answer: a (now-deceased) musician whose early work and appearance are closely associated with cannabis use

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator began using cannabis in high school along with a friend, Cole. Cole, though, quickly progressed into other drugs (such as LSD and MDMA) and let a new, drug-fueled persona take over his life.


text:
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A 20-Minute Exercise to Boost Your Brainpower

Take a little time out of your lunch break to do this activity and you can improve your mental function all afternoon, according to a new study.

[A 20-Minute Exercise to Boost Your Brainpower]

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Just this week on the Buffer blog, Belle Beth Cooper offered alist of ways to put your lunch break to better use backed by science. She offered productivity-boosting suggestions such as snacking on super foods like avocados and blueberries (and dark chocolate... yum!), napping and stepping out into nature to reset.

But maybe she missed one quick and effective way to make your lunch break work harder for you -- take a quick timeout for yoga.

The idea of engaging in a 20-minute yoga session doesn't come from Eastern gurus or health nuts, but from a recent study out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the idea isn't aimed at staying slim, flexible or more grounded, but instead at boosting brain function afterwards.

Better Than Going for a Jog

The researchers recruited 30 volunteers for a head-to-head test comparing a quick yoga session with an equal period of moderate aerobic exercise, another frequently recommended brain booster and one also listed by Cooper. Half of the study participants engaged in one kind of activity, half in the other. When the two groups were tested for mental function afterwards, the yogis fared better.

"It appears that following yoga practice, the participants were better able to focus their mental resources, process information quickly, more accurately and also learn, hold and update pieces of information more effectively than after performing an aerobic exercise bout," lead author Neha Gothe said, according to PsyBlog.

The scientists are still unsure why yoga outperforms standard aerobic exercise, but speculate that the breathing exercises that are part of a yoga practice or the meditative nature of a session might be the key. "Meditation and breathing exercises are known to reduce anxiety and stress, which in turn can improve scores on some cognitive tests," Gothe noted.

Perhaps these effects are the reason a parade of business luminaries from Salesforce's Mark Benioff to author Keith Ferrazzi are avowed meditators. Studies also indicate that meditation can help entrepreneurs beat biases and make sounder financial decision. Perhaps you could start accessing those benefits with just a 20-minute yoga session during your lunch break today.

Mar 6, 2014

Sponsored Business Content[Dianomi logo]

question: How does yoga trump aerobic exercise in boosting brainpower?

answer: According to Gothe, breathing exercises and meditation in yoga practice reduce anxiety and stress, which in turn can improve scores on some cognitive tests.

question: Are 20 minutes break sufficient for brainpower exercise?

answer: It might be implied.

question: What foods are considered brain boosters?

answer: Dark chocolate, blueberries, and avocados.

question: Can yoga and aerobic exercise be combined to improve mental health?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: This article highlights the necessary measures a person should take to boost brainpower. It is required that a person should take a 20-minutes break from work to exercise to enhance productivity in the workplace. According to the article, scientists speculated that yoga proved to be more effective in mental health than aerobic exercise because of the breathing exercises in yoga. The meditative nature and breathing exercises in yoga ease anxiety and stress, improving cognitive test scores.


text:
Blue Diamond}} BLUE DIAMOND is a type of diamond which exhibits all of the same inherent properties of the mineral except with the additional element of blue color in the stone. They are colored blue by trace amounts of boron that contaminate the crystalline lattice structure. Blue diamonds belong to a subcategory of diamonds called fancy color diamonds, the generic name for diamonds that exhibit intense color.

Properties determining value

The same four basic parameters that govern the grading of all gemstones are used to grade blue diamonds–the four Cs of Connoisseurship: _color_, _clarity,_ _cut_ and _carat weight_. Color is considered the absolute most important criterion in grading a blue diamond and determining its value.[1] However, the most valuable of blue diamonds also exhibit the highest clarity grades.[2] There is no known blue diamond with a completely flawless (F) clarity grading, although several are known which are graded Internally Flawless (IF).[3]

One of the earliest mentioned blue diamonds is the Hope Diamond, a 45.52 carat fancy dark grayish-blue which is believed to have been discovered in India but whose first recorded presence was in 1666 by French gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, after whom it was called the Tavernier Blue. Its last owner was famed jeweler Harry Winston before he donated it to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.[4] Colorless (“White”) diamonds have remained the most popular type of diamond through the millennia, but the existence of this blue diamond so long ago affirms the reality of the demand for fancy color diamonds over the years.

Color

In gemology,[5] color is divided into three components: _hue_, _saturation_ and _tone_. Blue diamonds occur in hues ranging from green-blue to gray-blue, with the primary hue necessarily being blue. Green and gray are the normal secondary hues that can be found in blue diamonds. Blue diamonds are considered most beautiful and valuable when there is no secondary color present but rather are a pure blue color. However, a pure blue diamond of light color may be considered less valuable than a green-blue or gray-blue diamond whose color is more vivid. The characteristic of color is very complex in blue diamonds for this reason.[6][7] Most pure blue diamonds are Type IIb, meaning they contain either very few or a complete lack of nitrogen impurities. Type Ia blue stones contain a secondary hue and get their color from the presence of hydrogen.[8]

Clarity

As with all diamonds, the loupe standard is used to grade clarity. This means that the inclusions are judged based on the appearance of the diamond under 10x magnification, and not how it would appear to the naked eye.[9] Unlike in colorless diamonds, the clarity in blue diamonds has little effect on the diamond’s value. The exception is when there is an especially high clarity on a very vividly colored diamond. In this case, the clarity can add tremendous value.[10]

Treatments

Blue diamonds are only considered rare and valuable if they are natural. The definition of a natural blue diamond is a blue diamond that was mined with its blue color already present.[11] Since the 1950s, many methods have been developed to change a diamond’s appearance, including adding color to a colorless stone. These are considered _enhanced_ diamonds and do not have the value or resale value of a natural blue diamond.[12] Enhanced blue diamonds are not bought with the intention of investment or eventual resale. Synthetic blue diamonds have also been made, using the HPHT method.[13]

Blue diamond mines

The earliest recorded blue diamond, the Hope Diamond, was discovered in India, in the Kollur mine in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh (which at the time was part of the Golconda kingdom), in the seventeenth century.[14][15][16] However, blue diamonds have also been discovered in the Cullinan Mine in South Africa and the Golconda region.[17] A few blue diamonds have been discovered in the Argyle Mine in Western Australia as well, and are offered at their annual Argyle Tender when they are found.[18] It is thought that blue diamonds, unlike most other diamonds, are formed in the lower part of Earth’s mantle, and that the boron creating their blue color originates from serpentinite carried down to the mantle by subducting ocean tectonic plates.[19]

Blue Diamonds in Popular Culture

Aside from the fabled curse of the Hope Diamond, blue diamonds do not yet represent a large part of world culture. However, as of 2015, blue diamonds have become the most sought-after gems at auction. This was instigated by the sale of the 9.75 carat fancy vivid blue “Zoe” diamond to Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau, who bought it for, and named it after, his young daughter, Zoe.[20]

An anthropomorphic character known as Blue Diamond is a member of the Great Diamond Authority in the TV show Steven Universe.

Notable blue diamonds

  Blue Diamond                         Origin                                                                 Notability
  ------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Hope Diamond                         Kollur Mine, Golconda, India                                           One of the most famous jewels in the world, with ownership records dating back almost four centuries
  Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond            Kollur Mine, Golconda, India                                           Passed through Austrian royalty until it was sold at auction in 2008 to Laurence Graff and then re-polished
  The Tereschenko Diamond              probably Kollur Mine, Golconda, India                                  Originally owned by the prominent Tereschenko family, sold at auction in 1984 to Robert Mouawad
  Heart of Eternity                    South Africa                                                           Part of the “De Beers Millennium Jewels” display in 2000, member of the Smithsonian “Splendor of Diamonds” exhibit in Washington D.C. in 2005
  Sultan of Morocco Diamond            Kollur Mine, Golconda, India                                           Originally owned by the Yousupov family in Russia, eventually passed to the Sultans in Morocco
  The Transvaal Blue Diamond           Premier Mine (now called the Cullinan Mine), Transvaal, South Africa   Once owned by the Baumgold Bros, current owner is unknown
  The Zoe Diamond                      Probably South Africa                                                  Originally owned by Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, was sold at auction in 2014 for $32.5 million which made it, at the time, the highest price ever paid for any diamond, the highest price ever paid for a blue diamond at auction, and the highest price per carat ever paid for a diamond.[21]
  The Blue Moon of Josephine Diamond   South Africa                                                           Sold at auction to Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau Luen-hung in November 2015 for his 7-year-old daughter Josephine, one year after he bought the Zoe diamond for his 12-year-old daughter Zoe. At $48.5 million, it became, at the time, the highest price ever paid for any diamond, the highest price ever paid for a blue diamond at auction, and the highest price per carat ever paid for a diamond.[22]
  The Oppenheimer Blue Diamond         Premier Mine, South Africa                                             Originally owned by the Oppenheimer family, the diamond was sold at auction in 2016 for $58 million, making it the highest price ever paid for any diamond, and the highest price ever paid for a blue diamond at auction.[23]
  The Okavango Blue                    Orapa mine, Botswana                                                   The largest blue diamond ever discovered in Botswana,[24] it caught media attention because its original size, 41.11 carats, was comparable to that of the famous Hope Diamond, whose clarity and purity this newly discovered diamond exceeded. Its weight reduced to 20.46 carats after cutting and polishing[25]

Gallery

File:Hope Diamond.jpg|The Hope Diamond File:HopeDiamondwithoutLighting.JPG%7CThe Hope Diamond without lighting File:Hope diamond copy.jpg|Replica of the Hope Diamond File:SucherTavernierBlueReplicaRW.jpg%7CA replica of the Tavernier Blue File:Toison2010.png%7CReplica of the French Blue (Tavernier Blue) in a recreation of the Order of the Golden Fleece of King Louis XV of France

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5] _Grading Fancy-Color Diamonds_ ; Gemological Institute of America

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14] India Before Europe, C.E.B. Asher and C. Talbot, Cambridge University Press, 2006, , p. 40

[15] A History of India, Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund, Edition: 3, Routledge, 1998, p. 160;

[16] Deccan Heritage, H. K. Gupta, A. Parasher and D. Balasubramanian, Indian National Science Academy, 2000, p. 144, Orient Blackswan,

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

title: Blue diamond

question: What gives a blue diamond its color?

answer: By trace amounts of boron that contaminate the crystalline lattice structure.

question: What is the Hope Diamond?

answer: a 45.52 carat fancy dark gray-blue diamond discovered in India

question: When are blue diamonds considered most beautiful and valuable?

answer: When there is no secondary color present but rather are a pure blue color.

question: Summarize the four properties that govern the grading of gemstones.

answer: Color, clarity, cut and carat weight are all used to grade blue diamonds. Color is considered the absolute most important.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: A blue diamond gets its color from the amount of baron that contaminates the crystalline lattice structure. Color, clarity, cut and carat weight are the four properties that govern the grading of gemstones.


text:
The HAZARASPIDS () (1155–1424), was a Kurdish Sunni Muslim dynasty[1][2] that ruled the Zagros Mountains region of southwestern Iran, essentially in Lorestan and the adjacent parts of Fars which flourished in the later Saljuq, Ilkhanid, Muzaffarid, and Timurid periods.[3]

Etymology

Although the founder was Abu Tahir ibn Muhammad, the dynasty is named after the latter's son and successor, Malik Hazarasp. The name of the dynasty is of Iranian origin, and means “thousand horses”.

History

The founder of dynasty was Abu Tahir ibn Muhammad, a descendant of the Shabankara chieftain Fadluya, who was initially a commander of the Salghurids of Fars and was appointed as the governor of Kuhgiluya,[4] but eventually gained independence in Luristan and extended his realm as far as Isfahan and assumed the prestigious title of _atabeg._[5] His son, Malik Hazarasp fought a successful campaign against Salghurids and assisted Jalal-al-din Khwarezmshah in his struggle against the Mongols. Another Hazaraspid ruler Takla, accompanied Hulagu on his march to Baghdad, but deserted because of the murder of the last caliph. He was eventually caught and executed on Hulagu's order.

Yusuf Shah I received Ilkhan Abaqa's confirmation of his rule and added Khuzestan, Kuhgiluya, Firuzan (near Isfahan) and Golpayegan to his domain. Afrasiab I attempted to extend his control to the coast of Persian Gulf but faced stiff opposition from the Mongols who defeated his army at Kuhrud near Kashan. He was reinstated by Ilkhan Gaykhatu but was executed by Gazan in October 1296.[6]

The capital of Hazaraspids was located at Idaj located in present-day northern Khuzestan. Yusuf Shah II annexed the cities of Shushtar, Hoveizeh and Basra in the first half of fourteenth century.[7] During the reign of Shams-al-din Pashang, the dynasty faced attacks from the Muzaffarids and the capital Idaj temporarily fell into their hands, until the occupiers had to retreat due to their own internecine fighting.

In 1424, the Timurid ruler Shahrukh Mirza overthrew the last Hazaraspid ruler Ghiyath al-Din thereby ended the dynasty.

Rulers

1.  Abu Tahir ibn Muhammad (r. 1155–1203)
2.  Malik Hazarasp (r. 1204–1248)
3.  Imad al-Din ibn Hazarasp (r. 1248–1251)
4.  Nusrat al-Din (r. 1252–1257)
5.  Takla (r. 1257–1259)
6.  Shams al-Din Alp Arghun (r. 1259-1274)
7.  Yusuf Shah I (r. 1274–1288)
8.  Afrasiab I (r. 1288–1296)
9.  Nusrat al-Din Ahmad (r. 1296–1330)
10. Rukn al-Din Yusuf Shah II (r. 1330–1340)
11. Muzaffar al-Din Afrasiab II (r. 1340–1355)
12. Shams al-Din Pashang (r. 1355–1378)
13. Malik Pir Ahmad (r. 1378–1408)
14. Abu Sa'id (r. 1408–1417)
15. Shah Husayn (r. 1417–1424)
16. Ghiyath al-Din (r. 1424)

[1] C. E. Bosworth, _The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual_, (Columbia University Press, 1996), 205, .

[2]

[3] C. E. Bosworth,1, Encyclopædia Iranica

[4] B. Spuller,Atabakan-e Lorestan, Encyclopædia Iranica.

[5] C. E. Bosworth, _The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual_, 205.

[6] ATĀBAKĀN‵E LORESTĀN, rulers of Lorestān, part of the Zagros highlands of southwestern Iran in the later middle ages

[7] S. Lane-Poole, _The Mohammedan Dynasties: Chronological and Genealogical Tables with Historical Introductions_, 412 pp., Kessinger Publishing, 2004 (originally 1894), , p.174

title: Hazaraspids

question: What does the article say about the lands ruled by the Hazaraspids?

answer: The Hazaraspids ruled the Zagros Mountains region of southwestern Iran, essentially in Lorestan and the adjacent parts of Fars. The founder of the Dynasty, Abu Tahir Ibn Muhammad, extended the realm as far as Isfahan. Takla, another ruler, marched to Baghdad, but was unsuccessful. Yusuf Shah I added Khuzestan, Kuhgiluya, Firuzan, and Golpayean to the domain. Afrasiab I attempted to extend control to the coast of the Persian Gulf, but faced stiff opposition from the Mongols who defeated his army. The capital of Hazaraspids was located at Idaj located in present-day northern Khuzestan. Yusuf Shah II annexed the cities of Shushtar, Hoveizeh and Basra in the first half of fourteenth century. During the reign of Shams-al-din Pashang, the dynasty faced attacks from the Muzaffarids and the capital Idaj temporarily fell into their hands, until the occupiers had to retreat due to their own internecine fighting.