text:
_ALI PASCHA VON JANINA ODER DIE FRANZOSEN IN ALBANIEN_ (_Ali Pasha of Ioannina or The French in Albania_) is a one-act German singspiel. It is set around 1820 in Ioannina, then part of the Ottoman Empire and is named after its central character Ali Pasha of Ioannina.

Its music and libretto are both by the German composer Albert Lortzing – it can be considered as a precursor to his later full-length operas. He had decided to write for the stage in 1823, aged 22. Orientalist subjects were then popular and so he chose that theme for his first work. On 30 January 1824 he married Rosina Regina Ahles and soon afterwards he completed the music, but it took him until 1828 to find a theatre which would mount the work.

The couple took on an engagement at the Hoftheater Detmold in autumn 1826, as well as appearing in theatres in Münster and Osnabrück. Lortzing finally premiered the work in the Städtische Bühnen Münster in on 1 February 1828, where it was a moderate success and enabled him to continue writing plays.

Characters

-   Ali Bey, Pasha of Joannina (bass)
-   Ibrahim, overseer of the pasha's harem (bass)
-   Captain Bernier (tenor)
-   Lieutenant Robert, Bernier's friend (tenor)
-   Arianna, a girl from Corfu (soprano)
-   Soldiers, sailors, guards, slavegirls, slaves, imprisoned maidens (chorus)

Plot

Stationed in Ioannina with his battalion, the French naval captain Bernier has fallen in love with Arianna, a beautiful girl from the nearby island of Corfu. However, he has not heard from her for days and is worried about what might have happened to her. Bernier's friend Robert tries in vain to comfort him.

Bernier's concerns prove justified – Arianna had been captured by a wild horde whilst out walking on the beach and taken to Ali Pasha's harem. Ali Pasha cannot bear her laments and complaints and orders her to forget Bernier since she now belongs to him alone. The other women in the harem are unwilling to raise Arianna's hopes and instead advise her that the only way to survive her suffering is to submit herself to fate and Ali Pasha's will.

In the meantime Bernier receives news of his beloved and gains entry to Ali Pasha's palace under a pretext. Ali Pasha is initially delighted to welcome a Frenchman and brings in Arianna to show her off to him, make Bernier envious and draw on Bernier's knowledge of women.

Bernier and Arianna find it hard to conceal their true feelings and pretend that they do not know each other, but only a few minutes after Ali Pasha leaves she admits to her love. Ali Pasha overhears this from a hiding place and rushes back in swearing vengeance. Bernier is chained up but Robert and the French battalion succeed in penetrating the harem. They free Bernier and Arianna and return with them to France.

title: Ali Pascha von Janina

question: Who composed the music scores and wrote the German singspiel "Ali Pasha of loannina or The French in Albania?"

answer: Albert Lortzing.

question: Where did Lortzing premiere the final production of his music and play?

answer: Städtische Bühnen Münster.

question: Was Lortzing's music and play well received by the theatre?

answer: It appears it was a moderate success.

question: When did the play premier?

answer: 1st of February.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Albert Lortzing composed the music score and wrote the one-act German singspiel titled "Ali Pasha of loannina or The French in Albania", set around 1820. In 1823, when he was 22 years old, he began writing musical scores and plays for theatre and didn't have a breakthrough until 1828 when he finally premiered his music and libretto in the Städtische Bühnen Münster on the first of February of the same year which received moderate success.


split: train

text:
Update: June, 10/2013 - 10:14

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  Part of Cua Dai Beach in the central city Da Nang. In the last couple of decades, rising sea levels and changes to the river flow in the Thu Bon River estuary have resulted in a 20ha area of Cua Dai beach eroding away. — Photo www.otofun.net
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by Hoai Nam

DA NANG (VNS)— Hoi An's lucrative tourism sector is facing major fears about the impact of erosion along the ancient town's famous coastline, with dozens of resorts in danger of disappearing underwater in the future.

In the last couple of decades, rising sea levels and changes to the river flow in the Thu Bon River estuary have resulted in a 20-ha area of Cua Dai beach eroding away, the head of the city's natural resources and environment office Nguyen Van Hien has claimed.

"It's the worst situation of its kind that I've ever seen. The beach is dramatically disappearing. It stretched out 200m just 10 years ago, but now it has narrowed to 40m. The rest is underwater now," he said.

"The erosion has even approached a main section of the 1.5km road connecting the beach with Hoi An. We can often see waves crashing heavily against it," he added.

The road in question has already had to be extensively repaired once following damage sustained during a storm two years ago.

Hien blamed the erosion on the booming construction of resorts on the beach and the lack of proper environmental assessments before dredging occurred in the estuary.

"The building of resorts near the sea has changed the flow and currents and taken away sand from the beach every year. This, in combination with rising sea levels, has deepened the erosion taking place on the beach."

Pham Hong Trang, a staff member at the Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort and Spa, said the resort's beach is now no wider than 10m during the summer.

"The resort was launched in 2000 with a beach that stretched out for 40m, but it is much smaller now. During summer, the view is mostly just waves crashing against the resort's dyke," Trang said.

Similar accounts have been reported at the Sunrise, Golden Sand and Palm Garden resorts along Cua Dai beach.

The rising sea level has eroded 10,000sq.m of the Hoi An sea eco-tour company's 30,000sq.m property and it is now having to invest heavily in order to save what is left.

The city has responded by launching a construction project for a 1.5km embankment at a cost of VND115 billion (US$5.5 million). The dyke will help protect the most heavily damaged section of the road from erosion.

"The embankment is one of the city's seven projects in the fight against climate change. We will also dredge rivers and upgrade roads," said Hoi An City's People's Committee Deputy Chairman Nguyen Van Dung.

The city will also invest VND7.5 billion ($357,000) to replant 140ha of Nipa palm along the Thu Bon river. It is hoped that this ecological forest will protect the city from sea erosion and ease the flow of the river as well as reducing sand drift on the beach.

The majority of forest land in the area was destroyed in recent years to make way for aquaculture farms. Many of these have now been revoked so that the replanting can commence.

Cua Dai beach is 5km from Hoi An's old quarter. It is a favourite location for tourists visiting the UNESCO-recognised city. — VNS

question: What has happened to Cua Dai Beach?

answer: Rising sea levels over 20 years have resulted in a considerable area of the beach to be eroded.

question: Who is the city of Da Nang's head of the natural resources and environment office?

answer: Nguyen Van Hien

question: On what does Nguyen blame this erosion?

answer: The booming construction of resorts on the beach and the lack of proper environmental assessments before dredging occurred in the estuary. It is also tied to global warming.

question: What is the city doing to combat this?

answer: The city has responded by launching a construction project for a 1.5km embankment at a cost of VND115 billion (US$5.5 million).

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: In the Vietnamese city of Da Nang, the lucrative tourist attraction of Cua Dai Beach has shown rising sea levels that result in diminished beach area and nearing,crashing waves. Head of the city's natural resources and environment office, Nguyen Van Hien, cites the booming construction of resorts on the beach and the lack of proper environmental assessments before dredging occurred in the estuary as the set of causes for this. Other tourist areas have been similarly affected. To combat this, the city has responded by launching a pricey embankment construction project aimed at guarding the rest of the historic city. The majority of natural forest land has been destroyed to make room for aquaculture farms, but some are in the process of being torn away so replanting can begin.


text:
“Ohhh god.....” Sighed Steven, collapsing down into bed.

Stevens girlfriend cuddles up from behind him and asked the mandatory, “Rough day at the clinic?”

“Ha, that’s one way to put it.”
“Is it the stress getting to you? Or is it someone specific?” Dian’s thoughtful words were comforting as always to Steven, but it seemed to him something else lay behind them. Possibly guilt, he diagnosed. He decided that he’s address it later.

“Well there’s this one guy, he’s really just a pain in the ass, I guess.” Steven’s heart rate quickened ever so slightly thinking about it, and Dian took notice, giving his hand a comforting squeeze.

Steven continued, “This guy is so frustrating to work with. I can deal with mental issues, I mean, I completely understand him, but it’s just such a rare case. It’s defiantly schizophrenia, no doubt about it, but this specific guy just seems like he was designed for some sort of final exam back at... School.”

Dian nodded encouragingly, showing far too many signs of guilt for his liking. What had she been up to? Doesn’t she know she can’t get away with anything while dating a psychologist? Maybe she’s cheating.

“Steven?” She asked, breaking the extended silence.

Steven decided to keep going with his story anyway. “Right, sorry. As I was saying, this specific schizophrenic patient of mine seems like too perfect a case. This guy, along with having countless imaginary “friends,” actually believes that he’s a psychologist.”

“Oh.” Was the only response Dian had. If it was one of his colleges, Steven supposed he would have gotten at least a laugh. But that ‘Oh’ seemed to contain more than just guilt; now it seems to have manifested some fear as well. Steven officially decided that it was time to figure out what was going on.

“Dian, is there something wrong? Something you need to tell me?”

“Well...” She started, “I guess I always knew this day would come.”

Steven was confused. “What do you mean Dian, do you know many schizophrenics? You can’t know more than I do.” Steven smiled at his own little bit of humor.

“Never mind. I meant nothing by it.” Dian reassured.
Sometimes, Dian almost seemed foreign to Steven. Almost. “Um... Alright then, I guess I’ll go on. So this guy took one look around my room, and instantly asked me why I was sitting in his chair. Ha! His chair! Of course I had been told of his condition beforehand, so I willingly moved to the patient’s chair. But this is when it got bad. As I was supposed to be analyzing his mind, he started interviewing me! I could barely get a question in!”

“Uh-huh.” Agreed Dian. Nearly silent now.

“All I figured out was that he thought he had a girlfriend. Not a word about abuse, neglect, and only a few thoughts on his feelings. But back to the girlfriend, this is when it got weird. I swear that in the one glance around my room, he must have memorized everything he saw. He called his “girlfriend” Dian! He must have seen your picture on the desk, because he described you perfectly! His short-term memory must be amazing, because he went on to talk about my college degree and he even called himself doctor Ste-... Dian? Are you alright? Why are you crying?”

The warm dampness of Dian’s tears was spreading on the sleeve of his shirt. Funny, he thought he had taken off his work jacket. That was probably why he was so uncomfortable, and probably why Dian was refusing to be held.

“There’s no reason to cry Dian, it’s just a man who has something wrong with him.”

Dian let out another sob. “I’m not crying because of him, it’s you!”

Steven thought then. Had he done anything to upset Dian? Not that he could remember.

“Dian, why are you crying?”

“I’m not.” Said Dian. And she was right. But where were those tears coming from? My eyes. I’m crying, thought Steven. But why am I crying?

“Because it’s all falling apart.” Said Dian. No, said Steven. NO! Get it right! I just said that!

“And why is my shirt SO tight?” Steven- No- I just yelled out to the world! To whoever was beside me, as it obviously wasn’t Dian!

“I think she’s cheating on me.” The other Steven had told him. “It makes me mad, because she should know that I can tell she’s guilty!” But I just thought that minutes ago!

“NO!” I yelled, straining against-

“-these infernal straps! Dian now gone, I finally opened my eyes to look for her! Where is my bed?!?! I yelled, for now I was in my office. I can see Dian’s photo from where I lay. Still in the patient’s chair.”

title: Steven

question: How was Steven having a rough day at the clinic?

answer: He was finding it frustrating to work with a particular schizophrenic patient.

question: Explain why Steven's girlfriend, Dian, was worried about Steven while he was talking about the patient.

answer: Steven was describing his schizophrenic patient and thinking Dian was crying but it was actually Steven that was crying.

question: When did Steven realize something was off?

answer: When he was strapped and Dian was gone and finally opened his eyes.

question: Who did Steven turn out to be?

answer: Steven was actually the patient, imagining that the psychologist was the patient acting as the psychologist.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Steven talks about his frustrating day at the clinic dealing with a schizophrenic patient. The patient was sitting in the psychologist's chair thinking he was the doctor but in reality, Steven was the patient in the patient's chair imagining he was the doctor.


text:
	I ran through the trees, the wind breezing by, giving me the refreshment I so desperately needed. Even though it was dark and cloudy after weeks of sunshine, it didn’t ruin the day for me. I was on cloud nine.
	This particular forest was my favourite place to hang out and enjoy myself.  It was secluded, quiet and meditative, with towering trees galore. The perfect place to be free and alone, no cares in the world.

	Until today.

	I rounded a corner, a grin across my face, when I saw him sitting on a rock. He turned his head towards me and stared. Stared, it seemed almost, into my soul. His black, beady eyes pierced my skin, sending a chill through my spine and into my heart.

	Damn squirrel.

	I don’t know why this squirrel scared me like it did, but I didn’t move. I halted to a stop and participated in this staring contest with him. He never yielded. When my eyes finally started to burn and tear up, I turned my head away shamefully and blinked. When I looked back, I swear I saw a small smirk on the damn squirrel’s face.
	That asshole! He thinks he’s a tough customer just because he can keep his eyes open longer than me?
	I decided then and there to show him who the real man was. I quickly scanned the ground, hoping to find some sort of weapon. Nothing. I tilted my head upwards to the trees and saw a sharper branch jutting out from the side of one of the tree trunks.

	Perfect.

	I slowly edged my way over to the tree, my arm outstretched, trying to look as inconspicuous as I possibly could. I never once looked towards the tree, my eyes meeting his the entire time. His expression never changed. I couldn’t read the damn thing. I couldn’t tell if he knew what I was trying to do and if he did, he was doing an excellent job of hiding it.
	I felt my hand hit the branch and I clasped my fingers around it. I took a large breath to calm myself. I knew I had to do this quickly to get the upper hand.

	The damn squirrel never moved.

	Screw him. Just go. 1--
	The squirrel stared.
	2--
	Maybe it was a trick of the light, but at that moment, the squirrel winked.
	Huh?
	We stood in silence for a moment.
	Fuck it. 3!!

	I broke the branch off of the trunk with a loud crack and lunged at the squirrel, all in one fluid motion. I blindly swung the makeshift weapon, hoping to feel the body of the damn animal make contact. I thudded to the ground, opened my eyes and surveyed the scene.
	The squirrel was gone. He dodged the stick and was nowhere to be found.
	Jeez, he’s fast.

	That’s when the squirrel giggled.

	It came from behind me. I whipped my head around and there he was, a disgustingly smug look on his face. I wanted to punch it right off of him.
	I took another deep breath, waited three more seconds, then leapt up from the ground. This time, the branch made contact and cracked against the squirrel’s skull, taking him down. I toppled on top of his body to make sure he couldn’t get back up.

	Gotcha, you bitch.

	Suddenly, a burst of pain rocketed from my ear. The bastard had bit it! I yelped and grabbed it, freeing up the squirrel to do whatever he pleased. He rolled out from underneath me and jumped onto my back, clawing and scratching until there was hardly any skin left. My back was on fire.
	I mustered up enough strength to get ahold of the squirrel and toss him away. He plopped onto the ground a few feet away, a matted mess of fur and blood. I’m sure I wasn’t a pretty sight to behold myself.
	He slowly pushed himself onto all four legs, panting and sweating buckets. I was on all fours as well, my back stinging up a storm and my body shutting down every second.
	After what felt like hours, but was probably only a tense couple of seconds, he lunged at me again, teeth bared, rabid saliva forming around his lips. I was one step ahead of the little bastard though. I rolled out of the way, dodging the flying freak, giving me enough time to catch my breath.
	The squirrel looked over at me mid-flight, a look of surprise on his face that to this day makes me laugh. He tried to slow down to turn and fight, but he had too much momentum. I honestly think he never would of stopped, if he didn’t hit that--

*CRACK!*

	The squirrel collided with a large rock that was sitting behind me the whole time. I didn’t plan that to happen. I wish I did. Stroke of luck, I guess.
	He was done for. Most of his bones looked broken and he was moaning every time he tried to move. I slowly made my way up to him, taking careful precautions, just in case the little bugger was faking it.

	He wasn’t. He looked like shit.

	I looked into his beady, black eyes one last time. They didn’t seem as threatening as they were a few moments ago before this tense battle of ours. Maybe he was realizing his time was up. Maybe he was trying to make amends in his final moments.

	Maybe he’s just pissed because he lost.

	Taking in the sweet taste of victory, I climbed atop of my victim, raised my arms towards the Heavens and felt the incredible ecstasy of his powers draining away and flowing through my body. Now, there was only one more to defeat before I was champion. I would seek him out and take him on, squirrel to squirrel.

	For I am the Squirrel Highlander and I will never rest until I am the most powerful and only squirrel left on the face of the Earth.

	There can be only one.

title: Squirrel Fight

question: Is the narrator a person or a squirrel?

answer: the narrator is a squirrel

question: What is the Highlander?

answer: Highlander is a 1986 British fantasy action-adventure film

question: Why do the squirrels fight?

answer: That narrator is offended when the other squirrel stares at him for an extended period.

question: Does the narrator suffer any wounds in the scuffle?

answer: The other squirrel bites the narrator's ear.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is a squirrel. He fights with another squirrel, who dies by running into a rock.


text:
THARANDT STATION is a station on the Dresden–Werdau railway in the town of Tharandt in the German state of Saxony. Until the electrification of the line in 1966, Tharandt was an important stopover for the attachment of bank engines for operations on the Steil ramp up to Klingenberg-Colmnitz. Today, the station has only significance for the regional traffic. It is the terminus for most, but not all trains of Dresden S-Bahn's line S3.

History

[Entrance building, track side] [Signal box B1 (2015)] Tharandt station was established on 28 June 1855 with the opening of the _Albertsbahn AG_ and its branches to the coal mines in the _Plauensche Grund_ (the valley of the Weißeritz between Plauen and Freital). The station only became significant in 1862 with the completion of the Dresden-Werdau railway, when the station in the valley at the bottom of the _Tharandter Steige_ (“Tharandt climb”) was feared by steam operators. On a twelve kilometre-long section, trains had to climb a height of over 230 metres to reach Klingenberg-Colmnitz station. At least two bank or pilot engines were always stationed in Tharandt to assist trains make the climb. Traffic the section from Dresden to Tharandt developed quickly. As early as 1900, the line from Dresden to Tharandt had reached the limit of its capacity.[1]

This led to the reconstruction of the whole station. In 1909 an impressive Swiss chalet style entrance building and numerous annexes were built. The network of tracks was greatly enlarged so that there were 17 tracks in the station.[2] It can be seen in old photographs that there was no platform next to the entrance building, but there were two island platforms. There was an underpass for the passengers and for baggage transfer between the entrance building and the platforms, similar to that in Freital-Potschappel.[3] A locomotive depot existed here until the electrification of the station in 1966.[4] Around 1900, two signal boxes were built at the entrances to the station from Dresden and Edle Krone, as well as the numerous outbuildings, such as the office of the head of track maintenance (_Bahnmeisterei_)[5] and many buildings for rail operations.[6][7]

The large number of tracks at the station can be explained by the density of rail traffic on the Dresden-Werdau line at that time. Originally the line between Hainsberg and Tharandt consisted of four tracks.[8] At least two bank engines were always stationed at Tharandt station.[9] As the trains on the line, such as the Dresden–Munich express, consisted of at least about seven four-axle express carriages, they needed pilot and bank engines to meet the time table. After the world wars nothing changed. In photographs, the Interzone trains from Görlitz to Munich, which had to make the climb on this section, are depicted with ten four-axle express carriages. [Bus stops in the station forecourt] The Dresden–Werdau railway was electrified in 1966. This had tremendous advantages for operations, since Tharandt station’s bank engines were no longer required. Heavy goods trains were hauled by two class E 42 locomotives and passenger trains were hauled by one locomotive of the same class. The track systems were subsequently simplified. An undated track plan no longer shows a locomotive shed.[10] The largest structural changes were completed after 1989; the luggage transfer lifts on the island platforms were removed, but the exact date of this change is not known. Today only a single-storey building is visible on this platform.[11] The tracks on the station forecourt were removed and replaced by a bus stop and extensive bicycle stands.

The station was equipped with an electronic interlocking in 2001. This resulted in the greatest changes to the station. Since then, it has had only had five through tracks, one island platform and a platform next to the station building. The two mechanical signal boxes were taken out of operation. The tracks in the station were completely destroyed by the Wild Weißeritz during the August 2002 floods, During the reconstruction, some buildings such as the W2 signal box, the track maintenance office and some workshops were demolished.[12] The entrance building has been empty since then and is in poor condition. The sale of the building, which was completed in 2013, has not changed this.[13] A large part of the historic buildings were integrated into the current railway operations and saved from demolition. The B1 signal box was demolished on 9 January 2016 and its site will be used by the cycle track being built between Hainsberg and Tharandt. During the preparations, the heritage protection of the building was lifted.[14]

Outbuildings of Tharandt station in 2015

Tharadt Wartehalle-Hausbahnsteig 2015.JPG|New waiting room on the station building platform Tharandt Unterführung und Lastenaufzug 2015.JPG|Waiting room, bicycle rack and underpass next to the station building Tharandt Wartehalle Zwischenbahnsteig 2015.JPG|Waiting room on the island platform Tharandt-Wartehalle außen 2015.JPG|Former work shop converted into a waiting room

Platforms

[Tharandt station platform] No information can be given on the station’s original tracks and platforms. After the expansion around 1909, the station had two intermediate platforms. The passengers had access to the island platforms via an underpass. The baggage was carried in a luggage transfer tunnel under the main tracks.[15] There was access to the underpass and the luggage lift at the entrance building. The remains of the entrances to the island platforms can still to be seen on the railway side of the station building. The station originally did not have a platform next to the station building and the tracks next the station building were used for bank engines and for access to the goods shed.

Today, the station has three platforms, the station building platform and only one island platform. The access to the island platform is via a former workshop building. Passenger services towards Freiberg run from the station building platform. Trains running to Dresden and the S-Bahn services ending in Tharandt stop at the island platform. There is a track between the station building platform and the island platform and another one behind the island platform for trains not stopping in Tharandt to pass or overtake.

Rail services

In the age of steam, almost all trains had to be pushed up the ramp, which required good logistics at the station for the bank operation and the handling of faster and slower trains. The east-west operations on the line were always very busy for freight and passenger trains. After the electrification, the operations at the station were reduced by the loss of the bank engines. There was a train operation through the station about once an hour and the freight traffic towards Freiberg was still quite considerable until 1989.

Currently (2015) trains run through the station approximately every 30 minutes and all trains stop at the station. The operations of freight trains has decreased compared to earlier times.

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title: Tharandt station

question: When was Tharandt station built?

answer: June 28, 1855

question: Where is Tharandt station located?

answer: On the Dresden-Werdau railway in the town of Tharandt in the German state of Saxony

question: Describe the rail services at Tharandt station.

answer: During the age of steam, most trains had to be pushed up the ramp. The east-west operations were always very busy. After electrification, operations were reduced due to the loss of bank engines. A train would operate about once per hour. In 2015, trains operated roughly every 30 minutes and the operation of freight trains had decreased.

question: Describe Tharandt station's expansion in 1909.

answer: An impressive Swiss chalet style entrance building and numerous annexes were built. The network of tracks was increased to 17 tracks.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Tharandt station is a station on the Dresden–Werdau railway in the town of Tharandt in the German state of Saxony. It was established in 1855 and underwent electrification in 1966. It used to be an important stopover for the attachment of bank engines.


text:
This American Life recently had an episode featuring superheroes and superpowers. The first story debated the power of flight versus the power of invisibility. Which would you choose if you had the option and why? Between those two options, I choose the power to fly. Invisibility seems creepy to me and reminds me of that Clay Aiken song, Invisible. And yes, one of his lines in that song is, “If I was invisible, then I could just watch you in your room” (www.azlyrics.com). How was that song his one hit wonder? Pre-adolescent girls must fantasize about superhero stalkers using their powers for evil creeping . . .? Anyway, back to discussing the power of flight. I imagine that flying would be the ultimate freeing experience.

During my walks I like to watch the ravens tease one another with small prey they capture in their talons. They flip, turn and free-fall along the cliff side, and it just seems in that moment that their worries fall away as they whole-heartedly play. Of course, the poor mouse that is repeatedly dropped in the sport is probably not describing the experience as playful or fun. But just think! Flying would save me money on gas, airfare and wasted time sitting in frustrating Bay Area traffic. It would provide me with the exhilarating sensation that I feel when running. That sensation that nothing is holding you back, and you can go it alone and be all right. Many of the interviewees on This American Life stated that they would not want to use their power of flight or invisibility to help others. I sheepishly admit that rescuing people was not the first idea that popped into my mind when I pictured myself capable of flying to Hawaii (for free) on a whim. However, I had a recent experience leave me with a different superpower that I would use for the aid of others.

First, I need to preface this story with a few important details. I have extremely limited knowledge about automobiles. My capabilities when it comes to fixing or addressing issues with my car include putting gas in the fuel tank and refilling the windshield washer fluid. Yes, it’s sad but true. I almost helped change a flat tire on my car, but then it turned out that my wheel lock key was missing. You pretty much get the idea that I'm a dunce when it comes to resolving automobile issues on my own. I drive a Honda Element for work, and one morning a light came on the dashboard. I went to the user manual to decipher the hieroglyphic looking symbol, and it turned out that this particular symbol indicates low tire pressure through the tire pressure monitoring system. Well, I addressed the problem like I do most of my automobile issues: I ignored it hoping that it would go away.

A few days passed by and the damn low tire pressure light was still lit on the dashboard. I made the executive decision to stop ignoring the problem and face it. I turned to my phone and looked up how to put air into a tire. I encourage you to laugh at me, because putting air in a tire is about as basic as refilling the windshield washer fluid. But I had never done it before, and I feared the tire exploding in my face. I did know through my law class that gas stations were ordered to provide air for free, so I knew that it wouldn't cost me anything. Well, I bought a tire pressure gauge and went around to all the tires trying to figure out which one was low. Before you judge me for not just using my eyes, I did look at the tires, and they all looked fine to me. So, I took my new tire pressure gauge and checked all the tires. Sure enough the driver’s side rear tire was low and you could not tell just by looking at it. Great! I successfully determined which tire was low, and now all I had to do was fill it up with some air. Sounds easy enough, but of course being a novice this task was daunting.

I pulled the hose for the air and squeezed the lever to emit the pressurized air. Nothing. I kept squeezing, because like the “door close” elevator button, the more you try the faster it will work . . . Still nothing. Then, I decided to read the directions. Clearly stated on the front of the machine it says that to use the air you just need to go inside to the front counter. I went inside and the nice gentleman turned the air on for me, and naturally when I returned outside it actually sounded like it was on. I squeezed the lever and a shot of air came out. After removing the cap, I held the end of the hose to the nozzle on the tire and squeezed air into the tire. I began panicking though, because I was worried that air wasn’t actually going into the tire, and I was just deflating the tire. I held the end on tighter and squeezed. Paranoid about exploding tires in my face, I stopped and decided to check the pressure with my gauge. Victory! I had successfully inflated the tire to the recommended tire pressure as per the user manual guidelines.

I felt invigorated! I stood a little taller and walked with my palms face out wearing my grease proudly. However, I knew that the real testament to my success depended on that little light on the dash. I turned the car on, the low tire pressure light came on and I started to drive away. Suddenly, the light turned off! At that moment, I was unstoppable. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. As I drove on, I noticed that I began obsessively focusing on every driver’s tires. Custom paint job, imported rims, 16 cylinder 1200 horsepower Bugatti Veyron Vitesse? Nah man, check out those properly inflated tires! Throughout the day I stared at every tire I walked past, and I began feeling the urge to check the tire’s pressure. I resisted the temptation, because I didn’t feel like being arrested. Then, I would have to explain to my arresting officer that I was not trying to steal the car’s wheels; “I swear officer I was only checking the tire pressure.” It did give me an idea though. In order to avoid conflicts with law enforcement I would have to choose the life of a vigilante. I could call myself the Psi Equalizer and rescue citizen’s cars from potential flat tires by warning them about the dangerous villain, low tire pressure. My other adversaries would include broken glass, latent nail and the always conniving, pothole. Flight might not instill a sense of humanitarianism, but my new, real super power has. Fear not humankind the Psi Equalizer is here to save the day!

title: The Psi Equalizer

question: What are the possible downsides to flight that the writer does not take into consideration?

answer: The biggest issue comes with using flight for travel, while the upside of conserving gas and finances is certainly good, there is always the high likelihood that airspace restrictions would render flight as a usable power in the United States (while this would not apply to some other countries, the writer is obviously living in North America). The other issue is that the writer does not take wind resistance and other flying creatures into consideration. Much like a car has a windshield, a person flying at a considerable amount of speed would have to contend with strong winds and the occasional bird or insect.


text:
In quantum electrodynamics, the UEHLING POTENTIAL describes the interaction potential between two electric charges which, in addition to the classical Coulomb potential, contains an extra term responsible for the electric polarization of the vacuum. This potential was found by Uehling in 1935.[1][2]

The Uehling potential is given by

$$V(r)=\frac{-e^2}{4\pi r}\left(1+\frac{e^2}{6\pi^2}\int_1^\infty dx \, e^{-2rm_\text{e}x}\frac{2x^2+1}{2x^4}\sqrt{x^2-1}\right),$$

from where it is apparent that this potential is indeed a refinement of the classical Coulomb potential. Here me is the electron mass, e is its charge measured at large distances. If r ≫ 1/m, this potential simplifies to

$$V(r)\approx\frac{-e^2}{4\pi r}\left(1+\frac{e^2}{16\pi^{3/2}}\frac{1}{(m_\text{e}r)^{3/2}}e^{-2m_\text{e}r}\right),$$

while for r ≪ 1/m we have

$$V(r)\approx\frac{-e^2}{4\pi r}\left(1+\frac{e^2}{6\pi^2}\left(\log\frac{1}{m_\text{e}r}-\gamma-\frac{5}{6}\right)\right),$$

where γ is the Euler–Mascheroni constant.

Properties

It was recently demonstrated that the above integral in the expression of V(r) can be evaluated in closed form by using the modified Bessel functions of the second kind K₀(z) and its successive integrals.[3]

[1]

[2]

[3]

title: Uehling potential

question: How can the Uehling potential be calculated?

answer: The equation is unreadible.

question: When was the Uehling potential found?

answer: The Uehling potential was found in 1935.

question: How is the Uehling potential related to the classical Coulomb potential?

answer: The Uehling potential is a refinement off the classical Coulomb potential.

question: Who was the Uehling potential named after?

answer: It was named after its founder Uehling.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: In quantum electrodynamics, the Uehling potential describes the interaction potential between two electric charges that, in addition to the classical Coulomb potential, contains an extra term responsible for the electric polarization of the vacuum. The Uehling potential was found by Uehling in 1935. This potential is a refinement of the classical Coulomb potential.


text:
Variety, the Children’s Charity presented one of its famous Sunshine Coaches to children at Dame Ellen Pinsent School.

[Dame Ellen Pinsent School - Sunshine Coach Presentation]

Dame Ellen Pinsent School is a primary special school for cognition and learning, catering for over 150 children. All children at the school have a range of special educational needs, including autistic spectrum conditions, speech and language issues and moderate to severe learning difficulties.

[Dame Ellen Pinsent School - Sunshine Coach Presentation]

The school currently has just one minibus and the additional Sunshine Coach from Variety will allow Dame Ellen Pinsent School to provide a broad and balanced curriculum to all pupils. The new Sunshine Coach will be used every day to enable children to benefit from educational, cultural and recreational opportunities in the local community.

The Sunshine Coach for Dame Ellen Pinsent was generously donated by ACCESSIBLE RETAIL and is the 56th coach sponsored by the Variety longstanding supporter. Accessible Retail represent over 1,000 retailers, developers, investors and advisers from across the UK.

COLLEEN ETTRIDGE, HEAD OF FUNDRAISING AT VARIETY, THE CHILDREN’S CHARITY SAID:

  “We are delighted that the pupils of Dame Ellen Pinsent School have received their new Sunshine Coach, thanks to the generosity of Accessible Retail. These coaches enable children and young people with special needs to get the most out of school life by accessing learning and recreational facilities outside of the school environment.”

ANDREW HETHERTON, ACCESSIBLE RETAIL CHAIRMAN SAID:

  “Accessible Retail are delighted to be presenting our 56th Sunshine Coach to Dame Ellen Pinsent School on behalf of an AR Member whose son is a pupil at the school”

DENISE FOUNTAIN, HEAD TEACHER, DAME ELLEN PINSENT SCHOOL SAID:

  “We are so excited to have received our new coach. This will really help more children to access activities and learning opportunities in their local communities outside of school. Such visits are invaluable to our children who have learning disabilities, enabling to them to contextualize their learning and show it in real life situations and environments. Many thanks to all those that have fund raised for the bus and particularly the generosity of Accessible Retail.”

question: Explain what is special about the Ellen Pinsent school?

answer: The Ellen Pinsent School specializes in students who have an array of particular educational needs, from autistic spectrum issues to severe learning difficulties. The school offers a balanced curriculum to all students and strive to offer an array of cultural and recreational opportunities on top of the vats array of educational ones.

question: Why are Accessible Retail giving the school a bus?

answer: They are giving the bus on behalf of one of their members who has a child at the school.

question: How does the school feel regarding this gift?

answer: Excited, since it will allow their students to do things within their local community, which allows them to better integrate into into life.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: A page reporting on a new bus given to the Ellen Pinsent School by Accessible Retail on behalf of an Accessible Retail member.


text:
“The world knew its mother was returning. It began to prepare like a bird protects its nest or as a mother deer eats her baby’s waste. Everything changed before anyone realized it was changing. At some time, somebody thought the globe was heating up too much. It was like a comforting flame in the fireplace, though, and not the suicidal oven everyone predicted. Just one more thing for her it was later seen. The disease was nature’s greatest sacrifice. So many things changed then.

“The disease mostly just killed humans. It would break them down and turn their insides to water before they died. Most plants became inedible to humans. But, if you did eat them, you caught the disease, although animals seemed unharmed. The spirits of animals were awakened as they hadn’t been in many years. It seemed rabbits and squirrels scurried everywhere, that bears and wolves were twice as big and fearless. The deer were the uniquely altered. The herds grew and they relearned an old tongue, unspoken for generations. Their eerie clicks and chirps pealed through the forest each evening.

“Most affected were still the humans. Certainly, a great many died from the disease, but those who didn’t were the Callisto of progress—something far more mystical than what was called evolution, but betterment nonetheless. Indians got sick, but none died. One night, deer came into the reservation towns, snorting ancient rhythms like the drums. Indians woke up. Their bones felt the old songs, and everyone sang. The sick were healed. The old ways returned.

“The United States’ Department of Natural Resources studied the first changes curiously. Soon, it became apparent that nature was being reshaped into something unknown. They began massive conservation efforts to preserve everything as it had been. At first, they tried to control pollution and invasive animals, but after the disease that had to be abandoned. There were not enough people left. Then, when it became apparent that wild game was the sole source of food, the DNR found its leverage. It seemed as if a Senate or President hardly mattered anymore, it was the DNR whom the citizens obeyed.

“Now in control, the DNR doubled its conservation efforts. Studying whatever they had the resources for, they discovered that they hated what nature was doing. They wondered what had happened to forests of concrete and stars of streetlights. Despite what nature was doing elsewhere, the DNR in patches prevailed preserving things as they had been and always fighting for more. They wanted conservation above all things, the conservation of what had passed away.

“Then, Mother returned. No one knew she was coming, but we should have known the signs. The DNR called her a demon; we loved her as a god. She would guide us, give us counsel. The old ways had brought her back. She blessed us and taught us about our new world. She would say, ‘How beautiful is this world! Would you do anything to protect it?’

“The DNR met with her early on, to try and make out what she intended. It was not hard for them to understand that she wanted nature to prosper. She saw their conservation as a mother sees her child’s first art. Obviously threatened, the DNR began attacking. They would burn forests and kill animals. Once, after they had slaughtered most of a herd of deer, some Indians joined in the survivors song of mourning.

“I’m not sure if the DNR had forgotten the people living off of the land, but they were surprised. They invited us into their cities, assuming we would be with them. But, how could we desert the mother? She came and she told us, ‘We must protect this world! Would you die for me?’ And we would die for her. We began attacking DNR agents in the forests. We never went to their cities, because there were too many of them.

“A war of sorts began. They saw us as minions of a demon trying to destroy nature. So, they began fighting back. People died on every side. But, Mother urged us, ‘You are protecting the world! Don’t I deserve your life?’ We all gave our lives. Every living Indian came together. We fought and we died. Because I was too old, I just remembered. I saw the story and wrote the songs, even though there is no one left for me to pass it onto. Mother came to me and said, ‘The world has been saved! Go and tell the enemy of your victory.’

“So, I walked for a week to come to you. No one had told me how many of you had been killed. It was another week before I even saw traces of anyone. I thought maybe I was alone in this world. But, tonight you found me as I was eating this meal. Now you have heard my story.”

Billy Little-Fawn sat on the ground next to a pit of embers. The bones of a rabbit had been thrown into a hole. He intended to bury it before he left. A weary DNR agent, watched an old man who could not escape tell his story. He looked at the agent, who smiled showing small pieces of leaves stuck in his teeth. Billy covered his hole. Then, the DNR agent shot him between the eyes. Afterward, he staggered away. He threw himself on the ground to sleep. Something like sweat seeped from his pours, and the man never woke up.

“That’s the last of them,” said Mother.

title: That's the Last of Them

question: Who was Billy Little-Fawn looking for?

answer: He is looking for the DNR

question: What are they protecting the world from?

answer: The Indians are protecting the world from the destruction of Nature

question: Why was there no one left to pass the stories on to?

answer: The DNR had killed the last of the Indians

question: Who is the mother and why must they desert her to go to the cities?

answer: The mother is the protector of nature, if the Indians went to the cities, they would no be there to protect nature

question: Write a ~15 sentence summary.

answer:
The disease was nature's greatest sacrifice. It killed humans who couldn't eat the plants, and the spirits of the animals were awakened. The world knew its mother was returning. Many humans died but the Indians survived.

The DNR started conservation efforts. Eventually, they were in charge of the world and they hated what nature was doing. Now they wanted to conserve their concrete jungles. Then Mother returned.

The DNR called her a demon. They met with her but she was determined to conserve nature. The DNR launched an attack on nature. So, the Indians embarked on guerilla warfare. The DNR killed them off. Billy Little Fawn was the last survivor. Then they killed him too.


text:
[]

The Spaniard insists his side's semi-final is not over yet and is confident the Bundesliga champions can overhaul Diego Simeone's men in the return leg on Tuesday

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola has not given up hope of making it to the Champions League final despite losing the first leg of their semi-final 1-0 at Atletico Madrid.

A single Saul Niguez strike was enough to give Diego Simeone’s side victory at Vicente Calderon meaning the German champions face a tough test in the return at Allianz Arena.

However, Guardiola is confident his team can overhaul Atleti and also explained his decision to start the game without Thomas Muller.

"The reason was purely tactical. I just wanted to play with one striker,” he told reporters.

"My experience of playing with two centre-forwards is not good. I wanted more control, but I love playing with Thomas Muller.

"In Lisbon, Robert Lewandowski sat out but we won. Then it was not an issue.

"In the end, I have to make a decision. It's not over yet, we still have a chance. [If it goes wrong] then you can kill me!"

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

[GOAL][] READ MORE [] | Robben not out for season

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

Guardiola’s side are in Bundesliga action this weekend against Borussia Monchengladbach where a win would see record a fourth successive Bundesliga title and the Spaniard is expecting a tough challenge.

“Our thoughts are only on Gladbach," he added. "They have a lot of quality. Alongside Dortmund they are perhaps the team in the Bundesliga with the most quality.

"They have good players, a good coach and a good sporting philosophy.

"We are not yet champions, but I hope the fans can celebrate tomorrow."

Guardiola also had little interest in discussing Bayern's apparent interest in Hummels, the Borussia Dortmund captain who has told the Westphalian club of his desire to rejoin the Bavarians before his contract at Signal Iduna Park expires in 2017.

"Not a question for me, sorry," was the response to a query on the issue put to Guardiola, who will leave Bayern at the end of the season to join Manchester City.

The former Barcelona coach was more forthcoming when asked about Jerome Boateng, however and revealed he is close to full fitness.

"If he is fit he is one of the best three central defenders. And if he is fit, he plays. No player is better than Jerome," he explained.

"I hope he can play tomorrow. But he will be ready for Tuesday.

"I also hope for Carlo Ancelotti that he remains healthy next season."

question: Who is Pep Guardiola?

answer: He is the boss at Bayern Munich, also known as "The Spaniard." He is set to leave the club and join Manchester City.

question: Why did Guardiola start the game without Thomas Muller?

answer: He says it was a tactical move and he just wanted to play with one striker for more control.

question: Summarize everything related to Hummels.

answer: He is the Borussia Dortmund captain who has told the Westphalian club of his desire to rejoin Bayern Munich before his contract at Signal Iduna Park expires in 2017. Guardiola doesn't want to discuss Bayern's interest in Hummels.

question: What are Guardiola's thoughts on Jerome Boateng?

answer: Guardiola says Boateng is one of the best three central defenders who plays hard when healthy and fit.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich team hasn't given up on making it to the Champion's League final despite losing their semi-final game 1-0 to Atletico Madrid. Guardiola is confident his team can overcome Atleti, and said not starting Thomas Muller was a tactical decision to give him more control. Bayern will play against Borussia Monchengladbach in Bundesliga action and a win would give them their fourth successive Bundesliga title. Guardiola didn't want to discuss Bayern's interest in Hummels, the Borussia Dortmund captain who wants to rejoin the Bavarians after his contract at Signal Iduna Park expires.


text:
Social security groups have warned the government will face a “significant backlash” if it cuts welfare in next month’s budget, while criticising a proposal to introduce tougher penalties for work-for-the-dole participants.

The federal government signalled this week it would take a more punitive approach to the work-for-the dole program, penalising those who fail to turn up to interviews or appointments by stripping their welfare payments.

News Corp Australia reported measures to be announced in next month’s budget would close a “loophole” allowing “bludgers” to repeatedly skip interviews or work-for-the-dole commitments without losing their welfare payments.

The government already has broad powers to strip welfare payments and impose penalties for those who fail to meet their obligations under the scheme, but uses its discretion to waive the punishments.

Typically, it does not actually impose a penalty if the jobseeker re-engages. That waiver is designed to keep welfare recipients actively looking for jobs and prevent them from being pushed further into disadvantage.

The Australian Council of Social Service chief executive officer, Cassandra Goldie, warned against punishing jobseekers without first creating employment opportunities.

“There’s only one job for every four people unemployed. And there’s only one job for every 10 if you count people who are underemployed,” Goldie said.

“Until we address the lack of jobs, punishing people further is not a solution to getting them into work,” she said.

Goldie said the requirements on work-for-the-dole participants were onerous and complex, while the level of income support benefit was only $38 a day.

She rejected the “mean-spirited, tired narrative” against social security recipients.

“This is a non-issue that the government is trying to turn into a diversion, trying to send out a message that we are a country of ‘lazy dole bludgers’, which the public absolutely knows is not the case,” she said.

The employment minister, Michaelia Cash, said there was a cohort of people in Australia who actively refused to do suitable work.

“I think all taxpayers would rightly expect that those who can work should work and our welfare system should be there as a genuine safety net, not as something that people can choose to fund their lifestyle,” she said on Monday.

The government’s tough talk on welfare came before a poll, published by News Corpon Tuesday, showed the majority of voters (61%) oppose cuts to welfare in next month’s budget.

The Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union said the poll showed the tide was turning on “bashing dole bludgers”.

“I think people are starting to see through it,” the union president, Owen Bennett, said.

“When you look around there is very few jobs available ... I think most people who live in the real world, as opposed to the government, understand what it’s like in the job market.”

Goldie said the poll sent a very strong message to the government ahead of the budget.

She said low-income families were already facing a $6,000 reduction in their annual budget due to the recent freezing of the family tax benefit, and the loss of the schoolkids and baby bonuses, the savings of which were not redirected towards supporting low-income groups.

“The very idea that a government that is still talking up tax cuts for companies, tax cuts for people on higher incomes … there’s going to be a severe backlash if the government delivers a budget that once again falls the hardest on those with the least,” Goldie said.

Acoss have pointed to an independent 2010 review of the jobseeker compliance system to question the government’s proposed work-for-the-dole crackdown.

The review found welfare recipients often breached their requirements due to confusion about their obligations. It found increasing financial penalties for non-engagement risked “undue hardship” to a vulnerable section of the community.

“The last independent review of the mutual obligation regime recommended people be allowed to re-engage to get their payments,” Goldie said.

“This keeps a person in the system and gives them a better chance of assistance in getting a job.”

Bennett said there had already been significant increases in the number of penalties to jobseekers.

Government data appears to support this. The government suspended 1,852,762 payments for a failure to attend an interview or appointment in 2015-16, compared with 1,210,241 in 2014-15.

“These measures will actually have the opposite effect, they will push people further away from work as they go deeper and deeper into poverty,” Bennett said.

The overwhelming majority of jobseekers re-engage in compulsory appointments under the current system.

In 2015-16, 88% of jobseekers re-engaged after missing an earlier appointment.

question: What is work-for-the-dole?

answer: A program for job seekers to receive welfare assistance while searching for jobs.


text:
TIMOTHY HALLINAN (born April 28, 1945) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives for District 41 for the term starting January 10, 2017.[1]

Career

Hallinan is a retired physician who previously served in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 2007 until 2011.[2]

Elections

2016

After incumbent Republican Representative Norine Kasperik announced her retirement, Hallinan declared his candidacy for the seat. He faced Republicans Don Dihle, Jarik Dudley, and Grant Lindblom in the primary. Hallinan won the primary with 42% of the vote.[3] He ran unopposed in the general election.[4]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

title: Timothy Hallinan (politician)

question: Who was Timothy Hallinan?

answer: an American politician and Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives for District 41 for the term starting January 10, 2017

question: What did Timothy Hallinan do before getting into politics?

answer: he was a physician

question: Who did Timothy Hallinan run against in 2016?

answer: Don Dihl, Jarik Dudley and Grant Lindbloom

question: When was Timothy Hallinan born?

answer: April 28, 1945

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Timothy Hallinan is an American politician and Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives for District 41 for the term starting January 10, 2017.


text:
Context:
Cat/housesat for a coworker, wrote this when they returned from their vacation to let them know all that’s happened. Posted it on facebook as my status and got positive feedback, so I’m sharing it here too.
My name is Boris Kuslitskiy. Please don’t steal this.

Thursday.
You leave, the cats are plunged into the unexpected onset of Feast 2012, gorging on dry cat food.

Friday.
Ryan leaves us, the going away party includes alcohol, as does the bar I attend after. Arriving home at 5AM, I decided not to grace the cats with my presence again just yet.

Saturday Evening.
I arrive to feed and water the cats. Simon is friendly, Lionel chooses to ignore my presence.

Sunday.
The cats starve and dry out, reduced to only helping themselves to endless amounts of dry cat food. They operate with a different definition of starve than we do.

Monday Evening.
I stop by on my way from the movies with a friend, Sasha. Simon is distant, and fat, while Lionel is nearby, and fatter. Sasha confirms my analysis.

Tuesday Night.
I arrive late, commence furtending, continue furtending, and, finally, complete furtending. Having nowhere else to hang my work clothes for the next day, I prop open the bedroom door and hang them off the top. This lets Simon sit on the living room table and stare into the bedroom, into my eyes, and into my soul, were I to have one. He does this without fail, slowly falling asleep and staring at me through drooping eyelids as the minutes pass. I have broken his sense of order and he is no longer nice to me. Without shifting his gaze, Simon invents a time machine, locking me in his unrelenting stare for approximately 2.6 eternities. This is unsettling, but eventually the time machine falters and I sleep.

Wednesday Morning.
The first thing I see upon leaving the bedroom is Lionel rolling over to expose his belly. This is irresistible and just about cancels out having a shorter commute to work. Soon after, I scratch the underside of his cheek, and Lionel pushes his not unremarkably soft and fat face into my hand until it’s pressed down firmly against the ground. Noting the unforgiveable interruption in scratches, he graciously lifts his head, allows my hand to rise up to meet his cheek, and proceeds to push it down to the ground again. This repeats.

Wednesday Evening.
I arrive, Sasha joining me soon after I finish the furtendings. Beer, wine, and scratches flow furily. Sasha titles Simon Flat-Face. In response, his face is emotionless, flat, and furry. Lionel adopts the name Fat-Face, and my hand. I will file to reclaim custody shortly. Sasha sleeps over, being offered the bedroom while I claim the couch as my own.

Night between Wednesday and Thursday.
Sasha wakes up to see Simon inches away from her face, staring at her. I have the vaguest inkling of a feeling that Simon does not particularly like it when anybody else sleeps in that bed.

Thursday Morning.
Lionel is adorable. Simon is a cat.

Thursday Evening.
A different friend comes over. Lionel remains fat while Simon remains a cat. Together, they mostly are fat, and hide, their hides being fat, and hidden.

Friday Morning.
Reclined on the couch with my hand scratching the nearby Lionel, I conceive of an experiment, utterly moronic in hindsight. What if, just once, I choose to not spend every free moment scratching Lionel? Still purring like a tractor with a megaphone, Lionel jumps up onto the couch, wanders across my body and then, first gently, then heavily, struts his way across my neck, leaning his side against my face and forcing his furriness into every crevice, his fat molding itself to my face, leaving no respite and much hair.

Sunday Evening.
I stop by to pick up my things and scratch Lionel. He seems to have acquired a better invisible megaphone, as he purrs even more loudly.

Monday.
I miss them.

Tuesday.
I miss them.

Wednesday.
I fondly recall the fat smothering my face as Lionel saunters across my neck. I can almost taste the fur now.

title: Was asked to catsit for a coworker, so I wrote up all that happened for her return.

question: What are the cats' names?

answer: Simon and Lionel

question: What happens while their owners are away?

answer: Essentially, nothing. They eat and are fat. Lionel purrs heavily, seeking attention. They crowd the protagonist.

question: What makes the protagonist think the cats don't like it when he hangs work clothes off the bedroom door?

answer: Simon stares at him for 2.6 eternities.

question: Is the protagonist sleeping over at the friend's place while watching the cats?

answer: Yes

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The protagonist is cat/housesitting for a coworker who went on vacation. While the owners were away, essentially nothing happened. At one point the protagonist believes they've angered the cats because one of them stares at them for an extremely long time. The other cat likes to be petted, purring exceptionally loudly when scratched. The protagonist feeds and waters them, they smother the protagonist.


text:
I once saw a seagull, suspended above the ocean, held up effortlessly by the sea breeze. The bird did not wrong me, in fact we have never met before, but at that very moment I had only hatred towards it. Every squeal was an insult to my existence, every squak made my jaw clench tighter. I tried to track down the source of this overwhelming animosity, with no avail. As I stood there, leaning on the railing looking out to the ocean, our gaze locked. A surge of fiery hatred shot through my veins, and within seconds floating on the vast blueness were puddles of scattered red. The bird was torn to shreds before my eyes, like invisible hands ripping through paper; effortless. I did not move an inch, still gazing into the distance, the anger quelled. As I collected myself and stared down at the feathery masses of flesh bobbling about on the water, I though of George.
George was a coward, though none would agree, but then again no one really knew George as well as I did. After all, he was my father. My first memory of George was two decades ago; I was about seven then. It was three in the morning when the screaming and wailing woke me. Still cloudy from sleep, I followed the horrid noises to the source. As I slowly descended the staircase, I listened, wondered what could possible be making such agonic sounds this late at night, a racoon trapped under the floorboard perhaps? Each wail was consistently followed by a loud thump or two. This continued as I inched closer. Eventually the wails became moans, then the moans became eerie gargling noises, then silence.
I placed my hand on the kitchen door and pushed it open. The scene in front of me was surprisingly still and easy to comprehend. George was towering over my mother, who was sprawled across the kitchen floor. She was in her silk nightgown, twitching, drenched in red, with obvious indentations from George's steel-tipped boots across her cracked skull, her brain half spilling out and her blood dyed most of the kitchen floor red.
George was breathing heavily, looking at the same thing as I was, then his attention suddenly shifted towards me, little seven-year-old me. There was no hate in his eyes, no anger, not even fear, just emptiness. He took a step towards me, then another, my heart sank. I looked down at my mother's now motionless corpse, then back to George, then to his steel-tipped boots. I felt tears rolling down my cheeks, I shut my eyes, then THUD. I stood there for a moment, waiting for the pain to kick in. Nothing. Then, yelling. It was George's voice. I pried open my eyes and peeked. The walls were now as red as the floor, and a disembodied leg was now spinning on the kitchen floor a few feet away from George, now flailing uncontrollably. At that moment, it was clear. There is no god, no guardian angels. I did it, I knocked George's leg clean off his knee. I am more powerful.

title: Something I'm half working on. Thoughts?

question: What was the motive behind killing the narrator's mother?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: What must have been the state of the narrator's mind watching his mother's dead body?

answer: It may be implied that as a child it must have been devastating for the narrator to watch this but his feelings soon turn into anger as he chops of George's leg.

question: Why does the seagull incident remind the narrator of their mother's death?

answer: The seagull in the story is shot dead and the narrator watches its bloody body float in the sea, the same way that in their childhood they entered the kitchen and see their mother's body drenched in red and motionless.

question: In what other way would the seven-year-old narrator have manifested his anger?

answer: It may be implied that out of anger the narrator could have stabbed George instead of just chopping his leg off.


text:
MUSIC STORY is a music service website and international music data provider. It curates, aggregates, and analyzes metadata for digital music services.

History

Music Story was launched in 2008 as an online musical encyclopedia inspired by AllMusic. It was founded by Jean-Luc Biaulet and Loïc Picaud,[1] the last of whom is the site's editor-in-chief and has authored books on David Bowie, Serge Gainsbourg, Paul McCartney and Red Hot Chili Peppers.[2] Picaud also wrote _L'Odyssée du Rock Français_, a study of French rock music,[3] and contributed to the reference work _Le Rock de A à Z_.[4]

The site included artists' biographies, features on various musical genres, and album reviews.[5] Among the contributors and reviewers were music critic Christian Larrède,[6] who has written for the cultural magazine _Les Inrockuptibles_;[7] Stan Cuesta, a musician and journalist specialising in rock and folk,[8] who has also contributed to _Mojo_, _Rolling Stone_ and _Rock & Folk_;[9] and Guillaume Belhomme,[10] a jazz musician and author.[11] Along with the French publication _Le Guide du CD_, the site's album ratings are included in the statistical aggregates compiled by the website Acclaimed Music.[12]

Music Story later developed as an editorial enrichment service for digital music platforms, such as artist biographies, and processing and qualification of metadata. In 2013, the company launched an application programming interface (API).[13] Titled, Music Story Pro,[14] it offers integrated digital music search engines, access to third-party content (audio/video streams, photos, lyrics), and music recommendations. In October 2014, the company's products were featured in Radio 2.0 Paris' music technology event, hosted by Radio France.[15]

In 2015, Music Story carried out a fundraising of €600,000 to further its international development. The initiative was supported by France's Institut pour le Financement du Cinéma et des Industries Culturelles.[16] As of May that year, the company's customers included Deezer, Fnac, Amazon, Radio France, Lagardère and Universal.[17]

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title: Music Story

question: What is Music Story?

answer: It is a music service website and international music data provider.

question: When was it launched?

answer: It was launched in 2008.

question: What are some of the website's features?

answer: Music Story is basically an online musical encyclopedia that features artists' biographies, musical genres, and album reviews. Some of its features include integrated digital music search engines, access to third-party content, and music recommendations.

question: How much funding went into the program?

answer: Information can't be found.

question: Who founded the company?

answer: It was founded by Jean-Luc Biaulet.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Music Story is basically an online musical encyclopedia that features artists' biographies, musical genres, and album reviews. Some of its features integrated digital music search engines, access to third-party content, and music recommendations.


text:
Starcraft: Marine

I hate the drops. Drops were the worst. The idea behind performing these “tactical insertion operations” is to “selectively disrupt enemy production capability” but most of us jarheads just think of it as a bug stomp. We drop in near a bug hive and kill everything we see, preferably, while the main swarm is off fighting something else, than jump out. Word from intel said that the main swarm was on the move to southern ridge of our base. They had already eaten their way through Camp Eagle and Camp Limley here on Typhon and were itching for a third meal and, since we were the last remnants of Limley, we were tagged with the “opportunity” as Lt. Korvic calls it. So here we were in the APOD-33, me and seven of my buddies jammed in tighter than a porn stars cooze at a gang bang. The only thing that could make it better would be if a flock of Muta’s showed up while we were flying over the canyons. They look like worms with wings, worms that shoot bug bullets out of there asses. I’ve seen these bullets, these “glaive worms” as the brain boys like to call them, make swiss cheese out of the AAV-5 tanks so I could only imagine what they’d do to the APOD. Korvic would love that. I’d probably enjoy it to just to see Korvic’s face as we go down in her precious ship. Bitch. I can’t rag on her though; she keeps the boys alive and is our ride out of here should the shit hit the fan.

Dawn is hitting the eastern side of the ship. Drop time is coming up soon. I bark the command to perform pre-drop prep. Each of my guys reads out the HUD on their medical conditions then they start their own suit diagnostics followed by weapons checks. All of this information is relayed back to my suit which I pass on to Korvic. This was all done prior to loading up but you can never be too sure. I amble my way up to the bow and glance at the windows. It looked completely bright outside but I knew that it really wasn’t. I don’t understand the whole technology behind it but it had something to do with the ships sensors and VR displays or some nonsense.  I could see the hive in the distance, once I focused on it my HUD began restating our mission objectives and highlighting key spots to target. I still haven’t gotten used to seeing these things even after three years in the corps, which, considering the life span of a marine is a long time. A skyscraper made of bruised flesh and bone, once the ship optics focused in you could see that it was crawling with the worm larva. The Intel geeks say that the larvas are “genetically versatile” which meant that they could become almost anything in the swarm, if the right conditions were met. I reminded Korvic to scan the area for any of the growths in the area as a result of those conditions. They say that the growths are similar to tumor. Once the Zerg get wind of opposition around there turf they immediately make some kind of virus which infects one of there worker bugs.  Once the worker bug is ready it becomes a growth feeding off their creep and other shit around the area. The tumor forces the larva to become bigger, badder bugs. They say it’s some kind of “immunal response” from the hive like how white blood cells attack infections in the human body. I don't pretend to understand it, all I know is that blowing up the tumor buildings, yeah buildings, stops them from making meaner bugs. At the base of the hive were cocoons, which lord only knows what was growing inside of them. With my luck it'd be Ultras, big, fanged and armored bastards that could tear through ten marines in a single swipe. Korvic didn't scan any radioactive deposits in the area but I wouldn't rule them out either. The Ultras eat rad deposits or some shit like that and is a strong sign that Ultras might be nearby. West of the hive was our target area, the mineral mines.

Korvic’s telling me that conditions look good. We managed to avoid the max range of there Overlords, the bug eyes in the sky, and the ones hovering near our dropzone were dispatched by Vike’s on an earlier skirmish. SATCOM says Zerg hadn’t had time to replenish their number in this area with the exception of a few hundred drones.  We would be going in undetected to the mines and kill all the drones, no drones no minerals. No minerals no bugs. Simple. I shout at my crew, not that it’s necessary, the audio in our armor can filter out the background noise of the ship, but to get them pissed and ready. I remind them what the bugs have done to us, how they are eating everything they see and that they want to be the toughest sons of bitches in the universe. I remind them that once they hit the four year mark they’ll be pardoned and that all the pussy in the universe will love them and thank them for their service. I see glassy eyes and hear grunts and howls. I can tell Korvic’s pinged there suits for stims. We descend very suddenly, then immediately slow, the APOD is in its vertical take-off state. Korvic and the pilot hit it just right; we are only 10 meters above our DZ. I hear a small compressed whine within my suit. Korvic’s started my stims. As the ramp opens I can see the men stand, helmets closing on their faces, almost foaming at the mouth as the stims take effect. The dawn light hits us and I remember how I came to the corps, how I killed all of those people and that I’m only a year away from my pardon. Why would I want to leave? I can’t give this up. I don't even need the stims to kill. I sight in on the helpless worker bugs, pull the trigger and smile.

title: Starcraft: Marine

question: What main event is being described in this story?

answer: The main event being described in this story is of a drop. Many soldiers are packed in together and are waiting for their drop time. The drop time is crucial to their mission objectives and highlighting the key targets.

question: What would have happened if the narrator really enjoyed drops?


text:
DICK LEHR (born May 3, 1954) is an American author, journalist and a professor of journalism at Boston University. He is known for co-authoring The New York Times bestseller and Edgar Award winner _Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI and a Devil’s Deal_, and its sequel, _Whitey: The Life of America’s Most Notorious Mob Boss_ with fellow journalist Gerard O'Neill.

Life and career

Lehr grew up in Connecticut. He attended The Gunnery School, in Washington, Connecticut, and later attended Harvard University, graduating in 1976. While working for the _Hartford Courant_, Lehr received a law degree from the University of Connecticut in 1984.

Lehr was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford in 1991-1992. From 1985 to 2003, he was a reporter at _The Boston Globe_,[1] where he was the _Globe's_ legal affairs reporter, magazine and feature writer, and a longtime member of the Spotlight Team, an investigative reporting unit.[2] He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in investigative reporting.[3] He was a Visiting Journalist-in-Residence at The Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University in 2007.[4]

Lehr left the _Globe_ in 2003 and became a professor of journalism at Boston University College of Communication.[5]

Published works

In January 1989, he co-authored his first book, _The Underboss: The Rise and Fall of a Mafia Family_, with Gerard O’Neill published first by St. Martin’s Press and later editions by PublicAffairs.[6]

In May 2000, _Black Mass_ was released, which he also co-authored with O’Neill. Pulling from their investigations on the Spotlight Team, _Black Mass_ detailed the illicit relationship between Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger and FBI special agent John Connolly.[7][8][9][10] The book became a New York Times bestseller[11] and won the 2001 Edgar Award for best fact crime. In 2015 the film adaptation of _Black Mass_ premiered, with Johnny Depp playing the role of Whitey Bulger and Benedict Cumberbatch playing Whitey’s brother Bill Bulger. In the movie, Lehr makes a cameo as a patron in a restaurant.[12][13]

_Judgment Ridge: The True Story Behind the Dartmouth Murder_ was published in September 2003 by HarperCollins, co-authored with fellow _Globe_ reporter Mitchell Zuckoff.[14][15]

In June, 2009, Lehr published his first solo project, _The Fence: A Police Cover-up Along Boston’s Racial Divide_ published by HarperCollins, a non-fiction narrative about the police beating of Michael Cox, an officer working in plainclothes who was mistaken for a fleeing murder suspect. It was the worst known case of police brutality in Boston history.[16][17] _The Fence_ was an Edgar Award finalist for best non-fiction,[18] and Fox Searchlight Pictures is developing a motion picture based on the book, with Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos co-writing the screenplay.[19]

In 2011, James “Whitey” Bulger was arrested in Santa Monica, California after successfully evading law enforcement for nearly two decades. After his capture, Lehr co-wrote with O’Neill the definitive biography of Bulger, _Whitey: The Life of America’s Most Notorious Mob Boss_, which was published by Crown in February 2013.[20][21][22]

In 2014, Lehr authored _The Birth of a Movement: How Birth of a Nation Ignited the Battle for Civil Rights_ published by PublicAffairs. In the book, Lehr recaptures the firestorm that ensued after the 1915 release of _The Birth of a Nation_, zeroing in on the parallel narratives of two men entrenched in the controversy: an African-American journalist and agitator William Monroe Trotter and D.W. Griffith who created the film.[23] In February 2017, Lehr was featured in a PBS documentary titled _The Birth of a Movement_ as part of its Independent Lens documentary series.[24]

In 2014, Lehr began penning his first young adult novel, _Trell_, inspired by a series of articles he wrote from the _Globe_ about the questionable conviction for first-degree murder (later overturned) of a young drug dealer, Shawn Drumgold. The novel was published by Candlewick Press in September 2017. In it, a Boston teen named Trell teams up with a Globe reporter to try to uncover the evidence to show her father was wrongfully convicted for murder.[25][26] Feature film rights to _Trell_ were acquired by Epiphany Story Lab prior to the novel’s release.

Honors

-   1992 Gerald Loeb Award for Large Newspapers for “Coverage of Massachusetts' Public Pension Scandal”[27]
-   2001 Edgar Award for best fact crime.[28]
-   The Hill School's writer-in-residence[29]

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[4]  Schuster Institute {{!}} Brandeis University|url=http://www.brandeis.edu/investigate/about/lehr.html%7Cwebsite=Brandeis University|accessdate=1 October 2017|language=en}}

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[24]  Film about Controversy Around D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation|url=http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/birth-of-a-movement/%7Cwebsite=PBS%7Caccessdate=16 September 2017}}

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title: Dick Lehr

question: Which book(s) is Dick Lehr known for?

answer: He is well-known for co-authoring Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI and a Devil's Deal.

question: When did Lehr receive his law degree?

answer: He received his law degree from the University of Connecticut in 1984 while working for the Hartford Courant.

question: Why did Lehr leave the Globe in 2003?

answer: He left to become a professor of journalism at the Boston University College of Communication.

question: When did Lehr begin penning his first young adult novel?

answer: He started in 2014, having being inspired by a series of articles he wrote from the Globe on a young drug dealer named Shawn Drumgold.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Dick Lehr is known for co-authoring a New York Times Bestselling book titled lack Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI and a Devil’s Deal. While working for the Hartford Courant, Lehr received his law degree from the University of Connecticut in 1984. He left the Globe in 2003 to become a professor of journalism at the Boston University College of Communication. In 2014, Lehr began penning his first young adult novel which was inspired by a series of articles he wrote in the Globe about a young drug dealer named Shawn Drumgold.


text:
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL STUDIES (IIMT STUDIES) is an Indian-based educational outfit known for offering e-learning and distance education to working professionals.[1][2]

History

International Institute of Management and Technical Studies (IIMT Studies) was founded in 2009 by “Bharti Lokseva Charitable Trust” with its head office located in Ahmedabad, India.[3] The institute is registered under the Bombay Public Trusts act of the Government of India.[4][5]

IIMT Studies has branches in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Surat, Gujarat State.[6] It also has an extended international arm in London, United Kingdom.[7][8]

In 2017, IIMT Studies launched a book for the HR professionals, known as the “HRishta”.[9][10]

Accreditation and affiliations

IIMT Studies is the only institute in India, accredited by the British Accreditation Council of the UK as an Open and Blended learning Provider.[11]

IIMT Studies is affiliated with the Gujarat University for short certification courses.[12] It is also affiliated to the Institution of Engineers, Gujarat State Certer and European Association for Distance Learning.[13]

Partnerships

IIMT Studies is a partner institute of the Directorate of Employment and Training for Conducting Virtual Classes and [14] Gujarat Knowledge Society, Department of Technical Education, Government of India.[15]

IIMT Studies also has its tie-up with the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Vadodara.[16]

Courses

IIMT Studies offers e-learning and part time certificate courses to working professionals who do not have much time to spend for studies.[17][18][19][20]

The institute offers diploma and postgraduate courses in affiliation with the Institution of Engineers, Gujarat State centre.[21] It offers courses with the HRDC-UGC of the Kumaun University of Nainital.[22] It also offers its courses in Gulf Countries such as Dubai[23] and Kuwait.[24]

IIMT Studies runs the government institute ITI Vadagam (Dhansura) and offers short certificate courses.[25]

Awards and recognition

-   2015 - 4th best autonomous e-learning institute in India[26]

-   2019 - IIMT Studies Ltd, UK received an award from the World Education Summit for Innovation in eLearning and Blended Learning.[27]

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question: What is IIMT Studies known for?

answer: IMT Studies is known to offer e-learning and distance learning education.

question: When was IIMT Studies founded?

answer: It was founded in 2009.

question: Which institutes has IIMT Studies partnered with?

answer: IIMT Studies has partnered with the Directorate of Employment and Training, Gujarat Knowledge Society, Department of Technical Education, and Maharaja Sayajirao University.

question: What courses does the institute offer?

answer: The institute offers diploma and postgraduate courses.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer:
International Institute of Management and Technical Studies is known for offering e-learning and distance education. The institute was founded in 2009 with its head office in Ahmedabad, India.

They have branches in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Surat and also have an international arm in London. It is the only institute in India accredited by the British Accreditation Council.

IIMT Studies offers diploma and postgraduate courses. In 2019, the IIMT Studies, UK was awarded by the World Education Summit for Innovation in eLearning and Blended Learning.


text:
HBO has given a series order to a new drama from Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger and Terence Winter.

Set in 1970’s New York, the as yet untitled show will explore the drug and sex-fueled music business as punk and disco were breaking out, all through the eyes of a record executive trying to resurrect his label and find the next new sound. The series is believed to have been given a nine-episode pickup.

The project has long been gestating at HBO. It marks the latest collaboration of Scorsese and Winter, following HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and the Oscar-nommed feature “The Wolf of Wall Street.” “Boardwalk” ended its five-season run in October.

The hourlong drama will star Bobby Cannavale as Richie Finestra, the founder and president of a top-tier record label, American Century Records, with a great ear for discovering talent. Richie undergoes a crisis of character when confronted with a life-altering decision. Olivia Wilde will play his wife, Devon, a former actress/model who lived a Bohemian life in 1960s New York. Richie’s crisis causes strain on their family and propels her to re-immerse in her former lifestyle.

Ray Romano will appear as Zak Yankovich, one of Richie’s partners — the tough and savvy Head of Promotions of American Century with decades of experience dating back to the dark, mob-infested days of the recording business. Juno Temple will also star as Jamie Vine, is an ambitious assistant in the A&R Department of American Century. She uses her keen abilities to manipulate people and blend into the various subcultures of the New York music underground, in order to break through the glass ceiling and get ahead at the record label.

Rounding out the cast are Andrew “Dice” Clay; Ato Essandoh; Max Casella; James Jagger; Jack Quaid; Birgitte Hjort Sørensen; P.J. Byrne; J.C. MacKenzie; Bo Dietl; Robert Funaro and Joe Caniano.

Winter will write, showrun and executive produce the series, with Scorsese, Jagger, Rick Yorn, Victoria Pearman, Emma Tillinger Koskoff and George Mastras executive producing.

question: Summarize the second paragraph of the passage.

answer: The second paragraph of the passage describes the content and the setting of the new drama picked up by HBO.

question: What genre would you describe this new drama to categorize under?

answer: The new drama can be categorized under thriller or intense drama.


text:
KSKR (1490 AM, “The Score”) is a radio station licensed to serve Roseburg, Oregon, United States. The station, which began broadcasting in 1935, is currently owned by Brooke Communications, Inc.

Programming

KSKR broadcasts a sports radio format including syndicated programming from CBS Sports Radio.[1] KSKR also carries high school football and other local sporting events as a member of the Table Rock Sports Network.[2]

History

This station began broadcasting in June 1935 under the ownership of the News Review Company, publishers of _The News-Review_, a daily newspaper also based in Roseburg, Oregon.[3][4] By 1944, KRNR (for Roseburg's _News-Review_) was broadcasting with 250 watts of power.[5]

In 1960, the News Review Company placed the station up for sale and on March 1, 1961, it was acquired by Douglas County Tricasters, Inc.[6] In 1963, the station received a construction permit to upgrade its daytime signal strength to 1,000 watts while maintaining a nighttime output of 250 watts.[7] The station broadcast a country & western music format throughout the 1970s.[8]

In October 2004, Douglas County Tricasters, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Brooke Communications, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on January 5, 2005, and the transaction was consummated on January 14, 2005.[9]

In 2008 the station dropped its country music format to become a full-time affiliate of ESPN Radio branded as “The Score”.KRNR Radio (Country)[10] The station was assigned the current KSKR call sign by the Federal Communications Commission on June 7, 2008.[11]

Previous logo

[] (KSKR's logo under previous ESPN Radio affiliation)

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title: KSKR (AM)

question: What community does the KSKR radio station serve?

answer: Roseburg, Oregon, United States.

question: What kind of radio is KSKR?

answer: AM radio.

question: What frequency is KSKR?

answer: 1490 AM.

question: What does KSKR broadcast?

answer: Sports radio.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about KSKR, a sports radio station from Oregon.


text:
01 March 2015

It must be a really long time ago. 10 years ago? 15? Possibly more. That puts me in primary school. This was the time when going abroad was all the rage (still is). Few of our cousins had gone abroad and they always brought back titbits from the exotic countries. I remember having a Pepsi watch too big for my hand. Apparently, before it made its way to me, it had been assaulted by illogical kids who were fascinated by the backlight and chose to find dark places during the day to 'be fascinated'. They must have been really good at finding those places, because I remember being perplexed by the 'Light' button for quite some time which did absolutely nothing. Then one day, when everything was really, really dark, I found the 'Light' button activated a feeble, good for nothing, backlight which still managed to excite me to no limits. This watch was blue and red and all sorts of too big for me. Now coming back to the perfume bottle. So I come back from school one day and they tell me cousin #3 had been to Foreign (a country) and he had gotten us some things. So what I got was this really pretty perfume bottle with golden liquid which reacted ever so beautifully with light and even smelt great to boot. So they gave me the bottle and asked me if I was okay with it. They had really worried expressions which seemed odd even then but whatever. Yea I like it I said. Then they breathed half a sigh of relief and told me my brother got a pen. It was purple, quite thick and also comfortable to hold. At this stage of my life, I wanted everything that my brother had or wanted. He did use that to reverse psych me though. So that was what they were worried about. Oh well, whatever, I am a kid, but I have ego you know. I had said I liked it and so I won't throw a fit. Neither of us ever used these. My brother would just take the pen to the school and not use it. He wouldn't let me use it either. Somebody stole it. Great ending that was. I still had the perfume and every once in a while, I just hold it and look at it, mesmerised. There are patterns on the glass and I like one side more than other. And I have that thought each and every time I take it in my hand. Even if I did use it, it was in such meagre amounts that nobody would ever notice it. Once my mother asked me if she could use it. This is after quite a few years by the way. The bottle was still almost full. I was feeling quite generous, being one of the rare happy days, and I said yes. She poured it quite generously (in my mind) and I had a heart attack (figure of speech). THAT's NOT how you use it!

We are currently in the process of shifting out to a different place and I am supposed to be packing all my stuff. The perfume bottle always goes into my dirty old ‘shaving kit’. The bag also contains an Axe aftershave, manufactured in 2010, which I no longer use but still carry around. I am going to throw away the carton this time. Because carrying around junk is just plain stupid. But the ‘Pretty Aftershave bottle’ is a story for another day. So I found the bottle and was mesmerised again. Even took some pathetic photos. The bottle is still more than 50% full and I think a majority of it is gone thanks to evaporation, my greatest fear. I wonder why we do things like this. And how things like that have a hold over us. I never want to use it. I never want to lose it. I will probably lose it someday (not if I can help it) without even having used it. It's worthless in the manner that it is (not) being used. It doesn't make sense. Why do we do things that make no sense? Where does the drive come from? What part of me is it, that won't let me use it, won't even let me allow somebody else to use it either? Is this part of me a problem? Or is it what makes me unique? This part of me confuses all the rest of me. The unquantifiable. Like real life, we can’t seem to throw away things we know are of no use to us. Seems almost romantic. Almost. Mostly just fucked up.

title: [NF] The Little Pretty Bottle of Perfume

question: What does this story say about the theme of letting go?

answer: The narrator carries around an Axe aftershave that he no longer uses. He thinks carrying around junk is just plain stupid. He doesn't want to ever lose the perfume bottle.

question: What does the story say about the narrator's Pepsi watch?

answer: The narrator had a Pepsi watch that was too big for his hand. It had previously been assaulted by kids fascinated by the backlight. One day, the narrator was able to activate the backlight, which excited him to know limits. The watch was blue and red.

question: What does the story say about the narrator's love of Pepsi?

question: Summarize everything relating to the narrator's family.

answer: A few of the narrator's cousins went abroad and brought back titbits from exotic countries. When he came home from school one day, he was told one of his cousins came back from a foreign country and brought them some things. He got a perfume bottle and his brother got a pen. At that point in his life, the narrator wanted everything his brother had or wanted. His brother used to take the pen to school, and it wound up getting stolen. The narrator's mother once asked to use the perfume and poured it quite generously.