text:
[How to Choose a 3PL Logistics Provider (Top 5 Factors)]
Selecting the right LOGISTICS SERVICE PROVIDER can be a tough experience for companies. Don’t shortcut the process though, because the reputation and success of your company may soon depend on your logistics provider’s reliability.

Avoid a potential logistics nightmare by using these 5 elements in selecting your perfect logistics provider (such as a third-party logistics company, or “3PL”).

1. CAPABILITIES

A prospective logistics provider must be competent in the specific service areas that meet your company’s needs. Just because a provider is a rock star in one area, it’s not a forgone conclusion that they can service your firm properly.

Also, they should have a set of abilities that can satisfy your both your short-term and future requirements. For instance, EDI-capability may not be a requirement for you today, but what if it does become required for you in 12-24 months? Do you really want to unwind all the onboarding and integration work invested in a new relationship? Dig a little deeper and ask:

-   Are truckload lanes repetitive, originating from a limited number of shipping points and terminating to a relatively limited number of consignees?
-   Are shipments time-sensitive and/or do they require drop trailers? A mid-sized, asset-based carrier would meet these needs without getting sidetracked by their exceedingly large list of clients.
-   Are truckload lanes sporadic? Is there live loading/unloading or do shipments come from a high number of origins that terminate to a high number of receivers? If so, a 3PL provider or broker might be a better fit.
-   Do you require access to dedicated trucking assets and 3PL? A logistics provider that possesses both assets and a 3PL division may be able to offer optimal solutions.

If a provider claims to possess all the capabilities “under the sun” but your organization requires only a few core services… be wary of a company that is a “jack of all trades” and master of none.

2. CUSTOMER SERVICE

Does the logistics provider prioritize customer service, responsiveness, fluid lines of communication and effective problem solving? These elements can be difficult to ascertain early on but do your homework.

Virtually all companies claim to have excellent customer service, but how do you know? You ask their customers. Ask for references, preferably from companies in similar industries and needs. Good customer service is no accident. If the customer service is consistently excellent, it’s likely a result of a well-documented and repeated process that will continue over the years.

[Find a Logistic Provider with a Great Safety Rating]Another yield of good process execution is safety. It is uncommon for a logistics provider to achieve excellent results in customer service and poor results in safety or vice versa. It can be deduced that a safe logistics provider, probably provides good customer service.

3. SAFETY RECORD

Due to the ever-changing landscape of safety regulations, it is imperative that you select a carrier with a strong safety record. A review of safety ratings and statistics is available to the public here. Also, see how we value safety.

4. COMPANY STABILITY

Whether your supply chain is simple or complex, select a logistics provider with overall company stability. Top suppliers are consistent suppliers. Quality can be jeopardized as companies experience rapid change. How long has the company been around? (Since 1958, we’ve been saving time and money for our customers with logistics services.)

Furthermore, if one high-liability event occurs and your provider cannot withstand the fallout, the liability often shifts, in effect, to you the shipper. This concern can be eased if the provider’s “word”, name and reputation has remained intact through decades of market turbulence and economic uncertainty.

5. COMPANY REPUTATION

In a new business arrangement, you can rest assured that at some point the relationship will be tested. Often it as at this juncture, that the character of the service provider’s leadership will be revealed.

Before it is too late, investigate whether the provider is likely to respond with integrity and honor. Time will reveal whether the firm has a good, bad or ugly reputation with customers, suppliers, and employees.

-   How do they treat their suppliers and employees?
-   Are they an active and positive force within their community?
-   What type of reviews do they have online?
-   What are the consistent themes that appear again and again in their marketing material?
-   How long have they been in business?

The answers will go a long way to determining how the provider will be as a supplier and partner.

BONUS: Double-check all elements if a supplier’s price is significantly lower than the market.

-   What good is a cheap price if a provider doesn’t deliver consistently or provide an adequate response in the event of mishap?
-   What good is a cheap price if service failures cause you to lose revenue?
-   What good is a cheap price if your team spends countless hours resolving claims and problems?

Think about _THE TOTAL COST_ associated with selecting a long-term solution provider. The provider that offers you the overall lowest cost of working together is the partner you want around for years to come.

As we’ve discussed, finding the right logistics provider can be a daunting task. Use these 5 elements to narrow the field of applicants. We’ve been providing logistics services in the USA since 1958 and would be happy to figure out how we can help you improve your business. CONTACT US TO GET STARTED!

ABOUT BR WILLIAMS:

With humble beginnings back in 1958, BR Williams has grown into an award-winning supply chain management company servicing all 48 contiguous states and Canada. With facilities in Mobile AL; Piedmont, AL; Tallahassee, FL; Anniston, AL (two facilities); Eastaboga, AL; and Oxford, AL, B.R. Williams’ distribution network supports over 50 customers and another 2,550 in the Trucking and Logistics divisions. Industries served include the following: automotive, defense, home improvement, education, food raw materials, textiles, chemical, industrial packaging, metals (finished goods), highway safety and more.

TO DISCUSS YOUR DISTRIBUTION, LOGISTICS, OR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES OPTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT US ONLINE OR CALL (800) 523-7963

question: What does a logistics provider do?

answer: Provides delivery of goods from manufacturer to customer, depending on the needs of the company employing it.

question: How important is customer service?

answer: When it comes to logistics, one needs to trust they are in the best hands, so it's important to get references regarding the company you're employing to handle.

question: Who is BR Williams?

answer: A company that has been handling supply chain management since 1958. The authors of this article.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: An opinion piece delineating the various aspects of recruiting a logistics company to handle deliveries for your company, which then funnels the reader into considering BR Williams as their supply chain management company.


split: train

text:
The brightly clothed figures meandered swiftly and purposefully through the dusty Kenyan streets.  Their red, blue, pink and yellow neon dresses and scarves flapped behind them, tossing and turning in the cool wind.  They turned, without hesitation, into a dark alley.  Kenyo, the mysterious lady in blue, reached down purposefully and lifted up a manhole that was hidden in the dark night.  Kenyu, in pink, dropped gracefully into the manhole.  Kenyi and Kenye, in green and yellow, slipped in silently after her.  Kenyo dropped into the hole, closing it quietly behind her.  They were standing in a surprisingly well lit room, furnished barrenly, with jars lining the back and side walls and a large clock on the front wall.  The women moved quickly, following their nightly routine.  Kenyi and Kenye grabbed their jars, the good dreams, and glided back over to the manhole entrance whilst Kenyo and Kenyu grabbed the bad dream jars and did the same.  All four of them looked up, and at once their bodies began to change as they became significantly thinner and lighter.  They rocketed up out of the room, phasing straight through the solid manhole cover, and into the dark blue sky.  Up they went, the sky around them twinkling with the light of distant stars, and they were one with the night, moving and living as if they were made of the air itself.  When they reached a great altitude, high above where clouds would form on an overcast day, they pulled off their scarves.

“Ready?”  Said Kenyo, her sound of her silky voice efforlessly reaching the ears of the other three.

“Ready,” They replied in unison.

They took off their scarves in one swift motion, revealing the hidden length.  Nearing one hundred feet long, the lustrous scarves unraveled across the sky.  Each of the dream sisters emptied their jar directly onto the scarf, and the milky white substance was absorbed eagerly by the scarf, soaking it completely within a second.  The four looked each other and gave a nod before flying out in four opposite directions, spreading out evenly over the Kenyan urban landscape.  At once, they started swinging their magnificent, ambient scarves in a circle above their heads, gaining speed with every rotation.  When the scarves were flying so quickly they could scarcely be seen, each sister gave their scarf a quick shake.  With a loud snap only audible to them and other dream sisters around the world, the sky exploded with brilliance and color as the once white dreams lit up the night sky with colors of every variety.  The moment hung in the air, completely still, and then slowly the dreams began to fall.  Slowly and smoothly they drifted downward, and as they got closer to the ground, they began to seek out the dreamers.  They went into windows, into doors, into chimneys, entering the houses and minds of all.  As the last dream entered under the worn doorway of a small hut, the night went still.  All was silent, and all looked the way it had before.  The sisters drifted back down towards their room, the scarves reforming on their neck for the next night.  They reached the ground and entered their home, preparing to walk the streets throughout the next day, searching the minds of those who dwelt in the city for dreams to create.

“Agh!” shouted Nimye, a young Kenyan boy, bolting upright from a deep sleep.  “What a peculiar dream,”

title: I had a free night.  Wrote a little something. c:

question: Where are the brightly colored figures going?

answer: They seem to be flying over the city and delivering dreams to sleeping people.

question: Who is Nimye?

answer: Not answered

question: What are the brightly colored figures doing?

answer: They seem to be bringing dreams to sleeping people.

question: Are the sisters creating dreams for people who are sleeping?

answer: Yes, they are.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Kenyo, Kenyu, Kenyi, and Kenye fly off into the sky with their jars of good dreams and bad dreams. They soar over the city and scatter dreams to the people. A young boy, Nimye, wakes up and ponders the strange dream he had.


text:
_VICTANAPIS_ is a genus of Australian araneomorph spiders in the family Anapidae, containing the single species, _VICTANAPIS WARBURTON_. It was first described by Norman I. Platnick & Raymond Robert Forster in 1989,[1] and has only been found in Australia.[2]

[1]

[2]

title: Victanapis

question: Where has Victanapis only been found?

answer: It has only been found in Australia.

question: Who first described this genus of spiders?

answer: Norman I. Platnick and Raymond Robert Forster first described this genus of spiders.

question: What is the name of the single species found in the genus of spiders described in the article.

answer: The name of the single species is Victanapis Warburton.

question: How can you describe Victanapis?

answer: It is a genus of Australian araneomorph spiders in the family Anapidae.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes a genus of Australian araneomorph spiders, Victanapis.


text:
“I couldn’t tell you what happened or why,

I can only tell you what I felt and why it affected me so."

Electric pulses shot through the air. I could feel them in my fingertips.

They began to permeate every blood vessel and vein,

until I felt like one pulsating organ; hot, heavy, and overwhelmed.

All at once the blackness hit.

I was icy again;

back to the normal numbness I felt from day to day,

no emotions and soulless.

Strangely I felt whole for once, like I was finally complete,

like I had risen to a higher plane of existence, another state of being.

Then, I woke up.

I was holding bloody clumps of hair. It was a ratty and tangled mess.

I threw it down in disgust, and ground it into the dirt with my foot.

I thought I could make it disappear.

I looked up to see a blood stained manifestation of human staring back at me.

You could have sensed that she was dirty, beaten, battered, bruised, and broken

just by the sadness in her eyes.

I wondered if I had committed this heinous act towards such an ethereal creature.

I instantly felt shame at the mere possibility.

I reached out, just to touch her, to hold her, to mend her,

to whisper that everything was going to be alright.

My hand stopped when I touched glass.

I realized what I had been looking at with such remorse and affection

was simply myself reflected.

"That’s when I fainted.”

The doctor raised his left eyebrow, glanced at the clock,

sighed at the forty five minutes left in our session,

then whispered in his sing-song voice,

“And how does that make you feel?”

title: ethereal.

question: What is the narrator recounting?

answer: her suicide attempt

question: What is the ethereal creature the narrator sees?

answer: herself, reflected

question: Where is the narrator while recounting this story?

answer: at a doctor's office

question: What does the narrator think of the doctor?

answer: The narrator thinks the doctor is disinterested.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is in a doctor's office, recounting her suicide attempt. The narrator feels the doctor is disinterested.


text:
LAKSÅ ()[1][2] is an abandoned village with no road connection in a valley above Øvervatnet () in the municipality of Fauske in Nordland county, Norway. There were two farms in the valley: Lakså on the shore of Lakså Bay () and Nordal (or Norddal) somewhat further up the valley.[3]

History

The Lakså farm was first mentioned in the rent-roll and census of 1665–1666, where it is referred to as _Laxaaen Øegaard_. Later, in 1801, several farms were mentioned in the valley: _Laxaae_, _Nordre Laxaae_, and _Lieland_ or _Laxaaenbakken_. At that time there was also a farm further out along the bay called _Laxaaemark_, later known as _Skognes_.[4] With the establishment of the municipality of Fauske on January 1, 1905, the Lakså farm was assigned the number 93, Nordal (_Lakså nordre_) was numbered 94, and Skognes (_Laksåmark_) was numbered 95.[5]

Mons Petter (1807–1888), an impoverished Sami known for having found copper ore in Sulitjelma, came from the Skognes farm in Lakså.[6]

In 1957, the Sulitjelma Line was extended to Finneid; this ended the steamship traffic on Øvervatnet (), which was previously used for transport to settlements along the lake. The villages along the lake were isolated for several weeks each fall and spring, when ice formed or thawed on the water and was unsafe for travel. Without the steamships, which had created a navigable stretch of open water through the ice, it was no longer possible to travel with one's own boat. Not only Lakså, but also the smaller villages of Engan and Stifjell were eventually abandoned.[7]

The old houses in Lakså and Nordal are used as vacation houses. A construction road was built through the valley in the 1960s as part of building the Siso Hydroelectric Power Station.

The village formerly had its own school.

[1] Stedsnavnliste over pitesamiske stedsnavn. Árran. Revidert liste 26.6.14., no. 93.

[2] Qvigstad, Just Knut. 1893. _Nordische Lehnwörter im Lappischen_ (= _Forhandlinger i Videnskabs-selskabet i Christiania_). Christiania: Grøndahl & Søn, p. 250.

[3] _Salten jordskifterett. Årsmelding 2004_. 2004. p. 2.

[4] Berg, Gunnar. 1975. _Bygdebok for Skjerstad og Fauske_. Bodø: Nordland Boktrykkeri A/S.

[5]

[6] Enge, Kåre. 1991. Han Mons Petter. _Fauskeboka 1991_, p. 43. Fauske: Fauske Kulturstyre.

[7] Strøm, John. 1993. Vandring langs gjengrodde stier på Stifjell. _Fauskeboka 1993_, p. 43. Fauske: Fauske Kulturstyre.

title: Lakså, Fauske

question: When was Lakså abandoned?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: In what country is Lakså located?

answer: Norway

question: Describe the geographical features of Lakså.

answer: The village is located in a valley. There's also a bay called Lakså Bay.

question: Describe the architecture in Lakså.

answer: Old houses remain in Lakså and are used as vacation houses. The village also had its own school. There were two farms in the valley.

question: When was Lakså founded?

answer: Unclear, but it was first mentioned in a census taken in 1665-1666.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Lakså is an abandoned village in Fauske in Norland county, Norway. The village is located in a valley and has two farms. It was first mentioned in a census conducted in 1665-1666.


text:
The 1967 GATOR BOWL was a college football postseason bowl game that featured the Florida State Seminoles and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Background

Florida State was making their third bowl game appearance in four years, with two Gator Bowls in a two-year span. Penn State was making their fifth bowl game in eight years, with three Gator Bowls in a seven-year span.

Game summary

-   Penn State - Tom Sherman, 27 yard field goal
-   Penn State - Jack Curry, nine yard touchdown pass from Sherman (Sherman kick)
-   Penn State - Ted Kwalick, 12 yard touchdown pass from Sherman (Sherman kick)
-   Florida State - Ron Sellers, 20 yard touchdown pass from Kim Hammond (Grant Guthrie kick)
-   Florida State - Kim Hammond, one yard touchdown run (Guthrie kick)
-   Florida State - Grant Guthrie, 26 yard field goal

Kim Hammond completed 37-of-53 passes for 362 yards, with four interceptions and one touchdown, while rushing for 28 yards on nine carries. Tom Sherman completed 9-of-17 passes for 69 yards, with two interceptions and two touchdowns, while rushing for 27 yards on six carries, contributing a field goal and two extra points. Florida State scored 17 straight points in the second half, with Grant Guthrie's field goal from 26 yards out contributing to the first tie in a Gator Bowl since 1948. It remains the last tie game in the Gator Bowl. Florida State had 23 first downs; Penn State had 12. Florida State rushed for only 55 yards while Penn State rushed for 175. Florida State threw for 363 yards; Penn State threw for 69 yards. Both teams turned the ball over four times.[1]

Aftermath

The Seminoles reached one more bowl game in the decade, while not returning to the Gator Bowl until 1982. Penn State also reached one more bowl game in the decade. They did not lose for the next 23 games, completing two undefeated seasons. The Nittany Lions returned to the Gator Bowl in 1976.

[1]

title: 1967 Gator Bowl

question: What is the Gator Bowl?

answer: The Gator Bowl is a college football postseason game.

question: Which Gator Bowl is covered in this post?

answer: The 1967 Gator Bowl is discussed.

question: Which teams played in the 1967 Gator Bowl?

answer: The Florida State Seminoles and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

question: What was the significance of this game?

answer: The article doesn't indicate.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The article covers the 1967 Gator Bowl game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Penn State Nittany Lions.


text:
[]

By Rail Tram and Bus Union Victoria (RTBU)

As November rolls around, the clock is ticking for the state government.

With contracts for the metropolitan trams and trains to expire on 30 November, the government must be prepared to shake up arrangements for how the system is run, how the information is shared and how accountability can be ensured.

Continuing to build the case for systematic overhaul that prioritises the public interest, the RTBU worked to facilitate a forum of different individuals, interest groups, experts and public transport workers, RTBU delegates and retired members, to build an account of public transport that reflects on 20 years of privatisation.

Held across the afternoon of 3 Jun, forum attendees discussed many issues in public transport – from governance to maintenance and service delivery.

The three main topics were:

-   The perils and pitfalls of privatisation
-   The system under public administration
-   A new path forward

One of the first topics covered was the critical question of understanding why public transport was privatised in the first place.

Unsurprisingly, an overwhelming number of attendees acknowledged governance issues, performance and funding issues as being central to pushing the system into private hands. Many who worked closely with the system through the years leading up to privatisation, perceived a deliberate degradation of the system, in preparation for privatisation.

What became evident was that while privatisation was Kennett’s response to a poorly governed public monopoly, he did little to address the underlying governance issues and just produced a poorly governed private monopoly.

To this day Victorians – transport workers, taxpayers and commuters alike – have been robbed of the transparency, consultation and oversight necessary for effective, well resourced public transport that is operated in the primary interest of the Victorian public.

Comparing the system under privatisation against public ownership, several notable differences arose. Training, career progression and organisational structure were identified as major differences:

-   Attendees reflected on how Victorian Railways was once a large trainer of highly skilled apprentices for the wider Victorian economy. As public responsibility has been eroded, the scope of service and value provided by the operator has diminished to boost profitability.
-   The railways used to operate as a more integrated system where freight, regional and metropolitan services would support each other and provide economies of scale. Where losses may have been made on passenger services, larger profits are found in the movement of freight, for example.
-   Career progression was once closer tied to experience and years of service. This system ensured experienced and committed railway employees, naturally most qualified for supervisory or managerial roles, could further contribute their acquired skills and knowledge to improving operations.

Under privatisation, more and more managers have been hired with little or no railway experience, which has contributed to a reduced level of industry and network specific skills in the workforce and the reduction of worker morale.

Reflecting on the changes that have occurred and what may constitute the public interest, attendees discussed path forward

The main feature was to continue work in building the campaign community and building stronger links with other community groups that share common interests.

Broadly acknowledged by the crowd was the scale of the campaign, the political resistance and overarching control and power the current operators have over network information and influence within the government and its respective agencies.

No doubt, there may be a long road to public justice, but importantly, the public discussion is underway. As we continue to build on community campaign capacity.

If you would like to know more about the forum or get more involved in the discussion, call or text the RTBU Industrial Campaigns and Research Officer, Amadeo on 0488305 088

Official site of the May Day Committee (Malbourne)

question: What does the article say about the privatization of the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU)?

answer: The system was deliberately degraded in preparation for privatization. The experts compare the system under privatization against public ownership and notice several differences. Victorian Railways was once a large trainer of highly skilled apprentices for the wider Victorian economy. Career progression was once closer tied to experience and years of service. Under privatization, more and more managers have been hired with little or no railway experience.

question: What does the article say about how Rail Tram and Bus Union Victoria was founded?


text:
AERO-SERVICE JACEK SKOPIŃSKI is a Polish aircraft manufacturer based in Warsaw, founded by Jacek Skopiński in 1999. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of ultralight aircraft in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft. The company also produces electric vehicles, boats and carries out numerical controlled machining.[1][2][3][4][5]

Among its electric vehicle line the company produces fully tracked, electric-powered off-road roller skates.[6][7][8]

The company has been noted for its EV4, an articulated wheel, electric quadricycle that was designed by Skopiński for urban use.[9][10]

The company has constructed two aircraft designs. The Panda is a two-seat, cantilever high-wing monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear, while the Puma is a two-seat, low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear.[11]

[Artist's rendering of the Aero-Service Puma] The Panda commenced flight testing with a first flight on 28 September 2011. The prototype Puma was also under construction in September 2011, having been designed in 2008. There is no indication that the Puma prototype has yet flown. A fixed gear version of the Puma, named the Raptor, entered the preliminary design phase in 2010.[12][13][14][15][16]

Aircraft

Summary of aircraft built by Aero-Service Jacek Skopiński:

-   Aero-Service Panda
-   Aero-Service Puma

[1] Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: _World Directory of Light Aviation 2015–16_, page 20. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

[2]

[3] Jackson, Paul (ed): _Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2012–2013_, pages 500–501. Jane's Information Group, 2012.

[4] Jackson, Paul (ed): _IHS-Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2013–2014, Development and Production_, pages 502–504. Jane's Information Group, 2013.

[5] Jackson, Paul (ed): _IHS-Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2014–2015, Development and Production_, pages 520–521. Jane's Information Group, 2014.

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

title: Aero-Service Jacek Skopiński

question: When was the company founded?

answer: 1999

question: What does the company produce?

answer: Ultralight ready-to-fly aircraft, and electric vehicles and boats

question: Who founded the company?

answer: Jacek Skopinski

question: What has the company been noted for?

answer: Its EV4, an articulated wheel, electric quadricycle

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Aero-Service Jacek Skopinski is a Polish aircraft manufacturer founded by Jacek Skopinski in 1999. In addition to aircraft, the company also produces electric vehicles and boats, including the EV4, an articulated wheel electric quadricycle.


text:
SIR ROGER MARTYN (or Martin) was a mercer and Lord Mayor of London in 1567; he was also Sheriff of London in 1559.[1]

The Examination of the Puritan Plumbers' Hall Congregation.

Due to his position as Lord Mayor of London in 1567, Sir Roger Martyn was present in his role as a high commissioner in the examination of a group of Puritans who had been accused of holding a conventicle in the Plumbers' Hall in June 1567.[2] Also present at the examination were the Bishop of London, and Dean of Westminster. Also notably present at the examination was Edmund Bonner, an ex-bishop of London noted for his cruel treatment of protestants during Queen Mary's reign.[3] The document which tells us about the examination 'is the earliest surviving Puritan text of its kind and is a rare example of how the High Commission conducted an examination.'[4] As a document it is revealing about the Vestments Controversy.

Family

Sir Roger Martyn was born in Long Melford, Suffolk, to Lawrence Martyn and Elizabeth Cheke.[5] Arms of “Sir Roger Martyn, Lord Mayor of London, 1567”: _Argent, on a chevron azure between three trefoils slipped per pale gules and vert as many bezants_.[6]

His first wife was Lettice Martin (née Pakington) who died 23 December 1553; his second wife was Elizabeth Martyn (née Castlyn).[7]

Sir Roger Martyn had four children with his first wife; Humphrey, who married Alice Pullison, Edmund, who married Frances Martyn, Martha, who married John Castlyn, and Susan who married Robert Bye; with his second wife he had three children: Mary, who married Alexander Denton (d.1576), Joan, who married Anthony Smith, and Anne, who married Sir Anthony Culpeper.[8][9]

Notable amongst Sir Roger Martyn's children was his daughter, Mary Martin; she was married to Alexander Denton in 1573 at the age of 15 and painted by George Gower to commemorate her marriage; the painting can still be seen today.[10] In his will, Sir Roger Martyn left the pair a total of 113 pounds, six shillings and eight pence to be spent on finery.[11] Also notable was his son, Humphrey Martyn, who was the addressee of the Langham Letter.[12]

Sir Roger Martyn's will was witnessed by Thomas Knowles, his Son-in-Law (possibly a child his wife had given birth to before she was married to him), and overseers of his will were appointed as Robert Bye and John Castlyn, also Sons-in-Law, John Castlyn was the brother of Elizabeth Martyn, his wife, as well as being married to his daughter Martha Martyn, making him both a Son-in-Law and a Brother-in-Law to Sir Roger.[13]

Death

Sir Roger Martyn died in 1573 and it is unknown of what he died; he was buried in the Church of Saint Anthony.[14] It is possible that his body was dug up and reburied in Brookwood Cemetery.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6] Heylyn, Peter, _A Help to English History: Containing a Succession of All the Kings of England_, London, 1786, p.5271

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

title: Sir Roger Martyn (Lord Mayor of London 1567)

question: Who was Sir Roger Martyn?

answer: A mercerand Lord Mayor of London in 1567.

question: Where was he born?

answer: Long Melford,Suffolk.

question: Who was his first wife?

answer: Lettice Martin.

question: Which of his children was featured in a painting?

answer: Mary Martin.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Sir Roger Martyn was Lord  Mayor of London in 1567. He was married twice, and one of his daughters' likeness was memorialized in a painting. He died in 1573 from unknown causes and was buried in the Church of Saint Anthony.


text:
The GAVIÃO are an indigenous people of Brazil, part of the Jê peoples. They are divided into two groups: the Parkatêjê living on the Tocantins River in the state of Pará, and the Pykobjê people of the state of Maranhão. There were about 175 Parkatêjê and over 300 Pykobjê as of the 1990s.[1] They traditionally spoke dialects of the Timbira language.

The Gavião consistently resisted Brazilian incursions until 1857, when they were nearly exterminated by an army expedition. In the 1950s, they suffered greatly from encroachments on their territory and introduced diseases. Their traditional lifestyle was decimated and the Gavião became reliant on government aid. The University of São Paulo launched a program to develop a Gavião nut gathering business to sustain the tribes.[2]

[1]

[2]

title: Gavião (Gê)

question: Which group of the Gavião are larger?

answer: The last count was in the 1990's. At that time there were more people in the Pykobjê group than in the Parkatêjê group.

question: What languange does the Parkatêjê people speak?

answer: They traditionally speak dialects of the Timbira language.

question: What challenges have the Gavião people faced?

answer: They were almost exterminated by an army expidition in 1857. The actively resisted the Brazilian army. In the 1950's they suffered greatly from encroachments on their territory and introduced diseases.

question: Does the Gavião still live in their traditional way?

answer: No, their traditional lifestyle was decimated by encroachments on their territory and diseases. They are reliant on government aid.

question: What are the prospects of the Gavião people?

answer: The Unviersity of São Paulo launched a program to develop a Gavião nut gathering business to sustain the tribes.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The Gavião are an indigenous people of Brazil. Their numbers and lifestyle have been severely limited by Brazilian interventions. They are currently reliant on government aid for survival.


text:
[]

A man points a fuel nozzle at the camera for a photograph at a gas station belonging to Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA in Caracas, Venezuela July 21, 2016. Picture taken July 21, 2016.
 Carlos Jasso/Reuters
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Caracas on September 1, demanding the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Estimates peg the number of protesters at about 1 million, clogging the capital’s streets amid the country’s worst economic crisis in its modern history.

"We are going to defeat hunger, crime, inflation and corruption. They've done nothing in 17 years. Their time is finished," one protester said according to a Reuters report.

Venezuela’s economic crisis has morphed into a political and humanitarian disaster. The collapse of oil prices has hollowed out the country’s sole source of export revenue.

But the problem for Venezuela is that a spiral of debt and deprivation will simply fuel further desperation. Oil exports have already declined by about 300,000 barrels per day as of June from a year earlier as PDVSA fails to keep up with maintenance and electricity blackouts knocked refineries offline. After counting for domestic consumption and the oil that is set aside for loan repayments to China, Venezuela only has about 900,000 barrels per day left for exports, according to Russ Dallen of Caracas Capital Markets, cited by Bloomberg in an alarming September 1 article on Venezuela’s predicament.

However, as Luisa Palacios said in an August report published by the Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, “the most severe risks to oil markets…still lie ahead.” PDVSA is struggling to pay for the needed imported diluents to mix with its heavy crude oil, without which, production could fall. PDVSA has also fallen deeply into arrears with oilfield service companies, firms that have cut back on operations because of lack of payment. And while production has already declined by 230,000 barrels per day this year, the Columbia University report says, exports have not yet seen a corresponding drop off because of the meltdown in domestic demand. As such the problems with Venezuela’s oil is worse than the headline export figures suggest.

Thus far, Venezuela has prioritized debt payments, even above the needs of its populace, a seemingly cold and self-defeating strategy. But the Venezuelan government appears intent on keeping access open to international debt markets, so it continues to use its shrinking pile of cash to meet its bond payments. However, it faces its toughest challenge yet in the next two months. Venezuela – both the sovereign and the state-owned oil company PDVSA – has large debt payments falling due. In October, it must meet a $1.8 billion payment followed by another $2.9 billion due in November. Even if it can somehow make those payments, next year things only get worse. In April 2017, for example, it has to repay $3.8 billion in maturing debt.

Even with Venezuela’s determination to meet those deadlines, it may not have the cash to do so. That could force a restructuring or some sort of negotiated settlement or refinance agreement with creditors. But so far no deal has been struck despite rumors. “Perhaps signaling more precarious finances, PDVSA continues to insist on the need for debt re-profiling of the 2017 maturities,” Siobhan Morden of Nomura Holdings Inc., said in a recent research note to clients, according to Bloomberg. “Though more worrisome is the nine months of headlines without any follow-through.”

The implied probability of a default based on credit default swaps suggests that the markets are predicting a 50-50 chance that Venezuela fails to pay over the next year. Over the next five years, the markets are more certain – there is a 91 percent chance of default based on credit-default swaps, Bloomberg says.

And while diverting increasingly scarce resources to pay international creditors while people go hungry in the streets is an absurdity, Venezuela has only bad options at its disposal. Oil production could be crippled even further if it were to default on bond payments, Luisa Palacios of Columbia University says. Another 200,000 to 300,000 barrels per day could be lost if Venezuela is unable to import diluents, a disruption that could occur from a credit event.

“The downside risks to the production outlook in 2016 are already materializing. But if there is no political and economic stabilization in the country, the risks to oil production and exports will continue well into 2017,” Palacios wrote in August. “So while Venezuela has already become a headline risk for global oil markets, the true magnitude of its supply risks might lie ahead.”

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question: Where did protesters take to the streets?

answer: Caracas.

question: When did protesters take to the streets?

answer: September 1st.

question: What did protesters demand?

answer: The removal of President Nicolas Maduro.

question: What has caused the country's economic crisis?

answer: The collapse in oil prices.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The article summarizes the protests in Venezuela against the government which occurred as a result of the collapse in oil prices.


text:
Saskatchewan Fun and Interesting Facts

Learn about Saskatchewan’s history, economy and overall quality of life over at the Government of Saskatchewan website. Visit our Statistics page for the lowdown on population, climate and much more.

Here are some interesting tidbits about Saskatchewan:

[]

FLAG: Saskatchewan's official flag was adopted in 1969. It features the provincial shield of arms along with the floral emblem, the western red lily. The flag's upper half is green, representing Saskatchewan's northern forests; the lower half is gold, symbolizing the southern grain areas.

FLOWER: In 1941, the western red lily was chosen as the official flower of Saskatchewan. This lily grows in moist meadows and semi-wooded areas. With its flaming red blossoms, it stands out brilliantly against a natural green background. The western red lily is a protected species.

BIRD: The sharp-tailed grouse is one of Saskatchewan's most popular game birds. It was selected as the provincial bird emblem in 1945.

GRASS: In 2001, needle-and-thread grass was designated Saskatchewan's official grass. It's a native bunchgrass common to the dry, sandy soils of the Northern Plains. Seed stalks may reach 1.3 m (4 feet) in height and leaves are up to 30 cm (12 inches) long and very narrow. The name comes from the shape of the seeds, which are sharply pointed and have long, twisted, thread-like fibres.

SASKATCHEWAN DISTRICT TARTAN: The Saskatchewan Provincial District Tartan has seven colours: gold, brown, green, red, yellow, white and black. It was registered with the Court of Lord Lyon King of Arms in Scotland in 1961.

SASKATCHEWAN DRESS TARTAN: The Saskatchewan Dress Tartan was introduced in 1997 for competitive highland dancers on the occasion of the Canadian Interprovincial Highland Dancing Championships held that year in Regina.  It is a variant of the Saskatchewan District Tartan, with the off-white line of the original tartan becoming the background colour of the dress version.

TREE:  In 1988, the white birch was adopted as the official tree of Saskatchewan. This hardwood tree is found across the northern three-quarters of the province. Typical uses for the wood include lumber, plywood, veneer and fuel.

MINERAL:  Sylvite, also known as potash, is Saskatchewan's official mineral. We are the world's largest producer and exporter of potash. Our vast reserves of potash are expected to last for hundreds of years at current rates of production. Over 95 percent of the potash produced in Saskatchewan is used for fertilizer purposes.

ANIMAL:  Saskatchewan designated the white-tailed deer our official animal in 2001. Here in our more northern latitudes, the white-tailed deer tends to be larger than its southern brethren, reaching heights of more than a metre (3.5 feet) at the shoulder and weighing as much as 180 kg (400 lbs). Adults have a reddish-brown summer coat and a greyish-brown winter coat, with white underparts. The name comes from the white underside of the tail, which is raised like a flag when the deer is running or frightened.

SPORT:  Curling was named Saskatchewan's official sport in 2001, although many have considered it so for years. Once called the "roaring game" because of the thunderous noise made by corn brooms used to sweep rocks down the ice, curling has a rich history in the province. The fabled Richardson brothers, curling out of Regina, won four Canadian and World men's championships between 1959-63. Another extraordinary rink from Regina, the Sandra Schmirler team, won three Canadian and World women's championships in the '90s, followed by the first ever women's Olympic gold medal in curling at 1998.

[]EMBLEM:  Multis E Gentibus Vires, "From Many Peoples Strength" - The provincial Coat of Arms was granted through Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II in 1986. It is an augmentation of the original shield of arms adopted by Royal Warrant of King Edward VII in 1906. A crest of a beaver and crown is placed above the shield. On either side of the shield are supporters: a lion and a deer. The shield itself displays the royal lion and three gold wheat sheaves, symbolizing Saskatchewan agriculture. The base is formed of western red lilies, Saskatchewan's floral emblem.

question: What does the text say about potash?

answer: Potash is also known as Sylvite, and it is Saskatchewan's official mineral. Saskatchewan is the world's largest producer and exporter of potash. The province's vast reserves of potash are expected to last hundreds of years at their current rate of production. More than 95 percent of potash produced in Saskatchewan is used for fertilizer purposes.

question: What does the text say about Saskatchewan tartans?

answer: The Saskatchewan Provincial District Tartan has seven colors: gold, brown, green, red, yellow, white, and black. It was registered in 1961. The Saskatchewan Dress Tartan was introduced in 1997 for competitive highland dancers. The Dress Tartan is a variant of the District Tartan in which the off-white of the original was replaced with the background color of the dress version.


text:
The Oscar-winning actor Sir Sean Connery says he believes Scotland will become an independent country within his lifetime.

Sir Sean has "Scotland Forever" tatooed on his forearm
The former James Bond star, who has "Scotland Forever" tattooed on his forearm, believes the country is "within touching distance" of achieving independence.

Writing for the Scottish Sunday Express, Sir Sean praised Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and the work of the SNP government since it took power in May 2007.

The 77-year-old has lived in the Bahamas for several years, but has promised to move back to Scotland after independence.

"I've always been hopeful about Scotland's prospects. And I now believe more than ever that Scotland is within touching distance of achieving independence and equality," he wrote.

He adds that the first step towards this was winning Scotland's parliament in 1997. The second was electing an SNP Government last year.

"I believe we have what it takes to take the third step, and I am convinced it will happen in my lifetime," he said.

In the article, Sir Sean also hails Scotland for securing its own parliament for the first time since the "parcel of rogues" sold its freedom in 1707.

He adds that Mr Salmond is "the best leader Scotland has ever had" and claims the SNP's opposition parties "can't keep up with the pace".

Sir Sean started his working life as a milkman on a horse-drawn float before embarking on a 40-year career in films and winning an Oscar for his performance in The Untouchables.

In 2001 he was knighted for his services to film and drama, including seven outings as James Bond.

question: What does Sir Sean Connery believe?

answer: That Scotland will become and independent country within his lifetime.

question: Does Sean Connery live in Scotland?

answer: No. The 77 year old live sin the Bahamas for several years now, but with "Scotland Forever" tattooed on his arm, he says he plans to move back to Scotland after independence.

question: Why is Sir Sean Connery, 77, so hopeful that Scotland will achieve independence in his lifetime?

answer: Connery has high praise for Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond, and is hopeful about Scotland's prospects.

question: What are the steps Connery thinks Scotland has achieved in reaching their independence?

answer: The first step was winning Scotland's parliament in 1997, and the second step was electing an SNP Government. The third step, which Connery believes Scotland has what it takes to take, is achieving independence itself.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Sir Sean Connery is a 77 year old retired actor best known for his role as James Bond. Connery is from Scotland originally, and he believes Scotland has what it takes to achieve independence during his lifetime, at which point he would move back to the country from his home of several years in the Bahamas. Connery has vocalized his support for the First Minister Alex Salmond, and thinks because Scotland's parliament was won in 1997 and because Scotland elected an SNP Government, they are ready to take the final step of achieving independence.


text:
I sat alone on Loser's Day, a Thursday; Doug was out of commission.  The surly sun sat sheltered behind the woods, and threw my window only a few gobs of light at the hour.  A fuzzy TV droned and captured my tired, besotted eyes, there, in the cervix of teenage overstimulation.  Behind me, an empty bottle sat half-covered by the bedskirt, paying homage to a dead friend.

The math book was insistent in its intrusion, perched upon my dresser.  I loved it so, and yet, now monetized, now someone else's, I couldn't quite look at it squarely.  No one fell behind at Swindell, and I had to keep working, pounding all the knowledge in, for the next fellow was working harder-

A quiet ringtone.  I cringed.  Fuck.  The math book had betrayed me; no eyes, please.  I rolled back to the nightstand and took the call.

“Hey, what are you up to, love?”

I bit my lip.  Caitlyn?  No, no, no, some asshole...

“Who is this?”

“Your worst nightmare.”

“Ohhh...”

“No, no, listen, you piece of shit.  I've got two girls in the car.  Be ready in five minutes.  Wear something cute.”

I hung up.  The Duke, Cassius.  The very King himself was inviting me; I needed to cash in on the rare opportunity.  A white T-shirt, the Bluetones, and some other clothes- my belt- my phone- and uh...what else?  I whirled around, the hum of the ceiling fan grinding my bowels into something not fit for His Holiness.

Two girls in the car...too nice...the condoms!  That was it!  I dug around and pulled out the crumpled purple box, grabbed four or five and stuffed them into my pockets.  Then I hustled downstairs and waited for the unexpected arrival.

The sun came higher, the air heating up in anticipation of this high school hero they called the King.  I waited uncomfortably, prepared for his usual lateness.  The car flashed.

He rolled down the window.

“Elliott?  Elliott, fuck...”  He laughed.  “Get the fuck in.”

I obliged.  The girls were nowhere to be seen.

“Uh, Duke...you said-”

He howled with delight.  “Dropped off Mary Anne, you know how it is, I got down and dirty.   But then she started bitching, had to be home and Charisse went with her.  Jesus fucking Christ, Elliott, you don't know, I tried so hard to keep one of 'em here for you...”

We tore off.  He burped loudly, and asked me to put some music on.  I fumbled with the docking station, but found some rap I thought he'd like.  A smile crept across the King's face.  He was Duke to his face, Cassius Steeple, but others styled him the King to his great satisfaction.  Or when he wasn't within earshot, His Holiness, the one you don't turn down.  He was unrelenting in his coolness, an unexaggeratedly religious figure to the high school popular crowd, but still neurotic and compulsive enough to fit in with the downtrodden, to make love to the crooked-faced chemistry student and burn the leaf in a dank apartment, deep in the heart of Southbridge.

I relaxed around the King, a character always fearless and never to be feared.  He sped dangerously down a wealthy road, unquestionably bound for the built-up urban complexes miles away from where I lived.  The King had a special fondness for every girl this side of the water tower, but on weekends, he was a free jack, free to screw the shop attendant and her visiting niece from the city.  I shivered with the excitement that I, too, might ride the King's wave of sexual excitation, that I might pick up whatever dregs he left me in his endless hedonistic quest.

“The thing is, we've got to get you ready, Elliott.  We've got to get you ready for those Swindell chicks.  I hear they'll do anything.  You going to be the rooster?”

I grinned and nodded.

“I'm glad, Elliott.  The most important thing is-” he coughed- “the most important thing is that you're ready for college chicks.  You need to take the opportunity to find out what the inside of a vagina looks like before the end of this summer.”

He screeched into a parking lot.  The creamery was open, but was I in the mood?  It didn't matter- Cassius dictated everything here.  The passenger door flung open and I gasped for air in the sudden heat, the earth spinning beneath me in the wake of His Holiness's roadway impropriety.  We walked in like best friends.

Rita Kunz presided over the counter.  When she caught sight of the King, the change in her was immediate.  Her face flushed as she narrowed her eyes and bit her lip.  She swayed slightly and crossed her legs, bending slightly further towards us.

“We can't serve you,” she smiled, looking through me at her dream object.  Her eyelids fluttered, and she gave her thin brown hair a quick twirl.

“That's great- I wasn't expecting you here, either,” he said dismissively.  Rita covered her embarrassment with a deeper smile.

She fondled her apron and leaned back from the counter.  “I'm going on break.  You can deal with someone else.”  After she turned, Cassius shot me a grin.

Rita disappeared behind a door, and her assistant came to fill our orders.  Cassius chuckled quietly to himself, and furrowed his brow.  Something devilish came into his eyes as he turned; I was caught in his line of sight.  “Do you have money?” Cassius inquired.  A wave of some dispirited feeling washed over me.

Blondie Memaine scooped the ice cream this time, the pecans and vanilla beans sliding gracefully into her spoon as she prepared the King's dessert.  To me, she'd been the epitome of grace in high school: a slender and elegant diver, capturing the school record for whatever the hell with the butterfly.  Blondie was off to college, back again this semester, actually: all accounts indicated that she had enjoyed her first year immensely.  But to the King, it wasn't the grace, rather the result that counted.  The dessert in this case.  She'd been a fine one, His Holiness insisted, on multiple occasions.

We ate, and he jetted off to some sacred locale.  I wasn't invited.  I waited on the curb with my thumb up, and wondered if the problem was my own.

title: The Strawberry Blonde

question: What does the story say about Cassius?

answer: He's considered to be the coolest kid in high school. He calls himself "Duke" while others nicknamed him "the King". He's very popular with the girls, has a car, and seemingly swindles the narrator out of his money.

question: What does the story say about royal decrees?


text:
The removal of a federal judge from a long-running case against the New York police department's stop-and-frisk practices appeared to be "gratuitous and deeply flawed", according to a legal challenge filed on Monday by civil rights attorneys.

Attorneys from the Center of Constitutional Rights say that a ruling by a three-judge second circuit panel to remove US district judge Shira Scheindlin was "unprecedented and unwarranted" and have asked the entire court to reconsider it.

It is the second legal appeal in a week against the panel's unusual ruling removing Scheindlin from the case. A motion filed on Wednesday by Scheindlin's lawyers argued that the panel acted with unseemly haste, that they did so on the basis of a skewed reading of the evidence, and that they violated a rule that gives judges accused of misconduct notice and the opportunity to defend themselves.

The three-judge panelremoved the judge on 31 October. It also stayed her earlier order requiring the New York police department to alter its stop-and-frisk policies. The panel said she misapplied a related case ruling that allowed her to take stop-and-frisk cases, and that she gave media interviews during the trial, thus calling her impartiality into question.

Baher Azmy, CCR legal director, said: “The removal of judge Scheindlin was done by a perfect storm of procedural irregularity. The appellate panel cast aspersions upon the professional conduct of one of the most respected members of the federal judiciary – and thus inappropriately cast doubt on her legal rulings – while itself taking an unprecedented step that no party requested, of which no party was notified, and without providing the parties an opportunity to be heard.”

He said: “The facts conclusively show that the district judge engaged in no unethical conduct whatsoever and that her decision finding the city liable for widespread constitutional violations and racial profiling is based on overwhelming evidence presented at trial.”

The filing argues that the plaintiffs in the case – four African Americans and "hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers they represent" – have already suffered substantial prejudice by the reassignment of a judge unfamiliar with the complex case.

"It is not apparent that the panel even considered this potential prejudice" the filing said. The decision was taken without "even the most basic procedures notice to the parties or the judge, without any request or complaint from the parties and long after the city waived an opportunity to seek removal, it said.

The new action follows a late appeal on Friday night by New York City, asking for a federal appeals court to vacate orders by Scheindlin requiring police to change its stop-and-frisk practices which critics say unfairly targets minorities.

Scheindlin ruled in August that the city violated the civil rights of tens of thousands of black and Hispanic people by disproportionately stopping, questioning and sometimes frisking them. She assigned a monitor to help the NYPD undergo training and change its practice with regard to the tactic.

Jonathan Moore, an attorney with Beldock Levine and Hoffman LLP and co-counsel in the case, said: “This unprecedented action by the second circuit should not detract from the central issue that has been resolved after six years of litigation: overwhelming evidence has conclusively proven what hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers already know well – that the city’s quota-driven stop-and-frisk program has produced systematic constitutional violations that must be remedied if the NYPD is to win back the trust of our communities.”

Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio, who takes office in January,

question: What are stop-and-frisk policies?

answer: This is a practice by the police which appears to be literal action of stopping and frisking people they may consider to be suspicious. It seems to have garnered a negative reputation due to how it can be used to target minorities. Is is also the subject of a case

question: Why was US district judge Shira Scheindlin removed from the case?

answer: The article only provides the how (via a ruling by a three-judge second circuit panel), but it also implies that Judge Shira was leaning towards stopping the practice based on her earlier order to change the practice. Her removal from the case then puts a stay on the orders she has given.

question: What is the reaction to the removal of Judge Shira?

answer: Attorneys of the Center of Constitutional Rights (particularly, legal director Baher Azmy) consider it unwarranted and by their filing, it is also apparent that the (three-judge) panel had not considered the potential prejudice.

question: Why are stop-and-frisk policies said to be targeting minorities?

answer: According to Scheindlin, New York City has violated the rights of tens of thousands of black and Hispanic people -implying that the practice is done mainly on them.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Civil rights attorneys challenge the removal of US district judge Shira Scheindlin from a case regarding the stop-and-frisk policies. The removal was done by a three judge second circuit panel. Others also question the removal as it follows an appeal to vacate Scheindlins orders for the police to change its practices.


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

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

question: Describe what happens to the narrator's floor.

answer: Their neighbor continues to do experiments which create floating inflatable objects. These rise and break through the floor and bulge up through the rug. The narrator throws a chair at it both times, breaking their rug, and shattering the object. This happens twice.

question: Describe how the narrator decides to get revenge on the scientist.

answer: The narrator uses persuasion to get information about the scientist's schedule. Then they pick the lock while they are away. They retrieve the chemicals that the scientist was using for their experiments. They decide to make him "eat them" by inviting the scientist over for tea and boiling the chemicals in the tea. Although originally reluctant the scientist is eventually persuaded to drink the tea.

question: Describe what happens after the scientist drinks the tea.

answer: At first he says he felt weak. Then he lies down and falls into unconsciousness. Then the tea gets into his blood stream and clogs his heart. His last words are "what is happening to me?" Then he dies at 3 A. M. The narrator then realizes they do not have a plan about the body. They try to hide him in a garbage bag but are worried their neighbor might arrive.

question: Describe every experiment done with Helium in the story.

answer: The  neighbor originally uses the helium to create a solid thing that floats. Although it is not clear what this thing is, it breaks his neighbors floor twice. Then, somehow, the narrator turns the Helium from a gas into a liquid by boiling it. This is chemically backwards, but the reason it is wrong may be explained by the fact that the short story was written by a student for school, and it is the first story they ever wrote. [Perhaps they were not paying attention in chemistry class.]


text:
We met two years ago.

I remember the first time I saw her. It was at orientation for our job. We were both starting a job working at an after school program for children. Our company worked at about 5 different schools, and after the general orientation was over, we all split up into our specific schools to met the people we'd be working with and to take ID pictures. There she was. Black, long hair. Bangs. Tons of freckly. Her upper lip curled a little beneath her nostrils when she smiled, creating a small wrinkle...almost another smile right beneath her nose. It was amazingly cute. She was beautiful. I had never seen anyone like her before. She just looked....happy. And kind. And she exuded it.

I remember I immediately thought to myself "She is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

And I meant it.

We started working together, looking after children grades K - 5 after they got out of school at the end of the day. We had about 80 kids total. So this girl and I got to know each other. She had a boyfriend at the end who she was deeply in love with, which was a bummer but whatever, I took the time to become her friend and to get to know her anyway.

She would tell me about her major at school, her very large family comprised of many adopted children, and how musical her family is. I'd tell her about me and my family, my music that I play, what i want to do with my life. We would just talk to each other and it made work amazing.

Sometimes she would look at me directly in the eye, and I would see a spark in her eye, and I'd feel that spark inside of me as well. IT was the craziest sensation. Never happened to me before. It was like small moments of our souls connecting.

So soon I find myself thinking about her all the time. I play in a band, and I would just close my eyes, think about her and play whatever came out while jamming. It was awesome. Soon she began appearing in my dreams on a nightly basis.

I don't remember being this attracted to any one person since I was in elementary school. I haven't had a "crush" on anyone since then. All of my hook ups or relationships were presented to me and I was basically like "Sure why not, I'll do it." It's been a while since there was one single person who made all other girls fade out.

I come into work one day and she runs up to me, shouts
"YOU WERE IN MY DREAM LAST NIGHT!" and then proceeds to tell me about her dream. I decide to keep my dreams about her to myself at this time, but the next few days she would come in and sure enough she had been dreaming about me again. I eventually told her about my dreams about her and she called us "DREAM BUDDIES", saying that we hang out in our dreams.

Then the summer came. Our job was coming to an end. She was going on a month long vacation, and I was starting up work at a summer camp. On our last day of usual work, I worked up the courage to ask for her phone number. I told her about a party at a friend's house that I was going to in her town (we lived in separate towns) and told her that she should come by and check it out.

She gave me her number.

On the day of the party, I chickened out and didn't text her.

My friends and I were house sitting at my friend's uncle's house that just happened to be in her town. We worked all day, then decided to start drinking and unwind. We decided we were all too tired for a big party and just had a couple friends over. I decided not to text her. So I start drinking, heavily, with my friends.

Then I get a text. "Party?"

I tell her to come by. She does. She gets high with me and my friends and we talk about music. She stays for about an hour and then gracefully excuses herself. It would be the last time I would see her for a while.

title: [RO][NF] Some lessons you learn the hard way.

question: What does the text say about the girl?

answer: She and the narrator are colleagues, taking care of kids after school. The narrator thinks she's the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. However, she has a boyfriend she loves. She and the narrator become close friends. At some point, she appears in the narrator's dreams every night. The girl also sees him in her dreams and declares them as dream buddies. Their job ends in summer, and he asks for her number. They see each other for the last time at a party after the narrator hesitates to call her because she asks.

question: What does the story say about unrequited love?


text:
The 1986 NEBRASKA GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION was held on November 4, 1986, and featured state Treasurer Kay Orr, a Republican, defeating Democratic nominee, former Mayor of Lincoln Helen Boosalis. Incumbent Democratic governor Bob Kerrey did not seek a second term.

The election was the first state gubernatorial election in U.S. history where the candidates of both major national parties were women.[1]

Democratic primary

Candidates

-   Chris Beutler, member of the Nebraska Legislature
-   Helen Boosalis, former mayor of Lincoln and Director of the Nebraska Department of Aging
-   Barton E. Chandler
-   Mina B. Dillingham
-   David Domina, attorney
-   Marge Higgins
-   Robert J. Prokop

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

-   Kermit Brashear, attorney and former Chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party
-   Nancy Hoch, businesswoman and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 1984
-   Chuck Loos
-   Kay A. Orr, state Treasurer
-   Paul A. Rosberg
-   Everett Sileven
-   Monte Taylor
-   Roger Yant

Results

General election

Results

[1] Knudson, Thomas J. “Nebraska, in new page to history, installs woman”. _New York Times_. 1987-01-09. Retrieved 2017-09-17.

title: 1986 Nebraska gubernatorial election

question: Explain the importance of the 1986 Nebraska gubernatorial election.

answer: Information can't be found.

question: List some of the Democratic primary candidates.

answer:
- Chris Beutler
- Helen Boosalis
- Barton E. Chandler
- Mina B. Dillingham
- David Domina
- Marge Higgins
- Robert J. Prokop

question: List some of the Republican primary candidates.

answer:
- Kermit Brashear
- Nancy Hoch
- Chuck Loos
- Kay A. Orr
- Paul A. Rosberg
- Everett Sileven
- Monte Taylor
- Roger Yant

question: What were the results of the election?

answer: Information can't be found.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The 1986 Nebraska gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986, and featured state Treasurer Kay Orr, a Republican, defeating Democratic nominee, former Mayor of Lincoln Helen Boosalis.


text:
[S01e07.png]
_GUIDE TO: RUMORS AND PHOTO DAY_
SEASONS
1
DIRECTOR
Fred Savage
PREVIOUS EPISODE
Guide to: Sick Days and Spelling Bees
NEXT EPISODE
Guide to: Elections and Talent Show
"GUIDE TO: RUMORS AND PHOTO DAY" is the seventh episode of _Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide_.

-   1 Plot
    -   1.1 Part 1: Rumors
        -   1.1.1 Tips
    -   1.2 Part 2: Photo Day
        -   1.2.1 Tips
-   2 Starring
    -   2.1 Guest starring
    -   2.2 Co-starring
-   3 Trivia

Plot

Part 1: Rumors

Someone in the hallway mishears a conversation between Ned and Claire and thinks Ned has a crush on Moze. This rumor spreads around school until Moze hears that Ned is secretly in love with her and is going to ask her out. Gordy tells Ned and Cookie about the rumor of the "atomic flush", which goes around every year. If every toilet is flushed simultaneously at 3:20, the entire school will jump into the air. Ned tries to get Moze to join them, but, believing that Ned is trying to ask her out, she runs from him. Mr. Sweeney finds out about Ned's atomic flush plan and wants to put a stop to it like he's done every year. Moze tells Cookie about Ned asking her out and makes him tell Ned she just wants to be friends. When Cookie talks to Ned, he denies liking Moze like that. Ned puts Cookie in charge of the atomic flush mission while he goes to talk to Moze.

Cookie rounds up as many people as he can for the atomic flush, and they meet in Gordy's closet. Mr. Sweeney is spying on them, but they don't let him in because he doesn't know the password. He declares that the atomic flush will not happen, but Cookie gets everyone pumped up and back on track. However, the only toilet they can't get to is the one in the teacher's lounge, as Mr. Sweeney has locked himself in there. Cookie tells everyone to abort the mission, but Gordy vows that he will get into the teacher's lounge bathroom.

Ned chases her around the school and when they finally talk about it, they realize it was just a rumor. They plan to just ignore it, but when Ned gets beaten up by Loomer and Moze by Doris, they come up with a plan B: break up in front of everyone. They put on a big spectacle in the hallway, where they publicly "break up" but say they still want to be friends.

Mr. Sweeney had read Ned's plans for the atomic flush and is impressed, saying his plan is actually good. Gordy drills a hole in the door and convinces Sweeney to flush the toilet to see what would happen. Sweeney gives in and flushes the toilet with all the other ones. At first, nothing happens. Then, the toilet in the teacher's lounge starts to shake and explodes. When they tell Ned and everyone else, they all think to believe they might've felt something, too.

Tips

-   Tip#308 - If you're on the wrong end of a rumor, IGNORE IT!
-   Tip#312 - Don't believe rumors and don't spread them.

Part 2: Photo Day

On Photo Day, everyone is dressed up except Moze. Moze is annoyed that her smiles always look so fake in school photos, so she plans on not getting her picture taken and just take the "' no picture available' wolf". Ned, whose smile always comes out perfect, sets out to get a real smile out of her for the camera. Ned gets a shirt from the Sewing Club. Moze practices her smile in the mirror but still can't get it right.

Cookie, who always has terrible luck on photo day, goes to great lengths to ensure he looks super-cool this year. He invents a program that can fix any terrible photo. However, the photographer has an old-school camera and doesn't use a digital camera. However, a girl in his class says that the photographer didn't even look at her when he took her picture. This gives Cookie an idea to hold auditions to find a stand-in for his photo. He chooses a very handsome man, saying, "It's like looking in a mirror... in my imagination!"

Ned is still trying to help Moze smile for her picture. Even the Lunch Lady looks into Moze's beans and says she has a beautiful smile. Ned just tries to get her to smile naturally by telling jokes. However, as Cookie and his stand-in are heading to the gym, he crashes into someone carrying a large bag of feathers, Gordy has the giant fan on, and Cookie crashes into Ned in the gym. Ned, in turn, crashes backward into a cart full of honey, which spills all over him, the feathers in the hallway get blown into the gym and stuck to him, and so does a bright red glove (to the top of his head). His chicken-like appearance makes Moze laugh and gives her a natural smile for her photo.

Moze likes her picture for the first time, Cookie successfully gets his stand-in to be in his school photo, and Ned gets his photo taken looking like a chicken, and likes it, too.

Tips

-   Tip#867.6G - Don't talk, just smile.
-   Tip#867.8H - NO BLINKING!
-   Tip#867.9.K - Pick a pose, not your nose!
-   Tip#487.91 - Only dress up the part the camera sees.
-   Tip#487.6W - Be yourself…
-   Tip#487.4.25 - It's okay to practice your smile.
-   Tip#763.6A - Take practice photos.
-   Tip#763.7W - Don't like the photo? Try again on the makeup day.

Starring

-   Devon Werkheiser as Ned Bigby
-   Lindsey Shaw as Moze
-   Daniel Curtis Lee as Cookie
-   Jim J. Bullock as Mr. Monroe

Guest starring

-   Special guest star: Meshach Taylor as Mr. Wright
-   Mary Bogue as Nurse Hunsucker
-   Don Creech as Mr. Sweeney
-   Dave Florek as Mr. Chopsaw
-   Loni Love as Lunch Lady
-   Daran Norris as Gordy
-   Fred Stoller as Photographer

Co-starring

-   Kendre Berry as Backpack Boy
-   Alex Black as Seth Powers
-   Brooke Marie Bridges as Claire Sawyer
-   Tyler Chase as Martin Qwerly
-   Jennifer Hyatt as Doris Trembley
-   Vincent Martella as Scoop
-   Kelii Miyata as Timmy Toot-Toot
-   Matthew "Teo" Olivares as Jerry Crony
-   Rob Pinkston as Coconut Head
-   Christian Serratos as Suzie Crabgrass
-   Rachel Sibner as Lisa Zemo
-   Kyle Swann as Billy Loomer

Trivia

-   When Ned & Moze gets snatched by Loomer & Doris, both of them said: "You broke my heart, now I'm gonna break you". like how Ned & Moze both say things at the same time.
-   This was Doris & the huge Crew's 3rd appearance.
-   This Loomer's 6th appearance

  SEASON 1 EPISODES
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Guide to: The First Day and Lockers • Guide to: Bathrooms and Project Partners • Guide to: Teachers and Detention • Guide to: Seating and Tryouts • Guide to: Crushes and Dances • Guide to: Sick Days and Spelling Bees • GUIDE TO: RUMORS AND PHOTO DAY • Guide to: Elections and Talent Show • Guide to: Computer Lab and Backpacks • Guide to: Notes and Best Friends • Guide to: Daydreaming and Gym • Guide to: Cheaters and Bullies • Guide to: Emergency Drills and Late Bus
  SEASON 2 • SEASON 3

question: Who is the director?

answer: Fred Savage.

question: What is being described?

answer: Television show Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

question: Summarize everything relating to Mr. Sweeney.

answer: Mr. Sweeney is determined to prevent Ned's plan for an "atomic flush" that rumor says will make the school jump into the air. Kids try it every year, and every year, Mr. Sweeney puts a stop to it. After failing to stop the kids from trying, he locks himself in the teacher's lounge bathroom so that not every toilet in the school can be flushed. However, he admits that Ned's plan is a good one, and is convinced by Gordy to flush the toilet himself, causing the teacher's lounge toilet to shake and explode.

question: What is the name of the episode?

answer: Guide to: Rumors and Photo Day.

question: Who beats up Ned and Moze?

answer: Loomer and Doris.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: "Guide to: Rumors and Photo Day" is the title of this episode of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. In part one, the characters get into trouble when rumors are spread around the school. In part two, the characters succeed in having school pictures taken that they are all happy with.


text:
thumb|upright=1.3|The Customs House

The old CUSTOMS HOUSE (, ) is a historic building in Bangkok, located on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bang Rak District. It was built in 1888 as one of the many Western-style buildings commissioned by King Chulalongkorn, and was designed by Joachim Grassi in the neo-Palladian style. The building fell into disrepair during the mid-20th century. Beginning in 2019, it is undergoing restoration and re-development as a luxury hotel.

History

thumb|The building as Marine Police headquarters, c. 1950s The Customs House was built in 1888 to designs by Joachim Grassi. Built in the Palladian style, it is a fine example of the prevalent use of Western architecture in public buildings during Siam (Thailand)'s modernisation under the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).[1] The building sits on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bang Rak District, on _Soi_ Charoen Krung 36, and was symbolically considered the gateway to the country.

In 1949, the customs office moved to Khlong Toei Port. The building later came to serve as headquarters of the Marine Police Division, and then residences for staff of the Bang Rak Fire Station. The building has much deteriorated since, and while multiple plans for its restoration were proposed, none came to fruition.

In 2005, real estate consortium Natural Park won a 30-year concession from the Treasury Department (which administers the building as state property) to renovate the site as an Aman Resorts hotel. However, in the ten years since, no development had taken place, due to difficulties in relocating the previous tenants. The residents finally moved out in early 2016,[2] and the Treasury Department confirmed in 2017 that the project would go ahead under the U City company, as Natural Park was now known following restructuring.[3]

U City, in a joint venture with Aman Resorts and Silverlink Resorts, signed the development contract on 29 May 2019, giving it a thirty-year lease of the property. U City plans to spend 3 billion baht (US$94 million) restoring and developing the property as a luxury hotel, slated to be completed by 2025. Work will begin with archaeological excavation and cataloguing in association with the Fine Arts Department.[4]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

title: Customs House (Bangkok)

question: Where is the Customs House in Bangkok located?

answer: The eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bang Rak District.

question: When was the Customs House in Bangkok built?

answer: 1888.

question: Who commissioned the Customs House in Bangkok?

answer: King Chulalongkorn.

question: When did the Customs House in Bangkok begin to be restored?

answer: 2019.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about the Customs House in Bangkok, a Western style building built in Bangkok in the late 19th century.


text:
Something strange in the neighbourhood?

This fall, we're gonna call the Ghostbusters for a night of spooks and science. For a limited time, the Ghostbusters will be opening up their headquarters for exclusive tours.  Don't miss your chance to meet the experts in paranormal activity and learn all about ectoplasm and proton packs.  We hear that even the Mayor is coming!

All ages are welcome as long as you ain't afraid of no ghost!

October 17-27, 2018

ABOUT US

The Secret Sessions delivers unique immersive events with an element of mystery and surprise. We bring to life your favourite cinema classics by fusing live theatre with film screenings. Our goal is to ensure adults stay curious - because life is much more fun that way!

#STAYCURIOUS

WHAT IS THE MOVIE EXPERIENCE?

The Movie Experience is a fusion of live theatre and cinema where cult classic films come to life.

1.
2.
3.
4.

TORONTO LIFE

"Events are part live theatre, part film screening, part party."

DORK SHELF

"For anyone who adores cult movies beyond rationality, this is an event series that simply must be experienced."

TORONTO STAR

"Lots of laughs, drinks, fake moustaches and burritos."

BLOG TO

"Have you ever been watching your fave cult classic film and thought, man I would love to have been on that set? Well now you can"

GET IN ON THE SECRET

RSVP to our next event.

See you soon!

Subscribe to get news on all of our latest events

PARTNERS

We are delighted to partner with the following companies to make Ghostbusters - The Movie Experience a success:

GHOSTBUSTERS - CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM

CAST:

Will Conlon - Peter Venkman

Matthew Nadeau - Raymond Stantz

Sean C. Dwyer - Egon Spengler

Jason Pilgrim - Winston Zeddemore

Erin Eldershaw - Dana Barrett

Katherine Cappellacci - Janine Melnitz

Jonathan Sconza - Louis Tully

Lex Stultz - Walter Peck

Gillian Reed - Jennifer/Other Roles

Julian Frid - Mayor/Other Roles

Jonah McGrath - Male Student/Other Roles

CREATIVE TEAM:

Mandy Roveda - Director

Jonathan Sconza - Assistant Director

Ceridwen Kingstone - Stage Manager

Kathy Anderson - Technical Director/Sound Design

M. Lindsay - Lighting/Projection Design

David Docherty - Lighting/Projection Design

Alex Clay - Production Assistant

Erin Eldershaw - Fight Choreography

Nick Blais - Set Designer

Gary Byrne - Set Builder

Danielle Hebert - Costume Designer

Mike Hutchinson - Artwork and Graphics

Bronwyn Cuthbertson - Producer

question: What are the Ghostbusters?

answer: Not explicitly answered, but it seems they are experts in paranormal activity.

question: What are The Secret Sessions?

answer: The Secret Sessions are immersive events that fuse live theatre with film screenings.

question: Who is directing this event?

answer: Mandy Roveda is the director.

question: Where is this event located?

answer: Not answered

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This is a description for an event put on by The Secret Sessions, a group that creatives immersive events that combine live theatre with film screenings.


text:
_KOBBARI MATTA_ () is a 2019 Telugu spoof action comedy[1] film directed by Rupak Ronaldson. It stars Sampoornesh Babu portraying roles of three generations- Paparayudu, Pedarayudu, and Androyudu.[2] Steven Shankar has written story, dialogues and screenplay for the film. Sai Dharam Tej launched the teaser of the film.[3][4]

The film was released theatrically on 10 August 2019.

Cast

-   Sampoornesh Babu as Paparayudu, Pedarayudu and Androyudu
-   Ishika Singh as Janaki
-   Shakeela as Pandu
-   Mahesh Kathi as Kamudu
-   Gayathri Gupta
-   Sukumar

Soundtrack

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

title: Kobbari Matta

question: What kind of movie Kobbari Matta is?

answer: Kobbari Matta is a spoof action-comedy movie.

question: What is Kobbari Matta about?

answer: It is not stated.

question: Who has written the screenplay for Kobbari Matta?

answer: Steven Shankar has written the screenplay.

question: When was the movie released?

answer: The movie was released in 2019.

question: Who portraited Janaki in the movie?

answer: Ishika Singh portraited Janaki.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Kobbari Matta is a 2019 Telugu spoof action comedy movie directed by Rupak Ronaldson. Steven Shankar has written the screenplay. The movie was released in 2019.


text:
ALTINTAŞ () is a Turkish surname. Its meaning in the Turkish language is “Goldstone”.

Notable people with the surname include:

-   Batuhan Altıntaş (footballer) (born 1996), Turkish footballer
-   Batuhan Altıntaş (sprinter) (born 1996), Turkish track and field sprinter
-   Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş (born 1994) Turkish off duty officer and assassin of the Russian diplomat Andrei Karlov
-   Tolga Altıntaş (born 1980), Turkish volleyball player
-   Tülin Altıntaş (born 1982), Turkish volleyball player
-   Yusuf Altıntaş (born 1961), Turkish football former player and coach

Category:Turkish-language surnames

title: Altıntaş (surname)

question: What does Altıntaş mean?

answer: It is Turkish for Goldstone

question: List three famous people with Altıntaş as their surname.

answer:
Batuhan Altıntaş - Footballer
Tolga Altıntaş - Volleyball Player
Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş - Assassin on the Russian diplomat Andrei Karlov

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: A sort page about the Turkish surname 'Altıntaş'. There is also a list of famous people with this surname.


text:
"C'mon boy! Less go!"

Christopher called back to his pa, "I'm comin' Pa! Hol' on!"

"We ain't got no time boy!"

Christopher hurried with the tying of his shoes and was forced to stop and restart twice on his right shoe before he finished the task. Once he was through, he quickly stood up and ran for the door, turning back, suddenly, for his ragged bag - which he grabbed and slung over his shoulders.

"Bout time Chris, we's gonna be late if we ain't get a move on."

Christopher's Pa took him under his arm and they began their walk towards town, and Christopher's school house.

"Sure is a pleas'nt morn' Pa."

"Mhmmm."

It was a fine morning, not unlike many of the late spring mornings in Savannah, and Christopher and his Pa walked happily, enjoying the warmth and humidity of the morning.

"Pa, what's that?" Christopher said.

"Wha’ss what, boy?" Pa said.

"Up in that there tree. Look." Christopher said, and pointed ahead.

From the distance, Pa speculated, and speculated correctly, that it was the figure of a lynched negro man, still hanging in the Poplar tree, a hundred feet ahead. Pa felt a sharpening in his chest and was silent. It was too late to spare the boy the sight, and he knew that life was not going spare the boy from violence.

"It's a man." The father said,  now near the tree.

"Why's he in the tree?"

"He is dead boy, he was killed last night."

"Was he a bad man Pa?" Christopher asked.

"I don't believe so."

The boy looked up at the dead man in the Poplar tree. His face was bloated and his eyes were bulging from his head. The boy felt sad that the man was dead but he did not feel like crying.  "Com’n son," Pa said, grabbing his hand after a moment,"You be late for school."

Many of the boys at Christopher's school that day spoke wildly of the lynched man, but only two had seen his corpse in the tree. Christopher did not take part in any conversation that day, and when he walked home, the man was no longer in the tree.

title: Strange Fruit

question: Who is Chris?

answer: The information cannot be found.

question: What are they late to?

answer: Christopher's school

question: Where are they going?

answer: Christopher's school

question: Who stood up and ran for the door?

answer: Christopher

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Christopher is running late for his school. As he rushes to school with his Pa, he finds a lynched black man hanging on a Poplar tree. Pa believes he wasn't a bad man. Many of the boys in the school speak about the lynched man but Christopher doesn't participate. The body wasn't there on Christopher's way back home.


text:
All the world is silent. The streets outside of the window groan with each passing car, but none make noise. They are all distant, many miles away. Inside, there is more silence. A world of non-existent sounds and forever stillness. The laptop, set aside, shares nothing but the sheen of a blank screen. The cellphone is only a quiet piece of metal and plastic. There is no object that can penetrate the silence. There is no outside. There is only here, there is only now.

And now is a time for sitting. For quietly taking in what's before her. A bed sheet, a blanket, two pillows, and her feet. I like this, she thinks, but the registration of her thought disturbs her silence, so she pushes them back down and merely looks. She looks upon them, on the hardwood floor of her studio, and silently expresses satisfaction for herself, for her will to push past where she'd been, and where she is at now. All quietly, all without a thought. Loneliness introduces itself with a whisper, but it knows its place and its place is far away. It merely notifies her of its presence and that is enough. She acknowledges it for that's all that it needs, and continues on with what's before her. Mine, she thinks. The thought is firm and it creates ripples across her studio. It is not a disturbance, but a natural part of the world. There has never been anything more natural than a thought that is secure and definite and at this moment. I made this. This is mine.

And I like it.

And, hearing the conviction in her thought, far and away, Doubt rose and looked her way. And doubt was far. Very far. But there is a certain quality of Doubt that allows it to travel with a speed not limited by distance or time. And Doubt is not an impatient thing, it is one that is content to wait, and linger, and haunt, like Lonliness. Together, they are powerful forces that do not need to be near to be known. So Doubt rose and looked out at her and she felt it. Even from that distance, and with all the conviction she had within her, she felt Doubt.

It was not a good feeling, but she didn't have time to worry about Doubt now. The silent world was starting to murmur and she would not have it. Not tonight. Not while she had created her retreat in the middle of her living room. Not tonight. Not ever. So she stayed where she was and looked at her pillows, and blankets, and bed sheets and felt satisfied. But there was more to do. She needed string to suspend the sheets. She needed to get up to tie the string to her window blinds and across the room to her kitchen cabinet doors. She needed to make those secure so that her bed sheets would be able to hang from them and create the tent that she had in her mind. And then she needed to light it. She needed to create the atmosphere that would make her tent living room perfect. She needed her retreat and she needed it to be perfect.
And so, that's what she did.

She laid down her blankets, creating a soft bedding in the middle of her open living room. Above it, she suspended string reaching across the entirety of her studio, from the window blinds to the open kitchen cabinets, securing them tightly at each end, making them perfect for the exact tent shape that she wanted. A small pride grew within her as she started to see her creation take shape. She viewed it as herself and as an observer watching herself create and then be within the space she saw she was creating, and a small seed of accomplishment sprouted within her alongside her pride. All it needed now were some books to hold the sides of the suspended sheets down to create the proper shape of a tent and then some lights to -

and Lonliness comes again. A quick step closer than where it was before. It is pushed back by her will, but its step into her territory was a message: I am always here. I am always close. She stands at this and closes her eyes. There are no sights, there are no sounds, there is only me. There is only my wants and my desires and that is all. There is nothing else. There is only what I want. Lights. I want light.

And the lights she has in mind are perfect. Small electric diodes taped to the inner lids of mason jars. Simply made and, when their wires are touched to a battery, emitting a warm light, they look to be the glow of small fireflies. Magic in a jar. Magic in a living room. It's beautifully cinematic and it's perfect.

title: All the World is Silent

question: Why is the world silent?

answer: This statement seems to be hyperbolizing the fact that the protagonist is alone in her studio.

question: Where is the protagonist?

answer: The protagonist is in her studio.

question: What is the protagonist doing?

answer: The protagonist is constructing a tent in her living room.

question: Why is the protagonist lonely?

answer: Not answered explicitlyje3.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The protagonist is alone in her apartment, and begins to construct a tent in her living room with pillows, blankets and bedsheets. She strings together lights tape to the lids of mason jars.