text:
The British ONE POUND (£1) coin is a denomination of the pound sterling. Its obverse bears the Latin engraving ELIZABETH II D G REG (“Dei Gratia Regina”) F D (_Fidei defensor_) meaning, “Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith”.[1][2] It has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the original coin's introduction on 21 April 1983.[3] Four different portraits of the Queen have been used, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The design on the reverse side of the current, 12-sided coin features four emblems to represent each of the nations of the United Kingdom — the English rose, the leek for Wales, the Scottish thistle, and the shamrock for Northern Ireland, also two or three oak leaves — emerging from a single 5-branched stem within a crown.

The original, round £1 coin replaced the Bank of England £1 note, which ceased to be issued at the end of 1984 and was removed from circulation on 11 March 1988, though still redeemable at the Bank's offices, like all English banknotes. One-pound notes continue to be issued in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, and by the Royal Bank of Scotland, but the pound coin is much more widely used. A new, dodecagonal (12-sided) design of coin was introduced on 28 March 2017[4] and both new and old versions of the one pound coin circulated together until the older design was withdrawn from circulation on 15 October 2017. After that date, the older coin could only be redeemed at banks,[5] although some retailers announced they would continue to accept it for a limited time, [6] and they remained in use in the Isle of Man.[7]

The main purpose of redesigning the coin was to combat counterfeiting. As of March 2014 there were an estimated 1,553 million of the original nickel-brass coins in circulation,[8] of which the Royal Mint estimated in 2014 that just over 3% were counterfeit.[9][10] The new coin, in contrast, is bimetallic like the current £2 coin, and features an undisclosed hidden security feature called “iSIS” (Integrated Secure Identification Systems).[11][12]

The current 12-sided pound coins are legal tender to any amount when offered in repayment of a debt; however, the coin's legal tender status is not normally relevant for everyday transactions.

Design

[The old one pound coin (1983 design)] To date, four different portraits of Elizabeth II have appeared on the obverse. For the first three of these, the inscription was ,[13] where 2013 is replaced by the year of minting. The fourth design, unveiled in March 2015,[14] expanded the inscription slightly to . The 12-sided design, introduced in March 2017, reverted to

In summary:

-   In 1983 and 1984 the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin appeared on the obverse,[15] in which the Queen wears the “Girls of Great Britain and Ireland” Tiara.
-   Between 1985 and 1997 the portrait by Raphael Maklouf was used,[16] in which the Queen wears the George IV State Diadem.
-   Between 1998 and 2015 the portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley was used,[17] again featuring the tiara, with a signature-mark below the portrait.
-   In 2015 the portrait by Jody Clark was introduced,[18] in which the Queen wears the George IV State Diadem,[19] with a signature-mark below the portrait.

In August 2005 the Royal Mint launched a competition to find new reverse designs for all circulating coins apart from the £2 coin.[20] The winner, announced in April 2008, was Matthew Dent, whose designs were gradually introduced into the circulating British coinage from mid-2008.[21] The designs for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins depict sections of the Royal Shield that form the whole shield when placed together. The shield in its entirety was featured on the £1 coin. The coin's obverse remained unchanged.

The design of the reverse of the original coin was changed each year from 1983 to 2008 to show, in turn, an emblem representing the UK, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, together with an appropriate edge inscription. This edge inscription could frequently be “upside-down” (when obverse is facing upward).[22] From 2008, national-based designs were still minted, but alongside the new standard version and no longer in strict rotation. The inscription ONE POUND appeared on all reverse designs.

In common with non-commemorative £2 coins, the round £1 coin (except 2004–07 and the 2010–11 “capital cities” designs) had a mint mark: a small crosslet found on the milled edge that represents Llantrisant in South Wales, where the Royal Mint has been based since 1968.[23]

The reverse of the new 12-sided, bimetallic pound coin, introduced on 28 March 2017,[24] was chosen by a public design competition.[25] The competition to design the reverse of this coin was opened in September 2014.[26] It was won in March 2015 by 15-year-old David Pearce from Walsall, and unveiled by Chancellor George Osborne during his Budget announcement. The design features a rose, leek, thistle and shamrock bound by a crown.[27]

Status as legal tender

Current £1 coins are legal tender to any amount.[28][29] However, “legal tender” has a very specific and narrow meaning which relates only to the repayment of debt to a creditor, not to everyday shopping or other transactions.[30] Specifically, coins of particular denominations are said to be “legal tender” when a creditor must by law accept them in redemption of a debt.[31] The term does not mean - as is often thought - that a shopkeeper has to accept a particular type of currency in payment.[32] A shopkeeper is under no obligation to accept any specific type of payment, whether legal tender or not; conversely they have the discretion to accept any payment type they wish.[33]

Mintage figures

Round coin

  Year   Name                           Design                                                                   Nation represented   Edge inscription                                                Translation                                  Mintage[34]
  ------ ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- --------------------------
  1983   Royal Arms                     Ornamental royal arms                                                    United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  443,053,510
  1984   Thistle                        Thistle and royal diadem                                                 Scotland                                                                             No one attacks me with impunity              146,256,501
  1985   Leek                           Leek and royal diadem                                                    Wales                                                                                True am I to my country                      228,430,749
  1986   Flax Plant                     Flax plant and royal diadem                                              Northern Ireland                                                                     An ornament and a safeguard                  10,409,501
  1987   Oak Tree                       Oak tree and royal diadem                                                England                                                                              An ornament and a safeguard                  39,298,502
  1988   Shield of the Royal Arms       Crown over the Royal Coat of Arms                                        United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  7,118,825
  1989   Thistle                        Thistle and royal diadem                                                 Scotland                                                                             No one attacks me with impunity              70,580,501
  1990   Leek                           Leek and royal diadem                                                    Wales                                                                                True am I to my country                      97,269,302
  1991   Flax Plant                     Flax plant and royal diadem                                              Northern Ireland                                                                     An ornament and a safeguard                  38,443,575
  1992   Oak Tree                       Oak tree and royal diadem                                                England                                                                              An ornament and a safeguard                  36,320,487
  1993   Royal Arms                     Ornamental royal arms                                                    United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  114,744,500
  1994   Lion Rampant                   Lion rampant within a double tressure flory counter-flory                Scotland                                                                             No one attacks me with impunity              29,752,525
  1995   Dragon                         Dragon passant                                                           Wales                                                                                True am I to my country                      34,503,501
  1996   Celtic Cross and Torc          Celtic cross, Broighter collar and pimpernel                             Northern Ireland                                                                     An ornament and a safeguard                  89,886,000
  1997   Three Lions                    Three lions passant guardant                                             England                                                                              An ornament and a safeguard                  57,117,450
  1998   Royal Arms                     Ornamental royal arms                                                    United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  _not circulated_
  1999   Lion Rampant                   Lion rampant within a double tressure flory counter-flory                Scotland                                                                             No one attacks me with impunity              _not circulated_
  2000   Dragon                         Dragon passant                                                           Wales                                                                                True am I to my country                      109,496,500
  2001   Celtic Cross and Torc          Celtic cross, Broighter collar and pimpernel                             Northern Ireland                                                                     An ornament and a safeguard                  63,968,065
  2002   Three Lions                    Three lions passant guardant                                             England                                                                              An ornament and a safeguard                  77,818,000
  2003   Royal Arms                     Ornamental royal arms                                                    United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  61,596,500
  2004   Forth Railway Bridge           Forth Railway Bridge surrounded by railway tracks                        Scotland             An incuse decorative feature symbolising bridges and pathways   rowspan=“4”                                  39,162,000
  2005   Menai Straits Bridge           Menai Suspension Bridge surrounded by railing and stanchions             Wales                99,429,500
  2006   Egyptian Arch Railway Bridge   Egyptian Arch Railway Bridge surrounded by railway station canopy dags   Northern Ireland     38,938,000
  2007   Millennium Bridge              Gateshead Millennium Bridge surrounded by struts                         England              26,180,160
  2008   Royal Arms                     Ornamental royal arms                                                    United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  3,910,000
  2008   Shield of the Royal Arms       The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms                                   United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  43,827,300
  2009   Shield of the Royal Arms       The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms                                   United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  27,625,600
  2010   Shield of the Royal Arms       The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms                                   United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  57,120,000
  2010   London                         Coat of arms of the City of London                                       England                                                                              Lord, guide us                               2,635,000
  2010   Belfast                        Coat of arms of Belfast                                                  Northern Ireland                                                                     For so much, what shall we give in return?   6,205,000
  2011   Shield of the Royal Arms       The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms                                   United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  25,415,000
  2011   Cardiff                        Coat of arms of Cardiff                                                  Wales                                                                                The red dragon will give the lead            1,615,000
  2011   Edinburgh                      Coat of arms of Edinburgh                                                Scotland                                                                             In vain without the Lord                     935,000
  2012   Shield of the Royal Arms       The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms                                   United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  35,700,030
  2013   Shield of the Royal Arms       The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms                                   United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  13,090,500
  2013   Rose and Oak                   Oak and rose                                                             England                                                                              An ornament and a safeguard                  5,270,000
  2013   Leek and Daffodil              Leek and daffodil                                                        Wales                                                                                True am I to my country                      5,270,000
  2014   Flax and Shamrock              Shamrock and flax plant[35]                                              Northern Ireland                                                                     An ornament and a safeguard                  5,780,000
  2014   Thistle and Bluebell           Thistle and bluebell[36]                                                 Scotland                                                                             No one attacks me with impunity              5,185,000
  2014   Shield of the Royal Arms       The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms                                   United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  79,305,200
  2015   Shield of the Royal Arms       The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms (4th portrait)[37][38]            United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  29,580,000
  2015   Shield of the Royal Arms       The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms (5th portrait)                    United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  75,000 (only in BU sets)
  2015   Royal Arms                     The Royal Coat of Arms (5th portrait)[39][40]                            United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  129,616,985[41]
  2016   Shield of the Royal Arms       The shield from the Royal Coat of Arms (5th portrait)[42][43]            United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  30,000 (only in BU sets)
  2016   Last Round Pound               Four heraldic beasts[44]                                                 United Kingdom                                                                       An ornament and a safeguard                  _not circulated_

  : Images: Royal Mint

All years except 1998 and 1999 have been issued into circulation, although the number issued has varied enormously – 1983, 1984 and 1985 in particular had large mintages to facilitate the changeover from paper notes, while some years such as 1988 are only rarely seen (although 1988 is more noticeable as it has a unique reverse). Production since 1997 has been reduced, thanks to the introduction of the circulating two pound coin.

The final round coins minted for 2016 and the 2015 Shield of the Royal Arms 5th portrait did not enter circulation, as they were only available through commemorative sets.[45] These were the shield from the Royal Coat of Arms by Matthew Dent, and a design by Gregory Cameron, Bishop of St Asaph, of four heraldic beasts.[46][47]

12-sided coin

  Year   Design                 Nation represented   Mintage[48]
  ------ ---------------------- -------------------- -------------------------------------------------
  2016   Nations of the Crown   United Kingdom       300,000,000 (initial launch in March 2017) [49]
  2017   Nations of the Crown   United Kingdom       749,616,200[50]
  2018   Nations of the Crown   United Kingdom       130,560,000[51]
  2019   Nations of the Crown   United Kingdom       900,000,000
  2020   Nations of the Crown   United Kingdom       TBA

Counterfeiting

During later years of the round pound's use, Royal Mint surveys estimated the proportion of counterfeit £1 coins in circulation. This was estimated at 3.04% in 2013, a rise from 2.74%.[52][53] The figure previously announced in 2012 was 2.86%, following the prolonged rise from 0.92% in 2002–2003 to 0.98% in 2004, 1.26% in 2005, 1.69% in 2006, 2.06% in 2007, 2.58% in 2008, 2.65% in 2009, 3.07% in 2010 and 3.09% in 2011.[54][55] Figures were generally reported in the following year; in 2008 (as reported in 2009), the highest levels of counterfeits were in Northern Ireland (3.6%) and the South East and London (2.97%), with the lowest being in Northwest England.[56][57][58] Coin testing companies estimated in 2009 that the actual figure was about twice the Mint's estimate, suggesting that the Mint was underplaying the figures so as not to undermine confidence in the coin.[59] It is illegal to pass on counterfeit currency knowingly; the official advice is to hand it in, with details of where received, to the police, who will retain it and investigate.[60][61] One article suggested “given that fake coins are worthless, you will almost certainly be better off not even looking”.[62] The recipient also has recourse against the supplier in such cases.

Counterfeits are put into circulation by dishonest people, then circulated inadvertently by others who are unaware; in many cases banks do not check, and circulate counterfeits. In 2011 the BBC television programme _Fake Britain_ withdrew 1,000 £1 coins from each of five major banks and found that each batch contained between 32 and 38 counterfeits; the Mint estimated that about 31 per 1,000 £1 coins were counterfeit.[63] Some of the counterfeits were found by automated machinery, others could be detected only by expert visual inspection.

In July 2010, following speculation that the Royal Mint would have to consider replacing £1 coins with a new design because of the fakes, bookmakers Paddy Power offered odds of 6/4 (bet £4 to win £6, plus the £4 stake back; decimal odds of 2.5), that the £1 coin would be removed from circulation.[64][65]

[Real and fake round pound, showing poor-quality edge inscription and milling, and colour difference.] Some counterfeits were of poor quality, with obviously visible differences (less sharply defined, lacking intricate details, edge milling and markings visibly wrong). Many better counterfeits can be detected by comparing the orientation of the obverse and reverse—they should match in genuine modern UK coins, but very often did not in counterfeit round £1.[66][67] The design on the reverse must be correct for the stamped year (e.g., a 1996 coin should have a Celtic cross).[68] It was difficult to manufacture round pounds with properly-produced edges; the milling (grooves) was often incomplete or poor and the inscription (often “DECUS ET TUTAMEN”) sometimes poorly produced or in the wrong typeface.[69] A shiny coin with less wear than its date suggests is also suspect, although it may be a genuine coin that has rarely been used.[70]

Counterfeit coins are made by different processes including casting, stamping, electrotyping, and copying with a pantograph or spark erosion.[71] In a 2009 survey, 99% of fake £1 coins found in cash centres were made of a nickel-brass, of which three fifths contained some lead and a fifth were of a very similar alloy to that used by the Royal Mint. The remaining 1% were made of simple copper-zinc brass, or lead or tin, or both.[72] Those made of lead or tin may have a gold-coloured coating; counterfeits made of acrylic plastic containing metal powder to increase weight were occasionally found.[73]

The final 'round pounds' were minted in December 2015; the replacement, a new 12-sided design, was introduced in 2017,[74] the earliest dated as 2016. The coin has a 12-edged shape, similar to the pre-decimal brass threepence coin; it has roughly the same size as the previous £1 coin, and is bi-metallic like most £2 coins. The new design is intended to make counterfeiting more difficult, and also has an undisclosed hidden security feature called “iSIS” (Integrated Secure Identification Systems),[75][76] thought to be a code embedded in the top layer of metal on the obverse of the coin, visible only under a specific wavelength of ultraviolet light.[77]

Current two-pound coins, being bi-metallic (excluding some rarely tendered commemorative issues), remain harder to counterfeit than the round pound was; such counterfeits would often easily seen to have wrong colour(s).

Other pound coins that entered circulation

While the round pound was operational, others that entered circulation, although not legal tender, in the UK were some £1 coins of British Crown Dependencies, Gibraltar and UK South Atlantic Overseas Territories. Most coins of these territories, in all denominations, were of the same size and composition as a UK equivalent and most bore the same portraits of the UK monarch.[78][79] None of these territories rushed to replace their round pound coins except Gibraltar after the UK did so, which continues to use Gibraltarian pound coins as legal tender as well as the new UK pound coins.

Further reading

In an April 1993 _The New Yorker_ article “Real Britannia”, Julian Barnes describes the meetings to choose the 1994–1997 reverse designs.[80] This is reprinted in his book _Letters from London_ as “Britannia's New Bra Size”.

[1]  Proclamation of 28 May 1953 made in accordance with the Royal Titles Act 1953.

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20] “Royal Mint seeks new coin designs”, BBC News, 17 August 2005

[21] “Royal Mint unveils new UK coins” , dofonline.co.uk, 2 April 2008

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26] New One Pound Coin Royal Mint

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]  Check Your Change|website=www.checkyourchange.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-03-28}}

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

[51]

[52]

[53]

[54]

[55] 1 HM Treasury FOI response relating to a period 2008–2009. hm-treasury.gov.uk(PDF)

[56]

[57]

[58]

[59]

[60]

[61] Hilary Osborne (2 April 2012) How to spot a fake £1 coin Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2016

[62]

[63] Fake Britain, Series 2 episode 1, first broadcast on BBC1 TV on 16 May 2011

[64]

[65]

[66]

[67]

[68] 234 Three blog entries analyzing counterfeits the author has been passed. blog.alism.com

[69]

[70]

[71] The types of counterfeit one-pound coins and identifying them. coinauthentication.co.uk. February 2006. Retrieved 24 January 2016.

[72]

[73]

[74] Royal Mint Presses Last Batch of Round Pound Coins The Guardian

[75]

[76]

[77]

[78] Can I use coinage from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man?, Royal Mint. Retrieved 24 January 2016

[79] Can I use coinage from United Kingdom Overseas Territories? , Royal Mint. Retrieved 24 January 2016

[80]

title: One pound (British coin)

question: What is meant by "obverse bears"?

answer: The text does not explain.

question: Why was the coin being counterfeited?

answer: It is likely this was being done in order to sell them as collector's items, since they are not useful in everyday transactions.

question: Why might the design of the coin be changed every so often?

answer: It could be due to political and national changing boundaries and landscapes.

question: If you tried to pay for headache pills at a drugstore with a single Euro coin, why could they refuse payment?

answer: Only debtors and creditors are required to accept that particular coin as legal tender.


split: train

text: He woke. It was a breathless waking, the kind where you slam your own bed as if rushing to the ground. He had hardly blinked away the heaviness in his eyes when he noticed. Something was wrong, different, unsettling, his room seemed, brighter. It wasn’t a comforting light, it seemed to vibrate from everything, as if all objects had a new glean. He took the whole feeling as a shuddering, a resonating chill lasting only moments. Curling his fingers over the edge of his bed he swung himself across the lip of the sheets. His feet touched the ground and the tactile sensation of the carpet caused him to shift uncomfortably. For the first time he was conscious of the fibers, the rough spun cotton flowing underfoot. He thought he might be able to count them all, every strand, and find them all to his liking. He found this unnerving. Straining his eyes the room came into focus, his vision was acute and the details washed over him in waves. The colors were deeper and the patterns more noticeable. This made him realize everything about his immediate surroundings. The four corners, arched ceiling, tissue box, miss matched curtains, everything, all of it, appeared flawless. Nothing had moved, nothing had changed, it was simply right. It was in its place. It was at home. All except the door. It was the same. The familiar had a new temptation, a magnetism, a undeniable pull. The door was already cracked, shadows slipping in from around the frame. The dark ruff cut wood, bronzed hinges and dented knob stood in flushed contrast to the perfection surrounding it. He rose, pushed off the bed, stepped towards the doorway and reached out tentatively. He clutched the handle, it felt slightly chilled, as if it hadn't been turned in a generation. He stood there, preparing to breach, wondering why he would pause. Feet shoulder width apart, sideways to the door, he surveyed the room with a last calculating gaze. Suddenly, in a lapse of time without thought, he gave a sharp pull, strode into the darkness, and fell.

title: Never wrote before, thought i needed a new hobby, whipped this together today!

question: Who are the main characters of the story?

answer: There's only one male character with no name.

question: Where is he?

answer: He is what appears to be his bedroom, but different.

question: What's happening?

answer: He wakes up from an apparent dream and finds himself in his room, but everything looks and feels strange.

question: Why is the door different from the rest of the room?

answer: Every object in the room is flawless except for the door, which looks the same (cracked wood, dented knob, bronze hinges).

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: A man wakes up breathless in his room, but something is wrong and unsettling about his surroundings. Colors seem deeper and everything seems brighter but in a non-comforting way, as if every object has a new glean. He feels a momentary chill as he realizes he can feel all the fibers of the floor carpet. Everything in the room is flawless except for the door, which looked old and cracked, contrasting with the perfection of the room. Shadows surround the door frame. He opens the door and falls into the darkness.


text:
Okay Reddit. First time I'm posting something to an audience outside of my small circle of friends. Hope you like it. I'm from India so you have the references here and there. Shouldn't stop you from getting it, though. Hope you like it :)

This story formed itself on three separate occasions and was finally written on a cold winter day on a Lutyens' Delhi building's terrace. It became more special after I recited it to someone immediately after its completion. Not very often do I get to read stories out but for the one time I did, it sure feels good. This story for me (like the others) is like winter. Cold, numb fingers and dull aches, but some warmth inside, and just about enough. I hope you like it :)

"Do ghosts live on Peepul trees?" I ask, peering across the terrace into the hazy silhouette of a clump of trees far away. The winter sun trying its best to warm my bones against the chilly wind that plays with my messy hair. "Ghosts and Gods both." says my aunt knowingly as she pours me yet another cup of strong, milky tea. A mug, rather. I warm my numb fingers on it. I am cold. I'm in a village for all practical purposes. My phone does not work here, buffaloes sit lazily basking in the faded sun, children quarrel over a game of marbles, and a twenty-year-old misfit sips tea sitting on a cot.

Needless to say, this is not my natural habitat. For one, I can see the sky in all its sprawling, blue glory. Two birds skip off the draft and dive one after the other to swoop onto some unknowing prey. Somewhere, a rooster crows, which is quite odd for two o clock in the afternoon. Also odd for this time of the day is the cold that seeps through to my bones. I tell my aunt about life in the city. She listens wide-eyed. She cannot fathom the coldness of it all, the steel and glass prison that I work in, the dreadful fact that I know exactly how each day is going to be. She does not understand how free I feel here without my cell phone chaining me like an invisible umbilical cord, how clear the air here is without a thousand conversations riding the airwaves form tower to tower. All is well in my world though, as she pours me yet another cup of tea. I smile. Family.

As the clock strikes four, children start pouring into the terrace. My cousin sister, all of nineteen, is the neighbourhood teacher, a prestigious title earned through months of reading aloud the alphabet, teaching children to dot their i's and cross their t's and much red ink spread over her soft palms. The children eye me suspiciously. After a while they decide I'm no threat and a couple of them greet me. "Good Morning, Sir!" they say in that sing song chorus I used to be a part of, long back. I smile again.

This class is quite different from any I have seen. The children, aging from five to ten, do not sit still. They laugh and cry freely. They sing their lessons. Some are struggling to hold pencils while some are proud to be old enough to wield pens, prized possessions no doubt for those little fingers. It is, in a way, like an overgrown garden. Disordered and chaotic but oh, so beautiful.

One little boy stands out, though. There's something strange about him even in this scene which is none too familiar to me. He takes and exceptionally long time to write. I kneel next to him and peer into his notebook, bound with thread. All the words are misspelt, the letters are fractured,misshapen little creatures, and the boy's face is a mixture of confusion and terror. I look at my sister with concern. She nods silently and tells the class to write numeral to a hundred. She walks over to me and looks into his book. Then she looks at me, her eyes full of exasperation and silent despair. "There's something wrong with him." she says, the winter haze making its way into her voice. "He's just slow to learn. He's not too rich. His father was supposed to come see me today." She looks at him with sadness. He merely smiles as he squints into the sun. "Take care of him will you?" she says and leaves me with him.

I am now a helpless subject of the boy's scrutiny. he squints at me face, the winter sun giving me a halo. I try to smile, but it falters. This will not go well, I think. I need something to say, to engage his mind, so much more free than mine. "Do you like aeroplanes? I ask him , finding my saviour in a flash of supposed brilliance. "Planes." he says after a couple of seconds of incomprehension, his face lighting up. "Planes!" he says again, his hands tracing a flight path, cutting through the cold air. "Let's make one!" I say with poorly disguised relief and I tear out two pages from his notebook and give him one. I make the first folds quickly, my fingers using their own memory saved from eons ago when I used to fly. He sits there confused, his fingers not grasping the movements, ever so slightly out of his control. I repeat slowly. He follows this time. He laughs clearly as he does and the air is warmer, if only by a fraction.

As his small hands struggle to give life to the piece of paper, I see him deep in penance, wanting nothing more to bend the paper and his own limbs to his will. Ages pass by with me lost in the slow dance his fingers play with the paper, becoming more and more refined until he makes the final fold with all the grace of a finishing pirouette. As we walk to the boundary I silently pray that it flies well, to some unknown tree-dwelling deity, lord of planes and the winter wind.

The child blows into the paper plane in a ritual he is sure will lend it magical wings, and jumps slightly as he releases it into the vast, cold expanse of air.

And it flies majestically, circling us and riding a draft into a slow dive reminiscent of the two birds, then stalling, then diving again and continuing its graceful pirouette as the boy's wide eyes follow it in flight, even as he dives and stalls with the plane, no longer bound by his form, and having lived its short life with the grace of a dying star, the plane lands on a buffalo sitting some distance away. The animal merely grunts and goes promptly back to chewing its cud, a business more important than all the machinations of this world.

I look at him. He is laughing. He is in fits. "You did well." is all I can muster. I ruffle his hair gleaming brown in the sun, and he nods with twinkling eyes. I turn around to see an old man, whose eyes tell me he is the father. "He did well." I say weakly to him. He merely nods, other gestures being foreign to him. He picks the child up into his arms, never too weak for his son. Then he looks at me with a smile and moist eyes. I cannot look away. They are too deep for me to swim away.

My mind goes back five years when I had returned with my examination results to my father. "You could have done better." was all he had said. I remember sitting there under the same sun with the result sheep in my hand, a piece of paper that would never, ever fly.

I look at the child and his father again. It's not cold anymore. The wind stands still as if in respect, and for a moment the sun shines brighter.

Then it hits me .

The boy isn't broken.

I am.

I walk away silently and gaze across the open fields into infinity until my eyes are moist.

Perhaps it is just the cold wind.

Perhaps.

title: Broken

question: What is the likely gender of the narrator?

answer: Male, as he is referred to as "sir".

question: What is the narrator's motivation?

answer: It is not clear why he is in the country visiting his family, but later in the scene, with the boy, he seems to be motivated by pity and obligation.

question: What might the teacher have thought of the paper planes?

answer: She probably would have approved because the activity engaged the boy's mind and hands, and gave him something to achieve as well as a new skill to learn.

question: What is the main idea of paragraph two?

answer: It describes how, when, and where the story was written by the author, and what it means to them.


text:
This is the ending of the first dream I ever remember. It was the only time I ever "met" my grandfather who died six months before I was born. I was three when I had it.

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

The air was ephemeral.

It was more of a concept than anyone that young should embrace, but it was. The air, what else could you call it? It was ephemeral. Each breath lasted within the nostrils for only a moment and then they scintillated through his flesh as does daybreak from the pupils. That's all the longer it needed to and then it was gone. Thick and heady, but then only a memory. It was just as the colors, the sounds, the smells...everything; so ephemeral.

The cousins, they bounded off into the distance. They were free, joyous, and ignorant. All of them knew nothing except what was in front of them except one. She looked back. Her eyes filled with fear, resentment, and longing from beneath inky bangs. She wanted what she could never ask for, for what she'd eventually bridle herself with, but for what could never be given. Even she turned away.

"This is your responsibility. I wish I could spare you some of it. It is yours...all of it."

These were ancient words, far older concepts, more than a young mind could bear. The elderly man stooped down among crimson leaves hanging from emerald capped mushrooms beneath lavender skies.

"This is as far as I can bring you. You will have to carry them the rest of the way."

The young boy, still silent, looked to the rest of his party. They were his age and a bit older. They were smarter, wiser, more independent. As they bounded off he wondered what else he could possibly have to offer them. The fear and turmoil was nothing to them. They didn't register the terror as he did. What more guidance could he offer them?

"There are far more my boy. They have much farther to go; much farther than you or I have traveled and much farther than you can imagine. They are your responsibility though. You have to pull them through."

The boy's eyes watered. It was the stress of responsibility and the weight of inevitability. It was the strain weighing on nerves and thoughts which could barely sustain their own mass, much less the heaving of eternity. Yet here it all met. Timelines, seemingly so incongruent yet so inevitable, meeting at the crossroads of ancient history and fate's inexorable rails.

"It isn't fair, I know. We've done the best we can for you, and I admit, it's not enough. I don't think it is enough, but I know it must be enough. You will bring them, not just *them*," nodding to the little girls bounding off to consciousness, "but all of them. It won't be pretty and you probably won't think you'll do it well, but you must believe me -- if you won't believe anyone else --  no one else can do this thing. You will bring them through. You will bring them through the darkness, the forest, the things that they fear, and the things which fear you. Most importantly, only you can bring them through that which you fear most."

That was what broke the dam of tears. That elicited fear and sadness and doubt. The boy shuddered under the weight of this promise. This was the promise which would break anyone, the one not made by a man but made to a man. It incapacitated him, it emancipated him, and still it endowed him with a lifetime of duty.

"In the end this will hurt more than any pain I could inflict," and now the old man began to cry, slow streams of tears down a creased face as he knelt to hold the boys trembling cheeks in his hands for one last time, "but it will save them, it will save me, and most importantly my boy, it will save you."

They embraced. The boy's tiny arms struggled to wrap around the elderly man's withering frame. It was the first time. It was the last time. It was the only time.

The boy looked at him in his somber pinstriped suit. The navy lines barely registered among  the dark charcoal wool which covered him from saddle shod toes to fedora lined brow. The subdued colors shone brightly against the ghastly hued landscape. The boy walked away towards both liberty and incarceration.

Of all the colors he looked back on the only one he could truly remember were those refracted through his grandfather's tears. The light that passed through the drops of his eyes carried everything. They carried hope, doubt, strength, weakness, triumph, and failure. They carried lifetimes. They carried the weight, the eternal weight, the weight no sane man could accept and no honorable man could reject.

Then he awoke. For the first time, he truly awoke.

title: The First Dream's Farewell

question: Who spoke the words: "This is your responsibility. I wish I could spare some of it. It is yours... all of it."?

answer: The boy's grandfather.

question: Who is the boy?

answer: The boy is young. He is meeting his grandfather for the first and last time. According to the prologue his grandfather died 6 months before he was born.

question: What did the boy receive from the old man?

answer: Responsibility for his cousins. They have much farther to go and he has to pull them through.

question: Who were the other children?

answer: The other children were his cousins, all being watched by their grandfather.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The boy wakes up in a dream with children bounding off into the distance. An old man speaks to him about his responsibility to look after them. By facing what he fears most he will be able to save them, his grandfather and himself. He hugs his grandfather for the first and last time, then he truly wakes up for the first time.


text:
LOPEN is a village and civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England, situated west of Yeovil. The village has a population of 260 people.[1]

History

The name of the village means _Lufa's pen or fold_.[2]

A Roman mosaic, probably from a Roman villa, was found in the village in 2001.[3] The Lopen Roman Mosaic was discovered by George Caton who was operating a mechanical digger and noticed small cubes of coloured stone, which turned out to be part of the floor of an eight-roomed Roman Villa and is the largest Roman Mosaic so far discovered in Britain.[4] Photogrammetry by English Heritage[5] was followed by excavation led by the Somerset County Council archaeologist exposed and documented the mosaic in three weeks. It was then covered with sand and soil to preserve it. The work was recognised with the award of the Tarmac Finders Award (for non professionals) at the British Archaeological Awards in 2002.[6] The stones used for the mosaic are Blue Lias from the surrounding hills.[7] The fragments which were discovered in the surrounding soil were used to create a new mosaic, featuring a cantharus, using methods which would have been available in Roman times.[8] It is now displayed in All Saints Church.[9]

Lopen is listed in the Domesday Book, with three manors, one of which was held by the Knights Templar. These were bought by the Poulett's of Hinton St George in 1560s.[10] The parish of Lopen was part of the South Petherton Hundred.[11]

In the 18th century the parish was noted for flax growing and for the production of linen sailcloth and twine. These industries continuing until the end of World War II.[12] A mill had first been recorded in the parish around 1285. The mill was a water/grist mill until the mid 18th, then becoming jointly used as a grain mill and for linen production.[13]

Governance

The parish council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The parish council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.

The village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of South Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Chard Rural District.[14] The district council is responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.

Somerset County Council is responsible for running the largest and most expensive local services such as education, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, policing and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning.

Lopen is part of the Yeovil county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. However, in the Boundary Commission proposal of 2011 it would become part of a new constituency provisionally called Glastonbury and Wincanton.[15] It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Geography

The parish of Lopen is bounded to the north by the A303 Trunk Road and to the south by Lopen Brook with the road from South Petherton to Merriott, Crewkerne and the south coast running through the middle. Between Lopenhead and Lopen the road crosses the ancient Roman Fosse Way, which at this point is just a minor country lane.

The main retail outlets in the parish are the pub and an organic food shop at Lopen Head, but although they are in the parish they are not really in the village itself which is located half a mile to the south. Furthermore, the road from Lopenhead to Lopen descends steeply through a deep and twisty cutting with no pedestrian pavement, consequently these outlets cannot safely be reached on foot from the village. Recently a Farm shop had opened at Osborne's on the Merriott Road just south of the village centre selling fruit and vegetables.

Religious sites

[The parish church] The Anglican parish Church of All Saints has 12th- or 13th-century origins, but was largely rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries with the north transept being added in 1833.[16] As Lopen chapel it was granted to Bruton Priory in 1209 becoming dependent on South Petherton church, later passing to Bristol Cathedral and obtaining burial rights in 1574.[17]

Culture

Punkie Night is celebrated in the village of Hinton St George each October.

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title: Lopen

question: What does Lopen mean?

answer: The name of Lopen means Lufa's pen or fold.

question: How large is Lopen?

answer: Lopen, the village, is quite large as it is deemed to be filled with three manors and many shopping markets.

question: Describe the timeline of how long the village has been around?

answer: According to the article, the village, Lopen, has been around since the 18th century, and has just found a Roman mosaic in 2001.


text:
MAE CAROL JEMISON (born October 17, 1956) is an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut. She became the first black woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle _Endeavour_. Jemison joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1987 and was selected to serve for the STS-47 mission, during which she orbited the Earth for nearly eight days on September 12–20, 1992.

Born in Alabama and raised in Chicago, Jemison graduated from Stanford University with degrees in chemical engineering as well as African and African-American studies. She then earned her medical degree from Cornell University. Jemison was a doctor for the Peace Corps in Liberia and Sierra Leone from 1983 until 1985 and worked as a general practitioner. In pursuit of becoming an astronaut, she applied to NASA.

Jemison left NASA in 1993 and founded a technology research company. She later formed a non-profit educational foundation and through the foundation is the principal of the 100 Year Starship project funded by DARPA. Jemison also wrote several books for children and appeared on television several times, including in a 1993 episode of _Star Trek: The Next Generation_. She holds several honorary doctorates and has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame and the International Space Hall of Fame.

Early life and education

Mae Carol Jemison was born in Decatur, Alabama, on October 17, 1956,[1][2] the youngest of three children of Charlie Jemison and Dorothy Jemison ().[3] Her father was a maintenance supervisor for a charity organization, and her mother worked most of her career as an elementary school teacher of English and math at the Ludwig van Beethoven Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois.[4][5] The family first lived in Woodlawn and later the Morgan Park neighborhoods.[6] Jemison knew from a young age that she wanted to study science and someday go into space.[7] The television show _Star Trek_ and, in particular, African-American actress Nichelle Nichols' portrayal of Lieutenant Uhura further stoked her interest in space.[8][9][10]

Jemison enjoyed studying nature and human physiology, using her observations to learn more about science. Although her mother encouraged her curiosity[11] and both her parents were supportive of her interest in science, she did not always see the same support from her teachers.[12] When Jemison told a kindergarten teacher she wanted to be a scientist when she grew up, the teacher assumed she meant she wanted to be a nurse.[13] Seeing a lack of female astronauts during the Apollo missions also frustrated Jemison. She later recalled, “everybody was thrilled about space, but I remember being irritated that there were no women astronauts.”[14]

Jemison began studying ballet at the age of 8 or 9 and entered high school at 12 years old, where she joined the cheerleading team and the Modern Dance Club.[15][16] Jemison had a great love for dance from a young age. She learned several styles of dance, including African and Japanese, as well as ballet, jazz, and modern dance. As a child, Jemison had aspirations of becoming a professional dancer.[17] At the age of 14, she auditioned for the leading role of Maria in _West Side Story_. She did not get the leading role but was selected as a background dancer.[18]

After graduating from Chicago's Morgan Park High School in 1973,[19] Jemison entered Stanford University at the age of 16.[20] Although she was young to be leaving home for college, Jemison later said it did not faze her because she was “naive and stubborn enough”.[21] There were very few other African-American students in Jemison's classes and she continued to experience discrimination from her teachers.[22] In an interview with _The Des Moines Register_ in 2008, Jemison said that it was difficult to go to Stanford at 16 but that her youthful arrogance may have helped her;[23] she asserted that some arrogance is necessary for women and minorities to be successful in a white male dominated society.[24]

At Stanford, Jemison served as head of the Black Students Union.[25] She also choreographed a musical and dance production called _Out of the Shadows_.[26] During her senior year in college, she struggled with the choice between going to medical school or pursuing a career as a professional dancer after graduation;[27] she graduated from Stanford in 1977, receiving a B.S. degree in chemical engineering.[28][29] and B.A. degree in African and African-American studies.[30] While at Stanford, she also pursued studies related to her childhood interest in space and first considered applying to NASA.[31]

Medical career

Jemison attended Cornell Medical School and during her training, traveled to Cuba, to conduct a study funded by American Medical Student Association and to Thailand, where she worked at a Cambodian refugee camp.[32][33] She also worked for Flying Doctors stationed in East Africa.[34] During her years at Cornell, Jemison continued to study dance by enrolling in classes at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.[35] After graduating with an M.D. degree in 1981, she interned at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in 1982, and worked as a general practitioner for Ross–Loos Medical Group.[36][37]

Jemison joined the staff of the Peace Corps in 1983 and served as a medical officer until 1985. She was responsible for the health of Peace Corps volunteers serving in Liberia and Sierra Leone.[38][39] Jemison supervised the Peace Corps' pharmacy, laboratory, medical staff as well as providing medical care, writing self-care manuals, and developing and implementing guidelines for health and safety issues. She also worked with the Centers for Disease Control helping with research for various vaccines.[40]

NASA career

[Jemison at the Kennedy Space Center in 1992] Upon returning to the United States after serving in the Peace Corps, Jemison settled in Los Angeles, California. In Los Angeles, she entered into private practice and took graduate level engineering courses. The flights of Sally Ride and Guion Bluford in 1983 inspired Jemison to apply to the astronaut program.[41] Jemison first applied to NASA's astronaut training program in October 1985, but NASA postponed selection of new candidates after the Space Shuttle _Challenger_ disaster in 1986. Jemison reapplied in 1987 and was chosen out of roughly 2,000 applicants to be one of the fifteen people in the NASA Astronaut Group 12, the first group selected following the destruction of _Challenger.[42]_[43] The Associated Press covered her as the “first black woman astronaut” in 1987.[44] CBS featured Jemison as one of the country's “most eligible singles” on _Best Catches_, a television special hosted by Phylicia Rashad and Robb Weller in 1989.[45]

Jemison's work with NASA before her shuttle launch included launch support activities at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and verification of Shuttle computer software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL).[46][47][48] On September 28, 1989, She was selected to join the STS-47 crew as Mission Specialist 4 and was also designated Science Mission Specialist, a new astronaut role being tested by NASA to focus on scientific experiments.[49]

STS-47

[Jemison during Space Shuttle mission STS-47] Jemison flew her only space mission from September 12 to 20, 1992, on STS-47,[50] a cooperative mission between the United States and Japan, as well as the 50th shuttle mission.[51] Jemison logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds in space and orbited the earth 127 times.[52][53] The crew was split into two shifts with Jemison assigned to the Blue Shift. Throughout the eight day mission, she began communications on her shift with the salute “Hailing frequencies open”, a quote from _Star Trek_.[54] Jemison took a poster from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater along with her on the flight.[55][56] She also took a West African statuette[57] and a photo of pioneering aviator Bessie Coleman, the first African American with an international pilot license.[58][59]

STS-47 carried the Spacelab Japan module, a cooperative mission between the United States and Japan that included 43 Japanese and United States life science and materials processing experiments.[60] Jemison and Japanese astronaut Mamoru Mohri were trained to use the Autogenic Feedback Training Exercise (AFTE),[61] a technique developed by Patricia S. Cowings that uses biofeedback and autogenic training to help patients monitor and control their physiology as a possible treatment for motion sickness, anxiety and stress-related disorders.[62][63] [Jemison aboard the Spacelab Japan module on _Endeavour_] Aboard the Spacelab Japan module, Jemison tested NASA's Fluid Therapy System, a set of procedures and equipment to produce water for injection, developed by Sterimatics Corporation. She then used IV bags and a mixing method, developed by Baxter Healthcare, to use the water from the previous step to produce saline solution in space.[64] Jemison was also a co-investigator of two bone cell research experiments.[65] Another experiment she participated in was to induce female frogs to ovulate, fertilize the eggs and then see how tadpoles developed in zero gravity.[66]

Resignation from NASA

After her return to Earth, Jemison resigned from NASA in March 1993 with the intention of starting her own company.[67][68][69] NASA training manager and author Homer Hickam, who had trained Jemison for her flight, later expressed some regret that she had departed.[70]

Post-NASA career

Jemison served on the board of directors of the World Sickle Cell Foundation from 1990 to 1992.[71] In 1993, she founded The Jemison Group Inc., a consulting firm which considers the sociocultural impact of technological advancements and design.[72][73] Jemison also founded the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence and named the foundation in honor of her mother.[74] One of the projects of the foundation is _The Earth We Share_, a science camp for students aged 12 to 16. Founded in 1994,[75] camps have been held at Dartmouth College, Colorado School of Mines, Choate Rosemary Hall and other sites in the United States,[76] as well as internationally in South Africa, Tunisia, and Switzerland.[77] The Dorothy Jemison Foundation also sponsors other events and programs, including the Shaping the World essay competition, Listening to the Future (a survey program that targets obtaining opinions from students), Earth Online (an online chatroom that allows students to safely communicate and discuss ideas on space and science), and the Reality Leads Fantasy Gala.[78]

Jemison was a professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College from 1995 to 2002 where she directed the Jemison Institute for Advancing Technology in Developing Countries.[79][80] In 1999, she also became an Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University.[81][82] Jemison continues to advocate strongly in favor of science education and getting minority students interested in science.[83] She is a member of various scientific organizations, such as the American Medical Association, the American Chemical Society, the Association of Space Explorers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.[84]

In 1999, Jemison founded BioSentient Corp and obtained the license to commercialize AFTE, the technique she and Mohri tested on themselves during STS-47.[85][86]

In 2012, Jemison made the winning bid for the DARPA 100 Year Starship project through the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence. The Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence was awarded a $500,000 grant for further work. The new organization maintained the organizational name 100 Year Starship. Jemison is the current principal of the 100 Year Starship.[87]

In 2018, she collaborated with Bayer Crop Science and National 4-H Council for the initiative named Science Matters which was aimed at encouraging young children to understand and pursue agricultural sciences.[88][89]

Books

Jemison's first book, _Find Where the Wind Goes_ (2001), is a memoir of her life written for children.[90][91] She describes her childhood, her time at Stanford, in the Peace Corps and as an astronaut.[92] _School Library Journal_ found the stories about her earlier life to be the most appealing.[93] _Book Report_ found that the autobiography gave a realistic view into her interactions with her professors, whose treatment of was not based on her intelligence but on stereotypes of woman of color.[94]

Her _A True Book_ series of four children's books published in 2013 is co-authored with Dana Meachen Rau.[95] Each book in the series has a “Find the Truth” challenge, true or false questions answers to which are revealed at the end of the story.[96] _School Library Journal_ found the series to be “properly tantalizing surveys” of the Solar System but criticized the inclusion of a few outdated theories in physics and astronomy.[97]

Public profile

[Jemison at a symposium in 2009]

LeVar Burton learned that Jemison was an avid _Star Trek_ fan and asked her if she would be interested in being on the show. In 1993, Jemison appeared as Lieutenant Palmer in “Second Chances”, an episode of the science fiction television series _Star Trek: The Next Generation_, becoming the first real-life astronaut to appear on _Star Trek_.[98][99]

From 1999 to 2005, Jemison was appointed an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University.[100][101]

Jemison is an active public speaker who appears before private and public groups promoting science and technology. “Having been an astronaut gives me a platform,” says Jemison, “but I'd blow it if I just talked about the Shuttle.” Jemison uses her platform to speak out on the gap in the quality of health-care between the United States and the Third World, saying that “Martin Luther King [Jr.]... didn't just have a dream, he got things done.”[102] Jemison has also appeared as host and technical consultant of the science series _World of Wonder_ which aired on the Discovery Channel from 1994 to 1998.[103][104]

In 2006, Jemison participated in _African American Lives_, a PBS television miniseries hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., that traces the family history of eight famous African Americans using historical research and genetic techniques.[105] Jemison found to her surprise that she is 13% East Asian in her genetic makeup.[106] She also learned that some of her paternal ancestors were slaves at a plantation in Talladega County, Alabama.[107]

Jemison participated in the Red Dress Heart Truth fashion show, wearing Lyn Devon, during the 2007 New York Fashion Week to help raise money to fight heart disease.[108] In May of the same year, she was the graduation commencement speaker and only the 11th person in the 52-year history of Harvey Mudd College to be awarded an honorary D.Eng. degree.[109]

On February 17, 2008, Jemison was the featured speaker for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first sorority established by African-American college women. Jemison paid tribute to Alpha Kappa Alpha by carrying the sorority's banner with her on her shuttle flight. Her space suit is a part of the sorority's national traveling Centennial Exhibit. Jemison is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.[110]

Jemison participated with First Lady Michelle Obama in a forum for promising girls in the Washington, D.C. public schools in March 2009.[111]

In 2014, Jemison also appeared at Wayne State University for their annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tribute Luncheon.[112] In 2016, she partnered with Bayer Corporation to promote and advance science literacy in schools, emphasizing hands-on experimentation.[113]

She took part in the Michigan State University's lecture series, “Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey,” in February 2017.[114] In May 2017, Jemison gave the commencement speech at Rice University.[115] She discussed the 100 Year Plan, science and education and other topics at Western Michigan University also in May 2017.[116]

In 2017, LEGO released the “Women of NASA” set, with minifigures of Jemison, Margaret Hamilton, Sally Ride, and Nancy Grace Roman.[117][118] The Google Doodle on March 8, 2019 (International Women's Day) featured a quote from Jemison: “Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations.”[119]

Personal life

Jemison built a dance studio in her home and has choreographed and produced several shows of modern jazz and African dance.[120][121][122]

In the spring of 1996, Jemison filed a complaint against a Texas police officer, accusing him of police brutality during a traffic stop that ended in her arrest. She was pulled over by Nassau Bay police officer Henry Hughes for allegedly making an illegal U-turn and arrested after Hughes learned of an outstanding warrant on Jemison for a speeding ticket.[123] In the process of arresting her, the officer twisted her wrist and forced her to the ground, as well as having her walk barefooted from the patrol car into the police station.[124][125] In her complaint, Jemison said the officer physically and emotionally mistreated her.[126] Jemison's attorney said she believed she had already paid the speeding ticket years ago.[127] She spent several hours in jail and was treated at an area hospital after release for deep bruises and a head injury.[128] The Nassau Bay officer was suspended with pay pending an investigation,[129] but the police investigation cleared him of wrongdoing.[130] She filed a lawsuit against the city of Nassau Bay and the officer.[131]

Honors and awards

[Jemison on 1996 Azeri postage stamp]

-   1988 _Essence_ Science and Technology Award[132]
-   1990 Gamma Sigma Sigma Woman of the Year[133]
-   1991 _McCall's_ 10 Outstanding Women for the 90s[134]
-   1992 Johnson Publications Black Achievement Trailblazers Award[135]
-   1992 _Ebony_ Black Achievement Award[136][137]
-   1993 National Women's Hall of Fame[138]
-   1993 _Ebony_ magazine 50 Most Influential women[139]
-   1993 Kilby Science Award[140]
-   1993 Montgomery Fellow, Dartmouth College[141]
-   1993 _People_ magazine's “50 Most Beautiful People in the World”[142]
-   1993 Turner Trumpet Award[143]
-   2002 listed among the 100 Greatest African Americans according to Molefi Kete Asante[144]
-   2002 Texas Women's Hall of Fame inductee[145]
-   2003 Intrepid Award by the National Organization for Girls[146]
-   2004 International Space Hall of Fame[147][148]
-   2005 The National Audubon Society, Rachel Carson Award[149]
-   2017 Buzz Aldrin Space Pioneer Award[150]
-   2019 Florida Southern College Honorary Chancellor[151]

Institutions

-   1992 Mae C. Jemison Science and Space Museum, Wilbur Wright College, Chicago, Illinois[152]
-   1992 Mae C. Jemison Academy, an alternative public school in Detroit, Michigan[153][154]
-   2001 Mae Jemison School, an elementary public school in Hazel Crest, Illinois[155]
-   2007 Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy, a public charter school in Baltimore, Maryland[156] (closed in 2013)[157]
-   2010 Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy West, a Middle/High School in Baltimore, Maryland
-   2013 Jemison High School, Huntsville, Alabama[158]

Honorary doctorates

-   1991 Doctor of Letters, Winston-Salem College, North Carolina[159]
-   1991 Doctor of Science, Lincoln College, Pennsylvania[160]
-   2000 Doctor of Humanities, Princeton University[161]
-   2005 Doctor of Science, Wilson College, North Carolina[162]
-   2006 Doctor of Science, Dartmouth College[163]
-   2007 Doctor of Engineering, Harvey Mudd College[164]
-   2007 Doctor of Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute[165]
-   2008 Doctor of Humanities, DePaul University[166][167]
-   2009 Doctor of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of NYU[168]
-   2019 Doctor of Humane Letters, Florida Southern College[169]

Filmography

-   _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ (1993) – Lieutenant Palmer, episode “Second Chances”[170]
-   _Susan B. Anthony Slept Here_ (1995) – herself[171]
-   _Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond_ (1996) – herself[172]
-   _The New Explorers_ (1998) – episode “Endeavor”[173]
-   _How William Shatner Changed the World_ (2005) – herself[174]
-   _African American Lives_ (2006) – herself[175]
-   _No Gravity_ (2011) – herself[176]
-   _The Real_ (2016) – herself[177]

Publications

-   -   -   She contributed the piece “Outer Space: The Worldly Frontier” to the 2003 anthology _Sisterhood Is Forever: The Women's Anthology for a New Millennium_, edited by Robin Morgan.[178]
-   -   -   -

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[144] Asante, Molefi Kete (2002). _100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia_. Amherst, New York. Prometheus Books. .

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title: Mae Jemison

question: How long did Jemison work as a doctor for the Peace Corps?

answer: Two years.

question: Is Jemison married?

answer: It is implied that she is not.

question: What is Jemison education?

answer: Jamison graduated from Chicago's Morgan Park High School in 1973; entered Stanford University at the age of 16 and graduated from in 1977, receiving a B.S. degree in chemical engineering. and B.A. degree in African and African-American studies; graduated from Cornell Medical School with an M.D. degree in 1981.

question: Why did Jemison live NASA?

answer: To start her own company.


text:
It was a breezy, mild morning at a North Carolina grammar school. The kids had just gotten off the school bus and were on the playground playing for 30 minutes or so before school started, as usual. David and his two friends, all in fifth grade, were sitting on a wood bench playing Pokemon cards. They were laughing, comparing cards, arguing over game rules. As the playground roared with controled chaos. David wasn't much of a talker, but he had friends he played Pokemon or sports with. David was an average sized boy with a big nose and freckles. He had oversized jeans and was always slouched forward. David's two friends Boz and Tyler grew bored of the card game and wanted to join the soccer game.

Tyler: "we'll finish at lunch, let's go to the soccer game"

David: "Fuck that." (laughing) "you just wanna leave cause you're losing"

Tyler didn't respond and Boz followed him to the soccer game. David continued playing with his cards, pretending it was still fun without his friends, but he too grew bored of the game and looked around for his secondary friends. David joined three boys playing on the swings. Playing a game where they had to run through all three swings while they were being swung on, to avoid getting hit. The boys were involved in their game, ignoring the outside world.

A girl and four boys were standing by the school door, the girl was talking to the boys and pointed towards David and his friends. The four boys began moving in that direction. David and his friends were unaware of the boys as they got closer. David grew bored of the swing game and moved alone towards the soccer field. As David was walking the four boys focused their attention to him. In the front of the group was a boy named Leonard. He was a typical looking boy, shorter than average and had an athletic muscular build for a child his age. Leonard ran up behind David and pushed him forcefully enough to knock him to the ground. David landed on his stomach and turned around feeling disoriented. He saw Leonard looking down on him with a sly smile. David got up and Leonard immediately grabbed him by the shirt.

Leonard: "You can't play with us anymore"

Leonard began swinging David by the shirt. David's feet rose off the ground as Leonard spun him 180 degrees and threw him to the ground, causing david to land akwardly. He rolled on the ground gathering dirt.

Leonard: "I'm telling you. You better not play with us anymore"

Leonard friends looked on laughing with amusement. David's friends looked on with disapproval, but did not intervene. Fights happened daily at the school, it wasn't their first rodeo. Leonard's smile grew. He became amused with his victim, feeling strong and masterful. Leonard moved towards David again as he got up. As leonard lifted his arm to wrap around David's head in a chokehold David pulled his arm back and threw a punch at Leonard, hitting him in the back of the head. Leonard moved his head back, smiling as if he were still in control as David threw another punch, hitting Leonard in the mouth, just as his father taught him. The punch was square and drew blood on Leonard's mouth. Leonard's smile disappeared and anger took over. As Leonard backed off David maintained his position, without aggression, but waiting for the attack. Leonard moved towards David pulling his arm back to throw a punch. Davids hands and mouth were clinched, his chin was down just like his father taught him. Leonard and David pulled back their arms and begain exchanging punches, hitting one another, three or four times each. Leonard had stronger arms and bigger knuckles so his punches knocked David on the ground to his back while Davids punches glazed Leonards face. Leonard moved towards the grounded David and began throwing kicks at his ribs. David pulled his knees back and started throwing kicks towards Leonards knees from his back. The kids around were still watching, some with amusement, some with disapproval and others with mild indifference. A girl approached the fight.

Girl: " Mrs. Montague is coming!"

Surrounding students quickly dispersed. Leonard moved away from David and towards Mrs. Montague, smiling.

Leonard: "Good morning Mrs. Montague"

She responded distractedly:

Mrs. Montague: "Good morning, Leonard."

David got up slowly. There was dirt on the back of his shirt and jeans. He was angry, but not spiteful. Mrs. Montague called the students in for the day. David Walked towards the school leaning forward as usual.

The school day passed and David quickly got over the fight. On the school bus ride home David sat in the back playing Pokemon cards with his friends. David came walking home the same time his dad was getting home from work. Earlier than usual because he had left early. David's father pulled in the driveway.

Father: "Since you're brother has work you got to clean my truck."

David had an older brother called Mick who was i high school. His brother worked in a fruit market and was getting ready to leave.

Mick: "We got a problem dad, David keeps using my clothes and getting them dirty. You got to cut that shit out, David"

David: "You don't got no use for em anyhow, you're ass is getting fatter everyday, you won't fit in em soon enough"

Dad: (laughing) "He he he he, he ain't lyin', you are getting a little chunky there Mick."

Mick shook his head and started walking to work.

Dad: "I'm gonna pull my truck out back, go grab the bucket the washcloth and the hose."

David grabbed the items and moved to the back alley where the truck was. David hosed down the entire truck clearing all the cacked on dirt and dust. He got under the truck  and hosed it down. He hosed down the rims. He took the washcloth and began wiping the hood of the truck with great power and speed. His father had already moved to the backyard, and was talking to a neighbor. David wiped down the windows, the doors, the wheels and the rims. The truck was now covered in soap and David grabbed the hose to hose it off. He stood idle while hosing the truck, half his mind reflecting on his day, half his mind in a tired, distracted zone. The job was done and David was making his way towards the house. He was planning on eating a leftover hotdog and finding some friends in the neighborhood to hang out with.

David passed his father who was leaning on the fence talking to his neighbor. His father looked at his truck and turned to his boy David.

Father: "How'd the hell the back of you're jeans get so dirty?"

David: "Leonard tackled me"

His father responded, unphased.

Father: "You hit em in the mouth like i showed ya?"

David quickly said

David: "Yeah i hit em in the mouth"

David started walking towards the house, hungry. When his father shouted,

Father: "Hey David!"

David: "What dad?"

His father responded, glancing at his truck.

Father: "You did a hell of a job cleaning my truck, looks damn good for once."

His neighbor nodded in agreement, trying to maintain pride, but humbled at the sight of the flawlessly cleaned truck.

David didn't respond and walked into the kitchen to eat his hotdog.

title: David.

question: Summarize David's fight with Leonard.

answer: Leonard says David cannot play with them anymore and goes to punch him. At first it seems like David will lose, but then he punches Leonard square in the jaw. He draws blood, just like his father taught him.

question: Summarize David's task when he returns home.

answer: David's father asks him to clean his truck. David hoses down the truck. He wipes down the hood with a lot of energy. Then his father praises him for a job well done.

question: Summarize everything to do with pokemon cards.

answer: At the beginning of the story David and his friends Tyler and Boz are playing pokemon cards. Tyler and Boz want to leave because they are losing. They run away, and David tries to pretend he is still enjoying the game, but he is not.


text:
I'm posting this for criticism on the general idea more than the writing itself, I haven't had the chance to edit it yet.

Wind rolled and shifted the grass, at points, in unison with the nearby ocean. And at the edge of the border between one sea and the next, a girl. Standing with her feet hanging off of the green-covered cliff, immovable as stone against the winds that battered all else around her. Even her hair, flowing messily beside her, seemed to have an aura of control, as though it was only moving because she wanted it to. The sky is a splotchy grey, almost shouting the promise of heavy rain. Somehow it seems fitting though, adding to the contrast of the image set before me. I look at it all, the chaos of nature and my last beacon of hope in the center, regarding the horizon with a sense of cautious optimism that never really left her. I look at it, and I do not see perfection. No, I see something much better. I see beauty. Perfection is a singular essence, an untainted idea of something. Anything can be perfect, and by definition, everything is. Even the most bitter disappointment, the most soul-crushing misery is perfect, as it is the one true form of that disappointment, that misery. Beauty is a title not given, judged and awarded based on a set criteria. Beauty is forged, it is earned. It is not all happiness and euphoria, it has conflict. For beauty to be real, it cannot be attempted. No great artist, writer, poet ever truly created their own works of beauty. It came to them, and they interpreted it the best they could. Beauty has faults, desymmetries, negativities. It evokes love as well as hatred. It is ever changing, molded by it's paradoxical nature. Which is why, as I see the grass sea crumble and the rock under her feet fall away into the thrashing water, I know it must be that way. She was everything I am not, an emotion where I am a void, calm when I am filled with unrest. I know I could have loved her, which is why she had to die. She was beautiful in my mind, born of a beautiful situation created from beautiful inspiration. If I had loved her, I would sacrifice reality to be with her. So I make the cliff fall, my companion falling with it as I face the truth of my decision. The painful truth is, I wouldn't have minded leaving one reality for another. The awful, unbearable truth is, something so beautiful didn't deserve to be with a monster like me.

title: Rough draft, any feedback is appreciated. Don't have a title yet

question: What was the relationship between the narrator and the girl?

answer: Their relationship was not explicitly described.

question: How did the narrator feel about the girl?

answer: The narrator had some affection for the girl, but he realized that loving her might be too big a price for him to pay.

question: Why did the girl have to die?

answer: The girl had to die because he believed someone so beautiful would've been better off without a monster like him.

question: What might have happened if the narrator didn't choose to kill the girl?

answer: He might have forced himself to love her and may not have appreciated the experience because he felt it would've been void of reality.

question: What possible effect will the girl's death have on the narrator's life?

answer: Even though taking a life typically hurts a person emotionally, it will likely not affect the narrator because of his character.


text:
–
[2014 Winter TCA Tour - Day 1]
–

Judd Apatow has perhaps been the most vocal critic of Bill Cosby since revelations about the legendary comedian’s having drugged and raped women first surfaced. Well now he has taken the attacks to a new level, doing a dead on impression of Cosby during an appearance on the Tonight Show.

The director of the new hit movie “Trainwreck” returned to his roots to do a stand up routine. Apatow started off slow, but finished off strong by doing a bit as Coby trying to keep his wife from finding out about the scandal by stealing the daily newspaper.

Apatow basically did Cosby doing a routine making fun of his current troubles.

See it here:

–

READ MORE ABOUT: Bill Cosby, Cinema of the United States, Entertainment/Culture, Judd Apatow, legendary comedian, Nationality, Television in the United States, vocal critic of Bill Cosby

question: Why is Judd Apatow criticizing Bill Cosby?

answer: Apatow is criticizing Bill Cosby because Cosby drugged and raped many women.

question: Who is Judd Apatow?

answer: Judd Apatow is the director of the movie "Trainwreck", as well as stand up comedian.

question: What was the bit that Apatow did?

answer: Apatow did a bit in which he impersonated Cosby trying to keep his wife from finding out about the scandal by stealing the daily newspaper.

question: Who is Bill Cosby?

answer: Not answered.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Judd Apatow attacked Bill Cosby on the Tonight Show, doing an impersonation of Cosby trying to keep his wife from finding out about his sexual assaults by stealing the daily newspaper.


text:
Grand Ayatollah Mirza '''Mahdi al-Husayni al-Shirazi ''' (; ; 9 May 1887 – 14 February 1961), also known as MIRZA MAHDI AL-SHIRAZI, was an Iraqi-Iranian Shia marja.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] After the deah of Abu al-Hasan al-Esfehani and Hossein Tabatabaei Qomi, Mirza Mahdi was considered to be the highest ranking cleric in Karbala,[9] and one of the highest in Iraq, along with Muhsin al-Hakim and his second cousin once removed, Abd al-Hadi al-Shirazi in Najaf.[10][11]

Mirza Mahdi was the Imam of the Imam Husayn Shrine.[12][13]

Biography

Early life

He was born in the city of Karbala to the prominent religious Shirazi family. His father was Mirza Habibullah al-Shirazi, and his mother was Radhiya Golshan-Shirazi (daughter of Muhib Ali Golshan-Shirazi). Mirza Mahdi is the fourth of eight children. His eldest brother, Muhammd-Sadiq, died young. The remaining two of his brothers were also clerics; his older brother, Abdullah al-Shirazi (grandfather of Ali al-Sistani's wife; also known as al-Tawasuli), and younger brother, Jafar al-Shirazi. His elder sister, Um Moosa, was married to his cousin, senior cleric, Abd al-Hadi al-Shirazi.[14]

Mirza Mahdi began his religious education at a very early age, carrying out his introductory studies in Karbala, under his brother, Abdullah al-Tawasuli, Sayyid Husayn Khayr al-Din and Sayyid Muhammad-Hassan Agha Mir al-Qazwini.[15] After his father, Mirza Habibullah passed away in 1902, he moved to Najaf, to study under the two greats, Akhund Khurasani and Muhammad-Kadhim Yazdi. He then travelled to Samarra with his family, to study in its seminary - under his maternal uncle, Mirza Muhammad-Taqi al-Shirazi and Hasan al-Sadr - which the former was managing at the time.[16]

During the siege of Kut, Mirza Mahdi travelled to Kadhimiya, with his uncle Mirza Taqi, who feared that Samarra could end up like Kut, and that way many from the religious sphere would die. They remained in Kadhimiya for approximately a year and a half, living a life of dire poverty, until they returned to Karbala, where Mirza Taqi, was preparing to lead the independence movement against the British. He remained in Karbala, and played an active supporting role with his uncle in the Iraqi revolt, until his uncle was poisoned in 1920.[17][18] After the death of his uncle, he moved back to Najaf, to resume his religious education, and studied under his first cousin once removed, Mirza Ali Agha al-Shirazi, as well as al-Muhaqiq al-Naini and al-Muhaqiq al-Iraqi.[19][20][Mirza Mahdi (centre left) with his teacher Hossein Qomi (centre right)|alt=|left]

Return to Karbala

In 1935, senior cleric Hossein Tabatabaei Qomi was exiled from Iran, by Muhammed Reza Shah.[21] So Qomi emigrated to Karbala, and sent a request for Mirza Mahdi to return to Karbala, so that he may join him in his quest to revive its seminary, to which Mirza Mahdi accepted and returned to his birthplace. After the death of Qomi in 1947, Mirza Mahdi became the head of the seminary of Karbala, and its most senior jurist. This was also solidified further, with the death of notable cleric, Muhammad-Hadi al-Khurasani in 1949.[22]

Karbala Seminary Term

The hawza of Karbala grew immensely under Mirza Mahdi's term as head, as he innovated new methods to teach religious studies, which attracted many youth to join the seminary.[23] He taught many that later became influential scholars like Sheikh Muhammad al-Karbassi, Sayyid Muhammad-Sadiq al-Qazwini, Sheikh Muhammad al-Shahroudi, ِSayyid Abdullah al-Khoei, Sayyid Ahmed al-Fali and Sheikh Jafar al-Rashti.[24] Under his term, many different festivals were innovated, including the recitation of the renowned maqtal, that was recited in the shrine of Imam Husayn for the first time, by his student, Sheikh Abd al-Zahra al-Ka'bi, in Muharram 1379 (1959 AD).[25]

Iraqi citizenship protest

Mirza Mahdi was active in the Iranian community of Karbala (whether in the seminary or in social circles). This was in 1958, a time where the Iranian community was being politically isolated, in the face of an Iraqi government that was raising the banner of Arab nationalism. Due to this situation, Mirza Mahdi sent a letter to the governor of Karbala, Fuad Arif,[26] who was of Kurdish descent, objecting the treatment of the Iranians. This angered Fuad, and so he responded by accusing Mirza Mahdi of being Iranian himself, and that he had no right to interfere with Iraqi matters. Mirza Mahdi retorted, but this time with an angry tone, reminding Fuad, that it was us that ignited the 1920 revolt, and ended up kicking the British out, saving the independence and honour of Iraq. He also told him that if he did not want to work in accordance to their demands, then he can leave the city.[27]

After this, Mirza Mahdi founded a new philosophy, which was that he was not going to hold an Iraqi citizenship, deeming it as an imperialistic innovation, invented to crush the ranks of the Muslims. He also claimed that it violated the liberty of man and the sharia, and would create mental barriers within the minds of people. He also explained, that the citizenship was a devotion of dominance by the ruling Sunni government over the Shia.[28]

Stand against communism

After the 14 July coup, Abd al-Karim Qasim allowed communism to flourish in his new republic. Within six months, Iraq was turned into a blood bath of pro-communist protests, attacking the homes of religious clerics and nationalists. It was so bad, it is reported that a Muslim would feel estranged in a city like Najaf.

One time, a protest was formed in Karbala, with some of the leaders of the city's communist movement. They had a list of fifty two names (this included Mirza Mahdi's son Muhammad), of the people they planned to attack their homes and kill, for the reason that they 'stood against communism and the “red tide”'.[29]

This is when the senior jurists of the time decided to take a stand to counter this wave of terror. A meeting was held consisting of Mirza Mahdi, Muhsin al-Hakim and Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei in Mirza Mahdi's home in Karbala. The result was that they were going to issue religious fatwas branding the Communist party as infidels. They also began to coordinate activities to counter their alleged corrupt ideology. These measures were considered to be the beginning of the end of communism in Iraq.[30]

Mirza Mahdi issued several fatwa's condemning adherence to the Communist party, going as far as stating that a true Muslim could not buy meat from a communist butcher.[31]

Personal life

Mirza Mahdi was married to his second cousin's daughter, Halima al-Shirazi with whom he had ten children; four sons (Muhammad, Hassan, Sadiq, Mujtaba) and six daughters. One of his daughters was married to Muhammad-Kadhim al-Modarresi, and another was married to Muhammad-Kadhim al-Qazwini.[32]

Works

Books

Mirza Mahdi authored a large number of books, which includes some of his most important ones:

-   _Sharh al-Urwat al-Wuthqa_ (Dissecting The Firmest Bond)
-   _Thakhirat al-Ibad_ (The Worshippers' Provisions)
-   _Manasek al-Haj_ (Hajj Rituals)
-   _Kashkool Fi Mukhtalaf al-'Uloom_ (An Assortment In Different Sciences)

Poetry

Mirza Mahdi also wrote poetry in praise of the Ahlulbayt. His most known poem was written on the auspicious birth anniversary of Fatima, which begins with:[33]

Death

[Funeral of Mirza Mahdi, Karbala|alt=]Mirza Mahdi died in the evening of Tuesday, February 14, 1961, just as we was preparing for Maghrib prayer. During the bathing of his corpse on the following day, there was a partial solar eclipse that took place, with 67% obscurity[34] that darkened the city of Karbala for just under an hour, as witnessed by the people of the city, who rushed to pray the Ayat prayer, before resuming with the funeral. He was buried in the south eastern side of the Imam Husayn Shrine.[35]

Reactions

The Shia world was struck upon Mirza Mahdi's death. It is reported that Hossein Borujerdi, who was in Qom, cried for a few minutes over the news of Mirza Mahdi's demise.[36]

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title: Mirza Mahdi al-Shirazi

question: Who is Mirza Mahdi al-Shirazi?

answer: Mirza Mahdi al-Shirazi was an Iraqi-Iranian Shia marja. He was considered to be one of the highest ranking clerics in Karbala.

question: What significant event happened in 1935, that brought Mirza Mahdi back to Karbala in order to revive the seminary?

answer: In 1935, senior cleric Hossein Tabatabaei Qomi was exiled from Iran; he requested Mirza Mahdi to join him in Karbala.

question: When did Mirza Mahdi become the head of the seminary of Karbala?

answer: In 1947, after the death of Qomi.

question: What astronomical event occurred the day after Mirza Mahdi's death?

answer: There was a partial solar eclipse.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Mirza Mahdi al-Shirazi was an Iraqi-Iranian Shia marja. He was considered to be one of the highest ranking clerics in Karbala.


text:
Now, a story of two friends, best friends to be exact, and how what may have once had the potential to be something beautiful, was thrown out the window via greed. We will call them number 1, and number 2. Number 1 could melt the face off any music lover and guitar enthusiest. Shredding up and down the neck more than a paper shredder, and tearing it up more than a rodatiller. Number 2 had the words, the rhymes and the brains to combine number 1's guitar skills with his lyricism. The music they made was phenomenal, a perfect mix of lyrics and great licks. However, this story isn't even about the music they made. It was about the money they tried to make in order to support the music addiction. As you can guess, when most people want to make quick, easy money. they sell drugs. And drugs is a broad term, not coke, meth, but weed. Really great, sticky dank weed, and that's where the story begins.
Money and weed were always around, and as any musician would know, that is a hell of a mixture. But as always, someones head gets too big for their body, and that's when shit goes downhill. Number 1 decided it would be a great idea to take the weed and the money and run. Out of nowhere, completely cut ties with number 2, and basically said fuck off. Number 2 is not the kind of person for confrontation and took it as a personal attack. He had never felt a rage, a betrayal so harsh, so close to home, because with the departure of number 1, came the departure of all the music that number 2 had written, and number 1 was claiming as his own. As any of you writers out there know, your words are sacred, they are your Mona Lisa, your Sistine Chapel, and when someone toys with your words, they toy with your emotions, and that type of thing does not sit well. With number 2 robbed of everything he ever put his heart into, he plotted revenge, something like this cannot and will not go unsettled. Needless to say, number 2's head was flooded with mobster movies and zero tolerence for roaches and scummy people. Knowing number 1's schedule, number 2 tracked him down, with night stick in his back pocket. Eyes meet, blood boils, and fear ignites as the quick whoosh from the night stick makes it extend, and in the same motion, comes into contact with the back of number 1's knees, taking him right to the ground. At this point number 1 wanted to kill, to avenge his lost children he calls his words. Rears back the night stick with a few more disabling blows. One shot to the head would end it all, and justice would be served, but will it really? Number 2 thought for moment, and decided a murder wasn't the answer, and a jail cell is not where he would like to spend his time. So number 2 come up with the brilliant plan to take the thing from him that he loves most, much like how he stole the genius right from under number 2's pencil. Deciding against a quick, hard blow to the head, number 2 takes his foot, and steps firmly on number 1's wrist, and jams the nightstick relentlessly into number 1's palm, and fingers, breaking every bone in his now unnoticable left hand. The feeling of pleasure number 2 got from this was sick, and uncanny, but also completely worth it. His words have been avenged, the hand that stole his songs will never again play another chord or note, stolen or original. He departed from number 1 knowing that never again wil he melt a face, and shred it like cheese. Moral of the story: When you fuck with someones passion, you will never win, because that is what flows in their veins, what makes them get out of bed everyday and face this cruel world. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, and sure as shit dont bite the hand that feeds your genius.

title: Friends.

question: What instrument does one friend play?

answer: Guitar.

question: What is always around musicians?

answer: Money and weed.

question: How did number 1 destroy their friendship with number 2?

answer: They stole number 2's song lyrics.

question: How did number 2 retaliate?

answer: Number 2 maimed number 1's left hand so they could no longer play music.


text:
JOHN G. FRAYNE (July 8, 1894 in Ireland – October 31, 1990 in Pasadena, California) was a physicist and sound engineer.

Career

Frayne received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Minnesota while working at the Bell Laboratories. In 1928, he went to California Institute of Technology as a National Research Fellow in Physics.

In 1949, with Halley Wolfe, he wrote the classic textbook _Elements of Sound Recording_.

Among his technical achievements were the development of sound recording techniques and their reproduction for optical sound recording systems, which led to stereo-optical formats used by films in the 1970s and '80s. He was a co-inventor of the sphere densitometer, which won a Scientific or Technical Academy Award in 1941. He was also the co-inventor of the stereo disc cutter which was standard in the recording industry, and the co-inventor of the inter-modulation techniques of distortion measurements, which won him an Academy Award in 1953.

He was awarded a Gordon E. Sawyer Award (Oscar statuette) by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1983.

Awards

Dr. Frayne, a Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), received its Gold Medal Award _for Outstanding Achievement in advancing the art of audio engineering_ in 1976. He received the SMPTE Progress Medal in 1947.

title: John G. Frayne

question: When was Frayne born?

answer: July 8, 1894

question: Where did Frayne receive his PhD?

answer: The University of Minnesota

question: Who was Frayne's co-author for Elements of Sound Recording?

answer: Halley Wolfe

question: For what did Frayne win a Scientific or Technical Academy Award in 1941?

answer: Co-inventing the sphere densitometer

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: John G. Frayne was a physicist and sound engineer who was born in 1894 in Ireland. He received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Minnesota, and he later co-authored a classic textbook, Elements of Sound Recording. He won several awards for his inventions and technical achievements in the field of sound recording. He died in 1990 in Pasadena, California.