text:
   My footsteps echoed across the bare room. The white walls were lined with dirt and grime, leaving me to wonder how a room that lacked walls and windows, could become the dirty, eery looking room that stands before me. I turned my head to the right, and notice a single mirror leaning against the wall at such an angle that I could see my being staring back at me. My red hair was slightly frayed, with the area surrounding the brim of my forehead pointing towards the ceiling as it always does. My face, freckled but strong handsome, had a layer of dust on it as if I had been abandoned in an abandoned room for days. My blue and black flannel shirt drew itself across my torso, and was rolled up at the sleeves. The white undershirt lie matted against my skin, wet with sweat. My blue jeans looked as though I had been rolled around in the dirt for hours, as did my boots. I have always been physically fit, with naturally dense muscle, but I was always too lazy to work-out so I never had the body of Zeus, but still I was well-built.

   As I turned to look away from the mirror, it seemed as though my reflection continued to stare at me, un-phased and unchanged. My gaze returned to my reflection, which was following my every move once again. I must have been imagining it, I thought to myself as I turned to walk around the room.

   I approached the wall on my left and noticed something that I hadn't seen before. Dirty handprints lie sprawled against the wall, from the ceiling to the wood floors. Grimy footprints faced the wall, and as I crouched down to examine them, another footprint appeared, facing the opposite direction. Surprised, I fell back onto my rear as another print appeared about a stride's length from the other. I stood quickly and followed the footsteps as they traversed to the center of the room, then turned to face the mirror, momentarily resting before finishing its trek towards the reflective glass. When the footprints reached the mirror, I glanced up at my reflection, to try and determine exactly what had just happened.

   My eye caught a movement at the bottom of the mirror, the footprint had made another move. The heel of the print was stamped into the ground just before the mirror, but the other half... the other half continued into the mirror, as if it never existed. It travelled across the floor being reflected by the mirror. I almost wanted to attempt to go test to see if it was stable myself...

  "It's as real as you are." My voice entered my ears, but they did not exit through my lips, where could it be coming from... I looked up to see my reflection staring at me. His lips moved freely as he used my voice. "This world is filled with wonders. Even some you can't explain. Sometimes, you just need to take a leap of faith, and see what comes of it. After all, the brave don't live forever, but the cautious don't live at all."

   My hand reached out to touch the glass, but as my fingers touched the reflective surface, my hand passed through it, the reflection rippling as if it were a liquid. I took a step through into this mirrored world. I took a step into this new world, and walked across the identical room. I turned towards my reflection, but he wasn't there, not even in the world I came from. I felt the world begin to shake, and a deafening sound of laughter filled my ears. The violent quake caused me to topple over, and my body hit the ground...

My eyes bolted open to see three of my friends standing above me with a can of shaving creme in on of their hands. I felt the creme slide off my face. "Really guys?" was all I could say after that dream. "Ah come on, you know we love you," my bestfriend Michael said with a smirk. "Yea you better love me," I retorted as I wiped the shaving creme off of my face and threw it at him.

title: Opening to a story i thought up the other day. Open to criticism.

question: How could the narrator get the "body of Zeus"?

answer: He could get it if he worked out because he already is well-built, according to him.

question: How did the dirty hand prints get on the wall?

answer: It's not said directly, but it seems that they could belong to the reflection of the narrator in the mirror.

question: Why does the narrator follow the prints?

answer: It seems that he is curious and confused, so he wants to know where they are coming from.

question: Summarize the final paragraph.

answer: The narrator wakes up to his friends putting shaving cream on his face, which confirms that the rest of the story was a dream

question: What mood is being evoked in the second paragraph?

answer: The mood seems to be confusing or disorienting.


split: train

text:
Hi, I'm not really a writer. I wrote the below piece and just wanted to see what other people think of it. First reddit post, and I'm hoping it goes well. :)

"It had been a particularly cold winter. The white frost blanketed the ground, killing everything that lived, as if Death himself laid down his tattered cloak over the land. I soon forgot what warmth was. The feeling itself frozen and shattered from my memory. There was only the cold left to keep us poor folk warm.

It was during that desolate winter that I had the pleasure of meeting Joe, a stoic man who had come from farther up North, seeking a warmth his body didn’t feel and his mind couldn’t remember. When I saw the crystal clear blue of his eyes, I remember thinking that the cold was in him, in those eyes, and he would never escape from it. But I was sillier back then.

I was young. A girl alone in the world, left to my own devices on a neglected and deserted ranch. Or at least what was left of it. I sometimes thought to myself I was Jonah, and the dilapidated house around me the dying carcass of that biblical whale. The “farmhouse” I lived in had been falling down around me for the better part of my stay, and showed no signs of slowing. I had found it like this and it had stayed like this, as broken and empty as I was.

Most people kept their distance, as I was seen as undesirable. Whether I thought myself worthy of such a distinction or not I did not care. I only cared that they thought I was worthy of distance. Peace of mind was something rarely afforded to most in this world, and as long as I was an unnamed presence meant to be quarantined from the normal folk I was afforded that peace of mind.

Until Joe. We met in the cold and it was the cold that sustained us until the frost became too bitter. He had been sleeping in “my” barn, or at least what was left of it. I rarely ventured out of the main house, as it was there I felt the most safe. I sometimes looked out at it from the kitchen window, mostly in passing, to check if it was still there, giving it’s sorry condition.

I watched through a spiderweb of cracked and stained glass as he went to and from the barn. I didn’t know where he went, but around dusk he would always stumble back to the shelter that the barn provided.

I had been alone for so long by then that his presence wasn’t easily articulated into clear feelings one way or the other. I knew he might be dangerous, but I also knew he was like me. A connection flowed from that kitchen window to the door of that barn. We were both a body without a soul. A life wasted, created in misery, and destined to die with a whimper not a bang. So I decided to speak to him, the first person in a long time I felt connected to on any kind of level worth a damn.

How he had been surviving in the barn for this long with it’s missing shingles and barely patched south wall, which had been through absolute hell during tornado season two years past, was a mystery to me. Everyday had found the weather turning colder as if the ranch was turning solid, and the barn wasn’t much protection. I didn’t know how to approach him without scaring him, as I had come to think of him as a solitary fellow, never having seen anyone in his company while he stayed on the ranch.

So I knocked. My knuckles meeting the frayed once-red, now pink, wood that covered the brown oak that made up the barn. The sound of my knocks were small, my shivering not only a result of the winter wind, but nevertheless he heard. Joe had been a man slow to talk when we first met, but he opened up as our talks grew.

It was around then that I began to realize his eyes were more the blue of the ocean water that I had sometimes dreamed about than frozen ice. We talked of many things, and when I told him of how I felt like Jonah, his laugh brought back something in me, and I laughed along with him. It was the shared laughs more than anything that kept me coming back to that barn for so long.
He introduced a warmth that didn’t stretch very far but radiated with an unparalleled intensity between the two of us. We spent a month together on that cold farm, keeping the frost at bay. Eating when we could, sleeping, and most importantly living.

He and his watery eyes eventually moved on. But those days I kept with me for a very long time. I can still remember the bitter cold in my old bones, but I also remember the warmth that Joe and I rediscovered, that had been lost to us in the frigid world, until it to was killed off by the frost."

title: I wrote a very short story called Winter's Frost and am looking for feedback. Thanks!

question: Why does the girl live a solitary life?

answer: Other people consider her undesirable.

question: What happened to the barn?

answer: It was ravaged in the tornado season two years prior to the girl meeting Joe.

question: Explain the connection the girl feels with Joe.

answer: She considers herself a body without a soul, living a solitary life without any connections. She sees Joe living by himself and feels like they have similar personalities.

question: What are the final fates of the girl and Joe?

answer: Joe moves on after the month they spend together. There is no information about their individual fates after that.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer: A lonely girl lives on a deserted ranch, ignored by the world that deems her undesirable. The winter is brutal, and the food is scarce. In the storm-ravaged barn of the ranch, she sees a man. His solitude makes her feel a connection with him, and she decides to meet. Their talks start slowly but grow deeper over the course of a month. He moves on after that month, but she still remembers the laughs they shared after a long time.


text:
JACK PRINCE (6 June 1906 – 13 October 1971) was an English football goalkeeper who played for Nantwich, Oldham Athletic, Port Vale, Rochdale, Wrexham, Shrewsbury Town, Northwich Victoria, and Crewe Alexandra. He won the Third Division North title with Port Vale in 1929–30.

Playing career

Prince played for Nantwich and Oldham Athletic, before joining Port Vale in May 1928.[1] His debut came on Potteries derby day; a 2–1 defeat to Stoke City at the Victoria Ground on 15 September 1928.[2] Taking the number 1 jersey from Alf Bennett, he enjoyed a spell as the first choice keeper, playing 32 league and cup games as the “Valiants” were relegated out of the Second Division in 1928–29.[3] He lost his first team place to Ben Davies in November 1929, and only featured 12 times as Vale won the Third Division North title in 1929–30.[4] He was released from The Old Recreation Ground in May 1930, and moved on to Rochdale, Wrexham, Shrewsbury Town, Northwich Victoria and then returned to old club Nantwich, before finishing his career with his hometown club Crewe Alexandra.[5]

Statistics

Source:[6]

  Club              Season                 Division               League   FA Cup   Total
  ----------------- ---------------------- ---------------------- -------- -------- ------- ---- ---- ---
  Apps              Goals                  Apps                   Goals    Apps     Goals
  Oldham Athletic   1927–28                Second Division        1        0        0
  Port Vale         1928–29                Second Division        31       0        1
  1929–30           Third Division North   12                     0        0        0
  Total             43                     0                      1        0        44
  Rochdale          1930–31                Third Division North   15       0        1
  Wrexham           1931–32                Third Division North   3        0        1
  Crewe Alexandra   1937–38                Third Division North   0        0        1

Honours

Port Vale

-   Football League Third Division North champion: 1929–30[7]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

title: Jack Prince

question: When was Jack Prince born?

answer: He was born June 6, 1906

question: What clubs has Prince played for?

answer: Prince played for 8 clubs over the course of his career.

question: Did Prince win any titles?

answer: In the 1929-1930 season, he won the Third Division North title with Port Vale.

question: What club did Prince finish his career with?

answer: He finished his career with Crewe Alexandra.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Jack Prince was an English football goalkeeper who played for a total of eight clubs in his career. In the 1929-1930 season, Prince won the Third Division North title with Port Vale.


text:
The tears of the woods

Like every Sunday, the woods were waiting for the man and the child. It was during this time of the year that the hikes of the pair became more regular. You could see them climb up the path early in the morning, when the sun behind the mountain barely managed to filter through the golden trees, which had already started to lose their leaves. Or later in the afternoon, when the light flooded the mountain with a red more intense than the color of the few remaining maple leaves playing hide and seek among the oaks.

Only a couple of the older trees, over there, in the tangle of the interiors, remembered perhaps the first time that a man of that family had come up this way. The man was walking and touching the trees and brushing his feet to make the leaves squeak and fly, creating odd effects with the lights and swirls with the help of the wind. After a few years of lonely walks, the man had started to come together with a child. The two of them walked, the child holding the man’s hand at first, slowly and painfully; then with increased agility as the years passed. And the man was showing the boy the leaves, and calling the names of the trees, pointing at the birds, telling stories of witches and dragons that had long ago lived in those woods, and that maybe – who could deny this with certainty? – were still hiding there, appearing only to those who were afraid.

When autumn arrived, the pair gave the impression to choose the paths where the leaves on the ground were plentiful. And the cracking noise made by their joyful and purposeful stomping filled the terse air.

The years passed, and that first man had time to become old, his beard white, while the boy became a man. But they kept on walking together up these woods, sometimes silent, sometimes playing the fallen leaves as an instrument, with their feet. Then, one day, the man who had been a boy came on his own, without the old man. Still, he followed the same paths, caressing the old barks, following the plants’ scents…until a new boy appeared with the man, holding hands, up the same roads. And the woods were listening to the man telling the boy the same stories of dragons and witches. And in the rapt eyes of the boy, the woods felt as if they were young again: every bark was new, every leaf a symbol of knights of old lineages fighting for princesses; and every broken twig a sword strong enough to defeat monsters.

And so it went, for years and years: until the boys became man, the men grew old, and the new men showed up on the paths alone again. And new boys appeared next to the new men, with new stories of dragons and knights, in a cycle whose length the woods could not quantify, but that it had become an important part of its seasons.

And today the woods are waiting: the man and the boy didn’t come last week, and the woods are trying to retain their colored leaves as long as possible, so that they can cast their shadow over the path of the pair, and fabricate wonder in the mind of the boy, swirling down touching his golden hair.

And here is the footstep of the man, and the woods move their fronds with delight. But a quiver comes to ruin the joy. The woods cannot hear the footsteps of the boy: perhaps the man has him on his shoulders?

The wind brings the news from the valley floor, up until the trees that are waiting on the mountain peak: *the man is alone*. The first trees already saw him coming: he walks curved, as if in his backpack a heavy ballast of years yet to live had suddenly accumulated. But the boy is not with him.

The woods are angry: where is the boy who should have been accompanying the man for many years to come, to learn the secrets of these trees, to make sure that the story of invincible dragons didn’t dry out, forgotten, as dead leaf at the end of November?

And yet the man *is* walking alone. And he doesn’t stop to caress the old barks; nor does he stir up the dead leaves that the woods had purposely hastened this morning to shake from the trees’ branches, to please the boy.

The man pushes forward. His beard is long, gray like the hair on a muzzle of an old dog, his hat down on his forehead. He doesn’t pay attention to the sky veiled by the leaves, nor does he care about the tunnels of lights that reach the floor. And he doesn’t explain to the woods why he is alone.

Suddenly, fast clouds come to darken the sky and the wind shakes the branches of the trees rabidly, as if the woods had called upon the wind’s aid to punish the man for his solitude. The tenderness that the wind had used in the past, to make sure that the boy stopped in awe at the sight of a rain of yellow and red and orange is gone.

Maliciously, the wind channels down the path, cold, running over the man with strength, tearing away branches, throwing them at him. And yet the man keeps on going, head down. Tears seem to obscure his vision, perhaps caused by the strong wind; but the wind is too enraged to even notice.

And the trees of the woods keep on asking loudly *where is the boy? Who will we tell our stories of dragons?* But the man – who had always been able to talk the language of the woods – does not answer. He continues to walk, even now that the rain manages to pass through the branches and hits the ground with a noisy clatter.

A sudden strong noise (a broken branch hitting the ground? One of those monsters that his dead father used to talk about?) forces the man to look for shelter.  Away from the path, he sits down with his back against a huge oak, covered by the thick branches that create a cone of quietude against the impending storm.

And it seems as if the oak is trying to pull its branches closer to stop the rain from hitting the man, as if the rage of the woods had suddenly morphed into compassion. While the man lies there, leaning with his eyes closed. Is he asleep? Or is he intent in listening to the tears of the woods for his lost boy?

title: The tears of the woods - first story here

question: What is the relationship between the first man (now old) and the boy?

answer: They are father and son.

question: What happened to the old man when the boy came into his own?

answer: What happened to the old man when the boy came into his own wasn't mentioned. Presumably, he died.

question: Where did the new boys come from?

answer: New boys come from the cycle of life - men have sons, grow old, and die. Their sons continue the cycle.

question: Explain the entire cycle of what is happening and why the woods try to retain their colored leaves as long as possible.

answer: The first man (the father) had a son and they walked the woods together. The father would educate his son about the names of the trees and birds, telling the boy stories about dragons, witches, and knights. When the first man grew old, the boy came into his own and fathered his own son, repeating the cycle. The woods try to retain their colored leaves as long as possible because they want the father and son walks to be entertaining to the child so the father would pass down the stories about dragons that have been told through the ages.

question: Write a ~9 sentence summary.

answer:
Every Sunday (morning or afternoon), the woods play host to a man and boy (father and son) pair hiking the path, enjoying the sights and sounds.
The man would tell the boy all about the names of trees, birds, and stories of dragons, witches, and knights.
The man would eventually grow old, the boy would come into his own and have his own son, repeating the cycle of walking through the woods, naming the trees, caressing its bark, and telling the stories about dragons.
The cycle of boys becoming men and stories passed on to the next generation went on for such a long time, it became an important part of the wood's seasons.
One day, the woods waited, but the man and the boy didn't come. When the man arrived a week later, he was hiking the path alone, walking quietly, not stopping to touch or admire the trees.
The woods are angry because the man is without the boy - there is no one to learn the secrets of the trees and the stories about dragons and witches will be forgotten.
The wind turns malicious, tearing away branches and throwing them at the man while the trees loudly ask where the boy is and who will tell their dragon stories, but the man stubbornly pushes on.
When something loud hits the ground, the man stops for shelter under a big oak, whose thick branches seem to pull closer with compassion, protecting the man from the wind and rain, wondering if the man is listening to the tears of the woods for his lost boy.


text:
MIKHAIL MIKHAYLOVICH STOPANOVSKY (, born 1830 in Ekaterinoslav, Imperial Russia, — died 27 (old style: 15) March 1877, Saint Petersburg, Imperial Russia) was a Russian writer, journalist and publicist. He started out in _Iskra_, which he soon became part of the stuff of and took upon himself the quite popular Life in Province section, then became a regular contributor to _Budilnik_. He is best known for his novel _Oblichiteli_ (Обличители, The Accusers) first published by _Otechestvennye Zapiski_ in 1862 (Issues 1—4, 6—8).[1][2] Stopanovsky's other works of note include the novels _Zapiski Skupovo_ (Записки скупого, The Notes of a Miser, 1857) and _Zateryannye Lyudi_ (Затерянные люди, The Lost People, 1860).[3]

[1] Михаил Михайлович Стопановский. Biography at www.biografija.ru

[2] Михаил Михайлович Стопановский. Biography at www.fedordostoevsky.ru / Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Online encyclopedia

[3] Stopanovsky at the Russian Historical Bibliography (Golos, 1870) // “Русская историческая библиография”. — “Голос” 1870 г., № 170.

title: Mikhail Stopanovsky

question: Who was Mikhail Stopanovsky?

answer: Mikhail Stopanovsky was a Russian writer, journalist, and publicist.

question: What is Stopanovsky best known for?

answer: He is best known for his novel, Oblichiteli.

question: How old was he when he died?

answer: 47

question: How did he die?

answer: The post doesn't indicate.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Mikhail Stopanovsky was a Russian writer, journalist, and publicist. He is best known for his novel, Oblichiteli.


text:
This image was removed due to legal reasons.

Immigration officials on Friday confirmed approximately 160 immigrants were arrested in raids conducted in six Southern California counties.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials said the raids targeted "at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants, and immigration fugitives."

Rumors of the raids and checkpoints at traffic lights sent a wave of fear across the Southland. ICE officials initially denied any targeted operations were taking place and said reports that 100 immigrants were detained were exaggerated.

Reports of ICE checkpoints in the Southern California are "all false," Dave Marin, an enforcement and removal operations director in Los Angeles, told reporters during a press call.

G/O Media may get a commission

Marin also confirmed there were ICE operations conducted in Atlanta, Chicago, and New York.

Congressman Joaquin Castro reported he was able to confirm ICE is conducing operations in South and Central Texas.

The raids in Southern California began Monday and concluded Friday at noon, local time. ICE said immigrants were detained in 55 communities across six Southland counties.

”ICE and the new administration are clearly trying to sow chaos and intimidate our communities," said Davíd Abud, an organizer with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network said in a statement sent to Fusion.

Approximately 150 of 160 people detained had criminal histories, according to ICE. Of remaining immigrants without a criminal records who were taken into custody, five had final orders of removal or had been previously deported.

"In the face of these efforts, we will remain vigilant, focused, and organized. We are more emboldened than ever to fight every single deportation and all further attacks on our communities in whatever form they may appear," Abud said.

An ICE official said more detailed information would be available Monday morning.

"I want to stress that the statistics below are still preliminary given that the five-day operation concluded only hours ago," ICE spokesperson Virginia Kice said in a statement.

question: What is ICE?

answer: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

question: Where were the 160 immigrants arrested?

answer: There were arrested in six Southern California counties.

question: What is the name of the ICE spokesperson?

answer: Virginia Kice

question: "...the new administration are clearly trying to sow chaos and intimidate our communities." Which communities does 'our' refer to?

answer: It refers to day laborer communities.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: ICE arrested approximately 160 immigrants in six southern California counties. There were ICE operations in Atlanta, Chicago, Texas, and New York.


text:
JOHN RICHARD “STREAMLINE” EWING (January 19, 1917 – February 1, 2002) was an American jazz trombonist.

Career

In 1934, Ewing began his career when he was seventeen.[1] Four years later he was with Horace Henderson, then with Earl Hines live and on record from 1938 to 1939 and from 1941 to 1942. He worked for short spans with Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton in the 1940s, in addition to Jimmie Lunceford (1943–45), Cab Calloway (1946, 1949), Jay McShann (1948), Cootie Williams (1950), Louis Jordan, and Earl Bostic.[2]

In the early 1950s he moved to California[3] and played with George Jenkins and in the studio with T-Bone Walker and Gerald Wilson. He began playing with Teddy Buckner in 1956; the two would play together on and off into the 1980s. He led his band the Streamliners for recording sessions in 1958 and 1960. In 1962 he toured with Henderson again and with Rex Stewart in 1967. Late in the 1960s he played in the Young Men of New Orleans band.[4]

In 1983 he played with the Eagle Brass Band and recorded with Johnny Otis in 1990.[5] He played on two Willy DeVille albums: _Backstreets of Desire_ (1992) and _Big Easy Fantasy_ (1995).

Discography

As sideman

WITH GERALD WILSON

-   _You Better Believe It!_ (Pacific Jazz, 1961)
-   _Portraits_ (Pacific Jazz, 1964)
-   _On Stage_ (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
-   _Feelin' Kinda Blues_ (Pacific Jazz, 1965)
-   _The Golden Sword_ (Pacific Jazz, 1966)

WITH OTHERS

-   Hoyt Axton, _Saturday's Child_ (Horizon, 1963)
-   Hoyt Axton, _Hoyt Axton Sings Bessie Smith_ (Exodus, 1965)
-   David Bromberg, _Midnight On the Water_ (CBS, 1975)
-   Roy Brown, _Hard Times_ (Bluesway, 1973)
-   Bobby Bryant, _Earth Dance World_ (Pacific Jazz, 1969)
-   Teddy Buckner, _Frank Bull and Gene Norman Present...Teddy Buckner and His Dixieland Band_ (Dixieland Jubilee, 1957)
-   Teddy Buckner, _On the Sunset Strip_ (GNP Crescendo, 1961)
-   Red Callender, _Swingin' Suite_ (Modern, 1956)
-   Red Callender, _The Lowest_ (MetroJazz, 1958)
-   Papa John Creach, _Filthy!_ (Grunt, 1972)
-   Willy DeVille, _Backstreets of Desire_ (EastWest, 1992)
-   Judy Henske, _Judy Henske_ (Elektra, 1963)
-   Judy Henske, _High Flying Bird_ (Elektra, 1963)
-   Z. Z. Hill, _Keep On Lovin' You_ (United Artists, 1975)
-   Earl Hines, _The Father Jumps_ (Bluebird, 1975)
-   Lightnin' Hopkins, _Something Blue_ (Verve, 1967)
-   B.B. King, _Lucille_ (Bluesway, 1968)
-   Danny O'Keefe, _The Global Blues_ (Warner Bros., 1979)
-   Johnny Otis, _Good Lovin' Blues_ (Ace, 1990)
-   Johnny Otis, _Spirit of the Black Territory Bands_ (Arhoolie, 1992)
-   Googie Rene, _Romesville!_ (Class, 1959)
-   Diana Ross, _Lady Sings the Blues_ (Motown, 1972)
-   Ike & Tina Turner, _River Deep Mountain High_ (London, 1966)
-   Bob Thiele, _Head Start_ (Flying Dutchman, 1969)
-   T-Bone Walker, _Stormy Monday Blues_ (Bluesway, 1968)
-   Charles Wright, _Rhythm and Poetry_ (Warner Bros., 1972)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

title: Streamline Ewing

question: What does the article say about Ewing's bands?

answer: Ewing has his band, the Streamliners, and also was a part of other bands. He played in the Young Men of New Orleans in the 1960s. In 1983 he played with the Eagle Brass Band.

question: What does the article say about Ewing's trombone preferences?


text:
KEBA AG is an international developer and manufacturer of automation solutions for the industrial, banking, services and energy automation areas. The Austrian company was founded in 1968 and is privately owned.[1] The company has annual sales revenues averaging €304 million, of which over 85% are obtained in export markets.[2][3][4]

KEBA Group headquarters are located in Linz, Austria and it is represented by its own subsidiaries in China, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, Turkey and the United States.[5]

Areas of activity

[KEBA Zentrale Linz] In the industrial automation area KEBA focuses on solutions for

-   Plastics injection moulding machines and robots
-   General machinery production and plant building
-   The sheet metal processing sector
-   Mobile and stationary operating solutions for machines and robots

In the area of banking automation

-   Self-service systems for banks and financial institutions (ATMs, cash recycling systems, bank statement printers, transfer terminals)

In the area of logistics automation

-   First- and Last Mile transfer systems for postal and logistics companies (parcel machine)
-   Intelligent transfer machines for sensitive objects (KEMAS)

In the area of energy automation

-   Solutions in the field of e-mobility such as charging stations
-   Control and operating systems for alternative heating systems

In the lottery sector

-   Automation solutions for lottery companies[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Products

KEBA AG provides products in the following areas:

-   Controllers for injection molding machines, machines and robots, programmable logic controllers (PLC), industrial PC, (KePlast, KeMotion, KeSystems, KeControl)
-   Controls for press brakes and sheet metal working (Delem)
-   Mobile and stationary operator terminals, handheld terminals, panels for machines and robots, mobile automation (KeMobile, KeTop)
-   ATMs, cash recyclers, account photo terminals, bank statement printers, bank transfer terminals, self-service systems for financial institutions (KePlus)
-   Entry control systems (KeBin)
-   Parcel machines (KePol) and transfer machines (KEMAS)
-   Lottery machines (KeWin)
-   Charging stations, electric mobility infrastructure, load management for charging electric vehicles (KeContact, KeMove)
-   Controls and operating systems for alternative heating systems (KeEnergy)[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

The acquisition of the LTI Motion Group and Heinz Fiege GmbH has expanded the product portfolio of the KEBA Group.[20] In drive and automation technology LTI Motion GmbH and Fiege GmbH develops, produces and distributes high-end drive technology from tool spindles and servo drive technology all the way to magnetically supported high-speed complete systems.

History

The company was founded in 1968 by Gunther Krippner, who was joined by Karl Kletzmair in 1970. 1984 saw the concentration on the industrial, banking and sawmill automation sectors. In 1990 KEBA Deutschland GmbH was founded as a fully owned subsidiary. In 1994 KEBA obtained DIN ISO 9001 certification. In 1998, the KEBA US Corp. was founded. In 1999 KEBA AG achieved sales revenues of ATS 1 billion for the first time. The main emphasis was on industrial and banking automation. In the same year, the legal form of the company was altered to that of a stock corporation. In 2003, the company moved into a new headquarters building in Linz. In 2004 a subsidiary was founded in China and this was followed by two further Chinese locations. In 2006, KEBA Automation S.R.L. was launched in Romania and in the same year a holding was taken in agimatec GmbH.[21]

In 2007, the CBPM-KEBA joint venture in Beijing was founded with the China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation, the world’s largest banknote printing house.[22] In 2008, the branch in Taiwan was opened. In 2009 further branches were launched in Turkey, China and Italy. In the same year, the energy automation field was entered with charging stations. In 2010, the area of heating control systems for alternative energy forms was opened up and KEBA also opened a branch in Japan. In 2012, a branch was founded in South Korea. In 2013, KEBA purchased a majority holding in the Dutch automation company DELEM.[23] In 2013 KEBA opened a second production site in Linz, Austria.[24] 2016 KEBA AG took over the self-service specialist KEMAS GmbH, a German company based in Oberlungwitz.[25] In 2018 KEBA opened another branch in India.[26]

At the end of 2018, KEBA AG took over LTI Motion and Heinz Fiege GmbH, leading suppliers of drive solutions and spindle technology based in Lahnau and Röllbach / Germany.[27]

Awards

-   iF Product Design Award - KeMes (2018)[28]
-   Pegasus in crystal 2016 to Karl Kletzmaier, co-founder of KEBA, for entrepreneurial life's work[29]
-   ineo Award Award from the WKO OÖ for the strong commitment in the apprenticeship training[30]
-   Robotic Award 2014 for the “directMove” handheld operating device T10
-   Upper Austrian Pegasus (business prize) 2014 in Bronze[31]
-   Postal Technology Award 2013 as the Supplier of the Year (KePol parcel lockers)[32]
-   Austrian Knewledge Award for further training from the Federal Austrian ministry for education, science and culture 2000, 1. place (in the category of companies with up to 500 employees)[33]

Individual references

Category:Technology companies established in 1968 Category:Linz Category:Technology companies of Austria Category:Economy of Upper Austria Category:Austrian companies established in 1968

[1]

[2]

[3] OÖ Nachrichten 24. Juni 2015

[4] Wirtschaftsblatt 24. Juni 2015

[5]

[6]  Overview Industrialautomation-Products|last=Keba|website=www.keba.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-31}}

[7]

[8]

[9]  Electromobility|last=Keba|website=www.keba.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-31}}

[10]  Overview lottery terminals|last=Keba|website=KEBA lottery terminals|language=en|access-date=2019-07-31}}

[11]

[12]  Heating controls|last=Keba|website=www.keba.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-31}}

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22] Elektrotechnik, 9. August 2007

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]  Neue Niederlassung in Indien|last=Keba|website=www.keba.com|access-date=2018-11-13}}

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30] WKO

[31] leadersnet.at 10. Juni 2014

[32]

[33] knewledge.at

title: KEBA

question: Summarize the purpose of KEBA.

answer: KEBA is an international developer and manufacturer of automation solutions for industrial, banking, services, and energy automation areas. In industrial automation they have solutions for things such as general machinery production and mobile and stationary operating solutions for machines and robots. In logistics automation, they have solutions for intelligent transfer machines for sensitive objects. KEBA also has solutions for the lottery sector. They also provide products in various areas as well.

question: Summarize KEBA's history from the 20th century.

answer: The company was founded in 1968 by Gunther Krippner, who was joined by Karl Kletzmair in 1970. In 1984, the company concentrated on the industrial, banking, and sawmill automation sectors. There was a lot of activity in the 1990s with the founding of KEBA Deutschland GmbH as a fully owned subsidiary, founding of KEBA US Corp., and the obtaining of DIN ISO 9001 certification. By 1999, KEBA AG finally achieved revenues of ATS 1 billion and were able to alter the company to that of a stock corporation.

question: What does the text say about China?

answer: KEBA founded a subsidiary in 2004 in China, which was followed by two other Chinese locations. In 2007, the CBPM-KEBA joint venture in Beijing was founded. Another branch was launched in China in 2009.

question: What does the text have to say about bankruptcy?


text:
Two Chinese banks now provide as much international development finance as the next six biggest multilateral lenders combined but are greatly exposed to political, social and environmental risks, new research says.

In almost doubling the global capital base available for development projects, China has enabled developing countries with less access to international finance to bridge gaping infrastructure and energy shortfalls, according to a study by Boston University’s Global Economic Governance Initiative and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

“Such a stepwise increase arrives just in time,” the paper says, pointing out that Western multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) appear to be stagnating in expanding their portfolios.

China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China (CHEXIM) together lent some US$684 billion between 2007 and the end of 2014. The next six biggest lenders, which include the World Bank, the Japanese-led Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, are owed US$700 billion. During the same period, China’s policy banks increased energy-related finance to national governments by US$117 billion, representing a two-fold increase in the total amount.

Yet despite the impressive figures, China’s loan portfolio is subject to considerable risks. With 66% of energy-related finance concentrated in coal-fired power, the associated costs of these loans, known as externalities, are a real concern.

“Using conservative estimates of the climate and local health costs of coal plant emissions, we calculate that the yearly social costs [the health costs of increased pollution plus the costs associated with social conflicts] of Chinese overseas coal-fired power plants amounts to US$29.7 billion,” the report’s authors say.

Furthermore, the ability of countries to service their debt to China – which is often repaid with commodities such as coal and oil – is threatened by fluctuating market prices.

In order to curb emissions and reduce risk, China should diversify its investment portfolio towards cleaner energy projects, the report says. Doing so would also help bring China’s overseas investments in line with international sustainable development goals.

RISKS

While China has lent to borrowers who face difficulty accessing finance from elsewhere, this has drastically increased its exposure to economic downturns in recipient countries, which impact their ability to repay loans.

Venezuela, whose troubled president Nicolás Maduro recently announced a 60-day state of emergency, is currently in debt to China to the tune of US$65 billion. The Venezuelan government recently announced it had negotiated better repayment terms with China, saying the move “gave oxygen” to an oil-dependent economy asphyxiated by the crash in global prices.

A number of other countries to which China has lent significantly for energy projects are considered high risk by the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Ethiopia, Niger, Sudan, Pakistan and Bosnia & Herzegovina all rank alongside Venezuela as the most risky destinations for China’s energy investments.

Argentina also features in this group but the election of pro-market president Mauricio Macri has led to a downgrading of the country’s risk rating by other agencies.

Only marginally less risky is Ecuador, which defaulted on its sovereign debt in 2008 and has since borrowed upwards of US$8 billion from Chinese banks for energy projects.

In addition to the risk of non-repayment, the consequences of exacerbating climate change by increasing carbon emissions are almost inestimable. The study estimates that the coal-fired power plants included in China’s overseas investment portfolio emit 594 million metric tonnes of CO2 annually, equivalent to 11% of US total annual emissions and 6% of China’s.

Furthermore, China’s financing of coal overseas is increasingly out of step with its domestic policies as consumption at home has fallen for two consecutive years, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics.

Experts predict China will reduce its current over-supply of coal by around one billion tonnes this year as it attempts to bring CO2 emissions in line with commitments made under the Paris Agreement.

Environmental campaigners recently told _chinadialogue_ that curbing coal at home whilst promoting it abroad was “hypocritical”.

RENEWABLES

China devotes 28% of its total energy finance to renewable energy, whereas the MDB's allocate an average 88%. However, these figures include hydropower projects, which have major environmental consequences.

Scarcely 1% of China’s development finance goes to non-hydro renewables. The MDBs invest 27%.

Given the high proportion of investments in coal and hydropower, shifting investments to cleaner technologies represents a big challenge for China’s big policy banks and 13 new regional development funds.

Nonetheless, China’s emergence as major player in international development finance and within new multilateral development banks means it is “uniquely placed” to steer the transition to a low-carbon economy.

“This finance is very welcome and could not come at a better time,” the report says.

question: Summarize the steps being taken in support of environmentalism.

answer: Experts predict China will reduce its supply of coal by around a billion tonnes in attempt to bring its CO2 emissions inline with their Paris Agreement commitments. China also devotes 28& of its total energy finance to renewable energy, although only 1% of its development finance goes to non-hydro renewables.

question: Summarize the article's criticisms of China.

answer: There is concern about the associated costs of China's loans to other countries to support their energy infrastructures, with 66% of energy-related finance concentrated in coal-fired power. There is also concern that fluctuating market prices will make it difficult for countries to repay China. A study estimates that the coal-fired power plants included in China's overseas investment portfolio emit 594 million metric tonnes of CO2 annually. China's attempts to curb coal use at home while promoting it abroad is considered hypocritical.

question: What does the article say about Japan's contributions to CO2 emissions?

question: Summarize everything relating to alternative energy sources.

answer: China devotes 28% of its total energy finance to renewable energy. These figures, however, include hydropower projects, which have their own environmental consequences. Scarcely 1% of China's development finance goes to non-hydro renewables. Considering the high proportion of the country's investments in coal and hydropower, shifting to cleaner technologies represents a big challenege for China's big policy banks.


text:
_ANACITHARA FINLAYI_ is an extinct species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Horaiclavidae.[1]

Description

Distribution

This extinct marine species occurred off New Zealand in Lower and Middle Miocene strata.

[1] Marshall, B. (2015). Anacithara finlayi Powell, 1942 †. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=831538 on 2016-12-22

title: Anacithara finlayi

question: What is the Anacithara finlayi?

answer: It is an extinct species of sea snail.

question: Which family does this species of sea snail belong to?

answer: It belongs to the family Horaiclavidae.

question: Where is this extinct species of sea snail found?

answer: It is found in New Zealand in Lower and Middle Miocene strata.

question: How can this species of sea snail be described?

answer: It can be described as a marine gastropod mollusk.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes Anacithara finlayi, an extinct species of sea snails.


text:
Description

A number of games allow you to search the tombs of ancient Egypt, but few allow you to do so IN ancient Egypt. Taking place (appropriately enough) in 1156 B.C., you play Ramose, a young Egyptian man who hopes to prove himself a worthy investigator for the current rulers of Egypt. Your first assignment is not an easy one, as a Tomb of Sethi I, a pharaoh has been desecrated and looted and your own father has been accused of the crime. You have three days to prove his innocence and stay the sentence of execution.

Gameplay takes place in a first person mode similar to fans of this kind of adventure game. Unlike some games that give you a static, unmoving image to look at, Egypt 1156 B.C. allows you to look around at any location in a smooth turn (similar to QuickTime VR, but with better results). This gives you a 'you are there' feel that many other games lack. All graphics are 3-D rendered and occassionally actions will give you a third person cutscene as a reward. Communication is through a simple branch tree and both talking and puzzle solving involves the manipulation of objects, both in and out of your inventory.

In addition to being a mystery/adventure game, Egypt 1156 B.C. also comes with reference material about ancient Egypt, its people, and its culture. These are available whenever you discover something interesting in the middle of the game or can be accessed via the main menu.

Screenshots

Promo Images

[Egypt 1156 B.C.: Tomb of the Pharaoh Other]

Alternate Titles

-   "Egypten: 1156 f.Kr. Faraos Hemlighet" -- _Swedish title_
-   "Egypte 1156 voor Christus: Het raadsel van de koninklijke tombe" -- _Dutch title_
-   "Egypte 1156 av. J.-C.: L'énigme de la tombe royale" -- _French title_
-   "Egypt 1156 a.C.: L'Enigma della Tomba Reale" -- _Italian title_
-   "Egipto 1156 a.C.: La Tumba del Faraon" -- _Spanish title_
-   "Das Grab des Pharao" -- _German title_

Part of the Following Groups

-   Egypt series
-   Graphics Engine: Omni3D
-   Setting: Egyptian

User Reviews

  ---------------------------------- ---------------- -----------------------------------------------
  Alot NOT to like about this game   Jeanne (76362)   [1 Stars][1 Stars][1 Stars][1 Stars][1 Stars]
  ---------------------------------- ---------------- -----------------------------------------------

Critic Reviews

  -------------------------------- -------------- --------------------------------------------------------- -----
  Just Adventure                   2000           A                                                         100
  PC Jeux                          Dec, 1997      84 out of 100                                             84
  PC Joker                         Feb, 1998      77 out of 100                                             77
  PC Zone                          Aug 13, 2001   7 out of 10                                               70
  PC Action                        Feb 18, 1998   68 out of 100                                             68
  Video Games                      Jun, 1999      61 out of 100                                             61
  GameStar (Germany)               Mar, 1998      53 out of 100                                             53
  Adrenaline Vault, The (AVault)   Oct 27, 2000   [2.5 Stars][2.5 Stars][2.5 Stars][2.5 Stars][2.5 Stars]   50
  PC Player (Germany)              Feb, 1998      41 out of 100                                             41
  UHS (Universal Hint System)      Jul 07, 2000   [1 Stars][1 Stars][1 Stars][1 Stars][1 Stars]             20
  -------------------------------- -------------- --------------------------------------------------------- -----

Forums

There are currently no topics for this game.

Trivia

There is no trivia on file for this game.

Related Web Sites

-   Egypt 1156 B.C.: Tomb of the Pharaoh (official website)
-   Hints for Egypt 1156 B.C. (Hints to help you solve the game)
-   Review on UHS Web (A review of Egypt 1156 B.C. on UHS Web)
-   Walkthrough by Crash (Fugazi's walkthrough for Egypt 1156 B.C.)

Ray Soderlund (3571) added EGYPT 1156 B.C.: TOMB OF THE PHARAOH (Windows) on Nov 17, 2000

Other platforms contributed by Terok Nor (29433) and Scaryfun (17979)

question: What type of game is being described?

answer: A mystery/adventure game

question: What is the name of the game being described?

answer: Egypt 1156 B.C.

question: Describe the setting in which the game takes place.

answer: The game takes place in the tombs of ancient Egypt.

question: Describe the character the players play as.

answer: The playable character is Ramose, a young Egyptian man who hopes to prove himself a worthy investigator. His father has been accused of looting the tomb of Sethi I.

question: What was this game released?

answer: That information can't be found (although based on the dates of the reviews it has to be 1998 or earlier).

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: A description of the game Egypt 1156 B.C. in which the player plays as Ramose, a young Egyptian investigator. His first assignment is the looting of a tomb, a crime his father was accused of. The game features 3-D rendered graphics and allows the player to look around rather than displaying a static background image. It also comes with reference material about ancient Egypt.


text:
NEW YORK — Anthony Weiner’s ill-fated mayoral campaign ended with a string of final embarrassments: He mustered a mere 5 percent at the ballot box. One of his sexting partners tried to crash his primary night rally. And Weiner was caught making an obscene gesture to reporters as he was driven away.

Outside a “victory” party where supporters mourned a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Democratic primary, cameras crowded around Sydney Leathers, the 23-year-old whose sexting with the former congressman brought his once-high-flying campaign to a screeching halt.

“Why not be here?” Leathers asked reporters. “I’m kind of the reason he’s losing. So, might as well show up.”

Another politician with a sex scandal, Eliot Spitzer, lost the Democratic primary contest for city comptroller to Scott Stringer, the Manhattan borough president. Stringer took 52 percent of the vote to Spitzer’s 48 percent.

Spitzer resigned as governor in 2008 and admitted he paid for sex with call girls. In exile, he bounced around television as a pundit. Then, just four days before the deadline, he announced he was running for comptroller.

On the final campaign day for both men, the spotlight fell heavily on Weiner. His staff sneaked him into his own event, presumably to avoid Leathers, who had camped outside his headquarters all day hoping to confront him. His wife, Huma Abedin, who stood by his side at the height of the scandal, was nowhere to be seen.

And after a concession speech in which he got choked up as he spoke of family, a scowling Weiner was caught by a photographer giving a middle-finger goodbye to reporters as he was driven away.

Leathers, who has launched a porn career since the scandal broke, said Weiner needed “to stop being an embarrassment to the city of New York. He’s going to continue this behavior. If it’s not going to be me, it’s going to be some other girl.”

At one point, one of Weiner’s supporters scolded Leathers, saying: “You must really be ashamed!”

For his part, Weiner acknowledged in his concession speech that he was an “imperfect messenger” but also boasted of the staying power of himself and his campaign.

Weiner had been in political exile since he resigned from Congress in 2011 for sending women lewd online messages and pictures. He got into the mayor’s race in May, and aside from a few dust-ups with hecklers, was largely well-received at first, holding the lead for most of June and July.

But after an obscure gossip website named The Dirty released X-rated exchanges between Weiner and Leathers that took place well after the candidate quit the House of Representatives, Weiner — and his sexting pseudonym, Carlos Danger — once again became a national punchline.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday morning, Weiner was far behind in the city’s Democratic mayoral primary. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio had 40 percent of the vote, the threshold needed to avoid triggering an automatic Oct. 1 runoff. If he cannot maintain that, he will face former city Comptroller Bill Thompson, who has 26 percent, for a potentially grueling three-week showdown, with the winner advancing to face Republican nominee Joe Lhota in the general election.

Spitzer took a steadier path to his loss. He took an early lead in the polls, but the race tightened dramatically in recent weeks as the Democratic establishment rallied around Stringer, his main opponent.

Unlike Weiner, who made a point of fielding voters’ questions about his scandal, Spitzer apologized a few times and then refused to talk about it.

He largely eschewed retail campaigning — situations that could have led to awkward exchanges with voters — in favor of national TV interviews and a big television ad campaign, financed with his own millions.

But he could not avoid all mention of the scandal. The city’s tabloids hounded him about the state of his marriage; Spitzer said he was still married, but his wife never appeared on the campaign trail.

“All of us should serve, participate,” Spitzer told supporters in his concession speech. “I intend to do so in different ways.”

——

Associated Press Radio Correspondent Julie Walker and AP Videojournalist Bonny Ghosh contributed to this report.

question: Who lost a race for New York Mayor?

answer: Anthony Weiner.

question: What percentage of the vote did Weiner get?

answer: 5 percent.

question: Who did Weiner sext?

answer: Sydney Leathers.

question: What was Weiner's sexting pseudonym?

answer: Carlos Danger.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The article discusses a concession speech by Anthony Weiner after he lost a race for New York Mayor, and the cause of his defeat, a young woman he sexted named "Leathers" who showed up at his concession speech party.


text:
He wakes up and looks over at his pad. No new contracts that he wants to bid on. He gets up and gets dressed and heads over to the bar. On his way there he notices another ship that is docked, it hadn't been out for very long, he would see if the captain was in the bar so he could get details. He walks in and notices the captain at a table with a few other captains that he has been associated with. As he sits down, he recognizes the new captain, he had originally helped a small portion in the operation to move his ship out of the sand, just before this contract. The captains all greeted him and they had some small talk till one asked the new one what happened.

The new captain explained that for the first portion of the contract that everything had gone well, until small conditions in his contract failed to be met. The captain had suspected the possibility of an early termination of contract, but continued on none the less. Then one day the cancellation notice came, but the notice was strange. It basically came down to the fact that the contract creator didn't want a full time commitment. He had seen this before, contract creators stringing captains along and the captains wasting time not looking for other contracts to bid on. All of the captains agreed to aid the captain if they could, but they all knew it was up to the captain to either win back the contract or find another.

The captains all began to discuss their recent situations. The next captain to speak had decided to dock their ship far north of here. The port there had frozen over and attempts were being made to break the ice and move the captain down to warmer waters but without a contract there was no real effort to break free. The captain mentioned he tried to get one on the short term, but the contract creator ended up adding too many stipulations. They all agreed to help once the captain got a contract, but none of them could justify allocating resources to remove the ice until then.

Moving left the next captain had contracts a couple of times before and the captain mostly relived the glory days. The captain hadn't bid for a contract in a while, but stated about contracts ripe for the captains picking. Most of the captains were skeptical, at best, of the assertion. He personally thought that the captain's ship had shifted back into the sand. They all let the captain finish through the story, but quickly the next captain began.

This captain had been out many a time, but most of the time the trips were short. Often major problems would arise and be ignored till both parties could not resolve the situation and back into port the captain would roam angry and disappointed as ever. The captain would also seem to take out his ship without a contract on record. While there was a black market, it was rarely active until people wanted a contract on top of their long term one. Even then once it was found out, it usually ended up in the termination of both contracts. The frequency of the captain's alleged activities within the black market made most of the captains dismiss the stories on the spot.

Another captain spoke now. He remembered the captain well. He had worked very hard to help get the captain's ship from the sand and now the ship sat in the port. The captain had been in open negotiations with a contract creator whose other contract was coming to an end but negotiations had fallen through. Whether or not they would pick up again, no one could tell, but they all were hoping for the best for the captain.

The youngest captain was probably in the most interesting situation. The captain had run several trials for contracts, but had never signed one. The captain had a strange outlook on how to be successful, and wished to return to his port of old. Several captains questioned how close the captain really was to securing contracts, even though the captain had presented evidence to the contrary. He was still undecided on the matter, but thought that the captain should send his ship back to the sand and open up contracts for others.

The captain to the right mentioned only two attempts at contracts and yet, an inability to secure contracts. The rest of them sitting at the table disagreed with the statement, how could two attempts certify ineptitude. Alas the captain did not hear them. The captain had dried the pen of ink and did not want to refill it. Maybe one day when a contract slapped the captain in the face an effort would be made to refill the pen, but until then, the captains could only wait.

It was his turn now.

"You all know my story."

He left to put his ship into the sand.

**Edited to replace pronouns and add punctuation

title: Ships in Port.

question: What happened to the new captain's contract?

answer: The first portion of the contract went well but then small conditions started slipping and he thought that there was a good possibility that the contract might be terminated. He carried on nonetheless. Then he received notification of cancellation. The creator of the contractor no longer wanted a full time commitment.

question: Why was the captain gong to put his ship into the sand?


text:
[]

(SPOT.PH) No matter what U.S President Donald Trump says about climate change, we all know that it's as real as it gets. Unfortunately, we can't really just go back in time and stop whatever humanity has been doing to destroy the world.

What we can do now is contribute in our own little way to the conservation of the environment: stop throwing candy wrappers from car windows, follow the CLAYGO principle, avoid using plastic straws, and others. We can also take the next step and join these organizations that go the extra mile to save the only Earth that we have.

[]
IMAGE Save Philippine Seas Facebook

SAVE PHILIPPINE SEAS

www.savephilippineseas.org

The Philippines is an archipelago, which means we have a whole lot of seas. So why aren’t we saving our home? Save Philippine Seas, founded in 2011 and registered in 2013, aims to protect the country's threatened marine resources. You can sign up as a volunteer through their website, donate to their campaigns and projects, and help promote their advocacies by sharing or retweeting their posts on social media.

[]
IMAGE Kate Davison / Greenpeace Philippines Facebook

GREENPEACE PHILIPPINES

www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph

Greenpeace Philippines is part of a global environment organization spanning 40 countries. Some of their strategies in protecting and conserving the environment include exposing threats to our surroundings such as coal projects, holding public debates and peaceful protests on climate justice, and promotion of ecological farming. Their volunteers include activists, interns, cyberactivists, and local group members.

[]
IMAGE Mavic Matillano / Marine Wildlife Facebook

MARINE WILDLIFE WATCH OF THE PHILIPPINES

mwwphilippines.org

When it comes to marine biodiversity, the Philippines is at the "center of the center." We have various species of dolphins, whales, _dugong_, marine turtles, sharks, and rays; and if we don't do our best to save our waters, this wildlife might just all go extinct. Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines has the mission of fostering a better appreciation of the marine environment through information dissemination, campaigns, and research. You can help protect our sea friends by reporting illegal trading and capture of protected marine wildlife through their Facebook page.

[]
IMAGE Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society Facebook

PHILIPPINE NATIVE PLANTS CONSERVATION SOCIETY

www.facebook.com/PNPCSI

The Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society is devoted to the conservation of indigenous Philippine plants and their natural habitats. They hold annual symposia, organize tree planting activities, and initiate research in plant biodiversity. They're a member of the Rain Forest Restoration Initiative which focuses on rehabilitating degraded landscapes and negotiating with forest-dependent communities to come up with other sources of livelihood.

[]
IMAGE Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Facebook

PHILIPPINES BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

pbcfi.org.ph

The protection of the country's wildlife is the main advocacy of the Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation. So far, they have zoomed in on West Visayas, Calamian Islands, Cebu, Mindoro, and Polillo Islands where they hold field research, habitat restoration, and educate the locals. They also have conservation programs for specific species like the bleeding-heart pigeon, cloud rats, Philippine bats, and Calamian deer, among others.

[]
IMAGE Haribon Foundation Facebook

HARIBON FOUNDATION

www.haribon.org.ph

Haribon Foundation, founded in 1972, focuses on biodiversity conservation. It was named after the Haring Ibon or the Philippine Eagle because of the idea that the bird's presence reveals a lot about the state of our forests. To become a member of the organization entails a fixed annual destination depending on your tier and the benefits you want: P500 comes with subscription to the newsletter, P700 comes with merchandise discounts, P900 comes with the ability to vote for the Haribon Board of Trustees, and others.

[]
IMAGE DJ Struntz / Waves for Water Facebook

WAVES FOR WATER

www.wavesforwater.org

Waves for Water is more of a humanitarian organization than an environmental advocacy, but that doesn't mean it forgets to promote environment conversation. It provides clean water to communities in need around the world through its Courier Program of distributing water filters to travelers. Their philosophy is rooted in "doing what you love and helping along the way," so if you're a hiker out to conquer the Himalayas, you can get a supply of water filters and bring these to an impoverished community along your trail. Aside from becoming a courier yourself, you can also start a fundraiser or donate to an existing one to mobilize a Waves for Water Project.

[]
IMAGE Earth Island Institute Facebook

EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE

www.earthislandph.org

Earth Island Institute Philippines is part of an international organization that supports hyperlocal and grassroots environmentalism. The Philippines chapter focuses on monitoring the biggest tuna companies in the region and ensures that these operations are sustainable, campaigning against dolphin captivity; and restoring the Freedom Island Bird Sanctuary in Las Piñas and Parañaque through the Save Freedom Island Movement.

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IMAGE Wild Bird Club of the Philippines Facebook

WILD BIRD CLUB OF THE PHILIPPINES

www.birdwatch.ph

More than an interest or hobby organization, the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines also promotes wildlife conservation through protecting the birds' habitats and recording information on the species. They petition against bird hunting, advocate preservation of mangroves and lagoons near the reclamation area along Roxas Boulevard, and document rare sightings of endangered bird species.

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IMAGE Nica Cabuhat / World Wide Fund Facebook

WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE - PHILIPPINES

www.wwf.org.ph

World Wide Fund for Nature (a.k.a. WWF) is the world's largest conservation organization and operates in over 100 countries, the Philippines being one of them. Their specific mission in the country is to reverse the fast degradation of our environment by promoting the use of sustainable energy, initiating projects for sustainable fisheries near the Coral Triangle, and protecting the country's most endangered species such as the whale sharks in Donsol and the _tamaraw_ in Mindoro. There are a lot of career opportunities at WWF, but volunteers are most welcome.

More stories from Spot.ph

question: What is the post all about?

answer: The post lists several environmental conservation organizations operating in the Philippines wherein the reader can either participate or join.


text:
GILBERT ROBICHAUD (February 4, 1918 – June 24, 1997) was a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1960 to 1967 as member of the Liberal party.[1]

In 1963 he sponsored the passage of the charter of the Université de Moncton in the Legislative Assembly.[2]

[1]

[2]

title: Gilbert Robichaud

question: Who is the article about?

answer: Gilbert Robichaud

question: What nationality is Gilbert Robichaud?

answer: Canadian

question: When did Robichaud serve in the Legislative Assembly?

answer: From 1960 to 1967

question: Which political party was Robichaud a part of?

answer: The Liberal Party

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This Wikipedia article briefly discusses Canadian politician Gilbert Robichaud. Robichaud served in the Legislative Assembly from 1960 to 1967 as a member of the Liberal Party. He sponsored the passage of the charter of the Université de Moncton in 1963.


text:
They still think they can fix me.

See, I'm the kind of guy that likes to live in the moment. We can't always be looking back, now can we? And instead of putting me in prison, I'm put in Arkham Asylum. They thought it would be too dangerous having me around to mastermind those criminals. Ho-ho-he-he-ha.

As if my jokes weren't getting any worse.

No, see, now I can have even better people to work with. And it's all gonna lead up to when me and Bats can meet up again. And it will happen, don't worry, don't worry.

They say I'm crazy. I'm not crazy, I'm not. I'm ahead of the curve. Schemers are crazy. Planners. People who think that they can bend the world to their own will. Tell me tell me, how often, do your, uh, plans, work out? Do you really think that, for a moment, that harpy, Mother Earth, is gonna care about your plans?

See, I realize that planning is useless. Chaos, now that's a different story. Things naturally go towards chaos. I mean, look around you. Everything is hell. All I did was give it a little push, to start rolling. The rest it did by itself.

And now they hate Bats. Now, now they throw him out. I warned you, Bats, I told you. But no, not the unstoppable force, you wouldn't give up. That's why I'm around, to give you purpose. Just like you give me. It's amazing, isn't it? I mean, that's something to smile about, right?

And Harvey. Harvey, Harvey, Harvey. I didn't have to tell you to do anything. The coin was a nice touch, I must say. Thanks to you, I've won. See, Bats may have everyone else fooled. But we know, we know the truth. You, me, Bats, even Gordon. We know how good the people of Gotham really are. Harvey, Harvey, Harvey.

And the doctors here, they still think they can fix me. I tell them, I say, there is nothing to fix. But they try and try. They are terrified of me. That's good, that's chaos. There is one doctor here who isn't, though. Harleen Quinzel. Interesting woman. She isn't a schemer. I know the schemers when I see them. That's why I've always loved Bats. He isn't a schemer. He doesn't plan, he acts. I like that.

But this doctor, this squeeze, is intrigued. I know, I can tell. I've had enough doctors poking at me over the years to know when they are just doing their job, and when they are actually listening to me. She's curious. That's good, that's very good.

I have a surprize for you, Bats. I know you can beat him, I know. But that's not the point. The point is that you will have to try. Oh, and just to make it interesting, I haven't told him anything about your being Brucie. Oh, you didn't think I knew about that? Hehe-ho! I did, I do! But I won't tell him anything. Makes it a little more interesting.
Quin-something, doctor lady, is coming again. She visits me more and more often. I must be ready for her, right? Right, right.

Why so serious?

*(edit: "I'm the kind of guy that likes to think ahead" to "I'm the kind of guy who lives in the moment")

title: Thoughts of an InSane Mind (Joker Monologue)

question: Why is it good for the narrator that Harleen Quinzel is interested in him?

answer: The narrator likes to pull strings so that chaos overtakes the predictable. Since Harleen listens to what he says, he can manipulate her.


text:
[Strange orange cave dwelling African dwarf crocodiles could be evolving into a new species]
Credit: abanda-expedition.org

A team of researchers with affiliations to institutions in the U.S., France, Cameroon and Gabon has found evidence that suggests that orange dwarf crocodiles living in caves in Gabon might be evolving into a new species. In their paper published in the _African Journal of Ecology_, the group describes their study of the unique crocodiles and their attempts to compare them with similar crocodiles living just outside the cave, and what they found by doing so.

The orange dwarf crocodiles living in Abanda caves in Gabon were first discovered back in 2008 and confirmed in 2010. Soon thereafter, it was discovered that older specimens had an orange hue due to the acidity of the bat guano in the water in which they lived. But what intrigued the members of this team was the crocs' differences from their relatives still living just outside the caves.

A prior expedition had discovered that at least some of the younger and smaller dwarf crocs made their way outside of the caves each spring to mate and produce young, but it is still unclear if the larger crocs are also able to do so. Prior expedition teams had also found that the crocs lived by eating bats and crickets, which is notably different from those that live just outside—they eat fish and other crustaceans. Another issue on the minds of the explorers was whether the cave-dwelling crocs are evolving into a new species. To find out, they captured several specimens and put them through genetic testing. They found that the crocs were passing along a unique haplotype in their DNA, an indicator of possible evolutionary change.

One factor that might be holding up such evolution, however, is the ability to breed in the cave—those crocodiles that live around the cave but not in it, reproduce by laying eggs in rotting vegetation. There is no such vegetation in the cave, which means the crocs must still leave the cave to reproduce, or they have found an as-yet undiscovered way to lay eggs that will survive in the dark, murky cave.

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

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MORE INFORMATION: Matthew H. Shirley et al. Diet and body condition of cave-dwelling dwarf crocodiles (Osteolaemus tetraspis , Cope 1861) in Gabon, _African Journal of Ecology_ (2016). DOI: 10.1111/aje.12365

ABSTRACT
We present the first ever observations of dwarf crocodiles (Osteolaemus tetraspis) selectively utilizing a cave ecosystem. We analysed crocodile diet to preliminarily assess the degree of ecological isolation of cave-dwelling crocodiles from their forest-dwelling conspecifics despite their physical proximity. We additionally conducted the first study of body condition of dwarf crocodiles and compared cave-dwelling individuals to surface-dwelling individuals from a variety of alternative habitats and sites as a means to better understand the implications of a semihypogean life on this species. Crocodiles captured in the caves appeared to forage exclusively in the caves and ate mostly cave crickets and bats, whereas crocodiles captured in the surrounding forest habitat consumed primarily freshwater crustaceans and insects and were not found to consume cave-dwelling prey. Juvenile cave crocodiles had significantly higher body condition compared to juvenile forest crocodiles, which did not vary amongst forest locations. The difference in body condition between adult cave and forest crocodiles was not statistically significant despite also being higher; we suspect this is an artefact of the low sample size rather than a real nondifference. Forest adult crocodiles generally had significantly higher body condition than juveniles, but did not vary by site or habitat. This lack of variation suggests that habitat type is not the most important factor influencing dwarf crocodile body condition. Our results provide a unique insight into facultative cave use by a principally surface-dwelling species and reinforce the necessity for further research into this unique system to better understand the evolutionary-scale implications of cave habitat use by dwarf crocodiles.

© 2018 Phys.org

CITATION: Strange orange cave dwelling African dwarf crocodiles could be evolving into a new species (2018, January 31) retrieved 1 December 2020 from https://phys.org/news/2018-01-strange-orange-cave-african-dwarf.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

question: What is happening to the orange dwarf crocodiles living in caves in Gabon?

answer: A team of researchers believe that the orange dwarf crocodiles may be evolving into a new species.

question: What causes the orange hue on the specimens' body?

answer: The orange hue comes from the acidity of the bat guano in the water in which the crocodiles live.

question: What tests did the scientists run on the specimens?

answer: The scientists ran genetic tests on the crocodiles.

question: How do the crocodiles reproduce?

answer: The crocodiles must lay egg sin rotting vegetation.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about new research that suggests orange dwarf crocodiles that live in caves in Gabon might be evolving into a new species.


text:
A unknown person, without name, lives in a cave. Far away from the urban. The person eats meat, and plants, drinks water, and that all from the cave. The person always got a smile ready, and got no prejudices. The person is dumped by there parents when the person was only 6 years old. He look to the birds every day, and feeling not very lonely because there was always some birds in the cave.

But, on a day, someone else was entering in the cave. A other person, what crying and crying.

The person was surprised, and says: Why you're here? Why you're cry?

The crying person: I'm feeling my sad, so sad that I can't even use a word for it.

The person give the crying person a stone scale with water, and asking: Why you're then here? Why you're feel sad?

The crying person was crying harder, and says: Nobody support my, the society not, my family not, and even my parents not. There never supported my with my wish to life just so normal as the rest of the society. I'm just a person who is in a luxury prison, and feeling hopeless and see no escape about it. My dream was also my last hope what making my positive, but because everybody blocking it, I not believe in hope anymore, its all nonsense.

The person seeing how the tears of the crying person drying out, and asking: Why you're here?

The crying person says: Because, I was look to a place to end it all. There is much pains in my life, and I can't restart living on a better, happy way.

The person was become emotional and says: Well, you can restart you life here, and you dream also can be true here. You soul is heavy ruined, and here you can repair it. Do what you will, say what you will say, you're free here to be yourself and make you dreams to a true.

The crying person begins to again cry, but the tears are tears of happiness, and was saying: Very very much thanks, finally a escape, and a good escape.

title: Happiness & Hopeless (First 'short' story, inspirited a bit by my past)

question: Who are the major characters in the story?

answer: The first character is a guy who was abandoned by his family when he was 6 years old now living in a cave. The second is a girl who tried to do something positive but never found support and decided to end her life in that cave.

question: Why does the girl cry at the end?

answer: She finds some form of support and cries out of happiness.

question: What time period does the story take place in?

answer: It's not really hinted at in the story except to say urban areas exist. This could be anywhere from the 19th century to the 21st.

question: Who is the protagonist?

answer: The guy living in the cave.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: A guy who got abandoned by his family at 6 lives in a cage, content with the company of birds. A sad girl who never found the support she wanted from anyone in her life runs away to his cave to end her life. Hearing of her plight, he tells her that she's free to do anything there. Hearing she can restart her life, she cries out of happiness.


text:
The NEVER AGAIN PLEDGE or NEVERAGAIN.TECH is a commitment by information technology workers to work against a United States government database identifying people by race, religion, or national origin, specifically in response to the Trump presidential campaign statements about creating a Muslim registry and deporting millions of illegal immigrants.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

The pledge was placed online on December 13, 2016[7] and had gathered more than 1,300 technology worker signatures two days later,[8] including employees of Amazon.com, Apple Inc., Google, and Microsoft.[9][10] The online release was intended to anticipate the meeting of Silicon Valley executives with Trump on December 14.[11] The pledge grew out of a Bay Area Tech Solidarity meeting held by Maciej Ceglowski; the lead organizer of the pledge was Leigh Honeywell, with co-organizers Ka-Ping Yee and Valerie Aurora.[12] The name of the pledge, “never again”, refers to the historical use of IBM information technology in World War II to enable the internment of Japanese Americans in the United States and the Holocaust and use of Nazi concentration camps in Germany.[13]

_Computerworld_ magazine wrote, and Aurora admitted, that the action of publicly signing the pledge could put tech workers at risk of losing their jobs, especially those with security clearances.[14] _Inc._ magazine wrote that before the Never Again pledge, only Twitter had stated that it would oppose a Muslim registry, but after the pledge, the list of such American technology companies grew to include Apple Inc., Facebook, Google, IBM, Lyft, Medium, Microsoft, Salesforce.com and Uber.[15] (_Inc._ maintains A Running List of Tech Companies That Have Pledged Not to Build a Muslim Registry.)

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title: Never Again pledge

question: What does the Never Again Pledge stand for?

answer: This pledge is a commitment by information technology workers to work against a United States government database identifying people by race, religion, or national origin, specifically in response to the Trump presidential campaign statements about creating a Muslin registry and deporting millions of illegal immigrants.

question: How many technology workers has the pledge gathered signatures of?

answer: 1300 technology workers

question: Who was the lead organizer of the pledge?

answer: The lead organizer of the pledge was Leigh Honeywell, with co-organizers Ka-Ping Yee and Valerie Aurora.

question: What does the name of the pledge refer to?

answer: The name, never again, refers to the historical use of IBM information technology in World War 2 to enable the internment of Japanese Americans in the United States and the Holocaust and use of Nazi concentration camps in Germany.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the creation, importance, and use of the No-Name Pledge.


text:
His name was Dr. Doctor, PhD.
            And it still is.
            For now.
            But he’s been working—tightening bolts, screwing, driving screws, securing nuts, assembling, and pouring   his sweat and genius into his labor: creating.
            The laboratory was a spectacle to behold, one for the ages. The fiery blue arcs of extreme temperature   flickered.  His black be-goggled eyes hid behind shields, safe from seeing the consequence of his doings.
            Almost done!
            Another burst of oxyacetylene flame and another breath of God, puffed through the pneumatic drill, and—  crash!
            The door swung open behind him, and Buttler lurched inside, dispelling Dr. Doctor’s mad rhythm and hell-  bent determination.
            “Haven’t I told you enough times?” Doctor asked. “Never barge in here while I’m working! You…
            “You…”
            “Dimwit?” Buttler, who dearly loved and tentatively sought his master’s approval, aided.
            “Pre—cisely!” Doctor agreed. “Nitwit!”
            Buttler lurched closer.
            Doctor jotted data onto a clipboard.
            Buttler lurched closer, all but breathing down his master’s neck.
            “What are you working on, Master Dr. Doctor?”
            “Oh, my simpleminded buffoon of a heavyset waste of weight, I’ve told you more times than I can count that    this project is top secret, and equally equivocal to the aforesaid quantity of times that are astronomically uncountable   is the astronomically uncountable plethora of times I’ve told you that I’m in the throes of fabricating a “Bio-Aversive-  Frequency-Flux-Inhibitor-Lever,” which endows me with an inapprehensive conscience  in so doing, because your   chronic retardation leaves you prone to memory lapses; therefore, to confide in you once more is to confide in a deaf   dead man, severed of tongue, and equipped with his own rectum as a cranial protection apparatus!” Doctor finished,   panting.
            Buttler’s eyes rolled upward to check the databank in his brain, and he drooled a little, for only a moment.
            He came back.
            “Top Secret Doomsday Device!” Buttler Exclaimed. “I remember, now.”
            “I never said Doomsday Device!” Doctor Exclaimed. “It’s a bio-aversive-frequency-flux-inhibitor-lever!”
            “Well, what does it do, then?” Buttler asked, eying the web of insulated electric eels slithering out of the walls   toward their source, a hip-high lever dead center of the room, neither position of which the doctor had labeled.
            “It’s complicatedly simplistic,” he explained. “When switched to the position at which you now see it, it does   nothing. But when you throw the switch to the opposite side, the device sends a network of electromagnetic impulses   via the copious lengths of wire, which subsequently trigger the onset excitement and quickness of what I, years prior,   had discovered and dubbed the hidden “bio-aversive-frequency” inherent in all things, which shall then maliciously   override the homeostatic disposition of the biosphere on which all biological nuances, including both you and I,   depend on for sustenance and preservation, for an indefinitely infinite span of temporal reality.”
            “I see.”
            “… Said the blind man!”
            “When can we finally test it?”
            “NEVER!” Doctor shouted. “You ignoramus, have you the vaguest, foggiest conception in that mound of   mush and mutton you cart atop your surly torso as to what the dire consequence of pulling the lever is?”
            “I haven’t,” Buttler agreed. “But what hurts my head even more is why you would invent something that you   can’t even use?”
            Dr. Doctor, PhD mused in silence for a moment, and then replied:
            “…Because…”

title: Short Story Prompts : writing

question: What was the doctor doing in the laboratory?

answer: The doctor was creating a "Bio-Aversive-Frequency-FLux-Inhibitor-Lever."

question: Who is Buttler?

answer: Buttler is Dr. Doctor's helper.

question: Why does Buttler call it a Top Secret Doomsday Device?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: Why does the doctor refuse to test it?

answer: It may be implied that using the device would cause damage and hence the doctor refuses to test it.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer:
Dr. Doctor was in his laboratory working on a "Bio-Aversive-Frequency-Flux-Inhibitor-Lever." Buttler, his helper enters the lab, the doctor thinks of him as an idiot. Buttler calls the doctor's project a "Doomsday device."
When asked when they could test it, the doctor exclaims never. This leads to Buttler asking why he was inventing something that can never be used. The doctor has no response.