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

	Until today.

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

	Damn squirrel.

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

	Perfect.

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

	The damn squirrel never moved.

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

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

	That’s when the squirrel giggled.

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

	Gotcha, you bitch.

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

*CRACK!*

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

	He wasn’t. He looked like shit.

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

	Maybe he’s just pissed because he lost.

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

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

	There can be only one.

title: Squirrel Fight

question: What is the major twist of the story?

answer: We do not realize the main character is a squirrel until we reach the final few paragraphs. We know that the main character is confronting a squirrel in hand to hand combat, and much of the humor is derived from the fact that the human characters seems to be treating the squirrel like a bear. However, at the conclusion of the story, when the narrator declares themself "squirrel highlander" we understand that in fact it was two squirrels fighting all along, hence the title "Squirrel Fight", and changing our attitude to the story.


split: train

text:
Essendon Football Club has announced life long supporter Ron Kirwan as its number one ticket holder for the next 18 months.

Kirwan, a larger than life figure has been an Essendonian coterie member since 1976 and followed the Bombers for more than 60 years.

“It is a great honour to be named the number one ticket holder of the Essendon Football Club,” Kirwan said.

“I was seduced by John Coleman from a very young age and have been an Essendon supporter ever since.”

“Orignially I was a boy from the Western suburbs but fell in love with Coleman and saw him play on two occasions which turned me into a Bomber for life.”

Kirwan has developed a strong relationship with the playing group during his time involved with the club and is a much-respected figure in the Essendon family.

Essendon Chairman David Evans paid tribute to Kirwan’s commitment to the Bombers.

“We are pleased to be able to announce Ron as our number one ticket holder for the next eighteen months,” Evans said.

“He is a loyal and passionate Essendon person who has shown great support for the club over his lifetime following the red and black.”

Kirwan replaces the late Bruce Heymanson as number one ticket holder.

question: Who is Rob Kirwan?

answer: He is described as a larger than life figure who has been an Essendonian coterie member since 1976 and followed the Bombers for more than 60 years.

question: What is the setting of this document?

answer: Essendon

question: What is meant by "number one ticket holder"?

answer: It's not made clear, but it seems that it something given to big supporters of the football club.

question: Who was the last number one ticket holder?

answer: Bruce Heymanson

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This document discusses when Essendon Football Club announced life long supporter of the Bombers, Ron Kirwan, as its number one ticket holder for the next 18 months.


text:
As we approach the August bank holiday and a three-day weekend, it is worth reassessing the amount of time we devote to work. What if all weekends could last for three or even four days? What if the majority of the week could be given over to activities other than work? What if most of our time could be devoted to non-work activities of our own choosing?

To even pose these questions is to invite the criticism of Utopian thinking. While a fine idea in principle, working fewer hours is not feasible in practice. Indeed, its achievement would come at the expense of lower consumption and increased economic hardship.

For some advocates of the work ethic, the route to health and happiness lies with the perpetuation of work, not with its reduction. Work makes us healthier and happier. Such pro-work ideology is used to legitimate welfare reforms that seek to coerce the non-employed into work, whatever its rates of pay and qualitative features. It also offers an ideological barrier to the case for spending less time at work. Working less is presented as a threat to our health and happiness, not a means to improve it.

Yet, the idea of working less is not only feasible, it is also the basis for a better standard of life. It is a mark of how we have come to accept work and its dominant influence in our lives that we do not grasp this idea more readily.

The costs of working more

A growing number of studies show the human costs of longer working hours. These include lower physical and mental health. Working long hours can add to the risk of having a stroke, coronary heart disease and developing type 2 diabetes.

By working most of the time, we also lose time with family and friends. And more than this we lose the ability to be and do things that make life valuable and worth living. Our lives are often too much tied up in the work we do that we have little time and energy to find alternative ways of living – in short, our capacity to realise our talents and potential is curtailed by the work we do. Work does not set us free, rather it hems us in and makes it more difficult to realise ourselves.

All this speaks to the need to work less. We should challenge the work ethic and promote alternative ways of living that are less work centred. And, if this reduction of time spent at work is focused on eliminating drudge work then we can also better realise the internal benefits of work itself. Working less may be a means not only to work better but also to enjoy life more.

Barriers to less work

Technological progress has advanced continuously over the past century, pushing up productivity. But not all the gains in productivity have fed through to shorter work hours. At least in modern times, these gains have been used to increase the returns of the owners of capital, often at the cost of flatlining pay for workers.

The lack of progress in reducing time spent at work in modern capitalist economies reflects instead the influence of ideology as well as of power. On the one hand, the effects of consumerism have created powerful forces in favour of longer working hours. Workers are constantly persuaded to buy more and in turn are drawn into working more, to keep up with the latest fad or fashion and to stay ahead of their peers.

On the other hand, the weakened power of labour relative to capital has created an environment that has suited the extension of work time. The recent expose of work practices at Amazon speaks to the power of capital in imposing poor working conditions, including excessive work hours, on workers. The effects of rising inequality has also fed a long work hours culture by increasing the economic necessity to work more.

David Graeber makes the provocative claim that technology has advanced at the same time as what he calls “bullshit” or pointless jobs have multiplied. This is why we have not realised Keynes’ prediction that we’d all be working 15-hour weeks in the 21st century, as a result of technological progress.

[]
Bullshit jobs? EPA/Uwe Zucchi
Instead, we are living in a society where work gets created that is of no social value. The reason for this, according to Graeber, is the need of the ruling class to keep workers in work. While technology with the potential to reduce work time exists, the political challenge of a working population with time on its hands makes the ruling class unwilling to realise this potential. Working less, while feasible and desirable, is blocked by political factors.

Working for change

The costs of long work hours, as mentioned above, are poorer health and lower well-being for workers. But for employers too there are costs in terms of lower productivity and lower profitability. Yet these costs seem to go unnoticed despite evidence pointing to their existence. Here again politics may explain why shorter work time has not been embraced by many employers.

Experiments in shorter working exist, to be sure. Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing retailer, is to allow its employees to work a four day week. This has been widely reported in a positive way. Workers will benefit from a better work-life balance, while the firm will reap the benefits of lower labour costs due to lower turnover costs.

[]
Forward thinking from clothing brand Uniqlo? EPA/Franck Robichon
Yet, on closer inspection, the new scheme to be introduced by Uniqlo has its downsides. In return for a four-day working week, workers will be expected to work ten-hour shifts during the days they work (a 40-hour working week will be squeezed into four days).

This is not only an extension to the normal length of the working day; it also puts at risk the potential rewards of working four days in the week. Workers may be so exhausted after working a four-day work week they need a full day to recover from their previous exertions. In this case, their quality of work and life may not be enhanced at all; indeed it may be diminished, if they suffer the ill-effects of overwork.

Ironically, schemes such as the one to be introduced by Uniqlo illustrate the obstacles that remain in achieving less work. Only a reduction in the working week to 30 hours or less can be seen as genuine progress in the achievement of shorter work time.

For us to reach – and enjoy – a three or ideally a four-day weekend, we need to reimagine society in ways that subvert the prevailing work ethic. We need to embrace the idea of working less as a means to a life well lived. We need to reject the way of living that sees work as the be all and end all of life.

So enjoy the bank holiday while you can. See it as a reminder of a life that could be – a life that we should seek to achieve, by resolving to overcome the barriers, economic as well as ideological and political, to working less.

question: What are the author's thoughts on work?

answer: The author says that working less leads to a better standard of life while longer hours take a toll on physical and mental health.

question: According to studies, what are the health risks to working longer hours?

answer: Working long hours can add to the risk of having a stroke, coronary heart disease, and developing type 2 diabetes.

question: What are other issues with working longer hours according to the author?

answer: Working longer hours means less time spent with family and friends. Being tied up in work leaves little time and energy to find alternative ways of living.

question: How does consumerism affect workers?

answer: Consumerism's effects fall in favor of longer working hours because workers are constantly persuaded to buy more stuff, which in turn, pushes them to work more because they need money to pay for their lifestyle.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The author says that there must be a push to reduce working hours because it leads to a better standard of life. Studies have shown that there is a cost to working longer hours, including lower physical and mental health. Working long hours can also add to the risk of having a stroke, coronary heart disease, and developing type-2 diabetes. Consumerism affects working hours because workers are persuaded to buy more and to do that they need to work more to earn more money. In contrast, shorter working hours are less stressful and allows people to see their family and friends and find alternative ways of living.


text:
Professor CHRISTOPHER DONALD PIGOTT (born 1928) is a British botanist and was the fourth Director, Cambridge University Botanic Garden (1984–1995), succeeding Max Walters.[1]

Life

Donald Pigott was educated at Cambridge (1946–) where he was taught by two previous Directors, Humphrey Gilbert-Carter (1921–1950) and Max Walters (1973–1983). Forming a friendship with the latter he was persuaded to spend the summer of 1949 in Uppsala and Helsinki universities where he was impressed by the mapping of the Scandinavian flora and returned to work with Walters on similar projects for the British Isles and used this method in his PhD thesis on Thyme. Under Professor Harry Godwin he also worked on the design of the Botanic Garden's ecological mound.[2]

After leaving Cambridge he moved to Sheffield University as Lecturer in Botany. He returned to Cambridge in 1984 to become Director of the Garden. On leaving Cambridge in 1995 he was succeeded by John Parker and was appointed to the chair in Biology at Lancaster University and subsequently as Emeritus professor. He married fellow Cambridge botanist Sheila Megaw with whom he collaborated.[3]

Work

During Pigott's tenure as Director, the great storm of 1987 caused considerable damage to the Garden. In 1990 the University carried out a review which suggested the research aspects of the garden were of decreasing relevance as plant sciences shifted in emphasis from whole plant botany to the cellular and molecular level. Pigott vigorously and successfully defended the Garden's scientific value.[4]

Donald Pigott is known for his work on the genus _Tilia_ (lime trees, Malvaceae), and is the botanical authority for several taxa in that genus, such as:

-   _Tilia amurensis_ subsp. _taquetii_ (C.K. Schneid.) Pigott[5]
-   _Tilia dasystyla_ subsp. _caucasica_ (V.Engl.) Pigott

He also carried out a number of botanical expeditions with his wife and with Anthony Hall.

Selected publications

-

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

title: Donald Pigott

question: Who is Christopher Donald Pigott?

answer: He is a British botanist born in 128, and was the fourth director of Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

question: Where was Donald Pigott educated?

answer: He was educated at Cambridge.

question: Describe Donald Pigott's work.

answer: He was a director at Cambridge and in 1990 he vigorously and successfully defended Cambridge's Garden's scientific value. He is also known for his work on the genus Tilia.

question: What is Donald Pigott most known for?

answer: He is known for his work on the genus Tilia (lime trees, Malvaceae) and is the botanical authority for several taxa in that genus.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article details Professor Christopher Donald Pigott, the fourth director of Cambridge University Botanic Garden. He is known for his work on the genus Tilia and is the botanical authority for several taxa in that genus. The article discusses his life and work.


text:
These days, it’s tough to avoid newspaper headlines warning that artificial intelligence is coming for your job. The problem is that, often, the only thing these oversimplifications get right is that there is, in fact, an important connection between automation and work.

What’s surprising is how many examples there are of AI acting as the catalyst for new hiring, higher wages, and happier employees. But of course, AI success stories aren’t as exciting as the “job-stealing robots” narrative. The reality is that the impact of AI on the workforce is complex, nuanced, and still very much in transition.

Here’s an example. A Deloitte study of automation in the U.K. found that 800,000 low-skilled jobs were eliminated as the result of AI and other automation technologies. But get this: 3.5 million new jobs were created as well, and those jobs paid on average nearly $13,000 more per year than the ones that were lost.

Positive, worker-friendly outcomes like this illustrate a more complete range of possibilities for automation. Technology is changing the way we work – that’s not in dispute. These changes can improve people’s lives and lead to a more creative, intellectually engaged workforce. AI often means that employees can spend more time on complex tasks for which they are uniquely suited, like interacting with customers or brainstorming innovative new campaigns.

Over the long term, creativity is what will distinguish humans from machines. And not just the capacity for creative work, but the ability to reimagine what jobs might look like in the near future and beyond. To that end, here are three examples of companies using automation to create jobs and help their leaders develop better businesses.

Panera Bread announced in April that it would create 10,000 delivery driver and in-café jobs in response to the popularity of its delivery service. High customer demand for ordering soups and sandwiches through the chain’s AI-powered digital platform led the company to decide to expand the service to 40 per cent of its stores. The company said that its drivers would enjoy “daytime hours and competitive wages” and would further bolster the customer experience.

Panera Bread’s decision to hire its own drivers rather than outsource deliveries to a third-party service could hint at another automation-driven trend. If all companies have access to the same cost-saving, service-expediting technologies, competitive advantage may come from differentiated customer experience – the sort of unique customer experience that comes from human creativity.

The Marlin Steel factory in Baltimore is a classic case of automation driving innovation. When Chinese manufacturers undercut Marlin Steel’s prices for its core wire basket product line, the company was forced to pivot.

Marlin Steel purchased robotic wire-forming machines and began focusing on making high-quality precision products for companies such as Boeing and General Motors. It also hired more people and increased wages, attracting workers whose diverse backgrounds complemented the computer-aided production processes around which the factory now revolves.

Drew Greenblatt, CEO and owner of Marlin Steel, credits automation with not only providing a lifeline to the company but to its employees as well. “All of a sudden they’re super productive and it’s because we’ve given them the tools – it’s robotics and automation,” he said. “Thank God for robots. If it wasn’t for robots, these guys would be unemployed.”

Leveraging robotics helped Marlin Steel land major clients by creating higher-quality products. The company’s success suggests yet another positive side effect of automation: the opportunity for companies to enter into higher-margin product lines. Staying competitive means always finding a new edge, a differentiator that inspires people to choose your company over the next.

When AI and robotics replaced the need for 100 fulfilment workers at Boxed’s New Jersey facility, the online grocery start-up retrained and promoted them into different departments. Some of the workers became trainers teaching coworkers how to use the new fulfilment systems, while others transitioned into customer service roles. A number of former temp workers became full-time employees and enjoyed a 13 per cent pay increase.

After spending millions of dollars to bring AI and automation to its fulfilment processes, Boxed could have cut costs if it had simply laid off the workers whose jobs were automated. But instead, the company made a values-driven decision to retain its workforce.

According to a recent study, 10,000 new AI-related jobs will be created in the US this year alone. The disruptive nature of automation is forcing a conversation about the best ways to use AI tools. What will companies look like, how will work and productivity change, even how might society evolve in response to these shifts – these are challenging and exciting questions to ask.

Change allows us to examine our values and define who we are. AI and automation help us implement those solutions once we discover the answers.

This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article.

Alston Ghafourifar is the CEO and Cofounder of Entefy, an AI-communication technology company

question: Why is artificial intelligence thought to be a threat to human jobs?

answer: Since automation technologies can handle routine tasks, many low-skilled jobs are eliminated.

question: What was the effect of automation in the U.K. on employment?

answer: Around 800,000 low-skilled jobs were eliminated, but 3.5 million new jobs were created as well.

question: What is the advantage of using artificial intelligence?

answer: It helps companies develop better businesses.

question: What happened to Panera Bread after using an AI-powered digital platform?

answer: Their services were expedited, they gained a competitive advantage, and their expansion resulted in the creation of more jobs.

question: What is the impact of automation on Marlin Steel?

answer: They created higher-quality products.

question: What happened to Boxed's fulfillment workers after AI and robotics replaced them?

answer: The company retained these employees and promoted them into different departments.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Although artificial intelligence eliminates low-skilled jobs, it also creates new AI-related ones. Companies such as Panera Bread, Marlin Steel, and Boxed, find positive outcomes in using robotics and automation. It is a misconception that AI is a threat to human jobs.


text:
Just a disclaimer, this story was written with as the story for "The Seven Chairs" illustration from the *The Mysteries of Harris Burdick*.

De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia

The human race has created many things, many great, and terrible things. The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Wall of China, created via slave labor. So many lives lost, just to showcase the power of the ruling class. But what kept the ruling class in power, besides military might? Religion, some argue. Charisma. The fact that the general population is easy to fool. These all were factors in how those in power were able to keep control, but there is another, hidden explanation. De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia, or The Seven Seats of Imperial Power, were seven chairs created by the Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, the sixteen Roman Emperor. Marcus Aurelius is well known as one of the greatest Roman Emperors, having expanded the borders of the Empire to their greatest bounds. During his war with the various Germanic tribes and the Sarmatians, Aurelius discovered an enormous tree, in what is now the Bohemian region of the Czech Republic.

The tree in question was colossal, a yew. According to secret journals of Aurelius, the Germans believed that the tree was planted by the goddess Thrud, granddaughter of Wodan. They believed that whoever controlled the tree had the favor of the gods. Marcus Aurelius, upon slaughtering the Germans, he ordered the tree to felled, and brought back to Rome. There, he had his master artisans create the Seven Seats of Imperial Power. Each chair was was crafted in the image of the six most powerful gods of the Roman Pantheon—Jupiter, Minerva, Apollo, Venus, Mars, and Neptune. The seventh chair was crafted with the image of the Caesar in mind.

Upon the completion of the chairs, Marcus Aurelius had them put away in a hidden cache in the Alps, except of course, the chair that was crafted in the likeness of the Caesar. This chair, the First Seat of Imperial Power, would be passed on down the line of Emperors until the fracture of the Empire. It would then be taken to Constantinople. There it remains, to be used by the Byzantines Basileis, and Ottoman Sultans.

The remaining six chairs would stay hidden within their cache in the Alps for several centuries, until Pepin the Younger, King of the Franks, discovered it shortly before his death. The chairs were willed to his son Charlemagne, who would form the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne chose to distribute the chairs to his chief advisers, giving one to Viceroys of Neustria, Austria, Aquitaine, Lombardia, and one to Pope Leo III, in return for his crowning of Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor. Charlemagne decided to keep one of the chairs for himself, which he kept at the Imperial Capital of Aachen.

For many centuries, the chairs remained dormant, not surfacing during the time of the Karlings, or the first few crusades. The chair given to Pope Leo III—the Fourth Seat of Power—remained within the walls of the Vatican, and is currently occupied by Pope Francis. Much like the First Chair of Power, it moved very little.

The chair granted to the Viceroy of Lombardia—The Third Seat of Power—has a more bloody history. It remained in Lombardia for several centuries, and its power was forgotten by almost all. So, in a gesture of good faith, the Duke of Milan gave it to the Holy Roman Emperor Fredrick III von Hasburg, the first of the Hasburgian Emperors. Fredrick knew of the power that the chair possessed, as Hasburgs held the Fifth Seat of Power. In an attempt to improve their diplomatic reputation, and their relations with the newly formed Spain, Fredrick gifted the Third Chair of Power to Isabella I of Castile, and her husband Ferdinand II of Aragon. The chair was used by the Spanish to fuel their conquest of the New World. The Sixth Seat of Power, the one held by the Hasburgs, was the same that was granted by Charlemagne to the Viceroy of Austria. The Hasburgs would use the power of this chair to secure the Holy Roman Empire for the five centuries, eventually gaining control of the crowns of Bohemia, Germany, Hungary, and Bavaria, to name a few.

Charlemagne's chair, the Second Seat of Power, would pass through many hands over time. It stayed in northern Germany though, and it was utilized by the Fredrick the Great when he formed Prussia, and the First Reich. The chair stayed in the hands of the Germans through World War II, when it was taken to Moscow by Stalin. It remains within Kremlin, and is currently held by Vladimir Putin.

The Seventh Seat of Power was granted by Charlemagne to the Viceroy of Neustria. The chair would remain in the region for quite some time, finding its home in what is now known as Normandy. The seat eventually ended up in the hands of William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy. It was through the Seventh Seat's power that William was able to take England, becoming William the Conqueror. The chair remains within Britain. The exact location of the chair is uncertain though, as during the London air raids in World War II, Prime Minister Churchill had it moved to a protected, undisclosed location.

The fifth one ended up in France. The Fifth Seat of Power was granted by Charlemagne to the Viceroy of Aquitaine, which was his son, Louis the Pious. The chair was passed on to his son Charles the Bald, and his son Louis the Stammerer. It would be passed back and forth between the rulers of the Kingdoms of Aquitaine and West Francia until their eventual union, with the formation of the Kingdom of France. It was during the the reign of King Louis XVI that the Fifth Seat of Power finally was moved again. Louis XVI, facing massive internal strife, and being good friends of the Americans, gifted the chair to General Washington. Washington used it to win the Revolutionary War, and it was passed from that point on from president to president, and is currently held by President Obama.

That is the story of De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia; The Seven Seats of Imperial Power. Crafted from a yew sacred to the Germanic tribes of Bohemia by Caesar Marcus Aurelius, the chairs were used by the rulers of nearly every major Western power after. From the German Kaisers to Spanish Kings and from the Austrian Archdukes to the American Presidents, the chairs were used by those in power to rule over their citizens, and to expand their spheres of influence across the globe.

title: [FN] De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia

question: What does the story say about De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia and its founder?

answer: De Septem Cathedras Imperialis Potentia also known as the Seven Seats of Imperial Power were seven chairs created by Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, the sixteenth Roman Emperor. This was often used in wars. During his war with the various Germanic tribes and the Sarmatians, Aurelius discovered an enormous tree that the Germans believed was planted by the goddess Thrud. They believed that whoever controlled the tree had the favor of the gods. Aurelius brought the tree back to Rome. From this, he used it to create the Seven Seats of Imperial Power. The chairs were passed down for many centuries.

question: What does the story say about the protagonist?

question: What does the story say about the chairs of the seats of power?

answer: The seats of power were created by Marcus Aurelius. The chairs themselves were made from the tree that the Germans believed to be planted by their goddess, Thrud, and it was believed to bless those that possess it. This was later passed down to different Western powers.

question: What does the story say about winning the war?


text:
Executives from Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the powerful opioid painkiller OxyContin, admitted in federal court in 2007 that Purdue’s marketing practices and interactions with doctors had understated the strength and addictive potential of the drug — an omission that many experts believe contributed to an opioid epidemic that claimed nearly 50,000 American lives in 2017 alone.

But on Thursday, the release of a previously sealed deposition from 2015 showed that Purdue executives knew of OxyContin’s strength long before that $600 million settlement. The deposition, which had been filed in court, revealed that Dr. Richard Sackler — part of the family that founded and controls Purdue, and who has served as Purdue’s president and co-chairman of the board — knew as early as 1997 that OxyContin was much stronger than morphine, but chose not to share that knowledge with doctors.

“We are well aware of the view held by many physicians that oxycodone [the active ingredient in OxyContin] is weaker than morphine. I do not plan to do anything about that,” Purdue’s head of sales and marketing, Michael Friedman, wrote in an email to Sackler, according to the deposition, which was obtained by _ProPublica_ and co-published with _STAT_. “I agree with you,” Sackler wrote back. “Is there a general agreement, or are there some holdouts?”

The document’s publication comes just weeks after the release of an unredacted 277-page lawsuit filed against Purdue by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey — itself just one of thousands of legal complaints brought against Purdue and other pharmaceutical companies by plaintiffs across the country, many of which have been rolled into one multi-district litigation in Ohio federal court. And as the evidence mounts, legal experts say Purdue could face serious consequences, from astronomical fines to injunctions that could threaten its ability to do business.

“One theme that clearly emerges from this deposition, brick by brick, is the foundation that is laid, that shows how even after this guilty plea there was a shocking lack of care for people that were at risk of abusing this drug and instead a singular focus on profit,” says Joseph Khan, a Philadelphia-based attorney who is currently bringing suits against corporations involved in the opioid epidemic.

As the New York _Times_ reported, parts of Sackler’s deposition are in conflict with his previous testimony. For example, a 2006 Department of Justice report suggested he knew in 1999 that users in internet chatrooms were discussing abuse of the drug. In the deposition, however, Sackler said he first learned of its street value in a 2000 Maine newspaper article.

In a statement provided to TIME, Purdue said the “intentional leak of the deposition is a clear violation of the court’s order and, as such, is regrettable.” The statement adds that, “Dr. Sackler described Purdue’s efforts to adhere to all relevant laws and regulations and to appropriately reflect OxyContin’s risks of abuse and addiction as the science of opioid pain therapy evolved over time.”

Much of the material included in the deposition pertains to activity carried out before the company’s 2007 settlement, while Healey’s suit relates to post-2007 behavior. But Khan says the ramifications of the document are still relevant today, given the judgements Purdue could face from juries.

“There are straight contradictions between what’s in here and what the Department of Justice has put together. This is not something that will play well in front of a jury,” Khan says. “They don’t have as much leverage as they might want.”

The Massachusetts complaint also includes dramatic accusations about how much Purdue executives knew about their blockbuster drug, and when they knew it.

According to lawsuit, members of the Sackler family and other Purdue executives purposefully downplayed the addictive properties of OxyContin, and promoted sales tactics meant to encourage doctors to prescribe as much OxyContin, in the highest doses and longest durations, as possible — despite the potential risks for abuse, and despite the terms of Purdue’s prior settlement with the federal government. The suit also details Purdue’s plans to sell addiction treatments, helping them dominate “the pain and addiction spectrum.” Purdue’s board, controlled by the Sacklers, also voted to pay out $4 billion to the family between 2007 and 2018, the documents show.

In a statement provided to TIME, a Purdue representative said the attorney general’s office “seeks to publicly vilify Purdue, its executives, employees and directors by taking out of context snippets from tens of millions of documents and grossly distorting their meaning. The complaint is riddled with demonstrably inaccurate allegations,” they said, and “offers little evidence to support its sweeping legal claims.” Purdue fought to keep portions of the suit from being released publicly.

If successful, Massachusetts’ lawsuit could force Purdue to pay not only significant fines, but also require the company to cease certain behaviors and make efforts to remedy the damages it has allegedly caused, Khan says.

“If you think about what would restitution look like, these are staggering, almost incalculable costs,” Khan says. But the problem goes beyond money. “What would it mean to stop this epidemic they’re accused of putting into place?” he asks. “You’re not going to find anyone who knows anything about the opioid epidemic who will just say you can solve this problem overnight with a quick fix.”

Further complicating matters, Purdue’s future hinges on far more than a single lawsuit.

John Jacobi, a professor of health law and policy at Seton Hall Law School, called the Massachusetts complaint “extraordinary in the length and depth of the allegations against individual defendants,” but says it is “more or less consistent” with the roughly 1,200 complaints included in the Ohio MDL, as well as the hundreds of others individually making their way through state court systems.

And for that reason, Jacobi says, Purdue could be facing consequences much larger than those included in Healey’s complaint. Opioid manufacturers could face a situation similar to the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with Big Tobacco, which forced five major manufacturers to pay out billions of dollars over cigarette marketing and promotional practices. (Mike Moore, the lawyer who orchestrated the Master Settlement Agreement, is now bringing a new suit against opioid distributors and manufacturers. He was not immediately available for comment to TIME.)

“Many people have suggested that the only way out of the thicket that all of these litigants find themselves in would be some sort of global settlement similar to what was achieved in the tobacco litigation, and I don’t think that’s a far-fetched suggestion,” Jacobi says. “All of those, at some point, will be gathered up and resolved.”

Khan agrees that the volume of lawsuits in the MDL could hold a major threat for opioid manufacturers. And the results of MDL cases set for trial later this year will likely set the tone for other individual suits, like Healey’s, filed around the country, he says.

“There becomes a point at which it becomes mathematically impossible for every one of those plaintiffs to receive what they’re seeking,” Khan says. “Some of these companies are not going to be equipped to survive. Purdue may or may not be differently situated.”

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WRITE TO Jamie Ducharme at jamie.ducharme@time.com.

question: Explain the context around this article.

answer: Because pharmaceutical companies underestimated the potency and addictive qualities of opioid painkillers, they pushed them on doctors to in turn push on their patients. This caused one of the biggest and most fatal drug crises in the 20th and 21st centuries. In 2017, about 50k people in the US died as a direct result of opioid abuse, misuse, and miscalculated dosages. Allegedly pharmaceutical execs at Purdue-the company named in the lawsuit centered in this article-knowingly allowed doctors to continue to believe the main and most addictive ingredient in OxyContin-oxycodone-is weaker than morphine. The spread of this misinformation laid the foundation for a lack of care for the individuals afflicted by the disease that is addiction.

question: Summarize the role of physicians in the opioid crisis.

answer: Doctors get a cut of the profits the pharmaceutical companies make from the medications that they "push"-which is to say, they prescribe. The pharma reps at Sackler and Purdue pushed physicians to prescribe long and high dosages to ensure addiction. Doctors also were encouraged to then buy into the companies' addiction treatment plans as an attempt to remedy the situation that they had engendered.

question: Summarize the consequences Purdue could face if this lawsuit succeeds.

answer: First and foremost, the pharmaceutical company could be forced to pay lofty fines and fees associated with the lawsuit. They would have to discontinue the behaviors that were not only condoned but also encouraged. However, the question of damages is a more complex one-as it is a nuanced issue, restitution could look like a host of different things depending on the individual or institution directly impacted by the tactics that Purdue used to push these drugs they knew were addictive and dangerous. Purdue could be forced to pay billions of dollars-as big tobacco companies had to do in 1998 following a similar series of lawsuits regarding the unethical practices of pushing products from the tobacco industry without proper warnings. A global sentiment, regardless of any precedent, is difficult to secure.

question: Summarize what physicians could have offered in lieu of OxyContin as a viable pain management medication and/or tool.


text:
-   08/29/2017
-   4 minutes to read
-

In this article

AZURE REPOS | AZURE DEVOPS SERVER 2020 | AZURE DEVOPS SERVER 2019 | TFS 2018 | TFS 2017 | TFS 2015

-   Visual Studio 2017
-   Visual Studio 2015 Update 2
-   Visual Studio 2013

This article walks you through the steps to get a Visual Studio solution on your PC into an Azure DevOps Git repo you can share with others. If you want to work with a Visual Studio solution hosted in an existing repo, see the Git tutorial.

Create a local Git repo for your project

Create a new local Git repo for your project by selecting [Publish to Git from the Visual Studio Status bar] on the status bar in the lower right hand corner of Visual Studio. This will create a new repo in the folder the solution is in and commit your code into that repo.

Once you have a local repo, select items in the status bar to quickly navigate between Git tasks in Team Explorer.

[Visual Studio Git status bar]

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

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

Publish your code to Azure Repos

1.  In the SYNC view in Team Explorer, select the PUBLISH GIT REPO button under PUBLISH TO AZURE REPOS.

    [Publish your code from VS directly into Azure Repos]

2.  Verify your email and select your account in the ACCOUNT URL drop down.

3.  Enter your repository name and select PUBLISH REPOSITORY.

    [Publish your VS project to a new Git repo in Azure Repos]

      This creates a new Project in your account with the same name as the repository. To create the repo in an existing Project, click ADVANCED next to REPOSITORY NAME and select a project.

Your code is now in a Git repo in Azure Repos. You can view your code on the web by selecting SEE IT ON THE WEB .

[View your Azure Repos/TFS Git repo on the Web]

Commit and push updates

1.  As you write your code, your changes are automatically tracked by Visual Studio. You can commit changes to your local Git repository by selecting the pending changes icon ( [Visual Studio Pending Changes Status Bar icon] ) from the status bar.

2.  On the CHANGES view in Team Explorer, add a message describing your update and commit your changes.

    [Add a comment and choose Commit]

3.  Select the unpublished changes status bar icon ( [Visual Studio Unpublished Changes Status Bar icon] ) or the SYNC view in Team Explorer. Select PUSH to update your code in Azure DevOps Services/TFS.

    [Push your changes]

Get changes from others

Sync your local repo with changes from your team as they make updates.

1.  From the SYNC view in Team Explorer, fetch the commits that your team has made. Double-click a commit to view its file changes.

    [Choose Fetch to see any changes that your team has made]

2.  Select SYNC to merge the fetched commits into your local repo and then push any unpublished changes to Azure Repos.

    [Choose Pull to get these commits locally]

3.  The changes from your team are now in your local repo and visible in Visual Studio.

    [The changes are now in your local repo]

Try this next

Set up a build for your code and learn more about using Git in the Azure Repos Git tutorial.

Troubleshooting

I don't see the PUBLISH button in the status bar.

A: The PUBLISH link in the status bar ( [Publish to Git from the Visual Studio Status bar] ) was added in Visual Studio 2015 Update 2 and will only appear when you have Git as your source control provider. If your code is already in a Git repo, you won't see the PUBLISH button in the status bar, but the information from your local repo instead.

If you are in a previous version of Visual Studio, create a local Git repo for your project by selecting the CREATE NEW GIT REPOSITORY option in the NEW PROJECT window when you create a new project.

You can create a local Git repo for an existing solution by right-clicking your project in the Solution Explorer and selecting ADD SOLUTION TO SOURCE CONTROL.

How can I see what changes are in a commit before I pull it into my local branch?

A: To see what's changed in a commit, go to the SYNCHRONIZATION page in Team Explorer and right-click on the commit. Select VIEW COMMIT DETAILS. You can then right-click on any file modified by the commit and select COMPARE WITH PREVIOUS... to view the changes compared to the previous version of the file.

[Choose Compare with Previous from the context menu]

How do I associate my commits with work items?

A: You can include work items in your commits through RELATED WORK ITEMS in the CHANGES page in Team Explorer.

[Adding work items to changes]

Work items can be included in commits by adding #_ID_ into the commit message. For example, "Fixing bug #23 in the reporting tools" would link work item 23 to the commit. The work item is linked when the commit is pushed to Azure Repos.

Can I use the Git command prompt with Visual Studio?

A: Visual Studio's Team Explorer and the Git command line work great together. Changes to your repos made in either tool will be reflected in the other. Make sure to install the latest release of Git for Windows, which has tools to help you connect to your Azure DevOps Services/TFS repos.

See the Azure Repos Git tutorial and the command reference for additional help using Git from the command line.

Feedback

Submit and view feedback for

question: What happened to the "Publish" button in the status bar prior to the release of Visual Studio 2015 Update 2?

answer: It does not exist. That button was added during the release of Visual Studio 2015 Update 2.


text:
I realize that, by their very nature, dreams are mysterious and not wont to easily part with their secret meanings. Yet each and every time I slide into the arms of Hypnos, I am overcome with this serenity that has so captivated my soul and heart. It is quite beyond words to describe; it is a sense of being home, at ease, a veritable emotion of well-being so pure and unadulterated that it has become an object of desire in my waking hours. Indeed, I long for the hours in which I may again temporarily leave this world which deigns not to bestow upon me this same miraculous form of bliss, and my great regret is that no matter how firmly and gently I grasp at this wanting ev'ry single night, it manages to escape my clumsy earthly fingers in the morn thereafter. I am then left with this ever-bleeding longing, a wish for time to pass me by gently but quickly, so that I may soon resume my reverie, and preferably close to the place and time where I left off previously. Alas, this wish is seldom granted. Lord Hypnos seemingly has other plans for me those nights, as I am both fond and reluctant to find out time and again.

The scapes themselves are as different as one could imagine. One could be the plain and downright opposite of another, and even if that other was a magnificent picture of calm, peace and beauty, this new discovery shan't be of any shock or worry to me; the great bliss that envelops me in these scapes keeps me safe, as if I am but an observer of magnificent world-lines and divine possibilities far beyond the scope of our own private physical existence. Eyes through mist, so does it seem to present itself in those dreams, though the only regrettable part is always the waking up; the doing away with the security and safety of a world that was created by ourselves, in our proper minds, free from foreign influence or taints that do not originate with our own psyches.

'Tis almost as if those countless lives that I have been offered glimpses of are no less real than this tortuous dwelling in sorrow, just... not quite as accessible. At least not from my current position. So I must contend myself with the glimpses alone, but wond'rous they are indeed. My flesh cannot know the pleasures these worlds provide my mind, the endless and aetheric entertainment that swirls forever in the mists of my own spirit. But lo! Offsetting this sheer joy and freedom is the knowledge that I cannot grasp at it, cannot touch what I feel and see, cannot summon it at will to enjoy it. I must wait, always, for it to come to me, to visit me through the veil of dreams and waking. It must flow across the aether into the streams of consciousness that are human minds caressed by Hypnos' soothing hands. For only under his watchful eye are the streams permitted to mingle and create the dreams we long for. Only by his grace do we experience what it is to be more than what we are.

We are dreamers.

Does this world - so real and solid that it needs no dreamers to keep it aloft in the skies that contain all the celestial bodies - not recoil at the touch of equally solid and dream-free creatures? Does matter not beget matter, and dreams beget dreams?
Then why can I not do away with those thoughts, those memories, that ever-present longing for the next dream, a next chapter in an endless book of magnificent stories, never before told, written only for my eyes?
Can any one creature tell or feel, where is this dividing line?
Are there any who were once part of that other world, but then pushed or pulled, mayhap by sweet-talk and words even lulled, into the next against their will, thereby forfeiting their identities, everything that made them creatures of matter or muse?

How would one tell the difference?

title: Under Hypnos' watchful gaze

question: How would the narrator feel if they lost their ability to dream?

answer: The narrator would most likely despair, as dreaming seems to be their greatest pleasure in life.

question: What is the narrator upset about?

answer: The fact that they cannot experience the worlds of their dreams with their real felsh, nor can the conjure these dreams at will.


text:
[Felix Mitchell II is the real MVP. ]
Felix Mitchell II is the real MVP.
Image: Mashable composite: Twitter; Dominic Lipinski/AP

Memes are quite possibly the most fun facet of the modern, social media-fueled Internet. They're hilarious, they're topical and sometimes they even come to life.

The problem — as the world just learned to painful effect via one man's powerful Instagram post — is that it's far too easy for an intended joke to turn cruel.

This is the sad, true story of "Meth Curry." Actually, damn that to hell — this is the uplifting story of Leon Mitchell II.

Mitchell has suffered for years from a form of cancer. Its treatment has taken a tremendous physical toll on his head, neck and shoulders. His neck is now abnormally thin — yet he still bears more than a passing resemblance to NBA demigod Stephen Curry.

Methamphetamine addicts, of course, are known for having emaciated-looking faces and neck areas. So, when a photo of Mitchell somehow made its way onto the Internet, a mean meme was born. Here's just one of many examples you can find online.

  Meth Curry pic.twitter.com/yPNxYbGuPp

  — UGLY FLACKO (@SageSingleton1) December 26, 2015

On a certain level, sure, that can draw a chuckle. And the point here isn't to shame everyone who tweeted a "Meth Curry" joke. Most of us have probably posted something online that seemed a little cruel upon further reflection. But rarely has the dissonance between Internet humor and real life been laid so bare.

"Meth Curry" is a real person, you see. He's a father, a business owner and a husband. He's a cancer survivor. His name is Leon Mitchell II, and he posted a brave message to Instagram on Wednesday that's incredibly compelling.

Here's Mitchell's accompanying caption. As of this writing, the post had received more than 44,000 supportive likes.

  SO EARLIER TODAY I WAS THE BUTT OF A NOT SO FUNNY MEME "METH CURRY" DIRECTED AT THE OUTWARD PHYSICAL APPEARANCE THAT I DISPLAY. THE FACT THAT THE MEME WAS POSTED WAS A REMINDER OF HOW DISTASTEFUL AND CRUEL PEOPLE CAN BE WITHOUT BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE OF THE PERSON IN THE BULLSEYE OF THE TARGET.

  I'VE STRUGGLED DEEPLY FOR YEARS WITH THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS CANCER TREATMENT PLAGUED MY BODY WITH. THE MASSIVE DESTRUCTION IT TOOK ON MY NECK, SHOULDERS, NOSE, THROAT, AND ABILITY TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. I THOUGH HAVE OVERCOME ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND BECOME SO MUCH STRONGER THEN THE AFTER EFFECTS OF CANCER TREATMENT, AND PROUDLY BARE MYSELF AND RAVAGED APPEARANCE TO THE WORLD WITH KNOE SHAME!!

  I AM STRONG ENOUGH TO ENDURE THESE ATTACKS AFTER YEARS OF REBUILDING. HOWEVER AS WE LOOK AT THE POWER STORY I EXPLAIN, LET'S REMEMBER THESE TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA ATTACKS ON PEOPLE CAN BE MASSIVELY DETRIMENTAL TO SOME WHO STILL BATTLE WITH INSECURITIES AND UNCOMFORTABILITY WITH THEMSELVES AND THEIR BATTLES. IF WE ARE GOING TO ALLOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS GO VIRAL LET'S DO IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS!

  I AM MORE THEN A MEME, I AM A FATHER, HUSBAND, SURVIVOR, MENTOR, COMMUNITY ADVOCATE, AND POSITIVE MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER. PROUD TO HAVE ENDURED AND CONQUERED EVERYTHING I HAVE!!!!

Here's another photo of Mitchell and his beautiful family.

The real point, though, isn't that Mitchell is a cancer survivor instead of a meth addict — it's that too often, we're too quick to share something we think is funny without any thought for the bigger picture.

Consider, for a moment, if Mitchell were not the success story he is. Imagine he was, in fact, a meth addict. Imagine he was, in fact, struggling to overcome personal demons and a biological addiction that medical experts say is extremely hard to shake.

Would that make the joke any better?

UPDATE THURSDAY, JAN. 7, 3:40 P.M. PT: A few hours after the publication of this article, the Twitter user whose tweet was embedded in the post sent us the following screenshot, which is nice to see.

  @samcmlaird pic.twitter.com/NU6L3N9pCN

  — UGLY FLACKO (@SageSingleton1) January 7, 2016

question: Describe the story covered in this post.

answer: The author describes the story involving a meme; Leon Mitchell II, a man suffering from cancer; and Stephen Curry, NBA player. It describes how a meme can turn from funny to cruel.

question: What is "Meth Curry"?

answer: Meth Curry is a real person; it's Leon Mitchell II. Leon is a cancer survivor who resembles Stephen Curry, the NBA player.

question: Who is Leon Mitchell II?

answer: He is a father, husband, and business owner who has suffered from cancer. The treatment caused massive destruction to his appearance. He is the "Meth Curry" from the meme.

question: What is the purpose of the post?

answer: The purpose of the post is hope that people will think before posting a meme and how it might make others feel.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The author describes the story involving a meme; Leon Mitchell II, a man suffering from cancer; and Stephen Curry, NBA player. It describes how a meme can turn from funny to cruel. The author suggests before posting a meme, taking a moment to think who might be hurt by it.


text:
The exploit targets a zero-day discovered in the UEFI firmware of ThinkPads

[SMM remote code execution flaw found in Lenovo ThinkPad UEFI]
 IDGNS

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A newly released exploit can disable the write protection of critical firmware areas in Lenovo ThinkPads and possibly laptops from other vendors as well. Many new Windows security features, like Secure Boot, Virtual Secure Mode and Credential Guard, depend on the low-level firmware being locked down.

The exploit, dubbed ThinkPwn, was published earlier this week by a researcher named Dmytro Oleksiuk, who did not share it with Lenovo in advance. This makes it a zero-day exploit -- an exploit for which there is no patch available at the time of its disclosure.

ThinkPwn targets a privilege escalation flaw in a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) driver, allowing an attacker to remove the flash write protection and to execute rogue code in the SMM (System Management Mode), a privileged operating mode of the CPU.

According to Oleksiuk, the exploit can be used to disable Secure Boot, a UEFI feature that cryptographically verifies the authenticity of the OS bootloader to prevent boot-level rootkits; to defeat the Credential Guard feature of Windows 10 that uses virtualization-based security to prevent the theft of enterprise domain credentials, and to do "other evil things."

The UEFI was designed as a replacement for the traditional BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) and is meant to standardize modern computer firmware through a reference specification. However, implementations can still vary considerably between computer manufacturers.

The reference specification provided by CPU and chipset vendors like Intel and AMD is used by a small number of independent BIOS vendors (IBVs) to create their own implementations which are then licensed to PC manufacturers. The PC vendors take these implementations from IBVs and further customize them themselves.

According to Lenovo, the vulnerability found by Oleksiuk was not in its own UEFI code, but in the implementation provided to the company by at least one IBV that hasn't been named.

"Lenovo is engaging all of its IBVs as well as Intel to identify or rule out any additional instances of the vulnerability's presence in the BIOS provided to Lenovo by other IBVs, as well as the original purpose of the vulnerable code," the company said in an advisory Thursday.

The full scope of the problem has not yet been determined as the vulnerability might also affect other vendors aside from Lenovo. In the ThinkPwn notes on GitHub, Oleksiuk said that it appears the vulnerability existed in the Intel reference code for its 8-series chipsets, but was fixed sometime in 2014.

"There's a high possibility that old Intel code with this vulnerability is currently present in firmware of other OEM/IBV vendors," the researcher said.

The Lenovo advisory also hints that this might be a more widespread issue, by listing the scope of impact as "industry-wide."

The ThinkPwn exploit is implemented as an UEFI application that needs to be executed from a USB flash drive by using the UEFI shell. This requires physical access to the targeted computer, which limits the kind of attackers who could use it.

However, Oleksiuk said that with more effort it would be possible to exploit the vulnerability from inside the running operating system, which means that it could be targeted through malware.

There are past examples where malware injected malicious code into the UEFI for increased persistence and stealth. For example, Italian surveillance software maker Hacking Team had a UEFI rootkit in its arsenal.

Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.

Lucian Constantin is a senior writer at CSO, covering information security, privacy, and data protection.

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question: What laptops are vulnerable to the new exploit?

answer: Lenovo ThinkPads.

question: Who published the exploit?

answer: A researcher named Dmytro Oleksiuk.

question: What is the name of the exploit?

answer: ThinkPwn.

question: What was the UEFI designed as a replacement for?

answer: The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System).

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The article is about an exploit for Lenovo Thinkpads called Thinkpwn, and the various firmware issues it exploits. It also discusses the researcher who made the exploit public.


text:
ACHDÉ (), the pseudonym of HERVÉ DARMENTON (; born July 30, 1961), is a French comic book writer and artist. The pseudonym is based on the French pronunciation of his initials, “H.D.” (similar to Hergé and Jijé). After the death of Morris, the creator of _Lucky Luke_, Achdé continued the task of drawing new _Lucky Luke_ stories from 2003 onwards.

Career

Before dedicating himself to his craft, Achdé worked as a doctor with a specialty in radiology, but abandoned a career in medicine in 1985 to dedicate himself fully to drawing.[1] He began illustrating newspapers and self-published _Destins Croisés_, his first comic book, in 1988.[2] He joined the French publishing house Dargaud in 1991 and created several new series, alone and in partnership, including _Fort Braillard_, _Woker_ (which concerns an interplanetary Tarzan), and _Doc Véto_. In 1993, he launched the series _CRS=Détresse_, CRS being a reference to the _Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité_, the French security forces attached to the national police force, who are deployed during riots and demonstrations.

Following the death of Morris, Achdé was given the assignment to carry on the _Lucky Luke_ series in collaboration with writer Laurent Gerra, and has stated, “For me it's been a childhood dream; when I was little, _Lucky Luke_ was my favorite hero, and when I was young I knew I wanted to be a cartoonist.”[3]

Notes

[1] Entrevista Achde

[2]

[3]

title: Achdé

question: How would Achdé's career have been different if Morris hadn't died?

answer: Achdé would not have taken over drawing Lucky Luke.

question: What might Achdé's occupation have been if he had not been interested in drawing?

answer: He might have remained a doctor specializing in radiology.

question: Why was drawing Lucky Luke a dream come true for Achdé?

answer: Because Lucky Luke was his favorite hero as a kid.

question: What would Achdé's pen name have been if his initials were H.G.?

answer: Achgé


text:
SILANA is a village and former princely state in Gujarat, western India.

History

Silana was a minor princely state of Sorath _prant_, comprising only the sole village, which during the British raj was handled by the colonial Eastern Kathiawar Agency.

It was ruled by a Kathi Chieftain. It had a population in 1901 of 774, yielding a state revenue of 6,250 Rupees (1903-4, nearly all from land), paying a tribute of 102 Rupees, to the Gaekwar Baroda State.

title: Silana, Sorath

question: What is Silani?

answer: It is a princely state of Sorath prant.

question: Who is the ruler of Silani?

answer: A Kathi Chieftain.

question: Why does Silani pay tribute to the Gaekwar Baroda State?

answer: It is not in the article.

question: Where is Silani?

answer: It is in Gujarat, western India.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Silani is a princely state of Sorath prant with a population of 774 in 1901. It was handled by the colonial Eastern Kathiawar Agency during the British raj and paid an annual tribute of 102 Rupees to the Gaekwar Baroda State.


text:
The NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN STATE FAIR is a 10-day agricultural fair, which starts the Friday after Labor Day in Fletcher, North Carolina, and was established in 1994. The N.C. Mountain State Fair is focused the people, agriculture, art, and traditions of Western North Carolina. The fair draws about 190,000 people to the WNC Agricultural Center each year. Tickets are $9 for adults and $5 for children and senior citizens.[1]

The COVID-19 pandemic saw the 2020 fair get cancelled.

[1] North Carolina Mountain State Fair (2009). Fair Fact Sheet. North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Retrieved on 2009-04-09.

title: North Carolina Mountain State Fair

question: Why was the 2020 North Carolina Mountain State Fair cancelled?

answer: The COVID-19 pandemic caused the fair to be cancelled.

question: When was the fair established?

answer: The fair was established in 1994.

question: How much are tickets for the fair?

answer: Tickets are $9 for adults and $5 for children and senior citizens.

question: How many people come to the fair every year?

answer: The fair brings in about 190000 people a year.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: the North Carolina Mountain State Fair is a 10-day agricultural fair that was established in 1994. It draws about 190000 people a year.


text:
	The writing on the wall was scribbled in a way that looked as if it was done by a toddler scurrying along with a marker doing something they know shouldn't be done. Only the writing on his wall was done it paint and was up higher then a toddler could reach. And what toddler could break into a house mid-afternoon while they should be tucked in for their after-lunch nap? This was done by someone much older and much more frightening then a toddler. This was done by someone with intent.
	The writing read: 'I know who you are …
				I know what you have …
				       I want it.'
	The last period was made with a glob of the paint that dripped down the wall.
	He stood in place and looked at the writing for some time. He tried to search his mind to find any answers as to who could have done this but came up with none. He knew who he was and the vandal claimed to know as well, but Josh seriously questioned whether whoever did this had the right man. He held nothing of value. Hell, he had just moved back to this country a few months ago and the house was still bare, it was a new purchase. The most expensive thing in here, as far as he knew at least, was the flat-screen downstairs. He took out his phone and snapped a picture of the wall and sent it to his friend Mike. Maybe it was just one of those fucked up pranks a friend pulls, the kind that only they find funny. Mike was the only one with a spare set of keys. Most of his friends and all of his family lived a thousand miles away so there could be no relatives playing a practical joke on him. It was Mike. It had to be Mike. He was the only one who could get in. If it wasn't him, then who else?
	His phone buzzed; it was a text from Mike.
	'Aha. What's that man? Looks like the beginning to a bad murder show.' The message read.
	 Is he just holding off and waiting for me to ask? He thought, or does he really not know?
	His pride told him to put the phone back in his pocket; it's Mike, a voice said, it's Mike. He stared at the message and glanced up to the wall again. Still scared stiff, the rational part of his brain was telling him it was Mike but the irrational side was screaming, RUUNN!!,  eventually, he tapped the message box and typed. He valued his life more then he valued his friends laughter. He sent the message, but still couldn't move.
	A few minutes passed and he still stood there, in the same position he was when he walked into this thing, whatever it is, then his phone buzzed; it was Mike.
	'No Bro. It wasn't me. Just got out of work. Call the cops man. That's some fucked up shit.'
	Your not wrong on that, Josh thought looking down at his phone. He didn't know where to go from here. Clearly now the police needed to be called. Mike wouldn't take it that far. He wouldn't allow him to call the cops on a foolish prank that he had pulled. Sometimes he had a tenancy to be an asshole, what friends don't, but no one would take it that far.
	He dialed 9-1-1 and that's when he heard the first footstep.
	“Nine-one-one. What's your emergency?” a monotone voice answered.
	He waited, trying to hear the noise again. It came from the stairs just by the kitchen, no more then ten feet from where he now stood.
	“Hello? Sir? Madame?” the voice said again.
	“ … Uh … ahh … I came home to find some threatening messages written on my walls. I was” –  a step creaked and Josh inhaled deeply and thought he was going to pass out. He slowly began to slide to the right to get as close to the door as he could.
	“Hello? Sir? Are you there?”
	“Y-y-yea … can you send someone. Now. Please,” he was almost whispering now and still edging toward the door.
	“What's your address sir?”
	“It's –,” the last creak was heard, it sounded more like a snap!, and a man up leaped from the steps. Pointing a gun at Josh's head in a very crude and horrifying way, saying; 'Hang up.'
	 Josh fumbled the phone and eventually dropped it. He bent down quickly to pick it up and the gun went off.
	At first he thought he was fine. He thought the guy missed. But just as he looked up, he saw the man run to the door. His face peeked in before he left and the two made eye contact for a second, the man looked remorseful, he looked sorry. Josh put a hand on his knee to steady himself but became light-headed and collapsed. When he fell it felt the blood creep onto his neck, it slithered into his hair and then onto the laminate flooring. It began to pool around him. He had a cold feeling in his stomach, almost like the feeling you get when you accidentally swallow an ice cube whole, but not quiet. This was different. This coldness had an emptiness to it.
	He could feel his eyes getting heavier and heavier; he started to breath in his own blood off the floor; he could hear a faint 'Hello?' on the phone but it was too far to reach. It would be much easier to just close his eyes, and sleep …

title: A short story.

question: Summarize the conflict in the story.

answer: The protagonist finds writing oh their wall that reads "I know who you are... I know what you have... I want it." The protagonist then attempts to call the police, but before they can relay any information about their situation., the intruder reveals themselves and shoots the protagonist.

question: Summarize the negative parts of the story.

answer: The protagonist receives a threatening message written on their wall. They are then shot and killed.

question: Describe the climactic moment of the story.

answer: The climactic moment occurs when the protagonist is trying to talk to the police dispatcher and the intruder surprises the protagonist. The confrontation is short and ends with the intruder shooting the protagonist.


text:
When he awoke, he came to a sudden realization.

This isn't my bed. I'm not in my home. I don't know this person laying beside me. This hand doesn't belong to me, although it seems that I control it.

He awoke terrified.

The air crept out of his lungs, and try as he might, it wouldn't draw back in. He started shuffling back up the bed, back against the headboard. Where was his breath? Why did the air taste so... unfamiliar?

He had woken up like this every day for the last year.

His wife woke up beside him, her eyes bleary, dark circles under them. She hardly slept, because he hardly slept. She knew better than to try to reach out to him. He hadn't let her for a year.

At first she tried to calm him. "I'm Juilie," she would say "your wife. I love you."

"You're not Julie," he would say "Julie is blonde... well I know you're blonde, but you're not her blonde. Her voice is like yours, but its not yours. I mean, you're like Julie, but you're not Julie. I know Julie. I love her, and you're not her."

And through the day, she would walk him through their home, where they had lived for almost a decade. It was their first home, their daughter Anna's room was upstairs. The tiles were the same. She would show him mail with his name, and her name, and show him how it arrived in the mailbox each day fresh, and with their names on it. He would concede that all of the facts were the same. The address, the names, the colors, the ages. But he wouldn't believe it. Not for a second. This life wasn't his, but he couldn't remember where he'd placed his own.

His anxiety over the matter kept him (and her) awake, day after day, until he collapsed from the exhaustion of trying to figure out where everything had gone. Somehow though, he never came to believe that it was a conspiracy, that his life had been replaced. He always seemed to have an awareness that somehow he was mistaken. As though, perhaps, he'd come through some curious means that remained shrouded in a confused memory, to be in this place. Where the people claimed to know him, even if he didn't know them. He knew that he couldn't remember a huge portion of his life. The present, for him, lacked a history. He knew the answer was in that history, but without it, without the story, all he had was the certainty that this wasn't his life. And how could it be? It didn't feel at all like it. It didn't feel warm. It didn't feel familiar.

But then, nothing did. Warm sun on the skin felt kind, and soothing. But it felt like moonlight. Something about it made it not the sun of memory. It didn't feel like his sun. The air didn't feel like his air. His hands didn't feel like his hands. Nothing felt right. And he worried. Even the worries felt as though they came from outside. As certain as he was about them, they didn't seem like his concern. There is worry, therefore I am, I worry.

And this is what kept him from fleeing, from being paranoid, or angry. His fears seemed unfounded, because he didn't recognize them as his own. All he feels is lost. Like he has fallen asleep on a bus, and at last shaken awake by the driver, found himself alone on a dark lit street. Around are the objects of his own landscape -light poles, parked cars, buildings, people. And he knows that home lies on that bus route. But for now the line is closed, and he will have to wait until morning. For now, he spends the night in the company of strangers, in a place that's not his home. Nothing to do but wait for the clarity of morning, when an opportunity will present itself, and offer to fill in the missing information that would make it all make sense.

And so he waits. He thinks this woman knows how lost he is, maybe she's claiming to be Julie to save him from some hurt. She seems kind. She tries very hard. But she's not Julie, because he knows Julie.

It's been this way for a year.

He's in the garden. It's springtime. He likes it in the garden. Out of the places to be lost in, it is certainly the best. It's warm, and the flowers are beautiful, vibrant, and smell wonderful. He doesn't recognize the species that are here. He thinks it looks the way his garden used to. He'd tend to it while Anna slept in her basket, shaded from the sun. Never out of ear shot.

There's a small bird on the ground. An infant. Fallen from a high tree branch. It struggles as he picks it up, but it doesn't resist, just goes through the motions. It's been here for a while. It's dehydrated. It struggles for air. But it's just going through the motions.

He strokes its tiny head. It stops struggling.

His head spins. Anna.

He falls to his knees as the air fills his lungs in a deep, desperate gasp. This breath feels familiar. He knows this breath. And it burns. Ohh god how it swells in his chest. How it hurts. But he knows this breath.

This breath of fresh air.

title: A breath of fresh air

question: What does the story say about the protagonist?

answer: The protagonist wakes up to Julie beside him. She reminds him who he is and the life they've built together. Once he remembers Anna, he passes out once more, possibly forgetting their whole life together again.

question: What does the story say about the protagonist and Julie?

answer: The protagonist wakes up next to his wife, Julie, who reminds him of his identity and their life. She walks him through their house reminding him of the memories they've built together. When he remembers Anna, he blacks out again and possibly loses his memories once more.

question: What does the story say about the protagonist and Anna?

answer: The protagonist wakes up to Julie beside him. She reminds him who he is and the life they've built together. Once he remembers Anna, their daughter who passed, he passes out once more, possibly forgetting their whole life together again.

question: What does the story say about amnesia?


text:
AIDHA is a non-governmental organisation in Singapore. It provides financial literacy and self-development training programmes for foreign domestic workers and lower-income women, and empower them to transform their lives through sustainable wealth creation.[1][2][3][4]

Aidha is the only NGO in Singapore that specialises in teaching domestic workers how to manage their money and start businesses.

History

In 2001, social activist Melissa Kwee and writer Audrey Chin started a financial literacy programme to help the domestic workers in Singapore to break out of their poverty cycle. The non-governmental organization UN Women Singapore was engaged to run the programme until it was stopped in 2005 due to reorganization. To continue the programme, some members of the UN Women Singapore decided to set up Aidha in 2006.[5]

Aidha is a Sanskrit word which means “That to which we aspire”.

Training programmes

The following courses are provided to help domestic workers develop savings habits and skills needed to start a sustainable business for their families.

-   Financial literacy course (such as Money management)
-   Computer literacy course
-   Leadership course
-   Entrepreneurial skills course

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

title: Aidha

question: What country does Aidha serve?

answer: Singapore

question: When was Aidha founded?

answer: 2006

question: What does Aidha mean?

answer: "That to which we aspire"

question: Who founded Aidha?

answer: A group of UN Women Singapore members after that program was stopped in 2005 due to reorganization

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Aidha is a non-governmental organization in Singapore, providing financial literacy and self-development programs for foreign domestic workers and lower-income women. It was formed in 2006 by members of UN Women Singapore after that organization was stopped due to reorganization.


text:
Geothermal energy is the second most used form of renewable energy in Russia but represents less than 1% of the total energy production. The first geothermal power plant in Russia, which was the first Binary cycle power station in world, was built at Pauzhetka, Kamchatka, in 1966, with a capacity of 5 MW.[1]the first binary cycle power station The total geothermal installed capacity is 81.9 MW, with 50 MW coming from a plant at Verkhne-Mutnovsky.Two other plants were built on the Kamchatka Peninsula in 1999 and 2002. Two smaller additional plants were installed on the islands of Kunashir and Iturup in 2007. [2] Most geothermal resources are currently used for heating settlements in the North Caucasus and Kamchatka. Half of the geothermal production is used to heat homes and industrial buildings, one third is used to heat greenhouses and 13% is used for industrial processes.[3]

Five major geothermal power plants exist in Russia. Russia currently deveploing a new 100 MW geothermal power plant at Mutnovsky and a 50 MW plant in Kaliningrad.[4]

Potential resources include the Northern Caucasus, Western Siberia, Lake Baikal, and in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands.[5]

List of geothermal power stations

List of Geothermal power stations in Russia

+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| Name    | Locatio | Field   | Operato | Capacit | Annual  | Commiss |
|         | n       |         | r       | y       | Generat | ioned   |
|         |         |         |         | (MW)    | ion     |         |
|         |         |         |         |         | (averag |         |
|         |         |         |         |         | e       |         |
|         |         |         |         |         | GWh)    |         |
+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+=========+
| Mutnovs | Petropa |         | RusHydr | 50      | 322.93  | 2003    |
| kaya    | vlovsk- |         | o       |         |         |         |
| Power   | Kamchat |         |         |         |         |         |
| Station | sky,    |         |         |         |         |         |
|         | Kamchat |         |         |         |         |         |
|         | ka      |         |         |         |         |         |
|         | Krai    |         |         |         |         |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| Pauzhet | Petropa |         | RusHydr | 14.5    | 59.5    | 1966    |
| skaya   | vlovsk- |         | o       |         |         |         |
| Power   | Kamchat |         |         |         |         |         |
| Station | sky,    |         |         |         |         |         |
|         | Kamchat |         |         |         |         |         |
|         | ka      |         |         |         |         |         |
|         | Krai    |         |         |         |         |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| Verhne- | Petropa |         | RusHydr | 12      | 58.3    | 1999    |
| Mutnovs | vlovsk- |         | o       |         |         |         |
| kaya    | Kamchat |         |         |         |         |         |
| Power   | sky,    |         |         |         |         |         |
| Station | Kamchat |         |         |         |         |         |
|         | ka      |         |         |         |         |         |
|         | Krai    |         |         |         |         |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| Mendele | Kunashi |         |         | 1.8     |         | 2007    |
| evskaya | r       |         |         |         |         |         |
| GeoPP   | Island, |         |         |         |         |         |
|         | Kuril   |         |         |         |         |         |
|         | Islands |         |         |         |         |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
|  |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| Okeansk | Iturup, |         |         | 3.6     |         | 2007[6] |
| aya     | Kuril   |         |         |         |         |         |
| GeoPP   | Islands |         |         |         |         |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
|  |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+

[1] “100 Years of Geothermal Power Production” (PDF), Geo-Heat Centre Quarterly Bulletin, Klamath Falls, Oregon: Oregon Institute of Technology, 25 (3), pp. 11–19, ISSN 0276-1084, retrieved 13 April 2009

[2] “2007 Survey of Energy Resources” (PDF). World Energy Council 2007. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2011.

[3] http://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/russia-its-renewable-energy-drive-and-the-geothermal-opportunity/

[4] http://maximpactblog.com/russias-bright-renewable-energy-future/

[5] https://pangea.stanford.edu/ERE/db/WGC/papers/WGC/2015/01061.pdf

[6] https://www.geothermal-energy.org/pdf/IGAstandard/WGC/2010/0145.pdf

title: Geothermal power in Russia

question: Where was the first geothermal power plant in Russia?

answer: Pauzhetka, Kamchatka

question: What is the total geothermal installed capacity in Russia?

answer: 81.9 MW

question: What geothermal power plants are currently in development?

answer: A 100 MW plant at Mutnovsky and a 50 MW plant in Kaliningrad

question: When was the first geothermal plant in Russia built?

answer: 1966

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Geothermal energy is the second most used form of renewable energy in Russia, but it still only accounts for 1% of total energy production. The first geothermal power plant in Russia, and the first Binary cycle power station in the world, was built in 1966 at Pauzhetka, Kamchatka. The current geothermal installed capacity is 81.9 MW, but two new plants are currently in development.


text:
LEONARD ERIC OLYOTT (11 January 1926 - 6 April 2005) was Archdeacon of Taunton from 1977[1] to 1992.[2]

Olyott was educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School, London University and Westcott House, Cambridge. He served in the RNVR from 1944 to 1947. He was Curate of St George, Camberwell from 1952 to 1955; Priest in charge of St Michael and All Angels, Birchwood from 1955 to 1960; Vicar of Chipperfield from 1960 to 1968; Vicar of Crewkerne from 1968 to 1971; Rector of Wayford from 1971 to 1977; and Rural Dean of Crewkerne from 1972 to 1977.[3] He was also Prebendary of Milverton from 1977 to 1992; and Hospital Chaplains Adviser to successive Bishops of Bath and Wells from 1983 to 1992.[4]

Notes

Category:1926 births Category:2005 deaths Category:People educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School Category:Alumni of the University of London Category:Alumni of Westcott House, Cambridge Category:Archdeacons of Taunton Category:Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II

[1] _Church news._ The Times (London, England), Thursday, May 12, 1977; pg. 21; Issue 60001

[2] _Church news._ The Times (London, England), Saturday, February 22, 1992; pg. 15; Issue 64262

[3] Crockfords (London, Church House, 1995)

[4] ‘OLYOTT, Ven. Leonard Eric’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014 ; online edn, April 2014 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U28881, accessed 24 Dec 2016]

title: Leonard Olyott

question: Where was Leonard Olyott born?

answer: Not answered.

question: Where was Olyott educated?

answer: Olyott went to Colchester Royal Grammar School, London University, and Westcott House, Cambridge.

question: Where did Olyott die?

answer: Not answered.

question: What did Olyott die of?

answer: Not answered.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article details the career of Leonard Olyott, the Archdeacon of Taunton from 1977 to 1992.


text:
The Nintendo Switch has been out for nearly two months now. While it has been selling spectacularly, there has been little in the way of system updates. The updates to the system so far have been minor, fixing bugs or improving stability, but there have been no new features added since the day one update.

According to our source, an independent developer close to the company, Nintendo will be adding valuable new system features to the Switch this year. The details are likely to be announced by Nintendo during their E3 presentation or a later Nintendo Direct.

The new features are as follows:

NINTENDO SWITCH NOTIFICATIONS – The Nintendo Switch will show notifications from the exposed part of the screen while docked. Notifications may also show up when in portable mode similar to a smartphone screen.

FRIEND MESSENGER – With the online service will come messaging between friends. Notifications can be shown on the Switch screen.

NINTENDO SWITCH THEMES – Currently, there are two themes to choose on the Nintendo Switch. More will be coming in a future system update, tying in with new games such as Splatoon 2. The new themes will come with music. There will be a theme shop similar to the 3DS.

STREAMING APPS – Streaming apps such as Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube are being prepared and will come this fiscal year. Nintendo wants to release the apps all at once, which is why they have not been released yet.

CLOUD SAVING – Game saves will be stored in your Nintendo Account, provided you are subscribed to Nintendo’s online service, this Fall.

WEB BROWSER – The Nintendo Switch will get a full-fledged web browser this year, similar to the Wii U’s offering. The Switch already has a built-in web browser, but its use is limited and not very accessible.

WII U PRO CONTROLLER AND GAMECUBE CONTROLLER SUPPORT – In order to support the Super Smash Bros. release this fiscal year, Nintendo will enable compatibility with Wii U Pro Controllers and GameCube controllers, with a new USB adapter for the latter.

If these features come to fruition, they would be a welcome addition to the Switch, already a stellar gaming console.

What do you think of these features? Would you like to see them come to the Switch? Leave us a comment below.

-Noah Sanchez, Gamer Splash

question: What gaming console is discussed in this article?

answer: The Nintendo Switch

question: What are the new features mentioned?

answer: Notifications, friend messenger, themes, streaming apps, cloud saving, web browser, and other controller support.

question: What is the source of this article?

answer: Gamer Splash

question: When was this article written?

answer: The date is not specified, but it was written two months after the release of the Nintendo Switch.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Noah Sanchez from Gamer Splash discusses the Nintendo Switch two months after its release. There have only been minor updates so far, but there are also rumors that major features will be included in the next update. These features include notifications, friend messenger, themes, streaming apps, cloud saving, web browser, and other controller support.