text:
_In this ongoing series, Sam Irvine, SponServe’s Territory Manager, Australia and New Zealand, ponders his past life as a commercial manager at a rights holder and what he wishes he knew. Then, he pens a letter to his younger self. _

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14 March 2018

RE: WHY SPONSORSHIP AND MEMBERSHIPS ARE A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

Dear Sam,

It’s that fantastic time of the year again in Australia when football clubs (AFL, NRL, and Rugby Union, in particular) send out their membership packs. You will have just received the pack for your family membership for the Sydney Swans and you will be planning which games you could potentially attend.

At the same time, you will notice that QBE (insurance sponsor) play a really big part in this membership program and you’ll wonder why you don’t take out your insurance with them.

This year, instead of just enjoying the token Swans branded items you and the kids receive, I have taken the time to point out five key reasons as to why you should have involved commercial partners more in previous membership programs during your time working at a rights holder.

1. Engaged demographic

A club’s membership group is almost guaranteed to be the most engaged demographic segment; what better group for your partners to want to talk to?

The brand loyalty this group has towards the club should be built on to create a sense of loyalty with the partner’s brand.

This group is going to be open to receiving communication from your partner (as long as it has a connection to your club). They have already opted-in on a number of fronts, so make sure you use this openness and level of engagement without simply spamming them.

2. Cross-promotion of partner’s assets

This is the perfect opportunity for you to play another key role in your partner’s marketing and communications plan and, at the same time, an opportunity to help them distribute some products or services. How can you use a special offer or actual product of a partner in the membership?

This could be a simple way to provide another touch point for a partner’s service or a way to get their product into the member’s hands. Utilise the services or products of a sponsor as rewards for members, using money can’t buy experiences brought to you by a sponsor or, better yet, involve the opportunity for your members to become a customer of the partner e.g. sign up to Qatar Airways Frequent Flyer Program to receive a signed Swans Jersey.

By working with the partner in this space, and tailoring this to a variety of levels (not everyone has an international airline as a sponsor), you are giving your members another reason to connect with your partners.

3. Multiple touch points

The variety of memberships available nowadays are so varied and flexible and they cater for the complex group that make up club members. Club memberships are no longer just for the die-hard fans and are now also for anyone who wants to feel a real connection with their club and a further sense of belonging, and this should be a key demographic your sponsors want to connect with.

By tailoring the different member offerings available (think pet memberships for example) and working with your partners on these different levels of memberships, you can provide a whole new group of consumers for your partners to talk to while, at the same time, opening up the opportunity to work with multiple partners on these new membership levels.

Involving your partners in the membership program creates multiple touch points for them through opening up a wide variety of communication opportunities and broadening your member database.

4. Continual brand recognition

Watching Harvey run around the house with a Swans flag or cape, or using his favourite A-League team drink bottle, really hits home the continual brand recognition available for your sponsors. By providing branded items that are useful, fun, different, or just simply a core part of the sport (think mini football or member card) you and your partners will position yourselves as a key player in the member’s daily routine.

This continual brand recognition and awareness is a priceless opportunity to have a year long (or potentially even longer) involvement with the member rather than just individual interactions. Work directly with your partners to be able to provide a meaningful connection with the member, ensuring they play a role in product decisions where appropriate, but most importantly communicating the key role your partners play in making that membership a special one for the members.

5. Life-long connection

Memberships tend to be life-long commitments and, as such, your sponsors now have an opportunity to create life-long connections with your members. This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of a long-term partnership with your sponsors. By providing them a long-term communication channel to a dedicated and committed group that you can help grow together, you are truly providing value for money to the partner and executing a meaningful partnership.

If done right, through mutual desired outcomes and a sense of community engagement, a partner’s involvement with a club membership program allows for a prolonged engagement with your fan base.

Sam, hopefully this letter helps motivate you in engaging your partners more in the membership program and provides a little bit of inspiration for future seasons.

Now it’s time to go and get a quote from QBE.

Yours sincerely,

[]

Sam Irvine, the older one.

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[]

Sam Irvine // Territory Manager – Australia & New Zealand

Sam is passionate about helping organisations maximise their sponsorship programs and has worked with brands and rights holders at all levels. Sam is always looking for ways to improve himself and loves working with people who give as much as they take.

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question: What does the text say about some of the importance of including commercial partners, that is, sponsors, in membership programs?

answer: Sam Irvine, who helps people maximize their sponsorship programs, penned a letter to a colleague called Sam to advise him on the importance of having partners in a membership program. This importance includes having an engaged demographic in the membership program for open communication with partners, promoting partner's products and services to members, thereby allowing members to reach out to these partners one on one, and getting to establish a life-long relationship between members and sponsors and also providing value for their money through a meaningful partnership.


split: train

text:
DEFY ALL ODDS APPAREL® is a clothing brand company based out of New York established in 2012. There are no high end designers or large scale marketing teams behind the scenes. Defy All Odds is currently designed, run, and marketed by professional motorcycle racer & self taught graphic designer Corey Alexander.

To us a shirt is much more than an article of clothing but a way to illustrate a message, a way to tell people who you are, what you believe in, and what you stand for. We are heavily influenced by both what inspires us and what motivates us. We thrive off of the various cultures of motor-sports, action-sports, music, and fashion as well as the trials & tribulations of life. It's our goal not only to offer you the highest quality products but to also motivate you to push your limits, chase your dreams, and to _defy all odds_. Join the movement; there is no stopping us.

After a long two year hiatus, we are more than happy to be back.

DEFY ALL ODDS APPAREL® | #DEFYALLODDS #DARETODEFY

question: What is DEFY ALL ODDS APPAREL?

answer: It is a clothing brand company based out of New York and established in 2012. It is run and designed by self taught graphic designer Corey Alexander.

question: How is a shirt much more than an article of clothing to this brand?

answer: They see it as a way to illustrate a message that tells people who you are, what you believe in, and what you stand for.

question: Why did this brand go on a long two year hiatus?

answer: That information can't be found in the document.

question: What is the goal of this brand?

answer: Their goal is to offer the highest quality products and help motivate its customers to push their limits, chase their dreams, and to "defy all odds".

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This document is an advertisement for the clothing brand DEFY ALL ODDS APPAREL when the brand announced that they are back after a two year hiatus.


text:
Charkha}} CHARKHA is one of 11 villages in Dhari Taluka and one of 616 in the Amreli district of the Saurashtra peninsula in the Indian state of Gujarat.[1]

Charkha is formerly a minor princely state (also called a native state, feudatory state or Indian state) under an indigenous ruler in a subsidiary alliance with the British Raj. It was indirectly ruled by the British during colonial times.

Climate

The climate of Charkha falls within that of the sub-tropical Amreli district, which is characterized by three well-defined seasons: summer (April to June), monsoon (July to September), and winter (October to March).

The 2012 Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) report records the area's mean maximum daily temperature range as 28°C (82.4 °F) to 40 °C (104 °F). The mean minimum daily temperature ranges from 11 °C (51.8 °F) to 26 °C (78.8 °F). The relative humidity ranges from 81% during monsoon season to 40% during winter. Mean wind speed ranges from 188 km/d during winter to more than 500 km/d during summer and monsoon. Potential Evaporate Transpiration (PET) is at its peak during summer months. It ranges from 4.6 mm/d during December to 10.5 mm/d during May. The average monthly PET is about 6.4 mm/d. And the monthly average rainfall in 2011 was 689 mm. [1] [2]

History

During the British Raj, Charkha was a small village under Lakhapadar _thana_. Charkha was ruled by Kathi chieftains of the Vala tribe.One of them was H. H. Namdar Maharaj Lakhuwala Punjawala. His son, Namdar Sree Mangluwala Lakhuwala and yuvraj sree adityasinhwala lived near the Dhari village,in 1901, Charkha and a second village, with a combined population of 1,519, generated 27,000 rupees in state revenue (1903–4, nearly all from land), paying a 541 rupees tribute, to the Gaikwar Baroda State and Junagadh State.[3]

Demographics

According to the 1881 and 1872 censuses, the population of Charkha decreased from 1,613 to 1,414.[4] Charkha village has a population of 677 people in about 179 houses, according to Census 2011.

[1] 2012 Report by Ministry of Jal Shakti – Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 1'

[2] ndiaServer.com website 2

[3] http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V15_175.gif Imperial Gazetteer

[4]

title: Charkha (Dhari, Gujarat)

question: What is Charkha?

answer: A village.

question: Where is it located?

answer: Dhari Taluka, Amreli District, Saurashtra peninsula, Gukarat state, India.

question: What is the climate?

answer: Sub-tropical.

question: What was the population of the village in 2011?

answer: 677.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Charkha is a village in the Gujarat state in India. It is fairly small, with a population of 677 as of the year 2011. Charkha has a sub-tropical climate, with three distinct seasons: summer, monsoon, and winter. It has formerly been a princely state  under an indigenous ruler in a subsidiary alliance with the British raj.


text:
 Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York

[From left: Randy White, Fred Brewington and White's father, ]
From left: Randy White, Fred Brewington and White’s father.
An ex-campaign worker at the center of a political scandal that led to the Nassau County police commissioner’s recent ouster intends to file a lawsuit alleging that his civil rights were violated.

Randy White’s attorney is filing notices of claim, the first step in suing government agencies, against the county, police department, jail and several police and corrections officers—as well as adding to mounting calls for a federal investigation.

“I was kind of tortured mentally,” White, a 29-year-old Roosevelt resident, told reporters Monday at a news conference in the Hempstead office of his attorney, Fred Brewington. “I just want justice to be brought down.”

Ex-Nassau police commissioner Tom Dale ordered White’s arrest in October at the request of wealthy political donor Gary Melius after White’s testimony in an election lawsuit effectively threatened the re-election campaign of Dale’s boss, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano.

White’s claim alleges negligence, breach of duty, false arrest, false imprisonment, abuse of process, conspiracy and other claims in addition to the alleged civil rights violations.

“Once all the facts are known, I am confident that the County of Nassau will prevail,” Nassau County Attorney Carnell Foskey said in a statement emailed by Mangano’s spokeswoman.

Brewington questioned the validity of Democratic Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice’s investigation that cleared Dale, other police officials and the Republican Mangano administration of criminality.

“The fact the commissioner, the chief of detectives and other high-ranking individuals got a chance to walk away from this scot free thus far is absurd and it’s an absolute abomination,” Brewington said. “There were issues raised by police officers that made it very clear to Randy that this was all about the court case.”

White was arrested for not paying a $250 unrelated fine (he was selling bootleg CDs) shortly after he had testified to election law violations by ex-Freeport mayor Andrew Hardwick—a third-party county executive candidate who Nassau Democrats argued was trying to siphon votes away from their candidate, Tom Suozzi. Twice at county jail, White was also subjected to cavity searches, Brewington said.

Arrestees are generally held overnight in cells at the local precinct station house where they are processed—or, in White’s case, police headquarters in Mineola—but it is unusual for a suspect to be taken to jail before their initial court appearance, Brewington said.

An attorney for the jail did not return a call for comment. A police spokesman also declined to comment.

In response to Brewington’s claims that Rice failed to properly investigate White’s allegations because she wants to preserve her political relationships so she can run for higher office, such as her 2010 Democratic primary bid for New York State Attorney General, Rice reiterated a statement she had issued when Brewington first called for a special prosecutor.

“No criminal justice official in Nassau has worked harder to make the system more fair for all communities than Kathleen Rice,” her spokesman said in a statement. “This investigation is not over and our investigations will always be guided by facts and provable evidence rather than politics.”

Rice has said that the probe is continuing into the actions of Sgt. Sal Mistretta, who served White with a subpoena to re-testify in the elections case while the young Roosevelt man was still in police custody after the Hardwick campaign had unsuccessfully tried to file perjury charges against White. Mistratta has since retired.

Brewington blamed his client’s “unspeakable” treatment on a “political quagmire,” and he maintained that how high up the political scandal goes will come out eventually.

“Someone needs to put the hard, tough questions to these elected and appointed officials and make them answer for their actions,” he said. “If we don’t, we’re going to be living with an entire barrel of rotten apples.”

question: Who is starting a lawsuit?

answer: Randy White is attempting to sue the county, police department, and many others.

question: Where does White live?

answer: White lives in Roosevelt.

question: Why is White suing?

answer: White claims negligence, false arrest, conspiracy, amongst other civil rights violations.

question: What was White arrested for?

answer: White was arrested for not paying an unrelated fine.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Randy White is suing members of the local government due to his treatment while arrested. His arrest was politically motivated, and he demands justice for his unfair treatment and political scandal.


text:
_THE STAR_ is a 2017 American computer-animated Christian comedy film directed by Timothy Reckart.[1] Inspired by the Nativity of Jesus, the film's screenplay was written by Carlos Kotkin and Simon Moore,[2] based on an original idea by Tom Sheridan.[3] It is produced by Sony Pictures Animation, with partnership from Walden Media, Affirm Films and The Jim Henson Company. It stars the voices of Steven Yeun, Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, Kristin Chenoweth, Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, and Oprah Winfrey.

The film was released by Columbia Pictures through its parental label Sony Pictures Entertainment on November 17, 2017 in the United States. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $62 million worldwide. It received a nomination for Best Original Song (“The Star” by Mariah Carey) at the 75th Golden Globe Awards but lost to “This Is Me”.[4]

Plot

In “9 months B.C.”, Mary is visited by an angel telling her she will bear the Messiah. A pygmy jerboa named Abby overhears and tells the other animals as a star begins glowing brightly in the night.

Six months later, a young donkey is tired of milling wheat and wishes to join a traveling royal caravan so that he may feel important. An older donkey helps him escape the miller who owns them, and the young donkey ends up with an injured ankle at the house of Joseph and Mary who have just celebrated their wedding. Mary takes the donkey in and names him Bo, and reveals to Joseph that she is pregnant, with Joseph accepting Mary's situation after praying to God. During this time, Bo and his dove friend, Dave plot to escape despite Mary's kindness, but end up staying three more months.

Meanwhile, the three wise men and their camels, Felix, Cyrus, and Deborah, arrive at the home of King Herod. The wise men reveal their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but when they reveal that it is actually for the “new King”, he sends them on their way to meet him, but secretly sends his royal hunter and his two dogs, Thaddeus and Rufus, to find and kill the new King.

As Joseph and Mary leave Nazareth in order to head to Bethlehem, Bo and Dave try another escape, but are confronted by the dogs, who knew of the home by interrogating Abby. After learning that Joseph and Mary are not home, the hunter and his dogs leave to look for them. Feeling guilty, Bo decides to warn them with Dave joining him. Along the way, they meet a friendly sheep named Ruth who left her flock when she saw the star. They catch up to Joseph and Mary in time to warn them and hide them in a market place where the hunter ties up his dogs. Bo releases the cart Joseph and Mary were using to roll down and cause a chain reaction that knocks the hunter down a well. However, he creates severe damage to the market in the process, and Joseph, unaware of the danger, berates Bo for his actions.

Upset with being rejected, Bo leaves and Dave follows until they arrive at the royal caravan. While happy to have found it, Bo realizes that he liked being with Mary and tells Dave, who admits that he isn't upset and that he just wants Bo to be happy with his decision. Together, the two return and make up with Ruth, and then convince a frustrated Joseph to talk to Mary. Mary admits that it has been difficult for her and that she is scared of the importance of the baby, and they make up when Mary begins having contractions. They arrive at Bethlehem where Joseph can't find an inn for Mary. The miller, who just so happened to be there, kidnaps Bo with Dave and Ruth leaving to rescue him. The wise men arrive as well, but the camels, who are aware of Herod's plot, are left tied to a post.

Bo ends up in a stable where he meets a horse named Leah, a cow named Edith, and a goat named Zach. They reveal that they haven't been able to sleep because the star's bright light has been shining through on their manger for 9 months. Realizing that this is where the baby is supposed to be, the animals help Bo escape and he catches up with Dave and Ruth while spotting the hunter and his dogs. Bo finds Joseph and Mary and gets them back to the stable while Dave runs into Cyrus, Felix, and Deborah and helps them escape their bonds. Ruth finds her flock, who had previously refused to follow her, and tries to convince them to help, but gets unexpected help from the angel who informs the shepherds and the sheep that the Savior is coming. Bo manages to fight off Thaddeus and Rufus, but is outdone by the hunter. Suddenly, Ruth and her flock, the camels, and Dave arrive and dispatch with them by having them hang from a cliff. The hunter lets his dogs fall, but they are saved by Bo while the hunter himself falls to his death.

All of the animals, who are now joined by Abby who assumed the danger to be ongoing, and the redeemed Thaddeus & Rufus, shepherds, and three wise men arrive to see baby Jesus. Bo realizes that he has been carrying the new King the whole time. Deborah predicts that this event will be remembered around the world for years to come.

During the credits, it is shown in pictures that Joseph buys Bo from the miller, and both Bo and Dave help him and Mary raise Jesus.

Cast

-   MAIN ANIMAL CHARACTERS
    -   BO (Steven Yeun) - A young mill donkey who is loyal yet worrysome. He sees the star one night thinking it's a sign that his life is soon to change. When he hears of the Royal Caravan marching into Nazareth, he feels this is his purpose and escapes to try to join it. But when he encounters Mary, he feels more dedicated to be with her and keep her out of danger.
    -   DAVE (Keegan-Michael Key) - A sarcastic and egotiscial dove who is Bo's best friend. He joins Bo on his quest to join the Royal Caravan but is more set on that than he is at helping others.
    -   RUTH (Aidy Bryant) - A light-hearted, bubbly and naive sheep who left her flock to follow the star. She later joins Bo and Dave on their journey to Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph. At first, she's a nuisance to them, but Bo later grows a soft spot for her and soon becomes friends with her.
    -   THADDEUS (Ving Rhames) - A sinister purebred wolf who is determined to find the Son of God for his master.
    -   RUFUS (Gabriel Iglesias) - An alaunt who is Thaddeus' dimwitted sidekick.
    -   CYRUS (Tyler Perry) - The leader of the three camels. He is smart, calm, and collective but usually isn't always right.
    -   FELIX (Tracy Morgan) - The youngest of the three camels. He's the loudmouth comic relief of the trio, and he often gets into arguments with Cyrus.
    -   DEBORAH (Oprah Winfrey) - The only female of the three camels. She's the most down-to-earth of the trio, but the other two often think she's crazy despite her attempts at being the voice of reason and keeping her cohorts in check.
    -   EDITH (Patricia Heaton) - A cow who lives at the stable where Mary and Joseph eventually end up at. She's the most level-headed of the animals who reside at the stable and is mostly unamused and pessimistic.
    -   LEAH (Kelly Clarkson) - A horse who lives at the stable where Mary and Joseph eventually end up. She loves to sing, but more often than not, her singing is obnoxiously loud, which is most likely caused by her lack of sleep she got since the star began to shine over the stable.
    -   ZACH (Anthony Anderson) - A goat who lives at the stable where Mary and Joseph eventually end up at. He has deformed eyes and is very hyper and paranoid due to the lack of sleep he got since the star began to shine over the stable.
    -   ABBY (Kristin Chenoweth) - A pygmy jerboa who first witnesses the Angel coming to Mary. She tells her friends about it and tries to warn the others about the hunter.
-   MAIN HUMAN CHARACTERS
    -   MARY (Gina Rodriguez) - A young woman soon to be the Mother of Jesus, the Son of God. She's loving and caring.
    -   JOSEPH (Zachary Levi) - A young carpenter who Mary marries soon to be the earthly father of Jesus. He's usually pessimistic and paranoid.
    -   KING HEROD (Christopher Plummer) - The selfish, greedy, sinister king of Judea who hears about the new King who is arriving and sends the three wise men out to find Him in Bethlehem while secretly sending his hunter to find and kill Him.
    -   THE MILLER (Phil Morris) - Bo's former owner who is determined to get him back after he escaped from his mill.
    -   THE HUNTER (Lex Lang) - A large, sinister, yet silent hunter whom King Herod sends out to kill the new King.
-   OTHER CHARACTERS
    -   The Angel (Joel McCrary) - The Holy Spirit who tells Mary that she will soon be carrying the Son of God.
    -   Old Donkey (Kris Kristofferson) - Bo's fellow elderly mill donkey.
    -   Caspar (Joel Osteen) - One of the three wise men wearing blue and Felix's owner.
    -   Balthazar (Phil Morris) - One of the three wise men wearing purple and Cyrus' owner.
    -   Melchior (Fred Tatasciore) - One of the three wise men wearing red and Deborah's owner.
    -   Rebecca (Mariah Carey) - A chicken at a coop.
    -   Elizabeth (Delilah) - Zachariah's wife and John's mother.
    -   Zachariah (Joel McCrary) - Elizabeth's husband and John's father.
    -   Pottery Vendor (Fred Tatasciore)
    -   Chamberlain (Roger Craig Smith)
    -   Scribe (Joe Whyte)
    -   Horse (William Townsend)
    -   Goat (William Townsend)
    -   Innkeeper voices provided by Gregg Berger, Roger Craig Smith, Melissa Sturm, Fred Tatasciore, and Joe Whyte.

Production

The film's script was originally developed during the late 1990s by the Jim Henson Company, partially inspired by the success of the 1995 film _Babe_.[5][6]

In September 2014, it was reported that DeVon Franklin would produce a faith-based film inspired by the Nativity story under his production company, Franklin Entertainment, in collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation.[7] In April 2015, _Variety_ reported that Timothy Reckart would direct the film in his directing debut.[8] On August 5, 2015, it was announced that the film, then titled _The Lamb_, was given an official release date of December 8, 2017.[9] On June 20, 2016, it was announced that Brian Henson and Lisa Henson from The Jim Henson Company would be executive producers for the film, now titled _The Star_,[10] making it the first Henson-produced film for Sony since _The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland_ in 1999.

In an interview with Animation Magazine, Reckart expressed that he felt encouraged to direct the film, as he felt that there was a lack of Christmas films centering on the Nativity of Jesus: “It felt like an opportunity to be part of a movie that has not been done before, that's really going to fill a void.”[11]

The animation was produced by Cinesite Studios.[12] Animation work began on January 2017.[13]

Casting

On January 5, 2017, it was reported that Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry would be in the film.[14] The rest of the cast was announced on January 19, 2017.[15]

Soundtrack

_The Star (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)_ was released on October 27, 2017, including contributions from Jessie James Decker, Jake Owen, Kelsea Ballerini, Zara Larsson, Casting Crowns, Kirk Franklin, Fifth Harmony, Yolanda Adams, Saving Forever and Mariah Carey. Pentatonix also contributes a bonus track to the digital release of the album.[16] The main single _The Star_, interpreted by Mariah Carey ranked at No. 6 on the _Billboard_ US Holiday Digital Song Sales in 2017.[17] The song was nominated for the Best Original Song at the 75th Golden Globe Awards.[18]

Release

In July 2016, the release date was set for November 10, 2017,[19] but it was later pushed back to November 17, 2017.[20] _The Star_ had its world premiere in Los Angeles at the Regency Village Theater on November 12, 2017.[21]

Marketing

The first trailer was released on July 26, 2017.[22] On November 16, 2017, the official video for the song _The Star_, performed by Mariah Carey, was made available on her YouTube channel.[23]

Home media

_The Star_ was released on digital on February 6, 2018, and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 20, 2018 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.[24]

Reception

Box office

_The Star_ has grossed $40.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $22 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $62.8 million, against a production budget of $20 million.[25]

In the United States and Canada, _The Star_ was released alongside _Justice League_ and _Wonder_, and was projected to gross around $10 million from 2,800 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $2.8 million on its first day.[26] It ended up grossing $9.8 million in its opening weekend, finishing 6th at the box office.[27]

Critical response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an average rating by critics of 42% based on 52 reviews, with an average rating of 4.94/10. The site's critical consensus reads, “_The Star_ may not leave audiences singing 'Hallelujah', but its offbeat yet sincere approach to the nativity story makes for acceptably diverting holiday viewing.”[28] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[29] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “A” on an A+ to F scale.[30]

_The A.V. Club_{{'}}s Ignatiy Vishnevetsky criticized _The Star_ as a “rote cartoon feature” existing for purely commercial reasons: “...even the kid-friendliest, Sunday-school-iest kind of religious art can't spring from religion alone; it needs artistry, too. Otherwise, you end up with a generic product aimed at a market segment who'll buy anything as long as it seems sufficiently churchy.”[31]

Accolades

  Award                                              Category                                                             Recipients                   Result
  -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- --------
  Golden Globe Awards[32]                            Best Original Song                                                   “The Star”
  Annie Awards[33]                                   Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production                 Louie del Carmen
  Best Editorial in an Animated Feature Production   Pamela Ziegenhagen
  Heartland Film Festival 2017[34]                   Truly Moving Picture Award                                           Timothy Reckart
  Guild of Music Supervisors Awards[35]              Best Music Supervision for Film: Budgeted Under 25 Million Dollars   Spring Aspers and Ron Fair

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18] Globes nominations: Read the full list Entertainment Weekly, Retrieved December 11, 2017

[19]

[20] WHY NOVEMBER 17 IS ONE OF THE MOST-PACKED RELEASE DATES OF 2017 IGN, November 8, 2017

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

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[34]

[35]

title: The Star (2017 film)

question: How is the film title "The Star" related to Christmas?

answer: "The Star" refers to a star that begins to glow brightly after Mary is told she will have a son by an angel.

question: There are dogs in this Christmas film. Explain.

answer: Two dogs, Thaddeus and Rufus, belong to King Herod's royal hunter, who is sent to find and kill the new king.

question: What are three facts about Bo?

answer:
He is a donkey.
He is friends with Dave, who is a dove.
He carries Mary and her baby to Bethlehem.

question: In this article, what is The Star's rating on Rotten Tomatoes?

answer: 4.94/10

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This text overviews the plot, cast, production, release, and general reception of the animated Christian comedy Christmas film, The Star. The story is told from the perspective of Bo, a donkey, and the other animals in the tale. The film had a star-studded cast and did quite well overall.


text:
KOTA CHAMBAL TIGERS, commonly abbreviated as KCT, is franchise cricket team representing Kota, Rajasthan in the Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League (RCL). It is one of the six founding member teams of RCL 2016. The franchise is owned by Plum Sports .[1] Kota Chambal Tigers are currently the crowned champions as they won the inaugural edition of RCL in 2016.[2]

About Franchise

Kota Chambal Tigers (KCT) is a premier franchise of Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League (RCL) owned by Plum Sports Holdings (P) Limited. At the inaugural season of Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League (RCL), Kota Chambal Tigers was one of the six teams that were formed. Mr. Aakarshit Madaan and Mr. Abhishek Bajaj are the founders of Plum Sports Holdings (P) Limited and thus the owners of the KCT franchise.[3]

About The Logo

The logo of Kota Chambal Tigers has a Tiger within a crest having Lime Green and Navy Blue colours. The reason for having a tiger in the logo is because of the presence of Tigers in and around the Chambal Region of Rajasthan and denotion of Tigers as a symbol of Strength, Energy and Courage - which is reflection of players of Kota Chambal Tigers. The colors - Lime and Navy Blue is representative of the Jersey colours of Kota Chambal Tigers.

Home Ground

[International Cricket Stadium on the day of Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League finals 2016, before start of play.] International Stadium is a cricket ground in Kota, Rajasthan. The ground as established in 1974 with name of Municipal Stadium. The ground regularly hosts Ranji matches for Rajasthan cricket team. Till date the ground has hosted six first-class matches and a List A matches.

The ground hosted RCL T20 2016 from 16 February to 24 February with six teams from all across Rajasthan and 18 matches, in total.[4]

Team Performance

[The players of Kota Chambal Tigers completing a victory run at International Cricket Stadium, Kota, Rajasthan after winning Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League 2016]

Season 1

In the first season of Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League (RCL) 2016, Kota Chambal Tigers started their campaign on 18 February 2016 against Jaipur Pink City Royals which was held on a stalemate, for which Super Over method was adopted where Kota Chambal Tigers emerged victorious.[5] Dishant Yagnik was awarded Man of the Match for his quick runs and brilliant captaincy under pressure.

In the league stage, Kota Chambal Tigers cruised ahead of all others in first four matches with brilliant performances from Dishant Yagnik, Rajesh Bishnoi Sr., Divya Pratap Singh Hada, Rituraj Singh, Mahipal Lomror among others.[6] The team hit a speed-breaker with their fifth and final match of RCL 2016 league stage matches, where Jodhpur Jodhana Royals beat Kota at their homeground. Nevertheless, they qualified for Knockout rounds with a peak position on the table.

Kota Chambal Tigers was set out to have a semi-finals with Ajmer Meru Warriors where with help of an explosive start from Divya Pratap Singh Hada and a masterful half-century from Dishant Yagnik helped Kota Chambal Tigers attain a total of 191 runs at the end of 20 overs. Ajmer could never capitalise over the required Run Rate and fell short by 10 runs with help of a great all-around bowling performance from bowlers of Kota Chambal Tigers. Chandrapal Singh was awarded Man of the Match award for his brilliant all-round performance with bat and ball.[7]

The final was played between Kota Chambal Tigers and Jodhpur Jodhana Royals at International Stadium, Kota on 23 February 2016. Kota won the toss and elected to bat and put up a respectable total of 141 with middle-order pitching in a hundred runs. Jodhpur got on to a solid start but failed to capitalise as wickets kept falling at regular intervals and ultimately required run-rate was too much for them to handle. Ultimately, they were bowled out in 19 overs with 18 runs short of Kota's score. Gaurav Sharma took four wickets, with Naresh Nama picking up three, both having an economy of less than three runs per over. Gaurav Sharma was awarded Man of the Match for his all-round performance with both Bat as well as Ball by Mohd. Kaif and Mr. Amin Pathan, Chairman of Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League.[8] Kota won the match as well as Rajasthan Rajwada T-20 Cricket League 2016 Inaugural Edition.[9]

The first season of Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League was a Live telecast on NEO Sports and NEO Prime.[10]

Season 2

[Official Jersey for Kota Chambal Tigers for RCL 2017[11]] The launch of second season took place at Tivoli Gardens, Chattarpur, Delhi on 29 July 2016. RCL also unveiled the two new teams to be playing in Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League 2017 and the jerseys of all the eight teams that will be participating. The guests in attendance were Kainaat Arora, Sh. Om Birla (Member of Parliament - Kota Bundi) and Sh. Amin Pathan, Minister of State, Rajasthan Government and Siddharth Trivedi.[12]

On 5 December 2016, Kota unveiled Farveez Maharoof as Kota Chambal Tigers' mentor and a new addition to their squad. The unveiling of rest of the squad followed, which included Dishant Yagnik, Nathu Singh, Mahipal Lomror and Salman F. Khan among others.

The stage is all set for the second season of RCL to be played at International Cricket Stadium, Kota, Rajasthan from 6 February to 24 February 2017.[13]

Squad

The Tigers

  Name of the player       Major League (Teams) Played/Playing                            Batting Style   Bowling Style            Year Played/Playing for KCT
  ------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------- --------------- ------------------------ -----------------------------
  Farveez Maharoof ^       International Player (Sri Lanka)                               Right-handed    Right-arm Fast Medium    2017
  Dishant Yagnik *#        IPL(Rajasthan Royals), Ranji Trophy (Rajasthan)                Left-handed     -                        2016, 2017
  Mahipal Lomror           India U-19, IPL (Delhi Daredevils), Ranji Trophy (Rajasthan)   Left-handed     Slow Left-arm Orthodox   2016, 2017
  Nathu Singh              IPL (Mumbai Indians), Ranji Trophy                             Right-handed    Right-arm Medium         2017
  Rajesh Bishnoi           IPL (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Ranji Trophy (Rajasthan)    Right-handed    Right-arm Medium Fast    2016
  Farman Ahmad             IPL (Delhi Daredevils)                                         Right-handed    Right-arm Medium         2016
  Salman Khan              India U-19, Ranji Trophy (Rajasthan)                           Right-handed    Right-arm Offbreak       2017
  Tanvir Ul-Haq            Ranji Trophy (Rajasthan)                                       Right-handed    Left-arm Medium Fast     2016, 2017
  Puneet Yadav             Ranji Trophy (Rajasthan)                                       Right-handed    Right-arm Medium         2017
  Divyapratap Singh Hada   Ranji Trophy (Rajasthan)                                       Right-handed    Right-arm Medium         2016, 2017
  Ritu Raj Singh           Central Zone, India A, Ranji Trophy (Goa and Rajasthan)        Right-handed    Right-arm Medium         2016
  Chandrapal Singh         Ranji Trophy (Rajasthan)                                       Right-handed    Right-arm Offbreak       2016
  Shubhanshu Vijay         Ranji Trophy (Rajasthan)                                       Right-handed    -                        2016
  Naresh Nama              U-23 Rajasthan                                                 Right-handed    Left-arm Spin            2016, 2017
  Rajkumar Saini #         U-23 Rajasthan                                                 Right-handed    -                        2017
  Ajay Raj Singh           U-19 Rajasthan                                                 Left-handed     -                        2017
  Deepak Karswara          U-19 Rajasthan                                                 Right-handed    Right-arm                2016, 2017

  Key
  -------- --------------
  Symbol
  ^
  -
  1.

[1]

[2]  News Chakra|last=Saxena|first=Rajeev|website=newschakra.in|access-date=2016-12-24}}

[3]  Indian Company Info|website=www.indiancompany.info|access-date=2016-12-24}}

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]  RCL 2017 Kota Live Scores|website=rclt20.com|access-date=2016-12-25}}

[8]

[9]  News Chakra|last=Saxena|first=Rajeev|website=newschakra.in|access-date=2016-12-25}}

[10]  burrp!TV Guide|website=tv.burrp.com|access-date=2016-12-25}}

[11]  Facebook|website=www.facebook.com|access-date=2016-12-24}}

[12]

[13]

title: Kota Chambal Tigers

question: What league is the Kota Chambal Tigers in?

answer: They are in the Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League.

question: What are the jersey colors of Kota Chambal Tigers?

answer: Their jersey colors are lime and navy blue.

question: Where is the Kota Chambal Tigers home stadium?

answer: Unclear. International Stadium in Kota, Rajasthan hosts matches for Rajasthan cricket team.

question: Who owns the Tigers?

answer: The Tigers are owned by Plum Sports.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article details the history and performance of the Kota Chambal Tigers, a cricket team representing Kota, Rajasthan in the Rajasthan Rajwada Cricket League. They are the current champions of the Rajwada Cricket League.


text:
BARKAN is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It may also refer to:

People

-   Adi Barkan, Israeli model agent and activist
-   Alexander Barkan (1909–1990), American labor leader
-   Eyal Barkan, Israeli music producer and DJ
-   Joel Barkan (1941–2014), American political scientist
-   Leonard Barkan, American professor of literature
-   Mark Barkan (1934–2020), American songwriter and producer
-   Nimrod Barkan (born 1952), Israeli diplomat
-   Ross Barkan (born 1989), American journalist and writer
-   Seth Flynn Barkan (born 1980), American poet, musician and journalist
-   Steven Barkan (born 1951), American sociologist
-   Yehuda Barkan (1945-2020), Israeli film actor, producer and director

Places

-   Barkan, Fars, a village in Darab County, Fars Province, Iran
-   Barkan, Nowshahr, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran
-   Barkan, Yemen, a village in the Abyan Governorate

title: Barkan (disambiguation)

question: How many places named Barkan there are?

answer: There are four places named Barkan - in Israel, two in Iran, and in the Abyan Governorate.

question: Wha is Adi Barkan?

answer: Adi Barkan is an Israeli model agent and activist.

question: Who s Seth Flynn Barkan?

answer: Seth Flynn Barkan is an American poet, musician and journalist.

question: Who is Yehuda Barkan?

answer: Yehuda Barkan an Israeli film actor, producer and director.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Barkan is an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It may also refer to two places in Iran and a place in the Abyan Governorate. Barkan is also the last name. Adi Barkan is an Israeli model agent and activist, Ross Barkan is an American journalist and writer, Steven Barkan is an American sociologist, etc.


text:
The REDUCTION OF LAGOS or BOMBARDMENT OF LAGOS involved the British Royal Navy's attacks on Lagos in the fourth quarter of 1851 under the pretext of abolishing the Atlantic slave trade. Many intersecting interests provided the Government of the United Kingdom with the necessary impetus for military action against the sovereign of Lagos, Oba Kosoko. These interests included British desire to abolish the slave trade and replace it with legitimate trade, British missionaries who wanted to spread their religion, the desire of the deposed monarch (Akitoye) to recover his throne, and the fears of persecuted Saro people that they would be re-enslaved.

Background

Royal Navy's early 19th century anti-slavery measures

In Britain's early 19th century fight against the Atlantic slave trade, its West Africa Squadron or Preventative Squadron as it was also known, continued to pursue Portuguese, American, French, and Cuban slave ships and to impose anti-slavery treaties with West African coastal chiefs with so much doggedness that they created a strong presence along the West African coast from Sierra Leone all the way to the Niger Delta (today's Nigeria) and as far south as Congo.[1]

In 1849, Britain appointed John Beecroft Consul of the Bights of Benin and Biafra, a position he held (along with his governorship of Fernando Po) until his death in 1854.[2] Lagos was a key slave trading port, in the western part of this area. John Duncan was appointed Vice Consul and was located at Whydah.[3]

Rival Obas, Akitoye vs. Kosoko

Oba Kosoko ousted Oba Akitoye from the throne of Lagos in 1845 and forced him into exile. Akitoye recognized the need for British military alliance (and the requirement to give up the slave trade) as a necessary condition for taking back the throne. In December 1850, Akitoye appealed for British aid reminding the British about a similar plea he had made back in 1846, promising to embrace legitimate trade if assistance were provided to put him back on the throne.[4]

Appeals for intervention by British missionaries and Saro people

British missionaries sought the outright abolition of the slave trade and its replacement by legitimate commerce, and they wanted to carry out their evangelical work without risk or hindrance. Similarly many of the liberated Saros (many of whom were Christians) by this time present in Lagos and Abeokuta were in a precarious situation, being persecuted and even returned to slavery. They presented arguments for British intervention to Lord Palmerston,

In August 1851, Henry Venn executed a powerful public relations coup by deploying Samuel Ajayi Crowther, (who had been liberated by the British Navy, resettled in Sierra Leone, and was now a missionary himself) to argue the case for British intervention in Lagos before Queen Victoria, Lord Palmerston, and the Lords of the Admiralty.[5] Bishop Crowther argued that if Lagos were placed under Akitoye and allied with Britain, British commercial interests would be guaranteed and the slave trade could be suppressed. The Admiralty and Palmerston commissioned Beecroft to make an assessment.

Last minute diplomacy

On November 20, 1851 a British party consisting of Consul Beecroft, Commander Wilmot, Commander Gardner, and Lieutenant Patey arrived at the Oba Kosoko's palace in an attempt to seek a British/Lagos friendship dependent on Kosoko's renunciation of the slave trade.[6] Kosoko, through Oshodi Tapa, rejected the friendship offer and the British delegation departed the Oba's palace. Beecroft then wrote to the senior officer of the Bights division, Commander Forbes, that it was time for the British Royal Navy to expel Kosoko and install Akitoye, the “rightful heir”.[7]

British naval action

There were actually two naval actions; one in November 1851 and the second in December 1851.

Battle of November 25, 1851

The first attack on November 25, 1851 was hastily organized and led by Commander Forbes who underestimated Oba Kosoko's defenses of about 5,000 men armed with muskets. Forbes' attack party consisted of 306 officers, men, marines and sailors aboard HMS _Bloodhound_ along with 21 boats. Although _Bloodhound_ sustained heavy cannon fire from the shore, a landing party went ashore but met stiff resistance. By nightfall, the British had sustained two dead and ten injuries; Commander Forbes ordered a retreat.[8]

Battle of December 26, 1851

[British Men o' War Attacked by the King of Lagos] The battle of December 26, 1851 was termed by Lagosians Ogun Ahoyaya/Ogun Agidingbi (translated, “The Boiling Battle”). Captain Jones led the attack party consisting HMS _Bloodhound_, HMS _Teaser_, a flotilla of boats including _The Victoria_ and _The Harlequin_ equipped with overwhelming fire power engaged Kosoko in a battle lasting three days. Kosoko put up a stiff resistance, but the Royal Navy's superior firepower won the day. Kosoko and his leading chiefs fled Lagos for Epe on December 28, 1851. According to Samuel Davies, a Saro and younger brother of JPL Davies who participated on the British side aboard HMS _Bloodhound_, Kosoko would have inflicted great losses on the Royal Navy if he had deployed his war canoes with their swivel guns. However, he relied solely on static defenses which were overwhelmed.[9] On the British side 15 men died and 75 were wounded. A young James Pinson Labulo Davies was among the wounded.[10]

Akitoye was taken ashore on December 29 to assess the bombarded town. He accepted the loyalty of the chiefs and was installed as Oba of Lagos. On December 30, the Royal Navy dismantled all Kosoko's batteries and dumped 46 of his war guns at sea.[11]

Treaty between Great Britain and Lagos, suppression of the slave trade

With Akitoye installed as Oba a new Treaty between Lagos and Great Britain was signed on January 1, 1852. The Treaty abolished the slave trade and human sacrifice, commencing the Consular period in Lagos history. This set the stage for Britain's annexation of Lagos a decade later in August 1861.

[1]

[2] Howard Temperley, ‘Beecroft, John (1790–1854)’, rev. Elizabeth Baigent, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

title: Reduction of Lagos

question: What reason was given for the British attack on Lagos?

answer: Abolition of the Atlantic Slave Trade

question: Which treaty indirectly led to the annexation of Lagos

answer: The specific name is not given, but it was the one signed between Britain and Lagos on January 1, 1852

question: Why was Lagos essential to the slave trade?

answer: It was a port city where many slaves were sold.

question: What fate befell the first naval action on Lagos?

answer: They were outnumbered and forced to flee.

question: Describe the role of missionaries in the abolition movement, according to this article.

answer: Many British missionaries supported the replacement of the slave trade with 'legitimate' commerce. They petitioned the Queen for military intervention in Lagos in order to suppress the slave trade.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses the bombardment of Lagos by the British Navy in 1851 for the purposes of suppressing the Atlantic slave trade. The social pressures leading up to that action, both within Britain and within Lagos, are also discussed. Some details of the conflict, including casualties and dates, were listed as well.


text:
[]A bombshell report about Robert Mueller’s investigation rocked Washington.

Pundits and insiders were floored.

And now Mueller is on thin ice because no one could believe what he uncovered.

Mueller met with Trump’s lawyers to try and hash out an agreement for the special counsel’s team to interview the President.

The special counsel revealed that they would like the interview so they can wrap up a report about possible obstruction of justice and would release their findings in stages.

_The Washington Post_ reports:

  _“Mueller’s investigators have indicated to the president’s legal team that they are considering writing reports on their findings in stages — with the first report focused on the obstruction issue, according to two people briefed on the discussions._

  _Under special counsel regulations, Mueller is required to report his conclusions confidentially to Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, who has the authority to decide whether to release the information publicly._

  _“They’ve said they want to write a report on this — to answer the public’s questions — and they need the president’s interview as the last step,” one person familiar with the discussions said of Mueller’s team._

  _Trump’s attorneys expect the president would also face questions about what he knew about any contacts by his associates with Russians officials and emissaries in 2016, several White House advisers said. The president’s allies believe a second report detailing the special counsel’s findings on Russia’s interference would be issued later.”_

Mueller also informed Trump’s attorneys that the President was a subject and not a target of their investigation.

This means that after a nearly year-long fishing expedition, Mueller has not uncovered any evidence to charge the President with a crime.

Instead of sitting for an interview, Trump should demand Mueller wrap up his probe and clear him.

The only purpose of an interview is to catch Trump in a “perjury trap.”

[Learn more about RevenueStripe... ]

[ ]

That means if in the course of an interview Trump misremembers who attended a meeting or what was discussed, Mueller can claim he lied to investigators and present that to Congress as grounds for impeachment.

Mueller was put into place to bring down the President.

And the establishment will not be satisfied with him coming up empty.

We will keep you up to date on any new developments in this story.

question: Who is Robert Mueller?

answer: He is the special counsel for the Department of Justice.

question: What is his investigation all about?

answer: Whether President Trump is liable for obstruction of justice and if he knew if his associates had any contact with Russian officials and emissaries involved in interfering with the 2016 election.

question: Who is Rod J. Rosenstein?

answer: He's the Deputy Attorney General whom Mueller is required to report his conclusions and has the authority to decide whether to release the information publicly.

question: Why does Mueller want to interview Trump?

answer: The special counsel says the president's interview is the final step, but the author believes the interview is to catch Trump in a "perjury trap" wherein if Trump misremembers a detail during the course of the interview, Mueller can claim he lied to investigators, which is grounds for impeachment.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections is wrapping up. His team needs to interview President Trump as the last step before writing a report to answer the public's questions. Under special counsel regulations, Mueller is required to report his conclusions to Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, who has the authority to decide whether to release the information publicly. However, Trump's legal team feels that the interview is a "perjury trap" wherein if Trump misremembers a detail during the course of the interview, Mueller can claim he lied to investigators, which is grounds for impeachment.


text:
I am not a particularly good writer, but this is the dream I just had, I felt the urge to post it somewhere and found this subreddit.
~

The air was frigid with cold on the dark January day. Seattle is far enough north that the winter and summer day lengths are disproportionate. Usually during this time of year dusk will be at four o'clock. The result is darkness, and rain, and even depression. The dark days seemed to mess with my head, make my sleeping patterns go crazy. Oddly enough I was going to sleep in the very early hours of the morning, and waking up past noon whenever I could. Tonight was no different as I went to sleep at almost 3 in the morning.

Like any night I missed her to no end. I would likely never see her again, yet i clung to the very thought of her. Like most nights I fell asleep crying into my pillow, curled in my blankets as the rain drizzled down just outside. I was in a dark haze, not sure if i was asleep or awake. Suddenly I was awoken with a feeling of dread; my very insides were churning, my pulse quickened and adrenalin kicked in. I felt a sudden agony in my head; it felt as if my head was on fire. I twisted in my blankets and felt my stomach drop, the feeling you get when you’re on a roller-coaster on that first drop. A bright light filled my eyes becoming stronger every second, I felt my bed drop from beneath me and suddenly I was floating in nothing, light surrounding me.

I was on the dry grass beside a busy road, my eyes adjusted then I saw her, waiting to cross the street just 5 yards before me. I was behind her she did not see me, nor did anyone of the cars rushing past. Somehow I was in Arizona. I began to pick myself up from the grass watching her as she started to cross the street. When something else caught my eye, it was a large truck, speeding through the previous intersection. I saw it, she did not. I shouted her name, attempting to warn her. I sprinted towards her just as she turned around to see the truck hurtling towards her. I jumped, pushing her out of the way and we both hit the ground hard. The trucks tire caught my leg and suddenly it was on fire. I looked again at her calling her name again as my head gave out.

Yet I quickly came out again and I was on the side of the road. She held my head as I looked up at her amazing brown eyes, she was so fucking beautiful. I cried a bit, heard a siren and passed out again. I could tell my leg was in a bad shape as I woke on my hospital bed. I looked and saw she was beside my bed, sitting beside me on a chair gently sleeping while holding my hand. I lay there for an hour until she woke, we acknowledged each other silently then I leaned over and hugged her. My held felt numb and my sight went dark again, followed by pure light.

I was in my own bed again, back in Washington listening to the sound of the rain fall endlessly outside.

title: I have never written a short story, nor do i consider this to be one. Rather, the recollection of a dream.

question: Who does the narrator miss?

answer: He misses a woman who is not named in the story.

question: How does the narrator get injured?

answer: He runs into traffic to meet with a girl he misses and pushes her out of the way of a truck.

question: How did the narrator arrive at the road?

answer: He was in a dream and he appeared there. It's not explained how.

question: What type of injury does the narrator sustain?

answer: His leg is hurt by a truck.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is having a dream about an encounter with a woman he misses. He saves her from getting hit by a car but gets injured himself.


text:
--Prologue--

	I never wanted this... I thought by leaving Earth I could escape the shitty lot in life I had, but boy was I wrong. I’ve been hopping from colony to colony to for about a year now. First I tried to find some work on several lunar colonies, to no avail. Then I hitched a ride out to Mars on the little credit I had left. I was able to scrape enough money to get to Ceres, where I found work for one of the science research teams there. I really enjoyed Ceres, I could have stayed there for quite a while, but just like everything else that’s ever gone right for me, it was crushed. An experiment involving a miniscule amount of anti-matter while I was off-duty completely destroyed our lab, putting me out of work, thankfully I had made enough off of my research to finally get me to Jupiter. That’s where I’m headed now, to a Jovian Platform, one devoted to science and discovery, one where I will strive.

--The Seventh Column--

	“The Seventh Column will be departing in 10 standard minutes.” announced the robotic voice of the loudspeaker, though I could hardly hear it. It’s loud here on Mars, far different than Ceres, where it was quiet and peaceful. I had to return to Mars to find a ship that could take me to Jupiter, big ships like that never stop at Ceres. The Seventh Column was the cheapest ride I could find, well within my tight budget of 6 billion credits. I already had a job waiting for me on the Jovian Platform Scipio, a well paying job researching anti-matter physics, just like on Ceres. The only difference is that Scipio has real funding, with much better equipment than I could’ve dreamed of on Ceres.

	“The Seventh Column will be departing in 5 standard minutes.”came from the loudspeaker as I checked and made sure I had everything, when I heard footsteps. I was on a fairly empty flight, with plenty of room for everyone to stay away from each other. There was no reason for anyone to be near me, and judging by the number of footsteps, this was a group of people. I looked up, and three men were standing in front of me. Rugged, worn by space travel, they had probably never seen the light of Earth.

	“Are you Isav Re’e?” asked the man on my right, who stood slightly behind the man in the center, who was clearly the leader.

	“Yes, that I am.” I said. “Why?” This wasn’t looking good, they were using one of my old aliases.

	“We’ve been looking for you... You were stupid to come back here.” said the man on my left, who I began to recognize. The tattoo on the right side of his neck gave him away, it was the symbol of the male, with a dot in the center. He was from the Maln Clan, who I worked for briefly before I left Mars the first time. I left on not so pleasant terms, too.

	“Shuttup, Ronin.” said the center man. “Look, Young, we don’t want a mess here. Come with us peacefully and we’ll make sure you aren’t hurt. If you don’t comply then... I can’t guarantee your safety.” I was in a bind, I had less than five minutes so if I left I’d miss the flight, and lose my job on Jupiter, but if I tried to stay, these guys would drag me out by force. I needed to act quickly.

	“Alright, just let me get my things, I’ve got a bag in the back.” I lied. I got up and started walking to the cargo bay, where no-one was stationed.

	“Alright, just hurry up, we don’t got all day.” said Ronin, as they began to follow me back. They had taken the bait, now I just had to reel them in. I did some quick mental predictions and chose the one with the best chances. I reached up and grabbed a large bag, and as I pulled it down I slammed it into Ronin’s face, knocking him out instantly. I dove behind a shelf and grabbed another bag, this one a little smaller, perfect to use with one hand. I waited for the other two to round the corner until I threw the bag at the other cronnie while I tripped the leader. As soon as his head hit the ground I slammed my fist upwards into his nose, killing him. I did the same to Ronin and the other one, and stuffed their bodies in a small nook of an access corridor.

	I got back to my seat as two crew members were coming towards me. They were asking all the passengers about something, tickets I guess. I was still trying to process what had just happened, when they approached me.

	“Excuse me sir, have you seen these three men on the ship?” the crewman, whose I.D. badge read Aman, showed me a Holopane with the image of the three men who attacked me. My face went hot, my head started spinning, but I was able to compose myself.

	“No, why?” I replied.

	“They requested to come see someone on the ship, but we didn’t see them come out.” said the second man, whose I.D. badge read Czevk.

	“Can’t you check the surveillance to see if they did come out?”

	“Afraid not, cameras broken. That’s why we’re asking the passengers. Everyone else said they saw them, but you didn’t, correct?” said Czevk.

	“That’s right, sir.” I replied, I was starting to sweat.

	“Alright, well, I guess they didn’t come this far back. They’re probably hiding somewhere up front.” said Aman.

	“Maybe they slipped by you and you didn’t notice. You guys were preparing to set off right?”

	“Yeah, that’s true...” said Aman looking over at Czevk. “Ah, fuck it, let’s go. I’m ready to get out of here.” He looked back at me, “Thanks for co-operating, Mr.?”

	“Young. Dr. Isais Carson Young.” I replied.

	“Thank you, Dr. Young.” said Aman, who then walked off with Czevk.

	“We apologize for the wait, The Seventh Column will now be departing from Docking Bay 823.B heading for Jupiter’s Orbital Station.” announced the loudspeaker as the ship began to hum. I had grown accustomed to the feeling over the past two years, but it never ceased to please me. It calmed me down so much it was amusing. Nothing like soaring through the vacuum of space at the speed of light to soothe the nerves.

title: The Seventh Column

question: Where is the narrator going?

answer: The narrator is going to the Jovian Platform Scipio, orbiting Jupiter.

question: Who came looking for the narrator?

answer: Three members of the Maln Clan were looking for the narrator.

question: What did the narrator do to the people looking for him?

answer: The narrator killed the people looking for him.

question: What does the narrator do for a living?

answer: The narrator's job is researching anti-matter physics.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is waiting for his ship to leave for Jupiter when three men come looking for him. They want to take him away but the narrator kills them. The narrator hides the bodies and the ship takes off.


text:
The CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ SMARAK or CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ MEMORIAL is a monument under construction dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj , the 17th century Indian warrior king and founder of the Maratha Empire. The statue will be located in Arabian Sea, near the coast of Mumbai, Maharashtra.[1]

Specifications

[The memorial will be dedicated to Shivaji] The statue will be located facing Mumbai's Girgaum Chowpatty beach, away on a manmade island of rocks.[2] The statue will be in height, placed on top of a pedestal,[3] making the total height of the monument .[4] Statue was initially planned for 192 metres, however was increased to 212 metres as the state government wanted to keep the statue as the tallest competing against an upcoming statue Spring Temple Buddha in China.[5] The project area is planned to be spread over . It is expected to be completed in 2021. Initially the total cost of the project was estimated to be about , but cost-reduction measures have resulted in a contract worth 2500 crores.

The completed vision of the project will include visitor centre buildings, a memorial garden, a library, food court, and convention centre with room for approximately 10,000 people.[6] The memorial will also have a museum, exhibition gallery, amphitheater, helipad, and hospital. The memorial will showcase replicas of Shivaji's forts.

Status

[Prime Minister, Narendra Modi performing a _Jal Pujan_ ritual, asking the deities to bless the location of the future statue. 24 December 2016.] Volunteers have collected water from various rivers in the state and soil from Shivaji's forts for the foundation-stone laying ceremony on 24 December 2016 by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[7][8]

Egis in India has been appointed the Project Management Consultant.[9] Egis in India is the local arm of the France-based Egis group.[10]

The Koli fishing community staged protests and they fear that they will lose their livelihood.[11]

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray suggested that the money could be better utilised for the development and maintenance of the forts and palaces in Maharashtra, many built during the reign of Shivaji maharaj.[12]

Initial plans for the project called for the foundation to be built from reclaimed basalt and rubble from the Colaba–SEEPZ metro tunnel. However, due to delays associated with the monument, the rubble is no longer reserved for the monument, and is being transported to quarries for storage.[13]

On 1 March 2018, a Letter of Acceptance was issued to the contracting firm Larsen & Toubro.[14]

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title: Shiv Smarak

question: What is the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Smarak or Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial?

answer: It is a monument under construction dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

question: Who is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj?

answer: He is the 17th-century Indian warrior king and founder of the Maratha Empire.

question: Where will the memorial be located?

answer: The statue will be located in the Arabian Sea, near the coast of Mumbai, Maharashtra, facing Mumbai's Girgaum Chowpatty beach, away on a manmade island of rocks.

question: What are the other planned features of the project other than the memorial?

answer: The memorial will have visitor center buildings, a memorial garden, a library, a food court, and a convention center with room for approximately 10,000 people. The memorial will also have a museum, exhibition gallery, amphitheater, helipad, and hospital. The memorial will showcase replicas of Shivaji's forts.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Smarak or Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial is a monument under construction dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the 17th-century Indian warrior king and founder of the Maratha Empire. The statue will be located in the Arabian Sea, near the coast of Mumbai, Maharashtra, and will feature a memorial garden, library, museum, and amphitheater, among others.


text:
Even before I was consciously aware of the why, my body always signaled to me that I was bothered. It had a process for dealing that prepared my brain for what was to come. But it had never been like this.

Far in advance of conscious realization, dismay danced hot across my skin and coalesced in my chest - as weighty darkness often does.

Deep down it went. To that place where heavy hearts are anvils, weaponizing memories. Where the blackened iron of bad decisions forge the instruments that undermine our peace.

My body's loudest tell was insomnia. Without fail, I knew the the precipice of peril was peakng- because my body made me peek back and the dreams don't come. When morpheus is too scared or too busy to pay his dues, nothing good ever comes.

Today was Friday. *Was* Friday until it wasn't anymore - but I haven't slept long enough to be able to tell you the difference. Between Friday and now.

It had been days of fast minutes and long hours. I spent them thinking of her. Tick tock Tick Tick. The clock skipped a beat mirroring my circadian arrhythmia.

I knew She was involved. Somehow.  Times like this, thoughts slip sideways and I begin to wonder if it cost too much.  My humanity.

In my dreams, the familiar weight of past misdeeds finds me. Carries me under the riptide of the disorienting crush of numb - feet first. But they found me wide awake - the sinking heavy threatening to overcome all else.

I found myself flailing against that feeling - struggling against inevitable currents of cacophonous events. Each one ill defined until the dissection that will pick each instance apart like so much carrion.
But That comes after.

Finally recognition sparked. A misdeed poorly hidden. Cheating. Betrayal. Sadness. Understanding.

Wrongness crept, then leapt, and I disconnected. From myself.  I am culpable for everything, but in that moment I was Beast. Not beholden to morality.

"I saw, but do lie! I SAW BUT DO LIE!"
My mouth made the words my ears did not hear.

and then closure.

A final heaviness slipped past my ribcage to my chest. The final memory - forged company for the rest.
Darkness came, but it was not the same.

This was not Dream's darkness. There would be no waking up this time.

title: Disjunction and the heavy darkness

question: What was the narrator's body bothered about?

answer: The narrator's body was bothered about not getting enough sleep.

question: Why couldn't the narrator sleep?

answer: The narrator couldn't sleep because he would keep thinking about a woman.

question: Who was the narrator thinking about?

answer: A woman, probably his ex-lover.

question: Does the narrator die?

answer: Yes.

question: Write a ~6 sentence summary.

answer:
The narrator's body had a process for preparing his brain for what was to come. He could not get sleep, it was insomnia. He knew it had something to do with his lover.
All his misdeeds start to show up in his dreams. He screams, "I saw, but do lie!"
And finally, his eyes shut but only this time, there was no waking.


text:
	It is the same mantra I recited every night in my head. Without fail and without bidding, as soon as I lie my weary head on my pillow those words carry me on to sleep. It seems like my whole life has been lived on those words. Every day is the same drudgery with different scenery. I don’t remember a time it was ever different.

	It’s cold out and I don’t want to leave the covers. Is it because of the cold? Or because of the disgust I have for myself and the world around me. Disgust? Is that the word? I think apathy would be more appropriate. I am apathetic to everything and everyone and yet I am still her, trudging along like a dream. How do I keep going? Because I must.

	I pull myself out of bed- late again. Damn. I wish I cared. All I care about is the minor annoyance my boss will be when I show up 20 minutes late. Maybe one of these days I’ll lose my job because of it, maybe. I go along with the normal morning routine. Brush teeth, wash face, comb hair, dress. There’s no sense of urgency. I’m late, but I won’t change that and it doesn’t matter anyhow.

	After my short commute I show up 15 minutes after I should. No one says a word. They seem to ignore me as a trudge past the cubicle prison to my very own cell. No word from the boss. I guess he’s used to this by now.

	Another day drifts by slowly, like I am on a death bed. I can’t focus, can’t drive myself to do what I need to do. I barely have the motivation to dredge up distractions- youtube videos, reddit, anything to try to take my mind off what’s around me. Lunch rolls by. It’s afternoon already. 4pm. 1 hour left. If I lose my job I’ll lose everything. No food, no house, no video games to take my mind off everything when the work day ends. I get the only motivation I have all day- motivation to do just enough work to skid on by. I spend 60 minutes of the dreaded 540 minute work day actually doing enough to earn my keep. Even that’s not enough. Everyone can see my horrible performance.

	Maybe I should get another job. I’ll be happier at another job. But what if I won’t? What if I’m the problem? I don’t want to deal with new people and learning new things. I won’t be able to if I feel like this. It will worse and I’ll probably get paid less. No, I’ll keep this job as long as I can. I wonder how long that will be…

	5pm! It’s here. I feel a slight elation for the hour. But I haven’t finished up yet. I need to wrap up. 30 more minutes of excruciating pain.

	I’m home. Weighed down from another 9 hour day I want to forget. I open the door and slump in front of my computer. Games. Games will help me forget. I boot up league of legends and the time flies by. With every win I feel like I’ve accomplished something and with every loss I am upset at my incompetence. But for those few hours I’m not here anymore. I’m in another place and I’m happier. Happier than I’ve ever been in the real world. Why can’t it always be like this?

	11pm. I’m fatigued. It’s time for bed. Sometimes I have the energy to wash my face and brush my teeth, other times I don’t even care. As a lie down into bed and cover myself up I hear the familiar words that guide my life and lull me back to sleep.

I have lost my place in this world. I no longer belong. I only exist.

title: SS: "I have lost my place in this world. I no longer belong. I only exist."

question: What is the narrator late to?

answer: Work

question: What is the implied gender of the author?

answer: Female

question: How many hours does the narrator spend not working hard?

answer: 8

question: Describe the mental state of the narrator:

answer: She is depressed. She no longer cares about her job or coworkers.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator no longer enjoys life. She feels bored of her job and fatigued.


text:
[Spectrum]

Babies develop a preference for face-like light patterns even before birth

[Fetuses May Respond to Faces While in the Womb]

Credit: Steve Allen Getty Images
Fetuses favor patterns of light that resemble faces over those without face-like features, a new study suggests. The study, published last week in _Current Biology_, is the first to test visual processing in babies before birth.

The findings suggest that a preference for faces starts even before a baby has ever seen a face. And they run counter to the idea that babies like faces simply because that’s what they see first.

Gaining a better understanding of how face processing develops could help scientists better understand atypical development, including in the case of autism, says lead researcher Vincent Reid, professor of psychology at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.

“It could be that somebody’s early elements of visual processing are somehow not constructed correctly, which could then lead on to other forms of visual problems that you see in autism,” Reid says.

The work also has practical implications. Some children with autism avoid looking at people’s eyes and show an unusually weak brain response to images of faces. Scientists could look at the preferences of babies at high risk of autism while they are still in the womb.

“In principle, it could lead to the discovery of a very early developmental marker for risk for developing autism,” says Ralph Adolphs, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the California Institute of Technology, who was not involved with the study. Such a marker could help parents and clinicians decide on the best early therapies, he says.

BRIGHT SPOT:

From the first hours of life, babies prefer to look at faces over other stimuli. But their vision is blurry at birth, so they don’t see the details of a face, just its general outline. Until several years ago, scientists thought the uterus was a dark environment. But the uterus is now thought to transmit light in amounts that a fetus can see.

In the new study, researchers used lasers to shine three bright dots through the uterine wall in 39 women in their third trimester of pregnancy. In one configuration, the dots formed an inverted triangle resembling two eyes and a mouth. In the other, the dots formed a triangle with one dot at the top and two at the bottom.

Reid and his team showed each fetus both dot patterns five times, moving the light across each woman’s abdomen for five seconds. They recorded the fetus’ reaction using 4-D ultrasound, which streams a video of 3-D scans. Fetuses were more than twice as likely to turn their heads toward the face-like pattern as toward the simple triangle.

The ability to track the visual response of a fetus represents “a methodological advance,” says Mark Johnson, director of the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development at Birkbeck, University of London, who was not involved in the study. “It was known for quite a long time that we can study the auditory system of the fetus, see how they respond to speech and music, but it was assumed there was no point doing similar things with the visual system.”

The study also offers a way to extend work on infant vision to fetal development. It shows, Reid says, that “the fetus does not passively process the environment but actively responds to the environment.”

The researchers plan to extend the study to other areas of perception and cognition in fetuses. For example, they say, they would like to explore whether the fetus can discriminate between different numbers of dots.

FURTHER READING:

-   Doubt Greets Reports of Suramin’s Promise for Treating Autism
-   Parents’ Interactions with Infants May Alleviate Autism Features
-   New Tools Strengthen Old Link Between Autism, Mitochondria
-   Autism in Motion

_This story was originally published on Spectrum._

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

question: What does the study find?

answer: Babies develop a preference for face-like light patterns before birth

question: What do the findings help?

answer: Help give a better understanding of how face processing develops could help scientists better understand atypical development, including autism.

question: Who was the study conducted on?

answer: 39 women in their third trimester of pregnancy.

question: Who was leading the research?

answer: Vincent Reid, professor of psychology at Lancaster University in the UK.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer:
In a study lead by Vincent Reid, professor of psychology at Lancaster University, researchers find that babies develop a preference for face-like light patterns, even before birth. The findings help give a better understanding of how face processing develops could help scientists better understand atypical development, including autism.
The study included researchers using lasers to shine three bright dots through the uterine wall in 39 women in their third trimester of pregnancy.


text:
[First edition cover
(New Directions) ] _VIEUX CARRÉ_ (1977) is a play by Tennessee Williams. Referring to the French term for the French Quarter, it is a semi-autobiographical play set in New Orleans. Although he began writing the play shortly after moving to New Orleans from St. Louis in 1938, Williams did not complete it for nearly forty years.[1]

Drawing on earlier writings, Williams wrote most of the play in 1976. He prepared revisions for its New York premiere in 1977 and for two productions in England in 1978. The revised text was published by New Directions in 1979.[2]

Plot synopsis

Set in the late 1930s in a dilapidated boarding house at 722 Toulouse Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the play focuses on a nameless writer, who has newly arrived from St. Louis. He is struggling as a young man with his writing career, poverty, loneliness, homosexuality, and a cataract. He gradually becomes involved with other residents, including Mrs. Wire, his manipulative landlady; Nightingale, an older, predatory, tubercular artist who refuses to accept his condition; Jane, a New Rochelle society girl dying of leukemia; her sexually ambiguous, drug-addicted lover Tye, who works as a bouncer in a strip club; Mary Maud and Miss Carrie, two eccentric, poor, elderly women, who are literally starving to death; and a gay photographer with a passion for orgies.

Broadway production

Following eleven previews, the original Broadway production, directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, opened on May 11, 1977 at the St. James Theatre. It closed after five performances.

The cast included Richard Alfieri as the writer, Tom Aldredge as Nightingale, and Sylvia Sidney as Mrs. Wire. Galt MacDermot composed incidental music and co-wrote the songs “Sugar in the Cane” and “Lonesome Man” with Williams. The scenic and lighting designs were by James Tilton, and Jane Greenwood designed the costumes.

Critical reception

In his 1977 review in the _New York Times_, Clive Barnes wrote,

  Is _Vieux Carre_ a good play? Probably not. But it depends what you mean by good. It is a play of blatant melodrama and crepuscular atmosphere — poetically speaking, and he never tried anything less; Mr. Williams always writes of violence at twilight. Its qualities are those of texture rather than form. It is a series of vignettes, based on fact, falsified by art, transformed into short stories, and woven into a play . . . If we always expect the unexpected to happen—and as playgoers we do—nothing happens. And the play has no structures other than the interweaving of caricatured characters. Yet it has a haunting nature — you leave the theater with the impression of having been told a secret. Not necessarily a truth, but a secret . . . And it is unquestionably, the murmurings of genius, not a major statement. Yet beneath those murmurings, through the meanderings, is an authentic voice of the 20th-century theater. It is slight but not negligible. Which, considering so many dramas, is a pleasant reversal."[3]

The play has been produced many times since its premiere in New York. A critic covering a 2008 production in St. Louis wrote, “This semi-autobiographical account of an innocent young writer being exposed to illness and death, love and violence in a seedy boarding house intrigues both as one of Williams' earliest — and also as one of his final — works.”[4]

[1]

[2] Williams, Tennessee. _Plays 1957-1980._ Mel Gussow and Kenneth Holditch, eds. New York: Library of America, 2000, p. 988.

[3] _New York Times_ review

[4] Dennis Brown, " _Vieux Carre_{{'}}s a thrill for Williams buffs only", _Riverfront Times_, 20 February 2008; accessed 22 March 2019

title: Vieux Carré (play)

question: What are some interesting points about the plot of the play, Vieux Carre.

answer: Some interesting points about the plot of the play, Vieux Carre, are that it focuses on a nameless writer. In fact, the main character is struggling with a lot of things such as a writing career, poverty, loneliness, homosexuality, and a cataract. The play has a range of interesting characters just as Jane, who is dying of leukemia, and a sexually ambiguous, drug-addicted lover named Tye. The play is very ahead of its time.

question: Would this play be an interesting choice to learn about in a a theater class?

question: What are Clive Barnes opinions on the play, Vieux Carre?

answer: Clive Barnes opinions on the play, Vieux Carre, are that he thinks it is not a good play, but that can be up in the air. He says the play is blatant melodrama and creates a crepuscular atmosphere. He also states that the playwriter always writes of violence at twilight. Additionally, he even goes to say that the play has no structures other than the interweaving of caricatured characters.