text:
[ShipbuildingPLMDifferent]
This last year I have been working with several of SSI’s clients helping them to implement a PLM tool. As per my recommendation in the blog post Looking at Investing in PLM? I suggest working with an experienced PLM consultant. PLM consultants that I have worked with have a great understanding of the PLM tool and how to align your business goals with the PLM tool selected. However, there is ALWAYS a learning curve for the PLM consultant to understand the shipbuilding industry. This is where I usually fit into the equation and why clients ask for me to be involved. I am the person who is in the intersection of shipbuilding knowledge, ShipConstructor (CAD/CAM), business goals and PLM feature set. I am definitely NOT an expert in all these but I would say that I know enough of each aspect to help facilitate communication between each party since in some cases they are at different wavelengths.

Shipbuilding is unique (but not as much as we think) compared to other industries. One concept which is usually new to PLM consultants is the idea that in the shipbuilding industry we do production engineering and not just engineering. The idea that a shipbuilder can “engineer” a ship but that it cannot be manufactured at any other shipyard is often a shock to these consultants. They are surprised by the fact that an ENGINEERED ship is specifically created to be manufactured at a specific shipyard to incorporate its manufacturing constraints and capabilities. This is why we say shipbuilders do production engineering.

Before I talk about the difference between production engineering vs. typical engineering I want to briefly discuss the _typical_ workflow for a ship.

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

Typical (at a very high level) Workflow

After the contract is signed and all initial design is complete, the shipyard starts to build a plan. In this plan they need to develop a manufacturing strategy of breaking the ship into blocks, assemblies, compartments, etc. This breaking of the project is done before the first 3D part is modeled (unless you used 3D in your basic design). There are a lot of factors involved in breaking the project such as size of raw plates available, facility constraints, plate forming techniques, bending capabilities, lifting capacity of cranes, transporters, work centers, storage, scheduling, workforce availability, and the list goes on.

At this stage they also determine the plate raw stock and equipment to be used for the ship and then they place an order for the material. This is because many of these items have long lead times which require placing the order to their suppliers, again before any 3D model is created.

These decisions totally affect the way the ship will be _engineered_ and will be optimized for the yard it will be built at. If the ship was to be built at another yard these decisions would be different and therefore it would change the end result of how the ship will be manufactured and _engineered._ The easiest example I use is that yards usually want to build the biggest blocks they possibly can but they need to make blocks with weight that does not exceed their crane(s)’ operating capacity. Another example is that some yards have the capability to bend plates to create flanges while other do not have this capability requiring them to use another method of strengthening the plate.

Once the plan is roughly laid out the engineers will start detailing the ship with the requirements decided in the previous phase. This will include standards and library items such as stock available, endcuts allowed, corner treatment, equipment, pipe fittings, valves, plate flange standards, bevel standards, penetration standards, etc. This library of catalogs and standards directly affect what items you can use in _engineering_.

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

Production Engineering in Shipbuilding

In a typical engineering phase, very little thought is usually given to the manufacturability of the item. This is changing in many industries but in shipbuilding, manufacturability has always been part of engineering. Engineers are constrained to use only the standards, catalog and rules pre-setup for the project. This limits the engineers to only design parts which can be manufactured.

This production focus on engineering also drives the way that parts are named and marked on the plate during CNC. Each part will have a name that any person on the production floor would be able to read and then know exactly where on the ship it belongs.

When a part is created in the 3D model the engineers assign the part to an assembly in the production product breakdown structure where the part will be installed. This assembly structure, as mentioned, was defined at the beginning of the project and will continue to get refined by the production planning team to a work center/station level. Additional properties are either inferred or added by the engineer to aid in the routing of the plate on the production floor. A simple example is if the plate requires a flange, the engineer will add an attribute so that it will get routed to the plate bending workstation after CNC. Edge preparation is another manufacturing feature added to the plate during engineering.

The engineering team then generates documentation and even CNC code based on the manufacturing build sequence which will be directly used without manipulation on the waterfront. By using the production project schedule the engineers will only generate the documentation required on the production floor using the Just In Time (JIT) lean principle. Documentation includes drawings used to fabricate, construct and CNC parts/assemblies.

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Closing Remarks

Implementing PLM in any industry can be challenging and in many cases requires a PLM expert to oversee the implementation. One of the first steps in any PLM tool implementation is to understand how you do business despite the tool that you have selected. This will require your PLM consultant to better understand shipbuilding.

Shipbuilding is a different industry than most other large scale manufacturing industries such as aerospace and automotive. This has caused some PLM experts to fail at implementing a solution in a shipbuilding environment. The fact that shipbuilding does production engineering is only one of the areas which causes implementations to be unique from other integrations. In future posts I will talk about some of the other challenges commonly faced with PLM implementations.

question: Describe the author's views on shipbuilding and the manufacturing process.

answer: The author says shipbuilding is unique, but there are similarities with other kinds of manufacturing. The author is a communicator between different sectors in the industry and manufacturing process. There is a difference between engineering a ship with CAD software and effecting the process of engineering a ship at a manufacturing hub. Different tools will be available to different hubs, so different practical choices will need to be made.

question: What is the difference between manufacturing and engineering?

answer: In a typical engineering phase, very little thought is given to how a part will be manufactured. In the manufacturing phase practical decisions need to be taken into account. Not every workstation has the same tools. Sometimes this affects the engineering process recursively.


split: train

text:
Alright, here goes. My first somewhat educational post, and I declare that it shall be on the illusive topic of networking. This will primarily cover the basic issues of creating a server, connecting to that server and also creating a combination between a client and a server. But first, an introduction to the concept of a client and a server.

CLIENTS AND SERVERS
When you play a multiplayer game, the application you are running is a client - it is in constant communication with the server, which is the central element that makes all the decisions. You don't communicate directly with any other clients - only the server. For example, if you were playing a first person shooter and you shot at another player, the fact that you fired your weapon would be registered first with the server. The server would then determine your position, fire a bullet from there, and then figure out whether or not another player is hit. If another player is hit, the server contacts that client and delivers the bad news.

Now, that is an ideal situation, where there is no lag and your server is running on a very powerful machine - then again, it's not that taxing of a scenario. Regardless, every message sent to and from the server will cost time - a few milliseconds, perhaps, but it adds up. Therefore developers need to make the decision of what functionality rests in the client's hands, and what rests on the server. Perhaps you will give the responsibility of figuring out whether or not a player is hit by a fired bullet to the client of the player who fires. This would take a bit of load off of the server - but at what cost? Perhaps a modded client is being used, allowing the player to merely tell the server that it hit everyone in the match and dealt a boatload of damage. It's unsafe and extremely exploitable.

That's kind of irrelevant to what I want to discuss, though, but keep it in mind.

CREATING A SERVER IN UDK
Pretty easy. You can do it through the command line. Navigate to the folder that contains your UDK.exe ( UDKFOLDER\Binaries\Win[32 or 64]\ ) and run the application with the following command:

  UDK.exe server

Surprisingly easy, isn't it? I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to hunt down any documentation on UDN, and that was all it required. Infuriating, almost.

Of course, you can be a bit more flexible - the above command opens the map you've currently set in your config files, along with the corresponding game type and whatever else. You can extend it to the following:

  UDK.exe _map_name_?game=_game_type_

There are other parameters, but I'd sooner send you to the UDN Page.

CONNECTING TO A SERVER IN UDK
Also very easy. Once you've got a server running using the instructions above, open up your UDK game (don't play through the editor, for some reason it doesn't work there - you have to load it up using UDK.exe). Once your game's loaded, open up the console (tilde key ~ by default) and type in:

  open _your_ip_address_

I'm guessing that in this case you're running both the server and the client on a local network (or on the same machine), so you're probably going to be using your internal IP. If you don't know what that is, go into your command prompt and type in "ipconfig". It'll (probably) be listed as your 'IPv4 Address'. In my experience, most of them follow the format 192.168.*.***

Of course, if you were using this approach over the internet, it could get a bit more complicated. You'd have to use the server's IP address, although I imagine there may or may not be some port forwarding required. That's just a guess on my part, but be aware.

Once you've used the console command in UDK, it should load you directly into the level. If you want proof that you've connected to the server, switch over to the server's log window and look at the title bar. If it says (1 players), you're doing something right. If it's still at (0 players), you're not connected and you've probably done something horribly wrong.

CREATING A SERVER THAT IS ALSO A CLIENT
But what if I want to host a game, but play in the same window? Well, you're in luck, because I discovered how to do this an hour ago. Specifically what I discovered was how to start a server from the console instead of the command prompt. For those who need a refresher, the console is something you run inside of UDK, the command prompt is part of your Windows OS, through which you pass parameters before actually loading up UDK.
Now I'm not completely sure about this, but it seems to me that if you want to allow players to host a server from inside of your game (probably through your UI), you'd have to do it through the console, since the command prompt only comes into play before you've opened the game program. Luckily, there is a way to do this.

Once you've loaded up your game (once again, not through the editor, but through UDK.exe), open up the console and type in:

  open _your_map_name_?listen

If you're running UDK with the log window open, you should see the title bar change to list the number of players (which should be 0). Furthermore, your game window will load up the map and place you inside. I'm not sure why it counts the players as 0, despite you being in there, but that's just how it works.

_Listen_ is the mode for the server itself - as opposed to _Dedicated_. When we were opening a server using the command prompt, it was dedicated because it was not doubling as a client. Please note - it does consume more resources to run a listen server than a dedicated one - but then you're also gaining the ability to exist as a player on the server, so it seems fair.

That pretty much covers it. Now, I'm starving and my eyes are a bit fried from staring at the screen too long - I think it's time to boil some spaghettini and warm up the leftover meatsauce. While that last bit was completely irrelevant to you, the next is not - since networking and replication go hand in hand, I will be posting a brief overview of the main components in replicating variables across clients, and how this can be used in your multiplayer game.

question: What is the author's motivation for writing the article?

answer: To educate others on the basics of networking, which includes how to create a server, how to connect to that server, and how to create a combination between a client and a server.

question: What happens when a user plays a multiplayer game?

answer: The user runs an application called a client that is in constant communication with the server, which is the central element that makes all the decisions in the game. The user doesn't communicate with other clients directly because everything - all the actions and positions in the game - are registered with the server first.

question: Why is it dangerous to hand over server responsibilities to the client?

answer: Clients are extremely exploitable and players can use modded clients to cheat other players.

question: When is the "ipconfig" command used?

answer: The "ipconfig" command is used when the internal IP of a computer isn't known.

question: What mode consumes fewer resources, "Listen" or "Dedicated"?

answer: It takes fewer resources to run a Dedicated server than a Listen server.


text:
I remember having lived before. And, I think, a bit later. All though not much later. I am pretty certain this world nears an end. Or pherhaps its just my existance.
It doesn't really make much of a differense. I do hope though, that its only me. This place, this plane of existance on this planet where i have lived my lives is a beautiful place, and I hope it gets at least another few thousand years before expiery.

I could not tell you exactly howe many lives I lived. -Six, for certain, not counting my current embodiment. Flashes of memories that doesnt really fit elsewhere could suggest hundreds of lives. Some times when woken from deep sleep, I truly think I have lived all the lives there is. Yours too, and your parents, your kids and your pets. Every and all lives of men and mer, beasts, fish and bug. I have been the mindless plankton, drifting forever in the currents. I have been a great sabertoothed bear, larger than any bear the world can reminesence today and only a bear because no other mammal would fit the description. I have lived the short lives of mayflies and fleas, and the slow lives of rododendron and captive pandas and the small eterneties of trees . I have ripped flesh from bone with enourmus teeth, flown in and out of freezing clouds on hot-air currents and smelled the differences of earth and rock in the darkness beneath.

 In those seconds between the dream state and being consius, I have watched the boiling oceans settle and mountains grow. Through thousands upon thousands of eyes I have seen contintents break apart and sink, then rise and sink yet again. I have seen the world spanning forests grow and prosper and wither and die, just to feed the lesser forests that came after. I saw evolution happen in every direction, and even when seen from all angles, I could not [recognize] a plan. I have seen, and feldt and used, magick, first in its purest form, the almost purple light-crystals that raced across the night sky in the days of giants and elves. Later in more crude forms, trapped in stones on the tip of pompous mens staves or generated through blood offerings or the now forgotten tower on legendary Atlantis. I remember the disapointment of every conscius mind when the last raw magick was burned and the world became less.

But this is something I can only barely comprehend when awake, and the dreams are washed away. The certainty ebbs, and it is only dreams, except for the beformentioned at least six lives. I remember them mostly as you would remember your own life, through the memories of sight and smell and sound and thoughts. Not their entire lifetime, of course, but years and decages of toil and trouble, and occasional happiness. Discernable lives, hard lived, very different from each other. Despite its beauty, our world has never offered a very comforting life. At the point where physical danger cease, the mind-terror form. We either struggle to survive or we struggle to live, to find meaning where hunger was, to tear down the walls that fear built. You would not belive me as to wich life is preferable.

The reason I belive that my time nears an end is the lack of fear. I have vauge notions that I've felt this way before. After long stays in sickbeds, Right before sharp fangs close around my jugular. While looking into eyes so awash with fear there was nothing left for me, wondering wether the sharp noise or the piece of metal would hurt more.
 I am calm, but not as you would think of the word. The seemingly unmoving ocean will have a myriad of life, right under the surface. Uninhabited forests are never silent for the buzz of insects, desserts holds the ghosts of past, flashing visions into your [pheripical sight]. Your heart beats faster when you submerge in hot water, increasing all your body functions as your mind gets slow.
 The calm am feeling must rather be compared to an area of empty space, far from the path of any celestial body, barely in the light of few and distant stars.
This body is too young. It should not feel this way. But this mind is old, too old.
Too tired...

I am tired, I realize. Tired of this world? I don't know. I can not truly remember.
 I am tired of walking. I have seen most sights this world has offered (I can not remember any of me being the traveling type)
 I am tired of talking. I have said or heard all the words and all the meanings (One of me lived on his tounge, spinning thruths and weaving lies among men who thought themselves gods, walking underneath the white marble walls of the mountains they had built)
 I am tired of creating, as is the definite of man, and mans definiton of God. (I can almost remember, even in waking hours, the days of Indigo Rain, when magick left the heavens. The light-crystals dissipiated into a rainbow-colored fog that covered all the sky (How I wish I could have seen earth from somewhere else in those days) and glowing, light blue drops fell to earth for many generations. In those days, even the simplest mind could manifest a thought with some focus and willpower)
I am tired of being, and it suddenly feels like I have never truly slept. There's no recollection of darkness after an ended life, and the dreams given by night offer no respite. My mind grows heavy as I try to contemplate the possibilty of them being real, but I quickly dislodge the thought. It would not do to loose what sanity I got left.

I am tired, and I think you can see it in my eyes. I have settled on observing, wich is not difficult in an age where everywhere is always under monitor. You, all of you, make do in a world that is not fair to you, and you don't back down. You live hard lives, in fear and struggle, but descernable lifes, and beautiful lives. I am proud of you.

title: On perspective, and the lives of man

question: Describe the function of magick in the story's world.

answer: Magick is a resource, similar to coal or oil. "Raw magic" is referred to. It lives in crystals in the early years of the world. Later it lives in stones on staves held by pompous men who do blood offerings on a tower in Atlantis. Eventually it is exhausted, and the world becomes "less".

question: What does the narrator remember?

answer: The narrator remembers previous incarnations. There are at least six of them. They are memories of being different plants and animals, and different people in different eras of the world. They also remember magick, and Atlantis.

question: What does the narrator fear?

answer: The narrator fears the world is coming to an end. But then they speculate that it might be just their own existence. They hope the beautiful world will continue without them.


text:
CONSTELLATION 3D (C3D or CDDD)[1] was a company developing a new optical medium, the Fluorescent Multilayer Disc and Card (FMD/C).[2][3][4]

The company was shut down following a failure to receive a committed investment by a Swiss based investor (see Press Releases of November 20, 2001, January 3, 2002, February 19, 2002 and April 19, 2002) and the unavailability of other financial sources. The company stopped activities and later on filed for bankruptcy. A company called D Data Inc.[5] was formed which acquired the entire patent portfolio of Constellation 3D in 2003, and reintroduced the technology under the new name of Digital Multilayer Disk (DMD).

According to Dr. Ingolf Sander, General Manager of Products until 2001,[6] the reason for the company shutting down “could have stemmed from their inability to overcome stability problems” in the fluorescent materials used to make FMDs.[7] This claim stands in sharp contrast with both the decision of the Board of Directors to stop activities due to the lack of financial resources, and the completion by D-Data of working product versions based on the same materials.

Key people

-   Chairman: Itzhak Yaakov
-   President & CEO: Eugene Levich
-   Interim Chief Operating Officer: Michael Goldberg
-   General Manager of Products: Dr. Ingolf Sander

Competitors

-   InPhase Technologies

[1] Internet Archive: Official website

[2] C3D demonstrates multilayer high definition TV ROM FMD system

[3] Constellation 3D moves toward mega-storage

[4] Company profile: Constellation 3D, Inc.

[5] D Data Inc. official website

[6]

[7] Dr Ingolf Sander's Professional Career webpage

title: Constellation 3D

question: What is an optical medium?

answer: Something that shows anything to the eye, such as a projector, media player, etc.

question: Which technology was used to create the Digital Multilayer Disk?

answer: The Fluorescent Multilayer Disc and Card

question: Why did Constellation 3D go under?

answer: They couldn't afford to keep making products out of fluorescent materials, or the materials from which they made their product was difficult to maintenance.

question: What is the discrepancy between claims in this article?

answer: It's the question of whether the materials were too insustainable or the company didn't have enough money to continue production.

question: Why might one of the reasons given-that the material was unstable-be false?

answer: The same material has been used to go on to make similar products.


text:
[60 px|right| (Si₄O₁₁6−)n chain in the mineral tremolite.] In chemistry, a LADDER POLYMER is a type of double stranded polymer with the connectivity of a ladder. In a typical one-dimensional polymer, e.g. polyethylene and polysiloxanes, the monomers form two bonds, giving a chain. In a ladder polymer the monomers are interconnected by four bonds. Inorganic ladder polymers are found in synthetic and natural settings. Ladder polymers are a special case of cross-linked polymers because the crosslinks exist only with pairs of chains.

According to one definition, a ladder polymer, adjacent rings have two or more atoms in common.[1]

Organic ladder polymers

Organic ladder polymers are interest because they can exhibit exceptional thermal stabilities and the conformation of the subunits is constrained. Because they are less flexible, their processing can be challenging. An early example was derived from condensation of the 1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene with naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride.[2][3]

Inorganic and organometallic ladder polymers

Some polysilicates are ladder polymers. One example is provided by the mineral tremolite.

In the area of coordination chemistry, the ladder structure is seen in some coordination polymers. Illustrative is the polymer [CuI(2-picoline]n. When the 2-picoline is replaced by a tertiary phosphine, it forms a tetrameric cubane-type cluster, [CuI(PR3₄. In both cases, the Cu(I) centers adopt tetrahedral molecular geometry.[4] [400 px|Ladder vs cubane motifs for compounds of the formula [CuL(I)]n.]

[1] Metanomski, W. V.; Bareiss, R. E.; Kahovec, J.; Loening, K. L.; Shi, L.; Shibaev, V. P. (1993). “Nomenclature of Regular Double-Strand (Ladder and Spiro) Organic Polymers” _Pure Appl. Chem._ 65 (7): 1561–1580.

[2] Scherf, Ullrich “Ladder-type materials” Journal of Materials Chemistry 1999, volume 9, 1853-1864.

[3] Grimsdale, Andrew C.; Muellen, Klaus “Phenylene-based ladder polymers” in Design and Synthesis of Conjugated Polymers, Edited by Leclerc, Mario; Morin, Jean-Francois 2010. Pp. 227-245.

[4]

title: Ladder polymer

question: What is a Ladder polymer?

answer: A Ladder polymer is a type of double stranded polymer with the connectivity of a ladder.

question: What is the mineral tremolite?

answer: The mineral tremolite polysilicate that is a ladder polymer.

question: By how many bonds are the monomers interconnected in a ladder polymer?

answer: They are interconnected by 4 bonds.

question: What are organic ladder polymer notable for?

answer: They are notable for their exceptional thermal stabilities and the conformation of the subunits is constrained.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Ladder polymer is a type of double-stranded polymer with the connectivity of a ladder. In a typical one-dimensional polymer, e.g., polyethylene and polysiloxanes, the monomers form two bonds, giving a chain. In a ladder polymer, the monomers are interconnected by four bonds. Inorganic ladder polymers are found in synthetic and natural settings. Organic ladder polymers are of interest because they can exhibit exceptional thermal stabilities and the conformation of the subunits is constrained.


text:
[]

A fearsome message inflicting unimaginable destruction has spread like wildfire in Pretoria warning people that Black South African citizens are planning something ‘big’.

People all over social media platforms and WhatsApp crime prevention groups are scratching their heads, trying to figure out where the message is coming from.

The person who constructed the message, said the following:

“Listen carefully. On the 6th April I need you to be very careful. Book off from work. Tell everybody to stay home. The kids too.The blacks are planning something very big in PTA and JHB and surrounding areas that day. This is not a game.”

The person then persuades the reader by saying it is not just a story, warning people to pile up on supplies.

“This is not just a story. I’m connected with some very important people and the warnings are going out. Have enough water and food.”

Also inciting violence: “Get some sort of weapon or two. Put the dog/s inside as well for protection. Don’t leave your house! Start warning friends and family!”

The message continues to say: “We believe this to be either a practice run with destruction and death; or the start of the civil war in this country.”

Further stating that this mass plan is going to disrupt all things possible, including cellphones, all highways and businesses.

The manufacturer of the message then goes on by saying that they hope they are wrong, but that ‘Intel’ from their side says otherwise. “Intel” meaning information of military or political value.

“Let’s hope we are wrong but the Intel at the moment says we are very right to fear. The chances of this spreading to other towns and cities are very good.”

The community crime prevention on social media administrator in the Moot, Susan Andrews, strongly condemns the legitimacy of the message.

Andrews advised that people should not go into panic mode. “There are many well informed people who will issue a warning to the right forums and that message will be shared as confirmed.”

She also called on the public to join their Community Policing Forums (CPF) to assist the police in crime prevention and to obtain skills in cases of emergency.

A post containing AfriForum’s logo was also distributed in Pretoria, warning people that the message it false, also encouraging people not to distribute the message.

AfriForum however said that they are not aware of that letter as it did not come from the organisation. It said that the letters were distributed without their approval and that the organisation dissociate itself from the content.

Police could not comment on the matter by the time of going to print.

[]

Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114.

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question: What is the main point of this post?

answer: The author of the post indicates that there is a fearsome message circulation on social media warning that "Black South African citizens" are planning something big.

question: What does the warning include?

answer: The warning details that on April 6th people need to be careful. It suggests staying home from work, kids should stay home from school, and dogs should stay inside. People should get weapons and have enough water and food. The writer of the message thinks April 6 is a practice run for a start of a civil war.

question: Who condemns the legitimacy of the message?

answer: Susan Andrews, administrator in the Moot.

question: What does Susan Andrews recommend?

answer: She suggests that people shouldn't go into panic mode

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The author of the post indicates that there is a fearsome message circulation on social media warning that "Black South African citizens" are planning something big on April 6th. The warning suggests people should stay at home with weapons, food, and water.


text:
*Tick…tick…tick…*

The sound of the clock echoed through Clark’s brain. He checked his watch. Five past twelve. The wind blew through his hair as he stood facing the street from the alleyway. He had forgotten the way the breeze sent a tiny tingle down his back, like a thousand harmless insects crawling under his skin. He took a hesitant step towards the intersection, which he immediately regretted and stepped back. He clenched his hands into fists quickly, three times, and released. He composed himself and tried again.

*Coward.*

Clark checked his watch. Less than a minute had passed. Time moved at an awfully slow pace outside of the Rolling Meadows Mental Institute. He was used to the structured days, the consistent, methodical, mechanical-like planning of every second of every day. Eight am, wake up. Eight-fifteen, breakfast and medication. Eight-sixteen and a half, converse with Tim. Eight-thirty, group session begins. Twelve, group session ends. Twelve-fifteen, medication and lunch. His entire day dictated by the clock in the hall. But not today. Today was his escape.  Clark checked his watch.

*Tick…tick…tick…*

He had made his escape just before group session. He saw the exit slightly ajar, and he leaped for the opportunity. The sunlight grazed his face like the hand of an old dear friend. *Welcome home,* it whispered to him with a familiar voice. *Welcome to your future.* Three hours and forty-two minutes later, Clark found himself in an alleyway facing the industrial cityscape. He battled the urge to turn back and fought against the fear to move forward. Frozen, he stood alone.

*You worthless piece of shit. No one cares. You could disappear forever, and no one would notice. You’re just a fucking waste of space.*

Tim’s voice crawled back into his ears. It was a quiet, infectious shouting that reverberated its way into his brain, down his spine, and into the soles of his worn-out Adidas sneakers. It inhabited every fiber of his clothing; it soaked into every inch of his skin. Clark’s hands instinctively shot up to his ears as he shouted, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut the fuck up!” His heart raced. He staggered around the alley. His feet moved towards the fire-escape on the wall which his hands grasped and pulled his body up. Hand over hand, Clark climbed autonomously to the roof. The open space calmed Clark. In an instant, the scenery changed. The grey alleyway morphed into a snow-speckled mountain. The passing traffic became grazing sheep. Panting, Clark stood alone. Far from the sounds of the busy street; far from the corruption, and poverty, and the social diseases; far from the silence of Rolling Meadows. Far from Tim. Far from anyone who had ever glanced into Clark’s eyes, into Clark’s file, into Clark’s mind. Clark checked his watch.

*We’re never really alone, are we? I’m always here.*

He whimpered and forced his eyes shut. Twelve-eighteen. His hand reached out as he tilted forward, groping for something solid. He brushed the rough bark of the evergreen to his left. The crutch teemed with life. He could feel the infinite pulsating force beneath its armor-like exterior. The breeze rustled his hair once again. He felt a sharp pinch on his hand; he opened his eyes to determine the source. A small brownish spider crawled between his fingers and back onto the tree. Its venom coursed through Clark’s veins. His skin started to swell beneath the bite. Clark’s thoughts wandered back to the comic books beneath his mattress at Rolling Meadows. The heroes were lost, without purpose. Without purpose until something extraordinary happened.

*This is it.*

The scenery transformed again. The sky filled with hazy grey rainclouds; the mountain became a hotel. Clark’s clothes changed into spandex, and a brightly colored balloon emblazoned itself on his chest. With a gasp of impossibility, Clark’s universe turned into a frame from a comic book.

*You have found purpose in your life, Clark. Finally, you have found your place.*

Tim’s voice no longer scratched menacingly in Clark’s brain. Each breath seemed easier; he took each step with confidence. The watercolor walls beamed brightly as he stared across his vast city. He was its protector. Desperately, it cried for a hero, and he was there to answer the call.

*Look down.*

Below him, a woman was being attacked. A masked man took a violent swing and knocked her against the wall. He cocked again for another blow.

*This is your chance, Clark. Do not let this slip away.*

Suddenly, he was not so sure.

*Tick…tick…tick…*

Sweat began to drip down his face. He looked at his hands.

*You have been given to the power to protect. Do not let it go to waste.*
He watched the woman take the second hit. Oxygen suddenly seemed sparse. He gasped for air.

*Jump. Inflate. Save her. Use the abilities that you’ve been given. Your time is running out.*

His chest tightened. He inched towards the edge.

*Tick…tick…tick…*

The woman fell.

*Do it!*

His palms clammy, he glanced down. Twelve stories and twenty-nine windows.

*Jump!*

Clark leaped from the edge. His body inflamed to three times its size as he aimed to land between the attacker and his victim. Laughter echoed through Clark’s brain as the wind rushed past his face and the sunlight whispered with a familiar voice for the final time. A smile stretched across his face in a moment of pure serenity. In a single instant, Clark’s realities collapsed. The buildings fell into the mountainside; the watercolor walls were destroyed by the iron city. The grazing sheep became the angry traffic that they always had been. The victim and her abuser became a young business woman smoking a cigarette. Clark’s peace lasted no longer than a tick of his watch. Tim died with Clark the instant he crushed the woman he was trying to save. Three deaths in one act of self-torture left only two bodies to be buried. Clark’s wrist beeped as his watch turned to twelve-thirty.

(Taking suggestions for a title)

title: The Watch

question: Who is the protagonist?

answer: The protagonist is a man named Clark. He has a voice in his head named Tim, and he is a patient at a mental institution.

question: Why does the protagonist check his watch?

answer: He is trying to escape from the mental institution

question: Describe the relationship between Tim and Clark.

answer: Tim is a voice that resides within Clark's head.

question: How does the story end?

answer: Clark believes he has become a superhero and jumps from up high in order to rescue a woman being attacked. This turns out to be a delusion, and Clark dies from the fall, also killing the woman, whom he lands on top of.

question: What does the protagonist do for a living?

answer: The protagonist doesn't seem to work--he seems to be a patient at the Rolling Meadows Mental Institute.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Clark, a patient at a mental institution, decides to make his escape. Along the way, Tim, the voice in his head, mocks him. From up high, he spots a woman being attacked. He transforms into a superhero and dives down to save her. But this turns out to be a delusion, and Clark dies from the fall, also crushing and killing the woman he intended to save.


text:
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You can always change your preference by visiting the "Cookie Settings" at the bottom of the page.

question: What three categories are described in this article?

answer: Functional, Performance, and Social Media and Advertising

question: What do social media cookies offer?

answer: They offer the possibility to connect one to their social networks and share content from their website through social medial.

question: In terms of performance, what do the cookies allow the site to do?

answer: In terms of performance, cookies improve the site's functionality by tracking usage on the website.

question: Is it possible to change your preferences about cookies?

answer: Yes, you always have the option to change your preferences by visiting the "Cookie Settings" at the bottom of the page.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the role of website cookies in terms of functionality, performance, and social media and advertising. Each category has it own use for cookies.


text:
NAIROBI - Animated chatter spills out from a corner of tech giant Google's Nairobi offices as five Kenyan schoolgirls discuss their coming trip to California where they hope to win $15,000 (R195,000) for I-cut, an app to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

The five teenagers, aged 15 to 17, are the only Africans selected to take part in this year's international Technovation competition, in which girls develop mobile apps to end problems in their communities.

"FGM is a big problem affecting girls worldwide and it is a problem we want to solve," Stacy Owino told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, while snacking on chocolate on a break from boarding school before flying to the United States on 6 August.

"This whole experience will change our lives. Whether we win or not, our perspective of the world and the possibilities it has will change for the better."

  READ: GOOGLE GETS TOUGH ON EXTREMIST YOUTUBE CONTENT

The five girls from Kenya's western city of Kisumu call themselves "The Restorers" because they want to "restore hope to hopeless girls", said Synthia Otieno, one of the team.

One in four Kenyan women and girls have undergone FGM, which involves the partial or total removal of the external genitalia, even though it is illegal in the East African nation.

Although the girls' Luo community does not practise FGM, they have friends who have been cut.

"We were very close but after she was cut she never came back to school," said Purity Achieng, describing a classmate who underwent FGM.

"She was among the smartest girls I knew."

  READ: WHAT'S YOUR WORTH? NEW APP TO TAKE THE HEADACHE OUT OF CALCULATING LOBOLA

I-cut connects girls at risk of FGM with rescue centres and gives legal and medical help to those who have been cut.

Its simple interface has five buttons - help, rescue, report, information on FGM, donate and feedback – offering users different services.

Kenya is one of the most technologically advanced countries in Africa, known for its pioneering mobile money transfer apps.

Technovation, which is sponsored by Google, Verizon and the United Nations, aims to teach girls the skills they need to become tech entrepreneurs and leaders.

"We just have to use this opportunity as a stepping stone to the next level," said schoolgirl Ivy Akinyi who plans to become a computer programmer.

question: In what country is Nairobi located?

answer: Kenya.

question: Where are the teenage girls going to participate in a competition?

answer: California.

question: How many Kenyan women and girls have undergone FGM?

answer: One in four.

question: What is FGM an acronym for?

answer: Female genital mutilation.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This article reports news leaked out of Nairobi that five teenage Kenyan girls have been selected to participate in the international Technovation competition in California. These five girls have entered with their app, I-cut, which was designed to connect girls at risk for female genital mutilation and offers legal and medical support to them. The girls lost a friend who never came back to school after experiencing FGM which motivated them further to design this restorative resource for Kenyan women.


text: The dusty, rotten, decaying, corpse laid among its many, many companions in a sea made up only by the dead. They had tried to hospitalize them at first but, more and more just kept coming in, eventually, most of the doctors and nurses ran for the hills trying to save themselves. They ran too late, everyone was already infected. The doctors and nurses who were smart enough to realize this went home to spend the little time they had left on the planet with the ones they loved most. The military began to dig mass graves to bury the rapidly increasing amount of people dying. So many people began dying that at some point the soldiers just started to throw the bodies into a pile. After the solders had all met their inevitable ends the few remaining people who had managed to fight off the virus were faced with the smell. The smell of a single rotten human carcass is one of the worst smells you could possible imagine. Even a slight whiff of it would make the average man want to hurl. Now there were thousands and thousands of them all producing the same vile odor. It was only a matter of time until every human alive became nothing more then a rotten, decaying, corpse.

title: The Virus

question: What has caused the virus that is infecting humanity?

answer: Unknown.


text:
Arsene Wenger has revealed Arsenal are in talks with Aaron Ramsey over a new contract.

The Gunners have come under the spotlight for their contract negotiations in recent months. Mesut Ozil signed a new deal, but Alexis Sanchez was allowed to leave in January once it became clear he had no intention of committing his future to the club.

Meanwhile, Jack Wilshere, who captained the side in Sunday's 3-0 Premier League win over Stoke, sees his current deal expire in the summer, with the player and club publicly at odds as to the progression of contract talks.

[LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 05: Aaron Ramsey scores Arsenal's 3rd goal, his 2nd, during the UEFA Europa League quarter final leg one match between Arsenal FC and CSKA Moskva at Emirates Stadium on April 5, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)]

Image: Ramsey scored with a cheeky back-heel against CSKA Moscow on Thursday

When asked about a new deal for Ramsey, whose current deal runs to the end of next season, Wenger said: "We are communicating.

 Live Nissan Super Sunday

[Sky Sports] [Sky Sports]

"Yes, I'm confident, he's not at the end of his contract, he has one and a half years to go. From my side it is clear, but you always have to find an agreement.

"We want him to stay. He's one of these guys who has been here for a long time. He will be an important player in the future of this club."

[Wenger]

Image: Wenger says he only wants players who want to play for Arsenal

Ramsey underlined his importance to Arsenal when scoring twice in the rout of CSKA Moscow in the Europa League on Thursday.

Also See:

-   Ramsey key for Arsenal
-   Wenger fears long Mkhi injury
-   Sky Live: Arsenal v Southampton
-   Merson's predictions

Despite making it clear he is keen for Ramsey to extend his stay beyond 2019, Wenger said he only wants players at the club who are there because they want to play for Arsenal.

"I don't want to convince a player (they should sign)," Wenger added.

"I want the player to be happy to play for the club. Having players who want to play for the club is the way we want to play football and is in the values we feel are important to us.

"With the right amount of money we want to pay, all these things have to come together."

question: Who is Aaron Ramsey?

answer: A soccer player for Arsenal Football Club. He has scored two goals during the UEFA Europa League.

question: Who is Arsene Wenger?

answer: It is not clear from the article who Wenger is, though it is clear he has a strong hand in negotiating future contracts with players.

question: Who else has been in negotiation for a new contract?

answer: Mesut Ozil who signed a new deal and Alexis Sanchez who was let go after he didnät want to commit to the club.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: An article regarding the renewal of a contract for Aaron Ramsey, a soccer player for Arsenal. Arsene Wenger, the clubs manager says they would like to keep Ramsey, but only if he wants to stay.


text:
HENRY KIRKE BROWN (February 24, 1814 in Leyden, Massachusetts – July 10, 1886 in Newburgh, New York) was an American sculptor.[1]

Life

He began to paint portraits while still a boy, studied painting in Boston under Chester Harding, learned a little about modelling, and in 1836-1839 spent his summers working as a railroad engineer to earn enough to enable him to study further.

He spent four years (1842–1846) in Italy; but returning to New York he wanted to ensure he remained distinctively American. He bemoaned the fact that so many of the early American sculptors were dominated by Italian influence.[2] Even so, his work combines American subject matter with the style of the Italian masters, such as Donatello.[3]

[L to R.: Henry Kirke Brown, Henry Peters Gray and Asher Brown Durand, 1850]

He produced the small, bronze statuette _The Choosing of the Arrow_ for distribution by the American Art Union, in 1849.[4][5] His equestrian statues are excellent, notably that of George Washington (1856) in Union Square, New York City, which was the second equestrian statue made in the United States, following by three years that of Andrew Jackson in Washington, D.C. by Clark Mills (1815–1883), and of Brevet Lt. General Winfield Scott (1874) in Washington, D.C.. Brown was one of the first in America to cast his own bronzes. In 1847, Brown was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate member, and became a full member in 1851.[6]

Among his other works are: statue of Abraham Lincoln (Union Square, New York City); Nathanael Greene, George Clinton, Philip Kearny, and Richard Stockton (all in the National Statuary Hall, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.); De Witt Clinton (_illustration, below_) and _The Angel of the Resurrection_, both in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York; and an Aboriginal Hunter.

_The New York Times_ remarked that the _DeWitt Clinton_ was the first American full-length sculpture cast in a single piece, when it was exhibited temporarily in City Hall Park in 1855.

Family

His nephew and adopted son, Henry Kirke Bush-Brown, was also a sculptor and pupil of Brown's.

Gallery

Image:DeWitt-Clinton-at-Green-Wood.jpg|DeWitt Clinton Memorial, 1855, at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn File:General Winfield Scott statue (45726769).jpg| _Brevet Lt. General Winfield Scott_ Scott Circle File:HK Brown Statue Abraham Lincoln.png| _Abraham Lincoln_ at Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park, Brooklyn File:GWashington Union Sq jeh.jpg| _George Washington_, at Union Square File:Washington Statue in Fall from PAO.jpg| _Washington Monument_ at West Point File:Greene-brown.jpg| _Major General Nathanael Greene, at Stanton Park File:Phil Kearny Newark NJ.JPG|General Philip Kearny in Newark, New Jersey File:1997-143 v03 s.jpg|_The Choosing of the Arrow_, 1848, Bronze, Amon Carter Museum of American Art File:Angel of the Resurrection (front view), James B. Hogg Monument, Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA - March 2016.JPG|_Angel of the Resurrection'' on James B. Hogg monument, ca. 1850, Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Additional information

-   Henry Kirke Brown Papers, 1814-1886, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College.

Notes

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

title: Henry Kirke Brown

question: What would have been the impact on Henry Kirke Brown's life if he had not painted portraits while being a little boy?

answer: It can be assumed that an inkling of what a person is to become occurs in their childhood, so if Brown did not paint portraits as a little boy, he may not have had the passion or motivation to become a sculptor.


text:
 #1   Posted Aug 30 2012 - 19:56

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-   Players
-   16876 battles
-   541 []
-   Member since:
    06-03-2011

Greetings fellow tankers,

Curse has been given the opportunity to host the World of Tanks tournament being streamed at PAX this year with commentary by Lord Farquad, Relics and me (nagatron)!

In celebration of our brand new World of Tanks specific website wotpro.com, the WoTPro North American Invitational will see 8 of the best tournament teams in North America face off in a double elimination bracket that is guaranteed to yield a lot of intense matches.

The following teams will be competing starting on Friday August 31st at 11AM PST and will continue to do so over the following 2 days of PAX with the grand finals taking place on September 2nd at 2PM PST.

SIMP
Banned Angels
River of Blood
Red Sky
ACES
Wreak Havok
FORGEt the Basics
Starry Night

Competitors will clash in Encounter Mode where the map changes after every game. At the beginning of a set each team selects one map (out of 7 total) that they do not wish to play and the fights take place in a best of five on the remaining maps with ten minutes on the clock. This format is limited to tier 8 mediums, heavies and tank destroyers with no lights or artillery permitted. A maximum of 7 players for a grand total of 52 points will be allowed on the battle field providing each team plenty of armor to work with.

The maps played will be: El Halluf, Ensk, Himmelsdorf, Murovanka, Ruinberg, Siegfried Line and Steppes.

We'll be giving away all sorts of Curse and Wargaming loot throughout the event so don't forget to watch the stream over the weekend. The following post will contain a breakdown of the rules and the broadcast schedule. Be sure to check it out; you don't want to miss this!

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nagatron    #2   Posted Aug 30 2012 - 19:57

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http://media-copper....339/bracket.jpg
Rules:

- 7v7: 52 points
- Encounter Mode: 10 Minutes
- Best of 5
- Tier 8 Max: Medium, Heavy, Tank Destroyer ONLY (no lights, no artillery)

Maps played:
El Halluf, Ensk, Himmelsdorf, Murovanka, Ruinberg, Siegfried Line and Steppes

Each team gets to ban one map each at the beginning of their set leaving 5 left which will rotate randomly after every game.

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JackQueRudo    #3   Posted Aug 30 2012 - 20:44

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-   25652 battles
-   2,384 []
-    [BROYZ] [BROYZ]
-   Member since:
    05-04-2011

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Relics    #4   Posted Aug 30 2012 - 21:37

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-   Players
-   12344 battles
-   654 []
-    [JQ] [JQ]
-   Member since:
    02-14-2011

[View Post]Jackquelegs, on Aug 30 2012 - 20:44, said:

Oh yeeaaaaaaa!

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trainednoob    #5   Posted Aug 30 2012 - 21:45

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-   17847 battles
-   99 []
-    [F-3] [F-3]
-   Member since:
    01-30-2011

Looks like fun! I guess I'll be watching...

[Posted Image]

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Conflict    #6   Posted Aug 30 2012 - 22:11

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-   Players
-   14837 battles
-   1,835 []
-    [SIMP] [SIMP]
-   Member since:
    09-10-2010

[View Post]trainednoob, on Aug 30 2012 - 21:45, said:

Looks like fun! I guess I'll be watching...

I'm sure you'll get in future ones.

EDITED BY CONFLICT, AUG 30 2012 - 23:01.

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nagatron    #7   Posted Aug 30 2012 - 22:18

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[View Post]trainednoob, on Aug 30 2012 - 21:45, said:

Looks like fun! I guess I'll be watching...

You guys were really close to being invited this time around. There are plenty more Curse events coming down the pipes so don't be sad. Your team will likely get invites in the future!

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kufo    #8   Posted Aug 30 2012 - 23:26

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-   Players
-   36569 battles
-   836 []
-    [CAZA] [CAZA]
-   Member since:
    03-14-2011

Good luck to all teams. We would have liked to be present but unfortunately we had problems with the schedule.

Greetings.

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trainednoob    #9   Posted Aug 30 2012 - 23:54

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-   Players
-   17847 battles
-   99 []
-    [F-3] [F-3]
-   Member since:
    01-30-2011

Heh, it's all good, I think my team and I need a little more time to develop together before we are able to commit to doing live streams & events. Anyway, keep up the good work at Curse, I'm excited about this regardless of being invited or not.

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Intet    #10   Posted Aug 31 2012 - 01:33

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-   Players
-   18085 battles
-   54 []
-   Member since:
    02-08-2011

No, Im pissed, IM RAGING!!!  Trainednoob is crying in the corner atm sucking on his thumb cause he wasnt invited to the cool kids tourney =(.

Just kidding lol. Hope to see some great battle at pax!

Good Luck to all the tourney team that were invited!

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SilentDemise    #11   Posted Aug 31 2012 - 02:13

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-   Players
-   57826 battles
-   439 []
-    [-G-] [-G-]
-   Member since:
    04-14-2011

My team won the WoT tourney at last year's pax prime. Looks like it will be a lot more competitive this year, good luck to all participating teams!

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Relics    #12   Posted Aug 31 2012 - 20:49

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-   Players
-   12344 battles
-   654 []
-    [JQ] [JQ]
-   Member since:
    02-14-2011

We are live right now at http://www.own3d.tv/WoTPro!

Make sure you also head to www.facebook.com/WoTPro. We will be dropping questions through out the stream with some prize raffles attached, just leave a comment to enter!

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Worcghar    #13   Posted Aug 31 2012 - 21:10

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    09-10-2011

nice, too bad I'm stuck at work and my connection sucks here. Who pwn who in the face so far?

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AbsoluteRoyal    #14   Posted Aug 31 2012 - 21:14

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-   Member since:
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so far

FORGEt the basics 3-0 over Starry Night
Red Sky 3-1 over River of Blood

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Worcghar    #15   Posted Aug 31 2012 - 21:23

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-   12375 battles
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-   Member since:
    09-10-2011

ah so Simp vs. Havok is the current match, brings back memories of a certain match on murovanka.

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Pine_Sol_2000    #16   Posted Sep 01 2012 - 03:58

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-   Players
-   51428 battles
-   172 []
-    [-G-] [-G-]
-   Member since:
    10-23-2010

[View Post]nagatron, on Aug 30 2012 - 22:18, said:

You guys were really close to being invited this time around. There are plenty more Curse events coming down the pipes so don't be sad. Your team will likely get invites in the future!

Were we really close to getting invited?

EDITED BY PATREAL2000, SEP 01 2012 - 03:58.

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Fistandilus    #17   Posted Sep 01 2012 - 04:06

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-   26519 battles
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-    [COPRA] [COPRA]
-   Member since:
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So what was the criteria to get selected for the tournament?

EDIT: I guess I should explain what I mean.  Was this based on a qualifier tournament match like the Skirmish, name out of a hat, etc?

EDITED BY FISTANDILUS, SEP 01 2012 - 04:08.

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Whiskey_dod    #18   Posted Sep 01 2012 - 04:47

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-   25763 battles
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-   Member since:
    10-07-2010

The tourney teams chosen were teams that have had good performance in past tournaments.

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nagatron    #19   Posted Sep 01 2012 - 05:03

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-   Member since:
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[View Post]patreal2000, on Sep 01 2012 - 03:58, said:

Were we really close to getting invited?

Definitely.

[View Post]Fistandilus, on Sep 01 2012 - 04:06, said:

So what was the criteria to get selected for the tournament?

The biggest thing is to be consistently visible as experienced competitors in the WoT scene. It's hard because there are a lot of players that migrate between teams or teams that change names and get knocked out early by one of the regular power players, but the best way to guarantee that you get invited in the future is simple: place in tournaments.

It doesn't matter much whether they're Skirmishes, 5v5s, League or otherwise. The main thing is that we know you're a consolidated group that will continue to play together. History and skill are the most important things to getting noticed. It's a tough scene for us to select from, for sure. There are several groups of players out there that could easily compete, but choose not to for some reason and it's hard to justify inviting a team that the communit has very little exposure to.

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DekklinOfDeath    #20   Posted Sep 01 2012 - 05:56

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[View Post]nagatron, on Sep 01 2012 - 05:03, said:

Definitely.

The biggest thing is to be consistently visible as experienced competitors in the WoT scene. It's hard because there are a lot of players that migrate between teams or teams that change names and get knocked out early by one of the regular power players, but the best way to guarantee that you get invited in the future is simple: place in tournaments.

It doesn't matter much whether they're Skirmishes, 5v5s, League or otherwise. The main thing is that we know you're a consolidated group that will continue to play together. History and skill are the most important things to getting noticed. It's a tough scene for us to select from, for sure. There are several groups of players out there that could easily compete, but choose not to for some reason and it's hard to justify inviting a team that the communit has very little exposure to.

Skirmish 12:
River of Blood (Semi finals)
Uncertainty Principle (2nd place)
Skirmish 11:
River of Blood (2nd place)
Uncertainty Principle (1st place)
Skirmish 10:
River of Blood (1st place)
URAL STEEL 2012:
WAR & PEACE (FINALIST QUALIFIER)
Skirmish 9:
River of Blood (Semi Finals)
Skirmish 8:
River of Blood (1st place)
Uncertainty Principle (2nd place)
Skirmish 7:
River of Blood (1st place)
Uncertainty Principle (2nd place)
Skirmish 6:
Uncertainty Principle (Finalist qualifier, tournament ended tue to technical difficulties)
World of Tanks Season 1 Classic:
WAR & PEACE (Playoff Qualifier)
Skirmish 5:
River of Blood (1st place)

Is that consistently visible enough for you? We won Ural Steel ffs.

We have 2 teams:
River of Blood
Uncertainty Principle/War & Peace

EDITED BY DEKKLINOFDEATH, SEP 01 2012 - 06:00.

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question: What is the post all about?

answer: The post is about an upcoming World of Tanks tournament streaming via PAX.

question: Why are they having a tournament?

answer: The tournament is to celebrate the brand new World of Tanks website wotpro.com.

question: What might happen if the tournament allowed artillery?

answer: Speculative answer: Players who favor artillery units would be able to hit medium and heavy tanks from afar and the tournament won't be as exciting as head-to-head combat between tanks.


text:
New York, 1931

John woke up in his humble New York apartment, next to his wife, Charlotte. He sluggishly rose from his bed and stumbled into the kitchen. He opened his refrigerator, and reached for a carton of milk. He brought the carton to his lips, and drank a few sips before stuffing in back into the fridge. He put on his casual Sunday suit, as usual, and walked out the door. He was in a hurry, grooming his hair while walking down the stairs to the lobby of the apartment complex.

"Good morning, Mr. Galotto!"

"Nice to see you, Mary."

He walked out the doors too the street and go to the parking lot, opening the door to his Ford Model A. He drove down the street, making his way too the Fanchetti house. The Don told he had a big job today, and he didn't plan on disappointing the Don.

Will continue sometime tommorow!

Edit 1 (Continued)

John arrived at the Fanchetti house. The air was thick with pressure, and his stomach was churning. When he entered the office, he knew he really meant something to this family.

"John! Gosh damn, your late, I never thought you'd get he'yah!" Said Mr. Fanchetti himself.

"Sorry, Don. Won't happen again. You said you got somethin' for me?"

Mr. Fanchetti had the thickest Italian accent John had ever heard.

"John, you joined this family years ago, just lookin' fa' something ta' provide ya' family with a dinna' every night."

"Yes sir, I did."

"Now, after all those hard years, it's lead up ta' this. The big one. Yous' gonna be breakin' a' boy Dennis outta jail. Tonight."

"No disrespect, sir, but isn't Dennis on death row?"

"Why tha' hell do ya' think were breakin' 'em out?!"

APOLOGIES! Didn't have much time today, alot more will be done tommorow though! Keep an eye on this post.

title: A short story about a mobster who is betrayed. I like to call it: "American Vendetta"

question: How did John join the family?

answer: Unclear.

question: What is the big job John has to do?

answer: Break Dennis out of jail.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: John nervously goes to the Don's house. The Don had told John he had a big job for him to do and he wasn't going to disappoint him. The Don reflects on how John joined the family years ago


text:
Caught completely by surprise, he stood motionless in the rain, his black umbrella shielding him from the downpour. He had been making his way from his apartment to a local pub when he saw her. His heart sank.

She came out of the coffee house across the street, accompanied by an old friend, both of them stopped short by the rain. She threw her purse above her head and with some squeals and laughter, the pair ran out onto the sidewalk toward the cars parked along the curb. She stopped abruptly and bent down to scoop up the keys she had just dropped, her thin dress clinging to her in the rain. With her keys in hand she hurried toward her car, unlocking the doors remotely as she ran.

It had been weeks since he'd last seen her. He had been lying next to her on his side, propped up on an elbow, telling her a story. It was some silly observation about nothing memorable, but they both erupted into laughter when he was finished. And now, standing there in the rain, the symbolism did not escape him; from that day to this, from peace to storm.

She's moving, he reminded himself. He always knew she was going. But, how could he have predicted the mark she would make on him. How could he have known that he would love her. And now, she's leaving as if none of it mattered. As if all of those days spent together were like any other day. As if all those talks lasting late into the night, each of them having just one more thing to say, were not extraordinarily different. As if she never told him that she loved him, too.

"I can't believe I considered not going," she told him that night, after expressing her confusion over their relationship and the move. The pain of her even considering curtailing her dream was evident on her face. So, he had left her, without looking back. And he was angry. She never once asked him about his dreams. She never once asked him where he was going.

From the beginning, he had accepted that she was leaving, he knew that she needed to find her place. But to act as if what they built together was for nothing. To act as if it could all easily happen again, somewhere else, with someone else..

Her car pulled away from the curb and sped down the street, away from him. He slowly dropped his umbrella and the rain began to wash over him. He stood there, staring into the distance long after her car had disappeared into the horizon.

He gave a heavy sigh and turned, closing his umbrella.  In the end, she had failed him.

Slowly he began making his short journey home, dragging his umbrella behind him.

title: [In the Rain]

question: How has she failed him?

answer: She chose to take an unspecified opportunity.

question: Why can't they be together?

answer: It's murky in the text, but it has something to do with her physically moving away.

question: What surprises the main character about his feelings?

answer: He hadn't expected to fall in love with her.

question: How long has he known she is leaving?

answer: A long time.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: A man watches his lover, and soon-to-be-ex, exit a coffee shop. He had known that she would be moving, but he's surprised by his pain: he hadn't expected to fall in love with her.


text:
LIBERTYVILLE is an unincorporated community in southeastern St. Francois County, in the U.S. state of Missouri.[1] The community is located on Missouri Route DD, east of Knob Lick and north of Mine La Motte. The village is situated at the headwaters of the Little Saint Francis River.[2]

History

A post office called Libertyville was established in 1863 and remained in operation until 1919.[3] The community most likely takes its name from Liberty Township.[4] Variant names were “Kinkead” and “Liberty Meeting House”.[5]

[1]

[2] _Missouri Atlas & Gazetteer,_ DeLorme, 1998, First edition, p. 57

[3]

[4]

[5]

title: Libertyville, Missouri

question: What is Libertyville?

answer: An unincorporated community in southeastern St. Francois County in Missouri.

question: Where is the community located?

answer: On Missouri Route DD, east of Knob Lick and north of Mine La Motte.

question: Where is it situated?

answer: At the headwaters of the Little Saint Francis River.

question: When was the post office "Libertyville" established?

answer: 1863 - 1919

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Libertyville is an unincorporated community in southeaster  St. Francois County, Missouri. It is located on Missouri Route DD, east of Knob Lick and north of Mine  La Motte, on the headwaters of the Little Saint Francis River. The post office "Libertyville" was established in 1863 and ran until 1919. The community most likely takes its name from Liberty Township.


text:
Edit Story

|Aug 26, 2014,06:03pm EDT

[Valerie Jack]

This article is more than 6 years old.

On Monday, August 25, Seth Meyers hosted the 2014 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Also known as television's biggest night, the 2014 Emmys toasted the most outstanding programs to appear this year on the small screen, from the final season of _Breaking Bad_ to _Modern Family_, and everything in between.

Although the Television Academy’s winning picks proved, as always, controversial (another shutout for _Game of Thrones_, anyone?), the sartorial choices on display were nothing but excellent. Television’s leading men brought serious Tinseltown glamor to the red carpet, including some stunning haute horlogerie watches.

From _Breaking Bad's_ Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul to Hollywood heavyweight Kevin Spacey, here are our picks for the best dressed wrists from the 2014 Emmy Awards:

BRYAN CRANSTON, who got the audience at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles laughing by planting a big kiss on fellow nominee Julia Louis-Dreyfus, wore a vintage CARTIER Tank model. Either the kiss or the watch must have been lucky, because Cranston took home the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama for his role as anti-hero Walter White.

Cranston's co-star AARON PAUL celebrated another win for his portrayal of _Breaking Bad's_ Jesse Pinkman, hoisting his Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series trophy with a stainless steel BULGARI Octo timepiece on his wrist.

KEVIN SPACEY, who was nominated for his role as the wheeling and dealing politician Francis Underwood on _House of Cards_, added an IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN Portofino Chronograph watch on a Milanese mesh bracelet to his dapper ensemble.

Photo credit: Christopher Polk/NBC for Getty Images.

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, who followed up his big win at the Oscars earlier this year with an Emmy nomination for his work on _True Detective_, wore a yellow gold BULGARI timepiece from the brand's eponymous Bulgari Bulgari collection.

Photo credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

KIT HARINGTON, AKA Jon Snow from _Game of Thrones_, also wore a timepiece from the Bulgari Bulgari collection, this time in stainless steel.

NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU, seen here with his _Game of Thrones_ co-star (and fictional brother) Peter Dinklage, wore an IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days timepiece.

TY BURRELL, who took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series for his work as Phil Dunphy on _Modern Family_, wore a MONTBLANC timepiece from the Meisterstück Heritage Collection.

What do you think, did Walter White steal the show? Or are you siding with Ser Jaime Lannister? Let us know which actor you think was best dressed!

[Valerie Jack]

I'm a contributing editor at ForbesLife, where I write about the very best accessories: watches and jewelry. Whether it's the newest releases, analyzing the industry at…

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question: What is the article about?

answer: It is an article about the best watches worn by actors at the 2014 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

question: Who are the actors in the article?

answer: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Kevin Spacey, Matthew McConaughey, Kit Harington, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Ty Burrell.

question: What watch did Aaron Paul wear?

answer: A stainless steel Bulgari Octo timepiece.

question: What watch did Matthew McConaughey wear?

answer: He wore a yellow gold Bulgari timepiece from the eponymous Bulgari Bulgari collection.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The article is an investigation into the watches worn by male actors at the 2014 Emmy Awards who are up for television awards. The actors include Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Kevin Spaccey, Matthey McConaughey, Kit Harington, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Ty Burrell. The watch models included Bulgari, IWC Schaffausen, Montblac.


text:
Research Box Title

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have gone looking for water vapor in the atmospheres of three planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun – and have come up nearly dry.

The three planets, HD 189733b, HD 209458b, and WASP-12b, are between 60 and 900 light-years away. These giant gaseous worlds are so hot, with temperatures between 1,500 and 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, that they are ideal candidates for detecting water vapor in their atmospheres.

However, to the surprise of the researchers, the planets surveyed have only one-tenth to one one-thousandth the amount of water predicted by standard planet-formation theories.

"Our water measurement in one of the planets, HD 209458b, is the highest-precision measurement of any chemical compound in a planet outside the solar system, and we can now say with much greater certainty than ever before that we've found water in an exoplanet," said Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan of the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, who led the research. "However, the low water abundance we are finding is quite astonishing."

Madhusudhan said that this finding presents a major challenge to exoplanet theory. "It basically opens a whole can of worms in planet formation. We expected all these planets to have lots of water in them. We have to revisit planet formation and migration models of giant planets, especially 'hot Jupiters', and investigate how they're formed."

He emphasizes that these results, though found in these large hot planets close to their parent stars, may have major implications for the search for water in potentially habitable Earth-sized exoplanets. Instruments on future space telescopes may need to be designed with a higher sensitivity if target planets are drier than predicted. "We should be prepared for much lower water abundances than predicted when looking at super-Earths (rocky planets that are several times the mass of Earth)," Madhusudhan said.

Using near-infrared spectra of the planets observed with Hubble, Madhusudhan and his collaborators from the Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland; the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; and the Dunlap Institute at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, estimated the amount of water vapor in the planetary atmospheres based on sophisticated computer models and statistical techniques to explain the data.

The planets were selected because they orbit relatively bright stars that provide enough radiation for an infrared-light spectrum to be taken. Absorption features from the water vapor in the planet's atmosphere are superimposed on the small amount of starlight that glances through the planet's atmosphere.

Detecting water is almost impossible for transiting planets from the ground because Earth's atmosphere has a lot of water in it that contaminates the observation. "We really need the Hubble Space Telescope to make such observations," said Nicolas Crouzet of the Dunlap Institute at the University of Toronto and co-author of the study.

The currently accepted theory on how giant planets in our solar system formed is known as core accretion, in which a planet is formed around the young star in a protoplanetary disk made primarily of hydrogen, helium, and particles of ices and dust composed of other chemical elements. The dust particles stick to each other, eventually forming larger and larger grains. The gravitational forces of the disk draw in these grains and larger particles until a solid core forms. This core then leads to runaway accretion of both solids and gas to eventually form a giant planet.

This theory predicts that the proportions of the different elements in the planet are enhanced relative to those in their star, especially oxygen that is supposed to be the most enhanced. Once the giant planet forms, its atmospheric oxygen is expected to be largely encompassed within water molecules. The very low levels of water vapor found by this research raises a number of questions about the chemical ingredients that lead to planet formation, say researchers.

"There are so many things we still don't know about exoplanets, so this opens up a new chapter in understanding how planets and solar systems form," said Drake Deming of the University of Maryland, who led one of the precursor studies. "The problem is that we are assuming the water to be as abundant as in our own solar system. What our study has shown is that water features could be a lot weaker than our expectations."

The findings are being published on July 24 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

question: On what planets is Nasa looking for water vapor?

answer: They have been looking for water vapor in the atmospheres of three planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun.

question: What implications do these findings have?

answer: The findings present a major challenge to exoplanet theory, and will affect how scientists search for water in potentially habitable Earth-sized exoplanets.

question: What is the currently accepted theory on how giant planets are formed?

answer: This theory is known as core accretion. A planet is formed around the young star in a protoplanetary disk made primarily of hydrogen, helium, and particles of ices and dust. Gravitational forces of the disk draw in these particles until a solid core forms.

question: When are these findings being published?

answer: The findings are being published on July 24 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has been analyzing the atmospheres of three planets orbiting stars similar to the Sun, but have found that they only have one-tenth to one one-thousandth the amount of water predicted by standard planet-formation theories.


text:
media captionAt least two men stormed the hotel, which is popular with tourists

MILITANTS HAVE ATTACKED A HOTEL IN THE LIBYAN CAPITAL TRIPOLI, KILLING AT LEAST NINE PEOPLE INCLUDING FIVE FOREIGNERS, OFFICIALS SAY.

Several gunmen stormed the Corinthia Hotel and opened fire in the reception area. A car bomb also exploded nearby.

Unconfirmed reports say some of the assailants have blown themselves up. The officials say the dead include one US and one French citizen.

The security forces say the stand-off has now been brought to an end.

The US state department has confirmed the death of a US citizen, without giving any further details. The dead American is believed to have been a security contractor.

The French national is reported to have been working for Libya's Buraq Air.

There are conflicting reports as to the total number of attackers.

image copyrightReuters

image captionThe security forces say that the operation against gunmen who attacked the hotel is now over

A Twitter account linked to Islamic State said the militant group had carried out the attack.

There has been strong evidence to suggest an IS presence in the eastern Libyan city of Derna since October, with a group there publicly declaring allegiance to its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

However, the command structure is still a mystery to most foreign observers.

The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says that in the past month there has been a string of incidents in western Libya, including abductions and bombings, that have been claimed by IS social media accounts.

But she says it has not been clearly established whether these groups are IS foot soldiers or people inspired by them.

Attack threat

A civilian who witnessed the attack told the BBC: "I suddenly heard shots and saw people running towards me, and we all escaped from the back [of the hotel] through the underground garage. The hotel did a lockdown after that."

ANALYSIS: BBC'S RANA JAWAD IN TRIPOLI

The militant group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Corinthia Hotel, which was housing Omar al-Hassi, prime minister of Tripoli's self-proclaimed government, and the makeshift offices of an unknown number of foreign companies. Although this cannot be verified with absolute certainty, the brutality and style of the siege suggests it was the work of extremists targeting foreigners.

Libya is in a state of political chaos with a security vacuum and there are few reliable sources with whom to check facts. On a day when Tripoli witnessed this brazen and deadly attack, reporters were faced with statements from competing political blocs who seemingly tried to capitalise on the incident.

Mr al-Hassi claimed he was the target. The elected government in the east will use it to make the case for broadening their crackdown on Islamist groups - which some blame for further radicalising some of them.

What it has shown is that this lawless land is making it easy for extremist groups to mushroom.

Different sources at the scene said there were between three and five attackers - footage released later on Tuesday showed the body of a man reported to be one of the militants.

A security source told the BBC that one gunman had been arrested. Four security guards are among the dead and several people are reported to be injured.

image copyrightAFP

image captionSecurity forces and emergency services surrounded the hotel at the height of the stand-off on Tuesday

One hotel employee told the Associated Press news agency that the hotel was mostly empty at the time of the attack.

Meanwhile, a hotel security source told the BBC that the hotel had received a threat "a few days ago" warning managers "to empty the building".

'Revenge attack'

Housing the few foreigners who remain in the Libyan capital has long been known to be risky, our correspondent says.

The Corinthia Hotel is used by foreign diplomats, government officials and foreign companies. The UN Support Mission in Libya (Unsmil) has hosted several workshops at the hotel.

Libyan internationally recognised Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni condemned the attack and pledged that those responsible for it would be brought to justice.

Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign affairs chief, also condemned the attack which took place as a second round of peace talks between Libya's warring factions ended in Geneva in what the UN described as a "positive atmosphere".

image copyrightAFP

image captionThe hotel is popular with foreign diplomats and government officials

The Twitter account linked to IS said the group had carried out the attack in revenge for the death of Abu Anas al-Liby, a Libyan jihadist who was suspected of involvement in the bombings of two US embassies in East Africa in 1998.

Liby died in a US hospital on 2 January, days before he was due to stand trial.

Libya has been hit by instability since the overthrow of long-time ruler Col Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011.

Numerous militias govern their own patches of territory, with competing governments in Tripoli and the east struggling to exercise control.

-   Libya

question: Who were the victims of the attack?

answer: Nine people were killed, including one US citizen and one French citizen.

question: Explain the motivation behind the attack.

answer: Omar al-Hassi, prime minister of Tripoli, believes he was the target of the attack. An IS Twitter account claims the attack is revenge for the death of a jihadist named Abu Anas al-Liby.

question: What actions are being taken in response to the attack?

answer: The elected government will use the attack to make the case for cracking down on Ilamist groups.

question: Where did the attack take place?

answer: The reception area of the Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli, Libya.

question: Who perpetrated the attack?

answer: The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Nine people, including one US citizen and one French citizen, were killed in an attack in the reception area of the Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli. Prime Minister Omar al-Hassi believes he was the target of the attack. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, which they say is revenge for the death of a jihadist named Abu Ana al-Liby.


text:
An ultra-orthodox Jewish leader has reportedly banned girls aged five and older in some areas of Israel from riding bicycles - claiming it is “immodest”.

The rabbi of the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Nahloat distributed the stringent decree to his followers in synagogues across the area.

He had said young girls riding bicycles could “cause serious damage to their modesty” and that bicycle seats caused young girls to sit in a way men found “provocative”, according to the _Arutz Sheva 7_ website.

The ruling said: “We inform parents that they are obligated to forbid their daughters from age five and up from acting in this illegitimate way.”

Those affected by the ruling are members of the ultra-orthodox Haredi branch of Judaism.

In December ultra-orthodox rabbis requested women in Israeli city Bnei Brak refrain from studying in higher education, according to _Yeshida World News_ website.

Israeli women beat lonely path on campaign trail

They claimed institutions which teach secular subjects presented a real danger, and that girls and women should not study.

Haredi leaders have also attempted to effectively ban the internet from their communities, even declaring smartphones non-kosher.

 The countries with anti-women laws

Show all 5

However, studies suggest this interdict has had little effect, with ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel using the internet just as much as anyone else, according to the _Washington Post_.

question: Why are the girls banned from riding bicycles?

answer: According to the rabbi riding bicycles could cause serious damage to their modesty and that the seats would cause young girls to sit in a way men would find "provocative."

question: Who is the leader?

answer: The leader is the rabbi of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Nahloat.

question: What else has/ had been banned?

answer: Earlier in December, the rabbis had requested the women in Israeli city Bnei Brak to refrain from studying in higher education.

question: Why were the women told to not study in higher education?

answer: Because it was believed that institutions teach secular subjects that would present a real danger, and hence girls and women should not study.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer:
The rabbi of Nahloat has reportedly banned girls aged five and older from riding bicycles. He claims that it would c"cause serious damage to their modesty" and the bicycle seats would cause young girls to sit in ways that men would find "provocative."

Earlier, the ultra-orthodox rabbis had requested women in the city of Bnei Brak to refrain from studying in higher education. They claimed that these institutions would teach secular subjects which would present a real danger.

However, studies have suggested that this interdict has had little effect.


text:
  I open my eyes and I am a dog. I raise my head up from my paws. It smells like me around here. I like my smell. I go using my nose and find a spot where my smell is weak. I mark this spot with my smell. There will be more spots to mark, but I can only seek them out right now. Later, I will cover them and make them as they should be.

It occurs to me that my mouth is open. It is already hot. I go to the bowl. The bowl is empty. I lick the bowl, but it is still empty. I feel the dryness of my tongue. It is unpleasant but there is nothing to do. How long has it been?

 I make my way about the world. This place is empty except for me and my house. There are ends to the world. I have dug below the ends, but then I saw he was fierce and he hit so I stopped.

  The ends are funny. They always look the same, but they bring new smells some days and often the smell of others are passing near them. I hear noises too, noises beyond the ends, but there is nothing I can meet to know the noise. There is only the end and the hint of otherwise. So I call out past the ends and say that I am here too. But it makes no difference.

 Sometimes a small thing comes running through, but that is only if it knows it should be elsewhere. It lives up high and it has no bowl. I have been unable to get close enough to smell this thing. Perhaps it knows it smells good. Perhaps it thinks I would eat every bit of it. And perhaps I would. Just now I would. It would be refreshing and wet on my tongue.

I check the bowl, but the bowl is still empty and bright. My tongue is like a sock. I swallow but it is hard. It is not as easy as it could be.

 I am tired. I am too tired. But I would chase the ball if he would come throw the ball and give me water. There is nothing to see of him. The place where he comes from is shut like it is still dark. He never comes when the dark is here, but mostly he comes after it is gone. Like now. Or earlier.

Reaching for the golden ball on the wall, I hear my nails clicking. I keep reaching, but it is not easy because my feet are dry too and they slip. It is not easy to try and move like he moves. I am fast and strong, but I am no good like this. He could hear me and come open this thing so easy, if only he would.

  I keep reaching until I know that I can’t. It’s like running at the little thing that won’t let me smell it. I call at the golden ball and say that it is bad. Bad is bad, and if the ball is like me, it will not like being bad. But it just is there like the ends. I know this already, but I still call at it and I say that it is bad again.

 He may come and say that I am Bad. And he has before. He doesn’t always understand. But now I am going to be Bad. I call again and it hurts me because I am being Bad. I want him to come give me water and throw the ball. I want to be Good.

 Still though, he is nowhere and it is so hot. My feet are hot and my legs are hot and my hair is hot and my ears are hot and my tongue is hot.

I wish there was a place that wasn’t hot. We would go to water and it was not hot after that. He would throw the ball in the water and I would chase it and sometimes I was altogether wet and cool because there was so much water. There would be water I couldn’t see, but I knew how to be ok in the water. And I would be tired like I am now, but it was different. Then I had chased the ball through the water, but now I have only woken up.

In my house it is less hot, but it is still there. I lay down. In my way, I know that there is a call inside me that must be made. But I am too tired now. I am too tired to know what to say. I am too tired to smell. I am too tired to dig or chase or see.

 I would see him and I would make him see my shining bowl and give me water. The water would be hot, but I could drink it as if it were not. And he would say, Good Boy because that’s my name, and I like the name and he would be glad to give me more. And I am a Good Boy now and so I do not call. I am a Good Boy and so I let it be hot. I let the golden ball stare at me. I forget about the bowl because I am a Good Boy.

The little thing comes over the end. I cannot move to meet him. It is Bad for being here, but I cannot move to let it know this.

It moves slowly and I can smell the little thing. It smells like bark. It looks at me with little black eyes and is unafraid. We are unafraid because it stands in front of me and we are the same color, but it is not as hot as me. Then it tells me that I am Good. I don’t know how. But it knows me then, and it tells me I am Good.

It has no water, but I watch it. It looks back at me until I close my eyes and go nowhere.

title: DOG

question: What does the story say about how the narrator feels?

answer: The narrator is a dog. It is hot, and they are thirsty, lonely, and tired. They are trying to find their owner to give them water, but they can not find them. The dog wishes to be a good dog and to find a place that is not hot.

question: What does the story say about the dog's relationship with other dogs?


text:
I was flying back to work on christmas day.  My flight would take me first to the city of Houston for an hour layover before continuing on to my final destination.

My first flight is delayed.  First 10 minutes, then 20 minutes, then we stopped getting updates and were told it would be any moment.  The plane arrives and begins unloading the small batch of occupants before a sweep of the aircraft and boarding begins.  Boarding group 3 is called and I board.

The plane is small and my seat is in the back row before the emergency exits and the toilet for all those not in first class.  I take my seat and see her.  She is one of two flight attendants on board.  Her smile catches my eye as she makes her rounds, checking that everyone has figured out those complex seatbelts and has their bags tucked under the seat in front of them.

After the other flight attendant has done her speech about safety, it's her turn to come over the PA with some facts about the planes specifications.  She fumbles over the words and I turn my head to see her.  After she finishes she looks at me and says, "Welp, I screwed that up."

I chuckle a little and tell her, "Meh, it could have been a lot worse."

She smiles.

I return to the sunset drenched runway as the plane begins to speed up.  I slip on my headphones and "In The Waiting Line" by Zero 7 begins as the runway disappears and red, purple, and gold coat the clouds.

I check the time.  I'll be lucky to have ten minutes between my arrival in houston and my departure.  What if I miss my flight? There is still a two hour drive after waiting for me at the end of my next flight.

I think of her.

The flight lands and we find our gate.  Everyone stands.  I have ten minutes until my connectionsm flights boarding closes and my gate us at the end of the terminals.  I sit up a little and turn to find her with her head and arms resting in a hole in the wall behind me.  I smile and ask her where she's headed next.

She tells me she's headed home to rest and how she had intended to be with family before she got these flights last minute.  She asks me questions about my destination and my job, and after a few minutes I tell her my name.  She offers hers.

I want to speak to her again.  I want to know more about her and spend more time with her infectious smile.  I want to give her my number and just see what happens.

7 minutes.

I glance towards the front of the plane and see my turn to walk out of my isle and off the plane approach with an unexpected speed.  I grab my bag and stand up.

"Get home safe, it was nice talking to you," I say as I leave.

My moment is gone.  I immediately regret not taking my chance.  Her name fills my head and though I maybe exchanged 50 words with her I was left wondering what if.  Cursing myself as I half walk half jog down the terminal.

5 minutes.

2 minutes.

I run.

1 minute.

I see my gate ahead and push forward.  Boardi Boarding pass in hand I get to the closed gate.  The flight had been delayed 20 minutes and hadn't begun boarding yet.

I could have taken my time.  I didn't have to run.  The moment had disintegrated before me as I failed to jump off the edge of the cliff that is my mind.  I wish I had taken the leap of faith.  I wish I hadn't given in to my cold feet.  All this worrying about someone who was in my life for an hour seems silly.  I didn't even know her, but I wanted to.

I slip on my headphones and fade into the music.

title: [NF] Just my story

question: What does the story say about the theme of regret?

answer: The narrator regrets not taking a chance with the woman he meets on the plane. He is left wondering what if. He wishes he had taken a leap of faith and hadn't given in to cold feet. He'd wanted to get to know her.

question: Summarize everything relating to occupations.

answer: The narrator is flying back to work on Christmas day. The woman on the plane is one of two flight attendants on board. She fumbles through the facts about the plane's specifications.

question: What does the story say about the flight attendant's feelings toward the narrator?

question: What does the story say about the narrator's feelings toward the flight attendant?

answer: He thinks of her during the flight. He wants to speak to her again and get to know more about her. He wants to give her his number. Her name fills his head after they part ways, and he regrets not taking a chance. He wanted to get to know her.