text:
[]

_Listen to Monday's Chad Mendes interview in the player above._

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

Chad Mendes was set to fight Jose Aldo in the main event of the ill-fated UFC 176 pay-per-view on Aug. 2, but the fight and event were subsequently canceled when Aldo withdrew due to a neck injury.

During a Monday appearance on the Sherdog Radio Network’s ”Beatdown” show, “Money” weighed in on what he really thought caused the fight to be postponed. MMA has had issues of late with fighters testing positive for performance enhancing drugs, and Mendes believes Aldo is no exception.

“I feel like this happens to me a lot, like I have a curse or something. It sucks,” Mendes said. “I definitely do [think Aldo’s using PEDs]. This is something that's been ongoing, but for him to all of a sudden just drop out -- I mean he drops out of a lot of fights -- but I think it’s pretty coincidental.”

Mendes supports recent efforts by the UFC and athletic commissions to implement random drug tests. The method obviously works, but the issue remains rampant, with high profile cases involving Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva and Ali Bagautinov serving as examples.

“I’d probably say at least 80 percent of fighters are probably taking something,” Mendes said. “You know, there’s guys that are coming back from injury trying to take it. Whether it’s them trying to survive, pay their mortgage, pay rent or whatever -- or guys just trying to get that full advantage to be at the top. So yeah, I think there’s a lot of people taking performance enhancing drugs.”

With time the system will be refined, but the Team Alpha Male product worries about how such rules will apply to international fighters like Aldo.

“I like it [random drug testing]. The only thing I question about the system is what do we do about guys that are out of the country? Guys in Brazil, guys in Japan, can we trust those random drug tests?” Mendes said. “I was thinking about this the other day: If someone were to knock on Aldo’s door in Brazil and say, ‘We need to give you a random drug test,’ and he says ‘Here’s $1,000, go away,’ it’s done. I feel like something like that could happen very easily. I just want to know what the system would be -- how could we trust that it’s going to be fair everywhere?”

Following the news that their rematch would be postponed, the featherweight champion accused Mendes of using “supplements” to avoid injuries. Mendes seemed pleased on Monday that he is affecting Aldo as much as he is.

“The first time I saw that, for me, this is huge in my mind. He’s reaching big time. We have never seen Aldo lash out like this; we’ve never seen him lose his temper. I am in his head. I own him right now,” he said.

“This is huge for me. This is huge for me getting in there and taking that belt from him. I’ve never seen him talk like this about anybody. He’s being very disrespectful,” Mendes continued. “I’ve never been caught red-handed or anything. It’s funny to me that as soon as the whole random drug testing started popping up, the next day he is injured and out of the fight. If anything, I could throw that in his face, but whatever.”

So where will the fight ultimately end up taking place? Both sides obviously want the bout to go down on home soil, but according to Mendes, Aldo’s push for the fight to be in Brazil – like their first encounter at UFC 142 -- stems from something else.

“So this is the thing: We’ve got all this random drug testing, all this stuff that’s going on, testing for EPO, HGH, all this stuff now -- they can get away with that stuff over in Brazil. This is why he wants me to be in Brazil and fighting in Brazil, [because] they can do all that kind of stuff there. For me, I want this to be a fair fight. I went there first; I fought him in his backyard. I think it’s only fair he comes here and fights me in my backyard. Let’s make it one and one and see what happens,” Mendes said. “We are still working on it. I talked to [UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby] a little bit. It’s a 50/50 percent chance it could end up in Brazil. We are trying obviously to get it pushed here. We don’t know for sure.”

Only time will tell.

question: What does the text say about Brazil?

answer: Brazil is a country in South America. According to Mendes, Brazil is known for having lax drug testing laws. He thinks this is why Aldo is trying to get the fight to be held in Brazil.

critique: It misses to mention that Mendes thinks Brazil is known for lax drug testing laws.

critique: This sentence is inaccurate and irrelevant to the question

critique: The answer could be clearer in its pronoun use.

critique: The answer should mention that Mendes wants the fight to be held in the US.

critique: The answer omits that Brazil is also known for its passionate fight fans.

critique: It is omitted that Mendes thinks Brazil is a place where athletes can get away with using performance enhancing drugs.

question: What does the text say about the weight in pounds of middleweight fighters?

answer: No answer

critique: There is no answer to the question in the text.

critique: The text does not mention the weight of middleweight fighters.

critique: The text does not say anything about middleweight fighters.

critique: The question is asking for information that is not in the text.

question: What does the text say about performance enhancing drugs?

answer: Chad Mendes believes Jose Aldo is using performance enhancing drugs. Mendes supports recent efforts by the UFC and athletic commissions to implement random drug tests. He believes about 80 percent of fighters are probably taking something. He believes some are trying to survive, pay their mortgage, or get the full advantage to be at the top.

critique: The answer should mention that Mendes believes Aldo is using PEDs because he withdrew from their fight due to a neck injury.

critique: The answer should mention the high-profile cases of Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva, and Ali Bagautinov.

critique: The answer should mention that Mendes believes Aldo is using PEDs to avoid injury.

critique: It's omitted that Mendes wants the fight to be fair, and he believes Aldo wants to fight in Brazil to use performance enhancing drugs.

critique: The answer should mention the UFC's recent high-profile cases.

critique: The answer omits that Mendes believes Aldo is using PEDs.

critique: "He believes some are trying to survive, pay their mortgage, or get the full advantage to be at the top." - this is incorrect. Mendes believes some are trying to survive, pay their mortgage, or get the full advantage to be at the top.

critique: The exact percentage is not the point of the information provided. It is stated that a large percentage of those who fight do so with the use of performance enhancing drugs.

question: What does the text say about the relationship between Mendes and Aldo?

answer: Mendes and Aldo are both UFC fighters. Mendes is the featherweight champion and Aldo is the featherweight champion. They were set to fight in the main event of UFC 176, but Aldo withdrew due to a neck injury. Aldo accused Mendes of using "supplements" to avoid injuries.

critique: Remove the start on the response for clutter

critique: The answer should mention that Mendes thinks Aldo is using PEDs.

critique: The answer should mention that Mendes is accusing Aldo of using performance enhancing drugs.

critique: The answer should mention that Mendes believes Aldo is using PEDs.

text: The answer inaccurately mentions Aldo accusing Mendes, however it is Mendes who is accusing Also of using PEDs.


split: train

text:
ALDRO THOMPSON HIBBARD (August 25, 1886 – November 12, 1972) was an American plein air painter known for his depictions of snowy landscapes, particularly of Vermont. Hibbard worked in oil, as watercolor couldn't be used in January and February in the mountains of Vermont. He lived most of his life in Rockport, Massachusetts.

Early life

Hibbard was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts to James Thompson Hibbard and to the former Katherine Swift. Hibbard's father sold sewing machines and his mother was a homemaker who had a fondness of nature and spiritualism. He had one older sister, Adeline. Hibbard was raised in the Boston suburbs of Roxbury and Dorchester and graduated from Dorchester High School in 1906. Hibbard was captain of the baseball team at Dorchester High School.[1] As a young man, he often spent summers visiting family in Falmouth,[2][3] and in 1911,[4] 1913,[5] 1915,[6][7][8] and 1916,[9][10][11] he played baseball for the “Cottage Club”, Falmouth's town team in what is now the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Hibbard enrolled in the Massachusetts Normal Art School which is now known as Massachusetts College of Art and Design (or MassArt) in 1906. Here he studied with Ernest Lee Major, Joseph DeCamp, Frederic Andrew Bosley all of whom were well known painters of portraits and still life. Hibbard was known for his work ethic at an early age. He worked his way through college, walking back and forth to Dorchester to attend classes six days a week and also attending night classes several times a week. He rarely arrived home before midnight. Due to his work ethic, Hibbard completed the four year normal art school program in three years and in 1909 enrolled at the school of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (now known as School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts) to continue his studies. Here he studied with Frank Weston Benson, Phillip Leslie Hale and Edmund Charles Tarbell who were instructors in the new school of American Impressionism at that time. Hibbard studied at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston for an additional four years and upon graduation was awarded in 1913 with the Paige Traveling Scholarship, one of only four scholarships and the only American to receive the scholarship for this year. With the resources now to travel to Europe and study for two years, Hibbard departed Boston aboard the SS Arabic bound for Cobh, Ireland in September 1913. Hibbard spent time in England, France, Spain, Morocco, and Italy. He was able to study and sketch from many masters and had exposure to the life of Europe. He explored both town and landscape venues. Due to the declaration of War 29 July 1914 (Italy), Hibbard made his way back to England there boarding the SS Arabic in November of 1914 bound for Boston.[12]

Career

The National Academy of Design awarded Hibbard the 1922 First Hallgarten Prize for _Late February_, and the 1928 Second Altman Prize for _Snow Mantle_.

Hibbard traveled extensively early in his career across the United States and Canada seeking mountainous venues. He then gravitated to Rockport where many artists coalesced to form what is now known as the Rockport Art Association. Hibbard was president of the association for over 20 years. He also was an instructor for many years creating the Hibbard School of Painting in Rockport. He spent his summers instructing in Rockport and then painting in Vermont in the winter months.

Hibbard was a member of many American art organizations, including the Rockport Art Association, the North Shore Art Association, and others. He was a National Academician of the National Academy of Design granted Associate National Academician in 1923 and National Academician in 1933.

Legacy

Hibbard influenced Rockport artists including Emile Gruppe, Tom Nicholas, Paul Strisik, Marguerite Stuber Pearson, and Roger Curtis.

His paintings, which are associated with the Boston School of painting,[13] are in many museums including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Currier Museum of Art, Portland Museum of Art, Whistler House Museum of Art, corporations and other prominent private collections.

Aldro Hibbard's current record at auction occurred on February 3, 2012 at Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers, when _Winter in New England, Probably a West River, Vermont View_, estimated at $25,000-$35,000, sold for $88,875. Along with Anthony Thieme, Hibbard is generally regarded as the most expensive Rockport painter at auction.

Notes

Sources

-   _A.T. Hibbard, N.A.: Artist in Two Worlds_, by John L. Cooley, published 1968.
-   _Rockport Sketchbook_, by John L. Cooley, published 1965.
-   “Aldro T. Hibbard, Painter of New England Winters”, _American Artist_, June 1940.
-   “The Legacy of Cape Ann,” by James Keny, _American Art Review_, Oct./Nov. 1995.
-   “A New View of Aldro Hibbard”, by Charles Movalli, _American Artist_, May 1979.
-   _Art For All, The Cape Ann School_, by Lisa B. Martin.
-   _The Inspiration of Cape Ann_, by Tom Davies, Rockport Art Association, 1993.
-   _Gloucester, Views of the Art Colony by American Masters_, by R.H. Love, R.H. Love Galleries, Oct./Nov. 1991

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title: Aldro Hibbard

question: How successful was Aldro Thompson Hibbard as an artist?

answer: Hibbard's paintings are in many museums, corporations, and private collections. The National Academy of Design awarded him two prizes. Hibbard was a member of many American art organizations.

critique: The answer omits the fact that Hibbard was the president of the Rockport Art Association for over 20 years.

critique: Doesn't mention that he was the president of the Rockport Art Association for 20 years.

critique: Hibbard's career was not mentioned in the response.

critique: The answer omits Hibbard's influence on other artists.

critique: The answer should mention the auction price of his painting.

critique: The answer should mention his influence on other artists.

critique: This response does not answer the question as to Hibbard's status as an artist. There is no mention as to how good of an artist he was.


text:
In a question-and-answer session in parliament on June 13, the U.K. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling batted away claims from the official opposition that climate change is an existential threat to our planet, and said that any attempt to row back on road building was tantamount to the Labour Party waging a “war with the motorist.”

Grayling claimed that the “more congested our roads are, the higher the emissions.” And he added:

  We cannot destroy our economy and get rid of our roads. We have to decarbonize road transport, but we also have to ensure that our roads flow smoothly. Those on the Labour benches do not get that. They want to scrap road improvements, and they want more traffic jams. Those traffic jams increase emissions.”

Labour’s Rachael Maskell had asked the secretary of state why he had “failed to undertake a full environmental audit of [the latest] road investment strategy—the most ecologically and environmentally damaging road building program for a generation?”

Responding, Grayling claimed that Labour was “anti-motorist” and “anti-road improvements.”

Last year, the government announced billions of pounds for the Strategic Road Network–which comprise freeways and major “A-roads”–and billed the cash injection as the “largest ever investment of this kind.”

A very similar pledge was made in 2013 by the so-called “greenest government ever.” The then Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander–part of the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government–promised the “greatest investment in our roads since the 1970s.”

This, it seemed, was ignorant of a similar 1989 pledge made by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. With the _Roads to Prosperity_ report, Thatcher promised her government’s road building program would be the “biggest since the Romans.”

Some of Thatcher’s roads got built–including the M25 freeway around London, which, at peak times, is now more of a car park than a fast motor road–but the program was halted when it came to be understood that building more roads leads to more congestion. This was a radical idea when floated by anti-roads campaigners, but it became an orthodox government position–briefly–following advice to government from the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment (SACTRA) study of 1994.

The then Transport Secretary Dr. Brian Mawhinney–a Conservative–told parliament that the Department for Transport “recognized that, as economic growth over the last 15 years has greatly increased traffic levels, the number of congested areas has gone up and with them, the cases where a road scheme might bring costs as well as benefits.”

He admitted that “roads do, to some degree, increase traffic.”

This concept is known to transport wonks as “induced demand” and is often summarized with a quote usually attributed to the great American urbanist Lewis Mumford: “Building more roads to prevent congestion is like a fat man loosening his belt to prevent obesity.”

Transport academics tend to credit the discovery of induced demand in transport to J.J. Leeming, a British road-traffic engineer and county surveyor, writing in 1969. He observed that the more roads are built, the more traffic there is to fill these roads. The idea was conceived shortly after German mathematician Dietrich Braess released the Braess’s paradox which shows that “selfish” motorists can’t be relied upon to consider the optimal travel times for all rather than just themselves, leading to delays for all. These ideas were further expanded in the Lewis–Mogridge Position of 1990 and the Downs–Thomson paradox of 1992.

But the mechanics of induced demand was known about long before 1969. Writing in 1866, surveyor and engineer William J. Haywood, one of the builders of London’s Holborn Viaduct, said the new thoroughfare would attract more travelers: the “facility of locomotion stimulates traffic of itself.” His solution? Build more and more roads, of course. This was also the conclusion of Sir Charles Bressey’s Highway Development Survey for London, published in 1937. In his report–penned with the great architect, Sir Edward Lutyens–Bressey wrote:

  As a typical instance may be quoted the new Great West Road which parallels and relieves the old Brentford High Street route. According to the Ministry's traffic census extracts … the new route as soon as it was opened carried four and a half times more vehicles than the old route was carrying. No diminution, however, occurred in the flow of traffic along the old route and from that day to this the number of vehicles on both routes has steadily increased … These figures serve to exemplify the remarkable manner in which new roads create new traffic.”

Bressey’s solution? Same as Haywood’s. More roads.

Writing in 1932, the British town planner Thomas Sharp pointed out the futility of building more roads:

  A motorist is apt to complain of the overcrowded condition of the road if he finds he has not continually got a whole mile-long stretch of it to himself, but is one of a widely spaced and rapidly moving queue of half a dozen or so. He will declare there is no pleasure in motoring under such conditions. He will search his map for some alternative route by quiet lanes where he can speed along with the road to himself. And when others find that alternative route and all further alternatives are exhausted, he proceeds to demand a new road system so that his motoring may again become a pleasure.”

Despite knowing that building more roads would lead to more traffic, Sharp still advocated for road building.

Famously, Southern California built hundreds of miles of wide, expansive freeways, but soon after they were built they filled to capacity, as can be seen from this 1950s film of bumper to bumper queues:

Writing in _The New Yorker_ in 1955, Mumford suggested that “people … find it hard to believe that the cure for congestion is not more facilities for congestion.”

He added:

  Most of the fancy cures that the experts have offered for … congestion are based on the innocent notion that the problem can be solved by increasing the capacity of the existing traffic routes, multiplying the number of ways of getting in and out of town, or providing more parking space for cars that should not have been lured into the city in the first place. Like the tailor’s remedy for obesity–letting out the seams of the trousers and loosening the belt–this does nothing to curb the greedy appetite that [has] caused the fat to accumulate …”

And, as evidenced by the transport secretary on June 13, the planet can burn while the fat man–that’s us–loosens his belt in a futile attempt to prevent obesity.

question: What does the text say about induced demand?

answer: The concept of induced demand is known to transport wonks as "induced demand". It is the idea that building more roads leads to more traffic. The idea was conceived shortly after German mathematician Dietrich Braess released the Braess's paradox which shows that "selfish" motorists can't be relied upon to consider the optimal travel times for all rather than just themselves, leading to delays for all. The concept of induced demand was discovered by J.J. Leeming, a British road-traffic engineer and county surveyor, writing in 1969. He observed that the more roads are built, the more traffic there is to fill these roads.

critique: The answer should mention the 1989 report that supported the idea.

critique: The answer omits the fact that the concept of induced demand was known about long before 1969.

critique: The answer should mention that the concept was known long before 1969.

critique: The answer omits the origin of the term.

critique: This response does not have what does induced demand mean. It should be re-written or have a stand-alone definition added because this definition defines induced demand in the response.

critique: The answer should mention the origins of the concept.

text: The first sentence has redundant phrasing and should be edited.

category: coherence

question: What does the text say about the current discussion over roads?

answer: The U.K. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling batted away claims from the official opposition that climate change is an existential threat to our planet and said that any attempt to row back on road building was tantamount to the Labour Party waging a war with the motorist. Grayling claimed that more congested roads are higher in emissions. The Labour party proposed this discussion because they wanted to know why the Transport Secretary failed to undertake a full environmental audit of the latest road investment strategy.

critique: Grayling's answer isn't relevant to the current discussion.

critique: This response does not fully answer the question. The response should include the key points the author discusses about the discussion.

critique: The answer doesn't mention what the Labour Party's position is.

critique: The answer should mention the induced demand.

critique: The answer omits the discussion over induced demand.

critique: The answer should mention that the Transport Secretary's response was to claim that the Labour party was "anti-motorist" and "anti-road improvements".

question: What does the text say about the author?

answer: No answer

critique: This response is not related to the question.

critique: The answer should mention the author's name.

critique: It is implied that the author is a journalist.


text:
*Aliens!*

It was late.

The snow was coming down pretty fierce and I was on the porch eating nachos.

I was using a fork.

Plus, some aliens landed.

*Final Countdown to Death by Alien*

The alien's maw opened and I saw pieces of Roberts and Cornel still stuck between its teeth. I vomited on the ground.

The alien moved closer and I stepped back and leveled the gun at it. The alien put all of its tentacles in the air as if to surrender.

But I wasn't having it. I cocked the trigger.

"Wait! Wait!" The alien pleaded. "I just want to talk."

"You had plenty of time to talk - and eat."

"OK. What if I told you that I could put your friends back together?"

"I wouldn't believe you."

"OK. What if I told you because of the size of my mouth and the tentacles on the inside, I can give you the best blowjob you've ever had?"

I put down the gun.

*Leave Us Alone*

"But, Craydong, you cannot leave humanity - not in this most precious hour when our world is at the edge of war." She pleaded with the alien.

"I am sorry, Sally. I need to go back to my home world. They need me."

"But we need you!"

"Not like this. These people are needy. Like can't open jars without me. Like call me up and tell me they miss me when it's not a holiday. Like always want me to pay for Taco Bell even though I'm between jobs and going on a vacation to Earth. Then I get here and it's all like stop the war and save the trees and - I just need some down time. I'm only human."

"But you're not human."

"See, and then you're a dick all time. I'm leaving. Fuck you."

"But"

"No butts. This is bullshit. I'm going to Jupiter."

ON JUPITER

"Hello, I'm Craydong. I come in peace."

"Hey, Craydong - you know how to fix a dryer?"

"DAMNIT!"

*Can't We Be Friends?*

I entered the chamber and the alien was inside with its stamp collection. "You collect stamps?" I asked.

"Indeed. I have some from before World War One. I also have coins. Would you like to see a Buffalo nickel?"

The alien was a nerd. I left in disgust and turned on a football game.

*Drug Problem*

When the aliens landed we were extremely excited. They explained that we could tell no one about them and that they were here on a mission of peace.

We had all seen movies and how aliens come down and act like they want peace and then kill everyone - so we were skeptical.

But as time went on, we realized that they meant us no harm.

They just kinda sat around and smoked all my pot and ate ding dongs.

Fucking aliens!

*Lasers!*

I ran down the highway with the laser fire cutting at my ankles. They were toying with me. They knew that I was running the wrong way.

Away from the reactor.

I kept running until finally, they stopped firing. I turned.

The ship was hovering above me and a rope fell out of the bottom.

Sloth, from the Goonies, appeared waving a Chicago Cubs banner in one hand, and in the other hand he had a picture of my mother naked.

The diversion had worked. I was utterly confused.

*Alien Call*

"911, what's your emergency?"

"ALIENS!"

"Illegal or the UFO kind?"

"ALIENS!"

"Sir, you need to be more specific."

"ALIENS!"

"Please, sir, I'm just trying to help."

"ALIENS WITH LASERS!"

"OK. So, the UFO type."

*Mutual Martians*

"Hello, I am Quadrant from Mars."

"I am Rectangle, also from Mars."

"How are you liking it?"

"Earth?"

"Yes."

"It's OK. But whenever I see that rover on TV I think about all the giant warehouses of Martians it's driving over and feel like the Earthlings are dumb."

"Me, too. If they knew that we were eating Burger King and drinking beer right under some of those rocks that they get all excited about, it would really drive them mad."

"Agreed. But that one rock that looked like a donut - that made me think."

"Think about what?"

"Like maybe there's a bunch of donuts up there that we don't know about.

*Starfall*

"Sir, it's the Pentagon. They say that the aliens landed on the CNN building in New York. It's going to be a media circus!"

"I'll get my chair and whip."

"Sir?"

"Oh, MEDIA circus. I thought it was going to be a regular circus. I used to train lions."

"Sir, it's aliens."

"What if they're lions?"

title: [HM] ALIENS!

question: Describe the interaction between the narrator and the alien.

answer: The alien suggests putting the narrator's friends back together or giving the narrator the best blowjob of his life. The narrator puts down the gun and decides to stick around to have his blowjob.

critique: "But I wasn't having it. I cocked the trigger." The narrator clearly isn't in favor of the alien staying, so this doesn't constitute an interaction between the two.

critique: The answer should be more specific about the blowjob.

critique: Only the narrator's friends are brought back.

critique: The narrator decides to put down the gun and stick around for the blowjob.

critique: The alien does not suggest putting the narrator's friends back together.

critique: This is not limited to the blowjob, it doesn't state what the narrator chose to do or how their interaction with each other went.

critique: This summary is incorrect. The narrator does not stick around for the blow job. He does put down his gun because he is curious about what else it has to offer.

critique: The alien's offer is not to the narrator, but to the narrator's friends.

critique: The response is inaccurate. The alien doesn't offer to put the narrator's friends back together or give the narrator the best blowjob of his life. It offers to do both.

critique: The alien never put any of the narrator's friends back together. The narrator had already killed them.

critique: The narrator thinks the alien can't put his friends back together, not that the alien suggests that.

critique: The answer is incorrect. The alien does not offer the narrator a blowjob.

text: There seem to be several different narrators interacting with several different aliens. The answer mentions the first one but not the others.

category: accuracy

refinement: The alien suggests putting the narrator's friends back together or giving the narrator the best blowjob of his life. The narrator puts down the gun and decides to stick around to have his blowjob.

question: Summarize the part of the story that describes aliens and drug problems.

answer: The narrator says he was excited when the aliens landed. They warned that they were peaceful and here to say. The narrator is skeptical and they sit around smoking all the narrator's pot. This happens multiple times, with the aliens going to other locations to find pot. Eventually, the narrator and the aliens begin speaking English with each other. They do not believe humans are able to speak Martian and that they are stupid beings, who just want to eat donuts.

critique: The last sentence is not true and should be omitted.

critique: This response is inaccurate and doesn't make sense in the context of the story.

critique: The aliens do not speak English, being Martians.

critique: They don't speak english because they don't speak at all

critique: The aliens do not speak English with the narrator. They speak Martian.

critique: The aliens do not speak English, the narrator does.

critique: The aliens did not go to other locations to find pot.

critique: Does not mention the aliens taking the narrator's prescription drugs.

critique: The answer should mention that the aliens are humanoid.

question: How would the author react if aliens did actually land on Earth?

answer: It's unclear how the author would react if aliens did actually land on Earth, although the text implies the author would not believe the aliens' claims about treating the sick, stealing ATM's, and causing the British Invasion, but would believe them if they could make a blowjob that is better than anything the author has had before. Based on that mentality, it's reasonable to assume the author would at least attempt to debunk whatever catch the aliens use with their lies.

critique: "It's unclear how the author would react if aliens did actually land on Earth, although the text implies the author would not believe the aliens' claims about treating the sick, stealing ATM's, and causing the British Invasion, but would believe them if they could make a blowjob that is better than anything the author has had before. Based on that mentality, it's reasonable to assume the author would at least attempt to debunk whatever catch the aliens use with their lies." - this is inaccurate. The author's reaction is clear. He would not believe the aliens' claims about treating the sick, stealing ATM's, and causing the British Invasion.

critique: According to the story, the author does not believe the aliens' claims about treating the sick, stealing ATM's, and causing the British Invasion.

critique: The aliens don't promise the best blowjob ever, it is a combination of lies they use to get what they want.

critique: The idea that the author would believe the aliens about the blowjob is preposterous. This should be omitted.

critique: The response is not related to the question.

critique: The author would not believe the aliens' claims about treating the sick, stealing ATM's, and causing the British Invasion.

critique: The answer is not clear and needs to be rewritten.

critique: There is no mention of the British Invasion.

critique: The answer is not related to the question.

critique: The text does not imply that the author would believe aliens would heal the sick, steal ATM's and with some justification, claim to be the cause of the British Invasion, only that the author would believe they could give the best blowjob the author has ever had.

text: The author's reactions to alien landings can't be extrapolated from this absurdist story.

refinement: It's unclear how the author would react if aliens did actually land on Earth, although the text implies the author would not believe the aliens' claims about treating the sick, stealing ATM's, and causing the British Invasion, but would believe them if they could make a blowjob that is better than anything the author has had before. Based on that mentality, it's reasonable to assume the author would at least attempt to debunk whatever catch the aliens use with their lies.


text:
Little Tamboule was proud.  His test was the most beautiful of its kind and of all the priests he was held in the highest regard. Its silicate horns and mail like flaps were garish and avant garde' and as he negotiated the cavernous cloisters of cold anthracite and zircon his tail swished from side to side along the polished floor.

Now Little Tamboule was tall for a human, over 4 feet did he stand and with his tall black mitre atop his tiny head a further 3 feet were added.  And many whispered in corridors that he, Tamboule, would one day attain the rank of Administrator and dwell in the deepest, dampest part of the Cathedral, and dine on only the best and sweetest roots.

And yet Tamboule never did sleep soundly, for during the hours before the dawn he would often awake from disquieting dreams in a delirium and attendants would often find him in the high towers atop a litter of powdered clay which, as a geophage, he consumed in a misguided bid to banish the reoccurring mania.  You see Tamboule hid a terrible secret, one which would summon heavy handed ordinators and scornful justices, and The Pit of The World would await him as punishment.

For Tamboule had legs, as real as the dawn and fleshy and strong. Such appendages were rare amongst his people and those who bore anything but the smallest of atrophied lower limbs were cast into the pit of the slithering thing as abominations, there to dwell for the long night as worms.

And on the night of Kerimas Little Tamboule gibbered and twitched on his mound of clay, and he clung to his chest roots and cones - but this night was like no other, for in his tired, altered state, Tamboule had cast off his test as he fled from his bed chamber and there he lay only with his gown of ermine draped across his body, he legs unfurled and naked for all to see. And a throng of priests descended on the room, a jagged forest of black hats, envy upon their withered grey faces.  Their vestigial eyes gazed upon the atavist, the throwback, the legg'd one who lay on the litter and insulted them so. And many fingers were pointed and horrid slanderous words were levelled at Little Tamboule.  And yet amongst the throng there were those who were saddened by what they saw, like Adir and Themote who had once tutored Tamboule in the ways of the priesthood, many more still were fond of this remarkable prodigy though they stood in silence, powerless to act, and the seething mob lunged forward to engulf his pathetic form.

Tamboule was cast into The Pit of the Earth after a swift trial in which 800 out of the 1000 members of the jury had reported a guilty verdict.  And though he anticipated a quick death dashed on jagged rocks by chance a dweller of the pit, a jovial and terrifying creature called a Tryth had broken his fall. The Tryth was only too happy to aid little Tamboule in his endeavours, in exchange for stories about the world above, of dust storms and cutlery, and porcelain and how people carried smooth coins of obsidian and copper.  The vast tryth, he explained in a guttural tongue, was a vast servitor of a long forgotten people who once called the pit their home. Sadly They had expired long ago and the tryth-kind had eeked out a living feeding on the carrion and fungi that frequented this foul foetid foyer. It was clear that the telling of this story moved the Tryth and copious oily tears rained down on the dry earth of mica clay below.  It was not difficult to elicit help from the bulbous creature and after the 2 had slept they decided to set out in a bid to escape.

A days trek through the tunnels of the worm brought the pair to an even vaster cavern where they sat and rested. Tamboule could feel a breeze emanating from the cavern mouth which sat over a vast canyon, the bottom of which could not be seen in this place so dim as it was.  And it was Tamboules wish that the 2 would fly high over the precipice and to freedom, and he offered the Tryth a most wonderful story in return. It should be said that the Tryst was not suited to flight, so full was his enormous belly and so pendulous was his hilarious head furniture. And to make matters worse the Tryth had a memory so poor he was constantly regaling Tamboule with the same childish queries about ducks and grapes.

But Tamboule persisted and fashioned himself a carriage from earth which he would dangle below the Tryths mighty bulk in the manner of an luxury airship liner and this prompted sad memories of his beloved bone china and fine  bejewelled plates and cups.

Hence forth a fire was set below the Tryth and the smoke filled his vestigial cavity; and Tamboule was taken aback at the sight of the enormous animal growing fatter and fatter like a great balloon.  And the Tryst took to the air and floated gracefully over the seemingly bottomless canyon in an effortless manner, its wings beating a steady cadence while Tamboule regaled and soothed the beast with a sonnet about Ham.  On an exposed promontory just outside the cave mouth Tamboule an d The Tryth sat in silence, their last onion had perished and a noxious worm had made its home in their last apple. The worm taunted the two as they formulated a plan to descend the mountain.

Alas the Tryth grew weaker by the day, so far was he from the irradiated halls deep in the bowels of the earth. And so on the 14th day Tamboule awoke to find that his companion was no more and he felt sad.  A prayer was offered to the sugar ants and the mock moon and far away the strumming of an out of tune harp heralded the Tryths arrival in the beyond and hereafter.  But Tamboule ate well and fashioned himself a skin drum, a dapper cap, a kite and a back pack which he filled with jerky and fat. And from the bones a crude glider was constructed which carried the petty priest down the mountainside to the valley below.

End of part 1

EDIT: Spelling

title: [MF] Little Tamboule

question: What does the story say about why Tamboule lacked sound sleep?

answer: Tamboule was proud of his test. He was held in the highest regard and was the most beautiful of its kind. He was also tall for a human, over 4 feet. He had a secret that would summon heavy handed ordinators and scornful justices. He had legs as real as the dawn and fleshy and strong.

critique: The answer omits the reason why Tamboule couldn't sleep.

critique: Doesn't mention his disquieting dreams that resulted in his consuming clay.

critique: The answer is not related to his lack of sleep.

question: What does the story say about why Tamboule was physically different from the others?

answer: Tamboule was physically different from the others because he had legs. He didn't enjoy sleeping soundly because he was always awake from disquieting dream at night.

critique: The answer omits the reason why Tamboule was different.

critique: The answer omits the reason why Tamboule didn't sleep soundly.

critique: The sentence about sleeping is ripped from the passage and is too disjointed

critique: The answer should mention the punishment for having legs.

critique: It's omitted that his legs were rare amongst his people, and those who bore anything but the smallest of atrophied lower limbs were cast into the pit of the slithering thing as abominations.

critique: The first sentence is irrelevant to the question.

critique: The answer should mention that Tamboule was a geophage.

critique: The answer omits the reason why Tamboule was awake at night.

question: What does the story say about the relationship between the Tryth and Tamboule?

answer: The Tryth is a jovial and terrifying creature who lives in The Pit of the Earth. He is a servitor of a long-forgotten people who once called the pit their home. The Tryth is a throwback to a species that has long since passed away. The Tryth is a big creature who is full of fat and has a pendulous head. He is not suited for flight, but Tamboule helps him fly anyway. The Tryth grows weaker and dies on the 14th day. Tamboule is sad but eats well and makes himself some new things from the bones of the Tryth.

critique: The Tryth is a servitor of a long-forgotten people, not a throwback to a species.

critique: The Tryth is not a throwback to a species.

critique: The Tryth is not a throwback to a species that has long since passed away.

critique: The response is missing a few details about the Tryth.

text: The response fails to answer the question. Tamboule and the Tryth formed a friendship after the latter broke Tamboule's fall. The Tryth offered to help Tamboule in exchange for stories about the world above. They agreed to escape the pit together.


text:
NO. 7644 (VR) PUBLIC RELATIONS SQUADRON, ROYAL AUXILIARY AIR FORCE is a unit of the British Royal Air Force. The VR designation indicates the unit's history as part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). The squadron's role is to provide Media Operations (military speak for public relations) support for RAF and NATO forces world-wide in times of peace and war.[1] The unit is based at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire.

History

What was to become No. 7644 Squadron was the 1940 brainchild of Lord Beaverbrook. The government of the time identified the need to keep the public informed about the war, giving the hard facts, but also introducing servicemen and women telling their own stories. It was realised that the reporters covering the stories needed to be guided by people with dual expertise.[2]

Lord Beaverbrook's idea was to find information experts with a service background or interest and ask them to become officers in each of the Armed Forces. Almost everyone approached volunteered and so was formed the first specialist public relations unit in the RAFVR.[3]

After the war, the RAF recognised the benefits of maintaining a small number of journalists in uniform. After being part of other units, these PR specialists became No. 7644 (VR) Public Relations Squadron RAuxAF at the amalgamation of the RAFVR and the RAuxAF on 5 April 1997.[4]

Role

[Ex BERSAMA LIMA 2019 m358]

Media Operations

The RAF has full-time officers serving in communications, notably at No. 7644 Squadron's headquarters unit, Media & Communication Group at Air Command, RAF High Wycombe. No. 7644 Squadron personnel support these professionals whenever required. The role might be to organise a one-off media facility, or provide longer term effort by standing in as a Corporate Communications Officer at an RAF Station, or running a Media Operations unit on a Deployed Operating Base, as for example during the Iraq War.

Using its journalist's skills, the squadron prepares a large number of news releases, 'home town stories' on serving personnel, and video and audio news releases for the media. Often exercises and operations in the Royal Air Force happen at short notice, and in distant parts of the world. Organising a full press trip may not be possible, or affordable, so No. 7644 Squadron can provide the personnel and equipment to gather material which is sent out to media at home for them to make their own stories out of.

Media Training

The Royal Air Force is keen to promote its image, and develop a reputation for being open and honest. To achieve this, officers of all ranks need a range of media training and particularly interview training. This gives them the confidence to agree to interview requests from the media, and be able to answer questions directly in a friendly manner, supported by appropriately trained specialist media staff. No. 7644 Squadron provides a range of media training, supporting units such as the Media Operations Training unit based at RAF Halton, the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham, and the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.

'Simpress'

In order to give RAF personnel a chance to experience contact with the media, No. 7644 Squadron officers act as 'simulated' press at exercises, to provide an authentic and robust experience of what it is like to be a subject in front of the microphone or camera. These can be small events, or major exercises involving hundreds of personnel over several days, of which the media and public relations element will only be a small part. An important element is being fair, but robust in questioning, and preparing individuals for what may be difficult encounters with reporters.

Other media and publications

No. 7644 Squadron produces various individual pieces of work ranging from magazines and other publications, to video productions.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

title: No. 7644 Squadron RAF

question: Summarize what the passage says about "VR".

answer: VR stands for Volunteer Reserve, and indicates the unit's history as part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

critique: It is omitted that VR stands for Volunteer Reserve, and indicates the unit's history as part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

critique: The answer should mention that VR stands for Volunteer Reserve.

critique: The answer should mention that the unit is part of the Royal Air Force.

critique: It would be clearer and more efficient to refer to the "Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve," as it does in the passage

critique: The answer should mention the role of the squadron.

critique: The answer should mention that the squadron is part of the Royal Air Force.

question: What does the passage say about newsletters?

answer: No answer

critique: The response misses to provide a response to the task to the question of newsletters. The answer is hidden in the article. The text does not say so, but it seems that the unit became a squadron in 1997.

question: Summarize what the passage says about media training.

answer: No. 7644 Squadron provides a range of media training to officers of all ranks. This gives them the confidence to agree to interview requests from the media and be able to answer questions directly in a friendly manner. It supports units such as the Media Operations Training unit based at the RAF Halton, the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham, and the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.

critique: The answer should mention that the media training is to promote the image of the RAF and develop a reputation for being open and honest.

critique: The answer should mention the purpose of media training.

critique: 'This gives them the confidence to agree to interview requests from the media and be able to answer questions directly in a friendly manner.' is redundant and should be removed.

critique: Needs to add that this training is for the Royal Air Force.

critique: The answer does not mention the importance of interview training.

critique: The answer should mention the purpose of the training.

question: What does the passage say about the army?

answer: No answer

critique: The article does not mention anything about the army.

critique: It is omitted that 7644 Squadron RAF supports both the media, or public relations, and serves the Royal Air Force and NATO forces worldwide in times of peace and war.


text:
[bHomeContest]

Today, I’m going to let you know about an amazing way to connect to all the blogs & magazines you adore. It’s called bHome, and iPhone | iPad users as well as Android users can download the FREE APP and be a part of our fabulous inspiring Home And Garden Community. You’ll be able to find FrenchGardenHouse and over 40 of your favorite blogs and magazines in one place, ON YOUR PHONE!

If you love Instagram, YOU’LL LOVE THIS APP. There are big photos of your favorite blogs in the home and garden community, and YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLICK DIRECTLY OVER TO THEIR BLOG, INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT, SHOP AND EVEN CHECK OUT THEIR FAVORITE PLAYLISTS! HOW FABULOUS IS THAT?! It’s the most user friendly, easiest way to be inspired, and to connect!

[bHomeAd-600-FGH-2]

I am so honored to be included with this group of inspiring bloggers and publications. The best part is that not only will you be able to read the blogposts, see all the creative inspiration, get recipes and more, _you will also be able to interact with all the bHome bloggers from your cell phone. iPad users: bHome runs great on your iPad as an iPhone app._

[bHomeFrenchGardenHouse3]

I know we all lead busy lives, so this is just about perfect when you are stuck waiting in line to buy dinner ingredients at the market, or waiting at the car wash, or sitting in your car waiting to pick up children, or any other time when you have nothing to do. {I know, those times are few and far in-between!}

To celebrate, FrenchGardenHouse is having a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY! One lucky FrenchGardenHouse reader who downloads the bHome app on their smart phone and follows me on bHome will win a $200.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE to FrenchGardenHouse.  Winner will be announced on 10-12-2015. {Autumn is the perfect time to buy something for your home, or treat yourself to one of our gorgeous pieces of jewelry.} The picture below shows just a small amount of the beautiful pieces you can choose from should you win!

[bHomeFGHGiveAway]

Here’s how you can enter the GIVEAWAY and find FGH at bHome.

1. Download the FREE app at the app store on your iPhone or Android. You can also  go to bHome and download and join for FREE.

2. Once you have joined bHome, browse “recents” and FrenchGardenHouse should be on the top.

3.TAP the FrenchGardenHouse star then read my message – TAP the link & you are entered – easy as that, 2 TAPS & you are entered to win! How easy is that?

[bHome-logo1]
bHome is the BEST PLACE on your smart phone. You can visit over 40 great Home and Garden bloggers and magazines, view their Blogs and their Pinterest boards, and pin right from them to your Pinterest boards. You will be able to view all of their Instagram, Facebook, Google + and Twitter accounts and interact with everyone there too. bHome is stunning, with so much gorgeous inspiration! It’s easy, and FREE for you to join. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL JOIN ALL OF US AND BE PART OF OUR HIVE.

Please join, and enter to win our $200.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE, I know you will love the community there, and will get so much inspiration. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT BHOME. Please let others know about bHome, and pin this to your Pinterest board and share on your FaceBook page. Thank you!

Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com.

[]

question: What does the text say about the paid version of the bHome App?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention that the text does not mention a paid version of the app.

critique: The article mentions that the app is free, so the paid version must be a different app.

critique: The article does mention a paid version of the app.

critique: The answer should mention that the text does not mention a paid version.

question: What does the text say about the bHome App?

answer: The bHome app is the easiest way for iPhone and Android users to connect to all the blogs and magazines they adore. It's a free app that can be downloaded for both phones.

critique: The bHome app is said to be used on the iPhone and Android smartphones, so the phrasing of "iPhone and Android users" may be inaccurate.

question: What does the text say about the other cool features of the bHome App?

answer: The bHome App has big photos of your favorite blogs in the home and garden community. You can click directly over to their blog, Instagram account, shop, and even check out their favorite playlists. The app is also user-friendly and easy to use.

critique: The answer should mention the ability to interact with the bloggers.

question: What does the text say about the FrenchGardenHouse giveaway?

answer: The FrenchGardenHouse giveaway is for a $200.00 gift certificate to FrenchGardenHouse. The gift certificate can be used to purchase anything in the store. The giveaway is open to anyone who downloads the bHome app on their smartphone and follows FrenchGardenHouse on bHome. The giveaway ends on October 12, 2015.

critique: The answer should mention that the winner will be announced on October 12, 2015.


text:
Not all the water in the rough rude sea
can wash the balm off an anointed king.

-William Shakespeare, Richard II

When I sit on this chair, I think of the others who sat before me.  The Great King who started it all. The Apostate King who betrayed us. The Savior King who rescued us from the depths of Hell. The Kings of Old, the Kings of New. Kings who achieved much, Kings who achieved little.

And Kings who were murdered.

When I sit on this chair, I think of the others who sat before me, and why they were here. Some war heroes, some because they carried the Royal Bloodline.

And some because they knew how to kill.

When I sit on this chair, I think of the others who sat before me, and how they looked down at the subjects below him. Some saw power for himself, some saw nothing but poverty and hunger.

And one saw himself.

When the doors to my chamber opened, I was startled awake. I was in a heavy sleep.

The first thing I saw when I woke was the bright colors on your cap. My eyes focused some more, and I saw you being dragged to me. It was then when I realized who you were- you were my Jester.

But why were you being dragged? You were perfectly able to walk yourself.

A voice foreign to me echoed across the room. “Your Majesty. This scoundrel has been caught plotting against the King. He planned to stab you in the chest while entertaining you, and claim the throne for himself.”

I looked at your low hanging head, your droopy eyelids. “Is this true?”

Miserably, you looked up at me. “Yes.”

When I sit on this chair, I think of others who will sit here. Kings with potential. Kings with hatred. Kings who have Royal Blood, Kings who don’t.

And Kings who failed.

You see, I do not deserve to be King. I was a blacksmith, no Royal Blood, no power at all. One day, the Queen was caught consorting with one of the townsfolk. They were both publicly impaled.

After a few months, the King got lonely. He went searching for a new Queen. He chose my beloved wife.

They came to our house, with their swords and shields. They beat me, and took her.

She lasted only 6 days. On the 6th night, she stuck a sword through her chest.

I started making tools. Not swords, as they are challenging, and take long, but heavy blunt objects and primitive shields. I started to gather a little militia. It was all individual. Anyone who was in the militia was asked specifically by me. If they found me, I would be hung.

Then, the day came. The anniversary of her death. The Kingdom had forgotten, but we had not.

We stormed the castle, leaving but 10 guards to recount the story. It was a brutal, viscous battle, with over 30 of our own dead. But we won. I killed the King.

And I took his place.

I ask, “Tell me, Jester, what did I do to you?”

You rise. “Every day, every night, I am summoned here. You make me dance, sing, rhyme. And what do you do? Sit on that throne, not entertained.

“Being a Jester has caused me nothing but pain and humiliation. My friends and wife all left me. I cannot get real work. So I stay here, juggling and balancing, all for your delight. And you sit there, bored.

“Every breath, every action, every moment in my life has lead to this. You crush me under your foot. And you don’t even get any satisfaction from it.”

I think of my wife.

“Guards!” I bellow. “Leave!”

They march out of the chamber.

I unlock your shackles and handcuffs. You look surprised and confused, but nothing is said.

I pull out my sword. You look frightened. You think I am going to harm you.

I hand it to you. “Do what you want.”

A dark look shadows across your face.

title: Unnamed (Story #2)

question: What can we infer about the king's state of mind?

answer: The king is not in a good state of mind. He seems to be depressed and he does not believe he deserves to be king. He also seems to be in a lot of pain, as a result of his wife's death.

critique: The king is not in a good state of mind. He seems to be depressed and he does not believe he deserves to be king. He also seems to be in a lot of pain, as a result of his wife's death.


text:
JOSEPH WHITEHOUSE, my 3rd great-grandfather, was born in the Rowley Regis area, Staffordshire, England.  He was apparently born about 1793, according to various Census records, but no parish register has yet been found for his birth. Joseph's parents are unknown at this time.

A marriage has been tentatively used for him, but has not yet been accepted as proven.  For the purposes of future research, his first child Samuel was christened in St. Thomas church in Dudley, Staffordshire; his mother was listed as Mary.  He apparently married 17 March 1822 to Mary GROVES, in Dudley, where the family apparently settled.  Dudley was a large area, and inhabitants often stated Dudley on forms when they actually lived in Rowley Regis and other small hamlets in the surrounding area.

[]Joseph worked first as a Nailer (nail-maker) and later as a Miner.  This occupation information shows up on baptism records of his first sons, then on the marriage registration of my direct ancestor Thomas WHITEHOUSE, the 4th son of Joseph and Mary, seen above. You will notice his son's marriage register records Joseph as "Dead" at the time, 1856.

TheBlack Midlandshad many mines, iron foundaries, and steel mills in the region, as it was very rich in coal and iron.  The men and older boys experienced amazingly hard unhealthy work here in the mines and in the nail-making industry(the latter often done as a home based job, and others in the family would also help, in order to supplement the family income).

He and his wife, Mary, had 7 boys for whom I have found christening records (all at St. Thomas Church):  _** indicates my direct ancestor_
  - Samuel  b. 23 Oct 1822    m. Johana, at least 2 boys
  - Benjamin  b. 11 Aug 1824   no marr. found to date
  - Henry  b. 5 Jul 1827     m. Jane Price, 3 boys, 1 girl
  - **Thomas  b. 10 Jul 1829   m. twice; Sarah PRICE Shutt (wid), 5 boys, 1 girl
  - Eli   b. 18 Mar 1832    m. Mary Ann Homer,  4 boys, 4 girls
  - John  b. 18 Jun 1834   no marr. found to date
  - Enoch  b. 9 Jul 1836  m. Esther Carter,  4 boys, 1 girl

I have not yet been able to find Joseph WHITEHOUSE on the 1841 UK Census for either Staffordshire or Worcestershire.  So far I've checked with all 7 of the children, and there are several possibilities and more ways of searching of course.  Perhaps I'll find him mistranscribed after I go through more Censuses page by page.

Joseph died 16 Mar 1844 in Dudley, Staffordshire, and was buried 21 Mar 1844 through St. Thomas Church (burial record with death date).  Note that St. Thomas Church is in the parish of Worcestershire due to historical decisions.  His wife Mary is shown with various groupings of the younger boys in the following Censuses, living later with her married sons, Eli and then Enoch, after they were married.

My goal for this year is to continue searching in the WHITEHOUSE line.  My research log has many possible records still to check online, as well as possible correspondence to write for additional details.   Maybe I'll find a snippet or two here and there to fill out our history.  25 grandchildren - that I know of - lived to continue Joseph's heritage in Canada, Washington State, and England.

And if you have any information on any of these people, please do not hesitate to contact me by either leaving a comment below, or emailing me at calewis at telus dot net.  Thanks for dropping by.

question: Describe the conditions of Joseph Whitehouse's birth.

answer: No information has been recorded on his birth. The family did not have enough money at the time so he was apparently born without registering. He was born to unknown parents around 1793.

text: The article says nothing about whether he was born to poor parents. It simply says that no parish register has been found.

question: Describe Joseph's marriage and family life.

answer: Joseph was born in 1793 and married Mary Groves in 1822. They had seven children: Samuel, Benjamin, Henry, Thomas, Eli, John, and Enoch. Joseph died in 1844 and Mary continued to live with her younger boys in the following Censuses.

critique: The answer should include the fact that Joseph and Mary had 25 grandchildren.

critique: The answer should mention that Joseph's children were born in the 1820s and 1830s.

critique: Add " I have" to "lived to continue Joseph's" because we do not know if Mary had children.

critique: The answer should mention that Joseph's parents are unknown.

question: Describe Joseph's occupation.

answer: Joseph worked as a nail-maker first, and then as a miner.

critique: It is omitted that Joseph worked first as a nail-maker and later as a miner.

critique: The answer could be phrased as a complete sentence.

critique: The answer should mention that nail-making was often done as a home-based job.

critique: The answer should include that nail-maker was a home-based job.

question: Describe Joseph's death.

answer: Joseph died in 1844.

critique: The answer should mention that Joseph died in Dudley, Staffordshire.


text:
It was my first visit to this dentist. I noticed that the office was just a tad off. There were a number of teenagers, who seemed too young to be working in a dentist’s office. Rock and roll music was playing, I believe Led Zeppelin, and it gave the place and air of a club house.

The dentist would see me shortly, but I was pretty sure I was seeing him at the reception area sniffing like mad. It could have been a cold, but with my extreme paranoia, coupled with the music and the teenage kids, I assumed he was a coke addict. I may or may not have been on cocaine at the time. I can’t remember. It gets fuzzy at this age.

One does not come to such an assumption (that a dentist is a coke fiend) lightly, but it was a new dentist and no one likes the dentist and the mind wonders with nothing but a Time magazine and a Keurig coffee.

Finally, the time approached and I was called in to receive my cleaning. I was approached by a beautiful blond who instructed me to lie still while she began my cleaning.

I couldn’t help but notice all the women in the office were beautiful blonds. My theory on coke use soon was compounded by a theory of wanton women cleaning teeth and giving happy endings.

But no happy ending was given. I was left alone after the cleaning to talk to the dentist. Most dentists and orthodontists will leave the cleaning and maintenance work to staff and just come by to just look at your mouth and make the extreme decisions that make their PhDs worthwhile and notable.

The dentist approached me and commented on my shoes. He liked them. In my mind, I formed an idea of a swinging dentist who ran a brothel, snorted cocaine, and occasionally dabbled in same sex couplings. There’s nothing wrong with the latter, but I was in no mood to shoot down a PhD. I don’t think I would have it in me. Heterosexual or not, there is something about doctors orders – you take them.

He began talking and I volunteered the information that I was a smoker. I wanted him braced for any staining and bad breath. Dirty smokers do have some nerve coming to see dentists when they have no care for not only their teeth, but there lungs, heart, etc. I felt bad for the man and his being forced to look down the barrel of a tobacco’d maw.

He didn’t seem to mind the admission, however, and he related to me that his friend had tried to quit smoking and told him that it was tougher than giving up cocaine.

For those that thought the paranoia was just paranoia – AH HA!

“Really?” I said.

He went on to tell me about the friend and then began asking me about work. I explained my job the best I could. Having little or no interest in one’s own job makes it a hard conversational piece.

But he nodded in all the right parts and continued sniffing. He could have had a cold or he could have been smuggling smack out the back on donkeys, anything was possible.

He then began talking about some of the dumb things he did as a kid. I laughed along until he got to a part where he was explaining his carefree youth. He started the story on the end of another story about toilet papering houses. His mood was jovial and with each word you heard a laugh at the back of his throat, like he was explaining some elaborate joke. He began:

“Then there was this one time. Me and my buddy, well we decided to get all dressed up in Mormon garb and go biking around town.”

It came out as the beginning of a joke. And with my idea of a coke-addled polygamist bisexual I was ready to assume the worst: that this man had dressed up as a Mormon missionary with a buddy as a joke. It was at this point I decided to not return. But to just take the tension out of his admission of mean-spirited religious joking, I:

“You mean as a goof?”

His face turned sour. He then “No. I was a missionary in the Mormon church.”

My reality from coming into the office to that moment was shattered. This was not a coke sniffing polygamist bisexual, but an upstanding Mormon of the utmost decency.

I felt like a royal bastard. The man had to have thought I decided the only reason you would dress up in Mormon gear was as a goof. I began back peddling. I began explaining how much I admired the Mormon religion. I pledged allegiance to Mitt Romney…

The man had his hands in my mouth – what else could I do?

The moral of the story is never assume a dentist is a coked out polygamist bisexual who runs a brothel and makes light of other religions – because you would be wrong.

Most of the time.

title: New Dentist

question: What does the story say about the narrator's first impression of their new dentist?

answer: The narrator was very paranoid about their new dentist. They noticed the office was a tad off. There were a number of teenagers, who seemed too young to be working in a dentist's office. Rock and roll music was playing, and it gave the place an air of a club house. The narrator assumed the dentist was a coke addict because of the music and the teenagers. They also assumed that the dentist was a coke addict because they couldn't remember if they were on cocaine at the time.

critique: The narrator's assumptions about the dentist are irrelevant.

critique: Ambiguous the narrator's thoughts about coke at the time.

text: Mention the beautiful blonds working in the office which further influence the narrator's first impression of  the doctor.

category: coverage

question: What does the story say about Mormon religious rules?

answer: No answer

critique: The story does mention some Mormon rules.

critique: The answer should mention that the narrator assumed the dentist was a Mormon missionary.

critique: The answer should mention that the dentist is a Mormon.

critique: The answer should mention that the story does not mention any Mormon religious rules.


text:
A busy and jumbled week. A productive week. And heading into a working weekend.

Here's what I accomplished this week.

Local events: Health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars: where to find them? Under the sections tab on the left hand side of http://www.theherald-news.com/. Click on "features" and the topics drop down. Assembled by moi.

More local events: Gotta Do It, also by me, runs each Sunday in the People section.

Community news: Again, under the sections tab, under features, and by topic. Updates are posted on these days in print and web and in web on other days as I have the time: Monday (pets), Tuesday (health), Thursday (faith), Friday (arts and entertainment), and Sunday (people).

Daily updates: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. Your support is greatly appreciated.

_SIX DAYS TO REMEMBER: PLAINFIELD TEEN ONLY ONE IN THE STATE WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY_

_By Megan Schuller_

The program took place during defense week so Capitol Hill was busy that week James M. Durant IV said.

_AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE: THE POIGNANT STORY BEHIND THIS JOLIET RESTAURANT'S UNUSUAL NAME_

When the dream finally came true, Aisha Walker wasn't there to see it. She died three weeks before the grand opening on March 24, 2010.

_PETS OF THE WEEK: JULY 24_

Read the caption of each photo to find out about that pet, including where he or she can be adopted.

_MINOOKA WOMAN IS ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE 32 STRANGERS CARED_

Amy Lukasik is currently calling potential donors to schedule appointments for the councils' next blood drive on July 29 since she "can't give blood yet."

_CHANNAHON/MINOOKA KNIGHTS HOLDING BLOOD DRIVE JULY 29_

John Bukowski of Minooka is involved for two reasons. One may surprise you.

_MYSTERY DINER: JOLIET'S FRIACO'S RESTAURANT & CANTINA SERVES UP AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD_

The appetizer menu has everything from a sampler platter ($14.99) to queso fundido ($9.99) to bruschetta ($8.99 or $10.99 with shrimp) but we were up for that. There are also several varieties of nachos ($8.49 for cheese only to $13.49 for fajita nachos).

_MYSTERY DINER: SPICY OPTIONS AND TACO SPECIAL AT MORRIS' GREENHORN SALOON & EATERY_

The server was friendly and informed me immediately of the taco and margarita specials. Those will come in due time, I decided, but first I needed a drink and appetizer to start.

_BROTHER ED IS BACK IN JOLIET – AND HERE'S WHY_

Brother Ed Arambasich was just transferred to San Francisco to work with the poor when his kidneys failed.

Diagnosis: multiple myeloma. The kidneys recovered and then it was his turn.

"They asked me to come back home to the Midwest to be around my family and friends and get better," Arambasich said.

_SHE'S A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY – AND NOW YOU CAN BE, TOO_

It took two and half a years to design the barn, from creating plans to finding the right Amish crew to build it, Katy Siegel said.

"We wanted that traditional look with wood pegs," Siegel said. "There were no power tools used. There were no screws used. It's gorgeous, like they used back in the day."

_ARTWORKS: JOLIET MUSIC EDUCATOR QUARTERFINALIST FOR AWARD_

_By Jessie Spangler _

If Charles Morgan wins, he will receive a grant for JJC and attend the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in New York.

question: What kind of newspaper is the Herald News and what kind of readers does it target?

answer: The Herald News is a community newspaper. It seems to target readers who are interested in local events, community news, and arts and entertainment.

critique: It's omitted that the newspaper also targets readers who are interested in local events, community news, and arts and entertainment.

critique: The answer should be framed as a complete sentence.

critique: The answer should mention that the newspaper is local.


text:
The CALIFORNIA HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY (CALHFA), established in 1975, is an independent California state agency within the California Department of Housing and Community Development that makes low-rate housing loans through the sale of taxable and tax exempt bonds.[1][2]

History

CalHFA was created by the Zenovich–Moscone–Chacon Housing and Home Finance Act of 1975, which also permanently established and reorganized the California Department of Housing and Community Development.[3]

Known until 2002 as CHFA (commonly pronounced “cha-fuh”), CalHFA was rebranded “to keep pace with our expanding audience and the growing needs of the affordable housing marketplace” and “to elevate CalHFA’s profile on all key fronts.”[4][5]

Historically, CalHFA has provided housing assistance in three areas: below-market interest rate mortgages and downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers, most of whom were low- and moderate income families and ethnic minorities not well-served by market rate products, insurance for single-family home purchase mortgages, and loans for the development of multifamily rental housing. These financial products were funded through sale of revenue bonds secured by the mortgage products and the underlying property. The operating costs of the agency are paid by origination and service fees, and the difference between the interest paid on outstanding debt and the interest charged on the loans made. Beginning in 2002, passage of Proposition 46 (2002) provided funding for additional activities through sale of general obligation bonds.[6] This source of funding was extended by passage of Proposition 1C (2006).[7][8]

In 2014, the CalHFA board voted to expand first mortgage eligibility to non-first-time homebuyers.

Structure

The Single Family Division provides low interest rate home financing to low to moderate income homebuyers in California, as well as down payment and closing cost assistance.[9]

The Multifamily Programs division provides permanent financing for the acquisition, rehabilitation, and preservation or new construction of rental housing that includes affordable rents for low and moderate income families and individuals.[10]

The Asset Management Division is responsible for the management of agency-financed multifamily rental developments, where each project is monitored regarding its financial, physical and occupancy compliance with various regulations in California.[11]

Programs

The CalPLUS loan programs feature a CalHFA fixed interest rate first mortgage, insured either through FHA or on the conventional market. This loan is fully amortized for a 30-year term and is combined with the CalHFA Zero Interest Program (ZIP) for down payment assistance.

The Cal EEM + Grant combines an FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage with an additional 4% grant to help homebuyers improve their home with energy-efficient upgrades.

The California Homebuyer’s Downpayment Assistance Program (CHDAP) offers a deferred-payment subordinate loan amount of (3%) of the purchase price of appraised value, whichever is less, to be used for down payment and/or closing costs.

The Extra Credit Teacher Home Purchase Program (ECTP) is intended for eligible teachers, administrators, classified employees and staff members working in high priority schools in California. Offers a deferred-payment junior loan of an amount not to exceed the greater of $7,500 or 3% of the sales price or in CalHFA-defined high cost areas an amount not to exceed the greater of $15,000 or 3% of the sales price. Assistance can be used for down payment.

The Mortgage Credit Certificate Tax Credit Program (MCC) is a federal credit which can reduce potential federal income tax liability, creating additional net spendable income which borrowers may use toward their monthly mortgage payment. This MCC Tax Credit program may enable first-time homebuyers to convert a portion of their annual mortgage interest into a direct dollar for dollar tax credit on their U.S. individual income tax returns.

Operations

CalHFA is authorized to administer the activities of the California Housing Finance Fund, the California Housing Loan Insurance Fund, and two state general obligation bond funds.[12] CalHFA has $6.8 billion in assets that are mainly loan receivables and investments related to bond proceeds.[13]

CalHFA is a statutorily independent agency and component unit of state government, and is not subject to Budget Act appropriation.[14] Budget information for CalHFA is displayed within that of the Department of Housing and Community Development.[15]

Down Payment Assistance programs are all different with certain requirements for each. State or local housing authorities, a non-profit organization, or lender usually set the requirements and conditions for the DPA program. Some programs require you or your loan officer to take a short course on Down Payment Assistance for first time home buyers.[16]

[1]

[2]

[3] California Statutes 1975 1st Ex. Sess. (Vol. 2), Ch. 1, pg. 3855

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16] “Down Payment Assistance”

title: California Housing Finance Agency

question: What does the article say about long-vs-short term loans?

answer: No answer

critique: The passage includes information about CalHFA's long-term loans.

critique: The article doesn't talk about long-vs-short term loans.

critique: No response, which leaves the article with an incomplete answer.

critique: The article does not mention long-vs-short term loans.

question: What does the text say about the options available for low-income would-be homebuyers?

answer: CalHFA offers a variety of programs to help low-income families buy homes. There are loans, down payment assistance, and tax credits. CalHFA has a loan program that is fully amortized for a 30-year term, combined with a down payment assistance program. There is also a down payment assistance program that offers a deferred-payment subordinate loan amount of 3% of the purchase price of appraised value. There is also a tax credit program that can reduce potential federal income tax liability.

critique: The answer should mention the types of loans available.

critique: The answer should mention the Mortgage Credit Certificate Tax Credit Program.

critique: "CalHFA has a loan program that is fully amortized for a 30-year term, combined with a down payment assistance program. There is also a down payment assistance program that offers a deferred-payment subordinate loan amount of 3% of the purchase price of appraised value. There is also a tax credit program that can reduce potential federal income tax liability." - this is redundant and should be removed.

critique: Remove everything not specific to low-income homebuyers.

critique: The answer should mention the CalPLUS loan program.

critique: The response includes extraneous information not useful for the task.

question: Summarize the article about how CalHFA finances its services.

answer: CalHFA received funding from the sale of revenue bonds and other loans and services. The operating costs are paid by origination and service fees, and the difference between the interest paid on outstanding debt and the interest charged on the loans made. The CalPLUS loan features a CalHFA fixed interest rate first mortgage, insured either through FHA or on the conventional market. The EEM + Grant combines an FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage with an additional 4% grant to help homebuyers improve their home with energy-efficient upgrades.

critique: The CalHFA loan programs (CalEEM, CHDAP & ECTP) are not offered as financing of CalHFA's services. They are offered in addition to their services. They are options for buyers looking for their CalHFA loans.

critique: The CalPLUS loan is irrelevant to the question.

critique: The answer should mention the CalHFA's funding sources.

critique: The EEM + Grant is irrelevant to the question.

critique: The response includes extraneous information not useful for the task.


text:
The night crept on the carousel as if light itself was on ‘paid stress leave.’ The fog lights exhausted their last sigh and sputtered to an abrupt stop. All the maintenance workers had gone home, and the gates locked up tighter than a mental institution on Mardi Gras. The winds gusted up swirls of dust and litter into mini-twisters and pummeled the walls of the Sea-House, eroding the seashells that were glued there last summer’s eve by the Sedgwick twins. Even though the stars and the moon upheld their false lie and pretended to illuminate the landscape, darkness and confusion rose from the horizon and swallowed all hope from the neighborhoods surrounding the park. The gulls, even, had been dismayed from their usual posts and sought refuge from the impending gloom. The waves and pulses of the ocean invaded the shore in a sort of perpetual attack on the land, and brought with them tidings from the sea. Although the clocks chimed six, the sun knew where its place was; hidden behind a veil of earth, cloud, trees, and the endless horizon of the land. The artificial horses and ponies of the carousel, with their glassy eyes and rounded, glazed knees, dimmed in their gloss, and fell to the night before them. The light wained away and succumbed to the starry sky. The queer dark draped over the park, and seeped into every imaginable nook and cranny. It climbed the lighthouse as if driven from its home by some unseen force, perhaps the light and dark trading spaces. Not even in the parks long history had it been so resentful, or so repressed by the dark judgment. The greasy, blackened wheels and hocks of the turn-wheel on the merry-go-round were all rusted and grimed out, yet still managed to produce an odd, familiar quality that would ring out in day or night. The paint on the twisting candy poles of the handles flaked and peeled, but still yielded a faint yet bright representation of the past. The Fun-House had some mirrors cracked and smashed, but still the music played on as if ignoring the fact that its prime had come and go a long time past.

The night had come before, no doubt about it, but this was different. This dark was penetrating, and intrusive. It dove deep into your thoughts and kept you from waking. It trickled through the cracks of everyones happiness and glee, yet caught the tangled web of the common fear of the unknown. This, truly, was not only the absence of light, but the knowledge that the light would never surface in the consciousness of this world again. The locks on the gate may keep people out, but more so, may keep change from also entering and destroying the pristine, never-changing persona of the Park on the Pier. They would click and lock, ringing a certain and yet distinct chime into the halls of time. Rusted and still strong, after years of abuse and torture brought on by years of wear and tear. Only one key, only one, could open these gates, and this key has seemed to slip away from those wanting in. Perhaps by mistake or perhaps by intent, the key just isn't there to satisfy those who want it the most. Beyond the gates, the ticket booth rots away, with its characteristic stained white and baby-blue paneling. It once stood firm and tall, loved for its colors and charm. Now it lays there, a shell of what it once was. A hollow record of the care-free times, with a physical reminder to the past, offering little in the way of mental rememberings.

The apartment complex that overlooked the acreage crumbled from the beating of time against its tough exterior, and although it stood tall and firm, it also took a familiar trait that of an empty reminder of the times that once were. The grimy, metallic walls dulled under the artificial lights, and the carpet accumulated a certain black muddy buildup, with a well-beaten flatness all around the edges and center. The stench of sweat and old cooking filled the halls, finding every wisp of fabric and corrupting it beyond repair. The elevators, every now and again, would grumble to life and serve its ever-knowing masters, only to return to the dark underworld of the basement. Their purpose: to willfully accept and blindly serve those whoever wished of their services, only to be cast off to a dark and unseen chamber, where others of its kind were held, waiting eagerly to serve the cruel masters. The hallways especially were a transform from a wonderful earlier go. The plaster on the ceilings and walls lifted at the simplest of touches, and the doors at the end of the hall, although never touched, still gathered the mold and filth abundant in this post-Victory Mansion era dwelling. The doorknobs, with their own locks, were the only shining pieces in this terrace, but even then, dust and sweat deteriorated the state of the knobs to near replacement. The lights flickered an orange halo reminiscent to that of a deranged traffic light. The peepholes on the doors themselves were grimy and had built up the blackened carbon around the splotty edges. Through the peephole, down at the end of the third hallway, room 324 sleeps. It sleeps because there is no one to wake it. Room 324 has no furniture and no tenants. It is simply waiting for its tenants to return, their arms full of tidings and gifts. Room 324, with its open windows and bedroom doors widely ajar, opens its eyes to the morning sun. Room 324, and the whole apartment complex for that matter, is on an expansive hill, overlooks the coastal town of Mayfair, CA. But in its immediate backyard lies a quiet and subtle inkling of a meadow. The meadow faces the sun when it rises, as to catch the sun before anyone else in Mayfair.

In this meadow, a single car, windows broken and smashed long ago, lay undeterred and untouched for what might seem an eternity. The hood, crumpled from a collision, had been the subject of abuse and battery from the local teenagers for as long as the car had remained there. Blackened by fire, the car may seem like all hope is lost, but the glass from the windows and windshield lay undisturbed on the grassy meadow surrounding the car. The glass reflects and magnifies the incoming morning sunlight, pushing forth a notion of one last stand against the forces of darkness and despair. The sun rises from above its alcove of retainment, and pushes with it one last beacon of hope in the darkness.

**But with that statement, I have come to realize one thing, and that is the hope is always there; just because your eyes haven't adjusted to the darkness, doesn't mean the light is never coming back.**

title: [Mayfair]

question: Explain what is meant by this sentence: "The glass reflects and magnifies the incoming morning sunlight, pushing forth a notion of one last stand against the forces of darkness and despair".

answer: In the darkness of the night, the presence of the light coming from the sun being reflected off the broken glass of the car reflected in the glass of the car's windows and windshield seems like one last stand against darkness and despair. While the glass may be broken, it's possible for the light to shine through. It's a metaphor for human life in the darkness.

critique: The metaphor is not for human life in the darkness.

question: What is meant by the simile "...as if light itself was on paid stress leave"?

answer: The lights on the cars and the other nighttime lighting of the park have stopped producing light.

critique: The answer should mention the metaphor of darkness being like paid stress leave.


text:
from Love & Chemicals: The Memoir

Rostov-on-Don, ‘Gateway to the Caucasus’,
population one million,
is located just on the safe side
of the southwest corner of Russia,
nearby Chechnya, Georgia and Armenia,
it acts like a land-locked port city
between the feudal tribal lands and Moscow (Putin)...
I had just accepted a one-year contract to work there,
with a hefty bonus if I completed my obligations,
so my spirits were soaring with optimism
as my wife and I began to explore this new region.

We ventured outside for the 1st time
from our new subsidized apartment
located beside the calm Don River,
happy to be in warmest climate possible in the Slavic world.
The 1st stranger we encountered in the autumn afternoon
was completely and absolutely F’d out of his skull,
and we shook our heads as we walked by,
even laughed a little at his misfortune.
The 2nd and the 3rd person we passed by were even worse,
a pattern which quickly wiped away our coy smiles
as we approached the central market.

Later that evening we attended an Expat Meet-Up,
thankful for the fruit of the growing internet.
We met the 2 residing managers of an IKEA
that had opened 6 months earlier as a corporate experiment.
An ethical international company that refused to pay bribes,
the store was still not connected to the Central Power Authority.
Eight portable diesel generators ran non-stop in the parking lot
to keep the feeding frenzy for cheap furniture open to the public,
as the corruption issue continued behind closed doors.

Sven told us about the time when he was sitting at a local bar
chatting up the waitress between shots with business partners,
as a cocktail glass came flying from the corner of the room
inadvertently aimed just centimeters shy of his left ear.
The Swede took his cue and left the premises,
but not before marking who the perpetrator was.
“From the Caucasus, an F’n Muslim, of course.”

My wife is Muslim, and we had just gotten married a month before.
I was the first non-Islamic person, never mind Jewish,
to be allowed to wed in her town’s central mosque.
A gracious donation from her faithful grandmother
was able to arrange a meeting with the Imam,
who then stated that no matter his personal beliefs
his G-d wouldn’t forgive him
if he denied the Love he witnessed
in our conversation together.

Stefan told us about the time when he was riding in a taxi,
dozing off in the backseat crossing the congested city,
where the next thing he knew he woke up in the forest,
in his underwear, bound, and left alone.
After escaping and finding a small village in the distance
no one answered the door as he asked for assistance
until one young man decided to save his life.
This savior refused any reimbursement upon Stefan’s safe return,
just the promise to never tell anyone that he had helped him,
there was no reason to raise the suspicion of the watchful neighbors.

My first week of teaching was with a private student,
a middle-aged man who had won Teacher of the Year
from the government of the Republic of North Ossetia,
currently occupied by the Russian Federation.
He was from the town of Beslan, and taught in the building
beside the school that housed the infamous hostage crisis
that left 186 children killed, and 783 injured.
His reward for the honor was 2 weeks of lessons with me, and an iMac,
and I hope I was worth more than the hardware.
He had been inspired as a teenager to be a Soviet MiG Pilot
after watching ‘Top Gun‘ on a friend’s smuggled VHS tape,
but his training was abruptly cancelled when the USSR collapsed
only a year away from graduation.

It was then a friend of a friend who introduced him to Depeche Mode,
which inspired him again, but this time to understand and teach the English language.
Every class he taught thereafter was introduced to Maverick and Goose,
to help his students deal with loss.

2 weeks later, my wife and I were jumped outside a café
for the unspeakable act of using English too loudly.
A group of young men attacked us from behind,
kicking us to the ground with their Nike sneakers,
the distinct smell of McDonald’s on their breath
as they instinctively screamed, 'Yankee, go home!’

We escaped when a passing taxi driver finally had some sympathy
and interrupted the impromptu show of force.
This savior refused any reimbursement upon our return home,
just the promise to never tell anyone that he had helped us,
there was no reason to raise the suspicion of his usual customers.

We met a New Zealander a few weeks later
who was the manager of the 1st golf course ever in the area,
and he invited us out for a day on the links.
We only made it to the driving range because of overcast skies,
where my wife got her 1st chance to swing a 1 wood.
She lucked out a few times and found the sweet spot,
the pain from her black eye forgotten
as she looked back and smiled coyly at me.

We spent the next year holed up in our apartment,
the price to pay for being in public had proved too alarming.
We quietly cursed the screaming children every Saturday morning
at the daycare center located on the ground floor of our building,
but the result was that our relationship grew stronger than before.
We knew we could live through anything,
what was most important
was to remain close to each other.

title: [NF] Hell in Rostov-on-Don, Russia

question: Summarize everything related to racism.

answer: The couple encountered prejudice when they were jumped outside a cafe for speaking English too loudly. They were kicked to the ground and had their faces punched. The attackers smelled of McDonald's, whom they instinctively called as "Yankee go home".

critique: It is omitted that the couple was attacked because they were American.

critique: The couple was attacked for speaking English too loudly, not for being American.

critique: The couple was not attacked for speaking English too loudly. They were attacked for speaking English too loudly.

critique: Does not mention the fact that the wife is Muslim and that the author is the first non-Islamic person, never mind Jewish, to wed in her town's central mosque.

critique: The couple was attacked for speaking English too loudly.

text: The response fails to mention Sven the Sweded talking about the "F'n Muslim from the Caucasus" who threw a cocktail glass at him.

question: Summarize everything relating to business.

answer: The narrator accepts a one-year contract to work in Rostov-on-Don. He and his wife attend an Expat Meet-Up. The narrator meets the two managers of an IKEA store. The store is not connected to the Central Power Authority. The store has eight portable diesel generators running non-stop. The narrator's first week of teaching is with a private student who taught in the building beside the school where a hostage crisis took place.

critique: The narrator's student is not relevant to the question.

critique: It is omitted that the narrator's student was a middle-aged man who won Teacher of the Year from the government of the Republic of North Ossetia.

critique: The narrator's first week of teaching is not relevant to the question.

critique: It's omitted that the narrator's student was Teacher of the Year in the Republic of North Ossetia.

critique: The answer omits the narrator's first week of teaching.

critique: The IKEA stores are in a different country (at least three other countries away). Mention this to help readers identify the store chain.

text: The entire response is irrelevant and doesn't answer the question because there is nothing in the text about business. The right response is "The information can't be found."

question: Summarize everything relating to the narrator's biological relatives.

answer: No answer

critique: There is no answer because there is no information about the narrator's biological relatives.

critique: The answer could mention that the narrator's wife is Muslim.

critique: The response misses to mention that the narrator's wife is Muslim.

question: Summarize everything negative that happens to the characters in the story.

answer: The narrator and his wife are attacked by a group of young men who kick them to the ground. One of the men has the smell of McDonald's on his breath. They don't say anything to the narrator and his wife, but they attack them anyway.

critique: "They don't say anything to the narrator and his wife, but they attack them anyway." - this is incorrect. The men screamed "Yankee, go home!"

critique: The response is missing the part where the narrator and his wife are attacked for using English too loudly.

critique: The couple gets jumped, but they don't say anything or do anything either.

critique: The answer omits the couple's move to a new apartment and their subsequent experience with the people around them.

critique: The answer omits the attack on the narrator's wife.

critique: The answer should mention the attack on Stefan.

critique: The narrator and his wife are attacked by a group of young men who kick them to the ground. One of the men has the smell of McDonald's on his breath. They don't say anything to the narrator and his wife, but they attack them anyway.