Al Qaeda's role in organizing terrorist operations had also changed.

( ( ( ( Al ( Qaeda 's ) ) role ) ( in ( organizing ( terrorist operations ) ) ) ) ( ( ( had also ) changed ) . ) )

(ROOT (S (NP (NP (NP (NNP Al) (NNP Qaeda) (POS 's)) (NN role)) (PP (IN in) (NP (VBG organizing) (JJ terrorist) (NNS operations)))) (VP (VBD had) (ADVP (RB also)) (VP (VBN changed))) (. .)))

Al Qaeda later took on a different role when it came to terrorist operations.

( ( Al Qaeda ) ( later ( ( ( took ( on ( a ( different role ) ) ) ) ( when ( it ( came ( to ( terrorist operations ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) ) )

(ROOT (S (NP (NNP Al) (NNP Qaeda)) (ADVP (RB later)) (VP (VBD took) (PP (IN on) (NP (DT a) (JJ different) (NN role))) (SBAR (WHADVP (WRB when)) (S (NP (PRP it)) (VP (VBD came) (PP (TO to) (NP (JJ terrorist) (NNS operations))))))) (. .)))


Boston Center immediately advised the New England Region that it was going to stop all departures at airports under its control.

( ( Boston Center ) ( immediately ( ( ( advised ( the ( New ( England Region ) ) ) ) ( that ( it ( was ( going ( to ( ( stop ( all departures ) ) ( at ( airports ( under ( its control ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) ) )

(ROOT (S (NP (NNP Boston) (NNP Center)) (ADVP (RB immediately)) (VP (VBD advised) (NP (DT the) (NNP New) (NNP England) (NNP Region)) (SBAR (IN that) (S (NP (PRP it)) (VP (VBD was) (VP (VBG going) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB stop) (NP (DT all) (NNS departures)) (PP (IN at) (NP (NP (NNS airports)) (PP (IN under) (NP (PRP$ its) (NN control))))))))))))) (. .)))

Boston didn't advise new England of anything at all.

( Boston ( ( ( did n't ) ( ( advise ( ( new England ) ( of anything ) ) ) ( at all ) ) ) . ) )

(ROOT (S (NP (NNP Boston)) (VP (VBD did) (RB n't) (VP (VB advise) (NP (NP (JJ new) (NNP England)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NN anything)))) (ADVP (IN at) (DT all)))) (. .)))


I got somebody who keeps coasting but it looks like he's going into one of the small airports down there.

( I ( ( got ( somebody ( who ( keeps ( coasting ( but ( it ( looks ( like ( he ( 's ( ( going ( into ( one ( of ( the ( small airports ) ) ) ) ) ) ( down there ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )

(ROOT (S (NP (PRP I)) (VP (VBD got) (NP (NP (NN somebody)) (SBAR (WHNP (WP who)) (S (VP (VBZ keeps) (S (VP (VBG coasting) (SBAR (CC but) (S (NP (PRP it)) (VP (VBZ looks) (SBAR (IN like) (S (NP (PRP he)) (VP (VBZ 's) (VP (VBG going) (PP (IN into) (NP (NP (CD one)) (PP (IN of) (NP (DT the) (JJ small) (NNS airports))))) (ADVP (RB down) (RB there)))))))))))))))) (. .)))

I have someone who is coasting and may go to a small airport.

( I ( ( ( ( have ( someone ( who ( is coasting ) ) ) ) and ) ( may ( go ( to ( a ( small airport ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )

(ROOT (S (NP (PRP I)) (VP (VP (VBP have) (NP (NP (NN someone)) (SBAR (WHNP (WP who)) (S (VP (VBZ is) (VP (VBG coasting))))))) (CC and) (VP (MD may) (VP (VB go) (PP (TO to) (NP (DT a) (JJ small) (NN airport)))))) (. .)))


After noticing the girls ' bus driver , Dennis ( Meat Loaf ) is missing , Victoria Beckham | Victoria decides to take the wheel . It becomes a race against time as Victoria drives recklessly through London . While approaching Tower Bridge , the bridge begins to raise to let a boat through the River Thames . Victoria drives up the bridge and over the gap . The bus finally lands safely on the other side , but when Emma opens a trapdoor in the floor , she discovers a bomb , and the girls scream before Emma slams the trapdoor shut again .


In 2015 , Seungri joined label-mate Sean for a briquette charity . He had previously promised fans to deliver and donate 30,000 briquettes but donated a total of 130,000 . He brought along notable celebrities to the charity , including F.T. Island ' s Choi Jong-hoon and Jung Joon-young of Drug Restaurant ( formerly JJY ) .


Guests included Midnight Oil , Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues , Zucchero , Jane Birkin , Cesaria Evora , Billy Preston .


The song was also featured in the 1950 MGM movie " To Please a Lady " starring Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck .


Also in New York , he heard Pat Benatar in a small club ; with Chrysalis , she went on to sell millions of records , as did Huey Lewis and The News , a rock band from San Francisco .


" Longest Year " is the fourth EP by American ambient music | ambient band Hammock ( band ) | Hammock . It was released on December 14 , 2010 by the band 's own label , Hammock Music .


The host of the televised portion of the concert in Philadelphia was actor Jack Nicholson .


The title track incorporates the melodic theme from " In The Hall of the Mountain King " by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg , written for the play , Peer Gynt in 1874-76 .


In recent years , advanced education for professionals has become a hot topic in the business community .


With this trend , suddenly the mature faces of managers boasting an average of over ten years of professional experience have flooded in among the young people populating university campuses .


In order to attract this group of seasoned adults pulling in over NT$ 1 million a year back to the ivory tower , universities have begun to establish executive MBA -LRB- EMBA -RRB- programs .


In response , each year over 1000 mature professionals looking to recharge their minds and retool their know - how compete for a precious few openings in executive degree programs at top institutions such as National Taiwan University -LRB- NTU -RRB- and National Chengchi University .


What brings these accomplished business professionals back to the classroom ?


What knowledge do they seek that can not be found in society at large ?


And what effect does their return have on campus ?


Morris Chang , chairman of TSMC and a leading light of Taiwan 's high - tech industry , is the hottest university lecturer around .


Two years ago , National Chiaotung University invited Chang , one of the Taiwan IT sector 's most prominent success stories , to lecture to students in its MBA program for top managers , single - handedly raising awareness of executive MBA -LRB- EMBA -RRB- programs .


C ongressional employees are retained to perform public duties that include assisting Members in official responsibilities in personal, committee, leadership, or administrative office settings. The roles, duties, and activities of congressional staff are matters of ongoing interest to Members of Congress, congressional staff, groups, and individuals, including those who raise concerns about congressional operations. Most observers recognize that Congress does not function without staff, but there is little systematic attention to what staff do, or what Members expect of them. In congressional offices, there may be interest in identifying Member expectations of congressional staff duties by position from multiple perspectives, including assessment of staffing needs in Member offices; guidance in setting position expectations, qualifications, and experience when offices choose to hire staff; and informing current and potential congressional employees of position expectations. Members of the House and Senate generally establish their own employment policies and practices for their personal offices. It is arguably the case that within Member offices, a common group of activities is executed for which staff with relevant skillsets and other qualifications are necessary. A body of publicly available job advertisements for staff positions from a number of different offices can shed light on the expectations Members have for position duties, as well as staff skills, characteristics, experience, and other expectations. For 33 commonly used congressional staff position titles, this report describes the most frequently listed job duties, applicant skills, characteristics, prior experiences, and other expectations found in a sample of job advertisements placed by Members of Congress between approximately December 2014 and September 2019 seeking staff in their offices. Table 1 lists the position titles and the frequency with which advertisements for them appeared in the sample. Identifying Job Advertisements for Congressional Staff Positions Data used in developing sample position expectations were taken from several publicly available sources, including the following, over the periods specified: The House Employment Bulletin, published weekly by the House Vacancy Announcement and Placement Service (HVAPS) in the Human Resources Office of the House Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Data were collected from ads published between approximately January 2015 and September 2019. The Employment Bulletin, published online by the Senate "as a service to Senate offices choosing to advertise staff vacancies." Data were collected from ads, which were not dated, appearing from approximately July 2016 to July 2019. The House GOP Job and Resume Bank, which posts ads on behalf of the House Republican Conference on Facebook. Ads were collected between approximately January and June 2017. Other ads were collected from the period between approximately December 2014 and January 2017 from the House GOP Job Bank web page on the website of Representative Virginia Foxx during part of her tenure as the House Republican Conference Secretary. The Job Announcements Board hosted by Representative Steny Hoyer during part of his tenure as House Minority Whip. Data were collected from ads posted between approximately January 2016 and December 2017. Categorizing and Coding Job Advertisements More than 1,800 ads were collected from all sources. Duplicate ads resulting from posts to more than one source, and ads that appear to have been frequently reposted, were removed, as were ads for positions in congressional settings other than personal offices, yielding 880 ads for positions in Member personal offices. Substantially similar position titles (e.g., deputy scheduler and state deputy scheduler) for which there were five or more ads were identified and grouped together, as were related job titles (e.g., positions designated as district, field, or regional representative that had essentially similar job duties and expectations) for which there were five or more substantially similar ads, yielding a total of 704 ads. Ads for the 33 identified position titles were further categorized if there were five or more ads that specified the advertised position as "not entry level" or other signifier of presumptive advanced status. The 704 ads were coded against a variety of variables within eight categories, including ad tracking information; ad details; position responsibilities and responsibility areas; expected job skills, qualifications, and credentials; application materials; and office type. The distribution of ads by job title and level is provided in Table 1 . Solicitations of applicants for congressional staff appear to originate in a highly decentralized manner. Means of identifying appropriate candidates might potentially include reassigning staff within offices, placing ads in services that make them available by subscription, word of mouth, and other nonpublic means of identifying potential applicants for congressional staff positions. Consequently, it cannot be determined whether the dataset of ads analyzed in this report is representative of all congressional employment solicitations. In addition, the process by which candidates for some Member office senior staff positions are identified may not be public-facing. Based on information specified within the ads, most position titles were identified by one of the following four primary responsibility areas (some positions were identified by up to three responsibility areas): Legislative, Policy, and Oversight, Media, Messaging, and Speeches, Constituent Communications, Outreach, and Service, and Office Administration and Support. For each position, at least one sample position description was created based on the coded data. Information includes the most frequently occurring of the following: primary responsibility areas; widely expected duties, typically up to six of the most frequently occurring duties specified in all ads for that position; other potential duties, typically up to six other duties mentioned in more than one ad; applicant information, including characteristics, skills, and knowledge and prior experience; and other expectations. Concluding Observations Categorizing congressional staff positions by position title relies on an assumption that similarly titled positions in House and Senate personal offices carry out the same tasks under essentially similar circumstances. While personal offices may carry out similar activities, the assumption might be questionable given the differences in staff resources in House and Senate offices, as well as potential differences within offices of each chamber. Generalizations about staff roles and duties may also be limited in some ways due to the broad discretion Members have with regard to running their office activities. Variations from office to office, which might include differences in job duties, work schedules, office emphases, and other factors, may limit the extent to which sample position expectations provided here match operational practices in all congressional offices. Sample Position Expectations Caseworker18 Communications Director19 Communications Director, "Senior Level" or "Not Entry Level"20 Constituent Services Representative21 Correspondence Manager22 Deputy Press Secretary23 Deputy Scheduler24 Deputy Scheduler/Assistant to Chief of Staff25 Digital Director/Press Assistant26 Digital Media Director27 District Director28 Executive Assistant29 Executive Assistant/Scheduler30 Executive Assistant/Scheduler, "Not Entry Level"31 Field, District, or Regional Representative32 Field Representative/Caseworker33 Legislative Aide34 Legislative Assistant35 Legislative Assistant, "Not Entry Level"36 Legislative Correspondent37 Legislative Correspondent/Press Assistant38 Legislative Correspondent/Staff Assistant39 Legislative Counsel40 Legislative Director, House41 Legislative Director "Senior Level," or "Not Entry Level"42 Legislative Director, Senate43 Military Legislative Assistant44 Press Assistant45 Press Secretary46 Regional Coordinator47 Scheduler48 Scheduler, "Not Entry Level"49 Scheduler/Office Manager50 Senior Legislative Assistant51 Speechwriter52 Staff Assistant53 Staff Assistant/Driver54 Staff Assistant/Press Assistant55 Systems Administrator56

The roles, duties, and activities of congressional staff are matters of ongoing interest to Members of Congress, congressional staff, and observers of Congress. Members of the House and Senate establish their own employment policies and practices for their personal offices. It is arguably the case that within Member offices, a common group of activities is executed for which staff are necessary. Accordingly, a group of job advertisements for those positions from a number of different offices can shed light on the expectations Members have for position duties, as well as staff skills, characteristics, experience, and other expectations. This report provides a set of 39 widely expected job duties, applicant skills, characteristics, prior experiences, and other expectations based on a sample of ads placed by Members of Congress between approximately December 2014 and September 2019 seeking staff in their offices for 33 position titles: Sample position expectations might assist Congress from multiple perspectives, including assessment of staffing needs in Member offices; guidance in setting position expectations, qualifications, and experience when offices need to hire staff; and informing current and potential congressional employees of position expectations. At the same time, categorizing congressional staff positions by position title relies on an assumption that similarly titled positions in House and Senate personal offices carry out the same tasks under essentially similar circumstances. Although personal offices may carry out similar activities, the assumption might be questionable given the differences in staff resources in House and Senate offices, as well as potential differences among offices of each chamber, particularly the Senate. Genera lizations about staff roles and duties may also be limited in some ways due to the broad discretion Members have with regard to running their office activities. Variations from office to office, which might include differences in job duties, work schedules, office emphases, and other factors, may limit the extent to which sample position expectations might match operational practices in all congressional offices. This is one of several CRS products on congressional staff. To access those products, see CRS Report R44688, Congressional Staff: CRS Products on Size, Pay, and Job Tenure .


Is getting a good grade enough to ask for a letter of recommendation for a grad school application?

I'm about to start a 5th year Master's program in CS at my university (one extra year after B.S. for a M.S.). I've also been looking at applying to grad schools for a PhD program, and the main thing that I've been worried about is recommendation letters.

I know one professor somewhat well (took two classes with her, one of which was a project class where I presented to her) and I think she would be willing to write a rec letter. However, she's fairly well known in her field and I don't know if that makes it harder to get a rec from her.

But, most of the colleges I'm looking at for grad school need three letters. I've had good grades throughout my undergrad, mostly 3.9 and 4.0s. Because I was fairly comfortable with my classes, I rarely went to office hours. As a result, I don't think any of the professors who've taught me know anything about me other than that I was in their class and that I did well.

I'm totally unsure now about how to proceed. Is it normal for professors to be asked for rec letters by students they only maybe recognize? Do they usually say yes or no? What are my options?


Why would a professor (say in pure math) want to take PhD students?

Why would a professor doing pure math/ theoretical computer science want to take PhD students?

I understand that in computational and experimental sciences taking students is at least beneficial to them. However, in subjects like pure math, it is not obvious to me that there are any significant advantages to take some PhD students. It is probably expected from the department that you will take some students, and it is nice to have someone who can type things up for you. But other than that, I don't see any reasons.

So, why would they want to do that? What are they expecting from their (prospective) students?


Which term is correct for a work submitted for a master's degree: paper, thesis or dissertation?

What is the difference among the terms paper, thesis and dissertation?  Which one should I use, for instance if I am completing a master's degree? Are they interchangeable ?


Graduating this year and not sure what type of grad school to pursue?

How did you all decide that graduate school, and specifically the field you're studying in graduate school, was the right choice?
I'm a senior at an excellent university studying Bioengineering. I think I'm a pretty odd case, as my passions have always been reading and creative writing, but I chose to study a flexible hard science as it would provide at least a little more use for the degree, and bioengineering was the most broad. As a result, though, I've always been open to a lot of career paths and have had a lot of trouble figuring out what I want to do. Going into my last year I've done really well in classes (3.95+ GPA), but I never found the subject to be something I was super passionate about: I was more just decently interested. My GPA, in combination with my research experience and volunteer work, has made me at least a viable candidate for law schools, med schools, and Bioengineering graduate programs (probably just a masters), and these three choices are quite different and career-defining.
My rationale for considering these programs and not just heading into the work-force is that going to top programs for any of these (especially law and med school) would allow me to rise significantly higher professionally and perhaps find more fulfilling work. A masters in bioengineering would allow me to specialize in the field (the BE field itself has options in which to specialize) more which would definitely improve my job prospects as well. Just thinking about deciding between all of this is seriously anxiety-inducing, and has always been for me since I entered college. They all seem somewhat appealing, and they all come with the con of "What if I made the wrong choice and would have been better in that other field?" While I know you can always switch afterwards or do multiple, practically and financially speaking that's far from ideal.
Given all this information, I ask you academics, who in my experience are some of the most focused, committed, and driven people in the world, how did you decide on what you wanted to do and make that commitment?


Is there a resource that gives the number of citations per scientist in various countries?

The motivation for this question is attempting to quantify the quality of science in a country.  Getting at quality is difficult, but the number of citations is one way of trying to do so.  Is there any available resource that has computed the number of citations per scientist in various countries?


What does it take to get a worthwhile recommendation letter

I am now looking for people to write recommendation letters for me so as to prepare for graduate school application by the end of this year. I found I still need one more person(I want to have 3 letters, as is required by almost all US graduate schools), but I don't know what does it take to get a recommendation letter that is worthwhile? I mean, is it OK to ask a professor write a recommendation letter for you only based on your behavior in his/her class? or you must do research with a professor for some time so that the letter can contain something really meaningful? (The problem I have with the second choice is that I am already participating research with a professor, and I guess it is not a good idea to distract myself to another professor's field at this time.)


"Duke University Press" vs "Duke University Press Books"

Which of these bibliography citations is preferred?:

  Weld, Kirsten. Paper Cadavers: The Archives of Dictatorship in Guatemala. Durham: Duke University Press, 2014.

  Weld, Kirsten. Paper Cadavers: The Archives of Dictatorship in Guatemala. Durham: Duke University Press Books, 2014.

Google shows both forms are in use for this particular book (and many like it).
 In total, Google yields 442,000 results for "Durham: Duke University Press" and 14,200 results for "Durham: Duke University Press Books." Why are there two competing forms?


What references must be acknowledged in a paper?

This question came up from a discussion on meta.MSE.

My question is:

  Do we need to search MSE (or blogs, math forums, ...) to make sure someone hasn't already proven a result when writing a paper?

  What if we are already aware of a them (so no need for searching)?

  Is not citing such a post in these two cases considered plagiarism?

As I understand, the common practice is to check standard reviewed reputable publication venues (journals, conferences, maybe arXiv) and also with experts in the area to make sure a result is not already published nor a well-known folklore result. No one is going to search all over the internet and check every post that Google returns and citing other resources is very uncommon. I think checking MatheOverflow can be considered similar to the later (checking with experts) (also see this discussion on MO but that doesn't seem to apply to a site like MSE. I am not going to cite a discussion with some random person on the street (not a professional mathematician) who claimed to have a solution or an idea for a solution for a problem (which is not passed peer-review process and I might not want even want to spend time understanding or checking the correctness of the solution).

  What are the accepted practice for checking originality of a result?

  What is expected from authors regarding this before making a paper submission?

Some clarification since there seems to be a misinterpretation of the question about being academic honesty. The question is not about posts that

you are aware of,
contain a complete rigorousness solution (not just ideas), and
you are confident the solution is correct.


Nick: You look absolutely gorgeous and have a lovely smile.
Nick: Would love to get to know you a bit more. How about we meet up for a drink sometime?
Jane: Hmmm... You're shooting a bit above your range aren't you?
Nick: Why would you think that hon?
Jane: Because I'm not that desperate.
Nick: That was a bit below the belt.
Nick: You're nice but you're not THAT hot.
Jane: Oh is your poor little dick shriveling at the thought?
Nick: Actually I'll take it back. Forget about the drink.
Nick: Forget I ever wrote to you.
Jane: Bye loser!
Nick: Fucking bitch!
Jane: You're welcome!

Nick finds Jane pretty and invites her for a drink to get to know her better. Jane rejects Nick and is unpleasant to him. Nick suggests Jane to forget about their conversation.


Kate: I've just heard you want to sell your flat?!
Rob: That's true. Do you want to buy it?
Kate: Ha ha! I wish..
Rob: I'll give you a discount ;)
Kate: Sure. You moved in a year ago or so?! Why do you wanna sell it?
Rob: We're thinking about having a baby and it is too small.
Kate: It's not that bad. Mine is smaller and I have two.
Rob: There's no room for a cot in our bedroom.
Kate: You're right. So are you looking for two bed now?
Rob: Three bed would be perfect so that we won't have to move out again when we decide to have another baby.
Kate: That's sounds reasonable.
Rob: I know. It just the prices.. total madness!!!
Kate: I can only imagine. It's getting more expensive year after year.
Rob: I've got a friend who's relocating to another city so want to sell his flat ASAP and offers a good price. We're seeing him tomorrow.
Kate: Good luck with that! ;)
Rob: Fingers crossed! ;)

Rob wants to sell his flat, because it's too small. Rob will meet a friend tomorrow who has a flat to sell.


Pedro: batman or superman??
Alex: honestly..  neither
Pedro: WHAT??
Alex: i honestly like the flash
Pedro: whats so good about the flash :P
Alex: duuude, he can do almost anything
Pedro: not anything
Alex: yea im sure batman can run as fast -_-
Pedro: superhuman speed? thats your pitch?
Alex: that speed opens up the whole multiverse for him.. you seriously dont get how powerful he can be
Pedro: yeah i get your point

Alex prefers the Flash to Barman and Superman thanks to his speed.


Jane: Hey
Martin: Whats up
Maria: Hey
Jane: Anyone going to Value Village?
Jane: I am getting halloween costumes with my sister
Jane: If anyone wants to join
Connor: I got mine today so thanks
Connor: At Value Village
Jane: I am going with u ok? priv msg
Jane: ok ok

Connor bought his halloween costumes at Value Village where Jane plans to get her and her sister's costume.


Val: it's raining!
Candy: I know, just started...
Val: r we going? we will be wet
Candy: maybe wait a little? see if stops
Val: ok. let's wait half h and than see
Candy: god idea, I call u then
Val: great :)

It's raining, so Val and Candy will wait half an hour before they go.


Tim: The situation there is terrible now
John: I know and, honestly, I don't think it's gonna change any time soon
Jeremy: why? I think the world's attention is now on Kongo really
John: exactly, too much money involved
John: everybody wants it's resources, they are crucial for the US, for China, for everybody
Alice: for our smartphones
John: Exactly
Alice: yes, I'm not very positive either
Tim: yup, just the same story all the time
John: Ebola, war, militias, diamonds...
Tim: Hard to say what should be done
John: Surely the elections were not done properly
Tim: this for sure

The situation in Kongo is terrible because of its resources and politics.


Paula: Can we meet with the new person soon?
Ralph: Sure. In an hour okay?
Paula: Perfect.

Paula and Ralph will meet the new person in an hour.


Mary: Hello, I think you've left your credit card at our shop
Jenny: Thank you for getting in touch! Thank you so much!
Mary: No worries :)
Jenny: When can I pick it up?
Mary: Whenever you come, it's safe with one of our cashiers :)

Jenny has left her credit car at the Mary's shop.


Victoria: yo
Victoria: are you free this weekend?
Rosemary: let me see...
Rosemary: yeah
Victoria: <3
Victoria: let's record the drums?
Rosemary: you see
Rosemary: there's a problem
Victoria: yeah?
Rosemary: namely, i don't have a working laptop atm
Victoria: XD
Victoria: i have a tablet but it has 2gb ram, so probably not enough for recording
Rosemary: but does it have all the software? usb ports? windows?
Victoria: yeah it's running windows 10
Rosemary: still 2gb is probably not enough
Rosemary: so we need to borrow it from somebody
Victoria: yeah, any ideas?
Rosemary: actually i have a few
Rosemary: i'll get back to you later
Victoria: okay, thanks!
Victoria: but don't forget xd

Rosemary and Victoria would like to record the drums this weekend. Rosemary doesn't have a working laptop, whereas Victoria's tablet doesn't have enough memory for recording. Rosemary will try to borrow a laptop from somebody and will get back to Victoria later.


Prompt: View number as text. Do not perform computation. Q: What is the first digit of 50+47? A:


Prompt: View number as text. Do not perform computation. Q: What is the first digit of 5+15? A:


Prompt: View number as text. Do not perform computation. Q: What is the first digit of 74+7? A:


Prompt: View number as text. Do not perform computation. Q: What is the first digit of 22+26? A:


Prompt: View number as text. Do not perform computation. Q: What is the first digit of 24+69? A:


Prompt: View number as text. Do not perform computation. Q: What is the first digit of 31+52? A:


Prompt: View number as text. Do not perform computation. Q: What is the first digit of 15+20? A:


Prompt: View number as text. Do not perform computation. Q: What is the first digit of 26+10? A:


Prompt: View number as text. Do not perform computation. Q: What is the first digit of 36+19? A:


Prompt: View number as text. Do not perform computation. Q: What is the first digit of 13+47? A:


What was the average Englishmen's opinion on Belgium between the dissolution of Leopold's Congo and WW1?

I'm still very naive on the topic, but from what I've read the Belgians were incredibly brutal, murdering up to 10 million Congolese in horrific ways, and that Great Britain spearheaded the opposition against Leopold's Congo. Yet only 6 years later, Britain took up arms against one of the strongest countries in defense of Belgium.

Would the English have had incredibly nasty views towards Belgium like we do today against Nazi Germany, or were the negative opinions focused mostly on Leopold / the Force Publique? And if they still held any animosity, how did that change after entering WW1 when Germany invaded Belgium? Would public sentiment be against Belgians for committing such severe atrocities not even a decade earlier, or were they now seen as a victim of Germany instead?

Answer:
First of all thanks for your question. To help your understanding of the Congo Free State develop a bit, there are a few answers I have written previously that address some of the [common misconceptions ](_URL_2_) and the [history and manner of rule of the territory]( _URL_3_). To reiterate what /u/holytriplem has said, it was not the Belgians who were viewed as the perpetrators of the genocide in the Congo, but Leopold and his company who were rightly blamed.

To address your original question then,  it is also crucial to understand that there were varying schools of thought by 1914 on the colonial efforts of the European imperial powers. You are absolutely right in saying that it was a British led condemnation that saw Leopold lose his private colony, but generalising about the average British person's attitude is incredibly difficult as it was not the official British policy to condemn Leopold's owning of territory. From the late 1890s through the first decade of the 20th century, support for the British empire was high, especially during and after the Boer Wars around the turn of the century. Events such as the Siege/Relief of Mafeking were highly popularised, and jingoistic sentiments were engaged and developed through the advent of what could be called 'modern war reporting' (i.e. news from the battlefields arrived hours or days rather than weeks after the event). The British were proud of their empire (good write up [here]( _URL_0_) about the period - non-academic article though so use with caution.) In terms of the actual outbreak of war, the Belgian Congo played little part in determining British response.

Cecil Rhodes had only recently and very violently put down a native uprising in his company's private territory (Southern Rhodesia) and the British had been reluctant to condemn the actions there, but there was a wideheld belief that the British empire was different and 'better' than those of other European powers. The Germans were seen as heavy handed and violent, the French much too close to their colonial subjects, and the Italians as examples of abject failure in running an empire, but most British believed their empire treated all of its subjects fairly, providing them with civilisation and religion and infrastructure and all the other things that Africans 'needed'. Towards the end of the 19th century though a very small, very vocal minority of the British public began putting forward an explicitly anti-colonial agenda and  sought to cast Leopold as the rogue of the Congo Atrocities, acting as a despotic megalomaniac would when given absolute power. A report by a British consul, Roger Casement, brought to light in the English speaking world the scale of the suffering in the Congo and others furthered the humanitarian effort and it was this instead upon which the British fell with their full support - they condemned not the holding of the territory by Leopold but his actions towards the peoples within it for being barbaric and unbecoming of a civilised power.

Perhaps the most notable example is Joseph Conrad's fantastic novel, *The Heart of Darkness*. There is a rather decent article available [here]( _URL_1_) which explains the British attitude towards the Congo and the resentment that was directed more so at Leopold, himself an explicit advocate of economic racism against colonial subjects, than at the Belgians as a nationality. This vocal anti-colonial minority campaigned hard and publicly to highlight Casement's report and the testimonies of missionaries working in the EIC as to the scale of the mistreatments and deaths, and spur others to act, specifically the Belgians themselves.

Guy Vanthemsche in his great book *Belgium and the Congo, 1885-1980*, states that:

 > Between 1885 and 1900, the Congolese issue flared up at key moments. But at the beginning of the new century, the atmosphere changed as the international campaign against Leopold II increased. This had repercussions in Belgium. Some factions of the Belgian press and, increasingly, public opionion were strongly opposed to the Congo Free State policy. Parliamentarians protested against inhumane practices in Leopold's African state and the Congo became a divisive issue in Belgian domestic politics. (p.41)

It was only in 1906 after the threat of an international conference on the Congo issue that Leopold conceded to allow the Belgian state to annex the colony. The Belgians, although perhaps not as supportive of their colonialism as the British were of their empire, nevertheless held regular exhibitions of Belgian colonialism in the Congo from 1898 to the 1930s. The actions of Leopold were seen by both themselves and the wider world as a different time and the Belgian Colonial Office and Ministry of the Colonies fought hard to portray an extreme contrast of the 'before' and 'after' of Leopold's rule and the annexation of the EIC. Unlike in France or Britain, there was almost no migration from the EIC to Belgium during Leopold's rule and subsequently, Belgian colonialism retained some distance from the general public, that impacted on the public opinion and the way it was shaped by international condemnation. Leopold was very aware of international public opinion and the effect it had on domestic politics in Belgium, going so far as to pay a lawyer to lobby the US Congress with regards to the Congo issue, a plan which spectacularly backfired in December 1906 when the dealings were made public and the US and Britain very quickly pledged complete support in removing the EIC from Leopold's control (see Martin Ewans in *European Atrocity, African Catastrophe* p.227)

 The British in 1908 demanded the abolition of forced labour in the colony and to safeguard the rights and freedoms of the Congolese peoples, a policy supported by the Americans. The British public opinion on this is difficult to ascertain - newspapers were generally in favour of the abolition but it was made repeatedly clear that the problem lay not with the Belgians who were willing to do everything possible to guarantee the future of the people in the EIC, but with Leopold. Leopold's successor, Albert I, made public declarations of intent as to a better future for the Congo (and unlike Leopold actually visited the colony). If newspapers can be seen as a hazy reflection of the opinion of the public they write for, then the atrocities in the Congo were widely condemned.

Unfortunately, making more accurate statements about the public attitude is nigh on impossible and I don't know enough about WWI itself to pass judgement on British attitudes towards Belgium during the outbreak of war, so maybe somebody else could fill in the gaps. I hope this long-winded, rambling answer helps you a little. Obviously, my knowledge is primarily African orientated with the metropoles themselves playing out in the background, but if you have any more questions fire away and I will do my best. The books I referenced are absolutely great reads and probably available on google books for free - have a gander and a read if you want.


When someone was granted a new title in England, was the land associated with the title owned by anyone already? What happened to the previous occupants?

Answer:
I've been hesitating to answer this because I can't think of any source that says in so many words "of course, a lord couldn't simply take land away from someone".  Then I realized that there's no canon law that says "the Pope cannot sacrifice unbaptized boys on the altar during Easter Mass", either.

I've just re-read Magna Carta, the original version sealed by John ... well, the English translation thereof.  After the first clause, the one about the church, the next 7 are all about preserving inheritances, of the normal heir and of the widow.  Showing so much care about inheritance shows how much more important possession is.

And indeed possession of land is later protected.  Clause 39 (in Warren's numbering) is "No freeman shall be ... disseised [lose land] ... or in any way destroyed ... except by the lawful judgement of his peers and by the law of the land."  Clause 43 says that if a fief is escheated to the crown, their tenants shall hold by their old conditions.  Clause 51 deals with any who have be dispossessed.  So too with clauses 56 and 57 for Welshmen.

Land was critically important -- consider that it's now called "*real* estate" or "real property".  Some was supposed to lose land only through laborious proceedings of right (or self-help by taking back rightful land by force of arms, but that was later curbed and suppressed).

Even attempts by the king to constrain privileges, like later proceedings of *quo warranto* (or more unsystematic ones under Henry II) to make men justify their franchises and privileges, or enforcing forest law on royal lands, stirred up a lot of unrest.

What the king granted was whatever was in his hands.  The title was, either by reviving an old title or by creating a new one.  At least in Anglo-Norman times, an earl got the title of a shire, could sit in the shire court with the sheriff and the bishop, and got the third penny of justice, one-third of all fines assessed in the shire.  Other things would often enough be given with it -- castles, manors, mills, parks, whatever that the king already held, privileges and franchises that were governed by and conceded by the king.

How did the king get titles and lands to grant?  Maybe no king had given it before -- I think William the Conqueror kept about a third of England in his hands.  Or a lord could die without an heir, in which case, his lands and titles were "escheated" to his lord, which often was the king.  A lord could be "attainted", deprived of lands and titles, due to treason (meaning he lost the rebellion; as later famously observed, if he won, it wasn't treason) or other major felony.

A fief in the king's hands usually had tenants, whether serfs, freemen, sergeants, knights, and/or lords.  If the fief were being regranted, they would likely be granted with them.

I don't have examples of grants by charter or letters patent to hand to point to.  Generally, a charter at least was very detailed in listing exactly what the donor was giving to the recipient, just to avoid later questions about who had the privilege of the fair of Saint Frithfrith, or the mill on the River Plunk and the right to force the locals to use it, or the court of the hundred of Doddering Sloughleigh.

There were edge cases.  There might be a charter of confirmation.  A lord might die without a male heir but with a daughter: the title and possessions might be confirmed to the daughter's husband.

Certainly no later than the restoration of Charles II and the act removing all jurisdiction from noble titles, noble titles were completely honorary; any lands or other possessions would be given separately.  I don't know when the transition happened.


I've always got the impression (from movies and school teachers mostly) that the Huns and the mongols were both very similar it terms of how they lived (nomadic, horse riders, imperialists) and where they came from (The Asian Steppe lands). Do you think that's a reasonable way to view them?

Answer:
I'll preface by saying this is not an area I am well studied in, so I hope someone with more knowledge on the subject will correct me if I'm wrong on something. Anyway:

While the two peoples you speak of, the Huns and Mongols, most certainly did not speak the same language, and in all probability did not have the same exact cultural traditions as eachother, they probably lived in much the same way. The nomadic horse archer lifestyle is incredibly old. Like, seriously old. The Roman Empire was not the first to experience raids by nomadic horse peoples, nor was Attila the only one to lead his people into settled lands. The Assyrians of Mesopotamia, who had their heyday thousands of years before the Romans even enter the scene, famously fought with similar nomadic horsepeople called scithians if memory serves, who were very similar to Atilla's huns.

Europe actually experienced a second invasion in the 9th and 10th century (a long time after Atilla and roughly three hundred years before Genghis Khan) from nomadic steppe people called the Magyars, and these were indeed very similar to the other two groups. It is also worth remembering that any civilization living close to the eurasian steppe probably dealt with smaller groups of nomadic peoples much more frequently; the large-scale invasions of powerful leaders like Attila and Genghis Khan are merely the more famous ones. The Chinese dynasties spent much of their time and effort trying to keep the steppe tribes from unifying in order to prevent exactly what Genghis Khan did.

In short, throughout all of recorded history up to the modern period, nomadic horseriders have populated the steppe and been a smaller or larger nuisqnce to the settled societies that they happened to border. This lifestyle was pretty much the most effective way to survive on the steppe, and up until modern firearms, mounted archers were supremely deadly on the battlefield (outside of battle, the bow and horse combination was primarily used for hunting in order to survive, but it turned out to be pretty effective at hunting people as well as beasts). As a result, there was not much reason to change that way of life all that much over the ages. Because it worked perfectly fine as it had for thousands of years.

In conclusion: While the Huns and Mongols are nearly a thousand years apart and were *by no means the same people*, how they lived would indeed have been very similar if not almost the same.


Is Edward Gibbon's "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" still considered accurate considering historical excavations, findings, and new evidence of the fall of the Roman Empire? Is it considered outdated?

I have no doubt the prose and syntax is articulately put together and worth a read on those merits.

However, I'm wondering if considering the years since there is new evidence suggesting a different approach.

I'm not exactly concerned with this thesis "loss of civic virtue," but rather his understanding of the events as being accurate? Did he have false information?

Answer:
Not to discourage another answer, but this question seems to be answered somewhat here:

_URL_0_


How did English, as we all know is a Germanic language, become the prominent language in Britain when, as I've read that many historians believe, the number of Anglo-Saxon migrants was small relative to the number of Native Britons and Romano-Britons?

Answer:
I talk about this extensively at the below link, although feel free to ask any more questions.

_URL_0_

In a bulletted nutshell:

1. Latin never achieved an overwhelming penetration into the countryside.  This is probably due to the military nature of the british economy, so that it had less country/town interaction than say Gaul which had a more diversified economy, were Latin did achieve a significant penetration.

2. The socio-economic collapse in southern central England after Roman withdrawal was almost total, as well as quick, in the sense that it occurred within living memory.  Because the socio-economic structures of the former Roman state and the middle/upper class had collapsed, all that was left was the peasant class, who having never spoken latin significantly, continued to use Brythonic/Welsh in their daily lives.

3. When the Anglo-Saxons arrived, they brought with them trade links to the continent and a more significant material culture, so that the Romano-British assimilated toward this new culture, rather than the reverse, because there was simply no Latin culture left for the Anglo-Saxons to absorb due to societal collapse.

4. The areas that maintained Romano-British culture were thus those that were simultaneously least Romanized and farthest away from Anglo-Saxon settlement (Wales/Cornwall), because they had their own tribal structures and material culture from which to rebuild after the departure of the Romans.


When did "meth labs" become a thing? Do we know when the improvised synthesis of methamphetamine surfaced?

I'm aware of methamphetamine's history in WWII, but there it was being produced on an industrial scale, with presumably fewer jerry-rigged components. Wikipedia also informs me that methamphetamine use in America became more popular in the 1980s, but based on the statement that the drug was coming from manufacturers in Mexico, I assume that it was also being produced on a more industrial scale.

I was wondering when improvised synthesis of methamphetamine became more widespread. More specifically, I'm wondering when the whole "guy in a trailer using road flares for red phosphorus" style of production surfaced in America. It seems kinda odd to me that knowledge of a series of reactions that would require a fairly in-depth knowledge of chemistry would make its way into areas of the country that are pretty impoverished.

Answer:
The "improvised synthesis of methamphetamine" first crops up in the US during the 60s and 70s though it's history is older.

Meth in that period was prevalent in the west coast of the US and mostly the purview of outlaw biker gangs who were linked to other aspects of the drug trade. They used the "California Cook" or P2P method. These were the first "clan labs" associated with meth production in the US and they were very dangerous.  The production quality of the P2P method is also pretty inefficient and the resulting meth is usually of lower grade than other methods.

In the 80s and 90s, the "Nazi Cold Cook" method took off, and it used anhydrous ammonia and ephedrine, mainly acquired through theft of farm supplies and large scale purchases of over the counter ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

That became the predominant "clan lab" in the US, into the early 2000s. It started to lose popularity as the DEA and states tightened the sale of ephedrine/Sudofed and fertilizer suppliers and users made it harder to steal or acquire anhydrous ammonia. The early 2000s also saw a major shift in meth supplies from internal to the US to Mexico as "home cookers" ceased to be the main source for meth in the black drugs market. It was more efficient and cheaper to smuggle industrial scale produced meth across the border. In a way, the enforcement activities that successfully reduced the number of clan labs in the US, led to a "professionalization" and "commoditization" of the meth market.

The alternate form of production is the "red P" method you refer to (of which there are two primary variations). This has been around for a while and popped up in clan labs from time to time but was not as popular as the Cold Cook among home brewets. It is the primary production method used in Mexican labs, however.

Source: Long ago, in a land far away, I attended an abbreviated version of the DEA Clan Lab course and worked with a number of meth task forces, but since that might be seen as "anecdotal" by the ever vigilant  Moderators, I recommend you see this DOJ publication for a start: _URL_0_


Why did people from North Africa and the Middle East wear such "huge" outfits?

I've been looking through some depictions of people like Musa I, Suleiman the Magnificent, Menelik II (photograph), and Akia the Great, these guys are wearing layers and layers of carpet-thick cloth.  Given the climates they were from, this seems extremely impractical.  Were these really part of their regular attire, or were they more ceremonial and thus something that they would have been depicted in?

I will note that some of these depictions are much more modern, like this one of Askia: _URL_0_

But there are several depictions of [Suleiman](_URL_1_) and this photo of [Menelik](_URL_2_) where they really are decked out in very thick, extravagant garb.

Answer: Those are ceremonial yes(and worn by the emperor at that). That said, the region is by no means uniformly hot and dry and climate depends much on elevation, geography, etc. So certainly there would be times when dressing warmly would be advisable.


Why does England have a closer relationship with Wales than Scotland?

Welsh teams play in English soccer leagues while Scottish teams do not. Wales uses Bank of England notes while Scottish banks are allowed to print their own notes. Scotland has independence referendums while Wales has had none that I know of. There must be more examples which I do not know of. I am an outside observer(American) so I do not know all the intricacies of the various Acts of Union in the UK. What would be the closest American concept to think of the various British nations, are they treated like American states or more like the various member nations of the EU?

Answer:
It is currently moving in he direction of a more federal system like the US.

The big reasons are

- greater migration between Wales and England than between England and Scotland (just by virtue of geography),

- greater political nationalism in Scotland (rather than Wales' more cultural nationalism),

-the fact that Wales has for around 500 years been legally part of England.

Here is the history:

Wales has legally been part of the Kingdom of England since the 1534 Act of Union.  (I think it is legally separate since in 1997 it got its own govt. etc)
This Act of Union was not really a union of equal partners. It was an annexation.

In 1603, the King of Scotland also became the King of England. This is called a union of crowns. Both kingdoms remained separate, the same person, King James simply ruled both, as James VI of Scotland and as James I of England.

James tried to roll the two kingdoms into one, but this was resisted on both sides. So for 100 years, the two kingdoms remained separate, each with their own constitutions and Parliaments.

By 1700, both sides were more used to one another and wanted Union -England liked not having to worry about an enemy to the north, and wanted to make sure that no European rival would take the throne of Scotland. The Scots grew to like and depend upon England's more sophisticated economy and financial institutions. Both sides hated and feared Catholicism.

So in 1707, there was an Act of Union, but it was a union of equals: the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England ceased to exist, and were replaced by the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Scotland retained a number of powers in this new union, most notably retaining their own legal system, Scots Law. This is a crucial part of why Scotland and England/Wales are different .

In the 18th century, the nation building project proceeded apace - there was a Scottish Enlightenment, with notable philosophers like Hume, but interestingly, all of these guys were embarrassed of being Scottish, and styled themselves as 'British' at a time when England was very focused on 'Englishness'.

In the late 19c., Scottish nationalism started to emerge. I'm not an expert on this, but I understand that it largely started as a bit of a joke, e.g. the whole Tartan thing was reinvented to try to impress a visiting Queen Victoria.

Through the 19c., Wales was populated by a lot of English migrants to the valleys. I don't think this happened on the same scale in Scotland, where migrants were mostly Scots or Irish.

The decline of the Empire in the early 20c. IMO really put a strain on Scotland's place in the union - for 300 years it was one of the few shared institutions Scots really had a big part in - Scots were frequently the shock troops of Empire, whether in the military or as settlers (see for example Appalachia and the Southern US).

By the late 20c. Welsh nationalism had emerged as a way to ensure the survival of the language and culture. But it never became a strong political nationalism because of how much inter-migration there had been between Wales and England. Scotland, because of it's location, never had the same mass migration to and from England (the borderlands of Northern England are fairly empty)

Answer: Further, why do the Scots speak English, having a historically tenuous relationship with England, and the Welsh speak... well, Welsh?

Answer:
This is interesting. Just a few quick questions.How did the Norman Conquest of England affect the Welsh ?

The Tudors were Welsh too.

Answer:
 > What would be the closest American concept to think of the various British nations, are they treated like American states or more like the various member nations of the EU?

 While a lot of people like to see the European Union as some sort of emerging supranational federation, by definition it's more akin to a confederation then anything. The difference being that while a federation is a political union of self-governing states, a confederation is a union of sovereign states that seek a common front on principles (the European Union being a historically economic one).

The closest (nation-wide) political concept that Americans share with the British devolved Parliament system is the current federal system that the United States (a form of governance also found in a number of other countries including Canada, Germany, and Russia). I point out nation-wide as there is an actual closer American comparison but ill get to it later.

As you may have noted federation is pretty much a union of partially self-governing states. While the British  nations have self-governance and a degree of autonomy akin to a federal system, it isn't a true federal system as these self-governing rights are not entrenched in any form of constitution (and thus those rights are not guaranteed). The local parliaments of Scotland and Wales were parliaments granted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and can be revoked at any time by that same Parliament. So what place In United States actually operates in a nearly identical manner? The District of Columbia.

Like the British devolved Parliament system, The District of Columbia has a form of devolved governance granted by the Congress. This can also be taken away by Congress noting the fact that the District has no reserve constitutional powers.

Answer:
I think some of the responses here are slightly inaccurate and as both a British person (with some natural knowledge of this) and someone who has studied the Act of Union I thought I would add my own version.

Wales was annexed by England in the 1270s and 1280s, although it was not officially incorporated as part of England until the 1500s. In short though, whilst not officially part of the Kingdom of England, in all practical respects it has been for the last 700 years or so. This meant for many of the most important periods of institution building, the two countries were united. The common law system developed in both countries. The elites of England were largely transplanted into Wales (even if the populace remained quite distinct, successfully maintaining their own language etc. better than the Scots). When the English reformation rolled around, Wales was part of that process. Even when Wales later developed its own religious identity of non-conformism in the 18th Century it still built upon this Anglican tradition focusing on Methodism (a movement with its roots within the Church of England) rather than other forms of Protestantism. Even today, the Welsh Assembly has FAR fewer powers than the Scottish Parliament.

In contrast, Scotland remained separate for far longer. They were entirely separate until 1603 when James I/VI became King of England. Up to this period a large number of the distinct institutions of Scotland had developed. In particular Scotland had developed a civil law legal system, its own Presbyterian Church and its own educational system and institutions in the form of Universities such as St. Andrews. In the 17th Century there were some fitful starts at integration. Notably both Charles I, and Parliament in the Civil Wars attempted to ally with the Scots. Scotland was integrated as one polity (with representation in the Westminster Parliament) during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell right up until the restoration of the Monarchy.

When the Act of Union was formed it was in the context of the Glorious Revolution and fears that James II and France might try and use division between the nations to aid an invasion. Scotland had also seen its economic position worsen, and in particular a disastrous attempt to set up a colony around modern day Panama had backfired. However, it was clearly a voluntary union (unlike the one with Wales) and thus Scotland kept many of its independent institutions: its own Church, its own legal system, its own educational system.

As well as this I would contend that Scottish nationalism benefited from the 18th and 19th Century ideas of the 'noble savage' and romanticism. Most Scottish people lived in the lowlands and came from Anglo-Saxon roots, and all the ideas we now associate with 'Scotland' were in fact entirely Highland and Gaelic. Historically most Scots would have rejected the facets of clan society as barbaric. However, the Gaels, like the native Americans, were viewed as noble savages even whilst their genuine culture and society was wiped out in the 18th Century. This period also interestingly saw the development of tartan and kilts (an excellent overview of this can be found in 'Invented Tradition' by Eric Hobsbawm). It also saw the development of a mythology around it with books such as James McPherson's 'Works of Ossian'. This new form of Scottish identity was further expanded in the 19th Century until everyone basically forgot how recent and artificial it was. Even today, Scottish nationalism is far more strongly felt than Welsh nationalism. The Scottish Parliament has more powers and in a lot of ways Scotland remains far more distinct.

TLDR: Wales was integrated earlier and did not retain as much of a distinct identity. Scotland had a much longer time to develop its own institutions, and maintained them better, as well as benefiting from romanticism and other fetishisations of highland culture and thus has maintained a much stronger nationalism and a more distinct polity.

Answer: As to soccer leagues, [Berwick Rangers](_URL_0_), a club in an English town, play in the Scottish League, for reasons of simple geography. They are farther north than several Scottish teams they play against and only just south of Glasgow Rangers and Celtic.


Given the amount of standardization in US military equipment in WW2, why was there so many different classes of boats in the US Navy?

Answer: Just for clarification, you mean why the variety of ship's boats, yard lighters, and other small craft like the Captain's Gig, Whaleboats, and other small motor launches and support ships? Vs the actual ships like the frigates, corvettes, destroyers, cruisers, carriers, and battleships which did come in a score of varieties all their own.

Answer:
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, different types of ship are capable of doing different things. A battleship makes a very poor landing ship, but you'd never want to have a Landing Ship Tank (LST) fighting in a naval battle. The same holds true even within a general classification of ship. An aircraft carrier is any ship with the primary role of carrying aircraft, and as such includes the large fleet carriers of the *Essex* or *Yorktown* classes, and the *Bogue* class escort carriers. A large carrier like an *Essex* is too expensive and slow to build to build in large numbers; as such, to fulfil the convoy escort role, the USN needed to build a smaller class of carrier, the *Bogue*s.

The other main reason comes down to how ships are designed and constructed. A rifle, tank or artillery piece might be built in a few days to a few weeks, in a factory building hundreds, thousands, millions of the same model. Those pieces of equipment would only be expected to last for a few years before being replaced. A ship took months to years to produce. Shipyards typically built only a few ships at any one time, with only a few ships in a class, and they would be expected to last for years before replacement. This last factor accounts for some of the variety in ship classes - the oldest major warship in the USN during the war had been laid down in 1910. Military equipment was built in an assembly line fashion, ships were built in a more bespoke way. All this meant that design priorities were different. With military equipment, maximising the volume was important; this meant that it was harder to integrate the lessons of combat experience, as this would require the assembly line to be retooled. With ships, which were not built in such volume, lessons of combat or new design concepts could be integrated, and new classes constructed.


This morning, I tried to send money to my friends several times but each time the transfer fails.  Why does it keep failing?  The transfer gets rejected but I do not know what is causing it to be rejected.


I tried to transfer funds to a beneficiary and was denied. Can you tell me why?


What is the charge for using a Top up card in the US?


Is it possible to have more than one disposable card?


When I went to withdraw cash today the ATM gave me the wrong amount of cash. The app is showing a larger amount.


Do you accept all cards and currencies?

Do you accept all cards and currencies?


When do i activate auto top-up?

When do i activate auto top-up?


I would like to return my purchases

I would like to return my purchases


Is this card available to United States Residents?


it haunts , horrifies , startles and fascinates ; it is impossible to look away .


harris commands the screen , using his frailty to suggest the ravages of a life of corruption and ruthlessness .


i am sorry that i was unable to get the full brunt of the comedy .


as the two leads , lathan and diggs are charming and have chemistry both as friends and lovers .


no way i can believe this load of junk .


bad .


one of the most significant moviegoing pleasures of the year .


even on those rare occasions when the narrator stops yammering , miller 's hand often feels unsure .


whaley 's determination to immerse you in sheer , unrelenting wretchedness is exhausting .


sit through this one , and you wo n't need a magic watch to stop time ; your dvd player will do it for you .


A Porthcawl RNLI crew with a medic and the coastguard search and rescue helicopter were sent to Sker Beach, near Kenfig Nature Reserve, at 12:50 GMT on Sunday.
Crewman Chris Page said the rider had head injuries and was very cold from lying unconscious on wet sand.
She was treated before being flown to Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales.

A woman has been airlifted to hospital after falling from a horse on a Bridgend county beach.


Verheydt, who had been with Maastricht since 2015, has signed a three-year contract with Harry Kewell's side.
The 25-year-old scored 13 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions last season.
Meanwhile, Watford winger Dennon Lewis, 20, has joined the Reds on a loan deal until 31 December.
Lewis, who made 29 National League appearances on loan at Woking last season, played under Kewell when the Australian was coach of Watford's under-23 team.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

League Two side Crawley Town have signed striker Thomas Verheydt from Dutch second-tier side MVV Maastricht for an undisclosed fee.


The 32-year-old had been playing in the Isthmian Premier Division with Leatherhead following his release by Newport at the end of last season.
Pidgeley has made 260 appearances in spells with nine clubs, including Chelsea, Watford and Millwall.
Forest Green are currently second in the National League table, one point behind leaders Cheltenham Town.
Pidgeley could make his Rovers debut when they host Aldershot on Friday.

National League side Forest Green Rovers have signed goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley until the end of the season.


The suspected green mamba was found on a ship that had docked in Aberdeen from west Africa last month.
The snake died after it was placed in a freezer by the animal charity after attempts to rehome it with specialist reptile keepers failed.
The snake was later identified as a harmless green tree snake.
Police Scotland said a complaint was under consideration.
Scottish SPCA Ch Supt Mike Flynn said: "We were called out after a green snake arrived in Aberdeen on a boat from Africa.
"The snake was thought to be a green mamba, one of the deadliest snakes in the world. The snake was taken by police escort to our Aberdeenshire animal rescue and rehoming centre.
"Sadly the snake, which staff genuinely believed to be a green mamba, had to be put to sleep after our attempts to rehome it to specialist reptile keepers were unsuccessful."
He added: "We could not keep the snake in our centre due to severe health and safety concerns, as the closest anti-venom is held in Bedford. Green mambas also require a Dangerous Wild Animal Licence which the society does not have.
"The safety of our staff and the public is paramount and as such the snake was placed in a freezer where it passed away.
"The Scottish SPCA is proud of its policy not put healthy animals to sleep. Animals are only put to sleep on veterinary advice if they are too ill or too aggressive to be rehomed, or where we are legally required to do so.
"The decision to euthanise the snake was not taken lightly. Unfortunately, the snake has since been identified as a harmless green tree snake. This has been an honest mistake on the society's part as we genuinely believed this was an extremely deadly snake."
The western green mamba feeds on small animals and rodents and is mainly found in the coastal tropical rainforests of western Africa.
Experts say its bite can be fatal in as little as 30 minutes.

A complaint about the Scottish SPCA putting what was thought to be one of the world's most deadly snakes to sleep is being investigated by police.


The all-rounder has been included in the T20 squad to face Sri Lanka on 5 July at the Ageas Bowl, having been part of the World T20 squad in March.
"It's nice to be involved again," the 26-year-old slow left-armer and right-handed batsman told BBC Radio Solent.
"I wasn't expecting to be as I thought Moeen Ali would, but him being rested hands me another opportunity."
Dawson failed to make an appearance during England's run to the World T20 final in India this year, but his limited-overs performances for Hampshire this season have kept him in contention.
"I'm not sure what team they'll go with," he said.
"I've had some good performances for Hampshire in one-day and T20 cricket and if I keep going with that, hopefully I might get a chance."

Hampshire's Liam Dawson says it would be "amazing" to make his England Twenty20 debut on his home ground.


The Egypt-backed plan had envisaged a regional forum which analysts say might have forced Israel to reveal whether or not it has nuclear weapons.
The proposal was blocked by the US, the UK and Canada. The next review is set for  2020.
Israel neither confirms nor denies it has a stockpile of nuclear weapons.
Speaking after four weeks of negotiations, US Under-Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller accused Egypt and other Arab countries of "not willing to let go of these unrealistic and unworkable conditions" for future talks.
She also said some participants tried to "cynically manipulate" the whole process.
But Egypt warned that the failure to reach a deal "will have consequences in front of the Arab world and public opinion", the Associated Press news agency reports.
Last month, Egypt had proposed to stage a regional conference - with or without Israel's participation and without an agreed agenda.
Some analysts suggested that this move might have forced Israel - which is not a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) - to publicly clarify its position on nuclear weapons.
Decisions at NPT review conferences - held every five years - are made by consensus.
The failure of the current talks means the next gathering could only be held in 2020 at the earliest.

A UN conference aimed at preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons has ended in failure after a row over a nuclear-free Middle East proposal.


Mothers-to-be are more likely to get malaria as their immunity is lowered, says the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
Malaria carries serious risks for mother and baby including miscarriage, stillbirth and premature labour.
The tropical disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and causes a fever, flu-like symptoms, vomiting and diarrhoea.
There have been no malaria-related deaths in pregnant or recently pregnant women in the UK in the past decade but the RCOG says it has been receiving inquires from worried women.
In the UK, about 1,500 cases of malaria are reported each year and about 10 people will die, said the RCOG.
It says all non-essential trips to areas with a high risk of malaria should be avoided.
Risk areas include large areas of Africa, Asia including China and India, Central and South America, parts of the Middle East and some Pacific Islands.
If the trip is unavoidable, the college advises women to seek advice from a centre with expertise in malaria which will provide information on ways to reduce the risk of infection.
Women should make sure they are aware of the risk, take out measures such as mosquito nets for bite prevention and take anti-malarial medication.
Philippa Marsden, who chairs the RCOG's patient information committee, said although the risks were still relatively small it was important that women were well-informed.
Cath Broderick of the RCOG women's network said: "If women are worried about symptoms after returning from a high-risk country and think they may have malaria, they should see a doctor immediately and inform them of their recent travels."
Symptoms can take a week or more to develop after being bitten.

Pregnant women should visit countries with a risk of malaria only if their trip is essential, experts are warning.


Researchers at the University of Sheffield said the tumours were effectively "fertilising" the bone to help themselves grow.
The study, in the journal Nature, said it may be possible to protect bone from a tumour's nefarious influence and consequently stop the cancer's spread.
Cancer charities said this opened up "a whole new avenue for research".
Around 85% of breast cancers that spread around the body end up in bone, at which point the cancer is difficult to treat and more deadly.
The scientists, in Sheffield and the University of Copenhagen, discovered patients with secondary cancers had higher levels of an enzyme called LOX being produced by their tumours and released into the blood.
Bone is constantly being broken down and rebuilt. But in a series of experiments on mice, the research team showed LOX was disrupting the process and leaving lesions and holes in the bone.
Using drugs to block LOX prevented the cancer from spreading.
Dr Alison Gartland, a reader in bone and cancer biology at the university, told the BBC News website: "We think it's a significant breakthrough in trying to prevent metastases (secondary tumours) in breast cancer.
"The cancer cells in the primary tumour are actually fertilising the soil for the future growth of itself, LOX is changing the environment in bone to make it better to grow."
The animal tests also showed that a set of osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates could prevent the spread of cancer.
Bisphosphonates also interfere with the way bone is recycled in order to strengthen it.
They are already given to some cancer patients, but the Sheffield team believe they could have a much larger role.
The effect was discovered only in oestrogen-negative breast cancers. They account for around a third of cases, but are far more deadly.
Katherine Woods, from Breast Cancer Campaign and Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "By unveiling the role that the protein LOX is playing, these results open up a whole new avenue for research and treatments that could stop breast cancer spreading to the bone.
"The research also adds weight to the growing body of evidence supporting the role of bisphosphonates in stopping secondary breast cancer in its tracks.
"The reality of living with secondary breast cancer in the bone is a stark one, which leaves many women with bone pain and fractures that need extensive surgery just when they need to be making the most of the time they have left with friends and family."
The findings may also apply in colon cancer.

Breast cancers can manipulate the structure of bone to make it easier to spread there, a study has found.


Saccharibacter floricola gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel osmophilic acetic acid bacterium isolated from pollen.

Three Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterial strains were isolated, from the pollen of Japanese flowers, as producers of xylitol; these strains were subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that these three isolates formed a new cluster within a group of acetic acid bacteria in the alpha-Proteobacteria. The characteristics of the three isolates were as follows: (i) their predominant quinone was Q-10; (ii) their cellular fatty acid profile contained major amounts of 2-hydroxy acids and an unsaturated straight-chain acid (C(18 : 1)omega7c); and (iii) their DNA G+C contents were in the range 51.9-52.3 mol%, which is around the lower limit of the reported range for the genera of acetic acid bacteria. The negligible or very weak productivity of acetic acid from ethanol and the osmophilic growth properties distinguished these strains from other acetic acid bacteria. The unique phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics suggest that the three isolates should be classified within a novel genus and species with the proposed name Saccharibacter floricola gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain is strain S-877(T) (=AJ 13480(T)=JCM 12116(T)=DSM 15669(T)).


Acetanaerobacterium elongatum gen. nov., sp. nov., from paper mill waste water.

Two mesophilic anaerobic bacterial strains (Z7(T) and Z1) were isolated from waste water sludge of the Xinanzhang paper mill, Beijing, China. The strains were Gram-positive, non-spore-forming and motile. Cells were thin rods (0.2-0.4x4.0-8.0 microm). Growth of the strains was observed at 20-42 degrees C and pH 5.0-7.5. Both strains hydrolysed gelatin and aesculin and fermented several kinds of mono-, di- and oligosaccharides. The fermentation end products formed from glucose were acetate, ethanol, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The predominant cellular fatty acids were the branched-chain fatty acids isoC(15 : 0) (42.83 %) and isoC(14 : 0) (32.11 %). The DNA G+C contents of strains Z7(T) and Z1 were 50.4 and 48.6 mol%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the isolates represent a new phyletic sublineage within the Clostridium leptum rRNA cluster, with <91 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to currently described species. On the basis of polyphasic evidence from this study, Acetanaerobacterium elongatum gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel genus and species, is proposed, with strain Z7(T) (=JCM 12359(T)=AS 1.5012(T)) as the type strain.


Pseudoxanthomonas mexicana sp. nov. and Pseudoxanthomonas japonensis sp. nov., isolated from diverse environments, and emended descriptions of the genus Pseudoxanthomonas Finkmann et al. 2000 and of its type species.

Three mesophilic bacteria (strains AMX 26B(T), UR374_02 and 12-3(T)) isolated respectively from an anaerobic digester, human urine and urban riverside soil were characterized. Cells were Gram-negative, motile, non-sporulating, straight to curved rods with one polar flagellum and had a strictly respiratory metabolism with O(2) as the preferential terminal electron acceptor. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that all strains clustered within the Xanthomonadaceae branch of the Proteobacteria. Isolates AMX 26B(T) and UR374_02 exhibited 100 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and both were related to strain 12-3(T) (99.6 % similarity). The closest relative of all the isolates was Pseudoxanthomonas broegbernensis DSM 12573(T) (similarity 97.1-97.5 %), and they were equidistantly related to Xanthomonas species (95.4-96.6 %), Stenotrophomonas species (95.3-96.1 %) and Pseudoxanthomonas taiwanensis ATCC BAA-4040(T) (95.3-95.4 %). Chemotaxonomic and biochemical data (branched-chain cellular fatty acid pattern without C(13 : 0) iso 3-OH, ubiquinone with eight isoprenoid units, limited range of substrates used, ability to reduce nitrite but not nitrate with the production of N(2)O) supported their affiliation to the genus Pseudoxanthomonas. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization and/or phenotypic analysis allowed them to be differentiated from the two Pseudoxanthomonas species with validly published names and showed that strain 12-3(T) was genomically and phenotypically distinct from the other two isolates. On the basis of these results, two novel species of the genus Pseudoxanthomonas are proposed: Pseudoxanthomonas mexicana sp. nov., consisting of strains AMX 26B(T) (=ATCC 700993(T)=CIP 106674(T)=JCM 11524(T)) (type strain) and UR374_02 (=DSM 15133), and Pseudoxanthomonas japonensis sp. nov., consisting of strain 12-3(T) (=CCUG 48231(T)=CIP 107388(T)=JCM 11525(T)). The report of these two novel species leads to the emendation of the description of the genus Pseudoxanthomonas and the re-evaluation of the phenotype of P. broegbernensis DSM 12573(T) necessitates the emendation of its description.


Bacillus macyae sp. nov., an arsenate-respiring bacterium isolated from an Australian gold mine.

A strictly anaerobic arsenate-respiring bacterium isolated from a gold mine in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, belonging to the genus Bacillus is described. Cells are Gram-positive, motile rods capable of respiring with arsenate and nitrate as terminal electron acceptors using a variety of substrates, including acetate as the electron donor. Reduction of arsenate to arsenite is catalysed by a membrane-bound arsenate reductase that displays activity over a broad pH range. Synthesis of the enzyme is regulated; maximal activity is obtained when the organism is grown with arsenate as the terminal electron acceptor and no activity is detectable when it is grown with nitrate. Mass of the catalytic subunit was determined to be approximately 87 kDa based on ingel activity stains. The closest phylogenetic relative, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, is Bacillus arseniciselenatis, but DNA-DNA hybridization experiments clearly show that strain JMM-4(T) represents a novel Bacillus species, for which the name Bacillus macyae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JMM-4(T) (=DSM 16346(T)=JCM 12340(T)).


'Candidatus Burkholderia calva' and 'Candidatus Burkholderia nigropunctata' as leaf gall endosymbionts of African Psychotria.

Phylogenetic 16S rRNA gene analysis was used to assign the bacterial leaf-nodulating endosymbionts of two tropical African Psychotria species to the genus Burkholderia. The microsymbionts of the different Psychotria hosts were recognized as distinct and novel species of Burkholderia on the basis of relatively low intersequence similarities and sufficiently large evolutionary distances when compared with each other and their closest validly named neighbours. The obligate endosymbiotic nature of the bacteria prevented their in vitro cultivation and the deposition of type strains to culture collections. Therefore, the provisional status Candidatus is assigned to the bacterial partners of Psychotria calva and Psychotria nigropunctata, with the proposal of the names 'Candidatus Burkholderia calva' and 'Candidatus Burkholderia nigropunctata', respectively.


Porphyrobacter donghaensis sp. nov., isolated from sea water of the East Sea in Korea.

Two Gram-negative, motile, non-spore-forming, bacteriochlorophyll a-containing slightly halophilic strains, SW-132(T) and SW-158, were isolated from sea water of the East Sea in Korea, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. The two isolates were characterized chemotaxonomically as having Q-10 as the predominant respiratory lipoquinone and major amounts of unsaturated fatty acids C(18 : 1)omega7c and C(17 : 1)omega6c. The DNA G+C contents of the two strains were in the range 66.8-65.9 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains SW-132(T) and SW-158 were 99.9 % (1 nt difference) similar and their mean level of DNA-DNA relatedness was 86 %. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strains SW-132(T) and SW-158 are phylogenetically closely related to Porphyrobacter species and Erythromicrobium ramosum. Similarities between the 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains SW-132(T) and SW-158 and the type strains of Porphyrobacter species and E. ramosum ranged from 97.8 to 99.0 %. DNA-DNA relatedness data indicated that strains SW-132(T) and SW-158 are members of a genomic species that is separate from the four Porphyrobacter species. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic data and genetic distinctiveness, strains SW-132(T) (=KCTC 12229(T)=DSM 16220(T)) and SW-158 (=KCTC 12230) are classified as a novel Porphyrobacter species, for which the name Porphyrobacter donghaensis sp. nov. is proposed.


Proposals of Curvibacter gracilis gen. nov., sp. nov. and Herbaspirillum putei sp. nov. for bacterial strains isolated from well water and reclassification of [Pseudomonas] huttiensis, [Pseudomonas] lanceolata, [Aquaspirillum] delicatum and [Aquaspirillum] autotrophicum as Herbaspirillum huttiense comb. nov., Curvibacter lanceolatus comb. nov., Curvibacter delicatus comb. nov. and Herbaspirillum autotrophicum comb. nov.

Two strains of curved bacteria, 7-1(T) and 7-2(T), isolated from well water, were phylogenetically examined to determine their taxonomic position. Strain 7-1(T) is a Gram-negative, slightly curved rod. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain 7-1(T) formed a cluster with [Aquaspirillum] delicatum and [Pseudomonas] lanceolata. It has some similar characteristics to [A.] delicatum and [P.] lanceolata, but has sufficient distance to separate it from other genera. DNA-DNA hybridization analysis, as well as chemotaxonomic and morphological studies, demonstrated that strain 7-1(T), [A.] delicatum and [P.] lanceolata belong to a new genus, Curvibacter gen. nov. Strain 7-1(T) (=IAM 15033(T)=ATCC BAA-807(T)) is classified as the type strain of Curvibacter gracilis gen. nov., sp. nov., and [A.] delicatum and [P.] lanceolata are classified as Curvibacter delicatus comb. nov. and Curvibacter lanceolatus comb. nov., respectively. Strain 7-2(T) is a Gram-negative spirillum. Phylogenetic study based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that it formed a cluster with the members of the genus Herbaspirillum, [Pseudomonas] huttiensis and [Aquaspirillum] autotrophicum. The classification is therefore proposed of strain 7-2(T) (=IAM 15032(T)=ATCC BAA-806(T)) as the type strain of Herbaspirillum putei sp. nov., and [P.] huttiensis and [A.] autotrophicum are transferred to the genus Herbaspirillum as Herbaspirillum huttiense comb. nov. and Herbaspirillum autotrophicum comb. nov., respectively.


Erwinia toletana sp. nov., associated with Pseudomonas savastanoi-induced tree knots.

Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from knots induced by Pseudomonas savastanoi in olive trees (Olea europaea L.). A total of nine endophytic bacterial strains were isolated, each from inside a different tree knot. Biochemical characterization indicated that all the strains belong to the family Enterobacteriaceae. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA genes of these novel isolates revealed that they formed a homogeneous cluster within Erwinia species. DNA signatures of these isolates were identical to those described for the genus Erwinia. The strains formed a homogeneous group as shown by DNA-DNA hybridization analysis and numerical analysis of phenotypic data, clearly differentiated from all species of Erwinia with validly published names. The data provide strong evidence of the differentiation of these strains from the most closely related species. Therefore, these isolates represent a novel species, for which the name Erwinia toletana sp. nov. is proposed. The isolates are available at CFBP, CECT and ATCC. The G+C content is 52+/-0.5 mol%. The type strain is CFBP 6631(T) (=A37(T)=ATCC 700880(T)=CECT 5263(T)).


Reclassification of Staphylococcus pulvereri Zakrzewska-Czerwinska et al. 1995 as a later synonym of Staphylococcus vitulinus Webster et al. 1994.

A polyphasic taxonomic approach was applied to strains of the species Staphylococcus vitulinus and Staphylococcus pulvereri in order to clarify their taxonomic relatedness. Four reference strains, representing both species, and seven strains isolated from human clinical material were characterized by biotyping, ribotyping and SDS-PAGE analysis of whole-cell proteins, and none of the screening approaches allowed the two taxa to be distinguished. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments between four selected representative strains, including the type strains, confirmed that Staphylococcus pulvereri is a later synonym of Staphylococcus vitulinus.


Description of 'Candidatus Helicobacter heilmannii' based on DNA sequence analysis of 16S rRNA and urease genes.

While Helicobacter pylori is accepted as the major bacterial agent of gastric disease in humans, some patients and many animals are infected with a larger, tightly helical-shaped bacterium previously referred to as 'Helicobacter heilmannii' or 'Gastrospirillum hominis'. Taxonomic classification of these bacteria has been hampered by the inability to cultivate them in vitro and by the inadequate discriminatory power of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. This study describes the detection and phylogenetic analysis of 26 different gastrospirillum isolates from humans and animals, which incorporates sequence data based on the 16S rRNA and urease genes. Fifteen gastrospirilla detected in humans, primates and pigs clustered with 'Candidatus Helicobacter suis', thus expanding the host range for this organism. By comparison, based on 16S rRNA data, the remaining 11 gastrospirilla could not be differentiated from Helicobacter felis, Helicobacter bizzozeronii and Helicobacter salomonis. However, urease gene sequence analysis allowed for the discrimination of this latter group into four discrete clusters, three of which contained the above recognized species. The fourth cluster contained isolates from human and feline hosts, and should provisionally be considered a unique bacterial species, for which the name 'Candidatus Helicobacter heilmannii' is proposed.


i start to feel emotional


i believe feeling duality suffering soul growth tells of an ending or a decline or a change of direction often one associated with emotions and it offers one possible response to that decline or change moving on


i hostage negotiator on her case has her feeling hopeful about her future


im feeling a little dirty


i can cope with his presence without feeling distressed if i can force myself into a quiet and resigned friendship


i had the feeling that it might not have been taken as the truthful and sincere compliment it would have been


i asked some girls what it meant to them to be valued and for the most part the response was that they felt valued when the people around them made them feel valued and treated them in a loving and caring manner


i feel if i completely hated things i d exercise my democratic right speak my mind in what ever ways possible and try to enact a change


i could almost feel her gentle touch in the moonbeam she sent to shine over me he added touching his face dreamily


i woke up very early this morning feeling joyful