Problem: Background: Carroll was born in Joliet, Illinois on May 18, 1945. His father worked in a coal processing plant. The family moved to San Diego in 1954 where Carroll grew up. He describes his early years in Ocean Beach as an ideal childhood.
Context: Carroll is the author of Becoming a Critical Thinker, a textbook for introductory logic and critical thinking courses. It covers subjects such as language and critical thinking, the mass media and other sources of information, fallacies of reasoning, and inductive and deductive arguments. The book is subtitled A Guide for the New Millennium. Pearson Educational published the first edition in 2000 and the second edition was published in 2005. Becoming a Critical Thinker was born out of Carroll's classwork during his time in Sacramento City College. The Skeptic's Dictionary is the print version of the website skepdic.com and is available in Dutch, English, Japanese, Korean, and Russian. It provides definitions, arguments, and essays on supernatural, occult, paranormal, and pseudo-scientific subjects. The book features many examples of pseudoscientific beliefs over its eight chapters. In the last chapter, Carroll provides ways to improve critical thinking and skepticism. Similar to the website, it takes a skeptical stance, typically assuming that something is false until proven otherwise. The book came about when Ted Weinstein, a literary agent, contacted Carroll about creating the book. The book was eventually published by John Wiley & Son in August 2003 as an inexpensive paperback. The book is intended to be biased towards the skeptical side; it is not targeted towards true believers. Carroll also wrote a children's version of the Skeptic's dictionary which was released online on July 22, 2011. In 2013, it was published as a children's book under the title Mysteries and Science: Exploring Aliens, Ghosts, Monsters, the End of the World and Other Weird Things. He also wrote Unnatural Acts: Critical Thinking, Skepticism, and Science Exposed! which was initially published by the James Randi Educational Foundation as an e-book in 2011. A paperback version is available from Lulu. The Critical Thinker's Dictionary was published in 2013. It features short articles about cognitive biases and logical fallacies.
Question: What was that about?
Answer: Similar to the website, it takes a skeptical stance, typically assuming that something is false until proven otherwise.

Problem: Background: Sydney Francis Barnes (19 April 1873 - 26 December 1967) was an English professional cricketer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest ever bowlers. He was right-handed and bowled at a pace that varied from medium to fast-medium with the ability to make the ball both swing and break from off or leg. He is the quickest bowler to achieve 150 Test wickets in history. Barnes was unusual in that, despite a very long career as a top-class player, he spent little more than two seasons in first-class cricket, representing Warwickshire and Lancashire.
Context: Barnes was 41 when the First World War broke out and so too old for military service. From 1915 to 1923, he played exclusively for Saltaire in the Bradford League, taking 904 wickets at an average of 5.26. He took a hundred wickets in a season five times, a rare feat in the Bradford League's history. From 1924 to 1930, he played for Castleton Moor and Rochdale in the Central Lancashire League. He was with Rawtenstall in the Lancashire League from 1931 to 1933. Then, aged 61, he returned to the Bradford League to play for Keighley in 1934, which was his final season in league cricket. Barnes declined the opportunity to join the tour to Australia in 1920-21, when he was 47 years old. He had wanted to bring his family with him, but it became clear that he would have to pay their traveling expenses. He was not selected by England nor did he seek selection by the Players after the First World War. He did not play first-class cricket again until 1927 when he was 54 years old. From then until 1930, he made nine appearances for Wales. Barnes took 49 wickets for Wales in 1928, including seven for 51 and five for 67 in an eight wicket win over the touring West Indians. He also made two first-class appearances for the Minor Counties in 1929 and took eight for 41 in a drawn game against the South Africans at Stoke-on-Trent. Barnes' final first-class appearance was for Wales against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's in 1930. Barnes made 177 appearances for Staffordshire in the Minor Counties Championship between 1904 and 1935. This was in two parts: 1904 to 1914; and 1924 to 1935. His career record for Staffordshire was 1,432 wickets at an average of 8.03.
Question: what did he do instead of joining the tour?
Answer: He had wanted to bring his family with him, but it became clear that he would have to pay their traveling expenses.

Problem: Background: Maines was born in Lubbock, Texas, to country musician and producer Lloyd Maines and his wife Tina May Maines. She attended Williams Elementary School in Lubbock where her second grade teacher recalls being told by Maines during a math lesson, "Teacher, I don't need to learn this stuff--I'm gonna be a star." Maines was a cheerleader while attending O. L. Slaton Junior High School, and graduated in 1992 from Lubbock High School where she had participated in the school choir. Maines has described growing up in conservative Texas, saying "I always rebelled against that.
Context: Maines's first commercially released work was background vocals on Pat Green's debut album, Dancehall Dreamer, produced by her father Lloyd Maines and released in 1995. At the end of 1995, at age 21, Maines joined the all-female country music band, the Dixie Chicks, which had been performing since 1989, but which had been unsuccessful in gaining more than local attention. Maines replaced founding lead singer Laura Lynch. She plays guitar and bass in concert in the band. Maines co-wrote four tracks for the Dixie Chicks' first three albums, including the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart number one hit "Without You" on Fly. Maines was a primary songwriter on all 14 tracks of the band's 2006 album Taking the Long Way which peaked on the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1. Taking the Long Way has the Billboard Hot 100 single "Not Ready to Make Nice", (Maines, Strayer, Erwin, Wilson) hitting No. 4 and for which the band won the songwriting Grammy Award, for Song of the Year. Maines considers the songwriting she did for Taking the Long Way "pure therapy" after the controversy that ensued over a comment Maines made from the stage in London that criticized U.S. President George W. Bush. "Everything felt more personal this time", Maines said about the album, "there's just more maturity, depth, intelligence. ... [These songs] feel more grown-up." Maines collaborates with other musical artists, both as a member of the Dixie Chicks and an individual singer. The Dixie Chicks first worked with Sheryl Crow in 1999 while performing for the concert tour Lilith Fair. Since then, the Dixie Chicks have worked with Crow on her Sheryl Crow and Friends: Live from Central Park album, a Crow remixed version of "Landslide" performed by the Chicks, and the Dixie Chicks' song "Favorite Year" from Taking the Long Way. Maines has performed with artists including Pat Green, Charlie Robison, Yellowcard, Stevie Nicks, Patty Griffin, Neil Diamond, Eddie Vedder, Pete Yorn and Ben Harper. Maines is a friend of Howard Stern and has made several appearances on his show. On May 7, 2013, Maines released a solo album entitled Mother. This was Maines's first album since the Dixie Chicks hiatus started in 2007. The album was co-produced by Ben Harper. The album contains Maines's interpretation of several cover songs, including Pink Floyd's "Mother", Eddie Vedder's "Without You", and Jeff Buckley's "Lover, You Should've Come Over". She also sings about motherhood, feminism, and painful relationships.
Question: What else has she worked on?
Answer:
Maines collaborates with other musical artists, both as a member of the Dixie Chicks and an individual singer.