recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Stamps

**Stamp collecting** is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is related to philately, which is the study of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth century with the rapid growth of the postal service,[1] as a never-ending stream of new stamps was produced by countries that sought to advertise their distinctiveness through their stamps.

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamp\_collecting

-https://www.history.com/news/10-most-valuable-stamps-in-american-history
Pre-Columbian Trans-Oceanic Contact Theories

**Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact theories** speculate about possible visits to or interactions with the Americas, the indigenous peoples of the Americas, or both, by people from Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania at a time prior to Christopher Columbus' first voyage to the Caribbean in 1492 (i.e. during any part of the so-called pre-Columbian era).[1] Such contact is accepted as having occurred in prehistory during the human migrations that led to the original settlement of the Americas, but has been hotly debated in the historic period.[2]

Only one historical case of pre-Columbian contact is widely accepted among the scientific and scholarly mainstream. Maritime explorations by Norse peoples from Scandinavia during the late 10th century led to the Norse colonization of Greenland and of L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland,[3] which preceded Columbus' arrival in the Americas by some 500 years.

Scientific and scholarly responses to other claims of post-prehistory, pre-Columbian contact have varied. Some of these claims are examined in reputable peer-reviewed sources. Many others—especially those based on circumstantial or ambiguous interpretations of archaeological evidence, alleged out-of-place artifacts, superficial cultural comparisons, comments in historical documents, or narrative accounts—have been dismissed as fringe science, pseudoarchaeology, or pseudohistory.

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Columbian\_trans-oceanic\_contact\_theories
Veteran

A **veteran** (from Latin *vetus*, meaning "old") is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field.[1] A **military veteran** is a person who has served and is no longer serving in armed forces.[2] Those veterans that have had direct exposure to acts of military conflict may also be referred to as war veterans (although not all military conflicts, or areas in which armed combat takes place, are necessarily referred to as wars). A **combat veteran** is a person who has fought in combat during a war or a skirmish against a declared enemy and may still be serving in the military.
United States Department of Agriculture

The **United States Department of Agriculture** (**USDA**), also known as the **Agriculture Department**, is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, and food. It aims to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade and production, work to assure food safety, protect natural resources, foster rural communities and end hunger in the United States and internationally.

Approximately 80% of the USDA's $141 billion budget goes to the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) program. The largest component of the FNS budget is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as the Food Stamp program), which is the cornerstone of USDA's nutrition assistance.

The current Secretary of Agriculture is Sonny Perdue.

## References:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United\_States\_Department\_of\_Agriculture
Warrant

A **warrant** is generally an order that serves as a specific type of authorization, that is, a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, that permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is performed.

A warrant is usually issued by a court and is directed to a sheriff, a constable, or a police officer. Warrants normally issued by a court include search warrants, arrest warrants, and execution warrants.

### References:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant\_(law)
Operation Highjump

**Operation Highjump**, officially titled **The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946–1947**, was a United States Navy operation organized by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Jr., USN (Ret), Officer in Charge, Task Force 68, and led by Rear Admiral Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding Officer, Task Force 68. Operation Highjump commenced 26 August 1946 and ended in late February 1947. Task Force 68 included 4,700 men, 13 ships, and 33 aircraft. Operation Highjump's primary mission was to establish the Antarctic research base Little America IV.[1][2]

Highjump's objectives, according to the U.S. Navy report of the operation, were:[3]

1. Training personnel and testing equipment in frigid conditions;
2. Consolidating and extending the United States' sovereignty over the largest practicable area of the Antarctic continent (publicly denied as a goal even before the expedition ended);[3]
3. Determining the feasibility of establishing, maintaining, and utilizing bases in the Antarctic and investigating possible base sites;
4. Developing techniques for establishing, maintaining, and utilizing air bases on ice, with particular attention to later applicability of such techniques to operations in interior Greenland, where conditions are comparable to those in the Antarctic;
5. Amplifying existing stores of knowledge of electromagnetic, geological, geographic, hydrographic, and meteorological propagation conditions in the area;
6. Supplementary objectives of the Nanook expedition (a smaller equivalent conducted off eastern Greenland).

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation\_Highjump

-https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Operation\_Highjump

-https://coolinterestingstuff.com/operation-highjump-declassified-pictures-ufo-evidence
Pacifism

**Pacifism** is opposition to war, militarism, or violence. The word *pacifism* was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud (1864–1921) and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901.[1] A related term is *ahimsa* (to do no harm), which is a core philosophy in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. While modern connotations are recent, having been explicated since the 19th century, ancient references abound.

In modern times, interest was revived by Leo Tolstoy in his late works, particularly in *The Kingdom of God Is Within You*. Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948) propounded the practice of steadfast nonviolent opposition which he called "satyagraha", instrumental in its role in the Indian Independence Movement. Its effectiveness served as inspiration to Martin Luther King Jr., James Lawson, James Bevel,[2] Thich Nhat Hanh[3] and many others in the civil rights movement.
Toynbee Tiles

The **Toynbee tiles** (also called **Toynbee plaques**) are messages of unknown origin found embedded in asphalt of streets in about two dozen major cities in the United States and four South American cities.[1][2] Since the 1980s, several hundred tiles have been discovered. They are generally about the size of an American license plate (roughly 30 cm by 15 cm), but sometimes considerably larger. They contain some variation of the following inscription:

TOYNBEE IDEA

IN MOViE `2001
RESURRECT DEAD
ON PLANET JUPiTER

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toynbee\_tiles
Saints Row

Saints Row is an action-adventure video game series created by Volition and published by Deep Silver, that tells the story of a gang called the Third Street Saints; the title comes from the name of the district of the gang's home territory. Typically, gameplay is presented in an open world format because of the mixture of nonlinear gameplay with action-adventure and racing sequences. The series is known for its comedic elements. The games' stories are written as comedies that feature popular culture homages and parodies, as well as self-referential humor.

After completing Red Faction II in late 2002, developer Volition began work on the original Saints Row game in mid-2003. The game was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and commercial success. The sequel, Saints Row 2, was released in 2008 to similar acclaim but greater commercial success. The series'

third entry, Saints Row: The Third, was released on 15 November 2011. The series' fourth entry, Saints Row IV was released on 20 August 2013, with an expansion called Gat out of Hell released on 20 January 2015 in North America and 23 January 2015 in Europe. As of September 2013, the series has had unit sales in excess of 13 million, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints\_Row

-https://saintsrow.fandom.com/wiki/Saints\_Row\_Wiki
Pennsylvania Resident Taxation List

### Income Tax:

Pennsylvania has a flat tax rate of 3.07 percent on individual income tax, with no standard deductions or personal exemptions.

### Property Tax

The state of Pennsylvania does not levy or collect taxes on real estate or personal property. Instead, those taxes are reserved for the local governments including counties, municipalities, and school districts. Property taxes in Pennsylvania are collected only on real estate—land and buildings—and not on other types of property like cars or business inventory.

### Sales and Use Tax

It's especially helpful for travelers to be aware of the Pennsylvania sales tax rates in advance of visiting the state. Pennsylvania imposes a 2 percent state sales tax on taxable goods and services (exemptions from sales tax include food, clothing, drugs, textbooks, resale items, and residential heating fuels). A local sales tax of 1 percent is also collected on the sales of taxable goods and services in Philadelphia and Allegheny counties (for a total of 7 percent sales tax).

It's important to note that local sales tax on motor vehicles is determined by the *resident address of the purchaser*, not by the location of the purchase.

### Inheritance and Estate Tax

Pennsylvania collects an inheritance tax ranging from 4.5 percent for direct heirs to 15 percent for all other beneficiaries. Property inherited from a spouse or by a parent from a child 21 or younger is tax-exempt. Transfers to siblings have a 12 percent tax.

### Other Pennsylvania Taxes

* Cigarette Tax is 31 cents per pack, which is included in the price of cigarettes.
* Liquor Taxis 18 percent. The Malt Beverage Tax has been the same since 1947.
* Gasoline (Fuel) Tax is 58.70 cents per gallon on gasoline and 34.70 cents on diesel fuel and is included in the price charged at the pump. This does not include the Federal tax.
* Realty Transfer Tax is collected by Pennsylvania counties at the rate of 1 percent on the monetary worth of the real estate. This applies to real estate transferred by deed or long-term lease.

* Hotel Use Tax is figured at 6 percent.
* The New Tire Tax is $1 per tire for tires to be used on the highway in Pennsylvania.
Skinwalker Ranch

**Skinwalker Ranch**, also known as **Sherman Ranch**, is a property located on approximately 512 acres (2.072 km²) southeast of Ballard, Utah that is reputed to be the site of paranormal and UFO-related activities. Its name is taken from the skin-walker of Navajo legend concerning malevolent witches.

The ranch, located in west Uintah County bordering the Ute Indian Reservation, was popularly dubbed the **UFO ranch** due to its ostensible 50-year history of odd events said to have taken place there. Knapp and Kelleher cite the 1974 book *The Utah UFO Display: A Scientist's Report* by Frank Salisbury and Joseph "Junior" Hicks, which details an earlier investigation into alleged UFO sightings in the Uintah County region, as partial confirmation of their account. According to Kelleher and Knapp, they saw or investigated evidence of close to 100 incidents that include vanishing and mutilated cattle, sightings of unidentified flying objects or orbs, large animals with piercing red eyes that they say were unscathed when struck by bullets, and invisible objects emitting destructive magnetic fields. Among those involved were retired US Army Colonel John B. Alexander who characterized the NIDSci effort as an attempt to get hard data using a "standard scientific approach".[4] However, the investigators admitted to "difficulty obtaining evidence consistent with scientific publication."

Cattle mutilations have been part of the folklore of the surrounding area for decades. When NIDSci founder billionaire Robert Bigelow's purchased the ranch for $200,000, this was reportedly the result of his being convinced by the stories of mutilations that included tales of strange lights and unusual impressions made in grass and soil told by the family of former ranch owner Terry Sherman.[5]

In 1996, skeptic James Randi awarded Bigelow a Pigasus Award for funding the purchase of the ranch and support Harvard University's Professor John Mack and author Bud Hopkins investigations, for what Randi called a "useless study of a [*sic*] supernatural, paranormal or occult".[6]

In 2016, Bigelow sold Skinwalker Ranch for $4.5 million to “Adamantium Holdings”, a shell corporation of unknown origin. After this purchase, all roads leading to the ranch have been blocked, the perimeter secured and guarded by cameras and barbed wire, and surrounded by signs that aim to prevent people from approaching the ranch.

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinwalker\_Ranch

-http://skinwalkerranch.org/

-https://thoughtcatalog.com/emily-madriga/2018/04/creepy-facts-about-utahs-skinwalker-ranch-2/

-https://www.legendsofamerica.com/skinwalker-ranch/
Separation Of Powers

The term  "trias politica" or "separation of powers" was coined by Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, an 18th century French social and political philosopher. His publication, *Spirit of the Laws*, is considered one of the great works in the history of political theory and jurisprudence, and it inspired the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Constitution of the United States. Under his model, the political authority of the state is divided into legislative, executive and judicial powers. He asserted that, to most effectively promote liberty, these three powers must be separate and acting independently.

Separation of powers, therefore, refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another.  The intent is to prevent the concentration of power and provide for checks and balances.

* The traditional characterizations of the powers of the branches of American government are:
* The legislative branch is responsible for enacting the laws of the state and appropriating the money necessary to operate the government.
* The executive branch is responsible for implementing and administering the public policy enacted and funded by the legislative branch.
* The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the constitution and laws and applying their interpretations to controversies brought before it.

Forty state constitutions specify that government be divided into three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. California illustrates this approach; "The powers of state government are legislative, executive, and judicial. Persons charged with the exercise of one power may not exercise either of the others except as permitted by this Constitution."

While separation of powers is key to the workings of American government, no democratic system exists with an absolute separation of powers or an absolute *lack of* separation of powers. Governmental powers and responsibilities intentionally overlap; they are too complex and interrelated to be neatly compartmentalized. As a result, there is an inherent measure of competition and conflict among the branches of government. Throughout American history, there also has been an ebb and flow of preeminence among the governmental branches. Such experiences suggest that where power resides is part of an evolutionary process.

## Links

-http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/separation-of-powers-an-overview.aspx

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation\_of\_powers

-https://www.thoughtco.com/separation-of-powers-p2-105423
United States Federal Witness Protection Program

The **United States Federal Witness Protection Program**, also known as the **Witness Security Program** or **WITSEC**,[1] is a witness protection program codified thru 18 U.S. Code § 3521 and administered by the United States Department of Justice and operated by the United States Marshals Service that is designed to protect threatened witnesses before, during, and after a trial.

A few territories, including California, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Washington D.C. have their own witness protection programs for crimes not covered by the federal program. The state-run programs provide less extensive protections than the federal program.

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United\_States\_Federal\_Witness\_Protection\_Program

-https://www.usmarshals.gov/witsec/

-https://priceonomics.com/what-happens-when-you-enter-the-witness-protection/
Strasburg Road

House built in 1754 on Straburg Road in Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

**Strasburg Road** was an early road in Pennsylvania connecting Philadelphia to Strasburg in Lancaster County. The route was surveyed by John Sellers and others in 1772-3 under the colonial administration of Governor Richard Penn and completed under the new administration of the independent state of Pennsylvania.[1][2][3] The route started at the "second ferry" on the Schuylkill River, today's Market Street in Philadelphia, and went through West Chester, East Fallowfield Township, and Gap, before ending in Strasburg.[4] Earlier roads travelled much the same route, including a Native American path in use as early as 1620.

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasburg\_Road
Zombie Survival Guide

The *Zombie Survival Guide* is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.

-https://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Survival-Guide-Complete-Protection/dp/1400049628
Tortious Interference

**Tortious interference**, also known as **intentional interference with contractual relations**, in the common law of torts, occurs when one person intentionally damages someone else's contractual or business relationships with a third party causing economic harm. As an example, someone could use blackmail to induce a contractor into breaking a contract, or they could obstruct someone's ability to honor a contract with a client by deliberately refusing to deliver necessary goods.

A **tort of negligent interference** occurs when one party's negligence damages the contractual or business relationship between others, causing economic harm, such as, by blocking a waterway or causing a blackout that prevents the utility company from being able to uphold its existing contracts with consumers.
Styxhexenhammer666

**Tarl Warwick**, (born January 20, 1988), known on YouTube as **Styxhexenhammer666**, is an American political commentator and author, who is located in Rutland, Vermont. Warwick's channel started growing significantly while the 2016 presidential elections and primaries were happening, in which he vehemently predicted that Donald Trump would win the presidency. Warwick currently has the largest channel on BitChute, with over 31,000 Subscribers.[1]

## Links:

-https://tarlwarwick.net/

-https://gab.com/Styx666Official
Providence Island Colony

The **Providence Island colony** was established in 1631 by English Puritans on what is now the Colombian Department of Isla de Providencia, about 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of the coast of Nicaragua. Although intended to be a model Puritan colony, it also functioned as a base for privateers operating against Spanish ships and settlements in the region. In 1641, the Spanish overran and destroyed the colony.
Washington Irving

**Washington Irving** (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820), both of which appear in his collection *The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.* His historical works include biographies of Oliver Goldsmith, Islamic prophet Muhammad, and George Washington, as well as several histories of 15th century Spain that deal with subjects such as Alhambra, Christopher Columbus, and the Moors.

Irving served as ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846. He made his literary debut in 1802 with a series of observational letters to the *Morning Chronicle*, written under the pseudonym Jonathan Oldstyle. He moved to England for the family business in 1815 where he achieved fame with the publication of *The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.*, serialized from 1819–20. He continued to publish regularly throughout his life, and he completed a five-volume biography of George Washington just eight months before his death at age 76 in Tarrytown, New York.

Irving was one of the first American writers to earn acclaim in Europe, and he encouraged other American authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Herman Melville, and Edgar Allan Poe. He was also admired by some British writers, including Lord Byron, Thomas Campbell, Charles Dickens, Francis Jeffrey, and Walter Scott. He advocated for writing as a legitimate profession and argued for stronger laws to protect American writers from copyright infringement.

## References:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington\_Irving
My Kinsman, Major Molineux

"**My Kinsman, Major Molineux**" is a short story written by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1831. It first appeared in the 1832 edition of *The Token and Atlantic Souvenir*, published by Samuel Goodrich. It later appeared in *The Snow-Image, and Other Twice-Told Tales*, a collection of short stories by Hawthorne published in 1852 by Ticknor, Reed & Fields. The story exemplifies the darkest times of American development.

## Plot:

In about 1732, Robin, a youth, arrives by ferry in Boston seeking his kinsman, Major Molineux, an official in the British Colonial government, who has promised him work. Yet no one in town tells him where the major is. A rich man threatens the youth with prison, and an innkeeper calls him a runaway bond-servant. At the inn, he meets a man with a face described as looking like the devil - two protrusions emanating from his forehead (like horns), eyes burning like 'fire in a cave'- who seems at the center of many evil things. Later, he runs into the man again, but this time his face is painted black and red. After blocking his path with a cudgel, he finally gets the answer that his kinsman will soon pass by. He waits at the spot on the steps of a church where he is greeted by the first polite gentleman he has met all night. Soon, the two men hear the roar of an approaching mob. At its head is the man with the red and black face and in its midst is Major Molineux, tarred and feathered. The crowd is in an uproar, and everyone is laughing. Soon, so is young Robin, as his eyes meet those of the Major, who knows him right away. Disillusioned, the youth asks the gentleman the way back to the ferry. Yet the latter restrains him, saying that it is still possible for him to thrive without his kinsman's protection.

## Adaptation:

The American poet Robert Lowell adapted this story into one of the three plays in his trilogy *The Old Glory,* first produced by the American Place Theatre in New York City in 1964. Lowell's version of the story is a more cartoonish and surreal version than the original.

## References:

-https://librivox.org/search?title=My+Kinsman%2C+Major+Molineux&author=Hawthorne&reader=&keywords=&genre\_id=0&status=all&project\_type=either&recorded\_language=&sort\_order=catalog\_date&search\_page=1&search\_form=advanced

-https://education.seattlepi.com/symbolism-my-kinsman-major-molineux-nathaniel-hawthorne-6231.html
Phi Beta Kappa

The **Phi Beta Kappa Society** (**ΦΒΚ**) is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and is often described as its most prestigious one,[1] owing to its long history and academic selectivity.[2] Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, and to induct the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at American colleges and universities.[3] It was founded at the College of William and Mary on December 5, 1776 as the first collegiate Greek-letter fraternity and was among the earliest collegiate fraternal societies.[4]

Phi Beta Kappa (ΦΒΚ) stands for Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης ('**Philosophia Biou Kybernētēs'**), which means "Love of learning [lit. wisdom] is the guide [lit. helmsman] of life".

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phi\_Beta\_Kappa
Seth Rich

The **murder of Seth Rich**occurred on Sunday, July 10, 2016, at 4:20 a.m. in

the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C.[2] Rich died more than ​1 1⁄2 hours after receiving[3] two gunshot wounds to the back. He was murdered by unknown perpetrators for unknown reasons, but police suspected he had been the victim of an attempted robbery.[1]

The 27-year-old Rich was an employee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and his murder spawned several right-wing conspiracy theories,[4] including the false claim that Rich had been involved with the leaked DNC emails in 2016, contradicted by the law enforcement branches that investigated the murder.[5][6] It was also contradicted by the July 2018 indictment of 12 Russian military intelligence agents for hacking the e-mail accounts and networks of Democratic Party officials[7] and by the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion the leaked DNC emails were part of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.[5][6][8] Fact-checking websites like *PolitiFact.com*,[6][9] *Snopes.com*,[10] and *FactCheck.org* stated that these theories were false and unfounded.[5] *The New York Times*, *Los Angeles Times*, and *The Washington Post* wrote that the promotion of these conspiracy theories was an example of fake news.[11][12][13]

Rich's parents condemned the conspiracy theorists and said that these individuals were exploiting their son's death for political gain, and their spokesperson called the conspiracy theorists "disgusting sociopaths".[14][15][16] They requested a retraction and apology from Fox News after the network promoted the conspiracy theory,[17] and sent a cease and desist letter to the investigator Fox News used.[6][16][17] The investigator stated that he had no evidence to back up the claims which Fox News attributed to him.[5][6][18] Fox News issued a retraction, but did not apologize or publicly explain what went wrong.[19] In response, the Rich family sued Fox News in March 2018 for having engaged in "extreme and outrageous conduct" by fabricating the story defaming their son and thereby intentionally inflicting emotional distress on them.[20][21] The judge initially dismissed the suit in August 2018, [22][23] but the court of appeals later allowed the case to proceed.

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder\_of\_Seth\_Rich
Racism

Racism is a systematized form of oppression by one race against another. Prejudicial attitudes existed between races for thousands of years, but systematized racial oppression first arose in the 1600s along with capitalism.

Before this, slaves in various cultures were taken without racism as the basis – slaves were usually taken as a result of military conquest. But when European traders found that their superior technology in sailing ships and firearms gave them a tremendous advantage in Africa, they began plundering Africa's wealth and taking slaves. Slavers and slave owners tried to convince themselves that their African slaves had no previous culture, that they had been living as savages, which was false. White European Americans involved in the slave industry tried to justify their economic exploitation of black people by creating a "scientific" theory of white superiority and black inferiority. One such slave owner was Thomas Jefferson, and it was his call for science to determine the obvious “inferiority” of blacks that is regarded as “an extremely important stage in the evolution of scientific racism."[16] This was the start of systematized racism in the United States.[17]

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism\_in\_the\_United\_States
Opioid Crises

The **opioid epidemic** (aka **opioid crisis**) refers to the extensive overuse of opioid drugs, both from medical prescriptions and from illegal sources. The epidemic began slowly in the United States, beginning in the late 1990s, and led to an enormous increase in opioid use in recent years, contributing to over 70,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2018.

Opioids are a diverse class of moderately strong, addictive, inexpensive painkillers prescribed by doctors. These, along with a much stronger synthetic opioid, fentanyl, have made them popular as medical treatments after surgery. With heroin, an illegal street opioid, they have become recreational drugs, despite the high risk of addiction and overdose. The opioid epidemic has been described as a uniquely American problem, where prescription rates alone are 40 percent higher than in other developed countries, such as Canada and Germany. This has made it one of the worst drug crises in American history, causing more deaths annually than car crashes or guns, and leaving many children orphaned. As a result, the government began cracking down on pharmacists and doctors who were over-prescribing opioid painkillers.

Those addicted to opioids, both legal and illegal, are increasingly young, white, and female, with 1.2 million women addicted compared to 0.9 million men in 2015. The populations of rural areas of the country have been the hardest hit. Teen abuse of opioids has been noticeably increasing since 2006, using prescription drugs more than any illicit drug except marijuana; more than cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine combined. The crisis has also changed moral, social, and cultural resistance to street drug alternatives such as heroin.

In 2011, the administration began to deal with the crisis, and in 2016, President Barack Obama authorized millions of dollars in funding for opioid research and treatment, followed by CDC director, Dr. Thomas Frieden, stating that "America is awash in opioids; urgent action is critical." Soon after, many state governors declared a "state of emergency" to combat the opioid epidemic in their own states, and undertook major efforts to stop it. In July 2017, opioid addiction was cited as the "FDA's biggest crisis", followed by President Donald Trump declaring the opioid crisis a "national emergency." In September 2019, he ordered U.S. mail carriers to block shipments of the most powerful and dangerous opioid, fentanyl, coming from other countries.

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opioid\_epidemic\_in\_the\_United\_States

-https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-epidemic/index.html

-https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html

-https://www.forbes.com/sites/physiciansfoundation/2018/01/03/the-u-s-opioid-crisis-how-can-we-remedy/
Pennsylvania Waterfalls

The more than 120 state parks in Pennsylvania each offer fantastic beauty and history. However, if you are looking for a Pennsylvania state park with waterfalls, it can be hard to figure out where to go. Having visited many of Pennsylvania’s state parks, including all the ones listed below, I decided to put together my list of the best PA state parks for waterfall lovers.

While there are certainly many more parks in Pennsylvania with waterfalls, I’ve picked out, in no particular order, the nine best state parks in Pennsylvania to see waterfalls.

-https://uncoveringpa.com/best-pennsylvania-state-parks-waterfalls
Willa Cather

**Willa Sibert Cather** (/ˈkæðər/; born **Wilella Sibert Cather**; December 7, 1873 – April 24, 1947) was an American writer known for her novels of life on the Great Plains, including *O Pioneers!*, *The Song of the Lark*, and *My Ántonia*. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for *One of Ours*, a novel set during World War I.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Cather moved to and worked in Pittsburgh for ten years, supporting herself as a magazine editor and high school English teacher. At the age of 33, she moved again to New York City, her primary home for the rest of her life, though she also traveled widely and spent considerable time at her summer residence on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. She spent the last 39 years of her life with her domestic partner, Edith Lewis.

Cather achieved recognition as a novelist of the frontier and pioneer experience. She wrote of the tenacity and spirit of settlers, many of them European immigrants in the early to mid-nineteenth century. Common themes in her work include nostalgia and exile. A sense of place is an important element in Cather's fiction; sometimes harsh, often beautiful, physical landscapes and domestic spaces are for Cather dynamic presences against which the characters both struggle and express love.

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willa\_Cather
PATCH

The Pennsylvania State Police established a web-based computer application *Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History*, or PATCH. Using this system, a requestor can apply for a criminal background check on an individual. Eighty-five percent of the time, “No Record” certificates are returned immediately through the Internet to requestor.

The information provided by the requestor will be checked against the criminal history database maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository. If the subject's information does not match any information in the database, the requester will receive the results instantly over the Internet and the requester can print out the "No Record" certificate. If the subject's information matches information in the database, the requester receives an immediate "Request Under Review" response. A "Request Under Review" response does not necessarily mean that the individual has a record.  A manual review of the information will occur. After the review, the status will be updated to “No Record” or “Record”. An email will be sent to the requestor when the status has been updated. All “No Record” and “Record” checks must be printed out at the requestor’s computer. It may take up to two weeks for a status to be updated from a “Request Under Review” to a “No Record” or “Record”.

PATCH accepts both registered users and unregistered users

### References:

-https://www.psp.pa.gov/contact/Pages/Overview-of-the-Pennsylvania-Access-to-Criminal-History-(PATCH)\_376.aspx
Rent Is Too Damn High Party

The **Rent Is Too Damn High Party** is a political party, primarily active in the state of New York, that has nominated candidates for mayor of New York City in 2005 and 2009, and for governor and senator in 2010. Jimmy McMillan was the mayoral candidate both times as well as a candidate for governor.[1] In 2005, he received more than 4,000 votes, and more than 40,000 in 2010.[3] The party has three registered members in the state. McMillan himself is registered as a Republican (previously a Democrat) for the purposes of running in that party's primary elections.

In 2014, the party expanded beyond New York by endorsing a slate of candidates in the District of Columbia's Democratic primary elections. The party's founder, Jimmy McMillan, put the party's trademarks up for sale on December 1, 2015, with intent to retire from politics.

## Links:

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent\_Is\_Too\_Damn\_High\_Party

-http://www.rentistoodamnhigh.org/index.html
Rip Van Winkle

"**Rip Van Winkle**" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains and wakes up 20 years later, having missed the American Revolution. Irving wrote it while living in Birmingham, England as part of the collection *The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.* The story is set in New York's Catskill Mountains, but Irving later admitted, "When I wrote the story, I had never been on the Catskills."

## Summary:

"Rip Van Winkle" is set in the years before and after the American Revolutionary War in a village at the foot of New York's Catskill Mountains where Rip Van Winkle lives, a Dutch-American villager. One autumn day, Van Winkle wanders into the mountains with his dog Wolf to escape his wife's nagging. He hears his name called out and sees a man wearing antiquated Dutch clothing; he is carrying a keg up the mountain and requires help. Together, the men and Wolf proceed to a hollow in which Rip discovers the source of thunderous noises: a group of ornately dressed, silent, bearded men who are playing nine-pins.

Van Winkle does not ask who they are or how they know his name. Instead, he begins to drink some of their liquor and soon falls asleep. When he awakens on the mountain, he discovers shocking changes: his musket is rotting and rusty, his beard is a foot long, and his dog is nowhere to be found. He returns to his village, where he recognizes no one. He arrives just after an election, and people ask how he voted. Never having cast a ballot in his life, he proclaims himself a faithful subject of King George III, unaware that the American Revolution has taken place, and nearly gets himself into trouble with the townspeople until one elderly woman recognizes him as the long-lost Rip Van Winkle.

King George's portrait on the inn's sign has been replaced with one of George Washington. Van Winkle learns that most of his friends were killed fighting in the American Revolution. He is also disturbed to find another man called Rip Van Winkle; it is his son, now grown up. Van Winkle also discovers that his wife died some time ago but is not saddened by the news. He learns that the men whom he met in the mountains are rumored to be the ghosts of Henry Hudson's crew from his ship, the *Halve Maen*. He also realizes that he has been away from the village for at least 20 years. His grown daughter takes him in and he resumes his usual idleness. His strange tale is solemnly taken to heart by the Dutch settlers, particularly by the children who say that, whenever thunder is heard, the men in the mountains must be playing nine-pins.
Black Rifle Coffee Company

BRCC Logo

**Black Rifle Coffee Company** (BRCC) is a coffee roaster based in Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by former members of the armed forces of the United States.[2] It gained national attention in 2017 for taking a stance in support of United States President Donald Trump, and was endorsed by his son Donald Trump Jr.

## Links:

-https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/collections/coffee

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black\_Rifle\_Coffee\_Company
The Walking Dead

***The Walking Dead*** is an American post-apocalyptic horrortelevision series for AMC based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The series features a large ensemble cast as survivors of a zombie apocalypse, trying to stay alive under near-constant threat of attacks from the

mindless zombies, colloquially known as "walkers". However, with the fall of humanity, these survivors also face conflict from other living survivors who have formed groups and communities with their own sets of laws and morals, often leading to hostile conflict between the human communities. Andrew Lincoln played the series' lead character, Rick Grimes, until his departure during the ninth season. Other long-standing cast members have included Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, and Danai Gurira.

The series is exclusively broadcast on AMC in the United States and internationally on Fox International Channels prior to the 2019 Disney-Fox merger, and then subsequently on Disney Channels Worldwide. The series premiered on October 31, 2010, and in February 2019, AMC renewed the series for a tenth season, which is expected to premiere in October 2019, and stated their intent to continue further development of the series and related media. A spinoff series *Fear the Walking Dead* first broadcast on August 23, 2015, and is renewed for a fifth season. AMC has announced plans for three films to follow Rick's story after Lincoln's departure.

*The Walking Dead* is produced by AMC Studios within the state of Georgia, with most filming taking place in the large outdoor spaces of Riverwood Studios near Senoia, Georgia. The series was adapted from the comic by Frank Darabont, who also served as the showrunner for the first season. However, conflicts between Darabont and AMC forced his departure from the series, and which is currently subject to multiple lawsuits by Darabont and others. Following Darabont, Glen Mazzara, Scott M. Gimple, and Angela Kang have all served as showrunners.

Beginning with its third season, *The Walking Dead* has attracted the most 18- to 49-year-old viewers of any cable or broadcast television series, though viewership has declined in later seasons. The series has been well received by critics, although reception has become more mixed as the series has progressed.[3] It has been nominated for several awards, including the Writers Guild of America Award for New Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama.

## Links:

-https://walkingdead.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Walking\_Dead\_Wiki
Water Babies

The Water Baby is one of a race of creatures with origins in the mythology, legend and folklore of North America. In particular, accounts of its existence first arise within the Native American Washo tribe of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, in the United States.

## Links:

-http://www.native-languages.org/water-babies.htm

-https://hubpages.com/education/Urban-Legends-The-Native-American-Water-Babies
Overton Window

The **Overton window** is a term for the range of ideas tolerated in public discourse, also known as the **window of discourse**. The term is named after Joseph P. Overton, who stated that an idea's political viability depends mainly on whether it falls within this range, rather than on politicians' individual preferences.[1][2] According to Overton, the window contains the range of policies that a politician can recommend without appearing too extreme to gain or keep public office in the current climate of public opinion.

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton\_window
Prohibition

**Prohibition in the United States** was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933.

During the 19th century, alcoholism, family violence, and saloon-based political corruption prompted prohibitionists, led by pietistic Protestants, to end the alcoholic beverage trade to cure the ill society and weaken the political opposition. One result was that many communities in the late-19th and early-20th centuries introduced alcohol prohibition, with the subsequent enforcement in law becoming a hotly debated issue. Prohibition supporters, called "drys", presented it as a victory for public morals and health.

Promoted by the "dry" crusaders, the movement was led by pietistic Protestants and social Progressives in the Prohibition, Democratic, and Republican parties. It gained a national grass roots base through the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. After 1900, it was coordinated by the Anti-Saloon League. Opposition from the beer industry mobilized "wet" supporters from the Catholic and German Lutheran communities. They had funding to fight back, but by 1917–18 the German community had been marginalized by the US entry into the First World War against Germany. The brewing industry was shut down by a succession of state legislatures and finally nationwide under the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. Enabling legislation, known as the Volstead Act, set down the rules for enforcing the federal ban and defined the types of alcoholic beverages that were prohibited. For example, religious use of wine was allowed. Private ownership and consumption of alcohol were not made illegal under federal law, but local laws were stricter in many areas, with some states banning possession outright.

The legal ban led to criminal gangs gaining control of the beer and liquor supply of many cities. By the late-1920s a new opposition to prohibition mobilized nationwide. Wets attacked the policy as causing crime, lowering local revenues, and imposing "rural" Protestant religious values on "urban" America.[1] Prohibition ended with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment on December 5, 1933. Some states continued statewide prohibition, marking one of the last stages of the Progressive Era.

Research indicates that alcohol consumption substantially declined due to Prohibition.[2][3] Rates of liver cirrhosis, alcoholic psychosis and infant mortality also declined.[4][2][5] Prohibition has been tied to a growth in organized crime and violence.[6][7][8] As an experiment it lost supporters every year, and lost tax revenue that governments wanted when the Great Depression began in 1929.[9]
Moving Overseas Checklist

1. What level of spending are you comfortable with…what can you afford to pay for rent, healthcare, and living expenses?
2. What level of healthcare do you need, and what can you afford to pay? Do you need specialist care due to a chronic condition?
3. Ease of transition. Remember, you’ll have to learn a new culture when moving abroad. But are you also comfortable with learning a new language? Do you need certain familiar items at supermarkets? Consider how easy it might be to get a residence visa or otherwise navigate the local bureaucracy.
4. How easy is it to get to and forth from your home country, for visits back home or for visiting family and friends.
5. Is there a community of expats? Or will you have to integrate more into the local culture? Which option appeals more to you?
6. Are there homes for sale and rent at reasonable prices? What can you afford—and is it available?
7. Do you like four seasons…or warm weather year-round? Is the heat and humidity of the tropics 365 days a year—and intense rainy season—too much for you to bear?
8. Is there enough to do to keep you occupied? Are you content with relaxing on the beach and enjoying seafood meals at simple restaurants? Or do you need a symphony orchestra and fine dining?