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democrat hillary clinton took a swipe at republican rival donald trump’s stance on brexit, saying that “bombastic comments” do more harm than good during such times. advertising trump has hailed britain’s vote to leave theropean union as “fantastic,” telling reporters during a visit to scotland on friday that he thinks the brexit is “a great thing.” clinton, who was speaking to the us conference of mayors, did not mention trump by name, but told city leaders that the united states should be governed by those “who put the interest of the american people ahead of their personal business interests.” [related-post] watch video: what’s making news trump was in scotland for the ceremonial re-opening of his refurbished trump turnberry golf course. america needs leaders “who understand that bombastic comments in turbulent times can actually cause more turbulence,” clinton said. “and that’s why steady, experienced leadership is so important at times like these.” trump, who has relied on populist fervor and anti-immigrant rhetoric in his presidential bid, has said britain’s anti-eu movement had parallels with his own quest to become the us president. clinton acknowledged sunday that “just as we have seen there are many frustrated people in britain, we know there are frustrated people here at home too.” but, she told the mayors who gathered in the midwestern city of indianapolis, “no one should be confused about america’s commitment torope, not an autocrat in the kremlin, not a presidential candidate on a scottish golf course.” new polls released sunday showed clinton taking a lead in the presidential race. according to a washington post-abc news survey, 51 per cent of respondents said they would vote for clinton, versus 39 percent for trump. advertising a wall street journal/nbc news poll showed a slimmer lead for clinton with 46 per cent to trump’s 41 per cent.

ɪt ɪz ðə ˌkɑntrəˈvərʃəl prəˈpoʊzəl ðət ˈsɪti ˌpɑləˈtɪʃənz seɪ kʊd pʊt ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈjunjən ˈhændˌkəfs ɔn pɔrt. nu plænz hæv bɪn ənˈveɪld tɪ kənˈtroʊl ˈpraɪsɪz æt ðə pɔrt ɛz wɛl ɛz ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt ɪn ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər. ðə sɪz ðət əˈpɔɪntɪŋ ə pɔrt ˈrɛgjəˌleɪtər wʊd ˌɪmˈpruv ðə pərˈfɔrmənsɪz əv pɔrts əˈkrɔs ðə ˈkɑntənənt ənd kriˈeɪt ə ˈbɛtər ˈnɛtˌwərk. bət ˌpɑləˈtɪʃənz ɪn ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən seɪ ɪt wɪl pʊt ʤɑbz ənd ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt æt rɪsk ənd ər ˈkɔlɪŋ ɔn ðə tɪ skræp ðə plænz. ɪt ɪz ðə θərd taɪm ðə həz prəˈpoʊzd ðə ˌlɛʤəsˈleɪʃən, ˈæftər biɪŋ fɔrst tɪ wɪθˈdrɔ ɪt ɪn ðə feɪs əv fɪrs ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən ðə tu ˈpriviəs taɪmz ɪt wɑz prəˈpoʊzd. ðeɪ ər ˈkərəntli biɪŋ kənˈsɪdərd baɪ ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈtrænspɔrt kəˈmɪti ənd ɪf pæst kʊd kəm ˈɪntu fɔrs æt ðə ɛnd əv ðə jɪr. ənˈlaɪk ˈəðər ˈtrænspɔrt ˈsɛktərz, ðɛr ɪz noʊ ˌlɛʤəsˈleɪʃən ɔn ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ˈsərvɪsɪz, ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl trænˈspɛrənsi ər ˈʧɑrʤɪŋ fər ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər juz. ɪf ðə ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz ər əˈpruvd ɪt kʊd min əˈfɪʃəlz əˈpɔɪntɪd baɪ ˈbrəsəlz kʊd hæv ðə ʧæns tɪ ˌɪntərˈvin ɔn ˈpraɪsɪz wɪˈθɪn pɔrt. bət ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən ʤɑn ˈdɛnəm həz ˈɑrgjud ðət ʤɑbz ənd ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt wʊd bi æt rɪsk ɪf ðə ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃən ɪz əˈpruvd. ðə ˈleɪbər həz kəmˈbaɪnd ˈfɔrsɪz wɪθ 22 ˈfɛloʊ frəm kənˈstɪʧuənsiz wɪθ pɔrts tɪ raɪt tɪ praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər ˈdeɪvɪd ˈkæmərən, ˈərʤɪŋ ɪm tɪ blɑk ðə prəˈpoʊzəlz. ðeɪ ˈɑrgju ðət ðə regulations’*’ saɪz fɪts all”*” əˈproʊʧ kʊd ˈdæmɪʤ ðə pɔrt ˈɪndəstri. ðə ˈlɛtər ædz: prəˈpoʊzd ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃən wɪl ˌɪnərˈfɪr wɪθ ðə kəˈmərʃəl ˈfridəm əv ɑr pɔrts ənd ˈəndərˌmaɪn ðɛr əˈbɪləˌti tɪ əˈtrækt ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt ɪn ɛˈsɛnʃəl ˈnæʃənəl ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər. ən ˈaɪlənd ˈneɪʃən, ɑr pɔrts ər ɛˈsɛnʃəl fər ʤɑbz, ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt ənd ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk groʊθ. 95 pər sɛnt əv ðə treɪd ɪn gʊdz muvz baɪ si. ɑr ˈmeɪʤər pɔrts kənˈtrɪbjut ˈbɪljən tɪ ˈɛvəri jɪr ənd səˈpɔrt ˈoʊvər jobs.”*.” ˈmɪstər ˈdɛnəm sɛd: wʊd ʧeɪnʤ ðə hoʊl weɪ ðə pɔrt ˈɑpərˌeɪts, ənd kʊd si ˈpraɪsɪz sɛt nɑt baɪ ˌkɑmpəˈtɪʃən bɪtˈwin pɔrts bət baɪ ən əˈfɪʃəl frəm ðə. həz ðə moʊst pərˈdəktɪv kənˈteɪnər pɔrt ɪn ˈjʊrəp, ənd wən əv ðə moʊst pərˈdəktɪv ɪn ðə hoʊl wərld. ˌɪnərˈfɪrəns ɪz ˈlaɪkli tɪ nɑt bi ɪn ðə ˈɪntərɪsts əv ˈɛniˌwən ˈwərkɪŋ ɪn ðə pɔrt, ər kəˈnɛktɪd tɪ it.”*.” bət ˈkæləz, ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən kəˈmɪʃənər fər ˈtrænspɔrt, sɛd ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃən kʊd ˈbɛnəfɪt pɔrts əˈkrɔs ðə ˈkɑntənənt. hi sɛd: ðɛr ɪz noʊ ˌlɛʤəsˈleɪʃən ɔn ðə prəˈvɪʒən əv pɔrt ˈsərvɪsɪz. ɪz ə ˈpæʧˌwərk əv ˈnæʃənəl ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz, wɪθ ˈstraɪkɪŋ ˈdɪfərənsɪz frəm wən ˈmɛmbər steɪt tɪ əˈnəðər. dɪˈspɛrətiz əv pərˈfɔrməns bɪtˈwin ˈdɪfərənt ˌjʊrəˈpiən pɔrts əˈfɛkt ðə ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən əv ˈkɑrˌgoʊ floʊz ənd ɔn ðə ˌɔrgənɪˈzeɪʃən əv ləˈʤɪstɪk ʧeɪnz əˈkrɔs ˈjʊrəp. pɔrts ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt ə mɪst ˌɑpərˈtunəti ənd ˈweɪstɪd ˈrisɔrsɪz fər ðə kriˈeɪʃən əv ˈædɪd ˈvælju ənd ʤɑbz fər ðə kənˈsərnd regions.”*.”

it is the controversial proposal that city politicians say could put european union handcuffs on southampton’s port. new plans have been unveiled to control cargo-handling prices at the port as well as investment in infrastructure. the eu says that appointing a port regulator would improve the performances of ports across the continent and create a better network. but politicians in southampton say it will put jobs and investment at risk and are calling on the eu to scrap the plans. it is the third time the eu has proposed the legislation, after being forced to withdraw it in the face of fierce opposition the two previous times it was proposed. they are currently being considered by the european commission’s transport committee and if passed could come into force at the end of the year. unlike other transport sectors, there is no eu legislation on access to services, financial transparency or charging for infrastructure use. if the regulations are approved it could mean officials appointed by brussels could have the chance to intervene on prices within southampton’s port. but southampton itchen mp john denham has argued that jobs and investment would be at risk if the regulation is approved. the labour mp has combined forces with 22 fellow mps from constituencies with ports to write to prime minister david cameron, urging him to block the proposals. they argue that the regulations’ “one size fits all” approach could damage the uk’s port industry. the letter adds: “the commission’s proposed regulation will interfere with the commercial freedom of our ports and undermine their ability to attract investment in essential national infrastructure. “as an island nation, our ports are essential for jobs, investment and economic growth. “some 95 per cent of the uk’s trade in goods moves by sea. our major ports contribute £21 billion to gdp every year and support over 400,000 jobs.” mr denham said: “this would change the whole way the port operates, and could see prices set not by competition between ports but by an official from the eu. “southampton has the most productive container port in europe, and one of the most productive in the whole world. “any interference is likely to not be in the interests of anyone working in the port, or connected to it.” but siim kallas, the european commissioner for transport, said regulation could benefit under-performing ports across the continent. he said: “today there is no eu legislation on the provision of port services. “there is a patchwork of national regulations, with striking differences from one member state to another. “the disparities of performance between different european ports affect the distribution of cargo flows and on the organisation of logistic chains across europe. “poor-performing ports represent a missed opportunity – and wasted resources – for the creation of added value and jobs for the concerned regions.”

ðə əˈtæk əˈkərd ˈʃɔrtli ˈæftər 7 p.m*. ˈloʊkəl taɪm, ənd rɪˈpɔrtərz ərˈaɪvɪŋ æt ðə sin ə hæf aʊər ˈleɪtər sɛd ðeɪ hərd ˈgənˌfaɪər frəm wɪˈθɪn ðə ˈbɪldɪŋ. ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ˈfʊtɪʤ, ˈkæpʧərd ɔn ˈtərkɪʃ ˈʧænəl trt*, ʃoʊz ˈdəbəlɪŋ ˈoʊvər ənd kəˈlæpsɪŋ ˈæftər bɪˈhaɪnd ʃɑt frəm bɪˈhaɪnd waɪl æˈdrɛsɪŋ ə kraʊd frəm ə ˈpoʊdiəm. ðə ˈgənmən ðɛn kəmz ˈɪntu vju, ˈreɪzɪz ə ˈfɪŋgər ɪn ðə ɛr ənd pɔɪnts hɪz ˈwɛpən æt ənˈsin ˈtɑrgəts off-screen*. wən ˈaɪˈwɪtnəs sɛd ðət ðə əˈseɪlənt spoʊk ˈgənmən wɑz drɛst ɪn ə blæk sut, ðə ˈstændərd ˈpleɪnˈkloʊz ˈjunəˌfɔrm fər prəˈtɛktɪv sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈditeɪlz, ənd gɑt ˈɪntu ðə ɪˈvɛnt baɪ ˈkleɪmɪŋ tɪ bi ˈbɑdiˌgɑrd, ˈwɪtnəsɪz hi ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ faɪər, hi ˈʃaʊtɪd ɪn ˈtərkɪʃ ðət hi wɑz əˈvɛnʤɪŋ ðə dɛθs əv səˈvɪljənz ɪn ənd ɪn ˈɛrəbɪk ðət hɪz ˈækʃən wɑz ə pɑrt əv ˈʤihɑd ər ˈhoʊli wɪl nɑt fərˈgɛt, wi wɪl nɑt fərˈgɛt syria,”*,” hi sɛd ɪn ˈtərkɪʃ. "noʊ wən kən bi seɪf ɛz lɔŋ ɛz ɑr ˈbrəðərz ðɛr ər nɑt. gɪt aʊt əv maɪ hi dɪˈklɛrd ɪn ˈɛrəbɪk, "allahü*ü akbar”*” (gɑd ɪz greɪt!) ənd ˈædɪd ə ˈsteɪtmənt ˈɔfən juzd baɪ ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə ˌɪzˈlɑmɪk steɪt ɪkˈstrimɪst grup. kˈwoʊtɪŋ ə ˈfɑloʊər əv ðə ˈprɑfət məˈhɑməd, hi sɛd, ''wi ər ðə wənz hu plɛʤd (ˈfiəlti) tɪ moʊˈhæmɪd ɔn ðə tərmz əv ˈʤihɑd ɛz lɔŋ ɛz wi lɪv.''

the attack occurred shortly after 7 p.m. local time, and reporters arriving at the scene a half hour later said they heard gunfire from within the building. tv footage, captured on turkish channel trt, shows karlov doubling over and collapsing after behind shot from behind while addressing a crowd from a podium. the gunman then comes into view, raises a finger in the air and points his weapon at unseen targets off-screen. one eyewitness said that the assailant spoke turkish.the gunman was dressed in a black suit, the standard plainclothes uniform for protective security details, and got into the event by claiming to be karlov’s bodyguard, witnesses said.as he started to fire, he shouted in turkish that he was avenging the deaths of civilians in aleppo and in arabic that his action was a part of jihad or holy war."we will not forget aleppo, we will not forget syria,” he said in turkish. "no one can be safe as long as our brothers there are not. get out of my way.”then he declared in arabic, "allahü akbar” (god is great!) and added a statement often used by members of the islamic state extremist group. quoting a follower of the prophet mohamad, he said, ''we are the ones who pledged bai'a (fealty) to mohammed on the terms of jihad as long as we live.''

ˈdæləs ðə sˈnaɪpər hu kɪld faɪv ˈdæləs kɑps ənd ˈwundɪd ˈsɛvən mɔr wɑz ðə soʊl ˈʃutər ɪn ə ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ ˈæmˌbʊʃ ðət meɪd ˈθərzˌdeɪ ðə ˈdɛdliəst deɪ fər ə pəˈlis fɔrs sɪns əˈfɪʃəlz sɛd. ˈdæləs meɪər maɪk ˈrɔlɪŋz kənˈfərmd ðə aɪˈdɛntəˌti əv ðə ˈʃutər ɛz ˈmaɪkə ɛks. ˈʤɑnsən, 25 ɪn ə ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ˈivnɪŋ prɛs ˈkɑnfərəns ənd sɛd lɔ ɛnˈfɔrsmənt ˈɔfɪsərz hæd dɪˈtərmənd, ˈæftər ˈfaɪndɪŋ ə troʊv əv ˈwɛpənz ənd ˈrɪtən ˈkɑmbæt ɪn hɪz hoʊm, ðət ðə ˈʃutər ˈæktɪd əˈloʊn ənd ðət ðɛr wər noʊ mɔr pəˈtɛnʃəl ˈsəˌspɛkts ɔn ðə lus. wɑz ˈmoʊbəl ˈʃutər ðət hæd ˈrɪtən ɔn haʊ tɪ ʃut ənd muv, ʃut ənd muv, ənd hi dɪd that,”*,” ˈrɔlɪŋz sɛd. dɪd hɪz ˈdæmɪʤ, bət wi dɪd ˈdæmɪʤ tɪ ɪm ɛz well.”*.” bɪˈliv naʊ ðət ðə ˈsɪti ɪz safe,”*,” ðə meɪər sɛd. kən muv ɔn tɪ healing.”*.” ðə waɪt haʊs əˈnaʊnst leɪt ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ðət ˈprɛzɪdənt ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɪl kət ʃɔrt ə ˌjʊrəˈpiən trɪp tɪ ˈvɪzɪt ˈdæləs ˈərli nɛkst wik. ə ˈpɪkʧər ˈmaɪkə ˈʤɑnsən juzd ɛz hɪz ˈproʊˌfaɪl ˈfoʊˌtoʊ ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə. (ˈfeɪsˌbʊk) mɔr ˈʤɑnsən, hu sərvd sɪks jɪrz ɪn ðə ˈɑrmi rɪˈzərv, daɪd ˈərli ˈfraɪˌdeɪ wɪn pəˈlis dɪˈplɔɪd ə ˈroʊˌbət tɪ bloʊ əp ən ɪkˈsploʊsɪv dɪˈvaɪs ɪn ðə ˈpɑrkɪŋ gərɑʒ wɛr ˈɔfɪsərz hæd ˈkɔrnərd ɪm ənd ɪnˈgeɪʤd ɪn aʊərz əv nɪˌgoʊʃiˈeɪʃənz ðət ˈəltəmətli feɪld. pəˈlis ˈərliər dɪˈskraɪbd ðə əˈtæk ɛz ““well-planned”*” ənd ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ˈivnɪŋ rɪˈvild ðət lɔ ɛnˈfɔrsmənt faʊnd ˈraɪfəlz ənd ˈtæktɪkəl gɪr ɪn ə sərʧ əv ə hoʊm ðə sˈnaɪpər əˈpɛrəntli ʃɛrd wɪθ hɪz ˈməðər ɪn ˈmɛˌskit, ˈtɛksəs, 20 maɪəlz ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ˈdæləs. ðə sərʧ əv ðə hoʊm, dɪˈtɛktɪvz faʊnd məˈtɪriəlz, bəˈlɪstɪk vɛsts, ˈraɪfəlz, ˌæmjəˈnɪʃən ənd ə ˈpərsɪnəl ˈʤərnəl əv ˈkɑmbæt tactics,”*,” pəˈlis sɛd ɪn ə ˈsteɪtmənt. ər ɪn ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs əv ˈænəˌlaɪzɪŋ ðə ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən kənˈteɪnd ɪn ðə journal.”*.” pəˈlis ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪt ə kɑr ˈʃɔrtli ˈæftər ðə ˈʃutɪŋ ˈdʊrɪŋ ə ˈproʊˌtɛst ɪn ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn ˈdæləs. (ˈfoʊˌtoʊ: otero/ap*) mɔr ˈərliər ɪn ðə deɪ, ˈdæləs pəˈlis ʧif ˈdeɪvɪd braʊn dɪˈskraɪbd ə ˈʧɪlɪŋ ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ bɪtˈwin ˈʤɑnsən ənd ˈɔfɪsərz əˈtɛmptɪŋ tɪ nɪˈgoʊʃiˌeɪt hɪz sərˈɛndər. ˈsəˌspɛkt sɛd hi wɑz ˈəpˌsɛt æt waɪt ˈpipəl. ðə ˈsəˌspɛkt ˈsteɪtɪd hi ˈwɔntɪd tɪ kɪl waɪt ˈpipəl, əˈspɛʃəli waɪt officers,”*,” braʊn sɛd. ˈsəˌspɛkt sɛd hi wɑz ˈəpˌsɛt əˈbaʊt blæk lɪvz ˈmætər. hi sɛd hi wɑz ˈəpˌsɛt əˈbaʊt ðə ˈrisənt pəˈlis shootings.”*.” kənˈtɪnju ˈrɛdɪŋ

dallas — the sniper who killed five dallas cops and wounded seven more was the sole shooter in a devastating ambush that made thursday the deadliest day for a police force since 9/11, officials said. dallas mayor mike rawlings confirmed the identity of the shooter as micah x. johnson, 25, in a friday evening press conference and said law enforcement officers had determined, after finding a trove of weapons and written combat manifestos in his home, that the shooter acted alone and that there were no more potential suspects on the loose. “this was mobile shooter that had written manifestos on how to shoot and move, shoot and move, and he did that,” rawlings said. “he did his damage, but we did damage to him as well.” “we believe now that the city is safe,” the mayor said. “we can move on to healing.” the white house announced late friday that president obama will cut short a european trip to visit dallas early next week. a picture micah johnson used as his profile photo on social media. (facebook) more johnson, who served six years in the army reserve, died early friday when police deployed a robot to blow up an explosive device in the parking garage where officers had cornered him and engaged in hours of negotiations that ultimately failed. police earlier described the attack as “well-planned” and friday evening revealed that law enforcement found rifles and tactical gear in a search of a home the sniper apparently shared with his mother in mesquite, texas, 20 miles outside of dallas. “during the search of the suspect’s home, detectives found bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics,” police said in a statement. “detectives are in the process of analyzing the information contained in the journal.” police investigate a car shortly after the shooting during a protest in downtown dallas. (photo: lm otero/ap) more earlier in the day, dallas police chief david brown described a chilling exchange between johnson and officers attempting to negotiate his surrender. “the suspect said he was upset at white people. the suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers,” brown said. “the suspect said he was upset about black lives matter. he said he was upset about the recent police shootings.” continue reading

ˈsɔfˌwɛr dɪˈvɛləpmənt bɪˈgɪnz ɛz ə kwɛst fər ˌkeɪpəˈbɪləti, duɪŋ wət kʊd nɑt bi dən ˌbiˈfɔr. wəns ðət wət ɪz əˈʧivd, ðə ˈɛnʤəˈnɪr ɪz lɛft wɪθ ðə haʊ. ɪn ˈɛnərˌpraɪz ˈsɔfˌwɛr, ðə moʊst ˈfrikwɛntli æst kˈwɛsʧənz ər, fast?”*?” ənd mɔr ˌɪmˈpɔrtəntli, reliable?”*?” kˈwɛsʧənz əˈbaʊt ˈsɔfˌwɛr pərˈfɔrməns ˈkænɑt bi ˈænsərd, ər ˈivɪn əˈproʊpriɪtli ɑrˈtɪkjəˌleɪtəd, wɪˈθaʊt stəˈtɪstɪks. jɛt moʊst dɪˈvɛləpərz tɛl ju məʧ əˈbaʊt stəˈtɪstɪks. məʧ laɪk mæθ, stəˈtɪstɪks ˈsɪmpli kəm əp fər ˈtɪpɪkəl ˈprɑʤɛkts. bɪtˈwin ˈkoʊdɪŋ ðə nu ənd meɪnˈteɪnɪŋ ðə oʊld, hu həz ðə taɪm? ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrz məst meɪk ðə taɪm. aɪ ˌəndərˈstænd ˈfɪfˈtin ˈmɪnəts kən sim laɪk ə bɪg kəˈmɪtmənt ðiz deɪz, soʊ ˈmeɪbi ˈbʊkmɑrk ɪt. ˌɪnˈsɪstənt ˈsikərz kən hɛd fər ɑr ˌɪnstrəˌmɛnˈteɪʃən ˈsɛkʃən ər streɪt tɪ ðə ˈsəməri. fər ðə ˈdɛdəkeɪtəd fju, klæs ɪz ɪn ˈsɛʃən. taɪm tɪ broʊʧ ðə ˈtɑpɪk, lərn wət wərks, ənd teɪk ðə ˈgɛsˌwərk aʊt əv ˈsɔfˌwɛr. ə fju kɔr ˈpræktɪsɪz goʊ ə lɔŋ weɪ ɪn ˈʤɛnərˌeɪtɪŋ ˈminɪŋfəl ˈsɪstəmz æˈnælɪsɪs. ənd ə fju ˈkɑmən mɪˈsteɪks sɛt ˈprɑʤɛkts weɪ bæk. ðɪs gaɪd eɪmz tɪ ˈlaɪtən ˈsɔfˌwɛr ˈmeɪntənəns ənd spid əp fˈjuʧər dɪˈvɛləpmənt θru ˈænsərz meɪd ˈpɑsəbəl baɪ ðə raɪt kaɪnz əv əˈplaɪd stəˈtɪstɪks. tɪ bɪˈgɪn, kənˈsɪdər ə ˈtərgət kəmˈpoʊnənt wi wɔnt tɪ ˈmɛʒər ənd ˌɪmˈpruv. æt ðɪs ɪz ˈɔfən wən əv ɑr ˈhənərdz əv ˈsərvər ˌæpləˈkeɪʃənz. ɪf ju wər tɪ lʊk æt ɑr ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˈfreɪmˌwərks, ju wʊd faɪnd ˈhənərdz əv koʊd pæθs tɪ ˈʤɛnərˌeɪt strimz əv ˈmɛʒərmənts: ˈfəŋkʃən ˌɛksəˈkjuʃən taɪmz, ˈsərvɪs latencies*, rɪkˈwɛst lɛŋθs, ənd rɪˈspɑns koʊdz, tɪ neɪm ə fju. wi dɪˈskəs mɔr əˈbaʊt ˌɪnstrəˌmɛnˈteɪʃən bɪˈloʊ, bət fər naʊ wi əˈsum ðiz ˈmɛʒərmənt pɔɪnts ɪgˈzɪst ənd ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn nuˈmɛrɪkəl ˈmɛʒərmənts laɪk ˌɛksəˈkjuʃən taɪmz. ðə kərˈɛkt ˈstɑrtɪŋ pɔɪnt ˈmɪnəˌmaɪzəz baɪəs. wi əˈsum ðə list, ˈtritɪŋ ɑr ˈmɛʒərmənts ɛz ˈvæljuz əv ˈrændəm ˈvɛriəbəlz. soʊ ˈoʊpənz ðə dɔr tɪ ðə waɪd wərld əv dɪˈskrɪptɪv stəˈtɪstɪks, ə hoʊl ˈɛriə dɪˈvoʊtɪd tɪ dɪˈskraɪbɪŋ ðə bɪˈheɪvjər əv ˈrændəmnəs. waɪl ðɪs meɪ saʊnd ˈɑbviəs, rɪˈmɛmbər ðət məʧ əv stəˈtɪstɪks ɪz ˌɪnfərˈɛnʃəl, ˈdɛdəkeɪtəd tɪ ˈmɑdəlɪŋ fˈjuʧər ˈaʊtˌkəmz. ðeɪ meɪ goʊ hand-in-hand*, bət noʊɪŋ ðə ˈdɪfərəns ənd ˈprɑpər neɪmz ˈdræstɪkli spidz əp fˈjuʧər ˈrisərʧ. ˈlɛsən 1 ɪz ðət ɪt peɪz tɪ lərn ðə raɪt stəˈtɪstɪks ˌtərmɪˈnɑləʤi. ˈmɛʒərmənt ɪz ɔl əˈbaʊt ˈbæləns. tu ˈlɪtəl ˈdætə ənd ju maɪt ɛz wɛl hæv nɑt ˈbɑðərd. ər wərs, ju meɪk ən ˌənɪnˈfɔrmd dɪˈsɪʒən ðət teɪks jʊr ˈsərvɪs daʊn wɪθ ɪt. ðɛn əˈgɛn, tu məʧ ˈdætə kən teɪk daʊn ə ˈsərvɪs. ənd ˈivɪn ɪf ju kip ən aɪ ɔn ˈmɛməri kənˈsəmʃən, ju nid tɪ kənˈsɪdər ðə ˈrisɔrsɪz rikˈwaɪərd tɪ ˈmænɪʤ ˈɛkˌsɛs ˈdætə. data”*” lumz lɑrʤ, bət ɪt ɪz nɑt ə ˈnɛsəˌsɛri stɛp təˈwɔrd ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ bɪg ˈsɪstəmz. wi wɔnt dɛns, ˈbælənst ˈdætə. soʊ wət tulz dɪz ðə ˈɛnʤəˈnɪr hæv fər ˈbælənst ˈmɛʒərmənt? wɪn ɪt kəmz tɪ, ðɛr ɪz ˈnɛvər ə ˈʃɔrtɪʤ əv ˈvɑljum, dɪˈmɛnʃənz, ər tɛkˈniks. tɪ əˈvɔɪd ˈgɪtɪŋ lɔst, wi ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn dɪˈskrɪptɪv ˈsəməri stəˈtɪstɪks ðət kən bi kəˈlɛktəd wɪθ ˈmɪnəməl ˈoʊvərˈhɛd. wɪθ ðət dɪˈrɛkʃɪn, stɑrt aʊt baɪ ˈkəvərɪŋ səm fəˈmɪljər ˈtɛrɪˌtɔri. stəˈtɪstɪkəl ˈmoʊmənts meɪ nɑt saʊnd fəˈmɪljər, bət ˈvərʧuəli ˈɛvriˌwən ˈjuzɪz ðɛm, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ju. baɪ eɪʤ 10 moʊst ˈstudənts kən kəmˈpjut ən ˈævərɪʤ, ˈəðərˌwaɪz noʊn ɛz ðə ˌɛrɪθˈmɛtɪk min. ɑr ˈɛvriˈdeɪ min ɪz noʊn tɪ ˌstætɪˈstɪʃənz ɛz ðə fərst ˈmoʊmənt. ðə min ɪz nis tɪ ˈkælkjəˌleɪt ənd kən bi kwaɪt ˌɛnˈlaɪtənɪŋ, bət ə ˈrizən ðɪs poʊst ɛnd hir. ðə min ɪz ʤɪst ðə moʊst ˈfeɪməs əv fɔr ˈkɑmənli juzd ˈmoʊmənts. ðiz ˈmoʊmənts ər juzd tɪ kriˈeɪt ə prəˈgrɛʃən ðət ædz əp tɪ ə ˈstændərd ˈdætə dɪˈskrɪpʃən: min ðə ˈsɛntrəl ˈtɛndənsi əv ðə ˈdætə ˈvɛriəns ðə əv ðə ˈgrupɪŋ əraʊnd ðə min ðə ˈsɪmətri ər baɪəs təˈwɔrd wən ɛnd əv ðə skeɪl ðə əˈmaʊnt əv ˈdætə ɪn wings”*” əv ðə sɛt ðiz fɔr ˈstændərˌdaɪzd ˈmoʊmənts ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt ðə moʊst ˈmɛtrɪks fər dɪˈskraɪbɪŋ ðə ʃeɪp əv ə ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən. iʧ səkˈsɛsɪv ˈmɛʒər ædz lɛs ˈpræktɪkəl ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ðən ðə læst, soʊ ənd ər ˈɔfən oʊˈmɪtɪd. ənd waɪl ˈmɛni ər ʤɪst ˈhirɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðiz ˈmɛʒərz fər ðə fərst taɪm, oʊˈmɪʃən meɪ nɑt bi ə bæd θɪŋ. ðə min, ˈvɛriəns,, ənd ər ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈnɛvər ðə raɪt tulz fər ə ˈɛnʤəˈnɪr. ˈmɛʒərz ər nɑt ˈtrəstˌwərði ˈmɛsənʤərz əv ðə ˈkrɪtɪkəl ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ wi sik. ˈmɛʒərz ər nɑt roʊˈbəst. stəˈtɪstɪks ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli: bɛnd tɪ skju baɪ ˈaʊtlaɪərz dɪˈlut ðə ˈminɪŋ əv ðoʊz ˈaʊtlaɪərz ən ˈaʊtlaɪər ɪz ˈɛni ˈdætə pɔɪnt ˈdɪstənt frəm ðə rɛst əv ðə ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən. ““outlier”*” meɪ saʊnd rɪˈmoʊt ənd ˌɪmˈprɑbəbəl, bət ðeɪ ər ˈɛvriˌwɛr, ˈmeɪkɪŋ stəˈtɪstɪks ənɪnˈfɔrmətɪv ənd ˈivɪn ˈdeɪnʤərəs. ˈaʊtlaɪərz ˈɔfən ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt ðə moʊst ˈkrɪtɪkəl ˈdætə fər ə ˈɛnʤəˈnɪr. soʊ waɪ du soʊ ˈmɛni stɪl juz ˈmoʊmənts fər ˈsɔfˌwɛr? ðə ʃɔrt ˈænsər, ɪf ˈpɑrdən ðə pən: moʊˈmɛntəm. ðə min ənd ˈvɛriəns hæv tu ædˈvæntɪʤɪz: ˈizi ˌɪmpləmɛnˈteɪʃən ənd brɔd ˈjusɪʤ. ɪn ˌriˈæləˌti, ðət fəˌmɪˈljɛrəti lidz tɪ ˈdæmɪʤɪŋ əˈsəmpʃənz ðət ˌɪgˈnɔr spɪˈsɪfɪks laɪk ˈaʊtlaɪərz. fər ˈsɔfˌwɛr pərˈfɔrməns, ðə min ənd ˈvɛriəns ər ˈjusfəl ˈoʊnli ɪn ðə ˈkɑntɛkst əv roʊˈbəst stəˈtɪstɪkəl ˈmɛʒərz. soʊ, ɪˈnəf ˈbɪlˌdəp. ˈlɛsən 2 ɪz əˈvɔɪd riˈlaɪɪŋ ˈsoʊəli ɔn stəˈtɪstɪks laɪk ðə min tɪ dɪˈskraɪb jʊr ˈdætə. naʊ, wət roʊˈbəst tɛkˈniks kən wi ˈæˌkʧuəli rɪˈlaɪ ɔn? ɪf ˈɛvər lʊkt æt ˈsɛnsəs ˈdætə ər ˈgɔtən ˈstændərˌdaɪzd tɛst rɪˈzəlts, ɔˈrɛdi fəˈmɪljər wɪθ. ər pɔɪnts ðət ˌsəbdəˈvaɪd ə reɪnʤ ˈɪntu ˈikwəl pɑrts. moʊst ˈɔfən, wi spik əv 4 pɑrts) ənd pərˈsɛnˌtaɪlz 100 pɑrts). ˈmɛʒərz əv ˈsɛntrəl ˈtɛndənsi tɛnd tɪ bi ðə moʊst ˈpɑpjələr, ənd ðə seɪm goʊz fər ðə pərˈsɛnˌtaɪl, ðə ˈmidiən. waɪl ɪkˈspɪriənst ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrz ər ˈhæpiər tɪ si ðə ˈmidiən ðən ðə min, ðə ˈdætə ˈrɪli gɪt ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ ənˈtɪl wi gɪt ˈɪntu ðə ɪkˈstrimz. fər ˈsɔfˌwɛr pərˈfɔrməns ənd riˌlaɪəˈbɪləti, ðət minz ðə 95th*, 98th*, 99th*, ənd pərˈsɛnˌtaɪlz. wi kɔl ðiz ðə ɪkˈstrimz, bət ɛz ɪn ˈsɪstəmz, ðeɪ ər fɑr frəm ənˈkɑmən. wi ˈɔlsoʊ lʊk fər ðə reɪnʤ fɔrmd baɪ ðə ˈmɪnəməm ənd ˈmæksəməm ˈvæljuz, ˈsəmˌtaɪmz kɔld ðə ənd pərˈsɛnˌtaɪlz. ðə ˈʧælənʤ wɪθ ənd ˈreɪnʤɪz ɪz ɪˈfɪʃənt ˌkɑmpjəˈteɪʃən. fər ˈɪnstəns, ðə trəˈdɪʃənəl weɪ tɪ ˈkælkjəˌleɪt ðə ˈmidiən ɪz tɪ ʧuz ðə ˈmɪdəl ˈvælju, ər ðə ˈævərɪʤ əv ðə tu ˈmɪdəl ˈvæljuz, frəm ə ˈsɔrtɪd sɛt əv ɔl ðə ˈdætə. kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ɔl ðə ˈdætə æt wəns ɪz ðə ˈoʊnli weɪ tɪ ˈkælkjəˌleɪt ɪgˈzækt. ˈkipɪŋ ɔl ɑr ˈdætə ɪn ˈmɛməri wʊd bi proʊˈhɪbətɪvli ɪkˈspɛnsɪv fər ɑr juz ˈkeɪsɪz. ˌɪnˈstɛd, ˈjuzɪŋ ðə ˈprɪnsəpəl əv enough”*”, ən ˈɛnʤəˈnɪr həz weɪz əv ˈɛstəˌmeɪtɪŋ məʧ mɔr ɪˈfɪʃəntli. stəˈtɪstɪks ɪz ˈfaʊndɪd ɔn juˌtɪləˈtɛriən ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪz. ɛz ə fild, stəˈtɪstɪks fɔrmd tɪ ˈtækəl ðə ləˈʤɪstɪkəl ˈɪʃu əv əˈprɑksɪˌmeɪtɪŋ ən ənˈriʧəbəl ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃən. ˈivɪn təˈdeɪ, stɪl nɑt ˈpɑsəbəl tɪ poʊl ˈɛvəri ˈpərsən, teɪst ˈɛvəri ˈæpəl, ər draɪv ˈɛvəri kɑr. soʊ stəˈtɪstɪks kənˈtɪnjuz tɪ prəˈvaɪd. ɪn ðə rɛlm əv ˈsɔfˌwɛr pərˈfɔrməns, ˈdætə kəˈlɛkʃən ɪz automatable*, tɪ ðə pɔɪnt əv ˈmeɪkɪŋ ˈmɛʒərmənt tu ˌɔtəˈmætɪk. ðə ˈprɑbləm bɪˈkəmz collation*, ˈɪndɛksɪŋ, ənd ˈstɔrɪʤ. hɑrd ˈprɑbləmz, riˈplit wɪθ ˌhɑrdˈwərkɪŋ ˈpipəl. hir traɪɪŋ tɪ meɪk θɪŋz ˈiziər. wi wɔnt tɪ əˈvɔɪd ðoʊz hɑrd ˈprɑbləmz. ðə ˈiziəst weɪ tɪ əˈvɔɪd tu məʧ ˈdætə ɪz tɪ θroʊ ˈdætə əˈweɪ. dɪˈskɑrdɪd ˈdætə meɪ nɑt nid ˈstɔrɪʤ, bət ɪf nɑt ˈkɛrfəl, ɪt wɪl lɪv ɔn, ˈhɔntɪŋ ˈdætə ɪn ðə fɔrm əv ˈbaɪəsɪz. wi wɔnt ˈprɪstin, ˈminɪŋfəl ˈdætə, ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋgwɪʃəbəl frəm ðə ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃən, ʤɪst ə hoʊl lɔt sˈmɔlər. soʊ stəˈtɪstɪks prəˈvaɪdz ˈjuˈɛs ˈrændəm ˈsæmplɪŋ. ðə twɪst ɪz ðət wi wɔnt tɪ ˈsæmpəl frəm ən ənˈnoʊn ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃən, kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ˈoʊnli wən ˈdætə pɔɪnt æt ə taɪm. ðɪs juz keɪs kɔlz fər ə ˈspɛʃəl ˈkɔrnər əv kəmˈpjutər saɪəns: ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈælgərˌɪðəmz, ə əv ˈstrimɪŋ ˈælgərˌɪðəmz. ““online”*” ˌɪmˈplaɪz ˈoʊnli ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl pɔɪnts ər kənˈsɪdərd ɪn ə ˈsɪŋgəl pæs. ““streaming”*” ˌɪmˈplaɪz ðə ˈproʊˌgræm kən ˈoʊnli kənˈsɪdər ə ˈsəbˌsɛt əv ðə ˈdætə æt ə taɪm, bət kən wərk ɪn ˈbæʧɪz ər rən ˈməltəpəl ˈpæsɪz. ˈfɔrʧənətli, ˈdɑnəld knuθ hɛlpt ˈpɑpjələrˌaɪz ən ˈɛləgənt əˈproʊʧ ðət ɪˈneɪbəlz ˈrændəm ˈsæmplɪŋ ˈoʊvər ə strim: ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmplɪŋ. ʤəmp raɪt ɪn. fərst wi ˈdɛzɪgˌneɪt ə ˈkaʊntər wɪʧ wɪl bi ˈɪnkrəˌmɛntɪd fər ˈɛvəri ˈdætə pɔɪnt sin. ðə ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ɪz ˈʤɛnərəli ə lɪst ər əreɪ əv saɪz naʊ wi kən bɪˈgɪn ˈædɪŋ ˈdætə. ənˈtɪl wi ɪnˈkaʊnər saɪz ˈɛləmənts, ˈɛləmənts ər ˈædɪd dɪˈrɛkli tɪ ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr wəns ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ɪz fʊl, ˈɪnˌkəmɪŋ ˈdætə pɔɪnts hæv ə saɪz ˈkaʊntər ʧæns tɪ ˌriˈpleɪs ən ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ ˈsæmpəl pɔɪnt. wi ˈnɛvər lʊk æt ðə ˈvælju əv ə ˈdætə pɔɪnt ənd ðə ˈrændəm ʧæns ɪz ˌgɛrənˈtid baɪ ˌdɛfəˈnɪʃən. ðɪs weɪ ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ɪz ˈɔlˌweɪz ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv əv ðə ˈdeɪtəˌsɛt ɛz ə hoʊl, ənd ɪz ʤɪst ɛz ˈlaɪkli tɪ hæv ə ˈdætə pɔɪnt frəm ðə bɪˈgɪnɪŋ ɛz ɪt ɪz frəm ðə ɛnd. ɔl ðɪs, wɪθ ˈbaʊndɪd ˈmɛməri rɪkˈwaɪrmənts, ənd ˈvɛri ˈlɪtəl ˌkɑmpjəˈteɪʃən. si ðə ˌɪnstrəˌmɛnˈteɪʃən ˈsɛkʃən bɪˈloʊ fər lɪŋks tɪ ˈpaɪθɑn. ɪn ˈsɪmpələr tərmz, ðə ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr prɑˈgrɛsɪvli ˈrɛndərz ə ˈvərʒən əv ðə ˈdætə, laɪk ə ˈθəmˌneɪl. ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr əˈbɪləˌti tɪ ˈhændəl ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃənz əv ənˈnoʊn saɪz fɪts ˈpərfəktli wɪθ ˈtrækɪŋ rɪˈspɑns ˈleɪtənsi ənd ˈəðər ˈmɛtrɪks əv ə ˈsərvər ˈprɔˌsɛs. wəns ju hæv ə ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr, wət ər ðə ˈnæʧərəl nɛkst stɛps? æt, ɑr ˈstændərd prəˈsiʤər lʊks laɪk: lʊk æt ðə mɪn, mæks, ənd ˈəðər əv ˈɪntəˌrɛst (ˈʤɛnərəli ˈmidiən, 95th*, 99th*, pərˈsɛnˌtaɪlz). ˈvɪʒwəˌlaɪz ðə ənd ˈhɪstəˌgræm tɪ gɪt ə sɛns fər ðə ʃeɪp əv ðə ˈdætə, ˈjuʒəwəli baɪ ˈloʊdɪŋ ðə ˈdætə ɪn ə ˈnoʊtˌbʊk ənd ˈjuzɪŋ ˈpændəz, matplotlib*, ənd ɔˈkeɪʒənəˌli bokeh*. ənd ɪt ˈrɪli. bɪɔnd ðɪs wi ər ˈjuʒəwəli ˈædɪŋ mɔr dɪˈmɛnʃənz, laɪk kəmˈpɛrəsənz ˈoʊvər taɪm ər bɪtˈwin datacenters*. ˈhævɪŋ ðə reɪnʤ,, ənd ˈsæmpəld vju əv ðə ˈdætə ˈrɪli ɪˈlɪməˌneɪts soʊ məʧ ˈgɛsˌwərk ðət wi ɛnd əp ˈseɪvɪŋ taɪm. ˈtaɪtən ə ˈtaɪˌmaʊt, ˈɪmpləmənt ə riˈtraɪ, tɛst, ənd dɪˈplɔɪ. ˈmeɪbi æd əkˈsɛptəns kraɪˈtɪriə laɪk ən skɔr. rəˈgɑrdləs əv ðə pərˈfɔrməns ˈprɑbləm, wi noʊ wɪn fɪkst ɪt ənd wi hæv ðə raɪt ˈnəmbərz ənd ʧɑrts tɪ bæk ˈjuˈɛs əp. ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmplɪŋ dɪz hæv ɪts ˈʃɔrtˌkəmɪŋz. ɪn ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr, laɪk ən ˈɪmɪʤ ˈθəmˌneɪl, ˈækjərəsi ɪz ˈoʊnli ɛz gʊd ɛz ðə ˌrɛzəˈluʃən kənˈfɪgjərd. ɪn səm ˈkeɪsɪz, ðə ˈdætə nɪr ðə ˈɛʤɪz gɪts ə bɪt blocky*. gʊd əv ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmplɪŋ wɪl ɔˈrɛdi træk ðə ˈmæksəməm ənd ˈmɪnəməm ˈvæljuz, bət fər ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrz ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪd ɪn ðə ˈɛʤɪz, wi ˌrɛkəˈmɛnd ˈkipɪŋ ən ˌɪnˈkrist sɛt əv ðə ɪgˈzækt ˈaʊtlaɪərz. fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, fər ˈkrɪtɪkəl pæθs, wi ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ɪkˈsplɪsətli træk ðə ɛn haɪəst rɪˈspɑns taɪmz əbˈzərvd ɪn ðə læst aʊər. dɪˈpɛndɪŋ ɔn jʊr ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt, ˈrisɔrsɪz meɪ kəm æt ə ˈprimiəm. ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmplɪŋ rikˈwaɪərz ˈvɛri ˈlɪtəl ˈprɑsɛsɪŋ paʊər, prəˈvaɪdɪd ju hæv ən ɪˈfɪʃənt prng*. ˈivɪn jʊr həz wən əv ðoʊz. bət ˈmɛməri kɔsts kən paɪl əp. ˈʤɛnərəli ˈspikɪŋ, ˈækjərəsi skeɪlz wɪθ ðə skwɛr rut əv saɪz. twaɪs ɛz məʧ ˈækjərəsi wɪl kɔst ju fɔr taɪmz ɛz məʧ ˈmɛməri, soʊ ðɛr ər dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ rɪˈtərnz. æt, ðə ˈtɪpɪkəl ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ɪz ˈæləˌkeɪtɪd ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt slɑts, fər ə ˈtoʊtəl əv 64 ˈkɪloʊˌbaɪts. æt ðɪs reɪt, ˈjumənz rən aʊt əv ˈmɛməri ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ˈsərvərz du. ˈtrækɪŋ 500 ˈvɛriəbəlz ˈoʊnli teɪks 8 ˈmɛgəˌbaɪts. ɛz ə dɪˈvɛləpər, rɪˈmɛmbərɪŋ wət ðeɪ ɔl ər ɪz ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈstɔri. ˈjuʒəwəli, ˈrɛzərvˌwɑrz gɪt ˈjuˈɛs wət wi wɔnt ənd wi kən gɪt ɔn wɪθ dɪˈvɛləpmənt. bət ˈsəmˌtaɪmz, ðə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən kɔlz fər ə mɔr ˈteɪlərd əˈproʊʧ. æt ˈvɛriəs pɔɪnts æt, wərkt wɪθ q-digests*, baɪəst ˈɛstɪˌmeɪtərz, ənd ˈplɛnti əv ˈəðər ədˈvænst ˈælgərˌɪðəmz fər ˈhændəlɪŋ pərˈfɔrməns ˈdætə. ˈæftər ə lɔt əv ɪkˌspɛrəmənˈteɪʃən, tu əˈproʊʧɪz rɪˈmeɪn ɑr go-tos*, boʊθ əv wɪʧ ər məʧ ˈsɪmpələr ðən wən maɪt prɪˈzum. ðə fərst əˈproʊʧ, ˈhɪstəˌgræm ˈkaʊntərz, ɪˈstæblɪʃɪz ˈreɪnʤɪz əv ˈɪntəˌrɛst, kɔld bɪnz ər ˈbəkəts, beɪst ɔn stəˈtɪstɪks ˈgæðərd frəm ə ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr. waɪl ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈkaʊntɪŋ ɪz ˈdætə ægˈnɑstɪk, ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈoʊnli æt ə ˈrændəm ˈvælju tɪ ˌdɪˈsaɪd wɛr tɪ pʊt ðə ˈdætə, ˈkaʊntɪŋ lʊks æt ðə ˈvælju, faɪndz ðə ˈbəkɪt huz reɪnʤ ˌɪnˈkludz ðət ˈvælju, ənd ˈɪŋkrəˌmɛnts ðə əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd ˈkaʊntər. ðə ˈvælju ˌɪtˈsɛlf ɪz nɑt stɔrd. ðə koʊd ɪz ˈsɪmpəl, ənd ðə ˈmɛməri kənˈsəmʃən ɪz ˈivɪn loʊər, bət ðə ki ædˈvæntɪʤ ɪz ðə ˌɛksəˈkjuʃən spid. ˈkaʊntɪŋ ɪz soʊ loʊ ˈoʊvərˈhɛd ðət ɪt əˈlaʊz stəˈtɪstɪks kəˈlɛkʃən tɪ ˈpərmiˌeɪt məʧ ˈdipər ˈɪntu ɑr koʊd ðən ˈəðər ˈælgərˌɪðəmz wʊd əˈlaʊ. ðə ˈsɛkənd əˈproʊʧ, ˌpɛrəˈbɑlɪk ˌɛstəˈmeɪʃən fər ʃɔrt), ɪz ən ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ ˈklæsɪk. ə ˈprɑdəkt əv ðə ˌɪˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪks ˈɪndəstri, ɪz ə prægˈmætɪk ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈælgərˌɪðəm ərˈɪʤənəli dɪˈzaɪnd fər ˈsɪmpəl dɪˈvaɪsɪz. wɪn wi lʊk æt ə ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən ənd ˌdɪˈsaɪd wi nid mɔr ˌrɛzəˈluʃən fər ˈsərtən, lɛts ˈjuˈɛs ˈspɛsəˌfaɪ ðə əˈhɛd əv taɪm, ənd meɪnˈteɪnz ðoʊz ˈvæljuz ɔn ˈɛvəri ˈsɪŋgəl ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃən. ðə ˈmɛməri kənˈsəmʃən ɪz ˈvɛri loʊ, bət du tɪ ðə mæθ ˌɪnˈvɑlvd, ˈjuzɪz mɔr ðən ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmplɪŋ ənd ˈkaʊntɪŋ. ˈfərðərˌmɔr, ˈnɛvər sin ˈɛniˌwən əˈtɛmpt ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃən əv ˈɛstɪˌmeɪtərz, bət wi əˈsum nontrivial*. ðə gʊd nuz ɪz ðət fər moʊst ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃənz wi si, ɑr ˈɛstɪˌmeɪtərz ər ən ˈɔrdər əv ˈmægnəˌtud mɔr ˈækjərət ðən ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmplɪŋ. ðiz əˈproʊʧɪz boʊθ teɪk ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈlərnɪd frəm ðə ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmpəl ənd əˈplaɪ ɪt təˈwɔrd duɪŋ lɛs. ˈhɪstəˌgræmz prəˈvaɪd ˈænsərz ɪn tərmz əv ə ˈvælju ˈreɪnʤɪz, prəˈvaɪdz ˈænsərz æt pɔɪnts əv ˈɪntəˌrɛst. ˈlɛsən 3 ɪz tɪ ʧuz jʊr stəˈtɪstɪks tɪ mæʧ ðə kˈwɛsʧənz ju nid tɪ ˈænsər. ɪf ju noʊ wət ðoʊz kˈwɛsʧənz ər, stɪk tɪ ˈʤɛnərəl tulz laɪk ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmplɪŋ. ðɛr ər ə lɔt əv weɪz tɪ ˈkɑmbaɪn stəˈtɪstɪks ənd ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ, soʊ ˈoʊnli fɛr ðət wi ˈɔfər səm ˈrənɪŋ stɑrts. wi ˈfoʊkɪst ə lɔt ɔn stəˈtɪstɪkəl ˌfəndəˈmɛnəlz, bət haʊ du wi ˈʤɛnərˌeɪt ˈrɛləvənt ɪn ðə fərst pleɪs? ɑr ˈænsər ɪz θru ˈstrəkʧərd ˌɪnstrəˌmɛnˈteɪʃən əv ɑr kəmˈpoʊnənts. wɪθ ðə raɪt hʊks ɪn pleɪs, ðə ˈdætə wɪl bi ðɛr wɪn wi nid ɪt, ˈwɛðər steɪɪŋ leɪt tɪ diˈbəg ən ˈɪʃu ər wɪn wi hæv ə spɛr ˈsaɪkəl tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv pərˈfɔrməns. məʧ əv ˈpaɪθɑn services’*’ roʊˈbəstnəs kən bi ˈkrɛdɪtɪd tɪ ə rɪˈlaɪəbəl rɪˈmoʊt ˈlɔgɪŋ ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər, ˈsɪmələr tɪ, bət mɔr ˈpaʊərfəl ðən, rsyslog*. stɪl, ˌbiˈfɔr wi kən sɛnd ˈdætə ˈəpˈstrim, ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs məst kəˈlɛkt ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˈmɛtrɪks. wi ˈlɛvərɪʤ tu ˈoʊpənˌsɔrs ˈprɑʤɛkts, fæst əˈproʊʧɪŋ ˈmeɪʤər riˈlis: stəˈtɪstɪkəl əˈkjumjəˌleɪtərz ˈlɔgɪŋ ənd ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən ˌɪnstrəˌmɛnˈteɪʃən ɪz ə ˌhaɪˈlɛvəl ˈlaɪbrɛˌri dɪˈzaɪnd fər ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən ˌɪntrəˈspɛkʃən. ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd tɪ bi ðə moʊst ˈlɔgɪŋ ˈfreɪmˌwərk ˈpɑsəbəl. ðɪs ˌɪnˈkludz ˈstrəkʧərd ˈlɔgɪŋ ənd ˈvɛriəs əˈkjumjəˌleɪtərz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmplɪŋ, ənd ˈəðərz. bət mɔr ˌɪmˈpɔrtəntli, kriˈeɪts ə ˈsɛpərˌeɪt ˌɪnstrəˌmɛnˈteɪʃən ˈæˌspɛkt fər ˌæpləˈkeɪʃənz, əˈlaʊɪŋ ˈaʊtˌpʊt ˈlɛvəlz ənd ˈfɔrˌmæts tɪ bi ˈmænɪʤd ˈsɛpərətli frəm ðə ˌɪnstrəˌmɛnˈteɪʃən pɔɪnts ðɛmˈsɛlvz. ˈɑpərˌeɪts ɔn ə loʊər ˈlɛvəl. tru tɪ ɪts neɪm, ɪz ə kəmˈpaɪld ˈpaɪθɑn ɪkˈstɛnʃən ðət ˈɪmpləmənts əˈkjumjəˌleɪtərz fər ðə ˈmɛʒərz dɪˈskraɪbd hir ənd ˈmɛni mɔr. ðɪs ˌɪnˈkludz ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ frəm minz tɪ trænˈzɪʃən ˈtrækɪŋ tɪ ə ðət træks ðə taɪm bɪtˈwin stæt ˈəpˌdeɪts. æt ʤɪst ˈoʊvər hæf ə pər pɔɪnt, əˈlaʊz ɪt tɪ ˈpərmiˌeɪt ˈɪntu səm əv ðə ˈdipəst dɛpθs əv ɑr ˈfreɪmˌwərk koʊd. læks ˈaʊtˌpʊt ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəmz əv ɪts oʊn, soʊ ɑr ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˈfreɪmˌwərk ˌɪnˈkludz ə ˈsɪmpəl wɛb ənd fər ˈbraʊzɪŋ stəˈtɪstɪks, ɛz wɛl ɛz ə ðət ˈkɑnstəntli ˈdætə tɪ ə rɪˈmoʊt əˌkjumjəˈleɪʃən ˈsərvɪs fər əˈlərtɪŋ ənd archiving*. wən əv ðə ˈmɛni ædˈvæntɪʤɪz tɪ ˌɪnˈvɛstɪŋ ɪn ˌɪnstrəˌmɛnˈteɪʃən ˈərli ɪz ðət ju gɪt ə sɛns fər ðə pərˈfɔrməns ˈoʊvərˈhɛd əv ˈdætə kəˈlɛkʃən. riˌlaɪəˈbɪləti ənd ˈfiʧərz fɑr ˈaʊtˌweɪ pərˈfɔrməns ɪn ðə ˈɛnərˌpraɪz speɪs. ˈmɛni ˈkrɪtɪkəl ˈsərvɪsɪz wərkt ɔn kʊd bi ˈməltəpəl taɪmz ˈfæstər wɪˈθaʊt ˌɪnstrəˌmɛnˈteɪʃən, bət riˈmuvɪŋ ðɪs ˈæˌspɛkt wʊd ˈrɛndər ðɛm unmaintainable*, wɪʧ brɪŋz mi tɪ maɪ nɛkst pɔɪnt. gʊd wərk teɪks ˈsaɪkəlz. ɔl ðə ˈmɛθədz dɪˈskraɪbd hir ər, bət ju hæv tɪ spɛnd ˈsaɪkəlz tɪ rɪˈgeɪn ˈsaɪkəlz. ən ˈɛrˌpleɪn kʊd ˈkɛri mɔr ˈpæsənʤərz wɪˈθaʊt ɔl ðoʊz ˈhɛvi daɪəlz ənd dɪˈspleɪz əp frənt. nɑt hɑrd tɪ ˌɪˈmæʤən waɪ ˈlɔgɪŋ ənd ˈmɛtrɪks ɪz, fər moʊst ˈsərvɪsɪz, ˈsɛkənd ˈoʊnli tɪ ðə ˈfiʧərz ðɛmˈsɛlvz. ˈɔlˌweɪz rɪˈmɛmbər ənd kəmˈjunəˌkeɪt ðət ˈhævɪŋ tɪ ʧuz bɪtˈwin ˈfiʧərz ənd ˌɪnstrəˌmɛnˈteɪʃən dɪz nɑt boʊd wɛl fər ðə riˌlaɪəˈbɪləti ˈrɛkərd əv ðə ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən ər ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən. fər ðoʊz hu ˈrɪli nid tɪ muv fæst ənd wʊd prɪˈfər tɪ riˈjuz ər səbˈskraɪb, ðɛr ər ˈsɛvərəl ˈprɑməsɪŋ ˈʧɔɪsɪz aʊt ðɛr, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ nu ˈrɛlɪk ənd prəˈmiˌθiəs. ˈɑbviəsli wi hæv ɑr oʊn ˈsɪstəmz, bət ðoʊz ˈɔfərɪŋz du hæv pərˈsɛnˌtaɪlz ənd ˈhɪstəˌgræmz. wɪˈθaʊt dɪˈtræktɪŋ frəm ðə meɪn kɔrs əˈbəv, ðɪs ˈsɛkʃən rɪˈmeɪnz ɛz dɪˈzərt. hæv jʊr fɪl, bət kip ɪn maɪnd ðət ðə ˈkɑnsɛpts əˈbəv fʊlˈfɪl 95 əv ðə nidz əv ən ˈɛnərˌpraɪz ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt laɪk. wi ˈfoʊkɪst hir ɔn dɪˈskrɪptɪv, stəˈtɪstɪks fər nuˈmɛrɪkəl ˌæpləˈkeɪʃənz. stəˈtɪstɪks ɪz məʧ mɔr ðən ðət. ˈhævɪŋ ðə voʊˈkæbjəˌlɛri minz ðə ˈdɪfərəns bɪtˈwin ðə raɪt ˈænsər ənd noʊ ˈænsər. hir ər səm ˈɛriəz tɪ ɪkˈspænd ˈɪntu, ənd haʊ ðeɪ hæv əˈplaɪd tɪ ɑr wərk: stəˈtɪstɪks geɪv ˈjuˈɛs, bət ˈɔfərz soʊ məʧ mɔr. ˈʤɛnərəli, dɪˈskraɪbz ˈɛni stəˈtɪstɪkəl ˈkɑnstrəkt ðət dɪz nɑt meɪk əˈsəmpʃənz əˈbaʊt ˌprɑbəˈbɪləˌti ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən, e.g*. ˈnɔrməl ər baɪˈnoʊmiəl. ðɪs minz ɪt həz ðə moʊst tulz ɪn ðə dɪˈskrɪptɪv stəˈtɪstɪks ˈtulˌbɔks. ðɪs ˌɪnˈkludz ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ frəm ðə fəˈmɪljər ˈhɪstəˌgræm tɪ ðə sˈlikər ˈkərnəl ˈdɛnsɪti ˌɛstəˈmeɪʃən (kde*). ˈɔlsoʊ ə waɪd vərˈaɪəti əv tɛsts eɪmd æt kˌwɑntɪˈteɪtəvli dɪˈskəvərɪŋ jʊr ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən ənd ɪkˈspændɪŋ ˈɪntu ðə waɪd wərld əv ˌpɛrəˈmɛtrɪk ˈmɛθədz. ˌpɛrəˈmɛtrɪk stəˈtɪstɪks ˈkɑntræst wɪθ stəˈtɪstɪks ɪn ðət ðə ˈdætə ɪz prɪˈzumd tɪ ˈfɑloʊ ə ˈgɪvɪn ˌprɑbəˈbɪləˌti ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən. ɪf ɪˈstæblɪʃt ər əˈsumd ðət jʊr ˈdætə kən bi ˈmɑdəld ɛz wən əv ðə ˈmɛni ˈpəblɪʃt ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃənz, ˈgɪvɪn ˈjɔrsɛlf ə ˈpaʊərfəl sɛt əv æbˈstrækʃənz wɪθ wɪʧ tɪ ˈrizən əˈbaʊt jʊr ˈsɪstəm. wi kʊd du ə hoʊl ˈɑrtɪkəl ɔn ðə ˌprɑbəˈbɪləˌti ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃənz wi ɪkˈspɛkt frəm ˈdɪfərənt pɑrts əv ɑr ˈpaɪθɑn ˌbæˈkɛnd ˈsərvɪsɪz (hɪnt: ɪkˈspɛkt ə lɔt əv fɪʃ ənd foʊnz). ˈtizɪŋ əˈpɑrt ðə kərvz ˌɪnˈhɛrənt ɪn jʊr ˈsɪstəm ɪz kwaɪt ə fit, bət wi ˈnɛvər drɪft tu fɑr frəm ðə ril ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃənz. ɛz wɪθ ˈɛni ɪkˈstɛnsɪv ˈmɑdəlɪŋ ˈɛksərˌsaɪz, hid ðə ˈkɔʃəˌnɛri sɔŋ əv ðə blæk swɔn. ˌɪnfərˈɛnʃəl stəˈtɪstɪks ˈkɑntræst wɪθ dɪˈskrɪptɪv stəˈtɪstɪks ɪn ðət ðə goʊl ɪz tɪ dɪˈvɛləp ˈmɑdəlz ənd prɪˈdɪkt fˈjuʧər pərˈfɔrməns. əˈplaɪɪŋ prɪˈdɪktɪv ˈmɑdəlɪŋ, laɪk rəˈgrɛʃən ənd ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən ˈfɪtɪŋ, kən hɛlp ju əˈsɛs ˈwɛðər ju ər kəˈlɛktɪŋ səˈfɪʃənt ˈdætə, ər ɪf ˈmɪsɪŋ səm ˈmɛtrɪks. ɪf ju kən ɪˈstæblɪʃ ə rɪˈlaɪəbəl ˈmɑdəl fər jʊr ˈsərvɪs ənd hʊk ɪt ˈɪntu ˈmɑnətərɪŋ ənd əˈlərtɪŋ, hæv riʧt nɪrˈvɑnə. ɪn ðə ˈminˌtaɪm, ˈmɛni timz meɪk du wɪθ ˈsɪmpli ʧɑrts wɪθ ðə læst wik. ðɪs ɪz ˈɔfən kwaɪt ˈifɛktɪv, dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ ðə nid fər ˌmæθəˈmætɪkəl ˈɪnfərəns, bət dɪz ˌrikˈwaɪər ˈkɑnstənt ˈmænjuəl ˌɪnˌtərprɪˈteɪʃən, kəmˈpoʊz wɛl fər trɛnd æˈnælɪsɪs, ənd ˈrɪli wərk wɪn ðə ˈpriviəs wik ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv (i.e*., hæd ən ˈaʊtɪʤ ər ə spaɪk). ˌkætəˈgɔrɪkəl stəˈtɪstɪks ˈkɑntræst wɪθ nuˈmɛrɪkəl stəˈtɪstɪks ɪn ðət ðə ˈdætə ɪz nɑt ˌmæθəˈmætɪkəli ˈmɛʒərəbəl. ˌkætəˈgɔrɪkəl ˈdætə kən bi bɪg, səʧ ɛz ənd foʊn ˈnəmbərz, ər smɔl, laɪk ˈjuzər ˈlæŋgwɪʤɪz. ɑr ki ˈmɛtrɪks ər əraʊnd kaʊnts, ər, əv ˌkætəˈgɔrɪkəl ˈdætə. səm kəmˈpoʊnənts hæv juzd ənd ˈskɛʧɪz fər ˈstrimɪŋ ˈɛstəˌmeɪts. waɪl ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmplɪŋ ɪz məʧ ˈsɪmpələr, ənd kən bi juzd fər ˌkætəˈgɔrɪkəl ˈdætə ɛz wɛl, ənd ˈɔfər ˌɪnˈkrist speɪs ɪˈfɪʃənsi, ənd mɔr ˌɪmˈpɔrtəntli: ˈpruvən ˈɛrər baʊndz. ˈæftər ˈgræspɪŋ ˈrɛzəvˌwɑr ˈsæmplɪŋ, bət ˌbiˈfɔr ˈdɛlvɪŋ ˈɪntu ədˈvænst ˈstrəkʧərz, ju meɪ wɔnt tɪ hæv ə lʊk æt thresholdcounter*, ðə ˈhɛvi ˈhɪtərz ˈkaʊntər juzd ɪkˈstɛnsɪvli ɪn ˈpaɪθɑn ˈsərvɪsɪz. rəˈgɑrdləs, bi ʃʊr tɪ teɪk ə lʊk æt ðɪs ɑnˈtɑləʤi əv ˈbeɪsɪk stəˈtɪstɪkəl ˈdætə taɪps. stəˈtɪstɪks əˈlaʊ ju tɪ ˈænəˌlaɪz ˈməltəpəl ˈaʊtˌpʊt ˈvɛriəbəlz æt ə taɪm. ˈizi tɪ goʊ ˈoʊvərˌbɔrd wɪθ ˈməltəpəl dɪˈmɛnʃənz, ɛz ˈɔlˌweɪz ən ˈɛkstrə dɪˈmɛnʃən ɪf ju lʊk fər ɪt. ˌnɛvərðəˈlɛs, ə ˈsɪmpəl, ˈpræktɪkəl ˌɛksplərˈeɪʃən əv ˌkɔrəˈleɪʃənz kən gɪv ju ə ˈbɛtər sɛns əv jʊr ˈsɪstəm, ɛz wɛl ɛz ˌɪnˈfɔrm ju ɛz tɪ rɪˈdəndənt ˈdætə kəˈlɛkʃən. stəˈtɪstɪks əˈbaʊnd ɪn ril wərld ˈdætə: ˈməltəpəl piks ər ˈməltəpəl ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃənz pækt ˈɪntu ə ˈsɪŋgəl ˈdeɪtəˌsɛt. kənˈsɪdər rɪˈspɑns taɪmz frəm ən ˈsərvɪs: səkˈsɛsfəl rɪkˈwɛsts 200s*) hæv ə ““normal”*” ˈleɪtənsi. klaɪənt ˈfeɪljərz 400s*) kəmˈplit kˈwɪkli, ɛz ˈlɪtəl wərk kən bi dən wɪθ ˌɪnˈvæləd rɪkˈwɛsts. ˈsərvər ˈɛrərz 500s*) kən ˈiðər bi ˈvɛri kwɪk (ˌbæˈkɛnd daʊn) ər ˈvɛri sloʊ (timeouts*). hir wi kən əˈsum ðət wi hæv ˈsɛvərəl kərvz ˈoʊvərˌleɪd, wɪθ 3 ˈɑbviəs piks. ðɪs ɪgˈzæʤərˌeɪtɪd græf meɪks ɪt klɪr ðət meɪnˈteɪnɪŋ ə ˈsɪŋgəl sɛt əv ˈsəməri stəˈtɪstɪks kən du ðə ˈdætə greɪt ˌɪnˈʤəstɪs. tu piks ˈrɪli ˈnɛroʊz daʊn ðə fild əv ˈifɛktɪv stəˈtɪstɪkəl tɛkˈniks, ənd θri ər mɔr wɪl ˈprɛzənt ə ril ˈʧælənʤ. ðɛr ər taɪmz wɪn ju wɪl wɔnt tɪ dɪˈskəvər ənd træk ˈsɛpərətli fər mɔr ˈminɪŋfəl æˈnælɪsɪs. ˈəðər taɪmz ɪt meɪks mɔr sɛns tɪ baɪt ðə ˈbʊlət ənd liv ðə ˈdætə mɪkst. stəˈtɪstɪks trænsˈfɔrmz ˈmɛʒərmənts baɪ ðɛm ˈɪntu ə ˈsɪŋgəl, dɪˈmɛnʃən: taɪm ˈɪntərvəlz. æt, taɪm ˈsɪriz ər juzd ɔl ˈoʊvər, frəm trænˈzækʃən ənd ˈɛrər reɪts sɛnt tɪ opentsdb*, tɪ ðə ˈpaɪθɑn ˈhoʊmˈgroʊn ˈpændəz stɑk praɪs æˈnælɪsɪs. nɑt ɔl ˈdætə meɪks sɛns ɛz ə taɪm ˈsɪriz. ɪt meɪ bi ˈizi tɪ ˈɪmpləmənt ˈsərtən ˈælgərˌɪðəmz ˈoʊvər taɪm ˈsɪriz strimz, bət bi ˈkɛrfəl əˈbaʊt overapplication*. kənˈtɔrts ðə ˈdætə, ˈlidɪŋ tɪ fjuər weɪz tɪ ˈseɪfli ˈkɑmbaɪn ˈsæmpəlz ənd mɔr ˈʃæˌdoʊz əv mɪsˈlidɪŋ ˌkɔrəˈleɪʃənz. ˈmuvɪŋ ˈmɛtrɪks, ˈsəmˌtaɪmz kɔld ˈroʊlɪŋ ər ˈwɪndoʊd ˈmɛtrɪks, ər əˈnəðər ˈpaʊərfəl klæs əv ˌkælkjəˈleɪʃən ðət kən ˈkɑmbaɪn ˈmɛʒərmənt ənd taɪm. fər ˈɪnstəns, ðə ˈmuvɪŋ ˈævərɪʤ (ewma*), ˈfeɪməsli juzd baɪ ˈjunɪks fər ɪts loʊd ˈævrɪʤɪz: əp 378 deɪz, 3 ˈjuzərz, loʊd ˈævərɪʤ: ðɪs ˈaʊtˌpʊt pæks ə lɔt əv ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ˈɪntu ə smɔl speɪs, ənd ɪz ˈvɛri ʧip tɪ træk, bət ɪt teɪks səm ˈnɑlɪʤ ənd ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ tɪ ˌɪnˈtərprət kərˈɛktli. ɪz ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli fəˈmɪljər ənd nuɑnst. fən tɪ kənˈsɪdər ˈwɛðər ju wɔnt taɪm ˈbəkəts ər ðə kənˈtɪnjuəs ˈwɪndoʊ əv ə ˈmuvɪŋ stəˈtɪstɪk. fər ˈɪnstəns, du ju wɔnt ðə kaʊnts fər ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ, ər ðə pæst 24 aʊərz? du ju wɔnt ðə ˈpriviəs aʊər ər ðə læst 60 ˈmɪnəts? beɪst ɔn ðə kˈwɛsʧənz ˈpipəl æsk əˈbaʊt ɑr ˌæpləˈkeɪʃənz, ˈpaɪθɑn ˈsərvɪsɪz kip fju ˈmuvɪŋ ˈmɛtrɪks, ənd ˈʤɛnərəli juz ə lɔt mɔr taɪm ˈsɪriz. sərˈvaɪvəl æˈnælɪsɪs ɪz juzd tɪ ˈænəˌlaɪz ðə ˈlaɪfˌtaɪmz əv ˈsɪstəm kəmˈpoʊnənts, ənd məst meɪk ən əˈpɪrəns ɪn ˈɛni ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ ˈɑrtɪkəl əˈbaʊt riˌlaɪəˈbɪləti. ˌɪnˈvæljəbəl fər ˌsɪmjəˈleɪʃənz ənd poʊstˈmɔrtɛm ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃənz, ˈivɪn ə ˈbeɪsɪk ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ əv ðə ˈbæθtəb kərv kən prəˈvaɪd ˈɪnˌsaɪt ˈɪntu ˈlaɪfˌspænz əv ˈrənɪŋ ˈprɑsɛsəz. ˈfeɪljərz ər ˈrutɪd ɪn ˈkɔzɪz æt ðə bɪˈgɪnɪŋ, ˈmɪdəl, ənd ɛnd əv ɪkˈspɛktɪd ˈlaɪfˌtaɪm, wɪʧ wɪn ˈoʊvərˌleɪd, kriˈeɪt ə ˈbæθtəb ˈægrəgət kərv. wɪn ðə ˈsɔfˌwɛr ˈɪndəstri gɪts tɪ ə pɔɪnt wɛr ɪt ðɪs æˈnælɪsɪs ɛz məʧ ɛz ðə ˈhɑrdˌwɛr ˈɪndəstri, ðə tɛkˈnɑləʤi wərld wɪl ənˈdaʊtɪdli hæv bɪˈkəm ə ˈklinər pleɪs. bɪn ə ˈʤərni, bət aɪ hoʊp ju ˈlərnɪd ˈsəmθɪŋ nu. ɪf ˈnəθɪŋ ɛls, ju noʊ haʊ wi du ɪt. rɪˈmɛmbər ðə θri ˈlɛsənz: stəˈtɪstɪks ɪz fʊl əv ˈvɛri spɪˈsɪfɪk ˌtərmɪˈnɑləʤi ənd tɛkˈniks ðət ju meɪ nɑt noʊ ðət ju nid. ɪt peɪz tɪ teɪk taɪm tɪ lərn ðɛm. ˈævrɪʤɪz ənd ˈəðər ˈmɛʒərz kət ɪt fər ˈsɔfˌwɛr pərˈfɔrməns ənd riˌlaɪəˈbɪləti. ˈnɛvər ˈəndərˈɛstəˌmeɪt ðə ˈaʊtlaɪər. juz, ˈkaʊntɪŋ, ənd ˈəðər roʊˈbəst ˈmɛtrɪks tɪ ˈʤɛnərˌeɪt ˈminɪŋfəl ˈdætə ˈsutəbəl fər ɪkˈsplɔrɪŋ ðə spɪˈsɪfɪks əv jʊr ˈsɔfˌwɛr. ɪf ju wʊd laɪk tɪ lərn mɔr əˈbaʊt stəˈtɪstɪks, əˈspɛʃəli ˈbrænʧɪŋ aʊt frəm dɪˈskrɪptɪv stəˈtɪstɪks, aɪ ˌrɛkəˈmɛnd ˈælən ˈvɪdioʊ kɔrs ˈdætə ˌɛksplərˈeɪʃən ɪn ˈpaɪθɑn, ɛz wɛl ɛz hɪz fri bʊks θɪŋk stæts ənd θɪŋk beɪz. ɪf ju wʊd laɪk tɪ lərn mɔr əˈbaʊt ˈɛnərˌpraɪz ˈsɔfˌwɛr dɪˈvɛləpmənt, ər hæv dɪˈvɛləpərz ɪn nid əv ˈtreɪnɪŋ, teɪk ə lʊk æt maɪ nu ˈvɪdioʊ kɔrs, ˈɛnərˌpraɪz ˈsɔfˌwɛr wɪθ ˈpaɪθɑn. ɪt ˌɪnˈkludz ˈivɪn mɔr ˈsɔfˌwɛr ˌfəndəˈmɛnəlz ˌɪnˈfɔrmd baɪ ˈpaɪθɑn dɪˈvɛləpmənt, ənd ɪz aʊt naʊ ɔn ənd səˈfɑri. aɪ hoʊp ju faʊnd ðɪs ə ˈjusfəl ɪˈnəf gaɪd ðət seɪv ˈjɔrsɛlf səm taɪm, ˈiðər baɪ əˈplaɪɪŋ ðə tɛkˈniks dɪˈskraɪbd ər səbˈskraɪbɪŋ ənd ˈʃɛrɪŋ ðə lɪŋk wɪθ ˈəðər dɪˈvɛləpərz. ˈɛvriˌwən nidz ə ˌriɪntrəˈdəkʃən tɪ stəˈtɪstɪks ˈæftər ə fju jɪrz əv ril wərk. ˈivɪn ɪf ju ˈstədid stəˈtɪstɪks ɪn skul, ril wərk, ril ˈdætə, ənd ril kˈwɛsʧənz hæv ə weɪ əv ˈmeɪkɪŋ wən ˈwəndər hu pæst ðoʊz stəˈtɪstɪks ɪgˈzæmz. ɛz ˌɪnˈkrisɪz, ə ˈraɪzɪŋ taɪd əv roʊˈbəst ˈmɛʒərmənt floʊts ɔl ˈsɔfˌwɛr ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ boʊts.

software development begins as a quest for capability, doing what could not be done before. once that what is achieved, the engineer is left with the how. in enterprise software, the most frequently asked questions are, “how fast?” and more importantly, “how reliable?” questions about software performance cannot be answered, or even appropriately articulated, without statistics. yet most developers can’t tell you much about statistics. much like math, statistics simply don’t come up for typical projects. between coding the new and maintaining the old, who has the time? engineers must make the time. i understand fifteen minutes can seem like a big commitment these days, so maybe bookmark it. insistent tldr seekers can head for our instrumentation section or straight to the summary. for the dedicated few, class is in session. it’s time to broach the topic, learn what works, and take the guesswork out of software. a few core practices go a long way in generating meaningful systems analysis. and a few common mistakes set projects way back. this guide aims to lighten software maintenance and speed up future development through answers made possible by the right kinds of applied statistics. to begin, let’s consider a target component we want to measure and improve. at paypal this is often one of our hundreds of http server applications. if you were to look at our internal frameworks, you would find hundreds of code paths instrumented to generate streams of measurements: function execution times, service latencies, request lengths, and response codes, to name a few. we discuss more about instrumentation below, but for now we assume these measurement points exist and focus on numerical measurements like execution times. the correct starting point minimizes bias. we assume the least, treating our measurements as values of random variables. so opens the door to the wide world of descriptive statistics, a whole area devoted to describing the behavior of randomness. while this may sound obvious, remember that much of statistics is inferential, dedicated to modeling future outcomes. they may go hand-in-hand, but knowing the difference and proper names drastically speeds up future research. lesson #1 is that it pays to learn the right statistics terminology. measurement is all about balance. too little data and you might as well have not bothered. or worse, you make an uninformed decision that takes your service down with it. then again, too much data can take down a service. and even if you keep an eye on memory consumption, you need to consider the resources required to manage excess data. “big data” looms large, but it is not a necessary step toward understanding big systems. we want dense, balanced data. so what tools does the engineer have for balanced measurement? when it comes to metadata, there is never a shortage of volume, dimensions, or techniques. to avoid getting lost, we focus on descriptive summary statistics that can be collected with minimal overhead. with that direction, let’s start out by covering some familiar territory. statistical moments may not sound familiar, but virtually everyone uses them, including you. by age 10, most students can compute an average, otherwise known as the arithmetic mean. our everyday mean is known to statisticians as the first moment. the mean is nice to calculate and can be quite enlightening, but there’s a reason this post doesn’t end here. the mean is just the most famous of four commonly used moments. these moments are used to create a progression that adds up to a standard data description: mean – the central tendency of the data variance – the looseness of the grouping around the mean skewness – the symmetry or bias toward one end of the scale kurtosis – the amount of data in “the wings” of the set these four standardized moments represent the most widely-applied metrics for describing the shape of a distribution. each successive measure adds less practical information than the last, so skewness and kurtosis are often omitted. and while many are just hearing about these measures for the first time, omission may not be a bad thing. the mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis are almost never the right tools for a performance-minded engineer. moment-based measures are not trustworthy messengers of the critical engineering metadata we seek. moment-based measures are not robust. non-robust statistics simultaneously: bend to skew by outliers dilute the meaning of those outliers an outlier is any data point distant from the rest of the distribution. “outlier” may sound remote and improbable, but they are everywhere, making moment-based statistics uninformative and even dangerous. outliers often represent the most critical data for a troubleshooting engineer. so why do so many still use moments for software? the short answer, if you’ll pardon the pun: momentum. the mean and variance have two advantages: easy implementation and broad usage. in reality, that familiarity leads to damaging assumptions that ignore specifics like outliers. for software performance, the mean and variance are useful only in the context of robust statistical measures. so, enough buildup. lesson #2 is avoid relying solely on non-robust statistics like the mean to describe your data. now, what robust techniques can we actually rely on? if you’ve ever looked at census data or gotten standardized test results, you’re already familiar with quantiles. quantiles are points that subdivide a dataset’s range into equal parts. most often, we speak of quartiles (4 parts) and percentiles (100 parts). measures of central tendency tend to be the most popular, and the same goes for the 50th percentile, the median. while experienced engineers are happier to see the median than the mean, the data doesn’t really get interesting until we get into the extremes. for software performance and reliability, that means the 95th, 98th, 99th, and 99.9th percentiles. we call these the extremes, but as in high-traffic systems, they are far from uncommon. we also look for the range formed by the minimum and maximum values, sometimes called the 0th and 100th percentiles. the challenge with quantiles and ranges is efficient computation. for instance, the traditional way to calculate the median is to choose the middle value, or the average of the two middle values, from a sorted set of all the data. considering all the data at once is the only way to calculate exact quantiles. keeping all our data in memory would be prohibitively expensive for our use cases. instead, using the principle of “good enough”, an engineer has ways of estimating quantiles much more efficiently. statistics is founded on utilitarian compromise. as a field, statistics formed to tackle the logistical issue of approximating an unreachable population. even today, it’s still not possible to poll every person, taste every apple, or drive every car. so statistics continues to provide. in the realm of software performance, data collection is automatable, to the point of making measurement too automatic. the problem becomes collation, indexing, and storage. hard problems, replete with hard-working people. here we’re trying to make things easier. we want to avoid those hard problems. the easiest way to avoid too much data is to throw data away. discarded data may not need storage, but if you’re not careful, it will live on, haunting data in the form of biases. we want pristine, meaningful data, indistinguishable from the population, just a whole lot smaller. so statistics provides us random sampling. the twist is that we want to sample from an unknown population, considering only one data point at a time. this use case calls for a special corner of computer science: online algorithms, a subclass of streaming algorithms. “online” implies only individual points are considered in a single pass. “streaming” implies the program can only consider a subset of the data at a time, but can work in batches or run multiple passes. fortunately, donald knuth helped popularize an elegant approach that enables random sampling over a stream: reservoir sampling. let’s jump right in. first we designate a counter , which will be incremented for every data point seen. the reservoir is generally a list or array of predefined size . now we can begin adding data. until we encounter size elements, elements are added directly to reservoir . once reservoir is full, incoming data points have a size / counter chance to replace an existing sample point. we never look at the value of a data point and the random chance is guaranteed by definition. this way reservoir is always representative of the dataset as a whole, and is just as likely to have a data point from the beginning as it is from the end. all this, with bounded memory requirements, and very little computation. see the instrumentation section below for links to python implementations. in simpler terms, the reservoir progressively renders a scaled-down version of the data, like a fixed-size thumbnail. reservoir sampling’s ability to handle populations of unknown size fits perfectly with tracking response latency and other metrics of a long-lived server process. once you have a reservoir, what are the natural next steps? at paypal, our standard procedure looks like: look at the min, max, and other quantiles of interest (generally median, 95th, 99th, 99.9th percentiles). visualize the cdf and histogram to get a sense for the shape of the data, usually by loading the data in a jupyter notebook and using pandas, matplotlib, and occasionally bokeh. and that’s it really. beyond this we are usually adding more dimensions, like comparisons over time or between datacenters. having the range, quantiles, and sampled view of the data really eliminates so much guesswork that we end up saving time. tighten a timeout, implement a retry, test, and deploy. maybe add higher-level acceptance criteria like an apdex score. regardless of the performance problem, we know when we’ve fixed it and we have the right numbers and charts to back us up. reservoir sampling does have its shortcomings. in particular, like an image thumbnail, accuracy is only as good as the resolution configured. in some cases, the data near the edges gets a bit blocky. good implementations of reservoir sampling will already track the maximum and minimum values, but for engineers interested in the edges, we recommend keeping an increased set of the exact outliers. for example, for critical paths, we sometimes explicitly track the n highest response times observed in the last hour. depending on your runtime environment, resources may come at a premium. reservoir sampling requires very little processing power, provided you have an efficient prng. even your arduino has one of those. but memory costs can pile up. generally speaking, accuracy scales with the square root of size. twice as much accuracy will cost you four times as much memory, so there are diminishing returns. at paypal, the typical reservoir is allocated 16,384 floating point slots, for a total of 64 kilobytes. at this rate, humans run out of memory before the servers do. tracking 500 variables only takes 8 megabytes. as a developer, remembering what they all are is a different story. usually, reservoirs get us what we want and we can get on with non-statistical development. but sometimes, the situation calls for a more tailored approach. at various points at paypal, we’ve worked with q-digests, biased quantile estimators, and plenty of other advanced algorithms for handling performance data. after a lot of experimentation, two approaches remain our go-tos, both of which are much simpler than one might presume. the first approach, histogram counters, establishes ranges of interest, called bins or buckets, based on statistics gathered from a particular reservoir. while reservoir counting is data agnostic, looking only at a random value to decide where to put the data, bucketed counting looks at the value, finds the bucket whose range includes that value, and increments the bucket’s associated counter. the value itself is not stored. the code is simple, and the memory consumption is even lower, but the key advantage is the execution speed. bucketed counting is so low overhead that it allows statistics collection to permeate much deeper into our code than other algorithms would allow. the second approach, piecewise parabolic quantile estimation (p2 for short), is an engineering classic. a product of the 1980s electronics industry, p2 is a pragmatic online algorithm originally designed for simple devices. when we look at a reservoir’s distribution and decide we need more resolution for certain quantiles, p2 lets us specify the quantiles ahead of time, and maintains those values on every single observation. the memory consumption is very low, but due to the math involved, p2 uses more cpu than reservoir sampling and bucketed counting. furthermore, we’ve never seen anyone attempt combination of p2 estimators, but we assume it’s nontrivial. the good news is that for most distributions we see, our p2 estimators are an order of magnitude more accurate than reservoir sampling. these approaches both take something learned from the reservoir sample and apply it toward doing less. histograms provide answers in terms of a preconfigured value ranges, p2 provides answers at preconfigured quantile points of interest. lesson #3 is to choose your statistics to match the questions you need to answer. if you don’t know what those questions are, stick to general tools like reservoir sampling. there are a lot of ways to combine statistics and engineering, so it’s only fair that we offer some running starts. we focused a lot on statistical fundamentals, but how do we generate relevant datasets in the first place? our answer is through structured instrumentation of our components. with the right hooks in place, the data will be there when we need it, whether we’re staying late to debug an issue or when we have a spare cycle to improve performance. much of paypal’s python services’ robustness can be credited to a reliable remote logging infrastructure, similar to, but more powerful than, rsyslog. still, before we can send data upstream, the process must collect internal metrics. we leverage two open-source projects, fast approaching major release: faststat – optimized statistical accumulators lithoxyl – next-generation logging and application instrumentation lithoxyl is a high-level library designed for application introspection. it’s intended to be the most pythonic logging framework possible. this includes structured logging and various accumulators, including reservoir sampling, p2, and others. but more importantly, lithoxyl creates a separate instrumentation aspect for applications, allowing output levels and formats to be managed separately from the instrumentation points themselves. faststat operates on a lower level. true to its name, faststat is a compiled python extension that implements accumulators for the measures described here and many more. this includes everything from geometric/harmonic means to markov-like transition tracking to a metametric that tracks the time between stat updates. at just over half a microsecond per point, faststat’s low-overhead allows it to permeate into some of the deepest depths of our framework code. faststat lacks output mechanisms of its own, so our internal framework includes a simple web api and ui for browsing statistics, as well as a greenlet that constantly uploads faststat data to a remote accumulation service for alerting and archiving. one of the many advantages to investing in instrumentation early is that you get a sense for the performance overhead of data collection. reliability and features far outweigh performance in the enterprise space. many critical services i’ve worked on could be multiple times faster without instrumentation, but removing this aspect would render them unmaintainable, which brings me to my next point. good work takes cycles. all the methods described here are performance-minded, but you have to spend cycles to regain cycles. an airplane could carry more passengers without all those heavy dials and displays up front. it’s not hard to imagine why logging and metrics is, for most services, second only to the features themselves. always remember and communicate that having to choose between features and instrumentation does not bode well for the reliability record of the application or organization. for those who really need to move fast and would prefer to reuse or subscribe, there are several promising choices out there, including new relic and prometheus. obviously we have our own systems, but those offerings do have percentiles and histograms. without detracting from the main course above, this section remains as dessert. have your fill, but keep in mind that the concepts above fulfill 95% of the needs of an enterprise soa environment like paypal. we focused here on descriptive, non-parametric statistics for numerical applications. statistics is much more than that. having the vocabulary means the difference between the right answer and no answer. here are some areas to expand into, and how they have applied to our work: non-parametric statistics gave us quantiles, but offers so much more. generally, non-parametric describes any statistical construct that does not make assumptions about probability distribution, e.g. normal or binomial. this means it has the most broadly-applicable tools in the descriptive statistics toolbox. this includes everything from the familiar histogram to the sleeker kernel density estimation (kde). there’s also a wide variety of nonparametric tests aimed at quantitatively discovering your data’s distribution and expanding into the wide world of parametric methods. parametric statistics contrast with non-parametric statistics in that the data is presumed to follow a given probability distribution. if you’ve established or assumed that your data can be modeled as one of the many published distributions, you’ve given yourself a powerful set of abstractions with which to reason about your system. we could do a whole article on the probability distributions we expect from different parts of our python backend services (hint: expect a lot of fish and phones). teasing apart the curves inherent in your system is quite a feat, but we never drift too far from the real observations. as with any extensive modeling exercise, heed the cautionary song of the black swan. inferential statistics contrast with descriptive statistics in that the goal is to develop models and predict future performance. applying predictive modeling, like regression and distribution fitting, can help you assess whether you are collecting sufficient data, or if you’re missing some metrics. if you can establish a reliable model for your service and hook it into monitoring and alerting, you’ll have reached sre nirvana. in the meantime, many teams make do with simply overlaying charts with the last week. this is often quite effective, diminishing the need for mathematical inference, but does require constant manual interpretation, doesn’t compose well for longer-term trend analysis, and really doesn’t work when the previous week isn’t representative (i.e., had an outage or a spike). categorical statistics contrast with numerical statistics in that the data is not mathematically measurable. categorical data can be big, such as ips and phone numbers, or small, like user languages. our key non-numerical metrics are around counts, or cardinality, of categorical data. some components have used hyperloglog and count-min sketches for distributable streaming cardinality estimates. while reservoir sampling is much simpler, and can be used for categorical data as well, hll and cms offer increased space efficiency, and more importantly: proven error bounds. after grasping reservoir sampling, but before delving into advanced cardinaltiy structures, you may want to have a look at boltons thresholdcounter, the heavy hitters counter used extensively in paypal’s python services. regardless, be sure to take a look at this ontology of basic statistical data types. multivariate statistics allow you to analyze multiple output variables at a time. it’s easy to go overboard with multiple dimensions, as there’s always an extra dimension if you look for it. nevertheless, a simple, practical exploration of correlations can give you a better sense of your system, as well as inform you as to redundant data collection. multimodal statistics abound in real world data: multiple peaks or multiple distributions packed into a single dataset. consider response times from an http service: successful requests (200s) have a “normal” latency. client failures (400s) complete quickly, as little work can be done with invalid requests. server errors (500s) can either be very quick (backend down) or very slow (timeouts). here we can assume that we have several curves overlaid, with 3 obvious peaks. this exaggerated graph makes it clear that maintaining a single set of summary statistics can do the data great injustice. two peaks really narrows down the field of effective statistical techniques, and three or more will present a real challenge. there are times when you will want to discover and track datasets separately for more meaningful analysis. other times it makes more sense to bite the bullet and leave the data mixed. time-series statistics transforms measurements by contextualizing them into a single, near-universal dimension: time intervals. at paypal, time series are used all over, from per-minute transaction and error rates sent to opentsdb, to the python team’s homegrown $pypl pandas stock price analysis. not all data makes sense as a time series. it may be easy to implement certain algorithms over time series streams, but be careful about overapplication. time-bucketing contorts the data, leading to fewer ways to safely combine samples and more shadows of misleading correlations. moving metrics, sometimes called rolling or windowed metrics, are another powerful class of calculation that can combine measurement and time. for instance, the exponentially-weighted moving average (ewma), famously used by unix for its load averages: $ uptime 10:53pm up 378 days, 1:01, 3 users, load average: 1.37, 0.22, 0.14 this output packs a lot of information into a small space, and is very cheap to track, but it takes some knowledge and understanding to interpret correctly. ewma is simultaneously familiar and nuanced. it’s fun to consider whether you want time series-style disrcete buckets or the continuous window of a moving statistic. for instance, do you want the counts for yesterday, or the past 24 hours? do you want the previous hour or the last 60 minutes? based on the questions people ask about our applications, paypal python services keep few moving metrics, and generally use a lot more time series. survival analysis is used to analyze the lifetimes of system components, and must make an appearance in any engineering article about reliability. invaluable for simulations and post-mortem investigations, even a basic understanding of the bathtub curve can provide insight into lifespans of running processes. failures are rooted in causes at the beginning, middle, and end of expected lifetime, which when overlaid, create a bathtub aggregate curve. when the software industry gets to a point where it leverages this analysis as much as the hardware industry, the technology world will undoubtedly have become a cleaner place. it’s been a journey, but i hope you learned something new. if nothing else, you know how we do it. remember the three lessons: statistics is full of very specific terminology and techniques that you may not know that you need. it pays to take time to learn them. averages and other moment-based measures don’t cut it for software performance and reliability. never underestimate the outlier. use quantiles, counting, and other robust metrics to generate meaningful data suitable for exploring the specifics of your software. if you would like to learn more about statistics, especially branching out from descriptive statistics, i recommend allen downey‘s video course data exploration in python, as well as his free books think stats and think bayes. if you would like to learn more about enterprise software development, or have developers in need of training, take a look at my new video course, enterprise software with python. it includes even more software fundamentals informed by paypal python development, and is out now on oreilly.com and safari. i hope you found this a useful enough guide that you’ll save yourself some time, either by applying the techniques described or subscribing and sharing the link with other developers. everyone needs a reintroduction to statistics after a few years of real work. even if you studied statistics in school, real work, real data, and real questions have a way of making one wonder who passed those statistics exams. as interconnectivity increases, a rising tide of robust measurement floats all software engineering boats.

haʊ tɪ ˈkrɪtɪˌsaɪz kəmˈpjutər ˈsaɪəntɪsts ər əˈvɔɪdɪŋ ˌɪnɪˈfɛktɪv ənd ˈmeɪkɪŋ ˌɪnˈsəlts mɔr ˈpɔɪntɪd ɪn ˈrisənt ɪksˈʧeɪnʤɪz, ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə ˈfækəlti hæv traɪd ɪn veɪn tɪ əˈtæk ˈəðər kəmˈpjutər ˈsaɪəntɪsts ənd dɪˈspɛrɪʤ ðɛr wərk. kwaɪt ˈfræŋkli, aɪ faɪnd ðə rɪˈzəlts ɪmˈbɛrəsɪŋ ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈkətɪŋ ðə əˈpoʊnənt daʊn, ˈmɛni əv ðə rɪˈmɑrks hæv bɪn ˌɪˈnɑkjuəs. ˈsəmθɪŋ məst bi dən əˈbaʊt ɪt bɪˈkəz ˈɛni aʊtˈsaɪdər hu hirz səʧ ˈblæðər wɪl θɪŋk lɛs əv ɑr dɪˈpɑrtmənt: noʊ grup kən hoʊld ðə rɪˈspɛkt əv ˈəðərz ənˈlɛs ɪts ˈmɛmbərz kən dil ə ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ ˈvərbəl bloʊ æt wɪl. ðɪs ʃɔrt ˈɛˌseɪ ɪz ən ˈɛfərt tɪ hɛlp ˈfækəlti meɪk ðɛr rɪˈmɑrks mɔr ˈpɔɪntɪd, ənd hɛlp əˈvɔɪd ˈwɪmpi vindictives*. ɪt ɪkˈspleɪnz haʊ tɪ ˌɪnˈsəlt ˈrisərʧ, ʃoʊz wɛr tɪ faɪnd ðə əˈkɪliz' hil ɪn ˈɛni ˈprɑʤɛkt, ənd ˈɪləˌstreɪts haʊ wən kən əˈtæk ə ˈrisərʧər. ðə tu ˈbeɪsɪk taɪps əv ˈrisərʧ moʊst ˈlaʊzi ˌɪnˈsəlts əraɪz frəm ə ˈsɪmpəl mɪsɪmˈprɛʃən ðət ɔl ˈrisərʧərz əˈgri ɔn ðə ˈoʊvərˌɔl eɪmz əv ˈrisərʧ. ðeɪ du nɑt. ɪn ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr, həz ˌɪnˈhɛrətɪd tu, kwaɪt ˈɑpəzɪt əˈproʊʧɪz frəm ruts ɪn ˌmæθəˈmætɪks ənd ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ. ˈrisərʧərz hu ˈfɑloʊ ðə ˌmæθəˈmætɪkəl ˈpɛrəˌdaɪm ər kɔld θiərɪsts, ənd ˌɪnˈklud ˈɛniˌwən ˈwərkɪŋ ɪn ən ˈɛriə ðət həz ðə tərmz "æˈnælɪsɪs", "ɪˌvæljuˈeɪʃən", "ˈælgərˌɪðəmz", ər "ˈθɪri" ɪn ðə ˈtaɪtəl. ˈrisərʧərz hu ˈfɑloʊ ðə ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ ˈpɛrəˌdaɪm ər kɔld, ənd ˌɪnˈklud moʊst ˈpipəl ˈwərkɪŋ ɪn ˈɛriəz ðət hæv ðə tərmz "ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəl", "ˈsɪstəmz", "kəmˈpaɪlər", "ˈnɛtˌwərk", ər "ˈdætəˌbeɪs" ɪn ðə ˈtaɪtəl. ˈkɑmplɛks ˈθɪri ənd ˈsɪmpəl ˈsɪstəmz noʊɪŋ ðə trəˈdɪʃən frəm wɪʧ ə ˈrisərʧər kəmz prəˈvaɪdz ðə ˈbeɪsɪs fər ə ˌɪnˈsəlt. θiərɪsts ˈfeɪvər səˌfɪstəˈkeɪʃən laɪk ˌmæθəməˈtɪʃənz, θiərɪsts ɪn kəmˈpjutər saɪəns teɪk ðə ˈgreɪtəst praɪd ɪn noʊɪŋ ənd ˈjuzɪŋ ðə moʊst səˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtəd ˌmæθəˈmætɪks tɪ sɑlv ˈprɑbləmz. fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, θiərɪsts wɪl laɪt əp wɪn ˈtɛlɪŋ ju ðət ðeɪ hæv dɪˈskəvərd haʊ ən əbˈskjʊr ˈθɪrəm frəm ʤiˈɑmətri kən bi juzd ɪn ðə æˈnælɪsɪs əv ə kəmˈpjutər ˈælgərˌɪðəm. θiərɪsts ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ˌmæθəˈmætɪkəl æˈnælɪsɪs ənd ðə ˈæsɪmpˌtɔtɪk bɪˈheɪvjər əv ˌkɑmpjəˈteɪʃən; ðeɪ teɪk praɪd ɪn ðə ˈbjuti əv ɪkˈweɪʒənz ənd doʊnt ˈwəri əˈbaʊt ˈkɑnstənts. ˌɔlˈðoʊ ðeɪ ˈjuʒəwəli ˌɪmˈplaɪ ðət ðɛr rɪˈzəlts ər ˈrɛləvənt tɪ ril kəmˈpjutərz, ðeɪ ˈsikrɪtli drim əˈbaʊt ˌɪmˈprɛsɪŋ ˌmæθəməˈtɪʃənz. ˈfeɪvər sɪmˈplɪsɪti laɪk ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrz, ˈsɪstəmz ˈrisərʧərz teɪk praɪd ɪn biɪŋ ˈeɪbəl tɪ ˌɪnˈvɛnt ðə ˈsɪmpləst ˈsɪstəm ðət ˈɔfərz ə ˈgɪvɪn ˈlɛvəl əv ˌfəŋkʃəˈnælɪti. fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ˈsɪstəmz ˈrisərʧərz wɪl laɪt əp wɪn ˈtɛlɪŋ ju ðət ðeɪ hæv kənˈstrəktɪd ə ˈsɪstəm ðət ɪz twaɪs ɛz fæst, hæf ðə saɪz, ənd mɔr ˈpaʊərfəl ðən ɪts ˈprɛdəˌsɛsər. ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ðə pərˈfɔrməns əv ril kəmˈpjutər ˈsɪstəmz; ðeɪ teɪk praɪd ɪn ðə ˈbjuti əv ðɛr koʊd ənd ˈwəri əˈbaʊt ˈkɑnstənts. ˌɔlˈðoʊ ðeɪ ˈjuʒəwəli ˌɪmˈplaɪ ðət ðɛr rɪˈzəlts kən ɪkˈstɛnd bɪɔnd ril kəmˈpjutərz, ðeɪ ˈsikrɪtli drim əv ˈfaɪlɪŋ ˈpætənts ðət əˈplaɪ tɪ ˈɛkstənt ˈhɑrdˌwɛr. ðə ˌɪnˈsəlt noʊɪŋ ðət kən bi dɪˈvaɪdɪd ˈɪntu tu ˈbeɪsɪk grups hɛlps ˌɪˈmɛnsli wɪn ˈkrɪtɪˌsaɪzɪŋ ˈsəmˌwən. ðɛr ər tu ˈbeɪsɪk rulz: aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ ðə taɪp əv ðə ˈrisərʧər ənd ˈɪʃu ən ˌɪnˈsəlt fər ðət taɪp. əˈvɔɪd seɪɪŋ ˈɛniˌθɪŋ ðət ˌɪnədˈvərtəntli ˈkɑmpləmɛnts ðɛm. ɪf pərˈfɔrmd wɛl, ən ˌɪnˈsəlt wɪl nɑt ˈoʊnli stən ðə ˈrisərʧər (hu wɪl bi ʃɑkt tɪ lərn ðət nɑt ˈɛvriˌwən əˈgriz wɪθ hɪz ər hər ˈbeɪsɪk ˈvælju ˈsɪstəm), bət wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ ˌɪnˈtɪmɪˌdeɪt ˈəðərz ɪn ðə ˈɔdiəns. aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪɪŋ ə taɪp aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪɪŋ ðə taɪp əv ə ˈrisərʧər ɪz ˈjuʒəwəli ˈizi ənd dɪz nɑt ˌrikˈwaɪər ə strɔŋ ˈtɛknɪkəl ˈbækˌgraʊnd ər ril ˈθɪŋkɪŋ. ɪt kən bi dən ˈjuzɪŋ ˈkiˌwərd ˈmæʧɪŋ əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ lɪsts. dɪˈtɛktɪŋ ˈθɪri ju kən tɛl ˈsəmˌwən ɪz ə θiərɪst bɪˈkəz ðeɪ slɪp wən ər mɔr əv ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ˈkiˌwərdz ənd ˈfreɪzɪz ˈɪntu ˈlɛkʧərz ənd ˈtɛknɪkəl ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃənz: "ˈθɪrəm", "ˈlɛmə", "pruf", "ˈæksiəm", "ˌpɑˌliˈnoʊmiəl taɪm", "ˌlɑgərˈɪðmɪk", "sɪˈmæntɪks", "nuˈmɛrɪkəl", "kəmˈplɛksɪti", "nondeterministic*" ər "nondeterminism*", ənd "fər lɑrʤ ɪˈnəf ɛn". ðeɪ raɪt lɑts əv ɪkˈweɪʒənz, bræg əˈbaʊt ˈnɑkɪŋ ɔf ðə "ˈɛkstrə lɔg ˈfæktər", ənd ˈɔfən ɛnd ðɛr ˈlɛkʧər wɪθ ən "oʊ" ˈfɑloʊd baɪ ə ˌmæθəˈmætɪkəl ɪkˈsprɛʃən ɪnˈkloʊzd ɪn pərˈɛnθəˌsiz. ju kən ˈɔlsoʊ ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪz ə θiərɪst bɪˈkəz ðeɪ teɪk fərˈɛvər tɪ pruv ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət meɪ sim kwaɪt ˈɑbviəs. (aɪ wəns sæt θru ən aʊər ˈlɛkʧər wɛr ˈsəmˌwən pruvd ðət ˈæftər ə kəmˈpjutər ˈɛksəˌkjutɪd ən əˈsaɪnmənt ˈsteɪtmənt ðət pʊt ðə ˈɪntəʤər 1 ˈɪntu ˈvɛriəbəl ɛks, ðə ˈvælju ɪn ɛks wɑz 1 dɪˈtɛktɪŋ ˈsɪstəmz ən ɪkˌspɛrəˈmɛntəlɪst wɪl slɪp wən ər mɔr əv ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ˈkiˌwərdz ənd ˈfreɪzɪz ˈɪntu ˈlɛkʧərz ənd ˈtɛknɪkəl ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃənz: "ˈɑrkəˌtɛkʧər," "ˈmɛməri," "cpu*" (ˈsəmˌtaɪmz əˈbriviˌeɪtɪd "cisc*" ər "rɪsk"), "i/o*" ər "bəs", "ˈnɛtˌwərk", "ˈɪnərˌfeɪs", "ˈvərʧuəl", "kəmˈpaɪl" ər "kəmˈpaɪlər", "ɑs" ər "ˈsɪstəm", "dɪˈstrɪbjətəd", "ˈproʊˌgræm" ər "koʊd", ənd "ˈbaɪnəˌri". ðeɪ tɔk əˈbaʊt ˈbɪldɪŋ ˈproʊˌgræmz ənd ˈrənɪŋ ðə rɪˈzəltɪŋ ˈsɪstəm ɔn ril kəmˈpjutər ˈsɪstəmz. ðeɪ rɪˈfər tɪ ˈkəmpəˌniz ənd ˈprɑdəkts, ənd juz ˈækrənɪmz ˈlɪˌbərəˌli. ðɛr ˈlɛkʧərz ˈɔfən ɛnd wɪθ ə græf ər ʧɑrt əv ˈmɛʒərd ˈsɪstəm pərˈfɔrməns. ju kən ˈɔlsoʊ ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪz ən ɪkˌspɛrəˈmɛntəlɪst bɪˈkəz ðeɪ dɪˈskraɪb ɪn ɪkˈskruʃiˌeɪtɪŋ ˈditeɪl haʊ ðeɪ sɛt əp ən ɪkˈspɛrəmənt tɪ ˈmɛʒər ə ˈsərtən ˈvælju ˈivɪn ɪf ðə ˈmɛʒərmənt prəˈdust ɪgˈzæktli ðə ɪkˈspɛktɪd rɪˈzəlts. (aɪ wəns sæt θru ən aʊər ˈlɛkʧər wɛr ˈsəmˌwən ˈkɛrfəli ɪkˈspleɪnd haʊ ðeɪ juzd θri kəmˈpjutər ˈsɪstəmz tɪ ˈmɛʒər ˈnɛtˌwərk ˈtræfɪk, wɪn ðɛr hoʊl pɔɪnt wɑz ˈsɪmpli tɪ ʃoʊ ðət ðə ˈnɛtˌwərk wɑz nɑt ðə kɔz əv ðə ˈprɑbləm ðeɪ wər ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪtɪŋ.) ˈfɔrmɪŋ ən ˌɪnˈsəlt ðə ki tɪ ə gʊd ˌɪnˈsəlt laɪz ɪn əˈtækɪŋ ˌwəˈtɛvər ðə ˈrisərʧər hoʊldz moʊst dɪr ənd əˈvɔɪdɪŋ ˌwəˈtɛvər ðə ˈrisərʧər dɪz nɑt kɛr əˈbaʊt. ðəs, ən ˌɪnˈsəlt lɑbd æt ə θiərɪst ʃʊd ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn læk əv səˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtəd ˌmæθəˈmætɪks səʧ ɛz ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ: dɪˈspaɪt ɔl ðə ɪkˈweɪʒənz, ɪt simz tɪ mi ðət jʊr wərk ˈdɪdənt ˌrikˈwaɪər ˈɛni ril ˌmæθəˈmætɪkəl səˌfɪstəˈkeɪʃən. dɪd aɪ mɪs ˈsəmθɪŋ? (ðɪs ɪz ən əˈspɛʃəli gʊd plɔɪ ɪf ju əbˈzərv ˈəðərz ˈstrəgəlɪŋ tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd ðə tɔk bɪˈkəz ðeɪ wɪl nɑt wɔnt tɪ ədˈmɪt tɪ ðət ˈæftər ju ˌɪmˈplaɪ ɪt wɑz ˈizi.) ˈɪzənt ðɪs ʤɪst ə ˈstreɪtˈfɔrwərd ɪkˈstɛnʃən əv ən oʊld rɪˈzəlt baɪ? (nɑt ˈivɪn rɪˈmɛmbərz ɔl ðə pruvd, bət ˈɛvriˌwən ɛls wɪl əˈsum ju rɪˈmɛmbər ˈsəmθɪŋ ðeɪ hæv fərˈgɑtən.) æm aɪ ˈmɪsɪŋ ˈsəmθɪŋ hir? kən ju aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ ˈɛni dip ˌmæθəˈmætɪkəl ˈkɑntɛnt ɪn ðɪs wərk? (wəns əˈgɛn, ˈɔdiəns ˈmɛmbərz hu faʊnd ðə tɔk ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd wɪl bi ənˈwɪlɪŋ tɪ ədˈmɪt ɪt.) ˈwəzənt ɔl ðɪs dən jɪrz əˈgoʊ æt ˈzɪrɑks pɑrk? (noʊ wən rɪˈmɛmbərz wət wɑz ˈrɪli dən æt pɑrk, bət ˈɛvriˌwən ɛls wɪl əˈsum ju rɪˈmɛmbər ˈsəmθɪŋ ðeɪ doʊnt.) hæv ju ˈtɛstɪd ðɪs ɔn ðə ʧɪp ˌɪnˈtɛl gɑt ˈrənɪŋ læst wik ɪn ðɛr læb? (noʊ wən noʊz wət ʧɪp ˌɪnˈtɛl gɑt ˈrənɪŋ læst wik, bət ˈɛvriˌwən wɪl əˈsum ju du.) æm aɪ ˈmɪsɪŋ ˈsəmθɪŋ? ˈɪzənt ɪt ˈɑbviəs ðət ðɛrz ə ˈbɑtəlˌnɛk ɪn ðə ˈsɪstəm ðət prɪˈvɛnts ˈskeɪlɪŋ tɪ ˈɑrbɪˌtrɛri saɪz? (ðɪs ɪz seɪf bɪˈkəz ðɛrz ə ˈbɑtəlˌnɛk ɪn ˈɛvəri ˈsɪstəm ðət prɪˈvɛnts ˈɑrbɪˌtrɛri ˈskeɪlɪŋ.) haʊ tɪ əˈvɔɪd ˈhævɪŋ ən ˌɪnˈsəlt ˈbækˌfaɪr ɔn ju ə mɪˈspleɪst ˌɪnˈsəlt kən ˈbækˌfaɪr, ˈtərnɪŋ ˈɪntu ən ɪmˈbɛrəsmənt fər ðə əˈtækər ənd ə ˈvɪktəri fər ðə ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd attackee*. tɪ əˈvɔɪd səʧ əˈkərənsɪz, rɪˈmɛmbər ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ: ˈnɛvər əˈtɛmpt tɪ əˈtæk ˌθiərˈɛtɪkəl wərk ɛz nɑt kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ˈkɑnstənts, ɛz ˌənrɪˈleɪtɪd tɪ ril kəmˈpjutər ˈsɪstəmz, ər ɛz rikˈwaɪərɪŋ tu məʧ səˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtəd ˌmæθəˈmætɪks. (ðə ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd ˈvɪktɪm ɪz ˈlaɪkli tɪ smaɪl ənd θæŋk ju fər ðə ˈflætəri.) ˈnɛvər əˈtɛmpt tɪ əˈtæk ə ˈsɪstəm ɛz tu smɔl, tu ˈsɪmpəl, ər ɛz ˈlækɪŋ səˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtəd ˌmæθəˈmætɪks (əˈgɛn, ðə ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd ˈvɪktɪm ɪz ˈlaɪkli tɪ smaɪl ənd θæŋk ju fər ðə ˈflætəri.) ˈnɛvər əˈtɛmpt tɪ əˈtæk ˈsɪstəmz wərk ˈsɪmpli baɪ seɪɪŋ ðət ɪts soʊ ˈsɪmpəl ənd ˈɑbviəs ðət ju kʊd hæv dən ɪt. (fər jɪrz, ˈpipəl sɛd ðət əˈbaʊt ˈjunɪks ənd ðə ˈproʊtəˌkɔlz.) ɪn fækt, ðɪs ɪz ˈmɪrli ən ɪkˈstɛnʃən əv ə plɔɪ juzd baɪ ˈʧɪldrən ɔn ə ˈpleɪˌgraʊnd: "oʊ jæ? aɪ kʊd hæv dən ðət ɪf aɪ ˈwɔntɪd tɪ." doʊnt traɪ ˈjuzɪŋ ɪt ər ˈsəmˌwən wɪl tɛl ju tɪ groʊ əp. əˈtækɪŋ ˈkrɔˌsoʊvər wərk ˌɔlˈðoʊ rɛr, ə fju ˈrisərʧərz ˌɪnˈklud boʊθ ˌθiərˈɛtɪkəl ənd ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəl wərk ɪn ðə seɪm ˈprɑʤɛkt. ˌɪnˈsəltɪŋ səʧ ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃənz kən bi ˈtrɪki bɪˈkəz ə ˈrisərʧər kən ɪˈskeɪp ənˈskeɪðd baɪ ˈpɔɪntɪŋ tɪ wən pɑrt əv ðɛr wərk ər ðə ˈəðər ɛz ðə ˈænsər. ju kən traɪ tɪ əˈtæk boʊθ pɑrts ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli: aɪ noʊt ðət ðə ˈsɪstəmz ˈæˌspɛkt əv ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt simz kwaɪt ˈkɑmplɛks. du ju θɪŋk ðə kɔz əv ðə ˈkɑnvəˌlutəd ˌɪmpləmɛnˈteɪʃən kən bi əˈtrɪbjətəd tɪ ðə "sɪmˈplɪstɪk" ˌmæθəˈmætɪkəl æˈnælɪsɪs ju juzd? aɪ ˈnoʊtɪs ðət ju dɪd ˈsəmθɪŋ ənˈjuˌʒuəl baɪ kəmˈbaɪnɪŋ boʊθ ˈθɪri ənd ɪkˈspɛrəmənt. dɪd ju ˌdɪˈsaɪd tɪ traɪ ə ˈsɛkənd əˈproʊʧ bɪˈkəz ju hæd ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənt rɪˈzəlts frəm ðə fərst? ju sim tɪ hæv ə ˈlɪtəl ˈθɪri ənd ə ˈlɪtəl ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəl wərk kəmˈbaɪnd ˈɪntu wən ˈprɑʤɛkt. ˈɪzənt ɪt tru ðət ɪf ju hæd ə səˈfɪʃəntli strɔŋ ˌkɑntrəˈbjuʃən ɪn wən ər ðə ˈəðər ju wʊd hæv ˈlɛkʧərd əˈbaʊt ðɛm ˈsɛpərətli? ə ˈfaɪnəl pli aɪ ˈsərtənli hoʊp ˈfækəlti wɪl teɪk ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ tɪ hɑrt ənd ˈʃɑrpən ðɛr ˌɪnˈsəltɪŋ skɪlz. ɪn ðə fˈjuʧər pliz meɪk ɔl jʊr θrəsts kaʊnt. trænzˈleɪʃənz: ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu kən bi faʊnd æt ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈbɑzniən kən bi faʊnd æt http://the-sciences.com/2017/01/26/kako-kritikuju-informaticara-ili-izbjegavanje-neefikasan-amortizacije-i-cineci-uvrede-vise-siljatim*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ʧɛk kən bi faʊnd æt http://scientificachievements.com/jak-kritizovat-vedce-v-oblasti-pocitacu-nebo-vyhybani-se-neucinnym-odpisum-a-ujistete-se*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ɛˈstoʊniən kən bi faʊnd æt http://www.autoteileprofi.ch/blog/2017/02/09/kuidas-kritiseerida-arvuti-teadlased-voi-valtida-ebaefektiivne-taunimine-ja-tegemist-solvanguid-rohkem-pikad*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu frɛnʧ kən bi faʊnd æt ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈfɪnɪʃ kən bi faʊnd æt http://mysciencefeel.com/2017/01/31/miten-arvostella-tietojenkasittelyasiantuntijat-tai-valttaminen-tehoton-poistot-ja-tehden-loukkaukset-lisaa-terava*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈʤɔrʤən kən bi faʊnd æt ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈʤərmən kən bi faʊnd æt https://www.akkuschraubercheck.de/wie-man-informatiker-kritisiert*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu həŋˈgɛriən kən bi faʊnd æt http://sc-journal.com/hogyan-kritizalni-szamitogepes-szakemberek-vagy-elkerulve-hatastalan-ertekcsokkenes-es-tesz-serto-hegyesebb*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈkæzæk kən bi faʊnd æt http://13motors.com/myblog/essaycriticize*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈlætviən kən bi faʊnd æt https://www.espertoautoricambi.it/science/2017/05/15/ka-kritizet-datoru-zinatnieki-vai-izvairoties-no-neefektivas-protests-un-pienemsanas-apvainojumiem-konkretaks*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˌmæsəˈdoʊnjən kən bi faʊnd æt http://sciencevobe.com/2016/09/26/httpswww-cs-purdue-eduhomesdecessay-criticize-html*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈpɑlɪʃ kən bi faʊnd æt ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈpɔrʧəˌgiz kən bi faʊnd æt ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈrəʃən kən bi faʊnd æt http://www.couponmachine.in/socialwork/essay-criticize*/ ə ˈsɛkənd trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈrəʃən kən bi faʊnd æt ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈsərbiən kən bi faʊnd æt https://www.lawmix.ru/blog/2017/06/13/how-to-criticize-computer-scientists*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu sˌloʊˈviniən kən bi faʊnd æt ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu sˈloʊvɑk kən bi faʊnd æt http://elelur.com/essay-criticize*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈspænɪʃ kən bi faʊnd æt http://expereb.com/como-criticar-los-informaticos-o-evitar-ineficaz-deprecation-y-la-toma-de-insultos-mas-puntiaguda*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu sˈwidɪʃ kən bi faʊnd æt tu trænzˈleɪʃənz əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu ˈtæmɪl kən bi faʊnd æt http://www.ftxs8.com/essay-criticize.html*/ ənd http://kntuniversity.org/how-to-criticize-computer-scientists*/ ə trænzˈleɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɛˌseɪ ˈɪntu kən bi faʊnd æt

how to criticize computer scientists or avoiding ineffective deprecation and making insults more pointed in recent exchanges, members of the faculty have tried in vain to attack other computer scientists and disparage their work. quite frankly, i find the results embarrassing -- instead of cutting the opponent down, many of the remarks have been laughably innocuous. something must be done about it because any outsider who hears such blather will think less of our department: no group can hold the respect of others unless its members can deal a devastating verbal blow at will. this short essay is an effort to help faculty make their remarks more pointed, and help avoid wimpy vindictives. it explains how to insult cs research, shows where to find the achilles' heel in any project, and illustrates how one can attack a researcher. the two basic types of research most lousy insults arise from a simple misimpression that all researchers agree on the overall aims of cs research. they do not. in particular, cs has inherited two, quite opposite approaches from roots in mathematics and engineering. researchers who follow the mathematical paradigm are called theorists, and include anyone working in an area that has the terms "analysis", "evaluation", "algorithms", or "theory" in the title. researchers who follow the engineering paradigm are called experimentalists, and include most people working in areas that have the terms "experimental", "systems", "compiler", "network", or "database" in the title. complex theory and simple systems knowing the tradition from which a researcher comes provides the basis for a well-aimed insult. theorists favor sophistication like mathematicians, theorists in computer science take the greatest pride in knowing and using the most sophisticated mathematics to solve problems. for example, theorists will light up when telling you that they have discovered how an obscure theorem from geometry can be used in the analysis of a computer algorithm. theorists focus on mathematical analysis and the asymptotic behavior of computation; they take pride in the beauty of equations and don't worry about constants. although they usually imply that their results are relevant to real computers, they secretly dream about impressing mathematicians. experimentalists favor simplicity like engineers, systems researchers take pride in being able to invent the simplest system that offers a given level of functionality. for example, systems researchers will light up when telling you that they have constructed a system that is twice as fast, half the size, and more powerful than its predecessor. experimentalists focus on the performance of real computer systems; they take pride in the beauty of their code and worry about constants. although they usually imply that their results can extend beyond real computers, they secretly dream of filing patents that apply to extant hardware. the insult knowing that cs can be divided into two basic groups helps immensely when criticizing someone. there are two basic rules: identify the type of the researcher and issue an insult for that type. avoid saying anything that inadvertently compliments them. if performed well, an insult will not only stun the researcher (who will be shocked to learn that not everyone agrees with his or her basic value system), but will also intimidate others in the audience. identifying a type identifying the type of a researcher is usually easy and does not require a strong technical background or real thinking. it can be done using keyword matching according to the following lists. detecting theory you can tell someone is a theorist because they slip one or more of the following keywords and phrases into lectures and technical conversations: "theorem", "lemma", "proof", "axiom", "polynomial time", "logarithmic", "semantics", "numerical", "complexity", "nondeterministic" or "nondeterminism", and "for large enough n". they write lots of equations, brag about knocking off the "extra log factor", and often end their lecture with an uppercase "o" followed by a mathematical expression enclosed in parentheses. you can also recognize a theorist because they take forever to prove something that may seem quite obvious. (i once sat through an hour lecture where someone proved that after a computer executed an assignment statement that put the integer 1 into variable x, the value in x was 1.) detecting systems an experimentalist will slip one or more of the following keywords and phrases into lectures and technical conversations: "architecture," "memory," "cpu" (sometimes abbreviated "cisc" or "risc"), "i/o" or "bus", "network", "interface", "virtual", "compile" or "compiler", "os" or "system", "distributed", "program" or "code", and "binary". they talk about building programs and running the resulting system on real computer systems. they refer to companies and products, and use acronyms liberally. their lectures often end with a graph or chart of measured system performance. you can also recognize an experimentalist because they describe in excruciating detail how they set up an experiment to measure a certain value even if the measurement produced exactly the expected results. (i once sat through an hour lecture where someone carefully explained how they used three computer systems to measure network traffic, when their whole point was simply to show that the network was not the cause of the problem they were investigating.) forming an insult the key to a good insult lies in attacking whatever the researcher holds most dear and avoiding whatever the researcher does not care about. thus, an insult lobbed at a theorist should focus on lack of sophisticated mathematics such as the following: despite all the equations, it seems to me that your work didn't require any real mathematical sophistication. did i miss something? (this is an especially good ploy if you observe others struggling to understand the talk because they will not want to admit to that after you imply it was easy.) isn't this just a straightforward extension of an old result by hartmanis? (not even hartmanis remembers all the theorems hartmanis proved, but everyone else will assume you remember something they have forgotten.) am i missing something here? can you identify any deep mathematical content in this work? (once again, audience members who found the talk difficult to understand will be unwilling to admit it.) wasn't all this done years ago at xerox parc? (no one remembers what was really done at parc, but everyone else will assume you remember something they don't.) have you tested this on the chip intel got running last week in their lab? (no one knows what chip intel got running last week, but everyone will assume you do.) am i missing something? isn't it obvious that there's a bottleneck in the system that prevents scaling to arbitrary size? (this is safe because there's a bottleneck in every system that prevents arbitrary scaling.) how to avoid having an insult backfire on you a misplaced insult can backfire, turning into an embarrassment for the attacker and a victory for the intended attackee. to avoid such occurrences, remember the following: never attempt to attack theoretical work as not considering constants, as unrelated to real computer systems, or as requiring too much sophisticated mathematics. (the intended victim is likely to smile and thank you for the flattery.) never attempt to attack a system as too small, too simple, or as lacking sophisticated mathematics (again, the intended victim is likely to smile and thank you for the flattery.) never attempt to attack systems work simply by saying that it's so simple and obvious that you could have done it. (for years, people said that about unix and the tcp/ip protocols.) in fact, this is merely an extension of a ploy used by children on a playground: "oh yeah? i could have done that if i wanted to." don't try using it or someone will tell you to grow up. attacking crossover work although rare, a few researchers include both theoretical and experimental work in the same project. insulting such combinations can be tricky because a researcher can escape unscathed by pointing to one part of their work or the other as the answer. you can try to attack both parts simultaneously: i note that the systems aspect of this project seems quite complex. do you think the cause of the convoluted implementation can be attributed to the more-or-less "simplistic" mathematical analysis you used? i notice that you did something unusual by combining both theory and experiment. did you decide to try a second approach because you had insufficient results from the first? you seem to have a little theory and a little experimental work combined into one project. isn't it true that if you had a sufficiently strong contribution in one or the other you would have lectured about them separately? a final plea i certainly hope faculty will take this essay to heart and sharpen their insulting skills. in the future please make all your thrusts count. translations: a translation of this essay into belorusian can be found at http://partsopen.com/blog/?p=56 a translation of this essay into bosnian can be found at http://the-sciences.com/2017/01/26/kako-kritikuju-informaticara-ili-izbjegavanje-neefikasan-amortizacije-i-cineci-uvrede-vise-siljatim/ a translation of this essay into czech can be found at http://scientificachievements.com/jak-kritizovat-vedce-v-oblasti-pocitacu-nebo-vyhybani-se-neucinnym-odpisum-a-ujistete-se/ a translation of this essay into estonian can be found at http://www.autoteileprofi.ch/blog/2017/02/09/kuidas-kritiseerida-arvuti-teadlased-voi-valtida-ebaefektiivne-taunimine-ja-tegemist-solvanguid-rohkem-pikad/ a translation of this essay into french can be found at http://www.teilestore.de/edu/?p=10122 a translation of this essay into finnish can be found at http://mysciencefeel.com/2017/01/31/miten-arvostella-tietojenkasittelyasiantuntijat-tai-valttaminen-tehoton-poistot-ja-tehden-loukkaukset-lisaa-terava/ a translation of this essay into georgian can be found at http://animalia-life.com/articles/essaycriticize.html a translation of this essay into german can be found at https://www.akkuschraubercheck.de/wie-man-informatiker-kritisiert/ a translation of this essay into hungarian can be found at http://sc-journal.com/hogyan-kritizalni-szamitogepes-szakemberek-vagy-elkerulve-hatastalan-ertekcsokkenes-es-tesz-serto-hegyesebb/ a translation of this essay into kazakh can be found at http://13motors.com/myblog/essaycriticize/ a translation of this essay into latvian can be found at https://www.espertoautoricambi.it/science/2017/05/15/ka-kritizet-datoru-zinatnieki-vai-izvairoties-no-neefektivas-protests-un-pienemsanas-apvainojumiem-konkretaks/ a translation of this essay into macedonian can be found at http://sciencevobe.com/2016/09/26/httpswww-cs-purdue-eduhomesdecessay-criticize-html/ a translation of this essay into polish can be found at http://www.pkwteile.de/wissen/jak-krytykowac-informatykow-lub-unikanie-nieskuteczne-amortyzacyjne-oraz-dokonywanie-obelgi-wiecej-wskazal a translation of this essay into portuguese can be found at https://www.homeyou.com/~edu/como-criticar-cientistas a translation of this essay into russian can be found at http://www.couponmachine.in/socialwork/essay-criticize/ a second translation of this essay into russian can be found at http://clipart-library.com/essay-criticize.html a translation of this essay into serbian can be found at https://www.lawmix.ru/blog/2017/06/13/how-to-criticize-computer-scientists/ a translation of this essay into slovenian can be found at http://dreamicus.com/blog/essay-criticize.html a translation of this essay into slovak can be found at http://elelur.com/essay-criticize/ a translation of this essay into spanish can be found at http://expereb.com/como-criticar-los-informaticos-o-evitar-ineficaz-deprecation-y-la-toma-de-insultos-mas-puntiaguda/ a translation of this essay into swedish can be found at http://masivy.com/essay-criticize.html two translations of this essay into tamil can be found at http://www.ftxs8.com/essay-criticize.html/ and http://kntuniversity.org/how-to-criticize-computer-scientists/ a translation of this essay into ukranian can be found at http://softdroid.net/yak-do-kritikuvati-ua

0 flɛrz 0 flɛrz ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ ðə ˈwɛndi ˈdeɪvɪs kæmˈpeɪn riˈlist ɪts ˈleɪtəst ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən æd, ˈtaɪtəld wɛnt by,”*,” wɪʧ ˈhaɪˌlaɪts jɛt əˈnəðər ˈɪnstəns əv grɛg ˈæbət ˈfeɪlɪŋ tɪ prəˈtɛkt ˈsɛkʃuəl əˈsɔlt ˈvɪktɪmz. ðə æd ˈfoʊkɪsɪz ɔn ðə 13 ˈkeɪsɪz əv ˈsɛkʃuəl əˈbjuz ðət əˈkərd æt wɛst ˈtɛksəs steɪt skul, wɪʧ ˈprɑmptɪd ə ˈtɛksəs ˈreɪnʤər tɪ ˈkɑnˌtækt ðə əˈtərni ˈɔfəs fər əˈsɪstəns wɪθ ə ˈlægɪŋ ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən. bət əˈtərni ˈʤɛnərəl grɛg ˈæbət ˌɪgˈnɔrd ðə kleɪmz fər ˈɔlˌmoʊst ə jɪr waɪl 16 əˈdɪʃənəl ˈɪnsədənts əv əˈbjuz tʊk pleɪs. ˈæbət həz ˈpruvən ˈoʊvər ənd ˈoʊvər ðət prəˈtɛktɪŋ ənd səˈpɔrtɪŋ sərˈvaɪvərz əv ˈsɛkʃuəl əˈsɔlt ɪz nɑt ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt tɪ ɪm ər hɪz campaign,”*,” ˌɪˈvɑn guˈtjɛrɛz, ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv dɪˈrɛktər əv plænd ˈpɛrənˌthʊd ˈtɛksəs voʊts, sɛd ɪn ə ˈsteɪtmənt. əv ˈsɛkʃuəl əˈsɔlt, ənd ɔl ˈtɛksənz, dɪˈzərv ˈbɛtər frəm ɑr pəˈlɪtɪkəl leaders.”*.” bɪtˈwin 2003 ənd 2005 ædˈmɪnɪˌstreɪtərz æt wɛst ˈtɛksəs steɪt skul əˈbjuzd æt list sɪks juθs hu wər ˌɪnˈkɑrsərˌeɪtɪd æt ðə taɪm. ˈæftər ðə ˈloʊkəl əˈbjuz ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən ˈlæŋgwɪʃt, ˈtɛksəs ˈreɪnʤər ˈsɑrʤənt. braɪən bərˈzɪnski ˈkɑnˌtæktɪd ðə əˈtərni ˈɔfəs tɪ æsk fər səˈpɔrt. bərˈzɪnski roʊt ðət ðə wɔrd ˈkaʊnti ˈdɪstrɪkt əˈtərni wɑz ə wik prosecutor”*” hu wɑz nɑt əˈgrɛsɪvli ˈsikɪŋ ˈʤəstɪs fər ðə əˈbjuz sərˈvaɪvərz. ˌnənðəˈlɛs, ðə əˈtərni ˈɔfəs rɪfˈjuzd tɪ stɛp ɪn bɪˈkəz ðə ˈdiˈeɪ wɑz nɑt ˈpərsənəli rɪkˈwɛstɪŋ əˈsɪstəns. wɪn ðə ˈprɑsɪˌkjutər ˈfaɪnəli rɪkˈwɛstɪd grɛg əˈsɪstəns, ɪt wɑz ˈilɛvən mənθs æt list 16 əˈdɪʃənəl ˈkeɪsɪz əv əˈbjuz ər nɪˈglɛkt hæd əˈkərd. bɪtˈwin ˈfɛbruˌɛri 2006 wɪn ˈsɑrʤənt. bərˈzɪnski iˈmeɪld ðə əˈtərni ˈɔfəs, ənd ˈʤænjuˌɛri 2007 wɪn ðə ˈɔfəs gɑt ˌɪnˈvɑlvd, juθ æt ðə wɛst ˈtɛksəs steɪt skul ˌriˈpɔrtəd tu ˈkeɪsɪz əv əˈsɔlt, wən keɪs əv ɪkˈsɛsɪv fɔrs, stæf ˈsɛkʃuəl ˈkɑnˌtækt, ənd ən ˌɪnəˈproʊpriɪt riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp. wəns əˈgɛn, grɛg ˈæbət lʊkt ðə ˈəðər weɪ ənd ˈtɛksənz ˈsəfərd. wɔʧ ðə æd hir: ˈnætəli frəm @nsanluis*.

0 flares filament.io 0 flares × yesterday the wendy davis campaign released its latest tv ad, titled “time went by,” which highlights yet another instance of greg abbott failing to protect sexual assault victims. the ad focuses on the 13 cases of sexual abuse that occurred at west texas state school, which prompted a texas ranger to contact the attorney general’s office for assistance with a lagging investigation. but attorney general greg abbott ignored the ranger’s claims for almost a year while 16 additional incidents of abuse took place. “greg abbott has proven over and over that protecting and supporting survivors of sexual assault is not important to him or his campaign,” yvonne gutierrez, executive director of planned parenthood texas votes, said in a statement. “survivors of sexual assault, and all texans, deserve better from our political leaders.” between 2003 and 2005, administrators at west texas state school abused at least six youths who were incarcerated at the time. after the local abuse investigation languished, texas ranger sgt. brian burzynski contacted the attorney general’s office to ask for support. burzynski wrote that the ward county district attorney was a “very weak prosecutor” who was not aggressively seeking justice for the abuse survivors. nonetheless, the attorney general’s office refused to step in because the da was not personally requesting assistance. when the prosecutor finally requested greg abbott’s assistance, it was eleven months later—and at least 16 additional cases of abuse or neglect had occurred. between february 2006, when sgt. burzynski emailed the attorney general’s office, and january 2007, when the office got involved, youth at the west texas state school reported two cases of assault, one case of excessive force, staff sexual contact, and an inappropriate relationship. once again, greg abbott looked the other way and texans suffered. watch the ad here: natalie tweets from @nsanluis.

braɪənz sɔŋ ɪz ə 1971 ˈeɪˌbiˌsi ˈmuvi əv ðə wik ðət ˌriˈkaʊnts ðə ˈditeɪlz əv ðə laɪf əv braɪən ˈpɪkəˌloʊ (pleɪd baɪ ʤeɪmz kɑn), ə ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ bɛrz ˈfʊtˌbɔl pleɪər ˈstrɪkən wɪθ ˈtərmənəl ˈkænsər ˈæftər ˈtərnɪŋ proʊ ɪn 1965 toʊld θru hɪz ˈfrɛndʃɪp wɪθ bɛrz ˈtiˌmeɪt geɪl seɪərz (ˈbɪli di ˈwɪljəmz). ənd ˈʃɑrpli ˈdɪfərɪŋ ˈtɛmpərmənts ənd ˈreɪʃəl ˈbækˌgraʊndz meɪd ðɛm ənˈlaɪkli tɪ bɪˈkəm ɛz kloʊz frɛndz ɛz ðeɪ dɪd, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ bɪˈkəmɪŋ ðə fərst ˌɪntərˈreɪʃəl ˈruˌmeɪts ɪn ðə ˈhɪstəri əv ðə ˈnæʃənəl ˈfʊtˌbɔl lig, ənd ðə fɪlm ˈkrɑnɪkəlz ðə ˌɛvəˈluʃən əv ðɛr ˈfrɛndʃɪp, ˈɛndɪŋ wɪθ dɛθ ɪn ðə pərˈdəkʃən wɑz səʧ ə səkˈsɛs ɔn ˈeɪˌbiˌsi ðət ɪt wɑz ˈleɪtər ʃoʊn ɪn ˈθiətərz baɪ kəˈləmbiə wɪθ ə ˈmeɪʤər prɛˈmɪr ɪn ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ; ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ɪt wɑz sun wɪθˈdrɔn du tɪ ə læk əv ˈkrɪtɪks hæv kɔld ðə ˈmuvi wən əv ðə ˈfaɪnəst ˈɛvər ə 2005 ˈridərz poʊl ˈteɪkən baɪ ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt ˈwikli ræŋkt 'braɪənz sɔŋ' ˈsɛvənθ ɪn ɪts lɪst əv ðə tɔp "guy-cry*" fɪlmz ˈɛvər meɪd. ðə ˈmuvi ɪz beɪst ɔn seɪərz' əˈkaʊnt əv hɪz ˈfrɛndʃɪp wɪθ ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ənd ˈkoʊpɪŋ wɪθ ˈɪlnəs ɪn seɪərz' ˌɔtəbaɪˈɑgrəfi, aɪ æm ðə fɪlm wɑz ˈrɪtən baɪ ˈvɛtərən ˈskrinˌraɪtər ˈwɪljəm huz skrɪpt, wən ˈdæləs ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən ˈkrɪtɪk kɔld, "ˈhaɪli riˈstreɪnd, ˈstɪrɪŋ klɪr əv ˈɛni ˈoʊvərt ˌsɛnəmɛnˈtælɪti [jɛt kənˈveɪɪŋ] ðə ˈʤɛnjuˌaɪn əˈfɛkʃən ðə tu mɛn fɛlt soʊ ˈdipli fər iʧ ˌɔlˈðoʊ beɪst ɔn ə tru ˈstɔri, ðə fɪlm dɪd ˌɪnˈklud səm ˈfɪkʃənəl sinz. wən ɪgˈzæmpəl wɑz wɪn ʤɔrʤ ˈhɑləz (pleɪd baɪ ʤæk ˈwɔrdən) toʊld geɪl seɪərz ðət hi ˈwɔntɪd tɪ bɛnʧ braɪən ˈpɪkəˌloʊ wɪn hi səˈspɛktɪd ðət ðɛr meɪ bi ə ˈprɑbləm əˈfɛktɪŋ hɪz pərˈfɔrməns. hi ˈleɪtər ˈlərnɪd əv braɪənz ˈkænsər. ɪn ˌriˈæləˌti, ʤɪm ˈduli wɑz ðə hɛd koʊʧ æt ðət taɪm, ɛz ˈhɑləz hæd rɪˈtaɪrd frəm ðə pəˈzɪʃən ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ðə 1967 ˈsizən. plɑt ˈɛdət ðə ˈmuvi bɪˈgɪnz ɛz ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ bɛrz ˈrʊki ˈrənɪŋ bæk geɪl seɪərz (ˈwɪljəmz) əraɪvz æt tim ˈpræktɪs ɛz ən ˈɛrənt pənt ɪz sɛnt tɪ seɪərz. ˈfɛloʊ ˈrʊki ˈrənɪŋ braɪən ˈpɪkəˌloʊ (kɑn) goʊz tɪ rɪˈtriv ðə bɔl, ənd seɪərz flɪps ɪt tɪ ɪm. ˌbiˈfɔr seɪərz mits wɪθ koʊʧ ʤɔrʤ ˈhɑləz (ʤæk ˈwɔrdən) ɪn hɪz ˈɔfəs, ˈpɪkəˌloʊ tɛlz ɪm ɛz ə præŋk ðət ˈhɑləz həz ə ˈhirɪŋ ˈprɑbləm, ənd seɪərz ækts ˈstreɪnʤli æt ðə ˈmitɪŋ. seɪərz præŋks ɪm bæk baɪ ˈpleɪsɪŋ mæʃt pəˈteɪtoʊz ɔn hɪz sit waɪl ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ɪz ˈsɪŋɪŋ hɪz ˈɑlmə faɪt sɔŋ. ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈpræktɪs, ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ˈstrəgəlz waɪl seɪərz ʃaɪnz. seɪərz ənd ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ər pleɪst ɛz ˈruˌmeɪts, ə ˈrɛrɪti ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈreɪʃəl straɪf æt ðə taɪm. ðɛr ˈfrɛndʃɪp ˈflərɪʃɪz, ɪn ˈfʊtˌbɔl ənd ɪn laɪf, kˈwɪkli ɪkˈstɛndɪŋ tɪ ðɛr waɪvz, ʤɔɪ ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ənd ˈlɪndə seɪərz. seɪərz kˈwɪkli bɪˈkəmz ə ˈstænˌdaʊt pleɪər, bət hi ˈɪnʤərz hɪz ni ɪn ə geɪm əˈgɛnst ðə sæn frænˈsɪskoʊ 49ers*. tɪ eɪd ɪn seɪərz' rɪˈkəvəri, ˈpɪkəˌloʊ brɪŋz ə weɪt məˈʃin tɪ hɪz haʊs. ɪn seɪərz' pleɪs, ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ˈrəʃɪz fər 160 jɑrdz ɪn ə wɪn ˈoʊvər ðə lɔs ˈænʤəlɪs ræmz ənd ɪz ˈgɪvɪn ðə geɪm bɔl. ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ˈʧælənʤɪz seɪərz tɪ ə reɪs əˈkrɔs ðə pɑrk, wɛr seɪərz ˈstəmbəlz bət wɪnz. ˈpɪkəˌloʊ wɪnz ðə ˈstɑrtɪŋ ˈfʊlˌbæk pəˈzɪʃən, ˈminɪŋ boʊθ hi ənd seɪərz wɪl naʊ bi ɔn ðə fild təˈgɛðər, ənd boʊθ ɪkˈsɛl ɪn ðɛr roʊlz. ˈpɪkəˌloʊ stɑrts tɪ luz weɪt ənd hɪz pərˈfɔrməns dɪˈklaɪnz, soʊ hi ɪz sɛnt tɪ ə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl fər ə ˌdaɪəgˈnoʊsəs. sun ˈæftər, ˈhɑləz tɛlz seɪərz ðət ˈpɪkəˌloʊ həz ˈkænsər ənd wɪl hæv pɑrt əv ə ləŋ riˈmuvd. ɪn ən ˈiˌmoʊʃənəl spiʧ tɪ hɪz ˈtimˌmeɪts, seɪərz steɪts ðət ðeɪ wɪl wɪn ðə geɪm fər ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ənd gɪv ɪm ðə geɪm bɔl. wɪn ðə pleɪərz ˈleɪtər ˈvɪzɪt ðə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl, ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ˈtizɪz ðɛm əˈbaʊt ˈluzɪŋ ðə geɪm, ˈlæfɪŋ ðət ðə laɪn ɪn ðə oʊld ˈmuvi luz wən fər ðə ˈgɪpər." ˈæftər ə geɪm əˈgɛnst ðə st*. luɪs ˈkɑrdɪnəlz, seɪərz ˈvɪzɪts ʤɔɪ, hu rɪˈvilz ðət ˈpɪkəˌloʊ həz tɪ hæv əˈnəðər ˈsərʤəri fər hɪz ˈtumər. ˈæftər hi ɪz əˈwɔrdɪd ðə "ʤɔrʤ ɛs. ˈhɑləz moʊst kərˈeɪʤəs pleɪər əˈwɔrd", seɪərz ˈdɛdɪˌkeɪts hɪz əˈwɔrd tɪ ˈpɪkəˌloʊ, ˈtɛlɪŋ ðə kraʊd ðət ðeɪ hæd səˈlɛktɪd ðə rɔŋ ˈpərsən fər ðə praɪz ənd seɪɪŋ, "aɪ ləv braɪən ˈpɪkəˌloʊ, ənd aɪd laɪk ɔl əv ju tɪ ləv ɪm, tu. ənd təˈnaɪt, wɪn ju hɪt jʊr niz, pliz æsk gɑd tɪ ləv ɪm." ɪn ə kɔl, seɪərz ˈmɛnʃənz ðət hi geɪv ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ə paɪnt əv bləd waɪl hi wɑz ɪn ˈkrɪtɪkəl kənˈdɪʃən. ˈpɪkəˌloʊ daɪz wɪθ hɪz waɪf baɪ hɪz saɪd. ðə ˈmuvi ɛndz wɪθ ə ˈflæʃˌbæk əv ˈpɪkəˌloʊ ənd seɪərz ˈrənɪŋ θru ðə pɑrk, waɪl ðə ˈnɛreɪtər sɪz ðət ˈpɪkəˌloʊ daɪd æt eɪʤ 26 ənd ɪz rɪˈmɛmbərd nɑt fər haʊ hi daɪd bət fər haʊ hi lɪvd. kæst ˈɛdət mˈjuzɪk ˈɛdət ðə mˈjuzɪkəl θim tɪ braɪənz sɔŋ, "ðə hænz əv taɪm", wɑz ə ˈpɑpjələr tun ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈərli ənd həz bɪˈkəm ə ðə mˈjuzɪk fər ðə fɪlm wɑz baɪ ˈmɪʧəl ˈlɛgrænd, wɪθ ˈlɪrɪks tɪ ðə sɔŋ baɪ ˈmɛrəlɪn ənd ˈælən ˈbərgmən. ˌɪnstrəˈmɛnəl ˈvərʒən əv ðə θim sɔŋ ˈʧɑrtɪd fər eɪt wiks ɪn 1972 ˈpikɪŋ æt noʊ. 56 ɔn ðə ˈbɪlˌbɔrd hɑt ˈnæʃvɪl ˈpiənɪst flɔɪd ˈkreɪmər pərˈfɔrmd ə ˈpɑpjələr ˈvərʒən əv "ðə hænz əv taɪm". rɪˈsɛpʃən ˈɛdət ðə fɪlm rɪˈsivd əˈkleɪm ənd ɪz ˈɔfən ˈsaɪtɪd ɛz wən əv ðə ˈgreɪtəst ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən fɪlmz ˈɛvər meɪd, ɛz wɛl ɛz wən əv ðə ˈgreɪtəst spɔrts fɪlmz. ɪt hoʊldz ə 92 "frɛʃ" skɔr ɔn ˈrɑtən təˈmɑtoʊz beɪst ɔn 12 ˈkrɪtɪks, wɪθ ə kənˈsɛnsəs ˈsteɪtɪŋ "buid baɪ ˈstænˌdaʊt pərˈfɔrmənsɪz frəm ʤeɪmz kɑn ənd ˈbɪli di ˈwɪljəmz, braɪənz sɔŋ ɪz ə ˈtəʧɪŋ teɪl əv ˈfrɛndʃɪp huz ˈsɛntrəl riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp ɪts ˈstændərd spɔrts ˈmuvi ˈmoʊmənts." ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən ˈkrɪtɪk mæt ˈzɑlər saɪts ɪn hɪz 2016 bʊk wɪθ ˈælən ˈtaɪtəld ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən (ðə bʊk) neɪmd braɪənz sɔŋ ɛz ðə fɪθ ˈgreɪtəst əˈmɛrɪkən əv ɔl taɪm, ˈsteɪtɪŋ ðət ðə fɪlm wɑz "ðə drəˈmætɪk ənd ˈiˌmoʊʃənəl ˈtɛmplət fər ə gʊd ˈnəmbər əv spɔrts fɪlmz ənd meɪl (ˈkætəˌgɔriz wɪʧ tɛnd tɪ ˈoʊvərˌlæp ə bɪt)", ɛz wɛl ɛz "ən ˌɪnfluˈɛnʃəl ˈərli ɪgˈzæmpəl əv ðə ˌɪntərˈreɪʃəl ˈbədi ˈækəˌleɪdz ˈɛdət ðə fɪlm wən ən ˈɛmi əˈwɔrd fər bɛst drəˈmætɪk ˈproʊˌgræm ˈwɪljəm blɪn wən ən ˈɛmi fər hɪz teleplay*, ənd ʤæk ˈwɔrdən wən fər hɪz pərˈfɔrməns ɛz koʊʧ ˈhɑləz. kɑn ənd ˈwɪljəmz wər boʊθ ˈnɑməˌneɪtəd fər bɛst ˈlidɪŋ ˈriˈmeɪk ˈɛdət ˈθərˌdi jɪrz ˈæftər ɪts ərˈɪʤənəl ˈɛrɪŋ, ə ˈriˈmeɪk wɑz ɛrd ɪn 2001 ɔn ˈeɪˌbiˌsiz ðə ˈwəndərfəl wərld əv ˈdɪzni ˈstɑrɪŋ ˈfaɪfər ɛz seɪərz ənd ʃɔn mɑr ɛz

brian's song is a 1971 abc movie of the week that recounts the details of the life of brian piccolo (played by james caan), a chicago bears football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro in 1965, told through his friendship with bears teammate gale sayers (billy dee williams). piccolo's and sayers's sharply differing temperaments and racial backgrounds made them unlikely to become as close friends as they did, including becoming the first interracial roommates in the history of the national football league, and the film chronicles the evolution of their friendship, ending with piccolo's death in 1970.[2] the production was such a success on abc that it was later shown in theaters by columbia pictures[3] with a major premiere in chicago; however, it was soon withdrawn due to a lack of business.[1] critics have called the movie one of the finest telefilms ever made.[1][4] a 2005 readers poll taken by entertainment weekly ranked 'brian's song' seventh in its list of the top "guy-cry" films ever made. the movie is based on sayers' account of his friendship with piccolo and coping with piccolo's illness in sayers' autobiography, i am third.[5] the film was written by veteran screenwriter william blinn,[6] whose script, one dallas television critic called, "highly restrained, steering clear of any overt sentimentality [yet conveying] the genuine affection the two men felt so deeply for each other."[4] although based on a true story, the film did include some fictional scenes. one example was when george halas (played by jack warden) told gale sayers that he wanted to bench brian piccolo when he suspected that there may be a problem affecting his performance. he later learned of brian's cancer. in reality, jim dooley was the head coach at that time, as halas had retired from the position following the 1967 season. plot [ edit ] the movie begins as chicago bears rookie running back gale sayers (williams) arrives at team practice as an errant punt is sent to sayers. fellow rookie running brian piccolo (caan) goes to retrieve the ball, and sayers flips it to him. before sayers meets with coach george halas (jack warden) in his office, piccolo tells him – as a prank – that halas has a hearing problem, and sayers acts strangely at the meeting. sayers pranks him back by placing mashed potatoes on his seat while piccolo is singing his alma mater's fight song. during practice, piccolo struggles while sayers shines. sayers and piccolo are placed as roommates, a rarity during the racial strife at the time. their friendship flourishes, in football and in life, quickly extending to their wives, joy piccolo and linda sayers. sayers quickly becomes a standout player, but he injures his knee in a game against the san francisco 49ers. to aid in sayers' recovery, piccolo brings a weight machine to his house. in sayers' place, piccolo rushes for 160 yards in a 17–16 win over the los angeles rams and is given the game ball. piccolo challenges sayers to a race across the park, where sayers stumbles but wins. piccolo wins the starting fullback position, meaning both he and sayers will now be on the field together, and both excel in their roles. piccolo starts to lose weight and his performance declines, so he is sent to a hospital for a diagnosis. soon after, halas tells sayers that piccolo has cancer and will have part of a lung removed. in an emotional speech to his teammates, sayers states that they will win the game for piccolo and give him the game ball. when the players later visit the hospital, piccolo teases them about losing the game, laughing that the line in the old movie wasn’t "let’s lose one for the gipper." after a game against the st. louis cardinals, sayers visits joy, who reveals that piccolo has to have another surgery for his tumor. after he is awarded the "george s. halas most courageous player award", sayers dedicates his award to piccolo, telling the crowd that they had selected the wrong person for the prize and saying, "i love brian piccolo, and i'd like all of you to love him, too. and tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask god to love him." in a call, sayers mentions that he gave piccolo a pint of blood while he was in critical condition. piccolo dies with his wife by his side. the movie ends with a flashback of piccolo and sayers running through the park, while the narrator says that piccolo died at age 26 and is remembered not for how he died but for how he lived. cast [ edit ] music [ edit ] the musical theme to brian's song, "the hands of time", was a popular tune during the early 1970s and has become a standard.[1] the music for the film was by michel legrand, with lyrics to the song by marilyn and alan bergman. legrand's instrumental version of the theme song charted for eight weeks in 1972, peaking at no. 56 on the billboard hot 100.[7] nashville pianist floyd cramer performed a popular version of "the hands of time". reception [ edit ] the film received acclaim and is often cited as one of the greatest television films ever made, as well as one of the greatest sports films. it holds a 92% "fresh" score on rotten tomatoes based on 12 critics, with a consensus stating "buoyed by standout performances from james caan and billy dee williams, brian's song is a touching tale of friendship whose central relationship transcendeds its standard sports movie moments." television critic matt zoller seitz in his 2016 book co-written with alan sepinwall titled tv (the book) named brian's song as the fifth greatest american tv-movie of all time, stating that the film was "the dramatic and emotional template for a good number of sports films and male weepies (categories which tend to overlap a bit)", as well as "an influential early example of the interracial buddy movie."[8] accolades [ edit ] the film won an emmy award for best dramatic program (1971–72). william blinn won an emmy for his teleplay, and jack warden won for his performance as coach halas. caan and williams were both nominated for best leading actor.[1] remake [ edit ] thirty years after its original airing, a remake was aired in 2001 on abc's the wonderful world of disney starring mekhi phifer as sayers and sean maher as piccolo.[10]

"bɛnt ˈdəbəl, laɪk oʊld ˈbɛgərz ˈəndər sæks, knock-kneed*, ˈkɑfɪŋ laɪk hags*, wi kərst θru sləʤ, tɪl ɔn ðə ˈhɔntɪŋ flɛrz wi tərnd ɑr bæks, ənd təˈwɔrdz ɑr ˈdɪstənt rɛst bɪˈgæn tɪ trəʤ. mɛn mɑrʧt əsˈlip. ˈmɛni hæd lɔst ðɛr buts, bət lɪmpt ɔn, blood-shod*. ɔl wɛnt leɪm, ɔl blaɪnd; drəŋk wɪθ fəˈtig; dɛf ˈivɪn tɪ ðə huts əv ˈdrɑpɪŋ ˈsɔftli bɪˈhaɪnd. gæs! gæs! kwɪk, bɔɪz! ən ˈɛkstəsi əv ˈfəmbəlɪŋ ˈfɪtɪŋ ðə ˈkləmzi ˈhɛlməts ʤɪst ɪn taɪm, bət ˈsəmˌwən stɪl wɑz ˈjɛlɪŋ aʊt ənd ˈstəmbəlɪŋ ənd laɪk ə mæn ɪn faɪər ər lime.—*.— dɪm θru ðə ˈmɪsti peɪnz ənd θɪk grin laɪt, ɛz ˈəndər ə grin si, aɪ sɔ ɪm ˈdraʊnɪŋ. ɪn ɔl maɪ drimz ˌbiˈfɔr maɪ ˈhɛlpləs saɪt hi ˈplənʤɪz æt mi, ˈgətərɪŋ, ˈʧoʊkɪŋ, ˈdraʊnɪŋ. ɪf ɪn səm sˈməðərɪŋ drimz, ju tu kʊd peɪs bɪˈhaɪnd ðə ˈwægən ðət wi fləŋ ɪm ɪn, ənd wɔʧ ðə waɪt aɪz ˈrɪθɪŋ ɪn hɪz feɪs, hɪz ˈhæŋɪŋ feɪs, laɪk ə ˈdɛvəlz sɪk əv sɪn, ɪf ju kʊd hir, æt ˈɛvəri ʤoʊlt, ðə bləd kəm frəm ðə ləŋz ˈbɪtər ɛz ðə əv vaɪl, ˌɪnˈkjʊrəbəl sɔrz ɔn ˈɪnəsənt təŋz, maɪ frɛnd, ju wʊd nɑt tɛl wɪθ səʧ haɪ zɛst tɪ ˈʧɪldrən ˈɑrdənt fər səm ˈdɛspərɪt ˈglɔri, ðə oʊld laɪ: dəls ɛt dɪˈkɔrəm ɛst, proʊ ˈmɔri." ˈwɪlfrɪd oʊən, 1917 ɛz ðə ˈsaɪləns groʊz ˈstɛdəli rɪˈpleɪsɪŋ ðə ˈrɛzənəns əv ˈθəndər dip ɪn ðə soʊl ˈkɑnʃəns stɪl rɪˈmeɪnz ˈhɔrər əˈməŋst ðə fleɪmz ˈæʃɪz kip ɔn ˈfɑlɪŋ aɪ kloʊz maɪ aɪz ənd ˈivɪn naʊ ðə ˈdɪstənt ˈmɛməri rɪˈmeɪnz əv ðə læst ləˈmɛnts tɪ bi pleɪd wɪn ˈkænənz feɪd... ˈsəmər, 1918 məd. ðə məd wɑz ˈɛvriˌwɛr, ˈɔlˌweɪz. ɪt ˈkəvərd ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ, ˈstɪkɪŋ tɪ buts ənd gləvz ənd ˈʃəvəlz, bɑrbd waɪər ənd oʊld ˈfeɪdɪd trench-coats*. ɪt ˈsəmˌhaʊ meɪd ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ wərs, ɛz ɪf ɪt wɑz ə ˈkɑnstənt riˈmaɪndər əv ðə ˈlɪvɪŋ hɛl ðeɪ wər stək ɪn. stək ɪn hɛl, stək ɪn məd. ənd ɪt wɑz koʊld tu, ə ˈkɑnstənt ˈbaɪtɪŋ koʊld ðət meɪd ˈɛvəri ækˈtɪvɪti ˈmɪzərəbəl. ˈsɑrʤənt ˈrubi roʊz əv ðə juz. ˈɑrmi saɪd, ˈwəndərɪŋ nɑt fər ðə fərst taɪm ʤɪst waɪ ɪn ðə hɛl ʃi hæd saɪnd əp wɪθ ðə ˈɑrmi. ʃi stʊd ɔn ðə lɪp əv ðə trɛnʧ, əˈʤəstɪd hər ˌaɪˈkɑnɪk ˈbroʊti ˈhɛlmət, ənd pɪrd aʊt ˈɪntu ðə lænd bɪtˈwin. ən ˈɛndləs si əv məd ənd ɪkˈsploʊdɪd tri stəmps. ðə skaɪ wɑz ˈoʊvərˌkæst ənd dɑrk greɪ; ʃi ˈhædənt sin ðə sən ɪn deɪz. ˈoʊnli ə fju ˈhənərd ˈmitərz ˈsɛpərˌeɪtɪd ðə trɛnʧ ʃi wɑz ɪn frəm ðə wən ˈɑpəzɪt ɪt, mænd baɪ ˈsoʊlʤərz əv ðə ˈʤərmən ˈɛmpaɪər. ʃi hæd bɪn ɪn ðət seɪm trɛnʧ ʤɪst ə fju deɪz əˈgoʊ. ðə ˈælaɪz wər ˈkɑnstəntli ˈluzɪŋ graʊnd, biɪŋ fɔrst tɪ riˈtrit frəm trɛnʧ tɪ trɛnʧ baɪ ðə mæst ˈʤərmən ˈɪnfəntri ˈrəʃɪz, baɪ ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ gæs əˈtæks ənd ɑrˈtɪləri bɑmˈbɑrdmənts. tɪ hər bæk wɑz ðə taʊn əv, ə ˈvaɪtəl ˈreɪlˌweɪ ˈʤəŋkʃən ðət ˈrutɪd səˈplaɪz tɪ frənt laɪnz ɔl ˈoʊvər ðə ˈwɛstərn frənt. ɪf fɛl, ɪt wʊd bi əˈnəðər neɪl ɪn ðə ˈkɔfɪn əv fræns. ˈpɛrɪs wɑz ˈoʊnli 140 ˈkɪləˌmitərz əˈweɪ, ənd ˈrumərz hæd bɪn goʊɪŋ əraʊnd ðə ˈtrɛnʧɪz ðət ðə ˈʤərmənz hæd dɪˈvɛləpt soʊ kɔld "ˈreɪlˌweɪ gənz," ˈmæsɪv ˈmaʊnɪd ˈpisɪz əv ɑrˈtɪləri ðət wʊd əˈpɛrəntli bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ ʃɛl ˈpɛrɪs ɪf ðeɪ kloʊzd tɪ wɪˈθɪn 100 ˈkɪləˌmitərz. rɪˈpɔrts ˈvɛrid əv kɔrs, səm seɪɪŋ ðeɪ hæd ə reɪnʤ əv əp tɪ waɪl səm goʊɪŋ soʊ fɑr ɛz tɪ kəmˈplitli dɪˈnaɪ ðɛr ɪgˈzɪstəns, dɪˈnaʊnsɪŋ ɪt ɛz ˌprɑpəˈgændə." ˌwəˈtɛvər ðə keɪs, ˈrubi nu ðeɪ ˈkʊdənt luz. ɪf ðeɪ lɔst, ðeɪ maɪt luz fræns, ənd ɪf ðeɪ lɔst fræns, ðeɪ maɪt luz ðə wɔr. ənd ðɛn ɔl ðiz əˈmɛrɪkən lɪvz lɔst wʊd min ˈnəθɪŋ æt ɔl. dɪˈrɛkt ˌɪntərˈvɛnʃən ɪn ðə greɪt wɔr wɑz ɔˈrɛdi ɪkˈstrimli ˌənˈpɑpjələr, bət ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈwɪlsən hæd ˈɔrdərd trups ˈoʊvər ˈɛniˌweɪ, ˈæftər ðə ˈɪnfəməs ˈzɪmərmən ˈtɛləˌgræf. ˈrubi hæd ə ˈsɪmpəl ðɛn, ˈikɪŋ aʊt ən ɪgˈzɪstəns wɪθ hər ˈsɪstər, jæŋ ʒaʊ lɔŋ, ɔn ə smɔl plɑt əv lænd ɪn ˈaɪəwə. ðɛr ˈməðər, ˈsəmər roʊz, hæd daɪd əv ˈtaɪfɔɪd ˈfivər ə fju jɪrz ˌbiˈfɔr ðə wɔr hæd ˈivɪn ˈstɑrtɪd, ənd ðɛr ˈfɑðər, ə ʧaɪˈniz ˈɪməgrənt neɪmd ju ʒaʊ lɔŋ hæd daɪd ˈivɪn ˌbiˈfɔr ðət. ˈsəmər hæd ˈnɛvər toʊld hər ðə hoʊl ˈstɔri, bət ˈrubi səˈspɛktɪd hi ˈhædənt bɪn kɪld ɪn ə ˈsɪmpəl ˌɔtəmoʊˈbil ˈæksədənt. nɑt wɪθ ɔl ðə ˈheɪtfəl stɛrz ʃi əˈtræktəd waɪl ɪn taʊn. ˈrubi ˌəndərˈstʊd ðət ˈɪməgrənts, ənd əˈspɛʃəli ðə ʧaɪˈniz wənz, wərənt ɪgˈzæktli well-liked*, bət ˈkɪlɪŋ ˈsəmˌwən ˈsɪmpli bɪˈkəz ðɛr skɪn wɑz ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈkələr? ʃi wʊd ˈnɛvər ˌəndərˈstænd ðət. ʃi dɪd, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ˌəndərˈstænd ˈkɪlɪŋ fər ə kɔz. wɪn ðə ˈzɪmərmən ˈtɛləˌgræf hæd bɪn riˈlist tɪ ðə ˈpəblɪk, jæŋ hæd bɪn fˈjʊriəs. "haʊ dɛr ðeɪ!" ʃi hæd ˈʃaʊtɪd. "waɪ aɪl, aɪl tɪr ðɛm əˈpɑrt wɪθ maɪ oʊn tu hænz!" wɪn ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈwɪlsən ənd ˈkɑŋgrəs hæd dɪˈklɛrd wɔr ɔn ˈʤərməni ənd ɪts ˈælaɪz, noʊn ɛz ðə ˈæksəs paʊərz, jæŋ hæd bɪn wən əv ðə fərst tɪ saɪn əp wɪθ ðə ˈɑrmi. ʃi hæd sɛd ɪt wɑz bɪˈkəz əv haʊ ˈæŋgri ʃi wɑz, ənd ðət ðə ˈpipəl ðət wər daɪɪŋ ˈoʊvər ɪn ˈjʊrəp ˈnidɪd ðɛr hɛlp. ʃi ˈdɪdənt seɪ ðət ɪt wɑz bɪˈkəz ðə fɑrm wɑz ˈfeɪlɪŋ, ənd ðət ðeɪ ˈnidɪd ðə ˈməni ðə ˈɑrmi wʊd gɪv ðɛm. soʊ ʃi hæd lɛft ɔn ə treɪn baʊnd fər ˈjʊrəp, ˈlivɪŋ ə kənfˈjuzd oʊld gərl ˈstændɪŋ æt ðə treɪn ˈsteɪʃən. ˈrubiz ˈneɪbərz hæd ˈprɑməst tɪ teɪk kɛr əv hər, bət ʃi ˈdɪdənt wɔnt ðət. ʃi ˈdɪdənt wɔnt tɪ bi əˈloʊn əˈgɛn, lɛft ɪn ðə dəst waɪl hər ˈsɪstər wɛnt ɔf tɪ wɔr. jæŋ hæd ˈɔlˌweɪz kɛrd fər ˈrubi, bət ʃi hæd ə bæd ˈhæbət əv ˈluzɪŋ hər ˈtɛmpər. ˈrubi rɪˈmɛmbərd ˈkəmɪŋ hoʊm frəm skul ˈkaʊntləs taɪmz, kraɪɪŋ ər wɪθ ə bruz, ˈoʊnli tɪ hæv jæŋ faɪnd aʊt hu ðə əˈfɛndɪŋ ˈpɑrti hæd bɪn ənd ɪˈnækt hər oʊn brænd əv ˈvɛnʤəns. ðə blɑnd gərlz ˈnəkəlz wər ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈblədi wɪn ʃi ˈfaɪnəli keɪm hoʊm. ðɪs taɪm, ˈrubi swɔr, ʃi ˈwʊdənt bi lɛft ɪn ðə dəst. ʃi wʊd faɪt tu. ənd soʊ ʃi hæd saɪnd əp ənd lɛft fər ðə ˈwɛstərn frənt; ðə ˈɑrmi wɑz ˈteɪkɪŋ ˈɛniˌwən ənd ˈɛvriˌwən. ðət hæd bɪn ˈɔlˌmoʊst ə jɪr əˈgoʊ, ənd ðə 18 fɑrm gərl frəm ˈaɪəwə hæd groʊn əp fæst. ʃi hæd kˈwɪkli ərnd ə ˌrɛpjəˈteɪʃən ɛz ən ˌɪmˈpɛkəbəl ˈmɑrksmən; ʃi kʊd ʃut ðə ɔf əv ə ˈʤərmən æt 1000 jɑrdz. ˈrubi hæd ˈrɪzən ˈræpədli θru ðə ræŋks, ɛz mɛn ənd ˈwɪmən hæd ˈfɑlən əraʊnd hər. ʃi wɑz ə sərˈvaɪvər. ʃi rɪˈmɛmbərd ˈkɛriɪŋ hər ˈpriviəs skwɑd ˈlidər aʊt əv lænd, ðə ˈkrɪmzən ˈpɔrɪŋ frəm hɪz wundz ˈsteɪnɪŋ hər hɛr ənd ˈjunəˌfɔrm. hi ˈhædənt lɪvd, ənd ðə tɪps əv hər ʃɔrt hɛr wər stɪl steɪnd blood-red*. noʊ wən kʊd ɪkˈspleɪn ðə fəˈnɑməˌnɑn. ˈrubi ˈkɛrid ɪt ɛz ə bæʤ əv ˈɑnər ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ənd ʃi hæd əˈsumd hɪz roʊl ɛz skwɑd ˈlidər ənd ˈteɪkən kəˈmænd əv ðə smɔl skwɑd. ˈsɛvən mɛn, θri ˈwɪmən. ðət hæd bɪn θri deɪz əˈgoʊ. θri deɪz sɪns ðə læst ˈʤərmən əˈsɔlt. naʊ ʃi wɑz daʊn tɪ fɔr mɛn ənd tu ˈwɪmən. ɑrk, ə frɛnʧ ˈɪməgrənt bɔɪ frəm ˌmɪnɪˈsoʊtə. hi wɑz ə kaʊərd, ənd ʃi ˈɔfən faʊnd ɪm kraɪɪŋ æt naɪt. laɪ rɛn, əˈnəðər ʧaɪˈniz ˈɪməgrənt laɪk hərˈsɛlf. hi wɑz ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈsaɪlənt, ənd ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈnɛvər spoʊk. ˈkɑrdɪn ˈwɪnˌʧɛstər, ə ˈfɔrmər ˈfʊtˌbɔl pleɪər frəm ˈbɔstən. hi wɑz ə ˌstɛrioʊˈtɪpɪkəl ˈhaɪˌskul ˈbʊli, hu meɪd laɪf hɑrd fər ɔl ðoʊz əraʊnd ɪm. sən, ə streɪnʤ bɔɪ wɪθ ə ˈpɛnʧənt fər ˈstilɪŋ frəm ðə dɛd. ˈrubi sɔ ðət ɛz ˈmɔrəli rɔŋ, ənd ˈrɛprəˌmændɪd ɪm fər ɪt ˈkɑnstəntli. ðə tu ˈwɪmən lɛft wər ˈnɔrə ˌvælˈkiˌriə ənd nikos*. ˈnɔrə wɑz ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈdɛfənətli ˈklɪnɪkəli ˌɪnˈseɪn, ʃi wʊd ˈɔfən bi sin ˈgɪgəlɪŋ ənd ˈlæfɪŋ waɪl ʃi hər ˈɛnəmiz ˈoʊvər ənd ˈoʊvər, lɔŋ ˈæftər ðeɪ wər dɛd. ðə ˈmɛdɪks ˈdɪdənt kɛr, ˈɛniˌwən hu kʊd juz ə ˈraɪfəl wʊd sərv. wɑz ðə wən ˈrubi laɪkt moʊst aʊt əv ðə skwɑd, ʃi wɑz ə ˈkɑmpətɪnt ənd ˈkɛrɪŋ hu traɪd tɪ lʊk aʊt fər ɛz məʧ ɛz ʃi kʊd. nikos*... ðə ˈoʊnli wən ɪn maɪ ɪnˈtaɪər skwɑd hu ˈɪzənt fəkt əp. haʊ ʃi ˈmænɪʤɪz tɪ steɪ seɪn, aɪ hæv noʊ aɪˈdiə," ˈrubi θɔt. ðə bruˈnɛt hæd hər oʊn weɪ əv steɪɪŋ seɪn, bət noʊ wən nu əˈbaʊt ɪt. "haʊ du ju du ɪt? haʊ kən ju bi soʊ kɑm ənd ˈhæpi, wɪn ˈɛvriˌwən ɛls əraʊnd ju həz ˈfɑlən əˈpɑrt?" æt ðət ˈmoʊmənt, ðə gərl ɪn kˈwɛʃən ˈklæmbərd əp nɛkst tɪ hər, ˈgeɪzɪŋ aʊt ˈoʊvər lænd wɪθ hər. "ˌæftərˈnun ˈsɑrʤənt roʊz." "ˌæftərˈnun nikos*. haʊz ðə skwɑd?" ˈrubi ˈfrikwɛntli juzd tɪ geɪʤ ðə steɪt əv hər skwɑd; ʃi stɪl ˈwəzənt ɪgˈzæktli ə ˈpipəl ˈpərsən, ənd pəˈzɛst ən ˌɪˈneɪt ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ əv wət ˈəðərz wər ˈfilɪŋ. "ðɛr faɪn. ə ˈlɪtəl ɔn ɛʤ ðoʊ, ɪts bɪn θri deɪz sɪns ðə læst əˈtæk. ɪts bɪn dɛd kwaɪət sɪns ðɛn, ənd ɪts ˈgɪtɪŋ tɪ ðɛm." ˈrubi əˈʤəstɪd hər ˈhɛlmət, ˈstɛrɪŋ æt ɪn ˌdɪsbɪˈlif. "ðɛr əˈfreɪd bɪˈkəz wɪr nɑt ˈəndər əˈtæk fər wəns? ðə ɑrˈtɪləri həz ˈivɪn bɪn ˈsaɪlənt, ənd aɪl kaʊnt ˈɛvəri aʊər ɪts nɑt ˈfaɪərrɪŋ ɛz ə ˈblɛsɪŋ." "tru. bət ˈivɪn soʊ ðə kwaɪət ɪz... əˈnərvɪŋ. frɪts həz tɪ bi ˈplænɪŋ ˈsəmθɪŋ." "ˈdɛfənətli. bət ənˈtɪl ðə stɔrm breɪks, aɪl ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ ðə kwaɪət. seɪ, hæv ju hərd ˈɛniˌθɪŋ frəm ðə?" "noʊ, aɪ doʊnt bɪˈliv soʊ. aɪ ˌɪˈmæʤən ðə ˈfaɪtɪŋ ɪz stɪl ˈhɛvi ðoʊ. jʊr ˈsɪstər ɪz ðɛr, ˈɪzənt ʃi?" "mmhm*." ˈrubi ˈnɑdɪd. "ˈsərvɪŋ ˈəndər ə fərst ˈsɑrʤənt belladonna*, frəm wət aɪ hir. aɪ hoʊp ʃiz ˌoʊˈkeɪ, bət aɪ ˈprɑbəˌbli woʊnt noʊ ˈɛniˌθɪŋ ənˈtɪl ðɪs wɔr ɪz ˈoʊvər." "ju min ɪf ɪt ˈɛvər ɛndz ɪn ðə fərst pleɪs." "jæ..." ˈrubi saɪd. "hɪrz ˈhoʊpɪŋ. ðə brɪts stɪl ˈhoʊldɪŋ ɑr lɛft flæŋk?" "ɛz fɑr ɛz aɪ noʊ. ˈnəθɪŋ tɪ du naʊ bət weɪt." ə ˈkəmfərtəbəl ˈsaɪləns fɛl bɪtˈwin ðə tu ɛz ðeɪ geɪzd aʊt ˈoʊvər ðə fɔrˈseɪkən ˈweɪˌstlænd ɪn bɪtˈwin ðə ˈtrɛnʧɪz, ˈnəθɪŋ bət tri stəmps ənd məd. bət ɪf wən lʊkt ˈkloʊsli, lɪmz ənd ˈbɑdiz kʊd bi meɪd aʊt əˈməŋ ðə mək. ʃi ˈwəndərd ɪf ʃi nu ˈɛni əv ðɛm. "ˈɪnˌkəmɪŋ!" ʃi wɑz snæpt aʊt əv hər ˈrɛvəri baɪ mæst ˈwɪslɪŋ; ðə ˌənmɪˈsteɪkəbəl saʊnd əv ˈhənərdz əv ˌɪnˈbaʊnd ɑrˈtɪləri raʊnz. ʃi faʊnd hərˈsɛlf flaɪɪŋ ˈbækwərdz, hæd græbd hər ənd fləŋ boʊθ əv ðɛm daʊn ˈɪntu ðə trɛnʧ. mɛn ənd ˈwɪmən ɔl əraʊnd ðɛm ˈhədəld əˈgɛnst ðə wɔlz, ˈprɛsɪŋ ðɛmˈsɛlvz flæt ənd preɪɪŋ fər ðə raʊnz tɪ straɪk ˈɛniˌwɛr bət hir. ðə ˌɪmˈpækt əv ðə ʃɛlz ʃʊk ðə ərθ. ˈnɪrˈbaɪ ˌɪmˈpækts fləŋ məd ənd dəˈbri ˈɛvriˌwɛr. ˈrubi fɛlt hər boʊnz ˈvaɪbreɪt wɪθ iʧ ˌɪmˈpækt, ənd ʃi graʊnd hər tiθ təˈgɛðər ˈpeɪnfəli. ʃi ˈdɪdənt preɪ fər hərˈsɛlf. ʃi ˈoʊnli preɪd fər wən ˈpərsən. "pliz," ʃi hər bi ˌoʊˈkeɪ." ɪn ðə bæk əv hər maɪnd, ʃi ˈriəˌlaɪzd ðət ðɪs ˈwəzənt ʤɪst jʊr ˈævərɪʤ ˈɛvriˈdeɪ ɑrˈtɪləri bɑmˈbɑrdmənt, ɛz streɪnʤ ɛz ðət meɪ saʊnd. noʊ, ðɪs wɑz ɪkˈstrimli ˈhɛvi faɪər, ðə kaɪnd ðət ən ˈɪnfəntri əˈsɔlt. ðə saʊnd əv ðə ɪkˈsploʊʒənz ʧeɪnʤd, bɪˈkəmɪŋ lɛs rɔrz ənd mɔr sɔft crumps*. ʃi kˈwɪkli ˈriəˌlaɪzd wət ðət mɛnt. "gæs gæs gæs!" ʃi skrimd æt ðə tɔp əv hər ləŋz, waɪl ˈfəmbəlɪŋ fər hər mæsk. mɛn ənd ˈwɪmən əraʊnd hər ˈstəmbəld ənd ˈflaʊndərd ɪn ðə məd, səm θroʊn ɔf əv ðɛr fit baɪ ðə strɛŋθ əv ðə bɑmˈbɑrdmənt. ðeɪ ˈskræmbəld wɪθ ˈfræntɪk hænz, ˈdɛspərətli traɪɪŋ tɪ ˈæfɪks ðɛr mæsks ɪn taɪm ɛz ə peɪl ˈjɛloʊ mɪst bɪˈgæn tɪ sip ˈɪntu ðə trɛnʧ ənd pul æt ðə ˈbɑtəm. ˈrubi θæŋkt hər ˈləki stɑrz ðət ʃi hæd ˈgɔtən hərz ɔn ɪn taɪm, bət ɛz ʃi lʊkt æt ðə wərld θru ˈgɑgəlz, ʃi sɔ ðət ˈmɛni ˈəðərz hæd nɑt bɪn soʊ ˈləki. ə mæn nɛkst tɪ hər kraɪd aʊt ɪn ˈægəni ɛz hɪz skɪn ˈblɪstərd ənd hi bɪˈgæn tɪ ˈvɑmət. ɪt wɑz ə hɔˈrɪfɪk saɪt, ənd ˈrubi ˈsɪmpli tʊk ɪt ɪn wɪθ dɛd aɪz. ʃi hæd sin ə lɔt θruaʊt ðə pæst jɪr; ə mæn daɪɪŋ frəm ˈməstərd ˈpɔɪzənɪŋ wɑz ˈnəθɪŋ nu. wɪθ ðə ˈmɪksʧər əv spreɪɪŋ məd frəm ðə ɑrˈtɪləri, smɑg frəm ðə gæs, ðə dɪˈsɔriˌɛntɪŋ ˈifɛkt əv ðə gæs mæsk ˈlɛnzɪz, ənd ðə fækt ðət ˈɛvriˌwən lʊkt ðə seɪm waɪl ˈwɛrɪŋ wən, ˈrubi hæd noʊ weɪ tɪ tɛl hu wɑz hu ɪn ðə trɛnʧ. ˈɛvriˌwən wɑz ˈsɪmpli ə ˈbɑdi, ə ˈnəmbər, ə stəˈtɪstɪk. ðə mæn ˈflaʊndərɪŋ ənd ˈgæspɪŋ fər ɛr nɛkst tɪ hər kʊd bi ˈkɑrdɪn ˈwɪnˌʧɛstər, ər ʃi kʊd hæv ˈnɛvər mɛt ðə mæn ˌbiˈfɔr. ɛz səm ˈsoʊlʤərz wɪθ ðɛr mæsks əˈfɪkst bɪˈgæn ˈhɔlɪŋ ɔf ðə ˈrɪθɪŋ ˈbɑdiz əv ðɛr əˈflɪktɪd ˈkɑmˌrædz, ˈrubi ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzd ðə nid fər ˈækʃən. ˈæftər ɔl, ðɪs taɪp əv bɑmˈbɑrdmənt wɑz ə ʃʊr saɪn ðət ən əˈtæk wɑz ˈkəmɪŋ. ʃi græbd hər ˈsprɪŋˌfild sˈnaɪpər ˈraɪfəl, wɪʧ hæd ðə wərdz "ˈkrɛsənt roʊz" kɑrvd ˈɪntu ðə butt-stock*, ənd ˈskræmbəld əp ˈɔntu ðə stɛp əv ðə trɛnʧ, sˈlɪpɪŋ ɪn ðə məd ɛz ʃi dɪd soʊ. skˈwɪntɪŋ θru ðə ˈjɛloʊ fɔg, ʃi kʊd si ə mæs əv dɑrk ʃeɪps groʊɪŋ ˈstɛdəli ˈlɑrʤər. ɪn ðə ˈdɪstəns, ʃi kʊd hir ə ˈʤərmən ˈɔfɪsər ˈfrænəkəli bloʊɪŋ hɪz ˈwɪsəl, ənd ðə dɪˈstɪŋktɪv saʊnd əv ˈhənərdz əv θroʊts kraɪɪŋ aʊt ɪn ˈæŋgər, ɔl æt wəns. ðɛr wɑz noʊ ˈʃʊrər saɪn əv ən ˈɪnfəntri rəʃ. "ˈɪnfəntri ʧɑrʤ!" ʃi ˈʃaʊtɪd, hər vɔɪs ˈkəmɪŋ aʊt mˈjutɪd ənd streɪnʤ θru hər gæs mæsk. "gɪt əp ɔn ðə ˈfəkɪŋ trɛnʧ, ðɛr ˈkəmɪŋ!" ˈəðər ˈsoʊlʤərz ˈskræmbəld əp tɪ ðə lɪp əv ðə trɛnʧ nɛkst tɪ hər, ˈrɛdiɪŋ ðɛr ˈraɪfəlz, ɛz ʃi hərd ðə ˈwɔrnɪŋ biɪŋ rɪˈpitɪd daʊn ðə laɪnz. wər brɔt əp ənd dɪˈplɔɪd, ˈgənərz ˈfɪŋgərɪŋ bɛlts əv raʊnz ɛz ðeɪ priˈpɛrd tɪ fid ðɛm ˈɪntu ðɛr ˈbraʊnɪŋ m1917's*. ˈrubi brɔt ðə skoʊp əv hər ˈraɪfəl tɪ bɛr ɛz bɛst ʃi wɑz ˈeɪbəl, wɪʧ wɑz ˈnoʊtɪsəbli mɔr ˈdɪfəkəlt waɪl ˈwɛrɪŋ ə gæs mæsk. ˈnɔrməli waɪl ˈmænɪŋ ə trɛnʧ, ju wʊd weɪt ənˈtɪl ju hæd ə klɪr vju əv ðə mɛn goʊɪŋ "ˈoʊvər ðə tɔp" ˌbiˈfɔr ju ˈstɑrtɪd ˈʃutɪŋ, soʊ ɛz tɪ kənˈsərv ˌæmjəˈnɪʃən. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ˈsəmˌwɛr əˈlɔŋ ðə laɪnz, ˈsəmˌwən ˈstɑrtɪd ˈfaɪərrɪŋ, ənd noʊ wən ˈwɔntɪd tɪ bi ˈaʊtˈdən. əp ənd daʊn ðə trɛnʧ, məˈʃin gənz ənd ˈraɪfəlz ˈoʊpənd əp, spɛnt ʃɛl ˈkeɪsɪŋz flaɪɪŋ θru ðə ɛr ənd ˈlændɪŋ ɪn ðə mək, bɪˈkəmɪŋ ˈbɛrid baɪ ˈskræmbəlɪŋ buts. ˈɛvriˌwən wɑz grɪm ənd ˈsaɪlənt, lɔst ɪn ðə nəˈsɛsɪti əv ˈkɪlɪŋ ðɛr ˈfɛloʊ mæn. ðə ˈoʊnli wərdz ˈspoʊkən wər ˈwɔrnɪŋz, ənd rɪkˈwɛsts fər mɔr ˌæmjəˈnɪʃən. ɛz ðə ˈgənˌfaɪər bɪˈgæn tɪ klɪr əp səm əv ðə ˈjɛloʊ smɑg, lænd bɪˈkeɪm mɔr ˈvɪzəbəl. ˈrubi ˈɔlˌmoʊst gæspt; ˈhənərdz əv ˈʤərmənz wər ˈstrimɪŋ əˈkrɔs ðə ˈbɛrən ˈweɪˌstlænd, ɛˈskɔrtɪd baɪ ˈproʊtoʊˌtaɪp tæŋks, ˈlɪtəl mɔr ðən ʤaɪənt ˈbɑksɪz əv ˈmɛtəl wɪθ træks ənd ə fju fɪkst. ðə saɪt əv ðɛr əˈmæst ˈɛnəmiz kriˈeɪtɪd ə sɛns əv ˈərʤənsi, ənd faɪər reɪts pɪkt əp, mɛn eɪmd ənd ʃɑt ˈfæstər, ˌriˈloʊdɪd ˈfæstər, ʧeɪnʤd ˈbraʊnɪŋ ˈbɛrəlz ˈfæstər. ˈivɪn ɛz ˈrubi wɔʧt ˈæftər drɔp ˈɪntu ðə məd ˈoʊnli tɪ bi ˈtræmpəld baɪ ðɛr ˈɔnˌkəmɪŋ ˈkɑmˌrædz, ʃi nu ðət ɪt ˈwʊdənt bi ɪˈnəf. ðɛr wər ˈsɪmpli tu ˈmɛni əv ðɛm. ðeɪ wʊd riʧ ðə trɛnʧ. ˈrubi ˈsaɪtɪd ɪn əˈgɛn, ˈspɑtɪŋ ðə dɪˈstɪŋktɪv kæp əv ə ˈʤərmən ˈɔfɪsər. "wət ðə hɛl, ˈivɪn ðə ˈɔfɪsərz ər ˈfaɪtɪŋ wɪθ ðə grənts? ʤɪst wət kaɪnd əv əˈsɔlt ɪz ðɪs?!" ʃi faɪərd, ˈwɑʧɪŋ ɪn grɪm ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən ɛz bləd spreɪd frəm ðə mænz ʧɛst wund, ənd hi ˈtɑpəld ˈbækwərdz ˈɪntu ðə mək. ʃi wɪnst ɛz tæŋk trɛdz graʊnd hɪz ˈbɑdi ˈɪntu ðə məd. ʃi ˈsaɪtɪŋ ɪn əˈgɛn, ˈfaɪərrɪŋ, chambering*, ˈfaɪərrɪŋ, chambering*, ˈfaɪərrɪŋ, chambering*, ˈfaɪərrɪŋ, reloading*, chambering*, ˈfaɪərrɪŋ, chambering*. ən ˈɛndləs ˈsaɪkəl əv dɛθ. ɪt stɪl ˈwəzənt ɪˈnəf. ðə ˈʤərmənz wər kloʊz ɪˈnəf tɪ faɪər bæk, ənd ðə mæn, ər ˈwʊmən, nɛkst tɪ hər pɪʧt ˈbækwərdz, ə ˈbʊlət ˈʃætərɪŋ ðə əv ðɛr gæs mæsk. "fɪks ˈbeɪəˌnɛts! fɪks ˈfəkɪŋ ˈbeɪəˌnɛts!" ˈsəmˌwən skrimd, ənd ˈrubi dəg ˈɪntu hər weɪst paʊʧ, sˈmuðli prəˈdusɪŋ hər ˈbeɪəˌnɛt ənd əˈfɪksɪŋ ɪt tɪ ðə tɔp əv hər ˈraɪfəl. ʃi lʊkt bæk əp, ʤɪst ɪn taɪm tɪ si ə greɪ ˈfɪgjər ˈʧɑrʤɪŋ hər, ə ˈʤərmən ˈsoʊlʤər. hi wɑz ˈwɛrɪŋ ə ɛz wɛl, ənd hɪz dɪˈstɪŋktɪv ˈpɔɪntɪd ˈhɛlmət mɑrkt ɪm aʊt ɛz ən ˈɛnəmi. ˈɛnəmi. ðət wɑz wən θɪŋ ˈrubi nu wɛl, wən ˈprɑbləm ðət ʃi nu ɪgˈzæktli haʊ tɪ dil wɪθ. ˈəðər ˈprɑbləmz, nɑt soʊ məʧ, bət ðɪs wɑz ðə ɪkˈsɛpʃən. ðɛr wɑz ˈoʊnli wən weɪ tɪ dil wɪθ ən ˈɛnəmi. ʃi stʊd ənd ˈʃoʊldərd hər ˈraɪfəl, ˈfaɪərrɪŋ ə raʊnd pɔɪnt blæŋk ˈɪntu ðə mænz θroʊt. hi drɑpt hɪz ˈraɪfəl ənd kləʧt æt ðə wund, hɪz moʊˈmɛntəm ˈkɛriɪŋ hɪz ˈbɑdi pæst hər ənd ˈsɛndɪŋ ɪm ˈtəmbəlɪŋ ˈɪntu ðə ˈbɑtəm əv ðə trɛnʧ wɛr hi leɪ stɪl. ɔl əraʊnd hər, ðə saʊnz əv ˈjɛlɪŋ ənd ˈskrimɪŋ ˌɪnˈtɛnsɪˌfaɪd ɛz ˈkɑmbæt bɪˈgæn. ˈrubi blɑkt əˈnəðər ˈsoʊlʤərz ˈbeɪəˌnɛt θrəst wɪθ hər oʊn, ˈspɪnɪŋ əraʊnd tɪ hɪz saɪd ənd sˈlæʃɪŋ ɪm əˈkrɔs ðə ˈʤugjələr. ənˈfɔrʧənətli ðə ˈbeɪəˌnɛt gɑt kɔt ɪn hɪz ˈjunəˌfɔrm, ənd hi pʊld hər daʊn wɪθ ɪm ɛz hi kraɪd aʊt ɪn ˈægəni ənd pɪʧt ˈoʊvər. ˈpʊlɪŋ hərˈsɛlf tɪ hər fit, ˈrubi wɔʧt ɛz θri mɔr mɛn keɪm æt hər, ɔl æt wəns. ʃi ˈmænɪʤd tɪ drɔ hər ˈpɪstəl, ənd ˈfaɪərrɪŋ frəm ðə hɪp ʃi ˈmænɪʤd tɪ kɪl wən wɪθ ə ˈləki head-shot*, ənd wɪŋ əˈnəðər ɪn ðə lɛg. ðə læst mæn wɑz raɪt əˈpɑn hər ðoʊ, ənd hi skrimd ɪn reɪʤ ɛz hi ræn hɪz ˈbeɪəˌnɛt θru hər ˈʃoʊldər. ʃi kraɪd aʊt ɪn ˈægəni ɛz hi pɪnd hər əˈgɛnst ðə trɛnʧ, ənd pənʧt hər ɪn ðə gət wɪθ hɪz ˈəðər hænd. ʃi ˈfrænəkəli wɪθ hər fri hænd, ˈlæʧɪŋ hər ˈfɪŋgərz ˈɔntu hɪz gæs mæsk ənd ˈrɪpɪŋ ɪt ɔf. ðə lʊk ɪn hɪz aɪz wɑz wən əv pjʊr ˈtɛrər. ʃi kɪkt aʊt, ˈpʊʃɪŋ ɪm daʊn ˈɔntu ðə graʊnd ɛz hi bɪˈgæn tɪ skriʧ laɪk ə ˈdimən, klɔɪŋ æt hɪz feɪs ənd ˈrɪθɪŋ əˈbaʊt ɔn ðə graʊnd. ʃi lʊkt əp, ʤɪst ɪn taɪm tɪ si əˈnəðər ˈʤərmən wɪθ hɪz ˈraɪfəl eɪmd raɪt æt hər. ðɛr wɑz ə ˈraɪfəl ʃɑt frəm ˈsəmˌwɛr bɪˈhaɪnd hər, ənd ðə mæn ˈtɑpəld ˈfɔrwərd. ˈrubi glænst ˈbækwərdz, ˈjɛlɪŋ hər θæŋks tɪ hər ənˈnoʊn ˈseɪvjər, hu wɑz ˈbɪzi reloading*. ˈkləʧɪŋ hər ˈʃoʊldər wund ənd traɪɪŋ nɑt tɪ kraɪ aʊt ɪn peɪn, ʃi pɪkt ˈkrɛsənt roʊz əp frəm ðə graʊnd wɛr ɪt hæd ˈfɑlən ənd riˈtritɪd daʊn ðə trɛnʧ. ʃi sɔ ə ˈsoʊlʤər wɪθ dɪˈstɪŋktɪv rɛd hɛr ˈweɪvɪŋ hər ˈoʊvər, ənd ʃi ˈskræmbəld hər weɪ ˈoʊvər tɪ ðə rɛst əv hər skwɑd. tu leɪt, ʃi lʊkt əp tɪ si ə ˈʤərmən wɪθ ə ˈbəlki stɛp əp ɔn tɔp əv ðə trɛnʧ, pərˈpɛrɪŋ tɪ sɛnd ə strim əv ˈlɪkwɪd dɛθ daʊn ðə ɪnˈtaɪər laɪn. ˈsəmˌwən, ˈsəmˌwɛr wɑz ˈlʊkɪŋ aʊt fər hər, ʃi kənˈkludɪd. ðə ˈʤərmən slɪpt ɪn ðə məd ɛz hi priˈpɛrd tɪ faɪər, sˈlaɪdɪŋ daʊn ˈɪntu ðə trɛnʧ, wɛr ə ˈsoʊlʤər ʤəmpt ɔn ɪm ənd keɪvd hɪz hɛd ɪn wɪθ ə ˈrəsti ˈʃəvəl. ðə mæn wɑz kwaɪt ˈklɪrli dɛd, hɪz breɪn ˈmætər ənd bləd ˈsplætərd ˈoʊvər ðə ˈwʊdən flɔr. bət ðə ˈsoʊlʤər ˈdɪdənt stɑp, sˈlæmɪŋ ðə bleɪd əv ðə ˈʃəvəl ˈɪntu ðə mænz hɛd ˈoʊvər ənd ˈoʊvər. ˈpikɪŋ aʊt frəm bɪˈhaɪnd hɪz, ˈrubi kʊd si waɪld blɑnd hɛr.. rəʃt ˈoʊvər tɪ ɪm ənd pʊld ɪm ɔf əv ðə dɛd ˈʤərmən, ˈkreɪdəlɪŋ ɪm ɪn hər ɑrmz ɛz hi ˈstrəgəld tɪ breɪk fri əv hər ɪmˈbreɪs. ˈrubi ˈgæðərd hər ˈbɛrɪŋz ənd stʊd əp, ˈmeɪkɪŋ ʃʊr ˈkrɛsənt roʊz wɑz stɪl ˈloʊdɪd. ðə saʊnz əraʊnd hər wər ˈdɛfənɪŋ, mæst ˈgənˌfaɪər ənd ˈskrimɪŋ ˈblɑkɪŋ aʊt ɔl ˈəðər nɔɪz. ðə ˈlɪŋgərɪŋ ˈjɛloʊ smɑg geɪv ðə laɪt ə streɪnʤ kˈwɑləti, ənd ˈflɪkərɪŋ faɪərz lɪt əp ðə trɛnʧ. ə skwɑd əv ˈʤərmənz rəʃt əraʊnd ðə ˈkɔrnər əv ðə trɛnʧ ə fju jɑrdz frəm hər, ənd ʃi dəkt bæk ənd bɪˈgæn ˈfaɪərrɪŋ ˈfrænəkəli, ˈsoʊlʤərz əraʊnd hər duɪŋ ðə seɪm. wən əv ðə ˈʤərmənz dru bæk hɪz hænd tɪ tɔs ə grəˈneɪd, ənd taɪm simd tɪ sloʊ. ˈæktɪŋ wɪˈθaʊt ˈθɪŋkɪŋ, ˈrubi ˈʃoʊldərd ˈkrɛsənt roʊz ənd ʃɑt ðə mæn ɪn ðə ɑrm, ənd hi drɑpt ðə grəˈneɪd wɪθ ə haʊl əv peɪn. ðə mɛn əraʊnd ɪm ˈskræmbəld tɪ gɪt əˈweɪ, bət ðeɪ wərənt fæst ɪˈnəf. ɪt ɪkˈsploʊdɪd, ˈsɛndɪŋ ˈbɑdiz ənd lɪmz ˈtəmbəlɪŋ əraʊnd ðə trɛnʧ. "gɪt bæk əp ɔn ðə ˈfaɪərrɪŋ laɪn!" ˈrubi ˈʃaʊtɪd. "wiv gɑt tɪ pʊʃ ðɛm bæk! hoʊld ðə laɪn!" ʃi ˈskræmbəld əp ðə lɪp əv ðə trɛnʧ, ˈʃutɪŋ əˈnəðər ˈʤərmən ɪn ðə gət ɛz hi traɪd tɪ ʤəmp ɪn. ðə mæn fɛl ɪn trɛnʧ ˈɛniˌweɪ, ənd ˈrubi stɛrd daʊn ɪn ˈhɔrər ɛz ʃi sɔ wət hi wɑz ˈkləʧɪŋ ɪn hɪz hænd. ˈmuvɪŋ wɪˈθaʊt θɔt, ʃi dəv daʊn ˈɪntu ðə trɛnʧ ɪn ən əˈtɛmpt tɪ θroʊ ɪt aʊt ˌbiˈfɔr ɪt kʊd ɪkˈsploʊd. "grena*-!" hər wərld ɪkˈsploʊdɪd ɪn ə flæʃ əv waɪt. peɪn. peɪn wɑz gʊd, peɪn mɛnt ˈfilɪŋ ənd ˈfilɪŋ mɛnt laɪf. ʃi hərt ˈɛvriˌwɛr, hər ˈbɑdi wɑz ə mæs əv ˈeɪkɪŋ peɪn. ˈsɑrʤənt roʊz sˈloʊli ˈoʊpənd hər aɪz, ə dɛd mæn wɪθ ə naɪf lɑʤd ɪn hɪz ʧɛst ˈgritɪŋ hər θru ðə ˈlɛnzɪz əv hər gæs mæsk. ʃi wɑz æt ðə ˈbɑtəm əv ðə trɛnʧ, ənd ʃi ˈriəˌlaɪzd ðə blæst hæd ˈprɑbəˌbli θroʊn hər əp əˈgɛnst ðə wɔl. ʃi ˈhɛzɪtəntli traɪd tɪ muv hər ɑrmz, rɪˈlif ˈfɪlɪŋ hər ɛz ðeɪ rɪˈspɑndɪd ˈnɔrməli. ʃi ˌɪnˈspɛktɪd hər ˈbɑdi, ənd wɪθ ə grənt əv peɪn ˈriəˌlaɪzd ðət ʃi hæd ˈprɑbəˌbli krækt ə fju rɪbz, ɪn əˈdɪʃən tɪ ðə ˈbeɪəˌnɛt wund tɪ hər ˈʃoʊldər. ˈrubi ˈriəˌlaɪzd ðət ðə ˈfaɪtɪŋ hæd əˈpɛrəntli stɑpt, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ˌɪntərˈmɪtənt ɑrˈtɪləri raʊnz wər stɪl biɪŋ faɪərd. ɔl ʃi kʊd hir əraʊnd hər wɑz ðə ˈgroʊnɪŋ əv ðə ˈwundɪd ənd ðə daɪɪŋ, ənd ðə ˈflɪkərɪŋ kræk əv daɪɪŋ fleɪmz. ʃi pʊld hərˈsɛlf tɪ hər fit, ˈriəˌlaɪzɪŋ ðət wɪnd frəm ðə nɔrθ hæd bloʊn ðə gæs əˈweɪ. ʃi rɪˈmɛmbərd ðət ˈməstərd gæs rɪˈmeɪnd ˈæktɪv ɪn ðə sɔɪl fər wiks ðoʊ, ənd ʃi wɑz ˈkɛrfəl tɪ kip hər hænz ˈkəvərd ɛz ʃi stʊd əp. ˈpʊlɪŋ ðə frəm hər feɪs, ʃi tərnd ɪt əraʊnd, ənd sɔ ðət ðɛr wɑz ə lɑrʤ sˈlɪvər əv ʃˈræpnəl raɪt ɪn ðə ˈsɛnər əv hər lɛft aɪ lɛnz. "waʊ, ɪf ðət hæd gɔn ʤɪst ə ˈlɪtəl ˈfərðər ər ˈpɛnəˌtreɪtɪd ðə sil..." ʃi ˈdɪdənt wɔnt tɪ kənˈtɪnju ɔn ðət ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr treɪn əv θɔt. ˈglænsɪŋ əraʊnd ɪn ðə məd, ʃi faʊnd ˈkrɛsənt roʊz ənd ˈʃoʊldərd ɪt, ˈʧɛkɪŋ tɪ meɪk ʃʊr hər ˈpɪstəl wɑz stɪl ɪn ɪts ˈhoʊlstər. ʃi riʧt əp ənd təʧt ðə tɔp əv hər hɛd, ˈlʊkɪŋ əraʊnd ɪn kənfˈjuʒən ɛz ʃi sərʧt fər hər ˈmɪsɪŋ ˈhɛlmət. "ɑ, ðɛr ɪt ɪz." ɪt wɑz ˈsɛvərəl fit əˈweɪ, nɛkst tɪ ðə ˈbɑdi əv ə ˈʤərmən ˈsoʊlʤər, hu wɑz ˈlinɪŋ əp əˈgɛnst ðə trɛnʧ wɔl. ʃi riʧt ɪt ənd nɛlt daʊn, ˈpɪkɪŋ ɪt əp, ðɛn ˈʤəmpɪŋ ɪn səˈpraɪz wɪn ðə ˈbɑdi ɪˈmɪtɪd ə smɔl kɔf. mɪʧ... mɪʧ..." hi wheezed*. ˈrubi ˈdɪdənt spik ˈɛni ˈʤərmən, bət ʃi kʊd ˈfɪgjər aʊt hɪz ˌɪnˈtɛnʧənz wɛl ɪˈnəf. ðə mæn hæd ə ˈgeɪpɪŋ hoʊl wɛr hɪz ˈstəmək juzd tɪ bi, ənd hɪz weɪst wɑz ˈhæŋɪŋ ɔn tɪ ðə rɛst əv hɪz ˈbɑdi baɪ ə fju smɔl skræps əv flɛʃ. ˈrubi dru hər ˈpɪstəl sˈmuðli, ənd ˈpɔɪntɪd ɪt æt ðə daɪɪŋ mæn. "danke*... danke*..." ʃi ʃɑt ðə mæn ɪn ðə hɛd, ðə kræk əv ðə raʊnd ˈsaʊndɪŋ ˌɪmˈpɑsəbli laʊd əˈməŋst ðə ˈsaɪləns əv ðə trɛnʧ. ˈrubi loʊərd ðə ˈpɪstəl sˈloʊli, ˈstɛrɪŋ æt ðə ˈlaɪfləs kɔrps wɪθ ˈɛmti aɪz. ʃi ˈwəzənt ˈgeɪzɪŋ æt ɪm, bət æt ˈsəmθɪŋ ənˈsin ənd ənˈnoʊəbəl bɪɔnd ɪm. ʃi steɪd ðɪs weɪ fər ə fju ˈmɪnəts, ˈwəndərɪŋ waɪ ðɪs mæn ənd ˈkaʊntləs ˈəðərz hæd daɪd, ənd jɛt ʃi wɑz stɪl əˈlaɪv. "ˈsɑrʤənt roʊz! ˈsɑrʤənt!" ə vɔɪs snæpt hər aʊt əv hər dɑrk θɔts, ənd ʃi wɪpt hər hɛd əraʊnd tɪ si ˈstraɪdɪŋ təˈwɔrdz hər, ˈraɪfəl sləŋ ˈoʊvər hər ˈʃoʊldər. "jæ nikos*?" "ju ˌoʊˈkeɪ ˈsɑrʤənt? aɪ sɔ ju gɪt θroʊn baɪ ðət grəˈneɪd, ənd aɪ θɔt ju wər dɛd." "wɛl əˈpɛrəntli əm nɑt. ˈsəmˌwən həz sin fɪt tɪ blɛs mi wɪθ ə fju mɔr deɪz əv laɪf ɪn ðɪs shit-hole*," ˈrubi sɛd wɪθ ə læf. læft ɛz wɛl; ˈhjumər wɑz ə tul ðət ˈsoʊlʤərz juzd tɪ kip ðɛmˈsɛlvz frəm ˈfoʊkɪsɪŋ ɔn ɔl ðə dɛθ əraʊnd ðɛm. "wɛl ɛz ju kən si," sɛd, "wi pʊʃt ðɛm bæk. ˈkæpʧərd ə fju əv ðɛr tæŋks tu." "ðæts gʊd. ˈɛniˌwən ɛls frəm ðə skwɑd meɪk ɪt?" həŋ hər hɛd, ˈɛvər ðə ˌsɛnəˈmɛnəl wən əv ðə grup. "rɛn ənd ˌvælˈkiˌriə bɔt ðə fɑrm, ənd aɪ stɪl kænt faɪnd ˈwɪnˌʧɛstər. ɑrk ɪz faɪn ðoʊ, ənd soʊ ɪz." "...soʊ wɪr daʊn tɪ fɔr naʊ, ˈmeɪbi faɪv." "simz ðət weɪ sɑrʤ." ˈrubi saɪd ənd leɪd ə hænd ɔn ˈʃoʊldər, ˈkəmfərtɪŋ hər ɛz bɛst ɛz ʃi kʊd. stɪl tʊk ˈɛvəri lɔs əv laɪf laɪk ɪt wɑz hər fərst. ˈrubi ɔn ðə ˈəðər hænd, hæd groʊn kəmˈpærətɪvˌli nəm. ɪt wɑz wɔr. ˈpipəl daɪd. hər maɪnd ənd ˈbɑdi wər ðɛr, ɪn ðə ˈtrɛnʧɪz, bət hər hɑrt ˈwəzənt. noʊ, ðət wɑz wɪθ ˈsəmˌwən ɛls. "ˈɔlsoʊ ˈsɑrʤənt, ˈmeɪʤər ʃni sɛnt aʊt ðə kɔl tɪ ˈgæðər ɔl ðə. simz kəˈmænd ɪz ˈplænɪŋ ˈsəmθɪŋ, ənd frəm wət aɪ hir, ɪts bɪg." ˈrubi ˈnɑdɪd, ɔˈrɛdi ɔn hər weɪ tɪ ðə kəˈmænd ˈbəŋkər. ʃi ˈhædənt ˈrɪli hərd wət hæd sɛd ˈæftər ðə wərdz "ˈmeɪʤər ʃni.", ju hæv kəˈmænd əv ðə skwɑd fər təˈnaɪt. ˈmeɪʤər ʃni ˌɪnˈfɔrmd mi ˈərliər ðət ʃi wɪl nid mi fər ləˈʤɪstɪks ˈduti, ənd ɪt maɪt teɪk ə waɪl. aɪ ʃʊd bi bæk baɪ ðə ˈmɔrnɪŋ, ˌhaʊˈɛvər." "ˈrɑʤər ðət ˈsɑrʤənt," sɛd ɛz ˈrubi stroʊd əˈweɪ, ɛz fæst ɛz ʃi kʊd wɪˈθaʊt əˈpɪrɪŋ səˈspɪʃəs. ɪt wɑz taɪm tɪ mit wɪθ ˈmeɪʤər ʃni. "θæŋk gɑd." "ˈɔfɪsər əˈproʊʧɪŋ!" ˈsɑrʤənt roʊz ənd ˈsɛvərəl ˈəðər ənd ˈʤunjər ˈɔfɪsərz stʊd æt əˈtɛnʃən ɛz ðə aɪs kwin hərˈsɛlf, ˈmeɪʤər waɪs ʃni stroʊd ˈɪntu ðə ˈbrifɪŋ rum. ðeɪ wər ˈgæðərd əraʊnd ə lɑrʤ ˈteɪbəl, ˈoʊvərˌleɪd wɪθ mæps ənd ˈjunɪt ˈmɑrkərz. ðə rum wɑz lɪt baɪ ə fju gloʊɪŋ gæs læmps həŋ frəm ðə ˈsilɪŋ. "stænd æt iz ˈleɪdiz ənd ˈʤɛnəlmɪn," waɪs sɛd. ʃi spoʊk wɪθ koʊld əˈθɔrəti, hɑrd ənd ənˈkɑmprəmaɪzɪŋ, ˈkɑntrɛri tɪ hər ʃɔrt ˈstæʧər. ʃi spoʊk ðə seɪm weɪ ʃi lɛd mɛn, ʃi ɪkˈspɛktɪd ðə bɛst ənd ʃi ˈkɛrid hərˈsɛlf əˈkɔrdɪŋli. ʃi wɑz ˈwɛrɪŋ ðə trəˈdɪʃənəl ˈɔfɪsərz ˈjunəˌfɔrm, ə pikt kæp ˈsɪtɪŋ əˈtɑp ə bən əv hɛr. ɛz fɑr ɛz ˈɛniˌwən nu, ðə ˈkələr wɑz ˈnæʧərəl, ənd ðət ɛz wɛl ɛz hər ˈaɪsi dɪˈminər hæd bɪn ðə kɔz əv ðə ˌɛnˈlɪstɪd mɛn ənd ˈwɪmən rɪˈfərɪŋ tɪ hər ɛz ðə "aɪs kwin." ˈrumər hæd ɪt ʃi wɑz ˈoʊnli tˈwɛntiˌwɔn, bət ʃi ˈdɪdənt ækt ɪt. ʃi wɑz waɪz bɪɔnd hər jɪrz, ənd ðə mɛn sɛd ʃi hæd bɪn əˈtɛndɪŋ ˈhɑrvərd ˌbiˈfɔr ʃi hæd saɪnd əp fər ðə ˈɑrmi. ˈrubi ˈdɪdənt daʊt ɪt ˈiðər; ðə ˈwʊmən wɑz ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbli ˌɪnˈtɛləʤənt. stɪl, hər ˈsimɪŋ læk əv kɛr fər ðə mɛn ənd ˈwɪmən ˈəndər hər kəˈmænd hæd lɛd tɪ hər... lɛs ðən ˈfeɪvərəbəl əˈpɪnjən ɪn ðə aɪz əv ðə ˌɛnˈlɪstɪd trups. waɪs glænst əraʊnd ðə rum, ˈmitɪŋ ðə geɪz əv ˈɛvəri ˈsɪŋgəl ˈpərsən ðɛr, aɪz ˈlɪŋgərɪŋ ɔn ˈrubiz wənz fər ə ˈsɛkənd ˈlɔŋgər ðən wɑz ˈnɛsəˌsɛri. noʊ wən simd tɪ ˈnoʊtɪs ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ənd ɪf ðeɪ dɪd ðeɪ θɔt ˈnəθɪŋ əv ɪt. "ɛz ju ɔl noʊ, wi hæv ʤɪst səkˈsɛsfəli hɛld ɔf əˈnəðər əˈfɛnsɪv. ðə trænzˈmɪʃənz wiv ˌɪnərˈsɛptɪd ər ˈkɔlɪŋ ɪt ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən ˈmaɪkəl. əˈpɛrəntli, ðɪs wɑz ə ˈdɛspərɪt pleɪ baɪ ðə ˈʤərmənz tɪ traɪ ənd brɪŋ ðə wɔr tɪ ə swɪft ɛnd. bət ɑr ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns rɪˈpɔrts ðət ðə ˈfeɪljər əv ðɪs əˈsɔlt ənd ˈsɛvərəl ˈəðərz əˈlɔŋ ðə frənt, hæv rɪˈzəltɪd ɪn ðə ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈtoʊtəl ɪgˈzɔsʧən əv ðɛr səˈplaɪz ənd ˈmænˌpaʊər. ðɛr ðə ˈwikəst ðeɪv ˈɛvər bɪn ɪn fɔr jɪrz, ənd ˈʤɛnərəl wɔnts tɪ teɪk ædˈvæntɪʤ əv ðət." ˈsaɪləns ˈgritɪd hər, noʊ wən ɪn ðə rum ˈwɪlɪŋ tɪ seɪ wət wɑz ɔn ˈɛvriˌwənz maɪndz. ˈfaɪnəli, ə ˈsinjər ˈsɑrʤənt baɪ ðə neɪm əv spoʊk əp. "mæm, dɪz ðɪs min... wɪr goʊɪŋ ɔn ðə əˈfɛnsɪv?" "jɛs ɪt dɪz ˈsɑrʤənt. fər ðə fərst taɪm ɪn ə lɔŋ taɪm. aɪ noʊ ɔl ðə ˈəðər əˈfɛnsɪvz ˌbiˈfɔr ðɪs wən hæv feɪld, bət ðɪs wən wɪl bi ˈdɪfərənt. ðɛr æt ðɛr moʊst ˈvəlnərəbəl pɔɪnt ˈɛvər, ənd wi hæv tɪ prɛs ðɪs ædˈvæntɪʤ. ðeɪ wər traɪɪŋ tɪ ɛnd ðə wɔr ˌbiˈfɔr ðɛr ˈrisɔrsɪz ræn aʊt, bət ðeɪ feɪld. ənd naʊ ɪts ɑr tərn. ðɛr ˈstɑrtɪŋ tɪ wɪθˈdrɔ frəm ðə ˈseɪljənt ɛz wi spik, bət wɪr nɑt goʊɪŋ tɪ lɛt ðɛm. fild ˈmɑrʃəl heɪg həz ɔˈrɛdi drɔn əp ðə plænz fər ðə counter-attack*, ənd naʊ aɪ wɪl ˈriˌleɪ ðɛm tɪ ju. ðɛr ˈpʊʃɪŋ əp ðə deɪt əv ðə əˈsɔlt frəm ˈɔgəst tɪ ðə 8th*, ðæts təˈmɑˌroʊ. wi nid tɪ bi ˈrɛdi." ʃi lʊkt əraʊnd wən mɔr taɪm, tɪ ɪnˈʃʊr ˈɛvriˌwən wɑz peɪɪŋ əˈtɛnʃən. "naʊ, ðə ˈbrɪtɪʃ kɔrz wɪl əˈtæk hir, tɪ ðə nɔrθ əv ðə, ənd ðɛn-" -ənd wəns ðə ɔˈstreɪljən kɔrz həz ˈpɛnəˌtreɪtɪd ðə rɪr əv ðə ˈʤərmən laɪnz, wɪl muv əp ɔn ðɛr raɪt flæŋk ənd hoʊld ɔf ˈɛni pəˈtɛnʃəl counter-attack*. ˈʧælənʤ ənd pæs ɪz ɛz ˈfɑloʊz." ðə ˈgæðərd ˈsinjər stæf roʊt ɪn ðɛr ˈnoʊtˌbʊks, ˈteɪkɪŋ ˈspɛʃəl kɛr tɪ ˈkɑpi daʊn ðə ˈʧælənʤ ənd pæs wərdz. ˈjuzɪŋ ðə rɔŋ wərd kʊd rɪˈzəlt ɪn ˈfrɛndli faɪər ˈɪnsədənts; ðeɪ wər juzd tɪ ˌdɪfərˈɛnʧiˌeɪt frəm frɛnd ənd foʊ ˈdʊrɪŋ taɪmz əv ənd pur ˌvɪzəˈbɪlɪti. "ˈʧælənʤ ɪz ˈpɛrɪs, pæs ɪz ˈbɛlʤəm. ˈɛvriˌbɑdi gɑt ðət?" ə ˈkɔrəs əv ˈnɑdɪŋ hɛdz ˌriəˈʃʊrd hər. "gʊd. naʊ rɪˈmɛmbər, ðə əˈsɔlt bɪˈgɪnz prɪˈsaɪsli æt 4:00am*. æt fərst laɪt, ˈleɪdiz ənd ˈʤɛnəlmɪn. meɪk ʃʊr jʊr mɛn gɪt ˈprɑpər slip roʊˈteɪʃənz bɪˈfɔˌrhænd; ðɛr goʊɪŋ tɪ nid ɪt. ɪf ɔl goʊz wɛl, ðɪs ʃʊd bi ðə ˈtərnɪŋ pɔɪnt əv ðə wɔr. ðə fərst səkˈsɛsfəl əˈfɛnsɪv." ə fju ˈwɪkəd smaɪlz əˈpɪrd ɔn ðə ˈfeɪsɪz əv ðə ˈgæðərd ˈɔfɪsərz ənd ncos*', ðə ˈprɑspɛkt əv ˈvɪktəri ˈhævɪŋ bɪn aʊt əv riʧ fər fɑr tu lɔŋ. "ju ər dɪsˈmɪst, ɔl əv ju." ðə ˈgæðərd ˈsoʊlʤərz snæpt tɪ əˈtɛnʃən, səˈlutɪŋ wɪθ ðɛr raɪt hænz. ˈmeɪʤər ʃni səˈlutəd bæk. "ˈkɛri ɔn ðɛn." ðeɪ drɑpt ðɛr səˈluts, ənd bɪˈgæn tɪ faɪl aʊt əv ðə dɑrk rum. ˈrubi meɪd ʃʊr ʃi wɑz ðə læst ɪn laɪn, sˈlɪpɪŋ bɪˈhaɪnd ðə dɔr ɛz ðə læst mæn ˈɛgzətɪd. "kloʊz ðə dɔr bɪˈhaɪnd ju luˈtɛnənt ˈtɔrəs," waɪs sɛd ɛz ʃi glɛrd æt ˈrubi ɪn ˌɛkˌsæspərˈeɪʃən. ðə mæn ˈnɑdɪd, ˈglænsɪŋ əraʊnd. hi kʊd hæv swɔrn ðɛr wɑz ˈsəmˌwən ɛls bɪˈhaɪnd ɪm... streɪnʤ. hi kloʊzd ðə dɔr, ənd stroʊd əˈweɪ. "smuð." "oʊ pliz," ˈrubi sɛd." laɪk ju kʊd hæv dən ðət ˈɛni ˈbɛtər." "wɛl aɪ kʊd hæv dɪˈmændɪd ðət ju steɪ bɪˈhaɪnd, bət ðət wʊd hæv əˈtræktəd əˈtɛnʃən. ɪts ˈbɛtər ðɪs weɪ." "raɪt. ˈɛniˌweɪ mæm, wɑz ðɛr ˈsəmθɪŋ jʊd laɪk tɪ tɔk tɪ mi əˈbaʊt?" "drɔp ðə ækt ˈrubi." "ˈglædli," ˈrubi briðd. ʃi rəʃt təˈwɔrdz waɪs ənd ræpt hər ɑrmz əraʊnd hər, ˈkæpʧərɪŋ hər lɪps wɪθ hər oʊn ɪn ə ˈpæʃənət kɪs. ðɛr ˈbɑdiz prɛst əp əˈgɛnst, boʊθ ˈfaɪnəli ˈfilɪŋ kəmˈplit. ðɪs wɑz wət ðeɪ ˈnidɪd, wət ðeɪ sərˈvaɪvd fər, wət ðeɪ kɛpt ˈfaɪtɪŋ fər. ˈɛvriˌwən hæd ə ˈrizən tɪ goʊ ɔn, ˈwɛðər ɪt wɑz ə dɪˈzaɪər fər ˈvɛnʤəns ər ə ˈlɔŋɪŋ fər ˈfæməli bæk hoʊm. ðɪs wɑz ðɛr ˈrizən. ðə ˈwʊmən moʊnd ˈɪntu ðə kɪs, ˈlɛtɪŋ hərˈsɛlf mɛlt ˈɪntu ðə ˈjəŋgər gərlz strɔŋ ɑrmz. "u, aʊʧ waɪs doʊnt skwiz soʊ hɑrd, aɪv gɑt ə ˈbroʊkən rɪb," ˈrubi ˈmətərd ɪn bɪtˈwin ˈkɪsɪz. waɪs rɪˈlækst hər grɪp sˈlaɪtli ɪn rɪˈspɑns. ˈæftər ə fju ˈbrɛθləs ˈmɪnəts, ðeɪ broʊk əˈpɑrt sˈloʊli. ˈrubi sæt daʊn ɪn ðə rumz ˈoʊnli ʧɛr, ˈpʊlɪŋ waɪs ˈɪntu hər læp. "aɪ mɪst ju," ˈrubi ˈwɪspərd, ənˈduɪŋ ðə ˈmeɪʤərz bən ənd ˈstroʊkɪŋ hər ˈfɪŋgərz θru ðə ˈəðər ˈwʊmənz lɔŋ, ˈsɪlki hɛr. hər sɔft wərdz sɛnt ˈʃɪvərz daʊn waɪs' spaɪn. "aɪ mɪst ju tu, mɔr ðən wərdz kən seɪ. aɪ ˈwəzənt ʃʊr ɪf ju hæd meɪd ɪt θru ðɪs əˈtæk. aɪ ˈwəri soʊ məʧ ˈoʊvər ju, ənd ɪf aɪ kʊd faɪnd ə weɪ tɪ bi wɪθ ju mɔr..." "aɪ noʊ. bət ðɪs ɪz ɪˈnəf, fər naʊ. aɪ swɛr waɪs, wɪn ðɪs ɪz ˈoʊvər, əm ˈnɛvər goʊɪŋ tɪ liv jʊr saɪd əˈgɛn." "juv toʊld mi ðət ˌbiˈfɔr ju kləts," waɪs sɛd ɛz ʃi ˈɪntu ðə krʊk əv ˈrubiz nɛk. "wɪr ˈgɑnə goʊ bæk tɪ jʊr ˈlɪtəl ˈfɑrmˌhaʊs ənd lɪv ˈhæpəli ˈɛvər ˈæftər. fək wət maɪ ˈfɑðər θɪŋks, ər wət hi wɔnts. ənd fək ˈhɑrvərd tu, əm goʊɪŋ tɪ juz ðə rɛst əv maɪ ˈskɑlərˌʃɪp ˈməni tɪ goʊ tɪ ə ˈkɑlɪʤ nɪr ju, ənd wɪl bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ lɪv ˈkəmfərtəbli ɔf əv maɪ ˈɔfɪsərz peɪ. ɪf ɔl wərks aʊt, ˈfɑðər wɪl əˈsum aɪ daɪd ɪn ðə wɔr." "ʤiz, ənd aɪ θɔt aɪ hæd ˈɪʃuz wɪθ maɪ ˈpɛrənts." ju dunce*, wiv ˈoʊnli gɑt ðɪs wən læst naɪt ˌbiˈfɔr ðə əˈfɛnsɪv, ənd aɪ doʊnt wɔnt tɪ spɛnd ɪt ˈtizɪŋ. ju dɪd lɛt jʊr skwɑd noʊ ðət ju ˈwʊdənt bi ˈkəmɪŋ bæk ənˈtɪl ðə ˈmɔrnɪŋ, raɪt?" "yeap*, aɪ lɛft ɪn ʧɑrʤ." "ɑ, aɪv mɛt hər. gʊd gərl." "ðət ʃi ɪz. bɪt tu məʧ əv ə ˈblidɪŋ hɑrt ðoʊ, aɪ doʊnt si haʊ ʃi steɪz seɪn θru ɔl əv ðɪs." "wɛl, haʊ du ju steɪ seɪn? əm nɑt ɔn ðə frənt laɪnz ˈɔfən, soʊ aɪ doʊnt hæv ðə seɪm... ˈɪʃuz ɛz ju wʊd." "ðə ˈsɪmpəl ˈænsər? ju." waɪs bləʃt, ˈkɪsɪŋ ˈrubiz nɛk ˈsɔftli. "wɛˈnɛvər θɪŋz gɪt rəf, ər aɪ mɪs hoʊm, ər aɪ si ˈsəmˌwən daɪ nɛkst tɪ mi, aɪ ʤɪst θɪŋk əv ju. jʊr ɔl aɪ nid waɪs." "ju... jʊr ɔl aɪ nid tu ˈrubi, ənd ɔl aɪv ˈɛvər ˈwɔntɪd... θæŋk ju fər ˈhɛlpɪŋ mi ðət naɪt, ənd ˈɛvəri deɪ sɪns." ˈrubi rɪˈmɛmbərd ðət naɪt ˈfɑndli. ʃi hæd bɪn ˈwɑndərɪŋ ðə ˈtrɛnʧɪz ˈɔlˌmoʊst ə jɪr əˈgoʊ, ənd hæd kəm əˈpɑn ə luˈtɛnənt neɪmd ʃni, əˈloʊn ənd kraɪɪŋ ɪn ə fərˈgɑtən ˈdəˌgaʊt. ˈrubi ˈhædənt sɛd ˈɛniˌθɪŋ, bət ˈsɪmpli stʊd ðɛr ənd ˈweɪtɪd, ə sɔft ɪkˈsprɛʃən ɔn hər ˈwɛðərd feɪs. ʃi nu wət waɪs wɑz ˈfilɪŋ. ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli, ðə ˈwʊmən hæd æst hər hu ʃi wɑz ənd wət ʃi ˈwɔntɪd, ənd ˈrubi hæd ˈsɪmpli rɪˈplaɪd ðət ʃi "ˈwɔntɪd tɪ hɛlp, ɪn ˈɛni weɪ ʃi kʊd." ðət mɑrkt ðə fərst taɪm ˈɛniˌwən hæd ʃoʊn waɪs ˌənkənˈdɪʃənəl ˈkaɪndnəs, ənd ɪt strək ə kɔrd wɪˈθɪn hər hɑrt. ˈæftər ðət naɪt, ənd ðə lɔŋ ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən ðeɪ hæd hæd əˈbaʊt hu ðeɪ wər ənd wɛr ðeɪ keɪm frəm, ʃi hæd meɪd ɪt ə pɔɪnt tɪ ˈvɪzɪt ðə jəŋ ˈkɔrpərəl roʊz wɛˈnɛvər ʃi kʊd. ðeɪ hæd groʊn kloʊz ˈoʊvər ðə lɔŋ mənθs, ənd ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli hɪnts əv ˈroʊmæns hæd blumd. waɪs wɑz ðə fərst wən tɪ ˈriəˌlaɪz ʃi hæd ˈækʧəwəl ˈfilɪŋz fər ðə ˈəðər gərl, ənd wən naɪt ˈæftər ə ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ˈblədi reɪd ʃi hæd kənˈfɛst ðɛm tɪ ˈrubi, noʊɪŋ ˈɛni deɪ kʊd bi ðɛr læst. tɪ hər sɪnˈsɪr səˈpraɪz, ˈrubi hæd rɪˈsɪprəˌkeɪtɪd hər ˈsɛnəmənts, ənd hæd swɛpt hər əp ɪn ə ʤɔɪəs ɪmˈbreɪs. sɪns ðɛn ðeɪ hæd mɛt ɛz məʧ ɛz ˈpɑsəbəl, ˈwɪspərɪŋ sˈwitli tɪ ɪn ðə naɪt ənd ˈhoʊldɪŋ kloʊz wɛˈnɛvər ˈpɑsəbəl. ðeɪ bɪˈkeɪm seɪf pleɪs. ðoʊz ˌɑpərˈtunətiz hæd bɪˈkəm lɛs ənd lɛs ˈfrikˌwɛnt ɛz əv leɪt, ðɛr rɪˈspɛktɪv ˈdutiz ɛz ə skwɑd ˈlidər ənd pləˈtun kəˈmændər drɔɪŋ ðɛr əˈtɛnʃən əˈweɪ fɑr mɔr ðən ðeɪ wʊd hæv laɪkt. ðeɪ meɪd du, ˌhaʊˈɛvər. ˈrubi ˈɪntu waɪs, ənˈsərtənti ˈrɔɪlɪŋ əraʊnd ɪn hər maɪnd. ʃi hæd ˈsəmθɪŋ ʃi hæd ˈwɔntɪd tɪ seɪ fər ə lɔŋ taɪm naʊ, bət ʃi ˈwəzənt ʃʊr ɪf ðə ˈəðər gərl wʊd bi ˌoʊˈkeɪ wɪθ ɪt. ʃi ˈdɪdənt noʊ ɪf ðə ˈəðər gərl wɑz ˈrɛdi fər ðət taɪp əv θɪŋ, ðət taɪp əv kəˈmɪtmənt. bət ðɛn ˈmɛməriz əv ðə ˈbætəl ʃi hæd ʤɪst sərˈvaɪvd floʊd θru hər maɪnd, ənd ʃi ˈriəˌlaɪzd ʃi ˈdɪdənt hæv ðə taɪm tɪ weɪt ər teɪk θɪŋz sloʊ. ʃi hæd tɪ æsk ðɪs naʊ, ˌbiˈfɔr ɪt wɑz tu leɪt. "heɪ waɪs?" "jɛs ˈrubi?" "wʊd ɪt bi... streɪnʤ ɪf aɪ sɛd aɪ ləvd ju?" ə faɪər ʃɑt əp waɪs' spaɪn, ənd ʃi fɛlt ɪt kənˈstrɪkt əraʊnd hər hɑrt ənd ˈlɪŋər ðɛr, ˈmeɪkɪŋ ɪt bit ˈfæstər ənd ˈfæstər. ʃi nu ðɪs ʃʊd bi rɔŋ bət... ˈrubi wɑz soʊ kloʊz, ənd ɪt fɛlt soʊ raɪt. ɪt ˈwʊdənt. ju si... ləv ju tu." ˈrubi smaɪld, wɔrm ənd sɪnˈsɪr. ʃi hæd ˈɔlˌweɪz noʊn ðət, bət ɪt fɛlt ˈdɪfərənt tɪ seɪ ɪt. "gʊd, aɪ ˈwɔntɪd tɪ gɪt ðət aʊt əv ðə weɪ ˌbiˈfɔr təˈmɑˌroʊ ˈmɔrnɪŋ." "doʊnt seɪ θɪŋz laɪk ðət, jul bi ʤɪst faɪn. jʊr ə sərˈvaɪvər roʊz. ju ˈɔlˌweɪz hæv bɪn." "aɪ noʊ bət... əm ə ˈlɪtəl ˈwərid. aɪ hæv ðɪs ˈfilɪŋ əˈbaʊt təˈmɑˌroʊ. aɪ doʊnt noʊ ɪf ɪts gʊd ər bæd, bət ɪts ʤɪst... ənˈsərtən, ənd aɪ doʊnt laɪk ɪt. soʊ aɪ hæv tɪ æsk ðɪs naʊ. ˌbiˈfɔr ɪts tu leɪt." "æsk wət? ju noʊ ju kən æsk mi ˈɛniˌθɪŋ..." ˈrubi ˈkɛrfəli ˈʃɪftɪd waɪs ɔf əv hər læp ənd nɛlt daʊn ɔn wən ni, ˈlʊkɪŋ əp æt ðə ˈəðər ˈwʊmən wɪθ ə ˈmɪksʧər əv ənˈsərtənti ənd hoʊp. waɪs ˈkəvərd hər maʊθ wɪθ hər hænz; ʃi froʊz əp, hər ˈbɑdi ˈwʊdənt rɪˈspɑnd. wɑz ˈrubi ˈrɪli əˈbaʊt tɪ du wət ʃi θɔt ʃi wɑz goʊɪŋ tɪ du? "waɪs ʃni... wɪl ju ˈmɛri mi?" ðə gərl hɛld bæk ə ʧoʊkt sɑb ənd ʤɪst stʊd ðɛr, ˈʃeɪkɪŋ sˈlaɪtli. ˈnɛvər wəns hæd ʃi ˌɪˈmæʤənd ðət ˈrubi kɛrd əˈbaʊt hər ðət ˈdipli, soʊ məʧ ðət ʃi ˈwɔntɪd tɪ spɛnd ðə rɛst əv ðɛr lɪvz təˈgɛðər. ʃi hæd hoʊpt, bət... ʃi fɛlt ə ʤaɪənt ləmp ɪn hər θroʊt, ənd hər hɑrt fɛlt laɪk ɪt wɑz goʊɪŋ tɪ bərst. ˈrubiz feɪs wɑz ə mæsk əv kənfˈjuʒən, wɑz ʃi ˈrɪli soʊ əˈpoʊzd tɪ ðə aɪˈdiə əv tu ˈwɪmən biɪŋ ˈmɛrid ðət ɪt wɑz ˈmeɪkɪŋ hər kraɪ? dɪd waɪs nɑt ləv hər ɪn ðət weɪ? ʃi fɛlt hər hɑrt breɪk, ənd ʃi stʊd əp sˈloʊli, ˈsəmˌhaʊ ˈmænəʤɪŋ tɪ kip ə fɔls smaɪl ɔn hər feɪs. "ɪts... ɪts ˌɔˈlraɪt ɪf ju doʊnt wɔnt tɪ. kræp əm ˈsɑri, ðɪs wɑz ə ˈhɔrəbəl aɪˈdiə. wiv ˈoʊnli noʊn fər ə jɪr ənd aɪ wɑz ˈfulɪʃ tɪ θɪŋk... əm ˈsɑri." ˈsədənli, waɪs rəʃt ˈfɔrwərd ənd ræpt hər ɑrmz əraʊnd ˈrubi, ˈtækəlɪŋ hər tɪ ðə graʊnd ənd ˈsɑbɪŋ ˈɪntu ðə ˈjunəˌfɔrm. əp ju dolt*, ʃət əp ʃət əp ʃət əp!" "wha*..." ˈrubi lʊkt daʊn æt ðə ˈəðər gərl ɪn kənfˈjuʒən. "jɛs! jɛs əv kɔrs aɪl ˈmɛri ju, ju kəˈlɑsəl dunce*! oʊ maɪ gɑd aɪ ʤɪst ˈdɪdənt aɪ mɛnt ðət məʧ tɪ ju... ðət aɪ kʊd ˈɛvər min ðət məʧ tɪ ˈɛniˌwən..." ju min ðət məʧ tɪ mi waɪs... ənd aɪ wɔnt tɪ spɛnd ˈɛvəri deɪ wɪθ ju, jʊr ʤɪst soʊ smɑrt ənd ˈbjutəfəl ənd aɪ kænt brið wɪn əm əraʊnd ju ənd wɪn jʊr ɪn ðə rum aɪ ʤɪst wɔnt ju tɪ ˈoʊnli lʊk æt mi ənd nɑt æt ˈɛniˌwən ɛls ənd aɪ... əm ˈsɑri əm ˈræmbəlɪŋ əˈgɛn. aɪl stɑp. waɪs læft ˈsɔftli, draɪɪŋ hər tɪrz wɪθ hər θəm. "noʊ ɪts... kjut. aɪ ʤɪst... aɪ noʊ haʊ ˈɛvriˌwən tɔks əˈbaʊt mi, aɪ noʊ ə lɔt əv ðə mɛn heɪt mi. ðeɪ θɪŋk əm koʊld ənd ənˈkɛrɪŋ. əm ʤɪst nɑt juzd tɪ... ðɪs." "ju min... ləv?" "aɪ θɪŋk ðæts wət ðɪs ɪz, jɛs. ɪts nu ənd streɪnʤ bət, aɪ laɪk ɪt. aɪ ˈfaɪnəli fil laɪk aɪ bɪˈlɔŋ ˈsəmˌwɛr. aɪ fil laɪk aɪ bɪˈlɔŋ wɪθ ju." "aɪ fil ðə seɪm... ənd doʊnt ˈwəri əˈbaʊt ˈɛvriˌwən ɛls, ðeɪ doʊnt noʊ ju laɪk aɪ du. juv gɑt ə lɔt əv ləv waɪs, ju ʤɪst doʊnt noʊ haʊ tɪ ʃoʊ ɪt. wɛl tɪ ˈɛniˌwən bət mi ˈrɪli." ɪz ɪt rɔŋ ɪf jʊr ðə ˈoʊnli wən aɪ wɔnt tɪ ʃoʊ maɪ ləv tɪ?" "nɑt æt ɔl waɪs. hɛl aɪd gɪt ˈʤɛləs ɪf ju ˈstɑrtɪd ˈtɔkɪŋ tɪ ˈəðər ˈpipəl..." waɪs ˈgɪgəld ˈsɔftli, ˈprɛsɪŋ hər ˈfɔrhɛd əp əˈgɛnst ˈrubiz. "aɪ θɪŋk wi ʃʊd gɪt əp naʊ waɪs. ðɪs flɔr ɪz ˈdərti." "o-oh*, jɛs əv kɔrs. haʊ ˌənbɪˈkəmɪŋ əv ən ˈɔfɪsər." "jʊr nɑt ən ˈɔfɪsər tɪ mi waɪs. ɔn ðə ˈbætəlˌfild ʃʊr, bət naʊ jʊr maɪ fiˈænsi." ðə wərdz ˈsaʊndɪd streɪnʤ ˈkəmɪŋ aʊt əv ˈrubiz maʊθ, bət ðeɪ fɛlt laɪk ðə truɪst θɪŋz ʃi hæd ˈɛvər ˈspoʊkən. "r-right*, ənd jʊr maɪ... fiˈænsi tu. aɪl hæv tɪ gɪt juzd tɪ ðət..." "oʊ, aɪ θɪŋk ˈɪtəl bi faɪn," ˈrubi sɛd ɛz ʃi sæt bæk daʊn ɪn ðə ʧɛr ənd pʊld waɪs ˈɪntu hər læp. ðeɪ sæt ðɛr ɪn ə ˈkəmfərtəbəl ˈsaɪləns, waɪs ˈrənɪŋ hər ˈfɪŋgərz θru ˈrubiz hɛr, ˈrubi ˈrəbɪŋ sloʊ ˈsərkəlz ˈɪntu waɪs' smɔl bæk. "du ju ˈrɪli θɪŋk ɪts goʊɪŋ tɪ wərk? ðɪs əˈfɛnsɪv?" ˈrubi ˈfaɪnəli æst. "ˈɑnəstli, aɪ du. aɪ ˈwəzənt laɪɪŋ wɪn aɪ sɛd ðə ˈʤərmənz wər ɪgˈzɔstɪd, boʊθ ɪn mɛn ənd məˈtɪriəl. təˈmɑˌroʊ wɪl bi ðə ˈtərnɪŋ pɔɪnt əv ðə wɔr, mɑrk maɪ wərdz." "ənd ðɛn wi kən ˈfaɪnəli bi təˈgɛðər." "jɛs, ðɛn wi kən. bət fər təˈnaɪt, hoʊld mi kloʊz ənd ˈwɪspər ˈsɔftli ɪn maɪ ɪr. aɪ wɔnt tɪ ˈʧɛrɪʃ ðiz ˈmoʊmənts fərˈɛvər." "ɛz du aɪ. aɪ ləv ju waɪs." "aɪ ləv ju tu, dolt*." ˈrubi pʊld waɪs ˈtaɪtər tɪ hər ʧɛst, ðə sˈmɔlər ˈwʊmən sˈmaɪlɪŋ ənd ˈrɛstɪŋ hər hɛd ɔn ˈrubiz ˈkɑlər, ˌɛnˈʤɔɪɪŋ ðə wɔrmθ ðə bruˈnɛt geɪv ɔf. ɪt ˈdɪdənt ˈmætər wət təˈmɑˌroʊ brɔt æt fərst laɪt. bɪˈkəz raɪt naʊ, ðeɪ wər təˈgɛðər. æm ðə nɛkst deɪ. ˈrubi kləʧt hər ˈraɪfəl ˈtaɪtli, ˈkraʊʧɪŋ ɔn ðə lɪp əv ðə trɛnʧ ənd ˈweɪtɪŋ fər ðə ˈwɪsəl. ʃi glænst ˈbækwərdz, ˈʧɛkɪŋ ɔn hər skwɑd wən læst taɪm, ɛz ɪf ðeɪ maɪt ˌdɪsəˈpɪr ɪf ʃi lʊkt əˈweɪ fər tu lɔŋ. wɑz ðɛr, ənd geɪv hər ə nɑd əv ˌæfərˈmeɪʃən ɛz ʃi ˈrɛstɪd hər hænd ɔn ˈʃoʊldər. ðə bɔɪ lʊkt ˌæbsəˈlutli ˈtɛrəˌfaɪd. bət hi wɑz stɪl əp ðɛr wɪθ ðə rɛst əv ðɛm, ˈrɛdi tɪ du hɪz ˈduti fər hɪz ˈkəntri. sən wɑz ðɛr ɛz wɛl, wɪθ ə ˈwɪkəd grɪn ɔn hɪz feɪs. ˈsəmθɪŋ wɑz rɔŋ wɪθ ðət mæn... ðə ˈtɛnʃən ɪn ðə ɛr wɑz laɪk ə ˈfɪzɪkəl θɪŋ, ˈhɛvi ənd əˈprɛsɪŋ. ðɛr wɑz dɛd ˈsaɪləns ɪn ðə trɛnʧ, noʊ wən muvd, noʊ wən briðd ˈlaʊdər ðən ðeɪ hæd tɪ. ðə ˈɔfɪsər nɛkst tɪ ˈrubi pʊld aʊt hɪz, ˈʧɛkɪŋ ðə taɪm. swɛt wɑz ˈpɔrɪŋ daʊn hɪz ˈfɔrhɛd ɛz hi ənd dru hɪz rɪˈvɑlvər. hi tərnd əraʊnd ənd hɛld ə ˈsɪŋgəl ˈfɪŋgər əp. "wən ˈmɪnət." ˈsɛvərəl ˈsoʊlʤərz boʊd ðɛr hɛdz, ə fju meɪd ðə saɪn əv ðə ˈhoʊli ˈtrɪnɪti, bət moʊst ˈsɪmpli kləʧt ðɛr ˈraɪfəlz ənd stɛrd æt ˈnəθɪŋ. ðɪs wɑz ðə wərst pɑrt, ðə ˈweɪtɪŋ. wəns ðə ˈbætəl ˈstɑrtɪd, ju ˈdɪdənt θɪŋk əˈbaʊt ɪt. ju ˈsɪmpli dɪd, riˈlaɪɪŋ ɔn jʊr ˈtreɪnɪŋ ənd ðə mɛn tɪ jʊr lɛft ənd raɪt tɪ si ju θru. bət ðə ˈweɪtɪŋ, oʊ ðə ˈweɪtɪŋ. ɪt ˈtɛrəˌraɪzd ðə maɪnd, ˈtɔrʧərd ðə hɑrt ənd meɪd groʊn mɛn kweɪk ɪn ðɛr buts. ðə ˈɔfɪsər glænst æt hɪz əˈgɛn ənd tʊk ə dip brɛθ. ˈpleɪsɪŋ ðə wɔʧ bæk ˈɪntu hɪz ˈpɑkət, hi reɪzd ə bræs ˈwɪsəl tɪ hɪz lɪps. ˈrubi breɪst hərˈsɛlf əˈgɛnst ðə ˈlædər ˈlidɪŋ əp ˈoʊvər ðə trɛnʧ, noʊɪŋ wɛr ɪt wʊd teɪk hər. ˈoʊvər ðə tɔp. ðə ˈɔfɪsər blu, ənd ə ʃrɪl ˈwɪsəl pɪrst ðə ɛr, stərɪŋ ˈɛvriˌwən ˈɪntu ˈækʃən. ə kəˈlɛktɪv kraɪ əv reɪʤ ˈɪʃud fɔrθ frəm ˈɛvəri θroʊt ˈprɛzənt, ənd mɛn ənd ˈwɪmən ˈskræmbəld əp ˈlædərz ənd rəʃt aʊt ˈoʊvər lænd, ˈstəmbəlɪŋ ənd sˈlɪpɪŋ ɪn ðə məd ənd ˈdɑrknəs. ɑrˈtɪləri bɪˈgæn tɪ faɪər, ðə bɑmˈbɑrdmənt ˈpərfəktli taɪmd tɪ straɪk ðə ˈʤərmən ˈtrɛnʧɪz ʤɪst ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ˈɪnfəntri əraɪvd. ˈlʊkɪŋ tɪ hər lɛft ənd raɪt waɪl ʃi ʤəmpt ˈoʊvər ˈkreɪtərz ənd əraʊnd tri stəmps, ʃi kʊd si ˈdəzənz, noʊ, ˈhənərdz əv tæŋks ˈʤɔɪnɪŋ ðə mæst ʧɑrʤ. ðɪs wɑz ɪt, ðə əˈfɛnsɪv tɪ ɛnd ɪt ɔl. ðeɪ wʊd lʊk bæk ɔn ðɪs deɪ ɛz ðə ˈtərnɪŋ pɔɪnt əv ðə wɔr. ðə sən hæd ʤɪst ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ pik ˈoʊvər ðə hərˈaɪzən. "wəns mɔr ˈɪntu ðə freɪ, æt fərst laɪt..." ʃi θɔt. "pliz, ɪf ðɛrz ə gɑd aʊt ðɛr, hɛlp mi sərˈvaɪv. lɛt mi bi wɪθ waɪs əˈgɛn..." mɛn ənd ˈwɪmən skrimd ənd ˈʃaʊtɪd, ɑrˈtɪləri raʊnz ənd ˈbʊləts flu θru ðə ɛr, ənd ˈbɑdiz ɔn boʊθ saɪdz drɑpt ˈɪntu ðə məd. ðə ˈhənərd deɪz əˈfɛnsɪv hæd ˈbeɪgən. 3 jɪrz ˈleɪtər ˈrubi əˈwoʊk sˈloʊli, ˈʤɛntli ˈoʊpənɪŋ hər aɪz tɪ si ðə wɔrm ˈaɪəwən sən ˈpikɪŋ ɪn θru hər ʃɪr ˈkərtənz. ʃi ˈʃɪftɪd ɪn ðə bɛd, ˈsɪtɪŋ əp ənd ˈjɔnɪŋ. ˈglænsɪŋ əraʊnd, ʃi lʊkt æt ðə ˈəðər saɪd əv ðə bɛd. ˈɛmti. ʃi gɑt əp, drɛst hərˈsɛlf ənd ˈhɛdɪd ˈdaʊnˈstɛrz tɪ meɪk ˈbrɛkfəst. ˈæftər ʃi hæd ˈfɪnɪʃt ˈitɪŋ, ʃi wɛnt ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ənd fɛd ðə ˈænəməlz. ʃi tʊk ə stroʊl daʊn ðə fildz, ˈʧɛkɪŋ ðə krɑps tɪ si ɪf ðeɪ wər ˈrɛdi fər ˈhɑrvəst jɛt. ə fju mɔr deɪz lɛft ɪt wʊd sim. ðə haɪərd hɛlp ˈtɛndɪŋ tɪ ðə fildz weɪvd tɪ hər ɛz ʃi pæst baɪ, ənd ʃi smaɪld ənd weɪvd ɪn rɪˈtərn. ʃi fɪld ðə rɛst əv ðə deɪ wɪθ busywork*, ˈklinɪŋ ðə haʊs, ˈrɛdɪŋ ðə ˈpeɪpərz, ˈsɪtɪŋ ɔn ðə pɔrʧ ənd ˌɛnˈʤɔɪɪŋ ðə wɔrmθ əv ðə sən; ˈsəmθɪŋ ʃi hæd mɪst ˈsɔrli bæk ɪn ðə greɪt wɔr. wɪn ʃi gru bɔrd əv ðət, ʃi tʊk ˈkrɛsənt roʊz daʊn frəm ɪts plæk ɔn ðə ˈmæntəl əv ðə ˈfaɪərˌpleɪs ənd tʊk ɪt əˈpɑrt. ʃi ˌɪnˈspɛktɪd ɪt, klind ɪt, ˌɪnˈspɛktɪd ɪt əˈgɛn, klind ɪt əˈgɛn, ənd pʊt ɪt bæk təˈgɛðər. səm naɪts, ʃi laɪkt tɪ teɪk ɪt ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ənd ˈpræktɪs hər ˈmɑrksmənʃɪp ɔn ˈpeɪnɪd ˈwʊdən ˈtɑrgəts. hər ˌɪmˈpɛkəbəl eɪm ˈhædənt dɪˈgreɪdɪd ɪn ðə sˈlaɪtəst ˈoʊvər ðə pæst fju jɪrz. ˈæftər ˈpleɪsɪŋ ˈkrɛsənt roʊz bæk əˈbəv ðə ˈfaɪərˌpleɪs, ʃi ʧɛkt hər meɪl, ˈhæpəli səˈpraɪzd tɪ faɪnd əˈnəðər ˈlɛtər frəm jæŋ. hər ˈoʊldər ˈsɪstər hæd ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ steɪ ɪn ðə ˈɑrmi, ənd ʃi wɑz ə ˈkələr ˈsɑrʤənt naʊ. ʃi wɑz ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈkəmfərtəbli, ənd ʃi wɑz əˈpɛrəntli ˈdeɪtɪŋ hər oʊld fərst ˈsɑrʤənt, ə ˈwʊmən baɪ ðə neɪm əv bleɪk belladona*. bleɪk hæd ˈʧoʊzən tɪ gɪt aʊt əv ðə ˈɑrmi ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ənd naʊ wərkt ɛz ə ˈraɪtər tɪ ˌsəpləˈmɛnt ɔˈrɛdi kənˈsɪdərəbəl ˈɪnˌkəm. ðeɪ lɪvd kwaɪt ˈkəmfərtəbli, ˈtrævəlɪŋ wɛˈrɛvər jæŋ wɑz ˈsteɪʃənd. ˈrubi wɑz ˈhæpi fər hər, glæd θɪŋz hæd wərkt aʊt fər hər ˌɪˈræsɪbəl ˈoʊldər ˈsɪstər. ɛz ðə sən bɪˈgæn tɪ sɛt, ʃi wɛnt ˈaʊtˈsaɪd tɪ ðə pɔrʧ. ʃi rɪˈklaɪnd ɪn ə ˈkəmfərtəbəl ˈwʊdən ʧɛr ənd wɔʧt ɪt goʊ daʊn, ə slaɪt smaɪl ɔn hər feɪs. ðɪs wɑz hər ˈfeɪvərɪt pɑrt əv ðə deɪ. ɪn ðə ˈdɪstəns, ðə glɪnt əv ˈsənˌlaɪt rɪˈflɛktɪŋ ɔf əv ˈmɛtəl dru hər aɪ, ənd ʃi wɔʧt ɛz ən ˌɔtəmoʊˈbil ʧəgd daʊn ðə roʊd təˈwɔrdz ðə haʊs, ˈlivɪŋ ə treɪl əv dəst bɪˈhaɪnd ɪt. ʃi gɑt əp, ˈstændɪŋ æt ðə ˈɛntrəns əv ðə pɔrʧ ənd ˈlinɪŋ ɔn wən əv ɪts ˈpɪlərz ɛz ðə ˌɔtəmoʊˈbil pʊld ˈɪntu ðə ˈgrævəl ˈdraɪvˌweɪ. ˈrubi smaɪld ˈwɔrmli, ɛz ə gərl wɪθ lɔŋ waɪt hɛr stɛpt aʊt, ˈteɪkɪŋ ɔf hər ˈdraɪvɪŋ gləvz ənd ˈtɔsɪŋ ðɛm ˈɪntu ðə kɑr. waɪs wɔkt təˈwɔrdz ðə haʊs, ənd ˈrubi mɛt hər ˈhæfˈweɪ, ðə sˈmɔlər gərl skˈwilɪŋ ɛz ðə bruˈnɛt pɪkt hər əp ənd spən hər əraʊnd. "r-ruby*, pʊt mi daʊn!" "bət weiiisss*, aɪ mɪst ju soʊ məʧ!" ˈrubi sɛd ɛz ʃi lɛt ðə ˈoʊldər gərl daʊn, ˈprɛsɪŋ ə strɔŋ kɪs tɪ ðə ˈəðər ˈwʊmənz lɪps. "mmph*... aɪ wɑz ˈoʊnli gɔn fər fɔr deɪz ju dolt*..." "ənd ðæts fɔr deɪz tu ˈmɛni. ɪt wɑz hɑrd ˈweɪkɪŋ əp tɪ ən ˈɛmti bɛd." waɪs nu wət ˈrubi ˈrɪli mɛnt; ðət ɪt wɑz hɑrd tɪ slip baɪ hərˈsɛlf. ðə ˈjəŋgər gərl stɪl ˈsəfərd ˈnaɪtˌmɛrz frəm ðə wɔr, ənd ɔˈkeɪʒənəˌli woʊk əp ˈskrimɪŋ. waɪs ˈheɪtɪd ðoʊz ˈmoʊmənts, bət ʃi ˈɔlˌweɪz dɪd ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ ʃi kʊd tɪ hoʊld ˈrubi kloʊz ənd ˈwɪspər tɪ hər əˈbaʊt haʊ məʧ ʃi ləvd hər, ðət ʃi wɑz seɪf, ðət ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ wɑz ˌoʊˈkeɪ. "...əm ˈsɑri fər ðət. bət rɪˈmɛmbər, ðɪs wɑz ˈoʊnli ə smɔl kənˈvɛnʃən fər maɪ ˈkɑlɪʤ. ðɪs woʊnt bi ə ˈrɛgjələr θɪŋ. bɪˈkəz ˈivɪn ɪf ðeɪ traɪ tɪ meɪk ɪt ə ˈrɛgjələr θɪŋ, aɪl ʤɪst stɑp goʊɪŋ. aɪ woʊnt lɛt ˈɛniˌθɪŋ kip ˈjuˈɛs əˈpɑrt, ənd aɪ min ðət." ˈrubi smaɪld, təʧt baɪ haʊ məʧ waɪs dɪd fər hər æt ðə ɪkˈspɛns əv hər ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən. ʃi tʊk waɪs baɪ ðə hænd ənd lɛd hər ˈɪntu ðə haʊs, ˈʃətɪŋ ðə dɔr bɪˈhaɪnd ðɛm ɛz ðə sən ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd bɪˈloʊ ðə hərˈaɪzən. ðə rɛst əv ðə naɪt wɑz fɪld wɪθ ˈpleɪfəl ˈbæntər, ˈhɑrtˌfɛlt ˈkɪsɪz, ənd ˈtɛndər ˈtəʧɪz. ənd wɪn ðeɪ ˈfaɪnəli rɪˈtaɪrd tɪ ðɛr bɛd, waɪs kɪst ˈrubi ˈʤɛntli ɔn ðə lɪps, saɪɪŋ ˈsɔftli ənd ʤɪst ə ˈlɪtəl ˈtaɪtər ˈɪntu ðə ˈtɔlər gərlz strɔŋ ˈbɑdi. ðeɪ fɪt təˈgɛðər laɪk ə ˈpəzəl pis. "aɪ ləv ju ˈrubi. ənd doʊnt ˈwəri, aɪl bi raɪt hir wɪn ju weɪk əp." "aɪ ləv ju tu waɪs. swit drimz." ˈrubi hɛld ðə ˈwʊmən kloʊz ɛz ʃi fɛl əsˈlip, ˈθɪŋkɪŋ əˈbaʊt haʊ ˈləki ðeɪ hæd bɪn tɪ ɛnd əp wɪθ, ənd ˈmɑrvəlɪŋ æt wət kʊd ˈhæpən ɔn ðə ˈbætəlˌfild... ...wɪn ˈkænənz feɪd. ˈɑbviəsli, ðɪs teɪks pleɪs ɪn ən ˈɔltərˌneɪt ˈvərʒən əv wɛr ˈwɪmən wər əˈlaʊd tɪ sərv əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd mɛn. bət ˈivɪn soʊ, aɪ traɪd tɪ meɪk ðɪs ɛz hɪˈstɔrɪkəli ˈækjərət ɛz ˈpɑsəbəl, wɪˈθaʊt ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈwɑʧɪŋ aʊər lɔŋ ˌdɑkjəˈmɛnəriz ənd səʧ. ɪz ə ril pleɪs; ðə ˈbætəl əv ˈæˌkʧuəli wɑz ðə ˈtərnɪŋ pɔɪnt əv wərld wɔr 1 ðə ɪz ril, ðə ˈhənərd deɪz əˈfɛnsɪv ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈhæpənd, ˈivɪn ðət ˈrumər əˈbaʊt ˈpɛrɪs ənd ðə ˈʤərmən "ˈreɪlˌweɪ gənz" ɪz tru. aɪ hæd ə blæst ˈraɪtɪŋ ðɪs, ɪt ˈoʊnli tʊk mi tu naɪts. tu naɪts dɪˈstræktɪd əv kɔrs baɪ geɪmz əv lig əv ˈlɛʤəndz ənd ˈtəmblər ˈbraʊzɪŋ ənd ˈʤɛnərəl ˈɪntərˌnɛt tomfoolery*. ðə poʊəm æt ðə bɪˈgɪnɪŋ wɑz ˈrɪtən baɪ ˈwɪlfrɪd oʊən, hu sərvd ɔn ðə ˈwɛstərn frənt. ðə sɔŋ ˈlɪrɪks ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ɪt ər ˈteɪkən frəm "wɪn ˈkænənz feɪd" baɪ boʊlt θroʊər. ɪf ju laɪk death-metal*, aɪ ˈhaɪli səˈʤɛst ju ʧɛk ðɛm aʊt. jɛs, aɪ meɪd ðə ˈmɛmbərz əv tim fəkt ɪn ðə hɛd. jɛs, ˈkɑrdɪn ˈwɪnˌʧɛstər ˈæˌkʧuəli daɪd. ənd jɛs, ðə waɪt roʊz kən blum ˈivɪn ɔn ðə ˈbætəlˌfild. ðɪs ʃʊd klɪr ðət kˈwɛʃən əp fərˈɛvər. pliz ˌrivˈju, ˈwɛðər ju laɪkt ɪt ər nɑt. (aɪ ləv ˈrɛdɪŋ rəvˈjuz) aʊt.

"bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, and towards our distant rest began to trudge. men marched asleep. many had lost their boots, but limped on, blood-shod. all went lame, all blind; drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots of gas-shells dropping softly behind. gas! gas! quick, boys! — an ecstasy of fumbling fitting the clumsy helmets just in time, but someone still was yelling out and stumbling and flound'ring like a man in fire or lime.— dim through the misty panes and thick green light, as under a green sea, i saw him drowning. in all my dreams before my helpless sight he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. if in some smothering dreams, you too could pace behind the wagon that we flung him in, and watch the white eyes writhing in his face, his hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin, if you could hear, at every jolt, the blood come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs bitter as the cud of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, — my friend, you would not tell with such high zest to children ardent for some desperate glory, the old lie: dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori." - wilfred owen, 1917 as the silence grows steadily replacing the resonance of thunder deep in the soul conscience still remains horror - amongst the flames ashes keep on falling i close my eyes and even now the distant memory remains of the last laments to be played when cannons fade... summer, 1918. mud. the mud was everywhere, always. it covered everything, sticking to boots and gloves and shovels, barbed wire and old faded trench-coats. it somehow made everything worse, as if it was a constant reminder of the living hell they were stuck in. stuck in hell, stuck in mud. and it was cold too, a constant biting cold that made every activity miserable. sergeant ruby rose of the u.s. army sighed, wondering not for the first time just why in the hell she had signed up with the army. she stood on the lip of the trench, adjusted her iconic brodie helmet, and peered out into the no-mans land between. an endless sea of mud and exploded tree stumps. the sky was overcast and dark gray; she hadn't seen the sun in days. only a few hundred metres separated the trench she was in from the one opposite it, manned by soldiers of the german empire. she had been in that same trench just a few days ago. the allies were constantly losing ground, being forced to retreat from trench to trench by the massed german infantry rushes, preluded by devastating gas attacks and earth-shattering artillery bombardments. to her back was the town of amiens, a vital railway junction that routed supplies to front lines all over the western front. if amiens fell, it would be another nail in the coffin of france. paris was only 140 kilometers away, and rumors had been going around the trenches that the germans had developed so called "railway guns," massive train-car mounted pieces of artillery that would apparently be able to shell paris if they closed to within 100 kilometers. reports varied of course, some saying they had a range of up to 500km while some going so far as to completely deny their existence, denouncing it as "fear-mongering propaganda." whatever the case, ruby knew they couldn't lose amiens. if they lost amiens, they might lose france, and if they lost france, they might lose the war. and then all these american lives lost would mean nothing at all. direct intervention in the great war was already extremely unpopular, but president wilson had ordered troops over anyway, after the infamous zimmerman telegraph. ruby had a simple farm-girl then, eking out an existence with her sister, yang xiao long, on a small plot of land in iowa. their mother, summer rose, had died of typhoid fever a few years before the war had even started, and their father, a chinese immigrant named yue xiao long had died even before that. summer had never told her the whole story, but ruby suspected he hadn't been killed in a simple automobile accident. not with all the hateful stares she attracted while in town. ruby understood that immigrants, and especially the chinese ones, weren't exactly well-liked, but killing someone simply because their skin was a different color? she would never understand that. she did, however, understand killing for a cause. when the zimmerman telegraph had been released to the public, yang had been furious. "how dare they!" she had shouted. "why i'll, i'll tear them apart with my own two hands!" when president wilson and congress had declared war on germany and it's allies, known as the axis powers, yang had been one of the first to sign up with the army. she had said it was because of how angry she was, and that the people that were dying over in europe needed their help. she didn't say that it was because the farm was failing, and that they needed the money the army would give them. so she had left on a train bound for europe, leaving a confused 18-year old girl standing at the train station. ruby's neighbors had promised to take care of her, but she didn't want that. she didn't want to be alone again, left in the dust while her sister went off to war. yang had always cared for ruby, but she had a bad habit of losing her temper. ruby remembered coming home from school countless times, crying or with a bruise, only to have yang find out who the offending party had been and enact her own brand of vengeance. the blonde girls knuckles were almost always bloody when she finally came home. this time, ruby swore, she wouldn't be left in the dust. she would fight too. and so she had signed up and left for the western front; the army was taking anyone and everyone. that had been almost a year ago, and the 18 year-old farm girl from iowa had grown up fast. she had quickly earned a reputation as an impeccable marksman; she could shoot the stalhelm off of a german at 1000 yards. ruby had risen rapidly through the ranks, as men and women had fallen around her. she was a survivor. she remembered carrying her previous squad leader out of no-mans land, the crimson pouring from his wounds staining her hair and uniform. he hadn't lived, and the tips of her short hair were still stained blood-red. no one could explain the phenomenon. ruby carried it as a badge of honor however, and she had assumed his role as squad leader and taken command of the small 10-man squad. seven men, three women. that had been three days ago. three days since the last german assault. now she was down to four men and two women. jaune arc, a french immigrant boy from minnesota. he was a coward, and she often found him crying at night. lie ren, another chinese immigrant like herself. he was always silent, and almost never spoke. cardin winchester, a former football player from boston. he was a stereotypical high-school bully, who made life hard for all those around him. sun wukong, a strange blonde-haired boy with a penchant for stealing from the dead. ruby saw that as morally wrong, and reprimanded him for it constantly. the two women left were nora valkyrie and phyrra nikos. nora was almost definitely clinically insane, she would often be seen giggling and laughing while she bayoneted her enemies over and over, long after they were dead. the medics didn't care, anyone who could use a rifle would serve. phyrra was the one ruby liked most out of the squad, she was a competent and caring red-head who tried to look out for jaune as much as she could. "phyrra nikos... the only one in my entire squad who isn't fucked up. how she manages to stay sane, i have no idea," ruby thought. the brunette had her own way of staying sane, but no one knew about it. "how do you do it phyrra? how can you be so calm and happy, when everyone else around you has fallen apart?" at that moment, the girl in question clambered up next to her, gazing out over no-mans land with her. "afternoon sergeant rose." "afternoon nikos. how's the squad?" ruby frequently used phyrra to gauge the state of her squad; she still wasn't exactly a people person, and phyrra possessed an innate understanding of what others were feeling. "they're fine. a little on edge though, it's been three days since the last attack. it's been dead quiet since then, and it's getting to them." ruby adjusted her helmet, staring at phyrra in disbelief. "they're afraid because we're not under attack for once? the artillery has even been silent, and i'll count every hour it's not firing as a blessing." "true. but even so the quiet is... unnerving. fritz has to be planning something." "definitely. but until the storm breaks, i'll enjoy the quiet. say, have you heard anything from the somme?" "no, i don't believe so. i imagine the fighting is still heavy though. your sister is there, isn't she?" "mmhm." ruby nodded. "serving under a first sergeant belladonna, from what i hear. i hope she's okay, but i probably won't know anything until this war is over." "you mean if it ever ends in the first place." "yeah..." ruby sighed. "here's hoping. the brits still holding our left flank?" "as far as i know. nothing to do now but wait." a comfortable silence fell between the two as they gazed out over the forsaken wasteland in between the trenches, nothing but tree stumps and mud. but if one looked closely, limbs and bodies could be made out among the brownish-grey muck. she wondered if she knew any of them. "incoming!" she was snapped out of her reverie by massed whistling; the unmistakable sound of hundreds of inbound artillery rounds. she found herself flying backwards, phyrra had grabbed her and flung both of them down into the trench. men and women all around them huddled against the walls, pressing themselves flat and praying for the rounds to strike anywhere but here. the impact of the shells shook the earth. nearby impacts flung mud and debris everywhere. ruby felt her bones vibrate with each impact, and she ground her teeth together painfully. she didn't pray for herself. she only prayed for one person. "please," she thought,"let her be okay." in the back of her mind, she realized that this wasn't just your average everyday artillery bombardment, as strange as that may sound. no, this was extremely heavy co-ordinated fire, the kind that preluded an infantry assault. the sound of the explosions changed, becoming less ground-shattering roars and more soft crumps. she quickly realized what that meant. "gas gas gas!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, while fumbling for her mask. men and women around her stumbled and floundered in the mud, some thrown off of their feet by the strength of the bombardment. they scrambled with frantic hands, desperately trying to affix their masks in time as a pale yellow mist began to seep into the trench and pool at the bottom. ruby thanked her lucky stars that she had gotten hers on in time, but as she looked at the world through green-tinted goggles, she saw that many others had not been so lucky. a man next to her cried out in agony as his skin blistered and he began to vomit. it was a horrific sight, and ruby simply took it in with dead eyes. she had seen a lot throughout the past year; a man dying from mustard poisoning was nothing new. with the mixture of spraying mud from the artillery, smog from the gas, the disorienting effect of the gas mask lenses, and the fact that everyone looked the same while wearing one, ruby had no way to tell who was who in the trench. everyone was simply a body, a number, a statistic. the man floundering and gasping for air next to her could be cardin winchester, or she could have never met the man before. as some soldiers with their masks affixed began hauling off the writhing bodies of their afflicted comrades, ruby recognized the need for action. after all, this type of bombardment was a sure sign that an attack was coming. she grabbed her m1903 springfield sniper rifle, which had the words "crescent rose" carved into the butt-stock, and scrambled up onto the step of the trench, slipping in the mud as she did so. squinting through the yellow fog, she could see a mass of dark shapes growing steadily larger. in the distance, she could hear a german officer frantically blowing his whistle, and the distinctive sound of hundreds of throats crying out in anger, all at once. there was no surer sign of an infantry rush. "infantry charge!" she shouted, her voice coming out muted and strange through her gas mask. "get up on the fucking trench, they're coming!" other soldiers scrambled up to the lip of the trench next to her, readying their rifles, as she heard the warning being repeated down the lines. machine-guns were brought up and deployed, gunners fingering belts of rounds as they prepared to feed them into their browning m1917's. ruby brought the scope of her rifle to bear as best she was able, which was noticeably more difficult while wearing a gas mask. normally while manning a trench, you would wait until you had a clear view of the men going "over the top" before you started shooting, so as to conserve ammunition. however, somewhere along the lines, someone started firing, and no one wanted to be outdone. up and down the trench, machine guns and rifles opened up, spent shell casings flying through the air and landing in the muck, becoming buried by scrambling boots. everyone was grim and silent, lost in the necessity of killing their fellow man. the only words spoken were warnings, and requests for more ammunition. as the gunfire began to clear up some of the yellow smog, no-mans land became more visible. ruby almost gasped; hundreds of germans were streaming across the barren wasteland, escorted by prototype tanks, little more than giant boxes of metal with tracks and a few fixed machine-guns. the sight of their amassed enemies created a sense of urgency, and fire rates picked up, men aimed and shot faster, reloaded faster, changed browning barrels faster. even as ruby watched stalhelm after stalhelm drop into the mud only to be trampled by their oncoming comrades, she knew that it wouldn't be enough. there were simply too many of them. they would reach the trench. ruby sighted in again, spotting the distinctive cap of a german officer. "what the hell, even the officers are fighting with the grunts? just what kind of assault is this?!" she fired, watching in grim satisfaction as blood sprayed from the man's chest wound, and he toppled backwards into the muck. she winced as tank treads ground his body into the mud. she sighting in again, firing, chambering, firing, chambering, firing, chambering, firing, reloading, chambering, firing, chambering. an endless cycle of death. it still wasn't enough. the germans were close enough to fire back, and the man, or woman, next to her pitched backwards, a bullet shattering the eye-glass of their gas mask. "fix bayonets! fix fucking bayonets!" someone screamed, and ruby dug into her waist pouch, smoothly producing her bayonet and affixing it to the top of her rifle. she looked back up, just in time to see a grey figure charging her, a german soldier. he was wearing a gas-mask as well, and his distinctive pointed helmet marked him out as an enemy. enemy. that was one thing ruby knew well, one problem that she knew exactly how to deal with. other problems, not so much, but this was the exception. there was only one way to deal with an enemy. she stood and shouldered her rifle, firing a round point blank into the mans throat. he dropped his rifle and clutched at the wound, his momentum carrying his body past her and sending him tumbling into the bottom of the trench where he lay still. all around her, the sounds of yelling and screaming intensified as hand-to-hand combat began. ruby blocked another soldiers bayonet thrust with her own, spinning around to his side and slashing him across the jugular. unfortunately the bayonet got caught in his uniform, and he pulled her down with him as he cried out in agony and pitched over. pulling herself to her feet, ruby watched as three more men came at her, all at once. she managed to draw her pistol, and firing from the hip she managed to kill one with a lucky head-shot, and wing another in the leg. the last man was right upon her though, and he screamed in rage as he ran his bayonet through her shoulder. she cried out in agony as he pinned her against the trench, and punched her in the gut with his other hand. she scrabbled frantically with her free hand, latching her fingers onto his gas mask and ripping it off. the look in his eyes was one of pure terror. she kicked out, pushing him down onto the ground as he began to screech like a demon, clawing at his face and writhing about on the ground. she looked up, just in time to see another german with his rifle aimed right at her. there was a rifle shot from somewhere behind her, and the man toppled forward. ruby glanced backwards, yelling her thanks to her unknown savior, who was busy reloading. clutching her shoulder wound and trying not to cry out in pain, she picked crescent rose up from the ground where it had fallen and retreated down the trench. she saw a soldier with phyrra's distinctive red hair waving her over, and she scrambled her way over to the rest of her squad. too late, she looked up to see a german with a bulky flamethrower step up on top of the trench, preparing to send a stream of liquid death down the entire line. someone, somewhere was looking out for her, she concluded. the german slipped in the mud as he prepared to fire, sliding down into the trench, where a soldier jumped on him and caved his head in with a rusty shovel. the man was quite clearly dead, his brain matter and blood splattered over the wooden floor. but the soldier didn't stop, slamming the blade of the shovel into the mans head over and over. peeking out from behind his gas-mask, ruby could see wild blonde hair. jaune. phyrra rushed over to him and pulled him off of the dead german, cradling him in her arms as he struggled to break free of her embrace. ruby gathered her bearings and stood up, making sure crescent rose was still loaded. the sounds around her were deafening, massed gunfire and screaming blocking out all other noise. the lingering yellow smog gave the light a strange quality, and flickering fires lit up the trench. a squad of germans rushed around the corner of the trench a few yards from her, and she ducked back and began firing frantically, soldiers around her doing the same. one of the germans drew back his hand to toss a grenade, and time seemed to slow. acting without thinking, ruby shouldered crescent rose and shot the man in the arm, and he dropped the grenade with a howl of pain. the men around him scrambled to get away, but they weren't fast enough. it exploded, sending bodies and limbs tumbling around the trench. "get back up on the firing line!" ruby shouted. "we've got to push them back! hold the line!" she scrambled up the lip of the trench, shooting another german in the gut as he tried to jump in. the man fell in trench anyway, and ruby stared down in horror as she saw what he was clutching in his hand. moving without thought, she dove down into the trench in an attempt to throw it out before it could explode. "grena-!" her world exploded in a flash of white. pain. pain was good, pain meant feeling and feeling meant life. she hurt everywhere, her body was a mass of aching pain. sergeant rose slowly opened her eyes, a dead man with a knife lodged in his chest greeting her through the lenses of her gas mask. she was at the bottom of the trench, and she realized the blast had probably thrown her up against the wall. she hesitantly tried to move her arms, relief filling her as they responded normally. she inspected her body, and with a grunt of pain realized that she had probably cracked a few ribs, in addition to the bayonet wound to her shoulder. ruby realized that the fighting had apparently stopped, although intermittent artillery rounds were still being fired. all she could hear around her was the groaning of the wounded and the dying, and the flickering crack of dying flames. she pulled herself to her feet, realizing that wind from the north had blown the gas away. she remembered that mustard gas remained active in the soil for weeks though, and she was careful to keep her hands covered as she stood up. pulling the gas-mask from her face, she turned it around, and saw that there was a large sliver of shrapnel right in the center of her left eye lens. "wow, if that had gone just a little further or penetrated the seal..." she didn't want to continue on that particular train of thought. glancing around in the mud, she found crescent rose and shouldered it, checking to make sure her pistol was still in its holster. she reached up and touched the top of her head, looking around in confusion as she searched for her missing helmet. "ah, there it is." it was several feet away, next to the body of a german soldier, who was leaning up against the trench wall. she reached it and knelt down, picking it up, then jumping in surprise when the body emitted a small cough. "bitte tőte mich... tőte mich..." he wheezed. ruby didn't speak any german, but she could figure out his intentions well enough. the man had a gaping hole where his stomach used to be, and his waist was hanging on to the rest of his body by a few small scraps of flesh. ruby drew her pistol smoothly, and pointed it at the dying man. "danke... danke..." she shot the man in the head, the crack of the round sounding impossibly loud amongst the silence of the trench. ruby lowered the pistol slowly, staring at the lifeless corpse with empty eyes. she wasn't gazing at him, but at something unseen and unknowable beyond him. she stayed this way for a few minutes, wondering why this man and countless others had died, and yet she was still alive. "sergeant rose! sergeant!" a voice snapped her out of her dark thoughts, and she whipped her head around to see phyrra striding towards her, rifle slung over her shoulder. "yeah nikos?" "you okay sergeant? i saw you get thrown by that grenade, and i thought you were dead." "well apparently i'm not. someone has seen fit to bless me with a few more days of life in this shit-hole," ruby said with a laugh. phyrra laughed as well; humor was a tool that soldiers used to keep themselves from focusing on all the death around them. "well as you can see," phyrra said, "we pushed them back. captured a few of their tanks too." "that's good. anyone else from the squad make it?" phyrra hung her head, ever the sentimental one of the group. "ren and valkyrie bought the farm, and i still can't find winchester. ark is fine though, and so is wukong." "...so we're down to four now, maybe five." "seems that way sarge." ruby sighed and laid a hand on phyrra's shoulder, comforting her as best as she could. phyrra still took every loss of life like it was her first. ruby on the other hand, had grown comparatively numb. it was war. people died. her mind and body were there, in the trenches, but her heart wasn't. no, that was with someone else. "also sergeant, major schnee sent out the call to gather all the nco's. seems command is planning something, and from what i hear, it's big." ruby nodded, already on her way to the command bunker. she hadn't really heard what phyrra had said after the words "major schnee." "phyrra, you have command of the squad for tonight. major schnee informed me earlier that she will need me for logistics duty, and it might take a while. i should be back by the morning, however." "roger that sergeant," phyrra said as ruby strode away, as fast as she could without appearing suspicious. it was time to meet with major schnee. "thank god." "officer approaching!" sergeant rose and several other nco's and junior officers stood at attention as the ice queen herself, major weiss schnee strode into the briefing room. they were gathered around a large table, overlaid with maps and unit markers. the room was lit by a few glowing gas lamps hung from the ceiling. "stand at ease ladies and gentlemen," weiss said. she spoke with cold authority, hard and uncompromising, contrary to her short stature. she spoke the same way she led men, she expected the best and she carried herself accordingly. she was wearing the traditional officers uniform, a peaked cap sitting atop a bun of snow-white hair. as far as anyone knew, the color was natural, and that as well as her icy demeanor had been the cause of the enlisted men and women referring to her as the "ice queen." rumor had it she was only twenty-one, but she didn't act it. she was wise beyond her years, and the men said she had been attending harvard before she had signed up for the army. ruby didn't doubt it either; the white-haired woman was incredibly intelligent. still, her seeming lack of care for the men and women under her command had led to her... less than favorable opinion in the eyes of the enlisted troops. weiss glanced around the room, meeting the gaze of every single person there, ice-blue eyes lingering on ruby's steel-grey ones for a second longer than was necessary. no one seemed to notice however, and if they did they thought nothing of it. "as you all know, we have just successfully held off another offensive. the transmissions we've intercepted are calling it operation michael. apparently, this was a desperate play by the germans to try and bring the war to a swift end. but our intelligence reports that the failure of this assault and several others along the front, have resulted in the almost total exhaustion of their supplies and manpower. they're the weakest they've ever been in four years, and general foch wants to take advantage of that." silence greeted her, no one in the room willing to say what was on everyone's minds. finally, a senior sergeant by the name of goodwitch spoke up. "ma'am, does this mean... we're going on the offensive?" "yes it does sergeant. for the first time in a long time. i know all the other offensives before this one have failed, but this one will be different. they're at their most vulnerable point ever, and we have to press this advantage. they were trying to end the war before their resources ran out, but they failed. and now it's our turn. they're starting to withdraw from the marne salient as we speak, but we're not going to let them. field marshall haig has already drawn up the plans for the counter-attack, and now i will relay them to you. they're pushing up the date of the assault from august 10th to the 8th, that's tomorrow. we need to be ready." she looked around one more time, to ensure everyone was paying attention. "now, the british iii corps will attack here, to the north of the somme, and then-" " -and once the australian corps has penetrated the rear of the german lines, we'll move up on their right flank and hold off any potential counter-attack. challenge and pass is as follows." the gathered senior staff wrote in their notebooks, taking special care to copy down the challenge and pass words. using the wrong word could result in friendly fire incidents; they were used to differentiate from friend and foe during times of low-light and poor visibility. "challenge is paris, pass is belgium. everybody got that?" a chorus of nodding heads reassured her. "good. now remember, the assault begins precisely at 4:00am. at first light, ladies and gentlemen. make sure your men get proper sleep rotations beforehand; they're going to need it. if all goes well, this should be the turning point of the war. the first successful offensive." a few wicked smiles appeared on the faces of the gathered officers and ncos', the prospect of victory having been out of reach for far too long. "you are dismissed, all of you." the gathered soldiers snapped to attention, saluting with their right hands. major schnee saluted back. "carry on then." they dropped their salutes, and began to file out of the dark room. ruby made sure she was the last in line, slipping behind the door as the last man exited. "close the door behind you lieutenant taurus," weiss said as she glared at ruby in exasperation. the man nodded, glancing around. he could have sworn there was someone else behind him... strange. he closed the door, and strode away. "smooth." "oh please," ruby said." like you could have done that any better." "well i could have demanded that you stay behind, but that would have attracted attention. it's better this way." "right. anyway ma'am, was there something you'd like to talk to me about?" "drop the act ruby." "gladly," ruby breathed. she rushed towards weiss and wrapped her arms around her, capturing her lips with her own in a passionate kiss. their bodies pressed up against each-other, both finally feeling complete. this was what they needed, what they survived for, what they kept fighting for. everyone had a reason to go on, whether it was a desire for vengeance or a longing for family back home. this was their reason. the white-haired woman moaned into the kiss, letting herself melt into the younger girl's strong arms. "ooh, ouch weiss don't squeeze so hard, i've got a broken rib," ruby muttered in between kisses. weiss relaxed her grip slightly in response. after a few breathless minutes, they broke apart slowly. ruby sat down in the rooms only chair, pulling weiss into her lap. "i missed you," ruby whispered, undoing the major's bun and stroking her fingers through the other woman's long, silky hair. her soft words sent shivers down weiss' spine. "i missed you too, more than words can say. i wasn't sure if you had made it through this attack. i worry so much over you, and if i could find a way to be with you more..." "i know. but this is enough, for now. i swear weiss, when this is over, i'm never going to leave your side again." "you've told me that before you klutz," weiss said as she nuzzled into the crook of ruby's neck. "we're gonna go back to your little farmhouse and live happily ever after. fuck what my father thinks, or what he wants. and fuck harvard too, i'm going to use the rest of my scholarship money to go to a college near you, and we'll be able to live comfortably off of my officer's pay. if all works out, father will assume i died in the war." "geez, and i thought i had issues with my parents." "shush you dunce, we've only got this one last night before the offensive, and i don't want to spend it teasing eachother. you did let your squad know that you wouldn't be coming back until the morning, right?" "yeap, i left phyrra in charge." "ah, i've met her. good girl." "that she is. bit too much of a bleeding heart though, i don't see how she stays sane through all of this." "well, how do you stay sane? i'm not on the front lines often, so i don't have the same... issues as you would." "the simple answer? you." weiss blushed, kissing ruby's neck softly. "whenever things get rough, or i miss home, or i see someone die next to me, i just think of you. you're all i need weiss." "you... you're all i need too ruby, and all i've ever wanted... thank you for helping me that night, and every day since." ruby remembered that night fondly. she had been wandering the trenches almost a year ago, and had come upon a white-haired lieutenant named schnee, alone and crying in a forgotten dugout. ruby hadn't said anything, but simply stood there and waited, a soft expression on her weathered face. she knew what weiss was feeling. eventually, the white-haired woman had asked her who she was and what she wanted, and ruby had simply replied that she "wanted to help, in any way she could." that marked the first time anyone had shown weiss unconditional kindness, and it struck a cord within her heart. after that night, and the long conversation they had had about who they were and where they came from, she had made it a point to visit the young corporal rose whenever she could. they had grown close over the long months, and eventually hints of romance had bloomed. weiss was the first one to realize she had actual feelings for the other girl, and one night after a particularly bloody raid she had confessed them to ruby, knowing any day could be their last. to her sincere surprise, ruby had reciprocated her sentiments, and had swept her up in a joyous embrace. since then they had met as much as possible, whispering sweetly to eachother in the night and holding eachother close whenever possible. they became eachother's safe place. those opportunities had become less and less frequent as of late, their respective duties as a squad leader and platoon commander drawing their attention away far more than they would have liked. they made do, however. ruby snuggled into weiss, uncertainty roiling around in her mind. she had something she had wanted to say for a long time now, but she wasn't sure if the other girl would be okay with it. she didn't know if the other girl was ready for that type of thing, that type of commitment. but then memories of the battle she had just survived flowed through her mind, and she realized she didn't have the time to wait or take things slow. she had to ask this now, before it was too late. "hey weiss?" "yes ruby?" "would it be... strange if i said i loved you?" a fire shot up weiss' spine, and she felt it constrict around her heart and linger there, making it beat faster and faster. she knew this should be wrong but... ruby was so close, and it felt so right. "...n-no it wouldn't. you see... i-i love you too." ruby smiled, warm and sincere. she had always known that, but it felt different to say it. "good, i wanted to get that out of the way before tomorrow morning." "don't say things like that, you'll be just fine. you're a survivor rose. you always have been." "i know but... i'm a little worried. i have this feeling about tomorrow. i don't know if its good or bad, but its just... uncertain, and i don't like it. so i have to ask this now. before it's too late." "ask what? you know you can ask me anything..." ruby carefully shifted weiss off of her lap and knelt down on one knee, looking up at the other woman with a mixture of uncertainty and hope. weiss covered her mouth with her hands; she froze up, her body wouldn't respond. was ruby really about to do what she thought she was going to do? "weiss schnee... will you marry me?" the white-haired girl held back a choked sob and just stood there, shaking slightly. never once had she imagined that ruby cared about her that deeply, so much that she wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. she had hoped, but... she felt a giant lump in her throat, and her heart felt like it was going to burst. ruby's face was a mask of confusion, was she really so opposed to the idea of two women being married that it was making her cry? did weiss not love her in that way? she felt her heart break, and she stood up slowly, somehow managing to keep a false smile on her face. "it's... it's alright if you don't want to. crap i'm sorry, this was a horrible idea. we've only known each-other for a year and i was foolish to think... i'm sorry." suddenly, weiss rushed forward and wrapped her arms around ruby, tackling her to the ground and sobbing into the brunette's uniform. "s-shut up you dolt, shut up shut up shut up!" "wha..." ruby looked down at the other girl in confusion. "yes! yes of course i'll marry you, you colossal dunce! oh my god i just didn't t-think i meant that much to you... that i could ever mean that much to anyone..." "w-well you mean that much to me weiss... and i want to spend every day with you, you're just so smart and beautiful and i can't breathe when i'm around you and when you're in the room i just want you to only look at me and not at anyone else and i... i'm sorry i'm rambling again. i'll stop. weiss laughed softly, drying her tears with her thumb. "no it's... cute. i just... i know how everyone talks about me, i know a lot of the men hate me. they think i'm cold and uncaring. i'm just not used to... this." "you mean... love?" "i think that's what this is, yes. it's new and strange but, b-but i like it. i finally feel like i belong somewhere. i feel like i belong with you." "i feel the same... and don't worry about everyone else, they don't know you like i do. you've got a lot of love weiss, you just don't know how to show it. well to anyone but me really." "... is it wrong if you're the only one i want to show my love to?" "not at all weiss. hell i'd get jealous if you started talking to other people..." weiss giggled softly, pressing her forehead up against ruby's. "i think we should get up now weiss. this floor is sorta dirty." "o-oh, yes of course. how unbecoming of an officer." "you're not an officer to me weiss. on the battlefield sure, but now you're my fiancee." the words sounded strange coming out of ruby's mouth, but they felt like the truest things she had ever spoken. "r-right, and you're my... fiancee too. i'll have to get used to that..." "oh, i think it'll be fine," ruby said as she sat back down in the chair and pulled weiss into her lap. they sat there in a comfortable silence, weiss running her fingers through ruby's hair, ruby rubbing slow circles into weiss' small back. "do you really think it's going to work? this offensive?" ruby finally asked. "honestly, i do. i wasn't lying when i said the germans were exhausted, both in men and material. tomorrow will be the turning point of the war, mark my words." "and then we can finally be together." "yes, then we can. but for tonight, hold me close and whisper softly in my ear. i want to cherish these moments forever." "as do i. i love you weiss." "i love you too, dolt." ruby pulled weiss tighter to her chest, the smaller woman smiling and resting her head on ruby's collar, enjoying the warmth the brunette gave off. it didn't matter what tomorrow brought at first light. because right now, they were together. 4:17 am the next day. ruby clutched her rifle tightly, crouching on the lip of the trench and waiting for the whistle. she glanced backwards, checking on her squad one last time, as if they might disappear if she looked away for too long. phyrra was there, and gave her a nod of affirmation as she rested her hand on jaune's shoulder. the boy looked absolutely terrified. but he was still up there with the rest of them, ready to do his duty for his country. sun wukong was there as well, with a wicked grin on his face. something was wrong with that man... the tension in the air was like a physical thing, heavy and oppressing. there was dead silence in the trench, no one moved, no one breathed louder than they had to. the officer next to ruby pulled out his pocket-watch, checking the time. sweat was pouring down his forehead as he unholstered and drew his revolver. he turned around and held a single finger up. "one minute." several soldiers bowed their heads, a few made the sign of the holy trinity, but most simply clutched their rifles and stared at nothing. this was the worst part, the waiting. once the battle started, you didn't think about it. you simply did, relying on your training and the men to your left and right to see you through. but the waiting, oh the waiting. it terrorized the mind, tortured the heart and made grown men quake in their boots. the officer glanced at his pocket-watch again and took a deep breath. placing the watch back into his pocket, he shakily raised a brass whistle to his lips. ruby braced herself against the ladder leading up over the trench, knowing where it would take her. over the top. the officer blew, and a shrill whistle pierced the air, stirring everyone into action. a collective cry of rage issued forth from every throat present, and men and women scrambled up ladders and rushed out over no-man's land, stumbling and slipping in the mud and darkness. artillery began to fire, the bombardment perfectly timed to strike the german trenches just before the infantry arrived. looking to her left and right while she jumped over craters and around tree stumps, she could see dozens, no, hundreds of tanks joining the massed charge. this was it, the offensive to end it all. they would look back on this day as the turning point of the war. the sun had just started to peek over the horizon. "once more into the fray, at first light..." she thought. "please, if there's a god out there, help me survive. let me be with weiss again..." men and women screamed and shouted, artillery rounds and bullets flew through the air, and bodies on both sides dropped into the mud. the hundred days offensive had begun. 3 years later ruby awoke slowly, gently opening her eyes to see the warm iowan sun peeking in through her sheer curtains. she shifted in the bed, sitting up and yawning. glancing around, she looked at the other side of the bed. empty. she got up, dressed herself and headed downstairs to make breakfast. after she had finished eating, she went outside and fed the animals. she took a stroll down the fields, checking the crops to see if they were ready for harvest yet. a few more days left it would seem. the hired help tending to the fields waved to her as she passed by, and she smiled and waved in return. she filled the rest of the day with busywork, cleaning the house, reading the papers, sitting on the porch and enjoying the warmth of the sun; something she had missed sorely back in the great war. when she grew bored of that, she took crescent rose down from its plaque on the mantle of the fireplace and took it apart. she inspected it, cleaned it, inspected it again, cleaned it again, and put it back together. some nights, she liked to take it outside and practice her marksmanship on painted wooden targets. her impeccable aim hadn't degraded in the slightest over the past few years. after placing crescent rose back above the fireplace, she checked her mail, happily surprised to find another letter from yang. her older sister had decided to stay in the army, and she was a color sergeant now. she was living comfortably, and she was apparently dating her old first sergeant, a woman by the name of blake belladona. blake had chosen to get out of the army however, and now worked as a writer to supplement yang's already considerable income. they lived quite comfortably, traveling wherever yang was stationed. ruby was happy for her, glad things had worked out for her irascible older sister. as the sun began to set, she went outside to the porch. she reclined in a comfortable wooden chair and watched it go down, a slight smile on her face. this was her favorite part of the day. in the distance, the glint of sunlight reflecting off of metal drew her eye, and she watched as an automobile chugged down the road towards the house, leaving a trail of dust behind it. she got up, standing at the entrance of the porch and leaning on one of its pillars as the automobile pulled into the gravel driveway. ruby smiled warmly, as a girl with long white hair stepped out, taking off her driving gloves and tossing them into the car. weiss walked towards the house, and ruby met her halfway, the smaller girl squealing as the brunette picked her up and spun her around. "r-ruby, put me down!" "but weiiisss, i missed you so much!" ruby said as she let the older girl down, pressing a strong kiss to the other woman's lips. "mmph... i was only gone for four days you dolt..." "and that's four days too many. it was hard waking up to an empty bed." weiss knew what ruby really meant; that it was hard to sleep by herself. the younger girl still suffered nightmares from the war, and occasionally woke up screaming. weiss hated those moments, but she always did everything she could to hold ruby close and whisper to her about how much she loved her, that she was safe, that everything was okay. "...i'm sorry for that. but remember, this was only a small convention for my college. this won't be a regular thing. because even if they try to make it a regular thing, i'll just stop going. i won't let anything keep us apart, and i mean that." ruby smiled, touched by how much weiss did for her at the expense of her education. she took weiss by the hand and led her into the house, shutting the door behind them as the sun disappeared below the horizon. the rest of the night was filled with playful banter, heartfelt kisses, and tender touches. and when they finally retired to their bed, weiss kissed ruby gently on the lips, sighing softly and snuggling just a little tighter into the taller girl's strong body. they fit together like a puzzle piece. "i love you ruby. and don't worry, i'll be right here when you wake up." "i love you too weiss. sweet dreams." ruby held the white-haired woman close as she fell asleep, thinking about how lucky they had been to end up with each-other, and marveling at what could happen on the battlefield... ...when cannons fade. obviously, this takes place in an alternate version of ww1, where women were allowed to serve alongside men. but even so, i tried to make this as historically accurate as possible, without actually watching hour long documentaries and such. amiens is a real place; the battle of amiens actually was the turning point of world war 1. the somme is real, the hundred days offensive actually happened, even that rumor about paris and the german "railway guns" is true. i had a blast writing this, it only took me two nights. two nights distracted of course by games of league of legends and tumblr browsing and general internet tomfoolery. the poem at the beginning was written by wilfred owen, who served on the western front. the song lyrics immediately following it are taken from "when cannons fade" by bolt thrower. if you like death-metal, i highly suggest you check them out. yes, i made the members of team jnpr fucked in the head. yes, cardin winchester actually died. and yes, the white rose can bloom even on the battlefield. this should clear that question up forever. please review, whether you liked it or not. (i love reading reviews) -talos out.

əˈnəðər haʊs ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd ˈrisəntli frəm ðə ˈneɪbərˌhʊd. ðə ˈstrəkʧər æt 3700 wɛst, wɑz ə ˈdənbɑr ˈkɛrɪktər home”*” ɛz dɪˈskraɪbd ɪn ðə ˈriəlˌti ˈlɪstɪŋ, ˈʧɑrmɪŋ wɪθ ˈmɛni ˈrisənt ˈəpˌdeɪts throughout.”*.” ɪt ˈivɪn hæd ə ˈsɛkənˌdɛri swit. ðə haʊs həz naʊ bɪn deconstructed*, ə rɪkˈwaɪrmənt ˈrisəntli pʊt ɪn pleɪs tɪ ˈmɪtəˌgeɪt ðə əv weɪst pər haʊs ðət ˌdɛməˈlɪʃən kriˈeɪts. 3700 wɛst mɛnt ðə ˌoʊldˈgroʊθ wʊd ɪt kənˈteɪnd wɛnt tɪ ə ˈʧɪpər ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ðə ˈlændˌfɪl, wɪʧ ɪz ə smɔl ˌɪmˈpruvmənt, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ˈhɑrdli grin wɪn ðə rɪˈpleɪsmənt hoʊm wɪl bi twaɪs ðə saɪz əv ðə ərˈɪʤənəl, wɪθ ˈsɛvən ər eɪt ˈbɑθˌrumz (naʊ ðə nɔrm). wɛr ðə ərˈɪʤənəl haʊs wɑz meɪd əv ˈnæʧərəl məˈtɪriəlz, məʧ nu kənˈstrəkʃən məˈtɪriəl ɪz sɪnˈθɛtɪk ənd haɪ ɪn ɪmˈbɑdid ˈɛnərʤi. æd tɪ ðɪs groʊɪŋ ˈkɑrbən ˈfʊtˌprɪnt ðə ˌtrænspərˈteɪʃən əv məˈtɪriəlz (ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ frəm ˈoʊvərˈsiz), ðə ˌɪmˈpækt əv ðə ˈhɛvi məˈʃinəri juzd ˈdʊrɪŋ kənˈstrəkʃən, ənd ðə weɪst ˌɪnˈhɛrənt ɪn ðə ˈbɪldɪŋ ˈprɔˌsɛs ˌɪtˈsɛlf. hoʊmz juz əp tɪ eɪt taɪmz mɔr ˈrisɔrsɪz ðən ən ɪkˈwɪvələnt refurbishment,”*,” əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈdɑktər. æn paʊər (ˈhaʊzɪŋ ənd səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti, ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃən əv ˈsɪvəl ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrz, 2010 ˈɪʃu huz wərk bæks ðə ˈgrinɪst ˈbɪldɪŋ, ə 2011 rɪˈpɔrt fər ðə ˈnæʃənəl trəst ɪn ðə juz.; ðə ˈgrinɪst ˈbɪldɪŋ biɪŋ ðə wən ðət ɔˈrɛdi ɪgˈzɪsts. 3700 wɛst ˈɔlsoʊ hæd ə ˈlændˌskeɪpt lot.”*.” ɔl əv ðət ɪz gɔn naʊ. ðə prəˈtɛkʃən əv triz ˈbaɪˌlɔ pæst læst jɪr ˈlɪmɪts ðə ˈnəmbər əv triz ðət kən bi kət daʊn ɔn ə lɔt tɪ wən pər jɪr, bət ɪgˈzɛmpts triz ˈloʊˌkeɪtəd wɪˈθɪn ðə prəˈpoʊzd ˈbɪldɪŋ ˈɛnvəˌloʊp. ˈsædli, wɪθ twaɪs ðə haʊs ənd ə gərɑʒ ɔn ðə lɔt, ˈplɛnti əv triz fɔl ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə ˈbɪldɪŋ ˈɛnvəˌloʊp. ˈfərðərˌmɔr, ˈoʊnli triz wɪθ ə trəŋk daɪˈæmətər əv eɪt ˈɪnʧɪz ər mɔr ər prəˈtɛktɪd, ˈlivɪŋ spɛkˈtækjələr sˈmɔlər ˈspiʃiz fər ðə ˈbʊlˌdoʊzər. ˈvɪzɪt 3700 wɛst təˈdeɪ ənd ju wɪl si ə ˈklɪrˌkət lɔt ˈɛkskəˌveɪtɪd tɪ ðə ˈprɑpərti laɪn wɪθ ə ˈsɪŋgəl tri ˈhədəld bɪˈhaɪnd ðə ˈɔrɪnʤ ˈfɛnsɪz ɪn ðə ˈkɔrnər. əˈlɔŋ wɪθ ðə ˈgɑrdən wɛnt ðə ˈhæbəˌtæt fər bərdz ənd ˈəðər smɔl ˈænəməlz. naʊ ˈməltəˌplaɪ ðɪs keɪs baɪ 866 (ðə ˈnəmbər əv hoʊm ɪn 2013 ənd ju hæv ə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən soʊ daɪər ɪt ɪz noʊ ˈwəndər ˈwɛstˈsaɪd hoʊmz ənd ˈgɑrdənz meɪd ˈhɛrɪtɪʤ tɔp 10 moʊst ɪnˈdeɪnʤərd lɪst læst jɪr. ðɪs ɪz ˈhæpənɪŋ ɪn ɑr səˈpoʊzd ˈgrinɪst ˈsɪti ˈsɪmpli bɪˈkəz ðɛr ɪz məʧ əv ˈməni tɪ bi meɪd. ðə ˈprɑpərti æt 3700 wɛst soʊld fər ˈmɪljən; ðə nu haʊs wɪl kɔst æt list twaɪs ɛz məʧ. ðə rɪˈzəlt ɪz ə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl geɪn tɪ ə smɔl ˈnəmbər əv ˈpipəl, bət ə lɔs tɪ ðə məˈʤɔrəti, ənd nɑt ˈoʊnli bɪˈkəz hæv bɪn praɪst aʊt əv ðɛr ril ɛˈsteɪt ˈmɑrkɪt. ʤeɪn ˈʤeɪkəbz roʊt ɪn ðə dɛθ ənd laɪf əv greɪt əˈmɛrɪkən ˈsɪtiz: nid oʊld ˈbɪldɪŋz soʊ ˈbædli ɪt ɪz ˈprɑbəˌbli ˌɪmˈpɑsəbəl fər ˈvɪgərəs strits ənd ˈdɪstrɪkts tɪ groʊ wɪˈθaʊt them.”*.” mɔr ðən 50 jɪrz ˈleɪtər, ˌprɛzərˈveɪʃən 2014 rɪˈpɔrt ““older*, sˈmɔlər, better”*” kənˈfərmd ðɪs. ɪts ˈstədi əv ˈneɪbərˌhʊdz ɪn siˈætəl, sæn frænˈsɪskoʊ ənd ˈwɔʃɪŋtən d.c*. faʊnd kənˈsɪstɪŋ əv sˈmɔlər, ˈoʊldər ənd ˈbɪldɪŋz səˈpɔrt ə ˈgreɪtər ˈdɛnsɪti əv ˈrɛzɪdənts, ˈbɪznɪs, ʤɑbz ənd kriˈeɪtɪv ʤɑbz pər skwɛr fʊt ðən nuər ˈɛriəz. ðiz ˈoʊldər ˈneɪbərˌhʊdz ˈɪnkjəˌbeɪt ənd səˈsteɪn ðə groʊθ əv ðə ˈloʊkəl economy.”*.” ðə ɪˌrædəˈkeɪʃən əv ɑr ərˈɪʤənəl ˈhaʊzɪŋ stɑk meɪks ɑr ˈsɪti lɛs grin, lɛs ˈvaɪbrənt, lɛs kriˈeɪtɪv, ənd lɛs əˈfɔrdəbəl. ɛz wɛl, wɪn ðiz oʊld hoʊmz kəm daʊn, ə hoʊl ˈhɪstəri goʊz wɪθ ðɛm: ðə ˈkræftsmənˌʃɪp ənd məˈtɪriəlz juzd tɪ bɪld ðɛm, ðə ˈgɑrdənz, ðə səkˈsɛsɪv ˈoʊnərz ənd ðɛr ˈstɔriz. ðiz oʊld ˈhaʊsɪz ər riˈpɑzəˌtɔriz əv ˈnɛrətɪv. ðə ˈstɔri əv vænˈkuvər ɪz dɪˈmɪnɪʃt ˈɛvəri taɪm wən ˌdɪsəˈpɪrz.

another house disappeared recently from the neighbourhood. the structure at 3700 west 37th, was a “delightful dunbar character home” as described in the realty listing, “absolutely charming with many recent updates throughout.” it even had a secondary suite. the house has now been deconstructed, a requirement recently put in place to mitigate the 100,000 kg of waste per house that demolition creates. deconstructing 3700 west 37th meant the old-growth wood it contained went to a chipper instead of the landfill, which is a small improvement, although hardly green when the replacement home will be twice the size of the original, with seven or eight bathrooms (now the norm). where the original house was made of natural materials, much new construction material is synthetic and high in embodied energy. add to this growing carbon footprint the transportation of materials (including from overseas), the impact of the heavy machinery used during construction, and the 30-per-cent waste inherent in the building process itself. “new homes use up to eight times more resources than an equivalent refurbishment,” according to dr. anne power (housing and sustainability, institution of civil engineers, 2010, issue dp4), whose work backs the greenest building, a 2011 report for the national trust in the u.s.; the greenest building being the one that already exists. 3700 west 37th also had a “gorgeous landscaped lot.” all of that is gone now. the protection of trees bylaw passed last year limits the number of trees that can be cut down on a lot to one per year, but exempts trees located within the proposed building envelope. sadly, with twice the house and a three-car garage on the lot, plenty of trees fall inside the building envelope. furthermore, only trees with a trunk diameter of eight inches or more are protected, leaving spectacular smaller species for the bulldozer. visit 3700 west 37th today and you will see a clear-cut lot excavated to the property line with a single tree huddled behind the orange fences in the corner. along with the garden went the habitat for birds and other small animals. now multiply this case by 866 (the number of single-family home demolitions in 2013) and you have a situation so dire it is no wonder vancouver’s westside homes and gardens made heritage canada’s top 10 most endangered list last year. this is happening in our supposed greenest city simply because there is much of money to be made. the property at 3700 west 37th sold for $1.888 million; the new house will cost at least twice as much. the result is a financial gain to a small number of people, but a loss to the majority, and not only because vancouverites have been priced out of their real estate market. jane jacobs wrote in the death and life of great american cities: “cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them.” more than 50 years later, preservation greenlab’s 2014 report “older, smaller, better” confirmed this. its study of neighbourhoods in seattle, san francisco and washington d.c. found “districts consisting of smaller, older and mixed-vintage buildings support a greater density of residents, business, jobs and creative jobs per square foot than newer areas. these older neighbourhoods incubate and sustain the growth of the local economy.” the eradication of our original housing stock makes our city less green, less vibrant, less creative, and less affordable. as well, when these old homes come down, a whole history goes with them: the craftsmanship and materials used to build them, the gardens, the successive owners and their stories. these old houses are repositories of narrative. the story of vancouver is diminished every time one disappears.

rɛd, 30 ˌpɛnsəlˈveɪnjə, 2008 wɪn aɪ gɑt ˈprɛgnənt wɪθ maɪ sən, maɪ ˈvɛri kənˈtroʊlɪŋ ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd hæd kənˈvɪnst mi ðət bərθ kənˈtroʊl ˈpɔɪzənd maɪ ˈbɑdi. wi ˈjuʒəwəli slɛpt ɪn ðə kɑr. aɪ tʊk ə ˈprɛgnənsi tɛst piɪŋ ˈoʊvər ðə kaɪnd əv ˈbəkɪt ju mɪks ˈkɑnkrit ɪn ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ə dɪˈlæpəˌdeɪtɪd, ˈveɪkənt haʊs. aɪ ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd aɪ əˈbɔrt ə ˈbeɪbi beɪst ɔn ə ˈstupɪd dɪˈsɪʒən aɪ meɪd. ðeɪ tɛl ju ðət ju ləv ðə ˈbeɪbi ˌɔtəˈmætɪkli, bət nɑt tru. ðɛn, ɪn 2008 aɪ wɑz ˈprɛgnənt baɪ maɪ ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd stiv. wi wərkt təˈgɛðər æt ˈtərgət. hi ˈwɔntɪd tɪ gɪt ˈmɛrid ənd hæv ðə ˈbeɪbi. aɪ wɑz ˈbɛrli səˈpɔrtɪŋ ðə sən aɪ hæd, stɪl ˈlɪvɪŋ wɪθ maɪ ˈpɛrənts. aɪ wɔnt tɪ bi taɪd tɪ stiv fərˈɛvər. maɪ mɑm ənd aɪ wɛnt tɪ plænd ˈpɛrənˌthʊd. ɪt wɑz ˈpɔrɪŋ reɪn. ðə ˈpɪkətərz mɛt ˈjuˈɛs æt ðə kɑr wɪθ dɪsˈgəstɪŋ ˈpɪkʧərz. aɪ wɑz kwaɪt ˈiˌmoʊʃənəl, bət aɪ wɑz soʊ skɛrd ðət ɪf aɪ ʃoʊd ˈɛni ˈɪˌmoʊʃənz, ðeɪ lɛt mi du ɪt. aɪ toʊld ðɛm aɪ ɔˈrɛdi hæd ə ˈbeɪbi. ðə ˈdɔktər ˈæktɪd laɪk ɪt wɑz wərk. aɪ toʊld stiv aɪ miscarried*. wi ˈdeɪtɪd əˈnəðər jɪr. ðə ˈsikrɪt wɑz ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ. ˈpipəl maɪt bi mɔr ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ ɪf hæd ən əˈbɔrʃən wɪn aɪ wɑz ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ə kɑr ɪn ən əˈbjusɪv riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp. ðɪs taɪm, aɪ wɑz ɔn bərθ kənˈtroʊl, wɪθ ə ˈfʊlˌtaɪm ʤɑb, ə ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd. ˈpipəl maɪt θɪŋk aɪ kɛpt ɪt, bət aɪ. ˈhɛðər, 32 ˌtɛnəˈsi, 2011 ənd 2013 aɪ ɔˈrɛdi hæd tu ˈdɔtərz. ˈniðər wɑz plænd, ənd ɪt ˈnɛvər, ˈɛvər, əˈkərd tɪ mi tɪ ˈtərməˌneɪt ðoʊz ˈprɛgnənsiz. aɪ wɑz brɔt əp wɪθ ə ˈvɛri rɪˈlɪʤəs ˈbækˌgraʊnd. naʊ hæd tu əˈbɔrʃənz, ənd ɪf maɪ ˈfæməli nu, maɪ riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp wɪθ maɪ ˈfæməli wʊd bi gɔn. maɪ fərst wɑz tu jɪrz əˈgoʊ. maɪ ˈhəzbənd ənd aɪ wər ˈhævɪŋ ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈprɑbləmz ənd wər kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ˈsɛpərˌeɪtɪŋ. aɪ ʤɪst hæd tɪ ʃət maɪ ˈkɑnʃəns daʊn. ðə ˈdɔktər wɑz groʊˈtɛsk. hi ˈwɪsəld ʃoʊ tunz. aɪ kʊd hir ðə ˈvækjum ˈsəkɪŋ aʊt ðə ˈfitəs əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd hɪz ˈwɪslɪŋ. wɪn aɪ hir ʃoʊ tunz naʊ, aɪ ˈʃədər. ˈleɪtər, hi lɔst hɪz ˈlaɪsəns. ə fju mənθs əˈgoʊ, aɪ gɑt ˈprɛgnənt əˈgɛn. maɪ ˌɪnˈlɔz hæv bɪn ˈhɛlpɪŋ ˈjuˈɛs aʊt ˌfaɪˈnænʃəli, soʊ wi hæv noʊ ʧɔɪs bət tɪ ˌɪnˈvɑlv ðɛm ɪn ɑr dɪˈsɪʒənz. ðeɪ geɪv ˈjuˈɛs 500 kæʃ tɪ brɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈklɪnɪk. aɪ fɛlt ˈvɛri fɔrst. aɪ fɛlt laɪk aɪ wɑz rikˈwaɪərd tɪ hæv ən əˈbɔrʃən tɪ prəˈvaɪd fər maɪ ˈkɑrənt ˈfæməli. ˈməni hɛlp ɪz ə məˌnɪpjəˈleɪʃən. ˈkreɪzi ɪn ləv wɪθ maɪ ɪf aɪ dɪd ðət tɪ ðɛm? ˈɔlˌmoʊst tu məʧ tɪ ˈoʊpən ðə dɔr əv gɪlt ənd ʃeɪm bɪˈkəz ɔl ˈoʊvərˌkəm mi. ɪn ðə ˈweɪtɪŋ rum, ðɛr wɑz ə dɛd ˈsaɪləns hɑrd tɪ dɪˈskraɪb. ˈɛvriˌwən wɑz ˈhoʊldɪŋ ɪn hər ˈɪˌmoʊʃənz tɪ ə ˈhɑrtˌbreɪkɪŋ dɪˈgri. ˈtruli ˈpipəl ʃʊd goʊ laɪt ɔn ðə ˈʤəʤmənt, bɪˈkəz ʃeɪm ˈmoʊtəˌveɪts əˈbɔrʃənz.

red, 30 pennsylvania, 2008 when i got pregnant with my son, my very controlling boyfriend had convinced me that birth control poisoned my body. we usually slept in the car. i took a pregnancy test peeing over the kind of bucket you mix concrete in outside a dilapidated, vacant house. i decided i couldn’t abort a baby based on a stupid decision i made. they tell you that you love the baby automatically, but it’s not true. then, in 2008, i was pregnant by my boyfriend steve. we worked together at target. he wanted to get married and have the baby. i was barely supporting the son i had, still living with my parents. i didn’t want to be tied to steve forever. my mom and i went to planned parenthood. it was pouring rain. the picketers met us at the car with disgusting pictures. i was quite emotional, but i was so scared that if i showed any emotions, they wouldn’t let me do it. i told them i already had a baby. the doctor acted like it was assembly-line work. i told steve i miscarried. we dated another year. the secret was devastating. people might be more understanding if i’d had an abortion when i was living in a car in an abusive relationship. this time, i was on birth control, with a full-time job, a boyfriend. people might think i should’ve kept it, but i couldn’t. heather, 32 tennessee, 2011 and 2013 i already had two daughters. neither was planned, and it never, ever, occurred to me to terminate those pregnancies. i was brought up with a very religious background. now i’ve had two abortions, and if my family knew, my relationship with my family would be gone. my first was two years ago. my husband and i were having financial problems and were considering separating. i just had to shut my conscience down. the doctor was grotesque. he whistled show tunes. i could hear the vacuum sucking out the fetus alongside his whistling. when i hear show tunes now, i shudder. later, he lost his license. a few months ago, i got pregnant again. my in-laws have been helping us out financially, so we have no choice but to involve them in our decisions. they gave us $500 cash to bring to the clinic. i felt very forced. i felt like i was required to have an abortion to provide for my current family. money help is a manipulation. i’m crazy in love with my daughters—imagine if i did that to them? it’s almost too much to open the door of guilt and shame because it’ll all overcome me. in the waiting room, there was a dead silence that’s hard to describe. everyone was holding in her emotions to a heartbreaking degree. truly pro-life people should go light on the judgment, because shame motivates abortions.

pəˈlis ɪn ˈtɛksəs hæv wɔrnd ˈproʊˌtɛstərz ðət ɪf ðeɪ əˈtɛmpt tɪ dɪˈstrɔɪ ər ˈvændəˌlaɪz ˈstæˌʧuz, gən ˈoʊnərz kən ʃut ðɛm ɔn saɪt. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈtɛksəs pəˈlis əˈkædəmi ˌɪnˈstrəktər, fɪl raɪən, ˈsɪtɪzənz kən juz ˈdɛdli fɔrs tɪ stɑp ənd ˈproʊˌtɛstərz frəm dɪˈstrɔɪɪŋ ˈɛni ˈmɑnjəmənts ər ˈstæˌʧuz ɪn ðɛr steɪt. rɪˈpɔrts: ə pəˈlis ˈɔfɪsər ənd pəˈlis əˈkædəmi ˌɪnˈstrəktər, aɪ æm ˈpoʊstɪŋ ðɪs ɛz ə ˈpəblɪk ˈsərvɪs announcement.”*.” ˈtɛksəs pəˈlis əˈkædəmi ˌɪnˈstrəktər fɪl raɪən wɔrnz ɔl ənd ˈproʊˌtɛstərz, ənd ˈɛniˌwən ɛls ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪd ɪn dɪˈfeɪsɪŋ ðɛr steɪt ˈstæˌʧuz, ðət ɪf ðeɪ brɪŋ ðɛr ˈætəˌtud tɪ ˈtɛksəs, ðeɪ kʊd ɛnd əp dɛd. raɪən ˈpoʊstɪd ðɪs ˈwɔrnɪŋ tɪ hɪz ˈfeɪsˌbʊk peɪʤ: kəmˈplit poʊst: ɛz ə pəˈlis ˈɔfɪsər ənd pəˈlis əˈkædəmi ˌɪnˈstrəktər, aɪ æm ˈpoʊstɪŋ ðɪs ɛz ə ˈpəblɪk ˈsərvɪs əˈnaʊnsmɛnt. ɪn ˈtɛksəs, ˈkrɪmənəl ˈmɪsʧəf (ˈvændəlɪzəm) ɪz ə kraɪm. soʊ, seɪ ˈsəmˌwən ɪz dɪˈfeɪsɪŋ ər dɪˈstrɔɪɪŋ ə ˈmɑnjəmənt ər ə ˈstæˌʧu, nɑt ðət ɪt ˈhæpənz, ʤɪst ə ˌhaɪpəˈθɛtɪkəl. ðət wʊd bi ˈkrɪmənəl ˈmɪsʧəf ˈəndər ˈtɛksəs ˈpinəl koʊd: sɛk. ˈkrɪmənəl ˈmɪsʧəf. (ə) ə ˈpərsən kəˈmɪts ən əˈfɛns ɪf, wɪˈθaʊt ðə ˈifɛktɪv kənˈsɛnt əv ðə ˈoʊnər: 1 hi ˌɪnˈtɛnʃənəli ər ˈnoʊɪŋli ˈdæmɪʤɪz ər dɪˈstrɔɪz ðə ˈtænʤəbəl ˈprɑpərti əv ðə ˈoʊnər; 2 hi ˌɪnˈtɛnʃənəli ər ˈnoʊɪŋli wɪθ ðə ˈtænʤəbəl ˈprɑpərti əv ðə ˈoʊnər ənd ˈkɔzɪz pɛˈkjuniˌɛri lɔs ər səbˈstænʃəl ˌɪnkənˈvinjəns tɪ ðə ˈoʊnər ər ə θərd ˈpərsən; ər 3 hi ˌɪnˈtɛnʃənəli ər ˈnoʊɪŋli meɪks ˈmɑrkɪŋz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˌɪnˈskrɪpʃənz, sˈloʊgənz, drɔɪŋz, ər ˈpeɪnɪŋz, ɔn ðə ˈtænʤəbəl ˈprɑpərti əv ðə ˈoʊnər. ˈtɛksəs ˈpinəl koʊd ˈʧæptər 9 wɪʧ ər ðə lɔz kənˈsərnɪŋ ðə juz əv fɔrs ənd ˈdɛdli fɔrs tɪ prəˈtɛkt ˈjɔrsɛlf, ˈsəmˌwən ɛls, jʊr ˈprɑpərti, ər ˈsəmˌwən ˈprɑpərti (kʊd bi steɪt, ˈkaʊnti ər mjuˈnɪsəpəl ˈprɑpərti (ðə ˈpipəlz). ɪn ˈʧæptər 9 ˈəndər dɪˈfɛns əv ˈprɑpərti ɪt sɪz: sɛk. prəˈtɛkʃən əv θərd ˈprɑpərti. ə ˈpərsən ɪz ˈʤəstəˌfaɪd ɪn ˈjuzɪŋ fɔrs ər ˈdɛdli fɔrs əˈgɛnst əˈnəðər tɪ prəˈtɛkt lænd ər ˈtænʤəbəl, ˈmuvəbəl ˈprɑpərti əv ə θərd ˈpərsən ɪf, ˈəndər ðə ˈsərkəmˌstænsɪz ɛz hi ˈrizənəbli bɪˈlivz ðɛm tɪ bi, ðə ˈæktər wʊd bi ˈʤəstəˌfaɪd ˈəndər ˈsɛkʃən ər ɪn ˈjuzɪŋ fɔrs ər ˈdɛdli fɔrs tɪ prəˈtɛkt hɪz oʊn lænd ər ˈprɑpərti ənd: 1 ðə ˈæktər ˈrizənəbli bɪˈlivz ðə ənˈlɔfəl ˌɪnərˈfɪrəns ˈkɑnstəˌtuts əˈtɛmptəd ər ˈkɑnsəˌmeɪtəd θɛft əv ər ˈkrɪmənəl ˈmɪsʧəf tɪ ðə ˈtænʤəbəl, ˈmuvəbəl ˈprɑpərti; ˈʧæptər steɪts: prəˈtɛkʃən əv oʊn ˈprɑpərti. (ə) ə ˈpərsən ɪn ˈlɔfəl pəˈzɛʃən əv lænd ər ˈtænʤəbəl, ˈmuvəbəl ˈprɑpərti ɪz ˈʤəstəˌfaɪd ɪn ˈjuzɪŋ fɔrs əˈgɛnst əˈnəðər wɪn ənd tɪ ðə dɪˈgri ðə ˈæktər ˈrizənəbli bɪˈlivz ðə fɔrs ɪz ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli ˈnɛsəˌsɛri tɪ prɪˈvɛnt ər ˈtərməˌneɪt ðə ˈtrɛˌspæs ɔn ðə lænd ər ənˈlɔfəl ˌɪnərˈfɪrəns wɪθ ðə ˈprɑpərti (ˈkrɪmənəl ˈmɪsʧəf ɪz ənˈlɔfəl ˌɪnərˈfɪrəns wɪθ ˈprɑpərti). ˈʧæptər steɪts: ˈdɛdli fɔrs tɪ prəˈtɛkt ˈprɑpərti. ə ˈpərsən ɪz ˈʤəstəˌfaɪd ɪn ˈjuzɪŋ ˈdɛdli fɔrs əˈgɛnst əˈnəðər tɪ prəˈtɛkt lænd ər ˈtænʤəbəl, ˈmuvəbəl ˈprɑpərti: 2 wɪn ənd tɪ ðə dɪˈgri hi ˈrizənəbli bɪˈlivz ðə ˈdɛdli fɔrs ɪz ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli ˈnɛsəˌsɛri: (ə) tɪ prɪˈvɛnt ðə ˈɪmənənt kəˈmɪʃən əv ˈɑrsən, ˈbərgləri, ˈrɑbəri, ˈægrəˌveɪtɪd ˈrɑbəri, θɛft ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm, ər ˈkrɪmənəl ˈmɪsʧəf ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm (naɪt taɪm ɪz 30 ˈmɪnəts ˈæftər ˈsənˌsɛt ənˈtɪl 30 ˈmɪnəts ˌbiˈfɔr ˈsənˌraɪz). ˈbɑtəm laɪn, ɪf ˈsəmˌwən ɪz dɪˈstrɔɪɪŋ ə ˈmɑnjəmənt ər ˈstæˌʧu ðət ðɛrz, ju kən dɪˈfɛnd ɪt baɪ fɔrs ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə deɪ wɪθ ˈdɛdli fɔrs æt naɪt. ʤɪst ə ˈlɪtəl tɪp, frəm jʊr ˈəŋkəl phil…”*…”

police in texas have warned far-left protestors that if they attempt to destroy or vandalize statues, gun owners can shoot them on sight. according to texas police academy instructor, phil ryan, citizens can use deadly force to stop antifa and blm protestors from destroying any monuments or statues in their state. libertyparkpress.com reports: “as a police officer and police academy instructor, i am posting this as a public service announcement.” texas police academy instructor phil ryan warns all antifa and blm protesters, and anyone else interested in defacing their state statues, that if they bring their attitude to texas, they could end up dead. ryan posted this warning to his facebook page: phil’s complete post: as a police officer and police academy instructor, i am posting this as a public service announcement. in texas, criminal mischief (vandalism) is a crime. so, let’s say someone is defacing or destroying a monument or a statue, not that it happens, just a hypothetical. that would be criminal mischief under texas penal code: sec. 28.03. criminal mischief. (a) a person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner: (1) he intentionally or knowingly damages or destroys the tangible property of the owner; (2) he intentionally or knowingly tampers with the tangible property of the owner and causes pecuniary loss or substantial inconvenience to the owner or a third person; or (3) he intentionally or knowingly makes markings, including inscriptions, slogans, drawings, or paintings, on the tangible property of the owner. texas penal code chapter 9, which are the laws concerning the use of force and deadly force to protect yourself, someone else, your property, or someone else’s property (could be state, county or municipal property (the peoples). in chapter 9 under defense of property it says: sec. 9.43. protection of third person’s property. a person is justified in using force or deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable property of a third person if, under the circumstances as he reasonably believes them to be, the actor would be justified under section 9.41 or 9.42 in using force or deadly force to protect his own land or property and: (1) the actor reasonably believes the unlawful interference constitutes attempted or consummated theft of or criminal mischief to the tangible, movable property; chapter 9.41 states: protection of one’s own property. (a) a person in lawful possession of land or tangible, movable property is justified in using force against another when and to the degree the actor reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to prevent or terminate the other’s trespass on the land or unlawful interference with the property (criminal mischief is unlawful interference with property). chapter 9.42 states: deadly force to protect property. a person is justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or tangible, movable property: (2) when and to the degree he reasonably believes the deadly force is immediately necessary: (a) to prevent the other’s imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the nighttime, or criminal mischief during the nighttime (night time is 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise). bottom line, if someone is destroying a monument or statue that isn’t theirs, you can defend it by force during the day with deadly force at night. just a little tip, from your uncle phil…”

ˈstɔri ˈhaɪˌlaɪts ˈrændi braɪs həz bɪn θrəst ˈɪntu ðə ˈnæʃənəl ˈspɑˌtlaɪt ɪn hɪz bɪd əˈgɛnst pɔl raɪən ˈdɛməˌkræts ər ˌɑptɪˈmɪstɪk ən weɪv wɪl draɪv sˈwipɪŋ wɪnz ɪn 2018 bət ˈspɛʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃənz ʃoʊ raɪənz hoʊm ˈdɪstrɪkt rɪˈmeɪnz aʊt əv riʧ, æt list fər naʊ ˈwɔʃɪŋtən (ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn) ə ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈʧælɪnʤər ˈhoʊpɪŋ tɪ ənˈsit ˈspikər pɔl raɪən həz ˈgɔtən ə bust frəm ə ˈvaɪrəl ˈvɪdioʊ ɪn ˈrisənt deɪz, bət hiz stɪl fɑr frəm ˈtɑpəlɪŋ ðə moʊst ˈpaʊərfəl ˈmɛmbər əv ðə haʊs ɪn noʊˈvɛmbər 2018 ˈrændi braɪs, ən aɪərn ˈwərkər ənd ˈjunjən ˈmɛmbər ɪn ˌsaʊˈθist wɪˈskɑnsən, ˈfeɪsɪz mɔr ðən ʤɪst ən ˈəˈphɪl klaɪm ɪn hɪz bɪd tɪ aʊst raɪən frəm ðə kənˈgrɛʃənəl sit hiz hɛld fər tu ˈdɛkeɪdz. braɪs fɔt hɪz weɪ ˈɪntu ðə ˈnæʃənəl ˈspɑˌtlaɪt ˈæftər hɪz ˈiˌmoʊʃənəl kæmˈpeɪn ˈvɪdioʊ ˈhaɪˌlaɪtɪŋ hɪz jɪrz əv wərk ɪn ðə ˈdɪstrɪkt ənd hɪz ˈməðərz nid fər hɛlθ kɛr ˈkəvərɪʤ wɑz vjud mɔr ðən taɪmz. "lɛts treɪd ˈpleɪsɪz," braɪs sɪz ɪn ðə ˈvɪdioʊ. "pɔl raɪən, ju kən kəm wərk ðə aɪərn ənd aɪl goʊ tɪ ˌdiˈsi." braɪs wɑz ˈɪntərvˌjud ɪn ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn bæk ɪn ʤun ənd meɪd ðə pɪʧ fər ə hɛlθ kɛr ˈsɪstəm. ʤɪst wɔʧt ðɪs wɔnts pɔl raɪənz ʤɑb riˈpleɪ mɔr ˈvɪdioʊz məst wɔʧ ðɪs wɔnts pɔl raɪənz ʤɑb rɛd mɔr

story highlights randy bryce has been thrust into the national spotlight in his bid against paul ryan democrats are optimistic an anti-trump wave will drive sweeping wins in 2018 but special elections show ryan's home district remains out of reach, at least for now washington (cnn) a democratic challenger hoping to unseat speaker paul ryan has gotten a boost from a viral video in recent days, but he's still far from toppling the most powerful member of the house in november 2018. randy bryce, an iron worker and union member inheast wisconsin, faces more than just an uphill climb in his bid to oust ryan from the congressional seat he's held for two decades. bryce fought his way into the national spotlight after his emotional campaign video highlighting his years of work in the district and his mother's need for health care coverage was viewed more than 500,000 times. "let's trade places," bryce says in the video. "paul ryan, you can come work the iron and i'll go to dc." bryce was interviewed in cnn back in june and made the pitch for a single-payer health care system. just watched this ironworker wants paul ryan's job replay more videos ... must watch this ironworker wants paul ryan's job 01:16 read more

ˌɪntrəˈdəkʃən ðə nu ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt ˈkoʊˈprɑsɛsər həz ðə spid ənd ˈfiʧərz rikˈwaɪərd tɪ səˈpɔrt ˈtudeɪz ədˈvænst ʧɪp ˈizəli ˈɪnərˌfeɪsɪz tɪ ˈvərʧuəli ˈɛni ˈjuzɪŋ ən spi™*™ ər i2c™*™ ˈɪnərˌfeɪs. ˈmɛni juzd ɪn ɛmˈbɛdɪd ˈsɪstəmz læk ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt səˈpɔrt, bət ə waɪd reɪnʤ əv ˈsɛnsərz əˈveɪləbəl təˈdeɪ ˌrikˈwaɪər əˈdɪʃənəl ˌkɑmpjuˈteɪʃənz ər ˈdætə ˌtrænsfərˈmeɪʃən tɪ prəˈvaɪd ˈækjərət rɪˈzəlts. ˈsɔfˌwɛr mæθ ˈlaɪbrɛˌriz ˈɔfən juz lɑrʤ əˈmaʊnts əv ˈmɛməri ɔn, ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ɛz mɔr ˈkɑmplɛks ˈlaɪbrɛˌri ˈfəŋkʃənz ər juzd. ðə ʧɪp ðɪs ˈoʊvərˈhɛd, ənd prəˈvaɪdz ə ˌkɑmpriˈhɛnsɪv sɛt əv ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ədˈvænst ˈfəŋkʃənz səʧ ɛz, ˈmeɪtrɪks ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz ənd ˈsɛntəns ˈpɑrsɪŋ. ədˈvænst ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz ənd fæst ˌɛksəˈkjuʃən əˈlaʊz ðə ʧɪp tɪ ˈaʊtpərˌfɔrm ˈkɑmprəbəl ˈsɔfˌwɛr mæθ ˈlaɪbrɛˌriz. ɪt ˈɔlsoʊ prəˈvaɪdz flæʃ ˈmɛməri ənd fər ˈstɔrɪŋ ˈfəŋkʃənz ənd ˈdætə, ənd 128 ˈrɛʤɪstərz fər ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt ənd ˈɪntəʤər ˈdætə. dɪˈvɛləpmənt səˈpɔrt ɪz prəˈvaɪdɪd baɪ ðə aɪd wɪʧ teɪks trəˈdɪʃənəl mæθ ɪkˈsprɛʃənz ənd ˌɔtəˈmætɪkli prəˈdusɪz koʊd ˈtɑrgətɪd fər wən əv ðə ˈmɛni ənd kəmˈpaɪlərz səˈpɔrtɪd. ðə aɪd ˈɔlsoʊ ˌɪnərˈækts wɪθ ðə ˈbɪlˌtɪn ɔn ðə ʧɪp tɪ əˈsɪst ɪn diˈbəgɪŋ ənd ˈtɛstɪŋ koʊd. fər ə ˈprɪnɪd ˈsəməri əv ˈfiʧərz, si broʊˈʃʊr. fər ə mɔr dɪˈteɪld lɪst əv ˈfiʧərz, ənd ˈʧeɪnʤɪz frəm si riˈlis noʊts səˈʤɛstɪd ˈriˌteɪl praɪs: ˈfiʧərz ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt ənd ˈɪntəʤər ə ˌkɑmpriˈhɛnsɪv sɛt əv ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt ənd ˈɪntəʤər ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz ər prəˈvaɪdɪd. si ðə fər ˈditeɪlz. ˈfəŋkʃənz ˈfəŋkʃənz kən bi stɔrd ɪn flæʃ ənd. flæʃ ˈfəŋkʃənz ər ˈproʊˌgræmd θru ðə pɪnz ˈjuzɪŋ ðə aɪd. ðə ˈfəŋkʃənz kən bi ˈproʊˌgræmd æt run-time*. kənˈdɪʃənəl ˌɛksəˈkjuʃən ɪz səˈpɔrtɪd ˈjuzɪŋ kənˈdɪʃənəl brænʧ ənd ʤəmp ˌɪnˈstrəkʃənz. ˈmeɪtrɪks ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz ə ˈmeɪtrɪks kən bi dɪˈfaɪnd ɛz ˈɛni sɛt əv səkˈwɛnʃəl ˈrɛʤɪstərz. ðə mɑp ˌɪnˈstrəkʃən prəˈvaɪdz ˈskeɪlər ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz, ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz, ˈmeɪtrɪks ˈməltəˌplaɪ, ˌɪnˈvərs, dɪˈtərmənənt, kaʊnt, səm, ˈævərɪʤ, mɪn, mæks, ˈkɑpi ənd sɛt ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz. ˌɪnˈstrəkʃən prəˈvaɪdz səˈpɔrt fər fæst ˈfʊrieɪ trænsˈfɔrmz. juzd ɛz ə ˈsɪŋgəl ˌɪnˈstrəkʃən fər ˈdætə sɛts ðət fɪt ɪn ðə əˈveɪləbəl ˈrɛʤɪstərz, ər ɛz ə ˌɪnˈstrəkʃən fər ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ ˈlɑrʤər ˈdætə sɛts. ˈsɪˌriəl ˈɪnˌpʊt ˈaʊtˌpʊt wɪn nɑt juzd fər diˈbəgɪŋ, ðə ənd pɪnz kən bi juzd fər ˈsɪˌriəl i/o*. fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, kən bi juzd tɪ rɛd ˈdætə frəm ə ˈgipiˈɛs, ənd kən bi juzd tɪ draɪv ən lcd*. ˈsɛntəns ˈpɑrsɪŋ ðə ˈsɪˌriəl ˈɪnˌpʊt kən bi sɛt tɪ skæn fər ˈvælɪd ˈsɛntənsɪz wɪθ ˈɔpʃənəl checksum*. ˈməltəpəl ˈsɛntənsɪz kən bi ˈbəfərd fər ˈfərðər ˈprɑsɛsɪŋ. strɪŋ ˈhændəlɪŋ strɪŋ ˌɪnˈstrəkʃənz ər prəˈvaɪdɪd tɪ ˌɪnˈsərt ənd əˈpɛnd substrings*, sərʧ fər fildz ənd substrings*, ˈkɑnvərt frəm ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt ər lɔŋ ˈɪntəʤər tɪ ə, ər ˈkɑnvərt frəm ə tɪ ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt ər lɔŋ ˈɪntəʤər. fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ðə strɪŋ ˌɪnˈstrəkʃənz kʊd bi juzd tɪ pɑrs ə ˈgipiˈɛs ˈsɛntəns, ər ˈfɔrˌmæt ˈməltəpəl ˈnəmbərz ɪn ən ˈaʊtˌpʊt strɪŋ. ˈteɪbəl ˈlʊkəp ˌɪnˈstrəkʃənz ˌɪnˈstrəkʃənz ər prəˈvaɪdɪd tɪ loʊd ˈvæljuz frəm ə ˈteɪbəl ər faɪnd ðə ˈɪndɛks əv ə ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt ər lɔŋ ˈɪntəʤər ˈteɪbəl ˈɛntri ðət ˈmæʧɪz ə ˈspɛsəˌfaɪd kənˈdɪʃən. mæk ˌɪnˈstrəkʃənz ˌɪnˈstrəkʃənz ər prəˈvaɪdɪd tɪ səˈpɔrt ˈməltəˌplaɪ ənd əˈkjumjəˌleɪt ənd ˈməltəˌplaɪ ənd səbˈtrækt ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz. kənˈvərʒən tu ˈʧænəlz ər prəˈvaɪdɪd. ðə kənˈvərʒən kən bi ˈtrɪgərd ˈmænjuəli, θru ən ɪkˈstərnəl ˈɪnˌpʊt, ər frəm ə ˈbɪlˌtɪn ˈtaɪmər. ðə ˈvæljuz kən bi rɛd ɛz rɑ ˈvæljuz ər ˌɔtəˈmætɪkli skeɪld tɪ ə ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt ˈvælju. ˈdætə reɪts əv əp tɪ ˈsæmpəlz pər ˈsɛkənd ər səˈpɔrtɪd. ˈtaɪmərz ˈtaɪmərz kən bi juzd tɪ ˈtrɪgər ðə kənˈvərʒən, ər tɪ træk ɪˈlæpst taɪm. ə ənd ˈsɛkənd ˈtaɪmər ər prəˈvaɪdɪd. ɪkˈstərnəl ˈɪnˌpʊt ən ɪkˈstərnəl ˈɪnˌpʊt kən bi juzd tɪ ˈtrɪgər ən kənˈvərʒən, ər tɪ kaʊnt ɪkˈstərnəl ɪˈvɛnts. loʊ paʊər moʊdz wɪn ðə ʧɪp ɪz nɑt ˈbɪzi ɪt ˌɔtəˈmætɪkli ˈɛnərz ə paʊər ˈseɪvɪŋ moʊd. ɪt kən ˈɔlsoʊ bi kənˈfɪgjərd tɪ ˈɛnər ə slip moʊd wɪʧ tərnz ðə dɪˈvaɪs ɔf waɪl prɪˈzərvɪŋ ˈrɛʤɪstər ˈkɑntɛnts. ɪn slip moʊd ðə ʧɪp kənˈsumz ˈnɛglɪʤəbəl paʊər. ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˈɑsəˌleɪtər ˈɑpərˌeɪts æt fʊl spid frəm ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˈɑsəˌleɪtər. noʊ ɪkˈstərnəl kəmˈpoʊnənts rikˈwaɪərd. pɪn ˈdaɪəˌgræm ənd pɪn dɪˈskrɪpʃənz pɪn neɪm taɪp dɪˈskrɪpʃən 1 ˈɪnˌpʊt ˈmæstər klɪr (ˈrisɛt) 2 ˈɪnˌpʊt ˈænəˌlɔg ˈɪnˌpʊt 0 3 ˈɪnˌpʊt ˈænəˌlɔg ˈɪnˌpʊt 1 4 ˈɪnˌpʊt ʧɪp səˈlɛkt, ˈɪnərˌfeɪs səˈlɛkt 5 ˈɪnˌpʊt ɪkˈstərnəl ˈɪnˌpʊt 6 ˈɪnˌpʊt ˈɑsəˌleɪtər ˈkrɪstəl (ˈɔpʃənəl) 7 ˈaʊtˌpʊt ˈɑsəˌleɪtər ˈkrɪstəl (ˈɔpʃənəl) 8 ˈaʊtˌpʊt ˈsɪˌriəl ˈaʊtˌpʊt, diˈbəg ˈmɑnətər 9 ˈɪnˌpʊt ˈsɪˌriəl ˈɪnˌpʊt, diˈbəg ˈmɑnətər 10 ˈaʊtˌpʊt ˈdɪʤɪtəl ˈaʊtˌpʊt 1 11 ˈaʊtˌpʊt ˈɪnˌpʊt ˈaʊtˌpʊt, ˈstætəs klɑk 12 sɪn ˈɪnˌpʊt ˈɪnˌpʊt ˈdætə 13 paʊər ˈdɪʤɪtəl graʊnd 14 paʊər ˈdɪʤɪtəl səˈplaɪ ˈvoʊltɪʤ 15 ˈaʊtˌpʊt ˈdɪʤɪtəl ˈaʊtˌpʊt 0 ˈstætəs 16 ˈɪnˌpʊt klɑk 17 paʊər ˈænəˌlɔg graʊnd 18 paʊər ˈænəˌlɔg səˈplaɪ ˈvoʊltɪʤ ˌdɑkjəmɛnˈteɪʃən ˈfəŋkʃənəl dɪˈskrɪpʃən ənd ˈhɑrdˌwɛr ˌspɛsəfəˈkeɪʃənz. ˌɪnˈstrəkʃən sɛt dɪˈteɪld dɪˈskrɪpʃənz fər iʧ ˌɪnˈstrəkʃən. səˈpɔrt ˈsɔfˌwɛr ðə ˈfloʊtɪŋ pɔɪnt ˈkoʊˈprɑsɛsər ɪz ˈizəli wɪθ ˈvərʧuəli ˈɛni ðət prəˈvaɪdz ən ər kəˈnɛkʃən. si ðə ˈdaʊnˌloʊdz peɪʤ fər ə lɪst əv əˈveɪləbəl səˈpɔrt ˈsɔfˌwɛr. fər ðət ər nɑt ˈkərəntli səˈpɔrtɪd, ðə ˈɪnərˌfeɪs ruˈtinz kən bi ˈizəli dɪˈvɛləpt ˈjuzɪŋ ðə ˈsɔfˌwɛr fər ə ˈsɪmələr ɛz ə ˈtɛmplət fər ˈpɔrtɪŋ ðə koʊd.

introduction the new um-fpu v3.1 floating point coprocessor has the speed and features required to support today's advanced microcontroller applications.the um-fpu v3.1 chip easily interfaces to virtually any microcontroller using an spi™ or i2c™ interface. many microcontrollers used in embedded systems lack floating point support, but a wide range of sensors available today require additional computations or data transformation to provide accurate results. software math libraries often use large amounts of memory on microcontrollers, particularly as more complex library functions are used. the um-fpu v3.1 chip offloads this overhead, and provides a comprehensive set of floating point operations, including advanced functions such as fft, matrix operations and nmea sentence parsing. advanced operations and fast execution allows the um-fpu v3.1 chip to outperform comparable software math libraries. it also provides flash memory and eeprom for storing user-defined functions and data, and 128 32-bit registers for floating point and integer data. development support is provided by the um-fpu v3 ide which takes traditional math expressions and automatically produces um-fpu code targeted for one of the many microcontrollers and compilers supported. the ide also interacts with the built-in debugger on the um-fpu v3.1 chip to assist in debugging and testing um-fpu code. for a printed summary of um-fpu v3.1 features, see um-fpu v3.1 brochure. for a more detailed list of um-fpu v3.1 features, and changes from v3.0, see um-fpu v3.1 release notes . suggested retail price: $19.95 usd features 32-bit floating point and 32-bit integer a comprehensive set of 32-bit floating point and 32-bit integer operations are provided. see the um-fpu v3.1 datasheet for details. user-defined functions user-defined functions can be stored in flash and eeprom. flash functions are programmed through the serin/serout pins using the um-fpu v3 ide. the eeprom functions can be programmed at run-time. conditional execution is supported using conditional branch and jump instructions. matrix operations a matrix can be defined as any set of sequential registers. the mop instruction provides scalar operations, element-wise operations, matrix multiply, inverse, determinant, count, sum, average, min, max, copy and set operations. fft instruction provides support for fast fourier transforms. used as a single instruction for data sets that fit in the available registers, or as a multi-pass instruction for working with larger data sets. serial input / output when not used for debugging, the serin and serout pins can be used for serial i/o. for example, serin can be used to read data from a gps, and serout can be used to drive an lcd. nmea sentence parsing the serial input can be set to scan for valid nmea sentences with optional checksum. multiple sentences can be buffered for further processing. string handling string instructions are provided to insert and append substrings, search for fields and substrings, convert from floating point or long integer to a substring, or convert from a substring to floating point or long integer. for example, the string instructions could be used to parse a gps nmea sentence, or format multiple numbers in an output string. table lookup instructions instructions are provided to load 32-bit values from a table or find the index of a floating point or long integer table entry that matches a specified condition. mac instructions instructions are provided to support multiply and accumulate and multiply and subtract operations. a/d conversion two 12-bit a/d channels are provided. the a/d conversion can be triggered manually, through an external input, or from a built-in timer. the a/d values can be read as raw values or automatically scaled to a floating point value. data rates of up to 10,000 samples per second are supported. timers timers can be used to trigger the a/d conversion, or to track elapsed time. a microsecond and second timer are provided. external input an external input can be used to trigger an a/d conversion, or to count external events. low power modes when the um-fpu v3 chip is not busy it automatically enters a power saving mode. it can also be configured to enter a sleep mode which turns the device off while preserving register contents. in sleep mode the um-fpu v3 chip consumes negligible power. internal oscillator operates at full speed from internal oscillator. no external components required. pin diagram and pin descriptions pdip-18, soic-18 pin name type description 1 /mclr input master clear (reset) 2 an0 input analog input 0 3 an1 input analog input 1 4 cs input chip select, interface select 5 extin input external input 6 osc1 input oscillator crystal (optional) 7 osc2 output oscillator crystal (optional) 8 serout output serial output, debug monitor tx 9 serin input serial input, debug monitor rx 10 out1 output digital output 1 11 sout scl output input spi output, busy/ready status i2c clock 12 sin sda input in/out spi input i2c data 13 vss power digital ground 14 vdd power digital supply voltage 15 out0 output digital output 0, busy/ready status 16 sclk input spi clock 17 avss power analog ground 18 avdd power analog supply voltage documentation um-fpu v3.1 datasheet functional description and hardware specifications. um-fpu v3.1 instruction set detailed descriptions for each instruction. support software the um-fpu v3.1 floating point coprocessor is easily interfaced with virtually any microcontroller that provides an spi or i2c connection. see the downloads page for a list of available support software. for microcontrollers that are not currently supported, the interface routines can be easily developed using the software for a similar microcontroller as a template for porting the code.

ən ɪˈnɔrmɪs ˈvaɪnəl ˈpoʊstər əv ðə ˈmoʊmənt ɪn ðə rɪŋ wɪn wən ðə ˌɪˈsuˌzu ˈtʊrnəmənt ə ʤaɪənt foʊ ki ɪn hɪz hænd tɪ ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt ðə trək hi wən ənd ə ˈkɑrdˌbɔrd saɪn ˈrɛdɪŋ bɑt fər hɪz praɪz ˈməni hæŋz ɔn ðə fɑr saɪd əv ɑr ˈtreɪnɪŋ rɪŋ. ðə ˈpoʊstər ɪz soʊ bɪg ðət ɪt həz blɑkt ɔf moʊst əv ðə briz ðət ɔˈkeɪʒənəˌli meɪks ɪts weɪ ˈɪntu ðə ʤɪm ənd ˈɔlsoʊ hoʊldz ɪn ðə laɪt frəm ðə bɛr bəlbz ʤɪst ˈəndər ðə ˈræftərz əv ðə rɪŋ. ɪt ɪz weɪd daʊn æt ðə ˈbɑtəm ˈkɔrnərz, kɛpt frəm ˈflæpɪŋ baɪ pɛrz əv ˈbɑksɪŋ gləvz. ɪz ðə ˌsupərˈstɑr əv ðə ʤɪm, ðə ˈhænsəm, jəŋ, səkˈsɛs ˈstɔri ðət ɪz ˈlɪtərəli ɛz ə ˈbækˌdrɑp tɪ ɔl ðə jəŋ bɔɪz ɪn ðɛr oʊn up”*” wɪˈθɪn ðoʊz roʊps. wɪθ ðə sən ˈsɛtɪŋ, ðə waɪt ˈbɔrdər əv ðə ˈvaɪnəl ˈpoʊstər simz tɪ gloʊ. ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə rɪŋ ðə sˈmɔlər bɔɪz ˈgræpəl ənd θroʊ wən əˈnəðər ˈɔntu ðə graʊnd ɪn wət əˈmaʊnts tɪ klɪnʧ ˈtreɪnɪŋ fər ˈlɪtəl kɪdz. ɪz 11 jɪrz oʊld ənd ðə moʊst ɪkˈspɪriənst əv ðə bənʧ, ˈprɑbəˌbli 100 faɪts ɔl toʊld, bət stɪl smɔl ənd ˈpəʤi soʊ ˈlæzəli ˈgræpəlɪŋ wɪθ ə bɪˈgɪnər nɪr hɪz saɪz. tu mɔr bɔɪz, ˈprɑbəˌbli iʧ əˈbaʊt 8 jɪrz oʊld, ər ˈklæʃɪŋ ðɛr θɪn lɪmz ˈɪntu iʧ ˈəðər wɪθ twaɪs ɛz məʧ gli ɛz ðɛr ɪz skɪl tɪ wət əˈtɛmptɪŋ. bət ðɪs ɪz haʊ ju lərn. ðə ril ˈfoʊkɪs əv ðə ˈækʃən ɪn ðə rɪŋ ɪz sən. ˈprɑbəˌbli əˈbaʊt 13 jɪrz oʊld, tɔl ənd ˈlæŋki wɪθ ə kaɪnd əv ˈgræsˌhɑpər freɪm. sən həz fɔt ə ˈhændˌfʊl əv taɪmz æt ðə bɑr, wɪʧ ər ˈoʊnli 3 raʊnd faɪts bət wɛr lɑts əv ðə ˈjəŋgər kɪdz gɪt ðɛr ɪkˈspɪriəns ˌbiˈfɔr ˈvɛnʧərɪŋ ˈɪntu ˈfɛstɪvəl ər ˈsteɪdiəm faɪts. sən həz gʊd ˈfoʊkɪs. hi oʊˈbidjəntli ˈfɑloʊz dɪˈrɛkʃɪn ənd kəˈmɪts hɪmˈsɛlf tɪ ðə ˈɛndləs kaʊnts əv ˈpʊˌʃəps ənd wɪn ðə ˈtreɪnər noʊ ˈlɔŋgər ˈɔfərz əˈtɛnʃən. ə lɔt əv bɔɪz wɪl ʧit ɔn ðə kənˈdɪʃənɪŋ bɪˈkəz ˈtreɪnərz wɔʧ. nɑt sən ðoʊ; ɪf dəˈbeɪt ˈoʊvər ˈwɛðər ðə kaʊnt wɑz æt 98 ər 100 du ə ˈkəpəl ˈɛkstrə ʤɪst tɪ bi ʃʊr. ðə hɛd əv ðə ʤɪm ənd maɪ oʊn ˈtreɪnər, nu, ɪz ˈfɪdlɪŋ wɪθ hɪz foʊn tɪ sɛt ðə ˈtaɪmər, ðɛn sɛts ɪt ɪn ə ˈplæstɪk ˈbɑtəl bɪn kət ˈɪntu ə ˈhoʊldər fər ðə foʊn ənd hæŋz haɪ ɔn ə ˈpɪlər əˈbəv ðə rɪŋ. nu tərnz əraʊnd ənd slɪps ðə taɪ pædz ˈoʊvər hɪz ˈfɔˌrɑrmz, ˈmeɪkɪŋ ə ““ah-ha-haaaw,”*,” saʊnd tɪ ˈɪndəˌkeɪt ðə stɑrt əv ðə raʊnd. ə ˈgufi saʊnd. hi θɪŋks hɪˈlɛriəs. ðɪs ɪz kaɪnd əv ə ˈmæʤɪkəl ˈmoʊmənt tɪ ˌɪtˈsɛlf bɪˈkəz sən ɪz ə bɪˈgɪnər. moʊst əv ðə taɪm ðə ˈəðər kɪdz wɪl hoʊld pædz fər ɪm bɪˈkəz ʤɪst traɪɪŋ tɪ gɪt hɪz koʊˌɔrdəˈneɪʃən daʊn. nu ˈɔfərz ˌɪnˈstrəkʃən ənd kərˈɛkʃən wɪn ðə ˈəðər kɪdz ər ˈhoʊldɪŋ, bət tɪ hæv nu ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈhoʊldɪŋ ðə pædz ɪz ə trit fər sən. ˈɔlsoʊ ə ˈnaɪtˌmɛr, aɪ kən əˈtɛst frəm maɪ oʊn ɪkˈspɪriəns, bɪˈkəz nu ɪz ˌæbsəˈlutli ðə bɛst ənd ˈhɑrdəst ˈɛvər mɛt. ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli, sən ˈriəˌlaɪzɪz ɪn fər ˈsəmθɪŋ hi ɪkˈspɛktɪŋ. nu ɪz ˈwækɪŋ hɪz saɪdz wɪθ ðə flæt frənt əv ðə pæd wɪn hi hoʊldz hɪz ɑrmz aʊt fər ə blɑk. hi ˈɔlsoʊ wæks ɪm wɪθ ðə pædz wɪn hɪz gɑrd ɪz ˈsɑləd, bət ðə ˌɪmˈpækt nɑks sən fər ə ˈmoʊmənt. ˌɪnˈtɛns. ɪt meɪks ju fil laɪk noʊ ʧæns tɪ brið ənd ə 4 ˈmɪnət raʊnd kən fil laɪk ɪˈtərnəti. bɪn hir, ˈmɛni taɪmz. ðə ˌɪmˈpækt frəm ðə pædz kɔz ˈɛni ˈdæmɪʤ, bət ɪt stɪŋz ə bɪt ˈmoʊstli ˈʃɑkɪŋ tɪ jʊr breɪn ənd ɪt gɪts ju ɪn ə steɪt əv ˈpænɪk; ju stɑp ˈbriðɪŋ. ju gɪt ˈæŋgri. ɛz ju fəˈtig frəm nɑt ˈbriðɪŋ, jʊr ˈæŋgər maɪt stɑrt tɪ brɪŋ ju tɪ tɪrz. ˈhæpənɪŋ tɪ sən naʊ. ˈæˌkʧuəli kraɪɪŋ, ju kən hir ɪt mɔr ðən ju kən si ɪt bɪˈkəz stɪl ˈmuvɪŋ. rɪˈspɑndɪŋ ənd ˈɛvəri naʊ ənd ðɛn ðə ˈæŋgər ɪkˈsprɛsɪz ˌɪtˈsɛlf ɪn ə ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ˈpaʊərfəl kɪk. nu ɪz 70 ˈkiˌloʊz, sən ɪz ˈmeɪbi 35 kg*, soʊ wɪn sən traɪz tɪ ðə ˈtreɪnər ɔf əv ɪm wɪʧ ɪz ə greɪt muv, ˈæˌkʧuəli hi ʤɪst ɛndz əp ˈlɔnʧɪŋ hɪmˈsɛlf ˈbækwərdz. ˈfrəˌstreɪtəd, bət hi kips ˈkəmɪŋ bæk ənd traɪɪŋ tɪ muv ˈfɔrwərd. ənd nu ɪz ˈlæfɪŋ, nɑt bət ˈrɪli traɪɪŋ tɪ ˈkɑntræst wət sən məst bi ˈfilɪŋ ɛz hi ɪz ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmd. frəm ɪkˈspɪriəns, ðɪs filz laɪk ə ril faɪt; ˈwɑʧɪŋ frəm ðə ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ju kən si ðə kənˈtroʊl nu həz ˈoʊvər ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ ˈʧuzɪŋ tɪ ˈʧælənʤ sən wɪθ. fɛlt laɪk aɪ wɑz biɪŋ ˈpəməld ənd ðɛn wɔʧt ˈvɪdioʊ ənd sin haʊ sloʊ ənd kənˈtroʊld wət nu ɪz ˈæˌkʧuəli duɪŋ ɪz. ðə jəŋ bɔɪz ɪn ðə rɪŋ hæv ɔl stɑpt ənd ər ˈstɛrɪŋ æt sən, bɪˈkəz ˈɛvriˌwən noʊz kraɪɪŋ (ˈfoʊˌtoʊ əˈbəv). ə fju əv ðə mɛn əraʊnd ðə rɪŋ ˈmətər əˈbaʊt haʊ səʧ ə ʃeɪm, bət aɪ θɪŋk breɪv. aɪ θɪŋk ðɪs bɪˈkəz tɪ kip ˈmuvɪŋ wɪn jʊr ɔˈrɛdi ˈsɑbɪŋ ɪz ˈprɪti ˈɔsəm. ɪt teɪks ə lɔt əv hɑrt tɪ kip goʊɪŋ wɪn ˈbreɪkɪŋ, tɪ kip ɪt ɪn ðə ˈprɛzənt ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ʤɪst biɪŋ ˈbroʊkən. ɪt goʊz ɔn laɪk ðɪs fər ə fʊl 4 raʊnz ənd æt ðə ɛnd əv ðət læst raʊnd ðə bɛl saʊnz ənd nu, ɪn hɪz staɪl, ˌɪgˈnɔrz ðə ˈtaɪmər ənd jɛlz fər sən tɪ du 20 kɪks ɔn iʧ saɪd. ˈtoʊtəli ɪgˈzɔstɪd. kɪks ər ˈmɪzərəbəl ənd sloʊ bət nu jɛlz aʊt ðə kaʊnt soʊ ˈɛvriˌwən kən hir. wən saɪd goʊz baɪ. ðə nɛkst saɪd həz ə ˈhɪkəp ɪn ɪt, ˈsəmˌwɛr əraʊnd 9 sən teɪks tu lɔŋ wɪθ hɪz kɪks ənd ðə kaʊnt stɑrts ˈoʊvər æt 1 soʊ fˈjʊriəs baɪ ðɪs ðət hɪz kɪks spid əp ənd hi paʊərz θru ðə læst 20 wɪθ fˈjʊri. hi gɪts noʊ pæt ɔn ðə bæk, noʊ wərd əv ækˈnɑlɪʤmənt, ˈsərtənli noʊ job.”*.” nu ʤɪst wɔks əˈweɪ ənd pʊts hɪz pædz ɔn ðə flɔr əv ðə rɪŋ. haʊ ɪt goʊz ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ gɪt θru, ju gɪt preɪzd fər ɪt. nɑt tɪ jʊr feɪs, ˈɛniˌweɪ. sən drɑps hɪz gləvz tɪ hɪz saɪdz ənd wɔks ˈoʊvər tɪ hɪz ˈfɑðər, hu həz lɛpt əp ˈɔntu ðə rɪŋ ənd ɪz ˈpɔrɪŋ ˈwɔtər frəm ə ˈbɑtəl ˈɪntu hɪz maʊθ, hɪz hɛd tɪpt bæk ənd maʊθ ˈoʊpən tɪ kæʧ ðə ˈwɔtər laɪk ə ˈbeɪbi bərd. sən stɛps əˈweɪ frəm hɪz ˈfɑðər, hi ɪz əˈloʊn fər ə ˈsɛkənd., ðə wɪθ ðə moʊst ɪkˈspɪriəns, ˈhəriz ˈoʊvər tɪ sən ənd pʊts wən hænd ɔn hɪz bæk ənd wən ɔn hɪz ˈstəmək, wɪʧ hi kaɪnd əv half-presses*. ðɪs ɪz wət ə ˈkɔrnər wʊd du ɪn ə faɪt, rəb ðə ˈstəmək tɪ gɪt rɪd əv ˈɛni ˈkræmpɪŋ ənd gɪt ðə ˈbriðɪŋ ˈstɛdi. bət ɪz ˈmoʊstli ʤɪst ˈtəʧɪŋ sən, ˈgɪvɪŋ ɪm ˈkɑnˌtækt ɪn ðə ˈkɑntɛkst əv ə cornerman*. ˈkəmfərtɪŋ, bət ɪt lʊks laɪk haʊ ju tɛnd tɪ ə ˈfaɪtər. ðə ˈəðər bɔɪz stɑp ðɛr ˈklɪnʧɪŋ ənd ˈfɑloʊ sut, ˈrənɪŋ ˈoʊvər tɪ sən soʊ ðət ðeɪ kən ʤɔɪn ɪn ɔn ˈmaɪndɪŋ ðə ˈfaɪtər bɪtˈwin raʊnz. ðeɪ rəb ˈwɔtər ɔn hɪz lɛgz, ðɪs ˈlɪtəl kəˈlɛkʃən əv kɪdz əraʊnd ə məʧ ˈtɔlər kɪd, ənd ɔl pleɪɪŋ ðɛr pɑrts. sən ˈivɪn ækts ə bɪt laɪk ə ˈfaɪtər wʊd, ˈsəmˈwət ˌɪgˈnɔrɪŋ ɔl ðə hænz ɔn ɪm ənd ˈveɪgli ˈɔrdərɪŋ əraʊnd wɪn hɪz lɛgz ər biɪŋ strɛʧt. ɛz ə 13 jɪr oʊld, sən ˈtɛknɪkəli həz səm ˈstætəs ˈoʊvər ðə 11 jɪr oʊld ənd 8 jɪr oʊld ɔl əraʊnd ɪm. hɪz tɪrz ər biɪŋ səkt bæk ɛz hi ˈkæʧɪz hɪz brɛθ ənd kɑmz daʊn. waɪ aɪ wɑz soʊ ˈteɪkən baɪ ðɪs ˈmoʊmənt. wət nu wɑz duɪŋ wɪθ sən ɪz haʊ ju meɪk ə ˈfaɪtər. ju fɔrs ðɛm tɪ pʊʃ ənd pʊʃ, ˈivɪn wɪn ˈbreɪkɪŋ, ˈivɪn wɪn əˈbaʊt tɪ kəˈlæps. ju tɛst ðɛr maɪndz ənd hɑrts θru traɪəlz əv ðə ˈbɑdi. æt ðə ɛnd əv ðə ˈgruɪlɪŋ ˈsɛʃən, wɪn pʊt tɪ ɪt ðə ˈænsər tɪ waɪ sən wɑz kraɪɪŋ ɪz ðət hi wɑz ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmd, bət ðə ˈrizən ɪz ʤɪst ðət hi wɑz taɪərd. ju kən rɪˈkəvər frəm biɪŋ taɪərd; ju kən ˌɪgˈnɔr biɪŋ taɪərd ðə weɪ ju kən ˌɪgˈnɔr tɪrz. ɪt wɑz ɪmˈbɛrəsɪŋ fər ɪm tɪ kraɪ, bət hi kɛpt goʊɪŋ ˈɛniˌweɪ. ənd æt ðə seɪm ˈmoʊmənt ðət ˈbɪldɪŋ ə ˈfaɪtər ju ər ˈɔlsoʊ ˈbɪldɪŋ ɔl ðə səˈpɔrt hi həz əraʊnd ɪm, ðə weɪ lɛpt tɪ hɪz roʊl ɛz ə cornerman*, ɛz səˈpɔrt, wɑz ˌæbsəˈlutli ˈbjutəfəl. ənd ðə weɪ ðə ˈlɪtəl kɪdz hu hæv ˈɛni ɪkˈspɪriəns ɪn ðə ˈkɔrnər jɛt ræn ˈoʊvər tɪ hɛlp ənd ˈfɑloʊ lɛd ɪz ˈɔsəm ˈtruli ˈɔsəm bɪˈkəz ðeɪ ər ˈlərnɪŋ haʊ tɪ tɛnd tɪ ðɛr ˈtimˌmeɪts. pɑrt əv ˈtreɪnɪŋ bət æt ðə seɪm taɪm ril. ðɪs ˈmoʊmənt stʊd aʊt frəm ˈhənərdz əv ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈəðər ˈmoʊmənts ˈwɪtnəst æt ðə ʤɪm, ɪt ˈivɪn stʊd aʊt dɪˈspaɪt ðə fækt ðət ˈsəmθɪŋ ɪkˈspɪriənst fər ˌmaɪˈsɛlf ˈkaʊntləs taɪmz. ɪt stændz aʊt ˈivɪn ðoʊ wət ənd ˈfɑðər dɪd æt ðə ɛnd əv ðə raʊnz tɪ rɪˈkəvər ðə ˈfaɪtər ɪz ˌæbsəˈlutli mənˈdeɪn ɪn ðə wərld əv taɪ. bət ɪt simd tɪ ˈɪləˌstreɪt fər mi ə ˈdipər ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ əv ðɪs hoʊl ˈprɔˌsɛs. ðɪs, raɪt hir, ɪz ðə ˈrizən aɪ kən ʃoʊ əp tɪ ə ˈfɛstɪvəl faɪt ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl əv ˈnoʊˌwɛr, wɛr aɪ noʊ ˌæbsəˈlutli ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi ənd stɪl gɪt ˈsəmˌwən tɪ wərk ðə ˈkɔrnər fər mi. bɪˈkəz ˈlɪtəl kɪdz noʊ haʊ tɪ tɛnd tɪ ə ˈfaɪtər; bɪˈkəz ɔl aɪ nid ɪz fər ˈsəmˌwən, ˈɛniˌwən, tɪ dəmp koʊld ˈwɔtər ɔn mi bɪtˈwin raʊnz bət wət ju gɪt əˈlɔŋ wɪθ ðət ɪz ˈlɪtəl mɛn hu kəˈnɛkt tɪ ðə ˈspɪrɪt əv taɪ, əv kəmˈjunɪti ənd səˈpɔrt. ðɪs hoʊl dɪˈspleɪ əv sən ɪn ðə rɪŋ wɪθ nu ənd ðə ˈlɪtəl kɪdz ɔl əraʊnd, ðə ɪˈnɔrmɪs ˈpoʊstər əv ɔn ðə fɑr saɪd ɛz ən ɪgˈzæmpəl əv ˈsəmˌwən hu səkˈsidɪd θru ðə ɪgˈzækt seɪm process…*… ðɪs ɪz ðə ˈmeɪkɪŋ əv mɛn, ɪn ðə rɪŋ, ɪn ðə ˈdɪmɪŋ laɪt, ɪn ðə ˈkaʊntləs aʊərz. ju kən rɛd mɔr əv maɪ ˈɑrtɪkəlz ɔn maɪ ʤɪm, petchrungruang*, hir ju kən səˈpɔrt ðɪs ˈkɑntɛnt: ˈsɪlvi vɔn ɔn

an enormous vinyl poster of the moment in the ring when ptt won the omnoi isuzu tournament – a giant faux key in his hand to represent the truck he won and a cardboard sign reading 1,000,000 baht for his prize money – hangs on the far side of our training ring. the poster is so big that it has blocked off most of the breeze that occasionally makes its way into the gym and also holds in the light from the bare bulbs just under the rafters of the ring. it is weighed down at the bottom corners, kept from flapping by pairs of boxing gloves. ptt is the superstar of the gym, the handsome, young, success story that is literally larger-than-life as a backdrop to all the young boys in their own “come up” within those ropes. with the sun setting, the white border of the vinyl poster seems to glow. inside the ring the smaller boys grapple and throw one another onto the ground in what amounts to clinch training for little kids. podee is 11 years old and the most experienced of the bunch, probably 100 fights all told, but he’s still small and pudgy so he’s lazily grappling with a beginner near his size. two more boys, probably each about 8 years old, are clashing their thin limbs into each other with twice as much glee as there is skill to what they’re attempting. but this is how you learn. the real focus of the action in the ring is sun. he’s probably about 13 years old, tall and lanky with a kind of grasshopper frame. sun has fought a handful of times at the bar, which are only 3 round fights but it’s where lots of the younger kids get their experience before venturing into festival or stadium fights. sun has good focus. he obediently follows direction and commits himself to the endless counts of pushups and pull-ups when the trainer no longer offers attention. a lot of boys will cheat on the conditioning because trainers don’t watch. not sun though; if there’s debate over whether the count was at 98 or 100, he’ll do a couple extra just to be sure. the head of the gym and my own trainer, kru nu, is fiddling with his phone to set the timer, then sets it in a plastic bottle that’s been cut into a holder for the phone and hangs high on a pillar above the ring. kru nu turns around and slips the thai pads over his forearms, making a “ah-ha-haaaw,” sound to indicate the start of the round. it’s a goofy sound. he thinks it’s hilarious. this is kind of a magical moment to itself because sun is a beginner. most of the time the other kids will hold pads for him because he’s just trying to get his coordination down. kru nu offers instruction and correction when the other kids are holding, but to have kru nu actually holding the pads is a treat for sun. it’s also a nightmare, i can attest from my own experience, because kru nu is absolutely the best and hardest padman i’ve ever met. immediately, sun realizes he’s in for something he wasn’t expecting. kru nu is whacking his sides with the flat front of the pad when he holds his arms out for a block. he also whacks him with the pads when his guard is solid, but the impact knocks sun off-balance for a moment. it’s intense. it makes you feel like there’s no chance to breathe and a 4 minute round can feel like eternity. i’ve been here, many times. the impact from the pads doesn’t cause any damage, but it stings a bit – mostly it’s shocking to your brain and it gets you in a state of panic; you stop breathing. you get angry. as you fatigue from not breathing, your anger might start to bring you to tears. that’s what’s happening to sun now. he’s actually crying, you can hear it more than you can see it because he’s still moving. he’s responding and every now and then the anger expresses itself in a particularly powerful kick. kru nu is 70 kilos, sun is maybe 35 kg, so when sun tries to teep the trainer off of him – which is a great move, actually – he just ends up launching himself backwards. he’s frustrated, but he keeps coming back and trying to move forward. and kru nu is laughing, not mockingly but really trying to contrast what sun must be feeling as he is overwhelmed. from sun’s experience, this feels like a real fight; watching from the outside you can see the control kru nu has over everything he’s choosing to challenge sun with. i’ve felt like i was being pummeled and then watched video and seen how slow and controlled what kru nu is actually doing is. the young boys in the ring have all stopped and are staring at sun, because everyone knows he’s crying (photo above). a few of the men around the ring mutter about how it’s such a shame, but i think he’s brave. i think this because to keep moving when your already sobbing is pretty awesome. it takes a lot of heart to keep going when you’re breaking, to keep it in the present instead of just being broken. it goes on like this for a full 4 rounds and at the end of that last round the bell sounds and kru nu, in his style, ignores the timer and yells for sun to do 20 kicks on each side. he’s totally exhausted. sun’s kicks are miserable and slow but kru nu yells out the count so everyone can hear. one side goes by. the next side has a hiccup in it, somewhere around 9, sun takes too long with his kicks and the count starts over at 1. he’s so furious by this that his kicks speed up and he powers through the last 20 with fury. he gets no pat on the back, no word of acknowledgement, certainly no “good job.” kru nu just walks away and puts his pads on the floor of the ring. that’s how it goes – you’re expected to get through, you don’t get praised for it. not to your face, anyway. sun drops his gloves to his sides and walks over to his father, who has leapt up onto the ring and is pouring water from a bottle into his son’s mouth, his head tipped back and mouth open to catch the water like a baby bird. sun steps away from his father, he is alone for a second. podee, the 11-year-old with the most experience, hurries over to sun and puts one hand on his back and one on his stomach, which he kind of half-presses. this is what a corner would do in a fight, rub the stomach to get rid of any cramping and get the breathing steady. but podee is mostly just touching sun, giving him contact in the context of a cornerman. it’s comforting, but it looks like how you tend to a fighter. the other boys stop their clinching and follow suit, running over to sun so that they can join in on minding the fighter between rounds. they rub water on his legs, this little collection of kids around a much taller kid, and they’re all playing their parts. sun even acts a bit like a fighter would, somewhat ignoring all the hands on him and vaguely ordering podee around when his legs are being stretched. as a 13 year old, sun technically has some status over the 11 year old podee and 8 year old gromits all around him. his tears are being sucked back as he catches his breath and calms down. here’s why i was so taken by this moment. what kru nu was doing with sun is how you make a fighter. you force them to push and push, even when they’re breaking, even when they’re about to collapse. you test their minds and hearts through trials of the body. at the end of the grueling session, when put to it the answer to why sun was crying is that he was overwhelmed, but the reason is just that he was tired. you can recover from being tired; you can ignore being tired the way you can ignore tears. it was embarrassing for him to cry, but he kept going anyway. and at the same moment that you’re building a fighter you are also building all the support he has around him, the way podee leapt to his role as a cornerman, as support, was absolutely beautiful. and the way the little kids who don’t have any experience in the corner yet ran over to help and follow podee’s lead is awesome – truly awesome – because they are learning how to tend to their teammates. it’s part of training but at the same time it’s real. this moment stood out from hundreds of thousands of other moments i’ve witnessed at the gym, it even stood out despite the fact that it’s something i’ve experienced for myself countless times. it stands out even though what podee and sun’s father did at the end of the rounds to recover the fighter is absolutely mundane in the world of muay thai. but it seemed to illustrate for me a deeper understanding of this whole process. this, right here, is the reason i can show up to a festival fight in the middle of nowhere, where i know absolutely nobody and still get someone to work the corner for me. because little kids know how to tend to a fighter; because all i need is for someone, anyone, to dump cold water on me between rounds but what you get along with that is little men who connect to the spirit of muay thai, of community and support. this whole display of sun in the ring with kru nu and the little kids all around, the enormous poster of ptt on the far side as an example of someone who succeeded through the exact same process… this is the making of men, in the ring, in the dimming light, in the countless hours. you can read more of my articles on my gym, petchrungruang, here you can support this content: sylvie von duuglas-ittu on patreon

soʊl nu ˈreɪˌdɑr ˈsætəˌlaɪt ˈɪmɪʤɪz ʃoʊ ðə sɛpt. 3 ˈnukliər tɛst baɪ nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə wɑz ˈpaʊərfəl ɪˈnəf tɪ sɪŋk ə ˈrəfli ˈɛriə ɔn ðə pik əv ə ˈmaʊntən əˈbəv ðə ˈtənəlz wɛr ðə tɛst ˈlaɪkli tʊk pleɪs. nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə ˈkɛriz aʊt ɪts ˈnukliər tɛsts ɪn ə ˈkɑmplɛks əv ˈtənəlz æt ɪts saɪt, ənd ˈɪmɪʤɪz əv ðə ˈmaʊntənz, ɪn ðɪs keɪs maʊnt, əˈbəv ɪt kən gɪv ˈɛkspərts ə sɛns əv wɛr ðə dɪˈvaɪs wɑz ˈtɛstɪd ɪgˈzæktli ənd haʊ ˈpaʊərfəl ɪt wɑz. [nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə ˈnukliər tɛst meɪ hæv bɪn twaɪs ɛz strɔŋ ɛz fərst θɔt] ðə nu sɪnˈθɛtɪk ˈæpərʧər ˈreɪˌdɑr ˈsætəˌlaɪt ˈɪmɪʤɪz, ˈkæpʧərd ˌbiˈfɔr ənd ˈæftər sɛpt. 3 ʃoʊd ˈʧeɪnʤɪz æt maʊnt pik ˌɛləˈveɪʃən," roʊt ˈʤɛfri luɪs, hɛd əv ðə ist ˈeɪʒə ˈproʊˌgræm æt ðə ʤeɪmz ˈmɑrtɪn ˈsɛnər fər nɑnprəˌlɪfərˈeɪʃən ˈstədiz ɪn ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə. "ˌbiˈfɔr ðə tɛst, maʊnt wɑz ˈmitərz haɪ; ðə ˈmaʊntən həz sɪns dɪˈmɪnɪʃt ɪn height,”*,” hi ˈædɪd. kən si ðət ðə ɪkˈsploʊʒən ˈvɪzəbli dɪˈspleɪsɪz ðə ˈmaʊntən, wɪʧ ˈdɛmənˌstreɪts boʊθ haʊ lɑrʤ ðə ɪkˈsploʊʒən wɑz bət ˈɔlsoʊ ðət ɪt əˈkərd ɪn ðə seɪm ˈtənəl ˈkɑmplɛks ɛz ðə priˈsidɪŋ fɔr ˈnukliər tests,”*,” luɪs roʊt ɔn ðə ɑrmz kənˈtroʊl wɑnk ˈwɛbˌsaɪt. ɪz ˈjusfəl bɪˈkəz ðə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp bɪtˈwin ðə saɪz əv ðə ɪkˈsploʊʒən ənd ðə ˈmægnəˌtud əv ðə ˈsaɪzmɪk ˈsɪgnəlz ɪz ˈsɛnsɪtɪv tɪ ðə ˈoʊvərˈbərdən haʊ məʧ rɑk ɪz əˈbəv ðə explosion.”*.” ðə ˈɪmɪʤɪz wər ˈteɪkən baɪ ˈɛrbəs, ə speɪs tɛkˈnɑləʤi ˈkəmpəˌni ðət meɪks ərθ ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃən ˈsætəˌlaɪts, ˈjuzɪŋ ɪts ˈsætəˌlaɪt, ənd wər prəˈvaɪdɪd tɪ ˈɛkspərts æt ðə ˈsɛnər. ju kən si ðə ʧeɪnʤ ɪn ðɪs ˈænəˌmeɪtɪd ˈɪmɪʤ ðət luɪs ˈpoʊstɪd ɔn tˈwɪtər: ɑr frɛndz æt ʃɛrd ˈreɪˌdɑr ˈɪmɪʤɪz əv nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriəz ˈnukliər tɛst saɪt ʃoʊɪŋ ˈʤɛfri luɪs (@armscontrolwonk*) sɛpˈtɛmbər 13 2017 ðə dɪˈvaɪs, wɪʧ nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə dɪˈskraɪbd ɛz ə ˈhaɪdrəʤən bɔm ˈkeɪpəbəl əv biɪŋ pleɪst ɔn ə bəˈlɪstɪk ˈmɪsəl, wɑz ðə moʊst ˈpaʊərfəl ɪt həz ˈtɛstɪd tɪ deɪt. ərˈɪʤənəl ˈɛstəˌmeɪts hæd pʊt ɪts jild ɪn ðə reɪnʤ, bət ˈəpˌdeɪtɪd ˈsaɪzmɪk ˈdætə ˈænəˌlaɪzd baɪ ˈɛkspərts ðɪs wik pʊt ɪt ˈkloʊzər tɪ ə ˈwɑpɪŋ 250 kilotons*, ər ˈnɪrli 17 taɪmz mɔr ˈpaʊərfəl ðən ðə bɔm ðət ˈflætənd ˌhɪˈroʊʃɪmə. ðə nu ˈɪmɪʤɪz ər pruf ðət ðə sɛpˈtɛmbər 2017 ɪkˈsploʊʒən wɑz məʧ ˈlɑrʤər ðən ˈɛvər ˌbiˈfɔr æt ðɪs site,”*,” sɛd məˈlɪsə, ˈsinjər ˈrisərʧ əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪt æt ðə fər nɑnprəˌlɪfərˈeɪʃən ˈstədiz. ɪn kəmˈpɛrəsən, ˈreɪˌdɑr ˈɪmɪʤɪz əv læst ˈnukliər tɛst dɪd nɑt ʃoʊ ə ˈnoʊtəsəbəl ʧeɪnʤ ɪn ðə ˈsərfəs ˈɛriə əv ðə seɪm ˈmaʊntən, ʃi sɛd. [wət ɪz nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə traɪɪŋ tɪ hɪt?] ðə ˈsəŋkən ˈɛriə ˌkɔrəˈspɑndz wɪθ səm əv ðə haɪəst piks əv maʊnt, sɛd. meɪks sɛns ðət ðeɪ wʊd juz ðɛr ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ ˈtənəl ˈnɛtˌwərk əˈtæʧt tɪ ðə nɔrθ ˈpɔrtəl ˈɛntrəns, bɪˈkəz ðɪs lidz tɪ wɛr ðə ˈoʊvərˈbərdən ɪz ðə greatest,”*,” sɛd. ðeɪ juzd ə ˈtənəl wɪθ lɛs ˈoʊvərˈbərdən, ðeɪ maɪt hæv bloʊn ðə tɔp ɔf ðə mountain.”*.” ðə groʊɪŋ θrɛt frəm ðə nɔrθ həz lɛd tɪ mɔr saʊθ ˌkɔˈriənz ˈkɔlɪŋ fər ðɛr oʊn ˈnukliər ˈwɛpənz. ə ˈgæləp ˌkɔˈriə poʊl kənˈdəktəd ˈæftər ðə sɛpt. 3 tɛst faʊnd ðət 60 pərˈsɛnt əv rɪˈspɑndənts səˈpɔrtɪd ˈnukliər ˈwɛpənz fər ðə saʊθ. bət ɪn ən ˈɪntərvˌju wɪθ ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn ɔn ˈθərzˌdeɪ, saʊθ ˌkɔˈriən ˈprɛzɪdənt mun ruld aʊt ðə aɪˈdiə: rɪˈspɑnd tɪ nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə baɪ ˈhævɪŋ ɑr oʊn ˈnukliər ˈwɛpənz wɪl nɑt meɪnˈteɪn pis ɔn ðə ˌkɔˈriən pəˈnɪnsələ ənd kʊd lɛd tɪ ə ˈnukliər ɑrmz reɪs ɪn ˌnɔrˈθist asia.”*.” ɪn rɪˈspɑns tɪ ðə sɛpt. 3 ˈnukliər tɛst, ðə juˈnaɪtɪd ˈneɪʃənz ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ juˈnænəməsli əˈgrid ɔn ɪts ˈtəfəst ˈsæŋkʃənz əˈgɛnst nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə tɪ deɪt, ˈsɛtɪŋ ˈlɪmɪts ɔn ɪts ɔɪl ˌɪmˈpɔrts ənd ˈbænɪŋ ɪts ˈtɛkˌstaɪl ˈɛkspɔrts. nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə kənˈdɛmd ðə ˈsæŋkʃənz ənd wɔrnd ðət ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts wʊd ðə ˈgreɪtəst pain”*” ɪt həz ˈɛvər ɪkˈspɪriənst fər ˈlidɪŋ ðə ˈɛfərt tɪ ˈræʧət əp ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈprɛʃərz ɔn ðə rɪˈklusɪv ˈneɪʃən. ɔn ˈθərzˌdeɪ, nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə ˈɪʃud əˈnəðər θrɛt, ðɪs taɪm ˈtɑrgətɪŋ boʊθ ʤəˈpæn ənd ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts. ɪn ə ˈsteɪtmənt ˈɪʃud baɪ nɔrθ əˈfɪʃəl nuz ˈeɪʤənsi, ˈpjɔŋˈjæŋ sɛd ɪt wʊd juz ˈnukliər ˈwɛpənz tɪ ““sink”*” ʤəˈpæn ənd ðə juz. ˈmeɪnˌlænd tɪ ˈæʃɪz ənd darkness.”*.” rɛd mɔr: ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə: hæd ɔˈrɛdi ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ kɪl ɑrˈsɛlvz ˈrəðər ðən bi sɛnt back’*’ waɪ ˈsæŋkʃənz ɔn nɔrθ ˌkɔˈriə wərkt? mɔr ðən ˈɛvər, saʊθ ˌkɔˈriənz wɔnt ðɛr oʊn ˈnukliər ˈwɛpənz

seoul — new radar satellite images show the sept. 3 nuclear test by north korea was powerful enough to sink a roughly 85-acre area on the peak of a mountain above the tunnels where the test likely took place. north korea carries out its nuclear tests in a complex of tunnels at its punggye-ri site, and images of the mountains, in this case mount mantap, above it can give experts a sense of where the device was tested exactly and how powerful it was. [north korea nuclear test may have been twice as strong as first thought] the new synthetic aperture radar satellite images, captured before and after sept. 3, showed “significant changes at mount mantap’s peak elevation," wrote jeffrey lewis, head of the east asia program at the james martin center for nonproliferation studies in california. "before the test, mount mantap was 2,205 meters high; the mountain has since diminished in height,” he added. “you can see that the explosion visibly displaces the mountain, which demonstrates both how large the explosion was but also that it occurred in the same tunnel complex as the preceding four nuclear tests,” lewis wrote on the arms control wonk website. “this is useful because the relationship between the size of the explosion and the magnitude of the seismic signals is sensitive to the overburden — how much rock is above the explosion.” the images were taken by airbus, a space technology company that makes earth observation satellites, using its terrasar-x satellite, and were provided to experts at the center. you can see the change in this animated image that lewis posted on twitter: our friends at @airbusdefence shared radar images of north korea's nuclear test site showing post-test subsidence.https://t.co/dtwbqy2jun pic.twitter.com/jii5nnjzks — jeffrey lewis (@armscontrolwonk) september 13, 2017 the device, which north korea described as a hydrogen bomb capable of being placed on a ballistic missile, was the most powerful it has tested to date. original estimates had put its yield in the 100-kiloton range, but updated seismic data analyzed by experts this week put it closer to a whopping 250 kilotons, or nearly 17 times more powerful than the bomb that flattened hiroshima. the new images are “additional proof that the september 2017 explosion was much larger than ever before at this site,” said melissa hanham, senior research associate at the ­center for nonproliferation studies. in comparison, radar images of last year’s nuclear test did not show a noticeable change in the surface area of the same mountain, she said. [what is north korea trying to hit?] the sunken area corresponds with some of the highest peaks of mount mantap, hanham said. “it makes sense that they would use their existing tunnel network attached to the north portal entrance, because this leads to where the overburden is the greatest,” hanham said. “if they used a tunnel with less overburden, they might have blown the top off the mountain.” the growing threat from the north has led to more south koreans calling for their own nuclear weapons. a gallup korea poll conducted after the sept. 3 test found that 60 percent of respondents supported nuclear weapons for the south. but in an interview with cnn on thursday, south korean president moon jae-in ruled out the idea: “to respond to north korea by having our own nuclear weapons will not maintain peace on the korean peninsula and could lead to a nuclear arms race in northeast asia.” in response to the sept. 3 nuclear test, the united nations on monday unanimously agreed on its toughest sanctions against north korea to date, setting limits on its oil imports and banning its textile exports. north korea condemned the sanctions and warned that the united states would “suffer the greatest pain” it has ever experienced for leading the effort to ratchet up economic pressures on the reclusive nation. on thursday, north korea issued another threat, this time targeting both japan and the united states. in a statement issued by north korea’s official news agency, pyongyang said it would use nuclear weapons to “sink” japan and “reduce the u.s. mainland to ashes and darkness.” read more: escaping north korea: ‘we had already decided to kill ourselves rather than be sent back’ why haven’t sanctions on north korea worked? more than ever, south koreans want their own nuclear weapons

ðɪs wɪl bi beɪst ɔn ðə ˈprɑˌsɛsər rɪˈspɑnsɪv ˈriˌteɪl ˈplætˌfɔrm wɪʧ meɪks ðə moʊst əv ən staɪl ˈsɛnsər noʊd wɪθ imagers*, ˈwaɪrlɪs kənɛkˈtɪvɪti əˈlɔŋ wɪθ nu ˈsɔfˌwɛr ənd apis*. ˈsiˌiˈoʊ braɪən toʊld ðə bɪg ʃoʊ ɪn ðə ˈjuˈɛs ðɪs wik ðət ðə fərm plænz tɪ ˌɪnˈvɛst mɔr ðən ˈoʊvər ðə nɛkst faɪv jɪrz ɪn ðə ˈriˌteɪl ˈɪndəstri. ɛz wɛl ɛz ðə ˈjuzər ˈæˌspɛkts, ˌɪnˈtɛl ˈɔlsoʊ bɪˈlivz ɪt həz ˌɪnvənˈtɔri ˈmænɪʤmənt ˈsɪstəm ˌkeɪpəˈbɪlətiz tɪ ˈɔfər. ˈɛkoʊ slot="dfp-ew-inread2-mobile*" ˈɛkoʊ slot="dfp-ew-inread2-mobile*" ˌɪnˈtɛl ˈɔlsoʊ ˈdɛmənˌstreɪtɪd robotics’*’ ˈtæli (ˈpɪkʧərd əˈbəv), ə ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ɔˈtɑnəməs ʃɛlf ˈɑdətɪŋ ənd ˌænəˈlɪtɪks səˈluʃən fər ˈriˌteɪl. ɪt wərks ɪn ˈkɑnsərt wɪθ ˈriˌteɪl əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪts baɪ ˈɑrmɪŋ ðɛm wɪθ ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən tɪ ɪnˈʃʊr ðə ˈprɑdəkts ər ˈɔlˌweɪz stɑkt ənd dɪˈspleɪɪŋ ðə kərˈɛkt praɪs tæg. ðə ˈroʊˌbət, wɪθ ə kɔr ˈprɑˌsɛsər ənd ˈkæmərəz ˈɑpərˌeɪts ˈseɪfli ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈnɔrməl stɔr aʊərz əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd ˈʃɑpərz ənd ɪmˈplɔɪiz, ənd ˌrikˈwaɪər ˈɛni ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər ˈʧeɪnʤɪz tɪ ðə stɔr.

this will be based on the processor firm’s responsive retail platform which makes the most of an iot style sensor node with imagers, wireless connectivity along with new software and apis. ceo brian krzanich told the retail’s big show in the us this week that the firm plans to invest more than $100m over the next five years in the retail industry. as well as the user aspects, intel also believes it has inventory management system capabilities to offer. echo do_shortcode('[inread_parallax slot="dfp-ew-inread2-mobile" width="300"]'); ? echo do_shortcode('[inread_parallax slot="dfp-ew-inread2-mobile" width="300"]'); ? intel also demonstrated simbe robotics’ tally (pictured above), a robotic autonomous shelf auditing and analytics solution for retail. it works in concert with retail associates by arming them with information to ensure the store’s products are always stocked and displaying the correct price tag. the robot, with a core i7 processor and cameras operates safely during normal store hours alongside shoppers and employees, and doesn’t require any infrastructure changes to the store.

wət ɪz? fər ˈoʊpən sɔrs lum) ɪz ə ˈprɑʤɛkt eɪmd æt kriˈeɪtɪŋ ən ˈoʊpən sɔrs ˌɪˌlɛktroʊməˈkænɪkəl flɔr lum ðət wɪl bi kəmˈpjutər kənˈtroʊld. ə lum ɪz ə dɪˈvaɪs juzd tɪ wiv ˈfæbrɪk. wɪl bi ə staɪl lum. ənˈlaɪk trəˈdɪʃənəl flɔr lumz, lumz əˈlaʊ fər ðə ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl kənˈtroʊl əv iʧ θrɛd wɪʧ ɪn tərn əˈlaʊz fər ˌfoʊtəˈgræfɪk ˈɪmɪʤri tɪ bi ˈwoʊvən. lumz laɪk ðɪs ɪgˈzɪst kəˈmərʃəli bət ðeɪ ər ˈvɛri ɪkˈspɛnsɪv (ˈəpwərdz əv wɪʧ pʊts ðɛm aʊt əv riʧ fər ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz ənd smɔl ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃənəl fəˈsɪlɪtiz. ðə kʊd bi prəˈdust weɪ mɔr ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪkli ðən ðət ənd ˈtruli ˌrɛvəˈluʃəˌnaɪz wət ðə ˈstudiˌoʊ ˈwivər kʊd əˈkɑmplɪʃ. ðə aɪˈdiə əv ə ˈoʊpən sɔrs lum ɪz wən ðət nɑt ˈoʊnli ˈɑrtɪsts kʊd ˈbɛnəfɪt frəm bət ˈmɛni ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz ənd ˈlərnɪŋ ˈsɛnərz kʊd geɪn ə ˈrisɔrs baɪ ˈbɪldɪŋ wən əv ðiz lumz ɛz wɛl. wʊd hæv ən ˌɪmˈpækt ɔn (bət nɑt ˈlɪmɪtɪd tɪ) ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ communities/sectors*: ˈɑrtɪsts ˈstudiˌoʊ ˈwivərz ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃənəl ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənz (lɑrʤ ənd smɔl) ˈtɛkˌstaɪl dɪˈzaɪnərz dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈkəntriz aɪ bɪˈliv ðət ɪn ˈɔrdər fər ə lum səʧ ɛz tɪ hæv ðə ˈgreɪtəst əˈmaʊnt əv ˌɪmˈpækt ɪt wʊd nid tɪ ˈɔpərˌeɪt ɔn ən ˈoʊpən sɔrs ˈplætˌfɔrm. ˈðɛrˌfɔr ðə ˈsɔfˌwɛr tɪ ˈɔpərˌeɪt ðə lum wɪl bi (ˈʤɛnərəl ˈpəblɪk ˈlaɪsənst) ənd ðə ˈhɑrdˌwɛr wɪl bi oʊl (ˈoʊpən ˈhɑrdˌwɛr ˈlaɪsənst). ðɪs wʊd əˈlaʊ ˈəðər ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz ər grups tɪ kriˈeɪt ðɪs lum ər tɪ ˈfərðər dɪˈvɛləp ðɪs lum ɪn ðə fɔrm əv ə dərˈɪvɪtɪv lum. wɪl bi ðə meɪn riˈpɑzəˌtɔri fər ðə. wəns ˈrisərʧ dɪˈvɛləpmənt kriˈeɪts ðə fərst ˈproʊtoʊˌtaɪp ðə lum plænz ˌdɑkjəmɛnˈteɪʃən (ˈhɑrdˌwɛr ˈsɔfˌwɛr) wʊd ɔl bi pleɪst ˈɔnˌlaɪn ɔn ə ˈwɪˌki fər ˈizi ˈækˌsɛs. ðə ˈwɛbˌsaɪt wɪl bɪˈkəm ə həb fər ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt bət ˈɔlsoʊ fər ˈəðər taɪps əv lumz ðət ˈɛniˌwən kən bɪld. pəˈtɛnʃəli ðə ˈwɛbˌsaɪt kʊd ˈɔlsoʊ ˈɔfər əˈsɛmbəld lumz ɛz wɛl ɛz kɪts fər ˈpərsənz nɑt ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪd ɪn ˈɔrdərɪŋ ɔl ðə pɑrts ˌɪndɪˈvɪʤəli. ɪn əˈdɪʃən, ə ˈgugəl koʊd peɪʤ wɪl bi ˈstɑrtɪd fər ðə ˈsɔfˌwɛr dɪˈvɛləpmənt. waɪ wi nid tɪ ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt? ˌɪˈnɪʃəl ˈrisərʧ həz bɪn kəmˈplitɪd ənd ɪts taɪm tɪ æd ðə di ˈɪntu. wi nid tɪ pʊt ɑr ˈθɪriz ˈɪntu ˈpræktɪs ənd gɪt ə ˈfəŋkʃənəl ˈproʊtoʊˌtaɪp ˈrɛdi. ə tim ɪz ɪn pleɪs: ən ˌɪˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪks ˈɛkspərt, ə ˈsɔfˌwɛr dɪˈvɛləpər, ə wɛb ˈguˌru, ə məˈkænɪkəl ˈɛnʤəˈnɪr ənd ə ˈkəpəl əv ˈɪntərnz ʤɪst ˈweɪtɪŋ ɔn ə "goʊ" kɔl wəns ˈprɑpər ˈfəndɪŋ ɪz ˈæləˌkeɪtɪd. ðət ɪz wɛr ju kən ʤɔɪn ɪn ənd hɛlp! haʊ ju kən hɛlp! wi əˈpriʃiˌeɪt ɔl əv jʊr hɛlp ənd səˈpɔrt. ðɛr ər θri weɪz ju kən hɛlp tərn ˈɪntu ə səkˈsɛs, ˈɛni hɛlp ɪz ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt fər ˈjuˈɛs: plɛʤ. əv ə nu tɛkˈnɑləʤi ˈizi. ˌɪnˈvɛstɪd ɑr oʊn ˈməni ˈɪntu ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt, bət jʊr ˈplɛʤɪz kʊd hɛlp ˈjuˈɛs tərn ðə frəm ˈkɑnsɛpt tɪ ə ˈfʊli ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənəl lum! ðə bɛst θɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˈplɛʤɪŋ ɪn ˈjuˈɛs ɪz ðət ju ˈæˌkʧuəli gɪt ˈsəmθɪŋ əv ril ˈvælju ɪn rɪˈtərn. fər spɪˈsɪfɪk ˈditeɪlz si ðə saɪd bɑr æt ðə raɪt. ðɛr ər səm ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ juˈnik ˈaɪtəmz əp fər græbz. pliz fil fri tɪ ˈkɑnˌtækt mi wɪθ ˈɛni kˈwɛsʧənz ju meɪ hæv ɔn ðə plɛʤ rɪˈwɔrdz. ɔl ˈplɛʤɪz wɪl rɪˈsiv ə kənˈtrɪbjətər ˈlɪstɪŋ ɔn (kən rɪˈmeɪn əˈnɑnəməs ɪf dɪˈzaɪərd). ʤɔɪn. ʤɔɪn ˈjuˈɛs ɔn ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ənd ˈfɑloʊ ˈjuˈɛs ɔn tˈwɪtər. wi wʊd ləv tɪ hir frəm ju soʊ ɪf ju stɑp baɪ pliz tɛl ˈjuˈɛs jʊr θɔts! sprɛd ðə wərd. hæv ə blɔg? ər noʊ ə frɛnd hu maɪt faɪnd ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ? sprɛd ðə wərd, ənd lɛt ˈjuˈɛs noʊ ɪf ju nid mɔr ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən! wi ˈoʊnli kəˈlɛkt ðə ˈfəndɪŋ ɪf wi gɪt ˈplɛʤɪz fər ðə fʊl əˈmaʊnt əv ɪf wi fɔl ʃɔrt əv ðə ˈnəθɪŋ wɪl ˈhæpən fər ˈiðər əv ˈjuˈɛs, soʊ pliz hɛlp sprɛd ðə wərd! haʊ dɪz ðə ˈfəndɪŋ hɛlp? jʊr ˈplɛʤɪz dɪˈrɛkli səˈpɔrt ðə ˈrisərʧ ənd dɪˈvɛləpmənt əv ðə, ðə ˈpərʧəs əv ɪkˈwɪpmənt səʧ ɛz tulz, ˌɪˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪks, məˈtɪriəlz, ˈækʧuˌeɪtərz, ɪt wʊd ˈkəvər ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ kɔsts, ənd ˈsɔfˌwɛr dɪˈvɛləpmənt ɛz wɛl ɛz ðə kɔsts əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd wɪθ ˈbrɪŋɪŋ ˈɔnˌlaɪn. ˈɛni əˈdɪʃənəl ˈfəndɪŋ wʊd goʊ tɪ æd ˈəðər əˈtrɪˌbjuts tɪ ðə lum səʧ ɛz ə flaɪɪŋ ˈʃətəl ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəm. θæŋk ju fər ˈvɪzɪtɪŋ peɪʤ aɪ hoʊp ju ər ɛz ɪkˈsaɪtɪd əˈbaʊt ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt ɛz aɪ ənd ðə rɛst əv ðə dɪˈvɛləpmənt tim ər. aɪ wʊd laɪk tɪ θæŋk ju ˈɛvər soʊ məʧ fər ˈteɪkɪŋ ðə taɪm tɪ lərn mɔr əˈbaʊt ənd lʊk ˈfɔrwərd tɪ ˈhirɪŋ frəm ju. ɑr ˈdɛˌdlaɪn fər ˈfəndɪŋ ɪz meɪ 1st*!!! sprɛd ðə wərd əˈbaʊt ənd hɛlp meɪk ɪt ə ˌriˈæləˌti! təˈgɛðər wi kən! ~ˌmɑrgərˈitə ðə tim ɪn ðə ˈminˌtaɪm: ˈvɪzɪt ˈjuˈɛs: ʤɔɪn ˈjuˈɛs: ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ˈfɑloʊ ˈjuˈɛs: tˈwɪtər iˈmeɪl ˈjuˈɛs: ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈəpˌdeɪts səʧ ɛz rɪˈwɔrd ər ˈfɔrθˈkəmɪŋ ****fər ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˈʃɪpmənts pliz ˈkɑnˌtækt mi fər əˈdɪʃənəl əˈmaʊnt ˈnidɪd fər ə spɪˈsɪfɪk ˈaɪtəm du tɪ ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˈʃɪpɪŋ

what is osloom? osloom(short for open source loom) is a project aimed at creating an open source electromechanical thread-controlled floor loom that will be computer controlled. a loom is a device used to weave fabric. osloom will be a jacquard style loom. unlike traditional floor looms, jacquard looms allow for the individual control of each thread which in turn allows for photographic imagery to be woven. jacquard looms like this exist commercially but they are very expensive (upwards of $30,000) which puts them out of reach for individuals and small educational facilities. the osloom could be produced way more economically than that and truly revolutionize what the studio weaver could accomplish. the idea of a diy open source loom is one that not only artists could benefit from but many individuals and learning centers could gain a resource by building one of these looms as well. osloom would have an impact on (but not limited to) the following communities/sectors: ● artists ● diy/makers ● studio weavers ● educational ● institutions (large and small) ● textile designers ● developing countries i believe that in order for a loom such as osloom to have the greatest amount of impact it would need to operate on an open source platform. therefore the software to operate the loom will be gpl (general public licensed) and the hardware will be ohl (open hardware licensed). this would allow other individuals or groups to create this loom or to further develop this loom in the form of a derivative loom. osloom.org osloom.org will be the main repository for the osloom. once research & development creates the first bug-free prototype osloom the loom plans + documentation (hardware + software) would all be placed online on a wiki for easy access. the website will become a hub for the osloom project but also for other types of diy/os looms that anyone can build. potentially the website could also offer assembled looms as well as all-in-one kits for persons not interested in ordering all the parts individually. in addition, a google code page will be started for the software development. why we need to kickstart this project? initial research has been completed and it's time to add the d into r&d. we need to put our theories into practice and get a functional prototype ready. a team is in place: an electronics expert, a software developer, a web guru, a mechanical engineer and a couple of interns just waiting on a "go" call once proper funding is allocated. that is where you can join in and help! how you can help! we appreciate all of your help and support. there are three ways you can help turn osloom's kickstart into a success, any help is important for us: ● pledge. r&d of a new technology easy. invested our own money into this project, but your pledges could help us turn the osloom from concept to a fully operational loom! the best thing about pledging in us is that you actually get something of real value in return. for specific details see the side bar at the right. there are some interesting unique items up for grabs. please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have on the pledge rewards. all pledges will receive a contributor listing on osloom.org (can remain anonymous if desired). ● join. join us on facebook and follow us on twitter. we would love to hear from you so if you stop by please tell us your thoughts! ● spread the word. have a blog? or know a friend who might find osloom interesting? spread the word, and let us know if you need more information! we only collect the funding if we get pledges for the full amount of $10,000. if we fall short of the $10,000, nothing will happen for either of us, so please help spread the word! how does the funding help? your pledges directly support the research and development of the osloom, the purchase of equipment such as tools, electronics, materials, actuators, it would cover engineering costs, and software development as well as the costs associated with bringing osloom.org online. any additional funding would go to add other attributes to the loom such as a flying shuttle mechanism. thank you for visiting osloom's kickstarter page i hope you are as excited about this project as i and the rest of the development team are. i would like to thank you ever so much for taking the time to learn more about osloom and look forward to hearing from you. our deadline for funding is may 1st!!! spread the word about osloom and help make it a reality! together we can kickstart osloom! ~margarita + the osloom team in the meantime: visit us: www.osloom.org join us: facebook follow us: twitter email us: osloom.org@gmail.com project updates such as reward pics are forthcoming ****for international shipments please contact me for additional amount needed for a specific item due to international shipping costs****

soʊ ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ, ʤɑn ˈɑlɪvər sɔrt əv broʊk ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt. ɪn ðə klɪp əp ðɛr frəm ˈmɪstər. nu ˈeɪʧbiˈoʊ ʃoʊ læst wik təˈnaɪt, ðə hoʊst dɪˈskəsɪz ðə ˈfɛdərəl kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃən prəˈtɛktɪŋ ənd prəˈmoʊtɪŋ ðə ˈoʊpən ˈɪntərˌnɛt prəˈpoʊzəl, wɪʧ wʊd kriˈeɪt ə internet”*” wɛr ˈmeɪʤər ˈkəmpəˌniz kʊd peɪ fər ˈfæstər ˈɪntərˌnɛt, ˈsimɪŋli ˈɛndɪŋ neutrality.”*.” bɪˈkəz fər səm ˈrizən ðeɪ θɔt ðɪs wɑz ə gʊd aɪˈdiə, ðə hæd ə ˈoʊpən ˈkɑmɛntɪŋ ˈpɪriəd ɔn ɪts ˈwɛbˌsaɪt fər ˈpipəl tɪ dɪˈskəs ðə prəˈpoʊzəl. ˈmɪstər. ˈɑlɪvər ərʤd ðoʊz hu roʊm ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt ˈjuʒəwəli ˈbɪzi ˈfaɪtɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈjuˌtub ˈkɑmɛnts ˈsɛkʃən tɪ teɪk ædˈvæntɪʤ. nid ju tɪ gɪt aʊt ənd, fər wəns ɪn jʊr lɪvz, ˈfoʊkɪs jʊr ˌɪndɪˈskrɪmənət reɪʤ ɪn ə ˈjusfəl direction,”*,” ˈmɪstər. ˈɑlɪvər sɛd. ə ˈfəni ˈkɑnsɛpt, ˈdɛfənətli. bət ðɛn ðɪs ˈhæpənd ðə deɪ ˈæftər ðə ˌsɛgˈmɛnt. bɪn ɪkˈspɪriənsɪŋ ˈtɛknɪkəl ˈdɪfɪˌkəltiz wɪθ ɑr ˈkɑmɛnt ˈsɪstəm du tɪ ˈhɛvi ˈtræfɪk. ˈwərkɪŋ tɪ riˈzɑlv ðiz ˈɪʃuz kˈwɪkli. ðə (@fcc*) ʤun 2 2014 təˈdeɪ ðə ˈkɑmɛnt ˈsɛkʃən wɑz rɪˈstɔrd, ənd aɪ θɔt tɪ ˌmaɪˈsɛlf, gɑt tɪ bi səm goʊld ɪn there.”*.” aɪ θru ðə ˈkɑmɛnts ðə rɪˈsivd bɪtˈwin ˈmənˌdeɪ ənd ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ ɔl 684 ˈpeɪʤɪz əv ðɛm ənd wət aɪ faʊnd wɑz ˈvɛrid. aɪ wɑz səˈpraɪzd tɪ faɪnd ˈhənərdz əv ˈrizənəbəl, kɑm rɪˈspɑnsɪz ðət ˈdɪfərd frəm ðə ˈæŋgri, ˈreɪsɪst ˈɪntərˌnɛt juzd tɪ. ðɛn ðɛr wɑz, wɛl, ðə ˈæŋgri, ˈreɪsɪst ˈɪntərˌnɛt ðət juzd tɪ. hir ər ðə bɛst, ræŋkt frəm ðə ˈræʃənəl tɪ ðə ˌɪnˈseɪn. 1 ən ˈɑrgjəmənt bækt əp wɪθ ɪgˈzæmpəlz, ənd nɑt wən ˌɛkskləˈmeɪʃən pɔɪnt wɑz juzd. ðɪs ɪz nu. 2 ˈnəmbərd ˈɑrgjəmənts ənd ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ. ˈmeɪbi ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt ɛz ˈkreɪzi ɛz aɪ θɔt. 3 ðeɪ ˈivɪn juz ˈfænsi ˈlæŋgwɪʤ. ˈbrɑvoʊ. 4 ðɪs wən gɪts kaɪnd əv, ˈrɪli wɪrd æt ðə ɛnd, bət ɪt stɑrts ɔf wɛl! stɪl ˈprɪti ˌɪmˈprɛsɪv, ˈɪntərˌnɛt. 5 oʊ, hir wi goʊ. 6 aɪ noʊ wət aɪ wɑz ɪkˈspɛktɪŋ. 7 ˈæˌkʧuəli aɪ wɑz ɪkˈspɛktɪŋ ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈprɪti məʧ ɪgˈzæktli laɪk ðɪs. 8 ðɪs. soʊ, tɪ kənˈklud, ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt ənd ðoʊz ɔn ɪt ər stɪl ˈæŋgri. stɪl ˈreɪsɪst. ənd stɪl ˌɪnˈseɪn. bət ðeɪ ˈæˌkʧuəli, kaɪnd əv, sɔrt əv, meɪd ə ˈdɪfərəns ɪn ˈsəmθɪŋ. ɔl bɪˈkəz əv ə ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ʃoʊ, ənd ə wɪn fər ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ɪz ə wɪn fər ˈɛvriˌwən.

so yesterday, john oliver sort of broke the internet. in the 13-minute clip up there from mr. oliver’s new hbo show last week tonight, the host discusses the federal communication committee’s protecting and promoting the open internet proposal, which would create a “tiered internet” where major companies could pay for faster internet, seemingly ending “net neutrality.” because for some reason they thought this was a good idea, the fcc had a 120-day open commenting period on its website for people to discuss the proposal. mr. oliver urged those who roam the internet — usually busy fighting in the youtube comments section — to take advantage. ““we need you to get out and, for once in your lives, focus your indiscriminate rage in a useful direction,” mr. oliver said. a funny concept, definitely. but then this happened the day after the segment. we’ve been experiencing technical difficulties with our comment system due to heavy traffic. we’re working to resolve these issues quickly. — the fcc (@fcc) june 2, 2014 today the comment section was restored, and i thought to myself, “there’s got to be some gold in there.” i roved through the comments the fcc received between monday and wednesday — all 684 pages of them — and what i found was varied. i was surprised to find hundreds of reasonable, calm responses that differed from the angry, racist internet i’m used to. then there was, well, the angry, racist internet that i’m used to. here are the best, ranked from the rational to the insane. 1) an argument backed up with examples, and not one exclamation point was used. this is new. 2) numbered arguments and everything. maybe the internet isn’t as crazy as i thought. 3) they even use fancy language. bravo. 4) this one gets kind of, really weird at the end, but it starts off well! still pretty impressive, internet. 5) oh, here we go. 6) i don’t know what i was expecting. 7) actually i was expecting something pretty much exactly like this. 8) this. so, to conclude, the internet and those on it are still angry. they’re still racist. and they’re still insane. but they actually, kind of, sort of, made a difference in something. all because of a tv show, and a win for tv is a win for everyone.

ˈbrəsəlz (ˈrɔɪtərz) hɛdz əv steɪt ənd ˈgəvərnmənt wɪl sik weɪz tɪ ˈlɪmət ðə ˌɪmˈpækt əv ˈɛnərʤi kɔsts ɔn ˌjʊrəˈpiən kəmˈpɛtɪtɪvnɪs æt ə ˈsəmɪt ðɪs mənθ, ə dræft ˈdɑkjəmɛnt sin baɪ ˈrɔɪtərz ʃoʊd. ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈɪndəstri sɪz ɪt ɪz ˌdɪsədˈvænɪʤd bɪˈkəz əv ðə praɪs ɪt peɪz fər ˈɛnərʤi kəmˈpɛrd wɪθ ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts, wɛr ðə ʃeɪl gæs ˌrɛvəˈluʃən həz ˈdræstɪkli loʊərd kɔsts. ðə ˈdɑkjəmɛnt əˈhɛd əv ðə meɪ 22 ˈsəmɪt, wɪʧ həz ˈɛnərʤi ənd tækˈseɪʃən ɔn ðə əˈʤɛndə, kɔlz fər ɪgˌzæməˈneɪʃən əv ðə ˌɪmˈpækt əv ˈɛnərʤi ˈpraɪsɪz ənd kɔsts ənd ˈækʃən tɪ ˈlɪmət ðə ˈifɛkts. wən ˈɔpʃən ɪz dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən oʊn ʃeɪl gæs ˈrisɔrsɪz, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ðɪs ɪz nɑt ˈmɛnʃənd dɪˈrɛkli. ˌɪnˈstɛd, ðə dræft rɪˈfərz tɪ seɪf ənd səˈsteɪnəbəl dɪˈvɛləpmənt əv ˈsɔrsəz əv energy”*”. ˈvɛri ˈdɪfərənt ʤiˈɑgrəfi ənd lænd ˈoʊnərˌʃɪp wʊd meɪk ɪt hɑrd fər ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈjunjən tɪ ˈraɪvəl ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts ɪn ʃeɪl gæs, bət ðə ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv ˌjʊrəˈpiən kəˈmɪʃən ɪz ˈwərkɪŋ ɔn ə ˈfreɪmˌwərk tɪ gaɪd ˈprɔˌspɛktərz. ðə ˈlidərz ər ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ ərʤ ðə kəˈmɪʃən tɪ ˈænəˌlaɪz ˈɛnərʤi ˈpraɪsɪz ənd kɔsts ɪn ˈmɛmbər steɪts ə ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ðə competitiveness”*” əˈgɛnst ˈgloʊbəl ˈraɪvəlz. ðə dræft ˈɔlsoʊ pɔɪnts tɪ ˈmæsɪv ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt kɔsts ɪn ˈbustɪŋ paʊər ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən ənd ˈnɛtˌwərks ɛz ˈlaɪkli tɪ draɪv əp ˈɛnərʤi ˈpraɪsɪz. ˈɑrgjəmənts ˈoʊvər ˈɛnərʤi kɔsts hæv ˈfiʧərd ˈprɑmənəntli ɪn pəˈlɪtɪkəl dəˈbeɪt əˈhɛd əv ˈʤərmən ɪˈlɛkʃənz ənd pleɪd ə pɑrt ɪn ˈblɑkɪŋ ə kəˈmɪʃən prəˈpoʊzəl tɪ bust ˈkɑrbən ˈpraɪsɪz ɔn ðə ˈmɑrkɪt. ðə ɪˈmɪʃənz ˈtreɪdɪŋ skim (ets*), wɛr ˈkɑrbən ˈpraɪsɪz hæv səŋk tɪ ˈrɛkərd loʊz, ɪz nɑt ɔn ðə dræft əˈʤɛndə, bət ɪt kʊd bi dəˈbeɪtɪd ɔn ðə ˈsaɪˌdlaɪnz əv ðə ˈsəmɪt, ˈsɔrsəz hæv sɛd. ˈɛfərts tɪ rɪˈpɛr ðət ˈmɑrkɪt ər ˈɔlsoʊ ə ˈfoʊkɪs əv əˈtɛnʃən fər ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈpɑrləmɛnt. ˈəðər ˈaɪtəmz ɔn ðə ˈsəmɪt əˈʤɛndə ˌɪnˈklud kəmˈpliʃən əv ðə ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˈɛnərʤi ˈmɑrkɪt, wɪʧ ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈjunjən hæd hoʊpt wʊd ˈhɑrməˌnaɪz paʊər ənd gæs səˈplaɪz əˈkrɔs ðə ˈjunjən baɪ 2014 ðət ˈdɛˌdlaɪn ɪz ˈlaɪkli tɪ bi mɪst. ˈlidərz ˈɔlsoʊ ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ səˈpɔrt lɔz ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd tɪ breɪk əp ˈɛnərʤi məˈnɑpəliz baɪ əˈpɑrt ˈoʊnərˌʃɪp əv səˈplaɪz ənd ðə ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər juzd fər ðɛr dɪˈlɪvəri. ðə rulz eɪm tɪ ɪnˈʃʊr ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən əv səˈplaɪz ɛz kəmˈpɛtɪtɪvli ənd ɪˈfɪʃəntli ɛz ˈpɑsəbəl tɪ loʊər kɔsts, bət ðeɪ hæv ˌɪnfˈjʊriˌeɪtɪd ðə ˈlidɪŋ gæs səˈplaɪər ˈrəʃə.

brussels (reuters) - eu heads of state and government will seek ways to limit the impact of energy costs on european competitiveness at a summit this month, a draft document seen by reuters showed. european industry says it is disadvantaged because of the price it pays for energy compared with the united states, where the shale gas revolution has drastically lowered costs. the document ahead of the may 22 eu summit, which has energy and taxation on the agenda, calls for examination of the impact of energy prices and costs and action to limit the effects. one option is developing the european union’s own shale gas resources, although this is not mentioned directly. instead, the draft refers to safe and sustainable development of “indigenous sources of energy”. europe’s very different geography and land ownership would make it hard for the european union to rival the united states in shale gas, but the executive european commission is working on a framework to guide prospectors. the leaders are expected to urge the commission to analyze energy prices and costs in member states “with a particular focus on the eu’s competitiveness” against global rivals. the draft also points to massive investment costs in boosting power generation and networks as likely to drive up energy prices. arguments over energy costs have featured prominently in political debate ahead of german elections and played a part in blocking a commission proposal to boost carbon prices on the eu market. the emissions trading scheme (ets), where carbon prices have sunk to record lows, is not on the draft agenda, but it could be debated on the sidelines of the summit, eu sources have said. efforts to repair that market are also a focus of attention for the european parliament. other items on the summit agenda include completion of the internal energy market, which the european union had hoped would harmonize power and gas supplies across the 27-member union by 2014. that deadline is likely to be missed. eu leaders also expected to support laws intended to break up energy monopolies by prising apart ownership of supplies and the infrastructure used for their delivery. the rules aim to ensure distribution of supplies as competitively and efficiently as possible to lower costs, but they have infuriated the bloc’s leading gas supplier russia.

ˈpeɪʃənz wɪθ ˈmɛntəl ˈɪlnəs æt ðə hɛlθ ˈsaɪənsɪz ˈsɛntər ɪn ˈwɪnɪpəg wɪl fil ðə ˈleɪtəst raʊnd əv kəts ɛz ðə ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpi ˈproʊˌgræm wɪʧ prəˈvaɪdz laɪf skɪlz ənd ˈlɛʒər ɪz ˈdaʊnˌsaɪzd. ðɛr ər tu ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpɪsts ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ ðə ˈpeɪʃənz ɪn faɪv ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ ˈjunɪts æt ðə hɛlθ ˈsaɪənsɪz ˈsɛntər. læst wik, ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ˈmænɪʤmənt toʊld ðɛm boʊθ əv ðɛr pəˈzɪʃənz wʊd ɛnd ɪn noʊˈvɛmbər. "aɪ stɪl hæv ˈpæʃən bət aɪ ʤɪst doʊnt hæv ˈpeɪʃənz," sɛd ˈɛrɪn flɪn, ə ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃənəl ˈθɛrəpɪst wɪθ ðə hɛlθ ˈsaɪənsɪz ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ ˈsərvɪsɪz. "ˈɑnəstli, aɪ wɑz ʃɑkt ðət wi wər kət, əˈspɛʃəli ɪn ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ. ə lɔt əv tɔk raɪt naʊ ɪz ðə ˌɪmˈpɔrtəns əv prəˈvaɪdɪŋ gʊd ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ kɛr fər ˈpeɪʃənz əˈkrɔs ˈkænədə," ʃi sɛd. ˈɛrɪn flɪn, ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpɪst wɪθ ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ ˈsərvɪsɪz æt ðə hɛlθ ˈsaɪənsɪz ˈsɛntər, faʊnd aʊt læst wik hər pəˈzɪʃən wɪl bi ɪˈlɪməˌneɪtɪd ɪn noʊˈvɛmbər. (ˈsiˌbiˈsi) ðə kəts ər pɑrt əv ðə ˈwɪnɪpəg ˈriʤənəl hɛlθ əˈθɔrɪtiz plæn tɪ seɪv 83 ˈmɪljən ðɪs ˈbəʤɪt jɪr. dɪˈspaɪt ðə kɔst ˈkətɪŋ, flɪn θɔt ʃi wʊd bi seɪf, ˈgɪvɪn hər laɪn əv wərk. "noʊɪŋ ðət wɪr ɪn ə ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ ˈkraɪsəs ɪn ˈkænədə, ɪt səˈpraɪzd mi ðət wi wʊd si dɪˈliʃənz ənd kəts wɪˈθɪn ðoʊz ˈsərvɪsɪz." ˈmɛni əv ðə ˈpeɪʃənz flɪn wərks wɪθ hæv ə ˈkrɑnɪk ˈmɛntəl ˈɪlnəs ðət səˈvɪrli ˌɪmˈpækts ðɛr əˈbɪləˌti tɪ lɪv, wərk ənd hæv ˈpɑzətɪv riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪps, ʃi sɛd. ʃi siz ˈɛniˌwɛr frəm sɪks tɪ 20 ˈpeɪʃənz ə deɪ. hər ˈproʊˌgræm ˌɪnˈkludz grup ˈθɛrəpi, ækˈtɪvɪtiz ɪn ðə kəmˈjunɪti, ˌwənɔnˈwən ˈvɪzɪts, ˈɛksərˌsaɪz ənd ðə əv ˌvɑlənˈtɪr grups ðət hoʊst ækˈtɪvɪtiz səʧ ɛz ˈkʊkɪŋ ˈklæsɪz. ˈrisəntli, flɪn ənd ðə ˈəðər ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpɪst dɪˈstrɪbjətəd ˈaɪˌpɔdz wɪθ mˈjuzɪk ˈsutɪd tɪ ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl ˈpeɪʃənz' teɪsts. "ɪt hɛlps ðɛm tɪ rɪˈdus æŋˈzaɪəti, dɪˈprɛʃən, ˌæʤəˈteɪʃən waɪl ðɛr ɔn ðə ˈjunɪt; ɪt prəˈvaɪdz ðɛm wɪθ ə ˈglɪmər əv hoʊp ənd ˈsəmθɪŋ tɪ lʊk ˈfɔrwərd tɪ ɪn ðɛr deɪ wɪn ðɛr ˈrɪli ˈdilɪŋ wɪθ sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt ˈɪlnəs ənd nɑt noʊɪŋ wət ðɛr laɪf hoʊldz," ʃi sɛd. ðə ˈθɛrəpi ðə ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpɪsts prəˈvaɪd ɪz ən ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt pɑrt əv ˈpeɪʃənz' ˈtritmənt ənd rɪˈkəvəri, flɪn sɛd. wɪn ˈpeɪʃənz ər ɪn ˈhɑˌspɪtəl, ə ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpɪst kən teɪk ðɛm aʊt ɔn deɪ ˈpæsɪz ənd kəˈnɛkt ðɛm wɪθ səˈpɔrts ər hɛlp ðɛm ˈoʊvərˌkəm ˈpænɪk əˈtæks soʊ ðeɪ kən du θɪŋz laɪk raɪd ðə bəs. ðə rɛk ˈθɛrəpɪst ɪz ˌɪnstrəˈmɛnəl ɪn ˈhɛlpɪŋ ˈpeɪʃənz hu ˈɔfən fil ˈaɪsəˌleɪtɪd rɪˈgeɪn ˈkɑnfədɛns, ənd ə ˈfilɪŋ əv bɪˈlɔŋɪŋ ɪn soʊˈsaɪɪti, ʃi sɛd. "wɪˈθaʊt ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpi ɪn ðə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl, ɔl əv ðoʊz ˈvæljəbəl kəmˈjunɪti kəˈnɛkʃənz, kəmˈjunɪti ˈrisɔrsɪz, woʊnt ɪgˈzɪst. aɪ kænt si ˈəðər ˈθɛrəpɪsts ənd ˈəðər tim ˈmɛmbərz biɪŋ ˈeɪbəl tɪ pɪk əp ðə ˈpisɪz ðət wi wɪl liv wɪn wi goʊ." 'ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ' fər ˈpeɪʃənz ˈbrɛndən kɔld ðə lɔs əv ðə ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpɪsts æt ðə hɛlθ ˈsaɪənsɪz ˈsɛntər ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ ˈproʊˌgræm "ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ." ðə wɑz ən ˈɪnˌpeɪʃənt ðɛr fər tu mənθs waɪl biɪŋ ˈtritɪd fər saɪˈkoʊsəs ənd ˌskɪtsəˈfriniə. ˈbrɛndən sɪz ˈθɛrəpɪsts hɛlpt ɪm kəˈnɛkt wɪθ ˈəðərz ənd hæv ˈminɪŋfəl ˈstrəkʧər ɪn hɪz rɪˈkəvəri. (ˈsiˌbiˈsi) "aɪ fɛlt ˈdɛzələt ɪn ðə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ənd ɪt wɑz ə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən wɛr aɪ ˈkʊdənt rɪˈleɪt tɪ ˈmɛni ˈpipəl. aɪ faʊnd ðət ɪt wɑz təf ˈfaɪndɪŋ ˈpipəl tɪ spik tɪ ər tɔk tɪ ər rɪˈleɪt tɪ," hi sɛd. waɪl hi wɑz ˈweɪtɪŋ tɪ bi sin baɪ hɛlθ prəˈfɛʃənəlz, ðə ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpɪst ˈvɪzɪtɪd ɪm wɪθ ˈvɪdioʊ geɪmz, kræfts ənd ˈəðər ækˈtɪvɪtiz. "ɪt meɪd ɪt ˈpɑsəbəl fər mi tɪ tɔk tɪ ðiz ˈpipəl, tɪ rɪˈleɪt ənd tɪ ɪkˈsprɛs aɪˈdiəz θru ɑrt ənd kræfts," hi sɛd. hi ˈwəriz əˈbaʊt wət wɪl ˈhæpən tɪ ˈpeɪʃənz wɪθ fjuər ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃənəl ˈθɛrəpɪsts ˈwərkɪŋ æt ðə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl. "aɪ fil ˈɔlˌmoʊst dɪˈspɛr bɪˈkəz wɪˈθaʊt ðət ˈproʊˌgræm, ðɛrz noʊ ˈəðər weɪ fər ˈpipəl tɪ kəmˈjunəˌkeɪt wɪθ iʧ ˈəðər ðən ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən bət ˈpipəl ər soʊ aʊt əv ɪt æt ðə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ðət ɪts hɑrd fər ˈpipəl tɪ rɪˈleɪt," hi sɛd. ə ˈspoʊkspərsən fər ðə sɛd ˌɔlˈðoʊ tu əv ðə θri ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpɪsts wɪˈθɪn ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ ˈsərvɪsɪz æt ðə hæv lɔst ðɛr pəˈzɪʃənz, wən wɪl kənˈtɪnju tɪ sərv ɔl ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ ˈjunɪts ənd ˌsaɪkiˈætrɪk hɛlθ. flɪn sɛd ʃiz kənˈsərnd əˈbaʊt haʊ ðə faɪv flɔrz əv ˈpeɪʃənz wɪl fɛr wɪθ ˈoʊnli wən ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpɪst. ˈnərsɪŋ stæf ɔˈrɛdi tɛl hər ðə ˈpeɪʃənz nid mɔr ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃən ˈθɛrəpi, ʃi sɛd, nɑt lɛs. "aɪ θɪŋk ðə moʊst ˈfrəˌstreɪtɪŋ, ðə moʊst ˌdɪsˈhɑrtnɪŋ kəmˈpoʊnənt əv ɔl ðiz kəts ɪz wi ɛz stæf wɪl muv ɔn ənd wi wɪl faɪnd ˈəðər ʤɑbz. wi wɪl riˈtreɪn. wi hæv ˈrisɔrsɪz, wi hæv e.i*.," ʃi sɛd. "wi liv ɑr ˈpeɪʃənz bɪˈhaɪnd. ðeɪ wɪl stɪl bi ðɛr ənd wi woʊnt, soʊ ðət ˈtəʧɪz ɔn maɪ hɑrt, bɪˈkəz ðə ˈpeɪʃənz ər ðə ˈrizən waɪ aɪ kəm tɪ wərk." ər ju əˈfɛktɪd baɪ ðə ˈʧeɪnʤɪz? ʃɛr jʊr ˈstɔri wɪθ ˈɛrɪn brohman*, ˈsiˌbiˈsi hɛlθ rɪˈpɔrtər, æt erin.brohman@cbc.ca*. ər ju əˈfɛktɪd baɪ ðə ˈʧeɪnʤɪz? ʃɛr jʊr ˈstɔri wɪθ ˈɛrɪn brohman*, ˈsiˌbiˈsi hɛlθ rɪˈpɔrtər, æt erin.brohman@cbc.ca*.

patients with mental illness at the health sciences centre in winnipeg will feel the latest round of health-care cuts as the recreation therapy program — which provides life skills and leisure — is downsized. there are two recreation therapists working with the patients in five mental health units at the health sciences centre. last week, hospital management told them both of their positions would end in november. "i still have passion but i just don't have patients," said erin flynn, a recreational therapist with the health sciences centre's mental health services. "honestly, i was shocked that we were cut, especially in mental health. a lot of talk right now is the importance of providing good mental health care for patients across canada," she said. erin flynn, recreation therapist with mental health services at the health sciences centre, found out last week her position will be eliminated in november. (cbc) the cuts are part of the winnipeg regional health authority's government-mandated plan to save $83 million this budget year. despite the cost cutting, flynn thought she would be safe, given her line of work. "knowing that we're in a mental health crisis in canada, it surprised me that we would see deletions and cuts within those services." many of the patients flynn works with have a chronic mental illness that severely impacts their ability to live, work and have positive relationships, she said. she sees anywhere from six to 20 patients a day. her program includes group therapy, activities in the community, one-on-one visits, exercise and the co-ordination of volunteer groups that host activities such as cooking classes. recently, flynn and the other recreation therapist distributed ipods with music suited to individual patients' tastes. "it helps them to reduce anxiety, depression, agitation while they're on the unit; it provides them with a glimmer of hope and something to look forward to in their day when they're really dealing with significant illness and not knowing what their life holds," she said. the therapy the recreation therapists provide is an important part of patients' treatment and recovery, flynn said. when patients are in hospital, a recreation therapist can take them out on day passes and connect them with supports or help them overcome panic attacks so they can do things like ride the bus. the rec therapist is instrumental in helping patients who often feel isolated regain confidence, self-esteem and a feeling of belonging in society, she said. "without recreation therapy in the hospital, all of those valuable community connections, community resources, won't exist. i can't see other therapists and other team members being able to pick up the pieces that we will leave when we go." 'devastating' for patients brendan kupchik called the loss of the recreation therapists at the health sciences centre mental health program "devastating." the 25-year-old was an inpatient there for two months while being treated for psychosis and schizophrenia. brendan kupchik says therapists helped him connect with others and have meaningful structure in his recovery. (cbc) "i felt desolate in the hospital and it was a situation where i couldn't relate to many people. i found that it was tough finding people to speak to or talk to or relate to," he said. while he was waiting to be seen by health professionals, the recreation therapist visited him with video games, crafts and other activities. "it made it possible for me to talk to these people, to relate and to express ideas through art and crafts," he said. he worries about what will happen to patients with fewer recreational therapists working at the hospital. "i feel almost despair because without that program, there's no other way for people to communicate with each other than conversation but people are so out of it at the hospital that it's hard for people to relate," he said. a spokesperson for the wrha said although two of the three recreation therapists within mental health services at the hsc have lost their positions, one will continue to serve all mental health units and psychiatric health. flynn said she's concerned about how the five floors of patients will fare with only one recreation therapist. nursing staff already tell her the patients need more recreation therapy, she said, not less. "i think the most frustrating, the most disheartening component of all these cuts is we as staff will move on and we will find other jobs. we will retrain. we have resources, we have e.i.," she said. "we leave our patients behind. they will still be there and we won't, so that touches on my heart, because the patients are the reason why i come to work." are you affected by the health-care changes? share your story with erin brohman, cbc manitoba's health reporter, at erin.brohman@cbc.ca. are you affected by the health-care changes? share your story with erin brohman, cbc manitoba's health reporter, at erin.brohman@cbc.ca.

wən mənθ ˈæftər sæn ˌhoʊˈzeɪ steɪt ˌjunəˈvərsəti (sjsu*) səˈspɛndɪd ən ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈlərnɪŋ ˈproʊˌgræm wɪθ bɪˈkəz əv ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪŋ ˈstudənt rɪˈzəlts, ðə ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən ˈstɑrˌtəp rɪˈpɔrts ðət θɪŋz ər ˈstɑrtɪŋ tɪ lʊk əp. ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ, ðə tu ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz ʃɛrd rɪˈzəlts frəm ðɛr ˈsəmər ˈpaɪlət ˈproʊˌgræm ˈɪndəˌkeɪtɪŋ ðət students’*’ pæs reɪts hæd ˌɪmˈpruvd. waɪl ðə pərˈsɛnɪʤ əv ˈstudənts hu rɪˈsivd ə si ər ˈbɛtər ɪn ˈklæsɪz ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə spərɪŋ ˈpaɪlət ˈproʊˌgræm reɪnʤd frəm pərˈsɛnt tɪ pərˈsɛnt, ðə pərˈsɛnɪʤ əv ˈsəmər ˈstudənts wɪθ ˈsɪmələr skɔrz ɪn ðə seɪm ˈklæsɪz reɪnʤd frəm pərˈsɛnt tɪ 83 pərˈsɛnt. fər kəmˈpɛrəsən, ðə pərˈsɛnɪʤ əv ˈstudənts hu rɪˈsivd ə si ər ˈbɛtər ɪn ðə ˈklæsɪz reɪnʤd frəm pərˈsɛnt tɪ pərˈsɛnt. ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ənd, ðɪs ˈmæsɪv ˈoʊpən ˈɔnˌlaɪn kɔrs (mooc*) ˈproʊˌgræm ˈdɪfərd frəm ðə spərɪŋ ˈpaɪlət ɪn ə ˈkəpəl əv ki weɪz ðət ˈlaɪkli əˈfɛktɪd ˈstudənt rɪˈzəlts: ðə ˈproʊˌgræm wɑz mɔr ˈflɛksəbəl wɪθ ˈstudənts hu ˈwɔntɪd tɪ drɔp aʊt, soʊ riˈtɛnʃən drɑpt tɪ 60 pərˈsɛnt frəm 83 pərˈsɛnt; ənd, ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈæktɪvli rɪˈkrutɪŋ haɪ skul ˈstudənts, ɪt ˈoʊpənd əp ɛnˈroʊlmənt tɪ ˈɛniˌwən. (ðə ˈkəmpəˌni sɛd ɪt stɪl riʧt mɔr ðən ˈstudənts, moʊst əv hum wʊd nɑt ˌɔrdəˈnɛrəli əˈtɛnd ˈkɑlɪʤ.) ðə ˈstɑrˌtəp ˈɔlsoʊ sɛd ɪt ʧeɪnʤd ə ˈnəmbər əv kɔrs ˈɛləmənts, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ: ˈædɪŋ mɔr səˈpɔrt stæf, ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ ðə ˈpeɪsɪŋ ˌmɛθəˈdɑləʤi (soʊ ˈstudənts hæd ˈərliər ˈwɔrnɪŋz əˈbaʊt pur pərˈfɔrməns); ənd ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ professors’*’ taɪm wɪθ ˈstudənts. ðə nu rɪˈzəlts ɪgˈzæktli ə hoʊm rən: rɪˈzəlts frəm ðə ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈproʊˌgræm stɪl sɪgˈnɪfɪkəntli treɪl ˈaʊtˌkəmz ɪn ə ˈkəpəl əv ˈkɔrsɪz. bət ðeɪ du ʃoʊ ðət ðə ˈkəmpəˌni ɪz ˈlərnɪŋ frəm ɪts ˈdætə ənd ˌɪmˈpruvɪŋ. ɪn ə ˈbrifɪŋ əˈhɛd əv ðə əˈnaʊnsmɛnt, klərˈɪsə ʃɛn, ˌviˈpi əv ˈbɪznɪs dɪˈvɛləpmənt ənd ˈmɑrkətɪŋ, toʊld mi ðət ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈlɔnʧɪŋ ɪts plænd ɪkˈspɪriəns wɪθ ɪn ðə fɔl, ɪt wɪl weɪt ənˈtɪl ðə spərɪŋ 2014 səˈmɛstər. bɪˈkəz ðə ˈkəmpəˌni wɔnts əˈdɪʃənəl taɪm tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ðə ˈproʊˌgræm ənd hɛlp ðə skul ɪˈneɪbəl ˈeɪˈsɪŋkrənəs ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈlərnɪŋ ðət lɛts ə ˈstudənt ˈprɑˌgrɛs θru ə kɔrs æt hɪz oʊn peɪs, ʃi sɛd. ˈoʊvər ðə pæst fju mənθs, ɪn ˈʤɛnərəl, ənd spəˈsɪfɪkli, hæv ˈwɛðərd ə fɛr əˈmaʊnt əv ˈkrɪtɪˌsɪzəm. ɪn ə blɔg poʊst, ənd ˈsiˌiˈoʊ səˈbæsʧən θrən ˈɔfərd ən ˈəpˌdeɪt ɔn ðə ˈprɑˌgrɛs ənd ə fju ʧɔɪs wərdz fər dɪˈtræktərz: ɔl ðoʊz ˈpipəl hu dɪˈklɛrd ɑr ɪkˈspɛrəmənt ə ˈfeɪljər, ju hæv tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd haʊ ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən wərks. fju aɪˈdiəz wərk ɔn ðə fərst traɪ. ˌɪtəˈreɪʃən ɪz ki tɪ ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən. ər ˈɛnərɪŋ ənˈʧɑrtɪd ˈtɛrɪˌtɔri. aɪ hæv bɪn ˈfɔrʧənət tɪ wərk wɪθ səm əv ðə ˈvɛri bɛst ˈɪnəˌveɪtərz ɪn ðə wərld. aɪ hæv ˈlərnɪd ðət ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən rikˈwaɪərz ə klɪr ˈvɪʒən, ˈmɛni ˌɪtəˈreɪʃənz, ənd ə ˈwɪlɪŋnəs tɪ lərn ənd ˌɪmˈpruv. aɪ bɪˈliv wi ər ɔn ə pæθ wɛr wi kən ˌfəndəˈmɛnəli ˈriˌraɪt ðə lɔ əv ˈækˌsɛs ɪn haɪər ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən. bət ðɪs ɪz ʤɪst ðə bɪˈgɪnɪŋ əv ðɪs path.”*.” ˈɪmɪʤ baɪ stɔrt maɪəlz ˈviə shutterstock*.

one month after san jose state university (sjsu) suspended an online learning program with udacity because of disappointing student results, the online education startup reports that things are starting to look up. on wednesday, the two organizations shared results from their summer pilot program indicating that students’ pass rates had improved. while the percentage of students who received a c or better in classes during the spring pilot program ranged from 23.8 percent to 50.5 percent, the percentage of summer students with similar scores in the same classes ranged from 29.8 percent to 83 percent. for comparison, the percentage of students who received a c or better in the school’s in-person classes ranged from 45.5 percent to 76.3 percent. advertisement according to udacity and sjsu, this massive open online course (mooc) program differed from the spring pilot in a couple of key ways that likely affected student results: the program was more flexible with students who wanted to drop out, so retention dropped to 60 percent from 83 percent; and, instead of actively recruiting inner-city high school students, it opened up enrollment to anyone. (the company said it still reached more than 2,000 students, most of whom would not ordinarily attend college.) the startup also said it changed a number of course elements, including: adding more support staff, changing the pacing methodology (so students had earlier warnings about poor performance); and increasing professors’ time with students. the new results aren’t exactly a home run: results from the online program still significantly trail in-person outcomes in a couple of courses. but they do show that the company is learning from its data and improving. in a briefing ahead of the announcement, clarissa shen, udacity’s vp of business development and marketing, told me that instead of launching its planned for-credit experience with sjsu in the fall, it will wait until the spring 2014 semester. that’s because the company wants additional time to improve the program and help the school enable asynchronous online learning that lets a student progress through a course at his own pace, she said. over the past few months, moocs in general, and udacity specifically, have weathered a fair amount of criticism. in a blog post, udacity co-founder and ceo sebastian thrun offered an update on the company’s progress and a few choice words for detractors: “to all those people who declared our experiment a failure, you have to understand how innovation works. few ideas work on the first try. iteration is key to innovation. …we are entering uncharted territory. i have been fortunate to work with some of the very best innovators in the world. i have learned that innovation requires a clear vision, many iterations, and a willingness to learn and improve. i believe we are on a path where we can fundamentally rewrite the law of access in higher education. but this is just the beginning of this path.” image by stuart miles via shutterstock.

ˈbərˌbæŋk, ˈkælɪf. bɔɪ hu fɛl aʊt əv ə ˈwɪndoʊ ɪn ˈbərˌbæŋk wɑz seɪvd baɪ ə ˈkəpəl hu θru ə ˈmætrəs aʊt tɪ breɪk hɪz fɔl. rɪˈpɔrts ˈkɑnrəd ˈlaɪtnər ənd hɪz waɪf, ˈʤɛnəfər, wər ˈmuvɪŋ aʊt əv ðɛr əˈpɑrtmənt ˈsənˌdi wɪn ðeɪ ˈnoʊtɪst ðə ˈtɑdlər ənd hɪz ˈsɪstər θroʊɪŋ ðɛr tɔɪz aʊt ðə ˈwɪndoʊ. wɪn ðeɪ sɔ ðə ˈlɪtəl bɔɪ θroʊ hɪz lɛg ˈoʊvər ðə ˈwɪndoʊ sɪl, ˈkɑnrəd rəʃt tɪ pʊt ðə ˈmætrəs daʊn. hi wɑz ˈeɪbəl tɪ breɪk ðə fɔl, ˈpleɪsɪŋ ɪm ˈɔntu ðə ˈmætrəs. ðə ˈtɑdlər wɑz ˈteɪkən tɪ ə ˈloʊkəl ˈhɑˌspɪtəl fər ɪˌvæljuˈeɪʃən, bət hi dɪd nɑt ˈsəfər ˈɛni ˈmeɪʤər ˈɪnʤəriz. ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt ə ˈneɪbər rəʃt tɪ gɪt ðə ˈpɛrənts, hu wər ˌənəˈwɛr əv wət ˈhæpənd bət ˈgreɪtfəl fər ðə ˈrɛskju.

burbank, calif. (ap)—a 3-year-old boy who fell out of a third-story window in burbank was saved by a quick-acting couple who threw a mattress out to break his fall. kabc-tv reports konrad lightner and his wife, jennifer, were moving out of their apartment sunday when they noticed the toddler and his sister throwing their toys out the window. when they saw the little boy throw his leg over the window sill, konrad rushed to put the mattress down. he was able to break the child’s fall, placing him onto the mattress. the toddler was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, but he did not suffer any major injuries. advertisement a neighbor rushed to get the boy’s parents, who were unaware of what happened but grateful for the rescue.

ðɪs ˈsənˌdi, ˈpɛrənts wɪl bi əˈlaʊd tɪ ʃɛr məˈtərnɪti ənd pəˈtərnɪti liv fər ðə fərst taɪm. ðə ʧeɪnʤ ɪn ˌlɛʤəsˈleɪʃən minz ðət nu məmz hæv tɪ teɪk ðə fərst tu wiks ɔf ˈæftər bərθ, bət ðə rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ 50 wiks kən bi ʃɛrd bɪtˈwin məmz ənd dædz. boʊθ wɪl bi ɛnˈtaɪtəld tɪ ˈstæʧəˌtɔri peɪ fər ðə fərst 39 wiks, wɪθ noʊ ˈdɪfərəns bɪtˈwin ðə ˈʤɛndərz. ʃɛrd pərˈɛntəl liv həz hæd ə ˈpɑzətɪv rɪˈsɛpʃən frəm boʊθ məmz ənd dædz, ɛz ɪt əˈlaʊz ˈgreɪtər ˌflɛksəˈbɪləti ðən ˈpriviəs lɔz səʧ ɛz əˈdɪʃənəl pəˈtərnɪti liv wɪʧ keɪm əˈbaʊt ɪn 2011 ənd mɛnt dædz kʊd teɪk ə ˈmæksəməm əv 26 wiks liv ɛz əˈpoʊzd tɪ ʤɪst ə ˈfɔrtˌnaɪt wɪʧ wɑz ðə ˈpriviəs ˈɔpʃən. bət haʊ ˈpɑpjələr wɪl ɪt ˈrɪli bi wɪθ məmz hu ər juzd tɪ ðə aɪˈdiə əv ˈhævɪŋ ə məˈtərnɪti liv fər ðɛmˈsɛlvz? wɪl ðeɪ əˈpriʃiˌeɪt ðə ʧæns tɪ ʃɛr ðə ˈʧaɪldˌkɛr ər wɪl ðeɪ rɪˈzɛnt ɪt? wi spoʊk tɪ θri məmz huz ˈpɛrənts ʃɛrd pərˈɛntəl liv wɪθ ðɛm ˈjuzɪŋ ə ˈmɪksʧər əv əˈdɪʃənəl pəˈtərnɪti liv ənd ˈhɑlɪˌdeɪ əˈlaʊənsɪz, tɪ si wət ðə ˌriˈæləˌti əv ˈʃɛrɪŋ liv wɑz ˈrɪli laɪk. fɛlt maɪ ˈhəzbənd wɑz ˌjuˈsərpɪŋ maɪ roʊl ɛz ə mum’*’ ˈhaɪdi ˈskrɪmgɔr, 38 ə ˈfriˌlæns ˈraɪtər fər lifeshifter.com*: soʊ wɪn aɪ hæd maɪ θərd ˈbeɪbi, aɪ tʊk ðə məˈtərnɪti liv ðət wɑz əˈveɪləbəl tɪ mi. ˈæftər ə waɪl ɪt bɪˈkeɪm ˈɑbviəs ðət ɪf aɪ wɑz əˈweɪ frəm maɪ klaɪənts fər soʊ lɔŋ, ɪt maɪt bi hɑrd tɪ gɪt bæk, ənd maɪ kərɪr wʊd stɑrt tɪ ˈsəfər. fɔr mənθs ˈɪntu maɪ liv, maɪ ˈhəzbənd səˈʤɛstɪd ˈteɪkɪŋ əˈdɪʃənəl pəˈtərnɪti liv soʊ hi kʊd teɪk kɛr əv ɑr ˈdɔtər ənd tu ˈoʊldər sənz waɪl aɪ ˈfoʊkɪst ɔn ˈfriˌlænsɪŋ. aɪ wɑz ˈrɪli səˈpraɪzd. nɑt baɪ hɪz səˈʤɛsʧən bɪˈkəz ə ˈrɪli ˌhænˈzɔn dæd, bət baɪ maɪ riˈækʃən. haɪd ˈskrɪmgɔr ənd hər ˈfæməli aɪ ˈdɛfənətli fɛlt laɪk, ðɪs ɪz maɪ ʤɑb tɪ bi wɪθ ðə ˈbeɪbi. aɪ hæv ə ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd əˈproʊʧ tɪ ˈməðərˌhʊd, bət aɪ faʊnd ɪt ˈrɪli hɑrd tɪ əkˈsɛpt bi ðə kɛr ˈgɪvər. aɪ fɛlt laɪk maɪ roʊl wʊd bi ˌjuˈsərpt. ɪt wɑz ən ˌɪnˈstɪŋktɪv, ðɪs ɪz maɪ job’*’. wət dɪz ðɪs min fər mi? fər maɪ self-worth*? ðə ˈəðər bɪg θɪŋ wɑz bɪˈkəz ɑr θərd ənd ˈprɑbəˌbli ɑr læst, aɪ ˈrɪli ˈwɔntɪd tɪ ðə ɪkˈspɪriəns əv hər ˈbeɪbi jɪrz bɪˈkəz aɪ noʊ ɪt goʊz ˈrɪli kˈwɪkli. aɪ ˈwəndərd ɪf rəʃt bæk tɪ wərk, ənd wʊd aɪ rɪˈgrɛt nɑt ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðə moʊst əv ɪt? ɪt ˈɔlsoʊ krɔst maɪ maɪnd ðət ɪt kʊd əˈfɛkt maɪ riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp wɪθ hər. bət aɪ θɔt əˈbaʊt ðə ˈbɛnəfɪts fər ɑr ˈbeɪbi tɪ hæv ˈɛkstrə ˈbɑndɪŋ wɪθ hər dæd, ənd ðə ˈoʊldər kɪdz wʊd hæv dæd əraʊnd mɔr tu. aɪ gɑt ˈoʊvər ˌmaɪˈsɛlf ənd wi ˈɛndɪd əp boʊθ ˈləvɪŋ ɪt. aɪ ˈrɪli ˌɛnˈʤɔɪd ˈgɪtɪŋ bæk tɪ ðə kət ənd θrəst əv ˈpɪʧɪŋ ənd aɪˈdiəz, ənd kəˈnɛktɪŋ wɪθ ˈɛdɪtərz. hi ləvd biɪŋ æt hoʊm wɪθ hər. hi wɑz æt ə pɔɪnt ɪn hɪz ʤɑb ðət hi ˈnidɪd ˈɛniˌweɪ. bɪˈkəz aɪ wərkt æt hoʊm bi ɪn ðə ˈstədi ənd bi nɛkst dɔr. aɪ kʊd fid hər ənd hænd hər bæk tɪ ɪm. nɑt ʃʊr haʊ ɪt wʊd hæv wərkt ɪf hæd tɪ ˈtrævəl ən aʊər tɪ goʊ tɪ ən ˈɔfəs. ðət wʊd hæv bɪn fɑr lɛs əˈpilɪŋ. wi ˈɑrgju əˈbaʊt ɪt wi boʊθ dɪd əraʊnd fɔr mənθs iʧ ənd ɪt wɑz greɪt. wi dɪd ɪt wɪθ ɑr θərd ʧaɪld soʊ wər ˌriəˈlɪstɪk ðət nɑt ɔl goʊɪŋ tɪ bi ðə pɑrk ənd ˌkæˈfeɪz. ɪt kən bi ˈdreɪnɪŋ ənd ˈtaɪrɪŋ. aɪ θɪŋk ˈiðər wən əv ˈjuˈɛs hæd ˈspɛktəkəlz əˈbaʊt wət ɪt wʊd bi laɪk. bət ˈpipəl duɪŋ ɪt fər ðə fərst taɪm maɪt bi mɔr ˌɪnˈklaɪnd tɪ ˈɑrgju əˈbaʊt hu gɪts tɪ teɪk ðə liv. fər ˈjuˈɛs, wi dɪd ɪt bɪˈkəz ə wən ɔf ˌɑpərˈtunəti tɪ ˌɪnˈvɛst ɪn jʊr ˈbeɪbi wɪn moʊst ˈoʊpən tɪ kəˈnɛktɪŋ wɪθ huˈɛvər spɛnz ðə moʊst taɪm wɪθ ðɛm. ɪt dɪz fil laɪk ə bɪt əv ə gɪft. bi mæd nɑt tɪ wɔnt ɪt, ənd nis tɪ ʃɛr ðə ɪkˈspɪriəns bɪˈkəz ju boʊθ hæv ən ˈikwəl ˌɑpərˈtunəti tɪ bi ə ˈfʊlˌtaɪm ˈpɛrənt. ˈsɛlfɪʃ fər məmz tɪ teɪk ɔl ðə time’*’ ˈnætəli ˈnumən, 35 hɛlθ ənd ˈsoʊʃəl kɛr fər ə ˈhaʊzɪŋ əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən: wɪn aɪ fɛl ˈprɛgnənt, ɪt wɑz ɔl ə bɪg ʃɑk bɪˈkəz hæd ə fju jɪrz əv fərˈtɪlɪti ˈtritmənt wɪʧ wərkt. ʤɪst rɪˈzaɪnd frəm maɪ ˈpriviəs ʤɑb ənd wɑz ˈsərvɪŋ ðə ˈnoʊtɪs ˈpɪriəd ˌbiˈfɔr aɪ ʤɔɪnd maɪ nu ʤɑb. ɪt wɑz ə ʤɑb ðət aɪ wɑz ˈrɪli ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈfɔrwərd tɪ, ənd kaɪnd əv gɑt maɪ hɛd raʊnd ðə fækt ðət aɪ wɑz əˈbaʊt tɪ lɔnʧ maɪ kərɪr ɪn ə nu ˌɔrgənɪˈzeɪʃən. aɪ ˈwɔntɪd tɪ goʊ ɪn ənd ə meɪk ə bɪg ˌɪmˈpækt. soʊ maɪ ˈhəzbənd ˈæntəni ənd aɪ ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ splɪt ðə pəˈtərnɪti liv soʊ wi boʊθ hæd əraʊnd faɪv ənd ə hæf mənθs æt hoʊm wɪθ ɑr ˈbeɪbi sɛθ. wi ˈɔlˌweɪz nu ɪt wʊd bi ən ˈɔpʃən, ənd aɪ θɪŋk wi ˈɔlˌweɪz nu wi ˈwɔntɪd tɪ bi ˈikwəl ˈpɑrtnərz ɪn ɔl θɪŋz, bət wi ˈrɪli dɪˈskəst ðə ˈditeɪl. ˈweɪtɪd ə lɔŋ taɪm fər ə ˈfæməli. ɪt wʊd hæv bɪn ˈsɛlfɪʃ fər mi tɪ teɪk ɔl ðə taɪm. ənd maɪ ˈhəzbənd wɑz ˈrɪli ɪkˈsaɪtɪd əˈbaʊt ðə ˈprɑspɛkt əv ˈteɪkɪŋ taɪm ɔf tu frəm hɪz ʤɑb ɪn kənˈstrəkʃən. ˈæntəni ˈbɛkər ənd ˈnætəli ˈnumən wɪθ ðɛr ˈbeɪbi sɛθ aɪ ləvd maɪ taɪm æt hoʊm wɪθ sɛθ. ɪt wɑz əˈmeɪzɪŋ, bət təˈwɔrdz ðə ɛnd, ðə wɔlz wər ˈkloʊzɪŋ ɪn ə bɪt. aɪ wɑz ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈfɔrwərd tɪ ˈkəmɪŋ bæk tɪ wərk, ənd ˈæˌkʧuəli wɛnt bæk ə bɪt ˈərliər ðən plænd. aɪ dɪd ˈwəndər ˈwɛðər meɪd ðə raɪt dɪˈsɪʒən. aɪ fɛlt laɪk aɪ wɑz ɔn ə bɪt əv ɪˈlæstɪk maɪ fərst fju wiks. ɪt wʊd gɪt tɪ ˈərli ˌæftərˈnun ənd aɪ ˈwɔntɪd tɪ bi æt hoʊm wɪθ sɛθ. ɪt wɑz ə trænˈzɪʃənəl taɪm. bət ɪt wɑz ˈrɪli ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ siɪŋ ænt ənd sɛθ. aɪ wɑz ˈwɑʧɪŋ ðɛr riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp bɪld frəm ðə aʊər ənd ə hæf əv pleɪ ˌbiˈfɔr ˈbɛdˌtaɪm tɪ ˈsədənli ˈhævɪŋ ɔl ðɪs taɪm təˈgɛðər. aɪ laɪkt siɪŋ ðət ənˈfoʊld. mi ənd sɛθ hæd ɔˈrɛdi ˈbɑndɪd, soʊ ɪt wɑz ʤɪst siɪŋ ɪm hæv ðət ˈprɛʃəs taɪm tu. ɪf ɑr ˈfæməli wɑz tɪ groʊ ˈfərðər noʊ weɪ wi wʊd du ˈɛniˌθɪŋ ˈdɪfərˈɛntli. ˈivɪn ðoʊ aɪ hæd daʊts æt ðə taɪm, ɪt wɑz ˈnɛvər ə θɔt ðət wɑz səˈsteɪnd ðeɪ wər ʤɪst ˈflitɪŋ ˈmoʊmənts. ɪt wɑz ðə raɪt dɪˈsɪʒən bət hɑrd. ɪt ˈdɛfənətli hɛlpt siɪŋ maɪ ˈhəzbənd ənd sɛθ təˈgɛðər noʊɪŋ ðət hi wɑz æt hoʊm wɪθ dæd wɑz ˈkrɪtɪkəl tɪ mi. naʊ ɪf aɪ ˈwɔntɪd tɪ teɪk ðə hoʊl jɪr tɪ ˌmaɪˈsɛlf, nɑt ə ʧæns ænt wʊd lɛt mi. hi wʊd faɪt mi tɪ ðə neɪl fər ðət taɪm. kaɪnd əv ɪkˈspɛktɪd, ər ðə nɔrm, ðət ðə ˈməðər teɪks ðə fʊl 12 mənθs. ɪf ˈwɔntɪd ðət wɪθ sɛθ, hi wʊd hæv gɔn wɪθ ðə floʊ bət naʊ wɪθ ðɪs ɪkˈspɪriəns, aɪ wʊd ˈdɛfənətli bi ˈʧælənʤd. wɑz ʤɪst ə rɪˈlif tɪ gɪt bæk tɪ work’*’, 40 hɛd əv æt reɪl: wɪn aɪ hæd maɪ ˈsɛkənd ʧaɪld, aɪ wɑz ˈwərkɪŋ ɪn ðə dɪˈpɑrtmənt fər ə lɑrʤ bæŋk. ɪt mɛnt aɪ wɑz əˈwɛr ðə məˈtərnɪti ˌlɛʤəsˈleɪʃən ʧeɪnʤd soʊ ˈfɑðərz kʊd teɪk əˈdɪʃənəl pəˈtərnɪti liv. ɛz sun ɛz aɪ hərd əˈbaʊt ðə ʧeɪnʤ aɪ toʊld maɪ ˈhəzbənd, naʊ ðɪs ɪz jʊr ʧæns. hi hæd ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈwɔntɪd tɪ bi æt hoʊm mɔr, soʊ ɪt fɛlt ˈrɪli gʊd tɪ gɪv ɪm ə ʧæns tɪ. wən, soʊ hi kʊd ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ taɪm wɪθ ðə kɪdz, bət tu, soʊ hi kʊd si ðə ˌriˈæləˌti əv wət biɪŋ æt hoʊm ɪz laɪk ənd hæv ðiz aɪˈdiəz. ɪt wərkt hi θɔt raɪt ə bʊk ənd teɪk əp ə ˈhɑbi. ðət wɛnt aʊt ðə ˈwɪndoʊ. hi ˈriəˌlaɪzd haʊ ˈdɪfəkəlt ɪt kən bi ˈteɪkɪŋ kɛr əv ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ æt hoʊm. ənd ˈeɪdriən daɪər ʃɛrd pərˈɛntəl liv fər mi, ɪt wɑz gʊd bɪˈkəz aɪ stɪl gɑt tɪ bi æt hoʊm fər 10 ənd ə hæf mənθs ənd hi tʊk ðə nɛkst fɔr mənθs ˈjuzɪŋ hɪz ˈhɑlɪˌdeɪ ənd ðə pəˈtərnɪti liv. aɪ fil laɪk aɪ hæv ɪˈnəf taɪm wɪθ maɪ ˈbeɪbi æt ɔl. wɪθ maɪ fərst ʧaɪld aɪ ʤɪst hæd sɪks ənd ə hæf mənθs æt hoʊm, ənd ðət aɪ fɛlt wɑz ə bɪt ˈərli tɪ goʊ bæk tɪ wərk. soʊ wɪθ maɪ ˈsɛkənd wən aɪ dɪd wɔnt mɔr taɪm ɔf, bət ˈæftər ðət aɪ wɑz ˈrɛdi tɪ goʊ bæk. məˈtərnɪti liv fɛlt laɪk ˈgraʊnˌdhɑg deɪ æt taɪmz. ˈɔlˌweɪz bɪn ɪn ˈfʊlˌtaɪm wərk ənd aɪ hæd tɪ lərn wət ɪt wɑz laɪk tɪ bi æt hoʊm wɪθ tu kɪdz. wɪn soʊ smɔl əp ɔn jʊr fit frəm tɪ ənd ju ˈivɪn hæv ən aʊər tɪ du ˈsəmθɪŋ ju nid tɪ du. ɪt ɪz hɑrd wərk. ɪt wɑz ʤɪst ə rɪˈlif tɪ goʊ bæk tɪ wərk. tɪ fil aɪ hæd maɪ oʊn θɪŋ ənd gɪt ˌrɛkɪgˈnɪʃən. wɪθ ˈʧaɪldˌkɛr ɪt kəmz wɪθ ə dɪˈleɪ ɛz ju si ðɛm groʊɪŋ. ɪn ðə deɪ tɪ deɪ, ə ˈθæŋkləs ʤɑb. maɪ ˈnɔrməl ʤɑb ɪz kwaɪt dɪˈmændɪŋ, bət ju gɪt peɪd fər ɪt. aɪ ˈstrəgəl ˈgɪvɪŋ ðə rɛst əv ðə taɪm tɪ maɪ ˈhəzbənd. ɪt wɑz greɪt tɪ kəm bæk ənd hæv ɪm æt hoʊm. aɪ hæv tɪ ˈwəri əˈbaʊt wət wɑz goʊɪŋ ɔn æt hoʊm. mɔr ˌɛnərˈʤɛtɪk ðən aɪ æm soʊ teɪk ðɛm tɪ ðə ˈnæʧərəl ˈhɪstəri mˈjuziəm ər tɪ ðə pɑrks ənd θɪŋ. ðət wɑz wət maɪ sən ˈnidɪd ˌɪnˈstɛd əv biɪŋ kupt əp. ðə fərst tu wiks wɪn aɪ wɛnt bæk tɪ wərk wər təf fər ɪm. aɪ kʊd si hi wɑz ə bɪt ʃɛl ʃɑkt. bət hi ˈrɪli gɑt ˈɪntu ɪt. wɪn æt wərk ju ʤɪst du ðə fən bɪts bət wɪn æt hoʊm ju hæv tɪ peɪ ðə ˈkɑnsəkˌwɛnsəz əv jʊr ˈækʃənz ənd bi kwaɪt kənˈsɪstənt. wi boʊθ ˈlərnɪd ə lɔt. wət ju nid tɪ noʊ əˈbaʊt ʃɛrd pərˈɛntəl liv

this sunday, parents will be allowed to share maternity and paternity leave for the first time. the change in legislation means that new mums have to take the first two weeks off after birth, but the remaining 50 weeks can be shared between mums and dads. both will be entitled to statutory pay for the first 39 weeks, with no difference between the genders. shared parental leave has had a positive reception from both mums and dads, as it allows greater flexibility than previous laws such as ‘ additional paternity leave ’ which came about in 2011 and meant dads could take a maximum of 26 weeks leave – as opposed to just a fortnight which was the previous option. but how popular will it really be with mums who are used to the idea of having a year’s maternity leave for themselves? will they appreciate the chance to share the childcare – or will they resent it? we spoke to three mums whose parents shared parental leave with them using a mixture of additional paternity leave and holiday allowances, to see what the reality of sharing leave was really like. ‘i felt my husband was usurping my role as a mum’ heidi scrimgeour, 38, a freelance writer for lifeshifter.com: i’m self-employed so when i had my third baby, i took the maternity leave that was available to me. after a while it became obvious that if i was away from my clients for so long, it might be hard to get back, and my career would start to suffer. four months into my leave, my husband suggested taking additional paternity leave so he could take care of our daughter and two older sons while i focused on freelancing. i was really surprised. not by his suggestion because he’s a really hands-on dad, but by my reaction. heide scrimgeour and her family i definitely felt like, this is my job to be with the baby. i don’t have a particularly old-fashioned approach to motherhood, but i found it really hard to accept he’d be the baby’s care giver. i felt like my role would be usurped. it was an instinctive, ‘but this is my job’. what does this mean for me? for my self-worth? the other big thing was because she’s our third and probably our last, i really wanted to savour the experience of her baby years because i know it goes really quickly. i wondered if i’d rushed back to work, and would i regret not making the most of it? it also crossed my mind that it could affect my relationship with her. but i thought about the benefits for our baby to have extra bonding with her dad, and the older kids would have dad around more too. i got over myself and we ended up both loving it. i really enjoyed getting back to the cut and thrust of pitching and ideas, and connecting with editors. he loved being at home with her. he was at a point in his job that he needed headspace anyway. because i worked at home i’d be in the study and she’d be next door. i could feed her and hand her back to him. i’m not sure how it would have worked if i’d had to travel an hour to go to an office. that would have been far less appealing. we didn’t argue about it – we both did around four months each and it was great. we did it with our third child so were realistic that it’s not all going to be the park and cafes. it can be draining and tiring. i don’t think either one of us had rose-tinted spectacles about what it would be like. but people doing it for the first time might be more inclined to argue about who gets to take the leave. for us, we did it because it’s a one off opportunity to invest in your baby when they’re most open to connecting with whoever spends the most time with them. it does feel like a bit of a gift. you’d be mad not to want it, and it’s nice to share the experience because you both have an equal opportunity to be a full-time parent. ‘it’s selfish for mums to take all the time’ natalie newman, 35, health and social care for a housing association: when i fell pregnant, it was all a big shock because we’d had a few years of fertility treatment which hadn’t worked. i’d just resigned from my previous job and was serving the notice period before i joined my new job. it was a job that i was really looking forward to, and i’d kind of got my head round the fact that i was about to launch my career in a new organisation. i wanted to go in and a make a big impact. so my husband antony and i decided to split the paternity leave so we both had around five and a half months at home with our baby seth. we always knew it would be an option, and i think we always knew we wanted to be equal partners in all things, but we hadn’t really discussed the detail. we’d waited a long time for a family. it would have been selfish for me to take all the time. and my husband was really excited about the prospect of taking time off too from his job in construction. antony becker and natalie newman with their baby seth i loved my time at home with seth. it was amazing, but towards the end, the walls were closing in a bit. i was looking forward to coming back to work, and actually went back a bit earlier than i’d planned. i did wonder whether i’d made the right decision. i felt like i was on a bit of elastic my first few weeks. it would get to early afternoon and i wanted to be at home with seth. it was a transitional time. but it was really exciting seeing ant and seth. i was watching their relationship build from the hour and a half of play before bedtime to suddenly having all this time together. i liked seeing that unfold. me and seth had already bonded, so it was just seeing him have that precious time too. if our family was to grow further there’s no way we would do anything differently. even though i had doubts at the time, it was never a thought that was sustained – they were just fleeting moments. it was the right decision but hard. it definitely helped seeing my husband and seth together - knowing that he was at home with dad was critical to me. now if i wanted to take the whole year to myself, there’s not a chance ant would let me. he would fight me to the nail for that time. it’s kind of expected, or the norm, that the mother takes the full 12 months. if i’d wanted that with seth, he would have gone with the flow but now with this experience, i would definitely be challenged. ‘it was just a relief to get back to work’ katariina jalas, 40, head of hr at eversholt rail: when i had my second child, i was working in the hr department for a large bank. it meant i was aware the maternity legislation changed so fathers could take additional paternity leave. as soon as i heard about the change i told my husband, now this is your chance. he had always wanted to be at home more, so it felt really good to give him a chance to. one, so he could enjoy time with the kids, but two, so he could see the reality of what being at home is like and wouldn’t have these romanticised ideas. it worked – he thought he’d write a book and take up a hobby. that went out the window. he realised how difficult it can be taking care of everything at home. katariina jalas and adrian dyer shared parental leave for me, it was good because i still got to be at home for 10 and a half months and he took the next four months using his holiday and the paternity leave. i didn’t feel like i wouldn’t have enough time with my baby at all. with my first child i just had six and a half months at home, and that i felt was a bit early to go back to work. so with my second one i did want more time off, but after that i was ready to go back. maternity leave felt like groundhog day at times. i’d always been in full-time work and i had to learn what it was like to be at home with two kids. when they’re so small you’re up on your feet from 6am to 8pm and you don’t even have an hour to do something you need to do. it is hard work. it was just a relief to go back to work. to feel i had my own thing and get recognition. with childcare it comes with a delay as you see them growing. in the day to day, it’s a thankless job. my normal job is quite demanding, but you get paid for it. i didn’t struggle giving the rest of the time to my husband. it was great to come back and have him at home. i didn’t have to worry about what was going on at home. he’s more energetic than i am so he’d take them to the natural history museum or to the parks and thing. that was what my son needed instead of being cooped up. the first two weeks when i went back to work were tough for him. i could see he was a bit shell shocked. but he really got into it. when you’re at work you just do the fun bits but when you’re at home you have to pay the consequences of your actions and be quite consistent. we both learned a lot. what you need to know about shared parental leave

ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ə ˈpɔrtrət əv ˈhɑrpər li baɪ ˈʧɑrəlz ʤeɪ. ʃildz ˈhɛnri hoʊlt. 337 pp*. 25 wəns əˈpɑn ə taɪm, tɪ kɪl ə ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd wɑz ˈmɪrli ðə ˈflɛʤlɪŋ ˈɛfərt əv ən ənˈnoʊn ˈsəðərn ˈraɪtər ðɛn noʊn ɛz nɛl ˈhɑrpər li frəm ə smɔl taʊn ɪn ˌæləˈbæmə. wɪn ðə ˈnɑvəl wɑz fərst səbˈmɪtəd tɪ ə ˈpəblɪʃɪŋ haʊs, ðə ˈɛdɪtərz tərnd ɪt daʊn, ˈnoʊtɪŋ ɪts læk əv ˈstrəkʧər ənd ɪnˈkərəʤɪŋ li tɪ rɪˈvaɪz ɪt. wɪθ ˈstɛdˌfæst pərˈsɪstəns, ʃi wərkt ɔn hər ˈmænjəˌskrɪpt ənˈtɪl ɪt wɑz ˈfaɪnəli dimd publishable*. tɪ kɪl ə ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd hɪt ðə ˈbʊkˌstɔrz ɪn 1960 wɪˈθɪn wiks, ɪt hæd bɪˈkəm ə ˈbɛˈsɛlər. ˈfɔrtiˌfaɪv jɪrz ˈleɪtər, ɪt ɪz ˈpræktɪkəli ən ˈɪndəstri əv ɪts oʊn: tɪ deɪt, mɔr ðən 30 ˈmɪljən ˈkɑpiz hæv bɪn soʊld, ənd baɪ 1988 θˌrikˈwɔrtərz əv ðə ˈpəblɪk skulz ɪn əˈmɛrɪkə wər ˈtiʧɪŋ ɪt. dɪˈspaɪt ðə ˈnɑvəlz səkˈsɛs, li, ɛz ɪz ˈwaɪdli noʊn, ˈnɛvər ˈpəblɪʃt əˈnəðər bʊk; ˌɪnˈstɛd, ʃi riˈtritɪd tɪ hər ˈhoʊmˌtaʊn əv mənˈroʊˌvɪl, ˈælə., wɛr ʃi həz ˈgɪvɪn fju ˈɪntərvˌjuz sɪns 1964 ɪn ðə aɪz əv ðə ˈpəblɪk, ʃi həz lɔŋ bɪˈkəm ˈnɪrli ɛz ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl ɛz hər ˌɪnˈdɛlɪbəl shut-in*, bu ˈrædli, ðoʊ ʃi ˈrisəntli geɪv ən ˈɪntərvˌju tɪ ðə nu jɔrk taɪmz ənd roʊt ə ʃɔrt ˈɛˌseɪ fər oʊ ˈmægəˌzin. naʊ wi hæv ˈʧɑrəlz ʤeɪ. ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ðə fərst ˈtritmənt əv hər laɪf. ən əˈnɔθərˌaɪzd baɪˈɑgrəfi, ɪt rɪˈlaɪz ˈlɑrʤli ɔn ˈɪntərvˌjuz ənd "ˈəðər sɔrts əv kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃən" wɪθ liz əkˈweɪntənsɪz tɪ treɪs hər laɪf frəm ˈʧaɪlˌdhʊd θru ðə ˌpəblɪˈkeɪʃən əv ðə ˈnɑvəl ənd ðə jɪrz ˈfɑloʊɪŋ, ˈdʊrɪŋ wɪʧ li ˈstrəgəld tɪ raɪt ə ˈsɛkənd bʊk. ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ɪz lɛs ə baɪˈɑgrəfi ðən, ɛz ɪts ˈsəbˌtaɪtəl kleɪmz, "ə ˈpɔrtrət," ənd laɪk ɔl ˈpɔrtrəts, ɪt ɪz ˈhaɪli səˈbʤɛktɪv. mɔr dɔgd ðən ʃrud, ɪt ɪz ˈhɑrdli ðə dɪˈfɪnɪtɪv ˈtritmənt li ˈmɛrɪts, nɔr ɪz ɪt ə ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli pərˈsɛptɪv ˈɑrgjəmənt əˈbaʊt ðə pleɪs əv tɪ kɪl ə ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ɪn əˈmɛrɪkən ˈlɪtərəʧər. (ʃildz həz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈrɪtən baɪˈɑgrəfiz fər jəŋ ˈædəlts.) ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ɪt ˈjusfəli ənd ˈɔfən kəmˈpaɪlz ənd ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzɪz ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən əˈbaʊt liz laɪf ənd ˈɔfərz ə ˈplɔzəbəl ˈænsər tɪ ðə kˈwɛʃən ðət priˈɑkjəˌpaɪz soʊ ˈmɛni ˈridərz: waɪ dɪd li ˈnɛvər raɪt əˈnəðər bʊk ənd waɪ dɪd ʃi riˈtrit frəm ðə ˈpəblɪk? fər ʃildz, ðə ˈænsər laɪz ɪn liz ˈbərθˌpleɪs ənd ɪn hər ˌpɛrəˈdɑksɪkəl ˌpərsəˈnælɪti. li wɑz bɔrn ɪn 1926 ɪn mənˈroʊˌvɪl, ə smɔl taʊn ɪn wɪʧ ˈɛvriˌwən nu iʧ ˈəðərz ˈbɪznɪs. ʃi wɑz ə ˈsɔsi jɛt ʃaɪ ʧaɪld. hər ˈfɑðər, laɪk ˈætɪkəs fɪnʧ, wɑz ə ˈlɔjər wɪθ ə bɛnt ðət hi ˌɪnˈstɪld ɪn hɪz θri ˈdɔtərz ənd wən sən ðoʊ, ɛz ʃildz pɔɪnts aʊt, liz ˈfɑðər wɑz lɔŋ ə səˈpɔrtər əv ˌsɛgrəˈgeɪʃən. hər ˈməðər wɑz ən ˌɪnˈvæləd, hu, ɪt simz, ˈsəfərd ˈiðər frəm ˈmænɪk dɪˈprɛʃən ər ən ənˈdaɪægnoʊst ˈmɛntəl ˈɪlnəs; ʃi dɪd ˈvɛri ˈlɪtəl ˈməðərɪŋ əv nɛl, hu wɑz ˈlɑrʤli lɛft tɪ ə meɪdz ˌmɪnəˈstreɪʃənz (məʧ ɛz skaʊt ɪz ɪn tɪ kɪl ə ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ɪn wət pruvd tɪ bi ə ˈkruʃəl ɪˈvɛnt, ðə ʃaɪ bət ˈsɔsi li mɛt ˈtrumən kəˈpoʊt wən ˈsəmər wɪn ðə bɔɪ wɑz ˈlɪvɪŋ wɪθ hɪz ɔnts nɛkst dɔr. ˈbɑndɪd baɪ wət kəˈpoʊt kɔld ðɛr "apartness*," ðə ˈʧɪldrən bɪˈgæn tɪ raɪt ˈstɔriz ɔn ən ˈəndərˌwʊd ˈtaɪˌpraɪtər liz ˈfɑðər geɪv ðɛm. ðə ˈpɔrtrət ðət ˈimərʤɪz frəm ˈrisərʧ ɪn ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ɪz əv ə jəŋ ˈwʊmən wɪθ ˈlɪtəl ˈtɑlərəns fər priˈtɛnʃən; ʃi wɑz rɪˈmɛmbərd baɪ wən ˈklæsˌmeɪt ɛz ə əv phoniness*." ɪn 1949 ˈæftər ˈgɪvɪŋ əp ɔn ˈgɪtɪŋ ə lɔ dɪˈgri æt ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˌæləˈbæmə (wɛr ʃi meɪd fju frɛndz bət ˈʃɑrpənd hər wɪt ˈraɪtɪŋ ə ˈkɑləm fər ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti ˈnuzˌpeɪpər ˈtaɪtəld "ˈkɔstɪk ˈkɑmɛnt"), li muvd tɪ nu jɔrk tɪ ˈfɑloʊ ɪn kəˈpoʊts ˈfʊtˌstɛps. kəˈpoʊt hæd ɔˈrɛdi ˈpəblɪʃt ə ˈnɑvəl ənd ˈɔlˌweɪz ðə mɔr ˈaʊtˌgoʊɪŋ əv ðə tu hi ˌɪntrəˈdust hər əraʊnd taʊn, bət ˈmɛni əv hɪz frɛndz faʊnd hər dəl. "hir wɑz ðɪs ˈdəmpi gərl frəm mənˈroʊˌvɪl. wi ˈdɪdənt θɪŋk ʃi wɑz əp tɪ məʧ. ʃi sɛd ʃi wɑz ˈraɪtɪŋ ə bʊk ənd ðət wɑz ðət," wən rɪˈkɔld. li ˈstrəgəld tɪ meɪk ə ˈlɪvɪŋ ənˈtɪl, wɪθ ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl əˈsɪstəns əv ʤɔɪ ənd ˈmaɪkəl braʊn, tu ˈɑrtɪsts hum ʃi mɛt θru kəˈpoʊt, ʃi sæt daʊn tɪ raɪt ðə ˈnɑvəl ðət bɪˈkeɪm tɪ kɪl ə ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ʃildz ˈdɛftli ʃoʊz ðət liz ˈɛdɪtər, teɪ, wɑz ˌɪnstrəˈmɛnəl nɑt ˈoʊnli ɪn ˈgɪtɪŋ ðə ˈnɑvəl ˈpəblɪʃt bət ɪn ˈʃeɪpɪŋ ɪt ˈɪntu ðə bʊk ɪt ɪz təˈdeɪ. ɛz pʊt ɪt, "ðə ˌɛdəˈtɔriəl kɔl tɪ ˈduti wɑz pleɪn." li ˈnidɪd "prəˈfɛʃənəl hɛlp ɪn ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzɪŋ hər məˈtɪriəl ənd dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ə saʊnd plɑt ˈstrəkʧər." ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ɪz bɛst wɛr ɪt ˈrumər ənd ˈhirˌseɪ ənd fɪlz ɪn ə mɔr ˈækjərət ˈpɪkʧər əv ðə ˈwʊmən. ʃildz meɪks ə kənˈvɪnsɪŋ keɪs ðət li, ə standoffish*, ˈstəbərn ˈwʊmən ˌɪnˈvɛstɪd ɪn priˈsɪʒən, bɪˈkeɪm tu "ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmd" baɪ ðə səkˈsɛs əv hər fərst ˈnɑvəl tɪ ˈfɪnɪʃ ˈɛni əv hər ˈsəbsəkwənt ˈɛfərts. (hər ˈsɪstər toʊld ə rɪˈpɔrtər ðət liz ˈsɛkənd bʊk, əˈbaʊt ˈhəntɪŋ dɪr, wɑz ˈstoʊlən ˈʃɔrtli ˌbiˈfɔr kəmˈpliʃən, bət ðə ˈstɔri rɪŋz fɔls.) fər li, hi əbˈzərvz, ˈraɪtɪŋ wɑz ˈɔlˌweɪz əˈbaʊt ˈkæpʧərɪŋ ðə ˈɛvriˈdeɪ ˈnuɑnsɪz əv ˈsəðərn laɪf ʃi nu soʊ wɛl ənd, ɪn hər oʊn weɪ, ləvd; wɪn ʃi bɪˈkeɪm ˈfeɪməs, hər riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp tɪ ðət wərld wɑz ˈpərmɑˌnɛnˌtli ˈɔltərd. ʃildz pərsˈweɪsɪvli ˈdɛmənˌstreɪts ðət, dɪˈspaɪt ˈwaɪdˈsprɛd ˈrumərz, ɪts ˈhaɪli ənˈlaɪkli ðət kəˈpoʊt hæd ˈɛniˌθɪŋ tɪ du wɪθ tɪ kɪl ə ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ˈrəðər, ʃildz ʃoʊz ðət li ˈæˌkʧuəli kənˈtrɪbjutɪd mɔr tɪ kəˈpoʊts ɪn koʊld bləd ðən ɪz ˈkɑmənli θɔt, ˈraɪtɪŋ ˈsɛvərəl ˈhənərd ˈpeɪʤɪz əv noʊts ɔn wɪʧ kəˈpoʊt ˈhɛvəli rɪˈlaɪd. ˈivɪn soʊ, ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd feɪlz tɪ ˈɔfər ɛz nuɑnst ə ˈpɔrtrət əv li ɛz wən wʊd hoʊp fər ər tɪ kæst məʧ ˈlɪtərˌɛri ˈɪnˌsaɪt ɔn tɪ kɪl ə ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ɪn ðə ˈæbsəns əv rɪˈlaɪəbəl ˈdætə frəm wɪʧ tɪ fɔrʤ ə koʊˈhɪrənt ˈnɛrətɪv, ʃildz ˈfɑloʊz hɪz ˈrisərʧ daʊn ˈmɛni ə kəl də sæk ənd pædz aʊt ˈtrɪviəl ˈditeɪlz (ə hoʊl peɪʤ ɪz ˈdɛdəkeɪtəd tɪ ðə ˈmuviz ðət wər ˈnɑməˌneɪtəd fər ˈvɛriəs ˈɔskərz ɪn 1962 waɪl ˈgɪvɪŋ ʃɔrt ʃrɪft tɪ ˈkɑmpləˌkeɪtəd kˈwɛsʧənz: ɪz tɪ kɪl ə ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd ə greɪt ˈnɑvəl ər ə ˌsɛnəˈmɛnəl, daɪˈdæktɪk wən? wɑz li ˈrɪli ə ˈbrɪljənt ˈraɪtər ər ən ˈævərɪʤ wən hu, wɪθ greɪt ˈdɪlɪʤəns ənd ðə səˈpɔrt ˈsɪstəm əv ə ˈtæləntɪd ˈɛdɪtər ənd ˈeɪʤənt, wɑz ˈeɪbəl tɪ ʃeɪp ə ˈhaɪli ˌɔtəˌbaɪəˈgræfɪkəl ˈstɔri ðət hɪt ə ˈkəlʧərəl nərv ɪn ðə jɪrz ˈlidɪŋ əp tɪ ðə ˈsɪvəl raɪts ˈmuvmənt? ˈridərz hu ləv tɪ kɪl ə ˈmɑkɪŋˌbərd wɪl wɔnt tɪ rɛd ðɪs bʊk fər ɪts ˈtɪdbɪts əv ɪnˈgeɪʤɪŋ ˈɪnfoʊ. bət ɪn ðə ɛnd, ðɪs ɪz lɛs ə ˈrɪgərəs baɪˈɑgrəfi ðən ə ˈplɛzənt ˌivoʊˈkeɪʃən əv haʊ wən ˈfɪrsli ˈpraɪvət ˈwʊmən wɑz pərˈsivd baɪ ðoʊz əraʊnd hər. ɛz səʧ, ɪt riˈmaɪndz ˈjuˈɛs ðət ə baɪˈɑgrəfi ɪz, ˈɔlˌweɪz, ə ˈfɪkʃən ɪn ɪts oʊn raɪt. ˈmɛgən oʊˈrɔrk ɪz ðə ˈkəlʧər ˈɛdɪtər əv sleɪt ˈmægəˌzin.

mockingbird a portrait of harper lee by charles j. shields henry holt. 337 pp. $25 once upon a time, to kill a mockingbird was merely the fledgling effort of an unknown southern writer -- then known as nelle harper lee -- from a small town in alabama. when the novel was first submitted to a publishing house, the editors turned it down, noting its lack of structure and encouraging lee to revise it. with steadfast persistence, she worked on her manuscript until it was finally deemed publishable. to kill a mockingbird hit the bookstores in 1960. within weeks, it had become a bestseller. forty-five years later, it is practically an industry of its own: to date, more than 30 million copies have been sold, and by 1988 three-quarters of the public schools in america were teaching it. despite the novel's success, lee, as is widely known, never published another book; instead, she retreated to her hometown of monroeville, ala., where she has given few interviews since 1964. in the eyes of the public, she has long become nearly as invisible as her indelible shut-in, boo radley, though she recently gave an interview to the new york times and wrote a short essay for o magazine. now we have charles j. shields's mockingbird , the first book-length treatment of her life. an unauthorized biography, it relies largely on interviews and "other sorts of communication" with lee's acquaintances to trace her life from childhood through the publication of the novel and the years following, during which lee struggled to write a second book. mockingbird is less a biography than, as its subtitle claims, "a portrait," and like all portraits, it is highly subjective. more dogged than shrewd, it is hardly the definitive treatment lee merits, nor is it a particularly perceptive argument about the place of to kill a mockingbird in american literature. (shields has also written biographies for young adults.) however, it usefully and often entertainingly compiles and organizes information about lee's life and offers a plausible answer to the question that preoccupies so many readers: why did lee never write another book -- and why did she retreat from the public? for shields, the answer lies in lee's birthplace and in her paradoxical personality. lee was born in 1926 in monroeville, a small town in which everyone knew each other's business. she was a saucy yet shy child. her father, like atticus finch, was a lawyer with a civic-minded bent that he instilled in his three daughters and one son -- though, as shields points out, lee's father was long a supporter of segregation. her mother was an invalid, who, it seems, suffered either from manic depression or an undiagnosed mental illness; she did very little mothering of nelle, who was largely left to a maid's ministrations (much as scout is in to kill a mockingbird ). in what proved to be a crucial event, the shy but saucy lee met truman capote one summer when the 5-year-old boy was living with his aunts next door. bonded by what capote called their "apartness," the children began to write stories on an underwood typewriter lee's father gave them. the portrait that emerges from shields's research in mockingbird is of a tomboyish young woman with little tolerance for pretension; she was remembered by one classmate as a "deflater of phoniness." in 1949, after giving up on getting a law degree at the university of alabama (where she made few friends but sharpened her wit writing a column for the university newspaper titled "caustic comment"), lee moved to new york to follow in capote's footsteps. capote had already published a novel and -- always the more outgoing of the two -- he introduced her around town, but many of his friends found her dull. "here was this dumpy girl from monroeville. we didn't think she was up to much. she said she was writing a book and that was that," one recalled. lee struggled to make a living until, with the financial assistance of joy and michael brown, two artists whom she met through capote, she sat down to write the novel that became to kill a mockingbird . shields deftly shows that lee's editor, tay hohoff, was instrumental not only in getting the novel published but in shaping it into the book it is today. as hohoff put it, "the editorial call to duty was plain." lee needed "professional help in organizing her material and developing a sound plot structure." mockingbird is best where it deflates rumor and hearsay and fills in a more accurate picture of the woman. shields makes a convincing case that lee, a standoffish, stubborn woman invested in precision, became too "overwhelmed" by the success of her first novel to finish any of her subsequent efforts. (her sister told a reporter that lee's second book, about hunting deer, was stolen shortly before completion, but the story rings false.) for lee, he observes, writing was always about capturing the everyday nuances of southern small-town life she knew so well -- and, in her own way, loved; when she became famous, her relationship to that world was permanently altered. shields persuasively demonstrates that, despite widespread rumors, it's highly unlikely that capote had anything to do with to kill a mockingbird . rather, shields shows that lee actually contributed more to capote's in cold blood than is commonly thought, writing several hundred pages of notes on which capote heavily relied. even so, mockingbird fails to offer as nuanced a portrait of lee as one would hope for or to cast much literary insight on to kill a mockingbird . in the absence of reliable data from which to forge a coherent narrative, shields follows his research down many a cul de sac and pads out trivial details (a whole page is dedicated to the movies that were nominated for various oscars in 1962) while giving short shrift to complicated questions: is to kill a mockingbird a great novel or a sentimental, didactic one? was lee really a brilliant writer or an average one who, with great diligence and the support system of a talented editor and agent, was able to shape a highly autobiographical story that hit a cultural nerve in the years leading up to the civil rights movement? readers who love to kill a mockingbird will want to read this book for its tidbits of engaging info. but in the end, this is less a rigorous biography than a pleasant evocation of how one fiercely private woman was perceived by those around her. as such, it reminds us that a biography is, always, a fiction in its own right. · meghan o'rourke is the culture editor of slate magazine.

ˈbrændən ˈɪmɪʤɪz ðə læst wik əv ˈeɪprəl 2017 mɑrkt ə laʊd jɛt sɪmˈbɑlɪk ʃɪft ɪn ðə fˈjuʧər əv spɔrts ɔn ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən., ðə ˈlɔŋˌtaɪm ˈlidər ɪn sports,”*,” riˈlist səm əv ɪts ənd ˈkrɛdəbəl ˌʤərnəˈlɪstɪk ˈtælənt ɪn ə pərʤ dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ ʃoʊ wɔl strit ðət ɪt wɑz ɪn ˈsɪriəs moʊd, ə rɪˈspɑns tɪ ðə kənˈtɪnjuɪŋ lɔs əv ˈmɪljənz əv ˈkeɪbəl səbˈskraɪbərz hu hæv ˈʧoʊzən tɪ kət ðə kɔrd. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ recode*, ðə ˈbihəməθ həz lɔst 10 ˈmɪljən səbˈskraɪbərz ɪn ʤɪst ðə læst faɪv jɪrz, ən ˈɛksədəs ðət həz lɛd tɪ səbˈstænʃəl ˈrɛvəˌnu ˈlɔsɪz fər ðə ˈnɛtˌwərk ənd ˈpɛrənt ˈkəmpəˌni ˈdɪzni. ˈsɪmələrli, fɑks spɔrts 1 ɪz daʊn faɪv ˈmɪljən səbˈskraɪbərz ɪn lɛs ðən fɔr jɪrz əv biɪŋ lɔnʧt, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ spɔrts ˈbɪznɪs ˈdeɪli. ɪt ɪz ɪn ðɪs ˈkɑrənt ˈklaɪmɪt ðət ðə wɪl sun brɪŋ ɪts ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən raɪts fiz tɪ ˈmɑrkɪt wɪθ ðə hoʊps əv kwɑˈdrupəlɪŋ ɪts ˈkɑrənt 115 ˈmɪljən ˈænjuəl ˈævərɪʤ, spɔrts ˈbɪznɪs ˈdeɪli ˈrisəntli ˌriˈpɔrtəd. ðə ɪkˈsklusɪv ˈwɪndoʊ wɪθ ˈkɑrənt ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ˈpɑrtnər fɑks wɪl ˈoʊpən ˈleɪtər ðɪs jɪr. ɪn æt list wən weɪ, ðə ɪz ˈbɛtər priˈpɛrd ðən ˈɛvər tɪ teɪk ɪts raɪts tɪ ˈmɑrkɪt. ðə ˈoʊnərˌʃɪp tim æt ɪz ˌɪnˈvɛstɪd ɪn ðə ˈaʊtˌkəm, ˈbrɪŋɪŋ ɪkˈstɛnsɪv ˈnɑlɪʤ əv ðə ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt ˈɪndəstri ɛz wɛl ɛz nɪˈgoʊʃiˌeɪtɪŋ ɪkˈspɪriəns ˈɪntu ðə freɪ. bət ðə ˈkɑrənt ˈbɪznɪs wɪndz ər ənˈsɛtəld. ˈkrɪstəfər ˈɪmɪʤɪz hɑrd tɪ prɪˈdɪkt, bət aɪ doʊnt θɪŋk si kənˈtɪnju tɪ ˈoʊvərˌpeɪ fər rights,”*,” ˈdænjəl ˈrɑbərts, ə ˈraɪtər fər ˈjɑˌhu ˈfaɪˌnæns hu ˈkəvərz ðə ˌɪntərˈsɛkʃən əv spɔrts ənd ˈbɪznɪs, toʊld ˈbliʧər rɪˈpɔrt. ɪz ˈspɛndɪŋ 8 ˈbɪljən ðɪs jɪr ʤɪst ɔn raɪts fiz. ʤɪst eye-popping*. nɑt ˈtɛnəbəl fər məʧ ˈlɔŋgər. ˈgɔtən tɪ ðə pɔɪnt ðət ˈɛvəri taɪm ə ˈdɪzni ˈərnɪŋz rɪˈpɔrt ənd ju skroʊl daʊn tɪ networks,’*,’ ɪt sɪz wɑz daʊn æt du tɪ ˈraɪzɪŋ ˈproʊˌgræmɪŋ kɔsts ənd ˈfɑlɪŋ səbˈskrɪpʃənz. ˈprɪti ˈbeɪsɪk ˈbɪznɪs mæθ əp ənd ˈrɛvəˌnu wɪn ju pʊt ðət ɔn ðə dil, aɪ si haʊ ðeɪ kən gɪt fɔr taɪmz wət ðeɪ dɪd læst taɪm, æt list nɑt frəm espn.”*.” bət ˈivɪn ðət kəmz wɪθ ə ˈkeɪviˌæt: ɛz bæd ɛz ðə ˈtaɪmɪŋ ɪz ɪn rɪˈgɑrdz tɪ ˈɛnərɪŋ ə daʊn ˈbɪznɪs ˈmɑrkɪt, ɪts ˈtaɪmɪŋ ɪz fænˈtæstɪk wɪn ɪt kəmz tɪ ˈlɪtəl ˌkɑmpəˈtɪʃən ɪn əˈveɪləbəl spɔrts ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən raɪts. ɪn fækt, ðə ˈɛnˌbiˈeɪ, ˈɛˌnɛˈfɛl, ənd ˈmeɪʤər lig ˈbeɪsˈbɔl ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən raɪts ər ɔl lɑkt əp ənˈtɪl 2020 æt ðə ˈərliəst, wɪθ ðə ˈkɑlɪʤ ˈfʊtˌbɔl pleɪɔfs ənd ðə mɑrʧ ˈmædnəs ˈbæskətˌbɔl ˈtʊrnəmənt ˈəndər ˈkɑnˌtrækt ənˈtɪl 2025 ənd 2032 rɪˈspɛktɪvli. wɪθ ðə spɔrts ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ˈlænˌskeɪp kloʊz tɪ ˈbɛrən, ðə həz ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ pəˈzɪʃən ˌɪtˈsɛlf əˈkɔrdɪŋli ənd pərˈhæps draɪv əp ɪts fi. ˈæftər ɔl, ˈivɪn waɪl, ˈnɛtˌwərks stɪl ˈɔpərˌeɪt wɪθ ðə ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ ðət ˈkɑntɛnt ɪz kɪŋ, ənd ˈɛni əˈveɪləbəl pis əv ɪt kən faɪər əp ə ˈbɪdɪŋ wɔr. ɪz ˌɪmˈpɑsəbəl tɪ ˌɪgˈnɔr ðə ɪgˈzɔrbɪtənt fiz ðət peɪz fər ðə raɪts tɪ ˈbrɔdˌkæst ə waɪd ˈspɛktrəm əv ˈspɔrtɪŋ ɪˈvɛnts, bət ɪt ɪz pɑrt ənd ˈpɑrsəl əv biɪŋ ðə leader,’*,’ aɪ suppose,”*,” ˈdɑrən ˈhaɪtnər, ən əˈtərni ənd ˈfaʊndər əv ˈhaɪtnər ˈligəl, p.l.l.c*., ə lɔ fərm ðət ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪzɪz ɪn spɔrts lɔ, toʊld ˈbliʧər rɪˈpɔrt. ɪz ɪn ðɪs priˈkɛriəs pəˈzɪʃən ɪn wɪʧ ɪt filz ˈɑbləˌgeɪtɪd tɪ wɪn ˈbɪdɪŋ wɔrz fər ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən raɪts ər ɛls ɪt wɪl ʃɛd səm əv ɪts ˈɛksələns ɪn kəmˈpɛrəsən tɪ məʧ ˈwikər ˈnɛtˌwərks. ðə ki kˈwɛʃən ɪz: ɪf rɪˈdusɪz ɪts roʊl ɪn ˈbɪdɪŋ, wɪl ðə fiz bi rɪˈdust ɪn əˈkɔrdəns wɪθ action?”*?” ðə θɪŋ ɪz, ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi noʊz wət ɪgˈzæktli ˈoʊvərˌpeɪɪŋ wɪl lʊk laɪk ɪn ə ˈkɑnstəntli ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ ˈlænˌskeɪp. ənd pɑrt əv ðə ˈbætəl ɪn ˈriʧɪŋ ɪts oʊn prɑˈʤɛkʃənz wɪl stɛm frəm wundz. ˈneɪmli, ˈreɪtɪŋz hæv ˈteɪkən ə dɪp ɪn ðə ˈərli pɑrt əv 2017 ˈæftər ə ˈblɑkˌbəstər 2016 ˈbrændən ˈɪmɪʤɪz ðə ˈfrænˌʧaɪz ˌriˈæləˌti ʃoʊ, ðə ˈəltəmət ˈfaɪtər, dru ʤɪst vjuərz tɪ ðə ˈsizən 25 ˈoʊpənər, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈʃoʊˌbəz ˈdeɪli, ˈmɑrkɪŋ ən ˌɔlˈtaɪm loʊ. ə ˈrisənt ɪˈvɛnt ðət ˈfiʧərd ʧæmp ˈtaɪtəl dɪˈfɛns hæd ðə ˈreɪtɪŋz əv ˈɛni ɔn fɑks ʃoʊ ˈɛvər, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈfaɪtɪŋ. ˈivɪn ðə ˈnəmbərz ər weɪ daʊn, wɪθ ðə fərst θri ɪˈvɛnts əv ðə jɪr drɔɪŋ əraʊnd kəmˈbaɪnd baɪz, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈvɛriəs ˈɪndəstri ˈɛstəˌmeɪts. (baɪ kəmˈpɛrəsən, ðə fərst θri əv 2016 dru əˈbaʊt 2 ˈmɪljən kəmˈbaɪnd baɪz, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ deɪv ˈmɛltsər mmapayout*). ðoʊz ˈfɑlɪŋ ˈmɛtrɪks ər ˈlɑrʤli ðə rɪˈzəlt əv ə læk əv stɑr paʊər ɪn 2017 ʃoʊz, wɪθ drɔz səʧ ɛz məˈgrɛgər, ʤɑn ʤoʊnz ənd nɪk ənd neɪt diɑz jɛt tɪ si ˈækʃən, ənd ˈrɑndə ˈraʊsi ˈlaɪkli rɪˈtaɪrd. stɪl, ðɛr rɪˈmeɪnz ˈɛvədəns ðət ðə paʊər goʊz pæst ɪts rɑ ˈnəmbərz. ˈæftər ɔl, ə ˈrizən ðə pərˈmoʊʃən soʊld fər ˈoʊvər 4 ˈbɪljən lɛs ðən ə jɪr əˈgoʊ. waɪl ˈɔdiəns ˈnəmbərz hæv dɪpt sɪns ðɛn, ðə stɪl həz ðə paʊər tɪ drɔ ðə ˈkəvətɪd ˌdɛməˈgræfɪk ðət ˈædvərˌtaɪzərz ˈkəvət. ənd ə traɪˈəmfənt məˈgrɛgər ðə rɪˈtərn əv ˈlɔŋˌtaɪm ʧæmp ˈʤɔrʤɪz kˈwɪkli ʧeɪnʤ ðə ˈnɛrətɪv. ˈsərtənli prɪˈdɪkt haʊ məʧ kɛrz əˈbaʊt ðə bət aɪ θɪŋk bi smɑrt tɪ ˈstrɛŋθən ðɛr ˈkəvərɪʤ əv sports,”*,” ˈrɑbərts sɛd. kət bæk ɔn ˈkɑlɪʤ spɔrts. ðeɪ ˈbeɪsɪkli kloʊzd daʊn ðɛr hoʊl pərˈdəkʃən ˈhɛdˌkɔrtərz ɪn ˈʃɑrlət. bət bi səˈpraɪzd ɪf ðeɪ kət bæk ɔn spɔrts ðət ər ˈgɪtɪŋ mɔr ənd mɔr ˈpɑpjələr, əˈspɛʃəli bɪˈkəz brɪŋz ən ˈɔdiəns ðət ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli ˈfɑloʊ ˈəðər spɔrts. ə ˈvɛri strɔŋ, dɪˈvoʊtɪd ˈɔdiəns əv fænz ðət hæv ə sˈlaɪtli ˈdɪfərənt profile.”*.” ðə kən ʃoʊ ɪts kəˈnɛkʃən tɪ ðiz ˈɔdiənsəz ɛz wɛl ɛz ɪts əˈbɪləˌti tɪ ˈhɑrnɪs dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈmidiəmz ɛz ˈɪləˌstreɪtɪd baɪ ɪts ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə praʊəs (ˈoʊvər 38 ˈmɪljən ˈfɑloʊərz ɔn ˈfeɪsˌbʊk, tˈwɪtər, ˈjuˌtub ənd instagram*) ənd əˈdɑpʃən əv ɪts ˈdɪʤɪtəl ˈsərvɪs, faɪt pæs. ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ mit ɪts oʊn 450 ˈmɪljən pər jɪr ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃənz wɪl ˈəltəmətli hɪnʤ ɔn haʊ ðə ˈnɛtˌwərks ˈvælju ðə ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ɪn ðə ˈkɑntɛkst əv ðə prɪˈveɪlɪŋ ˈmɑrkɪt kənˈdɪʃənz. ɪz ɪt ðə læst əv ðə ˈvæljəbəl spɔrts raɪts fər ðə fɔrˈsiəbəl fˈjuʧər ər əˈnəðər ˈbloʊtɪd ˈkɑnˌtrækt ˈdɛstɪnd tɪ weɪ daʊn ɪts ˈnɛtˌwərk? ðə ˈænsər dɪˈpɛndz ˈmoʊstli ɔn ðə vˈjuˌpɔɪnt əv ˈmænɪʤmənt. pʊt ɔn ðə spɑt fər priˈdɪkʃənz, boʊθ spɔrts ˈbɪznɪs ˈɛkspərts bɪˈliv ðət ðə wɪl kəm kloʊz tɪ ðət ˈtərgət ɪf nɑt riʧ ɪt. ʤɛf ˈɪmɪʤɪz doʊnt θɪŋk raɪts fiz ər ɪn ˈtrəbəl, pər seɪ, bət aɪ θɪŋk ðət ðeɪ meɪ plæˈtoʊ ɪn ðə nɪr future,”*,” ˈhaɪtnər sɛd. raɪts ʃʊd stɪl bi ˈɛkˌsplɔɪtəd fər ə ˈvɛri lɑrʤ səm əv ˈməni, ənd ðə ˈməltəpəl əv ɪz ˈpɑsəbəl. ɪt ɪz mɔr ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ ˈvælju ðoʊz raɪts ɛz ðə spɔrt ɪz kənˈtɪnjuəsli əˈtræktɪŋ ə ˈwaɪdər, ˈlɑrʤər ˈɔdiəns ˈoʊvər time.”*.” bɛt gɪt close,”*,” ˈrɑbərts ˈædɪd. ɪz ˈrɪli traɪɪŋ tɪ ræmp əp baɪ ˈspɛndɪŋ wɛˈræz həz ˈoʊvərˈspɛnt. [ˈmɪljən] simz laɪk ə strɛʧ. ðə kˈwɛsʧənz wɪl bi: ə) ɪz goʊɪŋ tɪ ˈoʊvərˌpeɪ fər wən mɔr θɪŋ? aɪ θɪŋk soʊ. ənd bi) dɪz fɑks fil ðət ˈhævɪŋ həz bɪn ə ki ˈrizən groʊn soʊ məʧ? soʊ ɪf ˈgɛsɪŋ fər fən, seɪ əˈbaʊt 350 ˈmɪljən mæks. gɪt kloʊz tɪ ðə ˈnəmbər ðeɪ wɔnt, bət aɪ si haʊ gɪt fɔr taɪmz wət ðeɪ gɑt læst time.”*.” groʊθ həz ˈhɔltɪd. ˈbəʤɪts ər ʃˈrɪŋkɪŋ. əˈproʊʧɪz ər əˈdæptɪŋ tɪ nu ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ənd ˌtɛknəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˌriˈæləˌtiz. ðət minz ɪn ðɪs go-round*, ðə oʊld rulz əv spɔrts raɪts nɪˌgoʊʃiˈeɪʃən noʊ ˈlɔŋgər əˈplaɪ. ðə ˈsɛlɪŋ ɪˈvɛnts tɪ ˈməltəpəl ˈnɛtˌwərks ɪz ˈpɑsəbəl; soʊ ɪz ðə ˌpɑsəˈbɪləˌti ðət ɪt sɛlz ɪˈvɛnts tɪ ə ˈnɛtˌwərk ənd ə ˈstrimɪŋ ˈpɑrtnər. ɛz ðə nɪˈgoʊʃiˌeɪtɪŋ ˈwɪndoʊ ˈoʊpənz, ðɛr ɪz ə ˈfɔrʧən tɪ bi meɪd, bət ðə pərˈmoʊʃən həz ən ˈəˈphɪl ˈbætəl tɪ ɪnˈʃʊr ðət ðə ˈdɪfərəns bɪtˈwin wət ɪt wɔnts ənd wət ɪt wɪl rɪˈsiv ɪz nɑt ə ˈfɔrʧən əv ɪts oʊn.

brandon magnus/zuffa llc/getty images the last week of april 2017 marked a loud yet symbolic shift in the future of sports on television. espn, the longtime self-proclaimed “worldwide leader in sports,” released some of its best-known and credible journalistic talent in a purge designed to show wall street that it was in serious cost-cutting mode, a response to the continuing loss of millions of cable subscribers who have chosen to cut the cord. according to recode, the behemoth has lost 10 million subscribers in just the last five years, an exodus that has led to substantial revenue losses for the network and parent company disney. similarly, fox sports 1 is down five million subscribers in less than four years of being launched, according to sports business daily. it is in this current climate that the ufc will soon bring its television rights fees to market with the hopes of quadrupling its current $115 million annual average, sports business daily recently reported. the ufc’s exclusive window with current tv partner fox will open later this year. in at least one way, the ufc is better prepared than ever to take its rights to market. the ownership team at wme-img is invested in the outcome, bringing extensive knowledge of the entertainment industry as well as negotiating experience into the fray. but the current business winds are unsettled. christopher capozziello/zuffa llc/getty images “it’s hard to predict, but i don't think you’ll see espn continue to overpay for rights,” daniel roberts, a writer for yahoo finance who covers the intersection of sports and business, told bleacher report. “espn is spending $8 billion this year just on rights fees. just eye-popping. not tenable for much longer. gotten to the point that every time a disney earnings report and you scroll down to ‘cable networks,’ it says ‘profit was down at espn due to rising programming costs and falling subscriptions. pretty basic business math here—spending up and revenue down—so when you put that on the ufc deal, i see how they can get four times what they did last time, at least not from espn.” but even that comes with a caveat: as bad as the ufc’s timing is in regards to entering a down business market, its timing is fantastic when it comes to little competition in available sports tv rights. in fact, the nba, nfl, nhl and major league baseball television rights are all locked up until 2020 at the earliest, with the college football playoffs and the ncaa march madness basketball tournament under contract until 2025 and 2032, respectively. with the sports tv landscape close to barren, the ufc has the ability to position itself accordingly and perhaps drive up its fee. after all, even while cost-cutting, networks still operate with the understanding that content is king, and any available piece of it can fire up a bidding war. “it is impossible to ignore the exorbitant fees that espn pays for the rights to broadcast a wide spectrum of sporting events, but it is part and parcel of being the ‘worldwide leader,’ i suppose,” darren heitner, an attorney and founder of heitner legal, p.l.l.c., a law firm that specializes in sports law, told bleacher report. “espn is in this precarious position in which it feels obligated to win bidding wars for important tv rights or else it will shed some of its excellence in comparison to much weaker networks. the key question is: if espn reduces its role in bidding, will the fees be reduced in accordance with espn's action?” the thing is, nobody knows what exactly overpaying will look like in a constantly changing landscape. and part of the ufc’s battle in reaching its own projections will stem from self-inflicted wounds. namely, ufc ratings have taken a dip in the early part of 2017 after a blockbuster 2016. brandon magnus/zuffa llc/getty images the promotion’s franchise reality show, the ultimate fighter, drew just 288,000 viewers to the season 25 opener, according to showbuzz daily, marking an all-time low. a recent event that featured ufc flyweight champ demetrious johnson’s record-tying 10th title defense had the second-worst ratings of any ufc on fox show ever, according to mma fighting. even the ufc’s pay-per-view numbers are way down, with the first three events of the year drawing around 800,000 combined buys, according to various industry estimates. (by comparison, the first three pay-per-views of 2016 drew about 2 million combined buys, according to dave meltzer (h/t mmapayout). those falling metrics are largely the result of a lack of star power in 2017 shows, with draws such as conor mcgregor, jon jones and nick and nate diaz yet to see action, and ronda rousey likely retired. still, there remains evidence that the ufc’s power goes past its raw numbers. after all, a reason the promotion sold for over $4 billion less than a year ago. while audience numbers have dipped since then, the ufc still has the power to draw the coveted 18-49 demographic that advertisers covet. and a triumphant mcgregor return—or the return of longtime champ georges st-pierre—can quickly change the narrative. “i certainly can’t predict how much espn cares about the ufc but i think they’d be smart to strengthen their coverage of up-and-coming sports,” roberts said. “they cut back on college sports. they basically closed down their whole espnu production headquarters in charlotte. but i’d be surprised if they cut back on sports that are getting more and more popular, especially because mma brings an audience that necessarily follow other sports. a very strong, devoted audience of fans that have a slightly different profile.” the ufc can show its connection to these audiences as well as its ability to harness developing mediums as illustrated by its social media prowess (over 38 million followers on facebook, twitter, youtube and instagram) and adoption of its over-the-top digital service, ufc fight pass. the ufc’s ability to meet its own $450 million per year expectations will ultimately hinge on how the networks value the organization in the context of the prevailing market conditions. is it the last of the valuable sports rights for the foreseeable future or another bloated contract destined to weigh down its network? the answer depends mostly on the viewpoint of management. put on the spot for predictions, both sports business experts believe that the ufc will come close to that target if not reach it. jeff bottari/zuffa llc/getty images “i don't think rights fees are in trouble, per se, but i think that they may plateau in the near future,” heitner said. “ufc rights should still be exploited for a very large sum of money, and the multiple of 4x is possible. it is more difficult to value those rights as the sport is continuously attracting a wider, larger audience over time.” “i bet they’ll get close,” roberts added. “fox is really trying to ramp up by spending whereas espn has overspent. four-hundred-fifty [million] seems like a stretch. the questions will be: a) is espn going to overpay for one more thing? i think so. and b) does fox feel that having ufc has been a key reason grown so much? so if guessing for fun, i’d say about $350 million max. they’ll get close to the number they want, but i see how they’ll get four times what they got last time.” growth has halted. budgets are shrinking. approaches are adapting to new economic and technological realities. that means in this go-round, the old rules of sports rights negotiation no longer apply. the ufc selling events to multiple networks is possible; so is the possibility that it sells events to a network and a streaming partner. as the ufc’s negotiating window opens, there is a fortune to be made, but the promotion has an uphill battle to ensure that the difference between what it wants and what it will receive is not a fortune of its own.

baɪ ˈkɛvɪn ˈkɪndrɪd ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ðə ˈsɪvəl ˌlɪˌbərˈtɛˌriən ɪn mi ənd ðə kwɪr raɪts ˈæktɪvɪst ɪn mi gɪt əˈlɔŋ wɛl. ðɛr ər taɪmz wɪn ɛz ən ˈæktɪvɪst, aɪ ˈwɛlkəm ˈgəvərnmənt ˌɪnərˈfɪrəns ɪn ɑr ɪt ˈlɛvəlz ðə pleɪɪŋ fild fər ðə ˌdɪsədˈvænɪʤd, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ər wɛr ɪt səˈpɔrts ˌɪˈnɪʃətɪvz ðət wɪl hɛlp ɑr kəmˈjunɪti θraɪv. ɔn ðə ˈəðər hænd, aɪ ˈɔlsoʊ si ɑr ˈmuvmənt ɛz wən əv rɪˈzɪstəns əˈgɛnst ˈgəvərnmənt fər ɑr raɪt tɪ slip wɪθ hu wi wɔnt, haʊ wi wɔnt, ɪkˈsprɛs ɑrˈsɛlvz haʊ wi wɔnt, wɪˈθaʊt ðə steɪt ˈtɛlɪŋ ˈjuˈɛs raɪt ənd rɔŋ. ˈsəmˌtaɪmz, ðiz tu ˈprɪnsəpəlz lɪv təˈgɛðər ˈvɛri wɛl, ənd ðiz tɛnd tɪ bi ðə ˈɛriəz wɛr kwɪr ˈæktɪvɪsts gɪt ˈɪntu ˈɑrgjəmənts. ˈsɛnsərɪŋ heɪt spiʧ, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ˈsəmθɪŋ kənˈflɪktɪd əˈbaʊt. aɪ θɪŋk ðə səˈprim kɔrt əv dɪˈsɪʒən ɪn gɪts ɪt rɔŋ frəm boʊθ pərˈspɛktɪvz. ɪt ˈpərˌmɪts ən ˌənækˈsɛptəbəl ˌɪnərˈfɪrəns wɪθ fri spiʧ. ənd, ɪt səˈpɔrts ˈgəvərnmənt ˈækʃənz wɪʧ meɪk θɪŋz wərs fər kwɪr kəˈneɪdiənz, nɑt ˈbɛtər. lɛt mi ɪkˈspleɪn wət aɪ min. maɪ fərst ˈɑrgjəmənt ɪz ˈprɑbəˌbli fəˈmɪljər tɪ ju. wən əv ðoʊz foʊks hu θɪŋks ðət ˈsɛnsərˌʃɪp ɪz əˈməŋ ðə wərst θɪŋz ə ˈgəvərnmənt kən du tɪ ɪts ˈsɪtɪzənz. kwɪr ˈpipəl ʃʊd noʊ ðət ˈbɛtər ðən moʊst. ɑr ˈhɪstəri ɪz wən əv riˈprɛʃən, əv biɪŋ toʊld baɪ ðə steɪt tɪ ʃət əp ənd steɪ ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl. ˈivɪn təˈdeɪ, wi kənˈtɪnju tɪ feɪs dɪˈrɛkt ənd ˌɪndərˈɛkt ˈsɛnsərˌʃɪp əv ɑr ˈsɛkʃuəl ənd ɑrˈtɪstɪk ɪkˈsprɛʃən. wi ʃʊd bi ðə fərst ˈpipəl ˈstændɪŋ əp fər ˈfridəm əv ɪkˈsprɛʃən, ˈivɪn wɪn ðə vjuz ɪkˈsprɛst ər ˌkɑntrəˈvərʃəl ənd, tɪ ˈjuˈɛs, ˌrɛprɪˈhɛnsəbəl. bət ˈɑnəstli, nɑt maɪ meɪn ˈkrɪtɪˌsɪzəm əv. ɛz məʧ ɛz aɪ ləv fri ɪkˈsprɛʃən, aɪ ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪz ðət ˈɛvəri raɪt həz ɪts ˈlɪmɪts. aɪ səˈpɔrt, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ˈmeɪkɪŋ ɪt ˈkrɪmənəl tɪ ˌɪnˈsaɪt ˈvaɪələns əˈgɛnst ˈəðərz. soʊ tɪ səm ɪkˈstɛnt, ʤɪst əˈbaʊt wɛr wi drɔ ðə laɪn. drɔz ðə laɪn rɔŋ. ˈsɛnsərɪŋ heɪt spiʧ hɛlp rɪˈdus ˈfɑstərz ɪt. ˈθæŋkfəli, ˈpipəl laɪk bɪl lɪv ɔn ðə ˈmɑrʤənz əv soʊˈsaɪɪti. ðeɪ gɪt ðɛr bɪˈkəz wi ˈsɛnsərd ðɛm, ðeɪ gɑt ðɛr bɪˈkəz wi sˈloʊli, pərsˈweɪsɪvli meɪd ðə keɪs ðət geɪz ənd ˈlɛzbiənz ər ˈwərði əv rɪˈspɛkt. æt fərst wi wər ðə wənz ɪkˈsprɛsɪŋ ðə ˌənˈpɑpjələr ənd ˌkɑntrəˈvərʃəl vju, bət wi dɪd ɪt wɛl, ənd wi ʧeɪnʤd ðə ˈkəlʧər. aɪ θɪŋk θɪŋz ər ˈpərˌfɪkt, bət təˈdeɪ, moʊst kəˈneɪdiənz dɪsəˈgri wɪθ bɪl wɪn ɪt kəmz tɪ ˌhoʊmoʊˌsɛkʃuˈæləˌti. wɪn wi brɪŋ heɪt spiʧ kəmˈpleɪnts, wi dræg ðiz ˈpipəl frəm ðə ˈmɑrʤənz ˈɪntu ðə ˈspɑˌtlaɪt. bɪl ˈstupɪd ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbɪk ˈpæmfləts, wɪʧ bɪˈlɔŋ ɪn ðə træʃ kænz əv ðə foʊks hi dɪˈlɪvərd ðɛm tɪ, hæv naʊ bɪn ˈpəblɪʃt, ˈænəˌlaɪzd, ənd meɪd əˈveɪləbəl fər ˈɛvriˌwən tɪ si. ðɪs ˈspɑˌtlaɪt fəˈnɑməˌnɑn ʤɪst ɪn hɪz keɪs, ˈiðər. wi noʊ, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ðət wɪn heɪt spiʧ kəmˈpleɪnts ər brɔt əˈgɛnst ˈwɛbˌsaɪts, ðɛr hɪt kaʊnts goʊ əp drəˈmætɪkəli. ɪn ðɪs deɪ ənd eɪʤ, ˈsɛnsərˌʃɪp ˈæˌkʧuəli səˈprɛs heɪt spiʧ, ɪt drɔz əˈtɛnʃən tɪ ðə əˈdɪʃənəl əˈtrækʃən əv ɪt naʊ biɪŋ tæˈbu. hɪmˈsɛlf, ənd ˈəðərz laɪk ɪm, hu bɪˈlɔŋ ɔn ðə pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈfrɪnʤɪz, ər bɪˈkəmɪŋ foʊk ˈhɪroʊz ɪn raɪt wɪŋ ˈsərkəlz. ðeɪ gɪv ˈspiʧɪz, drɔ ɪn səˈpɔrtərz, ənd bɪˈkəm ðə ˈfoʊkəl pɔɪnts əv ənd ˈgræsˈruts ˈɛfərts. ə heɪt spiʧ kəmˈpleɪnt əˈgɛnst ˈɛzrə ləˈvænt ˈæˌkʧuəli briðd laɪf ˈɪntu hɪz kərɪr ɛz ə pəˈlɪtɪkəl naʊ spɪnz hɪz ˈbɪgətɪd laɪz ɔn sən nuz. fɪr jərn fər ɪt. wət kips ðɛm goʊɪŋ. trəst mi, sin ɪt fərst hænd. ə fju jɪrz bæk, wɪn ə ˈhælɪˌfæks ˈpæstər ˈpəblɪʃt ˈbaɪbəl ˈvərsɪz ɛz ˈnuzˌpeɪpər ædz, hi toʊld ðə ˈmidiə ðət hi wɑz ˈweɪtɪŋ fər ðə ˈjumən raɪts kəmˈpleɪnt ənd ˈrɛdi tɪ goʊ tɪ ʤeɪl tɪ pruv hɪz pɔɪnt. ˈloʊkəl ˈæktɪvɪsts teɪk ðə beɪt, ənd ðə ˈpæstər ənd hɪz ˈtaɪni ʧərʧ ˈfeɪdɪd bæk ˈɪntu əbˈskjʊrəti. hæd wi ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ brɪŋ ə kəmˈpleɪnt, laɪk ˈæktɪvɪsts dɪd ɪn ðə keɪs, hɪz kɔz wʊd hæv θraɪvd frəm ðə əˈtɛnʃən. wɪn wi ˈsɛnsər ɑr moʊst ɪkˈstrim əˈpoʊnənts, wi ənˈwɪtɪŋli gɪv ðɛm ə nu kaɪnd əv paʊər ənd əˈtɛnʃən. ənd ɪf ju lʊk ˈkloʊsli, ju kən si haʊ ðət paʊər ɪz biɪŋ tərnd ɔn ˈjumən raɪts kəˈmɪʃənz ðɛmˈsɛlvz. ˈsɛtɪŋ əˈsaɪd heɪt spiʧ ˈtaɪni pɑrt əv ðɛr kəˈmɪʃənz du ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt wərk ɪn æˈdrɛsɪŋ dɪˌskrɪməˈneɪʃən əˈgɛnst məˈnɔrətiz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ kwɪr foʊks. bət ðə ˈmɛsɪʤ ðət raɪts kəˈmɪʃənz ər aʊt əv control”*” həz ˈrɪli ˈrɛzəˌneɪtɪd wɪθ ðə pəˈlɪtɪkəl raɪt, fjuəld baɪ ðiz heɪt spiʧ kəmˈpleɪnts. ənd ɛz ə rɪˈzəlt, sin ˈɛfərts ɪn ˈsɛvərəl ˈprɑvənsəz tɪ ənd ɪˈlɪməˌneɪt ˈjumən raɪts kəˈmɪʃənz, ər æt list meɪk ðɛm ˈhɑrdər tɪ ˈækˌsɛs. ðɪs fəˈnɑməˌnɑn əv ˈsɛnsərˌʃɪp ˈmeɪkɪŋ θɪŋz wərs ɪz nɑt ˌæksəˈdɛnəl, ər ɪkˈsɛpʃənəl. ə ˌfəndəˈmɛnəl fækt əˈbaʊt ðə weɪ ˈsɛnsərˌʃɪp pleɪz aʊt ɪn ˌriˈæləˌti. kəˈneɪdiənz laɪk ðə aɪˈdiə əv ˈsəmˌwən biɪŋ toʊld nɑt tɪ seɪ wət ðeɪ θɪŋk. wi ər ˌsɪmpəˈθɛtɪk tɪ ðoʊz hu hæv bɪn ˈvɪktəmaɪzd baɪ ðə ˈgəvərnmənt. ənd wɪn ðə ˈgəvərnmənt tɛlz ˈjuˈɛs ˈsəmθɪŋ bi rɛd, ɑr ˌkjʊriˈɑsəti meɪks ˈjuˈɛs wɔnt tɪ rɛd ɪt ˈivɪn mɔr. ðoʊz ˈvæljuz ər ˌfəndəˈmɛnəl tɪ ə ˈhɛlθi ðeɪ wərk dɪˈrɛkli əˈgɛnst ðə aɪˈdiə əv ˈjuzɪŋ ˈsɛnsərˌʃɪp tɪ faɪt heɪt. ðɪs ɪz waɪ ˈfrəˌstreɪtəd tɪ hir ˈkeɪsɪz laɪk dɪˈskraɪbd ɛz ə balance”*”. ɔl fər ˈfaɪndɪŋ ðə raɪt ˈbæləns bɪtˈwin kəmˈpitɪŋ gʊdz. bət noʊ kəmˈpitɪŋ gʊdz tɪ ˈbæləns hir. ˈsɛnsərˌʃɪp ɪz bæd fər ˈfridəm əv ɪkˈsprɛʃən, ənd bæd fər ðə pərˈmoʊʃən əv ɪkˈwɑləti. wɪn boʊθ saɪdz əv ðə skeɪl tɪp ðə seɪm weɪ, ɪt ðə skeɪl ˈfɑlɪŋ ˈoʊvər. ˈkɛvɪn ˈkɪndrɪd ɪz ə ˈlɔjər ənd ˈæktɪvɪst. waɪl hi wərks wɪθ ə ˈnəmbər əv kwɪr grups, ðə əˈpɪnjənz ɪkˈsprɛst hir ər hɪz əˈloʊn.

by kevin kindred sometimes the civil libertarian in me and the queer rights activist in me don’t get along well. there are times when as an activist, i welcome government interference in our lives—when it levels the playing field for the disadvantaged, for example, or where it supports initiatives that will help our community thrive. on the other hand, i also see our movement as one of resistance against government interference--fighting for our right to sleep with who we want, how we want, express ourselves how we want, without the state telling us what’s right and wrong. sometimes, these two principles don’t live together very well, and these tend to be the areas where queer activists get into arguments. censoring hate speech, however, isn’t something i’m conflicted about. i think the supreme court of canada’s decision in whatcott gets it wrong from both perspectives. it permits an unacceptable interference with free speech. and, it supports government actions which make things worse for queer canadians, not better. let me explain what i mean. my first argument is probably familiar to you. i’m one of those folks who thinks that censorship is among the worst things a government can do to its citizens. queer people should know that better than most. our history is one of repression, of being told by the state to shut up and stay invisible. even today, we continue to face direct and indirect censorship of our sexual and artistic expression. we should be the first people standing up for freedom of expression, even when the views expressed are controversial and, to us, reprehensible. but honestly, that’s not my main criticism of whatcott. as much as i love free expression, i recognize that every right has its limits. i support, for example, making it criminal to incite violence against others. so to some extent, it’s just about where we draw the line. whatcott draws the line wrong. censoring hate speech doesn’t help reduce hate—it fosters it. thankfully, people like bill whatcott live on the margins of society. they didn’t get there because we censored them, they got there because we slowly, persuasively made the case that gays and lesbians are worthy of respect. at first we were the ones expressing the unpopular and controversial view, but we did it well, and we changed the culture. i don’t think things are perfect, but today, most canadians disagree with bill whatcott when it comes to homosexuality. when we bring hate speech complaints, we drag these people from the margins into the spotlight. bill whatcott’s stupid homophobic pamphlets, which belong in the trash cans of the folks he delivered them to, have now been published, analyzed, and made available for everyone to see. this spotlight phenomenon isn’t just in his case, either. we know, for example, that when hate speech complaints are brought against websites, their hit counts go up dramatically. in this day and age, censorship doesn’t actually suppress hate speech, it draws attention to it--with the additional attraction of it now being taboo. whatcott himself, and others like him, who belong on the political fringes, are becoming folk heroes in canada’s right wing circles. they give speeches, draw in supporters, and become the focal points of fund-raising and grassroots efforts. a hate speech complaint against ezra levant actually breathed life into his near-dead career as a political commentator—he now spins his bigoted lies on sun news. hate-mongers don’t fear censorship—they yearn for it. it’s what keeps them going. trust me, i’ve seen it first hand. a few years back, when a halifax pastor published anti-gay bible verses as newspaper ads, he told the media that he was waiting for the human rights complaint and ready to go to jail to prove his point. local activists didn’t take the bait, and the pastor and his tiny church faded back into obscurity. had we decided to bring a complaint, like activists did in the whatcott case, his cause would have thrived from the attention. when we censor our most extreme opponents, we unwittingly give them a new kind of power and attention. and if you look closely, you can see how that power is being turned on human rights commissions themselves. setting aside hate speech complaints—a tiny part of their mandate—the commissions do important work in addressing discrimination against minorities, including queer folks. but the message that “human rights commissions are out of control” has really resonated with the political right, fuelled by these hate speech complaints. and as a result, we’ve seen efforts in several provinces to down-size and eliminate human rights commissions, or at least make them harder to access. this phenomenon of censorship making things worse is not accidental, or exceptional. it’s a fundamental fact about the way censorship plays out in reality. canadians don’t like the idea of someone being told not to say what they think. we are sympathetic to those who have been victimized by the government. and when the government tells us something shouldn’t be read, our curiosity makes us want to read it even more. those values are fundamental to a healthy democracy—but they work directly against the idea of using censorship to fight hate. this is why i’m frustrated to hear cases like whatcott described as “striking a balance”. i’m all for finding the right balance between competing goods. but there’s no competing goods to balance here. censorship is bad for freedom of expression, and bad for the promotion of equality. when both sides of the scale tip the same way, it isn’t balance—it’s the scale falling over. kevin kindred is a halifax-based lawyer and activist. while he works with a number of queer groups, the opinions expressed here are his alone.

ˈmɛmpfɪs, tɛn. ˈklɪpərz pɔɪnt gɑrd krɪs pɔl həz ə kənˈtuʒən ɪn hɪz raɪt ˈniˌkæp ənd wɪl nɑt pleɪ ˈmənˌdeɪ naɪt əˈgɛnst ðə ˈmɛmpfɪs ˈgrɪzliz æt ðə fedexforum*. ðɛr ˈɔlsoʊ ɪz ə gʊd ʧæns ðət pɔl woʊnt pleɪ ɪn ˈhjustən ɔn ˈtuzˌdeɪ naɪt ɪn ə geɪm. pɔl ˈdɪdənt pɑrˈtɪsəˌpeɪt ɪn ðə ˈklɪpərz' ˈərliər ˈmənˌdeɪ, ˈsɪtɪŋ ɔn ðə ˈsaɪˌdlaɪnz wɪθ wət hi sɛd wɑz ə sˈwoʊlən ni. hi hæd ə ˈstɪmjələnt dɪˈvaɪs kəˈnɛktɪd tɪ hɪz ni. æst ɪf hi wʊd pleɪ əˈgɛnst ðə ˈgrɪzliz, pɔl sɛd: "aɪ doʊnt noʊ jɛt. ɪf ə ˈmɪrəkəl kəmz θru. aɪ hoʊp soʊ. aɪ wɔnt tɪ pleɪ, noʊ kˈwɛʃən. bət ɪf aɪ fil laɪk aɪl ˈhɪndər ðə tim, ðɛn aɪ woʊnt." pɔl wɑz ˈɪnʤərd əˈgɛnst ɔˈrlænˌdoʊ wɪn hi ənd ˈmæʤɪk gɑrd j.j*. ˈrɛdɪk bəmpt niz leɪt ɪn ðə fɔrθ kˈwɔrtər. pɔl wɛnt daʊn ɔn ðə kɔrt fər ə waɪl, bət ˈfɪnɪʃt ðə geɪm.

memphis, tenn. -- clippers point guard chris paul has a contusion in his right kneecap and will not play monday night against the memphis grizzlies at the fedexforum. there also is a good chance that paul won't play in houston on tuesday night in a back-to-back game. paul didn't participate in the clippers' shoot-around earlier monday, sitting on the sidelines with what he said was a swollen knee. he had a stimulant device connected to his knee. asked if he would play against the grizzlies, paul said: "i don't know yet. if a miracle comes through. i hope so. i want to play, no question. but if i feel like i'll hinder the team, then i won't." paul was injured against orlando when he and magic guard j.j. redick bumped knees late in the fourth quarter. paul went down on the court for a while, but finished the game.

ɪt həz bɪn ˈwaɪdli hɛld əˈməŋ ˈmɛni sɪnˈsɪr ənd ˈkrɪsʧɪnz ðət ˈʧɑrəlz ˈdɑrwɪn ɔn hɪz ˈdɛθˌbɛd nɑt ˈoʊnli rɪˈnaʊnst ˌɛvəˈluʃən, bət ˈɔlsoʊ ækˈsɛptɪd ˈʤizəs kraɪst ɛz hɪz ˈseɪvjər. ðə teɪl əv ðɪs ˈdɛθˌbɛd kənˈvərʒən həz bɪn pæst daʊn ˈoʊvər ðə jɪrz ɛz fækt. ðɪs ““event”*” həz ˈivɪn bɪn juzd ɛz ““evidence”*” ðət ˌɛvəˈluʃən ɪz fɔls. ðə ˌoʊvərˈzɛləs hæv, æt taɪmz, ˈboʊldli proʊˈkleɪmd, ˈdɑrwɪn nu ðət ðɪs ˈθɪri wɑz nɑt true!”*!” ˈərli rɪˈpɔrts wət ɪz ðə ˈbeɪsɪs fər ðɪs ˈstɔri? ɛz ˈɔfən ɛz ɪt ɪz rɪˈpitɪd, ðɛr məst bi ˈkrɛdəbəl ˈɛvədəns ðət ðiz ɪˈvɛnts ˈæˌkʧuəli tʊk pleɪs, raɪt? ˈʃʊrli, ðə teɪl wʊd nɑt hæv kənˈtɪnjud ðoʊ ðə jɪrz ɪf ɪt wər ə laɪ? ˈsædli, wɪn ˈɛvədəns ɪz sɔt, ðɛr ɪz ˈlɪtəl tɪ səˈpɔrt ðɪs ˈstɔri. ˈʧɑrəlz ˈdɑrwɪn daɪd ɪn ˈeɪprəl 1882 ənd wɑz ˈbɛrid ɪn ˌwɛstˈmɪnstər ˈæbi. wɪˈθɪn deɪz əv hɪz dɛθ, rɪˈpɔrts əv ə kənˈvərʒən ɪkˈspɪriəns bɪˈgæn tɪ ˈsərkjəˌleɪt. ðə fərst rɪˈpɔrt səˈpoʊzədli keɪm ɪn ə ˈsərmən priʧt ɪn saʊθ weɪlz baɪ ə ˈʤɛnəlmən aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪd ɛz ““mr*. huntingdon.”*.” səm wiks ˈleɪtər ðɛr ˈsərfɪst ə rɪˈpɔrt əˈbaʊt ə ˈlɛtər sɛnt tɪ ʤɑn ˈɛdi, ə dɪˈvɪnəti prəˈfɛsər ɪn ˈglæˌskoʊ, ɪn wɪʧ ˈdɑrwɪn ˈɪndəˌkeɪtɪd, kən wɪθ ˈkɑnfədɛns lʊk tɪ ˈkjʊriəsli, wɪn ɪgˈzæmənd, ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ ˌkɔrəˈspɑndəns (wɪʧ ˈtoʊtəlz ˈoʊvər ˈlɛtərz) kənˈteɪnz noʊ kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃən bɪtˈwin ðiz tu ˈleɪdi hoʊp ðə moʊst ˈɔfən ˈsaɪtɪd ˈɛvədəns fər ðə əˈlɛʤd kənˈvərʒən əv ˈdɑrwɪn kəmz frəm ə ˈwʊmən noʊn ɛz ˈleɪdi hoʊp. ʃi wɑz bɔrn ɪˈlɪzəbɪθ rid ˈkɔtən ɪn dɪˈsɛmbər 1842 ənd wɑz ðə ˈdɔtər əv ˈʤɛnərəl sər ˈɑrθər ˈkɔtən. ʃi ənd hər ˈfɑðər wər ˈæktɪv ɪˈvænʤəlɪsts ɪn kɛnt, ˈvɛri nɪr ˈʧɑrəlz hoʊm. ɪn 1877 ʃi ˈmɛrid ˈædmərəl sər ʤeɪmz hoʊp ənd ðəs bɪˈkeɪm ˈleɪdi hoʊp, ə ˈtaɪtəl ʃi kənˈtɪnjud tɪ juz ˈivɪn ˈæftər riˈmɛriɪŋ ˈsəbsəkwənt tɪ sər dɛθ ə fju jɪrz waɪl ˈtrævəlɪŋ ɪn əˈmɛrɪkə ɪn 1915 ʃi əˈtɛndəd ə ˈkɑnfərəns ɪn ist ˈnɔrθˌfild, ˌmæsəˈʧusəts. waɪl ðɛr ʃi əˈpɛrəntli toʊld ðə ˈstɔri əv ə ˈvɪzɪt ʃi hæd wɪθ ˈdɑrwɪn ˌbiˈfɔr ðə dɛθ. ʃi ˌriˈkaʊntɪd ðɪs teɪl ˈdʊrɪŋ ə dɪˈvoʊʃənəl ˈsərvɪs ənd wɑz ˈleɪtər pərsˈweɪdɪd tɪ raɪt ən əˈkaʊnt əv ðɪs ˈvɪzɪt, wɪʧ wɑz ðɛn ˈpəblɪʃt ɪn ðə watchman-examiner*, ə ˈnæʃənəl ˈbæptɪst ˈmægəˌzin, ɔn ˈɔgəst 19 hir, ˈleɪdi hoʊp kleɪmd tɪ hæv ˈvɪzɪtɪd ˈdɑrwɪn ɔn ən ˈɔtəm ˌæftərˈnun. ʃi ˈnoʊtɪd ðət ˈdɑrwɪn hæd bɪn ˈbɛˌdrɪdən fər ˈsɛvərəl mənθs ˌbiˈfɔr hɪz dɛθ, ənd æt ðə taɪm əv hər ˈvɪzɪt ʃi faʊnd ɪm ˈsɪtɪŋ əp ɪn bɛd. ˈleɪdi hoʊp ˈɪndəˌkeɪtɪd ðət ˈdɑrwɪn wɑz æt ðə taɪm ˈrɛdɪŋ ðə ˈbaɪbəl, wɪʧ ʃi kleɪmd hi wɑz ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈstədiɪŋ. wɪn æst wət hi wɑz ˈrɛdɪŋ hi rɪˈplaɪd, ðə rɔɪəl book.”*.” ˈdɑrwɪn ˈɔlsoʊ səˈpoʊzədli ˈkɑmɛntəd, wɑz ə jəŋ mæn wɪθ ənˈfɔrmd ideas.”*.” ˈleɪdi hoʊp ˈfərðər kleɪmd ðət ˌbiˈfɔr hər dɪˈpɑrʧər ʃi wɑz æst baɪ ˈdɑrwɪn tɪ rɪˈtərn ənd spik tɪ hɪz ˈsərvənts ɪn hɪz summerhouse*. wɪn æst əˈbaʊt ðə ˈsəbʤɪkt ɔn wɪʧ ʃi ʃʊd spik, ˈdɑrwɪn wɑz sɛd tɪ hæv rɪˈplaɪd jesus!”*!” wət ˈrɪli ˈhæpənd? wɪn ðə fʊl tɛkst əv ðə rɪˈpɔrt ɪz ɪgˈzæmənd, ðɛr ər ˈmɛni ˌɪŋˈkɑnsɪˌstɛnsiz ðət meɪk ðə ˈstɔri ənˈtɛnəbəl. ənˈfɔrʧənətli, wɪn ðə fʊl tɛkst əv ðə rɪˈpɔrt ɪz ɪgˈzæmənd, ðɛr ər ˈmɛni ˌɪŋˈkɑnsɪˌstɛnsiz ðət meɪk ðə ˈstɔri ənˈtɛnəbəl. waɪl ɪt ɪz ˈpɑsəbəl ðət ˈleɪdi hoʊp dɪd ˈvɪzɪt hoʊm ɪn leɪt 1881 ðɪs wɑz ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈsɛvən mənθs ˌbiˈfɔr hɪz hi wɑz ˈsərtənli nɑt ˈbɛˌdrɪdən fər sɪks mənθs ˌbiˈfɔr hɪz dɛθ. ˈfərðər, ðɛr wɑz ˈnəθɪŋ tɪ ˈɪndəˌkeɪt ðət hi wɑz ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈstədiɪŋ ðə ˈbaɪbəl. ɔn ðə daʊn haʊs ˈprɑpərti, ðɛr wɑz ə smɔl summerhouse*, bət ɪt wɑz tu smɔl tɪ əˈkɑməˌdeɪt 30 ˈpipəl. ðɛr ɪz ˈnəθɪŋ ɪn hɪz ˈraɪtɪŋz tɪ ˈɪndəˌkeɪt ðət ˈdɑrwɪn ˈɛvər æst ˈɛniˌwən tɪ spik əˈbaʊt jesus.”*.” ˈfərðər, ɪt ɪz ˈfæsəˌneɪtɪŋ wət ˈleɪdi ˈstɔri dɪz nɑt seɪ. ɪt dɪz nɑt seɪ ðət ˈdɑrwɪn rɪˈnaʊnst ˌɛvəˈluʃən. ɪt ˈmɪrli sɪz ðət ˈdɑrwɪn ˈspɛkjəˌleɪtɪd ˈoʊvər ðə ˈaʊtˌkəm əv hɪz aɪˈdiəz. hi ˈnɛvər bækt əˈweɪ frəm ˌɛvəˈluʃən. nɔr dɪz ðə ˈleɪdi hoʊp ˈstɔri seɪ ðət ˈdɑrwɪn ˈæˌkʧuəli bɪˈkeɪm ə ˈkrɪsʧɪn. ðə ˈstɔri, ˈivɪn ɪf tru, ˈmɪrli kleɪmz ðə ˈdɑrwɪn wɑz ˈrɛdɪŋ ðə ˈbaɪbəl ənd meɪd ə ˈsteɪtmənt əˈbaʊt kraɪst. ˈnoʊˌwɛr ɪz ðɛr ə kleɪm əv ə ˈseɪvɪŋ riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp wɪθ ðə ˈseɪvjər. ɛz sun ɛz ðɪs ˈstɔri bɪˈkeɪm ˈpəblɪk, ðə dɪˈnaɪəlz frəm ˈfæməli bɪˈgæn (ɛz ðeɪ dɪd ˈæftər ˈɛvəri səˈpoʊzd story”*” bɪˈkeɪm noʊn). ɪn ə ˈlɛtər tɪ ʤeɪmz haʊ, sən ˈfrænsɪs roʊt ɪn 1915 [ˈdɑrwɪn] kʊd nɑt hæv bɪˈkəm ˈoʊpənli ənd ɪnˌθuziˈæstɪkli ˈkrɪsʧɪn wɪˈθaʊt ðə ˈnɑlɪʤ əv hɪz ˈfæməli, ənd noʊ səʧ ʧeɪnʤ ɪn ə ˈlɛtər ˈdeɪtɪd meɪ 28 1918 ˈfrænsɪs əˈgɛn raɪts: əˈkaʊnt əv maɪ vjuz ɔn rɪˈlɪʤən ɪz kwaɪt ənˈtru. aɪ hæv ˈpəblɪkli əˈkjuzd hər əv ˈfælsˌhʊd, bət aɪ hæv nɑt sin ˈɛni ˈdɔtər ˌhɛnriˈɛtə roʊt ɪn 1922 wɑz ˈprɛzənt æt hɪz ˈdɛθˌbɛd. ˈleɪdi hoʊp wɑz nɑt ˈprɛzənt ˈdʊrɪŋ hɪz læst ˈɪlnəs, ər ˈɛni ˈɪlnəs. hi ˈnɛvər riˈkæntɪd ˈɛni əv hɪz ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk vjuz, ˈiðər ðɛn ər kənˈkluʒən bɪɔnd ðiz dɪˈnaɪəlz, ɪf ðə teɪl wər tru, waɪ dɪd waɪf ˈɛmə nɑt rɪˈʤɔɪs ɪn ðɪs? ʃi wɑz ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈtrəbəld baɪ wət ʃi pərˈsivd ɛz ðə ˈgɑdləs ˈneɪʧər əv hɪz vjuz. ɪf hi ˌɪnˈdid rɪˈpɛntɪd, waɪ dɪd ʃi nɑt meɪk ðɪs noʊn? ˈɔlsoʊ, ɪf ðə ˈstɔri wər ˈkrɛdəbəl, waɪ dɪd ˈleɪdi hoʊp weɪt 33 jɪrz ˌbiˈfɔr rɪˈleɪtɪŋ ɪt, ənd ˈivɪn ðɛn, rɪˈleɪtɪŋ ɪt ɪn ə ˈkəntri əˈkrɔs ðə ˈoʊʃən? ˈgɪvɪn ðə weɪt əv ˈɛvədəns, ɪt məst bi kənˈkludɪd ðət ˈleɪdi ˈstɔri ɪz ˌənsəˈpɔrtəbəl, ˈivɪn ɪf ʃi dɪd ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈvɪzɪt ˈdɑrwɪn. hi ˈnɛvər bɪˈkeɪm ə ˈkrɪsʧɪn, ənd hi ˈnɛvər rɪˈnaʊnst ˌɛvəˈluʃən. ɛz məʧ ɛz wi wʊd laɪk tɪ bɪˈliv ðət hi daɪd wɪθ ə ˈseɪvɪŋ ˈnɑlɪʤ əv ˈʤizəs kraɪst, ɪt ɪz məʧ mɔr ˈlaɪkli ðət hi didn’t*. ɪt ɪz ənˈfɔrʧənət ðət ðə ˈstɔri kənˈtɪnjuz tɪ bi prəˈmoʊtəd baɪ ˈmɛni sɪnˈsɪr ˈpipəl hu juz ðɪs ɪn ən ˈɛfərt tɪ dɪˈskrɛdət ˌɛvəˈluʃən wɪn ˈmɛni ˈəðər greɪt ˈɑrgjəmənts ɪgˈzɪst, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə ˈgreɪtəst: ðə ˈbaɪbəl.

it has been widely held among many sincere and well-meaning christians that charles darwin on his deathbed not only renounced evolution, but also accepted jesus christ as his savior. the tale of this deathbed conversion has been passed down over the years as fact. this “event” has even been used as “evidence” that evolution is false. the overzealous have, at times, boldly proclaimed, “see—even darwin knew that this theory was not true!” early reports what is the basis for this story? as often as it is repeated, there must be credible evidence that these events actually took place, right? surely, the tale would not have continued though the years if it were a lie? sadly, when evidence is sought, there is little to support this story. charles darwin died in april 1882 and was buried in westminster abbey. within days of his death, reports of a conversion experience began to circulate. the first report supposedly came in a sermon preached in south wales by a gentleman identified as “mr. huntingdon.” some weeks later there surfaced a report about a letter sent to john eadie, a divinity professor in glasgow, in which darwin indicated, “he can with confidence look to calvary.”1 curiously, when examined, darwin’s existing correspondence (which totals over 14,000 letters) contains no communication between these two men.2 lady hope the most often cited evidence for the alleged conversion of darwin comes from a woman known as lady hope. she was born elizabeth reid cotton in december 1842 and was the daughter of general sir arthur cotton. she and her father were active evangelists in kent, very near charles darwin’s home. in 1877, she married admiral sir james hope and thus became lady hope, a title she continued to use even after remarrying subsequent to sir james’s death a few years later.3 while traveling in america in 1915 she attended a conference in east northfield, massachusetts. while there she apparently told the story of a visit she had with darwin before the scientist’s death. she recounted this tale during a devotional service and was later persuaded to write an account of this visit, which was then published in the watchman-examiner, a national baptist magazine, on august 19, 1915.4 here, lady hope claimed to have visited darwin on an autumn afternoon. she noted that darwin had been bedridden for several months before his death, and at the time of her visit she found him sitting up in bed. lady hope indicated that darwin was at the time reading the bible, which she claimed he was always studying. when asked what he was reading he replied, “hebrews . . . the royal book.” darwin also supposedly commented, “i was a young man with unformed ideas.” lady hope further claimed that before her departure she was asked by darwin to return and speak to his servants in his summerhouse. when asked about the subject on which she should speak, darwin was said to have replied “christ jesus!” what really happened? when the full text of the report is examined, there are many inconsistencies that make the story untenable. unfortunately, when the full text of the report is examined, there are many inconsistencies that make the story untenable. while it is possible that lady hope did visit darwin’s home in late 1881, this was almost seven months before his death.5 he was certainly not bedridden for six months before his death. further, there was nothing to indicate that he was always studying the bible. on the down house property, there was a small summerhouse, but it was too small to accommodate 30 people. there is nothing in his writings to indicate that darwin ever asked anyone to speak about “christ jesus.” further, it is fascinating what lady hope’s story does not say. it does not say that darwin renounced evolution. it merely says that darwin speculated over the outcome of his ideas. he never backed away from evolution. nor does the lady hope story say that darwin actually became a christian. the story, even if true, merely claims the darwin was reading the bible and made a statement about christ. nowhere is there a claim of a saving relationship with the savior. as soon as this story became public, the denials from darwin’s family began (as they did after every supposed “conversion story” became known). in a letter to james howe, darwin’s son francis wrote in 1915: “he [darwin] could not have become openly and enthusiastically christian without the knowledge of his family, and no such change occurred.”6 in a letter dated may 28, 1918, francis again writes: “lady hope’s account of my father’s views on religion is quite untrue. i have publicly accused her of falsehood, but i have not seen any reply.”3 darwin’s daughter henrietta wrote in 1922: “i was present at his deathbed. lady hope was not present during his last illness, or any illness. . . . he never recanted any of his scientific views, either then or earlier.”7 conclusion beyond these denials, if the tale were true, why did darwin’s wife emma not rejoice in this? she was always troubled by what she perceived as the godless nature of his views. if he indeed repented, why did she not make this known? also, if the story were credible, why did lady hope wait 33 years before relating it, and even then, relating it in a country across the ocean? given the weight of evidence, it must be concluded that lady hope’s story is unsupportable, even if she did actually visit darwin. he never became a christian, and he never renounced evolution. as much as we would like to believe that he died with a saving knowledge of jesus christ, it is much more likely that he didn’t. it is unfortunate that the story continues to be promoted by many sincere people who use this in an effort to discredit evolution when many other great arguments exist, including the greatest: the bible.

ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkɑpiˌraɪt ʤoʊ ˈkɔrbɪt ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkæpʃən mɪz ˈkɔrbɪt wɑz toʊld ðə stoʊn wɑz "nɑt ɪn ˈkipɪŋ" wɪθ ˈəðərz ɪn ðə ˈsɛmɪˌtɛri ə ˈsɪŋgəl ˈməðər sɪz ʃi həz bɪn lɛft "ˈʃætərd" ˈæftər ə ˈkaʊnsəl riˈmuvd hər sənz ˈhɛdˌstoʊn wɪˈθaʊt ˈæskɪŋ hər pərˈmɪʃən. mæks daɪd ˈeɪʤɪd fɔr θri jɪrz əˈgoʊ frəm ˌkɑmpləˈkeɪʃənz əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd wɪθ səˈvɪr ˈɛpɪˌlɛpsi. hɪz ˈməðər ʤoʊ, əv ˈmælvərn, ˈwʊstəʃər, sɛd ʃi wɑz toʊld ðə stoʊn fər mæks wɑz "nɑt ɪn ˈkipɪŋ" wɪθ ˈəðərz ɪn ðə ˈsɛmɪˌtɛri. ˈmælvərn taʊn ˈkaʊnsəl sɛd ə kəmˈpleɪnt wɑz meɪd əˈbaʊt əˈplaɪɪŋ ˈsɛmɪˌtɛri rulz. 'pur ˈlɪtəl ʧæp' mɪz ˈkɔrbɪt sɛd ɪt hæd ˈteɪkən hər θri jɪrz tɪ fil ˈeɪbəl tɪ ə stoʊn fər mæks. ʃi sɛd: "ɪt wʊd hæv bɪn hɪz ˈsɛvənθ ˈbərθˌdeɪ ɔn ðə ˈsənˌdi, ənd ðɪs wɑz laɪk ə ˈbərθˌdeɪ ˈprɛzənt tɪ ɪm frəm mi. "aɪ ʧoʊz ə stoʊn bɪˈkəz aɪ ˈwɔntɪd ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈsutəbəl fər mæks ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈpərsɪnəl. ðɪs stoʊn ɪz ʤɪst soʊ ˈpərˌfɪkt fər maɪ pur ˈlɪtəl ʧæp." ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkɑpiˌraɪt ʤoʊ ˈkɔrbɪt ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkæpʃən mɪz ˈkɔrbɪt sɛd ðə stoʊn wɑz "soʊ ˈpərˌfɪkt" fər mæks mɪz ˈkɔrbɪt sɛd ðə ˈkaʊnsəl hæd riˈmuvd ðə stoʊn ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ, θri deɪz ˈæftər ɪt wɑz ɪˈrɛktɪd. "aɪ wɑz ˈtoʊtəli ˌənəˈwɛr ðɪs wɑz goʊɪŋ ɔn," ʃi sɛd. "ðə ˈkaʊnsəl dɪd nɑt ˈkɑnˌtækt mi ənd ɪt wɑz ðə hu toʊld mi hid bɪn ˈɔrdərd tɪ riˈmuv ɪt. ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkɑpiˌraɪt ʤoʊ ˈkɔrbɪt ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkæpʃən mɪz ˈkɔrbɪt sɛd ɪt tʊk hər ə lɔŋ taɪm tɪ fil ˈeɪbəl tɪ ðə stoʊn fər mæks "aɪ fil ˈəpˌsɛt, dɪˈstrɛst ənd ˈæŋgri. wi hæv bɪn θru soʊ məʧ ɛz ə ˈfæməli. aɪ kʊd ˌəndərˈstænd ɪf ðə greɪv wɑz fər ər ənˈsaɪtli, bət ɪt ˈɪzənt." mɪz ˈkɔrbɪt sɛd ʃi wɑz əˈwɛr əv ˈkaʊnsəl rulz ˈgəvərnɪŋ ðə saɪz ənd ˈəpˌkip əv stoʊnz, bət nɑt rɪˈgɑrdɪŋ ðɛr ʃeɪp. ʃi sɛd ʃi hæd bɪn toʊld ðə greɪv wʊd hæv bɪn əˈlaʊd ɪf ɪt hæd bɪn ɪn ðə ˈʧɪldrənz ˈsɛkʃən əv greɪt ˈmælvərn ˈsɛmɪˌtɛri, bət ʃi hæd ˈɑptɪd tɪ hæv ɪt ɪn ðə lɔn ˈsɛmɪˌtɛri, kloʊz tɪ ˈəðər ˈrɛlətɪvz. ˈmælvərn taʊn ˈkaʊnsəl sɛd ɪt fɛlt "greɪt ˈsɪmpəθi" fər mɪz lɔs. ɪt sɛd ðə ˈmeɪsən hæd feɪld tɪ kənˈsəlt wɪθ ɪt ˈoʊvər ðə ʃeɪp. "wi hæv ə kənˈfɔrməti əv ʃeɪps ɪn ɑr lɔn ˈsɛmɪˌtɛri," ðə ˈkaʊnsəl sɛd. "wi wər ˈkɑnˌtæktɪd baɪ ˈpipəl hu əˈbʤɛktəd tɪ ðə ʃeɪp. ðə ˈlɔŋgər ɪt steɪd əp, ðə ˈhɑrdər ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs wʊd hæv bɪn. "ɪt wɑz ə ˈvɛri ˈdɪfəkəlt dɪˈsɪʒən tɪ riˈmuv ɪt bət wən wi hæd tɪ meɪk streɪt əˈweɪ." kərˈɛkʃən 9 ʤun 2015 ðɪs ˈstɔri həz bɪn əˈmɛndɪd ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən frəm ˈmælvərn taʊn ˈkaʊnsəl əˈbaʊt ðə ˈneɪʧər əv ðə kəmˈpleɪnt.

image copyright jo corbett image caption ms corbett was told the stone was "not in keeping" with others in the cemetery a single mother says she has been left "shattered" after a council removed her son's headstone without asking her permission. max corbett-gardener died aged four three years ago from complications associated with severe epilepsy. his mother jo, of malvern, worcestershire, said she was told the star-shaped stone for max was "not in keeping" with others in the cemetery. malvern town council said a complaint was made about applying cemetery rules. 'poor little chap' ms corbett said it had taken her three years to feel able to organise a stone for max. she said: "it would have been his seventh birthday on the sunday, and this was like a birthday present to him from me. "i chose a star-shaped stone because i wanted something suitable for max - something personal. this stone is just so perfect for my poor little chap." image copyright jo corbett image caption ms corbett said the star-shaped stone was "so perfect" for max ms corbett said the council had removed the stone on monday, three days after it was erected. "i was totally unaware this was going on," she said. "the council did not contact me and it was the stonemason who told me he'd been ordered to remove it. image copyright jo corbett image caption ms corbett said it took her a long time to feel able to organise the stone for max "i feel upset, distressed and angry. we have been through so much as a family. i could understand if the grave was uncared for or unsightly, but it isn't." ms corbett said she was aware of council rules governing the size and upkeep of stones, but not regarding their shape. she said she had been told the grave would have been allowed if it had been in the children's section of great malvern cemetery, but she had opted to have it in the lawn cemetery, close to other relatives. malvern town council said it felt "great sympathy" for ms corbett's loss. it said the mason had failed to consult with it over the shape. "we have a conformity of shapes in our lawn cemetery," the council said. "we were contacted by people who objected to the shape. the longer it stayed up, the harder the process would have been. "it was a very difficult decision to remove it but one we had to make straight away." correction 9 june 2015: this story has been amended following information from malvern town council about the nature of the complaint.

it’s* ˈeɪprəl 10 2017 ənd ju noʊ wət ðət minz. jɛs, ðə ˌænəˈvərsəri əv ðə ˈbætəl əv (ˈɛvriˌbɑdi noʊz ðət), bət ɪt ˈɔlsoʊ ˈhæpənz tɪ bi liɑn ˈbərθˌdeɪ. wɛl, ˌɪnˈsɛpʃən deɪ tɪ bi prɪˈsaɪs. liɑn kəˈwɑlski? ə frəm ðə ˈklæsɪk 1982 ˌsaɪˈfaɪ fɪlm bleɪd ˈrənər. jʊr ˈbraʊzər dɪz nɑt səˈpɔrt ˈvɪdioʊ hir tɪ vju ərˈɪʤənəl ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt fər ðoʊz əv ju hu sin ðə fɪlm, bleɪd ˈrənər stɑrz ˈhɛrɪsən fɔrd ənd teɪks pleɪs ɪn ðə juˈtoʊpiən wərld əv 2019 fɔrd pleɪz ə bleɪd tæskt wɪθ ˈhəntɪŋ daʊn ənd ““retiring”*” roʊg (ˈhjuməˌnɔɪd ˈroʊˌbəts) laɪk liɑn. liɑn ɪz ðə fərst wi si ɪn ðə fɪlm. biɪŋ ˈgɪvɪn ə tɛst, wɪʧ əˈlaʊz ˈjumənz tɪ bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ tɛl ðə ˈdɪfərəns bɪtˈwin ənd ˈəðər ˈjumənz. ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt hir ɪn ðə jɪr 2017 wi hæv ˈsɪmələr tɛsts, bət ðeɪ hæv kul neɪmz laɪk ənd ˈgɪvɪn tɪ ˈjumənz məʧ mɔr ˈrɛgjələrli ðən ðeɪ ər ɪn ðə 1982 fɪlm. liɑn ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli hɪmˈsɛlf frəm hɪz ˈjumən ˈkæptərz (ˈspɔɪlər əˈlərt) bət ˈsædli hi mits ə ˈgrɪzli ɛnd. (dɪˈspaɪt biɪŋ ə mɔr juˈtoʊpiən ənd ˌɑptɪˈmɪstɪk ˈvɪʒən əv lɔs ˈænʤəlɪs ɪn ðə fˈjuʧər ðən ɪt ɪz təˈdeɪ, bleɪd ˈrənər dɪz hæv ɪts ˈmoʊmənts əv ˈvaɪələns.) ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt ðə fɪlm ɪz sɛt ɪn 2019 soʊ liɑn ɪz ʤɪst tu jɪrz oʊld, ˈhævɪŋ bɪn kriˈeɪtɪd ɔn ˈeɪprəl 10 2017 ˈhæpi ˌɪnˈsɛpʃən deɪt liɑn! steɪ seɪf aʊt ðɛr ənd wɔʧ aʊt fər bleɪd ˈrənərz!

it’s april 10, 2017, and you know what that means. yes, it’s the 276th anniversary of the battle of mollwitz (everybody knows that), but it also happens to be leon kowalski’s birthday. well, leon’s inception day to be precise. who’s leon kowalski? he’s a replicant from the classic 1982 sci-fi film blade runner. your browser does not support html5 video tag.click here to view original gif advertisement for those of you who haven’t seen the film, blade runner stars harrison ford and takes place in the utopian world of 2019. ford plays a blade runner—someone tasked with hunting down and “retiring” rogue replicants (humanoid robots) like leon. leon is the first replicant we see in the film. he’s being given a voight-kampff test, which allows humans to be able to tell the difference between replicants and other humans. advertisement here in the year 2017 we have similar tests, but they don’t have cool names like voight-kampff and they’re given to humans much more regularly than they are in the 1982 film. leon eventually liberates himself from his human captors (spoiler alert) but sadly he meets a grisly end. (despite being a more utopian and optimistic vision of los angeles in the future than it is today, blade runner does have its moments of violence.) advertisement the film is set in 2019, so leon is just two years old, having been created on april 10, 2017. happy inception date leon! stay safe out there and watch out for blade runners!

ðɪs ˈɑrtɪkəl ɪz ˈoʊvər 7 jɪrz oʊld ˈjɛməni ˈfɔrsɪz hæv ˈoʊpənd faɪər ɔn ˈdɛmənˌstreɪtərz ɪn θri ˈmeɪʤər ˈsɪtiz, ˈkɪlɪŋ æt list 18 ənd ˈwundɪŋ ˈhənərdz ɪn wən əv ðə ˈfɪrsəst baʊts əv ˈvaɪələns ˈwɪtnəst ɪn ˈnɪrli θri mənθs əv ˈpɑpjələr ənˈrɛst eɪmd æt ˈtɑpəlɪŋ ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈɑli ˌæbˈdələ ˈsɑlɛh. ðə ˈklæʃɪz bɪtˈwin ə dɪˈfɛktɪd ˈfækʃən əv ˈjɛmənz ˈɑrmi ənd ðə rɪˈpəblɪkən gɑrd, hæv reɪzd fɪrz ðət ˈjɛmən meɪ bi ˈriʧɪŋ ə ˈkrɪtɪkəl ˈʤəŋkʧər ɛz ˈpəblɪk fˈjʊri kənˈtɪnjuz tɪ maʊnt æt ðə ˈprɛzɪdənts rɪfˈjuzəl tɪ stɛp daʊn. ˈvaɪələns broʊk aʊt ɪn ðə ˈkæpɪtəl wɪn ə θrɔŋ əv ˈproʊˌtɛstərz tɔr əˈweɪ frəm ðə meɪn ˈɛriə æt ˌjunəˈvərsəti ənd sərʤd ɛn mæs təˈwɔrdz ðə ˈkæbənət ˈbɪldɪŋ ɪn ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn wɪθ ʃaʊts əv "gɑd ɪz greɪt" ənd "ˈɑlə rɪd ˈjuˈɛs əv ðɪs ˈtaɪrənt". ɛz ðeɪ nɪrd ðɛr ˌdɛstɪˈneɪʃən ðeɪ wər ˈhɔltɪd baɪ rɪˈpəblɪkən gɑrdz hu, ˈæftər traɪɪŋ tɪ dɪˈspərs ðɛm wɪθ tɪr gæs ənd ˈwɔtər ˈkænənz, bɪˈgæn ˈfaɪərrɪŋ lɪv raʊnz æt ðə kraʊd. ˈsoʊlʤərz pəˈzɪʃənd ɔn ðə ˈbælkəniz ənd rufs əv ˈnɪrˈbaɪ ˈhaʊsɪz reɪnd ˈbʊləts daʊn ɔn ðə ˈæŋgri mɑb əv ˈproʊˌtɛstərz, hu rɪˈspɑndɪd baɪ ˈhərlɪŋ ʧəŋks əv ˈpeɪvɪŋ slæbz. ðə ˈstænˌdɔf, wɪʧ ˈlæstɪd fər əraʊnd fɔr aʊərz, ˈklaɪˌmækst wɪn ˈsoʊlʤərz lɔɪəl tɪ ə dɪˈfɛktɪd ˈʤɛnərəl, ˈmeɪʤər ˈɑli, əraɪvd ɪn ˈpɪˌkəp trəks ənd bɪˈgæn rɪˈtərnɪŋ faɪər æt trups. ɪt wɑz ðə fərst taɪm ðə tu saɪdz hæv klæʃt ɪn ðə ˈkæpɪtəl sɪns dɪˈklɛrd hɪz səˈpɔrt fər ðə ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən ɪn leɪt mɑrʧ. ˈloʊkəl prɛs ˌriˈpɔrtəd ðət ə luˈtɛnənt ˈkərnəl, ˈjəjə mʊˈhɑməd al-ansi*, bɪˈlɔŋɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈrɛbəl ˈʤɛnərəlz fərst dɪˈvɪʒən, wɑz kɪld ɪn ðə ˈklæʃɪz. ˈwɪmən ənd ˈʧɪldrən wər əˈməŋst ðoʊz kɔt əp ɪn ðə ˈɛnsuɪŋ ˈmeɪˌhɛm. al-surabi*, ə ˈprɑmənənt ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈæktɪvɪst, əˈpɛrəntli ˈsəfərd frəm ə ˈbʊlət wund tɪ ðə lɛg. ə ˈdɔktər prɪˈzaɪdɪŋ ˈoʊvər ə ˈblədid kɔrps ɪn ðə ˈkɔrnər əv ə ˈnɪrˈbaɪ sɛd hi ˈkaʊntɪd naɪn ˈəðər ˈbɑdiz ənd ðət ˈhənərdz əv ˈəðərz wər ˈsəfərɪŋ frəm ˈbʊlət wundz. ɪn ðə ˌɪnˈdəstriəl ˈsɪti əv taiz*, əˈnəðər ˈsɛntər əv ˈpɑpjələr rɪˈzɪstəns, tu ˈtiˌneɪʤ ˈproʊˌtɛstərz wər ʃɑt dɛd baɪ sˈnaɪpərz waɪl traɪɪŋ tɪ skeɪl ə ˈgəvərnmənt ˈbɪldɪŋ. ˈproʊˌtɛstərz rɪˈtæliˌeɪtɪd baɪ ˈtɔrʧɪŋ ə pəˈlis ˈbɪldɪŋ ənd ˌblɑˈkeɪdɪŋ ə ˈnəmbər əv ˌmɪnɪˈstiriəl ˈɔfəsɪz. ɪn ðə rɛd si pɔrt ˈsɪti əv hudaida*, əˈnəðər ˈproʊˌtɛstər wɑz kɪld wɪn sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈfɔrsɪz ˈoʊpənd faɪər ɔn ˈmɑrʧərz traɪɪŋ tɪ ˈɑkjəˌpaɪ ðə ˈsɪti meɪərz ˈɔfəs, ˈwɪtnəsɪz sɛd. wɪθ ˈproʊˌtɛsts ˈɛnərɪŋ ðɛr kənˈsɛkjətɪv θərd mənθ ənd ˈsɑlɛh ˈbækɪŋ əˈweɪ frəm ə ˌɪˈnɪʃətɪv wɪʧ wʊd si ɪm ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ paʊər fər ˌɪmˈjunɪti, ˈjɛmənz ˈjuθfəl ˈproʊˌtɛstərz hæv bɪˈgæn ˈtaɪtənɪŋ ðə boʊlts ɔn ðɛr ɛmˈbætəld ˈprɛzɪdənt. ɪn ðə pæst deɪz ðə ˈkəntri həz bɪn brɔt tɪ ə ˈstændˌstɪl baɪ ˈneɪʃənˈwaɪd straɪks ɛz wɛl ɛz ˌblɑˈkeɪdz əv roʊdz ənd pɔrts. ə plænd mɑrʧ ɔn ðə ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ˈpæləs ɪz ɪkˈspɛktɪd ɔn ˈfraɪˌdeɪ. "ˈjɛmən ɪz æt ə ˈdeɪnʤərəs ˈʤəŋkʧər," sɪz ˈgrɛgəri ˈʤɑnsən, ə ˈjɛmən ˈænəlɪst frəm ˈprɪnstən ˌjunəˈvərsəti. "ˈɛvəri əˈtɛmpt æt ˌmidiˈeɪʃən, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ə ˈrisəntli flɔd əˈproʊʧ baɪ ðə [gəlf ˈkaʊnsəl], həz feɪld, ɛz ˈsɑlɛh stɔlz ənd ɔn ˈpəblɪk ˈplɛʤɪz, ˈhoʊpɪŋ tɪ ˈsəmˌhaʊ sərˈvaɪv ɪn paʊər." ðə ˈʃutɪŋz səˈʤɛst ðət ˈsɑlɛh meɪ hæv ˈgɪvɪn ðə ˈɑrmi ðə grin laɪt tɪ faɪər ɔn ˈproʊˌtɛstərz. "ˈjɛməni bləd ɪz əˈpɛrəntli ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl tɪ ðə ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl kəmˈjunɪti," sɛd ˌɪbrɑˈhim mothana*, ə ˈproʊˌtɛst ˈlidər æt ʧeɪnʤ skwɛr. "wɪn wɪl ðə wɛst kənˈdɛm ðɪs?" ˈænəlɪsts fɪr ðət ˈfeɪljər tɪ ˈæˌdrɛs ˈjɛmənz sˈwɛlɪŋ ənˈrɛst, ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ɪts ˈraɪzɪŋ ˌənɪmˈplɔɪmənt, meɪ ˈbɛnəfɪt ɪn ðə əˈreɪbiən peninsula–*– ən ˌɔrgənɪˈzeɪʃən wɪʧ ɪz ɔˈrɛdi ɔn læpst sɪˈkjʊrəti ənd ən ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli strɛʧt ˈɑrmi. "ðə læst taɪm ˌɑlˈkaɪdɑ hæd ðɪs məʧ taɪm ənd speɪs ɪn wɪʧ tɪ ˈɔpərˌeɪt, ɪt pʊt təˈgɛðər ðə 2009 ˈkrɪsməs deɪ əˈtæk, wɪʧ ˈnɛroʊli mɪst ˈbrɪŋɪŋ daʊn ən ˈɛˌrlaɪnər ˈoʊvər ˈdiˌtrɔɪt," sɛd ˈʤɑnsən.

this article is over 7 years old yemeni forces have opened fire on demonstrators in three major cities, killing at least 18 and wounding hundreds in one of the fiercest bouts of violence witnessed in nearly three months of popular unrest aimed at toppling president ali abdullah saleh. the clashes between a defected faction of yemen's army and the republican guard, have raised fears that yemen may be reaching a critical juncture as public fury continues to mount at the president's refusal to step down. violence broke out in the capital when a throng of 2,000 protesters tore away from the main sit-in area at sana'a university and surged en masse towards the cabinet building in downtown sana'a with shouts of "god is great" and "allah rid us of this tyrant". as they neared their destination they were halted by republican guards who, after trying to disperse them with tear gas and water cannons, began firing live rounds at the crowd. soldiers positioned on the balconies and roofs of nearby houses rained bullets down on the angry mob of protesters, who responded by hurling chunks of broken-off paving slabs. the standoff, which lasted for around four hours, climaxed when soldiers loyal to a defected general, major ali mohsin, arrived in pickup trucks and began returning fire at saleh's troops. it was the first time the two sides have clashed in the capital since mohsin declared his support for the opposition in late march. local press reported that a lieutenant colonel, yahya muhammad al-ansi, belonging to the rebel general's first armoured division, was killed in the clashes. women and children were amongst those caught up in the ensuing mayhem. bushra al-surabi, a prominent female activist, apparently suffered from a bullet wound to the leg. a doctor presiding over a bloodied corpse in the corner of a nearby mosque-turned-field-hospital said he counted nine other bodies and that hundreds of others were suffering from bullet wounds. in the industrial city of taiz, another centre of popular resistance, two teenage protesters were shot dead by snipers while trying to scale a government building. protesters retaliated by torching a police building and blockading a number of ministerial offices. in the red sea port city of hudaida, another protester was killed when security forces opened fire on marchers trying to occupy the city mayor's office, witnesses said. with protests entering their consecutive third month and saleh backing away from a gulf-brokered initiative which would see him exchange power for immunity, yemen's youthful protesters have began tightening the bolts on their embattled president. in the past days the country has been brought to a standstill by nationwide strikes as well as blockades of roads and ports. a planned march on the presidential palace is expected on friday. "yemen is at a dangerous juncture," says gregory johnsen, a yemen analyst from princeton university. "every attempt at mediation, including a recently flawed approach by the gcc [gulf co-operation council], has failed, as saleh stalls and equivocates on public pledges, hoping to somehow survive in power." the shootings suggest that saleh may have given the army the green light to fire on protesters. "yemeni oil-free blood is apparently invisible to the international community," said ibrahim mothana, a protest leader at change square. "when will the west condemn this?" analysts fear that failure to address yemen's swelling unrest, particularly its rising unemployment, may benefit al-qaida in the arabian peninsula– an organisation which is already capitalising on lapsed security and an increasingly stretched army. "the last time al-qaeda had this much time and space in which to operate, it put together the 2009 christmas day attack, which narrowly missed bringing down an airliner over detroit," said johnsen.

ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ ðə ˈfaɪnəst kɪdz rum həz bɪn ˈpruvən tɪ bi ə təf tæsk fər ˈmɛni ˈfæməliz. wɪθ soʊ məʧ vərˈaɪəti ənd ˈɔpʃənz ər faʊnd ɪn ðə ˈmɑrkɪt, ˈizi naʊ fər ˈpɛrənts ənd ðɛr ˈʧɪldrən tɪ gɪt ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmd ənd ˈrəðər ðən kriˈeɪtɪŋ ə ˈprɪti wɛl staɪld rum, ðeɪ ˈɪnəˌveɪt ə ˈklətərd ənd wɛl ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzd speɪs wɪθ ˈvɪvədli ˌkɑntrəˈdɪktəri θimz ənd bɪˈgɪnɪŋ ðə prəˈsiʤər, ɛˈsɛnʃəl tɪ hæv ðə raɪt plæn wɪʧ ˌɪnˈvɑlvz ˈlivɪŋ əˈsaɪd ðə ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt taɪm tɪ səm ˈbeɪsɪk ˈrisərʧ ɛz ˈɔlsoʊ tɪ səˈlɪsɪt ɪt frəm ðə ʧaɪld rɪˈgɑrdɪŋ ðɛr ˈɪntərɪsts ɪn ðə ˈmæˌkoʊvər əv ðɛr rum. ɪf ðə ʧaɪld prɪˈfər ðə weɪ hɪz ər hər rum ˈmæˌkoʊvər ɪz dən, ðɛn ə gʊd ʧæns ðət hi ər ʃi laɪk sˈlipɪŋ ənd ˈspɛndɪŋ taɪm ɪn hɪz ər hər ðə ˈɪntəˌrɛst ˈɪntu kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən ənd gɪv ə θɔt əˈbaʊt wət ðeɪ wʊd laɪk fər hɪz ər hər rum. ɪt ɪz ˈnɛsəˌsɛri tɪ səˈlɛkt ə θim rum ənd kəˈnɛkt ðə kɪdz rum ˈfərnɪʧər ənd ˈəðər ˈaɪtəmz əraʊnd ðət θim. rɪˈgɑrdɪŋ jəŋ bɔɪz, θimz əv ðɛr ˈɪntəˌrɛst ər ðoʊz ðət ˈsɛnər ˌsupərˈhiroʊz, ˈhɑbi, spɔrt tim ər treɪnz ənd ˈɛrpleɪnz. waɪl fər jəŋ gərlz, ə θim əv ˈdɪzni ˈprɪnsɛsɪz, kɑrˈtun ˈkɛrɪktərz, pæˈstɛl ənd kənˈtræstɪŋ ˈkələrz simz ər ðə ˈfeɪvərɪts. ɔl dɪˈpɛndənt ɔn səˈlɛktɪŋ ðə əˈproʊpriˌeɪt θim ənd ðəs kənˈtɪnjuɪŋ ˈfərðər. wɪn ðə θim ɪz ˈfaɪnəˌlaɪzd, ðɛn səˈlɛktɪŋ ðə wɔl peɪnt, ˈkələr ər ˈwɔlˌpeɪpər ɪz nɛkst ɪn pleɪs tɪ bɪˈgɪn wɪθ θɪŋz laɪk ðə wɔl laɪk wɔl ˈlɛtərz, wɔl ˈdiˌkælz. ðeɪ hɛlp ɪn ˈpərsənəˌlaɪzɪŋ ðə speɪs ɛz wɛl ɛz æd ə ˈkɛrɪktər tɪ ðət rum. wɪn səˈlɛktɪŋ wɪʧ vərˈaɪəti əv wɔl tɪ ʃʊd bi kɛpt ɪn maɪnd ðət ðə ˈoʊvərˌɔl dɪˈzaɪnɪŋ ənd θimz ˌɪnˈklud ðə ˈkələr ˈpælət ənd staɪl. ʧuz stəf ʃʊr ðət jʊr ˈʧɪldrən wɪl laɪk. səˈlɛktɪŋ ðə ˈfərnɪʧər laɪk ˈbʊkˌkeɪsɪz, ˈmɪrərz, wɔl ʃɛlvz nɛkst æd tɪ ðə ˌdɛkərˈeɪʃən ənd prəˈvaɪd ðə rum kaɪnd əv ˈfərnɪʧər ər ˈnɛsəˌsɛri ɛz ðɛr ˈfəŋkʃənəl ənd ˌɪmˈprɛʃənəbəl kˈwɑlətiz meɪ æd ˈpərpəs ɪn jʊr rum ənd ðəs hæv ðə ædˈvæntɪʤ əv ˈeɪdɪŋ tɪ ðət. ə vərˈaɪəti əv staɪlz əv ˈdɪfərənt ˈdɛkrətɪv ˈfərnɪʧər ˌɪnˈvɑlv juˈnik ˈkələrz ənd ˌpərsənələˈzeɪʃən.

deciding the finest kids room décor has been proven to be a tough task for many families. with so much variety and options are found in the market, it’s easy now for parents and their children to get overwhelmed and rather than creating a pretty well styled room, they innovate a cluttered and well organized space with vividly contradictory themes and patterns.before beginning the procedure, it’s essential to have the rightan which involves leaving aside the important time to some basic research as also to solicit it from the child regarding their interests in the makeover of their room. if the child doesn’t prefer the way his or her room makeover is done, then there’s a good chance that he or she won’t like sleeping and spending time in his or her room.take the child’s interest into consideration and give a thought about what they would like for his or her room. it is necessary to select a theme forkid’s room and connect the kids room furniture and other décor items around that theme. regarding young boys, themes of their interest are those that center superheroes, hobby, sport team or trains and airplanes. while for young girls, a theme of disney princesses, cartoon characters, pastel and contrasting colors seems are the favorites. it’s all dependent on selecting the appropriate theme and thus continuing further. when the theme is finalized, then selecting the wall paint, colour or wallpaper is next inace to begin with things like the wall décor like wall letters, wall decals. they help in personalizing the space as well as add a character to that room. when you’re selecting which variety of wall décor to purchase,it should be kept in mind that the overall designing and themes include the color palette and style. choose stuff you’re sure that your children will like. selecting the furniture like bookcases, mirrors, wall shelves next add to the decoration and provide the room completeness.these kind of furniture are necessary as their functional and impressionable qualities may add purpose in your room and thus have the advantage of aiding to that room’s décor. a variety of styles of different decorative furniture involve unique colors and personalization.

yoonyoon* ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd ɑkˈtoʊbər 2010 ˌkɔˈriə (saʊθ) 1065 poʊsts læst ˈɛdɪtɪd: 1 həz "wɪθˈdrɔn" frəm progaming*. əˈpɛrəntli, hiz bɪn ˈəndər ə lɔt əv ˈprɛʃər sɪns hi ʤɔɪnd ənd ˈsteɪtɪd hɪz wɪʃ tɪ du ˈsəmθɪŋ ɛls, səʧ ɛz ˈstədi. ðə tim traɪd tɪ hoʊld ɪm bæk bɪˈkəz ðeɪ fɛlt hi wɑz ə ˈnɛsəˌsɛri fər ðə tim, bət geɪv ɪn tɪ dɪˌtərməˈneɪʃən. ənd hiz bɪn rɪˈsivɪŋ ˌsaɪkoʊˈθɛrəpi ɛz wɛl ɛz.... ˈdɛntəl ˈtritmənt? (doʊnt ˈrɪli noʊ waɪ ðæts ˈrɛləvənt,,,). həz "wɪθˈdrɔn" frəm progaming.apparently*, hiz bɪn ˈəndər ə lɔt əv ˈprɛʃər sɪns hi ʤɔɪnd ənd ˈsteɪtɪd hɪz wɪʃ tɪ du ˈsəmθɪŋ ɛls, səʧ ɛz ˈstədi. ðə tim traɪd tɪ hoʊld ɪm bæk bɪˈkəz ðeɪ fɛlt hi wɑz ə ˈnɛsəˌsɛri fər ðə tim, bət geɪv ɪn tɪ hiz bɪn rɪˈsivɪŋ ˌsaɪkoʊˈθɛrəpi ɛz wɛl ɛz.... ˈdɛntəl ˈtritmənt? ɔn mɑrʧ 10 2011 roʊt: ɔp: ˈstɑrtɪd hɪz ˈæbsəns bɪˈkəz əv ˈɔrəl ˈsərʤəri, soʊ ðæts waɪ ðə ˈɑrtɪkəl ˌɪnˈkludɪd ˈdɛntəl kɛr. θæŋks fər ðə ˈɪnfoʊ ˈbeɪsɪkli minz ðət raɪts əv ðə stɪl ər wɪθ ðə tim riˈmuvd frəm ðə ˈsizənz ˈrɑstər, ənd ðə ˈkɑnˌtrækt ɪz pɔzd ɪf ðə wɔnts tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ progaming*, həz tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ ərˈɪʤənəl tim soʊ ənˈlaɪk rɪˈtaɪrɪŋ, ðɛr ɪz stɪl ə ʧæns fər ɪm tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ progaming*. (aɪ θɪŋk? əm nɑt kəmˈplitli fəˈmɪljər wɪθ ðɪs ˈkɑnsɛpt, soʊ pliz kərˈɛkt mi ɪf əm rɔŋ) θæŋks fər ðə ˈɪnfoʊ ˈbeɪsɪkli minz ðət- raɪts əv ðə stɪl ər wɪθ ðə tim- riˈmuvd frəm ðə ˈsizənz ˈrɑstər, ənd ðə ˈkɑnˌtrækt ɪz pɔzd- ɪf ðə wɔnts tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ progaming*, həz tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ ərˈɪʤənəl ənˈlaɪk rɪˈtaɪrɪŋ, ðɛr ɪz stɪl ə ʧæns fər ɪm tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ θɪŋk? əm nɑt kəmˈplitli fəˈmɪljər wɪθ ðɪs ˈkɑnsɛpt, soʊ pliz kərˈɛkt mi ɪf əm rɔŋ) rɪft ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd sɛpˈtɛmbər 2007 1817 poʊsts 2 ər ˈprɪti ˈstrɛsfəl. ˈproʊˌfaɪl ʤɔɪnd ˈeɪprəl 2010 juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts 17 poʊsts 3 hɑrd tɪ steɪ ˈkɑnfədənt wɪθ ə tim fʊl əv ˈbɔsɪz. hæv fən wɪθ ɪt. ˈproʊˌfaɪl ʤɔɪnd meɪ 2007 juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts 824 poʊsts 4 bɪˈgɪnz ə mɪˈstɪriəs kənˈstrəkʃən! ˈproʊˌfaɪl ʤɔɪnd ˈfɛbruˌɛri 2009 juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts 551 poʊsts 5 aɪ ˈwɔntɪd tɪ si ən læst taɪm. ɪts ə sæd deɪ. soʊ kloʊz, ənd jɛt soʊ fɑr ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd meɪ 2008 ˈsɪŋəˌpɔr 3773 poʊsts 6 mɪst hɪz boʊ, aɪ bɪˈliv hi ɪz ˈbɛtər ðən ər ənd aɪ si waɪ woʊnt pleɪ ðə maɪnd mæp??? ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd mɑrʧ 2010 ˈkænədə 2120 poʊsts 7 waʊ. rɪp geɪm ˈhɪroʊ ˈproʊˌfaɪl ʤɔɪnd ʤun 2010 ˈfɪləˌpinz 1582 poʊsts 8 ʤɪst lɔst ə gʊd pleɪər sæd ʤɪst lɔst ə gʊd pleɪər ˈjoʊjoʊ! ɑntˈwɑn ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd meɪ 2010 juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts 7344 poʊsts læst ˈɛdɪtɪd: 9 hu wɪl wɛr ðə sut naʊ? hoʊp hiz ˈhæpiər wɪθ wət hi dɪz nɛkst~ ˈmɑdərˌeɪtər flæʃ si ˈækʃən snoʊ ˈmaɪdəs rɛt ˈtaɪlər ˈɛmˈsi rɪp ðə ˌɪnˈtrɛpəd ˈproʊˌfaɪl ʤɔɪnd ˈeɪprəl 2010 ˈkænədə 203 poʊsts 10 ðæts moʊst ˌənɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ deɪt ˌɑntəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˌɪmˈpɛrətɪv hoʊldz ðət maɪ ˈlɔsɪz əˈkərd ˈoʊnli ɪn ˌɪˌmæʤəˈneɪʃən. ˈproʊˌfaɪl ʤɔɪnd ˈeɪprəl 2010 juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts 2003 poʊsts 11 waʊ aɪ fil laɪk pɑrt əv hɪz dɪˈsɪʒən wɑz bɪˈkəz hi ˈnɛvər gɑt tɪ pleɪ ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd meɪ 2010 juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts 3427 poʊsts 12 pliz oʊ pliz ˈmeɪbi hi wɪl kəm tɪ ˈstɑrˌkræft oʊ pliz dɪˈvɛləpər fər ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd ˈeɪprəl 2010 juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts 3708 poʊsts 13 ɔn mɑrʧ 10 2011 roʊt: ˈmeɪbi hi wɪl kəm tɪ ˈstɑrˌkræft pliz oʊ pliz ˈmeɪbi hi wɪl kəm tɪ ˈstɑrˌkræft oʊ pliz wʊd bi ˌæbsəˈlutli ˈpərˌfɪkt fər hɪz wʊd bi ˌæbsəˈlutli ˈpərˌfɪkt fər hɪz trænzˈleɪtər 3 ˈkæptən ˈpiˌbɑdi ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd meɪ 2009 juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts 2296 poʊsts 14 wɪl stɔrk læf æt ənd ˌɪnˈsəlt ɪn ˈɪntərvˌjuz naʊ? hu wɪl bit ˈpɑpjələr pleɪərz wɪθ ənd prəˈvoʊk ðə ræθ əv ðə ɪnˈtaɪər interwebs*? ˈstɑrˌkræft ʤɪst gɑt ə ˈlɪtəl mɔr ˈɛmti... wɪl stɔrk læf æt ənd ˌɪnˈsəlt ɪn ˈɪntərvˌjuz naʊ? hu wɪl bit ˈpɑpjələr pleɪərz wɪθ ənd prəˈvoʊk ðə ræθ əv ðə ɪnˈtaɪər ʤɪst gɑt ə ˈlɪtəl mɔr ˈɛmti... daɪz venit*. ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd mɑrʧ 2009 ˈkænədə 7748 poʊsts 15 ɔn mɑrʧ 10 2011 roʊt: ˈmeɪbi hi wɪl kəm tɪ ˈstɑrˌkræft pliz oʊ pliz ˈmeɪbi hi wɪl kəm tɪ ˈstɑrˌkræft oʊ pliz ər ˈpipəl kəmˈpɛld tɪ seɪ ðɪs ɪn ˈɛvəri ˈsɪŋgəl θrɛd ər ˈsəmθɪŋ? ɪts ɑd. əkˈwaɪərd tɪ hɛlp ˈstrɛŋθən ðɛr laɪn, bət əm ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈpɑzətɪv hi pleɪd ˈəndər 10 geɪmz fər ðɛm ðɪs ˈsizən. ənd naʊ hiz ˈpipəl kəmˈpɛld tɪ seɪ ðɪs ɪn ˈɛvəri ˈsɪŋgəl θrɛd ər ˈsəmθɪŋ? initial_h.c*. ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd sɛpˈtɛmbər 2008 ˈkænədə 560 poʊsts 16 aɪ wɑz ˈweɪtɪŋ fər hɪz rɪˈtərn tɪ tɪ hɪz fˈjuʧər goʊlz, ˈfaɪtɪŋ~! ˈproʊˌfaɪl ʤɔɪnd meɪ 2010 juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts 8154 poʊsts 17 ɔn mɑrʧ 10 2011 roʊt: ˈmeɪbi hi wɪl kəm tɪ ˈstɑrˌkræft pliz oʊ pliz ˈmeɪbi hi wɪl kəm tɪ ˈstɑrˌkræft oʊ pliz gɪt aʊt. wɪl steɪ ɪn bw*. məst. ənd aɪ bleɪm koʊʧ pɑrk gɪt aʊt. wɪl steɪ ɪn bw*. aɪ bleɪm koʊʧ pɑrk ˈproʊˌfaɪl ʤɔɪnd dɪˈsɛmbər 2010 juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts 5582 poʊsts læst ˈɛdɪtɪd: 18... soʊ ðɪs ɪz wət ju ˈrɪli ˈwɔntɪd, hə? wɛl ɪf ju wɔnt tɪ goʊ pərˈsu jʊr drimz, ðɛn ju ˈbɛtər goʊ ʧeɪs ðɛm!! ahhh*, ðɪs meɪks mi soʊ sæd, bət hi ˈhæzənt bɪn duɪŋ ðət wɛl, soʊ aɪ gɛs ðɪs ɪkˈspleɪnz hɪz læk əv ˌɪnspərˈeɪʃən ˈleɪtli.... aɪ hæd ˈwɔntɪd tɪ si wən læst geɪm frəm ɪm ɪn wl*, bət aɪ gɛs aɪl ʤɪst hæv tɪ seɪ ˌfɛrˈwɛl. jul bi mɪst, bət wɪl ˈɔlˌweɪz rɪˈmɛmbər ju fər ˈəðərz! əˈblɪgəˌtɔri læst pɪk ɪn kəˌmɛmərˈeɪʃən: noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-kwanro*... soʊ ðɪs ɪz wət ju ˈrɪli ˈwɔntɪd, hə? wɛl ɪf ju wɔnt tɪ goʊ pərˈsu jʊr drimz, ðɛn ju ˈbɛtər goʊ ʧeɪs ðɛm!! ahhh*, ðɪs meɪks mi soʊ sæd, bət hi ˈhæzənt bɪn duɪŋ ðət wɛl, soʊ aɪ gɛs ðɪs ɪkˈspleɪnz hɪz læk əv ˌɪnspərˈeɪʃən ˈleɪtli.... aɪ hæd ˈwɔntɪd tɪ si wən læst geɪm frəm ɪm ɪn wl*, bət aɪ gɛs aɪl ʤɪst hæv tɪ seɪ ˌfɛrˈwɛl. jul bi mɪst, bət wɪl ˈɔlˌweɪz rɪˈmɛmbər ju fər læst pɪk ɪn kəˌmɛmərˈeɪʃən: haʊ tɪ prəˈnaʊns ðə neɪm: "spy-ka*" praʊd tɪ ʃɛr ðə seɪm ˈbərθˌdeɪ wɪθ ʃɪn dɔŋg wən ənd ðə ɔlˈmaɪti ˈbɑksər tɪ ˈjɛloʊ: rɛst ɪn pis, ˈvaɪəlɪt. ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd ʤun 2008 ˈkænədə 18408 poʊsts 19 ɔn mɑrʧ 10 2011 roʊt: ˈmeɪbi hi wɪl kəm tɪ ˈstɑrˌkræft pliz oʊ pliz ˈmeɪbi hi wɪl kəm tɪ ˈstɑrˌkræft oʊ pliz ʃoʊ ˈspɔɪlər bət ˈɑnəstli. ɪf hi dɪz aɪl bi ˈrɪli ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd... ɪf ju wɔʧ ˌgɑdˈzɪlə ˈbækwərdz ɪts əˈbaʊt ə bəˈnɛvələnt ˈlɪzərd hu hɛlps riˈbɪld ə ˈsɪti ənd ðɛn ˈɪntu ðə ˈoʊʃən. ˈproʊˌfaɪl blɔg ʤɔɪnd ʤun 2009 ˈʧaɪnə 6965 poʊsts 20 ˈɔlˌweɪz hæd ə ˈspɛʃəl pleɪs rɪˈzərvd fər ɪn maɪ ˈfænəsi timz. wət.. ðət hæd ə ˈspɛʃəl pleɪs rɪˈzərvd fər ɪn maɪ ˈfænəsi timz. 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 nɛkst ɔl

yoonyoon profile blog joined october 2010 korea (south) 1065 posts last edited: 2011-03-10 11:21:12 #1 has "withdrawn" from progaming. apparently, he's been under a lot of pressure since he joined skt and stated his wish to do something else, such as study. the team tried to hold him back because they felt he was a zerg necessary for the team, but gave in to kwanro's determination. and he's been receiving psychotherapy as well as.... dental treatment? (don't really know why that's relevant,,,). kwanro has "withdrawn" from progaming.apparently, he's been under a lot of pressure since he joined skt and stated his wish to do something else, such as study. the team tried to hold him back because they felt he was a zerg necessary for the team, but gave in to kwanro's determination.and he's been receiving psychotherapy as well as.... dental treatment? on march 10 2011 12:08 hacklebeast wrote: @ op: kwanro started his absence because of oral surgery, so that's why the article included dental care. thanks for the info ~_~ 임의탈퇴 basically means that - rights of the progamer still are with the team - removed from the season's roster, and the progamer's contract is paused - if the progamer wants to return to progaming, has to return to his/her original team so unlike retiring, there is still a chance for him to return to progaming. (i think? i'm not completely familiar with this concept, so please correct me if i'm wrong) thanks for the info ~_~임의탈퇴 basically means that- rights of the progamer still are with the team- removed from the season's roster, and the progamer's contract is paused- if the progamer wants to return to progaming, has to return to his/her original teamso unlike retiring, there is still a chance for him to return to progaming.(i think? i'm not completely familiar with this concept, so please correct me if i'm wrong) rift profile blog joined september 2007 1817 posts #2 all-ins are pretty stressful. bapy profile joined april 2010 united states 17 posts #3 hard to stay confident with a team full of bosses. have fun with it. aquafresh profile joined may 2007 united states 824 posts #4 skt kwanro begins a mysterious construction! assymptotic profile joined february 2009 united states 551 posts #5 i wanted to see an all-in...one last time. it's a sad day. so close, and yet so far justiceknight profile blog joined may 2008 singapore 3773 posts #6 sad....i missed his all-in bo, i believe he is better than hyuk or s2 and i dont see why skt wont play him.wheres the kwanro mind map??? crais profile blog joined march 2010 canada 2120 posts #7 wow. rip mbc game hero pinkranger15 profile joined june 2010 philippines 1582 posts #8 skt just lost a good all-in player sad newsskt just lost a good all-in player yoyo! antoine profile blog joined may 2010 united states 7344 posts last edited: 2011-03-10 02:54:44 #9 who will wear the bunkie suit now? hope he's happier with what he does next~ moderator flash sea action snow midas | thestc ret tyler mc | rip 우정호 the intrepid profile joined april 2010 canada 203 posts #10 that's kwanro's most unexpected all-in to date ontological imperative holds that my losses occurred only in imagination. awu25 profile joined april 2010 united states 2003 posts #11 wow i feel like part of his decision was because he never got to play darmousseh profile blog joined may 2010 united states 3427 posts #12 please oh please maybe he will come to starcraft iiplease oh please developer for http://mtgfiddle.com infinitestory profile blog joined april 2010 united states 3708 posts #13 on march 10 2011 11:56 darmousseh wrote: maybe he will come to starcraft ii please oh please maybe he will come to starcraft iiplease oh please sc2 would be absolutely perfect for his playstyle >___> sc2 would be absolutely perfect for his playstyle >___> translator :3 captain peabody profile blog joined may 2009 united states 2296 posts #14 but...but...who will stork laugh at and insult in interviews now? who will beat popular players with all-ins and provoke the wrath of the entire interwebs? starcraft just got a little more empty... nooooooooo!but...but...who will stork laugh at and insult in interviews now? who will beat popular players with all-ins and provoke the wrath of the entire interwebs?starcraft just got a little more empty... dies irae venit. youtube.com/snobbinsfilms spazer profile blog joined march 2009 canada 7748 posts #15 on march 10 2011 11:56 darmousseh wrote: maybe he will come to starcraft ii please oh please maybe he will come to starcraft iiplease oh please are people compelled to say this in every single withdrawl/retirement thread or something? it's odd. skt acquired kwanro to help strengthen their zerg line, but i'm almost positive he played under 10 games for them this season. and now he's leaving...are people compelled to say this in every single withdrawl/retirement thread or something? liquipedia mudamudamudamudamudamuda initial_h.c. profile blog joined september 2008 canada 560 posts #16 aww noo i was waiting for his return to pl =( gl to his future goals, kwanro fighting~! taekwon profile joined may 2010 united states 8154 posts #17 on march 10 2011 11:56 darmousseh wrote: maybe he will come to starcraft ii please oh please maybe he will come to starcraft iiplease oh please get out. kwanro will stay in bw. must. and i blame coach park >_> get out. kwanro will stay in bw. must.and i blame coach park >_> ▲ ▲ ▲ spica profile joined december 2010 united states 5582 posts last edited: 2011-03-10 03:02:30 #18 kwanro... so this is what you really wanted, huh? well if you want to go pursue your dreams, then you better go chase them!! ahhh, this makes me so sad, but he hasn't been doing that well, so i guess this explains his lack of inspiration lately.... i had wanted to see one last game from him in wl, but i guess i'll just have to say farewell. t___t you'll be missed, but we'll always remember you for kwanrolling others! obligatory last pic in commemoration: noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-kwanro... so this is what you really wanted, huh? well if you want to go pursue your dreams, then you better go chase them!! ahhh, this makes me so sad, but he hasn't been doing that well, so i guess this explains his lack of inspiration lately.... i had wanted to see one last game from him in wl, but i guess i'll just have to say farewell. t___t you'll be missed, but we'll always remember you for kwanrolling others!obligatory last pic in commemoration: how to pronounce the name: "spy-ka" | proud to share the same birthday with shin (神) dong won and the almighty boxer | 리쌍도 나무에서 떨어진다. | to yellow: "2位じゃダメなんですか?" ㅋㅋㅋ | rest in peace, violet. 08/23/12 grobyc profile blog joined june 2008 canada 18408 posts #19 on march 10 2011 11:56 darmousseh wrote: maybe he will come to starcraft ii please oh please maybe he will come to starcraft iiplease oh please + show spoiler + jk jk but honestly. if he does i'll be really disappointed... if you watch godzilla backwards it's about a benevolent lizard who helps rebuild a city and then moonwalks into the ocean. hifriend profile blog joined june 2009 china 6965 posts #20 always had a special place reserved for kwanro in my fantasy teams. what.. that sucks.always had a special place reserved for kwanro in my fantasy teams. 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 next all

'theobroma* kəˈkeɪoʊ' ðə ˈkoʊkoʊ tri ɪn ðə ˈsɛnʧəri ðə sˈwidɪʃ ˈbɑtənɪst, ˈkɛrələs linnaeus*, riˈneɪmd ðə ˈkoʊkoʊ tri ˈgɪvɪŋ ɪt ðə grik neɪm kəˈkeɪoʊ, naʊ ɪts əˈfɪʃəl bəˈtænɪkəl neɪm, wɪʧ ˈlɪtərəli minz 'fud əv ðə gɑdz'. ˈkoʊkoʊ triz rɪˈzɛmbəl ˈɪŋlɪʃ ˈæpəl triz. ðeɪ groʊ bɛst ˈəndər ðə ˈkænəpi əv ˈtrɑpɪkəl ˈraɪnˌfɔrəsts, ˈsɛldəm ˈriʧɪŋ mɔr ðən ˈmitərz 25 fit) haɪ. tɪ flərɪʃ ðeɪ nid tɪ bi ˈʃeɪdɪd frəm dɪˈrɛkt sən ənd wɪnd, ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ɪn ðə ˈərli groʊθ ˈsteɪʤɪz. ðə ˈkoʊkoʊ tri həz brɔd, dɑrk livz əˈbaʊt lɔŋ, ənd flaʊərz frəm wɪʧ bin pɑdz groʊ. ə ˈneɪtɪv əv ðə ˈsɛntrəl ənd saʊθ əˈmɛrɪkən ˈraɪnˌfɔrəsts, ˈkoʊkoʊ triz ər naʊ ˈkəltəˌveɪtɪd ɪn ˈmɛni ˈtrɑpɪkəl loʊˈkeɪʃənz əraʊnd ðə wərld. tu ˈmɛθədz ər ˈʤɛnərəli juzd tɪ ɪˈstæblɪʃ ˈkoʊkoʊ tri ˌplænˈteɪʃənz. jəŋ triz ər ˌɪntərˈspərst wɪθ nu ˈpərmɑˌnɛnt ər ˈtɛmpərˌɛri ʃeɪd triz səʧ ɛz ˈkoʊkəˌnət, ˈplæntənz ənd bəˈnænəz, ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ðə əv ðə ˈfɔrɪst. ɪn lɑrʤ ˈeɪʒən ˌplænˈteɪʃənz, ˈkoʊkoʊ triz ənd ˈkoʊkəˌnət triz ər ˈplænɪd təˈgɛðər ənd boʊθ krɑps ər ˈhɑrvəstɪd kəˈmərʃəli. ɔlˈtərnətɪvli, ˈfɔrɪst triz ər θɪnd aʊt ənd ðə ˈkoʊkoʊ triz ər ˈplænɪd bɪtˈwin ɪˈstæblɪʃt triz. ˈkoʊkoʊ triz bɪˈgɪn tɪ bɛr frut wɪn ðeɪ ər θri tɪ fɔr jɪrz oʊld. ðeɪ ˈproʊdus pɪŋk ənd waɪt flaʊərz θruaʊt ðə jɪr, groʊɪŋ ɪn əˈbəndəns ˈæftər ˌbiˈfɔr ðə reɪn stɑrts. ˌhaʊˈɛvər ðə pɑdz groʊ streɪt aʊt əv ðə trəŋk ənd ðə meɪn ˈbrænʧɪz, wɪʧ ɪz moʊst ənˈjuˌʒuəl. ˈoʊnli ə smɔl prəˈpɔrʃən əv ðə flaʊərz dɪˈvɛləp ˈɪntu frut ˈoʊvər ə ˈpɪriəd əv əˈbaʊt faɪv mənθs. ðə triz ər ˈkɛrfəli prund soʊ ðət pɑdz kən bi mɔr ˈizəli ˈhɑrvəstɪd. iʧ tri jildz pɑdz pər jɪr. ɪt teɪks ðə hoʊl jɪrz krɑp frəm wən tri tɪ meɪk əv ˈʧɔklət. ˈkoʊkoʊ pɑdz binz ðə ˈkoʊkoʊ tri bɛrz tu ˈhɑrvəsts əv ˈkoʊkoʊ pɑdz pər jɪr. əraʊnd ɪn lɛŋθ ənd ɪn weɪt, ðə pɑdz ˈraɪpən tɪ ə rɪʧ, ˈkələr. wɪˈθɪn iʧ pɑd ðɛr ər ˈpərpəl, lɔŋ ˈkoʊkoʊ binz ˈkəvərd ɪn ə swit waɪt pəlp wi baɪ kˈwɑləti ˈkoʊkoʊ binz frəm ˌɪndoʊˈniʒə, məˈleɪʒə ənd ˈgænə. ðə rɑ binz ˌəndərˈgoʊ ə ˈlɛŋθi ˈprɔˌsɛs tɪ priˈpɛr ðɛm fər ˈʧɔklət ˈmeɪkɪŋ. taɪps əv ˈkoʊkoʊ pɑdz ðɛr ər θri brɔd taɪps əv ˈkoʊkoʊ ənd, ɛz wɛl ɛz, ə ˈhaɪbrɪd əv ðə tu. wɪˈθɪn ðiz taɪps ðɛr ər ˈsɛvərəl vərˈaɪətiz. prəˈdusɪŋ ðə ˈgreɪtər pɑrt əv ɔl ˈkoʊkoʊ groʊn, ɪz ˈhɑrdi ənd ˈvɪgərəs, prəˈdusɪŋ binz wɪθ ðə ˈstrɔŋgəst flavour*. ðə vərˈaɪəti moʊst ˈwaɪdli groʊn ɪn wɛst ˈæfrɪkɑ ənd brəˈzɪl ɪz amelondaro*. ɪt həz ə smuð ˈjɛloʊ pɑd ənd peɪl ˈpərpəl binz. wɪθ ɪts maɪld ər wik ˈʧɔklət flavour*, ɪz groʊn ɪn ˌɪndoʊˈniʒə, ˈsɛntrəl ənd saʊθ əˈmɛrɪkə. triz ər nɑt ɛz ˈhɑrdi ənd ˈproʊdus ˈsɔftər rɛd pɑdz, kənˈteɪnɪŋ waɪt, ˈaɪvəri ər ˈvɛri peɪl ˈpərpəl binz. plænts ər nɑt faʊnd ɪn ðə waɪld ɛz ðeɪ ər ˈkəltəˌveɪtɪd ˈhaɪbrədz əv ðə ˈəðər tu taɪps. ˈkoʊkoʊ triz ər groʊn ˈmeɪnli ɪn ðə ˌkɛrɪˈbiən, bət ˈɔlsoʊ ɪn ˈkæmərˌun ənd ˈpæpjuə nu ˈgɪni. ðə ˈmoʊstli hɑrd pɑdz kənˈteɪn 30 ər mɔr binz əv ˈvɛriəbəl ˈkələr, ðoʊ waɪt binz ər rɛr. ˈhɑrvəstɪŋ ənd ˈsplɪtɪŋ ˈkoʊkoʊ pɑdz ðə ˈhɑrvəstɪŋ əv ˈkoʊkoʊ pɑdz ɪz ˈvɛri labour-intensive*. ɔn wɛst ˈæfrɪkɑn ðə hoʊl ˈfæməli, təˈgɛðər wɪθ frɛndz ənd ˈneɪbərz hɛlp aʊt. raɪp pɑdz ər ˈgæðərd ˈɛvəri fju wiks ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə pik ˈsizən. ðə haɪ pɑdz ər kət wɪθ lɑrʤ naɪvz əˈtæʧt tɪ poʊlz, ˈteɪkɪŋ kɛr nɑt tɪ ˈdæmɪʤ ˈnɪrˈbaɪ flaʊərz ər bədz. ðə pɑdz ər kəˈlɛktəd ɪn lɑrʤ ˈbæskəts, wɪʧ ˈwərkərz ˈkɛri ɔn ðɛr hɛdz, ənd paɪld əp ˈrɛdi fər ˈsplɪtɪŋ. ðə pɑdz ər splɪt ˈoʊpən baɪ hænd ənd ðə sidz ər binz, wɪʧ ər ˈkəvərd wɪθ ə swit waɪt pəlp ər mucilage*, ər riˈmuvd ˈrɛdi tɪ ˌəndərˈgoʊ ðə ˈkjʊrɪŋ ˈprɔˌsɛs ˌfərmənˈteɪʃən ənd draɪɪŋ. ðɪs pərˈpɛrz ðə binz fər ˈmɑrkɪt ənd ɪz ðə fərst steɪʤ ɪn ðə dɪˈvɛləpmənt əv ðə dɪˈlɪʃəs ˈʧɔklət flavour*.

'theobroma cacao' – the cocoa tree in the 18th century the swedish botanist, carolus linnaeus, renamed the cocoa tree giving it the greek name theobroma cacao, now its official botanical name, which literally means 'food of the gods'. cocoa trees resemble english apple trees. they grow best under the canopy of tropical rainforests, seldom reaching more than 7.5 metres (25 feet) high. to flourish they need to be shaded from direct sun and wind, particularly in the early growth stages. the cocoa tree has broad, dark leaves about 25cm long, and pale-coloured flowers from which bean pods grow. a native of the central and south american rainforests, cocoa trees are now cultivated in many tropical locations around the world. two methods are generally used to establish cocoa tree plantations. young trees are interspersed with new permanent or temporary shade trees such as coconut, plantains and bananas, following the clear-felling of the forest. in large asian plantations, cocoa trees and coconut trees are planted together and both crops are harvested commercially. alternatively, forest trees are thinned out and the cocoa trees are planted between established trees. cocoa trees begin to bear fruit when they are three to four years old. they produce pink and white flowers throughout the year, growing in abundance after before the rain starts. however the pods grow straight out of the trunk and the main branches, which is most unusual. only a small proportion of the flowers develop into fruit over a period of about five months. the trees are carefully pruned so that pods can be more easily harvested. each tree yields 20-30 pods per year. it takes the whole year's crop from one tree to make 450gms of chocolate. cocoa pods & beans the cocoa tree bears two harvests of cocoa pods per year. around 20cm in length and 500gms in weight, the pods ripen to a rich, golden-orange colour. within each pod there are 20-40 purple, 2cm long cocoa beans covered in a sweet white pulp we buy quality cocoa beans from indonesia, malaysia and ghana. the raw beans undergo a lengthy process to prepare them for chocolate making. types of cocoa pods there are three broad types of cocoa - forastero and criollo, as well as trinitario, a hybrid of the two. within these types there are several varieties. forastero producing the greater part of all cocoa grown, forastero is hardy and vigorous, producing beans with the strongest flavour. the forastero variety most widely grown in west africa and brazil is amelondaro. it has a smooth yellow pod and pale purple beans. criollo with its mild or weak chocolate flavour, criollo is grown in indonesia, central and south america. criollo trees are not as hardy and produce softer red pods, containing 20-30 white, ivory or very pale purple beans. trinitario plants are not found in the wild as they are cultivated hybrids of the other two types. trinitario cocoa trees are grown mainly in the caribbean, but also in cameroon and papua new guinea. the mostly hard pods contain 30 or more beans of variable colour, though white beans are rare. harvesting and splitting cocoa pods the harvesting of cocoa pods is very labour-intensive. on west african small-holdings the whole family, together with friends and neighbours help out. ripe pods are gathered every few weeks during the peak season. the high pods are cut with large knives attached to poles, taking care not to damage nearby flowers or buds. the pods are collected in large baskets, which workers carry on their heads, and piled up ready for splitting. the pods are split open by hand and the seeds or beans, which are covered with a sweet white pulp or mucilage, are removed ready to undergo the two-part curing process - fermentation and drying. this prepares the beans for market and is the first stage in the development of the delicious chocolate flavour.

ðɛr ɪz groʊɪŋ ˈɛvədəns ðət kənˌspɪrəˈtɔriəl ˈθɪŋkɪŋ, ˈɔlsoʊ noʊn ɛz ˌaɪdiˈeɪʃən, ɪz ˈɔfən ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn ðə rɪˈʤɛkʃən əv ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˌprɑpəˈzɪʃənz. tɛnd tɪ ˌɪnˈvoʊk ɔlˈtərnətɪv ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃənz fər ðə ˈneɪʧər ər sɔrs əv ðə ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˈɛvədəns. fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, əˈməŋ ˈpipəl hu ˈriʤɛkt ðə lɪŋk bɪtˈwin ənd eɪdz, ˈkɑmən ˌɪnˈvɑlv ðə bɪˈlifs ðət eɪdz wɑz kriˈeɪtɪd baɪ ðə juz. ˈgəvərnmənt. maɪ ˈkɑligz ənd aɪ ˈpəblɪʃt ə ˈpeɪpər ˈrisəntli ðət faʊnd ˈɛvədəns fər ðə ˌɪnˈvɑlvmənt əv ˌaɪdiˈeɪʃən ɪn ðə rɪˈʤɛkʃən əv ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˈklaɪmɪt ʧeɪnʤ tɪ ðə lɪŋk bɪtˈwin təˈbæˌkoʊ ənd ləŋ ˈkænsər, ənd bɪtˈwin ənd ˈvɪzɪtərz tɪ ˈklaɪmɪt blɔgz. ðɪs wɑz ə ˈfɛrli ənsərˈpraɪzɪŋ rɪˈzəlt bɪˈkəz ɪt mɛʃt wɛl wɪθ ˈpriviəs ˈrisərʧ ənd ðə ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ ˈlɪtərəʧər ɔn ðə rɪˈʤɛkʃən əv saɪəns. ˌɪnˈdid, ɪt wʊd hæv bɪn fɑr mɔr səˈpraɪzɪŋ, frəm ə ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk pərˈspɛktɪv, ɪf ðə ˈɑrtɪkəl hæd nɑt faʊnd ə lɪŋk bɪtˈwin ˌaɪdiˈeɪʃən ənd rɪˈʤɛkʃən əv saɪəns. ˌnənðəˈlɛs, ɛz səm ˈridərz əv ðɪs blɔg meɪ rɪˈmɛmbər, ðɪs ˈɑrtɪkəl ɛnˈʤɛndərd kənˈsɪdərəbəl ˈkɑntrəˌvərsi. ðə ˈɑrtɪkəl ˈɔlsoʊ ˈʤɛnərˌeɪtɪd ˈdætə. ˈdætə, bɪˈkəz fər ˈsoʊʃəl ˈsaɪəntɪsts, ˈpəblɪk ˈsteɪtmənts ənd aɪˈdiəz ˈkɑnstəˌtut ˈdætə fər ˈfərðər ˈrisərʧ. ˈkɑgnɪtɪv ˈsaɪəntɪsts ˈsəmˌtaɪmz əˈplaɪ ˈsəmθɪŋ kɔld analysis”*” tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd haʊ ˈpipəl, grups, ər səˈsaɪɪtiz ər ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzd ənd haʊ ðeɪ θɪŋk. ɪn ðə keɪs əv ðə rɪˈspɑns tɪ ɑr ˈərliər ˈpeɪpər, wi wər strək baɪ ðə weɪ ɪn wɪʧ səm əv ðə ˌækjəˈzeɪʃənz ˈlɛvəld əˈgɛnst ɑr ˈpeɪpər wər, wɛl, ˈsəmˈwət kənˌspɪrəˈtɔriəl ɪn ˈneɪʧər. wi ˈðɛrˌfɔr ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ ˈænəˌlaɪz ðə ˈpəblɪk rɪˈspɑns tɪ ɑr fərst ˈpeɪpər wɪθ ðə haɪˈpɑθəsəs ɪn maɪnd ðət ðɪs rɪˈspɑns maɪt ˈɔlsoʊ ˌɪnˈvɑlv ˌaɪdiˈeɪʃən. wi ˌsɪstəˈmætɪkli kəˈlɛktəd ˈətərənsɪz baɪ ˈblɔgərz ənd ˈkɑmɛntərz, ənd wi sɔt tɪ ˈklæsəˌfaɪ ðɛm ˈɪntu ˈvɛriəs haɪˈpɑθəˌsiz ˈlɛvəld əˈgɛnst ɑr ˈərliər ˈpeɪpər. fər iʧ haɪˈpɑθəsəs, wi ðɛn kəmˈpɛrd ðə ˈpəblɪk ˈsteɪtmənts əˈgɛnst ə lɪst əv kraɪˈtɪriə fər ˌaɪdiˈeɪʃən ðət wɑz ˈteɪkən frəm ðə ˈpriviəs ˈlɪtərəʧər. ðɪs ˈfɑloʊˌəp ˈpeɪpər wɑz ækˈsɛptɪd ə fju deɪz əˈgoʊ baɪ frənˈtɪrz ɪn saɪˈkɑləʤi, ənd ə prɪˈlɪməˌnɛri ˈvərʒən əv ðə ˈpeɪpər ɪz ɔˈrɛdi əˈveɪləbəl, fər ˈoʊpən ˈækˌsɛs, hir. ðə ˈtaɪtəl əv ðə ˈpeɪpər ɪz fˈjʊri: ˌaɪdiˈeɪʃən ɪn ðə ˈblɔgɔsˈfir ɪn rɪˈspɑns tɪ ˈrisərʧ ɔn ˌaɪdiˈeɪʃən, ənd ɪt ɪz ˈɔθərd baɪ ˌmaɪˈsɛlf, ʤɑn kʊk, klaʊs oberauer*, ənd ˈmaɪkəl ˈmɛriət. aɪ ɪnˈkloʊz ðə ˈæbˌstrækt bɪˈloʊ:

there is growing evidence that conspiratorial thinking, also known as conspiracist ideation, is often involved in the rejection of scientific propositions. conspiracist ideations tend to invoke alternative explanations for the nature or source of the scientific evidence. for example, among people who reject the link between hiv and aids, common ideations involve the beliefs that aids was created by the u.s. government. my colleagues and i published a paper recently that found evidence for the involvement of conspiracist ideation in the rejection of scientific propositions—from climate change to the link between tobacco and lung cancer, and between hiv and aids—among visitors to climate blogs. this was a fairly unsurprising result because it meshed well with previous research and the existing literature on the rejection of science. indeed, it would have been far more surprising, from a scientific perspective, if the article had not found a link between conspiracist ideation and rejection of science. nonetheless, as some readers of this blog may remember, this article engendered considerable controversy. the article also generated data. data, because for social scientists, public statements and publically-expressed ideas constitute data for further research. cognitive scientists sometimes apply something called “narrative analysis” to understand how people, groups, or societies are organized and how they think. in the case of the response to our earlier paper, we were struck by the way in which some of the accusations leveled against our paper were, well, somewhat conspiratorial in nature. we therefore decided to analyze the public response to our first paper with the hypothesis in mind that this response might also involve conspiracist ideation. we systematically collected utterances by bloggers and commenters, and we sought to classify them into various hypotheses leveled against our earlier paper. for each hypothesis, we then compared the public statements against a list of criteria for conspiracist ideation that was taken from the previous literature. this follow-up paper was accepted a few days ago by frontiers in psychology, and a preliminary version of the paper is already available, for open access, here. the title of the paper is recursive fury: conspiracist ideation in the blogosphere in response to research on conspiracist ideation, and it is authored by myself, john cook, klaus oberauer, and michael marriott. i enclose the abstract below:

ən dɪˈvɛləpmənt həz hɪt ə pəˈtɛnʃəl ˈʧælənʤ ˈæftər ə voʊt æt læst hɪˈstɔrɪk ˌkɑnsərˈveɪʃən bɔrd ˈmitɪŋ. ˈgrænˌdɪn ˈprɑpərtiz hæd bɪn ˈplænɪŋ tɪ ˈkɑnvərt ðə hɪˈstɔrɪk ˈbɪskət ˈkəmpəˌni ˈbɪldɪŋ, ˈloʊˌkeɪtəd æt 221 ˈdəbəlju. twɛlfθ strit, tɪ ən ˈɔfəs ˈbɪldɪŋ, bət məst naʊ rɪkˈwɛst ə zoʊn ʧeɪnʤ sɪns ɪt dɪz nɑt ˈmitɪŋ ðə ˈmændəˌtɔri ˈmɪnəməm ˈpɑrkɪŋ rɪkˈwaɪrmənts. ɪn ə streɪnʤ twɪst, ðə voʊt frəm ðə hɪˈstɔrɪk ˌkɑnsərˈveɪʃən bɔrd ˈæˌkʧuəli θˈrɛtənz ðə hɪˈstɔrɪk ˈneɪʧər əv ðə ˈbɪldɪŋ ənd ðə sərˈaʊndɪŋ ˈneɪbərˌhʊd, ɛz prəˈvaɪdɪŋ ðə ˈpɑrkɪŋ biɪŋ rɪkˈwɛstɪd wʊd nəˈsɛsəˌteɪt ðət ə ˈpɔrʃən əv ðə ˈbɪldɪŋ bi kənˈvərtɪd tɪ ˈpɑrkɪŋ, ər ə ˈnɪrˈbaɪ hɪˈstɔrɪk ˈstrəkʧər bi dɪˈmɑlɪʃt tɪ meɪk rum fər ə ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈstrəkʧər. ˈbɪskət koʊ. ˈbɪldɪŋ [ʤɑn jəŋ] ɛz səʧ, ðə dɪˈvɛləpər ɪz rɪkˈwɛstɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈprɑpərti frəm (kəmˈjunɪti kəˈmərʃəl ˌɔtəˈmoʊtɪv) tɪ (ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn dɪˈvɛləpmənt səˈpɔrt), wɪʧ wʊd gɪv ˈgrænˌdɪn ˈprɑpərtiz mɔr ˌflɛksəˈbɪləti wɪn ɪt kəmz tɪ ðə prəˈvɪʒən əv ˈpɑrkɪŋ. ɪn ə ˈlɛtər səbˈmɪtəd tɪ ˈsɪti ˈkaʊnsəl, ðə dɪˈvɛləpər ˈɪndəˌkeɪtɪd ðət dɪˈspaɪt ˈɛnərɪŋ ˈɪntu əˈgrimənts wɪθ tɪ sɪˈkjʊr 175 ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈspeɪsɪz fər ðə dɪˈvɛləpmənt, wɪʧ ɪz ə wɔk frəm ðə ˈwɔʃɪŋtən pɑrk gərɑʒ ənd ˈsɪti ˈsɛnər gərɑʒ, ə splɪt voʊt fər ə ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈvɛriəns meɪ ˌɪmˈpɛrəl ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪf ðə zoʊn ʧeɪnʤ ɪz nɑt sɪˈkjʊrd. ˈfərðər səˈpɔrtɪŋ ðə keɪs ɪz ðə fækt ðət ðə ˈstrəkʧər ɪz ˈloʊˌkeɪtəd wɪˈθɪn ə ʃɔrt wɔk tɪ ˈnumərəs rɛd baɪk ənd ˌsɪnsəˈnæti ˈstritˌkɑr ˈsteɪʃənz; ənd ðə wɔk skɔr ɪz 94 aʊt əv 100 pɔɪnts. wər əˈwɛr əv ðə lɔŋ ˈhɪstəri əv nɑt ɛnˈfɔrsɪŋ strɪkt kəmˈplaɪəns wɪθ ðə ˈzoʊnɪŋ ˈpɑrkɪŋ rɪkˈwaɪrmənts ɪn fər boʊθ ˌriəˈbɪləˌteɪtɪd ənd nu buildings,”*,” pɛg waɪənt, ˈprɛzɪdənt ənd ˈsiˌiˈoʊ əv ˈgrænˌdɪn ˈprɑpərtiz, roʊt. ɪz waɪ wi wər səˈpraɪzd wɪn ˈsɪti stæf tʊk ə ˈvɛri hɑrd pəˈzɪʃən ənd rikˈwaɪərd ðət wi hæv ˌgɛrənˈtid kənˈtroʊl ˈoʊvər ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈspeɪsɪz ðə laɪf əv ðə project.’”*.’” ðə dɪˈvɛləpmənt wɑz sˈleɪtɪd tɪ muv ˈfɔrwərd, dɪˈspaɪt ˈluzɪŋ aʊt ɔn ˈɔlˌmoʊst 2 ˈmɪljən ɪn hɪˈstɔrɪk tæks ˈkrɛdɪts frəm ðə steɪt læst jɪr. ˈfɑloʊɪŋ 2012 rɪˈpɔrt ɔn ˈmændəˌtɔri ˈmɪnəməm ˈpɑrkɪŋ rɪkˈwaɪrmənts, ˈsɪti ˈkaʊnsəl muvd tɪ ˈstədi riˈmuvɪŋ ˈpɑrkɪŋ rɪkˈwaɪrmənts ɪn ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn ənd; ənd, ɪn 2013 ðə ˈsɪti əˈmɛndɪd ðə ˈzoʊnɪŋ ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz tɪ əˈlaʊ fər boʊθ ˈneɪbərˌhʊdz tɪ riˈmuv rikˈwaɪərd ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈmɪnɪməmz wɪθ ðə ˈpæsɪʤ əv ə ˈspɛʃəl ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈdɪstrɪkt zoʊn. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ðɛr həz bɪn noʊ ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt əv ˈɛni ˈspɛʃəl ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈdɪstrɪkt zoʊn to-date*. ˈfərðər ˈkɑmpləˌkeɪtɪŋ ðə ˈmætər əv ˈpɑrkɪŋ ɪn ɪz ðə fækt ðət ə ˈwərkəbəl ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈpərˌmɪt plæn həz jɛt tɪ muv θru ˈsɪti hɔl. waɪl ˈneɪbərˌhʊd ˈrɛzɪdənts ənd ˈbɪznɪs ˈoʊnərz hæv spɛnt mənθs dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ə vərˈaɪəti əv ɔlˈtərnətɪvz, iʧ həz mɛt ɪts dɪˈmaɪz wɪθ ðə θrɛt əv meɪər ʤɑn (di) ˈviˌtoʊ, wɪʧ hi sɪz ɪz du tɪ ˈpərˌmɪt ˈpraɪsɪz biɪŋ sɛt tu loʊ. ɛz ə rɪˈzəlt, ˈpɑrkɪŋ rɪˈmeɪnz ə hɑt ˈtɑpɪk ɪn wən əv ðə ˈfæstəst dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈneɪbərˌhʊdz. ˈmɛni ˈloʊkəl dɪˈvɛləpərz stɪl bɪˈliv ðɛr ɪz ə ˈmɑrkɪt dɪˈmænd fər wən tɪ tu ˈspeɪsɪz pər ˌrɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ˈjunɪt, waɪl ˌtrænspərˈteɪʃən ˈɔpʃənz ənd ðə əv ðə ˈneɪbərˌhʊd kənˈtɪnju tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv. ðə ˌɪnˈkrist ˈnəmbər əv ˈvɪzɪtərz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ boʊθ ˈwərkərz ənd ðoʊz ˈkəmɪŋ tɪ ʃɑp ənd daɪn ɪn ðə ˈneɪbərˌhʊd, ɪz ˈædɪŋ ˌɪnˈkrist ˈprɛʃər sɪns ˈmɛni ˈrɛzɪdənts ɪn hɪˈstɔrɪk ˈbɪldɪŋz ˈjutəˌlaɪz ˈpɑrkɪŋ tɪ stɔr ðɛr kɑz. ðə nɛkst stɛp fər ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪz ðət ɪt wɪl goʊ ˌbiˈfɔr ˈsɪti ˈneɪbərˌhʊdz kəˈmɪti fər ɪts pəˈtɛnʃəl riˈzoʊnɪŋ ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən.

An Over-the-Rhine development has hit a potential challenge after a 3-3 vote at last month’s Historic Conservation Board meeting. Grandin Properties had been planning to convert the historic Strietmann Biscuit Company building, located at 221 W. Twelfth Street, to an 88,000-square-foot office building, but must now request a zone change since it does not meeting the city’s mandatory minimum parking requirements. In a strange twist, the vote from the Historic Conservation Board actually threatens the historic nature of the building and the surrounding neighborhood, as providing the parking being requested would necessitate that a portion of the building be converted to parking, or a nearby historic structure be demolished to make room for a parking structure. Strietmann Biscuit Co. Building [John Yung] As such, the developer is requesting to rezone the property from CC-A (Community Commercial – Automotive) to DD-C (Downtown Development – Support), which would give Grandin Properties more flexibility when it comes to the provision of parking. In a letter submitted to City Council, the developer indicated that despite entering into agreements with 3CDC to secure 175 parking spaces for the development, which is a five-minute walk from the Washington Park Garage and City Center Garage, a split vote for a parking variance may imperil the project if the zone change is not secured. Further supporting the developer’s case is the fact that the 126-year-old structure is located within a short walk to numerous Red Bike and Cincinnati Streetcar stations; and the location’s Walk Score is 94 out of 100 points. “We were aware of the long history of not enforcing strict compliance with the zoning code’s parking requirements in Over-the-Rhine for both rehabilitated and new buildings,” Peg Wyant, President and CEO of Grandin Properties, wrote. “This is why we were surprised when City staff took a very hard position and required that we have guaranteed control over parking spaces ‘for the life of the project.’” The development was slated to move forward, despite losing out on almost $2 million in historic tax credits from the state last year. Following UrbanCincy‘s 2012 report on mandatory minimum parking requirements, City Council moved to study removing parking requirements in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine; and, in 2013, the City amended the zoning regulations to allow for both neighborhoods to remove required parking minimums with the passage of a special parking district zone. However, there has been no establishment of any special parking district zone to-date. Further complicating the matter of parking in Over-the-Rhine is the fact that a workable Parking Permit Plan has yet to move through City Hall. While neighborhood residents and business owners have spent months developing a variety of alternatives, each has met its demise with the threat of Mayor John Cranley‘s (D) veto, which he says is due to permit prices being set too low. As a result, parking remains a hot topic in one of the nation’s fastest developing neighborhoods. Many local developers still believe there is a market demand for one to two spaces per residential unit, while transportation options and the walkability of the neighborhood continue to improve. The increased number of visitors, including both workers and those coming to shop and dine in the neighborhood, is adding increased pressure since many residents in historic buildings utilize on-street parking to store their cars. The next step for the project is that it will go before City Council’s Neighborhoods Committee for its potential rezoning application.

ɛm si ʤi ˈprɑməs ðət wən deɪ aɪl bi əraʊnd aɪl kip ju seɪf aɪl kip ju saʊnd. ɛm si ʤi ənd naʊ ɪts ˈprɪti ˈkreɪzi ənd aɪ doʊnt noʊ haʊ tɪ stɑp ər sloʊ ɪt daʊn. si ɛm ənd heɪ aɪ noʊ ðɛr ər səm θɪŋz wi nid tɪ tɔk əˈbaʊt. si di bət aɪ kænt steɪ soʊ lɛt mi hoʊld ju fər ə ˈlɪtəl ˈlɔŋgər naʊ, jæ. ʤi si ʤi di ənd teɪk ə pis əv maɪ hɑrt ənd meɪk ɪt ɔl jʊr oʊn soʊ wɪn wi ər əˈpɑrt. ɛm si ʤi jul ˈnɛvər bi əˈloʊn jul ˈnɛvər bi əˈloʊn. ɛm si ʤi ɛm si ʤi jul ˈnɛvər bi əˈloʊn wɪn ju mɪs mi kloʊz jʊr aɪz aɪ meɪ bi fɑr bət ˈnɛvər gɔn. ɛm si ʤi wɪn ju fɔl slip æt naɪt ʤɪst rɪˈmɛmbər ðət wi leɪ ˈəndər ðə seɪm stɑrz. si ɛm ənd heɪ aɪ noʊ ðɛr ər səm θɪŋz wi nid tɪ tɔk əˈbaʊt. si di bət aɪ kænt steɪ soʊ lɛt mi hoʊld ju fər ə ˈlɪtəl ˈlɔŋgər naʊ, jæ. ʤi si ʤi di ənd teɪk ə pis əv maɪ hɑrt ənd meɪk ɪt ɔl jʊr oʊn soʊ wɪn wi ər əˈpɑrt. ɛm si ʤi jul ˈnɛvər bi əˈloʊn jul ˈnɛvər bi əˈloʊn. ɛm si ʤi ʤi si ʤi di ənd teɪk ə pis əv maɪ hɑrt ənd meɪk ɪt ɔl jʊr oʊn soʊ wɪn wi ər əˈpɑrt. ɛm si ʤi jul ˈnɛvər bi əˈloʊn jul ˈnɛvər bi əˈloʊn.

em c g promise that one day i'll be around i'll keep you safe i'll keep you sound. em c g and now its pretty crazy and i don't know how to stop or slow it down. c em and hey i know there are some things we need to talk about. c d but i can't stay so let me hold you for a little longer now, yeah. g c g d and take a piece of my heart and make it all your own so when we are apart. em c g you'll never be alone you'll never be alone. em c g em c g you'll never be alone when you miss me close your eyes i may be far but never gone. em c g when you fall sleep at night just remember that we lay under the same stars. c em and hey i know there are some things we need to talk about. c d but i can't stay so let me hold you for a little longer now, yeah. g c g d and take a piece of my heart and make it all your own so when we are apart. em c g you'll never be alone you'll never be alone. em c g g c g d and take a piece of my heart and make it all your own so when we are apart. em c g you'll never be alone you'll never be alone.

ˌpaɪəˈnɪrɪŋ ˈprɑʤɛkts tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ˈægrɪˌkəlʧər ənd fud pərˈdəkʃən æt hoʊm ənd ˈoʊvərˈsiz, hæv bɪn ˈfəndɪd tɪ ðə tun əv ˈmɪljən, ˈəndər ðə ˈleɪtəst raʊnd əv ðə ˈkætəˌlɪst. ˈprɑʤɛkts ˌɪnˈklud wən əˈsɛsɪŋ ðə pəˈtɛnʃəl tɪ ðə ˈfɑrmɪŋ əv ˈlɑbstərz, ə prəˈpoʊzəl tɪ ˈkəltəˌveɪt ˈskæləps ɔn roʊps ənd ə weɪ əv kənˈtɪnjuɪŋ tɪ meɪk ˈwɪski wɪθ wit, baɪ ˈjuzɪŋ ə ˈnɑvəl vərˈaɪəti. ðə tɛkˈnɑləʤiz ər əˈməŋ 21 səkˈsɛsfəl bɪdz ðət hæv wən ə ˌkɑmpəˈtɪʃən rən baɪ ðə ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən ˈeɪʤənsi, ˈɪnəˌveɪt, tɪ ˈtərgət kəˈmərʃəli ˈprɑməsɪŋ nu tɛkˈnɑləʤiz tɪ prəˈvaɪd ən ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk bust tɪ ðə ˈægrɪˌkəlʧər ˈsɛktər. ˈspikɪŋ æt ðə ˈoʊpənɪŋ əv agrimetrics*, ðə fərst bɪg ˈdætə ˈsɛntər əv ˈɛksələns fər ðə hoʊl fud ˈsɪstəm, æt ˈrisərʧ, ɪn harpenden*, hertfordshire*, laɪf ˈsaɪənsɪz ˈmɪnɪstər ʤɔrʤ ˈfrimən sɛd: baɪ ˈhɑrnəsɪŋ saɪəns tɪ rɪˈdus ˈwɔtər ənd ˈpɛstəˌsaɪd ˈjusɪʤ, ənd tɪ ˌpaɪəˈnɪr ˈgrinər ˈmɑdərn ˈfɑrmɪŋ, ðə ɪz ˈlidɪŋ ðə weɪ ɪn ˈbustɪŋ ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl ˌproʊdəkˈtɪvɪti. ˌɪnˈvɛstɪŋ ɪn ˌpaɪəˈnɪrɪŋ ˈprɑʤɛkts laɪk ðiz ɪz ˌwɪnˈwɪn fər ðə ɛz ðiz tɛkˈnɑləʤiz wɪl ˌɪmˈpruv fud pərˈdəkʃən ənd kriˈeɪt ˈbɪznɪsɪz ənd ʤɑbz əp ənd daʊn ðə ˈkəntri. ˈbrɪtɪʃ səˈluʃənz fər ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl ˈʧælənʤɪz ˈiən ˈmikəl, hɛd əv ˈægrɪˌkəlʧər ənd fud, æt ˈɪnəˌveɪt, sɛd: baɪ səˈpɔrtɪŋ ðiz ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈpɑrtnərˌʃɪps ˈmɛni əv wɪʧ ˌɪnˈklud smɔl ˈbɪznɪsɪz ˈɪnəˌveɪt ɪz ˈbækɪŋ ˈbrɪtɪʃ səˈluʃənz fər ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl ˈʧælənʤɪz. ðiz skimz ər ˈhɛlpɪŋ tɪ kriˈeɪt nu ʤɑbz ənd wɪl ˈoʊpən əp nu ˈmɑrkɪts ənd draɪv ˌproʊdəkˈtɪvɪti. prəˈfɛsər ˈʤæki ˈhəntər, ʧif ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv, sɛd: ˌɪnˈvɛstɪŋ ɪn ədˈvænsɪz ɪn ˈægrɪˌkəlʧər ɪz ˈvaɪtəl, nɑt ˈoʊnli fər ɑr fˈjuʧər fud səˈplaɪ bət ˈɔlsoʊ tɪ hɛlp bɪld ðə bio-economy*. ðiz nu ˈrisərʧ ˈprɑʤɛkts ˈhaɪˌlaɪt haʊ ˌbaɪoʊˈsaɪəns ɪz æt ðə ˈfɔrˌfrənt əv ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv əˈproʊʧɪz fər ˈmɑdərn ˈfɑrmɪŋ. ˈkætəˌlɪst ðə ˈfəndɪŋ wɑz əˈwɔrdɪd θru ðə wɑz sɛt əp baɪ ðə dɪˈpɑrtmənt fər ˈbɪznɪs, ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən ənd skɪlz, ˈɪnəˌveɪt, dɪˈpɑrtmənt fər ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl dɪˈvɛləpmənt ənd ðə ˌbaɪoʊˌtɛkˈnɑləʤi ənd ˌbaɪəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˈsaɪənsɪz ˈrisərʧ ˈkaʊnsəl (bbsrc*) wɪθ ə ˈmɪljən ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt tɪ hɛlp meɪk ðə ə wərld ˈlidər ɪn ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl tɛkˈnɑləʤi, ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən ənd səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti. ðə ˈkætəˌlɪst ˈɔfərz ˈfəndɪŋ fər kəˈlæbərˌeɪtɪv ˈprɑʤɛkts, ˈteɪkɪŋ ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv aɪˈdiəz frəm ˈɛni ˈsɛktər ər ˈdɪsəplən wɪθ ðə pəˈtɛnʃəl tɪ prəˈvaɪd ən ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk bust tɪ ðə ˈɪndəstri, baɪ ˈtækəlɪŋ ˈʧælənʤɪz ɪn ˈægrɪˌkəlʧər. ðə skim wɪl hɛlp tɪ teɪk ˌɪnəˈveɪʃənz ɔl ðə weɪ frəm ˈkɑnsɛpt tɪ commercialisation*, əˈwɔrdɪŋ grænts fər ˈrisərʧ ˌfizəˈbɪləti ˈstədiz, ˌɪnˈdəstriəl ˈrisərʧ, ənd ənd ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəl ˌfizəˈbɪləti ˈstədiz. ˈɛni ˈbɪznɪs ər ˌækəˈdɛmɪk ˈrisərʧər kən əˈplaɪ. ðə ˈkætəˌlɪst wɪl fənd prəˈpoʊzəlz rɪˈleɪtɪŋ tɪ: ˈpraɪˌmɛri krɑp ənd ˈlaɪvˌstɑk pərˈdəkʃən, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈækwəˌkəlʧər ˈnɑnˈfud ˈjuzɪz əv krɑps ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ (fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, fər ˈbaɪəmæs) fud sɪˈkjʊrəti ənd nuˈtrɪʃən ˈʧælənʤɪz ɪn ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl dɪˈvɛləpmənt ˈʧælənʤɪz ɪn ˈdaʊnˈstrim fud ˈprɑsɛsɪŋ, prəˈvaɪdɪd ðə səˈluʃən laɪz ɪn ˈpraɪˌmɛri pərˈdəkʃən. fʊl ˈsəməriz əv ˈfəndɪd ˈprɑʤɛkts: ˈkætəˌlɪst raʊnd 4 leɪt steɪʤ ˈprɑʤɛkt 1 verticalvale*: vaɪəˈbɪləti əv ðə ˈsætərn groʊər ɪn kəˈmərʃəl ˈfɑrmɪŋ ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈsætərn, ˈsætərn ər ˈwərkɪŋ ɔn ə kəˈlæbərˌeɪtɪv ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪθ ˈlidɪŋ frɛʃ ˈproʊdus groʊərz, tɪ pruv ənd ˈʃoʊˌkeɪs ðə ˈbɛnəfɪts ðət ðə ˈsætərn groʊər ˈvərtɪkəl groʊɪŋ ˈsɪstəm ˈɔfərz ɪn ə kəˈmərʃəl groʊɪŋ ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl ˈdɛmənˌstreɪt ðə jild ˌɪnˈkris ənd rɪˈdust kɔsts əv pərˈdəkʃən ðə ˈsɪstəm dɪˈlɪvərz ɔn ˈlifi krɑps, wɪθ ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn pæk ʧɔɪ. rɪˈzəlts hæv ˈwaɪdər ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən əˈkrɔs ðə frɛʃ ˈproʊdus ˈɪndəstri, ɪn ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr fər ˈlifi ˈsælədz, ərbz ənd sɔft frut. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪˈneɪbəlz ə stɛp ʧeɪnʤ ɪn ðə ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪks əv krɑp pərˈdəkʃən. ˈprɑʤɛkt 2 ˌɪmˈpruvɪŋ ˌhaɪdrəˈpɑnɪk pərˈdəkʃən ˈjuzɪŋ nu ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈnaɪˌtreɪt ˈsɛnsər ˈpɑrtnərz: ʃɑrp ˈlæbrəˌtɔriz ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ˈlɪŋkənˌʃɪr ərbz ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ˈsælədz ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; meɪ bɑrn ˌhɔrtəˈkəlʧərəl kənˈsəltənsi ˈɛlˈtiˈdi ˈmɛni krɑps, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ təˈmɑtoʊz, ˈlɛtəs, ərbz, ˈstrɔˌbɛriz, ˈræzˌbɛriz ənd ˌɔrnəˈmɛntəl flaʊərz ər ˈɔfən groʊn ˈjuzɪŋ hydroponics*, wɛr fər ðə groʊɪŋ plænts ɪz səˈplaɪd ɪn ðə ˌɪrəˈgeɪʃən ˈwɔtər. ˌhaɪdrəˈpɑnɪk ˈfɑrmɪŋ prəˈdusɪz ˈɛksələnt kˈwɑləti krɑps wɪθ gʊd ɪˈfɪʃənsi bət ðɛr ɪz ən ˌɑpərˈtunəti tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ðə ˈmɛθəd baɪ kənˈtɪnjuəsli ˈmɑnətərɪŋ ənd kənˈtroʊlɪŋ ðə kəmˈpoʊnənts ɪn ðə ˌɪrəˈgeɪʃən ˈwɔtər. ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt eɪmz tɪ ɪˈneɪbəl ˈbɛtər kənˈtroʊl ˈoʊvər ðə juz əv ˈnaɪˌtreɪt, wɪʧ ɪz ən ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt kəmˈpoʊnənt əv ðə. ə nu ˈsɛnsər, wɪʧ kən bi juzd tɪ kənˈtɪnjuəsli ˈmɛʒər ðə ˈnaɪˌtreɪt ˌkɑnsənˈtreɪʃən ɪn ˌɪrəˈgeɪʃən ˈwɔtər wɪl bi dɪˈplɔɪd æt kəˈmərʃəl ˌhaɪdrəˈpɑnɪk fɑrmz, əˈlaʊɪŋ kənˈtɪnjuəs ˈnaɪˌtreɪt ˈmɑnətərɪŋ fər ðə fərst taɪm. wi wɪl ɪˈvæljuˌeɪt ðə pəˈtɛnʃəl fər ɪkˈspɛktɪd ˈbɛnəfɪts ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ rɪˈdəkʃənz ɪn juz ənd ɪkˈspɛns ənd sˈmɔlər ˈdɪsˌʧɑrʤ əv ˈɪntu ˈnæʧərəl ˈwɔtərz, ˈhɛlpɪŋ tɪ mit ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl tɛkˈnɑləʤi ɪz ˈrɛləvənt tɪ ənd ˈgloʊbəl ˈfɑrmɪŋ. ˈprɑʤɛkt 3 ˈrilˌtaɪm ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ˈsɪstəmz fər priˈsɪʒən pɪg pərˈdəkʃən ˈpɑrtnərz: fɑrm ˈɛnərʤi kənˈtroʊl ˈsərvɪsɪz ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ɑrm ˈbɪldɪŋz ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; gɑrθ pɪg ˈpræktɪs ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ˌdiˈsi ˈælən ˈpɑrtnərz; ʤeɪ ɛm ˈsæŋki fmrs*; ˈdiˈeɪ ɛm ˈskɪnər; ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ˈɛlˈtiˈdi ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt ənˈjuˌʒuəli ˌɪnˈvɑlvz ə kənˈsɔrʃjəm əv praɪm prəˈdusərz ənd tɛkˈnɑləʤi səˈplaɪərz. ɪt ɪz ˈfɑrmərz hu wɪl ˈæˌkʧuəli dɪˈlɪvər ɔn səˈsteɪnəbəl ˌɪnˌtɛnsɪfəˈkeɪʃən ənd ðət ɪz waɪ ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt ˌɪnˈvɑlvz ðɛm dɪˈrɛkli ɛz fʊl ˈpɑrtnərz. ɛnˈtaɪtəld ˈrilˌtaɪm ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ˈsɪstəmz fər priˈsɪʒən pɪg pərˈdəkʃən, ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl kəˈmərʃəli ˈpaɪlət ə ˈrisəntli dɪˈvɛləpt ˈsɪstəm ˈgɑrdiən ˈækʃən ɛz ə priˈkərsər tɪ fʊl ˈɪndəstri roll-out*. ðə ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ˈsɪstəm prəˈvaɪdz ˈrilˌtaɪm rɪˈmoʊt ˈdætə rɪˈkəvəri frəm pɪg pərˈdəkʃən ˈjunɪts ənd əˈlaʊz ˈbraʊzər ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ðə ˈprɑsɛst ənd ˈdætə dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ kriˈeɪt ˈnɑlɪʤ æt ə fɑrm ˈlɛvəl. ɪn əˈdɪʃən, əˈnɑnəməs ˈdætə wɪl bi puld ənd tɪ æd ˈfərðər ˈvælju fər ɛnd ˈjuzərz. ˈkruʃəli, ðə ˈpaɪlət wɪl ˌɪnˈklud ðə ˈsɛtɪŋ əp əv ə ˈkəstəmər səˈpɔrt ˈrisɔrs tɪ ɪnˈʃʊr ðət ɛnd ˈjuzərz kən tərn ðə ˈnɑlɪʤ ˈɪntu ˈprɑfɪt. juˈnikli, ˈvɛtrəˌnɛri ənd nuˈtrɪʃənəl ˌɛkspərˈtiz wɪl ˈkɑmpləmənt ðə ˈdætə æˈnælɪsɪs ənd ˌɪnˌtərprɪˈteɪʃən. ðə ˈsɪstəm wɪl bi səˈplaɪd ənd səˈpɔrtɪd ɔn ə səbˈskrɪpʃən fi ˈbeɪsɪs. ˈkætəˌlɪst raʊnd 4 ˌɪnˈdəstriəl ˈrisərʧ ˈprɑʤɛkt 1 ˈkoʊkoʊ fɑrm əv ðə fˈjuʧər ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈlɪmɪtɪd; tri ˈgloʊbəl ˈgænə ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ˈkoʊkoʊ ˈrisərʧ ˈɪnstɪˌtut əv ˈgænə wɪˈθaʊt ˈkoʊkoʊ ðɛr ɪz noʊ ˈʧɔklət ənd wɪˈθaʊt ðə nɛkst ˈfɑrmɪŋ ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən, ðɛr ɪz noʊ ˈkoʊkoʊ. ə ˈvaɪbrənt ˈkoʊkoʊ səˈplaɪ ʧeɪn ɪz ɛˈsɛnʃəl fər ðə fˈjuʧər əv ˈʧɔklət ənd θru ðə ˈkoʊkoʊ laɪf səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti ˈproʊˌgræm wi ər ˈlidɪŋ ɪts ˌtrænsfərˈmeɪʃən. ɛz pɑrt əv ðə ˈproʊˌgræm, ˈlɪmɪtɪd ɪz ˈlidɪŋ ə ˈprɑʤɛkt tɪ ˈtrænsfɔrm ðə weɪ ˈkoʊkoʊ ɪz groʊn ənd drəˈmætɪkəli bust fɑrm jildz ənd ˈfɑrmər ˈɪnˌkəmz. baɪ ˈɪmpləˌmɛnɪŋ ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪn ˈgænə wi ər ˈsikɪŋ tɪ dɪˈrɛkli ˌɪmˈpruv ˈfɑrmɪŋ ˈpræktɪsɪz ənd tɛkˈnɑləʤiz fər ðə ˈbɛnəfɪt əv ˈmɛni ˈθaʊzənz əv gəˈnaɪən ˈkoʊkoʊ prəˈdusərz ənd tɪ ɪnˈʃʊr ðət ˌhaɪkˈwɑləti ˈgænə ˈkoʊkoʊ kənˈtɪnjuz tɪ bi ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən ˌɪnˈgridiənt ɪn səm əv ðə bɛst ləvd ˈʧɔkləts, laɪk ˈkædˌbɛri ˈdɛri mɪlk. ˈprɑʤɛkt 2 θərd ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən ˌpɑˌliˈɛθəˌlin ˈgrinˌhaʊs məˈtɪriəlz ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ˈtənəlz ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ˈbɛri ˈgɑrdənz ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ˈhɔrtɪˌkəlʧər (ˈkɛnjə) ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ə. ˈʃulmən ɪŋk ˈɛlˈtiˈdi.; ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈrɛdɪŋ; ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈlɪŋkən; ist ˈrisərʧ ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl dɪˈvɛləp ə reɪnʤ əv ˈnɑvəl, third-generation*, ˈgrinˌhaʊs fɪlm məˈtɪriəlz. ðə fɪlmz wɪl bi ˈmɑdəˌfaɪd tɪ draɪv kəmˈplitli ˈpæsɪv ˈbɛnəfɪts tɪ ˈpraɪˌmɛri ˈgrinˌhaʊs groʊərz ˈwərldˈwaɪd. wi wɪl ˈmɑdəˌfaɪ məˈtɪriəlz tɪ ʧeɪnʤ ðɛr trænzˈmɪʃən, ðə ˈskætərɪŋ əv ˈæktɪv ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃən ənd tɪ rɪˈflɛkt nɪr ˈɪnfrə rɛd hit. ðə ˈbɛnəfɪts ˈtɑrgətɪd wɪl ˌɪnˈklud jild ənd kˈwɑləti geɪnz, ðə rɪˈdəkʃən əv ˈsoʊlər hit loʊd ənd pəˈtɛnʃəl rɪˈdəkʃənz ɪn pɛst ˈɪnsɪdəns. fər ˈpraɪˌmɛri prəˈdusərz ðə tɛkˈnɑləʤi ɪz loʊ kɔst, ənd smɔl pərˈdəkʃən geɪnz wɪl ˈʤəstəˌfaɪ ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt ɪn ðə tɛkˈnɑləʤi. ɪn tərmz əv fɪlm ˌmænjəˈfækʧərərz ðə ˈgloʊbəl ˈmɑrkɪt fər spɪˈsɪfɪk ˈgrinˌhaʊs fɪlm ɪz wərθ si. ˈbɪljən. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ɪt həz ə loʊ ˈlɛvəl əv ˈprɑdəkt ˌdɪfərˌɛnʧiˈeɪʃən. ðəs, ˌɪnəˈveɪʃənz wɪˈθɪn ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt hæv ril pəˈtɛnʃəl tɪ sɪˈkjʊr sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt seɪlz ənd ˈɛkspɔrt ˌɑpərˈtunətiz. ˈprɑʤɛkt 3 məst: ˈskeɪlɪŋ tɛkˈnɑləʤi ˈpɑrtnərz: əˈʃʊrd ˈɛnərʤi krɑps, bɛl ˈbrəðərz ˈnərsəriz, ˈɛdwərdz fɑrm məˈʃinəri, ˌjunəˈvərsəti, nutriss*, ˈsɪriz ðə nidz tɪ rɪˈdus ɪˈmɪʃənz ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ ˈmɪtəˌgeɪt ˈklaɪmɪt ʧeɪnʤ, ənd grin tɛkˈnɑləʤiz wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ ˈstɪmjəˌleɪt ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ækˈtɪvɪti. krɑps prəˈvaɪd ən ɔlˈtərnətɪv tɪ ˈfɑsəl fjuəlz, wɛr wʊd, strɔ ənd ˈəðər ˈbaɪəmæs ɪz bərnt ɪn paʊər ˈsteɪʃənz, ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ ˈʤɛnərˌeɪt ɪˌlɛkˈtrɪsəti. 75 əv ðə ˈbaɪəmæs wi bərn ɪz ˌɪmˈpɔrtɪd. ɪz ə plænt wɪθ ə stɛm ðət groʊz ˈmitərz haɪ ɪn ə jɪr, ɪz ˈhɑrvəstɪd ɪn spərɪŋ ənd groʊz bæk frəm ðə ruts tɪ ˈproʊdus ə krɑp iʧ jɪr. ðə ˈhɑrvəstɪd krɑp ɪz bərnt ɪn paʊər ˈsteɪʃənz. ɪt groʊz wɛl ɔn lænd ðət ɪz nɑt ˈsutəbəl fər fud krɑps. ðə ˈkɑrənt ˈmɛθəd fər ˈplæntɪŋ ɪz frəm ˈsɛkʃənz əv rut dəg əp frəm ˈəðər plænts, bət ðɪs ˈlɪmɪts haʊ məʧ wi kən plænt iʧ jɪr. ˈplæntɪŋ sid wʊd əˈlaʊ ˈjuˈɛs tɪ spid əp dɪˈplɔɪmənt. ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt eɪmz tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd haʊ tɪ ˈproʊdus sid, plænt ənd lʊk ˈæftər ɪt səkˈsɛsfəli, ənd ˈhɑrvəst ɪt ˈifɛktɪvli, soʊ wi kən groʊ mɔr əv ðə krɑp ɪn ðə ənd kriˈeɪt ə nu ˈɪndəstri. ˈprɑʤɛkt 4 birdease*: ən ˈɪnəˌgreɪtɪd ˌdaɪəgˈnɑstɪk ˈsɪstəm fər bækˈtɪriəl dɪˈtɛkʃən ɪn ˈpoʊltri fɑrmz ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈlaɪtɪŋ ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈkeɪmbrɪʤ; ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; 2 ˈsɪstərz fud grup; bri*; ˈɛlˈtiˈdi) ðɛr ɪz ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ ˈprɛʃər wɪˈθɪn ðə ˈpoʊltri ˈɪndəstri tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ˈmɛʒərz ˈklɛnlinɪs ɪn ˈpraɪˌmɛri pərˈdəkʃən; ədˈvænst ˌdaɪəgˈnɑstɪks fər ˈərli dɪˈziz dɪˈtɛkʃən ər haɪ ɔn ðə əˈʤɛndə. ɪn rɪˈspɑns tɪ ðɪs spɪˈsɪfɪk ˈɪndəstri nid, ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl dɪˈvɛləp ən ˈɪnəˌgreɪtɪd bækˈtɪriəl ˈsɛnsɪŋ ˈsɪstəm fər ˌɪnˈtɛnsɪv ˈpoʊltri pərˈdəkʃən ˈsɪstəmz, ˈtɑrgətɪŋ ki dɪˈziz ˈpæθəʤənz ˈprɛvələnt ɪn ˈpoʊltri mit: campylobacter*, ˌsælməˈnɛlə. ðə prəˈpoʊzd ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən ˈɪnəˌgreɪtɪŋ ˈsæmpəl kəˈlɛkʃən, ɪnˈrɪʧmənt, dɪˈtɛkʃən ˈsimləs ˈjuzər ˌprɛzənˈteɪʃən, ɪz ɪˈneɪbəld ˈoʊnli baɪ ðə kənˈvərʤəns əv ˈlidɪŋ ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrz wɪθ ˈpoʊltri prəˈdusərz ˈɪndəstri ˌɪnˈfɔrmərz. ðə ˈoʊvərˌɑrʧɪŋ əˈbʤɛktɪv ɪz tɪ ɪˈneɪbəl ˈərliər dɪˈsɪʒən ˈmeɪkɪŋ baɪ prəˈdusərz tɪ ˈɪnstəˌgeɪt priˈvɛntətɪv kənˈtroʊl ˈmɛʒərz ðət ˈdaʊnˈstrim cross-contamination*, ˈðɛrˈbaɪ ˈdiˌkrisɪŋ dɪˈziz ˈɪnsɪdəns wɪˈθɪn ðə səˈplaɪ ʧeɪn. ˈprɑʤɛkt 5 ˈækwəˌkəlʧər əv ðə greɪt ˈskæləp: fild tɛsts fər tɛkˈniks ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈlɪmɪtɪd; ˈpɔrtlənd ˈlɪmɪtɪd ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈfoʊkɪsɪz ɔn fild ˈtɛstɪŋ əv roʊp groʊɪŋ ˈmɛθədz fər ðə greɪt ˈskæləp ɪn ðə. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl tɛst ˈvɛriəbəlz əˈfɛktɪŋ ˌproʊdəkˈtɪvɪti əv tɛkˈniks ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ (aɪ) pruv ðət ɪt ɪz ə ˈvaɪəbəl moʊd əv pərˈdəkʃən fər ˈlɑrʤˌskeɪl kəˈmərʃəl ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən; (ii*) ˈdɛmənˌstreɪt ðə ædˈvæntɪʤɪz əv roʊp groʊɪŋ ˈoʊvər ˈkɑrənt ˈskæləp ˈækwəˌkəlʧər ˈpræktɪsɪz; ənd (iii*) tɪ ˌmɛθəˈdɑləʤi fər ðə ˌɪmpləmɛnˈteɪʃən əv ðə tɛkˈnik. ðə ˈaʊtˌpʊt əv ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪz ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd tɪ bi ˈdætə ənd ˈnoʊˌhaʊ wɪʧ wɪl fɔrm ðə ˈbeɪsɪs əv ə ˈmɑdəl tɪ ˈʤɛnərˌeɪt ˈfəndɪŋ fər kəˈmərʃəl ˌɛkˌsplɔɪˈteɪʃən əv səʧ ˈmɛθədz. wən ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪz ɪgˈzæmɪnɪŋ ðə ˌfizəˈbɪləti əv ˈrɪrɪŋ ˈskæləps ɔn roʊps ˈprɑʤɛkt 6 ˈnɑvəl fər dɪˈstɪlɪŋ ˈpɑrtnərz: ðə skɑʧ ˈwɪski ˈrisərʧ ˈɪnstɪˌtut, ˈrisərʧ, ə nu kəˌlæbərˈeɪʃən bɪtˈwin ˈɪndəstri ənd ˌækəˈdɛmɪks həz bɪn ˈfəndɪd wɪʧ eɪmz tɪ ə ˈnɑvəl əˈproʊʧ tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ə ˈmeɪʤər krɑp. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt, wɪʧ ˌɪnˈvɑlvz ˈrisərʧ ənd tu ˌɪnˈdəstriəl ˈpɑrtnərz, ðə skɑʧ ˈwɪski ˈrisərʧ ˈɪnstɪˌtut ənd, wɪl rən frəm ə səkˈsɛsfəl ˈaʊtˌkəm wɪl ˈdɛmənˌstreɪt ðə pəˈtɛnʃəl tɪ ˈgreɪtli ækˈsɛlərˌeɪt dɪˈvɛləpmənt əv ˈnɑvəl vərˈaɪətiz əv krɑps fər ˈdɪfərənt ɛnd ˈjuzɪz. ə ˈnɑvəl vərˈaɪəti əv wit kʊd bi juzd fər ˈwɪski ˌdɪstəˈleɪʃən əˈməŋ ˈəðər θɪŋz ˈpɑrtnərz: ðə ˈnæʃənəl ˈlɑbstər ˈhæʧəri; ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈɛksɪtər; wɛst ˈkəntri ˈməsəlz; cefas*; ˈfælməθ ˌjunəˈvərsəti səˈpɔrt frəm ðə ˈkætəˌlɪst həz bɪn sɪˈkjʊrd fər ə ˈprɑʤɛkt, æˈdrɛsɪŋ ˌfəndəˈmɛnəl fud sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈʧælənʤɪz baɪ ɪgˈzæmɪnɪŋ ˈnɑvəl ˈæŋgəlz tɪ ɪkˈspænd ˈækwəˌkəlʧər; tɪ ˌɪnˈklud ə ˈspiʃiz nɑt ˈkərəntli ˈɛkˌsplɔɪtəd, ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈlɑbstər. ðɪs ˈspiʃiz kəˈmændz ðə haɪəst ˈvælju (baɪ ˈvɑljum) əv ˈɛni ˈspiʃiz ˈlændɪd ɪn ðə ənd ɪgˈzɪbəts ə sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt səˈplaɪ ˈdɛfəsət. ˈkəlʧər, ɪn kənˈteɪnərz (sbcc*) ɪgˈzɪbəts ðə pəˈtɛnʃəl fər ə fɔrm əv ˈrɪrɪŋ wɪθ noʊ fid kɔsts. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl juz kənˈteɪnərz spəˈsɪfɪkli dɪˈzaɪnd fər ðə ˈspiʃiz, dɪˈvɛləpt ɪn ən ˈərli steɪʤ ˈprɑʤɛkt, tɪ əˈsɛs pərˈfɔrməns ənd dɪˈvɛləp hoʊˈlɪstɪk ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən əv ˈsɪstəmz. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl rən ə ˈpaɪlət skeɪl ˈlɑbstər fɑrm tɪ ˈgæðər ˈpræktɪkəl, ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənəl, ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl, ˌbaɪəˈlɑʤɪkəl, ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ, ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ənd ˈsoʊʃəl ˈdætə ðət kən bi juzd tɪ dɪˈvɛləp ən ɛˈsɛnʃəl tul tɪ ɪnˈkərəʤ ənd ˌɪnˈfɔrm fˈjuʧər ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt. ðə kənˈsɔrʃjəm wɪl bi lɛd baɪ ðə ˈnæʃənəl ˈlɑbstər ˈhæʧəri ənd kənˈsɪsts əv tu smes*, tu ənd ə ˈgəvərnmənt ˈeɪʤənsi. ˈprɑʤɛkt 8 ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv plænt ˈbridɪŋ tɛkˈnɑləʤiz tɪ rɪˈdus ˈnutriənt rɪkˈwaɪrmənt əv ˈfɔrəʤəz ənd ˌɪmˈpruv ˈlaɪvˌstɑk pərˈdəkʃən ɪˈfɪʃənsi ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈhoʊldɪŋz; ˌjunəˈvərsəti ə ˈmeɪʤər ˈʧælənʤ ˈfeɪsɪŋ ðə ˈlaɪvˌstɑk ˈsɛntər ɪz ðə nid tɪ ðə ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ dɪˈmænd fər mit ənd mɪlk ˈprɑdəkts waɪlst rɪˈdusɪŋ ðə ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl ˌɪmˈpækt əv pərˈdəkʃən. ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl əˈplaɪ ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv plænt ʤəˈnɛtɪks ənd ˈbridɪŋ əˈproʊʧɪz tɪ ðə dɪˈvɛləpmənt əv ˌɪmˈpruvd vərˈaɪətiz əv pərˈɛniəl ənd waɪt ˈkloʊvər wɪθ ˌɪnˈkrist ˈnutriənt juz ɪˈfɪʃənsi (nue*) ənd dɪˈlɪvər ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl ənd ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈbɛnəfɪts tɪ ˈpraɪˌmɛri prəˈdusərz ənd ˈwaɪdər soʊˈsaɪɪti. ɪt wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ dɪˈlɪvər kəˈmərʃəl rɪˈtərn tɪ ðə sid ˈkəmpəˌni ˈhoʊldɪŋz ˈɛlˈtiˈdi., hu wɪl ˈmɑrkɪt ðə ˌɪmˈpruvd vərˈaɪətiz. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl juz ðə ˈnæʃənəl plænt ˈsɛntər ɪn ɛz ə brɪʤ bɪtˈwin ˈstədiz ɪn floʊɪŋ səˈluʃən ˈkəlʧər ənd ɪn ðə fild ənd tɪ dɪˈvɛləp haɪ θˈruˌpʊt tɛkˈnɑləʤiz fər ðə ˈifɛktɪv ˈskrinɪŋ əv nu plænt vərˈaɪətiz wɪθ ˌɪmˈpruvd ɪn ðə ənd ɪn ðə fild. ˈprɑʤɛkt 9 ˌɪmˈpruvɪŋ ˈfiˌmeɪl fərˈtɪlɪti ənd kæf sərˈvaɪvəl ɪn ðə bif ˈɪndəstri ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˈkætəl soʊˈsaɪɪti, ˈfərtəl bif kaʊz ənd loʊ kæf mɔrˈtæləti ər ɛˈsɛnʃəl fər ˈprɑfətəbəl bif pərˈdəkʃən ˈsɪstəmz. tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv kaʊ fərˈtɪlɪti ənd kæf sərˈvaɪvəl, ˈnæʃənəl ˈdætə wɪl bi juzd tɪ dɪˈvɛləp ˈbridɪŋ ˈvæljuz fər fərˈtɪlɪti ənd sərˈvaɪvəl. səˈlɛkʃən ɪz ə ˈnɑvəl ˈbridɪŋ tul, wɪʧ ˌɪnˈkrisɪz ðə reɪt əv ʤəˈnɛtɪk ˌɪmˈpruvmənt fər treɪts ðət hæv trəˈdɪʃənəli bɪn ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv, səʧ ɛz fərˈtɪlɪti ənd sərˈvaɪvəl. ɛz ə rɪˈzəlt, ðə ˈoʊvərˌɔl ɪˈfɪʃənsi əv ðə bif ˈɪndəstri kən bi ˌɪmˈpruvd ɛz kaʊz wɪl bi mɔr ˈfərtəl ənd ˈproʊdus mɔr kævz ɪn ðɛr ˈlaɪfˌtaɪm ənd mɔr kævz wɪl sərˈvaɪv. ðɪs wɪl ˌɪnˈkris pərˈdəkʃən, bət ʤɪst ɛz ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt du ɪt ɪn ə səˈsteɪnəbəl weɪ ðət ˈəltəmətli wɪl rɪˈdus ðə ˈgrinˌhaʊs gæs ɪˈmɪʃənz pər bif prəˈdust. ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪz ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv ɛz bif ˌʤiˈnoʊmɪks ɪz stɪl ɪn ɪts ˈɪnfənsi ənd ðɛr ər ˈkərəntli noʊ ˈbridɪŋ tulz əˈveɪləbəl fər ðə ʤəˈnɛtɪk ˌɪmˈpruvmənt əv sərˈvaɪvəl. ˈprɑʤɛkt 10 ˈbɛnʧˌmɑrk sɪˈnɛrioʊ ˈplænɪŋ ɪn ˈpraɪˌmɛri pərˈdəkʃən: kriˈeɪtɪŋ səˈsteɪnəbəl ʧeɪnʤ ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈlɪmɪtɪd; ˈægˌkoʊ ˈlɪmɪtɪd; ˈægˌkoʊ ˈzæmbiə ˈlɪmɪtɪd; ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən; ˌjunəˈvərsəti əˈkrɔs ðə wərld wi feɪs groʊɪŋ ˈɪʃuz əv fud sɪˈkjʊrəti ənd nuˈtrɪʃən. ɪz wən əv ðə eɪt greɪt tɛkˈnɑləʤiz wɛr ðə kən lɪŋk ˈrisərʧ strɛŋθ tɪ ˈpræktɪkəl ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən tɪ ˈfɑrmɪŋ ˈpræktɪsɪz ənd ðə fud ˈɪndəstri. ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈfoʊkɪsɪz ɔn ˌɪmˈpruvɪŋ ˈaʊtˌkəmz ɪn ˈpraɪˌmɛri pərˈdəkʃən, ənd hɛns fud sɪˈkjʊrəti, baɪ ˈjuzɪŋ ədˈvænst tɛkˈnɑləʤiz tɪ fəˈsɪləˌteɪt ɪˈfɪʃənsi fər boʊθ ˌproʊdəkˈtɪvɪti ənd ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl pərˈfɔrməns. ðə haɪˈpɑθəsəs wi wɪl ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪt ɪz ðət hɪˈstɔrɪk ˈdætə ˈpætərnz kən bi juzd tɪ səˈpɔrt farmers’*’ dɪˈsɪʒən ˈmeɪkɪŋ, ə ˈpɑzətɪv ˌɪmˈpækt ɔn ˈgloʊbəl fud sɪˈkjʊrəti ɪn ə səˈsteɪnəbəl weɪ. haɪ ˌrɛzəˈluʃən ˈdætə ˈmɛʒərmənts wɪl bi ɪˈvæljuˌeɪtəd ɪn lɑrʤ skeɪl ənd ˈægrɪˌkəlʧər æt loʊˈkeɪʃənz ɪn ˈzæmbiə ənd ðə., ˈægˌkoʊ, ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ənd ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən ər ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ ˈəðər ˌækəˈdɛmɪk ənd ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl dɪˈvɛləpmənt ˌɔrgənɪˈzeɪʃənz tɪ dɪˈlɪvər ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt. ˈprɑʤɛkt 11 ˈbɪldɪŋ ˈbridɪŋ ˈpɪrəmɪdz fər ˈɪndiən ˈkætəl ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈtrɑpɪkəl ˈænəməl ʤəˈnɛtɪks ˈpraɪvət ˈlɪmɪtɪd (tæg); ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈɛdənbəroʊ ðə əˈbʤɛktɪv əv ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪz tɪ ˌɪnˈkris ðə ˈɪnˌkəmz əv resource-poor*, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈlændlɛs, ˈdɛri ˈfɑrmərz ɪn ˈɪndiə baɪ ɪˈstæblɪʃɪŋ ə ˈprɔˌsɛs əv kənˈtɪnjuɪŋ ʤəˈnɛtɪk geɪn. ðɪs wɪl bi əˈʧivd baɪ dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ə ˈbridɪŋ ˈpɪrəmɪd tɪ ˈɔfər ruˈtinli tɪ ˈfɑrmərz ˈhɛfərz bɪtˈwin ˈhoʊlˌstin ənd. ðɪs wɪl bi əˈʧivd θru tu ˌɪnəˈveɪʃənz: ðə fərst, tɪ ɪˈstæblɪʃ ˈspɛʃəlɪst prəˈdusərz əv ˈhɛfər kævz prəˈdust ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ˈɛmbriˌoʊ ˈtrænsfər; ðə ˈsɛkənd, tɪ juz ˈdiˌɛˈneɪ tɛkˈnɑləʤi tɪ ɪˈstæblɪʃ rɪˈsɪprəkəl rɪˈkərənt səˈlɛkʃən (rrgs*) fər boʊθ ˈhoʊlˌstin ənd ˈpɛrənts tɪ ˈmæksəˌmaɪz ðə ˌproʊdəkˈtɪvɪti əv ðə. ðɪs wɪl ˈkæpʧər ɪn ə səˈsteɪnəbəl ˈstrəkʧər ðə ˈhaɪbrɪd ˈvɪgər ɪn ˌproʊdəkˈtɪvɪti əv ðə ɪn boʊθ jild ənd ˈfɪtnəs fər ðə pərˈdəkʃən ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt. ðə dɪˈrɛkt ˈbɛnəfɪts wɪl bi əbˈteɪnd baɪ ðə ˈwɪmən əv ðə ˈhaʊsˌhoʊld ɛz ðeɪ ər ˈtɪpɪkəli riˈspɑnsəbəl fər ðə ˈdɛriɪŋ ækˈtɪvɪti ənd rɪˈsiv ðə ˈɪnˌkəm frəm ɪt. ɪn əˈdɪʃən ðə skim wɪl dɪˈvərsəˌfaɪ ðə ˈsɛktər ənd sɪˈkjʊr ðə ˌɪnˈdɪʤənəs brid ˈrisɔrsɪz. ˈkætəˌlɪst raʊnd 4 ˈərli steɪʤ ˈprɑʤɛkt 1 ˌfizəˈbɪləti ˈstədi tɪ dɪˈvɛləp tɛkˈnɑləʤi fər prɪˈdɪktɪŋ wit jild ˈpɑrtnərz: ɛs; ðə kəˈlæbərˌeɪtɪv ˈprɑʤɛkt bɪtˈwin ɛs ənd wɪl tɛst ðə ˌfizəˈbɪləti əv dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ nu tɛkˈnɑləʤi fər prɪˈdɪktɪŋ wit jild ˈjuzɪŋ ə waɪd reɪnʤ əv ˈdætə ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ riˈmoʊtli sɛnst ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən dɪˈskraɪbɪŋ ðə krɑp ənd sɔɪl. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪz ˈhaɪli ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv ɛz ɪt siks tɪ ˈproʊdus ðə fərst kəˈmərʃəli ˈvaɪəbəl jild priˈdɪkʃən ˈsərvɪs ðət nɑt ˈoʊnli prɪˈdɪkts jild, bət ˈɔlsoʊ aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪz ðə ki ˈfæktərz ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ ˈlɪmət jildz. nu ˌæpləˈkeɪʃənz fər rɪˈmoʊt ˈsɛnsɪŋ tɛkˈnɑləʤiz wɪl bi dɪˈvɛləpt ənd ˈɪnəˌveɪtɪv tɛkˈniks fər ˈɪnəˌgreɪtɪŋ ə waɪd reɪnʤ əv ˈdætə taɪps wɪl bi ɪmˈplɔɪd. ðə ˈəltəmət goʊl əv ðɪs ˌɪˈnɪʃətɪv ɪz tɪ ˈproʊdus ə dɪˈsɪʒən səˈpɔrt tul ðət ɪˈneɪbəlz mɔr ɪˈfɪʃənt ˈɔpərˌeɪtɪŋ ˈpræktɪsɪz fər ə waɪd reɪnʤ əv klaɪənts wɪˈθɪn ðə wit ˈɪndəstri. ˈprɑʤɛkt 2 dɪˈvɛləpmənt ənd ˌvæləˈdeɪʃən əv ə ˈsɪstəm fər ˌɔtəˈmætɪk dɪˈtɛkʃən əv ɪn ʃip ˈpɑrtnərz: ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈnɑtɪŋˌhæm; ˌɪnˈtɛl; fɑrm ˈwɪzərd ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt siks tɪ ˈæˌdrɛs ðə ˈʧælənʤ əv ʃip, ə prɪˈdɑmənənt kɔz əv boʊθ pur pərˈdəktɪv ənd ˌriprəˈdəktɪv pərˈfɔrməns ɔn ʃip fɑrmz ˈkɔstɪŋ ˈɪndəstri əraʊnd ˈmɪljən ə jɪr. kənˈtroʊl rɪˈlaɪz ɔn ˈərli dɪˈtɛkʃən ənd ˈtritmənt əv leɪm ʃip jɛt ðɛr ər noʊ tulz fər dɪˈtɛkʃən. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt prəˈpoʊzɪz tɪ dɪˈvɛləp ənd tɛst vəˈlɪdɪti əv ə ˈsɪstəm fər ˌɔtəˈmætɪk dɪˈtɛkʃən ɪn ʃip. ˈprɑʤɛkt 3 ˌvækˈsin ˌɪmˈpruvmənt fər ˈpɑrtnərz: galvmed*, cttbd*, ˈɛlˈtiˈdi ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnts ə juˈnik ˌɑpərˈtunəti tɪ trænzˈleɪt ˈbrɪtɪʃ tɛkˈnɑləʤi ənd ˌɛkspərˈtiz frəm ðə ˈjumən hɛlθ ˈsɛktər ˈɪntu ˈlaɪvˌstɑk dɪˈziz kənˈtroʊl ɪn ðə dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ wərld ˈkɑntɛkst. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈfoʊkɪsɪz ɔn ist koʊst ˈfivər (ecf*), ə ˈmeɪʤər kənˈstreɪnt ɔn ˈkætəl pərˈdəkʃən ɪn ist, ˈsɛntrəl ənd ˈsəðərn ˈæfrɪkɑ. ən ˈifɛktɪv ˌvækˈsin,, ˈkərəntli ɪgˈzɪsts fər ðə dɪˈziz bət ɪt həz ə ˈnəmbər əv ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ˈdrɔˌbæks ðət əˈfɛkt ɪts juz ɪn ðə fild. ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl traɪəl ðə juz əv ˈnɑvəl ˌfɔrmjuˈleɪʃənz ɛz ə rɪˈpleɪsmənt fər ðə ˌvækˈsin. səkˈsɛs ɪn ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl dɪˈlɪvər ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ˌvækˈsin ˈprɑdəkt ɛnˈhænsmənts, ˈnoʊtəbli ˌvækˈsin stəˈbɪlɪti. ðɪs wɪl əˈfɔrd fɑr ˈgreɪtər moʊˈbɪlɪti ənd ˌflɛksəˈbɪləti tɪ rɪˈzəltɪŋ ɪn ən ˈɛstəˌmeɪtɪd əˈdɪʃənəl ˈkætəl biɪŋ ˈifɛktɪvli pər jɪr. ðɪs wɪl bi ə ˈnoʊtəbəl dɪˈvɛləpmənt ɪn ðə səˈsteɪnəbəl ˌɪnˌtɛnsɪfəˈkeɪʃən əv ˈkætəl pərˈdəkʃən ɪn ðə ˈriʤən. ˈprɑʤɛkt 4 wit fər ðə ˈfɑrmər ɪn ˈæfrɪkɑ ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈrisərʧ; ˈɛlˈtiˈdi ər ðə ˈlɑrʤəst sid ˈkəmpəˌni ɪn ˈæfrɪkɑ, ˈɔpərˌeɪtɪŋ ɪn 13 ˈkəntriz ɪn ˈistərn, ˈsɛntrəl, ˈwɛstərn ənd ˈsəðərn ˈæfrɪkɑ ənd hæv dɪˈvɛləpt vərˈaɪətiz ˈsutəbəl fər ˈdɪfərənt ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl kənˈdɪʃənz ɛz wɛl ɛz fər ðə ˈfɑrmər, ˈðɛrˌfɔr ˈɛni pɛst rɪˈzɪstəns treɪts wɪl ˈbɛnəfɪt ˈfɑrmərz ɪn ˈæfrɪkɑ ənd ˈfərðər əˈfild. ˈfɑrmərz feɪs ˈdɪfəkəlt ˈʧælənʤɪz ɪn prəˈtɛktɪŋ ðɛr krɑps əˈgɛnst pɛsts ənd dɪˈzizɪz ɪn ðiz ˈkəntriz. ˈæfɪd pɛsts kən kɔz səˈvɪr ˈdæmɪʤ ənd jild ˈlɔsɪz tɪ wit. ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ wit laɪnz wɪʧ ʃoʊ rɪˈzɪstəns tɪ ˈæfɪdz, wɪʧ kən bi brɛd ˈɪntu wit vərˈaɪətiz ˈsutəbəl tɪ bi groʊn ɪn rain-fed*, ɪnˈvaɪrənmənts, ˈðɛrˈbaɪ ˈseɪfˌgɑrdɪŋ ðə jild əv ˈfɑrmərz ənd rɪˈdusɪŋ ðə rɪˈlaɪəns ɔn ɪkˈspɛnsɪv ənd ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəli ənˈfrɛndli ˈpɛstəˌsaɪdz. baɪ duɪŋ ðɪs wi hoʊp tɪ kənˈtrɪbjut tɪ ðə fud ənd ˈɪnˌkəm sɪˈkjʊrəti əv ðə ˈæfrɪkɑn ˈfɑrmər. ˈprɑʤɛkt 5 ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən əv ˈʤɛnərəl rɪˈpɛlənts əˈgɛnst ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl pɛsts ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈrəsəl ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ˈrəsəl ˈbæŋləˌdɛʃ ˈɛlˈtiˈdi; ʃik ˈrɑmən ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl ˈjuni; ist ˈrisərʧ; ˈnæʧərəl ˈrisɔrsɪz ˈɪnstɪˌtut, ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈgrɛnɪʧ ˈʤɛnərəl rɪˈpɛlənts ər ˈwaɪdli juzd fər prəˈtɛktɪŋ ˈjumənz ənd ˈlaɪvˌstɑk frəm əˈtæks baɪ ˈɑrθrəˌpɑd pɛsts ɪn dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ənd dɪˈvɛləpt ˈkəntriz, bət ðeɪ hæv bɪn ˈlɪtəl ɪkˈsplɔrd ər juzd fər krɑp prəˈtɛkʃən. ðə eɪm əv ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪz tɪ pruv ðə ˈkɑnsɛpt ðət ˈvɑlətəl, rɪˈpɛlənt ˈkɛmɪkəlz kən bi juzd tɪ rɪˈdus ðə ˈdæmɪʤ kɔzd tɪ ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl krɑps baɪ ə reɪnʤ əv ˈɪnˌsɛkt pɛsts. ðɪs kʊd prəˈvaɪd ə nu əˈproʊʧ tɪ ˈmænɪʤmənt əv krɑp pɛsts ðət rɪˈdusɪz ðə juz əv kənˈvɛnʃənəl ˈpɛstəˌsaɪdz ənd ɪz kəmˈpætəbəl wɪθ ˈɪnəˌgreɪtɪd pɛst ˈmænɪʤmənt ənd səˈsteɪnəbəl ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl ˌɪnˌtɛnsɪfəˈkeɪʃən. ðə əˈproʊʧ ɪz ˈæpləkəbəl ɪn boʊθ dɪˈvɛləpt ənd dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈkəntriz. ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl bi ə kəˌlæbərˈeɪʃən bɪtˈwin ə sme*, ˈrəsəl, tu ˈrisərʧ ˈɪnstɪˌtuts, ist ˈrisərʧ ənd ðə ˈnæʧərəl ˈrisɔrsɪz ˈɪnstɪˌtut, ənd ən sme*, ˈrəsəl ˈbæŋləˌdɛʃ, ənd ˌjunəˈvərsəti, ʃik ˈrɑmən ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl ˌjunəˈvərsəti, ɪn ˈbæŋləˌdɛʃ ˈprɑʤɛkt 6 ˌvækˈsin tɪ kənˈtroʊl ˌstrɛptəˈkɔkəs dɪˈziz ɪn ˈækwəˌkəlʧər ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈrisərʧ ˈɪnstɪˌtut, ˈbɛnʧˌmɑrk ˈænəməl hɛlθ ˈɛlˈtiˈdi. ɛz ðə wərld ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃən groʊz ənd bɪˈkəmz mɔr ˈæfluənt, ən ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ ˈnəmbər əv ˈpipəl ˌɪnˈklud ˈproʊˌtin ɪn ðɛr daɪət. ˈækwəˌkəlʧər ɪz ðə ˈfæstəst groʊɪŋ sɔrs əv ˈænəməl ˈproʊˌtin ənd ə ˈmeɪʤər sɔrs əv ˈɪnˌkəm ɪn ˈeɪʒə, saʊθ əˈmɛrɪkə ənd ˈæfrɪkɑ. ɪz ə ˈpɑpjələr fɪʃ, boʊθ wɪθ ˈfɑrmərz ənd kənˈsumərz, bət dɪˈziz kən kɔz ˈmæsɪv ˈlɔsɪz ɔn fɑrmz. ˌstrɛptəˈkɔkəs, wɪʧ kən əˈfɛkt ɛz wɛl ɛz ˈpipəl, ɪz ə ˈmeɪʤər kɔz əv səʧ ˈlɔsɪz. ˈkərəntli, ˌæntibaɪˈɑtɪks ər ˈkɑmənli juzd tɪ ˈkɑmbæt ðɪs ˈprɑbləm. ðɪs ɪz nɑt səˈsteɪnəbəl bɪˈkəz əv ðə rɪsk əv rɪˈzɪstəns. ɛz ən ɔlˈtərnətɪv, wi prəˈpoʊz tɪ dɪˈvɛləp ə ˌvækˈsin ðət wʊd prəˈtɛkt fɪʃ frəm ɔl taɪps əv ɛs. ðət əˈfɛkt ðɛm. ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt brɪŋz təˈgɛðər ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˌɛkspərˈtiz ɪn ðə ˈɛriə əv fɪʃ dɪˈziz ənd ˌvækˈsin dɪˈvɛləpmənt ənd kəˈmərʃəl ˌɛkspərˈtiz ɪn ˌvækˈsin pərˈdəkʃən ənd ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən. ˈʤɔɪntli, ðə ˈpɑrtnərz eɪm tɪ prəˈvaɪd ðə ˈgloʊbəl ˈækwəˌkəlʧər ˈɪndəstri wɪθ ˈifɛktɪv ənd əˈfɔrdəbəl tulz fər səˈsteɪnəbəl dɪˈziz kənˈtroʊl. ˈprɑʤɛkt 7 ˈərli fər ðə ˈmeɪʤər nu frut pɛst, suzukii*; ə lure‘*‘ ˈpɑrtnərz: ˈbɛri ˈgɑrdən groʊərz; ril; ist ˈrisərʧ; ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈgrɛnɪʧ ðə frut ˈɪndəstri ɪz ˈəndər kənˈtɪnjuəl ˈprɛʃər frəm ðə ˌɪntrəˈdəkʃənz əv ˈnɑˈneɪtɪv pɛsts ənd dɪˈzizɪz. ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt wɪl eɪm tɪ ˈbɛtər ˈmɑnətər ənd taɪm ˈpɛstəˌsaɪd ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən əˈgɛnst ə ˈhaɪli ˈdæmɪʤɪŋ sɔft ənd stoʊn frut pɛst, suzukii*. ɪt wɪl əˈʧiv ðɪs baɪ dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ə mɔr ˈspiʃiz spɪˈsɪfɪk fər fˈjuʧər juz ɪn ˈmɑnətərɪŋ træps ənd, ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli, kənˈtroʊl tɛkˈnɑləʤiz.

pioneering projects to improve agriculture and food production at home and overseas, have been funded to the tune of £17.8 million, under the latest round of the government’s agri-tech catalyst. projects include one assessing the potential to commercialise the farming of lobsters, a proposal to cultivate scallops on ropes and a way of continuing to make whisky with uk wheat, by using a novel variety. the technologies are among 21 successful bids that have won a competition run by the uk’s innovation agency, innovate uk, to target commercially promising new technologies to provide an economic boost to the uk agriculture sector. speaking at the opening of agrimetrics, the uk’s first big data centre of excellence for the whole food system, at rothamsted research, in harpenden, hertfordshire, life sciences minister george freeman mp said: by harnessing science to reduce water and pesticide usage, and to pioneer greener modern farming, the uk is leading the way in boosting agricultural productivity. investing in pioneering agri-tech projects like these is win-win for the uk as these technologies will improve food production and create businesses and jobs up and down the country. british solutions for agricultural challenges ian meikle, head of agriculture and food, at innovate uk, said: by supporting these project partnerships – many of which include small businesses – innovate uk is backing british solutions for agricultural challenges. these schemes are helping to create new jobs and will open up new markets and drive productivity. professor jackie hunter, bbsrc chief executive, said: investing in advances in agriculture is vital, not only for our future food supply but also to help build the uk bio-economy. these new research projects highlight how uk bioscience is at the forefront of innovative approaches for modern farming. agri-tech catalyst the funding was awarded through the agri-tech catalyst,which was set up by the department for business, innovation and skills, innovate uk, department for international development and the biotechnology and biological sciences research council (bbsrc) with a £70 million investment to help make the uk a world leader in agricultural technology, innovation and sustainability. the agri-tech catalyst offers funding for collaborative projects, taking innovative ideas from any sector or discipline with the potential to provide an economic boost to the uk agri-tech industry, by tackling challenges in agriculture. the scheme will help to take innovations all the way from concept to commercialisation, awarding grants for early-stage pre-industrial research feasibility studies, industrial research, and late-stage pre-experimental and experimental feasibility studies. any uk business or academic researcher can apply. the agri-tech catalyst will fund proposals relating to: primary crop and livestock production, including aquaculture non-food uses of crops including ornamentals (for example, for biomass) food security and nutrition challenges in international development challenges in downstream food processing, provided the solution lies in primary production. full summaries of funded projects: agri-tech catalyst round 4 – late stage project 1: verticalvale: viability of the saturn grower in commercial farming partners: saturn bioponics, valefresco saturn bioponics are working on a collaborative project with leading fresh produce growers valefresco, to prove and showcase the benefits that the saturn grower vertical growing system offers in a commercial growing environment. the project will demonstrate the 2.5-3.5% yield increase and reduced costs of production the system delivers on leafy crops, with particular focus on pak choi. results have wider application across the fresh produce industry, in particular for leafy salads, herbs and soft fruit. the project enables a step change in the economics of high-value crop production. project 2: improving hydroponic production using new online nitrate sensor partners: sharp laboratories ltd; lincolnshire herbs ltd; aps salads ltd; may barn horticultural consultancy ltd many crops, including tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, strawberries, raspberries and ornamental flowers are often grown using hydroponics, where fertiliser for the growing plants is supplied in the irrigation water. hydroponic farming produces excellent quality crops with good efficiency but there is an opportunity to improve the method by continuously monitoring and controlling the fertiliser components in the irrigation water. this project aims to enable better control over the use of nitrate, which is an important component of the fertiliser. a new sensor, which can be used to continuously measure the nitrate concentration in irrigation water will be deployed at commercial hydroponic farms, allowing continuous nitrate monitoring for the first time. we will evaluate the potential for expected benefits including reductions in fertiliser use and expense and smaller discharge of fertiliser into natural waters, helping to meet environmental legislation.the technology is relevant to uk and global farming. project 3: real-time information systems for precision pig production partners: farm energy & control services ltd; arm buildings ltd; garth pig practice ltd; dc & rj allen & partners; j m sankey fmrs; da & em skinner; stockcroft ltd; yorkwold pigpro ltd this project unusually involves a consortium of prime producers and technology suppliers. it is farmers who will actually deliver on sustainable intensification and that is why this project involves them directly as full partners. entitled real-time information systems for precision pig production, the project will commercially pilot a recently developed system - guardian action - as a precursor to full uk industry roll-out. the information system provides real-time remote data recovery from pig production units and allows browser access to the processed and analysed data designed to create knowledge at a farm level. in addition, anonymous data will be pooled and analysed to add further value for end users. crucially, the pilot will include the setting up of a customer support resource to ensure that end users can turn the knowledge into profit. uniquely, veterinary and nutritional expertise will complement the data analysis and interpretation. the system will be supplied and supported on a subscription fee basis. agri-tech catalyst round 4 – industrial research project 1: cocoa farm of the future partners: mondelez uk r&d limited; tree global ghana ltd; cocoa research institute of ghana without cocoa there is no chocolate and without the next farming generation, there is no cocoa. a vibrant cocoa supply chain is essential for the future of chocolate and - through the mondelez cocoa life sustainability programme - we are leading its transformation. as part of the programme, mondelez uk r&d limited is leading a project to transform the way cocoa is grown and dramatically boost farm yields and farmer incomes. by implementing this project in ghana we are seeking to directly improve farming practices and technologies for the benefit of many thousands of ghanaian cocoa producers and to ensure that high-quality ghana cocoa continues to be the foundation ingredient in some of the uk’s best loved chocolates, like cadbury dairy milk. project 2: third generation polyethylene greenhouse cladding materials partners: british polythene ltd; haygrove tunnels ltd; berry gardens ltd; finlays horticulture (kenya) ltd; a. schulman inc ltd.; the university of reading; the university of lincoln; east malling research this project will develop a range of novel, third-generation, greenhouse film cladding materials. the films will be spectrally modified to drive completely passive benefits to primary greenhouse growers worldwide. we will modify materials to change their uv transmission, the scattering of photosynthetically active radiation and to reflect near infra red heat. the benefits targeted will include yield and quality gains, the reduction of solar heat load and potential reductions in pest incidence. for primary producers the technology is low cost, and small production gains will justify investment in the technology. in terms of film manufacturers the global market for specific greenhouse film is worth c. £1.4 billion. however, it has a low level of product differentiation. thus, innovations within this project have real potential to secure significant sales and export opportunities. project 3: must: miscanthus scaling technology partners: terravesta assured energy crops, bell brothers nurseries, edwards farm machinery, aberystwyth university, nutriss, ceres the uk needs to reduce co2 emissions in order to mitigate climate change, and green technologies will also stimulate economic activity. bioenergy crops provide an alternative to fossil fuels, where wood, straw and other biomass is burnt in power stations, in order to generate electricity. 75% of the biomass we burn is imported. miscanthus is a plant with a straw-like stem that grows 2-3 metres high in a year, is harvested in spring and grows back from the roots to produce a crop each year. the harvested crop is burnt in power stations. it grows well on land that is not suitable for food crops. the current method for planting miscanthus is from sections of root dug up from other miscanthus plants, but this limits how much we can plant each year. planting miscanthus seed would allow us to speed up deployment. this project aims to understand how to produce miscanthus seed, plant and look after it successfully, and harvest it effectively, so we can grow more of the crop in the uk and create a new industry. project 4: birdease: an integrated diagnostic system for bacterial detection in poultry farms partners: greengage lighting ltd; university of cambridge; cramasie ltd; 2 sisters food group; campden bri; casi everysite (tlr ltd) there is increasing pressure within the poultry industry to improve biosecurity measures & cleanliness in primary production; advanced diagnostics for early disease detection are high on the agenda. in response to this specific industry need, this project will develop an integrated on-farm early-warning bacterial sensing system for intensive poultry production systems, targeting key food-borne disease pathogens prevalent in poultry meat: campylobacter, e.coli & salmonella. the proposed innovation integrating sample collection, chemical-free enrichment, acousto-optic detection & seamless user presentation, is enabled only by the inter-disciplinary convergence of leading agri-scientists & engineers with poultry producers & industry informers. the overarching objective is to enable earlier decision making by producers to instigate preventative control measures that minimise downstream cross-contamination, thereby decreasing foodborne disease incidence within the supply chain. project 5: aquaculture of the great scallop: field tests for rope-growing techniques partners: scalloptech limited; portland oystermen limited the project focuses on uk field testing of rope growing methods for the great scallop in the uk. the project will test variables affecting productivity of rope-growing techniques in order to (i) prove that it is a viable mode of production for large-scale commercial application; (ii) demonstrate the advantages of rope growing over current scallop aquaculture practices; and (iii) to optimise methodology for the implementation of the technique. the output of the project is intended to be data and know-how which will form the basis of a model to generate funding for commercial exploitation of such methods. one project is examining the feasibility of rearing scallops on ropes project 6: novel low-viscosity wheats for distilling partners: the scotch whisky research institute, rothamsted research, limagrain uk a new collaboration between industry and academics has been funded which aims to utilise a novel non-gm approach to improve a major uk crop. the project, which involves rothamsted research and two industrial partners, the scotch whisky research institute and limagrain uk, will run from 2015-2018. a successful outcome will demonstrate the potential to greatly accelerate development of novel varieties of crops for different end uses. a novel variety of wheat could be used for whisky distillation among other things partners: the national lobster hatchery; university of exeter; west country mussels; cefas; falmouth university support from the agri-tech catalyst has been secured for a 36-month project, addressing fundamental food security challenges by examining novel angles to expand aquaculture; to include a species not currently exploited, the european lobster. this species commands the highest value (by volume) of any species landed in the uk and exhibits a significant supply deficit. sea-based culture, in containers (sbcc) exhibits the potential for a low-carbon form of rearing with no feed costs. the project will use containers specifically designed for the species, developed in an early stage project, to assess performance and develop holistic application of sbcc systems. the project will run a pilot scale lobster farm to gather practical, operational, environmental, biological, engineering, economic and social data that can be used to develop an essential tool to encourage and inform future investment. the consortium will be led by the national lobster hatchery and consists of two smes, two heis and a government agency. project 8: innovative plant breeding & phenotyping technologies to reduce nutrient requirement of forages and improve livestock production efficiency partners: germinal holdings; aberystwyth university a major challenge facing the uk livestock centre is the need to fulfil the increasing demand for meat and milk products whilst reducing the environmental impact of production. this project will apply innovative plant genetics and breeding approaches to the development of improved varieties of perennial ryegrass and white clover with increased nutrient use efficiency (nue) and deliver environmental and economic benefits to primary producers and wider society. it will also deliver commercial return to the seed company germinal holdings ltd., who will market the improved varieties. the project will use the national plant phenotyping centre in aberystwyth as a bridge between studies in flowing solution culture and in the field and to develop high throughput technologies for the effective screening of new plant varieties with improved nue in the glasshouse and in the field. project 9: improving female fertility and calf survival in the uk beef industry partners: british limousin cattle society, sruc fertile suckler beef cows and low calf mortality are essential for profitable beef production systems. to improve cow fertility and calf survival, national data will be used to develop genomic breeding values for fertility and survival. genomic selection is a novel breeding tool, which increases the rate of genetic improvement for traits that have traditionally been difficult to improve, such as fertility and survival. as a result, the overall efficiency of the uk beef industry can be improved as cows will be more fertile and produce more calves in their lifetime and more calves will survive. this will increase production, but just as important do it in a sustainable way that ultimately will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions per kg beef produced. this project is innovative as beef genomics is still in its infancy and there are currently no breeding tools available for the genetic improvement of survival. project 10: benchmark scenario planning in primary production: creating sustainable change partners: syngenta limited; agco limited; agco zambia limited; university of southampton; aberystwyth university across the world we face growing issues of food security and nutrition. agri-science is one of the eight great technologies where the uk can link research strength to practical application to farming practices and the food industry. this project focuses on improving outcomes in primary production, and hence food security, by using advanced technologies to facilitate efficiency benchmarking for both productivity and environmental performance. the hypothesis we will investigate is that historic data patterns can be used to support farmers’ decision making, a positive impact on global food security in a sustainable way. high resolution data measurements will be evaluated in large scale and smallholder agriculture at locations in zambia and the uk. syngenta, agco, the university of aberystwyth and the university of southampton are working with other academic and international development organisations to deliver the project. project 11: building genomic breeding pyramids for indian cattle partners: tropical animal genetics private limited (tag); university of edinburgh the objective of this project is to increase the incomes of resource-poor, including landless, dairy farmers in india by establishing a process of continuing genetic gain. this will be achieved by developing a breeding pyramid to offer routinely to farmers first-cross heifers between holstein and sahiwal. this will be achieved through two innovations: the first, to establish specialist producers of heifer calves produced following embryo transfer; the second, to use dna technology to establish reciprocal recurrent genomic selection (rrgs) for both holstein and sahiwal parents to maximize the productivity of the crossbred. this will capture in a sustainable structure the hybrid vigor in productivity of the crossbred in both yield and fitness for the production environment. the direct benefits will be obtained by the women of the household as they are typically responsible for the dairying activity and receive the income from it. in addition the scheme will diversify the sector and secure the indigenous breed resources. agri-tech catalyst round 4 – early stage project 1: feasibility study to develop technology for predicting wheat yield partners: selex es; soyl the collaborative project between selex es and soyl will test the feasibility of developing new technology for predicting wheat yield using a wide range of data including remotely sensed information describing the crop and soil. the project is highly innovative as it seeks to produce the first commercially viable yield prediction service that not only predicts yield, but also identifies the key factors expected to limit yields. new applications for remote sensing technologies will be developed and innovative techniques for integrating a wide range of data types will be employed. the ultimate goal of this initiative is to produce a decision support tool that enables more efficient operating practices for a wide range of clients within the wheat industry. project 2: development and validation of a system for automatic detection of lameness in sheep partners: university of nottingham; intel uk; farm wizard this project seeks to address the challenge of sheep lameness, a predominant cause of both poor productive and reproductive performance on sheep farms costing industry around £80 million a year. lameness control relies on early detection and treatment of lame sheep yet there are no suitable/optimal tools for lameness detection. the project proposes to develop and test validity of a system for automatic lameness detection in sheep. project 3: vaccine diluent improvement for ecf-itm partners: galvmed, cttbd, arecor ltd this project represents a unique opportunity to translate british technology and expertise from the human health sector into livestock disease control in the developing world context. the project focuses on east coast fever (ecf), a major constraint on small-holder cattle production in east, central and southern africa. an effective vaccine, ecf-itm, currently exists for the disease but it has a number of important drawbacks that affect its use in the field. this project will trial the use of novel formulations as a replacement for the ecf-itm vaccine diluent. success in the project will deliver important ecf-itm vaccine product enhancements, notably vaccine stability. this will afford far greater mobility and flexibility to ecf vaccinators resulting in an estimated 300,000 additional cattle being effectively immunised per year. this will be a notable development in the sustainable intensification of small-holder cattle production in the region. project 4: aphid-resistant wheat for the smallholder farmer in africa partners: rothamsted research; seed-co ltd seed-co are the largest seed company in africa, operating in 13 countries in eastern, central, western and southern africa and have developed varieties suitable for different environmental conditions as well as for the smallholder farmer, therefore any pest resistance traits will benefit farmers in africa and further afield. smallholder farmers face difficult challenges in protecting their crops against pests and diseases in these countries. aphid pests can cause severe damage and yield losses to wheat. this project will identify wheat lines which show resistance to aphids, which can be bred into wheat varieties suitable to be grown in rain-fed, low-potential environments, thereby safeguarding the yield of smallholder farmers and reducing the reliance on expensive and environmentally unfriendly pesticides. by doing this we hope to contribute to the food and income security of the african smallholder farmer. project 5: application of general repellents against agricultural pests partners: russell ipm ltd; russell ipm bangladesh ltd; bangabandhu sheikh mujibur rahman agricultural uni; east malling research; natural resources institute, university of greenwich general semiochemical repellents are widely used for protecting humans and livestock from attacks by arthropod pests in developing and developed countries, but they have been little explored or used for crop protection. the aim of this project is to prove the concept that volatile, repellent chemicals can be used to reduce the damage caused to agricultural crops by a range of insect pests. this could provide a widely-applicable new approach to management of crop pests that reduces the use of conventional pesticides and is compatible with integrated pest management and sustainable agricultural intensification. the approach is applicable in both developed and developing countries. the project will be a collaboration between a uk sme, russell ipm, two uk research institutes, east malling research and the natural resources institute, and an sme, russell ipm bangladesh, and university, bangabandhu sheikh mujibur rahman agricultural university, in bangladesh project 6: pan-specific vaccine to control streptococcus agalactiae disease in tilapia aquaculture partners: moredun research institute, benchmark animal health ltd. as the world population grows and becomes more affluent, an increasing number of people include protein in their diet. aquaculture is the fastest growing source of animal protein and a major source of income in asia, south america and africa. tilapia is a popular fish, both with farmers and consumers, but disease can cause massive losses on tilapia farms. streptococcus agalactiae, which can affect tilapia as well as people, is a major cause of such losses. currently, antibiotics are commonly used to combat this problem. this is not sustainable because of the risk of antimicrobial resistance. as an alternative, we propose to develop a vaccine that would protect fish from all types of s. agalactiae that affect them. this project brings together scientific expertise in the area of fish disease and vaccine development and commercial expertise in vaccine production and distribution. jointly, the partners aim to provide the global aquaculture industry with effective and affordable tools for sustainable disease control. project 7: early attractants for the major new fruit pest, drosophila suzukii; a ‘super lure‘ partners: berry garden growers; real ipm; east malling research; university of greenwich the uk fruit industry is under continual pressure from the introductions of non-native pests and diseases. this project will aim to better monitor and time pesticide application against a highly damaging soft and stone fruit pest, drosophila suzukii. it will achieve this by developing a more species specific attractant for future use in monitoring traps and, eventually, control technologies.

ˈoʊvər ðə pæst fju mənθs, mɔr ənd mɔr ˈkəmpəˌniz hæv ˈbeɪgən ˈjuzɪŋ tæks tɪ loʊər ðɛr tæks bɪlz. ɔn ˌʤuˈlaɪ 18 abbvie*, ə ˌfɑrməˈsutɪkəl ˈkəmpəˌni, əˈgrid tɪ baɪ ðə u.k*. drəg ˈmeɪkər ʃaɪr fər 54 ˈbɪljən, wɪθ ðə ɪkˈsplɪsət goʊl əv rɪˈdusɪŋ ɪts juz. ˈtæksɪz. ɪt wɑz ðə ˈlɑrʤəst tæks ˌɪnˈvərʒən dil ɔn ˈrɛkərd. ˈminˌwaɪl, ɪz rɪˈpɔrtədli ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈɪntu ˈjuzɪŋ ðɪs tæks ˈluˌphoʊl ɛz wɛl. ˈdɛməˌkræts hæv ˌɪntrəˈdust bɪlz ɪn boʊθ ðə haʊs ənd ˈsɛnɪt tɪ kræk daʊn ɔn ðiz tæks. ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈbɑrək ˌoʊˈbɑmə, ɪn lɔs ˈænʤəlɪs læst wik, ənd ˈtrɛʒəri ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri ʤæk lu, ɪn ðə ˈwɔʃɪŋtən poʊst ˈmənˌdeɪ, hæv kɔld fər ˈkɑŋgrəs tɪ teɪk ˈækʃən. rɪˈpəblɪkənz hæv ˈɑrgjud ðət ˈɛni ˈʧeɪnʤɪz tɪ ˈkɔrpərət tæks lɔ ʃʊd kəm θru ˌkɑmpriˈhɛnsɪv rɪˈfɔrm, nɑt ə ˌʃɔrtˈtərm pæʧ. bət kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ðət ˈkɑŋgrəs kən ˈbɛrli pæs bɪlz tɪ ˈæˌdrɛs dəˈmɛstɪk ˈkraɪsiz æt ðə ˈmoʊmənt, ˈkɔrpərət tæks rɪˈfɔrm ˈhæpənɪŋ ˈɛniˌtaɪm sun. ðəs, ðə ˈifɛktɪv pəˈzɪʃən ɪz tɪ əˈlaʊ ðɪs tæks əˈvɔɪdəns tɪ kənˈtɪnju. ə fju ˈmɛmbərz wɪˈθɪn ðə hæv ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzd ðɪs ənd ɪkˈsprɛst ən ˈɪntəˌrɛst ɪn ˈkloʊzɪŋ ðə ˈluˌphoʊl. meɪ bi stɛps ˈkɑŋgrəs kən teɪk, ʃɔrt əv ˌkɑmpriˈhɛnsɪv tæks rɪˈfɔrm, tɪ ˈæˌdrɛs ˈkɔrpərət, ənd rɪˈleɪtɪd issues,”*,” ˈɔrɪn hæʧ, ðə ˈræŋkɪŋ ˈmɛmbər ɔn ðə ˈsɛnɪt ˈfaɪˌnæns kəˈmɪti, sɛd. bət ðoʊz ˈvɔɪsɪz ər rɛr ɪn ðə. ˈɑbviəs waɪ rɪˈpəblɪkənz ər soʊ ˈhɑstəl tɪ ˈkloʊzɪŋ tæks ˈluˌphoʊlz ənd ˈkrækɪŋ daʊn ɔn tæks ʧits: ðə ˈaɪˌɑˈrɛs ˈskændəl, ɪn wɪʧ kənˈsərvətɪv ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz rɪˈsivd ˌɪˈnɔrdənɪt ˈskrutəni frəm ðə ˈeɪʤənsi ɛz ɪt ˈvɛtɪd grups ˈkleɪmɪŋ tɪ bi ˈwɛlˌfɛr organizations.”*.” rɪˈpəblɪkənz ˈɑrgju ðət ðə ˈeɪʤənsi ˈkænɑt bi ˈtrəstɪd. nɑt ə hoʊl lɔt əv ˈkɑnfədɛns raɪt naʊ əˈbaʊt wət ðə ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˈrɛvəˌnu ˈsərvɪs dɪz əˈməŋ ðə əˈmɛrɪkən ˈpipəl, lɛt əˈloʊn ˈmɛmbərz əv congress,”*,” rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. pæt tiˈbɛri toʊld pəˈlɪtɪˌkoʊ. ʃʊd wi gɪv ðɛm mɔr tulz tɪ həræs taxpayers?”*?” ðɪs meɪk məʧ sɛns. ˈdɛməˌkræts ər nɑt prəˈpoʊzɪŋ tɪ ɪkˈspænd ðə ˈpərvˌju, ˈoʊnli tɪ gɪv ɪt ðə ˈrisɔrsɪz tɪ du ɪts ʤɑb. ɪt ɪz ˈsərtənli ˌənækˈsɛptəbəl fər ðə ˈaɪˌɑˈrɛs tɪ ˈtərgət ˈsərtən ˌaɪdiəˈlɑʤɪkəl grups ənd ɪts iˈmeɪl sˈnæfu ɪz ɪmˈbɛrəsɪŋ, bət boʊθ ˈɪnsədənts ər ˌɪˈrɛləvənt tɪ ðə dəˈbeɪt ˈoʊvər ˈkloʊzɪŋ tæks ˈluˌphoʊlz. rɪˈpəblɪkənz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈɑrgju ðət ˈkloʊzɪŋ ðə tæks ˌɪnˈvərʒən ˈluˌphoʊl wʊd nɑt brɪŋ ɪn məʧ ˈrɛvəˌnu, əraʊnd 20 ˈbɪljən ˈoʊvər ðə nɛkst tɛn jɪrz. bət tæks əˈvɔɪdəns ɪz ə bɪg ˈprɑbləm fər ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt. ðə ˈtrɛʒəri dɪˈpɑrtmənt ˈɛstəˌmeɪts ðət fər ˈɛvəri əˈdɪʃənəl 1 ɪn ˈspɛndɪŋ ɔn ðə ˈaɪˌɑˈrɛs, ðə ˈeɪʤənsi kəˈlɛkts 6 ɪn əˈdɪʃənəl ˈrɛvəˌnu. məʧ əv ðət kəmz frəm ˈkloʊzɪŋ ðə ˈnɪrli 400 ˈbɪljən ˈænjuəl gæp bɪtˈwin wət əˈmɛrɪkənz oʊ ɪn ˈtæksɪz ənd wət ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt ˈæˌkʧuəli kəˈlɛkts. tɪ pʊt ðət ɪn pərˈspɛktɪv, ðə raɪən ˈbəʤɪt kəts ˈspɛndɪŋ baɪ ʤɪst ˈoʊvər 5 ˈtrɪljən ˈoʊvər ðə nɛkst ˈdɛkeɪd. ɪn ˈəðər wərdz, ðə ˈaɪˌɑˈrɛs kʊd əˈkɑmplɪʃ ˈnɪrli 80 pərˈsɛnt əv ðə ˈdɛfəsət rɪˈdəkʃən ɪn plæn ʤɪst baɪ ˈkloʊzɪŋ ðət 400 ˈbɪljən tæks gæp.

over the past few months, more and more companies have begun using tax inversions to lower their tax bills. on july 18, abbvie, a chicago-based pharmaceutical company, agreed to buy the u.k. drug maker shire for $54 billion, with the explicit goal of reducing its u.s. taxes. it was the largest tax inversion deal on record. meanwhile, walgreens is reportedly looking into using this tax loophole as well. democrats have introduced bills in both the house and senate to crack down on these tax inversions. president barack obama, in los angeles last week, and treasury secretary jack lew, in the washington post monday, have called for congress to take action. republicans have argued that any changes to corporate tax law should come through comprehensive reform, not a short-term patch. but considering that congress can barely pass bills to address domestic crises at the moment, corporate tax reform isn’t happening anytime soon. thus, the effective gop position is to allow this tax avoidance to continue. a few members within the gop have recognized this and expressed an interest in closing the loophole. “there may be steps congress can take, short of comprehensive tax reform, to address corporate inversions, and related issues,” orrin hatch, the ranking member on the senate finance committee, said. but those voices are rare in the gop. it’s obvious why republicans are so hostile to closing tax loopholes and cracking down on tax cheats: the irs scandal, in which conservative organizations received inordinate scrutiny from the agency as it vetted groups claiming to be “social welfare organizations.” republicans argue that the agency cannot be trusted. “there’s not a whole lot of confidence right now about what the internal revenue service does among the american people, let alone members of congress,” rep. pat tiberi told politico. “why should we give them more tools to harass taxpayers?” this doesn’t make much sense. democrats are not proposing to expand the irs’s purview, only to give it the resources to do its job. it is certainly unacceptable for the irs to target certain ideological groups and its email snafu is embarrassing, but both incidents are irrelevant to the debate over closing tax loopholes. republicans also argue that closing the tax inversion loophole would not bring in much revenue, around $20 billion over the next ten years. but tax avoidance is a big problem for the federal government. the treasury department estimates that for every additional $1 in spending on the irs, the agency collects $6 in additional revenue. much of that comes from closing the nearly $400 billion annual gap between what americans owe in taxes and what the federal government actually collects. to put that in perspective, the ryan budget cuts spending by just over $5 trillion over the next decade. in other words, the irs could accomplish nearly 80 percent of the deficit reduction in ryan’s plan just by closing that $400 billion tax gap.

ə ˈbrʊklɪn mæn wɑz əˈfɪʃəli ʧɑrʤd wɪθ ˈmərdər ɔn ˈtuzˌdeɪ ɪn kəˈnɛkʃən wɪθ ðə ˈʃutɪŋ dɛθs əv ə kwinz ˈaɪmæm ənd hɪz əˈsɪstənt ˈoʊvər ðə ˈwiˌkɪnd. ˈɔskər mərˈɛl ɪz ʧɑrʤd wɪθ wən kaʊnt əv ˈmərdər, tu kaʊnts əv ˈmərdər ənd tu kaʊnts əv ˈkrɪmənəl pəˈzɛʃən əv ə ˈwɛpən. hi wɑz ˈteɪkən ˈɪntu ˈkəstədi leɪt ˈsənˌdi naɪt, kˈwɛsʧənd ənd ʧɑrʤd ˈmənˌdeɪ. pəˈlis seɪ mərˈɛl ɪz ðə mæn sin ɔn sərˈveɪləns ˈvɪdioʊ ˈrənɪŋ əˈweɪ frəm ðə kraɪm sin nɪr strit ənd ˈlɪbərˌti ˈævəˌnu ɪn ˈoʊˌzoʊn pɑrk. ˈaɪmæm ənd hɪz əˈsɪstənt, ˈədɪn, wər ʃɑt ɪn ðə bæk əv ðə hɛd æt pɔɪnt blæŋk reɪnʤ ɛz ðeɪ wər ˈlivɪŋ ˌæftərˈnun prɛr. "ðə ˈmoʊtɪv raɪt naʊ həz nɑt bɪn dɪˈtərmənd," sɛd ˌɛnˈwaɪˌpiˌdi ʧif əv dɪˈtɛktɪvz ˈrɑbərt bɔɪs. "wɪr stɪl ˈdrɪlɪŋ daʊn ɔn ɪt ɛz wi goʊ ˈfɔrwərd. ðæts ˈsərtənli ɔn ðə ˈteɪbəl, ə heɪt kraɪm." "aɪ əˈʃʊrd ðə ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə kəmˈjunɪti ðət ðə ˌɛnˈwaɪˌpiˌdi wʊd bi aʊt ɪn fɔrs, prəˈtɛktɪŋ kəmˈjunɪti ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənz, prəˈtɛktɪŋ ˈməzlɪm kəmˈjunɪtiz ɔl ˈoʊvər ðə ˈsɪti," sɛd meɪər bɪl də blasio*. pəˈlis seɪ ˈæftər ðə ˈmərdərz, mərˈɛl wɑz ˈdraɪvɪŋ ə blæk ˌɛsˌjuˈvi ðət hɪt ə ˈsaɪkəlɪst əˈbaʊt θri maɪəlz əˈweɪ.

a 35-year-old brooklyn man was officially charged with first-degree murder on tuesday in connection with the shooting deaths of a queens imam and his assistant over the weekend. oscar morel is charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. he was taken into custody late sunday night, questioned and charged monday. police say morel is the man seen on surveillance video running away from the crime scene near 79th street and liberty avenue in ozone park. imam maulana akonjee and his assistant, thara uddin, were shot in the back of the head at point blank range as they were leaving afternoon prayer. "the motive right now has not been determined," said nypd chief of detectives robert boyce. "we're still drilling down on it as we go forward. that's certainly on the table, a hate crime." "i assured the members of the community that the nypd would be out in force, protecting community institutions, protecting muslim communities all over the city," said mayor bill de blasio. police say after the murders, morel was driving a black suv that hit a cyclist about three miles away.

dɪˈvɛləpər: ˈstudiˌoʊ ˈpəblɪʃər: ˈæktɪˌvɪʒən ˌrivˈju ˈplætˌfɔrm: ˈpleɪˌsteɪʃən 4 ˌrivˈju ˈkɑpi prəˈvaɪdɪd baɪ: ˈæktɪˌvɪʒən riˈlis deɪt: mɑrʧ 3 2015 ˈhɔrər geɪmz hæv ˈsərtənli hæd ə riˈsərʤəns ɪn ðə pæst jɪr. fænz əv ðə ˈʒɑnrə hæd groʊn taɪərd wɪθ wət ɪt hæd bɪˈkəm ˈlɑrʤli ˈʃutərz wɪθ ˈzɑmbiz ər ˈmɑnstərz ɪn ɪnˈvaɪrənmənts. waɪl ˈmɛni əv ˈhɔrər geɪmz ˈiðər fil laɪk æmˈniʒə kloʊnz ər ˈrɛzɪdənt ˈivəl 4 kloʊnz, waɪt naɪt stændz aʊt bɪˈkəz ˌdɪˈsaɪdədli ˈniðər. waɪt naɪt ˈriʧɪz bæk ˈfərðər ˈɪntu ðə pæst, ənd ɪz ˈsəmθɪŋ mɔr ˈeɪkɪn tɪ əˈloʊn ɪn ðə dɑrk ər ðə ərˈɪʤənəl ˈrɛzɪdənt ˈivəl, bət wɪˈθaʊt ˈɛni əv ðə ˈkɑmbæt ər ðoʊz geɪmz ər noʊn fər. waɪt naɪt ɪz ˌənəˈbæʃɪdli ˈstɔri ˈdrɪvən. sɛt ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə leɪt 1930’s*, ðə geɪm bɪˈgɪnz wɪθ ðə meɪn ˈkɛrɪktər ˈdraɪvɪŋ daʊn ə dɑrk, ˈkərvi roʊd, wɪn ə gərl ˈsədənli ˈkrɔsɪz hɪz pæθ, ˈkɔzɪŋ ɪm tɪ rɛk hɪz kɑr ənd ˈrɛndərɪŋ ɪm ˌənˈkɑnʃəs. wɪn hi əˈweɪkənz, hi rɪˈmɛmbər hu ər wɛr hi ɪz. nɪr hɪz rɛkt kɑr ɪz ən əˈbændənd (ənd ˈkripi) ˈmænʃən, ʧɑk fʊl əv ˈkripi goʊsts. ðə ˈbeɪsɪk ˈprɛmɪs əv waɪt naɪt. ˈlɑrʤli ə ˈmɪstəri geɪm, ˈdraɪvɪŋ ðə pleɪər tɪ dɪˈskəvər ðə truθ əˈbaʊt ðə meɪn ˈkɛrɪktər, ðə ˈmænʃən, ənd ðə ˈspuki spectres*. ðə moʊst dɪˈfɪnɪtɪv ˈæˌspɛkt əv waɪt naɪt ɪz stɑrk blæk ənd waɪt, ˌprɛzənˈteɪʃən. ɪt riks əv ˈmɑdərn fɪlm nɔɪr ˈmuviz, ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ˈmuviz laɪk sɪn ˈsɪti ənd, ðə məʧ lɛs ˈmɛmərəbəl, ðə ˈspɪrɪt. ɪt ædz tɪ ðə ˈskɛri ˈætməsˌfɪr, wɪʧ drɔz moʊst əv ðə skɛrz, riˈlaɪɪŋ lɛs ɔn ʤəmp skɛrz ðən moʊst ˈmɑdərn ˈhɔrər geɪmz. ðə ˈstɑrknɪs əv ðə blæk ənd waɪt ˈgræfɪks kriˈeɪts pɑrts əv ðə skrin wɪʧ ər kəmˈplitli dɪˈvɔɪd əv ˈɛniˌθɪŋ, ənd ˈwɑndərɪŋ əraʊnd ɪn ðiz ˈɛriəz wɪl ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli kɪl ju, ɛˈsɛnʃəli ˈskɛrɪŋ ðə meɪn ˈkɛrɪktər tɪ dɛθ. ˈləkəli, hi ˈkɛriz ə bɑks əv ə ˈdəzən ˈmæʧɪz ɔn ɪm, wɪʧ ər ˈkeɪpəbəl əv ˈpʊʃɪŋ əˈweɪ ðə ˈdɑrknəs. ɪn ðə laɪt, seɪf frəm ðə goʊsts ðət ɪgˈzɪst ɪn ðə haʊs. ɪf ðə goʊsts kæʧ ju ɪn ðə dɑrk, ənd əˈneɪbəl tɪ rən əˈweɪ kˈwɪkli, ju daɪ, soʊ jʊr ˈmæʧɪz pleɪ ən ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt roʊl, nɑt ˈoʊnli ɪn ˈsɑlvɪŋ ˈpəzəlz, bət ɪn ˈkipɪŋ ɪn ju seɪf. ðɛr ər ˈɔlsoʊ læmps ənd ˈkændəlz ˈlɪtərd θruaʊt ðə haʊs, ˈmɛni əv wɪʧ ju nid tɪ pləg ɪn ɪn prɑˈgrɛsɪvli mɔr ˈkɑmplɛks weɪz (ˈsɪriəsli, hu rənz ɪkˈstɛnʃən kɔrdz θru ˈsɛvərəl rumz?). ðiz laɪts nɑt ˈoʊnli prəˈvaɪd ju wɪθ seɪf ˈheɪvən, bət ɪf ə goʊst gɪts kɔt ɪn laɪt, ðeɪ daɪ. wɪθ ɔl əv ðɪs ˌoʊldˈskul kul kəmz səm əv ðə stəf ðət bɪn ˈbɛtər lɛft ɪn ðə pæst. ðə geɪm ˌæbsəˈlutli kɛr æt ɔl ɪf ju ˈoʊnli wɔnt tɪ pleɪ fər ə fju ˈmɪnəts (aɪ ˌəndərˈstænd ðət səm ˈpipəl wɪl əˈpriʃiˌeɪt ðɪs, bət aɪ dɪd nɑt). seɪv pɔɪnts ər ˌɪnˈfrikwənt, ənd ˈrɛlətɪvli fɑr əˈpɑrt. æt fərst, ðɪs simd əˈlʊrɪŋ, ənˈtɪl aɪ daɪd bɪˈkəz əv ðə ˈkrəmi kənˈtroʊlz ənd ˈkæmərə. nɑt ənˈkɑmən tɪ faɪnd ˈjɔrsɛlf stək ɔn ˈsəmθɪŋ ɪn ðə dɑrk, ənd nɑt biɪŋ ˈeɪbəl tɪ ɪˈskeɪp. ʃʊr, ðət ædz tɪ səm əv ðə skɛrz, bət ˈɔlsoʊ ə ˈprɑdəkt əv bæd dɪˈzaɪn. skɛrz ər æt ðɛr bɛst wɪn ˈhɛlpləs, bət nɑt du tɪ ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət jʊr fɔlt ər ˈskrɪptɪd ɪn ðə geɪm. jɛs, ðɛr ər ˈplɛnti əv ðoʊz gʊd ˈmoʊmənts, ənd ðə geɪm ɪz məʧ mɔr tɛns ðən aɪ hæd ərˈɪʤənəli ænˈtɪsəˌpeɪtɪd, bət ðoʊz bæd ˈmoʊmənts ənd nɑt ˌɔltəˈgɛðər ənˈkɑmən ˈfrəˌstreɪt mɔr ðən ðeɪ skɛr. ˈləkəli, ðə geɪm ɪz wɪθ ˈædmərəbəl skɛrz ənd ˈtɛnʃən. ˈmænəʤɪŋ ðə juz əv jʊr ˈmæʧɪz groʊz ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt, ənd noʊɪŋ ðət ju kʊd rən bæk θru ˈsɛvərəl dɑrk rumz tɪ ə ˈhɛlθi stæʃ əv ˈmæʧɪz kriˈeɪts ə sɔrt əv meta-game*. haʊ fɑr kən aɪ gɪt frəm ðə ˈmæʧɪz ɪn hoʊps əv ˈfaɪndɪŋ mɔr? wɪn ju si ðə ˈnəmbər əv jʊr ˈmæʧɪz dˈwɪndəlɪŋ ɛz loʊ ɛz 1 ər 2 ju hæv tɪ meɪk ðə dɪˈsɪʒən ˈwɛðər tɪ traɪ tɪ pʊʃ ˈfɔrwərd əˈnəðər rum ər tu, ənd rɪsk daɪɪŋ, ər ˈrənɪŋ bæk tɪ ˈseɪfti ənd ˈhævɪŋ tɪ ˈtrævərs ðoʊz rumz əˈgɛn. mɔr ðən wəns aɪ faʊnd ˌmaɪˈsɛlf stək bɪtˈwin ə rɑk ənd ə hɑrd pleɪs, ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ bɪtˈwin maɪ tu ˈɔpʃənz. ˈtɛnʃən laɪk ðɪs ðət ˈəltəmətli meɪks waɪt naɪt soʊ gʊd. ɪt wɔnt ju tɪ ʤəmp ənd bi skɛrd. ɪn fækt, ˈlərnɪŋ əv ðə ghosts’*’ pəˈzɪʃənz kən ˈsəmˌtaɪmz kəm ɛz ə rɪˈlif, bɪˈkəz æt list ju noʊ wɛr ðeɪ ər. bət wɪn ju don’t*, ðə aɪˈdiə ðət ju ʤɪst si ðə ɪz məʧ mɔr ˈfraɪtənɪŋ.

developer: osome studio publisher: activision review platform: playstation 4 review copy provided by: activision release date: march 3, 2015 horror games have certainly had a resurgence in the past year. fans of the genre had grown tired with what it had become largely action-packed shooters with zombies or monsters in semi-spooky environments. while many of today’s horror games either feel like amnesia clones or resident evil 4 clones, white night stands out because it’s decidedly neither. white night reaches back further into the past, and is something more akin to alone in the dark or the original resident evil, but without any of the combat or clunkiness those games are known for. white night is unabashedly story driven. set during the late 1930’s, the game begins with the main character driving down a dark, curvy road, when a girl suddenly crosses his path, causing him to wreck his car and rendering him unconscious. when he awakens, he doesn’t remember who or where he is. near his wrecked car is an abandoned (and creepy) mansion, chock full of creepy ghosts. that’s the basic premise of white night. it’s largely a mystery game, driving the player to discover the truth about the main character, the mansion, and the spooky spectres. the most definitive aspect of white night is it’s stark black and white, high-contrast presentation. it reeks of modern film noir movies, particularly movies like sin city and, the much less memorable, the spirit. it adds to the game’s scary atmosphere, which draws most of the game’s scares, relying less on jump scares than most modern horror games. the starkness of the black and white graphics creates parts of the screen which are completely devoid of anything, and wandering around in these areas will eventually kill you, essentially scaring the main character to death. luckily, he carries a box of a dozen matches on him, which are capable of pushing away the darkness. in the light, you’re safe from the ghosts that exist in the house. if the ghosts catch you in the dark, and you’re unable to run away quickly, you die, so your matches play an important role, not only in solving puzzles, but in keeping in you safe. there are also lamps and candles littered throughout the house, many of which you need to plug in in progressively more complex ways (seriously, who runs extension cords through several rooms?). these lights not only provide you with safe haven, but if a ghost gets caught in one’s light, they die. with all of this old-school cool comes some of the stuff that would’ve been better left in the past. the game absolutely doesn’t care at all if you only want to play for a few minutes (i understand that some people will appreciate this, but i did not). it’s save points are infrequent, and relatively far apart. at first, this seemed alluring, until i died because of the game’s crummy controls and fixed-position camera. it’s not uncommon to find yourself stuck on something in the dark, and not being able to escape. sure, that adds to some of the scares, but it’s also a product of bad design. scares are at their best when you’re helpless, but not due to something that isn’t your fault or scripted in the game. yes, there are plenty of those good moments, and the game is much more tense than i had originally anticipated, but those bad moments and they’re not altogether uncommon frustrate more than they scare. luckily, the game is jam-packed with admirable scares and tension. managing the use of your matches grows increasingly important, and knowing that you could run back through several dark rooms to a healthy stash of matches creates a sort of meta-game. how far can i get from the matches in hopes of finding more? when you see the number of your matches dwindling as low as 1 or 2, you have to make the decision whether to try to push forward another room or two, and risk dying, or running back to safety and having to traverse those rooms again. more than once i found myself stuck between a rock and a hard place, deciding between my two options. it’s tension like this that ultimately makes white night so good. it doesn’t want you to jump and be scared. in fact, learning of the ghosts’ positions can sometimes come as a relief, because at least you know where they are. but when you don’t, the idea that you just can’t see the big-bad is much more frightening.

tu mɔr ˈkəmpəˌniz ər ɔn ðə brɪŋk əv əbˈteɪnɪŋ ðə ˈɪnfəməs, wɪʧ meɪks ənd ˈrɪpəl kəmˈplaɪənt ˈɛntɪtiz ɪn ðə steɪt əv nu jɔrk. boʊθ ˈkəmpəˌniz əˈplaɪd fər ðɛr ˈlaɪsəns ˈsɛvərəl mənθs əˈgoʊ, bət ɪt lʊks laɪk ðɛr ɪz laɪt æt ðə ɛnd əv ðə ˈtənəl. fər ənd ˈrɪpəl ɔn ðə hərˈaɪzən əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ə sɔrs fəˈmɪljər wɪθ ðə ˈmætər, boʊθ ˈrɪpəl ənd wɪl rɪˈsiv ðɛr ɪn ðə ˈvɛri nɪr fˈjuʧər. ə ˈnoʊtɪs həz ˈɔlsoʊ əˈpɪrd ɔn ðə ˈwɛbˌsaɪt ˈsteɪtɪŋ ðeɪ rɪˈsivd ˌæpləˈkeɪʃənz frəm boʊθ ˈkəmpəˌniz, wɪʧ ɪz ˈjuʒəwəli ˈoʊnli dən wəns ɔl əv ðə ˈnɛsəˌsɛri ˈpeɪpərˌwərk həz bɪn kəmˈplitɪd. ˌɔlˈðoʊ ɪt rɪˈmeɪnz tɪ bi sin wɪn boʊθ ˈkəmpəˌniz wɪl rɪˈsiv ðə- ɪf ðeɪ wɪl æt ɔl, ðət ɪz θɪŋz ər ˈlʊkɪŋ əp fər ˈrɪpəl ənd ɛnˈθuziˌæsts. ðə steɪt əv nu jɔrk ˌɪnˈvɛntɪd ðə ˈrɛgjələˌtɔri ˈgaɪˌdlaɪnz læst jɪr, ɛz ðeɪ wɔnt tɪ ˈskrutəˌnaɪz ˈkəmpəˌniz ˈivɪn mɔr ðən moʊst ˈəðər ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənz ɪn ðə steɪt. ɪn duɪŋ soʊ, nu jɔrk bɪˈkeɪm ðə fərst ənd fər naʊ, ˈoʊnli ˈjuˈɛs steɪt tɪ teɪk səʧ ˈdræstɪk ˈmɛʒərz əˈgɛnst ˈkəmpəˌniz. moʊst ˈɛnərˌpraɪzɪz dɪd nɑt teɪk ˈkaɪndli tɪ ðiz ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz, ənd noʊ ˈlɔŋgər ˈɔfər ðɛr ˈsərvɪs ɪn ðə steɪt. ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs əv ˈgɪtɪŋ ɔl əv ðə ˈpeɪpərˌwərk ənd ˈligəl ˌdɑkjəmɛnˈteɪʃən təˈgɛðər ɪz boʊθ ənd ˈkɔstli. bət ðət ɪz nɑt ðə ˈbɪgəst kənˈsərn, ɛz rikˈwaɪərz ˈkəmpəˌniz tɪ kip ən ɪkˈstɛnsɪv əˈmaʊnt əv ˈditeɪlz ɔn ɔl əv ðɛr ˈkəstəmərz. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, səm ˈkəmpəˌniz səʧ ɛz ənd ˈrɪpəl hæv gɔn θru ðə ˈrɪgərəs ˈprɔˌsɛs əv əbˈteɪnɪŋ ə. biɪŋ ˈfʊli kəmˈplaɪənt wɪθ ɔl steɪt ənd ˈfɛdərəl lɔz ɪz ˈpərtɪnɪnt fər ˈɛni ˈkəmpəˌni hu wɔnts tɪ ˈtərgət ðə nu jɔrk ˈriʤən. ɪz wən əv ðə ˈlɑrʤəst ɪksˈʧeɪnʤɪz, ənd ðeɪ hæv sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt ˈbækɪŋ frəm ˈvɛriəs ˌɪnˈvɛstərz. ˈskɪpɪŋ aʊt ɔn ðə nu jɔrk steɪt ɪz nɑt ən ˈɔpʃən fər ðɛm baɪ ˈɛni minz. ðə seɪm kən bi sɛd fər ˈrɪpəl, ɛz ðɪs ɔlˈtərnətɪv fɔrm əv ˈpeɪmənts wɔnts tɪ ˈpɑrtnər wɪθ ðə ˈbɪgəst ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənz ənd ˈkəmpəˌniz. ˈhævɪŋ ə ˈprɛzəns ɪn nu jɔrk ɪz ən ˈæbsəˌlut məst ɪn ðɪs rɪˈgɑrd, ənd ðeɪ əˈplaɪd fər ˈəndər ðə ˈkɔrpərət neɪm əv llc*. ˈkipɪŋ ɪn maɪnd haʊ ðə ˈrɪpəl ˈsərvɪs ənd ˈkərənsi ər noʊn ˈəndər ðə neɪm; ðɪs dɪz nɑt kəm ɛz ə kəmˈplit səˈpraɪz. ðə nu jɔrk steɪt dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈsərvɪsɪz həz ˈɔlsoʊ əˈpruvd ðə ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən əv ˈʤɛməˌni trəst ˈkəmpəˌni ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ, wɪʧ simz tɪ ˈɪndəˌkeɪt ðə ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ wɪl bi ˈgɪtɪŋ ðɛr ˈvɛri sun ɛz wɛl. mɔr ˈditeɪlz ər ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ bi rɪˈvild ˈoʊvər ðə ˈkəmɪŋ wiks. sɔrs: ˈrɔɪtərz ˈhɛdər ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkərtəsi əv

two more companies are on the brink of obtaining the infamous bitlicense, which makes coinbase and ripple compliant bitcoin entities in the state of new york. both companies applied for their license several months ago, but it looks like there is light at the end of the tunnel. bitlicense for coinbase and ripple on the horizon according to a source familiar with the matter, both ripple and coinbase will receive their bitlicense in the very near future. a notice has also appeared on the nydfs website stating they received applications from both companies, which is usually only done once all of the necessary paperwork has been completed. although it remains to be seen when both companies will receive the bitlicense- if they will at all, that is things are looking up for ripple and coinbase enthusiasts. the state of new york invented the bitlicense regulatory guidelines last year, as they want to scrutinize bitcoin companies even more than most other financial institutions in the state. in doing so, new york became the first and for now, only us state to take such drastic measures against bitcoin companies. most enterprises did not take kindly to these regulations, and no longer offer their service in the state. the process of getting all of the paperwork and legal documentation together is both time-consuming and costly. but that is not the biggest concern, as bitlicense requires companies to keep an extensive amount of details on all of their customers. however, some companies such as coinbase and ripple have gone through the rigorous process of obtaining a bitlicense. being fully compliant with all state and federal laws is pertinent for any company who wants to target the new york region. coinbase is one of the world’s largest bitcoin exchanges, and they have significant backing from various investors. skipping out on the new york state is not an option for them by any means. the same can be said for ripple, as this alternative form of payments wants to partner with the world’s biggest financial institutions and companies. having a presence in new york is an absolute must in this regard, and they applied for bitlicense under the corporate name of xrp ii llc. keeping in mind how the ripple service and currency are known under the xrp name; this does not come as a complete surprise. the new york state department of financial services has also approved the application of gemini trust company yesterday, which seems to indicate the bitcoin exchange will be getting their bitlicense very soon as well. more details are expected to be revealed over the coming weeks. source: reuters header image courtesy of newsbtc

ˈsɛvən ɪn ɔl tɪ stænd traɪəl fər ɛnˈdeɪnʤərɪŋ riders’*’ hɛlθ, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ spɔrt dɪˈrɛktərz seɪz ənd viˈʧɛnti fˈwɛnˌteɪz, ðə ˌkɑntrəˈvərʃəl ˈdɔktər æt ðə hɑrt əv ðə puerto”*” rɪŋ ɪz tɪ stænd traɪəl fər əˈgɛnst ˈpəblɪk health”*”, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ rɪˈpɔrts ɪn ðə ˈspænɪʃ ˈmidiə. kɔrt əv ˌɪnˈstrəkʃən ˈnəmbər 31 həz rɪˈpɔrtədli kəmˈplitɪd ɪts ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən ˈɪntu ðə pəˈlis ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən, wɪʧ broʊk ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə 2006 d’italia*, ənd həz ˈɪʃud ən ˈɔrdər tɪ pʊt fˈwɛnˌteɪz, ənd ə ˈnəmbər əv ˈəðərz ɔn traɪəl. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ biciciclismo.com*, fˈwɛnˌteɪz wɪl bi ʤɔɪnd ɪn ðə dɑk baɪ hɪz ˈsɪstər joʊˈlɑndə, ˌælˈfreɪdoʊ ˌkɔrˈdoʊvə, ənd ˌhoʊˈzeɪ luis mərˈinoʊ, hu wɑz ʧif əv ˈmɛdɪkəl æt lɑ ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ɪn məˈdrɪd. ɛz wɛl ɛz ðə fɔr ˈdɑktərz, tim dɪˈrɛktərz viˈʧɛnti ənd ˌɪgˈnɑsioʊ labarta*, ənd ˈlɪbərˌti ˌseɪˈgjəroʊz tim seɪz wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ bi pʊt ɔn traɪəl fər ðɛr pɑrt ɪn ðə rɪŋ ðət ˌɪnˈvɑlvd əraʊnd tu ˈhənərd ˈæθˌlits. ˈpɔrtər soʊ neɪmd bɪˈkəz ɪt ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ðə gˈwɑrdiə ˈsteɪkɪŋ aʊt əv ðə dɔr tɪ fuentes’*’ ˈɔfəsɪz ənˈkəvərd əraʊnd tu ˈhənərd bægz əv bləd, ɛkˈstræktɪd frəm ˈvɛriəs ˈæθˌlits fər ˈleɪtər. ðə lɪst əv tu ˈhənərd ˈæθˌlits ˌɪnˈkludɪd əraʊnd ˈfɪfti ˈsaɪkəlɪsts ənd, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ˈæθˌlits frəm ˈmɛni ˈəðər spɔrts wər ˌɪˈnɪʃəli neɪmd ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈmeɪʤər ˈtɛnɪs stɑrz ənd ˈlidɪŋ ˈspænɪʃ ˈfʊtˌbɔl (ˈsɑkər) timz ðiz wər wɪθˈdrɔn, ənd ˈoʊnli ðə ˈsaɪkəlɪsts wər tɪ feɪs ðə ˈkɑnsəkˌwɛnsəz. dɪˈspaɪt ðə lɑrʤ əˈmaʊnt əv ˈɛvədəns əv ənd blood-doping*, ðə keɪs əˈgɛnst fˈwɛnˌteɪz wɑz ˌɪˈnɪʃəli drɑpt ɪn 2007 bɪˈkəz ðɛr wɑz noʊ spɪˈsɪfɪk lɔ əˈgɛnst ɪn speɪn æt ðə taɪm; ðə ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən wɑz riˈoʊpənd æt ðə rɪkˈwɛst əv ðə prəˈvɪnʃəl kɔrt əv məˈdrɪd ɪn ˈfɛbruˌɛri 2008 ðoʊ. səʧ ˈpræktɪsɪz ɛz ˈkɛriɪŋ athletes’*’ bləd ɪn wɪˈθaʊt rɪˌfrɪʤərˈeɪʃən ənd wɪˈθaʊt klɪr aɪˌdɛntəfəˈkeɪʃən əv ˈrɛləvənt ˈsæmpəlz, ər ˈpræktɪsɪŋ controls”*” ər rɪˈpɔrtədli ˌɪnˈkludɪd ɪn ðə prosecutors’*’ ˈɛvədəns. əv ɔl ðə ˈsaɪkəlɪsts ˈɪmplɪˌkeɪtɪd ɪn ðə ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən, ðə væst məˈʤɔrəti wər klɪrd baɪ ðə ˈspænɪʃ kɔrts ˈʃɔrtli ˈæftər ðə ˈstɔri fərst broʊk. ˌɪˈtæljənz ˈaɪvən ˈbæsoʊ hu wɑz ˈlidɪŋ ðə wɪn ðə ˈstɔri broʊk ənd wɛnt ɔn tɪ wɪn ənd mɪˈʃɛl wər ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli ˈhændɪd ə bæn; ˈəðər ˈraɪdərz ˈifɛktɪvli hæd ðɛr kərɪrz ˈɛndɪd baɪ ðə ˈskændəl, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ 1997 tʊr də fræns ˈwɪnər ʤæn ˈʊlrɪk. tɪ deɪt ðoʊ, ɑleɪˈjɑndroʊ vɑlˈvɛrdeɪ ɪz ðə ˈoʊnli ˈspænɪʃ ˈraɪdər tɪ hæv bɪn ˈsæŋkʃənd, ˈæftər ðə ˌɪˈtæljən oʊˈlɪmpɪk kəˈmɪti (coni*) juzd ˈdiˌɛˈneɪ ˈɛvədəns tɪ lɪŋk ɪm tɪ səm əv ðə sizd bləd. ðə ˈspænɪʃ ˈprɑsɪˌkjutər həz rɪˈpɔrtədli rɪkˈwɛstɪd ə ˈprɪzən ˈsɛntəns fər fˈwɛnˌteɪz ənd hɪz əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪts, ɛz wɛl ɛz ə prəˈfɛʃənəl dɪskˌwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən.

seven in all to stand trial for endangering riders’ health, including sport directors manolo saiz and vicente belda eufemiano fuentes, the controversial doctor at the heart of the “operación puerto” doping ring is to stand trial for “offences against public health”, according to reports in the spanish media. court of instruction number 31 has reportedly completed its investigation into the police operation, which broke during the 2006 giro d’italia, and has issued an order to put fuentes, and a number of others on trial. according to biciciclismo.com, fuentes will be joined in the dock by his sister yolanda, alfredo cordova, and jose luis merino, who was chief of medical haematology at la princesa hospital in madrid. as well as the four doctors, comunitat valenciana team directors vicente belda and ignacio labarta, and liberty seguros team supremo manolo saiz will also be put on trial for their part in the doping ring that involved around two hundred athletes. operación puerto – so named because it involved the guardia civil’s staking out of the door to fuentes’ offices – uncovered around two hundred refridgerated bags of blood, extracted from various athletes for reinjection later. the list of two hundred athletes included around fifty cyclists and, although athletes from many other sports were initially named – including major tennis stars and leading spanish football (soccer) teams – these were withdrawn, and only the cyclists were to face the consequences. despite the large amount of evidence of doping and blood-doping, the case against fuentes was initially dropped in 2007 because there was no specific law against doping in spain at the time; the investigation was reopened at the request of the provincial court of madrid in february 2008 though. such practices as carrying athletes’ blood in “backpacks without refrigeration and without clear identification of relevant samples, or practicing haematology controls” are reportedly included in the prosecutors’ evidence. of all the cyclists implicated in the investigation, the vast majority were cleared by the spanish courts shortly after the story first broke. italians ivan basso – who was leading the giro when the story broke and went on to win – and michele scarponi were eventually handed a two-year ban; other riders effectively had their careers ended by the scandal, including 1997 tour de france winner jan ullrich. to date though, alejandro valverde is the only spanish rider to have been sanctioned, after the italian olympic committee (coni) used dna evidence to link him to some of the seized blood. the spanish prosecutor has reportedly requested a two-year prison sentence for fuentes and his associates, as well as a professional disqualification.

oakland’s* pəˈlɪtɪkəl fˈjudɪŋ hɪt nu dɛpθs əv dɪsˈfəŋkʃən wɪn ə ˈsɪti ˈkaʊnsəl ˈmɛmbər sizd ðə public-speakers’*’ ˈmaɪkrəˌfoʊn fər ə ˈdaɪəˌtraɪb ðət ˈɛndɪd ˈoʊnli wɪn hər ˈkɑligz pʊld ðə pləg ɔn ðɛr ˈmitɪŋ. ˈkaʊnsɪlˌwʊmən brʊks, əˈtɛndɪŋ ðə rulz kəˈmɪti ˈsɛʃən ɛz ə ˈspɛkteɪtər, dɪˈklaɪnd rɪˈpitɪd pliz frəm ðə ˈkaʊnsəl ˈmɛmbərz ˈθərzˌdeɪ tɪ sərˈɛndər ðə ˈmaɪkrəˌfoʊn soʊ ðeɪ kʊd gɪt ɔn wɪθ ðɛr ˈmitɪŋ. wɪn ðeɪ hæd ðə ˈmaɪkrəˌfoʊn tərnd ɔf, brʊks ˈstɑrtɪd ˈʃaʊtɪŋ. kən filibuster,”*,” brʊks sɛd. wət ðɪs ˈprɔˌsɛs ɪz səˈpoʊzd tɪ bi about.”*.” æt wən pɔɪnt, ðə ˈkaʊnsɪlˌwʊmən kɔld fər ə check”*” ə tɛkˈnik juzd baɪ ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə ˈɑkjəˌpaɪ ˈmuvmənt tɪ dɪsˈrəpt ənd teɪk ˈoʊvər ˈpəblɪk ˈmitɪŋz. ʃi ðɛn lɛd səˈpɔrtərz ˈsɪtɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈɔdiəns ɪn ə tɔnt dɪˈrɛktɪd æt ðə θri kəˈmɪti ˈmɛmbərz: hæv nɑt ˈfɑloʊd ðə rules.”*.” childish,”*,” ˈsɪti ˈkaʊnsəlmən dæn kælb sɛd ɛz hi ˈɑrgjud wɪθ brʊks frəm ðə deɪz. ðeɪ kənˈtɪnjud ˈʧæntɪŋ ɛz ðə kəˈmɪti ˈmɛmbərz kælb, ˈkaʊnsəl ˈprɛzɪdənt ˌlaɪˈnɛt ˈgɪbsən ˈmækəˌlheɪni ənd ˈkaʊnsəlmən ˈeɪbəl ˈgɪlən traɪd tɪ prɛs ɔn. ˈfaɪnəli ˈmækəˌlheɪni, ðə kəˈmɪti ˈʧɛrˌwʊmən, ˈɔrdərd ˈsɪti hɔl sɪˈkjʊrəti gɑrdz tɪ klɪr ðə ˈʧeɪmbərz ənd ˈɛndɪd ðə ˈmitɪŋ. hæd ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ˈbɪznɪs ðət day,”*,” ˈmækəˌlheɪni sɛd ˈfraɪˌdeɪ. wər goʊɪŋ tɪ hoʊld ə ˈhirɪŋ tɪ neɪm ˈbɑbi ˈhətən groʊv æt park”*” ɪn wɛst ˈoʊklənd, ˈɑnərɪŋ ə blæk ˈpænθər ˈpɑrti ˈmɛmbər kɪld ɪn ə ˌkɑnfrənˈteɪʃən wɪθ ˈoʊklənd pəˈlis ɪn 1968 brʊks, sin ɪn 2015 hɛld ə ˈdiə traɪb æt ən ˈoʊklənd ˈsɪti ˈkaʊnsəl ˈmitɪŋ ˈθərzˌdeɪ. brʊks, sin ɪn 2015 hɛld ə ˈdiə traɪb æt ən ˈoʊklənd ˈsɪti ˈkaʊnsəl ˈmitɪŋ ˈθərzˌdeɪ. ˈfoʊˌtoʊ: ˈmaɪkəl ʃɔrt, ˈspɛʃəl tɪ ðə ˈkrɑnɪkəl ˈfoʊˌtoʊ: ˈmaɪkəl ʃɔrt, ˈspɛʃəl tɪ ðə ˈkrɑnɪkəl ˈɪmɪʤ 1 əv 1 ˈkæpʃən kloʊz brʊks goʊz æt ɪt wɪθ ˈsɪti ˈkaʊnsəl ˈkɑligz 1 1 bæk tɪ ˈgæləri ˈaɪtəm gɑt ʃət daʊn bɪˈkəz əv ə pəˈlɪtɪkəl play,”*,” ˈmækəˌlheɪni sɛd. kælb sɛd ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ðət ɪt meɪ hæv bɪn ðə wərst ˈaʊtˌbərst ˈɛvər sin frəm ə ˈkaʊnsəl ˈmɛmbər, bət ðət ðɪs ðə fərst taɪm ə ˈmitɪŋ həz ˈfɑlən ɔf kɔrs bɪˈkəz əv interruptions”*” ənd əv əˈdhɪrəns tɪ ðə ˈkaʊnsəl authority.”*.” ənd ˈɔlˌweɪz ðə seɪm ˈmɛmbər ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðə ˌɪntərˈəpʃənz, hi sɛd brʊks, hu həz bɪn ɔn ðə ˈkaʊnsəl sɪns 2002 ənd ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnts ən ist ˈoʊklənd ˈdɪstrɪkt. ʃi dɪd nɑt rɪˈspɑnd tɪ rɪkˈwɛsts fər ˈkɑmɛnt əˈbaʊt hər ˈækʃənz æt ðə rulz kəˈmɪti. ðə ˈəˌprɔr ˈstɑrtɪd wɪθ ən əˈʤɛndə ˈaɪtəm eɪmd æt ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə ˈɔrdənənsɪz ðət ðə ˈkaʊnsəl əˈpruvd ɪn meɪ, wɪʧ hæv kɔzd ə kənˈtɪnjud ˈaʊtˌkraɪ frəm ˈpipəl ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn ðə ˈkænəbəs ˈbɪznɪs. æt ðə hɑrt əv ðə ˈɔrdənənsɪz ɪz ə ˈproʊˌgræm ðət sɛts əˈsaɪd hæf ðə ˈkænəbəs ˈpərˌmɪts fər ˈpipəl hu wər ˈiðər ʤeɪld ɔn ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə kənˈvɪkʃənz ɪn ˈoʊklənd ər hu lɪv ɪn wən əv sɪks ist ˈoʊklənd pəˈlis bits ðət sɔ ə haɪ ˌkɑnsənˈtreɪʃən əv ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə ərˈɛsts ɪn 2013 ɔl əv ðoʊz bits ər ˈiðər ɪn brooks’*’ ˈdɪstrɪkt ər ðə ˈdɪstrɪkt ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnɪd baɪ ən ˈælaɪ, ˈkaʊnsəlmən ˈlɛri rid. rɛd fʊl ˈɑrtɪkəl

oakland’s political feuding hit new depths of dysfunction when a city council member seized the public-speakers’ microphone for a 40-minute diatribe that ended only when her colleagues pulled the plug on their meeting. councilwoman desley brooks, attending the rules committee session as a spectator, declined repeated pleas from the panel’s council members thursday to surrender the microphone so they could get on with their meeting. when they had the microphone turned off, brooks started shouting. “i can filibuster,” brooks said. “that’s what this process is supposed to be about.” at one point, the councilwoman called for a “mike check” — a technique used by members of the occupy movement to disrupt and take over public meetings. she then led supporters sitting in the audience in a call-and-response taunt directed at the three committee members: “you have not followed the rules.” “how childish,” city councilman dan kalb said as he argued with brooks from the dais. they continued chanting as the committee members — kalb, council president lynette gibson mcelhaney and councilman abel guillen — tried to press on. finally mcelhaney, the committee chairwoman, ordered city hall security guards to clear the chambers and ended the meeting. “we had important business that day,” mcelhaney said friday. “we were going to hold a hearing to name bobby hutton grove at defremery park” in west oakland, honoring a 17-year-old black panther party member killed in a confrontation with oakland police in 1968. desley brooks, seen in 2015, held a 40-minute dia tribe at an oakland city council meeting thursday. desley brooks, seen in 2015, held a 40-minute dia tribe at an oakland city council meeting thursday. photo: michael short, special to the chronicle photo: michael short, special to the chronicle image 1 of / 1 caption close oakland’s desley brooks goes at it with city council colleagues 1 / 1 back to gallery “that item got shut down because of a political play,” mcelhaney said. kalb said friday that it may have been the worst outburst he’d ever seen from a council member, but that this isn’t the first time a meeting has fallen off course because of “extended interruptions” and “lack of adherence to the council president’s authority.” and it’s always the same member making the interruptions, he said — brooks, who has been on the council since 2002 and represents an east oakland district. she did not respond to requests for comment about her actions at the rules committee. the uproar started with an agenda item aimed at re-crafting marijuana ordinances that the council approved in may, which have caused a continued outcry from people involved in the city’s cannabis business. at the heart of the ordinances is a program that sets aside half the city’s cannabis permits for people who were either jailed on marijuana convictions in oakland or who live in one of six east oakland police beats that saw a high concentration of marijuana arrests in 2013. all of those beats are either in brooks’ district or the district represented by an ally, councilman larry reid. read full article

mit ˈɑmɛd moʊˈhæmɪd. hi maɪt bi ðə moʊst ɪkˈspɛnsɪv hɑt dɔg ˈvɛndər ɪn nu jɔrk, əˈspɛʃəli ɪf hi θɪŋks jʊr ə ˈtʊrɪst. məˈlɪsə ˈrusoʊ həz ðə ɪkˈsklusɪv rɪˈpɔrt. (ˈpəblɪʃt ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ, meɪ 20 2015 ˈəpˌdeɪt: hɑt dɔg ˈvɛndər ˈəndər ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən ˈæftər rɪˈpɔrt ɪkˈspoʊzɪz aʊˈtreɪʤəs ˈpraɪsɪŋ mit ˈɑmɛd moʊˈhæmɪd. hi maɪt bi ðə moʊst ɪkˈspɛnsɪv hɑt dɔg ˈvɛndər ɪn nu jɔrk, əˈspɛʃəli ɪf hi θɪŋks jʊr ə ˈtʊrɪst. ˈɛnˌbiˈsi 4 nu jɔrk ˈkæmərəz ˈrisəntli ˈkæpʧərd ɪm traɪɪŋ tɪ ʧɑrʤ ə mæn neɪmd ˈdeɪvɪd 15 fər ə hɑt dɔg ənd ə ˈprɛtzəl nɪr ðə wərld treɪd ˈsɛnər. "aɪ sɛd, 'wət ər ju, ə krʊk?'" ˈdeɪvɪd ˈleɪtər toʊld ˈɛnˌbiˈsi 4 nu jɔrk. "əm nɑt ə ˈtʊrɪst, soʊ aɪ noʊ ðə praɪs ɪn nu jɔrk." ˈkəstəmər ˈæftər ˈkəstəmər ˌriˈkaʊntɪd haʊ ðə ˈvɛndər traɪd tɪ ʧɑrʤ ðɛm 20 tɪ 30 fər ə hɑt dɔg. "aɪ ʤɪst fɛlt laɪk aɪ wɑz ˈgɪtɪŋ rɪpt ɔf, ənd ɪts ʤɪst ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðə graʊnz laɪk ə bɪg ˈtʊrɪst træp," wən ˈwʊmən sɛd. bɛn frəm nu ˈʤərzi lɛft hɪz ˈbɪtən hɑt dɔg bɪˈhaɪnd wɪn hi wɑz toʊld ðə praɪs. ˈtɛksəs ˈbaɪkər gæŋ məg ʃɑts "hi wɑz laɪk, 'ˈfɪfˈtin, ˈmeɪbi 10 hi sɛd. "ənd aɪ lɛft maɪ ˈbɪtən hɑt dɔg ðɛr. ðət wɑz ɪt." ˈʤɛsɪkə ləˈpæn əv ðə əˈlaɪəns fər ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn nu jɔrk sɛd "ɪt gɪvz nu jɔrk ə bæd neɪm." "tɪ ˈsəmˌbɑdi, tɪ ʧɑrʤ ðɛm 35 fər ə hɑt dɔg ənd ə ˈprɛtzəl, ðət livz ə ˈtɛrəbəl ˌɪmˈprɛʃən," ʃi sɛd. ləˈpæn ˈlərnɪd əˈbaʊt moʊˈhæmɪd wɪn faɪts ˈstɑrtɪd ˈbreɪkɪŋ aʊt læst wik ˈoʊvər hɪz ˈpraɪsɪz. ˈkreɪziəst fud heists*: nəˈbɪˌskoʊ ˈkʊkiz, ˈkrækərz rɑn ˈwʊlfˌgæŋ, hu ɪz ɪn ʧɑrʤ əv sɪˈkjʊrəti fər ðə əˈlaɪəns fər ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn nu jɔrk, sɛd, ðɛr hæv bɪn "faɪv taɪmz sɪns meɪ 13 wɛr wiv əbˈzərvd ˌɑltərˈkeɪʃənz ɔn ðə strit ˈoʊvər ðə ˈpraɪsɪz biɪŋ ʧɑrʤd fər hɑt dɔgz, ˈprɛtzəlz, ˈwɔtər, ˈsoʊdə." ˈɛnˌbiˈsi 4 nu jɔrks oʊn ˈkæmərəz ˈkæpʧərd ðə praɪs əv ə hɑt dɔg ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ baɪ ðə ˈmɪnət: 3 fər səm, 30 fər ˈəðərz. ˈsɛvərəl ˈkəstəmərz ˈɔlsoʊ əˈkjuzd ɪm əv ðɛm ˈæftər ˌoʊvərˈʧɑrʤɪŋ ðɛm. wən ˈwʊmən ˈpɔɪntɪd aʊt ðət hi hæd ˈoʊnli ˈgɪvɪn hər 5 ɪn ʧeɪnʤ wɪn hi wɑz səˈpoʊzd tɪ hænd hər 8 əˈnəðər ˈwʊmən sɛd hi ˈdɪdənt ˈivɪn gɪv hər ʧeɪnʤ æt ɔl. wən ˈwʊmən neɪmd ruθ sɛd, "hi geɪv mi 5 bæk, ənd aɪ θɔt, 15 fər ə ˈprɛtzəl ənd ə ˈwɔtər?'" ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪtɪv ʧɔɪs əv kənˈvɪktəd ˈfɛlən ɛz faɪər ʧif ˈreɪzɪz kˈwɛsʧənz wɪn ə ˈɛnˌbiˈsi 4 nu jɔrk rɪˈpɔrtər æst ðə praɪs əv ə hɑt dɔg, moʊˈhæmɪd sɛd 3 wɪn æst waɪ ðə praɪs ˈʧeɪnʤɪz, hi kleɪmd nɑt tɪ spik ˈɪŋlɪʃ ˈivɪn ðoʊ ˈkæmərəz hæd ˈkæpʧərd ɪm ˈspikɪŋ ˈɪŋlɪʃ ˈərliər, ˈæskɪŋ ˈkəstəmərz: "jɛs, gaɪz. jɛs, sər, ju nid ˈɛniˌθɪŋ tɪ it ər drɪŋk? hæv ə gʊd deɪ, gaɪz." pɑrt əv ðə ˈprɑbləm ɪz ðət ˈpraɪsɪz ˈɑrənt ˈpoʊstɪd, ɛz rikˈwaɪərd baɪ ðə ˈsɪtiz dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv kənˈsumər əˈfɛrz. æt ə hɑt dɔg kɑrt əraʊnd ðə ˈkɔrnər, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ðɛrz noʊ kˈwɛʃən haʊ məʧ ə hɑt dɔg kɔsts ɪts ˈlɪstɪd æt 1 ðə dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv kənˈsumər əˈfɛrz ɪnˈkərəʤəz ˈɛniˌwən hu ɪz ʧɑrʤd mɔr ðən ðə ˈpoʊstɪd praɪs ər ɪnˈkaʊnərz ə stænd wɪθ noʊ praɪs ˈlɪstɪd æt ɔl tɪ faɪl ə kəmˈpleɪnt æt ər tɪ kɔl 311 ɪn ðə ˈminˌtaɪm, ðə dɪˈpɑrtmənt sɪz ɪt wɪl ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪt moʊˈhæmɪd ənd hɪz ˈpræktɪsɪz æt ðə stænd.

meet ahmed mohammed. he might be the most expensive hot dog vendor in new york, especially if he thinks you're a tourist. melissa russo has the exclusive report. (published wednesday, may 20, 2015) update: nyc hot dog vendor under investigation after report exposes outrageous pricing meet ahmed mohammed. he might be the most expensive hot dog vendor in new york, especially if he thinks you're a tourist. nbc 4 new york cameras recently captured him trying to charge a man named david $15 for a hot dog and a pretzel near the world trade center. "i said, 'what are you, a crook?'" david later told nbc 4 new york. "i'm not a tourist, so i know the price in new york." customer after customer recounted how the vendor tried to charge them $20 to $30 for a hot dog. "i just felt like i was getting ripped off, and it's just making the 9/11 grounds like a big tourist trap," one woman said. ben from new jersey left his bitten hot dog behind when he was told the price. texas biker gang mug shots "he was like, 'fifteen, maybe 10,'" he said. "and i left my bitten hot dog there. that was it." jessica lappin of the alliance for downtown new york said "it gives new york a bad name." "to rip-off somebody, to charge them $35 for a hot dog and a pretzel, that leaves a terrible impression," she said. lappin learned about mohammed when fights started breaking out last week over his prices. craziest food heists: nabisco cookies, crackers ron wolfgang, who is in charge of security for the alliance for downtown new york, said, there have been "five times since may 13 where we've observed altercations on the street over the prices being charged for hot dogs, pretzels, water, soda." nbc 4 new york's own cameras captured the price of a hot dog changing by the minute: $3 for some, $30 for others. several customers also accused him of short-changing them after overcharging them. one woman pointed out that he had only given her $5 in change when he was supposed to hand her $8; another woman said he didn't even give her change at all. one woman named ruth said, "he gave me $5 back, and i thought, '$15 for a pretzel and a water?'" investigative choice of convicted felon as ny fire chief raises questions when a self-identified nbc 4 new york reporter asked the price of a hot dog, mohammed said $3. when asked why the price changes, he claimed not to speak english -- even though cameras had captured him speaking english earlier, asking customers: "yes, guys. yes, sir, you need anything to eat or drink? have a good day, guys." part of the problem is that mohammed's prices aren't posted, as required by the city's department of consumer affairs. at a hot dog cart around the corner, for example, there's no question how much a hot dog costs -- it's listed at $1. the department of consumer affairs encourages anyone who is charged more than the posted price -- or encounters a stand with no price listed at all -- to file a complaint at nyc.gov/consumers or to call 311. in the meantime, the department says it will investigate mohammed and his practices at the stand.

ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt ˈtɛrəbli dɪˈprɛsɪŋ news,”*,” sɛd ˈændru ˈsəlɪvən ɪn ðə əˈtlæntɪk. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ pju ˈrisərʧ, mɔr ðən hæf əv əˈmɛrɪkənz hu əˈtɛnd ʧərʧ æt list wəns ə wik sɛd ˈtɔrʧərɪŋ səˈspɛktɪd ˈtɛrəˌrɪsts ɪz ““often”*” ər ““sometimes”*” ˈʤəstəˌfaɪd, waɪl ˈoʊnli 42 pərˈsɛnt əv ˈpipəl hu əˈtɛnd ˈrɛgjələr ˈsərvɪsɪz əˈgrid. ˈkrɪsʧɪn dɪˈvoʊʃən ˈkɔrələts wɪθ əˈpruvəl fər ˈæbsəˌlut ˈivəl ɪn america.”*.” nɑt ˈoʊnli ðət, sɛd rɑd drɛr ɪn beliefnet*, bət ˌiˌvænˈʤɛlɪkəlz ər mɔr ðən waɪt ˈmeɪnˌlaɪn ˈprɑtəstənts, ənd ðə mɔr ˈfrikwɛntli ˈpipəl goʊ tɪ ʧərʧ ðə mɔr ðeɪ sim tɪ bi. ɔn ərθ ər ðiz ˈkrɪsʧɪnz ˈhirɪŋ æt ʧərʧ?! ˈvɛri sæd indeed.”*.” ðɪs ɪz nɑt ˈrɪli soʊ hɑrd tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd, sɛd ɛd ˈmɔrɪsi ɪn hɑt ɛr. ər mɔr ˈlaɪkli tɪ bi kənˈsərvətɪv, ənd kənˈsərvətɪvz ər mɔr ˈlaɪkli tɪ səˈpɔrt koʊəˈrsɪv ˌɪnˌtɛrəˈgeɪʃən, ˈərgoʊ ˌiˌvænˈʤɛlɪkəlz ər mɔr ˈlaɪkli tɪ səˈpɔrt koʊəˈrsɪv interrogation.”*.” ənd rɪˈmɛmbər, ðiz tɛkˈniks ər dən tɪ stɑp fˈjuʧər əˈtæks, ɪz əˈbaʊt ɛz ɛz ju kən get.”*.” ˈrisərʧ ɪz ˈminɪŋləs, sɛd pɔl ˈʧɛsər ɪn ðə əˈmɛrɪkən ˈspɛkteɪtər. ðeɪ ˈivɪn dɪˈfaɪn wət ˈpræktɪsɪz ˈpipəl ər səˈpoʊzd tɪ kənˈsɪdər torture—“waterboarding*? ˈɪnˌsɛkts ɪn ðə noʊ weɪ tɪ kəmˈpɛr ðə bɪˈlifs əv wən grup tɪ ðoʊz əv əˈnəðər. ðɪs ˈstədi sɪz mɔr əˈbaʊt ðə researchers’*’ fər trəˈdɪʃənəl ˈkrɪsʧɪn beliefs”*” ðən ˈɛniˌθɪŋ ɛls.

advertisement here’s “some terribly depressing news,” said andrew sullivan in the atlantic. according to pew research, more than half of americans who attend church at least once a week said torturing suspected terrorists is “often” or “sometimes” justified, while only 42 percent of people who don’t attend regular services agreed. “so christian devotion correlates with approval for absolute evil in america.” not only that, said rod dreher in beliefnet, but evangelicals are more pro-torture than white mainline protestants, and the more frequently people go to church the more pro-torture they seem to be. “what on earth are these christians hearing at church?! very sad indeed.” this is not really so hard to understand, said ed morrissey in hot air. “evangelicals are more likely to be conservative, and conservatives are more likely to support coercive interrogation, ergo evangelicals are more likely to support coercive interrogation.” and remember, these techniques are done to stop future attacks, “which is about as pro-life as you can get.” pew’s research is meaningless, said paul chesser in the american spectator. they don’t even define what practices people are supposed to consider torture—“waterboarding? insects in the room?”—so there’s no way to compare the beliefs of one group to those of another. this study says more about the researchers’ “hatred for traditional christian beliefs” than anything else.

ɪkˈspɛrəmənts kənˈdəktəd baɪ ˈsaɪəntɪsts æt ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈpædjuə ɪn ˈnɔrðərn ˈɪtəli hæv ˈdeɪtɪd ðə ʃraʊd tɪ ˈeɪnʧənt taɪmz, ə fju ˈsɛnʧəriz ˌbiˈfɔr ənd ˈæftər ðə laɪf əv kraɪst. ˈmɛni ˈkæθlɪks bɪˈliv ðət ðə ˈlɪnən klɔθ, wɪʧ bɛrz ðə ˌɪmˈprɪnt əv ðə feɪs ənd ˈbɑdi əv ə ˈbɪrdəd mæn, wɑz juzd tɪ ˈbɛri kraɪsts ˈbɑdi wɪn hi wɑz ˈlɪftɪd daʊn frəm ðə krɔs ˈæftər biɪŋ ˈkrusəˌfaɪd jɪrz əˈgoʊ. ðə æˈnælɪsɪs ɪz ˈpəblɪʃt ɪn ə nu bʊk, "ɪl mɪˈstɛroʊ ˈdɛlə sindone*" ər ðə ˈmɪstəri əv ðə ʃraʊd, baɪ ˈʤulioʊ, ə prəˈfɛsər əv məˈkænɪkəl ənd ˈθərməl ˈmɛʒərmənt æt ˈpædjuə ˌjunəˈvərsəti, ənd ˈgitə, ə ˈʤərnəlɪst. ðə tɛsts wɪl rɪˈvaɪv ðə dəˈbeɪt əˈbaʊt ðə tru ˈɔrəʤɪnz əv wən əv ˌkrɪsʧiˈænɪtiz moʊst praɪzd bət mɪˈstɪriəs ˈrɛlɪks ənd ər ˈlaɪkli tɪ bi ˈhɑtli kənˈtɛstəd baɪ sceptics*. ˈsaɪəntɪsts, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ, juzd laɪt ənd spɛkˈtrɑskəpi ðə ˈmɛʒərmənt əv ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃən ˌɪnˈtɛnsɪti θru ˈweɪvˌlɛŋθs tɪ frəm ðə ʃraʊd, wɪʧ ɪz kɛpt ɪn ə ˈspɛʃəl keɪs ɪn ˈtʊrɪn. ðə tɛsts ˈdeɪtɪd ðə eɪʤ əv ðə ʃraʊd tɪ bɪtˈwin 300 ənd 400ad*. ðə ɪkˈspɛrəmənts wər ˈkɛrid aʊt ɔn ˈteɪkən frəm ðə ʃraʊd ˈdʊrɪŋ ə ˈpriviəs ˈstədi, ɪn 1988 wɪn ðeɪ wər səˈbʤɛktɪd tɪ ˈdeɪtɪŋ. ðoʊz tɛsts, kənˈdəktəd baɪ ˈlæbrəˌtɔriz ɪn ˈɑksfərd, ˈzʊrɪk ənd ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə, əˈpɪrd tɪ bæk əp ðə ˈθɪri ðət ðə ʃraʊd wɑz ə ˈklɛvər mɪˈdjivəl feɪk, səˈʤɛstɪŋ ðət ɪt ˈdeɪtɪd frəm 1260 tɪ 1390 bət ðoʊz rɪˈzəlts wər ɪn tərn dɪˈspjutɪd ɔn ðə ˈbeɪsɪs ðət ðeɪ meɪ hæv bɪn skjud baɪ kənˌtæməˈneɪʃən baɪ frəm klɔθ ðət wɑz juzd tɪ rɪˈpɛr ðə ˈrɛlɪk wɪn ɪt wɑz ˈdæmɪʤd baɪ faɪər ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl ˈeɪʤɪz. ˈmɪstər, ə ˈkæθlɪk, sɛd hɪz rɪˈzəlts wər ðə frut əv 15 jɪrz əv ˈrisərʧ. hi sɛd ðə ˈdeɪtɪŋ tɛsts ˈkɛrid aʊt ɪn 1988 wər ““false”*” bɪˈkəz əv ˈlæbrəˌtɔri kənˌtæməˈneɪʃən. ðə ˈmɪstəri əv ðə ʃraʊd həz ˈbæfəld ˈpipəl fər ˈsɛnʧəriz ənd həz spɔnd nɑt ˈoʊnli rɪˈlɪʤəs dɪˈvoʊʃən bət ˈɔlsoʊ bʊks, ˌdɑkjəˈmɛnəriz ənd kənˈspɪrəsi ˈθɪriz. ðə ˈlɪnən klɔθ əˈpɪrz tɪ ʃoʊ ðə ˌɪmˈprɪnt əv ə mæn wɪθ lɔŋ hɛr ənd ə bɪrd huz ˈbɑdi bɛrz wundz kənˈsɪstənt wɪθ ˈhævɪŋ bɪn ˈkrusəˌfaɪd. iʧ jɪr ɪt lʊrz ˈhənərdz əv ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈfeɪθfəl tɪ ˈtʊrɪn kəˈθidrəl, wɛr ɪt ɪz kɛpt ɪn ə ˈspɛʃəli dɪˈzaɪnd, keɪs. ˈsaɪəntɪsts hæv ˈnɛvər bɪn ˈeɪbəl tɪ ɪkˈspleɪn haʊ ðə ˈɪmɪʤ əv ə mænz ˈbɑdi, kəmˈplit wɪθ neɪl wundz tɪ hɪz rɪsts ənd fit, frəm θɔrnz əraʊnd hɪz ˈfɔrhɛd ənd ə spɪr wund tɪ hɪz ʧɛst, kʊd hæv fɔrmd ɔn ðə klɔθ. ˈmɪstər sɛd ðə ˌɪmˈprɪnt wɑz kɔzd baɪ ə blæst əv radiation”*”, ˌɔlˈðoʊ hi stɑpt ʃɔrt əv dɪˈskraɪbɪŋ ɪt ɛz ə ˈmɪrəkəl. hi sɛd hɪz tɛsts bækt əp ˈərliər rɪˈzəlts wɪʧ kleɪmd tɪ hæv faʊnd ɔn ðə ʃraʊd ˈtreɪsɪz əv dəst ənd ˈpɑlən wɪʧ kʊd ˈoʊnli hæv kəm frəm ðə ˈhoʊli lænd. ˈmɪstər ˈgitə ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ ə kəˈmɪtɪd ˈkæθlɪk hi wərkt fər roʊˈmɑˌnoʊ, ðə ˈvætɪkən ˈnuzˌpeɪpər, ənd naʊ wərks fər cristiana*, ə ˈkæθlɪk ˈwikli. ðə ˈvætɪkən həz ˈnɛvər sɛd ˈwɛðər ɪt bɪˈlivz ðə ʃraʊd tɪ bi əˈθɛnɪk ər nɑt, ˌɔlˈðoʊ poʊp ɪˈmɛrətəs ˈbɛnəˌdɪkt wəns sɛd ðət ðə ˌɛnɪgˈmætɪk ˈɪmɪʤ ˌɪmˈprɪnɪd ɔn ðə klɔθ "riˈmaɪndz ˈjuˈɛs ˈɔlˌweɪz" əv kraɪsts ˈsəfərɪŋ. hɪz səkˈsɛsər, poʊp ˈfrænsɪs, wɪl prəˈvaɪd ən ˌɪntrəˈdəkʃən wɪn ˈɪmɪʤɪz əv ðə ʃraʊd əˈpɪr ɔn ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən ɔn ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ, ðə deɪ ˌbiˈfɔr ˈistər ˈsənˌdi, wɪʧ kəˈmɛmərˌeɪts ðə ˌrɛzərˈɛkʃən. ðə poʊp həz rɪˈkɔrdɪd ə ˌɪntrəˈdəkʃən fər ðə ˈbrɔdˌkæst ɔn rɑi, ðə steɪt ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən ˈʧænəl. "ɪt wɪl bi ə ˈmɛsɪʤ əv ˌɪnˈtɛns ˈspɪrɪˌʧuəl skoʊp, ʧɑrʤd wɪθ positivity*, wɪʧ wɪl hɛlp (ˈpipəl) ˈnɛvər tɪ luz hoʊp," sɛd ʧeɪˈzɑreɪ nosiglia*, ðə ˈɑrʧˈbɪʃəp əv ˈtʊrɪn, hu ˈɔlsoʊ həz ðə ˈtaɪtəl "pɑnˈtɪfəkəl kəˈstoʊdiən əv ðə ʃraʊd". "ðə dɪˈspleɪ əv ðə ʃraʊd ɔn ə deɪ ɛz ˈspɛʃəl ɛz ˈhoʊli ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ minz ðət ɪt ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnts ə ˈvɛri ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ˈtɛstɪˌmoʊni tɪ ðə ˈpæʃən ənd ðə ˌrɛzərˈɛkʃən əv ðə lɔrd," hi sɛd. fər ðə fərst taɪm, ən æp həz bɪn kriˈeɪtɪd tɪ ɪˈneɪbəl ˈpipəl tɪ ɪkˈsplɔr ðə ˈhoʊli ˈrɛlɪk ɪn ˈditeɪl ɔn ðɛr smɑrt foʊnz ənd ˈtæbləts. ðə æp, ˈsæŋkʃənd baɪ ðə ˈkæθlɪk ʧərʧ ənd kɔld "ʃraʊd ˈfiʧərz haɪ ˌdɛfəˈnɪʃən ˈfoʊtəˌgræfs əv ðə klɔθ ənd ɪˈneɪbəlz ˈjuzərz tɪ si ˈditeɪlz ðət wʊd ˈəðərˌwaɪz bi ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl tɪ ðə ˈneɪkəd aɪ. "fər ðə fərst taɪm ɪn ˈhɪstəri ðə moʊst dɪˈteɪld ˈɪmɪʤ əv ðə ʃraʊd ˈɛvər əˈʧivd bɪˈkəmz əˈveɪləbəl tɪ ðə hoʊl wərld, θæŋks tɪ ə ˈstrimɪŋ ˈsɪstəm wɪʧ əˈlaʊz ə ˈkloʊˌsəp vju əv ðə klɔθ. iʧ ˈditeɪl əv ðə klɔθ kən bi ˈmægnəˌfaɪd ənd ɪn ə weɪ wɪʧ wʊd ˈəðərˌwaɪz nɑt bi ˈpɑsəbəl," haltadefinizione*, ðə ˈmeɪkərz əv ðə æp, sɛd.

experiments conducted by scientists at the university of padua in northern italy have dated the shroud to ancient times, a few centuries before and after the life of christ. many catholics believe that the 14ft-long linen cloth, which bears the imprint of the face and body of a bearded man, was used to bury christ's body when he was lifted down from the cross after being crucified 2,000 years ago. the analysis is published in a new book, "il mistero della sindone" or the mystery of the shroud, by giulio fanti, a professor of mechanical and thermal measurement at padua university, and saverio gaeta, a journalist. the tests will revive the debate about the true origins of one of christianity's most prized but mysterious relics and are likely to be hotly contested by sceptics. scientists, including prof fanti, used infra-red light and spectroscopy – the measurement of radiation intensity through wavelengths – to analyse fibres from the shroud, which is kept in a special climate-controlled case in turin. the tests dated the age of the shroud to between 300 bc and 400ad. the experiments were carried out on fibres taken from the shroud during a previous study, in 1988, when they were subjected to carbon-14 dating. those tests, conducted by laboratories in oxford, zurich and arizona, appeared to back up the theory that the shroud was a clever medieval fake, suggesting that it dated from 1260 to 1390. but those results were in turn disputed on the basis that they may have been skewed by contamination by fibres from cloth that was used to repair the relic when it was damaged by fire in the middle ages. mr fanti, a catholic, said his results were the fruit of 15 years of research. he said the carbon-14 dating tests carried out in 1988 were “false” because of laboratory contamination. the mystery of the shroud has baffled people for centuries and has spawned not only religious devotion but also books, documentaries and conspiracy theories. the linen cloth appears to show the imprint of a man with long hair and a beard whose body bears wounds consistent with having been crucified. each year it lures hundreds of thousands of faithful to turin cathedral, where it is kept in a specially designed, climate-controlled case. scientists have never been able to explain how the image of a man's body, complete with nail wounds to his wrists and feet, pinpricks from thorns around his forehead and a spear wound to his chest, could have formed on the cloth. mr fanti said the imprint was caused by a blast of “exceptional radiation”, although he stopped short of describing it as a miracle. he said his tests backed up earlier results which claimed to have found on the shroud traces of dust and pollen which could only have come from the holy land. mr gaeta is also a committed catholic - he worked for l’osservatore romano, the vatican newspaper, and now works for famiglia cristiana, a catholic weekly. the vatican has never said whether it believes the shroud to be authentic or not, although pope emeritus benedict xvi once said that the enigmatic image imprinted on the cloth "reminds us always" of christ's suffering. his newly-elected successor, pope francis, will provide an introduction when images of the shroud appear on television on saturday, the day before easter sunday, which commemorates the resurrection. the pope has recorded a voice-over introduction for the broadcast on rai, the state television channel. "it will be a message of intense spiritual scope, charged with positivity, which will help (people) never to lose hope," said cesare nosiglia, the archbishop of turin, who also has the title "pontifical custodian of the shroud". "the display of the shroud on a day as special as holy saturday means that it represents a very important testimony to the passion and the resurrection of the lord," he said. for the first time, an app has been created to enable people to explore the holy relic in detail on their smart phones and tablets. the app, sanctioned by the catholic church and called "shroud 2.0", features high definition photographs of the cloth and enables users to see details that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. "for the first time in history the most detailed image of the shroud ever achieved becomes available to the whole world, thanks to a streaming system which allows a close-up view of the cloth. each detail of the cloth can be magnified and visualised in a way which would otherwise not be possible," haltadefinizione, the makers of the app, said.

fanfic*: ɪf ju kən θɪŋk əv ɪt, ɪt ɔˈrɛdi ɪgˈzɪsts. ənd ˈdrækoʊ slæʃ? jɛs (ənd maɪ pur eyes…*…). tɔɪ ˈstɔri ənd ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd krɔs ˈoʊvər? ju ˈbɛʧə. fæn ˈfɪkʃən ɪz greɪt. ɪt gɪvz ju ə ʧæns tɪ ˈpræktɪs ˈdɪfərənt ˈvɔɪsɪz wɪˈθaʊt ˈhævɪŋ tɪ spɛnd ə hoʊl loʊd əv taɪm ˈθɪŋkɪŋ əp ə nu ˈkɛrɪktər wɪθ əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd ˌmoʊtəˈveɪʃənz. ɪt lɛts ju tɪ gɪt kriˈeɪtɪv wɪθ ˈsəmˌwən wərld ənd ˈkɛrɪktərz, wɪʧ ɪz ə gʊd rɪˈlæks kəmˈpɛrd tɪ ðə hoʊl ˈstɔri wərld ˈrɛstɪŋ ɔn jʊr ˈʃoʊldərz. nɑt tɪ ˈmɛnʃən ju hæv ə hoʊl loʊd əv ˈfrɛndli kəmˈjunɪtiz ˈhæpi tɪ si, ənd gɪv ədˈvaɪs, ɔn ðɛr ˈfeɪvərɪt ˈkɛrɪktərz ənd pairings*. ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ˈlaʊdli ənd wɪθ ˈmɛni squeeees*. fæn ˈfɪkʃən hɛlps ju ˈpræktɪs jʊr ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ðə ˈsɛntər əv ə ˈstɔri. wɪθ wən ʃɑt ɪn ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ju ər ˈpoʊzɪŋ ˈjɔrsɛlf ə ˈsɪŋgəl kˈwɛʃən. wət wʊd ˈhæpən ɪf ɔl ðə ˈkɛrɪktərz ɪn ðə bɪg bæŋ ˈθɪri wər ɪn ˈwəndərˌlænd? haʊ wʊd dɪˈfit ˈsæmʊˌraɪ ʤæk? wət wʊd laɪf bi laɪk ɪf hɪz pænts wər *ʃɑk sˈfɛrɪkəl? aɪ rɛd nu bʊk ðə naɪiv ənd ˌsɛnəˈmɛnəl ˈnɑvələst læst wik ənd hɪz læst ˈʧæptər ɪz ɔl əˈbaʊt ðə ˈsɛntər əv ðə ˈnɑvəl. aɪ meɪ nɑt əˈgri wɪθ haʊ hi dɪˈfaɪnz ˈlɪtərˌɛri ˈfɪkʃən ˈvərsəz. ˈʒɑnrə ˈfɪkʃən, bət aɪ du θɪŋk gʊd ˈfɪkʃən ʃʊd lʊk tɪ traɪ ənd ˈænsər ə ˈsɛntrəl kˈwɛʃən. wɪθ praɪd ənd ˈprɛʤədɪs, wi ˈstɔnʧli meɪnˈteɪn ɑr ˌɪˈnɪʃəl ˌɪmˈprɛʃənz əv people?”*?” (ˈænsər: weɪt ənˈtɪl aʊt hɪz haʊs, ðɛn ˌdɪˈsaɪd.) ɪn saʊθ pɑrk: ðə ˈmuvi, wʊd braɪən ˌbɔɪˈtɑnoʊ do?”*?” wɪn ˈraɪtɪŋ ə lɔŋ ˈstɔri ðə ˈsɛntər kən ˈɔfən bi unwieldly*. soʊ wən ʃɑt ɪz ə ˈfæbjələs ˈpræktɪs speɪs. laɪk ʃɔrt ˈstɔriz ər ˈpoʊətri, ju pɑr ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ tɪ ðə bɛr boʊnz tɪ dɪˈlɪvər jʊr ˈmɛsɪʤ. ənd ɔl ðə fri ˈfidˌbæk frəm ðə ˈsupər ɪnˈgeɪʤd fæn communities…*… aɪ ˈkænɑt ˈoʊvərˌsɛl haʊ ˈhɛlpfəl ɪt ɪz tɪ gɪt ðət ˈmɛni krɪˈtiks. ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ wɛr aɪ goʊ tɪ riˈbɪld maɪ ˈkɑnfədɛns wɪn maɪ ˈəðər ˈraɪtɪŋ goʊɪŋ soʊ wɛl. ɛz wɛl ɛz biɪŋ strɔŋ ɔn ðə ˈɔnˌlaɪn krɪˈtik, gʊd fæn kəmˈjunɪtiz stɪnt wɪθ ðə ləv! ˈhævɪŋ ˈpipəl ɪnˈgeɪʤ wɪθ jʊr ˈraɪtɪŋ ɪz wət ˈɔθərɪŋ ɪz ɔl əˈbaʊt, raɪt? soʊ gɪt aʊt jʊr ˈkɑmɪk bʊks ənd ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən bɑks sɛts. ɪz ðɛr ən ˌəndərˈreɪtɪd ˈkɛrɪktər ɪn nid əv mɔr ɛr taɪm? ˈkɛrɪktərz ju wʊd laɪk tɪ si pɛrd əp ənd ɔn ən ədˈvɛnʧər təˈgɛðər? stɪl ˈhoʊpɪŋ fər səm ˈdɑktər ˈkrɔˌsoʊvər ənd, naʊ θɔt əv ɪt, rulz əv ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt minz bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ faɪnd ɪt ˈsəmˌwɛr online…*…) tɛl ˈjuˈɛs wət ju ər əˈbaʊt; baʊnd tɪ bi ˈsəmˌwən frəm ɪn ðət kəmˈjunɪti!

fanfic: if you can think of it, it already exists. dobby and draco slash fic? yes (and my poor eyes…). toy story and walking dead cross over fic? you betcha. fan fiction is great. it gives you a chance to practice different voices without having to spend a whole load of time thinking up a new character with associated motivations. it lets you to get creative with someone else’s world and characters, which is a good relax compared to the whole story world resting on your shoulders. not to mention you have a whole load of friendly communities happy to see, and give advice, on their favourite characters and pairings. sometimes loudly and with many squeeees. fan fiction helps you practice your focus on the centre of a story. with one shot fanfic in particular you are posing yourself a single question. what would happen if all the characters in the big bang theory were in wonderland? how would naruto defeat samurai jack? what would spongebob’s life be like if his pants were *shock horror* spherical? i read orhan pamuk’s new book the naive and sentimental novelist last week and his last chapter is all about the centre of the novel. i may not agree with how he defines literary fiction vs. genre fiction, but i do think good fiction should look to try and answer a central question. with pride and prejudice it’s, “should we staunchly maintain our initial impressions of people?” (answer: wait until you’ve scoped out his house, then decide.) in south park: the movie, it’s “what would brian boitano do?” when you’re writing a long story the centre can often be unwieldly. so one shot fanfic is a fabulous practice space. like short stories or poetry, you par everything to the bare bones to deliver your message. and all the free feedback from the super engaged fan communities… i cannot oversell how helpful it is to get that many critiques. fanfic is also where i go to rebuild my confidence when my other writing isn’t going so well. as well as being strong on the online critique, good fan communities don’t stint with the love! having people engage with your writing is what authoring is all about, right? so get out your comic books and tv box sets. is there an underrated character in need of more air time? characters you would like to see paired up and on an adventure together? (i’m still hoping for some dr zoidberg/house crossover fic and, now i’ve thought of it, rules of the internet means i’ll be able to find it somewhere online…) tell us what you fangirl or fanboy about; there’s bound to be someone from plotist in that community!

wət ər ˈgɑrdiənz? ˈgɑrdiənz ər ˈʧoʊzən ˈrustər tiθ kəmˈjunɪti ˈmɛmbərz hu ˈdɛdəˌkeɪt ðɛr taɪm ənd skɪlz tɪ hɛlp meɪk ən əˈmeɪzɪŋ ɪkˈspɪriəns fər ˈɛvriˌwən. ˈgɑrdiənz prəˈvaɪd səˈpɔrt fər əˈtɛnˈdiz, ˈspɛʃəl gɛsts, ˈrustər tiθ cast/crew*, ənd wən əˈnəðər. ˈgɑrdiənz ər ðə ˈkəstəmər ˈsərvɪs ənd ˈkraɪsəs ˈmænɪʤmənt ˈfrənˌtlaɪn əv. ˈgɑrdiənz ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt, ˈrustər tiθ, ənd ðə kəmˈjunɪti. ðə kəmˈjunɪti ɪz ˈprɪti ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbəl ənd wi eɪm tɪ brɪŋ ðə bɛst (ənd ðoʊz əˈspaɪrɪŋ tɪ bi ðə bɛst) kəmˈjunɪti ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪvz ˈɪntu ɑr ˈgɑrdiən ræŋks. wət meɪks ə ˈgɑrdiən? wi lʊk fər ˈgɑrdiənz hu ər ˈpɑzətɪv, ˈpeɪʃənt, ənd koʊˈɑpərˌeɪtɪv, ənd pəˈzɛs strɔŋ ˈkəstəmər ˈsərvɪs skɪlz ənd ə ˈʤɛnjuˌaɪn dɪˈzaɪər tɪ meɪk ðə ɪkˈspɪriəns ˈɔsəm fər ˈɛvriˌwən. səkˈsɛsfəl ˈgɑrdiənz məst bi ˈkəmfərtəbəl ɪn kraʊdz ənd ˈkraʊdɪd ˈspeɪsɪz. ðeɪ məst bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ dil wɪθ ˈimərʤənsiz wɪθ ə kul hɛd. ðeɪ məst bi ˈwɪlɪŋ tɪ wərk wɪθ ðɛr tim. wi hæv ə vərˈaɪəti əv ʤɑbz ðət reɪnʤ frəm ˈsupər ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ tɪ ˈɑdli mənˈdeɪn, bət ɔl ər ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ənd ˈnɛsəˌsɛri. ˈgɑrdiənz məst bi 18

what are guardians? guardians are chosen rooster teeth community members who dedicate their time and skills to help make rtx an amazing experience for everyone. guardians provide support for attendees, special guests, rooster teeth cast/crew, and one another. guardians are the customer service and crisis management frontline of rtx. guardians represent rtx, rooster teeth, and the rt community. the rt community is pretty incredible and we aim to bring the best (and those aspiring to be the best) community representatives into our guardian ranks. what makes a guardian? we look for guardians who are positive, patient, and cooperative, and possess strong customer service skills and a genuine desire to make the rtx experience awesome for everyone. successful guardians must be comfortable in crowds and crowded spaces. they must be able to deal with emergencies with a cool head. they must be willing to work with their team. we have a variety of jobs that range from super exciting to oddly mundane, but all jobs/tasks are important and necessary. guardians must be 18+.

praɪd ɪn ˈləndən həz əˈnaʊnst ɪts ˈlaɪˌnəp əv ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt fər ðə meɪn deɪ əv ðə ˈfɛstɪvəl ɔn ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ 29 ʤun. klɛr ˈhɑrvi ənd ˈfɔrmər ˈbaɪkər groʊv ənd ˈdɔktər hu ˈæktər ˈændru wɪl bi ðə ɪˈvɛnt əˈlɔŋ wɪθ dræg ækt ˈdəsti oʊ. ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ˈɑrtɪsts wɪl bi ˈgreɪsɪŋ ðə meɪn steɪʤ ɪn trəˈfælgər skwɛr. ðə ˈləndən geɪ bɪg bænd ðə pɪŋk ˈsɪŋərz ðə bɪg sɪŋ wɪθ ˈleɪtən ˈwɪljəmz (ˈbɪli ˈɛliət, ðə ˈbjutəfəl ˈpipəl) ˈfɑðər ənd sən gɑt ˈtælənt) reɪ ˈaɪzɪk (ˈsɪŋər ənd dj*) (ˈləndən ˈræpər) raɪən ˈʤægər (singer-songwriter*) klæs ə (nu boyband*) (ˈsɪŋər) ˈwiˌkɪnd (pɑp ækt) ˈkæθərɪn ˈɛlɪs ˈænʤi braʊn prɪns pərˈsoʊnə (dj*) ˈmaɪkəl ˈsɔltər, ʧɛr əv ˈləndən lgbt*+ kəmˈjunɪti praɪd sɛd: ɪz ə ˌsɛləˈbreɪʃən əv ɑr əˈʧivmənts, ə ʧæns tɪ kæmˈpeɪn ənd ə greɪt ˈmoʊmənt fər ˌsɑləˈdɛrəti əˈkrɔs ðə kəmˈjunɪti. ˈgɪvɪn ðə θim ɪz (ənd marriage)’*)’, ɪf ˈɛvriˌwən pɑrˈtɪsəˌpeɪtɪŋ ɪn ðə pəreɪd ɪz ðə ˈwɛdɪŋ keɪk ðɛn ðə ˌɛnərˈteɪnərz wi ər əˈnaʊnsɪŋ təˈdeɪ ər ðə ˈaɪsɪŋ ɔn ðət keɪk; ˈwɛðər ðeɪ ər məʧ ləvd ər ˈtælənt ðeɪ wɪl tɔp ɑr ˌsɛləˈbreɪʃən. wɪθ lɛs ðən θri wiks tɪ goʊ, aɪ hoʊp ˈɛvriˌwən ɪz ˈplænɪŋ ðɛr praɪd ənd ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðə moʊst əv ðə juʤ reɪnʤ əv ɪˈvɛnts ðət ər əˈveɪləbəl θru ðə praɪd ɑrts programme.”*.” hi ˈædɪd: ju bʊkt jʊr ˈtɪkɪts nɑt tu leɪt, si klɛr ˈbɔldɪŋ hoʊst ən ˈɔdiəns wɪθ mɑrˈtinə nævˌrætɪˈloʊvə æt ɑr ˈoʊpənɪŋ ɪˈvɛnt ɔn ðə 23 ʤun, hæv ˈdɪnər əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd ˈbɔrɪs ˈʤɑnsən ɔn ðə 25 ʤun, ʤɔɪn ˈjuˈɛs æt ə ˈspɛʃəl bʊk əv ˈmɔrmən pərˈfɔrməns ɔn ðə 27 ʤun, ər soʊk əp ðə ˈætməsˌfɪr æt ˈsəmər raɪts praɪd ɪn ðə pɑrk ˈæftər ðə pəreɪd ɔn ðə 29 ʤun. ˈɛvəri ˈtɪkɪt soʊld fər ðoʊz ɪˈvɛnts goʊz tɪ hɛlp səˈpɔrt praɪd ɪn london.”*.”

pride in london has announced its line-up of entertainment for the main day of the festival on saturday 29 june. paralympian claire harvey and former byker grove and doctor who actor andrew hayden-smith will be co-hosting the event along with drag act dusty o. the following artists will be gracing the main stage in trafalgar square. the london gay big band the pink singers the big sing with layton williams – (billy elliot, the beautiful people) feryl father and son – (britain’s got talent) ray isaac – (singer and dj) env – (london rapper) ryan jagger – (singer-songwriter) class a – (new boyband) a*m*e* – (singer) projekt weekend – (pop act) katherine ellis angie brown prince persona – (dj) rowetta michael salter, chair of london lgbt+ community pride said: “pride is a celebration of our achievements, a chance to campaign and a great moment for solidarity across the community. given the theme is ‘love (and marriage)’, if everyone participating in the parade is the wedding cake then the entertainers we are announcing today are the icing on that cake; whether they are much loved favourites or up-and-coming talent they will top our celebration. with less than three weeks to go, i hope everyone is planning their pride and making the most of the huge range of events that are available through the pride arts programme.” he added: “if you haven’t booked your tickets it’s not too late, see clare balding host an audience with martina navratilova at our opening event on the 23 june, have dinner alongside boris johnson on the 25 june, join us at a special book of mormon performance on the 27 june, or soak up the atmosphere at summer rites pride in the park after the parade on the 29 june. every ticket sold for those events goes to help support pride in london.”

ˈæftər ən ˈɑrgjəmənt ɔn ə ˈvælənˌtaɪnz deɪ deɪt, ə ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ mæn traɪd tɪ kɪs ənd meɪk əp wɪθ hɪz ˈgərlˌfrɛnd. bət ðə ˈgərlˌfrɛnd bɪt ɔf ə ʧəŋk əv hɪz təŋ, ˈprɑsɪˌkjutərz sɛd. ɔn ˈsənˌdi ˈmɔrnɪŋ, ʤəʤ ˈɪzriəl ˈɔrdərd ˌiˈleɪn kʊk, 51 hɛld ɪn lu əv ɪn bɑnd kɔrt. kʊk, əv ˈskoʊki, ʃʊk hər hɛd rɪˈpitɪdli ɛz ˈprɑsɪˌkjutərz dɪˈteɪld ðə ˈɑrgjəmənt. kʊk ənd hər ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd, hu hæd bɪn ˈdeɪtɪŋ fər 10 mənθs, wɛnt aʊt fər ˈvælənˌtaɪnz deɪ læst wik, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈprɑsɪˌkjutərz ənd kɔrt ˈrɛkərdz. ˈʃɔrtli ˈæftər rɪˈtərnɪŋ tɪ kʊks nɔrθ səˈbərbən əˈpɑrtmənt, ðə tu ˈstɑrtɪd ˈɑrgjuɪŋ ənd ʃi æst hər ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd tɪ liv, əˈsɪstənt steɪts əˈtərni iv ˈraɪli sɛd. ðə mæn, 47 pʊt ɔn hɪz ʃuz ənd ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ hɛd aʊt ðə dɔr wɪn hi traɪd tɪ meɪk əˈmɛndz, ˈraɪli ˈædɪd. "hi toʊld hər ðeɪ ʃʊd stɑp ˈfaɪtɪŋ ənd wɛnt tɪ kɪs hər," ˈraɪli sɛd, "ənd ʃi bɪt ɔf ə lɑrʤ ˈpɔrʃən əv hɪz təŋ." ðə mæn ræn tɪ ðə ˈkɪʧən sɪŋk. kʊk ˈfɑloʊd, pleɪst ðə dɪˈtæʧt təŋ ɪn hər hænd ənd θru ɪt ɔn ðə ˈkaʊntər. hi pʊt ðə ˈsɛvərd təŋ ɪn ə bæg əv aɪs ənd kɔld 911 ˈprɑsɪˌkjutərz sɛd. ˌpɛrəˈmɛdɪks tʊk ðə ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd baɪ ˈæmbjələns tɪ ˈnɪrˈbaɪ ˈɛvənstən ˈhɑˌspɪtəl, bət ˈdɑktərz kʊd nɑt ˈriəˈtæʧ ðə təŋ du tɪ "ˌɪˈnædəkˌweɪt bləd səˈplaɪ," ˈraɪli sɛd. wɪn riʧt baɪ foʊn, ðə mæn sɛd hi həz bɪn ˈvɪzɪtɪŋ ðə ˈdɔktər ˈɛvəri deɪ, həz ˈsɛvərəl ˈsuʧərz ɪn hɪz maʊθ ənd həz ˈtrəbəl sˈlipɪŋ æt naɪt. moʊst əv ðə raɪt saɪd əv hɪz təŋ ɪz ˈmɪsɪŋ, hi ˈædɪd. "ɪt meɪks mi sɪk tɪ maɪ ˈstəmək ðət ʃiz ˈsɪtɪŋ ɪn ʤeɪl raɪt naʊ, bət ɪts ʤɪst aʊt əv maɪ hænz," sɛd ðə mæn, hu æst nɑt tɪ bi aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪd. "aɪ hæv tɪ ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈbɛtər naʊ." kʊk ɪz ʧɑrʤd wɪθ ˈfɛləni ˈægrəˌveɪtɪd dəˈmɛstɪk ˈbætəri.

after an argument on a valentine's day date, a chicago man tried to kiss and make up with his girlfriend. but the girlfriend bit off a chunk of his tongue, prosecutors said. on sunday morning, judge israel desierto ordered elaine cook, 51, held in lieu of $100,000 in bond court. cook, of skokie, shook her head repeatedly as prosecutors detailed the argument. cook and her boyfriend, who had been dating for 10 months, went out for valentine's day last week, according to prosecutors and court records. shortly after returning to cook's north suburban apartment, the twoarted arguing and she asked her boyfriend to leave, assistantate's attorney eve reilly said. the man, 47, put on his shoes andarted to head out the door when he tried to make amends, reilly added. "he told her they shouldop fighting and went to kiss her," reilly said, "and she bit off a large portion of his tongue." the man ran to the kitchen sink. cook followed, placed the detached tongue in her hand and threw it on the counter. he put the severed tongue in a bag of ice and called 911, prosecutors said. paramedics took the boyfriend by ambulance to nearby evanston hospital, but doctors could not reattach the tongue due to "inadequate blood supply," reilly said. when reached by phone, the man said he has been visiting the doctor every day, has several sutures in his mouth and has trouble sleeping at night. most of the right side of his tongue is missing, he added. "it makes me sick to myomach that she's sitting in jail right now, but it's just out of my hands," said the man, who asked not to be identified. "i have to focus on getting better now." cook is charged with felony aggravated domestic battery. jmdelgado@tribune.com

frəm ˈkətɪˌŋɛʤ kənˈtɛmpərˌɛri ɑrt ɪn maɪˈæmi tɪ ˈɔsəm ˈkɛnjən rɪˈzɔrts, ðɪs ˈhɑtəst ˌdɛstəˈneɪʃənz ɪkˈsid ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃənz. goʊ bɪɔnd ðə ɪn mˈjunɪk, ʧɛk aʊt ðə ˈəðər ˈpɔrtlənd, ɪˈskeɪp ˈhərəˌkeɪnz ˈsizən ɪn ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ ˈsɪti, ənd dɪˈskəvər ə ˈkjulɪˌnɛri ˈhɑtˌspɑt ɪn ðə hɑrt əv ðə əˈmɛrɪkən ˌmɪdˈwɛst. hir ər ðə 14 ˈpleɪsɪz tɪ kip ɔn jʊr ˈreɪˌdɑr ðɪs fɔl, frəm ˈkloʊsəst tɪ ˈfərθəst əˈfild. maɪˈæmi, ˈflɔrɪdə waɪ goʊ naʊ: ʤɪst ɪn taɪm fər ɑrt ˈbɑzəl maɪˈæmi biʧ (dɪˈsɛmbər ðə nu 250 ˈmɪljən, ˈpɛrɛz ɑrt mˈjuziəm wɪl ˈoʊpən wɪθ ən ˌɛksəˈbɪʃən baɪ rɪˈnaʊnd eɪaɪ weiwei*. ðə bɪˈskeɪn beɪ ˈbihəməθ wɪl bi hoʊm tɪ ə ˈdaɪnɪŋ ˈaʊtˌpoʊst frəm ˌrɛstərəˈtər ˈstivən stɑr (mɔriˈmoʊtoʊ, buddakan*, ˌɛtˈsɛtərə.) ənd dɪˈrɛkt kəˈnɛkʃən tɪ ðə nu maɪˈæmi saɪəns mˈjuziəm. wɛr tɪ steɪ: ðə ənd ðə ˈstændərd ər ɑrt wərld ˈsteɪpəlz, bət lʊk aʊt fər ə fju nu ərˈaɪvəlz laɪk ðə əˈlɔft miami-brickell*, wɪʧ ˈoʊpənd ɪn ˈɔgəst. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: wɔnt ə ˈstaɪlɪʃ pleɪs tɪ stoʊ jʊr raɪd? hɑˈdid ɪz dɪˈzaɪnɪŋ ə 13 ˈmɪljən ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈstrəkʧər æt ˈkɑlɪnz pɑrk ɪn maɪˈæmi biʧ, ˈskɛʤʊld tɪ ˈdeɪbju ʤɪst ɪn taɪm fər ðə fɛr. ˈpɔrtlənd, ˈɔrəˌgɑn waɪ goʊ naʊ: ə fɔl trɪp tɪ ˈpɔrtlənd wɪl fid jʊr ˈbɑdi ənd jʊr maɪnd. ˈæftər ˈkjulɪˌnɛri ˈluməˌnɛriz laɪk ʃɛf ˈeɪprəl ˈblumˌfild ənd krɪs ˌkoʊsɛnˈtinoʊ dɪˈsɛnd ɔn ðə ˈsɪti fər ˈænjuəl fud fɛst fist (sɛpˈtɛmbər ðə ɛlm saɪəns mˈjuziəm ənˈveɪlz ðə wərld prɛˈmɪr əv ðə ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˌɛksəˈbɪʃən əv ˈʃərˌlɑk hoʊmz (ɑkˈtoʊbər 10 5 2014 wɛr tɪ steɪ: ðə ʃik ˈkɪmptən hoʊˈtɛl ˈmɑnəˌkoʊ həz 221 ˈrisəntli ˈrɛnəˌveɪtɪd ɪn ðə hɑrt əv ðə ˈsɪti. ər ɪmˈbreɪs jʊr ˈɪnər ˈhɪpstər æt ðə eɪs hoʊˈtɛl, wɪʧ həz fri baɪk ˈrɛntəlz ənd ˈkɔfi ɪn ðə ˈlɑbi. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: sɔlt strɔ, ə ˈloʊkəl ˈfeɪvərɪt aɪs krim ʃɑp, həz ən ənˈjuˌʒuəl ˈpɑrtnərˌʃɪp wɪθ fist. ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈfɛstɪvəl, ɪt wɪl sərv ˈspɛʃəlti skups kriˈeɪtɪd baɪ faɪv ˈloʊkəl ənd ˈnæʃənəl ʃɛfs. θɪŋk ˈmaɪkəl ˈloʊdɪd beɪkt pəˈteɪˌtoʊ wɪθ ˈbeɪkən ənd ˈʧɔklət krəmz, ənd taɪ ˈʧɪli ˈbrɪtəl baɪ ðə nines’*’ ʃɛf grɛg gourdet*. ˈpɔrtlənd, meɪn waɪ goʊ naʊ: ðə ˈəðər ˈpɔrtlənd ɪz ɔn ɑr ˈreɪˌdɑr, tu, wɪθ əˈfɔrdəbəl fɔl ˈfoʊlɪʤ aʊt ðə ˈrɛgjələrli ˈəpˌdeɪtɪd meɪn ˈfɔrˌkæst fər ðə ˈlifi ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbəl ˈrɛˌstrɑnt, ˈkɔfi, ənd ˈmaɪˌkroʊˌbruəri sinz. ˈsɛləˌbreɪt ɔl əv ðə əˈbəv æt ˈhɑrvəst ɔn ðə ˈhɑrbər (ɑkˈtoʊbər ə ˈkjulɪˌnɛri ˈfɛstɪvəl hɛld ɔn ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn ˈglɪtərɪŋ ˈwɔtərˌfrənt. wɛr tɪ steɪ: ðə ˈsɪti ɪz ɪn hoʊˈtɛl bum moʊd, wɪθ 500 nu rumz ˈskɛʤʊld tɪ ˈoʊpən ɪn ðə nɛkst tu jɪrz. ɪn ðə ˈminˌtaɪm, ʧɛk aʊt ðə ˌpɑməˈgrænət dɪgz ɪn oʊld pɔrt, ər ɪˈskeɪp ðə ˈsɪti æt ðə ˈoʊʃənˌfrənt beɪ ɪn, lɛs ðən ən aʊər frəm ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn ˈpɔrtlənd. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: mid ɪz ðə wərd æt meɪn mid wərks, wɛr ðə ˈeɪnʧənt nɔrs gɪts ən ˈəpˌdeɪt wɪθ ˈloʊkəli ˈhɑrvəstɪd ˈhəni ənd ˈkətɪˌŋɛʤ tɛkˈnik (kənˈtɪnjuəs ˌfərmənˈteɪʃən, ˈɛniˌwən?). ðə ˈbruəri ˈɔfərz fri ˈteɪstɪŋz ənd tʊrz frəm 11 æm 6 piɛm, ˈmənˌdeɪ θru ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ. ˈbərmɪŋˌhæm, ˌæləˈbæmə waɪ goʊ naʊ: ˈvɪzɪt ðə ˈsɪti ɛz ɪt ˈɑnərz ðə ˌænəˈvərsəri əv ˈsɪvəl raɪts ˈmaɪlˌstoʊnz laɪk ˈmɑrtɪn ˈluθər kɪŋ, ˈlɛʤənˌdɛri ˈlɛtər frəm ə ˈbərmɪŋˌhæm ʤeɪl. ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər 7th*), ə kənˈkərənt ʤæz ˈfɛstɪvəl ənd ˈsɪvəl raɪts fɪlm ˈfɛstɪvəl wɪl brɪŋ ˈɑrtɪsts frəm əˈkrɔs ðə steɪt ənd ˈkəntri tɪ ˈbərmɪŋˌhæm. ˈleɪtər ðət mənθ, fəˈtɑgrəfər beɪ wɪl ˈdeɪbju ən ˌɛksəˈbɪʃən ˈdɛdəkeɪtəd tɪ strit ˈbæptɪst ʧərʧ ˈbɑmɪŋ æt ðə ˈbərmɪŋˌhæm mˈjuziəm əv ɑrt (sɛpˈtɛmbər 8 dɪˈsɛmbər 2 wɛr tɪ steɪ: ˈərliər ðɪs jɪr, ðə ˈmæʤɪk ˈsɪti ənˈveɪld ɪts fərst ˈwɛstɪn, wɪʧ həz 294 slik ənd ə tɑd ˈɪŋlɪʃ ˈrɛˌstrɑnt. ɪt ˈæŋkərz ə 70 ˈmɪljən dɪˈvɛləpmənt ˈprɑʤɛkt gɪrd æt ˈbrɪŋɪŋ ˈriˌteɪl ənd ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt ˈaʊˌtlɛts tɪ ə spɔrts ˈkɑmplɛks ɪn ðə ˈəpˈtaʊn ˈdɪstrɪkt. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: rɪˈflɛkt ɔn ðə ˈlɛgəsi æt ˈrəfnər ˈmaʊntən ˈneɪʧər prɪˈzərv. wɪθ mɔr ðən ˈeɪkərz əv ˈgrinəri, ɪt ɪz wən əv ðə ˈlɑrʤəst ˈərbən pɑrks ɪn ðə ˈkəntri. ðə ˈsəmɪt əv ðə rɛd ˈmaʊntən ˈoʊvərˌpæs həz brɔd vjuz əv ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn ˈbərmɪŋˌhæm. ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ, ˌɪləˈnɔɪz waɪ goʊ naʊ: ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ kənˈtɪnjuz ɪts raɪz ɛz ə ˈkjulɪˌnɛri ˈkæpɪtəl wɪθ ðə ərˈaɪvəl əv tanta*, ðə fərst ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ ˈrɛˌstrɑnt frəm pərˈuviən ˈgæstən acurio*. ɪn ðə ˈkəmɪŋ mənθs, ðə ˈsɪti wɪl ˈwɛlkəm ðə ˈdɔsən, ə wɛst lup ˈrɛˌstrɑnt baɪ ˈfɔrmər nɛkst rəˈneɪ ˈdɛliən, ənd tu nu jɔrk ˌɪmˈpɔrts: ðə fərst mɪdˈwɛstərn brænʧ əv ˈdæni ʃeɪk ʃæk, ənd ˈmɑrioʊ ənd ʤoʊ eataly*, ə ˌɪˈtæljən ˌɛmˈpɔriəm ɪz ˈskɛʤʊld tɪ ˈoʊpən ɪn ˈrɪvər nɔrθ ɪn noʊˈvɛmbər. wɛr tɪ steɪ: ðɪs ˈsəmər, tu ˈmeɪʤər ˈgloʊbəl brændz ˈdeɪbjutɪd ɪn ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ: əˈlɔft ənd ˈlæŋəm. ɪn ɑkˈtoʊbər, ðə ˈtɑmsən ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ wɪl ʤɔɪn ðə ˈpɑrti, ˈbrɪŋɪŋ ə ˈrɛˌstrɑnt baɪ wən ɔf ˌhɑspəˈtæləti, ðə grup bɪˈhaɪnd ˈwɪndi ˈsɪti ˈblækbərd, avec*, ənd ðə publican*. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: ˈloʊkəlz kju fər mɔr ðən ən aʊər ɔn ˈwiˌkɪnd ˈmɔrnɪŋz æt ðə ˈdoʊˌnət vɔlt, ə kənˈfɛkʃəˌnɛri wɪθ ən ˌənəˈsumɪŋ ˈwɪndoʊ ənd ə kəlt ˈfɑloʊɪŋ. hɛd ðɛr əraʊnd 9 æm ɔn ə ˈwikˌdeɪ, ənd hæv jʊr pɪk əv ðə ðə weɪt. ˌməntriˈɔl, ˈkænədə waɪ goʊ naʊ: ˈnɛvər wən tɪ rɛst ɔn ɪts ˈlɔrəlz, wən əv nɔrθ moʊst ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ ˈdaɪnɪŋ ˌdɛstəˈneɪʃənz ɪz ˌriɪnˈvɛntɪŋ ɪts ˈlænˌskeɪp wəns əˈgɛn. θɪŋk ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə ˈbɛntoʊ bɑks æt ðə ˈleɪtəst krɑp əv nu ˌʤæpəˈniz gastropubs*, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ənd bɪg ɪn ʤəˈpæn, wɪʧ sərvz ˈkəmfərt fudz laɪk ˈtunə wɪθ skɑʧ ənd seɪk baɪ ðə glæs. ər ʧɛk aʊt foodlab*, ən ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəl ˈfɔreɪ ˈɪntu ɑrt. ðɪs ˈsoʊˈkɔld culinaire”*” həz ə ˈroʊˌteɪtɪŋ ˈmɛnju ˌɪnˈspaɪərd baɪ ˈdɪfərənt ˈgloʊbəl ˌdɛstəˈneɪʃənz ər ˈtrɛndɪŋ ˌɪnˈgridiənts. wɛr tɪ steɪ: ɪn 2012 ˌaɪˈkɑnɪk ˈsɛləˌbreɪtɪd ɪts ˌænəˈvərsəri baɪ ənˈveɪlɪŋ ə ˌfɔˈrjɪr, 200 ˈmɪljən ˌrɛnəˈveɪʃən. ðə hoʊˈtɛl naʊ həz ə ˌsɔltˈwɑtər ˈrufˌtɑp pul ənd ˈkləbi ˈdænjəl ˈrɛˌstrɑnt, ˈmeɪzən. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: bərn ɔf ˌɪnˈdəlʤənsɪz æt ˈlɔrəns ˈrɪvər. ɪt ɪz ə bun fər ˈsərfɪŋ, ə fəˈnɑməˌnɑn ˈoʊpən tɪ ɔl skɪl ˈlɛvəlz. bɪˈgɪnərz kən teɪk ə kɔrs æt ksf*; mɔr ɪkˈspɪriəns ˈraɪdərz kən rɛnt bɔrdz æt sərf kləb sərf ˌməntriˈɔl. ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ ˈsɪti, ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ waɪ goʊ naʊ: fɔl meɪ bi ˈhərəˌkeɪnz ˈsizən ɔn ˈistərn ʃɔrz, bət hɪp ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ ˈsɪti həz ˈbɑmi ˈtɛmpərəʧərz ənd ən ˈimərʤɪŋ ˈkjulɪˌnɛri sin. kɔl ˈərli tɪ rɪˈzərv ə ˈteɪbəl æt ɛnˈrikeɪ ˈpjuʤəl ˈrɛˌstrɑnt, wɪʧ həz bɪn kɔld ðə əv ðə əˈmɛrɪkəz, ər daɪn æt wən əv ðə ˈmɛni rɪˈnaʊnd taquerias*. ˈtɑkoʊz sɛlz ˈkɪlər steɪk ˈtɑkoʊz aʊt əv ən oʊld ˈnisɑn ɪn ðə hət poʊˈlɑnkoʊ ˈneɪbərˌhʊd. provecho*! wɛr tɪ steɪ: dɪˈzaɪn hotels’*’ nu, ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn həz ˌɪnˈdəstriəl ʃik ˌɪnˈtɪriərz ɪn ə ˈrɛnəˌveɪtɪd ˈsɛnʧəri ˈpæləs. læst ˈsəmər, ˈmɛriət ˈoʊpənd ɪts ˈsɛkənd spɑt ɪn ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ ˈsɪti, ðɪs taɪm ɪn ðə ˈtoʊni ˈsænə feɪ ˈdɪstrɪkt. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: ˈɛrˌfɛr tɪ ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ ˈsɪti ɪz kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv aʊt əv həbz laɪk maɪˈæmi ənd nu jɔrk ˌʤeɪˌɛfˈkeɪ ˈɛrˌpɔrt, soʊ ʃɑp əraʊnd. ˌloʊˈkɔst ˈkɛriər lɔnʧt dɪˈrɛkt ˈsərvɪs frəm ˌʤeɪˌɛfˈkeɪ ɪn ˈɔgəst 2013 ˈgɪvɪŋ ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ ˈkɛriərz ˈdɛltə ənd ˌɛroʊˈmɛksɪˌkoʊ ə rən fər ðɛr ˈpeɪsoʊz. mˈjunɪk, ˈʤərməni waɪ goʊ naʊ: reɪz ə glæs æt oktoberfest*, ˈɛpɪk ˌsɛləˈbreɪʃən əv bɪr ənd (sɛpˈtɛmbər 26 ɑkˈtoʊbər 6 ðɛn si ðə saɪd əv ðə ˈsɪti æt nu ənd ˌɪmˈpruvd ˈkəlʧərəl ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənz laɪk ðə ɑrt mˈjuziəm. ˈnɔrmən ˈfɑstər, əv feɪm, ənˈveɪld hɪz ˌfɔˈrjɪr ˌrɛnəˈveɪʃən tɪ ðə mˈjuziəm ɪn meɪ. ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər, ðə dər moʊˈdɛrn mˈjuziəm wɪl riˈoʊpən ˈæftər ə ˌrɛnəˈveɪʃən. ɪts kəˈlɛkʃən həz ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ frəm ˈændi ˈwɔrhɔl ˈskɛʧɪz tɪ kənˈtɛmpərˌɛri mərˈɑkən ˈtɛkˌstaɪlz. wɛr tɪ steɪ: læst jɪr, ðə buˈtik mɑrk hoʊˈtɛl ˈoʊpənd wɪθ 80 dən əp ɪn slik, kənˈtɛmpərˌɛri staɪl. dɪˈzaɪn hotels’*’ luɪs hoʊˈtɛl həz ˈmɑdərn ˌɪnˈtɪriərz ənd ə praɪm loʊˈkeɪʃən əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd ðə ˈkjulɪˌnɛri ˈmɑrkɪt. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: ɔl əv ðə lenbachhaus’*’ ˈgæləriz wər riˈfrɛʃt ðɪs spərɪŋ, bət ˈfɑstər ˈɔlsoʊ kriˈeɪtɪd ə nu wɪŋ fər ðə mˈjuziəm. mɪs ðə blu ˈraɪdər kəˈlɛkʃən əv ˈərli ˈsɛnʧəri ɪkˈsprɛʃənəst ˈpeɪnɪŋz, wɪʧ ˈɑkjəˌpaɪ ðə nu speɪs. ˈpɛrɪs, fræns waɪ goʊ naʊ: ˈləgʒəri ˈpaʊərˌhaʊs wɪl sun ənˈveɪl ə ˈmɪljən ˈsɛnər fər kənˈtɛmpərˌɛri ɑrt. dɪˈzaɪnd baɪ fræŋk ˈgɛri, ðə skwɛr fʊt dɪˈvɛləpmənt wɪl dɪˈspleɪ wərk baɪ ðə laɪks əv kəˈpur, ʤɛf kunz, ənd ˈdeɪmiən hərst. bæk ɪn ðə ˌmɛˈreɪ, ðə ˈnæʃənəl pɪˈkɑsoʊ mˈjuziəm ɪz ˈskɛʤʊld tɪ riˈoʊpən ɪn dɪˈsɛmbər 2013 kloʊzd sɪns 2009 ðə ˌridɪˈzaɪnd mˈjuziəm wɪl hæv θri taɪmz ðə ˌɛksəˈbɪʃən speɪs fər ɪts kəˈlɛkʃən əv ˈpeɪnɪŋz, sərˈæmɪks, ənd fəˈtɑgrəfi. wɛr tɪ steɪ: ðə ɑrt wərld ɪˈlit flɑk tɪ lə rɔɪəl ˈpɛrɪs, ə ˈpæləs hoʊˈtɛl wɪθ ˌɪnˈtɪriərz baɪ fɪˈlipeɪ stɑrk ənd tu ˈrɛˌstrɑnts. fər ə lɛs ˈstɔrid bət ˈikwəli ˈstaɪlɪʃ steɪ, kənˈsɪdər hoʊˈtɛl də petit-moulin*, ˈfæʃən dɪˈzaɪnər ˈkrɪsʧɪn lacroix’*’ ˈwɪmzɪkəl spɑt ɪn ðə ˌmɛˈreɪ. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: ɔl əv paris’*’ ˈpəblɪk mˈjuziəmz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə pɪˈkɑsoʊ mˈjuziəm, ər fri tɪ ðə ˈpəblɪk ɔn ðə fərst ˈsənˌdi əv ˈɛvəri mənθ. ˌboʊgəˈtɑ, kəˈləmbiə waɪ goʊ naʊ: kɔld ðə ˈæθənz əv saʊθ əˈmɛrɪkə fər ɪts ˈlɪtərˌɛri ənd ˌækəˈdɛmɪk ˈhɪstəriz, ˈbreɪni ˈkæpɪtəl tərnz 475 ðɪs jɪr. toʊst ðə ˌænəˈvərsəri ənd ðə ˌdɛzɪgˈneɪʃən ɛz ə juˈnɛˌskoʊ ˈsɪti əv mˈjuzɪk ɪn 2013 æt ðə ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ʤæz ˈfɛstɪvəl (sɛpˈtɛmbər 15 ðɪs ˈaʊtˌdɔr ˈfɛstɪvəl brɪŋz mjuˈzɪʃənz frəm əˈkrɔs ˈlætən əˈmɛrɪkə tɪ ˌboʊgəˈtɑ, ənd moʊst ɪˈvɛnts ər fri. wɛr tɪ steɪ: slip ɪz b.o.g*., ə dɪˈzaɪn hoʊˈtɛl nɪr ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈdɪstrɪkt. ˌɪnˈtɪriərz pleɪ ɔn ˈhɛrɪtɪʤ, ənd ðə ˈrufˌtɑp pul sərvz ˈkɑkˌteɪlz ənd smɔl pleɪts baɪ ˈloʊkəl ɛspɪˈnoʊzə. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: ən ˈimərʤɪŋ ˈrɛˌstrɑnt sin həz brɔt skɔrz əv tɪ taʊn. frəm ðə ˈɛpɪk kɪʧ əv ˌdɛstɪˈneɪʃən ˈsteɪˌkhaʊs ˈɑndreɪz kɑrn də reɪz, ˈloʊˌkeɪtəd ˈfɔrti ˈmɪnəts frəm ðə ˈsɪti ˈsɛnər, tɪ ˈərbən ˈfeɪvərɪts ənd ˈmɑsɑ, ðə ˈsɪti həz ˈfleɪvər tɪ spɛr. ˌɪstɑnˈbul, ˈtərki waɪ goʊ naʊ: ˈkətɪˌŋɛʤ kənˈtɛmpərˌɛri ˈɑrtɪsts ənd ðə kəˈlɛktərz ðət ləv ðɛm dɪˈsɛnd ɔn ˌɪstɑnˈbul fər ðə ˈfeɪməs baɪˈɛniəl (sɛpˈtɛmbər 14 noʊˈvɛmbər 10 ðɛn, ˈætəˌtərk ˈkəlʧərəl ˈsɛnər, ən ˌɪstɑnˈbul ˈlændˌmɑrk ənd ðə hoʊm əv ɪts ˈnæʃənəl bæˈleɪ ənd ˈɑprə ˈkəmpəˌniz, wɪl ənˈveɪl ə 15 ˈmɪljən ˌrɛnəˈveɪʃən ɪn ədˈvæns əv ˈtərkɪʃ riˈpəblɪk deɪ (ɑkˈtoʊbər 29 wɛr tɪ steɪ: ðɪs ˈsəmər, ðə ənd ˈrædəsən ˌɪstɑnˈbul pərə ˈoʊpənd ðɛr dɔrz. əˈnəðər ˈləgʒəri hoʊˈtɛl, ˈræfəlz ˌɪstɑnˈbul, ɪz sɛt tɪ ˈoʊpən baɪ ðə ɛnd əv jɪr ɪn ðə ˈsɛnər, ə dɪˈvɛləpmənt ɪn ðə ˈdɪstrɪkt. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: strits ər ˈkraʊdɪd ənd ˈtæksiz ɪkˈspɛnsɪv, soʊ juz ðə ˈstɛlər ˈpəblɪk ˈtrænspɔrt. ˈnuzˌstændz sɛl ˈpæsɪz, ər istanbulkart*, wɪʧ lʊk laɪk ˈkrɛdɪt kɑrdz ənd stɔr ˈflɛksəbəl fəndz fər ˈækˌsɛs tɪ treɪnz, ˈbəsɪz, ənd boʊts. mɑrˈsaɪl, fræns waɪ goʊ naʊ: ðə ˌmɛdətərˈeɪniən pɔrt ˈsɪti ɪz ˈriˈbɔrn, wɪθ 860 ˈmɪljən wərθ əv ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər ˌɪmˈpruvmənts, ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈkæpɪtəl əv ˈkəlʧər nɑd, ənd ə nu mˈjuziəm ɪn ɪts oʊld pɔrt. ðə ˌmɛdətərˈeɪniən ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃənz mˈjuziəm (mucem*) ˈoʊpənd ɪn ʤun 2013 ənd ɪz fərst ˈnæʃənəl mˈjuziəm ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ˈpɛrɪs. dɪˈzaɪnd baɪ əˈvɑnˈgɑrd ˈɑrkəˌtɛkt ˈrudi ricciotti*, ðə mˈjuziəm həz ə ˈrufˌtɑp ˈwɔkˌweɪ ˈlɪŋkɪŋ ɪt tɪ ðə ˈnuli riˈoʊpənd, ˈsɛnʧəri fɔrt saint-jean*. wɛr tɪ steɪ: fɪˈlipeɪ ˈmɑmə ˈʃɛltər mɑrˈsaɪl lɔnʧt ə ˈspɛʃəl ˈɔfər ɪn kənˈʤəŋkʃən wɪθ ˈoʊpənɪŋ: bʊk ə ˈdəbəl rum baɪ dɪˈsɛmbər 31 2013 ənd rɪˈsiv ˈbrɛkfəst ənd ə mˈjuziəm pæs fər ʤɪst 99 eur*. ər, splərʤ ɔn ə steɪ æt ðə nu ˌɪntərˌkɑntəˈnɛntəl hotel-dieu*, wɪʧ həz 192 rumz ənd swits dɪˈzaɪnd baɪ nuel*. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: ˈgɪtɪŋ tɪ mɑrˈsaɪl juzd tɪ ɛnˈteɪl æt list wən ˈtrænsfər. ðɪs ˈsəmər, ˌloʊˈkɔst frɛnʧ ˈɛˌrlaɪn ˈɛrˌweɪz lɔnʧt ðə fərst ˈɛvər dɪˈrɛkt rut bɪtˈwin ˌʤeɪˌɛfˈkeɪ ənd mɑrˈsaɪl. reɪts stɑrt æt 592 raʊnd trɪp. ˈkɛnjə waɪ goʊ naʊ: ðə ˌsɛləˈbreɪʃən əv ɪts ˌænəˈvərsəri əv ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns ˈkəlmɪˌneɪts ɔn ˈkɛnjən deɪ (dɪˈsɛmbər 12 noʊn ˈloʊkəli deɪ. toʊst ðə ˈneɪʃən æt ɪts nuəst ˌhaɪˈproʊfaɪl ˈoʊpənɪŋ, ˈvərʤɪn ˈvɪʒəˌnɛri ˈrɪʧərd mzuri*, ə ˈləgʒəri rɪˈzɔrt ɪn ðə hɑrt əv ˈmɑlə ˈnæʃənəl rɪˈzərv. ðə lɑʤ ɪz ˈnoʊtəbəl fər ɪts ˈiθɑs, rɪˈmɑrkəbli fæst ˈwiˌfi, ənd səˈsteɪnəbəl ˈtʊˌrɪzəm ˈmɑdəl, kriˈeɪtɪd ɪn ˈpɑrtnərˌʃɪp wɪθ 250 ˈloʊkəl ˈlænˌdoʊnərz. wɛr tɪ steɪ: ɪn əˈdɪʃən tɪ boʊld ˈvɛnʧər ɪn bɪg geɪm ˈkəntri, ðɛr ər tu ˈnuli ˈoʊpənd hoʊˈtɛlz: ˈvɪlə ˈroʊzə ənd səˈfɑri lɑʤ ˈmɑrə, wɪʧ ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈloʊˌkeɪtəd ɪn ðə ˈmɑlə ˈnæʃənəl rɪˈzərv. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: fju ˈtrævəl ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz ər ɛz ˌfoʊtəˈʤɛnɪk ɛz ə ˈkɛnjən səˈfɑri, bət du nɑt ˈfoʊtəˌgræf ˈloʊkəl ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz wɪˈθaʊt ˈæskɪŋ pərˈmɪʃən fərst. ˈteɪkɪŋ ˈpɪkʧərz kən əˈfɛnd ˈsoʊʃəl ənd ˈtraɪbəl ˈkəstəmz əv kəmˈjunɪtiz laɪk ðə. hɔŋ kɔŋg waɪ goʊ naʊ: ˈklæsɪkəl ənd ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəl ɑrt mit ɪn hɔŋ kɔŋg, wɛr ə 642 ˈmɪljən ˈmɑdərn mˈjuziəm stərz ˈkɑntrəˌvərsi fɔr jɪrz ˌbiˈfɔr ˈoʊpənɪŋ. kɔld ɛm+, ðə mˈjuziəm meɪd weɪvz wɪθ ðɪs ˈaʊtˌdɔr ˌɪnstəˈleɪʃən baɪ pɔl məˈkɑrtni. ɛm+ ɪz ˈskɛʤʊld tɪ ˈoʊpən ɪn 2017 ɪn ðə ˈminˌtaɪm, ʧɛk aʊt ðə ˈimərʤɪŋ ˈgæləri sin ɪn æt laɪk ˈhæmər ˈgæləri ənd 2p*. wɛr tɪ steɪ: ə ˈrisənt hoʊˈtɛl bum ˌɪnˈkludz ðə buˈtik ˈmɪrə mun, ɛz wɛl ɛz ˌdɪˈskəvri beɪ. ðə ˌɪntərˌkɑntəˈnɛntəl hɔŋ kɔŋg, ə ˈləgʒəri ˈlændˌmɑrk ɪn vɪkˈtɔriə ˈhɑrbər, wɪl riˈoʊpən ɪts ˌkæntəˈniz ˈrɛˌstrɑnt jæn ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər. ˌɪnˈsaɪdər tɪp: əˈvɔɪd ˈtrævəlɪŋ ɔn ɑkˈtoʊbər 1 ˈnæʃənəl deɪ, wɪn ˈmɪljənz əv ˈtʊrɪsts frəm ðə ˈmeɪnˌlænd kəm tɪ hɔŋ kɔŋg ɔn ˈhɑlɪˌdeɪ.

from cutting-edge contemporary art in miami to epically awesome kenyan resorts, this season’s hottest destinations exceed expectations. go beyond the biergartens in munich, check out the other portland, escape hurricane season in mexico city, and discover a culinary hotspot in the heart of the american midwest. here are the 14 places to keep on your radar this fall, from closest to furthest afield. miami, florida why go now: just in time for art basel miami beach (december 5-8), the city’s new $250 million, 200,000-square-foot perez art museum will open with an exhibition by china’s renowned ai weiwei. the biscayne bay behemoth will be home to a dining outpost from restaurateur stephen starr (morimoto, buddakan, etc.) and direct connection to the new miami science museum. where to stay: the setai and the standard are art world staples, but look out for a few new arrivals like the aloft miami-brickell, which opened in august. insider tip: want a stylish place to stow your ride? zaha hadid is designing a $13 million parking structure at collins park in miami beach, scheduled to debut just in time for the fair. portland, oregon why go now: a fall trip to portland will feed your body and your mind. after culinary luminaries like michelin-starred chef april bloomfield and chris cosentino descend on the city for annual food fest feast (september 19-22), the elm city’s science museum unveils the world premier of the international exhibition of sherlock holmes (october 10, 2013-january 5, 2014). where to stay: the chic kimpton hotel monaco has 221 recently renovated guestrooms in the heart of the city. or embrace your inner hipster at the ace hotel, which has free bike rentals and stumptown coffee in the lobby. insider tip: salt & straw, a local favorite ice cream shop, has an unusual partnership with feast. during the festival, it will serve specialty scoops created by five local and national chefs. think michael voltaggio’s loaded baked potato with bacon and chocolate crumbs, and thai chili brittle by the nines’ chef greg gourdet. portland, maine why go now: the other portland is on our radar, too, with affordable fall foliage tours—check out the press-herald‘s regularly updated maine forecast for the leafy latest—plus incredible restaurant, coffee, and microbrewery scenes. celebrate all of the above at harvest on the harbour (october 23-26), a culinary festival held on downtown portland’s glittering waterfront. where to stay: the city is in hotel boom mode, with 500 new rooms scheduled to open in the next two years. in the meantime, check out the 8-room pomegranate inn‘s quirky-cool digs in old port, or escape the city at the oceanfront quahog bay inn, less than an hour from downtown portland. insider tip: mead is the word at maine mead works, where the ancient norse bevvie gets an artisanal update with locally harvested honey and cutting-edge technique (continuous fermentation, anyone?). the brewery offers free tastings and tours from 11 am – 6 pm, monday through saturday. birmingham, alabama why go now: visit the city as it honors the 50th anniversary of civil rights milestones like martin luther king, jr.’s legendary letter from a birmingham jail. in september (1st – 7th), a concurrent jazz festival and civil rights film festival will bring artists from across the state and country to birmingham. later that month, photographer dawoud bey will debut an exhibition dedicated to 1963’s 16th street baptist church bombing at the birmingham museum of art (september 8 – december 2). where to stay: earlier this year, the magic city unveiled its first westin, which has 294 sleek guestrooms and a todd english restaurant. it anchors a $70 million development project geared at bringing retail and entertainment outlets to a sports complex in the uptown district. insider tip: reflect on the city’s legacy at ruffner mountain nature preserve. with more than 1,000 acres of greenery, it is one of the largest urban parks in the country. the summit of the red mountain overpass has broad views of downtown birmingham. chicago, illinois why go now: chicago continues its rise as a culinary capital with the arrival of tanta, the first chicago restaurant from peruvian celeb-chef gaston acurio. in the coming months, the city will welcome the dawson, a west loop restaurant helmed by former next sous-chef rene deleon, and two new york imports: the first midwestern branch of danny meyer’s shake shack, and mario batali and joe bastianich’s eataly, a 60,000-square-foot italian emporium is scheduled to open in river north in november. where to stay: this summer, two major global brands debuted in chicago: aloft and langham. in october, the thompson chicago will join the party, bringing a restaurant by one off hospitality, the group behind windy city all-stars blackbird, avec, and the publican. insider tip: locals queue for more than an hour on weekend mornings at the doughnut vault, a confectionary with an unassuming to-go window and a cult following. head there around 9 am on a weekday, and you’ll have your pick of the vault—without the wait. montreal, canada why go now: never one to rest on its laurels, one of north america’s most exciting dining destinations is reinventing its landscape once again. think outside the bento box at the latest crop of new japanese gastropubs, including flyjin and big in japan, which serves comfort foods like tuna tataki with scotch and sake by the glass. or check out foodlab, an experimental foray into dining-meets-performance art. this so-called “labo culinaire” has a rotating menu inspired by different global destinations or trending ingredients. where to stay: in 2012, montreal’s iconic ritz-carlton celebrated its 100th anniversary by unveiling a four-year, $200 million renovation. the hotel now has a saltwater rooftop pool and clubby daniel boulud restaurant, maison boulud. insider tip: burn off meal-time indulgences at montreal’s st lawrence river. it is a boon for surfing, a strange-but-true phenomenon open to all skill levels. beginners can take a one-day course at ksf; more experience riders can rent boards at surf club surf montreal. mexico city, mexico why go now: fall may be hurricane season on mexico’s eastern shores, but hip mexico city has balmy temperatures and an emerging culinary scene. call early to reserve a table at enrique olvera’s pujol restaurant, which has been called the noma of the americas, or dine at one of the city’s many renowned taquerias. tacos marvichi sells killer steak tacos out of an old nissan in the haute polanco neighborhood. â¡buen provecho! where to stay: design hotels’ new, 17-room downtown has industrial chic interiors in a renovated 17th century palace. last summer, jw marriott opened its second spot in mexico city, this time in the tony santa fe district. insider tip: airfare to mexico city is competitive out of hubs like miami and new york city’s jfk airport, so shop around. low-cost carrier interjet launched direct service from jfk in august 2013, giving existing carriers delta and aeromexico a run for their pesos. munich, germany why go now: raise a malty glass at oktoberfest, bavaria’s epic celebration of beer and bratwursts (september 26 – october 6), then see the suds-free side of the city at new and improved cultural institutions like the lenbachhaus art museum. norman foster, of berlin’s reichstag fame, unveiled his four-year renovation to the museum in may. in september, the pinakothek der moderne museum will reopen after a six-month renovation. its collection has everything from andy warhol sketches to contemporary moroccan textiles. where to stay: last year, the boutique marc hotel opened with 80 well-priced guestrooms done up in sleek, contemporary style. design hotels’ louis hotel has modern interiors and a prime location alongside the victualienmarkt culinary market. insider tip: all of the lenbachhaus’ 1891-era galleries were refreshed this spring, but foster also created a new wing for the museum. don’t miss the museum’s blue rider collection of early 20th century expressionist paintings, which occupy the new space. paris, france why go now: luxury powerhouse lvmh will soon unveil a $127.5 million center for contemporary art. designed by frank gehry, the 65,000 square foot development will display work by the likes of anish kapoor, jeff koons, and damien hirst. back in the marais, the national picasso museum is scheduled to reopen in december 2013. closed since 2009, the redesigned museum will have three times the exhibition space for its 5,000-piece collection of paintings, ceramics, and photography. where to stay: the art world elite flock to le royal monceau-raffles paris, a 248-room palace hotel with interiors by philippe starck and two michelin-starred restaurants. for a less storied but equally stylish stay, consider hotel du petit-moulin, fashion designer christian lacroix’ whimsical spot in the marais. insider tip: all of paris’ public museums, including the picasso museum, are free to the public on the first sunday of every month. bogota, colombia why go now: called the athens of south america for its literary and academic histories, colombia’s brainy capital turns 475 this year. toast the anniversary and the city’s designation as a unesco city of music in 2013 at the international jazz festival (september 15). this outdoor festival brings musicians from across latin america to bogota, and most events are free. where to stay: bogota’s swankiest sleep is b.o.g., a 55-key design hotel near the financial district. interiors play on colombia’s heritage, and the rooftop pool serves cocktails and small plates by local celeb-chef leonor espinosa. insider tip: an emerging restaurant scene has brought scores of epicures to town. from the epic kitsch of destination steakhouse andres carne de res, located forty minutes from the city center, to urban favorites abasto and masa, the city has flavor to spare. istanbul, turkey why go now: cutting-edge contemporary artists and the collectors that love them descend on istanbul for the famous biennial (september 14 – november 10). then, ataturk cultural center, an istanbul landmark and the home of its national ballet and opera companies, will unveil a $15 million renovation in advance of turkish republic day (october 29). where to stay: this summer, the shangri-la bosphorus and radisson blu istanbul pera opened their doors. another luxury hotel, raffles istanbul, is set to open by the end of year in the zorlu center, a mixed-use development in the zincirlikuyu district. insider tip: streets are crowded and taxis expensive, so use the city’s stellar public transport. newsstands sell passes, or istanbulkart, which look like credit cards and store flexible funds for access to trains, buses, and boats. marseille, france why go now: the mediterranean port city is reborn, with $860 million worth of infrastructure improvements, unesco’s european capital of culture nod, and a new museum in its once-seedy old port. the mediterranean civilizations museum (mucem) opened in june 2013, and is france’s first national museum outside of paris. designed by avant-garde architect rudy ricciotti, the museum has a rooftop walkway linking it to the newly reopened, 17th century fort saint-jean. where to stay: philippe starck’s budget-friendly mama shelter marseille launched a special offer in conjunction with mucem’s opening: book a double room by december 31, 2013, and receive breakfast and a museum pass for just 99 eur. or, splurge on a stay at the new intercontinental hotel-dieu, which has 192 rooms and suites designed by jean-philippe nuel. insider tip: getting to marseille used to entail at least one transfer. this summer, low-cost french airline xl airways launched the first ever direct route between jfk and marseille. rates start at $592 round trip. kenya why go now: the country’s celebration of its 50th anniversary of independence culminates on kenyan day (december 12), known locally jamuhuri day. toast the nation at its newest high-profile opening, virgin visionary richard branson’s mahali mzuri, a 12-suite luxury resort in the heart of kenya’s maasai mala national reserve. the lodge is notable for its eco-friendly ethos, remarkably fast wifi, and sustainable tourism model, created in partnership with 250 local maasai landowners. where to stay: in addition to branson’s bold venture in big game country, there are two newly opened kempinski hotels: nairobi’s villa rosa and safari lodge olare mara, which is also located in the masaai mala national reserve. insider tip: few travel experiences are as photogenic as a kenyan safari, but do not photograph local individuals without asking permission first. taking pictures can offend social and tribal customs of communities like the maasai. hong kong why go now: classical and experimental art meet in hong kong, where a $642 million modern museum stirs controversy four years before opening. called m+, the museum made waves with this summer’s outdoor installation by paul mccartney. m+ is scheduled to open in 2017; in the meantime, check out the emerging gallery scene in once-sleepy poho at hotspots like hammer gallery and 2p. where to stay: a recent hotel boom includes the boutique mira moon, as well as family-friendly aubuerge discovery bay. the intercontinental hong kong, a luxury landmark in victoria harbour, will reopen its michelin-starred cantonese restaurant yan toh heen in september. insider tip: avoid traveling on october 1, china’s national day, when millions of tourists from the mainland come to hong kong on holiday.

mca*, wɪʧ ɪz ə pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈɛntɪti ˌɪtˈsɛlf, həz dɪsˈmɪst ðə nid fər ˈdɑktər ˈmæhəθər ˈpɑrti, seɪɪŋ ɪt wʊd ˈfərðər dɪˈvaɪd ðə ˈneɪʃən. ˈpɑrti rɪˈlɪʤəs ˈhɑrməni ˈbjʊroʊ ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri krɪs ˈdænjəl wɔŋ sɛd ˈmæhəθər həz kəm əv eɪʤ, frəm ˈɔθərɪŋ ˈmeɪleɪ dilemma”*” ənd naʊ ˈfɔrmɪŋ ə nu pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈpɑrti. hi sɛd ðɪs həz wəns əˈgɛn rɪˈvild ðə ˈfɔrmər traits”*”. dɪˈvaɪd ənd ˈkɑŋkər ˈstrætəʤi ˈnɛvər simz tɪ dɪˈpɑrt frəm ðə rɪˈspɛktɪd ˈsteɪtsmən. ʧaɪˈniz kəmˈjunɪti ʃʊd hæv sin ɪˈnəf. ˌɪnˈtɛnʧən ənd θɔts əv ˈfɔrmɪŋ ə nu ˈsɪŋgəl pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈpɑrti ɪz ˈoʊnli tɪ tɪr ðɪs ˈneɪʃən əˈpɑrt ˈfərðər ɪn ən eɪʤ wɛr ˈpɑləˌtɪks du nɑt əˈpil tɪ ðə məˈʤɔrəti əv ðə ɪˈlɛktərəts əˈspɛʃəli ðə gen-y,”*,” hi ˈædɪd ɪn ə ˈmidiə ˈsteɪtmənt. wɔŋ dɪˈskraɪbd ˌɪnˈtɛnʧən ənd steɪt əv maɪnd, ɛz wɛl ɛz ðət əv hɪz protegé*é ˈfɔrmər ˈdɛpjəti praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər ˈjæsɪn, ɛz ““puzzling”*”. hi ˈpɔɪntɪd aʊt ðət hæd wən ɪn ˈpriviəs ˈʤɛnərəl ɪˈlɛkʃənz ɔn ðə ˈtɪkɪt ə pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈplætˌfɔrm. 'rakyat*' ʃʊd nɑt bi fuld baɪ ðɪs nu pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈpɑrti ɛz ðɛr ɪz noʊ ɛnd tɪ ðə minz, fər ɪt dɪz nɑt sərv tɪ ˈɪnəˌgreɪt ðə ˈpipəl əv ɔl ˈreɪsɪz bət ˈrəðər sərvz tɪ dɪˈsɪntəˌgreɪt məˈleɪʒən soʊˈsaɪɪti ˈfərðər. ɪz bæk ɪn ə nu fɔrm ənd ðə ˈpipəl ʃʊd bi waɪz tɪ dɪˈsərn ənd ˈriʤɛkt ɪt æt ðə fərst opportunity,”*,” hi sɛd. ðə nu ˈpɑrti wʊd bi ˈhɛdɪd baɪ wɪθ ˈmæhəθər ˈsərvɪŋ æt ɪts ˈʧɛrˌpərsən. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈvɛtərən ˈnuzˌmæn ə jasin*, sən ənd ˈfɔrmər wʊd sərv ɛz ðə ˈpɑrti ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri.

mca, which is a race-based political entity itself, has dismissed the need for dr mahathir mohamad’s bumiputera-only party, saying it would further divide the nation. party religious harmony bureau secretary chris daniel wong said mahathir has come of age, from authoring “the malay dilemma” and now forming a new race-based political party. he said this has once again revealed the former premier’s “racial traits”. “this divide and conquer strategy never seems to depart from the respected statesman. “the chinese community should have seen enough. “the intention and thoughts of forming a new single race-based political party is only to tear this nation apart further in an age where race-based politics do not appeal to the majority of the electorates especially the gen-y,” he added in a media statement. wong described mahathir's intention and state of mind, as well as that of his protegé former deputy prime minister muhyiddin yassin, as “puzzling”. he pointed out that muhyiddin had won in previous general elections on the bn ticket - a multi-racial political platform. “the 'rakyat' should not be fooled by this new political party as there is no end to the means, for it does not serve to integrate the people of all races but rather serves to disintegrate malaysian society further. “racism is back in a new form and the people should be wise to discern and reject it at the first opportunity,” he said. the new party would be headed by muhyiddin with mahathir serving at its chairperson. according to veteran newsman a kadir jasin, mahathir’s son and former kedah menteri besar mukhriz would serve as the party secretary.

aɪ noʊ ə lɔt əv pɑt hɛdz wʊd laɪk ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə tɪ bi ˈligəl, bɪˈkəz ˈælkəˌhɑl ɪz ˈligəl ənd ɪt həz ˈsɪmələr ˈifɛkts. ɛz məʧ rɪˈtɑrdɪd ɛz ðɪs saʊnz, ðɛrz ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈpipəl hu traɪ tɪ pʊʃ ðɪs ənd ðɛrz ˈivɪn səm ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ˈkænədɪts ðət hɔr fər ˈvoʊtərz baɪ ˈprɑməsɪŋ ðə əv ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə. əm əˈmeɪzd ðət ðeɪ gɪt ðə əˈtɛnʃən, bət ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi həz prəˈpoʊzd tɪ, ˈpɑpjələrli noʊn ɛz i. i ɪz ˈprɑbəˌbli ðə bɛst drəg ˈɛvər ˌɪnˈvɛntɪd ənd ɪz ˈvɛri seɪf. ɪts ˈifɛkts ər ˈivɪn ˈkulər ðən bət ðæts nɑt ɔl. ˈæˌkʧuəli hɛlps ə lɔt əv stəf. wət dɪz ɪt du? fərst əv ɔl, i ɪz greɪt fər ˈluzɪŋ weɪt. ɪt hɛlps ju loʊər jʊr ˈæpəˌtaɪt. hæv ju ˈɛvər sin ə ˈʧəbi i ˈdilər æt ə reɪv? aɪ ʃʊr ˈhævənt. əˈnəðər kul ˈifɛkt ɪz i ˈreɪzɪz jʊr ˈbɑdi ˈtɛmpərəʧər. aɪ ədˈvaɪz ju tɪ kip səm ˈtæbləts ɪn jʊr ˈpɑkəts ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈwɪntər. wɪn jʊr ˈkəmɪŋ bæk hoʊm frəm wərk ər skul ənd ju hæv tɪ wɔk ənd ɪt tərnz aʊt ɪts koʊld ɛz hɛl ˈteɪkɪŋ ə nis i ˈtæblət wɪl hɛlp ju nɑt kæʧ ə koʊld. ju θɪŋk ðæts ɪt? rɔŋ. ˈteɪkɪŋ ɪz noʊn fər əˈfɛktɪŋ jʊr sɛns əv ˈɛmpəθi. aɪ noʊ nɑt ˈmɛni əv ju ər ˈsaɪəntɪsts, soʊ aɪl ɪkˈspleɪn. ˈɛmpəθi ɪz haʊ ju riækt təˈwɔrdz ˈəðərz. ˈbeɪsɪkli, ˈteɪkɪŋ i minz jʊr ˈnaɪsər tɪ ˈpipəl. i wɑz wən əv ðə bɛst ˈsərvɪŋ drəgz ɪn ˌsaɪkoʊˈθɛrəpi ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə 1970s*. waɪ wɑz ɪt ˈfɔrbɪdən? ˈprɑbəˌbli bɪˈkəz ɪts tu ˈɔsəm. ðeɪ dɪd ðə seɪm wɪθ ˈælkəˌhɑl ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˌproʊəˈbɪʃən. ɪts əbˈsərd ˈpipəl gɪt ərˈɛstɪd fər ˈsɛlɪŋ. pərˈhæps ðɛrz ˈgɑnə bi ə ˈrizənəbəl ˈkænədɪt ðət ˌdɪˈsaɪdz tɪ ɪt ənd ˈəðər ˈkəntriz wʊd ˈfɑloʊ hɪz ɪgˈzæmpəl.

i know a lot of pot heads would like marijuana to be legal, because alcohol is legal and it has similar effects. as much retarded as this sounds, there's actually people who try to push this and there's even some presidential candidates that whore for voters by promising the legalisation of marijuana. i'm amazed that they get the attention, but nobody has proposed to legalise mdma, popularly known as e. e is probably the best drug ever invented and is very safe. it's effects are even cooler than alcohol's but that's not all. mdma actually helps a lot of stuff. what does it do? first of all, e is great for losing weight. it helps you lower your appetite. have you ever seen a chubby e dealer at a rave? i sure haven't. another cool effect is e raises your body temperature. i advise you to keep some tablets in your pockets during winter. when you're coming back home from work or school and you have to walk and it turns out it's cold as hell - taking a nice e tablet will help you not catch a cold. you think that's it? wrong. taking mdma is known for affecting your sense of empathy. i know not many of you are scientists, so i'll explain. empathy is how you react towards others. basically, taking e means you're nicer to people. e was one of the best serving drugs in psychotherapy during the 1970s. why was it forbidden? probably because it's too awesome. they did the same with alcohol during the prohibition. it's absurd people get arrested for selling mdma. perhaps there's gonna be a reasonable candidate that decides to legalise it and other countries would follow his example.

fəˈtig ənd ðə strɛs əv ʤɪst biɪŋ ɪn speɪs fər ɪkˈstɛndɪd ˈpɪriədz əv taɪm saʊnd laɪk ˈrizənz ɛz tɪ waɪ wən wʊd həˈlusəneɪt, bət dɪd ðə ˈrəʃən ˈkɔzməˌnɔts əˈbɔrd ðə 7 ˈrɪli si ˈeɪnʤəlz? kənˈtɪnju ˈrɛdɪŋ tɪ si mɔr əv ðɪs ˈstɔri. ˈblaɪndɪŋ laɪt ɪn ˌʤuˈlaɪ 1984 ˈrəʃən ˈkɔzməˌnɔts əˈbɔrd ðə speɪs ˈsteɪʃən 7 wər ɔn deɪ 155 əv ðɛr ˈmɪʃən. ðɪs wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ ðə deɪ ðət ðə grup ˌriˈpɔrtəd streɪnʤ laɪts ənd biɪŋz. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ kəˈmændər ˈoʊləg ənd ˈkɔzməˌnɔts ənd ˈliənɪd kizim*, ðə speɪs ˈsteɪʃən wɑz kəmˈplitli beɪðd ɪn ə ˈmɛzmərˌaɪzɪŋ ˈɔrɪnʤ laɪt. ɪt əˈpɪrd tɪ ˈɛnər frəm ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə speɪs ˈsteɪʃən ənd blɛd θru ən ˌæbsəˈlutli oʊˈpeɪk wɔl. ˈɔrɪnʤ laɪt fər ə ʃɔrt ˈpɪriəd əv taɪm, ðə ˈɔrɪnʤ laɪt wɑz soʊ braɪt ðət ɪt ˈblaɪndɪd ðə kru. wɪn ðɛr ˈvɪʒən rɪˈtərnd, iʧ wən lʊkt aʊt ðə fər ðə sɔrs əv ðə laɪt, ˈlʊkɪŋ spəˈsɪfɪkli fər ə ˈpɑsəbəl ɪkˈsploʊʒən. ðeɪ nu ðə 7 hæd ˈsəfərd ˈpriviəs faɪərz, bət wət ðə kru sɔ wɑz mɔr ˌɪŋˌkɑmprəˈhɛnsɪbəl ðən ðə ˈɔrɪnʤ laɪt. ˈeɪnʤəlz ɔl əv ðə ˈkɔzməˌnɔts ˌriˈpɔrtəd siɪŋ ðə ˈfeɪsɪz əv ˈsɛvən ˈeɪnʤəlz hu wər ˈhəvərɪŋ ʤɪst ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə speɪs ˈsteɪʃən. ðeɪ toʊld graʊnd kənˈtroʊl ðeɪ wər ˈhjuməˌnɔɪd ɪn əˈpɪrəns (ˈfeɪsɪz ənd ˈbɑdiz lʊkt ˈjumən), bət ðeɪ hæd wɪŋz ənd ˈheɪloʊz. ðiz biɪŋz kɛpt peɪs wɪθ ðə speɪs ˈsteɪʃən fər ˌbiˈfɔr ˈvænɪʃɪŋ. ˈsɛkənd əˈpɪrəns ɔn deɪ 167 ðə kru wɑz ðɛn ʤɔɪnd baɪ əˈnəðər tim əv θri frəm ðə sɔɪəz ˈspeɪˌskræft: sˌvɛˈtlɑnə savitskaya*, ˌɪˈgɔr voʊlk ənd vˈlædəmɪr dzhanibekov*. ˈʃɔrtli ˈæftər ˈʤɔɪnɪŋ ðɛn, ðə 7 wɑz wəns əˈgɛn beɪðd ɪn ə wɔrm ˈɔrɪnʤ laɪt. ðɛn, laɪk ˈklɑkˌwərk, ðeɪ ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli lʊkt aʊt ðə, ənd wəns əˈgɛn, wər ʤɔɪnd baɪ ˌænˈʤɛlɪk biɪŋz. ðeɪ wər rɪˈpɔrtədli ðə saɪz əv ən ““airliner”*”, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈkɔzməˌnɔts. ðɪs ˈɪnsədənt wɑz dimd tɔp ˈsikrɪt baɪ ðə oʊld ˈsoʊviˌɛt ˈjunjən ənd ðə kru wɑz ˈkɔʃənd nɑt tɪ spik əv ðə ɪˈvɛnt ˈpəblɪkli. ˌənɪkˈspleɪnd ɔl ðə ˈkɔzməˌnɔts ˌriˈpɔrtəd siɪŋ sˈmaɪlɪŋ angel”*”. waɪl səm meɪ dɪsˈmɪs ðə ˈɪnsədənt ɛz fəˈtig du tɪ ən ɪkˈstɛndɪd steɪ ɪn speɪs, bət ðɛr wɑz mɔr ðən wən kru ðət sɔ ðə biɪŋz. ˈæftər ðɪs streɪnʤ ˈɪnsədənt əˈkərd, ðə kru wɛnt ɔn tɪ steɪ ɪn ðə ˈvɛsəl fər ə ˌbiˈfɔr əˈbændənɪŋ ɪt.

fatigue and the stress of just being in space for extended periods of time sound like reasons as to why one would hallucinate, but did the russian cosmonauts aboard the salyut 7 really see angels? continue reading to see more of this mind-blowing story. blinding light in july 1984, russian cosmonauts aboard the sovie space station salyut 7 were on day 155 of their mission. this was also the day that the group reported strange lights and beings. according to commander oleg atkov and cosmonauts vladmir solovyov and leonid kizim, the space station was completely bathed in a mesmerizing orange light. it appeared to enter from outside the space station and bled through an absolutely opaque wall. orange light for a short period of time, the orange light was so bright that it blinded the crew. when their vision returned, each one looked out the portholes for the source of the light, looking specifically for a possible explosion. they knew the salyut 7 had suffered previous fires, but what the crew saw was more incomprehensible than the orange light. angels all of the cosmonauts reported seeing the faces of seven angels who were hovering just outside the space station. they told ground control they were humanoid in appearance (faces and bodies looked human), but they had wings and halos. these beings kept pace with the space station for 10-minutes before vanishing. second appearance on day 167, the crew was then joined by another team of three from the soyuz t-12 spacecraft: svetlana savitskaya, igor volk and vladimir dzhanibekov. shortly after joining then, the salyut 7 was once again bathed in a warm orange light. then, like clockwork, they immediately looked out the portholes, and once again, were joined by angelic beings. they were reportedly the size of an “airliner”, according to the cosmonauts. this incident was deemed top secret by the old soviet union and the crew was cautioned not to speak of the event publicly. unexplained all the cosmonauts reported seeing “a smiling angel”. while some may dismiss the incident as fatigue due to an extended stay in space, but there was more than one crew that saw the beings. after this strange incident occurred, the crew went on to stay in the vessel for a record-breaking 237-days before abandoning it.

ə grup əv ˈdænsərz ˈpæʃənət əˈbaʊt ˈlɪndi hɑp kriˈeɪtɪd ə ˈwɛbˌsaɪt ɪn 1997 əˈbaʊt ɪt. ɪkˈsaɪtɪd əˈbaʊt ðə aɪˈdiə, ðeɪ kriˈeɪtɪd ə ˈpɔdˌkæst kɔld tɔk ʃoʊ. ˈleɪtər, wɪθ ðə groʊɪŋ ˌpɑpjəˈlɛrəti əv ˈpəblɪʃt ˈvɪdioʊz ɔn ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt, ðeɪ ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ ʤɔɪn ðə ˈmuvmənt ənd kriˈeɪtɪd ə ˈvɪdioʊ ʃoʊ əˈbaʊt ˈlɪndi hɑp, meɪd baɪ ˈlɪndi ˈhɑpərz: ðə swɪŋ ˈneɪʃən wɑz bɔrn. wʊd laɪk ˈpipəl tɪ lʊk bæk ɔn ɪt ənd seɪ: ““oh*, ðɛr wər səm ˈhaɪˌlaɪts ɪn ðə pæst ðət aɪ wʊd laɪk tɪ rɪˈmɛmbər. aɪ kən si kˈwɪkli naʊ (ɔn swɪŋ ˈneɪʃən) ənd ðɛn aɪ kən goʊ ənd ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪt mɔr later.”*.” ˈmɑˌnu smɪθ ɪz wən əv ðə prəˈdusərz əv ðə peɪʤ ənd ðə ˈvɪdioʊ ˈʧænəl. hi sɪz ðət ðə aɪˈdiə əv ˈɛvəri ʃoʊ ɪz tɪ ˈhaɪˌlaɪt ˈækʃənz wɪˈθɪn ðə ˈlɪndi hɑp kəmˈjunɪti ðət əˈweɪkən ˈɪntəˌrɛst ənd dɪˈskəʃənz, ðət ər greɪt ˈstɔriz: soʊ ˈizi tɪ fɪlm ˈlɪndi hɑp naʊ. soʊ ju kən skɪp ˈoʊvər ˈjuˈɛs ənd si ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ ju wɔnt ˈsəmˌwɛr ɛls. bət laɪk fər ɪt bi ə ˈdaɪʤɛst əv wət ˈhæpənd ðɪs wik ənd wət ˈhæpənd ðɪs mənθ. (ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ʃoʊ) wi gɪv ɑr əˈpɪnjən əˈbaʊt wət ˈhæpənd ənd wi æsk ðə ˈɔdiəns fər ðɛr əˈpɪnjən too.”*.” lərn ə lɔt wɪn ju du ə lot.”*.” ðə fərst ˈvɪdioʊ ɛrd ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər 2012 frəm ðɛn ɔn, ðə ˌɛvəˈluʃən əv ðə ʃoʊ ɪz ˈɛvədənt. ˈæˌspɛkt əv prəˈdusɪŋ ə dæns ˈvɪdioʊ ɪz ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt: pərˈdəkʃən kˈwɑləti, ˈlaɪtɪŋ, rɪˈkɔrdɪŋ tɛkˈniks tɪ ˈkæpʧər ðə ˈmuvmənts kərˈɛktli, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl. ɔl ðət ɪz ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt tɪ kriˈeɪt ˈvɪʒwəli ˈstənɪŋ ˈlɪndi hɑp videos.”*.” bət ðə meɪn θɪŋ, fər swɪŋ ˈneɪʃən, ɪz ðə dɪˈvɛləpmənt, ðə peɪs ənd ðə ˈkɑntɛnt ˈʧɔɪsɪz. fər ˈmɑˌnu, ɔl dæns ˈvɪdioʊz ər ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt, rəˈgɑrdləs əv haʊ ðeɪ wər meɪd: foʊn kən ʃut skaɪ ənd ˈfridə ənd lʊk gʊd noʊ ˈmætər what.”*.” ðə hoʊl ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪz ə ˈleɪbər əv ləv. frəm ðə ˈtɛknɪkəl ˈdɪfɪˌkəltiz ɪn ðə rɪˈkɔrdɪŋ əv ðə fərst ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd tɪ ðə ˈriləˈzeɪʃən əv ə ˈgraʊnˌbreɪkɪŋ ˈprɑʤɛkt: ʃoʊ fər ˈlɪndi ˈhɑpərz tɪ wɔʧ ənd tɪ si ˈdænsɪŋ ənd tɪ hir ˈkɑmənˌtɛri əˈbaʊt dancing.”*.” sɪz ˈmɑˌnu. swɪŋ ˈneɪʃən ˈstɑrtɪd ɛz ə lɪv ʃoʊ, wɪθ ˈɛpɪˌsoʊdz. sɪns ðə vˈjuərˌʃɪp əv ðə rɪˈkɔrdɪd ˈkɑntɛnt wɑz məʧ haɪər ðən ðə lɪv vˈjuərˌʃɪp, ðeɪ ʧeɪnʤd ðə ˈfɔrˌmæt: ɪt bɪˈkeɪm ə ˈhæˌfaʊər lɔŋ ʃoʊ wɪθ ˈstɔriz, nuz ənd ˈfəni ˈskɛʧɪz. ˈivɪn ðɛn ɪt wɑz stɪl tu lɔŋ fər səʧ ə spɪˈsɪfɪk ˈtɑpɪk ɛz ˈlɪndi hɑp. ˈkərəntli, ɪt kənˈsɪsts əv ˈvɛriəs ʃɔrt ˈvɪdioʊz əv əraʊnd sɪks ˈmɪnəts iʧ. meɪd ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ kwɪk ənd ˌɪnˈfɔrmətɪv; wi riˈmuvd wət kʊd bi boring.”*.” ɪkˈspleɪnz ˈmɑˌnu. ɪn ˈʤænjuˌɛri 2015 ðeɪ ˈpəblɪʃt ðə ˈvɪdioʊ ənd ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzɪŋ seɪf swɪŋ dæns spaces.”*.” ˈmɑˌnu kənˈsɪdərz ðɪs wən əv ðə moʊst ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ˈvɪdioʊz, bɪˈkəz ɪt həz ðə pɑrˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən əv ˈmɛni ˈtiʧərz dɪˈskəsɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə ˌɪmˈpɔrtəns əv kriˈeɪtɪŋ ənd ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzɪŋ seɪf ˈspeɪsɪz fər ðə ˈpræktɪs əv swɪŋ ˈdænsɪŋ. ðə ˈvɪdioʊ wɪθ ðə moʊst vjuz tɪ ðə deɪt əv ðɪs ˈpəblɪʃɪŋ ɪz ˈneɪʃən 31 wɪrd science.”*.” ðə tæg nye”*” simz tɪ hæv meɪd ɔl ðə ˈdɪfərəns. fər ˈmɑˌnu, ðə vju kaʊnt ɪz du tɪ ðə pɑrˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən əv bɪl ə greɪt neɪm ɪn saɪəns ɔn ðə ʃoʊ ˈdænsɪŋ wɪθ ðə stɑrz: ˈjuˌtub ‘‘pushed’*’ ɪt əp ɪn nye’*’ searches.”*.” ðɪs kaɪnd əv ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən gɪvz ˈjuˈɛs hɪnts ɔn ðə ˌɪmˈpɔrtəns əv ɪn ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˌpəblɪˈkeɪʃənz. tɪ ɪkˈstɛnd ðə riʧ bɪɔnd ðə ˈlɪndi hɑp sin, iʧ ˈstɔri ɪz contextualized*. ɪf ˈɛvər sərʧt fər ˈlɪndi hɑp ɔn ˈjuˌtub, ju məst hæv ˈnoʊtɪst ðət ðə moʊst vjud ˈvɪdioʊz ər əv əˈmeɪzɪŋ ˈdænsərz duɪŋ əˈmeɪzɪŋ θɪŋz. bət, sɪns ðiz ər spɪˈsɪfɪk ˈtɑpɪks, ðə məˈʤɔrəti əv ðə ˈɔdiəns kənˈsɪsts əv ˈlɪndi ˈhɑpərz. θɪŋk ˈɛvər ˈgɑnə goʊ əˈbəv ðə ˈnəmbər əv səbˈskraɪbərz ðət gɪt ɔn ə ˈgeɪmɪŋ ˈʧænəl ər ə ˈkʊkɪŋ channel.”*.” ˈkɑmɛnts ˈmɑˌnu, rɪˈgɑrdɪŋ ðə ˌlɪmɪˈteɪʃənz əv ðə ˈɔdiəns: ˈʧænəl həz əraʊnd səbˈskraɪbərz, wɪʧ simz ˈvɛri gʊd. aɪ θɪŋk ɪt ɪz goʊɪŋ ˈprɪti wɛl fər ðə ˈɔdiəns wi ər ˈʃutɪŋ fər. tu ər θri hoʊsts, ˈtɔkɪŋ əˈbaʊt dæns, ʃoʊɪŋ ðə ˈhaɪˌlaɪt hir ənd ðɛr, ðɪs ɪz ˈnɛvər ˈgɑnə riʧ ə ˈkrɪtɪkəl mæs audience.”*.” ðə ˈvɪdioʊz ər ˈpəblɪʃt ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə, laɪk ˈjuˌtub ənd ˈfeɪsˌbʊk, kənˈsɪdərd moʊst ɪˈfɪʃənt fər ə gʊd dɪˌsɛməˈneɪʃən əv ˈkɑntɛnt. ðə prəˈdusərz juz ˈjuˌtub ˌænəˈlɪtɪks, ðət ˈprɛzənts ðə ˈækˌsɛs ˈdætə, tɪ ˈbɛtər ˌəndərˈstænd haʊ ˈpipəl wɔʧ ðə ˈvɪdioʊz ənd haʊ ðeɪ ər ˈʃɛrɪŋ ðɛm: noʊ ðət moʊst ˈpipəl wɔʧ ɪt ɔn ðɛr ˈsɛlˌfoʊnz. wi hæv bɪn ˈgɪtɪŋ ə lɔt əv vjuz ənd ʃɛrz ɔn ˈfeɪsˌbʊk, soʊ aɪ gɛs wɛr moʊst əv ðə ˈɔdiəns are.”*.” ər ɔl ˈkɑmɛnts frəm ðə ˈɔdiəns ˈwɛlkəm? ˈmɑˌnu kənˈsɪdərz jɛs. ənd ɪkˈspleɪnz ðət ˈdɪfərənt ˈmidiə ˈʧænəlz kən ˈʤɛnərˌeɪt ˈdɪfərənt ˈkɑmɛnts. seɪ ɔn ˈfeɪsˌbʊk: job!’*!’ bət, ɪf wi lʊk ɔn ˈjuˌtub, wi meɪ faɪnd: gaɪz ər ˈgɑrbɪʤ ənd ju noʊ wət ˈtɔkɪŋ about.’*.’ ðə ˈjuʒəwəl ˈkɑmɛnt ˈgɑnə hæv ɔn ˈjuˌtub. bɪˈkəz youtube.”*.” dɪˈspaɪt ðə ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt səʧ ə ʃoʊ dɪˈmændz, ˈmɑˌnu meɪks ɪt klɪr ðət ɔl ˈməni kəmz frəm ðə ˈpɑkəts əv ðə prəˈdusərz ənd ðə ˈpipəl hu kənˈtrɪbjut tɪ ðə ʃoʊ, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə kɔsts əv ˈfɪlˌmeɪkərz ənd milz fər ðə tim. ɪn ðə ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd əˈbaʊt 2014 ðeɪ hæd ðə aɪˈdiə tɪ juz ə ˈplætˌfɔrm. ɪf ju ər ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪd ɪn səˈpɔrtɪŋ ðɪs ˈprɑʤɛkt ðət kriˈeɪts səʧ gʊd ˈkɑntɛnt əˈbaʊt ðɪs dæns wi ɔl ləv, ˈækˌsɛs: colaboração/revisão*: ˈsɛrə

a group of dancers passionate about lindy hop created a website in 1997 about it. excited about the idea, they created a podcast called yehoodi talk show. later, with the growing popularity of published videos on the internet, they decided to join the movement and created a video show about lindy hop, made by lindy hoppers: the swing nation was born. “we would like people to look back on it and say: “oh, there were some highlights in the past that i would like to remember. i can see quickly now (on swing nation) and then i can go and investigate more later.” manu smith is one of the producers of the page and the video channel. he says that the idea of every show is to highlight actions within the lindy hop community that awaken interest and discussions, that are great stories: “it’s so easy to film lindy hop now. so you can skip over us and see everything you want somewhere else. but we’d like for it be a digest of what happened this week and what happened this month. (during the show) we give our opinion about what happened and we ask the audience for their opinion too.” “you learn a lot when you do a lot.” the first video aired in september 2012. from then on, the evolution of the show is evident. “any aspect of producing a dance video is important: production quality, lighting, recording techniques to capture the movements correctly, for example. all that is important to create visually stunning lindy hop videos.” but the main thing, for swing nation, is the development, the pace and the content choices. for manu, all dance videos are important, regardless of how they were made: “your phone can shoot skye and frida and it’ll look good no matter what.” the whole project is a labor of love. from the technical difficulties in the recording of the first episode to the realisation of a groundbreaking project: “a show for lindy hoppers to watch and to see dancing and to hear commentary about dancing.” – says manu. swing nation started as a live show, with one-hour episodes. since the viewership of the recorded content was much higher than the live viewership, they changed the format: it became a half-hour long show with stories, news and funny sketches. even then it was still too long for such a specific topic as lindy hop. currently, it consists of various short videos of around six minutes each. “we made everything quick and informative; we removed what could be boring.” – explains manu. in january 2015, they published the video “creating and organizing safe swing dance spaces.” manu considers this one of the most important videos, because it has the participation of many teachers discussing about the importance of creating and organizing safe spaces for the practice of swing dancing. the video with the most views to the date of this text’s publishing is “swing nation #31, weird science.” the tag “bill nye” seems to have made all the difference. for manu, the view count is due to the participation of bill – a great name in science – on the show dancing with the stars: “maybe youtube ‘pushed’ it up in people’s ‘bill nye’ searches.” this kind of information gives us hints on the importance of #hashtags in online publications. to extend the content’s reach beyond the lindy hop scene, each story is contextualized. if you’ve ever searched for lindy hop on youtube, you must have noticed that the most viewed videos are of amazing dancers doing amazing things. but, since these are specific topics, the majority of the audience consists of lindy hoppers. “i don’t think we’re ever gonna go above the number of subscribers that you’ll get on a gaming channel or a cooking channel.” – comments manu, regarding the limitations of the audience: “the yehoodi channel has around 1,500 subscribers, which seems very good. i think it is going pretty well for the audience we are shooting for. two or three hosts, talking about dance, showing the highlight here and there, this is never gonna reach a critical mass audience.” the videos are published on social media, like youtube and facebook, considered most efficient for a good dissemination of content. the producers use youtube analytics, that presents the channel’s access data, to better understand how people watch the videos and how they are sharing them: “we know that most people watch it on their cellphones. we have been getting a lot of views and shares on facebook, so i guess that’s where most of the audience are.” are all comments from the audience welcome? manu considers yes. and explains that different media channels can generate different comments. “maybe they’ll say on facebook: ‘great job!’ but, if we look on youtube, we may find: ‘you guys are garbage and you don’t know what you’re talking about.’ that’s the usual comment we’re gonna have on youtube. because that’s youtube.” despite the investment such a show demands, manu makes it clear that all money comes from the pockets of the producers and the people who contribute to the show, including the costs of filmmakers and meals for the team. in the episode about ilhc 2014, they had the idea to use a crowdfunding platform. if you are interested in supporting this project that creates such good content about this dance we all love, access: https://www.patreon.com/yehoodi colaboração/revisão: sarah quines

waɪt waɪn ɪz ˈʧɑrəlz ˌjunəˈvərsəti 28 noʊv 2012 waɪt waɪn həz ˈæsəd ənd aɪərn. ðiz ˈeɪʤənts wər juzd ɛz ˌfoʊtəˈgræfɪk ɪn ðə ənd təˈdeɪ ˈrisərʧərz ər traɪɪŋ tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd waɪ ðeɪ ˈtrɪgər ə ˈkɛmɪkəl ˈprɔˌsɛs ðət tərnz waɪt waɪn braʊn wɪn ɪkˈspoʊzd tɪ ənd grin ˈvɪzəbəl laɪts. tɪ prɪˈzərv ðə kˈwɑləti əv waɪt waɪn, ˈrisərʧərz səˈʤɛst ˈjuzɪŋ ˈdɑrkər ənd ˈθɪkər ˈbɑtəlz soʊ ðət lɛs laɪt ˈriʧɪz ðə waɪn. ˈɪmɪʤ: ðə ˈrisərʧ kənˈdəktəd æt ðə ˈnæʃənəl waɪn ənd greɪp ˈɪndəstri ˈsɛntər (nwgic*) æt ˈʧɑrəlz ˌjunəˈvərsəti (csu*), ɪn kəˌlæbərˈeɪʃən wɪθ ˈdɑktər ˈdænjəl daɪəz æt ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈmɛlbərn, ɪgˈzæmənd ðə ˌɪmˈpækt əv laɪt ɔn ðə kˈwɑləti əv waɪt waɪn, wɪθ ðə ˈəltəmət eɪm tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ɪts ʃɛlf laɪf. lɛd ˈrisərʧər, ˈdɑktər ˈændru klɑrk sɛd, ˈsɪriz əv ɪkˈspɛrəmənts ˈdeɪtɪŋ bæk tɪ 2008 hæv əˈtɛmptəd tɪ ˈbɛtər ˌəndərˈstænd ðə ˌɪmˈpækt əv laɪt ɔn ˈsɛvərəl waɪt waɪn kəmˈpoʊnənts ðət hæv ˈpriviəsli nɑt bɪn ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪtɪd. ðə kəmˈpoʊnənts wər ˈæsəd, wɪʧ ɪz ə ˈmeɪʤər ɔrˈgænɪk ˈæsəd ɪn waɪn, ənd aɪərn, ə ˈmɛtəl aɪən faʊnd æt loʊ ˌkɑnsənˈtreɪʃənz ɪn ɔl waɪnz. nɑt wɛl ˌəndərˈstʊd ɪn waɪn, ðiz seɪm ˈeɪʤənts wər ɪn fækt juzd ɛz ˌfoʊtəˈgræfɪk baɪ ðə ˌpaɪəˈnɪrz əv fəˈtɑgrəfi ɪn ðə. hæv ʃoʊn ðət ə ˈkɛmɪkəl ˈprɔˌsɛs, noʊn ɛz aɪərn (iii*), kən ædˈvərsli əˈfɛkt waɪt waɪn ɛz ɪt meɪ kənˈsum waɪn prəˈzərvətɪvz ənd ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli lɛd tɪ ə braʊn ˈkələr. laɪt ɛz wɛl ɛz blu ənd grin ˈvɪzəbəl laɪt kən ˌɪnˈdus ðə ˌfoʊtoʊˈkɛmɪkəl ˈprɔˌsɛs ɪn waɪt waɪn. ˈkələrd waɪn ˈbɑtəlz wɪθ ə ˈθɪkər wɔl əv glæs wər faʊnd tɪ ˈɔfər ˌɪnˈkrist prəˈtɛkʃən frəm ðɪs ˌfoʊtoʊˈkɛmɪkəl ˈprɔˌsɛs. ˈdɑrkər ənd ˈθɪkər ˈbɑtəlz əbˈzɔrb mɔr laɪt soʊ lɛs ˈriʧɪz ðə waɪn ənd ðə ɪkˈstɛnt əv ˌdɛtrəˈmɛnəl iron(iii*) ɪz ˈlɪmɪtɪd. ðə ˈdɑrkər grin ənd ˈæmbər ˈkələrd ˈbɑtəlz wər ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ˈjusfəl tɪ əbˈzɔrb ðə ˈæktɪv ˈweɪvˌlɛŋθs əv ˈɪnsədənt laɪt. ɪz ˈmoʊstli ɪkˈspoʊzd tɪ laɪt ˈæftər ˈbɑtəlɪŋ ənd ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈstɔrɪʤ ɪn ˈriˌteɪl ˈaʊˌtlɛts ər ɪn ðə hoʊm. ˈfərðərˌmɔr, waɪnz dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ bi stɔrd fər ˈlɔŋgər ˈpɪriədz ˌbiˈfɔr biɪŋ drəŋk ər ˈɔlsoʊ mɔr ˈlaɪkli tɪ hæv ˌɪnˈkrist laɪt ɪkˈspoʊʒər dɪˈpɛndɪŋ ɔn ðɛr kənˈdɪʃənz əv ˈstɔrɪʤ. ðə ɪkˈspɛrəmənts wər səˈpɔrtɪd baɪ ðə greɪp ənd waɪn ˈrisərʧ ənd dɪˈvɛləpmənt ˌkɔrpərˈeɪʃən. ˈfərðər ˈstədiz ˈɪntu ðə ˌɪmˈpækt əv laɪt ɪkˈspoʊʒər ɔn waɪn ər ˈkərəntli biɪŋ ˈkɛrid aʊt baɪ ˈpiˌeɪʧˈdi ˈstudənt mɪz ˈpɛrɪs æt ðə. ə fʊl fækt ʃit ɔn ðə ˈstədi, "aɪərn (iii*) ɛz ə pəˈtɛnʃəl priˈkərsər əv ˌdɛgrəˈdeɪʃən əv waɪt waɪn: ˈstədiz ɪn ə ˈmɑdəl waɪn ˈsɪstəm" kən bi faʊnd hir.

white wine is photosensitive charles sturt university 28 nov 2012 white wine has tartaric acid and iron. these agents were used as photographic emulsions in the mid-1800s and today researchers are trying to understand why they trigger a chemical process that turns white wine brown when exposed to uv and green visible lights. to preserve the quality of white wine, researchers suggest using darker and thicker bottles so that less light reaches the wine. image: maudib/istockphoto the research conducted at the national wine and grape industry centre (nwgic) at charles sturt university (csu), in collaboration with dr daniel dias at the university of melbourne, examined the impact of light on the quality of white wine, with the ultimate aim to improve its shelf life. lead researcher, dr andrew clark said, “a series of experiments dating back to 2008 have attempted to better understand the impact of light on several white wine components that have previously not been investigated. the components were tartaric acid, which is a major organic acid in wine, and iron, a metal ion found at low concentrations in all wines. “although not well understood in wine, these same agents were in fact used as photographic emulsions by the pioneers of photography in the mid-1800s. “we have shown that a chemical process, known as iron (iii) tartrate photochemistry, can adversely affect white wine as it may consume wine preservatives and eventually lead to a brown colour. ultra-violet light as well as blue and green visible light can induce the photochemical process in white wine. “darker coloured wine bottles with a thicker wall of glass were found to offer increased protection from this photochemical process. “these darker and thicker bottles absorb more light so less reaches the wine and the extent of detrimental iron(iii) tartrate photochemistry is limited. the darker green and amber coloured bottles were particularly useful to absorb the active wavelengths of incident light. “wine is mostly exposed to light after bottling and during storage in retail outlets or in the home. furthermore, wines designed to be stored for longer periods before being drunk are also more likely to have increased light exposure depending on their conditions of storage. the experiments were supported by the grape and wine research and development corporation. further studies into the impact of light exposure on wine are currently being carried out by csu phd student ms paris grant-preece at the nwgic. a full nwgic fact sheet on the study, "iron (iii) tartrate as a potential precursor of light-induced oxidative degradation of white wine: studies in a model wine system" can be found here.

ˈəpˌdeɪt: ɛz ɪkˈspɛktɪd, ˈeɪˌɛmˈsi prɛˈmɪrd əˈnəðər ˈproʊˌmoʊ ˈvɪdioʊ fər fɪr ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd 2 əv ˈjumənz. ðɪs ˈproʊˌmoʊ ʃoʊz ə ˈwʊmən ˈɛgzɪtɪŋ hər ˈhɔndə ˈmɪniˈvæn. ˈæftər ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈsəmθɪŋ frəm ðə bæk əv ðə væn, ʃi slaɪdz ðə dɔr ʃət ənd vjuərz gɪt tɪ si ðə ˈəpər ˈtɔrˌsoʊ əv ə ˈzɑmbi rɪˈflɛktɪd ɪn ðə ˈwɪndoʊ. ðɪs ˈzɑmbi əˈpɪrz tɪ bi ˈfrɛʃli dɛd, ˈmeɪbi ˈoʊnli ə deɪ ər tu gɔn ənd ɪz ˈdɛfənətli ɪn ðə staɪl əv ˈzɑmbiz wi ər fəˈmɪljər wɪθ siɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd. ˈeɪˌɛmˈsi ˈsɛləˌbreɪtɪd ˌʤuˈlaɪ 4 baɪ rɪˈpit ˈskrinɪŋz əv ðə ˈmuvi ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns deɪ. ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd fænz meɪ hæv ˈnoʊtɪst səm brænd ˈspæŋkɪŋ nu ˈtizər ˈvɪdioʊz fər kəmˈpænjən ˈzɑmbi ˈproʊˌgræm, fɪr ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd sˈlɑtɪd ɪn əˈməŋ ðə ˈskrinɪŋz. soʊ fɑr, tu nu ˈvɪdioʊz hæv əˈpɪrd, boʊθ ʃoʊɪŋ ˈdɛfənət ˈzɑmbiz ðɪs taɪm, ənˈlaɪk ðə ˈpɑsəbəl ˈzɑmbi hu kʊd hæv ʤɪst ɛz ˈlaɪkli bɪn ə sloʊ ˈmuvɪŋ ˈjumən dəˈkɔɪ ɪn wən əv ðə læst ˈtizər ˈvɪdioʊz. ɪn ðə fərst ˈtreɪlər, wi faɪnd ə ˈwʊmən ˈfloʊtɪŋ ɪn hər pul. ðə ˈwʊmən ɪz rɪˈlæksɪŋ ɔn hər ɪnˈfleɪtəbəl ræft. ʃi ɪz ˈkɛrˌfri ɛz ʃi ˌɛnˈʤɔɪz ðə ˈwɔtər bət nɑt fər lɔŋ. ɛz ðə ˈkæmərə pænz daʊn, vjuərz kən si ðə fɑr ɛnd əv ðə pul dɛk wɛr ə ˈzɑmbi ɪz ˈʃəˈfʊlɪŋ ˈɪntu vju. ðə ˈsɛkənd ˈvɪdioʊ ʃoʊz kɪdz ɪn ə ˈskeɪtˌbɔrd pɑrk. wəns əˈgɛn, ˈɛvriˌwən lʊks ˈkɛrˌfri ənd ər ˈhævɪŋ fən. ənˈtɪl, æt ðə ˈvɛri ɛnd əv ðə klɪp, səm ˈzɑmbi fit lərʧ ˈɪntu vju ˌbiˈfɔr ˈpɔzɪŋ; laɪk ðeɪ ər ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ wɪʧ ˈpərsən tɪ snæk ɔn fərst. fɪr ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd ɪz ðə kəmˈpænjən ˈsɪriz tɪ ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd ənd wɪl prɛˈmɪr ɪn ˈɔgəst ɔn ˈeɪˌɛmˈsi. ɪt ɪz ænˈtɪsəˌpeɪtɪd ˈeɪˌɛmˈsi wɪl əˈnaʊns ðə stɑrt deɪt æt nɛkst sæn diˈeɪgoʊ ˈkɑmɪk kɑn wɪn ðə fɪr ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd ˈpænəl əˈpɪrz ɔn ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ ˌʤuˈlaɪ 11 2015 ɪt ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈlaɪkli fænz wɪl gɪt ðɛr fərst ɪkˈstɛndɪd ˈtreɪlər snik pik ˈvɪdioʊ ˈɪntu ðɪs nu ˈzɑmbi ˈproʊˌgræm. ju kən faɪnd aʊt mɔr ˈditeɪlz əˈbaʊt ðə fɪr ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd əˈpɪrəns hir. fænz ər naʊ ˈhoʊpɪŋ, wɪθ ðə lɛd əp tɪ sæn diˈeɪgoʊ ˈkɑmɪk kɑn ənd fɪr ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ prɛˈmɪr deɪt, ˈeɪˌɛmˈsi wɪl skrin ˈivɪn mɔr ˈtizər ˈvɪdioʊz ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈskrinɪŋ əv ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd 2 əv ˈjumənz. ɛz jɛt, nən əv ðiz ˈtizər ˈvɪdioʊz hæv tərnd əp ɔn əˈfɪʃəl fɪr ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd ˈwɛbˌsaɪt. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ɛz sun ɛz ðeɪ du, ju kən bɛt wi wɪl poʊst ðɛm hir fər ju tɪ si! fɪr ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd wɪl ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ə ˈblɛndɪd ˈfæməli ɪn lɑ. ˈmædɪsən (kɪm ˈdɪkənz) ɪz ə skul ˈgaɪdəns ˈkaʊnsələr. hər ˈpɑrtnər, ˈtrævɪs ɪz pleɪd baɪ klɪf ˈkərtɪs. ˈmædɪsən həz tu ˈʧɪldrən. əˈlɪʃə (pleɪd baɪ debnam-carey*) ɪz bɪld ɛz ðə ˈpərˌfɪkt ʧaɪld waɪl nɪk (fræŋk dillane*) həz ɔl sɔrts əv ˈprɑbləmz, ðə list əv ðɛm, wət ˈɛvər hi wɑz ˈrənɪŋ frəm ɪn ðɪs ˈtizər ˈvɪdioʊ. showrunner*, deɪv ˈɛrɪksən ɪz ˈbɪlɪŋ fɪr ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd ɛz ə ˈfæməli ˈdrɑmə ˈrəðər ðən ə ˈhɔrər splatter-fest*. ðət əˈlaʊd ˈjuˈɛs tɪ du ɪn ðə ˈpaɪlət ənd ˈsizən 1 ɪz ɪˈstæblɪʃ ɑr kɔr ˈfæməli, ɪˈstæblɪʃ ðə ˈprɑbləmz ənd ðə ˈkɑnflɪkts ðət ðeɪ hæv, ənd ˈrɪli lɛt ðət bi ðə ˌɪˈnɪʃəl wərld ðət wi lɪv in.”*.” ər ju ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈfɔrwərd tɪ fɪr ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd wɪn ɪt prɛˈmɪrz ɪn ˈɔgəst? wət du ju θɪŋk əv ðə ˈleɪtəst ˈtizər ˈvɪdioʊz? wɪl ju bi ˈwɑʧɪŋ ˈjumənz ˈhoʊpɪŋ tɪ kæʧ əˈnəðər snik pik ˈɪntu nu ˈzɑmbi ʃoʊ? lɛt ˈjuˈɛs noʊ baɪ ˈkɑmɛntɪŋ bɪˈloʊ! [ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkrɛdɪt: ˈeɪˌɛmˈsi]

update: as expected, amc premiered another promo video for fear the walking dead during episode 2 of humans. this promo shows a woman exiting her honda minivan. after getting something from the back of the van, she slides the door shut and viewers get to see the upper torso of a zombie reflected in the window. this zombie appears to be freshly dead, maybe only a day or two gone and is definitely in the style of zombies we are familiar with seeing in the walking dead. amc celebrated july 4 by repeat screenings of the movie independence day. eagle-eyed walking dead fans may have noticed some brand spanking new teaser videos for amc’s companion zombie program, fear the walking dead slotted in among the screenings. so far, two new videos have appeared, both showing definite zombies this time, unlike the possible zombie who could have just as likely been a slow moving human decoy in one of the last teaser videos. in the first trailer, we find a woman floating in her pool. the woman is relaxing on her inflatable raft. she is carefree as she enjoys the water – but not for long. as the camera pans down, viewers can see the far end of the pool deck where a zombie is shuffling into view. the second video shows kids in a skateboard park. once again, everyone looks carefree and are having fun. until, at the very end of the clip, some zombie feet lurch into view before pausing; like they are deciding which person to snack on first. fear the walking dead is the companion series to the walking dead and will premiere in august on amc. it is anticipated amc will announce the start date at next week’s san diego comic con when the fear the walking dead panel appears on saturday july 11, 2015. it is also likely fans will get their first extended trailer sneak peek video into this new zombie program. you can find out more details about the fear the walking dead appearance here. fans are now hoping, with the lead up to san diego comic con and fear the walking dead’s premiere date, amc will screen even more teaser videos during tonight’s screening of episode 2 of humans. as yet, none of these teaser videos have turned up on amc’s official fear the walking dead website. however, as soon as they do, you can bet we will post them here for you to see! fear the walking dead will focus on a blended family in la. madison (kim dickens) is a school guidance counselor. her partner, travis is played by cliff curtis. madison has two children. alicia (played by alycia debnam-carey) is billed as the perfect child while nick (frank dillane) has all sorts of problems, the least of them, what ever he was running from in this teaser video. showrunner, dave erickson is billing fear the walking dead as a family drama rather than a horror splatter-fest. “what that allowed us to do in the pilot and season 1 is establish our core family, establish the problems and the conflicts that they have, and really let that be the initial world that we live in.” are you looking forward to amc’s fear the walking dead when it premieres in august? what do you think of the latest teaser videos? will you be watching humans hoping to catch another sneak peek into amc’s new zombie show? let us know by commenting below! [image credit: amc]

ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkɑpiˌraɪt ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkæpʃən ˌrɛzɪgˈneɪʃən həz sɛnt ˈʃɑkˌweɪvz θru ˈlɛbənən ənd ðə ˈriʤən ˈlɛbənənz praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər sɑd hərˈɪri sɪz hi wɪl rɪˈtərn hoʊm "ɪn deɪz" tɪ ˈfɔrməli səbˈmɪt hɪz ˌrɛzɪgˈneɪʃən. ˈmɪstər hərˈɪri spoʊk tɪ fˈjuʧər ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən frəm riɑd, hɪz fərst ˈpəblɪk rɪˈmɑrks sɪns hi əˈnaʊnst hi wɑz ˈstɛpɪŋ daʊn læst wik. hɪz ˈkæbənət ˈælaɪz seɪ hi ɪz biɪŋ hɛld ˈkæptɪv, bət ˈmɪstər hərˈɪri dɪˈnaɪd ðɪs. hi həz bleɪmd ðə ˌhɛzbɑˈlə ˈmuvmənt fər hɪz ˌrɛzɪgˈneɪʃən, ˈsaɪtɪŋ kənˈsərnz ˈoʊvər hɪz ənd hɪz ˈfæməliz ˈseɪfti. ðə ˈjuˈɛs ənd hæv wɔrnd ˈəðər ˈkəntriz nɑt tɪ juz ˈlɛbənən fər ˈprɑksi ˈkɑnflɪkts. ˈmɪstər hərˈɪri, ə ˈsuni ˈlidər ənd ˈbɪznɪsˌmæn, wɑz ˈnɑməˌneɪtəd tɪ fɔrm ˈlɛbənənz ˈgəvərnmənt ɪn noʊˈvɛmbər 2016 "aɪ hæv rɪˈzaɪnd. aɪ æm goʊɪŋ tɪ ˈlɛbənən ˈvɛri sun ənd aɪ wɪl rɪˈzaɪn ɪn ðə ˌkɑnstəˈtuʃənəl ˈmænər," hi sɛd ɪn ðə ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ˈɪntərvˌju. ˈəndər ˈlɛbəˌniz lɔ ðə praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər həz tɪ səbˈmɪt hɪz ˌrɛzɪgˈneɪʃən tɪ ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt, hu məst əkˈsɛpt ɪt fər ɪt tɪ teɪk ˈifɛkt. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ˈmɪstər hərˈɪri ˈɔlsoʊ hɛld aʊt ðə ˈprɑspɛkt ðət hi maɪt ˌrikənˈsɪdər rɪˈzaɪnɪŋ ɪf ˌhɛzbɑˈlə stɑpt ˌɪntərˈvinɪŋ ɪn ˈneɪbərɪŋ ˈkəntriz. "ɪf wi wɔnt tɪ goʊ bæk ɔn ðə ˌrɛzɪgˈneɪʃən, wi hæv tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ ðə ˈpɑləsi əv ˈdɪstənsɪŋ ɑrˈsɛlvz" frəm ˈriʤənəl ˈkɑnflɪkts," hi sɛd, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd prɛs. "aɪ æm nɑt əˈgɛnst ˌhɛzbɑˈlə ɛz ə ˈpɑrti, aɪ hæv ə ˈprɑbləm wɪθ ˌhɛzbɑˈlə dɪˈstrɔɪɪŋ ðə ˈkəntri," hi sɛd. ðə meɪn ˈprɑbləm fər ðə ˈriʤən, hi sɛd, wɑz "ˌɪˈrɑn ˌɪnərˈfɪrɪŋ ɪn ˈærəb steɪts". 'ˈweɪˌkəp kɔl' ə ˈmɪstər hərˈɪri ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzd ðət hi dɪd nɑt rɪˈzaɪn ɪn ðə "ˈjuʒəwəl weɪ" bət sɛd hi ˈwɔntɪd tɪ gɪv hɪz ˈkəntri ə "ˈpɑzətɪv ʃɑk". "maɪ ˌrɛzɪgˈneɪʃən keɪm ɛz ə ˈweɪˌkəp kɔl fər ˈlɛbənən," hi sɛd. ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkɑpiˌraɪt ˈrɔɪtərz ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkæpʃən ˈpoʊstərz əv ˈmɪstər hərˈɪri hæv əˈpɪrd əˈkrɔs beɪˈrut. ðɪs wən sɪz: "wi ər ɔl sɑd" ˌɪˈrɑn ənd ˌhɛzbɑˈlə hæv əˈkjuzd ˈsɔdi əˈreɪbiə əv ˈhoʊldɪŋ ˈmɪstər hərˈɪri ˈhɑstɪʤ. bət ˈmɪstər hərˈɪri ˌɪnˈsɪstɪd ðət hi wɑz fri tɪ ˈtrævəl ɛz hi plizd ɪn ðə ˈkəntri. "aɪ æm fri hir. ɪf aɪ wɔnt tɪ ˈtrævəl təˈmɑˌroʊ, aɪ wɪl," hi sɛd. əbˈzərvərz ˈnoʊtɪd ðə ˈʤərnəlɪst hu ˈɪntərvˌjud ˈmɪstər hərˈɪri meɪd ən ˈɛfərt tɪ ˈdɛmənˌstreɪt ðət ðə ɪˈvɛnt wɑz lɪv, ˈrəðər ðən pre-recorded*, ðoʊ ðɛr wər ˈsɛvərəl ˈmoʊmənts wɪʧ reɪzd səˈspɪʃənz əˈbaʊt ðə kənˈdɪʃənz ˈəndər wɪʧ ðə ˈɪntərvˌju wɑz hɛld, ðə əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd prɛs ˌriˈpɔrtəd.

image copyright afp image caption hariri's resignation has sent shockwaves through lebanon and the region lebanon's prime minister saad hariri says he will return home "in days" to formally submit his resignation. mr hariri spoke to future tv from riyadh, his first public remarks since he announced he was stepping down last week. his cabinet allies say he is being held captive, but mr hariri denied this. he has blamed the iran-backed hezbollah movement for his resignation, citing concerns over his and his family's safety. the us and uk have warned other countries not to use lebanon for proxy conflicts. mr hariri, a sunni leader and businessman, was nominated to form lebanon's government in november 2016. "i have resigned. i am going to lebanon very soon and i will resign in the constitutional manner," he said in the tv interview. under lebanese law the prime minister has to submit his resignation to the president, who must accept it for it to take effect. however, mr hariri also held out the prospect that he might reconsider resigning if hezbollah stopped intervening in neighbouring countries. "if we want to go back on the resignation, we have to return to the policy of distancing ourselves" from regional conflicts," he said, according to the associated press. "i am not against hezbollah as a party, i have a problem with hezbollah destroying the country," he said. the main problem for the region, he said, was "iran interfering in arab states". 'wake-up call' a sombre mr hariri recognised that he did not resign in the "usual way" but said he wanted to give his country a "positive shock". "my resignation came as a wake-up call for lebanon," he said. image copyright reuters image caption posters of mr hariri have appeared across beirut. this one says: "we are all saad" iran and hezbollah have accused saudi arabia of holding mr hariri hostage. but mr hariri insisted that he was free to travel as he pleased in the country. "i am free here. if i want to travel tomorrow, i will," he said. observers noted the journalist who interviewed mr hariri made an effort to demonstrate that the event was live, rather than pre-recorded, though there were several moments which raised suspicions about the conditions under which the interview was held, the associated press reported.

ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt həz sin ən ɪkˈsploʊʒən əv ədˈvaɪs fər əˈspaɪrɪŋ ˈraɪtərz ɔn haʊ tɪ dɪˈvɛləp ən platform’*’, ər haʊ tɪ ˈfoʊkɪs jʊr ‘‘brand’*’. ə ˈtɪpɪkəl ˈwɛbˌsaɪt ædˈvaɪzɪz ðət ɪz connection’*’: ju kənˈsɪdər jʊr aɪˈdɛntəˌti ɛz ən ˈɔθər, kənˈsɪdər ˈfreɪmɪŋ jʊr oʊn ˈstɔri, əv [sɪk] ˈjuzɪŋ ˈɛləmənts əv ˈbrændɪŋ tɪ hɛlp kəmˈjunəˌkeɪt ðɪs mɔr ˈifɛktɪvli tɪ pəˈtɛnʃəl readers.’*.’ aɪ ˈɔfən faɪnd ɪt ˈmaɪldli hɪˈlɛriəs wɪn aɪ rɛd ˈɑrtɪkəlz ðət tɔk əv ˈraɪtɪŋ kriˈeɪtɪvli ɛz ə ‘‘career’*’. ðɪs ɪz ˈpjʊrli ˈpərsɪnəl: ˈæftər θri ˈdɛkeɪdz əv ˈmeɪkɪŋ ə priˈkɛriəs ˈlɪvɪŋ θru ˈvɛriəs kaɪnz əv ˈraɪtɪŋ, ˌɪmˈpɑsəbəl fər mi tɪ lʊk bæk ˈoʊvər maɪ oʊn ‘‘career’*’ wɪθ ˈɛniˌθɪŋ bət ˈrufəl əmˈjuzmənt. bət ˌɛgˌzɔrˈteɪʃənz fər ðə ‘‘author’*’ tɪ bɪˈkəm ə ‘‘brand’*’ meɪk mi læf. ðeɪ fɪl mi wɪθ rɪˈvəlʃən. ə kərɪr, æt list, ɪz ə klɪr ˈkɑnsɛpt, ˌhaʊˈɛvər baɪ ðə ˈmæsɪv ˈʧeɪnʤɪz əv globalisation*. ə kərɪr ɪz ə prəˈfɛʃən pərˈsud wɪˈθɪn səm kaɪnd əv ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənəl ˈstrəkʧər, ˈmɛʒərd baɪ kˌwɑləfəˈkeɪʃənz ənd pərˈmoʊʃənz. ðə ˈkloʊsəst aɪ gɑt tɪ ə kərɪr wɑz æt ðə bɪˈgɪnɪŋ əv maɪ ˈædəlt laɪf wɪn maɪ ˈfɑðər ˌɪnˈsɪstɪd ðət ə poet’*’ kaʊnt ɛz ə ʤɑb dɪˈskrɪpʃən ənd ðət aɪ hæd tɪ gɪt səm kaɪnd əv kˌwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən. æt ə lɔs, aɪ pləmpt fər ˈʤərnəˌlɪzəm (ðət ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ˈraɪtɪŋ, noʊ?) ənd bɪˈkeɪm ə ɔn ðə lɔŋ ˈvænɪʃt ˌæftərˈnun ˈdeɪli, ðə ˈmɛlbərn ˈhɛrəld. wəns aɪ hæd ðə kˌwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən maɪ ˈfɑðər ˌɪnˈsɪstɪd wɑz ˈnɛsəˌsɛri, aɪ rɪˈzaɪnd soʊ aɪ kʊd raɪt ˈpoʊətri. aɪ rɪˈmɛmbər ə ˈsinjər ˈʤərnəlɪst wɑz ˈvɛri ˈæŋgri əˈbaʊt maɪ dɪˈsɪʒən. hi əˈkjuzd mi əv biɪŋ ən aɪˌdiəˈlɪstɪk roʊˈmæntɪk ənd geɪv ə lɔŋ ˈlɛkʧər ɔn haʊ ˌɪrəˈspɑnsəbəl ɪt wɑz tɪ θroʊ əˈweɪ ə mæs ˈmidiə ˈɔdiəns, wɛr maɪ wərk kʊd pərˈhæps meɪk ə ˈdɪfərəns, fər ðə ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˌnɑnəgˈzɪstənt ˈridərˌʃɪp əv ə poʊət. aɪ ɪkˈspleɪn tɪ ɪm aɪ θɪŋk aɪ ɪkˈspleɪn tɪ ˌmaɪˈsɛlf waɪ wət lʊkt tɪ ɪm laɪk ˈnɛglɪʤənt ənd ˈrɛkləsnəs wɑz ˈæˌkʧuəli ə proʊˈfaʊnd, ˌɪrɪˈzɪstəbəl nəˈsɛsɪti. tˈwɛntiˌfaɪv jɪrz ˈleɪtər, aɪ kən si ðət ˈhændɪŋ ɪn ðət ˌrɛzɪgˈneɪʃən ˈlɛtər wɑz wən əv ðoʊz rɛr ˈmoʊmənts aɪ kən ˈaɪsəˌleɪt ɛz life-defining*, ˌhaʊˈɛvər ˌɪnˈstɪŋktɪv maɪ dɪˈsɪʒən wɑz æt ðə taɪm. ɪf aɪ θru əˈweɪ ə kərɪr, ɪt wɑz fər ə gʊd ˈrizən: ðə læst θɪŋ aɪ hæv ˈɛvər ˈwɔntɪd sɪns wɑz tɪ ʧeɪn ˌmaɪˈsɛlf tɪ əˈnəðər, fər maɪ wərk tɪ bi kənˈdɪʃənd baɪ ðə ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃənz əv ə path’*’. ɛz ə rɪˈzəlt aɪ hæv ˈɔfən bɪn ˈvɛri pur, bət aɪ hæv ˈnɛvər, nɑt fər wən ˈsɛkənd, rɪˈgrɛtɪd ðə dɪˈsɪʒən. ˈnəθɪŋ ɪn laɪf ɪz ˈklɪrˌkət, ənd ðə fækt ɪz ðət aɪ ˈnɛvər kwaɪt lɛft ˈʤərnəˌlɪzəm. laɪf ɛz ən aɪˌdiəˈlɪstɪk roʊˈmæntɪk həz meɪd mi ˈvɛri prægˈmætɪk ˌɪnˈdid wən həz tɪ it. bət fər mi ˈraɪtɪŋ rɪˈmeɪnz, æt ə proʊˈfaʊnd ˈlɛvəl, sɪgˈnɪfɪkəntli əˈbaʊt nɑt ˈhævɪŋ ə kərɪr. ɪn ðə ˈoʊldər sɛns əv ðə wərd, ɪt ɪz ə voʊˈkeɪʃən, ə ˈkɔlɪŋ. ə ˈroʊmæns əraʊnd ðə ˈnoʊʃən əv voʊˈkeɪʃən ðət ˈlɪŋgərz ˈivɪn naʊ ɪn ðə ˈnɔɪzi ˈmɑrkɪtˌpleɪs əv leɪt ˈkæpɪtəˌlɪzəm, bət ðɪs ɪz ˈɔfən ə ˌsɛnəˈmɛnəl ənd ˌɛkˈsplɔɪtətɪv frɔd. wərs, ðə ˈsɛnəmənt mæsks ən əˈgrɛsɪv ðət ɪkˈstɛndz tɪ ðə ˈraɪtər hərˈsɛlf. ðɪs, pərˈzɛnəd ɛz ðə ˈvɛri kɔr əv aɪˈdɛntəˌti, ðət dɪˈstərbz mi moʊst. ɪt straɪks mi ɛz sɪgˈnɪfɪkəntli ˈdɪfərənt frəm ðə aɪˈdiə əv pərˈsuɪŋ ə prəˈfɛʃən. ˌɪnˈstɛd, ɪt siks tɪ ˌrikənˈfɪgjər ðə ˈvɛri ˈdiˌɛˈneɪ əv ðə sɛlf, ənd ɪn duɪŋ soʊ θˈrɑtəlz ɪts ˌpɑsəˈbɪlətiz. waɪ, aɪ ˈwəndər, ər soʊ ˈmɛni ˈraɪtərz soʊ kin tɪ ɪmˈbreɪs ðə aɪˈdiə ðət ðeɪ məst bi ə ‘‘brand’*’? jɛs, ˈraɪtɪŋ kən bi ə ˈprɑdəkt ðət ɪz bɔt ənd soʊld. ðɪs ɪz klɪr tɪ mi ɪn ðə moʊst dɪˈrɛkt əv weɪz, bɪˈkəz haʊ aɪ peɪ maɪ rɛnt. bət nɑt waɪ ˈraɪtɪŋ ˈmætərz, ənd ɪt ˈsərtənli ɪz nɑt waɪ wərθ duɪŋ. ðə goʊst əv ðət stərz ˈpaʊərfli ɪn ðə ˈdipəst ˈlɛvəlz əv ˈjumən ˈkɑnʃəsnəs ənd, laɪk ɔl ɑr dɪˈzaɪərz, ɪt ɪz raɪp fər ˌɛkˌsplɔɪˈteɪʃən. ɑr ˈhəŋgər fər ˈstɔri, fər ðə ˈmeɪkɪŋ ənd ˈriˈmeɪkɪŋ əv ˈminɪŋ, ɪz dɪˈstɔrtɪd ˈɪntu ə sɪˈdəktɪv hʊk ðət pʊlz ˈjuˈɛs ˈɪntu ðə ˈvɔrtɛks əv kənˈsumərˌɪzəm. ə nit trɪk: ðət ˈhəŋgər kən ˈnɛvər bi ˈsætɪsˌfaɪd baɪ wət ɪz ˈɔfərd, ˈoʊnli ˈstɪmjəˌleɪtɪd. ənd soʊ wi baɪ ənd baɪ. ɪn ə wərld əv ˈdɪʤɪtəl kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz, ˈstɔri ɪz ə ˈhaɪli kəˈmɑdəti. ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ˈərʤɪz ɪts ˈjuzərz tɪ ðɛr story’*’, wɪʧ kən ðɛn bi tɪ ˈædvərˌtaɪzərz. ˈraɪtɪŋ ɪz ‘‘information’*’; ˈraɪtərz ər providers’*’. ðɪs rɪˈlɛntlɪs ˌɪmˈpɑvrɪʃmənt əv ˈminɪŋ ɪz pərˈzɛnəd ɛz ən ɪkˈspænʧən əv ðə sɛlf, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ɪn ˌriˈæləˌti ə ˈnɛroʊɪŋ, wɛˈrɪn ðə sɛlf ˈoʊnli ɪgˈzɪsts ɛz ə ˈprɑdəkt, ənd ˈminɪŋ ɪz ˈmɛʒərd ɪn ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈjunɪts. ðə ˈsəbˌtɛkst əv ðiz ˈnoʊʃənz əv ˈraɪtɪŋ ɪz ˈdætə ˈmaɪnɪŋ. ðə ˈmɑrkɪtˌpleɪs trits ˈstɔri ɪgˈzæktli ɛz ə trits ən ˌɪnˈdɪʤənəs ˈseɪkrɪd saɪt ənd wɪθ ðə seɪm ˈəgli ˈaʊtˌkəm. rɪˈvəlʃən tu strɔŋ ə wərd fər maɪ rɪˈspɑns tɪ ðət. ɪn fækt, ˈoʊnli ə ˈʃæˌdoʊ əv wət aɪ fil.

the internet has seen an explosion of advice for aspiring writers on how to develop an ‘author platform’, or how to focus your ‘brand’. a typical how-to website advises that ‘branding is connection’: ‘when you consider your identity as an author, consider framing your ownory, of [sic] using elements of branding to help communicate this more effectively to potential readers.’ i often find it mildly hilarious when i read articles that talk of writing creatively as a ‘career’. this is purely personal: after three decades of making a precarious living through various kinds of writing, it’s impossible for me to look back over my own ‘career’ with anything but rueful amusement. but exhortations for the ‘author’ to become a ‘brand’ don’t make me laugh. they fill me with revulsion. a career, at least, is a clear concept, however problematised by the massive changes of globalisation. a career is a profession that’s pursued within some kind of institutionalructure, measured by qualifications and promotions. the closest i got to a career was at the beginning of my adult life when my father insisted that ‘being a poet’ didn’t count as a job description and that i had to get some kind of qualification. at a loss, i plumped for journalism (that involved writing, no?) and became a copygirl on the long vanished afternoon daily, the melbourne herald. once i had the qualification my father insisted was necessary, i resigned so i could write poetry. i remember a senior journalist was very angry about my decision. he accused me of being an idealistic romantic and gave a long lecture on how irresponsible it was to throw away a mass media audience, where my work could perhaps make a difference, for the almost non-existent readership of a poet. i couldn’t explain to him – i think i couldn’t explain to myself – why what looked to him like negligent and self-indulgent recklessness was actually a profound, irresistible necessity. twenty-five years later, i can see that handing in that resignation letter was one of those rare moments i can isolate as life-defining, however instinctive my decision was at the time. if i threw away a career, it was for a good reason: the last thing i have ever wanted since was to chain myself to another, for my work to be conditioned by the expectations of a ‘career path’. as a result i have often been very poor, but i have never, not for one second, regretted the decision. nothing in life is clear-cut, and the fact is that i never quite left journalism. life as an idealistic romantic has made me very pragmatic indeed – one has to eat. but for me writing remains, at a profound level, significantly about not having a career. in the older sense of the word, it is a vocation, a calling. there’s a romance around the notion of vocation that lingers even now in the noisy marketplace of late capitalism, but this is often a sentimental and exploitative fraud. worse, the sentiment masks an aggressive commodification that extends to the writer herself. it’s this commodification, presented as the very core of writerly identity, that disturbs me most. itrikes me as significantly different from the idea of pursuing a profession. instead, it seeks to reconfigure the very dna of the writerly self, and in doing so throttles its possibilities. why, i wonder, are so many writers so keen to embrace the idea that they must be a ‘brand’? yes, writing can be a product that is bought and sold. this is clear to me in the most direct of ways, because it’s how i pay my rent. but that’s not why writing matters, and it certainly is not why it’s worth doing. the ghost of that matteringirs powerfully in the deepest levels of human consciousness and, like all our desires, it is ripe for exploitation. our hunger forory, for the making and remaking of meaning, is distorted into a seductive hook that pulls us into the vortex of consumerism. it’s a neat trick: that hunger can never be satisfied by what is offered, onlyimulated. and so we buy and buy. in a world of digital communications,ory is a highly sellable commodity. facebook urges its users to ‘tell theirory’, which can then be onsold to advertisers. writing is ‘information’; writers are ‘content providers’. this relentless impoverishment of meaning is presented as an expansion of the self, although in reality it’s a narrowing, wherein the self only exists as a product, and meaning is measured in economic units. the subtext of these notions of writing is data mining. the marketplace treatsory exactly as arip-miner treats an indigenous sacred site and with the same ugly outcome. revulsion isn’t toorong a word for my response to that. in fact, it’s only a shadow of what i feel.

ɪt meɪks fænz əv ˈhɪləri ˈklɪntən ˈvɛri ˈæŋʃəs ˈɛvəri taɪm aɪ steɪt ðɪs ˈsɪmpəl fækt: əˈtɛndəns æt ðə ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈkændədeɪts ˈræliz ɪz ˌmidiˈoʊkər æt bɛst. ðə ˈpɪkʧərz hæv toʊld ðə ˈstɔri ˈoʊvər ðə pæst sɪks mənθs. rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈdɑnəld trəmp ɪz ˈfɪlɪŋ kənˈvɛnʃən ˈsɛntərz, ˈɛrˌpɔrt ˈhæŋərz ənd pɑrks. ˈklɪntən, ɔn ðə ˈəðər hænd, ɪz ˈfɪlɪŋ kəmˈjunɪti ˈsɛntərz ənd smɔl ˈkɑlɪʤɪz, bət ʤɪst ˈbɛrli. ðə ˈpipəl kæmˈpeɪnɪŋ fər hər ðə rɑk stɑrz əv ðə ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈpɑrti səʧ ɛz fərst ˈleɪdi mɪˈʃɛl ˌoʊˈbɑmə, ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈbɑrək ˌoʊˈbɑmə ənd vərˈmɑnt ˈsɛnətər ˈbərni ˈsændərz hæv ˈbɪgər ənd mɔr ˌɛnərˈʤɛtɪk kraʊdz. mɔˈroʊvər, ɛz ˈklɪntən goʊz ˈɪntu ðə ˈfaɪnəl ˈwiˌkɪnd əv kæmˈpeɪnɪŋ, ʃi ɪz drɔɪŋ ɔn tɪ əˈtrækt ˈpipəl tɪ hər kɔz baɪ ˈhoʊldɪŋ ˈsɛpərˌeɪt ɪˈvɛnts wɪθ mjuˈzɪʃənz ˈwɪljəmz, ʤeɪ zi ənd ˈkeɪti ˈpɛri. ðɛr wɑz ə ˈmoʊmənˌtɛri spaɪk ðɪs pæst wik ɪn ˈtɛmpi, ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə, wɛr, əˈsaɪd frəm ˌʤuˈlaɪz ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈnæʃənəl kənˈvɛnʃən, ʃi hæd wən əv hər ˈbɪgəst ˈræliz jɛt. mɔr ðən ˈpipəl əˈtɛndəd ən ɪˈvɛnt wɛr ʃi wɛnt ˈsoʊˌloʊ. bət ju kʊd ʧɔk ðət əp tɪ ðə fækt ðət ə ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ˌnɑməˈni ɪn ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ɪz rɛr. ənˈlaɪk ˈflɔrɪdə, nɔrθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə, ˌpɛnsəlˈveɪnjə, wɪˈskɑnsən, nu ˈhæmʃər ənd ˈəðər ˈbætəlˌgraʊnd steɪts, ərˈɪzoʊnənz ˈɑrənt bɑmˈbɑrdɪd wɪθ kæmˈpeɪn stɑps. ˈklɪntənz ɪn winterville*, nɔrθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə, ɔn ˈθərzˌdeɪ [krɪs ʤəˈzirə] kənˈsərvətɪv ˈmidiə ənd trəmp hɪmˈsɛlf hæv ˈpɔɪntɪd tɪ ðə sˈmɔlər saɪz əv ðə ˈræliz ənd brɪŋ ɪt əp ɔl ðə taɪm. "aɪ hæv tɪ seɪ, wi hæv ˈræliz laɪk ðɪs ənd wi hæv ˈsɛvən, eɪt, naɪn, tɛn ˈθaʊzənd ruˈtinli," hi ˈboʊstɪd bæk ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər æt ə stɑp ɪn nɔrθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə. "ˈhɪləri goʊz aʊt fər ˈræliz ənd ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ aɪ θɪŋk ʃi hæd 200 ˈpipəl, ˈmeɪbi 300 bət səm ˈænəlɪsts bɪˈliv ðət, ˈkɑntrɛri tɪ trəmps pərˈsɪstənt əˈsərʃən ðət ðɛrz ə "ˈsaɪlənt məˈʤɔrəti" ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts hu wɔnt ɪm tɪ wɪn, ðə ˈɑpəzɪt meɪ bi tru ənd ðət kʊd ɪkˈspleɪn æt list səm əv ðə loʊ ˈnəmbərz æt ˈklɪntən ˈræliz. praʊd trəmp səˈpɔrtərz ðɛr ɪz noʊ daʊt trəmp səˈpɔrtərz ər praʊd tɪ seɪ ðɛr ˈvoʊtɪŋ fər ɪm. ðæts bɪn ˈɛvədənt sɪns ðə bɪˈgɪnɪŋ əv hɪz kæmˈpeɪn. bət ˈlɑrə braʊn, ən əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪt prəˈfɛsər əv pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈmænɪʤmənt æt ʤɔrʤ ˈwɔʃɪŋtən ˌjunəˈvərsəti, ˈɑrgjuz saɪz ˈdəzənt ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli ˈmætər. "trəmp ɪz ə ˈnɑvəlti ənd fər səm, tɪ seɪ ðət ðeɪ wɛnt ɪz laɪk seɪɪŋ ðeɪ wɛnt tɪ ə ˈspɔrtɪŋ ɪˈvɛnt," ʃi ˈɑrgjuz. "trəmp həz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈrɛgjələrli bɪn goʊɪŋ tɪ ˈpleɪsɪz wɛr hi ɪz moʊst bɪˈləvəd, nɑt wɛr ðə graʊnd geɪm ɪz moʊst kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv." ˈəðər ˈænəlɪsts bɪˈliv ˈmɛni ər ˈsɪmpli rɪˈləktənt tɪ ədˈmɪt ðɛr ɔn ˈklɪntənz saɪd. ðə ˈkɑntrəˌvərsiz sərˈaʊndɪŋ hər ðə juz əv ə ˈpraɪvət iˈmeɪl ˈsərvər waɪl ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri əv steɪt, ˌæləˈgeɪʃənz ðət ʃi geɪv ˈspɛʃəl ˈækˌsɛs tɪ wərld ˈlidərz waɪl ɪn ˈgəvərnmənt ɪn ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ fər doʊˈneɪʃənz tɪ hər ˈfæməliz faʊnˈdeɪʃən ənd, mɔr ˈrisəntli, ən ˈɛfˈbiˈaɪ ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən ˈɪntu hər stæf iˈmeɪlz hæv meɪd ɪt ˈhɑrdər fər ˈpipəl tɪ ʃoʊ ðɛr ləv. "aɪv hæd ə ˈnəmbər əv ˈstudənts tɛl mi ðət ðɛr rɪˈləktənt tɪ bi tu ˈpəblɪk ər tu ˈpəblɪkli ɪnˌθuziˈæstɪk ˈoʊvər ðɛr səˈpɔrt fər ˈklɪntən," sɪz krɪs galdieri*, əˈsɪstənt prəˈfɛsər æt ˈænsɛlm ˈkɑlɪʤ ɪn nu ˈhæmʃər. bət hi bɪˈlivz ðə səˈpɔrt ɪz ðɛr. "maɪ waɪf ˈrisəntli tʊk ɑr ˈdɔtər tɪ si ˈklɪntən æt ən ɪˈvɛnt hir ɪn nu ˈhæmʃər," hi sɪz. "ənd mɛt ˈwɪmən frəm nu ˈhæmʃər ənd ˈəðər steɪts hu hæd brɔt ðɛr ˈdɔtərz wɪθ ðɛm spəˈsɪfɪkli tɪ si ˈklɪntən, bɪˈkəz ðɛrz ə gʊd ˈlaɪkliˌhʊd ʃi wɪl bi ðə fərst ˈwʊmən ˈprɛzɪdənt." ðə ˈklɪntən kæmˈpeɪn ˌɪnˈsɪsts ðeɪv beɪkt ðə smɔl ˈnəmbərz ˈɪntu ðɛr ˈstrætəʤi. æt ə stɑp ɪn winterville*, nɔrθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə, aɪ æst wən əv ˈklɪntənz tɔp eɪdz ˈwɛðər ʃi ɪz kənˈsərnd əˈbaʊt ðə ˌmidiˈoʊkər əˈtɛndəns. "wiv gɔn ˈɪntu lɛs ˈpɑpjələs pɑrts əv ðə steɪt fər ə ˈrizən," sɛd ˈʤɛnəfər ˌpɔlmiˈɛri, ˈklɪntənz kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz dɪˈrɛktər. "ðɛr ər ˈvoʊtərz ɪn ðɪs ˈɛriə [nɔrθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə] ðət wi wɔnt tɪ tərn aʊt, soʊ ɪf ju goʊ tɪ ə pleɪs wɛr ðɛr ˈɑrənt ɛz ˈmɛni ˈpipəl hu lɪv ðɛr, ju ˈɑrənt ˈlaɪkli tɪ gɪt ðə kraʊdz." ɔn ə ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ˈkɑnfərəns kɔl wɪθ rɪˈpɔrtərz, ˈrɑbi mʊk, ˈklɪntənz kæmˈpeɪn ˈmænɪʤər, sɛd ðeɪv hæd səkˈsɛs ɪn ˈərli ˈvoʊtɪŋ ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈpipəl hu ˈhævənt kæst ə ˈbælət məʧ ɪn ðə pæst ˈsoʊˈkɔld "loʊ prəˈpɛnsɪti ˈvoʊtərz" tɪ kəm aʊt tɪ ðə poʊlz. bət ɔn ðə seɪm kɔl kæmˈpeɪn əˈfɪʃəlz ˈbɛrli əˈdrɛst kˈwɛsʧənz əˈbaʊt rɪˈpɔrts ðət ˈæfrɪkənəˈmɛrɪkən ˈərli ˈvoʊtɪŋ ɪz daʊn frəm 2012 ðæts ə ki grup əv ˈpipəl fər ˈklɪntən. æt ðə ɛnd əv ðə deɪ, ðə ˈvoʊtɪŋ buθ ɪz wɛr ðə əˈtɛndəns ˈrɪli kaʊnts. "ɪnˈθuziˌæzəm ɪz greɪt, bət ɪt ˈdəzənt prɪˈdɪkt ðə rɪˈzəlt," sɪz braʊn. pleɪ ˈvɪdioʊ pleɪ mjut ˈkɑrənt taɪm ˈdʊˈreɪʃən taɪm ˈloʊdɪd 0 ˈprɑˌgrɛs 0 ˈprɑˌgrɛs 0 strim taɪp lɪv rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ taɪm ˈpleɪˌbæk reɪt 1 ˈʧæptərz ˈʧæptərz dɪˈskrɪpʃənz ɔf səˈlɛktɪd dɪˈskrɪpʃənz ˈsəbˌtaɪtəlz ɔf səˈlɛktɪd ˈsəbˌtaɪtəlz ˈkæpʃənz ˈsɛtɪŋz ˈoʊpənz ˈkæpʃənz ˈsɛtɪŋz ˈdaɪəlɔg ˈkæpʃənz ˈsɛtɪŋz ˈkæpʃənz ɔf səˈlɛktɪd ˈkæpʃənz ˈɑdiˌoʊ træk ðɪs ɪz ə ˈmoʊdəl ˈwɪndoʊ. ˈkæpʃənz ˈsɛtɪŋz ˈdaɪəlɔg bɪˈgɪnɪŋ əv ˈdaɪəlɔg ˈwɪndoʊ. ɪˈskeɪp wɪl ˈkænsəl ənd kloʊz ðə ˈwɪndoʊ. tɛkst ˈkələr waɪt blæk rɛd grin blu ˈjɛloʊ məˈʤɛntə saɪæn trænˈspɛrənsi oʊˈpeɪk ˈbækˌgraʊnd ˈkələr blæk waɪt rɛd grin blu ˈjɛloʊ məˈʤɛntə saɪæn trænˈspɛrənsi oʊˈpeɪk trænˈspɛrənt ˈwɪndoʊ ˈkələr blæk waɪt rɛd grin blu ˈjɛloʊ məˈʤɛntə saɪæn trænˈspɛrənsi trænˈspɛrənt oʊˈpeɪk fɑnt saɪz 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 300 400 tɛkst ɛʤ staɪl nən reɪzd dɪˈprɛst ˈjunəˌfɔrm fɑnt ˈfæməli prəˈpɔrʃənəl prəˈpɔrʃənəl ˈkæʒəwəl skrɪpt smɔl kæps dɪˈfɔlts dən mɪˈʃɛl ˌoʊˈbɑmə ʤɔɪnz ˈhɪləri ˈklɪntən ɔn ðə kæmˈpeɪn treɪl

it makes fans of hillary clinton very anxious every time i state this simple fact: attendance at the democratic candidate's rallies is mediocre at best. the pictures have told the story over the past six months. republican donald trump is filling convention centres, airport hangars and parks. clinton, on the other hand, is filling community centres and small colleges, but just barely. the people campaigning for her - the rock stars of the democratic party such as first lady michelle obama, president barack obama and vermont senator bernie sanders - have bigger and more energetic crowds. moreover, as clinton goes into the final weekend of campaigning, she is drawing on mega-celebrities to attract people to her cause by holding separate events with musicians pharrell williams, jay z and katy perry. there was a momentary spike this past week in tempe, arizona, where, aside from july's democratic national convention, she had one of her biggest rallies yet. more than 10,000 people attended an event where she went solo. but you could chalk that up to the fact that a democratic presidential nominee in arizona is rare. unlike florida, north carolina, pennsylvania, wisconsin, new hampshire and other battleground states, arizonans aren't bombarded with campaign stops. clinton's rallly in winterville, north carolina, on thursday [chris sheridan/al jazeera] conservative media and trump himself have pointed to the smaller size of the rallies and bring it up all the time. "i have to say, we have rallies like this and we have seven, eight, nine, ten thousand routinely," he boasted back in september at a stop in north carolina. "hillary goes out for rallies and yesterday i think she had 200 people, maybe 300." but some analysts believe that, contrary to trump's persistent assertion that there's a "silent majority" in the united states who want him to win, the opposite may be true and that could explain at least some of the low numbers at clinton rallies. proud trump supporters there is no doubt trump supporters are proud to say they're voting for him. that's been evident since the beginning of his campaign. but lara brown, an associate professor of political management at george washington university, argues size doesn't necessarily matter. "trump is a novelty and for some, to say that they went is like saying they went to a sporting event," she argues. "trump has also regularly been going to places where he is most beloved, not where the ground game is most competitive." other analysts believe many are simply reluctant to admit they're on clinton's side. the controversies surrounding her - the use of a private email server while secretary of state, allegations that she gave special access to world leaders while in government in exchange for donations to her family's foundation and, more recently, an fbi investigation into her staff emails - have made it harder for people to show their love. "i've had a number of students tell me that they're reluctant to be too public or too publicly enthusiastic over their support for clinton," says chris galdieri, assistant professor at st anselm college in new hampshire. but he believes the support is there. "my wife recently took our daughter to see clinton at an event here in new hampshire," he says. "and met women from new hampshire and other states who had brought their daughters with them specifically to see clinton, because there's a good likelihood she will be the first woman president." the clinton campaign insists they've baked the small numbers into their strategy. at a stop in winterville, north carolina, i asked one of clinton's top aides whether she is concerned about the mediocre attendance. "we've gone into less populous parts of the state for a reason," said jennifer palmieri, clinton's communications director. "there are voters in this area [north carolina] that we want to turn out, so if you go to a place where there aren't as many people who live there, you aren't likely to get the crowds." on a friday conference call with reporters, robby mook, clinton's campaign manager, said they've had success in early voting getting people who haven't cast a ballot much in the past - so-called "low propensity voters" - to come out to the polls. but on the same call campaign officials barely addressed questions about reports that african-american early voting is down from 2012. that's a key group of people for clinton. at the end of the day, the voting booth is where the attendance really counts. "enthusiasm is great, but it doesn't predict the result," says brown.  play video  play   mute current time 0:00 / duration time 0:00 loaded : 0%  0:00  progress : 0% 0:00 progress : 0% stream type live remaining time -0:00 playback rate 1  chapters chapters  descriptions off , selected descriptions  subtitles off , selected subtitles  captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions settings captions off , selected captions  audio track  fullscreen this is a modal window. captions settings dialog beginning of dialog window. escape will cancel and close the window. text color white black red green blue yellow magenta cyan transparency opaque semi-opaque background color black white red green blue yellow magenta cyan transparency opaque semi-transparent transparent window color black white red green blue yellow magenta cyan transparency transparent semi-transparent opaque font size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% text edge style none raised depressed uniform dropshadow font family proportional sans-serif monospace sans-serif proportional serif monospace serif casual script small caps defaults done michelle obama joins hillary clinton on the campaign trail

ˈlɪtəl rɑk ɛz ɪkˈspɛktɪd, gəv. ˈɑsə ˈhəʧɪnsən ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ ˈɪʃud ə ˌprɑkləˈmeɪʃən ˈkɔlɪŋ fər ə ˈspɛʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən tɪ fɪl ðə haʊs sit lɛft ˈveɪkənt baɪ ðə dɛθ əv steɪt rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. ˈlæmpkɪn əv ˌmɑntɪˈsɛloʊ. ˈlɪtəl rɑk ɛz ɪkˈspɛktɪd, gəv. ˈɑsə ˈhəʧɪnsən ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ ˈɪʃud ə ˌprɑkləˈmeɪʃən ˈkɔlɪŋ fər ə ˈspɛʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən tɪ fɪl ðə haʊs sit lɛft ˈveɪkənt baɪ ðə dɛθ əv steɪt rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. ˈlæmpkɪn əv ˌmɑntɪˈsɛloʊ. ðə ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈlɛʤəsˌleɪtər daɪd ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ frəm oʊˈvɛˌriən ˈkænsər. fɔr deɪz ˈərliər, ɪt wɑz əˈnaʊnst ðət ˈlæmpkɪn wʊd nɑt sik tɪ ə fɔrθ tərm, ənd ðə steɪt ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈpɑrti ˈleɪtər əˈnaʊnst ɪt wʊd hoʊld ə kənˈvɛnʃən tɪ ʧuz ə ˈkænədɪt fər hər sit. ˈhəʧɪnsən sɛd ɪn hɪz ˌprɑkləˈmeɪʃən ðə ˈspɛʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən tɪ fɪl ðə sit fər ðə ˌənɪkˈspaɪərd ˈpɔrʃən əv tərm wɪl bi noʊv. 8 ðə seɪm deɪ ɛz ðə ˈʤɛnərəl ɪˈlɛkʃən. ðə ˈpɑrtiz ər tɪ hoʊld kənˈvɛnʃənz tɪ səˈlɛkt ˌnɑməˈniz noʊ ˈleɪtər ðən ˈɔgəst. 8 ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt ˈkænədɪts fər ðə ˈspɛʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən, ɪf ˈɛni, məst faɪl ˈnoʊtɪsɪz əv ˈkændɪdəsi wɪθ ðə ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri əv ˈɔfəs noʊ ˈleɪtər ðən ˈɔgəst. 10 rɪˈpəblɪkən ʤɪm hɔl əv ˌmɑntɪˈsɛloʊ ɪz ˈrənɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈʤɛnərəl ɪˈlɛkʃən fər haʊs sit. ˈhəʧɪnsən toʊld rɪˈpɔrtərz ˈtuzˌdeɪ hi ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ kɔl ə ˈspɛʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən tɪ fɪl ðə sit.

little rock — as expected, gov. asa hutchinson on wednesday issued a proclamation calling for a special election to fill the house seat left vacant by the death of state rep. sheilla lampkin of monticello. little rock — as expected, gov. asa hutchinson on wednesday issued a proclamation calling for a special election to fill the house seat left vacant by the death of state rep. sheilla lampkin of monticello. the democratic legislator died saturday from ovarian cancer. four days earlier, it was announced that lampkin would not seek re-election to a fourth term, and the state democratic party later announced it would hold a convention to choose a candidate for her seat. hutchinson said in his proclamation the special election to fill the seat for the unexpired portion of lampkin’s term will be nov. 8, the same day as the general election. the parties are to hold conventions to select nominees no later than aug. 8. independent candidates for the special election, if any, must file notices of candidacy with the secretary of state’s office no later than aug. 10. republican jim hall of monticello is running in the general election for lampkin’s house seat. hutchinson told reporters tuesday he expected to call a special election to fill the seat.

we’re* ˈkɪkɪŋ ɔf 2015 æt ðə ˈdɪzniˌlænd rɪˈzɔrt wɪθ ə ˈspɛʃəl ˈtɪkɪt ˈɔfər ɪkˈsklusɪvli fər ˈsəðərn ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ˈrɛzɪdənts! fər ə ˈlɪmɪtɪd taɪm bɪˈgɪnɪŋ təˈdeɪ soʊ kæl ˈrɛzɪdənts meɪ ˈpərʧəs ðə ˈspɛʃəl pɑrk ˈtɪkɪts wɪθ ˈɔpʃənz fər tu ər θri deɪz əv ˈmæʤɪk ənd ədˈvɛnʧər æt ˈspɛʃəl ˈpraɪsɪz. ðə bɛst weɪ tɪ ɪkˈspɪriəns ðə nu fun”*” æt ˈdɪzni ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ədˈvɛnʧər pɑrk əˈfɪʃəli ˈoʊpən təˈdeɪ ənd ˈɔlsoʊ tɪ ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ ðə ˈklæsɪk əˈtrækʃənz ənd ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt θruaʊt ðə ˈdɪzniˌlænd rɪˈzɔrt. ˈsəðərn ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ˈrɛzɪdənts meɪ juz ðə ˈspɛʃəl ˈtɪkɪts tɪ ˈvɪzɪt wən pɑrk pər deɪ (ˈiðər pɑrk) ər ˈpərʧəs pɑrk ˈhɑpər ˈtɪkɪts fər ə tu- ər ˈpɪriəd. ðə ˈɔfər həz fɔr ˈpərʧəs ˈɔpʃənz: ə ˈtɪkɪt wɪθ ʧɔɪs əv wən pɑrk pər deɪ fər 139 ə pɑrk ˈhɑpər ˈtɪkɪt fər 178 ə ˈtɪkɪt wɪθ ʧɔɪs əv wən pɑrk pər deɪ fər 169 ər ə pɑrk ˈhɑpər fər 208 wɪθ ðiz ˈtɪkɪts, ˈsəðərn ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ˈrɛzɪdənts hæv ðə ˌflɛksəˈbɪləti tɪ meɪk ˈmɛməriz wɪθ ˈfæməli ənd frɛndz ˈoʊvər tu ər θri deɪz, frəm ˈʤænjuˌɛri 7 θru meɪ 21 2015 (deɪts blɑkt ər mɑrʧ 20 ˈeɪprəl 4 2015 ðə ˈsunər ju ˈpərʧəs jʊr ˈtɪkɪts, ðə mɔr taɪm ju wɪl hæv tɪ rɪˈtərn fər ə ˈsɛkənd ər θərd ˈvɪzɪt! ˈɔlsoʊ bɪˈgɪnɪŋ təˈdeɪ, fun”*” wɪl bi ˈɔfərd fər ə ˈlɪmɪtɪd taɪm æt ˈdɪzni ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ədˈvɛnʧər pɑrk, ənd ˌɪnˈkludz rɔɪəl welcome,”*,” ən ˈɛləgənt loʊˈkeɪʃən ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə ˈdɪzni ˌænəˈmeɪʃən ˈbɪldɪŋ fər ˈænə ənd ˈɛlsə tɪ rɪˈsiv ˈvɪzɪtərz. gɛsts meɪ rɪˈzərv ə taɪm tɪ mit ðɛm wɪθ ə rɪˈtərn taɪm ˈtɪkɪt, əˈveɪləbəl ʤɪst ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə ˌænəˈmeɪʃən ˈbɪldɪŋ. ˈɛlsˌwɛr ɪn ðə ˈdɪzni ˌænəˈmeɪʃən ˈbɪldɪŋ, gɛsts æt ðə ˌænəˈmeɪʃən əˈkædəmi wɪl bi æst ju wɔnt tɪ drɔ ə snowman?”*?” wɪθ ən ˈoʊlɑf drɔɪŋ ɪkˈspɪriəns. əˈnəðər ˈɛləmənt əv fun”*” ɪz ðə fərst taɪm ɪn fərˈɛvər ə ˈfroʊzən celebration,”*,” wɪʧ trænsˈfɔrmz ðə ˈθiətər ˈɪntu ðə kraʊn ʤuəl ˈθiətər əv arendelle*. nɛkst dɔr, ɪn steɪʤ 17 snoʊ fest”*” kriˈeɪts ə ˈwɪntər sin wɛr gɛsts meɪ mit ənd ʃɛr wɔrm həgz wɪθ ˈoʊlɑf. ə ʤaɪənt pleɪ ˈɛriə wɪθ ril snoʊ ɪnˈkərəʤəz gɛsts əv ɔl ˈeɪʤɪz tɪ bɪld snoʊ kriˈeɪʃənz ənd zɪp daʊn ə snoʊ slaɪd. (noʊt: snoʊ fest”*” kənˈkludz ˈeɪprəl 30 2015 ˈæftər dɑrk, ʤɪst ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə ˈɛntrəns tɪ ʃoʊ fest,”*,” ðə ˈɛriə trænsˈfɔrmz ˈɪntu ðə naɪt! ə ˈfæməli dæns party.”*.” gɛsts kən ʤɔɪn ən ˌɪnərˈæktɪv ˈpɑrti ðət ˈsɛləˌbreɪts ɔl θɪŋz ““frozen”*” wɪθ mˈjuzɪk, geɪmz, ˈfoʊˌtoʊ ˌɑpərˈtunətiz, drɪŋks ənd snæks ənd aɪs ˈskəlptərz. ɪn əˈdɪʃən tɪ fun”*” æt ˈhɑliˌwʊd lænd ɪn ˈdɪzni ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ədˈvɛnʧər pɑrk, gɛsts kən ˈɔlsoʊ ɪkˈspɪriəns ðə ˈmæʤɪk əv ðə ˈdɪzni ˈænəˌmeɪtɪd ˈblɑkˌbəstər ““frozen”*” wɪθ ən steɪʤ ʃoʊ bɪˈgɪnɪŋ təˈdeɪ æt ˈfænəsi fɛr ɪn ˈdɪzniˌlænd pɑrk. ˈmɪstər. smaɪð ənd ˈmɪstər. ʤoʊnz hæv pʊt ðɛr juˈnik spɪn ɔn ðə ““frozen”*” ˈstɔri, əˈdæptɪŋ ɪt fər ðə rɔɪəl ˈθiətər ənd ˈfiʧərɪŋ ˈænə, ˈɛlsə ənd ðə fɛr ˈmeɪdənz. ˈɔlsoʊ bɪˈgɪnɪŋ təˈdeɪ, gɛsts meɪ juz ˈdɪzni tɪ rɪˈzərv ə ˈʃoʊˌtaɪm æt ðə rɔɪəl ˈθiətər. ˈænə ənd ˈɛlsə ˈɔlsoʊ wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ əˈgɛn meɪk ˈdeɪli əˈpɪrənsəz ɔn ðɛr oʊn floʊt ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli priˈsidɪŋ parade”*” ɪn ˈdɪzniˌlænd pɑrk. ˈspɛʃəl ˈsəðərn ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ˈrɛzɪdənt ˈtɪkɪts kən bi ˈpərʧəst æt disneyland.com/tickets*, ˈdɪzni stɔrz, vɑnz ənd ˈəðər ˈriˌteɪl loʊˈkeɪʃənz, ɛz wɛl ɛz ˈɛni ˈdɪzniˌlænd rɪˈzɔrt ˈtɪkɪt buθ. gɛsts hu ˈpərʧəs ˈtɪkɪts ˈɔnˌlaɪn meɪ prɪnt ðɛr ˈtɪkɪts æt hoʊm. wɪn ˈpərʧəst ɪn ədˈvæns, ˈtɪkɪts ˌɪnˈklud wən ˈmæʤɪk ˈərli ˈɛntri tɪ ˈdɪzniˌlænd pɑrk, wɪʧ prəˈvaɪdz ən ˈɛkstrə aʊər əv pleɪ ɔn səˈlɛkt deɪz ˌbiˈfɔr ðə pɑrk ˈoʊpənz tɪ ðə ˈʤɛnərəl ˈpəblɪk. ðɪs ˈbɛnəfɪt ɪz nɑt əˈveɪləbəl tɪ ˈtɪkɪts ˈpərʧəst æt ˈdɪzniˌlænd rɪˈzɔrt ˈtɪkɪt buθs. fər riˈstrɪkʃənz, ˈvɪzɪt http://disneyland.com/2days*. *soʊ kæl ˈrɛzɪdənt ˈtɪkɪt: ˈvælɪd ˈoʊnli fər ˈsəðərn ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ˈrɛzɪdənts wɪˈθɪn zɪp koʊdz ənd ˈnɔrðərn ˈbɑˌhɑ ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ˈrɛzɪdənts wɪˈθɪn zɪp koʊdz pruf əv ˈrɛzɪdənsi ɪz rikˈwaɪərd fər ˈpərʧəs ənd ədˈmɪʃən., pər deɪ ˈtɪkɪt ɪz ˈvælɪd fər ədˈmɪʃən fər tu 2 deɪz tɪ ˈiðər disneyland®*® ər ˈdɪzni ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə adventure®*® pɑrk, bət nɑt tɪ boʊθ pɑrks ɔn ðə seɪm deɪ. disneyland®*® rɪˈzɔrt pɑrk hopper®*® ˈtɪkɪt ɪz ˈvælɪd fər ədˈmɪʃən fər tu 2 deɪz tɪ boʊθ disneyland®*® ənd ˈdɪzni ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə adventure®*® pɑrk ɔn ðə seɪm deɪ., pər deɪ ˈtɪkɪt ɪz ˈvælɪd fər ədˈmɪʃən fər θri 3 deɪz tɪ ˈiðər ˈdɪzniˌlænd ər ˈdɪzni ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ədˈvɛnʧər pɑrk, bət nɑt tɪ boʊθ pɑrks ɔn ðə seɪm deɪ. ˈdɪzniˌlænd rɪˈzɔrt pæk ˈhɑpər ˈtɪkɪt ɪz ˈvælɪd fər ədˈmɪʃən fər θri 3 deɪz tɪ boʊθ ˈdɪzniˌlænd ənd ˈdɪzni ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ədˈvɛnʧər pɑrk ɔn ðə seɪm deɪ. iʧ deɪ əv juz ˈkɑnstəˌtuts wən fʊl deɪ əv juz. ˈtɪkɪts ɪkˈspaɪr meɪ 21 2015 deɪz əv əˈplaɪ. meɪ ˈpərʧəs əp tɪ 5 ˈtɪkɪts pər ˈpərsən pər deɪ wɪθ ˈvælɪd ˈaɪˈdi. ˈtɪkɪts meɪ nɑt bi soʊld ər ˈtrænsfərd fər kəˈmərʃəl juz. ˈɔfər meɪ nɑt bi kəmˈbaɪnd wɪθ ˈəðər ˈtɪkɪt ˈdɪˌskaʊnts ər pərˈmoʊʃənz. ˈtɪkɪts nɑt ˈvælɪd ˌbiˈfɔr ˈsəbʤɪkt tɪ kəˈpæsɪti, riˈstrɪkʃənz ənd ʧeɪnʤ wɪˈθaʊt ˈnoʊtɪs. **ˈmæʤɪk ˈmɔrnɪŋ ənd ˈɛkstrə ˈmæʤɪk aʊər: ˈmæʤɪk ˈmɔrnɪŋ ədˈmɪʃən əˈlaʊz ədˈmɪʃən ˈɪntu səˈlɛktɪd əˈtrækʃənz æt disneyland®*® pɑrk ˌbiˈfɔr ðə pɑrk ˈoʊpənz tɪ ðə ˈʤɛnərəl ˈpəblɪk ɔn ˈtuzˌdeɪ, ˈθərzˌdeɪ ər ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ. iʧ gɛst məst hæv ˈvælɪd, ˈɛlɪʤəbəl θim pɑrk ədˈmɪʃən. ˈdɪzniˌlænd rɪˈzɔrt hoʊˈtɛl gɛst ˈɛkstrə ˈmæʤɪk aʊər ˈkərəntli əˈlaʊz ˈrɛʤɪstərd ˈdɪzniˌlænd rɪˈzɔrt hoʊˈtɛl gɛs ədˈmɪʃən ˈɪntu səˈlɛkt əˈtrækʃənz æt ˈdɪzniˌlænd pɑrk ɔn ˈtuzˌdeɪ, ˈθərzˌdeɪ ənd ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ ənd ˈdɪzni ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ədˈvɛnʧər pɑrk ɔn ˈsənˌdi, ˈmənˌdeɪ ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ ənd ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ˈæpləkəbəl pɑrk ˈoʊpənz tɪ ðə ˈʤɛnərəl ˈpəblɪk. əˈpɑn hoʊˈtɛl check-in*, gɛsts wɪl rɪˈsiv ə ˈskɛʤʊl ər bi ˌɪnˈfɔrmd əv wɪn iʧ pɑrk ˈɔfərz ˈɛkstrə ˈmæʤɪk aʊər. iʧ ˈrɛʤɪstərd hoʊˈtɛl gɛst ənd ˈoʊldər) məst hæv ə ˈvælɪd θim pɑrk ˈtɪkɪt ənd ˈæktɪv hoʊˈtɛl rum ki kɑrd. tɪ ɛnˈhæns ðə ˈmæʤɪk ˈmɔrnɪŋ ər ˈɛkstrə ˈmæʤɪk aʊər ɪkˈspɪriəns, ɪt ɪz ˈstrɔŋli ˌrɛkəˈmɛndɪd ðət gɛsts əraɪv æt list wən aʊər ənd 15 ˈmɪnəts praɪər tɪ ˈrɛgjələr pɑrk ˈoʊpənɪŋ. ˈmæʤɪk ˈmɔrnɪŋ ənd ˈɛkstrə ˈmæʤɪk aʊər ədˈmɪʃənz ər beɪst ɔn əˌveɪləˈbɪlɪti ənd kəˈpæsɪti. ˈæpləkəbəl θim pɑrk, deɪz ənd taɪmz əv ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən ənd ɔl ˈəðər ˈɛləmənts ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ, bət nɑt ˈlɪmɪtɪd tɪ, ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən əv əˈtrækʃənz, ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt, stɔrz ənd ˈrɛˌstrɑnts ənd əˈpɪrənsəz əv ˈkɛrɪktərz meɪ ˈvɛri ənd ər ˈsəbʤɪkt tɪ ʧeɪnʤ wɪˈθaʊt ˈnoʊtɪs. ˈsəbʤɪkt tɪ riˈstrɪkʃənz ənd ˌkænsəˈleɪʃən.

we’re kicking off 2015 at the disneyland resort with a special ticket offer exclusively for southern california residents! for a limited time – beginning today – so cal residents may purchase the special park tickets with options for two or three days of magic and adventure at special prices. it’s the best way to experience the new “frozen fun” at disney california adventure park – officially open today – and also to enjoy the classic attractions and entertainment throughout the disneyland resort. southern california residents may use the special tickets to visit one park per day (either park) or purchase park hopper tickets for a two- or three-day period. the offer has four purchase options: a 2-day ticket with choice of one park per day for $139; a 2-day park hopper ticket for $178; a 3-day ticket with choice of one park per day for $169, or a 3-day park hopper for $208. with these limited-time tickets, southern california residents have the flexibility to make memories with family and friends over two or three days, from january 7 through may 21, 2015.* (dates blocked are march 20 – april 4, 2015.) the sooner you purchase your tickets, the more time you will have to return for a second or third visit! also beginning today, “frozen fun” will be offered for a limited time at disney california adventure park, and includes “anna & elsa’s royal welcome,” an elegant location inside the disney animation building for anna and elsa to receive visitors. guests may reserve a time to meet them with a return time ticket, available just outside the animation building. elsewhere in the disney animation building, guests at the animation academy will be asked “do you want to draw a snowman?” – with an olaf drawing experience. another element of “frozen fun” is “for the first time in forever – a frozen sing-along celebration,” which transforms the muppet*vision 3d theatre into the crown jewel theatre of arendelle. next door, in stage 17, “olaf’s snow fest” creates a winter scene where guests may meet and share warm hugs with olaf. a giant play area with real snow encourages guests of all ages to build snow creations and zip down a snow slide. (note: “olaf’s snow fest” concludes april 30, 2015.) after dark, just outside the entrance to “olaf’s show fest,” the area transforms into “freeze the night! a family dance party.” guests can join an interactive party that celebrates all things “frozen” with music, games, photo opportunities, drinks and snacks and ice sculptors. in addition to “frozen fun” at hollywood land in disney california adventure park, guests can also experience the magic of the disney animated blockbuster “frozen” with an all-new stage show beginning today at fantasy faire in disneyland park. mr. smythe and mr. jones have put their unique spin on the “frozen” story, adapting it for the royal theatre and featuring anna, elsa and the faire maidens. also beginning today, guests may use disney fastpass to reserve a showtime at the royal theatre. anna and elsa also will also again make daily pre-parade appearances on their own float immediately preceding “mickey’s soundsational parade” in disneyland park. special southern california resident tickets can be purchased at disneyland.com/tickets, disney stores, vons and other retail locations, as well as any disneyland resort ticket booth. guests who purchase tickets online may print their tickets at home. when purchased in advance, 3-day tickets include one magic morning** early entry to disneyland park, which provides an extra hour of play on select days before the park opens to the general public. this benefit is not available to tickets purchased at disneyland resort ticket booths. for restrictions, visit http://disneyland.com/2days. *so cal resident ticket: valid only for southern california residents within zip codes 90000-93599 and northern baja california residents within zip codes 21000-22999; proof of residency is required for purchase and admission. 2-day, 1-park per day ticket is valid for admission for two (2) days to either disneyland® or disney california adventure® park, but not to both parks on the same day. 2-day disneyland® resort park hopper® ticket is valid for admission for two (2) days to both disneyland® and disney california adventure® park on the same day. 3-day, 1-park per day ticket is valid for admission for three (3) days to either disneyland or disney california adventure park, but not to both parks on the same day. 3-day disneyland resort pak hopper ticket is valid for admission for three (3) days to both disneyland and disney california adventure park on the same day. each day of use constitutes one full day of use. tickets expire may 21, 2015. blockout days of 3/20/15-4/4/15 apply. may purchase up to 5 tickets per person per day with valid id. tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use. offer may not be combined with other ticket discounts or promotions. tickets not valid before 1/7/15. subject to capacity, restrictions and change without notice. **magic morning and extra magic hour: magic morning admission allows admission into selected attractions at disneyland® park before the park opens to the general public on tuesday, thursday or saturday. each guest must have valid, eligible theme park admission. disneyland resort hotel guest extra magic hour currently allows registered disneyland resort hotel guess admission into select attractions at disneyland park on tuesday, thursday and saturday and disney california adventure park on sunday, monday wednesday and friday before the applicable park opens to the general public. upon hotel check-in, guests will receive a schedule or be informed of when each park offers extra magic hour. each registered hotel guest (ages3 and older) must have a valid theme park ticket and active hotel room key card. to enhance the magic morning or extra magic hour experience, it is strongly recommended that guests arrive at least one hour and 15 minutes prior to regular park opening. magic morning and extra magic hour admissions are based on availability and capacity. applicable theme park, days and times of operation and all other elements including, but not limited to, operation of attractions, entertainment, stores and restaurants and appearances of characters may vary and are subject to change without notice. subject to restrictions and cancellation.

ðə ˌmɑhərˈɑʃˌtrə ˈgəvərnmənt həz əˈlɑtɪd 600 ˈeɪkərz əv lænd fər ˈbəbə fər ɪts ˈprɑdəkts ˈjunɪt ənd ən ˈɔrɪnʤ ˈprɑsɛsɪŋ plænt. ˈjoʊgə ˈguˌru hæd ˈərliər ɪkˈsprɛst ˈɪntəˌrɛst ɪn ˈjuzɪŋ ðə ˈproʊdus frəm ˈfɔrəsts fər hɪz ˈkəmpəˌni. ðə grup, ˈfaʊndɪd baɪ ɪn 2006 ɔn ˈfɛbruˌɛri 19 saɪnd ən wɪθ ðə ˌmɑhərˈɑʃˌtrə ˈgəvərnmənt fər 200 ˈeɪkərz əv lænd ɪn katol*, ˈdɪstrɪkt fər ən ˈɔrɪnʤ ˈprɑsɛsɪŋ plænt ənd 450 ˈeɪkərz əv lænd ɪn ðə ˈspɛʃəl ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk zoʊn (sez*) ɪn ðə ˈriʤən fər ˈprɑdəkts ˈjunɪt. ðə ˈjunɪts ər sˈleɪtɪd tɪ prəˈmoʊt dɪˈvɛləpmənt əv ðə ˈtraɪbəl kəmˈjunɪtiz ənd ˈʤɛnərˌeɪt ɪmˈplɔɪmənt ɛz ðə ˈkəmpəˌni wɪl prəˈvaɪd ə ˈbrɔdər ˈmɑrkɪt tɪ ˈmɛdəsənz priˈpɛrd baɪ ˈprɑsɛsɪŋ ðə ˈfɔrɪst ˈproʊdus. həz əˈʃʊrd ðət ðə ˈkəmpəˌni wɪl sɔrs ˈhəni, amla*, ˈæˌloʊ ˈvɛrə, plænt ənd ˈəðər ˈprɑdəkts, wɪʧ ər ˈmoʊstli kəˈlɛktəd baɪ ðə ˈtraɪbəl kəmˈjunɪtiz, frəm ðə ˈfɔrɪst dɪˈpɑrtmənt. ðə ˈjoʊgə ˈguˌru ˈɛstəˌmeɪtɪd ðət ðɛr kʊd ə ˈmɪnəməm ˈænjuəl ˈtərˌnoʊvər əv əraʊnd frəm ðə seɪl əv ˈfɔrɪst ˈproʊdus, ˈbɛnəfɪtɪŋ ðə ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ˈfɔrəsts əˈkrɔs ðə steɪt. sɛd ðət ðɛr ər ˈɔlsoʊ plænz tɪ ˈkɑnstrəkt ə juʤ fud pɑrk ɪn, ɔn ðə laɪnz əv ðə fud pɑrk ɪn haridwar*. ayurved*, həz groʊn baɪ lips ənd baʊndz ɪn ðə ˈrisənt jɪrz ˈklɑkɪŋ 64 pər sɛnt groʊθ ɪn seɪlz tɪ 731, ɪn ðə sɪks mənθs ˈɛndɪd dɪˈsɛmbər 31 2015 əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈdætə. ðə rɪˈvaɪvəl əv ˌɪnkləˈneɪʃən fər ˈprɑdəkts əˈməŋst ðə ˈɪndiən ˈhaʊsˌhoʊldz həz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈbustɪd seɪlz əv ˈəðər ˈɪndiən ˈərbəl ˈprɑdəkt ˈkəmpəˌniz laɪk ənd ˌhɪməˈleɪə. ˈraɪvəl fərmz ˈwɪtnəst ˈdəbəl ˈdɪʤɪt groʊθ ɪn dɪˈsɛmbər kˈwɔrtər, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈdætə, sˈnæʧɪŋ ðə ˈmɑrkɪt ʃɛr frəm ˈgloʊbəl mncs*.

the maharashtra government has allotted 600 acres of land for baba ramdev's patanjali yogpeeth for its ayurvedic products unit and an orange processing plant. yoga guru ramdev had earlier expressed interest in using the produce from maharashtra's forests for his ayurveda company. the patanjali group, founded by ramdev in 2006, on february 19 signed an mou with the maharashtra government for 200 acres of land in katol, nagpur district for an orange processing plant and 450 acres of land in the special economic zone (sez) in the mihan region for ayurvedic products unit. the units are slated to promote development of the tribal communities and generate employment as the company will provide a broader market to medicines prepared by processing the forest produce. ramdev has assured that the company will source honey, amla, aloe vera, giloh plant and other products, which are mostly collected by the tribal communities, from the forest department. the yoga guru estimated that there could a minimum annual turnover of around rs.240 crore from the sale of forest produce, benefitting the tribals living in forests across the state. ramdev said that there are also plans to construct a huge food park in nagpur, on the lines of the patanjali food park in haridwar. patanjali ayurved, has grown by leaps and bounds in the recent years clocking 64 per cent growth in sales to rs 731 crore, in the six months ended december 31, 2015, according to imrb data. the revival of inclination for ayurvedic products amongst the indian households has also boosted sales of other indian herbal product companies like dabur and himalaya. patanjali's rival ayurvedic firms witnessed double digit growth in december quarter, according to imrb data, snatching the market share from global mncs.

haʊ du ju noʊ gɑt ðə bɛst waɪf ˈɛvər? wɛl, wɪn ju kəm hoʊm, it ˈdɪnər ənd ðɛn əˈnaʊns nid tɪ goʊ ˈɪntu ðə ˈgɑrdən ənd meɪk məd bricks!”*!” ˈrəðər ðən ˈpʊtɪŋ jʊr sən tɪ bɛd. ʃi ˈkɑmli ækˈsɛpts ðɪs ənd ˈivɪn ju beɪk ðɛm ˈʤɛntli ɪn ðə ˈəvən. meɪd ə 100 kleɪ brɪk, 50 45 40 35 30 25 mɪkst ɪt ˈθəroʊli. rɛd mɔr fər ðə ˌkælkjəˈleɪʃənz soʊ maɪ waɪf (ðə ˈvɛri ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk wən) həz ˈgɪvɪn mi ðə ˈreɪʃiˌoʊz 100 kleɪ ɪz 50 kleɪ ɪz (ðə aɪˈdil əˈmaʊnt ɪf ˌkælkjəˈleɪʃənz ər kərˈɛkt!) 45 kleɪ ɪz kleɪ ɪz 40 kleɪ ɪz 35 kleɪ ɪz 30 kleɪ ɪz 25 kleɪ ɪz ðə ˈrizən bɪˈhaɪnd ðɪs ɪz tɪ wərk aʊt ðə kərˈɛkt ˈreɪʃiˌoʊz fər ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðə ˈθərməl mæs fər maɪ ˈəvən. 1 pɑrt kleɪ tɪ 2 pɑrts sænd ɪz səˈpoʊzd tɪ bi ðə kərˈɛkt mæs. ɪt kən ˈvɛri wɪθ ðə taɪp əv kleɪ soʊ si! soʊ ˈfɪŋgərz krɔst ɪz gʊd bɪˈkəz ɪf ɪts nɑt, nid tɪ ɪkˈspɛrəmənt mɔr ənd aɪ θɪŋk bi soʊ ˈgreɪʃəs tɪ lɛt mi du ɪt əˈgɛn ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ˈwiˌkɪnd. aɪ θɪŋk ðə ˈəvən ɪz æt əˈbaʊt

how do you know you’ve got the best wife ever? well, when you come home, eat dinner and then announce “i need to go into the garden and make mud bricks!” rather than putting your son to bed. she calmly accepts this and even let’s you bake them gently in the oven. i’ve made a 100% clay brick, 50%, 45%, 42.5%, 40%, 35%, 30% & 25%. mixed it thoroughly. read more for the calculations so my wife (the very scientific one) has given me the ratios 100 clay is 2:1 clay:sand 50% clay is 1:2 clay:sand (the ideal amount if calculations are correct!) 45% clay is 3:10 42.5% clay is 17:43 40% clay is 4:11 35% clay is 7:23 30% clay is 2:9 25% clay is 1:5 the reason behind this is to work out the correct ratios for making the thermal mass for my oven. 1 part clay to 2 parts sand is supposed to be the correct mass. it can vary with the type of clay so we’ll see! so fingers crossed 1:2 is good because if its not, i’ll need to experiment more and i don’t think she’ll be so gracious to let me do it again before the weekend. i think the oven is at about 50’c

ˈspɔɪlər əˈlərt: ɪf ju hæv nɑt pleɪd θru ðə fərst ˈmɪʃən pæk, ju wɪl faɪnd ˈspɔɪlərz ɪn ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ blɔg, ɛz wɛl ɛz səm maɪld ˈspɔɪlərz fər ˈmɪʃən pæk 2 ju hæv bɪn wɔrnd! ɪn ðə fərst ˈmɪʃən pæk, ˈnoʊvə əˈweɪkənd ɪn ə streɪnʤ fəˈsɪlɪti oʊnd baɪ ðə dɪˈfɛndərz əv mæn wɪθ noʊ ˌrɛkəˈlɛkʃən əv hər læst ˈmɪʃən ər əv biɪŋ ˈwɔntɪd fər ˈtɛrərɪst straɪks əˈgɛnst ðə dəˈmɪnjən. θru məʧ ˈɛfərt, ʃi ˈɪnfɪlˌtreɪtɪd ə dɪˈfɛndərz əv mæn beɪs bɪˈniθ ˈsɪti ənd ˈlərnɪd əv ðɛr nɛkst muv: ə steɪʤd əˈtæk ɔn ix*. ˈjuzɪŋ psi-emitters*, ðə dɪˈfɛndərz əv mæn plæn tɪ drɔ tɪ straɪk ðə səˈvɪljən wərld, wɪθ ðə goʊl əv ˈraʊzɪŋ fɪr ənd dɪˈsɛnt əˈgɛnst ˈɛmpərər vəˈlɪriən. naʊ, ˈoʊnli ˈnoʊvə ənd hər ˈkoʊvərt ɑps tim kən stɑp ðɛm. ˈmɪʃən pæk 2 pɪks əp wɛr ðə læst wən ˈɛndɪd. ˈkɛri ˈoʊvər ðə ˈwɛpənz ənd ˈəpˌgreɪdz ju ərnd ɪn ðə ˈpriviəs ˈmɪʃənz ənd ərn ˈivɪn mɔr. teɪk kənˈtroʊl əv ˈlɪˌbərˌeɪtərz ənd ˈgoʊliæθs ənd grænt ðɛm ɛnˈhænst tɛkˈnɑləʤi, səʧ ɛz ənd ˈkloʊkɪŋ. ðiz ɛnˈhænsmənts wɪl bi əv ˈvaɪtəl ˌɪmˈpɔrtəns ɛz jʊr dɪˈtərmənd ˈɛnəmiz wɪl bi ˈstrɔŋgər ðən ˈɛvər ˌbiˈfɔr. ɪn ˈnoʊvə ˈkoʊvərt ɑps, ˈkræftɪd nu wərldz ənd ɪnˈvaɪrənmənts fər pleɪərz hu wɔnt tɪ ɪkˈsplɔr mɔr əv ðə ˈstɑrˌkræft ˈjunəˌvərs. ðə fərst ˈmɪʃən teɪks pleɪs ɔn ðə rɪˈzɔrt ˈplænət əv ix*, ə ˈpɑpjələr ˈtʊrɪst ˌdɛstɪˈneɪʃən noʊn fər ˌrilækˈseɪʃən ðət ɪz naʊ ˈəndər θrɛt əv əˌnaɪəˈleɪʃən. ðə ˈsɛkənd ˈmɪʃən teɪks pleɪs ɔn ðə ˈmoʊstli ənˈnoʊn wərld əv ˈmaɪnər, ə ˈplænət ðə prəˈtɛktərət əˈtɛmptəd tɪ ˈkɑləˌnaɪz bət feɪld fər ənˈnoʊn ˈrizənz. ˈsəmθɪŋ tɛlz ˈjuˈɛs ðət ˌbiˈfɔr ðə naɪt ɪz ˈoʊvər, wi wɪl lərn əv ðɛr feɪt. ˈnoʊvə ˈkoʊvərt ɑps: ˈmɪʃən pæk 2 ɪz ˈlɔnʧɪŋ ɪn nɔrθ əˈmɛrɪkə ɔn ˈɔgəst 2 ɪf ju ɔˈrɛdi, hɛd ˈoʊvər tɪ ðə ʃɑp tɪ ənˈlɑk ðə ɪnˈtaɪər kæmˈpeɪn.

spoiler alert: if you have not played through the first mission pack, you will find spoilers in the following blog, as well as some mild spoilers for mission pack 2. you have been warned! in the first mission pack, nova awakened in a strange facility owned by the defenders of man with no recollection of her last mission . . . or of being wanted for terrorist strikes against the dominion. through much effort, she infiltrated a defenders of man base beneath tarsonis city and learned of their next move: a staged zerg attack on tyrador ix. using psi-emitters, the defenders of man plan to draw zerg to strike the civilian world, with the goal of rousing fear and dissent against emperor valerian. now, only nova and her covert ops team can stop them. mission pack 2 picks up where the last one ended. you’ll carry over the weapons and upgrades you earned in the previous missions and earn even more. you’ll take control of liberators and goliaths and grant them enhanced technology, such as self-repair and cloaking. these enhancements will be of vital importance as your determined enemies will be stronger than ever before. in nova covert ops, crafted new worlds and environments for players who want to explore more of the starcraft universe. the first mission takes place on the resort planet of tyrador ix, a popular tourist destination known for relaxation that is now under threat of annihilation. the second mission takes place on the mostly unknown world of jarban minor, a planet the umojan protectorate attempted to colonize but failed for unknown reasons. something tells us that before the night is over, we will learn of their fate. nova covert ops: mission pack 2 is launching in north america on august 2. if you haven’t already, head over to the battle.net shop to unlock the entire campaign.

ˈlʊkɪŋ fər nuz ju kən trəst? səbˈskraɪb tɪ ɑr fri ˈnuzˌlɛtərz. ɪn ðə ˈmuvi ˈgraʊnˌdhɑg deɪ, bɪl ˈkɛrɪktər ɪz fɔrst tɪ riˈlɪv ə ˈsɪŋgəl deɪ ˈoʊvər ənd ˈoʊvər ənd əp tɪ ðə seɪm sɔŋ ˈɛvəri ˈmɔrnɪŋ, ˈmitɪŋ ðə seɪm ˈpipəl, ˈhævɪŋ ðə seɪm conversations—until*, ˈæftər ˈθaʊzənz əv ˌrɛpəˈtɪʃənz, hi ˈfaɪnəli ˈriəˌlaɪzɪz wət ə bɪn hɪz ɪnˈtaɪər laɪf. wɪθ ðət ɪˈpɪfəni, ðə ˈkæləndər stɑrts tɪ flɪp ˈfɔrwərd əˈgɛn. hɪz laɪf riˈbuts, ənd hi wəns əˈgɛn gɪts tɪ hir nu sɔŋz, mit nu ˈpipəl, ənd hæv ɪnˈtaɪərli nu ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃənz. wɪn ɪt kəmz tɪ ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi, stək ɪn ɑr oʊn ˈvərʒən əv ˈgraʊnˌdhɑg ðɪs wən sim tɪ bi ˈkəmɪŋ tɪ ən ɛnd. əˈmɛrɪkə ɪz ɪn ə dip ənd pərˈsɪstənt sləmp, ənd ˌənɪmˈplɔɪmənt ɪz maɪrd æt mɔr ðən 9 pərˈsɛnt. jɛt wɪn ju tərn ɔn ðə ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən, ɔl ju hir ər ðə seɪm ˌmænjəˈfækʧərd saʊnd baɪts dɪˈlɪvərd ɪn ðə seɪm əˌpɑkəˈlɪptɪk toʊnz frəm ðə seɪm pæk əv ˈtɔkɪŋ ənd ˈoʊvər ənd ˈoʊvər. ˈgraʊnˌdhɑg deɪ həz tərnd ˈɪntu ðə eɪθ ˈsərkəl əv hɛl. ənˈfɔrʧənətli, ðiz ˈzɑmbi ˈtɔkɪŋ pɔɪnts ʤɪst rɔŋ; ˈdeɪnʤərəs. ɪf ˈɛvər goʊɪŋ tɪ rɪˈvaɪv ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi, gɑt tɪ ˈtækəl ðɛm hɛd ɔn. hir ər sɪks əv ðə wərst. mɪθ 1 ðə ˈstɪmjələs feɪld. fər ðə fərst fɔr jɪrz əv hɪz ˈprɛzɪdənsi, ˈfræŋklɪn ˈruzəˌvɛlt ˈtækəld ðə greɪt dɪˈprɛʃən wɪθ ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən, ˈizi ˈmɑnəˌtɛri ˈpɑləsi, ənd ˈgəvərnmənt ˈspɛndɪŋ. bət ɪn 1937 ædˈvaɪzərz pərsˈweɪdɪd ɪm tɪ rɪˈvərs gɪrz. ˈæftər ɔl, ˈɪntəˌrɛst reɪts hæd bɪn kloʊz tɪ ˈziroʊ fər jɪrz, kəˈmɑdəti ˈpraɪsɪz wər ˈklaɪmɪŋ, ənd fɪr əv ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən wɑz ɔn ðə raɪz. bəst ər bust? wət ˈhæpənd nɛkst ɪz naʊ kɔld ðə əv (pdf*). ˈfɛdərəl ˈspɛndɪŋ wɑz kət ənd ˈmɑnəˌtɛri ˈpɑləsi wɑz ˈtaɪtənd əp, wɪθ dɪˈzæstrəs rɪˈzəlts: ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli bɪˈgæn tɪ ˈpləmət, ənd ˌɪnˈdəstriəl pərˈdəkʃən fɛl baɪ ə θərd. wɪˈθɪn ə jɪr ˈɛvriˌwən hæd hæd ɪˈnəf. ɪn 1938 ðə ˌɔˈstɛrɪti ˈproʊˌgræm wɑz əˈbændənd, ənd ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ groʊ əˈgɛn. ðə truθ ɪz ðət ˈstɪmjələs wərkt ɪn 1933 ənd ɪt wərkt ɪn 2009 soʊ waɪ ɪz ɑr ɪˈkɑnəmi stɪl ɪn səʧ bæd ʃeɪp? fər wən, ˈpɑrtli du tɪ pəˈlɪtɪkəl kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃənz ənd ˈpɑrtli bɪˈkəz ɪt wɑz rəʃt θru ˈkɑŋgrəs, ðə 2009 ˈstɪmjələs ɛz wɛl dɪˈzaɪnd ɛz ɪt kʊd hæv bɪn. ɪt wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ soʊld ˈbædli. ɪf ðə bɪl pæst, ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən ɪˈkɑnəmɪsts prɪˈdɪktɪd, ˌənɪmˈplɔɪmənt wʊd pik æt 8 pərˈsɛnt ənd ðɛn stɑrt dɪˈklaɪnɪŋ (pdf*). bət ðə ˌriˈsɛʃən wɑz fɑr wərs ðən ðə waɪt haʊs ərˈɪʤənəli θɔt. ˌənɪmˈplɔɪmənt pikt ɪn ðə ˈdəbəl ˈdɪʤɪts, ənd meɪd ðə ˈstɪmjələs ə fæt ˈtərgət fər rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈkrɪtɪks ˈɛvər sɪns. bət ɛz ˈɔkwərd ɛz ɪt ɪz tɪ ˈɑrgju ðət θɪŋz wʊd hæv bɪn wərs wɪˈθaʊt ðə ɛz bæd ɛz ɪt kʊd hæv been!”*!” ə ˈwɪnɪŋ slogan—well*, ðə truθ ɪz ðət θɪŋz wʊd hæv bɪn ə lɔt wərs wɪˈθaʊt ðə ˈstɪmjələs. ˈɛvriˌwən frəm ðə nɑnˈpɑrtəzən kənˈgrɛʃənəl ˈbəʤɪt ˈɔfəs (pdf*) tɪ ˈfɔrˌkæstɪŋ fərmz hæv kənˈkludɪd ðət ɪt ˌɪnˈkrist ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk groʊθ, rɪˈdust ˌənɪmˈplɔɪmənt, ənd pʊt ˈmɪljənz əv ˈpipəl bæk tɪ wərk. ɪt ʤɪst bɪg ɪˈnəf, ər ɪˈnəf. ənˈfɔrʧənətli, ðɪs həz ˈgɪvɪn kənˈsərvətɪvz ən ˈoʊpənɪŋ tɪ dɪˈmænd ˈtaɪtər ˈməni ənd loʊər ðə seɪm mɪˈsteɪk wi meɪd ɪn 1937 mɪθ 2 ðə ˈdɛfəsət ɪz ɑr ˈbɪgəst ˈprɑbləm raɪt naʊ. ɪf jʊr ˈkrɛdɪt kɑrd ˈkəmpəˌni ˈɔfərd ju tɪ baɪ ə kɑr, wʊd ju teɪk ðə dil? ʃʊr ju wʊd. ə θˈriˌweɪ wɪn: ju ˌriˈpleɪs jʊr ˈkləŋkər, ðə ˈɔtoʊ ˈɪndəstri kips ɪts əˈsɛmbli laɪnz ˈhəmɪŋ, ənd ðə ˈkrɛdɪt kɑrd ˈkəmpəˌni ɪz ˈhæpi tɪ hæv meɪd ə seɪf loʊn, ˈivɪn æt noʊ ˈɪntəˌrɛst. əˈpɛrəntli, ðeɪ θɪŋk ə ˈprɪti gʊd ˈkrɛdɪt rɪsk. ðə bʊʃ ˈifɛkt ðɪs ɪz ˈprɪti məʧ ðə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən ðə ˈjuˈɛs ˈgəvərnmənt ɪz ɪn naʊ. ɪf ɑr ˈnæʃənəl dɛt wər ˈrɪli æt daɪər ənd ˌənsəˈsteɪnəbəl ˈlɛvəlz, ɛz kənˈsərvətɪv ɪˈkɑnəmɪsts ənd rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈlidərz hæv ˈteɪkən tɪ ˈɑrgjuɪŋ, ˈnərvəs ˌɪnˈvɛstərz wʊd bi ˈdraɪvɪŋ əp ˈɪntəˌrɛst reɪts ɔn ˈfɛdərəl ˈbɑroʊɪŋ. bət ʤɪst ðə ˈɑpəzɪt həz ˈhæpənd: ɛz ˈraɪtɪŋ ðɪs, ril ˈtrɛʒəri jildz ər æt pərˈsɛnt. ðə reɪt ɪz ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈnɛgətɪv. əˈpɛrəntli, ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈmɑrkɪts θɪŋk ə ˈprɪti gʊd ˈkrɛdɪt rɪsk. tru ðət ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts nidz tɪ ˈæˌdrɛs ɪts ˈlɔŋˈtərm ˈdɛfəsət ˈprɑbləm ˈɔlˌmoʊst ɪnˈtaɪərli du tɪ ˈmɛdəˌkɛr ənd ˈəðər hɛlθ kɛr ɪkˈspɛndɪʧərz. (dəˈmɛstɪk, dɪˈfɛns, ənd ˈsoʊʃəl sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈspɛndɪŋ hæv ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈdiˌkrist ɛz ə pərˈsɛnɪʤ əv ˈoʊvər ðə pæst 40 jɪrz, ənd noʊ ˈrizən tɪ θɪŋk əˈbaʊt tɪ ʧeɪnʤ.) bət ɪn ðə lɔŋ tərm. raɪt naʊ, ɑr ˈprɑbləm ɪz ə sˈləgɪʃ ɪˈkɑnəmi ənd tu ˈmɛni ˈpipəl aʊt əv wərk. ðə ril ˈænsər tɪ fˈjuʧər ˈdɛfɪsɪts ɪz tɪ spɛnd ˈməni naʊ tɪ gɪt ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi groʊɪŋ əˈgɛn. ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər ɪz ˈkrəmbəlɪŋ, ðɛr ər ˈpipəl hu kʊd bi pʊt tɪ wərk ˈfɪksɪŋ ɪt, ənd bæŋks ər ˈpræktɪkəli ˈbɛgɪŋ ˈjuˈɛs tɪ teɪk ðɛr ˈməni. ə ˈtrɪljən ˈdɔlərz ɪn ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər ˈspɛndɪŋ wʊd bi gʊd fər ɑr ɪˈkɑnəmi təˈdeɪ, gʊd fər ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk groʊθ təˈmɑˌroʊ, ənd θæŋks tɪ ðoʊz loʊ ˈɪntəˌrɛst reɪts (ənd ðə ˌɪnˈkrist ˈrɛvəˌnu ðət wʊd kəm frəm groʊθ), ɪt ˈivɪn ˌɪnˈkris ɑr dɛt məʧ. ɛz ðeɪ seɪ, ˈoʊnli ən ˈɪˌdiət tərnz daʊn fri ˈməni. ˈoʊnli ən ˈɪˌdiət tərnz daʊn fri ˈməni mɪθ 3 loʊər ˈtæksɪz ər ðə bɛst weɪ tɪ groʊ ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi. noʊ ˈgreɪtər ˈɔrθəˌdɑksi ɪn ðə rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈpɑrti ðən ˌənkənˈdɪʃənəl ˈfiəlti tɪ tæks kəts. ɪn ə ˈrisənt dəˈbeɪt, wɪn ðə ˈkænədɪts wər æst ˈwɛðər wɔk əˈweɪ frəm ə ˈdɛfəsət dil ðət ˌɪnˈkludɪd ʤɪst 1 ɪn tæks ˌɪnˈkrisɪz fər ˈɛvəri 10 ɪn ˈspɛndɪŋ kəts, ˈɛvəri ˈsɪŋgəl hænd ʃɑt əp. ˈtæksɪz hæv bɪn ðə θərd reɪl əv əˈmɛrɪkən ˈpɑləˌtɪks ˈɛvər sɪns ðə ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə tæks rɪˈvoʊlt əv 1978 ˈivɪn ˈdɛməˌkræts ər ˈnərvəs əˈbaʊt ˈtəʧɪŋ ðɛm: ˈprɛzɪdənt ˌoʊˈbɑmə həz ˈfeɪməsli kɔld fər ˈlɛtɪŋ səm əv ðə bʊʃ tæks kəts ɪkˈspaɪr, bət ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈkɛrfəl tɪ meɪk ɪt klɪr ðət hi ʧeɪnʤ reɪts fər ˈɛniˌwən ˈərnɪŋ lɛs ðən pər jɪr. ɪn ˈəðər wərdz, rɪˈpil lɛs ðən ə kˈwɔrtər əv ðə bʊʃ tæks kəts. ðɪs fɪr ɪz ˈizi tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd. noʊ wən laɪks peɪɪŋ haɪər ˈtæksɪz. bət du loʊər ˈtæksɪz ˈæˌkʧuəli spər ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk groʊθ? brus ˈbɑrtlɪt, ən ɪˈkɑnəmɪst ɪn ðə ˈrigən ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən, həz kəmˈpɛrd tæks reɪts ɪn ˈvɛriəs rɪʧ ˈkəntriz ɪn 1979 tɪ iʧ groʊθ reɪt sɪns ðɛn. hɪz kənˈkluʒən? ˈvərʧuəli noʊ ˌkɔrəˈleɪʃən. ˈrisənt ˈjuˈɛs ˈhɪstəri bæks ðɪs əp tu. bɪl ˈklɪntən reɪzd tæks reɪts ɪn 1993 ənd rɪˈpəblɪkənz ˌɪnˈsɪstɪd ɪt wʊd ˈkrɪpəl ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi. ˌɪnˈstɛd, ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi bumd. ɪn 2001 ənd 2003 ʤɔrʤ ˈdəbəlju. bʊʃ loʊərd ˈtæksɪz ənd rɪˈpəblɪkənz ˌɪnˈsɪstɪd ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi wʊd flərɪʃ. ˌɪnˈstɛd, wi gɑt ðə ˈwikəst ɪkˈspænʧən əv ðə pæst ˈsɛnʧəri. rɪˈpəblɪkənz ər ˈsɪmpli rɔŋ əˈbaʊt ˈtæksɪz: wɪˈθɪn ˈrizən, haɪ tæks reɪts ˈhɪndər groʊθ, ənd loʊ tæks reɪts ˈstɪmjəˌleɪt ɪt. bət haɪ ˈtæksɪz rɪˈdus ðə ˌɪnˈsɛnɪv fər ˈpipəl tɪ wərk? ˈæˌkʧuəli, noʊ: fər ˈɔrdəˌnɛri weɪʤ ˈərnərz, pɑrˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən ɪn ðə ʤɑb fɔrs ənd ˈtoʊtəl aʊərz wərkt ˈbɛrli rɪˈspɑnd tɪ ˈtæksɪz æt ɔl. (əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ tæks ˈspɛʃəlɪsts ʤoʊəl ənd ʤɑn bakija*, ðɪs ɪz rɛr ɪgˈzæmpəl əv ə kˈwɛʃən ɔn wɪʧ ðɛr ɪz ə brɔd kənˈsɛnsəs əˈməŋ economists.”*.”) ðə seɪm ɪz tru fər rɪʧ ˈpipəl. ɛz ə ˈtriˌoʊ əv ˈprɑmənənt ɪˈkɑnəmɪsts kənˈkludɪd læst jɪr ˈæftər rivˈjuɪŋ ðə ˈlɪtərəʧər, ɪz noʊ kəmˈpɛlɪŋ ˈɛvədəns tɪ deɪt əv ril ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk rɪˈspɑnsɪz tɪ tæks rates”*” (pdf*). ˈivɪn ˈkæpɪtəl geɪnz reɪts hæv ˈvərʧuəli noʊ ˌɪmˈpækt: ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə pæst fju ˈdɛkeɪdz, baʊnst əp ənd daʊn frəm 40 pərˈsɛnt tɪ ðɛr loʊ əv 15 pərˈsɛnt. ðə ˈifɛkt ɔn ˈbɪznɪs ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt ɪz nɪl. ɪf ə tæks reɪt falls…*… wɪl ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi ˈnoʊtɪs? mɪθ 4 ˈrɛgjələˌtɔri ənˈsərtənti ɪz ˈklɔgɪŋ ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi. ər əˈmɛrɪkən ˈbɪznɪsɪz ˈpɛrəˌlaɪzd baɪ fɪr əv ə ˈtaɪdəl weɪv əv nu ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz? wɪn məˈklæʧi rɪˈpɔrtər ˈkɛvɪn hɔl wɛnt aʊt ənd æst ˈoʊnərz əˈbaʊt ðɪs, hi gɑt ə klɪr ˈænsər. ““absolutely*, ˈpɑzətɪvli not,”*,” sɛd wən. ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz ər nɑt ˈʧoʊkɪŋ ɑr business,”*,” sɛd əˈnəðər. ɪn ɪts moʊst ˈrisənt kˈwɔrtərli ˈsərˌveɪ (pdf*) əv trɛnz, ðə ˈnæʃənəl ˌfɛdərˈeɪʃən əv ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt ˈbɪznɪs rɪˈpɔrts ðət sales—i.e*., læk əv ðə noʊ. 1 kənˈsərn, ˈbitɪŋ aʊt ˈtæksɪz, ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz, ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən, ənd ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ ɛls. ðə ˈbɑtəm laɪn ɪz ðə ˈbɑtəm laɪn ɪn ˈɛni keɪs, rəˈgɑrdləs əv wət ðə wɔl strit ˈʤərnəl ˌɛdəˈtɔriəl peɪʤ sɪz, ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən həz ˈhɑrdli bɪn ə ˈwərlˌwɪnd əv ˈrɛgjələˌtɔri ækˈtɪvɪti. ɪts hɛlθ kɛr rɪˈfɔrm wɪl hæv ˈvɛri ˈlɪtəl ˈifɛkt ɔn ˈiðər smɔl ˈbɪznɪsɪz (wɪʧ ər ɪgˈzɛmpt) ər lɑrʤ ˈbɪznɪsɪz (wɪʧ ˈmoʊstli ˈɔfər hɛlθ plænz ɔˈrɛdi) ənd ˈoʊnli ə ˈmɑdəst ˈifɛkt ɔn ˈbɪznɪsɪz (pdf*). ɪts ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl rɪˈfɔrm bɪl əˈfɛkts ˈoʊnli ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈsɛktər. ɪts prəˈpoʊzd nu ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz wɪl ˈmoʊstli əˈfɛkt oʊld ɪˈlɛktrɪkəl plænts ðət wʊd hæv ʃət daʊn ˈɛniˌweɪ (pdf*). dəm ənd ˈaʊtˌdeɪtɪd ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz ər noʊ frɛndz tɪ ðə ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən həz ˈəndərˌteɪkən ə ˈrɛgjələˌtɔri ˌrivˈju prɑˈʤɛktəd tɪ seɪv ən ˈɛstəˌmeɪtɪd 10 ˈbɪljən ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə nɛkst faɪv jɪrz. bət ɛz ˈwɛlkəm ɛz ðət ɪz, ɑr ˈbɪgəst ˈprɑbləm raɪt naʊ ˈrɛgjələˌtɔri ənˈsərtənti. ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ənˈsərtənti. mɪθ 5 ˌoʊˈbɑmə ɪz dɪˈbeɪsɪŋ ðə ˈdɔlər. ɪn wən əv ðə moʊst ˈɪnfəməs ˈmoʊmənts əv hɪz jəŋ ˈkændɪdəsi, rɪˈpəblɪkən ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ˈhoʊpfəl rɪk ˈpɛri ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ ti ɔf ɔn ˈfɛdərəl rɪˈzərv ˈʧɛrmən bɛn læst ˈsəmər. ðɪs gaɪ prɪnts mɔr ˈməni bɪtˈwin naʊ ənd ðə election,”*,” hi toʊld ən ɪnˌθuziˈæstɪk ˈɔdiəns ɪn ˈsidər ˈræpɪdz, noʊ wət wʊd du tɪ ɪm ɪn ˈaɪəwə, bət wi wʊd trit ɪm ˈprɪti ˈəgli daʊn ɪn texas.”*.” sɪn? ˈpəmpɪŋ ˈməni ˈɪntu ðə ˈbæŋkɪŋ ˈsɪstəm ˈæftər ðə kəˈlæps əv 2008 ˌɔlˈðoʊ ðɪs ɪz ˈwaɪdli ˈkrɛdɪtɪd wɪθ ˈhɛlpɪŋ prɪˈvɛnt ə ˈsɛkənd greɪt dɪˈprɛʃən, ti ənd goʊld bəgz ər kənˈvɪnst ðət ˈækʃənz hæv dəˈbeɪst ðə ˈdɔlər. ðɛr ər tu ˈprɑbləmz wɪθ ðət kleɪm. fərst, nɑt tru. ˈsɛkənd, bi ˈbɛtər ɔf ɪf ɪt wər. fərst θɪŋz fərst: həz ðə ˈdɔlər lɔst ˈvælju ˈəndər ənd ˌoʊˈbɑmə? noʊ. ðə ˈjuʒəwəl ˈmɛʒər fər ðə strɛŋθ əv ðə ˈdɔlər ɪz kɔld value.”*.” ɪn ˌʤuˈlaɪ 2008 ʤɪst ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈkraɪsəs ˌɪˈrəptɪd ɪn ˈərnɪst, ðə ˈvælju stʊd æt ɛz ˈraɪtɪŋ ðɪs ɪn mid-september*, ɪt həz gɔn əp, ðɛn daʊn, ənd ɪz ˈkərəntli ˈsɪtɪŋ æt ˈteɪkɪŋ ə ˈlɔŋgər vju, ðə ˈdɔlər lɔst ˈvælju ˈəndər ˈrigən ənd bʊʃ aɪ, geɪnd ˈvælju ˈəndər ˈklɪntən, lɔst ˈvælju ˈəndər bʊʃ ii*, ənd həz ˈmoʊstli steɪd ˈstɛdi ˈəndər ˌoʊˈbɑmə. ʤɪst noʊ ˈbeɪsɪs tɪ ðə kleɪm ðət ˌoʊˈbɑmə ənd hæv dəˈbeɪst ðə ˈkərənsi. ənd ənˈfɔrʧənət. ɛz ɪˈkɑnəmɪst din ˈbeɪkər ɪz fɑnd əv ˈpɔɪntɪŋ aʊt, ɪf wi wɔnt tɪ gɪt ɑr ˈnæʃənəl ˈseɪvɪŋz reɪt əp ənd ɑr ˈlɔŋˈtərm ˈbəʤɪt ˈdɛfəsət daʊn, ˈoʊnli wən weɪ tɪ du ɪt: baɪ ˈfɪksɪŋ ɑr ˈmæsɪv treɪd ˈdɛfəsət. wi hæv tɪ ˌɪmˈpɔrt lɛs ənd ˈɛkspɔrt mɔr, ənd wən weɪ tɪ meɪk ðət ˈhæpən ɪz wɪθ ə ˈwikər ˈdɔlər. ə ˈwikər ˈdɔlər meɪks ˈfɔrən gʊdz mɔr ɪkˈspɛnsɪv, soʊ baɪ lɛs əv ðɛm, ənd meɪks əˈmɛrɪkən gʊdz ˈʧipər, soʊ ˈəðərz wɪl baɪ mɔr əv ðɛm. ðə truθ ɪz ðət bi ˈbɛtər ɔf ɪf wi dɪʧt ðə ˈloʊdɪd ““strong/weak”*” ˌtərmɪˈnɑləʤi ənd ʤɪst tɔkt əˈbaʊt ən dollar”*” (wik) ənd ən dollar”*” (strɔŋ). ˈsəmˌtaɪmz wən ɪz gʊd, ənd ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ðə ˈəðər ɪz. ðə ʧaɪˈniz, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, hæv dən wɛl fər ˈdɛkeɪdz wɪθ ən ˈɛkspɔrt juɑn. ˈlaɪkˌwaɪz, ən ˈɛkspɔrt ˈdɔlər wʊd bi ɑr frɛnd raɪt naʊ. bæd nuz fər tourists…*… ɪz ə ˈhɑlɪˌdeɪ fər ˌmænjəˈfækʧərərz mɪθ 6 ɪf ju ənˈʃækəl ðə rɪʧ, rɛv əp ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi. θɪŋk əv ðɪs ɛz ðə wən ˌəndərˈlaɪɪŋ soʊ ˈmɛni ˈəðər ˈfæləsiz. fər ˈdɛkeɪdz, ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈpɑləsiz hæv bɪn beɪst ɔn ðə ˈnoʊʃən ðət ˈkeɪtərɪŋ tɪ ˌkɔrpərˈeɪʃənz ənd ðə ˈwɛlθi ɪz ðə weɪ tɪ ˈstɪmjəˌleɪt ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi. rɪˈpəblɪkənz ruˈtinli ˌɪnˈsɪst ðət wi nid tɪ beɪl ðɛm aʊt, loʊər ðɛr ˈtæksɪz, əˈlaʊ ðɛm tɪ riˈpeɪtriˌeɪt ˈhənərdz əv ˈbɪljənz ɪn ˈoʊvərˈsiz ˈprɑfɪts, ənd fri ðɛm frəm əˈnɔɪɪŋ ˈgəvərnmənt ˈmɛdəlɪŋ. ɪf wi, ðə creators”*” wɪl steɪ ɪn ə fəŋk, ənd ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi wɪl steɪ ɪn ə rət. bət ə ˈpɛski fækt ˈniðər ˈkɔrpərət əˈmɛrɪkə nɔr ðə ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt ɪz ˈtrəmpətɪŋ: ˈkɔrpərət ˈprɑfɪts ər ˈkərəntli æt ən ˌɔlˈtaɪm haɪ. ðə ˈprɑbləm ˈbɪznɪsɪz feɪs læk əv kæʃ bət ˈrəðər ə læk əv ˈkɑnfədɛns ðət kənˈsumər dɪˈmænd wɪl pɪk əp ɪn ðə fˈjuʧər. soʊ nɑt ɪkˈspændɪŋ ər ˈhaɪrɪŋ æt ðə reɪt ðeɪ ʃʊd bi. rɪʧ ˈpipəl kriˈeɪt ʤɑbz wɪn wi hænd ðɛm bɪg ˈwɪndˌfɔlz. ðeɪ kriˈeɪt ʤɑbz wɪn ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi ɪz groʊɪŋ ənd ðeɪ hæv ˈkəstəmərz fər ðɛr ˈbɪznɪsɪz. ənd ðə ki tɪ ˈsɑlvɪŋ ðət ˈprɑbləm, æt list ˈdʊrɪŋ ə dip ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk sləmp laɪk ðə wən ɪn naʊ, ɪz tɪ ˈfoʊkɪs laɪk ə ˈleɪzər ɔn mɔr ˈstɪmjələs, ˈiziər ˈməni, haɪər ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən, ənd ə ˈwikər ˈkərənsi. ənˈlɛs wi wɔnt tɪ riˈlɪv 1937 ˈoʊvər ənd ˈoʊvər ənd ˈoʊvər əˈgɛn. ɛz bɪl ˈməri sɛd, ˈdɪfərənt ɪz good.”*.” wɔl gain…*… meɪn peɪn klɪk hir fər mɔr ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ɔn ðə ʧɑrts ðət əˈpɪr ɪn ðɪs ˈstɔri.

looking for news you can trust? subscribe to our free newsletters. in the movie groundhog day, bill murray’s character is forced to relive a single day over and over and over—waking up to the same song every morning, meeting the same people, having the same conversations—until, after thousands of repetitions, he finally realizes what a shmo he’s been his entire life. with that epiphany, the calendar starts to flip forward again. his life reboots, and he once again gets to hear new songs, meet new people, and have entirely new conversations. when it comes to the economy, we’re stuck in our own version of groundhog day—and this one doesn’t seem to be coming to an end. america is in a deep and persistent slump, and unemployment is mired at more than 9 percent. yet when you turn on the tv, all you hear are the same manufactured sound bites delivered in the same apocalyptic tones from the same pack of talking heads—over and over and over. groundhog day has turned into the eighth circle of hell. unfortunately, these zombie talking points aren’t just wrong; they’re dangerous. if we’re ever going to revive the economy, we’ve got to tackle them head on. here are six of the worst. myth #1: the stimulus failed. for the first four years of his presidency, franklin roosevelt tackled the great depression with inflation, easy monetary policy, and government spending. but in 1937, fdr’s advisers persuaded him to reverse gears. after all, interest rates had been close to zero for years, commodity prices were climbing, and fear of inflation was on the rise. bust or boost? what happened next is now called the “mistake of 1937” (pdf). federal spending was cut and monetary policy was tightened up, with disastrous results: gdp immediately began to plummet, and industrial production fell by a third. within a year everyone had had enough. in 1938 the austerity program was abandoned, and the economy started to grow again. the truth is that stimulus worked in 1933 and it worked in 2009. so why is our economy still in such bad shape? for one, partly due to political considerations and partly because it was rushed through congress, the 2009 stimulus wasn’t as well designed as it could have been. it was also sold badly. if the bill passed, administration economists predicted, unemployment would peak at 8 percent and then start declining (pdf). but the recession was far worse than the white house originally thought. unemployment peaked in the double digits, and that’s made the stimulus a fat target for republican critics ever since. but as awkward as it is to argue that things would have been worse without the stimulus—”not as bad as it could have been!” isn’t a winning slogan—well, the truth is that things would have been a lot worse without the stimulus. everyone from the nonpartisan congressional budget office (pdf) to private-sector forecasting firms have concluded that it increased economic growth, reduced unemployment, and put millions of people back to work. it just wasn’t big enough, or long-lasting enough. unfortunately, this has given conservatives an opening to demand tighter money and lower spending—exactly the same mistake we made in 1937. myth #2: the deficit is our biggest problem right now. if your credit card company offered you $30,000 interest-free to buy a car, would you take the deal? sure you would. it’s a three-way win: you replace your clunker, the auto industry keeps its assembly lines humming, and the credit card company is happy to have made a safe loan, even at no interest. apparently, they think you’re a pretty good credit risk. the bush effect this is pretty much the situation the us government is in now. if our national debt were really at dire and unsustainable levels, as conservative economists and republican leaders have taken to arguing, nervous investors would be driving up interest rates on federal borrowing. but just the opposite has happened: as i’m writing this, 10-year real treasury yields are at 0.00 percent. the seven-year rate is actually negative. apparently, the financial markets think we’re a pretty good credit risk. it’s true that the united states needs to address its long-term deficit problem—a problem almost entirely due to medicare and other health care expenditures. (domestic, defense, and social security spending have actually decreased as a percentage of gdp over the past 40 years, and there’s no reason to think that’s about to change.) but that’s in the long term. right now, our problem is a sluggish economy and too many people out of work. the real answer to future deficits is to spend money now to get the economy growing again. america’s infrastructure is crumbling, there are people who could be put to work fixing it, and banks are practically begging us to take their money. a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending would be good for our economy today, good for economic growth tomorrow, and thanks to those low interest rates (and the increased revenue that would come from growth), it wouldn’t even increase our debt much. as they say, only an idiot turns down free money. only an idiot turns down free money myth #3: lower taxes are the best way to grow the economy. there’s no greater orthodoxy in the republican party than unconditional fealty to tax cuts. in a recent gop debate, when the candidates were asked whether they’d walk away from a deficit deal that included just $1 in tax increases for every $10 in spending cuts, every single hand shot up. taxes have been the third rail of american politics ever since the california tax revolt of 1978. even democrats are nervous about touching them: president obama has famously called for letting some of the bush tax cuts expire, but he’s always careful to make it clear that he wouldn’t change rates for anyone earning less than $250,000 per year. in other words, he’d repeal less than a quarter of the bush tax cuts. this fear is easy to understand. no one likes paying higher taxes. but do lower taxes actually spur economic growth? bruce bartlett, an economist in the reagan administration, has compared tax rates in various rich countries in 1979 to each country’s growth rate since then. his conclusion? there’s virtually no correlation. recent us history backs this up too. bill clinton raised tax rates in 1993, and republicans insisted it would cripple the economy. instead, the economy boomed. in 2001 and 2003, george w. bush lowered taxes and republicans insisted the economy would flourish. instead, we got the weakest expansion of the past century. republicans are simply wrong about taxes: within reason, high tax rates don’t hinder growth, and low tax rates don’t stimulate it. but don’t high taxes reduce the incentive for people to work? actually, no: for ordinary wage earners, participation in the job force and total hours worked barely respond to taxes at all. (according to tax specialists joel slemrod and jon bakija, this is “a rare example of a question on which there is a broad consensus among economists.”) the same is true for rich people. as a trio of prominent economists concluded last year after reviewing the literature, “there is no compelling evidence to date of real economic responses to tax rates” (pdf). even capital gains rates have virtually no impact: during the past few decades, they’ve bounced up and down from 40 percent to their post-depression low of 15 percent. the effect on business investment is nil. if a tax rate falls… will the economy notice? myth #4: regulatory uncertainty is clogging the economy. are american businesses paralyzed by fear of a tidal wave of new regulations? when mcclatchy reporter kevin hall went out and asked small-business owners about this, he got a clear answer. “absolutely, positively not,” said one. “government regulations are not choking our business,” said another. in its most recent quarterly survey (pdf) of small-business trends, the national federation of independent business reports that sales—i.e., lack of demand—is the no. 1 concern, beating out taxes, regulations, inflation, and everything else. the bottom line is the bottom line in any case, regardless of what the wall street journal editorial page says, the obama administration has hardly been a whirlwind of regulatory activity. its health care reform will have very little effect on either small businesses (which are exempt) or large businesses (which mostly offer health plans already) and only a modest effect on medium-size businesses (pdf). its financial reform bill affects only the financial sector. its proposed new air-quality regulations will mostly affect old coal-fired electrical plants that would have shut down anyway (pdf). dumb and outdated regulations are no friends to the economy—and the obama administration has undertaken a regulatory review that’s projected to save an estimated $10 billion during the next five years. but as welcome as that is, our economy’s biggest problem right now isn’t regulatory uncertainty. it’s economic uncertainty. myth #5: obama is debasing the dollar. in one of the most infamous moments of his young candidacy, republican presidential hopeful rick perry decided to tee off on federal reserve chairman ben bernanke last summer. “if this guy prints more money between now and the election,” he told an enthusiastic audience in cedar rapids, “i don’t know what y’all would do to him in iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in texas.” bernanke’s sin? pumping money into the banking system after the collapse of 2008. although this is widely credited with helping prevent a second great depression, tea partiers and gold bugs are convinced that bernanke’s actions have debased the dollar. there are two problems with that claim. first, it’s not true. second, we’d be better off if it were. first things first: has the dollar lost value under bernanke and obama? no. the usual measure for the strength of the dollar is called “trade-weighted value.” in july 2008, just before the financial crisis erupted in earnest, the greenback’s value stood at 95.4. as i’m writing this in mid-september, it has gone up, then down, and is currently sitting at 96.1. taking a longer view, the dollar lost value under reagan and bush i, gained value under clinton, lost value under bush ii, and has mostly stayed steady under obama. there’s just no basis to the claim that obama and bernanke have debased the currency. and that’s unfortunate. as economist dean baker is fond of pointing out, if we want to get our national savings rate up and our long-term budget deficit down, there’s only one way to do it: by fixing our massive trade deficit. we have to import less and export more, and one way to make that happen is with a weaker dollar. a weaker dollar makes foreign goods more expensive, so buy less of them, and makes american goods cheaper, so others will buy more of them. the truth is that we’d be better off if we ditched the loaded “strong/weak” terminology and just talked about an “export dollar” (weak) and an “import dollar” (strong). sometimes one is good, and sometimes the other is. the chinese, for example, have done well for decades with an export yuan. likewise, an export dollar would be our friend right now. bad news for tourists… is a holiday for manufacturers myth #6: if you unshackle the rich, they’ll rev up the economy. think of this as the supermyth—the one underlying so many other fallacies. for decades, america’s economic policies have been based on the notion that catering to corporations and the wealthy is the way to stimulate the economy. republicans routinely insist that we need to bail them out, lower their taxes, allow them to repatriate hundreds of billions in overseas profits, and free them from annoying government meddling. if we don’t, the “job creators” will stay in a funk, and the economy will stay in a rut. but here’s a pesky fact neither corporate america nor the gop establishment is trumpeting: after-tax corporate profits are currently at an all-time high. the problem businesses face isn’t lack of cash but rather a lack of confidence that consumer demand will pick up in the future. so they’re not expanding or hiring at the rate they should be. rich people don’t create jobs when we hand them big windfalls. they create jobs when the economy is growing and they have customers for their businesses. and the key to solving that problem, at least during a deep economic slump like the one we’re in now, is to focus like a laser on more stimulus, easier money, higher inflation, and a weaker currency. unless we want to relive 1937 over and over and over again. as bill murray said, “anything different is good.” wall street’s gain… main street’s pain click here for more information on the charts that appear in this story.

sæn frænˈsɪskoʊ ˈsɪləkən ˈstɑrˈtəps hæv ˈɔlˌweɪz hæd ə rɪˈkrutɪŋ ædˈvæntɪʤ ˈoʊvər ðə ʤaɪənts: teɪk ə ʧæns ɔn ˈjuˈɛs ənd gɪv ju ən ˈoʊnərˌʃɪp steɪk ðət kʊd meɪk ju rɪʧ ɪf ðə ˈkəmpəˌni ɪz səkˈsɛsfəl. naʊ ðə tɛk reɪs tɪ ɪmˈbreɪs ˌɑrtəˈfɪʃəl ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns meɪ ˈrɛndər ðət ædˈvæntɪʤ mut æt list fər ðə fju prəˈspɛktɪv ɪmˈplɔɪiz hu noʊ ə lɔt əˈbaʊt a.i*. ˈbɪgəst ˈkəmpəˌniz ər ˈpleɪsɪŋ juʤ bɛts ɔn ˌɑrtəˈfɪʃəl ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns, ˈbæŋkɪŋ ɔn θɪŋz ˈreɪnʤɪŋ frəm ənd ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃənəl ˈgæʤəts tɪ kəmˈpjutərˌaɪzd hɛlθ kɛr ənd ɔˈtɑnəməs ˈviɪkəlz. ɛz ðeɪ ʧeɪs ðɪs fˈjuʧər, ðeɪ ər ˈdoʊlɪŋ aʊt ˈsæləriz ðət ər ˈstɑrtlɪŋ ˈivɪn ɪn ən ˈɪndəstri ðət həz ˈnɛvər bɪn ʃaɪ əˈbaʊt ˈlævɪʃɪŋ ə ˈfɔrʧən ɔn ɪts tɔp ˈtælənt. ˈtɪpɪkəl a.i*. ˈspɛʃəlɪsts, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ boʊθ frɛʃ aʊt əv skul ənd ˈpipəl wɪθ lɛs ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən ənd ʤɪst ə fju jɪrz əv ɪkˈspɪriəns, kən bi peɪd frəm tɪ ə jɪr ər mɔr ɪn ˈsæləri ənd ˈkəmpəˌni stɑk, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ naɪn ˈpipəl hu wərk fər ˈmeɪʤər tɛk ˈkəmpəˌniz ər hæv ˌɛnərˈteɪnd ʤɑb ˈɔfərz frəm ðɛm. ɔl əv ðɛm rɪkˈwɛstɪd ˌænəˈnɪmɪti bɪˈkəz ðeɪ dɪd nɑt wɔnt tɪ ˈdæmɪʤ ðɛr prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈprɑspɛkts.

san francisco — silicon valley’s start-ups have always had a recruiting advantage over the industry’s giants: take a chance on us and we’ll give you an ownership stake that could make you rich if the company is successful. now the tech industry’s race to embrace artificial intelligence may render that advantage moot — at least for the few prospective employees who know a lot about a.i. tech’s biggest companies are placing huge bets on artificial intelligence, banking on things ranging from face-scanning smartphones and conversational coffee-table gadgets to computerized health care and autonomous vehicles. as they chase this future, they are doling out salaries that are startling even in an industry that has never been shy about lavishing a fortune on its top talent. typical a.i. specialists, including both ph.d.s fresh out of school and people with less education and just a few years of experience, can be paid from $300,000 to $500,000 a year or more in salary and company stock, according to nine people who work for major tech companies or have entertained job offers from them. all of them requested anonymity because they did not want to damage their professional prospects.

baɪ ˈlɪndə ˈbɔrgi ˈkɔlɪŋ ɔl əˈspaɪrɪŋ ˈfɑrmərz. ɪf ju hæv ə ˈkɔlɪŋ tɪ fɑrm bət ju hæv noʊ lænd, noʊ ˈməni ənd noʊ ˈfɑrmɪŋ ɪkˈspɪriəns. noʊ ˈprɑbləm. bi ə spɪn ˈfɑrmər! maɪ neɪm ɪz ˈlɪndə ˈbɔrgi, ənd aɪ æm ə spɪn ˈfɑrmər ɪn ˈwɔkər ˈvæli nu jɔrk. spɪn stændz fər smɔl plɑt ˌɪnˈtɛnsɪv. ən pərˈdəkʃən ˈsɪstəm ðət əˈlaʊz ju tɪ ˈʤɛnərˌeɪt ɪn groʊs seɪlz frəm ə ən ˈeɪkər əv lænd, wɪʧ ɪz əˈbaʊt skwɛr fit. wɑz dɪˈvɛləpt baɪ ə kəˈneɪdiən ˈfɑrmər neɪmd ˈwɔli satzewich*, ənd hir ɪz hɪz ˈstɔri. ˈwɔli dɪd nɑt kəm frəm ə fɑrm ˈfæməli. ˈθərˌdi jɪrz əˈgoʊ hi bɪˈgæn groʊɪŋ ɪn hɪz ˈbæˌkjɑrd ɪn ˈsæskəˌtun, sæˈskæʧəˌwɔn, ə ˈsɪti əv əˈbaʊt hi bɪˈgæn ˈsɛlɪŋ æt ðə ˈsæskəˌtun ˈfɑrmərz ˈmɑrkɪt, ənd ðət sild hɪz feɪt. hi ˈriəˌlaɪzd hi wɑz ə ˈfɑrmər, ənd laɪk moʊst ˈfɑrmərz hi θɔt tɪ bɪˈkəm səkˈsɛsfəl, hi hæd tɪ gɪt ˈbɪgər. soʊ hi əkˈwaɪərd 20 ˈeɪkərz ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ˈsæskəˌtun, əˈlɔŋ ðə ˈsæskəˌtun ˈrɪvər, ənd ˌɪnˈvɛstɪd ɪn ən ɪkˈspɛnsɪv ˌɪrəˈgeɪʃən ˈsɪstəm ənd brɔt ɪn ˈaʊtˈsaɪd wərk kruz. bət hi kənˈtɪnjud tɪ lɪv ɪn ˈsæskəˌtun ənd groʊ ɪn hɪz smɔl jɑrd ðɛr. ˈoʊvər taɪm hi ˈriəˌlaɪzd hi wɑz groʊɪŋ haɪ ˈvælju krɑps, laɪk ˈkɛrəts, ˈspɪnəʧ ənd ˈsæləd mɪks ɪn hɪz smɔl ˈbæˌkjɑrd, ənd hi wɑz groʊɪŋ loʊ ˈvælju krɑps, laɪk pəˈteɪtoʊz ənd ˈənjənz, ɔn hɪz ˈlɑrʤər ˈeɪkərɪʤ ɪn ðə ˈkəntri. ðɪs dɪˈstɪŋkʃən bɪtˈwin ə haɪ ˈvælju ənd loʊ ˈvælju krɑp meɪd ɪm ˈriəˌlaɪz ðə ˈəðər ædˈvæntɪʤɪz tɪ ˈfɑrmɪŋ. hi kʊd groʊ haɪ ˈvælju krɑps ɪn ðə ˈsɪti bɪˈkəz hi wɑz nɑt ˈluzɪŋ ðɛm tɪ pɛsts, laɪk dɪr ənd lɑrʤ skeɪl ˈɪnˌsɛkt ˌɪnˌfɛˈsteɪʃənz. hɪz ˌɪrəˈgeɪʃən ˈsɪstəm ɪn ðə ˈsɪti wɑz ðə ˈwɔtər ˈfɔsət, hi dɪd nɑt hæv tɪ dɪˈpɛnd ɔn ˈfləkʧəˌweɪtɪŋ ˈrɪvər ˈlɛvəlz ər ˈwəri əˈbaʊt ˈwɔtər kˈwɑləti. hɪz wərk kru ɪn ðə ˈsɪti wɑz hi ənd hɪz waɪf. hi dɪd nɑt hæv tɪ dɪˈpɛnd ɔn ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ˈleɪbər. wɪn hi lʊkt æt ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəlz, hi sɔ ðət ˈivɪn ðoʊ ðə lænd beɪs ənd ˈoʊvərˈhɛd əv ə ˈfɑrmɪŋ ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən ɪz ə ˈfrækʃən əv ðət əv ə ˈlɑrʤˌskeɪl fɑrm, ðɛr ˈbɑtəm laɪnz ər ˈsɪmələr. soʊ ə ˈfɑrmər kən ərn ɛz məʧ, ər mɔr, ˈɪnˌkəm ɛz ə lɑrʤ skeɪl ˈfɑrmər, bət wɪθ ə lɔt lɛs strɛs ənd ˈoʊvərˈhɛd, ənd wɪθ ə lɔt mɔr kənˈtroʊl ˈoʊvər ðɛr ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən, ənd wɪθ ə lɔt mɔr ˈsərtənti əv səkˈsɛs frəm jɪr tɪ jɪr. soʊ ˈwɔli soʊld ɔf ɔl hɪz ˈeɪkərɪʤ ɪn ðə ˈkəntri, fjuˈtɪləti fɑrm ɛz hi kɔld ɪt, ənd hi bɪˈkeɪm ən ˈərbən ˈfɑrmər. naʊ, ðə ˈoʊnli lænd hi oʊnz ɪn ðə ˈsɪti ɪz hɪz oʊn smɔl ˈbæˌkjɑrd, ənd hi rɛnts ər ˈəðər ˈbæˌkjɑrdz tɪ meɪk əp hɪz lænd beɪs. hi həz bɪn səˈpɔrtɪŋ hɪmˈsɛlf ˈfɑrmɪŋ ðɪs weɪ fər ˈoʊvər 15 jɪrz. hi həz ˈdɑkjəˌmɛnəd hɪz ˈsɪstəm fər ˈmæksəˌmaɪzɪŋ ˈɪnˌkəm frəm lænd ˈbeɪsɪz, ənd hi kɔlz ɪt. ɪz naʊ biɪŋ ˈpræktɪst baɪ ə groʊɪŋ kɔrz əv fərst ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən ˈfeɪmərz ɪn ðə juz. ənd ˈkænədə. səm əv ɪts ˈkɑnsɛpts ˌɪnˈklud ə ˈməlti fɑrm lænd beɪs, lænd ˌæləˈkeɪʃən, haɪ roʊd ˈhɑrvəstɪŋ, krɑps, ˈstrəkʧərd wərk floʊ ənd wərk reɪt. wət ðə spɪn ˈsɪstəm dɪz ɪz nɑk daʊn ðə ˈbɛriərz ðət ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz feɪs wɪn əˈtɛmptɪŋ tɪ ˈɛnər ðə fild əv ˈfɑrmɪŋ ɛz ə prəˈfɛʃən. ðə θri ˈlɑrʤəst ˈbɛriərz ər: ˈoʊnɪŋ lɑrʤ træks əv lænd, ˈmeɪʤər ˈkæpɪtəl ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt tɪ fɑrm ðoʊz lɑrʤ træks ənd lænd, ənd ðə ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən ˈnɛsəˌsɛri tɪ kriˈeɪt ə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəli səkˈsɛsfəl ˈfɑrmɪŋ ˈbɪznɪs. ˈæˈdrɛsɪz ɔl θri. ɪn æˈdrɛsɪŋ ðə fərst ˈbɛriər, wɪʧ ɪz lænd, dɪd ju noʊ ðət ðɛr ər ˈmɪljən ˈeɪkərz əv lɔn ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts təˈdeɪ, ənd ɪt teɪks 40 əv ðə ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ ˈwɔtər ɔn ðə ist koʊst ənd 60 ɔn ðə wɛst koʊst tɪ ˈwɔtər ðoʊz lɔnz? səm əv ðət ˈvɛri seɪm lænd ɪz praɪm ˈfɑrmˌlænd, ənd wɛr ˈmɛni spɪn ˈfɑrmərz ər naʊ ˈgɪtɪŋ ðɛr stɑrt. frənt jɑrdz, ˈbæˌkjɑrdz, ˈneɪbərˌhʊd lɑts, rʊf tɑps ər ɔl gʊd lænd beɪs ˈɔpʃənz fər skeɪl fud pərˈdəkʃən ˈmɑdəl. ðə ˈsɛkənd ˈbɛriər tɪ ˈɛnərɪŋ ðə ˈfɑrmɪŋ prəˈfɛʃən ɪz ˈkæpɪtəl. ðə ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt ɪn ə ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən ɪz ə ˈfrækʃən əv ðət əv ðə kənˈvɛnʃənəl ˈmɑdəl. səm ˈtræktərz kɔst tɛnz əv ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈdɔlərz wɪθ, ən ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt əv ɛz ˈlɪtəl ɛz kən gɪt ju səkˈsɛsfəli ˈfɑrmɪŋ ɪn noʊ taɪm. ðə θərd ˈmeɪʤər ˈbɛriər ɪz ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən. aɪ kəm frəm ən ˌɪˈtæljən ˈfæməli əv faɪn ɑrt ˈdilərz. ðeɪ boʊθ stɑrt wɪθ ðə ˈlɛtər ““f”*” ˈfɑrmər ənd faɪn ɑrts ˈdilər bət ðeɪ ər wərldz əˈpɑrt. aɪ pɪkt əp ə lɔt əv maɪ ˈfɑrmɪŋ ˈnoʊˌhaʊ θru jɪrz əv traɪəl ənd ˈɛrər, ənd ðət ɪz wət ɪˈlɪməˌneɪts. ðə ˈsɪstəm ɪz ɪkˈspleɪnd ɪn ə ˈsɪriz əv gaɪdz ðət ˈɛmfəˌsaɪz ðə ˈbɪznɪs ˈæˌspɛkts ənd prəˈvaɪdz ə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ənd ˈmænɪʤmənt ˈfreɪmˌwərk fər ˈhævɪŋ ðə ˈbɪznɪs draɪv ðə ˈægrɪˌkəlʧər, ˈrəðər ðən ðə ˈəðər weɪ əraʊnd. ˈmɛni ə spɪn ˈfɑrmər laɪk ˌmaɪˈsɛlf həz kriˈeɪtɪd ə səkˈsɛsfəl fɑrm ˈbɪznɪs θru ðə juz əv ðiz gaɪdz. bət fər ðoʊz ðət ˌrikˈwaɪər ə mɔr ˈpərsɪnəl əˈproʊʧ tɪ ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən, əˈbəndənt laɪf fɑrm ɪn ˈwɔkər ˈvæli ˈoʊpənz ɪts ˈtreɪnɪŋ ənd ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən ˈsɛnər ɪn ˈeɪprəl əv ðɪs jɪr. wi wɪl ˈɔfər 3 ˈkɔrsɪz pər ˈsizən, 6 wiks pər ˈsɛʃən, 6 deɪz ə wik, fər ˈfərðər ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən http://www.abundantlifefarm.com/index.php/site/abundantlifefarm*. fər mɔr ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ɔn spɪn ˈfɑrmɪŋ goʊ tɪ ˈlɪndə ˈbɔrgi ɪz ə spɪn ˈfɑrmər ənd ˈɛʤəˌkeɪtər æt əˈbəndənt laɪf fɑrm, ˈwɔkər ˈvæli, nu jɔrk. ʃi kən bi ˈkɑnˌtæktɪd ˈviə iˈmeɪl ər baɪ ˈkɔlɪŋ ɛks 13 ˈkɑmɛnts

by linda borghi calling all aspiring farmers. if you have a calling to farm but you have no land, no money and no farming experience. no problem. be a spin farmer! my name is linda borghi, and i am a spin farmer in walker valley new york. spin stands for small plot intensive. it’s an organic-based production system that allows you to generate $50,000 + in gross sales from a ½ an acre of land, which is about square feet. spin-farming was developed by a canadian farmer named wally satzewich, and here is his story. wally did not come from a farm family. thirty years ago he began growing in his backyard in saskatoon, saskatchewan, a city of about 220,000. he began selling at the saskatoon farmers market, and that sealed his fate. he realized he was a farmer, and like most farmers he thought to become successful, he had to get bigger. so he acquired 20 acres outside of saskatoon, along the saskatoon river, and invested in an expensive irrigation system and brought in outside work crews. but he continued to live in saskatoon and grow in his small yard there. over time he realized he was growing high value crops, like carrots, spinach and salad mix in his small backyard, and he was growing low value crops, like potatoes and onions, on his larger acreage in the country. this distinction between a high value and low value crop made him realize the other advantages to city-based sub-acre farming. he could grow high value crops in the city because he was not losing them to pests, like deer and large scale insect infestations. his irrigation system in the city was the water faucet, he did not have to depend on fluctuating river levels or worry about water quality. his work crew in the city was he and his wife. he did not have to depend on outside labor. when he looked at the financials, he saw that even though the land base and overhead of a sub-acre farming operation is a fraction of that of a large-scale farm, their bottom lines are similar. so a sub-acre farmer can earn as much, or more, income as a large scale farmer, but with a lot less stress and overhead, and with a lot more control over their operation, and with a lot more certainty of success from year to year. so wally sold off all his acreage in the country, futility farm as he called it, and he became an urban farmer. now, the only land he owns in the city is his own small backyard, and he rents or barters other backyards to make up his land base. he has been supporting himself farming this way for over 15 years. he has documented his system for maximizing income from sub-acre land bases, and he calls it spin-farming. spin-farming is now being practiced by a growing corps of first generation famers in the u.s. and canada. some of its concepts include a multi locational farm land base, 1-2-3 land allocation, high road/low road harvesting, high-value crops, structured work flow and work rate. what the spin system does is knock down the barriers that individuals face when attempting to enter the field of farming as a profession. the three largest barriers are: owning large tracks of land, major capital investment to farm those large tracks and land, and the education necessary to create a financially successful farming business. spin-farming addresses all three. in addressing the first barrier, which is land, did you know that there are 46.5 million acres of lawn in the united states today, and it takes 40% of the drinking water on the east coast and 60% on the west coast to water those lawns? some of that very same land is prime farmland, and where many spin farmers are now getting their start. front yards, backyards, neighborhood lots, roof tops are all good land base options for spin’s sub-acre scale food production model. the second barrier to entering the farming profession is capital. the investment in a spin-farming operation is a fraction of that of the conventional model. some tractors cost tens of thousands of dollars with spin-farming, an investment of as little as $10,000 can get you successfully farming in no time. the third major barrier is education. i come from an italian family of fine art dealers. they both start with the letter “f” – farmer and fine arts dealer – but they are worlds apart. i picked up a lot of my farming know-how through years of trial and error, and that is what spin-farming eliminates. the system is explained in a series of guides that emphasize the business aspects and provides a financial and management framework for having the business drive the agriculture, rather than the other way around. many a spin farmer like myself has created a successful sub-acre farm business through the use of these guides. but for those that require a more personal approach to education, abundant life farm in walker valley opens its spin-farming training and education center in april of this year. we will offer 3 courses per season, 6 weeks per session, 6 days a week, for further information : http://www.abundantlifefarm.com/index.php/site/abundantlifefarm. for more information on spin farming go to www.spinfarming.com linda borghi is a biodynamic spin ® farmer and educator at abundant life farm, walker valley, new york. she can be contacted via email @ lborghi@abundantlifefarm.com or by calling 866-993-8932 x 13. comments

fɔr mɛn ʧɑrʤd ɪn ðə ˈpoʊʧɪŋ əv 900 ˈvinəs' ˈoʊvər ðə ˈwiˌkɪnd wər əˈpɔɪntɪd ˈkaʊnsəl ˈmənˌdeɪ ɪn nu ˈhænoʊvər ˈkaʊnti ˈdɪstrɪkt kɔrt. fər ðə fərst taɪm ɪn nɔrθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə, ˈfɛləni ˈʧɑrʤɪz wər faɪld ɪn ðə θɛft əv ˈvinəs'. fɔr mɛn ʧɑrʤd ɪn ðə ˈpoʊʧɪŋ əv 900 ˈvinəs' ˈoʊvər ðə ˈwiˌkɪnd wər əˈpɔɪntɪd ˈkaʊnsəl ˈmənˌdeɪ ɪn ˈpɛndər ˈkaʊnti ˈdɪstrɪkt kɔrt. ˈʤɪmi ˈwərθəm, 23 pɔl ˈsɪmənz, 49 ənd pɔl ˈsɪmənz jr*., 22 ɔl əv ˈhoʊldən biʧ; ənd ˈmælkəm ˈdəgləs ˈmæsi, 30 əv səˈplaɪ əˈpɪrd ˌbiˈfɔr ˈdɪstrɪkt kɔrt ʤəʤ ˈlɪndzi ˈluθər. ðə mɛn ər iʧ ʧɑrʤd wɪθ ˈfɛləni ˈteɪkɪŋ əv ˈvinəs'. ðə lɔ ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðə kraɪm ə ˈfɛləni ʧeɪnʤd dɛk. 1 ““venus*' ər ə juˈnik ənd ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt pɑrt əv ˌsaʊˈθistərn nɔrθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnəz ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm. aɪ æm praʊd ðət ðə fɪθ ˈdɪstrɪkt wɪl bi ðə fərst tɪ ˈprɑsəˌkjut ðə nu ˈfɛləni ʧɑrʤ ənd kəˈmɛnd n.c*. ˈwaɪlˌdlaɪf ˈrisɔrsɪz fər ðɛr ɛnˈfɔrsmənt əv ðə law,”*,” sɛd ˈdɪstrɪkt əˈtərni bɛn ˈdeɪvɪd ɪn ə nuz riˈlis ˈmənˌdeɪ. ər prəˈtɛktɪd ˈəndər n.c*. lɔ. ðə rɛr kɑrˈnɪvərəs plænts groʊ ˈwaɪldli ˈoʊnli wɪˈθɪn əˈbaʊt 90 maɪəlz əv ˈwɪlmɪŋtən. tɪ pɪk ər poʊʧ ə ˈflaɪˌtræp wɪˈθaʊt ðə kənˈsɛnt əv ðə ˈprɑpərti ˈoʊnər ɪz ə kraɪm. ðə mɛn wər ərˈɛstɪd əˈbaʊt p.m*. ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ æt ðə ˈhɑli ˈʃɛltər geɪm lænd baɪ n.c*. ˈwaɪlˌdlaɪf ˈrisɔrs kəˈmɪʃən ˈɔfɪsər frɛd. sɛd ðə plænts wər faʊnd stəft ˌɪnˈsaɪd ə ˈbækˌpæk, ən ˈoʊvərˈnaɪt bæg ənd ə ˈpɪloʊ keɪs. ˈluθər sɛt ənd ˈsɪmənz' beɪlz æt ənd ˈsɪmənz ənd beɪlz wər iʧ sɛt æt læst jɪr, steɪt rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. tɛd ˈdeɪvɪs jr*. ˌɪntrəˈdust ə bɪl ɪn ðə n.c*. ˈʤɛnərəl əˈsɛmbli tɪ meɪk ðə θɛft əv ˈflaɪˌtræp plænts ər sidz ə ˈfɛləni. ˈdeɪvɪs, ə nu ˈhænoʊvər ˈkaʊnti rɪˈpəblɪkən, sɛd hi θɔt ðə ˌɪnˈkrist ˈpɛnəlti wʊd meɪk ˈpoʊʧərz θɪŋk twaɪs əˈbaʊt ˈstilɪŋ. ɛz əv dɛk. 1 nɔrθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə lɔ sɪz ˈɛniˌwən hu dɪgz, teɪks ər ˈkɛriz ə ˈvinəs' ˈflaɪˌtræp plænt ər sid groʊɪŋ ɔn ðə lændz əv əˈnəðər ˈpərsən ər ðə ˈpəblɪk doʊˈmeɪn wɪθ ðə ˌɪnˈtɛnt tɪ stil ðə plænt ər sid ɪz ˈgɪlti əv ə klæs eɪʧ ˈfɛləni. stæf ˈraɪtər ˈʤuljən mɑrʧ kənˈtrɪbjutɪd tɪ ðɪs ˈstɔri. f.t*. ˈnɔrtən: ɔn tˈwɪtər:

four men charged in the poaching of 900 venus' flytraps over the weekend were appointed counsel monday in new hanover county district court. for the first time in north carolina, felony charges were filed in the theft of venus' flytraps. four men charged in the poaching of 900 venus' flytraps over the weekend were appointed counsel monday in pender county district court. jimmy wortham, 23; paul simmons, 49; and paul simmons jr., 22, all of holden beach; and malcolm douglas massey, 30, of supply appeared before district court judge lindsey luther. the men are each charged with felony taking of venus' flytraps. the law making the crime a felony changed dec. 1. “venus' flytraps are a unique and important part of southeastern north carolina's ecosystem. i am proud that the fifth district will be the first to prosecute the new felony charge and commend n.c. wildlife resources for their enforcement of the law,” said district attorney ben david in a news release monday. flytraps are protected under n.c. law. the rare carnivorous plants grow wildly only within about 90 miles of wilmington. to pick or poach a flytrap without the consent of the property owner is a crime. the men were arrested about 4:30 p.m. saturday at the holly shelter game land by n.c. wildlife resource commission officer fred gorchess. gorchess said the plants were found stuffed inside a backpack, an overnight bag and a pillow case. luther set wortham's and simmons' bails at $20,000 and simmons jr.'s and massey's bails were each set at $15,000. last year, state rep. ted davis jr. introduced a bill in the n.c. general assembly to make the theft of flytrap plants or seeds a felony. davis, a new hanover county republican, said he thought the increased penalty would make poachers think twice about stealing flytraps. as of dec. 1, north carolina law says anyone who digs, takes or carries a venus' flytrap plant or seed growing on the lands of another person or the public domain with the intent to steal the plant or seed is guilty of a class h felony. staff writer julian march contributed to this story. f.t. norton: 910-343-2070 on twitter: @ftnorton

læst mənθ ðə ˈsɛkənd keɪs əˈgɛnst ə saɪt keɪm tɪ ən ɛnd. tu ædˈmɪnɪˌstreɪtərz əv ðə ˈlɔŋgɪst ˈstændɪŋ kəmˈjunɪti hæd ðɛr keɪs drɑpt baɪ ðə əˈθɔrətiz ənd wər fri mɛn wəns əˈgɛn. ðɪs wik, ˈpərsɪnəl bɪˈlɔŋɪŋz ðət wər sizd ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə haʊs reɪdz wər riˈlist ənd rɪˈtərnd, bət wət ʃʊd hæv bɪn ə ˌsɛləˈbreɪʃən tərnd aʊt tɪ bi ə greɪt ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt. wɪn ədˈmɪnɪˌstreɪtər hæd hɪz hoʊm ˈreɪdɪd ɪn ðə ˈsəmər əv 2009 pəˈlis ənd ðə ˌfɛdərˈeɪʃən əˈgɛnst ˈkɑpiˌraɪt θɛft (fækt) ˈlɪtərəli træʃt hɪz pleɪs. ɪn ə ˈpriviəs ˈɪntərvˌju ˈvɪvədli rɪˈkɔld ðə ɪˈvɛnts. gɑt bæk hoʊm ʤɪst ˌbiˈfɔr tɪ faɪnd maɪ bɪˈlɔŋɪŋz hæd bɪn tərnd ˈəpˈsaɪd daʊn, ðə ˈdaɪnɪŋ rum wɑz ə laɪk ə ˈwərlˌwɪnd hæd gɔn aʊt ɔl ðə drɔrz əv ðə dɛsk, ʧəkt bæk wət wɑz əv noʊ ˈɪntəˌrɛst tɪ ðɛm, lɛft ə paɪl əv ˈpeɪpərˌwərk ˈskætərd əˈkrɔs maɪ dɛsk ənd ˈteɪbəl wɪθ waɪərz ˈɛvriˌwɛr, tɔk əˈbaʊt ə nightmare!”*!” ðə pəˈlis ˈɔfɪsərz ənd ‘‘agents’*’ əv ðə fækt tægd ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ wɪθ ə ʧɪp ɪn ɪt, ənd bægd ðɛm ɛz ˈɛvədəns. ɪn ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ wiks səm ˈaɪtəmz wər rɪˈtərnd, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ə ˈmoʊbəl foʊn, sæt næv ənd ˈvɪdioʊ ˈkæmərə, bət moʊst əv ðə ˈhɑrdˌwɛr wɑz kɛpt ˈəndər lɑk ənd ki. ɛz ənd ˈfɛloʊ ədˈmɪnɪˌstreɪtər sˈnʊkərd wər riˈlist frəm ɔl ˈʧɑrʤɪz baɪ ðə kraʊn ˌprɑsəˈkjuʃən ˈsərvɪs læst mənθ, ðɛr bɪˈlɔŋɪŋz wər ˈfaɪnəli rɪˈtərnd ðɪs wik. ðɪs ˈfaɪnəl stɛp ɪn ðə ˈdrɛdfəl ˈligəl prəˈsidɪŋz ʃʊd hæv bɪn ə deɪ tɪ ˈsɛləˌbreɪt, bət ðə pəˈlis wəns əˈgɛn træʃt ðə ˈpɑrti. frəm ðə lʊks əv ɪt ðə pəˈlis ənd fækt dɪd nɑt rɪˈtərn ɔl əv ðə sizd ˈprɑpərti, ənd ðə ˈhɑrdˌwɛr ðət wɑz ˈgɪvɪn bæk əˈpɪrz tɪ bi kəmˈplitli træʃt. ɪt lʊks laɪk ˈoʊnli ə ˈkəpəl əv θɪŋz səʧ ɛz paʊər səˈplaɪ ˈjunɪts maɪt bi ˈmɪsɪŋ, bət, ɛz ju wɪl noʊ daʊt əˈpriʃiˌeɪt, ðɛr ɪz ə hɛk əv ə lɔt əv stəf tɪ ʧɛk, goʊɪŋ tɪ teɪk mi səm taɪm tɪ goʊ θru ɪt all,”*,” ɪkˈspleɪnz. kənˈsərnz mi ðə moʊst əˈbaʊt maɪ ˈprɑpərti, ɪz ðə kənˈdɪʃən ɪt ɪz naʊ in…*… ðə weɪ ɪt wɑz sizd ənd bægd ənd haʊ ɪt wɑz ˈprɑbəˌbli ˈhændəld ənd trænˈspɔrtəd tɪ ˈgʊdnɪs noʊz wɛr, ðə θɔt ʤɪst me,”*,” hi ædz. ðə ˈpɪkʧərz bɪˈloʊ ˈdɑkjəmɛnt ðə dɪˈzæstər. ə 40 ˈmɪnət ˈɑdiˌoʊ klɪp əv ðə ˈeɪʤənts rɪˈtərnɪŋ ˈprɑpərti ɪz əˈveɪləbəl hir. ˈprɑpərli bægd? dəg əp frəm ə maɪn? ˈdæmɪʤd ənd ˈmɪsɪŋ pɑrts tɪ seɪ ðət ðə ˈɛvədəns wɑz nɑt ˈprɑpərli stɔrd ənd ʃɪpt wʊd bi ə juʤ ˈəndərˌsteɪtmənt. ɪt lʊks laɪk ðə kəmˈpjutərz hæv bɪn ˈteɪkən əˈpɑrt, drægd θru ðə məd, wɪθ noʊ ril əˈtɛmpt tɪ ˌriəˈsɛmbəl ðɛm ər klin θɪŋz əp. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ nən əv hɪz ˈsɪstəmz wɪl but əp, wɪʧ meɪ nɑt kəm ɛz ə bɪg səˈpraɪz kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ðə ˈfoʊˌtoʊz. ðə bɪg kˈwɛʃən ɪz waɪ? ɪt ˈɔlˌmoʊst əˈpɪrz ɛz ɪf ə ˈfrəˌstreɪtəd fækt ɪmˈplɔɪi træʃt ðə ˈhɑrdˌwɛr ɔn ˈpərpəs ˌbiˈfɔr ɪt wɑz sɛnt bæk. haʊ ɛls kʊd ɪt tərn ˈɪntu səʧ ə mɛs, ənd waɪ teɪk ðə kəmˈpjutərz əˈpɑrt pis baɪ pis ɪn ðə fərst pleɪs? wət wər ðeɪ ˈlʊkɪŋ fər? warez*? ɪz ˈklɪrli nɑt ˈhæpi wɪθ haʊ hɪz ˈprɑpərti wɑz ˈhændəld, ənd hi ɪnˈkərəʤəz ˈɛvriˌwən tɪ hɛlp ɪm gɪt ðə ˈstɔri aʊt. du mi ə ˈfeɪvər everyone…*… tɛl ˈɛvriˌbɑdi ju noʊ əˈbaʊt ðɪs, blɔg əˈbaʊt ɪt, twit əˈbaʊt ɪt, ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ənd ˈmaɪˌspeɪs ər wɛˈrɛvər ɛls ju fil ɪt maɪt du səm gʊd, lɛt ðə hoʊl ˈblədi wərld noʊ ɪgˈzæktli wət ðiz ˈivəl hæv dən wɪl ˈprɑbəˌbli kip ɔn duɪŋ ɪf ˈsəmθɪŋ dən tɪ stɑp ðɪs kaɪnd əv kræp frəm ˈhæpənɪŋ ənd ˈpipəl ənd ðɛr ˈprɑpərti biɪŋ ˈtritɪd laɪk this!,”*!,” hi sɛd. həz ˈkɑnˌtæktɪd hɪz ˈlɔjər tɪ si wət ðə bɛst rɪˈspɑns tɪ ðɪs mɛs ɪz.

last month the second case against a uk-based bittorrent site came to an end. two administrators of filesoup the longest standing bittorrent community had their case dropped by the authorities and were free men once again. this week, personal belongings that were seized during the house raids were released and returned, but what should have been a celebration turned out to be a great disappointment. when filesoup administrator geeker had his home raided in the summer of 2009, police and the federation against copyright theft (fact) literally trashed his place. in a previous interview geeker vividly recalled the events. “i got back home just before 8pm to find my belongings had been turned upside down, the dining room was a like a whirlwind had gone through..[]..they’d turfed out all the drawers of the desk, chucked back what was of no interest to them, left a pile of paperwork scattered across my desk and table with wires everywhere, talk about a nightmare!” the police officers and ‘agents’ of the mpaa-funded fact tagged everything with a chip in it, and bagged them as evidence. in the following weeks some items were returned, including a mobile phone, sat nav and video camera, but most of the hardware was kept under lock and key. as geeker and fellow filesoup administrator snookered were released from all charges by the crown prosecution service last month, their belongings were finally returned this week. this final step in the dreadful legal proceedings should have been a day to celebrate, but the police once again trashed the party. from the looks of it the police and fact did not return all of the seized property, and the hardware that was given back appears to be completely trashed. “initially it looks like only a couple of things such as power supply units might be missing, but, as you will no doubt appreciate, there is a heck of a lot of stuff to check, it’s going to take me some time to go through it all,” geeker explains. “what concerns me the most about my property, is the condition it is now in… the way it was seized and bagged and how it was probably handled and transported to goodness knows where, the thought just horrifies me,” he adds. the pictures below document the disaster. a 40 minute audio clip of the agents returning geeker’s property is available here. properly bagged? dug up from a mine? damaged and missing parts to say that the evidence was not properly stored and shipped would be a huge understatement. it looks like the computers have been taken apart, dragged through the mud, with no real attempt to reassemble them or clean things up. according to geeker none of his systems will boot up, which may not come as a big surprise considering the photos. the big question is why? it almost appears as if a frustrated fact employee trashed the hardware on purpose before it was sent back. how else could it turn into such a mess, and why take the computers apart piece by piece in the first place? what were they looking for? warez? geeker is clearly not happy with how his property was handled, and he encourages everyone to help him get the story out. “please do me a favour everyone… tell everybody you know about this, blog about it, tweet about it, facebook and myspace or wherever else you feel it might do some good, let the whole bloody world know exactly what these evil gits have done …and will probably keep on doing if something isn’t done to stop this kind of crap from happening and people and their property being treated like this!,” he said. geeker has contacted his lawyer to see what the best response to this mess is.

gɛs huz bæk! ə... mi. ðæts huz... ˈnɛvərˌmaɪnd. ˈɛniˌweɪz, ðɪs ˈʧæptər wɑz ˌɪˈnɪʃəli goʊɪŋ tɪ bi ə kənˌtɪnjuˈeɪʃən əv ˈmɪʃən wɪθ ðət wən ðət ˈɛvriˌwənz ˈprɑbəˌbli fərˈgɑtən æt ðɪs pɔɪnt. bət aɪ kip ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈpipəl hu æsk mi wət ˈhæpənd ɪn pæst ðət meɪd ɪm soʊ... ˈbroʊkən. soʊ aɪ ˈfɪgjərd, ɪt wʊd ˈæˌkʧuəli bi ə gʊd aɪˈdiə tɪ təʧ ɔn ðət ənd gɪv ˈpipəl ðə ˈkɑntɛkst ðeɪ wər ˈlʊkɪŋ fər. ˈtruθfəli ɪˈnəf, ðɪs ˈʧæptər ˈwʊdəv bɪn ˈnidɪd ˈsunər ər ˈleɪtər. ðɛrz səm ˈprɪti ˈvaɪələnt stəf ɪn hir. ˈprɑbəˌbli tu ˈvaɪələnt fər ə ti ˈreɪtɪŋ... oʊ bɔɪ. soʊ hɛdz əp ɪf ju gɪt kˈwizi ˈizəli. ˈbeɪtə: maxaro*. aɪ ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈdɪdənt meɪk ðə kəˈnɛkʃən bɪtˈwin ðə bʊk ˈsɪriz ənˈtɪl ju toʊld mi! soʊ ðət ˈtoʊtəli ˈwəzənt ˌɪnˈtɛnʃənəl... ər, ə, jæ, ɪt wɑz ɔl pɑrt əv maɪ ˈivəl plæn tɪ mɛs wɪθ ju... oooooooooo*... ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ! tu jɪrz ago…*… swɛt drɪpt daʊn braʊ ɛz hi ˈsprɪntɪd daʊn ðə ˈwʊdɪd treɪl, ə smɔl grup əv ˈhəntərz ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ˈkloʊsli bɪˈhaɪnd ɪm. ˈæˌkʧuəli, ðət ˈwəzənt kəmˈplitli kərˈɛkt. səm əv ðə fluɪd ðət ˈkəvərd hɪz feɪs wɑz ˌɪnˈdid swɛt. ðə rɛst əv ɪt wɑz bləd. ənd, məʧ tɪ hɪz oʊn ˈhɔrər, hi kʊd ˈriˌkɔl ɪgˈzæktli huz bləd ɪt wɑz ənd ðə ˈgrusəm ˈmænər ɪn wɪʧ ɪt hæd ˈgɔtən ðɛr. ðə grup ræn ɔn ənd ɔn ənˈtɪl ðeɪ kʊd rən noʊ mɔr. əv ðə sɪks ˈhəntərz, tu əv ðɛm hæd kəˈlæpst ɔn ðə graʊnd, ˈdɛspərətli ˈhækɪŋ ənd ˈgæspɪŋ fər ɛr. hæd rən ˈoʊvər tɪ græb ðə ˈnɪrəst wən tɪ hɛlp hər ˈɪntu ə ˈsɪtɪŋ pəˈzɪʃən. "jaune…*… i'm…*… aɪl be…*… fine…*… doʊnt ˈwəri əˈbaʊt me…*…" ʃi ˈmænɪʤd ɪn bɪtˈwin ˈgridi gəlps əv ɛr. hər ˈweɪvi blu hɛr rɪˈmeɪnd ˈplæstərd tɪ hər feɪs wɪʧ kənˈtɔrtəd ɪn ən ɪkˈsprɛʃən əv peɪn. skaʊld. "ɪts pɑrt əv maɪ ʤɑb dɪˈskrɪpʃən tɪ ˈwəri əˈbaʊt ju ɔl,. ənd, ˈɛvədəntli enough…*… aɪ ˈhævənt bɪn duɪŋ ə gʊd ʤɑb əv it…*…" hi ˈkʊdənt brɪŋ hɪmˈsɛlf tɪ mit hər kənˈsərnd aɪz. "jaune…*…" ˈmərmərd, hər vɔɪs ˈʃeɪkɪŋ wɪθ ˌhɛzəˈteɪʃən. tɛn fit əˈweɪ, wən əv ðə ˈəðər ˈhəntərz, ə tɔl, ˈgənər neɪmd ˈpərsi pʊʃt hɪz ˈgɑgəlz əp ðə brɪʤ əv hɪz noʊz ənd tərnd tɪ. "pərˈɪmətər simz klɪr. wiv gɑt ɪˈnəf ˈkəvərɪʤ frəm ðə ˈoʊvərˈhɛd, soʊ noʊ ər wɪl bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ kæʧ ˈjuˈɛs wɪˈθaʊt ˈjuˈɛs noʊɪŋ. wiv ˈɔlsoʊ gɑt ðə haɪər graʊnd, soʊ ˈivɪn ɪf wi gɪt swɔrmd wi kən æt list bɪˈgɪn tɪ pɪk ðə wɪθ ˈkrɔsˌboʊ, dəst ˈmæʤɪk, ənd maɪ bæd nuz." wən əv ðə ˈəðər ˈhəntərz, ə ˈbərli neɪmd ˈbɔldər brəʃt hɪz hænz ənd grɪnd æt ˈpərsi. "bæd nuz ɪz wən hɛl əv ə ˈpaʊərfəl gən, bət ˈivɪn ju noʊ ðət ɪts ə bɪʧ tɪ riˈloʊd. waɪ nɑt juz gʊd nuz?" ˈpərsi ˌɪnˈheɪld ˈdipli. "gʊd nuz ɪz dɪˈzaɪnd spəˈsɪfɪkli fər ˈækjərəsi. ðɛrz noʊ weɪ ɪt wʊd hoʊld əp ɪn ə hɔrd ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən. æt list nɑt fər lɔŋ." ðə ˈgənər pʊld aʊt ə ˈmæməθ ˈplæzmə ˈkænən ənd bɪˈgæn ˈsɛtɪŋ əp ɪts maʊnt. "aɪ nid ðə sprɛd ənd paʊər. wi ʤɪst doʊnt hæv ə ʧɔɪs." ɪnˈθuziˌæzəm ˈpərfəktli ˈɔfˌsɛt ˈpərsiz ˈgrɪmnəs. "noʊ nid tɪ ˈwəri, bəd. ɔl ðɛm grɪm ju ənd ˈɑrti woʊnt bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ gɪt, mi ənd gɑt ɪt! raɪt?" hi glænst ɔf təˈwɔrdz ðə,, hu wɑz ˈbɪzi ˈhɛlpɪŋ ðə grups dəst,, ˈɔntu hɪz fit ˌbiˈfɔr ˈtərnɪŋ wɪθ ə dɑrk glɛr təˈwɔrdz ðə. "haʊ du ju stɪl ˈmænɪʤ tɪ kip ðət fulz smaɪl ɔn jʊr feɪs?" sˈnɑrəld. "hæv ju noʊ rɪˈmɔrs təˈwɔrdz jʊr ˈfɑlən ˈkɑmˌrædz?" "wyck…*… naʊ ɪz nɑt ðə taɪm," ʧæˈstaɪzd ˈsɔftli. "wi hæv tɪ gɪt ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzd ɪf wi wɔnt ə ʧæns əv sərˈvaɪvɪŋ, məʧ lɛs ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ. skˈwɑbəlɪŋ əˈməŋst ɑrˈsɛlvz kən kəm ˈleɪtər." fraʊnd æt hər bət rɪˈmeɪnd ˈsaɪlənt. ˈʃeɪkɪŋ hər hɛd, tərnd təˈwɔrdz wɪθ ə ˈsɔftər ɪkˈsprɛʃən. stɪl ɪn gʊd ʃeɪp,?" ʃi æst wɪθ ə smaɪl. ðə dɪˈmɪnjətɪv dəst ræn ðə ʧɛks ɔn hɪz ˈgɔntlət, wɪʧ wɑz ɪn fækt ə ˈlɪtərəl ˈkɑnʤuɪt fər hɪz ˈmæʤɪk, ənd ˈnɑdɪd. "ðæts gʊd." lɛt aʊt ə saɪ ˌbiˈfɔr ˈtərnɪŋ tɪ. "ˈɛniˌθɪŋ tɪ æd,?" ðə blɑnd, hu hæd bɪn ˈsaɪlənt əp tɪ ðɪs pɔɪnt, ˈstɑrtɪd æt hɪz neɪm ənd glænst æt ðə ˈhəntrɪs, ə flæʃ əv peɪn ˈwɑʃɪŋ ˈoʊvər hɪz feɪs. "waɪ wʊd ju æsk mi?" flɪnʧt æt ðə ˈvɛnəm ɪn hɪz vɔɪs, waɪl ˈbɔldər geɪv ə ˈhɑrti læf. min baɪ ðət? wiv ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈfɑloʊd jʊr ˈtæktɪkəl ədˈvaɪs ˌbiˈfɔr, ənd juv ˈɔlˌweɪz dən gʊd. eɪnt noʊ ˈrizən fər ˈjuˈɛs nɑt tɪ ˈfɑloʊ ju naʊ!" fɛlt hɪz fɪsts klɛnʧ. "ðɛn ɪf wət ˈhæpənd æt ðə ˈrɑndɪˌvu pɔɪnt ˈwəzənt maɪ fɔlt, ðɛn huz wɑz ɪt? aɪ lɛd ɑr trup tɪ ə bloodbath…*… ˈluzɪŋ ðət pɔɪnt minz ˈluzɪŋ hoʊld ɔn ðə fɔrt ənd ðə səˈpɔrtɪŋ village…*… ɔl ðoʊz ˈɪnəsənt civilians…*… wi lɔst hæf əv ˈjuˈɛs ɪn ðə process…*…" hi kʊd fil ðə hɑt tɪrz bɪˈgɪnɪŋ tɪ strim daʊn hɪz feɪs. ˈpərsi wɔkt əp tɪ ðə grups də ˈfæktoʊ ˈlidər ənd pleɪst ə hænd ɔn hɪz ˈʃoʊldər. "jaune*, ɪt ˈwəzənt jʊr fɔlt. ðə grɪm wərkt ɪn ə koʊˈɔrdəneɪtɪd ˈɛfərt ɪn ðət əˈsɔlt, wɪʧ, ɛz fɑr ɛz wi noʊ, ˈɪzənt ˈivɪn səˈpoʊzd tɪ bi ˈpɑsəbəl. ðɛr wɑz noʊ weɪ ju kʊd hæv noʊn ðət ðɛr wɑz səm kəˈmændɪŋ fɔrs ɪn pleɪ." "əm ə tækˈtɪʃən!" jɛld ɪn frəˈstreɪʃən, ˈfɔrsəbli θroʊɪŋ ɔf ˈpərsiz hænd. "əm səˈpoʊzd tɪ bi priˈpɛrd fər ðɪs ʃɪt! wiv ˈnɛvər lɔst ə ˈsɪŋgəl ˈhəntər ˌbiˈfɔr! ʃɪt, ʃɪt, ʃɪt!" hi tʊk hɪz ˈæŋgər aʊt ɔn ə ˈnɪrˈbaɪ ˈfɑlən lɔg, ðə ˈrɑtɪŋ wʊd ˈʃætərɪŋ əˈpɑn ˌɪmˈpækt wɪθ hɪz but. ˈsaɪləns fɛl ˈoʊvər ðə əv ðə ˈhəntər trup. dip, ˈbrudɪŋ vɔɪs kət θru ðə ˈsaɪləns. "wɛl, aɪ ˈsərtənli bleɪm ju." "wyck*!" tərnd ɔn ɪm ɪn ə rɛr ʃoʊ əv ˈæŋgər. "wət ɑrk sɪz ɪz tru," skaʊld. "hiz səˈpoʊzd tɪ hæv ˈjuˈɛs ˈrɛdi fər ˈɛni ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən. ðæts wət jʊr peɪd tɪ du, ˈɪzənt ɪt?" ðə tərnd tɪ. "soʊ naʊ ər ju ˈivɪn wərθ ˈɛniˌθɪŋ tɪ ˈjuˈɛs ˌɛniˈmɔr?" "wyck*, ʃət əp!" sˈnɑrəld ˈpərsi. "ər ju traɪɪŋ tɪ gɪt ˈjuˈɛs tɪ tərn ɔn iʧ ˈəðər wɪn ɑr lɪvz ər ɔn ðə laɪn? hæv ju noʊ ˈɑnər?" "ˈʃʊrli ju kən gɪt jʊr hɛd aʊt əv jʊr æs æt list ənˈtɪl wi gɪt aʊt əv hir əˈlaɪv," əˈgrid ˈbɔldər. "ðə wən wɪˈθaʊt ˈɑnər ɪz ðə wən wiv pleɪst tɪ lɛd ˈjuˈɛs!" graʊld, ˈpɔɪntɪŋ hɪz sɔrd æt. "ɪf hi wɔnts tɪ meɪk əˈmɛndz, ðɛn pərˈhæps hi ʃʊd ˈsækrəˌfaɪs hɪz oʊn laɪf soʊ ðət ðə rɛst əv ˈjuˈɛs meɪ ɪˈskeɪp!" "noʊ! ər ju ˌɪnˈseɪn!?" spæt aʊt. "wi ər ˈhəntərz! wi lʊk ˈæftər wən əˈnəðər! wi doʊnt liv ɑr oʊn bɪˈhaɪnd! ðæts ðə moʊst ˈʃeɪmfəl θɪŋ əv ɔl!" ʃi tərnd tɪ ðə blɑnd ˈhəntsmən. "doʊnt ˈlɪsən tɪ ɪm,. hiz ʤɪst ˈæŋgri raɪt now…*… laɪk wi ɔl ər. bət aɪ trəst ju. jul gɪt ˈjuˈɛs aʊt əv hir əˈlaɪv, raɪt?" steɪd ˈsaɪlənt, bət hi əˈvɔɪdɪd hər geɪz. græspt hɪz ˈʃoʊldərz. "ˌoʊˈkeɪ. ju doʊnt hæv tɪ ˈænsər ðət raɪt naʊ. bət wɪr goʊɪŋ tɪ nid jʊr hɛlp tɪ meɪk ɪt aʊt. ˌɔˈlraɪt?" ˈhɛzɪˌteɪtɪd. hɪz aɪz ˈwɑndərd əˈməŋ hɪz ˈtimˌmeɪts, frəm ˈɛndləsli ɪnˌθuziˈæstɪk grɪn, ˈpərsiz ˈstili bət əkˈsɛptɪŋ geɪz, tərnd hɛd, ʃaɪ thumbs-up*, tɪ ˈfaɪnəli ˈfʊli ˈtrəstɪŋ smaɪl. ðə blɑnd hivd ə greɪt ənd ˈwɪri saɪ. "ˌɔˈlraɪt. wɪr ˈgɑnə pɛr əp. səraʊnd ðə ˈɛləˌveɪtɪd ˈɛriə: ˈbɔldər, steɪ wɪθ ˈpərsi hil nid ə ˈmoʊbəl dɪˈfɛndər laɪk ju sɪns hi woʊnt bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ muv wɪθ bæd nuz., ju ənd teɪk ðət saɪd ˈoʊvər baɪ ðə stəmp. ˈɑrti, wɪl steɪ hir." ɛz ðə trup ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ teɪk fɔrˈmeɪʃən, geɪv ɪm ə ˌriəˈʃʊrɪŋ smaɪl. "juv gɑt ðɪs." traɪd tɪ smaɪl bæk, bət səm ˌənɪkˈspleɪnəbəl nɔɪŋ kɛpt ɪm frəm duɪŋ soʊ. "……no*." "jaune…*…" ˈlaɪtli pənʧt hɪz ˈʃoʊldər. "ju doʊnt hæv tɪ bi ˈhəmbəl. aɪ trəst jʊr ˈstrætəʤiz." "ðæts not…*… ɪt," ˈmərmərd. "ˈsəmθɪŋz ɔf. laɪk əm ˈmɪsɪŋ ˈsəmθɪŋ." "wət du ju min?" ðə braʊ fəroʊd. "aɪ feel…*… ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət ˈdəzənt bɪˈlɔŋ hir." peɪld. "fuck…*… wət ɪf ðɪs həz tɪ du wɪθ ðət kəˈmændɪŋ fɔrs?" "ju think…*… ðɛr priˈpɛrd fər ˈjuˈɛs?" ˌbiˈfɔr kʊd ˈænsər, ðeɪ fɛlt ə ˈrəmbəl frəm bɪˈniθ ðə graʊnd. ɪt tʊk ə ˈmoʊmənt ˌbiˈfɔr ˈriəˌlaɪzd ðə flɔ ɪn hɪz plæn. "no…*… no…*… wi wər ɪkˈspɛktɪŋ ðɛm tɪ əˈtæk frəm əˈbəv graʊnd, ənd ðeɪ knew…*…" frəm ˈəndər fit, ə ʤaɪənt ˈkriʧər bərst frəm ˌəndərˈniθ, ˈræpɪŋ ɪts ʤɔz əraʊnd ðə faunus*' lɛg ənd ˈdrægɪŋ ɪm ˈɪntu ðə graʊnd ˌbiˈfɔr hi ˈivɪn hæd ðə ʧæns tɪ pʊl aʊt hɪz æks. "noooooooo*! ˈbɔldər!" ˈpərsi skrimd. ðə graʊnd ʃʊk ˌɪˈmɛnsli wəns mɔr, ənd ə ʤægd ˈfɪʃər fɔrmd ɪn ðə graʊnd ɪn bɪtˈwin ðə əv ðə grup. laɪk ænts frəm ə dɪˈstərbd dərt maʊnd, weɪvz əv rɛpˈtɪljənz ənd spɪld aʊt əv ðə kræk. ðə wərmz ʃɑt aʊt əv ðə graʊnd ɪn ˈtændəm wɪθ ðə rɛst əv ðə grɪm. "arrrrrgh*! wət ɪz ˈhæpənɪŋ?" ðə ˈgənmən bɪˈgæn ˈfaɪərrɪŋ ˌhɪˈstɛrɪkli, bət ɛz bæd nuz dɪˈsɪntəˌgreɪtɪd ə ˈdəzən grɪm ɪn wən ʃɑt, θri ˈdəzən tʊk ðɛr pleɪs "ðə aɪ kən ˌəndərˈstænd, bət krips ənd ˈtrɛmərz? ðɛr nɑt səˈpoʊzd tɪ ˈgæðər ɪn ðɪs ˈɛriə, məʧ lɛs bi əˈgrɛsɪv tɪ ˈkriʧərz! aɪ doʊnt underst*-" hɪz ˈkɑgnɪtɪv ˈsɛntənsɪz sist tɪ bi ənd ðə rɛst bɪˈkeɪm ˈoʊnli skrimz ɛz ðə krips sæŋk ðɛr tiθ ˈɪntu hɪz flɛʃ ənd prəˈsidəd tɪ pʊl ðə ˈgənər əˈpɑrt lɪm baɪ lɪm. əˈkrɔs frəm wət wɑz lɛft əv ˈpərsi ənd bæd nuz, ə ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli fæt ˈtrɛmər bərst frəm ðə graʊnd ənd sˈwɑloʊd hoʊl, bərsts əv ˈlaɪtnɪŋ ˈmæʤɪk spjuɪŋ aʊt əv ðə mɔ biɪŋ ðə ˈoʊnli saɪn ðət ˈivɪn ɪgˈzɪstəd æt ɔl. slæʃt ˈmædli æt ðə fæt ˈtrɛmər, ˈhækɪŋ ənd ˈhækɪŋ ˈdɛspərətli ɪn ən əˈtɛmpt tɪ seɪv hɪz frɛnd. ðə ˈtrɛmər bæk ˈəndərˌgraʊnd wɪˈθaʊt soʊ məʧ ɛz ə skræʧ. ðə ɑrm drɑpt limply*. hi tərnd hɪz hɛd ˈoʊvər hɪz ˈʃoʊldər, ənd meɪd aʊt ðə lʊk əv ˈətər kənˈtɛmpt ənd bɪˈtreɪəl ðət wɑz eɪmd æt ɪm ˌbiˈfɔr ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd ɪn ə klaʊd əv grɪm. ðɪs ɔl ˈhæpənd ˌbiˈfɔr hæd ðə ʧæns tɪ riækt, ənd hi kʊd ˈoʊnli wɔʧ ɪn deɪzd ˈhɔrər. "no…*…" hi fɛlt ˈsəmθɪŋ græb æt hɪz ɑrm. "wi hæv tɪ rən,!" jɛld, ənd ʃi pʊld ɪm aʊt əv hɪz ʃɑk. ðə pɛr ræn ɛz fæst ɛz ðeɪ ˈpɑsəbli kʊd θru ðə ˈhɛvəli ˈsɪlvən pæθ, ɔˈrɛdi ɪgˈzɔstɪd frəm ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ ðə ˈrɑndɪˌvu pɔɪnt ˈərliər. ˈɛvəri fju ˈsɛkəndz, wʊd faɪər ˈsɛvərəl ˈɛroʊz təˈwɔrdz ðə hɔrd əv grɪm, bət ɪt ˈbɛrli simd tɪ hæv ˈɛni ˈifɛkt ɔn kˈwɛlɪŋ ðə ˈɔnˌkəmɪŋ stæmˈpid. slæʃt rɪˈpitɪdli ɪn frənt əv ɪm, ˈfrænəkəli ˈkətɪŋ θru ˈɛni ˈbræmbəl ər ʃˈrəbəri ðət stʊd ɪn ðɛr weɪ. "ˈdæmɪt, ðɛr ˈgeɪnɪŋ!" rɔrd ˈoʊvər ðə kəmˈbaɪnd dɪn əv ðə ˈhənərdz əv grɪm. ə kwɪk glæns bæk rɪˈvild wət lʊkt laɪk ə si əv blæk ˈkloʊzɪŋ ɪn ɔn ðə tu ˈhəntərz wɪθ ðə ˈlumɪŋ ˌɪnɪˈskeɪpəbəl ˈneɪʧər əv ə tsuˈnɑmi. "ˈɑrti, kən ju juz jʊr ˈsɛmbləns æt ɔl?" "aɪ ʃʊd bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ!" ʃi ˈʃaʊtɪd bæk. aʊt əv ðə ˈkɔrnər əv hɪz aɪ, kʊd meɪk aʊt ə ˈbrɪljənt flæʃ əv grin laɪt ˌbiˈfɔr hi wɑz ˈsədənli ˈkɛrid ɔf ðə graʊnd baɪ ə pɛr əv juʤ ˈtælənz. ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈəpwərdz, hi sɔ ðət ðə ˈsɛmbləns, mɔrf, hæd ˈteɪkən ɔn ðə fɔrm əv ə ˈrəðər lɑrʤ ˈfælkən. ðeɪ flu sˈwɪftli əˈbəv ðə ˈkəvər əv ðə ˈfɔrəsts ənd ˈseɪfli əˈweɪ frəm ðə grɪm hɔrd bɪˈloʊ. wɔʧt ɛz ðə grɪm sloʊd tɪ ə hɔlt ɛz ðɛr preɪ tʊk flaɪt, ənd ðə hɔrd kəˈlɛktɪvli bæk ðə weɪ ðeɪ keɪm. "did…*… dɪd ðə grɪm ʤɪst meɪk ə ˈtæktɪkəl riˈtrit?" vɔɪs ˈɛməˌneɪtɪd wɪˈθɪn breɪn. "yeah…*…" hi ˈmərmərd aʊt laʊd. "grɪm doʊnt riˈtrit, period…*… ðɪs ɪz wrong…*…" "ðɛrz nɑt məʧ ðət wi kən du əˈbaʊt ɪt naʊ," əˈʃʊrd. "wi dɪd wət wi kʊd. ðə ˈoʊnli ˈɔpʃən wi hæv ɪz tɪ gɪt aʊt ənd rɪˈpɔrt tɪ ft*. soʊp. ˈmeɪbi ðɛl noʊ wət tɪ hrrrrrrrrrkkk*!" ə ˈʃæˌdoʊ fɛl ˈoʊvər, ənd hi lʊkt əp tɪ si ə ˈnɛvərˌmɔr ˈrəfli θri taɪmz ðə saɪz əv mɔrf ˈplənʤɪŋ ɪts klɔz θru ðə ʧɛst. ðə blɑndz aɪz ˈwaɪdənd ɪn ʃɑk. "artemis*! noooooooo*!" ðə ˈnɛvərˌmɔr ˈɔlˌmoʊst ənd rɪpt aʊt ə lɑrʤ ʧəŋk əv ðə ʧɛst ˈkævəti. wɔʧt ɪn ˈhɔrər ɛz aɪz roʊld ˈbækwərdz ənd hi kʊd ˈoʊnli skrim ɛz boʊθ hi ənd ðə mɔrft ˈhəntrɪs bɪˈgæn tɪ ˈpləmət ˈsɛvərəl ˈhənərd fit bæk tɪ ərθ. ðə ˈfælkən hæd lɔst ɪts grɪp ɔn, ənd ðeɪ fɛl ɛz tu ˈsɛpərˌeɪt ˈbɑdiz. ðə ˈhəntsmən ˈstrəgəld tɪ gɪt ˈkloʊzər tɪ hɪz frɛnd ɛz ʃi ˈspaɪrəld əˈweɪ frəm ɪm. "just…*… ə little…*… ˈkloʊzər!" hɪz ˈfɪŋgərˌtɪps kloʊzd ɪn ɔn wən əv ˈtælənz. "ˈgɑʧə!" ˈæktɪˌveɪtɪd hɪz ˈsɛmbləns, ənd ðə tu ˈfɑlɪŋ ˈbɑdiz bɪˈgæn tɪ gloʊ waɪt, ˌɪmˈpərviəs tɪ ˈɛni ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ˈdæmɪʤ. ənd nɑt ə ˈmoʊmənt tu sun. ðə pɛr kræʃt ˈɪntu ðə ˈfɔrəstəd graʊnd wɪθ ə laʊd θəd. boʊθ ˈbɑdiz baʊnst frəm ðə ˌɪmˈpækt, ənd ˈæftər ˈroʊlɪŋ ənd ˈbaʊnsɪŋ ˈɛvəri wɪʧ weɪ, ˈfaɪnəli graʊnd tɪ ə hɔlt, hɪz hɛd θˈrɑbɪŋ frəm ðə ˌɪmˈpækt. ðə gloʊ wɔr ɔf, ənd hi kʊd meɪk aʊt ðə ʤaɪənt ˈnɛvərˌmɔr ˈwɑʧɪŋ ðə sin wɪθ ˈbrudɪŋ, ˈbidi aɪz ˌbiˈfɔr sˈməgli flaɪɪŋ əˈweɪ, ˈsætɪsˌfaɪd wɪθ ðə dɪˈstrəkʃən ɪt hæd ript. deɪzd, wɔʧt ðə bərd dɪˈpɑrt ˌbiˈfɔr hi rɪˈmɛmbərd hɪz ˈmɔrtəli ˈwundɪd kəmˈpænjən. "artemis*!" ˈskræmbəlɪŋ tɪ hɪz fit, ðə blɑnd ˈhəntsmən ˈstəmbəld hɪz weɪ pæst ðə triz ənd ʃrəbz tɪ wɛr ðə ˈblədid ˈfælkən leɪ, wɪʧ bɪˈgæn tɪ ˈwikli gloʊ grin. nɛlt baɪ hər saɪd ənd hər hɛd ɛz ʃi mɔrft bæk ˈɪntu ˈjumən fɔrm. "jaune…*… unnggg…*…" ʃi gæspt frəm hər naʊ ˈjumən maʊθ. ðə lɑrʤ ˈgeɪpɪŋ hoʊl ɪn hər ʧɛst rɪˈmeɪnd θru ðə ˌtrænsfərˈmeɪʃən, ənd ə pul əv bləd ˈræpədli gru frəm wɛr ʃi leɪ. "shhh*, doʊnt muv! əm ˈgɑnə gɪt ju aʊt əv hir, ˈɑrti, ʤɪst pliz steɪ stɪl!" vɔɪs wɑz ˈfræntɪk ənd ˈtɛrəˌfaɪd. "wi know…*… that…*… woʊnt happen…*…" ðə ˈhəntrɪs traɪd tɪ gɪv ə ˌriəˈʃʊrɪŋ smaɪl, bət ðɛr wɑz noʊ weɪ tɪ mæsk ðə kənˈtɔrʃənz əv peɪn ɛz bləd spɪld aʊt frəm hər maʊθ æt ən əˈlɑrmɪŋ reɪt. "ʤɪst go…*… ənd warn…*… ðə others…*…" "no…*… no…*… ˈɑrti, pliz doʊnt die…*…" ðə ˈhəntsmən hɛld hɪz frɛnd ˈkloʊzər ɛz ðə ˌənkənˈtroʊld sɑbz bɪˈgæn tɪ bərst fɔrθ frəm hɪz θroʊt. "jaune…*… jʊr ə gʊd mæn. doʊnt let…*… anyone…*… tɛl ju otherwise…*…" ˈmænɪʤd ɪn bɪtˈwin kənˈvəlʃənz. ʃi riʧt ə hænd təˈwɔrdz, wɪʧ hi ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli græspt ˈtaɪtli. "this…*… isn't…*… jʊr fɔlt. ju hæv to…*… tɛl them…*…" ðə blɑndz maɪnd reɪst, bət hi ˈkʊdənt kəm əp wɪθ ˈɛniˌθɪŋ tɪ seɪ. ðə floʊ əv tɪrz spoʊk ɔl. ðə ˈhəntrɪs ɪn hɪz ɑrmz geɪv ɪm ə wɔrm smaɪl. "ɪt was…*… ən honor…*… tɪ sərv wɪθ ju. pliz live…*… fər ɔl əv us…*…" ʃi ˈʃədərd ˈsədənli, ənd kʊd hir hɪz ˈtiˌmeɪt ɪkˈspɛl hər læst brɛθ. hər kənˈvəlʃənz səbˈsaɪdɪd ənd ðə grɪp əv hər hænd ɪn hɪz rɪˈlækst. wɪθ ə sɛns əv faɪˈnæləti, hər hɛd sləmpt ˈoʊvər ɪn læp. "no…*… pliz no…*…" hɪz maɪnd rɪfˈjuzd tɪ bɪˈliv, jɛt ðɛr ʃi leɪ, dɛd ɪn hɪz ɑrmz. əv ðə twɛlv ðət hæd kəm tɪ dɪˈfɛnd ðə fɔrt, ˈilɛvən wər dɛd. ənd ɛz ɪf tɪ æd ˌɪnˈsəlt tɪ ˈɪnʤəri, hi hæd sərˈvaɪvd ˈkəvərd wɪθ noʊ ˈɪnʤəriz əv hɪz oʊn, bət ˌɪnˈstɛd wɪθ ðə bləd əv hɪz oʊn frɛndz. ðɛr wɑz noʊ wən lɛft ɪn hɪz trup bət ɪm. ˈkreɪdəlɪŋ ˈbɑdi ɪn hɪz ɑrmz, θru hɪz hɛd bæk ənd wɛpt. ðə ˈprɛzənt "mmmmuuuhhh…*…" səm sɔrs əv laɪt ʃaɪnd pæst kloʊzd ˈaɪˌlɪdz. sˈloʊli ˈkrækɪŋ ˈoʊpən hɪz aɪz, hi ˈriəˌlaɪzd ɪt wɑz ˈmɔrnɪŋ. ˈjɔnɪŋ, hi ˈʃɪftɪd hɪmˈsɛlf ˈɪntu ə sləmpt ˈsɪtɪŋ pəˈzɪʃən. dammit…*… aɪ drimd əˈbaʊt ðɛm again…*… ˈɪnstəntli ðə ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmɪŋ sɛns əv dɪˈprɛʃən θˈrɛtən tɪ it æt ɪm əˈgɛn, ənd hi tərnd tɪ hɪz raɪt tɪ græb ðə pɪlz ɔn hɪz ˈnaɪtˌstænd. ɪkˈsɛpt ðət ðeɪ wərənt ðɛr. hə, fraʊnd. nɑt ˈoʊnli kən aɪ nɑt faɪnd maɪ pɪlz wɪn aɪ nid them…*… bət ðɪs ˈɪzənt maɪ ˈnaɪtˌstænd. hi stɛrd æt ðə pɪŋk ʃits ræpt əraʊnd hɪz lɛgz. ðɪs ˈwəzənt hɪz bɛd ˈiðər. fɛlt ə ʃɪft ɔn hɪz lɛft, ənd ən ɑrm ræpt əraʊnd hɪz weɪst. "ˈmɔrnɪŋ,." hi tərnd hɪz hɛd ɪn səˈpraɪz ənd faʊnd ˈrubi, stɪl hæf əsˈlip ɛz ʃi kərld əˈgɛnst ɪm. "uh…*… ˈmɔrnɪŋ, rubes*." ɪf hæd bɪn ˈɛni mɔr əˈweɪk, hi ˈprɑbəˌbli ˈwʊdəv frikt ɛz tɪ waɪ hi wɑz ɪn ˈrubiz bɛd wɪθ ˈrubi ɪn ɪt. bət ðə ˈlɪŋgərɪŋ ˈnaɪtˌmɛr weɪɪŋ ˈhɛvəli ɔn hɪz maɪnd blɑkt aʊt ˈɛni ˈəðər ˈɪˌmoʊʃənz ðət ˈwʊdəv bɪn ɪˈlɪsɪtɪd baɪ hɪz prɪˈdɪkəmənt. stɪl, hi ˈkʊdənt hɛlp bət smərk sˈlaɪtli æt ðə saɪt ˌbiˈfɔr ɪm. "aɪd ˌɪˈmæʤən laɪɪŋ ɔn ə ˈmɛtəl ɑrm wʊd bi ənˈkəmfərtəbəl." ˈrubi ˈʧəkəld ˈsɔftli. "jʊd θɪŋk. ɪts ˈæˌkʧuəli nɑt ˈtɛrəbəl. ʤɪst koʊld ɪn ðə ˈmɔrnɪŋz ˈsəmˌtaɪmz." ʃi ˈoʊpənd hər aɪz ənd tərnd təˈwɔrdz wɪθ ə smaɪl, bət hər feɪs ˈsədənli tˈwɪstɪd ɪn kənˈsərn. "jaune*? ər ju ˌoʊˈkeɪ?" duɪŋ hɪz bɛst tɪ ʃəv daʊn ðə ˈfilɪŋ əv dɪˈspɛr ɪn hɪz ʧɛst, fəroʊd hɪz braʊ ɪn feɪnd kənfˈjuʒən. "jæ, kɔrs aɪ æm. waɪ?" "doʊnt laɪ tɪ mi,." ˈrubi geɪv ɪm ə stərn lʊk. "juv bɪn kraɪɪŋ." ˈɪnstəntli, brɔt ə hænd tɪ hɪz feɪs. hɪz ʧiks wər stɪl dæmp. saɪd. meɪ ɛz wɛl tɛl ðə truθ. "aɪ drimd əˈbaʊt ðə ˈmɪʃən əˈgɛn." ˈrubiz aɪz ˈwaɪdənd, ənd sæt əp ˌbiˈfɔr ˈræpɪŋ hər ɑrmz ˈtaɪtli əraʊnd ðə blɑndz ˈʃoʊldərz. "oʊ,. əm soʊ ˈsɑri..." ʃi spoʊk, ˈbɛrli ɪn ə ˈwɪspər. ɪn spaɪt əv hɪmˈsɛlf, fɛlt ə wɔrm ˈfilɪŋ wɑʃ θru hɪz ʧɛst. ɛz məʧ ɛz hi ˈheɪtɪd tɪ ədˈmɪt ɪt, hi ˈnɛvər fɛlt ðɪs ˈkəmfərtɪd wɪn wɑz əraʊnd. ʃi dɪd sim kənˈsərnd ənd ˈwɪlɪŋ tɪ hɛlp ɪm ɪn hɪz taɪm əv nid, bət ʃi ˈɔlsoʊ ˈɔlˌweɪz seemed…*… ˈbɪzi. tɪ bi fɛr, ɪt wɑz ˈnɛvər fɔlt. ðət wɑz ʤɪst ðə ˈneɪʧər əv hər ʤɑb. ʃi wɑz ˈɔlˌweɪz əˈweɪ, ənd ðɛr wɑz ˈrɪli ˈnəθɪŋ ˈiðər əv ðɛm kʊd du əˈbaʊt ɪt. ənd, tɪ bi kwaɪt ˈɑnəst, ˈdaʊtɪd ɪf wɑz ˈivɪn ˈeɪbəl tɪ rɪˈleɪt tɪ hɪz ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən ˈrubi, ɔn ðə ˈəðər hand…*… ʃi simd laɪk ˈsəmˌwən hu kʊd ˈsɪmpəˌθaɪz wɪθ ɪm. mɔr ˌɪmˈpɔrtəntli, hi fɛlt laɪk ʃi wɑz ˈsəmˌwən hi kʊd hæŋ ˈɔntu. "t-thanks*, rubes*. ˈsɪriəsli, aɪ, uh…*… θæŋks." hi ˈnərvəsli ræn ə hænd θru ˈrubiz hɛr. "heɪ, uh…*… wi didn't…*… du ˈɛniˌθɪŋ læst naɪt, dɪd wi? bɪˈkəz, y'know…*… wɪr kaɪnd əv in…*… ə bed…*… təˈgɛðər." ˈrubi ˈʧəkəld əˈgɛn. "noʊ,. wi ˈdɪdənt. wi wər just…*… boʊθ ɪn ə bæd pleɪs ənd wi ˈnidɪd iʧ ˈəðər. aɪ min, ju don't…*… rɪˈgrɛt ðɪs, du ju?" "noʊ!" ˈænsərd, ˈɔlˌmoʊst tu kˈwɪkli. "aɪ mean…*… aɪ ˈrɪli doʊnt. ɪn fækt, əm glæd ðət ju wər hir fər mi." "ənd ju fər mi." ˈrubi smaɪld ənd təkt hər hɛd ɪn ðə krʊk əv hɪz nɛk. "ɪts ˈilɛvən ɔn ə ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ. ju ˈwɑnə du ˈɛniˌθɪŋ təˈdeɪ?" "well…*…" maɪnd izd ˈɪntu ˈklɛrɪti, rɪˈkɔlɪŋ ðə læst ˈɑrgjəmənt hi hæd hæd wɪθ hɪz naʊ ɛˈstreɪnʤd waɪf. "aɪ wɑz ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈθɪŋkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˈgræbɪŋ ɔl maɪ stəf bæk frəm ðə haʊs sɪns aɪ doʊnt ˈrɪli hæv ˈɛni ˈrizən tɪ steɪ ðɛr ˌɛniˈmɔr. bət ˈoʊnli ɪf jul hæv mi!" hi skwizd ɪn ðə læst pɑrt ˈhəridli. "aɪ doʊnt ˈwɑnə əˈsum anything…*…" "jaune*." ðə blɑnd gəlpt æt ðə slaɪt əˈnɔɪəns frəm ˈrubiz vɔɪs. "jɛs?" ʃi ˈgɪgəld. "aɪ ɔˈrɛdi toʊld ju tɪ steɪ, ˈdɪdənt aɪ?" "jæ, aɪ gɛs soʊ," briðd, ˈlɛtɪŋ aʊt ə saɪ əv rɪˈlif. ˈrubi ʃʊk hər hɛd, ˈlæfɪŋ. "ju gɪt ˈfləstərd soʊ ˈizəli. ɪts kjut." ʃi ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ pʊl əˈweɪ frəm ðə bɛd. "aɪ gɛs aɪ ʃʊd goʊ meɪk ˈbrɛkfəst." "noʊ, weɪt!" grɪpt hər rɪst ˌbiˈfɔr ʃi kʊd liv. ˈrubi geɪv ɪm ə kˈwɪzəkəl lʊk. "jaune*?" lʊkt daʊn təˈwɔrdz hɪz læp. "aɪ, uh…*… kən wi just…*… steɪ hir fər ə bɪt ˈlɔŋgər?" bɪˈkəz ju kip maɪ ˈnaɪtˌmɛrz æt beɪ, ˈivɪn wɪn ɔl aɪ kən si ər ðɛr ˈfeɪsɪz ənd wɪn ɔl aɪ kən hir ər ðɛr skrimz. bɪt hɪz lɪp æt ðə ənˈspoʊkən θɔts ðət ˈrætəld ɪn hɪz maɪnd. ˈrubiz feɪs ˈsɔfənd əˈpɑn ˈhirɪŋ ðə ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈplidɪŋ ɛʤ ɪn hər frɛndz vɔɪs. hər ˈsɪlvər aɪz wər kəmˈpæʃənət, fʊl əv ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ. ðə frɛnd hu hæd ˈɔlˌweɪz bɪn ðɛr fər ɪm wɑz hir naʊ, wɪn hi ˈnidɪd hər ðə moʊst. "aɪ gɛs wi kən pʊt ɔf ril laɪf fər ə waɪl." ˈrubi smaɪld comfortingly*, ˈrɛstɪŋ bæk əˈgɛnst ʧɛst wɪθ ə saɪ. ənd fər ðə fərst taɪm ɪn ə ˈvɛri lɔŋ taɪm, fɛlt ˈtruli æt pis. əˈgɛn, ˈmɛni əˈpɑləˌʤiz fər nɑt ˈəpˌdeɪtɪŋ ɪn ə lɔŋ taɪm. əm nɑt ʃʊr haʊ lɔŋ aɪ kən kip əp ðə ˈpoʊstɪŋz ɪn ə ˈtaɪmli ˈmænər, bət aɪl bi dæmd ɪf aɪ doʊnt traɪ. θæŋk ju soʊ məʧ fər biɪŋ ˈpeɪʃənt. nɛkst ˈʧæptər ɪz ˈgɑnə bi ə ˈduzi. ɛz ɪf ənd ˈhævənt hæd ɪˈnəf əv ə ˈfɑlɪŋ aʊt jɛt... rəvˈjuz ər ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈwɛlkəm. ənˈtɪl nɛkst taɪm!

guess who's back! uh... me. that's whose... nevermind. anyways, this chapter was initially going to be a continuation of pyrrha's mission with that one oc that everyone's probably forgotten at this point. but i keep getting people who ask me what happened in jaune's past that made him so... broken. so i figured, it would actually be a good idea to touch on that and give people the context they were looking for. truthfully enough, this chapter would've been needed sooner or later. there's some pretty violent stuff in here. probably too violent for a t rating... oh boy. so heads up if you get queasy easily. beta: maxaro. i actually didn't make the connection between the book series until you told me! so that totally wasn't intentional... or, uh, yeah, it was all part of my evil plan to mess with you... oooooooooo... enjoy! two years ago… sweat dripped down jaune's brow as he sprinted down the wooded trail, a small group of hunters following closely behind him. actually, that wasn't completely correct. some of the fluid that covered his face was indeed sweat. the rest of it was blood. and, much to his own horror, he could recall exactly whose blood it was and the gruesome manner in which it had gotten there. the group ran on and on until they could run no more. of the six hunters, two of them had collapsed on the ground, desperately hacking and gasping for air. jaune had run over to grab the nearest one to help her into a sitting position. "jaune… i'm… i'll be… fine… don't worry about me…" she managed in between greedy gulps of air. her wavy blue hair remained plastered to her face which contorted in an expression of pain. jaune scowled. "it's part of my job description to worry about you all, artemis. and, evidently enough… i haven't been doing a good job of it…" he couldn't bring himself to meet her concerned eyes. "jaune…" murmured artemis, her voice shaking with hesitation. ten feet away, one of the other hunters, a tall, white-haired gunner named percy pushed his goggles up the bridge of his nose and turned to jaune. "perimeter seems clear. we've got enough coverage from the overhead canopies, so no nevermores or wyrms will be able to catch us without us knowing. we've also got the higher ground, so even if we get swarmed we can at least begin to pick the terrestrials with artemis's crossbow, indra's dust magic, and my bad news." one of the other hunters, a burly tiger-faunus axeman named balder brushed his hands and grinned at percy. "bad news is one hell of a powerful gun, but even you know that it's a bitch to reload. why not use good news?" percy inhaled deeply. "good news is designed specifically for accuracy. there's no way it would hold up in a horde situation. at least not for long." the gunner pulled out a mammoth plasma cannon and began setting up its mount. "i need the spread and power. we just don't have a choice." balder's enthusiasm perfectly offset percy's grimness. "no need to worry, bud. all them grimm you and arty won't be able to get, me and wyck got it! right wyck?" he glanced off towards the swordsman, wyck, who was busy helping the group's dust mage, indra, onto his feet before turning with a dark glare towards the axeman. "how do you still manage to keep that fool's smile on your face?" snarled wyck. "have you no remorse towards your fallen comrades?" "wyck… now is not the time," artemis chastised softly. "we have to get organized if we want a chance of surviving, much less escaping. squabbling amongst ourselves can come later." wyck frowned at her but remained silent. shaking her head, artemis turned towards indra with a softer expression. "conduit's still in good shape, indra?" she asked with a smile. the diminutive dust mage ran the checks on his gauntlet, which was in fact a literal conduit for his magic, and nodded. "that's good." artemis let out a sigh before turning to jaune. "anything to add, jaune?" the blonde, who had been silent up to this point, started at his name and glanced at the huntress, a flash of pain washing over his face. "why would you ask me?" artemis flinched at the venom in his voice, while balder gave a hearty laugh. "waddya mean by that? we've always followed your tactical advice before, and you've always done good. ain't no reason for us not to follow you now!" jaune felt his fists clench. "then if what happened at the rendezvous point wasn't my fault, then whose was it? i lead our troop to a bloodbath… losing that point means losing vale's hold on the fort and the supporting village… all those innocent civilians… we lost half of us in the process…" he could feel the hot tears beginning to stream down his face. percy walked up to the group's de facto leader and placed a hand on his shoulder. "jaune, it wasn't your fault. the grimm worked in a coordinated effort in that assault, which, as far as we know, isn't even supposed to be possible. there was no way you could have known that there was some commanding force in play." "i'm a tactician!" jaune yelled in frustration, forcibly throwing off percy's hand. "i'm supposed to be prepared for this shit! we've never lost a single hunter before! shit, shit, shit!" he took his anger out on a nearby fallen log, the rotting wood shattering upon impact with his boot. silence fell over the remainders of the hunter troop. wyck's deep, brooding voice cut through the silence. "well, i certainly blame you." "wyck!" artemis turned on him in a rare show of anger. "what arc says is true," scowled wyck. "he's supposed to have us ready for any situation. that's what you're paid to do, isn't it?" the swordsman turned to jaune. "so now are you even worth anything to us anymore?" "wyck, shut up!" snarled percy. "are you trying to get us to turn on each other when our lives are on the line? have you no honor?" "surely you can get your head out of your ass at least until we get out of here alive," agreed balder. "the one without honor is the one we've placed to lead us!" wyck growled, pointing his sword at jaune. "if he wants to make amends, then perhaps he should sacrifice his own life so that the rest of us may escape!" "no! are you insane!?" artemis spat out. "we are hunters! we look after one another! we don't leave our own behind! that's the most shameful thing of all!" she turned to the blonde huntsman. "don't listen to him, jaune. he's just angry right now… like we all are. but i trust you. you'll get us out of here alive, right?" jaune stayed silent, but he avoided her gaze. artemis grasped his shoulders. "okay. you don't have to answer that right now. but we're going to need your help to make it out. alright?" jaune hesitated. his eyes wandered among his teammates, from balder's endlessly enthusiastic grin, percy's steely but accepting gaze, wyck's turned head, indra's shy thumbs-up, to finally artemis's fully trusting smile. the blonde heaved a great and weary sigh. "alright. we're gonna pair up. surround the elevated area: balder, stay with percy – he'll need a mobile defender like you since he won't be able to move with bad news. indra, you and wyck take that side over by the stump. arty, we'll stay here." as the troop started to take formation, artemis gave him a reassuring smile. "you've got this." jaune tried to smile back, but some unexplainable gnawing kept him from doing so. "…no." "jaune…" artemis lightly punched his shoulder. "you don't have to be humble. i trust your strategies." "that's not… it," murmured jaune. "something's off. like i'm missing something." "what do you mean?" the blue-haired huntress's brow furrowed. "i feel… something that doesn't belong here." jaune paled. "fuck… what if this has to do with that commanding force?" "you think… they're prepared for us?" before jaune could answer, they felt a rumble from beneath the ground. it took a moment before jaune realized the flaw in his plan. "no… no… we were expecting them to attack from above ground, and they knew…" from under balder's feet, a giant worm-like creature burst from underneath, wrapping its jaws around the faunus' leg and dragging him into the ground before he even had the chance to pull out his axe. "noooooooo! balder!" percy screamed. the ground shook immensely once more, and a jagged fissure formed in the ground in between the remainders of the group. like ants from a disturbed dirt mound, waves of bipedal reptilians and warthogs spilled out of the crack. the worms shot out of the ground in tandem with the rest of the grimm. "arrrrrgh! what is happening?" the gunman began firing hysterically, but as bad news disintegrated a dozen grimm in one shot, three dozen took their place . "the boarbatusks i can understand, but creeps and tremors? they're not supposed to gather in this area, much less be aggressive to above-ground creatures! i don't underst-" his cognitive sentences ceased to be and the rest became only screams as the creeps sank their teeth into his flesh and proceeded to pull the gunner apart limb by limb. across from what was left of percy and bad news, a particularly fat tremor burst from the ground and swallowed indra whole, bursts of lightning magic spewing out of the tremor's maw being the only sign that indra even existed at all. wyck slashed madly at the fat tremor, hacking and hacking desperately in an attempt to save his friend. the tremor burrowed back underground without so much as a scratch. the swordsman's arm dropped limply. he turned his head over his shoulder, and jaune made out the look of utter contempt and betrayal that was aimed at him before wyck disappeared in a cloud of grimm. this all happened before jaune had the chance to react, and he could only watch in dazed horror. "no…" he felt something grab at his arm. "we have to run, jaune!" yelled artemis, and she pulled him out of his shock. the pair ran as fast as they possibly could through the heavily sylvan path, already exhausted from escaping the rendezvous point earlier. every few seconds, artemis would fire several arrows towards the horde of grimm, but it barely seemed to have any effect on quelling the oncoming stampede. jaune slashed repeatedly in front of him, frantically cutting through any bramble or shrubbery that stood in their way. "dammit, they're gaining!" roared jaune over the combined din of the hundreds of grimm. a quick glance back revealed what looked like a sea of black closing in on the two hunters with the looming inescapable nature of a tsunami. "arty, can you use your semblance at all?" "i should be able to!" she shouted back. out of the corner of his eye, jaune could make out a brilliant flash of green light before he was suddenly carried off the ground by a pair of huge talons. looking upwards, he saw that the huntress's semblance, morph, had taken on the form of a rather large falcon. they flew swiftly above the cover of the forest's canopies and safely away from the grimm horde below. jaune watched worriedly as the grimm slowed to a halt as their prey took flight, and the horde collectively regressed back the way they came. "did… did the grimm just make a tactical retreat?" artemis's voice emanated within jaune's brain. "yeah…" he murmured out loud. "grimm don't retreat, period… this is wrong…" "there's not much that we can do about it now," assured artemis. "we did what we could. the only option we have is to get out and report to ft. soap. maybe they'll know what to – hrrrrrrrrrkkk!" a shadow fell over jaune, and he looked up to see a nevermore roughly three times the size of artemis's morph plunging it's claws through the falcon's chest. the blonde's eyes widened in shock. "artemis! noooooooo!" the nevermore cawed almost mockingly and ripped out a large chunk of the falcon's chest cavity. jaune watched in horror as artemis's eyes rolled backwards and he could only scream as both he and the morphed huntress began to plummet several hundred feet back to earth. the falcon had lost its grip on jaune, and they fell as two separate bodies. the huntsman struggled to get closer to his friend as she spiraled away from him. "just… a little… closer!" his fingertips closed in on one of artemis's talons. "gotcha!" jaune activated his semblance, and the two falling bodies began to glow white, impervious to any outside damage. and not a moment too soon. the pair crashed into the forested ground with a loud thud. both bodies bounced from the impact, and after rolling and bouncing every which way, jaune finally ground to a halt, his head throbbing from the impact. the glow wore off, and he could make out the giant nevermore watching the scene with brooding, beady eyes before smugly flying away, satisfied with the destruction it had reaped. dazed, jaune watched the bird depart before he remembered his mortally wounded companion. "artemis!" scrambling to his feet, the blonde huntsman stumbled his way past the trees and shrubs to where the bloodied falcon lay, which began to weakly glow green. jaune knelt by her side and cradled her head as she morphed back into human form. "jaune… unnggg…" she gasped from her now human mouth. the large gaping hole in her chest remained through the transformation, and a pool of blood rapidly grew from where she lay. "shhh, don't move! i'm gonna get you out of here, arty, just please stay still!" jaune's voice was frantic and terrified. "we know… that… won't happen…" the huntress tried to give jaune a reassuring smile, but there was no way to mask the contortions of pain as blood spilled out from her mouth at an alarming rate. "just go… and warn… the others…" "no… no… arty, please don't die…" the huntsman held his friend closer as the uncontrolled sobs began to burst forth from his throat. "jaune… you're a good man. don't let… anyone… tell you otherwise…" artemis managed in between convulsions. she reached a hand towards jaune, which he immediately grasped tightly. "this… isn't… your fault. you have to… tell them…" the blonde's mind raced, but he couldn't come up with anything to say. the flow of tears spoke all. the huntress in his arms gave him a warm smile. "it was… an honor… to serve with you. please live… for all of us…" she shuddered suddenly, and jaune could hear his teammate expel her last breath. her convulsions subsided and the grip of her hand in his relaxed. with a sense of finality, her head slumped over in jaune's lap. "no… please no…" his mind refused to believe, yet there she lay, dead in his arms. of the twelve that had come to defend the fort, eleven were dead. and as if to add insult to injury, he had survived covered with no injuries of his own, but instead with the blood of his own friends. there was no one left in his troop but him. cradling artemis's body in his arms, jaune threw his head back and wept. the present "mmmmuuuhhh…" some source of light shined past jaune's closed eyelids. slowly cracking open his eyes, he realized it was morning. yawning, he shifted himself into a slumped sitting position. dammit… i dreamed about them again… instantly the overwhelming sense of depression threaten to eat at him again, and he turned to his right to grab the pills on his nightstand. except that they weren't there. huh, jaune frowned. not only can i not find my pills when i need them… but this isn't my nightstand. he stared at the pink sheets wrapped around his legs. this wasn't his bed either. jaune felt a shift on his left, and an arm wrapped around his waist. "morning, jaune." he turned his head in surprise and found ruby, still half asleep as she curled against him. "uh… morning, rubes." if jaune had been any more awake, he probably would've freaked as to why he was in ruby's bed with ruby in it. but the lingering nightmare weighing heavily on his mind blocked out any other emotions that would've been elicited by his predicament. still, he couldn't help but smirk slightly at the sight before him. "i'd imagine lying on a metal arm would be uncomfortable." ruby chuckled softly. "you'd think. it's actually not terrible. just cold in the mornings sometimes." she opened her eyes groggily and turned towards jaune with a smile, but her face suddenly twisted in concern. "jaune? are you okay?" doing his best to shove down the feeling of despair in his chest, jaune furrowed his brow in feigned confusion. "yeah, course i am. why?" "don't lie to me, jaune." ruby gave him a stern look. "you've been crying." instantly, jaune brought a hand to his face. his cheeks were still damp. jaune sighed. may as well tell the truth. "i dreamed about the mission again." ruby's eyes widened, and sat up before wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde's shoulders. "oh, jaune. i'm so sorry..." she spoke, barely in a whisper. in spite of himself, jaune felt a warm feeling wash through his chest. as much as he hated to admit it, he never felt this comforted when pyrrha was around. she did seem concerned and willing to help him in his time of need, but she also always seemed… busy. to be fair, it was never pyrrha's fault. that was just the nature of her job. she was always away, and there was really nothing either of them could do about it. and, to be quite honest, jaune doubted if pyrrha was even able to relate to his situation ruby, on the other hand… she seemed like someone who could sympathize with him. more importantly, he felt like she was someone he could hang onto. "t-thanks, rubes. seriously, i, uh… thanks." he nervously ran a hand through ruby's hair. "hey, uh… we didn't… do anything last night, did we? because, y'know… we're kind of in… a bed… together." ruby chuckled again. "no, jaune. we didn't. we were just… both in a bad place and we needed each other. i mean, you don't… regret this, do you?" "no!" jaune answered, almost too quickly. "i mean… i really don't. in fact, i'm glad that you were here for me." "and you for me." ruby smiled and tucked her head in the crook of his neck. "it's eleven on a saturday. you wanna do anything today?" "well…" jaune mind eased into clarity, recalling the last argument he had had with his now estranged wife. "i was actually thinking about grabbing all my stuff back from the house since i don't really have any reason to stay there anymore. but only if you'll have me!" he squeezed in the last part hurriedly. "i don't wanna assume anything…" "jaune." the blonde gulped at the slight annoyance from ruby's voice. "yes?" she giggled. "i already told you to stay, didn't i?" "yeah, i guess so," breathed jaune, letting out a sigh of relief. ruby shook her head, laughing. "you get flustered so easily. it's cute." she started to pull away from the bed. "i guess i should go make breakfast." "no, wait!" jaune gripped her wrist before she could leave. ruby gave him a quizzical look. "jaune?" jaune looked down towards his lap. "i, uh… can we just… stay here for a bit longer?" because you keep my nightmares at bay, even when all i can see are their faces and when all i can hear are their screams. jaune bit his lip at the unspoken thoughts that rattled in his mind. ruby's face softened upon hearing the almost pleading edge in her friend's voice. her silver eyes were compassionate, full of understanding. the friend who had always been there for him was here now, when he needed her the most. "i guess we can put off real life for a while." ruby smiled comfortingly, resting back against jaune's chest with a sigh. and for the first time in a very long time, jaune felt truly at peace. again, many apologies for not updating in a long time. i'm not sure how long i can keep up the postings in a timely manner, but i'll be damned if i don't try. thank you so much for being patient. next chapter is gonna be a doozy. as if jaune and pyrrha haven't had enough of a falling out yet... reviews are always welcome. until next time!

ʤeɪ ziz ˈgloʊbəl mˈjuzɪk ənd ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt ˈplætˌfɔrm ˈtaɪdəl ɪn əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən wɪθ rɑk ˈneɪʃən ɪz ˈdoʊˌneɪtɪŋ ˈmɪljən tɪ blæk lɪvz ˈmætər ənd ˈsɛvərəl ˈəðər ˈloʊkəl ənd ˈnæʃənəl ˈsoʊʃəl ˈʤəstɪs ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz, ˈtaɪdəl əˈnaʊnst ɪkˈsklusɪvli tɪ mɪk ɔn ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ðə seɪm deɪ ˈmɑrtɪn wʊd hæv tərnd 21 jɪrz oʊld. ðə ˈstrimɪŋ ˈsərvɪs reɪzd ðə ˈmɪljən æt ðə fərst ˈtaɪdəl ɛks: ˈʧɛrɪti ˈkɑnsərt ɪn ˈbrʊklɪn, nu jɔrk, ˈfiʧərɪŋ beyoncé*é, ˈnɪki, ʤeɪ zi, lɪl weɪn ənd nɪk ˈʤoʊnəs. grup əv ˈɑrtɪst ˈoʊnərz, wɪʧ ˌɪnˈkludz ˈsɛvərəl əv ðə mjuˈzɪʃənz hu pərˈfɔrmd ɪn ɑkˈtoʊbərz ʃoʊ ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ beyoncé*é, ˈnɪki ənd ʤeɪ zi, tʊk pɑrt ɪn ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ wɪʧ ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz wʊd rɪˈsiv ˈfəndɪŋ, ðə ˈstrimɪŋ ˈsərvɪs toʊld mɪk. ðə məˈʤɔrəti əv ðə grups tɪ ˈbɛnəfɪt ər ˈsoʊʃəl ˈʤəstɪs ˈæktɪvɪst grups ənd ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz, wɪθ ə lɑrʤ ˈpɔrʃən əv ðiz spəˈsɪfɪkli kəˈmɪtɪd tɪ ɪnˈʃʊrɪŋ ðə ˈneɪʃən ˌəndərˈstændz ðət blæk lɪvz ˈmætər. ˈteɪlər ˈɪmɪʤɪz ˈnɪki pərˈfɔrmɪŋ æt ˈtaɪdəl ɛks: ɪˈvɛnt ɪn ˈbrʊklɪn, nu jɔrk. grænts wɪl bi ədˈmɪnɪstərd θru ðə nu wərld faʊnˈdeɪʃən, wɪʧ fəndz ˈsɛvərəl ˈsɪvəl raɪts grups ənd ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmuvmənts. ðə ˈnɑnˈprɑfɪts ˈtaɪdəl wɪl fənd ˌɪnˈklud ˌɑpərˈtunəti əˈʤɛndə, hænz əp juˈnaɪtɪd, sankofa.org*, ɛz wɛl ɛz ˈloʊkəl ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzɪŋ grups ɪn ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə: kəmˈjunɪti ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən; ˈflɔrɪdə: drim dɪˈfɛndərz; ˌɪləˈnɔɪz: blæk juθ ˈprɑʤɛkt; ˈmɛrələnd: ˈbɔltəˌmɔr ˈʤəstɪs fənd; ɪmˈpaʊərmənt dɪˈvɛləpmənt ˌkɔrpərˈeɪʃən; nu jɔrk: ˈmɪljən hoodies*; ˈʤəstɪs lig ənd oʊˈhaɪoʊ: oʊˈhaɪoʊ ˈstudənts kəˈlæbərˌeɪtɪv. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈtaɪdəl, doʊˈneɪʃənz wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ bi ˈgɪvɪn tɪ ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz kriˈeɪtɪd baɪ ðə ˈfæməliz əv ˈvɪktɪmz əv pəˈlis bruˈtælɪti, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə ˈmɑrtɪn faʊnˈdeɪʃən, ðə ˈmaɪkəl o.d*. braʊn wi ləv ɑrz sənz ənd ˈdɔtərz faʊnˈdeɪʃən ənd ðə ˈɔskər grænt faʊnˈdeɪʃən. mˈjuzɪk mits ˈsoʊʃəl ˈʤəstɪs: "ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs əv əkˈwaɪərɪŋ ˌrɛkəmənˈdeɪʃənz [fər ˈnɑnˈprɑfɪts] wɑz kəˈlæbərˌeɪtɪv ənd ˌɪnˈspaɪərd baɪ ðə ˈmɛsɪʤ ðət spiks tɪ ˈreɪʃəl ənd ˈsoʊʃəl ˌɪˈnɛkwətiz ənd ˌɪnˈʤəstɪs ɪn ɑr soʊˈsaɪɪti," ˈdeɪnjə diɑz, ˈmænəʤɪŋ dɪˈrɛktər əv fɪˈlænθrəpi æt rɑk ˈneɪʃən, toʊld mɪk. "iʧ jɪr wi wɪl səˈpɔrt ə ˈdɪfərənt ˌɪˈnɪʃətɪv. ɑr ˌaɪdiˈɑləʤi ɪz tɪ hæv ə ˈlɛvəl əv ˈkɑnʃəsnəs ɪn ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ wi du." ðə muv ɪz ˈlɑrʤəst kəˈmɪtmənt tɪ səˈpɔrtɪŋ ˈsoʊʃəl ˈʤəstɪs ˈæktɪˌvɪzəm tɪ deɪt. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ˈivɪn ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ɑkˈtoʊbər ˈkɑnsərt, ˈmɛni əv ðə ˈɑrtɪst ˈoʊnərz hæd ɔˈrɛdi ˈbeɪgən ˈjuzɪŋ ðɛr oʊn wərk tɪ spik tɪ ðə ˈmuvmənts ðə grænts wɪl naʊ səˈpɔrt. ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈtaɪdəl ɛks: ˈkɑnsərt, ˈəʃər pərˈfɔrmd hɪz ˈsɪŋgəl "ʧeɪnz," wɪʧ ˈfoʊkɪsɪz ɔn pəˈlis bruˈtælɪti ənd ˈreɪʃəl ˌɪnˈʤəstəsɪz sin θruaʊt ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts, lɪv fər ðə fərst taɪm. praɪər tɪ ðə ʃoʊ, hi ˈdeɪbjutɪd ɪt wɪθ ən ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈvɪʒəwəl ɪkˈspɪriəns, wɪʧ rikˈwaɪərd ˈjuzərz tɪ lʊk ˈɪntu ðə ˈfeɪsɪz əv əˈnɑrmd ˈpipəl əv ˈkələr hu hæv bɪn kɪld baɪ pəˈlis ˈoʊvər ðə pæst fju jɪrz. ˈtaɪdəl ˈsɪŋkrəˌnaɪzd wɪθ ˈlɪsənərz' tɪ meɪk ʃʊr ðeɪ ˈdɪdənt lʊk əˈweɪ. ɪf ðeɪ dɪd, ðə mˈjuzɪk wʊd stɑp, ənd ɪt ˈoʊnli kənˈtɪnju wəns ˈlɪsənərz lʊkt bæk æt ðə lɪvz lɔst wɪθ ə ˈmɛsɪʤ ðət rɛd: "doʊnt lʊk əˈweɪ." ə ˈpeɪnɪŋ əv ˈmɑrtɪn kriˈeɪtɪd baɪ æt ɑrt kəˈlɛktɪv fər ˈsoʊʃəl ˈʤəstɪs ɪn nu jɔrk ˈsɪti. krɪs sɪns ðɛn, ˈəʃər həz kənˈtɪnjud hɪz ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ˈreɪʃəl ɪkˈwɑləti, riˈlisɪŋ ə ˈfɑloʊˌəp mˈjuzɪk ˈvɪdioʊ fər "ʧeɪnz," wɪʧ ʃoʊz ɪm biɪŋ ˈfɑloʊd baɪ pəˈlis ənd ˈleɪtər əˈtɛndɪŋ hɪz oʊn məˈmɔriəl ˈsərvɪs ɪn ə ʧərʧ. ˈəʃər ˈɔlsoʊ kɪkt ɔf 2016 baɪ ˈhoʊstɪŋ ən ˈɑrtɪsts kəˈlɛktɪv ɪn nu jɔrk ˈsɪti ɔn ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ənd ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ, wɛr ˈsɛvərəl ˈɑrtɪsts dɪˈspleɪd wərks ˈfoʊkɪsɪŋ ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl ˈʤəstɪs. mɪk poʊld tˈwɪtər ˈjuzərz tɪ si wət ðeɪd laɪk tɪ hir ɪm dɪˈskəs æt ðə ɪˈvɛnt, wɪθ ðə məˈʤɔrəti ˈvoʊtɪŋ tɪ hir θɔts ɔn ðə ˈwɔtər ˈkraɪsəs ˌɪmˈpæktɪŋ ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈrɛzɪdənts ɪn flɪnt, ˈmɪʃɪgən. "wi nid tɪ ɪkˈsploʊd ðə ˈɪʃu," ˈəʃər toʊld mɪk əˈbaʊt ðə ˈkraɪsəs ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ɪˈvɛnts after-party*. "ðɪs ˈɪʃu ɪz fɑr ˈdipər ðən wəts ɔn ðə ˈsərfəs. wi hæv tɪ goʊ ˈdipər ənd faɪnd ðə səˈluʃən, ənd ˈæˌdrɛs ðət." ʤɪst ˈɪntərvˌjud @ˈəʃər ɔn fər! si mɔr ɔn sˈnæˌpʧæt ˈpɛrəˌskoʊp ˈəðər ˈtaɪdəl ˈɑrtɪsts hæv ʃɛrd ðɛr θɔts wɪθ mɪk ɔn ˈmeɪʤər ˈɪʃuz ˌɪmˈpæktɪŋ ɑr ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈsɛvərəl əv ɪts ˈbədɪŋ stɑrz ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈtaɪdəl ɛks: "ðə ˈbɪgəst ˈʧælənʤ ˈfeɪsɪŋ ɑr ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən ɪz ˈkɑnfədɛns," ˈsɪŋər ənd ˈmɑdəl ʤəˈstin toʊld mɪk. "bɪˈkəz əv ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə, ɪts kaɪnd əv ə ˈdaʊnər, ənd ˈpipəl lɛt ɪt teɪk ˈoʊvər ðɛr lɪvz." "ˈsɛvənˈtin" ˈsɪŋər ənd ˈfɛloʊ "ˈtaɪdəl ˈraɪzɪŋ" ˈɑrtɪst ˈkɛrə əˈgrid. "ðə ˈbɪgəst ˈʧælənʤ ˈfeɪsɪŋ ɑr ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən ɪz ðət wi ˈoʊnli hæv 10 ˈsɛkəndz tɪ seɪ haʊ wi fil," ˈkɛrə toʊld mɪk. "aɪ θɪŋk ðæts ə bɪg ˈʧælənʤ, jæ, ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə." ʤəˈstin wɪn æst ˈwɛðər hi fɛlt ˈreɪʃəl ˌɪnˈʤəstɪs ɪz wən əv ðɪs ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃənz ˈbɪgəst ˈʧælənʤɪz, rɪk rɔs toʊld mɪk ðɛr ər ˈsɛvərəl ˈmeɪʤər ˈhərdəlz juθ ər ˈfeɪsɪŋ. "wi ɔˈrɛdi noʊ ɪn ðɪs ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən ðə ˈbɪgəst ˈɑbstəkəlz, ənd ðɛrz ə lɔt əv ðɛm, jɑ dɪg?" rɔs toʊld mɪk. "wɪr ˈfaɪtɪŋ wən əv ðɛm raɪt naʊ. jɔl ˈbɛtər ʤɪst hoʊld jʊr hɛd əp. bɔs." rɪk rɔs' æt hi prəˈsidəd tɪ ʃaʊt "bɔs" ənd stɔrmd ɔf. "ˈtaɪdəl ɛks: 1020 wɑz ðə fərst əv ə ˈsɪriz əv ˌfɪlənθˈrɑpɪk mˈjuzɪk ɪˈvɛnts baɪ ˈtaɪdəl ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ reɪz əˈwɛrnəs, fəndz, ˈkɑnʃəs ɛnˈgeɪʤmənt ənd daɪˈnæmɪk ˈækʃən fər ˌtrænsˈfɔrmɑˌtɪv ənd ˈpɑzətɪv ˈsoʊʃəl ˌɪmˈpækt," ˈtaɪdəl sɛd ɪn ə ˈsteɪtmənt tɪ mɪk. "ɔl əv ðə ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz səˈlɛktɪd wərk tɪ əˈphoʊld ðə ˈpərpəs əv ðə ˈtaɪdəl ɛks: 1020 fənd, wɪʧ ɪz tɪ səˈpɔrt nɑnˈprɑfət ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz ˈdɛdəkeɪtəd tɪ ədˈvænsɪŋ ˈpɑzətɪv kəmˈjunɪti riˈleɪʃənz ənd ˈifɛktɪŋ sɪˈstɛmɪk ʧeɪnʤ fər ðə dɪˈvɛləpmənt ənd səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti əv ʤɪst səˈsaɪɪtiz." grænt rɪˈsɪpiənts wɪl rɪˈsiv doʊˈneɪʃənz θru ðə nu wərld faʊnˈdeɪʃən ðɪs mənθ.

jay z's global music and entertainment platform tidal in association with roc nation is donating $1.5 million to black lives matter and several other local and national social justice organizations, tidal announced exclusively to mic on friday — the same day trayvon martin would have turned 21 years old. the streaming service raised the $1.5 million at the first tidal x: 10/20 charity concert in brooklyn, new york, featuring beyoncé, nicki minaj, jay z, lil wayne and nick jonas. tidal's group of artist owners, which includes several of the musicians who performed in october's sold-out show including beyoncé, nicki minaj and jay z, took part in deciding which organizations would receive funding, the streaming service told mic. the majority of the groups to benefit are social justice activist groups and organizations, with a large portion of these specifically committed to ensuring the nation understands that black lives matter. taylor hill/getty images nicki minaj performing at tidal x: 10/20 event in brooklyn, new york. tidal's grants will be administered through the new world foundation, which funds several civil rights groups and social movements. the nonprofits tidal will fund include opportunity agenda, hands up united, sankofa.org, as well as local organizing groups in california: community coalition; florida: dream defenders; illinois: black youth project; maryland: baltimore justice fund; empowerment development corporation; new york: million hoodies; ny justice league and ohio: ohio students association/organizing collaborative. according to tidal, donations will also be given to organizations created by themilies of victims of police brutality, including the trayvon martin foundation, the michael o.d. brown we love ours sons and daughters foundation and the oscar grant foundation. music meets social justice: "the process of acquiring recommendations [for nonprofits] was collaborative and inspired by the message that speaks to racial and social inequities and injustice in our society," dania diaz, managing director of philanthropy at roc nation, told mic. "each year we will support a different initiative. our ideology is to have a hifi level of consciousness in everything we do." the move is tidal's largest commitment to supporting social justice activism to date. however, even before the october concert, many of the tidal's artist owners had already begun using their own work to speak to the movements the grants will now support. during the tidal x: 10/20 concert, usher performed his single "chains," which focuses on police brutality and racial injustices seen throughout the united states, live for the first time. prior to the show, he debuted it with an online visual experience, which required users to look into theces of unarmed people of color who have been killed by police over the past few years. tidal synchronized with listeners' webcams to make sure they didn't look away. if they did, the music would stop, and it only continue once listeners looked back at the lives lost with a message that read: "don't look away." a painting of trayvon martin created by @bktheartist at usher's art collective for social justice in new york city. chris riotta/mic since then, usher has continued his focus on racial equality, releasing a follow-up music video for "chains," which shows him being followed by police and later attending his own memorial service in a church. usher also kicked off 2016 by hosting an artists collective in new york city on friday and saturday, where several artists displayed works focusing on social justice. mic polled twitter users to see what they'd like to hear him discuss at the event, with the majority voting to hear usher's thoughts on the water crisis impacting thousands of residents in flint, michigan. "we need to explode the issue," usher told mic about the crisis during the event's after-party. "this issue isr deeper than what's on the surface. we have to go deeper and find the solution, and address that." just interviewed @usher on #flintwatercrisis for @micnews! see more on snapchat @micdotcom periscope @chrisriotta pic.twitter.com/umabvxbplg other tidal artists have shared their thoughts with mic on major issues impacting our generation, including several of its budding stars during tidal x: 10/20. "the biggest challengecing our generation is confidence," singer and model justine told mic. "because of social media, it's kind of a downer, and people let it take over their lives." "seventeen" singer and fellow "tidal rising" artist alessia cara agreed. "the biggest challengecing our generation is that we only have 10 seconds to say how we feel," cara told mic. "i think that's a big challenge, yeah, social media." justine skye's #biggestgenchallenge #tidalx1020 @micnews @justineskye pic.twitter.com/qigyiadr7d when asked whether he felt racial injustice is one of this generation's biggest challenges, rick ross told mic there are several major hurdles youth arecing. "we already know in this generation the biggest obstacles, and there's a lot of them, ya dig?" ross told mic. "we're fighting one of them right now. y'all better just hold your head up. boss." rick ross' #biggestgenchallenge at #tidalx1020 @micnews @rickyrozay he proceeded to shout "boss" and stormed off. pic.twitter.com/iba5tkawjx "tidal x: 1020 was the first of a series of philanthropic music events curated by tidal in order to raise awareness, funds, conscious engagement and dynamic action for transformative and positive social impact," tidal said in a statement to mic. "all of the organizations selected work to uphold the purpose of the tidal x: 1020 fund, which is to support nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing positive community relations and effecting systemic change for the development and sustainability of just societies." grant recipients will receive tidal's donations through the new world foundation this month.

ˈbækˌgraʊnd ðə fərst ˈrɛfərəns tɪ ˈɑrsənəl ˈwɛrɪŋ ə ʧeɪnʤ əv ʃərts kəmz frəm 17 dɪˈsɛmbər 1892 wɪn ðeɪ wɔr straɪps əˈgɛnst ˈnɑtɪŋˌhæm ˈfɔrɪst. ˈrisərʧ baɪ ˈændi ˈkɛli ənd mɑrk ˈænˌdruz ˈfaɪnəli ɪˈstæblɪʃt (ɪn dɪˈsɛmbər 2015 ðət ðiz wər blu ənd waɪt. ˈfoʊtəˌgræfs əv tu ki pleɪərz ˈteɪkən səm jɪrz ˈleɪtər əˈpɪr tɪ ʃoʊ ðiz ʃərts. ə wik ˈæftər ðə ˈfɔrɪst mæʧ, ˈɑrsənəl wɔr waɪt tɑps əˈgɛnst pɔrt veɪl ənd ðɪs bɪˈkeɪm ðɛr ˈrɛgjələr ɔlˈtərnətɪv ənˈtɪl 1908 bɪtˈwin 1908 ənd 1910 ˈneɪvi tɑps ənd ˈnɪkərz wər wɔrn bət waɪt ʃərts rɪˈtərnd ɪn 1911 ðə strɪp simz tɪ hæv bɪn wɔrn əˈgɛn ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli ˈæftər ðə greɪt wɔr: ˈændi ˈkɛli ənd mɑrk ˈænˌdruz hæv dɪˈskəvərd ðət ˈneɪvi ʃərts wər ˈprɑbəˌbli juzd ənˈtɪl 1929 ɔlˈbiɪt wɪθ waɪt ˈnɪkərz. ˈdɛnɪs ˈhərli həz ənˈkəvərd ə tɔp (kənˈfərmd baɪ kjɛl ˈhænsən tɪ hæv bɪn rɛd ənd waɪt ənd wɔrn əˈgɛnst ɪn ðə kəp), ə blæk ənd waɪt ˈvərtɪkəl straɪpt ʃərt wɔrn æt ˈblækˌpul ˈɔlsoʊ ɪn ðə kəp ɪn 1953 (ənd ˈpɑsəbli ɔn ˈəðər ɔˈkeɪʒənz tu) ənd wi ˈɔlsoʊ hæv ˈɛvədəns əv ðə tim ˈwɛrɪŋ blu ənd waɪt ˈvərʒənz əv ðɛr ˈfeɪməs hoʊm ʃərt ɪn ðə leɪt 50s*. ɔn ˈɑrsənəl 15 ˈeɪprəl 1950 wɔr goʊld ʃərts æt əˈgɛnst ˈnuˌkæsəl, ə fər ðə kəp ˈfaɪnəl əˈgɛnst ˈlɪvərˌpul, wɪʧ ˈɑrsənəl wʊd wɪn ðiz ʃərts meɪd ˈsɛvərəl mɔr əˈpɪrənsəz raɪt əp ənˈtɪl 1958 ɪn ðə mɪd wɔr ə bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ ˈnəmbər əv ˈvɛriənts ɔn ðɛr fərst ʧɔɪs ənd ʧeɪnʤ strɪps. aɪ æm ˈgreɪtfəl tɪ ˈsaɪmən "shakey*" ənd ˈdænjəl fər pərˈmɪʃən tɪ juz ðɛr ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz. ˈvɛriənts ˈvɛriənts ˈvɛriənts fər ðə ˈsizən, ˈɑrsənəl wɔr ˈneɪvi blu ʃərts wɪn klæʃt, ə kɪt aɪˈdɛntɪkəl tɪ spərz' ʧeɪnʤ kɪt əv ðə taɪm. ɪn 1968 ðə bænd ˈneɪvi ʃərts (ðeɪ lʊkt tu ˈsɪmələr tɪ ˌrɛfərˈiz' blæk kɪt) soʊ ðə ˈgənərz tərnd aʊt ɪn ˈjɛloʊ ʃərts ənd blu ʃɔrts fər ðə fərst taɪm ɪn noʊˈvɛmbər, ən ˈaʊtˌfɪt ðət rɪˈkɔld ðət kəp wɪn əv ˈɔlˌmoʊst 20 jɪrz ˈpriviəs. (ðə ˈneɪvi ənd waɪt strɪp dɪd ˌriəˈpɪr ɪn noʊˈvɛmbər 1970 ɪn ən kəp taɪ æt ˈblækˌpul.) ðɪs ˈjɛloʊ ənd blu strɪp bɪˈkeɪm ˈɔlˌmoʊst ɛz ˈfeɪməs ɛz ðɛr ˌaɪˈkɑnɪk rɛd ənd waɪt hoʊm kɪt ənd wɑz wɔrn, wɪθ ˈmaɪnər ˈʧeɪnʤɪz tɪ ðə dɪˈzaɪn əv ðə ˈkɑlər ənd ðə əˈdɪʃən əv ə ˈspɑnsərz ˈloʊgoʊ ɪn 1981 raɪt θru ənˈtɪl ðə ɛnd əv ðə ˈsizən. ˈdʊrɪŋ ðɪs ˈpɪriəd ˈɑrsənəl, laɪk lidz juˈnaɪtɪd, tʊk tɪ ˈwɛrɪŋ ðɛr ʧeɪnʤ kɪt wɪn pleɪɪŋ əˈweɪ frəm hoʊm rəˈgɑrdləs əv ˈwɛðər ðɛr wɑz ə ˈkələr klæʃ. ðɪs ˈpræktɪs geɪv raɪz tɪ ðə tərm "əˈweɪ kɪt" ðət ɪz naʊ ˌjunəˈvərsəli juzd ˈrəðər ðən ðə mɔr ˈækjərət "ʧeɪnʤ kɪt." (ˈpitər ˈræpli hæd dɪˈskəvərd ðət ɪn mɑrʧ 1975 ðə ˈgənərz wɔr æt ˈlutən, prɪˈzuməbli bɪˈkəz boʊθ ðɛr rɛd ənd ˈjɛloʊ kɪts wər tu ˈsɪmələr tɪ ðə ˈɔrɪnʤ tɑps wɔrn baɪ ðə hoʊm tim æt ðə taɪm.) ɪn 1982 ˌɪntrəˈdust wət bɪˈkeɪm noʊn ɛz ðə "ˈbluˌbɔtəl strɪp," ə ˈmɪrər ˈɪmɪʤ əv ðɛr nu hoʊm kɪt bət ɪn grin ənd ˈneɪvi blu. ðə kɪt pruvd ˌənˈpɑpjələr wɪθ səˈpɔrtərz ənd wɑz ˌriˈpleɪst ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ˈsizən baɪ ə ˈrəðər mɔr trəˈdɪʃənəl əˈfɛr ðət ˈsəbstəˌtutəd ˈneɪvi fər rɔɪəl blu ənd, fər ðə fərst taɪm, ˌɪnˈkɔrpərˌeɪtɪd rɛd ˈtrɪmɪŋz. ɪn 1986 əˈdidəs tʊk ˈoʊvər ɛz kɪt ˌmænjəˈfækʧərər huz dɪˈzaɪnz ˌɪnˈkludɪd ðɛr ˈtreɪdˌmɑrk θri straɪps, iʧ ɛʤd ɪn ə kənˈtræstɪŋ ˈkələr. əˈməŋ ðə spɛkˈtækjələr dɪˈzaɪnz ˌɪntrəˈdust ɪn ðə wɑz ðə ˈɪnfəməs "bruzd bəˈnænə" strɪp ə kɪt ðət kənˈsɪstəntli əˈpɪr nɪr ðə tɔp əv ˈɛni poʊl əv ðə wərst kɪts ˈɛvər. ˈnaɪki tʊk ˈoʊvər frəm əˈdidəs ɪn 1994 ənd ðɛr ˈrædɪkəl ˌriɪnˈvɛnʃən əv ðə ˈgənərz' kɪts ˌɪnˈkludɪd ˈneɪvi ənd ˈtərkwɔɪz əˈweɪ kɪts (ə ˈjɛloʊ ənd ˈneɪvi ʃərt wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ əˈveɪləbəl bət juzd ˈoʊnli twaɪs). ˈjɛloʊ, ðɛn dip goʊld ˌriəˈpɪrd æt ðə ɛnd əv ðə ˈdɛkeɪd ənd ɪn 2000 ðə ʃərt wɑz ˈrɛndərd ɪn məˈtælɪk goʊld. ɪn 2002 ˈnaɪki ˌɪntrəˈdust ə ˌrɛvəˈluʃəˌnɛri ʃərt ɪn ˈneɪvi blu wɪθ ə ˈstraɪkɪŋ ˌʤiəˈmɛtrɪk ˈpætərn ɔn ə brɔd ˈvərtɪkəl ˈpænəl. ðə ˈsizən wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ ðə fərst taɪm ðət ðə kləb riˈsaɪkəld ðɛr ˈpriviəs ʧeɪnʤ kɪt ɛz ə θərd ʧɔɪs kɪt fər ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ˈsizən. ðɪs ˈpræktɪs ɪz naʊ ˈwaɪdˈsprɛd ənd əˈlaʊz ðə tɔp kləbz tɪ rɪˈteɪn kɪts fər tu ˈsizənz waɪl ˌɪntrəˈdusɪŋ ə nu laɪn iʧ jɪr. ˈɑrsənəl hæv kənˈtɪnjud tɪ spɔrt drəˈmætɪk əˈweɪ kɪts, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ dɑrk greɪ ʃɔrts mæʧt wɪθ ˈjɛloʊ ʃərts waɪt ʃərts wɪθ ʃɔrts ənd ənd "əbˈsɪdiən" hups

background the first reference to arsenal wearing a change of shirts comes from 17 december 1892 when they wore stripes against nottingham forest. dilgent research by andy kelly and mark andrews finally established (in december 2015) that these were blue and white. photographs of two key players taken some years later appear to show these shirts. a week after the forest match, arsenal wore white tops against burslem port vale and this became their regular alternative until 1908. between 1908 and 1910, navy tops and knickers were worn but white shirts returned in 1911. the all-navy strip seems to have been worn again immediately after the great war: andy kelly and mark andrews have discovered that navy shirts were probably used until 1929, albeit with white knickers. denis hurley has uncovered a hooped top (confirmed by kjell hansen to have been red and white and worn against barnsley in the fa cup), a black and white vertical striped shirt worn at blackpool also in the fa cup in 1953 (and possibly on other occasions too) and we also have evidence of the team wearing blue and white versions of their famous home shirt in the late 50s. on arsenal 15 april 1950 wore gold shirts at highbury against newcastle, a try-out for the fa cup final against liverpool, which arsenal would win 2-0. these shirts made several more appearances right up until 1958. in the mid 1960s wore a bewildering number of variants on their first choice and change strips. i am grateful to simon "shakey" shakeshaft and daniel gellatley for permission to use their illustrations. 1966-67 variants | 1967-68 variants | 1968-69 variants for the 1967-68 season, arsenal wore navy blue shirts when colours clashed, a kit identical to spurs' change kit of the time. in 1968 the fa banned navy shirts (they looked too similar to referees' black kit) so the gunners turned out in yellow shirts and blue shorts for the first time in november, an outfit that recalled that fa cup win of almost 20 years previous. (the navy and white strip did reappear in november 1970 in an fa cup tie at blackpool.) this yellow and blue strip became almost as famous as their iconic red and white home kit and was worn, with minor changes to the design of the collar and the addition of a sponsor's logo in 1981, right through until the end of the 1981-82 season. during this period arsenal, like leeds united, took to wearing their change kit when playing away from home regardless of whether there was a colour clash. this practice gave rise to the term "away kit" that is now universally used rather than the more accurate "change kit." (peter rapley had discovered that in march 1975 the gunners wore all-white at luton, presumably because both their red and yellow kits were too similar to the orange tops worn by the home team at the time.) in 1982 umbro introduced what became known as the "bluebottle strip," a mirror image of their new home kit but in green and navy blue. the kit proved unpopular with supporters and was replaced the following season by a rather more traditional affair that substituted navy for royal blue and, for the first time, incorporated red trimmings. in 1986 adidas took over as arsenal's kit manufacturer whose designs included their trademark three stripes, each edged in a contrasting colour. among the spectacular designs introduced in the 90s was the infamous "bruised banana" strip (1991-93), a kit that consistently appear near the top of any poll of the worst kits ever. nike took over from adidas in 1994 and their radical reinvention of the gunners' kits included navy and turquoise away kits (a yellow and navy shirt was also available but used only twice). yellow, then deep gold reappeared at the end of the decade and in 2000, the shirt was rendered in metallic gold. in 2002 nike introduced a revolutionary shirt in navy blue with a striking geometric pattern on a broad vertical panel. the 2002-03 season was also the first time that the club recycled their previous change kit as a third choice kit for the following season. this practice is now widespread and allows the top clubs to retain kits for two seasons while introducing a new line each year. arsenal have continued to sport dramatic away kits, including dark grey shorts matched with yellow shirts (2005-07), white shirts with redcurrant shorts (2007-08) and redcurrant and "obsidian" hoops (2007-08).

ðə ˈʃutɪŋ, ˈɔlsoʊ noʊn ɛz ðə ˈmæsəkər, wɑz ə mæs ˈʃutɪŋ ðət tʊk pleɪs ɔn ɑkˈtoʊbər 16 1991 æt ə ˌkæfəˈtɪriə ɪn kɪˈlin, ˈtɛksəs. ðə ˈpərpəˌtreɪtər, ʤɔrʤ, droʊv hɪz fɔrd ˈreɪnʤər ˈpɪˌkəp trək θru ðə frənt ˈwɪndoʊ əv ðə ˈrɛˌstrɑnt. hi kˈwɪkli ʃɑt ənd kɪld 23 ˈpipəl, ənd ˈwundɪd 27 ˈəðərz. hi hæd ə brif ˈʃutaʊt wɪθ pəˈlis, rɪfˈjuzd ðɛr ˈɔrdərz tɪ sərˈɛndər, ənd ˈfeɪtəli ʃɑt hɪmˈsɛlf. ræŋkt æt ðə taɪm ɛz ðə ˈdɛdliəst mæs ˈʃutɪŋ ɪn juz. ˈhɪstəri, ɪts dɛθ toʊl wɑz sərˈpæst baɪ ðət əv ðə vərˈʤɪnjə tɛk ˈʃutɪŋ ɪn ˈeɪprəl 2007 ɛz əv 2018 ðɪs ˈɪnsədənt ræŋkt ɛz ðə ˈʃutɪŋ ɪn ðə juz. baɪ ə ˈsɪŋgəl ˈɪnsədənt ˈɛdət ɔn ɑkˈtoʊbər 16 1991 ʤɔrʤ, ən ˌənɛmˈplɔɪd mæn hu hæd bɪn ɪn ðə ˈmərʧənt droʊv ə fɔrd ˈreɪnʤər ˈpɪˌkəp trək θru ðə frənt ˈwɪndoʊ əv ə ˌkæfəˈtɪriə ɪn kɪˈlin, jɛld, "ɔl ˈwɪmən əv kɪˈlin ənd ˈbɛltən ər ˈvaɪpərz! ðɪs ɪz wət juv dən tɪ mi ənd maɪ ˈfæməli! ðɪs ɪz wət bɛl ˈkaʊnti dɪd tɪ mi... ðɪs ɪz ˈpeɪˌbæk deɪ!" hi ðɛn ˈoʊpənd faɪər ɔn ðə ˈpeɪtrənz ənd stæf wɪθ boʊθ ə glɑk 17 ˈpɪstəl ənd ə ˈrugər stɔkt, ʃɑt, ənd kɪld 23 ˈpipəl, tɛn əv ðɛm wɪθ ˈsɪŋgəl ʃɑts tɪ ðə hɛd, ənd ˈwundɪd əˈnəðər ɑkˈtoʊbər 16 wɑz ˈnæʃənəl ˈbɔsɪz deɪ, ənd ðə ˌkæfəˈtɪriə wɑz ənˈjuˌʒuəli ˈkraʊdɪd wɪθ əraʊnd 150 æt fərst, ˈbaɪˌstændərz θɔt ðə kræʃ wɑz ən ˈæksədənt, bət ˈstɑrtɪd ˈʃutɪŋ ˈpeɪtrənz ˈɔlˌmoʊst ðə fərst ˈvɪktɪm wɑz ˌvɛtərəˈnɛriən ˈmaɪkəl əˈnəðər ˈpeɪtrən, ˈtɑmi vɔn, θru hɪmˈsɛlf θru ə rɪr ˈwɪndoʊ, səˈsteɪnɪŋ ˈɪnʤəriz, bət hi kriˈeɪtɪd ən ɪˈskeɪp rut fər hɪmˈsɛlf ənd ˌriˈloʊdɪd æt list θri taɪmz ˌbiˈfɔr pəˈlis əraɪvd ənd hi ɪnˈgeɪʤd ɪn ə brif ˈʃutaʊt wɪθ ðɛm. ˈwundɪd, hi riˈtritɪd tɪ ən ˈɛriə bɪtˈwin ðə tu ˈbɑθˌrumz (ˈpeɪtrənz wər ˈhaɪdɪŋ ɪn ðiz ˈbɑθˌrumz ənd hæd blɑkt ðɛr dɔrz). ðə pəˈlis rɪˈpitɪdli toʊld tɪ sərˈɛndər, bət hi rɪfˈjuzd, seɪɪŋ hi wɑz goʊɪŋ tɪ kɪl mɔr ˈpipəl. wɑz ʃɑt ə ˈfərðər tu taɪmz baɪ pəˈlis, ɪn ðə ˈæbdəmən. ˈhævɪŋ noʊ mɔr ˈbʊləts fər ðə wən gən hi naʊ hɛld ənd wɪθ ˈwərsənɪŋ ˈɪnʤəriz, ˈmɪnəts ˈleɪtər kəˈmɪtɪd ˈsuɪˌsaɪd baɪ ˈʃutɪŋ hɪmˈsɛlf ɪn ðə ˈpɑsəbəl ˈmoʊtɪv ˈɛdət wɑz dɪˈskraɪbd ɛz rɪˈklusɪv ənd bəˈlɪʤərənt, wɪθ ən ɪkˈsploʊsɪv ˈtɛmpər. hi hæd bɪn pʊʃt aʊt əv ðə ˈmərʧənt mərˈin bɪˈkəz əv pəˈzɛʃən əv ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə. ˈnumərəs rɪˈpɔrts ˌɪnˈkludɪd əˈkaʊnts əv ɪkˈsprɛst ˈheɪtrəd əv ən əv hɪz sɛd, "hi ˈheɪtɪd blæks, hɪˈspænɪks, geɪz. hi sɛd ˈwɪmən wər sneɪks ənd ˈɔlˌweɪz hæd dərˈɑgəˌtɔri rɪˈmɑrks əˈbaʊt ðɛm, əˈspɛʃəli ˈæftər faɪts wɪθ hɪz sərˈvaɪvərz frəm ðə ˌkæfəˈtɪriə sɛd hæd pæst ˈoʊvər mɛn tɪ ʃut ˈwɪmən. 14 əv ðə 23 ˈpipəl kɪld wər ˈwɪmən, ɛz wər ˈmɛni əv ðə ˈwundɪd. hi kɔld tu əv ðɛm ə "bɪʧ" ˌbiˈfɔr ˈʃutɪŋ ˈvɪktɪmz ˈɛdət ˈmərdərd ɪn ðə ˈʃutɪŋ neɪm eɪʤ ˈhoʊmˌtaʊn pəˈtrɪʃə ˈkɑrni 57 ˈbɛltən ˈʤɪmi kərˈəðərz 48 ˈɔstən ˈdeɪvɪs 62 kɪˈlin ˈstivən 43 hʊd ælˈfɑnz "æl" 71 koʊv ˈərsələ 67 koʊv ˈdɛbrə greɪ 33 koʊv ˈmaɪkəl ˈgrɪfɪθ 48 koʊv ˈvɛnɪs ˈhɛnɪhæn 70 mɛts, məˈzʊri ˈhəmfri 63 ˈmɑrlɪn ˈsɪlviə kɪŋ 30 kɪˈlin ˈzoʊnə lɪn 45 ˈmɑrlɪn ˈkɔni ˈpitərsən 43 ˈɔstən ruθ ˈpjuʤəl 55 koʊv 36 koʊv ʤɑn roʊˈmɛroʊ, jr*. 33 koʊv ˈtɑməs ˈsɪmənz 55 koʊv glɛn ˈɑrvəl ˈspɪvi 55 ˈhɑrkər haɪts ˈnænsi ˈstænsbɛri 44 ˈhɑrkər haɪts ˈteɪlər 45 ˈweɪkoʊ ʤeɪmz wɛlʧ 75 ˈweɪkoʊ ˈlulə wɛlʧ 64 ˈweɪkoʊ ˈivə ˌʤuəˈnitə ˈwɪljəmz 64 ˈtɛmpəl ˈpərpəˌtreɪtər ˈɛdət ʤɔrʤ piɛr wɑz bɔrn ɔn ɑkˈtoʊbər 15 1956 ɪn sɛr, ˌpɛnsəlˈveɪnjə, ðə sən əv ə ˈsərʤɪn ənd ə hi hæd tu ˈjəŋgər ˈsɪblɪŋz, ˈbrəðər ˈælən ənd ˈsɪstər ˈfæməli ˈleɪtər muvd tɪ nu ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ, wɛr hɪz ˈfɑðər wərkt æt ðə waɪt sændz ˈmɪsəl reɪnʤ nɪr ˈɛˈleɪˈɛs ˈkrusiz. ˈæftər ˈgræʤəˌweɪtɪŋ frəm ˈmeɪˌfild haɪ skul ɪn 1974 hi ˌɛnˈlɪstɪd ɪn ðə juz. ˈneɪvi ənd sərvd fər θri jɪrz, ənˈtɪl hi wɑz ˈɑnərəbli ˈleɪtər wərkt ɛz ə ˈmərʧənt ˈmɛrənər, bət wɑz dɪsˈmɪst fər drəg ˈərli ɪn ðə ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən əv ðə ˈmæsəkər, ðə kɪˈlin pəˈlis ʧif sɛd ðət "hæd ən ˈɛvədənt ˈprɑbləm wɪθ ˈwɪmən fər səm ˈæftər hɪz ˈpɛrənts dɪˈvɔrst ɪn 1983 hɪz ˈfɑðər muvd tɪ ˈhjustən, ənd hɪz ˈməðər muvd tɪ ˈhɛndərsən, nəˈvɑdə. ðə glɑk 17 ənd ˈrugər ˈpɪstəlz wɪʧ juzd wər ˈpərʧəst bɪtˈwin ˈfɛbruˌɛri ənd mɑrʧ 1991 æt ə gən ʃɑp ɪn ˈnidɪd] stɔkt tu ˈsɪstərz hu lɪvd ɪn hɪz ˈneɪbərˌhʊd praɪər tɪ ðə ˈmæsəkər. hi sɛnt ðɛm ə ˈlɛtər, pɑrt əv wɪʧ sɛd: "pliz gɪv mi ðə ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən əv səm deɪ ˈlæfɪŋ ɪn ðə feɪs əv ɔl ðoʊz ˈmoʊstli waɪt ˈtrɛʧərəs ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈvaɪpərz frəm ðoʊz tu taʊnz [kɪˈlin ənd ˈbɛltən] hu traɪd tɪ dɪˈstrɔɪ mi ənd maɪ hi ˈɔlsoʊ roʊt ðət hi wɑz "ˈtruli ˈflætərd noʊɪŋ aɪ hæv tu ˈtiˌneɪʤ ˈgrupi ˈæftərˌmæθ ˈɛdət ðə məˈmɔriəl tɪ ðoʊz kɪld ən bɪl wɑz ˈskɛʤʊld fər ə voʊt ɪn ðə juz. haʊs əv ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪvz ðə deɪ ˈæftər ðə ˈmæsəkər. səm əv ðə ˈvɪktɪmz hæd bɪn kənˈstɪʧuənts əv rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. ʧɛt ˈɛdwərdz, ənd ɪn rɪˈspɑns hi əˈbændənd hɪz ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən tɪ ə gən kənˈtroʊl prəˈvɪʒən ðət wɑz pɑrt əv ðə ðə prəˈvɪʒən, wɪʧ dɪd nɑt pæs, wʊd hæv bænd səm ˈwɛpənz ənd ˈmægəˌzinz laɪk wən juzd baɪ ðə ˈtɛksəs steɪt ˈraɪfəl əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən ənd ˈəðərz prɪˈfərd ðət ðə steɪt əˈlaʊ ɪts ˈsɪtɪzənz tɪ ˈkɛri kənˈsild ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈgəvərnər æn ˈrɪʧərdz ˈviˌtoʊd səʧ bɪlz, bət ɪn 1995 hər rɪˈpəblɪkən səkˈsɛsər, ʤɔrʤ ˈdəbəlju. bʊʃ, saɪnd wən ˈɪntu ðə lɔ hæd bɪn kæmˈpeɪnd fər baɪ ˌsuˈzænə həp, hu wɑz ˈprɛzənt æt ðə ˈmæsəkər; boʊθ əv hər ˈpɛrənts wər kɪld baɪ ʃi ˈleɪtər ˈtɛstɪˌfaɪd ðət ʃi wʊd hæv laɪkt tɪ hæv hæd hər gən, bət sɛd, "ɪt wɑz ə ˈhənərd fit əˈweɪ ɪn maɪ kɑr." (ʃi hæd fɪrd ðət ɪf ʃi wɑz kɔt ˈkɛriɪŋ ɪt ʃi maɪt luz hər ˈkaɪroʊˌpræktərz həp ˈtɛstɪˌfaɪd əˈkrɔs ðə ˈkəntri ɪn səˈpɔrt əv kənˈsild ˈhændˌgən lɔz, ənd wɑz ɪˈlɛktɪd tɪ ðə ˈtɛksəs haʊs əv ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪvz ɪn ə pɪŋk ˈgrænɪt məˈmɔriəl stændz bɪˈhaɪnd ðə kɪˈlin kəmˈjunɪti ˈsɛnər wɪθ ðə deɪt əv ðə ɪˈvɛnt ənd ðə neɪmz əv ðoʊz ˈnidɪd] ˈprɛzənt saɪt ˈɛdət ðə ˈrɛˌstrɑnt riˈoʊpənd faɪv mənθs ˈæftər ðə ˈmæsəkər, bət kloʊzd ˈpərmɑˌnɛnˌtli ɔn sɛpˈtɛmbər 9 ɛz əv 2006 ə ˈbəfət kɔld "jæŋk sɪŋ" ˈɑkjəˌpaɪz ðə si ˈɔlsoʊ ˈɛdət ˈrɛfərənsɪz ˈɛdət ˈfərðər ˈrɛdɪŋ ˈɛdət koʊˈɔrdəˌneɪts:

the luby's shooting, also known as the luby's massacre, was a mass shooting that took place on october 16, 1991, at a luby's cafeteria in killeen, texas. the perpetrator, george hennard, drove his ford ranger pickup truck through the front window of the restaurant. he quickly shot and killed 23 people, and wounded 27 others. he had a brief shootout with police, refused their orders to surrender, and fatally shot himself. ranked at the time as the deadliest mass shooting in u.s. history, its death toll was surpassed by that of the virginia tech shooting in april 2007. as of 2018, this incident ranked as the sixth-deadliest shooting in the u.s. by a single shooter.[2] incident [ edit ] on october 16, 1991, 35-year-old george hennard, an unemployed man who had been in the merchant marine,[3] drove a ford ranger pickup truck through the plate-glass front window of a luby's cafeteria in killeen, texas.[4] hennard yelled, "all women of killeen and belton are vipers! this is what you've done to me and my family! this is what bell county did to me... this is payback day!" he then opened fire on the patrons and staff with both a 9mm glock 17 pistol and a 9mm ruger p89 pistol.[5][6] hennard stalked, shot, and killed 23 people, ten of them with single shots to the head, and wounded another 27.[4] october 16 was national boss's day, and the cafeteria was unusually crowded with around 150 people.[7][8] at first, bystanders thought the crash was an accident, but hennard started shooting patrons almost immediately.[1] the first victim was veterinarian michael griffith.[9] another patron, tommy vaughn, threw himself through a rear window, sustaining injuries, but he created an escape route for himself and others.[1] hennard reloaded at least three times before police arrived and he engaged in a brief shootout with them. wounded, he retreated to an area between the two bathrooms (patrons were hiding in these bathrooms and had blocked their doors). the police repeatedly told hennard to surrender, but he refused, saying he was going to kill more people. hennard was shot a further two times by police, in the abdomen. having no more bullets for the one gun he now held and with worsening injuries, minutes later hennard committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.[4][8] possible motive [ edit ] hennard was described as reclusive and belligerent, with an explosive temper. he had been pushed out of the merchant marine because of possession of marijuana. numerous reports included accounts of hennard's expressed hatred of women.[1][4][3] an ex-roommate of his said, "he hated blacks, hispanics, gays. he said women were snakes and always had derogatory remarks about them, especially after fights with his mother."[4] survivors from the cafeteria said hennard had passed over men to shoot women. 14 of the 23 people killed were women, as were many of the wounded. he called two of them a "bitch" before shooting them.[4] victims [ edit ] murdered in the shooting were:[1] name age hometown patricia carney 57 belton jimmie caruthers 48 austin kriemhild davis 62 killeen steven dody 43 copperas cove/fort hood alphonse "al" gratia 71 copperas cove ursula gratia 67 copperas cove debra gray 33 copperas cove michael griffith 48 copperas cove venice henehan 70 metz, missouri clodine humphrey 63 marlin sylvia king 30 killeen zona lynn 45 marlin connie peterson 43 austin ruth pujol 55 copperas cove su-zann rashott 36 copperas cove john romero, jr. 33 copperas cove thomas simmons 55 copperas cove glen arval spivey 55 harker heights nancy stansbury 44 harker heights olgica taylor 45 waco james welsh 75 waco lula welsh 64 waco iva juanita williams 64 temple perpetrator [ edit ] george pierre hennard was born on october 15, 1956 in sayre, pennsylvania, the son of a swiss-born surgeon and a homemaker.[10] he had two younger siblings, brother alan and sister desiree.[11] hennard's family later moved to new mexico, where his father worked at the white sands missile range near las cruces. after graduating from mayfield high school in 1974, he enlisted in the u.s. navy and served for three years, until he was honorably discharged.[12] hennard later worked as a merchant mariner, but was dismissed for drug use.[3] early in the investigation of the massacre, the killeen police chief said that hennard "had an evident problem with women for some reason".[3] after his parents divorced in 1983, his father moved to houston, and his mother moved to henderson, nevada. the glock 17 and ruger p89 9mm pistols which hennard used were purchased between february and march 1991 at a gun shop in henderson.[citation needed] hennard stalked two sisters who lived in his neighborhood prior to the massacre. he sent them a letter, part of which said: "please give me the satisfaction of some day laughing in the face of all those mostly white treacherous female vipers from those two towns [killeen and belton] who tried to destroy me and my family".[8] he also wrote that he was "truly flattered knowing i have two teenage groupie fans".[13] aftermath [ edit ] the memorial to those killed an anti-crime bill was scheduled for a vote in the u.s. house of representatives the day after the massacre. some of the hennard victims had been constituents of rep. chet edwards, and in response he abandoned his opposition to a gun control provision that was part of the bill.[14][15] the provision, which did not pass, would have banned some weapons and magazines like one used by hennard.[14] the texas state rifle association and others preferred that the state allow its citizens to carry concealed weapons.[14] democratic governor ann richards vetoed such bills, but in 1995 her republican successor, george w. bush, signed one into force.[16] the law had been campaigned for by suzanna hupp, who was present at the massacre; both of her parents were killed by hennard.[17] she later testified that she would have liked to have had her gun, but said, "it was a hundred feet away in my car." (she had feared that if she was caught carrying it she might lose her chiropractor's license).[15] hupp testified across the country in support of concealed handgun laws, and was elected to the texas house of representatives in 1996.[18] a pink granite memorial stands behind the killeen community center with the date of the event and the names of those killed.[citation needed] present site [ edit ] the restaurant reopened five months after the massacre, but closed permanently on september 9, 2000.[19] as of 2006, a chinese-american buffet called "yank sing" occupies the location.[20] see also [ edit ] references [ edit ] further reading [ edit ] coordinates:

ˈvɛri ˈərli ɔn noʊˈvɛmbər ə ˈmɪnət ˈæftər ˈpərmɑˌnɛnt stənd rɪˈspɑnsɪz ˈstɑrtɪd ˈroʊlɪŋ ɪn. ər ju duɪŋ ˈoʊvər there?”*?” rɛd ə tɛkst frəm ən ˈɪŋlɪʃ ɑrt ˈdilər ɪn ˈkoʊpənˌhɑgən. wərld ʤɪst wɛnt ɔf ðə rails,”*,” iˈmeɪld ən ˈɑrtɪst frəm ˈdəblɪn. ɪz coming,”*,” ə ˈkjʊrətər frəm ˈəpˈsteɪt nu jɔrk ˈpoʊstɪd, ˌbiˈfɔr rɪˈsivɪŋ ə bərɑʒ əv frəm hər frɛndz. bɪˈkəz ðə ɑrt wərld ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmɪŋli səˈpɔrtɪd ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈkænədɪt ˈhɪləri ˈklɪntən fər ˈprɛzɪdənt (æt list ɪn ˈpəblɪk), ˈdɑnəld ɪˈlɛkʃən wɪn wɑz mɛt lɛs wɪθ kənˈsɪdərd rɪˈspɑnsɪz, ðən wɪθ ˈətər ʃɑk ənd ˌdɪsbɪˈlif. ðɛr wər, ɛz ɪkˈspɛktɪd, ˈkəmfərtɪŋ ˈmɛsɪʤɪz ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə frəm səm ˈboʊldˌfeɪs neɪmz: ˈwʊlfˌgæŋ ən ˈɪmɪʤ əv ðə ˈstæˌʧu əv ˈlɪbərˌti ˈwipɪŋ; ˈtɑnjə pleɪst ə blæk ˈrɪbən ˈoʊvər ə mæp əv ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts; vɪk mˈjunɪz ˈpoʊstɪd ən ˈɑməʤ tɪ ʤæn ˈeɪdər, ˈtaɪtəld, aɪ æm tu sæd tɪ tɛl ju. frəm ˈɪmɪʤ baɪ ʤi kræs ə ˈfoʊˌtoʊ ˈpoʊstɪd baɪ ˈwʊlfˌgæŋ (@wolfgang_tillmans*) ɔn noʊv 8 2016 æt bət ɪt wɑz ˈpleɪˌraɪt miranda—*— ˈpoʊstər bɔɪ fər ɔl θɪŋz səmd əp ðə ˈsəfəˌkeɪtɪŋ æŋˈzaɪəti əv ðə ˈjuˈɛs kriˈeɪtɪv ˈklæsɪz bɛst. hi tweeted*: sɛd brið. (aɪ æm ˈtɔkɪŋ tɪ ˌmaɪˈsɛlf tu, y’know).”*).” jɛt riˈlɛrnɪŋ haʊ tɪ ˌɪnˈheɪl ˈəndər ˈnuli æsˈfɪksiˌeɪtɪŋ pəˈlɪtɪkəl ənd ˈkəlʧərəl ˈsərkəmˌstænsɪz ɪz ˈoʊnli pɑrt əv ðə ˈnɑvəl skɪl sɛt ɑrt wərld ˈlɪˌbərəlz wɪl hæv tɪ səkˈsɛsfəli ˈmæstər tɪ gɪt θru ðə nɛkst fɔr jɪrz. ɛz aɪ raɪt ðɪs, rɪˈpɔrts ər ˈkəmɪŋ ɪn əˈbaʊt juθ ˈdraɪvɪŋ əraʊnd ɪn ðɛr kɑz ˈweɪvɪŋ kənˈfɛdərˌeɪt flægz ɪn ˈblæksbərg, va*. ɪn ˈkɑntræst, maɪ sən ˈnoʊtəˌfaɪd mi ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ ˈmɔrnɪŋ ðət hi wɑz ˈʤɔɪnɪŋ ə mɑrʧ ɔn trəmp ˈplɑzə ɪn mænˈhætən. nɑt ˈivɪn 24 aʊərz ˈæftər ðə rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈkænədɪt dɪˈklɛrd ˈvɪktəri, ˈbætəl laɪnz hæv bɪn drɔn nɑt baɪ ˈvɛtərən rɪˈpəblɪkən ənd ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈpɑrti hæks, bət baɪ səm əv ðə ˈjəŋgəst ˈsɪtɪzənz. wɪʧ brɪŋz mi tɪ ðə ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt nu riˌspɑnsəˈbɪlətiz kriˈeɪtɪv ˈklæsɪz wɪl hæv tɪ ˈʃoʊldər ɪf ðeɪ ər tɪ sərˈvaɪv ðə glɪb sˈwægər, ðə ənd ðə ˈbʊliɪŋ ðət wɪl əˈʃʊrədli əˈkəmpəni ðə ˈmænˌdeɪt əˈʧivd baɪ ˈprɛzɪdənt trəmp. ɛz ə grup ðət proʊˈfaʊndli ˈvæljuz fri ɪkˈsprɛʃən ənd ˈɔlsoʊ ˈpraɪzɪz ˈdɪfərəns ənd inclusivity*, ðə ɑrt wərld wɪl, æt lɔŋ læst, hæv tɪ kənˈsərn ˌɪtˈsɛlf wɪθ mɔr ðən ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈkɑnsəkˌwɛnsəz əv ðɪs ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ˈvɪktəri ɔn ðə stɑk ənd ˈɔkʃən ˈmɑrkɪts (ðə ˈlætər wɪl bi pʊt tɪ ðə tɛst nɛkst wik). ɪt wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ nid tɪ ˈprɑpərli priˈpɛr fər wət ɪz ʃʊr tɪ bi ə ˈfɔrθˈkəmɪŋ ˈkəlʧər wɔr ðə laɪks əv wɪʧ ðɪs ˈkəntri həz ˈnɛvər sin. ɪn ˈkipɪŋ wɪθ ˌzɛnəˈfɑbɪk, race-baiting*, ˈsɛksɪst, əˌθɔrəˈtɛriən, ənd ˌɑpərˌtuˈnɪstɪk ˈrɛtərɪk, ðə həz ˈoʊpənd ə ˈnəmbər əv ˈhaɪli ˈpəblɪk ˌʤioʊpəˈlɪtɪkəl battlefronts*. ðiz ˌɪnˈklud wɔrz ɔn, əˈməŋ ˈəðər ril ənd ˈsudoʊ ˈɛntɪtiz, ˈmɛksəkən ˈɪməgrənts, ˌɪsˈlɑm, məˈnɔrətiz, ðə ˈklɪntənz, pəˈlɪtɪkəl ɪˈlits ənd ðə ˈsoʊˈkɔld ˈlɪˌbərəl ˈmidiə. bət ə ˈlɑrʤər trəmp ˈɛnəmi həz gɔn ˈmoʊstli ənˈmɛnʧənd, ˈivɪn ɛz ɪt lumz ˈlɑrʤər ðən ðə səm əv ðə ril ɛˈsteɪt ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl ˈtɑrgəts. ðət ˈɛnəmi ɪz ˈkrɪtɪkəl kaɪnd ðət ˈɔfən ˈʧælənʤɪz paʊər ɪn ðə neɪm əv ˈtɑlərəns, trænˈspɛrənsi, ˈækjərəsi ənd ʃɪr ɪkˌspɛrəmənˈteɪʃən. meɪk noʊ mɪˈsteɪk: wət trəmp həz dən baɪ ˈlɛvərɪʤɪŋ waɪt mæs dɪˈluʒən əv ˈɛθnɪk dɪˈklaɪn ɪz əˈfɪʃəli dɪˈklɛr ə wɔr ɔn ˈkəlʧər. bɪˈliv mi? ðɛn kənˈsɪdər rogues’*’ ˈgæləri əv pəˈlɪtɪkəl kənˈsəltənt nut ˈgɪŋgrɪʧ, nu ˈʤərzi ˈgəvərnər krɪs ˈkrɪsti, ənd ʧif kæmˈpeɪn ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv stiv ˈbænən, tɪ neɪm ʤɪst ə ðə ˈkəmɪŋ ˈkæbənət in-waiting*. noʊ ˈsikrɪt ðət ˈfɔrmər nu jɔrk meɪər ˈrudi ˌʤuliˈɑni ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ ɪn laɪn tɪ bi neɪmd ˈjuˈɛs əˈtərni ˈʤɛnərəl. ðɪs ɪz ðə seɪm ənˈskrupjələs ˌpɑləˈtɪʃən hu θˈrɛtənd tɪ ɪˈvɪkt ðə ˈbrʊklɪn mˈjuziəm frəm ɪts ˈprɛməsəz ɪn 1999 ˈoʊvər ðət raɪt tɪ hæŋ krɪs ˈpeɪnɪŋ ðə ˈhoʊli ˈvərʤɪn ˈmɛri. hir ɪz maɪ oʊn fræŋk, əˈsɛsmənt əv wət ɪz ɪn stɔr fər ðə ɑrts kəmˈjunɪti ɪn ðə nɛkst fɔr jɪrz. aɪ ˈstrɔŋli prɪˈdɪkt ə sɪˈstɛmɪk, ˈtɔpˌdaʊn, kæmˈpeɪn əv ənd ˌvɪləfəˈkeɪʃən əv ˈkrɪtɪkəl kaɪnd ðət wʊd meɪk ˈrɑbərt ˈlɛðər wɪp kərl. ɪf wi rɪˈmɛmbər ˈɛniˌθɪŋ frəm ðə ˈɪrə əv ðə ˈkəlʧər wɔrz, ɪt ʃʊd bi this—art*, ɪts ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənz ənd ɪts səˈpɔrtərz ər soʊ ˈizəli ˈdiməˌnaɪzd ənd soʊ ˈrɛrli dɪˈfɛndɪd bɪɔnd ðə ɑrt wərld ðət wi ʃʊd ˈrizənəbli ɪkˈspɛkt ðɪs bæʧ əv breitbart-backed*, ˈfæməli values-pandering*, kənˈsərvətɪvz tɪ kəm fər ˈjuˈɛs wɪθ naɪvz ˈʃɑrpənd. fər ðoʊz ðət bɪˈlivd ðət eɪt jɪrz əv ə blæk ˈprɛzɪdənt ənd ədˈvænsɪz ɪn ˈreɪʃəl ənd ˈʤɛndər ɪkˈwɑləti mɛnt ðət ðə ˈkəlʧər wɔrz wər ˈkəmɪŋ tɪ ə kloʊz, θɪŋk əˈgɛn. tɪ rɪf ɔn ðə ʤɪst əv ˈkjʊrətər ˈneɪtoʊ rɪˈmɑrkəbli ˈtaɪmli bʊk ˈkəlʧər ɛz ə ˈwɛpən, ðə həz ˈɛvədəntli ˈmæstərd ðə juz əv ˈkəlʧər ɛz tˈwɛntiˌfərst ˈsɛnʧəri weapon.”*.” ðə ɑrt wərld ənd ɪts ˈælaɪz məst ˈfʊli ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪz ðɪs naʊ ənd priˈpɛr fər ðə faɪt. ˈfɑloʊ nuz ɔn ˈfeɪsˌbʊk:

very early on november 9—about a minute after permanent midnight—the stunned responses started rolling in. “wtf are you doing over there?” read a text from an english art dealer in copenhagen. “the world just went off the rails,” emailed an artist from dublin. “winter is coming,” a curator from upstate new york posted, before receiving a barrage of emojis from her instagram friends. because the art world overwhelmingly supported democratic candidate hillary clinton for president (at least in public), donald trump’s stupefying election win was met less with considered responses, than with utter shock and disbelief. there were, as expected, comforting messages on social media from some boldface names: wolfgang tillmans re-posted an image of the statue of liberty weeping; tania bruguera placed a black ribbon over a map of the united states; vik muniz posted an homage to bas jan ader, titled, i am too sad to tell you. repost from boygeorgeofficial image by gee vaucher / crass a photo posted by wolfgang tillmans (@wolfgang_tillmans) on nov 8, 2016 at 9:47pm pst but it was playwright lin-manuel miranda— liberalism’s poster boy for all things constitutional—who summed up the suffocating anxiety of the us creative classes best. he tweeted: “i said breathe. (i am talking to myself too, y’know).” yet relearning how to inhale under newly asphyxiating political and cultural circumstances is only part of the novel skill set art world liberals will have to successfully master to get through the next four years. as i write this, reports are coming in about pro-trump youth driving around in their cars waving confederate flags in blacksburg, va. in contrast, my 14-year-old son notified me yesterday morning that he was joining a school-approved march on trump plaza in manhattan. not even 24 hours after the republican candidate declared victory, battle lines have been drawn not by veteran republican and democratic party hacks, but by some of the nation’s youngest citizens. which brings me to the important new responsibilities america’s creative classes will have to shoulder if they are to survive the glib swagger, the censoriousness and the anti-democratic bullying that will assuredly accompany the razor-thin mandate achieved by president trump. as a group that profoundly values free expression and also prizes difference and inclusivity, the art world will, at long last, have to concern itself with more than the financial consequences of this presidential candidate’s victory on the stock and auction markets (the latter will be put to the test next week). it will also need to properly prepare for what is sure to be a forthcoming culture war the likes of which this country has never seen. in keeping with trump’s xenophobic, race-baiting, sexist, authoritarian, and opportunistic rhetoric, the president-elect has opened a number of highly public geopolitical battlefronts. these include wars on, among other real and pseudo entities, mexican immigrants, islam, minorities, the clintons, political elites and the so-called liberal media. but a larger trump enemy has gone mostly unmentioned, even as it looms larger than the sum of the real estate mogul’s individual targets. that enemy is critical culture—the kind that often challenges power in the name of tolerance, transparency, accuracy and sheer experimentation. make no mistake: what trump has done by leveraging white america’s mass delusion of ethnic decline is officially declare a war on culture. don’t believe me? then consider trump’s rogues’ gallery of advisors—the truth-challenged political consultant newt gingrich, new jersey governor chris christie, and trump’s chief campaign executive steve bannon, to name just a few—in the coming cabinet in-waiting. it’s no secret that former new york mayor rudy giuliani is also in line to be named us attorney general. this is the same unscrupulous politician who threatened to evict the brooklyn museum from its premises in 1999 over that institution’s right to hang chris ofili’s painting the holy virgin mary. here is my own frank, non-hyperventilating assessment of what is in store for the arts community in the next four years. i strongly predict a systemic, top-down, government-led campaign of disparagement and vilification of critical culture—the kind that would make robert mapplethorpe’s leather whip curl. if we remember anything from the era of the 1990s culture wars, it should be this—art, its institutions and its supporters are so easily demonized and so rarely defended beyond the art world that we should reasonably expect this batch of breitbart-backed, family values-pandering, fear-mongering conservatives to come for us with knives sharpened. for those that believed that eight years of a black president and advances in racial and gender equality meant that the culture wars were coming to a close, think again. to riff on the gist of curator nato thompson’s remarkably timely book culture as a weapon, the trump-victorious alt-right has evidently mastered the use of culture as “a twenty-first century weapon.” the art world and its allies must fully recognize this now and prepare for the fight. follow artnet news on facebook:

aɪ ˈpərʧəst goʊsts ɔn fər ðə ˈpiˈsi pərˈhæps ðɪs wɑz maɪ fərst mɪˈsteɪk, bət aɪ hæv ˈʤɛnərəl dɪsˈlaɪk fər peɪɪŋ ˈɛkstrə fiz tɪ ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈgeɪmɪŋ. pʊt ˈsɪmpli, aɪ du nɑt fil ðɪs ɪz ə bæd geɪm. ənd ˌɪnˈfɪnɪti wɔrd pʊt ə lɔt əv taɪm ənd ˈɛfərt ˈɪntu ðɪs geɪm, ˈɛvɪdənst baɪ ˈnoʊtəsəbəl ˈɑdiˌoʊ ənd ˈgræfɪkəl ˌɪmˈpruvmənts bɪtˈwin ənd goʊsts. ənˈfɔrʧənətli, ðæts əˈbaʊt wɛr ɪt ɛndz. ðə ˈsɪŋgəl pleɪər ˈmɪʃənz ˈkəvər ə waɪd vərˈaɪəti sɪˈnɛrioʊz ənd ˈsɛtɪŋz, ˈreɪnʤɪŋ frəm ðə ˈʤəŋgəlz, ˈdɛzərts, snoʊi ˈmaʊntənz, tɪ ˈivɪn ðə ˈbɑtəm əv ðə ˈoʊʃən ənd speɪs. ðə ˌprɛzənˈteɪʃən wɑz ˈstənɪŋ, bət ðə geɪm ˈnɛvər ˈrɪli teɪks taɪm tɪ ˈrɪli ˌɪˈmərs ju ɪn ðə ˈætməsˌfɪr. ðə ˈmɪʃənz ˈfɑloʊ ə ˈsɪmələr plɑt fər ðə moʊst pɑrt kɪl ðə bæd gaɪz ənd gɪt frəm pɔɪnts ə tɪ bi. ðɛr ər ə fju nit ˈfiʧərz, səʧ ɛz ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ kənˈtroʊl ə gɑrd dɔg, ɪn əˈdɪʃən tɪ əˈtæk droʊnz, tæŋks, ənd pleɪnz. ðɪs ɪz nɑt ˈɛniˌθɪŋ nu ɪn fækt, aɪ fil ənd dɪd ə ˈbɛtər ʤɑb æt ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðə səˈpɔrt ˈsɛkʃənz mɔr drəˈmætɪk ənd fən. ðə ˈfaɪnəl fju ˈmɪʃənz wər ˌɛnˈʤɔɪəbəl ˌhaʊˈɛvər əˈlaʊɪŋ ðə pleɪər tɪ si ðə ˈstɔri ənˈfoʊld frəm ˈməltəpəl pərˈspɛktɪvz ənd battlefronts*. ðə ˈstɔri ɪz əˈnəðər lɛt daʊn ənd weɪsts ðə ˌɑpərˈtunəti tɪ kriˈeɪt brænd nu ˈhɪroʊz baɪ kriˈeɪtɪŋ fərˈgɛtəbəl ˈkɛrɪktərz ðət du nɑt stænd aʊt. ðə plɑt ɪz ˈstreɪtˈfɔrwərd, prɪˈdɪktəbəl, ənd livz məʧ tɪ bi dɪˈzaɪərd. ənˈlaɪk goʊsts dɪz nɑt gɪv ðə pleɪər ðə ʧæns tɪ ˈɔltər ðə plɑt baɪ kəmˈplitɪŋ əˈbʤɛktɪvz. ðə ˈməltiˌpleɪər ˈsɪstəm simz ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ ɔn ˈpeɪpər. ðɛr ər naʊ ˈsɛvərəl weɪz tɪ kriˈeɪt ˈkəstəm ənd dɪˈteɪld ˈklæsɪz bɛst ˈsutɪd fər ˈdɪfərənt taɪps əv mæps ər moʊdz. goʊsts ˈjuzɪz ə ˈvɛriənt əv ðə `pɪk tɛn' ˈsɪstəm ˌɪntrəˈdust baɪ ənd dɪz ə greɪt ʤɑb baɪ ˈɔfərɪŋ ˈmɛni mɔr slɑts ənd ˈmɛni pərks əˈtæʧmənts tɪ ʧuz frəm. ðə mæps ər ˈvɛri ˈvɪʒwəli əˈpilɪŋ, wɪθ ˈditeɪlz laɪk ˈθəndər, reɪn, snoʊ, ənd dəst stɔrmz ðət kən bi əbˈzərvd ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈkɑmbæt. aɪ fil ðət waɪl ðə geɪm ɪz ˈbælənst fər ðə moʊst pɑrt, ðə əˈsɔlt ˈraɪfəlz ər sˈlaɪtli ɪn ˈməltiˌpleɪər; ðeɪ hæv ə məʧ ˈfæstər taɪm tɪ kɪl kəmˈpɛrd tɪ ˈəðər ˈsiˈoʊˈdi geɪmz ˈaɪˈɛˈmoʊ. ðə geɪm həz ˈɔlsoʊ ˌɪntrəˈdust ə nu ˈspɔnɪŋ ˈsɪstəm. ˈrəðər ðən ˈhævɪŋ 2 tɪ 4 fɪkst spɔnz beɪst ɔn ðə loʊˈkeɪʃənz əv ˈɛnəmiz, pleɪərz kən spɔn ɪn ˈrændəm ˈpleɪsɪz ɔn ðə mæp. ðɪs ɪz ˈjusfəl fər ˈstɑpɪŋ spɔn ˈtræpɪŋ ər prɪˈvɛnɪŋ ˈɛnəmiz frəm ˈtræpɪŋ ə tim ɪn wən spɑt, bət ˈsəmˌtaɪmz kriˈeɪts ɑd ˈprɑbləmz wɪn pleɪərz spɔn wɛl bɪˈhaɪnd ˈɛnəmi laɪnz ər ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl əv ˈnoʊˌwɛr. ənˈfɔrʧənətli, ðɛr ər ðə ˈbɪgəst ˈɪʃu ɔn ðə ˈpiˈsi raɪt naʊ ɪz ðə læg ər ˈʧɑpi ˈgeɪmˌpleɪ wɛˈnɛvər pleɪɪŋ ˈɔnˌlaɪn. ˈivɪn wɪθ haɪɛnd ˈgeɪmɪŋ ˈhɑrdˌwɛr ənd ə fæst ˈɪntərˌnɛt kəˈnɛkʃən, aɪ stɪl faɪnd ˌmaɪˈsɛlf ənd ˈəðər pleɪərz əˈbaʊt ə bɪˈhaɪnd. ˈəðər taɪmz, aɪ ˈnoʊtɪs pleɪər ˈmɑdəlz ˈsimɪŋli ˈskɪpɪŋ əˈkrɔs ðə ˈbætəlˌfild. bət ˈivɪn mɔr ˈkrɪtɪkəl, ðə geɪm ˈsimɪŋli ˈkræʃɪz ˈsəmˌtaɪmz wɪn ˈloʊdɪŋ mæps. ðə geɪm bɪˈkəmz ˌənriˈspɑnsɪv rikˈwaɪərɪŋ wən tɪ ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs. pərˈhæps ðiz ər ˈɪʃuz ðət kən bi fɪkst wɪθ ˈpæʧɪz, bət ənˈtɪl ðət ˈhæpənz, ˈpiˈsi ˈgeɪmərz ər goʊɪŋ tɪ bi ˈfrəˌstreɪtəd. ðɛr ər səm ˈmaɪnər ˈfɪksɪz ju kən ˈɪmpləmənt tɪ ˈmɪtəˌgeɪt bəgz, səʧ ɛz ˌdɪˈseɪblɪŋ təreɪn ˈditeɪl, dɪˈstɔrʃən, ˈmoʊʃən ənd dɛpθ əv fild, bət ðə læg ˈɪʃuz wɪl stɪl ˈlɪŋər. all-in-all*, goʊsts ɪz ə ˈmæsɪv ˈlɛtˌdaʊn fər fænz əv ðə ˈsɪriz. ðɛr ɪz ə ˈrənɪŋ ʤoʊk əˈməŋ ˈgeɪmərz ðət ɔl ˈsiˈoʊˈdi geɪmz ər ɪgˈzæktli ðə seɪm. tɪ ən ɪkˈstɛnt, ðeɪ ər kərˈɛkt ðɪs taɪm, wɪθ goʊsts' ˈsɪŋgəl pleɪər ˈsimɪŋli riˈhæʃɪŋ ˈɛləmənts frəm ˈpriviəs ˌɪnˈstɔlmənts əv ðə ˈfrænˌʧaɪz. ðə ɪz ə mɛs ɔn ˈpiˈsi, bət ɪz stɪl ˈsælvɪʤəbəl wɪθ ˈpæʧɪz (doʊnt hoʊld jʊr brɛθ). pərˈhæps ɪt wʊd hæv bɪn ˈbɛtər tɪ ˈpərʧəs ðɪs geɪm fər ðə ˈkɑnsoʊl. ðə ˈlɪstɪŋ praɪs fər ðɪs geɪm, 60 ɪz əbˈsərd fər ðə ˈpiˈsi. ˈivɪn ɛz ˈsəmˌwən hu bɔt ðə geɪm ɔn blæk ˈfraɪˌdeɪ fər məʧ lɛs, aɪ stɪl θɪŋk ðɪs geɪm ɪz nɑt wərθ mɔr ðən ˈdɔlərz.

i purchased ghosts on for the pc - perhaps this was my first mistake, but i have general dislike for paying extra fees to enjoy online gaming. put simply, i do not feel this is a bad game. activsion and infinity ward put a lot of time and effort into this game, evidenced by noticeable audio and graphical improvements between blops2/mw3 and ghosts. unfortunately, that's about where it ends. the single player missions cover a wide variety scenarios and settings, ranging from the jungles, deserts, snowy mountains, to even the bottom of the ocean and space. the presentation was stunning, but the game never really takes time to really immerse you in the atmosphere. the missions follow a similar plot for the most part - kill the bad guys and get from points a to b. there are a few neat features, such as the ability to control a guard dog, in addition to attack drones, tanks, and planes. this is not anything new - in fact, i feel blops2 and mw3 did a better job at making the support sections more dramatic and fun. the final few missions were enjoyable however - allowing the player to see the story unfold from multiple perspectives and battlefronts. the story is another let down and wastes the opportunity to create brand new heroes by creating forgettable characters that do not stand out. the plot is straightforward, predictable, and leaves much to be desired. unlike blops2, ghosts does not give the player the chance to alter the plot by completing in-game objectives. the multiplayer system seems interesting on paper. there are now several ways to create custom and detailed classes best suited for different types of maps or modes. ghosts uses a variant of the `pick ten' system introduced by blops2, and does a great job by offering many more load-out slots and many perks / attachments to choose from. the maps are very visually appealing, with details like thunder, rain, snow, and dust storms that can be observed during combat. i feel that while the game is balanced for the most part, the assault rifles are slightly over-powered in multiplayer; they have a much faster time to kill compared to other cod games imo. the game has also introduced a new spawning system. rather than having 2 to 4 fixed spawns based on the locations of enemies, players can spawn in random places on the map. this is useful for stopping spawn trapping or preventing enemies from trapping a team in one spot, but sometimes creates odd problems when players spawn well behind enemy lines or in the middle of nowhere. unfortunately, there are the biggest issue on the pc right now is the lag or choppy gameplay whenever playing online. even with high-end gaming hardware and a fast internet connection, i still find myself and other players about a half-step behind. other times, i notice player models seemingly skipping across the battlefield. but even more critical, the game seemingly crashes sometimes when loading maps. the game becomes unresponsive requiring one to force-kill the process. perhaps these are issues that can be fixed with patches, but until that happens, pc gamers are going to be frustrated. there are some minor fixes you can implement to mitigate bugs, such as disabling terrain detail, distortion, motion and depth of field, but the lag issues will still linger. all-in-all, ghosts is a massive letdown for long-time fans of the series. there is a running joke among gamers that all cod games are exactly the same. to an extent, they are correct this time, with ghosts' single player seemingly rehashing elements from previous installments of the franchise. the multi-player is a mess on pc, but is still salvageable with patches (don't hold your breath). perhaps it would have been better to purchase this game for the console. the listing price for this game, $60 usd is absurd for the pc. even as someone who bought the game on black friday for much less, i still think this game is not worth more than 20-30 dollars.

stiv ʤɑbz həz bɪˈkəm ə pɑrt əv ɑr ˈmɛməriz θru ˈvɛriəs ɪˈvɛnts, ˈædvərˌtaɪzmənts, ənd mɔr. hɪz steɪʤ ˈmænər, ɪnˈθuziˌæzəm, ənd ˈɑbviəs ɪkˈsaɪtmənt fər ˈæpəl ənd ðə ˈprɑdəkts ðeɪ hæv ˈprɑdəkt ˈlɪŋgərz ɪn maɪ maɪnd. bɪˈloʊ ər səm ˈmɛmərəbəl ˈpɪkʧərz əv stiv ʤɑbz θru ðə jɪrz. ˈɪmɪʤɪz ər lɪŋkt tɪ ðɛr sɔrs ˈɪmɪʤɪz wɪθ noʊ lɪŋk ər ˈkrɛdɪtɪd tɪ ˈæpəl ənd hæv bɪn ˈteɪkən frəm ˈvɛriəs ˈæpəl ˈkiˌnoʊts ənd ˈəðər məˈtɪriəlz. stiv ʤɑbz ˈstændɪŋ baɪ ðə ˈæpəl ˈloʊgoʊ stiv ʤɑbz ðə ərˈɪʤənəl ˈmækənˌtɔʃ jəŋ stiv ʤɑbz ˈpoʊzɪŋ fər ə pəˈblɪsɪti ʃɑt stiv ʤɑbz wɪθ ðə stiv ʤɑbz ˌɪntrəˈdusɪz ðə fərst ˈaɪˌpɔd stiv ʤɑbz pleɪɪŋ wɪθ ˈfoʊˌtoʊ bʊk ɪn 2005 stiv ʤɑbz ˈprɛzənts ðə ˈaɪˌfoʊn stiv ʤɑbz ˈprɛzənts ðə ɛr stiv ʤɑbz ˈprɛzənts ðə ˈaɪˌpæd stiv ʤɑbz liv ðə steɪʤ fər ðə ˈvɛri læst taɪm stiv ʤɑbz ˈnɛvər meɪd ɪt tɪ ðə ˈaɪˌfoʊn event…*… stiv ʤɑbz rɛsts hɪz hɛd əˈgɛnst hɪz waɪf ˈæftər ðə 2011 ˈkiˌnoʊt ˈæpəl flægz æt hæf mæst æt ˌkupərˈtinoʊ ˈhɛdˌkɔrtərz ˈkəmpəˌni flægz æt hæf mæst æt ɔl ˈmaɪˌkroʊˈsɔft ˈhɛdˌkɔrtərz (ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˈpɪkʧərd) ˈdəbəl ˈreɪnˌboʊ ˈoʊvər ˈpɪksɑr ˈstudiˌoʊz ˈæftər stiv jobs’*’ pæst tɪ ðə ˈkreɪzi wən

steve jobs has become a part of our memories through apple’s various events, advertisements, and more. his stage manner, enthusiasm, and obvious excitement for apple and the products they have product lingers in my mind. below are some memorable pictures of steve jobs through the years. images are linked to their source – images with no link are credited to apple and have been taken from various apple keynotes and other materials. steve jobs standing by the apple logo steve jobs & the original macintosh young steve jobs posing for a publicity shot steve jobs with the imac g3 steve jobs introduces the first ipod steve jobs playing with photo book in 2005 steve jobs presents the iphone steve jobs presents the macbook air steve jobs presents the ipad steve jobs leave the stage for the very last time steve jobs never made it to the iphone 4s event… steve jobs rests his head against his wife after the wwdc 2011 keynote apple flags at half mast at cupertino headquarters company flags at half mast at all microsoft headquarters (british hq pictured) double rainbow over pixar studios hq after steve jobs’ passed here’s to the crazy one

waɪt haʊs prɛs ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri ʃɔn ˈspaɪsər dɪˈfɛndɪd ə juz. kəˈmænˌdoʊ reɪd ɪn ˈjɛmən, seɪɪŋ "ˈɛniˌwən hu wʊd səˈʤɛst ɪts nɑt ə səkˈsɛs dɪz dɪˈsərvəs tɪ ðə laɪf əv ʧif raɪən oʊənz," ˈdʊrɪŋ hɪz ˈdeɪli ˈbrifɪŋ ɔn ˈfɛbjəˌwɛri. 8 æt ðə waɪt haʊs. (ˈrɔɪtərz) ɪf waɪt haʊs prɛs ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri ʃɔn ˈspaɪsər sɪz soʊ, dɪz ðət meɪk ɪt soʊ? ɪn ˈmidiə ˈbrifɪŋ, ˈɛnˌbiˈsi nuz ˌkɔrəˈspɑndənt ˈkrɪstən ˈwɛlkər ˈsaɪtɪd ə dɪˈspjutɪd rɪˈpɔrt ðət ˈjɛmən hæd wɪθˈdrɔn pərˈmɪʃən tɪ ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts tɪ ˈkɑndəkt graʊnd ˈmɪʃənz ɪn ðət ˈkəntri ə rɪˈzəlt əv ə reɪd ðət rɪˈzəltɪd ɪn səˈvɪljən ˈkæʒəwəltiz ɛz wɛl ɛz ðə dɛθ əv ʧif ˈpɛˌti ˈɔfɪsər ˈwɪljəm ““ryan”*” oʊənz əv ðə sil tim 6 dɪˈspaɪt rɪˈpɔrts ənd ˈkɑmənˌtɛri ˌɪnˈsɪstɪŋ ðət ðə ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən feɪld, ˈspaɪsər həz ˌɪnˈsɪstɪd ðət ɪt wɑz ə səkˈsɛs. ˈwɛlkər æst ɪm, ðət nɑt ˈəndərˌkət ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ faɪt ˈtɛrəˌrɪzəm ɪn ðət ˈriʤən, ənd du ju stænd baɪ jʊr əˈsɛsmənt ðət ə success?”*?” ðɛr wʊd bi noʊ ˈpɑləsi ʧeɪnʤ ˈkəmɪŋ frəm ðə ˈpoʊdiəm. ˌæbsəˈlutli ə success,”*,” sɛd ˈspaɪsər, huz bɔs həz ʃoʊn ə ˈfɑndnəs fər ˈleɪbəlɪŋ hɪz oʊn ˈvɛnʧərz ““successful.”*.” aɪ θɪŋk ðət ˈɛniˌwən hu wʊd səˈʤɛst nɑt ə səkˈsɛs dɪz dɪˈsərvəs tɪ ðə laɪf əv ʧif oʊənz. hi fɔt noʊɪŋ wət wɑz æt steɪk ɪn ðət ˈmɪʃən, ənd ˈɛnibədi hu wʊd səˈʤɛst ˈəðərˌwaɪz ˈfʊli əˈpriʃiˌeɪt haʊ səkˈsɛsfəl ðət ˈmɪʃən wɑz wət ðə ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ðət ðeɪ wər ˈeɪbəl tɪ rɪˈtriv wɑz ənd haʊ ðət wɪl hɛlp prɪˈvɛnt fˈjuʧər ˈtɛrərɪst attacks.”*.” ˌrɛpəˈtɪʃən, ˈspaɪsər əˈpɪrd tɪ dɪˈtərmən, wʊd meɪk ðə pɔɪnt ˈstrɔŋgər. θɪŋk ˈɛnibədi hu ˌəndərˈmaɪnz ðə səkˈsɛs əv ðət reɪd oʊz ən əˈpɑləˌʤi ənd ə dɪˈsərvəs tɪ ðə laɪf əv ʧif owens,”*,” sɛd ˈspaɪsər, ˈθəndərɪŋ ɔn. ˈækʃən ðət wɑz ˈteɪkən ɪn ˈjɛmən wɑz ə juʤ səkˈsɛs. əˈmɛrɪkən lɪvz wɪl bi seɪvd bɪˈkəz əv ɪt. fˈjuʧər əˈtæks wɪl bi prɪˈvɛnɪd. ðə laɪf əv ʧif oʊənz wɑz dən ɪn ˈsərvɪs tɪ ðɪs ˈkəntri, ənd wi oʊ ɪm ənd hɪz ˈfæməli ə greɪt dɛt fər ðə ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ðət wi rɪˈsivd ˈdʊrɪŋ ðət reɪd. aɪ θɪŋk ˈɛni səˈʤɛsʧən ˈəðərˌwaɪz ɪz ə dɪˈsərvəs tɪ hɪz kərˈeɪʤəs laɪf ənd ðə ˈækʃənz ðət hi tʊk, fʊl stɑp. aɪ noʊ haʊ məʧ ˈklɪrər aɪ kʊd be.”*.” wɪθ ðət, ˈspaɪsər ˈkərtli ˈɛndɪd hɪz wɪθ ˈwɛlkər ənd muvd ɔn tɪ əˈnəðər kˈwɛʃən. ðə ˈmɛsɪʤ? ə, ˈmidiə ˈaʊˌtlɛts ənd ˈɛniˌwən ɛls, fər ðət ˈmætər hæd ˈbɛtər nɑt ˈəndərˌmaɪn səkˈsɛs əv that”*” reɪd ɛz ɪf kˈwɛsʧənɪŋ ðə reɪd ˈæftər ðə fækt kʊd ˈpɑsəbli ˈɔltər ˈɛniˌθɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə ˈækʃən. ɔl ˈɪndəˌkeɪtərz pɔɪnt tɪ ðə nid fər ˈfərðər ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən: ɛz ðə nu jɔrk taɪmz həz ˌriˈpɔrtəd, ðɪs ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən wɑz frəm ðə start.”*.” ə kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz ˌɪnərˈsɛpt, ðə kəˈmænˌdoʊz nu ðət ðə ˈmɪʃən hæd bɪn ˈsəmˌhaʊ ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪzd, bət prɛst ɔn təˈwɔrd ðɛr ˈtərgət ˈrəfli faɪv maɪəlz frəm wɛr ðeɪ hæd bɪn floʊn ˈɪntu ðə ˈɛriə. kaɪnd əv nu ðeɪ wər skrud frəm ðə beginning,’*,’ wən ˈfɔrmər sil tim 6 əˈfɪʃəl said,”*,” ðə taɪmz ˌriˈpɔrtəd. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈjɛməni əˈfɪʃəlz, 15 ˈwɪmən ənd ˈʧɪldrən daɪd ɪn ðə klæʃ; ðə ˈpɛnɪˌgɑn sɪz ðət ˈwɪmən pɑrˈtɪsəˌpeɪtɪd ɪn ðə ˈfaɪtɪŋ. ɪt tərnd aʊt, ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ ðət kʊd goʊ rɔŋ did,”*,” səmd əp ðə nu jɔrk taɪmz. ˈæftər əˈtɛndɪŋ ə ˈbrifɪŋ ɔn ðə reɪd, sɛn. ʤɑn məˈkeɪn (r-ariz*.) ˌɪˈnɪʃəli tərmd ɪt ə ““failure.”*.” soʊ dɪz ðɪs saʊnd laɪk ðə taɪp əv ˌgəvərnˈmɛntəl ˈækʃən ðət nidz lɛs ˈskrutəni? əv kɔrs, stərn əˈbʤɛkʃənz mjut ˈfərðər ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən əv ðɪs ˈɪnsədənt. ˈmɪrli ɪnˈkərəʤ ɪt. ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˈfæməliz, ˈʤərnəlɪsts ənd ˈsɪvəl ˈsərvənts ðeɪ ɔl noʊ ðət ðə ˈprɑpər weɪ tɪ kəˈmɛmərˌeɪt ðə lɪvz əv ˈfɑlən ˈsərvɪs ˈmɛmbərz ɪz tɪ sɔrt aʊt ðə truθ. nɑt tɪ hid ðə əv səm ˈfɛloʊ æt ə prɛs ˈpoʊdiəm. ɪkˈstrim ˈvɛtɪŋ wɪl ˈhæpən rəˈgɑrdləs əv ˈwɪʃɪz, ɛz ə poʊst ˈkɑlig noʊts:

white house press secretary sean spicer defended a u.s. commando raid in yemen, saying "anyone who would suggest it's not a success does disservice to the life of chief ryan owens," during his daily briefing on feb. 8 at the white house. (reuters) if white house press secretary sean spicer says it’s so, does that make it so? in today’s media briefing, nbc news correspondent kristen welker cited a disputed report that yemen had withdrawn permission to the united states to conduct anti-terrorism ground missions in that country — a result of a raid that resulted in civilian casualties as well as the death of chief petty officer william “ryan” owens of the navy’s seal team 6. despite reports and commentary insisting that the operation failed, spicer has insisted that it was a success. welker asked him, “does that not undercut the administration’s ability to fight terrorism in that region, and do you stand by your assessment that it’s a success?” there would be no policy change coming from the podium. “it’s absolutely a success,” said spicer, whose boss has shown a fondness for labeling his own ventures “successful.” “and i think that anyone who would suggest it’s not a success does disservice to the life of chief … owens. he fought knowing what was at stake in that mission, and anybody who would suggest otherwise doesn’t fully appreciate how successful that mission was — what the information that they were able to retrieve was and how that will help prevent future terrorist attacks.” repetition, spicer appeared to determine, would make the point stronger. “i think anybody who undermines the success of that raid owes an apology and a disservice to the life of chief owens,” said spicer, thundering on. “the action that was taken in yemen was a huge success. american lives will be saved because of it. future attacks will be prevented. the life of chief … owens was done in service to this country, and we owe him and his family a great debt for the information that we received during that raid. i think any suggestion otherwise is a disservice to his courageous life and the actions that he took, full stop. … i don’t know how much clearer i could be.” with that, spicer curtly ended his back-and-forth with welker and moved on to another question. the message? uh, media outlets — and anyone else, for that matter — had better not undermine “the success of that” raid — as if questioning the raid after the fact could possibly alter anything about the action. all indicators point to the need for further investigation: as the new york times has reported, this operation was “jinxed from the start.” “through a communications intercept, the commandos knew that the mission had been somehow compromised, but pressed on toward their target roughly five miles from where they had been flown into the area. ‘they kind of knew they were screwed from the beginning,’ one former seal team 6 official said,” the times reported. according to yemeni officials, 15 women and children died in the clash; the pentagon says that women participated in the fighting. “as it turned out, almost everything that could go wrong did,” summed up the new york times. after attending a briefing on the raid, sen. john mccain (r-ariz.) initially termed it a “failure.” so does this sound like the type of governmental action that needs less scrutiny? of course, spicer’s stern objections won’t mute further investigation of this incident. they’ll merely encourage it. military families, journalists and civil servants — they all know that the proper way to commemorate the lives of fallen service members is to sort out the truth. not to heed the remonstrations of some fellow at a press podium. extreme vetting will happen regardless of spicer’s wishes, as a post colleague notes:

frəm ðə əv ɔˈrlænˌdoʊ tɪ ˈbərnɪŋ ləv, ˌriˈæləˌti ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən əˈpɪrz tɪ bi ə ˈbɑtəmləs wɛl frəm wɪʧ kəˈmidiənz kən drɔ ice-cold*, rɪˈfrɛʃɪŋ bɪts. ənd ðə nu, ˈstrimɪŋ ˈsərvɪs ɪz rɪˈtərnɪŋ tɪ ðət wɛl wɪθ ə nu ˈsɪriz, ˈdɔlər propertie*$. ə ˈpɛrədi əv ˈsɪriz ˈmɪljən ˈdɔlər ˈlɪstɪŋ, ðə ʃoʊ ɪz ən ɑnˈsɑmbəl ˈkɑmədi ˈsɛntərɪŋ ɔn ˈsɛvən ril ɛˈsteɪt ˈeɪʤənts, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈmændəl vɪkˈtɔriə kɪŋ, ˈfiʧərd əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd gɛst stɑr ˈʤeɪsən ɪn ə klɪp ɪkˈsklusɪv tɪ ðə a.v*. kləb bɪˈloʊ. ˈrɪli linz ɪn tɪ ðə hoʊl guy”*” θɪŋ ɪn ˈlɛðər pænts ənd ə skəl rɪŋ ɛz səˈlɛbrɪti fəˈtɑgrəfər ““jerry,”*,” huz ɑrˈtɪstɪk ˈvɪʒən ɪz ˈgaɪdɪd baɪ smɛl ənd huz ˌfæsəˈneɪʃən wɪθ ˈkɔrpsɪz, pɪlz, ənd ˈlɪkɪŋ ðə ˈkæmərə stɪl ˈoʊnli meɪk ɪm əˈbaʊt hæf ɛz ˈkripi ɛz ˈtɛri ˈrɪʧərdsən. ˈmɔgən, ɔn ðə ˈəðər hænd, pleɪz ɪt streɪt ɛz æmˈbɪʃəs ˈeɪʤənt vɪkˈtɔriə kɪŋ, hu, tru tɪ ðə ˈspɪrɪt, wɪl du ɪt takes”*” tɪ bɪˈkəm ə ˈpɑrtnər æt ðə fərm. ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt ˈdɔlər propertie*$ prɛˈmɪrz ɔn ɔn mɑrʧ 17

from the hotwives of orlando to burning love, reality tv appears to be a bottomless well from which comedians can draw ice-cold, refreshing bits. and the new, nbc-sponsored comedy-only streaming service seeso is returning to that well with a new series, bajillion dollar propertie$. a parody of bravo’s series million dollar listing, the show is an ensemble comedy centering on seven real estate agents, including mandell maughan’s victoria king, who‘s featured alongside guest star jason mantzoukas in a clip exclusive to the a.v. club below. mantzoukas really leans in to the whole “hairy guy” thing in leather pants and a skull ring as celebrity photographer “jerry,” whose artistic vision is guided by smell and whose fascination with corpses, pills, and licking the camera still only make him about half as creepy as terry richardson. maughan, on the other hand, plays it straight as ambitious agent victoria king, who, true to the reality-show spirit, will do “whatever it takes” to become a partner at the firm. advertisement bajillion dollar propertie$ premieres on seeso on march 17.

ɪn ðə læst tu jɪrz əv ˈkɑnˌtrækt nɪˌgoʊʃiˈeɪʃənz ɪn ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ, haɪət həz rɪfˈjuzd tɪ bəʤ ɔn ˈkruʃəl dɪˈmændz tɪ kərb ˌsəbkənˈtræktɪŋ ənd iz ˈwərkɪŋ kənˈdɪʃənz fər mɛt baɪ ˈhɪltən ənd ˈəðər hoʊˈtɛl ɪmˈplɔɪərz ˈsɪtiˌwaɪd. ɪn rɪˈspɑns, haɪət ˈwərkərz hæv stʊd əp ənd meɪd təf ˈsækrəˌfaɪsɪz baɪ ˈstraɪkɪŋ ənd ˈkɔlɪŋ fər hoʊˈtɛl ˈbɔɪˌkɑts. naʊ, haɪət ɪz ˈtɛlɪŋ ˈwərkərz ɪn ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ: ɛnd jʊr ˈbɔɪˌkɑt, ər ˈkænsəl jʊr hɛlθ kɛr. ɪn soʊ duɪŋ, haɪət ɪz ˈfɔrsɪŋ ˈwərkərz tɪ ʧuz bɪtˈwin ðɛr families’*’ ˌɪˈmiˌdiət ˈmɛdɪkəl nidz ənd ə faɪt fər ðɛr ˈlɔŋˈtərm sərˈvaɪvəl. naʊ ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ haɪət ˈwərkərz ər ˈfaɪtɪŋ bæk, ənd ˈæskɪŋ ˈəðərz fər ðɛr səˈpɔrt. ʤɔɪn ˈjuˈɛs ˈθərzˌdeɪ, dɪˈsɛmbər 15 3pm*. hir ɪz ə lɪŋk tɪ ðə ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ɪˈvɛnt: hir ɪz ə lɪŋk tɪ ðə ɪˈvɛnt ɔn ðə ˈɑkjəˌpaɪ ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ ˈwɛbˌsaɪt:

in the last two years of contract negotiations in chicago, hyatt has refused to budge on crucial demands to curb subcontracting and ease working conditions for housekeepers—demands met by hilton and other hotel employers citywide. in response, hyatt workers have stood up and made tough sacrifices by striking and calling for hotel boycotts. now, hyatt is telling workers in chicago: end your boycott, or we’ll cancel your health care. in so doing, hyatt is forcing workers to choose between their families’ immediate medical needs and a fight for their long-term survival. now chicago hyatt workers are fighting back, and asking others for their support. join us thursday, december 15, 3pm. here is a link to the facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/106822096101452/ here is a link to the event on the occupy chicago website: http://occupychi.org/labor/event/protest-against-hyatts-threats-cancel-chicago-workers-health-benefits

ðə əˈfɪʃəl ˈwɛbˌsaɪt əv ðə koʊd geass*: ðə ˈɛkˌsaɪld ˈprɑʤɛkt bɪˈgæn ˈstrimɪŋ ə ˈtreɪlər fər i" (tɪ bɪˈləvəd wənz), ðə fɪθ ənd ˈfaɪnəl ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd əv ðə ˈsɪriz ɔn ˈfraɪˌdeɪ. ðə ˈtreɪlər ˈprivˌjuz ðə ˈstɔri. ðə ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd wɪl ˈoʊpən ɪn ʤəˈpæn ɪn 36 ˈθiətərz ɪn ʤəˈpæn ɔn ˈfɛbruˌɛri 6 ˈæftər biɪŋ dɪˈleɪd frəm ɪts ərˈɪʤənəl fɔl 2015 riˈlis ˈwɪndoʊ. ðə ˈwɛbˌsaɪt ˈɔlsoʊ ənˈveɪld ə nu ˈvɪʒəwəl fər ðə ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd. ðə ˈtæˌglaɪn ridz, "tɪ lɪv ɪn ðɪs wərld, aɪl kip ɔn ˈfaɪtɪŋ." ˈænəˌmeɪt wɪl bɪˈgɪn ˈɔfərɪŋ ˈtɪkɪts wɪθ əˈkrɪlɪk ɪn dɪˈsɛmbər 24 ə ʃɑp wɪl ˈoʊpən æt ˈtoʊkiˌoʊz mərui ˈæˌnɛks ˈbɪldɪŋ frəm ˈfɛbruˌɛri 5 tɪ ˈfɛbruˌɛri 22 ðə ɪz ˈhoʊldɪŋ ə kəˌlæbərˈeɪʃən wɪθ ˈdɪʃɪz, drɪŋks, ənd ˈlɪmɪtɪd gʊdz æt ðə nu ˈkoʊbeɪ strit ˈdɪstrɪkt frəm ˈfɛbruˌɛri 4 tɪ mɑrʧ 28 ðə koʊd geass*: ðə ˈɛkˌsaɪld ˈsɪriz ɪz ə ˈspɪˌnɔf əv ðə ərˈɪʤənəl koʊd geass*: əv ðə rɪˈbɛljən ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən ˈsɪriz. sɛt ɪn bɪtˈwin ðə tu ˈsizənz əv ðə ərˈɪʤənəl ˈsɪriz ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˌɪnˈveɪʒən əv ˈjʊrəp, ðə ˈɛkˌsaɪld ˈsɛnərz əraʊnd hyuga*, ə ˈmɛmbər əv ðə ˈjunɪt, ə ˈsuɪˌsaɪd ˈaʊtˌfɪt əv ˈɛkˌsaɪld ˌʤæpəˈniz (ˈilɛvənz) sɛnt tɪ ðə ˈbætəlˌfild tɪ pərˈfɔrm ˈdeɪnʤərəs ˈmɪʃənz əˈgɛnst brɪˈtæniə, wɪθ ˈoʊnli ə 5 sərˈvaɪvəl reɪt. ðə ˈsɪriz wɑz sˈleɪtɪd fər fɔr ˈɛpɪˌsoʊdz, bət ˈsənˌraɪz prəˈdusər ˌkɑwɑˈguʧi əˈnaʊnst æt ðə θərd prɛˈmɪr ɪn meɪ ðət ðə wɪl bi ɪkˈspændɪd tɪ faɪv ˈɛpɪˌsoʊdz. ðə fɔrθ ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd, noʊ ˈkɛrə" (frəm ðə ˈmɛməriz əv ˈheɪtrəd), wɑz riˈrɪtən ənd tɪ ˌɪnˈkɔrpərˌeɪt ðə fɪθ ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd. ðə fɔrθ ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd prɛˈmɪrd ɪn ʤəˈpæn ɔn ˌʤuˈlaɪ 10 ənd ðə ˌdiˌviˈdi ənd ˈvərʒən wɑz riˈlist ɔn ɑkˈtoʊbər 28 ðə riˈlis tɑpt ðə ˌænəˈmeɪʃən ənd ˈoʊvərˌɔl ʧɑrts ɪn ɪts fərst wik. ðə θərd ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd əv koʊd geass*: ðə ˈɛkˌsaɪld prɛˈmɪrd ɪn ˈθiətərz ɪn ʤəˈpæn ɔn meɪ 2 ˈæftər biɪŋ dɪˈleɪd frəm læst spərɪŋ. ðə ˈsɛkənd ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd prɛˈmɪrd ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər 2013 ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ðə fərst ˈdeɪbju ɪn ˈɔgəst 2012 ˈlaɪsənst ðə ɪn 2013 fər riˈlis ɪn nɔrθ əˈmɛrɪkə. ðə ərˈɪʤənəl ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən koʊd geass*: əv ðə rɪˈbɛljən prɛˈmɪrd ɪn ʤəˈpæn ɪn 2006 waɪl koʊd geass*: əv ðə rɪˈbɛljən prɛˈmɪrd ɪn 2008 ðə ˈædəlt swɪm ˈnɛtˌwərk ɛrd boʊθ ˈsɪriz ɪn nɔrθ əˈmɛrɪkə ɪn 2008 ˌbænˈdaɪ ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt riˈlist boʊθ ˈsizənz ɔn hoʊm ˈvɪdioʊ ɪn nɔrθ əˈmɛrɪkə ˌbiˈfɔr ɪt stɑpt ˈɔfərɪŋ nu ˌdiˌviˈdi, dɪsk, ənd ˈmæŋgə rɪˈlisɪz ɪn 2012 əˈnaʊnst ɪts ˈlaɪsəns əv ðə ˈsɪriz ɪn 2013

the official website of the code geass: akito the exiled anime project began streaming a trailer for "itoshiki mono-tachi e" (to beloved ones), the fifth and final episode of the series on friday. the trailer previews the episode's story. the episode will open in japan in 36 theaters in japan on february 6, after being delayed from its original fall 2015 release window. the website also unveiled a new visual for the episode. the tagline reads, "to live in this world, i'll keep on fighting." animate will begin offering tickets with limited-edition acrylic keychains in december 24. a pop-up shop will open at tokyo's shinjuku marui annex building from february 5 to february 22. the anime is holding a collaboration with dishes, drinks, and limited goods at the new kobe anime street district from february 4 to march 28. the code geass: akito the exiled series is a spinoff of the original code geass: lelouch of the rebellion television anime series. set in between the two seasons of the original series during the britannian invasion of europe, akito the exiled centers around akito hyuga, a member of the "w-0" unit, a suicide outfit of exiled japanese (elevens) sent to the battlefield to perform dangerous missions against britannia, with only a 5% survival rate. the series was slated for four episodes, but sunrise producer yoshitaka kawaguchi announced at the third episode's premiere in may that the anime will be expanded to five episodes. the fourth episode, "nikushimi no kioku kara" (from the memories of hatred), was rewritten and redubbed to incorporate the fifth episode. the fourth episode premiered in japan on july 10, and the episode's dvd and blu-ray version was released on october 28. the fourth-episode's blu-ray release topped the oricon animation and overall blu-ray charts in its first week. the third episode of code geass: akito the exiled premiered in theaters in japan on may 2 after being delayed from last spring. the second episode premiered in september 2013, following the first episode's debut in august 2012. funimation licensed the anime in 2013 for release in north america. the original television anime code geass: lelouch of the rebellion premiered in japan in 2006, while code geass: lelouch of the rebellion r2 premiered in 2008. the adult swim network aired both series in north america in 2008. bandai entertainment released both seasons on home video in north america before it stopped offering new dvd, blu-ray disc, and manga releases in 2012. funimation announced its license of the series in 2013.

ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ɪt simz laɪk ˈmɑdərˌeɪt rɪˈpəblɪkənz ər ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ə ˈdɪfərənt wərld ðən ðə rɛst əv ˈjuˈɛs. pərˈhæps ðə ˈgreɪtəst ɪgˈzæmpəl ɪz ðə nu jɔrk taɪmz' ˈdeɪvɪd brʊks. ɪn ðə mɪst əv ə təf ˈpraɪˌmɛri ɔn boʊθ saɪdz, brʊks ləˈmɛnts ðət ˈniðər ˈdɛməˌkræts nɔr rɪˈpəblɪkənz hæv ˈsəmˌwən wɪθ ðə ˌɪnˈtɛgrəti ənd juˈmænɪti əv weɪt fər ɪt ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈbɑrək ˌoʊˈbɑmə. ˌoʊˈbɑmə ˈreɪdiˌeɪts ən ˈiθɑs əv ˌɪnˈtɛgrəti, juˈmænɪti, gʊd ˈmænərz ənd ˈɛləgəns ðət əm bɪˈgɪnɪŋ tɪ mɪs, ənd ðət aɪ ˈsəˌspɛkt wi wɪl ɔl mɪs ə bɪt, rəˈgɑrdləs əv hu rɪˈpleɪsɪz ɪm. sɪns brʊks simz nɑt tɪ hæv bɪn peɪɪŋ əˈtɛnʃən fər ðə pæst eɪt jɪrz, aɪ wɪl ˈbrifli rɪˈspɑnd tɪ 5 ˈkrɪtɪkəl ˈɛrərz ɪn hɪz ˈɑrtɪkəl. 1 "ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən həz bɪn rɪˈmɑrkəbli scandal-free*." wɪn aɪ fərst rɛd ðɪs, aɪ kʊd nɑt bɪˈliv maɪ aɪz. ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən meɪ nɑt bi ðə wərst ɪn əˈmɛrɪkən ˈhɪstəri (si "ˈwʊˌdroʊ ˈwɪlsən," ənd ðɛn "ˈfræŋklɪn ˈdɛlənoʊ ˈruzəˌvɛlt"), bət ɪt teɪks ə ˈpaʊərfəl səˈspɛnʃən əv ˌdɪsbɪˈlif tɪ əkˈsɛpt ðət ɪt ɪz "scandal-free*." tɛl ðət tɪ ðə grups wɪʧ wər dɪˈnaɪd ˈstætəs baɪ ən ˈæktɪvɪst ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˈrɛvəˌnu ˈsərvɪs (ˈaɪˌɑˈrɛs). tɛl ðət tɪ ðə ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈvɛtərənz hu wər dɪˈnaɪd kɛr ənd daɪd, ˈweɪtɪŋ ɪn laɪn æt ðə va*. tɛl ðət tɪ ðə ˈfæməliz əv ðoʊz ˈhɪroʊz hu daɪd ɪn benghazi*, ˈlɪˌbiə. ɪf ðət wərənt ɪˈnəf, kənˈsɪdər ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri əv steɪt ˈhɪləri ˈklɪntənz ˈɪnsəkjər iˈmeɪlz, wɪʧ kʊd hæv ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪzd ðə aɪˈdɛntəˌti əv ˈkoʊvərt əˈmɛrɪkənz tɪ ɑr ˈɛnəmiz.

sometimes it seems like moderate republicans are living in a different world than the rest of us. perhaps the greatest example is the new york times' david brooks. in the midst of a tough primary on both sides, brooks laments that neither democrats nor republicans have someone with the integrity and humanity of -- wait for it -- president barack obama. obama radiates an ethos of integrity, humanity, good manners and elegance that i'm beginning to miss, and that i suspect we will all miss a bit, regardless of who replaces him. since brooks seems not to have been paying attention for the past eight years, i will briefly respond to 5 critical errors in his article. 1. "the obama administration has been remarkably scandal-free." when i first read this, i could not believe my eyes. the obama administration may not be the worst in american history (see "woodrow wilson," and then "franklin delano roosevelt"), but it takes a powerful suspension of disbelief to accept that it is "scandal-free." tell that to the tea-party groups which were denied tax-exempt status by an activist internal revenue service (irs). tell that to the thousands of veterans who were denied care and died, waiting in line at the va. tell that to the families of those heroes who died in benghazi, libya. if that weren't enough, consider secretary of state hillary clinton's insecure emails, which could have compromised the identity of covert americans to our enemies.

edupristine* həz bɪn ɪn ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈtreɪnɪŋ ˈɪndəstri fər ðə pæst 5 jɪrz naʊ, ənd ɪt həz bɪn ə greɪt ənd ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ ˈʤərni fər ˈjuˈɛs. əˈpɑrt frəm kənˈdəktɪŋ ˈklæsˌrum ˈtreɪnɪŋ ɪn ˈɪndiə ənd ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈtreɪnɪŋ əˈkrɔs ðə wərld, wi ər ˈɔlsoʊ ˈɔfərɪŋ ə fri kɔrs fər ˈɛniˌwən hu wɔnts tɪ gɪt ə ˈpraɪmər ɔn ðə ˈsɪləbəs. ðəs, wi hæv kriˈeɪtɪd ə fri kɔrs wɪʧ ju kən fər. ðə weɪ ðɪs kɔrs ɪz ˈstrəkʧərd ɪz ðət ˈɛvəri deɪ ju wɪl rɪˈsiv ə lɪŋk tɪ ə nu ˈvɪdioʊ ɔn wən ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ˈtɑpɪk ɪn. hir ɪz ðə ˈskɛʤʊl ðət wi ər ˈkəvərɪŋ. deɪ 1 ðɪs ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən ˈprɛzənts ə ˈfreɪmˌwərk fər ˈɛθɪkəl ˈkɑndəkt ɪn ðə ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt prəˈfɛʃən baɪ ˈfoʊkɪsɪŋ ɔn ðə ˈɪnstɪˌtut koʊd əv ˈɛθɪks ənd ˈstændərdz əv prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈkɑndəkt ɛz wɛl ɛz ðə ˈgloʊbəl ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt pərˈfɔrməns ˈstændərdz (gipsâ®*â®). deɪ 2 kˈwɑntɪˌteɪtɪv ˈmɛθədz: ðɪs ˌɪntrəˈdəktəri ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən ˈprɛzənts ðə ˌfəndəˈmɛnəlz əv səm kˈwɑntɪˌteɪtɪv tɛkˈniks ɛˈsɛnʃəl ɪn ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl æˈnælɪsɪs. ðiz tɛkˈniks ər juzd θruaʊt ðə ˈproʊˌgræm kərˈɪkjələm. ðɪs ˈsɛʃən ˌɪntrəˈdusɪz tu meɪn tulz əv kˈwɑntɪˌteɪtɪv æˈnælɪsɪs: ðə taɪm ˈvælju əv ˈməni ənd ˌprɑbəˈbɪləˌti ənd dɪˈskrɪptɪv stəˈtɪstɪks. deɪ 3 ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪks: ðɪs ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən ˈfoʊkɪsɪz ɔn ðə ˌmaɪkroʊˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈprɪnsəpəlz juzd tɪ dɪˈskraɪb ðə ˈmɑrkɪtˌpleɪs bɪˈheɪvjər əv kənˈsumərz ənd fərmz. ðə fərst ˈrɛdɪŋ ɪkˈspleɪnz ðə ˈkɑnsɛpts ənd tulz əv dɪˈmænd ənd səˈplaɪ ˈstədi əv haʊ baɪərz ənd ˈsɛlərz ˌɪnərˈækt tɪ dɪˈtərmən trænˈzækʃən ˈpraɪsɪz ənd kˈwɑntətiz. deɪ 4 ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl rɪˈpɔrtɪŋ ənd æˈnælɪsɪs: ðə ˈridɪŋz ɪn ðɪs ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən dɪˈskəs ðə ˈʤɛnərəl ˈprɪnsəpəlz əv ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl rɪˈpɔrtɪŋ ˈsɪstəm, ˌəndərˈskɔrɪŋ ðə ˈkrɪtɪkəl roʊl əv ðə æˈnælɪsɪs əv ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl rɪˈpɔrts ɪn ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt dɪˈsɪʒən ˈmeɪkɪŋ. deɪ 5 ˈkɔrpərət ˈfaɪˌnæns: ðɪs ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən ˈkəvərz ðə ˈprɪnsəpəlz ðət ˌkɔrpərˈeɪʃənz juz tɪ meɪk ðɛr ˌɪnˈvɛstɪŋ ənd fɪˈnænsɪŋ dɪˈsɪʒənz. ˈkæpɪtəl ˈbəʤɪtɪŋ ɪz ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs əv ˈmeɪkɪŋ dɪˈsɪʒənz əˈbaʊt wɪʧ ˈlɔŋˈtərm ˈprɑʤɛkts ðə ˌkɔrpərˈeɪʃən ʃʊd əkˈsɛpt fər ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt ənd wɪʧ ɪt ʃʊd ˈriʤɛkt. boʊθ ðə ɪkˈspɛktɪd rɪˈtərn əv ə ˈprɑʤɛkt ənd ðə fɪˈnænsɪŋ kɔst ʃʊd bi ˈteɪkən ˈɪntu əˈkaʊnt. deɪ 6 pɔrtˈfoʊliˌoʊ ˈmænɪʤmənt: ðɪs ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən prəˈvaɪdz ðə ˈkrɪtɪkəl ˈfreɪmˌwərk ənd ˈkɑntɛkst fər ˈsəbsəkwənt ˈlɛvəl aɪ ˈstədi ˈsɛʃənz ˈkəvərɪŋ ˈɛkwətiz, fɪkst ˈɪnˌkəm, dərˈɪvətɪvz, ənd ɔlˈtərnətɪv ˌɪnˈvɛstmənts. ˈfərðərˌmɔr, ðɪs ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən ˈɔlsoʊ prəˈvaɪdz ə ˈbeɪsɪs fər ðə ˈkəvərɪʤ əv pɔrtˈfoʊliˌoʊ ˈmænɪʤmənt æt ˈlɛvəlz ənd iii*. deɪ 7 ˈɛkwəti: ðɪs ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən ɪkˈspleɪnz ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ˌkɛrɪktərˈɪstɪks əv ðə ˈmɑrkɪts ɪn wɪʧ ˈɛkwətiz, ˈɪnstrəmənts, dərˈɪvətɪvz, ənd ɔlˈtərnətɪv ˌɪnˈvɛstmənts treɪd. ðə ˈrɛdɪŋ ɔn ˈmɑrkɪt ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ənd ˈstrəkʧər dɪˈskraɪbz ˈmɑrkɪt ˌklæsəfəˈkeɪʃənz, taɪps əv ˈæˌsɛts ənd ˈmɑrkɪt pɑrˈtɪsəpənts, ənd haʊ ˈæˌsɛts ər ˈtreɪdɪd. deɪ 8 fɪkst ˈɪnˌkəm ðɪs ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən ˈprɛzənts ðə ˌfəndəˈmɛnəlz əv ˌɪnˈvɛstmənts, wən əv ðə ˈlɑrʤəst ˌsɛgˈmɛnts əv ˈgloʊbəl ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈmɑrkɪts. ðə fərst tu ˈridɪŋz ˌɪntrəˈdus ðə ˈbeɪsɪk ˈfiʧərz ənd ˌkɛrɪktərˈɪstɪks əv sɪˈkjʊrətiz ənd ðɛr əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd rɪsks. ðə θərd ˈrɛdɪŋ dɪˈskraɪbz ðə ˈpraɪˌmɛri ˈɪʃuərz, ˈsɛktərz, ənd taɪps əv bɑndz. ðə ˈfaɪnəl ˈrɛdɪŋ əv ðə ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən ˌɪntrəˈdusɪz jildz ənd sprɛdz ənd ðə ˈifɛkt əv ˈmɑnəˌtɛri ˈpɑləsi ɔn ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈmɑrkɪts. deɪ 9 dərˈɪvətɪvz dərˈɪvətɪvz ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈɪnstrəmənts ðət dəraɪv ðɛr ˈvælju frəm ðə ˈvælju əv səm ˌəndərˈlaɪɪŋ ˈæˌsɛt aɪ hæv bɪˈkəm ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ənd ˌfəndəˈmɛnəl ɪn ˈifɛktɪvli ˈmænəʤɪŋ ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl rɪsk ənd kriˈeɪtɪŋ sɪnˈθɛtɪk ɪkˈspoʊʒərz tɪ ˈæˌsɛt ˈklæsɪz. ɛz ɪn ˈəðər sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈmɑrkɪts, ˈɑrbɪˌtrɑʒ ənd ˈmɑrkɪt ɪˈfɪʃənsi pleɪ ə ˈkrɪtɪkəl roʊl ɪn ɪˈstæblɪʃɪŋ ˈpraɪsɪz. deɪ 10 ɔlˈtərnətɪv ˌɪnˈvɛstmənts ˌɪnˈvɛstərz ər ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli ˈtərnɪŋ tɪ ɔlˈtərnətɪv ˌɪnˈvɛstmənts ˈsikɪŋ dɪˌvərsəfəˈkeɪʃən ˈbɛnəfɪts ənd haɪər rɪˈtərnz. ðɪs ˈstədi ˈsɛʃən dɪˈskraɪbz ðə ˈkɑmən taɪps əv ɔlˈtərnətɪv ˌɪnˈvɛstmənts, ðɛr væljuˈeɪʃən, ðɛr juˈnik rɪsks ənd ˌɑpərˈtunətiz, ənd ðɛr riˈleɪʃən tɪ trəˈdɪʃənəl ˌɪnˈvɛstmənts. aɪ hoʊp ɔl əv ju ˈbɛnəfɪt ˈgreɪtli frəm ðɪs fri kɔrs ənd wi wʊd laɪk tɪ noʊ jʊr ˈfidˌbæk ɔn haʊ tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ðə seɪm. ɔl ðə bɛst fər jʊr preps*!

edupristine has been in the financial training industry for the past 5 years now, and it has been a great and exciting journey for us. apart from conducting classroom training in india and online training across the world, we are also offering a free cfa course for anyone who wants to get a primer on the cfa syllabus. thus, we have created a 10-day free cfa course which you can sign-up for. the way this course is structured is that every day you will receive a link to a new video on one particular topic in cfa. here is the schedule that we are covering. day 1 this study session presents a framework for ethical conduct in the investment profession by focusing on the cfa institute code of ethics and standards of professional conduct as well as the global investment performance standards (gipsâ®). day 2 cfa quantitative methods: this introductory study session presents the fundamentals of some quantitative techniques essential in financial analysis. these techniques are used throughout the cfa program curriculum. this session introduces two main tools of quantitative analysis: the time value of money and probability and descriptive statistics. day 3 cfa economics: this study session focuses on the microeconomic principles used to describe the marketplace behavior of consumers and firms. the first reading explains the concepts and tools of demand and supply analysis—the study of how buyers and sellers interact to determine transaction prices and quantities. day 4 cfa financial reporting and analysis: the readings in this study session discuss the general principles of the financial reporting system, underscoring the critical role of the analysis of financial reports in investment decision making. day 5 cfa corporate finance: this study session covers the principles that corporations use to make their investing and financing decisions. capital budgeting is the process of making decisions about which long-term projects the corporation should accept for investment and which it should reject. both the expected return of a project and the financing cost should be taken into account. day 6 cfa portfolio management: this study session provides the critical framework and context for subsequent level i study sessions covering equities, fixed income, derivatives, and alternative investments. furthermore, this study session also provides a basis for the coverage of portfolio management at levels ii and iii. day 7 cfa equity: this study session explains important characteristics of the markets in which equities, fixed-income instruments, derivatives, and alternative investments trade. the reading on market organization and structure describes market classifications, types of assets and market participants, and how assets are traded. day 8 cfa fixed income this study session presents the fundamentals of fixed-income investments, one of the largest segments of global financial markets. the first two readings introduce the basic features and characteristics of fixed-income securities and their associated risks. the third reading describes the primary issuers, sectors, and types of bonds. the final reading of the study session introduces yields and spreads and the effect of monetary policy on financial markets. day 9 cfa derivatives derivatives financial instruments that derive their value from the value of some underlying asset i have become increasingly important and fundamental in effectively managing financial risk and creating synthetic exposures to asset classes. as in other security markets, arbitrage and market efficiency play a critical role in establishing prices. day 10 cfa alternative investments investors are increasingly turning to alternative investments seeking diversification benefits and higher returns. this study session describes the common types of alternative investments, their valuation, their unique risks and opportunities, and their relation to traditional investments. i hope all of you benefit greatly from this free cfa course and we would like to know your feedback on how to improve the same. all the best for your cfa preps!

aɪərn mæn meɪ hæv ʤɔɪnd ðə ˈgɑrdiənz əv ðə ˈgæləksi ɪn ðə ˈkɑmɪks, bət nɑt goʊɪŋ tɪ ˈhæpən ɪn ðə ˈmuviz. dɪˈrɛktər ʤeɪmz gən kənˈfərmd ɔn ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ðət ˈtoʊni stɑrk wɪl nɑt hæv soʊ məʧ ɛz ə ˈkæmiˌoʊ ɪn ˈgɑrdiənz əv ðə ˈgæləksi vol*. 2 əv kɔrs, ɔˈrɛdi mɔr ər lɛs kənˈfərmd ðət ðɛr wɪl bi noʊ ɪn ðə ˈgɑrdiənz ˈsikwəl wɪn hi sɛd hi wɔnts tɪ kip ˈpitər kwɪl ðə ˈoʊnli ˈərθlɪŋ əraʊnd bæk wɪn hi wɑz æst əˈbaʊt ðə həlk əˈpɪrɪŋ ɪn ðə fɪlm. fər ðə taɪm biɪŋ, ɪts ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt tɪ mi ðət kwɪl ɪz ðə soʊl ˈjumən (ˈərθlɪŋ) ˈkɛrɪktər. ʤeɪmz gən (@jamesgunn*) sɛpˈtɛmbər 7 2015 soʊ ʤɪst kənˈsɪdər ðɪs ə rɪˈdəndənsi. ʧɛk aʊt wɪn ˈgɑrdiənz əv ðə ˈgæləksi vol*. 2 ənd ˈəðər ˈmuviz ər ˈkəmɪŋ aʊt ɪn ˈmuvi riˈlis ˈskɛʤʊl.

iron man may have joined the guardians of the galaxy in the comics, but it’s not going to happen in the movies. director james gunn confirmed on facebook that tony stark will not have so much as a cameo in guardians of the galaxy vol. 2. of course, he’s already more or less confirmed that there will be no avengers in the guardians sequel when he said he wants to keep peter quill the only earthling around back when he was asked about the hulk appearing in the film. for the time being, it's important to me that quill is the sole human (earthling) character. https://t.co/byt9av3rqy james gunn (@jamesgunn) september 7, 2015 so just consider this a redundancy. check out when guardians of the galaxy vol. 2 and other movies are coming out in comicbook.com's movie release schedule.

ðə ˈsəmər mənθs ər ə ˈpɑpjələr taɪm tɪ plæn ə ˈgɛtəˌweɪ. ˈmɛni meɪ hæv ˈnoʊtɪst ðɪs beɪst ɔn ðə ˌproʊlɪfərˈeɪʃən əv veɪˈkeɪʃən ˈfoʊˌtoʊz ɔn ðɛr prɪˈfərd ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə fid, bət ɛz ju meɪ noʊ, ˈpipəl ˈɔlˌweɪz ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ siɪŋ others’*’ veɪˈkeɪʃən ˈfoʊˌtoʊz ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ə ˈstədi kənˈdəktəd baɪ ə ˌɪnˈʃʊrəns ˈkəmpəˌni əv ˈpipəl poʊld, ən ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmɪŋ məˈʤɔrəti 73 pərˈsɛnt) ər əˈnɔɪd wɪn ðeɪ si others’*’ veɪˈkeɪʃən ˈfoʊˌtoʊz ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə. ðə moʊst ˈɪrəˌteɪtɪŋ poʊz? ðə dɔgz ər legs?”*?” ˈpɪkʧər ənd ˈkæpʃən. ˈhɑlɪˌdeɪ ɪz, fər ˈmɛni, ə taɪm tɪ ənd hæv ə rɛst bət ɪt wʊd sim ðət ˈteɪkɪŋ ə breɪk əˈplaɪ tɪ ˈsoʊʃəl media,”*,” sɛd ˈædəm ˈbɛkɪt, ˌprɑpəˈzɪʃənz dɪˈrɛktər, ˈviə. ““now*, ˈʃɛrɪŋ ɑr ˈhɑlɪˌdeɪ ˈmɛməriz ɛz sun ɛz ðeɪ ˈhæpən, ənd wɪθ ə məʧ ˈwaɪdər ˈsərkəl əv frɛndz ənd family.”*.” ðə poʊl ˈɔlsoʊ rɪˈvild səm hɪˈpɑkrəsi əˈməŋ ðɛr pɑrˈtɪsəpənts ɛz 77 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ðeɪ poʊst veɪˈkeɪʃən ˈpɪkʧərz ðɛmˈsɛlvz. ˈnɪrli hæf du ɪt tɪ kip ˈfæməli ənd frɛndz ɪn ðə lup waɪl 21 pərˈsɛnt ədˈmɪt tɪ duɪŋ ɪt tɪ ʃoʊ ɔf wɛr ðeɪ ər. ðə ˈstədi ˈɔlsoʊ ˈnoʊtɪd ðət ˈpoʊstɪŋ veɪˈkeɪʃən ˈfoʊˌtoʊz ɪn ril taɪm kən ˈɔlsoʊ bi ˈdeɪnʤərəs ɛz ˈəpˌdeɪts kən meɪk ju ən ˈizi ˈtərgət fər pəˈtɛnʃəl ˈbərglərz ənd rɪˈvil wɪn ə haʊs ɪz əˈnɑkjəˌpaɪd. ˈpɪkʧərz ənd ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə waɪl əˈweɪ kʊd pəˈtɛnʃəli liv ə hoʊm ˈvəlnərəbəl tɪ thieves,”*,” ˈbɛkɪt sɛd. bɛst taɪm tɪ poʊst ˈhɑlɪˌdeɪ ˈpɪkʧərz tɪ ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə ɪz wɪn bæk hoʊm. ɪf ju ˈrɪli weɪt tɪ ʃɛr, ðɛn æt list meɪk ʃʊr ˈoʊnli ˈpoʊstɪŋ tɪ ə kloʊzd ˈsərkəl əv ˈtrəstɪd frɛndz ənd family.”*.”

the summer months are a popular time to plan a getaway. many may have noticed this based on the proliferation of vacation photos on their preferred social media feed, but as you may know, people don’t always enjoy seeing others’ vacation photos on social media. according to a study conducted by aviva — a u.k.-based insurance company — of 2,000 people polled, an overwhelming majority (73 percent) are annoyed when they see others’ vacation photos on social media. the most irritating pose? the “hot dogs or legs?” beach/poolside picture and caption. “a holiday is, for many, a time to switch-off and have a rest but it would seem that taking a break doesn’t apply to social media,” said adam beckett, propositions director, via aviva. “now, we’re sharing our holiday memories as soon as they happen, and with a much wider circle of friends and family.” the company’s poll also revealed some hypocrisy among their participants as 77 percent say they post vacation pictures themselves. nearly half do it to keep family and friends in the loop while 21 percent admit to doing it to show off where they are. the study also noted that posting vacation photos in real time can also be dangerous as updates can make you an easy target for potential burglars and reveal when a house is unoccupied. “posting pictures and checking-in on social media while away could potentially leave a home vulnerable to thieves,” beckett said. “the best time to post holiday pictures to social media is when you’re back home. if you really can’t wait to share, then at least make sure you’re only posting to a closed circle of trusted friends and family.”

flɪnt, mi ðə ˈprɑbləmz ˈstɑrtɪd ˈæftər ðə pʊʃ əv ə ˈbətən, ə toʊst wɪθ flɪnt ˈrɪvər ˈwɔtər ənd ə ˈbəʤɪt ˈfɔrˌkæst əv ˈseɪvɪŋ 5 ˈmɪljən ðət hæd tɪ bi ˈtɛmptɪŋ fər ə ˈsɪti ɪn ðə mɪst əv ə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈimərʤənsi. ɪt wɑz ˈoʊnli naɪn mənθs əˈgoʊ ðət flɪnt əˈfɪʃəlz tərnd ɔf ðə floʊ əv leɪk ˈhjʊˌrɑn ˈwɔtər frəm ðə ˈsɪti əv ˈdiˌtrɔɪt ənd ˈstɑrtɪd ˈtritɪŋ ðɛr oʊn rɑ ˈwɔtər frəm ðə flɪnt ˈrɪvər ˌɪnˈstɛd, ˈkælkjəˌleɪtɪŋ ðət ðə swɪʧ kʊd seɪv ˈrəfli 5 ˈmɪljən ɪn lɛs ðən tu jɪrz. bət wət ˈstɑrtɪd ɛz ə muv fər ə ˈsɪti ɪn ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈtərˌmɔɪl həz tərnd ˈɪntu ə groʊɪŋ ˌdɛmənˈstreɪʃən əv ˈpəblɪk ənˈrɛst, ɛz ˈkəstəmərz ər rɪˈbɛlɪŋ əˈgɛnst ðə moʊst ˈtrəbəld ənd ɪkˈspɛnsɪv ˈpəblɪk ˈwɔtər ˈsɪstəm ɪn ˈʤɛnəˌsi ˈkaʊnti. ˈwɛlˈnoʊn ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl ˈæktɪvɪst ˈɛrɪn həz weɪd ɪn ɔn ðə ˈsɑgə, ənd naʊ səm ˈsɪti ˈkaʊnsəl ˈmɛmbərz seɪ ðɛr ˈrɛdi tɪ əˈbændən ðə juz əv ˈrɪvər ˈwɔtər rəˈgɑrdləs əv ðə ˌʃɔrtˈtərm ˈseɪvɪŋz taɪd tɪ ˈjuzɪŋ ɪt. ˈivɪn meɪər deɪn ˈwɔlɪŋ, hu pʊʃt ðə ˌsɛrəˈmoʊniəl ˈbətən ðət ʧeɪnʤd flɪnts ˈwɔtər sɔrs ɪn leɪt ˈeɪprəl, sɛd ðət ɪn ˈhaɪnˌsaɪt, hi naʊ bɪˈlivz ðə ˈʧælənʤɪz əv ˈtritɪŋ ˈrɪvər ˈwɔtər wər "ˈəndərˈɛstəˌmeɪtɪd" baɪ ðoʊz hu meɪd ðə dɪˈsɪʒən. hi sɛd ðɪs wik ðət ðə ˈsɪti ɪz peɪɪŋ ðə praɪs fər nɑt ˈhævɪŋ bɪn priˈpɛrd tɪ teɪk ɔn ðə ʤɑb əv ˈtərnɪŋ ˈrɪvər ˈwɔtər ˈɪntu ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ ˈwɔtər. "ðə ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əˈsɪstəns (ˈkɑntræktɪŋ wɪθ ə ˈwɔtər kˈwɑləti kənˈsəltənt) wɪθ ɪkˈspɪriəns ɪn ˈrɪvər ˈwɔtər ˈmænɪʤmənt ʃʊd hæv bɪn (dən) mənθs əˈgoʊ ɪn ˈrɛtrəˌspɛkt," ˈwɔlɪŋ sɛd. "ɪt ʃʊd hæv bɪn pɑrt əv ðə plæn frəm ðə bɪˈgɪnɪŋ." ðə moʊst ˈvoʊkəl ˈaʊtˌkraɪ əˈgɛnst flɪnt ˈwɔtər ˈprɑbləmz bɪˈgæn ˈərliər ðɪs mənθ, wɪn ðə ˈsɪti toʊld ˈkəstəmərz ɪt wɑz ɪn vaɪəˈleɪʃən əv ðə ˈfɛdərəl seɪf ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ ˈwɔtər ækt bɪˈkəz əv ðə haɪ ˈlɛvəl əv ˈtoʊtəl (tthm*), ə ˈbaɪprɑdəkt əv ðə lɑrʤ əˈmaʊnt əv ˈklɔrin ˈnidɪd tɪ kɪl ɔf bækˈtɪriə ɪn ðə ˈrɪvər ˈwɔtər. ðə ˈnoʊtɪs sɛnt tɪ ˈkəstəmərz θruaʊt ðə ˈsɪti həz ˈprɑmptɪd strit ˈproʊˌtɛsts, ˈmitɪŋz, ˈbɑtəld ˈwɔtər draɪvz ənd tɔk əv ə klæs ˈækʃən ˈlɔˌsut. səm ˈrɛzɪdənts hæv pərˈzɛnəd ˈsɪti əˈfɪʃəlz æt ˈpəblɪk ˈmitɪŋz wɪθ ʤəgz əv ˈjɛloʊ, ˈklaʊdi ˈwɔtər frəm ðɛr ˈfɔsəts, seɪɪŋ ðə ˈwɔtər ɪz ˈkɔzɪŋ hɛlθ ˈɪʃuz. "ə lɔt əv ˈpipəl ər ˈmuvɪŋ əˈweɪ. ðeɪ ər fɛd əp, ənd ðə wənz ðət kən əˈfɔrd ɪt wɪl liv ðə ˈsɪti," sɛd ˈfaʊlər, ə flɪnt ˈrɛzɪdənt hu ˈstɑrtɪd ə ˈfeɪsˌbʊk peɪʤ flɪnt ˈwɔtər klæs ˈækʃən grup, wɪʧ naʊ həz mɔr ðən ˈmɛmbərz. "ðɪs ʃʊd ˈnɛvər hæv bɪn əˈlaʊd tɪ ˈhæpən," ˈfaʊlər sɛd. "aɪ fil laɪk ðeɪ nu wət wɑz goʊɪŋ tɪ ˈhæpən." ˌɪˈnɪʃəli, ˈsɪti ˈdɑkjəmənts ʃoʊ flɪnt əˈfɪʃəlz plænd tɪ juz ðət 5 ˈmɪljən ˌʃɔrtˈtərm ˈseɪvɪŋz tɪ meɪk ˈəpˌgreɪdz æt ðə flɪnt ˈwɔtər ˈtritmənt plænt ənd tɪ stɑrt ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət hæd bɪn ˌɪgˈnɔrd fər ˈdɛkeɪdz rɪˈpleɪsɪŋ səm ˈeɪʤɪŋ ˈwɔtər trænzˈmɪʃən paɪps ənd vælvz ˌbiˈfɔr kəˈnɛktɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈwɔtər əˈθɔrəti ˈpaɪˌplaɪn ˈsəmˌtaɪm ɪn 2016 flɪnts ˈkæpɪtəl ˌɪmˈpruvmənt plæn ˈɛstəˌmeɪts 50 ˈmɪljən ɪn ˈwɔtər ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧər ˈspɛndɪŋ ɪz ˈnidɪd ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə nɛkst sɪks jɪrz ˈməni ðə ˈsɪti ˈdəzənt hæv. ˈdɑkjəmənts ˈpoʊstɪd ˈrisəntli ɔn flɪnts wɛb saɪt seɪ ðə ˈsɪti bɪˈlivd ɪt wɑz priˈpɛrd tɪ dil wɪθ ðə ˈʧælənʤɪz əv ˈtritɪŋ ˈrɪvər ˈwɔtər bɪˈkəz əv ɪts ˈlaɪsənst stæf, ðə ɪkˈspɪriəns əv ɪts ˈkɑnˌtrækt ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ ˈkəmpəˌni, hɛlp frəm ðə steɪt dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl kˈwɑləti, ənd ðə pæst ˌɪnˈvɛstmənts ɪn ɪkˈwɪpmənt æt ðə ˈsɪtiz ˈtritmənt plænt. æt ðə taɪm əv ðə swɪʧ, ˈsɪti ənd steɪt əˈfɪʃəlz əˈʃʊrd ˈrɛzɪdənts ðeɪ ˈwʊdənt ˈnoʊtɪs ə ˈdɪfərəns ɪn ðə smɛl ər teɪst əv tæp ˈwɔtər wəns ðə ˈrɪvər wɑz tæpt. ˌɪnˈstɛd, ˈsɪtɪzənz bɪˈgæn kəmˈpleɪnɪŋ ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli əˈbaʊt ðə smɛl, ˈkələr ənd teɪst əv ˈrɪvər ˈwɔtər, ənd wɪˈθɪn fɔr mənθs, bɔɪl ˈwɔtər ədˈvaɪzəriz wər ˈɪʃud fər pɑrts əv ðə ˈsɪti ˈæftər tɛsts ʃoʊd bækˈtɪriə, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ e.coli*, ɪn ðə ˈwɔtər ˈsɪstəm. ðə ˈsɪti klɪrd əp ðə bækˈtɪriə ˈprɑbləm baɪ ˈəpɪŋ ðə ˈlɛvəl əv dɪsɪnˈfɛktənt ənd ˈɪmpləˌmɛnɪŋ ˈəðər ˈʧeɪnʤɪz. ðə ˈsɪti wɑz fɔrst tɪ ˈoʊpən faɪər ˈhaɪdrənts ɪn ðə ˈsəmər ənd fɔl tɪ kip ˈwɔtər frəm groʊɪŋ ˈstægnənt ɪn ə ˈsɪstəm ðæts twaɪs ɛz bɪg ɛz ɪt ʃʊd bi fər ðə ˈnəmbər əv ˈkəstəmərz ˈjuzɪŋ ɪt. ðɛn ɪn ɑkˈtoʊbər, ðə ˈsɪti wɑz dɛlt əˈnəðər bloʊ wɪn ˈʤɛnərəl ˈmoʊtərz sɛd ɪt wʊd noʊ ˈlɔŋgər juz flɪnt ˈwɔtər ɪn wən əv ɪts plænts hir bɪˈkəz haɪ ˈklɔraɪd ˈlɛvəlz wər ˈkɔzɪŋ kərˈoʊʒən ɪn ˈɪnʤən pɑrts. steɪt ənd ˈloʊkəl əˈfɪʃəlz hæv sɛd flɪnts ˈwɔtər ɪz seɪf tɪ drɪŋk fər moʊst ˈpipəl, bət ðə ˈnoʊtɪsɪz meɪld tɪ ˈkəstəmərz əˈbaʊt ˈlɛvəlz ðɪs jɪr kɔzd ˈwəriz. ðə ˈnoʊtɪsɪz wɔrn ðoʊz wɪθ "ə səˈvɪrli ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪzd ˌɪmˈjun ˈsɪstəm, (hu) hæv ən ˈɪnfənt ər ər ˈɛldərli" ðət ðeɪ "meɪ bi æt ˌɪnˈkrist rɪsk ənd ʃʊd sik ədˈvaɪs əˈbaʊt ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ ˈwɔtər frəm jʊr hɛlθ kɛr prəˈvaɪdər." ðə seɪm ˈnoʊtɪs sɪz ðə dɪsɪnˈfɛkʃən ˈbaɪprɑdəkt ɪn ˈsɪti ˈwɔtər kʊd ˈoʊvər ˈmɛni jɪrz kɔz ˈlɪvər, ˈkɪdni ər ˈsɛntrəl ˈnərvəs ˈsɪstəm ˈprɑbləmz ənd ən ˌɪnˈkrist rɪsk əv ˈkænsər. æt ˈproʊˌtɛsts, ˈpəblɪk ˈmitɪŋz ənd ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə, səm ˈrɛzɪdənts hæv bleɪmd ðə ˈwɔtər ɔn ˈeɪlmənts ˈreɪnʤɪŋ frəm ˈræʃɪz tɪ ˈkænsər. bət ðə ˈkaʊnti hɛlθ dɪˈpɑrtmənts ʧif ˈɔfɪsər həz sɛd hi drɪŋks ɪt ənd sɛd ˈkəstəmərz doʊnt hæv məʧ tɪ bi ˈwərid əˈbaʊt ˈpɑrtli bɪˈkəz ˈpipəl woʊnt bi ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ lɑrʤ əˈmaʊnts əv ðə ˈwɔtər fər ˈdɛkeɪdz. ˈərliər ðɪs wik, ˈdɑktər. ʤoʊn roʊz əv ˈmɪʃɪgən steɪt ˌjunəˈvərsəti, toʊld ˈrɛzɪdənts ðət ˈɪzənt ðə kɔz əv ˈklaʊdi, dɪˈskələrd ˈwɔtər ʃi sɔ æt ə taʊn hɔl ˈmitɪŋ bət ɪz mɔr ˈlaɪkli rɪˈleɪtɪd tɪ flɪnts oʊld trænzˈmɪʃən paɪps. skɪn ˈprɑbləmz kʊd bi rɪˈleɪtɪd tɪ ðə ˈhɑrdnəs əv flɪnts ˈtritɪd ˈwɔtər, roʊz sɛd. əˈmɪd ðə ˈsɪtiz ˈwɔtər ˈɪʃuz, flɪnts ˈkɑlɪʤɪz toʊld ɪmˈplɔɪiz ənd ˈstudənts ðeɪ wʊd bi ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəntli ˈtɛstɪŋ ðə ˈwɔtər tɪ traɪ tɪ əˈleɪ kənˈsərnz. flɪnts ˈhɑˌspɪtəlz ˈɔlsoʊ hæv meɪd əˈʤəstmənts ˈreɪnʤɪŋ frəm ˈɔfərɪŋ ˈbɑtəld ˈwɔtər tɪ ˈspɛʃəli ˈtritɪŋ ɪkˈwɪpmənt ðət rikˈwaɪərz ˈsɔftər ˈwɔtər. flɪnt ˈrɛzɪdənt ˈsɪndi ˈmɑrʃəl, hu əˈtɛndəd ə ˈproʊˌtɛst ʤæn. 21 sɛd ɔl ʃi wɔnts ɪz "klin, seɪf ˈwɔtər." "aɪ æm peɪɪŋ ˈoʊvər 130 ɪn ˈwɔtər bɪlz, pləs 150 ɪn ˈwɔtər," ʃi sɛd. "aɪ woʊnt lɛt maɪ dɔg drɪŋk ɪt ər maɪ fɪʃ swɪm ɪn ɪt. "aɪ wɪʃ flɪnt əˈfɪʃəlz wʊd gɪv ˈjuˈɛs ɑr ˈdiˌtrɔɪt ˈwɔtər bæk," ʃi ˈædɪd. ðə ˈsɪtiz ˈwɔtər ˈprɑbləmz hæv kɔt ðə əˈtɛnʃən əv, ən ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl ˈæktɪvɪst hu sɪz əˈfɪʃəlz frəm flɪnt tɪ ˈwɔʃɪŋtən, d.c*., nid tɪ fɪks ðə ˈwɔtər ənd stɑp ˈmeɪkɪŋ ɪkˈskjuzɪz. "naʊ ɪz nɑt ðə taɪm fər ðə bleɪm həz feɪld ənd flɪnt ʤəmpt ʃɪp. soʊ məʧ fər ˈloʊkəl kənˈtroʊl... ˈɛvriˌwən ɪz riˈspɑnsəbəl frəm ðə tɔp daʊn," ʃi sɛd ɔn hər ˈfeɪsˌbʊk peɪʤ. flɪnt ˈʤərnəl kʊd nɑt riʧ ˈimərʤənsi ˈmænɪʤər ˈʤɛri ˈæmˌbroʊz ər dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv ˈpəblɪk wərks dɪˈrɛktər haʊərd krɔft fər ˈkɑmɛnt ɔn ˈwɛðər ðeɪ bɪˈliv ðə ˈseɪvɪŋz taɪd tɪ ˈjuzɪŋ ˈrɪvər ˈwɔtər həz bɪn wərθ ðə rɪˈzəltɪŋ ˈfɔˌlaʊt. ˈwɔlɪŋ sɛd ðə dɪˈsɪʒən tɪ juz ˈrɪvər ˈwɔtər læst jɪr wɑz meɪd baɪ ˈimərʤənsi ˈmænɪʤər dɑrˈnɛl ˈərli, bət ðə meɪər sɛd hi wɑz ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn ðə dɪˈsɪʒən fər ðə ˈsɪti tɪ ʤɔɪn ðə ˈwɔtər əˈθɔrəti ɪn 2013 "ðə ˈgəvərnər ənd ðə (steɪt) ˈtrɛʒərər tɪ ðɛr ˈkrɛdɪt ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzd ɪt wɑz ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt fər ðə ˈsɪtiz ɪˈlɛktɪd ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪvz tɪ bi ˌɪnˈkludɪd ɪn ðə dɪˈsɪʒən əˈbaʊt ðə ˈlɔŋˈtərm sɔrs (əv ˈwɔtər) bɪˈkəz wi wʊd bi ˈlɪvɪŋ wɪθ ɪt," hi sɛd. "bət wəns ðə dɪˈsɪʒən wɑz meɪd ɪn ˈeɪprəl 2013 ɪt bɪˈkəm ən ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənəl ˈɪʃu ənd aɪ ˈwəzənt dɪˈrɛkli ˌɪnˈvɑlvd." "aɪ ˈwəzənt dɪˈrɛkli ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn ðə ˈsɪtiz (dɪˈsɪʒən) tɪ juz ðə flɪnt ˈrɪvər ɛz ə sɔrs," hi sɛd. "ɪts naʊ klɪr ðət ðə ˈʧælənʤ wɑz ˈəndərˈɛstəˌmeɪtɪd." ˈwɔlɪŋ bleɪmd ðə ˈdiˌtrɔɪt ˈwɔtər ənd suərɪʤ dɪˈpɑrtmənt fər ˈtərməˌneɪtɪŋ flɪnts ˈkɑnˌtrækt tɪ ˈpərʧəs leɪk ˈhjʊˌrɑn ˈwɔtər waɪl ðə ˈpaɪˌplaɪn ɪz ˈəndər kənˈstrəkʃən. "aɪ du θɪŋk ɪt bɛrz rɪˈpitɪŋ ðət ɪt wɑz ðət ˈtərməˌneɪtɪd ðə ˈkɑnˌtrækt wɪθ ðə ˈsɪti əv flɪnt," hi sɛd. pʊt ðə ˈsɪti əv flɪnt ɪn ə ˈdɪfəkəlt pəˈzɪʃən wɪn ðeɪ ˈtərməˌneɪtɪd ðət ˈkɑnˌtrækt wi hæd fər ˈdɛkeɪdz ənd ˈdɛkeɪdz maɪ goʊl hæd ˈɔlˌweɪz bɪn tɪ hæv ə koʊˈɑpərˌeɪtɪv riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp wɪθ bət ˈɛvəri ˌɑpərˈtunəti ðət wɑz lʊkt æt ˈɛndɪd wɪθ ə ˈbɛriər." ə rɪˈtərn tɪ ˈpərʧəsɪŋ ˈwɔtər frəm ˈdiˌtrɔɪt waɪl ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ɪz kəmˈplitɪd ɪz ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət ˈsɪti ˈkaʊnsəl ˈprɛzɪdənt ʤɑʃ ˈfrimən sɛd hiz ˈwɪlɪŋ tɪ kənˈsɪdər, bət ˈərli ənd ˈæmˌbroʊz hæv sɛd ɪts tu ɪkˈspɛnsɪv əv ən ˈɔpʃən ənd sɛd ə ˌʃɔrtˈtərm dil maɪt nɑt ˈivɪn bi ˈpɑsəbəl. meɪd ən ˈɔfər fər ə "ˈlɔŋˈtərm" dil fər ˈwɔtər ɪn ə ʤæn. 12 ˈlɛtər tɪ flɪnts meɪər ənd ˈimərʤənsi ˈmænɪʤər, bət ɪt ˈwəzənt ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli klɪr ˈwɛðər ðə ərˈeɪnʤmənt ˈɔfərd baɪ ˈdiˌtrɔɪt wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ əˈveɪləbəl fər ə ˈrɛlətɪvli ˌʃɔrtˈtərm ˈpɪriəd. flɪnt əˈfɪʃəlz kleɪm ðə juz əv ˈdiˌtrɔɪt ˈwɔtər ðɪs jɪr əˈloʊn wʊd kɔst flɪnt ən əˈdɪʃənəl 12 ˈmɪljən. "əm ˈoʊpən tɪ ɪkˈsplɔr goʊɪŋ bæk tɪ ˈdiˌtrɔɪt, bət ɪts nɑt ɛz ˈizi ɛz goʊɪŋ ənd sˈwɪʧɪŋ ə swɪʧ," ˈfrimən sɛd. "aɪ drɪŋk ðə ˈwɔtər. aɪ ʃaʊər ɪn ɪt, bət aɪ gɪt ðə smɛl (ˈɪʃuz). aɪ teɪst ðə ˈdɪfərəns." ðə ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃən əv dɪˌskələrˈeɪʃən, strɔŋ smɛlz frəm ˈwɔtər ənd bɔɪl ˈwɔtər ənd seɪf ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ ˈwɔtər ˈnoʊtɪsɪz frəm ðə ˈsɪti hæv kəmˈbaɪnd tɪ kriˈeɪt boʊθ ləˈʤɪtəmət ˈprɑbləmz ənd ə ˈkraɪsəs ɪn ˈkɑnfədɛns, ˈfrimən ənd ˈwɔlɪŋ sɛd. riˈtaɪˈri deɪl ˈrædfərd sɛd hi ˈdəzənt si ðə ˈdɪfərəns ɪn hɪz ˈwɔtər wɪθ ðə ˈneɪkəd aɪ bət hiz ˈrisəntli ˈstɑrtɪd baɪɪŋ hɪz ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ ˈwɔtər ɪn ʤəgz. "aɪ noʊ ðeɪ seɪ ɪts seɪf tɪ drɪŋk bət aɪ θɪŋk ˈɛvriˌbɑdi ɪz kaɪnd əv ˈwərid əˈbaʊt ɪt," ˈrædfərd sɛd. "aɪ doʊnt θɪŋk ðə ˈwɔtər teɪsts ðə seɪm. aɪ θɪŋk ðə ˈkɔfi ɪn ðə ˈmɔrnɪŋ teɪsts ˈdɪfərənt. "aɪ θɪŋk ðeɪ ʃʊd hæv wərkt ɪt soʊ wi kɛpt ðə seɪm ˈwɔtər, bət ˈæftər ɔl ɪz sɛd ənd dən, wɪr stək wɪθ wət wiv gɑt," ˈrædfərd sɛd. stæf ˈraɪtər kərt kənˈtrɪbjutɪd tɪ ðɪs rɪˈpɔrt.

flint, mi -- the problems started after the push of a button, a toast with flint river water and a budget forecast of saving $5 million that had to be tempting for a city in the midst of a financial emergency. it was only nine months ago that flint officials turned off the flow of already-treated lake huron water from the city of detroit and started treating their own raw water from the flint river instead, calculating that the switch could save roughly $5 million in less than two years. but what started as a cost-cutting move for a city in financial turmoil has turned into a growing demonstration of public unrest, as customers are rebelling against the most troubled and expensive public water system in genesee county. well-known environmental activist erin brockovich has weighed in on the saga, and now some city council members say they're ready to abandon the use of river water -- regardless of the short-term savings tied to using it. even mayor dayne walling, who pushed the ceremonial button that changed flint's water source in late april, said that in hindsight, he now believes the challenges of treating river water were "underestimated" by those who made the decision. he said this week that the city is paying the price for not having been prepared to take on the job of turning river water into drinking water. "the outside assistance -- (contracting with a water quality consultant) with experience in river water management -- should have been (done) months ago in retrospect," walling said. "it should have been part of the plan from the beginning." the most vocal outcry against flint water problems began earlier this month, when the city told customers it was in violation of the federal safe drinking water act because of the high level of total trihalomethanes (tthm), a byproduct of the large amount of chlorine needed to kill off bacteria in the river water. the notice -- sent to customers throughout the city -- has prompted street protests, meetings, bottled water drives and talk of a class action lawsuit. some residents have presented city officials at public meetings with jugs of yellow, cloudy water from their faucets, saying the water is causing health issues. "a lot of people are moving away. they are fed up, and the ones that can afford it will leave the city," said florlisa fowler, a flint resident who started a facebook page -- flint water class action group, which now has more than 1,300 members. "this should never have been allowed to happen," fowler said. "i feel like they knew what was going to happen." initially, city documents show flint officials planned to use that $5 million short-term savings to make upgrades at the flint water treatment plant and to start something that had been ignored for decades -- replacing some aging water transmission pipes and valves before connecting to the karegnondi water authority pipeline sometime in 2016. flint's capital improvement plan estimates $50 million in water infrastructure spending is needed during the next six years -- money the city doesn't have. documents posted recently on flint's web site say the city believed it was prepared to deal with the challenges of treating river water because of its licensed staff, the experience of its contract engineering company, help from the state department of environmental quality, and the past investments in equipment at the city's treatment plant. at the time of the switch, city and state officials assured residents they wouldn't notice a difference in the smell or taste of tap water once the river was tapped. instead, citizens began complaining almost immediately about the smell, color and taste of river water, and within four months, boil water advisories were issued for parts of the city after tests showed bacteria, including e.coli, in the water system. the city cleared up the bacteria problem by upping the level of disinfectant and implementing other changes. the city was forced to open fire hydrants in the summer and fall to keep water from growing stagnant in a system that's twice as big as it should be for the number of customers using it. then in october, the city was dealt another blow when general motors said it would no longer use flint water in one of its plants here because high chloride levels were causing corrosion in engine parts. state and local officials have said flint's water is safe to drink for most people, but the notices mailed to customers about tthm levels this year caused worries. the notices warn those with "a severely compromised immune system, (who) have an infant or are elderly" that they "may be at increased risk and should seek advice about drinking water from your health care provider." the same notice says the disinfection byproduct in city water could -- over many years -- cause liver, kidney or central nervous system problems and an increased risk of cancer. at protests, public meetings and on social media, some residents have blamed the water on ailments ranging from rashes to cancer. but the county health department's chief officer has said he drinks it and said customers don't have much to be worried about -- partly because people won't be drinking large amounts of the water for decades. earlier this week, dr. joan rose of michigan state university, told residents that tthm isn't the cause of cloudy, discolored water she saw at a town hall meeting but is more likely related to flint's old transmission pipes. skin problems could be related to the hardness of flint's treated water, rose said. amid the city's water issues, flint's colleges told employees and students they would be independently testing the water to try to allay concerns. flint's hospitals also have made adjustments ranging from offering bottled water to specially treating equipment that requires softer water. flint resident cindy marshall, who attended a protest jan. 21, said all she wants is "clean, safe water." "i am paying over $130 in water bills, plus $150 in store-bought water," she said. "i won't let my dog drink it or my fish swim in it. "i wish flint officials would give us our detroit water back," she added. the city's water problems have caught the attention of brockovich, an environmental activist who says officials from flint to washington, d.c., need to fix the water and stop making excuses. "now is not the time for the blame game...detroit has failed and flint jumped ship. so much for local control... everyone is responsible from the top down," she said on her facebook page. mlive-the flint journal could not reach emergency manager jerry ambrose or department of public works director howard croft for comment on whether they believe the savings tied to using river water has been worth the resulting fallout. walling said the decision to use river water last year was made by emergency manager darnell earley, but the mayor said he was involved in the decision for the city to join the karegnondi water authority in 2013. "the governor and the (state) treasurer to their credit recognized it was important for the city's elected representatives to be included in the decision about the long-term source (of water) because we would be living with it," he said. "but once the decision was made in april 2013, it become an operational issue ... and i wasn't directly involved." "i wasn't directly involved in the city's (decision) to use the flint river as a source," he said. "it's now clear that the challenge was underestimated." walling blamed the detroit water and sewerage department for terminating flint's contract to purchase lake huron water while the kwa pipeline is under construction. "i do think it bears repeating that it was dwsd that terminated the contract with the city of flint," he said. "dwsd put the city of flint in a difficult position when they terminated that contract we had for decades and decades ... my goal had always been to have a cooperative relationship with dwsd but every opportunity that was looked at ended with a barrier." a return to purchasing water from detroit while the kwa project is completed is something that city council president josh freeman said he's willing to consider, but earley and ambrose have said it's too expensive of an option and said a short-term deal might not even be possible. dwsd made an offer for a "long-term" deal for water in a jan. 12 letter to flint's mayor and emergency manager, but it wasn't immediately clear whether the arrangement offered by detroit was also available for a relatively short-term period. flint officials claim the use of detroit water this year alone would cost flint an additional $12 million. "i'm open to explore going back to detroit, but it's not as easy as going and switching a switch," freeman said. "i drink the water. i shower in it, but i get the smell (issues). i taste the difference." the combination of discoloration, strong smells from water and boil water and safe drinking water notices from the city have combined to create both legitimate problems and a crisis in confidence, freeman and walling said. gm retiree dale radford said he doesn't see the difference in his water with the naked eye but he's recently started buying his drinking water in 5-gallon jugs. "i know they say it's safe to drink but i think everybody is kind of worried about it," radford said. "i don't think the water tastes the same. i think the coffee in the morning tastes different. "i think they should have worked it so we kept the same water, but after all is said and done, we're stuck with what we've got," radford said. staff writer kurt nagl contributed to this report.

kloʊz ˌɪˈræki ˈfɔrsɪz lɔnʧt ə brɔd ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən wən wik əˈgoʊ tɪ ˈriˈteɪk ðə ˈsɪti əv, wən əv ðə ˌɪzˈlɑmɪk steɪt grups moʊst ˌɛmbləˈmætɪk ˈbæsʧənz, ɪn ðə ˈwɛstərn ˈprɑvɪns əv anbar*, kriˈeɪtɪŋ ə ˈwɪndoʊ fər səm səˈvɪljənz tɪ fli ðə ˈsɪtiz ˈaʊˌtlaɪɪŋ ˈɛriəz. ˌɪˈrɑks ɪˈlit ˈfɔrsɪz ˈgæðər əˈhɛd əv ən ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən tɪ ðə ˌɪzˈlɑmɪk ˈsɪti əv, ˈaʊtˈsaɪd, ˌɪˈrɑk, meɪ 29 2016 ˈkɑlɪd moʊˈhæmɪd, ˌeɪˈpi), ˌɪˈrɑk ˌɪˈræki ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ənd mɪˈlɪʃə ˈfɔrsɪz roʊld ˈɪntu ðɪs ˈsɪti ˈmənˌdeɪ, ˈkæpʧərɪŋ ə pəˈlis ˈsteɪʃən ənd ədˈvænsɪŋ ðə ˈkruʃəl kæmˈpeɪn tɪ draɪv ˌɪzˈlɑmɪk steɪt ˈmɪlətənts frəm wən əv ðɛr læst ˈmeɪʤər ˌɪˈræki ˈstrɔŋˌhoʊldz. "ɑr ˈfɔrsɪz ər stɪl ˈfaɪtɪŋ ɪn θri dɪˈrɛkʃɪnz ɪn," sɛd, ˈspoʊksmən əv ðə ʤɔɪnt ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən kəˈmænd. "ðə faɪt ɪz ˌɪnˈtɛns." sɛd ðə pʊʃ ˈɪntu ðə ˈsɪti wɑz ˈtɛntətɪv ɛz ˈsoʊlʤərz wərkt tɪ klɪr maɪnz ənd ˈbubi træps. "wi ər ˈtaɪtənɪŋ ðə siʤ ɔn ðə ˈmɪlətənts ənd ədˈvænsɪŋ ˈkɛrfəli," hi sɛd. ðə ˈgəvərnmənt vjuz ˈkæpʧərɪŋ ðə ˈsɪti 35 maɪəlz frəm ðə ˈkæpɪtəl əv ˈbægdæd ɛz ki tɪ ˈstɑpɪŋ ə speɪt əv ˈdɛdli ˈtɛrər əˈtæks ˈoʊvər ðə pæst fju mənθs. ˈsuɪˌsaɪd ˈbɑmərz blu ðɛmˈsɛlvz əp ɪn θri ˈdɪstrɪkts ɪn ˈbægdæd ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ, ˈkɪlɪŋ æt list 24 ˈpipəl ənd ˈɪnʤərɪŋ ˈdəzənz mɔr. luˈtɛnənt ˈʤɛnərəl al-saadi*, ðə kəˈmændər əv ðə əˈfɛnsɪv, sɛd trups ˈɛnərd ðə ˈsɪti bækt baɪ ɛr ˈkəvər frəm ðə ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən. ðə juz. prəˈvaɪdz ɪkˈstɛnsɪv səˈpɔrt fər ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ prəˈvaɪdɪŋ ɑrmz, sərˈveɪləns, ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ənd ædˈvaɪzərz. ˌɪˈræki praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər ˈheɪdər sɛd ɪn ə ˈtɛləˌvaɪzd spiʧ tɪ ˈpɑrləmɛnt ðət ðə "ˈkɑrənt feɪz" əv ðə ˈbætəl kʊd bi kəmˈplitɪd ɪn tu deɪz. ˌɪˈræki ˈfɔrsɪz ˌɪˈnɪʃəli sərˈaʊndɪd mɔr ðən ə wik əˈgoʊ, ˈkətɪŋ ɔf ˌɪzˈlɑmɪk steɪt frəm səˈplaɪz ənd ˌriɪnˈfɔrsmənts ˈæftər ˈteɪkɪŋ məʧ əv ðə ˈriʤən əraʊnd ðə ˈsɪtiz ˈsɛnər. wɑz ðə fərst ˈsɪti tɪ fɔl tɪ ðə ˈmɪlətənts wɪn ðeɪ swɛpt əˈkrɔs ˈnɔrðərn ənd ˈwɛstərn ˌɪˈrɑk ɪn 2014 bɛnt ɔn ˈbɪldɪŋ ə ˌfəndəˈmɛnəlɪst ˈsuni frəm ə waɪd strɪp əv ˌɪˈrɑk ənd ˈsɪriə. bət ˌɪzˈlɑmɪk steɪt ˈfɔrʧənz weɪnd ɪn ˈrisənt mənθs, ənd ənd ˈmoʊsəl ər ðə ˈoʊnli ˈmeɪʤər ˌɪˈræki ˈsɪtiz stɪl ˈəndər ðə ˈmɪlətənts' kənˈtroʊl. kənˈdɪʃənz ɪn ðə ˈsɪti ˈstɛdəli dɪˈtɪriərˌeɪtɪd ˈoʊvər ðə pæst fju mənθs, ənd ðə juˈnaɪtɪd ˈneɪʃənz ˈɪʃud ə rɪˈpɔrt ɪn ˈeɪprəl seɪɪŋ ˈrɛzɪdənts feɪs əˈkjut ˈʃɔrtɪʤɪz əv fud ənd ˈmɛdəsən. ˈgəvərnmənt həz bɪn ˈəndər pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈprɛʃər frəm ˈsuni ˈlidərz tɪ ˈlɪˌbərˌeɪt, wɛr tɛnz əv ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈpipəl, ˈmɛni əv ðɛm ˈsʊˌniz, stɪl lɪv dɪˈspaɪt jɪrz əv ˈfaɪtɪŋ. ˈrisəntli, ðɛr hæv bɪn rɪˈpɔrts əv səˈvɪljənz ˈstɑrvɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈsɪti, wɪʧ həz ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli bɪn kət ɔf frəm ðə rɛst əv ðə ˈkəntri. ðə ˌɪzˈlɑmɪk steɪt fɔrst səˈvɪljənz kɔt ɪn ðə ˈsɪti tɪ sərv ɛz "ˈjumən ʃildz" ɪn ˈɛriəz wɛr ðə ˈmɪlətənts ɪkˈspɛktɪd ˈɛrˌstraɪks, ˈrɛzɪdənts ˈrisəntli ˈjuˈɛˈseɪ təˈdeɪ. ˈæbu moʊˈhæmɪd, 24 ən ɑpˈtɪʃən ɪn erbil*, sɪz hɪz ɔnt ənd hər ˈfæməli ər stɪl træpt ɪn ðə ˈsɪti, wɪθ ˈlɪtəl tɪ it ənd noʊ ɪˌlɛkˈtrɪsəti ər ˈwɔtər. kənˈdɪʃənz ər soʊ ˈmɪzərəbəl," moʊˈhæmɪd sɛd. ɔnt sɛd ðət ðeɪ ər ˈitɪŋ deɪts ənd ˈjoʊgərt fər ðə pæst mənθ. ˈpipəl goʊ aʊt ˈʃɑpɪŋ wɪn ɪt ɪz kɑm ənd ðɛr ɪz noʊ bombardment.”*.” ˈkænɑt goʊ tɪ ˈmɑrkɪts, ənd wɪn ðeɪ du, ðə ˈpraɪsɪz ər ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ, wɪθ ðə praɪs fər ə flaʊər bæg ˈdəbəlɪŋ 10 taɪmz," hi ˈædɪd. "ˈvɛʤtəbəlz ər əˈveɪləbəl naʊ, prəˈvaɪdɪd frəm wət ɪz ˈplænɪd ˌɪnˈsaɪd ˈpraɪvət hoʊm ˈgɑrdənz stɪl ˈoʊnli ðoʊz hu lɪv baɪ ðə ˈrɪvər kən plænt ˈvɛʤtəbəlz ɛz ðə ˈwɔtər səˈplaɪ həz bɪn cut.”*.” ˌriˈpɔrtəd frəm ˌɪstɑnˈbul. kənˈtrɪbjutɪŋ: ʤɑn ˈbeɪkən ɪn məˈklin, va*. rɛd ər ʃɛr ðɪs ˈstɔri:

close iraqi forces launched a broad operation one week ago to retake the city of fallujah, one of the islamic state group's most emblematic bastions, in the western province of anbar, creating a window for some civilians to flee the city's outlying areas. newslook iraq's elite counter-terrorism forces gather ahead of an operation to re-take the islamic state-held city of fallujah, outside fallujah, iraq, may 29, 2016. (photo11: khalid mohammed, ap) fallujah, iraq iraqi military and militia forces rolled into this war-battered city monday, capturing a police station and advancing the crucial campaign to drive islamic state militants from one of their last major iraqi strongholds. "our forces are still fighting in three directions in fallujah," said yahiya rasul, spokesman of the joint operation command. "the fight is intense." rasul said the push into the city was tentative as soldiers worked to clear mines and booby traps. "we are tightening the siege on the militants and advancing carefully," he said. the government views capturing the sunni-dominated city 35 miles from the capital of baghdad as key to stopping a spate of deadly terror attacks over the past few months. suicide bombers blew themselves up in three districts in baghdad on monday, killing at least 24 people and injuring dozens more. lieutenant general abdelwahab al-saadi, the commander of the offensive, said troops entered the city backed by air cover from the u.s.-led military coalition. the u.s. provides extensive support for iraq’s military, including providing arms, surveillance, intelligence and advisers. iraqi prime minister haider al-abadi said in a televised speech to parliament that the "current phase" of the battle could be completed in two days. iraqi forces initially surrounded fallujah more than a week ago, cutting off islamic state from supplies and reinforcements after taking much of the region around the city's center. fallujah was the first city to fall to the militants when they swept across northern and western iraq in 2014, bent on building a fundamentalist sunni caliphate from a wide strip of iraq and syria. but islamic state fortunes waned in recent months, and fallujah and mosul are the only major iraqi cities still under the militants' control. conditions in the city steadily deteriorated over the past few months, and the united nations issued a report in april saying residents face acute shortages of food and medicine. iraq’s government has been under political pressure from sunni leaders to liberate fallujah, where tens of thousands of people, many of them sunnis, still live despite years of fighting. recently, there have been reports of civilians starving in the city, which has increasingly been cut off from the rest of the country. the islamic state forced civilians caught in the city to serve as "human shields" in areas where the militants expected airstrikes, residents recently usa today. abu mohammed, 24, an optician in erbil, says his aunt and her family are still trapped in the city, with little to eat and no electricity or water. “living conditions are so miserable," mohammed said. “my aunt said that they are eating dates and yogurt for the past month. people go out shopping when it is calm and there is no bombardment.” “people cannot go to markets, and when they do, the prices are increasing, with the price for a flour bag doubling 10 times," he added. "vegetables are available now, provided from what is planted inside private home gardens – still only those who live by the river can plant vegetables as the water supply has been cut.” nabeel reported from istanbul. contributing: john bacon in mclean, va. read or share this story: http://usat.ly/1tqpcec

moʊst ˈpipəl hu gɪt ˈiˌmoʊʃənəl kˈwɪkli wɪl fɔl ˈɛvəri taɪm. ənd ɪf ðeɪ doʊnt gɪt wərkt əp, aɪ woʊnt weɪst maɪ taɪm wɪθ ðɛm. ɪf ˈprɑspɛkts ər ˈæskɪŋ ə lɔt əv kˈwɛsʧənz ər tɛl mi ðeɪ wɔnt tɪ θɪŋk ɪt ˈoʊvər ər tɔk wɪθ ðɛr ˈlɔjər, aɪ wɪl hæŋ əp ðə foʊn. ˈvɪktɪmz doʊnt æsk ə lɔt əv kˈwɛsʧənz; ðeɪ ˈænsər ə lɔt əv kˈwɛsʧənz. ˈvɪktɪmz doʊnt rɛd ˈpeɪpərˌwərk; ðeɪ weɪt fər ju tɪ tɛl ðɛm wət ɪt sɪz. ˈvɪktɪmz doʊnt lʊk fər waɪ ðə ˈɔfər ɪz ə skæm; ðeɪ lʊk fər waɪ ðə ˈɔfər wɪl meɪk ðɛm ˈməni. ðeɪ wɔnt ju tɪ meɪk ðɛm fil gʊd soʊ ðeɪ kən pʊl ðə ˈtrɪgər. ˈərli ɔn ɪn maɪ kərɪr aɪ wɑz ˈsɛlɪŋ ˈboʊgəs ɔɪl ənd gæs ˈjunɪts tɪ ˌɪnˈvɛstərz. wi wər ˈsɛlɪŋ ˈjunɪts fər fər ə kˈwɔrtər ˈjunɪt, ər fər ə fʊl ˈjunɪt, ˈprɑməsɪŋ ə rɪˈtərn. ʃʊr, wi hæd ə wɛl, bət ɪt wɑz ə draɪ hoʊl, ənd wi nu ɪt ðɛr wɑz noʊ ʧæns əv ˈhɪtɪŋ ɔɪl. ˈɛvəri soʊ ˈɔfən wɪn aɪ wɑz ˈpɪʧɪŋ ðiz dilz, ən ˌɪnˈvɛstər wʊd æsk ɪf aɪ wɑz ˈrɛʤɪstərd wɪθ ðə juz. sɪˈkjʊrətiz ənd ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ kəˈmɪʃən. aɪ wʊd ˈɔlˌweɪz seɪ, "əv kɔrs wi ər, ənd aɪ wɔnt ju tɪ ˈvɛrəˌfaɪ ðət ðə ˈmɪnət wi gɪt ɔf ðə foʊn." ðə truθ ɪz, wi wər ˈnɛvər ˈrɛʤɪstərd, bət 98 pərˈsɛnt əv ðə ˈpipəl hu æsk ðət kˈwɛʃən ˈnɛvər ʧɛk. ðeɪ ʤɪst wɔnt tɪ hir mi seɪ ɪt. skæmz tɪ wɔʧ aʊt fər ɪf aɪ wər stɪl ɪn ðə skæm ˈbɪznɪs, aɪ wʊd ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn rɪˈvərs ˈmɔrgɪʤɪz ənd ˈprɛʃəs ˈmɛtəlz. ənd rɪˈvərs ˈmɔrgɪʤ skæmz ər əˈtræktɪv naʊ bɪˈkəz ə lɔt əv ˈsinjərz hæv peɪd ɔf ðɛr haʊs, ənd ðæts laɪk ən ənˈtæpt bæŋk əˈkaʊnt. ɪf jʊr hoʊm ɪz wərθ ənd ju peɪd ɔf jʊr ˈmɔrgɪʤ ə ˈkəpəl əv jɪrz əˈgoʊ, ju hæv ˈsɪtɪŋ ɪn ðə bæŋk, ˈweɪtɪŋ fər mi tɪ stil ɪt. ə lɔt əv ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ənd dɪˈrɛkt meɪl ˈædvərˌtaɪzɪŋ tɛlz ju haʊ tɪ gɪt ˈməni aʊt əv jʊr haʊs waɪl ju ər stɪl ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ɪt. səm əv ðiz ædz ər ləˈʤɪtəmət; ˈmɛni ər nɑt. maɪ mɑ æst mi wəns haʊ hər frɛndz kʊd əˈvɔɪd ðiz skæmz. aɪ toʊld hər tu θɪŋz. ɪf ˈsəmˌwən ɪz ˈpɪʧɪŋ ə dil, æsk ˈjɔrsɛlf, "wəts ɪn ɪt fər ɪm?" ə ˈkɑmən plɔɪ ɪz tɪ gɪt ju tɪ teɪk aʊt ə loʊn ɔn jʊr haʊs, ðɛn ˌɪnˈvɛst ðə prəˈsidz ɪn ə ˈlɔŋˈtərm əˈnuɪti ər səm ˈəðər ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt ɪn wɪʧ ðeɪ meɪk ə juʤ kəˈmɪʃən. ɪt meɪ nɑt bi ə frɔd, bət ɪt meɪ bi ə lɔt ˈbɛtər dil fər ðə ˈseɪlzmən ðən fər ju. aɪ ˈɔlsoʊ toʊld mɑ ðət wɪn ɪt kəmz tɪ jʊr haʊs, ˈnɛvər saɪn ˈɛni ˈpeɪpərˌwərk ənˈtɪl jʊr əˈtərni ˈsəmˌwən ju ʧuz, nɑt ˈsəmˌwən ðə ˈseɪlzmən rɪˈfərz ju tɪ ridz ðə faɪn prɪnt. ɛz fər goʊld ənd ˈsɪlvər skæmz, aɪ wərkt ɪn ˈsɛvərəl kɔɪn rumz ɪn ðə 2000s*. wi wʊd sɛl goʊld kɔɪnz æt ə 300 tɪ 500 pərˈsɛnt ˈmɑrˌkəp. soʊ ðə ˈvɪktɪmz wʊd peɪ fər ə bənʧ əv kɔɪnz, wɪʧ ðeɪ wʊd rɪˈsiv, bət jɪrz ˈleɪtər, ðeɪ wʊd teɪk ðɛm tɪ ə kɔɪn ʃɑp ənd lərn ðeɪ wər wərθ ˈoʊnli ə fju ˈθaʊzənd ˈdɔlərz. ðɪs ɪz ə greɪt skæm, bɪˈkəz ðə kɔɪn ˈɪndəstri ɪz ˈlɑrʤli ənˈrɛgjəˌleɪtɪd. pləs, bɪˈkəz ðə ˈvɪktɪmz rɪˈsiv ðə kɔɪnz, ðeɪ doʊnt ˈriəˌlaɪz ənˈtɪl jɪrz ˈleɪtər ðət ðeɪv bɪn ˈteɪkən. wɪθ ðə bæd ɪˈkɑnəmi, ðiz skæmz ər juʤ naʊ.

most people who get emotional quickly will fall every time. and if they don't get worked up, i won't waste my time with them. if prospects are asking a lot of questions or tell me they want to think it over or talk with their lawyer, i will hang up the phone. victims don't ask a lot of questions; they answer a lot of questions. victims don't read paperwork; they wait for you to tell them what it says. victims don't look for why the offer is a scam; they look for why the offer will make them money. they want you to make them feel good so they can pull the trigger. early on in my career i was selling bogus oil and gas units to investors. we were selling units for $22,500 for a quarter unit, or $90,000 for a full unit, promising a 10-to-1 return. sure, we had a well, but it was a dry hole, and we knew it — there was no chance of hitting oil. every so often when i was pitching these deals, an investor would ask if i was registered with the u.s. securities and exchange commission. i would always say, "of course we are, and i want you to verify that the minute we get off the phone." the truth is, we were never registered, but 98 percent of the people who ask that question never check. they just want to hear me say it. scams to watch out for if i were still in the scam business, i would focus on reverse mortgages and precious metals. home-equity and reverse mortgage scams are attractive now because a lot of seniors have paid off their house, and that's like an untapped bank account. if your home is worth $300,000 and you paid off your mortgage a couple of years ago, you have $300,000 sitting in the bank, waiting for me to steal it. a lot of tv and direct mail advertising tells you how to get money out of your house while you are still living in it. some of these ads are legitimate; many are not. my ma asked me once how her friends could avoid these scams. i told her two things. if someone is pitching a deal, ask yourself, "what's in it for him?" a common ploy is to get you to take out a loan on your house, then invest the proceeds in a long-term annuity or some other investment in which they make a huge commission. it may not be a fraud, but it may be a lot better deal for the salesman than for you. i also told ma that when it comes to your house, never sign any paperwork until your attorney — someone you choose, not someone the salesman refers you to — reads the fine print. as for gold and silver scams, i worked in several coin rooms in the 2000s. we would sell gold coins at a 300 to 500 percent markup. so the victims would pay $25,000 for a bunch of coins, which they would receive, but years later, they would take them to a coin shop and learn they were worth only a few thousand dollars. this is a great scam, because the coin industry is largely unregulated. plus, because the victims receive the coins, they don't realize until years later that they've been taken. with the bad economy, these scams are huge now.

faɪ wɪl lɔnʧ ə reɪnʤ əv ɪkˈsklusɪv kənˈfɛkʃəˌnɛri gʊdz fər ˈædəlt ˈænəˌmeɪtɪd kəlt ˈsɪriz. nɔrθ ˈnɛtˌwərk ˈɛnərˌpraɪzɪz ənd ˈædəlt swɪm hæv timd əp wɪθ faɪ tɪ ˈdeɪbju ðə kənˈfɛkʃəˌnɛri ənd snæks kəˈlɛkʃən beɪst ɔn ðə hɪt ˈænəˌmeɪtɪd ˈsɪriz ənd morty.”*.” ðə nu laɪn wɪl ˌɪˈnɪʃəli lɔnʧ wɪθ ən ɪkˈsklusɪv ˈsɪriəl, kɔld smiggles,”*,” wɪʧ ɪz ˌɪnˈspaɪərd baɪ ðə ənd morty”*” ˈɛpɪˌsoʊd ɛnˈtaɪtəld minutes.”*.” ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ðə ˈdeɪbju əv ˈstrɔˌbɛri, faɪ wɪl lɔnʧ ˈʧɔklət bɑrz ɛz wɛl ɛz ˈgəmi ˈprɑdəkts. ðə ənd kənˈfɛkʃəˌnɛri laɪn wɪl lɔnʧ æt faɪ stɔrz ðɪs fɔl. əˈdɪʃəˌnəli, ðə faɪ loʊˈkeɪʃən æt sæn diˈeɪgoʊ ˈkɑmɪk kɑn, ˌʤuˈlaɪ wɪl bi kəˈlɛktɪŋ fər ˈstrɔˌbɛri ɛz wɛl ɛz ˈfiʧər ən ˈoʊvərˌsaɪzd ˈsɪriəl bɑks fər ˈfoʊˌtoʊ ˌɑpərˈtunətiz. kriˈeɪtɪd ənd ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv prəˈdust baɪ dæn ˈhɑrmən ənd ˈʤəstɪn roiland*, ənd morty”*” ˈfɑloʊz ə ˈʤinjəs ˈsaɪəntɪst ənd hɪz ˈtɪmɪd ˈgrændˌsən ɔn ˈdeɪnʤərəs ædˈvɛnʧərz θruaʊt ðə ˈjunəˌvərs. ðə θərd ˈsizən əv ənd morty”*” wɪl prɛˈmɪr ɔn ˈædəlt swɪm, ˌʤuˈlaɪ 30

fye will launch a range of exclusive confectionery goods for adult swim’s animated cult series. north america–cartoon network enterprises and adult swim have teamed up with fye to debut the first-ever confectionery and snacks collection based on the hit animated series “rick and morty.” the new line will initially launch with an exclusive cereal, called “strawberry smiggles,” which is inspired by the “rick and morty” episode entitled “rixty minutes.” following the debut of strawberry smiggles, fye will launch character-specific chocolate bars as well as one-of-a-kind gummy products. the “rick and morty”-inspired confectionery line will launch at fye stores this fall. additionally, the fye pop-up location at san diego comic con, july 20-23, will be collecting pre-orders for strawberry smiggles as well as feature an oversized cereal box for photo opportunities. created and executive produced by dan harmon and justin roiland, “rick and morty” follows a sociopathic genius scientist and his timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures throughout the universe. the third season of “rick and morty” will premiere on adult swim, july 30.

sɛn. tɛd kruz (r-tx*) ˈfɔlsli bleɪmd ðə əˈfɔrdəbəl kɛr ækt fər ˈkipɪŋ moms”*” ɪn ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm ʤɑbz, ˌɪgˈnɔrɪŋ hɪz oʊn ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən tɪ ˈpɑləsiz ðət kʊd ˈæˌkʧuəli hɛlp ˈsɪŋgəl ˈpɛrənts ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ˈpɑvərti. sɛn. tɛd kruz (r-tx*) ˈfɔlsli bleɪmd ðə əˈfɔrdəbəl kɛr ækt fər ˈkipɪŋ moms”*” ɪn ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm ʤɑbz, ˌɪgˈnɔrɪŋ hɪz oʊn ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən tɪ ˈpɑləsiz ðət kʊd ˈæˌkʧuəli hɛlp ˈsɪŋgəl ˈpɛrənts ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ˈpɑvərti. ˈkrɪstəfər ˈhælərən sɛn. tɛd kruz (r-tx*) ˈfɔlsli bleɪmd ðə əˈfɔrdəbəl kɛr ækt (ˈækə) ðɪs wik fər ˈkipɪŋ moms”*” ɪn ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm ʤɑbz, ˌɪgˈnɔrɪŋ hɪz oʊn ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən tɪ ˈpɑləsiz ðət kʊd ˈæˌkʧuəli hɛlp ˈsɪŋgəl ˈpɛrənts ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ˈpɑvərti. ˈspikɪŋ æt ə kæmˈpeɪn ˈræli ˈmənˌdeɪ ɪn ˈɛˈleɪˈɛs ˈveɪgəs, nəˈvɑdə, əˈhɛd əv ðə rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈpraɪˌmɛri, kruz səˈʤɛstɪd ðət ðə ˈækə həz wərkt ɛz ə ˈbɛriər tɪ kip ˈsɪŋgəl ˈməðərz frəm ˈwərkɪŋ ˈfʊlˌtaɪm bɪˈkəz ðeɪ ər ˌɪnˈstɛd fɔrst tɪ wərk ˈməltəpəl ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm ʤɑbz: ju noʊ, ðə ˈmidiə traɪz tɪ tɛl ˈjuˈɛs ðət ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi ɪz ðə nu ˈnɔrməl. ðət stægˈneɪʃən ɪz wət wi ʃʊd kəm tɪ ɪkˈspɛkt. ðət ˈnəθɪŋ ˈbɛtər. wi hæv ðə loʊəst pərˈsɛnɪʤ əv əˈmɛrɪkənz ˈwərkɪŋ təˈdeɪ sɪns 1977 ˈweɪʤɪz hæv bɪn ˈfroʊzən fər 20 jɪrz. ˈmidiən ˈweɪʤɪz təˈdeɪ ər ðə seɪm ɛz ðeɪ ər, ɛz ðeɪ wər ɪn 1996 naʊ ðət həz bɪn ˈdrɪvən baɪ ˌɪˈligəl ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ðət ˈwɔʃɪŋtən rɪfˈjuzɪz tɪ sɑlv, ənd ðət həz bɪn ˈdrɪvən baɪ ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈpɑləsiz ðət ˈhæmər ðə ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈdeɪˌlaɪts aʊt əv smɔl ˈbɪznɪsɪz ˈsɪŋgəl mɑmz, ˈstrəgəlɪŋ tɪ fid ðɛr kɪdz, ˈwərkɪŋ tu, θri, fɔr ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm ʤɑbz bɪˈkəz lɛt ðɛm wərk ˈfʊlˌtaɪm. siɪŋ ðɛr ˈweɪʤɪz hɛld ˈstægnənt, ˈdrɪvən əv ðət kən tərn əraʊnd. ənd ɪf wi du ðə tu ˈmeɪʤər ˈlɛʤəsˌleɪtɪv ˌɪˈnɪʃətɪvz kæmˈpeɪnɪŋ wi rɪˈpil ənd pæs ə flæt wɪl si ˈmɪljənz ənd ˈmɪljənz əv ʤɑbz fər ˈpipəl ˈstrəgəlɪŋ tɪ əˈʧiv ðə əˈmɛrɪkən drim. bət ðɪs əˈsɛsmənt wɑz ˈətərli rɔŋ. nɑt ˈoʊnli dɪd kruz gɪt ðə ˈbeɪsɪk fækts əˈbaʊt ðə ˈifɛkts ɔn ʤɑbz ˌɪnkərˈɛkt, hi ˈɔlsoʊ feɪld tɪ teɪk ˈɪntu əˈkaʊnt ðə ˈpɑləsiz ðət kʊd ˈæˌkʧuəli hɛlp ˌɪmˈpruv ðə lɪvz əv ˈsɪŋgəl əv wɪʧ hi həz ˈæktɪvli əˈpoʊzd. gɪt ðə fækts, dɪˈrɛkt tɪ jʊr inbox*. səbˈskraɪb tɪ ɑr ˈdeɪli ər ˈwikli ˈdaɪʤɛst. səbˈskraɪb ə ˈʤænjuˌɛri ˈstədi ɪn ˈpɑləsi ˈʤərnəl hɛlθ əˈfɛrz faʊnd evidence”*” tɪ səˈpɔrt səm lawmakers‘*‘ fɪrz ðət ðə ɪmˈplɔɪər ˈmænˌdeɪt, wɪʧ rikˈwaɪərz ðoʊz wɪθ mɔr ðən 50 ˈfʊlˌtaɪm ɪmˈplɔɪiz tɪ ˈɔfər hɛlθ ˌɪnˈʃʊrəns, wʊd ʃɪft ˈmɛni ˈfʊlˌtaɪm ˈwərkərz tɪ ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm ɛz ɪmˈplɔɪərz əˈtɛmptəd tɪ ðə lɔ. ˌɔlˈðoʊ ðə ˈstədi faʊnd smɔl ˈʧeɪnʤɪz tɪ ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm wərk əˈməŋ səm grups, ˌriˈpɔrtəd, ðɪs nɑt bi əˈtrɪbjətəd tɪ ðə ɪmˈplɔɪər mandate.”*.” ə sɛpˈtɛmbər 2015 ˈsərˌveɪ frəm ðə ˈkaɪzər ˈfæməli faʊnˈdeɪʃən ənd ðə hɛlθ ˈrisərʧ ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃənəl trəst ˈsɪmələrli faʊnd ðət bɪtˈwin ˈʤænjuˌɛri ənd ʤun 2015 ðə væst məˈʤɔrəti əv ɪmˈplɔɪərz dɪd nɑt pʊʃ ɪmˈplɔɪiz tɪ ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm wərk ər rɪˈdus ðə ˈnəmbər əv ˈpipəl ðeɪ haɪərd bɪˈkəz əv ðə ˈækə: ðə pərˈsɛnɪʤ əv fərmz ðət ˈɔfər hɛlθ ˈbɛnəfɪts tɪ æt list səm əv ðɛr ɪmˈplɔɪiz 57 pərˈsɛnt) ənd ðə pərˈsɛnɪʤ əv ˈwərkərz ˈkəvərd æt ðoʊz fərmz 63 pərˈsɛnt) ər stəˈtɪstɪkəli ənˈʧeɪnʤd frəm 2014 ˈrɛlətɪvli smɔl pərˈsɛnɪʤɪz əv ɪmˈplɔɪərz wɪθ 50 ər mɔr ˈfʊlˌtaɪm ɪkˈwɪvələnt ɪmˈplɔɪiz ˌriˈpɔrtəd sˈwɪʧɪŋ ˈfʊlˌtaɪm ɪmˈplɔɪiz tɪ pɑrt taɪm ˈstætəs 4 pərˈsɛnt), ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm ˈwərkərz tɪ ˈfʊlˌtaɪm ˈwərkərz 10 pərˈsɛnt), rɪˈdusɪŋ ðə ˈnəmbər əv ˈfʊlˌtaɪm ɪmˈplɔɪiz ðeɪ ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd tɪ haɪər 5 pərˈsɛnt) ər ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ ˈweɪtɪŋ ˈpɪriədz 2 pərˈsɛnt) ɪn rɪˈspɑns tɪ ðə lɔ. ðɪs ɪz nɑt ðə fərst taɪm tɛd kruz həz ˈfɔlsli kleɪmd ðə ˈækə pʊʃt ˈpipəl tɪ ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm wərk. ˈdʊrɪŋ ə ˈʤænjuˌɛri dəˈbeɪt, kruz sɛd ðət ðə lɔ ðə ˈbɪgəst ɪn ðɪs ˈkəntri, ˈmɪljənz əv əˈmɛrɪkənz hæv lɔst ðɛr ʤɑbz, hæv bɪn fɔrst ˈɪntu ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm work.”*.” ənd ˈmidiə ˈaʊˌtlɛts kˈwɪkli kɔld aʊt ðə ˈsteɪtmənt ɛz ə ˈfælsˌhʊd. geɪv əˈsərʃən ə ɔn fire”*” ˌdɛzɪgˈneɪʃən, ˈraɪtɪŋ, ˈɛvəri ˈmɛʒər, ˈmɪljənz mɔr ˈpipəl ər ˈwərkɪŋ ənd ˈmɪljənz fjuər ər stək ənˈwɪlɪŋli ɪn ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm wərk sɪns ðə taɪm ðə əˈfɔrdəbəl kɛr ækt bɪˈkeɪm lɔ. ðə lɔ maɪt hæv əˈfɛktɪd ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm wərk fər ˈsərtən kaɪnz əv ˈpipəl, bət ðət ʧeɪnʤ ðə ˌɪmˈpruvmənt ɪn ðə ˈoʊvərˌɔl numbers.”*.” ðɛr ɪz wən θɪŋ kruz wɑz raɪt əˈbaʊt, ˌhaʊˈɛvər: weɪʤ stægˈneɪʃən ɪz ə juʤ ˈprɑbləm fər əˈmɛrɪkənz. bət əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈɛkspərts, ɪt rɪˈfɔrm ər immigration,”*,” ɛz kruz səˈʤɛstɪd, ðət ɪz praɪˈmɛrəli æt fɔlt. ˌɪnˈstɛd, ðə ril ˈkəlprɪts riˈspɑnsəbəl fər weɪʤ stægˈneɪʃən, wɪʧ kənˈtɪnjuz tɪ fjuəl ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˌɪnɪkˈwɑləti ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts, ər ˈpɑləsiˌmeɪkərz hu hæv praɪˈɔrəˌtaɪzd ˈreɪzɪŋ ðə ˈɪnˌkəmz əv ðə tɔp 1 pərˈsɛnt əv ˈərnərz. ˈlɔrəns mishel*, əˈlis guld, ənd ʤɑʃ ˈbaɪvənz ɪkˈspleɪnd ɪn ə ˈʤænjuˌɛri 2015 rɪˈpɔrt fər ðə ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈpɑləsi ˈɪnstɪˌtut ðət wər səˈprɛst baɪ ˈpɑləsi ˈʧɔɪsɪz meɪd ɔn bɪˈhæf əv ðoʊz wɪθ ðə moʊst ˈɪnˌkəm, wɛlθ, ənd power.”*.” əˈməŋ ðoʊz ˈpɑləsi ˈʧeɪnʤɪz ˈlɪstɪd baɪ mishel*, guld, ənd ˈbaɪvənz həz bɪn ðə ˈfeɪljər tɪ reɪz ðə ˈmɪnəməm weɪʤ, wɪʧ ðeɪ raɪt əˈspɛʃəli ˌædˈvərs ˈifɛkts ɔn women”*” ənd ˈpipəl əv ˈkələr. ðən hæf əv ɔl ˈwərkərz ər ˈwɪmən, bət ðeɪ əˈkaʊnt fər 75 pərˈsɛnt əv ˈwərkərz ɪn ðə 10 ˌɑkjəˈpeɪʃənz ənd əˈbaʊt 60 pərˈsɛnt əv ˈmɪnəməm weɪʤ workers,”*,” ɪkˈspleɪnd ˈlɔrə ˈtaɪsən, ðə ˈfɔrmər hɛd əv ðə ˈkaʊnsəl əv ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ædˈvaɪzərz ənd ðə ˈnæʃənəl ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈkaʊnsəl, ɪn ə 2014 ˈɑrtɪkəl fər ðə nu jɔrk taɪmz. moʊst ˈwɪmən ˈərnɪŋ ðə ˈmɪnəməm weɪʤ ər nɑt ˈtiˌneɪʤərz, ər waɪvz hu kən rɪˈlaɪ ɔn ə ˈɪnˌkəm. əˈbaʊt θˌrikˈwɔrtərz əv ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈmɪnəməm weɪʤ ˈwərkərz ər əˈbəv ðə eɪʤ əv 20 ənd əˈbaʊt θˌrikˈwɔrtərz əv ðiz ˈwɪmən ər ɔn ðɛr oʊn. ˈmɛni, əv kɔrs, ər ˈwərkɪŋ ənd ˈteɪkɪŋ kɛr əv children,”*,” ˈtaɪsən kənˈtɪnjud. ɪn ˈəðər wərdz, ˈmɛni əv ðə ˈsɪŋgəl ˈməðərz kruz ɪkˈsprɛsɪz səʧ kənˈsərn fər wʊd ˌdɪsprəˈpɔrʃənətli ˈbɛnəfɪt frəm ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ ðə ˈmɪnəməm weɪʤ. jɛt kruz həz ˈstɛdˌfæstli əˈpoʊzd duɪŋ soʊ. ˈspikɪŋ æt ə ˈpraɪvət ˈdoʊnər ɪˈvɛnt ɪn ˈʤænjuˌɛri 2015 ðə ˈtɛksəs ˈsɛnətər kleɪmd ðət ðə ɪgˈzɪstəns əv ə ˈmɪnəməm weɪʤ æt ɔl ðə moʊst vulnerable.”*.” kruz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈvoʊtɪd əˈgɛnst ˈreɪzɪŋ ðə ˈmɪnəməm weɪʤ ˈdʊrɪŋ hɪz taɪm ɪn ˈkɑŋgrəs. ɪn 2014 hi ˈvoʊtɪd əˈgɛnst ðə ˈmɪnəməm weɪʤ ˈfɛrnəs ækt, ənd ɪn 2015 hi ˈvoʊtɪd əˈgɛnst ə ˈbəʤɪt əˈmɛndmənt ˌɪntrəˈdust baɪ sɛn. ˈbərni ˈsændərz (i-vt*), wɪʧ wʊd hæv ɪˈstæblɪʃt rɪˈzərv fənd rɪˈleɪtɪŋ tɪ prəˈmoʊtɪŋ ə səbˈstænʃəl ˌɪnˈkris ɪn ðə ˈmɪnəməm wage.”*.” ðə ˈwəri kruz ʃoʊd fər ˈsɪŋgəl ˈməðərz ənd ðɛr ˈʧɪldrən ˈɔlsoʊ simz tɪ fɔl ʃɔrt wɪn ɪt kəmz tɪ ˈəðər ˈpɑləsiz ˈædvəˌkeɪts seɪ kʊd meɪk ə ˈdɪfərəns ɪn ðə lɪvz əv ðət grup. teɪk peɪd liv, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, wɪʧ wʊd prəˈvaɪd peɪd taɪm ɔf tɪ kɛr fər ə nu ʧaɪld ər sɪk ˈfæməli ˈmɛmbər. ˈsɪŋgəl ˈpɛrənts feɪs ə ˈgreɪtər rɪsk ðət wɪl ˈkɑnflɪkt wɪθ work,”*,” əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈsɛnər fər əˈmɛrɪkən ˈprɑˌgrɛs. ə 2015 ˈstədi əv ˌloʊˈɪnkəm ˈməðərz ɪn nu jɔrk ˈsɪti kənˈdəktəd baɪ ðə kəmˈjunɪti ˈsərvɪs soʊˈsaɪɪti faʊnd ðət, ˈlækɪŋ peɪd ˈfæməli liv, ˈmɛni ˈwɪmən wɪθ ə nu ʧaɪld ɪkˈspɪriənst ˈhɑrdʃɪps ənd æŋˈzaɪəti əˈbaʊt ˈhoʊldɪŋ ɔn tɪ ðɛr ʤɑbz, ˈfɔrsɪŋ ðɛm tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ wərk kˈwɪkli, səm wɪn ðɛr ˈɪnfənts wər ʤɪst tu ər θri wiks old.”*.” ˈmɛni wər ˈɔlsoʊ fɔrst tɪ liv ðə ˈwərkˌfɔrs ˌɔltəˈgɛðər bɪˈkəz əv læk əv əˌkɑməˈdeɪʃənz ənd ʤɑb sɪˈkjʊrəti. moʊst əv ðiz ˈwɪmən kˈwɪkli ɪgˈzɔstɪd ðɛr əˈkjumjəˌleɪtɪd sɪk liv ər fju veɪˈkeɪʃən deɪz, ənd bɪˈkəz ðeɪ rɪˈsivd noʊ ˈəðər fɔrm əv ˌkɑmpənˈseɪʃən, ðeɪ sun fɛl bɪˈhaɪnd ɪn ðɛr əˈbɪləˌti tɪ peɪ ðɛr ɪf ðeɪ rɪˈtərnd tɪ wərk ˈoʊnli ə fju wiks ˈæftər ˈhævɪŋ ˈgɪvɪn birth,”*,” ðə ˈstədi faʊnd. ɪmˈplɔɪd, ðiz ˈwɪmən hæd lɪvd ˈvɛri kloʊz tɪ ðə ɛʤ, soʊ ðə ˈæbsəns əv ə ˈrɛgjələr ˈpeɪˌʧɛk, ˈivɪn fər ˈoʊnli ə ʃɔrt taɪm, wɑz ɪˈnəf tɪ pʊt ðɛm ˈoʊvər ðə brink.”*.” jɛt tɛd kruz dɪz nɑt səˈpɔrt ˈfɛdərəl ˈmænˌdeɪts fər peɪd ˈfæməli liv ðət kʊd hɛlp rɪˈliv səm əv ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈprɛʃərz ˈpɛrənts feɪs ðət fɔrs səm aʊt əv ðə ˈwərkˌfɔrs ˌɔltəˈgɛðər. læst sɛpˈtɛmbər, kruz toʊld ə ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv əv meɪk ɪt wərk ˈaɪəwə ðət waɪl hi θɪŋks liv ənd pəˈtərnɪti liv ər ˈwəndərfəl things”*” ðət hi səˈpɔrts ““personally,”*,” hi ˌnɛvərðəˈlɛs ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt ʃʊd bi ɪn ðə ˈbɪznɪs əv ˈmænˌdeɪtɪŋ them.”*.” ˌɔlˈðoʊ kruz meɪ feɪn kənˈsərn fər mɑmz, ˈstrəgəlɪŋ tɪ fid ðɛr kids,”*,” hɪz ˈpɑləsi pəˈzɪʃənz ʃoʊ ə klɪr læk əv dɪˈzaɪər tɪ ɪˈnækt ˈʧeɪnʤɪz ðət wʊd ˈæˌkʧuəli hɛlp ðoʊz ˈfæməliz.

sen. ted cruz (r-tx) falsely blamed the affordable care act for keeping “single moms” in part-time jobs, ignoring his own opposition to policies that could actually help single parents living in poverty. sen. ted cruz (r-tx) falsely blamed the affordable care act for keeping “single moms” in part-time jobs, ignoring his own opposition to policies that could actually help single parents living in poverty. christopher halloran / shutterstock.com sen. ted cruz (r-tx) falsely blamed the affordable care act (aca) this week for keeping “single moms” in part-time jobs, ignoring his own opposition to policies that could actually help single parents living in poverty. speaking at a campaign rally monday in las vegas, nevada, ahead of the state’s republican primary, cruz suggested that the aca has worked as a barrier to keep single mothers from working full-time because they are instead forced to work multiple part-time jobs: you know, the media tries to tell us that the obama-clinton economy is the new normal. that stagnation is what we should come to expect. that there’s nothing better. we have the lowest percentage of americans working today since 1977. wages have been frozen for 20 years. median wages today are the same as they are, as they were in 1996. now that has been driven by illegal immigration that washington refuses to solve, and that has been driven by economic policies that hammer the living daylights out of small businesses …. single moms, struggling to feed their kids, working two, three, four part-time jobs because obamacare doesn’t let them work full-time. seeing their wages held stagnant, driven down—all of that can turn around. and if we do the two major legislative initiatives i’m campaigning on—if we repeal obamacare and pass a flat tax—we will see millions and millions of high-paying jobs for people struggling to achieve the american dream. but this assessment was utterly wrong. not only did cruz get the basic facts about the aca’s effects on jobs incorrect, he also failed to take into account the policies that could actually help improve the lives of single mothers—many of which he has actively opposed. get the facts, direct to your inbox. subscribe to our daily or weekly digest. subscribe a january study in policy journal health affairs found “little evidence” to support some lawmakers‘ fears that the aca’s employer mandate, which requires those with more than 50 full-time employees to offer health insurance, would shift many full-time workers to part-time as employers attempted to side-step the law. although the study found small changes to part-time work among some groups, cnbc reported, this “could not be attributed to the obamacare employer mandate.” a september 2015 survey from the kaiser family foundation and the health research & educational trust similarly found that between january and june 2015, the vast majority of employers did not push employees to part-time work or reduce the number of people they hired because of the aca: the percentage of firms that offer health benefits to at least some of their employees (57 percent) and the percentage of workers covered at those firms (63 percent) are statistically unchanged from 2014. relatively small percentages of employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees reported switching full-time employees to part time status (4 percent), changing part-time workers to full-time workers (10 percent), reducing the number of full-time employees they intended to hire (5 percent) or increasing waiting periods (2 percent) in response to the law. this is not the first time ted cruz has falsely claimed the aca pushed people to part-time work. during a january gop debate, cruz said that the health-care law “is the biggest job-killer in this country, millions of americans have lost their jobs, have been forced into part-time work.” fact-checkers and media outlets quickly called out the statement as a falsehood. politifact gave cruz’s assertion a “pants on fire” designation, writing, “by every measure, millions more people are working and millions fewer are stuck unwillingly in part-time work since the time the affordable care act became law. the law might have affected part-time work for certain kinds of people, but that didn’t change the improvement in the overall numbers.” there is one thing cruz was right about, however: wage stagnation is a huge problem for americans. but according to economic experts, it isn’t health-care reform or “illegal immigration,” as cruz suggested, that is primarily at fault. instead, the real culprits responsible for wage stagnation, which continues to fuel economic inequality in the united states, are policymakers who have prioritized raising the incomes of the top 1 percent of earners. lawrence mishel, elise gould, and josh bivens explained in a january 2015 report for the economic policy institute that “wages were suppressed by policy choices made on behalf of those with the most income, wealth, and power.” among those policy changes listed by mishel, gould, and bivens has been the failure to raise the minimum wage, which they write “had especially adverse effects on women” and people of color. “less than half of all workers are women, but they account for 75 percent of workers in the 10 lowest-paid occupations and about 60 percent of minimum wage workers,” explained laura d’andrea tyson, the former head of the council of economic advisers and the national economic council, in a 2014 article for the new york times. “and most women earning the minimum wage are not teenagers, or wives who can rely on a spouse’s income. about three-quarters of female minimum wage workers are above the age of 20, and about three-quarters of these women are on their own. many, of course, are working and taking care of children,” tyson continued. in other words, many of the single mothers cruz expresses such concern for would disproportionately benefit from increasing the minimum wage. yet cruz has steadfastly opposed doing so. speaking at a private donor event in january 2015, the texas senator claimed that the existence of a minimum wage at all “hurts the most vulnerable.” cruz also voted against raising the minimum wage during his time in congress. in 2014, he voted against the minimum wage fairness act, and in 2015 he voted against a budget amendment introduced by sen. bernie sanders (i-vt), which would have established “a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to promoting a substantial increase in the minimum wage.” the worry cruz showed for single mothers and their children also seems to fall short when it comes to other policies advocates say could make a difference in the lives of that group. take paid leave, for example, which would provide paid time off to care for a new child or sick family member. single parents face a greater risk that “caregiving will conflict with work,” according to the center for american progress. a 2015 study of low-income mothers in new york city conducted by the community service society found that, lacking paid family leave, many women with a new child experienced “financial hardships and anxiety about holding on to their jobs, forcing them to return to work quickly, some when their infants were just two or three weeks old.” many were also forced to leave the workforce altogether because of lack of accommodations and job security. “because most of these women quickly exhausted their accumulated sick leave or few vacation days, and because they received no other form of compensation, they soon fell behind in their ability to pay their bills—even if they returned to work only a few weeks after having given birth,” the study found. “when employed, these women had lived very close to the edge, so the absence of a regular paycheck, even for only a short time, was enough to put them over the brink.” yet ted cruz does not support federal mandates for paid family leave that could help relieve some of the financial pressures parents face that force some out of the workforce altogether. last september, cruz told a representative of make it work iowa that while he thinks “maternity leave and paternity leave are wonderful things” that he supports “personally,” he nevertheless doesn’t “think the federal government should be in the business of mandating them.” although cruz may feign concern for “single moms, struggling to feed their kids,” his policy positions show a clear lack of desire to enact changes that would actually help those families.

ˈivɪn ðoʊ səm meɪ stɪl bi dəˈbeɪtɪŋ ˈoʊvər wɪʧ ˈkɑnsoʊl bi ˈpɪkɪŋ əp ðɪs ˈhɑlɪˌdeɪ ˈsizən, ˈmeɪbi ðə ril kˈwɛʃən ɪz ˈwɛðər ər nɑt ðɛr wɪl bi ˈɛni kənˈsoʊlz lɛft fər ˈpərʧəs æt ɔl. ɪn ə ˈrisənt ˈɪntərvˌju wɪθ fɑks ˈbɪznɪs, ˈsoʊni ˈsiˌiˈoʊ ʤæk sɪz ðə ˈkəmpəˌni ɪz ɔˈrɛdi ˈmeɪkɪŋ muvz ɪn sɪˈkjʊrɪŋ ə ˈsɛpərˌeɪt ˌɪnvənˈtɔri əv lɔnʧ deɪ ɪn ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən əv wət ˈkɔlɪŋ ˈbɪgəst lɔnʧ ɪn history.”*.” ðə ˈkərəntli ˌəndɪˈskloʊzd ˈnəmbər əv wɪl nɑt bi əˈveɪləbəl fər ənd kən ˈoʊnli bi ˈpərʧəst frəm ˈriˌteɪlərz ˈdʊrɪŋ ənd ˈæftər ðə noʊˈvɛmbər 15 lɔnʧ. læst mənθ, ˈsoʊni rɪˈvild ɪt hæd ɔˈrɛdi rɪˈsivd ən ənˈprɛsɪˌdɛntɪd wən ˈmɪljən fər ðə wɪn æst tɪ ˈkɑmɛnt ɔn haʊ haɪ ðət ˈnəmbər həz groʊn sɪns, sɛd, ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ wi kən ˌmænjəˈfækʧər. wi wɔnt tɪ meɪk ʃʊr ðət kənˈsumərz hæv ən ˌɑpərˈtunəti tɪ baɪ wən ɔn noʊˈvɛmbər 15 ənd θru ðə ˈhɑləˌdeɪz, soʊ ˈhoʊldɪŋ bæk səm ˌɪnvənˈtɔri tɪ meɪk ʃʊr ðət ˈpipəl wɪl hæv ən ˌɑpərˈtunəti tɪ baɪ one.”*.” ðɪs əˈnaʊnsmɛnt ʃʊd kəm ɛz ˈwɛlkəm nuz fər ˈɛniˌwən hu mɪst ðə boʊt. ðə dɪˈmænd fər ðə həz bɪn soʊ lɑrʤ ðət ˈsoʊni ɪz ˈæskɪŋ ˈriˌteɪlərz ɪn ðə tɪ ˌɪnˈfɔrm ˈkəstəmərz ðət ˈɛni meɪd ˈæftər ˈɔgəst ər nɑt ˌgɛrənˈtid ə ˈsɪstəm æt lɔnʧ. stɔrz səʧ ɛz tɔɪz ɑr ˈjuˈɛs, bɛst baɪ, ənd hæv lɔŋ sɪns soʊld aʊt ˈɔnˌlaɪn. goʊɪŋ tɪ wərk ˈvɛri hɑrd tɪ meɪk ʃʊr ðət ˈɛvəri kənˈsumər ðət wɔnts wən gɪts one,”*,” sɛd. nɑt ə ˌgɛrənˈti, bət baɪ ˈsɛtɪŋ əˈsaɪd ðɪs slaɪs əv ˌɪnvənˈtɔri ənˈtɪl ðə noʊˈvɛmbər 15 lɔnʧ, ˈsoʊni həz kriˈeɪtɪd æt list ə ˈglɪmər əv hoʊp fər ðoʊz ˈigər ˈgeɪmərz ˈhoʊpɪŋ tɪ gɪt ðɛr hænz ɔn ə moʊst ˈlaɪkli ˈæftər ˈkæmpɪŋ aʊt ˈoʊvərˈnaɪt ɪn ə koʊld noʊˈvɛmbər laɪn.

even though some may still be debating over which next-gen console they’ll be picking up this holiday season, maybe the real question is whether or not there will be any consoles left for purchase at all. in a recent interview with fox business, sony ceo jack tretton says the company is already making moves in securing a separate inventory of launch day ps4’s in anticipation of what he’s calling “the biggest launch in history.” the currently undisclosed number of ps4’s will not be available for pre-orders and can only be purchased from retailers during and after the november 15 launch. last month, sony revealed it had already received an unprecedented one million pre-orders for the ps4. when asked to comment on how high that number has grown since, tretton said, “it’s everything we can manufacture. we want to make sure that consumers have an opportunity to buy one on november 15, and through the holidays, so we’re holding back some inventory to make sure that people will have an opportunity to buy one.” this announcement should come as welcome news for anyone who missed the pre-order boat. the demand for the ps4 has been so large that sony is asking retailers in the uk to inform customers that any pre-orders made after august 5th are not guaranteed a system at launch. stores such as toys r us, best buy, and gamestop have long since sold out online. “we’re going to work very hard to make sure that every consumer that wants one gets one,” said tretton. it’s not a guarantee, but by setting aside this slice of inventory until the november 15 launch, sony has created at least a glimmer of hope for those eager gamers hoping to get their hands on a ps4, most likely after camping out overnight in a cold november line.

əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈgæləp, əˈmɛrɪkənz' ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən ˈlɛvəlz wɪθ ðə weɪ θɪŋz ər goʊɪŋ ɪn ðə juz. ər loʊ ənd ˈprɛzɪdənt ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɪl bi ˈlivɪŋ ˈɔfəs wɪθ ə loʊər ˈoʊvərˌɔl ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən ˈævərɪʤ əv ˈɛni ˈprɛzɪdənt sɪns ˈʤɪmi ˈkɑrtər. ˈoʊnli 29 əv əˈmɛrɪkənz ər ˈsætɪsˌfaɪd wɪθ ðə weɪ θɪŋz ər goʊɪŋ ɪn ðə juz. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈgæləp poʊl kənˈdəktəd ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə fərst wik əv ʤun. ðə ˈgæləp poʊl æst, ˈʤɛnərəl, ər ju ˈsætɪsˌfaɪd ər dɪˈsætəsˌfaɪd wɪθ ðə weɪ θɪŋz ər goʊɪŋ ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts æt ðɪs time?”*?” əˈmɛrɪkənz' ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən həz ˈævrɪʤd ˈoʊnli 24 əˈkrɔs ðə 89 mənθs əv ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən tɪ deɪt. ðə loʊ ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən ˈlɛvəlz əv ˈrisənt jɪrz minz ðət ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɪl bi ˈlivɪŋ ˈɔfəs wɪθ ən ˈoʊvərˌɔl ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən ˈævərɪʤ əv 24 fər hɪz ˈprɛzɪdənsi soʊ fɑr. ˌoʊˈbɑməz ˈnəmbərz ər loʊər ðən ðə ˈævərɪʤ ˈmɛʒərd əˈkrɔs ðə tərm əv ˈɛni ˈprɛzɪdənt sɪns ˈʤɪmi ˈkɑrtər. ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ˈnəmbərz ər fɑr bɪˈloʊ ðə 37 ˈoʊvərˌɔl ˈævərɪʤ sɪns ˈgæləp bɪˈgæn ˈmɛʒərɪŋ ɪn 1979 ˈgæləp həz ˈoʊnli θri ˈmɛʒərz əv ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən ˈteɪkən ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈkɑrtər ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən, ɔl ɪn 1979 ənd ðeɪ ˈævərɪʤ 19 ˈrisənt ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən ˈlɛvəlz ər ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli loʊ kəmˈpɛrd wɪθ ðə haɪ ˈlɛvəlz əv ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən ˈmɛʒərd ɪn ðə ˈəndər ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈrɑnəld ˈrigən, ɪn 1991 ˈæftər ðə fərst gəlf wɔr, ɪn ðə leɪt ənd ˈæftər ˈgæləp

according to gallup, americans' satisfaction levels with the way things are going in the u.s. are low and president obama will be leaving office with a lower overall satisfaction average of any president since jimmy carter. only 29% of americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the u.s. according to the gallup poll conducted during the first week of june. the gallup poll asked, “in general, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in the united states at this time?” americans' satisfaction has averaged only 24% across the 89 months of the obama administration to date. the low satisfaction levels of recent years means that obama will be leaving office with an overall satisfaction average of 24% for his presidency so far. obama's numbers are lower than the average measured across the term of any president since jimmy carter. the obama administration’s numbers are far below the 37% overall average since gallup began measuring in 1979. gallup has only three measures of satisfaction taken during the carter administration, all in 1979, and they average 19%. recent satisfaction levels are particularly low compared with the high levels of satisfaction measured in the mid-1980s under president ronald reagan, in 1991 after the first gulf war, in the late 1990s and after 9/11. h/t gallup

ɪf ðə ˈoʊpənɪŋ fɔr ənd ə hæf ˈmɪnəts əv rɛk ɪt rælf ɪz ˈɛni ˌɪndəˈkeɪʃən, ˈdɪzni həz əˈnəðər bɪg taɪm hɪt ɔn ðɛr hænz. ˈskɛʤʊld fər riˈlis noʊˈvɛmbər 2 2012 rɛk ɪt rælf ɪz ən oʊld skul, ˈvɪdioʊ geɪm bæd gaɪ, vɔɪst baɪ ʤɑn si. ˈraɪli, hu ɪz taɪərd əv biɪŋ bæd. wən naɪt, hi sniks aʊt əv hɪz geɪm ˈkɑnsoʊl ɪn ðə ɑrˈkeɪd ənd ˈtrævəlz tɪ ˈdɪfərənt geɪmz ˈhoʊpɪŋ tɪ faɪnd wən wɛr hi kən bi ə gʊd gaɪ. ˈfiʧərɪŋ ˈkæmiˌoʊz frəm ˈfeɪməs ˈvɪdioʊ geɪm ˈkɛrɪktərz, ˈɑməʤəz tɪ nuər geɪmz ənd mɔr, ðə ˈfʊtɪʤ ʃoʊn æt ðə ˈɛkspoʊ wɑz ˈvɛri krud ˌænəˈmeɪʃən kət wɪθ storyboards*. ˈivɪn ɪn ðət rəf steɪt, ɪt lʊkt ənd ˈsaʊndɪd laɪk ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈspɛʃəl. rɛd əˈbaʊt ðə sin ˈæftər ðə ʤəmp. ðə fɪlm bɪˈgɪnz ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə geɪm kɔld fɪks ɪt ˈfilɪks, jr*. (θɪŋk ˈdɔŋki kɔŋg jr*.) wɛr ə tɔl bist neɪmd rɛk ɪt rælf kəmz ɪn, dɪˈstrɔɪz ə ˈbɪldɪŋ, ənd ðə pleɪər ˈfilɪks həz tɪ fɪks ɪt. ˈdʊrɪŋ ðɪs, wi hir ə ˈvɔɪˌsoʊvər əv rælf ˈtɔkɪŋ əˈbaʊt haʊ ˈʤɛləs əv ɔl ðə ˈækəˌleɪdz ˈfilɪks gɪts waɪl ˈkɑnstəntli ʃənd. ʤɪst duɪŋ hɪz ʤɑb ɛz ðə bæd gaɪ. ðə ˈmuvi pʊlz aʊt frəm ðə geɪm tɪ ʃoʊ ðə haɪt əv ðə ɑrˈkeɪd ˈkəlʧər ɪn 1983 ənd ɛz ɪt sˈloʊli pʊlz bæk θru ðə speɪs, wi si ðə ˌɛvəˈluʃən əv ðə ɑrˈkeɪd ˈoʊvər ðə nɛkst θri ˈdɛkeɪdz. ˈminˌwaɪl, ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə məˈʃin, rælf goʊz əˈbaʊt hɪz ˈdeɪli laɪf. ə ʃɑt wər ðə ˈkæmərə ɪz ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə geɪm ənd ju kən lʊk aʊt ɔn life”*” ɪn ðə ɑrˈkeɪd. sɔrt əv tɔɪ ˈstɔri ɪn ən ɑrˈkeɪd geɪm. ðiz ˈkɛrɪktərz lɪv ˌɪnˈsaɪd wɪn ðə ɑrˈkeɪd ʃəts daʊn. ˈfilɪks ɪz bɪˈləvəd ənd rælf lɪvz æt ðə dəmp, sˈlipɪŋ ˈəndər brɪks. wi ðɛn si rælf goʊɪŋ tɪ ə səˈpɔrt grup kɔld bad-anon*. ˈsɪtɪŋ əraʊnd ðə ˈsərkəl, ɪn ˈstɔriˌbɔrd fɔrm æt list, ɪz ə goʊst frəm pæk mæk, ˈboʊzər frəm ˈsupər ˈmɑrioʊ, ə bɪg ˈdædi frəm ənd ˈivɪn ˈkɑnoʊ frəm ˈmɔrtəl ˈkɑmbæt ˈrɪpɪŋ aʊt hɑrt. ɔl ˈtɔkɪŋ əˈbaʊt haʊ ʤɪst bɪˈkəz ju ər ə bæd gaɪ, min ju ər ə ““bad”*” ““guy.”*.” ˈæftər ðə ˈfʊtɪʤ ˈɛndɪd, ðə dɪˈrɛktər, rɪʧ mʊr, keɪm aʊt ənd ʃoʊd səm stɪlz əv ðə geɪmz ðət rælf ʤəmps ˈɪntu, səʧ ɛz ə ˈbleɪtənt ˈheɪloʊ ˈrɪˌpɔf kɔld speɪs bəg ənd ə ˈreɪsɪŋ geɪm kɔld ˈʃʊgər rəʃ, wɪʧ ɪz wɛr wən əv ðə ˈəðər meɪn ˈkɛrɪktərz kəmz frəm. ðə plɑt dɪˈskrɪpʃən, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ səm ˈpriviəsli əˈnaʊnst ˈkæstɪŋ fər ðə fɪlm. wɔlt ˈdɪzni ˌænəˈmeɪʃən ˈstudiˌoʊz ənd dɪˈrɛktər rɪʧ mʊr simpsons,”*,” ““futurama”*”) teɪk ˈmuˌviˌgoʊərz ɔn ə hɪˈlɛriəs, ˈʤərni ɪn ralph,”*,” ðə ˈstɔri əv ən ɑrˈkeɪd geɪm bæd gaɪ dɪˈtərmənd tɪ pruv hi kən bi ə gʊd gaɪ. rælf (vɔɪs əv ʤɑn si. ˈraɪli) lɔŋz tɪ bi ɛz bɪˈləvəd ɛz hɪz ˈpərˌfɪkt gʊd gaɪ, ˈfilɪks (vɔɪs əv ʤæk məkˈbreɪər). ˈprɑbləm ɪz, ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi ləvz ə bæd gaɪ. bət ðeɪ du ləv heroes…*… soʊ wɪn ə ˈmɑdərn, ˈʃutər geɪm əraɪvz ˈfiʧərɪŋ ˈsɑrʤənt kæˈlhun (vɔɪs əv ʤeɪn lɪnʧ), rælf siz ɪt ɛz hɪz ˈtɪkɪt tɪ ˈhɛroʊˌɪzəm ənd ˈhæpinəs. hi sniks ˈɪntu ðə geɪm wɪθ ə ˈsɪmpəl ə sun rɛks ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ, ənd ˈæksədəntli ənˈliʃɪz ə ˈdɛdli ˈɛnəmi ðət θˈrɛtənz ˈɛvəri geɪm ɪn ðə ɑrˈkeɪd. ˈoʊnli hoʊp? vɔn (vɔɪs əv ˈsɛrə ˈsɪlvərˌmæn), ə jəŋ ““glitch”*” frəm ə kɑrt ˈreɪsɪŋ geɪm hu maɪt ʤɪst bi ðə wən tɪ tiʧ rælf wət ɪt minz tɪ bi ə gʊd gaɪ. bət wɪl hi ˈriəˌlaɪz hi ɪz gʊd ɪˈnəf tɪ bɪˈkəm ə ˈhɪroʊ ˌbiˈfɔr over”*” fər ðə ɪnˈtaɪər ɑrˈkeɪd? ralph,”*,” ən action-packed*, ˈvɪʒwəli ˈstənɪŋ ˈkɑmədi sɛt ɪn kənˈtræstɪŋ wərldz ðət ər laɪk ˈnəθɪŋ ˈɛvər ˌbiˈfɔr sin ɔn ðə bɪg skrin, ɪz prəˈdust baɪ klɑrk ˈspɛnsər stitch,”*,” ““bolt”*”). ˈteɪkɪŋ fən ənd geɪmz tɪ ə hoʊl nu ˈlɛvəl, ðə fɪlm sˈmæʃɪz ˈɪntu ˈθiətərz noʊv. 2 2012 ənd wɪl bi pərˈzɛnəd ɪn ˈdɪzni ˈdɪʤɪtəl 3d®*® ɪn səˈlɛkt ˈθiətərz. ˈsɪriəsli, ɛz ə fæn əv oʊld ˈvɪdioʊ geɪmz, ðɪs lʊks laɪk səʧ ən ˈɔsəm ˈmuvi. ənd, θæŋks tɪ ˈkəmɪŋ sun, ju kən ˈivɪn gɪt ə lʊk æt wət ðə fɪks ɪt ˈfilɪks jr*. geɪm lʊks laɪk.

if the opening four and a half minutes of wreck it ralph is any indication, disney has another big time hit on their hands. scheduled for release november 2, 2012, wreck it ralph is an old school, 8-bit video game bad guy, voiced by john c. reilly, who is tired of being bad. one night, he sneaks out of his game console in the arcade and travels to different games hoping to find one where he can be a good guy. featuring cameos from famous video game characters, homages to newer games and more, the footage shown at the d23 expo was very crude animation cut with storyboards. even in that rough state, it looked and sounded like something special. read about the scene after the jump. the film begins inside the 8-bit game called fix it felix, jr. (think donkey kong jr.) where a 9-foot tall beast named wreck it ralph comes in, destroys a building, and the player – felix – has to fix it. during this, we hear a voiceover of ralph talking about how jealous of all the accolades felix gets while constantly shunned. just doing his job as the bad guy. the movie pulls out from the game to show the height of the arcade culture in 1983 and as it slowly pulls back through the space, we see the evolution of the arcade over the next three decades. meanwhile, inside the machine, ralph goes about his daily life. there’s a shot were the camera is inside the game and you can look out on “real life” in the arcade. sort of toy story in an arcade game. these characters live inside when the arcade shuts down. felix is beloved and ralph lives at the dump, sleeping under bricks. we then see ralph going to a support group called bad-anon. sitting around the circle, in storyboard form at least, is a ghost from pac mac, bowser from super mario, a big daddy from bioshock and even kano from mortal kombat ripping out someone’s heart. they’re all talking about how just because you are a bad guy, doesn’t mean you are a “bad” “guy.” after the footage ended, the director, rich moore, came out and showed some stills of the games that ralph jumps into, such as a blatant halo ripoff called space bug and a racing game called sugar rush, which is where one of the other main characters comes from. here’s the plot description, including some previously announced casting for the film. walt disney animation studios and emmy®-winning director rich moore (tv’s “the simpsons,” “futurama”) take moviegoers on a hilarious, video-game-hopping journey in “wreck-it ralph,” the story of an arcade game bad guy determined to prove he can be a good guy. wreck-it ralph (voice of john c. reilly) longs to be as beloved as his game’s perfect good guy, fix-it felix (voice of jack mcbrayer). problem is, nobody loves a bad guy. but they do love heroes… so when a modern, first-person shooter game arrives featuring tough-as-nails sergeant calhoun (voice of jane lynch), ralph sees it as his ticket to heroism and happiness. he sneaks into the game with a simple plan—win a medal—but soon wrecks everything, and accidently unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens every game in the arcade. ralph’s only hope? vanellope von schweetz (voice of sarah silverman), a young troublemaking “glitch” from a candy-coated cart racing game who might just be the one to teach ralph what it means to be a good guy. but will he realize he is good enough to become a hero before “game over” for the entire arcade? “wreck-it ralph,” an action-packed, visually stunning cg comedy set in contrasting worlds that are like nothing ever before seen on the big screen, is produced by clark spencer (“lilo & stitch,” “bolt”). taking fun and games to a whole new level, the film smashes into theaters nov. 2, 2012, and will be presented in disney digital 3d® in select theaters. seriously, as a fan of old video games, this looks like such an awesome movie. and, thanks to coming soon, you can even get a look at what the fix it felix jr. game looks like.

ˈɛrɪk, ðə nationals’*’ tɔp ˈpɪʧɪŋ ˈprɑspɛkt, həz bɪn muvd tɪ ðə ˈbʊlˌpɛn, ə weɪ fər ðə ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən tɪ ˈbɛtər kənˈtroʊl hɪz ˈɪnɪŋz ɛz hi ˈhoʊpfəli əˈsɛndz tɪ ðə ˈrɑstər ðɪs ˈsizən. həz gɔn wɪθ ə ˈɪrə ɔn ðə ˈsizən. ɔn ˈtuzˌdeɪ, hi meɪd hɪz ˈdeɪbju rɪˈlif əˈpɪrəns fər ðə ˈhɛrɪsbərg ˈsɛnətərz, ðə nationals’*’ əˈfɪliˌeɪt, əˈlaʊɪŋ wən ərnd rən ɔn wən hɪt ənd ə wɔk wɪθ tu ˈstraɪˌkaʊts ˈoʊvər wən ˈɪnɪŋ pɪʧt. maɪk ˈrɪzoʊ wɑz æst əˈbaʊt nu roʊl ɛz pɑrt əv ðə bərk ˈhərbərt bæŋk fæn kˈwɛʃən əv ðə wik ˈdʊrɪŋ hɪz ˈwikli əˈpɪrəns wɪθ ðə spɔrts ˈʤəŋkiz. du ju laɪk ˈɛrɪk goʊɪŋ θru ðə ˈbʊlˌpɛn ˈstɑrtɪŋ ðə rɛst əv ðə ˈsizən? du ju laɪk ˈrutɪŋ jəŋ ˈstɑrtərz θru ðət ˈbʊlˌpɛn, ər ɪz ðət dən ʤɪst tɪ ˈlɪmət hɪz ˈɪnɪŋz ˈkəmɪŋ bæk frəm ən ˈɪnʤəri? ʧək ɪn d.c*. ˈænsər ɪz boʊθ, ənd jɛs aɪ du laɪk ɪt, bɪˈkəz ðə wən hu keɪm əp wɪθ ðə plan,”*,” ðə ˈnæʃənəlz ˈʤɛnərəl ˈmænɪʤər ənd ˈprɛzɪdənt əv ˈbeɪsˈbɔl ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz sɛd ˈθərzˌdeɪ. du laɪk ɪt. ə weɪ əv ˌɪnˈkɔrpərˌeɪtɪŋ jəŋ ˈmeɪʤər lig ˈpɪʧərz ˈɪntu ðə bɪg ligz wɪˈθaʊt θroʊɪŋ ðɛm ˈɪntu ðə dip ɛnd əv ðə pool.”*.” ə ˈpræktɪs juzd baɪ ðə ˈkɑrdɪnəlz ənd ðə breɪvz fər jɪrz ənd jɪrz ɔn haʊ tɪ jəŋ ˈpɪʧərz ˈɪntu ðə bɪg leagues,”*,” ˈrɪzoʊ sɛd. stɑrt aʊt ɪn ðə ˈbʊlˌpɛn, ðeɪ gɪt ə gʊd teɪst fər ɪt. ju ˈgræʤuəli strɛʧ aʊt ənd wərk out.”*.” ðə næts hæv bɪn əˈspɛʃəli ˈkɛrfəl wɪθ, bɪɔnd ðə ˈnɔrməl əv ə jəŋ ɑrm, sɪns hi ɪz ə ˈfɔrmər ˈtɑmi ʤɑn rɪˈsɪpiənt. hi ˌəndərˈwɛnt ðə prəˈsiʤər ɪn 2014 ʤɪst praɪər tɪ biɪŋ səˈlɛktɪd ɛz ə baɪ ðə ˈnæʃənəlz. sɪns ˈmɪsɪŋ ɔl əv hɪz ˈrʊki ˈsizən, həz bɪn ɔn strɪkt ˈɪnɪŋz ˈlɪmɪts, ˈsɪmələr tɪ ðoʊz ˌɪmˈpoʊzd ɔn ˈstivən ər ˈfɔrmər næts ˈpɪʧər ˈʤɔrdən ˈzɪmərmən, ɛz ˈstɛdəli klaɪmd θru ðɛr ˈmaɪnər lig ˈsɪstəm. si ˈɛrɪk ɛz wən əv ɑr ˈstɑrtɪŋ ˈpɪʧərz əv ðə future,”*,” ˈrɪzoʊ sɛd. fɛlt ðət, bɪˈkəz əv ðə ˈɪnɪŋz ˈlɪmət ðət hi hæd, ɪf wi kənˈtɪnjud ɪm ɛz ə ˈstɑrtər ɪn ðə ˈmaɪnər ligz, hi rənz aʊt əv ˈɪnɪŋz ɪn ˈərli sɛpˈtɛmbər, soʊ ðɪs kɪlz ə lɔt əv bərdz wɪθ wən stone.”*.” gɪt ɪm ə teɪst əv ðə bɪg ligz wɛˈnɛvər ˈrɛdi tɪ kəm up,”*,” hi sɛd. fɪlz ə nid fər ˈjuˈɛs ɪn ə ˈbʊlˌpɛn roʊl. gɑt ˈrɪli, ˈrɪli gʊd stəf ənd wi kən kənˈtroʊl hɪz ˈɪnɪŋz, bɪˈkəz wi hæv ɑr ʤɑn ˈproʊtəˌkɔl ðət wi əˈdhɪr tɪ kwaɪt ˈstrɪnʤəntli bɪˈkəz players’*’ hɛlθ ənd ɑrm ˈseɪfti ɪz ˈpɛrəˌmaʊnt ɪn wət wi du wɪθ ɑr pitchers.”*.” ˈfɑloʊ ənd ɔn tˈwɪtər

erick fedde, the nationals’ top pitching prospect, has been moved to the bullpen, a way for the organization to better control his innings as he hopefully ascends to the big-league roster this season. fedde has gone 2-3 with a 3.30 era on the season. on tuesday, he made his debut relief appearance for the harrisburg senators, the nationals’ class-aa affiliate, allowing one earned run on one hit and a walk with two strikeouts over one inning pitched. mike rizzo was asked about fedde’s new role as part of the burke & herbert bank fan question of the week during his weekly appearance with the sports junkies. do you like erick fedde going through the bullpen starting the rest of the season? do you like routing young starters through that bullpen, or is that done just to limit his innings coming back from an injury? chuck in d.c. “the answer is both, and yes i do like it, because i’m the one who came up with the plan,” the nationals general manager and president of baseball operations said thursday. “i do like it. it’s a way of incorporating young major league pitchers into the big leagues without throwing them feet-first into the deep end of the pool.” “it’s a practice used by the cardinals and the braves for years and years on how to indoctrinate young pitchers into the big leagues,” rizzo said. “you start ’em out in the bullpen, they get a good taste for it. you gradually stretch ’em out and work ’em out.” the nats have been especially careful with fedde, beyond the normal mindfulness of a young arm, since he is a former tommy john recipient. he underwent the procedure in 2014, just prior to being selected as a first-rounder by the nationals. since missing all of his rookie season, fedde has been on strict innings limits, similar to those imposed on stephen stasburg or former nats pitcher jordan zimmermann, as he’s steadily climbed through their minor league system. “we see erick fedde as one of our starting pitchers of the future,” rizzo said. “we felt that, because of the innings limit that he had, if we continued him as a starter in the minor leagues, he runs out of innings in early september, so this kills a lot of birds with one stone.” “we get him a taste of the big leagues whenever he’s ready to come up,” he said. “he fills a need for us in a bullpen role. he’s got really, really good stuff and we can control his innings, because we have our post-tommy john protocol that we adhere to quite stringently because players’ health and arm safety is paramount in what we do with our pitchers.” follow @chrislingebach and @1067thefan on twitter

rɪˈpəblɪkən ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ˌnɑməˈni ˈdɑnəld trəmp ˈfɔlsli kleɪmd ɔn sɛpt. 16 ðət ˈhɪləri ˈklɪntən wɑz riˈspɑnsəbəl fər ˈstɑrtɪŋ ðə ˈmuvmənt ðət əˈkjuzd ˈprɛzɪdənt ˌoʊˈbɑmə əv laɪɪŋ əˈbaʊt hɪz ˈbərθˌpleɪs. (ðə ˈwɔʃɪŋtən poʊst) rɪˈpəblɪkən ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ˈkænədɪt ˈdɑnəld trəmp ɔn ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ækˈnɑlɪʤd fər ðə fərst taɪm ðət ˈprɛzɪdənt ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɑz bɔrn ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts, ˈɛndɪŋ hɪz lɔŋ ˈhɪstəri əv ˈstoʊkɪŋ ənˈfaʊndɪd daʊts əˈbaʊt ðə fərst ˈæfrɪkənəˈmɛrɪkən ˈprɛzɪdənt bət ˈɔlsoʊ ˈsikɪŋ tɪ ˈfɔlsli bleɪm ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈraɪvəl ˈhɪləri ˈklɪntən fər ˈstɑrtɪŋ ðə ˈrumərz. "ˈhɪləri ˈklɪntən ənd hər kæmˈpeɪn əv 2008 ˈstɑrtɪd ðə ˈkɑntrəˌvərsi. aɪ ˈfɪnɪʃt ɪt. aɪ ˈfɪnɪʃt ɪt, ju noʊ wət aɪ min," trəmp sɛd æt hɪz ˈnuli ˈoʊpənd ˈləgʒəri hoʊˈtɛl ɪn ˈwɔʃɪŋtən ɔn ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ˈmɔrnɪŋ. "ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈbɑrək ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɑz bɔrn ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts. ˈpɪriəd." ðɪs ɪz nɑt ðə fərst taɪm ðət trəmp həz əˈkjuzd ˈklɪntən əv fərst ˈreɪzɪŋ kˈwɛsʧənz əˈbaʊt ˌoʊˈbɑməz ˈbərθˌpleɪs, ən əˈsərʃən ðət həz bɪn rɪˈpitɪdli dɪˈspruvd baɪ hu faʊnd noʊ ˈɛvədəns ðət ˈklɪntən ər hər kæmˈpeɪn kˈwɛsʧənd ˌoʊˈbɑməz bərθ sərˈtɪfɪkət ər hɪz ˈsɪtɪzənˌʃɪp. ˈklɪntən, hu ˈɔlsoʊ spoʊk ɪn d.c*. ɔn ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ˈmɔrnɪŋ, sɛd trəmp oʊz ˌoʊˈbɑmə ən əˈpɑləˌʤi fər prəˈmoʊtɪŋ ə fɔls ˈθɪri əˈbaʊt hɪz ˈbərθˌpleɪs. ʃi dɪd nɑt dɪˈrɛkli ˈæˌdrɛs ðə trəmp əˈsərʃən ðət hər oʊn 2008 kæmˈpeɪn prəˈmoʊtəd ðə seɪm ˈθɪri, bət hər ˈkɑrənt kæmˈpeɪn ˈflætli rɪˈʤɛktɪd ðət kleɪm. faɪv jɪrz, hi həz lɛd ðə ˈmuvmənt tɪ ɑr fərst blæk president,”*,” ˈklɪntən sɛd. "hɪz kæmˈpeɪn wɑz ˈfaʊndɪd ɔn ðɪs aʊˈtreɪʤəs laɪ. ðɛr ɪz noʊ ɪˈreɪsɪŋ ɪt ɪn ˈhɪstəri." [ˈdɑnəld trəmps rɪˈdɪkjələs kleɪm ðət ˈhɪləri ˈklɪntən ˈstɑrtɪd ðə ˈmuvmənt] ˌoʊˈbɑmə toʊld rɪˈpɔrtərz ɔn ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ðət hi ˈprɪti ˈkɑnfədənt əˈbaʊt wɛr aɪ wɑz born,”*,” ənd waɪt haʊs prɛs ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri ʤɑʃ ˈərnɪst ˈædɪd ɔn ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ˌæftərˈnun: rɪˈgɑrd tɪ ən əˈpɑləˌʤi, aɪ θɪŋk ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt məʧ cares.”*.” trəmps brif ˈsteɪtmənt keɪm ˈdʊrɪŋ ə kæmˈpeɪn ɪˈvɛnt æt hɪz ˈnuli ˈoʊpənd hoʊˈtɛl ɔn ˌpɛnsəlˈveɪnjə ˈævəˌnu ɪn ˈwɔʃɪŋtən. ðə ɪˈvɛnt bɪˈgæn mɔr ðən ən aʊər ˈleɪtər ðən ˈskɛʤʊld, ənd fər ðə fərst 25 ˈmɪnəts, ə ˈsɪriz əv ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˈvɛtərənz tɔkt əˈbaʊt waɪ ðeɪ səˈpɔrt ɪm fər ˈprɛzɪdənt. ðə ˈlaɪˌnəp ˌɪnˈkludɪd lt*. ˈʤɛnərəl ˈtɑməs ʤi. ˈmækənɛrni, hu həz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈpəblɪkli kˈwɛsʧənd ðə ˈprɛzɪdənts pleɪs əv bərθ. ˈmɛni əv ðə ˈmeɪʤər ˈkeɪbəl ˈnɛtˌwərks ˈkɛrid ðiz ˈkɑmɛnts lɪv, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ˈsɛvərəl kət əˈweɪ ɛz ðə ɪˈvɛnt drægd ɔn. trəmp tʊk noʊ kˈwɛsʧənz frəm rɪˈpɔrtərz, hu wər ˈsitɪd bɪˈhaɪnd ˈsɛvərəl roʊz əv ˈʧɪrɪŋ trəmp səˈpɔrtərz. rɪˈpɔrtərz, səm ˈstændɪŋ ɔn ʧɛrz, traɪd tɪ ʃaʊt aʊt kˈwɛsʧənz, wɪθ wən rɪˈpɔrtər ˈjɛlɪŋ: "teɪk səm kˈwɛsʧənz!" ˈklɪntənz kæmˈpeɪn ˈmænɪʤər ˈrɑbi mʊk sɛd ɪn ə ˈsteɪtmənt ðət ðə ɪˈvɛnt wɑz "dɪsˈgreɪsfəl." "ˈæftər faɪv jɪrz əv ˈpʊʃɪŋ ə ˈreɪsɪst kənˈspɪrəsi ˈθɪri ˈɪntu ðə ˈmeɪnˌstrim, ɪt wɑz əˈpɔlɪŋ tɪ wɔʧ trəmp əˈpɔɪnt hɪmˈsɛlf ðə ʤəʤ əv ˈwɛðər ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt əv ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts ɪz əˈmɛrɪkən," mʊk sɛd. "ðɪs ˈsɪkənɪŋ dɪˈspleɪ ʃoʊz mɔr ðən ˈɛvər waɪ ˈdɑnəld trəmp ɪz ˈtoʊtəli ənˈfɪt tɪ bi president.”*.” fər jɪrz, trəmp həz bɪn ðə moʊst ˈprɑmənənt ˈbækər əv ðə ˈsoʊˈkɔld ˈmuvmənt, wɪʧ lərkt ɪn ðə dɑrk ˈkɔrnərz əv ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt ənˈtɪl trəmp fɔrst ɪt ˈɪntu ðə ˈmeɪnˌstrim. waɪl ˈdrəmɪŋ əp pəˈblɪsɪti fər hɪz oʊn ˈpɑsəbəl rən fər ðə waɪt haʊs ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə læst ɪˈlɛkʃən ˈsaɪkəl, trəmp bɪˈgæn tɪ əˈgrɛsɪvli kˈwɛʃən kˌwɑləfəˈkeɪʃənz fər ˈɔfəs. trəmp ˈnɛvər keɪm aʊt ənd sɛd wɛr hi θɪŋks ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt wɑz bɔrn, bət hi dɪˈmændɪd tɪ si ðə bərθ sərˈtɪfɪkət ənd ˈəðər ˈrɛkərdz. trəmp ˈɔlsoʊ kleɪmd tɪ hæv haɪərd ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪtərz. kˈwɛsʧənz əˈbaʊt ˌoʊˈbɑməz ˈbərθˌpleɪs fərst ˈsərfɪst ɪn 2008 ɛz hi feɪst ˈklɪntən ɪn ðə ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈpraɪˌmɛri. ɪn ðə spərɪŋ əv ðət jɪr, səm əv ˈklɪntənz səˈpɔrtərz ˈsərkjəˌleɪtɪd əˈnɑnəməs iˈmeɪlz kˈwɛsʧənɪŋ ˌoʊˈbɑməz ˈsɪtɪzənˌʃɪp bət ðɛr ɪz noʊ ˈɛvədəns ˈlɪŋkɪŋ ðoʊz ˈmɛsɪʤɪz tɪ ˈklɪntən ər hər kæmˈpeɪn. ðə həˈwaɪˌi dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv hɛlθ kənˈfərmd ðət ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɑz bɔrn ɪn ˌhɑnəˈlulu. ɪn ˈeɪprəl 2011 ˈfɑloʊɪŋ rɪˈnud kˈwɛsʧənz reɪzd baɪ trəmp, ˌoʊˈbɑmə riˈlist hɪz həˈwaɪən bərθ sərˈtɪfɪkət ɪn ðə neɪm əv ˈpʊtɪŋ ɔl əv ðə kənˈspɪrəsi ˈθɪriz tɪ rɛst, ənd trəmp kənˈgræʧəˌleɪtɪd hɪmˈsɛlf ənd sɛd ðət hi "əˈkɑmplɪʃt ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi ɛls həz bɪn ˈeɪbəl tɪ əˈkɑmplɪʃ." bət trəmp rɪˈvaɪz hɪz pəˈzɪʃən ənd rɪˈpitɪdli kˈwɛsʧənd ðə vəˈlɪdɪti əv ðə ˈdɑkjəmɛnt ˌoʊˈbɑmə riˈlist. ɪn ən ɑkˈtoʊbər 2011 ˈɪntərvˌju wɪθ ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn, trəmp sɛd ðət ɪf "ju ʧɛk aʊt ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt, ˈmɛni ˈpipəl seɪ ɪt ɪz nɑt ril." ɪn ˈɔgəst 2012 trəmp ðət "ən 'ɪkˈstrimli ˈkrɛdəbəl sɔrs' həz kɔld maɪ ˈɔfəs ənd toʊld mi ðət bərθ sərˈtɪfɪkət ɪz ə frɔd." deɪz ˌbiˈfɔr ðə 2012 ɪˈlɛkʃən, trəmp ˈpoʊstɪd ə ˈvɪdioʊ ˈɔnˌlaɪn ðət ˈleɪbəld ˌoʊˈbɑmə "ðə list trænˈspɛrənt ˈprɛzɪdənt ɪn ðə ˈhɪstəri əv ðɪs ˈkəntri" ənd dɪˈmændɪd ðət ˌoʊˈbɑmə riˈlis hɪz ˈkɑlɪʤ ˈrɛkərdz, ˈkɑlɪʤ ˌæpləˈkeɪʃənz ənd ˈpæˌspɔrt ˈrɛkərdz. trəmp sɛd ðət ɪf hi ræn fər ˈprɛzɪdənt, hi wʊd riˈlis hɪz tæks rɪˈtərnz ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət hi naʊ rɪfˈjuzɪz tɪ du bɪˈkəz hi sɪz ˈsɛvərəl jɪrz əv hɪz rɪˈtərnz ər ˈəndər ˈɔdɪt baɪ ðə ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˈrɛvəˌnu ˈsərvɪs. trəmp ɪz ðə fərst ˌnɑməˈni frəm ə ˈmeɪʤər ˈpɑrti sɪns 1976 tɪ nɑt riˈlis hɪz rɪˈtərnz, ənd hi həz ˈɔlsoʊ dɪˈklaɪnd tɪ riˈlis ˌdɑkjəmɛnˈteɪʃən əv hɪz waɪfs ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən frəm sˌloʊˈviniə, fʊl ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈrɛkərdz ənd ˈəðər ˈdɑkjəmənts ˈtɪpɪkəli ʃɛrd baɪ ˌnɑməˈniz. [ˈivɪn wɪθ nu ˈditeɪlz, trəmp stɪl ðə list trænˈspɛrənt ˈkænədɪt ɪn ˈmɑdərn taɪmz] wɪn trəmp lɔnʧt hɪz ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl bɪd ɪn ʤun 2015 hi kənˈtɪnjud tɪ seɪ ɪn ˈɪntərvˌjuz ðət hi ˈdɪdənt noʊ ɪf ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɑz bɔrn ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts, bət hi ˈdɪdənt dwɛl ɔn ðə ˈɪʃu ɛz hi wəns dɪd. ɔn ðə kæmˈpeɪn treɪl, trəmp rɪˈpitɪdli səˈʤɛstɪd ðət ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt maɪt nɑt bi ˈkrɪsʧɪn ər ðət hi maɪt ˈsɪmpəˌθaɪz wɪθ ˌɪzˈlɑmɪk steɪt ˈtɛrəˌrɪsts. ɪn ˈʤænjuˌɛri, trəmp sɛd ɔn ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn ðət hi ˈdəzənt noʊ wɛr ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt wɑz bɔrn. "hu noʊz? hu noʊz? hu kɛrz raɪt naʊ," trəmp sɛd ɔn ʤæn. 6 ɔn ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn. "wɪr ˈtɔkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˈsəmθɪŋ ɛls, ˌoʊˈkeɪ? aɪ min, aɪ hæv maɪ oʊn ˈθɪri ɔn ˌoʊˈbɑmə. ˈsəmˌdeɪ aɪl raɪt ə bʊk. aɪl du əˈnəðər bʊk, ənd ɪt wɪl du ˈvɛri səkˈsɛsfəli." ə ˈsaɪzəbəl ˈnəmbər əv ˈvoʊtərz əˈgrid wɪθ trəmp. ə 2010 ˈwɔʃɪŋtən nuz poʊl faʊnd 20 pərˈsɛnt seɪɪŋ ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɑz bɔrn ɪn əˈnəðər ˈkəntri waɪl 77 pərˈsɛnt sɛd hi wɑz bɔrn ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts. mɪspərˈsɛpʃənz ˈpləmətɪd tɪ 10 pərˈsɛnt ɪn ə 2011 poʊl ˈæftər ˌoʊˈbɑmə riˈlist hɪz bərθ sərˈtɪfɪkət, bət ə poʊl læst sɛpˈtɛmbər faʊnd ðeɪ hæd əˈgɛn rɪˈtərnd tɪ 20 pərˈsɛnt. ɪn ðə ˈleɪtəst ˈsərˌveɪ, bɪˈlifs ðət ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɑz bɔrn ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts pikt æt 26 pərˈsɛnt əˈməŋ rɪˈpəblɪkənz ənd 34 pərˈsɛnt əˈməŋ ti ˈpɑrti səˈpɔrtərz, kəmˈpɛrd wɪθ 19 pərˈsɛnt əv ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənts ənd 12 pərˈsɛnt əv ˈdɛməˌkræts. əˈməŋ ɔl ðoʊz hu sɛd ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɑz bɔrn ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts, əˈbaʊt hæf θɔt ðɛr ɪz evidence”*” fər ðɛr vju waɪl ðə rɛst sɛd ðɪs wɑz ˈoʊnli ðɛr səˈspɪʃən. səʧ əˈtæks hæv kɔzd ˈmɛni blæk ˈvoʊtərz tɪ tərn ˈʃɑrpli əˈgɛnst trəmp, əˈfɛndɪd ðət hi wʊd ˈʧælənʤ ðə kˌwɑləfəˈkeɪʃənz əv ðə fərst blæk ˈprɛzɪdənt. ɛz trəmp bɪˈgæn tɪ meɪk ən əˈgrɛsɪv pɪʧ tɪ məˈnɔrəti ˈvoʊtərz ɪn ˈɔgəst, ðɛr wɑz rɪˈnud dəˈbeɪt ˈoʊvər ˈprɑmənənt roʊl ɪn ðə ˈmoʊmənt. ɔn ˈleɪbər deɪ, rɪˈpɔrtərz əˈbɔrd trəmps pleɪn æst ɪm wɛr ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt wɑz bɔrn, ənd trəmp rɪfˈjuzd tɪ ˈænsər. tɔk əˈbaʊt ɪt bɪˈkəz ɪf aɪ tɔk əˈbaʊt ðət, jʊr hoʊl θɪŋ wɪl bi əˈbaʊt that,”*,” trəmp sɛd. aɪ tɔk əˈbaʊt it.”*.” [trəmp woʊnt tɔk əˈbaʊt biɪŋ ə ər ˈmɛni ˈəðər ˌkɑntrəˈvərʃəl ˈkɑmɛnts] ˈərliər ðɪs mənθ, ˈfɔrmər rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈkænədɪt bɛn ˈkɑrzən hu naʊ ædˈvaɪzɪz trəmp ɔn reɪs ˈɪʃuz sɛd ɔn ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn ðət trəmp kʊd ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli ˌɪmˈpruv hɪz riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp wɪθ ˈæfrɪkɑn əˈmɛrɪkən ˈvoʊtərz baɪ əˈpɑləˌʤaɪzɪŋ fər kˈwɛsʧənɪŋ ðə pleɪs əv bərθ. trəmps tɔp kæmˈpeɪn eɪdz ˌɪnˈsɪstɪd ðət ðə rɪˈpəblɪkən ˌnɑməˈni bɪˈlivz ðət ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɑz bɔrn ɪn həˈwaɪˌi. ɪn ən ˈɪntərvˌju wɪθ ðə ˈwɔʃɪŋtən poʊst ðət wɑz ˈpəblɪʃt ɔn ˈθərzˌdeɪ, trəmp wɑz ənˈwɪlɪŋ tɪ seɪ ðət ˈprɛzɪdənt ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɑz bɔrn ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts. ʤɪst wɔnt tɪ ˈænsər ɪt jɛt," trəmp sɛd ɪn ən ˈɪntərvˌju ɪn oʊˈhaɪoʊ ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ naɪt. kæmˈpeɪn sɛd ˈθərzˌdeɪ naɪt ðət hi dɪz bɪˈliv ˌoʊˈbɑmə wɑz bɔrn ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts, ənd sɛd hi dɪˈzərvz ˈkrɛdɪt fər ˈpʊtɪŋ kˈwɛsʧənz əˈbaʊt ˌoʊˈbɑməz bərθ tɪ rɛst. ˈərli ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ˈmɔrnɪŋ, trəmp sɛd ɪn ən ˈɪntərvˌju ɔn fɑks ˈbɪznɪs ðət hi wʊd meɪk "ə bɪg əˈnaʊnsmɛnt" əˈbaʊt hɪz stæns ɔn ðə ˈprɛzɪdənts ˈbərθˌpleɪs ˈdʊrɪŋ ə kæmˈpeɪn ɪˈvɛnt æt ðə nu ˈləgʒəri hoʊˈtɛl ðət hi ˈoʊpənd ðɪs mənθ ɪn ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn ˈwɔʃɪŋtən. "ju wɔʧ maɪ ˈsteɪtmənt," trəmp sɛd. "wi hæv tɪ kip ðə səˈspɛns goʊɪŋ. ˌoʊˈkeɪ? soʊ ju wɔʧ." ʃɔn ˈsəlɪvən, skɑt ˈklɛmənt, æn ˈgɪrən ənd ˈdeɪvɪd nɑkɑˈmʊrə kənˈtrɪbjutɪd tɪ ðɪs rɪˈpɔrt.

republican presidential nominee donald trumplsely claimed on sept. 16 that hillary clinton was responsible for starting the birther movement that accused president obama of lying about his birthplace. (the washington post) republican presidential candidate donald trump on friday acknowledged for the first time that president obama was born in the united states, ending his long history of stoking unfounded doubts about the nation’s first african-american president but also seeking tolsely blame democratic rival hillary clinton for starting the rumors. "hillary clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. i finished it. i finished it, you know what i mean," trump said at his newly opened luxury hotel in washington on friday morning. "president barack obama was born in the united states. period." this is not the first time that trump has accused clinton of first raising questions about obama's birthplace, an assertion that has been repeatedly disproved byct-checkers who found no evidence that clinton or her campaign questioned obama's birth certificate or his citizenship. clinton, who also spoke in d.c. on friday morning, said trump owes obama an apology for promoting alse theory about his birthplace. she did not directly address the trump assertion that her own 2008 campaign promoted the same theory, but her current campaign flatly rejected that claim. “for five years, he has led the birther movement to delegitimize our first black president,” clinton said. "his campaign was founded on this outrageous lie. there is no erasing it in history." [donald trump's ridiculous claim that hillary clinton started the birther movement] obama told reporters on friday that he “was pretty confident about where i was born,” and white house press secretary josh earnest added on friday afternoon: “with regard to an apology, i don’t think the president much cares.” trump's brief statement came during a campaign event at his newly opened hotel on pennsylvania avenue in washington. the event began more than an hour later than scheduled, and for the first 25 minutes, a series of military veterans talked about why they support him for president. the line-up included lt. general thomas g. mcinerney, who has also publicly questioned the president's place of birth. many of the major cable networks carried these comments live, although several cut away as the event dragged on. trump took no questions from reporters, who were seated behind several rows of cheering trump supporters. reporters, some standing on chairs, tried to shout out questions, with one reporter yelling: "take some questions!" clinton's campaign manager robby mook said in a statement that the event was "disgraceful." "after five years of pushing a racist conspiracy theory into the mainstream, it was appalling to watch trump appoint himself the judge of whether the president of the united states is american," mook said. "this sickening display shows more than ever why donald trump is totally unfit to be president.” for years, trump has been the most prominent backer of the so-called birther movement, which lurked in the dark corners of the internet until trump forced it into the mainstream. while drumming up publicity for his own possible run for the white house during the last election cycle, trump began to aggressively question obama’s qualifications for office. trump never came out and said where he thinks the president was born, but he demanded to see the president’s longform birth certificate and other records. trump also claimed to have hired investigators. questions about obama's birthplace first surfaced in 2008 as heced clinton in the democratic primary. in the spring of that year, some of clinton's supporters circulated anonymous emails questioning obama's citizenship but there is no evidence linking those messages to clinton or her campaign. the hawaii department of health confirmed that obama was born in honolulu. in april 2011, following renewed questions raised by trump, obama released his longform hawaiian birth certificate in the name of putting all of the conspiracy theories to rest, and trump congratulated himself and said that he "accomplished something that nobody else has been able to accomplish." but trump didn’t revise his position and repeatedly questioned the validity of the document obama released. in an october 2011 interview with cnn, trump said that if "you check out the internet, many people say it is not real." in august 2012, trump tweeted that "an 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @barackobama's birth certificate is a fraud." days before the 2012 election, trump posted a video online that labeled obama "the least transparent president in the history of this country" and demanded that obama release his college records, college applications and passport records. trump said that if he ran for president, he would release his tax returns — something that he now refuses to do because he says several years of his returns are under audit by the internal revenue service. trump is the first nominee from a major party since 1976 to not release his returns, and he has also declined to release documentation of his wife's immigration from slovenia, full medical records and other documents typically shared by nominees. [even with new details, trump still the least transparent candidate in modern times] when trump launched his long-shot presidential bid in june 2015, he continued to say in interviews that he didn't know if obama was born in the united states, but he didn't dwell on the issue as he once did. on the campaign trail, trump repeatedly suggested that the president might not be christian or that he might sympathize with islamic state terrorists. in january, trump said on cnn that he doesn't know where the president was born. "who knows? who knows? who cares right now," trump said on jan. 6 on cnn. "we're talking about something else, okay? i mean, i have my own theory on obama. someday i'll write a book. i'll do another book, and it will do very successfully." a sizable number of voters agreed with trump. a 2010 washington post-abc news poll found 20 percent saying obama was born in another country while 77 percent said he was born in the united states. misperceptions plummeted to 10 percent in a 2011 post-abc poll after obama released his longform birth certificate, but a cnn-orc poll last september found they had again returned to 20 percent. in the latest survey, beliefs that obama was born outside the united states peaked at 26 percent among republicans and 34 percent among self-identified tea party supporters, compared with 19 percent of independents and 12 percent of democrats. among all those who said obama was born outside the united states, about half thought there is “solid evidence” for their view while the rest said this was only their suspicion. such attacks have caused many black voters to turn sharply against trump, offended that he would challenge the qualifications of the country’s first black president. as trump began to make an aggressive pitch to minority voters in august, there was renewed debate over trump’s prominent role in the birther moment. on labor day, reporters aboard trump's plane asked him where the president was born, and trump refused to answer. “i don’t talk about it because if i talk about that, your whole thing will be about that,” trump said. “so i don’t talk about it.” [trump won't talk about being a birther or many other controversial comments] earlier this month, former republican candidate ben carson — who now advises trump on race issues — said on cnn that trump could immediately improve his relationship with african american voters by apologizing for questioning the president’s place of birth. trump's top campaign aides insisted that the republican nominee believes that obama was born in hawaii. in an interview with the washington post that was published on thursday, trump was unwilling to say that president obama was born in the united states. “i just don’t want to answer it yet," trump said in an interview in ohio on wednesday night. trump’s campaign said thursday night that he does believe obama was born in the united states, and said he deserves credit for putting questions about obama's birth to rest. early friday morning, trump said in an interview on fox business that he would make "a big announcement" about his stance on the president's birthplace during a campaign event at the new luxury hotel that he opened this month in downtown washington. "you watch my statement," trump said. "we have to keep the suspense going. okay? so you watch." sean sullivan, scott clement, anne gearan and david nakamura contributed to this report.

blɪθ ˈspɑrtənz frəm ðə lig prɛˈmɪr dɪˈvɪʒən hæv bɪn ˈhændɪd ə ˈdərbi ɪn ðə kəp ˈsɛkənd raʊnd ɛz ðeɪ ˈtrævəl tɪ feɪs. ðə ˈaʊtˌfɪt ˈoʊvərˈkeɪm æt ðə ˈwiˌkɪnd ənd wɪl naʊ meɪk ðə ʃɔrt trɪp tɪ feɪs ə pulz saɪd hu sɪt ˈbɑtəm əv lig tu. ðə loʊəst ræŋkt tim lɛft ɪn ðə ˌkɑmpəˈtɪʃən ər ˈwɔrɪŋtən əv dɪˈvɪʒən wən nɔrθ ənd ðeɪ hæv bɪn ˈhændɪd ə trɪp tɪ ˈkɑnfərəns ɛz rɪˈwɔrd fər dɪˈfitɪŋ lig tu ˈɛksɪtər. ðə ˈspɑrtənz ˈmænɪʤər tɑm weɪd ɪz naʊ ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈfɔrwərd tɪ ə ˈsɛˌlaʊt klæʃ ɔn ðə ˈwiˌkɪnd əv 5 6 ənd 7 dɪˈsɛmbər. bi ə lɔt there,”*,” hi toʊld ˌbibiˈsi tu. ˈprɑbəˌbli bi ə sɛl aʊt. bi ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈfɔrwərd tɪ ɪt. pleɪ ˈɛnibədi, ɪn ðə hæt, gɑt ə ʧæns. aɪ θɪŋk ˈɛvriˌbɑdi həz gɑt ə ʧæns ənd ʤɪst gɑt tɪ ðɛr ənd gɪv ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ got.”*.” ðə ˈwɔrɪŋtən ˈmænɪʤər ʃɔn rid wɑz glæd tɪ əˈvɔɪd ə lig tim ənd wɑz ˈkɑnfədənt hɪz saɪd wʊd əˈproʊʧ ðə mæʧ ɪn ðə seɪm ˈmænər ɛz ðeɪ dɪd ðɛr taɪ. ə gʊd drɔ fər us,”*,” hi sɛd. ə ˈdisənt saɪd. ʤɪst gɑt tɪ goʊ əˈbaʊt ɪt ðə weɪ wi wɛnt ðə ˈəðər deɪ. wi goʊ ˈɪntu ˈɛni geɪm wɪθ fɪr. ɪn ðə kəp ənd ðət θɪŋ ˈoʊvər ðɛr ʤɪst brɪŋz aʊt ðə bɛst ɪn ˈpipəl. goʊ ðɛr ˈkɑnfədənt ənd gɪv ə gʊd əˈkaʊnt əv ɑrˈsɛlvz ənd hæv ə raɪt gʊd go.”*.” ˈkɑnfərəns nɔrθ ˈwʊstər nɑkt aʊt lig wən ˈkəvəntri ənd ðeɪ wɪl nɛkst feɪs mɔr ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən ɪn. əˈnəðər təf drɔ ɔn ðə roʊd again,”*,” sɛd ˈmænɪʤər kɑrl heeley*. ʤɪst dɪˈlaɪtɪd tɪ bi hir, seɪm ɛz ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ, ʤɪst goʊ ənd gɪv ə gʊd əˈkaʊnt əv ɑrˈsɛlvz ənd ju ˈnɛvər noʊ, ə ˈmæʤɪk ˌkɑmpəˈtɪʃən. ɪn ðɛr ənd ˈɛvəri ʧæns. noʊ fɪr fər ˈjuˈɛs there.”*.” ðə ˈraɪmən lig prɛˈmɪr dɪˈvɪʒən ˈaʊtˌfɪt juˈnaɪtɪd feɪs ə riˈpleɪ əˈgɛnst ənd ʃʊd ðeɪ kəm θru ɪt ðeɪ feɪs ə trɪp tɪ. ˈɔlsoʊ feɪs ə riˈpleɪ əˈgɛnst ˈtɛlfərd ənd ðə ˈwɪnərz hæv bɪn ˈhændɪd ə trɪp tɪ ˈæʃtən geɪt tɪ feɪs ðə tim ɪn ðə drɔ, ˈbrɪstəl ˈsɪti. ˈkɑnˌkɔrd ˈreɪnʤərz sɔ ðɛr mæʧ əˈgɛnst ˈmænzˌfild poʊstˈpoʊnd ənd ðə ˈwɪnərz wɪl ˈtrævəl tɪ ˈkeɪmbrɪʤ waɪl ˈfɛloʊ saɪd wɪl ˈtrævəl tɪ ˈoʊldəm ʃʊd ðeɪ ˈoʊvərˌkəm ɪn ðɛr poʊstˈpoʊnd taɪ. ˈkɑnfərəns saʊθ ənd feɪs ˈprɛstən ɪn ðə fərst raʊnd ənd ðə ˈwɪnərz hæv ə hoʊm drɔ əˈgɛnst ər ʃˈruzˌbɛri. kəp ˈsɛkənd raʊnd drɔ: ˈɑksfərd juˈnaɪtɪd vi ˈroʊvərz; ˈbɛri vi ˈlutən taʊn; vi ər; juˈnaɪtɪd vi ˈwʊstər ˈsɪti; juˈnaɪtɪd vi ˈpitərbəroʊ juˈnaɪtɪd; ˈwɑndərərz vi jɔrk ər ˈwɪmbəldən; ˈkaʊnti ər ˈstænli vi taʊn; juˈnaɪtɪd vi blɪθ ˈspɑrtənz; dɑnz vi ˈʧɛstərˌfild; ˈdægənˌhæm ər ˈsaʊθˌpɔrt vi eastleigh*; vi ˈwɔrɪŋtən taʊn; ˈoʊldəm æθˈlɛtɪk vi ər ˈroʊvərz; ər ˈprɛstən vi ər ʃˈruzˌbɛri; vi ˈʧɛstər; ˈbrædfərd ˈsɪti vi dartford*; kru vi ˈplɪməθ ˈɑrˌgaɪl; taʊn vi ˈdoʊvər æθˈlɛtɪk; ˈkeɪmbrɪʤ juˈnaɪtɪd vi ˈmænzˌfild taʊn ər ˈkɑnˌkɔrd ˈreɪnʤərz; ˈbrɪstəl ˈsɪti vi ər ˈtɛlfərd; ˈpɔrtsməθ ər vi ˌnɔrˈθæmptən taʊn ər rochdale*.

blyth spartans from the evo-stik league premier division have been handed a derby in the fa cup second round as they travel to face hartlepool. the seventh-tier outfit overcame altrincham at the weekend and will now make the short trip to face a pools side who sit bottom of league two. the lowest ranked team left in the competition are warrington of evo-stik division one north and they have been handed a trip to vanarama conference gateshead as reward for defeating league two exeter. the spartans manager tom wade is now looking forward to a sellout clash on the weekend of 5, 6 and 7 december. “there’ll be a lot there,” he told bbc two. “it’ll probably be a sell out. we’ll be looking forward to it. we’ll play anybody, we’re in the hat, we’ve got a chance. i think everybody has got a chance and we’ve just got to there and give everything we’ve got.” the warrington manager shaun reid was glad to avoid a league team and was confident his side would approach the match in the same manner as they did their first-round tie. “it’s a good draw for us,” he said. “they’re a decent side. we’ve just got to go about it the way we went the other day. we go into any game with fear. we’re in the fa cup and that thing over there just brings out the best in people. we’ll go there confident and give a good account of ourselves and have a right good go.” conference north worcester knocked out league one coventry and they will next face more third-tier opposition in scunthorpe. “it’s another tough draw on the road again,” said manager carl heeley. “we’re just delighted to be here, same as yesterday, just go and give a good account of ourselves and you never know, it’s a magic competition. we’re in there and we’ve every chance. there’s no fear for us there.” the ryman league premier division outfit maidstone united face a replay against stevenage and should they come through it they face a trip to wrexham. basingstoke also face a replay against telford and the winners have been handed a trip to ashton gate to face the highest-ranked team in the draw, bristol city. concord rangers saw their match against mansfield postponed and the winners will travel to cambridge while fellow sixth-tier side weston-super-mare will travel to oldham should they overcome doncaster in their postponed tie. conference south havant and waterloovile face preston in the first round and the winners have a home draw against walsall or shrewsbury. fa cup second round draw: oxford united v tranmere rovers; bury v luton town; wrexham v stevenage or maidstone; scunthorpe united v worcester city; colchester united v peterborough united; wycombe wanderers v york or afc wimbledon; notts county or accrington stanley v yeovil town; hartlepool united v blyth spartans; mk dons v chesterfield; dagenham & redbridge or southport v eastleigh; gateshead v warrington town; oldham athletic v weston-super-mare or doncaster rovers; havant & waterlooville or preston v walsall or shrewsbury; barnsley v chester; bradford city v dartford; crewe v plymouth argyle; cheltenham town v dover athletic; cambridge united v mansfield town or concord rangers; bristol city v basingstoke or afc telford; portsmouth or aldershot v northampton town or rochdale.

ˈheɪli wɪl lɛd ðə kəˈneɪdiən oʊˈlɪmpɪk kənˈtɪnʤənt ˈɪntu ðə ˈoʊpənɪŋ ˈsɛrəˌmoʊni əv ðə ˈsoʊʧi oʊˈlɪmpɪk ˈwɪntər geɪmz ɔn ˈfɛbjəˌwɛri. 7 ðə ˈhɑki pleɪər wɑz neɪmd ðə kəˈneɪdiən æt ə kəˈneɪdiən oʊˈlɪmpɪk kəˈmɪti prɛs ˈkɑnfərəns ɪn ˈɑtəˌwɑ ɔn ˈθərzˌdeɪ, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ʃi wɑz əˈneɪbəl tɪ bi ˈfɪzɪkəli ɪn əˈtɛndəns ɪn ðə ˈneɪʃənz ˈkæpɪtəl sɪns wɑz ˈtreɪnɪŋ ɪn ˈjʊrəp əˈhɛd əv ðə geɪmz. ðə frəm shaunavon*, sask*. ɪz ə ˈdɛkərˌeɪtɪd oʊˈlɪmpɪk ˈvɛtərən, ˈhævɪŋ wən θri goʊld ənd wən ˈsɪlvər ɪn ðə læst fɔr ˈwɪntər geɪmz. ənd hər ˈtimˌmeɪts wɪl bi ˈlʊkɪŋ fər əˈnəðər ˈpoʊdiəm ˈfɪnɪʃ ɪn ðə ˈfɔrmər ˈkæptənz fɪθ oʊˈlɪmpɪk əˈpɪrəns. ɪz ən ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbəl ˈɑnər ənd wən ðət minz soʊ məʧ tɪ mi ˈæftər ˈhævɪŋ ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnɪd ˈkænədə ɪn ˈhɑki fər soʊ ˈmɛni years,”*,” sɛd. ““today*, aɪ hæv bɪn ˈʧoʊzən ɛz, bət təˈdeɪ ɪz əˈbaʊt ˈkɛriɪŋ ðə hoʊps ənd drimz əv ˈnɪrli 35 ˈmɪljən kəˈneɪdiənz tɪ ˈsoʊʧi. "aɪ weɪt tɪ lɛd ən əˈmeɪzɪŋ grup əv ˈæθˌlits hu hæv ˈdɛdəkeɪtəd ðɛr lɪvz tɪ əˈʧivɪŋ ðɛr oʊˈlɪmpɪk drimz fər boʊθ ðɛmˈsɛlvz ənd canada.”*.” skɑt ˈrəsəl, hoʊst əv ˈsiˌbiˈsi spɔrts ˈwiˌkɪnd, sɪz ɪts klɪr waɪ wɑz ˈʧoʊzən baɪ ðə coc*. həz hæd ðə moʊst dɪˈstɪŋgwɪʃt kərɪr əv ˈɛni ˈæθˌlit ɪn hər spɔrt ənd bɪˈkəz ʃi ɪz ˈhoʊpfəli goʊɪŋ tɪ teɪk ðə ˌæspərˈeɪʃənz əv kəˈneɪdiən oʊˈlɪmpiənz ˈɪntu ðə fˈjuʧər ɛz ə ˈmɛmbər əv ðə ioc.”*.” ðə ɪnˈtaɪər kəˈneɪdiən ˈwɪmənz ˈhɑki tim wɪl mɑrʧ ɪn ðə ˈoʊpənɪŋ ˈsɛrəˌmoʊni, wɪʧ ɪz wən naɪt ˌbiˈfɔr ðɛr oʊˈlɪmpɪk ˈtʊrnəmənt ˈoʊpənər əˈgɛnst sˈwɪtsərlənd. ʤɔɪnz səˈlɛkt ˈkəmpəˌni wɪn ɪt kəmz tɪ kəˈneɪdiən æt ðə ˈwɪntər geɪmz spid ˈskeɪtər ˈklɛrə juz ˈkɛrid ðə flæg ˈɪntu ðə vænˈkuvər geɪmz ɪn 2010 ənd rəˈʃɛt wɑz səˈlɛktɪd æt ðə ˈkloʊzɪŋ ˈsɛrəˌmoʊni ðət jɪr. ˌdænˈjɛl gɔɪɛt wɑz ðə læst ˈwɪmənz ˈhɑki pleɪər tɪ gɪt ðə ˈɑnər ʃi ˈkɛrid ðə flæg ˈɪntu ðə ˈtʊrɪn geɪmz ɪn 2006

hayley wickenheiser will lead the canadian olympic contingent into the opening ceremony of the sochi olympic winter games on feb. 7. the hockey player was named the canadian team’s flag-bearer at a canadian olympic committee press conference in ottawa on thursday, although she was unable to be physically in attendance in the nation's capital since wickenheiser was training in europe ahead of the games. the 35-year-old from shaunavon, sask. is a decorated olympic veteran, having won three gold and one silver in the last four winter games. wickenheiser and her teammates will be looking for another podium finish in the former captain's fifth olympic appearance. “this is an incredible honour and one that means so much to me after having represented canada in hockey for so many years,” wickenheiser said. “today, i have been chosen as canada’s flag-bearer, but today is about carrying the hopes and dreams of nearly 35 million canadians to sochi. "i can’t wait to lead an amazing group of athletes who have dedicated their lives to achieving their olympic dreams for both themselves and canada.” scott russell, host of cbc sports weekend, says it's clear why wickenheiser was chosen by the coc. “she has had the most distinguished career of any athlete in her sport and because she is hopefully going to take the aspirations of canadian olympians into the future as a member of the ioc.” the entire canadian women's hockey team will march in the opening ceremony, which is one night before their olympic tournament opener against switzerland. wickenheiser joins select company when it comes to canadian flag-bearers at the winter games - speed skater clara hughes carried the flag into the vancouver games in 2010, and joannie rochette was selected at the closing ceremony flag-bearer that year. danielle goyette was the last women's hockey player to get the honour - she carried the flag into the turin games in 2006.

(ˈbæŋkɑk poʊst) ə ˈfoʊˌtoʊ əv ˈstudənts ˈteɪkɪŋ ɪgˈzæmz waɪl ˈwɛrɪŋ ˈpeɪpər hæts mɛnt tɪ prɪˈvɛnt ðɛm frəm ˈʧitɪŋ wɑz nɑt ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd tɪ hjuˈmɪliˌeɪt ðə ˈstudənts, ˌjunəˈvərsəti (ku) ˈstudənt ədˈmɪnɪˌstreɪtɪv bɔrd... ðə ˈpɪkʧər, ˈpoʊstɪd ɔn ˈfeɪsˌbʊk, dru mɪkst rəvˈjuz. səm sɛd ðə hæts ˈfɪtɪd wɪθ ˈpeɪpər ɪr flæps tɪ prɪˈvɛnt ˈstudənts frəm ˈlʊkɪŋ æt iʧ ˈəðərz' ˈænsər ʃits ˌɪnˈsəltɪd ðə ˈstudənts' ˈdɪgnəti. ˈnɪrli 100 ku ˈstudənts wər ˈpɪkʧərd ˈwɛrɪŋ ðə hæts ɪn ə rum ˈdʊrɪŋ ən ɪgˌzæməˈneɪʃən æt ðə ˈfækəlti. ðə ku ˈstudənt ədˈmɪnɪˌstreɪtɪv bɔrd ˈpoʊstɪd ðə ˈfoʊˌtoʊ ɔn ɪts ˈfeɪsˌbʊk peɪʤ ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ. ðə ˈɪmɪʤ kˈwɪkli wɛnt ˈvaɪrəl. ðə bɔrd ˈleɪtər ˈɪʃud ə ˈsteɪtmənt əˈpɑləˌʤaɪzɪŋ fər ˌɪgˈnaɪtɪŋ ðə ˈkɑntrəˌvərsi. ɪt həz sɪns riˈmuvd ðə ˈpɪkʧər frəm ɪts ˈfeɪsˌbʊk peɪʤ, ˈsaɪtɪŋ ə slu əv ˈnɛgətɪv riˈækʃənz. ðə bɔrd ɪkˈspleɪnd ðə hæts wər kənˈsɪdərd ˈnɛsəˌsɛri bɪˈkəz ðə rum wɑz smɔl ənd ˈmɛni ˈstudənts wər ˈteɪkɪŋ ðə ɪgˈzæm ˈsɪtɪŋ kloʊz tɪ iʧ ˈəðər. ˈrɛktər ˈprɑməst tɪ lʊk ˈɪntu ðə ˈmætər ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli. ðə ˈɪʃu spɑrkt ˈvɛriəs riˈækʃənz ɔn ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ənd ˈəðər ˈpɑpjələr ˈwɛbˌsaɪts ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ pantip.com*. ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ˈjuzər bərn sɛd ðə bɔrd ˈɪʃud ðə ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən ˈoʊnli tɪ prəˈtɛkt ˌɪtˈsɛlf. ə ˈjuzər neɪmd sɛd ˈstudənts ˈsəmˌtaɪmz hæd tɪ wɛr ðə hæts əˈgɛnst ðɛr wɪl. əˈnəðər ˈjuzər, feoliita*, sɛd səm ˈstudənts maɪt faɪnd ðə hæts dɪˈstræktɪŋ, ˈkɔzɪŋ ðɛm tɪ pərˈfɔrm ˈpurli ɔn ðə tɛsts. səm, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ˈɔfərd ˈsɪmpəθi tɪ ðə ˈtiʧərz, səˈʤɛstɪŋ ðə ˈɪʃu bi ˈteɪkən tu ˈsɪriəsli. ˌjunəˈvərsəti pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈsaɪəntɪst sɛd hi fɛlt ˈpɪti əˈbaʊt wət hi sɔ ɪn ðə ˈpɪkʧər. ˈmɪstər sɛd ðət ˈjuzɪŋ hæts tɪ prɪˈvɛnt ˈʧitɪŋ wɑz ənˈhərd əv, ˈivɪn ɪn haɪ skulz. ðə ˈhɛlməts meɪ bi ən ˌɪndəˈkeɪʃən əv pur ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən, hi sɛd. ˈjuzɪŋ ðə hæts wɑz ə ˈfeɪljər ˈivɪn ɪf ˈɛvriˌwən ɪn ðə rum pæst ðə ɪgˈzæm, hi sɛd ɔn hɪz ˈfeɪsˌbʊk peɪʤ. ðə ˈstudənts wər ˈtritɪd ɛz ɪf ðeɪ kʊd nɑt bi ˈtrəstɪd, ˈmɪstər ˈædɪd. piriyarangsan*, din əv ðə ˈkɑlɪʤ əv ˈsoʊʃəl ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən æt ˌjunəˈvərsəti, sɛd ðə ˈpræktɪs wɑz ɪkˈsɛsɪv ənd ənˈnɛsəˌsɛri. ðə ˈpɪkʧər ˈdæmɪʤd ðə ˌjunəˈvərsətiz ˌrɛpjəˈteɪʃən ənd rɪˈflɛktɪd ə ˈfeɪljər əv ðə ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən ˈsɪstəm, ˈmɪstər kleɪmd.

(bangkok post) -- a photo of students taking exams while wearing paper blinker hats meant to prevent them from cheating was not intended to humiliate the students, kasetsart university (ku) student administrative board... photo:bangkokpost the picture, posted on facebook, drew mixed reviews. some said the hats _ fitted with paper ear flaps to prevent students from looking at each others' answer sheets _ insulted the students' dignity. nearly 100 ku students were pictured wearing the hats in a room during an examination at the agro-industry faculty. the ku student administrative board posted the photo on its facebook page on wednesday. the image quickly went viral. the board later issued a statement apologising for igniting the controversy. it has since removed the picture from its facebook page, citing a slew of negative reactions. the board explained the anti-cheating hats were considered necessary because the room was small and many students were taking the exam sitting close to each other. rector wuttichai kapilakarn promised to look into the blinker matter immediately. the issue sparked various reactions on facebook and other popular websites including pantip.com. facebook user burn noppachai said the board issued the explanation only to protect itself. a pantip user named aticus_t said students sometimes had to wear the hats against their will. another user, feoliita, said some students might find the hats distracting, causing them to perform poorly on the tests. some, however, offered sympathy to the teachers, suggesting the issue shouldnot be taken too seriously. thammasat university political scientist kasian tejapira said he felt pity about what he saw in the picture. mr kasian said that using hats to prevent cheating was unheard of, even in high schools. the anti-cheating helmets may be an indication of poor education, he said. using the hats was a failure even if everyone in the room passed the exam, he said on his facebook page. the students were treated as if they could not be trusted, mr kasian added. sangsit piriyarangsan, dean of the college of social innovation at rangsit university, said the practice was excessive and unnecessary. the picture damaged the university's reputation and reflected a failure of the education system, mr sangsit claimed.

gɪt ðə ˈbɪgəst ˈdeɪli nuz ˈstɔriz baɪ iˈmeɪl səbˈskraɪb θæŋk ju fər səbˈskraɪbɪŋ wi hæv mɔr ˈnuzˌlɛtərz ʃoʊ mi si ɑr ˈpraɪvəsi ˈnoʊtɪs kʊd nɑt səbˈskraɪb, traɪ əˈgɛn ˈleɪtər ˌɪnˈvæləd iˈmeɪl keɪʤd ʧaɪld əˈbjuzər ˈʧɑrəlz ˈneɪpiər ˈfeɪsɪz ə ˈgrɪlɪŋ baɪ dɪˈtɛktɪvz hu bɪˈliv hi kʊd hɛlp ɪkˈspoʊz ə ˈnɛtˌwərk əv ˌviˌaɪˈpi wɪθ lɪŋks tɪ ˌwɛstˈmɪnstər. ˈɔfɪsərz ˈproʊbɪŋ kleɪmz ðət spæn ˈdɛkeɪdz θɪŋk ðə ˈfɔrmər ˈtiʧər ʤeɪld læst wik fər əˈbjuzɪŋ 23 bɔɪz kən neɪm ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt ˈfɪgjərz ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ pɪrz, ˈgəvərnmənt ˈmɪnɪstərz, ˈsərvənts ənd pəˈlis. ˈneɪpiər, 67 wɑz ˈtrɛʒərər əv ðə tˈwɪstɪd ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ, wɪʧ ɔn bɪˈhæf əv ɪn ðə ənd ənd ðət ðə eɪʤ əv kənˈsɛnt ʃʊd bi loʊərd tɪ fɔr. ˌdɔsˈjeɪz kəmˈpaɪld baɪ ˈʤɛfri ˈdɪkənz ənd ˈhændɪd tɪ ˈfɔrmər hoʊm ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri liɑn ˈbrɪtən ɪn ðə wər sɛd tɪ kənˈteɪn ˈdæmɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə grup. ðə ˌæləˈgeɪʃənz naʊ fɔrm ə ki pɑrt əv ðə ˈlɑrʤˌskeɪl ˈskɑtlənd jɑrd proʊb, wɪʧ ˌɪnˈkludz kleɪmz θri jəŋ bɔɪz wər ˈmərdərd baɪ ə ˈpaʊərfəl ˌviˌaɪˈpi ˈnɛtˌwərk. ə sɔrs kloʊz tɪ ðə sɛd: ðət hi həz bɪn ʤeɪld pəˈlis ər goʊɪŋ tɪ wɔnt tɪ tɔk tɪ ɪm əˈgɛn. wɑz ˈtrɛʒərər əv ðə paɪ. ðət minz hi wʊd noʊ ðə neɪmz əv ə lɔt əv ðə ˈpipəl. hi məst hæv mɔr tɪ tɛl ðə police.”*.” ˈneɪpiər wɑz ˈsɛntənst tɪ 13 jɪrz fər sɛks əˈtæks ɔn 23 bɔɪz bɪtˈwin 1967 ənd 1983 ðə ˈpərvərt 30 ˌɪnˈdisənt əˈsɔlt ənd wən əv əˈgɛnst ə ʧaɪld. ˈsɛvərəl ˌhaɪˈproʊfaɪl əˈbjuzərz ər θɔt hæv bɪn ˈmɛmbərz əv paɪ, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈpitər ənd ˈfɔrmər spaɪ ˈʤɛfri praɪm. ðə leɪt ˈleɪbər ˌpɑləˈtɪʃən ˈbɑrbərə ˈkæsəl ɪz sɛd tɪ hæv neɪmd ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə grup ɪn ə ˌdɔsˈjeɪ sizd baɪ ˈspɛʃəl brænʧ ɪn ðə əˈmɪd ˌæləˈgeɪʃənz əv ə ˈkəvərˌəp. ðə mɛt pəˈlis ər naʊ traɪɪŋ tɪ faɪnd ðə ˈmɪsɪŋ faɪlz ənd ðoʊz kəmˈpaɪld baɪ ˈmɪstər ˈdɪkənz. ˈɔfɪsərz ˈrisəntli rɪˈvild ðɛr ər naʊ 18 ˈsɛpərˌeɪt ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz ˈproʊbɪŋ ɪn ðə ənd ənd kæmˈpeɪnərz bɪˈliv ˈneɪpiər wʊd hæv hæd ə fʊl lɪst əv ðoʊz wɪθ paɪ. ˈwɪsəlˌbloʊər ˈpitər ˈmækəlˈvi, ə ˈfɔrmər ˈloʊkəl əˈθɔrəti ʧaɪld prəˈtɛkʃən ʧif hu həz bɪn ˈfaɪtɪŋ tɪ brɪŋ əˈbjuzərz tɪ ­­justice*, sɛd: ɪz ən ˈivəl, ˈkælkjəˌleɪtɪŋ,. "ðə ˈʧɑrʤɪz hi wɑz faʊnd ˈgɪlti ɔn wər ðə tɪp əv ðə ˈaɪsbərg. 1993 aɪ spoʊk tɪ θri ˈvɪktɪmz hu rɪfˈjuzd tɪ gɪv ˈɛvədəns. toʊld mi ˈvɛri kənˈvɪnsɪŋli ðət ˈneɪpiər tʊk ɪm tɪ ˈpɑrtiz wɛr hi wɑz ˌɪntrəˈdust tɪ ðə rɪʧ ənd ˈfeɪməs ənd ðət wɑz ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn ɔl ðiz activities.”*.” ˈmɪstər ˈmækəlˈvi bɪˈlivz ˈneɪpiər hu həz sɛd hi rɪˈgrɛts hɪz ˈækʃənz ʃʊd naʊ kəm klin əˈbaʊt ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ hi noʊz. hi ˈædɪd: bɪˈliv hi həz ʃoʊn wən ˌaɪˈoʊtə əv rɪˈmɔrs ɪn ən əˈdəlˌthʊd ˈdɛdəkeɪtəd tɪ ðə ˈruθləs pərˈsut əv ˈvəlnərəbəl ˈʧɪldrən ˈpjʊrli tɪ əˈbjuz ˈsɛkʃuəli. ə tɛst əv hɪz ˈnuˈfaʊnd ­‘­‘remorse’*’, hi kən ʃɛr ɔl ðə neɪmz əv ðə rɪʧ ənd hu ðə ˈpɑrtiz ðət hɪz ˈvɪktɪmz tɪ. paɪ ˈtrɛʒərər ɪn ɪts pik ˈpɪriəd əv ˈmɛmbərˌʃɪp ɪn ðə mid-1970s*, ˈneɪpiər hoʊldz ðə ki tɪ ðə aɪˈdɛntəˌti əv ˈhənərdz əv ˈdeɪnʤərəs əˈbjuzərz hu kənˈtɪnjud tɪ əˈbjuz ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈʧɪldrən ˈoʊvər ˈmɛni ˈdɛkeɪdz. kən naʊ pæs ɔl ðɪs ɛz ˈtɛstəmənt tɪ hɪz ˈnuˈfaʊnd rɪˈgrɛt ənd remorse.”*.” ðə ˈsənˌdi ˈpipəl wɑz ðə fərst ˈnuzˌpeɪpər tɪ træk daʊn ˈneɪpiər, hu ɪz ðə əv kənˈsərvətɪv ʤɑn whittingdale*. hi wɑz faʊnd ɪn ˈpɪkʧərəsk ˈʃərbərn, ˈdɔrsɪt. ˈæftər wi pæst ɑr tɪ pəˈlis, ˈneɪpiər wɑz ərˈɛstɪd ɛz pɑrt əv ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən ən ˈɔfˌʃut əv ˈfɛrbəŋk, wɪʧ wɑz sɛt əp tɪ ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪt ˌæləˈgeɪʃənz əv ʧaɪld əˈbjuz. æt ðə taɪm əv ɑr proʊb wi spoʊk tɪ rɪˈspɛktɪd ˈɔθər ənd ˈʤərnəlɪst ˈfrænsɪs, ə ˈfɔrmər ˈpjupəl æt ðə ˈbɔrdɪŋ skul ˈneɪpiər tɔt æt. ðə sɛd: ə fju əv ˈjuˈɛs, seɪɪŋ mɔr taɪm ɪn ðə gym’*’ ənd əˈpɔɪntɪd hɪmˈsɛlf ʤɪm ­­master*. "ðɛr wɑz ə rum ɔf ðə ʤɪm ənd ðət hɪz hɔnt. fɔr ər faɪv əv ˈjuˈɛs ˈstɑrtɪd goʊɪŋ daʊn ðɛr, ˈvɔltɪŋ ˈoʊvər ˈhɔrsɪz ənd θɪŋz laɪk ðət, ɪn ɑr ʤɪm ʃɔrts ɪn ɔl ɑr ˈɪnəsəns. ðə ɛnd əv ɪt hi wʊd teɪk ˈjuˈɛs ˈɪntu hɪz rum ɔf ðə ʤɪm ənd gɪv ˈjuˈɛs bɪr ənd ˌsɪgəˈrɛts əv ənd ˈsinjər ˈsərvɪs untipped*. θɔt ðɪs wɑz ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ. hir wi wər, 11 jɪrz oʊld, biɪŋ ˈgɪvɪn bɪr ənd fægz. wi wər ˈθɪŋkɪŋ ðət hi wɑz ɔn ɑr saɪd, nɑt laɪk ˈɛni əv ðə ˈəðər ˈmæstərz. kɔrs, ðɪs wɑz fər ən əlˈtɪriər ˈpərpəs, wɪʧ ˈvɛri sun bɪˈkeɪm klɪr wɪn hi stək hɪz hænd daʊn maɪ ʤɪm ʃɔrts ənd aɪ hæd tɪ sɔrt əv faɪt ɪm off.”*.” sɪk ˈneɪpiər ðɛn rɪˈvild hɪz fər ˈgrumɪŋ ðə ˈjəŋstərz baɪ traɪɪŋ tɪ hjuˈmɪliˌeɪt ɪm. ˈmɪstər sɛd: sɛd bi səʧ ə baby’*’ ənd sɛd aɪ ˈgroʊˌnəp ɪˈnəf fər ðət sɔrt əv θɪŋ. wʊd pɔɪnt tɪ ə ˈkəpəl əv ˈəðər bɔɪz, seɪɪŋ lɛt mi du ɪt, ju ʤɪst lɛt mi bɪˈkəz soʊ babyish’*’. θɪŋk hi wɑz ˈhoʊpɪŋ seɪ ‘‘no*, ɛz groʊn əp ɛz them’*’ ənd lɛt ɪm gɪt ɔn wɪθ ɪt bət aɪ didn’t*. mɛnt aɪ wɑz ɪkˈskludɪd frəm hɪz circle’*’ bət baɪ ðɛn aɪ nu wɛr hi kɛpt hɪz bɪr ənd ˌsɪgəˈrɛts. juzd tɪ breɪk ˈɪntu hɪz rum, stil ðɛm ənd ðɛn goʊ ənd sɪt ɪn ðə woods.”*.” ˈmɪstər ˈvɪzɪtɪd kraʊn kɔrt læst wik tɪ si ˈneɪpiər ˈsɛntənst. hi dɪˈskraɪbd ðə ʤeɪl tərm ɛz ˈsɪgnəl ðə ʤəʤ wɑz ˈgɪvɪŋ ðiz θɪŋz wɪl bi pərˈsud naʊ, ˈivɪn ɪf 46 jɪrz ˈleɪtər θɪŋk gɑt əˈweɪ wɪθ it”*”. (ˈɪmɪʤ: nɪk ˈpɪkʧərz) ˈmɪstər ədˈmɪtəd ðɛr hæd bɪn taɪmz ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ˈsɛntəns wɪn hi ˈɔlˌmoʊst fɛlt ˈpɪti fər ðə ˈpərvərt bət ðoʊz ˈfilɪŋz kˈwɪkli ɪˈvæpərˌeɪtɪd. hi sɛd: æm glæd ðət bɪn dən. glæd ðət ˈhæpənd ˈæftər ɔl ðiz jɪrz. θɔt ɪn ðə læst jɪr ər tu, ‘‘well*, ˈgɪtɪŋ kwaɪt oʊld, ˈmeɪbi ɪt ðət serious,’*,’ ˈfilɪŋ ə ˈtaɪni bɪt əv ˈpɪti ɔˈkeɪʒənəˌli. aɪ fil ðət naʊ, ˈhirɪŋ ɛz hərd əˈbaʊt ðə ʃɪr ɪkˈstɛnt əv wət hi wɑz duɪŋ raɪt ˈəndər ɑr ˈnoʊzɪz waɪl aɪ wɑz æt skul wɪθ ɔl ðiz ˈəðər bɔɪz. ʤɪst hæd noʊ aɪˈdiə əv ðə skeɪl əv wət hi wɑz duɪŋ ənd haʊ ˈdæmɪʤd səm əv ðɛm wər baɪ wət hi dɪd. ˈɛləmənt əv ˈpɪti ˈfɛrli quickly.”*.”